University of Virginia Library

[Clark:]

Tuesday April 29th. 1806

This morning Yelleppit furnished us with 2 canoes, and
We began to transport our baggage over the river; we also
sent a party of the men over to collect our horses. we purchased
some deer [dogs] and chappellell this morning. we had
now a store of 12 dogs for our voyage through the plains. by
11 A. M. we had passed the river with our party and baggage
but were detained several hours in consequence of not being
able to collect our horses. our guide now informed us that it
was too late in the evening to reach an eligible place to encamp;
that we could not reach any water before night. we therefore
thought it best to remain on the Wallahwallah river about a
mile from the Columbia untill the morning, accordingly encamped
on the river near a fish wear. this weare consists of
two curtains of small willows wattled together with four lines
of withes of the same materials extending quite across the

river, parralal with each other and about 6 feet asunder.
those are supported by several [ILLUSTRATION] parrelals of
poles placed in this manner those curtains
of willows is either roled at one end
for a fiew feet to permit the fish to pass or are let down at
pleasure. they take their fish which at present are a mullet
only of from one to 5 pounds wt. with small seines of 15 or 18
feet long drawn by two persons; these they drag down to the
wear and rase the bottom of the seine against the willow curtain.
they have also a small seine managed by one person, it
bags in the manner of the scooping nets; the one side of the
net is confined to a simicircular bow of half the size of a mans
arm and about 5 feet long, the other side is confined to a
strong string which being attatched to the extremities of the
bow forms the cord line to the simicurcle. The Wallahwallah
River discharges it's self into the Columbia on it's South Side
15 miles below the enterance of Lewis's River, or the S. E.
branch. a range of hills pass the Columbia just below the
entrance of this river. this is a handsom Stream about 4 1/2
feet deep and 50 yards wide; its bead is composed of gravel
principally with some sand and mud; the banks are abrupt
but not high, tho' it does not appear to overflow; the water
is clear. the Indians inform us that it has it's source in the
range of Mountains in view of us to the E. and S. E. these
mountains commence a little to the South of Mt. Hood and
extend themselves in a S Eastwardly direction terminateing
near the Southern bank of Lewis's river short of the rockey
mountains. To-wan-na-hi-ooks river, river Lapage and [blank
space in MS.] River all take their rise in those mountains.
the two principal branches of the first of those take their rise
in the Mountain's, Jefferson and Hood. those mountains are
covered at present with Snow. those S W. mountains are
covered with Snow at present tho' do not appear high: they
seperate the waters of the Multnomah from those of the
Columbia river, they appear to be 65 or 70 miles distant
from hence. The Snake Indian prisoner informed us that at
some distance in the large plains to the South of those Mountains
there was a large river running to the N.W. which was as
wide as the Columbia at this place, which is nearly 1 mile.
this account is no doubt somewhat exagurated but it serves to
evince the certainty of the Multnomah being a very large river
and that it's waters are seperated from the Columbia by those
mountains, and that with the aid of a Southwardly branch of
Lewis's river which pass around the Eastern extremity of those
mountains, it must water that vast tract of country extending
from those mountains to the Waters of the Gulf of Callifornia.
and no doubt it heads with the Rochejhone and Del Nord.

We gave small Medals to two inferior Chiefs of this nation,
and they each furnished us with a fine horse, in return we gave
them Sundery articles among which was one of Capt. Lewis's
pistols & several hundred rounds of amunition. there are 12
other Lodges of the Wallahwallah Nation on this river a short
distance below our Camp. those as well as those beyond the
Columbia appear to depend on their fishing weres [weirs] for
their subsistance. those people as well as the Chymnapoms
are very well disposed, much more so particular[ly] their
women than they were when we decended the river last fall.
Most of them have long shirts and leggins, good robes and
mockersons. their women were the truss when they cannot
precure the shirt, but very fiew are seen with the former at the
present. I prosume the suckcess of their winters hunt has
produced this change in their attire. they all cut their hair in
the forehead. and most of the men ware the two cews over each
sholder in front of the body; some have the addition of a fiew
small plats formed of the eare locks, and others tigh a small
bundle of the docked foretop in front of the forehead, their
orniments are such as discribed of the nativs below, and are
worn in a similar manner. they insisted on our danceing this
evening, but it rained a little the wind blew hard and the
weather was cold, we therefore did not indulge them. Several
applyed to me to day for medical aide, one a broken arm
another inward fevers and several with pains across their loins,
and sore eyes. I administered as well as I could to all. in
the evening a man brought his wife and a horse both up to
me. the horse he gave me as a present and his wife who was
verry unwell the effects of violent coalds was placed before me.

I did not think her case a bad one and gave such medesene as
would keep her body open and raped her in flannel. left some
simple medesin to be taken. we also gave some Eye water 1
G[rain] of Ela v V. & 2 grs. of Sacchm Stry to an ounce of water
and in that perportion.[24] Great N°. of the nativs about us all
night.