University of Virginia Library

Chapter XVI

DESCENDING THE COLUMBIA TO
TIDEWATER

XVI. October 21–November 1, 1805

Monday this 21st.. Oct. 1805.

a CLEAR cold morning. we Set out eairly and proceeded
on as usal, untill about 8 oClock at which time we halted
at an Indian Camp where we bought Some wood and
cooked breakfast. bought Some pounded fish from the Natives
and Some roots bread which was made up in cakes in form
of ginger bread and eat verry well. Saw a nomber of Rackoon
Skins also otter and fisher Skins &c. they gave us any thing
we asked for by our giving any Small article we pleased we
proceeded on passed clifts of rocks and River hills on each Side
passed over Several verry bad rockey rapids, where the River
was nearly filled with high rocks of a dark coulour, and the
water divided in narrow deep channels, where we ran through
verry fast high waves and whorl pools below. passd. Several
Islands and fishing Camps where the natives had a large quantity
of pounded fish the best of their Sammon pounded up and
put up in Small Stacks along the Shore for winter, & cover
them with Straw and pile the Stone around them. the Solid
clifts continue on each Side. Saw a little Scattering pine timber
on the hills on each Side of the River. Some places the
rocks are high and Steep. we went about 32 miles and Camped
at Some Indian Camps on the Stard. Side. a handsom Spring
run from a clift of rocks near our Camp. we bought Some
wood from the Natives to cook with these natives appeer to
be mostly covd. in deer and Elk Some rabit & Squerrel Skins.
they have Some blew Cloth blankets &c. we passed a Small
River which came in on the Lard. Side.

Tuesday 22nd.. Oct. 1805.

a clear pleasant morning. we Set out Soon after Sunrise
and proceeded on passed fishing Camps on the Stard. Side high
clifts on each Side of dark couloured rock, and a high rock
Island with rough towers of Solid rough rocks on it a verry
rough roaring rapid at the Stard. Side which is the main body
of the River we went down on the Lard. Side a river puts in
on the Lard. Side about 40 yards wide & falls in it. opposite
the lower part of the Island high hills & clifts on each Side,
but the highest is on the Stard. Side. all the natives on this
River at the most of their Camps have fish nets [with] which
they catch the Sammon in the Spring in great abundance.
Saw considerable of Sand along the Shores for Several days
past. we proceeded on to the lower end of Sd. Island which is
about 4 mile long at the lower end is a great nomber of
fishing Camps a Short distance below is the first falls of the
Columbian River. we halted [a] little above about noon, and
bought Some pounded fish and root bread of the natives who
are verry thick about these falls. Some of them have flag
lodges and Some have cabbins of white ceeder bark. they
have an abunduance of dry and pounded [fish]. bags full of
Sammon and heaps of it on the Shores they have a nomber
of Small canoes, and have a nomber of well looking horses.
high clifts of rocks near on each Side of the falls. we found
the falls to be about [blank space in MS.] feet of a perpinticular
pitch and filled with Solid rocks cut in many channels.
a mist rizes continually from the falls. we found that we had
to make a portage of about ¾ of a mile on the Stard. Side. So
we went to carrying the baggage by land on our backs. hired
a fiew horse loads by the natives So we got all the baggage
below the falls this evening and Camped close to a high range
of clifts of rocks, where the body of the River beat against it
and formed a large Eddy. the natives Sign to us that it is
only about Six miles below, to the next or other falls. we
Saw Several Sea otter in and about these falls. the natives are
troublesome about our Camp. we had went about [blank space
in MS.] miles before we came to these falls. these natives
Sign to us that Some white people had been here but were

gone four or 5 days journey further down. the perpinticular
clifts at our Camp is [blank space MS.] feet high.

Wednesday 23rd.. Oct. 1805.

a clear pleasant morning. we took an eairly breakfast in
order to undertake gitting the canoes by the falls. about
8 oClock A. M. we all went with Capt. Clark and took the
canoes across the River then halled them round a perpinticular
pitch of 21 feet. we halled all canoes round the high rocks
about a quarter of a mile then put them in the water again.
this portage has been frequented by the natives halling their
canoes round, and it is a great fishery with them in the Spring.
and the flees are now verry thick, the ground covd. with them.
they troubled us verry much this day. we got the canoes all
in the River below the great falls of 22 feet perpinticular then
went on board again and ran verry rapid through the whorl
pools a little better than a half a mile then came to 2 little
falls of about 3 feet each we let the canoes down by ropes
one of them got away from us from the Lower Shoot and was
taken up by the Indians below. towards evening we got all
the canoes Safe down to Camp. the Latitude at this place which
is called the grand falls of the Columbia River is 45°, 42′,
57.3″. the hight of the falls is in all 37 feet 8 Inches, and
has a large Rock Island in them and look Shocking, but are
ordinary looking. Some of the Sick men at Camp bought
Several fat dogs this day. in the evening one of our chief[s]
Signed to us that the Savages had a design to kill us in the
night, which put us on our guard. but we were not afraid of
them for we think we can drive three times our nomber.

Thursday 24th.. Oct. 1805

a clear cool morning we loaded up and Set out about
9 oClock and proceeded on down. the current verry rapid.
we went through a place wher the River was all confined in a
narrow channel of about 20 yds.. wide high rocks on each Side
the current verry rapid and full of whorl pools we ran down
verry fast, passed Several fishing Camps. high barron land on

each Side of the River. about 4 oClo [ck] P. M. we went
down a bad rapid where the River was cut in rockey Isld. &c.
a Short distance below we came to another narro [ws] where
the River is filled with high rocks. we halted and Camped
for the night at a village of Savages or red people, which have
their houses in our form only they have them in the ground
except the roof which is covred with white ceeder bark Some
hewn plank which are verry nice comfortable houses their flag
mats &c. we bought from them Some cakes of white root
bread and other kinds cramberies &c. we bought a nomber
of fat dogs and Some wood for us to cook with. their appears
to be Some timber back from the River. their has been white
people tradeing among these Savages Saw one half white
child among them. Saw also a new copper tea kittle beeds
copper and a nomber of other articles which must have come
from Some white trader. we had went only 7 miles this day.

Friday 25th.. Oct. 1805.

a clear morning. we carrd Some of our baggage about a
mile, which took us below the worst of the rapids, then took
one canoe down the rapids and narrows where the whole
channel is confined in a narrow channel only about 25 yards
wide. one of the canoes nearly fi[lled] running through the
rapids waves & whorl pools. we got all the canoes down and
loaded them. we have bought a large quantity about 16
common bags of pounded Sammon Some white bread cramberies
&c. about 3 oClock we Set out and proceeded on
down the narrows which lasted abt. 2 miles verry rapid 2
Small Islands of Solid rocks Stood in the channel one of the
canoes ran hir bow aggainst the point and glanced off, without
Injury. the water or River between these narrows and the
falls, rises at high water 48 feet perpinticular by its being confined
by the different narrows. a little [below] or at the lower
end of the narrows we Saw a war party of Indians, with
horses. they had deer & bear meat with them the head
chief had on a jacket that was made of Some kind of worked
Splits which would defend off the arrows. our Capts. gave him

a meddle, and he gave our Capts. Some bears oil and a fresh
Sammon our 2 chiefs came to us and told us that their was
a nation below that which had a design to kill them and us
So they left us in order to return to their own village again.
we then proceeded on about eight miles the hils high Some
pine and oak timbr. to be Seen the River got Smooth. we
Campd. on a high point of rocks little below the mouth of a
creek on the Lard. Side. timbered country back from the
River [on] each Side. Saw drumm fish jump in Rivr.

Saturday 26th.. Oct. 1805.

a clear pleasant morning. we lay campd. on the clift or pt.
of rocks for Safety. 2 Sentinels to guard us. our officers
conclude to delay here for observations and repair the canoes
&c. So we unloaded all the canoes Shaved the bottoms
Smooth and pay them over and made them in good repair &c.
Several men out a hunting. a nomber of the natives visited
us. we dryed the articles which got wet in the canoe that
filled yesterday. one of the men giged a Sammon Trout in
the River. towards evening the hunters returned to Camp
had killed five Deer a goose and a gray Squirrel. they Saw a
great nomber of deer in the timbered land. we Saw a great
no [mber] of geese and ducks. the Savages came in crafts to
our Camp made of Solid wood but are made in form of Sciffs
for the convenience of rideing the waves in high winds, or to
coast along the Sea Shore. Several of the Indians Stayed with
us this night one of them a chief. Capt. Lewis compared the
languages of these with those which he had taken down all the
way this Side of the mountains, and find them to be all one
nation but differ a little in their languages, caused by the
different tribes of them Scatered Such a long distance from
each other. all the way thick along the kimoo-e-nem &
Columbia Rivers and to the head of all the Rivers runing in to
it. we think the flat head nation to be ten Thousand Strong
in all. the River began to raise about 4 oClock P. M. and
raised Several Inches, the cause of which we think that the
tide Swels a little up to this place.

Sunday 27th.. Oct. 1805.

a clear morning. the wind high from the west. 6 of the
party went out to hunt, back from the River in the timbered
country, Such as white oak and pitch pine. the wind continued
high all day in the evening the hunters returned to
Camp had killed 4 Deer. we Set the Savages across the
River which had been with us all day eating our venison.
our officers gave one of the principal men a meddle &c.

Monday 28th.. Oct. 1805.

the wind Seased the later part of last night, and began to
rain and rained moderately untill morning. then cleared off
we loaded up the canoes and Set out about 9 oClock the
wind raised and blew high from the west. we proceeded on
about 4 miles and halted at an Indian village of about 6 lodges
where we Saw an old Brittish musket and Sword, copper tea
kittles &c, we bought Several 5 fat dogs, Some root bread &c.
then proceeded on a Short distance further down the wind
rose So high from the west that caused the waves to roll So
that we thought it not Safe to proceed So we halted under a
clift of rocks on the Lard. Side. had Several Squalls of rain &
high [wind] all day. So we Camped for the night. one of
the party killed a Deer this evening, and wounded another
near a Small pond a Short distance back from the River a
nomber of the natives visited us &c.

Tuesday 29th.. Oct. 1805.

a cloudy morning. we Set out eairly and proceeded on
about 6 miles and halted for breakfast at Some Indian villages
on the Stard.. Side, where we bought a nomber more fat dogs
we proceeded on the current gentle passed a great nomber of
Indian villages on the Stard. Side which had their houses built
like those at the falls. Saw 2 or 3 Camps on the Lard. Side,
which was the first we Saw on that Side of the Colm. R. passed
the mo. of two creeks, one on each Side, and a Spring on Lard.
Side which ran of[f] a high clift of rocks which looked curious.
the country this day mountaineous high clifts of rocks on each

Side of the River. the country mostly timbred Such as pine
and oak. Some cottonwood on Some of the narrow bottoms
along the Shores willows also. we bought Several more dogs
at one of the villages. went 26 miles and Camped at a village
on the Stard. Side in a Small or narrow bottom of large cotton
trees. we bought Several bags of pounded Sammon today.
we Saw Snow on the timbred mountains on the Lard. Side a
little back from the River.

Wednesday 30th.. Oct. 1805.

cloudy. we bought 3 dogs of the Indians, and Set out about
7 oClock and proceeded on. the river verry Strait and wide.
the Timber thick on each Side. Saw a nomber of beautiful
Springs running out of the clifts on the Lard. Side high hills
covred with pine and Spruce. Some bottoms along the Shores
covred with cotton timber, and under brush &c. the after part
of the day rainy and foggey. one of the hunters killed a Deer.
we Saw a great nomber of Swan and geese, turkey buzzards
which had white on their wings &c. Capd. Clark killed a black
loon. in the evening we arived at another verry bad rapid or
falls, above which the River is gentle and wide a nomber of
Islands and high rocks &c. one half mile above the falls is a
village of about 10 well looking cabbins covred with bark, Sunk
in the ground like those at the narrows above, only these are
much larger and verry comfortable, and warm. these Savages
were Surprized to See us they Signed to us that they thought
that we had rained down out of the clouds. a nomber of the
party went in the village, and was treated in a friendly manner
gave fish and the best they had to eat &c. we went 15 miles
and Camped between the village and falls. continued raining.
high mountains on each Side of the falls &c. we passed the
mouth of a River came in on the S. Side 50 yds wide.

Thursday 31st.. Oct. 1805.

Some cloudy. we got in readiness to carry our baggage
past the portage, which we expict will be about two miles.
about 9 oClock cleared off pleasant. as the road was Slippery
we concluded to take Some of the canoes down to day. So

we took down two canoes I at a time over high rocks on
rollers, by main Strength and by being in the water which ran
between Sd. Stone & large rocks. we had to hall them in that
way past 2 of the worst rapids then took them a half a mile
below, where we intend loading which will make the portage in
all only about one mile, but a verry bad one. in the evening
2 Indian canoes came to our Camp 5 Indians in them which
were going down the River tradeing with fish &c.

Friday 1st.. Nov. 1805.

a clear morning. the wind high from the N. E. and cold.
So we carryed all our baggage past the portage the Indians
carried their Baggage and canoes past the portage. we drew
out one of the canoes to repair it. then went at taking down
the other two large canoes, and the Small one. towards evening
we got all Safe below the big rapids and Camped. three
canoes arived at the head of the rapids a nomber of men and
women on board of them. they are loaded with pounded fish
and dry Sammon for trade. they Sign to [us] that they are
going down to the white traders to trade their fish for blue
Beeds.