Voyage up the River—Description of the Country—Meeting with strange Indians.

The Indians having informed us that above certain rapids, there was an establishment of white men, we doubted not that it was a trading post of the Northwest Company;[43] and to make sure of it, we procured a large canoe and a guide, and set out, on the 2d of May, Messrs. M’Kay, R. Stuart, Montigny, and I, with a sufficient number of hands. We first passed a lofty headland, that seemed at a distance to be detached from the main, and to which we gave the name of Tongue Point.[44] Here the river gains a width of some nine or ten miles, and keeps it for about twelve miles up. The left bank, which we were coasting, being concealed by little low islands, {105} we encamped for the night on one of them, at the village of Wahkaykum, to which our guide belonged.[45]

We continued our journey on the 3d: the river narrows considerably, at about thirty miles from its mouth, and is obstructed with islands, which are thickly covered with the willow, poplar, alder, and ash. These islands are, without exception, uninhabited and uninhabitable, being nothing but swamps, and entirely overflowed in the months of June and July; as we understood from Coalpo, our guide, who appeared to be an intelligent man.[46] In proportion as we advanced, we saw the high mountains capped with snow, which form the chief and majestic feature, though a stern one, of the banks of the Columbia for some distance from its mouth, recede, and give place to a country of moderate elevation, and rising amphitheatrically from the margin of the stream. The river narrows to a mile or thereabouts; the forest is less dense, and patches of green prairie are seen. We passed a large village on the south bank, called Kreluit, above which is a fine forest {106} of oaks;[47] and encamped for the night, on a low point, at the foot of an isolated rock, about one hundred and fifty feet high. This rock appeared to me remarkable on account of its situation, reposing in the midst of a low and swampy ground, as if it had been dropped from the clouds, and seeming to have no connection with the neighboring mountains. On a cornice or shelving projection about thirty feet from its base, the natives of the adjacent villages deposit their dead, in canoes; and it is the same rock to which, for this reason, Lieutenant Broughton gave the name of Mount Coffin.[48]

On the 4th, in the morning, we arrived at a large village of the same name as that which we had passed the evening before, Kreluit, and we landed to obtain information respecting a considerable stream, which here discharges into the Columbia, and respecting its resources for the hunter and trader in furs. It comes from the north, and is called Cowlitzk by the natives. Mr. M’Kay embarked with Mr. de Montigny and two Indians, in a small canoe, to examine the {107} course of this river, a certain distance up. On entering the stream, they saw a great number of birds, which they took at first for turkeys, so much they resembled them, but which were only a kind of carrion eagles, vulgarly called turkey-buzzards. We were not a little astonished to see Mr. de Montigny return on foot and alone; he soon informed us of the reason: having ascended the Kowlitzk about a mile and a half, on rounding a bend of the stream, they suddenly came in view of about twenty canoes, full of Indians, who had made a rush upon them with the most frightful yells; the two natives and the guide who conducted their little canoe, retreated with the utmost precipitancy, but seeing that they would be overtaken, they stopped short, and begged Mr. M’Kay to fire upon the approaching savages, which he, being well acquainted with the Indian character from the time he accompanied Sir Alexander M’Kenzie, and having met with similar occurrences before, would by no means do; but displayed a friendly sign to the astonished natives, and invited them to land for {108} an amicable talk; to which they immediately assented. Mr. M’Kay had sent Mr. de Montigny to procure some tobacco and a pipe, in order to strike a peace with these barbarians. The latter then returned to Mr. M’Kay, with the necessary articles, and in the evening the party came back to our camp, which we had fixed between the villages. We were then informed that the Indians whom Mr. M’Kay had met, were at war with the Kreluits.[49] It was impossible, consequently, to close our eyes all night; the natives passing and repassing continually from one village to the other, making fearful cries, and coming every minute to solicit us to discharge our firearms; all to frighten their enemies, and let them see that they were on their guard.

On the 5th, in the morning, we paid a visit to the hostile camp; and those savages, who had never seen white men, regarded us with curiosity and astonishment, lifting the legs of our trousers and opening our shirts, to see if the skin of our bodies resembled that of our faces and hands. We remained some time with them, to make proposals {109} of peace; and having ascertained that this warlike demonstration originated in a trifling offence on the part of the Kreluits, we found them well disposed to arrange matters in an amicable fashion. After having given them, therefore, some looking-glasses, beads, knives, tobacco, and other trifles, we quitted them and pursued our way.

Having passed a deserted village, and then several islands, we came in sight of a noble mountain on the north, about twenty miles distant, all covered with snow, contrasting remarkably with the dark foliage of the forests at its base, and probably the same which was seen by Broughton, and named by him Mount St. Helen’s.[50] We pulled against a strong current all this day, and at evening our guide made us enter a little river, on the bank of which we found a good camping place, under a grove of oaks, and in the midst of odoriferous wild flowers, where we passed a night more tranquil than that which had preceded it.

On the morning of the 6th we ascended this small {110} stream, and soon arrived at a large village called Thlakalamah, the chief whereof, who was a young and handsome man, was called Keasseno, and was a relative of our guide.[51] The situation of this village is the most charming that can be, being built on the little river that we had ascended, and indeed at its navigable head, being here but a torrent with numerous cascades leaping from rock to rock in their descent to the deep, limpid water, which then flows through a beautiful prairie, enamelled with odorous flowers of all colors, and studded with superb groves of oak. The freshness and beauty of this spot, which Nature seemed to have taken pleasure in adorning and enriching with her most precious gifts, contrasted, in a striking manner, with the indigence and uncleanliness of its inhabitants; and I regretted that it had not fallen to the lot of civilized men. I was wrong no doubt: it is just that those should be most favored by their common mother, who are least disposed to pervert her gifts, or to give the preference to advantages which are factitious, and often very frivolous. We quitted with regret {111} this charming spot, and soon came to another large village, which our guide informed us was called Kathlapootle, and was situated at the confluence of a small stream, that seemed to flow down from the mountain covered with snow, which we had seen the day before: this river is called Cowilkt.[52] We coasted a pretty island, well timbered, and high enough above the level of the Columbia to escape inundation in the freshets, and arrived at two villages called Maltnabah. We then passed the confluence of the river Wallamat, or Willamet, above which the tide ceases to be felt in the Columbia.[53] Our guide informed us that ascending this river about a day’s journey, there was a considerable fall, beyond which the country abounded in deer, elk, bear, beaver, and otter. But here, at the spot where we were, the oaks and poplar which line both banks of the river, the green and flowery prairies discerned through the trees, and the mountains discovered in the distance, offer to the eye of the observer who loves the beauties of simple nature, a prospect the most lovely and {112} enchanting. We encamped for the night on the edge of one of these fine prairies.

On the 7th we passed several low islands, and soon discovered Mount Hood, a high mountain, capped with snow, so named by Lieutenant Broughton; and Mount Washington, another snowy summit, so called by Lewis and Clarke.[54] The prospect which the former had before his eyes at this place, appeared to him so charming, that landing upon a point, to take possession of the country in the name of King George, he named it Pointe Belle Vue. At two o’clock we passed Point Vancouver, the highest reached by Broughton.[55] The width of the river diminishes considerably above this point, and we began very soon to encounter shoals of sand and gravel; a sure indication that we were nearing the rapids. We encamped that evening under a ledge of rocks, descending almost to the water’s edge.

The next day, the 8th, we did not proceed far before we encountered a very rapid current. Soon after, we saw a hut of Indians engaged in fishing, where we stopped to breakfast. We {113} found here an old blind man, who gave us a cordial reception. Our guide said that he was a white man, and that his name was Soto. We learned from the mouth of the old man himself, that he was the son of a Spaniard who had been wrecked at the mouth of the river; that a part of the crew on this occasion got safe ashore, but were all massacred by the Clatsops, with the exception of four, who were spared and who married native women; that these four Spaniards, of whom his father was one, disgusted with the savage life, attempted to reach a settlement of their own nation toward the south, but had never been heard of since; and that when his father, with his companions, left the country, he himself was yet quite young.[56] These good people having regaled us with fresh salmon, we left them, and arrived very soon at a rapid, opposite an island, named Strawberry Island by Captains Lewis and {114} Clarke, in 1806. We left our men at a large village, to take care of the canoe and baggage; and following our guide, after walking about two hours, in a beaten path, we came to the foot of the fall, where we amused ourselves for some time with shooting the seals, which were here in abundance, and in watching the Indians taking salmon below the cataract, in their scoop-nets, from stages erected for that purpose over the eddies. A chief, a young man of fine person and a good mien, came to us, followed by some twenty others, and invited us to his wigwam: we accompanied him, had roasted salmon for supper, and some mats were spread for our night’s repose.

The next morning, having ascertained that there was no trading post near the Falls, and Coalpo absolutely refusing to proceed further, alleging that the natives of the villages beyond were his enemies, and would not fail to kill him if they had him in their power, we decided to return to the encampment. Having, therefore, distributed some presents to our host (I mean the young chief with whom we had supped and lodged) {115} and to some of his followers, and procured a supply of fresh salmon for the return voyage, we re-embarked and reached the camp on the 14th, without accidents or incidents worth relating.

[43] For a brief account of the formation of the North West Company, see Preface to J. Long’s Voyages, vol. ii of our series.—Ed.

[44] In 1792, Broughton named this promontory Tongue Point. Lewis and Clark called it Point William, in honor of the latter explorer. The North West Company built a subsidiary post here in 1814.—Ed.

[45] The Wahkiacum were a tribe first named and described by Lewis and Clark. They were a branch of the Upper Chinook, named from one of their chiefs, but now have no separate existence. Their village was in the county of Wahkiacum, in the present state of Washington.—Ed.

[46] Coalpo (Calloph) was a Clatsop chief, who had many dealings with the Astorians and their British successors. See Coues’s edition, Henry-Thompson Journals (New York, 1897), index.—Ed.

[47] Kreluit was Franchère’s spelling for the Indians designated by Lewis and Clark as Skilloots. They were a Chinookan tribe, occupying both banks of the river, and acting as middlemen in trade between the tribes of the Upper Columbia and those at the mouth of that river. Lewis and Clark represent them as superior in intelligence and probity to their kindred the Wahkiacum.—Ed.

[48] Mount Coffin, noted by all early travellers in this region, is a well-known landmark in Cowlitz County, Washington, just below the Cowlitz River.—Ed.

[49] A party of Cowlitz Indians, no doubt, from whom the river takes its name. They were a large and powerful Salishan tribe, less in touch with traders than the Skilloots (Kreluits). Cowlitz River is an important northern tributary of the Columbia, through whose valley the Washington branch of the Northern Pacific Railway now passes.—Ed.

[50] Mount St. Helens (altitude, 9,750 feet), one of the Cascade Mountains in Washington, was sighted by Vancouver’s expedition in May, 1792, and named the following October in honor of Lord St. Helens, then the British ambassador at Madrid.—Ed.

[51] Keasseno (Cassino) was a brother-in-law of Coalpo, and spoken of by Henry as “chief of the Willamette tribe.” Two years later, Franchère found him upon the Willamette River. It would appear that the village where Franchère’s party now visited him was upon the Kalama River, a stream in Cowlitz County, Washington upon which there are cascades some two miles above the mouth.—Ed.

[52] Lewis and Clark speak of the Cathlapotle (Kathlapootle) Indians as along this northern bank of the Columbia. They were a tribe of Upper Chinook, and their habitat was the Washington River, now called Lewis, which separates Cowlitz County from that of Clark. The aboriginal name for this river is doubtful. Franchère appears to be the only one to give the form Cowilkt.—Ed.

[53] The Multnomah Indians, whose name is said to signify “down river,” occupied the region about the mouth of the Willamette. They were of Chinookan origin, and divided into a number of smaller tribes. The villages passed by Franchère were upon Wappato (now Sauvie) Island. The river Willamette (sometimes called, also, the Multnomah) was first explored by Clark on his return journey in 1806. In the valley of this river grew up the first permanent settlement in the present state of Oregon.—Ed.

[54] Mount Hood (11,225 feet), of the Cascade Range, lies south of the Columbia in Wasco County, Oregon. It was seen (October 29, 1792) by Lieutenant Broughton, who “honoured it with Lord Hood’s name; its appearance was magnificent; and it was clothed in snow from its summit as low down as the high land, by which it was intercepted, permitted it to be visible.” Lord Hood, later Lord Bridport, was an English admiral. Lewis and Clark first called this the “Falls or Timm Mountain;” later, they recognized its identity with Broughton’s Mount Hood. Franchère’s “Mount Washington” is in reality Mount Jefferson.—Ed.

[55] Pointe Belle Vue has not positively been identified. Apparently it was just above the mouth of the Willamette, on the southwest bank of the Columbia. Point Vancouver was not at the site of the later Fort Vancouver, but nearly twenty miles farther up the river, on the north bank, just above the mouth of Sandy River.—Ed.

[56] These facts, if they were authenticated, would prove that the Spaniards were the first who discovered the mouth of the Columbia. It is certain that long before the voyages of Captains Gray and Vancouver, they knew at least a part of the course of that river, which was designated in their maps under the name of Oregon.—Franchère.