October 24, 1805
October 24th Thursday 1805
a fine morning the Indians approached us with caution. our 2 old Chiefs
deturmin to return home, Saying they were at war with Indians below and
they would kill them we pursuaded them to Stay 2 nights longer with us,
with a view to make a peace with those Indians below as well as to have
them with us dureing our Delay with this tribe. Capt Lewis went to view
the falls I Set out with the party at 9 oClock a m at 21/2 miles passed
a rock which makes from the Stard Side 4 Lodges above 1 below and
Confined the river in a narrow channel of about 45 yards this continued
for about 1/4 of a mile & widened to about 200 yards, in those narrows
the water was agitated in a most Shocking manner boils Swell & whorl
pools, we passed with great risque It being impossible to make a
portage of the Canoes, about 2 miles lower passed a verry Bad place
between 2 rocks one large & in the middle of the river here our Canoes
took in Some water, I put all the men who Could not Swim on Shore; &
Sent a fiew articles Such as guns & papers, and landed at a village of
20 houses on the Stard Side in a Deep bason where the river ap-prd. to
be blocked up with emence rocks I walked down and examined the pass
found it narrow, and one verry bad place a little in the narrows I
pursued this Chanel which is from 50 to 100 yards wide and Swels and
boils with a most Tremendeous manner; prosued this channel 5 ms &
returned found Capt Lewis & a Chief from below with maney of his men on
a visit to us, one of our Party Pete Crusat played on the violin which
pleased the Savage, the men danced, Great numbers of Sea Orter Pole
Cats about those fishories. the houses of those Indians are 20 feet
Square and Sunk 8 feet under ground & Covered with bark with a Small
door round at top rose about 18 Inches above ground, to keep out the
Snow I saw 107 parcels of fish Stacked, and great quantites in the
houses
October 24th Thursday 1805
The morning fare after a beautifull night, the nativs approached us
this morning with great caution. our two old chiefs expressed a desire
to return to their band from this place, Saying "that they Could be of
no further Service to us, as their nation extended no further down the
river than those falls, and as the nation below had expressed hostile
intentions against us, would Certainly kill them; perticularly as They
had been at war with each other;" we requested them to Stay with us two
nights longer, and we would See the nation below and make a peace
between them, they replied they "were anxious to return and See our
horses" we insisted on their Staying with us two nights longer to which
they agreed; our views were to detain those Chiefs with us untill we
Should pass the next falls, which we were told was verry bad, and at no
great distance below, that they might inform us of any designs of the
nativs, and if possible to bring about a peace between them and the
tribes below.
The first pitch of this falls is 20 feet perpendicular, then passing
thro a narrow Chanel for 1 mile to a rapid of about 18 feet fall below
which the water has no perceptable fall but verry rapid See Sketch No.
1. It may be proper here to remark that from Some obstruction below,
the cause of which we have not yet learned, the water in high fluds
(which are in the Spring) rise below these falls nearly to a leavel
with the water above the falls; the marks of which can be plainly
trac'd around the falls. at that Stage of the water the Salmon must
pass up which abounds in Such great numbers above— below those falls
are Salmon trout and great numbers of the heads of a Species of trout
Smaller than the Salmon. those fish they catch out of the Salmon
Season, and are at this time in the act of burrying those which they
had drid for winter food. the mode of buring those fish is in holes of
various Sizes, lined with Straw on which they lay fish Skins in which
they inclose the fish which is laid verry close, and then Covered with
earth of about 12 or 15 inches thick. Capt Lewis and three men crossed
the river and on the opposit Side to view the falls which he had not
yet taken a full view of— At 9 oClock a.m. I Set out with the party and
proceeded on down a rapid Stream of about 400 yards wide at 21/2 miles
the river widened into a large bason to the Stard. Side on which there
is five Lodges of Indians. here a tremendious black rock Presented
itself high and Steep appearing to choke up the river nor could I See
where the water passed further than the Current was drawn with great
velocity to the Lard Side of this rock at which place I heard a great
roreing. I landed at the Lodges and the natives went with me to the top
of this rock which makes from the Stard. Side; from the top of which I
could See the dificuelties we had to pass for Several miles below; at
this place the water of this great river is compressed into a Chanel
between two rocks not exceeding forty five yards wide and continues for
a 1/4 of a mile when it again widens to 200 yards and continues this
width for about 2 miles when it is again intersepted by rocks. This
obstruction in the river accounts for the water in high floods riseing
to Such a hite at the last falls. The whole of the Current of this
great river must at all Stages pass thro this narrow chanel of 45 yards
wide. as the portage of our canoes over this high rock would be
impossible with our Strength, and the only danger in passing thro those
narrows was the whorls and Swills arriseing from the Compression of the
water, and which I thought (as also our principal watermen Peter
Crusat) by good Stearing we could pass down Safe, accordingly I detur
mined to pass through this place notwithstanding the horrid appearance
of this agitated gut Swelling, boiling & whorling in every direction
(which from the top of the rock did not appear as bad as when I was in
it;) however we passed Safe to the astonishment of all the Inds. of the
last Lodges who viewed us from the top of the rock. passed one Lodge
below this rock and halted on the Stard. Side to view a verry bad
place, the Current divided by 2 Islands of rocks the lower of them
large and in the middle of the river, this place being verry bad I Sent
by land all the men who could not Swim and Such articles as was most
valuable to us Such as papers Guns & amunition, and proceeded down with
the Canoes two at a time to a village of 20 wood housies in a Deep bend
to the Stard. Side below which a rugid black rock about 20 feet biter
than the Common high fluds of the river with Several dry Chapels which
appeared to Choke the river up quite across; this I took to be the 2d
falls or the place the nativs above call timm, The nativs of this
village reived me verry kindly, one of whome envited me into his house,
which I found to be large and comodious, and the first wooden houses in
which Indians have lived Since we left those in the vicinty of the
Illinois, they are scattered permiscuisly on a elivated Situation near
a mound of about 30 feet above the Common leavel, which mound has Some
remains of houses and has every appearance of being artificial— those
houses are about the Same Shape Size and form 20 feet wide and 30 feet
long with one Dore raised 18 Inches above ground, they are 291/2 inches
high & 14 wide, forming in a half Circle above those houses were Sunk
into the earth Six feet, the roofs of them was Supported by a ridge
pole resting on three Strong pieces of Split timber thro one of which
the dore was cut that and the walls the top of which was just above
ground Suported a certain number of Spars which are Covered with the
Bark of the white Ceadar, or Arber Vitea; and the whole attached and
Secured by the fibers of the Cedar. the eaves at or near the earth, the
gable ends and Side walls are Secured with Split boards which is
Seported on iner Side with Strong pieces of timber under the eves &c.
to keep those pieces errect & the earth from without pressing in the
boards, Suported by Strong posts at the Corners to which those poles
were attached to give aditional Strength, Small openings were left
above the ground, for the purpose, as I conjectured, of deschargeing
Their arrows at a besiegeing enimey; Light is admited Thro an opening
at top which also Serves for the Smoke to pass through. one half of
those houses is apropriated for the Storeing away Dried & pounded fish
which is the principal food The other part next the dore is the part
occupied by the nativs who have beds raised on either Side, with a fire
place in the center of this Space each house appeared to be occupied by
about three families; that part which is apropriated for fish was
crouded with that article, and a fiew baskets of burries— I dispatched
a Sufficent number of the good Swimers back for the 2 canoes above the
last rapid and with 2 men walked down three miles to examine the river
Over a bed of rocks, which the water at verry high fluds passes over,
on those rocks I Saw Several large Scaffols on which the Indians dry
fish; as this is out of Season the poles on which they dry those fish
are tied up verry Securely in large bundles and put upon the Scaffolds,
I counted 107 Stacks of dried pounded fish in different places on those
rocks which must have contained io,ooo w. of neet fish, The evening
being late I could not examine the river to my Satisfaction, the Chanel
is narrow and compressed for about 2 miles, when it widens into a deep
bason to the Stard. Side, & again contracts into a narrow chanel
divided by a rock I returned through a rockey open countrey infested
with pole-cats to the village where I met with Capt. Lewis the two old
Chiefs who accompanied us & the party & canoes who had all arrived
Safe; the Canoes haveing taken in Some water at the last rapids. here
we formed a Camp near the Village, The principal Chief from the nation
below with Several of his men visited us, and afforded a favourable
oppertunity of bringing about a Piece and good understanding between
this chief and his people and the two Chiefs who accompanied us which
we have the Satisfaction to Say we have accomplished, as we have every
reason to believe and that those two bands or nations are and will be
on the most friendly terms with each other. gave this Great Chief a
Medal and Some other articles, of which he was much pleased, Peter
Crusat played on the violin and the men danced which delighted the
nativs, who Shew every civility towards us. we Smoked with those people
untill late at night, when every one retired to rest.
