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Expedition to the Columbia. 

 Vancouver. Willamette river. 



OREGON. 



Willamette Valley. Mode of 

 catching salmon. 



found that the crop of grain suffers in proportion 

 to the quantity of the stalk immersed : unless the 

 wheat is completely covered, a partial harvest may 

 be expected. 



The waters of the Columbia have no fertilizing 

 qualities, which is remarkable when the extent of 

 its course is considered : on the contrary, it is said, 

 from experience, to deteriorate and exhaust the 

 soil. It is, when taken up, quite clear, although it 

 has a turbid look as it flows by. Quantities of fine 

 sand are however borne along, and being deposited 

 in the eddies, rapidly form banks, which alter the 

 channel in places to a great degree. 



The situation of Vancouver is favourable for 

 agricultural purposes, and it may be said to be the 

 head of navigation for sea-going vessels. A vessel 

 of fourteen feet draft of water, may reach it in the 

 lowest state of the river. The Columbia at this 

 point makes a considerable angle, and is divided 

 by two islands, which extend upwards about three 

 miles, to where the upper branch of the Willa- 

 mette joins it. The shores of these islands are 

 covered with trees, consisting of ash, poplars, 

 pines, and oaks, while the centre is generally 

 prairie, and lower than the banks : they are prin- 

 cipally composed of sand. During the rise of the 

 river in May and June, the islands are covered 

 with water, that niters through the banks that are 

 not overflowed. This influx renders them unfit 

 for grain crops, as the coldness of the water in- 

 variably destroys every cultivated plant it touches. 



The Company's establishment at Vancouver is 

 upon an extensive scale, and is worthy of the vast 

 interest of which it is the centre. The residents 

 mess at several tables: one for the chief factor and 

 his clerks ; one for their wives (it being against 

 the regulations of the Company for their officers 

 and wives to take their meals together) ; another 

 for the missionaries ; and another for the sick 

 and the Catholic missionaries. All is arranged in 

 the best order, and I should think with great 

 economy. Every thing may be had within the 

 fort : they have an extensive apothecary shop, a 

 bakery, blacksmiths' and coopers' shops, trade- 

 offices for buying, others for selling, others again 

 for keeping accounts and transacting business ; 

 shops for retail, where English manufactured 

 articles may be purchased at as low a price, if not 

 cheaper, than in the United States, consisting of 

 cotton and woollen goods, ready-made clothing, ship- 

 chandlery, earthen and iron ware, and fancy 

 articles ; in short, every thing, and of every kind 

 and description, including all sorts of groceries, at 

 an advance of eighty per cent, on the London 

 prime cost. This is the established price at Van- 

 couver, but at the other posts it is one hundred 

 per cent., to cover the extra expenses of trans- 

 portation. All these articles are of good quality, 

 and suitable for the servants, settlers, and visitors. 

 Of the quantity on hand, some idea may be formed 

 from the fact that all the posts west of the Rocky 

 Mountains get their annual supplies from this 

 depot. 



The Willamette river is generally about one- 

 fourth of a mile wide. For the distance of four 

 miles from its entrance into the Columbia its banks 

 are low, and during the rise of the latter are over- 

 flowed, its waters being backed into the Willamette. 

 There is little current to contend with in this river 

 during this season. After passing this low ground, 



the banks become high and precipitous, and are in 

 only a few places susceptible of cultivation. 



At the time of our visit to the falls of Willamette, 

 the salmon-fishery was at its height, and was to us 

 a novel as well as an amusing scene. The salmon 

 leap the fall; and it would be inconceivable, if not 

 actually witnessed, how they can force themselves 

 up, and after a leap of from ten to twelve feet retain 

 strength enough to stem the force of the water above. 

 About one in ten of those who jumped, would suc- 

 ceed in getting by. They are seen to dart out of 

 the foam beneath and reach about two-thirds of the 

 height, at a single bound : those that thus passed 

 the apex of the running water, succeed ; but all that 

 fell short, were thrown back again into the foam. I 

 never saw so many fish collected together before ; 

 and the Indians are constantly employed in taking 

 them. They rig out two stout poles, long enough 

 to project over the foaming cauldron, and secure 

 their larger ends to the rocks. On the outer end 

 they make a platform for the fisherman to stand on, 

 who is perched on it with a pole thirty feet long in 

 hand, to which the net is fastened by a hoop four 

 feet in diameter : the net is made to slide on the 

 hoop, so as to close its mouth when the fish is taken. 

 The mode of using the net is peculiar : they throw 

 it into the foam as far up the stream as they can 

 reach, and it being then quickly carried down, the 

 fish who are running up in a contrary direction are 

 caught. Sometimes twenty large fish are taken by 

 a single person in an hour; and it is only surprising 

 that twice as many should not be caught. 



The river at the falls is three hundred and fifty 

 yards wide, and its greatest fall twenty-five feet. 

 When the water is not very high, the rapids begin 

 some distance above the falls. Some of the Indians 

 are in the habit of coming down in canoes to the 

 brink of the falls, where they secure themselves by 

 thrusting down poles in the crevices of the rock. 

 There they take many fish, that have succeeded in 

 passing the lower fall, with a hook fastened to the 

 end of a pole. These are esteemed to be of the 

 best flavour, as they are the strongest and fattest. 

 It is said from these places the fish can be seen 

 very distinctly passing up, and are taken very ra- 

 pidly; but few Indians are willing or expose them- 

 selves to the risk of fishing there. The number of 

 Indians at the Willamette Falls during the fishing 

 season, is about seventy, including all ages and 

 sexes : there are others who visit the falls in canoes 

 for fish, which at times will raise the number to not 

 far from one hundred. Those fish which are un- 

 able to get up, remain some time at the falls, very 

 much exhausted, and finally resort to the smaller 

 streams below. 



In consequence of the interruption of the naviga- 

 tion of its rivers in the dry season, the Willamette 

 Valley will never become a large settlement. 



The salmon-fishery may be classed as one of the 

 great sources of wealth, for it affords a large amount 

 of food at a very low price, and of the very best 

 quality : it does not extend above the falls. I 

 found it impossible to obtain any data to found a 

 calculation of the quantity taken, but it cannot be 

 short of eight hundred barrels; and this after the 

 Indian manner of catching them, as before de- 

 scribed. The finest of the salmon are those caught 

 nearest the sea. 



The settlers and Indians told us that the salmon 

 as they pass up the river become poorer, and when 



