OCR Text |
Show !fW leaving them, we went on for eight. miles, when we camr to an island near d1e left sbot·c which continued six miles in lf:'ngth. At the lower cxtt·cmity of it is a small island on wbil'h are five houses, at present vat•ant, though the scaffolds of fi.sh are as usual abundant. A short distance below, are two more islands, one of them nca1· the middle of the river. On this there were seven houses; but as soon as tlte Indians, lvho were drying fish, saw us, they fled to thcia· houses, and not one of' them appeared till we had passed. when Otey came out in greater numbers than is usual for houses of th~•.t size, which induced us to think that the inhabitants of' tho five lodges had been alarmed at our a]lproach and taken refuge with them. We were ve•~y dcsil·ous of land ~ ing in order to relieve their a\lprehensions, but as there lvas a bad rapid along the island, all our care "'as necessary to prevent injury to the canoes. At the foot of this 1·apid i5 a rock. on the left shor·e. wlaich is fout·tccn miles from our camp of last nis·ht, and resembles a hat in its shape. Four miles beyond this island we came to a rat)id, ft·om tbe appearance of which it was jullged p•·udcnt to examine it. After landing for that pulllose on the left side, we began to entct· the channel which is close under the opposite shore. It is a very dangerous l'apid, strewed with higlt rocks ancl rocky islands, and in mauy l)laccs obstructed by shoals, over which the canoes were to be hauled, so that we were more than two hours in passing through the rapids, lvhich extend for the same number of miles. 'l'hc rapid bas several small islands, a.ml banl s of muscleshells are spa·oad along the river in several places. In order to lighten the boats, captain Clar·kc, with the two chiefs, the interpreter, and his wife, had walked across the ]ow grounds on 1hc left to the foot of the rapids. On the way, captain Clarke ascended a cliff about two hundred feet above the water, from which he saw t11at the country on both sides of the river immediately from its cliffs, was low, and spreads itself into a level plain, extending U7> the Jllissom·i. l.'ul' a great distance on all sides. To the \Vest, at nu~ dis· tancc of about one hundred anc.l fifty miles. is a v<wy 1.~~h11 mountain covet•ed with snow, and ft·om its dit·rction and appc: uancc, he supposed to be the mount St. llch~ns, laid down by Vancouvet·, a~ visible ft·om the mouth of the ~ulumbia: thN'C is also anothrr mountain of' a conical form, whose top is covt>rrd with snow, in a southwest direction. As captain Cl:.ll'ke nrrived at the lowel' end of the rapid bcfor·e any, exct> pt one of the small canoes, he sat down on a rock to wait fo1· them, and seeing a e~·ane fly across the rivfw, shot it, and it fell ncar him. Several Indians had been before this passing on the opposite side towat·ds the •·apids, and some few who had been ncat·Jy in ft·ont of him, being either· alarmed at his appcar·ance ot· the •·cpot·t of the gun, fled to thcit· houses. Captain t;l:u·kc was aft·aitl that these people bad not yet hcm·t1 that white men were coming, and C11erc~ fOt·e, in order to allay t hci•· nncu.sincss bcl'ot·c the whole party should ara·i,·c, he got into the small canoe with tluce men ami rowed over towa•·ds the houses, and while crossing, shot a duck, which fell into the water. As he ap(woachc<l, no pcl'son was to bt.• srcu excrpt three nwn in the plains, and they too Jlcd as he came ncaa· the shot·c. lie lauded before five house , close to <'iWh other, hut no one allpeat·ed, and the doo•·s~ whida wca·e ol' mat. wet'c cJosNl. Jlc wrnt towal'cls one of them '' ith a pipe in his hand, and lHishin~ aside the mat cntet·cd the lo<li!;C, whl't'c he found thil'iy,two llersons, chiefly men and women, with a few chihh·en, all in the g1·catest constet·na.1 ion; some hang·ing rlowu thei1 l1cads, others Cl')·ing and wa·inging theit· hands. JJe wrnt up to them all and shook hands with them in the most fa·icndly manne1'; lmt thcia· apprehensions, whit•h had for a moment subsidcll, rcviv<'d on his taking out a bur·uing glas., as there was no roof to tlw house, and lightin~ hi!, I•ipc: ht' then offered it to seve1•al oi' the men, and distdhuted a moor.: tl1e women and children some small tl'inkots whieh he car- ·icd about with him, and J;t·a•lually rcstore(l .omc trall(Jltil ~ |