m, A very long reach. Plus 1⁄2 m plus 2 m, S. 10° E. 2 m, S. 35° E. 1 m, S. 10° W. 1 m, S. 55° E. 11⁄2 m, S. 15° E. 1⁄2 m at end of course at 71⁄2 P. M. put up. I went up a hill and remarked that the compass showed the last Co. S. 55° E. and the other next above S. 12° W, On my return, please Heaven, I hope to take the courses more exact as the whirlpools keep the compass continually agitated. Co. for the morrow is S. 20° W.

July 6th. 18 Observed for latitude, longitude and time. Latitude 47° 32′ 42′′ N. Longitude 120° 57′ W. (Other observations not intelligible.)

July 8th,19 Monday. Passed a bad night with mosquitoes and a high wind. To the Co. of yesterday add S. 15° E. 1⁄2 M. to the campment-prepared a mast, sail, etc., and at 6:5 A. M. done, set off, Co. S. 22° W. 1-2 m; from our campment and for a very long way upwards we have no occasion to cross. S. 8° W. 1⁄2 m, S. 1⁄2 m, S. 8° E. 1⁄2 m, all S. R. C., S. 22° E. 1/3 m, S. 33° E. 1 m, + 1 m, S. R. C. High waves at end of course the left, near the middle, S. E. 1 m, came to 62 men and their families, thank Heaven we were as usual well received. They made us a present of 4 salmon, much berries, etc., of which we took only part, also of 2 very small salmon like those of the Cochenawga. Here the chief came to visit us on horseback, then returned with word to the camp, as the current drove us down half a mile below them. He returned with another and with them an old white headed man with the handle of a tea-kettle for an ornament about his head. He showed no signs of age except his hair and a few wrinkles in his face, he was quite naked and ran nearly as fast as the horses. We could not but admire him. I invited the horsemen to invite all their people to smoke, which they set off to do in a round gallop, and the old man on foot ran after them and did not lose much ground. They all came and

18 This entry appears out of regular order in original Ms. The observation is that taken when camped above Wenatchee the evening of July 6th. 19 Today he runs Priest Rapids and passes the White or Marl Bluffs and camps at evening on the site of present city of Pasco, Washington; distance about 90 miles. At foot of the rapids he has an interesting "smoke" with the first of the Shahaptin tribes and it is quite possible that the white-haired man mentioned is the priest or medicine man after whom Alex. Ross says the rapids were named.

sat down and smoked and discoursed as usual. What I said the chief repeated to his people and another so repeated after him, both very loud. The women then advanced, singing and dancing in their best dress, with all of them shells in their noses, two of them naked but no way abashed, they advanced all the time the men smoked and like the rest something of a religious nature. When done I paid them for their present of which I took only part, but the pounded roots were made in neat cakes and they have very few Chevruil. They are of the Shawpatin nation and speak that tongue. Here my last guide showed his service interpreting with an audible voice, and seemed a sensible, respectable man. The name of the Indians of yesterday is Sin-Kowarsin;20 those we now leave Skummooin; Skaemena of those close below us. Co. N. 85° E. 1 m, N. 75° E. 34 m, N. 68° 1-2 m, N. 52° E. 1-2/3 m, N. 35° E. 1-1/3 m. These two last courses by the watch, which is for the future to be my guide there, as the low points are so distant that I cannot determine the distance by them. N. 50° E. 1-2, N. 22° E. 2-2 m, N. E. 1-4, S. 78° E. 1-4 m, S. 70° E. 1 m, S. 1⁄2 m, S. 70° E. 2/3 m, S. E. 24 m, S. 58° E. 1-2 m, S. 52° E. 4-1⁄2 m, S. 40° E. 1⁄2 m, Sand knolls on the right. S. 25° E. 2 m, S. 12° E. no distance, (?) 1-1⁄2 m, (?), S. 20° E. 2 m, plus 2-34 m, Co. S. 34 m, Co. S. 30° E. 1 m, S. 68° E. 1-34 m, S. 80° E. 3-2 m. Sight the Shawpatin Mountains21 seemingly low, yet many patches of snow on them. S. 78° E. 1-2m, put ashore at 5:30 P. M. and camped. Seeing a very large camp close before us four horsemen came ahead, they smoked and I sent them to invite all the Indians to come and smoke also, which they did, bringing a present of four salmon. They might be about 150 men with their families. We discoursed much, three chiefs repeating after each other what I said. They say that the snow falls only about 1-2 ft. deep and soon again goes off. There are plenty of Chevruil

20 The Indian name for Rock Island Rapids is Squah-ah-she and the natives along the river as far as Priest Rapids are known as Squah-ah-she-nooks, or a name of very similar spelling. Mr. Thompson's Skummooin is Lewis and Clark's Kimooenim, and his Skaemena is probably Alex. Ross' Eyakema or our Yakima tribe. The camp at night is with the Sokulks of Lewis and Clark.

21 The Blue Mountain Range.

and two species of other small deer, with small trout and another small fish in the winter, which, with the dried salmon form their winter livelihood. They have no berries, etc., whatever, nor did we see any roots. Salmon is plenty with them in the seine, etc. The salmon of this morning and now are fat a little, they give a little oil in the kettle, the very first that have done so and have a trout-like taste. When done smoking they gave us a dance after the fashion of the others. The women and men were tolerably well clothed but had not so much shell ornament as the others. They have not the sea look but much of the Plain features. They did not appear to make so much use of the nose ornament as the others. The whole lasted till 9 P. M. and they went away. Obsd. for Latitude, Longitude and time but on the 9th I found my instrument had got shaken quite out of adjustment to the left, which makes me doubt the use of either this, or the others of Antares, as I do not know when the Sextant got this shake. Promised them a house here.

July 9th, Tuesday.22 A stormy night and morning. Wind northwesterly. At 6:10 A. M.. set off Co. S. 80° E. 1⁄2 m to the junction of the Shawpatin River with this, the Columbia. Here I erected a small pole with a half sheet of paper well tied about it, with these words on it: "Know hereby that this country is claimed by Great Britain as part of its territories, and that the N. W. Company of Merchants from Canada, finding the factory for this people inconvenient for them, do hereby intend to erect a factory in this place for the commerce of the country around. D. Thompson. Junction of the Shawpatin River with the Columbia. July 9th, 1811." The Shawpatin River may be about 500 yards wide, troubled waters and a strong current. Indians say when the water is low it is full of rapids and bad. Co. from it below S. E. 2-2 m. Say passed 20 families. Co. S. 37° E. 1 m + 1-1⁄2 m. At 8:5

22 From Pasco, after stopping to post his formal notice, Mr. Thompson descends the Columbia about 60 miles and camps in vicinity of either Castle Rock on the Oregon side or Carley on the Washington side. He spends four hours of the morning talking with Chief Yellepit of the Walla Walla tribe of Shahaptins, the same who entertained Lewis and Clark so sumptuously in 1805-6 as narrated in their journals. On the turn to the southwestward just above Blalock Island Mt. Hood is sighted ahead of them.

A. M. put ashore and at 1/4 P. M. set off. Here I met the principal chief of all the tribes of Shawpatin Indians. He had an American medal of 1801, Thomas Jefferson, and a small flag of that nation. He was a stately good looking man of about 40 years and well dressed. His band was small as he had separated himself for fishing, but he had cousins all around, and they all collected. He had his soldiers, who, when two old respectable chiefs approached went and met them about 100 yards from where we were smoking. I found him intelligent, he was also very friendly, and we discoursed a long time and settled upon the Junction of the Shawpatin River for a House, etc. When he had smoked awhile with the others, he ordered all the women to dance, which they did as usual. He gave me two salmon and I made him a present of 2 feet of tobacco, having smoked and given away with last night full 2-4 fms. Co. S. 5° W. 1 m, S. 30° W. 2 m, S. 33° W. 1 m, S. W. 3 m, say 3-2 m (Columbia 860-4757 Shawpatin), S. 67° W. 1 m. The course of S. W. 3 m may be lengthened to full 3-2 m. Co. S. 82° W. 3 m, S. 65° W. 4 m, plus 1 m, S. 82° W. 1-2 m, N. 85° W. 1-34 m, S. 60° W. 1-34 m, S. 60° W. 2 m, plus 1 m. See conical mountain right ahead alone and very high, seemingly a mass of snow. Co. + 1⁄2 m, Co. S. 70° W. 1-2m. A very strong head wind all day, camped at 6-4 P. M. The men could not advance without great fatigue. The country is still a vast plain and getting more and more sandy. The Indians inform us that from the Shawpatin River23 they go with horses in a day to the foot of the mountain, which is now low and distant, the next day to the other side of the mountain, and the third day among the buffalo, but they fear the Straw Tent Snake Indians with whom they are at war. The course they point out is about east by south. Obs. Merid. Altds of Antares 36° 27-2' Saturn 44° 37'G. Passed in all about 80 families in small straggling camps. Lat. 45° 51′ 33′′ N. Antares Latde. 45° 50′ 45′′ N. Saturn 45° 51' 33" N.

23 Which being interpreted means that it was or one day's travel from the Snake River to the foot of the Blue Mountains, and then one day more across those mountains to the Grande Ronde Valley, and then one day more to where buffalo used to range in Eastern Oregon, in verification of which it may be said that the bones of that animal have been found in the Wallowa and Powder River regions.

July 10th, Wednesday.24 A fine morning, wind as usual, a gale ahead. At 5:33 A. M. set off. Co. S. 62° W. 2-1⁄2 m. + 2-2 m, S. W. 1-1⁄2 m + 1⁄2 m, S. 32° W. 1 m end of course. Put ashore and observation for longitude and time. (Observations not intelligible.)

July 10th continued. We set off Co. S. 60° W. 2/3 m, Co. S. 70° W. 2 m. At 10:4 A. M. set off having been with Indians who behaved well. Co. S. 15° W. 2-4 m. There were 82 men with their families-measured a canoe of 36 ft. long and 36 inches wide-noticed also their seines with large poles and dipping nets in long hoops for the salmon. Co. S. 40° W. 4 m, S. 60° W. 1-2 m. Put ashore at 11 A. M. and boiled salmon and at 11:44 A. M. set off. Co. S. 60° W. 2 m, plus 3-1⁄2 m to Indians. Set off at 55 P. M. to 80 men and families. At 3 P. M. set off-3 salmon 2 ft. of tobacco. Co. S 38° W. 2 m, S. 75° W. 1-2 m, N. 75° W. 2-4 m, W. 1/3 m, S. 75° W. 1-2 m, Co. S. 35° W. 1-2 m. Beginning of course put ashore at 2 men with a seine and bought 2 salmon at 5:26 P. M. At 5:50 P. M. put up with a very storm of wind. We had a strong head gale all day, but in the evening it increased to a storm, the water was swept away like snow. Course for the morrow about S. 40° W. In the last band of men one of them had his nipple cauterized. I saw no others. They danced in a regular manner and by much the best I have seen, all the young in both sexes in two curved lines, backwards and forwards, the old formed the ranks behind, they made much use of their arms and hands. The dance, song and step were measured by an old chief, some times they sat down at the end of 3', sometimes at the end of 10', but never reposed more than 1⁄2 a minute, they gently sank down as it were and rose up as regularly, the whole as usual in a grand style. Obs. Merid. Alt. of Saturn 44° 50-14'. Heard news of the American ship's arrival. Lat. 45° 44′ 54′′ N.

24 A short day's run of about 40 miles, but much time spent in smoking with the Indians at their fishing camps, and he learns of the arrival of the Tonquin at Astoria with the Astor or Pacific Fur Company traders. The camp for the night is below Squally Hook, probably near John Day river.