COLUMBIA RIVER. 129 



planks, of which Mr. Eld made a drawing. They are represented in 

 the wood-cut on the opposite page. 



These planks were placed upright, and nothing could be learned of 

 their origin. The colours were exceedingly bright, of a kind of red 

 pigment. 



In descending the Chickeeles the next morning, they soon perceived 

 by its shores that there was an ebb and flow of the waters. Mr. Eld 

 tried its current, and found it setting flood about one fathom per hour. 

 As they proceeded, the shores lost some of their luxuriance of foliage, 

 the banks had become high, and so muddy that they had some little 

 difficulty in finding a suitable place to encamp. Some talcose slate 

 was seen to compose the bluffs on the south side of the river, but it 

 was so soft and fragile that it could not be brought away. The only 

 natives seen this day were two miserable-looking beings of the Chic- 

 keeles tribe, but they could not understand the interpreter Joe, either in 

 the Nisqually or Chinook dialect. The party encamped in a hemlock 

 grove, so thick as to render it impossible for the usual nightly observa- 

 tions to be taken. The surf was distinctly audible from the camp 

 during the night. 



On the 31st, after passing two elbows in the river, the cape on the 

 south of the entrance to Gray's Harbour was seen. The flood-tide 

 was very strong against them, so that they made but slow progress, 

 and as they opened out the harbour and entered it, they found a strong 

 southwest wind blowing, which caused a short and disagreeable sea, 

 that very nearly swamped their small canoe, and obliged them to run 

 for the lee shore. Here all the things were taken out and placed to 

 dry, on one of the huge trees that had been brought down by the 

 freshets. From this awkward situation they were relieved by the old 

 squaw chief, who had preceded them from Nisqually. She came over 

 in her large canoe, with ten Indians, and offered to carry the party 

 over to the weather shore, where they could encamp in a less exposed 

 place. The offer was gladly accepted, and they were taken over to 

 the village. 



Mr. Eld here endeavoured to treat for the purchase of a large canoe, 

 in which attempt his patience was soon exhausted, for when the bargain 

 was all but closed, difficulties of a trivial nature were brought up which 

 entirely broke off the negotiation. The Indians of this village proved 

 themselves to be in all respects like the tribes in the interior, who will 

 never adhere to a bargain if they can avoid it. 



Mr. Eld and his party had now a great many difficulties to contend 

 with in carrying forward a survey of the harbour. These arose as 

 well from the weather as the want of means. The Indians for some 



vol. v. 17 



