Columbia near The Dalles, trading for horses — John Ordway: April 10, 1806
On a cloudy, showery day, the expedition hauled their large and small canoes up rapids using towlines, then crossed to the north side of the river for breakfast at a village. Hunter Collins brought in three deer, and Captain Lewis traded two elk hides for a white mountain sheep skin. After more difficult towing, Drouillard and the Field brothers lost their canoe in the rapids, but local Indians recovered it and were rewarded with two knives. The party camped above the Big Shoot portage. Ordway described an unusual native graveyard with wooden plank tombs holding bodies and possessions. An attempted axe theft was thwarted.
last night, a cloudy & Showery morning. 2 men sent out to
hunt pitch who belonged to a Small canoe, we took up the
large canoes one at a time up the rapids with the towing line,
the Small one also who was left to help up with the other small
one. we then crossed over the River to the N. Side and halted
at a village where we took breakfast, the men who were hunting
pitch came up with their canoe one of them by the name of
Collins had killed three Deer and brought them to us. Cap*
Lewis purchased a white mountain Sheep Skin for which he gave
2 Elk hides, we bought a fiew Salmon trout then we pro-
ceed on soon came to bad rapids where we had to tow one canoe
up at a time. Drewyer & the 2 Fields went on a head with their
Smal canoe, their chord broke & their canoe went back down
the rapids and [was] taken up by the Indians below, who returnd
it to us. our officers gave them two knives for the kindness,
one of the men lamed one of his feet towing over the Stons with
Some fatigue we got all the canoes to the lower end of the portage
of the big Shoote2 and unloaded in the large eddy below on N.
Side and carried all the baggage on the top of the hill, and Camped
a number of the natives visited us Some distance below
this place I Saw a large grave yard [a] little below an ancient
village this is a different manner from any I have Seen of hurry-
ing the dead in tombs about 8 feet Square made of wood plank
and tite flowers [floors] made of plank layn in them and the corps
are layn out on the flower Roped up in Some kind of a Robe,
and all thier property is deposited with them Such as copper
tea kittles baskets cockle Shells canoes are layn by the Side
of sd tombs also. Several Images cut in wood one put up at
1 Brant Island, just below the Lower Cascades. The camp v;is on the
Oregon mainland.
2 The Upper Cascades.
340 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [April 11
the ends of said tombs &C one of the Indians Stole an exe1
from us another told one of our men and he followed him and
took it from him and told him that he was bad and he replied
that he was &C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Last night, a cloudy and showery morning. Two men were sent out to hunt for pitch, who belonged to a small canoe. We took the large canoes up the rapids one at a time with the towing line, along with the small one that was left to help bring up the other small canoe. We then crossed over the river to the north side and halted at a village, where we took breakfast. The men who were hunting pitch came up with their canoe; one of them, by the name of Collins, had killed three deer and brought them to us. Capt. Lewis (Capt. Lewis) purchased a white mountain sheep skin, for which he gave two elk hides. We bought a few salmon trout, then we proceeded on. We soon came to bad rapids where we had to tow one canoe up at a time. Drewyer (Drouillard) and the two Fields went ahead with their small canoe; their cord broke and their canoe went back down the rapids and was taken up by the Indians below, who returned it to us. Our officers gave them two knives for their kindness. One of the men lamed one of his feet towing over the stones. With some fatigue, we got all the canoes to the lower end of the portage of the big Shoote (Upper Cascades) and unloaded in the large eddy below on the north side, and carried all the baggage to the top of the hill, and camped. A number of the natives visited us.
Some distance below this place I saw a large graveyard a little below an ancient village. This is a different manner from any I have seen of burying the dead, in tombs about 8 feet square made of wooden planks, with tight floors made of plank laid in them. The corpses are laid out on the floor, wrapped up in some kind of a robe, and all their property is deposited with them, such as copper tea kettles, baskets, and cockle shells. Canoes are laid by the side of said tombs as well. Several images cut in wood are put up at the ends of said tombs, etc. One of the Indians stole an axe from us; another told one of our men, and he followed him and took it from him, and told him that he was bad, and he replied that he was, etc.
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