Camp Chopunnish (Long Camp), waiting for snow to melt — Patrick Gass: May 13, 1806
The party gathered their horses, counting 60 in good condition aside from four studs with sore backs. At noon they traveled down a bold, rapid 15-yard-wide branch lined with cottonwood, willow, and cherry, following it about four miles to the river, which ran through a beautiful plain. They halted there to wait for a canoe expected from the natives to help them cross. The canoe arrived after dark, too late to use, so they camped on the south side, planning to wait until snow melted enough to cross the mountains.
Having collected our horses we found we had 60 and all
pretty good except 4, which were studs and had sore backs.
At noon we proceeded down the branch, which has a good
deal of cotton wood, willow and cherry tree on its banks; and
is a bold rapid stream about 15 yards wide. We kept down
the branch about four miles; and then came to the river
where it passes through a beautiful plain. — Here we halted
to wait for a canoe, which we expected that some of the
* The information yet acquired, furnishing but few certain data, on which a cor-
rect general view of the country west of the Rocky Mountains could be founded, espe-
cially on the south side of the Kooskooske, Lewis’s River, and the Columbia after its
confluence with that river, it would only be attempting imposture to pretend to be able
to give it. A few observations, however, may be of some use to such readers, as have
paid but little attention to the Geography of our country, and prompt to further
inquiry.
Between the Rocky mountains, which running a northwest course, are said to
enter the North Sea in latitude 70° north, and longitude 135° west from London or
60° west from Philadelphia (about 11° west of the mouth of the Columbia) and an-
other range of high mountains, running nearly in the same direction along the coast
of the Pacific, there is a large tract of open country extending along the above rivers
and towards the north, in breadth from east to west 350 or 400 miles; but which, by
Mr. M‘Kenzie’s account, appears to be contracted in the latitude of his route near
the 53rd degree to the breadth of about 200 miles, where the country is rough and
covered with timber. Mr. M‘Kenzie represents some parts of these mountains to be
an amazing height, with their snow-clad summits lost in the clouds. Describing the
situation of his party ‘‘sitting round a blazing fire’’ the first evening of the day,
which they had begun to ascend these mountains on their return, and which was that
of the 26th of July; he observes, ‘‘ even at this place, which is only, as it were, the
first step towards gaining the summit of the mountains, the climate was very sensibly
changed. The air that fanned the village which we left at noon, was mild and cheer-
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 231
natives would bring up the river, to assist us in crossing;
when we intend to encamp until the snow shall have sufh-
ciently melted to admit of our crossing the mountains. At
dark the canoe came, but it being too late to cross we en-
camped on the south side.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Having collected our horses, we found we had 60, and all were pretty good except 4, which were studs and had sore backs. At noon we proceeded down the branch, which has a good deal of cottonwood, willow, and cherry trees on its banks; it is a bold, rapid stream about 15 yards wide. We kept down the branch about four miles, and then came to the river where it passes through a beautiful plain. Here we halted to wait for a canoe, which we expected some of the natives would bring up the river to assist us in crossing. We intend to camp here until the snow has sufficiently melted to allow us to cross the mountains. At dark the canoe arrived, but it being too late to cross, we camped on the south side.
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