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/89

 to learn the fate of our predecessors, and of the party who had crossed the continent Vague rumours had reached the Sandwich Islands from a coasting vessel, that the Tonquin had been cut off by the Indians, and every soul on board destroyed; and, since we came in sight of the river, the captain's ominous forebodings had almost prepared the weaker part of our people to hear that some dreadful fatality had befallen our infant establishment. Not even the sound of the cannon, and the sight of the flag and fire on the cape, were proofs strong enough to shake his doubts. "An old bird was not to be caught with chaff:" was too well acquainted with Indian cunning and treachery to be deceived by such appearances. It was possible enough that the savages might have surprised the fort, murdered its inmates, seized the property, fired the cannon, to induce us to cross the bar, which, when once effected, they could easily cut us off before we could get out again. He even carried his caution so far, as to order a party of armed men to be in readiness to receive our visitors. The canoe arrived first alongside: in it was an old Indian, blind of an eye, who appeared to be a chief, with six others, nearly naked, and the most repulsive looking beings that ever dis