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Original journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806

printed from the original manuscripts in the library of the American Philosophical Society and by direction of its committee on historical documents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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[Clark, first draft:]

October 18th. Friday 1805.

a cold morning faire & wind from S E several Heath hens
or large Pheasents lit near us & the men killed six of them.
Took one altitude of the Suns upper Limb 28°. 22′ 15″
at

   
8.  1.  24. 
A. M. Several Indian canoes come down & joind
those with us. made a second Chief by giveing a Meadel &
Wampom I also gave a string of wampom to the old Chief
who came down with us and informed the Indians of our views
and intentions in a council

Observed time and distance of Sun & Moons nearest Limbs Sun East

                           
Time  distance 
H. 
37  46  47°  15′  30″ 
40  32  14  15 
41  47  14  00 
42  55  13  30 
43  44  12  45 
46  12  30 
47  18  12  00 
48  35  11  45 
49  44  11  15 
50  53  11  00 
52  00  30 
53  46  30 


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Took a second altitude of the Suns upper Limb 58° – 34′ –
45″
at

   
10  3  59 
Measured the width of the Columbia
River from the Point across to a Point of View is S 22° W.
from the Point up the Columbia to a Point of view is N. 84°.
W. 148 poles, thence across to the 1st. point of view is S 28
½ E.

Measured the width of Ke-moo-e-nim River, from the Point
across to an object on the opposit side is N. 41 ½ E from the
Point up the river is N. 8. E. 82 poles thence across to the
Point of view is N. 79°. East

Distance across the Columbia 960 ¾ yards water

Distance across the Ki-moo-e-nim 575 yds water

Names of this nation above the mouth of the Ki-moo-e-nim
is So-kulk Perced noses The Names of the nation on the Kimooenim
River is Cho-pun-nish Piercd noses at the Prarie the
name of a nation at the Second forks of the Tape tett River,
or Nocktosh fork Chim-nâ-pum, some of which reside with the
Sokulks above this and at a few miles distance 4 men in a
canoe come up from below stayed a fiew minits and returned.

Took a meridian altitude 68° – 57′ – 30″ the suns upper
Limb, the Lattitude produced is 46° – 15′ – 13″ 9/10 North,
Capt Lewis took a vocabillary of the Sokulk or Pierced noses
Language and Chim-nâ-pum Language whic[h] is in some
words different but orriginally the same people, The Great
Chief Cuts-sâh nem gave me a sketch of the rivers & Tribes
above on the great river & its waters on which he put great numbers
of villages of his nation & friends, as noted on the sketch.

The fish being very bad those which was offerd to us we
had every reason to believe was taken up on the shore dead
we thought proper not to purchase any, we purchased forty
dogs for which we gave articles of little value, such as beeds,
bells & thimbles, of which they appeared verry fond, at 4
oClock we set out down the Great Columbia accompanied by
our two old Chiefs, one young man wished to accompany
us, but we had no room for more, & he could be of no
service to us.

The great chief continued with us untill our departure.


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Course

         
S. 55°. E.  12  miles a Lard. bend lower part of a bad rapid and several
little stony Islands passed. an Island imediately in
the mouth of the Kimoo-e nim one in the mid river at
8 miles this Island of corse gravel and 3 miles
long, the Columbia more than a mile wide, banks
low not subject to overflow an Island on the Stard.
Side from opd the center the last 3 ½ miles long.
no timber in view opsd. the center of this Island
and below the larst a Island in the middle with 9
Lodges and a great quantity of fish on its upper
point, a small Island imediately below opsd. the
upper Pt. of which the rapid commences several
small [islands] on the Lard Side
 
S. 2O°. E.  2½  miles to 2 Lodges of Indians on a small Island Stard.
point
 
S. E  1 ½  miles to mo. of a river 40 yds wide under a high clift
in the Lard. bend here the river enters the high
countrey rising abt 200 feet above the water large
black rocks makeing out from Lard. half across the
river and some distance from Stard. Side.
 
S. 12° W.  miles to a point of rocks in a Lard. bend, passed a
small Isd. passed a 2d. at 2 miles, on its upper Point
2 Lodges of Indians fishing at a rapid opsd. the
lower point psd. 9 Lodges of Indians fishing on an
Island on the Stard Side below about 1 mile 5
Lodges on the Stard. Side, passed a Island in middle
of river at 3 m.
 
21 

we Encamped a little below & opsd. the lower point of the
Island on the Lard. Side[20] no wood to be found we were
obliged to make use [of] small dried willows to cook. our
old chief informed us that the great chief of all the nations
about lived at the 9 Lodges above and wished us to land &c.
he said he would go up and call him over they went up and
did not return untill late at night, about 20 came down &
built a fire above and stayed all night. The chief brough[t] a
basket of mashed berries.

 
[20]

The camp for this day was on or barely over the border of Washington.—Ed.


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October 18th. Friday 1805

This morning Cool and fare wind from the S. E. six of
the large Prarie cock killed this morning. Several canoes of
Indians came down and joined those with us, we had a council
with those in which we informed of our friendly intentions
towards them and all other of our red children, of our wish to
make a piece between all of our red Children in this quarter
&c. &c. this was conveyed by signs thro: our 2 Chiefs who
accompanied us, and was understood, we made a 2d. Chief
and gave Strings of wompom to them all in remembrance of
what we Said. four men in a Canoe came up from a large
encampment on an Island in the River about 8 miles below,
they delayed but a fiew minits and returned, without Speaking
a word to us.

The Great Chief and one of the Chim-nâ-pum nation drew
me a sketch of the Columbia above and the tribes of his nation,
living on the bank[s], and its waters, and the Tâpe-tett river
which falls in 18 miles above on the westerly side See sketch
below for the number of villages and nations &c. &c.[21]

we thought it necessary to lay in a Store of Provisions for
our voyage, and the fish being out of Season, we purchased
forty dogs for which we gave articles of little value, such as
bells, thimbles, knitting pins, brass wire and a few beeds [with]
all of which they appeared well Satisfied and pleased.

every thing being arranged we took in our Two Chiefs, and
set out on the great Columbia river, haveing left our guide
and the two young men two of them enclined not to proceed
on any further, and the 3d. could be of no service to us as he
did not know the river below

Took our leave of the Chiefs and all those about us and
proceeded on down the great Columbia river passed a large



No Page Number
illustration

Junction of Columbia and Lewis's Rivers,
sketch-map by Clark.



No Page Number

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Island at 8 miles about 3 miles in length, a Island on the Stard.
Side the upper point of which is opposit the center of the last
mentioned Island and reaches 3–½ miles below the 1st. Island
and opposit to this near the middle of the river nine Lodges
are Situated on the upper point at a rapid which is between the
lower point of the 1st. Island and upper point of this; great
numbers of Indians appeared to be on this Island, and emence
quantites of fish scaffold[s] we landed a few minits to view a
rapid which commenced at the lower point, passd. this rapid
which was verry bad, between 2 Small Islands, two Still Smaller
near the Lard. Side, at this rapid on the Stard. Side is Lodges
of Indians Drying fish, at 2–½ miles lower and 14–½ below
the point passed an Island Close under the Stard. Side on which
was 2 Lodges of Indians drying fish on Scaffolds as above at
16 miles from the point the river passes into the range of high
Countrey, at which place the rocks project into the river from
the high clifts which is on the Lard. Side about ⅓ of the way
across and those of the Stard. Side about the same distance,
the countrey rises here about 200 feet above the water and is
bordered with black rugid rocks, at the Commencement of
this high countrey on Lard. Side a Small riverlet falls in which
appears to [have] passed under the high county. in its whole
co[ur]se. saw a mountain bearing S. W. conocal form Covered
with Snow.[22] passed 4 Islands, at the upper point of the 3rd. is
a rapid, on this Island is two Lodges of Indians, drying fish,
on the fourth Island close under the Stard. Side is nine large
Lodges of Indians Drying fish on scaffolds as above at this
place we were called to to land, as it was near night, and no
appearance of wood, we proceeded on about 2 miles lower to
Some Willows, at which place we observed a drift log formed
a camp on the Lard. Side under a high hill nearly opposit to
five Lodges of Indians; Soon after we landed, our old Chiefs
informed us that the large camp above "was the Camp of the
1st. Chief of all the tribes in this quarter, and that he had called
to us to land and Stay all night with him, that he had plenty of
wood for us &c." This would have been agreeable to us if it

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had have been understood perticelarly as we were compelled to
use drid willows for fuel for the purpose of cooking, we requested
the old Chiefs to walk up on the Side we had landed
and call to the chief to come down and Stay with us all night
which they did, late at night the Chief came down accompanied
by 20 men, and formed a camp a short distance above,
the chief brought with him a large basket of mashed berries
which he left at our Lodge as a present. I saw on the main
land opposit those Lodges a number of horses feeding, we
made 21 miles to day.

 
[21]

They drew it with a piece of coal on a robe, and as we afterwards transferred
to paper, it exhibited a valuable specimen of Indian delineation.—Biddle (ii,
p. 17).

[In the fire of 1895] was burned a map of Oregon presented by the Indians to
Lewis and Clark. It was on dressed skin, and showed, by the number of snowshoes,
the relative population of the villages, etc., in that section.—P. B. Boninger
(University of Virginia).

[22]

The "small riverlet" is the Walla Walla River; the snow-covered conical mountain,
Mount Hood, of which this was the explorer's first glimpse.—Ed.