October 31, 1805
William Clark
a cloudey raney morning I proceed down the river to view it more at
leasure, I took Jos. Fields & Peter Crusat and proceeded on down, Send Crusat back at
2 ms. to examine the rapid near the shore & I proceeded on down about 10 miles to a
very high rock [Beacon Rock, an eroded volcanic pipe or plug, in Beacon Rock State
Park. It was called Castle Rock for many years, but Clark's name was restored in
1916. Clark's estimate of its height is remarkably correct.] in a bottom on
the Stard. opsd. 2 Islands covered with timber on which I saw inds. at a distance; found
the river rocky for 6 miles, after which the Current became uniform-- at 1
mile I passed an old deserted village on a Pond on a high Situation of 8 Houses-- at
3 1/2 miles one house the only remt. of an antient Village [The is the "old
village" on Clark's map between the Bridges of the Gods and Bradford Island.]
1/2 a mile lower I saw 8 Vaults for the Dead whic was nearly Square 8 feet Closely
Covered with broad boads Curiously engraved, the bones in Some of those vaults were 4 feet
thick, in others the Dead was yet layed Side of each other nearly East & west, raped
up & bound Securley in robes, great numbrs of trinkets Brass Kittle, Sea Shells, Iron,
Pan Hare &c. &c. was hung about the vaults and great many wooden gods, or Images
of men Cut in wood, Set up round the vaults, Some of those So old and worn by time that
they were nearly worn out of Shape, and Some of those vaults so old that they were roted
entirely to the ground-- not withstanding they wood is of Pine & [one
word illegible] or Sedar as also the wooden gods
I can not learn certainly if those people worship those woden emiges, they have them in
conspicuous parts of thie houses at 5 miles I passed 4 large houses on the
Stard Side a little above the last rapid and opposit a Large Island [Present
Bradford Island near Bonneville Dam.] which is Situated near the Lard. Side--
The inhabitents of those houses had left them closely Shut up, they appeared to
Contn. a great deel of property and Provisions Such as those people use, I did not disturb
any thing about those houses, but proceed on down below the rapid whih I found to be the
last, a large village has at Some period been on the Stard. Side below this rapid
The bottom is high Stoney and about 2 miles wide covered with grass, here C[overed?]
is the head of a large Island in high water, [Lewis and Clarks "Strawberry
Island", presently Hamilton Island.] at this time no water passes on the
Stard. Side I walked thro this Island which I found to be verry rich, open
& covered with Strawberry vines, [The Woodland Strawberry, Fragaria vesca.]
and has greatly the appearance of having at Some period been Cultivated, The natives has
dug roots in Some parts of this Islad. which is about 3 miles long & 1 Wide, a Small
Island Covered with timaber opposit the Strawberry Island on its Stard. Side a creek falls
in which has no running water at present, it has the appearanc of throwing out emense
torents-- I saw 5 Indians in a canoe below-- Jo. killed a Sand hill Crane
& we returned by the same rout to camp at the grand Shute where I found Several
Indians, I Smoked. Two canoes loaded with fish for the Trade below Came down &
unloaded the after noon fare
| S. 30o E |
1 |
mile to a Lard Bend passing the grand Shute whic is 1/4 of a mile and the
Wate Confined within about 150 yards, passing with Tremendious force, great number of
rocks on the upper pt. of this Shute, a low pine Mountain on the Stad. Side high one on
the Lard Side-- |
| S. 30o W. |
1 |
miles to a Lard. bend passd. Several rocks in the river & a
raoud at 3/4 of a mile th water being Confined between large rocks, maney of which is
under water. an old village of 8 houses on the Stard. Side on the hill opposit |
| S. 45o W. |
2 |
miles to a high rock above the upper point of a large Isld. on the Lard
Side, passed many rocks in different directions, a house on the Stard. at 1 mile
just below is 8 Indian vaults in which is a great number of dead raped up their
trinkets, & wooden Gods are placed around the vaults, they lie East & west |
| S. 60o W |
2 [3] |
miles to a large black rock in a Stard. bend at the Commencement of a
rapid opsd. a Lower point of an Island passed a rapid at 1/2 Ms. Ld not bad.
Several large rocks in the river permiscusly, 4 large Ind. houses without inhabitants on
the Stard. Side at 1 1/2 mile a Island on the Lard Side extensive high Stoney bottoms on
the Stard Side |
| South |
2 [1] |
miles to a Creek under a Bluff in a Lard bend passed the rapid 1/4 of a
mile long-- the upper point of a large island on the Stard. Side no water running on
the Stard. Side of it at present this Island is high rich and open Covered with Strawbery
vines a narrow open bottom on the Lard. Side |
Those Indians Cut off the hands of those they kill & proserve the
fingers.
October 31, 1805
William Clark
A Cloudy rainey disagreeable morning I proceeded down the river to view
with more attention [the rapids] we had to pass on the river below, the
two men with me Jo. Fields & Peter Crusat proceeded down to examine the rapids
the Great Shute which commenced at the Island on which we encamped Continud
with great raidity and force thro a narrow chanel much compressd. and interspersed with
large rocks for 1/2 a mile, at a mile lower is a verry Considerable rapid at whic place
the waves are remarkably high, and proceeded on in a old Indian parth 2 1/2 miles by land
thro a thick wood & hill Side, to the river where the Indians make a portage, from
this place I dispatched Peter Crusat (our principal waterman) back to follow the river and
examine the prectibility of the Canoes passing, as the rapids appeared to continue down
below as fare a I could See, I with Jo. Fields proceeded on, at 1/2 a mile below the end
of the portage passed a house where there had been an old town for ages past as this house
was old Decayed and a plac of flees I did not enter it, about 1/2 a mile below this house
in a verry thick part of the woods is 8 vaults which appeared Closely Covered and highly
deckerated with orniments. Those vaults are all nearly the Same Sise and form 8 feet
Square, 5 feet high, Sloped a little So as to convey off the rain made of Pine or Cedar
boards Closely Connected & Scurely Covered with wide boards, with a Dore left in The
East Side whic is partially Stoped with wide boards curiously engraved. In Several
of those vaults the dead bodies wre raped up verry Securely in Skins tied around with
cords of grass & bark, laid on a mat, all east & west and Some of thos vaults had
as maney as 4 bodies laying on the Side of each other. the other Vaults Contaning
bones only, Some contianed bones for the debth of 4 feet. on the tops and on poles
attached to those vaults hung Brass kittles & frying pans pearced thro their bottoms,
baskets, bowls of wood, Sea Shels, Skins, bits of Cloth, Hair, bags of Trinkets &
Small peices of bone &c and independant of the [figures of men & animals]
curious ingraveing and Paintings on the boards which formed the vaults I observed
Several wooden Images, cut in the figure of men and Set up on the <South> Sides of
the vaults all round. Some of thos So old and worn by time, that they were nearly
out of Shape, I also observed the remains of Vaults rotted entirely into the ground and
covered with moss. This must bee the burrying place for maney ages for the
inhabitants of those rapids, the vaults are of the most lsting timber Pine & Cedar--
I cannot Say certainly that those nativs worship those wooden idols as I have every
reason to believe they do not; as they are Set up in the most conspicious parts of their
houses, and treated more like orniments then objects of aderation. at 2 miles lower
& 5 below our Camp I passed a village of 4 large houses abandend by the nativs, with
their dores bared up, I looked into those houses and observed as much property as is usial
in the houses of those people which induced me to conclude they they wre at no great
distance, either hunting or Colecting roots, to add to their winter Subsistance.
from a Short distance below the vaults the mountain which is but low on the
Stard. Side leave the river, and a leavel Stoney open bottom Suckceeds on the Said Std.
Side for a great Distnce down, the mountains high and rugid on the Lard Side
this open bottom is about 2 miles a Short distance below this village is a bad
Stoney rapid and appears to be the last in view I observed at this lower rapid
the remains of a large and antient Village which I could plainly trace by the Sinks in
which they had formed their houses, as alos those in which they had buried their
fish-- from this rapid to the lower end of the protage the river is Crouded
with rocks of various Sizes between which the water passes with great velociety createing
in maney places large Waves, an Island whic is Situated near the Lard. Side occupies about
half the distance the lower point of which is at this rapid. immediately
below this rapid the high water pass through a narrow Chanel through the Stard. Bottom
forming an Island of 3 iles <wide> Long & one wide, K walked through this Island
which I found to be verry rich land, and had every appeearance of haveing been at Some
distant period Cultivated. at this time it is Covered with grass intersperced with
Strawberry vines. I observed Several places on this Island where the nativs had dug
for roots and from its lower point I observed 5 Indians in a Canoe below the upper point
of an Island near the middle of the river Covered with tall timber, which indued me to
believe that a village was at no great distanc below, I could not See any rapids below
<for> in the extent of my view which was for a long distance down the river, which
from the last rapids widened and had everry appearance of being effected by the
tide,-- I deturmind to return to Camp 10 miles distant, aremarkable high
detached rock Stands in a bottom on the Stard Side near the lower point of this Island on
the Stard. Side about 800 feet high and 400 paces around, we call the Beaten [Beacon]
rock. a Brook falls into the narrow Chanel which forms the Strawberry
Island, which at this time has no running water, but has every appearance of dischargeing
emence torrents &c. &c. Jo. Fields Shot a Sand hill Crane. I returned
by the Same rout on an Indian parth passing up on the N W. Side of the river to our Camp
at the Great Shute. found Several Indians from the village, I Smoked with
them; Soon after my return two Canoes loaded with fish & Bear grass for the trade
below, came down from the village at the mouth of the Caterack River, they unloaded and
turned their Canoes up Side down on the beech, & camped under a Shelveing rock below
our Camp
one of the men Shot a goose above this Great Shute, which was floating into the Shute
when an Indian observed it, plunged into the water U Swam to the Goose and brought in on
Shore, at the head of the Suck, as this Indian richly earned the goose I Suffered him to
keep it which he about half picked and Spited it up with the guts in it to roste.
This Great Shute or falls is about 1/2 a mile with the water of this great river
Compressed within the Space of 150 paces in which there is great numbers of both large and
Small rocks, water passing with great velocity forming [foaming] &
boiling in a most horriable manner, with a fall of about 20 feet, below it widens to about
200 paces and current gentle for a Short distance. a Short distance above is
three Small rockey Island, and at the head of those falls, three Small rockey Islands are
Situated Crosswise the river, Several rocks above in the river & 4 large rocks in the
head of the Shute; those obstructions together with the high Stones which are continually
brakeing loose from the mountain on the Stard Side and roleing down into the Shute aded to
those which brake loose from those Islands above and lodge in the Shute, must be the Cause
of the rivers daming up to Such a distance above, <and Show> where it Shows Such
evidant marks of the Common current of the river being much lower than at the present day
October 31, 1805
Patrick Gass
The morning was cloudy. We unloaded our capnoes and took them past the rapids, some
part of the way by water, and some over rocks 8 or 10 feet high. It was the most fatiguing
business we have been engaged in for a long time, and we got but two over all day, the
distance about a mile, and the fall of the water about 25 feet in that distance.
October 31, 1805
John Ordway
Cloudy. we unloaded the canoes and went at halling them past the Shoote
took one down at a time over verry high rocks. this Shoote is full of rocks
and roles verry high waves &C. the after part of the day pleasant.
October 31, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
Some cloudy. e got in readiness to carry our baggage past the portage, which we
expict will be about two miles. about 9 oClock cleared off pleasant. as the
road was Slippery we concluded to take Some of the canoes down to day. So we took
down two canoes 1 at a time over high rocks on rollers, by main Strength and by being in
the water which ran between Sd. Stone & large rocks. we had to hall them in that
way past 2 of the worst rapids then took them a half a mile below, where we intend
loading which will make the portage in all only about one mile, but a verry bad one.
in the evening 2 Indian canoes came to our Camp 5 Indains in them which were
going down the River tradeing with fish &c.
October 31, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
This morning was cool & Cloudy. Our party were employed in getting every
thing fixed in order to carry the baggage &ca. below the Portage, which we expect will
be about 2 Miles. About 9 o'Clock A.M. the weather cleared off, and became pleasant.
The Road being slippey, Our officers concluded to have only part of our Canoes
hawled down this day. We proceeded on with 2 of our Canoes on Rollers at a time;
over high Rocks, by main strenghth hawling them all the way, which was about 1/2 Miles
& passed two of the worst Rapids, & went about half a mile further below them, at
which place we intend loading the Canoes again, making the whole of the Portage to be only
about 1 Mile.-- and all this way bad Road. In the Evening 2 indian Canoes came
to our Camp. They had 5 Indians in them, & were going down the River in Order to
trade away fish &ca. which their Canoes were loaded with [This last
sentence ends abruptly incomplete. If any additional narrative for this day exists
it has gone undiscovered.]
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