The latitude of the camp, according to the journal of the
explorers, was 46'0 34' 56" north. Here they buried in a cache their
saddles, horse-gear, and a small supply of powder and musket balls for
possible emergencies. The Kooskooskee, it should be borne in mind, is
now better known as the Clearwater; it empties into the Snake River, and
that into the Columbia. As far as the explorers knew the water-course
down which they were to navigate, they called it Clark's River, in honor
of Captain Clark. But modern geographers have displaced the name of that
eminent explorer and map-maker and have divided the stream, or streams,
with other nomenclature.
On the eighth of October the party set out on their long water journey
in five canoes, one of which was a small craft intended to go on ahead
and pilot the way (which, of course, was unknown) for the four larger
ones, in which travelled the main party with their luggage. They met
with disaster very soon after their start, one of the canoes having
struck a rock, which made a hole in its side and caused the sinking
of the craft. Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the voyage was
interrupted. The party went ashore and did not resume their journey
until their luggage was dried and the canoe repaired. On the ninth, says
the journal:--
"The morning was as usual cool; but as the weather both yesterday and
to-day was cloudy, our merchandise dried but slowly. The boat, though
much injured, was repaired by ten o'clock so as to be perfectly fit for
service; but we were obliged to remain during the day till the articles
were sufficiently dry to be reloaded.
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