Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 7).djvu/267

 whole difficulty might have been easily obviated—for a very simple stratagem on the part of the whites might have quietly secured, as hostages, three or four of the principal men, and that would have soon settled effectually the whole affair, without noise or any warlike demonstration.

{272} CHAPTER XVII

Party to the Wallamitte—Hunt's voyage concluded—The brig Pedlar—M'Dougall suspected—His character vindicated—Mr. Hunt's remarks on the late concern—His liberality—His farewell address to the clerks—Final departure from Columbia—The party for Canada—Efforts and disappointments—Snake expedition—The melancholy story of Pierre Dorion's wife—Massacre of the Snake party—Remarks—A winter in the Blue Mountains—List of casualties—Astor's hopes disappointed—Comment on the late concern.

After the late expedition to the cascades, in which our people had mixed themselves up with the North-West Company, and of course came in for a share of the general odium, they retired to pass the remainder of the winter in the Wallamitte—a place notorious for gormandizing; and here we shall leave them to enjoy, in peace and quietness, the fruits of the chace, while we turn again to take up and finish the wanderings of Mr. Hunt, who, it will be remembered, was left at the Sandwich Islands in quest of a vessel.

After Mr. Hunt had learned the fate of the unfortunate Lark, as already related, he had but one course {273} left, namely, to purchase a ship and return to Columbia with all possible despatch. On meeting with Captain Northcop, he bargained for and purchased a snug little