University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER VIII.

Many reasons had determined us to remain at fort Clatsop
till the first of April. Besides the want of fuel in the
Columbian plains, and the impracticability of passing the
mountains before the beginning of June, we were anxious to
see some of the foreign traders, from whom, by means of
our ample letters of credit, we might have recruited our exhausted
stores of merchandise. About the middle of March
however, we become seriously alarmed for the want of food:
the elk, our chief dependence, had at length deserted their
usual haunts in our neighbourhood, and retreated to the
mountains. We were too poor to purchase other food from
the Indians, so that we were sometimes reduced, notwithstanding
all the exertions of our hunters, to a single day's
provision in advance. The men too, whom the constant rains
and confinement had rendered unhealthy, might we hoped
be benefitted by leaving the coast, and resuming the exercise
of travelling. We therefore determined to leave fort
Clatsop, ascend the river slowly, consume the month of

March in the woody country, where we hope to find subsistence,
and in this way reach the plains about the first of
April, before which time it will be impossible to attempt
crossing them: for this purpose we began our preparations.
During the winter we had been very industrious in dressing
skins, so that we now had a sufficient quantity of clothing,
besides between three and four hundred pair of moccasins.
But the whole stock of goods on which we are to depend,
either for the purchase of horses or of food, during the
long tour of nearly four thousand miles, is so much diminished,
that it might all be tied in two handkerchiefs. We
have in fact nothing but six blue robes, one of scarlet, a coat
and hat of the United States artillery uniform, five robes
made of our large flag, and a few old clothes trimmed with
riband. We therefore feel that our chief dependence must
be on our guns, which fortunately for us are all in good order,
as we had taken the precaution of bringing a number of
extra locks, and one of our men proved to be an excellent artist
in that way. The powder had been secured in leaden
canisters, and though on many occasions they had been under
water, it remained perfectly dry, and we now found ourselves
in possession of one hundred and forty pounds of powder,
and twice that quantity of lead, a stock quite sufficient
for the route homewards.

After much trafficking, we at last succeeded in purchasing
a canoe for a uniform coat and half a carrot of tobacco,
and took a canoe from the Clatsops, as a reprisal for
some elk which some of them had stolen from us in the
winter. We were now ready to leave fort Clatsop, but the
rain prevented us for several days from caulking the canoes,
and we were forced to wait for calm weather, before we
could attempt to pass point William. In the meantime we
were visited by many of our neighbours, for the purpose of
taking leave of us. The Clatsop Commowool has been the
most kind and hospitable of all the Indians in this quarter:
we therefore gave him a certificate of the kindness and attention

which we had received from him, and added a more
substantial proof of our gratitude, the gift of all our houses
and furniture. To the Chinnook chief Delashelwilt, we gave a
certificate of the same kind: we also circulated among the
natives several papers, one of which we also posted up in
the fort, to the following effect:

"The object of this last, is, that through the medium of
some civilized person, who may see the same, it may be
made known to the world, that the party consisting of the
persons whose names are hereunto annexed, and who were
sent out by the government of the United States to explore
the interior of the continent of North America, did penetrate
the same by the way of the Missouri and Columbia
rivers, to the discharge of the latter into the Pacific ocean,
where they arrived on the 14th day of November 1805, and
departed the 23d day of March, 1806, on their return to the
United States, by the same route by which they had come
out."[1] On the back of some of these papers, we sketched

the connexion of the upper branches of the Missouri and
Columbia rivers, with our route, and the track which we intended
to follow on our return. This memorandum was all that
we deemed it necessary to make; for there seemed but little
chance that any detailed report to our government, which
we might leave in the hands of the savages, to be delivered
to foreign traders, would ever reach the United States. To
leave any of our men here, in hopes of their procuring a
passage home in some transient vessel, would too much
weaken our party, which we must necessarily divide during
our route; besides that, we will most probably be there our
selves sooner than any trader, who, after spending the next
summer here, might go on some circuitous voyage.

The rains and wind still confined us to the fort; but at
last our provisions dwindled down to a single day's stock,
and it became absolutely necessary to remove: we therefore
sent a few hunters ahead, and stopped the boats as well as
we could with mud. The next morning,

Sunday, March 23, 1806, the canoes were loaded, and
at one o'clock in the afternoon we took a final leave of fort
Clatsop. The wind was still high, but the alternative of
remaining without provisions was so unpleasant, that we
hoped to be able to double point William. We had scarcely
left the fort when we met Delashelwilt, and a party of
twenty Chinnooks, who understanding that we had been
trying to procure a canoe, had brought one for sale. Being,
however, already supplied, we left them, and after getting
out of Meriwether's bay, began to coast along the south
side of the river: we doubled point William without any injury,
and at six o'clock reached, at the distance of sixteen

miles from fort Clatsop, the mouth of a small creek, whene
we found our hunters. They had been fortunate enough to
kill two elk, but at such a distance that we could not send
for them before the next morning,

Monday, March 24, when they were brought in for breakfast.
We then proceeded. The country is covered with a
thick growth of timber: the water however is shallow to the
distance of four miles from shore; and although there is a
channel deep enough for canoes on the south side, yet as the
tide was low, we found some difficulty in passing along. At
one o'clock we reached the Cathlamah village, where we
halted for about two hours, and purchased some wappatoo
and a dog for the invalids. This village we have already
described, as situated opposite to the seal islands: on one of
these the Indians have placed their dead in canoes, raised on
scaffolds, above the reach of the tide. These people seem to
be more fond of carving in wood than their neighbours, and
have various specimens of their taste about the houses. The
broad pieces supporting the roof and the board through which
doors are cut, are the objects on which they chiefly display
their ingenuity, and are ornamented with curious figures,
sometimes representing persons in a sitting posture supporting
a burden. On resuming our route among the
seal islands, we mistook our way, which an Indian observing,
he pursued us and put us into the right channel. He
soon, however, embarrassed us, by claiming the canoe we
had taken from the Clatsops, and which he declared was his
property: we had found it among the Clatsops, and seized it
as a reprisal for a theft committed by that nation; but
being unwilling to do an act of injustice to this Indian, and
having no time to discuss the question of right, we compromised
with him for an elk skin, with which he returned
perfectly satisfied. We continued our route along the shore,
and after making fifteen miles encamped at an old village
of nine houses, opposite to the lower village of the Wahkiacums.
Here we were overtaken by two Chinnooks, who

came to us after dark, and spent the night at our camp. We
found plenty of wood for fires, which were quite necessary,
as the weather had become cold. This morning,

Tuesday 25, proved so disagreeably cold that we did not
set out before seven o'clock, when having breakfasted, we
continued along the southern side of the river. The wind,
however, as well as a strong current was against us, so that
we proceeded slowly. On landing for dinner at noon, we
were joined by some Clatsops, who had been on a trading
voyage to the Skilloots, and were now on their return loaded
with dried anchovies, wappatoo, and sturgeon. After
dinner we crossed the river to a large island, along the side
of which we continued about a mile till we reached a single
house, occupied by three men, two women, and the same
number of boys, all of the Cathlamah nation. They were
engaged in fishing or trolling for sturgeon, of which they
had caught about a dozen, but they asked so much for them
that we were afraid to purchase. One of the men purchased
the skin of a sea-otter, in exchange for a dressed elk
skin and a handkerchief. Near adjoining this house was
another party of Cathlamahs, who had been up the river on
a fishing excursion, and been successful in procuring a
large supply, which they were not disposed to sell. We
proceeded on to the head of the island, and then crossed to
the north side of the river. Here the coast formed a continued
swamp for several miles back, so that it was late
in the evening before we were able to reach a spot fit for
our camp. At length we discovered the entrance of a small
creek, opposite to the place where we were encamped on
the sixth of November, and though the ground was low and
moist, yet as the spot was sheltered from the wind, we resolved
to pass the night there: we had now made fifteen
miles. Here we found another party of ten Cathlamahs,
who had established a temporary residence here for the
purpose of fishing sturgeon and taking seal, in both of which
they had been successful. They gave us some of the flesh

of the seal, which was a valuable addition to the lean elk.
The low grounds which we passed are supplied with cottonwood,
and the tree resembling the ash, except in its leaf,
with red willow, broad-leafed willow, seven bark, gooseberry,
green briar, and the large-leafed thorn. The wind
was very high towards evening, and continued to blow so
violent in the morning,

March 26, that we could not set out before eight o'clock.
In the meantime finding that one of our neighbours, the
Cathlamahs, by name Wallale, was a person of distinction,
we gave him a medal of a small size, with which he was invested
with the usual ceremonies. He appeared highly
gratified, and requited us with a large sturgeon. The wind
having abated, we proceeded to an old village, where we
halted for dinner, having met on the way Sahawacap the
principal chief of all the Cathlamahs, who was on his return
from a trading voyage up the river, with wappatoo and
fish, some of which he gave us, and we purchased a little
more. At dinner we were overtaken by two Wahkiacums,
who have been following us for twenty-four hours, with two
dogs, for which they are importuning us to give them some
tobacco; but as we have very little of that article left, they
were obliged to go off disappointed. We received at the
same time an agreeable supply of three eagles and a large
goose, brought in by the hunters. After dinner we passed
along the north shore opposite to a high fine bottom and dry
prairie, at the upper end of which, near a grove of white-oak
trees, is an island which we called Fanny's island.
There were some deer and elk at a distance in the prairie,
but as we could not stay to hunt, we continued till late in
the evening, when we encamped on the next island above
Fanny's. According to the estimate we made in descending
the river, which we begin, however, to think was short,
our journey of to-day was eighteen miles. Some Indians
came to us, but we were occupied in procuring wood, which
we found it difficult to obtain in sufficient quantity for our
purposes, and they therefore did not remain long.

Thursday, 27. We set out early, and were soon joined
by some Skilloots, with fish and roots for sale. Atten o'clock
we stopped to breakfast at two houses of the same nation,
where we found our hunters, who had not returned to camp
last night, but had killed nothing. The inhabitants seemed
very kind and hospitable. They gave almost the whole
party as much as they could eat of dried anchovies, wappatoo,
sturgeon, quamash, and a small white tuberous root,
two inches long, and as thick as a man's finger, which, when
eaten raw, is crisp, milky, and of an agreeable flavour.
The Indians also urged us to remain with them all day, and
hunt elk and deer, which they said were abundant in the
neighbourhood; but as the weather would not permit us to
dry and pitch our canoes, we declined their offer and proceeded.
At the distance of two miles we passed the entrance of Coweliskee
river. This stream discharges itself on the north side
of the Columbia, about three miles above a remarkably high
rocky knoll, the south side of which it washes in passing, and
which is separated from the northern hills by a wide bottom of
several miles in extent. The Coweliskee is one hundred and
fifty yards wide, deep and navigable, as the Indians assert, for
a considerable distance, and most probably waters the country
west and north of the range of mountains which cross the
Columbia between the great falls and rapids. On the lower
side of this river, a few miles from its entrance into the Columbia,
is the principal village of the Skilloots, a numerous
people, differing, however, neither in language, dress, nor
manners, from the Clatsops, Chinnooks, and other nations at
the mouth of the Columbia. With the Chinnooks they have
lately been at war, and though hostilities have ceased, yet
they have not resumed their usual intercourse, so that the
Skilloots do not go as far as the sea, nor do the Chinnooks
come higher up than the Seal islands, the trade between
them being carried on by the Clatsops, Cathlamahs, and
Wahkiacums, their mutual friends. On this same river,
above the Skilloots, resides the nation called Hullooetell, of

whom we learnt nothing, except that the nation was numerous.
Late in the evening we halted at the beginning of the
bottom land, below Deer island, after having made twenty
miles. Along the low grounds on the river were the cottonwood,
sweet-willow, the oak, ash, the broad-leafed ash, and
the growth resembling the beech; while the hills are occupied
almost exclusively by different species of fir, and the
black alder is common to the hills as well as the low grounds.
During the day we passed a number of fishing camps, on
both sides of the river, and were constantly attended by
small parties of the Skilloots, who behaved in the most orderly
manner, and from whom we purchased as much fish
and roots as we wanted on very moderate terms. The night
continued as the day had been, cold, wet, and disagreeable.

Friday, 28. We left our camp at an early hour, and by
nine o'clock reached an old Indian village on the left side of
Deer island. Here we found a party of our men whom we
had sent on yesterday to hunt, and who now returned after
killing seven deer, in the course of the morning, out of upwards
of a hundred which they had seen. They were the
common fallow deer with long tails, and though very poor
are better than the black-tailed fallow deer of the coast,
from which they differ materially. Soon after our arrival the
weather became fair, and we therefore immediately hauled
the boats on shore, and having dried them by means of large
fires, put on the pitch. We also took this opportunity of
drying our baggage; and as some of the hunters had not yet
returned, it was deemed advisable to pass the night at our
present camp. This island, which has received from the
Indians the appropriate name of Elalah, or Deer island, is
surrounded on the water side by an abundant growth of
cotton-wood, ash, and willow, while the interior consists
chiefly of prairies interspersed with ponds. These afford
refuge to great numbers of geese, ducks, large swan, sandhill
cranes, a few canvass-backed ducks, and particularly

the duckinmallard, the most abundant of all. There are also
great numbers of snakes resembling our gartersnakes
in appearance, and like them not poisonous. Our hunters
brought in three deer, a goose, some ducks, an eagle, and a
tyger-cat, but such is the extreme voracity of the vultures,
that they had devoured in the space of a few hours, four of
the deer killed this morning; and one of our men declared,
that they had besides dragged a large buck about thirty
yards, skinned it, and broke the back-bone. We were visited
during the day by a large canoe with ten Indians of the
Quathlapotle nation, who reside about seventeen miles
above us. We had advanced only five miles to-day.

Saturday, 29. At an early hour we proceeded along the
side of Deer island, and halted for breakfast at the upper
end of it, which is properly the commencement of the great
Columbian valley. We were here joined by three men of
the Towahnahiook nation, with whom we proceeded, till at
the distance of fourteen miles from our camp of last evening
we reached a large inlet or arm of the river, about three
hundred yards wide, up which they went to their villages.
A short distance above this inlet a considerable river empties
itself from the north side of the Columbia. Its name
is Chawahnahiooks. It is about one hundred and fifty yards
wide, and at present discharges a large body of water,
though the Indians assure us that at a short distance above
its mouth, the navigation is obstructed by falls and rapids.
Three miles beyond the inlet is an island near the north
shore of the river, behind the lower end of which is a village
of Quathlapotles, where we landed, about three o'clock.
The village consists of fourteen large wooden houses. The
people themselves received us very kindly, and voluntarily
spread before us wappatoo and anchovies, but as soon as we
had finished enjoying this hospitality, if it deserves that
name, they began to ask us for presents. They were, however,
perfectly satisfied with the small articles which we
distributed according to custom, and equally pleased with

our purchasing some wappatoo, twelve dogs and two sea-otter
skins. We also gave to the chief a small medal, which
he, however, soon transferred to his wife. After remaining
some time we embarked, and coasting along this island,
which after the nation we called Quathlapotle island, encamped
for this night in a small prairie on the north side of
the Columbia, having made by estimate nineteen miles. The
river is rising fast. In the course of the day we saw great
numbers of geese, ducks, and large and small swans, which
last are very abundant in the ponds where the wappatoo
grows, as they feed much on that root. We also observed
the crested king-fisher, and the large and small blackbird:
and this evening heard, without seeing, the large hooting
owl. The frogs, which we have not found in the wet marshes
near the entrance of the Columbia, are now croaking in the
swamps and marshes with precisely the same note common
in the United States. The gartersnakes appear in vast
quantities, and are scattered through the prairies in large
bundles of forty or fifty entwined round each other: among
the moss on the rocks we observed a species of small wild
onions growing so closely together as to form a perfect turf,
and equal in flavour to the shives of our gardens, which they
resemble in appearance also.

Sunday, 30. Soon after our departure we were met by
three Clanaminamums, one of whom we recognised as our
companion yesterday. He pressed us very much to visit his
countrymen on the inlet, but we had no time to make the
circuit, and parted. We had not proceeded far before a party of
Claxtars, and Cathlacumups, passed us in two canoes, on
their way down the river; and soon after we were met
by several other canoes, filled with persons of different
tribes on each side of the river. We passed, also, several
fishing camps, on Wappatoo island, and then halted for
breakfast on the north side of the river, near our camp of
the 4th of November. Here we were visited by several canoes
from two villages on Wappatoo island; the first, about

two miles above us, is called Clahnaquah, the other a mile
above them, has the name of Multnomah. After higgling
much in the manner of those on the seacoast, these Indians
gave us a sturgeon with some wappatoo and pashequaw
in exchange for small fishhooks. As we proceeded we were
joined by other Indians, and on coming opposite to the
Clahnaquah village, we were shown another village about
two miles from the river on the northeast side, and behind
a pond running parallel with it. Here they said the tribe
called Shotos resided. About four o'clock the Indians all
left us. Their chief object in accompanying us appeared
to be to gratify curiosity; but though they behaved in the
most friendly manner, most of them were prepared with
their instruments of war. About sunset we reached a beautiful
prairie, opposite the middle of what we had called
Image-canoe island, and having made twenty-three miles,
encamped for the night. In the prairie is a large pond
or lake, and an open grove of oak borders the back part.
There are many deer and elk in the neighbourhood, but
they are very shy, and the annual fern which is now abundant
and dry, make such a rustling as the hunters pass
through it, that they could not come within reach of the
game, and we obtained nothing but a single duck.

Monday 31. We set out very early, and at eight o'clock
landed on the north side of the river and breakfasted. Directly
opposite is a large wooden house, belonging to the
Shahala nation, the inhabitants of which came over to see
us. We had observed in descending the river last year, that
there were at the same place, twenty-four other houses
built of wood and covered with straw, all of which are now
destroyed: on inquiry the Indians informed us, that their
relations whom we saw last fall, usually visit them at that
season for the purpose of hunting deer and elk, and collecting
wappatoo, but that they had lately returned to their
permanent residence at the Rapids, we presume in order to
prepare for the salmon season, as that fish will soon begin

to run. At ten o'clock we resumed our route along the north
side of the river, and having passed Diamond island, and
Whitebrant island, halted for the night at the lower point
of a handsome prairie. Our camp which is twenty-five miles
from that of last night, is situated opposite to the upper entrance
of Quicksand river: a little below a stream from
the north empties itself into the Columbia, near the head of
Whitebrant island. It is about eighty yards wide, and at
present discharges a large body of very clear water, which
near the Columbia overflows its low banks, and forms several
large ponds. The natives inform us that this river is of
no great extent, and rises in the mountains near us, and that
at a mile from its mouth it is divided into two nearly equal
branches, both of which are incapable of being navigated, on
account of their numerous falls and rapids. Not being able
to learn any Indian name, we called it Seal river, from the
abundance of those animals near its mouth. At the same
place we saw a summer duck, or a wood duck, as it is sometimes
called; it is the same with those of the United States,
and the first we had seen since entering the Rocky mountains
last summer.

The hunters who had been obliged to halt below Seal
river on account of the waves being too high for their small
canoe, returned after dark with the unwelcome news that
game was scarce in that quarter.

Tuesday, April 1. Three Indians had followed us yesterday,
and encamped near us last night. On putting to them
a variety of questions relative to their country, they assured
us that Quicksand river, which we had hitherto deemed
so considerable, extends no further than the southwest side
of mount Hood, which is south 85° east, forty miles distant
from this place; that it is moreover navigable for a very
short distance only, in consequence of falls and rapids, and
that no nation inhabits its borders. Several other persons
affirmed that it rose near mount Hood, and sergeant Pryor,
who was sent for the purpose of examining it, convinced us

of the truth of their statement. He had found the river three
hundred yards wide, though the channel was not more than fifty
yards, and about six feet deep. The current was rapid, the
water turbid, the bed of the river is formed entirely of quicksand,
and the banks low and at present overflowed. He passed
several islands, and at three and a half miles distance a
creek from the south, fifty yards wide; his farthest course
was six miles from the mouth of the river, but there it seemed
to bend to the east, and he heard the noise of waterfalls.
If Quicksand river then does not go beyond mount Hood, it
must leave the valley a few miles from its entrance, and run
nearly parallel with the Columbia. There must therefore
be some other large river, which we have not yet seen, to
water the extensive country between the mountains of the
coast and Quicksand river: but the Indians could give us no
satisfactory information of any such stream.

Whilst we were making these inquiries, a number of canoes
came to us, and among the rest a number of families
were descending the river. They told us that they lived at
the Great rapids, but that a great scarcity of provisions
there, had induced them to come down in hopes of finding
subsistence in this fertile valley. All those who lived at the
rapids, as well as the nations above them, were in much distress
for want of food, having consumed their winter store
of dried fish, and not expecting the return of the salmon before
the next full moon, which will happen on the second of
May: this intelligence was disagreeable and embarrassing.
From the falls to the Chopunnish nation, the plains afford
no deer, elk, or antelope, on which we can rely for subsistence.
The horses are very poor at this season, and the dogs
must be in the same condition if their food the fish have failed,
so that we had calculated entirely on purchasing fish.
On the other hand it is obviously inexpedient to wait for the
return of the salmon, since in that case we might not reach
the Missouri before the ice would prevent our navigating it.
We might besides hazard the loss of our horses, for the

Chopunnish, with whom we left them, intend crossing the
mountains as early as possible, which is about the beginning
of May, and they would take our horses with them, or suffer
them to disperse, in either of which cases the passage of
the mountains will be almost impracticable. We therefore,
after much deliberation, decided to remain here till we collect
meat enough to last us till we reach the Chopunnish nation,
to obtain canoes from the natives as we ascend, either
in exchange for our periougues, or by purchasing them with
skins and merchandise. These canoes may in turn be exchanged
for horses with the natives of the plains, till we obtain
enough to travel altogether by land. On reaching the
southeast branch of the Columbia, four or five men shall be
sent on to the Chopunnish to have our horses in readiness,
and thus we shall have a stock of horses sufficient to transport
our baggage and to supply us with provisions, for we
now perceive that they will form our only certain resource
for food.

The hunters returned from the opposite side of the river
with some deer and elk, which were abundant there, as were
also the tracks of the black bear; while on the north side we
could kill nothing.

In the course of our dealings to-day we purchased a canoe
from an Indian, for which we gave six fathom of wampum
beads. He seemed perfectly satisfied and went away,
but returned soon after, cancelled the bargain, and giving
back the wampum requested that we would restore him the
canoe. To this we consented, as we knew this method of
trading to be very common and deemed perfectly fair.

Wednesday, 2. Being now determined to collect as much
meat as possible, two parties, consisting of nine men, were
sent over the river to hunt, three were ordered to range the
country on this side, while all the rest were employed in cutting
and scaffolding the meat which we had already. About
eight o'clock several canoes arrived to visit us, and among
the rest were two young men, who were pointed out as Cashooks.

On inquiry, they said that their nation resided at
the falls of a large river, which empties itself into the south
side of the Columbia, a few miles below us, and they drew a
map of the country, with a coal on a mat. In order to verify
this information, captain Clarke persuaded one of the young
men, by a present of a burning-glass, to accompany him to
the river, in search of which he immediately set out with
a canoe and seven of our men. After his departure other
canoes arrived from above, bringing families of women and
children, who confirmed the accounts of a scarcity of provisions.
One of these families, consisting of ten or twelve
persons, encamped near us, and behaved perfectly well. The
hunters on this side of the river, returned with the skins of
only two deer, the animals being too poor for use.

Thursday, 3. A considerable number of Indians crowded
us to-day, many of whom came from the upper part of the
river. These poor wretches confirm the reports of scarcity
among the nations above; which, indeed, their appearance
sufficiently prove, for they seem almost starved, and greedily
pick the bones and refuse meat thrown away by us.

In the evening captain Clarke returned from his excursion.
On setting out yesterday at half past eleven o'clock,
he directed his course along the south side of the river,
where, at the distance of eight miles, he passed a village of
the Nechacohee tribe, belonging to the Eloot nation. The
village itself is small, and being situated behind Diamond
island, was concealed from our view as we passed both times
along the northern shore. He continued till three o'clock,
when he landed at the single house already mentioned, as the
only remains of a village of twenty-four straw huts. Along
the shore were great numbers of small canoes for gathering
wappatoo, which were left by the Shahalas, who visit
the place annually. The present inhabitants of the house
are part of the Neerchokioo tribe of the same nation.
On entering one of the apartments of the house, captain
Clarke offered several articles to the Indians, in exchange

for wappatoo, but they appeared sullen and ill-humoured,
and refused to give him any. He therefore sat
down by the fire, opposite to the men, and taking a port-fire
match from his pocket, threw a small piece of it into the
flame, at the same time took his pocket compass, and by
means of a magnet, which happened to be in his inkhorn,
made the needle turn round very briskly. The match now
took fire, and burned violently, on which, the Indians terrified
at this strange exhibition, immediately brought a quantity
of wappatoo, and laid it at his feet, begging him to put
out the bad fire: while an old woman continued to speak with
great vehemence, as if praying and imploring protection.
Having received the roots, captain Clarke put up the compas,
and as the match went out of itself, tranquillity was restored,
though the women and children still took refuge in
their beds, and behind the men. He now paid them for
what he had used, and after lighting his pipe, and smoking
with them, he continued down the river. He now found
what we had called Image-canoe island, to consist of three
islands, the one in the middle concealing the opening between
the other two in such a way, as to present to us on
the opposite side of the river, the appearance of a single
island. At the lower point of the third, and thirteen miles below
the last village, he entered the mouth of a large river,
which was concealed by three small islands in its mouth,
from those who descend or go up the Columbia. This river,
which the Indians call Multnomah, from a nation of the
same name, residing near it on Wappatoo island, enters
the Columbia, one hundred and forty miles from the mouth
of the latter river, of which it may justly be considered as
forming one fourth, though it had now fallen eighteen inches
below its greatest annual height. From its entrance mount
Regnier bears nearly north, mount St. Helen's north, with
a very high humped mountain a little to the east of it, which
seems to lie in the same chain with the conic-pointed mountains
before mentioned. Mount Hood bore due east, and
captain Clarke now discovered to the southeast, a mountain
which we had not yet seen, and to which he gave the name
of mount Jefferson. Like mount St. Helen's its figure is a
regular cone covered with snow, and is probably of equal
height with that mountain, though being more distant, so
large a portion of it does not appear above the range of
mountains which lie between these and this point. Soon after
entering the Multnomah he was met by an old Indian
descending the river alone in a canoe. After some conversation
with him, the pilot informed captain Clarke, that this
old man belonged to the Clackamos nation, who reside on
a river forty miles up the Multnomah. The current of this
latter river, is as gentle as that of the Columbia, its surface
is smooth and even, and it appears to possess water enough
for the largest ship, since, on sounding with a line of five
fathoms, he could find no bottom for at least one third of
the width of the stream. At the distance of seven miles, he
passed a sluice or opening, on the right, eighty yards wide,
and which separates Wappatoo island from the continent,
by emptying itself into the inlet below. Three miles further
up, he reached a large wooden house, on the east side,
where he intended to sleep, but on entering the rooms he
found such swarms of fleas that he preferred lying on the
ground in the neighbourhood. The guide informed him that
this house is the temporary residence of the Nemalquinner
tribe of the Cushook nation, who reside just below the falls
of the Multnomah, but come down here occasionally to collect
wappatoo: it was thirty feet long, and forty deep; built
of broad boards, covered with the bark of white cedar; the
floor on a level with the surface of the earth, and the arrangement
of the interior like those near the seacoast. The
inhabitants had left their canoes, matts, bladders, train-oil,
baskets, bowls, and trenchers, lying about the house at the
mercy of every visiter; a proof, indeed, of the mutual respect
for the property of each other, though we have had
very conclusive evidence that the property of white men is
not deemed equally sacred. The guide informed him further,
that a small distance above were two bayous, on which
were a number of small houses belonging to the Cushooks,
but that the inhabitants had all gone up to the falls of the
Multnomah, for the purpose of fishing. Early the next
morning captain Clarke proceeded up the river, which, during
the night, had fallen about five inches. At the distance
of two miles he came to the centre of a bend under the highlands
on the right side, from which its course, as could be
discerned, was to the east of southeast. At this place the
Multnomah is five hundred yards wide, and for half that
distance across, the cord of five fathoms would not reach the
bottom. It appears to be washing away its banks, and has
more sandbars and willow points than the Columbia. Its
regular gentle current, the depth and smoothness, and uniformity
with which it rolls its vast body of water, prove
that its supplies are at once distant and regular; nor, judging
from its appearance and courses, is it rash to believe
that the Multnomah and its tributary streams water the
vast extent of country between the western mountains and
those of the seacoast, as far perhaps as the waters of the
gulf of California. About eleven o'clock he reached the
house of the Neerchokioo, which he now found to contain
eight families; but they were all so much alarmed at his
presence, notwithstanding his visit yesterday, that he remained
a very few minutes only. Soon after setting out, he
met five canoes filled with the same number of families, belonging
to the Shahala nation. They were descending the
river in search of subsistence, and seemed very desirous of
coming alongside of the boat; but as there were twenty-one
men on board, and the guide said that all these Shahalas, as
well as their relations at the house which we had just left,
were mischievous bad men, they were not suffered to approach.
At three o'clock he halted for an hour at the Nechecolee
house, where his guide resided. This large building
is two hundred and twenty-six feet in front, entirely
above ground, and may be considered as a single house, because
the whole is under one roof; otherwise it would seem
more like a range of buildings, as it is divided into seven distinct
apartments, each thirty feet square, by means of broad
boards set on end from the floor to the roof. The apartments
are separated from each other by a passage or alley
four feet wide, extending through the whole depth of the
house, and the only entrance is from this alley, through a
small hole about twenty-two inches wide, and not more than
three feet high. The roof is formed of rafters and round
poles laid on them longitudinally. The whole is covered
with a double row of the bark of the white cedar, extending
from the top eighteen inches over the eaves, and secured
as well as smoothed by splinters of dried fir, inserted
through it at regular distances. In this manner the roof is
made light, strong, and durable. Near this house are the
remains of several other large buildings, sunk in the ground
and constructed like those we had seen at the great narrows
of the Columbia, belonging to the Eloots, with whom these
people claim an affinity. In manners and dress these Nechecolees
differ but little from the Quathlapotles and others
of this neighbourhood; but their language is the same used
by the Eloots, and though it has some words in common with
the dialects spoken here, yet the whole air of the language
is obviously different. The men too are larger, and both
sexes better formed than among the nations below; and the
females are distinguished by wearing larger and longer
robes, which are generally of deer skin dressed in the hair,
than the neighbouring women. In the house were several
old people of both sexes, who were treated with much respect,
and still seemed healthy, though most of them were
perfectly blind. On inquiring the cause of the decline of
their village, an old man, the father of the guide, and a person
of some distinction, brought forward a woman very
much marked with the small-pox, and said, that when a
girl she was very near dying with the disorder which had
left those marks, and that all the inhabitants of the houses
now in ruins had fallen victims to the same disease. From
the apparent age of the woman, connected with her size at
the time of her illness, captain Clarke judged that the sickness
must have been about thirty years ago, the period about
which we have supposed that the small-pox prevailed on the
seacoast.

He then entered into a long conversation with regard to
all the adjacent country and its inhabitants, which the old
man explained with great intelligence, and then drew with his
finger in the dust a sketch of the Multnomah, and Wappatoo
island. This captain Clarke copied and preserved. He now
purchased five dogs, and taking leave of the Nechecolee village,
returned to camp.