University of Virginia Library

[Clark:]

August 21st.. Wednesday 1805.

Frost last night proceeded on with the Indians I met about
5 miles to there Camp, I entered a lodge and after smokeing
with all who Came about me I went to see the place those
people take the fish, a wear across the Creek in which there is
Stuk baskets Set in different derections So as to take the fish
either decending or assending on my return to the Camp
which was 200 yards only the different lodges (which is only
bushes) brought in to the lodge I was introduced into, Sammon
boiled, and dried Choke Chers. Sufficent for all my party.
one man brought me a tomahawk which we expected they had
Stolen from a man of Cap Lewis's party, this man informed
me he found the tomak. in the grass near the place the man
Slept. Crossed the River and went over a point of high land
& Struck it again near a Bluff on the right Side; the man I
left to get a horse at the upper Camp missed me & went to
the forks which is about five miles below the last Camp. I
sent one man by the forks with derections to join me to night
with the one now at that place, those two men joined me at
my Camp on the right Side below the 1st. Clift with 5 Sammon
which the Indians gave them at the forks, the place they gig
fish at this season. Their method of takeing fish with a gig or
bone is with a long pole, about a foot from one End is a
Strong String attached to the pole, this String is a little more
than a foot long and is tied to the middle of a bone from 4 to
6 inches long, one end Sharp the other with a whole to fasten
on the end of the pole with a beard [i. e., barb] to the large
end, the[y] fasten this bone on one end & with the other,
feel for the fish & turn and Strike them So hard that the bone
passes through and Catches on the opposit Side, Slips off the
End of the pole and holds the Center of the bone Those
Indians are mild in their disposition, appear Sincere in their
friendship, punctial, and decided. kind with what they have,
to spare. They are excessive pore, nothing but horses there
Enemies which are noumerous on account of there horses &
Defenceless Situation, have deprived them of tents and all the
Small Conveniances of life. They have only a few indifferent
Knives, no ax, make use of Elk's horn Sharpened to Sp[l]it

ther wood, no clothes except a Short Legins & robes of different
animals, Beaver, Bear, Buffalow, wolf Panther, Ibex
(Sheep), Deer, but most commonly the antilope Skins which
they ware loosely about them. Their ornements are Orter
Skin d[e]curated with See Shells & the Skins & tales of the
white weasel, Sea Shels of different size hung to their Ears hair
and breast of their Shirts, beeds of Shells platted Grass, and
Small strings of otter Skin dressed, they are fond of our
trinkets, and give us those ornements as the most valueable
of their possession. The women are held more sacred among
them than any nation we have seen and appear to have an
equal Shere in all conversation, which is not the Case in any
other nation I have seen. their boys & girls are also admited
to speak except in Councels, the women doe all the drugery
except fishing and takeing care of the horses, which the men
apr. to take upon themselves. The men ware the hair loose
flowing over ther Sholders & face, the women Cut Short,
ornements of the back bones of fish Strung, plated grass grains
of Corn Strung Feathers and orniments of Birds Claws of the
Bear encurcling their necks the most sacred of all the orniments
of this nation is the Sea Shells of various Sizes and
Shapes and colours, of the bassterd perl kind, which they
inform us they get from the Indians to the South on the other
Side of a large fork of this river in passing to which they have
to pass thro: Sandy & barren open plains without water to
which place they can travel in 15 or 20 days. The men who
passed by the forks informed me that the S W. fork was
double the Size of the one I came down, and I observed that
it was a handsom river at my camp I shall in justice to
Capt. Lewis who was the first white man ever on this fork of
the Columbia Call this Louis's [Lewis's] river. one Deer
killed this morning, and a Sammon in the last Creek 2 ½ feet
long The Westerley fork of the Columbia River is double
the Size of the Easterley fork & below those forks the river is
about the Size [of] Jeffersons River near its mouth or 100
yards wide, it is verry rapid & Sholey water Clear, but little
timber. This Clift is of a redish brown Colour, the rocks
which fall from it is a dark brown flint tinged with that
Colour. Some Gullies of white Sand Stone and Sand fine &
a[s] white as Snow. The mountains on each Side are high,
and those on the East ruged & Contain a fiew Scattering pine,
those on the West contain pine on ther tops & high up the
hollows. The bottoms of this day is wide & rich from some
distance above the place I struck the East fork they are also
wide on the East Passed a large Creek which fall[s] in on
the right side 6 miles below the forks a road passes up this
Creek & to the Missouri.