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(We have some frenchmen, who prefer dog-flesh to fish; and they here got two or three dogs
from the Indians. -- Gass)
a miss understanding took place between Shabono one of our interpreters and Jo & R Fields
which appears to have originated in just [jest]. our diet extremely bad haveing nothing but roots
and dried fish to eate, all the Party have greatly the advantage of me, in as much as they all
relish the flesh of the dogs,
The men expose those parts which are generally kept from few [view] by other nations but the
women are more perticular than any other nation which I have passed [in s[e]creting the parts]
October 11, 1805
William Clark
we purchased all the fish we could and Seven dogs of those people for Stores ...
(at another Indian lodge) ... five dogs ...
(further on) we purchased three dogs ...
October 17, 1805
William Clark
Those people appears to live in a State of comparitive happiness: they take a great[er] share [in
the] labor of the woman, than is common among Savage tribes, and as I am informed [are]
content with one wife (as also those on the Ki moo e nim river) Those people respect the aged
with Veneration. Those people ... are subject to sore eyes, and many are blind of one and Some
of both eyes. this misfortune must be owing to the reflections of the sun &c. on the waters in
which they are continually fishing during the Spring Summer & fall, & the snows dureing the,
winter Seasons, in this open countrey where the eye has no rest. I have observed amongst
those, as well in all other tribes which I have passed on these waters who live on fish maney of
different sectes who have lost their teeth about middle age, Some have their teeth worn to the
gums, perticelar[ly] those of the upper jaw, and the tribes generally have had bad teeth the cause
of it I cannot account [for], sand attachd. to the roots & the method they have of useing the
dried Salmon, which is mearly worming it and eating the rine & scales with the flesh of the
fish, no doubt contributes to it.
October 19, 1805
William Clark
P. Crusat played on the violin which pleased and astonished those [w]reches who are badly
clad, 3/4 with robes not half large enough to cover them, they are homeley high cheeks, and but
fiew orniments. I suped on the crane which I killed to day.
October 23, 1805
William Clark
our old Chiefs over herd the Indians from below say they would try to kill us & informed us of
it, we have all the arms examined and put in order, ... we purchased 8 dogs, Small & fat for
our party to eate, the Indians not verry fond of selling their good fish, compells us to make use
of dogs for food. Exchanged our small canoe for a large & verry new one built for riding the
waves
October 26, 1805
William Clark
The Flees which the party got on them at the upper & great falls, are very troublesom and
dificuelt to get rid of, perticularly as the me[n] have not a Change of Clothes to put on, they
strip off their Clothes and kill the flees, dureing which time they remain nakid.
October 29, 1805
William Clark
The Chief then directed his wife to hand him his medison bag which he opened and Showed us
14 fingers [different fingers not little or middle fingers] which he said was the fingers of his
enemies which he had taken in war, ... this is the first Instance I ever knew of the Indians
takeing any other trofea of their exploits off the dead bodies of their Enimies except the Scalp.
October 31, 1805
William Clark
the Great Shute ... (The entire fall for three miles is sixty feet.)
... had everry appearance of being effected by the tide ... a remarkable high detached rock
Stands in a bottom on the Stard. Side near the lower point of this Island on the Stard. Side
about 800 feet high and 400 paces around, we call the Beaten [Beacon] rock
... there is great numbers of both large and Small rocks, water passing with great velocity
forming [foaming] & boiling in a most horriable manner, with a fall of about 20 feet,
November 1, 1805
William Clark
The[y] press the female childrens heads between 2 bords when young untill they form the skul
as they wish it which is generally verry flat. This amongst those people is considered as a great
mark of buty, and is practised in all the tribes we have passed on this river more or less. Men
take more of the drugery off the women than is common with Indians.
November 5, 1805
William Clark
Rained all the after part of last night, rain continues this morning, I [s]lept but verry little last
night for the noise Kept [up] dureing the whole of the night by the Swans, Geese, white &
Grey Brant Ducks &c. ... they were emensely noumerous, and their noise horid.
This is certainly a fertill and a handsom valley, at this time crouded with Indians. ... we are all
wet cold and disagreeable ... This is the first night which we have been entirely clear of Indians
since our arrival on the waters of the Columbia River.
November 7, 1805
William Clark
Sold us ... three dogs ...
... Speake a language different from the nativs above with whome they trade for the Wapato
roots of which they make great use of as food. their houses differently built, ... Strans of bark
... hang ... from the waist, the whole being of Suff[i]cent thickness when the female Stands
erect to conceal those parts useally covered from familiar view, but when she stoops or places
herself in any other attitude this batter of Venus is not altogether impervious to the penetrating
eye of the amorite.
... here we purchased a Dog ... Two Indians accompanied us from the last village, they we
detected in Stealing a knife and returned, the river being too wide to See either the form Shape
or Size of the Islands on the Lard Side.
Great joy in camp we are in viuew of the Ocian, this great Pacific Octean which we been so
long anxious to See. and the roreing or noise made by the waves brakeing on the rockey Shores
(as I suppose) may be heard disti[n]ctly
November 11, 1805
William Clark
... the wind verry high from the S. W. with most tremendious waves brakeing with great
violence against the Shores, rain falling in torrents, we are all wet as usual -- and our Situation
is truly a disagreeable one; the great quantities of rain which has loosened the Stones on the hill
Sides; and the Small stones fall down upon us, our canoes at one place at the mercy of the
waves, our baggage in another; and our selves and party Scattered on floating logs and Such
dry Spots as can be found on the hill sides, and crivicies of the rocks.
...made Signs that he got those clothes from the white people who lived below the point &c.
those people left us and crossed the river (which is about 5 miles wide at this place) through the
highest waves I ever Saw a Small vestles ride. Those Indians are certainly the best Canoe
navigaters I ever Saw.
November 21, 1805
William Clark
Several Indians and squars came this evening I beleave for the purpose of gratifying the
passions of our men, Those people appear to view sensuality as a necessary evill, and do not
appear to abhore this as crime in the unmarried females. The young women sport openly with
our men, and appear to receve the approbation of theer friends & relations for so doing maney
of the women are handsom. ... I saw the name of J. Bowmon marked or picked on a young
squars left arm. The women of this nation Pick their legs in different figures as an orniment
the[y] ware their hair loose, some trinkets in their ears, ... many men have salors clothes,
maney have good fusees & Ball & Power.
The women have more privalages than is common among Indians. Pocks & veneral is common
amongst them. I saw one man & one woman who appeared to be all in scabs & several men
with the venereal
Those people gave me Sturgion Salmon & wapto roots ... for which we were obliged to give
emence prices.
November 22, 1805
William Clark
O! how horriable is the day.
this Storm did not sease at day but blew with nearly equal violence throughout the whole day
accompan[i]ed with rain. O! how horriable is the day waves brakeing with great violence
against the Shore throwing the Water into our Camp &c. all wet and confind to our Shelters,
... those roots are equal to the Irish potato, and is a tolerable substitute for bread.
November 23, 1805
William Clark
Capt. Lewis Branded a tree with his name Date &c. I marked my name the Day & year on a
alder tree, the party all Cut the first letters of their names on different trees in the bottom.
... Seven indians of the Clot sop Nation came over in a Canoe, they brought with them 2 Sea
otter Skins for which they asked blue beads &c. and Such high pricies that we were unable to
purchase them without reducing our Small Stock of Merchendize, on which we depended for
Subcistance on our return up this river. mearly to try the Indian who had one of those Skins, I
offered him my Watch, handkerchief a bunch of red beads and a dollar of the American coin, all
of which he refused and demanded "ti-a-co-mo-shack" which is Chief beads and the most
common blue beads, but fiew of which we have at this time
they Speak the Same language of the Chinnooks and resemble them in every respect except that
of Stealing, which we have not cought them at as yet.
November 24, 1805
William Clark
[A vote of the men, as to location of winter quarters.]
Janey [Sacajawea? -- Ed.] in favour of a place where there is plenty of Potas.
Cp. L & F Proceed on to morrow & examine The other side of good hunting to winter there, as
salt is an objt. if not to proceed on to Sandy it is probable that a vestle will come in this winter,
& that by proceeding on at any distance would not inhance our journey in passing the Rockey
Mountains, &c.
W C. In favour of proceding on without delay to the opposit shore & there examine, and find
out both the disposition of the Indians, & ... the climent would be more favourable on the Sea
Coast for our naked men than higher up the countrey where the climate must be more severe.
The advantage of the arival of a vestle from whome we can precure goods will be more than an
over ballance, for the bad liveing we shall have in liveing on Pore deer & Elk we may get in this
neighbourhood. If we cannot subsist on the above terms to proceed on, and make station
camps, to neighbourhood of the Frendly village near the long narrows & delay untill we can
proceed up the river.
we have every reason to believe that the Nativs have not provisions Suffi[ci]ent for our
consumption, and if they had, their prices are So high that it would take ten times as much to
purchase their roots & Dried fish as we have in our possession, ... They generaly agree that the
Most Elk is on the Opposit Shore, and that the greatest Numbers of Deer is up the river at some
distance above. The Elk being an animal much larger than Deer, easier to Kill, & better meat (in
the Winter when pore) and Skins better for the Clothes of our party: added to [this] a convenient
Situation to the Sea coast where We Could make Salt, and a probibility of Vessels comeing into
the Mouth of Columbia ("which the Indians inform us would return to trade with them in 3
months") from whome we might precure a fresh Supply of Indian trinkets to purchase
provisions on our return home: together with the Solicitations of every individual, except one of
our party induced us [to] Conclude to Cross the river and examine the opposit Side, and if a
Sufficent quantity of Elk could probebly be precured to fix on a Situation as convenient to the
Elk & Sea Coast as we could find. added to the above advantagies in being near the Sea Coast
one most Strikeing one occurs to me i.e., the Climate which must be from every appearand
much milder than that above the 1st range of Mountains, The Indians are Slightly Clothed and
give an account of but little Snow, and the weather which we have experienced since we arrived
in the neighbourhood of the Sea coast has been verry warm, and maney of the fiew days past
disagreeably so. if this Should be the case it will most Certainly be the best Situation of our
Naked party dressed as they are altogether in leather.
November 28, 1805
William Clark
we could find no deer, several hunters attempted to penetrate the thick woods to the main South
Side without suckcess the swan & gees wild and cannot be approached, and wind to high to go
either back or forward, and we have nothing to eate but a little Pounded fish which we
purchasd. at the Great falls, This is our present situation! truly disagreeable. aded to this the
robes of our selves and men are all rotten from being continually wet, and we cannot precure
others, or blankets in these places.
Those squals were suckceeded by rain O! how Tremendious is the day. This dredfull wind and
rain continued with intervales of fair weather, the greater part of the evening and night
December 1, 1805
William Clark
my hunters returned without any thing saw 2 gang of Elk a disagreeable situation, men all
employed in mending their leather clothes, socks &c. and Dressing some Leather. The sea
which is imedeately in front roars like a repeeted roling thunder and have rored in that way ever
since our arrival in its borders which is now 24 days since we arrived in sight of the Great
Western Ocian, I cant say Pasific as since I have seen it, it has been the reverse Elegant canoes.
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