WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 389 



brushwood, and in places wet and miry. It was chiefly covered 

 with heavy pine timber. From Dr. Bailey I learned that the small 

 prairies we occasionally passed were not capable of cultivation, 

 owing to their being flooded after a few hours of rain. 



A few miles further on we passed the Little Powder river, which 

 was termed fordable, though the horses were obliged to swim it, after 

 which Gay gave me a specimen of his rapid mode of riding. Having 

 made up my mind to follow, I kept after him, and on my arrival at 

 the falls, could not help congratulating myself that we had reached 

 our destination in safety, for the last few miles of the route was a sort 

 of break-neck one. 



At the falls I found Mr. Drayton comfortably encamped, and Mr. 

 and Mrs. Waller again pressed us to partake of their hospitality. I 

 occupied the evening in getting my usual observations for latitude 

 and time. 



Mr. Drayton desiring to stay a longer time at the falls, to procure 

 as many specimens of fish as he could, and make drawings, I deter- 

 mined to return to Vancouver without him ; which I did by the 

 following day at sunset. On the way, I stopped at the boat-builders' 

 camp, who I found had made great progress in their undertaking, 

 and appeared to work with great unanimity. 



At Vancouver, I was again kindly made welcome by Dr. M'Laugh- 

 lin, Mr. Douglass, and the officers of the establishment. During my 

 absence, Mr. Peter Ogden, chief factor of the northern district, had 

 arrived with his brigade. The fort had, in consequence, a very dif- 

 ferent appearance from the one it bore when I left it. I was exceed- 

 ingly amused with the voyageurs of the brigade, who were to be seen 

 lounging about in groups, decked in gay feathers, ribands, &c., full 

 of conceit, and with the flaunting air of those who consider themselves 

 the beau-ideal of grace and beauty ; full of frolic and fun, and seeming 

 to have nothing to do but to attend to the decorations of their per- 

 sons and seek for pleasure ; looking down with contempt upon those 

 who are employed about the fort, whose sombre cast of countenance 

 and business employments form a strong contrast to these jovial 

 fellows. 



Mr. Ogden has been thirty-two years in this country, and conse- 

 quently possesses much information respecting it; having travelled 

 nearly all over it. He resides at Fort St. James, on Stuart's Lake, 

 and has six posts under his care. 



The northern section of the country he represents as not suscep- 

 voL. IV. 98 



