Voyage up the River.--Description 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, with 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
width of some nine or ten miles, and keeps it for about twelve miles up.
The left bank, which we were coasting, being concealed by little low
islands, we encamped for the night on one of them, at the village of
_Wahkaykum_, to which our guide belonged.
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, alder, and ash. These
islands are, without exception, 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
intelligent 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 amphitheatrically 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 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, reposing 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 neighboring mountains. On a cornice or shelving
projection about thirty feet from its base, the natives 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 considerable 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 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 ascended 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 Indians, 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 would be
overtaken, they stopped short, and begged Mr. M'Kay to fire upon the
approaching savages, which he, being well acquainted with the Indian
character from the time he accompanied 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 an amicable talk; to which they immediately assented. 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 Indians whom Mr. M'Kay had met, were at war with
the _Kreluits_. It was impossible, consequently, to close our eyes all
night; the natives passing and repassing continually from one village 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 men, 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 proposals of peace; and
having ascertained that this warlike demonstration originated in a
trifling offence on the part of the _Kreluits_, we found them well
disposed to arrange matters in an amicable 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 distant, all
covered with snow, contrasting remarkably 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. Helen's_. We pulled against a strong current
all this day, and at evening our guide made us enter a little river, on
the bank of which we 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 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 village 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, enamelled with odorous
flowers of all colors, and studded with superb groves of oak. The
freshness 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 uncleanliness
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 with regret this charming spot,
and soon came to another large village, which our guide informed us was
called _Kathlapootle_, and was situated at the confluence 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 _Cowilkt_. 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 _Maltnabah_. 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
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 before 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 Vue_. 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 found here an old blind man,
who gave us a cordial 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 exception of
four, who were spared and who married 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.[H] These
good people having regaled us with fresh salmon, we left them, and
arrived very soon at a rapid, opposite an island, named _Strawberry
Island_ by Captains Lewis and 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 eddies. 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 accompanied him, had roasted salmon for
supper, and some mats were spread for our night's repose.
[Footnote H: These facts, if they were authenticated, would prove that
the Spaniards were the first who discovered the mouth of the Columbia.
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_.]
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) and to some
of his followers, and procured a supply of fresh salmon for the return
voyage, we re-embarked and reached the camp on the 14th, without
accidents or incidents worth relating.