COLUMBIA RIVER. 327 



to Lapwai, the mission station on the Kooskooskee river, thence to 

 Wallawalla, and returning by the way of the Yakima river, repass 

 the mountains to Nisqually. — (The orders are given in Appendix 

 XII.) 



The other land party consisted of Messrs. Drayton and Waldron 

 of tlie Vincennes, myself, and two servants. Our intended route lay 

 across the country to the Columbia river. First, I proposed to visit 

 Astoria, then Fort Vancouver, and the Willamette settlement, and to 

 proceed up the river as far as Wallawalla. From Astoria I proposed 

 to send parties from the Peacock into the interior, and to set on foot 

 the survey of the Columbia river, by means of her boats. 



The establishment of an observatory also claimed my attention : a 

 suitable site was found on the top of the hill, within hail of the ship. 

 Here the instruments and clocks were landed, and put up in a small 

 clearing, whence the trees had been cut in order to supply the 

 steamers with fuel. 



All these preparations occupied us until the 15th, when the brig 

 was reported as ready, and sailed the same day. During the above 

 interval I had the pleasure of visits from Dr. Richmond and Mr. 

 Wilson, of the Methodist Mission, stationed at this place. 



In returning the visits of Mr. Anderson and Captain M'Niel, I 

 had an opportunity of seeing the so-called fort. It is constructed of 

 pickets, enclosing a space about two hundred feet square, with four 

 corner bastions. Within this enclosure are the agents' stores, and 

 about half a dozen houses, built of logs, and roofed with bark. 

 This fort was considered quite large when it was first established, but 

 since it has become an agricultural post as well as a trading one, it is 

 found to be too small. Its locality is also ill chosen, on account of 

 the difficulty of obtaining water, which has to be brought from a 

 distance of nearly a mile. I was informed that there was now little 

 necessity for any sort of protection against the Indians, who are but 

 few in number, and very peaceably disposed. 



Mr. Anderson and Captain M'Niel both reside in the fort with 

 their families : both are married to half-breeds, and have several fine 

 children. After spending some time in conversing about my plans, 

 Mr. Anderson was kind enough to show me his garden, which is in 

 an enclosure just without the pickets. Here I saw peas a foot high, 

 strawberries and gooseberries in full bloom, and some of the former 

 nearly ripe, with salad that had gone to seed, three feet high, very 

 large and thrifty. 



