The Home of tJie Wolverene and Beaver. 175 



completely covered with canoes of all sizes and 

 descriptions, used by the fishing Indians as 

 receptacles for their dead. As far as Point 

 Vancouver, which is about one hundred and ten 

 miles from the bar, the Columbia is navigable for 

 vessels of four hundred tons, and here the tidal 

 influence ceases to be perceptible. At last the 

 foot of the Cascades was reached, and it became 

 necessary to make a portage. They had no 

 sooner landed than a great number of Indians 

 presented themselves, and became troublesome from 

 their continual demands for presents. The distri- 

 bution of a few trinkets amongst the chiefs brought 

 them to order, and then the transport of the goods 

 commenced by a most abominable path fifteen 

 hundred yards in length, and mounting up and 

 down steep banks throughout its whole distance. 

 Had all the men been like my father and the 

 other two voyageurs, they would have made short 

 work of such a trumpery affair, but they were 

 wholly unaccustomed to such a thing, and it was 

 sunset by the time everything was safely crossed. 



"A ludicrous incident happened to one of the 

 party, Mr. Ross, which always amused my father. 

 Being unused to carry, he was deputed to stand as 

 sentinel at the lower end of the portage below the 

 Cascades, where the canoes were secured ; but seeing 



