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,
he 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.
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