Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/379

 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 369 curing his salmon, I refused his services, and hired his brother and nephew instead. I hastened on, lest the wind, which had been rising for some days, should in- crease so as to delay my progress, and, by great exertion and starting before daylight, accomplished the desired object: and at noon of the last day of August, the day previous to that (the 1st of September) on which the ship was fixed to sail, landed at Point Vancouver, whence in poor plight, weary and travel-soilqd, glad at heart, though possessing nothing but a shirt, leather trousers, an old hat, having lost my jacket, neckerchief, and worn out my shoes, I made my way to the Fort, having traversed eight hundred miles of the Columbia Valley in twelve days, unattended by a single person except my Indian guides.