Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — Patrick Gass: October 24, 1805

early ; found the water very rapid below the falls; and having
gone 4 miles below the narrows, came to other narrows still
more confined and the rocks higher. At the head of these
narrows we halted about 2 o’clock at a great Indian village,
and remained there all night. We got fish and dogs from the
natives, and some berries, different from any we got before,
some call them cranberries; whether of the real kind or not
I am not certain. In our way down to day we saw a great
164 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
many sea otters swimming in the river, and killed some, but
could not get them as they sunk to the bottom. This village
has better lodges than any on the river above; one story of
which is sunk under ground and lined with flag mats; The
upper part about 4 feet above ground is covered over with
cedar bark, and they are tolerably comfortable houses.