[Lewis:]
Thursday March 27th. 1806.
We set out early this morning and were shortly after joined
by some of the Skillutes who came along side in a small canoe
for the purpose of trading roots and fish, at 10 A.M. we
arrived at two houses of this nation on the Stard side where we
halted for breakfast. here we overtook our hunters, they had
killed nothing. the natives appeared extreemly hospitable,
gave us dryed Anchovies, Sturgeon, wappetoe, quamash, and
a speceis of small white tuberous roots about 2 inches in length
and as thick as a man's finger; these are eaten raw, are crisp,
milkey, and agreeably flavored, most of the party were served
by the natives with as much as they could eat; they insisted on
our remaining all day with them and hunting the Elk and
deer which they informed us were very abundant in their
neighbourhood. but as the weather would not permit us to
dry our canoes in order to pitch them we declined their friendly
invitation, and resumed our voyage at 12 OC
k. the principal
village of these Skillutes reside on the lower side of the
Cowe-lis'-kee river a few miles from it's entrance into the
Columbia. these people are said to be numerous. in their
dress, habits, manners and language they differ but little from
the Clatsops Chinnooks &c. they have latterly been at war
with Chinnooks but peace is said now to be restored between
them, but their intercourse is not yet resumed. no Chinnooks
come above the marshey islands nor do the Skillutes visit the
mouth of the Columbia. The Clatsops, Cathlahmahs and
Wackkiacums are the carriers between these nations being in
alliance with both. The Coweliskee is 150 yards wide, is
deep and from indian Information navigable a very considerable
distance for canoes. it discharges itself into the Columbia
about three miles above a remarkable high rocky nole
[19]
which
is situated on the N. side of the river by which it is washed on
the South side and is seperated from the No[r]thern hills of
the river by a wide bottom of several miles to which it is
united. I suspect that this river waters the country lying
West of the range of mountains which pass the Columbia
between the great falls and rapids, and north of the same
nearly to the low country which commences on the N.W.
coast about Latitude [blank space in MS.] North. above the
Skillutes on this river another nation by the name of the
Hul-loo-et-tell reside who are said also to be numerous. at
the distance of 2 m. above the village at which we breakfasted we
passed the entrance of this river; we saw several fishing camps
of the Skillutes on both sides of the Columbia, and were attended
all the evening by parties of the natives in their canoes who
visited us for the purpose of trading their fish and roots; we
purchased as many as we wished on very moderate terms; they
seemed perfectly satisfyed with the exchange and behaved
themselves in a very orderly manner. late in the evening we
passed our camp of the 5
th. of November and encamped about
4 1/2 [miles] above at the commencement of the bottom land on
star
d. below Deer Island. we had scarcely landed before we
were visited by a large canoe with eight men; from them we
obtained a dryed fruit which resembled the raspburry and which
I be[l]eive to be the fruit of the large leafed thorn frequently
mentioned. it is reather ascid tho' pleasently flavored. I
preserved a specemine of this fruit I fear that it has been
baked in the process of drying and if so the seed will not
vegitate. saw the Cottonwood, sweet willow,
[20]
oak, ash and the
broad leafed ash, the growth which resembles the beach &c.
these form the growth of the bottom lands while the hills are
covered almost exclusively with the various speceis of fir heretofore
discribed. the black Alder appears as well on some
parts of the hills as the bottoms. before we set out from the
Skillute village we sent on Gibson's canoe and Drewyer's
with orders to proceed as fast as they could to Deer island
and there to hunt and wait our arrival. we wish to halt at
that place to repair our canoes if possible. the indians who
visited us this evening remained but a short time, they passed
the river to the oposite side and encamped. the night as well
as the day proved cold wet and excessively disagreeable, we
came 20 miles today.
