Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/371

 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 361 the Columbia, and came to a favorite fishing-place of the Indians, who were busily engaged in snaring salmon, in traps made of basket work and shaped like funnels. Here they had already caught one thousand seven hundred fish in one morning, having speared and thrown on shore that number, while many more remained within the snare awaiting their fate. The spear is pointed with bone, laced tight to a pointed piece of wood, which again is frequently fastened to a long staff with a cord. During the best part of the fishing season, from one thousand five hundred to two thousand salmon are caught on an average in the day. Again, as in the spring, I had to cross Barriere River by swimming, and on Cedar River, a small but rapid stream, that flows about nine miles farther [on?] into the Columbia, had a narrow escape from losing my horse, and receiving a severe hurt. The animal stuck in the bank, which is very steep and slippery, after crossing, and, in his struggles to get free, gave me a sharp blow and threw me head fore- most into the river; the force with which the poor beast did this, enabled him, however, to extricate himself from what he probably felt would otherwise have proved his grave, and I received no other injury than a terrible duck- ing, from the effects of which a walk of several miles en- aliled me to recover, with the loss, however, of all the seeds I had been collecting during this trip, and of my knapsack and notebook. After an absence of two months, I was kindly re-welcomed to the Kettle Falls, by Mr. Dease, on the evening of Saturday, the 5th of August. Several species of (Enotfiera, Tri folium, Artemisia, and a novel Eriogonum were added to my stores. August 7th to Tuesday, 15th. Continued collecting seeds, drying and packing plants, but learning from Mr. McLoughlin that the vessel at Fort Vancouver would not sail for England until the 1st of September, and that it is the last which will probably proceed thither direct for