April 2, 1806
Wednesday April 2ed 1806.
This morning we came to a resolution to remain at our present
encampment or some where in this neighbourhood untill we had obtained
as much dryed meat as would be necessary for our voyage as far as the
Chopunnish. to exchange our perogues for canoes with the natives on our
way to the great falls of the columbia or purchase such canoes from
them for Elkskins and Merchandize as would answer our purposes. these
canoes we intend exchanging with the natives of the plains for horses
as we proceed untill we obtain as many as will enable us to travel
altogether by land. at some convenient point, perhaps at the entrence
of the S. E. branch of the Columbia, we purpose sending a party of four
or five men a head to collect our horses that they may be in readiness
for us by our arrival at the Chopunnish; calculating by thus acquiring
a large stock of horses we shall not only sucure the means of
transporting our baggage over the mountains but that we will also have
provided the means of subsisting; for we now view the horses as our
only certain resource for food, nor do we look forward to it with any
detestation or borrow, so soon is the mind which is occupyed with any
interesting object reconciled to it's situation. The men who were sent
in quest of the Elk and deer that were killed yesterday returned at 8
A.M. this morning. we now enformed the party of our intention of laying
in a store of meat at this place, and immediately dispatched two
parteis consisting of nine men to the opposite side of the river. five
of those we sent below the Quicksand river and 4 above. we also sent
out three others on this side, and those who remained in camp were
employed in collecting wood making a scaffoald and cuting up the meat
in order to dry it. about this time several canoes of the natives
arrived at our camp and among others one from below which had on board
eight men of the Shah-ha-la nation these men informed us that 2 young
men whom they pointed out were Cash-hooks and resided at the falls of a
large river which discharges itself into the Columbia on it's South
side some miles below us. we readily prevailed on them to give us a
sketch of this river which they drew on a mat with a coal. it appeared
that this river which they called Mult-no-mah discharged itself behind
the Island which we called the image canoe Island and as we had left
this island to the S. both in ascending and decending the river we had
never seen it. they informed us that it was a large river and run a
considerable distance to the South between the mountains. Capt. Clark
determined to return and examine this river accordingly he took a party
of seven men and one of the perogues and set out 1/2 after 11 A.M., he
hired one of the Cashhooks, for a birning glass, to pilot him to the
entrance of the Multnomah river and took him on board with him. in
their manners dress language and stature these people are the same with
the quathlahpohtle nation and others residing in the neighbourhood of
wappetoe Island. near the entrance of multnomah river a considerable
nation resides on the lower side of that stream by the same name. as
many as ten canoes with natives arrived at our camp in the course of
the day; most of them were families of men women and children decencing
the river. they all gave the same account of the scarcity of provision
above. I shot my air gun, with which they were much astonished. one
family consisting of ten or twelve persons remained near us all night.
they conducted themselves in a very orderly manner. the three hunters
on this side of the river returned in the evening they had killed two
deer, tho they were so poor and at such a distance from camp that they
brought in their skins only. the night and morning being cloudy I was
again disappointed in making the observations I wished.
Fir is the common growth of the uplands, as is the cottonwood, ash;
large leafed ash and sweet willow that of the bottom lands. the
huckleburry, shallon, and the several evergreen shrubs of that speceis
which bear burries have seased to appear except that speceis which has
the leaf with a prickly margin. among the plants of this prarie in
which we are encamped I observe the passhequo, Shannetahque, and
compound firn the roots of which the natives eat; also the water cress,
strawburry, flowering pea not yet in blume, the sinquefoil, narrow
dock, sand rush which are luxuriant and abundant in the river bottoms;
a speceis of the bearsclaw of which I preserved a specemine it is in
blume. the large leafed thorn has also disappeared. the red flowering
currant is found here in considerable quantities on the uplands. the
hunters inform me that there are extensive praries on the highlands a
few miles back from the river on this side. the land is very fertile.
Wednesday April 2nd 1806
This morning we came to a resolution to remain at our present
encampment or Some where in this neighbourhood untill we had obtained
as much dried meat as would be necessary for our voyage as far as the
Chopunnish. to exchange our large Canoes for Small ones with the nativs
on our way to the great Falls of the Columbia or purchase Such canoes
from them for Elk skins and Merchindize as would answer our purposes.
these canoes we intend exchangeing with the nativs of the Plains for
horses as we proceed untill we obtain as maney as will enable us to
travel altogether by land. at Some convenient point, perhaps at the
enterance of Lewis's River we intend Sending a party of 4 or 5 men
ahead to Collect our horses that they may be in readiness for us by our
arrival at the Chopunnish; Calculating by thus acquireing a large Stock
of horses we shall not only Secure the means of transporting our
baggage over the Mountains, but that we also have provided the means of
Subsisting; for we now view the horses as our only Certain resource for
food, nor do we look foward to it with any detestation or horrow, So
Soon is the Mind which is occupied with any interesting object,
reconsiled to it's Situation. The men who went in quest of the Elk and
Deer which were killed yesterday returned at 8 A.M. this morning. we
now informed the party of our intention of laying in a Store of meat at
this place, and imediately dispatched two parties Consisting of nine
men to the opposit Side of the river. 5 of them below and 4 above quick
Sand River. we also Sent out 3 others on this Side, and those who
remained in Camp were employd in Collecting wood makeing a Scaffold and
Cutting up the meat in order to dry it. about this time Several Canoes
of the nativs arived at our Camp among others two from below with Eight
men of the Shah-ha-la Nation those men informed us that they reside on
the opposit Side of the Columbia near Some pine trees which they
pointed to in the bottom South of the Dimond Island, they Singled out
two young men whome they informed us lived at the Falls of a large
river which discharges itself into the Columbia on it's South Side Some
Miles below us. we readily provailed on them to give us a Sketch of
this river which they drew on a Mat with a coal, it appeared that this
river which they Call Mult-no'-mah discharged itself behind the Island
we call the image Canoe island, and as we had left this Island to the
South both in decending & assending the river we had never Seen it.
they informed us that it was a large river and runs a Considerable
distance to the South between the Mountains. I deturmined to take a
Small party and return to this river and examine its Size and Collect
as much information of the nativs on it or near its enterance into the
Columbia of its extent, the Country which it waters and the nativs who
inhabit its banks &c. I took with me Six Men. Thompson J. Potts, Peter
Crusat, P. Wiser, T. P. Howard, Jos. Whitehouse & my man York in a
large Canoe, with an Indian whome I hired for a Sun glass to accompany
me as a pilot. at half past 11 A.M. I Set out, and had not proceeded
far eer I saw 4 large Canoes at Some distance above decending and
bending their Course towards our Camp which at this time is very weak
Capt. Lewis haveing only 10 men with him. I hisitated for a moment
whether it would not be advisable for me to return and delay untill a
part of our hunters Should return to add more Strength to our Camp. but
on a Second reflection and reverting to the precautions always taken by
my friend Capt Lewis on those occasions banished all apprehensions and
I proceeded on down. at 8 miles passed a village on the South side at
this place my Pilot informed me he resided and that the name of his
tribe is Ne-cha-co-lee, this village is back or to the South of Dimond
island, and as we passed on the North Side of the island both decending
& assending did not See or know of this Village. I proceeded on without
landing at this village. at 3 P.M. I landed at a large double house of
the Ne-er-choki-oo tribe of the Shah-ha-la Nation. at this place we had
Seen 24 aditional Straw Huts as we passed down last fall and whome as I
have before mentioned reside at the Great rapids of the Columbia. on
the bank at different places I observed Small Canoes which the women
make use of to gather Wappato & roots in the Slashes. those Canoes are
from 10 to 14 feet long and from 18 to 23 inches wide in the widest
part tapering from the center to both ends in this form and about 9
inches deep and So light that a woman may with one hand haul them with
ease, and they are Sufficient to Carry a woman an Some loading. I think
100 of those canoes were piled up and Scattered in different directions
about in the Woods in the vecinity of this house, the pilot informed me
that those Canoes were the property of the inhabitents of the Grand
rapids who used them ocasionally to gather roots. I entered one of the
rooms of this house and offered Several articles to the nativs in
exchange for Wappato. they were Sulkey and they positively refused to
Sell any. I had a Small pece of port fire match in my pocket, off of
which I cut a pece one inch in length & put it into the fire and took
out my pocket Compas and Set myself doun on a mat on one Side of the
fire, and a magnet which was in the top of my ink Stand the port fire
cought and burned vehemently, which changed the Colour of the fire;
with the Magnit I turned the Needle of the Compas about very briskly;
which astonished and alarmed these nativs and they laid Several parsles
of Wappato at my feet, & begged of me to take out the bad fire; to this
I consented; at this moment the match being exhausted was of course
extinguished and I put up the magnet &c. this measure alarmed them So
much that the womin and children took Shelter in their beads and behind
the men, all this time a very old blind man was Speaking with great
vehemunce, appearently imploreing his gode. I lit my pipe and gave them
Smoke & gave the womin the full amount of the roots which they had put
at my feet. they appeared Somewhat passified and I left them and
proceeded on on the South Side of Image Canoe Island which I found to
be two Islands hid from the opposit Side by one near the Center of the
river. the lower point of the upper and the upper point of the lower
cannot be Seen from the North Side of the Columbia on which we had
passed both decending and ascending and had not observed the apperture
between those islands. at the distance of 13 Miles below the last
village and at the place I had Supposed was the lower point of the
image Canoe island, I entered this river which the nativs had informed
us of, Called Mult no mah River so called by the nativs from a Nation
who reside on Wappato Island a little below the enterance of this
river. Multnomah discharges itself in the Columbia on the S. E. and may
be justly Said to be 1/4 the Size of that noble river. Multnomah had
fallen 18 inches from it's greatest annual height. three Small Islands
are situated in it's mouth which hides the river from view from the
Columbia from the enterance of this river, I can plainly See Mt.
Jefferson which is high and Covered with snow S. E. Mt. Hood East, Mt
St. Helians a high humped Mountain to the East of Mt St. Helians. I
also Saw the Mt. Raneer Nearly North. Soon after I arived at this river
an old man passed down of the Clark a'mos Nation who are noumerous and
reside on a branch of this river which receives it's waters from
Mt.,Jefferson which is emensely high and discharges itself into this
river one day and a half up, this distance I State at 40 Miles. This
nation inhabits 11 Villages their Dress and language is very Similar to
the Quath-lah-poh-tle and other tribes on Wappato Island.
The Current of the Multnomar is as jentle as that of the Columbia
glides Smoothly with an eavin surface, and appears to be Sufficiently
deep for the largest Ship. I attempted fathom it with a Cord of 5
fathom which was the only Cord I had, could not find bottom 1/3 of the
distance across. I proceeded up this river 10 miles from it's enterance
into the Columbia to a large house on the N E. Side and Encamped near
the house, the flees being So noumerous in the house that we could not
Sleep in it. this is the house of the Cush-hooks Nation who reside at
the falls of this river which the pilot informs me they make use of
when they Come down to the Vally to gather Wappato. he also informs me
that a number of other Smaller houses are Situated on two Bayous which
make out on the S. E. Side a little below the house. this house appears
to have been laterly abandoned by its inhabitants in which they had
left Sundery articles Such as Small Canoes mats, bladdles of Oil and
baskits bowls & trenchers. and as my pilot informed me was gorn up this
to the falls to fish which is 2 days or 60 miles up. this house is 30
feet wide & presisely 40 feet long. built in the usial form of broad
boads Covered with bark.
The course and distance assending the Molt no mar R from it's enterance
into the Columbia at the lower point of the 3rd Image Canoe island. viz.
S. 30°W. 2 Miles to the upper point of a Small island in the Middle of
Moltnomar river. thence
S. 10° W. 3 miles to a Sluce 80 yards wide which devides Wappato Island
from the Main Stard. Side Shore passing a Willow point on the Lard.
Side.
S. 60° E. 3 miles to a large Indian house on the Lard Side below Some
high pine land. high bold Shore on the Starboard Side. thence
S. 30° E 2 miles to a bend under the high lands on the Stard Side
miles 10 passing a Larborad point.
thence the river bends to the East of S East as far as I could See. at
this place I think the wedth of the river may be Stated at 500 yards
and Sufficiently deep for a Man of War or Ship of any burthen.
