History of the Expedition of Captains Lewis and Clark, 1804-5-6; Reprinted from the Edition of 1814 Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 edition. Excerpt: ...which is nearly a mile. This account may be exaggerated, but it serves to show that the Multnomah must be a very large river, and that, with the assistance of a southeastern branch of Lewis's river, passing round the eastern extremity of that chain of mountains in which mounts Hood and Jefferson are so conspicuous, waters the vast tract of country to the south, till its remote sources approach those of the Missouri and Rio del Norde. Near our camp is a fish-weir, formed of two curtains of small willow switches matted together with wythes of the same plant, and extending across the river in two parallel lines six feet asunder. These are supported by several parcels of poles, in the manner already described as in use among the Shoshonees, and are either rolled up or let down at pleasure for a few feet, so as either to suffer the fish to pass or detain them. A seine of fifteen or eighteen feet in length is then dragged down the river by two persons, and the bottom drawn up against the curtain of willows. They also employ a smaller seine like a scooping net, one side of which is confined to a semicircular bow five feet long and half the size of a man's arm, and the other side is held by a strong rope, which being tied at both ends to the bow, forms the cord to the semicircle. This is used by one person, but the only fish which they can take at this time is a mullet of from four to five pounds in weight, and this is the chief subsistence of a village of twelve houses of Wollawollahs a little below us on this river, as well as of others on the opposite side of the Columbia. In the course of the day we gave small medals to two inferior chiefs, each of whom made us a present of a fine horse. We were in a poor condition to make an adequate acknowledgment...