Wasbington J!}I£)Torical ~Uarttrl!
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Vol. V., No. ~ April, 1914 ~bt Wasbington j!}i£)torical ~uarttrl!, JOURNAL OF JOHN WORK, JUNE·OCTOBER, 1825 (Introduction and annotations by T. C. Elliott.) Readers of the Washington Historical Quarterly have already be come acquainted with Mr. John Work, an officer of the Hudson's Bay Company, through his previous journal-with introductory note-pub lished in Volume III, pp. 198-228, recording the details of the journey of an expedition from Fort George on the Columbia river to the Fraser river and back in November-December, 1824, (in which he remarked among other things about the "weighty rain" common to the Coast and Puget Sound localities). Mr. Work'~ particular duties during January May, 1825, we do not know; this was the period during which Governor Simpson and Chief Factor John McLoughlin selected the site for Fort Vancouver and the headquarters were removed from Fort George (As toria) to the new location, which was on the high ground east of the pres ent city of Vancouver, Washington, where the buildings of the Washington (State) Asylum for the Blind and Deaf now stand. Governor Simpson returned up the Columbia river in March, 1825, with the Express bound for York Factory on Hudson's Bay, but events indicate that he already had learned to place much confidence in the young clerk John Work. In June, Mr. Work finds himself assigned to duty in the interior and accom panies the "brigade" of officers and voyagers under Mr. John McLeod returning up the river with goods for the trade at the various interior forts. Mr. McLeod was then stationed at Thompson River (Kamloops) but had been given leave to return across the mountains to Hudson's Bay the fol lowing spring. Readers of the "three synoptical writers of Astoria," as Dr. Elliott Coues designates Gabriel F ranchere, Alexander Ross and Ross Cox, have had occasion perhaps to tire of the narratives of successive journeys up and down the Columbia river with the constant encounters with the Indians at the Cascades and Dalles portages. In this journal we have another ac count of the same Jourpey and discover that with the education of the (83) 84 T. C. Elliott Indians of the Columbia to the fixed and just policy of the Northwest and Hudson's Bay Companies in their trade relations, the hatred and distrust and armed resistance of these Indians has already ceased to a great extent and that only the natural disposition to pilfer has to be taken much into account. Between June 21 st and November 1st, 1825, the period covered by part of this journal, Mr. Work journeys many miles and introduces us to the regular lines of travel of the fur traders between their forts in Wash ington, Northern Idaho and Montana and to some of the routine life of the forts. He visits the Nez Perces at their trading ground where the City of Lewiston, Idaho, now stands, the Flatheads at the spot where the large power plant is now being erected below Thompson Falls, Montana, and the then active Fort 0 kanogan, Washington, at the mouth of that river where now there is only barren waste; but his headquarters were at Spokane. House, then as now the trade center for all the "Inland Empire." He also tells of the very beginning of building and planting at Kettle Falls, where the most important of the interior trading posts, Fort Colvile, was just being started. Only the first part of the entire journal is given in this issue and the remainder is to be presented in a later number of the Quarterly, and then to be followed by a second journal of the same writer. For brief mention of Mr. Work's career the reader is referred to the earlier number of this Quarterly-already cited, and to page 464 of Vol ume II of H. H. Bancroft's History of the Northwest Coast. It is suf ficient to say here that Mr. Work was of Irish descent, the name being properly spelled Wark, and that he remained in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company continuously up to the time of his death at Victoria, B. c., in 1861 . This journal comes to us through his descendants and is no~ deposited as a part of the archives of British Columbia, and Mr. Schole field, the Provincial Archivist, has kindly compared this copy for publica tion. The journal has never before been published and does not appear to have been examined or used by Hubert Howe Bancroft, who had access to others of the Work journals in the preparation of his series of histories. The parenthetical marks are used to designate words that are doubtful by reason of the original manuscripts being blurred or faded. T. C. ELLIOTT. JOURNAL. June 21, 1825. Drizzling rain with some weighty showers. Very little wind. At 10 o'clock the Interior brigade, consisting of five boats carrying pieces and manned by 32 men, left Fort Vancouver under the charge of loumal of I ohn Work 85 1 Mr. McLeod. A sixth boat and 12 men under the charge of Mr. McKay2 accompanied the Brigade as a convoy to above the Chutes. 3 The water is very high and the current strong. Encamped at 4 o'clock opposite Quick Sand River. 4 We stopped at this early hour to get some of the boats which were badly gummed. Some of the pieces were put in Mr. McKay's boat to lighten the others. Being ordered to proceed to Spokane in charge of the outfit for that place, I accompany the brigade. Wed.y.22 Drizzling rain forenoon. Wind W. Embarked at 3 o'clock and reached the Cascades at I, had to carry at the New Portage,5 everything was got half way across the Port age by 5 oclock when the men were employed gumming the boats. There were a good many Indians, but they were very quiet, 60 to 70 salmon were purchased from them, principally for Tobacco, at an inch per salmon. Thursday 23 Dry weather, blowing fresh from the N. W. Resumed carrying at 3 oclock and by 6 everything was embarked at the upper end of the portage, where we proceeded up the river under saiII with a fine strong wind till 12 oclock when we put ashore a little below Cape Horn,6 Mr. McLeod considering it too rough to proceed. Friday 24 Dry weather a fine breeze from the N. W. Continued our journey at a little past 3 oclock with a nice sail wind and reached the lower end of the Dalles about two and got boats & foods about half way across the portage. We were detained more than two hours at breakfast below the portage, as Mr. McKay left his boat with two men, and the pieces had to be put in the other boats. On ap proaching the Dalls the current was very strong and the boats being deep laden it was difficult getting them up. My boat was caught in a whirlpool and very near sunk, she was wheeled around three times before the men got her out. There are a good many Indians on the portage we reckon from 400 to 500, however they were very peaceable. Gave them a little 1 JohnMcLeod, Senior, stationed at Thompson river or Kamloops. Con sult "Peace River," by Archibald McDonald, for his career. 2 Probably Charles McKay, son of Alex McKay who was blown up with the Tonquin, and step-son of Dr. John McLoughlin. 3 Celilo, or the Falls of the Columbia, above The Dalles. 4 The Sandy river, Multnomah County, Oregon; camp being near Wash ougal on opposite shore. 5 Portage around the Cascades on north bank, where railroad portage was built in later years. 6 The Upper Cape Horn, below Klickitat river; see Wilkes' Map of Oregon. 86 T. C. Elliott Tobacco to smoke and bought as much salmon as we required at equally as low a price as at the Cascades. Satd.y. 25 Clear very warm weather a little wind up the river in the mornmg but calm afterwards. Recommenced carrying at Y2 past 2 oclock, had everything across the portage7 & embarked at 6, and were across the Chutes by 11. The portage at the Chutes was short on account of the high water. Encamped at 6 in the evening a little below Day's River,s to gum the boats. We lost nearly 2 hours at breakfast below the Chutes. We reckoned 150 to 200 Indians at the Chutes, they were very quiet. Gave them to smoke and also about an inch of Tobacco each when we were coming off. Mr. McKay & Mr. Douglas,a with the convoy men left us at the upper end of the Chutes to return to Fort Vancouver. Sunday 26 Clear weather little breeze of wind from the N. W. in the morning and evening, but calm and very warm in the middle of the day. Continued our journey a little past 3 oclock and encamped at 7 in the evening. Were detained 2 hours gumming the boats.- had the sails up while the wind lasted in the morning and evening. A good many Indians along the river. Monday 27. Clear, a fine breeze up the River in the morning but calm and insuf ferably warm afterwards. Embarked a little before 3 oclock, passed the lower end of the Big Island10 at Y2 past 4 and encamped at 6 to gum one of the boats, we were also detained 1Y2 hours in the day gumming.