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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from the original manuscripts in the library of the American Philosophical Society and by direction of its committee on historical documents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 21st. 1805 Monday[1]

AVERRY cold morning we set out early wind from
the SW. we could not cook brackfast before we
embarked as usial for the want of wood or something
to burn.

     

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South  miles to a Lard Bend 
S 55°. W.  17  miles to a Lard Bend below a bad rapid high ruged rocks
Passed a small Island at 2 ½ miles one at 4 miles, in
the middle of the river, at 2 more swift water an
Indn camp of 8 Lodges on the Std. Side opsd. the Lower
point where we Brackfast, and bought some fine fish
& Pounded ro[o]tes. people well disposed passed
a rapid at 10 miles. Rocks out in the water passed
a Stard. point & a Lard. point at 15 passed 5 Lodges
of Indians, & 2 Lodges some distance above on Std 
N. 45°. W.  miles to a stard. bend passd. the lower pt. of the Isd. at 1
mile and 2 Lodges of fishers below on the Stard Side,
the rocks on the Lard. appear as if sliped from the
clifts under which they are passed emence rocks in
different parts of the river which were large and too
noumerous to notice. Fowl of all kinds more plentiful
than above. passed a verry bad rapid at 2 miles,
this rapid is crouded with Islands of bad rocks dificult
& crooked passage 2 Lodges of Indians below on
Std. Side. I saw some fiew small Pine on the tops of
the high hills and bushes in the hollers 
S. 60°. W.  miles to the Stard. Bend, passed maney ruged black
rocks in different parts of the river, and a bad rapid
at 2 miles & river narrow. Several canoes loaded
with Indians (Pierce Noses) came to see us. at the
expiration of this course a river falls in on the Lard.
40 yds. wide Islands of rocks in every direction in
the river & rapids 
S. 52°. W.  13  miles to upr point of a rocky Island 80 feet high a
rapid above passed the little river rapid thro narrow
channels between the rocks 4 Lodges of Indians on
the Stard. side opposit a round toped mountain imediately
in front and is the one we have been going
towards & which bore S.W. from the 2d. course below
the Forks passed the lower point of an Island on
the Stard at 2 miles landed at 5 Lodges of Pierced
noses Indians at 4 miles where we encamped and
purchased a little wood to boil our Dogs & fish,
Those Indians are the relations of [those at] the falls
below, fortunately for us the night was worm fine
water for 7 miles passed a rapid of rocks nearly
across above which at 6 miles passed 6 Lodges. at
9 miles passed a bad rapid, & Lodges of Indians on
Std. Side 20 piles of fish on an Island drying, several
Indians in canoes fishing in canoes & gigs &c
42 

Collins made some excellent beer of the Pasheco quarmash
bread of roots which was verry good. obliged to purchase
wood at a high rate.

 
[1]

The first draft entries in this chapter are from the Clark-Voorhis field-book.—Ed.

October 21st.. Monday 1805

A verry cool morning wind from the S. W. we set out
verry early and proceeded on, last night we could not collect
more dry willows the only fuel, than was barely Suffi[ci]ent to
cook Supper, and not a sufficency to cook brackfast this morning,
passd. a Small Island at 5 ½ miles a large one 8 miles in
the middle of the river, some rapid water at the head and Eight
Lodges of nativs opposit its Lower point on the Stard. Side,
we came too at those lodges, bought some wood and brackfast,
Those people recived us with great kindness, and examined us



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illustration

Map from Clark Field-book, showing Course and Camping place,
October 21, 1805.



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with much attention, their employments customs, Dress and
appearance Similar to those above, Speak the Same language,
here we Saw two scarlet and a blue cloth blankets, also a Salors
Jacket the Dress of the men of this tribe only a Short robe of
Deer or Goat Skins, and that of the women is a short piece of
Dressed Skin which fall from the neck so as to cover the front
of the body as low as the waste, a Short robe, which is of one
Deer or antilope Skin, and a flap around their waste and Drawn
tite between their legs as before described, their orniments are
but fiew, and worn as those above.

we got from those people a fiew pounded roos [roots] fish
and Acorns[2] of white oake, those Acorns they make use of as
food raw & roasted and inform us they precure them of the
natives who live near the falls below which place they all discribe
by the term Timm[3] at 2 miles lower passed a rapid large
rocks stringing into the river of large Size, opposit to this rapid
on the Stard. Shore is Situated two Lodges of the Nativs drying
fish here we halted a fiew minits to examine the rapid before
we entered it which was our Constant Custom, and at all that
was verry dangerous put out all who Could not Swim to walk
around, after passing this rapid we proceeded on passed anoother
rapid at 5. miles lower down, above this rapid on the
Stard. Side five Lodges of Indians fishing &c above this rapid
maney large rocks on each Side at Some distance from Shore,
[at] one mile passed an Island close to the Stard. Side, below
which is two Lodges of nativs, a little below is a bad rapid
which is bad crouded with hugh [huge] rocks scattered in
every Direction which renders the pasage verry Difficult a
little above this rapid on the Lard. Side emence piles of rocks
appears as if Sliped from the clifts under which they lay,
passed great number of rocks in every direction scattered in
the river. 5 Lodges a little below on the Stard. Side, and one
lodge on an Island near the Stard. Shore opposit to which is


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a verry bad rapid, thro which we found much dificuelty in
passing, the river is crowded with rocks in every direction,
after Passing this dificult rapid to the mouth of a Small river
on the Larboard Side 40 yards wide descharges but little water
at this time, and appears to take its Sourse in the open plains
to the S. E.[4] from this place I proceved some fiew Small
pines on the tops of the high hills and bushes in the hollars.
imediately above & below this little river comences a rapid
which is crouded with large rocks in every direction, the pasage
both crooked and dificuelt, we halted at a Lodge to examine
those noumerous Islands of rock which apd. to extend
maney miles below, great numbs. of Indians came in canoes
to View us at this place, after passing this rapid which we
accomplished without loss; winding through between the
hugh rocks for about 2 miles. (from this rapid the Conical
mountain is S.W. which the Indians inform me is not far to
the left of the great falls; this I call the Timm or falls mountain
it is high and the top is covered with snow) imediately
below the last rapids there is four Lodges of Indians on the
Stard. Side, proceeded on about two miles lower and landed
and encamped near five Lodges of nativs, drying fish those
are the relations of those at the great falls, they are pore and
have but little wood which they bring up the river from the
falls as they Say, we purchased a little wood to cook our
Dog meat and fish; those people did not receive us at first
with the same cordiality of those above, they appeare to be
the Same nation Speak the Same language with a little curruption
of maney words Dress and fish in the same way, all
of whome have pierced noses and the men when Dressed ware
a long taper'd piece of Shell or beed put through the nose.[5]

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this part of the river is furnished with fine Springs which either
rise high up the Sides of the hills or on the bottom near the
river and run into the river. the hills are high and rugid a
fiew scattering trees to be Seen on them either Small pine or
Scrubey white oke.

The probable reason of the Indians residing on the Stard. Side
of this as well as the waters of Lewis's River is their fear of the
Snake Indians who reside, as they nativs say on a great river to
the South, and are at war with those tribes, one of the Old
Chiefs who accompanies us pointed out a place on the Lard. Side
where they had a great battle, not maney years ago, in which
maney were killed on both Sides, One of our party J. Collins
presented us with Some verry good beer made of the Pa-shi-co-quar-mash
bread, which bread is the remains of what was laid in
as a part of our Stores of Provisions, at the first flat heads or
Cho-pun-nish Nation at the head of the Kosskoske river which
by being frequently wet molded & sowered &c. we made 33
miles to day.

 
[2]

We saw among them some small robes made of the skins of grey squirrel, some
racoon skins, and acorns, which are signs of a timbered country not far distant.—
Gass (p. 220).

[3]

Which they pronounce so as to make it perfectly represent the sound of a distant
cataract.—Biddle (ii, p.28).

[4]

We gave it the name of Lepage's river from Lepage one of our company.
Biddle (ii, p. 29).

This is now the John Day's River, named for a Virginia backwoodsman who
was a member of the overland expedition to Astoria in 1811–12. See Bradbury's
Travels (Thwaites' ed., Cleveland, 1904), note 104.—Ed.

[5]

Inserting two small, tapering white shells, about two inches long, through the
lower part of the cartilaginous division of the nose. These shells are of the genus
dentalium, they inhabit the Pacific shore, and are an article of traffic among the
natives.—Samuel Parker (Journal, p. 143).