sumptuous repast. Their progress these two days was twentyeight miles, a little to the northward of east.

"The month of December set in drearily, with rain in the valleys, and snow upon the hills. They had to climb a mountain with snow to the midleg, which increased their painful toil. A small beaver supplied them with a scanty meal, which they eked out with frozen blackberries, haws, and choke-cherries, which they found in the course of their scramble. Their journey this day, though excessively fatiguing, was but thirteen miles; and all the next day they had to remain encamped, not being able to see half a mile ahead, on account of a snow-storm. Having nothing else to eat, they were compelled to kill another of their horses. The next day they resumed their march in snow and rain, but with all their efforts could only get forward nine miles, having for a part of the distance to unload the horses and carry the packs themselves. On the succeeding morning, they were obliged to leave the river, and scramble up the hills. From the summit of these, they got a wide view of the surrounding country, and it was a prospect almost sufficient to make them despair. In every direction they beheld snowy mountains, partially sprinkled with pines and other evergreens, and spreading a desert and toilsome world around them. The wind howled over the bleak and wintry landscape, and seemed to penetrate to the marrow of their bones. They waded on through the snow, which at every step was more than knee deep.

"After toiling in this way all day, they had the mortification to find that they were but four miles distant from the encampment of the preceding night, such was the meandering of the river among these dismal hills. Pinched with famine, exhausted with fatigue, with evening approaching, and a wintry wild still lengthening as they advanced; they began to look forward with sad forebodings to the night's exposure upon this frightful waste. Fortunately they succeeded in reaching a cluster of pines about sunset. Their axes were immediately at work; they cut down trees, piled them up in great heaps, and soon had huge fires 'to cheer their cold and hungry hearts.'

"About three o'clock in the morning it again began to snow, and at daybreak they found themselves, as it were, in a cloud; scarcely being able to distinguish objects at the distance of a hundred yards. Guiding themselves by the sound of running water, they set out for the river, and by slipping and sliding contrived to get down to its bank. One of the horses, missing his footing, rolled down several hundred yards with his load, but sustained no injury. The weather in the valley was less rigorous than on the hills. The snow lay but ankle deep, and there was a quiet rain VOL. XLIV. — NO. 94. 29

now falling. After creeping along for six miles, they encamped on the border of the river. Being utterly destitute of provisions, they were again compelled to kill one of their horses to appease their famishing hunger."- Vol. 11. pp. 41–43.

The following is still more distressing, and may serve as a pendant by land to the terrific picture of the loss of the Tonquin by sea;

"In a little while, it was found that Mr. Crooks and Le Clerc were so feeble as to walk with difficulty, so that Mr. Hunt was obliged to retard his pace, that they might keep up with him. His men grew impatient at the delay. They murmured that they had a long and desolate region to traverse, before they could arrive at the point where they might expect to find horses; that it was impossible for Crooks and Le Clerc, in their feeble condition, to get over it; that to remain with them would only be to starve in their company. They importuned Mr. Hunt, therefore, to leave these unfortunate men to their fate, and think only of the safety of himself and his party. Finding him not to be moved, either by entreaties or their clamors, they began to proceed without him, singly and in parties. Among those who thus went off was Pierre Dorion, the interpreter. Pierre owned the only remaining horse, which was now a mere skeleton. Mr. Hunt had suggested, in their present extremity, that it should be killed for food; to which the half-breed flatly refused his assent, and cudgelling the miserable animal forward, pushed on sullenly, with the air of a man doggedly determined to quarrel for his right. In this way Mr. Hunt saw his men, one after another, break away, until but five remained to bear him company.

"On the following morning, another raft was made, on which Mr. Crooks and Le Clerc again attempted to ferry themselves across the river, but after repeated trials, had to give up in despair. This caused additional delay: after which, they continued to crawl forward at a snail's pace. Some of the men who had remained with Mr. Hunt now became impatient of these encumbrances, and urged him, clamorously, to push forward, crying out that they should all starve. The night which succeeded was intensely cold, so that one of the men was severely frost-bitten. In the course of the night, Mr. Crooks was taken ill, and in the morning was still more incompetent to travel. Their situation was now desperate, for their stock of provisions was reduced to three beaver skins. Mr. Hunt, therefore, resolved to push on, overtake his people, and insist upon having the horse of Pierre Dorion sacrificed for the relief of all hands. Accordingly, he left two of his men to help Crooks and Le Clerc

on their way, giving them two of the beaver skins for their support; the remaining skin he retained, as provision for himself and the three other men who struck forward with him." Vol. 11. pp. 47-49.

Even this is not the worst that was encountered; but we forbear to dwell on the painful detail. Mr. Hunt at length arrived with the wreck of his party at the falls of the Columbia River, on the 28th of January, 1812, and in a short time afterwards reached Astoria in safety.

The two or three subsequent chapters of the book contain many instructive notices and sketches of the Indian tribes. The following anecdote shows that we have something to learn of the savages at the mouth of the Columbia River;

"In one thing, however, they showed superior judgment and self-command, to most of their race; this was, in their abstinence from ardent spirits, and the abhorrence and disgust with which they regarded a drunkard. On one occasion, a son of Comcomly had been induced to drink freely at the factory, and went home in a state of intoxication, playing all kinds of mad pranks, until he sank into a stupor, in which he remained for two days. The old chieftain repaired to his friend, McDougal, with indignation flaming from his countenance, and bitterly reproached him for having permitted his son to degrade himself into a beast, and to render himself an object of scorn and laughter to his slave." Vol. 11. p. 92.

It was a part of Mr. Astor's plan to furnish the Russian fur establishment on the northwest coast with regular supplies, so as to render it independent of the casual vessels, which cut up the trade and supplied the natives with fire-arms. This part of Mr. Astor's plan, like the rest, had been countenanced by our own government, and likewise by Count Pahlen, the Russian minister at Washington. A person was also sent to St. Petersburgh to make an arrangement there to carry into effect this branch of the undertaking. In the month of October, 1811, the ship Beaver, a fine vessel of four hundred and ninety tons, was despatched on this errand. She arrived in due season at the Sandwich Islands, and there received the first uncertain rumor of the fate of the Tonquin. This rumor left her company in a state of painful uncertainty, whether there was a factory in existence at the mouth of the Columbia. The apprehensions felt on this account were not wholly

removed till she reached her destination, on the 9th of May, 1812. The arrival of the Beaver infused new life and vigor into the operations of the establishment, and preparations were made for founding several interior trading posts. It was also proposed to send a party across the mountains, to convey to Mr. Astor intelligence of the state of things. This perilous duty was cheerfully undertaken by Mr. Robert Stuart, who, though a very young man and without experience in crossing the mountains, had given proofs of his competency for the task; and, nothing dismayed by the sufferings of Mr. Hunt's party, boldly addressed himself to the enterprise, in company with four trusty and well-tried men, one of whom, shortly after starting, became insane and was sent back. This party, with less hardship and privation than Mr. Hunt's, but with a full share of the trials of the wilderness, accomplished their journey successfully. They wintered on the upper waters of the La Platte, and arrived safely at St. Louis the following spring, after ten months spent in the journey. The "greatest luxury they met with on their return to the abodes of civilized man

hear it, dyspeptics, who are daily tantalized by the sight of the loaded board smoking with viands ye dare not put to your lips; hear it, gourmands and gastronomes, whose imaginations toil in vain for the invention of a new dish, capable of stimulating a sated appetite, the greatest luxury which these adventurers found in the abodes of civilization, on their return from the desert," was BREAD, not having tasted any for nearly a year."

In the summer of 1812, the war with Great Britain commenced, an event ominous of disasters to the establishment at the mouth of the Columbia, from which as yet Mr. Astor had received no intelligence. In this state of things, he wrote a letter to Captain Sowle, commander of the Beaver, addressed to him at Canton, and directing him to proceed to the factory, with such articles as the establishment might need, and to remain there subject to the orders of Mr. Hunt. Another vessel also, the Lark, remarkable as a swift sailer, was sent from New York to the relief of the establishment. In the month of February, 1813, and while the Lark was still in port, preparing for the voyage, Mr. Astor received the news that the British North-west Fur Company were preparing to send out an armed ship of twenty guns, called the Isaac Todd, to form an establishment at the mouth of the Columbia. These

tidings gave him just alarm. A considerable portion of the persons in his employ were Scotchmen and Canadians, and several of them had been in the service of the North-west Company. The British government had already, as Mr. Astor was apprized, been urged by the North-west Company to send a force round Cape Horn to break up his establishment. In this emergency, Mr. Astor wrote to Mr. Monroe, then secretary of state, requesting that Astoria might be garrisoned by forty or fifty men; but under the pressure of other avocations, this subject received no attention from the government. After waiting in vain for a reply to his letter, the Lark was despatched in the month of March. It was not till two months after this period, that he received by Mr. Robert Stuart, whose arrival at St. Louis we have already mentioned, the only tidings connected with the establishment, except the disastrous intelligence of the loss of the Tonquin.

In the month of August, 1812, the Beaver left the Columbia River, with Mr. Hunt on board, to carry on that portion of the project, which related to a connexion with the Russian establishments, on the northwest coast. It was decided by the partners of the concern in Astoria, that, after having visited those establishments, he should be re-landed at the factory in October, by the Beaver, on her way to the Sandwich Islands and Canton. Untoward events, among the Russian establishments, delayed his return. November, December, and January passed away, but brought no tidings of Mr. Hunt, and the most gloomy apprehensions of what might have befallen him and the Beaver were entertained at Astoria. The alarm produced, by this state of things, was increased by the arrival of an unexpected visiter. Mr. George McTavish, a partner of the British North-west Company, made his appearance at the factory, with the unwelcome information, which he had received by express at Lake Winnepeg, that war with Great Britain had been declared. To this intelligence, he added the facts, that the North-west Company were making vigorous preparations to engage in a rivalry with the Astorian establishment, for the fur trade of the Columbia River, and that the Isaac Todd, the armed vessel already mentioned, would arrive there in the month of March, with a view to monopolize it, by the right of the strongest.

This intelligence produced great dejection in the councils of Astoria. Mr. McDougal, left in charge of the establish