Difficulty of procuring means of subsistence for the
party--they determine to resume their journey to the
mountains--they leave in the hands of the Indians a written
memorandum, importing their having penetrated to the
Pacific, through the route of the Missouri and Columbia,
and through the Rocky mountains--the party commence their
return route--dexterity of the Cathlamah Indians in
carving--description of the Coweliskee river--they experience
much hospitality from the natives--an instance of the extreme
voracity of the vulture--the party are visited by many strange
Indians, all of whom are kind and hospitable--scarcity of
game, and embarrassments of the party on that account--captain
Clarke discovers a tribe not seen in the descent down
the Columbia--singular adventure to obtain provisions
from them--particular description of the Multomah village
and river--description of mount Jefferson--some account
by captain Clarke of the Neerchokio tribe, and of their
architecture--their sufferings by the small-pox.
Many reasons had determined us to remain at fort Clatsop till the first
of April. Besides the want of fuel in the Columbian plains, and the
impracticability of passing the mountains before the beginning of June,
we were anxious to see some of the foreign traders, from whom, by means
of our ample letters of credit, we might have recruited our exhausted
stores of merchandise. About the middle of March however, we become
seriously alarmed for the want of food: the elk, our chief dependence,
had at length deserted their usual haunts in our neighborhood, and
retreated to the mountains. We were too poor to purchase other food
from the Indians, so that we were sometimes reduced, notwithstanding
all the exertions of our hunters, to a single day’s provision in
advance. The men too, whom the constant rains and confinement had
rendered unhealthy, might we hoped be benefitted by leaving the coast,
and resuming the exercise of travelling. We therefore determined to
leave fort Clatsop, ascend the river slowly, consume the month of
March in the woody country, where we hope to find subsistence, and in
this way reach the plains about the first of April, before which time
it will be impossible to attempt crossing them: for this purpose we
began our preparations. During the winter we had been very industrious
in dressing skins, so that we now had a sufficient quantity of
clothing, besides between three and four hundred pair of moccasins.
But the whole stock of goods on which we are to depend, either for the
purchase of horses or of food, during the long tour of nearly four
thousand miles, is so much diminished, that it might all be tied in
two handkerchiefs. We have in fact nothing but six blue robes, one
of scarlet, a coat and hat of the United States artillery uniform,
five robes made of our large flag, and a few old clothes trimmed with
riband. We therefore feel that our chief dependence must be on our
guns, which fortunately for us are all in good order, as we had taken
the precaution of bringing a number of extra locks, and one of our
men proved to be an excellent artist in that way. The powder had been
secured in leaden canisters, and though on many occasions they had been
under water, it remained perfectly dry, and we now found ourselves in
possession of one hundred and forty pounds of powder, and twice that
quantity of lead, a stock quite sufficient for the route homewards.
After much trafficking, we at last succeeded in purchasing a canoe for
a uniform coat and half a carrot of tobacco, and took a canoe from the
Clatsops, as a reprisal for some elk which some of them had stolen from
us in the winter. We were now ready to leave fort Clatsop, but the rain
prevented us for several days from caulking the canoes, and we were
forced to wait for calm weather, before we could attempt to pass point
William. In the meantime we were visited by many of our neighbours,
for the purpose of taking leave of us. The Clatsop Commowool has been
the most kind and hospitable of all the Indians in this quarter; we
therefore gave him a certificate of the kindness and attention which
we had received from him, and added a more substantial proof of our
gratitude, the gift of all our houses and furniture. To the Chinnook
chief Delashelwilt, we gave a certificate of the same kind: we also
circulated among the natives several papers, one of which we also
posted up in the fort, to the following effect:
“The object of this last, is, that through the medium of some civilized
person, who may see the same, it may be made known to the world, that
the party consisting of the persons whose names are hereunto annexed,
and who were sent out by the government of the United States to explore
the interior of the continent of North America, did penetrate the same
by the way of the Missouri and Columbia rivers, to the discharge of the
latter into the Pacific ocean, where they arrived on the 14th day of
November 1805, and departed the 23d day of March, 1806, on their return
to the United States, by the same route by which they had come out.”[2]
On the back of some of these papers, we sketched the connexion of the
upper branches of the Missouri and Columbia rivers, with our route, and
the track which we intended to follow on our return. This memorandum
was all that we deemed it necessary to make; for there seemed but
little chance that any detailed report to our government, which we
might leave in the hands of the savages, to be delivered to foreign
traders, would ever reach the United States. To leave any of our men
here, in hopes of their procuring a passage home in some transient
vessel, would too much weaken our party, which we must necessarily
divide during our route; besides that, we will most probably be there
ourselves sooner than any trader, who, after spending the next summer
here, might go on some circuitous voyage.
[2] By a singular casualty, this note fell into the possession
of captain Hill, who, while on the coast of the Pacific,
procured it from the natives. This note accompanied him on his
voyage to Canton, from whence it arrived in the United States.
The following is an extract of a letter, from a gentleman at
Canton to his friend in Philadelphia:
_Extract of a letter from ---- to ---- in Philadelphia_.
Canton, January, 1807.
I wrote you last by the Governor Strong, Cleveland, for Boston;
the present is by the brig Lydia, Hill, of the same place.
Captain Hill, while on the coast, met some Indian natives
near the mouth of the Columbia river, who delivered to him a
_paper_, of which I enclose you a copy. It had been committed
to their charge by captains Clarke and Lewis, who had
penetrated to the Pacific ocean. The original is a rough draft
with a pen of their outward route, and that which they intended
returning by. Just below the junction of Madison’s river, they
found an immense fall of _three hundred and sixty-two_ feet
perpendicular. This, I believe, exceeds in magnitude any other
known. From the natives captain Hill learned that they were all
in good health and spirits; had met many difficulties on their
progress, from various tribes of Indians, but had found them
about the sources of the Missouri very friendly, as were those
on Columbia river and the coast.
The rains and wind still confined us to the fort; but at last our
provisions dwindled down to a single day’s stock, and it became
absolutely necessary to remove: we therefore sent a few hunters ahead,
and stopped the boats as well as we could with mud. The next morning,
Sunday, March 23, 1806, the canoes were loaded, and at one o’clock
in the afternoon we look a final leave of fort Clatsop. The wind was
still high, but the alternative of remaining without provisions was
so unpleasant, that we hoped to be able to double point William. We
had scarcely left the fort when we met Delashelwilt, and a party of
twenty Chinnooks, who understanding that we had been trying to procure
a canoe, had brought one for sale. Being, however, already supplied, we
left them, and after getting out of Meriwether’s bay, began to coast
along the south side of the river: we doubled point William without
any injury, and at six o’clock reached, at the distance of sixteen
miles from fort Clatsop, the mouth of a small creek, where we found our
hunters. They had been fortunate enough to kill two elk, but at such a
distance that we could not send for them before the next morning.
Monday, March 24, when they were brought in for breakfast. We then
proceeded. The country is covered with a thick growth of timber: the
water however is shallow to the distance of four miles from shore; and
although there is a channel deep enough for canoes on the south side,
yet as the tide was low, we found some difficulty in passing along. At
one o’clock we reached the Cathlamah village, where we halted for about
two hours, and purchased some wappatoo and a dog for the invalids. This
village we have already described, as situated opposite to the seal
islands: on one of these the Indians have placed their dead in canoes,
raised on scaffolds, above the reach of the tide. These people seem to
be more fond of carving in wood than their neighbours, and have various
specimens of their taste about the houses. The broad pieces supporting
the roof and the board through which doors are cut, are the objects on
which they chiefly display their ingenuity, and are ornamented with
curious figures, sometimes representing persons in a sitting posture
supporting a burden. On resuming our route among the seal islands, we
mistook our way, which an Indian observing, he pursued us and put us
into the right channel. He soon, however, embarrassed us, by claiming
the canoe we had taken from the Clatsops, and which he declared was
his property: we had found it among the Clatsops, and seized it as a
reprisal for a theft committed by that nation; but being unwilling to
do an act of injustice to this Indian, and having no time to discuss
the question of right, we compromised with him for an elk skin, with
which he returned perfectly satisfied. We continued our route along the
shore, and after making fifteen miles encamped at an old village of
nine houses, opposite to the lower village of the Wahkiacums. Here we
were overtaken by two Chinnooks, who came to us after dark, and spent
the night at our camp. We found plenty of wood for fires, which were
quite necessary, as the weather had became cold. This morning,
Tuesday 25, proved so disagreeably cold that we did not set out before
seven o’clock, when having breakfasted, we continued along the southern
side of the river. The wind, however, as well as a strong current
was against us, so that we proceeded slowly. On landing for dinner
at noon, we were joined by some Clatsops, who had been on a trading
voyage to the Skilloots, and were now on their return loaded with dried
anchovies, wappatoo, and sturgeon. After dinner we crossed the river
to a large island, along the side of which we continued about a mile
till we reached a single house, occupied by three men, two women, and
the same number of boys, all of the Cathlamah nation. They were engaged
in fishing or trolling for sturgeon, of which they had caught about a
dozen, but they asked so much for them that we were afraid to purchase.
One of the men purchased the skin of a sea-otter, in exchange for a
dressed elk skin and a handkerchief. Near adjoining this house was
another party of Cathlamahs, who had been up the river on a fishing
excursion, and been successful in procuring a large supply, which they
were not disposed to sell. We proceeded on to the head of the island,
and then crossed to the north side of the river. Here the coast formed
a continued swamp for several miles back, so that it was late in the
evening before we were able to reach a spot fit for our camp. At
length we discovered the entrance of a small creek, opposite to the
place where we were encamped on the sixth of November, and though the
ground was low and moist, yet as the spot was sheltered from the wind,
we resolved to pass the night there: we had now made fifteen miles.
Here we found another party of ten Cathlamahs, who had established
a temporary residence here for the purpose of fishing sturgeon and
taking seal, in both of which they had been successful. They gave
us some of the flesh of the seal, which was a valuable addition
to the lean elk. The low grounds which we passed are supplied with
cottonwood, and the tree resembling the ash, except in its leaf, with
red willow, broad-leafed willow, seven bark, gooseberry, green briar,
and the large-leafed thorn. The wind was very high towards evening, and
continued to blow so violent in the morning,
March 26, that we could not set out before eight o’clock. In the
meantime finding that one of our neighbours, the Cathlamahs, by name
Wallale, was a person of distinction, we gave him a medal of a small
size, with which he was invested with the usual ceremonies. He appeared
highly gratified, and requited us with a large sturgeon. The wind
having abated, we proceeded to an old village, where we halted for
dinner, having met on the way Sahawacap the principal chief of all the
Cathlamahs, who was on his return from a trading voyage up the river,
with wappatoo and fish, some of which he gave us, and we purchased a
little more. At dinner we were overtaken by two Wahkiacums, who have
been following us for twenty-four hours, with two dogs, for which they
are importuning us to give them some tobacco; but as we have very
little of that article left, they were obliged to go off disappointed.
We received at the same time an agreeable supply of three eagles and a
large goose, brought in by the hunters. After dinner we passed along
the north shore opposite to a high fine bottom and dry prairie, at the
upper end of which, near a grove of whiteoak trees, is an island which
we called Fanny’s island. There were some deer and elk at a distance
in the prairie, but as we could not stay to hunt, we continued till
late in the evening, when we encamped on the next island above Fanny’s.
According to the estimate we made in descending the river, which we
begin, however, to think was short, our journey of to-day was eighteen
miles. Some Indians came to us, but we were occupied in procuring wood,
which, we found it difficult to obtain in sufficient quantity for our
purposes, and they therefore did not remain long.
Thursday, 27. We set out early, and were soon joined by some Skilloots,
with fish and roots for sale. At ten o’clock we stopped to breakfast at
two houses of the same nation, where we found our hunters, who had not
returned to camp last night, but had killed nothing. The inhabitants
seemed very kind and hospitable. They gave almost the whole party
as much as they could eat of dried anchovies, wappatoo, sturgeon,
quamash, and a small white tuberous root, two inches long, and as
thick as a man’s finger, which, when eaten raw, is crisp, milky, and
of an agreeable flavour. The Indians also urged us to remain with them
all day, and hunt elk and deer, which they said were abundant in the
neighbourhood; but as the weather would not permit us to dry and pitch
our canoes, we declined their offer and proceeded. At the distance
of two miles we passed the entrance of Coweliskee river. This stream
discharges itself on the north side of the Columbia, about three miles
above a remarkably high rocky knoll, the south side of which it washes
in passing, and which is separated from the northern hills by a wide
bottom of several miles in extent. The Coweliskee is one hundred and
fifty yards wide, deep and navigable, as the Indians assert, for a
considerable distance, and most probably waters the country west and
north of the range of mountains which cross the Columbia between the
great falls and rapids. On the lower side of this river, a few miles
from its entrance into the Columbia, is the principal village of the
Skilloots, a numerous people, differing, however, neither in language,
dress, nor manners, from the Clatsops, Chinnooks, and other nations at
the mouth of the Columbia. With the Chinnooks they have lately been
at war, and though hostilities have ceased, yet they have not resumed
their usual intercourse, so that the Skilloots do not go as far as
the sea, nor do the Chinnooks come higher up than the Seal islands,
the trade between them being carried on by the Clatsops, Cathlamahs,
and Wahkiacums, their mutual friends. On this same river, above the
Skilloots, resides the nation called Hullooetell, of whom we learnt
nothing, except that the nation was numerous. Late in the evening we
halted at the beginning of the bottom land, below Deer island, after
having made twenty miles. Along the low grounds on the river were
the cottonwood, sweet-willow, the oak, ash, the broad-leafed ash,
and the growth resembling the beech; while the hills are occupied
almost exclusively by different species of fir, and the black alder
is common to the hills as well as the low grounds. During the day we
passed a number of fishing camps, on both sides of the river, and were
constantly attended by small parties of the Skilloots, who behaved in
the most orderly manner, and from whom we purchased as much fish and
roots as we wanted on very moderate terms. The night continued as the
day had been, cold, wet, and disagreeable.
Friday, 28. We left our camp at an early hour, and by nine o’clock
reached an old Indian village on the left side of Deer island. Here
we found a party of our men whom we had sent on yesterday to hunt,
and who now returned after killing seven deer, in the course of the
morning, out of upwards of a hundred which they had seen. They were
the common fallow deer with long tails, and though very poor are
better than the black-tailed fallow deer of the coast, from which they
differ materially. Soon after our arrival the weather became fair, and
we therefore immediately hauled the boats on shore, and having dried
them by means of large fires, put on the pitch. We also took this
opportunity of drying our baggage, and as some of the hunters had not
yet returned, it was deemed advisable to pass the night at our present
camp. This island, which has received from the Indians the appropriate
name of Elalah, or Deer island, is surrounded on the water side by an
abundant growth of cottonwood, ash, and willow, while the interior
consists chiefly of prairies interspersed with ponds. These afford
refuge to great numbers of geese, ducks, large swan, sandhill cranes,
a few canvass-backed ducks, and particularly the duckinmallard, the
most abundant of all. There are also great numbers of snakes resembling
our gartersnakes in appearance, and like them not poisonous. Our
hunters brought in three deer, a goose, some ducks, an eagle, and a
tyger-cat, but such is the extreme voracity of the vultures, that they
had devoured in the space of a few hours, four of the deer killed this
morning; and one of our men declared, that they had besides dragged a
large buck about thirty yards, skinned it, and broke the back-bone. We
were visited during the day by a large canoe with ten Indians of the
Quathlapotle nation, who reside about seventeen miles above us. We had
advanced only five miles to-day.
Saturday, 29. At an early hour we proceeded along the side of Deer
island, and halted for breakfast at the upper end of it, which is
properly the commencement of the great Columbian valley. We were here
joined by three men of the Towahnahiook nation, with whom we proceeded,
till at the distance of fourteen miles from our camp of last evening
we reached a large inlet or arm of the river, about three hundred
yards wide, up which they went to their villages. A short distance
above this inlet a considerable river empties itself from the north
side of the Columbia. Its name is Chawahnahiooks. It is about one
hundred and fifty yards wide, and at present discharges a large body
of water, though the Indians assure us that at a short distance above
its mouth, the navigation is obstructed by falls and rapids. Three
miles beyond the inlet is an island near the north shore of the river,
behind the lower end of which is a village of Quathlapotles, where we
landed, about three o’clock. The village consists of fourteen large
wooden houses. The people themselves received us very kindly, and
voluntarily spread before us wappatoo and anchovies, but as soon as we
had finished enjoying this hospitality, if it deserves that name, they
began to ask us for presents. They were, however, perfectly satisfied
with the small articles which we distributed according to custom, and
equally pleased with our purchasing some wappatoo, twelve dogs and
two sea-otter skins. We also gave to the chief a small medal, which
he, however, soon transferred to his wife. After remaining some time
we embarked, and coasting along this island, which after the nation we
called Quathlapotle island, encamped for this night in a small prairie
on the north side of the Columbia, having made by estimate nineteen
miles. The river is rising fast. In the course of the day we saw great
numbers of geese, ducks, and large and small swans, which last are
very abundant in the ponds where the wappatoo grows, as they feed much
on that root. We also observed the crested king-fisher, and the large
and small blackbird: and this evening heard, without seeing, the large
hooting owl. The frogs, which we have not found in the wet marshes
near the entrance of the Columbia, are now croaking in the swamps and
marshes with precisely the same note common in the United States.
The gartersnakes appear in quantities, and are scattered through the
prairies in large bundles of forty or fifty entwined round each other:
among the moss on the rocks we observed a species of small wild onions
growing so closely together as to form a perfect turf, and equal in
favour to the shives of our gardens, which they resemble in appearance
also.
Sunday, 30. Soon after our departure we were met by three
Clanaminamums, one of whom are recognised as our companion yesterday.
He pressed us very much to visit his countrymen on the inlet, but we
had no time to make the circuit, and parted. We proceeded far before
a party of Claxtars, and Cathlacumups, passed us in two canoes, on
their way down the river; and soon after we were met by several other
canoes, filled with persons of different tribes on each side of the
river. We passed, also, several fishing camps, on Wappatoo island, and
then halted for breakfast on the north side of the river, near our camp
of the 4th of November. Here we were visited by several canoes from
two villages on Wappatoo island; the first, about two miles above us,
is called Clahnaquah, the other a mile above them, has the name of
Multnomah. After higgling much in the manner of those on the seacoast,
these Indians gave us a sturgeon with some wappatoo and pashequaw in
exchange for small fish-hooks. As we proceeded we were joined by other
Indians, and on coming opposite to the Clahnaquah village, we were
shown another village about two miles from the river on the northeast
side, and behind a pond running parallel with it. Here they said the
tribe called Shotos resided. About four o’clock the Indians all left
us. Their chief object in accompanying us appeared to be to gratify
curiosity; but though they behaved in the most friendly manner, most
of them were prepared with their instruments of war. About sunset we
reached a beautiful prairie, opposite the middle of what we had called
Image-canoe island, and having made twenty-three miles, encamped for
the night. In the prairie is a large pond or lake, and an open grove
of oak borders the back part. There are many deer and elk in the
neighbourhood, but they are very shy, and the annual fern which is now
abundant and dry, make such a rustling as the hunters pass through it,
that they could not come within reach of the game, and we obtained
nothing but a single duck.
Monday 31. We set out very early, and at eight o’clock landed on the
north side of the river and breakfasted. Directly opposite is a large
wooden house, belonging to the Shahala nation, the inhabitants of which
came over to see us. We had observed in descending the river last year,
that there were at the same place, twenty-four other houses built of
wood and covered with straw, all of which are now destroyed: on inquiry
the Indians informed us, that their relations whom we saw last fall,
usually visit them at that season for the purpose of hunting deer and
elk, and collecting wappatoo, but that they had lately returned to
their residence at the Rapids, we presume in order to prepare for the
salmon season, as that fish will soon begin to run. At ten o’clock we
resumed our route along the north side of the river, and having passed
Diamond island, and Whitebrant island, halted for the night at the
lower point of a handsome prairie. Our camp which is twenty-five miles
from that of last night, is situated opposite to the upper entrance
of Quicksand river: a little below a stream from the north empties
itself into the Columbia, near the head of Whitebrant island. It is
about eighty yards wide, and at present discharges a large body of very
clear water, which near the Columbia overflows its low banks, and forms
several large ponds. The natives inform us that this river is of no
great extent, and rises in the mountains near us, and that at a mile
from its mouth it is divided into two nearly equal branches, both of
which are incapable of being navigated, on account of their numerous
falls and rapids. Not being able to learn any Indian name, we called
it Seal river, from the abundance of those animals near its mouth. At
the same place we saw a summer duck, or a wood duck, as it is sometimes
called; it is the same with those of the United States, and the first
we had seen since entering the Rocky mountains last summer.
The hunters who had been obliged to halt below Seal river on account
of the waves being too high for their small canoe, returned after dark
with the unwelcome news that game was scarce in that quarter.
Tuesday, April 1. Three Indians had followed us yesterday, and encamped
near us last night. On putting to them a variety of questions relative
to their country, they assured us that Quicksand river, which we had
hitherto deemed so considerable, extends no further than the southwest
side of mount Hood, which is south 85° east, forty miles distant from
this place; that it is moreover navigable for a very short distance
only, in consequence of falls and rapids, and that no nation inhabits
its borders. Several other persons affirmed that it rose near mount
Hood, and sergeant Pryor, who was sent for the purpose of examining
it, convinced us of the truth of their statement. He had found the
river three hundred yards wide, though the channel was not more than
fifty yards, and about six feet deep. The current was rapid, the water
turbid, the bed of the river is formed entirely of quicksand, and the
banks low and at present overflowed. He passed several islands, and at
three and a half miles distance a creek from the south, fifty yards
wide; his farthest course was six miles from the mouth of the river,
but there it seemed to bend to the east, and he heard the noise of
waterfalls. If Quicksand river then does not go beyond mount Hood, it
must leave the valley a few miles from its entrance, and run nearly
parallel with the Columbia. There must therefore be some other large
river, which we have not yet seen, to water the extensive country
between the mountains of the coast and Quicksand river; but the Indians
could give us no satisfactory information of any such stream.
Whilst we were making these inquiries, a number of canoes came to us,
and among the rest a number of families were descending the river.
They told us that they lived at the Great rapids, but that a great
scarcity of provisions there, had induced them to come down in hopes
of finding subsistence in this fertile valley. All those who lived at
the rapids, as well as the nations above them, were in much distress
for want of food, having consumed their winter store of dried fish,
and not expecting the return of the salmon before the next full
moon, which will happen on the second of May: this intelligence was
disagreeable and embarrassing. From the falls to the Chopunnish nation,
the plains afford no deer, elk, or antelope, on which we can rely for
subsistence. The horses are very poor at this season, and the dogs must
be in the same condition if their food the fish have failed, so that
we had calculated entirely on purchasing fish. On the other hand it
is obviously inexpedient to wait for the return of the salmon, since
in that case we might not reach the Missouri before the ice would
prevent our navigating it. We might besides hazard the loss of our
horses, for the Chopunnish, with whom we left them, intend crossing
the mountains as early as possible, which is about the beginning of
May, and they would take our horses with them, or suffer them to
disperse, in either of which cases the passage of the mountains will be
almost impracticable. We therefore, after much deliberation, decided
to remain here till we collect meat enough to last us till we reach
the Chopunnish nation, to obtain canoes from the natives as we ascend,
either in exchange for our periougues, or by purchasing them with skins
and merchandise. These canoes may in turn be exchanged for horses with
the natives of the plains, till we obtain enough to travel altogether
by land. On reaching the southeast branch of the Columbia, four or five
men shall be sent on to the Chopunnish to have our horses in readiness,
and thus we shall have a stock of horses sufficient to transport our
baggage and to supply us with provisions, for we now perceive that they
will form our only certain resource for food.
The hunters returned from the opposite side of the river with some deer
and elk, which were abundant there, as were also the tracks of the
black bear; while on the north side we could kill nothing.
In the course of our dealings to-day we purchased a canoe from an
Indian, for which we gave six fathom of wampum beads. He seemed
perfectly satisfied and went away, but returned soon after, cancelled
the bargain, and giving back the wampum requested that we would restore
him the canoe. To this we consented, as we knew this method of trading
to be very common and deemed perfectly fair.
Wednesday, 2. Being now determined to collect as much meat as possible,
two parties, consisting of nine men, were sent over the river to hunt,
three were ordered to range the country on this side, while all the
rest were employed in cutting and scaffolding the meat which we had
already. About eight o’clock several canoes arrived to visit us, and
among the rest were two young men, who were pointed out as Cashooks.
On inquiry, they said that their nation resided at the falls of a large
river, which empties itself into the south side of the Columbia, a few
miles below us, and they drew a map of the country, with a coal on a
mat. In order to verify this information, captain Clarke persuaded one
of the young men, by a present of a burning-glass, to accompany him to
the river, in search of which he immediately set out with a canoe and
seven of our men. After his departure other canoes arrived from above,
bringing families of women and children, who confirmed the accounts
of a scarcity of provisions. One of these families, consisting of ten
or twelve persons, encamped near us, and behaved perfectly well. The
hunters on this side of the river, returned with the skins of only two
deer, the animals being too poor for use.
Thursday, 3. A considerable number of Indians crowded us to-day, many
of whom came from the upper part of the river. These poor wretches
confirm the reports of scarcity among the nations above; which, indeed,
their appearance sufficiently prove, for they seem almost starved, and
greedily pick the bones and refuse meat thrown away by us.
In the evening captain Clarke returned from his excursion. On setting
out yesterday at half past eleven o’clock, he directed his course along
the south side of the river, where, at the distance of eight miles,
he passed a village of the Nechacohee tribe, belonging to the Eloot
nation. The village itself is small, and being situated behind Diamond
island, was concealed from our view as we passed both times along the
northern shore. He continued till three o’clock, when he landed at the
single house already mentioned, as the only remains of a village of
twenty-four straw huts. Along the shore were great numbers of small
canoes for gathering wappatoo, which were left by the Shahalas, who
visit the place annually. The present inhabitants of the house are
part of the Neerchokioo tribe of the same nation. On entering one of
the apartments of the house, captain Clarke offered several articles
to the Indians, in exchange for wappatoo, but they appeared sullen
and ill-humoured, and refused to give him any. He therefore sat down
by the fire, opposite to the men, and taking a port-fire match from
his pocket, threw a small piece of it into the flame, at the same time
took his pocket compass, and by means of a magnet, which happened to
be in his inkhorn, made the needle turn round very briskly. The match
now took fire, and burned violently, on which, the Indians terrified at
this strange exhibition, immediately brought a quantity of wappatoo,
and laid it at his feet, begging him to put out the bad fire: while
an old woman continued to speak with great vehemence, as if praying
and imploring protection. Having received the roots, captain Clarke
put up the compass, and as the match went out of itself, tranquillity
was restored, though the women and children still took refuge in their
beds, and behind the men. He now paid them for what he had used, and
after lighting his pipe, and smoking with them, he continued down the
river. He now found what we had called Image-canoe island, to consist
of three islands, the one in the middle concealing the opening between
the other two in such a way, as to present to us on the opposite side
of the river, the appearance of a single island. At the lower point of
the third, and thirteen miles below the last village, he entered the
mouth of a large river, which was concealed by three small islands in
its mouth, from those who descend or go up the Columbia. This river,
which the Indians call Multnomah, from a nation of the same name,
residing near it on Wappatoo island, enters the Columbia, one hundred
and forty miles from the mouth of the latter river, of which it may
justly be considered as forming one fourth, though it had now fallen
eighteen inches below its greatest annual height. From its entrance
mount Regnier bears nearly north, mount St. Helen’s north, with a very
high humped mountain a little to the east of it, which seems to lie
in the same chain with the conic-pointed mountains before mentioned.
Mount Hood bore due east, and captain Clarke now discovered to the
southeast, a mountain which we had not yet seen, and to which he gave
the name of mount Jefferson. Like mount St. Helen’s its figure is a
regular cone covered with snow, and is probably of equal height with
that mountain, though being more distant, so large a portion of it
does not appear above the range of mountains which lie between these
and this point. Soon after entering the Multnomah he was met by an old
Indian descending the river alone in a canoe. After some conversation
with him, the pilot informed captain Clarke, that this old man belonged
to the Clackamos nation, who reside on a river forty miles up the
Multnomah. The current of this latter river, is as gentle as that of
the Columbia, its surface is smooth and even, and it appears to possess
water enough for the largest ship, since, on sounding with a line
of five fathoms, he could find no bottom for at least one third of
the width of the stream. At the distance of seven miles, he passed a
sluice or opening, on the right, eighty yards wide, and which separates
Wappatoo island from the continent, by emptying itself into the inlet
below. Three miles further up, he reached a large wooden house, on the
east side, where he intended to sleep, but on entering the rooms he
found such swarms of fleas that he preferred lying on the ground in the
neighbourhood. The guide informed him that this house is the temporary
residence of the Nemalquinner tribe of the Cushook nation, who reside
just below the falls of the Multnomah, but come down here occasionally
to collect wappatoo: it was thirty feet long, and forty deep; built
of broad boards, covered with the bark of white cedar; the floor on
a level with the surface of the earth, and the arrangement of the
interior like those near the seacoast. The inhabitants had left their
canoes, matts, bladders, train-oil, baskets, bowls, and trenchers,
lying about the house at the mercy of every visiter; a proof, indeed,
of the mutual respect for the property of each other, though we have
had very conclusive evidence that the property of white men is not
deemed equally sacred. The guide informed him further, that a small
distance above were two bayous, on which were a number of small houses
belonging to the Cushooks, but that the inhabitants had all gone up to
the falls of the Multnomah, for the purpose of fishing. Early the next
morning captain Clarke proceeded up the river, which, during the night,
had fallen about five inches. At the distance of two miles he came
to the centre of a bend under the highlands on the right side, from
which its course, as could be discerned, was to the east of southeast.
At this place the Multnomah is five hundred yards wide, and for half
that distance across, the cord of five fathoms would not reach the
bottom. It appears to be washing away its banks, and has more sandbars
and willow points than the Columbia. Its regular gentle current, the
depth and smoothness, and uniformity with which it rolls its vast body
of water, prove that its supplies are at once distant and regular;
nor, judging from its appearance and courses, is it rash to believe
that the Multnomah and its tributary streams water the vast extent of
country between the western mountains and those of the seacoast, as far
perhaps as the waters of the gulf of California. About eleven o’clock
he reached the house of the Neerchokioo, which he now found to contain
eight families; but they were all so much alarmed at his presence,
notwithstanding his visit yesterday, that he remained a very few
minutes only. Soon after setting out, he met five canoes filled with
the same number of families, belonging to the Shahala nation. They were
descending the river in search of subsistence, and seemed very desirous
of coming alongside of the boat; but as there were twenty-one men on
board, and the guide said that all these Shahalas, as well as their
relations at the house which we had just left, were mischievous bad
men, they were not suffered to approach. At three o’clock he halted for
an hour at the Nechecolee house, where his guide resided. This large
building is two hundred and twenty-six feet in front, entirely above
ground, and may be considered as a single house, because the whole is
under one roof; otherwise it would seem more like a range of buildings,
as it is divided into seven distinct apartments, each thirty feet
square, by means of broad boards set on end from the floor to the roof.
The apartments are separated from each other by a passage or alley four
feet wide, extending through the whole depth of the house, and the only
entrance is from this alley, through a small hole about twenty-two
inches wide, and not more than three feet high. The roof is formed
of rafters and round poles laid on them longitudinally. The whole is
covered with a double row of the bark of the white cedar, extending
from the top eighteen inches over the eaves, and secured as well as
smoothed by splinters of dried fir, inserted through it at regular
distances. In this manner the roof is made light, strong, and durable.
Near this house are the remains of several other large buildings, sunk
in the ground and constructed like those we had seen at the great
narrows of the Columbia, belonging to the Eloots, with whom these
people claim an affinity. In manners and dress these Nechecolees differ
but little from the Quathlapotles and others of this neighborhood; but
their language is the same used by the Eloots, and though it has some
words in common with the dialects spoken here, yet the whole air of
the language is obviously different. The men too are larger, and both
sexes better formed than among the nations below; and the females are
distinguished by wearing larger and longer robes, which are generally
of deer skin dressed in the hair, than the neighbouring women. In the
house were several old people of both sexes, who were treated with much
respect, and still seemed healthy, though most of them were perfectly
blind. On inquiring the cause of the decline of their village, an old
man, the father of the guide, and a person of some distinction, brought
forward a woman very much marked with the small-pox, and said, that
when a girl she was very near dying with the disorder which had left
those marks, and that all the inhabitants of the houses now in ruins
had fallen victims to the same disease. From the apparent age of the
woman, connected with her size at the time of her illness, captain
Clarke judged that the sickness must have been about thirty years ago,
the period about which we have supposed that the small-pox prevailed on
the seacoast.
He then entered into a long conversation with regard to all the
adjacent country and its inhabitants, which the old man explained with
great intelligence, and then drew with his finger in the dust a sketch
of the Multnomah, and Wappatoo island. This captain Clarke copied
and preserved. He now purchased five dogs, and taking leave of the
Nechecolee village, returned to camp.