University of Virginia Library

CHAP. XI.

Saturday 10th. We set out early in a fine morning,
and proceeded on through the valley, until
breakfast time, when we came to a place where the
river passes through a mountain. This narrow passage
is not more than a quarter of a mile in length.
At the upper end another valley commences, but
not so wide as the one below. There is no timber
in the lower end of this valley; and the river very
crooked, narrow, and in some places so shallow, that
we were obliged to get into the water and drag the
canoes along. At 1 o'clock we halted to dine, when
a shower of rain came on with thunder and lightning
and continued an hour, during which some hail fell.
Two hunters were out to-day and killed but one deer.
We came 13 miles and encamped on the North side.
Here the valley begins to be more extensive.

Sunday 11th. This morning was cloudy and we
did not set out until after breakfast. Three hunters
were sent out and we proceeded on about 3 miles,
when we came to a large island, which is 3000 miles
from the river Du Bois at the mouth of the Missouri.
We therefore called it 3000 mile Island. We took
up the South side of it, and had difficulty in passing
the water being shallow. About 2 some rain fell.
Our hunters killed 3 deer and a goat. We went 14
miles and encamped on the North side.

Monday 12th. We proceeded on at the usual time,
and three hunters were again sent out. A few drops
of rain fell to-day. Our hunters killed 4 deer; and
after making 12 miles we encamped on the North
side.

Tuesday 13th. A cloudy morning. We set out

early, through rapid water; the river being crooked
and narrow, and passed a small creek on the south
side. The weather was cold during the whole of this
day. We went 16 miles and encamped in a beautiful
plain on the South side.

Wednesday 14th. The morning was clear and cold.
We embarked after breakfast; passed a small creek
on the north side and a beautiful valley on the same
side. Timber is very scarce; and only some few
scattering trees along the river. Our hunters came
in at noon, who had been out all day yesterday: they
had killed 5 deer and a goat. There are a few deer
and goats in this part of the country; and otter and
beaver in plenty along the river, but no other kind of
game that we could discover. There are some fish
in the river and trout of a large size, and of the black
kind. We went 15 miles and encamped on the South
side where we had great difficulty in procuring a sufficient
quantity of wood to cook with.

Thursday 15th. We had a fine morning and proceeded
on about 8 o'clock. Having gone 2 miles,
we came to the entrance of a mountain, where Capt.
Lewis and his party on the second day after their departure
had taken dinner; and had left 4 deer skins.
At the entrance of the mountain there are two high
pillars of rocks, resembling towers on each side of
the river. The mountains are not very high and do
not approach so near the river as some we have passed;
they are about a quarter of a mile distant, and
the river meanders along between them through the
bushes and is not more than 20 yards wide, and about
a foot and a half deep. The water is very cold, and
severe and disagreeable to the men, who are frequently
obliged to wade and drag the canoes. We went
15 miles and encamped on the South side.

Friday 16th. We did not set out till after breakfast
and while here one of the men went out and killed a
fine buck. We proceeded through rapid water; the

river is very narrow, crooked and shallow. This
morning we passed a place where the hills come close
to the river for a short distance, and then open on
each side of a small valley, which, on account of the
great quantity of service berries in it, we called Service-berry
valley. We passed over a rapid of about
a quarter of a mile, and encamped on the South side,
having come 15 miles.

Saturday 17th. A fine morning. We proceeded
on about 2 miles, and discovered a number of the
natives, of the Snake nation, coming along the bank
on the South side. Captain Lewis had been as far
as the waters of the Columbia river and met them
there. We continued on about two miles further to
a place where the river forks, and there halted and
encamped, after much fatigue and difficulty. The
water is so shallow that we had to drag the canoes,
one at a time, almost all the way. The distance
across from this place to the waters of the Columbia
river is about 40 miles, and the road or way said to
be good. There were about 20 of the natives came
over with Captain Lewis and had the same number
of horses. Here we unloaded the canoes, and had a
talk with the Indians; and agreed with them that
they should lend us some of their horses to carry our
baggage to the Columbia river.

Sunday 18th. A fine morning. We bought three
horses of the Indians. Captain Clarke and 11 more,
with our interpreter and his wife, and all the Indians
set out at 11 o'clock to go over to the Columbia —
The Indians went for horses to carry our baggage,
and we to search for timber to make canoes for descending
the Columbia. We proceeded up the north
branch which is the largest and longest branch of
Jefferson river, through a handsome valley about 5
miles wide. In this we found a number of springs
and small branches, but no timber. There is plenty
of grass and clover, and also some flax all along it.

The Indians all except 5 went on ahead. We travelled
15 miles and encamped close on the branch
which is about 5 yards wide. Here we killed two
small deer. The country all around is very mountainous,
with some few pine trees on the mountains.
At three o'clock this afternoon there was a violent
gust of wind, and some rain fell. In about an hour
the weather became clear, and very cold, and continued
cold all night.

Monday 19th. A fine morning, but cold. We
proceeded on at 8 o'clock along the valley for six
miles, when the hills came more close on the branch,
which here divides into three parts or other small
branches, and two miles further the principal branch
again forks, where the mountains commence with a
thick grove of small pines on our left, and large rocks
on our right. At 1 o'clock we diaed at the head
spring of the Missouri and Jefferson river, about 25
miles from the place, where we had left the canoes,
and from which the course is nearly west. About 5
miles South of us we saw snow on the top of a mountain,
and in the morning there was a severe white
frost: but the sun shines very warm where we now
are. At three o'clock we proceeded on, and at the
foot of the dividing ridge, we met two Indians coming
to meet us, and who appeared very glad to see us.
The people of this nation instead of shaking hands as
a token of friendship, put their arms round the neck
of the person they salute. It is not more than a mile
from the head spring of the Missouri to the head of
one of the branches of the Columbia. We proceeded
on through the mountain; passed some fine springs
and encamped about 36 miles from our camp, where
the canoes are. Here we were met by a number of
the natives.

Tuesday 20th. A fine cool frosty morning. We
set out early and travelled about 4 miles, to a village
of the Indians on the bank of a branch of the Columbia

river, about ten yards wide and very rapid. At
this place there are about 25 lodges made of willow
bushes. They are the poorest and most miserable
nation I ever beheld; having scarcely any thing to
subsist on, except berries and a few fish, which they
contrive by some means, to take. They have a great
many fine horses, and nothing more; and on account
of these they are much harassed by other nations.
They move about in any direction where the berries
are most plenty. We had a long talk with them,
and they gave us very unfavourable accounts with
respect to the rivers. From which we understood
that they were not navigable down, and expect to perform
the rout by land. Here we procured a guide,
and left our interpreters to go on with the natives, and
assist Captain Lewis and his party to bring on the
baggage.

Captain Clarke and our party proceeded down the
river with our guide, through a valley about 4 miles
wide, of a rich soil, but almost without timber.—
There are high mountains on both sides, with some
pine trees on them. We went about 8 miles and encamped
on a fine spring. One of our men remained
behind at the village to buy a horse, and did not join
us this evening. Five of the Indians came and stayed
with us during the night. They told us that they
were sometimes reduced to such want, as to be
obliged to eat their horses.

Wednesday 21st. About 7 o'clock in the morning
we continued our journey down the valley, and came
to a few lodges of Indians where our guide lives.
We remained here about two hours, during which
time a number of Indians passed us, going to fish.
We proceeded on the way the Indians had gone;
and one of our men went with them to the fishing
place. The valley becomes very narrow here, and a
large branch of the river comes in a short distance
below. Here we had to ascend high ground, the

bottom is so narrow; and continued on the high
ground about six miles when we came again to the
river, where a fine branch flows in, the valley 4 or 6
miles wide. In this branch we shot a salmon about
6 pounds weight. We travelled 20 miles this day,
and encamped at a place where the mountains come
close to the river. In the valley through which we
passed and all along the river, there are cherries,
currants and other small fruit. The man who had
remained behind at the first village and the other who
had gone with the Indians to their fishing place, both
joined us here. The Indians gave them five salmon
to bring to us: and he that had stayed for a horse,
brought one with him. At this place the river is
about 70 yards wide.

Thursday 22nd. The morning was fine, with a
great white frost. We began our journey at 7
o'clock; and having travelled about a mile, crossed
a branch of the river. Here the mountains come so
close on the river, we could not get through the narrows,
and had to cross a very high mountain about 3
miles over, and then struck the river again, where
there is a small bottom and one lodge of the natives
in it, gathering berries, haws and cherries for winter
food. We soon had to ascend another large mountain,
and had to proceed in the same way until we
crossed 4 of them, when we came to a large creek,
where there is a small bottom and 3 lodges of Indians.
Three of our men having gone through the bottom
to hunt, came first upon the lodges which greatly
alarmed the unhappy natives, who all fell a weeping
and began to run off; but the party coming up with
the guide relieved them from their fears. They
then received us kindly and gave us berries and fish
to eat. We remained with them about two hours
and gave them some presents. Those of the natives,
who are detached in small parties, appear to live better,
and to have a larger supply of provisions, than

those who live in large villages. The people of
these three lodges have gathered a quantity of sunflower
seed, and also of the lambs-quarter, which
they pound and mix with service berries, and make
of the composition a kind of bread; which appears
capable of sustaining life for some time. On this
bread and the fish they take out of the river, these
people, who appear to be the most wretched of the
human species, chiefly subsist. They gave us some
dried salmon, and we proceeded down the river; but
with a great deal of difficulty: the mountains being
so close, steep and rocky. The river here is about
go yards wide, and a continual rapid, but not deep.
We went about 15 miles to-day, and encamped on a
small island, as there was no other level place near.
Game is scarce, and we killed-nothing since the 18th
but one deer; and our stock of provision is exhausted.

Friday 23rd. We proceeded down the river through
dreadful narrows, where the rocks were in some places
breast high, and no path or trail of any kind.
This morning we killed a goose, and badly wounded
a large buck in the water. One of our sergeants is
very unwell. We went on 3 miles, when Captain
Clarke did not think proper to proceed further with
the horses, until he should go forward and examine
the pass." So we halted on a small flatt and breakfasted
on some fish the natives had given us. Captain
Clarke, our guide, and three men then went on.
Another Indian who had come on from the last Indian
camp remained with us. We had yet seen no
timber large enough to make canoes. Two of the
hunters went in search of the buck, which had
been wounded; and the rest staid at the the camp to
fish. In the afternoon the men came in from hunting
the wounded deer, but could not find him. They
killed three prairie hens, or pheasants. At night
the sergeant who had been sick, became better. We

caught some small fish in the night. The natives
take their fish by spearing them; their spears for
this purpose are poles with bones fixed to the ends
of them, with which they strike the fish. They have
but four guns in the nation, and catch goats and
some other animals by running them down with
horses. The dresses of the women are a kind of
shifts made of the skins of these goats and mountain
sheep, which come down to the middle of the leg.
Some of them have robes, but others none. Some of
the men have shirts and some are without any.
Some also have robes made of beaver and buffaloe
skins; but there are few of the former. I saw one
made of ground hog skins.

Saturday 24th. We had a pleasant morning and
some of the men went out to hunt. The river at
this place is so confined by the mountains that it is not
more than 20 yards wide, and very rapid. The mountains
on the sides are not less than 1000 feet high and
very steep. There are a few pines growing on them.
We caught some small fish to-day, and our hunters
killed 5 prairie fowls. These were all we had to
subsist on. At 1 o'clock Captain Clarke and his
party returned, after having been down the river
about 12 miles. They found it was not possible to
go down either by land or water without much risk
and trouble. The water is so rapid and the bed of
the river so rocky, that going by water appeared impracticable;
and the mountains so amazingly high,
steep and rocky, that it seemed impossible to go along
the river by land. Our guide speaks of a way to sea,
by going up the south fork of this river, getting on
to the mountains that way, and then turning to the
south west again. Captain Clarke therefore wrote a
letter to Captain Lewis, and dispatched a man on
horseback to meet him; and we all turned back up
the river again, poor and uncomfortable enough, as

we had nothing to eat, and there is no game. We
proceeded up about 3 miles, and supperless went to
rest for the night.

Sunday 25th. We set out early and had a fine
morning; passed the Indian camp, where they gave
us a little dried salmon, and proceeded back again
over the mountains. Some hunters went on ahead
and about 4 o'clock we got over the four mountains,
and encamped in the valley. Two men went to hunt,
and all the rest to fish. We soon caught as many
small fish as made, with two salmon our guide got
from some Indians, a comfortable supper. At dark
our hunters came in and had killed but one beaver.

Monday 26th. We had again a pleasant morning;
and four hunters went on early ahead, and one man
to look for the horses. We breakfasted on the beaver
and a salmon, which had been saved from supper
the preceding evening. The man, who had gone
for the horses, having returned without finding them,
4 or 5 more went out, and our guide immediately
found them. We then about 10 o'clock, proceeded
on to the forks, where we found our hunters; but
they had killed nothing. So we went up to a small
village of the natives, got some fish from them, and
lodged there all night.

Tuesday 27th. A fine morning with frost; and
eight of us went out to hunt. I observed some
flax growing in the bottoms on this river, but saw no
clover or timothy, as I had seen on the Missouri and
Jefferson river. There is a kind of wild sage or
hyssop, as high as a man's head, full of branches and
leaves, which grows in these bottoms, with shrubs of
different kinds. In the evening we all came in again,
and had killed nothing but a fish. We got some
more from the natives, which we subsisted on. We
lodged here again all night, but heard nothing from
Captain Lewis.

Wednesday 28th. The morning again was pleasant,

and I went on to the upper village, where I found
Captain Lewis and his party buying horses. They
had got 23, which with 2 we had, made in the
whole 25. I then returned to our camp, a distance
of 15 miles, and arrived there late. I found the weather
very cold for the season.

Thursday 29th. There was a severe white frost
this morning. Captain Clarke and all the men except
myself and another, who remained to keep camp and
prepare packsaddles, went up to Captain Lewis's
camp. While I lay here to-day, one of the natives
shewed me their method of producing fire, which is
somewhat curious. They have two sticks ready for
the operation, one about 9 and the other 18 inches
long: the short stick they lay down flat and rub the
end of the other upon it in a perpendicular direction
for a few minutes; and the friction raises a kind of
dust, which in a short time takes fire. These people
make willow baskets so close and to such perfection
as to hold water, for which purpose they make use of
them. They make much use of the sunflower and
lambs-quarter seed, as before mentioned; which
with berries and wild cherries pounded together,
compose the only bread they have any knowledge of,
or in use. The fish they take in this river are of
excellent kinds, especially the salmon, the roes of
which when dried and pounded make the best of
soup.

Friday 30th. We remained here all day, and in
the evening the whole of the corps came down within
a mile of our camp, and remained there all night,
being a good place for grass.

Saturday 31st. They all came down to our camp,
and we proceeded on with 27 horses and one mule.
Our old guide after consulting with the rest of the
Indians, thought it was better to go along the north
side of the Columbia, than on the south side. We
therefore proceeded down, the same way Captain

Clarke had been before, 30 miles, and then turned up
a creek that comes in from the north, and encamped
on it about 3 miles and an half from the mouth.
Two hunters had gone on ahead this morning, and at
night joined us, having killed one deer. The first
cost of the articles, which had been given for each
horse, did not amount to more than from three to
five dollars; so that the whole of them only cost
about one hundred dollars.