ter, with no other company than her
two children. Towards the middle of March her provisions were nearly
exhausted. She therefore packed up the remainder, slung it on her back,
and, with her helpless little ones, set out again on her wanderings.
Crossing the ridge of mountains, she descended to the banks of the
Wallah-Wallah, and kept along them until she arrived where that river
throws itself into the Columbia. She was hospitably received and
entertained by the Wallah-Wallahs, and had been nearly two weeks among
them when the two canoes passed.

On being interrogated, she could assign no reason for this murderous
attack of the savages; it appeared to be perfectly wanton and
unprovoked. Some of the Astorians supposed it an act of butchery by a
roving band of Blackfeet; others, however, and with greater probability
of correctness, have ascribed it to the tribe of Pierced-nose Indians,
in revenge for the death of their comrade hanged by order of Mr. Clarke.
If so, it shows that these sudden and apparently wanton outbreakings of
sanguinary violence on the part of the savages have often some previous,
though perhaps remote, provocation.

The narrative of the Indian woman closes the checkered adventures
of some of the personages of this motley story; such as the honest
Hibernian Reed, and Dorion the hybrid interpreter. Turcot and La
Chapelle were two of the men who fell off from Mr. Crooks in the course
of his wintry journey, and had subsequently such disastrous times among
the Indians. We cannot but feel some sympathy with that persevering trio
of Kentuckians, Robinson, Rezner, and Hoback, who twice turned back when
on their way homeward, and lingered in the wilderness to perish by the
hands of savages.

The return parties from Astoria, both by sea and land, experienced on
the way as many adventures, vicissitudes, and mishaps, as the far-famed
heroes of the Odyssey; they reached their destination at different
times, bearing tidings to Mr. Astor of the unfortunate termination of
his enterprise.

That gentleman, however, was not disposed, even yet, to give the matter
up as lost. On the contrary, his spirit was roused by what he considered
ungenerous and unmerited conduct on the part of the Northwest Company.
"After their treatment of me," said he, in a letter to Mr. Hunt, "I have
no idea of remaining quiet and idle." He determined, therefore, as soon
as circumstances would permit, to resume his enterprise.

At the retur