Portaging Cascades of the Columbia upstream — Patrick Gass: April 4, 1806

killed a deer and some geese, and then went to the camp. A
party that went out on the upper side of Sandy river, killed 4
elk, and some of the men were out drying the meat.
While I was out hunting, Capt. Clarke got information
that a large river came in on the south side of the Columbia,
about 40 miles below this place, opposite a large island, which
had concealed it from our view: and went down with six men
to view it. He found it to bea very large river, 500 yards
wide, with several nations of Indians living on it; and its
source supposed to be near the head waters of some of the
rivers, which fall into the gulph of California. On their
return they bought some dogs at an Indian village; and last
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210 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
night arrived at camp. Four men were sent on ahead this
forenoon in a canoe to hunt; and I went out with two more
to the den where we saw the cubs, to watch for the old bear:
we staid there until dark and then encamped about a quarter
of a mile off, and went back early in the morning; but the
old one was not returned: so we took the cubs and returned
to camp.