Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — Patrick Gass: October 12, 1805
The expedition continued downriver with two Flathead chiefs aboard and two of their men piloting in a small canoe alongside a stranger. The party spotted ducks, geese, hawks, eagles, and crows but killed none, and saw no four-footed game. They paused at noon to cook fish before pushing on through country resembling the previous day's. Just before sunset they reached a dangerous rapid and chose to camp above it on the north bank after covering 30 miles. The entry describes scattered Flathead villages along the river, their canoes, and their willow summer lodges and split-pine winter lodges.
early. Two of the Flathead chiefs remained on board with
us, and two of their men went with the stranger in a small
canoe, and acted as pilots or guides. We saw some ducks
and a few geese, but did not kill any of them. There is no
four-footed game of any kind near this part of the river, that
we could discover; and we saw no birds of any kind, but a
few hawks, eagles and crows. At noon we halted, cooked
and eat some fish and then proceeded on. The country and
river this day is much the same in appearance as what we
passed yesterday. A little before sunset we came to a bad
rapid, which we did not wish to pass at night, so we encamped
above on the north side, having made 30 miles.
Some of the Flathead nation of Indians live all along the
river this far down. There are not more than 4 lodges in a
place or village, and these small camps or villages are 8 or 10
miles apart: at each camp there are 5 or 6 small canoes.
Their summer lodges are made of willows and flags, and their
winter lodges of split pine, almost like rails, which they bring
down on rafts to this part of the river where there is no
timber.
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Early start. Two of the Flathead chiefs remained on board with us, and two of their men went with the stranger in a small canoe and acted as pilots or guides. We saw some ducks and a few geese, but did not kill any of them. There is no four-footed game of any kind near this part of the river that we could discover, and we saw no birds of any kind except a few hawks, eagles, and crows. At noon we halted, cooked and ate some fish, and then continued on. The country and river this day are much the same in appearance as what we passed yesterday. A little before sunset we came to a bad rapid, which we did not wish to pass at night, so we camped above it on the north side, having made 30 miles.
Some of the Flathead nation of Indians live all along the river this far down. There are not more than 4 lodges in a place or village, and these small camps or villages are 8 or 10 miles apart; at each camp there are 5 or 6 small canoes. Their summer lodges are made of willows and flags (cattails), and their winter lodges of split pine, almost like rails, which they bring down on rafts to this part of the river, where there is no timber.
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