WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 399 



ful of, I had placed on the table. Lying near by it was a small silver 

 watch, which I had not before observed, and my surprise was great 

 to find that they both showed the same hour. I uttered my surprise 

 aloud just as Mr. Forrest entered the room, and told me that he had 

 found my watch altogether wrong, (it showed Greenwich time,) and 

 he had set it for me. I could not help making an exclamation of 

 astonishment. We stood looking at each other, and he appeared 

 fully as surprised as I was, when I told him that he had changed my 

 Greenwich time for that of Cowlitz, and had interrupted my series 

 of observations. He thought it passing strange that I should prefer 

 Greenwich time to that of Cowlitz, and told me that he was sure 

 his watch was right, for it kept time with the sun exactly ! This 

 incident, though sufficiently provoking at the time, afforded me much 

 amusement after it was over, and was a lesson to me never to trust a 

 chronometer to such an accident again. 



It having partially cleared up the next morning, I set off, accom- 

 panied by Plumondon, his wife and child, and another settler as 

 my guide. We departed at eight o'clock, and being provided with 

 good horses, made rapid progress. By the advice of Mr. Forrest, I 

 endeavoured to take a canoe on the Chickeeles, sending the horses to 

 meet us, without loads, over the mountain. 



We rode up to the Indian lodges, near the Chickeeles river, in order 

 to engage some of them to accompany us. I have before spoken of 

 making a bargain with them, and of the time and patience necessary 

 before any thing can be accomplished. I now saw that it was a 

 hopeless task to attempt to overcome their perfect nonchalance. 

 Time, haste, clothes, presents, are nothing to them ; rum is the 

 only thing that will move them at all times, and of this I had none, 

 nor should I have made use of it if I had. When Plumondon had 

 exhausted his words on them without effect, we rode off, succeeded 

 in passing the mountain-road quickly, and were well satisfied that we 

 had thus shown our independence. 



I have noticed the excessive love that the whole Indian population 

 seem to have for rum : many of these poor creatures would labour for 

 days, and submit to all sorts of fatigue, for the sake of a small quan- 

 tity. No other inducement will move them in the salmon and cam- 

 mass seasons, for then they have nothing more to desire. 



Towards night, we encamped on a small prairie, where the grasses, 

 flowers, and trees, were in every variety of bloom. 



The Indians on the Chickeeles river were engaged in the salmon- 



