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/135

 "out of the frying-pan," &c.; for about midnight the tide came on us unawares; and the first intimation we received of our danger was the noise of the water beating against the canoes and baggage; and when the alarm was given, it was nearly up to our knees on the beach. It was a spring tide, on which the men did not calculate, and therefore kept no watch; added to which, every man was nearly drunk on quitting the fort.

We had immediately to set about getting the goods on the grass, and dressing ourselves. On examination the following morning, we found several bales were wet, which we were obliged to open for the purpose of drying. This detained us late, and we only made about ten miles on the second day, and landed on a small bottom, free from the tide, but somewhat infested by fleas and musquitoes. On the 1st of July it blew rather stiffly from the south-east, which retarded our progress considerably, and we did not make more than fifteen miles; but on the 2nd we had a good run, and encamped on a fine meadow island, where we hoped to spend a pleasant night, free from fleas. Our hopes were partly realised: none of the little agile backbiters attacked us; but their absence was more than amply compen