University of Virginia Library

November 3d. Sunday 1805

The Fog so thick this morning that we could not see a man
50 Steps off, this fog detained us untill 10 oClock at which

time we Set out, accompanied by our Indian friends who are
from a village near the great falls, previous to our Setting out
Collins killed a large Buck, and Labiech killed 3 Geese flying.
I walked on the Sand beech Lard. Side, opposit the canoes as
they passed along. The under groth rushes, vines &c. in the
bottoms too thick to pass through, at 3 miles I arrived at the
enterance of a river which appeared to scatter over a Sand bar,
the bottom of which I could See quit[e] across and did not
appear to be 4 Inches deep in any part; I attempted to wade
this Stream and to my astonishment found the bottom a quick
Sand, and impassable. I called to the Canoes to put to Shore,
I got into the Canoe and landed below the mouth, & Capt. Lewis
and my Self walked up this river about 1-½ mile to examine
this river which we found to be a verry considerable Stream
Dischargeing its waters through 2 chanels which forms an Island
of about 3 miles in length on the river and 1-½ miles wide, composed
of corse sand which is thrown out of this quick sand river
compressing the waters of the Columbia and throwing the
whole current of its waters against its Northern banks, within
a chanel of ½ a mile wide, Several Small Islands 1 mile up
this river, This Stream has much the appearance of the River
Platt. roleing its quick sands into the bottoms with great
velocity after which it is divided into 2 chanels by a large sand
bar before mentioned, the narrowest part of this River is 120
yards on the Opposit Side of the Columbia a large Creek
[small river called Seal river][4] falls in above this creek on the
Same Side is a Small prarie. extensive low country on each
Side, thickly timbered.

The Quick Sand river appears to pass through the low
countrey at the foot of those high range of mountains in a
Southerly direction. The large Creek which falls into the
Columbia on the Stard. Side rise in the Same range of mountains
to the N. N. E. and pass through some ridgey land.
A Mountain which we Suppose to be Mt. Hood, is S. 85° E
about 47 miles distant from the mouth of quick sand river.
This Mtn. is covered with Snow and in the range of mountains
which we have passed through and is of a conical form but

rugid.[5] after takeing dinner at the mouth of this river we proceeded
on passed the head of a Island near the lard. Side back
of which on the Same Side and near the head a large Creek
falls in, and nearly opposit & 3 miles below the upper mouth
of quick Sand river is the lower mouth, This Island is 3-½
miles long, has rocks at the upper point, Some timber on the
borders of this Island, in the middle open and ponney [pondy
—i. e., containing ponds]. Some rugid rocks in the middle of
the Stream opposit this Island. proceeded on to the center
of a large Island in the middle of the river which we call
Dimond Island from its appearance, here we met 15 Indn. men
in 2 canoes from below, they informed us they Saw 3 vestles
below &c. &c. we landed on the North side of this Dimond
Island and Encamped,[6] Capt. L walked out with his gun on the
Island, sent out hunters & fowlers. below quick Sand River
the Countrey is low rich and thickly timbered on each Side of
the river, the Islands open & some ponds river wide and
emence numbers of fowls flying in every direction, Such as
Swan, geese, Brants, Cranes, Stalks [Storks], white guls, comerants
& plevers &c. also great numbers of Sea Otter in the
river, a canoe arrived from the village below the last rapid
with a man his wife and 3 children, and a woman whome had
been taken prisoner from the Snake Inds. on Clarks River [on
a river from the South which we found to be Mulknoma[7] ] I sent
the Interpreters wife who is a So so ne or Snake Indian of the
Missouri, to Speake to this squar, they could not understand
each other Sufficiently to converse. This family and the Inds.
we met from below continued with us. Capt. Lewis borrowed
a Small canoe of those Indians & 4 men took her across to a
Small lake in the Isld. Capt. L. and 3 men set out after night
in this canoe in serch of the Swans, Brants Ducks &c. &c.
which appeared in great numbers in the Lake, he killed a
Swan and Several Ducks, which made our number of fowls
this evening 3 Swan, 8 brant and 5 Ducks, on which we made
a Sumpteous supper. We gave the Indian who lent the Canoe
a brant, and some meat to the others. one of those Indians,
the man from the village near the Lower Rapids has a gun
with a brass barrel & cock of which he prises highly—Note
the mountain we saw from near the forks proves to be Mount
Hood