University of Virginia Library

CHAP. XVIII.

Saturday 1st March, 1806. We had a cloudy
wet morning. I set out with 8 men and 4 hunters to
bring the meat of the elk that had been killed,
which was at a greater distance from the fort than
any we had yet brought in. There is a large river
that flows into the southeast part of Hailey's Bay;
upon which about 20 miles from its mouth, our hunters
discovered falls, which had about 60 feet of a
perpendicular pitch.

Sunday 2nd. This day was also wet. The fishing
party returned at night, and brought with them some
thousands of the same kind of small fish, we got
from the natives a few days ago, and also some
sturgeon.

The Indian name for the river we were up yesterday
is Kil-hou-a-nak-kle, and that of the small river,
which passes the fort Ne-tul.

Monday 3rd. It rained all this day and the following.
Our sick men are getting better, but slowly, as
they have little or no suitable nourishment.

Wednesday 5th. About 12 o'clock last night the
rain ceased, and we had a fine morning. A number
of the natives visited us; and at night our hunters
returned, but had killed nothing.

Thursday 6th. Our stock of provisions being nearly
exhausted, 6 men were sent out in different directions
to hunt; and 3 more were sent to endeavor to
procure some fish, as the natives take a great number
of the small fish about 20 miles distant from the fort
by water. Some men were also employed in repairing
the canoes that we may be able to set out on our
return immediately, should our hunters be unsuccessful.

The elk, almost the only game in this part of
the country, are chiefly gone to the mountains. This
day continued fair throughout.

Friday 7th. This was a wet morning, and some
showers fell occasionally during the day. Among
our other difficulties we now experience the want of
tobacco, and out of 33 persons composing our party,
there are but 7 who do not made use of it: we use
crab-tree bark as a substitute. In the evening one of
our hunters came in and had killed an elk a considerable
distance off.

Saturday 8th. Some snow fell last night, and the
morning was stormy and disagreeable. About 9
o'clock another of our hunters came in, who had
killed 2 elk; and after some time the remaining
three, having killed but one deer, and lost their
canoe.

Sunday 9th. This morning 10 men went out to
hunt. There were some light showers of snow this
forenoon, but during the greater part of it the sun
shone clear and warm. In the afternoon some of the
natives came to visit us, and brought some of the
small fish, which they call Ulken. Two hunters
came in in the evening, but had not killed any thing.
The men sent to fish are still absent, owing perhaps
to the high swells in the bay. The Indians remained
in the fort all night.

On the 10th we had changeable weather, with
snow showers. At noon two more hunters went
out.

Tuesday 11th. The weather was nearly the same
as yesterday. Three men went across the bay in a
canoe to hunt. Two other hunters came in but had
killed nothing. At noon our fishermen returned
with some ulken and sturgeon. The morning of the
12th was pleasant; but towards the evening the day
became cloudy. Another hunter went out.

Thursday 13th. The morning was fine and two
more hunters went out early. About 10 the hunters
who had gone across the bay returned, and had killed
2 elk and 2 deer.

I this day took an account of the number of pairs
of mockasons each man in the party had; and found
the whole to be 338 pair. This stock was not provided
without great labor, as the most of them are
made of the skins of elk. Each man has also a
sufficient quantity of patch-leather. Some of the
men went out to look for the lost canoe, and killed
2 elk.

Friday 14th. We had a fine morning: and four
hunters set out early. I went with a party and
brought in the meat of the 2 elk which were killed
last evening. Two hunters who had gone out yesterday
morning returned very much fatigued, and
had killed nothing but a goose and a raven which they
eat last night. While out to day I saw a number of
musquitoes flying about. I also saw a great quantity
of sheep-sorrel growing in the woods of a very
large size.

Saturday 15th. There was a fine pleasant morning.
About noon our hunters came in and had
killed four elk. A number of the natives came to
the fort to-day.

Sunday 16th. Last night it became cloudy and began
to rain; and the rain has continued all day.
The Indians staid about the fort the whole of this
day. Yesterday while I was absent, getting our meat
home, one of the hunters killed two vultures, the
largest fowls I had ever seen. I never saw any
such as these except on the Columbia river and the
seacoast.

On the 17th it rained occasionally during the
whole of the day. We got a canoe from the natives,
for which we gave an officer's uniform coat.

Tuesday 18th. The weather was much like that
of yesterday, and some hail fell in the course of the
day. Some of the men are repairing the small canoes,
and making preparations to return up the river,
as soon as the weather will permit. One of the hunters
killed an elk.

The morning of the 19th was stormy, some hard
showers of hail fell and it continued cloudy through
the day.

Thursday 20th. The whole of this day was wet
and disagreeable. We intended to have set out to
day on our return, but the weather was too bad. I
made a calculation of the number of elk and deer
killed by the party from the 1st of Dec. 1805 to the
20th March 1806, which gave 131 elk and 20 deer.
There were a few smaller quadrupeds killed such as
otter and beaver; and one racoon. The meat of
some of the elk was not brought to the fort.

Friday 21st. We had a cloudy wet morning. Two
of the hunters went out this morning; and about 10
o'clock we were visited by some of the Clat-sop Indians.
These and the Chin-ook, Cath-la-mas, Cal-a-mex
and Chiltz nations, who inhabit the seacoast,
all dress in the same manner. The men are wholly
naked except a small robe; the women have only the
addition of the short petticoat. Their language
also is nearly the same; and they all observe the
same ceremony of depositing with the remains of the
dead all their property, or placing it at their graves.
I believe I saw as many as an hundred canoes at one
burying-place of the Chin-ooks, on the north side of
the Columbia, at its entrance into Hailey's Bay: and
there are a great many at the burying-place of every
village. These Indians on the coast have no horses,
and very little property of any kind, except their canoes.
The women are much inclined to venery, and
like those on the Missouri are sold to prostitution at
an easy rate. An old Chin-ook squaw frequently

visited our quarters with nine girls which she kept as
prostitutes. To the honour of the Flatheads, who
live on the west side of the Rocky Mountains, and
extend some distance down the Columbia, we must
mention them as an exception; as they do not exhibit
those loose feelings of carnal desire, nor appear
addicted to the common customs of prostitution
: and they are the only nation on the whole
route where any thing like chastity is regarded. In
the evening our two hunters returned, but had killed
nothing.

Saturday 22nd. We had a cloudy wet morning.
Three hunters were sent on ahead to remain at some
good hunting ground until we should all come up;
and six others to hunt near the fort. In the evening
all these came in, except one, without any success.

Sunday 23rd. There was a cloudy wet morning.
The hunter who remained out last night, came in
early, and had killed an elk. We were employed
this forenoon in dividing and packing up our loading;
and distributing it among the canoes, which
were five in number, three large and two small. At
noon we put it on board; and at 1 o'clock left fort
Clatsop. The afternoon was fair, we proceeded
round Point William, went about 19 miles, and encamped
at the mouth of a creek, where we found the
three hunters, that had been sent on ahead; and
who had killed two elk about a mile and an half
distant.

Monday 24th. After a bad night's rest, on account
of the rain 15 men went out and brought the meat of
the two elk to our camp. The morning was fair and
after breakfast they all embarked, except the men belonging
to my canoe which the tide had left aground.

The hunters went on in the small canoe ahead, and
I had to wait for the rising of the tide. In about two
hours I was able to follow the other canoes, and proceeded
on about 12 miles to a village of the Cath-la-mas

where the rest of the party had halted. When
I arrived we all proceeded on again, and in the
evening encamped at an old village, which had
been vacated.

Tuesday 25th. We set out after breakfast and had
a fair morning; proceeded on to 12 o'clock, when
we again halted, the wind and tide being both against
us. When the tide began to rise we went on again,
saw some of the natives in canoes descending the
river, and in the afternoon passed an Indian lodge,
where one of the men purchased an otter skin.—
At this time the wind rose and blew very hard
accompanied with rain; notwithstanding we proceeded
on till night, when we came to the mouth
of a small creek which formed a good harbour for
our canoes. Here we found several of the natives
encamped and catching sturgeon, of which they had
taken 14 large ones.

Wednesday 26th. After a disagreeable night's rain,
and wind, we continued our voyage. As we passed
along I saw a great many flowers full blown of different
colours; and grass and other herbage growing
fast: I saw netties two feet high of this spring's
growth.

Thursday 27th. There was a cloudy wet morning.
We embarked early and went about 6 miles, when
we came to a small Indian village, where the natives
received us very kindly. They belong to the Chil-ook
nation, and differ something in their language
from the Chin-ooks. We got some Wapto roots
and fish from them and then proceeded on, though
it rained very hard. Two small canoes went on ahead
to Deer island, in order to kill some game by
the time we should come up. We passed several
Indian lodges where the natives were fishing for
sturgeon, and got a large one out of a small canoe;
a number of which followed us with 2 Indians

in each of them. At night we encamped where we
had plenty of good wood, oak and ash.

Friday 28th. The morning was cloudy. We set
out early, and at 10 o'clock came to Deer island;
where those who had gone ahead in the small canoes
had encamped, and all gone out to hunt except one.
In a short time a hunter returned with a large deer,
and we concluded to stay here all day and repair two
of our canoes, that leaked. It rained at intervals
during the day. Our hunters came in and had killed
7 deer in all. Some of the men went to bring in the
meat, and others went out and killed some geese
and ducks. At the last village we passed I took notice
of a difference in the dress of the females, from
that of those below, about the coast and Hailey's Bay.
Instead of the short petticoat, they have a piece of
thin dressed skin tied tight round their loins, with a
narrow slip coming up between their thighs. On
this island there are a greater number of snakes, than
I had ever seen in any other place; they appeared
almost as numerous as the blades of grass; and are
a species of Garter snake. When our men went for
the deer, they found that the fowls had devoured four
of the carcases entirely, except the bones. So they
brought in the other two; and we finished our canoes
and put them in the water. The Columbia river is
now very high, which makes it more difficult to
ascend.

Saturday 29th. The morning was pleasant with
some white frost and we proceeded on early; passed
some old Indian lodges, and in the afternoon came to
a large village, where we were received with great
kindness, and got fish and wapto roots to eat. Here
we bought some dogs and waptos, and then went on
again, about a mile, and encamped. One of the
sick men is quite recovered and the other two are
getting better.

Sunday 30th. The morning was fair with some

dew. We set out early accompanied by several of
the natives in canoes. The river is very high, overflowing
all its banks. We passed some villages of the
natives on Wapto island, which is about 20 miles
long and one broad, but did not halt at any of them.
The natives of this country ought to have the credit
of making the finest canoes, perhaps in the world,
both as to service and beauty; and are no less expert
in working them when made.[1] We had a beautiful
day throughout, and in the evening encamped
on a handsome prairie in sight of a large pond on
the north side of the river.

Monday 31st. This was a beautiful clear morning,
and we proceeded on early. One of the men went
along shore, and in a short time killed a deer:
the deer are very plenty on this part of the river.
We proceeded on, and passed a large village which
was full of people as we went down, but is now all
deserted except one lodge. In the evening we came
to a small prairie opposite the mouth of Quicksand
river, where we encamped.

Tuesday 1st April, 1806. We had a cloudy morning;
and we agreed to stay here all day, for the
purpose of hunting. So 9 hunters set out early; 3
of whom went up Quicksand river, and killed a
deer: the other six killed 4 elk and a deer. In the
evening nine of us went to bring in the meat of the
elk; but it being late we were obliged to encamp out
all night.

Wednesday 2nd. We returned in the morning to
camp; and it was agreed to stay here some time
longer to hunt and dry meat. Therefore 3 parties

went out to hunt. Myself and 4 men went below the
mouth of Sandy river, and killed an elk, some deer
and a black bear.

Thursday 3rd. We went out and killed some
deer; and then to bring in the meat of the bear and
dry that of the elk; but it rained so hard we could not
dry the meat; and therefore brought in the carcase
of the bear. On our way we saw 3 small cubs in a
den, but the old bear was not with them. In the
evening we returned to our camp, and remained there
all night.

Friday 4th. After a cloudy morning, we turned
out and killed a deer and some geese, and then went
to the camp. A party that went out on the upper
side of Sandy river, killed 4 elk, and some of the
men were out drying the meat.

While I was out hunting, Capt. Clarke got information
that a large river came in on the south side
of the Columbia, about 40 miles below this place,
opposite a large island, which had concealed it from
our view: and went down with six men to view it.
He found it to be a very large river, 500 yards wide,
with several nations of Indians living on it; and its
source supposed to be near the head waters of some
of the rivers, which fall into the gulph of California.
On their return they bought some dogs at an Indian
village; and last night arrived at camp, Four men
were sent on ahead this forenoon in a canoe to hunt;
and I went out with two more to the den where we
saw the cubs, to watch for the old bear: we staid
there until dark and then encamped about a quarter
of a mile off, and went back early in the morning;
but the old one was not returned; so we took the
cubs and returned to camp.

Saturday 5th. The weather was pleasant. There
is a beautiful prairie and a number of ponds below
the mouth of Sandy river; and about two miles from
the Columbia the soil is rich with white cedar timber,

which is very much stripped of its bark, the natives
making use of it both for food and clothing.[2] A
number of the Indians visit us daily; and the females
in general have that leather covering round their
loins, which is somewhat in the form of a truss.

Sunday 6th. We had a fine morning with some
fog; about 10 o'clock we set out; passed a beautiful
prairie on the north side, which we could not see
for the fog as we went down; proceeded on about 9
miles and came to our hunters' camp. They had
killed 5 elk; so we halted, sent out for the meat and
began to dry it. We are now at the head of the
Columbia valley; which is a fine valley about 70
miles long, abounding with roots of different kinds,
which the natives use for food, especially the Wapto
roots which they gather out of the ponds. The timber
is mostly of the fir kind, with some cherry, dogwood,
soft maple and ash; and a variety of shrubs
which bear fruit of a fine flavour, that the natives
make use of for food.

Monday 7th. This was a pleasant day, but cloudy.
Three hunters went on ahead again and the rest of
the party remained drying meat to subsist on while
we passed the Columbia plains, as there is no game
in that part of the country, according to the accounts
given by the natives, who are daily coming down;
and say that those remaining in the plains are in a
starving condition, and will continue so until the
salmon begin to run, which is very soon expected.

We continued here all day; and one of our hunters
killed a beautiful small bird of the quail kind.

Tuesday 8th. This was a fine morning, but the
wind blew so hard from the northeast that it was impossible
to go on; and about 8 o'clock the swells
ran so high that we had to unload our canoes, and
haul some of them out of the water to prevent their
being injured. Some of the men are complaining
of rheumatick pains; which are to be expected from
the wet and cold we suffered last winter, during
which from the 4th of November 1805 to the 25th
of March 1806, there were not more than twelve
days in which it did not rain, and of these but six
were clear. Two hunters, who had gone out in the
morning, returned, but had killed nothing, except a
beautiful small duck.