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Translated by WM. ROSE, M.A. With Im- provements and Notes. [Portrait.] ISmo. THE ORATIONS OF DEMOSTHENES. Translated by THOMAS LELAND, D.D. In 2 vols. ISmo. [Portrait.] ADVENTURES COLUMBIA RIVER, INCLUDING THE NARRATIVE OF A RESIDENCE OF SIX YEARS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, AMONG VARIOUS TRIBES OF INDIANS HITHERTO UNKNOWN: TOGETHER WITH A JOURNEY ACROSS THE AMERICAN CONTINENT. BY ROSS COX. NEW-YORK : PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. & J. HARPER, 82 CLIFF-STREtT. AND SOLD BY THE PRINCIPAL BOOKSELLEK3 THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. 1832 0/ L H PREFACE. The following Narrative embraces a period of six years, five of which were spent among various tribes on the banks of the Columbia River and its tributary streams ; and the remaining portion was occupied in the voyage outwards, and the journey across the continent. During this period the author ascended the Columbia nine times, and descended it eight ; wintered among various tribes : was engaged in several encounters with the Indians; was lost fourteen days in a wilderness, and had many other extraordinary escapes. He kept journals of the principal events which occurred during the greater part of this period, the substance of which will be found imbodied in the following pages. Those who love to read of " battle, murder, and sudden death," will, in his description of the dangers and privations to which the life of an Indian trader is subject, find much to gratify their taste ; while to such as are fond of nature, in its rudest and most savage forms, he trusts his sketches of the wild and wandering tribes of Western America may not be found uninteresting. They cannot lay claim to the beautiful colouring which the roman- tic pen of a Chateaubriand has imparted to his picture of Indian manners ; for the author, unfortunately, did not meet with any tribe which approached that celebrated writer's splendid descrip- tion of savage life. He has seen many of them before the con- VI PREFACE. x tamination of white men could have deteriorated their native character ; and, while he records with pleasure the virtues and bravery of some, truth compels him to give a different character to the majority. The press has of late years teemed with various "Recollec- tions," " Reminiscences," &c. of travels, scenes, and adventures in well-known countries ; but no account has been yet published of a great portion of the remote regions alluded to in this work. They are therefore new to the world ; and, if the author's unpre- tending narrative possesses no other claim to the public favour, it cannot at least be denied that of novelty. INTRODUCTION. In the year 1G70 a charter was granted by Charles the Sec- ond to the Hudson's-Bay Company, whose first governor was Prince Rupert, by which the Company was allowed the exclu- sive privilege of establishing trading factories on the shores of that noble bay and its tributary rivers. Owing to this charter, the fur-trade, which forms an important and extensive branch of American commerce, was for ;i long period monopolized by the Company; but, from the peculiar nature of its constitution, little progress was made by its officers in extending its trading posts, or exploring the interior, until the year 1770, when Mr. Hearne was sent on an expedition to the Arctic Sea, for an account of which I beg to refer the reader to that gentleman's simple and interesting narative. While Canada belonged to France the Canadian traders had advanced many hundred miles beyond Lake Superior, and es- tablished several trading posts in the heart of the country, some of which the voyageurs still call by their original names ; such as Fort Dauphin, Fort Bourbon, and others. The conquest of that province opened a new source of trade to British enterprise ; and while the officers of the Hudson's- Bay Company fancied their charter had secured them in the undisturbed possession of their monopoly, an active and enter- prising rival was gradually encroaching on their territories, and imperceptibly undermining their influence with the Indians ; I allude to the North-West Fur Company of Canada, which ori- ginally consisted of a few private traders, but subsequently be- came the first commercial establishment in British America. It is not here necessary to enter into a detail of the formation and increase of this Company. Its first members were British and Canadian merchants; among whom Messrs. Rocheblave, Frobisher, Fraser, M'Tavish, Mackenzie, and M'Gillivray were the most prominent. Their clerks were chiefly younger branches of respectable Scottish families, who entered the service as ap- prentices for seven years ; for which period they were allowed one hundred pounds, and suitable clothing. At the expiration of their apprenticeship they were placed on yearly salaries, va- rying from eighty to one hundred and sixty pounds, and accord- ing to their talents were ultimately provided for as partners ; Vlll INTRODUCTION. some, perhaps in a year or two after the termination of their engagements ; while others remained ten, twelve, or sixteen years in a state of probation. This system, by creating an identity of interest, produced a spirit of emulation among the clerks admirably calculated to promote the general good; for, as each individual was led to expect that the period for his election to the proprietary depended on his own exertions, every nerve was strained to attain the long-desired object of his wishes. Courage was an indispensable qualification, not merely for the casual encounters with the Indians, but to intimidate any competitor in trade with whom he might happen to come in collision. Success was looked upon as the great criterion of a trader's cleverness ; and provided he obtained for his outfit of merchandise what was considered a good return of furs, the partners never stopped to inquire about the means by which they were acquired. The Hudson's-Bay Company, on the contrary, presented no such inducements to extra exertion on the part of its officers. Each individual had a fixed salary, without any prospect of be- coming a proprietor ; and some of them, whose courage was undoubted, when challenged to single combat by a North-Wester, refused ; alleging as a reason, that they were engaged to trade for furs, and not to fight with fellow-subjects. Independently of the foregoing circumstances, the North- West Company in the selection of its canoe-men, or, as they are called, engages, had another great advantage over its chartered rival. These men were French Canadians, remarkable for obedience to their superiors ; and whose skill in managing ca- noes, capability of enduring hardships, and facility of adapting themselves to the habits and peculiarities of the various tribes, rendered them infinitely more popular in the eyes of Indians than the stubborn, unbending, matter-of-fact Orkney men, into whose ideas a work of supererogation never entered.* The diminished amount of their imports, joined to the in- creased demand of goods from their factories, at length opened the eyes of the Hudson's-Bay directors to the success of their formidable opponents, and induced them to attempt, when too late, to arrest their career. By their charter they now laid claim to the exclusive privilege of trading, not merely on the Missis- sippi River and its various branches, but also on the Saskacha- wan, Red River, and all the other streams which empty them- selves into the great Lake Winepic, the waters of which are carried to Hudson's-Bay by the rivers Nelson and Severn. * The chief part of the boatmen, and several of the officers of the Hudson's- Bay Company were, formerly, natives of the Orkney Islands. INTRODUCTION. IX This territorial claim, unsupported by any physical power, had but little weight with their persevering rivals. They were far beyond the reach of magisterial authority ; and an injunc- tion could not be easily served, nor obedience to it enforced in a country fifteen hundred or two thousand miles beyond the lim- its of any recognised jurisdiction. After establishing opposition trading posts adjoining the differ- ent factories of the Hudson's-Bay Company in the interior, the in- defatigable North-Westers continued their progress to the north- ward and westward, and formed numerous trading establishments at Athabasca, Peace River, Great and Lesser Slave Lakes, New Caledonia, the Columbia, &c. ; to none of which places did the officers of the Hudson's-Bay attempt to follow them. By these means the North- West Company became undisputed masters of the interior. Their influence with the natives was all-powerful ; and no single trader, without incurring imminent danger from the Indians, or encountering the risk of starvation, could attempt to penetrate into their territories. A few independent individuals, unconnected with either com- pany, the chief of whom was Mr. John Jacob Astor, a wealthy merchant of New-York, still carried on a fluctuating trade with the Indians, whose lands border Canada and the United States ; but their competition proved injurious to themselves, as prices far above their value were frequently given to the natives for their furs. With the interior thus inaccessible, and the confines not worth disputing, Mr. Astor turned his thoughts to the opposite side of the American continent ; and accordingly made proposals to the North- West Company to join with him in forming an establish- ment on the Columbia River. This proposition was submitted to the consideration of a general meeting of the wintering pro- prietors ; and, after some negotiations as to the details, rejected. Mr. Astor therefore determined to make the attempt without their co-operation ; and in the winter of 1809, he succeeded in forming an association called the " Pacific Fur Company," of which he himself was the chief proprietor. As able and expe- rienced traders were necessary to ensure success, he induced several of the gentlemen connected with the North- West Com- pany to quit that establishment and join in his speculation. Among these was Mr. Alexander M'Kay, an old partner, who had accompanied Sir Alexander Mackenzie in his perilous jour- ney across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. It was intended in the first instance to form a trading establish- ment at the entrance of the Columbia, and as many more subse- quently on its tributary streams as the nature and productions of the country would admit. It was also arranged that a vessel X INTRODUCTION. laden with goods for the Indian trade should sail every year from New- York to the Columbia, and after discharging her cargo at the establishment, take on board the produce of the year's trade, and thence proceed to Canton, which is a ready market for furs of every description. On disposing of her stock of peltries at the latter place, she was to return to New- York freighted with the productions of China. The first vessel fitted out by the Pacific Fur Company was the Tonquin, commanded by Captain Jonathan Thorne, formerly a lieutenant in the service of the United States. She sailed from New- York in the autumn of 1810, and had on board four partners, nine clerks, with a number of mechanics and voyageurs, with a large and well assorted cargo for the Indian and Chinese trades. Much about the same period a party under the com- mand of Messrs. W. P. Hunt, and Donald Mackenzie, left Saint Louis on the Missouri, with the intention of proceeding as nearly as possible by Lewis and Clarke's route across the continent to the mouth of the Columbia. This party consisted, besides the above gentlemen, who were partners, of three clerks, and upwards of seventy men. The following year, 1811, another vessel, the Beaver, of four hundred and eighty tons, commanded by Captain Cornelius Sowles, sailed for the Columbia. She had on board one part- ner, six clerks, and a number of artisans and voyageurs, with a plentiful supply of every thing that could contribute to the com- fort of the crew and passengers. The exaggerated reports then in circulation relative to the wealth to be obtained in the Columbia, induced merchants of the first respectability to solicit for their sons appointments in the new Company ; and many of their applications were unsuc- cessful. The author, who was at this period in New- York, cap- tivated with the love of novelty, and the hope of speedily realizing an independence in the supposed _EZ Dorada, exerted all his influence to obtain a clerkship in the Company. He succeeded, and was one of those who embarked on board the Beaver. "With what success his golden anticipations were crowned, together with all his " travels' history," will be amply detailed in the following Narrative. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Singularly luminous appearance of the ocean — The Equator — Ma- gellanic Clouds — Falkland islands — Storm, and loss of two men — Cape Horn — Dreadful storm — Islands of Juan Fernandez and Massa- fuero — Trade Winds in the Pacific — A shark — Arrival at Sandwich Islands 25 CHAPTER II. Whoahoo — Visit from a chief— Nocturnal excursion — King and queens — Invasion of the ship — White men — Gardens — Foot race, and summary justice — Throwing the spear — Royal residence, and body guard — Mourning for a chief's wife — Billy Pitt, George Washing- ton, &a . . 34 CHAPTER III. Tamaamah — The Eooranee — Curious custom — Fickleness in dress — Character of natives — Important position of the islands — Cow hunt- ing — Complete our supplies — Take a number of natives — Departure — New Discovery — Arrival at the Columbia 45 CHAPTER IV. Account of the Tonquin — Loss of her chief mate, seven men, and two boats — Extraordinary escape of Weekes — Erection of Astoria — Mr. Thompson of the N. W. Company — Arrival of Messrs. Hunt and Mackenzie, and sketch of their journey over-land . . .54 CHAPTER V. Particulars of the destruction of the Tonquin and crew — Indians attack a party ascending the river — Description of fort, natives, and the country 63 CHAPTER VI. Departure from Astoria — Description of our party, lading, &c. — Ap- pearance of river and islands — Fleas and mosquitoes — First rapids, dangerous accident — Indian cemetery — Ugly Indians — Gibraltar — Cape Xll CONTENTS. Horn — The narrows and falls — Change in the appearance of the coun- try — Attempt at robbery — Mounted Indians 72 CHAPTER VII. Party commence eating horses — Remarkable escape from a rattle- snake — Kill numbers of them — Arrive among the Wallah Wallah tribe — Description of the country — The Pierced-nose Indians — Author's party proceeds up Lewis River — Purchase horses for land-travelling — Prickly pears — Awkward accident — Leave the canoes, and journey inland 81 CHAPTER VIII. Author loses the party — Curious adventures, and surprising escapes from serpents and wild beasts during fourteen days in a wilderness — Meets with Indians, by whom he is hospitably received and conducted to his friends 88 CHAPTER IX. Remarkable case of Mr. Pritchard, who was thirty-five days lost — Situation of Spokan House — Journey to the Flat-head lands, and de- cription of that tribe — Return to Spokan House — Christmas-day — Horse eating — Spokan peculiarities — Articles of trade — A duel . . 99 CHAPTER X. Execution of an Indian for robbery — War between Great Britain and the United States — Dissolution of the Pacific Fur Company — Author joins the North-West Company, and proceeds to the Rocky Moun- tains — Meets a party, and returns to the sea — Robbery of goods, and successful stratagem to recover the property — Attack at night — Dog- eating — Author and three men pursued by Indians — Narrow escape 106 CHAPTER XL Author proceeds to Oakinagan, and thence to the Flat-heads, where he passes the winter — Cruel treatment of the Black-feet prisoners by the Flat-heads — Horrible Spectacle — Buffalo the cause of war between the two tribes — Women — Government — Peace and war chiefs — Wolves — Anecdote of a dog — Syrup of lurch — Surgical and medical know- ledge of the Flat-heads — Remarkable cure of rheumatism — Their ideas of a future state, and curious tradition respecting the beavers — Name of Flat-head a misnomer — A marriage 117 CHAPTER XII. Effect of snow on the eyes — Description of a winter at Oakinagan — News from the sea — Capture of Astoria by the Racoon sloop of war CONTENTS. Kill — Offer of Chinooks to cut off the British — A party attacked; Mr. Stewart wounded; two Indians killed — Arrival of Mr. Hunt — Ship- wreck of the Lark — Massacre of Mr. Read and eight of his men — Ex- traordinary escape of Dorrien's widow and children . . . 129 CHAPTER XIII. Arrival of the Isaac Tod — Miss Jane Barnes, a white woman — Mur- der of one of our men by Indians — Trial and execution of the mur- derers — Death of Mr. Donald M'Tavish and five men . . .139 CHAPTER XIV. Sketch of the Indians about the mouth of the Columbia — Process of flattening the head — Thievish disposition — Treatment of their slaves — Suggestions to the missionary societies — Dreadful ravages of the small-pox — Jack Ramsay — Their ideas of religion — Curious super- stition — Marriage ceremonies — Anecdote — Aversion to ardent spirits — Government — War — Arms and armour — Canoes and houses — System of cooking — Utensils — Gambling — Haiqua — Quack doctors — Mode of' burial . 146 CHAPTER XV. Voyage to the interior — Party attacked, and one man killed — Arrive at Spokan House — Joy of the Indians at our return — The chiefs speech — Sketch of Mr. M'Donald — Duel prevented between him and a chief — Kettle Indians ; their surprise at seeing white men — Curious account of an hermaphrodite chief — Death of Jacques Hoole . . . 160 CHAPTER XVI. The party attacked by the natives at the Wallah Wallah River — Two killed — Encamp on an island for safety — Indians demand two white men as a sacrifice — Arrival of a chieftain — His speech, and peace re- stored 172 CHAPTER XVII. Author and party lost in a snow-storm — Curious instance of mental abstraction — Poor Ponto — Arrive at Spokan House — A marriage — Great ravine — Agates — Hot-springs — Kitchen-garden — Indian manner of hunting the deer — Method adopted by the wolves for the same pur- pose — Horse-racing — Great heat 183 CHAPTER XVIII. Letter from Mr. Stewart — His account of New Caledonia — Naviga- tion of the Columbia obstructed by ice — Miserable situation of the party during the winter — Author frost-bitten — Amusements — Departure of XIV CONTENTS. Mr. Keith — His letters — Author and party quit their winter encamp- ment — Rapid change of seasons — Arrive at Fort George . . 192 CHAPTER XIX. Author placed in charge of Oakinagan — Erects new buildings there — Mosquitoes — sagacity of the horses — Rattlesnakes good food — Sar- saparilla — Black snakes — Climate — Whirlwinds — Handsome situation — Character of the tribe — Manner of trading — Extraordinary cures of consumption ....'. 203 CHAPTER XX. Author nearly blinded by hawks — Foxes — Great number of wolves — Their method of attacking horses — Lynxes — Bears — Anecdote of a kidnapping bruin — Ingenious plan of getting off bear-skins — Account of the horses on the Columbia — Great feat performed by one . 210 CHAPTER XXI. Letter from the proprietors — Author winters at Oakinagan — Letter from Mr. Mackenzie — A number of horses stolen — Successful plan to recover them — Description of soil, climate, productions, &c. of the lower part of the Columbia 218 CHAPTER XXII. Description of climate, soil, &c. above the rapids — Sketch of va- rious tribes — the Chohoptins — Yackamans — Oakinagans — Sinapoils — Spokans — Anecdote — Pointed-hearts — Cause of war — Cootonais — Ket- tle Indians — Kamloops, &c. 227 CHAPTER XXIII. Ascent of the Columbia — Its lakes — Dangerous navigation — High water — Arrive at the mountains — Melancholy detail of the death of six of the party 236 CHAPTER XXIV. Canoe Valley and River — Appearance of Mountains — M'Gillivray's Rock — Dangerous situation of party on a raft — Arrive at Rocky Moun- tain House — Volcanic appearances — Animals, &c. — Indian tradition respecting Mammoth — Difference in size of trees . . . 246 CHAPTER XXV. Descent of the Athabasca River — Party disappointed in receiving provisions — Elk River and Lake — Join the brigade from Lesser Slave CONTENTS. XV Lake — Arrive at He a la Crosse — Dreadful effects of the opposition be- tween the North- West and Hudson's-Bay Companies — Sketch of Mr. Peter Ogden 257 CHAPTER XXVI. English River — Pass numerous lakes and rapids — Arrive at Cumber- land House — Saskachawaine river — Lake Winepic — Aurora Borealis — River Winepic — Meet various parties — Rainy Lake and Fort — Death of an Indian 270 CHAPTER XXVII. Leave Rainy Lake — Messrs. M'Gillivray and La Rocque — Sketch of Messrs. Wentzel and M'Neill — Great Falls of the mountain — Descrip- tion of Fort William, its inhabitants, &c 281 CHAPTER XXVIII. Enter Lake Superior — St. Mary's Falls — Sketch of Mr. Johnston — Lake Huron — French River — Lake Nipising — Arrive on the Ottawa — A back-woodsman— Chaudiere Falls — Hull — Longue Sault — Mr. Grant — Laughable mistake — Mr. M'Donald Le Pretre — Mr. M'Gilles — Sny- der's Tavern — Lake of the Two Mountains — La Chine — Arrive at Mont- real 290 CHAPTER XXIX. Sketches of the Canadian Voyageurs — Anecdote of La Liberte — The Freemen, or Trappers — The Half-breeds — Anecdote — Retired Partners — Josephine — Francaise — Amusing Letter — Iroquois Indians — Anec- dote 305 CONCLUSION. Coalition of the two Companies — New Caledonia — Description of the Chilcotins, Talkotins, &c. — Soil, produce, lakes, rivers, animals, cli- mate — Peculiarities of the natives — Suicides — Cruelty to relatives — Horrible treatment of prisoners — Sanguinary quarrels — Extraordinary ceremonies attending the dead — Barbarities practised on widows, &c. — Table of population 316 Appendix 333 SIX YEARS' RESIDENCE ON THE BANKS OF THE COLUMBIA KIVER, &c. CHAPTER I. Singularly luminous appearance of the ocean — The Equator — Magellanic clouds — Falkland Islands — Storm, and loss of two men — Cape Horn — Dreadful storm — Islands of Juan Fernandez and Massafuero — Trade-winds in the Pacific — A shark — Arrival at Sandwich Islands. On Thursday the 17th of October, 1811, we sailed from New- York, witli a gentle breeze from the northward, and in a few hours lost sight of the highlands of " Never Sink." Our cabin passengers were, Messrs. Clarke, Clapp, Halsey, Nicolls, Seton, Ehninger, and self; with Captain Sowles, and Messrs. Rhodes, Champenois, and Dean, officers of the ship. Nothing particular occurred until the night of the 7th of No- vember, when we were gratified with observing the ocean as- sume that fiery appearance mentioned by several of our circum- navigators ; to account for which has not a little perplexed the most erudite inquirers into marine phenomena. During our pas- sage through these liquid flames we had what sailors term a " smacking breeze" of eight knots. The captain declared that he had never witnessed so luminous an appearance of the sea ; and so great was the light afforded by the waves, that we were thereby enabled to peruse books of a moderate-sized print ! On the following day, the 8th, we made the Cape de Verds, at which place it was the captain's intention to stop for a day or two ; but the wind being favourable he relinquished the idea, and kept under way. We had fine gales and pleasant weather until the 17th, on which day we crossed the Equator, in longi- tude 30° west, with a light northerly breeze, which on the follow- ing day subsided into a dead calm : this calm continued eight days, during which period we did not advance ten miles. Vol. I.— C 26 FALKLAND ISLANDS. On the 26th a smart breeze sprang up, which drove us on nobly at the rate of from seven to ten knots an hour. The 28th we spoke a Portuguese brig bound from Rio Grande to Pernam- buco. The captain and crew of this vessel were all negroes, the lowest of whom was six feet high. We inquired from the sable commander what was his longitude ; but he could not give us any information on the subject ! After setting this unfortu- nate navigator right, we pursued our course ; and the wind still continuing fresh, we were quickly emancipated from the scorch- ing influence of a vertical sun. On the 10th of December, in latitude 39", we spoke the American ship Manilla, Captain M'Lean, on her return from a whaling voyage, and bound to Nantucket, RJiode Island. The captain came on board, and politely waited till we had written a few letters, of which he took charge. A few days after this we lost sight of the celebrated Magellanic clouds, which had been visible almost from the time we crossed the Equator. That these nebulae should be so immutable in their form and station, has been a source of no trifling perplexity to our natu- ral philosophers. As so much ink has already been consumed in speculations respecting these phenomena, and such various and conflicting opinions elicited from the most learned astrono- mers of the last and present age, I conceive it would be pre- sumptuous in me to offer a single word on the subject. These clouds are white, and in shape nearly resemble an equilateral triangle, rounded at each angular point. On the 21st of December, at 5 a. m., land was discovered on our weather-bow. The captain pronounced it to be the coast of Patagonia; and acting on this opinion, we kept along-shore, in order to pass between the Falkland Islands and the mainland ; but, strange to tell ! at noon, when he obtained a meridian observa- tion, he discovered that what lie previously conceived to be the Patagonian coast was in reality a part of the Falkland Islands. To account for this mistake, it is proper to mention, that during the preceding ten days the haziness of the weather precluded the possibility of our obtaining either a solar or lunar observa- tion : we therefore were compelled to sail entirely by dead- reckoning. To this may be added the effeet of a strong west- erly current : and had the obscure weather continued but a day longer, the consequences might have proved fatal. As the wind was fair, and we had proceeded so far, the cap- tain abandoned his original intention, and determined to sail round the eastern extremity of the islands, and from thence to shape his course for Cape Horn. We coasted along the shore until the 24th, with light westerly and south-westerly breezes. — Albatrosses, penguins, and pintado birds were very numerous A STORM, AND LOSS OF TWO MEN. 27 around the ship. We shot several, and took others with a hook and bait. One albatross which we caught in this manner received but little injury. It had an enormously large bill, measured eleven feet from wing to wing when extended, and kept a fierce English bull-dog at bay for half an hour. Although the Falkland Islands occupy in the southern hemi- sphere a similar degree of latitude to that of Ireland in the north- ern, still they possess none of the characteristic fertility of the " Emerald Isle." Of grass, properly so called, there is none in those islands. In vegetable and animal productions they are also deficient ; and the climate, generally speaking, is- cold, va- riable, and stormy : yet for such a place the British empire was on the point of being involved in a war, the preparations for which cost the nation some millions !* On the 24th we took leave of the islands with a gentle breeze right aft, but this changed ere we had cleared the Sea-lion rocks to a violent head gale. All the lighter sails were instantly furled ; in the hurry of doing which, the gaskets or small ropes which bound the flying jib gave way, and two sailors were sent out to adjust it. While they were in the act of performing this hazard- ous duty, a tremendous wave struck the forepart of the ship, car- ried away the jib-boom, and with it the two unfortunate men who were securing the sail. The ship was immediately hove to, and every piece of timber, empty barrel, or hen-coop on deck was thrown over to afford the unfortunate men a chance of escape. Unhappily, all our efforts were unavailing ; the poor fellows re- mained in sight about ten minutes, when they disappeared amid the raging billows. When the accident occurred, two of the ship's company jumped into the jolly-boat, and with all the thoughtless good-nature of sailors, were about cutting away the lashings to go to the assistance of their ill-fated messmates, when the captain observing them, ordered them out of the boat, ex- claiming, "D — n you, have you a mind to go to hell also ?" This was the most gloomy Christmas-eve I ever spent. The above melancholy accident had thrown a cloud over every coun- tenance , and when to this was added the darkness of the cabin (the dead-lights being all in), with the loud roaring of the storm, and the Alpine waves threatening every instant to ingulf us, our situation may be more easily imagined than described. Home, with all its mild and social endearments at this season of general festivity, involuntarily obtruded itself on our recollections. The half-expressed wish of being once more on terra firma was un- consciously communicated from one to another. But when we * It may be remembered that our ejection from these islands by Buccarelli, a Spanish officer, brought the celebrated Samuel Johnson in collision with Junius. 28 CAPE HORN. looked upon the weather-beaten face of our veteran captain, and observed the careless, if not contented air of his officers and crew, when we felt that they were enduring the " peltings of the pitiless storm" unmoved and without a murmur ; and when we reflected on the immense expanse of ocean through which we had to plough our way, and how fruitless would be the indul- gence of unmanly apprehension, — " to the wind we gave our sighs," ascended to the deck, and tendered our feeble assistance to the captain. The gale continued with much violence until the 29th ; when, at two p. m. we made Staten Land. At four p. m. we perceived the " snow-topped" mountains of Terra del Fuego, rearing their majestic heads above the clouds, and surveying with cold indif- ference the conflict of the contending oceans that on all sides 6urround them. As we approached Cape Horn the weather moderated, and the captain ordered all the lighter masts and yards again to be rigged. January 1st, 18T2, at two p. be., on this day, we bade adieu to the Atlantic, and sailed round the long-dreaded southern extremity of America, with a gentle breeze from the N.N.W. at the rate of one mile per hour, and under top-gallant studding- sails ; a circumstance, I believe, unparalleled in the history of circumnavigation. Towards evening the wind died away, and Not a breeze disturb'd the wide serene. Our entrance into the great Pacific was marked by none of those terrible concussions of the " vasty deep," the frequency of which have given such a fearful celebrity to Cape Horn. It seemed as if the two mighty oceans had ceased for a period their dreadful warfare, and mingled their waters in the blessed calm of peace. On our right rose the wild inhospitable shores of Terra del Fuego ; on the left lay the low desert islands of Diego Ramarez ; while all around myriads of whales, porpoises, and other marine monsters, emerging at intervals from the deep, and rolling their huge bodies over the placid surface of the surround- ing element, agreeably diversified the scene. This calm was of short duration. On the following day the wind shifted once more ahead, and drove us as far as 61° S. be- fore we cleared Cape Noire, the south-western point of Terra del Fuego. During this period we had a succession of cold boister- ous weather, and occasionally came in collision with large masses of floating ice, from which we however escaped without injury. It is unnecessary to mention to my geographical readers that the period at which we doubled the Cape is the summer season in the high southern latitudes; and if such be its attractions in DREADFUL STOKM. 29 the balmy season of the year, what a region must it be on the arrival of Barren Winter, with his nipping colds ! We are informed by the early geographers that Terra del Fuego was so called from several volcanoes which contrasted their vivid flames with the surrounding icy wastes : and from the same authority we learn that Patagonia, which is on the opposite side of the Straits of Magellan, was inhabited by a race of people of immense stature. Modern travellers, however, have obtained a more correct knowledge of that country, and have reduced the wonderful altitude of the supposed giants to the common standard of humanity. Young travellers should not make rash assertions, particularly if opposed to the received opinions of the world. I cannot however avoid saying, that it is my belief there is no better foundation for the volcanoes than there was for the accounts of the giants. For several days that we were in sight of this supposed land of fire, we did not ob- serve the smallest appearance of smoke ; and our captain, who had made many voyages round Cape Horn, declared he had never perceived the slightest volcanic appearance in its neigh- bourhood. On the 12th of January, the wind veered in our favour, and enabled us to proceed with brisk southerly breezes till the 19th, on which clay, in lat. 52°, long. 79° W, nearly abreast of the Straits of Magellan, we encountered a most dreadful gale from the east- ward, which lasted eighteen hours. Our ship was a stout, strong- built vessel, notwithstanding which she sustained considerable damage. The bulwarks were completely washed away; the head carried off; the mainmast and bowsprit sprung ; and the foresail, which was the only one set, was blown to a thousand shivers. We shipped several heavy seas in the cabin, and for some time all our trunks were floating. The violence of the storm, however, mode- rated on the 20th, and enabled us once more to bring the vessel under control: had it continued twelve hours longer, we should inevitably have been dashed to pieces on the iron-bound shores of Terra del Fuego ; for, at the period the hurricane broke, we were not twenty-five leagues from shore; and owing to the unmanage- able state of the vessel, the wind was driving us with unopposed force in that direction. The billows made sad havoc among the remainder of our live-stock. The sheep, poultry, and most of our hogs were carried away ; and a few only of the last, fortu- nately for us, escaped drowning, to die by the hands of the butcher. On the 27th a young man named Henry Willetts, who had been engaged as a hunter in the Company's service, died of the 30 MASSAFUERO. black scurvy, a disease which it is supposed he had contracted previous to his embarkation, as no other person on board had any scorbutic affection. As many of my readers may not be acquainted with the melancholy ceremony of consigning the body of a fellow-being to the deep, I shall mention it. The de- ceased was enveloped in his blankets, in which two large pieces of lead were sewed, and placed immediately under his feet. The body was then laid on a plank, one end of which rested on the railing, and the other was supported by his comrades, the crew and passengers forming a circle about it. The beautiful and sublime burial service of the church of England was then read in an audible and impressive manner by Mr. Nicolls, who officiated as chaplain, after which the plank was raised, the body with the feet downwards slided gently into the ocean, and in a moment we lost sight of it for ever. On the 4th of February, at 2 p. m., we made the island of Juan Fernandez ; and at six, that of Massafuero, at the latter of which the captain determined to touch for a supply of wood and water. It was on the former island, in the beginning of the eighteenth century, that Alexander Selkirk, a Scotchman, re- sided for several years, and from whose rude indigested story the ingenious De Foe, by adding the fictitious Friday, &c. has given to the world the delightful romance of Robinson Crusoe. On the morning of the 5th we stood in to about five miles off shore, when the ship was hove to ; and at six o'clock we pro- eeeded for the island in the pinnace and jolly-boat, with twenty- four empty water-casks. Our party, including mates, passen- gers, and sailors, amounted to twenty-three. A heavy surf broke along the beach, and after searching in vain for a fair opening to disembark, we were reduced to the disagreeable necessity of throwing ourselves through the surf, and succeeded in accomplishing a landing at the imminent risk of our lives. After making a cheering fire to dry our clothes, we divided into two parties for the purpose of exploring the island. Messrs. Clarke, Clapp, and Seton formed one ; and Messrs. Nicolls, Halsey, and myself the other ; Messrs. Rhodes, Dean, and Ehninger remained in the boats, and at the landing-place, to superintend the watering and fishing business. The island appears to be one vast rock, split by some convul- sion of nature into five or six parts. It was through one of these chasms that our party determined to proceed ; and accoutred each with a fowling-piece, horn and pouch, we set forward in quest of adventures. The breadth of the aperture at its en- trance did not exceed fifty feet, and it became narrower as we advanced ; through the bottom meandered a clear stream of fine water, from which the boats were supplied, and which MASSAFUERO. 31 proved of great service to us in the course of our excursion. We had not proceeded more than half a mile when we en- countered so many difficulties in climbing over steep rocks, passing ponds, waterfalls, &c., that we were compelled to leave our guns behind us. Thus disembarrassed, we continued our course for upwards of two miles up a steep ascent, follow- ing the different windings of the stream, which, at intervals, tumbling over large rocks, formed cascades which greatly im- peded our progress. In proportion as we advanced, the duylight seemed to recede, and for some time we were involved in an almost gloomy dark- ness, on account of the mountain tops on each side nearly form- ing a junction. We now regretted the want of our guns, as we observed a great number of goats on the surrounding preci- pices ; and the dead bodies of several, in a more or less decayed state, which we supposed must have fallen in bounding from cliff to cliff, and ascending the slippery and almost perpendicular hills among which they vegetate. A little further on, on turning the point of a projecting rock, we were agreeably relieved by the bright rays of the sun, which shone with great splendour on the chaotic mass of rocks by which we were encompassed. Reanimated by the presence of this cheering object, we redou- bled our pace, and were already congratulating ourselves with being near the summit of the mountain (which from the height we had ascended must have been the case), when our progress was arrested by a large pond, upwards of twenty feet deep ; and from the steepness of the rocks on each side, it was im- possible to pass it except by swimming. We therefore deter- mined to return before night overtook us in such a dreary place ; and after encountering fifty hair-breadth escapes, reached the watering-place about seven o'clock, hungry as wolves, and almost fatigued to death. Here we found the other party, who had arrived a short time before us. Messrs. Clark and Clapp shot two fat goats ; and Mr. Dean, who with three men re- mained in the boats, caught between three and four hundred excellent fish, out of which we succeeded in making an excel- lent supper. Sixteen of the casks being now filled, Mr. Rhodes judged it expedient to proceed with them to the ship, and to return the following day for the remainder. Ten were made fast to the pinnace and six to the jolly boat, and at one o'clock, a. m., on the morning of the 6th, after some hours' hard rowing, we reached the ship, amid a storm of thunder, lightning, and rain. During that day it blew too fresh to permit the boats to return, and we kept standing off and on till the 7th, when the breeze moderated, and enabled us to bring off the remaining casks. 32 CAPTURE OF A SHARK. Massafuero rises abruptly from the sea, and has but a narrow strip of beach. It was formerly well stocked with seals, but these animals have been nearly destroyed by American whalers. The goats are numerous, but too rancid to be used for food, except in cases of necessity. The island also appeal's to be devoid of wood. The carpenter, who went on shore for the pur- pose of procuring some that could be used in building a boat, found only a few pieces with a close grain, very hard, and in colour resembling box : it was fit. only for knees. Mr. Clapp's party, in their tour, which was along the beach, around the west- ern extremity of the island, saw none of this necessary article ; and in the cleft of the mountain through which our party pro- ceeded, we observed only a few trees of the kind found by the carpenter, growing among inaccessible rocks. The most valua- ble production of Massafuero is undoubtedly its fish, of which there is a great variety. No one on board was able to appro- priate names to all we took. The smallest is a species of whit- ing, and very delicate when fried. The largest bears a strong resemblance to cod, and by some of our people was deemed superior. There are also several kinds of bass, herring, crabs, &c. We caught a few conger eels ; the most disgusting I ever saw ; but, as a counterbalance, the Massafuero lobster, for large- ness of size, beautiful variety of colours, and deliciousness of taste, is, I believe, unrivalled. With the exception of the fish, there is nothing to induce a vessel to touch at this place, while the fruitful island of Juan Fernandez is so near, but a desire, as was our case, of conceal- ing the object of its voyage from the inquisitive and jealous eyes of the Spanish authorities, who were stationed at the latter island.* A few days after leaving Massafuero we got into the trade- winds, which wafted us on at an even, steady rate, varying from four to seven knots an hour. A curious incident occurred on Sunday, the 23d of February, early on the morning of which <]ny n hog had been killed ; a prac- tice which had been generally observed every Sabbath morning during the voyage. After breakfast, the weather being calm, a number of the crew and passengers amused themselves by bathing around the vessel. Some of them had returned on board, when a sailor on the forecastle discovered a large shark gliding slowly and cautiously under the starboard bow. With great presence of mind * While Spain held possossion of South America every vessel touching at Juan Fernandez was subjected to a rigorous search ; and from the number of our grans, joined to the great quantities of warlike stores on board, the captain did not deem it prudent to run the risk of an inquisitorial inspection. I should hope the officers of the Chilian republic stationed here have adopted a more liberal policy. SANDWICH ISLANDS. 33 he instantly seized a small rope called a clew-line, and with cha- racteristic despatch made a running knot, which he silently low- ered into the water: the monster unwarily passed the head and upper fin through the noose; on observing which, the sailor jerked the rope round the cat-head, and with the assistance of some of his messmates, succeeded in hauling it on deck. In the mean time, those who were still sporting in the water were almost par- alyzed on hearing the cry of " a shark ! a shark !" and not know r - ing on which side of them lay the dreaded danger, some made for the ship, and others swam from it ; each momentarily expect- ing to come in contact with His jaws horrific, arm'd with threefold fate, when their fears were dissipated by announcing to them the wel- come intelligence of his caption. On dissecting him, the entire entrails of the hog which had been killed in the morning were found in his belly ! so that he must have been alongside during the whole of the forenoon, and was doubtless intimidated by the number of the swimmers from attacking any of them indi- vidually. On the 4th of March we crossed the Equator, for the second time this voyage, with a brisk south-easterly breeze ; and on the 25th, at daybreak, we made the island of Owhyce, the largest in the group of the Sandwich Islands. It was the captain's ori- ginal intention to stop at this place for his supplies : but on ap- proaching Karakakooa bay we were informed by some natives, who came oft' in canoes, that Tamaahmaah, the king, then resided in Whoahoo. As we were anxious, for several reasons, to have an interview with his majesty, the captain relinquished the idea of stopping here, and stood about for the latter island. As we sailed along Owhyee, with a fine easterly breeze, nature and art displayed to our view one of the finest prospects I ever beheld. The snow-clad summit of the gigantic Mouna Roah, towering into the clouds, with its rocky and dreary sides, presented a sublime coup iVccil, and formed a powerful contrast to its cultivated base, and the beautiful plantations interspersed along the shore. Eternal winter reigned above, while all beneath flourished in the luxuriance of perpetual summer. The death, too, of the ill-fated and memorable Cook will attach a melancholy celebrity to this island ; as it was here that that great naviga- tor was sacrificed in a temporary ebullition of savage fury, and closed a brilliant career of services, which reflect honour on his country, and will perpetuate his name to the latest posterity. As the wind continued fresh, we soon cleared Owhyee, and passed in succession the islands of Mowee, Ranai, Morotoi, and in the evening came in sight of Whoalwo. While we sailed 34 VISIT FROM A CHIEF. along this interesting group of islands several Indians boarded us, from whom we purchased a few hogs, some melons, plan- tains, &c. It being too late to attempt anchoring this evening, we stood off and on during the night. CHAPTER II. Whoahoo — Visit from a chief — Nocturnal excursion — King and Queens — In- vasion of the ship — White men — Gardens — Foot race, and summary justice — Throwing the spear — Royal residence, and body-guard — Mourning for a chief's wife — Billy Pitt, George Washington, &c. On Thursday the 26th of March, at noon, we came to anchor outside of the bar in Whytetee bay, about two miles from shore, and nearly abreast of a village from which the bay is named. A short time after anchoring we were visited by an eree or chief, named Tiama, in a double canoe, who was sent by the king to learn from whence the ship came, whither bound, &c. After obtaining the necessary information, and taking a glass of wine, he returned, and was accompanied by the captain, who went on shore in order to acquaint his majesty with the particu- lar object he had in touching here. Tiama informed us that a taboo* was then in force, which accounted for our not being visited by any of the natives. At ten o'clock the captain came back with Tiama. He had met with a favourable reception from Tamaahmaah, who promised to expedite his departure as soon as possible. Mr. Nicolls observing the chief preparing to return, and being impatient to go on shore, proposed that the passengers should accompany him : this was opposed by others ; upon which it was put to the vote, when four appearing in its favour, the motion was of course carried. The ayes were Messrs. Nicolls, Clapp, Halsey, and myself: the minority chose to remain on board. The weather was calm, and we took with us a couple of flutes. Our canoe went on briskly until we passed the chan- nel of the bar, when a most delightful nocturnal prospect opened on us. The serenity of the sky and the brightness of the moon enabled us to discern objects distinctly on shore. The village of Whytetee, situated in an open grove of cocoanut- trees, with the hills rising gently in the rear, presented a charm- ing perspective by moonlight, while the solemn stillness of the night,interrupted at intervals by the hoarse murmurs of the surges, » See Cook, Vancouver, &c. KTNG AND QUEENS. 35 as they broke over the bar. rendered the scene in the highest degree romantic. On landing we found the beach covered with a concourse of natives, whom the sound of our flutes had attracted thither : they came pressing on us in such crowds, that were it not for the chief's authority, we should have had consi- derable difficulty in forcing a passage through them. About midnight we reached the village, and Tiama conducted us to his house, where we experienced a hospitable reception from his family, which consisted of three strapping wives, two handsome daughters, and a brother, about twenty years of age. A young pig lost its life by our arrival, on which, with some cocoanuts and bananas, we made an excellent supper. Tiama's brother was our major domo : he attached himself particularly to Nicolls, who called him Tom ; and as a compensation for his trouble and obliging attention to us, made him a present of his stockings, which, unfortunately for poor Tom, were silk ones. He was so proud of the gift, that he immediately put them over his olive- coloured calves, and without any shoes, he continued walking and working about the house : this was usage to which silk stock- ings were not accustomed, and the consequence was that before morning their soles had vanished. Our repast being finished, the chief ordered a bevy of young females, who since our arri- val had been hovering about the house, to entertain us with one of their native airs : they at once complied, and having formed themselves into a semicircle, sang in rather an harmonious man- ner: their languishing eyes, and significant pauses, evidently showed without the aid of an interpreter that the subject was amatory. This over, Tom conducted us to a neat lodge which Tiama had allotted for our use, and in which we enjoyed the re- mainder of the night in undisturbed repose on soft beds of island cloth. On the following morning we arose early, and took a refresh- ing walk on the seashore, after which we returned to the ship in Tiama's canoe. Our appearance was a subject of merriment to those on board. One bare-legged, another without his cravat, the coat of a third closely buttoned up to conceal the absence of his vest ; all in fact lighter than when we set out ; but nothing was purloined. We had been hospitably entertained by the chieftain and his family; gratitude demanded a return, and as we had omitted to furnish ourselves with trinkets, we could only supply the deficiency by parting with a portion of our least useful clothing. As the taboo had ceased to operate this day, we found the vessel crowded with natives bartering their produce with our people. At noon we were honoured by a visit from their majes- ties, the king and four queens, attended by Krimacoo, the prime 36 KINO AND QUEENS. minister, and several of the principal chiefs, together with Messrs. Maninna and Hairbottle, two white men, the former a Spaniard, who held the office of chief interpreter to the king, and the latter an Englishman, and head pilot of his majesty's fleet. The king and queens came in a large double canoe, which Was formed by lashing two canoes together, separated by bars of two and a half feet in length from each other. Each canoe had fourteen chosen men. On the bars was raised a kind of seat on which the queens reposed, and above all was placed an arm- chest well stored with muskets, on which the king Above the rest, In shape and gesture proudly eminent, Sat like — a tailor. Immediately before his majesty was a native who carried a handsome silver-hilted hanger, which was presented to him by the late emperor of Russia, and which on state occasions he had always carried before him, in imitation, as we supposed, of European sword-bearers. Behind the royal personage sat another native who carried a large and highly polished bowl of dark-brown wood, into which his majesty ever and anon ejected all his superabundant saliva. After he had arrived on the deck, Tamaahmaah shook hands in the most condescending manner with every one he met be- tween the cabin and the gangway, exclaiming to each person, " Aroah, Aroah nuee" (I love you, I love you much). There was a degree of negligent simplicity about his dress, which strongly characterized the royal philosopher. His head was crowned with an old woollen hat ; the coat w r as formed of coarse blue cloth in the antique shape, with large metal buttons ; the waistcoat of brown velvet, which in its youthful days had been black ; a pair of short, tight, and well worn velveteen pantaloons displayed to great advantage coarse worsted stock- ings and thick-soled shoes, all admirably adapted for the tropics ; while his shirt and cravat, which had formerly been white, seemed to have had a serious misunderstanding with their wash- erwoman. Such, gentle reader, was the costume of Tamaah- maah the First, king of the Sandwich Islands, hereditary prince of Owhyee, and protector of a confederation of escaped con- victs from New South Wales I* The royal party remained on board to dine. The king only * Tamaahmaah was hereditary kins of Owhyee only ; he subsequently conquered all the other islands. A number of convicts are at Whoahoo, who escaped from Botany Bay by means of American vessels, and who reside here in security. KING AND QUEENS. 37 sat at table.and was placed at the right-hand of the captain, with the attendant \vh<> carried his saliva reservoir behind him. lie ate voraciously, and in a very commendable manner washed down the solids with a fair quantum of Madeira, to the virtues of which he appeared by no means to be a stranger. On filling the first glass he drank our healths individually ; after which he plied away nobly, and apparently unconscious of the presence of any of the company. lie did not touch the port, but finished between two ami three decanters of the Madeira. As the ladies are prohibited from eating with the men, we were of course deprived of the pleasure of their society at our repast; but after we had quitted the table they were graciously permitted to oc- cupy our seats. Their dinner had been dressed on shore by their own cooks, and was brought by them on board ; it con- sisted of small raw fish, roasted dogs, and a white mixture called pooa/i, of the consistence of flummery : this last they take by dipping the two forefingers of the right hand into the dish which contains the pooah, and after turning them round in the mixture until they are covered with three or four coats, they raise the hand, and giving the fingers a dexterous twist, to shake off the fag-ends, bring them forward rapidly to the mouth, which is ready open for their reception, and by a strong labial compression, they are quickly cleared of their precious burden ! But in plain unadorned simplicity of dress, they far exceeded their royal consort. It merely consisted of a long piece of their country cloth wrapped in several folds round the waist, and reaching only to the knees, leaving the breasts and legs ex- posed to the criticisms of amateurs in female beauty ; to this they occasionally add a scarf of the same material, which is neg- ligently thrown over the shoulders, and falls behind. They are very corpulent : the favourite measured nearly nine feet in cir- cumference round the waist ; and the others were not much in- ferior in size. We may say of the royal taste, that They were chosen as we choose old plate, Not for their beauty, but their weight. Still they possess mild engaging countenances, with that "soft sleepiness of the eye" by which Goldsmith distinguishes the beauties of Cashmere. Their conduct is under strict surveil- lance. Mr. Hairbottle informed us that a few days previous to our arrival, an intrigue had been discovered between the favour- ite queen and one of the king's body-guard. As their guilt ad- mitted of no doubt, the unfortunate paramour was strangled on the same night ; but as Tamaahmaah still cherished a lingering affection for his frail favourite, he pardoned her, with the short but pithy expression, "If you do it again — ." 38 INVASION OF THE SHIP WHITE MEN. During the afternoon the king employed himself in taking the dimensions of the ship, examining the cabin, state-rooms, &c. Scarcely an object escaped the royal scrutiny : observing Mr. Seton writing, he approached him, and began to examine the va- rious little knicknacks with which the desk was furnished. Seton showed him a handsome penknife of curious workmanship, con- taining a number of blades, not with an intention of bestowing it : with this he appeared particularly pleased, and putting it into one of the pockets of his capacious vest, said, "Mytye, nue nue mytye" (good, very good), and walked away. It was in vain for Seton to expostulate ; his majesty did not understand English, and all entreaties to induce him to return the penknife were ineffectual. On the following day, however, a chief brought Seton a handsome present from the king, of mats, cloth, and other native productions, with two hundred fine cocoanuts. In the course of the evening the queens played draughts with some of our most scientific amateurs, whom they beat hollow ; and such was the skill evinced by them in the game, that not one of our best players succeeded in making a king. Late in the evening our illustrious guests took their departure, accompanied by all their attendants ; but they had scarcely embarked in their canoes when the ship was boarded on all sides by numbers of women, who had come off in small canoes paddled by men or elderly females, and who, after leaving their precious cargo on deck, returned quickly to the island, lest the captain should refuse his sanction to their remaining in the vessel. They crowded in such numbers about the crew as to obstruct the performance of their duty, and the captain threatened to send them all on shore in the ship's boats if they did not behave themselves with more propriety. This had the desired effect, and while they remained on board they gave no further cause for complaint. On the following morning, the 28th, we weighed anchor, and worked the ship a few miles higher up, exactly opposite the vil- lage of Honaroora, where the king resided. We spent the day on shore, at the house of a Mr. Holmes, a white man, and a native of the United States, by whom we were sumptuously entertained. He had been settled here since the year 1793, and at the period I speak of was, next to the king, the greatest chief on the island. He had one hundred and eighty servants, or under-tenants, whom he called slaves, and who occupied small huts in the immediate vicinity of his house. He had also extensive plantations on Whoahoo, and on the island of Morotoi, from whence he derived a considerable income. He was mar- ried to a native wife, by whom he had several children. The WHITE HON. 39 eldest was a most interesting girl, aged about fifteen years, with a peculiarly soft and expressive countenance. Nature, in her freaks, had bestowed upon this island beauty an extraordinary profusion of hair, in which the raven tresses of the mother were strangely intermingled with the llaxen locks of the father. She spoke tolerably good English, and always sat near him. He appeared to watch her conduct with all the parental solicitude of a man who, from long experience, well knew the danger to which she was exposed from the general demoralization of man- ners that prevailed about her. Mr. Holmes is greatly respected by the natives, by whom he is entitled Erce Homo, or the Chief Holmes. As we met here several other respectable white men, I shall mention their names ; and first, Mr. Maninna. This gentleman had been a Spanish officer, and in consequence of having while stationed at Mexico killed a superior officer in a quarrel, he fled to California, from whence he escaped to the Sandwich Islands, where, having acquired the language with wonderful facility, he was appointed to the office of chief interpreter. He was a man of general information, spoke French and English fluently, and from his easy manners and insinuating address, shortly became a general favourite. He had built a handsome stone house, the only one on the island, in which he resided with his wife, who was the daughter of a chief: her sister lived also in the same house ; and the busy tongue of scandal, which even here has found an entrance, did not hesitate to say that the two sisters equally participated in his affections. His drawing-room was decorated with a number of Chinese paintings, which he obtained from Canton, of the crucifixion, the Madonna, different saints, &c. ; but on removing a sliding pannel from the opposite side, subjects of a far different nature were represented ! Mr. Davis, the king's gardener, was a Welshman, and at this period had been settled on the island twelve years. He had also considerable plantations, and had a native wife, who was a most incontinent jade. He had just returned from a distant part of the island, whither he had been in pursuit of his faithless cara sposa, who had eloped a few days before with one of her native beaux. Poor Davis felt rather sore on being bantered by old Holmes on this affair. " Tarn the strap," said he, "I cot her snug enough to be sure with her sweetheart ; but I think she'll remem- per the pasting I gave her all the tays of her life." We were informed he might have easily parted from her, and procured a more suitable match, but he was unfortunately too much attached to her to think of taking another. Mr. Hairbottle, the chief pilot, is a native of Berwick, and was formerly boatswain of an English merchant ship. He had resi- 40 WHITE MEN. ded upwards of fourteen years on the different islands, and had been married to a native wife, who was dead for some years. He was a quiet, unassuming old man, whose principal enjoy- ments consisted in a glass of rum grog and a pipe of tobacco. Mr. Wadsworth, an American. This gentleman had been chief mate of a ship which had touched here about six years before. Having quarrelled with his captain, they separated, and he took up his residence in the island. The king, who gave par- ticular encouragement to white men of education to settle here, immediately presented Wadsworth with a belle brunette for a wife, together with a house and some hogs. Here we also found a gentleman from New-York, under the assumed name of Cook ; but who was recognized by Mr. Nicolls as a member of a highly respectable family in that city, named S s. He had, like Wadsworth, been also chief officer of an American East Indiaman, which had touched here about three months previous to our arrival ; and in consequence of a misun- derstanding with the captain, he left the ship, and took up his abode with Mr. Holmes. On hearing of this circumstance, Tamaahmaah, as an encouragement to his settling permanently on the island, gave him the daughter of a principal chief for a wife, some land, and a number of hogs. S s, however, did not appear to relish his situation : he had been too long ac- customed to the refinements of civilization at once to adapt himself to Indian habits, and received with apathy the fond caresses of his olive-coloured spouse. He expressed a desire to return in our ship, but the captain's arrangements could not permit it. While on this subject I may as well mention that the example of Wadsworth and S s seemed to be contagious ; for a few days after our arrival Mr. Dean, our third officer, had a se- rious altercation with the captain, which ended in his quitting the ship ; and on its coming to the king's knowledge, he sent for him, and told him if he would remain, and take charge of his fleet, he would give him a house and lands, plenty of hogs, and a beau- tiful daughter of a chief for a wife. Dean told him he had not yet made up his mind on the subject, and requested time to con- sider the offer. The king did not object, and the interview ended. I believe, however, that Dean subsequently quitted the island, and returned to New- York. Mr. Holmes gave us a plentiful dinner of roast pork, roast dog, fowl, ham, fish, wine, and rum, with a profusion of excellent tro- pical fruit. A number of native servants attended at table, each holding a napkin : they performed their duty in a very expert manner, and appeared to be well acquainted with all the domestic economy of the table. Their livery was quite uniform, and WHITE MEN. 41 consisted merely of a cincture of country cloth round the waist, from which a narrow piece of the same stuff passed between the legs, and was fastened to the belt, leaving the remainder of the body totally uncovered ! Our noble commander was vice-presi- dent, and undertook to carve the dog; which duty he performed in a manner quite unique. He was the only one of our party who partook of it. The idea of eating so faithful an animal without even the plea of necessity effectually prevented any of us joining in this part of the feast ; although, to do the meat jus- tice, it really looked very well when roasted. The islanders esteem it the greatest luxury they possess ; and no one under the dignity of an eree of the first class is permitted to partake of this delicious food. However singular their taste may be regarded in this respect by modern civilization, my classical read- ers may recollect that the ancients reckoned dogs excellent eat- ing, particularly when young and fat ; and we have the authority of Hippocrates for saying that their flesh is equal to pork or mut- ton : he also adds, that the flesh of a grown dog is both whole- some and strengthening, and that of puppies relaxing. The Ro- mans, too, highly admired these animals as an article of food, and thought them a supper in which the gods themselves would have delighted ! Independently of the white men whose names I have men- tioned, there were about fourteen others, belonging to all nations, the majority of whom were convicts who had effected their escape from Botany Bay, and were held in no estimation by the natives. They are supremely indolent, and rum and women seemed to constitute their only enjoyment. On the 29th we made an excursion into the interior with Davis. His gardens were extensive, and pleasantly situated at the foot of the hills, between four and five miles from Honaroora. They were laid out with taste, and kept in excellent order. Ex- clusive of the indigenous productions of the country, with which they were plentifully stocked, he planted a few years before some Irish potatoes, and the crop more than equalled his expec- tations. We also observed some prime plantations of sugar- cane. A few of those we measured had fourteen feet eatable, and were one foot in circumference, which, I am informed, far exceeds the best Jamaica canes. The climate of the Sandwich Islands is, however, more propitious to the growth of the cane than that of the West Indies, at which latter place it has, besides, many enemies to encounter which are strangers to the islands in the Pacific ; such as monkeys, ants, bugs, the blast, c I 1 >y a number of young men. Having learned the infamous intentions of her conquerors, and feeling interested for the unfor- tunate victim, we renewed our remonstrances,but received nearly the same answer as before. Finding them still inflexible, and wishing to adopt every means in our power consistent with safety 120 DECREASE OF POPULATION ANNUAL CONFLICTS. in the cause of humanity, we ordered our interpreter to acquaint them, that, highly as we valued their friendship, and much as we esteemed their furs, we would quit their country for ever unless they discontinued their unmanly and disgraceful cruelties to their pri- soners. This had the desired effect, and the miserable captive was led back to her sorrowing group of friends. Our interference was nearly rendered ineffectual by the furious reproaches of the infernal old priestesses who had been conducting her to the sacri- fice. They told the young warriors they were cowards, fools, and had not the hearts of fleas ; and called upon them in the names of their mothers, sisters, and wives, to follow the steps of their forefathers, and have their revenge on the dogs of Black- feet. They began to waver ; but we affected not to understand what the old women had been saying. We told them that this act of self-denial on their part was peculiarly grateful to the white men ; and that by it they would secure our permanent residence among them, and in return for their furs be always furnished with guns and ammunition sufficient to repel the attacks of their old enemies, and preserve their relations from beiii" made prisoners. This decided the doubtful ; and the chief promised faithfully that no more tortures should be inflicted on the prisoners, which I believe was rigidly adhered to, at least for that winter. The Flat-heads were formerly much more numerous than they were at this period ; but owing to the constant hostilities between them and the Black-feet Indians, their numbers had been greatly diminished. While pride, policy, ambition, self-preservation, or the love of aggrandizement, often deluges the civilized world with Christian blood ; the only cause assigned by the natives of whom I write, for their perpetual warfare, is their love of buf- falo. There are extensive plains to the eastward of the moun- tains frequented in the summer and autumnal months by nume- rous herds of buffaloes. Hither the rival tribes repair to hunt those animals, that they may procure as much of their meat as will supply them until the succeeding season. In these excursions they often meet, and the most sanguinary conflicts follow. The Black-feet lay claim to all that part of the country imme- diately at the foot of the mountains, which is most frequented by the buffalo ; and allege that the Flat-heads, by resorting thither to hunt, arc intruders whom they are bound to oppose on all occasions. The latter, on the contrary, assert, that their fore- fathers had always claimed and exercised the right of hunting on these " debateable lands ;" and that while one of their war- riors remained alive the right should not be relinquished. The consequences of these continual wars arc dreadful, particularly to the Flat-heads, who, being the weaker in numbers, were gene- INDIAN WARFARE THE FLAT-HEADS. 121 rally the greater sufferers. Independently of their inferiority in this respect, their enemy had another great advantage in the use of firearms, which they obtained from the Company's trading posts established in the department of Forts dcs Prairies. To these the Flat-heads had nothing to oppose but arrows and their own undaunted bravery. Every year previous to our crossing the mountains witnessed the gradual diminution of their numbers ; and total annihilation would shortly have been the consequence, but for our arrival with a plentiful supply of "villanous salt- petre." They were overjoyed at having an opportunity of pur- chasing arms and ammunition, and quickly stocked themselves with a sufficient quantity of both. From this moment affairs took a decided change in their favour ; and in their subsequent contests the numbers of killed, wounded, and prisoners were more equal. The Black-feet became enraged at this, and declared to our people at Forts des Prairies, that all white men who might happen to fall into their hands, to the westward of the mountains, would be treated by them as enemies, in consequence of their furnishing the Flat- heads with weapons, which were used with such deadly effect against their nation. This threat, as will appear hereafter, was strictly put in execution. The lands of the Flat-heads are well stocked with deer, mountain sheep, bears, wild-fowl, and fish ; and when we endeavoured to induce them to give up such dan- gerous expeditions, and confine themselves to the produce of their own country, they replied, that their fathers had always hunted on the buffalo grounds ; that they were accustomed to do the same thing from their infancy ; and they would not now abandon a practice which had existed for several generations among their people. With the exception of the cruel treatment of their prisoners (which, as it is general among all savages, must not be imputed to them as a peculiar vice), the Flat-heads have fewer failings than any of the tribes I ever met with. They are honest in their dealings, brave in the field, quiet and amenable to their chiefs, fond of cleanliness, and decided enemies to falsehood of every description. The women are excellent wives and mothers, and their character for fidelity is so well established, that we never heard an instance of one of them proving unfaithful to her husband. They are also free from the vice of backbiting, so common among the lower tribes ; and laziness is a stranger among them. Both sexes are comparatively very fair, and their complexions are a shade lighter than the palest new copper after being freshly rubbed. They are remarkably well made, rather slender, and never corpulent. The dress of the men consists solely of long leggings, called mittasses by the Canadians, which P 122 CHARACTER AND DRESS — SUBORDINATION. reach from the ancles to the hips, and are fastened by strings to a leathern belt round the waist, and a shirt of dressed deer-skin, with loose hanging sleeves, which falls down to their knees. The outside seams of the leggings and shirt sleeves have fringes of leather. The women are covered by a loose robe of the same material reaching from the neck to the feet, and ornamented with fringes, beads, hawk-bells, and thimbles. The dresses of both are regularly cleaned with pipe-clay, which abounds in parts of the country; and every individual has two or three changes. They have no permanent covering for the head, but in wet or stormy weather shelter it by part of a buffalo robe, which com- pletely answers all the purposes of a surtout. The principal chief of the tribe is hereditary; but from their constant wars, they have adopted the wise and salutary custom of electing, as their leader in battle, that warrior in whom the greatest portion of wisdom, strength, and bravery are combined. The election takes place every year ; and it sometimes occurs that the general in one campaign becomes a private in the next. This " war-chief," as they term him, has no authority whatever when at home, and is as equally amenable as any of the tribe to the hereditary chief; but when the warriors set out on their hunting excursions to the buffalo plains, he assumes the supreme command, which he exercises with despotic sway until their return. He carries a long whip, with a thick handle, decorated with scalps and feathers, and generally appoints two active warriors as aides-de-camp. On their advance towards the enemy he always takes the lead ; and on their return he brings up the rear. Great regularity is preserved during the march ; and I have been informed by Mr. M'Donald, who accompanied some of these war parties to the field of action, that if any of the tribe fell out of the ranks, or committed any other breach of discipline, he instantly received a flagellation from the whip of the chieftain. He always acted with the most perfect impartiality, and would punish one of his subalterns for disobedience of orders with equal severity as any other offender. Custom, however, joined to a sense of public duty, had reconciled them to these arbitrary acts of power, which they never complained of or attempted to resent. After the conclusion of the campaign, on their arrival on their own lands, his authority ceases ; when the peace-chief calls all the tribe together, and they proceed to a new election. There is no canvassing, caballing, or intriguing ; and should the last leader be superseded, he retires from office with apparent indifference, and without betraying any symptoms of discontent. The fighting chief at this period had been five times re-elected. He was about thirty-five years of age, and had killed twenty of the Black- feet in various battles, the scalps of whom were suspended in THE WAR-CHIEF. 123 triumphal pride from a pole at the door of his lodge. His wife had been captured by the enemy the year before, and her loss made a deep impression on him. He was highly respected by all the warriors for his superior wisdom and bravery; a con- sciousness of which, joined to the length of time he had been accustomed to command, imparted to his manners a degree of dignity which we never remarked in any other Indian. He would not take a second wife ; and when the recollection of the one he had lost came across his mind, he retired into the deepest solitude of the woods to indulge his sorrow, where some of the tribe informed us they often found him calling on her spirit to appear, and invoking vengeance on her conquerors. When these bursts of grief subsided, his countenance assumed a tinge of stern melancholy, strongly indicating the mingled emotions of sorrow and unmitigated hatred of the Black-feet. We invited him sometimes to the fort, upon which occasions we sympathized with him on his loss ; but at the same time acquainted him with the manner in which civilized nations made war. We told him that warriors only were made prisoners, who were never tortured or killed, and that no brave white man would ever injure a female or a defenceless man ; that if such a custom had prevailed among them, he would now by the exchange of prisoners be able to recover his wife, who was by their barbarous system lost to him for ever; and if it were impossible to bring about a peace with their enemies, the frightful horrors of war might at least be con- siderably softened by adopting the practice of Europeans. We added that he had now a glorious opportunity of commencing the career of magnanimity, by sending home uninjured the cap- tives he had made during the last campaign; that our friends on the other side of the mountains would exert their influence with the Black-feet to induce them to follow his example; and that ultimately it might be the means of uniting the two rival nations in the bonds of peace. He was at first opposed to making any advances ; but on farther pressing he consented to make the triaL provided the hereditary chief and the tribe started no objections. On quitting us he made use of the following words : " My white friends, you do not know the savage nature of the Black-feet ; they hope to exterminate our tribe ; they are a great deal more numerous than we are ; and were it not for our bravery, their object would have been long ago achieved. We shall now, according to your wishes, send back the prisoners ; but remem- ber, I tell you, that they will laugh at the interference of your relations beyond the mountains, and never spare a man, woman, or child, that they can take of our nation. Your exertions to save blood show you are good people. If they follow our 124 PACIFIC OVERTURE CROSS-BRED DOG. example, we shall kill no more prisoners ; but I tell you, they will laugh at you and call you fools." We were much pleased at having carried our point so far ; while he, true to his word, assembled the elders and warriors, to whom he represented the subject of our discourse, and after a long speech, advised them to make the trial, which would please their white friends, and show their readiness to avoid unnecessary cruelty. Such an unexpected proposition gave rise to an animated debate, which continued for some time ; but being supported by a man for whom they entertained so much respect, it was finally carried ; and it was determined to send home the Black-feet on the breaking up of the winter. We undertook to furnish them with horses and provisions for their journey, or to pay the Flat-heads a fair price for so doing. This was agreed to, and about the middle of March the prisoners took their departure tolerably well mounted, and with dried meat enough to bring them to their friends. Mr. M'Millan, who had passed three years in their country, and was acquainted with their language, informed them of the exertions we had used to save their lives, and prevent farther repetitions of torture ; and requested them particularly to mention the circumstance to their countrymen, in order that they might adopt a similar pro- ceeding. We also wrote letters by them to the gentlemen in charge of the different establishments at Forts des Prairies, detailing our success, and impressing on them the necessity of their attempting to induce the Black-feet in their vicinity to follow the example set them by the Flat-heads. The lands of this tribe present a pleasing diversity of woods and plains, valleys and mountains, lakes and rivers. Besides the animals already mentioned, there are abundance of beavers, otters, martens, wolves, lynxes, &c. The wolves of this district are very large and daring ; and were in great numbers in the immediate vicinity of the fort, to which they often approached closely for the purpose of carrying away the offals. We had a fine dog of mixed breed, whose sire was a native of Newfoundland, and whose dam was a wolf, which had been caught young, and domesticated by Mr. La Rocque, at Lac la Ronge, on the English River. He had many rencounters with his maternal tribe, in which he was generally worsted. On observing a wolf near the fort, he darted at it with great courage : if it was a male, he fought hard ; but if a female, he either allowed it to retreat harmless, or commenced fondling it. He sometimes was absent for a week or ten days ; and on his return, his body and neck appeared gashed with wounds inflicted by the tusks of his male rivals in their amorous PHARMACY COLD BATHING. 125 encounters in the woods. He was a noble animal, but always appeared more ready to attack a wolf than a lynx. Our stock of sugar and molasses having failed, we were obliged to have recourse to the extract of birch to supply the deficiency. This was obtained by perforating the trunks of the birch-trees in different places. Small slips of bark were then introduced into each perforation, and underneath kettles were placed to receive the juice. This was afterward boiled down to the consistency of molasses, and was used with our tea as a substitute for sugar : it is a bitter sweet, and answered its pur- pose tolerably well. The Flat-heads are a healthy tribe, and subject to few dis- eases. Common fractures, caused by an occasional pitch off a horse, or a fall down a declivity in the ardour of hunting, are cured by tight bandages and pieces of wood like staves placed longitudinally around the part, to which they are secured by leathern thongs. For contusions they generally bleed, either in the temples, arms, wrists, or ankles, with pieces of sharp flint, or heads of arrows : they however preferred being bled with the lancet, and frequently brought us patients, who were much pleased with that mode of operation. Very little snow fell after Christmas ; but the cold was intense, with a clear atmosphere. I experienced some acute rheumatic attacks in the shoulders and knees, from which I suffered much annoyance. An old Indian proposed to relieve me, provided I consented to follow the mode of cure practised by him in similar cases on the young warriors of the tribe. On inquiring the method he intended to pursue, he replied that it merely consisted in getting up early every morning for some weeks, and plunging into the river, and to leave the rest to him. This was a most chilling proposition, for the river was firmly frozen, and an opening to be made in the ice preparatory to each immersion. 1 asked him, " Would it not answer equally well to have the water brought to my bed- room ?" But he shook his head, and replied, he was surprised that a young white chief, who ought to be wise, should ask so foolish a question. On reflecting, however, that rheumatism was a stranger among Indians, while numbers of our people were martyrs to it, and, above all, that I was upwards of three thousand miles from any professional assistance, I determined to adopt the disagreeable expedient, and commenced operations the following morning. The Indian first broke a hole in the ice sufficiently large to admit us both, upon which he made a signal that all was ready. Enveloped in a large buffalo robe, I pro- ceeded to the spot, and throwing off my covering, we both jumped into the frigid orifice together. He immediately com- menced rubbing my shoulders, back, and loins : my hair in the 126 MEDICAL TREATMENT BELIEF. mean time became ornamented with icicles; and while the lower joints were undergoing their friction, my face, neck, and shoul- ders were encased in a thin covering of ice. On getting released I rolled a blanket about me, and ran back to the bed- room, in which I had previously ordered a good fire, and in a few minutes I experienced a warm glow all over my body. Chilling and disagreeable as these matinal ablutions were, yet, as I found them so beneficial, I continued them for twenty-five days, at the expiration of which my physician was pleased to say that no more were necessary, and that I had done my duty like a wise man. I was never after troubled with a rheumatic pain ! One of our old Canadians, who had been labouring many years under a chronic rheumatism, asked the Indian if he could cure him in the same manner : the latter replied it was impossible, but that he would try another process. He accord- ingly constructed the skeleton of a hut about four and a half feet high and three broad, in shape like a beehive, which he covered with deer-skins. He then heated some stones in an adjoining fire, and having placed the patient inside in a state of nudity, the hot stones were thrown in, and water poured on them : the entrance was then quickly closed, and the man kept in for some time until he begged to be released, alleging that he was nearly suffocated. On coming out he w T as in a state of profuse perspiration. The Indian ordered him to be imme- diately enveloped in blankets and conveyed to bed. This ope- ration was repeated several times, and although it did not effect a radical cure, the violence of the pains was so far abated as to permit the patient to follow his ordinary business, and to enjoy his sleep in comparative ease. The Flat-heads believe in the existence of a good and evil spirit, and consequently in a future state of rewards and punish- ments. They hold, that after death the good Indian goes to a country in which there will be perpetual summer ; that he will meet his wife and children ; that the rivers will abound with fish, and the plains with the much-loved buffalo ; and that he will spend his time in hunting and fishing, free from the terrors of war, or the apprehensions of cold or famine. The bad man, they believe, will go to a place covered with eternal snow ; that he will always be shivering with cold, and will see fires at a distance which he cannot enjoy ; water which he cannot pro- cure to quench his thirst, and buffalo and deer which he cannot kill to appease his hunger. An impenetrable wood, full of wolves, panthers, and serpents, separates these " shrinking slaves of winter" from their more fortunate brethren in the " meadows of ease." Their punishment is not however eternal, and according to the different shades of their crimes they are HEAVERS. 127 sooner or later emancipated, and permitted to join .heir friends in the Elysian fields. Their code of morality, although short, is comprehensive. They say that honesty, bravery, love of truth, attention to parents, obedience to their chiefs, and affection for their wives and children, are the principal virtues which entitle them to the place of happiness, while the opposite vices condemn them to that of misery. They have a curious tradition with respect to beavers. They firmly believe that these animals are a fallen race of Indians, who, in consequence of their wickedness, vexed the Good Spirit, and were condemned by him to their present shape ; but that in due time they will be restored to their humanity. They allege that he beavers have the powers of speech ; and that they have heard them talk with each other, and seen them sitting in council on an offending member. The lovers of natural history are already well acquainted with the surprising sagacity of these wonderful animals ; with their dexterity in cutting down trees, their skill in constructing their houses, and their foresight in collecting and storing pro- visions sufficient to last them during the winter months: but few are aware, I should imagine, of a remarkable custom among them, which, more than any other, confirms the Indians in be- lieving them a fallen race. Towards the latter end of autumn a certain number, varying from twenty to thirty, assemble for the purpose of building their winter habitations. They imme- diately commence cutting down trees ; and nothing can be more wonderful than the skill and patience which they manifest in this laborious undertaking ; to see them anxiously looking up, watching the leaning of the tree when the trunk is nearly severed, and, when its creaking announces its approaching fall, to observe them scampering off in all directions to avoid being crushed. When the tree is prostrate they quickly strip it of its branches; after which, with their dental chisels, they divide the trunk into several pieces of equal lengths, which they roll to the rivulet across which they intend to erect their house. Two or three old ones generally superintend the others ; and it is no unusual sight to see them beating those who exhibit any symptoms of laziness. Should, however, any fellow be incorrigible, and persist in refusing to work, he is driven unanimously by the whole tribe to seek shelter and provisions elsewhere. These outlaws are therefore obliged to pass a miserable winter, half- starved in a burrow on the banks of some stream, where they are easily trapped. The Indians call them " lazy beaver," and their fur is not half so valuable as that of the other animals, whose persevering industry and prevoyance secure them pro- «•» 128 INDIAN DESIGNATIONS — PIERRE MICHEL. visions and a comfortable shelter during the severity of winter. I could not discover why the Black-feet and Flat-heads re- ceived their respective designations ; for the feet of the former are no more inclined to sable than any other part of the body, while the heads of the latter possess their fair proportion of rotundity. Indeed it is only below the falls and rapids that real flat-heads appear, and at the mouth of the Columbia that they flourish most supernaturally. Pierre Michel, the hunter, was the son of a respectable Canadian by an Indian mother. He also held the situation of interpreter, and was a most valuable servant of the Company. Michel accompanied the Flat-heads on two of their war cam- paigns, and by his unerring aim and undaunted bravery won the affection of the whole tribe. The war-chief in particular paid great attention to his opinion, and consulted him in any difficult matter. Michel wanted a wife ; and having succeeded in gaining the affections of a handsome girl about sixteen years of age, and niece to the hereditary chieftain, he made a formal proposal for her. A council was thereupon called, at which her uncle presided, to take Michel's offer into consideration. One young warrior loved her ardently, and had obtained a previous promise from her mother that she should be his. He, therefore, with all his relations, strongly opposed her union with Pierre, and urged his own claims, which had been sanctioned by her mother. The war-chief asked him if she had ever promised to become his wife : he replied in the negative. The chief then addressed the council, and particularly the lover, in favour of Michel's suit ; pointing out the great services he had rendered the tribe by his bravery, and dwelling strongly on the policy of uniting him more firmly to their interests by consenting to the proposed marriage, which he said would for ever make him as one of their brothers. His influence predominated, and the unsuccessful rival immediately after shook hands with Michel, and told the young woman, as he could not be her husband, he hoped she would always regard him as a brother. This she readily pro- mised to do, and so ended the opposition. The happy Pierre presented a gun to her uncle, some cloth, calico, and ornaments to her female relatives ; with a pistol and handsome dagger to his friend. He proceeded in the evening to the chief's lodge, where a number of her friends had assembled to smoke. Here she received a lecture from the old man, her mother, and a few other ancients, on her duty as a wife and mother. They strongly exhorted her to be chaste, obedient, industrious, and silent ; and when absent with her husband among other tribes, always to stay at home, and have no intercourse with 6trange Indians. MARRIAGE RITES JOURNEY RENEWED. 129 She then retired with the old women to an adjoining hut, where she underwent an ablution, and bade adieu to her leathern chemise, the place of which was supplied by one of gingham, to which was added a calico and green cloth petticoat, and a gown of blue cloth. After this was over, she was conducted back to her uncle's lodge, when she received some farther advice as to her future conduct. A procession was then formed by the two chiefs, and several warriors carrying blazing flambeaux of cedar, to convey the bride and her husband to the fort. They began singing war-songs in praise of Michel's bravery, and of their triumphs over the Black-feet. She was '-^' surrounded by a group of young and old women, some of whom were rejoicing, and others crying. The men moved on first, in a slow solemn pace, still chanting their warlike epithalamium. The women followed at a short distance ; and when the whole party arrived in front of the fort, they formed a circle, and commenced dancing and singing, which they kept up about twenty minutes. After this the calumet of peace went round once more, and when the smoke of the last whiff had disappeared, Michel shook hands with his late rival, embraced the chiefs, and conducted his bride to his room. While I remained in the country they lived happily together ; and as I mean to finish this chapter here, I may as well state that he was the only person of our party to whom the Flat-heads would give one of their women in marriage. Several of our men made applications, but were always refused. CHAPTER XII. Effect of snow on the eyes — Description of a winter at Oakinagan — News from the sea — Capture of Astoria by the Racoon sloop of war — Offer ofChinooks to cut off the British — A party attacked ; Mr. Stewart wounded ; two In- dians killed — Arrival of Mr. Hunt — Shipwreck of the Lark — Massacre of Mr. Read and eight of his men — Extraordinary escape of Dorrien's widow and children. On the 4th of April, 1814, we took leave of our Flat-head friends, on our way to Spokan House, while they proceeded to make preparations for the ensuing summer's campaign. We pursued our route partly by land, and partly by water. In some places the snow had entirely disappeared ; but in others, particularly the dense forests, it was covered with a slight in- crustation. The sun was very hot, and where its rays were reflected from 130 CORRESPONDENCE. the congealed, or partly dissolved masses of snow, it caused a very painful sensation in the eyes of all, and nearly blinded half the party. My sight was partially injured, and my nose, lips, and cheeks so severely scorched, that I did not recover from the effects for more than a month after. We arrived safely at Spokan House on the 15th, where I found a couple of letters which had been written to me by my friend M'Gillivray from Oakinagan, at which place he had wintered ; but which, from want of a conveyance, could not be forwarded to me from Spokan. Although accustomed to the style of living on the eastern side of the mountains, and well acquainted with Indians, this was his first winter on the Columbia ; and for the information of some of my readers, I shall give an extract from one of his letters ; viz. " Oakinagan, Feb. 1814. " This is a horribly dull place. Here I have been, since you parted from us, perfectly solus. My men, half Canadians and half Sandwich Islanders. The library wretched, and no chance of my own books till next year, when the Athabasca men cross the mountains. If you, or my friends at Spokan, do not send me a few volumes, I shall absolutely die of ennui. The Indians here are incontestably the most indolent rascals I ever met ; and I assure you it requires no small degree of authority, with the few men I have, to keep them in order. Montignier left me on the 23d of December to proceed to Mr. M'Donald at Kamloops. On his way he was attacked by the Indians at Oakinagan Lake, and robbed of a number of his horses. The natives in that quarter seem to entertain no great friendship for us, as this is not their first attempt to trespass on our good- nature. My two Canadians were out hunting at the period of the rob- bery ; and the whole of my household troops merely consisted of Bonaparte ! Washington!! and Cesar!!!* Great names, you will say ; but I must confess, that much as I think of the two great moderns, and highly as I respect the memory of the immortal Julius, among these thieving scoundrels 'a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet.' The snow is between two and three feet deep, and my trio of Owhyee generals find a sensible difference between such hyperborean weather and the pleasing sunshine of their own tropical paradise. Poor fellows ! they are not adapted for these latitudes, and I heartily wish they were at home in their own sweet islands, and sporting in the ' blue summer ocean' that surrounds them. * The individuals bearing these formidable names were merely three unsophis- ticated natives of the Sandwich Islands. ARRIVALS NAVAL AFFAIRS. 131 " I have not as yet made a pack of beaver. The lazy Indians won't work ; and as for the emperor, president, and dictator, they know as much about trapping ns the monks of La Trappe. I have hitherto principally subsisted on horse-flesh. I cannot say it agrees with me, for it nearly produced a dysentery. I have had plenty of pork, rice, arrow-root, flour, taro-root, tea, and coffee ; no sugar. With such a variety of bonnes choses you will say I ought not to complain ; but want of society has destroyed my relish for luxuries, and the only articles I taste above par are souchong and molasses. What a contrast between the manner I spent last year and this ! In the first, with all the pride of a newly-created subaltern, occasionally fighting the Yankees, a la mode accede to the wishes of the Indians, every man in them would have been destroyed by an invisible enemy. Mr. M'Dougall thanked them for their friendly offer; but added that, notwithstanding the nations were at war, the people in the boats would not injure him or any of his people, and therefore requested them to throw by their wnr-shirts and arms, and receive the strangers as their friends. They at first seemed astonished at this answer; but on assuring them in the most positive manner that be was under no apprehensions, thev consented to give up their weapons for a few days. They after- ward declared they were sorry for having complied with Mr. M'DougalFs wishes ; for when they observed Captain Black, sur- rounded by his officers and marines, break the bottle of port on the flag-staff, and hoist the British ensign after changing the name of the fort, they remarked that, however we might wish to con- ceal the fact, the Americans were undoubtedly made slaves; and they were not convinced of their mistake until the sloop of war had departed without taking any prisoners. Mr. Stuart further informed us, that a party of seventeen men, under the command of Messrs. James Keith and Alexander Stewart, which had left Fort George early in January with merchandise for the interior, had been attacked by the natives between the first and second portages of the first rapids ; that Mr. Stewart was dangerously wounded by two arrows, one of which entered his left shoulder, and the other penetrated between his ribs close to the heart, notwithstanding which he succeeded in shooting two of the savages dead. By this time some of the men came to his assistance, and for a while succeeded in keeping back their assailants, who every moment became more daring, and evinced not merely a determination to revenge the death of their countrymen, but to seize and carry away all the merchan- dise in the portage. Mr. Keith having observed a large reinforcement of the savages from the opposite side approach in their war-canoes, to join those by whom Mr. Stewart was surrounded, and seeing that gentleman's wounds bleeding pro- fusely, felt that it would have been foolish obstinacy, and would have produced an unnecessary sacrifice of lives to remain longer in such a dangerous situation, lie therefore determined to abandon the goods ; and having embarked Mr. Stewart, the whole party pushed off in one canoe, leaving the other, with all 134 WARLIKE EXPEDITION STRATAGEM. the property, to the mercy of the Indians. The latter were so overjoyed at becoming masters of such an unexpected quantity of plunder, that they allowed the party to effect their retreat unmolested ; and on the second day the canoe reached Fort George. Among the goods thus abandoned were upwards of fifty guns, and a considerable quantity of ammunition, which, if allowed to remain in the hands of the savages, might have been turned against us on a future occasion ; and as this was the first attack which had proved successful, the proprietors at once determined not to allow it to pass with impunity. They accordingly sent Mr. Franchere to the principal friendly chiefs in the vicinity of the fort for the purpose of acquainting them with the late occur- rence, and inviting them to join our people in their intended expedition against the enemy. They readily consented, and on the following morning a brigade of six canoes, containing sixty- two men, under the command of Messrs. M'Tavish, Keith, Franchere, Matthews, &c. took their departure from Fort George. Having no lading, they quickly reached the rapids. Every thing there appeared hostile. The warriors lined the beach at different places well armed, and the old men, women, and children were invisible. A council of war was immediately held, at which two chiefs of the Clatsops (one of whom was an old female) were present. They advised the gentlemen to assume the appearance of friendship ; and after entering into a parley with the natives, and inviting them to smoke, to seize one of their chiefs, and detain him as a hostage until the property should be restored. This advice was followed, and succeeded to perfection. Having by some coaxing, and repeated offers of the calumet, collected a number of the natives about them, to whom they made trifling presents of tobacco, they were at length joined by the principal chief of the place, who had for some time cautiously kept out of view. He was instantly seized, bound hand and foot, and thrown into a tent, with two men to guard him armed with drawn swords. The others were then sent away, with directions to acquaint their countrymen of their chief's captivity, and were told that if the entire property was not forthwith restored, he should be put to death. This had the desired effect, and shortly after all the guns, part of the kettles, and nearly one half of the other goods were brought back. They declared they could not recover any more, and asked our gentlemen, " would they not allow them any thing to place over the dead bodies of their two relations, who had been killed by Mr. Stewart V The most important object of the expedition having been thus attained without bloodshed, and as the aggressors had been pretty severely punished in the first instance, the party deemed it both SHIPWRECK OF THE LAItK. 135 humane and prudent to rest satisfied with what they had recov- ered. They also felt that an unnecessary waste of human blood might prove ultimately prejudicial to their own interests, by raising up a combined force of natives, against whom their limited numbers would find it impossible to contend. They therefore gave the chief his liberty, and presented him with a flag, telling him at the same time, that whenever that was presented to them unfurled they would consider it as a sign of friendship ; but that if any of his tribe ever approached them without displaying this emblem of peace, it would be taken as a symptom of hostility, and treated as such. The chief promised faithfully to abide by this engagement, and the parties then separated. Mr. Hunt, late of the Pacific Fur Company, arrived at Fort George early in February this year, in a brig which he had pur- chased at the Sandwich Islands. When the Beaver had left the Columbia, this gentleman embarked in her on a trading voyage to the northward, which proved very successful. At the ter- mination of her northern trip the season was too far advanced to permit her returning to the Columbia, in consequence of which Mr. Hunt sent her on to Canton, and embarked on board an American trading vessel on the coast. Shortly after, the unwel- come intelligence of the war reached him ; and finding no vessel bound for the Columbia, he proceeded in the trader to the Sandwich Islands. He did not remain long here, when he re-embarked on board another trader, and after traversing an immense space of the Pacific Ocean, in the course of which he encountered many dangers, returned again to the islands. At Whoahoo he purchased a brig called the Pedler, and was pre- paring to come in her to the Columbia, when he was informed by some of the natives that an American vessel had been wrecked on the island of Tahoorowa. He instantly repaired thither, and found Captain Northrop, late commander of the ship Lark, with several of his crew, all in a state of great destitution. The Lark had been despatched from New- York by Mr. Astor, frieghted with provisions and merchandise for the establishment at the Columbia. After escaping various British cruizers, she made an excellent passage, until she arrived within about three hundred miles of the Sandwich Islands, when a sudden squall threw her on her beam ends. By this unfortunate accident the second mate and four men perished. The captain, however, and the rest of the crew, by cutting away the masts, succeeded in righting her; but she was completely water-logged. With much difficulty they hoisted a sail on a small jury-foremast. They fortunately got out of the cabin a box containing a few dozen of wine ; on which, with the raw flesh of a shark they had caught, they sup- ported nature thirteen days ! At the end of this period the 136 MASSACRE OF MR. READ'S PARTV. trade-winds, which had been for some time favourable, drove the vessel on the rocky coast of Tahoorowa, where she went to pieces. The captain and his surviving crew were saved and kindly treated by the natives, who however plundered the wreck of all the property they could find. Mr. Hunt took Capt. Northrop and his men on board the brig, and sailed forthwith for the Columbia, which he reached in the beginning of February. Being ignorant of the events that had occurred during his absence, he was confounded at the intelli- gence he received ; and censured in strong terms the precipi- tate manner in which the sale had been effected. It was, how- ever, irrevocable, and he was obliged to submit. Having no farther business at Fort George, Mr. Hunt deter- mined on returning to the United States without loss of time. He took on board such American citizens as preferred returning home by sea to crossing the continent, and after rather a tedious voyage they all arrived safely at New-York.* We also learned from Messrs. Stuart and Clarke the follow- ing melancholy intelligence : — On their way up, a few miles above the Wallah Wallah river, they were followed by some In- dian canoes, from one of which a voice hailed them in French, and requested them to stop. They accordingly put ashore, and were joined by the Indians, among whom they were surprised to find the widow of Pierre Dorrien (a half-bred hunter, who had accompanied Mr. Read to the country of the Shoshonesthe preceding autumn, as already mentioned), with her two children. She told them, that shortly after Mr. Read had built his house, she proceeded with her husband and two other hunters, named Peznor and Le Clerc, between four and five days' march from the post to a part of the country well stocked with beaver, oi which they succeeded in trapping a considerable quantity. One evening about the beginning of January, while the poor fellows were thus occupied, Le Clerc staggered into her hut mortally wounded. He had merely strength sufficient to acquaint her that the savages had suddenly fallen on them while they were at their traps, and had killed her husband and Peznor : — he was then proceeding to give her directions as to the best means of effecting her escape ; but ere he had concluded, death termi- nated his existence. With that courage and self-possession of which few Indian women are devoid in times of necessity, she at once determined * Mr. Hunt subsequently returned to St. Louis, at the entrance of the Missouri, in which neighbourhood he possessed extensive property, and from accounts which I have recently received, I feel pleasure in stating 1 , has been elevated to the important office of governor of the state. A more estimable individual could not be selected for the situation. FEMALE HARDIHOOD. 137 on flying from a spot so dangerous. With considerable difficulty she succeeded in catching two horses. On one she placed her clothes, a small quantity of dried salmon, and some beaver meat which remained in the hut. She mounted on the other with her two children, the elder of whom was only three years old, and the other did not exceed four months. Thus provided, she commenced her journey towards Mr. Read's establishment. On the third day she observed a number of Indians on horse- back galloping in an easterly direction : she immediately dis- mounted with the children, and was fortunate enough to escape unnoticed. That night she slept without fire or water. Late in the evening of the fourth day, on which she expected to have arrived at Mr. Read's house, she came in sight of the spot on which it had stood ; but was horror-struck at beholding there only a smoking ruin, with fresh marks of blood scattered all around. Her fortitude, however, did not forsake her, and she determined to ascertain whether any of the party were still living. Having concealed the children and horses in an adjoining clus- ter of trees, she armed herself with a tomahawk and a large knife, and after night-fall she cautiously crept towards the scene of carnage. All w r as silent and lonely, and at every step fresh traces of blood met her view. Anxious to ascertain if any had escaped the massacre, she repeatedly called out the various names of the party, but no voice responded. By the expiring glare of the smouldering timbers she observed a band of prairie wolves engaged in a sanguinary banquet. The sound of her voice scared them, and they fled. Fearful that they might bend their way to the spot in which she had deposited her pre- cious charge, she hastened thither, and arrived just in time to save her children from three of those ferocious animals which were then approaching them. From thence she proceeded the following morning towards a range of mountains not far from the upper parts of the Wal- lah Wallah river, where she intended to remain the rest of the winter. This place she reached on the next day in a state of great exhaustion from the want of food. Fortunately she had a buffalo robe and two or three deer-skins, with which, aided by some pine bark and cedar branches, she constructed a wigwam that served to shelter her tolerably well from the inclemency of the weather. The spot she chose was a rocky recess close by a mountain spring. She was obliged to kill the two horses for food, the meat of which she smoke-dried, and the skins served as an additional covering to her frail habitation. In this cheerless and melancholy solitude the wretched widow and her two poor or- phans dragged on a miserable existence during a severe season. Towards the latter end of March she had nearly consumed the 138 FEMALE HARDIHOOD. last of her horseflesh, in consequence of which she found it necessary to change her quarters. During the whole of this period she saw none of the natives, or any indication of human habitations. Having packed up as much covering and dried meat as she could carry, she placed it with her younger child on her back, and taking the elder by the hand, she bade adieu to her wintry encampment. After crossing the ridge of mountains she fell on the Wallah Wallah river, along the banks of which she continued until she arrived at its junction with the Colum- bia. Her reception and treatment by the tribe at that place was of the most cordial and hospitable description ; and she had been living with them about a fortnight when the canoes passed, and took her up to Oakinagan. The house that had been built by Mr. Read had no paling or defence of any kind ; and as the men were constantly out hunt- ing, or procuring provisions, she supposed he had not more than one or two with him at the time they were attacked, and that the others had been cut off in the same manner as her husband and his companions. She could not assign any reason for this butchery, and up to the period I quitted the country the cause of it was never satisfactorily ascertained. Some imagined that it was committed by the tribe to which the man belonged that had been hanged by Mr. Clarke, in revenge for his death ; but this could not have been the case ; for, leaving the policy or impolicy of that execution out of the question, we subsequently learned that his tribe inhabited the upper parts of Lewis River, and never crossed the mountains beyond which Mr. Read had formed his establishment. From the quantity of blood Dorrien's widow saw, she thinks that several of the savages must have been killed or wounded before their bloodthirsty efforts were crowned with such fatal success. Mr. Read was a rough, warm-hearted, brave old Irishman. Owing to some early disappointments in life he had quitted his native country while a young man, in search of wealth among regions Where beasts with man divided empire claim, And the brown Indian marks with murd'rous aim ; and after twenty-five years of toils, dangers, and privations, added another victim to the long list of those who have fallen sacrifices to Indian treachery. ARRIVAL AT FORT GEORGE. 139 CHAPTER XIII. Arrival of the Isaac Tod — Miss Jane Barnes, a white woman — Murder of one of our men by Indians — Trial and execution of the murderers — Death of Mr. Donald M'Tavish and five men. We left Spokan House on the 25th of May, and reached Oakinagan on the 29th, where I found my disconsolate friend, the ex-subaltern, just recovering from the melancholy into which his hibernal solitude had thrown him. The different parties having now assembled, we all started for the sea on the 30th of May, and on the 11th of June arrived at Fort George. We were highly gratified at finding the so long expected Isaac Tod safe at anchor. After parting company with the men-of-war off Cape Horn, she touched at Juan Fernandez and the Gallipagos Islands, from whence she proceeded to Monterey, a Spanish set- tlement on the coast of California, for provisions. Here the captain was informed that a British man-of-war had put into San Francisco in distress, and was unable to leave it. This latter place is also a Spanish establishment, and is situate lat. 38° N., about two degrees to the southward of Monterey. Captain Smith, of the Isaac Tod, immediately proceeded thither, and found the vessel alluded to was the Racoon sloop of war, com- manded by Captain Black. This vessel, on quitting the Colum- bia, struck several times on the bar, and was so severely damaged in consequence, that she was obliged to make for San Francisco, which port she reached in a sinking state, with seven feet water in her hold. Finding it impossible to procure the necessary materials there to repair the damage, Captain Black and his officers had determined to abandon the vessel, and proceed over-land to the Gulf of Mexico, whence they could have obtained a passage to England ; but when the Isaac Tod arrived they succeeded, with her assistance, in stopping the leaks, and putting the Racoon in good sailing order ; after which the Isaac Tod weighed anchor, and on the 17th of April crossed the bar of the Columbia, after a voyage of thirteen months from England. She brought out the following passengers ; viz., Messrs. Don- ald M'Tavish and John M' Donald, proprietors ; and Messrs. Alexander and James M'Tavish, Alexander Frazer, and Alexan- der M'Kenzie, clerks, with Doctor Swan, a medical gentleman engaged as resident physician at the fort. 140 MISS JANE BARNES, The two first-named gentlemen, from their long experience of Indian living, knew well the little luxuries that would be most grateful to men so long debarred from the enjoyments of civilized life ; and they accordingly brought out a few casks of bottled porter, some excellent cheese, and a quantity of prime English beef, which they had dressed and preserved in a peculiar manner in tin cases impervious to air ; so that we could say we ate fresh beef which had been killed and dressed in England thirteen months before ! Acceptable as were these refreshers to our memory of " lang syne," they brought out another object which more strongly recalled to our semi-barbarized ideas the thoughts of our " dear native home," than all the other bonnes choses con- tained in the vessel. This was neither more nor less than a flaxen-haired, blue-eyed daughter of Albion, who, in a tempo- rary fit of erratic enthusiasm, had consented to become le com- pagnon clu voyage of Mr. Mac . Miss Jane Barnes had been a lively bar-maid at an hotel in Portsmouth, at which Mr. Mac had stopped preparatory to his embarkation. This gentleman being rather of an amorous temperament, proposed the trip to Miss Jane, who, " nothing loath," threw herself on his protection, regardless of consequences, and after encountering the perils of a long sea-voyage, found herself an object of interest to the residents at the fort, and the greatest curiosity that ever gratified the wondering eyes of the blubber-loving aboriginals of the north-west coast of America. The Indians daily thronged in numbers to our fort, for the purpose of gazing on and admiring the fair beauty, every article of whose dress was examined with the most minute scrutiny. She had rather an extravagant ward- robe, and each day exhibited her in a new dress, which she always managed in a manner to display her figure to the best ad- vantage. One day, her head decorated with feathers and flowers, produced the greatest surprise ; the next, her hair, braided and unconcealed by any covering, excited equal wonder and admi- ration. The young women felt almost afraid to approach her, and the old were highly gratified at being permitted to touch her person. Some of the chiefs having learned that her protector intended to send her home, thought to prevent such a measure by making proposals of marriage. One of them in particular, the son of Comcomly, the principal chief of the Chinooks, came to the fort attired in his richest dress, his face fancifully bedaubed with red paint, and his body redolent with whale oil. He was young, and had four native wives. He told her, that if she would become his wife, he would send one hundred sea-otter9 to her relations ; that he would never ask her to carry wood, draw water, dig for roots, or hunt for provisions ; that he would make her mistress over his other wives, and permit her to sit at PROPOSALS OF MARRIAGE. 141 her ease from morning to night, and wear her own clothes;* that she should always have abundance of fat salmon, anchovies, and elk, and be allowed to smoke as many pipes of tobacco during the day as she thought proper ; together with many other flatter- ing inducements, the tithe of which would have shaken the con- stancy of a score of the chastest brown vestals that ever flou- rished among the lower tribes of the Columbia. These tempting offers, however, had no charms for Jane. Her long voyage had not yet eradicated certain Anglican pre- dilections respecting mankind, which she had contracted in the country of her birth, and among which she did not include a flat head, a half-naked body, or a copper-coloured skin be- smeared with whale oil. Her native inamorato made several other ineffectual pro- posals ; but finding her inflexible, he declared he would never more come near the fort while she remained there. We shortly afterward learned that he had concerted a plan with some daring young men of his tribe to carry her off while she was walking on the beach (her general custom every evening while the gentlemen were at dinner), a practice which, after this information, she was obliged to discontinue. Mr. Mac at first intended to have brought her with him across the continent to Montreal ; but on learning the impracti- cability of her performing such an arduous journey, he aban- doned that idea, and made arrangements with the captain for her return to England by way of Canton. A few words more, and I shall have done with Miss Barnes. On the arrival of the vessel at Canton, she became an object of curiosity and admi- ration among the inhabitants of the " Celestial Empire." An English gentleman of great wealth, connected with the East India Company, offered her a splendid establishment. It was infinitely superior to any of the proposals made by the Chinook nobility, and far beyond any thing she could ever expect in England : it was therefore prudently accepted, and the last account I heard of her stated that she was then enjoying all the luxuries of eastern magnificence.f * Meaning that he would not insist on her wearing the light covering of the Indian females. t Miss Barnes was fond of quotations ; but she was no Blue. One of the clerks was one day defending the native and half-bred women, whoso char- acters she had violently attacked, and he recriminated in no very measured language on the conduct of the white ladies : — " O, Mr. Mac !" said she, " I suppose you agree with Shakspeare, that l Every woman is at heart a rake ?' " — " Pope, ma'am, if you please." — " Pope ! Pope '." replied Jane. fc Bless me, sir I you must be wrong ; rake is certainly the word. I never heard of but one female pope." Then, in order to terminate the argument, she pre- tended to read an old newspaper which she held in her hand. He quickly 142 DREADFUL MURDER. About a month after the arrival of the Isaac Tod a circum- stance occurred which, as it caused a considerable sensation for some time, I shall fully relate. About two miles in the rear of the fort, on the Clatsop river, a place had been established for making charcoal. One of the men employed at this business was a poor half-witted American from Boston, named Ju Ige, who had crossed the continent with Mr. Hunt's party, and whose sufferings during that journey had partially deranged his intellect. He was however a capital woodsman ; and few men could compete with him, as he said himself, in hewing down forests " by the acre." His comrade had been absent one day selecting proper wood for charcoal, and on returning to the lodge in the evening, he found the body of the unfortunate Judge lying stretched on the ground, with his scull completely cleft in two by the blow of an axe which was lying beside him steeped in blood. He instantly repaired to the fort, and communicated the dreadful intelligence ; upon which a party was despatched for the mangled remains of poor Judge. Mr. M'Tavish forthwith summoned all the neighbouring chiefs to attend at the fort ; and on the following day there was a con- gress of representatives from the Chinooks, Chilts, Clatsops, Killymucks, and Cathlamahs. They could not assign any reason for the murder ; nor indeed could any one, for Judge was the most harmless individual belonging to our establishment. They promised, however, that every exertion should be made on their part for the discovery of the perpetrators ; and Mr. M'Tavish offered a large reward for their apprehension. Some time elapsed in vain inquiry ; but, through the agency of the Clatsop chief, we received private information that the murderers were two of the Killymucks ; and that if we sent a party well armed to his village, he would render every assistance to take them into custody. Mr. Matthews and seven men were accordingly ordered on this dangerous duty. They proceeded early in the day in a canoe up the Clatsop river, as if on a hunting excursion, and stopped late in the evening at a place previously agreed on, where they were joined by three Clatsops and a Killymuck, who was the informer. After nightfall they continued on until discovered by her keeping the wrong end uppermost that she did not know a syllable of its contents. He quitted her abruptly ; and as ho was coming out I met him at the door, a wicked and malicious grin ruffling his sunburnt features. B Well, Mac," said I, " what's the matter ? You seem annoyed." — "What do you think ?" he replied ; " I have just had a conversation with that fine-looking damsel there, who looks down with such contempt on our women, and may I be d — d if she understands B from a buffalo !" Her supposed education was the only excuse in his opinion to justify her usurpation of superiority ; — that gone, he judged her " poor indeed." CAPTUItE OF THE MURDERER*. 143 they arrived at the Killymuck village, when they landed. The informer, having pointed out the lodges in which the murderers slept, and told their names, separated from the party. Mr. Matthews immediately proceeded to the chief's dwelling, and made him acquainted with the object of his visit. He appeared somewhat surprised ; but stated, that having promised to assist in discovering them, he would not oppose their apprehension, provided they were allowed a fair trial, and that nothing should befall them but on the clearest testimony. This was of course agreed to ; and Mr. Matthews, with his party, then cautiously approached the habitations of the two delinquents, which were adjoining each other ; and having divided his men, leaving the Clatsops to mind the canoe, they entered the houses, and suc- ceeded in seizing, binding, and hurrying the prisoners on board before the village was alarmed. The men paddled hard until they arrived at the Clatsop village,, wiicre they stopped to rest, and the following morning at daybreak they reached Fort George in safety. The day subsequent to that of our arrival was fixed for the trial. It was held in the large dining-hall ; and the jury was composed of the gentlemen belonging to the Company, with an equal number of Indians, consisting of chiefs and chieftainesses, for among these tribes old women possess great authority. It appeared in the course of the investigation that revenge was the cause of the murder. About two years before this period, while houses were being built for the men, the greater number of them were lodged in tents and huts about the fort, from which the Indians were constantly in the practice of pilfering whatever they could lay their hands on ; particularly at night, when the workmen were buried in sleep after the labour of the day. Judge and three others were lodged together ; and one night, when it was supposed they were fast asleep, one of them heard the noise of footsteps outside^ approaching the tent. Through a slit in the canvass he ascertained they were natives, and with- out awaking his comrades, he cautiously unsheathed his sword, and waited a few minutes in silence, watching their motions, until they at length reached the tent, the lower part of which they were in the act of raising, when, by a desperate blow of the sword, he severely cut one of their arms. The savage gave a dreadful yell, and the Canadian rushed out, when he distinctly perceived two Indians running away quickly, and disappear in the gloom of the forest behind. This circumstance made some noise at the time ; the parties were not discovered, and in a few weeks the event was forgotten by our people ; but it was not so with the savages. They harboured the most deep and deadly revenge ; and thinking that Judge was the person who had in- 144 CONVICTION — SENTENCE — EXECUTION. flicted the wound, they determined to wreak their vengeance on him. For this purpose they had been for nearly two years oc- casionally lurking about the fort, until the fatal opportunity pre- sented itself of gratifying their demoniacal passion. On the day of the murder, after Judge's comrade had quitted the lodge, they stole unperceived on him, and while he was engaged at the fire they felled him to the ground with a blow of his own axe, after which they split his scull, and made their escape. All these facts were brought out during the trial, which lasted the greater part of the day. Several of the witnesses underwent a strict cross-examination, particularly by the old women, who evinced much more acuteness than was displayed by the chiefs. The prisoners made no defence, and observed a sulky tacitur- nity during the whole of the proceedings. They were found guilty by the unanimous verdict of the jury, and sentenced to be shot the following morning. They showed no signs of re- I)entance or sorrow ; and on being led out of the hall, the fel- ow whose arm had been cut held it up, and exclaimed, " Were I now free, and he alive, I would do the same thing again !" About nine o'clock the next morning they were brought from the guard-house pinioned, and conducted to the farther end of the wharf, at which place it was arranged they were to suffer. Twenty-four men were selected by ballot to carry the dreadful sentence into execution under the command of Mr. M , to whom the lot fell. Immense numbers of Indians belonging to the various surrounding nations were in attendance ; some on shore, and others in canoes. The guns on the battery and in the bastions were loaded with grape, and attended by men with slow matches. The remainder of our people were drawn up in front of the fort, all armed with muskets and bayonets. The culprits made considerable opposition to their being tied to- gether, and refused to kneel, or allow r the caps to be drawn over their eyes. At length, between force and entreaty, these pre- liminaries were accomplished, and orders were given to fire. After the discharge a loud and frightful yell was sent forth from the surrounding savages ; but they remained tranquil. On the smoke clearing away, it was perceived that both the unfortunate men were still alive, although several balls had taken effect. Mr. M ordered the party to reload quickly, and a second volley was discharged : one only was killed ; and as the other made repeated attempts to rise, and appeared to suffer great agony, he was despatched by one of the men, who fired a ball through his head. The party then gave three cheers, and re- tired to the fort, while the friends and relatives of the deceased took away their bodies amid the greatest lamentations ; during which not a murmur was heard, or the slightest symptom of FATAL ACCIDENT. 145 disapprobation expressed. Shortly after a number of the chiefs and elders came up to the fort, when Mr. M'Tavish invited them into the hall, to thank them for their assistance ; and having paid the promised rewards, and made various pre- sents, they smoked the calumet of peace, and departed for their respective villages, apparently much gratified with the manner they had been treated. Scarcely was this tragedy ended when one more fatal to the interests of the Company occurred by the melancholy and un- timely death of Mr. Donald M'Tavish. This gentleman had embarked in an open boat, with six voyageurs, to proceed to the opposite side of the Columbia. It blew a stiff" gale ; and about the middle of the river, owing to some mismanagement of the sail, a heavy wave struck the boat, which instantly filled and went down. With the exception of one man they all perished : he succeeded in gaining a snag which was a few feet above the water, and on which he remained for nearly two hours, until he was rescued when in a state of great exhaustion by two Chi- nooks, who proceeded to his assistance in a small canoe. Thus perished the respected Mr. Donald M'Tavish, one of the oldest proprietors of the North-west Company, and for many years the principal director for managing the affairs of the interior. He had realized an independent fortune ; and had, in fact, retired from the Company, when he volunteered his services to organ- ize the new department of Columbia; after effecting which ob- ject it was his intention to have crossed the continent to Canada, and from thence to proceed to Scotland, where he had purchased an estate, on which, after a life of fatigues and hardships, he had hoped to spend an old age of ease and comfort. Mr. M'Tavish was a man of bold decided character. His enmity was open and undisguised ; his friendship warm and sincere. Sprung from a comparatively humble origin, he was the founder of his own fortune ; and merit with him was sure to be appreciated without reference to a man's family or connexions. The day after this melancholy event, the body of the lamented gentleman, with those of four of the men, were found, and in- terred in a handsome spot behind the north-east bastion of Fort George, where a small monument, tolerably well engraved, points to the future Indian trader the last earthly remains of the enterprising Donald M'Tavish. 146 THE NATIVES — DISTORTION OP THE HEAR CHAPTER XIV. Sketch of the Indians about the mouth of the Columbia — Process of flat- tening the head — Thievish disposition — Treatment of their slaves — Sug- gestions to the missionary societies — Dreadful ravages of the smallpox — Jack Ramsay — Their ideas of religion — Curious superstition — Marriage ceremonies — Anecdote — Aversion to ardent spirits — Government — War — Arms and armour — Canoes and houses — System of cooking — Utensils — Gambling — Haiqua— Quack doctors — Mode of burial. 1814. We remained a couple of months this summer at Fort George, making the necessary arrangements for our winter's campaign. During this period we made several excursions on pleasure or business to the villages of the various tribes, from one to three days' journey from the fort. They differ little from each other in laws, manners, or customs, and were I to make a distinction, I would say the Cathlamahs are the most tranquil, the Killymucks the most roguish, the Clatsops the most honest, and the Chinooks the most incontinent. The Chilts, a small tribe who inhabit the coast to the northward of Cape Disappointment, partake in some degree of these various qualities. The abominable custom of flattening their heads prevails among them all. Immediately after birth, the infant is placed in a kind of oblong cradle formed like a trough, with moss under it. One end, on which the head reposes, is more elevated than the rest. A padding is then placed on the forehead, with a piece of cedar-bark over it, and by means of cords passed through small holes on each side of the cradle, the padding is pressed against the head. It is kept in this man- ner upwards of a year, and is not, I believe, attended with much pain. The appearance of the infant, however, while in this state of compression, is frightful, and its little black eyes, forced out by the tightness of the bandages, resemble those of a mouse choked in a trap. When released from this inhuman process, the head is perfectly flattened, and the upper part of it seldom exceeds an inch in ' thickness. It never afterward recovers its rotundity. They deem this an essential point of beauty, and the most devoted adherent of our first Charles never entertained a stronger aversion to a Round-head than these savages.* * Doctor Swan, on examining the sculls I had taken, candidly confessed that nothing short of ocular demonstration could have convinced him of the pos- sibility of moulding the human head into 6uch a form. CHARACTER OF NATIVES — THIEVING PROPENSITIES. 147 They allege, as an excuse for this custom, that all their slaves have round heads ; and accordingly every child of a bondsman, who is not adopted by the tribe, inherits not only his father's degradation, but his parental rotundity of cranium. This deformity is unredeemed by any peculiar beauty either in features or person. The height of the men varies from five feet to five feet six inches ; that of the women is generally six or eight inches less. The nose is rather flat, with distended nostrils ; and a mouth, seldom closed, exposes to view an abominable set of short, dirty, irregular teeth. The limbs of the men are in general well shaped ; but the women, owing to tight ligatures which they wear on the lower part of their legs, are quite bandy, with thick ankles, and broad flat feet. They have loose hanging breasts, slit ears, and perforated noses, which, added to greasy heads, and bodies saturated with fish-oil, constitute the sum total of their personal attractions. The good qualities of these Indians are few ; their vices many. Industry, patience, sobriety, and ingenuity nearly comprise the former ; while in the latter may be classed, thieving, lying, incontinence, gambling, and cruelty. They are also perfect hypocrites. Each tribe accuses the other of " envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness." Even the natives of the same village, while they feign an outward appearance of friend- ship, indulge in a certain propensity called backbiting ; in this respect differing but little from the inhabitants of more civilized countries, among whom the prevalence of such ill-natured practices has by certain envious and satirical coffee-drinkers been unjustly attributed to the scandalizing influence of tea. Their bravery is rather doubtful ; but what they want in courage they make up in effrontery. Fear alone prevents them from making any open or violent attempt at robbery ; and their offences under this head, in legal parlance, may more strictly be styled petty larcenies. I have seen a fellow stopped on suspicion of stealing an axe. He denied the charge with the most barefaced impudence ; and when the stolen article was pulled from under his robe, instead of expressing any regret, he burst out laughing, and alleged he was only joking. One of the men gave him a few kicks, which he endured with great sang froid ; and on joining his companions, they received him with smiling countenances, and bantered him on the failure of his attempt. They seldom make any resistance to these summary punishments ; and if the chastisement takes place in the presence of a chief, he seems delighted at the infliction. They purchase slaves from the neighbouring tribes for beaver, otter, beads, &c. I could never learn whether any were taken by them in war. While in good health, and able to work, they 148 INCONTINENCE PROSTITUTION. are well treated ; but the moment they fall sick, or become unfit for labour, the unfortunate slaves are totally neglected, and left to perish in the most miserable manner. After death, their bodies are thrown without any ceremony at the trunk of a tree, or into an adjoining wood. It sometimes happens that a slave is adopted by a family ; in which case he is permitted to marry one of the tribe, and his children, by undergoing the flattening process, melt down into the great mass of the community. Chastity is an item seldom inscribed on the credit side of their account current with futurity. Indeed a strict observance of it before marriage is not an article of their moral code. Formerly an act of post-nuptial incontinence subjected the woman to the loss of life ; but in latter times infractions of con- jugal rights are often connived at, or if committed sa7is permis- sion, only slightly punished.* Numbers of the women reside during certain periods of the year in small huts about the fort, from which it is difficult to keep the men. They generally retire with the fall of the leaf to their respective villages, and during the winter months seldom visit Fort George. But on the arrival of the spring and autumn brigades from the interior they pour in from all parts, and besiege our voyageurs much after the manner which their frail sisters at Portsmouth adopt when attacking the crews of a newly arrived India fleet. Mothers participate with their daughters in the pro- ceeds arising from their prostitution ; and, in many instances, husbands share with their wives the wages of infamy. Disease is the natural consequence of this state of general demoralization, and numbers of the unfortunate beings suffer dreadfully from the effects of their promiscuous intercourse. Now that the North-west and Hudson's Bay Companies have become united, and that rivalship in trade cannot be brought forward as an excuse for corrupting Indians, it would be highly desirable that the missionaries would turn their thoughts to this remote and too long neglected corner of the globe. Their pious labours have already effected wonders in the comparatively small islands of the Pacific, where idolatry, human sacrifices, and other crimes more revolting to humanity, have been abolished. I would therefore respectfully suggest to the consideration of the benevolent individuals who constitute the missionary societies, the propriety of extending the sphere of their exertions to the North-west coast of America, and from thence through the interior of that vast continent ; the aboriginal inhabitants of which, with the exception of Canada and a very trifling part of * We were told by an old man that he knew but of one instance in which a husband killed his wife for infidelity. INDIAN CONVERSION RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. 149 the frontiers, are still buried in the deepest ignorance. During the period that France held possession of the Canadas, the Jesuits made wonderful progress in converting the Indians, and most of the natives of the two provinces are now Christians. In my journey across the continent small wooden huts, orna- mented with crucifixes and other symbols of Christianity, situated from five to seven hundred miles beyond the limits of civilization were pointed out to me, which had been formerly inhabited by these enterprising missionaries in their progress through the wilderness. These dwellings are now deserted ; but are still regarded with pious reverence by the thoughtless voyageurs ; and even the poor Indians, who by the cessation of the Jesuit missions, have relapsed into their former habits, pay the utmost respect to the houses, which were inhabited, as they say, by "the good white fathers, who, unlike other white men, never robbed or cheated them." Since the annexation of Canada to the British crown, Indian conversion has almost ceased ; or has made, at most, a slow and sickly progress. Their moral ame- lioration is completely neglected by both English and Americans; and it is only in periods of war that we pay them any attention. The first settlers of the United States did not act so. They fought their way through the country with the Bible in one hand and the sword in the other ; and it was not until the former ceased to convince that recourse was had to the latter. Objec- tionable, however, as this system undoubtedly was, the plan adopted by the modern Americans is more so. Their anti-re- publican love of aggrandisement, by the continual extension of their territorial possessions, must sooner or later destroy the unity of their confederation ; and it is a subject deeply to be lamented that, in their gradual encroachments on the Indian lands, Chris- tianity is forgotten, the word of God does not now, as in the time of their forefathers, keep in check the sanguinary sword of man ; and extermination, instead of regeneration, seems to be their motto. To return to the Columbia. It is the only situation on the north-west coast, to the northward of California, free from danger ; and I have no doubt that by a proper appli- cation the Hudson's Bay Company, who have now possession of Fort George, would give a passage, and afford every facility to resident missionaries. Odious as the vices are to which I have referred, the few good qualities which the Indians possess would materially assist in bringing them to a knowledge of the true religion. Independently of the beneficial results which we might naturally expect to flow from their exertions among the natives, there is another consideration which induces me to think that the Company would, for its own interest, render them every assistance in its power. I allude to the situation of a 150 MISSIONARIES THE SMALLPOX. number of men in its employment whose knowledge of Chris- tianity, owing to a long absence from their native country, has fallen into a kind of abeyance, and which would undoubtedly be revived by the cheering presence of a minister of God. Can- nibalism, although unknown among the Indians of the Columbia, is practised by the savages on the coast to the northward of that river ; so that by the progressive labours of the missionaries, this dreadful custom, with the others, might be gradually abolished. The settlement formed by Lord Selkirk on Red River, which falls into the great Lake Winepic, and which suffered so much in its infancy from interested enemies, is at present, I am happy to hear, in a thriving condition. A missionary has been established here, whose labours have already been productive of much good. Numbers of the surrounding natives have become converts, and they are yearly increasing. The progress of civilization will gradually gain ground among the western tribes ; and we may indulge the pleasing hope that the day is not far distant when the missionaries, in their glorious career eastward and westward, from the St. Lawrence and the mouth of the Columbia, despite the many difficulties and dangers they must unavoidably encoun- ter, may meet on the Rocky Mountains, and from their ice-cov- ered summits proclaim to the benighted savages " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good-will towards men." About thirty years before this period the smallpox had com- mitted dreadful ravages among these Indians, the vestiges of which are still visible on the countenances of the elderly men and women. It is believed in the north-west that this disease was wilfully introduced by the American traders among the Indians of the Missouri, as a short and easy method of reducing their numbers, and thereby destroying in a great measure their hostility to the whites. The Americans throw the blame on the French ; while they in turn deny the foul imputation, and broadly charge the Spaniards as the original delinquents. Be this as it may, the disease first proceeded from the banks of the Missouri, and the British are free from having had any participation in the detestable act. It travelled with destructive rapidity as far north as Athabasca and the shores of the Great Slave Lake, crossed the Rocky Mountains at the sources of the Missouri, and having fastened its deadly venom on the Snake Indians, spread its devastating course to the northward and westward, until its frightful progress w r as arrested by the Pacific Ocean. Some of the old voyageurs who were stationed at English River and Athabasca, when this scourge made its first appear- ance, give the most harrowing details of its ravages. The unfortunate Indians, when in the height of the fever, would plunge into a river, which generally caused instant death ; and thousands of the miserable wretches, by suicide, anticipated its IMPOSITION — ANGLO-INDIAN. 151 fatal termination. Whole Tillages were depopulated, and an old man well known in the Indian country, named Louis La Liberte, told me that one morning during its height he saw between two and three hundred bodies of men, women, and children, sus- pended from trees, close to an adjoining village of the Cree nation, the surviving inhabitants of which did not exceed forty persons. They believed that the " Great Master of Life had delivered them over to the Evil Spirit for their wicked courses ;" and for many years afterward those who escaped, or survived the deadlv contagion, strictly conformed themselves to their own code of moral laws. The recollection of it, however, is now fast wearing away from their memory. Those who bore any traces of it are nearly extinct ; and on the eastern side of the mountains, intoxication and its attendant vices are becoming too prevalent. The western tribes still remember it with a super- stitious dread, of which Mr. M'Dougall took advantage, when he learned that the Tonquin had been cut oft". He assembled several of the chieftains, and showing them a small bottle, declared that it contained the smallpox ; that although his force was weak in number, he was strong in medicine ; and that in consequence of the treacherous cruelty of the Northern Indians, he would open the bottle and send the smallpox among them. The chiefs strongly remonstrated against his doing so. They told him that they and their relations were always friendly to the white people ; that they would remain so ; that if the smallpox was once let out, it would run like fire among the good people as well as among the bad ; and that it was inconsistent with justice to punish friends for the crimes committed by enemies. Mr. M'Dougall appeared to be convinced by these reasons, and promised, that if the white people were not attacked or robbed for the future, the fatal bottle should not be uncorked. He was greatly dreaded by the Indians, who were fully impressed with the idea that he held their fate in his hands, and they called him by way of pre-eminence, " the great smallpox chief." An Indian, belonging to a small tribe on the coast to the south- ward of the Clatsops, occasionally visited the fort. He was a perfect hisus natune, and his history was rather curious. His skin was lair, his face partially freckled, and his hair quite red. He was about five feet ten inches high, was slender, but remark- ably well made; his head had not undergone the flattening process, and he was called Jack Ramsay, in consequence of that name having been punctured on his left arm. The Indians allege that his father was an English sailor, who had deserted from a trading vessel, and had lived many years among their tribe, one of whom he married ; that when Jack was born he insisted on preserving the child's head in its natural state, and while young had punc- 152 SUPERSTITIOUS OBSERVANCES. tured the arm in the above manner. Old Ramsay had died about twenty years before this period : he had several more chil- dren, but Jack was the only red-headed one among them. He was the only half-bred I ever saw with red hair, as that race in general partake of the swarthy hue derived from their maternal ancestors. Poor Jack was fond of his father's countrymen, and had the decency to wear trousers whenever he came to the fort. We therefore made a collection of old clothes for his use, suffi- cient to last him for many years. The ideas of these Indians on the subjeet of a future state do not differ much from the opinions entertained by the natives of the interior. They believe that those who have not committed murder ; who have fulfilled the relative duties of son, father, and husband : who have been good fishermen, &c, will after their death go to a place of happiness, in which they will find an abundant supply of fish, fruit, &c. ; while those who have fol- lowed a contrary course of life will be condemned to a cold and barren country, in which bitter fruits and salt water will form their principal means of subsistence. Mr. Franchere, who was stationed permanently at Fort George, and who obtained an ac- curate knowledge of their language, &c, states that they have a tradition relative to the origin of mankind, of which the follow- ing is the substance : — Man was at first created by a divinity named Etalapass ; but he was originally imperfect. His mouth was not divided, his eyes were closed, and his hands and feet immoveable ; in short, he was rather a statue of flesh, than a living being. A second divinity, named Ecannum, less power- ful than Etalapass, but more benevolent, seeing man in this im- perfect state, took pity on him, and with a sharp stone opened his mouth, unclosed his eyes, and imparted motion to his hands and feet. Not satisfied with these gifts, the compassionate deity taught mankind how to make canoes, paddles, nets, and all their domestic utensils. He also overturned rocks into the rivers, which, by obstructing the progress of the fish through the waters, enabled them to take sufficient to satisfy their wants. We observed no idols among them ; and although they had some small grotesque-looking figures, carved out of wood, they seemed to pay them no respect, and often offered to barter them for trifles. Civilized countries are not exempt from superstition ; it is therefore not surprising to find it exist among untutored savages. They believe that if salmon be cut cross-wise the fishery will be unproductive, and that a famine will follow. In the summer of 181 1, they at first brought but a small quantity to the people who were then building the fort. As Mr. M'Dougall knew there was no scarcity, he reproached the chiefs for furnishing such a scanty sup- MARRIAGE — RECOGNITION AND REPULSE. 153 ply : they admitted the charge, but assigned as a reason their fears that the white people would cut it the unlucky way. Mr. M'Dougall promised to follow their plan, upon which they brought a tolerable good quantity, but all roasted ; and which, in order to avoid displeasing them, our people were obliged to eat before sunset each day. The negotiations preceding a marriage are short, and the ceremony itself simple. When a young man has made his choice, he commissions his parents or other relations to open the business to the girl's relations. They are to receive a certain quantity of presents ; and when these are agreed on, they all repair to the house intended for the future residence of the young couple, to which nearly all the inhabitants of the village are invited. The presents, which consist of slaves, axes, beads, kettles, haiqua, brass and copper bracelets, &c, are now dis- tributed by the young man, who in his turn receives an equal or perhaps greater quantity, from the girl's relations. The bride, decorated with the various ornaments common among the tribe, is then led forth by a few old women, and presented to the bridegroom. He receives her as his wife ; and the elders, after wishing them plenty of fish, fruit, roots, and children, retire from the house, accompanied by all the strangers. The marriage tie is not indissoluble. A man may repudiate his w T ife, who is then at liberty to take another husband. Infidelity is the general cause of these separations, which however are of rare occurrence. A man may have as many wives as his means will permit him to keep. Some have four or five. They live together in the greatest harmony ; and although their lord may love one more than another, it causes no jealousy or disunion among the rest. Many of these women, who have followed a depraved course of life before marriage, become excellent and faithful wives afterward ; an instance of which I shall here relate : — In the early part of this summer one of the clerks, who had been out on a trading excursion, happened to be present at a marriage in the Clatsop village. He was surprised at recognising in the bride an old chere amie, who the preceding year had spent three weeks with him in his tent, actually decorated with some of the baubles he had then given her. His eye caught hers for a moment ; but his appearance excited not the least emotion, and she passed him by as one whom she had never seen. A few days afterward she came to the fort accompanied by her husband and other Indians. She remained at the gate while the men were selling some fish in the trading store. Her old lover, observing her alone, attempted to renew their former acquaintance ; but she betrayed no symptom of recognition, and in a cold distant man- ner told him to go about his business. T 154 GOVERNMENT — INDIAN WARFARE. All the Indians on the Columbia entertain a strong aversion to ardent spirits, which they regard as poison. They allege that slaves only drink to excess ; and that drunkenness is degrading to free men. On one occasion some of the gentlemen at Fort George induced a son of Comcomly the chief to drink a few glasses of rum. Intoxication quickly followed, accompanied by sickness ; in which condition he returned home to his father's house, and for a couple of days remained in a state of stupor. The old chief subsequently reproached the people at the fort for having degraded his son by making him drunk, and thereby exposing him to the laughter of his slaves. Each village is governed by its own chief. He possesses little authority, and is respected in proportion to the number of wives, slaves, &c. which he may keep. The greater number of these, the greater the chief. He is entitled, however, to considerable posthumous honour ; for at his death the tribe go into mourning by cutting their hair, and for some months continue to chant a kind of funeral dirge to his memory. As each village forms a petty sovereignty, governed by independent chieftains, differ- ences often arise between them. These differences are generally settled by giving compensation for the injury inflicted ; but in the event of a serious offence, such as murder (which is very rare), or the abduction of a woman (which is not uncommon), the parties prepare for war. The great mass of the American Indians, in their warlike encounters, fall suddenly on their enemies, and taking them unprepared, massacre or capture men, women, and children. The plan adopted by the Chinooks forms an honourable excep- tion to this system. Having once determined on hostilities, they give notice to the enemy of the day on which they intend to make the attack : and having previously engaged as auxiliaries a number of young men whom they pay for that purpose, they embark in their canoes for the scene of action. Several of their women accompany them on these expeditions, and assist in working the canoes. On arriving at the enemy's village they enter into a parley, and endeavour by negotiation to terminate the quarrel amicably. Sometimes a third party, who preserves a strict neutrality, undertakes the office of mediator ; but should their joint efforts fail in procuring redress, they immediately prepare for action. Should the day be far advanced, the combat is deferred, by mutual consent, till the following morning ; and they pass the intervening night in frightful yells, and making use of abusive and insulting language to each other. They generally fight from their canoes, which they take care to incline to one side, pre- senting the higher flank to the enemy ; and in this position, with AKMOUR — CANOES. 155 their bodies quite bent, the battle commences. Owing to the cover of their canoes, and their impenetrable armour, it is seldom bloody ; and as soon as one or two men fall, the party to whom they belonged acknowledge themselves vanquished, and the combat ceases. If the assailants be unsuccessful, they return without redress ; but if conquerors, they receive various presents from the vanquished party in addition to their original demand. The women and children are always sent away before the engagement commences.^^ Their warlike weapons are the bow and arrow, with a cu- rious kind of short double-edged sword or club, two and a half feet in length, by six inches in breadth. They seldom, however, fight near enough to make use of this formidable instrument. Their armour consists of a shirt of elk-skin, remarkably thick, doubled, and thrown over the shoulders, with holes for the arms. It descends to the ankles, and from the thickness of the leather is perfectly arrow proof. The head is covered by a species of helmet made of cedar bark, bear grass, and leather, and is also impenetrable by arrows. The neck, therefore, is the only vital part of the body exposed to danger in action. In addition to the above, they have another kind of armour, which they occasionally wear in place of the leathern shirt. It is a species of corset, formed of thin slips of hard wood ingeniously laced together with bear grass, and is much lighter and more pliable than the former, but it does not cover so much of the body. They have a few guns, which they seldom use. They are not good hunters, and their chief dependence for support is on the produce of the water. It is unnecessary to mention that in their warlike expeditions their faces and bodies are painted in various colours, and with the most grotesque figures. Their canoes are of various forms and sizes. The following description of the largest kind of these vessels I take from Lewis and Clarke. It is perfectly accurate, and more technical than I could give it. " They are upwards of fifty feet long, and will carry from eight to ten thousand pounds weight, or from twenty to thirty persons. Like all the canoes we have mentioned, they are cut out of a single trunk of a tree, which is generally white cedar, though the fir is sometimes used. The sides are secured by cross bars or round sticks, two or three inches in thickness, which are inserted through holes made just below the gunwales, and made fast with cords. The upper edge of the gunwale itself is about five-eighths of an inch thick, and four or five in breadth ; and folds outwards so as to form a kind of rim, which prevents the water from beating into the boat. The bow and stern are about the same height, and each provided with a comb reaching to the bottom of the boat. At each end also are pedes* 156 NAVIGATION — HOUSES. tals, formed of the same solid piece,on which are placed strange gro- tesque figures of men or animals, rising sometimes to the height of five feet, and composed of small pieces of wood firmly united with great ingenuity, by inlaying and morticing, without a spike of any kind. The paddle is usually from four and a half to five feet in length ; the handle being thick for one third of its length, when it widens and is hollowed and thinned on each side of the centre, which forms a sort of rib. When they embark, one Indian sits in the stern and steers with a paddle ; the others kneel in pairs in the bottom of the canoe, and sitting on their heels paddle over the gunwale next to them. In this way they ride with perfect safety the highest waves, and venture without the least concern in seas where other boats and seamen could not live an instant. They sit quietly and paddle, with no other movement, except when any large wave throws the boat on her side, and to the eye of the spectator she seems lost : the man to windward then steadies her by throwing his body towards the upper side, and sinking his paddle deep into the waves, appears to catch the water, and force it under the boat, which the same stroke pushes on with great velocity." The description of their houses, and their manner of building them, I also extract from the same authority : " The houses in this neighbourhood are all large wooden buildings, varying in length from twenty to sixty feet, and from fourteen to twenty in width.* They are constructed in the following manner : Two or more posts of split timber, agree- ably to the number of partitions, are sunk in the ground, above which they rise to the height of fourteen or eighteen feet. They are hollowed at the top so as to receive the ends of a round beam or pole, stretching from one end to the other, and forming the upper point of the roof for the whole extent of the building. On each side of this range is placed another, which forms the eaves of the house, and is about five feet high ; but as the build- ing is often sunk to the depth of four or five feet, the eaves come very near the surface of the earth. Smaller pieces of timber are now extended by pairs in the form of rafters, from the lower to the upper beam, where they are attached at both ends with cords of cedar bark. On these rafters two or three ranges of small poles are placed horizontally, and secured in the same way with strings of cedar bark. The sides are now made with a range of wide boards sunk a small distance into the ground, with the upper ends projecting above the poles at the eaves, to which they are secured by a beam passing outside, parallel with the eave poles, and tied by cords of cedar bark passing through * I have seen some of their houses upwards of 90 feet long, and from 30 to 40 broad. CULINARY OPERATIONS. 157 holes made in the boards at certain distances. The gable ends and partitions are formed in the same way, being fastened by beams on the outside, parallel to the rafters. The roof is then covered with a double range of thin boards, except an aperture of two or three feet in the centre, for the smoke to pass through. The entrance is by a small hole cut out of the boards, and just large enough to admit the body. The very largest houses only are divided by partitions ; for though three or more families re- side in the same room, there is quite space enough for all of them. " In the centre of each room is a space six or eight feet square, sunk to the depth of twelve inches below the rest of the floor, and enclosed by four pieces of square timber. Here they make the fire, for which purpose pine bark is generally preferred. Around this fireplace mats are spread, and serve as seats during the day, and very frequently as beds at night : there is, however, a more permanent bed made, by fixing in two, or sometimes three sides of the room, posts reaching from the roof down to the ground, and at the distance of four feet from the wall. From these posts to the wall itself one or two ranges of boards are placed, so as to form shelves, on which they either sleep, or stow their various articles of merchandise. The uncured fish is hung in the smoke of their fires, as is also the flesh of the elk, when they are fortunate enough to procure any, which is but rarely." Their culinary articles consist of a large square kettle made of cedar wood, a few platters made of ash, and awkward spoons made of the same material. Their mode of cooking is, how- ever, more expeditious than ours. Having put a certain quantity of water into the kettle, they throw in several hot stones, which quickly cause the water to boil ; the fish or meat is then put in, and the steam is kept from evaporating by a small mat thrown over the kettle. By this system a large salmon will be boiled in less than twenty minutes, and meat in a proportionable short space of time. They are not scrupulously clean in their cook- ing. A kettle in which salmon is boiled in the morning may have elk dressed in it the same evening, and the following day be doomed to cook a dish of sturgeon, without being washed out, or scarcely rinsed. They occasionally roast both their meat and fish on small wooden brocheltes, similar to those used by the upper Indians. It will no doubt be regarded as a subject of surprise, that in felling the timber for their houses, and in the laborious operation of forming their canoes, they had not, previous to our arrival, an axe. Their only instruments consisted of a chisel, generally formed out of an old file, a kind of oblong stone, which they used as a hammer,and a mallet made of spruce knot, well oiled and hardened by the action of fire. With these wretched tools they cut down trees from thirty to forty feet in circumference ; and with 158 GAMING IIAIQUA MEDICAL TREATMENT. unparalleled patience and perseverance continued their tedious and laborious undertaking until their domicile was roofed, or their canoe fit to encounter the turbulent waves of the Columbia. As their chief source of subsistence depends on their fisheries, they pay great attention to their nets, in the manufacture of which they exhibit their usual ingenuity. They occasionally fish with the hook and line. They make use of the common straight net, the scooping or dipping net, and the gig. Lewis and Clarke mention that " the first is of different lengths and depths, and used in taking salmon, carr, and trout, in the deep inlets among the marshy grounds, and the mouths of deep creeks. The scooping net is used for small fish in the spring and summer season ; and in both kinds the net is formed of silk grass, or the bark of white cedar. The gig is used at all seasons, and for all kinds of fish they can procure with it ; so too is the hook and line ; of which the line is made of the same material as the net, and the hook generally brought by the traders ; though before the whites came they made hooks out of two small pieces of bone, resembling the European hook, but with a much more acute angle, where the two pieces were joined." Gambling is one of their most incorrigible vices ; and so invete- rately are they attached to it, that the unfortunate gamester often finds himself stripped of slaves, beads, haiqua, and even nets. Their common game is a simple kind of hazard. One man takes a small stone which he changes for some time from hand to hand, all the while humming a slow monotonous air. The bet is then made ; and according as his adversary succeeds in guessing the hand in which the stone is concealed, he wins or loses. They seldom cheat ; and submit to their losses with the most philosophical resignation. Haiqua, which I have so often mentioned, is a white round shell of extreme hardness, varying from one to four inches in length, and from three-eighths to half an inch in circumference. It is hollow, slightly curved, and tapers a little towards the ends. These shells are highly estimated, the longest being the most valuable. They are found in the neighbourhood of Nootka, and form an important article of local traffic. The Indians regulate the prices of their various articles by haiqua ; a fathom of the best description being equal in value to ten good beaver skins. The most enlightened nations are inundated with charlatans ; it is therefore not surprising they should flourish among rude barbarians. Every Indian village has its quack doctor ; or, as they call him, " the strong man of medicine." The moment a native is attacked with sickness, no matter of what description, the physician is sent for. He immediately commences opera- tions by stretching the patient on his back ; while a number of his friends and relations surround him, each carrying a long and a QUACKERY — FUNERAL RITES. 159 short stick,'with which they beat time to a mournful air which the doctor chants, and in which they join at intervals. Sometimes a slave is despatched to the roof of the house, which he bela- bours most energetically with his drum-sticks, joining at the same time with a loud voice the chorus inside. The man of medicine then kneels, and presses with all his force his two fists on the patient's stomach. The unfortunate man, tortured with the pain produced by this violent operation, utters the most piercing cries ; but his voice is drowned by the doctor and the bystanders, who chant loud and louder still the mighty " song of medicine." At the end of each stanza the operator seizes the patient's hands, which he joins together and blows on. He thus continues alternately pressing and blowing until a small white stone, which he had previously placed in the patient's mouth, is forced out. This he exhibits with a triumphant air to the man's relations ; and with all the confidence and pomposity of modern quackery, assures them the disease is destroyed, and that the patient must undoubtedly recover. Mr. Franchere states he has seen some of them carefully envelop the small stone, which they call the source of evil, in a piece of cedar bark, and throw it into the fire. It frequently happens that a man, who might have been cured by a simple dose of medicine, is by this abominable system de- stroyed ; but whether recovery or death be the consequence, the quack is equally recompensed. Some of the more intelligent undoubtedly perceive the imposition which these fellows prac- tise ; but the great faith which the ignorant and superstitious multitude have in their skill deters any man from exposing their knavery. Latterly, however, numbers of their sick have applied for relief and assistance at Fort George ; and as our prescrip- tions have been generally attended with success, their belief in the infallibility of those jugglers has been considerably weak- ened. From the doctor to death, the charlatan to the coffin, the transition is not unnatural. When a Chinook dies, it matters not whether from natural causes or the effects of quackery, his remains are deposited in a small canoe, the body being pre- viously enveloped in skins or mats. His bow, arrows, and other articles are laid by his side. The canoe is then placed on a high platform near the river's side, or on rocks out of the reach of the tide, and other mats tied over it. If the relations of the deceased can afford it, they place a larger canoe reversed over the one containing his body, and both are firmly tied together. His wives, relatives, and slaves go into mourning by cutting their hair ; and for some time after his death repair twice a day, at the rising and setting of the sun, to an adjoining wood, to chant his funeral dirge. 160 BIVOUACK — PILFERING. CHAPTER XV. Voyage to the interior — Party attacked, and one man killed — Arrive at Spokan House — Joy of the Indians at our return — The chiefs speech — Sketch of Mr. M'Donald — Duel prevented between him and a chief — Kettle Indians ; their surprise at seeing white men — Curious account of an hermaphrodite chief — Death of Jacques Hoole. On the 5th of August, 1814, we left Fort George. Our party, including proprietors and clerks, consisted of sixty men, in nine heavily loaded canoes. We arrived early the third day at the foot of the rapids. It was here our men had been robbed the preceding autumn ; and here also Mr. Stewart's party had been attacked, and himself wounded the following winter. We therefore took more than usual precautions, and formed a strong guard to protect the carriers. The natives were numerous, but evinced no disposition to be troublesome. As the chief did not appear with the flag, a party proceeded to the village and inquired for him. They were told he was absent from home. The Indian whom we suspected of having fired at Michel was also invisible. Their nonappearance looked rather suspicious, and induced us to be doubly cautious. By hard labour we finished the portage in one day, and encamped at the upper end. We arranged the goods and canoes in such a manner as to pre- vent a surprise, and the whole party was divided into two watches. At intervals during the night we heard footsteps among the rocks, and in the woods ; but it passed over quietly, and at daybreak we commenced reloading. A few of the natives came to us unarmed, and brought with them some fish and roots, which we purchased ; and having distributed some tobacco among them, pushed off. The day after we reached the narrows and falls in safety. When the last portage had been nearly finished, numbers of the Eneeshurs collected about us, and became very troublesome. They made several attempts to pilfer, and we were constrained to use some violence to keep them in check. We asked repeat- edly for the chief; but were answered that he was in the plains hunting : this we did not believe, and finding that they still per- severed in seizing every loose article they could pick up, we were obliged to order corporeal punishment to be inflicted on three of the ringleaders. They went away followed by a nu- merous party of their friends. Their looks betokened revenge ; and the few who remained told us to be on our guard, as they NIGHT ATTACK LOSS OF LIFE. 161 heard the others talking in a threatening manner. We there- fore reloaded quickly, and crossed over to the opposite side. It was high and rocky, and possessed many points from which an enemy could attack us with effect. The daylight was fast receding ; every one lent a hand to work the canoes, and still no place presented itself at which we could land with safety. With much difficulty and labour we at length reached the long rocky island already mentioned ; and as it was then quite dark, we had no alternative but to land in a small sandy bay, sur- rounded by high craggy rocks, of which the island was chiefly composed. We could not procure any wood, and were obliged to dine and sup on some cold boiled rice which had been left from morning. It was judged advisable not to pitch the tents ; and we slept on the beach behind the bales and cases of mer- chandise in rather an irregular manner. The first watch, to which I belonged, passed over tranquilly ; and we retired to sleep at midnight, on being relieved by the second. Our repose was not of long continuance. About half an hour before daybreak the cry of Les sauvages nous Jltchent ! Les sauvages nous jltchent !* rung in our ears, followed by the report of several shots. Every man instantly seized his arms, and we discharged a volley at a rocky eminence which com- manded the little bay, and from which the enemy had fired down on our sentinels. This dislodged the savages ; but owing to the darkness of the morning, and our ignorance of the interior of the island, we did not think it prudent to pursue them. It was impossible to ascertain whether any of our balls had taken effect on the enemy ; and apprehensive of another attack in a spot so badly calculated for defence, and in which we were completely exposed, orders were given to load the canoes. In the hurry attendant upon this operation we did not at first miss one of our men, named Baptiste L'Amoureux, whom we found lying wounded at the farther end of the bay, at which he had been posted as a sentinel. His moans conducted us to the spot. A ball had passed through the left breast, and came out near the shoulder. Every assistance was rendered him, but in vain ; he never uttered a word ; and ere the morning dawned he had ceased to breathe. We did not before imagine these savages had any fire-arms among them ; but this event showed we had been mistaken. No other fatality occurred, although several of the party had wonderful escapes. An arrow passed through the collar of one man's coat, and the nightcap of another was pierced through. Mr. La Rocque and I slept together, and an arrow penetrated * The savages are shooting at us with arrows. u 102 JOURNEY RESUMED — EXAGGERATIONS. six inches into the ground between our necks. Our safety may in a great degree be attributed to a number of the arrows having been intercepted by the bales and cases of trading goods. The canoes were quickly loaded, and at daybreak we pushed off from this dangerous spot. As we paddled up the south side of the river, some arrows were discharged at us from the island. We fired a few shots in return ; but from the manner the assail- ants were covered, we conjectured our balls fell harmless. On nearing the upper end of the island, we caught a passing view of forty or fifty of the savages not more than two hundred yards distant. Orders were immediately given to those who had their guns ready to fire ; but before a trigger was pulled they had vanished. We landed at the spot ; and a few of us, who ascended the rocks, observed them at a considerable distance running like hunted deer. We discharged a few random shots after them, upon which we re-embarked, and proceeded on our voyage. At half past eight we put ashore at a low sandy point covered with willows and cotton wood, for the purpose of break- fasting and interring the body of L'Amoureux. The men were immediately set to work to dig a grave, into which were lowered the remains of the unfortunate Canadian. A few short prayers were said in French ; and after the earth was thrown in, to a level with the surface, it was covered over with dry sand in such a manner as to keep the natives in ignorance of the occurrence. We remained here a few hours to refit, at the end of which we resumed our journey. We saw no Indians during the remainder of the day, and encamped late on a low stony island, above a rapid, on which we found plenty of drift wood. The following day we passed a few villages of the friendly tribes, from whom we purchased some horses for the kettle. From hence to the Wallah Wallahs, with whom we stopped one day, nothing particular occurred. They received us in their usual friendly manner ; and on inquiring from them to what tribe the Indians belonged who had given my small party such a chase the preceding autumn, they replied that they were relatives of the man who had been hanged by Mr. Clarke on Lewis River, and were part of the Upper Nez Perces ; that they were very bad people, much addicted to thieving, and that we should be very cautious how we fell in their way, as they had vowed to kill a white man as a satisfaction for the death of their relation. We met a few of the Nez Perces at the mouth of Lewis River : they appeared friendly, and sold us some horses. From this place nothing particular occurred until the 23d of August, on which day we arrived at Oakinagan. The news of the attack had preceded us, accompanied by the usual exaggerations of Indians. Mr. Ross, who was in charge of that establishment, INDIAN HARANGUE. 163 informed us that the first intelligence he received stated that ten white men and twenty Indians had been killed. By other accounts our loss was varied from fifteen to twenty, and one statement destroyed half the party, and sent the remainder back to the sea, with the loss of all the goods. From this place Mr. Keith proceeded with despatches to the other side of the mountains ; and the various parties separated for their summer destinations. Mine was Spokan House, in company with Messrs. Stewart, M'Millan, and M'Donald. We left Oakinagan on the 27th, and reached Spokan on the 31st of August. The trading goods had been exhausted long before, and the Indians had been upwards of two months without ammu- nition. Our arrival, therefore, was hailed with great joy. The whole tribe assembled round the fort, and viewed with delight the kegs of powder and the bales of tobacco as they were unloaded from the horses. A large circle was formed in the court-yard, into the centre of which we entered ; and having lit the friendly calumet, smoked a few rounds to celebrate the meeting. A quantity of tobacco was then presented to each of the men, and the chief delivered a long oration ; part of which, addressing us, ran as follows : — "My heart is glad to see you: my heart is glad to see you. We were a long time very hungry for tobacco ; and some of our young men said you would never come back. They were angry, and said to me, ' The white men made us love tobacco almost as much as we love our children, and now we are starving for it. They brought us their wonderful guns, which we traded from them ; we threw by our arrows as useless, because we knew they were not so strong to kill the deer as the guns ; and now we are idle with our guns, as the white men have no fire- powder, or balls, to give us, and we have broken our arrows, and almost forgotten how to use them : the white men are very bad, and have deceived us.' But I spoke to them, and I said, You are fools ; you have no patience. The white men's big canoes are a long time coming over the Stinking Lake* that divides their country from ours. They told me on going away that they would come back, and I know they would not tell lies." Then turning to his countrymen, he continued, " Did I not tell you that the white men would not tell lies ? You are fools, great fools, and have no patience. Let us now show our joy at meeting our friends ; and to-morrow let all our hunters go into the plains, and up the hills, and kill birds and deer for the good white men." They then commenced dancing, jumping, and crying out in a most discordant manner. * The Sea. So called from its saline qualities. 164 LIVE-STOCK HETEROGENEOUS LINGUIST. The good white men, the good white men, Our hearts are glad for the good white men. The good white men, the good white men, Dance and sing for the good white men. Then giving three cheers, something like the " Hip, hip, hurra !" of our domestic bacchanalians, they retired to the village. The next morning the hunters procured a fresh stock- of am- munition, and, for some weeks following, our table was plenti- fully supplied with excellent grouse, wild geese, and ducks, in prime order. We had planted the year before some turnips, potatoes, cabbage, and other esculents, which yielded a pretty good crop. The quantity was increased the following spring ; and this autumn we had an abundance of these vegetables. We had brought up a cock, three hens, three goats, and three hogs. The Indians were quite astonished at beholding them. They called the fowl " the white men's grouse ;" the goats were denominated " the white men's deer ;" and the swine " the white men's bears." They inquired if animals of the above descrip- tion were ail tame in our country ; and on being answered in the affirmative, they asked, if they caught some of those to which they compared them, could we tame them in a similar manner ? we told them to catch a few young ones, and we would make the attempt. A young bear was shortly secured : he was tied in the stye with the pigs, and fed daily by one of our Canadians, of whom he became very fond, and who in a short time taught him to dance, beg, and play many tricks, which delighted the Indians exceedingly. While we were here a curious incident occurred between Mr. M'Donald and an Indian, which I shall preface by a short account of the former. He belonged to a highly respectable family, which emigrated from Inverness-shire to Canada while he was a lad. His first accents were lisped in Gaelic ; but in the capital of the Highlands, so celebrated for its pure English, he made considerable progress in our language. On arriving in Canada he was obliged to learn French, in which he had made some proficiency, when he joined the North-west Company as an apprentice-clerk. At the period I speak of he had been ten years absent from Canada, and had travelled over an immense extent of Indian country. He seldom remained more than one winter at any particular place, and had a greater facility of ac- quiring than of retaining the language of the various tribes with whom he came in contact. He was subject to temporary fits of abstraction, during which the country of his auditory was forgotten, and their lingual knowledge set at defiance by the most strange and ludicrous melange of Gaelic, English, French, and half a dozen Indian dialects. Whenever any thing occur- SQUABBLE CUM0US DIALOGUE. 1G5 red to ruffle his temper, it was highly amusing to hear him give vent to his passion in Diaouls, God d — s, Sacres, and invocations of the "evil spirit" in Indian : he was, however, a good-natured, inoffensive companion, easily irritated, and as easily appeased. His appearance was very striking : in height he was six feet four inches, with broad shoulders, large bushy whiskers, and red hair, which for some years had not felt the scissors, and which sometimes falling over his face and shoulders, gave to his coun- tenance a wild and uncouth appearance. He had taken a Spo- kan wife, by whom he had two children. A great portion of his leisure time was spent in the company of her relations, by whom, and indeed by the Indians in general, he was highly be- loved : their affection, however, was chastened by a moderate degree of fear, with which his gigantic body and indomitable bravery inspired them. One day as we were sitting down to dinner, one of our men, followed by a native, rushed into the dining-room, and requested we would instantly repair to the village to prevent bloodshed, as Mr. M'Donald was about to fight a duel with one of the chiefs. We ran to the scene of action, and found our friend sur- rounded by a number of Indians, all of whom kept at a respect- ful distance. He had his fowling-piece, which he changed from one hand to the other, and appeared violently chafed. The chief stood about twenty yards from him, and the follow- ing colloquy took place between them, which, for the information of my unlearned readers, I shall translate. M'D.— "Come on, now, you rascal! you toad! you dog! Will you fight?" Indian. — " I will : — but you're a foolish man. A chief should not be passionate. I always thought the white chiefs were wise men." M'D. — " I want none of your jaw : I say you cheated me. You're a dog ! Will you fight ?" Indian. — " You arc not wise. You get angry like a woman ; but I will fight. Let us go to the wood. Are you ready?" M'D. — "Why, you d — d rascal, what do you mean? I'll fight you here. Take your distance like a brave man, face to face, and we '11 draw lots for the first shot, or fire together, which- ever you please." Indian. — "You are a greater fool than I thought you were. Who ever heard of a wise warrior standing before his enemy's gun to be shot at like a dog ? No one but a fool of a white man would do so." M'D. — "What do you mean? What way do you want to fight?" Indian. — " The way that all red warriors fight. Let us take our guns, and retire to yonder wood ; place yourself behind one 16G SKETCH OF CHARACTER. tree, and I will take my stand behind another, and then we shall see who will shoot the other first !" M'D. — " You are afraid, and you're a coward." Indian. — " I am not afraid ; and you're a fool." M'D. — " Come then, d — n my eyes if I care. Here's at you your own way." And he was about proceeding to the wood, when we interfered, had the combatants disarmed, and after much entreaty induced our brave Gael to return to the fort. The quarrel originated in a gambling transaction, in which M'Donald imagined he had been cheated, and under that im- pression struck the chief, and called him a rogue. The latter told him he took advantage of his size and strength, and that he would not meet him on equal terms with his gun. This imputation roused all his ire. He instantly darted into the field with his fowling-piece, followed by the chief, when by our arri- val we prevented an encounter which in all probability would have proved fatal to our friend. The gigantic figure, long red flowing locks, foaming mouth, and violent gesticulation of M'Donald, presented a striking and characteristic contrast to the calm and immutable features of the chieftain. His inflexible countenance was, for a moment, disturbed by something like a smile, when he told his opponent that no one but a fool would stand before a gun to be shot at like a dog. In fact, M'Donald's proposition appeared to him so much at variance with his received notions of wisdom, that he could not comprehend how any man in his senses could make such an offer. On explaining to him afterward the civilized mode of deciding gentlemanly quarrels, he manifested the utmost incredulity, and declared that he could not conceive how people so wise in other respects, should be guilty of such foolishness. But when we assured him in the most positive manner that we were stating facts, he shook his head, and said, " I see plainly there are fools every where." M'Donald was a most extraordinary and original character. To the gentleness of a lamb he united the courage of a lion. He was particularly affectionate to men of small size, whether equals or inferiors, and would stand their bantering with the utmost good-humour : but if any man approaching his own altitude presumed to encroach too far on his good-nature, a lowering look and distended nostrils warned the intruder of an approaching eruption. One of our Canadian voyageurs, named Bazil Lucie, a re- markably strong man, about six feet three inches high, with a muscular frame, and buffalo neck, once said something which he thought bordered on disrespect. Any man under five feet ten might have made use of the same language with impunity, but FISTY-CUFFS INDIAN WAItPARfi. 107 from such a man as Lucie, who was a kind of bully over his comrades, it could not be borne ; he accordingly told him to hold his tongue, and threatened to chastise him if he said another word. This was said before several of the men, and Lucie replied by saying that he might thank the situation he held for his safety, or he should have satisfaction sur Ic cluvrnp. M'Donald instantly fired, and asked him if he would fight with musket, sword, or pistol; but Lucie declared he had no notion of fighting in that manner, adding that his only weapons were his fists. The pugnacious Celt resolving not to leave him any chance of escape, stripped oil' his coat, called him un enfant de chienne, and challenged him to fight comme tin polisson. Lucie immediately obeyed the call, and to work they fell. I was not present at the combat ; but some of the men told me that in less than ten minutes Bazil was completely disabled, and was unfit to work for some weeks after. M'Donald frequently, for the mere love of fighting, accom- panied the Flat-heads in their war excursions against the Black- feet. His eminent bravery endeared him to the whole tribe, and in all matters relating to warfare his word was a law. The folowing anecdote, which was related to me by several Indians, will at once show his steady courage and recklessness of danger. In the summer of 1812, at the buffalo plains, they fell in with a strong party of the Black-feet, and a severe contest ensued. M'Donald was to be seen in every direction, in the hottest of the fire, cheering and animating his friends ; and they at length succeeded in driving the Black-feet to take shelter in a thick cluster of trees, from whence they kept up a constant and galling fire on the Flat-heads, by which a few were killed, and several wounded. In vain he exerted all his influence to induce his friends to storm the trees, and drive the enemy from their cover. Their mode of attack was extremely foolish, and productive of no benefit ; for each warrior advanced opposite to the spot from whence the Black-feet fired, and after discharging a random shot into the group of trees, instantly galloped away. M'Donald, vexed at this puerile method of fighting, offered to take the lead himself to dislodge the enemy: but, with the exception of the war-chief, they all refused to join him. He therefore resolved to try the effect of example, and putting his horse into a smart trot, rode opposite to the place from whence the chief fire of the Black-feet proceeded : he then dismounted, took a deliberate aim at the head of a fellow which had just Sopped from behind a tree, and let fly. The bullet entered the ►lack-foot's mouth, and he fell. A shower of balls instantly whizzed about M'Donald and his horse ; but he, undismayed, reloaded, while his friends cried out and besought him to retire. 168 NARROW ESCAPE — THE CHAUDIERES. He covered another in the same manner, who also fell, after which he calmly remounted, and galloped to his party uninjured. A prisoner, who was subsequently taken, declared that the only two killed of those who had taken refuge among the trees, were both shot in the head by the " big white chief," as they termed our friend. His friends at Forts des Prairies repeatedly wrote to him that the Black-feet complained greatly of his having joined the Flat-heads, who had, by his assistance and that of Michel, become powerful, and that they vowed vengeance against them if ever they fell in their way ; but M'Donald paid no attention either to their warning or our entreaties. War was his glory, and "piping peace" his aversion. Up to the period I quitted the Columbia he escaped harmless ; but I regret to state that a few years afterward, one of the enemy's balls brought him to the ground : half-a-dozen savages instantly rushed on him, and com- menced hacking his scull with their tomahawks : the scalping- knife was in the act of beginning its dreadful operation, and in a moment all would have been over, had not the war-chief, accompanied by a few friends, dashed to his assistance, killed three of the Black-feet, and rescued their benefactor from impending death. He subsequently recovered ; but I under- stand the wounds he then received have left evident traces of their violence on his bold and manly front. About seven hundred miles from Fort George, and ninety from Spokan House, there is an immense fall in the Columbia, between sixty and seventy feet perpendicular at low water, and about forty-five in the spring and early part of the summer, when the melting of the snow contributes to swell the mighty torrent. The basin at the foot of the cascade resembles a boil- ing cauldron, in consequence of which the fall is called " La Chaudiere." A small tribe, called " Les Chaudieres," reside at this place : their village is situated on the north side, just below the fall, where they remain the greater part of the year. They take little beaver ; but their lands are well stocked with game and fish ; there is also abundance of wild fruit, such as choke- cherries, currants, small strawberries, with black and blue berries. They take vast quantities of salmon, which they dry and preserve for use during the winter and spring months. Cleanliness cannot be ranked amongst their virtues. Their habitations are filthy in the extreme, and the surrounding atmo- sphere is impregnated with the most noxious effluvia, produced by the piscatory offals which lie scattered about their dwellings. I visited their village in September in company with my friend M'Donald, his wife, some of her relations,and two of our own men. They received us in a friendly manner, and treated us to abun- dance of roast and boiled salmon. A small branch of this tribe INDIAN CURIOSITY — CHIEF. 169 reside in the interior, about a day and a half's march to the northward. A family of them, consisting of a father, mother, and several children, arrived at the falls the day before us. They had never seen white men, and their astonishment was extreme at the great contrast exhibited between the tall raw- boned figure, and flowing red hair of my friend, compared to the cropped head, John-Bullish face, low, and somewhat corpulent person of the author. The old woman requested to see my arms uncovered ; and having gratified her, she begged to see my breast. I accordingly opened my shirt, and she at length became satisfied that the skin was all white, of which she ap- peared previously to entertain some doubts. Her curiosity was next directed to what she looked upon as the supernatural colour of M'Donald's hair, and expressed a wish to have a close examination of it: he complied, and having sat down, she commenced an inquisitorial search about its radical terminations, after certain animalculi, which shall be nameless. She appeared much disappointed at not finding a solitary " ferlie," the absence of which she attributed to the extraordinary colour of his hair, which she said frightened them away. Then turning to me, and observing mine was of a darker hue, she asked if I would allow her to take a " look." I immediately consented ; but her eyes and digits having for some time toiled in vain, she appeared annoyed at her want of success, and rose up quite vexed, de- claring we were altogether " too clean." We visited a small tribe, consisting of not more than fifteen families, who occupied a few hunting lodges about midway between Spokan House and the Chaudiere falls : their language is a dialect of that spoken by the natives of the above places, but approaching more nearly to the Spokan. Their immediate lands consist of beautiful open prairies, bounded by clear woods, and interspersed with small rivulets and lakes. The latter are visited in the autumnal months by numbers of wild geese and ducks, and their hills are well stocked with grouse. They are an inoffensive race, and received us with every demonstration of friendship. We remained a week among them, during which period we had excellent sport. The aquatic birds were large and fat ; and the grouse much beyond ours in size ; and so tame, that they seldom took wing until we approached within a few yards of them. The chief of this tribe is an extraordinary being. The In- dians allege that he belongs to the epicene gender. He wears a woman's dress, overloaded with a profusion of beads, thimbles, and small shells ; add to which, the upper part of the face and the manner of wearing the hair are quite feminine ; but these appearances are more than counterbalanced by a rough beard, A. 170 U MORAL PHILOSOPHY, and a masculine tone of voice wni^n ,xr rt . u virility beyond dispute. He Svw £LE 8eem t0 SCt his either- sexfand he £ regarded rt.tt™ ,! W0C S" Wi "} awe by both men and women who llf T' " of fear and more man human. He has a e^m and ratK", 11 ™ aS S ° methin « from the largest and poorest families a fresh set of juvenFe do STo\X P o^de t drr ken ° "*"** ^ «WS£ are T thp fin!? [ P ° S % Sses a lar S e nu mber of horses, some of which cnsy so common among Indians; and if he finds Infu we were received with a degree of courteous hospSv wh i c h I never experienced elsewhere. He was communicative^ and inquisitive, and ridiculed the follies of the Indians in £'^0^ philosophical manner. Of these he inveighed principally against gambling and their improvident thoughtfessness in n and party set off at the same time for the Columbia ; and Messrs. Joseph M'Gillivray and William Henry for Athabasca and Lesser Slave Lake. By the new distribution, I was deprived of the pleasure of my friend M'Tavish's company, which I much regretted ; however, as we were to proceed together in the same brigade to Canada, the separation was infinitely less painful than that which I expe- M m 282 LEAVING OLD FRIENDS FELLOW-TRAVELLERS. rienced in parting from my old friends M'Gillivray and La Rocque. We had spent many happy days together on the banks of the distant Columbia. Our studies and amusements were the same. We had suffered in common many privations incident to that dangerous district ; and whether in a canoe or on horseback, over a hit of backgammon or on the midnight watch, there was a community of feeling that peculiarly endeared us to each other. I was about re-entering the busy scenes of civilized life, while they were returning to encounter all the dangers and hardships attendant on a trader's occupation ; and the pressure therefore of the parting grasp was rendered doubly painful by the reflec- tion, that in all human probability we should never meet again. Those only who knew them as I did, and were acquainted with their many excellent and social qualities, " their scorn for wrong, their zeal for truth," can appreciate the justice of this poor tribute to the manliness of their character, and the steady sincerity of their friendship. About an hour after quitting the fort, we made one portage ; and shortly after passed a small trading-post of Lord Selkirk's. Encamped about six p. m. on an island in tlie lake. August 8th. Embarked at half past one a. m. Had a steady breeze all the morning. Made several portages. Messrs. H. Mackenzie and M'Lean, of the North- West Company, passed us on their way to Winepic River, and shortly after we met six canoes belonging to the Hudson's-Bay Company, twenty-five days from Point Meuron, bound to the interior. Passed several Indian encampments, at which we procured a quantity of wild rice. This we boiled and took in preference to the sturgeon we were furnished with at the fort, and which had now a very mauvaise odeur. Encamped alone this evening, in consequence of Messrs. Henry and M'Tavish having very good-naturedly gone on ahead, and left us to manage matters as well as we could. It was not, however, with my friend M'Tavish's consent that we were left behind ; for I knew he would have preferred remaining with us, had his own wishes been consulted ; but when any of the little great men of the North-West obtain a command, they imagine they have no legitimate method of showing their tempo- rary superiority, but by leaving their subordinate officers as far en arritre as possible. I derived much pleasure from the conversation of my two new compagnans de voyage, Messrs. Wentzel and M'Neill. The former had been upwards of sixteen years in the Indian country, princi- pally in the department of Athabasca,and had obtained a thorough knowledge of the manners, customs, and language of the natives of that quarter. He was an active, enterprising trader : but, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH WARLIKE CHARACTER. 283 having no family connexions to place his claims in the prominent point of view which they ought to occupy, and being moreover of an honest unbending disposition, his name was struck out of the house-list of favourite clerks intended for proprietors, and he had the vexation to see many young men promoted over his head, several of whom had never slept a night with a hungry stomach, or seen a shot fired in anger. Disgust followed disap- pointment, and he was now proceeding to Canada, determined, if justice were not rendered him by the directors, to quit the service of the Company for ever.* M'Neill belonged to a highly respectable family in the north of Ireland, and had at an early age entered the regiment of foot as an ensign. Owing, however, to a serious quarrel with his commanding officer, he was obliged to quit the service ; and being too proud to seek any assistance from his relatives, whom he had reason to suspect were displeased at his conduct, he re-entered the army as a private soldier. He was quickly appointed a sergeant, and behaved with distinguished bravery throughout the peninsular campaigns, in which he was twice wounded. After the battle of the Pyrenees he was promoted to the rank of sergeant-major ; and upon the termination of hos- tilities in the south of France, his regiment, with others, were ordered from Bourdeaux to Canada. His American services were of short duration. Peace speedily followed Sir George Prevost's disgraceful retreat from Plattsburg, and the battalion to which M'Neill belonged was ordered to be disbanded. This unwelcome intelligence reached him at a period when he had every reason to hope that he would have been speedily restored to his former rank. Not wishing to return home, he preferred accepting his discharge in Canada, where he was shortly after introduced to one of the agents of the North- West Company, which then stood in need of a few fighting characters, to make a stand against the encroachments of their rivals. M'Neill's face was in itself a letter of recommendation. His countenance was a ruddy bronze, with a noble nose of the Nassau cut, a superb pair of full-blown Cossack whiskers, and an inter- esting transverse sabre-w r ound over his right eye. Valour was then at a premium, and M'Neill's character, joined to his war- like visage, at once secured him a handsome engagement. On his arrival in the interior, an opportunity quickly offered for try- ing his hand at his old profession. He was despatched with a few men to intercept a party of Indians who were loaded with furs, in order to prevent them falling into the hands of the Hud- son's-Bay Company. He found, however, that he had been * This gentleman is the same whose name so frequently occurs in Captain Franklin's Journal. 284 DUELS ROUTE CONTINUED. anticipated by a clerk of the latter establishment. Warm words took place between them, and a duel was the consequence. M'Neill drove a ball through his adversary's hat, and there the affair ended. Some time after he was engaged in two broad- sword encounters, in which he wounded one of his opponents, and disarmed the other. His fame soon became established ; and wherever he appeared, opposition vanished. A year of inactivity followed his first campaign ; and as no fighting reinforcement appeared among the ranks of the enemy, he became dissatisfied with his situation. A quarrel occurred between him and the proprietors. He alleged that he was badly treated, and did not experience the attention to which he considered himself justly entitled ; while the latter stated, that his unruly conduct was a terrible example of insubordination to all the younger clerks in the establishment ; and that in his bearing to his superiors, he showed more of the major than of the sergeant-major. Without stopping to inquire upon whom the greater share of blame rested, it is sufficient to say, that the gentlemen of the interior were graciously pleased to dispense with his services a year before the termination of his engagement, and generously allowed him the full amount of his salary for the entire period. He was now on his way to Canada, uncertain as to his future course of life ; but so strongly imbued with a dislike of the In- dian country, that he swore he would rather carry a halberd all his life, than roll in a coach and four obtained by cheating the poor Indians. August 9th. Embarked at half-past three a. m. Made four portages during the day, and passed a few Sotoes in canoes. Embarked at eight o'clock in Lac d'Eturgeon. The scenery, since we left Lac la Pluie, is much more diversified with woods and rising grounds, than below that establishment. Weather very warm for the last three days. August 10th. At eight a. m. made the Portage des Deux Rivieres, and at nine, that of Les Morts, at which we break- fasted. Arrived at the Portage des Frane^ais at half past one p. m. and, owing to its length, and bad pathway, did not finish it until half past seven. Encamped at dusk at the entrance of Riviere des Francais. Had a great deal of thunder and heavy rain during the afternoon. August 1 1th. Made the Portage dc la Pente at ten a. m. At noon passed the Portage des Barrils, and entered Mille Lac with a fair breeze. At five r. m. passed an uninhabited house, built last year for a trading-post by order of Lord Selkirk. En- camped at eight, in a handsome savanna, close to a river which takes its name from the place (La Savanne). RENCOUNTER PICTURESQUE SCENERY. 285 August 12th. Started at daybreak. At ten met an old guide, named Joseph Paul, in charge of a brigade of seven loaded canoes destined for English River. At eleven, arrived at Sa- vanna portage, which we did not finish until three p. m. At five passed the Portage de Milieu ; at which we met a single canoe heavily laden, destined for the Red River. At dusk we made the Portage de la Prairie, and encamped on the shores of another Lac Froid ; a small body of clear water, so called from its extreme frigidity. August 13th. Found the air very chilly during the night, which some of our Canadian Savons attributed to the proximity of Lac Froid. A heavy dew also fell. Embarked at half past four ; and at half past five made the Portage de l'Eau Froide, the air round which we found extremely cold. We continued down a chain of small rapids, in one of which we w r ere obliged to unload. After this we descended a small river, with low banks, and a smooth current ; in which, at three p. m., we met Messrs. John George M'Tavish and J. Thompson on their way to the interior. Encamped at seven at Lac des Chiens, where we were joined by a Mr. Connolly, a senior clerk, for many years in charge of one of the principal trading-posts in the inte- rior. We encamped together ; and he invited us to his tent, where we made a sensible impression on the contents of a well- stocked garde-vin. This gentleman left Ireland when a boy, with his family, who settled in Canada. He had at this period been seventeen years in the Company's service, and was to be elected a partner the following year. He was un veritable bon garcon, and an Emeralder of the first water. August 14th. At four a. m. parted from our worthy host of the tent, when each pursued his different route. At six, met Mr. Duncan M'Dougall proceeding to Winepic River in a loaded canoe. We stopped a couple of hours with him, and breakfasted together. This gentleman had been one of the directors of the late Pacific Fur Company, and had consequently joined the North-West. He was one of our party crossing the mountains ; but at the English River, he set off in a light canoe with Mr. Bethune for Fort William, from which place he was now return- ing to his winter-quarters. Came to the termination of the lake about eleven o'clock, and finished the Portage des Chiens at noon. The country about this place is very handsome, and the view from the rising grounds about the portage highly picturesque and diversified. At one, passed another portage, called Le Petit Chien ; and in the course of the evening passed several rapids, at six of which we were obliged to unload and let the canoes down with the line. En- camped at dusk at the Portage des Cedres. From Lac des 286 CATARACTS RAPIDS FORT WILLIAM. Chiens the country assumes quite a hilly, and in some places a mountainous appearance. The timber too, particularly the pine and spruce, becomes much larger, and nearly approaches the magnitude of the trees on the Columbia. August 15th. At five a. m. made the Portage de l'lle ; pre- vious to which we were obliged to unload at two rapids. At eight made the Portage Ecarte ; and soon after, a loud and roaring noise announced our approach to the great falls of Portage de la Montague, which we reached a little before ten o'clock. This stupendous cataract is second only to Niagara. It is one hundred and fifty-six feet in height, and upwards of two hun- dred in breadth. The river, in its advance to the fall, moves slowly and majestically forward until its course is interrupted by a huge mass of rough craggy rocks, over whose dark gray front it rushes with a tremendous noise resembling distant thunder. We stopped to breakfast at the foot of the cataract, the spray from which dashed over us. It was a melancholy-looking spot. The morning was dark and cloudy, and not a ray of sunshine appeared to enliven the dread abyss ; owing to which circum- stance, and the banks on each side being high, rocky, and thickly wooded, we were deprived of seeing that beautiful phenomenon of the prismatic rainbow, so often observed at Niagara and other great falls. The scene was one of sombre grandeur ; and, how- ever it might have been relished by a philosopher, or an embryo Demosthenes, was well calculated to damp the animal spirits of the most vivacious disciple of Momus. For six leagues below this cataract there is a chain of shallow rapids, down which we had to pass the canoes with the cod- lines. Encamped late at the foot of the last rapid, without a mouthful of any substance for dinner or supper ; indeed we had been in a starving state for the last four days, having had only a scanty meal per diem. In the course of the day we met a brigade of loaded canoes, bound for Forts des Prairies, and another for Lac la Pluie. August 16th. Embarked at daybreak; and at six passed Point Meuron, one of Lord Selkirk's establishments, so called from a number of De Meuron's regiment having been employed in building it. The situation is handsome ; but the settlement consists otf a few straggling huts, miserably provided with the common necessaries of life. At eight o'clock we arrived at Fort William, as the welcome sound of the breakfast-bell was summoning the inmates to their morning's repast. We instantly repaired to the Salle a manger, and over a bowl of coffee, fresh eggs, excellent hot cakes, and prime cold venison, quickly forgot our late privations. COMPANY AT FORT WILLIAM. 287 Fort William is the great emporium for the interior. An ex- tensive assortment of merchandise is annually brought hither from Montreal, by large canoes, or the Company's vessels on the lakes, Which, in return, bring down the produce of the win- tering posts to Canada, from whence it is shipped for England. A number of the partners and clerks, whose turn of rotation has not arrived for going to Montreal, assemble here every summer, and deposite the furs which they purchase during the winter, when they obtain a fresh supply of trading goods for the ensuing season. Those on their way to Canada also remain some time previous to their final departure. In addition to these, one or two of the principal directors, and several clerks, come up every spring from Montreal to make the necessary changes, and uper- intcnd the distribution of the merchandise for the wintering parties. Fort William may therefore be looked upon as the metropolitan post of the interior, and its fashionable season generally continues from the latter end of May to the latter end of August. During this period, good living and festivity pre- dominate ; and the luxuries of the dinner-table compensate in some degree for the long fasts and short commons experienced by those who are stationed in the remote posts. The voyageurs too enjoy their carnival, and between rum and baubles the hard-earned wages of years are often dissipated in a few weeks. We arrived too late to see Fort W 7 illiam in its prime. A great portion of the interior aristocracy had departed for their winter destinations ; and most of those outward-bound had set off before our arrival. A small portion of respectability, how- ever, remained ; and during the two days that we stopped, our time was passed agreeably enough. The following is a list of the company who assembled at the dinner-table : viz. Messrs. John M'Donald (le Borgne*), Hal- dane, Ronald Cameron, James Grant (le Borgne), and Doctor M'Loughlin. The above comprised all the members of the pro- prietory present ; the doctor having two shares in consequence of long services, and being resident physician at the fort. Among the clerks were, Captain R. M'Kenzie, nearly fifty years of age, twenty-five of which he had spent in the Indian country ; Mr. Crebassu, also a North-Wester of twenty-five years standing, who was now on his way to Canada to abide his trial, on certain charges preferred against him by some of Lord Selkirk's agents ; Mr. Wentzel, my travelling companion, of whom I have already spoken ; Mr. Cummings, thirteen years in the Company's service, and presumptive heir to a partnership ; Mr. Alexander M'Tavish, from the Columbia, going to Canada * So called by the Canadians, owing to the gentleman having lout one eye. BUILDINGS AT THE FORT. from ill health ; Mr. Hector M'Neill, from Athabasca, quitting the country in consequence of having no one to fight with. There were also from the establishment in Montreal, Messrs. Grant, M'Robb, Cowie, M'Lean, and Robinson ; and at the end of the table a long list of worthies, consisting of hieroglyphic clerks, interpreters, and guides, who are looked upon as war- rant officers, and at head-quarters are permitted to dine with the mess. The dining-hall is a noble apartment, and sufficiently capa- cious to entertain two hundred. A finely executed bust of the late Simon M'Tavish is placed in it, with portraits of various proprietors. A full-length likeness of Nelson, together with a splendid painting of the battle of the Nile, also decorate the walls, and were presented by the Hon. William M'Gillivray to the Company. At the upper end of the hall there is a very large map of the Indian country, drawn with great accuracy by Mr. David Thompson, astronomer to the Company, and com- prising all their trading-posts, from Hudson's Bay to the Pacific Ocean, and from Lake Superior to Athabasca and Great Slave Lake. This immense territory is very little known, except to those connected with the Company ; and if it did not interfere with their interests, the publication of Mr. Thompson's map would prove a most valuable addition to our geographical knowledge of the interior of that great continent. The buildings at Fort William consist of a large house, in which the dining-hall is situated, and in which the gentleman in charge resides ; the council-house ; a range of snug buildings for the accommodation of the people from the interior ; a large counting-house ; the doctor's residence ; extensive stores for the merchandise and furs ; a forge ; various work-shops, with apartments for the mechanics, a number of whom are always stationed here. There is also a prison for refractory voijageurs. The whole is surrounded by wooden fortifications, flanked by bastions, and is sufficiently strong to withstand any attack from the natives. Outside the fort is a shipyard, in which the Com- pany's vessels on the lake are built and repaired. The kitchen- garden is well stocked, and there are extensive fields of Indian corn and potatoes. There are also several head of cattle, with 6heep, hogs, poultry, &c, and a few horses for domestic use. The country about the fort is low, with a rich moist soil. The air is damp, owing to frequent rains, and the constant exhalation from Lake Superior. This produces agues ; and numbers of the people who have wintered here, have been more or less afflicted with that troublesome disorder. In addition to the persons whose names I have already men- MIXTURE OF NATIONS OBSERVATORY. 289 tioned, we also found at Fort William, Captain Miles M'Don- nell, a gentleman connected with Lord Selkirk's establishment, in the custody of a constable named Fitzpatrick, on certain charges preferred against him by some members of the North- West Company, and for which he was about to be conducted to Canada. There was also a Mr. Joillette, a notary from Assump- tion, who came up as secretary to the commissioners, Messrs. Coltman and Fletcher ; by the latter of whom he was discharged from his functions, and was now waiting for a passage to Mont- real. Besides the above, there were a subaltern's detachment of the 70th foot, and a number of disbanded soldiers, who had belonged to De Meuron's regiment, and who were ready and willing to cut the throats of all persons opposed to the interest of their employers. Most part of the voyageurs, soldiers, Indians, half-breeds, &c, were encamped outside the fort in tents, leathern lodges, mat- covered huts, or wigwams. On inquiry, I ascertained that the aggregate number of the persons in and about the establishment was composed of natives of the following countries : viz. Eng- land, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Switzerland, United States of America, the Gold Coast of Africa, the Sandwich Islands, Bengal, Canada, with various tribes of Indians, and a mixed progeny of Creoles, or half-breeds. What a strange medley ! — Here were assem- bled, on the shores of this inland sea, Episcopalians, Presbyte- rians, Methodists, sun-worshippers, men from all parts of the world, and whose creeds were " wide as the poles asunder," united in one common object, and bowing down before the same idol.* An observatory (rather a crazy structure) stands in the court- yard of the fort. From it the eye takes in an extensive view of flat country, thickly wooded, with the bold shores of Thunder Island at a distance, rising abruptly out of Lake Superior ; while immediately around the fort the scene was enlivened by animating groups of women, soldiers, voyageurs, and Indians, dancing, singing, drinking, and gambling ; in their features com- prising all the shades of the human species, and in their dress, all the varied hues of the rainbow. * We had one East-Indian from Bengal, two negroes, and the De Meurons were a mixture of nearly every nation in Europe. Nn 290 VOYAGE ON LAKE SUPERIOR. CHAPTER XXVIII. Enter Lake Superior — St. Mary's Falls — Sketch of Mr. Johnston — Lake Huron French River — Lake Nipising — Arrive on the Ottawa — A back- woodsman — Chaudiere Falls — Hull — Longue Sault — Mr. Grant — Laugh- able mistake — Mr. M'Donald Le Pretre — Mr. M'Gilles — Snyder's Tavern — Lake of the two mountains — La Chine — Arrive at Montreal. August 18th. Received our sailing orders and provisions for our voyage last night ; and at six this morning took our depar- ture from Fort William, in company with a brigade of loaded canoes. Messrs. Wentzel, M'Neill, and I travelled in the same canoe. The day was remarkably warm and calm. Our route lay along the northern shore of Lake Superior, and we encamped at seven p. m. on a stony beach. The country appeared to be generally high and rocky. Some handsome open spots were visible at intervals along shore ; and other parts were thickly wooded. August 19th. This day was also calm, and we continued on with the paddle until dusk, when we put ashore in a small bay. The general appearance of the land was rocky, diversified, how- ever, by several beautiful situations admirably calculated for settlements. August 20th. Embarked at daybreak. The shores appeared higher, and were indented with larger bays than we had yet seen. We had several slight showers. About noon it came on to blow rather fresh, and at two p. m. we were obliged to put ashore from the violence of the gale, which kept us stationary the remainder of the day. August 21st. Started at three a. m. At six a hard breeze sprung up, accompanied by heavy rain ; and as the lowering appearance of the clouds portended no favourable change, we put ashore at ten o'clock at one of the Company's trading-posts, called Le Pic. The house is handsomely situated on the shores of a small bay. A proprietor was in charge. He was on the beach when we approached in shore ; and on seeing us disem- bark, he turned on his heel and retreated into the fort. This movement foreboded any thing but a hospitable reception ; and we therefore pitched our tent, and prepared for breakfast. As Wentzel had formerly known him, he paid him a visit; but M'Neill and I preferred remaining in the tent, from which no friendly invitation offered to dislodge us. Between one and two p. m. the rain ceased, and enabled us to quit the dominions of the surly landlord of the Pic. A stiff RENCOUNTER GENEROUS ENTERTAINMENT. 291 breeze wafted us on rapidly the remainder of the day, and we encamped late in a small bay. After leaving the Pic the shores appeared quite rocky, with little timber, and the interior moun- tainous. August 22d. Had a strong breeze all day, which at half-past four r. m. brought us to the River de la Chienne, close to the great bay of Mickipicoten, to cross which in stormy weather is rather hazardous. We therefore encamped at the river, where we remained all night. During the day we passed several islands, which, like the northern shore of the lake, are rocky ; they are also thinly wooded, and, as the voyageurs told me, possess a very unproductive soil. August 23d. Rose at three ; but the threatening aspect of the clouds deterred us from embarking until half past four a. m., when we commenced crossing the bay, or as the voyageurs called it, the Grande Traverse de Mickipicoten. We made use of the paddle and the sail by turns, and finished the traverse in five hours. At noon arrived at a point called Gargue en trois, from which a strong breeze brought us, at half past four, to Montreal island, on which we encamped. The northern coast more rocky and mountainous than yesterday. August 24th. Embarked at four, in calm weather, which about seven increased to a breeze, that brought us on rapidly till ten, when it obliged us to land at Point Mamas. Here we overtook Mr. Fletcher, a barrister and superintendant of police at Quebec. This gentleman had been appointed by the gover- nor-general joint commissioner with Mr. Coltman, to inquire into the causes of the various affrays between the two Compa- nies, and was now on his way to Canada with the result of his mission. We remained wind-bound at this place until three p. m., when the gale moderating, we continued on in company with Mr. Fletcher. Encamped at dusk at the opening of the bay of Batchivvina, one of the most extensive inlets on the northern shores of Lake Superior. Mr. Fletcher invited us to his tent, which was plentifully stocked with toutes les bonnes choses calculated to render travelling in such a country very agreeable ; and as our Fort William supply of luxuries was rather in a consumptive state, this gentleman in the kindest man- ner helped us most liberally from his store. From Point Mamas to this place the shore is rather low, and much less rugged than any part we had hitherto seen. August 25th. Embarked at daybreak with a fair breeze, and made the traverse of the Batchiwina, without using a paddle.* * This is a dangerous traverse. The year before, as Mr. Kenneth Macken- zie and fourteen men were crossing it in a gale of wind, under heavy sail, their canoe upset, and that gentleman and ten of the voyageurs were unfortunately drowned. 292 st. mary's falls — biographical sketch. At one p. m. doubled a cape called by the Canadians La Gras Cap, at which place the lake suddenly narrows to little better than a mile in breadth. The country on both sides is low and well wooded. At five p. m. arrived at St. Mary's Falls, or, as the Canadians name the place, Le Saut de Sainte Marie, at which Lake Su- perior terminates, and discharges its waters into Lake Huron. The North-West Company had extensive stores at this place, of which a Mr. Kennedy had charge. Mr. Fletcher stopped with us at the Company's house, where we had an excellent dinner of fish, wild-fowl, and deer. The southern side of St. Mary's forms part of the territory of the United States ; the northern belongs to Great Britain. On the American side there are several settlements, in consequence of which the North- Westers regard this place as the commence- ment of civilization. We crossed over in the evening in com- pany with Mr. Fletcher, from the stern of whose canoe a British jack was flying. On landing, we were received in the kindest manner by Mr. Johnston, the principal inhabitant of the place, who politely invited us to his house, where we spent a few hours. He returned with us to the Company's establishment, and the night was far advanced before we separated. August 26th. In consequence of the canoes requiring some repairs, we remained at St. Mary's Falls this day, which we passed in the most agreeable manner at the residence of Mr. Johnston. The history of this gentleman is remarkable. He was a mem- ber of a highly respectable family in the county Antrim, and in early life moved in the most fashionable circles in Ireland. A cir- cumstance, however, which blasted his early hopes of happiness, induced him to abandon his native country, and about twenty- eight years before this period he arrived in America. After wandering for some time about the continent, he made his way to St. Mary's Falls, where he shortly became a great favourite with the Indians, and entered extensively into the fur trade. The chief had an only child, a daughter. She was a beautiful and interesting girl, and although sought for as a wife by many of the youthful warriors, she declined all their offers. Her father was old and infirm, and wished her to marry before his death ; but still his affection for his daughter was so great, that he would not exercise his parental authority in compelling her to choose. It soon, however, became apparent that Mr. Johnston was the object of her choice. For some time previous, as he told me himself, he began to experience the truth of St. Pierre's opinion, that " man without woman, and woman without man, are imperfect beings in the order of nature." On learning, LOYALTY AND MISFORTUNE. 293 therefore, that he had found favour in the sight of this youth- ful Indian, he at once came to the resolution of rendering both himself and her perfect. Her father consented, and they were married according to the rites and ceremonies of the tribe. Death shortly after deprived the old man of his command ; and Mr. Johnston, whose wisdom and courage were highly admired by the Indians, was unanimously elected his successor. Some years after his union with the chief's daughter, an ex- tensive property fell to him in the north of Ireland, to which place he repaired in order to take possession. While there, offers of a tempting nature were made to induce him to reside in the country of his nativity, but his fealty to the " Lady of the lake" could not be shaken ; and the moment he had finished his business, he hastened back to St. Mary's. His family consisted of two sons and two daughters, and a Miss Campbell, an interest- ing girl, whose father had a few years before been shot in a duel by a Mr. Crawford. One son was employed in a public department in Canada, and the other was an officer in a local corps. The mother received us in a friendly manner at the door, but did not join us at the breakfast or dinner-table. Mr Johnston has extensive plantations of corn and potatoes, &c, with a beautifully arranged and well-stocked fruit and flower garden. During the late short war with America, he induced one thousand Indian warriors (of whom he took the command) to join the British forces, and rendered important ser- vices while so employed. He suffered severely for his loyalty ; for, during his absence with the army, a predatory party of Americans attacked his place in the hope of obtaining a large quantity of valuable furs, which they were informed he had in his stores, but which a short time before his departure he had fortunately removed. Disap- pointed in their hopes of plunder, they burned his house, out- offices,