Portaging Cascades of the Columbia upstream — John Ordway: April 5, 1806
While camped along the Columbia River, Ordway and five men crossed to the south side and climbed a high river hill with rich soil, retrieving jerked meat from the hunters' camp; three more hunters were sent ahead by canoe. Many Native families passed by heading downriver, fleeing food shortages above the great falls where people were reportedly starving. This confirmed reports prompted the party to delay and stockpile dried elk meat for crossing the Columbia plains. Ordway noted the towering fir and cedar timber, 200-foot cliffs, and various edible roots like wapato gathered by the natives.
return*1 with 3 Small black cubs which was sold to the Savages
I and 5 more men went over to the S. Side and climbed a high
River hill on which is excelent rich land, went to the Camp of
our hunters and brought in the jurked meat, three more hunters
sent on a head with their Small canoe a hunting great numbers
of Savages visited the Camp continually Since we have lay at this
Camp, who were passing down with their famillys from the country
above into the vally of Columbia in Search of food, they inform
us that the natives above the great falls have no provisions and
many are dieing with hunger, this information has been so re-
peatedly given by different parties of Indians that it does not
admit of any doubt and is the cause of our delay in this neigh-
bourhood for the purpose of procureing as much dryed Elk meat
as will last us through the Columbia plains in which we do not
expect to find any thing to kill &C. the River hills are high above
Quick Sand River Some of the clifts is 200 feet high, on the
tops of those hills the land is excessively rich and thickly timbred
with different Species of Fir intermixed with white cedder. I Saw
one of the Fir trees which is 100 and 4 feet in length. Some dog
wood and small shrubs, in the River bottoms of the fertile valley of
Columbia which we are now leaveing, and which extends for about
70 miles on the River below, the growth is ash cottonwood, large
leaffed ash & Sweet willow principally with sundry other Shrubs
and bushes many of which bear a fruit which the natives make use
of for food, those bottoms also produce various Species of plants,
the roots of many of which the natives make use of prepared in
different ways for food. Such as the root of the anual rush
pasnaque wapatoe which is the common arrow head & a Species
of Fern the wapatoes they geather in the ponds but all other grow
Spontaneously in every part of the Columbian valley.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Returned with 3 small black cubs which were sold to the natives. I and 5 more men went over to the south side and climbed a high river hill on which there is excellent rich land. We went to the camp of our hunters and brought in the jerked meat. Three more hunters were sent ahead with their small canoe to hunt.
Great numbers of natives have visited the camp continually since we have lain at this camp, who were passing down with their families from the country above into the valley of the Columbia in search of food. They inform us that the natives above the great falls have no provisions and many are dying of hunger. This information has been so repeatedly given by different parties of Indians that it does not admit of any doubt, and is the cause of our delay in this neighborhood, for the purpose of procuring as much dried elk meat as will last us through the Columbia plains, in which we do not expect to find anything to kill, etc.
The river hills are high above Quick Sand River. Some of the cliffs are 200 feet high. On the tops of those hills the land is excessively rich and thickly timbered with different species of fir intermixed with white cedar. I saw one of the fir trees which is 104 feet in length. There is also some dogwood and small shrubs.
In the river bottoms of the fertile valley of the Columbia, which we are now leaving, and which extends for about 70 miles on the river below, the growth is ash, cottonwood, large-leafed ash, and sweet willow principally, with sundry other shrubs and bushes, many of which bear a fruit which the natives make use of for food. Those bottoms also produce various species of plants, the roots of many of which the natives make use of, prepared in different ways for food. Such as the root of the annual rush, pasnaque, wapatoe (which is the common arrowhead), and a species of fern. The wapatoes they gather in the ponds, but all others grow spontaneously in every part of the Columbian valley.
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