ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 153 



what disappointed in not receiving the expected supplies from 

 Walla-walla, but have not suffered for provision, as the grouse 

 and hares are very abundant here, and we have shot as many 

 as we wished. 



At about noon we struck the Walla-walla river, a very pretty 

 stream of fifty or sixty yards in width, fringed with tall willows, 

 and containing a number of salmon, which we can see frequently 

 leaping from the water. The pasture here, being good, we al- 

 lowed our horses an hour's rest to feed, and then travelled on 

 over the plain, until near dark, when, on rising a sandy hill, 

 the noble Columbia burst at once upon our view. I could 

 scarcely repress a loud exclamation of delight and pleasure, as I 

 gazed upon the magnificent river, flowing silently and majesti- 

 cally on, and reflected that I had actually crossed the vast Ame- 

 rican continent, and now stood upon a stream that poured its 

 waters directly into the Pacific. This, then, was the great Ore- 

 gon, the first appearance of which gave Lewis and Clark so 

 many emotions of joy and pleasure, and on this stream our in- 

 defatigable countrymen wintered, after the toils and privations of 

 a long, and protracted journey through the wilderness. My re- 

 verie was suddenly interrupted by one of the men exclaiming 

 from his position in advance, " there is the fort." We had, in 

 truth approached very near, without being conscious of it. 

 There stood the fort on the bank of the river; horses and horned 

 cattle were roaming about the vicinity, and on the borders of the 

 _ .>r^ Jittle Walla-walla, we recognised the white tent of our long lost 

 missionaries. These we soon joined, and were met and received 

 by them like brethren. Mr. N. and myself were invited to sup 

 with them upon a dish of stewed hares which they had just pre- 

 pared, and it is almost needless to say that we did full justice to 

 the good men's cookery. They told us that they had travelled 

 comfortably from Fort Hall, without any unusual fatigue, and 



like ourselves, had no particularly stirring adventures. Their 



20 



