University of Virginia Library

October 20th Sunday 1805

A cool morning wind S. W. we concluded to delay untill
after brackfast which we were obliged to make on the flesh of
dog. after brackfast we gave all the Indian men Smoke and
we Set out leaveing about 200 of the nativs at our Encampment,
passd. three Indian Lodges on the Lard. Side a little
below our camp which lodges I did not discover last evening,
passed a rapid at seven miles one at a Short distance below
we passed a verry bad rapid, a chane of rocks makeing from
the Stard. Side and nearly chokeing the river up entirely with
hugh black rocks, an Island below close under the Stard.
Side on which was four Lodges of Indians drying fish, here
I saw a great number of Pelicons on the wing, and black
Comerants. at one oClock we landed on the lower point of
an Island at Some Indian Lodges, a large Island on the
Stard. Side nearly opposit and a Small one a little below on
the Lard. Side, on those three Island[s] I counted seventeen
Indian lodges, those people are in every respect like those
above, prepareing fish for theire winter consumption, here we
purchased a fiew indifferent Dried fish & a fiew berries on
which we dined (on the upper part of this Island we discovered
an Indian Vault,[29] our curiosity induced us to examine the
method those nativs practiced in depos[it]eing the dead, the
vau[l]t was made by broad poads [boards] and pieces of
Canoes leaning on a ridge pole which was Suported by 2 forks
Set in the ground six feet in hight in an easterly and westerly
direction and about 60 feet in length, and 12 feet wide, in it
I observed great numbers of humane bones of every description
perticularly in a pile near the center of the vault, on the
East End 21 Scul bomes forming a circle on Mats; in the
westerley part of the Vault appeared to be appropriated for
those of more resent death, as many of the bodies of the

deceased raped up in leather robes, lay [in rows] on board[s]
covered with mats, &c [when bones & robes rot, they are gathered
in a heap & sculls placed in a circle] we observed, independant
of the canoes which served as a covering, fishing nets of various
kinds, Baskets of different Sizes, wooden boles, robes Skins,
trenchers, and various kind of trinkets, in and suspended on
the ends of the pieces forming the vault; we also Saw the
Skeletons of Several Horses at the vault a great number of
bones about it, which convinced me that those animals were
Sacrefised as well as the above articles to the Deceased.) after
diner we proceeded on to a bad rapid at the lower point of
a Small Island on which four Lodges of Indians were Situated
drying fish; here the high countrey commences again on the
Stard. Side leaveing a vallie of 40 miles in width, from the
mustle shel rapid. examined and passed this rapid close to
the Island at 8 miles lower passed a large Island near the
middle of the river, a brook on the Stard. Side and 11 Islds. all
in view of each other below, a riverlit [rivulet] falls in on the
Lard. Side behind a Small Island a Small rapid below, The
Star Side is high rugid hills, the Lar.d Side a low plain and
not a tree to be Seen in any Direction except a new Small
willow bushes which are scattered partially on the Sides of
the bank

The river to day is about ¼ of a mile in width, this evening
the countrey on the Lard. Side rises to the hight of that on the
Starboard Side, and is wavering we made 42 miles to day;
the current much more uniform than yesterday or the day
before. Killed 2 Speckle guls severl ducks of a delicious
flavour.

Map from Clark Field-book, showing position of Indian lodges, and
places of Encampment for October 20, and the
return journey, April 24, 1806.