160 NARRATIVE OF A JOURjVEY 



minutes. We were disappointed in not seeing Captain W, here, as 

 this was the spot where we expected to meet him ; the chief, 

 however, told us that we should find him about twelve miles 

 below, at the next village. We were accordingly soon on the 

 move again, and urging our horses to their fastest gait, we 

 arrived about sunset. The captain, the chief of the village, and 

 several other Indians, came out to meet us and make us welcome. 

 Captain W. has been here two days, and we were pleased to 

 'earn that he had completed all the necessary arrangements for 

 transporting ourselves and baggage to Vancouver in canoes. 

 The route by land is said to be a very tedious and difficult one, 

 and, in some places, almost impassable, but even were it other- 

 wise, I believe we should all much prefer the water conveyance, 

 as we have become very tired of riding. 



Since leaving the upper village this afternoon, we have been 

 followed by scores of Indians on foot and on horseback ; some 

 of the animals carrying three at a time; and although we tra- 

 velled rapidly, the pedestrians were seldom far behind us. 



We have concluded to leave our horses here, in charge of the 

 chief of the village, who has promised to attend to them during 

 the winter, and deliver them to our order in the spring. Captain 

 W. having been acquainted with this man before, is willing to 

 trust him. 



llth. — Early this morning, we launched our three canoes, 

 and each being provided with an Indian, as helmisman, we ap- 

 plied ourselves to our paddles, and were soon moving briskly 

 down the river. In about an hour after, the wind came out 

 dead ahead, and although the current was in favor, our progress 

 was sensibly checked. As we proceeded, the wind rose to a 

 heavy gale, and the waves ran to a prodigious height. At one 

 moment our frail bark danced upon the crest of a wave, and at 

 the next, fell with a surge into the trough of the sea, and as we 

 looked at the swell before us, it seemed that in an instant we 



