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/149

 *mense masses of hard black rock, mostly honeycombed, and worn into a variety of fantastic shapes by the perpetual friction of the water in its fearful course downwards. The appearance of the country here is high, rocky, barren, and without timber of any kind. We found this a sensible inconvenience; for we were obliged to purchase some drift wood from the Indians for the purposes of cooking.

On quitting this place the following morning, a number of natives collected about us, among whom we distributed a quantity of tobacco. The river for some distance above this place is deep and rapid, and the banks steep and rocky. The canoes were dragged up several miles, and some of them damaged by the rocks. About four or five miles above the fall a high rocky island three miles in length lies in the centre of the river, on which the Indians were employed drying salmon, great quantities of which were cured and piled under broad boards in stacks. We encamped on the north side opposite the island, and were visited by some Indians, from whom we purchased salmon: they appeared friendly, and belonged to the Eneeshur tribe at the falls.

Here, and for several hundred miles farther upwards, the country assumes a new aspect: it