"We had an opportunity of seeing to-day the hardihood of the Indians
of the neighboring village. One of the men shot a goose,
which fell into the river and was floating rapidly toward
the great shoot, when an Indian observing it plunged in after it.
The whole mass of the waters of the Columbia, just preparing to descend
its narrow channel, carried the animal down with great rapidity.
The Indian followed it fearlessly to within one hundred and fifty feet
of the rocks, where he would inevitably have been dashed to pieces;
but seizing his prey he turned round and swam ashore with great composure.
We very willingly relinquished our right to the bird in favor of
the Indian who had thus saved it at the imminent hazard of his life;
he immediately set to work and picked off about half the feathers,
and then, without opening it, ran a stick through it and carried it
off to roast."
With many hair's-breadth escapes, the expedition now passed
through the rapids or "great shoot." The river here is one hundred
and fifty yards wide and the rapids are confined to an area four
hundred yards long, crowded with islands and rocky ledges.
They found the Indians living along the banks of the stream
to be kindly disposed; but they had learned, by their intercourse
with tribes living below, to set a high value on their wares.
They asked high prices for anything they had for sale.
The journal says:
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