Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 14.djvu/371



REMINISCENCES OF CAPT. W. P. GRAY 331

miles. The prevailing winds were directly across the current, so that it was necessary for us to cordell the boat almost the entire way.

"Another boy and myself took ropes in a skiff up the stream, found a place where the rope could be made fast. We would then come down stream bringing the rope to our boat where the rope was made fast to the capstan and the rope would be slowly wound up. We had a difficult trip to Lewiston and before we got there my comrade and myself in the skiff had demonstrated that there was not a single rapid in the Snake river that could not be swum. We were both strong swimmers and perfectly at home in the water. Our boat was overturned in the rapids scores of times in cordelling up to Lewiston. Our skiff was small and we had to carry a full coil of rope an inch and a half in diameter as well as a coil of smaller rope and oftentimes when the line was wet we had a bare two inches of free board to go through the rapids in. Not content with being wet all day long and being tipped out of our skiff, Jim Parker, my comrade, and I would dare each other to swim dangerous places in the river.

"Jim Parker was from Parker's Landing where Washougal, Wash., now is, and like myself, was raised on the water. I remember one place in the five mile rapids that was not only very dangerous but it seemed impossible for us to find a place to make a fastening. My father thought we could find some rock in mid-current to which we could attach the rope. I said, 'It can't be done.' Father turned to me and said, 'My son, can't isn't in my dictionary. Anything can be done if you want to do it badly enough/ I told him the rapids were full of whirlpools and that we would certainly be overturned in making the attempt to make a fastening. He said, 'If you are over- turned, you and the skiff will both come downstream. You may not come down together, but you will both come down. You will then go back and make another attempt and continue to do so until you have succeeded.

"After that experience there never has been any combination of wood, iron or water that has ever scared me, though I will acknowledge I was scared upon that particular occasion.