Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/50

 July 21st Havg. sent abt. 6 Miles for Birch for Helves for Tools, we began to cut down Wood for a Warehouse of 16 ft. by 16 ft. in the Clear— but the sort of Hemlock we have is hard to cut with the axe, @ very heavy, @ we can seldom get more than 16 ft. from a single Tree, which with the weakness of the Men, made the work go on slowly. July 24 we finished the warehouse @ put all the Goods within. During this Time our Nets afforded us not a single Fish; by angling we sometimes procured a scanty Meal of Mullets very weak food. The Men were now so weak, that however willing, they actually had not strength to work, @ some of them told me that two or three days more of Famine would bring them to the Ground, I deeply-Felt their Situation @ my own, but was determined still to wait a few Days before I could consent that any should return. We had tried several Methods to procure Food, but all had failed us. Berries were our principal support— too weak to go far about in this hilly Country, we very much felt the want of our Horses. I accordingly sent down three Men in a small Canoe to bring as many of them up as possible but to leave those belonging to the Company, that they might be fat @ ready for the Fall. At length, thank Heaven two Kootanae Men arrived, they saw our famished looks @ asking no Questions, gave every one a sufficiency to eat, which was most gratefully accepted, @ then traded with me Provisions enough for two days. Having got the Goods under Shelter we set to work to make a Weir across the River, the Current was deep & rapid, with a moveable Bottom of Gravel, the Kootanae told me the Weir could not stand, but strong necessity urged us on. On the 2nd day we had it nearly completed when part of it gave way; no ways discouraged, we repaired what was broken down @ endeavoured to finish the whole but the Stream was too violent @ breaking the Weir in some places, in others undermining it, it was so much damaged that we were obliged to abandon it as hopeless. One of the Kootanaes who arrived is the Brother of the old Chief, they prom-