WALLAWALLA. 379 



Okonagan for a journey to Thompson river, which takes twenty days 

 to accomplish. 



Mr. Ogden is generally six months of every year travelling to and 

 from his post on the south end of Stuart's Lake, called Fort St. James, 

 in latitude 54° N. He leaves it early in the spring, and returns in the 

 fall of each year. Before he departs, he fits out his summer trappers, 

 and on his return those for the winter's campaign. He brings down 

 with him the produce of a year's hunting. This post is the most pro- 

 fitable of all the sections west of the mountains. The average cost 

 of a beaver-skin is about twenty-five cents, and when it reaches Van- 

 couver it has enhanced in price to two dollars and fifty cents. The 

 amount of furs brought down by Mr. Ogden yearly will net in London 

 £50,000, a fact which will give some idea of the value of this trade. 



In setting out on his journey, Mr. Ogden's practice, as well as that 

 of all the Company's parties, is to go only a few miles the first day, in 

 order that they may discover if any thing has been neglected, and be 

 able to return for it. For this reason their first encampment was at 

 the saw-mill. Their brigade consisted of nine boats, rowed by sixty 

 voyageurs, eight of whom had their Indian wives with them. Besides 

 these were Mr. and Mrs. M'Kinley, (of the Hudson Bay Co.,) who 

 was to take charge of the Wallawalla Fort, and a Mr. Cameron, also 

 of the Company, who was on his way to Mr. Black's station. The 

 boats take each sixty packages, excepting the trader, which is Mr. 

 Ogden's own boat, and carries only forty. The boatmen are Cana- 

 dians, excepting about one-fourth, who are Iroquois Indians, all strong, 

 active, and hardy men. They are provided only with a square sail, 

 as the wind blows generally either directly up or down the river. 



On the 27th June, they were off at early dawn, took their breakfast 

 at Prairie du The, and reached the Company's fishery, at the Cascades, 

 at 6 p. m., where they encamped. This is the head of ship navigation, 

 where the river takes a turn northward, and for upwards of two miles 

 is comparatively narrow — four hundred and fifty yards wide. It falls 

 in this distance about forty feet, and the whole body of water drives 

 through this narrow channel with great impetuosity, forming high 

 waves and fearful whirlpools, too dangerous to be encountered by any 

 boat. When the river is low, these rapids are sometimes passed by 

 skilful boatmen, but there have been many lives lost in the attempt. 



The country bordering on the river is low until the Cascades are 

 approached, with the exception of several high basaltic bluffs. Some 

 of them are two hundred feet high, pointed like turreted castles. 



An old Indian, called Slyboots, made his call upon Mr. Ogden for 

 his annual present, consisting of some tobacco and a shirt. This 



