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History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. 2. / To the Sources of the Missouri, Thence Across the Rocky Mountains and Down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. Performed During the Years 1804-5-6. cover

History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. 2. / To the Sources of the Missouri, Thence Across the Rocky Mountains and Down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. Performed During the Years 1804-5-6.

Chapter 22: A summary statement of the rivers, creeks, and most remarkable places, their distances from each other, &c. their distances from the Mississippi, ascending the Missouri, across the Rocky mountains, and down the Columbia to the Pacific ocean, as was explored in the years 1804, 5, and 6, by captains Lewis and Clarke.
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About This Book

The narrative follows an overland expedition traveling by canoe down the Columbia to the Pacific, confronting dangerous rapids, tides, and relentless rains that force the party to establish winter quarters. Detailed ethnographic observations describe numerous coastal and riverine Indigenous peoples—their houses, dress, burial customs, methods of catching and drying vast salmon runs, trade practices centered on blue beads, and social habits such as gambling. Natural-history entries catalog local plants and animals, while episodic adventures include whale-oil retrieval, salt-making, and hazardous portages. After securing friendly relations and leaving a written notice of their crossing, the party prepares to retrace its route across the mountains.

The present rapacity of the Indians, owing to this cause, aided also by the system of giving credits to the Indians, which caused contentions among the traders, which terminated by giving the Indians a contempt for the character of whites.

The permission to persons to hunt on Indian lands, productive of many evils, the most frequent causes of war, hostile to the views of civilizing, and of governing the Indians.

The first principle of governing the Indians is to govern the whites—the impossibility of doing this without establishments, and some guards at the posts.

The Sisitons may be made a check on the Tetons by withholding their trade on the Mississippi.

Having stated the several evils which flowed from the Spanish system, I now state the Indian character, the evils which still exist, and what they will probably terminate in, if not redressed—the plan recommended to be pursued and the benefits which may be expected to result therefrom, conclude thus, it may be pretty confidently believed that it is not competent to produce the wished-for reform among the Indians.

Hunters permitted in the Indian country pernicious—frequent cause of war between us.

Some of the stipulations of the licenses granted the traders, in application to the state of the Indians on the Missouri, of course not attended to. The incompetence of the Indian agents to see that any of the stipulations are complied with. Whiskey, or ardent spirits may, therefore, be introduced, and other corruptions practised without our knowledge. There is not at present allowed by law to the superintendant of Indian affairs, any discretionary powers, by which he can prohibit our newly acquired citizens of Louisiana, who may be disaffected to our government, from trading with the Indians: the law says, that any citizen of the United States, who can give sufficient security for the sum of five hundred dollars, for the faithful compliance with the stipulation of his license, shall be permitted to trade. An instance has happened in Mr. Robideau, &c.

The preceding observations of captain Lewis, although left in an unfinished state, are too important to be omitted. The premature death of the author has prevented his filling up the able outline that he has drawn.

A summary statement of the rivers, creeks, and most remarkable places, their distances from each other, &c. their distances from the Mississippi, ascending the Missouri, across the Rocky mountains, and down the Columbia to the Pacific ocean, as was explored in the years 1804, 5, and 6, by captains Lewis and Clarke.

Names of remarkable places. The width of rivers and creeks in yards. Side on which they are situated. Distances from one place to another. Distances up the Missouri from the Mississippi.
Yards Miles Miles
To the village of St. Charles N.E. 21 21
Osage-woman’s river 30 N.E. 20 41
Charrette’s village and creek 20 N.E. 27 68
Shepherd’s creek S.W. 15 83
Gasconade river 157 S.W. 17 100
Muddy river 50 N.E. 15 115
Grand Osage river 397 S.W. 18 133
Murrow creek 20 S.W. 5 138
Cedar island and creek 20 N.E. 7 145
Leadmine hill S.W. 9 154
Manitou creek 20 S.E. 8 162
Splitrock creek 20 N.E. 8 170
Saline, or Salt river 30 S.E. 3 173
Manitou river 30 N.E. 9 182
Goodwoman’s river 35 N.E. 9 191
Mine river 70 S.W. 9 200
Arrow prairie S.W. 6 206
Two Charleton rivers 30/70 N.E. 14 220
Ancient village of the Missouri nation, near which place Fort Orleans stood N.E. 16 236
Grand river 90 N.E. 4 240
Snake creek 18 N.E. 6 246
Ancient village of the Little Osages S.W. 10 256
Tigers’ island and creek 25 N.E. 20 276
Hubert’s island and creek S.W. 12 388
Fire-prairie creek S.W. 12 300
Fort Point S.W. 6 306
Haycabin creek 20 S.W. 6 312
Coalbank S.W. 9 321
Bluewater river 30 S.W. 10 331
Kanzas river 230 S.W. 9 340
Little river Platte 60 N.E. 9 349
To the First old Kanzas village S.W. 28 377
Independence creek, a mile below the second old Kanzas village S.W. 28 405
St. Michael’s prairie N.E. 25 430
Nodawa river 70 N.E. 20 450
Wolf, or Loup river 60 S.W. 14 464
Big Nemaha river 80 S.W. 16 480
Tarkio creek 23 N.E. 3 483
Neeshnabatona river 50 N.E. 25 508
Little Nemaha river 48 S.W. 8 516
Baldpated prairie, the Neeshnabatona within 150 yards of the Missouri N.E. 23 539
Weepingwater creek 25 S.W. 29 568
River Platt, or Shoal river 600 S.W. 32 600
Butterfly, or Papillon creek 18 S.W. 3
Musquetoe creek 22 N.E. 7 610
Ancient village of the Ottoes S.W. 11
Ancient Ayaways village, below a bluff, on the northeast side N.E. 6
Bowyer’s river 25 N.E. 11
Council bluffs (establishment) S.W. 12 650
Soldier’s river 40 N.E. 39 689
Eaneahwaudepon, (Little Sioux river) 80 N.E. 44 733
Waucarde, or Badspirit creek S.W. 55 788
Around a bend of the river to the northeast, the gorge of which is only 974 yards 21 809
To an island, 3 miles northeast of the Maha village 27 836
Floyd’s bluff and river 35 N.E. 14 850
To the Big Sioux river 110 N.E. 3 858
Commencement of the copperas, cobalt, pirites, and alum bluffs S.W. 27 880
Hot, or Burning bluffs S.W. 30 910
Whitestone river 30 N.E. 8 918
Petit-arc, an old Maha village, at the mouth of Littlebow creek 15 S.W. 20 938
River Jacques, or James’ river 90 N.E. 12 950
Calumet bluff (mineral) S.W. 10 960
Ancient fortification, Goodman’s island S.W. 16 976
To Plum creek 12 N.E. 10 986
Whitepoint creek 28 S.W. 8 994
Quicourre 152 S.W. 6 1000
To the Poncar river and village 30 S.W. 10 1010
To the dome and village of the burrowing squirrels S.W. 20 1030
Island of cedars 45 1075
To White river 300 S.W. 55 1130
To the Three rivers of the Sioux pass 35 N.E. 22 1152
An island in the commencement of the Big bend N.E. 20 1172
The upper part of the Big bend, the gorge of which is 1¼ miles S.W. 30 1202
To Tylor’s river 35 S.W. 6 1208
Loisel’s fort on Cedar island S.W. 18 1226
Teton river 70 S.W. 37 1263
The upper of five old Ricara villages, reduced by the Sioux, and abandoned S.W. 42 1305
To Chayenne river 400 S.W. 5 1310
An old Ricara village on Lahoocat’s island 47 1357
Sarwarkarna river 90 S.W. 40 1397
Wetarhoo river 120 S.W. 25 1422
The first Ricaras villages on an island S.W. 4
Second Ricaras three villages S.W. 4 1430
Stone-idol creek 18 N.E. 18
Warreconne river 35 N.E. 40 1488
Cannonball river 140 S.W. 12 1500
Chesschetar river, near six old Mandan villages 38 S.W. 40 1540
Old Ricara and Mandan villages S.W. 40 1580
To Fort Mandan (wintering post of 1804) N.E. 20 1600
The Mandan villages on each side 4 1604
To Knife river, on which the two Minnetaree and Maha villages are situated near the mouth 80 S.W. 2 1606
The Island 11
Miry river 10 N.E. 16 1633
Island in the Little basin 28
Little Missouri river 134 S.W. 29 1690
Wild-onion creek 16 N.E. 12
Goose-egg lake 300 N.E. 9
Chaboneau’s creek 20 S.W. 16 1727
Goatpen creek, Mouse river, waters of lake Winnipec near the Missouri 20 N.E. 16 1743
To Hall’s, strand, lake, and creek N.E. 47 1790
White-earth river 60 N.E. 40 1840
Rochejaune, or Yellowstone river 858 S.W. 40 1880
To Martha’s river 50 N.E. 60 1940
Porcupine river 112 N.E. 50 1990
To the Littledry creek 25 S.W. 40 2030
Bigdry creek 100 S.W. 9
Littledry river 200 S.W. 6 2045
Gulf in the Island bend 32
To Milk river 150 N.E. 13 2090
Bigdry river 400 S.W. 25
Werner’s run 10 N.E. 9
Pine creek 20 N.E. 36 2160
Gibson’s river 35 N.E. 17 2177
Brownbear-defeated creek 40 S.W. 12
Bratton’s river 100 N.E. 24 2213
Burntlodge creek 50 S.W. 6
Wiser’s creek 40 N.E. 14 2233
Muscleshell river 110 S.W. 37 2270
Grouse creek 20 N.E. 30
North-mountain creek 30 N.E. 36 2336
South-mountain creek 30 S.W. 18 2354
Ibex island 15
Goodrich’s island 9 2378
Windsor’s creek 30 N.E. 7 2385
Elk rapid (swift water) 15 2400
Thomson’s creek 28 N.E. 27½ 2427½
Judith’s river 100 S.W. 11½ 2439
Ash rapid (swift water) 4
Slaughter river 40 S.W. 11 2454
Stonewall creek, above the natural walls 30 N.E. 26 2480
Maria’s river 186 N.E. 41 2521
Snow river 50 S.W. 19
Shields’s river 35 S.W. 28 2568
The foot of the entrance of Portage river, five miles below the Great falls 45 S.W. 7 2575

Leaving the Missouri below the falls, and passing by land to the navigable waters of the Columbia river.

Names of remarkable places. Width of the rivers and creeks. Distance from one place to another. Distance from the falls of the Missouri. Distance from the Mississippi.
Yards. Miles. Miles. Miles.
To the entrance of Medicine river 137 18 18 2593
Fort Mountain, passing through the plain between Medicine river and the Missouri, near the Missouri 15 33 2603
Rocky mountains, to a gap on the ridge, which divides the waters of the Missouri from those of the Columbia passing the north part of a mountain and crossing Dearborn’s river 35 68 2643
Fork of Cohahlarishkit river from the north, passed four creeks from the north 45 40 108 2683
To Seaman’s creek from the north 20 7 115
Werner’s creek from the north 35 10 125 2700
The east fork of Clarke’s river, at the entrance of Cohahlarishkit 120 30 155 3730
To Clarke’s river, below the forks 150 12 167 2742
Traveller’s-rest creek, on the west side of Clarke’s river, about the forks 25 5 172 2747
The Forks of Traveller’s-rest creek, at a right hand road 18 190
Hot springs on the creek 13 203 2778
Quamash glades, passing the head of the creek to a branch of Kooskooskee river 7 210
North branch of Kooskooskee river, a left-hand road leads off at five miles 7 217
Junction of the roads on the top of a snowy mountain, the left-hand road, passing by a fishery 10 227 2802
Hungry creek from the right, passing on a dividing mountain, covered with deep snow, except on two places, which are open, with a southern exposure at 8 and 36 miles 54 281 2856
To a Glade upon Hungry creek 6 287
Glade upon a small branch of do. 8 295
Glade upon Fish creek 10 9 304
To Collins’s creek 25 13 317
Quamash flats 11 328 2903
Kooskooskee, or Flathead’s river, in a pine country 120 12 340 2915

Note. In passing from the falls of the Missouri, across the Rocky mountains to the navigable waters of the Columbia, you have two hundred miles of good road, one hundred and forty miles of high, steep, rugged mountains, sixty miles of which is covered from two to eight feet deep with snow in the last of June.

Remarkable places descending the Columbia. Width of the rivers and creeks. The side on which they are situated. Distance from one place to another. Distance descending the Columbia. Distance from the Mississippi.
Yards. Side. Miles. Miles. Miles.
To the entrance of Rockdam creek 20 N. 8 8 2923
Chopunnish river 120 N. 5 13 2928
Colter’s creek 35 N. 37 50 2978
Lewis’s river, at the entrance of the Kooskooskee river 200 S. 23 73 2988
The Sweathouse village and run S. 7 80
Pilot’s village N. 11 91 3005
Kemooenim creek 20 S. 48 139
Drewyer’s river, below the narrows of Lewis’s river 30 N. 5 144 3059
Cave rapid 28 172
Basin rapid (bad) 34 206 3121
Discharge rapid (bad) 14 220 3135
The Columbia at the mouth of Lewis’s river, from the east S.E. 7 227 3142
Wollawollah river, passed eleven large mat lodges of that nation 40 S.E. 16 243 3158
Muscleshell rapid (bad)
passed thirty-three mat lodges of the Wollawollahs 25 268 3183
Pelican rapid, passed forty-eight lodges of the Pishquitpahs nation N. 22 290 3205
Twenty-one lodges of the Wahowpum nation, residing on three islands, at the commencement of the high country N. 18 308 3223
To eight lodges of the Wahowpums at Short rapid N. 27 335 3250
The Rocky rapid, nine lodges of the same nation N. 13 348 3263
The river La Page (bad rapid) 40 S. 9 357 3272
Twenty seven lodges of the Eneshure nation, at Fishstack rapid N. 10 367 3282
Towahnahiooks river 180 S. 8 375 3290
The Great falls of the Columbia river of 57 feet 8 inches, near which there are forty mat lodges of the Eneshure nation N. 4 379 3294
The Short narrows, 45 yards wide 2 381 3296
Skilloot village of twenty-one large wood houses, at the long narrows, from 50 to 100 yards wide N. 4 385 3300
Chilluckittequaw village of eight large wood houses N. 14 390 3314
Cataract river, a few miles below a village of seven houses, and immediately above one of eleven houses of the Chilluckittequaw nation 60 N. 10 409 3324
Sepulchre rock, opposite to a village of houses of Chilluckittequaws N. 4 413 3328
River Labiche, opposite to twenty-six houses of the Smackshop nation, houses scattered on the north side 46 S. 9 422 3337
Little Lake creek, three houses of the Smackshop nation 28 N. 10 432 3347
Cruzatte’s river 60 N. 12 444 3359
The Grand rapid, just below the village of the Yehah tribe of the Shahala nation of fourteen wood houses N. 6 450 3365
Clahelellah village of the Shahala nation, near the foot of the rapids; seven houses N. 6 456 3371
Wabetellah village of the Shahala nation, twenty-three houses, just below the entrance of the Beacon-rock creek N. 6 162 3377
Tide water.
Phoca rock in the river, sixty-feet above water 11 473 3388
To Quicksand river 120 S. 9 482 3397
Seal river 80 N. 3 485
Neechaokee village, opposite to the Diamond island S. 4 489
Shahala village of twenty-five temporary houses S. 12 501 3416
Multnomah river 500 S. 14 515 3430
Multnomah village S. 6 521
Quathlahpotle village N. 8 529
Tahwahnahiooks river 200 N. 1 530 3445
Cathlahaws creek and village 18 N. 10 540 3455
Lower extremity of Elallah or Deer island S. 6 546
Coweliskee river, about the entrance, and up this river the Skilloot nation reside 150 N. 13 559 3474
Fanny’s island S. 16 577 3490
The Sea-otter island 12 587 3502
The upper village of the Wahkiacum nation N. 6 593 3508
The Cathlamahs village of nine large wood houses, S. of Seal islands S. 14 607 3522
Point William, opposite Shallow bay S. 10 617 3532
Point Meriwether, above Meriwether’s bay S. 9 626 3541
Clatsop village, below Meriwether’s bay, and seven miles northwest of Fort Clatsop S. 8 634 3549
Point Adams, at the entrance of the Columbia into the Pacific ocean, or Great South Sea, in latitude 46° 15´ north, and longitude 124° 57´ west from Greenwich S. 6 640 3555