Clark: October 29, 1805

October 29th Tuesday 1805. A cloudy morning, wind still from the West, not hard. We set out at daylight, proceeded on about 5 miles, and came to at a lodge of a chief whom we had met at the upper village at the falls. Around his house there are six others. This chief gave us Sackacommis berries, hazelnuts, pounded fish, and a kind of bread made of roots to eat. We gave the women pieces of ribbon, which they appeared pleased with. These houses are large, 25 feet square, and contain about 8 men, say 30 inhabitants.

These people are friendly and gave us fish, berries, nuts, bread of roots, and dried berries to eat, and we call this the Friendly Village. We purchased 12 dogs from them and 4 sacks of pounded fish, along with a few dried berries, and proceeded on. Four miles further we landed to smoke a pipe with the people of a village of 11 houses. We found these people also friendly. Their village is situated immediately below the mouth of a river of 60 yards of water which falls in on the Starboard side and heads in the mountains to the North and Northeast. The Indians inform us that this river is long and full of falls, and no salmon pass up it. They also inform us that 10 nations live on this river by hunting and on berries, etc. The country begins to be thinly timbered with pine and low white oak, very rocky and hilly. We purchased 4 dogs at this village.

At the end of this course are 3 rocks in the river and a rocky point from the Larboard side. The middle rock is large and has a number of graves on it; we call it the Sepulchre Island. The last river we call Cataract River, from the number of falls which the Indians inform us are on it. The Indians are afraid to hunt or be on the Larboard side of this Columbia River for fear of the Snake Indians, who reside on a fork of this river that falls in above the falls. A good situation for winter quarters, if game can be had, is just below Sepulchre Rock on the Larboard side, with high pine and oak timber, the rocks rugged above, and good hunting country back, as it appears from the river. Indian village opposite of 2 lodges; river 1/2 mile wide at the rocks.

The robes of these Indians are of wolf, deer, elk, wildcat, some fox, and deer. I saw one of the mountain sheep; its wool is thick and long, with coarse hair on the back resembling bristles. These animals live among the rocks in the mountains below. Otter is much valued by these people; they sew their hair on each side with it and wear it about their necks with the tail in front.

Came to at 3 miles on this course at 3 houses of Flatheads and camped on the Starboard side. A pond lies back of these people in which we saw great numbers of the small swan. We purchased 3 dogs from these people. They gave us high bush cranberries, bread of roots, and roots. They were pleased with the music of the violin.

October 29th Tuesday 1805. A cloudy morning, wind from the West but not hard. We set out at daylight and proceeded on about five miles, came to on the Starboard side at a village of 7 houses, built in the same form and materials as those above. Here we found the chief we had seen at the Long Narrows, named ____.

We entered his lodge and he gave us pounded fish, bread made of roots, filbert nuts, and the berries of Sackecomme to eat. We gave each woman of the lodge a brace of ribbon, with which they were much pleased. Each of these houses may be calculated to contain 8 men and 30 souls. They are hospitable and good-humored, speak the same language as the inhabitants of the last village. We call this the Friendly Village. I observed in the lodge of the chief sundry articles which must have been procured from the white people, such as scarlet and blue cloth, a sword, jacket, and hat. I also observed two wide split boards with images on them, cut and painted in imitation of a man. I pointed to this image and asked a man to what use he put them. He said something, the only word of which I understood was "good," and then stepped to the image and took out his bow and quiver to show me, along with some other of his war implements, from behind it.

The chief then directed his wife to hand him his medicine bag, which he opened and showed us 14 fingers which he said were the fingers of his enemies whom he had taken in war, and pointed to the Southeast, from which direction I concluded they were Snake Indians. This is the first instance I ever knew of the Indians taking any other trophy of their exploits off the dead bodies of their enemies except the scalp. The chief painted those fingers, along with several other articles in his bag, red and securely put them back, having first made a short harangue which I suppose was bragging of what he had done in war. We purchased 12 dogs and 4 sacks of fish, and some few acid berries. After breakfast we proceeded on. The mountains are high on each side, containing scattered pine, white oak, and undergrowth; the hillsides are steep and rocky.

At 4 miles lower we observed a small river falling in with great rapidity on the Starboard side, below which is a village of 11 houses. Here we landed to smoke a pipe with the natives and examine the mouth of the river, which I found to be 60 yards wide, rapid, and deep. The inhabitants of the village are friendly and cheerful. These people, as well as those at the last village, inform us that this little river is long and full of falls, no salmon pass up it, and it runs from N.N.E. They say that ten nations live on this river and its waters, subsisting on berries and what game they can kill with their bows and arrows.

We purchased 4 dogs and set out (this village is of the same nation as the one we last passed) and proceeded on. The country on each side begins to be thicker timbered with pine and low white oak, very rocky and broken. We passed three large rocks in the river; the middle rock is large and long and has several square vaults on it. We call this rocky island the Sepulchre. The last river we passed we shall call the Cataract River, from the number of falls which the Indians say are on it. We passed 2 lodges of Indians a short distance below the Sepulchre Island on the Starboard side; the river is wide. At 4 miles we passed 2 houses on the Starboard side. Six miles lower we passed 4 houses above the mouth of a small river 40 yards wide on the Larboard side, with a thick timbered bottom above and back of those houses. These are the first houses which we have seen on the South side of the Columbia River (and the access to them is difficult), out of fear of the approach of their common enemies, the Snake Indians. We passed 14 houses on the Starboard side, scattered along the bank.

From the mouth of this little river, which we shall call Labeasche River, the Falls Mountain is South and its top is covered with snow. One mile below we passed the mouth of a large rapid stream on the Starboard side, opposite a large sand bar. In this creek the Indians above take their fish; here we saw several canoes, which induced us to call this Canoe Creek. It is 28 yards wide. About 4 miles lower and below the sand bar is a beautiful cascade falling over a rock of about 100 feet. A short distance lower we passed 4 Indian houses on the Larboard side in a timbered bottom. A few miles further we came to at 3 houses on the Starboard side, back of which is a pond in which I saw great numbers of small swan. Capt. Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and I went into the houses of these people, who appeared somewhat surprised at first. Their houses are built on the same construction as those above; they speak the same language and dress in the same way, with robes of the skins of wolves, deer, elk, wildcat (or loucirvia), and fox.

I also saw a mountain sheep skin, the wool of which is long, thick, and coarse, with long coarse hair on the top of the neck and back somewhat resembling the bristles of a goat. The skin was of white hair. These people inform me by signs that these animals live in the mountains among the rocks; their horns are small and straight. Otter skins are highly prized among these people as well as among those on the river above. They queue their hair, which is divided on each shoulder, and also wear small strips about their necks with the tail hanging down in front.

These people gave us high bush cranberries, bread made of roots, and roots. We purchased three dogs for the party to eat. We smoked with the men, who were all much pleased with the violin. Here the mountains are high on each side; those on the Larboard side have some snow on them at this time, with more timber than above and of greater variety.