Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/362



354 SOCRATES SCHOLFIELD

from his attempt, and as he was thereafter closely watched, the attempt was not renewed, and the party arrived safely at the top of the bluff. As they passed the village about .a dozen Indians ran up the beach toward the upper villages, probably to inform the other Indians of the approach of the party, and when the party commenced rising the hill about the same num- ber ran up the hill some fifty rods ahead, apparently with the view to head them off or notify other Indians on the hills above. After the party had arrived at the top of the bluff, and commenced their homeward march, they were joined by some of the Indians who had previously accompanied them up the beach. These Indians, with the exception of two, who were retained as guides, were sent away. These guides were armed, one with a rifle and the other with a sheath knife. The party was careful to keep the guides in front, where they could be watched, and kept a good lookout at the rear and on their flanks expecting an attack. They, however, arrived safely at the vessel without molestation.

After having spent a week in exploration without obtaining satisfactory results, it was decided to proceed further up the coast to the Umpqua river, and see what discoveries could be made at that locality, but in consequence of head winds, which occurred at time of high water, which was the only time the vessel could leave the harbor, they remained two days longer, or until Thursday, the 30th of July, when they left the harbor with a favorable but light wind, and passing up the coast, they arrived opposite the entrance of the Umpqua river on Thurs- day, the 1st of August, and stood off and on, waiting for a favorable time to send out one of the boats to examine the bar and entrance to river previous to taking in the vessel. On the 2nd, seven Indians came off in a canoe, to whom the party distributed some presents and employed two of the Indians to act as pilots in taking one of the boats over the bar, for the purpose of taking soundings and examining the harbor. The crew of the boat consisted of eight persons, six of whom, after landing, remained on shore, while the other