The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Clark, November 6, 1805

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Clark, November 6, 1805

November 6th Wednesday 1805

A cool wet raney morning we Set out early at 4 miles pass 2 Lodges of Indians in a Small bottom on the Lard Side I believe those Indians to be travelers. opposit is the head of a long narrow Island close under the Starboard Side, back of this Island two Creeks fall in about 6 miles apart, and appear to head in the high hilley countrey to the N. E. opposit this long Island is 2 others one Small and about the middle of the river. the other larger and nearly opposit its lower point, and opposit a high clift of Black rocks on the Lard. Side at 14 miles: here the Indians of the 2 Lodges we passed to day came in their canoes with Sundery articles to Sell, we purchased of them Wap-pa-too roots, Salmon trout, and I purchased 2 beaver Skins for which I gave 5 Small fish hooks. here the hills leave the river on the Lard. Side, a butifull open and extensive bottom in which there is an old Village, one also on the Stard. Side a little above both of which are abandened by all their inhabitents except Two Small dogs nearly Starved, and an unreasonable portion of flees- The Hills and mountains are covered with Sever kinds of Pine-Arber Vitea or white Cedar, red Loril, alder and Several Species of under groth, the bottoms have common rushes, nettles, & grass the Slashey parts have Bull rushes & flags- Some willow on the waters edge, passed an Island 3 miles long and one mile wide, close under the Stard. Side below the long narrow Island below which the Stard Hills are verry from the river bank and Continues high and rugid on that Side all day, we over took two Canoes of Indians going down to trade one of the Indians Spoke a fiew words of english and Said that the principal man who traded with them was Mr. Haley, and that he had a woman in his Canoe who Mr. Haley was fond of &c. he Showed us a Bow of Iron and Several other things which he Said Mr. Haley gave him. we came too to Dine on the long narrow Island found the woods So thick with under groth that the hunters could not get any distance into the Isld. the red wood, and Green bryors interwoven, and mixed with pine, alder, a Specis of Beech, ash &c. we killed nothing to day The Indians leave us in the evening, river about one mile wide hills high and Steep on the Std. no place for Several Miles suffcently large and leavil for our camp we at length Landed at a place which by moveing the Stones we made a place Sufficently large for the party to lie leavil on the Smaller Stones Clear of the Tide Cloudy with rain all day we are all wet and disagreeable, had large fires made on the Stone and dried our bedding and Kill the flees, which collected in our blankets at every old village we encamped near I had like to have forgotten a verry remarkable Knob riseing from the edge of the water to about 80 feet high, and about 200 paces around at its Base and Situated on the long narrow Island above and nearly opposit to the 2 Lodges we passed to day, it is Some distance from the high land & in a low part of the Island