1806.] RETURN OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 287 



its shores, and discovered a large stream, called by the natives the 

 Coivelitz, flowing into it from the north, at the distance of sixty 

 miles from the ocean. Thirty miles higher up, they found another 

 and much larger stream, joining the Columbia on the south side, 

 the Indian name of which was supposed to be Multonomah ; it is 

 now, however, universally known as the Willamet, and on its banks 

 are situated the most flourishing settlements as yet formed by citi- 

 zens of the United States west of the Rocky Mountains. 



In the middle of April, the exploring party reached the foot of 

 the great rapids, below the Falls of the Columbia, where they aban- 

 doned their canoes, and began their journey by land, on horses 

 purchased from the Indians. In this way, they traversed the gap or 

 defile in the mountains through which the river pours its floods, 

 and then, pursuing their course over the elevated plains east of that 

 ridge, they arrived, on the 8th of May, at the point on the Koos- 

 kooskee River, where they had left their horses, and first embarked 

 on the waters of the Columbia, in the preceding year. From this 

 place, they continued on horseback due eastward, through the 

 Rocky Mountains, to the Clarke River, which flows for some dis- 

 tance in a northerly direction from its sources, before turning 

 southward to join the other branches of the Columbia ; and there 

 it was agreed that the chiefs of the expedition should separate, to 

 meet again at the confluence of the Yellowstone with the Missouri. 



The separation took place on the 3d of July, near the point at 

 which the Clarke River is crossed by the 47th parallel of latitude, 

 due west of the Falls of the Missouri. Captain Lewis and his 

 party proceeded some distance northward, down the Clarke, and 

 then, quitting it, crossed the Rocky Mountains to the head-waters of 

 Maria River, which empties into the Missouri just below the falls. 

 There they met a band of Indians belonging to the numerous and 

 daring race called the Black-foot, who infest the plains at the base 

 of the mountains, and are ever at war with all other tribes ; these 

 savages attempted to seize the rifles of the Americans, and Lewis 

 was obliged to kill one of them before they desisted. The party 

 then hastened to the Missouri, which they reached at the falls, and 

 thence floated down to the mouth of the Yellowstone. 



Meanwhile, the others, under Clarke, rode southward up the 

 valley of the Clarke River, to its sources ; and, after exploring 

 several passes in the mountains between that point and the head- 

 waters of the Yellowstone, they embarked in canoes on the latter 



