We should observe, that at the heels of Pierre Delaunay came
draggling an Indian wife, whom he had picked up in his
wanderings; having grown weary of celibacy among the savages.
The whole seven of this forlorn fraternity of adventurers, thus
accidentally congregated on the banks of Snake River, were making
arrangements once more to cross the mountains, when some Indian
scouts brought word of the approach of the little band headed by
John Reed.
The latter, having heard the several stories of these wanderers,
took them all into his party, and set out for the Caldron Linn,
to clear out two or three of the caches which had not been
revealed to the Indians.
At that place he met with Robinson, the Kentucky veteran, who,
with his two comrades, Rezner and Hoback, had remained there when
Mr. Stuart went on. This adventurous trio had been trapping
higher up the river, but Robinson had come down in a canoe, to
await the expected arrival of the party, and obtain horses and
equipments. He told Reed the story of the robbery of his party by
the Arapahays, but it differed, in some particulars, from the
account given by him to Mr. Stuart. In that, he had represented
Cass as having shamefully deserted his companions in their
extremity, carrying off with him a horse; in the one now given,
he spoke of him as having been killed in the affray with the
Arapahays. This discrepancy, of which, of course, Reed could have
had no knowledge at the time, concurred with other circumstances,
to occasion afterwards some mysterious speculations and dark
surmises as to the real fate of Cass; but as no substantial
grounds were ever adduced for them, we forbear to throw any
deeper shades into this story of sufferings in the wilderness.
Mr. Reed, having gathered the remainder of the goods from the
caches, put himself at the head of his party, now augmented by
the seven men thus casually picked up, and the squaw of Pierre
Delaunay, and made his way successfully to M'Kenzie's Post, on
the waters of the Shahaptan.
CHAPTER LIII.
Departure of Mr. Hunt in the Beaver- Precautions at the Factory.-
Detachment to the Wollamut.- Gloomy Apprehensions.- Arrival of
M'Kenzie.- Affairs at the Shahaptan.- News of War.- Dismay of
M'Dougal.-Determination to Abandon Astoria.-Departure of M'Kenzie
for the Interior.- Adventure at the Rapids.- Visit to the
Ruffians of Wish-ram. - A Perilous Situation.- Meeting With
M'Tavish and His Party.- Arrival at the Shahaptan.- Plundered
Caches.-Determination of the Wintering Partners Not to Leave the
Country.- Arrival of Clarke Among the Nez Perces.- The Affair of
the Silver Goblet.- Hanging of An Indian.- Arrival of the
Wintering Partners at Astoria.
AFTER the departure of the different detachments, or brigades, as
they are called by the fur traders, the Beaver prepared for her
voyage along the coast, and her visit to the Russian
establishment, at New Archangel, where she was to carry supplies.
It had been determined in the council of partners at Astoria,
that Mr. Hunt should embark in this vessel, for the purpose of
acquainting himself with the coasting trade, and of making
arrangements with the commander of the Russian post, and that he
should be re-landed in October, at Astoria, by the Beaver, on her
way to the Sandwich Islands and Canton.
The Beaver put to sea in the month of August. Her departure and
that of the various brigades, left the fortress of Astoria but
slightly garrisoned. This was soon perceived by some of the
Indian tribes, and the consequence was increased insolence of
deportment, and a disposition to hostility. It was now the
fishing season, when the tribes from the northern coast drew into
the neighborhood of the Columbia. These were warlike and
perfidious in their dispositions; and noted for their attempts to
surprise trading ships. Among them were numbers of the Neweetees,
the ferocious tribe that massacred the crew of the Tonquin.
Great precautions, therefore, were taken at the factory, to guard
against surprise while these dangerous intruders were in the
vicinity. Galleries were constructed inside of the palisades; the
bastions were heightened, and sentinels were posted day and
night. Fortunately, the Chinooks and other tribes resident in the
vicinity manifested the most pacific disposition. Old Comcomly,
who held sway over them, was a shrewd calculator. He was aware of
the advantages of having the whites as neighbors and allies, and
of the consequence derived to himself and his people from acting
as intermediate traders between them and the distant tribes. He
had, therefore, by this time, become a firm friend of the
Astorians, and formed a kind of barrier between them and the
hostile intruders from the north.
The summer of 1812 passed away without any of the hostilities
that had been apprehended; the Neweetees, and other dangerous
visitors to the neighborhood, finished their fishing and returned
home, and the inmates of the factory once more felt secure from
attack.
It now became necessary to guard against other evils. The season
of scarcity arrived, which commences in October, and lasts until
the end of January. To provide for the support of the garrison,
the shallop was employed to forage about the shores of the river.
A number of the men, also, under the command of some of the
clerks, were sent to quarter themselves on the banks of the
Wollamut (the Multnomah of Lewis and Clarke) , a fine river which
disembogues itself into the Columbia, about sixty miles above
Astoria. The country bordering on the river is finely diversified
with prairies and hills, and forests of oak, ash, maple, and
cedar. It abounded, at that time, with elk and deer, and the
streams were well stocked with beaver.
