FROM NISQUALLY TO COLUMBIA RIVER. 251 



they had made with me in the morning, and were ready to go 

 to work at any moment I thought proper. I told them it was 

 my wish, they should go forthwith ; the order was obeyed, 

 and I directed them to pull for the place, where I thought I 

 had seen Mr. Eld. The canoe, however, had not proceeded 

 more than two hundred yards, when they began to raise new 

 objections one complained of being sick, another that he was 

 very hungry, and a third said that he had a sister, who was 

 unwell, and he must go and see her before he could go any 

 further. I reminded them of their promises, and even offered 

 to make them a present, if they would go on, but to no pur- 

 pose. They ran down to their encampment, and when abreast 

 of it, stood in. On reaching the beach, they landed, and then 

 hauled up the canoe, and I expected nothing less, than being 

 told that I was to consider myself their prisoner. Such, how- 

 ever, was not the case ; they said nothing about my remaining 

 with them ; and when I remarked that I wished to return to 

 our camp, they even furnished me with a small canoe, to ferry 

 me over the stream, which separated the two encampments. 



The following day, the owners of the muskets came to the 

 camp, and begged that they might be returned to them, and 

 we finally yielded to their wishes. Owing partly to these 

 troubles with the Indians, and partly to bad weather, we had 

 made but little progress in the survey of the harbor as yet. 

 Some days it stormed so furiously, that we could not venture 

 out at all. 



On the 6th of August, we shifted our camp about six miles 

 toward the Capes. After staying here a few days we selected 

 another place at the South Head. Our greatest difficulty now 

 was the -want of provisions. All our stores had been exhausted, 

 and for some days past we had been living on dead fish we 

 picked up on the beach, and some cammass root which we had 



