accompanied us several miles up the river to the spot where we intended to encamp for the night, and was liberally remunerated by Mr. McLeod for his courageous and timely interference and friendship. I being King George's chief, or the "Grass Man," as I am called, bored a hole through the only shilling which I possessed, and which had been in my pocket ever since I left London, and observing that the septum of his nose was perforated, I suspended the coin to it by a bit of brass wire, a ceremony which afterwards proved a seal of friendship between us. After smoking with us, our friend left us to return to the Indian village, promising that he would not allow us to be molested. As we could not, of course, think of sleeping that night, I employed myself in writing a letter to Doctor Hooker:
LETTER TO DR. HOOKER.
GREAT FALLS OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER, March 24, 1826.
Dear Sir: From Dr. Scouler you must have obtained a good description of Northwest America, and be made acquainted with many of its treasures. He left me in fine spirits; and when we were together, not a day passed in which you were not spoken of. His departure I much regret; we bad always been friends and here our friendship increased. When botanizing along the shores of the Columbia River and in the adjoining woods, we would sometimes sit down to rest our limbs, and then the conversation often turned on Glasgow and Ben Lomond. If a favourite Moss caught his eye, and was eagerly grasped and transferred to the vasculum, the remark was pretty sure to follow, "How much would Dr. Hooker like to be with us." I felt very lonely during the first few weeks after Dr. Scouler had sailed.
The upper country here appears such an interesting field, and so different from the vegetation that prevails along the coast, that I have determined to devote the whole of this year to exploring it; though somewhat doubtful whether I am justified in so doing, as my orders were strict from Mr. Sabine not to outstay the departure of the ship which leaves the mouth of the Columbia in 1826. I trust, however, that my arrangements will meet his approbation, or, at least, not incur bis displeasure. The probability is that I shall be enabled to reach the Rocky Mountains in August, when, with what I may previously obtain, I hope to have a most splendid collection.
