Youta Lake and the middle section of the territory, in a line on the east of the Cascade Range, from John Day's river to the south,—a portion of the country it was my intention to have traversed, if the Peacock had reached the Columbia river at the appointed time. CHAPTER XII. CONTENTS. BAKERY AT NISQUALLY -PROGRESS OF THE SURVEYS-LOSS OF AN EYE-PIECEFRUITLESS SEARCH FOR IT-SURVEY OF HOOD'S CANAL-CELEBRATION OF FOURTH OF JULY-VISIT FROM DR. M'LAUGHLIN - MOUNT RAINIER AND OTHER SNOWY MOUNTAINS - EXPEDITION TO THE BUTE PRAIRIES-FARM OF THE COMPANY AT NISQUALLY-SURVEY OF PUGET SOUND-RETURN OF LIEUTENANT JOHNSON'S PARTY -DISADVANTAGES OF THE POST AT NISQUALLY-NISQUALLY INDIANS - LIEUTENANT JOHNSON'S OPERATIONS - EQUIPMENT OF HIS PARTY-HIS GUIDE-HIS FIRST CAMP - HIS SECOND CAMP-PUYALLUP RIVER - DIFFICULT PATHS-LARGE ARBOR VITÆ TREES-SMALOCHO RIVER-LOSS OF CAMP EQUIPAGE-GREAT SIZE OF THE SPRUCE TREES-LA TETE MOUNTAIN-LITTLE PRAIRIE-CAMP AT THE EDGE OF THE SNOW-DISTANT VIEW OF MOUNT RAINIER-SUMMIT OF THE RIDGE-ACCIDENT TO THE CHRONOMETER -INDIANS DISMISSED - SMALOCHO RIVER FIRE IN THE WOODS-YAKIMA TRIBE-INTERVIEW WITH ITS CHIEF-HE EXCHANGES HORSESANOTHER VIEW OF MOUNT RAINIER-SPOKANE INDIANS-YAKIMA RIVER-VERY ELEVATED GROUNDS-DESCENT TOWARDS THE COLUMBIA - COLUMBIA RIVER-PISCHOUS RIVER-INDIAN CULTIVATION-VIEW OF THE COLUMBIA-POINT DE BOISOKONAGAN INDIANS-HIGH PRAIRIE-MOUNT ST. PIERRE-FORT OKONAGAN-FORT THOMPSON - ARRIVAL OF MR. MAXWELL-FOOD OF THE INDIANS, AND OF THE COMPANY'S SERVANTS AMUSEMENT OF THE INDIANS-DEPARTURE FROM FORT OKONAGAN — LIEUTENANT JOHNSON LOSES HIS WAY-GRASSY PRAIRIE-GRANDE COULEE-ARTIFICIAL HORIZON BROKEN-LIEUTENANT JOHNSON LEAVES THE PARTY -THE PARTY ARRIVES AT FORT COLVILLE-LIEUTENANT JOHNSON'S RIDE UP THE SPOKANE-MISSIONARY STATION OF CHIMIKAINE-CORNELIUS, CHIEF OF THE SPOKANE TRIBE-SINGULAR PROPHECY-LIEUTENANT JOHNSON'S ARRIVAL AT FORT COLVILLE. CHAPTER XII. PUGET SOUND AND OKO NAGAN. 1841. On my return to Nisqually, my first care had reference to our provision of bread. This I found to be so far expended as to make it necessary to economize it by every means in my power, if I wished to avoid its falling short. I therefore determined to attempt to have fresh bread baked. With this view I had an oven built upon a plan borrowed from the steam-holes of the Indians. The bottom of the oven was formed upon a stage of plank, and the shape of the superstructure was given by bending twigs of hazel. These were covered with a plastic clay, which was found in abundance in the neighbourhood. A dough-trough was hollowed out of the trunk of a large tree. When the oven and trough were ready, another difficulty was to be overcome, for we had no bakers. This was remedied, however, by the assistance of our stewards and cooks; and two sailors instructed by them were appointed to take charge of the bakery. We now began to bake daily, and succeeded so well after a day or two, that the whole ship's company was daily supplied with full rations of soft bread, causing an important saving in our store of sea-biscuit. I learned, immediately upon my return, that the surveys under Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold and Lieutenant Case, were making rapid progress. The former, with the force under him, had completed a large portion of Admiralty Inlet; the latter had finished Hood's Canal, and had returned to take up the survey of Puget Sound. A report having been made to me, that one of the eye-pieces of the theodolite had been lost in Hood's Canal, Lieutenant Budd was ordered to relieve Lieutenant Case, and the latter was despatched to search for it. Lieutenant Case proceeded in a boat well armed, and visited all VOL. IV. 2 K 52 (409) |