Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 15.djvu/19



OLD FORT OKANOGAN AND OKANOGAN TRAIL 11

They started at 6 :40 A. M. considerable distance above where Bridgeport now is and camped that evening at a point that appears to have been almost down to the present site of Wenatchee, for the record of the next day shows that they passed early what appears to be Rock Island Rapids. As near as we can calculate from the journal entries, it is likely that he passed the mouth of the Okanogan about 9 in the forenoon, for he came to the Smeethowe Indians, as he says, at 10 o'clock. It seems strange that he does not mention observing the mouth of the Okanogan as he passed, and this is especially so after having mentioned the fact that they were approaching it and caught the fine view of "the high woody mountains of the Oachenawawgan river," as he writes it. Furthermore, his journal of the day before also shows a mention of the river. The record indicates that he passed through across Columbia bar by the way of the channels that exist there in high water, but which are dry in low water. His guides must have told him of this, for he mentions it in his journal as will be observed. As the Columbia was very high at the time, possibly he failed to distinguish the mouth of the Okanogan from the many sloughs and water courses that exist there in high water. It is also apparent that the Indians were gathered at the mouth of the Methow (Thompson's Smeethowe) as it was the salmon fishing season and the mouth of that stream was of old a great Indian fishery, so for that place Thompson headed and did not stop at the mouth of the Okanogan. He leaves the Indian camp at the mouth of the Methow at noon and after traveling two and a half miles encounters the difficulties of the Methow rapids. Although Thompson and his party were undoubtedly the first to reach this part of the Columbia, nevertheless it is apparent from the journal entries of this day and the days immediately preceding and following, that these Indians along here had already be- come quite well acquainted with white men and also knew the value of having traders establish regular relations with them. Possibly some of them had visited the Flathead posts of the Northwest Company, for the Flatheads are of a kindred