On this day in Lewis & Clark history...
The Corps travels on the hills north of the Columbia River's Wallula Gap. Chief Yellepit comes to the men while they are dining and leads them to his village opposite the mouth of the Walla Walla River.
From the journals...
Sunday April 27th 1806.
I now thought it best to halt as the horses and men were much fatiegued altho had not reached the Wallah wollah village
the indians informed us that there was a good road which passed from the columbia to the Kooskooske
Sunset above Yellepit
Sunday April 27th 1806.
at the distance of fifteen miles passed through a country similar to that of yesterday; the hills at the extremity of this distance again approach the river and are rocky abrupt and 300 feet high. we ascended the hill and marched through a high plain for 9 miles when we again returned to the river
Beginning of the Horse Heaven Hills near Plymouth, Washington
Sunday April 27th 1806.
at present they seem to subsist principally on a speceis of mullet which weigh from one to three lbs. and roots of various discriptions which these plains furnish them in great abundance.
they also take a few salmon trout of the white kind.—
Yellept haranged his village in our favour intreated them to furnish us with fuel and provision and set the example himself by bringing us an armfull of wood and a platter of 3 roasted mullets.
Largescale sucker, Catostomus macrocheilus
Sunday April 27th 1806.
we collected some of the dry stalks of weeds and the stems of a shrub which resembles the southern wood; made a small fire and boiled a small quantity of our jerked meat on which we dined; while here the principal Cheif of the Wallahwallahs joined us with six men of his nation.
Elk jerky
