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him　the　entrance　of　the　western　branch　of　the　Columbia；　called　the　Tapteal；　which；　as　far　as　could　be　seen；　bears　nearly　west　and　empties　about　eight　miles　above　into　the　Columbia；　the　general　course　of　which　is　northwest。〃

The　Tapteal；　as　the　journal　calls　it；　is　now　known　as　the　Yakima；　a　stream　which　has　its　source　in　the　Cascade　range　of　mountains；　Washington。　　The　party　tarried　here　long　enough　to　secure　from　the　Indians　a　tolerably　correct　description　of　the　river　upon　which　they　were　about　to　embark。　One　of　the　chiefs　drew　upon　the　skin…side　of　a　buffalo　robe　a　sketch　of　the　Columbia。　　And　this　was　transferred　to　paper　and　put　into　the　journal。　That　volume　adds　here：

〃Having　completed　the　purposes　of　our　stay；　we　now　began　to　lay　in　our　stores。　　Fish　being　out　of　season；　we　purchased　forty　dogs；　for　which　we　gave　small　articles；　such　as　bells；　thimbles；　knitting…needles；　brass　wire；　and　a　few　beads；　an　exchange　with　which　they　all　seemed　perfectly　satisfied。　These　dogs；　with　six　prairie…cocks　killed　this　morning；　formed　a　plentiful　supply　for　the　present。　　We　here　left　our　guide　and　the　two　young　men　who　had　accompanied　him；　two　of　the　three　being　unwilling　to　go　any　further；　and　the　third　being　of　no　use；　as　he　was　not　acquainted　with　the　river　below。　We　therefore　took　no　Indians　but　our　two　chiefs；　and　resumed　our　journey　in　the　presence　of　many　of　the　Sokulks；　who　came　to　witness　our　departure。　The　morning　was　cool　and　fair；　and　the　wind　from　the　southeast。〃

They　now　began　again　to　meet　Indians　who　had　never　before　seen　white　men。　On　the　nineteenth；　says　the　journal：

〃The　great　chief；　with　two　of　his　inferior　chiefs　and　a　third　belonging　to　a　band　on　the　river　below；　made　us　a　visit　at　a　very　early　hour。　　The　first　of　these　was　called　Yelleppit；　a　handsome；　well…proportioned　man；　about　five　feet　eight　inches　high；　and　thirty…five　years　of　age；　with　a　bold　and　dignified　countenance；　the　rest　were　not　distinguished　in　their　appearance。　We　smoked　with　them；　and　after　making　a　speech；　gave　a　medal；　a　handkerchief；　and　a　string　of　wampum　to　Yelleppit；　but　a　string　of　wampum　only　to　the　inferior　chiefs。　　He　requested　us　to　remain　till　the　middle　of　the　day；　in　order　that　all　his　nation　might　come　and　see　us；　but　we　excused　ourselves　by　telling　him　that　on　our　return　we　would　spend　two　or　three　days　with　him。　This　conference　detained　us　till　nine　o'clock；　by　which　time　great　numbers　of　the　Indians　had　come　down　to　visit　us。　On　leaving　them　we　went　on　for　eight　miles；　when　we　came　to　an　island　near　the　left　shore；　which　continued　six　miles　in　length。　At　its　lower　extremity　is　a　small　island　on　which　are　five　houses；　at　present　vacant；　though　the　scaffolds　of　fish　are　as　usual　abundant。　　A　short　distance　below　are　two　more　islands；　one　of　them　near　the　middle　of　the　river。　On　this　there　were　seven　houses；　but　as　soon　as　the　Indians；　who　were　drying　fish；　saw　us；　they　fled　to　their　houses；　and　not　one　of　them　appeared　till　we　had　passed；　when　they　came　out　in　greater　numbers　than　is　usual　for　houses　of　that　size；　which　induced　us　to　think　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　five　lodges　had　been　alarmed　at　our　approach　and　taken　refuge　with　them。　We　were　very　desirous　of　landing　in　order　to　relieve　their　apprehensions；　but　as　there　was　a　bad　rapid　along　the　island　all　our　care　was　necessary　to　prevent　injury　to　the　canoes。　At　the　foot　of　this　rapid　is　a　rock　on　the　left　shore；　which　is　fourteen　miles　from　our　camp　of　last　night　and　resembles　a　hat　in　shape。〃

Later　in　the　day；　Captain　Clark　ascended　a　bluff　on　the　river　bank；　where　he　saw　〃a　very　high　mountain　covered　with　snow。〃　　This　was　Mount　St。　Helen's；　in　Cowlitz　County；　Washington。　　The　altitude　of　the　peak　is　nine　thousand　seven　hundred　and　fifty　feet。　〃Having　arrived　at　the　lower　ends　of　the　rapids　below　the　bluff　before　any　of　the　rest　of　the　party；　be　sat　down　on　a　rock　to　wait　for　them；　and；　seeing　a　crane　fly　across　the　river；　shot　it；　and　it　fell　near　him。　　Several　Indians　had　been　before　this　passing　on　the　opposite　side　towards　the　rapids；　and　some　who　were　then　nearly　in　front　of　him；　being　either　alarmed　at　his　appearance　or　the　report　of　the　gun；　fled　to　their　houses。　Captain　Clark　was　afraid　that　these　people　had　not　yet　heard　that　the　white　men　were　coming；　and　therefore；　in　order　to　allay　their　uneasiness　before　the　rest　of　the　party　should　arrive；　he　got　into　the　small　canoe　with　three　men；　rowed　over　towards　the　houses；　and；　while　crossing；　shot　a　duck；　which　fell　into　the　water。　As　he　approached　no　person　was　to　be　seen　except　three　men　in　the　plains；　and　they；　too；　fled　as　he　came　near　the　shore。　He　landed　in　front　of　five　houses　close　to　each　other；　but　no　one　appeared；　and　the　doors；　which　were　of　mat；　were　closed。　He　went　towards　one　of　them　with　a　pipe　in　his　hand；　and；　pushing　aside　the　mat；　entered　the　lodge；　where　he　found　thirty…two　persons；　chiefly　men　and　women；　with　a　few　children；　all　in　the　greatest　consternation；　some　hanging　down　their　heads；　others　crying　and　wringing　their　hands。　　He　went　up　to　them；　and　shook　hands　with　each　one　in　the　most　friendly　manner；　but　their　apprehensions；　which　had　for　a　moment　subsided；　revived　on　his　taking　out　a　burning…glass；　as　there　was　no　roof　to　the　house；　and　lighting　his　pipe：　　he　then　offered　it　to　several　of　the　men；　and　distributed　among　the　women　and　children　some　small　trinkets　which　he　had　with　him；　and　gradually　restored　a　degree　of　tranquillity　among　them。

〃Leaving　this　house；　and　directing　each　of　his　men　to　visit　a　house；　he　entered　a　second。　　Here　he　found　the　inmates　more　terrified　than　those　in　the　first；　but　he　succeeded　in　pacifying　them；　and　afterward　went　into　the　other　houses；　where　the　men　had　been　equally　successful。　Retiring　from　the　houses；　he　seated　himself　on　a　rock；　and　beckoned　to　some　of　the　men　to　come　and　smoke　with　him；　but　none　of　them　ventured　to　join　him　till　the　canoes　arrived　with　the　two　chiefs；　who　immediately　explained　our　pacific　intention　towards　them。　Soon　after　the　interpreter's　wife　＇Sacajawea＇　landed；　and　her　presence　dissipated　all　doubts　of　our　being　well…disposed；　since　in　this　country　no　woman　ever　accompanies　a　war　party：　they　therefore　all　came　out；　and　seemed　perfectly　reconciled；　nor　could　we；　indeed；　blame　them　for　their　terrors；　which　were　perfectly　natural。　　They　told　the　two　chiefs　that　they　knew　we　were　not　men；　for　they　had　seen　us　fall　from　the　clouds。　In　fact；　unperceived　by　them；　Captain　Clark　had　shot　the　white　crane；　which　they　had　seen　fall　just　before　he　appeared　to　their　eyes：　the　duck　which　he　had　killed　also　fell　close　by　him；　and　as　there　were　some　clouds　flying　over　at　the　moment；　they　connected　the　fall　of　the　birds　with　his　sudden　appearance；　and　believed　that　he　had　himself　actually　dropped　from　the　clouds；　considering　the　noise　of　the　rifle；　which　they　had　never　heard　before；　the　sound　announcing　so　extraordinary　an　event。　This　belief　was　strengthened；　when；　on　entering　the　room；　he　brought　down　fire　from　the　heavens　by　means　of　his　burning…glass。　We　soon　convinced　them；　however；　that　we　were　merely　mortals；　and　after　one　of　our　chiefs　had　explained　our　history　and　objects；　we　all　smoked　together　in　great　harmony。



Chapter　XVI

Down　the　Columbia　to　Tidewater

The　voyagers　were　now　drifting　down　the　Columbia　River；　and　they　found　the　way　impeded　by　many　rapids；　some　of　them　very　dangerous。　But　their　skill　in　the　handling　of　their　canoes　seems　to　have　been　equal　to　the　occasion；　although　they　were　sometimes　compelled　to　go　around　the　more　difficult　rapids；　making　a　short　land　portage。　When　they　had　travelled　about　forty　miles　down　the　river；　they　landed　opposite　an　island　on　which　were　twenty…four　houses　of　Indians；　the　people；　known　as　the　Pishquitpahs；　were　engaged　in　drying　fish。　No　sooner　had　the　white　men　landed　than　the　Indians；　to　the　number　of　one　hundred；　came　across　the　stream　bringing　with　them　some　firewood；　a　most　welcome　present　in　that　treeless　country。　The　visitors　were　entertained　with　presents　and　a　long　smoke　at　the　pipe　of　peace。　　So　pleased　were　they　with　the　music　of　two　violins　played　by　Cruzatte　and　Gibson；　of　the　exploring　party；　that　they　remained　by　the　fire　of　the　white　men　all　night。　The　news　of　the　arrival　of　the　white　strangers　soon　spread；　and　next　morning　about　two　hundred　more　of　the　Indians　assembled　to　gaze　on　them。　　Later　in　the　day；　having　gotten　away　from　their　numerous　inquisitive　visitors；　the　explorers　passed　down…stream　and　landed　on　a　small　island　to　examine　a　curious　vault；　in　which　were　placed　the　remains　of　the　dead　of　the　tribe。　The　journal　says：

〃This　place；　in　which　the　dead　are　deposited；　is　a　building　about　sixty　feet　long　and　twelve　feet　wide；　formed　by　placing　in　the　ground　poles　or　forks　six　feet　high；　across　which　a　long　pole　is　extended　the　whole　length　of　the　structure；　against　this　ridge…pole　are　placed　broad　boards　and　pieces　of　canoes；　in　a　slanting　direction；　so　as　to　form　a　shed。　It　stands　cast　and　west；　and　neither　of　the　extremities　is　closed。　On　entering　the　western　end　we　observed　a　number　of　bodies　wrapped　carefully　in　leather　robes；　and　arranged　in　rows　on　boards；　which　were　then　covered　with　a　mat。　　This　was　the　part　destined　for　those　who　had　recen