Voyage up the Columbia River
From the 1904 book; Early Western Travels 1748-1846 Volume 6
By Reuben Goldthwaite

A Narrative of a Voyage to the Northwest Coast of America
by Gabriel Franchere
Chapter 8; Voyage up the River

The Pacific Fur Company at the mouth of the Columbia River
May 2, 1811

The Indians having informed us that above certain rapids, there was an establishment of white men, (This was the trading post of the Northwest Fur Company at the mouth of the Okanogan river) and to make sure of it we procured a large canoe and a guide, and set out, on the 2nd of May. The party consisted of  Alexander McKay, Robert Stuart, Ovide De Montigny, and Gabriel Franchere, with a sufficient number of hands. We first passed a lofty headland, that seemed at a distance to be detached from the main, and to which we gave the name of Tongue Point.

Here the river gains a width of some nine or ten miles, and keeps it for about twelve miles up. The left bank, which we were coasting, being concealed by the low islands, we camped for the night on one of them, at the village of Wahkiakum, to which our guide belonged. We continued our journey on the 3rd; the river narrows considerably, at about thirty miles from its mouth, and is obstructed with islands, which are thickly covered with the willow, poplar, alder, and ash. 

These islands are, without exception, uninhabited and uninhabitable, being nothing but swamps, and entirely overflowed in the months of June and July, as we understood from Coalpo, our guide, who appeared to be an intelligent man. In proportion as we advanced, we saw the high mountains capped with snow, which form the chief and majestic feature, though a stern one, of the banks of the Columbia for some distance from its mouth, recede, and give place to a country of moderate elevation, and rising amphitheatrically from the margin of the stream. 

The river narrows to a mile or thereabouts; the forest is less dense, and patches of green prairie are seen. We passed a large village on the south bank, called Kreluit, (Skilloot) above which is a fine forest of oaks; and camped for the night, on a low point, at the foot of an isolated rock about one hundred fifty feet high. This rock appeared to me remarkable on account of its situation, reposing in the midst of a low and swampy ground, as it it had been dropped from the clouds, and seeming to have no connection with the neighboring mountains.

On a cornice of shelving projection about thirty feet from its base, the natives of the adjacent villages deposit their dead, in canoes; and it is the same rock to which, for this reason, Lieutenant Broughton gave the name of Mount Coffin.

On the 4th, in the morning, we arrived at a large village that we had passed the evening before and we landed to obtain information respecting a considerable stream, which here discharges into the Columbia. The river comes from the north, and is called Coweliske by the natives. Mr. McKay embarked with Mr. De Montigny and two Indians, in a small canoe, to examine the course of this river, a certain distance up.

We were astonished to see Mr. De Montigny return on foot and alone, he soon informed us of the reason, having ascended the Cowlitz about a mile and a half, on rounding a bend of the stream, they suddenly came in view of about twenty canoes, full of Cowlitz Warriors, who had made a rush upon them with the most frightful yells. The two natives and the guide who conducted our little canoe, retreated with the utmost precipitancy, but seeing that they would be overtaken, they stopped short, and begged Mc Kay to fire upon the approaching savages. McKay, being well acquainted with the Indian character from the time he accompanied Sir Alexander McKenzie, and having met with similar occurrences before, he would by no means do so, but displayed a friendly sign to the astonished natives, and invited them to land for an amicable talk, to which they immediately assented.

Mr. McKay had sent Mr. De Montigny to procure some tobacco and a pipe, in order to strike a peace with these barbarians. We were then informed that the Indians were at war with the Kreluits. (The Kreluits were a branch of the Chinook tribe and were the middlemen between the Upper Columbia tribes and the tribes at its mouth.)

On the 5th, we paid a visit to the hostile camp and these savages, who had never seen white men, regarded us with curiosity and astonishment, lifting the legs of our trousers and opening our shirts, to see if the skin of our bodies resembled that of our faces and hands. We remained some time with them, to make proposals of peace and having ascertained that this warlike demonstration originated in a trifling offense on the part of the Kreluits, we found them well disposed to arrange matters in an amicable fashion.

After having given them, some looking-glasses, beads, knives, tobacco, and other trifles, we quieted them down and continued on our way. Having passed a deserted village, and then several islands, we came in sight of a noble mountain on the north, about 20 miles distant, all covered with snow, contrasting remarkably with the dark foliage of the forests at its base, and probably the same which was seen by Broughton, and named by him Mount St. Helen's. 

We pulled against a strong current all day, and at evening out guide made us enter a little river on the bank of which we found a good camping place, under a grove of oaks, and in the midst of odoriferous wild flowers, where we passed a night more tranquil than that which had preceded it. On the morning of the 6th we ascended this small stream, and soon arrived at a large village called Thlakalamah, (Kalama) the chief whereof, who was a young and handsome man, was called Keasseno, and was a relative of our guide.

The situation of the village is the most charming that can be, being built on the little river (Kalama) that we had ascended, and indeed at its navigable head, being there but a torrent with numerous cascades leaping from rock to rock in their descent to the deep, limpid water, which then flows through a beautiful prairie, enameled with odorous flowers of all colors, and studded with superb groves of oak.

The freshness and beauty of this spot, which nature seemed to have taken pleasure in adjoining and enriching with her most precious gifts, contrasted, in a striking manner, with the indigence and uncleanliness of its inhabitants; and I regretted that it had not fallen to the lot of civilized men. I was wrong no doubt; it is just that those should be most favored by their common mother, who are least disposed to pervert her gifts, or to give the preference to advantages which are factitious, and often very frivolous.

We quitted with regret this charming spot, and soon came to another large village, which our guide informed us was called Cathlapootle, and was situated at the confluence of a small stream, that seemed to flow down from the mountain covered with snow, which we had seen the day before: this river is called Cowilkt (Lewis river). We coasted a pretty island, well timbered, and high enough above the level of the Columbia to escape inundation in the freshets, and arrived at two villages called Maltnabah.

We then passed the confluence of the river Wallamat, or Willamette, above which the tide ceases to be felt in the Columbia. Our guide informed us that ascending this river about a day’s journey, there was a considerable fall, beyond which the country abounded in deer, elk, bear, beaver, and otter. But here, at the spot where we were, the oaks and poplar which line both banks of the river, the green and flowery prairies discerned through the trees, and the mountains discovered in the distance, offer to the eye of the observer who loves the beauties of simple nature, a prospect the most lovely and enchanting.

We encamped for the night on they edge of one of these fine prairies. On the 7th we passed several low islands, and soon discovered Mount Hood, a high mountain, capped with snow,  so named by Lieutenant Broughton; and Mount Jefferson another snowy summit, so called by Lewis and Clarke. The prospect which the former had before his eyes at this place, appeared to him so charming, that landing upon a point, to take possession of the country in the name of King George, he named it Pointe Belle Vue. At two o’clock we passed Point Vancouver, the highest reached by Broughton. (Point Vancouver is about 20 miles upstream from Portland)

The width of the river diminishes considerably above this point, and we began very soon to encounter shoals of sand and gravel; a sure indication that we were nearing the rapids. We encamped that evening under a ledge of rocks, descending almost to the water’s edge. The next day, the 8th, we did not proceed before we encountered a very rapid current. Soon after, we saw a hut of Indians engaged in fishing, where we stopped to breakfast. We found here and old blind man, who gave us a cordial reception. Our guide said that he was a white man, and that his name was Soto.

We learned from the mouth of the old man himself, that he was the son of a Spaniard who had been wrecked at the mouth of the river; that a part of the crew on this occasion got safe ashore, but were all massacred by the Clatsops, with the exception of four, who were spared, absorbed into the tribe and married native women. These four Spaniards, of whom his father was one, disgusted with savage life, attempted to reach a settlement of their own nation toward the south, but had never been heard of since; and that when his father, with his companions, left the country, he himself was yet quite young.

These good people having regaled us with fresh salmon, we left them, and arrived very soon at a rapid, opposite an island, named Strawberry Island by Captains Lewis and Clark in 1806. We left our men at a large village, to take care of the canoe and baggage; and following our guide, after walking about two hours, on a beaten path, we came to the foot of the fall, where we amused ourselves for some time with shooting the seals, which were here in abundance, and in watching the Indians taking salmon below the cataract, in their scoop-nets, from stages erected for that purpose over the eddies.

A chief, a young man of fine person and a good mien, came to us, followed by some twenty others, and invited us to his wigwam. We accompanied him and had roasted salmon for supper, and some mats were spread for our night’s repose. The next morning having ascertained that there was no trading post near the falls, and Coalpo absolutely refusing to proceed any further, alleging that the natives of the villages beyond were his enemies, and would not fail to kill him if they had him in their power, we decided to return to the camp.

Having therefore, distributed some presents to our host (I mean the young chief with whom we had supped and lodged) and to some of his followers, and procured a supply of fresh salmon for our return voyage, we disembarked and reached the camp on the 14th, without accidents or incidents worth relating.