126 COLUMBIA RIVER. 



rapids, and sunken snags, which often compelled them to drag the 

 canoe over by main force. The land on both sides of the river is flat, 

 marshy, and well wooded. Among the trees were many ash. They 

 stopped for the night at an Indian camp. Mr. Eld endeavoured to 

 induce the old chief to accompany him down the river ; but he declined, 

 assigning as a reason that he was afraid of the Chinooks. He boasted 

 that he was the chief of the Sachal tribe ; but as the party had met with 

 but two or three other Indians during the route, they were at a loss to 

 know where the tribe resided. 



On the 24th, they again embarked on the river, and had another 

 fatiguing day ; but being now provided with poles, they succeeded 

 better in navigating the canoe. When they had proceeded some 

 distance, they were overtaken by the squaw chief and her husband, 

 who passed them quickly in a light canoe. During the day they saw 

 several deserted native huts, situated on small prairies, extending back 

 some distance from the river, and in the rear, on either side, were seen 

 hills rising to the height of about fifteen hundred feet. No kind of rock 

 had been observed on their route, except a single block of granite, 

 which was passed on one of the prairies near Lake Sachal. The 

 weather, for the few last days, had been fine and clear. 



On the 25th, they set out at an early hour, and in passing one of the 

 rapids in the large canoe, it came in contact with a snag, which tore 

 off part of the gunwale, and half filled the canoe with water. At ten 

 o'clock they reached the place where the Sachal enters the Chickeeles, 

 which is there one hundred and fifty feet wide, and runs with a rapid 

 current. The bottom was gravelly, and the surface smooth, except 

 where a sand and gravel bar stretched across the river, in a direction 

 about east-northeast. One lonely Indian was met at the junction, from 

 whom they bought some pieces of dried elk. 



The soil on both sides of the river, for about one-third of a mile 

 back, was a deep, rich, alluvial loam, overgrown with poplar, willow, 

 dogwood, and alder, with an undergrowth of raspberry. On the 26th, 

 the old chief joined the party, and they all proceeded down the river 

 together, to the point where the Kluckullum enters the Chickeeles, 

 where they halted. No inducement could prevail upon the chief to 

 serve as a guide up the Sachap, another branch of the Chickeeles. 



In the afternoon they encamped at the mouth of the Sachap, and 

 Mr. Eld made preparations to set out early the next morning, to ex- 

 plore it, having obtained a guide from among the Indians they met with 

 at a fishing station in the vicinity. No fish, however, were to be pro- 

 cured, but on their descent they came upon several large flocks of teal, 

 out of which Mr. Brackenridge killed four. 



