October 24th. Thursday 1805
a fine morning the Indians approached us with caution,
our 2 old Chiefs deturmine to return home, saying they were
at war with Indians below and they would kill them we purswaded
them to stay 2 nights longer with us, with a view to
make a peace with those Indians below as well as to have them
with us dureing our Delay with this tribe. Capt Lewis went
to view the falls I set out with the party at 9 oClock a m at
2 ½ miles passed a rock which makes from the Stard Side
(4 Lodges above 1 below) and confined the river in a narrow
channel of about 45 yards this continued for about ¼ of
a mile & widened to about 200 yards, in those narrows the
water was agitated in a most shocking manner boils swells &
whorlpools, we passed with great risque It being impossible
to make a portage of the canoes, about 2 miles lower passed
a verry Bad place between 2 rocks one large & in the middle
of the river here our canoes took in some water I put all
the men who could not swim on shore, & sent a fiew articles
such as guns & papers, and landed at a Village of 21 houses
on the Stard Side in a Deep bason where the river appeared to
be blocked up with emence rocks. I walked down and examined
the passage found it narrow, and one verry bad place
a little below the houses I pursued this channel which is
from 50 to 100 yards wide and swels and boils with a most
tremendeous manner, prosued this channel 5 ms. & returned
found Cap
t Lewis & a Chief from below with maney of his
men on a visit to us, one of our Party Pete Crusat played on
the
violin which pleased the savage, the men danced, Great
numbers of Sea Orter Pole Cats about those fishings the
houses of those Indians are 20 feet square and sunk 8 feet
under ground & covered with bark with a small door round at
top rose about 18 Inches above ground, to keep out the snow
I saw 107 parcels of fish stacked, and great quantites in
the houses.
