Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/284

278 side is low & alluvial. At the entrance of the Wilhamut or Multnoma river the southern bank becomes more rocky. These rocks are nearly perpendicular & approximate the columnar form the regular sweep they take, describing nearly a semicircle; while those of the opposite side resemble the steps of a stair. On one of these southern [?] rocks I perceived a few rude figures cut out. As these were the only figures I saw on any part of the coast I may give a short description of them. They were only four in number, & one of them represents a canoe; the sun & moon were very distinctly represented by two of them, & the fourth consisted of those linear figures common to every uncivilised people. Below Mount Coffin we saw a canoe that had drifted down the river. On examining it we found it had drifted from that place of interment. It did not contain any bones, but several ornaments, as hyaquass, beads, etc.,—our Indians would not touch it.

On arriving at Ft. Vancouver we were happy to find all our friends well—most of them had gone into the interior to their winter stations. Mr. Douglass had gone up to the cascades, but was expected every day. My stay at Ft. Vancouver was principally employed in making excursions along with Mr. Douglass & in examining our specimens. I, however, collected very few plants, as the weather had been exceedingly dry and most of the summer flowers had dissapeared & the autumnal ones were by no means numerous.

During my stay here an Indian chief of great influence among his countrymen applied for medical aid. He was exceedingly emaciated & vomited every thing he took. The caecum was obviously much distended with purulent matter & gave rise to the opinion that there was a great accumulation in the great intestines. As the case was obviously hopeless it was judged improper to give any active medicine. Before he died he vomited an entire