After leaving Colter’s Creek, the paddlers navigate several rapids, and one canoe is damaged when it hits a rock. Clark says most of the members relish the flesh of the dog, and he describes Nez Perce lifeways. By day’s end, they reach the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers at present Clarkston, Washington.
Clearwater and Snake Confluence
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
Clearwater River near Lapwai
© 13 October 2015 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Passing Lapwai
a find [fine] Morning loaded and Set out at 7 oClock . . . . passed a Creek on the Lard. with wide Cotton willow bottoms haveing passed an Island and a rapid an Indian Camp of three Lodgs below the Creek
—William Clark
Relishing Dog
our diet extremely bad haveing nothing but roots and dried fish to eate, all the Party have greatly the advantage of me, in as much as they all relish the flesh of the dogs, Several of which we purchased of the nativs for to add to our Store of fish and roots &c. &c.—
—William Clark
Clearwater Rapid above Lapwai
© 13 October 2015 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Bad Rapids
passed Several Indian fishing Camps where we bought Some Sammon [salmon] from them they have a nomber of Small canoes along the Shore. about 11 oClock we came to a verry bad rockey rapid, where we halted and took one canoe over at a time. one of the canoes ran fast on a rock Stove a hole in hir Side
—Joseph Whitehouse
Clearwater and Snake Confluence
arived at a large Southerly fork which is the one we were on with the Snake or So-So-nee [Lemhi Shoshone] nation . . . . The Countrey about the forks is an open Plain on either Side . . . . the water of the South fork is a greenish blue, the north as clear as cristial . . . . worthey of remark that not one Stick of timber on the river near the frks and but a fiew trees for a great distance up the River we decended
—William Clark
Fish Trap, Lapwai
by Jane Gay c. 1890
Courtesy U.S. National Park Service, Nez Perce National Historic Park, NEPE-HI-1890, from an original at the Idaho State Historical Society.
Nez Perce Lifeways
[The Nez Perce] amusements appear but fiew as their Situation requires the utmost exertion to prcure food they are generally employed in that pursute, all the Summer & fall fishing for the Salmon, the winter hunting the deer on Snow Shoes in the plains and takeing care of ther emence numbers of horses, & in the Spring cross the mountains to the Missouri to get Buffalow robes and meet &c. at which time they frequent meet with their enemies & lose their horses & maney of ther people
—William Clark
Weather Diary
Day of the month Wind State of the Weather 10th N W fair Note from the 7th to the 16th octr. we were decending Kooskooske [Clearwater] & Lewises [Snake] river
—William Clark[2]Some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Notes
| ↑1 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
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Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).