Clark: November 4, 1805

November 4th, Monday 1805. A cloudy, cool morning, wind from the West. We set out at 8:30, having dispatched 4 men in the small canoe to hunt. (These people, men and women, have flat heads.)

We landed at a village of 200 men of Flatheads, with 25 houses and 50 canoes, built of straw. We were treated very kindly by them. They gave us a round root, near the size of a hen's egg, roasted, which they call Wap-to, to eat.

I walked out on the starboard side and found the country fine, an open prairie for 1 mile, behind which the woodland begins, rising back. The timber on the edge of the prairie is white oak; further back is spruce pine and other species of pine mixed, with some undergrowth of a wild crab and a species of wood I am not acquainted with. A species of maple and cottonwood grow near this river, with some low bushes.

Indians continue to be with us; several canoes continue with us. The Indians at the last village have more cloth and European trinkets than those above. I saw some guns, a sword, many powder flasks, sailors' jackets, overalls, hats and shirts, copper and brass trinkets, with only a few beads. During the time I was at dinner, the Indians stole my tomahawk, which I had been using to smoke. I searched but could not find it. There is a pond on the starboard side, off from the river. Raspberries and ____ are also in the bottoms. We met a large and a small canoe with 12 men from below; the men were dressed with a variety of articles of European manufacture. The large canoe had images on the bow and stern handsomely carved in wood and painted, with the figure of a bear in front and a man in the stern. Saw white geese with black wings. Saw a small crab apple with all the taste and flavor of the common one. These Indians were all armed with pistols or bows and arrows ready strung, war axes, etc.

Mount Helen (Mount St. Helens) bears N. 25° E about 80 miles. This is the mountain we saw near the forks of this river. It is immensely high and covered with snow, rising in a kind of cone, perhaps the highest pinnacle from the common level in America. Passed a village of 4 houses on the starboard side at 2 miles, one at 3 miles.

One deer, 2 ducks, and brant killed.

November 4th, Monday 1805. A cloudy, cool morning, wind from the West. We set out at 8:30. One man, Shannon, set out early to walk on the island to kill something; he joined us at the lower point with a buck. This island is 6 miles long and near 3 miles wide, thinly timbered. (The tide rose last night 18 inches perpendicular at camp.) Near the lower point of this Diamond Island is the head of a large island, separated from a small one by a narrow channel, both situated nearest the larboard side. These islands, as well as the bottoms, are thickly covered with pine, etc. The river is wide and the country low on both sides.

On the main larboard shore, a short distance below the last island, we landed at a village of 25 houses. 24 of these houses were thatched with straw and covered with bark; the other house is built of boards in the form of those above, except that it is above ground and about 50 feet in length and covered with broad split boards. This village contains about 200 men of the Skilloot nation. I counted 52 canoes on the bank in front of this village, many of them very large and raised at the bow. We recognized the man who overtook us last night; he invited us to a lodge in which he had some part and gave us roundish roots about the size of a small Irish potato, which they roasted in the embers until they became soft. This root they call Wap-pa-to, which is the bulb the Chinese cultivate in great quantities, called the Sagittifolia or common arrowhead. It has an agreeable taste and serves very well in place of bread. We purchased about 4 bushels of this root and divided it among our party.

At 7 miles below this village we passed the upper point of a large island nearest the larboard side, with a small prairie in which there is a pond opposite on the starboard. Here I landed and walked on shore. For about 3 miles there is a fine open prairie for about 1 mile, behind which the country rises gradually and woodland begins, such as white oak, pine of different kinds, wild crabs with the taste and flavor of the common crab, and several species of undergrowth I am not acquainted with. A few cottonwood trees and the ash of this country grow scattered on the river bank. I saw some elk and deer sign and joined Capt. Lewis (Capt. Lewis) at a place he had landed with the party for dinner.

Soon after, several canoes of Indians from the village above came down, dressed for the purpose, as I supposed, of paying us a friendly visit. They had scarlet and blue blankets, sailors' jackets, overalls, shirts and hats, in addition to their usual dress. Most of them had either war axes, spears, or bows strung with quivers of arrows, muskets or pistols, and tin flasks to hold their powder. These fellows we found presumptuous and disagreeable; however, we smoked with them and treated them with every attention and friendship.

During the time we were at dinner, those fellows stole my pipe tomahawk, which they had been smoking with. I immediately searched every man and the canoes but could find nothing of my tomahawk. While searching for the tomahawk, one of those scoundrels stole a capote (coat) from one of our interpreters, which was found stuffed under the root of a tree near the place where they sat. We became much displeased with these fellows, which they noticed, and they moved off to return home to their village, except 2 canoes which had passed on down.

We proceeded on and met a large and a small canoe from below, with 12 men. The large canoe was ornamented with images carved in wood, the figures of a bear in front and a man in the stern, painted and fixed very neatly on the canoe, rising to near the height of a man. Two Indians very finely dressed and with hats on were in this canoe. Passed the lower point of the island, which is nine miles in length, having passed 2 islands on the starboard side of this large island, and three small islands at its lower point. The Indians make signs that a village is situated back of these islands on the larboard side, and I believe that a channel is still on the larboard side, as a canoe passed in between the small islands and made signs that way, probably to trade with some of the natives living on another channel.

At 3 miles lower, and 12 leagues below Quicksand River, we passed a village of four large houses on the larboard side, near which we had a full view of Mt. Helien (Mount St. Helens), which is perhaps the highest pinnacle in America from its base. It bears N. 25° E about 90 miles. This is the mountain I saw from the Muscle Shell Rapid on the 19th of October last, covered with snow. It rises something in the form of a sugar loaf. About a mile lower we passed a single house on the larboard side and one on the starboard side, passed a village on each side, and camped near a house on the starboard side. We proceeded on until one hour after dark with a view to get clear of the natives, who were constantly about us and troublesome. Finding that we could not get rid of those people for one night, we landed and encamped on the starboard side. Soon after, 2 canoes came to us loaded with Indians; we purchased a few roots from them.

This evening we saw vines much resembling the raspberry, which are very thick in the bottoms. A range of high hills lies about 5 miles on the larboard side, running S.E. and N.W., covered with tall timber. The bottoms below this range of hills and the river are rich and level. Saw white geese with part of their wings black. The river here is 1 1/2 miles wide, with a gentle current. Opposite our camp, on a small sandy island, the brant and geese make such a noise that it will be impossible for me to sleep. We made 29 miles today, killed a deer and several brant and ducks. I saw a tamed badger at the first village today.

The Indians we passed today are of the Scilloot nation, in their language from those near and about the Long Narrows, called the Cheluciteequar or Echeelute. Their dress differs but little, except they have more of the articles procured from the white traders. They all have flattened heads, both men and women. They live principally on fish and Wappato roots; they also kill some few elk and deer. During the short time I remained in their village, they brought in three deer which they had killed with their bows and arrows. They are inclined to thievery, as we have experienced.