University of Virginia Library

[Clark, first draft:]

October 25th. Friday 1805

A cold morning we deturmined to attempt the chanel after
brackfast I took down all the party below the bad places with
a load & one canoe passed well, a 2d. passed well I had men
on the shore with ropes to throw in in case any accidence happened
at the whirl &c The Inds on the rocks viewing us
the 3rd. canoe nearly filled with water we got her safe to shore.
the last canoe came over well which to me was truly gratifying
set out and had not passed 2 miles before 3 canoes run against
a rock in the river with great force no damage met with a
2d. Chief of the nation from hunting, we smoked with him
and his party and gave a medal of the small size & set out
passed great numbers of rocks, good water and came to at
a high point of rocks below the mouth of a creek which falls
in on the Lard Side and head up towards the high snow mountain
to the S W. this creek is 20 yards wide and has some
beaver signs at its mouth river about ½ a mile wide and
crouded with sea otters, & Drum [fish] was seen this evening,
we took possession of a high Point of rocks to defend our
selves in case the threts of those Indians below should be put
in execution against us. Sent out some hunters to look if any
signs of game, one man killed a small deer & several others
seen I killed a goose, and suped hartily on venison & goose
Camped on the rock. guard under the hill

A sketch of the Long and Short Narrows of the Columbia

Courses from the upper rapids

     

West	2	miles passing a Lard. point of Sand and a Stard. point & 3 Lodges a deep bason to the Stard. to a pt of rocks, above a chanel
S. 75°. W.	2	miles to a rock Island in the middle of the river at a bad rapid & who [r]ls, passed thro a narrow bad chanel 45 yds wide for ¼ of a mile. a Lodge below on Stard. Side. halted to lookout
S. 50°. W.	2	miles to a rock at the head of a narrow chanel, a deep bason to the Stard. on which a village of 21 Lodges passed a large rock Island in the middle of the river. The channel nearest the Lard. Side

Octr. 25

       

S. 34°. W.	3	miles thro a narrow swift bad chanel from 50 to 100 yards wide, of swels whorls & bad places a verry bad place at 1 mile, a rock in the middle at 2 miles to a rock, above a Deep bason to the Stard. Side above the rock
S. 20°. W.	2	miles to a high rock passed thro a narrow channel on the Std. Side of a rock in the middle of the chanel
N. 60°. W	1	mile to a bend, passed a bason to the Lard. Side, and large ruged rocks on both sides
S. 60°. W.	4	miles to large Creek [in] a Lard. bend under a timbered bottom & the first timber we have seen near the river for a long distance, Pine & white Oake

October 25th. Friday 1805

A cool morning Capt. Lewis and my Self walked down to
See the place the Indians pointed out as the worst place in
passing through the gut, which we found difficuelt of passing
without great danger, but as the portage was impracti[c]able
with our large canoes, we concluded to Make a portage of our
most valuable articles and run the canoes thro.[14] accordingly
on our return divided the party Some to take over the Canoes,
and others to take our Stores across a portage of a mile to a
place on the chanel below this bad whorl & Suck, with Some

others I had fixed on the Chanel with roapes to throw out to
any who Should unfortunately meet with difficuelty in passing
through; great number of Indians viewing us from the high
rocks under which we had to pass, the 3 fir[s]t canoes passed
thro very well, the 4th. nearly filled with water, the last passed
through by takeing in a little water, thus Safely below what
I conceved to be the worst part of this chanel felt my self
extreamly gratified and pleased. We loaded the Canoes & set
out, and had not proceeded more than 2 mile[s] before the
unfortunate Canoe which filled crossing the bad place above,
run against a rock and was in great danger of being lost; this
Chanel is through a hard rough black rock, from 50 to 100
yards wide, swelling and boiling in a most tremendious maner
Several places on which the Indians inform me they take the
Salmon as fast as they wish; we passed through a deep bason
to the Stard. Side of 1 mile below which the River narrows and
[is] divided by a rock the curent we found quit[e] gentle,
here we met with our two old chiefs who had been to a village
below to smoke a friendly pipe and at this place they met the
Chief & party from the village above on his return from hunting
all of whome were then crossing over their horses, we
landed to Smoke a pipe with this Chief whome we found to be
a bold pleasing looking man of about 50 years of age dressd. in
a war jacket a cap Legins & mockesons. he gave us some
meat of which he had but little and informed us he in his rout
met with a war party of Snake Indians from the great river of
the S. E. which falls in a few miles above and had a fight. we
gave this Chief a Medal, &c. [had] a parting Smoke with our
two faithful friends the chiefs who accompanied us from the
head of the river, (who had purchased a horse each with 2
rob[e]s and intended to return on horseback) we proceeded
on down the water fine, rocks in every derection for a fiew
miles when the river widens and becoms a butifull jentle Stream
of about half a mile wide, Great numbers of the Sea orter
[or Seals] about those narrows and both below and above. we
came too, under a high point of rocks on the Lard. Side below
a creek of 20 yards wide and much water, as it was necessary
to make Some Selestial observations we formed our camp on
the top of a high point of rocks, which forms a kind of fortification
in the Point between the river & creek, with a boat
guard,[15] this Situation we conceived well Calculated for Defence,
and conveniant to hunt under the foots of the mountain
to the West & S. W. where timber of different kinds grows,
and appears to be handsom coverts for the Deer, in oke woods,
Sent out hunters to examine for game. G. D. Killed a Small
Deer & other[s] Saw much sign, I killed a goose in the creek
which was verry fat. one of the guard saw a Drum fish to day
he conceved, our Situation will calculated to defend our selves
from any designs of the natives, Should they be enclined to
attack us.

This little creek heads in the range of mountains which runs
S. S. W. & N. W. for a long distance on which is scattering
pine white oake &c. The Pinical of the round toped mountain
which we Saw a Short distance below the forks of this
river is S. 43°. W. of us and abt 37 miles, it is at this time
toped with Snow we called this the falls mountain or Timm
mountain. [this the Mount Hood or vancauver] The face of
the Countrey on both Side of the river above and about the
falls, is Steep ruged and rockey open and contain[s] but a Small
preportion of [h]erbage, no. timber a fiew bushes excepted.
The nativs at the upper falls raft their timber down Towarnehooks
River & those at the narrows take theirs up the river to
the lower part of the narrows from this Creek, and carry it over
land 3 miles to their houses[16] &c. at the mouth of this creek
Saw Some beaver Sign, and a Small wolf in a Snare set in the
willows The Snars of which I saw Several made for to catch
wolves, are made as follows vz. a long pole which will Spring
is made fast with bark to a willow, on the top of this pole a
string (Described elsewhere)