Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
A Cloudy morning. Some little rain all night, after eating a Slight brackfast of venison we Set out.
The rocks project into the river in maney places and have the appearance of haveing fallen from the highe hills those projected rocks is common & Small Bays below & nitches in the rocks passed 4 Cascades or Small Streams falling from the mountains on Lard. [1]
| S. 70° W. | 3 | miles to a point of rocks on the Stard. Side, passed a number of Stumps at Some distance in the Water, |
This part of the river resembles a pond partly dreaned leaving many Stumps bare both in & out of the water, current about 1 mil pr. Hour
| S. 74° W | 2 | miles to a point of a timbered bottom on Stard. Side halted to Dine, killed a Deer & 3 ducks & a Squirel of the Mountains [2] we can plainly hear the roreing of the grand Shutes below, saw the large Buzard white head and part of the wings white |
| West | 4 | miles to the mouth of a river on th Stard. Side of about 60 yards wide passed Std. point & many large rocks promis- cuissly in the river both above and below this river a large Sand bar on the Lard Side |
The bottom above the river is about ¾ of a mile wide and rich, Some deer & bear Sign— rained moderately all day we are wet and cold. Saw Several Specis of wood which I never Saw before, Some resembling Beech & others Poplar.— Day dark and disagreeable.
| S. 45° W. | 2 | miles to a large rock in the river, passed Several rocks and a large Sand bar on the Lard. Sid verry large rock near the Stard. Side High Mounts. on each Side, ruged and covd. with a variety of timber Such as Pine Spruce Seder Cotton wood Oake |
| S. 30 W. | 4 | miles to a Island, at the Commencement of the grand Shute and the Stard. Side where we Campd. passed maney large rocks in the river [neither?] in th, a large Creek on the Std. Side at 2 miles, with an Island in the mouth. passed 3 Islands on the Stard. one on the Lard above 2 Small Islands opsd. to us on which there growes 6 large Pine, 4 rock Islands which almost Chokes up the river— a deep bay to th Stard. on which the Indians live in 8 large worm Houses 2 ponds back of this on the Stard 1 above the Islands, one on the Lard. side. Several Small rocks—in dift. pts. |
| 15 |
I with 2 men proceeded down the river 2 miles on an old Indian parth to view the rapids, which I found impassable for our canoes without a portage, the roade bad at 1 mile I saw a Town of Houses laterly abandoned [3] on an elevated Situation opsd. a 2d Shute, returned at dark. Capt. Lewis and 5 men went to the Town found them kind [4] they gave Beries & nuts, but he cd. get nothin from them in the way of Information, the greater part of those people out collecting roots below, rained all the evining Those people have one gun & maney articles which they have purchased of the white people their food is principally fish
A cool morning, a moderate rain all the last night, after eating a partial brackfast of venison we Set out passed Several places where the rocks projected into the river & have the appearance of haveing Seperated from the mountains and fallen promiscuisly into the river, Small nitches are formed in the banks below those projecting rocks which is comon in this part of the river, Saw 4 Cascades caused by Small Streams falling from the mountains on the Lard. Side, a remarkable circumstance in this part of the river is, the Stumps of pine trees are in maney places are at Some distance in the river, and gives every appearance of the rivers being damed up below from Some cause which I am not at this time acquainted with, the Current of the river is also verry jentle not exceeding 1½ mile pr. hour and about ¾ of a mile in width. Some rain, we landed above the mouth of a Small river on the Stard. Side [5] and Dined J. Shields Killed a Buck & Labiech 3 Ducks, here the river widens to about one mile large Sand bar in the middle, a Great [rock] both in and out of the water, large 〈round〉 Stones, or rocks are also permiscuisly Scattered about in the river, this day we Saw Some fiew of the large Buzzard [6] Capt. Lewis Shot at one, those Buzzards are much larger than any other of ther Spece or the largest Eagle white under part of their wings &c. The bottoms above the mouth of this little river 〈which we Call〉 is rich covered with grass & firn & is about ¾ of a mile wide rich and rises gradually, below the river (which is 60 yards wide above its mouth) the Countery rises with Steep assent. we call this little river 〈fr Ash〉 New Timbered river from a Speces of Ash [7] 〈that wood〉 which grows on its banks of a verry large and different from any we had before Seen, and a timber resembling the beech [8] in bark 〈& groth〉 but different in its leaf which is Smaller and the tree smaller. passed maney large rocks in the river and a large creek on the Stard. Side in the mouth of which is an Island, [9] passed on the right of 3 Islands 〈on〉 near the Stard. Side, and landed on an Island close under the Stard. Side at the head of the great Shute, [10] and a little below a village of 8 large houses on a Deep bend on the Stard. Side, and opposit 2 Small Islands imediately in the head of the Shute, which Islands are covered with Pine, maney large rocks also, in the head of the Shute. Ponds back of the houses, and Countrey low for a Short distance. The day proved Cloudy dark and disagreeable with Some rain all day which kept us wet. The Countary a high mountain on each Side thickly Covered with timber, Such as Spruc, Pine, Cedar, Oake Cotton &c. &c. [11] I took two men and walked down three miles to examine the Shute and river below proceeded along an old Indian path, passd. an old village at 1 mile on an ellevated Situation of this village contained verry large houses built in a different form from any I had Seen, and laterly abandoned, and the most of the boads put into a pond of water near the village, as I conceived to drown the flees, which was emencely noumerous about the houses—. I found by examonation that we must make a portage of the greater perpotion of our Stores 2½ miles, and the Canoes we Could haul over the rocks, I returned at Dark Capt Lewis and 5 men had just returned from the village, Cap L. informed me that he found the nativs kind, they gave him berries, nuts & fish to eate; but he could get nothing from them in the way of information. The greater part of the inhabitants of this village being absent down the river Some distance Colecting roots Capt. L. Saw one gun and Several articles which must have been precured from the white people. a wet disagreeable evening, the only wood we could get to burn on this little Island on which we have encamped is the newly discovered Ash, which makes a tolerable fire. we made fifteen miles to daye.
Wednesday 30th Oct. 1805. a cloudy morning. we bought 3 dogs of the Indians and Set out and proceeded on the River wide and Strait the current gentle. the timber thick on each Side. Saw a number of beautiful Springs which came in on each Side. the narrow bottoms along the Shores are covred with cotten timber and under brush. the after part of the day rainy and foggy. one of the hunters killed a Deer we Saw a great number of Swan [12] and geese along the Shores. Some turkey bazzards [13] which had white under their wings. Capt. Clark killed a black loon. [14] towards evening we heared a great roaring a Short distance a head which we expect is another falls. we passed the mouth of a River [15] which came in on the Stard. Side about 40 yards wide we passed a large Indian village on the Stard. Side a Short distance above the big Shoote. we Camped [16] close above the Shoote. a number of the Savages came to our Camp and Signed to us that they were Surprized to See us they thought we had rained down out of the clouds. Several of the party went to the village and was treated verry friendly. we had come about 15 miles this day.—
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 [17] 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. [18] In the evening we came to the head of falls, where there is a large Indian village. [19] 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 [20] on them, and on the Banks of the river some white oak, ash and hazlenut. [21] At a distance there are ponds which abound with geese and ducks. It rained hard all day, and we came only 15 miles.
Wednesday 30th Oct. 1805. cloudy. we bought 3 dogs of the Indians, and Set out about 7 oClock and proceeded on. the river verry Strait and wide. the Timber thick on each Side. Saw a nomber of beautiful Springs running out of the clifts on the Lard. Side high hills covred with pine and Spruce. Some bottoms along the Shores covred with cotton timber, and under brush &c. the after part of the day rainy and foggey. one of the hunters killed a Deer. we Saw a great nomber of Swan and geese, turkey buzzards which had white on their wings &c. Capt. Clark killed a black loon. in the evening we arived at another verry bad rapid or falls, above which the River is gentle and wide a nomber of Islands and high rocks &c one half mile above the falls is a village [22] of about 10 well looking cabbins covred with bark, Sunk in the ground like those at the narrows above, only these are much larger and verry comfortable, and warm. these Savages were Surprized to See us they Signed to us that they thought that we had rained down out of the clouds. a nomber of the party went in the village, and was treated in a friendly manner gave fish and the best they had to eat &c. we went 15 miles and Camped between the village and falls. continued raining. high mountains on each Side of the falls &c. we passed the mouth of a River came in on the S. Side 50 yds wide. [23]
Wednesday October 30th We had a cool Cloudy morning. The Natives came early to our Camp and our officers purchased from them 3 more fat dogs. We set out on our Voyage again, down the Columbia River. We found the River at a short distance from where we started this morning to be very strait & wide and Trees of different kinds very thick on the Shores, on both sides of the River, and beautiful Springs running from under Clifts of Rocks, along the Shores. We also saw on the South side of the River, a small distance back from it, pine & Spruce Timber; which grew on high hills, and in the bottoms on both shores were Covered with Cotton Wood trees & under brush.— The latter part of this day we had some Rain & it became foggy. One of our hunters that had went out this morning, met us with a deer, which he had killed. We saw a great quantity of Geese & Ducks in the River, & Turkey buzzards which differed in Colour to those we had before seen, having white feathers on their wings. Captain Clark killed along the Shore a black Raccoon. In the Evening we arrived at a very bad Rapid or falls, above which, the River run very gentle & was wide, having a number of Islands & high Rocks in it.— We saw about half a Mile above those falls, an Indian Village.—
This Village contained about 10 well looking Cabbins, (which were covered with bark) sunk in the ground, as those we had seen at the falls, which I have already described & were much more comfortable & larger sized. The Indians belonging to this Village made signs to us as we passed along by their village, that they thought & supposed that we had rained down from the Clouds, and seemed very much surprized at seeing us, they not beleiving that we could possibly descended the River at that season of the Year. A number of our party went to this Indian Village, & the Indians treated them in a very friendly manner, & gave them the best they had to eat. On each side of these falls, lays very high mountains, and about 2 Miles above them, we passed the mouth of a River which lay on the South side of this River, which was about 30 Yards wide & by us called the River La Bache. [24] We came about 15 Miles this day, & encamped between the Indian Village & the falls. The Rain continued the greater part of this night.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.