Columbia River near Wallula Gap — John Ordway: October 21, 1805
The expedition set out early and stopped at an Indian village to buy firewood and cook breakfast, trading small goods for pounded salmon and white root cakes. The natives, who seemed fearful, also had fisher, raccoon, and otter skins. Continuing on, the party navigated dangerous rocky rapids, narrow channels, and whirlpools, passing several islands and fishing camps with large stacks of pounded salmon. After traveling about 32 miles, they camped beside Indian lodges under tall cliffs on the starboard side, near a spring. The locals wore dressed elk and deer skins and had a few blue blankets.
eairly and proceeded on as usal we then halted at an Indian
village where we bought a little wood and cooked breakfast,
bought Some pounded Sammon from the natives, and Some white
root cakes which is verry good, we Saw among them a number
of fisher and rackoon Skins. Some otter Skins also, these Sav-
ages gave us any thing we asked them for, by our giving them
any Small article as we pleased, as if they were in fear of us. we
1 Supposed by Clark to be Mt. St. Helens, “one of the mountains Laid down
by Vancouver, as seen from the mouth of the Columbia River.” Wheeler
states that Clark’s supposition was erroneous, and that the mountain seen
was Mt. Adams. fj
2 In Oregon, “six or seven miles below the mouth of Umatilla River.” Coues.
s In the vicinity of Roosevelt, Klickitat County, Wash. For the identifi-
cation of the location of today’s camp see post, 346, note 2.
302 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Oct. 22
proceeded on passed River hills and cliffs of rocks on each side,
passed over a number of bad rockey rapids where the River is
nearly filled with high dark couloured rocks the water divided in
narrow deep channels, bad whorl pools, passed several Islands and
fishing fishing camps. Saw a great quantity of pounded Sammon
Stacked up on the Shores, we saw a fiew scattering pine on the
hills, we came about 32 miles this day and Camped1 at some
Indian lodges close under high clifts of rocks on the Stard Side a
handsome Spring flowed out of the clifts. these savages have a
fiew Elk and Deer Skins dressed with the hair on which they wear
for covering, they have also a fiew blue cloth blankets &C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We started early and proceeded on as usual. We then halted at an Indian village where we bought a little wood and cooked breakfast, bought some pounded salmon from the natives, and some white root cakes which are very good. We saw among them a number of fisher and raccoon skins, and some otter skins also. These savages gave us anything we asked them for, in exchange for any small article we pleased to give them, as if they were in fear of us.
We proceeded on, passed river hills and cliffs of rocks on each side, passed over a number of bad rocky rapids where the river is nearly filled with high dark-colored rocks, the water divided into narrow deep channels, with bad whirlpools. We passed several islands and fishing camps. We saw a great quantity of pounded salmon stacked up on the shores. We saw a few scattering pines on the hills. We came about 32 miles this day and camped at some Indian lodges close under high cliffs of rocks on the starboard side, where a handsome spring flowed out of the cliffs. These savages have a few elk and deer skins dressed with the hair on, which they wear for covering. They also have a few blue cloth blankets, etc.
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