Clark: April 3, 1806

Thursday April 3rd 1806 The water had fallen in the course of last night
five inches. I Set out and proceeded up a Short distance and attempted a
Second time to fathom the river with my cord of 5 fathom but could find no
bottom. the mist was So thick that I could See but a Short distance up
this river. where I left it, it was binding to the East of S. E. being
perfectly Sati’fyed of the Size and magnitude of this great river which
must Water that vast tract of Country betwen the Western range of
mountains and those on the Sea coast and as far S. as the Waters of
Callifornia about Latd. 37° North I deturmined to return. at 7 oClock A.M.
Set out on my return. the men exirted themselves and we arived at the Ne
er cho ki oo house in which the nativs were So illy disposed yesterday at
11 A.M. I entered the house with a view to Smoke with those people who
Consisted of about 8 families, finding my presence alarmed them So much
that the children hid themselves, womin got behind their men, and the men
hung their heads, I detained but a fiew minits and returnd on board the
canoe. My pilot who Continued in the Canoe informed me on my return that
those people as well as their relations were very illy disposed and bad
people. I proceeded on along the South Side met five canoes of the
Shah-ha-la Nation from the Great rapids with their wives and Children
decending the Columbia into this fertile Vally in pursute of provi-sions.
my Pilot informed me in a low voice that those people were not good, and I
did not Suffer them to come along Side of my Canoe which they appeared
anxious to do. their numbers in those canoes who appeard anxious to come
along Side was 21 men and 3 boys. at 3 P M. we arived at the residence of
our Pilot which consists of one long house with Seven appartments or rooms
in Square form about 30 feet each room opening into a passage which is
quit through the house those passages are about 4 feet in width and formed
of Wide boads Set on end in the ground and reaching to the Ruff which
Serves also as divisions to the rooms. The ground plot is in this form 1 1
1 1 is the passages. 2 2 &c. is the apartments about 30 feet square.
this house is built of bark of the White Cedar Supported on long Stiff
poles resting on the ends of broad boads which form the rooms &c. back
of this house I observe the wreck of 5 houses remaining of a very large
Village, the houses of which had been built in the form of those we first
Saw at the long narrows of the E-lute Nation with whome those people are
connected. I indeavored to obtain from those people of the Situation of
their nation, if scattered or what had become of the nativs who must have
peopled this great town. an old man who appeared of Some note among them
and father to my guide brought foward a woman who was badly marked with
the Small Pox and made Signs that they all died with the disorder which
marked her face, and which She was verry near dieing with when a Girl.
from the age of this woman this Distructive disorder I judge must have
been about 28 or 30 years past, and about the time the Clatsops inform us
that this disorder raged in their towns and distroyed their nation. Those
people Speak a different language from those below tho in their dress
habits and manners &c. they differ but little from the
Quathlahpohtles. theire women ware the truss as those do of all the
nations risideing from the quathlahpohtle to the enterance of Lewis’s
river and on the Columbia above for Some distance. those people have Some
words the Same with those below but the air of their language is entirely
different, their men are Stouter and much better made, and their womin
ware larger & longer robes than those do below; those are most
commonly made of Deer Skins dressed with the hair on them. they pay great
attention to their aged Severall men and women whom I observed in this
village had arived at a great age, and appeared to be helthy tho blind. I
provailed on an old man to draw me a Sketch of the Multnomar River ang
give me the names of the nations resideing on it which he readily done,
See draft on the other Side and gave me the names Of 4 nations who reside
on this river two of them very noumerous. The first is Clark a-mus nation
reside on a Small river which takes its rise in Mount Jefferson and falls
into the Moltnomar about 40 miles up. this nation is noumerous and inhabit
11 Towns. the 2d is the Cush-hooks who reside on the N E. Side below the
falls, the 3rd is the Char-cowah who reside above the Falls on the S W.
Side neether of those two are noumerous. The fourth Nation is the
Cal-lar-po-e-wah which is very noumerous & inhabit the Country on each
Side of the Multnomar from its falls as far up as the knowledge of those
people extend. they inform me also that a high mountain passes the
Multnomar at the falls, and above the Country is an open plain of great
extent.

I purchased 5 dogs of those people for the use of their Oil in the Plains,
and at 4 P M left the Village and proceeded on to Camp where I joind Capt.
Lewis

The enterance of Multnomah river is 142 miles up the Columbia river from
its enterance into the Pacific Ocean-. in my absence and Soon after I left
camp Several Canoes of men women and Children came to the camp. and at one
time there was about 37 of those people in Camp Capt Lewis fired his Air
gun which astonished them in Such a manner that they were orderly and kept
at a proper distance dureing the time they Continued with himas
maney as 10 Canoes arrived at Camp in the Course of this day. they all
Seem to give the Same account of the Scercity of Provisions above. one
family Continued all night and behaved themselves in a very orderly
manner.

on the 3rd Joseph Field returned from the woods and informed the Drewyer
Rubin & himself had killed four Elk. Capt L. Sent Sergt. Pryor and two
men with Joseph Field to dry the flesh of the Elk in the woods on
Scaffolds with fire. the party bilow quick Sand river did not return to
day. The Indians continue to vist our Camp in Considerable number from
above with their families. these pore people appeared half Starved. they
picked up the bones and little refuse meat which had been thrown away by
the party. Capt L had the flesh of the 4 Elk which was killed on the 1st
inst. driedSome of the men of the nativs who visited Capt Lewis
wore a girdle, with a Small Skin in front and a Cap of the Skin of the
deers head &c.