Columbia near The Dalles, trading for horses — Patrick Gass: April 10, 1806
The party worked to move upriver through difficult rapids. One damaged canoe was repaired while others were hauled around the point of an island using a line. They crossed to a Native village on the north side, where Gass saw a wild sheep skin with fine wool, and ate breakfast. Hunters killed three deer while gathering pitch. The strong current forced them to tow canoes by line for about six miles. One towline broke, but Captain Lewis enlisted Natives to retrieve the canoe. They reached the portage by evening, camping atop the hill through scattered rain.
to repair one of our canoes, which was split ; and the rest went
round the point of the island, and took the canoe over the
rapid, one at a time, with the assistance of a line. When we
got over the rapids we crossed to another village of the na-
tives on the north side, where I saw the skin of a wild sheep,
which had fine beautiful wool on it. Here we took breakfast
and waited the arrival of the other canoe, which in about an
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION = 213
hour came up; and the men when out for pitch killed 3 deer.
We proceeded on, and the water was so rapid, that we had to
tow the canoes up by the line almost all the way to the land-
ing at the lower end of the portage, a distance of about six
miles. In passing a bad place the tow-line of the small canoe,
which the hunters had on ahead, broke; but fortunately there
was nothing in her, as the three hunters were on shore drag-
ging her up, and had taken out all the loading. As she passed
by us Capt. Lewis got some of the natives to bring her to
shore. In the evening we got to the end of the portage,
which is about two miles. We took our baggage to the top
of the hill and remained with it all night; during which some
showers of rain fell.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
to repair one of our canoes, which was split; and the rest went round the point of the island, and took the canoe over the rapid, one at a time, with the assistance of a line. When we got over the rapids we crossed to another village of the natives on the north side, where I saw the skin of a wild sheep, which had fine beautiful wool on it. Here we took breakfast and waited for the arrival of the other canoe, which came up in about an hour; and the men who went out for pitch killed 3 deer.
We proceeded on, and the water was so rapid that we had to tow the canoes up by the line almost all the way to the landing at the lower end of the portage, a distance of about six miles. In passing a bad place, the tow-line of the small canoe, which the hunters had on ahead, broke; but fortunately there was nothing in her, as the three hunters were on shore dragging her up, and had taken out all the loading. As she passed by us, Capt. Lewis (Capt. Lewis) got some of the natives to bring her to shore.
In the evening we got to the end of the portage, which is about two miles. We took our baggage to the top of the hill and remained with it all night; during which some showers of rain fell.
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