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NARRATIVE 
 
 VOYAGE 
 
 THE NORTHWEST COAST OF A3>1E]JI0A 
 
 IN THE YEARS 1811, 1812, 1813, AND 1814 
 
 FIRST AMERICAN SETTLEMENT ON THE PACIFIC 
 
 Br GABRIEL FRANCHERE 
 
 TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY J. V. HUNTINGTO 
 
 RED FIELD 
 
 110 AND 112 NASSAU STREET, NEW ^(]RK 
 
 1854. 
 
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 Entered, according; to Act of Congross, in the year 1854, 
 
 By J. S. REDFIELD, 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and 
 for the Southern District of New York. 
 
 STERKOTYPEn BY C. C. SAVAGE, 
 
 13 Cliambeira Street, N. Y. 
 
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 
 
 In 1846, •when the boundary question (that of 
 the Oregon Territory in particular) was at its 
 height, the Hon. Thomas H. Benton delivered 
 in the United States Senate a decisive speech, 
 of which the following is an extract : — 
 
 "Now for the proof of all I have said. I 
 happen to have in my possession the book of all 
 others, which gives the fullest and most authentic 
 details on all the points I have mentioned — a 
 book written at a time, and under circumstances, 
 when the author (himself a British subject and 
 familiar cfn the Columbia) had no more idea that 
 the British would lay claim to that river, than 
 
4 PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDTTIOX. 
 
 Mr. Harmon, the American writer whom I quoted, 
 ever thought of our claiming New Caledonia, It 
 is the work of Mr. Fr.AXCHERE, a gentleman of 
 Montreal, with whom I have the pleasure to be 
 personally acquainted, and one of those employed 
 by Mr. Astor in fomiding his colony. He was 
 at the founding of Astoria, at its sale to the 
 Northwest Company, saw the place seized as a 
 British conquest, and continued there after its 
 seizure. He wrote in French : his work has 
 not been done into English, though it well de- 
 serves it ; and I read from the French text. He 
 gives a brief and true account of the discovery 
 of the Columbia." 
 
 I felt justly proud of this notice of my unpre- 
 tending work, especially that tlic latter should 
 have contributed, as it did, to the amicable set- 
 tlement of the then pending difiiculties. I have 
 flattered myself ever since, that it belonged to 
 the historical literature of the great country, 
 which by adoption has become mine. 
 ' The re-perusal of^' Astoria" by "Wasiuxgton 
 Irving (1836) inspired me with an additional 
 
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 5 
 
 motive for giving my book in an English dress. 
 Witliout disparagement to Mr. Irving's literary 
 fame, I may venture to say that I fomid in his 
 work inaccuracies, misstatements (unintentional 
 of course), and a want of chronological order, 
 which struck forcibly one so familiar with the 
 events themselves. I thought I could show — 
 or rather that my simple narration, of itself, 
 plainly discovered — that some of the young men 
 embarked in that expedition (which founded our 
 Pacific empire), did not merit the ridicule and 
 contempt which Captain Thorx attempted to 
 throw upon them, and which perhaps, through 
 the genius of Mr. Irving, might otherwise re- 
 main as a lasting stigma on their characters. 
 
 But the consideration which, before all others, 
 prompts me to offer this narrative to the Amer- 
 ican reading public, is my desire to place before 
 them, therein, a simple and connected account 
 (which at this time ought to be interesting), of 
 the early settlement of the Oregon Territory liy 
 one of our adopted citizens, tlie enterprising- 
 merchant John Jacob Astor. The importance 
 
6 PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 
 
 of a vast territory, which at no distant day 
 may add two more bright stars to our national 
 banner, is a guarantee that my humble effort 
 will be appreciated. 
 
 NOTE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 It has been the editor's wish to let Mr. Fran- 
 chere speak for himself. To preserve in the 
 translation the Defoe-like simplicity of the ori- 
 ginal narrative of the young French Canadian, 
 has been his chief care. Having read many nar- 
 ratives of travel and adventure in our northwest- 
 ern wilderness, he may be permitted to say that 
 he has met with none that gives a more vivid 
 and picturesque description of it, or in which the 
 personal adventures of the narrator, and the 
 varying fortunes of a great enterprise, mingle 
 more happily, and one may say, more dramati- 
 cally, with the itinerary. The clerkly minute- 
 
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 7 
 
 ness of the details is not mthout its charm 
 either, and their fidelity speaks for itself. Take 
 it altogether, it must be regarded as a fragment 
 of our colonial histofy saved from oblivion ; it 
 fills up a vacuity which Mr. Irving's classic 
 work does not quite supply ; it is, in fact, the 
 only account by an eye-witness and a participar 
 tor in the enterprise, of the first attempt to form 
 a settlement on the Pacific under the stars and 
 stripes. 
 
 The editor has thought it would be interesting 
 to add Mr. Franchere's Preface to the original 
 French edition, which will be found on the next 
 page. 
 
 Baltimore, February 6, 1854. 
 
PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION. 
 
 When I was ■writing my journal on the vessel 
 ■which carried me to the northwest coast of 
 North America, or in the wild regions of this 
 continent, I "was far from thinking that it would 
 be placed one day before the public eye. I had ^ 
 no other end in writing, but to procure to my 
 family and my friends a more exact and more 
 connected detail of what I had seen or learned 
 in the course of my travels, than it would have 
 been possible for me to give them in a viva voce 
 narration. Since my return to my native city, 
 my manuscript has passed into various hands 
 and has been read by different persons : several 
 of my friends immediately advised me to print 
 it ; but it is only quite lately that I have allowed 
 
10 PREFACE TO THE FREXCH EDITION. 
 
 myself to be persuaded, that witliout being a 
 learned naturalist, a skilful geographer, or a pro- 
 found moralist, a traveller may yet interest by 
 the faithful and succinct account of the situations 
 in Avhich ho has found himself, the adventures 
 which have happened to him, and the incidents 
 of which he has been a witness ; that if a simple 
 ingenuous narrative, stripped of the merit of 
 science and the graces of diction, must needs be 
 less enjoyed by the man of letters or by the sa- 
 vant, ni would have, in compensation, the advan- 
 tage of being at the level of a greater number of 
 readers ; in fine, that the desire of affording an 
 entertainment to his countrymen, according to 
 his capacity, and without any mixture of the 
 author's vanity or of pecuniary interest, would 
 be a well-founded title to their indulgence. 
 Whether I have done well or ill in yielding to 
 these suggestions, which I am bound to regard 
 as those of friendship, or of good-will, it belongs 
 to the impartial and disinterested reader to 
 decide. 
 
 Montreal, 1819. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 4. 
 Departure from Montreal. — Aixival in New York. — Di scilj)- 
 tion of that City. — Names of the Persons engaged in the 
 Expedition page 23 
 
 CHAPTER H. 
 
 Departure from New York. — Reflections of the Author. — 
 Navigation, falling in with other Ships, and various Inci- 
 dents, till the Vessel comes in Sight of the Falkland Isles. 32 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Arrival at the Falkland Isles.-^ Landing. — Perilous Situa- 
 tion of the Author and some of his Companions. — Portrait 
 of Captain Thorn. — Cape Horn. — Navigation to the Sand- 
 wich Islands 43 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Accident. — View of the Coast. — Attempted Visit of the Na- 
 tives. — Their Industry. — Bay of Karaka-koua. — Landing' 
 on the Island. — John Young, Governor of Owahee. . . 53 
 
12 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Bay of Ohetity. — Tamehameha, King- of the Island. — Hia 
 Visit to the Ship. — His Capital. — His Naval Force. — His 
 Authority. — Productions of the Countrj-. — Manners and 
 Customs. — Reflections 62 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Departure from Wahoo. — Storm. — Arrival at the Mouth of 
 the Columbia. — Reckless Order of the Captain. — Diffi- 
 culty of the Entrance. — Perilous Situation of the Ship.— 
 Unhappy Fate of a Part of the Crew and People of the 
 Expedition 81 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Regrets of the Author at the Loss of his Companions. — Ob- 
 sequies of a Sandwich-Islander. — First Steps in the For- 
 mation of the intended Establishment. — New Alarm. — 
 Encampment 94 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Voyage Uj the River. — Dcscrijition of the Country. — Meet- 
 ing with strange Inriians 104 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Departure of the Tonquin. — Indian Messengers. — Project 
 of an Expedition to the Interior. — Arrival of Mr. Daniel 
 Thompson. — Departure of the Expedition. — Designs upon 
 us by the Natives. — Rumors of the Destruction of the Ton- 
 quin. — Scarcity of Provisions. — Narrative of a strange In- 
 dian. — Duplicity and Cunning of Comcomly 116 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Occupation at Astoria. — Return of a Portion of the Men of 
 the Expedition to the Interior. — New Expedition. — Ex- 
 cursion in Search of three Deserters 129 
 
CONTENTS. 13 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Departure of Mr. R. Stuart for the Interior. — Occupations at 
 Astoria. — Arrival of Messrs. Donald M'Kenzie and Robert 
 M'Lellaii. — Account of their Journey. — Arrival of Mr. 
 Wilson P. Hunt 142 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Arrival of the Ship Beaver. — Unexpected Return of Messrs. 
 D. Stuart, R. Stuart, M'Lelland, &c. — Cause of that Re- 
 turn. — Ship discharging-. — New Expeditions. — Hostile 
 Attitude of the Natives. — Departure of the Beaver. — 
 Journeys of the Author. — His Occupations at the Estab- 
 lishment 154 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Uneasiness respecting the "Beaver." — News of the Decla- 
 ration of War between Great Britain and the United States. 
 
 — Consequences of that Intelligence. — Different Occur- 
 rences. — Anival of two Canoes of the Northwest Com- 
 pany. — Preparations for abandoning the Countiy. — Post- 
 ponement of Departure. — Arrangement with Mr. J. G. 
 M'Tavish 165 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Arrival of the Ship "Albatross." — Reasons for the Non-Ap- 
 pearance of the Beaver at Astoria. — Fruitless Attempt of 
 Captain Smith on a Former Occasion. — Astonishment and 
 Regret of Mr. Hunt at the Resolution of the Partners. — 
 His Departure. — Narrative of the Destruction of the Ton- 
 quin. — Causes of that Disaster. — Reflections 173 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Arrival of a Number of Canoes of the Northwest Company. 
 
 — Sale of the Establishment at Astoria to that Company. 
 
14 CONTENTS. 
 
 — Canadian News. — Arrival of the British Sloop-of-War 
 " Kaccoon." — Accident on Board that Vessel. — The Cap- 
 tain takes Fonnal Possession of Astoria. — Surprise and 
 Discontent of the Officers and Crew. — Departure of the 
 "Raccoon" 190 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Expeditions to the Interior. — Return of Messrs. John Stuart 
 and D. M'Kenzie. — Theft committed by the Natives. — 
 War Party against the Thieves 205 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Description of Tongue Point. — A Tn'p to the IVillamet. — 
 Arrival of W. Hunt in the Brig Pedlar. — Narrative of the 
 Loss of the Ship Lark. — Preparations for crossing the 
 Continent 220 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Situation of the Columbia River. — Qualities of its Soil. — 
 Climate, &c. — Vegetable and Animal Productions of the 
 Counti-y • . . 229 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Manners, Customs, Occupations, &c., of the Natives on the 
 River Columbia 240 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Manners and Customs of the Natives continued. — Their 
 Wars. — Their Marriages. — Medicine Men. — Funeral Cer- 
 emonies. — Religious Notions. — Language 250 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 Departure from Astoria or Fort George. — Accident. — Pas- 
 sage of the Dalles or Narrows. — Great Columbian Desert. 
 
CONTENTS. 16 
 
 — Aspect of the Countiy. — Wallawalla and Sha-aptin Riv- 
 ers. — Rattlesnakes. — Some Details regarding the Natives 
 of the Upper Columbia 263 
 
 CHArXER XXII. ' ? 
 
 Meeting with the Widow of a Hunter. — Her Narrative. — 
 Reflections of the Author. — Priest's Rapid. — River Oken- 
 akan. — Kettle Falls. — Pine Moss. — Scarcity of Food. — 
 Rivers, Lakes, &c. — Accident. — A Rencontre. — First 
 View of the Rocky Mountains 273 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Course of the Columbian River. — Canoe River. — Foot- 
 march toward the Rocky Mountains. — Passage of the 
 Mountains 286 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Arrival at the Fort of the Mountains. — Doscrijjtion of this 
 
 Post. — Some Details in Regard to tlie Rocky Mountains. ' 
 
 — Mountain Sheep, &c. — Continuation of the Journey. — 
 Unhappy Accident. — Reflections. — News from Canada. — 
 Hunter's Lodge. — Pembina and Red Deer Rivers . . . 297 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Red Deer Lake. — Antoine Dejai-lais. — Beaver River. — N. 
 Nadeau. — Moose River. — Bridge Lake. — Saskatchawine 
 River. — Fort Vermilion. — Mr. Hallet. — Trading-Houses. 
 •^Beautiful Countiy. — Reflections 311 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Fort Mont6e. — Cumberland House. — Lake Bourbon. — 
 Great Winipeg Rapids. — Lake Winipeg. — Trading-House. 
 — Lake of the Woods. — Rainy Lake House, &e. . . . 325 
 
16 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Arrival at Fort William. — Description of that Post. — NewB 
 from the River Columbia 337 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII.' 
 
 Departure from Fort William. — Navigation on Lake Superior. 
 — Michipicoton Bay. — Meeting a Canoe. — Balchawainon 
 Bay. — Arrival at Saut Ste. Marie. — Occurrences there. — 
 Departure. — Lake Huron. — French River. — Lake Nipis- 
 Bing. — Ottawa River. — Kettle Falls. — Rideau River. — 
 Long-Suut. — Anival in Montreal. — Conclusion . , . . 347 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Present State of the Countries visited by the Author. — Cor- 
 rection of Mr. Irving's Statements respecting St. Louis . 359 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Mr. Selon's Adventures. — Survivors of the Expedition in 
 1854. — Author's Protest against some Expressions in Mr. 
 Irving's "Astoria." — Editor's Note 367 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Since the indepeadence of the United States 
 of America,^ the merchants of that industrious 
 and enterprising nation have carried on an ex- 
 tremely advantageous commerce on the north- 
 west coast of this continent. In the course of 
 their voyages they have made a great number 
 of discoveries which they have not thought 
 proper to make public ; no doubt to avoid com- 
 petition in a lucrative business. 
 
 In 1792, Captain Gray, commanding the ship 
 Columbia of Boston, discovered in latitude 46° 
 19'' north, the entrance of a great bay on the 
 Pacific coast. He sailed into it, and having per- 
 ceived that it was the outlet or estuary of a large 
 
18 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 river, by the fresh water which he found at a 
 little distance from the entrance, he continued 
 his coui'se upward some eighteen miles, and 
 dropped anchor on the left bank, at the opening 
 of a deep bay. There he made a map or rough 
 sketch of what he had seen of this river (accom- 
 panied by a written description of the soundings, 
 bearings, <fec.) ; and having finished his traffic 
 with the natives (the object of his voyage to 
 these parts), he put out to sea, and soon after 
 fell in with Captain Vancouver, who was cruis- 
 ing by order of the British government, to seek 
 new discoveries. Mr. Gray acquainted him with 
 the one he had just made, and even gave him a 
 copy of the chart he had drawn up. Vancou- 
 ver, who had just driven off a colony of Span- 
 iards established on the coast, under the com- 
 mand of Sefior Quadra (England and Spain 
 being then at war), despatched his first-lieuten- 
 ant Broughton, who ascended the river in boats 
 some one hundred and twenty or one hundred 
 and fifty miles, took possession of the country in 
 the name of his Britannic majesty, giving the 
 
INTRODUCTION. 19 
 
 river the name of the Columbia, and to the bay 
 ■where the American cajjtain stopped, that of 
 Gray's bay. Since that period the country had 
 been seldom visited (till 1811), and chiefly by 
 American ships. 
 
 Sir Alexander M' Kenzie, in his second over- 
 land voyage, tried to reach the western ocean 
 by the Columbia river, and thought he had suc- 
 ceeded when he came out sis degrees farther 
 north, at the bottom of Puget's sound, by an- 
 other river.* 
 
 In 1805, the American government sent Cap- 
 tains Lewis and Clark, with about thirty men, 
 including some Kentucky hunters, on an over- 
 land journey to the mouth of the Columbia. 
 They ascended the Missouri, crossed the moim- 
 tains at the source of that river, and following 
 the course of the Columbia, reached the shores 
 of the Pacific, where they were forced to winter. 
 The report which they made of their expedition 
 to the United States government created a lively 
 sensation. f 
 
 * M'Kenzie's Traveb. f Lewis and Clark's Report. 
 
20 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Mr. John Jacob x\.stor, a New York merchant, 
 who conducted ahnost alone the trade in furs 
 south of the great lakes Huron and Superior, 
 and who had acquired by that commerce a pro- 
 digious fortune, thought to augment it by form- 
 ing on the banks of the Columbia an establish- 
 ment of which the principal or supply factory 
 should be at the mouth of that river. He com- 
 municated his views to the agents of the North- 
 west Company ; he was even desirous of form- 
 ing the proposed establishment in concert with 
 them; but after some negotiations, the inland 
 or wintering partners of that association of fur- 
 traders having rejected the plan, Mr. Astor de- 
 termined to make the attempt alone. He needed 
 for the success of his enterprise, men long versed 
 in the Indian trade, and he soon found them. 
 Mr. Alexander M'Kay (the same who had ac- 
 companied Sir Alexander M' Kenzie in his travels 
 overland) , a bold and enterprising man, left the 
 Northwest Company to join him ; and soon after, 
 Messrs Duncan M' Dougal and Donald M' Kenzie 
 (also in the service of the company), and 
 
INTRODUCTION. 21 
 
 Messrs. David Stuart and Robert Stuart, all of 
 Canada, did the same. At length, in the winter 
 of 1810, a Mr. Wilson Price Hunt of St. Louis, 
 on the Mississippi, having also joined them, they 
 determined that the expedition should be set on 
 foot in the following spring. 
 
 It was in the course of that winter tliat one 
 of my friends made me acquainted in confidence 
 with the plan of these gentlemen, under the in- 
 junction of strictest secrecy. The desire of 
 seeing strange countries, joined to that of acquir- 
 ing a fortune, determined me to solicit employ- 
 ment of the new association ; on the 20th of May -' 
 I had an interview witli Mr. A. M'Kay, with 
 whom the preliminaries were arranged ; and on 
 the 24th of the same month I signed an agree- 
 ment as an apprenticed clerk for the term of five 
 years. 
 
 When the associates had engaged a sufficient 
 number of Canadian boatmen, they equipped a 
 bark canoe imder charge of Messrs. Hunt and 
 M'Kenzie, with a Mr. Perrault as clerk, and a 
 crew of fourteen men. These gentlemen were 
 
22 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 to proceed to Mackinaw, and thence to St. 
 Louis, hiring on the way as many men as they 
 could to man the canoes, in which, from the last- 
 mentioned port, they were to ascend the Mis- 
 souri to its source, and there diverging from the 
 route followed by Lewis and Clark, reach the 
 mouth of the Columbia to form a junction with 
 another party, who were to go round by way of 
 Cape Horn. In the course of my narrative I 
 shall have occasion to speak of the success of 
 both these expeditions. 
 
NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE 
 
 NORTHWEST COAST OF AMERICA. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Departui-6 from Monti-eal. — Airival in New York. — Description 
 of that City. — Names of the Persons engaged in die Expedi- 
 tion. 
 
 We remained in Montreal the rest of the 
 spring and a part of the summer. At last, hav- 
 ing completed our arrangements for the journey, 
 we received orders to proceed, and on the 26th 
 of July, accompanied by my father and brothers 
 and a few friends, I repaired to the place of 
 embarkation, wliere was prepared a birch bark 
 canoe, manned by nine Canadians, having Mr. 
 A. M'Kay as commander, and a Mr. A. Fisher 
 as passenger. The sentiments which I experi- 
 
24 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 enced at that moment would be as difficult for 
 me to describe as they were painful to support ; 
 for the first time in my life I quitted the place 
 of my birth, and was separated from beloved 
 parents and intimate friends, ha^dng for my 
 whole consolation the faint hope of seeing them 
 again. TVe embarked at about five, P. M., and 
 arrived at La Prairie de la Madeleine (on the 
 opposite side of the St. Lawrence), toward eight 
 o'clock.* We slept at this village, and the next 
 morning, very early, having secured the canoe 
 on a wagon, we got in motion again, and reached 
 St. John's on the river Richelieu, a little before 
 noon. Here we relaunched our canoe (after 
 having well calked the seams), crossed or rath- 
 er traversed the length of Lake Champlain, and 
 arrived at Whitehall on the 30th. There we 
 were overtaken by Mr. Ovid de Montigny, and 
 a Mr. P. D. Jeremie, who were to be of the 
 expedition. 
 
 Having again placed our canoe on a wagon, 
 
 * This place is famous in the history of Canada, and more par- 
 ticularly in the thrilling story of the Indian missions. — Ed. 
 
ARRIVED AT NEW YORK. 25 
 
 we pursued our journey, and arrived on the 1st 
 of August at Lansingburg, a little village situated 
 on the bank of the river Hudson. Here we got 
 our canoe once more afloat, passed by Troy, and 
 by Albany, everywhere hospitably received, our 
 Canadian boatmen, having their hats decorated 
 with parti-colored ribands and feathers, being 
 taken by the Americans for so many wild Indians, 
 and arrived at New York on the 3d, at eleven 
 o'clock in the evening. 
 
 "We had landed at the north end of the city, 
 and the next day, being Sunday, we re-embarked, 
 and were obliged to make a course round the 
 city, in order to arrive at our lodgings on Long 
 Island. We sang as we rowed ; which, joined to 
 the unusual sight of a birch bark canoe impelled 
 by nine stout Canadians, dark as Indians, and 
 as gayly adorned, attracted a crowd upon the 
 wharves to gaze at us as we glided along. "We 
 found on Long Island (in the village of Brook- 
 lyn) those young gentlemen engaged in the ser- 
 vice of the new company, who had left Canada 
 in advance of our party. 
 
26 francheke's voyage. 
 
 The vessel in which we were to sail not being 
 ready, I shouli have fomid myself quite isolated 
 and a stranger in the great city of New York, 
 
 but for a letter of introduction to Mr. G , 
 
 given me on my setting out, by Madame his sister. 
 I had formed the acquaintance of this gentleman 
 during a stay which he had made at Montreal in 
 1801 ; but as I was then very young, he would 
 probably have had some difficulty in recognising 
 me without his sister's letter. He introduced 
 me to several of his friends, and I passed in an 
 agreeable manner the five weeks which elapsed 
 between my arrival in New York and the depart- 
 ure of the ship. 
 
 I shall not undertake to describe New York ; 
 I will only say, that the elegance of the buildings, 
 public and private, the cleanliness of the streets, 
 the shade of the poplars which border them, the 
 public walks, the markets always abundantly 
 provided with all sorts of commodities, the ac- 
 tivity of its commerce, then in a flourishing con- 
 dition, the vast number of ships of all nations 
 which crowded the quays ; all, in a word, con- 
 
NEW YORK. 27 
 
 spired to make me feel the diflfereuce between 
 this great maritime city and my native town, 
 of whose steeples I had never lost sight before, 
 and which was by no means at that time what it 
 is now. 
 
 New York was not then, and indeed is not at 
 this time a fortified town ; still there were seve- 
 ral batteries and military works, the most con- 
 siderable of which were seen on the Narroios, or 
 channel wliich forms the principal mouth of the 
 Hudson. The isles called Governor's Island, 
 and Bedloe or Gibbet Island, were also well for- 
 tified. On the first, situated to the west of the 
 city and about a mile from it, there were bar- 
 racks sufficiently capacious for several thousand 
 soldiers, and a Moro, or castle, with three tiers 
 of guns, all bomb-proof. These works have been 
 strengthened during the last war. 
 
 The market-places are eight in number; tlie 
 most considerable is called Fly-Market. 
 
 The Park, the Battery, and Vauxhall Garden, 
 are the principal promenades. There were, in 
 1810, thii'ty-two churches, two of which were de- 
 
28 franchere's voyage. 
 
 voted to the catholic worship ; and the popula- 
 tion was estimated at ninety thousand souls, of 
 whom ten thousand were French. It is thought 
 that this population has since been augmented 
 (1819) by some thirty thousand souls. 
 
 During my sojourn at New York, I lodged in 
 Brooklyn, on Long Island. This island is sepa- 
 rated from the city by a sound, or narrow arm 
 of the sea. There is here a pretty village, not 
 far from.which is a basin, where some gmi-boats 
 were hauled up, and a few war vessels were on 
 the stocks. Some barracks had been constructed 
 here, and a guard was maintained. 
 
 Before leaving New York, it is well to observe 
 that during our stay in that city, Mr. M'Kay 
 thought it the part of prudence to have an inter- 
 view with the minister plenipotentiary of his 
 Britannic majesty, Mr. Jackson,* to inform him 
 of the object of our voyage, and get his ^iews in 
 regard to the line of conduct we ought to follow 
 in case of war breaking out between the two 
 powers ; intimating to him that we were all Brit- 
 
 * Tlii!4 geiitlonian wns rc;illy charge iVaJfaires. 
 
THE TONQUIN. 29 
 
 ish subjects, and were about to trade under the 
 American flag. After some'moments of reflection 
 Mr. Jackson told liim, " tliat we wei*e going on a 
 very liazardous enterprise ; that he saw our ob- 
 ject was purely commercial, and that all he 
 could promise us, was, that in case of a war 
 we should be respected as British subjects and 
 traders." 
 
 This reply appeared satisfactory, and Mr. 
 M'Kay thought we had nothing to apprehend 
 on that side. 
 
 The vessel in which we were to sail was called 
 the Tonquin, of about 300 tons burden, com- 
 manded by Captain Thorn (a first-lieutenant of 
 the American navy, on furlough for this pur- 
 pose), with a crew of twenty-one men. The 
 number of passengers was thirty-three. Here 
 follow the names of both. 
 
 Passengers. 
 
 Messrs. Alexander M'Kay » 
 
 „ , " Duncan M'Dougall, I ,, - „ 
 
 Partners < ° V all of Canada. 
 
 " David Stuart, j 
 
 " Robert Stuart, J 
 
30 
 
 franchere's voyage. 
 
 James Lewis of New York. 
 Russel Farnham of Massacliusetts. 
 William W. Matthews of New York. 
 Alexander Ross, 
 Donald IM'Gillis, 
 
 I Ovide de Montigiiv, 
 Clerks < ^ 
 
 Francis B. Pillot, 
 
 Donald M'Lennan, 
 
 William Wallace, 
 
 Thomas M'Kay, 
 
 Gabriel Franchere, 
 
 'Oliver Roy Lapens6e, 
 
 Ignace Lapensee 
 
 Basile Lapensee. 
 w J Jacques Lafantaisie, 
 
 Benjamin Roussel, 
 CQ Michel Laframboise, 
 
 Giles Leclerc, 
 
 )• all from Canada. 
 
 J 
 Joseph Lapierre, 
 Joseph Nadeau, 
 J. B'te. Belleau, 
 Antoine Belleau, 
 Louis Brusle, 
 P. D. Jeremie, 
 all of Canada. 
 
 .Tohann Koaster, ship-carpenter, a Russian, 
 George Bell, cooper. New York, 
 Job Aitken, rigger and calker, from Scotland, 
 Augustus Roussil, blacksmith, Canada! 
 Guilleaume Perreault, a boy. These last were all me- 
 chanics, &c., destined for the establishment. 
 
 Crew. 
 
 •Jonathan Thorn, captain, New York State. 
 Ebenezer D. Fox, 1st mate, of Boston. 
 John M. Mumford, 2d mate, of Massachusetts. 
 James Thorn, brother of the captain, New York 
 John Anderson, boatswain, foreigner. 
 Egbert VanderhuflT, tailor, New York. 
 John Weeks, carpenter, " 
 
CREW, 
 
 31 
 
 ilmakc 
 
 Stpplien Weeks, armorer, New York. 
 John Coles, New York, 
 John Martin, a Frenchman, 
 'John White, New York. 
 
 Adam Fisher, " 
 
 Peter Verbel, " 
 
 Sailors. <! ^'^^^"'^ ^J™'^^' " 
 
 Robert Hill, Albany, New York. 
 John Adams, " 
 
 Joseph Johnson, Englishman, 
 V~ Charles Roberts, New York, 
 A colored man as cook, 
 A mulatto steward. 
 And three or four others whose names I have forgotten 
 
32 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Departure from New York. — Reflections of the Author. — Naviga- 
 tion, falling in with other Ships, and various Incidents, till the 
 Vessel comes in Sight of the Falkland Isles. 
 
 All being ready for our departure, we went 
 on board ship, and weighed anchor on the 6th 
 of September, in the morning. The wind soon 
 fell off, and the first day was spent in drifting 
 down to Staten island, where we came to anchor 
 for the night. The next day we weighed anchor 
 again ; but there came on another dead calm, 
 and we were forced to cast anchor near the light- 
 house at Sandy Hook. On the 8th we weighed 
 anchor for the third time, and by the help of a 
 fresh breeze from the southwest, we succeeded 
 in passing the bar ; the pilot quitted us at about 
 eleven o'clock, and soon after we lost sight of 
 the coast. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 33 
 
 One must have experienced it one's self, to be 
 able to conceive the melancholy which takes pos- 
 session of the soul of a man of sensibility, at the 
 instant that he leaA'es his country and the civil- 
 ized world, to go to inhabit with strangers in 
 wild and unknown lands. I should in vain en- 
 deavor to give my readers an idea, even faintly 
 correct, of the painful sinking of heart that I 
 suddenly felt, and of the sad glance whicli I 
 involuntarily cast toward a future so much the 
 more frightful to me, as it offered nothing but 
 what was perfectly confused and uncertain. A 
 new scene of life was unfolded before me, bijt 
 how monotonous, and ill suited to diminish the 
 dejection with which my mind was overwhelmed ! 
 For the first time in my life, I found myself 
 under way upon the main sea, with nothing to fix 
 my regards and arrest my attention but the frail 
 machine which bore me between the abyss of 
 waters and the immensity of the skies. I re- 
 mained for a long time with my eyes fixed in the 
 direction of that land which I no longer saw, and 
 almost despaired of ever seeing again ; I made 
 
84 franchere's voyage. 
 
 serious reflections on the nature and consequences 
 of the enterprise in which I had so rashly em- 
 barked ; and I confess that if at that moment 
 the offer had been made to release me from my 
 engagement, I should have accepted the proposal 
 with all my heart. It is true that the hopeless 
 confusion and incumberment of the vessel's deck, 
 the groat number of strangers among whom I 
 found myself, the brutal style which the captain 
 and his subalterns used toward our young Canar 
 dians ; all, in a word, conspired to make me 
 augur a vexatious and disagreeable voyage. 
 The sequel will show that I did not deceive my- 
 self in that. . 
 
 We perceived very soon in the S. W., which 
 was our weather side, a vessel that bore directly 
 toward us ; she made a signal that was under- 
 stood by our captain ; we hove to, and stood on 
 her bow. It turned out to be the American frig- 
 ate Constitution. We sent our boat on board of 
 her, and sailed in company till toward five 
 o'clock, when, our papers having been sent back 
 to us, we separated. 
 
CAPE-VERD ISLES. 35 
 
 The wind having increased, the motion of the 
 vessel made us sea-sick, those of us, I mean, who 
 were for the first time at sea. The weather was 
 fine, however ; the vessel, which at first sailing 
 was lumbered in such a manner that we could 
 hardly get in or out of our berths, and scarcely 
 work ship, by little and little got into order, so 
 that we soon found ourselves more at ease. 
 
 On the 14th we commenced to take flying fish. 
 The 24th, we saw a great quantity of dolphins. 
 We prepared lines and took two of the latter, 
 which we cooked. The flesh of this fish ap- 
 peared to me excellent. 
 
 After leaving New York, till the 4th of Octo- 
 ber, we headed southeast. On that day we 
 struck the trade winds, and bore S. S. E, ; being, 
 according to our observations, in latitude 17° 
 43'^ and longitude 22° 39'^ 
 
 On the 5th, in the morning, we came in sight 
 of the Cape-Verd islands, bearing W. N. W., 
 and distant about eight or nine miles, having the 
 coast of Africa to the K S. E. "We should have 
 been very glad to touch at these islands to take 
 
36 fraxchere's voyage. 
 
 in "water ; but as our vessel was an American 
 bottom, and had on board a number of British 
 subjects, our captain did not think fit to expose 
 himself to meet the English ships-of-war cruising 
 on these coasts, who certainly would not have 
 failed to make a strict search, and to take from 
 us the best part of our crew ; which would infal- 
 libly have proved disastrous to the object for 
 which we had shipped them. 
 
 Speaking of water, I may mention that the 
 rule was to serve it out in rations of a quart a 
 day ; but that we were now reduced to a pint 
 and a half. For the rest, our fare consisted of 
 fourteen ounces of hard bread, a pound and a 
 quarter of salt beef or one of pork, per day, and 
 half a pint of souchong tea, with sugar, per 
 man. The pork and beef were served alter- 
 nately : rice and beans, each once a week ; corn- 
 meal pudding with molasses, ditto ; on Sundays 
 the steerage passengers were allowed a bottle of 
 Teneriffe wine. All except the four partners, 
 Mr. Lewis, acting as captain's clerk, and Mr. T. 
 M'Kay, were in the steerage ; the cabin contain- 
 
A SAIL. 37 
 
 ing but six berths, besides the captain's and 
 fij'st-mate's state-rooms. 
 
 As long as we were near the coast of Africa, 
 we had light and variable winds, and extremely 
 hot weather ; on the 8th, we had a dead calm, 
 and saw several sharks romid the vessel ; we 
 took one which we ate. I found the taste to re- 
 semble sturgeon. We experienced on that day 
 an excessive heat, the mercury being at 94° of 
 Fahrenheit. From the 8th to the 11th we had 
 on board a canary bird, which we treated with 
 the greatest care and kindness, but which 
 nevertheless quitted us, probably for a certain 
 death. 
 
 The nearer we approached to the equator the 
 more we perceived the heat to increase : on the 
 16th, in latitude 6°, longitude 22° west from 
 Greenwich, the mercury stood at 108°. We 
 discovered on that day a sail bearing down upon 
 lis. The next morning she: reappeared, and 
 approached within gun-shot. She was a large 
 brig, carrying about twenty guns : we sailed in 
 company all day by a good breeze, all sail 
 
38 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 spread ; but toward evening she dropped astern 
 and altered her course to the S. S. E. 
 
 On the 18th, at daybreak, the watch alarmed 
 us by announcing that the same brig which had 
 followed us the day before, was under our lee, a 
 cable's length oflF, and seemed desirous of know- 
 ing who we were, without showing her own 
 colors. Our captain appeared to be in some 
 alarm ; and admitting that she was a better 
 sailer than we, he called all the passengers and 
 crew on deck, the drum beat to • quarters, and 
 we feigned to make preparations for combat. 
 
 It is well to observe that our vessel mounted 
 ten pieces of cannon, and was pierced for twenty ; 
 the forward port-holes were adorned with sham 
 guns. Whether it was our formidable appear- 
 ance or no, at about ten A. M. the stranger 
 again changed her -course, and we soon lost sight 
 of her entirely. 
 
 Nothing further remarkable occurred to us till 
 the 22d, when we passed the line in longitude 25° 
 9". According to an ancient custom the crew 
 baptized *"those of their number who had never 
 
CLOUDS OP MAGELLAN. 39 
 
 before crossed the equator ; it was a liolyday for 
 them on board. About two o'clock in the after- 
 noon we perceived a sail in the S. S. W. "We 
 were not a little alarmed, believing that it was 
 the same brig which we had seen some days 
 before ; for it was lying to, as if awaiting our 
 approach. We soon drew near, and to our great 
 joy discovered that she was a Portuguese ; we 
 hailed her, and learned that she came from some 
 part of South America, and was bound to Per- 
 nambuco, on the coasts of Brazil. Very soon 
 after we began to see what navigators call the 
 Clouds of Magellan : they are three little white 
 spots that one perceives in the sky almost as 
 soon as one passes the equator : they were situ- 
 ated in the S. S. W. 
 
 The 1st November, we began to see great 
 numbers of aquatic birds. Toward three o'clock 
 P. M., we discovered a sail on our larboard, but 
 did not approach sufficiently near to speak her. 
 The 3d, we saw two more sails, making to the 
 S. E. We passed the tropic of Capricorn on the 
 4th, with a fine breeze, and in longitude 33° 21". 
 
40 franchere's voyage. 
 
 We lost the trade-winds, and as we advanced 
 south the weather became cold and rainy. The 
 11th, we had a calm, although the swell was 
 heavy. We saw several turtles, and the captain 
 having sent out the small boat, we captured two 
 of them. During the night of the 11th and 12th, 
 the wind changed to the N. E., and raised a ter- 
 rible tempest, in Avhich the gale, the rain, the 
 lightning, and thunder, seemed to have sworn our 
 destruction ; the sea appeared all a-fire, while 
 our little vessel was the sport of winds and 
 waves. We kept the hatches closed, which did 
 not prevent us from passing very uncomfortable 
 nights while the storm lasted ; for the great 
 heats that we had experienced between the trop- 
 ics, had so opened the seams of the deck that 
 every time the waves passed over, the water 
 rushed down in quantities upon our hammocks. 
 The 14th, the wind shifted to the S. S. W., 
 which compelled us to beat to windward. Du- 
 ring the night we were struck by a tremendous 
 sea; the helm was seized beyond control, and 
 the man at the Avheel was thrown from one side 
 
WANT OF WATER. 41 
 
 of the ship to the other, breaking two of his ribs, 
 which confined him to his berth for a week. 
 
 In latitude 35° 19", longitude 40°, the sea 
 appeared to be covered with marine plants, and 
 the change that we observed in the color of the 
 water, as well as the immense number of gulls 
 and other aquatic birds that we saw, proved to 
 us that we were not far from the mouth of tlie 
 Rio de la Plata. The Avind continued to blow 
 furiously till the 21st, when it subsided a little, 
 and the weather cleared up. On the 25th, being 
 in the 46th degree, and 30 minutes of latitude, 
 we saw a penguin. ^ 
 
 We began to feel sensibly the want of water : 
 since passing the tropic of CajDricorn the daily 
 allowance had been always diminishing, till we 
 were reduced to three gills a day, a slender 
 modicum considering that we had only salt pro- 
 visions. ■ We had indeed a still, which we used 
 to render the sea-water drinkable ; but we dis- 
 tilled merely what sufficed for the daily use of 
 the kitchen, as to do more would have required 
 a great quantity of Avood or coal. As we were 
 
42 franchere's voyage. 
 
 not more than one hundred and fifty leagues 
 from the Falkland isles, we determined to put 
 in there and endeavor to replenish our casks, 
 and the captain caused the anchoi's to be got 
 ready. 
 
 We had contrary winds from the 27th of 
 November to the 3d December. On the evening 
 of that day, we heard one of the officers, who 
 was at the mast head, cry " Land ! Land ! " 
 Nevertheless, the night coming on, and the bar- 
 ren rocks which we had before us being little 
 elevated above the ocean, we hove to. 
 
FALKLAND ISLES. 43 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Arrival at the Falkland Isles. — Landing. — Perilous Situation of 
 the Author and some of his Companions. — Portrait of Captain 
 Thorn. — Cape Horn. — Navigation to the Sandwich Islands. 
 
 On the 4th (Dec.) in the morning, I was not 
 the last to mount on deck, to feast my eyes with 
 the sight of land ; for it is only those who have 
 been three or four months at sea, who know ho>v 
 to appreciate the pleasure which one then feels 
 even at sight of such barren and bristling rocks 
 as form the Falkland Isles. We drew near 
 these rocks very soon, and entered between two 
 of the islands, where we anchored on a good 
 ground. The first mate being sent ashore to 
 look for water, several of our gentlemen accom- 
 panied him. They returned in the evening with 
 the disappointing intelligence that they had not 
 been able to find fresh water. They brought us, 
 
44 fraxchere's voyage. 
 
 to compensate for this, a number of wild geese 
 and two sealr . 
 
 The weather appearing to threaten, we weighed 
 anchor and put out to sea. The night was tem- 
 pestuous, and in the morning of the 5th we had 
 lost sight of the first islands. The wind blowing 
 off land, it was necessary to beat up all that day ; 
 in the evening we found ourselves sufficiently 
 near the shore, and hove to for the night. The 
 6th brought us a clear sky, and with a fresh 
 breeze we succeeded in "gaining a good anchorage, 
 which we took to be Port Egmont, and where 
 we found good water. 
 
 On the 7tli, we sent ashore the water casks, as 
 well as the cooper to superintend filling them, 
 and the blacksmiths who were occupied in some 
 repairs required by the ship. For our part, 
 having erected a tent near the springs, we passed 
 the time while they were taking in water, in 
 coursing over the isles : we had a boat for our 
 accommodation, and killed every day a great 
 many wild geese and ducks. These birds differ 
 in plumage from those which are seen in Canada. 
 
PENGUINS. ' 45 
 
 We also killed a great many seals. These ani- 
 mals ordinarily* keep upon the rocks. We also 
 saw several foxes of the species called Virginia 
 fox : they were shy and yet fierce, barking like 
 dogs and then flying precipitately. Penguins 
 are also numerous on the Falkland Isles. These 
 birds hare a fine plumage, and resemble the loon: 
 but they do not fly, having only little stumps of 
 wings which they use to help themselves in wad- 
 dling along. The rocks were covered with them. 
 It being their sitting season we found them on 
 their nests, from which they would not stir. They 
 are not wild or timid : far from flying at our ap- 
 proach, they attacked us with their bill, which is 
 very sharp, and with their short wings. The flesh 
 of the penguin is black and leathery, with a strong 
 fishy taste, and one must be very hungry to make 
 up one's mind to eat it. We got a great quantity 
 of eggs by dislodging them from their nests. 
 
 As the French and English had both attempted 
 to form establishments on these rocks, we en- 
 deavored to find some vestige of them ; the 
 tracks whicli we met everywhere made us hope 
 
46 franchere's voyage. 
 
 to find goats also : but all our researches "were 
 vain : all that we discovered was an old fishing 
 cabin, constructed of whale bone, and some 
 seal-skin moccasins ; for these rocks offer not a 
 single tree to- the view, and are frequented solely 
 by the vessels which pursue the whale fishery in 
 the southern seas. We found, however, two 
 head-boards with inscriptions in English, mark- 
 ing the spot where two men had been interred : 
 as the letters were nearly obliterated, we carved 
 new ones on fresh pieces of board procured from 
 the ship. This pious attention to two dead men 
 nearly proved fatal to a greater number of the 
 living ; for all the casks having been filled and 
 sent on board, the captain gave orders to re-em- 
 bark, and without troubling himself to inquire if 
 this order had been executed or not, caused the 
 anchor to be weighed on the morning of the 11th, 
 while I and some of my companions were en- 
 gaged in erecting the inscriptions of which I have 
 spoken, others were cutting grass for the hogs, 
 and Messrs M'Dougall and D. Stuart had gone 
 to the south side of the isle to look for game. 
 
CAPTAIN THOEN. 47 
 
 Tl^e roaring of the sea against the rock-bound 
 shore prevented them from hearing the gun, and 
 they did not rejoin us till the vessel was already 
 at sea. We then lost no time, but pushed off, 
 being eight in number, with our little boat, only 
 twenty feet keel. We rowed with all our might, 
 but gained nothing upon the vessel. We were 
 losing sight of the islands at last, and our case 
 seemed desperate. While we paused, and were 
 debating what course to pursue, as we had no 
 compass, we observed the ship tacking and stand- 
 ing toward us. In fine after rowing for three 
 hours and a half, in an excited state of feeling 
 not easily described, we succeeded in regaining 
 the vessel, and were taken on board at about 
 three o'clock P. M. 
 
 Having related this trait of malice on the part 
 of our captain, I shall be permitted to make some 
 remarks on his character. Jonathan Thorn was 
 brought up in tlie naval service of his country, 
 and had distinguislied himself in a battle fought 
 between the Americans and the Turks at Tripoli, 
 some years before : he held the rank of first lieu- 
 
48 franchere's voyage. 
 
 tenant. He was a strict discii^linarian, of a 
 quick and passionate temper, accustomed to 
 exact obedience, considering nothing but duty, 
 and giving himself no trouble about the murmurs 
 of his crew, taking counsel of nobody, and fol- 
 lowing Mr. Astor's instructions to the letter. 
 Such was the man who had been selected to com- 
 mand our ship. His haughty manners, his rough 
 and overbearing disposition, had lost hiin the 
 affection of most of the crew and of all the pas- 
 sengers : he knew it, and • in consequence sought 
 every opportunity to mortify us. It is true that 
 the passengers had some reason to reproach 
 themselves ; they were not free from blame ; but 
 he had been the aggressor ; and nothing could 
 excuse the act of cruelty and barbarity of which 
 he was guilty, in intending to leave us upon those 
 barren rocks of the Falkland isles, where we 
 must inevitably have perished. This lot was 
 reserved for us, but for the bold interference of 
 Mr. R. Stuart, whose uncle was of our party, and 
 who, seeing that the captain, far from waiting for 
 us, coolly continued his course, threatened to 
 
CAPE HORN. 49 
 
 blow his brains out unless lie hove to and took 
 us on board. 
 
 We pursued our course, bearing S. S. W., and 
 on the 14th, in latitude 54° 1', longitude 64° 
 13', wc found bottom at sixty-fire fathoms, and 
 saw a sail to the south. On the 15th, in the 
 morning, we discovered before us the high moun- 
 tains of Terra delfuego, which we continued to 
 see till evening: the weather then thickened, 
 and we lost sight of them. We encountered a 
 furious storm which drove us to the 56th degree 
 and 18' of latitude. On the 18th, we were only 
 fifteen leagues from Cape Horn. A dead calm 
 followed, but the current carried us within sight 
 of the cape, five or six leagues distant. This 
 cape, which forms the southern extremity of the 
 American continent, lias always been an object 
 of terror to the navigators who have to pass 
 from one sea to the other ; several of whom to 
 avoid doubling it, have exposed themselves to 
 the long and dangerous passage of the straits of 
 Magellan, especially when about entering the 
 Pacific ocean. When we saw ourselves under 
 3 
 
50 franchere's voyage. 
 
 the stupendous rocks of the cape, we felt no 
 other desire but to get away from them as soon 
 as possible, so little agreeable were those rocks 
 to the view, even in the case of people who had 
 been some montlis at sea ! And by the help of 
 a land breeze we succeeded in gaining an offing. 
 While becalmed here, we measured the velocity 
 of the current setting east, which we found to be 
 about three miles an hour. 
 
 The wind soon changed again to the S. S. W., 
 and blew a gale. We had to beat. We passed 
 in sight of the islands of Diego Ramirez, and 
 saw a large schooner under their lee. The dis- 
 tance that we had run from New York, was 
 about 9,165 miles. We had frightful weather 
 till the 24th, when we found ourselves in 58° 
 16' of south latitude. Although it was the 
 height of summer in that hemisphere, and the 
 days as long as they are at Quebec on the 21st 
 of June (we could read on deck at midnight 
 without artificial light), the cold was neverthe- 
 less very great and the air very humid : the mer- 
 cury for several days was but fourteen degrees 
 
THE PACIFIC. 51 
 
 above freezing point, by Fahrenheit's thermome- 
 ter. If such is the temperature in these lati- 
 tudes at the end of December, corresponding to 
 our June, what must it be in the shortest days 
 of the year, and where can the Patagonians then 
 take refuge, and the inhabitants of the islands so 
 improperly named the Land of Fire ! 
 
 The wind, which till the 24th had been con 
 trary, hauled round to the south, and we ran 
 westward. The next day being Christmas, we 
 had the satisfaction to learn by our noon-day 
 observation that we had weathered the cape, 
 and were, consequently, now in the Pacific ocean. 
 Up to that date we had but one man attacked 
 with scurvy, a malady to which those who make 
 long voyages are subject, and which is occasioned 
 by the constant use of salt provisions, by the 
 humidity of the vessel, and the inaction. 
 
 From the 25th of December till the 1st of Jan- 
 uary, we were favored with a fair wind and ran 
 eighteen degrees to the north in that short space 
 of time. Though cold yet, the weather was nev- 
 ertheless very agreeable. On the 17th, in lati- 
 
52 franchere's voyage. 
 
 tude 10^ S., and longitude 110° 50' W., we took 
 several bonitas, an excellent fish. "We passed the 
 equator on the 23d, in 128° 14' of west longi- 
 tude. A great inany porpoises came round the 
 vessel. On the 25th arose a tempest which last- 
 ed till the 28th. The wind then shifted to the 
 E. S, E. and carried us two hundred and twenty- 
 four miles on our course in twenty-four hours. 
 Then we had several days of contrary winds ; on 
 the 8th of February it hauled to the S. E., and 
 on the lltli we saw the peak of a mountain cov- 
 ered with snow, which the first mate, who was 
 familiar with these seas, told me was the summit 
 of 3Iona-Roah, a high mountain on the island 
 of Oh eh I/, one of those which the circumnaviga- 
 tor Cook named the Sandwich Isles, and where 
 he met his death in 1779. We headed to the 
 land all day, and although we made eight or 
 nine knots an hour, it was not till evening that 
 we were near enough to dietinguish the huts of 
 the islanders : which is sufiicicnt to prove the 
 prodigious elevation of Mona Roah above the 
 level of the sea. 
 
ACCIDENT. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Accident. — View of the Coast. — Attempted Visit of the Natives. 
 — Their Industn,'. — Bay of Karaka-koua. — Landing- on the 
 Island. — John Young, Governor of Owahee. 
 
 We were ranging along the coast with the aid 
 of a fine breeze, when the boy Perrault, who had 
 mounted the fore-rigging to enjoy the scenery, 
 lost his hold, and being to windward where the 
 shrouds were taut, rebounded fr;om them like a 
 ball some twenty feet from the ship's side into 
 the ocean. We perceived his fall and threw 
 over to him chairs, barrels, benches, hen-coops, 
 in a word everything we could lay hands on ; 
 then the captain gave the orders to heave to ; in 
 the twinkling of an eye the lashings of one of the 
 quarter-boats were cut apart, the boat lowered 
 and manned : by this time the boy was consider- 
 ably a-stern. He would have been lost undoubt- 
 
54 franchere's voyage. 
 
 edly but for a wide pair of canvass overalls full 
 of tar and grease, which operated like a life-pre- 
 server. His head, however, was under when he 
 was picked up, and he was brought on board 
 lifeless, about a quarter of an hour after he fell 
 into the sea. We succeeded, notwithstanding, 
 in a short time, in bringing him to, and in a few 
 hours he was able to run upon the deck. 
 
 The coast of the island, viewed from the sea, 
 offers the most picturesque coup dfceil, and the 
 loveliest prospect ; from the beach to the moun- 
 tains the land rises amphitheatrically, all along 
 which is a border of lower country covered with 
 cocoa-trees and bananas, through the thick foli- 
 age whereof you perceive the huts of the island- 
 ers ; the valleys which divide the hills that lie 
 beyond appear well cultivated, and the moun- 
 tains themselves, though extremely high, are 
 covered with wood to their summits, except those 
 few peaks which glitter with perpetual snow. 
 
 As we ran along the coast, some canoes left 
 the beach and came alongside, with vegetables 
 and cocoa-nuts ; but as we wished to profit by 
 
NATIVES. 65 
 
 the breeze to gain the anchorage, we did not 
 think fit to stop. We coasted along during a 
 part of the night ; but a calm came on wliich 
 lasted till the morrow. As we were opposite 
 the bay of Karaka-koua, the natives came out 
 again, in greater numbers, bringing us cabbages, 
 yams, taro, bananas, bread-fruit, water-melons, 
 poultry, &c., for which we traded in the way of 
 exchange. Toward evening, by the aid of a sea 
 breeze that rose as day declined, we got inside 
 the harbor where we anchored on a coral bottom 
 in fourteen fathoms water. 
 
 The next day the islanders ^^sited the vessel 
 in great numbers all day long, bringing, as on 
 the day before, fruits, vegetables, and some pigs, 
 in exchange for which we gave them glass beads, 
 iron rings, needles, cotton cloth, &c. 
 
 Some of our gentlemen went ashore and were 
 astonished to find a native occupied in building 
 a small sloop of about thirty tons : the tools of 
 which he made use consisted of a half worn-out 
 axe, an adze, about two-inch blade, made out of 
 a paring chisel, a saw, and an iron rod which he 
 
56 franchere's voyage. 
 
 heated red liot and made it serve the purpose of 
 an auger. It required no little patience and 
 dexterity to achieve anything with such instru- 
 ments : he was apparently not deficient in these 
 qualities, for his work was tolerably well ad- 
 vanced. Our people took liim on board with 
 them, and we supplied him with suitable tools, 
 for which he appeared extremely grateful. 
 
 On the 14th, in the morning, while the ship's 
 carpenter was engaged in replacing one of the 
 cat-heads, two composition sheaves fell into the 
 sea ; as we had no others on board, the captain 
 proposed to the islanders, who are excellent 
 swimmers, to dive for them, promising a reward ; 
 and immediately two ofiered themselves. They 
 plunged several times, and eacli time brought up 
 shells as a proof that they had been to tlie bot- 
 tom. We had the curiosity to hold our Avatches 
 while they dove, and were astonished to find that 
 they remained four minutes under the water. 
 That exertion appeared to me, however, to 
 fatigue them a great deal, to such a degree that 
 the blood streamed from their nostrils and ears. 
 
CAPTAiy COOK. 57 
 
 At last one of them brought up the sheaves and 
 received the promised recompense, ■which con- 
 sisted of four yards of cotton. 
 
 Karaka-koua bay where we lay, may be three 
 quarters of a mile deep, and a mile and a half 
 wide at the entrance : the latter is formed by 
 two low points of rock which appear to have run 
 down from the mountains in the form of lava, 
 after a volcanic eruption. On each point is situ- 
 ated a village of moderate size ; that is to say, a 
 small group of the low huts of the islanders. 
 The bottom of the bay terminates in a bold 
 escarpment of rock, some four hundred feet high, 
 on the top of which is seen a solitary cocoa-tree. 
 
 On the evening of the 14th, I went ashore with 
 some other passengers, and we lauded at the 
 group of cabins on the western point, of those 
 which I have described. The inhabitants enter- 
 tained us with a dance executed by nineteen 
 young women and one man, all singing together, 
 and in pretty good time. An old man showed 
 us the spot where Captain Cook w-as killed, on 
 
 the 14th of February, 1779, with the cocoa-nut 
 3* 
 
58 franchere's voyage. 
 
 trees pierced by the balls from the boats which 
 the unfortunate navigator commanded. This old 
 man, whether it were feigned or real sensibility, 
 seemed extremely affected and even shed tears, 
 in showing us these objects. As for me, I could 
 not help finding it a little singular to be thus, by 
 mere chance, upon this spot, on the 14th of Feb- 
 ruary, 1811 ; that Is to say, thirty-two years 
 after, on the anniversary of the catastrophe 
 which has rendered it for ever celebrated. I 
 drew no sinister augury from the coincidence, 
 however, and returned to the ship with my com- 
 panions as gay as I left it. When I say with my 
 companions, I ought to except the boatswain, 
 John Anderson, who, having had several alterca- 
 tions with the captain on the passage, now 
 deserted the ship, preferring to live with the 
 natives rather than obey any longer so uncour- 
 teous a superior. A sailor also deserted ; but 
 the islanders brought him back, at the request 
 of the captain. They offered to bring back 
 Anderson, but the captain preferred leaving him 
 behind. 
 
GOVERNOR YOUNG. 59 
 
 "We found no good water near Karaka-koua 
 bay : what the natives brought us in gourds was 
 brackish. We were also in great want of fresh 
 meat, but could not obtain it : the king of these 
 islands having expressly forbidden his subjects 
 to supply any to the vessels which touched there. 
 One of the chiefs sent a canoe to Tohehigh bay, to 
 get from the governor of the island, who resided 
 there, permission to sell us some pigs. The 
 messengers returned the next day, and brought 
 us a letter, in which the governor ordered us to 
 proceed without delay to the isle of "Wahoo, 
 where the king lives ; assuring us that we should 
 there find good water and everything else we 
 needed. 
 
 "We got under way on the 16tli, and with a 
 light wind coasted the island as far as Tohehigh 
 bay. The wind then dropping away entirely, 
 the captain, accompanied by Messrs. M'Kay and 
 M'Dougall, went ashore, to pay a visit to the 
 governor aforesaid. He was not a native, but a 
 Scotchman named John Young, who came hither 
 some years after the death of Captain Cook. 
 
60 franchere's voyage. 
 
 This man had married a native woman, and had 
 so gained the friendsliip and confidence of the 
 king, as to be raised to the rank of chief and 
 after the conquest of Wahoo by King Tame- 
 hameha, was made governor of Owhyhee (Hawaii) 
 the most considerable of the Sandwich Islands, 
 both by its extent and population. His excel- 
 lency explained to our gentlemen the reason why 
 the king had interdicted the trade in hogs to the 
 inhabitants of all tlie islands : this reason being 
 that his majesty wished to reserve to himself the 
 monopoly of that branch of commerce, for the 
 augmentation of his royal revenue by its exclu- 
 sive profits. The governor also informed them 
 that no rain had fallen on the south part of Ha- 
 waii for three years ; which explained why we 
 found so little fresh water: he added that the 
 north part of the island was more fertile than the 
 south, where we were : but that there was no 
 good anchorage : that part of the coast being de- 
 fended by sunken rocks which form heavy break- 
 ers. In fine, the governor dismissed our gentle- 
 men with a present of four fine fat hogs ; and we, 
 
WAHOO. 61 
 
 in return, sent him some tea, coffee, and choco- 
 late, and a keg of Madeira wine. 
 
 The night was nearly a perfect calm, and on 
 the 17th we found ourselves abreast of Mono 
 Wbrorai/ea a snow-capped mountain, like Mona- 
 Roah, but which appeared to me less lofty than 
 the latter. A number of islanders came to visit 
 us as before, with some objects of curiosity, and 
 some small fresh fish. The wind rising on the 
 18th, we soon passed the western extremity of 
 Hawaii, and sailed by Mowhee and Tahooraha, 
 two more islands of this group, and said to be, 
 like the rest, thickly inhabited. The first pre- 
 sents a highly picturesque aspect, being com- 
 posed of hills rising in the shape of a sugar loaf 
 and completely covered with cocoa-nut and bread- 
 fruit trees. 
 
 At last, on the 21st, we approached Wahoo, 
 and came to anchor opposite the bay of Ohetiti/, 
 outside the bar, at a distance of some two miles 
 from the land. 
 
62 franchere's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Bay of Ohetity. — Tamehameha, King of the Islands. — His Visit 
 to the Ship. — His Capital. — His Naval Force. — His Author- 
 ity. — Productions of the Country. — Manners and Customs. — 
 
 Reflections. 
 
 There is no good anchorage in the bay of 
 Ohetity, inside the bar or coral reef: the holding- 
 ground is bad : so that, iu case of a storm, the 
 safety of the ship would have been endangered. 
 Moreover, with a contrary wind, it would have 
 been difficult to get out of the inner harbor ; for 
 which reasons, our captain preferred to remain 
 in the road. For the rest, the country surround- 
 ing the bay is even more lovely in aspect than 
 that of Karaka-koua ; tlie mountains rise to a 
 loss elevation in the back-ground, and the soil 
 has an appearance of greater fertility. 
 
 Tamehameha^ whom all the Sandwich Isles 
 
TAMEHAMEHA. 63 
 
 obeyed when we were there in 1811, was neither 
 the son nor the relative of Tierroboo,who reigned 
 in Owhyhec (Hawaii) in 1779, when Captain 
 Cook and some of his people were massacred. 
 He was, at that date, but a chief of moderate 
 power ; but, being skilful, intriguing, and full of 
 ambition, he succeeded in gaining a numerous 
 party, and finally possessed himself of the sov- 
 ereignty. As soon as he saw himself master of 
 Owhyhee, his native island, he meditated the 
 conquest of the leeward islands, and in a few 
 years he accomplished it. He even passed into 
 Atouay, the most remote of all, and vanquished 
 the ruler of it, but contented himself with im- 
 posing on him an annual tribute. He had fixed 
 his residence at Wahoo, because of all the Sand- 
 wich Isles it was the most fertile, the most pic- 
 turesque — in a word, the most worthy of the 
 residence of the sovereign. 
 
 As soon as we arrived, we were visited by a 
 canoe manned by three white men, Davis and 
 Wads worth, Americans, and Manini, a Spaniard. 
 The last ofiered to be our interpreter during 
 
64 fraxchere's voyage. 
 
 our stay ; wliicli was agreed to. Tamehameha 
 presently sent to us his prime-minister, Kraimoku, 
 to whom the Americans have given the name of 
 Pitt, on account of his skill in the affairs of gov- 
 ernment. Our captain, accompanied by some of 
 our gentlemen, went ashore immediately, to be 
 presented to Tamehameha. About four o'clock, 
 P. M., we saw them returning, accompanied by a 
 double pirogue conveying the king and his suite. 
 We ran up our colors, and received his majesty 
 with a salute of four guns. 
 
 Tamehameha was above the middle height, 
 well made, robust and inclined to corpulency, 
 and had a majestic carriage. He appeared to 
 me from fifty to sixty years old. He was clothed 
 in the European style, and wore a sword. He 
 walked a long time on the deck, asking explana- 
 tions in regard to those things which he had not 
 seen on other vessels, and which were found on 
 ours, A tiling wliich appeared to surprise him, 
 was to see that we could render tlie water of tlie 
 sea fresh, by means of the still attached to our 
 caboose ; he could not imagine how that could 
 
THE king's wives. 65 
 
 be done. We invited liim into the cabin, and, 
 having regaled him with some glasses of wine, 
 began to talk of business matters : we offered 
 him merchandise in exchange for hogs, but were 
 not able to conclude the bargain that day. His 
 majesty re-embarked in his double pirogue, at 
 about six o'clock in the evening. It was manned 
 by twenty-four men. A great chest, containing 
 firearms, was lashed over the centre of the two 
 canoes forming the pirogue ; and it was there 
 that Tamehameha sat, with his prime-minister at 
 his side. 
 
 In the morning, on the 22d, we sent our water- 
 casks ashore and filled them with excellent water. 
 At about noon his sable majesty paid us another 
 visit, accompanied by his three wives and his 
 favorite minister. These females were of an 
 extraordinary corpulence, and of unmeasured 
 size. They were dressed in the fashion of the 
 country, having nothing but a piece of tapa^ or 
 bark-cloth, about two yards long, passed round 
 the hips and falling to the knees. We resumed 
 the negotiations of the day before, and were 
 
66 franchere'b voyage. 
 
 more successful. I remarked that when the bar- 
 gain was concluded, he insisted with great per- 
 tinacity that part of the payment should be in 
 Spanish dollars. We asked the reason, and he 
 made answer that he wished to buy a frigate of 
 his brother, King George, meaning the king of 
 England. The bargain concluded, we prayed his 
 majesty and his suite to dine with us ; they con- 
 sented, and toward evening retired, apparently 
 well satisfied with their visit and our reception 
 of them. 
 
 In the meantime, the natives surrounded the 
 ship in great numbers, with hundreds of canoes, 
 offering us their goods, in the shape of eatables 
 and the rude manufactures of the island, in ex- 
 change for merchandise ; but, as they had also 
 brought intoxicating liquors in gourds, some of 
 the crew got drunk ; the captain was, conse- 
 quently, obliged to suspend the trade, and for- 
 bade any one to traffic with the islanders, except 
 through the first-mate, who was intrusted with 
 that business. 
 
 I landed on the 22d, with Messrs. Fillet and 
 
OHETITT. 67 
 
 M'Gillis: we passed the night ashore, spending 
 that day and the next morning in rambling over 
 the environs of the bay, followed by a crowd of 
 men, women, and children. 
 
 Ohetity,where.Tamehameha resides, and which, 
 consequently, may be regarded as the capital of 
 his kingdom, is — or at least was at that time — 
 a moderate-sized city, or rather a large village. 
 Besides the private houses, of which there were 
 perhaps two hundred, constructed of poles planted 
 in the ground and covered over with matting, 
 there were the royal palace, which was not mag- 
 nificent by any means : a public store, of two 
 stories, one of stone and the other of wood ; two 
 morais, or idol temples, and a wharf. At the 
 latter we fomid an old vessel, the Lady Bird, 
 which some American navigators had giveu iu 
 exchange for a schooner ; it was the only large 
 vessel which King Tamchamcha possessed ; and, 
 besides, was worth nothing. As for schooners he 
 had forty of them, of from twenty to thirty tons 
 burthen : these vessels served to transport the 
 tributes in kind paid by his vassals in the other 
 
68 franchere's voyage. 
 
 islands. Before the Europeans arrived among 
 these savages, the latter had no means of com- 
 munication between one isle and another, but 
 their canoes, and as some of the islands are not 
 in sight of each other, these voyages must have 
 been dangerous. Near the palace I found an 
 Indian from Bombay, occupied in making a 
 twelve inch cable, for the use of the ship which I 
 have described. 
 
 Tamehameha kept constantly round his house a 
 guard of twenty-four men. These soldiers Avore, 
 by way of uniform, a long blue coat with yellow ; 
 and each was armed with a musket. In front of 
 the house, on an open square, were placed four- 
 teen four-pounders, mounted on their carriages. 
 
 The king was absolute, and judged in person 
 the jiifferences between his subjects. We had 
 an opportunity of witnessing a proof of it, the 
 day after our landing. A Portuguese having 
 had a quarrel with a native, who was intoxicated, 
 struck him : immediately the friends of the latter, 
 who had been the aggressor after all, gathered 
 in a crowd to beat down the poor foreigner with 
 
COURT OP JUSTICE. 69 
 
 stones ; he fled as fast as he could to the house 
 of the kmg, followed by a mob of enraged na- 
 tives, who nevertheless stopped at some distance 
 from the guards, while the Portuguese, all breath- 
 less, crouched in a corner. We were oil the es- 
 planade in front of the palace royal, and curi- 
 osity to see the trial led us into the presence of 
 his majesty, who having caused the quarrel to be 
 explained to him, and heard the witnesses on 
 both sides, condemtTed the native to work four 
 days in the garden of the Portuguese and to give 
 him a hog. A young Frenchman from Bordeaux, 
 preceptor of the king's sons, whom he taught to 
 read, and who understood tlie language, acted as 
 interpreter to the Portuguese, and explained to 
 us the sentence. I can not say whether our pres- 
 ence influenced the decision, or whether, under 
 other circumstances, the Portuguese would have 
 been less favorably treated. We were given to 
 understand that Tamehameha was pleased to see 
 whites establish themselves in his dominions, but 
 that he esteemed only people with some useful 
 trade, and despised idlers, and especially drunk- 
 
70 franchere's voyage. 
 
 ards. We saw at Walioo about thirty of these 
 white inhabitants, for the most part, people of 
 no character, and who had remained on the 
 islands either from indolence, or from drunken- 
 ness and licentiousness. Some had taken wives 
 in the country, in which case the king gave them 
 a portion of land to cultivate for themselves. 
 But two of the worst sort had fomid means to 
 procure a small still, wherewith they manufac- 
 tured rum and supplied it to the natives. 
 
 The first navigators found only four sorts of 
 quadrupeds on the Sandwich islands : — dogs, 
 swine, lizards, and rats. Since then sheep have 
 been carried there, goats, horned cattle, and even 
 horses, and these animals have multiplied. 
 
 The chief vegetable productions of these isles 
 are the sugar cane, the bread-fruit tree, the 
 banana, the water-melon, the musk-melon, the 
 taro, the ava, the pandanus, the mulberry, &c. 
 The bread-fruit tree is about the size of a large 
 apple-tree ; the fruit resembles an apple and is 
 about twelve or fourteen inches in circumference ; 
 the rind is thick and rough like a melon : when 
 
THE TARO. 71 
 
 cut transversely it is found to be full of sacs, like 
 the inside of an orange ; the pulp has the consis- 
 tence of water-melon, and is cooked before it is 
 eaten. We saw orchards of bread-fruit trees 
 and bananas, and fields of sugar-cane, back of 
 Ohetity. 
 
 The taro grows in low situations, and demands 
 a great deal of care. It is not unlike a white 
 turnip,* and as it constitutes the principal food 
 of the natives, it is not to be wondered at th^t 
 they bestow so much attention on its culture. 
 "Wherever a spring of pure water is found issu- 
 ing out of the side of a hill, the gardener marks 
 out on the declivity the size of the field he in- 
 tends to plant. The ground is levelled and sur- 
 rounded with a mud or stone wafl, not exceed- 
 ing eighteen inches in height, and having a flood 
 gate above and below. Into this enclosure the 
 water of the spring is conducted, or is sufifered 
 to escape from it, according to the dryness of the" 
 season. When the root has acquired a sufficient 
 size it is pulled up for immediate use. This cs- 
 
 * Bougainville calla it "Calf-foot root." 
 
12 franchere's voyage. 
 
 culent is very bad to eat raw, but boiled it is 
 better than the yam. Cut in slices, dried, 
 pounded and reduced to a farina, it forms with 
 bread fruit the principal food of the natives. 
 Sometimes they boil it to the consistence of por- 
 ridge, which they put into gourds and allow to 
 ferment ; it will then keep a long time. They 
 also use to mix with it, fish, which they com- 
 monly eat raw with the addition of a little salt, 
 obtained by evaporation. 
 
 The ava is a plant more injurious than useful 
 to the inhabitants of these isles ; since they only 
 make use of it to obtain a dangerous and intoxi- 
 cating drink, which they also call ava. The 
 mode of preparing this beverage is as follows : 
 they chew the root, and spit out the result into a 
 basin ; the juice thus expressed is exposed to the 
 sun to undergo fermentation ; after which they 
 decant it into a gourd ; it is then fit for use, and 
 they drink it on occasions to intoxication. The 
 too frequent use of this disgusting liquor causes 
 loss of sight, and a sort of leprosy, which can 
 only be cured by al)staining from it, and by 
 
THEIR CLOTHING. 73 
 
 bathing frequently in the watei* of the sea. This 
 leprosy turns their skin white : we saw several 
 of the lepers, who were also blind, or nearly so. 
 The natives are also fond of smoking : the tobac- 
 co grows in the islands, but I believe it has been 
 introduced from abroad. The bark of the mul- 
 berry furnishes the cloth worn by both sexes ; of 
 the leaves of the pandanus they make mats. 
 They have also a kind of wax-nut, about the size 
 of a dried plum of which they make candles by 
 running a stick through several of them. Light- 
 ed at one end, they burn like a wax taper, and 
 arc the only light they use in their huts at night. 
 The men are generally well made and tall : 
 they wear for their entire clothing what they 
 call a maw ; it is a piece of figured or white 
 tapa, two yards long and a foot wide,w]iich they 
 pass round the loins and between the legs, tying 
 the ends in a knot over the left hip. At first 
 sight I thought they were painted red, but soon 
 perceived that it was the natural color of their 
 skin. The women wear a petticoat of the same 
 stuff as the maro, but wider and longer, without, 
 
74 franchere's voyage. 
 
 however, reaching below the knees. They have 
 sufficiently regular features, and but for the 
 color, may pass, generally speaking, for hand- 
 some women. Some to heighten their charms, 
 dye their black hair (cut short for the purpose) 
 with quick lime, forming round the head a strip 
 of pure white, which disfigures them monstrously. 
 Others among the young wear a more becoming- 
 garland of flowers. For other traits, they are 
 very lascivious, and far from observing a modest 
 reserve, especially toward strangers. In regard 
 to articles of mere ornament, I was told that they 
 were not the same in all the island. I did not 
 see them, either, clothed in their war dresses, or 
 habits of ceremony. But I had an opportunity 
 to see them paint or print their tapa, or bark 
 cloth, an occupation in which they employ a 
 great deal of care and patience. The pigments 
 they use are derived from vegetable juices, pre- 
 pared with the oil of the cocoa-nut. Their pen- 
 cils are little reeds or canes of bamboo, at the 
 extremity of which they carve out divers sorts 
 of flowers. First they tinge the cloth they mean 
 
TAPA-PAINTING. 75 
 
 to print, yello-w, green, or some other color 
 which forms the ground : then they draw upon 
 it perfectly straight lines, without any other 
 guide but the eye ; lastly they dip the ends of 
 the bamboo sticks in paint of a different tint 
 from the ground, and apply them between the 
 dark or bright bars thus formed. This cloth 
 resembles a good deal our calicoes and printed 
 cottons ; the oils with which it is impregnated 
 renders it impervious to water. It is said that 
 the natives of Atowy excel all the other island- 
 ers in the art of painting the tapa. 
 
 The Sandwich-islanders live in villages of one 
 or two hundred houses arranged without sym- 
 metry, or rather grouped together in complete 
 defiance of it. These houses arc constructed (as 
 I have before said) of posts driven in the ground, 
 covered with long dry grass, and walled with 
 matting ; the thatched roof gives them a sort of 
 resemblance to our Canadian barns or granges. 
 The length of each house varies according to the 
 number of the family which occupies it : they are 
 not smoky like the wigwams of our Indians, the 
 
76 franchere's voyage. 
 
 fireplace being always outside in the open air, 
 where all the cooking is performed. Hence their 
 dwellings are very clean and neat inside. 
 
 Their pirogues or canoes are extremely light 
 and neat : those which are single have an outrig- 
 ger, consisting of two curved pieces of timber 
 lashed across the bows, and touching the water 
 at the distance of five or six feet from the side ; 
 another piece, turned up at each extremity, is 
 tied to the end and drags in the water, on which 
 it acts like a skating iron on the ice, and by its 
 weight keeps the canoe in equilibrium : without 
 that contrivance they would infallibly upset. 
 Their paddles are long, with a very broad blade. 
 All these canoes carry a lateen, or sprit-sail, 
 which is made of a mat of grass or leaves, ex- 
 tremely well woven. 
 
 I did not remain long enough with these peo- 
 ple to acquire very extensive and exact notions 
 of their religion : I know that they recognise a 
 Supreme Being, whom they call Etoivai/, and a 
 number of inferior divinities. Each village has 
 one or more morais. These morals are enclo- 
 
TABOO — DRAUGHTS. 77 
 
 sures winch served for cemeteries ; in the middle 
 is a temple, where the priests alone have a right 
 to enter : they contain several idols of wood, 
 rudely sculptured. At the feet of these images 
 are deposited, and left to putrify, the offerings 
 of the people, consisting of dogs, pigs, fowls, 
 vegetables, &c. The respect of these savages 
 for their priests extends almost to adoration ; 
 they regard their persons as sacred, and feel the 
 greatest scruple in touching the objects, or going- 
 near the places, which they have declared taboo 
 or forbidden. The taboo has often been useful 
 to European navigators, by freeing them from 
 the importunities of the crowd. 
 
 In our rambles we met groups playing at dif- 
 ferent games. That of draughts appeared the 
 most common. The checker-board is very sim- 
 ple, the squares being marked on the ground 
 with a sharp stick : the men are merely shells or 
 pebbles. The game was different from that 
 played in civilized countries, so tliat we could 
 not understand it. 
 
 Although nature has done almost everything 
 
78 franchere's voyage. 
 
 for the inhabitants of the Sandwich islands — 
 though they enjoy a perpetual spring, a clear 
 " sky, a salubrious climate, and scarcely any labor 
 is required to produce the necessaries of life — 
 they can not be regarded as generally happy: 
 the artisans and producers, whom they call 
 Tootoos, are nearly in the same situation as the 
 Helots among the Lacedemonians, condemned to 
 labor almost incessantly for their lord or Eris, 
 without hope of bettering their condition, and 
 even restricted in the choice of their daily food.* 
 How has it happened that among a people yet bar- . 
 barous, where knowledge is nearly equally distrib- 
 uted, the class which is beyond comparison the 
 most numerous has voluntarily submitted to such 
 a humiliating and oppressive yoke ? The Tar- 
 tars, though infinitely less numerous than the 
 Chinese, have subjected them, because the former 
 were warlike and the latter were not. The 
 same thing has happened, no doubt, at remote 
 
 * The Tooloos and all the women, the wives of tho king- and 
 principal chiefs excepted, are eternally condemned to the use of 
 fi-uita and vegetables ; dogs and pigs being exclusively reserved 
 for the table of the Eris. 
 
SOCIAL STATE. 79 
 
 periods, in Poland, and other regions of Europe 
 and Asia. If moral causes are joined to pliysi- 
 cal ones, the superiority of one caste and the 
 inferiority of the other will be still more marked ; 
 it is known that the natives of Hispaniola, when 
 they saw the Spaniards arrive on their coast, in 
 vessels of an astonishing size to their apprehen- 
 sions, and heard them imitate the thunder with 
 their cannon, took them for beings of a superior 
 nature to their own. Supposing that this island 
 had been extremely remote from every other 
 country, and that the Spaniards, after conquer- 
 ing it, had held no further communication with 
 any civilized land, at the end of a century or 
 two the language and the mannprs would have 
 assimilated, but there would have been two 
 castes, one of lords, enjoying all the advantages, 
 the other of serfs, charged with all the burdens. 
 This theory seems to have been realized anciently 
 in Hindostan ; but if we must credit the tradi- 
 tion of the Sandwich-islanders, their country was 
 originally peopled by a man and woman, who 
 came to Owyhee in a canoe. Unless, then, they 
 
80 franchere's voyage. 
 
 mean that this man and woman came with their 
 slaves, and that the Ens are descended from the 
 first, and the Tootoos from the last, they ought 
 to attribute to each other the same origin, and 
 consequently regard each other as equals, and 
 even as brothers, according to the manner of 
 thinking that prevails among savages. The 
 cause of the slavery of women among most bar- 
 barous tribes, is more easily explained : the men 
 have subjected them by the right of the strongest, 
 if ignorance and superstition have not caused 
 them to be previously regarded as beings of an 
 inferior nature, made to be servants and not 
 companions.* 
 
 * Some Indian tribes think that women have no souls, but die 
 altogether like the brutes ; others assign them a different para- 
 dise from that of men, which indeed they might have reason to 
 prefer for themselves, unless their relative condition were to be 
 ameliorated in the next world. 
 
WEIGH ANCHOR. 81 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Departure from Wahoo. — Storm. — Arrival at the Mouth of the 
 Columbia. — Reckless Order of the Captain. — Difficulty of the 
 Entrance. — Perilous Situation of the Ship. — Unhappy Fate of 
 a part of the Crew and People of the Expedition. 
 
 Having taken on board a hundred head of live 
 hogs, some goats, two sheep, a quantity of poul- 
 try, two boat-loads of sugar-cane, to feed the 
 hogs, as many more of yams, taro, and other 
 vegetables, and all our water-casks being snugly 
 stowed, we weighed anchor on the 28th of Feb- 
 ruary, sixteen days after our arrival at Karaka- 
 koua. 
 
 We left another man (Edward Aymes) at 
 Wahoo. He belonged to a boat's crew which 
 was sent ashore for a load of sugar canes. By 
 the time the boat was loaded by tlie natives the 
 
 ebb of the tide had left her aground, and Aymes 
 
 4* 
 
82 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 asked leave of the coxswain to take a stroll, en- 
 gaging to be back for the flood. Leave was 
 granted him, but during his absence, the tide 
 having come in sufficiently to float the boat, 
 James Thorn, the coxswain, did not wait for the 
 young sailor, who was thus left behind. The 
 captain immediately missed the man, and, on 
 being informed that he had strolled away from 
 the boat on leave, flew into a violent passion. 
 Aymes soon made his appearance alongside, 
 having hired some natives to take him on board ; 
 on perceiving him, the captain ordered him to 
 stay in the long-boat, then lashed to the side with 
 its load of sugar-cane. The captain then himself 
 got into the boat, and, taking one of the canes, 
 beat the poor fellow most unmercifully with it ; 
 after which, not satisfied with this act of brutal- 
 ity, he seized his victim and threw him over- 
 board ! Aymes, however, being an excellent 
 swimmer, made for the nearest native canoe, of 
 which there were, as usual, a great number 
 around the ship. The islanders, more humane 
 than our captain, took in the poor fellow, who, 
 
NATIVE MALICE. 83 
 
 in spite of his entreaties to be received on board, 
 could only succeed in getting his clothes, which 
 were thrown into the canoe . At parting, he told 
 Captain Thorn that he knew enough of the laws 
 of his country, to obtain redress, should they 
 ever meet in the territory of the American Union. 
 While we were getting under sail, Mr. M' Kay 
 pointed out to the captain that there was one 
 water-cask empty, and proposed sending it ashore 
 to be filled, as the great number of live animals 
 we had on board required a large quantity of 
 fresh water. The captain, who feared that some 
 of the men would desert if he sent them ashore, 
 made an observation to that effect in answer to 
 Mr. M' Kay, who then proposed sending me on a 
 canoe which lay alongside, to fill the cask in 
 question : this was agreed to by the captain, and 
 I took the cask accordingly to the nearest spring. 
 Having filled it, not without some difficulty, the 
 islanders seeking to detain ms, and I perceiving 
 that they had given me some gourds full of salt 
 water, I was forced also to demand a double 
 pirogue (for the canoe which had brought the 
 
84 franchere's voyage. 
 
 empty cask, was found inadequate to carry a full 
 one), the ship being already under fall sail and 
 gaining an offing. As the natives would not lend 
 a hand to procure what I wanted, I thought it 
 necessary to have recourse to the king, and in 
 fact did so. For seeing the vessel so far at sea, 
 with what I knew of the captain's disposition, I 
 began to fear that he had formed the plan of 
 leaving me on the island. My fears, neverthe- 
 less were ill-founded ; the vessel made a tack 
 toward the shore, to my great joy ; and a double 
 pirogue wafe furnished me, through the good 
 offices of our young friend the French school- 
 master, to return on board with my cask. 
 
 Our deck was now as much encumbered as 
 when we left New York ; for we had been obliged 
 to place our live animals at the gangways, and 
 to board over their pens, on which it was neces- 
 sary to pass, to work ship. Our own numbers 
 were also augmented ; for we had taken a dozen 
 islanders for the service of our intended com- 
 mercial establishment. Their term of engage- 
 ment was three years, during which we were to 
 
A GALE. 85 
 
 feed and clothe them, and at its expiration they 
 were to receive a hundred dollars in merchan- 
 dise. The captain had shipped another dozen 
 as hands on the coasting voyage. These people, 
 who make very good sailors, were eager to be 
 taken into employment, and we might easily have 
 carried off a much greater number. 
 
 We had contrary winds till the 2d of March, 
 when, having doubled the western extremity of 
 the island, we made northing, and lost sight of 
 these smiling and temperate countries, to enter 
 very soon a colder region and less worthy of 
 being inhabited. The winds were variable, and 
 nothing extraordinary happened to us till the 
 16th, when, being arrived at the latitude of 35° 
 11' north, and in 138° 16' of west longitude, 
 the wind shifted all of a sudden to the S. S. W., 
 and blew with such violence, that we were forced 
 to strike top-gallant masts and top-sails, and run 
 before the gale with a double reef in our foresail. 
 The rolling of the vessel was greater than in all 
 the gales we had experienced previously. Nev- 
 ertheless, as we made great headway, and were 
 
86 tranchere's vovAaE. 
 
 approaching the continent, the captain by way 
 of precaution, lay to for two nights successively. 
 At last, on the 22d, in the morning, we saw the 
 land. Although we had not been able to take 
 any observations for several days, nevertlieless, 
 by the appearance of tlie coast, we perceived that 
 we were near the mouth of the river Columbia, 
 and were not more than three miles from land. 
 The breakers formed by tlie bar at tha entrance 
 of that river, and wiiich we could distinguish 
 from the ship, left us no room to doubt that we 
 had arrived at last at the end of our voyage. 
 
 The wind was blowing in heavy squalls, and 
 the sea ran very high : in spite of that, the cap- 
 tain caused a boat to be lowered, and Mr. Fox 
 (first mate), Basile Lapensee, Ignace Lapensee, 
 Jos. Nadeau, and John Martin, got into her, 
 taking some provisions and firearms, with orders 
 to sound the channel and report themselves on 
 board as soon as possible. Tlie boat was not 
 even supplied with a good sail, or a mast, but 
 one of the partners gave Mr. Fox a pair of bed 
 sheets to serve for the former. Messrs M'Kay 
 
TAPE DISAPPOINTMENT, 87 
 
 and M'Dougall could not help remonstrating 
 "witli the captain on tlic imprudence of sending 
 the boat ashore in such weather ; but they could 
 not move his obstinacy. The boat's crew pulled 
 away from the ship ; alas ! wc were never to see 
 her again ; and we already had a foreboding of 
 her fate. The next day the wind seemed to 
 moderate, and we approached very near the 
 coast. The entrance of the river, which we 
 plainly distinguished with the naked eye, ap- 
 peared but a confused and agitated sea : the 
 waves, impelled by a wind from the ofl&ng, broke 
 upon the bar, and left no perceptible passage. 
 We got no sign of the boat ; and toward evening, 
 for our own safety, we hauled off to sea, with all 
 countenances extremely sad, not excepting the 
 captain's, who appeared to me as much afifiicted as 
 the rest, and who had reason to be so. During 
 the night, the wind fell, the 'clouds dispersed, 
 and the sky became serene. On the morning of 
 the 24th, we found that the current had carried 
 us near the coast again, and we dropped anchor 
 in fourteen fathoms water, north of Cape Disap- 
 
88 franchere's voyage. 
 
 pointraent. The coup cVml is not so smiling by 
 a great deal at this anchorage, as at the Sand- 
 •wich islands, the coast ofiFering little to the eye 
 but a continuous range of high mountains covered 
 with snow. 
 
 Although it was calm, the sea continued to 
 break over the reef with violence, between Cape 
 Disappointment and Point Adams. We sent Mr. 
 Mumford (the second mate) to sound a passage ; 
 but having found the breakers too heavy, he re- 
 turned on board about mid-day. Messrs. M'Kay 
 and D. Stuart offered their services to go ashore, 
 to search for the boat's crew who left on the 22d ; 
 but they could not find a place to land. They 
 saw Indians, who made signs to them to pull 
 round the cape, but they deemed it more prudent 
 to return to the vessel. Soon after their return, 
 a gentle breeze sprang up from the westward, we 
 raised anchor, and approached the entrance of 
 the river. Mr. Aikin was then despatched in 
 the pinnace, accompanied by John Coles (sail- 
 maker), Stephen Weeks (armorer), and two 
 Sandwich-islanders ; and we followed under easy 
 
CRITICAL SITUATION. 89 
 
 sail. Another boat had been seut out before this 
 one, but the captain judging that she bore too far 
 south, made her a signal to return. Mr. Aikki 
 not finding less than four fathoms, we followed him 
 and advanced between the breakers, with a favora- 
 ble wind, so that we passed the boat on oui* star- 
 board, within pistol-shot. We made signs to her 
 to return on board, but she could not accomplish 
 it ; the ebb tide carried her with such rapidity 
 that in a few minutes we had lost sight of her 
 amidst the tremendous breakers that surrounded 
 us. It was near nightfall, the wind began to give 
 way, and the water was so low with the ebb, that 
 we struck six or seven times with violence : the 
 breakers broke over the ship ^and threatened to 
 submerge her. At last we passed from two and 
 three quarters fathoms of water to seven, where 
 we were obliged to drop anchor, the wind having 
 entirely failed us. We were far, however, from 
 being out of danger, and the darkness came to 
 add to the horror of our situation ; our vessel, 
 though at anchor, threatened to be carried away 
 every moment by the tide ; the best bower was 
 
\ 
 
 90 franchere's voyage. 
 
 let go, and it kept two men at the wheel to hold 
 her head in the right direction. However, Prov- 
 idence came to our succor : the flood succeeded 
 to the ebb, and the wind rising out of the offing, 
 we weighed both anchors, in spite of the obscu- 
 rity of the night, and succeeded in gaining a little 
 bay or cove, formed at the entrance of the river 
 by Cape Disappointment, and called Baker'' s Bay, 
 ■where we found a good anchorage. It was about 
 midnight, and all retired to take a little rest : 
 the crew, above all, had great need of it. We 
 were fortunate to be in a place of safety, for the 
 wind rose higher and higher during the rest of 
 the night, and on the morning of the 25th allowed 
 us to sec that this ocean is not always pacific. 
 
 Some natives visited us this day, Ijringing with 
 them beaver-skins ; but the inquietude caused in 
 our minds by the loss of two boats' crews, for 
 whom we wished to make search, did not permit 
 us to think of traffic. We tried to make the 
 savages comprehend, by signs, that we had sent 
 a boat ashore three days previous, and that we 
 had no news of her; but they seemed not to 
 
STORY OF WEEKS. 91 
 
 understand us. The captain, accompanied by 
 some of our gentlemen, landed, and they set 
 themselves to search for our missing people, in 
 the woods, and along the shore N. "W. of the 
 cape. After a few hours we saw the captain 
 return witli "Weeks, one of the crew of the last 
 boat sent out. He was stark naked, and after 
 being clothed, and receiving some nourishment, 
 gave us an accomit of his almost miraculous 
 escape from the waves on the preceding night, 
 in nearly the following terms : — 
 
 " After you had passed our boat," said he, 
 " the breakers caused by the meeting of the wind 
 roll and ebb-tide, became a great deal heavier 
 than when we entered the river with the flood. 
 The boat, for want of a rudder, became very 
 hard to manage, and we let her drift at the 
 mercy of the tide, till, after having escaped sev- 
 eral surges, one struck us midship and capsized 
 us. I lost sight of Mr. Aiken and John Coles : 
 but the two islanders were' close by me ; I saw 
 them stripping off their clothes, and I followed 
 their example ; and seeing the pinnace within 
 
92 franchere's voyage. 
 
 ray reach, keel upward, I seized it ; the two na- 
 tives came to my assistance ; we righted her, 
 and by sudden jerks threw out so much of the 
 water that she would hold a man : one of the 
 natives jumped in, and, bailing wdth his two 
 hands, succeeded in a short time in emptying 
 her. The other native found the oars, and about 
 dark we were all three embarked. The tide 
 having now carried us outside the breakers, I 
 endeavored to persuade my companions in mis- 
 fortune to row, but they were so benumbed with 
 cold that they absolutely refused. I well knew 
 that without clothing, and exposed to the rigor 
 of the air, I must keep in constant exercise. 
 Seeing besides that the night was advancing, and 
 having no resource but the little strength left 
 me, I set to work sculling, and pushed off the 
 bar, but so as not to be carried out too far to 
 sea. About midnight, one of my companions 
 died : the other threw himself upon tlie body of 
 his comrade, and I could not persuade him to 
 abandon it. Daylight appeared at last; and, 
 being near tho sliorc, I headed in for it, and 
 
.SEARCH. 93 
 
 arrived, thank God, safe and sound, through the 
 breakers, on a sandy beach. I helped the isl- 
 ander, who yet gave some signs of life, to get out 
 of the boat, and we both took to the woods ; but, 
 seeing that he was not able to follow me, I left 
 him to his bad fortmie, and, pursuing a beaten 
 path that I perceived, I found myself, to my 
 great astonishment, in the course of a few hours, 
 near the vessel." 
 
 The gentlemen who went ashore with the cap- 
 tain divided themselves into three parties, to 
 search for the native whom Weeks had left at the 
 entrance of the forest ; but, after scouring the 
 woods and the point of the cape all day, they 
 came on board in the evening without having 
 found him. 
 
94 franchere's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER YIL 
 
 Regrets of the Author at the Loss of his Companions. — Obse- 
 quies of a Sandwich Islander. — First steps in the Formation 
 of the intended Establishment. — New Alai-m. — Encamp- 
 ment. 
 
 The narrative of Weeks informed us of the 
 death of three of our companions, and we could 
 not doubt that the five others had met a similar 
 fate. This loss of eight of our number, in two 
 days, before we had set foot on shore, was a bad 
 augury, and was sensibly felt by all of us. In 
 the course of so long a passage, the habit of see- 
 ing each other every day, the participation of the 
 same cares and dangers, and confinement to the 
 same narrow limits, had formed between all the 
 passengers a connection that could not be broken, 
 above all in a manner so sad and so unlooked 
 for, without making us feel a void like that 
 
THE LAPENSIE. 95 
 
 which is experienced in a well-regulated and 
 loving family, when it is suddenly deprived by 
 death, of the presence of one of its cherished 
 members. We had left New York, for the most 
 part strangers to one another ; but arrived at the 
 river Columbia we were all friends, and regard- 
 ed each other almost as brothers. We regretted 
 especially the two brothers Lapensee and Joseph 
 Nadeau; these young men had been in an es- 
 pecial manner recommended by their respectable 
 parents in Canada to the care of Mr. M'Kay ; 
 and had acquired by their good conduct the 
 esteem of the captain, of the crew, and of all the 
 passengers. The 1)r"others Lapensoe were cour- 
 ageous and willing, never flinching in the hour of 
 danger, and had become as good seamen as any 
 on board. Messrs Fox . and Aikin were both 
 highly regarded by all ; the loss of Mr. Fox, 
 above all, who was endeared to every one by his 
 gentlemanly behavior and affability, would have 
 been severely regretted at any time, but it was 
 doubly so in the present conjuncture : this gentle- 
 man, who had already made a voyage to the 
 
96 franchere's voyage. 
 
 Northwest, could have rendered important ser- 
 vices to the captain and to the company. The 
 preceding days had been days of apprehension 
 and of uneasiness ; this was one of sorrow and 
 mourning. 
 
 The following day, the same gentlemen who 
 had volunteered their services to seek for the 
 missing islander, resumed their labors, and very 
 soon after they left us, we perceived a great fire 
 kindled at the verge of the woods, over against 
 the ship. I was sent in a boat and arrived at 
 the fire. It was our gentlemen who had kindled 
 it, to restore animation to_ the poor islander, 
 whom they had at last found under the rocks, 
 half dead with cold and fatigue, his legs swollen 
 and his feet })lceding. We clothed him, and 
 brought him on board, where, by our care, we 
 succeeded in restoring him to life. 
 
 Toward evening, a number of the Sandwich- 
 islanders, provided with the necessary utensils, 
 and offerings consisting of biscuit, lard, and to- 
 bacco, went ashore, to pay the last duties to their 
 compatriot, who died in Mr. Aikin's boat, on the 
 
FUNERAL CEREMOXY. 97 
 
 niglit of the 24th. Mr. Fillet and I went witli 
 them, and witnessed the obsequies, which took 
 place in the manner following. Arrived at the 
 spot where the body had been hung upon a tree 
 to preserve it from the wolves, the natives dug a 
 grave in the sand ; then taking down the body, 
 and stretching it alongside the pit, they placed 
 the biscuit under one of the arms, a piece of pork 
 beneath the other, and the tobacco beneath the 
 chin and the genital parts. Thus provided for 
 the journey to the other world, the body was de- 
 posited in the grave and covered with saud and 
 stones. All the countrymen of the dead man 
 then knelt on either side of the grave, in a double 
 row, with their faces to the east, except one of 
 them who officiated as priest ; the latter went to 
 the margin of the sea, and having filled his hat 
 with water, sprinkled the two rows of islanders, 
 and recited a sort of prayer, to which the otliers 
 responded, nearly as we do in the litanies. That 
 prayer ended, they rose and returned to tlie ves- 
 sel, looking neither to the right hand nor to the 
 left. As every one of them appeared to me fa- 
 
98 franchere's voyage. 
 
 miliar with the part he performed, it is more than 
 probable that they observed, as far as circum- 
 stances permitted, the ceremonies practised in 
 their country on like occasions. We all returned 
 on board about sundown. 
 
 The next day, the 27th, desirous of clearing 
 the gangways of the live stock, we sent some 
 men on shore to construct a pen, and soon after 
 landed about fifty hogs, committing them to the 
 care of one of the hands. On the 30th, the long 
 boat was manned, armed and provisioned, and 
 the captain, with Messrs. M'Kay and D. Stuart, 
 and some of the clerks, embarked on it, to ascend 
 the river and choose an eligible spot for our tra- 
 ding establishment. Messrs. Ross and Fillet left 
 at the same time, to run down south, and try to 
 obtain intelligence of Mr. Fox and his crew. Li 
 the meantime, having reached some of the goods 
 most at hand, we commenced, with the natives 
 who came every day to the vessel, a trade for 
 beaver-skins, and sea-otter stones. 
 
 Messrs. Ross and Fillet returned on board on 
 the 1st of April, without having learned anything 
 
ALARMING REPORT. 99 
 
 respecting Mr. Tox and his party. They did not 
 even perceive along the beach any vestiges of 
 the boat. The natives who occupy Point Adams, 
 and "who are called Clatsops, received our young 
 gentlemen very amicably and hospitably. The 
 captain and his companions also returned on the 
 4th, without ha\ang decided on a position for the 
 establishment, finding none which appeared to 
 them eligible. It was consequently resolved to 
 explore the south bank, and Messrs. M'Dougal 
 and D. Stuart departed on that expedition the 
 next day, promising to return by the 7th. 
 
 The 7th came, and these gentlemen did not 
 return. It rained almost all day. The day 
 after, some natives came on board, and reported 
 that Messrs. M'Dougal and Stuart had capsized 
 the evening before in crossing the bay. This 
 news at first alarmed us ; and, if it had been 
 verified, would have given the finishing blow to 
 our discouragement. Still, as the weather was 
 excessively bad, and we did not repose entire 
 faith in the story of the natives — whom, more- 
 over, we might not have perfectly understood — 
 
100 franchere's voyage. 
 
 Ave remained in suspense till the lOtli. On the 
 morning of that day, we were preparing to send 
 some of the people in search of our two gen- 
 tlemen, when we perceived two large canoes, 
 full of Indians, coming toward the vessel : they 
 were of the Chinook village, which was situated 
 at the foot of a bluff" on the north side of the 
 river, and were bringing back Messrs. M'Dougal 
 and Stuart. We made known to these gentle- 
 men the report we had heard on the 8th from 
 the natives, and they informed us that it had 
 been in fact well founded ; that on the 7 th, de- 
 sirous of reaching the ship agreeably to their 
 promise, they had quitted Chinook point, in spite 
 of the remonstrances of the chief, Comcomly^ 
 who sought to detain them by pointing out the 
 danger to which they would expose themselves 
 in crossing the bay in such a heavy sea as it 
 was ; that they had scarcely made more than a 
 mile and a half before a huge wave broke over 
 their boat and capsized it ; that the Indians, 
 aware of the danger to which they were exposed, 
 had followed them, and that, but for their assist- 
 
HUMANE NATIVES. 101 
 
 ance, Mr. M'Dougal, who could not swim, would 
 inevitably have been drowned ; that, after the 
 Chinooks had kindled a large fire and dried 
 their clothes, they had been conducted by them 
 back to their village, where the principal chief 
 had received, them with all imaginable hospital- 
 ity, regaling them with every delicacy his wig- 
 wam afforded ; that, in fine, if they had got back 
 safe and sound to the vessel, it was to the timely 
 succor and humane cares of the Indians whom we 
 saw before us that they owed it. We liberally 
 rewarded these generous children of the forest, 
 and they returned home well satisfied. 
 
 This last survey was also fruitless, as Messrs. 
 M'Dougal and Stuart did not find an advan- 
 tageous site to build upon. But, as the captain 
 wished to take advantage cJf the fine season to 
 pursue his traffic with the natives along the 
 N. W. coast, it was resolved to establish our- 
 selves on Point George, situated on the south 
 bank, about fourteen or fifteen miles from our 
 present anchorage. Accordingly, we embarked 
 on the 12th, in the long-boat, to the number of 
 
102 franchere's voyage. 
 
 twelve, furnished with tools, and with provisions 
 for a week. We landed at the bottom of a small 
 bay, where we formed a sort of encampment. 
 The spring, usually so tardy in this latitude, was 
 already far advanced ; the foliage was budding, 
 and the earth was clothing itself with verdure ; 
 the weather was superb, and all nature smiled. 
 We imagined ourselves in the garden of Eden ; 
 the wild forests seemed to us delightful groves, 
 and the leaves transformed to brilliant flowers. 
 No doubt, the pleasure of finding ourselves at 
 the end of our voyage, and liberated from the 
 ship, made things appear to us a great deal more 
 beautiful than they really were. Be that as it 
 may, we set ourselves to work with enthusiasm, 
 and cleared, in a few days, a point of land of its 
 under-brush, and of the huge trunks of pine-trees 
 that covered it, which we rolled, half-burnt, down 
 the bank. The vessel came to moor near our 
 encampment, and the trade went on. The na- 
 tives visited us constantly and in great numl)ers ; 
 some to trade, others to gratify their curiosity, 
 or to purloin some little articles if they found 
 
OTTR SCHOONER. 103 
 
 an opportunity. We landed the frame timbers 
 which we had brought, ready cut for the pur- 
 pose, in the vessel ; and by the end of April, 
 with the aid of the ship-carpenters, John Weeks 
 and Johann Koastcr, we had laid the keel of a 
 coasting-schooner of about thirty tons. 
 
104 FRANCHERE'S VOYAGE. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Voyage up the Rivor. — Drscription of the Country. — Meeting 
 with strange Indians. 
 
 The Indians having informed us that above 
 certain rapids, there was an establishment of 
 white men, we doubted not that it was a trading 
 post of the Northwest Company ; and to make 
 sure of it, we procured a large canoe and a guide, 
 and set out, on the 2d of May, Messrs M'Kay, 
 R, Stuart, Montigny, and I, witli a sufficient 
 number of hands. We first passed a lofty head- 
 land, that seemed at a distance to be detached 
 from the main, and to which we gave the name 
 of Tongue Point. Here the river gains a widtli 
 of some nine or ten miles, and Jiceps it for about 
 twelve miles up. The left bank, which we were 
 coasting, being concealed by little low islands, 
 
SCENERY. 105 
 
 we encamped for the night on one of them, at the 
 village of Wahkai/kum, to which our guide be- 
 longed. 
 
 We continued our journey on the 3d : the river 
 narrows considerably, at about thirty miles from 
 its mouth, and is obstructed with islands, which 
 are thickly covered with the willow, poplar, al- 
 der, and ash. These islands are, without excei> 
 tion, uninhabited and uninhabitable, being nothing 
 but swamps, and entirely overflowed in the 
 months of June and July ; as we understood from 
 Coalpo, our guide, who appeared to be an intel- 
 ligent man. In proportion as we advanced, we 
 saw the high mountains capped with snow, which 
 form the chief and majestic feature, though a 
 stern one, of the banks of the Columbia for some 
 distance from its mouth, recede, and give place 
 to a country of moderate elevation, and rising am- 
 phitheatrically from the margin of the stream. 
 The river narrows to a mile or thereabouts ; the 
 forest is less dense, and patches of green prairie 
 are seen. We passed a large village on the south 
 bank, called Kreluit, above which is a fine forest 
 
106 franchere's voyage. 
 
 of oaks ; and encamped for the night, on a low 
 point, at the foot of an isolated rock, about one 
 hundred and fifty feet high. This rock appeared 
 to me remarkable on account of its situation, re- 
 posing in the midst of a low and swampy ground, 
 as. if it had been dropped from the clouds, and 
 seeming to have no connection with the neigh- 
 boring mountains. On a cornice or shelving pro- 
 jection about thirty feet from its base, the na- 
 tives of the adjacent villages deposite their dead, 
 in canoes ; and it is the same rock to which, for 
 this reason. Lieutenant Broughton gave the name 
 of Mount Coffin. 
 
 On the 4th, in the morning, we arrived at a 
 large village of the same name as that which we 
 had passed the evening before, Kreluit, and we 
 landed to obtain information respecting a con- 
 siderable stream, which here discharges into the 
 Columbia, and respecting its resources for the 
 hunter and trader in furs. It comes from the 
 north, and is called Cowlitzk by. the natives. 
 Mr. M'Kay embarked with Mr. de Montigny and 
 two Indians, in a small canoe, to examine the 
 
WAR-CANOES. 107 
 
 course of this river, a certain distance up. On 
 entering the stream, they saw a great number of 
 birds, which they took at first for turkeys, so 
 much they resembled them, but which were only 
 a kind of carrion eagles, vulgarly called turkey- 
 buzzards. "We were not a little astonished to 
 see Mr. de Montigny return on foot and alone ; 
 he soon informed us of the reason : having as- 
 cended the Kowlitzk about a mile and a half, on 
 rounding a bend of the stream, they suddenly 
 came in view of about twenty canoes, full of In- 
 dians, who had made a rush upon them with the 
 most frightful yells ; the two natives and the 
 guide who conducted their little canoe, retreated 
 with the utmost precipitancy, but seeing that they 
 wotfld be overtaken, they stopped short, and bog- 
 ged Mr. M'Kay to fire upon the approaching 
 savages, which he, being well acquainted with 
 the Indian character from the time he accompa- 
 nied Sir Alexander M'Kenzie, and having met 
 with similar occurrences before, would by no 
 means do ; but displayed a friendly sign to the 
 astonished natives, and invited them to land for 
 
108 franchere's voyage. 
 
 an amicable talk ; to which they immediately as- 
 sented. Mr. M'Kay had sent Mr. de Montigny 
 to procure some tobacco and a pipe, in order to 
 strike a peace with these barbarians. The latter 
 then returned to Mr. M'Kay, with the necessary 
 articles, and in the evening the party came back 
 to our camp, which we had fixed between the 
 villages. We were then informed that the In- 
 dians whom Mr. M'Kay had met, were at war 
 with the Kreliiits. It was impossible, conse- 
 quently, to close our eyes all night ; the natives 
 passing and repassing continually from one vil- 
 lage to the other, making fearful cries, and 
 coming every minute to solicit us to ' discharge 
 our firearms ; all to frighten their enemies, and 
 let them see that they were on their guard. 
 
 On the 5th, in the morning, we paid a visit to 
 the hostile camp ; and those savages, who had 
 never seen white n\pn, regarded us with curiosity 
 and astonishment, lifting the legs of our trowsers 
 and opening our shirts, to see if the skin of our 
 bodies resembled that of our faces and hands. 
 We remained some time with them, to make pro- 
 
MOUNT ST. Helen's. 109 
 
 posals of peace ; and having ascertained that this 
 warlike demonstration originated in a trifling 
 oflFence on the part of the Kreluits, we found them 
 well disposed to arrange matters in an amica- 
 ble fashion. After having given them, therefore, 
 some looking-glasses, beads, knives, tobacco, 
 and other trifles, we quitted them and pursued 
 our way. 
 
 Having passed a deserted village, and then 
 several islands, we came in sight of a noble 
 mountain on the north, about twenty miles dis- 
 tant, all covered with snow, contrasting remark- 
 ably with the dark foliage of the forests at its 
 base, and probably the same which was seen by 
 Broughton, and named by him Mount St. Helenas. 
 We pulled against a strong current all this day, 
 and at evening our guide liiade us enter a little 
 river, on the bank of which wc found a good 
 camping place, under a grove of oaks, and in the 
 midst of odoriferous wild flowers, where we 
 passed a night more tranquil than that which had 
 preceded it. 
 
 On the morning of the 6th we ascended this small 
 
110 franchere's voyage. 
 
 stream, and soon arrived at a large village called 
 Thlakalamah, the chief whereof, who was a young 
 and handsome man, was called KeaSseno, and was 
 a relative of our guide. The situation of this cal- 
 lage is the most charming that can be, being built 
 on the little river that we had ascended, and 
 indeed at its navigable head, being here but a 
 torrent with numerous cascades leaping from rock 
 to rock in their descent to the deep, limpid water, 
 which then flows through a beautiful prairie, en- 
 amelled with odorous flowers of all colors^ and 
 studded with superb groves of oak. The fresh- 
 ness and beauty of this spot, which Nature seemed 
 to have taken pleasure in adorning and enriching 
 with her most precious gifts, contrasted, in a 
 striking manner, with the indigence and unclean- 
 liness of its inhabitants ; and I regretted that it 
 had not fallen to the lot of civilized men. I was 
 wrong no doubt : it is just that those should be 
 most favored by their common mother, who are 
 least disposed to pervert her gifts, or to give the 
 preference to advantages which are factitious, 
 and often very frivolous. We quitted witn re- 
 
THE WILLAMET. Ill 
 
 gret this charming spot, and soon came to another 
 large village, which our guide informed us was 
 called Kathlapootle , and was situated at the con- 
 fluence of a small stream, that seemed to flow 
 down from the mountain covered with snow, 
 which we had seen the day before : this river is 
 called Coivilkt. We coasted a pretty island, 
 well timbered, and high enough above the level 
 of the Columbia to escape inundation in the 
 freshets, and arrived at two villages called Malt- 
 nabah. We then passed the confluence of the 
 river Wallamat, or Willamet, above which the 
 tide ceases to be felt in the Columbia. Our 
 guide informed us that ascending this river about 
 a day's journey, there was a considerable fall, 
 beyond which the country abounded in deer, elk, 
 bear, beaver, and otter. But here, at the spot 
 where we were, the oaks and poplar which line 
 both banks of the river, the green and flowery 
 prairies discerned through the trees, and the 
 mountains discovered in the distance, offer to the 
 eye of the observer who loves the beauties of 
 simple nature, a prospect the most lovely and 
 
112 franchere's voyage. 
 
 enchanting. We encamped for the night on the 
 edge of one of these fine prairies. 
 
 On the 7th we passed several low islands, and 
 soon discovered Mount Hood., a high mountain, 
 capped with snow, so named by Lieutenant 
 Broughton ; and Mount Washington, another 
 snowy summit, so called by Lewis and Clarke. 
 The prospect which the former had befo"re his 
 eyes at this place, appeared to him so charming, 
 that landing upon a point, to take possession of 
 the country in the name of King George, he 
 named it Pointe Belle VCie. At two o'clock we 
 passed Point Vancouver, the highest reached by 
 Broughton. The width of the river diminishes 
 considerably above this point, and we began very 
 soon to encounter shoals of sand and gravel ; a 
 sure indication that we were nearing the rapids. 
 We encamped that evening under a ledge of rocks, 
 descending almost to the water's edge. 
 
 The next day, the 8th, we did not proceed far 
 before we encountered a very rapid current. 
 Soon after, we saw a hut of Indians engaged in 
 fishing, where we stopped to breakfast. We 
 
ACCOUNT OF SPANJAUD3. 113 
 
 found here an old blind man, who gave us a cor- 
 dial reception. Our guide said that he was a 
 white man, and that his name was Soto. We 
 learned from the mouth of the old man himself, 
 that he was the son of a Spaniard who had been 
 wrecked at the mouth of the river ; that a part 
 of the crew on this occasion got safe ashore, but 
 •were all massacred by the Clatsops, with the ex- 
 ception of four, who were spared and who mar- 
 ried native women ; that these four Spaniards, 
 of whom his father was one, disgusted with the 
 savage life, attempted to reach a settlement of 
 their own nation toward the south, but had never 
 been heard of since ; and that when his father, 
 with his companions, left the country, he himself 
 was yet quite young.* These good people having 
 regaled us with fresh salmon, we left them, and 
 arrived very soon at a rapid, opposite an island, 
 named Stravjberry Island by Captains Lewis and 
 
 * These facts, if they were authenticated, would prove that the 
 Spaniards were the first who discovered the mouth of the Colum- 
 bia. It is certain that long before the voyages of Captains Gray 
 and Vancouver, they knew at least a part of the course of that 
 river, which was designated in their maps under the name of 
 Oregon. 
 
114 franchere's voyage. 
 
 Clarke, in 1806. We left our men at a large 
 village, to take care of the canoe and baggage ; 
 and following our guide, after walking about two 
 hours, in a beaten path, we came to the foot of 
 the fall, where we amused ourselves for some 
 time with shooting the seals, which were here in 
 abundance, and in watching the Indians taking 
 salmon below the cataract, in their scoop-nets, 
 from stages erected for that purpose over the ed- 
 dies. A chief, a young man of fine person and 
 a good mien, came to us, followed by some twenty 
 others, and invited us to his wigwam : we accom- 
 panied him, had roasted salmon for supper, and 
 some mats were spread for our night's repose. 
 
 The next morning, having ascertained that 
 there was no trading post near the Falls, and 
 Coalpo absolutely refusing to proceed further, 
 alleging that the natives of the villages beyond 
 were his enemies, and would not fail to kill him 
 if they had him in their power, we decided to 
 return to the encampment. Having, therefore, 
 distributed some presents to our host (I mean the 
 young chief with whom we had supped and lodged) 
 
RETURN. 115 
 
 and to some of his followers, aud procured a sup- 
 ply of fresh salmon for the return voyage, we re- 
 embarked and reached the camp on the 14th, 
 without accidents or incidents worth relating-. 
 
116 franchere's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Departure of the Tonquin. — Indian Messengers. — Project of an 
 Expedition to the Interior. — Arrival of Mr. Daniel Thompson. — 
 Departure of the Expedition. — Designs upon us by the Natives. 
 — Rumors of the Destruction of the Tonquin. — Scarcity of 
 Provisions. — Nan-ative of a strange Indian. — Duplicity and 
 Cunning of Comcoroly. 
 
 Having built a warehouse (62 feet by 20) to 
 put under cover the articles we were to receive 
 from tlie ship, we were busily occupied, from the 
 16th to the 30th, in stowing away the goods and 
 other effects intended for the establishment. 
 
 The ship, which had been detained by circum- 
 stances, much longer than had been anticipated, 
 left her anchorage at last, on the 1st of June, 
 and dropped down to Baker's bay, there to wait 
 for a favorable wind to get out of the river. As 
 she was to coast along the north, and enter all 
 the harbors, in order to procure as many furs as 
 
MY GOOD FORTUNE. 117 
 
 possible, and to touch at the Columbia river be- 
 fore she finally left these seas for the United 
 States, it was unanimously resolved among the 
 partners, that Mr. M'Kay should join the cruise, 
 as well to aid the captain, as to obtain correct 
 information in regard to the commerce with the 
 natives on that coast. Mr. M'Kay selected 
 Messrs. J. Lewis and 0. de Montigny to accom- 
 pany him ; but the latter having represented 
 that the sea made him sick, was excused ; and 
 Mr. M'Kay shipped in his place a young man 
 named Louis Brusle,to serve him in the capacity 
 of domestic, being one of the young Canadian 
 sailors. I had the good fortune not to be chosen 
 for this disastrous voyage, thanks to my having 
 made myself useful at the establishment. Mr. 
 Mumford (the second mate) 'owed the same hap- 
 piness to the incompatibility of his disposition 
 with that of the captain ; he had permission to 
 remain, and engaged with the company in place 
 of Mr. Aikin as coaster, and in command of the 
 schooner.* 
 
 * This schooner was found too small for the purpose. Mr. 
 Astor had no idea of the dangers (.o be met at the mouth of the 
 
118 franchere's voyage. 
 
 On the 5th of June, the ship got out to sea, 
 ■with a good wind. TVe continued in the mean- 
 time to labor without intermission at the comple- 
 tion of the storehouse, and in the erection of a 
 dwelling for ourselves, and a powder magazine. 
 These buildings were constructed of hewn logs, 
 and, in the absence of boards, tightly covered 
 and roofed with cedar bark. The natives, of 
 both sexes, visited us more frequently, and 
 formed a pretty considerable camp near the es- 
 tablishment. 
 
 On the 15th, some natives from up the river, 
 brought us two strange Indians, a man and a 
 woman. They were not attired like the savages 
 on the river Columbia, but wore long robes of 
 dressed deer-skin, with leggings and moccasins 
 in the fashion of the tribes to the east of the 
 Rocky Mountains. We put questions to them in 
 various Indian dialects ; but they did not under- 
 stand us. They showed us a letter addressed to 
 
 Columbia, or he would have ordered the frame of a vessel of at 
 least one hundred tons. The frames shipped in New York ivere 
 used in the construction of this one only, which was employed 
 solely in the river trade. 
 
STRANGE INDIANS. 119 
 
 " Mr. John Stuart, Fort Estekatadene, Neiu Cal- 
 cdoniay Mr. Fillet then addressing them in the 
 Knisteneaux language, they answered, although 
 they appeared not to understand it perfectly. 
 Notwithstanding, we learned from them that they 
 had been sent by a Mr. Finnan M'Donald, a 
 clerk in the service of the Northwest Company, 
 and who had a post on a river which they called 
 Spokan; that haAang lost their way, they had 
 followed the course of the Tacousah- Tesseh (the 
 Indian name of the Columbia), that when they 
 arrived at the Falls, the natives made them un- 
 derstand that there were white men at the mouth 
 of the river ; and not -doubting that the person 
 to whom the letter was addressed would be found 
 there, they had come to deliver it. 
 
 We kept these messengers for some days, and 
 having drawn from them important information 
 respecting the country in the interior, west of the 
 Mountains, we decided to send an expedition 
 thither, under the command of Mr. David Stuart ; 
 and the 15th July was fixed for its departure. 
 
 All was in fact ready on the appointed day, 
 
120 franchere's voyage. 
 
 and we were about to load the canoes, when 
 toward midday, we saw a large canoe, with a flag 
 displayed at her stern, rounding the point which 
 we called Tongue Point. We knew not who it 
 could be ; for we did not so soon expect our own 
 party, who (as the reader will remember) were 
 to cross the continent, by the route which Cap- 
 tains Lewis and Clarke had followed, in 1805, 
 and to winter for that purpose somewhere on the 
 Missouri. We were soon relieved of our uncer- 
 tainty by the arrival of the canoe, which touched 
 shore at a little wharf that we had built to facili- 
 tate the landing of goods from the vessel. The 
 flag she bore was the British, and her crew was 
 composed of eight Canadian boatmen or vot/a- 
 g-eurs. A well-dressed man, who appeared to 
 be the commander, was the first to leap ashore, 
 and addressing us without ceremony, said that 
 his name was David Thompson, and that he was 
 one of the partners of the Northwest Company. 
 We invited him to our quarters, which were at 
 one end of the warehouse, the dwelling-house 
 not being yet completed. After the usual civili- 
 
MK. THOMPSON, 121 
 
 ties had been extended to our visitor, Mr. Thomp- 
 son said that he had crossed the continent during 
 the preceding season ; but that the desertion of 
 a portion of his men liad compelled him to win- 
 ter at the base of tlie Rocky mountains, at the 
 head waters of the Columbia. In the spring he 
 had built a canoe, the materials for which he had 
 brought with him across the mountains, and had 
 come down the river to our establishment. He 
 added that the wintering partners had resolved 
 to abandon all their trading posts west of the 
 mountains, not to enter into competition with us, 
 provided our company w^ould engage not to en- 
 croach upon their commerce on the east side: 
 and to support what he said, produced a letter 
 to that effect, addressed by the wintering part- 
 ners to the chief of their house in Canada, the 
 Hon. William M'Gillivray. 
 
 Mr. Thompson kept a regular journal, and 
 travelled, I thought, more like a geographer than 
 a fur-trader. He was provided with a sextant, 
 chronometer and barometer, and during a week's 
 
 sojourn which he made at our place, had an op- 
 6 
 
122 fhanchere's voyage. 
 
 portunity to make several astronomical observa^ 
 tions. He recognised the tv/o Indians who had 
 brought the letter addressed to Mr. J. Stuart, 
 and told us that they were two women, one of 
 whom had dressed herself as a man, to travel 
 with more security. The description which he 
 gave us of the interior of the country was not 
 calculated to give us a very favorable idea of it, 
 and did not perfectly accord with that of our 
 two Indian guests. "We persevered, however, in 
 the resolution we had taken, of sending an ex- 
 pedition thither ; and, on the 23d Mr. D. Stuart 
 set out, accompanied by Messrs. Fillet, Ross, 
 M'Clellan and de Montigny, with four Canadian 
 voi/ageurs, and the two Indian women, and in 
 company with Mr. Thompson and his crew. The 
 wind being favorable, the little flotilla hoisted 
 sail, and was soon out of our sight.* 
 
 * Mr. Thompson had no clniibt been sent by the agents of the 
 Northwest Company, to take possession of an eligible spot at thf? 
 mouth of the Columbia, with a view of forestalling the plan of 
 Mr. Astor. He would have been there before us, no doubt, but 
 for the desertion of his men. The consequence of this step would 
 liave been his taking possession of the country, and displaj-ing 
 the British flag, as an emblem of that possession and a guarantee 
 
WE FOKTIFY OUESELVES. 123 
 
 The natives, who till then had surrounded us 
 in great numbers, began to withdraw, and very 
 soon we saw no more of them. At first we at- 
 tributed their absence to the want of furs to trade 
 with ; but we soon learned that they acted in that 
 manner from another motive. One of the sec- 
 ondary ^chiefs who had formed a friendship for 
 Mr. R. Stuart, informed him, that seeing us re- 
 duced in number by the expedition lately sent 
 off, they had formed the design of surprising us, 
 to take our lives and plunder the post. We 
 hastened, therefore, to put ourselves in the best 
 possible state of defence. The dwelling house 
 was raised, parallel to the warehouse ; we cut a 
 great quantity of pickets in the forest, and form- 
 ed a square, with palisades in front and rear, of 
 about 90 feet by 120 ; the warehouse, built on 
 the edge of a ravine, formed one flank, the dwel- 
 ling house and shops the other ; with a little bas- 
 
 of protection licreaftcr. Ho found himself too Into, howovpr, and 
 the stars and stripes floating' over Astoria. This note is not in- 
 tended by the author as an after-thought : as the opinion it con- 
 voys was that which we all entertained at the time of that gentle- 
 man's visit. 
 
124 franchere's voyage. 
 
 tion at each angle north and south, on which v 
 were mounted four small cannon. The whole 
 was finished in six days, and had a sufficiently 
 formidable aspect to deter the Lidians from at- 
 tacking us ; and for greater surety, we organized 
 a guard for day and night. 
 
 Toward the end of the month, a large assem- 
 blage of Indians from the neighborhood of the 
 straits Juan dc Fuca, and Graij^s Harbor, formed 
 a great camp on Baker's Bay, for the ostensible 
 object of fishing for sturgeon. It was bruited 
 among these Indians that the Tonquin had been de- 
 stroyed on the coast, and Mr. M'Kay (or the chief 
 trader, as they called him) and all the crew, mas- 
 sacred by the natives. We did not give credence 
 to this rumor. Some days after, other Indians 
 from Gray's Harbor, called Tchikeylis, confirmed 
 what the first had narrated, and even gave us, 
 as far as we could judge by the little we knew 
 of their language, a very circumstantial detail 
 of the affair, so that without wholly convincing 
 us, it did not fail to make a painful impression 
 on our minds, and keep us in an excited state of 
 
SCARCITY OF FOOD. 125 
 
 feeling as to the truth of the report. The In- 
 dians of the Bay looked fiercer and more warlike 
 than those of our neighborhood ; so we redoubled 
 our vigilance, and performed a regular daily drill 
 to accustom ourselves to the use of arms. 
 
 To the necessity of securing ourselves against 
 an attack on the part of the natives, was joined 
 that of obtaining a stock of provisions for the 
 winter: those which we had received from the 
 vessel were very quickly exhausted, and from the 
 commencement of the month of July we were 
 forced to depend upon fish. Not having brought 
 lumtcrs with us, we had to rely for venison, on 
 the precarious hunt of one of the natives who had 
 not abandoned us when the rest of his country- 
 men retired. This man brought us from time to 
 time, a very lean and very dry doe-elk, for which 
 we had to pay, notwithstanding, very dear. The 
 ordinary price of a stag was a blanket, a knife, 
 some tobacco, powder and ball, besides supplying 
 our hunter with a musket. This dry moat, and 
 smoke-dried fish, constituted our daily foo(], and 
 that in very insufl&cient quantity for hardworking 
 
126 franchere's voyage. 
 
 men. We liad no bread, and vegetables, of 
 course, were quite out of the question. In a 
 word our fare was not sumptuous. Those who 
 accommodated themselves best to our mode of 
 li\iug were the Sandwich-islanders : salmon and 
 elk were to them exquisite viands. 
 
 On the 11th of August a number of Chinooks 
 visited us, bringing a strange Indian, who had, 
 they said, something interesting to communicate. 
 This savage told us, in fact, that he had been en- 
 gaged with ten more of his countrymen, by a 
 Captain Aijres, to hunt seals on the islands in 
 Sir Francis Drake's Bay, where these animals 
 are very numerous, with a promise of being taken 
 home and paid for their services ; the captain 
 had left them on the islands, to go southwardly 
 and purchase provisions, he said, of the Spaniards 
 of Monterey in California ; but he had never re- 
 turned : and they, believing that he had been 
 wrecked, had embarked in a skiff which he liad 
 left them, and had reached the main land, from 
 which they were not far distant ; but their skiff 
 was shattered to pieces in the surf, and they had 
 
comcomly's sore throat. 127 
 
 saved themselves bj swimming. Believing that 
 they were not far from the river Columbia, they 
 had followed the shore, living, on the way, upon 
 shell-fish and frogs ; at last they arrived among 
 strange Indians, who, far from receiving them 
 kindly, had killed eight of them and made the 
 rest prisoners ; but the Klemooks, a neighboring 
 tribe to the Clatsups, hearing that they were cap- 
 tives, had ransomed tliem. 
 
 These facts must have occurred in March or 
 April, 1811. The Indian who gave us an account 
 of them, appeared to liavc a great deal of intelli- 
 gence and knew some words of the English lan- 
 guage. He added that he had been at the Rus- 
 sian trading post at Chitka, that he had visited 
 the coast of California, the Sandwich islands, and 
 even Cliina. 
 
 About this time, old Comcomly sent to Astoria 
 for Mr. Stuart and me, to come and cure him of 
 a swelled throat, wliich, he said, afiiicted him 
 sorely. As it was late iji the day, we postponed 
 till to-morrow going to cure the chief of the Chi- 
 nooks ; and it was well we did ; for, the same 
 
128 francheee's yotage. 
 
 evening, the wife of the Indian who had accom- 
 panied us in our voyage to the Falls, sent us word 
 that Comcomly was perfectly well, the pretended 
 tonsillitis being only a pretext to get us in his 
 power. This timely ad^dce kept us at home. 
 
OUR DWELLING-HOUSE. 129 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Occupations at Astona. — Return of a Portion of the Men of the 
 Expedition to the Interior. — New Expedition. — Excursion in 
 Search of three Deserters. 
 
 On the 26th of September our house was fin- 
 ished, and we took possession of it. The mason 
 work had at first caused us some difiiculty ; but 
 at last, not being able to make lime for want of 
 lime-stones, we employed blue clay as a substitute 
 for mortar. This dwelling-house was sufiiciently 
 spacious to hold all our company, and we had 
 distributed it in the most' convenient manner 
 that we could. It comprised a sitting, a dining 
 room, some lodging or sleeping rooms, and an 
 apartment for the men and artificers, all under 
 the same roof. We also completed a shop for 
 the blacksmith, who till that time had worked in 
 the open air. 
 
130 franchere's yc?yage. 
 
 The schooner, the construction of which had 
 necessarily languished for want of an adequate 
 force at the ship-yard, was finally launched on 
 the 2d of October, and named the Dolly ^ with 
 the formalities usual on such occasions. I was 
 on that day at Young^s Bay, where I saw the 
 ruins of the quarters erected by Captains Lewis 
 and Clarke, in 1805-'06 : they were but piles of 
 rough, unhewn logs, overgrown with parasite 
 creepers. 
 
 On the evening of the 5th, Messrs. Pillet and 
 M'Lellan arrived, from the party of Mr. David 
 Stuart, in a canoe manned by two of his men. 
 They brought, as passengers, Mr. Regis Bruguier, 
 whom I had known in Canada as a respectable 
 country merchant, and an Iroquois family. Mr. 
 Bruguier had been a trader among the Indians 
 on the Saskatchewine river, where he had lost 
 his outfit : he had since turned trapper, and had 
 come into this region to hunt beaver, being pro- 
 vided witli traps and other needful implements. 
 The report which these gentlemen gave of the in- 
 terior was highly satisfactory: they had fomid 
 
THE OKENAKAN. 131 
 
 the climate salubrious, and had been well re- 
 ceived by the natives. The latter possessed a 
 great number of horses, and Mr. Stuart had pur- 
 chased several of these animals at a low price. 
 Ascending the river they had come to a pretty 
 stream, which the natives called Okenakcm. Mr. 
 Stuart had resolved to establish his post on 
 the bank of this river, and having erected a log- 
 house, he thought best to send back the above 
 named persons, retaining with him, for the winter, 
 only Messrs. Ross and de Montigny, and two 
 men.* 
 
 Meanwhile, the season being come when the 
 Indians quit the seashore and the banks of the 
 Columbia, to retire into the woods and establish 
 their winter quarters along the small streams and 
 rivers, we began to find ourselves short of pro- 
 visions, having received no supplies from them 
 for some time. It was therefore determined that 
 Mr. R. Stuart should set out in the schooner with 
 
 * One of these men bad been left with bim by Mr. Thompson, 
 in exchange for a Sandwich-islander whom that gentleman pro- 
 posed to take to Canada, and thence to England, 
 
132 franchere's voyage. 
 
 Mr. Mumford, for the threefold purpose, of ob- 
 taining all the provisions they could, cutting 
 oaken stares for the use of the cooper, and tra- 
 ding with the Indians up the river. They left 
 with this design on the 12th. At the end of five 
 days Mr. Mumford returned in a canoe of Indians. 
 This man having wished to assume the command, 
 and to order (in the style of Captain Thorn) the 
 person who liad engaged him to obey, had been 
 sent back in consequence to Astoria. 
 
 On the 10th of November we discovered that 
 three of our people had absconded, viz., P. D. 
 Jeremie, and the two Belleaux. Thoy had leave 
 to go out shooting for two days, and carried off 
 with them firearms and ammunition, and a hand- 
 some light Indian canoe. As soon as their flight 
 was known, having procured a large canoe of the 
 Chinooks, we embarked, Mr. Matthews and I, with 
 five natives, to pursue them, with orders to pro- 
 ceed as far as the Falls, if necessary. On the 
 11th, having ascended the river to a place called 
 Oak Point, we overtook the schooner lying at 
 anchor, while Mr. Stuart was taking in a load of 
 
OUR SEARCH. 133 
 
 staves and hoop-poles, Mr. Fariiliam joined our 
 party, as well as one of the hands, and thus re- 
 inforced, we pursued our way, journeying day 
 and night, and stopping at every Indian village, 
 to make inquiries and oJBfer a reward for the ap- 
 prehension of our runaways. Having reached 
 the Falls without finding any trace of them, and 
 our provisions giving out, we retraced our steps, 
 and arrived on the IGth at Oak Point, which we 
 found Mr. Stuart ready to quit. 
 
 Meanwhile, the natives of the vicinity informed 
 us that they had seen the marks of shoes im- 
 printed on the sand, at the confluence of a small 
 stream in the neighborhood. "We got three small 
 canoes, carrying two persons each, and having 
 ascertained that the information was correct, 
 after searching the environs during a part of the 
 ITth, we ascended the small stream as far as 
 some high lands which are seen from Oak Point, 
 and which lie about eight or nine miles south of 
 it. The space between these high lands and the 
 ridge crowned with oaks on the bank of the 
 Columbia, is a low and swampy land, cut up by 
 
134 franchere's voyage. 
 
 an infinity of little channels. Toward evening 
 we returned on our patli, to regain the schooner ; 
 but instead of taking the circuitous way of the 
 river, by which we had come, we made for Oak 
 Point by the most direct route, through these 
 channels ; but night coming on, we lost ourselves. 
 Our situation became the most disagreeable that 
 can be imagined. Being unable to find a place 
 where we could land, on account of the morass, 
 we were obliged to continue rowing, or rather 
 turning round, in this sjiecies of labyrinth, con- 
 stantly kneeling in our little canoes, which any 
 unlucky movement would infallibly have caused 
 to upset. It rained in torrents and was dark as 
 pitch. At last, after having wandered about 
 during a considerable part of the night, we suc- 
 ceeded in gaining the edge of the mainland. 
 Leaving there our canoes, because we could not 
 drag them (as we attempted) through the forest, 
 we crossed the woods in the darkness, tearing 
 ourselves with the brush, and reached the schoon- 
 er, at about two in the morning, benumbed with 
 cold and exhausted with fatigue. 
 
FRESH DIFFICULTIES. 135 
 
 The 18tli was spent in getting in tlie remain- 
 der of the lading of the little vessel, and on the 
 morning of the 19th we raised anchor, and drop- 
 \)ed down abreast of the Kreluit village, where 
 some of the Indians offering to aid us in the 
 searcli after our deserters, Mr. Stuart put Mr. 
 Farnham and me on shore to make another at- 
 tempt. We passed that day in drying our clothes, 
 and the next day embarked in a canoe, with one 
 Kreluit man and a squaw, and ascended the river 
 before described as entering the Columbia at this 
 place. We soon met a canoe of natives, who in- 
 formed us that our runaways had been made 
 prisoners by the chief of a tribe which dwells 
 upon the banks of the Willamet river, and which 
 they called Cathlanaminim. We kept on and 
 encamped on a beach of sand opposite Deer 
 island. There we passed a night almost as dis- 
 agreeable as that of the 17th-18th. We had 
 lighted a iire, and contrived a shelter of mats ; 
 but there came on presently a violent, gust of 
 wind, accompanied with a heavy rain : our fire was 
 put out, our mats were carried away, and we could 
 
136 feanchere's voyage. 
 
 neither rekindle tlic one nor find the others : so 
 that we had to remain all night exposed to the 
 fury of the storm. As soon as it was day we re- 
 embarked, and set ourselves to paddling with all 
 our might to warm ourselves. In the evening we 
 arrived near the village where our deserters 
 were, and saw one of them on the skirts of it. 
 We proceeded to the hut of the chief, where we 
 found all three, more inclined to follow us than 
 to remain as slaves among these barbarians. We 
 passed the night in the chief's lodge, not without 
 some fear and some precaution ; this chief having 
 the reputation of being a wicked man, and ca- 
 pable of violating the rights of parties. He was 
 a man of high stature and a good mien, and proud 
 in proportion, as we discovered by the chilling 
 and haughty manner in which he received us. 
 Farnham and I agreed to keep watch alternately, 
 but this arrangement was superfluous, as neither 
 of us could sleep a wink for the infernal thump- 
 ing and singing made by the medicine men all 
 night long, by a dying native. I had an oppor- 
 tunity of seeing the sick man make his last will 
 
author's firmness. 137 
 
 and testament : lia\'ing caused to be brought to 
 him whatever he had that was most precious, his 
 bracelets of copper, his bead necklace, his bow 
 and arrows and quiver, his nets, his lines, his 
 spear, his pipe, etc., he distributed the whole to 
 his most intimate friends, with a promise on their 
 part, to restore them, if he recovered. 
 
 On the 22d, after a great deal of talk, and in- 
 finite quibbling on the part of the chief, we agreed 
 with him for the ransom of our men. I had 
 visited every lodge in the village and found but 
 few of the yomig men, the greater part having 
 gone on a fishing excursion ; knowing, therefore, 
 that the chief could not be supported by his war- 
 riors, I was resolved not be imposed upon, and 
 as I knew where the firearms of the fugitives had 
 been deposited, I would have them at all hazards ; 
 but we were obliged to give him all our blankets, 
 amounting to eight, a brass kettle, a hatchet, a 
 small pistol, much out of order, a powder-horn, 
 and some rounds of ammunition : with these 
 articles placed in a pile before him, we demanded 
 the men's clothing, the three fowling-pieces, and 
 
138 franchere's voyage. 
 
 their canoe, which he had caused to be hidden in 
 the woods. Nothing but our firmness compelled 
 him to accept the articles offered in exchange; 
 but at last, witli great reluctance, lie dlosed tlic 
 bargain, and suffered us to depart in the evening 
 with the prisoners and the property. 
 
 We all five (including the three deserters) 
 embarked in the large canoe, leaving our Kreluit 
 and his wife to follow in the other, and proceeded 
 as far as the Cowlitzk, where we camped. The 
 next day, we pursued our journey homeward, 
 only stopping at the Kreluit village to get some 
 provisions, and soon entered the group of islands 
 which crowd the river above Gray's bay. On 
 one of these we stopped to amuse ourselves with 
 shooting some ducks, and meanwhile a smart 
 breeze springing up, we split open a double-rush 
 mat (which had served as a bag), to make a 
 sail, and having cut a forked sapling for a mast, 
 shipped a few boulders to stay the foot of it, and 
 spread our canvass to the wind. We soon ar- 
 rived in sight of Gray's bay, at a distance of 
 fourteen or fifteen miles from our establishment. 
 
OUR TEMERITY. 139 
 
 We had, notwithstanding, a long passage across, 
 the river forming in this place, as I have before 
 observed, a sort of lake, by the recession of its 
 shores on either hand : but the wind was fair. 
 We undertook, then, to cross, and quitted the 
 island, to enter the broad, lake-like expanse, just 
 as the sun was going down, hoping to reach As- 
 toria in a couple of hours. 
 
 We were not long before we repented of our 
 temerity : for in a short time the sky became 
 overcast, the wind increased till it blew with 
 violence, and meeting with the tide, caused the 
 waves to rise prodigiously, which broke over our 
 wretched canoe, and filled it with water. We 
 lightened it as much as we could, 1>y thro'wing 
 overboard the little baggage we had left, and I 
 set the men to baling with bur remaining brass 
 kettle. At last, after having been, for three hours, 
 the sport of the raging billows, and threatened 
 every instant with being swallowed up, we had 
 the unexpected happiness of landing in a cove on 
 the north shore of the river. Our first care was 
 to thank the Almighty for having delivered us 
 
140 franchere's voyage. 
 
 from so imminent a danger. Then, when we had 
 secured the canoe, and groped our way to the 
 forest, where we made, with branches of trees, a 
 shelter against the wind — still continuing to 
 blow with violence, and kindled a great fire 
 to warm us and dry our clothes. That did not 
 prevent us from shivering the rest of the night, 
 even in congratulating ourselves on the happi- 
 ness of setting our foot on shore at the moment 
 when we began quite to despair of saving our- 
 selves at all. 
 
 The morning of the 24th brought with it a 
 clear sky, but no abatement in the %iiolence of the 
 wind, till toward evening, when we again em- 
 barked, and arrived with our deserters at the 
 establishment, where they never expected to see 
 us again. Some Indians who had followed us in 
 a canoe, up to the moment when we undertook 
 the passage across the evening before, had fol- 
 lowed the southern shore, and making the port- 
 age of the isthmus of Tongue Point, had happily 
 arrived at Astoria. These natives, not doubting 
 that we were lost, so reported us to Mr- M'Dou- 
 
ARRIVE SAFELY. 141 
 
 gal ; accordingly that gentleman was equally 
 overjoyed and astonished at beholding iis safely 
 landed, which procured, not only for us, but for 
 the culprits, our companions, a cordial and hearty 
 reception. 
 
142 franchere's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Departure of Mr. R. Stuart for tlie Interior. — Occupations at 
 Astoria. — Arrival of Messrs. Donald M'Kenzie and Robert 
 M'Lellan. — Account of their Journey. — Anival of Mr. Wilson 
 P. Hunt. 
 
 The natives having given us to understand that 
 beaver was very abundant in the country wa- 
 tered by the Willamet, Mr. R. Stuart procured a 
 guide, and set out, on the 5th of December, ac- 
 companied by Messrs. Fillet and M'Gillis and a 
 few of the men, to ascend that river and ascertain 
 whether or no it would be advisable to establish a 
 trading-post on its banks. Mr. R. Bruguier accom- 
 panied them to follow his pursuits as a trapper. 
 
 The season at which we expected the return 
 of the Tonquin was now past, and we began to 
 regard as too probable the report of the Indians 
 of Gray's Harbor. We still flattered ourselves, 
 
THE NEW YEAR. 143 
 
 notwithstanding, with the hope that perhaps that 
 vessel had sailed for the East Indies, without 
 touching at Astoria ; but this was at most a con- 
 jecture. 
 
 The 25th, Christmas-day, passed very agree- 
 ably : we treated the men, on that day, with the 
 best the establishment aiforded. Although that was 
 no great affair, they seemed well satisfied ; for they 
 had been restricted, during the last few months, 
 to a very meagre diet, living, as one may say, on 
 sun-dried fish. On the 27th, the schooner having 
 returned from her second voyage up the river, 
 we dismantled her, and laid her up for the winter 
 at the entrance of a small creek. 
 
 The weather, which had been raining, almost 
 without interruption, from the beginning of Octo- 
 ber, cleared up on the evening of the 31st ; and 
 the 1st January, 1812," brought us a clear and 
 serene sky. We proclaimed the new year with 
 a discharge of artillery. A small allowance of 
 spirits was served to the men, and the day 
 passed in gayety, every one amusing himself aa 
 well as he could. 
 
144 franchere's voyage. 
 
 The festival over, our people resumed their 
 ordinary occupations : while some cut timber for 
 building, and others made charcoal for the black- 
 smith, the carpenter constructed a barge, and the 
 cooper made barrels for the use of the posts we 
 proposed to establish in the interior. On the 
 18th, in the evening, two canoes full of white 
 men arrived at the establishment. Mr. M'Dou- 
 gal, the resident agent, being confined to his 
 room by sickness, the duty of receiving the 
 strangers devolved on me. My astonishment 
 was not slight, when one of the party called mo 
 by name, as he extended his hand, and I recog- 
 nised Mr. Donald M'Kenzie, the same who had 
 quitted Montreal, with Mr. W. P. Hunt, in the 
 month of July, 1810. He was accompanied by a 
 Mr. Robert M'Lellan, a partner, Mr. John Heed, a 
 clerk, and eight voi/ag-enrs, or boatmen. After 
 having reposed themselves a little from their fa- 
 tigues, these gentlemen recounted to us the his- 
 tory of their journey, of which the following is 
 the substance. 
 
 Messrs. Hunt and M'Kenzie, quitting Canada, 
 
THE OVERLAND PARTY. 145 
 
 proceeded b}' way of Mackinac and St. Louis, 
 and ascended the Missouri, in the autumn of 
 1810, to a place on that river called Nadoicai/, 
 where they wintered. Here they were joined 
 by Mr. R. M'Lellan, by a Mr. Crooks, and a 
 Mr. Miiller, traders with the Indians of the 
 South, and all having business relations with Mr. 
 Astor. 
 
 In the spring of 1811, having procured tu'o 
 large keel-boats, they ascended the Missouri 
 to the country of the Arikaras, or Rice Indians, 
 where they disposed of their l)oats and a great 
 part of their luggage, to a Spanish trader, 
 by name Manuel Lisa. Having purchased of 
 him, and among the Indians, 130 horses, they 
 resumed their route, in the beginning of August, 
 to the number of some sixty-^ve persons, to pro- 
 ceed across the mountains to the river Columbia. 
 Wishing to avoid the Blackfeet Indians, a war- 
 like and ferocious tribe, who put to death all the 
 strangers that fall into their hands, they directed 
 their course southwardly, until they arrived at 
 the 40th degree of latitude.' Thence they turned 
 
146 fraxchere's voyage. 
 
 to the northwest, and arrived, by-and-bf, at an 
 old fort, or trading post, on the banks of a little 
 river flowing west. This post, which was then 
 deserted, had been established, as they afterward 
 learned, by a trader named Henry. Our people, 
 not doubting that this stream would conduct 
 them to the Columbia, and finding it navigable, 
 constructed some canoes to descend it. Having 
 left some hunters (or trappers) near the old fort, 
 with Mr. Miller, who, dissatisfied with the expe- 
 dition, was resolved to return to the United 
 States, the party embarked ; but very soon find- 
 ing the river obstructed with rapids and water- 
 falls, after having upset some of the canoes, lost 
 one man by drowning, and also a part of their 
 baggage, perceiving that the stream was imprac- 
 ticable, they resolved to abandon their canoes 
 and proceed on foot. The enterprise was one of 
 great difficulty, considering the small stock of 
 provisions they had left. Nevertheless, as there 
 was no time to lose in deliberation, after deposit- 
 ing in a cache the superflous part of their bag- 
 gage, they divided* themselves into four com- 
 
THEIR SUFFERINGS. 147 
 
 panics, under the command of Messrs. M'Kenzie, 
 Hmit, M'Lellan and Crooks, and proceeded to 
 follow the course of the stream, which they 
 named Mad river^ on account of the insurmount- 
 able difficulties it presented. Messrs. M'Kenzie 
 and M'Lellan took the right bank, and Messrs. 
 Hunt and Crook the left. They counted on ar- 
 riving very quickly at the Columbia ; but they 
 followed this Mad river for twenty days, finding 
 nothing at all to eat, and suffering horribly from 
 thirst. The rocks between which the river flows 
 being so steep and abrupt as to prevent their 
 descending to quench their thirst (so that even 
 their dogs died of it), they suffered the torments 
 of Tantalus, with this difference, that he had the 
 water which he could not reach above his head, 
 while our travellers had it -beneath their feet. 
 Several, not to die of this raging thirst, drank 
 their own urine : all, to appease the cravings of 
 hunger, ate beaver skins roasted in the evening 
 at the camp-iire. They even were at last con- 
 strained to eat their moccasins. Those on the 
 left, or southeast bank, suffered, however, less 
 
148 fp.anchere's voyage. 
 
 than the others, because they occasionally fell in 
 with Indians, utterly Avild indeed, and -who fled 
 at their approach, carrying off their horses. Ac- 
 cording to all appearances these savages had 
 never seen white men. Our travellers, when 
 they arrived in sight of the camp of one of these 
 wandering hordes, approached it with as much 
 precaution, and with the same stratagem that 
 they would have used Avith a troop of wild 
 beasts. Having thus surprised them, they 
 would fire upon the horses, some of which 
 would fall ; but they took care to leave some 
 trinkets on the spot, to indemnify the owners 
 for what they had taken from them by violence. 
 This resource prevented the party from periBhing 
 of hunger. 
 
 Mr. M'Kenzie having overtaken Mr. M'Lellan, 
 their two companies pursued the journey to- 
 gether. Very soon after this junction, they had 
 an opportunity of approaching sufficiently near 
 to Mr. Hunt, who, as I have remarked, was on 
 the other bank, to speak to him, and inform 
 him of their distressed state. ■ Ml*. Hunt caused 
 
THEIR MISFORTUNES. 149 
 
 a canoe to be made of a horse-hide ; it was not, 
 as one may suppose, very large ; but they suc- 
 ceeded, nevertheless, by that means, in convey- 
 ing a little horse-flesh to the people on the north 
 bank. It was attempted, efen, to pass them 
 across, one by one (for the skiff would not hold 
 any more) ; several had actually crossed to the 
 south side, when, unhappily, owing to the impet- 
 uosity of the current, the canoe capsized, a man 
 was drowned, and the two parties lost all hope 
 of being aljle to unite. They continued their 
 route, therefore, each on their own side of the 
 river. In a short time those upon the north 
 bank came to a more considerable stream, which 
 they followed down. They also met, very op- 
 portunely, some Indians, who sold them a num- 
 ber of horses. They also encountered, in these 
 parts, a' young American, who was deranged, but 
 who sometimes recovered his reason. This young 
 man told them, in one of his lucid intervals, that 
 he was from Connecticut, and was named Archi- 
 bald Pelton ; that he had come up the Missouri 
 with Mr. Henry ; that all the people at the post 
 
150 franchere's voyage. 
 
 established by that trader were massacred by the 
 Blackfeet ; that he alone had escaped, and had been 
 wandering, for three years since, with the Snake 
 Indians.* Our people took this young man with 
 them. Arriving at the confluence with the Co- 
 lumbia, of the river whose banks they were fol- 
 lowing, they perceived that it was the same which 
 had been called Leivis river, by the American 
 captain of that name, in 1805. Here, then, they 
 exchanged their remaining horses for canoes, 
 and so arrived at the establishment, safe and 
 sound, it is true, but in a pitiable condition to 
 see ; their clothes being nothing but fluttering 
 rags. 
 
 The narrative of these gentlemen interested us 
 very much. They added, that since their separ- 
 ation from Messrs. Hunt and Crooks, they had 
 neither seen nor heard aught of them, and be- 
 lieved it impossible that they should arrive at 
 the establishment before spring. They were 
 mistaken, however, for Mr. Hunt arrived on the 
 
 * A thorouglily savage and lazy tribe, inhabiting tlio jilaina of 
 the Columbia, between the 43d and 44th degrees of latitude. 
 
DESPATCHES HOME. 151 
 
 15th February, with tliirty men, one woman, and 
 two children, having left Mr. Crooks, with five 
 men, among the Snakes. They might have 
 reached Astoria almost as soon as Mr. M'Kenzie, 
 "but th^ had passed from eight to ten days in 
 the midst of a plain, among some friendly In- 
 dians, as well to recruit their strength, as to 
 make search for two of the party, who had been 
 lost in the woods. Not finding them, they had 
 resumed their journey, and struck the banks of 
 the Columbia a little lower" down than the mouth 
 of Lewis river, where Mr. M'Kenzie had come 
 out. 
 
 The arrival of so great a number of persons 
 would have embarrassed us, had it taken place a 
 month sooner. Happily, at this time, the natives 
 were bringing in fresh fish in abundance. Until 
 the 30th of March, we were occupied in prepar- 
 ing triplicates of letters and other necessary 
 papers, in order to send Mr. Astor the news of 
 our arrival, and of the reunion of the two ex- 
 peditions. The letters were intrusted to Mr. 
 John Reed, who quitted Astoria for St. Louis, in 
 
152 franchere's voyage. 
 
 company with Mr. M'Lellan — another discon- 
 tented partner, who wished to disconnect him- 
 self with the association, — and Mr. R. Stuart, 
 who was conveying two canoe-loads of goods for 
 his uncle's post on the Okeriakan. -Messrs. 
 Farnham and M'Grillis set out at the same time, 
 with a guide, and were instructed to proceed to 
 tli3 cache* where the overland travellers had 
 
 * Tlirso caches are famous in all tiio narratives of overland 
 Uavel, whether for trade or discovery. The manner of making 
 them is described by Captains Lewis and Clarke, as follows : they 
 choose a dry situation, then describing' a circle of some twenty 
 inches diameter, remove the sod as gently and carefujly as pos- 
 sible. The hole is then sunk a foot deep or more, perpendicu- 
 larly ; it is then worked gradually wider as it descends, till it be- 
 comes six or seven feet deep, and shaped like a kettle, or the 
 lower pai-t of a large still. As the earth is dug out, it is handed 
 up in a vessel, and carefully laid upon a skin or cloth, in which it 
 is carried away, and usually thrown into the river, if there be one, 
 or concealed so as to leave no trace of it. A floor of three or 
 four inches thick is then made of dry sticks, on which is thrown 
 hay or a hide perfectly dry. The goods, after being well aired 
 and dried, are laid down, and preserved from contact with the 
 wall by a layer of other dried sticks, till all is stowed away. When 
 the hole is nearly full, a hide is laid on top, and the earth is thrown 
 upon this, and beaten down, until, with the addition of the sod 
 first removed, the whole is on a level with the ground, and there 
 remains not the slightest appearance of an excavation. The first 
 shower ciTaccs every sisrn of what has been done, and such a 
 cache is safe for vears. — Ed. 
 
I WRITE HOME. 153 
 
 hidden their goods, near old Fort Henry, on the 
 Mad river. I profited by this opportunity to 
 write to my family in Canada. Two days after, 
 Messrs. M'Kenzie and Matthews set out, with 
 five or six men, as hunters, to make an excur- 
 sion up the Willamet river. 
 7* 
 
154 franchere's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Arrival of the Ship Beaver. — Unexpected Return of Messrs. D. 
 Stuart, R. Stuart, M'Lelland, &c. — Cause of that Rotuni. — 
 Ship discharging. — New Expeditions. — Hostile Attitude of the 
 Native.s. — Departure of the Beaver. — Journeys of the Author. 
 — His Occupations at the Establishment. 
 
 From the departure of the last outfit under 
 Mr. M'Kenzie, nothing remarkable took place at 
 Astoria, till the 9th of May. On that day we 
 descried, to our great surprise and great joy, a 
 sail in the offing, opposite the mouth of the river. 
 Forthwith Mr. M'Dougal was despatched in a 
 boat to the cape, to make the signals. On the 
 morning of the 10th, the weather being fine and 
 the sea smooth, the boat pushed out and arrived 
 safely alongside. Soon after, the wind springing 
 up, the vessel made sail and entered the river, 
 where she dropped anchor, in Baker's Bay, at 
 about 2 P. M. Toward evening the boat return- 
 
SUDDEN RETURN. 156 
 
 ed to the Fort, with the following passengers : 
 Messrs. John Clarke of Canada (a wintering 
 partner), Alfred Seton, George Ehnainger, a 
 nephew of Mr. Astor (clerks), and two men. 
 We learned from these gentlemen that the vessel 
 was the Beaver, Captain Cornelius Sowles, and 
 was consigned to us ; that she left New York on 
 the 10th of October, and had touched, in the pas- 
 sage, at Massa Fuero and the Sandwich Isles. 
 Mr. Clarke handed me letters from my father and 
 from several of my friends : I thus learned that 
 death had deprived me of a beloved sister. 
 
 On the morning of the 11th, we were strangely 
 surprised by the return of Messrs. D. Stuart, R. 
 Stuart, R. M'Lelland, Crooks, Reed, and Farn- 
 ham. This return, as sudden as unlooked for, 
 was owing to an unfortunate adventure which 
 befell the party, in ascending the river. When 
 they reached the Falls, where the portage is very 
 long, some natives came with their horses, to 
 offer their aid in transporting the goods. Mr. 
 R. Stuart, not distrusting them, confided to their 
 care some bales of merchandise, which they 
 
156 franchere's voyage. 
 
 packed on their horses : but, iu making the tran- 
 sit, they darted up a narrow path among the 
 rocks, and fled at full gallop toward the prairie, 
 without its being possible to overtake them. Mr. 
 Stuart had several shots fii'ed over their heads, 
 to frighten tliem, but it had no other effect than 
 to increase their speed. Meanwhile our own peo- 
 ple continued the transportation of the rest of the 
 goods, and of the canoes; but as there was a 
 great number of natives about, whom the success 
 and impunity of those thieves had emboldened, 
 Mr. Stuart thought it prudent to keep watch 
 over the goods at the upper end of the portage, 
 while Messrs. M'Lellan and Reed made the rear- 
 guard. The last named gentleman, who carried, 
 strapped to his shoulders, a tin box containing 
 the letters and despatches for New York with 
 which he was charged, happened to be at some dis- 
 tance from the former, and the Indians thought it 
 a favorable opportunity to attack him and carry 
 oflf his box, the brightness of which no doubt had 
 tempted their cupidity. They threw themselves 
 upon him so suddenly that he had no time to 
 
INDIA X llEXCONTKE. 167 
 
 place himself on the defensive. After a short 
 resistance, he received a blow on the head from 
 a war club, which felled him to the ground, and 
 the Indians seized upon their booty. Mr. M'Lcl- 
 lan perceiving what was done, fired his carabine 
 at one of the robbers and made him bite the 
 dust ; the rest took to flight, but carried off the 
 box notwithstanding. Mr. M'Lellan immediately 
 ran up to Mr. Reed ; but finding the latter mo- 
 tionless and bathed in blood, he hastened to re- 
 join Mr. Stuart, urging him to get away from 
 these robbers and murderers. But Mr. Stuart, 
 being a self-possessed and fearless man, would 
 not proceed without ascertaining if Mr. Reed were 
 really dead, or if he Avcre, without carrying off 
 his body ; and notwithstanding the remonstrances 
 of Mr. M'Lellan, taking his way back to the 
 spot where the latter had left his companion, had 
 not gone two hundred paces, when he met him 
 coming toward them, holding his bleeding head 
 with both hands.* 
 
 * We were apprized of this unfortunate rencontre by natives 
 from up tVie liver, on tlie 15th of April, but disbelieved it. [It is 
 
158 franchere's voyage. 
 
 The object of Mr. Reed's journey being de- 
 feated by the loss of his papers, he repaired, with 
 the other gentlemen, to Mr. David Stuart's 
 trading post, at Okenakan, whence they had all 
 set out, in the beginning of May, to returu to As- 
 toria. Coming down the river, they fell in with 
 Mr. R. Crooks, and a man named John Day. It 
 was observed in the preceding chapter that Mr. 
 Crooks remained with five men among some In- 
 dians who were there termed friendly : but this 
 gentleman and his companion were the only 
 members of that party who ever reached the es- 
 tablishment: and they too arrived in a most 
 pitiable condition, the savages having stripped 
 
 curious to observe the want of military sagacity and precaution 
 which characterized the operations of these traders, compared 
 with the exact calculations of danger and the unfailing measures 
 of defence, employed from the very outset by Captains Lewis and 
 Clarke in the same countiy. There was one very audacious at- 
 tempt at plunder made iipon the latter ; but besides that it cost 
 the Indians a life or two, the latter lost property of tlieir own far 
 exceeding their booty. It is true that the American officers had 
 a stronger force at their disposal than our merchants had, and 
 that, too, consisting of experienced western hunters and veteran 
 soldiers of the frontier; hut it is not less interesting to note tlio 
 difference, because it is easy to account for it. — J. V. H.] 
 
THE TONQUm. 159 
 
 them of everything, leaving them but some bits 
 of deerskin to cover their nakedness. 
 
 On the 12th, the schooner, which had been 
 sent down the river to the Beaver's anchorage, 
 returned with a cargo (being the stores intended 
 for Astoria), and the following passengers: to 
 wit, Messrs. B. Clapp, J. C. Halsey, C. A. 
 Nichols, and R. Cox, clerks ; five Canadians, 
 seven Americans (all mechanics), and a dozen 
 Sandwich-islanders for the service of the estab- 
 lishment. The captain of the Beaver sounded 
 the channel diligently for several days ; but find- 
 ing it scarcely deep enough for so large a vessel, 
 he was unwilling to bring her up to Astoria. It 
 was necessary, in consequence, to use the schoon- 
 er as a lighter in discharging the ship, and this 
 tedious operation occupied us 'during the balance 
 of this month and a part of June. 
 
 Captain Sowles and Mr. Clarke confirmed the 
 report of the destruction of the Tonquin ; they 
 had learned it at Owhyhee, by means of a letter 
 which a certain Captain Ebbetts, in the employ 
 of Mr. Astor, had left there. It was nevertheless 
 
160 franchere's voyage. 
 
 resolved that Mr. Hunt should embark upon the 
 " Beaver," to carry out the plan of an exact com- 
 mercial survey of the coast, which Mr. M'Kay 
 had been sent to accomplish, and in particular to 
 visit for that purpose the Russian establishments 
 at Chitka sound. 
 
 The necessary papers having been prepared 
 anew, and being now ready to expedite, were 
 confided to Mr. R. Stuart, who was to cross the 
 continent in company with Messrs. Crooks and 
 R. M'Lellan, partners dissatisfied with the en- 
 terprise, and who had made up their minds to 
 return to the United States. Mr. Clark, accom- 
 panied by Messrs. Pillet, Donald, M'Lellan, 
 Farnham and Cox, was fitted out at the same 
 time, with a considerable assortment of merchan- 
 dise, to form a new establishment on the Spokan 
 or Clarke's river. Mr. M'Kenzie, with Mr. Se- 
 ton, was destined for the borders of Lewis river : 
 while Mr. David Stuart, reinforced by Messrs. 
 Matthews and M'Gillis, was to explore the region 
 lying north of his post at Okenakan. All these 
 outfits being ready, with the canoes, boatmen, 
 
OUR ALARM, 161 
 
 and hunters, the flotiUa quitted Astoria on the 
 30th of June, in the afternoon, having on board 
 sixty-two persons. The sequel will show the 
 result of the several expeditions. 
 
 During the whole month of July, the natives 
 (seeing us weakened no doubt by these outfits), 
 manifested their hostile intentions so openly that 
 we were obliged to be constantly on our guard. 
 We constructed covered ways inside our palisades, 
 and raised our bastions or towers another story. 
 The alarm became so serious toward the latter 
 end of the month that we doubled our sentries 
 day and night, and never allowed more than two 
 or three Indians at a time within our gates. 
 
 The Beaver was ready to depart on her coast- 
 ing voyage at the end of June, and on the 1st of 
 July Mr. Hunt went on board : but westerly 
 winds prevailing all that month, it was not till 
 the 4th of August that she was able to get out 
 of the river ; being due again by the end of Oc- 
 tober to leave her surplus goods and take in our 
 furs for market. 
 
 The months of August and September were 
 
1G2 PR.WCHEaiE's VOYAGE. 
 
 employed in finishing a house forty-five feet by 
 thirty, shingled and perfectly tight, as a hospital 
 for the sick, and lodging house for the mechanics. 
 
 Experience having taught us that from the be- 
 ginning of October to the end of January, pro- 
 visions were brought in by the natives in very 
 small quantity, it was thought expedient that I 
 should proceed in the schooner, accompanied by 
 Mr. Clapp, on a trading voyage up the river to 
 secure a cargo of dried fish. "We left Astoria 
 on the 1st of October, with a small assortment of 
 merchandise. The trip was highly successful: 
 we found the game very abundant, killed a great 
 quantity of swans, ducks, foxes, &c., and re- 
 turned to Astoria on the 20th, with a part of our 
 venison, wild fowl, and bear meat, besides seven 
 hundred and fifty smpked salmon, a quantity of 
 the Wapto root (so called by the natives), which 
 is found a good substitute for potatoes, and four 
 hundred and fifty skins of beaver and other ani- 
 mals of the furry tribe. 
 
 The encouragement derived from this excursion 
 induced us to try a second, and I set ofi" this time 
 
THE RAINY SEASON. 163 
 
 alone, that is, with a crew of five men only, and 
 an Indian boy, son of the old chief Comcomly, 
 This second voyage proved anything but agree- 
 able. We experienced continual rains, arid the 
 game was much less abundant, while the natives 
 had mostly left the river for their wintering 
 grounds. I succeeded, nevertheless, in exchang- 
 ing my goods for furs and dried fish, and a small 
 supply of dried venison : and returned, on the 
 15th of November, to Astoria, where the want of 
 fresh provisions began to be severely felt, so that 
 several of the men were attacked with scurvy. 
 
 Messrs. Halsey and Wallace having been sent 
 on the 23d, with fourteen men, to establish a 
 trading post on the Willamet, and "Mr. M'Dougal 
 being confined to his room by sickness, Mr. 
 Clapp and I were left with the entire charge of 
 the post at Astoria, and were each other's only 
 resource for society. Happily Mr. Clapp was a 
 man of amiable character, of a gay, lively humor, 
 and agreeable conversation. In the intervals of 
 our daily duties, we amused ourselves with music 
 and reading ; having some instruments and a 
 
164 frajsthere's voyage, 
 
 choice library. Otherwise we should have passed 
 our time in a state of insufferable ennui, at this 
 rainy season, in the midst of the deep mud which 
 surrounded us, and which interdicted the pleasure 
 of a promenade outside the buildings. 
 
MR. M KENZIE RETURNS, 165 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Uneasiness respecting the "Beaver." — News of the Declaration 
 of War between Great Britain and the United States. — Con- 
 sequences of that InteHigence. — Different Occurrences. — Ani- 
 val of two Canoes of the Northwest Company. — Preparations 
 • for abandoning- the Country. — Postponement of Departure. — 
 Arrangement with Mr. .J. G. M'Tavish. 
 
 The months of October, November, and De- 
 cember passed away without any news of the 
 " Beaver," and we began to fear that there had 
 happened to her, as to the Tonquin, some disas 
 trous accident. It will be seen, in the following 
 chapter, why this vessel did not return to Astoria 
 in the autumn of 1812. 
 
 On the loth of January, Mr. M'Kenzie arrived 
 from the interior, having abandoned his trading 
 establishment, after securing his stock of goods 
 in a cache. Before his departure he had paid a 
 visit to Mr. Clark on the Spokan, and while there 
 
16G franchere's voyage. 
 
 had learned the news, which he came to announce 
 to us, that hostilities had actually commenced 
 between Great Britain and the United States. 
 The news had been brought by some gentlemen 
 of the Northwest Company, who handed to them 
 a copy of the Proclamation of the President to 
 that efiect. 
 
 Wlien we learned this news, all of us at Asto- 
 ria who were British subjects and Canadians, 
 wished ourselves in Canada ; but we could not 
 entertain even the thought of transporting our- 
 selves thither, at least immediately : we were 
 separated from our country by an immense space, 
 and the difficulties of the journey at this season 
 were insuperable : besides, Mr. Astor's interests 
 had to be consulted first. We held, therefore, a 
 sort of council of war, to which the clerks of the 
 factory were invited pro formd^ as they had no 
 voice in the deliberations. Having maturely 
 weighed our situation ; after having seriously con- 
 sidered that being almost to a man British sub- 
 jects, we were trading, notwithstanding, under tho 
 American flag : and foreseeing the improbabilit)"^, 
 
IMPORTANT RESOLUTION. 167 
 
 or rather, to cut the matter short, the impossibility 
 that Mr. Astor could send us further supplies or 
 reinforcements while the war lasted, as most of 
 the ports of the United States would inevitably be 
 blockaded by the British ; we concluded to aban- 
 don the establishment in the ensuing spring, or at 
 latest, in the beginning of the summer. We did 
 not communicate these resolutions to the men, 
 lest they should in consequence abandon their 
 labor : but we discontinued, from that moment, 
 our trade with the natives, except for provisions ; 
 as well because we had no longer a large stock 
 of goods on hand, as for the reason that we had 
 already more furs than we could carry away 
 overland. 
 
 So long as we expected the return of the ves- 
 sel, we had served out to the people a regular 
 supply of bread : we found ourselves in conse- 
 quence, very short of provisions, on the arrival 
 of Mr. M'Kenzie and his men. This augmenta- 
 tion in the number of mouths to be fed compelled 
 us to reduce the ration of each man to four ounces 
 of flour and half a pound of dried fish per diem : 
 
168 franchere's voyage. 
 
 and even to send a portion of the hands to pass 
 the rest of the winter with Messrs. "Wallace and 
 Halsey on the Willaniet, where game was plenty. 
 • Meanwhile, the sturgeon ha"\-ing begun to enter 
 the river, I left, on the 13th of February, to fish 
 for them ; and on the 15th sent the first boat-load 
 to the establishment ; which proved a very 
 timely succor to the men, who for several days 
 had broken off work from want" of sufficient food. 
 I formed a camp near Oak Point, whence I con- 
 tinued to despatch canoe after canoe of fine fresh 
 fish to Astoria, and Mr. M'Dougal sent to me 
 thither all the men wlio were sick of scurvy, for 
 the re-establishment of their health. 
 
 On the 20th of March, Messrs. Reed and Seton, 
 who had led a part of our men to the post on the 
 Willamet, to subsist them, returned to Astoria, 
 with a supply of dried venison. These gentlemen 
 spoke to us in glowing terms of the country of' 
 the Willamet as charming, and abounding in bea- 
 ver, elk, and deer ; and informed us that Messrs. 
 Wallace and Halsey had constructed a dwelling 
 and trading house, on a great prairie, about one 
 
TWO CANOES ARRIVE. 1G9 
 
 hundred and fifty miles from the confluence of 
 tliat river with the Columbia. Mr. M'Kenzie and 
 his party quitted us again on the 31st, to make 
 known the resolutions recently adopted at Asto- 
 ria, to the gentlemen who were wintering in the 
 interior. 
 
 On the 11th of April two birch-bark canoes, 
 bearing the British flag, arrived at the factory. 
 They were commanded by Messrs. J. G. M'Tav- 
 ish and Joseph Laroque, and manned by nineteen 
 Canadian voyageurs. They landed on a point 
 of land under the guns of tlie fort, and formed 
 their camp. We invited these gentlemen to our 
 quarters and learned from them the object of their 
 visit. They had come to await the arrival of the 
 ship Isaac Todd, despatched from Canada by the 
 Northwest Company, in October, 1811, with furs, 
 and from England in March, 1812, with a cargo 
 of suitable merchandise for the Indian trade. 
 They had orders to wait at the mouth of the Co- 
 lumbia till the month of July, and then to return, 
 if the vessel did not make her appearance by that 
 time. They also informed us that the natives 
 
170 fbancheke's voyase. 
 
 near Lewis river had shown them fowling-pieces, 
 gun-flints, lead, and powder ; and that they had 
 communicated this news to Mr. M'Kenzie, pre- 
 suming that the Indians had discovered and plun- 
 dered his cache ; which turned out afterward to 
 be the case. 
 
 The month of May was occupied in prepara- 
 tions for our departure from the Columbia. On 
 the 25th, Messrs. Wallace and Halsey returned 
 from their winter quarters with seventeen packs 
 of furs, and thirty-two bales of dried venison. 
 The last article was received with a great deal of 
 pleasure, as it would infallibly be needed for the 
 journey we were about to undertake. Messrs. 
 Clarke, D. Stuart and M'Kenzie also arrived, in 
 the beginning of June, with one hundred and forty 
 packs of furs, the fruit of two years' trade at the 
 post on the Okenakan, and one year on the 
 Spokan* 
 
 The wintering partners (that is to say, Messrs. 
 Clarke and David Stuart) dissenting from the 
 
 * The profits of the last establishment were slender ; because 
 fhn people engaged at it were obliged to subsist on hcfrse-flesh, 
 and thej' ate ninety hors(?» during the winter. 
 
PLANS DEFERRED. 171 
 
 proposal to abandon the country as soon as we 
 intended, the thing being (as they observed) im- 
 practicable, from the want of provisions for the 
 journey and horses to transport the goods, the 
 project was deferred, as to its execution, till the 
 following April. So these gentlemen, having 
 taken a new lot of merchandise, set out again for 
 their trading posts on the 7th of July. But Mr. 
 M'Kenzie, whose goods had been pillaged by the 
 natives (it will be remembered), remained at 
 Astoria, and was occupied with the care of col- 
 lecting as great a quantity as possible of dried 
 salmon from the Indians. He made seven or 
 eight voyages up the river for that purpose, 
 while we at the Fort were busy in baling the bea- 
 ver-skins and other furs, in suitable packs for 
 horses to carry. Mr. Reed, in the meantime, 
 was sent on to the mountain-passes where Mr. 
 Miller had been left with the trappers, to winter 
 there, and to procure as many horses as he could 
 from the natives for our use in the contemplated 
 journey. He was furnished for this expedition 
 with three Canadians, and a half-breed hunter 
 
172 feanchere's voyage. 
 
 named Daion, the latter accompanied by his wife 
 and two children. This man came from the lower 
 Missouri with Mr. Hmit in 1811-12. 
 
 Our ol)ject being to provide ourselves, before 
 quitting the country, with the food and horses 
 necessary for the journey ; in order to avoid all 
 opposition on the part of the Northwest Company, 
 we entered into an arrangement with Mr. M'Tav- 
 ish. This gentleman having represented to us 
 that he was destitute of the necessary goods to 
 procure wherewith to subsist his party on their 
 way homeward, we supplied him from our ware- 
 house, i^ayment to l)e made us in the ensuing 
 spring, either in furs or in bills of exchange on 
 their house in Canada. 
 
A STEANGE SHIP. 1T3 
 
 CHAPTER XIY.. 
 
 AiTival of the Ship "Albatross." — Reasons for the Non- Appear- 
 ance of the Beaver at Astoria. — Fruitless Attempt of Captain 
 Smith on a Former Occasion. — Astonishment and Reg'ret of Mr. 
 Hunt at the Resolution of the Partners. — His Departure. — Nar- 
 rative of the Destruction of the Tonquin. — Causes of that Dis- 
 aster. — Reflections. 
 
 On the 4tli of August, contrary to all expecta- 
 tion, we saw a sail at the mouth of the river. 
 One of our gentlemen immediately got into the 
 barge, to ascertain her nationality and object : but 
 before he had fairly crossed the river, we saw 
 her pass the bar and direct hor course toward 
 Astoria, as if she were commanded by a captain 
 to whom the intricacies of the channel were fa- 
 miliar. I had stayed at the Fort with Mr. Clapp 
 and four men. As soon as we had recognised 
 the American flag, not doubting any longer that 
 it was a ship destined for the factory, we saluted 
 
174 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 her with three guns. She came to anchor over 
 against the fort, but on the opposite side of the 
 river, and returned our salute. In a short time 
 after, we saw, or rather we heard, the oars of a 
 boat (for it was already night) that came toward 
 us. We expected her approach with impatience, 
 to know who the stranger was, and what news 
 she brought us. Soon we were relieved from 
 our uncertainty by the appearance of Mr. Hunt, 
 who informed ns that the ship was called the 
 Albatross and was commanded by Captain Smith. 
 It will be remembered that Mr. Hunt had 
 sailed from Astoria on board the " Beaver," on 
 the 4th of August of the preceding year, and 
 should have returned with that vessel, in the 
 month of October of the same year. "We testified 
 to him our surprise that he had not returned at 
 the time appointed, and expressed the fears which 
 we liad entertained in regard to his fate, as well 
 as that of the Beaver itself: and in reply he ex- 
 ]3lained to us the reasons why neither he nor 
 Captain Sowles had been able to fulfil the prom- 
 ise which they had made us. 
 
MR. hunt's story. 175 
 
 After having got clear of the river Columbia, 
 they had scudded to tlie north, and had repaired 
 to the Russian post of Chitka, where they had 
 exchanged a part of their goods for furs. They 
 had made with the governor of that estalilishment, 
 Barnoff by aame, arrangements to supply him 
 regularly with all the goods of which he had need, 
 and to send him every year a vessel for that pur- 
 pose, as well as for the transportation of his sur- 
 plus furs to the East Indies. They had then 
 advanced still further to the north, to the coast 
 of Ka?nskatka; and being there informed that 
 some Kodiak hunters had been left on some ad- 
 jacent isles, called the islands of St. Peter and, 
 St. Paul, and that these hunters had not been 
 visited for three years, they determined to go 
 thither, and having reached , those isles, they 
 opened a brisk trade, and secured no less than 
 eighty thousand skins of the South-sea seal. 
 These operations had consumed a great deal of 
 time ; the season was already far advanced ; ice 
 was forming around them, and it was not with- 
 out having incurred considerable dangers that 
 
176 franchere's voyage. 
 
 they succeeded in making their way out of those 
 latitudes. Having extricated themselves from 
 the frozen seas of the north, l)ut in a shattered 
 condition, they deemed it more prudent to run 
 for the Sandwich isles, where they arrived after 
 enduring a succession of severe gales. Here Mr. 
 Hunt disembarked, witli the men who had ac- 
 companied liim, and who did not form a part of 
 the ship's crew ; and the vessel, after undergoing 
 the necessary repairs, set sail for Canton. 
 
 Mr. Hunt had then passed nearly six months 
 at the Sandwich islands, expecting the annual 
 ship from New York, and never imagining that 
 war had been declared. But at last, weary of 
 waiting so long to no purpose, he had bought a 
 small schooner of one of the chiefs of the isle of 
 Wahoo, and was engaged in getting her ready to 
 sail for tlie mouth of the Columbia, when four 
 sails hove in sight, and presently came to anclior 
 in Ohetity hay. He immediately went on board 
 of one of them, and learned that they came from 
 the Indies, whence they had sailed precipitately, 
 to avoid the Emrlish cruisers. He also learned 
 
THE ALBATROSS HER CAPTAIX. 177 
 
 from the captain of the vessel he boarded, that 
 the Beaver had arrived in Canton some days be- 
 fore the news of the declaration of war. This 
 Captain Smith, moreover, had on board some 
 cases of nankeens and other goods shipped by 
 Mr. Aster's agent at Canton for us. Mr. Hunt 
 then chartered the Albatross to take him with 
 his people and the goods to the Columbia. That 
 gentleman had not been idle during the time that 
 he sojourned at Wahoo : he brought us 35 bar- 
 rels of salt pork or beef, nine tierces of rice, a 
 great quantity of dried Taro, and a good supply 
 of salt. 
 
 As I knew the channel of the river, I went on 
 board the Albatross, and piloted her to the old 
 anchorage of the Tonquin, under the guns of the 
 Fort, in order to facilitate the landing of the 
 goods. 
 
 Captain Smith informed us that in 1810, a 
 
 year before the founding of our establishment, he 
 
 had entered the river in the same vessel, and 
 
 ascended it in boats as far as Oak Point ; and 
 
 that he had attempted to form an establishment 
 8* 
 
178 franchere's voyage. 
 
 there ; but the spot wliich lie chose for building, 
 and on which he had even commenced fencing 
 for a garden, being overflowed in the summer 
 freshet, he had been forced to abandon his proj- 
 ect and re-embark. We had seen, in fact, at 
 Oak Point, some traces of this projected estab- 
 lishment. The bold manner in which this cap- 
 tain had entered the river was now accounted 
 for. 
 
 Captain Smith had chartered his vessel to a 
 Frenchman named Demestre, who was then a 
 passenger on board of her, to go and take a car- 
 go of sandal wood at the Marquesas, where that 
 gentleman had left some men to collect it, the 
 year before. He could not, therefore, comply 
 with the request we made him, to remain dur- 
 ing the summer with us, in order to transport 
 our goods and people, as soon as they could be 
 got together, to the Sandwich islands. 
 
 Mr. Hunt was surprised beyond measure, when 
 we informed him of the resolution we had taken 
 of abandoning the country : he blamed us severe- 
 ly for having acted with so much precipitation, 
 
MR. HUNT SAILS. 179 
 
 pointing out that the success of the late coasting 
 voyage, and the arrangements we had made with 
 the Russians, promised a most advantageous 
 trade, which it was a thousand pities to sacrifice, 
 and lose the fruits of the hardships he had en- 
 dured and the dangers he had braved, at one fell 
 swoop, by this rash measure. Nevertheless, 
 seeing the partners were determined to abide by 
 their first resolution, and not being able, by him- 
 self alone, to fulfil his engagements to Governor 
 Barnoff, he consented to embark once more, in 
 order to seek a vessel to transport our heavy 
 goods, and such of us as wished to return by sea. 
 He sailed, in fact, on the Albatross, at the end 
 of the month. My friend Clapp embarked with 
 him: they were, in the first instance, to run 
 down the coast of California, in the hope of meet- 
 ing there some of the American vessels which 
 frequently visit that coast to obtain provisions 
 from the Spaniards. 
 
 Some days after the departure of Mr. Hunt, 
 the old one-eyed chief Comcomly came to tell us 
 that an Indian of Gray's Harbor, who had sailed 
 
180 franchere's yotage. 
 
 on the Tonquin in 1811, and who was the only 
 soul that had escaped the massacre of the crew 
 of that unfortunate vessel, had returned to his 
 tribe. As the distance from the River Cojumbia 
 to Gray's Harbor was not great, we sent for this 
 native. At first he made considerable difficulty 
 about following our people, but was finally per- 
 suaded. He arrived at Astoria, and related to 
 us the circumstances of that sad catastrophe, 
 nearly as follows :* 
 
 "After I had embarked on the Tonquin," said 
 he, " that vessel sailed for Nootka.-f Having 
 arrived opposite a large village called Neivity, 
 we dropped anchor. The natives having invited 
 Mr. M'Kay to laud, he did so, and was received 
 in the most cordial manner : they even kept him 
 several days at their village, and made him lie, 
 
 * It beings understood, of course, that I render into civilized 
 expressions the languag'e of this barbarian, and represent by 
 words and phrases what he could only convey by g^estures or by 
 signs. [The naivete of these notes, and of the narrative in these 
 passages, is amusing. — Ed.] 
 
 t A gi'eat village or encampment of Indians, among whom the 
 Spaniards had sent missionaries under the conduct of Signer 
 Quadra ; but whence the latter were chased by Captain Vancouver, 
 in 1792, as mentioned in the Introduction. 
 
FATE OF THE TONQUIN. 181 
 
 every night, on a coucli of sea-otter skins. Mean- 
 while the captain was engaged in trading with 
 such of the natives as resorted to his ship : but 
 having had a difficulty with one of the principal 
 chiefs in regard to the i^rice «f certain, goods, he 
 ended^by putting the latter out of the ship, and 
 in the act of so repelling him, struck him on the 
 face with the roll of furs which he had brought 
 to trade. This act was regarded by that chief 
 and his followers as the most grievous insult, and 
 they resolved to take vengeance for it. To arrive 
 more surely at their purpose, they dissembled 
 their resentment, and came, as usual, on board 
 the ship. One day, very early in the morning, a 
 large pirogue, containing a1)out a score of na- 
 tives, came alongside : every man had in his 
 hand a packet of furs, and held it over his head 
 as a sign that they came to trade. The watch 
 let them come on deck. A little after, arrived 
 a second pirogue, carrying about as many men 
 as the other. The sailors believed that these 
 also came to exchange their furs, and allowed 
 them to mount the ship's side like the first. Very 
 
182 franchere's voyage. 
 
 soon, the pirogues thus succeeding one another, 
 the crew saw themselves surrounded by a multi- 
 tude of savages, who came upon the deck from all 
 sides. Becoming alarmed at the appearance of 
 things, they went to apprize the captain and Mr. 
 M'Kay, who hastened to the poop. I was with 
 them," said the narrator, " and fearing, from the 
 great multitude of Indians whom I saw already 
 on the deck, and from the movements of those on 
 shore, who were hurrying to embark in their 
 canoes, to approach the vessel, and from the 
 women being left in charge of the canoes of those 
 who had arrived, that some evil design was on 
 foot, I communicated my suspicions to Mr. 
 M'Kay, who himself spoke to the captain. The 
 latter affected an air of security, and said that 
 with the firearms on board, there was no reason 
 to fear even a greater number of Indians. Mean- 
 while these gentlemen had come on deck un- 
 armed, without even their sidearms. The trade, 
 nevertheless, did not advance ; the Indians of- 
 fered less than was asked, and pressing with 
 their furs close to the captain, Mr. M'Kay, and 
 
THE MASSACRE. 183 
 
 Mr. Lewis, repeated the word Makoke I Mor 
 koke I " Trade ! Trade !"" I urged the gentlemen 
 to put to sea, and the captain, at last, seeing the 
 number of Indians increase every moment, al- 
 lowed himself to be persuaded: he ordered a 
 jjart of the crew to raise the anchor, and the rest 
 to go aloft and unfurl the sails. At the same 
 time he warned the natives to withdraw, as the 
 ship was going to sea. A fresh breeze was then 
 springing up, and in a few moments more their 
 prey would have escaped them ; but immediately 
 on receiving this notice, by a preconcerted signal, 
 the Indians, with a terrific yell, drew forth the 
 knives and war-bludgeons they had concealed in 
 their bundles of furs, and rushed upon the crew 
 of the ship. Mr. Lewis was struck, and fell over 
 a bale of blankets. Mr. M'Kay, however, was 
 the first victim whom they sacrificed to their fury. 
 Two savages, whom, from the crown of the poop, 
 where I was seated, I had seen follow this gen- 
 tleman step by step, now cast themselves upon 
 him, and having given him a blow on the head 
 with a potuviagan (a kind of sabre which is de- 
 
184 franchere's voyage* 
 
 scribed a little below), felled him to tlie deck, 
 then took him up and flung him into the sea, 
 "where the women left in charge of the canoes, 
 quickly finished him with their paddles. Another 
 set flung themselves upon the captain, who de- 
 fended himself for a long time with his pocket- 
 knife, but, overpowered by numbers, perished 
 also under the blows of these murderers. I next 
 saw (and that was the last occurrence of which I 
 was witness before quitting the ship) the sailors 
 who were aloft, slip down by the rigging, and 
 get below through the steerage hatchway. They 
 were five, I think, in number, and one of them, 
 in descending, received a knife-stab in the back. 
 I then jumped overboard, to escape a similar fate 
 to that of the captain and Mr. M'Kay : the wo- 
 men in the canoes, to whom I surrendered my- 
 self as a slave, took me in, and bade me hide 
 myself under some mats which were in the pi- 
 rogues ; which I did. Soon after, I heard the 
 discharge of firearms, immediately upon which 
 the Indians fled from the vessel, and pulled for 
 the shore as fast as possible, nor did they venture 
 
THE EXPLOSION. 185 
 
 to go alongside the ship again the whole of that 
 day. The next day, having seen four men lower a 
 boat, and pull away from tlie ship, they sent some 
 pirogues in chase : but whether those men were 
 overtaken and murdered, or gained the open sea 
 and perished there, I never could learn. Noth- 
 ing more was seen stirring on board the Tonquin ; 
 the natives pulled cautiously around her, and 
 some of the more daring went on board ; at last, 
 the savages, finding themselves absolute masters 
 of the ship, rushed on board in a crowd to pillage 
 her. But very soon, when there were about four 
 or five hundred either huddled together on deck, 
 or clinging to the sides, all eager for plunder, the 
 ship blew up with a horrible noise. " I was on 
 the shore," said the Indian, " when the explosion 
 took place, saw the great volume of smoke burst 
 forth in the spot where the ship had been, and 
 high in the air above, arms, legs, heads and 
 bodies, flynig in every direction. The tribe ac- 
 knowledged a loss of over two hundred of their 
 people on that occasion. As for me I remained 
 their prisoner, and have been their slave for two 
 
186 franchere's voyage. 
 
 years. It is but uow that I liave been ransomed 
 by my friends. I have told you tlie truth, and 
 hope you will acquit me of having in any way 
 participated in that bloody affair." 
 
 Our Indian having finished his discourse, we 
 made him presents proportioned to the melan- 
 choly satisfaction he had given us in communica- 
 ting the true history of the sad fate of our former 
 companions, and to the trouble he had taken in 
 coming to us ; so that he returned apparently 
 well satisfied with our liberality. 
 
 According to the narrative of this Indian, Cap- 
 tain Thorn, by his abrupt manner and passionate 
 temper, was the primary cause of liis own death 
 and that of all on board his vessel. "VN^iat ap- 
 pears certain at least, is, that he was guilty of 
 unpardonable negligence and imprudence, in not 
 causing the boarding netting to be rigged, as is 
 the custom of all the navigators who frequent 
 this coast, and in sufiering (contrary to his in- 
 structions) too great a number of Indians to 
 come on board at once.* 
 
 * It is equally evident that even at tlio time when Captain 
 Thorn was first notified of the dangerous ciowd ajid threatening 
 
ANOTHER SUGGESTION. 187 
 
 Captain Smith, of the Albatross, who had 
 seen the wreck of the Tonquiu, in mentioning to 
 us its sad fate, attributed the cause of the disas- 
 ter to the rash conduct of a Captain Ayres, of 
 Boston. That navigator had taken off, as I have 
 mentioned already, ten or a dozen natives of 
 New-itty, as hunters, with a promise of bringing 
 them back to their country, which promise he 
 inhumanly broke by leaving them on some desert 
 islands in Sir Francis Drake's Bay. The coun- 
 trjonen of these unfortunates, indignant at the 
 conduct of the American captain, had sworn to 
 avenge themselves on the first white men who 
 appeared among them. Chance willed it that 
 our vessel was the first to enter that bay, and 
 the natives but too well executed on our people 
 their project of vengeance. 
 
 Whatever may have been the first and princi- 
 pal cause of this misfortune (for doubtless it is 
 
 appearance of the natives, a display of fireaims would have suf- 
 ficed to prevent an outbreak. Had he come on deck with Mr. 
 M'Kay and Mr. Lewis, each armed with a musket, and a couple 
 of pistols at the belt, it is jjlain from the timidity the savages after- 
 ward displayed, that he might have cleared the ship, probably 
 w'thout shedding' a drop of blood. — Ed. 
 
188 franchere's voyage. 
 
 necessary to suppose more than one), seventeen 
 white men and twelve Sandwich-Islanders, were 
 massacred : not one escaped from the butchery, 
 to bring- us the news of it, but the Indian of 
 Gray's Harbor. The massacre of our people 
 was avenged, it is true, by the destruction of ten 
 times the number of their murderers ; but this 
 circumstance, which could perhaps gladden the 
 heart of a savage, was a feeble consolation (if it 
 was any) for ci\alized men. The death of Mr. 
 Alexander M'Kay was an irreparable loss to the 
 Company, which would probably have been dis- 
 solved by the remaining partners, but for the 
 arrival of the energetic Mr. Hunt. Interesting 
 as was the recital of the Indian of Gray's Har- 
 bor throughout, when he came to the unhappy 
 end of that estimable man, marks of regret were 
 visibly painted on the countenances of all Avho 
 listened. 
 
 At the begimiing of September, Mr. M'Kenzie 
 set off, with Messrs. Wallace and Seton, to carry 
 a supply of goods to the gentlemen wintering in 
 the interior, as well as to inform them of the ar- 
 
NOTE. 189 
 
 rangements concluded "with Mr. Hunt, and to 
 
 enjoin them to send down all their furs, and all 
 
 the Sandwich-Islanders, that the former might be 
 
 shipped for America, and the latter sent back to 
 
 their country. 
 
 Note. 
 
 It will never be known how or by whom the Tonquin was 
 blown up. Some pretend to say that it was the work of 
 James Lewis, but that is impossible, for it appears from the 
 narrative of the Indian that he was one of the first persons mur- 
 dered. It will ])e recollected that five men got between decks 
 from aloft, during the affray, and four only were seen to quit the 
 ship afterward in the boat. The presumption was that the mis 
 sing man must have done it, and in further conversation with the 
 Gray's Harbor Indian, he inclined to that opinion, and even 
 affirmed that the individual was the ship's armorer. Weeks. It 
 might also have been accidental. There was a large quantity of 
 powder in the run immediately under the cabin, and it is not im- 
 possible that while the Indians were intent on plunder, in opening 
 some of the kegs they may have set fire to the contents. Or 
 again, the men, before quitting the ship, may have lighted a slow 
 train, w-hich is the most likely supposition of all. 
 
190 franchere's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Arrival of a Number of Canoes of the Northwest Company.^ 
 Sale of the Establishment at Astoria to that Company. — Cana- 
 dian News. — Arrival of the British Sloop-of-War " Raccoon." 
 — Accident on Boaz-d that Vessel. — The Captain takes Formal 
 Possession of Astoria. — Surprise and Discontent of the Officers 
 and Crew. — Departure of the " Raccoon." 
 
 A FEW clays after Mr. M'Kenzie left us, we 
 were greatly surprised by the appearance of two 
 canoes bearing the British flag, with a third be- 
 tween them, carrying the flag of the United 
 States, all rounding Tongue Point. It was no 
 other than Mr. M'Kenzie himself, returning with 
 Messrs. J. Gr. M'Tavish and Angus Bethune, of 
 the Northwest Company. He had met these 
 gentlemen near the first rapids, and had deter- 
 mined to return with them to the establishment, 
 in consequence of information which they gave 
 him. Those gentlemen were in light canoes 
 
HOSTILE ARMAMENT. 191 
 
 (i. e., without any lading), and formed the van- 
 guard to a flotilla of eight, loaded with furs, un- 
 der the conduct of Messrs. John Stuart and 
 M'Millan. 
 
 Mr. M'Tavish came to our quarters at the fac- 
 tory, and showed Mr. M'Dougal a letter which 
 had been addressed to the latter by Mr. Angus 
 Shaw, his uncle, and one of the partners of the 
 Northwest Company. Mr. Shaw informed his 
 nephew that the ship Isaac Todd had sailed from 
 London, with letters of marque, in the month of 
 March, in company with the frigate Phcebe, hav- 
 ing orders from the government to seize our 
 establishment, which had been represented to 
 the lords of the admiralty as an important col- 
 ony founded by the American government. The 
 eight canoes left behind, came up meanwhile, and 
 uniting themselves to the others, they formed a 
 jcamp of about seventy-five men, at the bottom of 
 a little bay or cove, near our factory. As they 
 were destitute of provisions, we supplied them ; 
 but Messrs. M'Dougal and M'Kenzie affecting to 
 dread a surprise from this British force under 
 
192 feanchere's voyage. 
 
 our guns, we kept strictly on our guard ; for "we 
 were inferior in point of numbers, although our 
 position was exceedingly advantageous. 
 
 As the season advanced, and their ship did not 
 arrive, our new neighbors found themselves in a 
 very disagreeable situation, without food, or mer- 
 chandise wherewith to procure it from the natives ; 
 viewed by the latter with a distrustful and hostile 
 eye, as being our enemies and therefore exposed 
 to attack and plunder on their j)art with impu- 
 nity ; supplied with good hunters, indeed, but 
 wanting ammunition to render their skill availa- 
 ble. Weary, at length, of applying to us inces- 
 santly for food (which we furnished them with 
 a sparing hand), unable either to retrace their 
 steps through the wilderness or to remain in 
 their present •position, they came to the conclu- 
 sion of proposing to buy of us the whcAe estab- 
 lishment. 
 
 Placed, as we were, ia the situation of expect- 
 ing, day l)y day, the arrival of an English ship- 
 of-war to seize upon all wo possessed, we listened 
 to their propositions. Several meetings and dis- 
 
SALE TO THE BRITISH. 193 
 
 cussions took place ; the negotiations were pro- 
 tracted by the hope of one party that the long- 
 expected armed force would arrive, to render the 
 purchase unnecessary, and were urged forward 
 by the other in order to conclude the affair before 
 that occurrence should intervene ; at length the 
 price of the goods and furs in the factory was 
 agreed upon, and the bargain was signed by both 
 parties on the 23d of October. The gentlemen 
 of the Northwest Company took possession of 
 Astoria, agreeing to pay the servants of the Pa- 
 cific Fur Company (the name which had been 
 chosen by Mr. Astor), the arrears of their wages, 
 to be deducted from the price of the goods which 
 we delivered, to supply them with provisions, and 
 give a free passage to those who wished to return 
 to Canada over laud. The American colors were 
 hauled down from the factoi*}^, and the British 
 run up, to the no small chagrin and mortification 
 of those wlio were American citizens. 
 
 It was thus, that after having passed the seas, 
 and suffered all sorts of fatigues and privations, 
 I lost in a moment all my hopes of fortune. I 
 9 
 
1^4 frakchere's votagb, 
 
 could not help remarking that we had no right 
 to expect such treatment ou the part of the Brit- 
 ish government, after the assurances we had re- 
 ceived from Mr. Jackson, his majesty's charge 
 d'affaires previously to our departure from New 
 York. But as I have just intimated, the agents 
 of the Northwest Company had exaggerated the 
 importance of the factory in the eyes of the Brit- 
 ish ministry ; for if the latter had known what it 
 really Avas — a mere trading-post — and that noth- 
 ing but the rivalry of the fur-traders of the 
 Northwest Company was interested in its de- 
 struction, they would never have taken umbrage 
 at it, or at least would never have sent a mari- 
 time expedition to destroy it. The sequel will 
 show that I was not mistaken in this opinion. 
 
 The greater part of the servants of the Pacific 
 Fur Company entered the sei'vice of the Company 
 of the Northwest: the rest preferred to return 
 to their country, and I was of the number of 
 these last. Nevertheless, Mr. M'Tavish, after 
 many ineffectual attempts to persuade me to re- 
 main with them, having intimated that the estab- 
 
NETV* ENGAGEMENT. 195 
 
 lishment could not disj^ense with my services, as 
 I was the only person who could assist them in 
 their trade, especially for provisions, of which 
 they would soon be in the greatest need, I 
 agreed with them (without however relinquishing 
 my previous engagement with Mr. Astor's agents) 
 for five months, that is to say, till the departure 
 of the expedition which was to ascend the Colum- 
 bia in the spring, and reach Canada by way of 
 the Rocky Mountains and the rivers of the inte- 
 rior. Messrs. John Stuart and M'Kenzie set off 
 about the end of this month, for the interior, in 
 order that the latter might make over to the 
 former the posts established on the Spokan and 
 Okenakan. 
 
 On the 15th of November, Messrs. Alexander 
 Stuart and Alexander Henry, both partners of 
 the N. "W. Company, arrived tit the factory, in a 
 couple of bark canoes manned by sixteen voya- 
 <geurs. They had set out from Fort William, on 
 Lake Superior, in the month of July. They 
 brought us Canadian papers, by which we learned 
 that the British arms so far had been in the as- 
 
196 franchere's voyage. 
 
 cendant. They confirmed also the news that an 
 English frigate was coming to take possession of 
 our quondam establishment ; they were even sur- 
 prised not to see the Isaac Todd lying in the 
 road. 
 
 On the morning of the 30th, we saw a large 
 vessel standing in under Cape Disappointment 
 (which proved in this instance to deserve its 
 name) ; and soon after that vessel came to an- 
 chor in Baker'' s hay. Not knowing whether it 
 was a friendly or a hostile sail, we thought it 
 prudent to send on hoard Mr. M'Dougal in a 
 canoe, manned by such of the men as had been 
 previously in the service of the Pacific Fur Com- 
 pany, with injunctions to declare themselves" 
 Americans, if the vessel was American, and 
 Englishmen in the contrary case. While this 
 party was on its Avay, Mr. M'Tavish caused all 
 the furs which were marked with the initials of 
 the N. W. Company to be placed on board the 
 two barges at the Fort, and sent them up the 
 river above Tongue Point, where they were 
 to wait for a concerted signal, that was to in- 
 
THE RACCOON. 197 
 
 form them whether the new-comers were friends 
 or foes. Towai-d midnight, Mr. Halsey, who 
 hijd accompanied Mr. M'Dougal to the vessel, 
 returned to the Fort, and announced to us that 
 she was the British sloop-of-war Raccoon, of 26 
 guns, commanded by Captain Black, with a com- 
 plement of 120 men, fore and aft. Mr. John 
 M'Donald, a partner of the N. "W. Company, was 
 a passenger on the Raccoon, with five voyageurs, 
 destined for the Company's service. He had 
 left England in the frigate Phcehe, which had 
 sailed in company with the Isaac Todd as far as 
 Rio Janeiro ; but there falling in with the British 
 squadron, the admiral changed the destination 
 of the frigate, despatching the sloops -of- war 
 Raccoon and Cherub to convoy the Isaac Todd, 
 and sent the Phoebe to search for the American 
 commodore Porter, who was then on the Pacific, 
 capturing all the British whalers and other tra- 
 ding vessels he met with. These four vessels 
 then sailed in company as far as Cape Horn, 
 where they parted, after agreeing on the island 
 of Juan Fernandez as a rendezvous. The three 
 
198 fraxciiere's voyage, 
 
 ships -of- war met, in fact, at that island; but 
 after having a long time waited in vain for the 
 Isaac Todd, Commodore Hillier (Hillyer?) who 
 commanded this little squadron, hearing of the 
 injury inflicted by Commodore Porter, on the 
 British commerce, and especially on the whalers 
 who frequent these seas, resolved to go in quest 
 of him in order to give him combat ; and retain- 
 ing the Cherub to assist him, detailed the Rac- 
 coon to go and destroy the American establish- 
 ment on the River Columbia, being assured by 
 Mr. M'Donald that a single sloop-of-war would 
 be sufficient for that service. 
 
 Mr. M'Donald had consequently embarked, 
 with his people, on board the Raccoon. This 
 gentleman informed us that they had experienced 
 frightful weather in doubling the Cape, and that 
 he entertained serious apprehensions for the 
 safety of the Isaac Todd, but that if she was 
 safe, we might expect her to arrive in the river 
 in two or three weeks. The signal gun agreed 
 upon, having been fired, for the return of the 
 barges, Mr. M'Tavish came back to the Fort 
 
FATAL ACCIDENT. 199 
 
 with the furs, aud was overjoyed to learn the 
 arrival of Mr. M'Donald. 
 
 On the 1st of December the Raccoon's gig 
 came up to the fort, bringing Mr. M'Donald 
 (^surnamed Bras Crocke, or crooked arm), and 
 the first lieutenant, Mr. Sheriff. Both these 
 gentlemen were convalescent from the effects of 
 an accident which had happened to them in the 
 passage between Juan Fernandez and the mouth 
 of the Columbia. The captain wishing to clean 
 the guns, ordered them to be scaled, that is, 
 fired off: during this exercise one of the gune 
 hung fire ; the sparks fell into a cartridge tub, 
 and setting fire to the combustibles, communi- 
 cated also to some priming horns suspended 
 above ; an explosion followed, which reached 
 some twenty persons ; eight were killed on the 
 spot, the rest were severely burnt; Messrs. 
 M'Donald and Sheriff had suffered a great deal ; 
 it was with difficulty that their clothes had been 
 removed ; and Avhen the lieutenant came ashore, 
 he had not recovered the use of his hands. 
 Among the killed was an American named Flatty 
 
200 feanchere's voyage. 
 
 who was in the service of the Northwest Company 
 and whose loss these gentlemen appeared ex- 
 ceedingly to regret. 
 
 As there were goods destined for the Company 
 on board the Raccoon, the schooner Dolly was 
 sent to Baker's bay to bring them up : but the 
 weather was so bad, and the wind so \aolent, 
 that she did not return till the 12th, bringing up, 
 together with the goods. Captain Black, a lieu • 
 tenant of marines, four soldiers and as man) 
 sailors. We entertained our guests as splendidly 
 as it lay in our power to do. After dinner, the 
 captain caused fireanns to be given to the ser- 
 vants of the Company, and we all marched under 
 arms to the square or platform, where a flag-staff 
 had been erected. There the captain took a 
 British Union Jack, which he had brought on 
 shore for the occasion, and caused it to be run 
 up to the top of the staff ; then, taking a bottle 
 of Madeira wine, he broke it on the flag-staff, de- 
 claring in a loud voice, that he took possession of 
 the establishment and of the country in the name 
 of His Britannic Majesty ; and changed the name 
 
officers' disappointment. 201 
 
 of Astoria to Fort George. Some few Indian 
 chiefs had been got together to "witness this 
 ceremony, and I explained to them in their own 
 language what it signified. Three rounds of 
 artillery and musketry were fired, and the health 
 of the king was drunk by the parties interested, 
 according to the usage on like occasions. 
 
 The sloop being detained by contrary Avinds, 
 the captain caused an exact survey to be made 
 of the entrance of the river, as well as of the 
 navigable channel between Baker's bay and Fort 
 George. The officers visited the fort, turn 
 about, and seemed to me in general very much 
 dissatisfied with their fool's errand, as they called 
 it : they had expected to find a number of Amer- 
 ican vessels loaded with rich furs, and had cal- 
 culated in advance their share in the booty of 
 Astoria. They had not met a vessel, and their 
 astonishment was at its height when they saw 
 that our establishment had been transferred to 
 the Northwest Company, and was under tho 
 British flag. It will suffice to quote a single ex- 
 pression of Captain Black's, in order to show 
 9* 
 
202 franchere's voyage. 
 
 how iniicli tliey were deceived in tlicir expecta- 
 tions. The Captain landed after dark ; when we 
 showed liim the next morning the palisades and 
 log bastions of the factory, he inquired if there 
 was not another fort ; on being assured that there 
 was no other, he cried out, with an air of the great- 
 est astonishment : — " What ! is this the fort which 
 was represented to me as so formidable ! Good 
 God ! I could batter it down in two hours with a 
 four-pounder ! " 
 
 There were on board the Raccoon two young 
 men from Canada, who had been impressed at 
 Quebec, when that vessel was there some years 
 before her voyage to the Columbia : one of them 
 was named Parent, a blacksmith, and was of 
 Quebec : the other was from Upper Canada, and 
 was named M'Donald. These young persons 
 signified to us that they would be glad to remain 
 at Fort George : and as there was among our 
 men some who would gladly have shipped, we 
 proposed to the captain an cxcliange, but lie 
 would not consent to it. John Little, a boat- 
 builder from New York, who had been on the 
 
REFLECTION'S. 203 
 
 sick list a long time, was scut on board and 
 placed under the care of the sloop's surgeon, Mr. 
 O'Brien ; the captain engaging to land him at 
 the Sandwich Islands. P. D. Jeremie also ship- 
 ped himself as under clerk. The vessel hoisted 
 sail, and got out of the river, on the 31st of De- 
 cember. 
 
 From the account given in this chapter the 
 reader will see with what facility the establish- 
 ment of the Pacific Fur Company could have es- 
 caped capture by the British force. It was only 
 necessary to get rid of the land party of the 
 Northwest Company — who were completely in 
 our power — then remove our effects up the river 
 upon some small stream, and await the result. 
 The sloop-of-war arrived, it is true ; but as, in 
 the case I suppose, she would have found nothing, 
 she would have left, after setting fire to our de- 
 serted houses. None of their boats would have 
 dared follow us, even if the Indians had betrayed 
 to them our lurking-place. Those at the head 
 of affairs had their own fortunes to seek, and 
 thought it more for their interest, doubtless, to 
 
204 fkanchere's voyage. 
 
 act as they did, but that will not clear them in 
 the eyes of the world, and the charge of treason 
 to Mr. Astor's interests will always be attached 
 to their characters. 
 
NEW EXPEDITION. 205 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Expeditions to the Interior. — Return of Messrs. John Stuart and 
 D. M'Kenzic. — Theft committed by the Natives. — War Party 
 against the Thieves. 
 
 On the 3d of January, 1814, two canoes laden 
 with merchandise for the interior, were de- 
 spatched under the command of Mr. Alexander 
 Stuart and Mr. James Keith, with fifteen men 
 under them. Two of the latter were charged 
 with letters for the posts (of the Northwest 
 Company) east of the mountains, containing- in- 
 structions to the persons in superintendence 
 there, to have in readiness canoes and the requi- 
 site provisions for a large party intending to go 
 east the ensuing spring. I took this opportunity 
 of advising my friends in Canada of my intention 
 to return home that season. It was the third 
 attempt I had made to send news of my exist- 
 
206 franchere's voyage. 
 
 ence to my relatives and friends : the first two 
 had miscarried and this "was doomed to meet the 
 same fate. 
 
 Messrs. J. Stuart and M'Kenzie, who (as was 
 seen in a previous chapter) had been sent to 
 notify the gentlemen in the interior of what had 
 taken place at Astoria, and to transfer the win- 
 tering posts to the Northwest Company, returned 
 to Fort George on the morning of the 6th. They 
 stated that they had left Messrs. Clarke and D. 
 Stuart behind, with the loaded canoes, and also 
 that the party had been attacked by the natives 
 above the falls. 
 
 As they were descending the river toward 
 evening, between the first and second portages, 
 they had espied a large number of Indians con- 
 gregated at no great distance in the prairie ; 
 which gave them some uneasiness. In fact, some 
 time after they had encamped, and when all the 
 people (tout le vionde) were asleep, except Mr. 
 Stuart, who was on guard, these savages had 
 stealthily approached the camp, and discharged 
 some arrows, one of which had penetrated the 
 
NATIVE ATTACK. 207 
 
 coverlet of one of tlio men, who was lying near 
 the l)aggage, and had pierced the cartilage of his 
 ear ; the pain made him utter a sharp cry, which 
 alarmed the whole camp and threw it into an up- 
 roar. The natives perceiving it, fled to the 
 woods, howling and yelling like so many, demons. 
 In the morning our people picked up eight arrows 
 round the camp : they could yet hear the sav- 
 ages yell and whoop in the woods : but, notwith- 
 standing, the party reached the lower end of the 
 portage unmolested. 
 
 The audacity which these barbarians had dis- 
 played in attacking a party of from forty to 
 forty-five persons, made us suppose that they 
 would, much more probably, attack the party of 
 Mr. Stuart, which was composed of but seven- 
 teen men. Consequently, I received orders to 
 get ready forthwith a canoe and firearms, in 
 order to proceed to their relief. The whole was 
 ready in the short space of two hours, and I em- 
 barked immediately with a guide and eight men. 
 Our instructions were to use all possible diligence 
 to overtake Messrs. Stewart and Keith, and to 
 
208 franchere's voyage. 
 
 convey them to the upper end of the last portage ; 
 or to return with the goods, if we met too much 
 resistance on the part of the natives. We trav- 
 elled, then, all that day, and all the night of tlio 
 6tli, and on the 7th, till evening. Finding our- 
 selves then at a little distance from the rapids, I 
 came to a halt, to put the firearms in order, and 
 let the men take some repose. About midnight 
 I caused them to re-embark, and ordered tho 
 men to sing as they rowed, that the party whom 
 we wished to overtake might hear us as we 
 passed, if perchance they were encamped on 
 some one of the islands of which the river is full 
 in this part. In fact, we had hardly proceeded 
 five or six miles, when we were hailed by some 
 one apparently in the middle of the stream. We 
 stopped rowing, and answered, and Avere soon 
 joined by our people of the expedition, who were 
 all descending the river in a canoe. They in- 
 formed us that they had been attacked the even- 
 ning before, and that Mr. Stuart had been wound- 
 ed. We turned about, and* all proceeded in 
 company toward the fort. In the morning, when 
 
INDIAN FIGHT. 209 
 
 we stopped to breakfast, Mr. Keith gave me 
 the particulars of the affair of the day preceding. 
 Having arrived at the foot of tlie rapids, they 
 commenced the portage on the south bank of the 
 river, which is obstructed with boulders, over 
 which it was necessary to pass the effects. After 
 they had hauled over the two canoes, and a part 
 of the goods, the natives approached in great 
 numbers, trying to carry off something unob- 
 served. Mr. Stuart was at the upper end of the 
 portage (the portage being about six hundred 
 yards in length), and Mr. Keith accompanied 
 the loaded men. An. Indian seized a bag con- 
 taining articles of little value, and fled : Mr. 
 Stuart, who saw the act, pursued the thief, and 
 after some resistance on the latter' s part, suc- 
 ceeded in making him relinquish his booty. Im- 
 mediately he saw a number of Indians armed 
 with bows and arrows, approaching him : one of 
 them bent his bow and took aim ; Mr. Stuart, on 
 his part, levelled his gun at the Indian, warning 
 the latter not to shoot, and at the same instant 
 received an arrow, which pierced his left shoul- 
 
210 , franchere's voyage. 
 
 der. He then drew the trigger ; but as it had 
 rained all day, the gun missed fire, and before 
 he could re-prime, another arrow, better aimed 
 than the first, struck him in the left side and 
 penetrated between two of his ribs, in the region 
 of the heart, and would have proved fiital, no 
 doubt, but for a stone-pipe he had fortunately in 
 his side-pocket, and which was broken by the 
 arrow ; at the same moment his gun was dis- 
 charged, and the Indian fell dead. Several 
 others then rushed forward to avenge the death 
 of their compatriot ; but two of the men came up 
 with their loads and their gun (for these port- 
 ages were made arms in hand), and seeing what 
 was going forward, one of them threw his pack 
 on the ground, fired on one of the Indians and 
 brought him down. He got up again, however, 
 and picked up his weapons, but the other man 
 ran upon him, wrested from him his war-club, 
 and despatched him by repeated blows on the 
 head with it. The other savages, seeing the 
 bulk of our people approaching the scene of com- 
 bat, retired and crossed the river. In the mean- 
 
OUR PEOPLE RETREAT. 211 
 
 time, Mr. Stuart extracted the arrows from his 
 body, by the aid of one of the men : the blood 
 flowed in abundance from the wounds, and he 
 saw that it would be impossible for him to pur- 
 sue liis journey ; he therefore gave orders for the 
 canoes and goods to be carried back to the lower 
 end of the portage. Presently they saw a great 
 number of pirogues full of warriors coming from 
 the opposite side of the river. Our people then 
 considered that they could do nothing better than 
 to get away as fast as possible ; they contrived 
 to transport over one canoe, on which they all 
 embarked, abandoning the other and the goods, 
 to the natives. While the barbarians were plun- 
 dering these effects, more precious in their esti- 
 mation than the apples of gold in the garden of 
 the Hesperides, our party retired and got out of 
 eight. The retreat was, notwithstanding, so 
 precipitate, that they left behind an Indian from 
 the Lake of the Two Mountains, who was in the 
 service of the Company as a hunter. This In- 
 dian had persisted in concealing himself behind 
 the rocks, meaning, he said, to kill some of those 
 
212 franciiere's voyage. 
 
 tliieves, and did not return in time for the em- 
 barkation. Mr. Keith regretted this brave man's 
 obstinacy, fearing, vitli good reason, that he 
 would be discovered and murdered by the natives. 
 We rowed all that day and night, and reached 
 the factory on the 9th, at sunrise. Our first 
 care, after having announced the misfortune of 
 our people, was to dress the wounds of Mr. 
 Stuart, which had been merely bound with a 
 wretched piece of cotton cloth. 
 
 The goods which had been abandoned, were 
 of consequence to the Company, inasmuch as they 
 could not be replaced. It was dangerous, be- 
 sides, to leave the natives in possession of some 
 fifty guns and a considerable quantity of ammu- 
 nition, Avhich they might use against us.* The 
 partners, therefore, decided to fit out an expedi- 
 tion immediately to chastise the robbers, or at 
 least to endeavor to recover the goods. I went, 
 by their order, to find the principal chiefs of the 
 neighboring tribes, to explain to them what had 
 
 * Ilowover, some csisps of guns iind kegs of powder were 
 thrown into the falls, before the party retreated. 
 
WAELIKE EXPEDITION. 213. 
 
 taken place, and invite tlieni to join us, to which 
 they willingly consented. Then, having got 
 ready six canoes, we re-embarked on the 10th, 
 to the number of sixty-two men, all armed from 
 head to foot, and provided with a small brass 
 field-piece. 
 
 We soon reached the lower end of the first 
 rapid : but the essential thing was wanting to 
 our little force ; it was without pro^isions ; our 
 first care then was to try to procure these. 
 Having arrived opposite a village, we perceived 
 on the bank about thirty armed savages, who 
 seemed to await us firmly. As it was not our 
 policy to seem bent on hostilities, we landed on 
 the opposite bank, and I crossed the river with 
 five or six men, to enter into parley with them, 
 and try to obtain provisions. I immediately be- 
 came aware that the village was abandoned, the 
 women and children having fled to the woods, 
 taking with them all the articles of food. The 
 young men, however, offered us dogs, of which 
 we purchased a score. Then we passed to a 
 second village, where they were already informed 
 
^14 franchere's voyage. 
 
 of our coming. Here wc bought forty-five dogs 
 and a horse. With this stock we formed an 
 encampment on an island called Strawberry 
 island. 
 
 Seeing ourselves now provided with food for 
 several days, we informed the natives touching 
 the motives which had brought us, and announced 
 to them that we were determined to put them all 
 to death and burn their villages, if they did not 
 bring back in two days the effects stolen on the 
 7th. A party was detached to the rapids, where 
 the attack on Mr. Stuart had taken place. We 
 found the villages all deserted. Crossing to the 
 north bank, we found a few natives, of whom we 
 made inquiries respecting the Nipissingue Indian, 
 who, had been left behind, but they assured us 
 that they had seen nothing of him.* 
 
 * This Indian returned some time after to the factory, but in a 
 pitiable condition. After the departure of the canoe, he had con- 
 cealed himself behind a rock, and so passed the night. At day- 
 break, fearing to be discovered, he gained the woods and directed 
 his steps toward the fort, across a mountainous region. He ar- 
 rived at length at the bank of a little stream, which he was at first 
 unable to cross. Hunger, in the meantim-?, began to urge him; 
 he might have appeased it with game, of which he saw plenty, 
 but unfortunately he had lost the flint of his gun. At last, with a 
 
COALPO'S ADVICE. 215 
 
 Not having succeeded in recovering, above the 
 rapids, any part of the lost goods, the inhabitants 
 all protesting that it was not they, but the vil- 
 lages below, which had perpetrated the robbery, 
 we descended the river again, and re-encamped 
 on Straivhemj island. As the intention of the 
 partners was to intimidate the natives, without 
 (if possible) shedding blood, we made a display 
 of our numbers, and from time to time fired off 
 our little field-piece, to let them see that wo 
 could reach them from one side of the river to 
 the other. The Indian CoaJpo and his wife, 
 who had accompanied us, advised us to make 
 prisoner one of the chiefs. We succeeded in 
 this design, without incurring any danger. Hav- 
 ing invited one of the natives to come and smoke 
 with us, he came accordingly : a little after, 
 came another ; at last, one of the chiefs, and he 
 one of the most considered among them, also 
 came. Being notified secretly of his character 
 
 ruft of sticks, he crossed the river, and aixivcd at a village, the 
 inhabitants of which disarmed him, and made himjjrisoner. Our 
 people hearing where he was, sent to seek him, and gave some 
 blankets for his ransom. 
 
216 franchebe's voyage. 
 
 by Coalpo, who was concealed in the tent, we 
 seized him forthwith^ tied him to a stake, and 
 jjlaced a guard over him with a naked sword, as 
 if ready to cut his head off on the least attempt 
 being made by his people for his liberation. The 
 other Indians were then suffered to depart with 
 the news for his tribe, that unless the goods 
 were brought to us in twenty-four hours, their 
 chief would be put to death. Our stratagem 
 succeeded : soon after we heard wailing and 
 lamentation in the village, and they presently 
 brought us part of the guns, some brass kettles, 
 and a variety of smaller articles, protesting that 
 this was all their share of the plunder. Keeping 
 our chief as a hostage, we passed to the other 
 village, and succeeded in recovering the rest of 
 tlie guns, and about a third of the other goods. 
 
 Although they had been the aggressors, yet as 
 they had had two men killed and we had not 
 lost any on our side, we thought it our duty 
 to conform to the usage of the country, and 
 abandon to tliem the remainder of the stolen 
 effects, to cover, according to their expression, 
 
RETURN^. 217 
 
 the bodies of tlieir two slain compatriots. Be- 
 sides, we began to find ourselves short of provis- 
 ions, and it would not have been easy to get at 
 our enemies to punish them, if they had taken 
 refuge in the woods, according to their custom 
 when they feel themselves the weaker party. So 
 we released our prisoner, and gave him a flag, 
 telling him that when he presented it unfurled, 
 we should regard it as a sign of peace and 
 friendship : but if, when wo were passing the 
 portage, any one of the natives should have the 
 misfortune to come near the baggage, we would 
 kill him on the spot. We re-embarked on the 
 19th, and on the 22d reached the fort, where we 
 made a report of our martial expedition. We 
 found Mr. Stuart very ill of his wounds, espe- 
 cially of the one in the side, which was so much 
 swelled that we had every reason to think the 
 arrow had been poisoned. 
 
 If we did not do the savarges as much harm as 
 we might have done, it was not from timidity but 
 from humanity, and in order not to shed human 
 
 blood uselessly. For after all, what good would 
 10 
 
218 franchere's voyage. 
 
 it have done us to Lave slaughtered some of 
 these barbarians, wliose crime was not the eJBfect 
 of depravity and wickedness, but of an ardent 
 and irresistible desire to ameliorate their condi- 
 tion ? It must be allowed also that the interest, 
 well-understood, of the partners of the North- 
 west Company, was opposed to too strongly 
 marked acts of hostility on their part: it behooved 
 them exceedingly not to make irreconciliable 
 enemies of the populations neighboring on the 
 portages of the Columbia, which they would so 
 'often be obliged to pass and repass in future. It 
 is also probable that the other natives on the 
 banks, as well as of the river as of the sea, 
 would not have seen with indifference, their 
 countrymen too signally or too rigorously pun- 
 ished by strangers ; and that they would have 
 made common cause with the former to resist 
 the latter, and perhaps even to drive them from 
 the country. 
 
 I must not omit to state that all the firearms 
 surrendered by the Indians on this occasion, 
 were found loaded mth ball, and primed, with 
 
REMARK. 219 
 
 a little piece of cotton laid over the priming to 
 keep the powder diy. This shows how soon 
 they would acquire the use of guns, and how 
 careful traders should be in intercourse with 
 strange Indians, not to teach them their use. 
 
220 REMARKS. 
 
 CHAPTER XYII. 
 
 Description of Tongue Point. — A. Trip to the WUlamet. — Ar- 
 rival of W. Hunt in tlie Brig Pedlar. — Narrative of the Loss 
 of the Ship Lark. — Preparations for crossing the Continent. 
 
 The new proprietors of our establishment, 
 being dissatisfied with the site we had chosen, 
 came to the determination to change it; after 
 surveying both sides of the river, they found no 
 better place than the head-land which we had 
 named Tongue point. This point, or to speak 
 more accurately, perhaps, this cape, extends 
 about a quarter of a mile into the river, being 
 connected with the main-land by a low, narrow 
 neck, over which the Indians, in stormy weather, 
 haul their canoes in passing up and down the 
 river ; and terminating in an almost perpendicu- 
 lar rock, of about 250 or 300 feet elevation. 
 This bold summit was covered with a dense 
 
TONGUE POINT. 221 
 
 forest of piue trees ; the ascent from the lower 
 neck was gradual and easy ; it abounded in 
 springs of the finest water ; on either side it had 
 a cove to shelter the boats necessary for a trading 
 establishment. This peninsula had truly the 
 appearance of a huge tongue. Astoria had been 
 built nearer the ocean, but the advantages offered 
 by Tongue point more than compensated for its 
 greater distance. Its soil, in the rainy season, 
 could be drained with little or no trouble ; it 
 Avas a better position to guard against attacks on 
 the part of the natives, and less exposed to that 
 of civilized enemies by sea or land in time of 
 war. 
 
 All the hands who had returned from the 
 interior, added to those who were already at 
 the Fort, consumed, in an incredibly short space 
 of time the small stock of provisions which had 
 been conveyed by the Pacific Fur Company to 
 the Company of the Northwest. It became a 
 matter of necessity, therefore, to seek some spot 
 where a part, at least, could be sent to subsist. 
 With these views -I left the fort on the 7th Feb- 
 
222 franchere's voyage. 
 
 ruary with a number of men, belonging to the 
 old concern, and who had refused to enter the 
 service of the new one, to proceed to the estab- 
 lishment on the Willamet river, under the charge 
 of Mr. Alexander Henry, who had with him a 
 number of first-rate hunters. Leaving the Co- 
 lumbia to ascend the Willamet, I found the banks 
 on either side of that stream well wooded, but 
 low and swampy, until I reached the first falls ; 
 having passed which, by making a portage, I 
 commenced ascending a clear but moderately 
 deep channel, against a swift current. The banks 
 on either side were bordered with forest-trees, 
 but behind that narrow belt, diversified with 
 prairie, the landscape was magnificent ; the hills 
 were of moderate elevation, and rising in an 
 amphitheatre. Deer and elk are found here in 
 great abundance ; and the post in charge of Mr. 
 Henry had been established with a view of keep- 
 ing constantly there a number of hunters to pre- 
 pare dried venison for the use of the factory. 
 On our arrival at the Columbia, considering the 
 latitude, we had expected severe winter weather, 
 
OAK POINT. 223 
 
 such as is experienced in the same latitudes 
 east ; but we were soon undeceived ; the mild- 
 ness of the climate never permitted us to trans- 
 port fresh provisions from the TVillamet to 
 Astoria, We had not a particle of salt; and 
 the attempts we made to smoke or dry the 
 venison proved abortive. 
 
 Having left the men under my charge with 
 Mr. Henry, I took leave of that gentleman, and 
 returned. At Oak point I found Messrs. Keith 
 and Pillet encamped, to pass there the, season of 
 sturgeon-fishing. They informed me that I was 
 to stay with them. 
 
 Accordingly I remained at Oak point the rest 
 of the winter, occupied in trading with the In- 
 dians spread all along the river for some SO or 
 40 miles above, in order to supply the factory 
 with provisions. I used to take a boat with four 
 or five men, visit every fishing station, trade for 
 as much fish as would load 'the boat, and send 
 her down to the fort. The surplus fish traded 
 in the interval between the departure and return 
 of the boat, was cut up, salted and barrelled for 
 
224 franchere's voyage. 
 
 future use. The salt had been recently obtained 
 from a quarter to be presently mentioned. 
 
 About the middle of March Messrs. Keith and 
 Pillet both left me and returned to the fort. 
 Being now alone, I began seriously to reflect on 
 my position, and it was in this interval that I 
 positively decided to return to Canada. I made 
 inquiries of the men sent up with the boats for 
 fish, concerning the preparations for departure, 
 but whether they had been enjoined secrecy, or 
 were unwilling to communicate, I could learn 
 nothing of what was doing below. 
 
 At last I heard that on the 28th February a 
 sail had appeared at the mouth of the river. 
 The gentlemen of the N. W. Company at first 
 flattered themselves that it was the vessel they 
 had so long expected. They were soon unde- 
 ceived by a letter from Mr. Hunt, which was 
 brought to the fort by the Indians of Baker'' s 
 bay. That gentleman had purchased at the 
 Marquesas islands a brig called The Pedlar : it 
 was on that vessel that he arrived, having for 
 pilot Captain Northrop, formerly commander of 
 
WRECK OF THE LARK. 225 
 
 the ship Lark. The latter vessel had been out- 
 fitted by Mr. Astor, and despatched from New 
 York, in spite of the blockading squadron, with 
 supplies for the ci-devant Pacific Fur Company ; 
 but unhappily she had been assailed by a furious 
 tempest and capsized in lat. 16° N., and three or 
 four hundred miles from the Sandwich Islands. 
 The mate, who was sick, was dro^vned in the 
 cabin, and four of the crew perished at the same 
 time. The captain had the masts and rigging- 
 cut away, which caused the vessel to right again, 
 though full of water. One of the hands dived 
 down to the sail-maker's locker, and got out a 
 small sail, which they attached to the bowsprit. 
 He dived a second time, and brought up a box 
 containing a dozen bottles of wine. For thirteen 
 days they had no other sustenance but the flesh 
 of a small shark, which they had the good for- 
 tune to take, and which they ate raw, and for 
 drink, a gill of the wine each man per diem. At 
 last the trade winds carried them upon the island 
 of Tahouraka, where the vessel went to pieces 
 
 on the reef. The islanders saved the crew, and~ 
 10* 
 
226 franchere's voyage. 
 
 seized all the goods whicli floated on the water. 
 Mr. Hunt was then at Wahoo, and learned 
 through some islanders from Morotoi, that some 
 Americans had been wrecked on the isle of Ta- 
 houraka. He went immediately to take them off, 
 and gave the pilotage of his own vessel to Cap- 
 tain Northrop. 
 
 It may be imagined what was the surprise of 
 Mr. Hunt when he saw Astoria under the British 
 flag, and passed into stranger hands. But the 
 misfortune was beyond remedy, and he was ob- 
 liged to content himself with taking on board all 
 the Americans who were at the establishment, and 
 who had not entered the service of the Company 
 of the Northwest. Messrs. Halsey, Seton, and 
 Farnham were among those who embarked. I shall 
 have occasion to inform the reader of the part each 
 of them played, and how they reached their homes. 
 
 When I heard that Mr. Hunt was in the river, 
 and knowing that the overland expedition was to 
 set out early in April, I raised camp at Oak 
 point, and reached the fort on the 2d of that 
 month. But the brig Pedlar had that very day 
 
I QUIT ASTORIA. 227 
 
 got outside the river, after several fruitless at- 
 tempts, in. one of ■which she narrowly missed be- 
 ing lost on the bar. 
 
 I "would gladly have gone in her, had I but 
 arrived a day sooner. I found, however, all 
 things prepared for the departure of the canoes, 
 which was to take place on the 4th. I got ready 
 the few articles I possessed, and in spite of the 
 very advantageous offers of the gentlemen of the 
 N. W. Company, and their reiterated persuasions, 
 aided by the crafty M'Dougal, to induce me to 
 remain, at least one year more, I persisted in my 
 resolution to leave the country. The journey I 
 was about to undertake was a long one : it would 
 be accompanied with great fatigues and many 
 privations, and even by some dangers ; but I was 
 used to privations and fatigues ; I had braved 
 dangers of more than one sort ; and even had it 
 been otherwise, the ardent desire of revisiting 
 my country, my relatives, and my friends, the 
 hope of finding myself, in a few months, in their 
 midst, would have made me overlook every other 
 consideration. 
 
228 franchere's voyage. 
 
 I am about, then, to quit the banks of the 
 river Columbia, and conduct the reader through 
 the mountain passes, over the plains, the forests, 
 and the lakes of our continent : but I ought first 
 to give him at least an idea of the manners and 
 customs of the inhabitants, as well as of the 
 principal productions of the country that I now 
 quit, after a sojourn of three years. This is what 
 I shall try to do in the following chapters.* 
 
 * Some of Jiiy readers wouKl, no doubt, desire some scientific 
 details on tlie botany and natural history of this country. That 
 is, ill fact, what they ought to expect from a man \Yho had travel- 
 led for his pleasure, or to make discoveries : but the object of my 
 travels was not of this description ; my occupations had no rela- 
 tion with science ; and, as I have said in my preface, I was not, 
 and am not now, either a naturalist or a botanist. 
 
GEOGRAPHY. 229 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Situation of the Columbia River. — Qualities of its Soil. — Climate, 
 &c. — Vegetable and Animal Productions of the Country. 
 
 The mouth of the Columbia river is situated in 
 46° 19' north latitude, and 125° or 126° of 
 longitude west of the meridian of Greenwich. 
 The highest tides are very little over nine or ten 
 feet, at its entrance, and are felt up stream for a 
 distance of twenty-five or thirty leagues. 
 
 During the three years I spent there, the cold 
 never was much below the freezing point ; and I 
 do not think the heat ever exceeded 76°. West- 
 erly winds prevail from the early part of spring, 
 and during a part of the summer ; that wind gen- 
 erally springs up with the flood tide, and tempers 
 the heat of the day. The northwest wind pre- 
 vails during the latter part of summer and com- 
 
2B0 franchere's voyage. 
 
 mencement of autumn. This last is succeeded 
 by a southeast wind, which blows almost without 
 intermission from the beginning of October to the 
 end of December, or commencement of January. 
 This interval is the rainy season, the most disa- 
 greeable of the year. Fogs (so thick that some- 
 times for days no object is discernible for five or 
 six hundred yards from the beach), are also very 
 prevalent. 
 
 The surface of the soil consists (in the valleys) 
 of a layer of black vegetable mould, about five or 
 six inches thick at most ; under this layer is 
 found another of gray and loose, but extremely 
 cold earth ; below which is a bed of coarse sand 
 and gravel, and next to that pel^ble or hard rock. 
 On the more elevated parts, the same black ve- 
 getable mould is found, but much thinner^ and 
 under it is the trap rock. We found along the 
 seashore, south of Point Adams, a bank of earth 
 white as chalk, which we used for white-washing 
 our walls. The natives also brought us several 
 specimens of blue, red and yellow earth or clay, 
 which they said was to be found at a great dis- 
 
VEGETATION. 231 
 
 tance south ; and also a sort of shining earth, 
 resembling lead ore.* We found no limestone, 
 although we burnt several kilns, but never could 
 get one ounce of lime. 
 
 We had brought with us from New York a 
 variety of garden seeds, which were put in the 
 ground in the month of May, 1811, on a rich 
 piece of land laid out for the purpose on a slo- 
 ping ground in front of our establishment. The 
 garden had a fine appearance in the month of 
 August ; but although the plants were left in the 
 ground until December, not one of them came to 
 maturity, with the exception of the radishes, the 
 turnips, and the potatoes. The turnips grew to 
 a prodigious size ; one of the largest we had the 
 curiosity to weigh and measure ; its circumfer- 
 ence was thirty-three inches, its weight fifteen 
 and a half pounds. The radishes were in full 
 blossom in the month of December, and were left 
 in the ground to perfect the seeds for the ensuing 
 season, but they were all destroyed by the ground 
 mice, who hid themselves under the stumps which 
 
 * Plumbago. 
 
232 franchere's voyage. 
 
 we had not rooted out, and infested our garden. 
 With all the care we could bestow on them 
 during the passage from New York, only twelve 
 potatoes were saved, and even these so shrivelled 
 up, that we despaired of raising any from the 
 few sprouts that still gave signs of life. Never- 
 theless we raised one himdred and ninety pota- 
 toes the first season, and after sparing a few 
 plants for our inland traders, we planted about 
 fifty or sixty hills, which produced five bushels 
 the second year; about two of these were planted, 
 and gave us a welcome crop of fifty bushels in 
 the year 1813. 
 
 It would result from these facts, that the soil 
 on the banks of the river, as far as tide water, or 
 for a distance of fifty or sixty miles, is very little 
 adapted for agriculture ; at all events, vegetation 
 is very slow. It may be that the soil is not ev- 
 erywhere so cold as the spot we selected for our 
 garden, and some other positions might have 
 given a better reward for our labor : this suppo- 
 sition is rendered more than probable Avhen we 
 take into consideration the great difierence in 
 
TREES. 233 
 
 the indigenous vegetables of the coimtiy in differ- 
 ent localities. 
 
 The forest trees most common at the mouth of 
 the river and near our establishment, were cedar, 
 hemlock, white and red spruce, and alder. There 
 were a few dwarf white and gra}'- ashes ; and 
 here and there a soft maple. The alder grows 
 also to a very large size ; I measured some of 
 twelve to fifteen inches diameter ; the wood was 
 used by us in preference, to make charcoal for 
 the blacksmith's forge. But the largest of all 
 the trees that I saw in the country, was a white 
 spruce : this tree, which had lost its top branches, 
 and bore evident marks of having been struck by 
 lightning, was a mere, straight trunk of about 
 eighty to one hundred feet in height ; its bark 
 whitened by age, made it very conspicuous among 
 the other trees with their brown bark and dark 
 foliage, like a huge column of white marble. 
 It stood on the slope of a hill immediately in the 
 rear of our palisades. Seven of us placed our- 
 selves round its trunk, and we could not embrace 
 it by extending our arms and touching merely the 
 
234 francheee's voyage. 
 
 tips of our fingers ; we measured it afterward 
 in a more regular manner, and found it forty-two 
 feet in circumference. It kept the same size, or 
 nearly the same, to the very top. 
 
 We had it in contemplation at one time to con- 
 struct a circular staircase to its summit, and 
 erect a platform thereon for an observatory, but 
 more necessary and pressing demands on our 
 time made us abandon the project. 
 
 A short distance above Astoria, the oak and 
 ash are plentiful, but neither of these is of much 
 value or beauty. 
 
 From the middle of June to the middle of 
 October, we had abundance of wild fruit ; first, 
 strawberries, almost white, small but very sweet ; 
 then raspberries, both red and orange color. 
 These grow on a bush sometimes twelve feet in 
 height : they are not sweet, but of a large size. 
 
 The months of July and August furnish a small 
 berry of an agreeable, slightly acid flavor ; this 
 berry grows on a slender bush of some eight to 
 nine feet high, with small round leaves ; they are 
 in size like a wild cherry : some are blue, while 
 
FRUITS. 235 
 
 others are of a cherry red : the last being smaller ; 
 they have no pits, or stones in them, but seeds, 
 such as are to be seen in currants. 
 
 I noticed in the month of August another berry 
 growing in bunches or grapes like the currant, 
 on a bush very similar to the currant bush : the 
 leaves of this shrub resemble those of the laurel : 
 they are very thick and always green. The fruit 
 is oblong, and disposed in two rows on the stem : 
 the extremity of the berry is open, having a little 
 speck or tuft like that of an apple. It is not of 
 a particularly fine flavor, but it is wholesome, 
 and one may eat a quantity of it, without incon- 
 venience. The natives make great use of it; 
 they prepare it for the winter by bruising and 
 drying it ; after which it is moulded into cakes 
 according to fancy, and laid up for use. There 
 is also a great abundance of cranberries, which 
 proved very useful as an antiscorbutic. 
 
 We found also the whortlel3erry, chokecher- 
 ries, gooseberries, and black currants with wild 
 crab-apples : these last grow in clusters, are of 
 small size and very tart. On the upper part of 
 
236 franchere's voyage. 
 
 the river are found blackberries, hazel-nuts, 
 acorns, &c. The country also possesses a great 
 variety of nutritive roots : the natives make great 
 use of those which have the virtue of curing or 
 preventing the scurvy. We ate freely of them 
 with the same intention, and with the same sue 
 cess. One of these roots, which much resembles 
 a small onion, serves them, in some sort, in place 
 of cheese. Having gathered a sufficient quan- 
 tity, they bake them with red-hot stones, until 
 the steam ceases to ooze from the layer of grass 
 and earth with which the roots are covered ; then 
 they pound them into a paste, and make the 
 paste into loaves, of five or six poimds weight ; 
 the taste is not unlike liquorice, but not of so 
 sickly a sweetness. When we made our first 
 voyage up the river the natives gave us square 
 biscuits, very well Avorked, and printed with dif- 
 ferent figures. These are made of a white root, 
 pounded, reduced to paste, and dried in the sun. 
 They call it Cliapaleel : it is not very palatable, 
 nor very nutritive. 
 
 But the principal food of the natives of the Co- 
 
FISH. 237 
 
 lumbia is fish. The salmon-fishery begins in 
 July : that fish is here of an exquisite flavor, but 
 it is extremely fat and oily ; which renders it un- 
 wholesome for those who are not accustomed to 
 it, and who eat too great a quantity : thus several 
 of our people were attacked with diarrhoea in a 
 few days after we ])egan to make this fish our 
 ordinary sustenance ; but they found a remedy 
 in the raspberries of the country which have an 
 astringent property. 
 
 The months of August and September furnish 
 excellent sturgeon. This fish varies exceedingly 
 in size ; I have seen some eleven feet long ; and 
 we took one that weighed, after the removal of 
 the eggs and intestines, three hundred and ninety 
 pounds. We took out nine gallons of roe. The 
 sturgeon docs not enter the river in so great 
 quantities as the salmon. 
 
 In October and November we had salmon too, 
 but of a quite difierent species — lean, dry and 
 insipid. It differs from the other sort in form 
 also ; having very long teeth, and a hooked nose 
 like the beak of a parrot. Our men termed it in 
 
238 franchere's voyage. 
 
 derision " seven bark salmon," because it had 
 almost no nutritive substance. 
 
 February brings a small fisli about the size of 
 a sardine. It has an exquisite flavor, and is 
 taken in immense quantities, by means of a scoop 
 net, which the Indians, seated in canoes, plunge 
 into the schools : but the season is short, not 
 even lasting two weeks. 
 
 The principal quadrupeds of the country are 
 the elk, the black and white tailed deer ; four 
 species of bear, distinguished chiefly by the color 
 of the fur or poil, to wit, the black, brown, white 
 and grisly bear ; the grisly bear is extremely fe- 
 rocious ; the white is found on the seashore 
 toward the north ; the wolf, the panther, the 
 catamount, the lynx, the raccoon, the ground 
 hog, opossum, mink, fisher, beaver, and the land 
 and sea otter.* The sea otter has the handsom- 
 est fur that is known ; the skin surpasses that of 
 the land variety in size and in the beauty of the 
 poll; the most esteemed color is the silver gray, 
 
 * Horses are abundant up the river; but they are not indige- 
 nous to the country. They will be spoken of in a future chapter. 
 
BIRDS. 239 
 
 which is highly prized in the Indies, and com- 
 mands a great price. 
 
 The most remarkable birds are tlie eagle, the 
 turkey-buzzard, tlie hawk, pelican, heron, gull, 
 cormorant, crane, swan, and a great variety of 
 wild ducks and geese. The pigeon, woodcock, 
 and pheasant, are found in the forests as with us. 
 
240 feanchere's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Manners, Customs, Occupations, ifcc, of the Natives on the River 
 Columbia. 
 
 The natives inhabiting on the Columhia, from 
 the mouth of that river to the falls, that is to say, 
 on a space extending about 250 miles from east 
 to west, are, generally speakings of low stature, 
 few of them passing five feet six inches, and 
 many not even five feet. They pluck out the 
 beard, in the manner of the other Indians of North 
 America ; but a few of the old men only suffer a 
 tuft to grow upon their chins. On arriving among 
 them we were exceedingly surprised to see that 
 they had almost all flattened heads. This con- 
 figuration is not a natural deformity, but an effect 
 of art, caused by compression of the skull in in- 
 fancy. It shocks strangers extremely, especially at 
 
SLAYES. 241 
 
 first sight ; nevertheless, among these barbariuns 
 it is an indispensable ornament : and wlicn we 
 signified to them how much this mode of flattening 
 the fiDrchead appeared to us to violate nature and 
 good taste, they answered that it was only slaves 
 who had not their heads flattened. The slaves, 
 in fact, have tlie usual rounded head, and they 
 are not permitted to flatten the foreheads of their 
 children, destined to bear the chains of their 
 sires. The natives of the Columbia procure 
 these slaves from the neighboring tribes, and 
 from the interior, in exchange for beads and furs. 
 They treat them with humanity while their ser- 
 vices are useful, but as soon as they become in- 
 capable of labor, neglect them and suffer them 
 to perish of want. When dead, they throw their 
 bodies, without ceremony, under the stump of an 
 old decayed tree, or drag them to the woods to 
 be devoured hj the wolves and vultures. 
 
 The Indians of tlie Columbia are of a light 
 copper color, active in body, and, above all, ex- 
 cellent swimmers. They are addicted to theft, or 
 
 rather, they make no scruple of laying hands on 
 11 
 
242 franciiere's voyage. 
 
 Avliatevcr suits tliem in the property of strangers, 
 whenever they can find an opportunity. The 
 goods and efiects of European manufacture are so 
 precious in the eyes of these barbarians, that 
 they rarely resist the temptation of stealing 
 them. 
 
 These savages are not addicted to intempe- 
 rance, unlike, in that respect the other American 
 Indians, if we must not also except the Patago- 
 nians, who, like the Flatheads, regard intoxicating 
 drinks as poisons, and drunkenness as disgrace- 
 ful, I will relate a fact in point : one of the 
 sons of the chief Comcomly being at the estab- 
 lishment one day, some of the gentlemen amused 
 themselves with making him drink wine, and he 
 was very soon drunk. He was sick in conse- 
 quence, and remained in a state of stupor for two 
 days. The old chief came to reproach us, saying 
 that Ave had degraded his son by exposing him 
 to the ridicule of the slaves, and besought us not 
 to induce him to take strong liquors in future. 
 
 The men go entirely naked, not concealing any 
 part of their bodies. Only in winter they throw 
 
DRESS OF THE WOMEN. 243 
 
 over the shoiilclers a panther's sldn, or else a 
 sort of mantle made of the skins of wood-rats 
 sewed together. In rainy weather I have seen 
 them wear a mantle of rush mats, like a Roman 
 toga, or the vestment which a priest wears in 
 celebrating mass ; thus equipped, and furnished 
 with a conical hat made from fibrous roots and 
 impermeable, they may call themselves rain-proof. 
 The women, in addition to the mantle of skins, 
 wear a petticoat made of the cedar bark, which 
 they attach round the girdle, and which reaches 
 to the middle of the thigh. It is a little longer 
 behind than before, and is fabricated in the fol- 
 lowing manner : They strip oif the fine bark of 
 the cedar, soak it as one soaks hemp, and when 
 it is drawn out into fibres, work it into a fringe ; 
 then with a strong cord they bind the fringes 
 together. With so poor a vestment they contrive 
 to satisfy the requirements of modesty ; when 
 they stand it drapes them fairly enough ; and 
 when they squat doAMi in their manner, it falls 
 between their legs, leaving nothing exposed but 
 the bare knees and thighs. Some of the younger 
 
244 franchere's voyage. 
 
 women twist the fibres of bark into small cords, 
 knotted at the ends, and so form the petticoat, 
 disposed in a fringe, like the first, but more 
 easily kept clean and of better appearance. 
 
 Cleanliness is not a virtue among these fe- 
 males, who, in that respect, resemble the other 
 Indian women of the continent. They anoint 
 the body and dress the hair with fish oil, which 
 does not diffuse an agreeable perfume. Their 
 hair (which both sexes wear long) is jet black; 
 it is badly combed, but parted in the middle, as 
 is the custom of the sex everywhere, and kept 
 shining by the fish-oil before-mentioned. Some- 
 times, in imitation of the men, they paint the 
 whole body with a red earth mixed with fish-oil. 
 Their ornaments consist of bracelets of brass, 
 which they wear indifferently on the wrists and 
 ankles ; of strings of beads of different colors 
 (they give a preference to the blue), and dis- 
 played in great profusion around the neck, and 
 on the arms and legs ; and of white shells, called 
 Haiqua, which are their ordinary circulating 
 medium. These shells are found beyond the 
 
FEMALE OCCUPATIOJfS. 245 
 
 straits of Juan de Fuca, and arc from one to 
 four inches long, and about half an inch in diam- 
 eter : they are a little curved and naturally 
 perforated : the longest are most valued. The 
 price of all commodities is reckoned in these 
 shells ; a fathom string of the largest of them is 
 worth about ten beaver-skins. 
 
 Although a little less slaves than the greater 
 part of the Indian -women elsewhere, the women 
 on the Columbia are, nevertheless, charged with 
 the most painful labors ; they fetch water and 
 wood, and carry the goods in their frequent 
 changes of residence ; they clean the fish and cut 
 it up for drying ; they prepare the food and cook 
 the fruits in their season. Among their principal 
 occupations is that of making rush mats, baskets 
 for gathering roots, and hats very ingeniously 
 wrought. As they want little clothing, they do 
 not sew much, and the men have the needle in 
 hand oftener than they. 
 
 The men are not lazy, especially during the 
 fishing season. Not being- hunters, and eating, 
 consequently, little flesh-meat (although they are 
 
246 franchere's voyage. 
 
 fond of it), fish makes, as I liave obserrecl, tlicir 
 principal diet. They profit, therefore, by the 
 season when it is to be had, by taking as much 
 as they can ; knowing that the intervals will be 
 periods of famine and abstinence, unless they 
 provide sufiiciently beforehand. 
 
 Their canoes are all made of cedar, and of a 
 single trunk : we saw some which were five feet 
 wide at midships, and thirty feet in length; these 
 are the largest, and will carry from 25 to 30 
 men ; the smallest will carry but two or three. 
 The bows terminate in a very elongated point, 
 running out four or five feet from the water line. 
 It constitutes a separate piece, very ingeniously 
 attached, and serves to break the surf in landing, 
 or the wave on a rough sea. In landing they 
 put the canoe round, so as to strike the beach 
 stern on. Their oars or paddles are made of 
 ash, and are about five feet long, with a broad 
 blade, in the shape of an inverted crescent, and 
 a cross at the top, like the handle of a crutch. 
 The object of the crescent shape of the blade is 
 to be able to draw it, edge-wise, through the 
 
THEIR HOUSES. 24Y 
 
 water without making any noi.sc, when they hunt 
 the sea- otter, an animal wliich can only be 
 caught when it is lying asleep on the rocks, and 
 which has the sense of hearing very acute. All 
 their canoes are painted red, and fancifully deco- 
 rated. 
 
 Their houses, constructed of cedar, are re- 
 markable for their form and size : some of them 
 are one hundred feet in length by thirty or 
 forty feet in width. They are constructed as 
 follows: An oblong square of the intended size 
 of the building is dug out to the depth of two 
 or three feet ; a double row of cedar posts is 
 driven into the earth about ten feet apart ; be- 
 tween these the planks are laid, overlapping each 
 other to. the requisite height. The roof is formed 
 by a ridge-pole laid on taller posts, notched to 
 receive it, and is constructed with rafters and 
 planks laid clapboard-wise, and secured by cords 
 for want of nails. When the house is designed 
 for several families, there is a door for each, and 
 a separate fireplace ; the smoke escapes through 
 an aperture formed by removing one of the 
 
248 franchere's voyage. 
 
 boards of the roof. The door is low, of an oval 
 shape, and is provided with a ladder, cut out of 
 a log, to descend into the lodge. The entrance 
 is generally effected stern-foremost. 
 
 The kitchen utensils consist of plates of ash- 
 wood, bowls of filjrous roots, and a wooden ket- 
 tle : with these they succeed in cooking their fish 
 and meat in less time than we take with the help 
 of pots and stewpans. See how they do it ! 
 Having heated a number of stones red-hot, they 
 plunge them, one by one, in the vessel which is 
 to contain the food to be prepared ; as soon as 
 the water boils, they put in the fish or meat, with 
 some more heated stones on top, and cover up 
 the whole with small rush mats, to retain the 
 steam. In an incredibly short space of time 
 the article is taken out and placed on a wooden 
 platter, perfectly done and very palatable. The 
 broth is taken out also, with a ladle of wood 
 or horn. 
 
 It will be asked, no doubt, what instruments 
 these savages use in the construction of their 
 canoes and their houses. To cause their patience 
 
THEIR TOOLS. 24P 
 
 and industry to be admired as much as they 
 deserve, it will be sufficient for me to mention 
 that we did not hnd among them a single hatchet: 
 their only tools consisted of an inch or half-inch 
 chisel, usually made of an old file, and of a mal- 
 let, which was nothing but an oblong stone. 
 With these wretched implements, and wedges 
 made of hemlock knots, steeped in oil and 
 hardened by the fire, they would undertake to 
 cut down the largest cedars of the forest, to 
 dig them out and fashion them into canoes, to 
 split them, and get out the boards wherewith to 
 build their houses. Such achievements with 
 such means, are a marvel of ingenuity and 
 patience. 
 
 11* 
 
250 fraxchere's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Manners and Customs of the Natives continued. — Their Wars. — 
 Their Marriag^es. — Medicine Men. — Funei-al Ceremonies. — 
 Religious Notions. — Language. 
 
 The politics of the natives of the Columbia are 
 a simple ailair : each village has its chief, but 
 that chief does not seem to exercise a great au- 
 thority over his fellow-citizens. Nevertheless, at 
 his death, they pay him great honors : they use 
 a kind of mourning, which consists in painting 
 the face with black, in lieu of gay colors ; they 
 chant his funeral song or oration for a whole 
 month. The chiefs are considered in proportion 
 to their riches : such a chief has a great many 
 wives, slaves, and strings of beads — he is ac- 
 counted a great chief. These barbarians approach 
 in that respect to certain civilized nations^ among 
 whom the worth of a man is estimated by the 
 quantity of gold he possesses. 
 
MODE OP MAKING WAR. 251 
 
 As all the villages form so many independent 
 sovereignties, differences sometimes arise, wheth- 
 er between the chiefs or the tribes. Ordinarily, 
 these tern(iinate by compensations equivalent to 
 the injury. But when the latter is of a grave 
 character, like a murder (which is rare) , or the 
 abduction of a woman (which is very common), 
 the parties, having made sure of a numlier of 
 young braves to aid them, prepare for war. Be- 
 fore commencing hostilities, however, they give 
 notice of the day when they will proceed to at- 
 tack the hostile ^"illage ; not following in that 
 respect the custom of almost all other American 
 Indians, who are wont to burst upon tlieir enemy 
 unawares, and to massacre or carry off men, wo- 
 men, and children ; these people, on the contrary, 
 embark in their canoes, which on these occasions 
 are paddled liy the women, repair to the hostile 
 village, enter into parley, and do all they can to 
 terminate the affair amicably': scmetimes a third 
 party becomes mediator betAveen the first two, 
 and of course observes an exact neutrality. If 
 those who seek justice do not obtain it to their 
 
252 franchere's voyage. 
 
 satisfaction, they retire to some distance, and the 
 combat begins, and is continued for some time 
 with fury on both sides ; but as soon as one or 
 two men are killed, the ptu'ty which has lost 
 these, owns itself beaten and the battle ceases. 
 If it is the people of the village attacked who 
 are worsted, the others do not retire without re- 
 ceiving presents. When the conflict is post- 
 poned till the next day (for they never (ight but 
 in open daylight, as if to render nature witness 
 of their exploits), they keep up frightful cries all 
 night long, and, when they are sufficiently near 
 to understand each other, defy one another by 
 menaces, railleries, and sarcasms, like the heroes 
 of Homer and Virgil. The women and children 
 are always removed from the village before the 
 action. 
 
 Their combats are almost all maritime : for 
 they fight ordinarily in their pirogues, which they 
 take care to careen, so as to present the broad- 
 side to the enemy, and half lying down, avoid 
 the greater part of the arrows let fly at them. 
 
 But the chief reason of the bloodlessness of 
 
THEIR WEAPONS. 253 
 
 their combats is tlic inefficiency of their offensive 
 weapons, and the excellence of their defensive 
 armor. Their offensive arms are merely a l)ow 
 and arrow, and a kind of double-edged sabre, 
 about two and a half feet long, and six inches 
 wide in the blade : they rarely come to sufficiently 
 close quarters to make use of the last. For de- 
 fensive armor they wear a cassock or tunic of elk- 
 skin double, descending to the ankles, with holes 
 for the arms. It is impenetrable by their arrows, 
 which can not pierce two thicknesses of leather ; 
 and as their . heads are also covered with a sort 
 of helmet, the neck is almost the only part in 
 which they can be woimded. They have another 
 kind of corslet, made like the corsets of our la- 
 dies, of splinters of hard wood interlaced with 
 nettle twine. The warrior who wears this cuirass 
 does not use the tunic of elk-skin ; he is conse- 
 quently less protected, but a great deal more 
 free ; the said tunic being -very heavy and very 
 stiff. 
 
 It is almost useless to observe that, in their 
 military expeditions, they have their bodies and 
 
254 fraxchere's voyage. 
 
 faces daubed with different paints, often of the 
 most extravagant designs. I remember to have 
 seen a war-chief, with one exact half of his face 
 painted white and the other half black. 
 
 Their marriages are conducted with a good 
 deal of ceremony. When a young man seeks a 
 girl in marriage, his parents make the proposals 
 to those of the intended bride, and when it has 
 been agreed upon what presents the future bride- 
 groom is to offer to the parents of the bride, all 
 parties assemble at the house of the latter, 
 whither the neighbors are invited to witness the 
 contract. The presents, which consist of slaves, 
 strings of beads, copper bracelets, haiqua shells, 
 <fec. , are distributed by the young man, who, on 
 his part receives as many, and sometimes more, 
 according to the means or the munificence of the 
 parents of his betrothed. The latter is then led 
 forward by the old matrons and presented to the 
 young man, who takes her as his wife, and all re- 
 tire to their quarters. 
 
 The men are not very scrupulous in their choice, 
 and take small pains to inform themselves what 
 
MARRIAGES. 255 
 
 conduct a young girl lias observed before her 
 nuptials ; and it must be owned tliat few mar- 
 riages would take place, if tlie youth would only 
 espouse maidens Avithout reproach on the score 
 of chastity ; for the unmarried girls are by no 
 means scrupulous in that particular, and their 
 parents give them, on that liead, full liberty. But 
 once the marriage is contracted, the spouses 
 observe toward each other an inviolable fidelity; 
 adultery is almost unknown among them, and 
 the woman who should be guilty of it would be 
 punished with death. At the same time, the 
 husband may repudiate his wife, and the latter 
 may then unite herself in marriage to another 
 man. Polygamy is permitted, indeed is cus- 
 tomary ; there are some who have as many 
 as four or five wives ; and although it often 
 happens that the husband loves one better than 
 the rest, they never show any jealousy, but live 
 together in the most perfect concord.* 
 
 * This appears improbable, and is, no doubt, overstated; but so 
 far as it is true, only shows tlic degradation of these women, and 
 the absence of moral love on both sides. Tlie indifference to 
 vir^n chastity described liy Mr. F., is a characteristic of barbar- 
 
256 fkancueue's voyage 
 
 There are cliarlatans everywhere, but they are 
 more numerous among savages than anywhere 
 else, because among these ignorant and supersti- 
 tious people the trade is at once more profitable 
 and less dangerous. As soon as a native of the 
 Columbia is indisposed, no matter what the 
 malady, they send for the medicine man, who 
 treats the patient in the absurd manner usually 
 adopted by these impostors, and with such vio- 
 lence of manipulation, that often a sick man, 
 whom a timely bleeding or purgative would have 
 saved, is carried off by a sudden death. 
 
 They deposite their dead in canoes, on rocks 
 sufiiciently elevated not to be overflowed by the 
 spring freshets. By the side of the dead are laid 
 his bow, his arrows, and some of liis fishing 
 
 oils nations in general, and is exi)lainecl by the principle stated in 
 the next note below ; the savage state being essentially one in which 
 the supernatural bond of human fellowship is snapped : it is (as 
 it has been called) the state of nature, m which continence 
 is practically impossible ; and what men can not have, that they 
 soon cease to j^rize. The same utter indift'erence to the past con- 
 duct of the girls they many is mentioned by Mayhew as existing 
 among the costermongers and street population of London, whom 
 he well likens to the barbarous tribes lying on the outskirts of more 
 ancient nations. — Ed. 
 
WORSHIP. 257 
 
 implements ; if it is a woman, licr beads and 
 bracelets : the wives, the relatives and the slaves 
 of the defunct cut their hair in sign of grief, and 
 for several days, at the rising and setting of the 
 sun, go to some distance from the village to 
 chant a funeral song. 
 
 These people have not, properly speaking, a 
 public worship.* I could never perceive, during 
 my residence among them, that they worshipped 
 any idol. They had, nevertheless, some small 
 sculptured figures ; but they appeared to hold 
 them in light esteem, offering to barter them for 
 trifles. 
 
 Having travelled with one of the sons of the 
 chief of the Chinooks (Comcomly), an intelligent 
 and communicative young man, I put to him seve- 
 ral questions touching their religious belief, and 
 
 * It is Coleridge who observes that every tribe is barbarous 
 which has no recognised piibh'c worship or cult, and no regular 
 priesthood as opposed to self-constituted conjurors. It is, in fact, 
 by public worship alone that humart society is organized and 
 vivified ; and it is impossible to maintain such worship) without a 
 sacerdotal order, however it be constituted. No culture without a 
 cult, is the result of the study of the races of mankind. Hence 
 those who would destroy religion are the enemies of civiliza- 
 tion. — Ed. 
 
258 franciiere's voyage. 
 
 the following is, in substance, what he told me 
 respecting it : Men, according to their ideas, were 
 created by a divinity whom they name Etalapass; 
 but they were imperfect, having a mouth that 
 was not opened, eyes that were fast closed, hands 
 and feet that were not moveable ; in a word, they 
 were rather statues of flesh, than living men. A 
 second divinity, whom they call Ecannum, less 
 powerful, but more benign than the former, hav- 
 ing seen men in their state of imperfection, took 
 a sharp stone and laid open tkeir mouths and 
 eyes ; he gave agility, also, to their feet, and 
 motion to their hands. This compassionate di- 
 vinity was not content with conferring these first 
 benefits ; he taught men to make canoes, paddles, 
 nets, and, in a word, all the tools and instru- 
 ments they use. He did still more : he threw 
 great rocks into the river, to obstruct the ascent 
 of the salmon, in order that they might take as 
 many as they wanted. 
 
 The natives of the Columbia further believe, 
 that the men who have been good citizens, good 
 fathers, good husbands, and good fishermen, who 
 
EELIGIOUS NOTIONS. 259 
 
 have not committed murder, <fec., will be perfect- 
 ly happy after their death, and will go to a coim- 
 try where they will find fish, fruit, <fec., In abun- 
 dance ; and that, on the contrary, those who 
 hare lived wickedly, will inhabit a country of 
 fasting and want, where they will eat nothing 
 but bitter roots, and have nothing to drink Ijut 
 salt water. 
 
 If these notions in regard to the origin and 
 future destiny of man are not exactly conformed 
 to sound reason or to divine revelation, it will be 
 allowed that they do not offer the absurdities 
 with which the mythologies of many ancient na- 
 tions abound.* The article which makes skill in 
 fishing a virtue worthy of being compensated in 
 the other world, does not disfigure the salutary 
 and consoling dogma of the immortality of the 
 
 * It seems clear that this Indian mytholog-y is a form of the 
 primitive tradition obscured by symbol. The creation of man by 
 the Supreme Divinity, but in an imperfect state ("his eyes not 
 yet opened"), his delivei'ance from that condition by an inferior 
 but more beneficent deity (the Satan of the Bible), and the prog- 
 ress of the emancipated and enlightened being, in the arts of 
 industiy, are clearly set forth. Thus the devil has his cosmogony 
 as well as the Almighty, and his tradition in opposition to the 
 divine.-^ Ed. 
 
260 franchere's voyage. 
 
 soul, and that of future rewards and punish- 
 ments, so much as one is at first tempted to 
 think ; for if we reflect a little, we shall discover 
 that the skilful fisherman, in laboring for himself, 
 labors also for society ; he is a useful citizen, 
 who contributes, as much as lies in his power, to 
 avert from his fellow-men the scourge of famine ; 
 he is a religious man, who honors the divinity by 
 making use of his benefits. Surely a great deal 
 of the theology of a future life prevalent among 
 civilized men, does not excel this in profundity. 
 
 It is not to be expected that men perfectly ig- 
 norant, like these Indians, should be free from 
 superstitions : one of the most ridiculous they 
 have, regards the method of preparing and eating 
 fish. In the month of July, 1811, the natives 
 brouglit us at first a very scanty supply of the 
 fresh salmon, from the fear that we would cut 
 the fish crosswise instead of lengthwise ; being 
 persuaded that if we did so, the river would be 
 obstructed, and the fishing ruined. Having re- 
 proached the chief on that account, they brought 
 us a greater quantity, but all cooked, and which, 
 
INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY. 261 
 
 not to displease them, it was necessary to eat 
 before sunset. Re-assured at last by our solemn 
 promises not to cut the fish crosswise, they sup- 
 plied us abundantly during the remainder of the 
 season. 
 
 In spite of the vices that may be laid to the 
 charge of the natives of the Columbia, I regard 
 them as nearer to a state of civilization than any 
 of the tribes who dwell east of the Rocky moun- 
 tains. They did not appear to me so attached 
 to their customs that they could not easily adopt 
 those of civilized nations : they would dress 
 themselves willingly in the European mode, if they 
 had the means. To encourage this taste, we lent 
 pantaloons to the chiefs who visited us, when 
 they wished to enter our houses, never allowing 
 them to do it in a state of nudity. They possess, 
 in an eminent degree, the qualities opposed to 
 indolence, improvidence, and stupidity: the chiefs, 
 above all, are distinguished for their good sense 
 and intelligence. Generally speaking, they have 
 a ready intellect and a tenacious memory. Thus 
 old Comcomly recognised the mate of the Al- 
 
262 franchere's voyage. 
 
 batross as having visited the country sixteen 
 years before, and recalled to the latter the name 
 of the captain under whom he had sailed at that 
 period. 
 
 The Chinook language is spoken by all the 
 nations from the mouth of the Columbia to the 
 falls. It is hard and difficult to pronounce, for 
 strangers; being full of gutturals, like the Gaelic. 
 The combinations thl, or //, and U^ are as frequent 
 in the Chinook as in the Mexican.* 
 
 * There can not bo a doubt that the existing tribes on the N. 
 W. coast, have reached that country from the South, and not from 
 the North. They are the debris of the civilization of Central 
 America, expelled by a defecating- process that is going on in all 
 human societies, and so have sunk into barbarism. — Ed 
 
OUB SETTING OUT. 263 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Departure from Astoria or Fort George.-^ Accident. — Passage 
 of the Dalles or Narrows. — Great Columbian Desert. — Aspect 
 of the Country. — Wallawalla and Shaptin Rivers. — Rattle- 
 snakes. — Some Details regarding the Natives of the Upper 
 Columbia. 
 
 "We quitted Fort George (or Astoria, if you 
 please) on Monday morning, the 4tli of April, 
 1814, in ten canoes, five of wliich were of bark 
 and five of cedar wood, carrying each seven men 
 as crevr, and two passengers, in all ninety persons, 
 and all well armed. Messrs. J. Gr. M'Tavish, 
 D. Stuart, J. Clarke, B. Pillct, W. Wallace, D. 
 M'Gillis, D. M'Kenzie, <fec,, were of the party. 
 Nothing remarkable occurred'to us as far as the 
 first falls, which we reached on the 10th. The 
 portage was effected immediately, and we en- 
 camped on an island for the night. Our num- 
 
264 franchere's voyage. 
 
 bers had caused the greater part of the natives 
 to take to flight, and those who remained in the 
 villages showed the most pacific dispositions. 
 They sold us four horses and thirty dogs, which 
 were immediately slaughtered for food. 
 
 We resumed our route on the 11th, at an early 
 hour. The wind was favorable, l)ut blew with 
 violence. Toward evening, the canoe in which 
 Mr, M'Tavish was, in doubling a point of rock, 
 was run under by its press of sail, and sunk. 
 Happily the river was not deep at this place ; no 
 one was drowned ; and we succeeded in saving 
 all the goods. Tliis accident compelled us to 
 camp at an early hour. 
 
 On the 12th, we arrived at a rapid called the 
 Dalles : this is a channel cut hj nature through 
 the rocks, which are here almost perpendicular : 
 the channel is from 150 to 300 feet wide, and 
 about two miles long. The whole body of the 
 river rushes through it, with great violence, and 
 renders navigation impracticable. The portage 
 occupied us till dusk. Although we had not seen 
 a single Indian in the course of the day, we kept 
 
PLAINS OP THE COLUMBIA. 265 
 
 sentinels on duty all night : for it was here that 
 Messrs.- Stuart and Reed were attacked by the 
 natives. 
 
 On the 13th, we made two more portages, and 
 met Indians, of whom we purchased horses and 
 wood. We camped early on a sandy plain, where 
 we passed a bad night ; the wind, which blew 
 violently,^ raised clouds of sand, which incom- 
 moded us greatly, and spoiled every mouthful of 
 food we took. 
 
 On the 14th and 15th, we passed what are 
 
 called the Great Plains of the Columbia. From 
 
 the top of the first rapid to this point, the aspect 
 
 of the country becomes more and more triste and 
 
 disagreeable ; one meets at first nothing but bare 
 
 hills, which scarcely offer a few isolated pines, at 
 
 a great distance from each other ; after that, the 
 
 earth, stripped of verdure, does not afford you 
 
 the sight of a single shrub ; the little grass which 
 
 grows in that arid soil, appears burnt l)y the 
 
 rigor of the climate. The natives who frequent the 
 
 banks of the river, for the salmon fishery, have 
 
 no other wood but that which they take floating 
 12 
 
266 franchere's voyage. 
 
 down. "V\'e passed several rapids, and a small 
 stream called Utalah, wliicli flows from the south- 
 east. 
 
 On the 16th, we found the river narrowed ; the 
 banks rose on either side in elevations, without, 
 however, offering a single tree. "We reached the 
 river Wallaivalla, which empties into the Colum- 
 bia on the southeast. It is narrow at its conflu- 
 ence, and is not navigable for any great distance. 
 A range of mountains was visible to the S. E., 
 about fifty or sixty miles off. Behind these moun- 
 tains the country becomes again flat and sandy, 
 and is inhabited by a tribe called the Snakes. 
 "We found on. the left bank of the Wallawalla, an 
 encampment of Indians, consisting of about twen- 
 ty lodges. They sold us six dogs and eight 
 horses, the greater part extremely lean. "We 
 killed two of the horses immediately : I mounted 
 one of the six that remained ; Mr. Ross took 
 another ; and we drove the other four before us. 
 Toward the decline of day we passed the river 
 Lewis, called, in the language of the country, the 
 Sha-ap-tin. It comes from the S. E., and is the 
 
PEAIRIE DOGS. 267 
 
 same that Lewis and Clarke descended in 1805. 
 The Sha-ap-tin appeared to me to have little 
 depth, and to be about 300 yards wide, at its 
 confluence. 
 
 The country through which we were now pas- 
 sing, was a mingling of hills, steep rocks, and 
 valleys covered with wormwood ; the stems of 
 which shrub are nearly six inches thick, and 
 might serve for fuel. We killed six rattlesnakes 
 on the loth, and on the 16th saw a great many 
 more among the rocks. These dangerous rcj> 
 tiles appeared to be very numerous in this part 
 of the country. The plains are also inhabited by 
 a little quadruped, only about eight or nine inch- 
 es in length, and approaching the dog in form. 
 These animals have the hair, or poil, of a reddish 
 brown, and strong fore-paws, armed with long 
 claws which serve them to dig out their holes 
 under the earth. They have a great deal of 
 curiosity : as soon as they hear a noise they come 
 out of their holes and bark. They are not vicious, 
 but, though easily tamed, can not be domesti- 
 cated. 
 
268 franchere's voyage. 
 
 The natives of the upper Columbia, beginning 
 at the falls, differ essentially in language, man- 
 ners, and habits, from those of whom I have 
 spoken in the preceding chapters. Thej do not 
 dwell in villages, like the latter, but are nomads, 
 like the Tartars and the Arabs of the desert: 
 their women are niore industrious, and the young 
 girls more reserved and chaste than those of the 
 populations lower down. They do not go naked, 
 but both sexes wear liabits made of dressed deer- 
 skin, which they take care to rub with chalk, to 
 keep them clean and white. They are almost 
 always seen on horseback, and are in general 
 good riders ; they pursue the deer and penetrate 
 even to Missouri, to kill buffalo, the flesh of which 
 they dry, and bring it back on their horses, to 
 make their ^ principal food during the winter. 
 These expeditions are not free from danger ; for 
 they have a great deal to apprehend from the 
 Black-feet, who are their enemies. As this last 
 tribe is powerful and ferocious, the Snakes, the 
 Pierced-noses or Sha-ap-tins, the Flatheads, &c., 
 make common cause agaiijst them, when the for- 
 
THE UPPER COLUMBIA. 269 
 
 mer go to hunt cast of tlic mountains. They set 
 out with their families, and the cavalcade often 
 numbers two thousand horses. When they have 
 the good fortune not to encounter the enemy, they 
 return with tlie spoils of an abundant chase ; they 
 load a part of their horses with the hides and 
 beef, and return home to pass the winter in peace. 
 Sometimes, on the contrary, they are so harassed 
 by the Blackfeet, who surprise them in the night 
 and carry off their horses, that they are forced 
 to return light-handed, and then they have noth- 
 ing to eat but roots, all the winter. 
 
 These Indians are passionately fond of horse- 
 races : by the bets they make on these occasions 
 they sometimes lose all tliat they possess. The 
 women ride, as well as the men. For a bridle 
 they use a cord of horse-hair, which they attach 
 round the animal's mouth ; with that he is easily 
 checked, and by laying the hand on his neck, is 
 made to wheel to this side or that. The saddle 
 is a cushion of stuffed deer-skin, very suitable for 
 the purpose to which it is destined, rarely hurting 
 the horse, and not fatiguing the rider so much 
 
270 franchere's yotage. 
 
 as our European saddles. The stirrups are 
 pieces of hard vood, ingeniously wrought, and of 
 the same shape as those which are used in civili- 
 zed countries. They are covered with a piece 
 of deer-skin, which is sewed on wet, and in dry- 
 ing stiJBFens and becomes hard and firm. The 
 saddles for women diifer in form, being furnished 
 with the antlers of a deer, so as to resemble the 
 high pommelled saddle of the Mexican ladies. 
 
 They procure their horses from the herds of 
 these animals which are found in a wild state in 
 the country extending between the northern lat- 
 itudes and the gulf of Mexico, and which some- 
 times count a thousand or fifteen hundred in a 
 troop. These horses come from New Mexico, 
 and are of Spanish race. "We even saw some 
 which had been marked with a hot iron by Span- 
 iards. Some of our men, who had been at the 
 south, told me that they had seen among the In- 
 dians, bridles, the bits of which were of silver. 
 The form of the saddles used by the females, 
 proves that they have taken their pattern from 
 the Spanish ones destined for the same use. One 
 
TAKING WILD HORSES. 271 
 
 of the partners of the N. W. Company (Mr. 
 M'Tavish) assured us that he had seen among 
 the Spokans, an old woman who told liim that 
 she had seen men ploughing the earth ; she told 
 him that she had also seen churches, which she 
 made him understand by imitating the sound of a- 
 bell and the action of pulling a bell-rope ; and 
 further to confirm her account, made the sign of 
 the cross. That gentleman concluded that she 
 had been made prisoner and sold to the Spaniards 
 on the Del Norte ; but I think it more probable 
 it was nearer, in North California, at the mission 
 of San Carlos or San Francisco. 
 
 As the manner of taking wild horses should 
 not be generally known to my readers, I will re- 
 late it here in few words. The Indian who wish- 
 es to capture some horses, mounts one of his 
 fleetest coursers., being armed with a long cord . 
 of horsehair, one end of which is attached to his 
 saddle, and the other is a running noose. Ar- 
 rived at the herd, he dashes into the midst of it, 
 and flinging his cord, or lasso, passes it dexter- 
 ously over the head of the animal he selects ; 
 
272 franchere's voyage. 
 
 then wheeling his courser, draws the cord after 
 him ; the wild horse, finding itself strangling, 
 makes little resistance ; the Indian then approach- 
 es, ties his fore and hind legs together, and 
 leaves him till he has taken in this manner as 
 many as he can. He then drives them home 
 before him, and breaks them in at leisure. 
 
RENCONTRE. 273 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Meeting with tlio Widow of a Hunter. — Her Nan-ativc. — Reflec- 
 tions of the Author. — Priest's Rapid. — Ri%'er Okenakan. — Kettle 
 Falls. — Pine Moss. — Scarcity of Food. — Rivers, Lakes, &c. — 
 Accident. — A Rencontre. — First View of the Rocky Moun- 
 tains. 
 
 On the 17th, the fatigue I had experienced the 
 day before, on horseback, obliged me to re-em- 
 bark in my canoe. About eight o'clock, we 
 passed a little river flowing from the N. W. We 
 perceived, soon after, three canoes, the persons 
 in which were struggling with their paddles 
 to overtake us. As we were still pursuing our 
 way, we heard a child's voice cry out in French 
 — " arretez done, arretez donc''^ — (stop ! stop !). 
 We put ashore, and the canoes having joined^ us, 
 we perceived in one of them the wife and children 
 of a man named Pierre Dorion, a hunter, who 
 
 had been sent on with a party of eight, under 
 12* 
 
274 franchere's voyage. 
 
 the command of Mr. J. Reed, among the Snakes, 
 to join there the hmiters left by Messrs. Himt 
 and Crooks, near Fort Henry, and to secure 
 horses and pro^dsious for our journey. This 
 woman informed us, to our no small dismay, of 
 the tragical fate of all those who composed that 
 party. She told us that in the month of January, 
 the hunters being dispersed here and there, 
 settmg their traps for the beaver, Jacob Regner, 
 Gilles Leclerc, and Pierre Dorion, her husband, 
 had been attacked by the natives. Leclerc, hav- 
 ing been mortally wounded, reached her tent or 
 hut, where he expired in a few minutes, after 
 having announced to her that her husband had 
 been killed. She immediately took two horses 
 that were near the lodge, momited her two boys 
 upon them, and fled in all haste to the wintering 
 house of Mr. Reed, which was about five days' 
 march from the spot where her husband fell. Her 
 horror and disappointment were extreme, when 
 she found the house — a log cabin — deserted, 
 and on drawing nearer, was soon convinced, by 
 the traces of blood, that Mr. Reed also had been 
 
woman's story. 275 
 
 murdered. No time was to be lost in lamenta- 
 tions, and she had immediately fled toward the 
 mountains south of the Wallawalla, where, being 
 impeded by the depth of the snow, she was forced 
 to winter, having killed both the horses to sub- 
 sist herself and. her children. But at last, find- 
 ing herself out of provisions, and the snow be- 
 ginning to melt, she had crossed the niountains 
 with her boys, hoping to find some more humane 
 Indians, who would let her live among them till 
 the boats from the fort below should be ascend- 
 ing the river in the spring, and so reached the 
 banks of the Columbia, by the Wallawalla. 
 Here, indeed, the natives had received her with 
 much hospitality, and it was the Indians of Wal- 
 lawalla who brought her to us. We made them 
 some presents to repay their care and pains, and 
 they returned well satisfied. 
 
 The persons who lost their lives in this unfor- 
 tunate wintering party, were Mr. John Reed, 
 (clerk), Jacob Regner, John Hubbough, Pierre 
 Dorion (hunters), GillesLeclerc,Frangois Landry, 
 J. B. Turcotte, Andre la Chapelle and Pierre 
 
276 feanchere's voyage. 
 
 De Lauuay, (yoyageurs).* "VVe had no doubt 
 tliat this massacre was an act of vengeance, on 
 the part of the natives, in retaliation for the death 
 of one of their people, whom Mr. John Clark 
 had hanged for theft the spring before. This 
 fact, the massacre on the Tonquin, the luihappy 
 end of Captain Cook, and many other similar 
 examjDles, prove how carefully the Europeans, 
 who have relations with a barbarous people, 
 should abstain from acting in regard to them on 
 the footing of too marked an inequality, and 
 especially from punishing their offences according 
 to usages and codes, in which there is too often 
 an enormous disproportion l)etween the crime 
 and the punishment. If these pretended exem- 
 plary pmiishments seem to have a good effect at 
 first sight, tliey almost always produce terrible 
 consequences in the sequel. 
 
 On the 18th, we passed Priest's Rapid, so 
 named by Mr. Stuart and his people, who saw at 
 
 * Turcotte died of King's Evil. De Launny was a half-breed, 
 of violent temper, who had taken an Indian woman to live with 
 him; he left Mr. Reed in the autumn, and w-as never heard of 
 again. 
 
SNOWY SUMMITS. 277 
 
 this spot, in 1811, as they were ascending the 
 river, a number of savages, one of whom was 
 performing on the rest certain aspersions and 
 other ceremonies, which had the air of being 
 coarse imitations of the Catholic worship. For 
 oiir part, we met here some Indians of whom we 
 bought two liorses. The banks of tlie river at 
 this place are tolerably high, but the country 
 back of them is flat and uninteresting. 
 
 On the 20th, we arrived at a place where the 
 bed of the river is extremely contracted, and 
 where we were obliged to make a portage. 
 Messrs. J. Stuart and Clarke left us here, to 
 proceed on horseback to the Spokan trading 
 house, to procure there the provisions which 
 would be necessary for us, in order to push on to 
 the mountains. 
 
 On the 21st, we lightened of their cargoes, 
 three canoes, in which those who were to cross 
 the continent embarked, to get on with greater 
 speed. We passed several rapids, and began to 
 see mountains covered with snow. 
 
 On the 22d, we began to see some pines on 
 
278 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 the ridge of the neighboring hills ; and at evening 
 we encamped under trees, a thing which had not 
 happened to us since the 12th. 
 
 On the 23d, toward 9, A. M., we reached the 
 trading post established by D. Stuart, at the 
 mouth of the river Okenakan. The spot ap- 
 peared to us charming, in comparison with the 
 country through which we had journeyed for 
 twelve days past : the two rivers here meeting, 
 and the immense prairies covered with a fine 
 verdure, strike agreeably the eye of the observer; 
 but there is not a tree or a shrub to diversify the 
 scene, and render it a little less naked and less 
 monotonous. We found here Messrs. J. M'Gilli- 
 vray and Ross, and Mr. 0. de Montigny, who had 
 taken service with the N. "W. Company, and who 
 charged me with a letter for his brother. 
 
 Toward midday we re-embarked, to continue 
 our journey. After having passed several dan- 
 gerous rapids without accident, always through 
 a country broken by shelving rocks, diversified 
 with hills and verdant prairies, we arrived, on 
 the 29th, at the portage of the Chaudieres or 
 
KETTLE FALLS. 279 
 
 Kettle falls. This is a fall where the water 
 precipitates itself over an immense rock of white 
 marble, veined with red and green, that traverses 
 the bed of the river from N. W. to S. E. We 
 effected the portage immediately, and encamped 
 on the edge of a charming prairie. 
 
 We found at this place some Indians who had 
 been fasting, they assured us, for several days. 
 They appeared, in fact, reduced to the most piti- 
 able state, having nothing left but skin and bones, 
 and scarcely able to drag themselves along, so 
 that not without difficulty could they even reach 
 the margin of the river, to get a little water to 
 wet their parched lips. It is a thing that often 
 happens to these poor people, when their chase 
 has not been productive ; their principal nourish- 
 ment consisting, in that case, of the pine moss, 
 which they boil till it is reduced to a sort of glue 
 or black paste, of a sufficient consistence to take 
 the form of biscuit. I had the curiosity to taste 
 this bread, and I thought I had got in my mouth 
 a bit of soap. Yet some of our people, who had 
 been reduced to eat this glue, assured me that 
 
280 franchere's voyage. 
 
 when fresh made it had a very good taste, sea- 
 soned with meat.* TVe partly relieved these 
 "wretched natives from our scanty store. 
 
 On the 30th, while we were yet encamped at 
 Kettle falls, Messrs. J. Stuart and Clarke arrived 
 from the post at Spokan. The last was mounted 
 on the finest-proportioned gray charger, full seven- 
 teen hands high, that I had seen in these parts : Mr. 
 Stuart had got a fall from his, in trying to urge 
 him, and had hurt himself severely. These gen- 
 tlemen not having brought us the provisions we 
 expected, because the hunters who had been sent 
 for that purpose among the Flatheads, had not 
 been able to procure any, it was resolved to di- 
 vide our party, and that Messrs. M'Donald, J. 
 Stuart, and M'-Kenzie should go forward to the 
 post situated east of the mountains, in order to 
 send us thence horses and supplies. These gen- 
 tlemen quitted us on the 1st of May. After their 
 
 * The process of boiling employed by the Indians in this case, 
 extracts from the moss its gelatine, which serves to supply the 
 waste of those tissues into which that principle enters; but as the 
 moss contains little or none of the proximates which constitute 
 the bulk of the living solids and fluids, it will not, of course, by 
 itself, support life or strength. — Ed. 
 
FORESTS APPEAU. 281 
 
 departure we killed two horses and dried the 
 meat ; which occupied us the rest of that day and 
 all the next. In the evening of the 2d, Mr. A. 
 Stuart arrived at our camp. He had recovered 
 from his wounds (received in the conflict with 
 the natives, before related), and was on his way 
 to his old wintering place on Slave lake, to fetch 
 his family to the Columbia. 
 
 We resumed our route on the morning of the 
 3d of May, and went to encamp that evening at 
 the upperjcnd of a rapid, where we began to 
 descry mountains covered with forests, and where 
 the banks of the river themselves were low and 
 thinly timbered. 
 
 On the 4th, after having passed several consid- 
 erable rapids, we reached the confluence of Flat- 
 head river. This stream comes from the S. E., 
 and falls into the Columbia in the form of a cas- 
 cade: it may be one hundred and fifty yards 
 wide at its junctioia. 
 
 On the morning of the 5th, we arrived at the 
 confluence of the Coutonais river. This stream 
 also flows from the south, and has nearly the same 
 
282 franchere's voyage. 
 
 width as the Flathead. Shortly after passing 
 it, "we entered a lake or enlargement of the river, 
 which we crossed to encamp at its upper extrem- 
 ity. This lake may lie thirty or forty miles, and 
 about four ^nde at its broadest part : it is sur- 
 rounded by lofty hills, which for the most part 
 have their base at the water's edge, and rise by 
 gradual and finely-wooded terraces, oifering a 
 sufficiently pretty view. 
 
 On the 6th, after we had run through a nar- 
 row strait or channel some fifteen miles long, we 
 entered another lake, of less extent than the for- 
 mer but equally picturesque. When we were 
 nearly in the middle of it, an accident occurred 
 which, if not very disastrous, was sufficiently 
 singular. One of the men, who had been on the 
 sick-list for several days, requested to l)e landed 
 for an instant. Not being more than a mile 
 from the shore, we acceded to his request, and 
 made accordingly for a projecting head-land ; 
 but when we were about three hundred or four 
 hundred yards from the point, the canoe struck 
 with force against the trunk of a tree which was 
 
AN ACCIDENT. 283 
 
 planted in the bottom of the lake, and the ex- 
 tremity of which barely reached the surface of 
 the water.* It needed no more to break a hole 
 in so frail a vessel ; the canoe was pierced 
 through the bottom and filled in a trice ; and 
 despite all our efforts we could not get off the 
 tree, which had penetrated two or three feet 
 within her ; perhaps that was our good fortune, 
 for the opening was at least a yard long. One 
 of the men, who was an expert swimmer, stripped, 
 and was about to go ashore with an axe lashed 
 to his back, to make a raft for us, when the oth- 
 er canoe, which had been proceeding up the lake, 
 and was a mile ahead, perceived^ our signals of 
 distress, and came to our succor. They carried 
 us to land, where it was necessary to encamp 
 forthwith, as well to dry ourselves as to mend 
 the canoe. 
 
 On the 7th, Mr. A. Stuart, whom we had left 
 behind at Kettle falls, came up^ with us, and we 
 pursued our route in company. Toward evening 
 
 * A snag of course, of the nature of which the young Canadian 
 seems to have been ignorant. 
 
284 franchere's voyage. 
 
 we met natives, camped on the bank of the river : 
 they gave us a letter from which we learned that 
 Mr. M'Douald and his party had passed there on 
 the 4th. The women at this camp were busy 
 spinning the coarse wool of the mountain sheep : 
 they had blankets or mantles, woven or platted of 
 the same material, with a heavy fringe all round : 
 I would gladly have purchased one of these, but 
 as we were to carry all our baggage on our backs 
 across the mountains, was forced to relinquish 
 the idea. Having bought of these savages some 
 pieces of dried venison, we pursued our journey. 
 The comitry began to be ascending ; the stream 
 was very rapid; and we made that day little 
 progress. 
 
 On the 8th we began to see snow on the shoals 
 or sand-banks of the river : the atmosphere grew 
 very cold. The banks on either side presented 
 only high hills covered to the top with impenetrar 
 ble forests. While the canoes were working up 
 a considerable rapid, I climbed the hills with Mr. 
 M'Gillis, and we walked on, following the course 
 of the river, some five or six miles. The snow 
 
THE MOUNTAINS IN SIGHT. 285 
 
 was very deep in the ravines or narrow gorges 
 which are found between the bases of the hills. 
 The most common trees are the Norway pine and 
 the cedar : the last is here, as on the borders of 
 the sea, of a prodigious size. 
 
 On the 9th and 10th, as we advanced but slow- 
 ly, the country presented the same aspect as on 
 the 8th. Toward evening of the 10th, we per- 
 ceived a-head of us a chain of high mountains 
 entirely covered with snow. The bed of the riv- 
 er was hardly more than sixty yards wide, and 
 was filled with dry banks composed of coarse 
 gravel and small pebble. 
 
286 feancheee's voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Course of the Columbia Eiver. — Canoe Eiver. — Foot-march to- 
 ward the Eocky Mountains. — Passage of the Mountains. 
 
 On the 11th, that is to say, one month, day 
 for day, after our departure from the falls, we 
 quitted the Columbia, to enter a little stream to 
 which Mr. Thompson had given, in 1811, the 
 name of Canoe river, from the fact that it was 
 on this fork that he constructed the canoes which 
 carried him to the Pacific. 
 
 The Columbia, which in the portion above the 
 falls (not taking into consideration some local 
 sinuosities) comes from the N. N. E., takes a 
 bend here so that the stream appears to flow from 
 the S. E.* Some boatmen, and particularly Mr. 
 
 * Mr. Franchcre uniformly mentions the direction from which 
 a stream appears to flow, not that toward which it runs ; a natur- 
 al method on the part of one who was ascending the current. 
 
COURSE OP THE COLUMBIA. 287 
 
 Regis Brugnier, who had ascended that river to 
 its source, informed me that it came out of two 
 small lakes, liot far from the chain of the Rocky 
 Mountains, which, at that place, diverges consid- 
 erably to the east. According to Arrowsmith's 
 map, the course of the Tacoutche Tesse, from its 
 mouth in the Pacific Ocean, to its source in the 
 Rocky mountains, is about twelve hundred En- 
 glish miles, or four hundred French leagues of 
 twenty-five to a degree ; that is to say, from two 
 hundred and forty to two hundred and eighty 
 miles from west to east, from its mouth to the 
 first falls : seven hundred and fifty miles nearly 
 from S. S. W. to N. N. E., from the first rapids 
 to the bend at the confluence of Canoe river ; and 
 one hundred and fifty or one hundred and eighty 
 miles from that confluence to its source. We 
 were not provided with the necessary instruments 
 to determine the latitude, and still less the lon- 
 gitude, of our different stations^ ; but it took us 
 four or five days to go up from the factory at As- 
 toria to the falls, and we could not have made 
 less than sixty miles a day : and, as I have just 
 
288 franchere's voyage. 
 
 remarked, we occupied an entire month in getting 
 from the falls to Canoe river: deducting four 
 or five days, on which wq did not travel, there 
 remain twenty-five days march ; and it is not 
 possible that we made less than thirty miles a 
 day, one day with another. 
 
 We ascended Canoe river to the point where 
 it ceases to be navigable, and encamped in the 
 same place wliere Mr. Thompson wintered in 
 1810-'ll. We proceeded immediately to secure 
 our canoes, and to divide the baggage among the 
 men, giving each fifty pounds to carry, including 
 his provisions. A sack of pemican, or pounded 
 meat, which we found in a cache, where it had 
 been left for us, was a great acquisition, as our 
 supplies were nearly exhausted. 
 
 On the 12th we began our foot march to the 
 mountains, being twenty-four in number, rank 
 and file. Mr. A. Stuart remained at the portage 
 to bestow in a place of safety the effects which 
 we could not carry, such as boxes, kegs, camp- 
 kettles, <fcc. We traversed first some swamps, 
 next a dense bit of forest, and then we found 
 
A SEVERE LOSS. 289 
 
 ourselves inarching up the gravelly banks of the 
 little Canoe 'river. Fatigue obliged us to camp 
 early. 
 
 On the 13th we pursued our journey, and en- 
 tered into the valleys between the mountains, 
 where there lay not less than four or five feet of 
 snow. We were obliged to ford the river ten or 
 a dozen times in the course of the day, sometimes 
 with the water up to our necks. These frequent 
 fordings were rendered necessary by abrupt and 
 steep rocks or blufis, which it was impossible to 
 get over without plunging into the wood for a 
 great distance. The stream being very swift, 
 and rushing over a bed of stones, one of the men 
 fell and lost a sack containing our last piece of 
 salt pork, which we were preserving as a most 
 precious treasure. The circumstances in which 
 we found ourselves made us regard this as a most 
 unfortunate accident. We encamped that night 
 at the foot of a steep mountaiiv, and sent on Mr. 
 Pillet and the guide, M'Kay, to hasten a supply 
 of provisions to meet us. 
 
 On the morning of the 14tlr we began to climb 
 13 
 
290 franchere's voyage. 
 
 the mountain which we had before us. We were 
 obliged to stop every moment, to take breath, so 
 stiff was the ascent. Happilj it had frozen hard 
 the night before, and the crust of the snow was 
 sufficient to bear us. After two or three hours 
 of incredible exertions and fatigues, we arrived 
 at the plateau or summit, and followed the foot- 
 prints of those who had preceded, us. This 
 mountain is placed between two others a great 
 deal more elevated, compared with which it is 
 but a hill, and of which, indeed, it is only, as it 
 were, the valley. Our march soon became fa- 
 tiguing, on account of the depth of the snow, 
 which, softened by the rays of the sun, could no 
 longer bear us as in the morning. We were 
 obliged to follow exactly the traces of those who 
 had preceded' us, and to plunge our legs up to the 
 knees in the holes they had made, so that it was 
 as if we had put on and taken off, at every step, 
 a very large pair of boots. At last we arrived 
 at a good hard bottom, and a clear space, which 
 our guide said was a little lake frozen over, and 
 here we stopped for the night. This lake, or 
 
SCENERY. 291 
 
 rather these lakes (for there arc two) are situated 
 in the midst of the valley or cup of the mountains. 
 On either side were immense glaciers, or ice-bound 
 rocks, on which the rays of the setting sun re- 
 flected the most beautiful prismatic colors. One 
 of these icy peaks was like a fortress of rock ; it 
 rose perpendicularly some fifteen or eighteen 
 hundred feet above the level of the lakes, and 
 had the summit covered with ice. Mr. J. Henry, 
 who first discovered the pass, gave this extraor- 
 dinary rock the name of M' Gillivraifs Rock, in 
 honor of one of the partners of the N. W. Com- 
 pany. The lakes themselves are not much over 
 three or four hundred yards in circuit, and not 
 over two hundred yards apart. Canoe river, 
 which, as we have already seen, flows to the west, 
 and falls into the Columbia, takes its rise in one 
 of them ; while the other gives birth to one of the 
 branches of the Athabasca, which runs first east- 
 ward, then northward, and winch, after its junc- 
 tion with the Unjighah, north of the Lake of the 
 Mountains, takes the name of Slave river, as far 
 the lake of that name, and afterward that of 
 
292 franchere's voyage. 
 
 M'Kenzie river, till it empties into, or is lost in, 
 the Frozen ocean. Having cut a large pile of 
 wood, and having, by tedious labor for nearly an 
 hour, got through the ice to the clear water of 
 the lake on which we were encamped, we supped 
 frugally on pounded maize, arranged our bivouac, 
 and passed a pretty good night, though it was 
 bitterly cold. The most common wood of the 
 locality was cedar and stunted pine. The heat 
 of our fire made the snow melt, and by morning 
 the embers had reached the solid ice : the depth 
 from the snow surface was about five feet. 
 
 On the loth, we continued our route, and soon 
 began to descend the mountain. At the end of 
 three hours, we reached the banks of a stream — 
 the outlet of the second lake above mentioned — 
 here and there frozen over, and then again tum- 
 bling down over rock and pebbly bottom in a 
 thousand fantastic gambols ; and very soon we 
 had to ford it. After a tiresome march, by an 
 extremely difficult path in the midst of woods, 
 we encamped in the evening under some cypres- 
 ses. I had hit my right knee against the branch 
 
BUFFALO TRACKS. 29B 
 
 of a fallen tree on the first day of our march, and 
 now began to suffer acutely with it. It was im- 
 possible, however, to flinch, as I must keep up 
 with the party or be left to perish. 
 
 On the 16th, our path lay through thick 
 swamps and forest ; we recrossed the small stream 
 we had forded the day before, and our guide con- 
 ducted us to the banks of the Athabasca, which 
 we also forded. As this passage was the last to 
 be made, wo dried our clothes, and pursued our 
 journey through a more agreeable country than on 
 the preceding days. In the evening we camped on 
 the margin of a verdant plain, which, the guide 
 informed us, was called Cow prairie. "We had 
 met in the course of the day several bufialo 
 tracks, and a number of the bones of that quad- 
 ruped bleached by time. Our flesh-meat having 
 given out entirely, our supper consisted in some 
 handfuls of corn, which we parched in a pan. 
 
 We resumed our route very early on the 17th, 
 and after passing a forest of trembling poplar or 
 aspen, we again came in sight of the river which 
 we had left the day before. Arriving then at an 
 
294 franchere's voyage. 
 
 elevated promontory or cape, our guide made us 
 tui'n back in order to pass it at its most accessi- 
 ble point. After crossing it, not witliout difficul- 
 ty, we soon came upon fresh horse-prints, a sure 
 indication that there were some of those animals 
 in our neighborhood. Emerging from the forest, 
 each took the direction which he thought would 
 lead soonest to an encampment. We all pres- 
 ently arrived at an old house which the traders 
 of the N. "W. Company had once constructed, but 
 which had been abandoned for some four or five 
 years. The site of this trading post is the most 
 charming that can be imagined : suffice to say 
 that it is built on the bank of the beautiful river 
 Athabasca, and is surrounded by green and 
 smiling prairies and superb woodlands. Pity 
 there is nobody there to enjoy these rural beau- 
 ties and to praise, while admiring them, the Au- 
 thor of Nature. We found there Mr. Pillet, and 
 one of Mr. J. M'Donald's party, who had his leg 
 broken by the kick of a horse. After regaling 
 ourselves with pemican and some fresh venison, 
 we set out again, leaving two of the party to 
 
A MEETING. 295 
 
 take care of the lame man, and went on about 
 eight or nine miles farther to encamp. 
 
 On the 18th, we had rain. I took the lead, 
 and after having walked about ten or twelve 
 miles, on the slope of a mountain denuded of 
 trees, I perceived some smoke issuing from a tuft 
 of trees in the bottom- of a valley, and near the 
 river. I descended immediately, and reached a 
 small camp, where I found two men who were 
 coming to meet us with four horses. I made 
 them fire off two guns as a signal to the rest of 
 our people who were coming up in the rear, and 
 presently we heard it repeated on the river, from 
 which we were not far distant. We repaired 
 thither, and found two of the men, who had been 
 left at the last ford, and who, having constructed 
 a bark canoe, were descending the river. I made 
 one of them disembark, and took his place, my 
 knee being so painful that I could walk no fur- 
 ther. Meanwhile the whole party came up ; they 
 loaded the horses, and pursued their route. In 
 the course of the day my companion (an Iro- 
 quois) and I, shot seven ducks. Coming, at last, 
 
296 franchere's voyage. 
 
 to a high promontory called Millet'' s rock., we 
 found some of our foot-travellers with. Messrs. 
 Stewart and Clarke, who were on horseback, all 
 at a stand, doubting whether it would answer to 
 wade round the base of the rock, which dipped 
 in the water. We sounded the stream for them, 
 and found it fordable. So they all passed round, 
 thereby avoiding the inland path, which is ex- 
 cessively fatiguing by reason of the hills, which 
 it is necessary perpetually to mount and descend. 
 We encamped, to the number of seven, at the 
 entrance of what at high water might be a lake, 
 but was then but a flat of blackish sand, with a 
 narrow channel in the centre. Here we made 
 an excellent supper on the wild ducks, while 
 those who were behind had nothing to eat. 
 
ROCKY MOUNTAINS HOUSE. 297 
 
 CHAPTER XXiy. 
 
 An-ival at the Fort of the Mountains. — Description of this Post. 
 
 — Some Details in Regard to the Rocky Mountains. — Mountain 
 Sheep, &c. — Continuation of the Journey. — Unhappy Accident. 
 
 — Reflections. — News from Canada. — Hunter's Lodge. — Pim- 
 bina and Red Deer Rivers. 
 
 On the 19th we raised our camp and followed 
 the shore of the little dry lake, along a smooth 
 sandy beach, having abandoned our little bark 
 canoe, both because it had become nearly unser- 
 viceable, and because we knew ourselves to be 
 very near the Rocky Mountains House. In fact, 
 we had not gone above five or six miles when 
 we discerned a column of smoke on the opposite 
 side of the stream. We immediately forded 
 across, and arrived at the post, where we found 
 Messrs. M'Donald, Stuart, and M'Kenzie, who 
 
 had preceded us only two days. 
 13* 
 
298 franchere's voyage. 
 
 The post of the Rockj Mountains, in English, 
 Rocky Blountains House, is situated on the 
 shore of the little lake I have mentioned, in the 
 midst of a wood, and is surrounded, except on 
 the water side, by steep rocks, inhabited only by 
 the mountain sheep and goat. Here is seen in 
 the west the chain of the E,ocky Mountains, 
 whose summits are covered with perpetual snow. 
 On the lake side, Millet'' s Rock, of which I have 
 spoken above, is in full view, of an immense 
 height, and resembles the front of a huge church 
 seen in perspective. The post was under the 
 charge of a Mr. Decoigue. He does not pro- 
 cure many furs for the company, which has only 
 established the house as a provision depot, with 
 the view of facilitating the passage of the moun- 
 tains to those of its employes who are repairing 
 to, or returning from, the Columbia. 
 
 People speak so often of the Rocky Mountains, 
 and appear to know so little about them, that the 
 reader will naturally desire me to say here a 
 word on that subject. If we are to credit trav- 
 ellers, and the most recent maps, these mountains 
 
EXTENT OF THE CHAIN. 299 
 
 extend nearly in a straight line, from the 35th 
 or 36th degree of north latitude, to the mouth of 
 the Unjighah,ov M'-Kenzie's river, \\\ the Arctic 
 ocean, in latitude 65" or QQ'^ N. This distance 
 of thirty degrees of latitude, or seven hundred 
 and fifty leagues, equivalent to two thousand 
 two hundred and fifty English miles or therea-^ 
 bouts, is, however, only the mean side of a right- 
 angled triangle, the base of which occupies twen- 
 ty-six degrees of longitude, in latitude 35° or 
 86°, that is to say, is about sixteen hundred 
 miles long, while the chain of mountains forms 
 the hypotenuse ; so that the real, and as it were 
 diagonal, length of the chain, across the conti- 
 nent, must be very near three thousand miles 
 from S. E. to N. W. In such a vast extent of 
 mountains, the perpendicular height and width 
 of base must necessarily be very unequal. Wo 
 were about eight days in crossing them ; whence 
 I conclude, from our daily fate of travel, that 
 they may have, at this point, i. e., about latitude 
 54°, a base of two hundred miles. 
 
 The geographer Pinkerton is assuredly mis- 
 
300 franchere's voyage. 
 
 taken, when he gives these mountains an eleva- 
 tion of but three thousand feet above the level 
 of the sea ; from my own observations I would 
 not hesitate to give them six thousand ; we at- 
 tained, in '^■'ossing them, an elevation probably of 
 fifteen hundred feet above the valleys, and were 
 not, perhaps, nearer than half way of their total 
 height, while the valleys themselves must be con- 
 siderably elevated above the level of the Pacific, 
 considering the prodigious number of rapids and 
 falls which are met in the Columbia, from the 
 first falls to Ganoe river. Be that as it may, if 
 these- mountains yield to the Andes in elevation 
 and extent, they very much surpass in both re- 
 spects the Apalachian chain, regarded until re- 
 cently as the principal mountains of North Amer- 
 ica : they give rise, accordingly, to an infinity of 
 streams, and to the greatest rivers of the conti- 
 nent.* 
 
 * This is interesting, as the rough calculation of an unscientific 
 traveller, unprovided with instruments, and at that date. The 
 real height of the Rocky Mountains, as now ascertained, averages 
 twelve thousand feet; the highest known peak is about sixteen 
 thousand. — Ed. 
 
ANIMALS. 301 
 
 They offer a vast and unexplored field to nat- 
 ural history : no botanist, no nineralogist, has 
 yet examined them. The first travellers called 
 them the Glittering mountains, on account of the 
 infinite number of immense rock crystals, which, 
 they say, cover their surface, and "which, when 
 they are not covered with snow, or in the bare 
 places, reflect to an immense distance the rays 
 of the sun. The name of Rocky mountains was 
 given them, probably, by later travellers, in con- 
 sequence of the enormous isolated rocks which 
 they offer here and there to the view. In fact, 
 Millet's rock, and M' GiUivraifs above all, ap- 
 peared to me wonders of nature. Some think 
 that they contain metals, and precious stones. 
 
 "With the exception of the mountain sheep and 
 goat, the animals of the Rocky mountains, if 
 these rocky passes support any, are not better 
 known than their vegetable and mineral produc- 
 tions. The mountain sheep resorts generally to 
 steep rocks, where it is impossible for men or 
 even for wolves to reach them : we saw several 
 on the rocks which surround the Mountain House. 
 
302 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 This animal has great curved horns, like those 
 of the domestic ram : its wool is long, but 
 coarse ; that on the belly is the finest and whitest. 
 The Indians who dwell near the mountains, make 
 blankets of it, similar to ours, which they ex- 
 change with the Indians of the Columbia for fish, 
 and other commodities. The ibex, or mountain 
 goat, frequents, like the sheep, the top and the 
 declivities of the rocks : it differs from the sheep 
 in having hair instead of wool, and straight horns 
 projecting backward, instead of curved ones. 
 The color is also different.. The natives soften 
 the horns of these animals by boiling, and make 
 platters, spoons, <fec., of them, in a very artistic 
 manner. 
 
 Mr. Decoigne had not sufficient food for us, 
 not having expected so many people to arrive at 
 once. His hunters were then absent on Smoke 
 river (so called by some travellers who saw in 
 the neighborhood a volcanic mountain belching 
 smoke), in quest of game. We were tlierefore 
 compelled to kill one of the horses for food. We 
 fomid no birch bark either to make canoes, and 
 
WE EMBARK. 303 
 
 set the men to work in constructing some of 
 wood. For want of better materials, we were 
 obliged to use poplar. On the 22d, the three 
 men whom we had left at the old-house, arrived 
 in a little canoe made of two elk-skins sewed to- 
 gether, and stretched like a drum, on a frame of 
 poles. 
 
 On the 24th, four canoes being ready, we fas- 
 tened them together two and two, and embarked, 
 to descend the river to an old post called Hun- 
 ter^s Lod^e, where Mr. Decoigne, who was to 
 return with us to Canada, informed us that we 
 should find some bark canoes en cache, placed 
 there for the use of the persons who descend the 
 river. The water was not deep, and the stream 
 was rapid ; we glided along, so to speak, for 
 ten or a dozen leagues, and encamped, having 
 lost sight of the mountains. In proportion as 
 we advanced, the banks of the river grew less 
 steep, and the country became more agreeable. 
 
 On the 25th, having only a little pemican left, 
 which we wished to keep, we sent forward a 
 hunter in the little elk-skin canoe, to kill some 
 
304 franchere's voyage. 
 
 » 
 
 game. About ten o'clock, we found him waiting 
 for us -with two moose that he had killed. He 
 had suspended the hearts from the branch of a 
 tree as a signal. We landed some men to help 
 him in cutting up and shipping the game. We 
 continued to glide safely down. But toward two 
 o'clock, P. M., after doubling a point, we got 
 into a considerable rapid, where, by the mala- 
 droitness of those who managed the double 
 pirogue in which I was, we met with a melan- 
 choly accident. I had proposed to go ashore, in 
 order to lighten the canoes, which were loaded 
 to the water's edge ; but the steersman insisted 
 that we could go down safe, while the bow-man 
 was turning the head of the pirogue toward 
 the beach ; by this manoeuvre we were brought 
 athwart the stream, which'was carrying us fast 
 toward the falls ; just then our frail bark struck 
 upon a sunken rock ; the lower canoe broke 
 amid-ships and filled instantly, and the upper 
 one being lighted, rolled over, precipitating us 
 all into the water. Two of our men, Olivier Roy 
 Lapensee and Andre Belanger, were drowned ; 
 
SAD ACCIDENT. 305 
 
 and it was not without extreme difficulty that 
 we succeeded in saving Messrs. Fillet and Wal- 
 lace, as well as a man named /. Hurteau. The 
 latter was so far gone that we were obliged to 
 have recourse to the usual means for the resusci- 
 tation of drowned persons. The men lost all 
 their effects ; the others recovered but a part of 
 theirs ; and all our provisions went. Toward 
 evening, in ascending the river (for I had gone 
 about two miles below, to recover the effects 
 floating down), we found the body of Lapensee. 
 We interred it as decently as we could, and 
 planted at his grave a cross, on which I inscribed 
 with the point of my knife, his name and the 
 manner and date of his death. Bolanger's body 
 was not found. If anything could console the 
 shades of the departed for a premature and un- 
 fortunate end, it would be, no doubt, that the 
 funeral rites have been paid to their remains, 
 and that they themselves have given their names 
 to the places where they perished : it is thus that 
 the shade of Palinurus rejoiced in the regions 
 below, at learning from the mouth of the Sibyl, 
 
306 franchere's voyage. 
 
 that the promontory near which he was drowned 
 would henceforth be called by his name : gandet 
 cognomine terra. The rapid and the point of 
 land where the accident I have described took 
 place, will bear, and bears already, probably, the 
 name of Lapensee* 
 
 On the 26th, a part of our people embarked in 
 the three canoes which remained, and the others 
 followed the banks of the river on foot. Wo 
 saw ia several places some veins of bituminous 
 coal, on the banks between the surface of the 
 water and that of the plain, say thirty feet below 
 the latter ; the veins had a dip of about 25°. 
 We tried some and found it to burn well. We 
 halted in the evening near a small stream, where 
 we constructed some rafts, to carry all our peo- 
 ple. 
 
 On the 27th, I went forward in the little canoe 
 
 * Mr. Francherc, not having; the fear of the Abbe Gaume be- 
 fore his eyes, so wrote in his Journal of 1814; finding conjola- 
 tiou in a thought savoring, we confess, more of Virgil than of the 
 catechism. It is a classic term that calls to our mind rough Cap- 
 tain Thorn's sailor-like contempt for his literary passengers so 
 comically described by Mr. Irvinpr. Half of the humor as well 
 as of the real interest of Mr. Franchere's charming naiTative, is 
 lost by one who has never read " Astoria," 
 
 / 
 
A RENCONTRE. 307 
 
 of skins, with the two hunters. We soon killed 
 an elk, which wc skinned and suspended the 
 hide, besmeared with blood, from the branch of 
 a tree at the extremity of a point, in order that 
 the people behind, as they came up, might per- 
 ceive and take in the fruit of our chase. After 
 fortifying ourselves with a little food, we contin- 
 ued to glide down, and encamped for the night 
 near a thick wood where our hunters, from the 
 tracks they observed, had hopes of encountering 
 and capturing some bears. This hope was not 
 realized. 
 
 On the 28th, a little after quitting camp, we 
 killed a swan. While I was busy cooking it, the 
 hunters having plunged into the wood, I heard a 
 rifle-shot, which seemed to me to proceed from a 
 direction opposite to that which they had taken. 
 They retui'ned very soon running, and were ex- 
 tremely surprised to learn that it was not I who 
 had fired it. Nevertheless, tho^ canoes and rafts 
 having overtaken us, we continued to descend 
 the river. Very soon we met a bark canoe, con- 
 taining two men and a woman, who were ascend- 
 
308 franchere's voyage. 
 
 ing tKe river and bringing letters and some goods 
 for the Rocky Mountains House. "We learned 
 from these letters addressed to Mr. Decoigne, 
 several circumstances of the war, and among 
 others the defeat of Captain Barclay on Lake 
 Erie. We arrived that evening at Hunter'' s 
 Jjodge^ where we found four new birch-bark 
 canoes. "We got ready two of them, and resumed 
 our journey down, on the 31st. Mr. Fillet set 
 out before us with the hunters, at a very early 
 hour. They killed an elk, which they left on a 
 point, and which we took in. The country 
 through which we passed that day is the most 
 charming possible ; the river is wide, handsome, 
 and bordered with low outjutting points, covered 
 with birch and poplar. 
 
 On the 1st of June, in the evening, we en- 
 camped at the confluence of the river Pembina. 
 This stream comes from the south, and takes its 
 rise in one of the spurs of the great chain of the 
 Rocky moimtains ; ascending it for two days, 
 and crossing a neck of land about seventy-five 
 miles, one reaches Fort Augustus, a trading post 
 
LITTLE RED ELK RIVER. 309 
 
 on the Saskatchaivine river. Messrs. M'Donald 
 and M'Kenzie had taken this route, and had left 
 for us half a sack of pemican in a cache, at the 
 mouth of the river Pembina. After landing that 
 evening, Mr. Stuart and I amused ourselves with 
 angling, but took only five or six small fish. 
 
 On the 2d, we passed the confluence of Little 
 Slave Lake river. At eight o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, we met a band or family of Indians, of the 
 Knisteneaux tribe. They had just killed a buf- 
 falo, which we bought of them for a small brass- 
 kettle. We could not have had a more season- 
 able rencontre, for our provisions were all con- 
 sumed. 
 
 On the 3d, we reached Little Red Elk river, 
 which we began to ascend, quitting the Atha- 
 basca, or Great Red Elk. This stream was 
 very narrow in its channel, and obstructed 
 with boulders : we were obliged to take to the 
 shore, while some of the men dragged along the 
 canoes. Their method was to lash poles across, 
 and wading themselves, lift the canoes over the 
 rocks — a laborious and infinitely tedious opera- 
 
310 franchere's yoyage. 
 
 tion. The marcli along the banks was not less 
 disagreeable : for we had to traverse points of 
 forest where the fire had passed, and which were 
 filled with fallen trees. 
 
 Wallace and I having stopped to quench our 
 thirst at a rill, the rest got in advance of us ; and 
 we lost our way in a labyrinth of buffalo tracks 
 which we mistook for the trail, so that we wan- 
 dered about for three hours before we came up 
 with the party, who began to fear for our safety, 
 and were firing signal-guns to direct us. As the 
 river now grew deeper, we all embarked in the 
 canoes, and about evening overtook our hunters, 
 who had killed a moose and her two calves. 
 
 "We continued our journey on the 4th, some- 
 times seated in our canoes, sometimes marching 
 along the river on foot, and encamped in the 
 evening, excessively fatigued. 
 
ANTOINE DEJARLAIS. 311 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Red Deer Lake. — Antoinc Dejarlais. — Beaver River. — N. Na- 
 deau. — Moose River. — Bridge Lake. — Saskatchawine River. 
 — Fort Vermilion. — Mr. Hallet. — Trading-Houses. — Beautiful 
 Country. — Reflections. 
 
 The 5tli of June brought us to the beautiful 
 sheet of water called Red Deer lake, irregular 
 in shape, dotted with islands, and about forty 
 miles in length by thirty in its greatest width. 
 We met, about the middle of it, a small canoe 
 conducted by two young women. They were 
 searching for gulls' and ducks' eggs on the 
 islands, this being the season of laying for 
 those aquatics. They told us that their father 
 was not far distant from the place where we met 
 them. In fact, we presently saw him appear in 
 a canoe with his two boys, rounding a little isle. 
 We joined him, and learned that his name was 
 
312 franchere's voyage. 
 
 Antoine Dejarlais ; that he had been a guide in 
 the ser^dee of the Northwest Company, but had 
 left them since 1805. On being made acquainted 
 with our need of provisions, he offered us a great 
 quantity of eggs, and made one of our men em- 
 bark with his two daughters in their little canoe, 
 to seek some more substantial supplies at his 
 cabin, on the other side of the lake. He him- 
 self accompanied us as far as a portage of about 
 twenty-five yards formed at the outlet of the 
 lake by a Beaver dam. Having performed the 
 portage, and passed a small pond or marsh, we 
 encamped to await the return of our man. He 
 arrived the next morning, with Dejarlais, bring- 
 ing us about fifty pounds of dried venison and 
 from ten to twelve pounds of tallow. We invited 
 our host to breakfast with us : it was the least 
 we could do after the good ofiices he had ren- 
 dered us. This man was married to an Indian 
 woman, and lived with his family, on the prod- 
 uce of his chase ; he appeared quite contented 
 with his lot. Nobody at least disputed with him 
 the sovereignty of Red Deer lake, of Avhich ho 
 
TOILSOME PROGRESS. 313 
 
 had, as it were, taken possession. He begged 
 me to read for liini two letters which he had had 
 in his possession for two years, and of which he 
 did not yet know the contents. They were from 
 one of his sisters, and dated at Verchtres, in 
 Canada. I even thought that I recognised the 
 handwriting of Mr. L. G. Labadie, teacher of 
 that parish. At last, having testified to this 
 good man, in suitable terms, our gratitude for the 
 services he.had rendered us, we quitted him and 
 prosecuted our journey. 
 
 After making two portages, we arrived on the 
 banks of Beaver river, which was here but a riv- 
 ulet. It is by this route that the canoes ordi- 
 narily pass to reach Little Slave lake and the 
 Athabasca country, from the head of Lake Supe- 
 rior, via., Cumberland House, on English river. 
 We were obliged by the shallowness of the 
 stream, to drag along our canoes, walking on a 
 bottom or beach of sand, where we began to feel 
 the importunity of the mosquitoes. One of the 
 hunters scoured the woods for game but without 
 
 success. By-and-by we passed a small canoe 
 14 
 
ol4 feaxchere's voyage. 
 
 turned bottom up and covered with a blanket. 
 Soon after we came to a cabin or lodge, where 
 we found an old Canadian hunter named Nacleau. 
 He was reduced to the last stage of weakness, 
 having had nothing to eat for two days. Never- 
 theless, a young man who was married to one of 
 his daugliters, came in shortly after, with the 
 good news that he had just killed a buffalo ; a 
 circumstance which determined us to encamp 
 there for the night. We sent some^of our men 
 to get in the meat. Nadeau gave us half of it, 
 and told us that we should find, thirty miles low- 
 er down, at the foot of a pine tree, a cache, 
 where he had deposited teij swan-skins, and 
 some of martin, witli a net, which he prayed us 
 to take to the next trading-post. We quitted 
 this good fellow the next morning, and pursued 
 our way. Arriving at the place indicated, we 
 found the cache, and took the net, leaving the 
 other articles. A short distance further, we 
 came to Moose river, whieh we had to ascend, in 
 order to reach the lake of that name. The 
 water in this river was so low that we were 
 
LOSING OUR WAY. 315 
 
 obliged entirely to unload the canoes, and to 
 lash poles across them, as we had done before, 
 that the men might carry them on their shoulders 
 over the places where they could not be floated. 
 Having distributed the baggage to the remainder 
 of the hands, we pursued our way through the 
 woods, under the guidance of Mr. Decoigne. 
 
 This gentleman, who had not passed here for 
 nineteen years, soon lost his way, and we got 
 separated into small parties, in the course of the 
 afternoon, some going one way, and some another, 
 in search of Moose lake. But as we had out>- 
 stripped the men who carried the baggage and 
 the small stock of provision that old Nadeau had 
 given us, Mr. Wallace and I thought it prudent 
 to retrace our steps and keep with the rear-guard. 
 We soon met Mr. Pillet and one of the hunters. 
 The latter, ferreting the woods on both sides of 
 a trail that he had discovered, soon gave a whoop, 
 to signify that we should stop. Presently emer- 
 ging from the underwood, he showed us a horse- 
 whip which he had found, and from which and 
 from other unmistakeable signs, he was confident 
 
316 feanchere's voyage. 
 
 the trail would lead cither to the lake or a navi- 
 gable part of the river. The men with the l^ag- 
 gage then coming up, avc entered the thicket 
 single file, and were conducted by this path, in 
 a very short time, to the river, on the banks of 
 which were visible the traces of an old camping 
 ground. The night was coming on ; and soon 
 after, the canoes arrived, to our great satisfaction ; 
 for we had begun to fear that they had already 
 passed. The splashing of their paddles was a 
 welcome sound, and we who had been wise 
 enough to keep behind, all encamped together. 
 
 Very early on the 8th, I set out accompanied 
 by one of the hunters, in quest of Messrs. D. 
 Stuart, Clarke and Decoigue, who had gone on 
 ahead, the night previous. I soon found MM. 
 Clarke and M'Gillis encamped on the shore of 
 the lake. The canoes presently arrived and we 
 embarked ; MM. Stuart and Decoigne rejoined 
 us shortly after, and informed us that they had 
 bivouacked on the shore of Lac Puant, or Stink- 
 ing lake, a pond situated about twelve miles 
 E. N. E. from the lake we were now entering. 
 
LONG LAKE. 317 
 
 Finding ourselves tlius reunited, we traversed 
 the latter, which is about eighteen miles in cir- 
 cuit, and has very pretty shores. "We encamped, 
 very early, on an island, in order to use old 
 Nadeau's fishing net. I visited it that evening 
 and brought back three carp and two water-hens. 
 "We left it set all night, and the next morning 
 found in it twenty white-fish. Leaving camp at 
 an early hour, we gained the entrance of a small 
 stream that descends between some hills of mod- 
 erate elevation, and there stopped to breakfast. 
 I found the white-fish more delicious in flavor, 
 even than the salmon. "We had again to foot it, 
 following the bank of this little stream. It was 
 a painful task, as we were obliged to open a 
 path through thick underbrush, in the midst of a 
 rain that lasted all day and kept us drenched. 
 Two men being left in each canoe, conveyed them 
 up the river about thirty miles, as far as Long 
 lake — a narrow pond, on the ^margin of which 
 we spent the night. 
 
 On the 10th, we got through this lakelet, and 
 entered another small stream, which it was ne- 
 
318 franchere's voyage. 
 
 cessarj to navigate in the same manner as the 
 preceding, and which conducted us to Bridge 
 lake. The latter received its name from a sort 
 of bridge or causeway, formed at its southern 
 extremity, and which is nothing more than a 
 huge beaver dam. We found here a lodge, 
 where were a young man and two women, who 
 had charge of some horses appertaining to one 
 of the Hudson's Bay trading houses. We bor- 
 rowed of them half a dozen pack horses, and 
 crossed the bridge with them. After surmount- 
 ing a considerable hill, we reached an open, level, 
 and dry prairie, which conducted us in about two 
 hours to an ancient trading-post on the banks of 
 the Saskatchaioine. Knowing that we were 
 near a factory, we made our toilets as well as 
 we could, before arriving. Toward sundown, 
 we reached Fort Yermilion, which is situated 
 on the bank of a river, at the foot of a superb 
 hill. 
 
 We found at this post some ninety persons, 
 men, women, and children ; these people depend 
 for subsistence on the chase, and fishing with 
 
ODD MISCALCULATION. 819 
 
 hooks and lines, wliich is very precarious. Mr. 
 Hallet, the clerk in charge was absent, and we 
 were dismayed to hear that there were no pro- 
 visions on the place : a very disagreeable piece 
 of ncAvs for people famished as we were. "We 
 had been led to suppose that if we could only 
 reach the plains of the Saskatchawine, we should 
 be in the land of plenty. Mr. Hallet, however, 
 was not long in arriving : he had two quarters 
 of buffalo meat brought out, which had been laid 
 in ice, and prepared us supper. Mr. Hallet was 
 a polite sociable man, loving his ease passably 
 well, and desirous of living in these wild coun- 
 tries, as people do in civilized lands. Having 
 testified to him our surprise at seeing in one of 
 the buildings a large cariole, like those of Cana- 
 da, he informed us that having horses, he had 
 had this carriage made in order to enjoy a sleigh- 
 ride ; but that the workmen having forgot to 
 take the measure of the doors of the building be- 
 fore constructing it, it was found when finished, 
 much too large for them, and could never be got 
 out of the room where it was ; and it was like to 
 
320 franchere's voyage. 
 
 remain there a long time, as he was not disposed 
 to demolish the house for the pleasure of using 
 the cariole. 
 
 By the side of the factory of the Northwest 
 Company, is another belonging to the Company 
 of Hudson's Bay. In general these trading- 
 houses are constructed thus, one close to the 
 other, and surrounded with a common palisade, 
 with a door of communication in the interior for 
 mutual succor, in case of attack on the part of 
 the Indians. The latter, in this region, particu- 
 larly the Black-feet, Gros-ventres, and those of 
 the Yellow river, are very ferocious : they live 
 by the chase, but bring few furs to the traders ; 
 and the latter maintain these posts principally to 
 procure themselves provisions. 
 
 On the 11th, after breakfasting at Fort Ver- 
 milion, we resumed our journey, with six or 
 seven pounds of tallow for our whole stock of 
 food. This slender supply brought us through 
 to the evening of the third day, when wo had for 
 supper two ounces of tallow each. 
 
 On the 11th, in the morning, we killed a wild 
 
BUFFALO. 321 
 
 goose, and toward midday, collected some flag- 
 root and choiix-g-ras, a wild herb, which we 
 boiled with the small game : we did not forget 
 to throw into the pot the little tallow we had 
 left, and made a delicious repast. Toward the 
 decline of day, we had the good luck to kill a 
 buffalo. 
 
 On the 15th, MM. Clarke and Decoigne hav- 
 ing landed during our course, to hunt, returned 
 presently with the agreeable intelligence that 
 they had killed three buffaloes. We immediate- 
 ly encamped, and sent the greater part of the 
 men to cut up the meat and jerk it. This opera- 
 tion lasted till the next evening, and we set for- 
 ward again in the canoes on the 17th, with about 
 six hundred pounds of meat half cured. The 
 same evening we perceived from our camp sev- 
 eral herds of buffaloes, but did not give chase, 
 thinking we had enough meat to take us to the 
 next post. 
 
 The river Saskatchaioine flows over a bed 
 
 composed of sand and marl, which contributes 
 
 not a little to diminish the purity and transpa- 
 14* 
 
322 - franchere's voyage. 
 
 rency of its waters, which, like those of the Mis- 
 souri, are turbid and whitish. Except for that 
 it is one of the prettiest rivers in the world. The 
 banlis are perfectly charming, and offer in many 
 places a scene the fairest, the most smiling, and 
 the best diversified that can be seen or imagined : 
 hills in varied forms, crowned with superb 
 groves ; valleys agreeably embrowned, at even- 
 ing and morning, by the prolonged shadow of 
 the hills, and of the woods which adorn them ; 
 herds of light-limbed antelopes, and heavy colos- 
 sal buffalo — the former bounding along the 
 slopes of the hills, the latter trampling under 
 their heavy feet the verdure of the plains ; all 
 these champaign beauties reflected and doubled as 
 it were, by the waters of the river ; the melodi- 
 ous and varied song of a thousand birds, perched 
 on the tree-tops ; the refreshing breath of the 
 zephyrs ; the serenity of the sky ; the purity and 
 salubrity of the air ; all, in a word, pours con- 
 tentment and joy into the soul of the enchanted 
 spectator. It is above all in the morning, when 
 the sun is rising, and in the evenmg when he is 
 
author's reflections. 323 
 
 setting, that the spectacle is really ravishing. I 
 could not detach my regards from that superb 
 picture, till the nascent obscurity had obliterated 
 its perfection. Then, to the sweet pleasure that 
 I had tasted,- succeeded a triste, not to say, a 
 Bombre, melancholy. How comes it to pass, I 
 said to myself, that so beautiful a country is not 
 inhabited by human creatures ? The songs, the 
 hymns, the prayers, of tlie laborer and the arti- 
 san, shall they never be heard in these fine 
 plains ? Wherefore, while in Europe, and above 
 all in England, so many thousands of men do not 
 possess as their own an inch of ground, and cul- 
 tivate the soil of tlieir country for proprietors 
 who scarcely leave them whereon to support ex- 
 istence ; — wherefore — do so many millions of 
 acres of apparently fat and fertile land, remain 
 uncultivated and absolutely useless ? Or, at 
 least, why do they support only herds of wild 
 animals ? Will men always love better to vege- 
 tate all their lives on an ungi^teful soil, than to 
 seek afar fertile regions, in order to pass in 
 peace and plenty, at least the last portion of 
 
324 fraxchere's voyage. 
 
 their days? But I deceive myself; it is not so 
 easy as one thinks, for the poor man to better his 
 condition : he has not the means of transporting 
 himself to distant countries, or he has not those 
 of acquiring a property there ; for .these untilled 
 lauds, deserted, abandoned, do not appertain to 
 ■whoever wishes to establish himself upon them 
 and reduce them to culture ; they haA^e owners, 
 and from these must Ijc purchased the right of 
 rendering them productive ! Besides one ought 
 not to give way to illusions : these countries, at 
 times so delightful, do not enjoy a perpetual 
 spring ; they have their winter, and a rigorous 
 one ; a piercing cold is then spread through the 
 atmosphere ; deep snows cover the surface ; the 
 frozen rivers flow 'only for the fish ; the trees are 
 stripped of their leaves and hung with icicles ; 
 the verdure of the plains has disappeared ; the 
 hills and valleys offer but a uniform whiteness ; 
 Nature has lost all her beauty ; and man has 
 enough to do, to shelter himself from the injuries 
 of the inclement season. 
 
FORT MONTEE. 325 
 
 CHAPTER XXYI. 
 
 Fort Mont6e. — Cumberland House. — Lake Bourbon. — Groat 
 Winipeg Rapids. — Luke V/inipeg. — Trading-House. — Lake 
 of the Woods. — Rainy Lake House, &c. 
 
 On the 18tli of June (a day which its next an- 
 niversary was to render for ever celebrated in 
 the annals of the world), we re-embarked at 
 an early hour : and the wind rising, spread sail, 
 a thing we had not done before, since we quitted 
 the river Columbia. In the afternoon the clouds 
 gathered thick and black, and we had a gust, 
 accompanied with hail, but of short duration; the 
 weather cleared up again, and about sundown we 
 arrived at Le Fort de la MontSe, so called, on 
 account of its being a depot, wliere the traders 
 going south, leave their canoes and take pack- 
 horses to reach their several posts. We found 
 here, as at Fort Yermilion, two trading-houses 
 
326 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 joined togetlier, to make common cause against 
 the Indians ; one belonging to the Hudson's Bay 
 Company, the other to the company of the Nortli- 
 west : the Hudson's Bay house being then under 
 the charge of a Mr. Prudent, and the N. W. 
 Company's under a Mr. John M'Lean. Mr. do 
 Roche Blave, one of the partners of the last com- 
 pany having the superintendence of this district, 
 where he had wintered, had gone to Lake Supe- 
 rior to attend the annual meeting of the partners. 
 There were cultivated fields around the house ; 
 the barley and peas appeared to promise an 
 abundant harvest. Mr. M'Lean received us as 
 well as circumstances permitted ; but that gen- 
 tleman having no food to give us, and our buffalo 
 meat beginning to spoil, we set off the next 
 morning, to reach Cumberland house as quick as 
 possible. In the course of the day, we passed 
 two old forts, one of which had been built by the 
 French before the conquest of Canada. Accord- 
 ing to our guide, it was the most distant western 
 post that the French traders ever liad in the 
 northwestern wilderness. Toward evening we 
 
PORT CUMBERLAND. 327 
 
 shot a moose. The aspect of the country changes 
 considerably since leaving MonUe ; the banks of 
 the river rise more boldly, and the country is 
 covered with forests. 
 
 On the 20th, we saw some elms — a tree that 
 I had not seen hitherto, since my departure from 
 Canada. We reached Fort Cumberland a little 
 before the setting of the sun. This post, called 
 in English Cumberland House, is situated at the 
 outlet of the" Saskatckatvine, where it empties 
 into English lake, between the 53d and 54th 
 degrees of north latitude. It is a depot lor those 
 traders who are going to Slave lake or the Atha- 
 basca, or are returning tlience, as well as for 
 those destined for the Rocky mountains. It was 
 under the orders of Mr. J. D. Campbell, who 
 having gone down to Fort William, however, had 
 left it in charge of a Mr. Harrison. There are 
 two factories, as at Vermilion and la Montee. 
 At this place the traders who resort every year 
 to Fort William, leave their half-breed or Indian 
 wives and families, as they can live here at little 
 expense, the lake abounding in fish. Messrs. 
 
328 fkanchere's voyage. 
 
 Clarke and Stuart, who were behind, arrived on 
 the 22d, and in the evening we had a dance. 
 They gave us four sacs of pemican, and we set 
 oflf again, on the 23d, at eight A. M. "We cros- 
 sed the lake, and entered a small river, and hav- 
 ing made some eighty or ninety miles under sail, 
 encamped on a low shore, where the mosquitoes 
 tormented us horribly all night. 
 
 On the 24th, we passed Muddy lake, and en- 
 tered Lake Bourbon, where we fell in with a 
 canoe from York factory, under the command of 
 a Mr. Kennedy, clerk of the Hudson's Bay Com- 
 pany. We collected some dozens of gulls' eggs, 
 on the rocky islands of the lake : and stopping 
 on one of the last at night, having a little flour 
 left, Mr. Decoigne and I amused ourselves in 
 making fritters for the next day's breakfast : an 
 occupation, which despite the small amount of 
 materials, employed us till we were surprised by 
 the daybreak ; the night being but brief at this 
 season in that high latitude. 
 
 At sunrise on the 25th, we were again afloat, 
 passed Lake Travers, or Cross lake, which 
 
THE KIXG OF THE LAKE. 329 
 
 empties into Lake Winipeg by a succession of 
 rapids ; shot down these cascades without acci- 
 dent, and arrived, toward noon, at the great 
 rapid Ouenipic or Winipeg, which is about four 
 miles long. We disembarked here, and the men 
 worked down the canoes. At the foot of this 
 rapid, which is the inlet of Winipeg, we found an 
 old Canadian fisherman, who called himself King' 
 of the lake. He might fairly style himself king 
 of the fisli, which are abundant and which he 
 alone enjoyed. Having made a boil, and regaled 
 ourselves with excellent sturgeon, we left this 
 old man, and entered the great lake Winipeg, 
 which appeared to me like a sea of fresh water. 
 This lake is now too well known to need a par- 
 ticular description : I will content myself with 
 saying that it visibly yields in extent only to 
 Lake Superior and Great Slave lake : it has for 
 tributaries several large rivers, and among others 
 the Saskatchawine, the Winipeg, in the east; and 
 Eed river in the south ; and empties into Hud- 
 son's bay by the Nelson, N. N. E., and the Sev- 
 ern, E. N. E. The shores which it bathes are 
 
franchere's voyage. 
 
 generally very low ; it appears to have little 
 depth, and is dotted with a vast number of islands, 
 lying pretty close to land. We' reached one 
 called Egg' island, whence it was necessary to 
 cross to the south to reach the main ; but the 
 wind was so violent that it was only at decline 
 of day that we could perform the passage. We 
 profited by the calm, to coast along all day and 
 a part of the night of the 26th ; but to pay for it, 
 remained in camp on the 27th, till evening : the 
 wind not suffering us to proceed. The wind 
 having appeared to abate somewhat after sunset, 
 we embarked, but were soon forced to land again. 
 On the 28th, we passed the openings of several 
 deep bays, and the isles of St. Martin, and 
 camped at the bottom of a little bay, where the 
 mosquitoes did not suffer us to close our eyes all 
 night. We were rejoiced when dawn appeared, 
 and were eager to embark, to free ourselves from 
 these inconvenient guests. A calm permitted us 
 that day to make good progress with our oars, 
 and we camped at Buffalo Strait. We saw that 
 day two Indian wigwams. 
 
BAS DE LA RIVIERE. 33.1 
 
 The 30th brought us to Winipeg river, which 
 ■we began to ascend, and about noon reached 
 Fort Bas de la Riviere. This trading post had 
 more the air of a large and well-cultivated farm, 
 than of a fur traders' factory : a neat and ele- 
 gant mansion, built on a slight eminence, and 
 surrounded with barns, stables, storehouses, <S:c., 
 and by fields of barley, peas, oats, and potatoes, 
 reminded us of the civilized countries which we 
 had left so long ago. Messrs. Crebassa and 
 Kennedy, who had this post in charge, received 
 us with all possible hospitality, and supplied us 
 with all the political news which had been learned 
 through the arrival of canoes from Canada. 
 
 They also informed us that Messrs M' Donald 
 and de Rocheblave had passed, a few days be- 
 fore our arrival, having been obliged to go up 
 Red river to stop the effusion of blood, which 
 would probably have taken place but for their 
 intervention, in the colony founded on that river 
 by the earl of Selkirk. Mr. Miles M'Donnell, 
 the governor of that colony, or rather of the 
 Assiniboyne district, had issued a proclamation 
 
332 franchere's voyage. 
 
 forbidding all persons whomsoever, to send pro- 
 visions of any kind out of the district. The 
 Hudson's Bay traders had conformed to this 
 proclamation, but those of the Nortliwest Com- 
 pany paid no attention to it, thinking it illegal, 
 and had sent their servants, as usual to get pro- 
 visions up the river. Mr. M'Donnell having 
 heard that several hundred sacks of pemican* 
 were laid up in a storehouse under the care of a 
 Mr. Pritchard, sent to require their surrender : 
 Pritchard refused to deliver them, whereupon 
 Mr. M'Donnell had them carried off by force. 
 The traders who winter on Little Slave lake, 
 English river, the Athabasca country, &c., learn- 
 ing this, and being aware that they would not 
 
 * Pemican, of which I have already spoken several times, is 
 the Indian name for the dried and pounded meat which the na- 
 tives sell to the traders. About fifty pounds of this meat is 
 placed in a trough (mi grand vaisseau fait d'un tronc (Tarbre), 
 and about an equal quantity of tallow is melted and poured over 
 it; it is thoroughly mixed into one mass, and when cold, is put 
 up in bags made of undressed buffalo hide, with the hair outside, 
 and sewed up as tightly as possible. The meat thus impregnated 
 with tallow, hardens, and will keep for years. It is eaten with- 
 out any other preparation ; but sometimes vi'ild pears or dried 
 berries are added, which render the flavor more agreeable. 
 
THEEATENED CONFLICT. "333 
 
 find their usual supply at Bas de la Riviere, re- 
 solved to go and recover the seized provisions by- 
 force, if they were not peaceably given up. 
 Things were in this position when Messrs. de 
 Rocheblave and M'Donald arrived. They found 
 the Canadian voijageurs in arms, and ready to 
 give battle to the colonists, who persisted in their 
 refusal to surrender the bags of pemican. The 
 two peacemakers visited the governor, and hav- 
 ing explained to him the situation in which the 
 traders of the Northwest Company would find 
 themselves, by the want of necessary provisions 
 to enable them to transport their peltries to Fort 
 William, and the exasperation of their men, who 
 saw no other alternative for them, but to get pos- 
 session of those provisions or to perish of hunger, 
 requested him to surrender the same without 
 delay. Mr. M'Donnell, on his part, pointed out 
 the misery to which the colonists would Ije re- 
 duced by a failure in the supply of food. In 
 consequence of thesa mutual representations, it 
 was agreed that one half of the pemican should 
 be restored, aid the other half remain for the 
 
334' franchere's voyage. 
 
 use of the colonists. Thus ■vras arranged, -with- 
 out bloodshed, the first difficulty which occurred 
 between the rival companies of the Northwest, 
 and of Hudson's Bay. 
 
 Having spent the 1st of July in repairing our 
 canoes, we re-embarked on the 2d, and continued 
 to ascend Winipeg river, called also Wliite river ^ 
 on account of the great number of its cascades, 
 which being very near each other, offer to the 
 sight an almost continuous foam. "We made that 
 day twenty-seven portages, all very short. On 
 the 3d, and 4th, we made nine more, and arrived 
 on the 5th, at the Lake of the Woods. This 
 lake takes its name from the great number of 
 woody islands with which it is dotted. Oui* 
 guide pointed out to me one of these isles, telling 
 me that a Jesuit father had said mass there, and 
 that it was the most remote spot to which those 
 missionaries had ever penetrated. "We encamped 
 on one of the islands. The next day the wind 
 did not allow us to make much progress. On 
 the 7th, we gained the entrance of Rainy Lake 
 river. I do not remember ever to have seen 
 
MOSQUITOES. 335 
 
 elsewhere so many mosquitoes as on the banks 
 of this river. Having landed near a little rapid 
 to lighten the canoes, we had the misfortune, in 
 getting through the brush, to dislodge these in- 
 sects from under the leaVes where they had taken 
 refuge from the rain of the night before ; they 
 attached themselves to us, followed us into the 
 canoes, and tormented us all the remainder of 
 the day. 
 
 On the 8th, at sunset, we reached Rainy Lake 
 House. This fort is situated about a mile from 
 a considerable rapid. We saw here cultivated 
 fields and domestic animals, such as horses, oxen, 
 cows, <fec. The port is a depot for the wintering 
 parties of the Athabasca, and others still more 
 remote, who bring to it their peltries and return 
 from it with their outfits of merchandise. Mr. 
 John Dease, to whose charge the place had been 
 confided, received us in the most friendly i^anner 
 possible ; and after having made an excellent 
 supper, we danced a part of the evening. 
 
 We took leave of Mr. Dease on the 10th, well 
 provided for the journey, and passing round 
 
336 franchere's voyage. 
 
 Rainy Lake falls, and then traversing the lake 
 itself, ■which I estimated to be forty miles long, 
 we encamped at the entrance of a small river. 
 On the next day we pursued our way, now thrid- 
 ding streams impeded with wild rice, which ren- 
 dered our progress difficult, now traversing little 
 lakes, now passing straits where we scarcely 
 found water to float our canoes. On the 13th, 
 we encamped near Dog; Portage (^Portage des 
 chiens^, where, from not having followed the ad- 
 vice of Mr. Dease, who had counselled us to take 
 along a bag of pemican, we found ourselves ab- 
 solutely without food. 
 
KAMINISTIQUIA FALLS. . 337 
 
 CHAPTER XXYII. 
 
 Arrival at Fort Willi;im. — Doscription of the Fort. — News from 
 the River Coluniliia. 
 
 Starting men are early-risers. "We set out 
 on the 14th before day, and effected the portage, 
 which is long and difficult. At the foot of the 
 rapid we found a sort of restaurant or cabaret, 
 kept by a man named Boucher. "We treated the 
 men to a little eau de vie, and breakfasted on 
 some detestable sausages, poisoned with salt. 
 
 After this wretchecJ repast, we set out again, 
 
 and passed toward noon, the Mountain Portage. 
 
 Here the river Kaministiquia flings itself over a 
 
 rock of immense height, and forms a fall scarcely 
 
 less curious to see than that of Niagara. Below, 
 
 the succession of falls and rapids is constant, so 
 
 that we made no fewer than thirty-six portages 
 15 
 
338 franchere's voyage. 
 
 in the course of the day. Nevertheless we pur- 
 sued our laborious way with good cheer, and 
 without a murmur from our Canadian boatmen, 
 who kept their spirits up by singing their voyor 
 geur songs. At last, at about nine o'clock in 
 the evening, we arrived at Fort William. 
 
 Fort William is situated on Lake Superior, at 
 the mouth of the Kaministiquia river, about 
 forty-five miles north of old Grand Portage. 
 It was built in 1805, when the two rival Cana- 
 dian companies were united, and was named in 
 honor of Mr. (now the Honorable) William 
 M'Gillivray, principal agent of the Northwest 
 Company. The proprietors, perceiving that the 
 old fort of Grand Portage was on the territory 
 claimed by the American government, resolved 
 to demolish it and build another on the British 
 territory. No site appeared more advantageous 
 than the present for the purposes intended ; the 
 river is deep, of easy access, and offers a safe 
 harbor for shipping. It is true they had to con- 
 tend with aU the difficulties consequent on a low 
 and swampy soil ; but by incredible labor and 
 
FORT WILLIAM. 339 
 
 perseverance they succeeded in draining the 
 marshes and reducing the loose and yielding soil 
 to solidity. 
 
 Fort William has really the appearance of a 
 fort, with its palisade fifteen feet high, and that 
 of a pretty village, from the number of edifices it 
 encloses. In the middle of a spacious square 
 rises a large building elegantly constructed, 
 though of wood, with a long piazza or portico, 
 raised about five feet from the ground, and sur- 
 mounted by a balcony, extending along the whole 
 front. In the centre is a saloon or hall, sixty 
 feet in length by thirty in width, decorated with 
 several pieces of painting, and some portraits of 
 the leading partners. It is in this hall that the 
 agents, partners, clerks, interpreters, and guides, 
 take their meals together, at different tables. 
 At each extremity of the apartment are two 
 rooms ; two of these are destined for the two 
 principal agents ; the other two to the steward 
 and his department. The kitchen and servants' 
 rooms are in the basement. On either side of 
 this edifice, is another of the same extent, but of 
 
340 francheee's voyage. 
 
 less elevation ; they are each divided by a corri- 
 dor running through its length, and contain each, 
 a dozen pretty bed-rooms. One is destined for 
 the wintering partners, the other for the clerks. 
 On the east of the square is another building 
 similar to the last two, and intended for the 
 same use, and a warehouse where the furs are 
 inspected and repacked for shipment. In the 
 rear of these, are the lodging-house of the guides, 
 another fur-warehouse, and finally, a powder 
 magazine. The last is of stone, and has a roof 
 covered with tin. At the angle is a sort of bas- 
 tion, or look-out place, commanding a view of" 
 the lake. On the west side is seen a range of 
 buildings, some of which serve- for stores, and 
 others for workshops ; there is one for the equip- 
 ment of the men, another for the fitting out of 
 the canoes, one for the retail of goods, another 
 where they sell liquors, bread, pork, butter, &c., 
 and where a treat is given to the travellers who 
 arrive. This consists in a white loaf, half a 
 pound of butter, and a gill of rum. The voycu- 
 geurs give this tavern the name of Gantijie 
 
THE ESTABLISHMENT. 341 
 
 salope. Behind all this is another range, where 
 we find the counting-house, a fine square build- 
 ing, and well-lighted ; another storehouse of 
 stone, tin-roofed ; and a jail^ not less necessary 
 than the rest. The voyag-eurs give it the name 
 of pot ail beurre — the butter-tub. Beyond these 
 we discover the shops of the carpenter, the coop- 
 er, the tinsmith, the blacksmith, &c. ; and spa- 
 cious yards and sheds for the shelter, reparation, 
 and construction of canoes. Near the gate of 
 the fort, which is on the south, are tlie quarters 
 of the physician, and those of the chief clerk. 
 Over the gate is a guard-house. 
 
 As the river is deep at its entrance, the com- 
 pany has had a wharf constructed, extending the 
 whole length of the fort, for the discharge of the 
 vessels which it keeps on Lake Superior, wheth- 
 er to transport its furs from Fort William to the 
 Saut Ste. Marie, or merchandise and provisions 
 from Saut Ste. Marie to Fort William. The 
 land behind the fort and on both sides of it, is 
 cleared and imder tillage. We saw barley, peas, 
 and oats, which had a very fine appearance. At 
 
342 franchere's voyage. 
 
 the end of the clearing is the burying-ground. 
 There are also, on the opposite bank of the river, 
 a certain number of log-houses, all inhabited by- 
 old Canadian voyageurs, Tvorn out in the service 
 of the company, without having enriched them- 
 selves. Married to women of the country, and 
 incumbered with large families of half-breed 
 children, these men prefer to cultivate a little 
 Indian corn and potatoes, and to fish, for a sub- 
 sistence, rather than return to their native dis- 
 tricts, to give their relatives and former acquain- 
 tance certain proofs of their misconduct or their 
 imprudence. 
 
 Fort William is the grand depot of the North- 
 west Company for their interior posts, and the 
 general rendezvous of the partners. The agents 
 from Montreal and the wintering partners assem- 
 ble here every summer, to receive the returns of 
 the respective outfits, prepare for the operations 
 of the ensuing season, and discuss the general 
 interests of their association. The greater part 
 of them were assembled at the time of our arri- 
 val. The wintering hands who are to return 
 
MANOEURS DE LARD. 848 
 
 ■with their employers, pass also a great part of 
 the summer here ; they form a great encampment 
 on the west side of the fort, outside the palisades. 
 Those who engage at Montreal to go no further 
 than Fort William or Rainy lake, and who do 
 not winter, occupy yet another space, on the east 
 side. The winterers, or hivernants, give to 
 these last the name of mangeurs de lard, or 
 pork-eaters. They are also called comers-and- 
 g-oers. One perceives an astonishing difference 
 between these two camps, which are composed 
 sometimes of three or four hundred men each ; 
 that of the pork-caters is always dirty and dis- 
 orderly, while that of the winterers is clean and 
 neat. 
 
 To clear its land and improve its property, the 
 company inserts a clause in the engagement of 
 all who enter its service as canoe-men, that they 
 shall work for a certain number of days during 
 their stay at Fort "William. It is thus that it 
 has cleared and drained the environs of the fort, 
 and has erected so many fine buildings. But 
 when a hand has once worked the stipulated 
 
344 franchere's voyage. 
 
 number of days, he is for ever after exempt, even 
 if he remain in the service twenty or thirty years, 
 and should come down to the fort every summer. 
 
 They received us very courteously at Fort 
 William, and I perceived by the reception given 
 to myself in particular, that thanks to the 
 Chinook dialect of which I was sufficiently mas- 
 ter, they would not have asked better than to 
 give me employment, on advantageous terms. 
 But I felt a great deal more eagerness to arrive 
 in Montreal, than desire to return to the River 
 Columbia. 
 
 A few days after we reached Fort William, 
 Mr. Keith made his appearance there from Fort 
 George, or Astoria, with the news of the arrival 
 of the " Isaac Todd" in the Columbia river. 
 This vessel, wlirch was a dull sailer, had been 
 kept back a long time by contrary winds in 
 doubling Cape Horn, and had never been able to 
 rejoin the vessels-of-war, her consorts, from which 
 she was then separated. AVhen she reached the 
 rendezvous at the island of Juan Fernandez, 
 finding that the three ships-of-war had sailed, 
 
ISAAC TODD. 345 
 
 the captain and passengers, as they werj sliort 
 of provisions, determined to range the coast. 
 Entering the harbor of Monterey* on the coast 
 of California, in order to obtain provisions, they 
 learned that there "was an English vessel-of-war 
 in distress, in the bay of San Francisco.^ Tliey 
 repaired thither accordingly, and found, to their 
 great surprise, that it was the sloop Raccoon. 
 This vessel, in getting out of the River Columbia, 
 had touched on the bar, with such violence, that 
 a part of her false keel was carried away ; and 
 she had with difficulty made San Francisco, with 
 seven feet of water in the hold, although her 
 crew had been constantly at the pumps. Cap- 
 tain Black, finding it impossible to repair his 
 ship, had decided to abandon her, and to cross 
 the continent to the Gulf of Mexico, thence to 
 reach some of the British "West India islands. 
 However, on the arrival of the Isaac Todd, 
 
 * A Spanish mission or presidency, in about the 36th degree of 
 latitude. 
 
 t Another Spanish presidency, in about the 38th degree of lat- 
 itude, and the first European establisliment to be met with south 
 of the Columbia. [These now obsolete notes are interesting as 
 indicative of the period when they were written. — Ed.] 
 
 15* 
 
346 franchere's voyage. 
 
 means were found to careen the vessel and repair 
 the damage. The Isaac Todd then pursued her 
 voyage and entered the Columbia on the 17th of 
 April, thirteen months after her departure from 
 Eno-land. 
 
HOME-BOUND. 347 
 
 CHAPTER XXYIII. 
 
 Departure from Fort William. — Navigation on Lake Superior. — 
 Michipicoton Bay. — Meeting a Canoe. — Batchawainon Bay.^ 
 Arrival at Saut Ste Marie. — OccuiTences there. — Departure. — 
 Lake Huron. — French River. — Lake Nipissing. — Ottawa Riv- 
 er. — Kettle Falls. — Rideau River. — Long-Saut. — Arrival in 
 Montreal Conclusion. 
 
 On the 20th of July, in the evening, Mr. D. 
 Stuart notified me that he should start the next 
 morning for Montreal, in a light canoe. I imme- 
 diately wrote to my relatives : but the next 
 morning Mr. Stuart told me that I was to be my- 
 self the bearer of my letters, by embarking 
 with him. I got ready my effects, and toward 
 evening we quitted Fort William, with fourteen 
 stout voyag-eurs to man our, large canoe, and 
 were soon floating on the bosom of the largest 
 body of fresh water on the surface of the globe. 
 We counted six passengers, namely, Messrs. D. 
 
348 franchere's voyage. 
 
 Stuart, D. M-Kenzie, J. M-Donald, J. Clarke, 
 myself, and a little girl of eight or nine "years, 
 ■who came from Kildonau, on Red rirer. We 
 passed the first night on one of the islands in 
 Thunder bay^ so named on account of tlie fre- 
 quent storms, accompanied with lightning and 
 thunder, which burst over it at certain seasons 
 of the year. On tlie 22d and 23d, we continued 
 to range the southern coast of Lake Superior. 
 The navigation of this superb lake would be ex- 
 tremely agreoal)le but for the thick fogs which 
 reign during a part of tlie day, and do not permit 
 a rapid progress. On the 24th, we dined at a 
 small trading establishment called Le Pic, where 
 we had excellent fish. 
 
 On the 2Gth, we crossed Michipicoton bay, 
 which, at its entrance, may be nine miles wide, 
 and twenty fathoms deep. As we were nearing 
 the eastern point, we met a small canoe, having 
 on board Captain M-Cargo, and the crew of one 
 of the schooners owned by the company. Mr. 
 M'Cargo informed us that he had just escaped 
 from Saut Ste. Marie, whither the Americans had 
 
UNLUCKY OMISSIO?;. 349 
 
 sent a detachment of one hundred and fifty men ; 
 and that having been obliged to abandon his 
 schooner, he had set fire to her. In consequence 
 of this news it was resolved that the canoe on 
 which we were proceeding, should return to Fort 
 "William. I embarked, with Mr. Stuart and two 
 men, in Captain M'Cargo's canoe, while he and 
 his crew took our places. In the haste and con- 
 fusion of this exchange, which was made on the 
 lake, they gave us a ham, a little tea and sugar, 
 and a bag containing about twenty-five pounds of 
 flour, but forgot entirely a kettle, knives, forks, 
 and so on, all articles which Mr. M' Cargo had 
 not time to take when he left Saut Ste. Marie. 
 We subsisted miserably in consequence for two 
 days and a half that we continued to coast the 
 lake before reaching any post. We moistened in 
 the bag a little flour, and having kneaded it, 
 made cakes, which we baked on flat stones by 
 our camp fire. 
 
 On the 29th, we reached Batchawainon, where 
 we found some women, who prepared us food 
 and received us well. It is a poor little post, 
 
350 franchere's voyage. 
 
 situated at the bottom of a sandy cove, which 
 offers nothing agreeable to the eye. Mr. Fred- 
 eric Goedike, who resided here, was gone to 
 see what had taken place at Saut Ste. Marie. 
 He returned the next day, and told us that the 
 Americans had come, with a force of one 
 hundred and fifty men, under the command of 
 Major Holmes ; and that after having pillaged 
 that they all considered worth taking, of the 
 property of the N. W. Company and that of a 
 Mr. Johnston, they had set fire to the houses, 
 warehouses, &c., belonging to the company and 
 to that gentleman, and retired, without molesting 
 any other person.* Our canoe arrived from Fort 
 William in the evening, with that of Mr. M'Gil- 
 livray ; and on the morrow we all repaired to 
 Saut Ste. Marie, where we saw the ruins which 
 the enemy had left. The houses, stores, and 
 saw-mills of the company were still smoking. 
 
 * The N. W. Company having- raised a regiment composed of 
 their own servants, and known as the voyageur corps, and having 
 also instigated to war, and armed, the Indian tribes, over which 
 they had influence, had brought on themselves this act of retalia/- 
 tion. Mr. Johnston also had engaged actively in the war against 
 the United States. 
 
SAUT STE. MARIE. 351 
 
 The schooner was at the foot of the rapids ; the 
 Americans had run her down, but she grounded 
 on a ledge of rocks, whence they could not dis- 
 lodge her, and so they had l)urnt her to the 
 water's edge. 
 
 Le Saut de Ste. Marie, or as it is shortly 
 called, Saut Ste. Marie, is a rapid at the outlet of 
 Lake Superior, and may be five hundred or six 
 hundred yards wide ; its .length may be estimated 
 at three quarters of a mile, and the descent of 
 the water at about twenty feet. At the lower 
 extremity the river widens to about a mile, and 
 here there are a certain number of houses. The 
 north bank belongs to Great Britain ; the south- 
 ern to the United States. It was on the Ameri- 
 can side that Mr. Johnston lived. Before the 
 war he was collector of the port for the American 
 government. On the same side resided a Mr. 
 Nolin, with his family, consisting of three half- 
 breed boys and as many girls, one of whom was 
 passably pretty. He was an old Indian trader, 
 and his house and furniture showed signs of his 
 former prosperity. On the British side we found 
 
352 franchere's voyage. 
 
 Mr. Charles Ermatinger, who had a pretty estab- 
 lishment : he dwelt temporarily in a house that 
 belonged to Nolin, but he was building another 
 of stone, very elegant, and had just finished a 
 grist mill. He thought that the last would lead 
 the inhabitants to sow more grain than they did. 
 These inhabitants are principally old Canadian 
 boatmen, married to half-breed or Indian women. 
 The fish afford them subsistence during the 
 greater part of the year, and provided they secure 
 potatoes enough to carry them through the re- 
 mainder, they are content. It is to be regretted 
 that these people are not more industrious, for 
 the land is very fertile. 
 
 On the 1st of August, an express was sent to 
 Michilimackinac (Mackinaw) to inform the com- 
 mandant thereof what had happened at Saut Ste^ 
 Marie. While expecting the return of the mes- 
 senger, we put ourselves in a state of defence, in 
 case that by chance the Americans should make 
 another irruption. The thing was not improba- 
 ble, for according to some expressions which fell 
 from one of their number who spoke French, 
 
THE ENEMY IN FORCE. 353 
 
 theii' objects was to capture the furs of the 
 Northwest Company, which were expected to ar- 
 rive shortly from the interior. We invited some 
 Indians, who were camped on Pine Point, at 
 .some distance from the Saut, to help us in case 
 of need ; which they promised to do. Mean- 
 while we had no provisions, as everything had 
 been carried off by the American forces, and 
 were obliged to subsist on such brook trout as 
 we could take with hook and line, and on wild 
 raspberries. 
 
 On the 4th, the express returned, without hav- 
 ing been able to accomplish his mission : he had 
 found the island of Mackinaw so completely 
 blockaded by the enemy, that it was impossible 
 to reach it, without running the greatest risk of 
 being made prisoner. 
 
 On the 12th, we heard distinctly the dis- 
 charges of artillery which our people were firing 
 off at Michilimackinac, althoijgh the distance was 
 nearly sixty miles. We thought it was an at- 
 tempt of the enemy to retake that post, but we 
 afterward learned that it was only a royal salute 
 
354 franchere's voyage. 
 
 in honor of the birthday of the prince regent. 
 "We learned, however, during our stay at Saut 
 Ste. Marie, that the Americans had really made 
 a descent upon the island, but were compelled to 
 retire with a considerable loss. 
 
 On the 19th, some of the partners arrived from 
 Fort William, preceding the flotilla which was 
 coming down richly laden with furs. They sent 
 on Mr. Decoigne in a light canoe, with letters 
 to Montreal, to order provisions to meet this 
 brigade. 
 
 On the 21st, the canoe on which I was a pas- 
 senger, was sent to the mouth of French river, 
 to observe the motions of the enemy. The route 
 lay between a range of low islands, and a shelvy 
 beach, very monotonous and dreary. "We re- 
 mained at the entrance of the aforesaid river till 
 the 25th, when the fleet of loaded canoes, forty- 
 seven in number, arrived there. The value of 
 the furs which they carried could not be esti- 
 mated at less than a million of dollars : an im- 
 portant prize for the Americans, if they could 
 have laid their hands upon it. "We were three 
 
THE DANGER PAST. 355 
 
 hundred and thirty-five men, all well armed ; a 
 large camp was formed, with a breast-work of 
 fur-packs, and we kept watch all night. The 
 next morning we began to ascend French river, 
 and were soon out of reach of the dreaded f(3e. 
 French river flows from the N. E. and empties 
 into Lake Huron, about one hundred and twenty 
 miles from Saut Ste. Marie. We reached Lake 
 Nipissing, of which it is the outlet, the same 
 evening, and encamped. We crossed that lake 
 on the 27th, made a number of portages, and en- 
 camped again, not far from Mattawan. 
 
 On the 28th we entered, at an early hour, the 
 river Ottawa, and encamped, in the evening, 
 at the Portag-e des deux Joachims. This is a 
 grand river, but obstructed by many falls and 
 rapids on its way to join the St. Lawrence ; 
 which caused us to make many portages, and so 
 we arrived on the 31st at Kettle falls. 
 
 The rock which here arrests the course of the 
 Ottaiva, extends from shore to shore, and so 
 completely cuts off the waters, that at the time we 
 passed none was seen falling over, but sinking by 
 
856 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 subterranean channels, or fissures in the rock, it 
 boiled up below, from seven or eight different 
 openings, not unlike water in a huge caldron, 
 whence the first explorers of the country gave it 
 the name of Chaudihre or Caldron falls. Mr. 
 P. Wright resided in this |51ace, where he had a 
 fine establishment and a great number of men 
 employed in cultivating the land, and getting out 
 lumber. 
 
 We left the Chaudieres a little before sun- 
 set, and passed very soon the confluence of the 
 Rideau or Curtain river. This river, which 
 casts itself into the Ottawa over a rock twenty- 
 five by thirty feet high, is divided in the middle 
 of the fall by a little island, which parts the 
 waters into two white sheets, resembling a double 
 curtain open in the middle and spreading out be- 
 low. The coup d^(Bil is really picturesque ; the 
 rays of the setting sun, which struck the waters 
 obliquely as we passed, heightened exceedingly 
 their beauty, and rendered it worthy of a pencil 
 more skilful than mine. 
 
 We voyaged till midnight, when we stopped to 
 
MONTREAL. 357 
 
 let our men take a little repose. This rest was 
 only for two hours. At sunrise on the 1st Sep- 
 tember, we reached Long-Saut, where, having 
 procured guides, we passed that dangerous rap- 
 id, and set foot on shore near the dwelling-house 
 of a Mr. M'Donell, who sent us milk and fruits 
 for our breakfast. Toward noon we passed the 
 lake of the Two Mountains, where I began to see 
 the mountain of my native isle. About two 
 o'clock, we passed the rapids of St. Ann.* Soon 
 after we came opposite S'Mt St. Louis and the 
 village of Caug-hnawagc, passed that last rapid 
 of so many, and landeJ at Montreal, a little be- 
 fore sunset. 
 
 I hastened to the paternal roof, where the 
 family were not less surprised than overjoyed at 
 beholding me. Not having heard of me, since I 
 had sailed from New York, they had believed, in 
 
 * " Far-famed and so well described," adds Mr. Franchere, in 
 his own tianslution, but I prefer to leave the expression in its 
 original striking- simplicity, as he wrcrte it before he had heard of 
 MuoRE. Eveiy reader remembers: — 
 
 " Soon as the woods on shore grow dim, 
 We'll sing at St. Ann's oui- parting hymn." 
 
 Canadian Boatman's Song. 
 
358 franchere's voyage. 
 
 accordance "with the common report, that 1 had 
 been murdered by the savages, with Mr. M'Kay 
 and the crew of the Tonquin : and certainly, it 
 was by the goodness of Providence that I found 
 myself thus safe and sound, in the midst of my 
 relations and friends, at the^end of a voyage ac- 
 companied by so many perils, and in which so 
 many of my companions had met with an untime- 
 ly death. 
 
CONCLUSION. 350 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Present State of the Countries visited by the Author. — Coirection 
 of Mr. Irving's Statements respecting St. Louis. 
 
 The last chapter closes the original French 
 narrative of my travels around and across the 
 continent, as published thirty-three years ago. 
 The translation follows that narrative as exactly 
 as possible, varying from it only in the correc- 
 tion of a few not very important errors of fact. 
 It speaks of places and persons as I spoke of 
 them then. I would not willingly lose the veri- 
 similitude of this natural and unadorned descrip- 
 tion, in order to indulge in any new turns of style 
 or more philosophical reflections. 
 
 But since that period many changes have oc- 
 curred in the scenes which I so long ago visited 
 and described. Though they are well known, I 
 may be pardoned for alluding to them. 
 
360 franchere's voyage. 
 
 The natives of the Sandwich islands, who were 
 in a state of paganism at that time, have since 
 adopted a form of Christianity, have made con- 
 siderable progress in imitating tlie civilization of 
 Europe, and even, at this moment, begin to en- 
 tertain the idea of annexation to the United 
 States. It appears, however, that the real na- 
 tives are rapidly dwindling away by the effects 
 of their vices, which an exotic and ill-assimilated 
 civilization has rather increased than diminished, 
 and to which religion has not succeeded in ap- 
 plying a remedy. 
 
 At the mouth of the Columbia, whole tribes, 
 and among them, the Clatsops, have been swept 
 away by disease. Here again, licentious hab- 
 its universally diffused, spread a fatal disorder 
 through the whole nation, and undermining the 
 constitutions of all, left them an easy prey to the 
 first contagion or epidemic sickness. But mis- 
 sionaries of various Christian sects have labored 
 among the Indians of the Columbia also ; not to 
 speak of the missions of the Catholic Church, so 
 well known by the narrative of Father De Smet 
 
CHANGES. 361 
 
 and others ; and numbers have been taught to 
 cultivate the soil, and thus to provide against the 
 famines to which they were formerly exposed 
 from their dependence on the precarious re- 
 sources of the chase ; while others have received, 
 in the faith of Christ, the true principle of na- 
 tional permanence, and a living germ of civiliza- 
 tion, which may afterward be developed. 
 
 Emigration has also carried to the Oregon the 
 axe of the settler, as well as the canoe and pack 
 of the fur-trader. The fertile valleys and 
 prairies of the AVillamet — once the resort of the 
 deer, tlic elk, and the antelope, are now tilled 
 by the industrious husbandman. Oregon City, 
 so near old " Astoria," whose first log fort I saw 
 and described, is now an Archiepiscopal see, and 
 the capital of a territory, which must soon be a 
 state of the Union. 
 
 Of the regions east of the mountains described 
 
 in my itinerary, little can be' said in respect to 
 
 improvement : they remain in the same wild state. 
 
 Tlie interest of tlie Hudson's Bay Company, as 
 
 an association of fur-traders, is opposed to agri- 
 16 
 
362 franchere's voyage. 
 
 cultural improvements, whose operation would 
 be to drive off and extinguish the wild animals 
 that furnish their commerce with its object. But 
 on Lake Superior steamboats have supplanted the 
 birch-bark canoe of the Indian and the fur-trader, 
 and at Saut Ste. Marie, especially on the Ameri- 
 can side, there is now every sign of prosperity. 
 How remote and wild was the region beyond, 
 through which I passed, may be estimated by the 
 fact that in thirty-eight years the onward.-rolling 
 wave of our population has but just reached its 
 confines. 
 
 Canada, although it has not kept pace with the 
 United States, has yet wonderfully advanced in 
 forty years. The valley of the Ottawa, that 
 great artery of the St. Lawrence, where I thought 
 it worth-while to notice the residence of an en- 
 terprising farmer and lumber merchant, is now a 
 populous district, well cultivated, and sprinkled 
 with villages, towns, and cities. 
 
 The reader, in perusing my first chapter, found 
 a description of the city of New York in 1810, 
 and of the neighboring village of Brooklyn. It 
 
CONTRAST. 363 
 
 would be superfluous to establish a comparison 
 at this day. At that time, it will be observed, 
 the mere breaking out of war between America 
 and England was thought to involve the sacrifice 
 of an American commercial establishment on the 
 Pacific, on the ground of its supplies being ne- 
 cessarily cut off (it was supposed), and of the 
 United States government being unable to pro- 
 tect it from hostile attack. At present it sufiices 
 to remark that while New York, then so incon- 
 siderable a port, is now perhaps the third city in 
 the world, the United States also, arc, undoubt- 
 edly, a first-rate power, unassailable at home, 
 and formidable abroad, to the greatest nations. 
 
 As in my preface I alluded to Mr. Irving's 
 " Astoria," as reflecting, in my opinion, unjustly, 
 upon the young men engaged in the first expedi- 
 tion to the mouth of the Columbia, it may suffice 
 here to observe, without entering into particulars, 
 that my narrative, which I think answers for its 
 own fidelity, clearly shows tliat some of them, at 
 least did not want courage, acti^'ity, zeal for the 
 interests of the company, while it existed, and pa- 
 
364 fraxchere's voyage. 
 
 ticnt endurance of hardship. And although it . 
 forms no part of the narrative or my voyage, yet as 
 subsequent visits to the West and an intimate 
 knowledge of St. Louis, enable me to correct Mr. 
 Irving's poetical rather than accurate description 
 of that place, I may well do it here. St. Louis 
 now bids fair to rival ere long the " Queen of the 
 West ;" Mr. Irving describes her as a small tra- 
 ding place, where trappers, half-breeds, gay, 
 frivolous Canadian boatmen, &c., &c., congrega- 
 ted and revelled, with that lightness and buoy- 
 ancy of spirit inherited from their French fore- 
 fathers ; the indolent Creole of St. Louis caring 
 for little more than the enjoyment of the present 
 hour ; a motley jjopulation, half-civilized, half- 
 barbarous, thrown, on his canvas, into one 
 general, confused (I allow highly picturesque') 
 mass, without respect of persons : but it is fair 
 to say, with due homage to the talent of the 
 sketcher, who has verged slightly on caricature 
 in the use of that humor-loving pencil admired 
 by all the world, that St. Louis even then con- 
 tained its noble, industrious, and I may say, 
 
ST. LOUIS MERCHANTS. 365 
 
 princely merchants ; it could boast its Chouteaus, 
 Soulands, Cere, Cheniers, Vallees, and La Croix, 
 with other kindred spirits, whose descendants 
 prove the worth of tlicir sires by their o\yn, and 
 are now among tlie leading business men, as their 
 fathers were the pioneers, of the flourishing St. 
 Louis. 
 
 With these remarks, which I make simply as 
 an act of justice in connection with the general 
 subject of the founding of " Astoria," but in 
 which I mean to convey no imputation on the 
 intentional fairness of tlie accomplished author 
 to whom I have alluded, I take a respectful leave 
 of my readers. 
 
APPENDIX.* 
 
 In Chapter XYII. I promised the reader to 
 give him an accomit of the fate of some of the 
 persons who left Astoria before, and after its sale 
 or transfer to the British. I will now redeem 
 that pledge. 
 
 Messrs. Ramsay Crooks, -B,. M'Lelland, and 
 Robert Stuart, after enduring all sorts of fatigue, 
 dangers and hair-breadth escapes with their lives 
 — all which have been so graphically described 
 by Washington Irving in his " Astoria," finally 
 reached St. Louis and New York. 
 
 Mr. Clapp went to the Marquesas Islands, 
 where he entered into the service of his country 
 
 * We have thought it best to give this Appendix, excepting some 
 abbreviations- rendered necessary to avoid repetition of what has 
 been stated before, in Mr. Franchere's own words, particularly as 
 a specimen of his own English style may be justly interesting to 
 the reader. 
 
868 pranchere's voyaoe. 
 
 in the capacity of Midshipman under Commodore 
 Porter — made his escape from there in company 
 with Lieutenant Gamble of the Marine cori>s, by 
 directions of the Commodore, was captured by 
 the British, landed at Buenos Ayres, and finally 
 reached New York. 
 
 D. M'Dougall, as a reward for betraying the 
 trust reposed in him by Mr. Astor, was made a 
 Partner of the Northwest Company, crossed the 
 mountains, and died a miserable death at Bas de 
 la Riviere, Winipeg. Donald M'Kenzie, his co- 
 adjutor, went back to the Columbia River, where 
 he amassed a considerable fortune, Avith which he 
 retired, and lived in Chautauque County in this 
 state, where he died a few years since unknowTi 
 and neglected : — he was a very selfish man, who 
 cared for no one but himself. 
 . It remains only to speak of Messrs. J. C. Hal- 
 sey, Russell, Farnham, and Alfred Scton, who, 
 it will be remembered, embarked with Mr. Hunt 
 on the "Pedlar," in Feb. 1814. 
 
 Leaving the River about the 1st of April, they 
 proceeded to the Russian establishment at Sitka, 
 
MR. seton'3 adventures. 369 
 
 Norfolk Sound, where tliey fell in with two or 
 three more American vessels, which had come to 
 trade with the natives or to avoid the British 
 cruisers. "While there, a sail under British colors 
 appeared, and Mr. Hunt sent Mr. Seton to ascer- 
 tain who she was. She turned out to be the 
 "Forester," Captain Pigott, a repeating signal 
 ship and letter-of-marque, sent from England in 
 company of a fleet intended for the South Seas. 
 On further acquaintance with the captain, Mr. 
 Seton (from whom I derive these particulars) 
 learned a fact which has never before been pub- 
 lished, and which will show the solicitude and 
 perseverance of Mr. Astor. After despatching 
 the " Lark" from New York, fearing that she 
 might be intercepted by the British, he sent 
 orders to his correspondent in England to pur- 
 chase and fit out a British liottom, and despatch 
 her to the Columbia to relieve the establishment. 
 When Mr. Hunt learned this fact, he deter- 
 mined to leave Mr. Halsey at Sitka, and pro- 
 ceeding himself northward, landed Mr. Farnham 
 
 on the coast of Kamskatka, to go over land with 
 10* 
 
370 pranchere's voyage. 
 
 despatches for Mr. Astor. Mr. Farnliam accom- 
 plished the journey, reached Hamburg, whence 
 he sailed for the West Indies, and finally arrived 
 at New York, having made the entire circuit of 
 the globe. 
 
 The " Pedlar" then sailed to the southeast, 
 and soon reached the coast of California, which 
 she approached to get a supply of provisions. 
 Nearing one of the harbors, they descried a vessel 
 at anchor inside, showing American colors; 
 Hauling their wind, they soon came close to the 
 stranger, which, to their surprise, turned out to 
 be the Spanish corvette " Santa Barbara," which 
 sent boats alongside the " Pedlar," and captured 
 her, and kept possession of the prize for some 
 two months, during which they dropped down to 
 San Bias. Here Mr. Hunt proposed to Mr. Se- 
 ton to cross the continent and reach the United 
 States the best way he could. Mr. Seton, accor- 
 dingly, went to the Isthmus of Darien, where he 
 was detained several months by sickness, but 
 finally reached Carthagena, where a British fleet 
 was lying in the roads, to take off the English 
 
SURVIVORS. 371 
 
 merchants, who in consequence of the revolution- 
 ary movements going on, sought shelter under 
 their own flag. Here Mr. Seton, reduced to the 
 last stage of destitution and squalor, boldly ap- 
 plied to Captain Bentham, the commander of the 
 squadron, who, finding him to be a gentleman, 
 offered him every needful assistance, gave him a 
 berth in his own cabin, and finally landed him 
 eafely on the Island of Jamaica, whence he, too, 
 found his way to New' York. 
 
 Of all those engaged in the expedition there 
 are now but four survivors — Ramsay Crooks, Esq. 
 the late President of the American Fur Company ; 
 Alfred Seton, Esq., Yice-president of the Sun 
 Mutual Insurance Company ; both of New York 
 city ; Benjamin Fillet of Canada ; and the author, 
 living also in New York. All the rest have paid 
 the debt of nature, but their names are recorded 
 in the foregoing pages. 
 
 Notwithstanding the illiberal remarks made by 
 Captain Thorn on the persons who were on board 
 the ill-fated Tonquin, and reproduced by Mr. 
 Irving in his " Astoria" — these young men who 
 
872 franchere's voyage. 
 
 were represented as " Bar keepers or Billiard 
 markers, most of whom had fled from Justice, 
 &c." — I feel it a duty to say that they were 
 for the most part, of good parentage, liberal ed- 
 ucation and everyway were qualified to discharge 
 the duties of their respective stations. The re- 
 marks on the general character of the voyageurs 
 employed as boat-men and Mechanics, and the 
 attempt to cast ridicule on tlieir " Braggart and 
 swaggering manners" come with a bad grace 
 from the author of " Astoria," when we consider 
 that in that very work Mr. Irving is compelled 
 to admit their indomitable energy, their fidelity 
 to their employers, and their cheerfulness under 
 the most trying circumstances in which men can 
 be placed. 
 
 With respect to Captain Thorn, I must confess 
 that though a stern commander and an irritable 
 man, he paid the strictest attention to the health 
 of his crew. His complaints of the squalid ap- 
 pearance of the Canadians and mechanics who 
 were on board, can be abated of their force by 
 giving a description of the accommodation of 
 
MK. FRAXCHERE'S PROTEST. 373 
 
 these people. The Tonquin was a small ship ; 
 its forecastle was destined for the crew perform- 
 ing duty before the mast. The room allotted for 
 the accommodation of the twenty men destined for 
 the establishment, was abaft the forecastle ; a 
 bulk-head had been let across, and a door led 
 from the forecastle into a dark, unventilated, un- 
 wholesome place, where they were all heaped 
 together, without means of locomotion, and con- 
 sequently deprived of that exercise of the body 
 so necessary to health. Add to that, we had no 
 physician on board. In view of these facts, can 
 the complaints of the gallant Captain be sustained ? 
 Of course Mr. Irving was ignorant of these cir- 
 cumstances, as well as of many others which he 
 might have known, had some one suggested to 
 him to ask a few questions of persons who were 
 within his reach at the time of his publication. 
 I have (I need scarcely say) no personal animos- 
 ity against the unfortunate Captain ; he always 
 treated me, individually, as well as I could es.- 
 pect ; and if, in the course of my narrative, I 
 have been severe on his actions, I was impelled 
 
374 fraxchere's voyage. 
 
 by a sense of justice to my friends on board, as 
 well as by the circumstance that such explana- 
 tions of his general deportment were requisite to 
 convey the historical truth to my readers. 
 
 The idea of a conspiracy against him on board 
 is so absurd that it really does not deserve 
 notice. The threat, or rather the proposal made 
 to him by Mr. M'Kay, in the following words — 
 " if you say fight, fight it is" ^-originated in a case 
 where one of the sailors had maltreated a Canadian 
 lad, who came to complain to Mr. M'Kay. The 
 captain would not interpose his authority, and 
 said in my presence, " Let them fight out their 
 own battles :" — it was upon that answer that Mr. 
 M'Kay gave vent to the expression quoted above. 
 I might go on with a long list of inaccuracies, 
 more or less grave or trivial, in the beautifully 
 written work of Mr. Irving, but it would be 
 tedious to go through the whole of them. The 
 few remarks to which I have given place above, 
 will suffice to prove that the assertion made in 
 the preface was not unwarranted. It is far from 
 my intention to enter the lists with a man of the 
 
editoe's note. 375 
 
 literary merit and repntatiou of Mr. Irving, but 
 as a narrator of events of wliicli I was an eye- 
 witness, I felt bound to tell the trutli, although 
 that truth might impugn the historical accuracy 
 of a work which ranks as a classic in the lan- 
 guage. At the same time I entirely exonerate 
 Mr. Irving from any intention of prejudicing the 
 minds of his readers, as he doubtless had only in 
 view to support the character of his friend : that 
 sentiment is worthy of a generous heart, but it 
 should not be gratified, nor would he wish to 
 gratify it, I am sure, at the expense of the char- 
 acter of others. 
 
 Note by the Editor. 
 
 Perhaps even contrary to the wish of Mr. Franchere, I have 
 lA the above almost vi'ord for Avord as he wrote it. It is a part 
 of the histoiy of the affairs related as well in Mr. Irving's Astoria 
 as in the present volume, that the reclamations of one of the 
 clerks on that famous and unfortunate voyage of the Tonquin, 
 against the disparaging description of himself and his colleagues 
 given in the former work, should be faij:ly recorded. At the same 
 time, I can not help stating my own impression that a natural sus- 
 ceptibility, roused bj- those slighting remarks from Captain Thorn's 
 correspondence, to which Mr. living as an historian gives cur- 
 rency, has somewhat blinded my excellent friend to the tone of 
 banter, so characteristic of the chronicler of the Knickerbockers, 
 in which all these particulars are given, more as traits of the char- 
 
376 franchere's voyage. 
 
 acter of the stem old sea-captain, with his hearty contempt for 
 land-lubbers and litcrarj' clerks, than as a depcndulde account of 
 the persons on board his ship, some of whom might have been, 
 and as we see by the present work, were, in fact, vei-y meritori- 
 ous chai-actors, for whose literary turn, and faithful journalizing 
 (which seems to have especially provoked the captain's wrath), 
 now at the end of more than forty years, we have so much reason 
 to be thankful. Certainly Mr. Irving himself, who has drawn 
 frequently on Mr. Franchere's nairativc, could not, from his 
 well-known taste in such matters, be insensible to the Defoe-like 
 simplicity thereof, nor to the picturesque descnj)tions, worthy of 
 a professional pen,, with which it is sprinkled. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 " These volumes atlbrd a rich treat to the lovers of literature." — Hartford Christian Sec 
 
 CLASSIC AND HISTORIC PORTRAITS. 
 By James Bruce. 12nio, cloth, ^1 00. 
 
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 " The sketches are full and graphic, many authorities having evidently been consulted 
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 THE WORKIN OMAN'S WAY IN THE WORLD. 
 
 Being the Autobiography of a Journeyman Printer. Bv Charles 
 Manby Smith, author of "Curiosities of London Life." 12mo, 
 doth, $1 00. 
 
 " Written by a man of genius and of most extraordinary powers of description." — 
 Boston Traveller. 
 
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 "All aiiuising as well as instructive book, telling how humble obscurity cuts its way 
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 •' He has evidently moved through the world with his eyes open, and having a vein 
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tiedfield's new and popular publications. 
 
 MA CA IJLA TS SPEECHES. 
 
 Speeches by tlie Riiiht Hon. T. B. Macaulay, M. P., Author of 
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 TRENCH ON PROVERBS. 
 
 On the Lessons in Proverbs, by Richard Chenevix Trench, B. D., 
 
 Professor of Divinity' in Kind's College, London, Auth(3r of the 
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 And the Lover Hunt ; by Charles de Bernard. 12mo, Si. 00. 
 
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KEDflELDS NEW AND POPULAR PUBLICATIONS, 
 
 MOORE'S LIFE OF SHERIDAN. 
 
 Memoirs of the Life of the Rt. Hon, Richard Brinsley Shendan, 
 by Thomas Moore, with Portrait after Sir Joshua Reynolds. 
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 BARRINGTON'S SKETCHES. 
 
 Personal Sketches of his own Time, by Sir Jonah Baeringtow, 
 Judge cf the High Court of Admiralty in Ireland, wich Illustra- 
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 JOMINFS CAMPAIGN OF WATERLOO. 
 
 The Political and Military History of the Campaign of Waterloo 
 from the French of Gen. Baron Jomini, by Lieut. S V. Benet 
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 *♦ !t is ably written and skilfully translated." — lankre Made. 
 
THE LATEST AND BEST WOEK ON RUSSIA. 
 
 THE EUSSIAN SHOEES OF THE BLACK. SEA, 
 With a Voyage down the Yolga, and a Joukney 
 
 THROUGH THE COUNTKY OF THE DoN CoSSACKS, hj 
 
 LAURENCE OLIPHANT, author of "A Journey 
 to JSTepaul," with two maps and eighteen iUustrations. 
 12 mo, cloth, 75 cts. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE PEESS. 
 
 " The hitest and best account of the actual state of 
 Eussi a. ' ' — London Standard. 
 
 " The book of a quick and honest observer. Full of 
 delightful entertainment," — London Examiner. 
 
 " A witness worth listening to on matters whereon 
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 London Leader. 
 
 IN PKESS. 
 
 FIFTY YEAES IN BOTH HEMISPHERES, by 
 
 Vincent Noltf. 1 vol. 12 mo, cloth. 
 
THE LATEST AND BEST WORK ON TURKEY. 
 
 A TEAR WITH THE TURKS 
 
 OR, 
 
 Sketches of Travel 
 
 11^ THE EUEOPEA^' A^'D ASIATIC DOMINIONS OF THE SULTAX. 
 
 BY 
 
 WARINGTON W. SMYTH, M. A. 
 
 With a Colored Etiinological Map of the Turkish Empire. 
 
 One Vol. 12mo. Cloth, 75 cents. 
 
 " Me. Smyth has had rare opportunities. Few men have crossed and recros.sed 
 the empire in so many directions ; and many are the errors, the false reports, 
 the misconceptions as to fact or motive which are here corrected by an able and 
 impartial witness." — London MhencBum, February 2bth, 1854. 
 
 " Mr. Smyth's mode of travelling was well adapted to observe the character 
 and condition of the people, as well as to form a judgment upon the mode of 
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 less to give an account of his journey4ngs, than to throw what light he could 
 upon the Turkish empire and people. He has a pleasant, picturesque and direct 
 style, and also, that knowledge of the past which is necessary to make travel 
 profitable ; but he does not overlay his subjects with history." — London Spec- 
 tator, February 25th, 1854. 
 
 In Press, 
 
 FIFTY YEARS IN BOTH HEMISPHEEES. 
 
 BY VINCENT NOLTE 
 
ma. 
 
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