Page:The Overland Monthly, Jan-June 1894.djvu/251

 1894]

Up the Columbia in 1857.

187

After touching at Astoria, then only a small village, the steamer was headed or Portland. To the newcomer the icenery of the country bordering the iver was grand and impressive beyond lescription at that time an almost un- )roken wilderness, touched at only a 'ew points by the ax of the settler. To
 * hose familiar with Irving's Astoria, and

vith the history of the Hudson Bay Company, there is, beside, an air of ro- nance, which adds greatly to the enjoy- nent of the voyage.

Landings were made at one or two of he most important places, Cathlamet

ter'to the projectors. This was probably the first impulse given to one of the most valuable industries of the Coast. In those days it was customary for sea-going steamers to touch at Swan Island Bar, some twelve miles below Portland, lighter off some of their freight, and cross the bar at high tide. We followed the custom, crossed the bar soon after daylight, and made fast to the two-story dock at Portland about 8 A. M., twenty-four hours from Astoria. Portland-on-the-Wallamet in 1857 was a small city, hewn out of the wilderness ; but for beauty of location it had not its

Photo by VVatkins

ROOSTER ROCK.

ind St. Helens, I think. It was at Cath- amet where the first attempt to catch salmon on a large scale for export was
 * nade, in 1858, by McKee & Co., mer-

bhants of Portland. Quite a large sum bf money was invested in nets, boats, ind apparatus. When all was ready, a number of Indians were employed to iiaul the nets. At the first haul such an immense number of salmon were taken (that the Indians became frightened, and leclared the devil was in the net ; so they all let go and ran away, and could not be induced to return, so the first nets were iestroyed. The enterprise was finally abandoned, resulting in financial disas-

superior. Its general form was a half moon, its curved base line fronting on the river. The fringe of forest encir- cling it sloped gently back to the hills, forming the most beautiful setting con- ceivable for that gem of a city, while grand old Mount Hood stood sentinel over it.

Couch's Dock at which we landed and the opposition steamer's dock, near by, were the only wharves on the water front ; a wharf-boat for the acccommo- dation of the river steamers was moored some distance above, opposite the busi- ness center. A horse ferry-boat which crossed the river as occasion demanded,