Page:The Columbia river , or, Scenes and adventures during a residence of six years on the western side of the Rocky Mountains among various tribes of Indians hitherto unknown (Volume 1).djvu/131



Departure from Astoria—Description of our party, lading &c.—Appearance of river and islands—Fleas and musquitoes—First rapids, dangerous accident—Indian cemetery—Ugly Indians—Gibraltar—Cape Horn—The narrows and falls—Change in the appearance of the country—Attempt at robbery—Mounted Indians.

In travelling through the Indian country several days must necessarily elapse devoid of interesting matter; and to the general reader a succinct detail of the diurnal proceedings of Indian traders would be rather dry. I do not profess to write a journal, and shall therefore make no apology for sparing my readers the trouble of perusing in every page the verbose accuracy which details, that in summer journies we rise each morning between three and four o'clock, breakfast between nine and ten, and encamp between six and seven in the evening; and that, while on the water, few days elapse in which we are not obliged to put ashore several times to repair the damage sustained by our canoes in passing rapids, portages, or sunken trees.

On the 29th of June, 1812, all the necessary