October 17th. Thursday 1805 Forks of Columbia.
Took altitude with Sextant as follows
|
h |
m |
s |
|
| A M. |
7 |
40 |
13 |
|
|
" |
42 |
58 |
altitude produced 22°–25′–15″ |
|
43 |
44 |
|
|
Observed time and distance of Son and Moons nearest Limbs the Sun
East (at the Point)
|
|
Time |
|
|
distance |
|
|
H. |
M. |
S. |
|
|
|
| A.M. |
7 |
51 |
43 |
60° |
47′ |
15″ |
|
" |
53 |
33 |
" |
46 |
30 |
|
" |
54 |
35 |
" |
45 |
45 |
|
" |
55 |
55 |
" |
45 |
|
|
" |
57 |
37 |
" |
45 |
00 |
|
" |
58 |
29 |
" |
44 |
00 |
|
8 |
00 |
26 |
" |
43 |
45 |
|
" |
1 |
22 |
" |
43 |
15 |
|
" |
3 |
8 |
" |
43 |
00 |
|
" |
4 |
43 |
" |
42 |
30 |
|
" |
6 |
5 |
" |
43 |
|
|
" |
7 |
52 |
" |
41 |
30 |
Magnetick azmoth. Time and distance of tyhe sun &c.
| Azmth. |
Time |
distance |
|
H. M. S. |
|
| S 75° E |
8 15 45 |
33° 4′ 30″ |
| S. 74°. E |
8 19 43 |
34 13 ″ |
Took Equal altitudes
|
H. |
M |
S |
|
h |
m |
s |
| A M. |
8 |
23 |
00 |
PM. |
3 |
21 |
53 |
|
" |
24 |
55 |
|
" |
23 |
50 |
|
" |
26 |
49 |
|
" |
25 |
42 |
Altitude produced is 35°–9′–30″
This morning after the Luner observations, the old chief
came down, and several men with dogs to sell & womin with
fish &c. the Dogs we purchased the fish not good.
I took 2 men and set out in a small canoe with a view to go
as high up the Columbia river as the 1st. fork which the Indians
made signs was but a short distance, I set out at 2 oClock
first course was N. 83° W 6 miles to the lower point of a Island
on the Lard Side, passed an Island in the middle of the river at
5 miles, at the head of which is a rapid not bad at this rapid
3 Lodges of mats on the Lard emence quantites of dried fish.
Then West 4 miles to the Lower point of an Island on the
Stard. Side 2 lodges of Indians large and built of mats,
passed 3 verry large mat lodges at 2 mile on the Stard Side
large scaffols of fish drying at every lodge, and piles of salmon
lying, the squars engaged prepareing them for the scaffol.
a squar gave me a dried salmon. from those lodges on the
Island an Indian showed me the mouth of the river which falls
in below a high hill on the Lard. N. 80°. W. 8 miles from the
Island. The river bending Lard. This river is remarkably
clear and crouded with salmon in maney places, I observe in
assending great numbers of salmon dead on the shores, floating
on the water and in the Bottom which can be seen at the debth
of 20 feet, the cause of the emence numbers of dead salmon
I can't account for so it is I must have seen 3 or 400 dead
and maney living the Indians, I believe made us[e] of the fish
which is not long dead as, I struck one nearly dead and left
him floating, some Indians in a canoe behind took the fish on
board his canoe
The bottoms on the South side as high as the Tarcouche
tesse[17]
is from 1 to 2 miles wide, back of the bottoms rises to
hilly countrey, the Plain is low on the North & Easte for
a great distance no wood to be seen in every direction.
The Tarcouche tesse bears South of West, the Columbia
N W above [a] range of hills on the West Parralel a range
of mountains to the East which appears to run nearly North
& South distance not more than 50 miles. I returned to the
point at Dusk followed by three canoes of Indians 20 in number.
I killed a Fowl of the Pheasent kind as large as a small
turkey. The length from his Beeck to the end of its tail
2 feet 6 ¾ Inches, from the extremity of its wings across 3 feet
6 Inches, the tail feathers 13 Inches long, feeds on grasshoppers,
and the seed of wild Isoop Those Indians are
orderly, badly dressed in the same fashions of those above
except the women who wore short shirts and a flap over their
22
d. Fishing houses of Mats robes of Deer, Goat & Beaver.
