The new North-west., 1896-04-17
THE OLD AST0R PARTY
= rtLS OE SUFFERING AND pnIyA-
TIDN.
Embarked in Fifteen large Canoes
for :, Trip Down thr
.'AYi,d'' River

fhcif temporary camp to abound in
1eaNgr. it was thought best to begin
there To establish those inland posts
which We're to become the feeders to
the commerce of the Astor colony, and
accordingly four hunters--Carson st.
Michael, Detaye and Delaunay-were
equipped with everything ncedful for
the winter and left to trap upon the
nelghboring streams, with instructions
10 make their way to Astoria as soon as
they had collected sufficient peltrics to
load their pack horses
The main body Of the expedition, fear
ans to attempt the descent OF the
Mad river from that point, repaired
20 the deserted camp of Mr.. Henry,
whose party had returned to the Mis-
sour established at that place another
post. With garrison Of five men--Cass,
f<lzner Hoback, Robinson and one of
the partners in the enterprise Mr. Mill
ct by name-and there abandoned their
horses and started down the river in 15
large canoes. For several hundred
miles all went fairly we'll with the yoy-
ayers Then began the descent Of the
tefnpestuous rapids Of the upper Snake
the way became more and mor, beset
win dl1fculties, canoe after canoe was
Aost, with all it's lading, and finally, Oc-
eooeT 2s, the party, thankful that only
one or their number had fallen a vic
nm TO the terrible river, found them
selves afoot thousand miles from AS
toria, with the great Snake river des-
Nrt and the Blue mountains before them
though these facts and whatever else
lay between them and their destination
We're happily unknown to them
With but five days provisions and the
SHOWS Of winter beginning to descend
they cached their remaining goods and
lmpedments. and set out i'll separate
companies for wider foraging on their
Thousand mile tramp to the sea.
AN AWFUL JOURNEY. -. -
OF the horrors of that winter journey
down the Snake and across the noun
falns, OF the starvation and thirst and
cold and sickness they endured it is
narrowing to speak. An evil hour it
was for this country when the Hunt
party abandoned their horses and took
to the treacherous river. The master
spirit Of Mr. Hunt and the reinforce
fnent OF his command were sadly need
ed at Astoria, and had they arrived III
due season the shameful failure of the
enterprise might possibly have been
averted. Yet an inscrutable Providence
would seem to have watched over this
1orlorn expedition. for, though their
disastrous experiences caused them to
Wreak upon the scenes of their woes
such names as '"Fhe Caldron Linn
The Devils Scuttle Hole LA Maui
dite RiVere Enra gee"-the accursed mad
rlver--yet always, in the moment OF ex-
tremity, appeared some slender means
of escape. some stray wild animal to
offer up its life for their sustenance, Or
ct
them guidance. or to part with a
Wretched horse or a dog for their re-
lief
on the last day of the year, the squaw
of Pierre Doriore-poor woman, she had
redeemed hersef by many shining quail
ties in the march--added a pappoose to
the caravan, without seeming to consid-
er 1t a noteworthy incident, but the
poor Waif being only three-fourths In
dian, resented the wild life into which
it transpired and perished in a few
days.
On the 1st of January that party Of
the stragglers under Mr.. Hunt reached
a band of well-to-do and friendly In
dians, in q warm and fertile Oregon
valley-the Umatilla---and heard gossip
from the Astoria colony, news Of their
comrades who had passed before them,
and celebrated New Years day with
singing, dancing and feasting heartily.
.s1t was with the utmost JOY" we are
told, "and the most profound gratitude
to heaven that Mr.. Hunt found himself
and his band of weary and famishing
wanderers thus safely extrcated from
the most perlous part of their journey,
and within the prospect of a termna-
ti0n of their tolls
In February all parties, except the
two drowned men and six left among
the Shoshones, reached Astoria, after
II months of wandering, and celebrated
their arrival by another grand feast
and dance.
Yet in spite Of all the Incredible hard
ships they had undergone. scarcely Il
month had elapsed before number of
these same men We're again upon the
road with party which was to separate
somewhere upon the upper Columbia,
and go, some to the Okanogan post,
some to recover the goods cached by
Mr.. Hunt and some to letrace the long
journey to New York.
Such is the fearlessness, the nsensi-
bility to danger. which men acquire by
the habitude Of constant risk
This expedition was failure. how
ever on account of the depredations of
the Columbia river Indians. The party
kept together. visited the OSanogan
post, but dared not remove the rich
store of furs there collected without
stronger escort, and SO all returned,
robbed, wounded and disappointed to
Astoria.
ANOTHER EFFORT.
In June following the attempt was re-