The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-09-15
A summer Trip.
concluded from No. III.

The clouds are now pouring their garnered
fullness down ''in torrents and it becomes
prime necessity for us to seek shelter, and
redoubling our efforts at the oars soon come
to the tisherman's cottage where we land
and are Hospitality received; lull in the
storm; clearer looking sky, and hope.that
the clouds may pass in another direction,
determines us to pursue the even tenor OF
our way and seating ourselves in the skitf
are soon padding our own canoe toward
safe haven, when again that irrepressible
storm overtakes us with renewed violen ce.
Talk about the 40 days and 40 nights rain;
we are certain that for the time "our' storm
continued the 40 days affair pales into utter
lnsigniicance. The water ran i'll streams
down our spinal column; the thin shawl
spread over our lap is soaked, while our boat
Is taking water III such quantities that 1t Is
necessary Tor us to bail out; we turn to the
shore, get out, dispose of ourselves under
the dripping branches of a gnarled crooked
tree, our drenched clothes hanging i'll chill
ing folds around our limp forms. Thus we
watch, and wait for calmer moment in
which to venture forth. 1t comes at last;
without further incident we make our way
to that haven where dry clothes, a warm
supper, etc, await us.
The next morning clad in other habiiments
| step aboard the Toledo from the Martins
Bluff wharf and by o'clock that day find
myself safely ensconsed i'll a comfortable
room at a hotel in the metropolis of the
Northwest and wherein | awoke next morn
ing; unlike certain doughty Oregon editor
who visited the city once upon time and
returning home electrified his readers in the
paper next issue by stating that he went to
bed at the st. Charles and arose with the
morning light at the National. By 10 o'clock
A. NJ have transferred self, packages and
parcels unlimited to the Ldtond, that which
loaded with human freight and otherwise,
is soon steaming La Centre-ward with n
gray plume trailing heecy and pale" in it's
wake. 1t is glorious day; soft, hazy clouds
hang on the western horizon, while canopy
of heavens own blue spread overhead seems
mrrored i'll the sun kissed waters below;
out on the bosom of the broad Columbia the
steamer takes its way, stopping here and
there, to put off or take on passengers and
freight. The captain and purser in one,
floats round to our side for fares, and by the
beaming smile and kindly word we know he
is still the ''son of his old self" Dinner is
announced and we are borne along by the
crowd almost without volition of our own
into the small neatly-kept dining saloon,
where. wedged in between some Lewis river
celebrities, and attended by jewel of a
waiter, We dispose OF suppostional two
bits worth of Ldtoad fare and listen in I'M
moved calm to an animated discussion OF
Lewis river products. people, and perfec-
tons; dinner over we wend our way toward
the bow of the boat where we find seats and
| agreeable companionship. mutually agree
that the weather is warm also the dining
loon: ditto the sonp; declare the way in
which the boat winds its onward course per-
fectly charming; think the ''stout" individ-
ual manipulating the keys of an ACCORDION
might play something more modern; CON-
ment on the Lake river scenery; criticize ST.
Helens architecture: and assent to the prop
ostion to go below Just to vary the monot-
ony you know; do so; find boxes and bales,
little If this, more of that, and most of the
other: discover change of employees;
Mr.. Crawford medtatively seated on baling
rope: take our way to the end of the boat,
are received conrteously by the benevolent
engineer, who dspenses morning papers; ill.,
formation concerning the machinery and
rhubarb, from basket sitting near, among
our little party; returning to the upper re-
gions find we are nearing house with a
wharf attached called Pekin: short pause
and we are under way again, pass the mouth
of the nor h fork, and are soon fairly in the
east fork. few short miles and it stops
again. This time we get off and foot our
way home. JOHN SMITH.