A parley ensued. It
was a detachment of Northwesters, under the command of Mr. John
George M'Tavish, bound, full of song and spirit, to the mouth of
the Columbia, to await the arrival of the Isaac Todd.
Mr. M'Kenzie and M'Tavish came to a halt, and landing, encamped
for the night. The voyageurs of either party hailed each other as
brothers, and old "comrades," and they mingled together as if
united by one common interest, instead of belonging to rival
companies, and trading under hostile flags.
In the morning they proceeded on their different ways, in style
corresponding to their different fortunes: the one toiling
painfully against the stream, the other sweeping down gayly with
the Current.
M'Kenzie arrived safely at his deserted post on the Shahaptan,
but found, to his chagrin, that his caches had been discovered
and rifled by the Indians. Here was a dilemma, for on the stolen
goods he had depended to purchase horses of the Indians. He sent
out men in all directions to endeavor to discover the thieves,
and despatched Mr. Reed to the posts of Messrs. Clarke and David
Stuart, with the letters of Mr. M'Dougal.
The resolution announced in these letters, to break up and depart
from Astoria, was condemned by both Clarke and Stuart. These two
gentlemen had been very successful at their posts, and considered
it rash and pusillanimous to abandon, on the first difficulty, an
enterprise of such great cost and ample promise. They made no
arrangements, therefore, for leaving the country, but acted with
a view to the maintenance of their new and prosperous
establishments.
The regular time approached, when the partners of the interior -
posts were to rendezvous at the mouth of the Wallah-Wallah, on
their way to Astoria, with the peltries they had collected. Mr.
Clarke accordingly packed all his furs on twenty-eight horses,
and, leaving a clerk and four men to take charge of the post,
departed on the 25th of May with the residue of his force.
On the 30th, he arrived at the confluence of the Pavion and Lewis
rivers, where he had left his barge and canoes, in the
guardianship of the old Pierced-nosed chieftain. That dignitary
had acquitted himself more faithfully to his charge than Mr.
Clarke had expected, and the canoes were found in very tolerable
order. Some repairs were necessary, and, while they were making,
the party encamped close by the village. Having had repeated and
vexatious proofs of the pilfering propensities of this tribe
during his former visit, Mr. Clarke ordered that a wary eye
should be kept upon them.
He was a tall, good-looking man, and somewhat given to pomp and
circumstance, which made him an object of note in the eyes of the
wondering savages.
