ke
cakes and puddings, constitute a "regale;" and they forget all their
toils and troubles in the song and dance.

On the present occasion, the partners endeavored to celebrate the new
year with some effect. At sunrise the drums beat to arms, the colors
were hoisted, with three rounds of small arms and three discharges of
cannon. The day was devoted to games of agility and strength, and other
amusements; and grog was temperately distributed, together with bread,
butter, and cheese. The best dinner their circumstances could afford
was served up at midday. At sunset the colors were lowered, with another
discharge of artillery. The night was spent in dancing; and, though
there was a lack of female partners to excite their gallantry, the
voyageurs kept up the ball with true French spirit, until three o'clock
in the morning. So passed the new year festival of 1812 at the infant
colony of Astoria.

CHAPTER XIII.

Expedition by Land.--Wilson P. Hunt.--His Character.--Donald
M'Kenzie.--Recruiting Service Among the Voyageurs.--A Bark
Canoe.--Chapel of St. Anne.-Votive Offerings.--Pious
Carousals,--A Ragged Regiment.-Mackinaw.--Picture of a
Trading Post.--Frolicking Voyageurs.--Swells and Swaggerers.--
Indian Coxcombs.--A Man of the North.--Jockeyship of
Voyageurs--Inefficacy of Gold.-Weight of a Feather--Mr.
Ramsay Crooks--His Character.--His Risks Among the Indians.--
His Warning Concerning Sioux and Blackfeet.--Embarkation of
Recruits.--Parting Scenes Between Brothers, Cousins, Wives,
Sweethearts, and Pot Companions.

WE have followed up the fortunes of the maritime part of this enterprise
to the shores of the Pacific, and have conducted the affairs of the
embryo establishment to the opening of the new year; let us now turn
back to the adventurous band to whom was intrusted the land expedition,
and who were to make their way to the mouth of the Columbia, up vast
rivers, across trackless plains, and over the rugged barriers of the
Rocky Mountains.

The conduct of this expedition, as has been already mentioned, was
assigned to Mr. Wilson Price Hunt, of Trenton, New Jersey, one of the
partners of the company, who was ultimately to be at the head of the
establishment at the mouth of the Columbia. He is represented as a
man scrupulously upright and faithful his dealings, amicable in his
disposition, and of most accommodating manners; and his whole conduct
will be