LEWIS & CLARK ENTERTAIN THE LOCALS
During The Era Of Biden’s Demolition, There Is Still Room For Laughs
Americans wonder what will become of us by the end of Biden’s four years of America-Last policies. We are now more in need of laughs than any other period within my lifetime. Also, several weeks ago I promised by readers that I would re-publish some of the history articles I wrote for local newspapers last year. Here is an amusing event during Lewis & Clark’s trek westward.
On the Mighty Columbia River, Celilo Falls* was the first of three extremely treacherous rapids that the Lewis & Clark Expedition had to traverse on their way to the Pacific Ocean. They passed through Celilo Falls without much ordeal. The next rapids were named the Short Narrows by a terrified Captain Clark. On October 23, 1805 he wrote in his journal: “the horrid appearance of this agitated gut swelling, boiling & whorling in every direction.”
By the standards of today, this was a Class V rapid, meaning it could not be run in a modern canoe specially designed for whitewater. The local Indians, expert canoeists themselves, did not believe these peculiar strangers could do it in their big, heavy dugouts.
Indians gathered along the high banks overlooking the river to watch these crazy men (and Sacagawea) drown themselves, and to be ready to help themselves to the abandoned equipment & supplies afterwards. They were astonished that the Americans finished the run without incident.
But the Indians were certain they couldn’t make it through the final river obstacle, named the Long Narrows. So, again they gathered on the banks to await the inevitable disaster. They left disappointed. The Corps of Discovery finished their overland trek when Captain William Clark first spied the Pacific Ocean on November 18, 1805.** They had accomplished their mission of linking the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean!
Hello Diane,
😂. I can only imagine the expectations of grandeur that rushed through the Indians pounding temples as the explorers entered each phase of rapids. Thoughts of gold, supplies and tobacco might have been the topic of thought.
When the explorers successfully defeated the last stretch of angry water, I surmise that the Indians might have been angry, disappointed and most likely withdrew from their mission in complete defeat. You know that the mood was unraveled as the agony of defeat set in. Did the Indian scouting party return to their village defeated? Nope, they went fishing and returned to their village with creels of fish for dinner? LOL! I had to expound upon that story to flip it positive.
Humor is good for the soul amid all the negative news in todays world.
Keep up the goos writing!