Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/339

(Clark) Wed., April 2, 1806. * * * "about this time several canoes of the nativs arrived at our Camp among others two from below with Eight men of the Shah-ha-la Nation those men informed us that they reside on the opposit side of the Columbia near some pine trees which they pointed to in the bottom South of the Dimond Island, they singled out two young men whome they informed us lived at the Falls of a large river which discharges itself into the Columbia on its south side some miles below us. we readily prevailed on them to give us a sketch of this river which they drew on a Mat with a coal, it appeared that this river which they call Mult-no-mah discharged itself behind the Island we call the image canoe island, and as we had left this island to the south in decending & assending the river we had never seen it. they informed us that it was a large river and runs a considerable distance to the south between the Mountains. I deturmined to take a small party and return to this river and examine its size and collect as much information of the nativs on it or near its enterance into the Columbia of its extent, the country which it waters and the nativs who inhabit its banks, &c. I took with me six men, Thompson J. Potts, Peter Crusat, P. Wiser, T. P . Howard, Jos. Whitehouse & my man York in a large Canoe, with an Indian whome I hired for a Sun glass to accompany me as a pilot, at half past 11 AM I set out * * * *and at the place I had supposed was the lower point of the image canoe island, I entered this river which the nativs had informed us of, called Multnomah River so called by the nativs from a nation who reside on Wappato Island a little below the enterance of this river. Multnomah discharges itself in the Columbia on the S. E. and may be justly said to be % the size of that noble river. * * from the enterance of this river, I can plainly see Mt. Jefferson which is high and covered with snow S. E. Mt. Hood East, Mt. St. Helians (and) a high humped mountain (Mt. Adams) to the East of Mt. St. Helians.