346 COLUMBIA RIVER. 



above. We soon found ourselves in much more sea and wind than 

 our canoe could bear ; and, by Plumondon's advice, took in our sail, 

 and made for Tongue Point as quickly as we could. He deemed 

 it muclr too dangerous to venture across the open bay in the small 

 canoe we had bought in lieu of the one we had come down in. 



We landed at Tongue Point and encamped ; but as we had much 

 time yet before dark, we went to the top of the Point, which is said 

 to be the position best adapted for a fortification to defend the channel 

 up the river. Tongue Point is a high bluff of trap rock, covered with 

 trees of large dimensions : the top has been cleared and taken posses- 

 sion of by Mr. Burnie, who has erected a log hut and planted a patch 

 of potatoes. The hut was inhabited for a year, by a Sandwich 

 Islander and his wife. It is rather a rough spot for cultivation, but 

 the end of occupancy was answered by it. There is a small portage 

 on Tongue Point, which canoes often use in bad weather, to avoid 

 accidents that might occur in the rough seas that make in the 

 channel that passes round it. 



Mr. Drayton picked up a considerable number of shells. 



Late in the afternoon, Mr. Burnie left us, and joined the barque 

 Columbia. Mr. Drayton and myself made ourselves comfortable, 

 notwithstanding it rained and blew hard. The next morning we set 

 out for Vancouver ; but our progress was slow, and we were obliged to 

 take advantage of ail the eddies. By the afternoon, however, we had 

 reached Oak Point, and stopped at a collection of lodges in order to 

 obtain some salmon. 



Near Puget Island, we encountered a party fishing, and saw them 

 take a large salmon ; but they demanded such an exorbitant price for 

 it (equal to one dollar and twenty-five cents), that we refused to give 

 it; consideriiig it bad policy to indulge their cupidity.* Plumondon 

 said, that they had no desire to sell the fish, as they had a supersti- 

 tious objection to dispose of the first fish to strangers : even if induced 

 to sell it, they will always take the heart out and roast it for them- 

 selves ; for they believe, that if the heart of the fish were eaten by 

 a stranger at the first of the season, their success would be de- 

 stroyed, and they would catch no more fish. To prevent this, they 

 consider it requisite that a certain number of " sleeps" or days should 



* On mentioning the subject at Vancouver, I was told I ought to have taken the fish, 

 and paid the Indian what I thought proper. 



