April 11, 1806
Friday April 11th 1806.
As the tents and skins which covered both our men and baggage were wet
with the rain which fell last evening, and as it continued still
raining this morning we concluded to take our canoes first to the head
of the rapids, hoping that by evening the rain would cease and afford
us a fair afternoon to take our baggage over the portage. this portage
is two thousand eight hundred yards along a narrow rough and slipery
road. the duty of getting the canoes above the rapid was by mutual
consent confided to my friend Capt. C. who took with him for that
purpose all the party except Bratton who is yet so weak he is unable to
work, three others who were lamed by various accedents and one other to
cook for the party. a few men were absolutely necessary at any rate to
guard our baggage from the War-clel-lars who crouded about our camp in
considerable numbers. these are the greates theives and scoundrels we
have met with. by the evening Capt. C. took 4 of our canoes above the
rapids tho with much difficulty and labour. the canoes were much
damaged by being driven against the rocks in dispite of every
precaution which could be taken to prevent it. the men complained of
being so much fatiegued in the evening that we posponed taking up our
5th canoe untill tomorrow. these rapids are much worse than they were
fall when we passed them, at that time there were only three difficult
points within seven miles, at present the whole distance is extreemly
difficult of ascent, and it would be impracticable to decend except by
leting down the empty vessels by a cord and then even the wrisk would
be greater than in taking them up by the same means. the water appears
to be upwards of 20 feet higher than when we decended the river. the
distance by way of the river between the points of the portage is 3
Msmany of the natives crouded about the bank of the river where the men
were engaged in taking up the canoes; one of them had the insolence to
cast stones down the bank at two of the men who happened to be a little
detatched from the party at the time. on the return of the party in the
evening from the head of the rapids they met with many of the natives
on the road, who seemed but illy disposed; two of these fellows met
with John Sheilds who had delayed some time in purchasing a dog and was
a considerable distance behind the party on their return with Capt. C.
they attempted to take the dog from him and pushed him out of the road.
he had nothing to defend himself with except a large knife which he
drew with an intention of puting one or both of them to death before
they could get themselves in readiness to use their arrows, but
discovering his design they declined the combat and instantly fled
through the woods. three of this same tribe of villains the
Wah-clel-lars, stole my dog this evening, and took him towards their
village; I was shortly afterwards informed of this transaction by an
indian who spoke the Clatsop language, and sent three men in pursuit of
the theives with orders if they made the least resistence or difficulty
in surrendering the dog to fire on them; they overtook these fellows or
reather came within sight of them at the distance of about 2 miles; the
indians discovering the party in pursuit of them left the dog and fled.
they also stole an ax from us, but scarcely had it in their possession
before Thompson detected them and wrest it from them. we ordered the
centinel to keep them out of camp, and informed them by signs that if
they made any further attempts to steal our property or insulted our
men we should put them to instant death. a cheif of the Clah-clel-lah
tribe informed us that there were two very bad men among the
Wah-clel-lahs who had been the principal actors in these seenes of
outradge of which we complained, and that it was not the wish of the
nation by any means to displease us. we told him that we hoped it might
be the case, but we should certainly be as good as our words if they
presisted in their insolence. I am convinced that no other
consideration but our number at this moment protects us. The Cheif
appeared mortified at the conduct of his people, and seemed friendly
disposed towards us. as he appeared to be a man of consideration and we
had reason to beleive much rispected by the neighbouring tribes we
thought it well to bestoe a medal of small size upon him. he appeared
much gratifyed with this mark of distinction, and some little attention
which we shewed him. he had in his possession a very good pipe tomahawk
which he informed us he had received as a present from a trader who
visited him last winter over land pointing to the N. W., whome he
called Swippeton; he was pleased with the tommahawk of Capt. C. in
consequence of it's having a brass bowl and Capt. C. gratified him by
an exchange. as a further proof of his being esteemed by this white
trader, he gave us a well baked saylor's bisquit which he also informed
us he had received from Swippeton. from these evidences I have no doubt
but the traders who winter in some of the inlets to the N. of us visit
this part of the Columbia by land at certain seasons, most probably
when they are confined to their winter harbour. and if so some of those
inlets are probably at no great distance from this place, as there
seems to be but little inducement to intice the trader hither from any
considerable distance particularly as the difficulty in traveling on
the borders of this mountainous country must be great at that season as
the natives informed me their snows were frequently breast deep. I
observe snowshoes in all the lodges of the natives above the Columbean
vally. I hope that the friendly interposition of this chief may prevent
our being compelled to use some violence with these people; our men
seem well disposed to kill a few of them. we keep ourselves perefectly
on our guard. This evening we send Drewyer and the two Feildses on a
few miles up the river to the entrance of Cruzatt's river to hunt
untill our arrival. The inhabitants of the Y-eh-huh Village on the
North side immediately above the rapids have lately removed to the
opposite side of the river, where it appears they usually take their
salmon. like their relations the Wah-Clel-lars they have taken their
houses with them. I observe that all the houses lately established have
their floors on the surface of the earth, are smaller and of more
temperary structure than those which are sunk in the ground. I presume
the former are their spring and Summer dwellings and the latter those
of the fall and winter. these houses are most generally built with
boards and covered with bark. some of an inferior ore more temperary
cast are built entirely of cedar bark, which is kept smooth and
extended by inserting small splinters of wood through the bark
crosswise at the distance of 12 or 14 inches assunder. several families
inhabit the same appartment. their women as well as those of the 3
villages next below us pierce the cartelage of the nose and insert
various ornaments. they very seldom imprint any figures on their skins;
a few I observed had one or two longitudinal lines of dots on the front
of the leg, reaching from the ankle upwards about midleg. most of their
women braid their hair in two tresses as before mentioned. the men
usually cew their hair in two parsels which like the braded tresses of
the female hang over each ear in front of the sholder, and gives an
additional width to the head and face so much admired by them. these
cews are usually formed with throngs of dressed Otterskin crossing each
other and not roled in our manner arrond the hair. in all other
rispects I observe no difference in their dress habits manners &c. from
those in the Neighbourhood of the diamond Island. today we recognized a
man of the Elute nation who reside at the long narrows of the Columbia,
he was on his return from a trading voyage to the Columbean valley with
10 or 12 others of his nation. many other natives from the villages
above were employed in taking their roots &c over the portage on their
return. I observed that the men equally with the women engage in the
labour of carrying. they all left their canoes below the rapids and
took others above which they had left as they decended. those which
were left below were taken down the river by the persons from whom they
had been hired or borrowed. the natives from above behaved themselves
in a very orderly manner. The salmon have not yet made their
appearance, tho the natives are not so much distressed for food as I
was induced to believe. I walked down today about 3/4 of a mile below
our encampment to observe the manner in which these people inter their
dead. I found eight sepulchers near the north bank of the river built
in the following manner. four strong forks are first sunk several feet
in the ground and rise about six feet high, froming a parrallelogram of
8 by 10 feet. the intervals between these upright forks, on which four
poles are laid, are filled up with broad erect boards with their lower
ends sunk in the ground and their upper ends confined to the horizontal
poles. a flat roof is formed of several layers of boards; the floors of
these sepulchres are on a level with the surface of the earth. the
human bodies are well rolled in dressed skins and lashed securely with
chords and laid horizontaly on the back with the head to the west. in
some of these sepulchres they are laid on each other to the debth of
three or four bodies. in one of those sepulchres which was nearly
decayed I observed that the human bones filled it perfectly to the
hight of about three feet. many articles appear to be sacreficed to the
dead both within and without the sepulcres. among other articles, I
observed a brass teakettle, some scollep shells, parts of several robes
of cloth and skins, with sticks for diging roots &c.— this appears to
be the burying ground of the Wahclellahs, Clahclellahs and Yehhuhs.
Friday April 11th 1806
rained the greater part of the last night and continued to rain this
morning, as the Skins and the Covering of both the mend and loading
were wet we determined to take the Canoes over first in hopes that by
the evening the rain would Sease and afford us a fair afternoon to
Carry our baggage over the portage which is 2 miles by land and a
Slipery road. I therefore took all the men except three who had Sore
feet and two to cook, and who were with the baggage; and with great
dificuelty and much fatigue we drew up 4 of our canoes above the Rapids
3 miles in extent. the men became So fatigued that we deturmined to
puspone takeing the 5th Canoe untill tomorrow. Those rapids are much
worse than they were at the time we passed last fall at that time there
was only three bad places in the distance of 7 miles. at this time the
whole distance is a rapid and dificuelt of assent; and would be very
dangerous at this Stage of the water (which is ____ feet higher than
when we passed down) to decent in any kind of Craft. Great numbers of
the nativs visited us and viewed us from the banks as we passed on with
the Canoes, maney of those people were also about our baggage and on
the portage road. two of those fellows insulted John Shields who had
delayed in purchaseing a dog at the upper part of the rapids and was
Some distance behind myself and the party on our return to camp. they
attempted to take his dog and push him out of the road. he had nothing
to defend himself except a large knife which he drew with a full
deturmination to put one of them to death before he had an oppertunity
of dischargeing his arrow. the nativs obseveing his motion ran off. one
other Indn. Stold an ax and was not in possession before he was
detected by Thompson and the ax taken from him. one other fellow
attempted to Steal Capt. Lewis's dog, and had decoyed him nearly half a
mile we were informed of it by a man who Spoke the Clatsop language and
imediately Sent three men with their guns who over took the Indians,
who on their approach ran off and lift the dog— we informed the nativ's
by Signs that if the indians insulted our men or Stold our property we
Should Certainly put them to death a Chief of the Clah-clal-lahs Tribe
informed us that there was two very bad men who had been guilty of
those mischevious acts. that it was not the wish of their tribe that
any thing should be done which might displese the white people. this
Chief had a large fine pipe tomahawk which he informed me he got from a
Trader he called Swippeton. I exchanged tomahawks with this Chief, and
as he appeared to be a man of consideration among the tribes of this
neighbourhood and much conserned for the ingiries offered us, we gave
him a Medal of the Small Size which appeard. to please him verry much;
and will I hope have a favourable tendincy, in as much as it will
attach him to our interest, and he probably will harang his people in
our favour, which may prevent any acts of violence being Commited, on
either Side. nothing but the Strength of our party has prevented our
being robed before this time. Sent Drewyer & 2 Fields on a head to
hunt. The inhabitents of the Wyach-hich Tribe Village imediately above
those rapids on the N W. Side have latterly moved their village to the
opposit Side of the river, where they take their Salmon; they are now
in the act of removeing and not only take their furniture and effects
but also the bark and most of the boards which formed their houses.
Those like the tribes below Sometimes Sink their houses in the earth,
and at other times have their flowrs leavil with the Surface of the
earth; they are Generally built of boards and Covered with bark. those
which appear intended for temporary use are most generally built of the
White Cedar bark. Most of those have a division in the houses near the
enterance which is at the end, or in the event of it's being a double
house is from the center of a narrow passage. Several families enhabit
one appartment. the women of those people as well as those in the 3
villages below pierce the cartilage of the nose in which they ware
Various orniments. in other respects they do not deffer from those of
the Dimond Island. tho most of the women brad their hair which hangs in
two tresses, one hanging over each ear. The yound men of all those
tribes ware their hair plated, in two plats anging over each Sholder,
maney of them also Cew their hair with otter Skin divided on the crown
of the head and hanging over each ear. to day I recognised a man of the
Elute nation who reside at the Long narrows, he was on his return from
a tradeing voyage to the Columbian Vally with 10 or 12 of his tribe.
maney others from the villages above this were takeing their roots &c.
over the portage to day on their return home.
vegitation is rapidly progressing. Sarvis berry, Sackacommis and the
large leafed ash is in blume. also fir N. ____ in bloom
