1825, APRIL. COLUMBIA RIVER 103 



berries for sale and soon showed themselves to be a dexterous people 

 at bargaining. On Monday, the 11th, we went up the river to the 

 Company's establishment, distant from the entrance about seven or 

 eight miles. We learned they had nearly abandoned their fort there 

 and had made one seventy miles up the river on the opposite side, to 

 which aU persons in their employ were to repair in a few days. I went on 

 shore on Tuesday (12th March,i 1825) and was very civilly received by a 

 Mr. McKenzie, the other person in authority ; he informed me they were 

 about to abandon the present place for a more commodious situation 

 90 miles up the river on the north side, also that the chief factor, John 

 McLoughlin, Esq., was up the river at the new establishment, but would 

 be down as soon as he received the news of the ship's arrival. I did 

 not leave the ship until Saturday, but was daily on shore. With respect 

 to the appearance of the country and its fertility my expectations were 

 fidly realised. It is very varied, diversified by hiUs and extensive plains, 

 generally good soil. The greater part of the whole country as far as 

 the eye can reach is closely covered with pine of several species. In 

 forest trees there is no variety or comparison to the Atlantic side, no 

 Fagus, Gleditschia, Magnolia, Juglans, one Quercus, one Fraxinus. The 

 coujitry to the northward near the ocean is hilly. Point Round or Point 

 Adams of Lewis and Clarke on the south side of the river is low and many 

 places swampy. For the distance of 40 miles as far as Cape Lookout 

 there is a ridge of hiUs that run in a south-west direction and is so named 

 by Vancouver. The breadth of the river at its mouth is about 5 miles 

 not including Baker's Bay which has a deep bend. The current is very 

 rapid and when the wind blows from the west produces a great agitation. 

 The water on the sandbar breaks from one side to the other so that no 

 channel can be perceived ; when in such a state no vessel can attempt 

 to go out or come in. Mr. McKenzie made me as comfortable as his 

 circumstances would admit, until he coidd see the chief factor. My 

 paper being all in the hold, except a very small quantity, and the ship 

 not yet taking out the cargo, I could do but little in the way of collecting. 

 The following is what came under my notice : 



Of those marked with an S. seeds are now sent home and a small 

 portion of each kept where they could be divided, which was done ; except 

 in a very few instances, those kept are, as I am instructed, to be either 

 taken or sent home across the continent. A dry specimen of each is also 

 kept for reference to the collecting of seeds, and will be^ sent [or taken 

 home by sea, being too bulky to cross the continent, though a few of the 

 most interesting may. 



(1) Cardamine sp., annual, male; in moist places and margins of 

 creeks. 



(2) Ribes sp. ; leaves large, five-lobed, rough, serrate ; flower rising 

 to a very long spike fully 6 to 8 inches long, purpUsh-yeUow, thirty to 

 forty in number ; wood white ; 6 to 8 feet high, very luxuriant in moist 

 situations in rich vegetable soil; berry about the size of a common 

 currant, round, of a bluish-black and slightly hairy, with a bitter astringent 



1 This must be a slip of the pen : April is intended. — Ed. 



