University of Virginia Library

November 6th. Wednesday 1805

A cool wet raney morning we Set out early at 4 miles
pass 2 Lodges of Indians in a Small bottom on the Lard. Side
I believe those Indians to be travelers, opposit is the head of
a long narrow Island close under the Starboard Side, back
of this Island two Creeks fall in about 6 miles apart, and
appear to head in the high hilley countrey to the N. E. opposit
this long Island is 2 others one Small and about the middle of
the river (an Island in the mouth of the large river Cow e liskee[17]
150 yds wide. 9 miles lower a large creek same side between the
mouths of these rivers are 3 small islands one on the Ld. shore one
near the middle) the other larger and nearly opposit its lower
point, and opposit a high clift of Black rocks on the Lard. Side
at 14 miles (from our camp): here the Indians of the 2 Lodges
we passed to day came in their canoes with Sundery articles to
Sell, we purchased of them Wap-pa-too roots, salmon-trout, and

I purchased 2 beaver Skins for which I gave 5 small fish
hooks. here the hills leave the river on the Lard. Side, a
butifull open and extensive bottom in which there is an old
Village, one also on the Stard. Side a little above both of
which are abandened by all their inhabitents except Two
Small dogs nearly starved, and an unreasonable portion of
flees. The Hills and Mountains are covered with Sever[al]
kinds of Pine, Arber Vitea or white cedar, red Loril [laurel],
alder and Several Species of under groth, the bottoms have
common rushes, nettles, & grass the Slashey parts have Bull
rushes & flags Some willow on the waters edge, passed an
Island (near Ld. shore) 3 miles long and one mile wide, (& 2
sm. isl both) one close under the Stard. Side below the (large
creek) long narrow Island below which the Stard. Hills are
verry [high] from the river bank and continues high and
rugid on that Side all day (called Fanny's Island the large one.)
we over took two Canoes of Indians going down to trade,[18]
one of the Indians Spoke a fiew words of english and Said
that the principal man who traded with them was Mr. Haley,
and that he had a woman in his Canoe who Mr. Haley was
fond of &c. he Showed us a Bow of Iron and Several other
things which he Said Mr. Haley gave him. we came too to
Dine on the long narrow Island found the woods so thick
with under groth that the hunters could not get any distance
into the Isld. the red wood, and Green bryers interwoven, and
mixed with pine, alder, a Speci[e]s of Beech, ash &c. we
killed nothing to day. The Indians leave us in the evening,
river about one mile wide hills high and Steep on the Std. No
place for Several Miles suff[i]cently large and leavil for our
camp, we at length Landed at a place which by moveing the
stones we made a place Sufficently large for the party to lie
leavil on the Smaller Stones clear of the Tide. Cloudy with
rain all day we are all wet and disagreeable, had large fires
made on the Stone and dried our bedding and kill the flees,
which collected in our blankets at every old village we encamped
near I had like to have forgotten a verry remarkable
Knob[19] riseing from the edge of the water to about 80 feet
high, and about 200 paces around at its Base and Situated on
the long narrow Island above (below the mouth of Cow e liske
riv.) and nearly opposit to the 2 Lodges we passed to day, it is
some distance from the high land & in a low part of the Island.
(camped opposite to the upper point of an Isl. aftds. called Sturgeon
Island)[20]