The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates November 1, 1805 - November 2,
1805
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: November 1, 1805 - November 2, 1805
November 1,
1805
Friday, November 1, 1805. The morning was cool and the wind
high from the northeast. The Indians who arrived last night,
took their empty canoes on their shoulders and carried them
below the great shoot, where they put them in the water
and brought them down the rapid, till at the distance of
two and a half miles they stopped to take in their loading,
which they had been afraid to trust in the last rapid, and
had therefore carried by land from the head of the shoot.
After their example we carried our small canoe, and all
the baggage across the slippery rocks, to the foot of the
shoot. The four large canoes were next brought down, by
slipping them along poles, placed from one rock to another,
and in some places by using partially streams which escaped
along side of the river. We were not, however, able to bring
them across without three of them receiving injuries, which
obliged us to stop at the end of the shoot to repair them.
At this shoot we saw great numbers of sea-otters; but they
are so shy that it is difficult to reach them with the musket:
one of them that was wounded to-day sunk and was lost. Having
by this portage avoided the rapid and shoot of four hundred
yards in length, we re-embarked, passed at a mile and a
half the bad rapid opposite to the old village on the right,
and making our way through the rocks, saw the house just
below the end of the portage; the eight vaults near it;
and at the distance of four miles from the head of the shoot,
reached a high rock, which forms the upper part of an island
near the left shore. Between this island and the right shore
we proceeded, leaving at the distance of a mile and a half,
the village of four houses on our right, and a mile and
a half lower came to the head of a rapid near the village
on the right. Here we halted for the night, having made
only seven miles from the head of the shoot.
During
the whole of the passage the river is very much obstructed
by rocks. The island, which is about three miles long, reaches
to the rapid which its lower extremity contributes to form.
The meridian altitude of to-day gave us the latitude of
45° 44' 3' north. As we passed the village of four houses,
we found that the inhabitants had returned, and stopped
to visit them. The houses are similar to those already described,
but larger, from thirty-five to fifty feet long, and thirty
feet wide, being sunk in the ground about six feet, and
raised the same height above. Their beds are raised about
four feet and a half above the floor, and the ascent is
by a new painted ladder, with which every family is provided,
and under them are stored their dried fish, while the space
between the part of the bed on which they lie and the wall
of the house is occupied by the nuts, roots, berries, and
other provisions, which are spread on mats. The fireplace
is about eight feet long, and six feet wide, sunk a foot
below the floor, secured by a frame, with mats placed around
for the family to sit on. In all of the houses are images
of men of different shapes, and placed as ornaments in the
parts of the house where they are most seen. They gave us
nuts, berries, and some dried fish to eat, and we purchased,
among other articles, a hat made after their own taste,
such as they wear, without a brim.
They
ask high prices for all that they sell, observing that the
whites below, pay dearly for all which they carry there.
We cannot learn precisely the nature of the trade carried
on by the Indians with the inhabitants below. But as their
knowledge of the whites seems to be very imperfect, and
the only articles which they carry to market, such as pounded
fish, bear-grass and roots, cannot be an object of much
foreign traffic, their intercourse appears to be an intermediate
trade with the natives near the mouth of the Columbia: from
them these people obtain in exchange for their fish, roots
and bear-grass, blue and white beads, copper tea-kettles,
brass armbands, some scarlet and blue robes, and a few articles
of old European clothing. But their great object is to obtain
beads, an article which holds the first place in their ideas
of relative value, and to procure which they will sacrifice
their last article of clothing or the last mouthful of food.
Independently of their fondness for them as an ornament,
these beads are the medium of trade, by which they obtain
from the Indians still higher up the river, robes, skins,
chappelel bread, bear-grass, &c. Those Indians in turn,
employ them to procure from the Indians in the Rocky mountains,
bear-grass, pachico, roots, robes, &c.
These Indians are rather below the common size, with high
cheek-bones, their noses pierced, and in full dress, ornamented
with a tapering piece of white shell or wampum about two
inches long. Their eyes are exceedingly sore and weak, many
of them have only a single eye, and some perfectly blind.
Their teeth prematurely decayed, and in frequent instances,
altogether worn away. Their general health, however, seems
to be good, the only disorder we have remarked, being tumours
in different parts of the body. The women are small and
homely in their appearance, their legs and thighs much swelled,
and their knees remarkably large; deformities, which are
no doubt owing to the manner in which they set on their
hams. They go nearly naked, having only a piece of leather
tied round the breast, falling thence, nearly as low as
the waist; a small robe about three feet square, and a piece
of leather, which ill supplies the place of a cover, tied
between their legs. Their hair is suffered to hang loose
in every direction; and in their persons, as well as in
their cookery, they are filthy to a most disgusting degree.
We here observe that the women universally have their heads
flattened, and in many of the villages, we have lately seen
the female children undergo the operation.
First appearance of tide water in the Columbia river--description
of the Quicksand river--some account of the Skilloot Indians--the
party pass the river Coweliske--some account of the Washkiacum
Indians--arrival on the borders of the Pacific--disagreeable
and critical situation of the party when first encamped--their
distress occasioned by the incessant torrents of rain--exposed
for thirty days to this drenching deluge, during which time
their provisions are spoiled, and most of their few articles
of merchandise destroyed--distress of the party--adventure
of Shannon and danger from the Washkiacums--difficulty of
finding a place suitable for a permanent encampment--visited
by several Indians of different tribes, on whom medals are
bestowed.
November
2, 1805
Saturday, November
2. We now examined the rapid below more particularly, and
the danger appearing to be too great for the loaded canoes,
all those who could not swim were sent with the baggage
by land. The canoes then passed safely, and were reloaded;
at the foot of the rapid we took a meridian altitude of
59° 45' 45'. Just as we were setting out seven squaws arrived
across the portage loaded with dried fish and bear-grass,
neatly packed in bundles, and soon after four Indians came
down the rapid in a large canoe. After breakfasting we left
our camp at one o'clock, passed the upper point of an island
which is separated from the right shore by a narrow channel,
through which in high tides the water passes. But at present
it contains no running water, and a creek which falls into
it from the mountains on the right, is in the same dry condition,
though it has the marks of discharging immense torrents
at some seasons. The island thus made is three miles in
length and about one in width; its situation is high and
open, the land rich, and at this time covered with grass
and a great number of strawberry vines, from which we gave
it the name of Strawberry island. In several places we observed
that the Indians had been digging for roots, and indeed
the whole island bears every appearance of having been at
some period in state of cultivation. On the left side of
the river the low ground is narrow and open: the rapid which
we have just passed is the last of all the descents of the
Columbia. At this place the first tide-water commences,
and the river in consequence widened immediately below the
rapid. As we descended, we reached at the distance of one
mile from the rapid a creek under a bluff on the left, at
three miles is the lower point of Strawberry island. To
this immediately succeed three small islands covered with
wood; in the meadow to the right, and at some distance from
the hills, stands a high perpendicular rock, about eight
hundred feet high, and four hundred yards round the base;
this we called the Beacon rock. Just below is an Indian
village of nine houses, situated between two small creeks.
At this village the river widens to nearly a mile in extent,
the low grounds too become wider, and they as well as the
mountains on each side are covered with pine, spruce-pine,
cottonwood, a species of ash, and some alder. After being
so long accustomed to the dreary nakedness of the country
above, the change is as grateful to the eye, as it is useful
in supplying us with fuel. Four miles from the village is
a point of land on the right, where the hills become lower,
but are still thickly timbered. The river is now about two
miles wide, the current smooth and gentle, and the effect
of the tide has been sensible since leaving the rapid. Six
miles lower is a rock rising from the middle of the river
to the height of one hundred feet, and about eighty yards
at its base. We continued six miles further, and halted
for the night under a high projecting rock on the left side
of the river opposite the point of a large meadow. The mountains,
which from the great shoot to this place are high, rugged,
and thickly covered with timber chiefly of the pine species,
here leave the river on each side; the river becomes two
and a half miles in width, and the low grounds are extensive
and well supplied with wood. The Indians whom we left at
the portage passed us, on their way down the river, and
seven others who were descending in a canoe for the purpose
of trading below, encamped with us. We had made from the
foot of the great shoot twenty-nine miles to-day. The ebbtide
rose at our camp about nine inches, the flood must rise
much higher. We saw great numbers of water-fowl, such as
swan, geese, ducks of various kinds, gulls, plover, and
the white and gray brant, of which last we killed eighteen.
Friday, November 1, 1805. The morning was cool and the wind
high from the northeast. The Indians who arrived last night,
took their empty canoes on their shoulders and carried them
below the great shoot, where they put them in the water
and brought them down the rapid, till at the distance of
two and a half miles they stopped to take in their loading,
which they had been afraid to trust in the last rapid, and
had therefore carried by land from the head of the shoot.
After their example we carried our small canoe, and all
the baggage across the slippery rocks, to the foot of the
shoot. The four large canoes were next brought down, by
slipping them along poles, placed from one rock to another,
and in some places by using partially streams which escaped
along side of the river. We were not, however, able to bring
them across without three of them receiving injuries, which
obliged us to stop at the end of the shoot to repair them.
At this shoot we saw great numbers of sea-otters; but they
are so shy that it is difficult to reach them with the musket:
one of them that was wounded to-day sunk and was lost. Having
by this portage avoided the rapid and shoot of four hundred
yards in length, we re-embarked, passed at a mile and a
half the bad rapid opposite to the old village on the right,
and making our way through the rocks, saw the house just
below the end of the portage; the eight vaults near it;
and at the distance of four miles from the head of the shoot,
reached a high rock, which forms the upper part of an island
near the left shore. Between this island and the right shore
we proceeded, leaving at the distance of a mile and a half,
the village of four houses on our right, and a mile and
a half lower came to the head of a rapid near the village
on the right. Here we halted for the night, having made
only seven miles from the head of the shoot. During the
whole of the passage the river is very much obstructed by
rocks. The island, whichis about three miles long, reaches
to the rapid which its lower extremity contributes to form.
The meridian altitude of to-day gave us the latitude of
45° 44' 3' north.
As
we passed the village of four houses, we found that the
inhabitants had returned, and stopped to visit them. The
houses are similar to those already described, but larger,
from thirty-five to fifty feet long, and thirty feet wide,
being sunk in the ground about six feet, and raised the
same height above. Their beds are raised about four feet
and a half above the floor, and the ascent is by a new painted
ladder, with which every family is provided, and under them
are stored their dried fish, while the space between the
part of the bed on which they lie and the wall of the house
is occupied by the nuts, roots, berries, and other provisions,
which are spread on mats. The fireplace is about eight feet
long, and six feet wide, sunk a foot below the floor, secured
by a frame, with mats placed around for the family to sit
on. In all of the houses are images of men of different
shapes, and placed as ornaments in the parts of the house
where they are most seen. They gave us nuts, berries, and
some dried fish to eat, and we purchased, among other articles,
a hat made after their own taste, such as they wear, without
a brim. They ask high prices for all that they sell, observing
that the whites below, pay dearly for all which they carry
there. We cannot learn precisely the nature of the trade
carried on by the Indians with the inhabitants below. But
astheir knowledge of the whites seems to be very imperfect,
and the only articles which they carry to market, such as
pounded fish, bear-grass and roots, cannot be an object
of much foreign traffic, their intercourse appears to be
an intermediate trade with the natives near the mouth of
the Columbia: from them these people obtain in exchange
for their fish, roots and bear-grass, blue and white beads,
copper tea-kettles, brass armbands, some scarlet and blue
robes, and a few articles of old European clothing. But
their great object is to obtain beads, an article which
holds the first place in their ideas of relative value,
and to procure which they will sacrifice their last article
of clothing or the last mouthful of food. Independently
of their fondness for them as an ornament, these beads are
the medium of trade, by which they obtain from the Indians
still higher up the river, robes, skins, chappelel bread,
bear-grass, &c. Those Indians in turn, employ them to procure
from the Indians in the Rocky mountains, bear-grass, pachico,
roots, robes, &c.
These Indians are rather below the common size, with high
cheek-bones, their noses pierced, and in full dress, ornamented
with a tapering piece of white shell or wampum about two
inches long. Their eyes are exceedingly sore and weak, many
of them have only a single eye, and some perfectly blind.
Their teeth prematurely decayed, and in frequent instances,
altogether worn away. Their general health, however, seems
to be good, the only disorder we have remarked, being tumours
in different parts of the body. The women are small and
homely in their appearance, their legs and thighs much swelled,
and their knees remarkably large; deformities, which are
no doubt owing to the manner in which they set on their
hams. They go nearly naked, having only a piece of leather
tied round the breast, falling thence, nearly as low as
the waist; a small robe about three feet square, and a piece
of leather, which ill supplies the place of a cover, tied
between their legs. Their hair is suffered to hang loose
in every direction; and in their persons, as well as in
their cookery, they are filthy to a most disgusting degree.
We here observe that the women universally have their heads
flattened, and in many of the villages, we have lately seen
the female children undergo the operation.
First appearance of tide water in the Columbia river--description
of the Quicksand river--some account of the Skilloot Indians--the
party pass the river Coweliske--some account of the Washkiacum
Indians--arrival on the borders of the Pacific--disagreeable
and critical situation of the party when first encamped--their
distress occasioned by the incessant torrents of rain--exposed
for thirty days to this drenching deluge, during which time
their provisions are spoiled, and most of their few articles
of merchandise destroyed--distress of the party--adventure
of Shannon and danger from the Washkiacums--difficulty of
finding a place suitable for a permanent encampment--visited
by several Indians of different tribes, on whom medals are
bestowed.
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