University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER IX.

Friday, April 4, 1804. The hunters were still out in
every direction. Those from the opposite side of the river
returned with the flesh of a bear and some venison, but the
flesh of six deer and an elk which they had killed was so
meagre and unfit for use, that they had left it in the woods.
Two other deer were brought in, but as the game seemed
poor, we despatched a large party to some low grounds on
the south, six miles above us, to hunt there until our arrival.
As usual many of the Indians came to our camp, some
descending the rivers with their families, and others from
below with no object except to gratify their curiosity.

The visit of captain Clarke to the Multnomahs, now enabled
us to combine all that we had seen or learnt of the
neighbouring countries and nations. Of these the most important
spot is Wappatoo island, a large extent of country
lying between the Multnomah, and an arm of the Columbia,
which we have called Wappatoo inlet, and separated from the
main land by a sluice eighty yards wide, which at the distance

of seven miles up the Multnomah connects that river with the
inlet. The island thus formed is about twenty miles long,
and varies in breadth from five to ten miles: the land is high
and extremely fertile, and on most parts is supplied with a
heavy growth of cottonwood, ash, the large-leafed ash, and
sweet-willow, the black alder, common to the coast, having
now disappeared. But the chief wealth of this island consists
of the numerous ponds in the interior, abounding with
the common arrowhead (sagittaria sagittifolia) to the root
of which is attached a bulb growing beneath it in the mud.
This bulb, to which the Indians give the name of wappatoo,
is the great article of food, and almost the staple article of
commerce on the Columbia. It is never out of season; so
that at all times of the year, the valley is frequented by the
neighbouring Indians who come to gather it. It is collected
chiefly by the women, who employ for the purpose canoes
from ten to fourteen feet in length, about two feet wide, and
nine inches deep, and tapering from the middle, where they
are about twenty inches wide. They are sufficient to contain
a single person and several bushels of roots, yet so
very light that a woman can carry them with ease; she
takes one of these canoes into a pond where the water is as
high as the breast, and by means of her toes, separates from
the root this bulb, which on being freed from the mud rises
immediately to the surface of the water, and is thrown into
the canoe. In this manner these patient females remain in
the water for several hours even in the depth of winter. This
plant is found through the whole extent of the valley in
which we now are, but does not grow on the Columbia farther
eastward. This valley is bounded westward by the
mountainous country bordering the coast, from which it extends
eastward thirty miles in a direct line, till it is closed by
the range of mountains crossing the Columbia above the
great falls. Its length from north to south we are unable to
determine, but we believe that the valley must extend to a
great distance: it is in fact the only desirable situation for a
settlement on the western side of the Rocky mountains, and
being naturally fertile, would, if properly cultivated, afford
subsistence for forty or fifty thousand souls. The highlands
are generally of a dark rich loam, not much injured by stones,
and though waving, by no means too steep for cultivation,
and a few miles from the river they widen at least on the
north side, into rich extensive prairies. The timber on them
is abundant, and consists almost exclusively of the several
species of fir already described, and some of which grow to a
great height. We measured a fallen tree of that species,
and found that including the stump of about six feet, it was
three hundred and eighteen feet in length, though its diameter
was only three feet. The dogwood is also abundant on
the uplands: it differs from that of the United States in
having a much smoother bark, and in being much larger, the
trunk attaining a diameter of nearly two feet. There is some
white cedar of a large size, but no pine of any kind. In the
bottom lands are the cottonwood ash, large leafed ash, and
sweet willow. Interspersed with these are the pashequaw,
shanataque, and compound fern, of which the natives use the
roots, the red flowering current abounds on the upland,
while along the river bottoms grow luxuriantly the watercress,
strawberry, cinquefoil, narrowdock, sandrush, and the
flowering pea, which is not yet in bloom. There is also a species
of the bear's-claw now blooming, but the large leafed
thorn has disappeared, nor do we see any longer the huckleberry,
the shallun, nor any of the other evergreen shrubs
which bear berries, except the species, the leaf of which has
a prickly margin.

Among the animals, we observe the martin, small geese,
the small speckled woodpecker, with a white back, the blue-crested
corvus, ravens, crows, eagles, vultures, and hawks.
The mellow bug, long-legged spider, as well as the butterfly
and blowingfly, and tick, have already made their appearance,
but none of all these are distinguished from animals

of the same sort in the United States. The musquetoes
too have resumed their visits, but are not yet troublesome.

The nations who inhabit this fertile neighbourhood are
very numerous. The Wappatoo inlet extends three hundred
yards wide, for ten or twelve miles to the south, as far as
the hills near which it receives the waters of a small creek
whose sources are not far from those of the Killamuck
river. On that creek resides the Clackstar nation, a numerous
people of twelve hundred souls, who subsist on fish
and wappatoo, and who trade by means of the Killamuck
river, with the nation of that name on the seacoast. Lower
down the inlet, towards the Columbia, is the tribe called
Cathlacumup. On the sluice which connects the inlet with
the Multnomah, are the tribes, Cathlanahquiah, and Cathlacomatup:
and on Wappatoo island, the tribes of Clannahminamun,
and Clahnaquah. Immediately opposite, near
the Towahnahiooks, are the Quathlapotles, and higher up
on the side of the Columbia, the Shotos. All these tribes,
as well as the Cathlahaws, who live somewhat lower on the
river, and have an old village on Deer island, may be considered
as parts of the great Multnomah nation, which has
its principal residence on Wappatoo island, near the mouth
of the large river to which they give their name. Forty
miles above its junction with the Columbia, it receives the
waters of the Clackamos, a river which may be traced
through a woody and fertile country to its sources in mount
Jefferson, almost to the foot of which it is navigable for canoes.
A nation of the same name resides in eleven villages along
its borders: they live chiefly on fish and roots, which abound
in the Clackamos and along its banks, though they sometimes
descend to the Columbia to gather wappatoo, where
they cannot be distinguished by dress or manners, or language
from the tribes of Multnomahs. Two days' journey
from the Columbia, or about twenty miles beyond the entrance
of the Clackamos, are the falls of the Multnomah.
At this place are the permanent residences of the Cushooks

and Chahcowahs, two tribes who are attracted to that place by
the fish, and by the convenience of trading across the mountains
and down Killamuck river, with the nation of Killamucks,
from whom they procure train oil. These falls were
occasioned by the passage of a high range of mountains; beyond
which the country stretches into a vast level plain,
wholly destitute of timber. As far as the Indians, with whom
we conversed, had ever penetrated that country, it was inhabited
by a nation called Calahpoewah, a very numerous
people whose villages, nearly forty in number, are scattered
along each side of the Multnomah, which furnish them with
their chief subsistence, fish, and the roots along its banks.

All the tribes in the neighbourhood of Wappatoo island,
we have considered as Multnomahs; not because they are in
any degree subordinate to that nation; but they all seem to
regard the Multnomahs as the most powerful. There is no
distinguished chief, except the one at the head of the Multnomahs;
and they are moreover linked by a similarity of
dress and manners, and houses and language, which much
more than the feeble restraints of Indian government contribute
to make one people. These circumstances also separate
them from nations lower down the river. The Clatsops,
Chinnooks, Wahkiacums and Cathlamahs understand
each other perfectly; their language varies, however, in some
respects from that of the Skilloots; but on reaching the
Multnomah Indians, we found, that although many words
were the same, and a great number differed only in the
mode of accenting them, from those employed by the Indians
near the mouth of the Columbia, yet there was a very sensible
variation of language. The natives of the valley are
larger and rather better shaped than those of the seacoast:
their appearance too is generally healthy, but they are afflicted
with the common disease of the Columbia, soreness
of the eyes. To whatever this disorder may be imputed it
is a great national calamity: at all ages their eyes are sore

and weak, and the loss of one eye is by no means uncommon,
while in grown persons total blindness is frequent, and almost
universal in old age. The dress of the men has nothing
different from that used below, but are chiefly remarked by
a passion for large brass buttons, which they fix on a sailor's
jacket, when they are so fortunate as to obtain one, without
regard to any arrangement. The women also wear the short
robe already described; but their hair is most commonly
braided into two tresses falling over each ear in front of the
body, and instead of the tissue of bark, they employ a piece
of leather in the shape of a pocket handkerchief tied round
the loins. This last is the only and ineffectual defence when
the warmth of the weather induces them to throw aside the
robe. The houses are in general on a level with the ground,
though some are sunk to the depth of two or three feet into
the ground, and like those near the coast adorned or disfigured
by carvings or paintings on the posts, doors and beds:
they do not possess any peculiar weapon except a kind of broad
sword made of iron, from three to four feet long, the blade
about four inches wide, very thin and sharp at all its edges,
as well as at the point. They have also bludgeons of wood
in the same form; and both kinds generally hang at the
head of their beds. These are formidable weapons. Like
the natives of the seacoast, they are also very fond of cold,
hot, and vapour baths, which are used at all seasons, and for
the purpose of health as well as pleasure. They, however,
add a species of bath peculiar to themselves, by washing the
whole body with urine every morning.

The mode of burying the dead in canoes, is no longer
practised by the natives here. The place of deposit is a vault
formed of boards, slanting like the roof of a house from a
pole supported by two forks. Under this vault the dead are
placed horizontally on boards, on the surface of the earth,
and carefully covered with mats. Many bodies are here laid
on each other, to the height of three or four corpses, and different
articles, which were most esteemed by the dead, are

placed by their side; their canoes themselves being sometimes
broken to strengthen the vault.

The trade of all these inhabitants is in anchovies, sturgeon,
but chiefly in wappatoo, to obtain which, the inhabitants
both above and below them on the river, come at all
seasons, and supply in turn, beads, cloth, and various other
articles procured from the Europeans.

Saturday, April 5. We dried our meat as well as the
cloudy weather would permit. In the course of his chase
yesterday, one of our men who killed the bear, found a nest
of another with three cubs in it. He returned to-day in
hopes of finding her, but he brought only the cubs, without
being able to see the dam, and on this occasion, Drewyer,
our most experienced huntsman, assured us that he
had never known a single instance where a female bear,
who had once been disturbed by a hunter and obliged to
leave her young, returned to them again. The young bears
were sold for wappatoo to some of the many Indians who
visited us in parties during the day, and behaved very well.
Having made our preparations of dried meat, we set out
next morning,

Sunday 6, by nine o'clock, and continued along the north
side of the river for a few miles, and then crossed to the river
to look for the hunters, who had been sent forward the
day before yesterday. We found them at the upper end of
the bottom with some Indians, for we are never freed from
the visits of the natives. They had killed three elk, and
wounded two others so badly, that it was still possible to get
them. We therefore landed, and having prepared scaffolds
and secured the five elk, we encamped for the night, and
the following evening,

Monday 7, the weather having been fair and pleasant,
had dried a sufficient quantity of meat to serve us as far as
the Chopunnish, with occasional supplies, if we can procure
them, of dogs, roots, and horses. In the course of the day
several parties of Shahalas, from a village eight miles above

us, came to visit us, and behaved themselves very properly,
except that we were obliged to turn one of them from the
camp for stealing a piece of lead. Every thing was now
ready for our departure, but in the morning,

Tuesday 8, the wind blew with great violence, and we
were obliged to unload our boats, which were soon after
filled with water. The same cause prevented our setting
out to-day; we therefore despatched several hunters round
the neighbourhood, but in the evening they came back with
nothing but a duck. They had, however, seen some of the
black-tailed, jumping, or fallow deer, like those about fort
Clatsop, which are scarce near this place, where the common
long-tailed fallow deer are most abundant. They had
also observed two black bears, the only kind that we have
discovered in this quarter. A party of six Indians encamped
at some distance, and late at night the sentinel stopped
one of the men, an old man who was creeping into camp in
order to pilfer: he contented himself with frightening the
Indian, and then giving him a few stripes with a switch,
turned the fellow out, and he soon afterwards left the place
with all his party.

Wednesday, 9. The wind having moderated, we reloaded
the canoes, and set out by seven o'clock. We stopped to
take up two hunters who had left us yesterday, but were
unsuccessful in the chase, and then proceeded to the Wahclellah
village, situated on the north side of the river, about
a mile below Beacon rock. During the whole of the route from
our camp, we passed along under high, steep, and rocky
sides of the mountains, which now close on each side of the
river, forming stupendous precipices, covered with the firand
white cedar. Down these heights frequently descend
the most beautiful cascades, one of which, a large creek,
throws itself over a perpendicular rock three hundred feet
above the water, while other smaller streams precipitate
themselves from a still greater elevation, and evaporating

in a mist, again collect and form a second cascade before
they reach the bottom of the rocks. We stopped to breakfast
at this village. We here found the tomahawk which
had been stolen from us on the fourth of last November: they
assured us they had bought it of the Indians below; but as
the latter had already informed us that the Wahclellahs had
such an article, which they had stolen, we made no difficulty
about retaking our property. This village appears to be
the wintering station of the Wahclellahs and Clahclellahs,
two tribes of the Shahala nation. The greater part of the
first tribe have lately removed to the falls of the Multnomah,
and the second have established themselves a few
miles higher up the Columbia, opposite the lower point of
Brant island, where they take salmon, that being the commencement
of the rapids. They are now in the act of removing,
and carrying off with them, not only the furniture
and effects, but the bark and most of the boards of their
houses. In this way nine have been lately removed. There
are still fourteen standing, and in the rear of the village
are the traces of ten or twelve others of more ancient date.
These houses are either sunk in the ground or on a level
with the surface, and are generally built of boards and covered
with cedar bark. In the single houses there is generally
a division near the door, which is in the end; or in case
the house be double, opens on the narrow passage between
the two. Like those we had seen below at the Neerchokioo
tribe, the women wear longer and larger robes than
their neighbours the Multnomahs, and suspend various ornaments
from the cartilage of the nose: the hair is, however,
worn in the same sort of braid, falling over each ear,
and the truss is universal from the Wappatoo island to
Lewis's river. The men also form their hair into two queues
by means of otter skin thongs, which fall over the ears so
as to give that extraordinary width to the face which is
here considered so ornamental. These people seemed very
unfriendly, and our numbers alone seemed to secure us from
ill treatment. While we were at breakfast the grand chief
of the Chilluckittequaws arrived, with two inferior chiefs,
and several men and women of his nation. They were returning
home, after trading in the Columbian valley, and
were loaded with wappatoo and dried anchovies, which, with
some beads, they had obtained in exchange for chappelell,
bear-grass and other small articles. As these people had
been very kind to us as we descended the river, we endeavoured
to repay them by every attention in our power. After
purchasing, with much difficulty, a few dogs and some
wappatoo from the Wahclellahs, we left them at two o'clock,
and passing under the Beacon rock, reached in two hours
the Clahclellah village. This Beacon rock, which we now
observed more accurately than as we descended, stands on
the north side of the river, insulated from the hills. The
northern side has a partial growth of fir or pine. To the
south it rises in an unbroken precipice to the height of seven
hundred feet, where it terminates in a sharp point, and
may be seen at the distance of twenty miles below. This
rock may be considered as the commencement of tide-water,
though the influence of the tide is perceptible here in
autumn only, at which time the water is low. What the
precise difference at those seasons is, we cannot determine;
but on examining a rock which we lately passed, and comparing
its appearance now with that which we observed last
November, we judge the flood of this spring to be twelve
feet above the height of the river at that time. From Beacon
rock as low as the marshy islands, the general width of
the river is from one to two miles, though in many places it
is still greater. On landing at the Clahclellahs we found
them busy in erecting their huts, which seem to be of a temporary
kind only, so that most probably they do not remain
longer than the salmon season. Like their countrymen,
whom we had just left, these people were sulky and ill-humoured,
and so much on the alert to pilfer, that we were
obliged to keep them at a distance from our baggage. As
our large canoes could not ascend the rapids on the north
side, we passed to the opposite shore, and entered the narrow
channel which separates it from Brant island. The
weather was very cold and rainy, and the wind so high, that
we were afraid to attempt the rapids this evening, and therefore,
finding a safe harbour, we encamped for the night. The
wood in this neighbourhood has lately been on fire, and the
firs have discharged considerable quantities of pitch, which
we collected for some of our boats. We saw to-day some
turkey-buzzards, which are the first we have observed on
this side of the Rocky mountains.

Thursday, 10. Early in the morning we dropped down
the channel to the lower end of Brant island, and then drew
our boats up the rapid. At the distance of a quarter of a
mile we crossed over to a village of Clahclellahs, consisting
of six houses, on the opposite side. The river is here about
four hundred yards wide, and the current so rapid, that although
we employed five oars for each canoe, we were borne
down a considerable distance. While we were at breakfast,
one of the Indians offered us two sheep-skins for sale, one,
which was the skin of a full grown sheep, was as large as
that of a common deer: the second was smaller, and the
skin of the head, with the horns remaining, was made into a
cap, and highly prized as an ornament by the owner. He
however sold the cap to us for a knife, and the rest of the
skin for those of two elk; but as they observed our anxiety
to purchase the other skin, they would not accept the same
price for it, and as we hoped to procure more in the neighbourhood,
we did not offer a greater. The horns of the animal
were black, smooth, and erect, and they rise from the
middle of the forehead, a little above the eyes, in a cylindrical
form, to the height of four inches, where they are
pointed. The Clahclellahs informed us that the sheep are
very abundant on the heights, and among the cliffs of the
adjacent mountains; and that these two had been lately killed
out of a herd of thirty-six, at no great distance from the

village. We were soon joined by our hunters with three
black-tailed fallow deer, and having purchased a few white
salmon, proceeded on our route. The south side of the river
is impassable, and the rapidity of the current as well as
the large rocks along the shore, render the navigation of
even the north side extremely difficult. During the greater
part of the day it was necessary to draw them along the
shore, and as we have only a single tow-rope that is strong
enough, we are obliged to bring them one after the other.
In this tedious and laborious manner, we at length reached
the portage on the north side, and carried our baggage to
the top of a hill, about two hundred paces distant, where we
encamped for the night. The canoes were drawn on shore
and secured, but one of them having got loose, drifted down
to the last village, the inhabitants of which brought her back
to us; an instance of honesty which we rewarded with a present
of two knives. It rained all night and the next morning,

Friday, 11, so that the tents, and skins which covered
the baggage, were wet. We therefore determined to take
the canoes first over the portage, in hopes that by the afternoon
the rain would cease, and we might carry our baggage
across without injury. This was immediately begun by almost
the whole party, who in the course of the day dragged
four of the canoes to the head of the rapids, with great difficulty
and labour. A guard, consisting of one sick man and
three who had been lamed by accidents, remained with captain
Lewis to guard the baggage. This precaution was absolutely
necessary to protect it from the Wahchellahs, whom
we discovered to be great thieves, notwithstanding their apparent
honesty in restoring our boat: indeed, so arrogant and
intrusive have they become, that nothing but our numbers,
we are convinced, saves us from attack. They crowded
about us while we were taking up the boats, and one of them
had the insolence to throw stones down the bank at two of
our men. We now found it necessary to depart from our
mild and pacific course of conduct. On returning to the
head of the portage, many of them met our men, and seemed

very ill disposed. Shields had stopped to purchase a dog,
and being separated from the rest of the party, two Indians
pushed him out of the road, and attempted to take the dog
from him. He had no weapon but a long knife, with which
he immediately attacked them both, hoping to put them to
death before they had time to draw their arrows, but as
soon as they saw his design, they fled into the woods. Soon
afterwards we were told by an Indian who spoke Clatsop,
which we had ourselves learnt during the winter, that the
Wahclellahs had carried off captain Lewis's dog to their
village below. Three men well armed were instantly despatched
in pursuit of them, with orders to fire if there was
the slightest resistance or hesitation. At the distance of
two miles, they came within sight of the thieves, who finding
themselves pursued, left the dog and made off. We now
ordered all the Indians out of our camp, and explained to
them, that whoever stole any of our baggage, or insulted
our men, should be instantly shot; a resolution which we
were determined to enforce, as it was now our only means
of safety. We were visited during the day by a chief of the
Clahclellahs, who seemed mortified at the behaviour of the
Indians, and told us that the persons at the head of their outrages
were two very bad men, who belonged to the Wahclellah
tribe, but that the nation did not by any means wish
to displease us. This chief seemed very well disposed,
and we had every reason to believe was much respected by
the neighbouring Indians. We therefore gave him a small
medal, and showed him all the attentions in our power,
with which he appeared very much gratified, and we trust
his interposition may prevent the necessity of our resorting
to force against his countrymen.

Many Indians from the villages above, passed us in the
course of the day, on their return from trading with the
natives of the valley, and among others, we recognised an
Eloot, who with ten or twelve of his nation were on their
way home to the long narrows of the Columbia. These

people do not, as we are compelled to do, drag their canoes
up the rapids, but leave them at the head, as they descend,
and carrying their good across the portage, hire or
borrow others from the people below. When the trade is
over they return to the foot of the rapids, where they leave
these boats and resume their own at the head of the portage.
The labour of carrying the goods across is equally shared
by the men and women, and we were struck by the contrast
between the decent conduct of all the natives from above,
and the profligacy and ill manners of the Wahclellahs. About
three quarters of a mile below our camp is a burial ground,
which seems common to the Wahclellahs, Clahclellahs, and
Yehhuhs. It consists of eight sepulchres on the north bank
of the river.

Saturday 12. The rain continued all night and this morning.
Captain Lewis now took with him all the men fit for
duty, and began to drag the remaining periogue over the
rapids. This has become much more difficult than when we
passed in the autumn; at that time there were in the whole
distance of seven miles only three difficult points; but the
water is now very considerably higher, and during all that
distance the ascent is exceedingly laborious and dangerous,
nor would it be practicable to descend, except by letting
down the empty boats by means of ropes. The route over
this part, from the head to the foot of the portage, is about
three miles: the canoes which had been already dragged up
were very much injured, by being driven against the rocks,
which no precautions could prevent. This morning as we
were drawing the fifth canoe round a projecting rock, against
which the current sets with great violence, she unfortunately
offered too much of her side to the stream. It then drove
her with such force, that with all the exertions of the party
we were unable to hold her, and were forced to let go the
cord, and see her drift down the stream, and be irrecoverably
lost. We then began to carry our effects across the portage,
but as all those who had short rifles took them in order
to repel any attack from the Indians, it was not until

five o'clock in the afternoon that the last of the party reached
the head of the rapids, accompanied by our new friend
the Wahclellah chief. The afternoon being so far advanced,
and the weather rainy and cold, we determined to halt for
the night, though very desirous of going on, for during the
three last days we have not advanced more than seven miles.
The portage is two thousand eight hundred yards, along a
narrow road, at all times rough, and now rendered slippery
by the rain. About half way is an old village which the
Clahclellah chief informs us is the occasional residence of
his tribe. These houses are uncommonly large, one of them
measured one hundred and sixty by forty feet, and the frames
are constructed in the usual manner, except that it is double
so as to appear like one house within another. The floors
are on a level with the ground, and the roofs have been taken
down and sunk in a pond behind the village. We find that
our conduct yesterday has made the Indians much more
respectful; they do not crowd about us in such numbers, and
behave with much more propriety. Among those who visited
us were about twenty of the Yehhuhs, a tribe of Shahalas,
whom we had found on the north side of river, immediately
above the rapids, but who had now emigrated to the opposite
shore, where they generally take salmon. Like their relations,
the Wahclellahs, they have taken their houses with
them, so that only one is now standing where the old village
was. We observe generally, that the houses which have the
floor on a level with the earth, are smaller, and have more
the appearance of being temporary than those which are
sunk in the ground, whence we presume that the former are
the dwellings during spring and summer, while the latter are
reserved for the autumn and winter. Most of the houses are
built of boards and covered with bark, though some of the
more inferior kind are constructed wholly of cedar bark, kept
smooth and flat by small splinters fixed crosswise through
the bark, at the distance of twelve or fourteen inches apart.
There is but little difference in appearance between these
Yehhuhs, Wahclellahs, Clahclellahs, and Neerchokioos, who
compose the Shahala nation. On comparing the vocabulary
of the Wahclellahs with that of the Chinnooks, we found that
the names for numbers were precisely the same, though the
other parts of the language were essentially different. The
women of all these tribes braid their hair, pierce the nose,
and some of them have lines of dots reaching from the ancle
as high as the middle of the leg. These Yehhuhs behaved
with great propriety, and condemned the treatment
we had received from the Wahclellahs. We purchased from
one of them the skin of a sheep killed near this place, for
which we gave in exchange the skins of a deer and an elk.
These animals, he tells us, usually frequent the rocky parts
of the mountains, where they are found in great numbers.
The bighorn is also an inhabitant of these mountains, and
the natives have several robes made of their skins. The
mountains near this place are high, steep, and strewed with
rocks, which are principally black. Several species of fir,
white pine, and white cedar, forms their covering, while near
the river we see the cottonwood, sweet-willow, a species of
maple, the broad-leafed ash, the purple baw, a small species
of cherry, the purple currant, gooseberry, red-willow, the
vining and whiteberry honeysuckle, the huckleberry, sacacommis,
two kinds of mountain holly, and the common ash.

Sunday 13. The loss of our periogue yesterday obliges
us to distribute our loading between the two canoes, and the
two remaining periogues. This being done, we proceeded
along the north side of the river, but soon finding that the
increased loading rendered our vessels difficult to manage,
if not dangerous in case of high wind, the two periogues only
continued on their route, while captain Lewis with the
canoes crossed over to the Yehhuh village, with a view of
purchasing one or two more canoes. The village now consisted
of eleven houses, crowded with inhabitants, and about
sixty fighting men. They were very well disposed, and we
found no difficulty in procuring two small canoes, in exchange

for two robes and four elk skins. We also purchased with
deer skins, three dogs, an animal which has now become a
favourite food, for it is found to be a strong healthy diet,
preferable to lean deer or elk, and much superior to horseflesh
in any state. With these he proceeded along the south
side of the river, and joined us in the evening. We had gone
along the north shore as high as Cruzatte's river, to which
place we had sent some hunters the day before yesterday,
and where we were detained by the high winds. The hunters
however did not join us, and we therefore, as soon as the
wind had abated, proceeded on for six miles, where we haltted
for captain Lewis, and in the meantime went out to hunt.
We procured two black tailed fallow deer, which seem to be
the only kind inhabiting these mountains. Believing that
the hunters were still below us, we despatched a small canoe
back for them, and in the morning,

April 14, they all joined us with four more deer. After
breakfast we resumed our journey, and though the wind was
high during the day, yet by keeping along the northern
shore, we were able to proceed without danger. At one
o'clock we halted for dinner at a large village situated in a
narrow bottom, just above the entrance of Canoe creek. The
houses are detached from each other, so as to occupy an extent
of several miles, though only twenty in number. Those
which are inhabited are on the surface of the earth, and
built in the same shape as those near the rapids; but there
were others at present evacuated, which are completely under
ground. They are sunk about eight feet deep, and covered
with strong timbers, and several feet of earth in a conical
form. On descending by means of a ladder through a
hole at the top, which answers the double purpose of a door
and a chimney, we found that the house consisted of a single
room, nearly circular and about sixteen feet in diameter.

The inhabitants, who call themselves Weocksockwillacum,
differ but little from those near the rapids, the chief

distinction in dress, being a few leggings and moccasins,
which we find here like those worn by the Chopunnish,
These people have ten or twelve very good horses, which
are the first we have seen since leaving this neighbourhood
last autumn. The country below is, indeed, of such a nature,
as to prevent the use of this animal, except in the Columbian
valley, and there they would be of great service, for
the inhabitants reside chiefly on the river side, and the
country is too thickly wooded to suffer them to hunt game
on horseback. Most of these, they inform us, have been taken
in a warlike excursion, which was lately made against
the Towanahiooks, a part of the Snake nation living in the
upper part of the Multnomah, to the southeast of this place.
Their language is the same with that of the Chilluckittequaws.
They seemed inclined to be very civil, and gave us
in exchange, some roots, shapelell, filberts, dried berries,
and five dogs.

After dinner we proceeded, and passing at the distance
of six miles, the high cliffs on the left, encamped at the
mouth of a small run on the same side. A little above us
is a village, consisting of about one hundred fighting men of
a tribe called Smackshops, many of whom passed the evening
with us: They do not differ in any respect from the inhabitants
of the village below. In hopes of purchasing horses
we did not set out the next morning,

Tuesday 15, till after breakfast, and in the meantime
exposed our merchandise, and made them various offers;
but as they declined bartering, we left them and soon reached
the Sepulchre rock, where we halted a few minutes. The
rock itself stands near the middle of the river, and contains
about two acres of ground above high water. On this surface
are scattered thirteen vaults, constructed like those
below the Rapids, and some of them more than half filled
with dead bodies. After satisfying our curiosity with these
venerable remains, we returned to the northern shore, and
proceeded to a village at the distance of four miles: on landing,

we found that the inhabitants belonged to the same nation
we had just left, and as they also had horses, we made
a second attempt to purchase a few of them: but with all
our dexterity in exhibiting our wares, we could not induce
them to sell, as we had none of the only articles which they
seemed desirous of procuring, a sort of war hatchet, called
by the northwest traders an eye-dog. We therefore purchased
two dogs, and taking leave of these Weocksockwillacums,
proceeded to another of their villages, just below the
entrance of Cataract river. Here too, we tried in vain to
purchase some horses, nor did we meet with more success
at the two villages of Chilluckittequaws, a few miles farther
up the river. At three in the afternoon, we came to the
mouth of Quinett creek, which we ascended a short distance
and encamped for the night, at the spot we had called Rock
fort. Here we were soon visited by some of the people
from the great narrows and falls: and on our expressing a
wish to purchase horses, they agreed to meet us to-morrow
on the north side of the river, where we would open a traffic.
They then returned to their villages to collect the horses,
and in the morning,

Wednesday 16, captain Clarke crossed with nine men,
and a large part of the merchandise, in order to purchase
twelve horses to transport our baggage, and some pounded
fish, as a reserve during the passage of the Rocky mountains.
The rest of the men were employed in hunting and
preparing saddles.

From the rapids to this place, and indeed as far as the
commencement of the narrows, the Columbia is from half
a mile to three quarters in width, and possesses scarcely any
current: its bed consists principally of rock, except at the
entrance of Labiche river, which takes its rise in mount
Hood, from which, like Quicksand river, it brings down
vast quantities of sand. During the whole course of the Columbia
from the Rapids to the Chilluckittequaws are the
trunks of many large pine trees standing erect in water,

which is thirty feet deep at present, and never less than ten.
These trees could never have grown in their present state,
for they are all very much doated, and none of them vegetate;
so that the only reasonable account which can be given
of this phenomenon, is, that at some period, which the
appearance of the trees induces us to fix within twenty
years, the rocks from the hill sides have obstructed the narrow
pass at the rapids, and caused the river to spread
through the woods. The mountains which border as far as
the Sepulchre rock, are high and broken, and its romantic
views accasionally enlivened by beautiful cascades rushing
from the heights, and forming a deep contrast with the firs,
cedars and pines, which darken their sides. From the Sepulchre
rock, where the low country begins, the long-leafed
pine is the almost exclusive growth of timber; but our present
camp is the last spot where a single tree is to be seen
on the wide plains, which are now spread before us to the
foot of the Rocky mountains. It is, however, covered with
a rich verdure of grass and herbs, some inches in height,
which forms a delightful and exhilarating prospect, after
being confined to the mountains and thick forests on the seacoast.
The climate too, though only on the border of the
plains, is here very different from that we have lately experienced.
The air is drier and more pure, and the ground
itself is as free from moisture as if there had been no rain
for the last ten days. Around this place are many esculent
plants used by the Indians among which is a currant,
now in bloom, with a yellow blossom like that of the yellow
currant of the Missouri, from which however it differs specifically.
There is also a species of hyacinth growing in
the plains, which presents at this time a pretty flower of a
pale blue colour, and the bulb of which is boiled or baked, or
dried in the sun, and eaten by the Indians. This bulb, of
the present year, is white, flat in shape and not quite solid,
and it overlays and presses closely that of the last year,
which, though much thinner and withered, is equally wide,
and sends forth from its sides a number of small radicles.

Our hunters obtained one of the long-tailed deer with
the young horns, about two inches, and a large black or
dark brown pheasant, such as we had seen on the upper part
of the Missouri. They also brought in a large gray squirrel,
and two others resembling it in shape, but smaller than
the common gray squirrel of the United States, and of a
pied gray and yellowish brown colour. In addition to this
game, they had seen some antelopes, and the tracks of several
black bear, but no appearance of elk. They had seen
no birds, but found three eggs of the party-coloured corvus.
Though the salmon has not yet appeared. we have
seen less scarcity than we apprehended from the reports we
had heard below. At the rapids, the natives subsist chiefly
on a few white salmon trout, which they take at this time,
and considerable quantities of a small indifferent mullet of
an inferior quality. Beyond that place we see none except
dried fish of the last season, nor is the sturgeon caught by
any of the natives above the Columbia, their whole stores
consisting of roots, and fish either dried or pounded.

Captain Clarke had, in the meantime, been endeavouring
to purchase horses, without success, but they promised
to trade with him if he would go up to the Skilloot village,
above the long narrows. He therefore sent over to us for
more merchandise, and then accompanied them in the evening
to that place, where he passed the night. The next day,

Thursday 17, he sent to inform us that he was still unable
to purchase any horses, but intended going as far as the
Eneeshur village to-day, whence he would return to meet us
to-morrow at the Skilloot village. In the evening the principal
chief of the Chilluckittequaws came to see us, accompanied
by twelve of his nation, and hearing that we wanted
horses, he promised to meet us at the narrows with some for sale.