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The Astoria Expedition.
snow. These, he said, rose above a fork of the Columbia River. It is no wonder that the tired travelers shouted for joy as they beheld these lofty mountain peaks. It seemed to them that the shores of the Pacific were almost in sight, but yet there were hundreds of leagues between them and their destination. These glistening mountains, Mr. Hunt was told, were landmarks which denoted the source of the Columbia. He christened them Pilot Knobs. They were in reality the Grand Tetons, and are among the highest points of the Rocky Mountains, the loftiest one being 13,762 feet above the level of the sea. The party continued on through the pass, on the highest points of which they en- countered patches of snow. At length they reached a stream flowing to the west, down which they followed with light hearts and eager footsteps, but it turned out to be one of the tributaries of the Spanish River, so called by hunters, as the Indians reported that the Spaniards lived down the river. This was in reality Green River, so named by General Ash- ley eleven years later. Mr. Hunt's party was greatly cheered by a sight of the grassy valleys found along this stream, and to their joy they discovered herds of buffalo quietly grazing in the rich meadows. The hunters sallied forth with much enthusiasm and with little difficulty soon captured an abundant supply of meat, an article they were very much in need of, as famine stared them in the face, and no game had been obtainable for more than a week. Mr. Hunt makes the record in his journal of that day "that he had discovered three different kinds of gooseberries, the yellow, the deep purple and the common purple; also three kinds of currants." His journal reads that they continued down the course of this river a distance of fifteen miles to the southwest, where they camped opposite the end of a mountain on the west, and the following morning they changed their course, going in a northwesterly direction a distance of eight miles and encamped on a tributary of Spanish River, which Mr. Hunt said ran through rich mead- ows which afforded pasture for numerous herds of buffalo. Here they remained several days, replenishing their stock
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of provisions with dried buffalo meat. In his opinion they had a sufficient supply to last them until they should reach the Columbia, from which stream they expected to procure fish enough for the support of the party. While the hunting of the buffalo and the preparing of the meat was going on their horses were getting a much needed rest. The ani- mals were certainly in a jaded condition, having traveled for seventeen days and accomplished 260 miles with scanty feed by the way. What happened after this is told by Washington Irving, the facts being taken from Mr. Hunt's journal, to which Irving had access. I will remark here that the Mad River spoken of is Snake River, and the other river recognized by Hoback, the hunter and guide, is the present Hoback River, marked on the map of Wyoming.
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Astorians in Wyoming.
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. Wash- ington Irving says:
"Five days were passed by Mr. Hunt and his com- panions 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 voy- ageurs 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 pic- ture 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 val- ley 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 scut- tled off in one direction, while the Indians plied their lashes and galloped off in another, as fast as their steeds could
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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 friend- ly, 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 hunt- ers, 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 con- tinued 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
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Astorians in Wyoming.
they had encountered tending toward their point of destina- tion. 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 ardu- ous 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 ex. changing 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
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History of Wyoming.
to the Columbia, and while the canoes were being con- structed, 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 in- structed 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 con- struction 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 encoun- tered 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 di- rections for relief. They were to try and discover friendly Indians, and if possible return to the main body with a sup-
ENTRANCE TO HOBACK BANDNA
THE TETONS FROM JACKSONS LAKE
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Astorians in Wyoming.
ply of horses and provisions; but if they were unable to do this, they were to keep in view the mouth of the Columbia as their final destination. Mclellan was in charge of one party, consisting of three men, and these kept down the river. Ramsey Crooks with five others started up the stream, intending, should they not find relief nearer at hand, to keep on until they reached Henry's Fort, where they hoped to find the horses left there and return with them to the main body. Mckenzie took charge of the third de- tachment of five men, and proceeded northward across the desert in hopes of reaching the main stream of the Columbia. Mr. Hunt, with thirty-one remaining men, prepared caches, in which he deposited his merchandise and baggage that could not be carried by land. Before this necessary work was accomplished, Crooks and his party returned. They had become disheartened by their retrograde movement and had made up their minds that it would be impossible to reach Fort Henry and return that winter. Some days later two of the men under Mclellan returned to camp and reported that there was no hope of the expedition going by canoes from any point down the river; that they had met no Indians, and the stream presented the same furious as- pect, brawling and boiling between rocks and high walls; therefore the expedition moved forward on foot, and in their displeasure they named the camp which they were leaving "The Devil's Scuttle Hole." They were yet hundreds of miles from the mouth of the Columbia. A dreary waste lay before them, and for fear of perishing for the want of water they resolved to keep near the Snake River and push on. The party was again divided, with the idea of bettering their chances of subsistence. Mr. Hunt, with eighteen men, proceeded down the north side of the river, while Crooks with a like number kept along the south side. The day that the separation took place was the 9th of October. The two parties went on, and after suffering with cold and hunger, and being reduced to the point of starvation, often being without food three days at a time, they at last came among friendly Indians, who supplied their wants, but they sub-
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History of Wyoming.
sisted principally upon horseflesh and dogmeat. On the 31st of January, 1812, they arrived at the falls of the Columbia. Here they procured canoes, and on February 15th arrived at Astoria.
This expedition of the Astorians was one of the most remarkable on record; it had pursued a route through a wilderness never trod by white men before, but they blazed the way across the continent which proved vastly beneficial to succeeding travelers. Yet we are not through with them as explorers, for they are to make another trip through Wyoming and discover a route by which hundreds of thou- sands of their countrymen later crossed the Rocky Moun- tains.
The colossal operations of John Jacob Astor, as we have seen, possess national importance. He it was who developed, in spite of disaster, the American fur trade, turn- ing it into American channels, and thus encouraged Ashley, Bridger, the five Sublette brothers, Robert Campbell, Thom- as Fitzpatrick, Pierre Chouteau, Bonneville and a host of other worthies to trap and trade in the Rocky Mountains.
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Conditions at Astoria.
CHAPTER IX.
CONDITIONS AT ASTORIA.
ARRIVAL OF THE TONQUIN-DAVID STUART'S EXPEDITION TO ESTABLISH A NEW TRADING POST-DAVID THOMPSON OF THE NORTHWEST COM- PANY COMES DOWN THE COLUMBIA TO PLANT THE BRITISH FLAG AT THE MOUTH OF THAT RIVER, BUT IS TOO LATE-DISASTER TO THE TONQUIN AND THE MURDER OF HER CREW BY INDIANS-MR. LEWIS' TERRIBLE REVENGE-INDIANS AT ASTORIA HELD IN CHECK BY THREATS OF SPREADING THE SMALLPOX AMONG THEM-ARRIVAL OF THE BEA- VER FROM NEW YORK-DEPARTURE OF HUNT FOR NEW ARCHANGEL AND THE SANDWICH ISLANDS-TREACHERY OF MCDOUGAL-ABANDON- MENT OF ASTORIA.
As the building of the Fort, called Astoria, has a bear- ing on future events in Wyoming, let me pursue the history of Mr. Astor's operations in that quarter. I have already in a previous chapter mentioned the departure of the Tonquin from New York, bound for the mouth of the Columbia, with supplies for the trading post to be established there. With- out going into details of the voyage, I will say that the vessel arrived in the waters of the Columbia on March 22nd, 1811, and after various adventures and the loss of several men they succeeded in making a landing and selecting a site for a trading post, which they built. After the landing of the stores, Mr. McDougal, who has been mentioned in a previous chapter, took charge until Mr. Hunt should arrive, and the Tonquin sailed north to trade on the coast at the different harbors and to touch at Astoria on her return voyage. On the first of June the ship sailed away, never to return. About this time word was brought to the fort at Astoria by an Indian from the upper part of the river that thirty white men belonging to the Northwest Fur Company had appeared on the banks of the Columbia, at the second rapids, and were actually building homes there. This news disturbed the As- torians, and to counteract the effect of this British estab- lishment, David Stuart, with nine men under him, was dis-
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History of Wyoming.
patched to the Spokane River to establish a post and re- main there, provided he found the situation advantageous and the natives friendly. Before the expedition was ready to leave for its destination, a canoe arrived, on board of which was David Thompson, a partner of the Northwest Company, who stated that he had started out the preceding year with a strong party and a supply of Indian goods to cross the Rocky Mountains, but that all except eight of his people had deserted him on the eastern side of the mountains and returned with the goods to the nearest Northwest post. They had wintered in the mountains, and in the spring had built the cedar canoe and proceeded down the Columbia. This in fact was an expedition sent out by the Northwest Company in the name of the British Government to take possession of the valley of the Columbia. Mr. Thompson carried the British standard in his canoe, intending to plant it at the mouth of the Columbia, but much to his chagrin he found the stars and stripes floating from a flagstaff on the fort. Astor's expedition had effected a lodgement on the western coast, and to every appearance the fort had come to stay. Much to the annoyance of the other partners, McDougal invited Thompson to the headquarters and roy- ally entertained him and his people, and he also furnished him with provisions for his return journey across the moun. tains. David Stuart, who was about to go up the river to. establish a post, remonstrated with McDougal for this liberality toward the representative of the Northwest Com- pany and the British Government by saying that he did not think the object of his visit entitled him to any favor, but McDougal having been associated in former years with that company felt a friendship for it, and subsequent events proved that his friendship was stronger than his loyalty to the company of which he was now a partner, and it will be shown later that he was a traitor in the camp of the brave Americans at the mouth of the Columbia.
On the 23rd of July, David Stuart and his nine com. panions started up the river to build their trading post, and
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Conditions at Astoria.
Thompson and his associates followed him, being on their way to Montreal. The two expeditions kept together for three or four hundred miles. Stuart finally located a post at the mouth of the Oakanogan where it empties into the Columbia. After the sailing of the Tonquin and the de- parture of Stuart, there came a whisper that the Indian tribes of the locality had combined to make an attack on the post at Astoria. Learning of this, the small garrison fortified their position and mounted four guns on the two bastions of the fort. They qualified themselves for military duty by daily drills, and kept a guard posted day and night, in the hope of being able to hold out until Mr. Hunt and his party should arrive down the Columbia, or until Captain Thorn returned with the Tonquin; but a few days after, the party at the fort learned from Indian sources that disaster had overtaken the Tonquin. This report was not at first credited, but it was later confirmed. The Tonquin, it will be remembered, sailed from Astoria the first of June, but did not leave the mouth of that river until the fifth of the month. There were twenty-three persons on board the ves- sel, but in one of the outer bays they picked up another, an Indian named Lamazee, who had already made two voyages along the coast, and as he knew something of the various tribes and their languages, he was engaged for the voyage to act as interpreter. The vessel steered to the north, arriv- ing in a few days at Vancouver's Island, and there visited the harbor of Neweetee, contrary to the advice of the Indian interpreter, who claimed that the natives of this part of the coast were of dangerous character and should be avoided. In spite of the advice, Captain Thorn anchored his ves. sel and numerous natives came off in canoes laden with skins of the sea otter, which they offered for sale. It being late in the afternoon, Captain Thorn refused to commence traffic that day, but asked the natives to return in the morn- ing. Mr. McKay, the super-cargo, taking with him a number of men, went on shore to visit the village of Wicananish, the chief of the tribe in that territory. Captain Thorn had retained on board his vessel six of the natives as hostages
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History of Wyoming.
for the safe return of the white men. The Mckay party, as the story was afterwards told, was received in a friendly manner and entertained at the lodge of the chief, where they spent the night. What followed is told in graphic language by Washington Irving.
"In the morning, before Mr. McKay had returned to the ship, great numbers of the natives came off in their canoes to trade, headed by two sons of Wicananish. As they brought abundance of sea otter skins, and there was every appearance of a brisk trade, Captain Thorn did not wait for the return of Mr. McKay, but spread his wares upon deck, making a tempting display of blankets, cloths, knives, beads and fish hooks, expecting a prompt and profitable sale. The Indians, however, were not so eager and simple as he had supposed, having learned the art of bargaining and the value of merchandise from the casual traders along the coast. They were guided, too, by a shrewd old chief named Nookamis, who had grown gray in the traffic with New England skippers and prided himself upon his acuteness. His opinion seemed to regulate the market. When Captain Thorn made what he considered a liberal offer for an otter skin, the wily old Indian treated it with scorn, and asked more than double. His comrades all took their cue from him, and not an otter skin was to be had at a reasonable rate. The old fellow, however, overshot his mark and mis- took the character of the man with whom he was treating. Thorn was a plain, straightforward sailor, who never had two minds nor two prices in his dealings, was deficient in patience and pliancy, and totally wanting in the chicanery of traffic. He had a vast deal of stern but honest pride in his nature, and, moreover, held the savage race in sov- ereign contempt. Abandoning all further attempts, there- fore, to bargain with his shuffling customers, he thrust his hands into his pockets and paced up and down the deck in sullen silence. The cunning old Indian followed him to and fro, holding out a sea otter skin to him at every turn, and pestering him to trade. Finding other means unavailing, he suddenly changed his tone, and began to jeer and banter him upon the mean prices he offered. This was too much for the patience of the captain, who was never remarkable for relishing a joke, especially when at his own expense. Turning suddenly upon his persecutor, he snatched the prof- fered otter skin from his hands, rubbed it in his face, and dismissed him over the side of the ship with no very compli-
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Conditions at Astoria.
mentary application to accelerate his exit. He then kicked the peltries to right and left about the deck and broke up the market in the most ignominious manner. Old Nookamis made for the shore in a furious passion, in which he was joined by Shewish, one of the sons of Wicananish, who went off breathing vengeance, and the ship was soon aban- doned by the natives.
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