|
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.
Next Journal
Entry
|
