Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 24, 1806
The party retrieved elk meat from the previous day's hunt and departed at 9:30 a.m., reaching the Cathlamet village around noon, where they stayed past 3 p.m. Ordway found the village extremely filthy and foul-smelling. They continued through narrow channels between the Seal Islands and the south shore, camping at an old village opposite the lower Wahkiakum settlement. Nearby, the dead were deposited in canoes raised above the ground, following local custom. After landing, two Indians came across the river and spoke some English words, naming familiar traders and sailors.
this morning and brought in the flesh of the 2 Elk killed by the
hunters yesterday, at half past 9 we set out and proceed on to
« Point Adams is the headland on the south side of the Columbia at the
junction of the river with the ocean.
2 For whom see ante, 328, note 1.
s In the mouth of John Day Creek, on the starboard side.
331
332 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Mar. 25
the Cathlah-mah village1 at 12 m. and remainded till after
3 p. m. at this village, this is the dirtiest & Stinkenest place I
ever Saw.2 we proceeded on thro Some narrow channels between
the Seal Islands and the South Shore to an old village on South
Side opposite to the lower warkiacome village and Encamped to
[at] the old village3 a verry considerable deposit of the dead
at a Short distance below, in the usual customary way of the
natives of this coast in canoes raised from the Ground. Soon
after we landed and made fires 2 Indians came from the opposite
Side which could Speak some words of English and repeated the
names of the tradors and a number of the Sailors, &.C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
This morning, [we] brought in the flesh of the 2 elk killed by the hunters yesterday. At half past 9 we set out and proceeded on to the Cathlahmah village at 12 m., and remained until after 3 p.m. at this village. This is the dirtiest and stinkingest place I ever saw. We proceeded on through some narrow channels between the Seal Islands and the south shore to an old village on the south side opposite to the lower Warkiacome village, and camped at the old village. A very considerable deposit of the dead [is] a short distance below, in the usual customary way of the natives of this coast, in canoes raised from the ground.
Soon after we landed and made fires, 2 Indians came from the opposite side who could speak some words of English and repeated the names of the traders and a number of the sailors, etc.
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