...laid out a Small assotment of such articles as those Indians were fond of to trade with them for Some provisions (they are remarkably fond of Beeds) nothin to eate except a little dried fish which they men complain of as working of them as (as much as) a dost of Salts. Cap^t Lewis getting much better. Several Indians visit us from the different tribes below. Some from the main South fork. our hunters killed nothing to day worm evening

...had all our horses 38 in number Collected and branded    Cut off their fore top and delivered them to the 2 brothers and one son of the Chiefs who intends to accompany us down the river.... they promised to be attentive to our horses untill we Should return.
...Cap^t Lewis & myself eate a Supper of roots boiled, which Swelled us in Such a manner that we were Scercely able to breath for Several hours. finished and lanced (launched) 2 of our canoes this evening....

...The river below the forks is called Kos-kos-kee (Clearwater)    it is Clear rapid with Shoals of Swift places
   The open Countrey Commences a fiew miles below this on each side of the river....

   I continue verry unwell but obliged to attend every thing    all the Canoes put into the water and loaded.... and Set out....
...the Indians say.... the great falls 10 day below, where the white people live &c....

...We had four large canoes; and one small one, to look a-head. About three o'clock in the afternoon we began our voyage down the river....

...we were obliged to delay and prepare or repair the canoe which got Stove last evening, put the loading marchandize &c out to dry.... the natives hang about us as though they wished to Steal or pilfer Something from us So we had to keep 2 Sentinels.... after dark we played a little fiddle and danced a little. the natives were pleased to see us. one of their women was taken with the crazey fit by our fire....

...we landed near 8 Lodges of Indians (Choponnesh) (Nez Percé).... we purchased fish & dogs of those people....
...all the Party have greatly the advantage of me.... they all relish the flesh of the dogs....
   The Cho-pun-ish or Pierced nose Indians are Stout likely men, handsom women, and verry dressey in their way,    the dress of the men are a White Buffalow robe or Elk Skin dressed with Beeds which are generally white, Sea Shells & the Mother of Pirl hung to their hair & on a piece of otter skin about their necks    hair Ceewed in two parsels hanging forward over their Shoulders, feathers, and different Coloured Paints which they find in their Countrey Generally white, Green & light Blue. Some fiew were a Shirt of Dressed Skins and long legins & Mockersons Painted....
   The women dress in a Shirt of Ibex or Goat (Argalia) Skins which reach quite down to their anckles with a girdle    their heads are not ornemented, their Shirts are ornemented with quilled Brass, Small peces of Brass Cut into different forms, Beeds, Shells & curious bones &c. The men expose those parts which are generally kept from few (view) by other nations but the women are more perticular than any other nation which I have passed (in secreting the parts)....

...at 6 miles (on Snake River) we came too at Some Indian lodges and... at this place I saw a curious Swet house.... with a Small whole to pass in or throw in the hot Stones, which those in(side) threw on as much wateras to create a temporature of heat they wished....

...today Country as yesterday open plains, no timber of any kind, a fiew Hackberry bushes & willows excepted... So that fire wood is verry Scerce    The hills or assents from the water is faced with a dark ruged Stone....

(second draft) ...passed the Mo:... below a long bad rapid (Drewyers (Palouse) River) in which the water is confined in a Chanel of about 20 yards between rugid rocks for the distance of a mile and a half, and a rapid rockey bad place in high water, here is great fishing place....
(first draft) ...The wife of Shabono our interpreter we find reconsiles all the Indians, as to our friendly intentions    a woman with a party of men is a token of peace

   a verry Cold morning wind from the West and Cool untill about 12 oClock when it Shifted to the S.W.    at 2-1/2 miles passed a remarkable rock verry large and resembling the hill (hull) of a Ship Situated on a Lar^d point at some distance from the Countrey    passed rapids at 6 and 9 miles....

...came to another bad rapid at the head of an Island. the canoe I had charge of ran fast on a rock.... considerable of the baggage washed overboard, but most of it was taken up below... She went off of a sudden & left myself and three more standing on the rock half leg deep in the rapid water....

...Cap^t Lewis walked on the plains and informs that he could plainly See a rainge of mountains which bore S.E. & N.W..... we landed at a parcel of split timber, the timber os a house of Indians.... here we were obliged for the first time to take the property of the Indians without consent of approbation of the owner.... We made only 20 miles today, owing to the detention in passing (Snake River) rapids &c.

...Set out and proceeded on Seven miles to the junction of this river (the Snake) and the Columbia which joins from the N.W.... In every direction from the junction of those rivers the countrey is one continued plain low and rises from the water gradually, except a range of high Countrey which runs about 2 miles distant from the Collumbia and keeping its derection S.W. untill iit joins a S.W. range of mountains.
...after we had our camp fixed and fires made, a Chief came from this camp which was about 1/4 of a mile up the Columbia river at the head of about 200 men singing and beeting on their drums Stick and keeping time to the musik, they formed a half circle around us and Sung for Some time, we gave them all Smoke, and Spoke to their Chief as well as we could by signs informing them of our friendly disposition to all nations, and our joy in Seeing those of our Children around us, Gave the principal chief a large Medal, Shirt and Handkf.    a 2^nd Chief a Meadel of Small size, and to the Cheif who came down from the upper villages a Small Medal & Handkerchief....

   a clear pleasant morning.... we proceeded on down the great Columbia River which is now verry wide about 3/4 of a mile in General    the country in general Smooth plains for about 10 miles down then the barron hills make close to the River on each Side....

...Several canoes of Indians came down and joined those with us, we had a council with those in which we informed of our friendly intentions towards them and all other of our red children, of our wish to make a piece between all of our red Children....
   The Great Chief (Cuts-sâh-nem) and one of the Chim-nâ-pum nation drew me a sketch of the Columbia above and the tribes of his nation....
   we thought it necessary to lay in a Store of Provisions for our vayage, and the fish being out of Season, we purchased forty dogs for which we gave articles of little value, such as bells, thimbles, knitting pins, brass wire and a few beeds....
   Took our leave of the Chiefs and all those about us and proceeded on down the great Columbia river.... the river passes into the range of high Countrey, at which place the rocks project into the river from the high clifts which is on the Lar^d Side about 1/3 of the way across and those of the Star^d Side about the same distance, the countrey is bordered with black rugid rocks.... saw a mountain bearing S.W. conocal form Covered with Snow....

(first draft) The Great Chief 2^d Chief and a Chief of a band below came and smoked with us    we gave a meadel a string of Wampom & handkerchef to the Great Chief by the name of Yel-lep-pit.... the Chief requested us to stay until 12    we excused our selves and set out at 9 oClock

...proceeded on    passed River hills and cliffs of rocks on each side. passed over a number of bad rockey rapids where the River is nearly filled with high dark couloured rocks the water divided in narrow deep channels, bad whorl pools.... we came about 32 miles....

...pass^d a Small Island at 5 1/2 miles a large one 8 miles in the middle of the river, some rapid water at the head and Eight Lodges of nativs... we came too at those lodges, bought some wood and brackfast, Those peopel recived us with great kindness... their employments customs, Dress and appearance Similar to those above, Speak the same language, here we Saw two scarlet and a blue cloth blankets, also a Salors Jacket....
...the river is crouded with rocks in every direction, after Passing this dificult rapid to the mouth of a Small river on the Larboard Side 40 yards wide descharges but little water at this time, and appears to take its source in the open plains to the S.E.... great numb^s of Indians came in canoes to View us at this place, after passing this rapid which we accomplished without loss; winding through between the huge rocks for about 2 miles....

...(from this rapid the Conical mountain is S.W. which the Indians inform me is not far to the left of the great falls; this I call the Timm or falls mountain (Mount Hood) it is high and the top is covered with snow) immediately below the last rapids there is four Lodges of Indians....
...Proceeded on about two miles lower and landed and encamped near five Lodges of nativs... we purchased a little wood to cook our Dog meat and fish; those people did not receive us at first with the same cordiality of those above, they appeare to be the Same nation Speak the Same language with a little curruption of maney words Dress and fish in the same way, all of whome have pierced noses and the men when Dressed ware a long taper'd piece of Shell or beed put through the nose....
   The probable reason of the Indians residing on the Star^d Side of this as well as the waters of Lewis's River is their fear of the Snake Indians who reside, as they nativs say ona great river to the South, and are at war with those tribes.... One of our party J. Collins presented us with Some verry good beer made of teh Pa-shi-co-quar-mash bread, which is the remains of what was laid in as a part of our Stores of Provisions, at the first flat heads of Cho-pun-nish Nation....

...this Is^d is about 4 miles in length and high rough & rockey. a Short distance below we came to the first falls of the Columbia River....

...opposite on teh Star^d Side is 17 Lodges of the nativs     we landed and walked down accompanied by an old man to view the falls, and the best rout for to make a portage which we Soon discovered was much nearest on the Star^d Side, and the distance 1200 yards one third the way on a rock, about 200 yards over a loose sand collected in a holler blown by the winds.... we returned droped down to the head of the rapids and took every article except the Canoes across the portag where I had formed a camp on ellegable Situation for the protection of our Stores from thieft, which we were more fearfull of, than their arrows.... at and about their Lodges I observe great numbers of Stacks of pounded Salmon neetly preserved in the following manner, i.e. after (being) suffi(c)ently Dried it is pounded between two Stones fine, and put into a speces of basket neetly made of grass and rushes better than two feet long and one foot Diamiter, which basket is lined with the Skin of Salmon Stretched and dried for the purpose.... Great quantities as they inform us are sold to the whites people who visit the mouth of this river as well as to the natives below....

...in high water there is nothing but a rapid, and the salmon can pass up without difficulty. The reason of thsi 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.

...landed Safe with all the canoes at our Camp below the falls by 3 oClock P.M.... every man of the party was obliged to Strip naked dureing the time of takeing over the canoes, that they might have an oppertunity of brushing the flees off their legs and bodies.... one of the old Chiefs who had accompanied us from the head of the river, informed us that he herd the Indians Say that the nation below intended to kill us.... as we are at all times & places on our guard, are under no greater apprehention than is common.
   we purchased 8 small fat dogs for the party to eate....

...At 9 oClock a.m. I Set out

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

[ Prestart Letters | The Order | 1803 | 1-5 1804 | 5-7 1804 | 8-12 1804 ]
[ 1-5 1805 | 6-7 1805 | 8-9 1805 | 10-12 1805 | 1806 | 1806 ]