Clark: October 17, 1805

October 17th, Thursday 1805. Forks of Columbia. This morning, after the lunar observations, the old chief came down, along with several men with dogs to sell and women with fish, etc. We purchased the dogs; the fish was not good.

I took 2 men and set out in a small canoe with the intention of going as high up the Columbia River as the first forks, which the Indians indicated by signs was only a short distance. I set out at 2 o'clock. The first course was N. 83° W., 6 miles to the lower point of an island on the larboard side. We passed an island in the middle of the river at 5 miles, at the head of which is a rapid, not bad. At this rapid stand 3 lodges of mats on the larboard side with immense quantities of dried fish. Then west 4 miles to the lower point of an island on the starboard side, with 2 lodges of Indians, large and built of mats. We passed 3 very large mat lodges at 2 miles on the starboard side, with large scaffolds of fish drying at every lodge and piles of salmon lying about. The squaws were engaged in preparing them for the scaffolds. A squaw gave me a dried salmon. From those lodges on the island an Indian showed me the mouth of the river which falls in below a high hill on the larboard side, N. 80° W., 8 miles from the island, the river bending to larboard. This river is remarkably clear and crowded with salmon in many places. In ascending I observed great numbers of salmon dead on the shores, floating on the water, and lying in the bottoms, which can be seen at a depth of 20 feet. The cause of the immense numbers of dead salmon I cannot account for. So it is. I must have seen 3 or 400 dead and many living. The Indians, I believe, make use of the fish that have not been dead long, as I struck one nearly dead and left it floating, and some Indians in a canoe behind took the fish on board their canoe.

The bottoms on the south side as high as the Tarcouche tesse are from 1 to 2 miles wide. Back of the bottoms the land rises to a hilly country. The plain is low on the north and east for a great distance. No wood is to be seen in any direction.

The Tarcouche tesse bears south of west; the Columbia, northwest. Above is a range of hills on the west, parallel to a range of mountains to the east, which appears to run nearly north and south, at a distance of not more than 50 miles. I returned to the point at dusk, followed by three canoes of Indians, 20 in number. I killed a fowl of the pheasant kind, as large as a turkey. Its length from beak to the end of its tail was 2 feet 6 3/4 inches; from wingtip to wingtip, 3 feet 6 inches. The tail feathers were 13 inches long. It feeds on grasshoppers and the seed of wild hyssop.

These Indians are orderly, badly dressed in the same fashions as those above, except for the women, who wore short shirts and a flap over them. There are 22 fishing houses of mats. Their robes are of deer, goat, and beaver.

October 17th, Thursday 1805. A fair morning. We made the above observations, during which time the principal chief came down with several of his principal men and smoked with us. Several men and women offered dogs and fish for sale. We purchased all the dogs we could; the fish, being out of season and dying in great numbers in the river, we did not think proper to use. We sent out hunters to shoot the prairie cock, a large fowl which I have only seen on this river. I have killed several of them. They are the size of a small turkey, of the pheasant kind. One I killed at the water's edge today measured from the beak to the end of the toe 2 feet 6 3/4 inches; from wingtip to wingtip, 3 feet 6 inches; the tail feathers were 13 inches long. They feed on grasshoppers and the seed of a wild plant, also peculiar to this river and the upper parts of the Missouri, somewhat resembling the whins. Capt. Lewis (Capt. Lewis) took a vocabulary of the language of these people, who call themselves Sokulks, and also one of the language of a nation residing on a westerly fork of the Columbia which empties a few miles above this place, who call themselves Chimnapum. A few of this nation reside with the Sokulk nation. Their language differs but little from either the Sokulks or the Chopunnish (or Pierced Nose) nation, who inhabit the Koskoskia River and Lewis's River below.

I took two men in a small canoe and ascended the Columbia River 10 miles to an island near the starboard shore, on which two large mat lodges of Indians were drying salmon (as they informed me by signs, for the purpose of food and fuel; I do not think it at all improbable that these people make use of dried fish as fuel). The number of dead salmon on the shores and floating in the river is incredible to say. At this season they have only to collect the fish, split them open, and dry them on their scaffolds, on which they have great numbers. How far they have to raft the timber of which they make their scaffolds I could not learn, but there is no timber of any sort except small willow bushes in sight in any direction. From this island the natives showed me the entrance of a large westerly fork, which they call Tapetett, about 8 miles distant. The evening being late, I determined to return to the forks, which I reached at dark. From the point up the Columbia River the course is N. 83° W., 6 miles to the lower point of an island near the larboard side. Passed an island in the middle of the river at 5 miles, at the head of which is a rapid, not dangerous, on the larboard side. Opposite this rapid is a fishing place with 3 mat lodges and great quantities of salmon on scaffolds drying. I saw great numbers of dead salmon on the shores and floating in the water, and great numbers of Indians on the banks viewing me; 18 canoes accompanied me from the point. The waters of this river are clear, and a salmon may be seen at a depth of 15 or 20 feet. West 4 miles to the lower point of a large island near the starboard side, at 2 lodges. Passed three large lodges on the starboard side, near which great numbers of salmon were drying on scaffolds. I entered one of these mat lodges and found it crowded with men, women, and children. Near the entrance of these houses I saw many squaws engaged in splitting and drying salmon. I was furnished with a mat to sit on, and one man set about preparing me something to eat. First he brought in a piece of a drift log of pine and, with a wedge of elk horn and a mallet of stone curiously carved, he split the log into small pieces and laid them open on the fire, on which he put round stones. A woman handed him a basket of water and a large salmon about half dried. When the stones were hot, he put them into the basket of water with the fish, which was soon sufficiently boiled for use. It was then taken out, put on a platter of rushes neatly made, and set before me. They boiled a salmon for each of the men with me. During these preparations, I smoked with those about me who chose to smoke, which was but few, this being a custom these people are but little accustomed to; they only smoke through form. After eating the boiled fish, which was delicious, I set out and halted, or came to, on the island at the two lodges. Several fish were given to me, in return for which I gave small pieces of ribbon. From these lodges the natives showed me the mouth of Tapteel River, about 8 miles above on the west side. This western fork appears to bear nearly west; the main Columbia River, northwest. A range of high land lies to the southwest, parallel to the river, at a distance of 2 miles on the larboard side. The country is low on the starboard side, and all covered with a weed or plant about 2 and 3 feet high, resembling the whins. I can perceive a range of mountains to the east, which appears to bear north and south, distant about 50 or 60 miles. No wood is to be seen in any direction. On my return I was followed by 3 canoes in which there were 20 Indians. I shot a large prairie cock, several grouse, ducks, and fish. On my return I found great numbers of the natives with Capt. Lewis. The men were all employed in dressing their skins, mending their clothes, and putting their arms in the best order, the latter being always a matter of attention with us.

The dress of these natives differs but little from those on the Koskoskia and Lewis's rivers, except for the women, who dress very differently. The women above wear long leather shirts, highly ornamented with beads, shells, etc., while those on the main Columbia River wear only a truss or piece of leather tied around them at their hips and drawn tight between their legs and fastened in front, so as to barely hide those parts which are so sacredly hidden and secured by our women. These women are more inclined to corpulence than any we have yet seen, with low stature, broad faces, heads flattened, and the forehead compressed so as to form a straight line from the nose to the crown of the head. Their eyes are of a dusky black; their hair of a coarse black, without ornaments of any kind, braided as above. The ornaments of each sex are similar, such as large blue and white beads, either pendant from their ears or encircling their necks, wrists, and arms. They also wear bracelets of brass, copper, and horn, and trinkets of shells, fish bones, and curious feathers. Their garments consist of a short shirt of leather and a robe of the skins of deer or antelope, but few of them wear shirts; all have short robes. These people appear to live in a state of comparative happiness. They give a greater share of the labor to the woman than is common among savage tribes, and, as I am informed, are content with one wife (as also those on the Kimooenim River). These people respect the aged with veneration. I observed an old woman in one of the lodges which I entered. She was entirely blind, and, as I was informed by signs, had lived more than 100 winters. She occupied the best position in the house, and when she spoke, great attention was paid to what she said. These people, as well as those of the Flatheads whom we had passed on the Koskoske and Lewis's rivers, are subject to sore eyes, and many are blind of one eye, and some of both eyes. This misfortune must be owing to the reflections of the sun, etc., on the waters in which they are continually fishing during the spring, summer, and fall, and the snows during the winter season, in this open country where the eye has no rest. I have observed among these, as well as in all other tribes I have passed on these waters who live on fish, many of different sexes who have lost their teeth at about middle age. Some have their teeth worn to the gums, particularly those of the upper jaw, and the tribes generally have bad teeth. The cause of this I cannot account for, but the sand attached to the roots, etc., and the method they have of using the dried salmon, which is merely warming it and eating the rind and scales with the flesh of the fish, no doubt contributes to it.

The houses or lodges of the tribes of the main Columbia River are made of large mats of rushes. These houses are from 15 to 60 feet in length, generally of an oblong square form, supported by poles on forks on the inner side, six feet high. The top is also covered with mats, leaving a separation along the whole length of about 12 or 15 inches wide, left for the purpose of admitting light and allowing the smoke of the fire to pass, which is made in the middle of the house. The roofs are nearly flat, which proves to me that rains are not common in this open country.

These people appear of a mild disposition and friendly disposed. In their huts, independent of their nets, gigs, and fishing tackle, each has bows and large quivers of arrows on which they use flint spikes. Their amusements are similar to those of the Missouri. They are not beggarly and receive what is given them with much joy.

I saw but few horses. They appeared to make but little use of those animals, principally using canoes for procuring food, etc.