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safe to shore loaded again and proceeded over several more rapids then came to unclear a verry bad rapid. the worst or had the highest waves of any we have yet passed we halted above the rapid and carried considerable of the baggage by land about a mile then took the canoes safe over and loaded up and proceeded on down several more rapids towards evening we arived at the forks of the river which came from a northly direction and is larger than this columbia the country ar?ound these forks is level smooth barron plains not even a tree to be seen as far as our eyes could extend a fiew willows along the shores. we found about 2 hundred or upwards camped on the point between the two rivers. a verry pleasant place we camped near them on the point. the natives sold us eight dogs and some fresh sammon the whole band came in a body singing in their form to our fires and smoaked with us and appeared friendly they have beeds and brass and coper in small pieces hanging about them which they sign to us that they got them from white people on a river to the north and some down about the mouth of this river. we went blank miles this day. passed several islands &c Thursday 17th Oct. 1805. a clear pleasant morning. we delay here today for our offiicers to take observations &c. the natives sold us a nomber more dogs and fresh sammon &c. these savages have but verry fiew buffalow robes but are dressed in deer & elk skins the deer skins are drressed with the hair on and sewed together in robes. some