Clark: January 7, 1806

January 7th Tuesday 1806. Set out at daylight, proceeded up the creek about 2 miles and crossed on a tree trunk the salt makers had fallen across, then proceeded on to the ocean 3/4 mile and proceeded up 3 miles to the mouth of Colimex River, about 80 or 100 yards wide, very rapid and cuts its banks. Here we found an old village of 3 houses, only one inhabited by one family. I gave the man a fish hook to put the party across. On the bank we found a skate fish which had been left by the tide. Proceeded on 2 miles on the bank opposite a kind of bay where the river crosses to the sea coast to 2 Indian lodges, at which place I found our salt makers near the foot of a mountain which forms the shore. Breakfasted and hired an Indian to pilot me to the Calemix nation where the whale is, for which I gave a file. We proceeded on the stone under a high bluff hill on our right. Soft stone, sees very high, several parts of this hill recently slipped in. About 3/4 of a mile above the houses, saw a canoe in which the dead was buried. At 2 1/2 miles ascended a steep mountain, as steep as it is possible in places, for 1500 feet. We hauled ourselves up by the assistance of the bushes; if one had given way we must have fallen a great distance. The steepest, worst, and highest mountain I ever ascended. I think it at least 1500 feet higher than the sea immediately under it on the right. We met 14 Indians loaded with blubber. Proceeded on through an unusually bad way of falling timber, bending under logs, etc., and camped on a creek which runs to my left. Fine day and night. The timber: spruce, white cedar, etc.

Tuesday 7th of January 1806. Some frost this morning. It may appear somewhat incredible, but so it is that the elk which was killed last evening was eaten except about 8 pounds, which I directed to be taken along with the skin. I proceeded up the south fork of the creek about 2 miles and crossed on a pine tree which had been fallen by the salt makers on their first going out. On this tree we crossed the deepest of the water and waded on the opposite side for 30 yards. From thence to the ocean 3/4 of a mile through a continuation of open ridgey prairie. Here the coast is sandy. We proceeded on the sandy beach nearly south for 3 miles to the mouth of a beautiful river with bold and rapid current of 85 yards wide and 3 feet deep in the shallowest place. A short distance up this river on the NE side is the remains of an old village of Clatsops. I entered a house where I found a man, 2 women, and 3 children. They appeared wretchedly poor and dirty. I hired the man to set us across the river, which I call after the nation Clatsop River, for which I gave 2 fishing hooks. At this place the creek over which I crossed on a tree passes within 100 yards of the Clatsop River, over which the natives have a portage which affords them an easy communication with the villages near Point Adams, and at the mouth of the creek on which we lay last night.

In walking on the sand after crossing the river I saw a singular species of fish which I had never before seen. One of the men called this fish a skate; it is properly a thornback. I proceeded on about 2 miles to near the base of a high mountain where I found our salt makers, and with them Sergt. Gass. Geo. Shannon was out in the woods assisting Jo Field and Gibson to kill some meat. The salt makers had made a neat, close camp, convenient to wood, salt water, and the fresh water of the Clatsop River, which at this place was within 100 paces of the ocean. They were also situated near 4 houses of Clatsops and Killamox, who they informed me had been very kind and attentive to them. I hired a young Indian to pilot me to the whale, for which service I gave him a file in hand and promised several other small articles on my return. Left Sergt. Gass and one man of my party, Werner, to make salt, and permitted Bratten to accompany me.

We proceeded on the round slippery stones under a high hill which projected into the ocean about 4 miles further than the direction of the coast. After walking for 2 1/2 miles on the stones, my guide made a sudden halt, pointed to the top of the mountain and uttered the word Peshack, which means bad, and made signs that we could not proceed any further on the rocks, but must pass over that mountain. I hesitated a moment and viewed this immense mountain, the top of which was obscured in the clouds, and the ascent appeared to be almost perpendicular. As the small Indian path along which they had brought immense loads but a few hours before led up this mountain and appeared to ascend in a sideling direction, I thought more than probable that the ascent might be tolerably easy, and therefore proceeded on. I soon found that the way became much worse as I ascended, and at one place we were obliged to support and draw ourselves up by the bushes and roots for near 100 feet. After about 2 hours' labor and fatigue we reached the top of this high mountain, from the top of which I looked down with astonishment to behold the height which we had ascended, which appeared to be 10 or 12 hundred feet up a mountain which appeared to be almost perpendicular. Here we met 14 Indians, men and women, loaded with the oil and blubber of the whale.

In the face of this tremendous precipice immediately below us, there is a stratum of white earth (which my guide informed me) the neighboring Indians use to paint themselves, and which appears to me to resemble the earth of which the French porcelain is made. I am confident that this earth contains argil, but whether it also contains silex or magnesia, or either of those earths in a proper proportion, I am unable to determine. We left the top of the precipice and proceeded on a bad road and camped on a small run passing to the left. All much fatigued.