1826-7, NOVEMBER APRIL. COLUMBIA RIVER 69 



Mr. McLeod returned on the 4th ; he had passed over a very interesting 

 country, but found the tribes very hostile. One of his party was killed, 

 and an Indian woman (the wife of one of the hunters) with five children 

 were carried off ; what became of them we never learned. 



I remained here a week, putting in order my collection. Mr. McLeod 

 being about to send two men to the Columbia, I thought it better to return 

 with them, particularly as I was not well equipped for spending all the 

 winter in the woods ; and another thing, I was fearful if I should lose the 

 opportunity of crossing the Rocky Mountains the following spring. 



We returned nearly by the same way we had come, in twelve days' hard 

 labour, with great misery, hunger, rain, and cold ; but what gave me most 

 pain was the nearly total loss of my collections crossing the River Sandiam, 

 one of the tributaries of the Multnomah. 



On the 20th, at the Fort, I found letters for me from London, which 

 were pleasant. I remained here till December 9th, when I undertook a 

 voyage to the coast in hope of replacing some articles lost last winter. 

 This was a still more unfortunate undertaking, for I had my canoe wrecked ; 

 and from the wet and cold returned home sick, having added nothing to 

 my collection save one new species of Ledum. This winter was spent 

 in the same way as the former. 



1827. 



On Thursday, March 6th, I again visited the sea, but by reason of the 

 rain returned for the last time, having failed a third time. The remainder 

 of my time on this coast was spent packing up my collection. 



March 20th. By the annual express and in company with Dr. 

 McLoughlin, I left Fort Vancouver for England, where I spent, if not many 

 comfortable days, many pleasant ones. 1 Though happy of the opportunity 

 of returning to my native land, yet I confess I certainly left with regret 

 a country so exceedingly interesting. 



I walked the whole distance from this place to Fort Colville on the 

 Kettle Falls, which occupied twenty-five days. Not a day passed but 

 brought something new or interesting either in botany or zoology. The 

 beautiful Erythronium maximum 2 and Claytonia lanceolata 3 were in full 

 bloom among the snow. 



April 18th. Mr. Edward Ermatinger, seven men, and myself took our 

 departure from this place for the Rocky Mountains early in the morning. 

 Nothing of importance transpired. On Friday the 20th We entered the 

 lower lake and used our sail. The wind being favourable we went on very 

 prosperously, and reached the termination of the upper lake on Sunday 

 the 22nd at four o'clock. 



Twenty-eight miles above the upper lake the river takes a sudden bend 

 and to all appearances tosses itself in the mountain. A scene of the most 

 terrific grandeur presents itself. The river is confined to the breadth of 



1 The entries after this point appear to relate to his journey towards England by 

 ' the annual express,' and the ' not comfortable days ' probably refer to the journey 

 across the continent. ED. 



2 E. grandiflorum var. giganteum, Baker, in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. p. 298. 



3 C. caroliniana var. sessilifolia, S. Wats. Bibl. Ind. N. Am. Bot. p. 117. 



