University of Virginia Library

LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION
UP THE MISSOURI.

CHAPTER I.

Friday, October 11, 1805. This morning the wind was
from the east, and the weather cloudy. We set out early, and
at the distance of a mile and a half reached a point of rocks in
a bend of the river towards the left, near to which was an
old Indian house, and a meadow on the opposite bank.
Here the hills came down towards the water, and formed by
the rocks, which have fallen from their sides, a rapid over
which we dragged the canoes. We passed, a mile and a
half further, two Indian lodges in a bend towards the right,
and at six miles from our camp of last evening reached the
mouth of a brook on the left. Just above this stream we
stopped for breakfast at a large encampment of Indians on
the same side: we soon began to trade with them for a
stock of provisions, and were so fortunate as to purchase

seven dogs and all the fish they would spare: while this traffic
was going on, we observed a vapour bath or sweating
house in a different form from that used on the frontiers of
the United States, or in the Rocky mountains. It was a
hallow square of six or eight feet deep, formed in the river
bank by damming up with mud the other three sides, and
covering the whole completely except an aperture about two
feet wide at the top. The bathers descend by this hole,
taking with them a number of heated stones, and jugs of
water; and after being seated round the room, throw the
water on the stones till the steam becomes of a temperature
sufficiently high for their purposes. The baths of the
Indians in the Rocky mountains is of different sizes, the
most common being made of mud and sticks like an oven,
but the mode of raising the steam is exactly the same.
Among both these nations it is very uncommon for a man
to bathe alone, he is generally accompanied by one or sometimes
several of his acquaintances; indeed it is so essentially
a social amusement, that to decline going in to bathe when
invited by a friend is one of the highest indignities which
can be offered to him. The Indians on the frontiers generally
use a bath which will accommodate only one person, and
is formed of a wickered work of willows about four feet high,
arched at the top, and covered with skins. In this the patient
sits till by means of the heated stones and water he
has perspired sufficiently. Almost universally these baths
are in the neighbourhood of running water, into which the
Indians plunge immediately on coming out of the vapour
bath, and sometimes return again, and subject themselves
to a second perspiration. This practice is, however, less
frequent among our neighbouring nations than those to the
westward. This bath is employed either for pleasure or
for health, and is used indiscriminately for rheumatism,
venereal, or in short for all kinds of diseases.

On leaving this encampment we passed two more
rapids, and some swift water, and at the distance of four

and a half miles reached one which was much more difficult
to pass. Three miles beyond this rapid, are three huts
of Indians on the right, where we stopped and obtained in
exchange for a few trifles some pashequa roots, five dogs
and a small quantity of dried fish. We made our dinner
of part of each of these articles, and then proceeded on
without any obstruction, till after making twelve and a half
miles we came to a stony island on the right side of the
river, opposite to which is a rapid, and a second at its lower
point. About three and a half miles beyond the island is a
small brook which empties itself into a bend on the right,
where we encamped at two Indian huts, which are now inhabited.
Here we met two Indians belonging to a nation
who reside at the mouth of this river. We had made thirty-one
miles to-day, although the weather was warm, and
we found the current obstructed by nine different rapids,
more or less difficult to pass. All these rapids are fishing
places of great resort in the season, and as we passed we
observed near them, slabs and pieces of split timber raised
from the ground, and some entire houses which are vacant
at present, but will be occupied as soon as the Indians return
from the plains on both sides of the river, where our
chief informs us they are now hunting the antelope. Near
each of these houses is a small collection of graves, the burial
places of those who frequent these establishments. The
dead are wrapped up in robes of skins, and deposited in
graves, which are covered over with earth and marked or
secured by little pickets or pieces of wood, stuck promiscuously
over and around it. The country on both sides, after
mounting a steep ascent of about two hundred feet, becomes
an open, level and fertile plain, which is, however, as
well as the borders of the river itself, perfectly destitute of
any kind of timber; and the chief growth which we observed
consisted of a few low blackberries. We killed some
geese and ducks. The wind in the after part of the day
changed to the southwest and became high, but in the
morning,

Saturday 12, it shifted to the east, and we had a fair
cool morning. After purchasing all the provisions these
Indians would spare, which amounted to only three dogs
and a few fish, we proceeded. We soon reached a small
island, and in the course of three miles passed three other
islands nearly opposite to each other, and a bad rapid on the
left in the neighbourhood of them. Within the following
seven miles we passed a small rapid, and an island on the
left, another stony island and a rapid on the right, just below
which a brook comes in on the same side, and came to
a bend towards the right opposite to a small island. From
this place we saw some Indians on the hills, but they were
too far off for us to have any intercourse, and showed no
disposition to approach us. After going on two miles to a
bend towards the left, we found the plains, which till now
had formed rugged cliffs over the river, leaving small and
narrow bottoms, become much lower on both sides, and the
river itself widens to the space of four hundred yards, and
continues for the same width, the country rising by a gentle
ascent towards the high plains. At two and a half miles
is a small creek on the left opposite to an island. For the
three following miles, the country is low and open on both
sides, after which it gradually rises till we reached a bend
of the river towards the right, three and a half miles further,
in the course of which we passed a rapid and an island.
The wind now changed to the southwest, and became violent.
We passed an island at the distance of four miles,
another one mile beyond it, where the water was swift and
shallow, and two miles further, a rapid at the upper point
of a small stony island. We went along this island by the
mouth of a brook on the right, and encamped on the same
side opposite to a small island close under the left shore.
Our day's journey had been thirty miles, and we might have
gone still further, but as the evening was coming on we
halted at the head of a rapid, which the Indians represented
as dangerous to pass, for the purpose of examining it before

we set out in the morning. The country has much
the same appearance as that we passed yesterday, consisting
of open plains, which when they approach the water are
faced with a dark-coloured rugged stone. The river is as
usual much obstructed by islands and rapids, some of which
are difficult to pass. Neither the plains nor the borders of
the river possess any timber, except a few hackberry bushes
and willows, and as there is not much driftwood, fuel is
very scarce.

Sunday 13. The morning was windy and dark, and the
rain which began before daylight, continued till near twelve
o'clock. Having viewed very accurately the whole of this
rapid we set out, the Indians going on before us to pilot the
canoes. We found it, as had been reported, a very dangerous
rapid, about two miles in length, and strewed with rocks
in every direction, so as to require great dexterity to avoid
running against them. We however passed through the
channel, which is towards the left, and about the centre of
the rapid, without meeting with any accident. Two miles
below it we had another bad rapid, a mile beyond which
is a large creek in a bend to the left. This we called Kimooenim
creek.

On leaving it the river soon became crowded with
rough black rocks, till at the distance of a mile it forms
a rapid which continues for four miles, and during the latter
part of it for a mile and a half, the whole river is compressed
into a narrow channel, not more than twenty-five
yards wide. The water happened to be low as we passed,
but during the high waters, the navigation must be very difficult.
Immediately at the end of this rapid, is a large
stream in a bend to the right, which we called Drewyer's
river, after George Drewyer one of the party. A little below
the mouth of this river is a large fishing establishment,
where there are the scaffolds and timbers of several houses
piled up against each other, and the meadow adjoining contains
a number of holes, which seem to have been used as

places of deposits for fish for a great length of time. There
were no entire houses standing, and we saw only two Indians
who had visited the narrows, but we were overtaken
by two others, who accompanied us on horseback down the
river, informing us that they meant to proceed by land down
to the great river. Nine and a half miles below Drewyer's
river, we passed another rapid, and three and a half miles
farther reached some high cliffs in a bend to the left. Here
after passing the timbers of a house, which were preserved
on forks, we encamped on the right side, near a collection of
graves, such as we had seen above. The country was still
an open plain without timber, and our day's journey had no
variety, except the fishing houses which are scattered near
the situations convenient for fishing, but are now empty.
Our two Indian companions spent the night with us.

Monday 14. The wind was high from the southwest during
the evening, and this morning it changed to the west,
and the weather became very cold until about twelve o'clock,
when it shifted to the southwest, and continued in that
quarter during the rest of the day. We set out early, and
after passing some swift water, reached at two and a half
miles a rock of a very singular appearance. It was situated
on a point to the left, at some distance from the ascending
country, very high and large, and resembling in its shape
the hull of a ship. At five miles we passed a rapid; at
eight another rapid, and a small island on the right, and at
ten and a half a small island on the right. We halted a
mile and a half below for the purpose of examining a much
larger and more dangerous rapid than those we had yet passed.
It is three miles in length, and very difficult to navigate.
We had scarcely set out, when three of the canoes
stuck fast in endeavouring to avoid the rocks in the channel;
soon after in passing two small rocky islands, one of the
canoes struck a rock, but was prevented from upsetting,
and fortunately we all arrived safe at the lower end of the
rapid. Here we dined, and then proceeded, and soon reached

another rapid on both sides of the river, which was divided
by an island.

As we were descending it one of the boats was driven
crosswise against a rock in the middle of the current.
The crew attempted to get her off, but the waves dashed
over her, and she soon filled; they got out on the rock
and held her above water with great exertion, till another
canoe was unloaded and sent to her relief; but they
could not prevent a great deal of her baggage from floating
down the stream. As soon as she was lightened, she was
hurried down the channel leaving the crew on the rock.
They were brought off by the rest of the party, and the
canoe itself, and nearly all that had been washed overboard
was recovered. The chief loss was the bedding of two of
the men, a tomahawk, and some small articles. But all the
rest were wet, and though by drying we were able to save
the powder, all the loose packages of which were in this
boat, yet we lost all the roots and other provisions, which
are spoilt by the water. In order to diminish the loss as far
as was in our power, we halted for the night on an island,
and exposed every thing to dry. On landing we found some
split timber for houses which the Indians had very securely
covered with stone, and also a place where they had deposited
their fish. We have hitherto abstained scrupulously
from taking any thing belonging to the Indians; but on this
occasion we were compelled to depart from this rule; and as
there was no other timber to be found in any direction for
firewood, and no owner appeared from whom it could be purchased,
we used a part of these split planks, bearing in mind
our obligation to repay the proprietor whenever we should
discover him. The only game which we observed were
geese and ducks, of the latter we killed some, and a few of
the blue-winged teal. Our journey was fifteen miles in length.

Tuesday 15. The morning was fair, and being obliged to
remain for the purpose of drying the baggage, we sent out
the hunters to the plains, but they returned at ten o'clock,

without having seen even the tracks of any large game, but
brought in three geese and two ducks. The plains are waving,
and as we walked in them, we could plainly discover a
range of mountains bearing southeast and northwest, be
coming higher as they advanced towards the north, the nearest
point bearing south about sixty miles from us. Our
stores being sufficiently dry to be reloaded, and as we shall
be obliged to stop for the purpose of making some celestial
observations at the mouth of the river, which cannot be at
a great distance, we concluded to embark and complete the
drying at that place: we therefore set out at two o'clock.
For the first four miles we passed three islands, at the lower
points of which were the same number of rapids, besides
a fourth at a distance from them. During the next ten
miles we passed eight islands and three more rapids, and
reached a point of rocks on the left side. The islands were
of various sizes, but were all composed of round stone
and sand: the rapids were in many places difficult and dangerous
to pass. About this place the country becomes lower
than usual, the ground over the river not being higher
than ninety or a hundred feet, and extending back into a waving
plain. Soon after leaving this point of rocks, we entered
a narrow channel formed by the projecting cliffs of the
bank, which rise nearly perpendicular from the water. The
river is not however rapid, but gentle and smooth during
its confinement, which lasts for three miles, when it falls, or
rather widens into a kind of basin nearly round, and without
any perceptible current. After passing through this basin, we
were joined by the three Indians who had piloted us through
the rapids since we left the forks, and who in company with
our two chiefs had gone before us. They had now halted
here to warn us of a dangerous rapid, which begins at the
lower point of the basin. As the day was too far spent to
descend it, we determined to examine before we attempted
it, and therefore landed near an island at the head of the
rapid, and studied particularly all its narrow and difficult
parts. The spot where we landed was an old fishing establishment,
of which there yet remained the timbers of a house
carefully raised on scaffolds to protect them against the
spring tide. Not being able to procure any other fuel, and
the night being cold, we were again obliged to use the property
of the Indians, who still remain in the plains hunting
the antelope. Our progress was only twenty miles in consequence
of the difficulty of passing the rapids. Our game
consisted of two teal.

Wednesday, 16. Having examined the rapids, which
we found more difficult than the report of the Indians had induced
us to believe, we set out early, and putting our Indian
guide in front, our smallest canoe next, and the rest in succession,
began the descent: the passage proved to be very
disagreeable; as there is a continuation of shoals extending
from bank to bank for the distance of three miles, during
which the channel is narrow and crooked, and obstructed
by large rocks in every direction, so as to require great
dexterity to avoid being dashed on them. We got through
the rapids with no injury to any of the boats except the
hindmost, which ran on a rock; but by the assistance of the
other boats, and of the Indians who were very alert, she escaped,
though the baggage she contained was wet. Within
three miles after leaving the rapid we passed three small
islands, on one of which were the parts of a house put on
scaffolds as usual, and soon after came to a rapid at the
lower extremity of three small islands; and a second at the
distance of a mile and a half below them; reaching six miles
below the great rapid a point of rocks at a rapid opposite
to the upper point of a small island on the left. Three miles
further is another rapid; and two miles beyond this a very
bad rapid, or rather a fall of the river: this, on examination,
proved so difficult to pass, that we thought it imprudent
to attempt, and therefore unloaded the canoes and made a
portage of three quarters of a mile. The rapid, which is
of about the same extent, is much broken by rocks and shoals,

and has a small island in it on the right side. After crossing
by land we halted for dinner, and whilst we were eating
were visited by five Indians, who came up the river on foot
in great haste: we received them kindly, smoked with them,
and gave them a piece of tobacco to smoke with their
tribe: on receiving the present they set out to return, and
continued running as fast as they could while they remained
in sight. Their curiosity had been excited by the accounts
of our two chiefs, who had gone on in order to apprise the
tribes of our approach and of our friendly dispositions towards
them. After dinner we reloaded the canoes and proceeded:
we soon passed a rapid opposite to the upper point
of a sandy island on the left, which has a smaller island near
it. At three miles is a gravelly bar in the river: four miles
beyond this the Kimooenim empties itself into the Columbia,
and at its mouth has an island just below a small rapid.
We halted above the point of junction on the Kimooenim
to confer with the Indians, who had collected in great numbers
to receive us. On landing we were met by our two
chiefs, to whose good offices we were indebted for this reception,
and also the two Indians who had passed us a few
days since on horseback; one of whom appeared to be a man
of influence, and harangued the Indians on our arrival. After
smoking with the Indians, we formed a camp at the
point where the two rivers unite, near to which we found
some driftwood, and were supplied by our two old chiefs
with the stalks of willows and some small bushes for fuel.
We had scarcely fixed the camp and got the fires prepared,
when a chief came from the Indian camp about a quarter of
a mile up the Columbia, at the head of nearly two hundred
men: they formed a regular procession, keeping time to the
noise, rather the music of their drums, which they accompanied
with their voices. As they advanced they formed a
semicircle round us, and continued singing for some time:
we then smoked with them all, and communicated, as well
as we could by signs, our friendly intentions towards all
nations, and our joy at finding ourselves surrounded by our
children: we then proceeded to distribute presents to them,
giving the principal chief a large medal, a shirt and handkerchief;
to the second chief, a medal of a smaller size, and
to a third chief who came down from some of the upper
villages, a small medal and a handkerchief. This ceremony
being concluded they left us; but in the course of the
afternoon several of them returned and remained with us
till a late hour. After they had dispersed we proceeded to
purchase provisions, and were enabled to collect seven dogs,
to which some of the Indians added small presents of fish,
and one of them gave us twenty pounds of fat dried horseflesh.

Thursday, October 17. The day being fair we were occupied
in making the necessary observations for determining
our longitude, and obtained a meridian altitude, from which
it appeared that we were in latitude 46° 15′ 13″ 9‴. We also
measured the two rivers by angles, and found that at the
junction the Columbia is nine hundred and sixty yards wide,
and Lewis's river five hundred and seventy-five; but soon
after they unite, the former widens to the space of from one
to three miles, including the islands. From the point of
junction the country is a continued plain, which is low near
the water, from which it rises gradually, and the only elevation
to be seen is a range of high country running from
the northeast towards the southwest, where it joins a range
of mountains from the southwest, and is on the opposite side
about two miles from the Columbia. There is through this
plain no tree and scarcely any shrub, except a few willow
bushes; and even of smaller plants there is not much more
than the prickly pear, which is in great abundance, and is
even more thorny and troublesome than any we have yet
seen. During this time the principal chief came down with
several of his warriors and smoked with us: we were also
visited by several men and women, who offered dogs and fish
for sale, but as the fish was out of season, and at present

abundant in the river, we contented ourselves with purchasing
all the dogs we could obtain. The nation among which
we now are call themselves Sokulks; and with them are
united a few of another nation, who reside on a western
branch, emptying itself into the Columbia a few miles above
the mouth of the latter river, and whose name is Chimnapum.
The language of both these nations, of each of which
we obtained a vocabulary, differs but little from each other,
or from that of the Chopunnish who inhabit the Kooskooskee
and Lewis's river. In their dress and general appearance
also they resemble much those nations; the men wearing
a robe of deer or antelope skin, under which a few of
them have a short leathern shirt. The most striking difference
between them is among the females, the Sokulk women
being more inclined to corpulency than any we have yet
seen: their stature is low, their faces broad, and their heads
flattened in such a manner that the forehead is in a straight
line from the nose to the crown of the head: their eyes are
of a dirty sable, their hair too is coarse and black, and
braided as above without ornament of any kind: instead of
wearing, as do the Chopunnish, long leathern shirts,
highly decorated with beads and shells, the Sokulk females
have no other covering but a truss or piece of leather tied
round the hips and then drawn tight between the legs. The
ornaments usually worn by both sexes are large blue or
white beads, either pendant from their ears, or round the
necks, wrists, and arms: they have likewise bracelets of
brass, copper, and horn, and some trinkets of shells, fish
bones, and curious feathers. The houses of the Sokulks are
made of large mats of rushes, and are generally of a square
or oblong form, varying in length from fifteen to sixty feet,
and supported in the inside by poles or forks about six feet
high: the top is covered with mats, leaving a space of twelve
or fifteen inches the whole length of the house, for the purpose
of admitting the light and suffering the smoke to pass
through: the roof is nearly flat, which seems to indicate
that rains are not common in this open country, and the
house is not divided into apartments, the fire being in the
middle of the large room, and immediately under the hole
in the roof: the rooms are ornamented with their nets, gigs,
and other fishing tackle, as well as the bow for each inhabitant,
and a large quiver of arrows, which are headed with
flint stones.

The Sokulks seem to be of a mild and peaceable disposition,
and live in a state of comparative happiness. The
men like those on the Kimooenim, are said to content themselves
with a single wife, with whom we observe the husband
shares the labours of procuring subsistence much
more than is usual among savages. What may be considered
as an unequivocal proof of their good disposition, is
the great respect which was shown to old age. Among
other marks of it, we observed in one of the houses an old
woman perfectly blind, and who we were informed had
lived more than a hundred winters. In this state of decrepitude,
she occupied the best position in the house,
seemed to be treated with great kindness, and whatever she
said was listened to with much attention. They are by no
means intrusive, and as their fisheries supply them with
a competent, if not an ubundant subsistence, although they
receive thankfully whatever we choose to give, they do not
importune us by begging. The fish is, indeed, their chief
food, except the roots, and the casual supplies of the antelope,
which to those who have only bows and arrows, must
be very scanty. This diet may be the direct or the remote
cause of the chief disorder which prevails among them, as
well as among the Flatheads, on the Kooskooskee and
Lewis's river. With all these Indians a bad soreness of the
eyes is a very common disorder, which is suffered to ripen by
neglect, till many are deprived of one of their eyes, and
some have totally lost the use of both. This dreadful calamity
may reasonably, we think, be imputed to the constant reflection
of the sun on the waters where they are constantly

fishing in the spring, summer and fall, and during the rest
of the year on the snows of a country which affords no object
to relieve the sight. Among the Sokulks too, and indeed
among all the tribes whose chief subsistence is fish,
we have observed that bad teeth are very general: some
have the teeth, particularly those of the upper jaw, worn
down to the gums, and many of both sexes, and even of
middle age, have lost them almost entirely. This decay of
the teeth is a circumstance very unusual among the Indians,
either of the mountains or the plains, and seems peculiar
to the inhabitants of the Columbia. We cannot
avoid regarding as one principal cause of it, the manner
in which they eat their food. The roots are swallowed as
they are dug from the ground, frequently nearly covered
with a gritty sand: so little idea have they that this is
offensive, that all the roots they offer us for sale are in the
same condition. A second and a principal cause may be
their great use of the dried salmon, the bad effects of
which are most probably increased by their mode of cooking
it, which is simply to warm, and then swallow the
rind, scales and flesh without any preparation. The Sokulks
possess but few horses, the greater part of their labours
being performed in canoes. Their amusements are
similar to those of the Missouri Indians.

In the course of the day captain Clarke, in a small canoe
with two men, ascended the Columbia. At the distance
of five miles he passed an island in the middle of the river,
at the head of which is a small and not a dangerous rapid.
On the left bank of the river opposite to this river is a fishing
place, consisting of three mat houses. Here were great
quantities of salmon drying on scaffolds: and indeed from
the mouth of the river upwards he saw immense numbers
of dead salmon strewed along the shore or floating on the
surface of the water, which is so clear that the salmon may
be seen swimming in the water at the depth of fifteen or
twenty feet. The Indians who had collected on the banks

to view him, now joined him in eighteen canoes, and accompanied
him up the river. A mile above the rapids he
came to the lower point of an island where the course of the
river, which had been from its mouth north 83° west, now
became due west. He proceeded in that direction, when
observing three houses of mats at a short distance he landed
to visit them. On entering one of the houses he found
it crowded with men, women and children, who immediately
provided a mat for him to sit on, and one of the party undertook
to prepare something to eat. He began by bringing
in a piece of pine wood that had drifted down the river,
which he split into small pieces, with a wedge made of the
elks' horn, by means of a mallet of stone curiously carved.
The pieces were then laid on the fire, and several round
stones placed upon them: one of the squaws now brought
a bucket of water, in which was a large salmon about
half dried, and as the stones became heated, they were put
into the bucket till the salmon was sufficiently boiled for
use. It was then taken out, put on a platter of rushes
neatly made, and laid before captain Clarke, and another
was boiled for each of his men. During these preparations
he smoked with those about him who would accept of tobacco,
but very few were desirous of smoking, a custom
which is not general among them, and chiefly used as a
matter of form in great ceremonies. After eating the fish,
which was of an excellent flavour, captain Clarke set out,
and at the distance of four miles from the last island, came
to the lower point of another near the left shore, where he
halted at two large mat houses. Here as at the three houses
below, the inhabitants were occupied in splitting and drying
salmon. The multitudes of this fish are almost inconceivable.
The water is so clear that they can readily be
seen at the depth of fifteen or twenty feet, but at this season
they float in such quantities down the stream, and are
drifted ashore, that the Indians have only to collect, split
and dry them on the scaffolds. Where they procure the
timber of which these scaffolds are composed he could not
learn, but as there are nothing but willow bushes to be seen
for a great distance from the place, it rendered very probable,
what the Indians assured him by signs, that they often
used dried fish as fuel for the common occasions of cooking.
From this island they showed him the entrance of a
western branch of the Columbia, called the Tapteal, which
as far as could be seen bears nearly west, and empties itself
about eight miles above into the Columbia; the general
course of which is northwest: towards the southwest a
range of highland runs parallel to the river, at the distance
of two miles on the left, while on the right side the country
is low and covered with the prickly pear, and a weed or
plant two or three feet high resembling whins. To the
eastward is a range of mountains about fifty or sixty miles
distant, which bear north and south; but neither in the low
grounds, nor in the highlands is any timber to be seen. The
evening coming on he determined not to proceed further
than the island, and therefore returned to camp, accompanied
by three canoes, which contained twenty Indians. In
the course of his excursion he shot several grouse and
ducks, and received some presents of fish, for which he gave
in return small pieces of riband. He also killed a prairie
cock, an animal of the pheasant kind, but about the size of
a small turkey. It measured from the beak to the end of
the toe two feet six inches and three quarters, from the extremity
of the wings three feet six inches, and the feathers
of the tail were thirteen inches long. This bird we have
seen no where except on this river. Its chief food is the
grasshopper, and the seed of the wild plant which is peculiar
to this river and the upper parts of the Missouri.

The men availed themselves of this day's rest to mend
their clothes, dressing skins, and putting their arms in
complete order, an object always of primary concern, but
particularly at a moment when we are surrounded by so
many strangers.

Friday 18. We were visited this morning by several
canoes of Indians, who joined those who were already with
us, and soon opened a numerous council. We informed them
as we had done all the other Indian nations of our friendship
for them, and of our desire to promote peace among all our
red children in this country. This was conveyed by signs
through the means of our two chiefs, and seemed to be perfectly
understood. We then made a second chief, and gave
to all the chiefs a string of wampum, in remembrance of
what we had said. Whilst the conference was going on
four men came in a canoe from a large encampment on an
island about eight miles below, but after staying a few
minutes returned without saying a word to us. We now
procured from the principal chief and one of the Cuimnapum
nation a sketch of the Columbia, and the tribes of his
nation living along its banks and those of the Tapteet. They
drew it with a piece of coal on a robe, and as we afterwards
transferred to paper, it exhibited a valuable specimen of Indian
delineation.

Having completed the purposes of our stay, we now began
to lay in our stores, and fish being out of season, purchased
forty dogs, for which we gave small articles, such as
bells, thimbles, knitting-needles, brass wire, and a few beads,
an exchange with which they all seemed perfectly satisfied.
These dogs, with six prairie cocks killed this morning,
formed a plentiful supply for the present. We here left our
guide and the two young men who had accompanied him,
two of the three not being willing to go any further, and the
third could be of no use as he was not acquainted with the
river below. We therefore took no Indians but our two
chiefs, and resumed our journey in the presence of many
of the Sokulks, who came to witness our departure. The
morning was cool and fair, and the wind from the southeast.
Soon after proceeding,

We passed the island in the mouth of Lewis river, and at
eight miles reached a larger island, which extends three

miles in length. On going down by this island there is
another on the right, which commences about the middle of
it, and continues for three and a half miles. While they
continue parallel to each other, they occasion a rapid near
the lower extremity of the first island, opposite to which
on the second island are nine lodges built of mats, and intended
for the accommodation of the fishermen, of whom
we saw great numbers, and vast quantities of dried fish on
their scaffolds.

On reaching the lower point of the island, we landed toexamine
a bad rapid, and then undertook the passage which
is very difficult, as the channel lies between two small
islands, with two others still smaller near the left side of
the river. Here are two Indian houses, the inhabitants of
which were as usual drying fish. We passed the rapid
without injury, and fourteen and a half miles from the
mouth of Lewis's river, came to an island near the right
shore, on which were two other houses of Indians, pursuing
the customary occupation. One mile and a half beyond
this place, is a mouth of a small brook under a high hill on
the left. It seems to run during its whole course through the
high country, which at this place begins, and rising to the
height of two hundred feet form cliffs of rugged black
rocks which project a considerable distance into the river.
At this place too we observed a mountain to the S. W. the
form of which is conical, and its top covered with snow.
We followed the river as it entered these highlands, and at
the distance of two miles reached three islands, one on each
side of the river, and a third in the middle, on which were
two houses, where the Indians were drying fish opposite a
small rapid. Near these a fourth island begins, close to
the right shore, where were nine lodges of Indians, all employed
with their fish. As we passed they called to us to
land, but as night was coming on, and there was no appearance
of wood in the neighbourhood, we went on about a

mile further, till observing a log that had drifted down the
river, we landed near it on the left side, and formed our
camp under a high hill, after having made twenty miles today.
Directly opposite to us are five houses of Indians, who
were drying fish on the same island where we had passed the
nine lodges, and on the other side of the river we saw a number
of horses feeding. Soon after landing, we were informed
by our chiefs that the large camp of nine houses, belonged
to the first chief of all the tribes in this quarter, and
that he had called to request us to land and pass the night
with him as he had plenty of wood for us. This intelligence
would have been very acceptable if it had been explained
sooner, for we were obliged to use dried willows for fuel to
cook with, not being able to burn the drift-log which had
tempted us to land. We now sent the two chiefs along the
left side of the river to invite the great chief down to spend
the night with us. He came at a late hour, accompanied by
twenty men, bringing a basket of mashed berries which he
left as a present for us, and formed a camp at a short distance
from us. The next morning,

Saturday 19, the great chief with two of his inferior
chiefs, and a third belonging to a band on the river below,
made us a visit at a very early hour. The first of these is
called Yelleppit, a handsome well proportioned man, about five
feet eight inches high, and thirty-five years of age, with a
bold and dignified countenance; the rest were not distinguished
in their appearance. We smoked with them, and after
making a speech gave a medal, a handkerchief, and a string
of wampum to Yelleppit, and a string of wampum only to
the inferior chiefs. He requested us to remain till the middle
of the day, in order that all his nation might come and
see us, but we excused ourselves by telling him that on our
return we would spend two or three days with him. This
conference detained us till nine o'clock, by which time great
numbers of the Indians had come down to visit us. On

leaving them, we went on for eight miles, when we came
to an island near the left shore which continued six miles
in length. At the lower extremity of it is a small island on
which are five houses, at present vacant, though the scaffolds
of fish are as usual abundant. A short distance below, are
two more islands, one of them near the middle of the river.
On this there were seven houses; but as soon as the Indians,
who were drying fish, saw us, they fled to their houses, and
not one of them appeared till we had passed, when they
came out in greater numbers than is usual for houses of
that size, which induced us to think that the inhabitants
of the five lodges had been alarmed at our approach and
taken refuge with them. We were very desirous of landing
in order to relieve their apprehensions, but as there
was a bad rapid along the island, all our care was necessary
to prevent injury to the canoes. At the foot of this rapid is
a rock, on the left shore, which is fourteen miles from our
camp of last night, and resembles a hat in its shape.

Four miles beyond this island we came to a rapid, from
the appearance of which it was judged prudent to examine
it. After landing for that purpose on the left side, we began
to enter the channel which is close under the opposite
shore. It is a very dangerous rapid, strewed with high
rocks and rocky islands, and in many places obstructed by
shoals, over which the canoes were to be hauled, so that we
were more than two hours in passing through the rapids,
which extend for the same number of miles. The rapid
has several small islands, and banks of muscleshells are
spread along the river in several places. In order to lighten
the boats, captain Clarke, with the two chiefs, the
interpreter, and his wife, had walked across the low
grounds on the left to the foot of the rapids. On the
way, captain Clarke ascended a cliff about two hundred
feet above the water, from which he saw that the country
on both sides of the river immediately from its cliffs,
was low, and spreads itself into a level plain, extending

for a great distance on all sides. To the west, at the distance
of about one hundred and fifty miles, is a very high
mountain covered with snow, and from its direction and appearance,
he supposed to be the mount St. Helens, laid down
by Vancouver, as visible from the mouth of the Columbia:
there is also another mountain of a conical form, whose topis
covered with snow, in a southwest direction. As captain
Clarke arrived at the lower end of the rapid before any, except
one of the small canoes, he sat down on a rock to wait
for them, and seeing a crane fly across the river, shot it,
and it fell near him. Several Indians had been before this
passing on the opposite side towards the rapids, and some
few who had been nearly in front of him, being either
alarmed at his appearance or the report of the gun, fled to
their houses. Captain Clarke was afraid that these people
had not yet heard that white men were coming, and therefore,
in order to allay their uneasiness before the whole
party should arrive, he got into the small canoe with three
men and rowed over towards the houses, and while crossing,
shot a duck, which fell into the water. As he approached,
no person was to be seen except three men in the plains,
and they too fled as he came near the shore. He landed
before five houses close to each other, but no one appeared,
and the doors, which were of mat, were closed. He went
towards one of them with a pipe in his hand, and pushing
aside the mat entered the lodge, where he found thirty-two
persons, chiefly men and women, with a few children, all
in the greatest consternation; some hanging down their
heads, others crying and wringing their hands. He went
up to them all and shook hands with them in the most
friendly manner; but their apprehensions, which had for a
moment subsided, revived on his taking out a burning glass,
as there was no roof to the house, and lighting his pipe: he
then offered it to several of the men, and distributed among
the women and children some small trinkets which he carried
about with him, and gradually restored some tranquillity
among them. He then left this house, and directing
each of the men to go into a house, went himself to a second:
here we found the inhabitants more terrified than
those he had first seen; but he succeeded in pacifying them,
and then visited the other houses, where the men had been
equally successful. After leaving the houses he went out
to sit on a rock, and beckoned to some of the men to come
and smoke with him; but none of them ventured to join him
till the canoes arrived with the two chiefs, who immediately
explained our pacific intentions towards them. Soon after
the interpreter's wife landed, and her presence dissipated
all doubts of our being well-disposed, since in this country,
no woman ever accompanies a war party: they therefore
all came out and seemed perfectly reconciled; nor could
we indeed blame them for their terrors, which were perfectly
natural. They told the two chiefs that they knew
we were not men, for they had seen us fall from the clouds:
in fact, unperceived by them, captain Clarke had shot the
white crane, which they had seen fall just before he appeared
to their eyes: the duck which he had killed also fell close
by him, and as there were a few clouds flying over at the
moment, they connected the fall of the birds and his sudden
appearance, and believed that he had himself dropped from
the clouds; the noise of the rifle, which they had never
heard before, being considered merely as the sound to announce
so extraordinary an event. This belief was strengthened,
when on entering the room he brought down fire from
the heavens by means of his burning-glass: we soon convinced
them satisfactorily that we were only mortals, and
after one of our chiefs had explained our history and objects,
we all smoked together in great harmony. These people
do not speak precisely the same language as the Indians
above, but understand them in conversation. In a short
time we were joined by many of the inhabitants from below,
several of them on horseback, and all pleased to see
us, and to exchange their fish and berries for a few trinkets.
We remained here to dine, and then proceeded. At half a mile
the hilly country on the right side of the river ceased: at eleven
miles we found a small rapid, and a mile further came to a
small island on the left, where there are some willows. Since
we had left the five lodges, we passed twenty more, dispersed
along the river at different parts of the valley on the right;
but as they were now apprised of our coming they showed
no signs of alarm. On leaving the island we passed three
miles further along a country which is low on both sides of
the river, and encamped under some willow trees on the
left, having made thirty-six miles to-day. Immediately
opposite to us is an island close to the left shore, and another
in the middle of the river, on which are twenty-four houses
of Indians, all engaged in drying fish. We had scarcely
landed before about a hundred of them came over in their
boats to visit us, bringing with them a present of some wood,
which was very acceptable: we received them in as kind a
manner as we could—smoked with all of them, and gave
the principal chief a string of wampum; but the highest satisfaction
they enjoyed was the music of two of our violins, with
which they seemed much delighted: they remained all night
at our fires. This tribe is a branch of the nation called
Pishquitpaws, and can raise about three hundred and fifty
men. In dress they resemble the Indians near the forks of
the Columbia, except that their robes are smaller and do
not reach lower than the waist; indeed, three fourths of
them have scarcely any robes at all. The dress of the females
is equally scanty; for they wear only a small piece of
a robe which covers their shoulders and neck, and reaches
down the back to the waist, where it is attached by a piece
of leather tied tight round the body: their breasts, which
are thus exposed to view, are large, ill-shaped, and are suffered
to hang down very low: their cheek-bones high, their
heads flattened, and their persons in general adorned with
scarcely any ornaments. Both sexes are employed in curing
fish, of which they have great quantities on their scaffolds.

Sunday 20. The morning was cool, the wind from the
southwest. Our appearance had excited the curiosity of the
neighbourhood so much, that before we set out about two
hundred Indians had collected to see us, and as we were desirous
of conciliating their friendship, we remained to smoke
and confer with them till breakfast. We then took our repast,
which consisted wholly of dog-flesh, and proceeded.
We passed three vacant houses near our camp, and at six
miles reached the head of a rapid, on descending which we
soon came to another, very difficult and dangerous. It is
formed by a chain of large black rocks, stretching from the
right side of the river, and with several small islands on the
left, nearly choaking the channel of the river. To this place
we gave the name of the Pelican rapid, from seeing a number
of pelicans and black cormorants about it. Just below it is
a small island near the right shore, where are four houses of
Indians, all busy in drying fish. At sixteen miles from our
camp we reached a bend to the left opposite to a large island,
and at one o'clock halted for dinner on the lower point of
an island on the right side of the channel. Close to this
was a larger island on the same side, and on the left bank of
the river a small one, a little below. We landed near some
Indian huts, and counted on this cluster of three islands, seventeen
of their houses filled with inhabitants, resembling in
every respect those higher up the river; like the inhabitants,
they were busy in preparing fish. We purchased of them some
dried fish, which were not good, and a few berries, on which
we dined, and then walked to the head of the island for the
purpose of examining a vault, which we had marked in
coming along. This place, in which the dead are deposited,
is a building about sixty feet long and twelve feet wide, and
is formed by placing in the ground poles or forks six feet
high, across which a long pole is extended the whole length
of the structure. Against this ridge-pole are placed broad
boards, and pieces of canoes, in a slanting direction, so as
to form a shed. It stands east and west, and neither of the

extremities are closed. On entering the western end we
observed a number of bodies wrapped carefully in leather
robes, and arranged in rows on boards, which were then covered
with a mat. This was the part destined for those who
had recently died: a little farther on, the bones half decayed
were scattered about, and in the centre of the building
was a large pile of them heaped promiscuously on each other.
At the eastern extremity was a mat, on which twenty-one
sculls were placed in a circular form, the mode of interment
being first to wrap the body in robes, and as it decays
the bones are thrown into the heap, and the sculls placed
together. From the different boards and pieces of canoes
which form the vault, were suspended on the inside fishing-nets,
baskets, wooden-bowls, robes, skins, trenchers, and
trinkets of various kinds, obviously intended as offerings
of affection to deceased relatives. On the outside of the
vault were the skeletons of several horses, and great
quantities of bones in the neighbourhood, which induced us
to believe that these animals were most probably sacrificed
at the funeral rites of their masters. Having dined we
proceeded past a small island, where were four huts of Indians,
and at the lower extremity a bad rapid. Half a mile
beyond this, and at the distance of twenty-four from our
camp, we came to the commencement of the highlands on
the right, which are the first we have seen on that side
since near the Muscleshell rapids, leaving a valley forty
miles in extent. Eight miles lower we passed a large island
in the middle of the river, below which are eleven small
islands, five on the right, the same number on the left and
one in the middle of the stream. A brook falls in on the
right side, and a small rivulet empties itself behind one
of the islands. The country on the right consists of high
and rugged hills; the left is a low plain with no timber on
either side, except a few small willow-brushes along the
banks; though a few miles after leaving these islands the
country on the left rises to the same height with that opposite
to it, and becomes an undulating plain. Two miles after
passing a small rapid we reached a point of highland in a
bend towards the right, and encamped for the evening, after
a journey of forty-two miles. The river has been about a
quarter of a mile in width, with a current much more uniform
than it was during the last two days. We killed two
speckled gulls, and several ducks of a delicious flavour.