being perfectly satisfyed of the size and magnitude of this great river which must
water that vast tract of Country between the western range of mountains and those on the
sea coast and as far S. as the Waters of Callifornia about Latd. 37. North. I deturmined
to return.
(Clark ascended to a point at or near the present site of Portland, Ore.)
(Re: coming upon remains of a very large village of E-lute Nation ..)
I endeavored to obtain from those people of the situation of their nation, if scattered
or what had become of the nativs who must have peopled this great town. ... an old man ..
brought forward a woman who was badly marked with the Small Pox and made signs that they
all died with the disorder which marked her face, and which she was verry near dieing with
when a girl. from the age of this woman this Distructive disorder I judge must have been
about 28 or 30 years past, ...
I provailed on an old man to draw me a sketch of the Multnomar River and give me the
names of the nations resideing on it which he readily done, and gave me the names of 4
nations who reside on this river two of them very noumerous.
I purchased 5 dogs of those people ...
they all seemed to give the same account of the scercity of Provisions above.
We went out and killed some deer; and then to bring in the meat of the bear and dry
that of the elk; but it rained so hard we could not dry the meat; and therefore brought in
the carcase of the bear. On our way we saw 3 small cubs in a den, but the old bear was not
with them. In the evening we returned to our camp, and remained there all night.
a foggy morning. one hunter [Drouillard] came across the River
& informed us that the hunters had killed 4 Elk 2 of which is bout 3 miles from the
River so Sergt. pryor and 3 more men were Sent over to help jourk the meat Slight
Shoers of rain in the course of the day. the Savages who Stayed with us last night were of
five different nations and had Several prisoners among them these Savages tells us
that they are going down the River after wapatoes &C &C. in the evening
Capt.; Clark & party returnd. to Camp and informed us that they had been and took a
view of the River which the Indians informed us of, and that it is a verry large River
& is 500 yd. wide and is Supposed to head with the waters of the California.
they went 7 miles up Sd. River. their guide informed them that a large nation
lived up the fork of this River by the name of Clack-a-mus nation of 30 Towns, and that
another Nation lived along distance up this River where it gits Small by the name of
Callah-no-wah Nation who are verry numerous. on their return they halted at a new
discovred village behind Swan Island where they bought 5 dogs, a fiew Commass roots and
some Wa-pa-toes &C