306 NISQUALLY AND COLUMBIA RIVER. 



Columbia, proceed thence to Fort Colville, thence south 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 

 the 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 steamer 

 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 con- 

 sidered 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. 



Near by were to be seen fine fields of grain, large barns and sheep- 

 folds, agricultural implements, and workmen with cattle engaged in the 

 various employments of husbandry. 



