Document:
Selections from the Journals of
Meriwether Lewis & William Clark

Lewis, 8 May 1806:

... on the small creek which passes our Camp, the nativs have laterly encamped and as we are informed have been much distressed for provisions, they have fallen a number of small pine in the vicinity of this Encampment for the Seed which is in the bur of which they eate. we are informed that they were compelled to collect the moss of the pine boil & eate it in the latter part of the last winter.

on the creek near our camp I observed a kind of trap which was made with great panes to catch the small fish which pass down with the stream. This was a dam formed of stone s, as to collect the water in a narrow part not exceeding S feet wide from which place the water shot with great force and scattered through some small willows closely connected and fastened with bark, this mat of willow switches was about 4 feet wide and 6 long lying in a horozontal position, fastened at the extremety. the small fish which fell on those willows was washed on the Willows where they [lie] untill taken off &c. I cought or took off those willows 9 small trout from 3 to 7 Inches in length.

Soon after I returned from the fishery an Indian came from a fishery of a similar kind a little above with 12 small fish which he offered me which I declined axcepting as I found from his signs that his house was a short distance above, and that those fisheries afforded the principal part of the food for his children.

Clark, 3 September 1805:

the high mountains closed the Creek on each Side and obliged us to take on the Steep Sides of those Mountains, So Steep that the horses could Scur[ce]ly keep from Slipping down, Several sliped & Injured themselves verry much, with great dificuelty we made [blank space in MS.] miles This day we passed over emence hils and Some of the worst roads that ever horses passed, our horses frequently fell Snow about 2 inches deep when it began to rain which termonated in a Sleet[storm]

Clark, 4 September 1805:

Groun[d] covered with Snow, we assended a mountain & took a Divideing ridge which we kept for Several Miles & fell on the head of a Creek which appeared to run the Course we wished to go, prosued our Course down the Creek to the forks about 5 miles where we met a part[y] of the Tushepau [Flathead] nation, of 33 Lodges about 80 men 400 Total and at least 500 horses, those people rec[e]ved us friendly, threw white robes over our Sholders & Smoked in the pipes of peace, we Encamped with them & found them friendly, The Chief harangued untill late at night, Smoked in our pipe and appeared Satisfied. I was the first white man who ever wer on the waters of this river.

Clark, 5 September 1805:

we assembled the Chiefs & warriers and Spoke to them (with much dificuel[t]y as what we Said had to pass through Several languages before it got into theirs, which is a gugling kind of language Spoken much thro the throught [throat] in the Course of the day I purchased 11 horses & exchanged 7 for which we gave a flew articles of merchandise, those people possess ellegant horses.

Clark, October 10, 1805
The Indians Came down all the Cou[r]ses of this river on each side on horses to view us as we were decending.

The Cho-pun-nish or Pierced nose Indians are Stout likely men, handsom women, and verry dressey in their way, the dress of the men are a White Buffalow robe or Elk Skin dressed with Beeds which are generally white, Sea Shells & the Mother of Pirl hung to the[i]r hair & on a piece of otter skin about their necks hair Ceewed in two parsels hanging forward over their Sholders, feathers, and different Coloured Paints which they find in their Countrey Generally white, Green & light Blue. Some few were a Shirt of Dressed Skins and long legins & Mockersons Painted, which appear to be their winters dress, with a plat of twisted grass about their Necks.

The women dress in a Shirt of Ibex or Goat [bighorn] Skins which reach quite down to their anckles with a girdle, their heads are not ornemented. their Shirts are ornemented with quilled Brass, Small peces of Brass Cut into different forms, Beeds, Shells curious bones &c. 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]

Their amusements appear but few as their Situation requires the utmost exertion to pr[o]cure food they are generally employed in that pursute, all the Summer & fall fishing for the Salmon, the winter hunting the deer on Snow Shoes in the plains and takeing care of ther emence numbers of horses, & in the Spring cross the mountains to the Missouri to get Buffalow robes and meet &c. at which time they frequent[ly] meet with their enemies & lose their horses & maney of their people.

Their disorders are but few and those few of a s[c]rofelous nature. they make great use of Swetting. The hot and cold bathes, They are verry Selfish and Stingey of what they have to eate or ware, and they expect in return Something for everything give[n] as presents or the survices whic they doe let it be however Small, and fail to make those returns on their part.

Clark, Spokane area, 1806:
At this place we met with three men of a nation called the Skeet-ko-mish who reside at the forks of a large river discharging itself into the Columbia on its east side to the north of the entrance of Clark's River. This river, they informed me, headed in a large lake in the mountains, and that the falls, below which they resided, was at no great distance from the lake.

These people are the same in their dress and appearance with the Chopunnish though their language is entirely different. The river here called the Clark's River is that we have hitherto called the Flathead River. I have thus named it in honor of my worthy friend and fellow traveler, Captain Clark. For this stream we know no name, and no white man but ourselves was ever on its principal branches.

The Skeet-ko-mish nation resides in six villages and are about 70 miles distant from the Chopunnish nation and beyond a mountain which that river heads in. The Waytom Lake is 10 days around it, has two islands in it, and is seven days from the Chopunnish. The falls of the Lartow River, a little below the lake, is 150 feet, nearly perpendicular, or thereabouts.

The falls of Clark's River, which is only a half day's ride from the latter, falls between 400 and 500 feet and leaves a continuous, spray. The roads which pass up Clark's River from the falls, and that which intersects it from the falls af Lartow River are hilly and bad. The Skeet-ko-mish reside 30 miles up this river. The Skeet-ko-mish reside also on the borders of Waytom Lake and on two islands within the same."

Clark, October 16th 1805, with the Yakama:
I Saw Indians & Horses on the South Side below five Indians came up the river in great haste, we Smoked with them and gave them a piece of tobacco to Smoke with their people and sent them back, they Set out in a run &e continued to go as fast as they could run as far as we could see them. after getting Safely over the rapid and haveing taken Diner Set out and proceeded on Seven miles to the junction of this river and the Columbia which joins from the N. W. In every direction from the junction of those rivers the countrey is one continued plain low and rises from the water gradually, except a range of high Countrey on the opposit Side about 2 miles distant from the Coilumbia.

We halted above the point on the river Kimooenim [Snake] to smoke with the Indians who had collected there in great numbers to view us, here we met our 2 Chiefs who left us two days ago and proceeded on to this place to inform those bands of our approach and friendly intentions towards ail nations &c. we also met the 2 men who had passed us Several days ago on horsback, one of them we observed was a man of great influence with those Indians, harranged them; after Smokeing with the Indians who had collected to view us we formed a camp at the point near which place I saw a hew pieces of Drift wood after we had our camp fixed and fires made, a Chief came from this camp which was about ¼ of a mile up the Columbia river at the head of about 200 men singing and beeting on their drums Stick and keeping time to the musik they formed a half circle around us and Sung for Some time, we gave them all Smoke, and Spoke to their Chief as well as we could by signs informing them of our friendly disposition to all nations, and our joy in Seeing those of our Children around us, Gave the principal chief a large Medal, Shirt and Handkf. a 2nd Chief a Meadel of Small size, and to the Cheif who came down from the upper villages a Small Medal & Handkerchief.

The Chiefs then returned with the men to their camp; Soon after we purchased for our Provisions Seven Dogs, Some fiew of those people made us presents of fish and Several returned and delayed with us untill bedtime. The 2 old chiefs who accompanied us from the head of the river precured us Some full Such as the Stalks of weed[s] or plant[s] and willow bushes. one man made me a present of about 20 Ib. of verry fat Dried horse meat.

Clark, October 17th 1805:
Several men and woman offered Dogs and fish to Sell, we purchased all the dogs we could, the fish being out of season and dieing in great numbers in the river, we did not think proper to use them, send out Hunters to shute the Prarie Cock a large fowl which I have only Seen on this river, Capt. Lewis took a Vocabelary of the Language of those people who call themselves Sokulk, and also one of the language of a nation resideing on a Westerly fork of the Columbia which mouthes a few miles above this place who Call themselves Chim-na-pum Some few of this nation reside with the Sokulks nation.

I took two men in a Small canoe and assended the Columbia river 10 miles to an Island near the Stard. Shore on which two large Mat Lodges of Indians were drying Salmon, The number of dead Salmon on the Shores & floating in the river is incrediable to say -- and at this Season they have only to collect the fish Split them open and dry them on their Scaffolds on which they have great numbers, how far they have to raft their timber they make their scaffolds of I could not lern; but there is no timber of any sort except Small willow bushes in sight in any direction. from this Island the natives showed me the enterance of a large Westerly fork which they Call Tapetett at about 8 miles distant, the evening being late I deturmined to return to the forks, at which place I reached at Dark. passed a Island in the middle of the river at 5 miles at the head of which is a rapid, not dangerous on the Lard. Side opposit of this rapid is a fishing place 3 Mat Lodges, and great quants. of Salmon on scaffolds drying. Saw great numbers of Dead Salmon on the Shores and floating in the water, great numbers of Indians on the banks viewing me and 18 canoes accompanied me from the point. The waters of this river is clear, and Salmon may be seen at the deabth of 15 or 20 feet. West 4 miles to the lower point of a large Island near the Stard. Side at 2 Lodges, passed three large lodges on the Star. Side near which great number of Salmon was drying on scaffolds one of those Mat lodges I entered found it crouded with men women and children and near the enterance of those houses I saw maney squars engaged [in] splitting and drying Salmon. I was furnished with a mat to set on, and one man set about preparing me something to eate, first he brought in a piece of a Drift log of pine , and with a wedge of the elks horn, and a malet of Stone curioesly carved he Split the log into Small pieces and lay'd it open on the fire on which he put round Stones, a woman handed him a basket of water and a large Salmon about half Dried, when the Stones were hot he put them into the basket of water with the fish which was soon suaciently boiled for use it was then taken out put on a platter of rushes neetly made, and set before me they boiled a Salmon for each of the men with me, dureing those preparations, I smoked, with those about me who chose to smoke which was but hew, this being a custom those people are but little accustomed to and only Smok thro: form. after eateing the boiled fish which was delicious, I set out & halted or come too on the Island at the two Lodges, Several fish was given to me, in return,for Which I gave Small pieces of ribbond on my return found Great numbs, of the nativs with Capt. Lewis, men all employ[e]d in dressing ther skins mending their clothes and putting their arms in the best order the latter being always a matter of attention with us. The Dress of those natives differ but little from those on the Koskoskia and Lewis's rivers, except the women who dress verry different, in as much as those above ware long leather Shirts which [are] highly ornimented with beeds shells &c. &c. and those on the main Columbia river only ware a truss or pece of leather tied around them at their hips and drawn tite between their legs and fastened before So as bar[e]ly to hide those parts which are so sacredly hid & s[e]cured by our women. Those women are more inclined to Co[r]pulency than any we have yet Seen, their eyes are of a Duskey black, their hair of a corse black without orniments of any kind braded as above

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 Those people respect the aged with Veneration. I observed an old woman in one of the Lodges which I entered, She was entirely blind as I was informed by signs, had lived more than 100 winters, She occupied the best position in the house, and when She Spoke great attention was paid to what she Said. Those people as also those of the flat heads which we had passed on the Koskoske and Lewis's rivers 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 country 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 bad teeth

The Houses or Lodges of the tribes of the main Columbia river is of large mats made of rushes, those houses are from 15 to 60 feet in length generally of an Oblong squar form, Supported by poles on forks in the in[n]er Side, Six feet high, the top is covered also with mats leaveing a Seperation in the whole length of about 12 or 15 inches wide, left for the purpose of admitting light and for the Smok of the fire to pass which is made in the middle of the house.

Those people appeare of a mild disposition and friendly disposed. They have in their huts independant of their nets gigs & fishing tackling each bows & large quivers or arrows on which they use flint Spikes.

October 18th I805:
The fish being very bad those which was offerd to us we had every reason to believe was taken up on the shore dead we thought proper not to purchase any, we purchased forty dogs for which we gave articles of little value, such as beeds, bells & thimbles, of which they appeared verry fond, at 4 oClock we set out down the Great Columbia.