Thus are shown the three main obstructions of the river, which compelled either a portage, or the unloading of the canoes, and lining them down the rapids. The experiences of Lewis and Clark were repeated by all who subsequently traveled in canoes, with slight variations. At a high water stage of the river, the obstruction of the Little Narrows backed the water up, and sometimes nearly obliterated the falls. Then frequently the canoes were shot down, and sometimes even paddled up; while the later voyageurs, knowing what was possible at various stages of the river,, sometimes shot the narrows with loaded canoes, and sometimes came to grief in attempting it. Later travelers gave different names to these obstructions, but they practically all mention these three, and note the fact of making a portage, or being able to pass without doing so.
The name of Great Falls, or The Falls, was used by most subsequent travelers; later it was sometimes termed Les Chutes; today it is Celilo Falls.
The Little Narrows were subsequently called, sometimes, the Short Narrows, sometimes Les Petites Dalles, or the Little Dalles; today they are known as Ten Mile Rapids.
The Long Narrows were later called The Dalles, sometimes the Great Dalles; today they are Five Mile Rapids.
The Dalles Celilo Canal, built at great expense by the U. S. government, passes around all these obstructions to the navigation of the river. The U. S. engineers in charge of this work, named Five and Ten Mile Rapids from their distance from the boat landing at the city of The Dalles.[1]
The map of the U. S. engineers has been used as the basis of the map opposite page 115, and reference to
- ↑ T. C. Elliott. [[../../Volume 16/The Dalles-Celilo Portage|The Dalles-Celilo Portage]]. Oregon Historical Quarterly, 1915. This article contains excellent illustrations of the falls and rapids, and a great amount of interesting historical information.
