Clark: November 5, 1805
Novr. 5th Tuesday 1805 a Cloudy morning Som rain the after part of last
night & this morning. I could not Sleep for the noise kept by the
Swans, Geese, white & black brant, Ducks &c. on a opposit base,
& Sand hill Crane, they were emensely numerous and their noise horrid.
We Set out at Sun rise & our hunters killed 10 Brant 4 of which were
white with black wings 2 Ducks, and a Swan which were divided, we Came too
and Encamped on the Lard. Side under a high ridgey land, the high land
come to the river on each Side. the river about 11/2 mile wide. those high
lands rise gradually from the river & bottomswe are all wet
Cold and disagreeable, rain Continues & encreases. I killed a Pheasent
which is very fatmy feet and legs cold. I saw 17 Snakes to day on a
Island, but little appearance of Frost at this place.
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November 5th Tuesday 1805 Rained all the after part of last night, rain
continues this morning, I slept but verry little last night for the noise
Kept dureing the whole of the night by the Swans, Geese, white & Grey
Brant Ducks &c. on a Small Sand Island close under the Lard. Side;
they were emensely noumerous, and their noise horidwe Set out early
here the river is not more than 3/4 of a mile in width, passed a Small
Prarie on the Stard. Side passed 2 houses about 1/2 a mile from each other
on the Lard. Side a Canoe came from the upper house, with 3 men in it
mearly to view us, passed an Isld. Covered with tall trees & green
briers Seperated from the Stard. Shore by a narrow Chanel at 9 miles I
observed on the Chanel which passes on the Stard Side of this Island a
Short distance above its lower point is Situated a large village, the
front of which occupies nearly 1/4 of a mile fronting the Chanel, and
closely Connected, I counted 14 houses in front here the river widens to
about 11/2 miles. Seven canoes of Indians came out from this large village
to view and trade with us, they appeared orderly and well disposed, they
accompanied us a fiew miles and returned back. about 111/2 miles below
this village on the Lard Side behind a rockey Sharp point, we passed a
Chanel 1/4 of a mile wide, which I take to be the one the Indian Canoe
entered yesterday from the lower point of Immage Canoe Island a Some low
clifts of rocks below this Chanel, a large Island Close under the Stard
Side opposit, and 2 Small Islands, below, here we met 2 canoes from below,below
those Islands a range of high hills form the Stard. Bank of the river, the
Shore bold and rockey, Covered with a thick groth of Pine an extensive low
Island, Seperated from the Lard side by a narrow Chanel, on this Island we
Stoped to Dine I walked out found it open & covered with grass
interspersed with Small ponds, in which was great numbr. of foul, the
remains of an old village on the lower part of this Island, I saw Several
deer our hunters killed on this Island a Swan, 4 white 6 Grey brant &
2 Ducks all of them were divided, below the lower point of this Island a
range of high hills) which runs S. E. forms the Lard. bank of the river
the Shores bold and rockey & hills Covered with pine, The high hills
leave the river on the Stard. Side a high bottom between the hill &
river. We met 4 Canoes of Indians from below, in which there is 26
Indians, one of those Canoes is large, and ornimented with Images on the
bow & Stern. That in the Bow the likeness of a Bear, and in Stern the
picture of a manwe landed on the Lard. Side & camped a little
below the mouth of a creek on the Stard. Side a little below the mouth of
which is an Old Village which is now abandaned-; here the river is about
one and a half miles wide, and deep, The high Hills which run in a N W.
& S E. derection form both banks of the river the Shore boald and
rockey, the hills rise gradually & are Covered with a thick groth of
pine &c. The valley which is from above the mouth of Quick Sand River
to this place may be computed at 60 miles wide on a Derect line, &
extends a great Distanc to the right & left rich thickly Covered with
tall timber, with a fiew Small Praries bordering on the river and on the
Islands; Some fiew Standing Ponds & Several Small Streams of running
water on either Side of the river; This is certainly a fertill and a
handsom valley, at this time Crouded with Indians. The day proved Cloudy
with rain the greater part of it, we are all wet cold and disagreeableI
Saw but little appearance of frost in this valley which we call Wap-pa-loo
Columbia from that root or plants growing Spontaneously in this valley
only In my walk of to Day I saw 17 Striped Snakes I killed a grouse which
was verry fat, and larger than Common. This is the first night which we
have been entirely clear of Indians Since our arrival on the waters of the
Columbia River. We made 32 miles to day by estimation-