Page:History of Oregon volume 1.djvu/65

14 next to Fort Vancouver was Fort Colville, situated om the Columbia River, one hundred miles northeast of Fort Okanagan, though much farther by the windings of the river. In the midst of a good agricultural country, with a fine climate, good fishing, and other advantages, it was the central supply post for all the other forts in the region of the north Columbia. Established shortly after Fort Vancouver, with its allotment of cattle, consisting of two cows and a bull, it had now like Fort Vancouver its lowing herds, furnishing beef, butter, and milk. It had, besides bands of fine horses and other stock, and a grist-mill for the large yield of grain. On the well-cultivated farm grew also excellent vegetables in abundance.

Such a convenience as a saw-mill did not exist in all the upper country, notwithstanding the number of posts, hence there could be little architectural display or furniture except of the rudest kind. Bedsteads and chairs were luxuries not to be thought of; bunks and stools were made from split logs, with a hatchet. Yet, since those who called at Fort Colville had travelled many hundred miles with only a blanket for a bed, the good fare here afforded made the place to them a Canaan.

Two forts had this year been established in the territory east of the Blue Mountains drained by Snake River. The first was Fort Hall, erected by an American, Nathaniel J. Wyeth, on this river, at its junction with the Portneuf; the second was erected by the Hudson's Bay Company, on the same river, a mile below the mouth of the Boise, and called Fort Boise.

The American, Wyeth, this being his second adventure in these parts, who had thus recently built, stocked, and manned Fort Hall, went on to the lower Columbia River that same autumn to meet a vessel, the brig May Dacre, of Boston, laden with goods from the United States, as the eastern seaboard of the great republic was then designated by western adventurers, and at the time of which I write he was