on Oak Point, where the river makes a sudden bend to S.S.E.:[22] here, on the south side, the rocks became high and the current strong, and night coming on us before we could reach low ground, we were compelled to encamp on the verge of a precipice, where we passed a gloomy night— drenched with wet, without fire, without supper, and without sleep. During this day’s journey, both sides of the river presented a thick forest down to the water’s edge—the timber being large, particularly the cedars. The sound, from Cape Disappointment {105} to the head of Gray’s Bay, which we passed to-day, is about twenty-five miles in length, and varies from four to seven in breadth. On the 23rd, after a restless night, we started, stemming a strong and almost irresistible current by daylight. Crossing to the north side, not far from our encampment, we passed a small rocky height, called Coffin Rock, or Mount Coffin, a receptacle for the dead: all over this rock— top, sides, and bottom—were placed canoes of all sorts and sizes, containing relics of the dead, the congregated dust of many ages. Not far from Mount Coffin, on the same side, was the mouth of a small river, called by the natives Cowlitz, near which was an isolated rock, covered also with canoes and dead bodies. This sepulchral rock has a ghastly appearance, in the middle of the stream, and we rowed by it in silence; then passing Deer’s Island, we encamped at the mouth of the Wallamitte.[23] The waters of the Columbia are exceedingly high this year—all the low banks and ordinary water-marks are overflowed, and the island inundated. At the mouth of the Wallamitte, commences the great Columbian valley of Lewis and Clark; but in the present state of flood, surrounded on all sides by woods almost impervious, the prospect is not fascinating. The Indians appeared very numerous in several villages. General course the same as yesterday, S.E. On the 24th, after a good night’s rest, and having {106} made some trifling presents to a principal chief, named Kiasno,[24] we proceeded on our voyage; but had not gone far, when we passed another and larger branch of the Wallamitte—so that this river enters the Columbia by two channels, from the last of which the Columbia makes a gradual bend to the E.N.E. During this day, we passed the Namowit Village, Bellevue Point, Johnson’s Island, and stayed for the night as Wasough-ally Camp, near Quicksand River, which enters the Columbia on the left.[25] Bellevue Point on the right-hand side of the river, although but low, presents a scene of great beauty, compared to what we had yet seen during the voyage: here the eye is occasionally relieved from the monotonous gloomy aspect of dense woods, by the sight of green spots, clumps of trees, small lakes, and meadows alternately.