CHAPTER VIII.

ASTORIANS IN WYOMING.

HUNT AND HIS PARTY FOLLOW DOWN THE MAD (SNAKE) RIVER-THEY REACH HENRY'S FORT-BUILD CANOES AND ATTEMPT THE FURTHER JOURNEY BY WATER-THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY MILES BELOW, AGAIN TAKE TO THE LAND-GREAT SUFFERINGS OF THE PARTY THROUGH HUNGER AND COLD-AT LAST REACH THE FALLS OF THE COLUMBIA-BALANCE OF THE JOURNEY MADE BY CANOES-ARRIVAL AT ASTORIA.

From this on there is no difficulty in following Mr. Hunt on his journey to the mouth of the Columbia River. Washington Irving says:

"Five days were passed by Mr. Hunt and his companions in the fresh meadows watered by the bright little mountain stream. The hunters made great havoc among the buffaloes, and brought in quantities of meat; the voyageurs busied themselves about the fires, roasting or stewing for present purposes, or drying provisions for the journey; the pack horses, eased of their burdens, rolled on the grass or grazed at large about the ample pastures; those of the party who had no call upon their services indulged in the luxury of perfect relaxation, and the camp presented a picture of rude feasting and revelry, of mingled bustle and repose, characteristic of a halt in a real hunting country. In the course of one of their excursions some of the men came in sight of a small party of Indians, who instantly fled in apparent consternation. They immediately returned to the camp with the intelligence; upon which Mr. Hunt and four others flung themselves upon their horses and sallied forth to reconnoitre. After riding for about eight miles they came upon a wild mountain scene. A lovely green valley stretched before them, surrounded by rugged heights. A herd of buffalo were careering through it, with a troop of savage horsemen in full chase, plying them with their bows and arrows. The appearance of Mr. Hunt and his companions put an abrupt end to the hunt; the buffalo scuttled off in one direction, while the Indians plied their lashes and galloped off in another, as fast as their steeds could

carry them. Mr. Hunt gave chase; there was a sharp scam. per, though of short continuance. Two young Indians, who were indifferently mounted, were soon overtaken. They were terribly frightened, and evidently gave themselves up for lost. By degrees their fears were allayed by kind treatment; but they continued to regard the strangers with a mixture of awe and wonder; for it was the first time in their lives they had seen a white man.

"They belonged to a party of Snakes who had come across the mountains on their autumnal hunting excursion to provide buffalo meat for the winter. Being persuaded of the peaceable intentions of Mr. Hunt and his companions, they willingly conducted them to their camp. It was pitched in a narrow valley on the margin of a stream. The tents were of dressed skins, some of them fantastically painted, with horses grazing about them. The approach of the party caused a transient alarm in the camp, for these poor Indians were ever on the lookout for cruel foes. No sooner, however, did they recognize the garb and complexion of their visitors than their apprehensions were changed into joy; for some of them had dealt with white men, and knew them to be friendly, and to abound with articles of singular value. They welcomed them, therefore, to their tents, set food before them and entertained them to the best of their power.

"They had been successful in their hunt, and the camp was full of jerked buffalo meat, all of the choicest kind and extremely fat. Mr. Hunt purchased enough of them, in addition to what had been killed and cured by his own hunters, to load all the horses excepting those reserved for the partners and the wife of Pierre Dorion. He found also a few beaver skins in their camp, for which he paid liberally, as an inducement for them to hunt for more, informing them that some of his party intended to live among the mountains and trade with the native hunters for their peltries. The poor Snakes soon comprehended the advantages thus held out to them, and promised to exert themselves to procure a quantity of beaver skins for future traffic.

"Being now well supplied with provisions, Mr. Hunt broke up his encampment on the 24th of September and continued on to the west. A march of fifteen miles, over a mountainous ridge, brought them to a stream about fifty feet in width, which Hoback, one of their guides, who had trapped about the neighborhood when in the service of Mr. Henry, recognized as one of the headwaters of the Colum bia. The travelers hailed it with delight, as the first stream

they had encountered tending toward their point of destination. They kept along it for two days, during which, from the contribution of many rills and brooks, it gradually swelled into a small river. As it meandered among rocks and precipices, they were frequently obliged to ford it, and such was its rapidity that the men were often in danger of being swept away. Sometimes the banks advanced so close upon the river that they were obliged to scramble up and down their rugged promontories, or to skirt along their bases where there was scarce a foothold. Their horses had dangerous falls in some of these passes. One of them rolled, with his load, nearly two hundred feet down hill into the river, but without receiving any injury. At length they emerged from the stupendous defiles, and continued for several miles along the banks of Hoback's River, through one of the stern mountain valleys. Here it was joined by a river of greater magnitude and swifter current, and their united waters swept off through the valley in one impetuous stream, which from its rapidity and turbulence, had received the name of Mad River. At the confluence of these streams the travelers encamped. An important point in their arduous journey had been attained. A few miles from their camp rose the three vast snowy peaks called the Tetons, or the Pilot Knobs, the great landmarks of the Columbia, by which they had shaped their course through this mountain wilderness. By their feet flowed the rapid current of the Mad River, a stream ample enough to admit of the naviga. tion of canoes, and down which they might possibly be able to steer their course to the main body of the Columbia. The Canadian voyageurs rejoiced at the idea of once more launching themselves upon their favorite element; of exchanging their horses for canoes, and of gliding down the bosoms of rivers instead of scrambling over the backs of mountains. Others of the party, also, inexperienced in this kind of traveling, considered their trials and troubles as drawing to a close. They had conquered the chief difficul ties of this great rocky barrier, and now flattered themselves with the hope of an easy downward course for the rest of their journey. Little did they dream of the hardships and perils, by land and water, which were yet to be encountered in the frightful wilderness that intervened between them and the shores of the Pacific."

It was finally decided to construct canoes at this point and embark on the river, and thus make their way by water

to the Columbia, and while the canoes were being constructed, Mr. Hunt detached a party of trappers to operate on the upper waters of Mad River and adjacent branches. The detail was made up of Alexander Carson, Louis St. Michael, Pierre Detaye and Pierre DeLauney. The party was fitted out with arms, ammunition and traps and instructed to remain in the country for several months and finally to report at the mouth of the Columbia. They were to pack their peltries on their horses until they reached an upper post on the Columbia, which Mr. Hunt expected to establish. Before trusting the expedition to the water, John Day, John Reed and Peter Dorion were sent down the river with instructions to proceed for several days and examine the course and character of the stream. After this party had departed on their mission, two Snake Indians came into camp and perceiving the canoes in course of construction shook their heads and by unmistakable signs indicated that the river was not navigable. In due course of time the three men sent out to examine the river came back and reported that it was narrow, crooked and contained many rapids. The party then proceeded by land and finally arrived at Henry's post on an upper branch of the Columbia, which they reached on the 8th of October. Here another party was detached to hunt in the neighborhood. This was composed of Robinson, Hoback, Renzner and Cass, and they were also accompanied by Mr. Miller, one of the partners in the Pacific Fur Company. At Fort Henry, as it was called, they again constructed canoes and pushed on down the river. Two hundred and eighty miles below they encountered a thirty-foot rapid in the current. From that time on they had much difficulty in navigating the stream. The portages were long, and yet they disliked very much to give up their canoes. Finally, after passing 80 miles farther, that is to say, 340 miles down the river from Fort Henry, they reluctantly gave up the attempt to navigate the stream. Three parties were here detached and sent in different directions for relief. They were to try and discover friendly Indians, and if possible return to the main body with a sup