Thursday March 27th 1806

 

[Clark]
a rainey disagreeable night    rained the greater part of the night

[Lewis]
We set out early this morning and were shortly after joined by some of the Skillutes who came along side in a small canoe for the purpose of trading roots and fish.    at 10 A. M. we arrived at two houses of this nation on the Stard. side {near Rainier, and opposite Longview and Kelso },where we halted for breakfast.....the principal village of these Skillutes reside on the lower side of the Cow-e-lis'-kee river {Cowlitz River} a few miles from it's entrance into the columbia.    these people are said to be numerous.    in their dress, habits, manners and language they differ but little from the Clatsops Chinnooks

[Gass] 
There was a cloudy wet morning. We embarked early and went about 6 miles, when we came to a small Indian village,  {A "Skillute" village near Rainier} where the natives received us very kindly. They belong to the Chil-ook nation, and differ something in their language from the Chin-ooks. We got some Wapto roots and fish from them and then proceeded on, though it rained very hard. Two small canoes went on ahead to Deer island, in order to kill some game by the time we should come up. We passed several Indian lodges where the natives were fishing for sturgeon, and got a large one out of a small canoe; a number of which followed us with 2 Indians in each of them. At night we encamped where we had plenty of good wood, oak and ash.

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