'■■y 



166 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



eveH, shipped some water, and made very little progress for the 

 last two days. They informed us that Captain W.'s canoe 

 had been dashed to pieces on the rocks above, and that 

 he and all his crew were thrown into the water, and forced to 

 swim for their lives. They all escaped, and proceeded down the 

 river, this morning, in a canoe, hired of the Indians here, one of 

 whom accompanied them, as pilot. 



After a hasty meal of fish, purchased on the spot, our friends 

 reloaded their boat and got under way, hoping to reach Vancou- 

 ver by next morning. Mr. N. and myself remained some time 

 longer here, expecting intelligence from our people behind; we 

 had begun to feel a little uneasy about them, and thought of re- 

 turning to look into their situation, when Captain T. came in 

 haste towards us, with the mortifying intelligence that one canoe 

 had been stove upon the rocks, and the other so badly split, that 

 he feared she would not float ; the latter was, however, brought 

 on by the men, and moored where we had stopped. A man was 

 then despatched to an Indian village, about five miles below, to 

 endeavor to procure one or two canoes and a pilot. In the 

 mean time, we had all to walk back along the circuitous and 

 almost impassable Indian trail, and carry our wet and heavy 

 baggage from the spot where the boats had been unloaded. The 

 distance, as I have stated, was a full mile, and the road so rough 

 and encumbered as to be scarcely passable. In walking over 

 many of the large and steep rocks, it was often necessary that 

 the hands should be used to raise and support the body ; this, 

 with a load, was inconvenient. Again, in ascending and de- 

 scending the steep and slippery hills, a single mis-step was cer- 

 tain to throw us in the mud, and bruise us upon the sharp rocks 

 which were planted all around. This accident occurred several 

 times with us all. 



Over this most miserable of all roads, with the cold rain dash- 

 ing and pelting upon us durmg the whole time, until we felt as 



