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October 12, 1805
Saturday 12. The wind
in the after part of the day changed to the southwest and became
high, but in the morning, it shifted to the east, and we had
a fair cool morning. After purchasing all the provisions these
Indians would spare, which amounted to only three dogs and a
few fish, we proceeded. We soon reached a small island, and
in the course of three miles passed three other islands nearly
opposite to each other, and a bad rapid on the left in the neighborhood
of them. Within the following seven miles we passed a small
rapid, and an island on the left, another stony island and a
rapid on the right, just below which a brook comes in on the
same side, and came to a bend towards the right opposite to
a small island. From this place we saw some Indians on the hills,
but they were too far off for us to have any intercourse, and
showed no disposition to approach us. After going on two miles
to a bend towards the left, we found the plains, which till
now had formed rugged cliffs over the river, leaving small and
narrow bottoms, become much lower on both sides, and the river
itself widens to the space of four hundred yards, and continues
for the same width, the country rising by a gentle ascent towards
the high plains. At two and a half miles is a small creek on
the left opposite to an island. For the three following miles,
the country is low and open on both sides, after which it gradually
rises till we reached a bend of the river towards the right,
three and a half miles further, in the course of which we passed
a rapid and an island. The wind now changed to the southwest,
and became violent. We passed an island at the distance of four
miles, another one mile beyond it, where the water was swift
and shallow, and two miles further, a rapid at the upper point
of a small stony island. We went along this island by the mouth
of a brook on the right, and encamped on the same side opposite
to a small island close under the left shore. Our day's journey
had been thirty miles, and we might have gone still further,
but as the evening was coming on we halted at the head of a
rapid, which the Indians represented as dangerous to pass, for
the purpose of examining it before we set out in the morning.
The country has much the same appearance as that we passed yesterday,
consisting of open plains, which when they approach the water
are faced with a dark-colored rugged stone. The river is as
usual much obstructed by islands and rapids, some of which are
difficult to pass. Neither the plains nor the borders of the
river possess any timber, except a few hackberry bushes and
willows, and as there is not much driftwood, fuel is very scarce.
October 13,
1805
Sunday 13. The morning
was windy and dark, and the which began before daylight, continued
till near twelve o'clock. Having viewed very accurately the
whole of this rapid we set out, the Indians going on before
us to pilot the canoes. We found it, as had been reported, a
very dangerous rapid, about two miles in length, and strewed
with rocks in every direction, so as to require great dexterity
to avoid running against them. We however passed through the
channel, which is towards the left, and about the centre of
the rapid, without meeting with any accident. Two miles below
it we had another bad rapid, a mile beyond which is a large
creek in a bend to the left. This we called Kimooenim creek.
On leaving it the river soon became crowded with rough black
rocks, till at the distance of a mile it forms a rapid which
continues for four miles, and during the latter part of it for
a mile and a half, the whole river is compressed into a narrow
channel, not more than twenty-five yards wide. The water happened
to be low as we passed, but during the high waters, the navigation
must be very difficult. Immediately at the end of this rapid,
is a large stream in a bend to the right, which we called Drewyer's
river, after George Drewyer one of the party. A little below
the mouth of this river is a large fishing establishment, where
there are the scaffolds and timbers of several houses piled
up against each other, and the meadow adjoining contains a number
of holes, which seem to have been used as places of deposits
for fish for a great length of time. There were no entire houses
standing, and we saw only two Indians who had visited the narrows,
but we were overtaken by two others, who accompanied us on horseback
down the river, informing us that they meant to proceed by land
down to the great river. Nine and a half miles below Drewyer's
river, we passed another rapid, and three and a half miles farther
reached some high cliffs in a bend to the left. Here after passing
the timbers of a house, which were preserved on forks, we encamped
on the right side, near a collection of graves, such as we had
seen above. The country was still an open plain without timber,
and our day's journey had no variety, except the fishing houses
which are scattered near the situations convenient for fishing,
but are now empty. Our two Indian companions spent the night
with us.
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