The flotilla moves sixteen miles up the Columbia River Gorge marveling at its many beautiful waterfalls. In one of the villages, Pvt. Colter confiscates a tomahawk stolen the previous year. In Washington City, the Secretary of War deals with the death of Arikara Chief Too Né who went there at the request of the captains.
Beautiful Waterfalls
the most remarkable of these casscades falls about 300 feet perpendicularly over a solid rock into a narrow bottom of the river on the south side.
—Meriwether Lewis
Multnomah Falls
© 2022 by Robert Heacock. Used by permission.
Stolen Tomahawk Recovered
John Colter one of our party observed the tomehawk in one of the lodges which had been stolen from us on the 4th of November last as we decended this river; the natives attempted to wrest the tomahawk from him but he retained it. they indeavoured afterwards to exculpate themselves from the odium of having stolen it, they alledged that they had bought it from the natives below; but their neighbours had several days previously, informed us that these people had stolen the Tommehawk and then had it at their village
—Meriwether Lewis
Wasco and Wishram Traders
during our halt at this village the grand Cheif and two inferior Cheifs of the Chil-luck-kit-te-quaw nation arrived with several men and women of their nation in two large canoes. these people were on their return up the river, having been on a trading voyage to the Columbean vally, and were loaded with wappetoe [wapato] dryed anchovies [eulachon], with some beads &c which they had received in exchange for dryed and pounded salmon shappelell beargrass &c.
—Meriwether Lewis
Brant Island
as we could not ascend the rapid by the North side of the river with our large canoes, we passed to the oposite side and entered the narrow channel which seperates brant Island from the South shore; the evening being far spent and the wind high raining and very cold we thought best not to attempt the rapids this evening, we therefore sought a safe harbour in this narrow channel and encamped on the main shore.
—Meriwether Lewis
Chief Too Né Dies
War Deptmt. Ap. 9. 1806.
Sir [James Wilkinson],
The Missouri and Mississippi Indian Chiefs, will leave this place tomorrow for Pittsburg, from whence they will descend the River & proceed on to St. Louis. Several have died; but what is more especially to be regretted is the death of the very respectable & amiable Ricara Chief [Too Né], which happened on the 7th Instant.
It has been considered expedient, to have the interpreter, Gravline [Joseph Gravelines], and one of the Panas [Pawnee or more likely Omaha], who speak the Ricara [Arikara] language, sent, in a light boat, with a sober, discreet Sergeant & four faithful sober soldiers, up to the Ricara Nations, as soon as you can make the necessary arrangements.
[Henry Dearborn][1]Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 303.
Weather Diary
State of weather at rise
Wind at State of the weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. River fair W fair W the wind lulled a little before day, and became high at 11 A.M. continued til dark the vining honeysuckle, has put forth shoots of several inches the dogtoothed violet is in blume as is also both the speceis of the mountain holley, the strawburry, the bears claw, the cowslip, the violet, common striped; and the wild cress or tongue grass.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the “State of the Columbia River” columns have been merged, and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Notes
| ↑1 | Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 303. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the “State of the Columbia River” columns have been merged, and some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
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).