Survivor: The Autobiography (25 page)

Emence quantity of the [
quawmash or
]
Pas-shi-co
root gathered & in piles about the plain, those roots grow much like an onion in marshey places the seed are in triangular Shells, on the Stalk. they sweat them in the following manner i.e. dig a large hole 3 feet deep, cover the bottom with Split wood on the top of which they lay Small Stones of about 3 or 4 Inches thick, a Second layer of

Splited wood & Set the whole on fire which heats the Stones, after the fire is extinguished they lay grass & mud mixed on the Stones, on that dry grass which Supports the Pâsh-shi-co root a thin Coat of the Same grass is laid on the top, a Small fire is kept when necessary in the Center of the kill &c.

I find myself verry unwell all the evening from eateing the fish & roots too freely Sent out hunters they killed nothing.

[Lewis]
Saturday, 21 September 1805
we killed a few Pheasants, and I killed a prarie woolf which together with the ballance of our horse beef and some crawfish which we obtained in the creek enabled us to make one more hearty meal, not knowing where the next was to be found.

the Arborvita increases in quantity and size. I saw several sticks today large enough to form eligant perogues of at least 45 feet in length. I find myself growing weak for the want of food and most of the men complain of a similar deficiency, and have fallen off very much.

[Clark]
Thursday (Saturday), 21 September 1805
A fine Morning Sent out all the hunters in different directions to hunt deer, I my self delayed with the Chief to prevent Suspission and to Collect by Signs as much information as possible about the river and Countrey in advance. The Chief drew me a kind of chart of the river, and informed me that a greater Chief than himself was fishing at the river half a days march from his Village called the twisted hare [hair], and that the river forked a little below his Camp and at a long distance below & below 2 large forks one from the left & the other from the right the river passed thro’ the mountains at which place was a great fall of the Water passing through the rocks, at those falls white people lived from whome they precured the white Beeds & Brass &c. which the womin wore.

I am verry sick to day and puke which relive me.

[Lewis]
Sunday, 2 September 1805
Notwithstanding my positive directions to hubble the horses last evening one of the men neglected to comply. he plead[ed] ignorance of the order. this neglect however detained us untill ½ after eleven OCk. at which time we renewed our march, our course being about west. We had proceeded about two and a half miles when we met Reubin Fields one of our hunters, whom Capt. Clark had dispatched to meet us with some dryed fish and roots that he had procured from a band of Indians, whose lodges were about eight miles in advance. I ordered the party to halt for the purpose of taking some refreshment. I divided the fish roots and buries, and was happy to find a sufficiency to satisfy compleatly all our appetites. the pleasure I now felt in having tryumphed over the rockey Mountains and decending once more to a level and fertile country where there was every rational hope of finding a comfortable subsistence for myself and party can be more readily conceived than expressed, nor was the flattering prospect of the final success of the expedition less pleasing. on our approach to the village which consisted of eighteen lodges most of the women fled to the neighbouring woods on horseback with their children, a circumstance I did not expect as Capt. Clark had previously been with them and informed them of our pacific intentions towards them and also the time at which we should most probably arrive. the men seemed but little concerned, and several of them came to meet us at a short distance from their lodges unarmed.

[Clark]
Friday (Sunday), 22 September 1805
Set out with the Chief & his Son on a young horse for the Village at which place I expected to meet Capt Lewis this young horse in fright threw himself & me 3 times on the Side of a Steep hill & hurt my hip much, Cought a Coalt which we found on the roade & I rode it for Several miles untill we saw the Chiefs horses, he Cought one & we arrived at his Village at Sunset, & himself and mys[el]f walked upto the 2d Village where I found Capt Lewis & the party Encamped, much fatigued, & hungery, much rejoiced to find something to eate of which they appeared to partake plentifully I cautioned them of the Consequences of eateing too much &c.

The planes appeared covered with Spectators viewing the white men and the articles which we had, our party weakened and much reduced in flesh as well as Strength.

I got the Twisted hare to draw the river from his Camp down which he did with great Cherfullness on a white Elk skin, from the 1st. fork which is few miles below, to the large fork on which the
So So ne
or Snake Indians fish, is South 2 Sleeps; to a large river which falls in on the NW Side and into which The
Clarks river
empties itself is 5 Sleeps from the mouth of that river to the
falls
is 5 Sleeps at the falls he places Establishments of white people &c. and informs that the great numbers of Indians reside on all those fo[r]ks as well as the main river; one other Indian gave me a like account of the Countrey. Some few drops of rain this evening. I precured maps of the Countrey & river with the Situation of Indians, Towns from Several men of note Separately which varied verry little.

[Clark]
Saturday (Monday), 23 September 1805
gave a Shirt to the
Twisted hare
& a knife & Handkerchief with a Small pece of Tobacco to each. Finding that those people gave no provisions to day we deturmined to purchase with our Small articles of Merchindize, accord[ingly] we purchased all we could, Such as roots dried, in bread, & in their raw State, Berries of red Haws &
Fish
.

Capt. Lewis & 2 men Verry Sick this evening, my hip Verry Painfull, the men trade a few old tin Canisters for dressed Elk Skin to make themselves Shirts. at dark a hard wind from the SW accompanied with rain which lasted half an hour. The
twisted hare
envited Capt. Lewis & myself to his lodge which was nothin[g] more than Pine bushes & bark, and gave us Some broiled dried
Salmon
to eate, great numbers about us all night. at this village the women were busily employed in gathering and drying the
Pas-she-co
root of which they had great quantities dug in piles.

[Clark]
Sunday (Tuesday), 24 September 1805
despatched J. Colter back to hunt the horses lost in the mountains & bring up Some Shot left behind, and at 10 oClock we all Set out for the river and proceeded on by the Same rout I had previously traveled, and at Sunset we arrived at the Island on which I found the
Twisted hare
, and formed a Camp on a large Island a little below, Capt. Lewis scercely able to ride on a jentle horse which was furnished by the Chief, Several men So unwell that they were Compelled to lie on the Side of the road for Some time others obliged to be put on horses. I gave rushes Pills to the Sick this evening. Several Indians follow us.

[Clark]
Monday (Wednesday), 25 September 1805
I Set out early with the Chief and 2 young men to hunt Some trees Calculated to build Canoes, as we had previously deturmined to proceed on by water, I was furnished with a horse and we proceeded on down the river Passed down on the N side of the river to a fork from the North we halted about an hour, one of the young men took his guig and killed 6 fine Salmon two of them were roasted and we eate, I Saw fine timber for Canoes.

[Clark]
Tuesday (Thursday), 26 September 1805
I had the axes distributed and handled and men apotned. [apportioned] ready to commence building canoes on tomorrow, our axes are Small & badly calculated to build Canoes of the large Pine, Capt Lewis Still very unwell, Several men taken Sick on the way down, I administered
Salts
Pils Galip, [jalap] Tarter emetic &c. I feel unwell this evening, two Chiefs & their families follow us and encamp near us, they have great numbers of horses. This day proved verry hot, we purchase fresh Salmon of the Indians.

[Clark]
Thursday (Saturday), 28 September 1805
Our men nearly all Complaining of their bowels, a heaviness at the Stomach & Lax, Some of those taken first getting better, a had one of the other Canoes unloaded & with the assistance of our Small Canoe and one Indian Canoe took out every thing & toed the empty Canoe on Shore.

[Clark]
Wednesday, 9 October 1805
at Dark we were informed that our old guide & his son had left us and had been Seen running up the river Several miles above, we could not account for the cause of his leaveing us at this time, without receiving his pay for the services he had rendered us, or letting us know anything of his intention.

we requested the Chief to Send a horseman after our old guide to come back and receive his pay &c. which he advised us not to do as his nation would take his things from him before he passed their camps. The Indians and our party were verry mery this after noon a woman faind madness &c. &c. Singular acts of this woman in giveing in small po[r]tions all she had & if they were not received She would Scarrify her self in a horid manner &c. Capt Lewis recovering fast.

[Clark]
Wednesday (Thursday), 10 October
passed 2 Islands and two bad rapids at 3 miles lower passed a Creek on the Lard. with wide cotton willow bottoms we arrived at the heade of a verry bad riffle at which place we landed near 8 Lodges of Indians after viewg. this riffle two Canoes were taken over verry well; the third stuck on a rock which took us an hour to get her off which was effected without her receiving a greater injurey than a Small Split in her Side which was repaired in a Short time, we purchased fish & dogs of those people, dined and proceeded on. here we met with an Indian from the falls at which place he Sais he saw white people, and expressed an inclination to accompany us, we passed a few miles above this riffle 2 Lodges and an Indian batheing in a hot bath made by hot stones thrown into a pon[d] of water. at five miles lower and Sixty miles below the forks arived at a large southerly fork which is the one we were on with the
Snake or So-So-nee
nation (haveing passed 5 rapids) This South fork or number of Indians about us gazeing This day proved verry worm and Sultery, nothing killed men complaining of their diat of fish & roots. all that is able working at the Canoes.

[Clark]
Friday (Saturday) 5 October 1805
had all our horses 38 in number Collected and branded Cut off their fore top and delivered them to the 2 brothers and one son of one of the Chiefs who intends to accompany us down the river to each of those men I gave a Knife & Some Small articles &c. they promised to be attentive to our horses untill we Should return.

Nothing to eate except dried fish & roots. Capt Lewis & myself eate a Supper of roots boiled, which Swelled us in Such a manner that we were Scercely able to breath for Several hours. finished and lanced (
launched
) 2 of our canoes this evening which proved to be verry good our hunters with every diligence Could kill nothing. The hills high and ruged and woods too dry to hunt the deer which is the only game in our neighbourhood. Several Squars Came with fish and roots which we purchased of them for Beeds, which they were fond of.
Capt Lewis not So well to day as yesterday
.

[Clark]
Monday, 7 October 1805
I continue verry unwell but obliged to attend every thing all the Canoes put into the water and loaded, fixed our Canoes as well as possible and Set out as we were about to Set out we missd. both of the Chiefs who promised to accompany us, I also missed my Pipe Tomahawk which could not be found.

The after part of the day cloudy proceded on passed 10 rapids which wer dangerous the Canoe in which I was Struck a rock and Sprung a leak in the 3rd rapid, we proceeded on.

After descending the Snake and Columbia rivers, the Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific on 15 November 1805. They wintered on the south bank of the Columbia, before making the return journey, reaching their jump-off point of St Louis on 23 September 1806, having long been given up for dead by everyone except the Voyage’s instigator, President Thomas Jefferson.

Vance now said he knew an easy way down off the mountain which led to a large tea estate at the bottom. Quillan said he knew it too, it was the old timber carriers’ track. It was steep, but cut out in the side of the Great Ruo gorge and clearly defined. We could not go wrong. Only it meant abandoning the last part of the trip and that, he thought, would be a pity for me. I said firmly, ‘Abandon.’ Vance then decided to go ahead to the tea estate and get a truck to take us round by road to Likabula. With luck, he said, we could all be back on the mountain at Chambe that evening.