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The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates October 23, 1805 - October 24,
1805
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: October 23, 1805 - October 24, 1805
October 23,
1805
Wednesday 23. Having ascertained from the Indians, and by
actual examination, the best mode of bringing down the canoes,
it was found necessary, as the river was divided into several
narrow channels, by rocks and islands, to follow the route
adopted by the Indians themselves. This operation captain
Clarke began this morning, and after crossing to the other
side of the river, hauled the canoes over a point of land,
so as to avoid a perpendicular fall of twenty feet. At the
distance of four hundred and fifty-seven yards we reached
the water, and embarked at a place where a long rocky island
compresses the channel of the river within the space of
a hundred and fifty yards, so as to form nearly a semicircle.
On leaving this rocky island the channel is somewhat wider,
but a second and much larger island of hard black rock,
still divides it from the main stream, while on the left
shore it is closely by perpendicular rocks. Having descended
in this way for a mile, we reached a pitch of the river,
which being divided by two large rocks, descends with great
rapidity down a fall eight feet in height: as the boats
could not be navigated down this steep descent, we were
obliged to land and let them down as slowly as possible
by strong ropes of elk skin, which we had prepared for the
purpose. They all passed in safety except one, which being
loosed by the breaking of the ropes, was driven down, but
was recovered by the Indians below. With this rapid ends
the first pitch of the great falls, which is not great in
point of height, and remarkable only for the singular manner
in which the rocks have divided its channel. From the marks
every where perceivable at the falls, it is obvious that
in high floods, which must be in the spring, the water below
the falls rises nearly to a level with that above them.
Of this rise, which is occasioned by some obstructions which
we do not as yet know, the salmon must avail themselves
to pass up the river in such multitudes, that that fish
is almost the only one caught in great abundance above the
falls; but below that place, we observe the salmon trout,
and the heads of a species of trout smaller than the salmon
trout, which is in great quantities, and which they are
now burying to be used as their winter food. A hole of any
size being dug, the sides and bottom are lined with straw,
over which skins are laid: on these the fish, after being
well dried, is laid, covered with other skins, and the hole
closed with a layer of earth twelve or fifteen inches deep.
About three o'clock we reached the lower camp, but our joy
at having accomplished this object was somewhat diminished,
by the persecution of a new acquaintance. On reaching the
upper point of the portage, we found that the Indians had
been encamped there not long since, and had left behind
them multitudes of fleas. These sagacious animals were so
pleased to exchange the straw and fish skins, in which they
had been living, for some better residence, that we were
soon covered with them, and during the portage the men were
obliged to strip to the skin, in order to brush them from
their bodies. They were not, however, so easily dislodged
from our clothes, and accompanied us in great numbers to
our camp.
We saw no game except a sea otter, which was shot in the
narrow channel as we came down, but we could not get it.
Having therefore scarcely any provisions, we purchased eight
small fat dogs, a food to which we are now compelled to
have recourse, for the Indians are very unwilling to sell
us any of their good fish, which they reserve for the market
below. Fortunately, however, the habit of using this animal
has completely overcome the repugnance which we felt at
first, and the dog, if not a favorite dish, is always an
acceptable one. The meridian altitude of to-day gives 45°
42' 57' 3--10 north, as the latitude of our camp.
On the beach near the Indian huts, we observed two canoes
of a different shape and size from any which we had hitherto
seen: one of these we got in exchange for our smallest canoe,
giving a hatchet and a few trinkets to the owner, who said
he had purchased it from a white man below the falls, by
giving him a horse. These canoes are very beautifully made;
they are wide in the middle and tapering towards each end,
with curious figures carved on the bow. They are thin, but
being strengthened by cross bars, about an inch in diameter,
which are tied with strong pieces of bark through holes
in the sides, are able to bear very heavy burdens, and seem
calculated to live in the roughest water.
A great number of Indians both from above and below the
falls visited us to-day, and towards evening we were informed
by one of the chiefs who had accompanied us, that he had
overheard that the Indians below intended to attack us as
we went down the river: being at all times ready for any
attempt of that sort, we were not under greater apprehensions
than usual at this intelligence: we, therefore, only reexamined
our arms and increased the ammunition to one hundred rounds.
Our chiefs, who had not the same motives of confidence,
were by no means so much at their ease, and when at night
they saw the Indians leave us earlier than usual, their
suspicions of an intended attack were confirmed, and they
were very much alarmed. The next morning,
October
24, 1805
Thursday 24, the
Indians approached us with apparent caution, and behaved
with more than usual reserve. Our two chiefs, by whom these
circumstances were not unobserved, now told us that they
wished to return home; that they could be no longer of any
service to us, and they could not understand the language
of the people below the falls; that those people formed
a different nation from their own; that the two people had
been at war with each other, and as the Indians had expressed
a resolution to attack us, they would certainly kill them.
We endeavored to quiet their fears, and requested them to
stay two nights longer, in which time we would see the Indians
below, and make a peace between the two nations. They replied
that they were anxious to return and see their horses; we
however insisted on their remaining with us, not only in
hopes of bringing about an accommodation between them and
their enemies, but because they might be able to detect
any hostile designs against us, and also assist us in passing
the next falls, which are not far off, and represented as
very difficult: they at length, agreed to stay with us two
nights longer. About nine o'clock we proceeded, and on leaving
our camp near the lower fall, found the river about four
hundred yards wide, with a current more rapid than usual,
though with no perceptible descent. At the distance of two
and a half miles, the river widened into a large bend or
basin on the right, at the beginning of which are three
huts ofIndians. At the extremity of this basin stands a
high black rock, which, rising perpendicularly from the
right shore, seems to run wholly across the river; so totally
indeed does it appear to stop the passage, that we could
not see where the water escaped, except that the current
appeared to be drawn with more than usual velocity to the
left of the rock, where was a great roaring. We landed at
the huts of the Indians, who went with us to the top of
this rock, from which we saw all the difficulties of the
channel. We were no longer at a loss to account for the
rising of the river at the falls, for this tremendous rock
stretches across the river, to meet the high hills of the
left shore, leaving a channel of only forty-five yards wide,
through which the whole body of the Columbia must press
its way. The water thus forced into so narrow a channel,
is thrown into whirls, and swells and boils in every part
with the wildest agitation. But the alternative of carrying
the boats over this high rock was almost impossible in our
present situation, and as the chief danger seemed to be
not from any rocks in the channel, but from the great waves
and whirlpools, we resolved to try the passage in our boats,
in hopes of being able by dexterous steering to escape.
This we attempted, and with great care were able to get
through, to the astonishment of all the Indians of the huts
we had just passed, who now collected to see us from the
top of the rock. The channel continues thus confined within
a space of about half a mile, when the rock ceased. We passed
a single Indian hut at the foot of it, where the river again
enlarges itself to the width of two hundred yards, and at
the distance of a mile and a half stopped to view a very
bad rapid; this is formed by two rocky islands whichdivide
the channel, the lower and larger of which is in the middle
of the river. The appearance of this place was so unpromising,
that we unloaded all the most valuable articles; such as
guns, ammunition, our papers, &c. and sent them by land
with all the men that could not swim to the extremity of
the rapids. We then descended with the canoes two at a time,
and though the canoes took in some water, we all went through
safely; after which we made two miles, and stopped in a
deep bend of the river towards the right, and encamped a
little above a large village of twenty-one houses. Here
we landed, and as it was late before all the canoes joined
us, we were obliged to remain here this evening, the difficulties
of the navigation having permitted us to make only six miles.
This village is situated at the extremity of a deep bend
towards the right, and immediately above a ledge of high
rocks, twenty feet above the marks of the highest flood,
but broken in several places, so as to form channels which
are at present dry, extending nearly across the river; this
forms the second fall, or the place most probably which
the Indians indicate by the word Timm. While the canoes
were coming on, captain Clarke walked with two men down
to examine these channels. On these rocks the Indians are
accustomed to dry fish, and as the season for that purpose
is now over, the poles which they use are tied up very securely
in bundles, and placed on the scaffolds. The stock of fish
dried and pounded were so abundant that he counted one hundred
and seven of them making more than ten thousand pounds of
that provision. After examining the narrows as well as the
lateness of the hour would permit, he returned to the village
though a rocky open country, infested with polecats. This
village, the residence of a tribe called the Echeloots,
consists of twenty-one houses, scattered promiscuously over
an elevated situation, near a mound about thirty feet above
the common level, which has some remains of houses on it,
and bears every appearance of being artificial.
The houses, which are the first wooden buildings we have
seen since leaving the Illinois country, are nearly equal
in size, and exhibit a very singular appearance. A large
hole, twenty feet wide and thirty in length, is dug to the
depth of six feet. The sides are then lined with split pieces
of timber, rising just above the surface of the ground,
which are smoothed to the same width by burning, or shaved
with small iron axes. These timbers are secured in their
erect position by a pole, stretched along the side of the
building near the caves, and supported on a strong post
fixed at each corner. The timbers at the gable ends rise
gradually higher, the middle pieces being the broadest.
At the top of these is a sort of semicircle, made to receive
a ridge-pole, the whole length of the house, propped by
an additional post in the middle, and forming the top of
the roof. From this ridge-pole to the caves of the house,
are placed a number of small poles or rafters, secured at
each end by fibres of the cedar. On these poles, which are
connected by small transverse bars of wood, is laid a covering
of the white cedar, or arbor vitę, kept on by the strands
of the cedar fibres: but a small distance along the whole
length of the ridge-pole is left uncovered for the purpose
of light, and permitting the smoke to pass through. The
roof thus formed has a descent about equal to that common
amongst us, and near the eaves is perforated with a number
of small holes, made most probably to discharge their arrows
in case of an attack. The only entrance is by a small door
at the gable end, cut out of the middle piece of timber,
twenty-nine and a half inches high, and fourteen inches
broad, and reaching only eighteen inches above the earth.
Before this hole is hung a mat, and on pushing it aside
and crawling through, the descent is by a small wooden ladder,
made in the form of those used amongst us. One half of the
inside is used as a place of deposit for their dried fish,
of which there are large quantities stored away, and with
a few baskets of berries form the only family provisions;
the other half adjoining the door, remains for the accommodation
of the family. On each side are arranged near the walls,
small beds of mats placed on little scaffolds or bedsteads,
raised from eighteen inches to three feet from the ground,
and in the middle of the vacant space is the fire, or sometimes
two or three fires, when, as is indeed usually the case,
the house contains three families.
The inhabitants received us with great kindness--invited
us to their houses, and in the evening, after our camp had
been formed, came in great numbers to see us: accompanying
them was a principal chief, and several of the warriors
of the nation below the great narrows. We made use of this
opportunity to attempt a reconciliation between them and
our two chiefs, and to put an end to the war which had disturbed
the two nations. By representing to the chiefs the evils
which the war inflicted on them, and the wants and privations
to which it subjects them, they soon became disposed to
conciliate with each other, and we had some reason to be
satisfied with the sincerity of the mutual professions that
the war should no longer continue, and that in future they
would live in peace with each other. On concluding this
negotiation we proceeded to invest the chief with the insignia
of command, a medal and some small articles of clothing;
after which the violin was produced, and our men danced
to the great delight of the Indians, who remained with us
till a late hour.
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