John Ordway: October 16, 1805
The expedition navigated rocky rapids, with one canoe getting stuck before being freed with help. They reached what Native guides indicated was the last bad rapid, portaged some baggage about a mile overland, then guided the canoes through and reloaded. By evening they arrived at a large fork where a river wider than the Columbia joins from the north. The surrounding country was flat, treeless plain. About 200 Native people camped on the point sold them eight fat dogs and fresh salmon, then visited camp singing and smoking, displaying beads and metal trinkets reportedly obtained from northern traders.
over the rockey rapids one of the canoes run fast on a rock in a
bad rapid and Stayed untill we went with a canoe to their assist-
ance, got all Safe to land loaded and set out again and proceeded
on. in the afternoon we came to the last bad rapid as the Indians
Sign to us. we halted little above and carried some of the baggage
past by land ab* one mile then took the canoes safe down and
loaded them again and procd on passed over several rapid places
in the River, towards evening we arived at the big forks, the
large River which is wider than the Columbia River2 comes in
from a northerly direction, the Country around these forks is
level Smooth plain, no timber, not a tree to be seen as far as our
Eyes could extend, a fiew willows Scattering along the Shores,
about 200 Savages are Camped on the point between the 2 rivers,
we Camped near them, they Sold us eight fat dogs and Some
fresh sammon. in the evening the whole band came Singing in
their way to our Camp around our fires and Smoaked with us,
and appeared verry friendly, they have pleanty of beeds Copper
& brass trinkets, about them which they Sign to us that they got
them from Some tradors on a River to the North of this place.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We went over the rocky rapids. One of the canoes ran fast on a rock in a bad rapid and stayed there until we went with a canoe to their assistance. We got everything safely to land, loaded up, and set out again, and proceeded on. In the afternoon we came to the last bad rapid, as the Indians signed to us. We halted a little above it and carried some of the baggage past by land about one mile, then took the canoes safely down and loaded them again, and proceeded on, passing over several rapid places in the river.
Towards evening we arrived at the big forks. The large river, which is wider than the Columbia River, comes in from a northerly direction. The country around these forks is a level, smooth plain, with no timber—not a tree to be seen as far as our eyes could extend—and a few willows scattered along the shores. About 200 Indians are camped on the point between the two rivers. We camped near them. They sold us eight fat dogs and some fresh salmon. In the evening the whole band came singing in their way to our camp around our fires and smoked with us, and appeared very friendly. They have plenty of beads, copper, and brass trinkets about them, which they signed to us that they got from some traders on a river to the north of this place.
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