Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 6).djvu/290

 and was occupied with the care of collecting 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 beaver-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} named Daion, the latter accompanied by his wife and two children.[92] This man came from the lower Missouri with Mr. Hunt in 1811-'12.

Our object 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'Tavish. 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 warehouse, payment to be made us in the ensuing spring, either in furs or in bills of exchange on their house in Canada.

{173} CHAPTER XIV

Arrival of the Ship "Albatross"—Reasons for the Non-Appearance 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 Tonquin—Causes of that Disaster—Reflections.

On the 4th of August, contrary to all expectation, we saw a sail at the mouth of the river. One of our gentlemen