formed. But times without
number trappers and hunters were caught in the desert without snow for
water; or were blocked in the mountain passes by blizzards; or were
wrecked by the ice cutting their canoes on the upper rivers.
Innumerable place-names commemorate the presence of humble trapper and
hunter coursing the wilderness in the Oregon brigades. For example:
Sublette's River, Payette's River, John Day's River, the Des Chutes,
and many others. Indeed, many of the place-names commemorate the
deaths of lonely hunters in the desert. Crow and Blackfoot and Sioux
Indians often raided the brigades when on the home trip loaded with
peltry. One can readily believe that rival traders from the Missouri
instigated some of these raids. There were years when, of two hundred
hunters setting out, only forty or fifty returned; there were years
when the Hudson's Bay brigades found snow-bound, storm-bound, starving
American hunters, and as a price for food exacted every peltry in the
packs; and there were years when rival American traders bribed every
man in Ogden's brigade to desert.

{122}

The New Caledonia brigades set out by canoe--huge, long, cedar-lined
craft manned by fifty or even ninety men. These brigades were decked
out gayest of all. Flags flew at the prow of each craft. Voyageurs
adorned themselves with coloured sashes and headbands, with tinkling
bells attached to the buckskin fringe of trouser-leg. Where the rivers
narrowed to dark and shadowy canyons, the bagpipes would skirl out some
Highland air, or the French voyageurs would strike up some song of the
habitant, paddling and chanting in perfect rhythm, and sometimes
beating time with their paddles on the gunwales. Leaders of the canoe
brigades understood well the art of never permitting fear to enter the
souls of their voyageurs. Where the route might be exposed to Indian
raid, a regale of rum would be dealt out; and the captain would keep
the men paddling so hard there was no time for thought of danger.

In course of time the northern brigades no longer attempted to ascend
the entire way to the interior of New Caledonia by boat. Boats and
canoes would be left on the Columbia at Fort Colville or at Fort
Okanagan (both south of the present international boundary), and the
rest of the trail would be pursued by {123} pack-horse. Kamloops
became the great half-way house of these north-bound brigades; and
horses were left there to pasture on the high, d