FRIDAY, APRIL 30th, 1830.
Left Colvile near 6 o'clock in the evening, accompanied by five men—F. Payette, A. Baindijain, J. Pierre, Edward Besland, and C. Quesnelle, with 35 horses for Walla Walla, and then to Fort Vancouver. Encamped a few miles from the Fort. The whole day was occupied getting the horses collected and separated, which was the cause of our being so late in starting. I would have been off some days sooner, but a considerable number of the horses w^ere lately traded, and being very lean, required some time to recruit before taking the journey; some of them will have enough to do to perform it yet.
Saturday, May 1st.
Heavy rain nearly all day.
Started at an early hour, and encamped near sunset at the swampy plain.[1] We stopped an hour and a half to breakfast. The small rivers are very deep, and the road in many places soft and miry. The horses had to swim across two of the rivers, and the luggage to be taken across a temporary bridge of trees thrown across them. All hands were soaked with wet, and both men and horses much fatigued in the evening.
Sunday, May 2d.
Heavy rain part of the day. Proceeded on our journey a little past sunrise, and reached Spokane River in the afternoon. It was near sunset by the time the horses and baggage were got across the river, though the Indians lent us a canoe to cross with. We put up here for the night. The road today was in several places deep and miry, but much better than yesterday, nevertheless, the horses were a good deal jaded. The Indians came and smoked with us in the
- ↑ Chewelah?
