WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 373 



from other sources. He had crossed the mountains the year before, 

 and found no difficulty in making the trip. He intends to return and 

 bring out his family, being of opinion that the country is a fine one, 

 and exceedingly healthy, and that it will compare well with the lands 

 of Missouri and Illinois. The great objection to the upper country, 

 on the route by which we travelled, was the want of wood. 



Another of these men was named George Gay, of whom I shall 

 speak hereafter. 



We found this, as I said before, a dirty house : the people were 

 idle and fond of lounging, and all I have yet seen are uncombed and 

 unshaved. 



These people were quite alive on the subject of laws, courts, and 

 magistrates, including governors, judges, &c. I was here informed 

 that a committee had been appointed to wait upon me on my arrival 

 at the mission, to hold a consultation relative to the establishment of 

 settled governments. Johnson, trapper-like, took what I thought the 

 soundest view, saying that they yet lived in the bush, and let all do 

 right, there was no necessity for laws, lawyers, or magistrates. 



Having our camp equipage witli us, together with plenty of pro- 

 visions, our servant managed without putting him or his wife to 

 much inconvenience ; and although we passed an uncomfortable 

 night, fighting with the fleas, yet we both agreed it was better than 

 if we had been in our tents. 



In the morning we found horses waiting, under charge of Michael 

 La Framboise, who is in the employ of the Company, and was veiy 

 happy to see us. He originally came out in the ship Tonquin, and 

 was one of the party that landed at Astoria, where he has resided ever 

 since, either in the employ of tiie Northwest or Hudson Bay Com- 

 pany. Michael is of low stature, and rather corpulent, but he has 

 great energy and activity of both mind and body, indomitable courage, 

 and all the vivacity of a Frenchman. He has travelled in all parts of 

 the country, and says that he has a wife of high rank in every tribe, 

 by which means he has insured his safety. From him I derived 

 much information, and to him all parties refer as possessing the most 

 accurate knowledge of the country. He generally has charge of a 

 party, and was formerly engaged in trapping ; but of late years pass- 

 ing through the country to California and back. Had it not been for 

 his proneness to dissipation, I am informed he would have risen in 

 the Company's service. To me he complained that he had not 

 received what he considered his due, and that he was no better off 

 VOL. IV. 94 



