Subj: Website text
Date: 3/21/00 2:11:30 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: DPOCTALC1
To: Tomactor

When last seen the Corps of Discovery was camped at Rattlesnake Flats resting before the next set of rapids known as the perilous Fish-Hook Rapids. It should be noted that two archaeological sites were found here in 1959 being late prehistoric pit-house villages.

October 16th & 17th, 1805:
The Corps of Discovery camps for two days at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers at what is now Sacajawea State Park just outside Pasco, Washington on US Route 12 heading towards Walla Walla, Washington.

October 16th, 1805:
"a cool morning Set out early passed the rapid with all the Canoes except Sgt. Pryors which run on a rock near the lower part of the rapid and Stuck fast." This is a sign that the men are getting tired as more accidents are happening in these very difficult waters. At this point they unloaded the canoes (actually dugouts) and portaged 3/4 mile which brings them to Five-Mile Rapids. Here they meet five Palouse Indians with whom they smoked then continued through the rapids. After dinner they "Set out and proceeded on Seven miles to the junction of this river (Snake River) and the Columbia which joins from the N.W." It seems strange to me that no mention of reaching the Mighty Columbia is to be found in the journals! I am sure that their elation at having reached Thomas Jefferson's ultimate destination, the Columbia River, was overwhelmed by sheer exhaustion. Clark writes in his journal that the country again is a low plain and rises gradually from the water and here notes a range of high "Countrey" which are now known as the Horse Heaven Hills on the Washington side of the Columbia. Here the Corps halted just above the point on the Kimooenim River, then named Lewis's River and now called the Snake River. Once again they smoked with the Indians who have gathered in large numbers to see these white men whose intention was to "do them no harm." It was Sgt. Gass who found a piece of drift wood for a fire at this site (Sacajawea State Park).
Soon after Cutssahnem of the Wanapams and some 200 of his people came playing drums and singing to the Corps camp site. Smoke was made and the celebration went on for some time. The principal chief Cutssahnem was given a large Jefferson peace medal, a shirt and a "handerchief" and to the chief of the upper village, the Yakama's, was given a small Jefferson peace medal and a "handerchief." The Wanapams lived 1/4 mile up the Columbia on the west bank and this permanent village site dates back 1000 years. The name of this Indian village was K'u'sis (Kosith) meaning Two Rivers. The Yakamas lived at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers on both sides of the Columbia where present day Pasco, Washington is.
It is in this area that Clark mentions the ever present foe, prickly pear! "Great quantities of a kind of prickly pares, much worst than any I have Seen of a tapering form and attach themselves by bunches." I have seen this common cactus that grows in abundance along the Columbia River, but have never had the misfortune to feel it's sharp spine pierce my skin and imbed itself into my flesh!
The large medal given to Cutssahnem is probably the one found at the mouth of the Palouse River in an Indian burial ground when in the process of building Lower Monumental Dam. in 1854 George Gilbs was shown this medal by an Indian who said his father was buried at this Palouse burial site and was given the medal by Lewis and Clark while his father was at the Kosith village site at the junction of the "Two Rivers."
The above mentioned party lasted into the night then broke up and Clark writes that the chief and several others stayed until he bought dogs and fresh salmon from them, then left when he (Clark) went to bed. How did the Corps feel at this time as they were sleeping on the banks of the Columbia River? They had finally reached their biggest objective, yet nothing was recorded about it!
They traveled about 21 miles this day.