The illness of the party continued for several days, and not much progress was made down-stream.  Having camped, on the twenty-seventh of September, in the Kooskooskee River, at a place where plenty of good timber was found, preparations for building five canoes were begun.  From this time to the fifth of October, all the men capable of labor were employed in preparing the canoes.  The health of the party gradually recruited, though they still suffered severely from want of food; and, as the hunters had but little success in procuring game, they were obliged on the second to kill one of their horses.  Indians from different quarters frequently visited them, but all that could be obtained from them was a little fish and some dried roots.  This diet was not only unnutritious, but in many cases it caused dysentery and nausea.

Chapter XV —­ Down the Pacific Slope

The early days of October were spent in making preparations for the descent of the river,—­the Kooskooskee.  Here they made their canoes, and they called their stopping-place Canoe Camp.  This was at the junction of the north fork of the river with the main stream; and all below that point is called the Lower Kooskooskee, while that above is known as the upper river.  The latitude of the camp, according to the journal of the explorers, was 46’0 34’ 56” north.  Here they buried in a cache their saddles, horse-gear, and a small supply of powder and musket balls for possible emergencies.  The Kooskooskee, it should be borne in mind, is now better known as the Clearwater; it empties into the Snake River, and that into the Columbia.  As far as the explorers knew the water-course down which they were to navigate, they called it Clark’s River, in honor of Captain Clark.  But modern geographers have displaced the name of that eminent explorer and map-maker and have divided the stream, or streams, with other nomenclature.

On the eighth of October the party set out on their long water journey in five canoes, one of which was a small craft intended to go on ahead and pilot the way (which, of course, was unknown) for the four larger ones, in which travelled the main party with their luggage.  They met with disaster very soon after their start, one of the canoes having struck a rock, which made a hole in its side and caused the sinking of the craft.  Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the voyage was interrupted.  The party went ashore and did not resume their journey until their luggage was dried and the canoe repaired.  On the ninth, says the journal:—­