"In the Rocky Mountains" : great difficulties and dangers encountered by Captains Lewis and Clarke; discoveries of the headwaters of the Columbia River

Front matter

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Preface

The History of the Expedition of Captains Lewis and Clarke, during the years 1804, 1805, and 1806, by order of the Government of the United States, is the first narrative which diffused widely at that time a knowledge of the so-called Oregon Territory, and the intermediate country from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains. It presents a description of a new and magnificent region, unvisited before by white men, with its barbarous tribes, their character and habits, and abounding in herds of buffalo, deer, and ante¬ lope, outnumbering the human tenants of the land. iThe Exposition held at Portland, Oregon, during the year of 1905, in commemoration of the great achieve¬ ments attained by the Lewis and Clarke Expedition did surely lend a renewed interest to their Journal. The work being now nearly out of print, it seemed to the publishers a suitable time to put forth a new edition of the Journal of Lewis and Clarke, pruned of unimpor tant details, with a sketch of the progress of maritime discovery on the Pacific coast, and a summary account of earlier attempts to penetrate this vast western wilderness.

This Journal must ever retain a high degree of interest, as the account of the first voyage made by Indian or white man, in boats or canoes, stemming the current and rapids of the Missouri by the aid of sails, oars, pole and towline, from the point where its

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PREFACE waters discharge themselves into the Mississippi t<? its sources in the Rocky Mountains. They and their party were also the first white men who, after crossing the mountains, discovered the head-waters of the Columbia River, and where borne by its rapid current to the bay where its tumultuous waters meet the stormy tides of the Pacific.

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Chapter I

The Party, after procuring Horses from the Shoshonees, proceed cm their Journey through the Mountains — Difficulties and Dangers of the Route — Council held with another Band of the Shoshonees, of whom some Account is given — They are reduced to the Necessity of killing their Horses for Food — Captain Clarke, with a small Party, precedes the main Body in Quest of Provisions, and is hospitably received by the Pierced-Nose Indians — Arrival of the main Body among this Tribe, with whom a Council is held — They resolve to perform the Remain¬ der of their Journey in Canoes — Sickness among the Party — They descend the Kooskoc*skee to its Junction with Lewis River, after passing several dangerous Rapids — Brief Description of the Manners and Dress of the Pierced-Nose Indians . 1

Chapter II

Departure of the Party — Description of an Indian Sweating-bath and Burial-place — Dangerous Rapids — Visits from the Indians, who mani¬ fest a pacific Disposition — Description of the Sokulk Tribe — Their Dress, and Manner of building Houses — Their Pac^c Character — Their Habits of Living — Their Mode of boiling Salmon — Vast Quan¬ tities of Salmon among the Sokulks — Council held with this Tribe — The Terror and Consternation excited by Captain Clarke — Some Ac¬ count of the Pishquitpaws — Their Mode of burying the Dead . 35

Chapter III

The Party in their Descent Still visited by the Indians — Lepage’s River — Towahnahiooks River — Indian Mode of stacking Fish, and preparing them for Market — Description of the Great Falls — Description of an Indian Canoe — Alarm excited by an anticipated Attack from the Ehel toots — Dangerous Rapid, called by the Indians The Falls — Ac¬ count of the Indian Houses in the Neighborhood — Another . frightful Rapid — Some Account of the Chiliuckittequaw Indians — Captain Clarke examines the Great Rapids — Description of an Indian Burial-place — The Rapids passed in Safety . 58

Chapter IV

First Appearance of Tide-water in the Columbia River — The Quicksand River — Some Account of the Skilloot Indians — The Party pass the Coweliske River — Some Account of the Wahkiacum Indians — Arrival

on the Borders of the Pacific — Disagreeable and Critical Situation of

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CONTENTS the Party when first encamped — Their Distress from incessant Torrents of Rain — Exposed for Thirty Days to this drenching Deluge, during i which Time their Provisions are spoiled, and most of their few Articles of Merchandise destroyed — Distress of the Party — Adventure of Shan¬ non, and his Danger from the Wahi iacums — Difficulty of finding a Place suitable for a permanent Encampment — Visited by several In¬ dians of different Tribes, on whom Medals were bestowed . 86

Chapter V

Extravagant Passion of the Natives for blue Beads — The Party in Search of a suitable Place for Winter-quarters — Suffering from the Deluges of Rain — Visits of the Indians — Return of Captain Lewis, who reported that he had found a suitable Place for Wintering — Captain Clarke goes with a Party to find a Place suitable for the Manufacture of Salt — He is hospitably entertained by the Clatsops — This Tribe addicted to Gambling — Sickness of some of the Party, occasioned by the inces¬ sant Rains — They form, notwithstanding, a permanent Encampment for their Winter-Quarters . . 108

Chapter VI

Captain Clarke continues his Route in Quest of the Whale — Passes Clatsop River — Perilous Nature of the Journey — Grandeur of the Scenery — In¬ dian Mode of extracting Whale-oil — The Life of one of Captain Clarke’s Party preserved by the Kindness of an Indian Woman — Short Account of the Chinnooks, Clatsops, Killamucks, and Lucktons — Man¬ ner of Sepulture among the Chinnooks, Clatsops, etc. — Their Weapons of War and Hunting — Their Mode of building Houses — Their Manu¬ factures and Cookery — Their Canoes — Great Dexterity in managing them . 129

Chapter VII

Farther Account of the Clatsops, Killamucks, and Chinnooks; also of the Cathlamahs — Their Custom of flattening the Forehead — Their Dress and Ornaments described — Their Diseases — The common Opinion that the Treatment of their Women is the Standard by which the Virtues of the Indians may be known, combated, and disproved by Examples — The Respect entertained by these Indians for old Age, compared with the different Conduct of those who subsist by the Chase — Their Mode of Government — Their Ignorance of ardent Spirits, and their Fondness for Gambling — Their Dexterity in Traffic — In what Articles their Traf¬ fic consists — Their extraordinary Fondness for blue Beads, which form their circulating Medium . . . . 151

Chapter VIII

Difficulty of procuring the Means of Subsistence — They determine to start on their Journey to the Mountains — They leave with the Indians a written Memorandum, giving an Account of their having penetrated to the Pacific by the Way of the Missouri and Columbia, and across the Rocky Mountains — The Party commence their Return — Dexterity of the Cathlamah Indians in Carving — The Coweliskee River — Hospi¬ tality erf the Natives — Instance of the extreme Voracity of the Vulture — The Party are visited by many strange Indians, all of whom are kind and hospitable — Scarcity of Game, and Embarrassments on that Account — Captain Clarke discovers a Tribe not seen in the Descent down the Columbia — Particular Description of the Multnomah Village and River — Mount Jefferson — Captain Clarke’s Account of the Neerchokio Tribe, and their Architecture — Their Sufferings from Small¬ pox . 168

Chapter I

The Party, after procuring Horses from the Shoshonees, proceed on their Journey through the Mountains. — Difficulties and Dangers of the Route. — Council held with another Band of the Shoshonees, of whom some Account is given. — They are reduced to the Necessity of killing their Horses for food. — Captain Clarke, with a small Party, precedes the main Body in quest of Provisions, and is hospitably received by the Pierced-Nose Indians. — Arrival of the main Body among this Tribe, with whom a Council is held. — They resolve to perform the Remainder of their Journey in Canoes. — Sickness among the Party. — They descend the Kooskooskee to its Junction with Lewis River, after passing several dangerous Rapids. — Brief Description of the Manners and Dress of the Pierced-Nose Indians.

UGUST 27. We were now occupied in deter¬ mining on our route and in procuring horses from the Indians. The old guide who had been sent on by Captain Clarke now affirmed, through our interpreter, what he had already asserted of a road up Berry Creek, which would lead to Indian establish¬ ments on another branch of the Columbia : his reports were, however, contradicted by all the Shoshonees. This representation we ascribed to a wish on their part to keep us with them during the winter, as well for the protection we might afford them against their enemies, as for the purpose of consuming our mer¬ chandise among them : and as the old man promised to conduct us himself, the route indicated by him seemed to be the most eligible. We were able to procure some horses, though not enough for all our purposes. This traffic, and our councils with the In¬ dians, consumed the remainder of the day.

“ August 28. The purchase of horses was resumed, and our stock -raised to twenty-two. Having now crossed more than once the country which separates the head-waters of the Missouri from those of the Columbia, we can designate the easiest and most ex¬ peditious route for a portage. It is as follows :

“ From the forks of the river, north 60 degrees wrest, five miles, to the point of a hill on the right; then south 80 degrees west, ten miles, to a spot where the creek is ten yards wide, and the high¬ lands approach within two hundred yards ; southwest five miles, to a narrow' part of the bottom ; then turn¬ ing south ?0 degrees west, two miles, to a creek on the right; thence south 80 degrees west, three miles, to a rocky point opposite to a thicket of pines on the left; thence west three miles, to the gap wrhere is the fountain of the Missouri ; on leaving this fountain, south 80 degrees west, six miles, across the dividing ridge to a run from the right, passing several small streams north 80 degrees west, four miles, over hilly ground to the east fork of Lewis’s River, which is here forty yards wide.

“ August 29. Captain Clarke joined us this morn¬ ing, and we continued bargaining for horses. The late misfortunes of the Shoshonees have made the price higher than common, so that one horse cost us a pistol, one hundred balls, some powder, and a knife ; another was purchased with a musket, and in this way we finally obtained twenty-nine. The animals are young and vigourous, but very poor, and most of them have sore backs, in consequence of the rough-

PURCHASE OF HORSES ness of the Shoshonee saddle. We are therefore afraid of burdening them too heavily, and are anxious to obtain one, at least, for each man, to carry the baggage ©r the man himself, or in the last resource to serve

as food ; but with all our exertions we are unable

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to provide all our men with horses. We have, how¬ ever, been fortunate in obtaining for the last three days a sufficient supply of flesh, our hunters having killed two or three deer every day.

“ August 30. The weather was fine, and having now made all our purchases, we loaded our horses and prepared to start. The greater part of the band, also, who had delayed their journey on our account, were ready to depart. We now took our leave of the Shoshonees, who set out on their visit to the Mis¬ souri at the same time that we, accompanied by the old guide, his four sons, and another Indian, began the descent of the river, along the same road which Captain Clarke had previously followed.”

Before night they accomplished a distance of twelve miles. The following day they found the val¬ leys and prairies in different places on fire, as a sig¬ nal to collect the different bands of Shoshonees and Flatheads, preparatory to their migration to the Mis¬ souri. On reaching Tower Creek, they diverged from the former route taken by Captain Clarke, and fol¬ lowed for four miles the course of Berry Creek. On the 1st of September, quitting Berry Creek, they turned to the northwest, and, after travelling eighteen miles across a hilly country, they arrived at Fish Creek, a considerable stream flowing into the Columbia ; and, after going up this creek four miles, they encamped. The next morning all the Indians left them except the old guide. In continuing to ascend Fish Creek, at the distance of seven and a half miles they found it divided into two branches, and the road they had been following turning to the east, and leading, as their guide informed them, to the Missouri.

“ We were therefore/' proceeds the narrative, “ left without any track ; but, as no time was to be lost, we began to cut our road up the west branch of the creek. This we effected with much difficulty. The thickets of trees and brush through which we were obliged to cut our way required great labour: the road itself was over the steep and rocky sides of the hills, where the horses could not move without dan¬ ger of slipping down, while their feet were bruised by the rocks and stumps of trees. Accustomed as these animals were to this kind of travelling, they suffered severely : several of them fell some distance down the sides of the hills, some turned over with the baggage, one was crippled, and two gave out, ex¬ hausted with fatigue. After crossing the creek sev¬ eral times, we at length made five miles with great fatigue and labour, and encamped on the left bank, in some stony, low ground.” * * *

“ September 3. The horses were very stiff and weary. We sent back two men for the load of the horse which had been crippled yesterday, and which we had been forced to leave two miles behind. On their return we set out at eight o’clock, and proceeded up the creek, making a passage through the brush and timber along its borders. The country generally is well supplied with pine, and in the low grounds is a great abundance of fir-trees and underbrush. The mountains are high and rugged, and those to

DIFFICULTIES OF THE JOURNEY the east of Us covered with snow. With all our pre¬ cautions, the horses were very much injured in passing over the ridges and steep points of the hills., and, to add to the difficulty, at the distance of eleven miles the high mountains closed upon the creek, so that we were obliged to leave it to the right, and abruptly across the mountain. The ascent was here so steep that several of the horses slipped and hurt themselves ; but at last we succeeded in getting across, and encamped on a small branch of Fish Creek. We had now made fourteen miles, in a direction nearly north from the river.’’ * * * “ At dusk it commenced snowing, and continued till the ground was covered to the depth of two inches, when it changed into a sleet. We here met with a serious misfortune, the last of our thermometers being broken by accident. After making a scanty supper on a little corn and a few pheasants killed in the course of the day, we laid down to sleep, and the next morning,

“ September 4, found everything frozen, and the ground covered with snow. We were obliged to wait some time, in order to thaw the covers of the baggage, after which we began our journey at eight o'clock. We crossed a high mountain, which forms the dividing ridge between the waters of the creek we had been ascending, and those running to the north and west. We had not gone more than six miles over the snow, when we reached the head of a stream from the right, which directed its course more to the west; and, de¬ scending the steep sides of the hills along its border, at the distance of three miles found a small branch coming in from the east. We saw several of the argalia, but they were too shy to be killed, and we therefore made our dinner from a deer shot by one of the hunters. Then we pursued the course of the stream for three miles, till it emptied itself into a river from the east. In the wide valley at their junction we discovered a large encampment of Indians; and on reaching them, and alighting from our horses, we were received with great cordiality. A council was immediately assembled, white robes were thrown over our shoulders, and the pipe of peace was introduced. After this ceremony, as it was too late to go any farther, we encamped, and continued smoking and con¬ versing with the chiefs till a late hour. The next morning,

“ September 5, we assembled the chiefs and war¬ riors, and informed them who we were, and the pur¬ pose for which we had visited their country. All this was, however, conveyed to them through so many different languages, that it was not comprehended without difficulty. We therefore proceeded to the more intelligible language of presents, and made four chiefs- by giving a medal and a small quantity of to¬ bacco to each. We received in turn from the principal chief a present consisting of the skins of a blaircau (badger), an otter, and two antelopes, and were

treated bv the women to some dried roots and berries. */

We then began to traffic for horses, and succeeded in exchanging seven and purchasing eleven, for which we gave a few articles of merchandise.

“ This encampment consists of thirty-three tents, in which were about four hundred souls, among whom eighty were men. They are called Ootlashoots, and represent themselves as one band of a nation called Tushepaws, a numerous people of four hundred and

ACCOUNT OF THE OOTLASHOOTS

V fifty tents, residing on the head-waters of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers, and some of them lower down the latter river. In person these Indians are stout, and their complexion lighter than that common among Indians. The hair of the men is worn in queues of otter skin, falling in front over the shoulders. A shirt of dressed skin covers the body to the knee, and over this is worn occasionally a robe. To these are added leggins and moccasins. The women suffer their hair to fall in disorder over the face and shoul¬ ders, and their chief article of covering is a long shirt of skin, reaching down to the ankles, and tied round the Avaist. In other respects, as also in the few orna¬ ments which they possess, their appearance is similar to that of the Shoshonees : there is, however, a differ¬ ence between the languages of these two people, which is still farther increased by the very extraordi¬ nary pronunciation of the Ootlashoots. Their words have all a remarkably guttural sound, and there is nothing which seems to represent the tone of their speaking more exactly than the clucking of a fowl or the noise of a parrot. This peculiarity renders their voices scarcely audible, except at a short distance; and, when many of them are talking, forms a strange confusion of sounds. The common conversation that we overheard consisted of low, gutteral sounds, occa¬ sionally broken by a low word or two, after which it would relapse, and could scarcely be distinguished. They seemed kind and friendly, and willingly shared with us their berries and roots, which formed their sole stock of provisions. Their only wealth is their horses, which are very fine, and so numerous that this party had with them at least five hundred.

“ September 6. We spent the morning with the Ootlashoots, from whom we purchased two more horses, and obtained a vocabulary of their language. They set off about two o’clock to join the different bands who were collecting at the Three Forks of the Missouri, and we ourselves proceeded at the same time. Taking a direction north 30° west, we crossed, within the distance of a mile and a half, a small river irom the right, and a creek coming in from the north. The river is the main stream, and when it reaches the end of the valley where the mountains close in upon it, it is joined by the stream on which we encamped last evening, as well as by the creek just mentioned. To the river thus formed we gave the name of Clarke, he being the first white man who had ever visited its waters. At the end of five miles on this course we crossed the valley, and reached the top of a mountain covered with pine: this we descended along the steep sides and ravines for a mile and a half, when we came to a spot on the river where the Ootlashoots had encamped a few days be¬ fore. We then followed the course of the stream, which is from twenty-five to thirty yards wide, shal¬ low and stony, and the low grounds on its borders narrow. Within the distance of three and a half miles we crossed it several times; and, after passing a run on each side, encamped on its right bank, having made ten miles during the afternoon. The horses were turned out to graze; but those we had lately bought were secured and watched, lest they should escape, or be stolen by their former owners. Our stock of flour was now exhausted, and we had but little corn ; and, as our hunters had killed nothing except

SCATTERING CREEK two pheasants, our supper consisted chiefly of berries."

The two following days they continued to follow the course of the river, being fortunate in procuring game, and encountering no particular difficulty. They were not a little annoyed, however, by the prickly pear, which, says the journalist, “ grows here in clus¬ ters, is of an oval form, about the size of a pigeon's egg, and its thorns are so strong and bearded, that, when it penetrates our feet, it brings p.way the pear itself." Several horses were seen, which appeared to be in a wild state. They passed a small stream falling into the river, to which, from its having several chan¬ nels, they gave the name of Scattering Creek.

“ September 9. We resumed our journey," con¬ tinues the narrative, “ through the valley, and, leaving the road on our right, crossed Scattering Creek, and halted, at the distance of twelve miles, on a small run from the east, where we breakfasted on the remains of vesterdav’s hunt. We here took a meridian altitude, which gave the latititude of 46° 41' 38" ; after which we proceeded on, and at the distance of four miles passed over to the left bank of the river, where we found a large road through the valley. At this place is a handsome stream of very clear water, a hundred yards wide, with low banks, and a bed formed entirely of gravel : it has every appearance of being navigable ; but, as it contains no salmon, we presume there must be some fall below which ob¬ structs their passage. Our guide could not inform us where this 'river discharged its waters. He said that, as far as he knew its course, it ran along the mountains to the north, and that not far from our present position it was joined by another stream nearly as large as itself, rising in the mountains to the east, near the Missouri, and flowing through an extensive valley or open prairie. Through this prairie was the great Indian road to the waters of the Mis¬ souri ; and so direct was the route, that in four days’ journey from this place we might reach the Mis¬ souri about thirty miles above what we called the Gates of the Rocky Mountains, or the spot where the valley of that river widens into an extensive plain on entering the chain of mountains. At ten miles from our camp was a small creek falling in from the east¬ ward ; five miles below which we halted, on a large stream, which empties itself on the west side of the river. It is a fine, bold stream of clear water, about twenty yards wide, and we called it Traveller’s rest Creek ; for, as our guide told us that we should here leave the river, we determined to stop for the purpose of taking celestial observations and collecting some food, as the country through which we were to pass had no game for a great distance.” * * * -

“ September 10. The morning being fair, all the hunters were sent out, and the rest of the party em¬ ployed in repairing their clothes : two of them were despatched to the junction of the river from the east, along which the Indians go to the Missouri, and which is about seven miles below Traveller’s-rest Creek.” * * * “ Towards evening one of the hunters returned with three Indians, whom he had met in his excursion up Traveller s-rest Creek. As soon as they saw him they prepared to attack him with arrows ; but he paci¬ fied them by laying down his gun, and, advancing towards them, soon persuaded them to come to the

CROSSING A MOUNTAIN camp. Our Shoshonee guide could net speak the language of these people ; but, by the universal lan¬ guage of signs and gesticulations, which is perfectly intelligible among the Indians, he found that they were three Tushepaw Flatheads, in pursuit of two men supposed to be Shoshonees, who had stolen twenty-three of their horses. We gave them some boiled venison and a few presents, such as a fish-hook, a steel to strike fire, and a little powder ; but they seemed best pleased with a piece of riband which we tied in the hair of each of them. They were in such haste, however, lest their horses should be carried off, that two of them set off after sunset in quest of the robbers ; but the third was persuaded to remain with us, and to conduct us to his relations. These, he said, were numerous, and resided on the Columbia, in the plain below the mountains. From that place, he added, the river was navigible to the ocean, that some of his kinsmen had been there last fall, and seen an old white man, who resided there by himself, and who gave them some handkerchiefs like those we have. The distance from this place was five sleeps, or days’ journeys. When our hunters had ail joined us, we found our provisions consisted of four deer, a beaver, and three grouse. The observation of to-day gave 46° 48' 28" as the latitude of TravelleFs-rest Creek.”

They were detained the whole of the next morning to recover some of their horses which had strayed away, so that they advanced but seven miles during the remainder of the day. The Indian became impa¬ tient to return home, and left them.

“ September 12. We proceeded,” continues the

Journal,” at seven o’clock, and soon passed a stream falling in on the right, near which was an old Indian camp, with a bath or sweating-house covered with earth. At two miles’ distance we ascended a high bank, and thence passed through a hilly and thicklytimbered country for nine miles, when we came to the forks of the creek, where the road branches up each fork. We followed the western route ; and, finding that the creek made a considerable bend at the distance of four miles, crossed a high mountain in order to avoid the circuit. The road had been very bad during the first part of the day; but the passage over the mountain, which wras eight miles across, was exceedingly trying to the horses, as we were obliged to go over steep, stony sides of hills, and along hollows and ravines, rendered still more trouble¬ some by the fallen timber, chiefly pine, spruce-pine, and fir. We at length reached the creek, having made twenty-three miles on a route so difficult that some of the party did not join us before ten o’clock. We found the accounts of scantiness of game but too true, as we were not able to procure any during the whole of yesterday, and to-day we killed only a single pheas¬ ant. Along the road we observed many of the pinetrees peeled off, which is done by the Indians to pro¬ cure the inner bark for food in the spring.

“ September 13. Two of the horses strayed away during the night, and one of them being Captain Lewis’s, he remained with four men to seek for them, while we proceeded up the creek. At the distance of two miles we came to several springs, issuing from large rocks of a coarse, hard grit, and nearly boiling hot. They seem to be much frequented, as there

THE KOOSKOOSKEE RIVER are several paths made -by elk, deer, and other animals, and near one of them there is a hole or Indian bath, besides roads leading in different directions. These embarrassed our guide, who, making a mistake, took us three miles out of the proper course, over an ex¬ ceedingly bad route. We then fell into the right road, and proceeded on very well, when, having made five miles, we stopped to refresh the horses. Captain Lewis here joined us ; but, not having been able to find his horse, two men were sent back to continue the search.”