Franchère's Narrative of a Voyage to the Northwest Coast, 1811-1814;
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.iS^'- I ,i. < NARRATIVE OP A. VOYAGE CO ) THE NORTHWEST COAST OP AMERICA IX THE YEABS 1811. 181% 181% AND 1814 OR THC FIBST AMERICAN SETTLEMENT ON THE PAOTIC Br GABRIEL FRANCHERE rniANSLATED AND EDITED BY J. V. HUNTINOTOIf REDFIELD no AND Its NASSAU STREEt, NEW YO&K 1854. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, By J. S. Redfield, in the Clerk's OflSce of the District Court of the United States, in and for the Southern District of New York. — : PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION In 1846, when the boundary question (that of the Oregon Territory in particular) was at its height, the Hon. Thomas H. Benton delivered in the United States Senate a decisive speech, of which the following is an extract: "Now for the proof of all I have said. I happen to have in my possession the book of all others, which gives the fullest and most authentic details on all the points I have mentioned — a book written at a time, and under circumstances, when the author (himself a British sub- ject and familiar on the Columbia) had no more idea that the British would lay claim to that river, than [4] Mr, Harmon, the American writer whom I quoted, ever thought of our claiming New Caledonia. It is the work of Mr. Franchere, a gentleman of Montreal, with whom I have the pleasure to be personally acquainted, and one of those employed by Mr. Astor in founding his colony. He was at the founding of Astoria, at its sale to the Northwest Company, saw the place seized as a British conquest, and continued there after its seizure. He wrote in French his work has not been done into English, though it well deserves it; and I read from the French text. He gives a brief and true account of the discovery of the Columbia." I felt justly proud of this notice of my unpretending work, especially that the latter should have contributed, as it did, to the amicable settlement of the then pending difficulties. I have flattered myself ever since, that it belonged to the historical literature of the great country, which by adoption has become mine. The re-perusal of ''Astoria" by Washington Irving 174 Early Western Travels [Vol. 6 (1836) inspired me with an additional [5] motive for giving my book in an English dress. Without disparagement to Mr. Irving's literary fame, I may venture to say that I found in his work inaccuracies, misstatements (uninten- tional of course), and a want of chronological order, which struck forcibly one so familiar with the events themselves. I thought I could show — or rather that my simple nar- ration, of itself, plainly discovered — that some of the young men embarked in that expedition (which founded our Pacific empire), did not merit the ridicule and contempt which Captain Thorn attempted to throw upon them, and which perhaps, through the genius of Mr. Irving, might otherwise remain as a lasting stigma on their charac- ters. But the consideration which, before all others, prompts me to offer this narrative to the American reading public, is my desire to place before them, therein, a simple and connected account (which at this time ought to be inter- esting), of the early settlement of the Oregon Territory by one of our adopted citizens, the enterprising merchant John Jacob Astor. The importance [6] of a vast ter- ritory, which at no distant day may add two more bright stars to our national banner, is a guarantee that my humble effort will be appreciated. Note hy Huntington It has been the editor's wish to let Mr. Franchere speak for himself. To preserve in the translation the Defoe- like simplicity of the original narrative of the young French Canadian, has been his chief care. Having read many narratives of travel and adventure in our northwestern wilderness, he may be permitted to say that he has met with none that gives a more vivid and picturesque de- scription of it, or in which the personal adventures of the 1854] Franchere' s Narrative 175 narrator, and the varying fortunes of a great enterprise, mingle more happily, and one may say, more dramati- cally, with the itinerary. The clerkly minuteness [7] of the details is not without its charm either, and their fidelity speaks for itself. Take it altogether, it must be regarded as a fragment of our colonial history saved from oblivion; it fills up a vacuity which Mr. Irving's classic work does not quite supply; it is, in fact, the only account by an eye- witness and a participator in the enterprise, of the first attempt to form a settlement on the Pacific under the stars and stripes. The editor has thought it would be interesting to add Mr. Franchere's Preface to the original French edition, which will be found on the next page. Baltimore, February 6, 1854. PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION When I was writing my journal on the vessel which carried me to the northwest coast of North America, or in the wild regions of this continent, I was far from thinking that it would be placed one day before the public eye. I had no other end in writing, but to procure to my family and my friends a more exact and more connected detail of what I had seen or learned in the course of my travels, than it would have been possible for me to give them in a viva voce narration. Since my return to my native city, my manuscript has passed into various hands and has been read by dijEferent persons: several of my friends immediate- ly advised me to print it ; but it is only quite lately that I have allowed [lo] myself to be persuaded, that without being a learned naturalist, a skilful geographer, or a pro- found moralist, a traveller may yet interest by the faithful and succinct account of the situations in which he has found himself, the adventures which have happened to him, and the incidents of which he has been a witness; that if a simple ingenuous narrative, stripped of the merit of science and the graces of diction, must needs be less enjoyed by the man of letters or by the savant, it would have, in compensa- tion, the advantage of being at the level of a greater number of readers; in fine, that the desu-e of affording an enter- tainment to his countrymen, according to his capacity, and without any mixture of the author's vanity or of pe- cuniary interest, would be a well-founded title to their indulgence. Whether I have done well or ill in yielding to these suggestions, which I am bound to regard as those of friendship, or of good-will, it belongs to the impartial and disinterested reader to decide. Montreal, 1819. CONTENTS CHAPTER I Departure from Montreal — Arrival in New York — Descrip- tion of that City — Names of the Persons engaged in the Expedition --------- 189 CHAPTER II Departure from New York — Reflections of the Author — Navigation, falling in with other Ships, and various Inci- dents, till the Vessel comes in Sight of the Falkland Isles - 196 CHAPTER III Arrival at the Falkland Isles — Landing — Perilous Situation of the Author and some of his Companions — Portrait of Captain Thorn — Cape Horn — Navigation to the Sand- wich Islands --------- 202 CHAPTER IV Accident — View of the Coast — Attempted Visit of the Na- tives — Their Industry — Bay of Karaka-koua — Landing on the Island — John Young, Governor of Owahee - - 210 [12] CHAPTER V Bay of Ohetity — Tamehameha, King of the Island — His Visit to the Ship — His Capital — His Naval Force — His Authority — Productions of the Country — Manners and Customs — Reflections 215 CHAPTER VI Departure from Wahoo — Storm — Arrival at the Mouth of the Columbia — Reckless Order of the Captain — Diffi- culty of the Entrance — Perilous Situation of the Ship — Unhappy Fate of a Part of the Crew and People of the Expedition --------- 227 178 Early Western Travels [Vol.6 CHAPTER VII Regrets of the Author at the Loss of his Companions — Obse- quies of a Sandwich-Islander — First Steps in the Forma- tion of the intended Establishment — New Alarm — En- campment ----..--. 236 CHAPTER VIII Voyage up the River — Description of the Country — Meeting with strange Indians ------- 242 CHAPTER IX Departure of the Tonquin — Indian Messengers — Project of an Expedition to the Interior — Arrival of Mr. Daniel Thompson — Departure of the Expedition — Designs upon us by the Natives — Rumors of the Destruction of the Ton- quin — Scarcity of Provisions — Narrative of a strange Indian — DupUcity and Cunning of Comcomly - - 250 CHAPTER X Occupation at Astoria — Retium of a Portion of the Men of the Expedition to the Interior — New Expedition — Excursion in Search of three Deserters - - - - - - 259 [13] CHAPTER XI Departure of Mr. R. Stuart for the Interior — Occupations at Astoria — Arrival of Messrs. Donald M'Kenzie and Robert M'Lellan — Account of their Journey — Arrival of Mr. Wilson P. Hunt 266 CHAPTER XII Arrival of the Ship Beaver — Unexpected Return of Messrs. D. Stuart, R. Stuart, M'Lelland, &c. — Cause of that Re- turn — Ship discharging — New Expeditions — Hostile Attitude of the Natives — Departure of the Beaver — Journeys of the Author — His Occupations at the Estab- lishment --------- 273 1819] Francheres Narrative 179 CHAPTER XIII Uneasiness respecting the "Beaver" — News of the Declara- tion of War between Great Britain and the United States — Consequences of that Intelligence — Different Occur- rences — Arrival of two Canoes of the Northwest Com- pany — Preparations for abandoning the Country — Post- ponement of Departure — Arrangement with Mr.