University of Virginia Library

CHAP. XIV.

Tuesday 15th. This day was fine, clear and pleasant;
and we continued here until the afternoon to
dry our baggage that had been wet yesterday. The
natives have great quantities of fish deposited on this
island.[1] At 3 o'clock P. M. we got all our effects on
board and proceeded on. Passed down a beautiful
part of the river; and killed some geese and ducks.
This river in general is very handsome, except at
the rapids, where it is risking both life and property
to pass; and even these rapids, when the bare view
or prospect is considered distinct from the advantages
of navigation, may add to its beauty, by interposing
variety and scenes of romantick grandeur where
there is so much uniformity in the appearance of the
country. We went 18 miles this evening and halted
at an old Indian camp on the north side, where we
had great difficulty in procuring wood to cook with,
as none at all grows in this part of the country.

Wednesday 16th. We had a fine morning and embarked
early; proceeded on about 3 miles, when one
of our canoes run upon some rocks in a rapid, but by

unloading another canoe and sending it to her assistance,
we got ail safe to land, and then continued our
voyage. About 1 o'clock we came to another rapid,
where all hands carried a load of the baggage by land
about a mile, and then took the canoes over the rapids,
two at a time, and in that way we got them all
down safe and proceeded on. Having gone 21 miles
we arrived at the great Columbia river, which comes
in from the northwest.[2] We found here a number
of natives, of whose nations we have not yet found
out the names. We encamped on the point between
the two rivers. The country all round is level, rich
and beautiful, but without timber.

Thursday 17th. We remained here all day for the
purpose of taking an observation. We got a number
of dogs from the natives. Salmon are very
plenty but poor and dying, and therefore not fit for
provisions. In the plains are a great many hares
and a number of fowls, between the size of a pheasant
and turkey, called heath hens or grous. We
killed a great many of these fowls which are very
good eating. The small river, which we called
Flathead and afterwards Clarke's river, is a branch
of the Great Columbia, and running a northwest
course, falls into it a considerable distance above this
place: we therefore never passed the mouth of that
river.

The Columbia here is 860 yards wide, and the
Ki-moo-ee-nem (called Lewis's river from its junction
with the Koos-koos-ke) 475 yards. They are
both very low at this place. Our course since we
took water has been a few degrees south of west:
here the Columbia turns to the east of south.

Friday 18th. This was also a fine day and we remained
here till after 12 o'clock. In the forenoon

our Commanding Officers were employed in getting
specimens of the language of the natives, there being
three, or part of three, different nations here.
They are almost without clothing, having no covering
of any account, except some deer skin robes and
a few leggins of the same materials. The women
have scarce sufficient to cover their nakedness.—
Capt. Lewis had an observation at noon which gave
46° 15 13 .9 north latitude. At one we proceeded
on down the Great Columbia, which is a very beautiful
river. The course is something to the east of
south for about 12 miles and then winds round to almost
a west course. We passed some islands and
a number of the camps of the natives, which appear
to be very shy and distant. We went 21 miles and
halted close below an Indian camp; where they
have thirty canoes; and a great quantity of dried
fish.

Saturday 19th. The morning was clear and pleasant,
with some white frost. A number of the natives
came to our camp, and our Commanding Officers
presented one of them with a medal and other
small articles. At 8 o'clock we proceeded on: passed
some islands and bad rapids, but no accident happened.
We also passed a great many Indian camps.
In the whole country around there are only level
plains, except a few hills on some parts of the river.
We went 36 miles and halted opposite a large Indian
camp; and about thirty-six canoe loads of them came
over to see us; some of whom remained all night;
but we could not have much conversation with them
as we did not understand their language. They are
clothed much in the same manner with those at the
forks above. The custom prevails among these Indians
of burying all the property of the deceased,
with the body. Amongst these savages when any
of them die, his baskets, bags, clothing, horses and

other property are all interred: even his canoe is
split into pieces and set up round his grave.

Sunday 20th. A fine clear frosty morning. We
set out early; passed along a handsome part of the
river; saw some pelicans and gulls. And as the
shores are lined with dead salmon, there are abundance
of crows and ravens. Vast quantities of
these fish die at this time of the year. At noon
we came to an Indian camp on the point of a large
island, where we stopped and got some fish and other
provisions. We here saw some articles which shewed
that white people had been here or not far distant
during the summer. They have a hempen seine and
some ash paddles which they did not make themselves.
At 1 o'clock we proceeded on again, went
42 miles, and encamped without any of the natives
being along, which is unusual on this river. We
could not get one single stick of wood to cook with;
and had only a few small green willows.

Monday 21st. We continued our voyage at an
early hour, and had a fine morning. At 10, we came
to the lodges of some of the natives, and halted with
them about 2 hours. Here we got some bread, made
of a small white root, which grows in this part of the
country. We saw among them some small robes
made of the skins of grey squirrels, some racoon
skins, and acorns, which are signs of a timbered
country not far distant. Having proceeded on again,
we passed several more lodges of Indians; and
through two very rocky rapid parts of the river with
great difficulty. We went 32 miles and encamped
at some Indian lodges, where we procured wood from
the natives to cook with.

Tuesday 22nd. The morning was fine and we went
on early, and saw a great number of ducks, geese and
gulls. At 10 o'clock we came to a large island, where
the river has cut its way through the point of a high
hill. Opposite to this island a large river comes in

on the south side, called by the natives the Sho-sho-ne
or Snake-Indian river; and which has large rapids,
close to its mouth. This, or the Ki-moo-ee-nem, is
the same river, whose head waters we saw at the
Snake nation.

The natives are very numerous on the island and
all along the river. Their lodges are of bulrushes
and flags, made into a kind of mats, and formed into
a hut or lodge.

About 3 miles lower down we came to the first
falls or great rapids; and had 1300 yards of a portage
over bad ground. All our baggage was got over
this evening and we encamped with it; but are
not certain whether we can take our canoes by water.
Our voyage to-day, to the head of the rapids or falls
was 18 miles.

Wednesday 23rd. A pleasant day. At 9 o'clock
in the forenoon all hands, but three left to keep camp,
went up and took the canoes over to the south side;
as the natives said that was the best side of the river
to take them down. Here we had to drag them 450
yards round the first pitch which is 20 feet perpendicular.
We then put them into the water and let them
down the rest of the way by cords. The whole
height of the falls is 37 feet 8 inches, in a distance of
1200 yards. In the evening we got all our canoes
safe down to the encampment on the north side.
The natives are very numerous about these falls, as
it is a great fishing place in the spring of the year.
The country on both sides of the river here is high,
and the bluffs rocky. Captain Lewis had an observation,
which made the latitude of this place 45° 42
57. 3. North. We got several dogs from these Indians,
which we find strong wholesome diet. The
high water mark below the falls is 48 feet, and above
only 10 feet four inches from the surface of the water
: so that in high water there is nothing but a rapid,
and the salmon can pass up without difficulty. The

season of this rise in the water below the falls is, that
for three miles down, the river is so confined by
rocks (being not more than 70 yards wide) that
it cannot discharge the water, as fast as it comes over
the falls, until what is deficient in breadth is made up
in depth. About the great pitch the appearance of
the place is terrifying, with vast rocks, and the river
below the pitch, foaming through different channels.

Thursday 24th. We had a fine morning and proceeded
on early; found the water very rapid below
the falls; and having gone 4 miles below the narrows,
came to other narrows still more confined and the rocks
higher. At the head of these narrows we halted
about 2 o'clock at a great Indian village, and remained
there all night. We got fish and dogs from the natives,
and some berries, different from any we got before,
some call them cranberries; whether of the
real kind or not I am not certain. In our way down
to day we saw a great many sea otters swimming in
the river, and killed some, but could not get them as
they sunk to the bottom. This village has better
lodges than any on the river above; one story of
which is sunk under ground and lined with flag mats;
The upper part about 4 feet above ground is covered
over with cedar bark, and they are tolerably comfortable
houses.

Friday 25th. We found there were bad rapids in
the narrows and therefore carried over part of our
baggage by land, about three quarters of a mile;
and then took the canoes over, one at a time. In
going over one of them filed with water, on account
of which we were detained three hours. The rapids
continued 3 or 4 miles, when the river became more
placid. At night we came to a place where there is
a considerable quantity of timber on the hills; both
oak and pine, and encamped at the mouth of a creek
on the south side. The natives about here are, or
pretend to be, very uneasy, and say the Indians below

will kill us. We purchased from them a quantity
of dried pounded fish, which they had prepared in
that way for sale. They have six scaffolds of a great
size for the purpose of drying their fish on.

Saturday 26th. A fine morning. We hauled up
all our canoes to dress and repair them, as they had
been injured in passing over the portage, round the
falls. Some hunters went out and killed 6 deer
and some squirrels, In the afternoon about 20 of the
natives came to our camp (among whom were the
head chiefs of the two villages about the falls) who
had been out hunting when we passed down. The
Commanding Officers gave medals to the chiefs, and
some other small articles; and they appeared satisfied
and some remained with us all night.

Sunday 27th. This was a fine clear morning, but
the wind blew very hard up the river, and we remained
here all day. This is the first hunting ground we
have had for a long time, and some of our men went
out. Part of the natives remained with us; but we
cannot find out to what nation they belong. We
suppose them to be a band of the Flathead nation, as
all their heads are compressed into the same form;
though they do not speak exactly the same language,
but there is no great difference, and this may be a
dialect of the same. This singular and deforming
operation is performed in infancy in the following
manner. A piece of board is placed against the
back of the head extending from the shoulders some
distance above it; another shorter piece extends
from the eye brows to the top of the first, and they
are then bound together with thongs or cords made
of skins, so as to press back the forehead, make the
head rise at the top, and force it out above the ears.
In the evening our hunters came in and had killed 4
deer and some squirrels. The wind blew hard all
this day.

Monday 28th. Just before day light there was a

shower of rain; but at sun rise the morning was fine
and clear. At 8 o'clock we embarked, went about 4
miles and halted at a small village of the natives and
got some dogs from them. Here we staid about an
hour and proceeded on again for about a mile, when
we were compelled to stop on account of the wind,
which blew so hard ahead that we were unable to
continue our voyage. In the course of the day there
were some showers of rain. In the evening one of
the men went out and killed a fine deer. We were
in a good safe harbour and remained there all night,
accompanied by the natives.

Tuesday 29th. We embarked early in a cloudy
morning; passed high hills on both sides of the river,
on which there was pine timber; and some birch on
the banks of the river. At breakfast time we stopt at
a small village of the natives and purchased some
more dogs: then proceeded on; passed a number
more Indian camps, and a high mountainous country
on both sides. In the evening we discovered a high
mountain to the south, not more than five miles off,
covered with snow. We have here still water; and
the breadth of the river is from three quarters to a
mile. We went 23 miles and encamped at a small
village on the north side.

Wednesday 30th. The morning was cloudy; the
river and country we found much the same as yesterday.
At noon we stopped to dine and one of the
men went out and killed a large buck. A number of
fine springs come down the hills on the South side;
and we passed a small river on the north. In the
evening we came to the head of falls, where there is
a large Indian village. On our way down we saw a
great many swans, geese and ducks; and a number
of sea otter. There are some small bottoms along
the river, with cotton wood on them, and on the banks
of the river some white oak, ash and hazlenut. At a
distance there are ponds which abound with geese

and ducks. It rained hard all day, and we came only
15 miles.

Thursday 31st. The morning was cloudy. We
unloaded our canoes and took them past the rapids,
some part of the way by water, and some over rocks
8 or 10 feet high. It was the most fatiguing business
we have been engaged in for a long time, and we got
but two over all day, the distance about a mile, and
the fall of the water about 25 feet in that distance.

Friday 1st Nov. 1805. We had a cool frosty
morning. We carried down our baggage before
breakfast as we could not go into the water, without
uneasiness on account of the cold. In the forenoon
we took down the other two canoes. A number of
the natives with 4 canoes joined us here from above.
Their canoes were loaded with pounded salmon,
which they were taking down the river to barter for
beads and other articles.

Saturday 2nd. There is here a small rapid below
the falls, where the men had to carry part of the baggage
across a portage of two miles and an half, while
the rest took down the canoes. At 12 o'clock we
proceeded on again; passed a narrow rapid part of
the river of about 8 miles, the hills on both sides are
very high, and a number of fine springs flowing out
of them, some of which fall 200 feet perpendicular.
The hills are mostly solid rock. On our way we
passed two Indian lodges. At the end of eight miles,
the river opens to the breadth of a mile, with a gentle
current. We came 23 miles, and encamped at a
high peak resembling a tower on the south side.
The country here becomes level, and the river broader.
One of the Indian canoes remained with us and
the other three went on. On our way and at camp
we killed 17 geese and brants.

Sunday 3rd. The morning was foggy: one of the
men went out and killed a fine buck. At 9 we proceeded
on, but could not see the country we were

passing, on account of the fog, which was very thick
till noon when it disappeared, and we had a beautiful
day. We at that time came to the mouth of a river
on the south side, a quarter of a mile broad, but not
more than 6 or 8 inches deep, running over a bar of
quicksand. At this place we dined on venison and
goose; and from which we can see the high point of
a mountain covered with snow, in about a southeast
direction from us. Our Commanding Officers are of
opinion that it is Mount Hood, discovered by a Lieutenant
of Vancoover, who was up this river 75 miles.
The river that falls in here has two mouths, through
which it drives out a considerable quantity of sand
into the Columbia. Opposite the lower mouth there
is a handsome island. At 2 o'clock we proceeded on
and passed another island. The country on both
sides appears level and closely timbered: on the river
the timber is cotton wood, maple and some ash;
and back from it mostly spruce pine. We made 13
miles and encamped on a large island, in which is a
large pond full of swans, geese and ducks. On our
way and here we killed some of each kind. At night
Captain Lewis had a small canoe carried over to the
pond in order to hunt by moon light, but the party
did not happen to have good luck, having killed only
a swan and three ducks.