His Route Lay Through A Beautiful
Undulating Country, Covered With Horses Belonging To The Skynses,
Who Sent Them There For Pasturage.
On reaching the Columbia, Captain Bonneville hoped to open a
trade with the natives, for fish and other provisions, but to his
surprise they kept aloof, and even hid themselves on his
approach.
He soon discovered that they were under the influence
of the Hudson's Bay Company, who had forbidden them to trade, or
hold any communion with him. He proceeded along the Columbia,
but it was everywhere the same; not an article of provisions was
to be obtained from the natives, and he was at length obliged to
kill a couple of his horses to sustain his famishing people. He
now came to a halt, and consulted what was to be done. The broad
and beautiful Columbia lay before them, smooth and unruffled as a
mirror; a little more journeying would take them to its lower
region; to the noble valley of the Wallamut, their projected
winter quarters. To advance under present circumstances would be
to court starvation. The resources of the country were locked
against them, by the influence of a jealous and powerful
monopoly. If they reached the Wallamut, they could scarcely hope
to obtain sufficient supplies for the winter; if they lingered
any longer in the country the snows would gather upon the
mountains and cut off their retreat. By hastening their return,
they would be able to reach the Blue Mountains just in time to
find the elk, the deer, and the bighorn; and after they had
supplied themselves with provisions, they might push through the
mountains before they were entirely blocked by snow.
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