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History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clarke
History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clarke Author:Meriwether Lewis Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LAST RAPID ON THE COLUMBIA. 83 They go nearly naked, having only a piece of leather tied round the breast, falling thence nearly as low as the waist, with a s... more »mall robe about three feet square, and a piece of leather tied between the legs. Their hair was suffered to hang loose in every direction ; and in their persons, as well as in their cookery, they were filthy to a most disgusting degree. We here observed that the women universally have their heads flattened; and in many of the villages we have recently seen the female children undergo the operation." CHAPTER IV. First Appearance of Tide-water in the Columbia River.—The Quicksand River.—Some Account of the Skilloot Indians.— The Party pass the Coweliske River.—Some Account of the Wahkiacum Indians.—Arrival on the Borders of the Pacific. —Disagreeable and Critical Situation of the Party when first encamped.—Their Distress from incessant Torrents of Rain. —Exposed for thirty Days to this drenchmg Deluge, during which Time their Provisions are spoiled, and most of their few Articles of Merchandise destroyed.—Distress of the Party. —Adventure of Shannon, and his Danger from the Wahkia- cums.—Difficulty of finding a Place suitable for a permanent Encampment.—Visited by several Indians of different Tribes, on whom Medals were bestowed. " November 2. We now examined the rapid below more particularly, and the danger appearing to be too great for the loaded canoes, all those who could not swim were sent with the baggage by land. The canoes then passed safely down, and were reloaded. At the foot of the rapid we took a meridian altitude, and found our latitude to be 59 4y 45"." This rapid forms the last of the descents of the Columbia; and immediately below it the river widens, and tide-water commences. Shortly after starti...« less