Clark: October 30, 1805

October 30th Wednesday 1805 A Cloudy morning. Some little rain all night,
after eating a Slight brackfast of venison we Set out.

The rocks project into the river in maney places and have the appearance
of haveing fallen from the highe hills those projected rocks is common
& Small Bays below & nitches in the rocks passed 4 Cascades or
Small Streams falling from the mountains on Lard. This part of the river
resembles a pond partly dreaned leaving many Stumps bare both in & out
of the water, current about 1 mil pr. Hour

The bottom above the river is about 3/4 of a mile wide and rich, Some deer
& bear Signrained moderately all day we are wet and cold. Saw
Several Specis of wood which I never Saw before, Some resembling Beech
& others Poplar.Day dark and disagreeable

I with 2 men proceeded down the river 2 miles on an old Indian parth to
view the rapids, which I found impassable for our canoes without a
portage, the roade bad at 1 mile I saw a Town of Houses laterly abandoned
on an elevated Situation opsd. a 2d Shute, returned at dark. Capt. Lewis
and 5 men went to the Town found them kind they gave Beries & nuts,
but he cd. get nothin from them in the way of Information, the greater
part of those people out collecting roots below, rained all the evining
Those people have one gun & maney articles which they have purchased
of the white people their food is principally fish

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October 30th Wednesday 1805 A cool morning, a moderate rain all the last
night, after eating a partial brackfast of venison we Set out passed
Several places where the rocks projected into the river & have the
appearance of haveing Seperated from the mountains and fallen promiscuisly
into the river, Small nitches are formed in the banks below those
projecting rocks which is comon in this part of the river, Saw 4 Cascades
caused by Small Streams falling from the mountains on the Lard. Side, a
remarkable circumstance in this part of the river is, the Stumps of pine
trees are in maney places are at Some distance in the river, and gives
every appearance of the rivers being darned up below from Some cause which
I am not at this time acquainted with, the Current of the river is also
verry jentle not exceeding 11/2 mile pr. hour and about 3/4 of a mile in
width. Some rain, we landed above the mouth of a Small river on the Stard.
Side and Dined J. Shields Killed a Buck & Labiech 3 Ducks, here the
river widens to about one mile large Sand bar in the middle, a Great rock
both in and out of the water, large Stones, or rocks are also permiscuisly
Scattered about in the river, this day we Saw Some fiew of the large
Buzzard Capt. Lewis Shot at one, those Buzzards are much larger than any
other of ther Spece or the largest Eagle white under part of their wings
&c. The bottoms above the mouth of this little river is rich covered
with grass & firn & is about 3/4 of a mile wide rich and rises
gradually, below the river (which is 60 yards wide above its mouth) the
Countery rises with Steep assent. we call this little river New Timbered
river from a Speces of Ash which grows on its banks of a verry large and
different from any we had before Seen, and a timber resembling the beech
in bark but different in its leaf which is Smaller and the tree smaller.
passed maney large rocks in the river and a large creek on the Stard. Side
in the mouth of which is an Island, passed on the right of 3 Islands near
the Stard. Side, and landed on an Island close under the Stard. Side at
the head of the great Shute, and a little below a village of 8 large
houses on a Deep bend on the Stard. Side, and opposit 2 Small Islands
imediately in the head of the Shute, which Islands are covered with Pine,
maney large rocks also, in the head of the Shute. Ponds back of the
houses, and Countrey low for a Short distance. The day proved Cloudy dark
and disagreeable with Some rain all day which kept us wet. The Countary a
high mountain on each Side thickly Covered with timber, Such as Spruc,
Pine, Cedar, Oake Cotton &c. &c. I took two men and walked down
three miles to examine the Shute and river below proceeded along an old
Indian path, passd. an old village at 1 mile on an ellevated Situation of
this village contained verry large houses built in a different form from
any I had Seen, and laterly abandoned, and the most of the boads put into
a pond of water near the village, as I conceived to drown the flees, which
was emencely noumerous about the houses-. I found by examonation that we
must make a portage of the greater perpotion of our Stores 21/2 miles, and
the Canoes we Could haul over the rocks, I returned at Dark Capt Lewis and
5 men had just returned from the village, Cap L. informed me that he found
the nativs kind, they gave him berries, nuts & fish to eate; but he
could get nothing from them in the way of information. The greater part of
the inhabitants of this village being absent down the river Some distance
Colecting roots Capt. L. Saw one gun and Several articles which must have
been precured from the white people. a wet disagreeable evening, the only
wood we could get to burn on this little Island on which we have encamped
is the newly discovered Ash, which makes a tolerable fire. we made fifteen
miles to daye.