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 |