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Show • 32 the foot of the rapid. 'rhf' distance is twelve humlred "'ar<ls. On setting out we crossed a solid l'Ock, about one t hird of the whole distance ; then reached a space of two hundred yar<ls wid~4 whi<·h forms a hollow4 where the loose sand ft·om tbc low gt·otmd has been driven by the winds, and is steep ant\ loose, and thm·cfort~ disagreeable to pass; the rest of the route is ov<'r firm and solid ground. 'rhe labour of crossing would ha.vc been very inconvenient, if the [ntlians had not a ssisted us in carrying some of the heavy articles on their llorses; but for this set'' icc they repaid themselves so a droitly, that on reaching the foot or the rapids we formed a cam}l in a position which might sccm·e us from the pilfering of the natives, which we allprcla<'nd much more than we do their hostilities. Ncar our cat~p arc five large buts of Indians engaged in drying iish and {lrcpal'ing it for the marke t. The manner of doing this, is hy fit·st opening fhe Jish and exposing it to the sun on their seatfolds. When it is s ufficiently dl'ied it is pounded fine hctween two stones till it is pulverized, and i then ],laced in a basket about two feet long and one in diameter, neatly made of grass and rushes, and lined with the skin of a salmon stretched and d l'ied for the purpose. Here they arc prcssetl down as hat·d as possible, and the top covered with skins of fi sh which arc sccuretl by cords tht·ough the holes of the bask et. rrlu.·se l>askcts are then placed in some dry situation, the e.o1'dtld pat·t upwards, seven being usually placed as close as they can be put together. and five on the top of them. The whole is then \Vl'apped up in mats, and made fast by cords. over which mats are again thrown. Twelve of these baskt~ts, each of which contains from ninety to a hundred pounds, form a. stack, which is now left exposed till it is sent to market; the fish thus prescr·ved are kept sound anti sweet. fot• several years. and great quantities of it. they inform us, ar·c sent to tho Indians who live bdow the falls, whence 1t finds its way to the whites who visit the mouth of the Columbia. 'Ve ob- U1> the .ltiissoJu•i. , crvc both near the lodgt·s a ntl on t he rocks in the river, g reat numbcl's of st&H•ks of t hese pounded fi sh. Besides fi sh , these people suppli('d us with fil ber ts and IJct·rics. and we pu rchased a. dot; for s upper~ hut it was with muclt diffi culty 1hat. w<· wt•t·c able t.u buy wood <'nouoolt to . b cook •t. In the com· c of th ~ day we W<•r t• visited by many I ndians, ft·om whom we l e~u·nt t hat the pl'inci pal chief:; of tho bands. residing in this ncighhour hootl, at·t~ now hunting in the mountains towal'<ls the southwest. On that !Side of the rivet· none of the Indians have any pet•manent habitations, and on inquit·y we were confirmetl in our belief that it was for fear of aUacks ft•om the Snake Indians with whom they a t·e a t war. T his nation they represent a.s very nnmct ·ous, and r esiding in a grctlt num()er of villages on the 'ro w ~hnahiooks , wltcJ•c ~hey l ivo 1)rincipally on sa lmon. '1'\ml river they add is nut obstructed by rapids above its month , but tl1crc bPcomc , lat'hc and r ea ch es to a cmisidct·alJie distance: the fil'st villa p;cs of the Snake Indians on t hat rhct· bciug· t welve cla ~ s' journey on a cour e about souih<'ast from this place. 'Vcdnesday 23. Haviug a sr £'rtainc(l f t•om tltc Imlian'i, and by adu~ l examina t ion, tho hest mode of hringing tlown the canoes, it wns fo uud nccess~wy, as the l'ivcr·was divided into seYeral ual'I'OW dmnucls, hy r ocks aml islands, to l'ol~ low the route adOJltctl l>y tho Indians themselves. 1'his opr t·a tion raptain Clarl·<' h(•gan this morning . and a rtrr crossing to the othel' side ot' the r i,·c t·, ha uled t he eanoer. over a point of huul, so as to avo itl a pc i·pcndiculat· fall of l W('nty feet. At t he distance of four hun<ll'cd and ufty ·cvcn J :u·ds ''c r<'achcd the wntct·, and cml>ark<'d at a. place whcrt~ a. long rocky islaml l~o ruprcs cs the clwDncl of the •·ivcf' \\ithin the space of a hundt•cd and fifty yaJ·ds, so a~ to form nearly a semicit·~lc. Ou leaving this ro<•ky island the <·hanncl i~; somewhat vi let·, hut a. scrond a nd much hu·gcr islaml of har·d black tot' I\, ~till divides it f&·om the main !'ltt•,•am, \Vhilc on the Jcft shol'c it i" closely bordcrc•1 ' OTl. rT p |