University of Virginia Library

Thursday April 3rd. 1806

The water had fallen in the course of last night five inches.
I set out and proceeded up a short distance and attempted a
second time to fathom the river with my cord of 5 fathom but
could find no bottom. the mist was so thick that I could see
but a short distance up this river. When I left it, it was bending
to the East of S.E. being perfectly satisfyed of the size
and magnitude of this great river which must water that vast
tract of Country between the western range of mountains and
those on the sea coast and as far S. as the Waters of Callifornia

about Latd. 37. North. I deturmined to return.[38] at
7 oClock A. M. set out on my return. the men exirted themselves
and we arived at the Neerchokioo house in which the
nativs were so illy disposed yesterday at 11 A. M. I entered
the house with a view to smoke with those people who consisted
of about 8 families, finding my presence alarmed them
so much that the children hid themselves, womin got behind
their men, and the men hung their heads, I detained but a fiew
minits and returnd on board the canoe. My pilot who continued
in the canoe informed me on my return that those
people as well as their relations were very illy disposed and
bad people. I proceeded on along the south side met five
canoes of the Shah-ha-la Nation from the Great rapids with
their wives and children decending the Columbia into this
fertile Vally in pursute of provisions. My pilot informed me
in a low voice that those people were not good, and I did
not suffer them to come along side of my canoe which they
appeared anxious to do. their numbers in those canoes who
appeard anxious to come along side was 21 men and 3 boys.
at 3 P. M. we arived at the residence of our Pilot which consists
of one long house with seven appartments or rooms in
square form about 30 feet each room opening into a passage
which is quit[e] through the house those passages are about
4 feet in width and formed of wide boa[r]ds set on end in
the ground and reaching to the Ruff [roof] which serves
also as divisions to the rooms. The ground plot is in this
form [ILLUSTRATION] 1.1.1.1 is the passages. 2.2 &c. is the
apartments about 30 feet square. this
house is built of bark of the white cedar
Supported on long stiff poles resting on the ends of broad
boads which form the rooms &c. back of this house I observe
the wreck of 5 houses remaining of a very large village, the
houses of which had been built in the form of those we first
saw at the long narrows of the E-lute Nation with whome those
people are connected. I indeavored to obtain from those
people of the situation of their nation, if scattered or what had
become of the nativs who must have peopled this great town.
an old man who appeared of some note among them and father
to my guide brought foward a woman who was badly marked
with the Small Pox and made signs that they all died with the
disorder which marked her face, and which she was verry near
dieing with when a girl. from the age of this woman this
Distructive disorder I judge must have been about 28 or 30
years past, and about the time the Clatsops inform us that
this disorder raged in their towns and distroyed their nation.
Those people speak a different language from those below tho'
in their dress habits and manners &c. they differ but little from
the Quathlahpohtles. their women ware the truss as those do
of all the nations residing from the Quathlahpohtle to the
enterance of Lewis's river and on the Columbia above for some
distance. those people have some words the same with those
below but the air of their language is entirely different, their
men are stouter and much better made, and their womin ware
larger & longer robes than those do below; those are most
commonly made of Deer skins dressed with the hair on them.
they pay great attention to their aged severall men and
women whom I observed in this village had arived at a great
age, and appeared to be helthy tho' blind. I prevailed on an
old man to draw me a sketch of the Multnomar River and
give me the names of the nations resideing on it which he
readily done, and gave me the names of 4 nations who reside
on this river two of them very noumerous. The first is Clark-a-mus
nation reside on a small river which takes its rise in
Mount Jefferson and falls into the Moltnomar aboue 40 miles
up. this nation is noumerous and inhabit 11 Towns. the 2d.
is the Cush-hooks who reside on the N E. side below the falls,
the 3rd. is the Char-cowah who reside above the Falls on the
S W. side neither of those two are noumerous. The fourth
Nation is the Cal-lar-po-e-wah[39] which is very noumerous & inhabit
the country on each side of the Multnomar from its falls
as far up as the knowledge of those people extend. they inform
me also that a high mountain passes the Multnomar at
the falls, and above the country is an open plain of great extent.
I purchased 5 dogs of those people for the use of their oil in
the Plains, and at 4 P M left the village and proceeded on
to Camp where I joind Capt. Lewis.

The enterance of Multnomah river is 142 miles up the
Columbia river from its enterance into the Pacific Ocean.

In my absence and soon after I left camp several canoes of
men women and children came to the camp, and at one time
there was about 37 of those people in camp Capt Lewis fired
his Air gun which astonished them in such a manner that they
were orderly and kept at a proper distance dureing the time
they continued with him. as maney as 10 canoes arrived at
camp in the course of this day. they all seemed to give the
same account of the scercity of Provisions above. one family
continued all night and behaved themselves in a very orderly
manner.

on the 3d. Joseph Field returned from the woods and informed
th[at] Drewyer Rubin & himself had killed four Elk.
Cap L. sent Sergt. Pryor and two men with Joseph Field to
dry the flesh of the Elk in the woods on scaffolds with fire.
the party below quick sand river did not return to day. The
Indians continue to visit our camp in considerable number
from above with their families. these pore people appeared
half starved. they picked up the bones and little refuse meat
which had been thrown away by the party. Capt. L had the
flesh of the 4 Elk which was killed on the 1st. inst. dried. Some
of the men of the nativs who visited Capt. Lewis wore a girdle
with a small skin in front and a cap of the skin of the deers
head &c.