Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/348

338 year afforded in this vicinity, I quitted the Kettle Falls of the Columbia, and taking two horses loaded with my provisions, which consisted of dried buffalo meat, tea, and a little sugar, and with my blanket and paper (by the aid of these animals also hoping to get an occasional lift over the worst places of my route), I set out across the mountains, for the abandoned Establishment at Spokan, distant about one hundred and ten miles. My object was to see Mr. Jacques Raphael Finlay, a Canadian Sauteur, now resident here, who is possessed of extensive information as to the nature of the country, its animals, vegetable productions, etc. To him Mr. Dease kindly gave me a note of recommendation, and I had for my guides his two young sons. The melting of the snow, which swelled the mountain rivulets into angry torrents, rendered our way difficult and circuitious; often the meadows were so overflowed that the ground would not bear the horses, which became much fatigued by their exertions and frequent falls among the rocks. After traveling about twenty-seven miles we camped for the night, and starting by daylight of the next morning (Wednesday, 10th) reached at noon a small, but very rapid river, called by the Indians Barrière River, having traveled for seven hours without food. No natives being near to help us across in their canoes, my two young companions and I had the alternative of making a raft or swimming, and being all well accustomed to the water, we chose the latter. Unsaddling the horses, we drove them in, and they all crossed with safety and ease, except one poor animal, which getting entangled by its hind legs, among some brushwood at the bottom, struggled for a long time, till the impediment giving way, he finally relieved our anxiety by gaining the other side. I myself made two trips across, carrying my paper and gun the first time and my blanket and clothes the second;—the latter articles I was obliged to hold above water in