ting into one of the canoes. According to his statement, the bay presented an awful spectacle after the catastrophe. The ship had disappeared, but the bay was covered with fragments of the wreck, with shattered canoes, and Indians swimming for their lives, or struggling in the agonies of death, while those who had escaped the danger remained aghast and stupefied, or made with frantic panic for the shore. Upward of a hundred savages were destroyed by the explosion, many more were shockingly mutilated, and for days afterward the limbs and bodies of the slain were thrown upon the beach.

"The inhabitants of Neweetee were overwhelmed with consternation at this astounding calamity, which had burst upon them in the very moment of triumph. The warriors sat mute and mournful, while the women filled the air with loud lamentations. Their weeping and wailing, however, was suddenly changed into yells of fury at the sight of four unfortunate white men, brought captive into the village. They had been driven on shore in one of the ship's boats, and taken at some distance along the coast.

"The interpreter was permitted to converse with them. They proved to be the four brave fellows who had made such a desperate defense from the cabin. The interpreter gathered from them some of the particulars already related. They told him further, that, after they had beaten off the enemy and cleared the ship, Lewis advised that they should slip the cable and endeavor to get to sea. They declined to take his advice, alleging that the wind set too strongly into the bay, and would drive them on shore. They resolved as soon as it was dark to put off quietly in the ship's boat, which they would be able to do unperceived, and to coast along back to Astoria. They put their resolution into effect, but Lewis refused to accompany them, being disabled by his wound, hopeless of escape, and determined on a terrible revenge. On the voyage out he had repeatedly expressed a presentiment that he should die by his own hands, thinking it highly probable that he should be engaged in some contest with the natives, and being resolved, in case of extremity, to commit suicide rather than be made a prisoner. He now declared his intention to remain on board of the ship until daylight, to decoy as many of the savages on board as possible, then to set fire to the powder magazine, and terminate his life by a single act of vengeance. How well he succeeded has been shown. His companions bade him a melancholy adieu, and set off on their precarious ex

pedition. They strove with might and main to get out of the bay, but found it impossible to weather a point of land, and were at length compelled to take shelter in a small cave, where they hoped to remain concealed until the wind should be more favorable. Exhausted by fatigue and watching, they fell into a sound sleep, and in that state were surprised by the savages. Better had it been for those unfortunate men had they remained with Lewis and shared his heroic death; as it was, they perished in a more painful and protracted manner, being sacrificed by the natives to the names of their friends with all the lingering tortures of savage cruelty. Some time after their death, the interpreter, who had remained a kind of prisoner at large, effected his escape, and brought the tragic tidings to Astoria."

This was the story which greeted the ears of the little band of Astorians. The natives throughout a vast range of country had heard the tidings and its effect on them could only be conjectured by the white people at the fort, and had it not been for McDougal, who possessed a thorough knowledge of Indian character, not a white man would have been saved. A short time before this the smallpox had appeared on the Pacific coast among the Indians and the death rate had been fearful. In some instances, we are told, it nearly swept off entire tribes. The superstitious natives were not certain as to its origin. Some attributed it to an evil the "Great Spirit" had inflicted; others thought it had been brought about by the white men. McDougal, taking advantage of the ignorant and superstitious nature of the savages, acted promptly and assembling a number of chiefs whom he believed to be in league to murder the Astorians, and assembling them in a room at the fort, he told them he had heard of the treachery of some of their northern brethren toward the Tonquin and its crew, and he was determined on vengeance. This the savages could understand. McDougal went on, "The white men among you are few in number, but they are mighty in medicine. See here," continued he, drawing forth a small bottle and holding it before their eyes, "in this bottle I hold the smallpox, safely corked up; I have but to draw the cork, and let loose the pestilence, to sweep every man, woman and child from the face of the

earth." The stratagem was successful, for it acted like magic; the chiefs were horrified and greatly alarmed. They begged and implored him not to uncork the bottle, as they and their people were the firmest friends of the white man and proposed to remain so. They thought it unjust for him to punish his friends for what his enemies had done. He listened to their arguments and protestations of friendship and finally told them that as long as they remained friendly to the whites he would keep the bottle corked, but he assured them upon the least show of hostility, out would come the cork and they would be obliged to take the consequences, and thus was preserved the lives of the first Americans who planted a trading post at the mouth of the Columbia, and so matters passed at Astoria until the arrival of Mr. Hunt and his party on February 15, 1812.

It should be stated here that another ship, the Beaver, had been despatched to Astoria by Mr. Astor on October 10, 1811, which arrived at the mouth of the Columbia and anchored in Baker's Bay on May 9, 1812. After the arrival of this vessel expeditions were sent out in various directions. Mr. Hunt sailed in the Beaver and made a voyage along the coast and visited the Russian establishment at New Archangel, where the vessel landed a quantity of supplies for the commander of the Russian post and took in exchange a quantity of furs. The vessel then proceeded to the Sandwich Islands, where Mr. Hunt remained to await the annual ship to Astoria, while the Beaver proceeded to Canton to market the furs and reload with merchandise at that point. This voyage of Mr. Hunt's consumed considerable time, and before he returned to Astoria McDougal closed out over $100,000 worth of furs to the Northwest Company for $40,000; also a large amount of merchandise at this equally ruinous rate. As part of the deal, this unfaithful servant became a partner of the Northwest Company, and conse. quently has gone down in history as a traitor to the Ameri can fur trade, and his memory is justly despised by all American traders and trappers. This treachery on the part of McDougal resulted in the abandonment of Astoria.

CHAPTER X.

GREAT OVERLAND TRAIL DISCOVERED.

ROBERT STUART AND HIS LITTLE BAND OF SIX PASS AROUND THE SOUTH END OF THE WIND RIVER RANGE DURING THE EARLY WINTER OF 1812-DISCOVERY OF THE SWEETWATER RIVER AND PASSAGE DOWN THAT STREAM-THEY CAMP AT BESSEMER FOR THE WINTER-LEAVE THEIR WINTER CAMP FOR FEAR OF INDIANS-GREAT SUFFERING OF THE PARTY AS THEY JOURNEY DOWN THE PLATTE-DISCOVERY OF THE PLATTE RIVER CANON-SECOND WINTER ENCAMPMENT-JOURNEY DOWN THE RIVER IN THE SPRING OF 1813.

The journey of the couriers from Astoria east was an event of no ordinary importance from the fact that circumstances impelled these men to make a new route across the then dark continent. They were to become the discoverers of South Pass, the most important gateway through the Rocky Mountains. They were to make the pathway between the Missouri and the headwaters of the Columbia more direct and consequently much shorter than the route of Lewis and Clark or that of Wilson P. Hunt. They were to discover the Sweetwater, as well as the North Platte, and were to be the first as explorers to trace out a river flowing to the east directly from the mountains. The more northern streams flowed to the north, but these couriers, who were on their way eastward, were to add greatly to the knowledge of the geography of the mid-continent. It can be said of this band of explorers that they were brave, determined and withal possessed a conservative daring which enabled them to overcome the wildness and wild men of the desert and mountains. The history of their journey forms an important chapter in the annals of Wyoming. At times, it is true, they were lost and knew not in what direction to turn their footsteps, but fortunately on such occasions their brave leader argued with himself that it would never do to falter and so he led the way along streams which according

to his judgment were to empty their waters finally into the Missouri river. In spite of the storms of winter, piercing cold and deep snows, there was but one determination ever present, and that was to push on and thereby save the lives of the men entrusted to his care. This battle with the elements and the wilderness has never been excelled in this or any other century. In telling the story for these pages, I have followed closely notes taken from the original journal first published by Washington Irving.

Again Wyoming is to be honored by the arrival of a body of Astorians. This time they remain in her borders several months. On the 29th of June, 1812, Robert Stuart, Ben Jones, Robert McLellan, John Day, Ramsey Crooks, Andri Vallar and Francis Le Clerc left Astoria to make the journey across the mountains, bearing dispatches to Mr. Astor at New York. Robert Stuart, the leader of the party, was one of the original partners of the Pacific Fur Company, which organization was chartered on the 23rd day of June, 1810. He was a young man of spirit and enterprise and was one of the four partners who embarked in the Tonquin on the 8th of September in the year above mentioned. The other three partners were Alexander McKay, Duncan McDougal and David Stuart, an uncle of Robert. To illustrate the sturdy character of this young man, it will not be out of place to relate an incident of the voyage. Captain Thorn of the Tonquin was a waspish individual, though thoroughly honest and devoted to the best interests of his employers. He was not a partner in the enterprise and consequently the four men who were, deemed it their right to assume authority on shipboard. This Captain Thorn did not concede, and each time when the partners would make their requests, the Captain would reply with much firmness that "It was contrary to orders." On the voyage the ship touched at various islands in the tropics and at each place the partners went on shore and in some instances kept the vessel awaiting their pleasure. This, of course, raised the ire of Captain Thorn, who, being a naval commander, was a strict disciplinarian. Finally, on the 4th of Decem