2o6 The Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 



John Day, a Kentucky hunter, and four Canadians, 

 and the Astorians held high jubilee in honour of 

 the occasion ; the American colours were run up to 

 the flag-staff, the cannon fired ; fish and venison 

 smoked upon the board ; a plentiful allowance of 

 rum was distributed ; and a ball, given by the 

 Canadian voyagcnrs lasted far into the small hours 

 of the following morning. 



Spring once more reigned over the country on the 

 Columbia, and now the Astorians bestirred them- 

 selves, for there were many things to be done, and 

 several expeditions to send forth. In the first place, 

 Mr. David Stuart must be visited at the lonely 

 little station on the Oakanagan, where he and Mr. 

 Ross had passed the winter ; secondly, many 

 articles of value cached, or secretly hidden, by Mr. 

 Hunt's party, had to be recovered ; and lastly, des- 

 patches to Mr. Astor, informing him of the condi- 

 tion of the settlement, had to be sent overland to 

 New York. 



The first of these enterprises was confided to 

 Mr. Robert Stuart; a nephew of the gentleman at 

 Oakanagan; two clerks were entrusted with the 

 second ; whilst the third and most dangerous was 

 willingly accepted by Mr. Reed, who, the reader 

 may remember, was one of the party on the Snake 

 River. With only three men. Reed was to make 



