Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-05-08
Those who have read Washing

Those who have read Washing
ton IrvinE's Astoria" will remem-
Der that IL was the intention Of
the company to send every year. a
ahip TO their fort at the mouth
Of the Columbia The first ship
was the Inflated Tonquin, and the
second. the Beaver. sailed from
New York Oct. IL, 1911. II carried,
among other passengers, a young
Englishman named Ross Cox. who
was . clerk of the company.
It may seem strange that English
men and Scotchmen entered the EN-
ploy OF Aston rather than that Of the
Hudsons Bay Co.: but the latter had
little to offer adventurous spirits, as
1t was reluctant to seek western trade,
combining its activities mainly to Hud-
son bay and the rivers flowing into it.
This accounts for the success Of the
Northwest company, which did not
have nearly the influential backing of
the Older company.
The conservative policy OF the Hud
sons Bay Co., lost 1t David Thompson,
and many Of its most capable employees
and prevented others like Cox from
entering its service.
Beaver Arrives at Astoria
The Beaver safely rounded the Horn,
stopping at the Sandwich Islands, took
on some Hawaiians, and perhaps
others. to serve as laborers at the new
fort. The ship safely crossed the peril
GUS bar at the mouth Of the Columbia
May 8, 1872, and landed its cargo and
passengers at Astoria, as the fort was
called.
The prospect was anything but en-
couraging for the new arrivals-the
Tonquins fate they learned in the
Sandwich islands-now they were to
hear that company Of men sent up
the river to trade had been driven
back by the Indians; yet this did not
prevent another party from starting
for the interior on June %. 1t con-
sisted of 100 men, and Ross Cox was
one of them, although his months
residence in Oregon could not have
familiarized him with all that man
should know who undertook such a
trip.
Not wishing to court the fate Of the
former trading party, this was well
equipped for its undertaking. Each
man had q gun and plenty of ammu-
milton, and pistols. daggers and short
swords provided other weapons. In ad-
dition, as a defensive measure, the
men wore "a kind of shirt made out
of the skin of the elk, which reached
from the neck to the knees. 1t was
perfectly arrow-proof. and at 80 or
80 yards impenetrable by musket
bullet. And when armed cap-apie,'
writes Cox, I'VE presented formidable
appearance
Indians Wore ArnOr
The age of chivalry was passed; but
at that time when Astoria was built,
and earlier, the Indians in some parts
Of the country wore armor. This v
says Grinnell, was of several kinds
sometimes made of rows of overlapping
plate of ivory or bone, or wood in the
form of Stats or rods, held in place
by hide, or of coats, helmets and so
on, OF hardened hide. Between 1910
and 1850 trappers on the prairie some
times hung about their necks, to pro-
tect the front of their bodies, the
hides of mule deer dressed with the
hair on. These skins, when wet, would
stop an arrow"
Schultz has told Of Spanish armor
being in the possession of some of
the Indian tribes.
It was necessary to exercise the ut
most care in making portages, espe-
cially at first, to forestall attacks.
Then there was the laborious task of
cordelling the boats up the rapids. At
one portage the Indians tried to carry
off bale of goods, but deciding 1t
might not be safe to do so, dropped it
and started to run, when we'll
directed shot broke the arm of one
of them.
Indians Levy Toll
Some writer's state that certain
tribes Of Indians on the Columbia
levied toll of all who passed. No &C
count is given of their having under
taken 1t in this instance. All the early
chroniclers are unanimous in repre-
senting the Indians of the lower Co
Iumbia as dirty and degraded. Far in
ferior physically, and otherwise, to the
mountain tribes, they excelled even the
Crows as thieves.
Keeping on up the river and on
reaching the mouth of the Walla Walla
river, the company first met Indians
of that tribe. Here they bought 20
horses for Robert Stewards company
Of IL members, that left the next day
for st. Louis.
Near the Walla Walla Cox's company
was introduced to the Nez Perces. and
we're impressed by the dignified bear
ing and gentle nature OF these In
dams. The Nez Perces lived in large
houses of various shapes, some being
oblong, some square and others conf
cal and of from 20 to 70 feet in length
They were rooted with mats laid on
poles. This covering might have been
sufficient protection from the sun, but