128 
mine carried was almost destroyed by the 
poor beast’s repeated falls; the tin box 
containing my note-book bruised quite out 
of shape, its sides bent together—a small 
case of preserving-powder quite spoiled,— 
and my only shirt reduced, by the chafing, 
to the state of surgeon’s lint. I congratu- 
lated myself exceedingly on not having 
trusted my papers of plants to the same 
conveyance, but carried them on my back. 
The country towards the upper part of the 
river appears to be more varied and moun- 
tainous, and may, perhaps, afford me the 
much-wished-for Pine, as it certainly con- 
siderably resembles the spot described to 
me by the Indian in whose smoking pouch 
I last year found some of its large scales. 
If the morning proves fine, and any provi- 
sion has been killed, I intend to start to- 
morrow for a few days’ excursion in that i 
direction, Baptiste M‘Kay having given 
me one of his Indian hunters, a young man 
about eighteen years of age, as a guide. 
To what nation he belongs he does not 
know, as he was brought from the South 
by a war party when a child, and kept as a 
slave till M‘Kay took him. He is very 
fond of this mode of life, and has no de- 
sire to return to his Indian relations; and 
as he speaks a few words of Chenook and 
understands the Umptqua tongue, I trust 
to find no difficulty in conversing with this 
my only companion. 
Wednesday the 18th. I set off this 
morning, proceeding due South, and cross- 
ed the river five miles from an encampment 
of Indians, where there were two lodges 
and about twenty-five souls, mostly women, 
the wives of Centrenose, who is chief of 
the tribe inhabiting the upper part of the 
Umptqua River. They very courteously 
brought me a large canoe, in which I em- 
barked, and swam the horses at the stern, 
holding their bridles in my hand. My 
guide proving less conversant with the 
language of the people than I had expect- 
ed, my intercourse with these Indians was 
but limited. They gave me nuts of Cory- 
lus, with the roots of Quamash, and a sort 
of meal prepared from the roots of a Syn- 
genesious plant already in my possession, 
DOUGLAS’ EXCURSION TO 
mixed with the roasted and pulve 
of the myrtaceous tree before menti 
A decoction of the leaves and tender 
of this tree is by no means an unpala 
beverage. : 
Soon after a herd of small deer 
off before me, and I shot a female thi 
the vertebre, when she instantly d 
Since leaving Fort Vancouver, I have off 
seen these creatures run several hv 
yards before falling, after a ball has 
through the heart. No fording pla 
pearing here, nor for a considerable 
tance, I began making a raft, which 
tered my hands dreadfully, and p 
after all, too small, so that I closed 
day's toil by kindling a fire and ro 
with my raft, I wrote a note to Mr. M 
then nine miles distant, informing 
my situation, and sent it by my 
guide, during whose absence It 
gun and went out to the chase. 
after wounded a very large buck, 
helped to extricate me. 
the chest quite disabled me, an 
my only plan was to regain the 
fast as possible, my Indian friends 
a hand to saddle my horse and 
to mount it. It gave me more 
than I can describe to have some 
provision left, with which I could 
pense these friendly savages for their 
ly aid. After expressing MY grat 
the best way I could, I endeavour 
creep along with the help of my sn : 
gun, but was thankful to meet mi ; 
Kennedy, whom Mr. M‘Leod had ; 
despatched to render me assis" s 
who accompanied me to the game 
a little tea considerably revived j 
also bled myself in the left foot 
much better. Several deer have 
killed since my departure. 
