The Natives Of This Inland Region, The Explorers Found,
Were Larger And Better-Shaped Than Those Of The Sea-Coast,
But they were nearly all afflicted with sore eyes.
The loss of one eye was common, and not infrequently total
Blindness was observed in men of mature years, while blindness
was almost universal among the old people. The white men made
good use of the eye-water which was among their supplies;
it was gratefully received by the natives and won them friends
among the people they met. On the fifth of April the journal
has this entry: -
"In the course of his chase yesterday, one of our men [Collins],
who had killed a bear, found the den of another with three cubs in it.
He returned to-day in hopes of finding her, but brought only the cubs,
without being able to see the dam; and on this occasion Drewyer,
our most experienced huntsman, assured us that he had never known
a single instance where a female bear, which had once been disturbed
by a hunter and obliged to leave her young, returned to them again.
The young bears were sold for wappatoo to some of the many Indians
who visited us in parties during the day and behaved very well."
And on the ninth is this entry: -
"The wind having moderated, we reloaded the canoes and set out
by seven o'clock. We stopped to take up the two hunters who left
us yesterday, but were unsuccessful in the chase, and then proceeded
to the Wahclellah village, situated on the north side of the river,
about a mile below Beacon Rock. During the whole of the route
from camp we passed along under high, steep, and rocky sides
of the mountains, which now close on each side of the river,
forming stupendous precipices, covered with fir and white cedar.
Down these heights frequently descend the most beautiful cascades,
one of which, a large creek, throws itself over a perpendicular rock
three hundred feet above the water, while other smaller streams
precipitate themselves from a still greater elevation, and evaporating
in a mist, collect again and form a second cascade before they reach
the bottom of the rocks. We stopped to breakfast at this village.
We here found the tomahawk which had been stolen from us on
the fourth of last November. They assured us they had bought it
of the Indians below; but as the latter had already informed us
that the Wahclellahs had such an article, which they had stolen,
we made no difficulty about retaking our property."
The Columbia along the region through which the expedition
was now passing is a very wild and picturesque stream.
The banks are high and rocky, and some of the precipices to
which the journal refers are of a vast perpendicular height.
On the Oregon side of the river are five cascades such as those
which the journal mentions. The most famous and beautiful
of these is known as Multnomah Falls. This cataract has a total
fall of more than six hundred feet, divided into two sections.
The other cascades are the Bridal Veil, the Horsetail,
the Latourelle, and the Oneonta, and all are within a few miles
of each other.
On the ninth of April the voyagers reached the point at which they were
to leave tidewater, fifty-six miles above the mouth of the Multnomah,
or Willamette. They were now at the entrance of the great rapids
which are known as the Cascades of the Columbia, and which occupy
a space on the river about equal to four miles and a half.
They were still navigating the stream with their canoes, camping sometimes
on the north side and sometimes on the south side of the river.
This time they camped on the north side, and during the night lost one
of their boats, which got loose and drifted down to the next village
of the Wahclellahs, some of whom brought it back to the white men's
camp and were rewarded for their honesty by a present of two knives.
It was found necessary to make a portage here, but a long and severe
rainstorm set in, and the tents and the skins used for protecting
the baggage were soaked. The journal goes on with the narrative thus: -
We determined to take the canoes first over the portage,
in hopes that by the afternoon the rain would cease,
and we might carry our baggage across without injury.
This was immediately begun by almost the whole party, who in
the course of the day dragged four of the canoes to the head
of the rapids, with great difficulty and labor. A guard,
consisting of one sick man and three who had been lamed by accidents,
remained with Captain Lewis [and a cook] to guard the baggage.
This precaution was absolutely necessary to protect it from
the Wahclellahs, whom we discovered to be great thieves,
notwithstanding their apparent honesty in restoring our boat;
indeed, so arrogant and intrusive have they become that nothing
but our numbers, we are convinced, saves us from attack.
They crowded about us while we were taking up the boats,
and one of them had the insolence to throw stones down the bank
at two of our men.
"We now found it necessary to depart from our mild and pacific
course of conduct. On returning to the head of the portage,
many of them met our men and seemed very ill-disposed. Shields
had stopped to purchase a dog, and being separated from the rest
of the party, two Indians pushed him out of the road, and attempted
to take the dog from him. He had no weapon but a long knife,
with which he immediately attacked them both, hoping to put
them to death before they had time to draw their arrows;
but as soon as they saw his design they fled into the woods.
Soon afterward we were told by an Indian who spoke Clatsop,
which we had ourselves learned during the winter, that the Wahclellahs
had carried off Captain Lewis' dog to their village below.
Three men well armed were instantly despatched in pursuit of them,
with orders to fire if there was the slightest resistance or hesitation.
At the distance of two miles they came within sight of the thieves,
who, finding themselves pursued, left the dog and made off.
We now ordered all the Indians out of our camp, and explained
to them that whoever stole any of our baggage, or insulted our men,
should be instantly shot; a resolution which we were determined
to enforce, as it was now our only means of safety.
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