Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/158



142 T. C. ELLIOTT

No rain to-day. Thursday we made the portage of the chutes 3 and were all day about it."

In the summer of 1841 Lieut. Charles Wilkes was on the Columbia River in command of the exploring expedition sent by the U. S. Government to examine the country in anticipation of final action as to the boundary question between the United States and British North America, and his subordinate, Lieu- tenant Drayton, was sent up the River with the Hudson's Bay Company's brigade returning then, Peter Skene Ogden being the Chief Factor in charge. Mr. Drayton has left a very vivid account of the Dalles and the Falls, the Indians then fishing there, and the surrounding country. His description of the method of crossing the Portage during the high water season is, as follows : "On the morning of the 4th of July they began to pass the portage, which is a mile (?) in length. It is very rugged, and the weather being exceedingly warm, many of the Indians were employed to transport articles on their horses, of which they have a large number. It required seventy men to transport the boats, which were carried over bottom up- wards, the gunwale resting on the men's shoulders. By night all was safely transported, the boats newly gummed, and the encampment formed on a sandy beach. The sand, in conse- quence of the high wind, was blown about in great quantities, and everybody and thing was literally covered with it."

It will be noted that in 1836 and 1841 the Indians at this Portage had become less impudent and dangerous to passers by and this largely was due to the wise but firm policy of Doctor John McLoughlin, Chief Factor of the H. B. Co. at Vancouver after 1824. This change of mien is mentioned by Sir George Simpson in his book eintitled "A Journey Around The World." Possibly there has been no business man ever connected with the commerce of the River equal in ca- pacity and skill to Sir George Simpson, who was known as the Governor but really was the Deputy Governor in charge of all the affairs of the Hudson's Bay Company on the continent