Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: October 2, 1805
The party finished portaging baggage and lowering canoes one at a time through the last major rapid, completing the descent safely by 10 a.m. Two Indians from a downstream village visited, carrying new red and blue cloth blankets, a brass musket, and a powder flask. Around noon the group set out, passing a large prairie island the officers named Strawberry Island, killing several geese, and navigating another rough rapid below the Upper Cascades. The river then widened and calmed. After 21 miles, they camped under an overhanging cliff on the larboard side.
our baggage past the last rapid about one mile further and took
one canoe down at a time partly loaded, about 10 oClock A.M.
we got all Safe below the last bad rapid we can git any account of
from the natives, then loaded up the canoes. 2 Indians came to
us from a village below who had red and blue cloath blankets
which appeared new one had a brass musket and powder flask
a little powder &C. about 12 we set out passed a large Island
mostly prarie which our officers name Strabery Island, we halted
a fiew minutes and killed Several geese. passd Several old villages
about or a little below the big Shoote on the Stard Side, at the foot
of said Island we passd over a rapid which [has] high waves in it
the hills high on each Side but mostly covred with pine timber.
1 Wind River, in Skamania County, Wash. Coues.
– “mi an island righl at the head of the rapids.” Wheeler. The party
had reached the Cascades of the Columbia; the “big Shoote” was the Upper
Cascades.
5 “at the head of Strawberry Island.” Wheeler.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 307
proceeded on about 4 miles further, the River got more Smooth the
current gentle wide and Strait.1 passed the m° of a creek on the
Lard side Saw a number of Spring runs flowing from the high
clifts and Mountains. Some of which falls off about 100 feet per-
pinticular we came 21 miles this day & Camped under a verry
Shelving clift on the Lard Side.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Our baggage passed the last rapid about one mile further, and we took one canoe down at a time partly loaded. About 10 o'clock A.M. we got all safely below the last bad rapid we can get any account of from the natives, then loaded up the canoes. Two Indians came to us from a village below who had red and blue cloth blankets which appeared new; one had a brass musket and powder flask with a little powder, etc. About 12 we set out and passed a large island, mostly prairie, which our officers named Strawberry Island. We halted a few minutes and killed several geese. We passed several old villages about or a little below the big Shoot on the starboard side. At the foot of said island we passed over a rapid which has high waves in it. The hills are high on each side, but mostly covered with pine timber.
We proceeded on about 4 miles further. The river got more smooth, the current gentle, wide, and straight. We passed the mouth of a creek on the larboard side and saw a number of spring runs flowing from the high cliffs and mountains. Some of these fall off about 100 feet perpendicular. We came 21 miles this day and camped under a very shelving cliff on the larboard side.
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