Columbia River near Wallula Gap — John Ordway: October 18, 1805

here untill after 12 oClock to day Cap* Clark measured Colum-
bian River and the kimoenem Rivers and found the Columbia
River to be 860 yards wide, and the kimooenem R. to be 475 [575]
yards wide at the forks. Cap* Lewis Compleated his observa-
tions and found the Latitude to produce [blank in Ms.] North
our officers compared several of the natives languages and found
these to be of the flat head nation but another tribe, about 2
oClock P. M. we Set out. two chiefs continued on with us. we
proceeded on down the great Columbia River which is now verry
wide about f of a mile in General the country in general Smooth
plains for about 10 miles down then the barron hills make close
to the River on each Side passed Several Smooth Islands on
which was large fishing Camps, large quantity of Sammon on
their Scaffels. we Saw a great many dead Sammon floating in
the River, and Saw the living jumping verry thick, we Saw a
great nomber of horses near Some Indian villages the lodges of which
was made of flags and large grass verry neatly worked, we passed
over Several rapids, no timber along the Shores, we Camped on
the Lard Side at a fiew willows2 which we got to burn, a nomber of
the Savages came to our Camp in Small canoes.