Day-by-Day / October 20, 1805

October 20, 1805

Choked with rocks

Roosevelt, WA A breakfast of dog is followed by a smoke with the Umatillas. The Corps paddles down a Columbia River crowded with large rocks and rapids. At an Indian burial site, they note sacrifices made to the dead.

An Indian Burial Site[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

Parting Smoke

we concluded to delay untill after brackfast which we were obliged to make on the flesh of dog. after brackfast we gave all the Indian men Smoke, and we Set out leaveing about 200 of the nativs at our Encampment
William Clark

Choked with Rocks

we passed a verry bad rapid, a chane or rocks makeing from the Stard. Side and nearly Chokeing the river up entirely with hugh black rocks, an Island below close under the Stard. Side on which was four Lodges of Indians drying fish,—
—William Clark

White Trade

At noon we came to an Indian camp on the point of a large island, where we stopped and got some fish and other provisions. We here saw some articles which shewed that white people had been here or not far distant during the summer. They have a hempen seine and some ash paddles which they did not make themselves.
Patrick Gass

Indian Burial Site

our curiosity induced us to examine the methot those nativs practicd in disposeing the dead, the Vaut was made by broad poads [Nicholas Biddle: boards] and pieces of Canoes leaning on a ridge pole . . . . I observed great numbers of humane bones of every description perticularly in a pile near the Center of the vault, on the East End 21 Scul bomes forming a circle on Mats—
—William Clark

Sacrifices

we observed, independant of the canoes which Served as a Covering, fishing nets of various kinds, Baskets of different Sizes, wooden boles, robes Skins, trenchers, and various Kind of trinkets, in and Suspended on the ends of the pieces forming the vault; we also Saw the Skeletons of Several Horses at the vault & great number of bones about it, which Convinced me that those animals were Sacrefised as well as the above articles to the Deceased.)
—William Clark

Weather Diary

Day of the month Wind State of the Weather
20th S W fair

Note from the 18th to the 22d of octr. descending the Great Columbia to the falls [Celilo Falls].
—William Clark[2]Some abbreviations have been spelled out.

 

Notes

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.

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.