stock and speak very much the same language as the Okanogans, Chelans, San Poils, etc., and these tribes were all mutually friendly with each other. We also know that the Okanogans and their neighboring tribes used to frequently visit the coast in the vicinity of the mouth of the Fraser, going thence sometimes by the Methow route and sometimes by the Similkameen route. On the coast they would come in contact with the trading ships, or at least with Indians familiar with the white traders from the ships. Thompson does not, however, mention that they had any guns or other articles of civilized manufacture amongst them, and his silence in that regard indicates that they had none.

Now to return to the Stuart party, which we left on July 31st, a short distance below the Dalles or the long narrows as they called the place at that time. On August 5th, they finally got safely over them, but in making the portage, had some trouble with the Indians gathered there. Day by day Ross chronicles the progress of the canoes of the Stuart party up the Columbia. We will not attempt to follow the itinerary of the party day by day. At "Priest Rapids" they picked up an Indian who was a medicine man and he continued with them to the mouth of the Okanogan in charge of their horses, of which they purchased a goodly number at the various Indian camps they encountered along the river. This Indian, Ross constantly refers to as the priest, and says they named the rapids where they got him "Priest Rapids." On the 24th of August, they reached the mouth of the Pisquowsh river, the Wah-na-a-cha of the Lewis & Clark map, the Wenatshapam of the Yakima language or the Wenatchee of today. The name is Piskowish on Thompson's map and appears as Pisscows on the map of Ross. Here they met Indians in great numbers and the chief, Sopa, made them a present of two horses and they purchased four more, giving for each one yard of print and two yards of red gartering which was so highly prized by the Indians, that horses from all quarters were brought to them, but they declined to buy more. On August 25th, they passed the mouth of the Intyclook, the Entiat of

today. They camped that night on the wooded point above the mouth of the Entiat. On the 26th, they reached Whitehill rapids, a place that is hard to identify satisfactorily, but it is either the Indian Rapids or the Chelan Rapids of the present time. Here they saw big horn, white goats and deer on the bluffs. On the 29th, they reached the foot of the Methow rapids, and making a portage past them, camped that night at the mouth of the Methow river. Here the Indians assembled in great numbers and offered them many horses for sale, and in all respects were exceedingly kind. These were the same Indians that Thompson had smoked and conferred with as we have seen a few weeks before. They invited Stuart to stay and trade through the winter asserting that their country abounded in beaver and that there was plenty of game for food. The Astorians remained at the mouth of the Methow over the 30th. We will now copy verbatim what Mr. Ross has to say in his book.

"On the 31st we parted from our friendly visitors, and shaping our course in an easterly direction along the bend of the river, we pushed on for about nine miles till we reached the mouth of a smooth stream called Oakinacken, which we ascended for about two miles, leaving the main Columbia for the first time, and then pitched our tents for the night. A great concourse of Indians followed us all day, and encamped with us. After acquainting them with the object of our visit to their country, they strongly urged us to settle among them. For some time, however, Mr. Stuart resisted their pressing solicitations, chiefly with the view of trying their sincerity; but, at last consenting, the chiefs immediately held a council, and then pledged themselves to be always our friends, to kill us plenty of beavers, to furnish us at all times with provisions and to insure our protection and safety."

"On the 1st of September, 1811, we embarked and descended the Oakinacken again, landed on a level spot within half a mile of its mouth. There we unloaded, took our canoes out of the water, and pitched our tents-which operation concluded our long and irksome voyage of forty-two days."

"The source of the Oakinacken is 280 miles due north, and in its course south the stream runs through three lakes to its junction with the Columbia; it is hemmed in on the east by a

sloping range of high rocky hills at the foot of which the two rivers meet. On the south bank of the Oakinacken, half a mile from its mouth, was the site pitched upon for the new establishment."

It is clear from this that the Stuart party camped in the evening of August 31st, 1811, on the banks of the Okanogan river just about where Mary Carden's ranch is now located, and that the site of the post which they located next day was almost exactly where Long Jim's stables and corrals are now situated. To be absolutely definite, it was in the extreme northwest corner of lot 2, section 17, Township 30 north Range 25 East. The Stuart party built but one building when they founded the establishment, but others were added from time to time during the five years that the post was maintained on that site by the Pacific Fur Company and their successors, the Northwesters. In the summer of 1816 a new fort was built by the latter something over a mile away-this latter post is the one that lasted for so many years and is the one usually referred to when "Ft. Okanogan" is mentioned. Several large and distinct depressions still exist on the site of the original Astor post, plainly showing where the old cellars were, and many fragments of masonry are scattered about, but none of it in place. This was the first actual permanent settlement and occupancy under the American flag in what is now the State of Washington. At the centennial celebration held in commemoration of that event in 1911 a flag pole was erected on the site of the old ruins.

As soon

But to return to the doings of the Stuart party. as they got their building well started, Pillette and M'Lennon with two of the men were dispatched back to Astoria in one of the canoes, and as soon as they had the building complete, Mr. Stuart, with Montigny and the two remaining men (one of which was Michel Boullard) came up the Okanogan river, traveling with pack and saddle horses. These were the first white men that ever traveled through the Okanogan valley. They continued on far to the north, passed along by Okanogan Lake and proceeded over the height of land on to the Thomp

son river into the country of the Shu-swap Indians, near where the city of Kamloops now stands, and they did not return for a period of one hundred and eighty-eight days. While Mr. Stuart was on the Thompson river he made arrangements to establish a trading post there the ensuing winter. He arrived back at Okanogan March 22nd, 1812. During the six months and over that he was absent, during the winter of 1811 and 1812 Ross was in charge at Fort Okanogan, and he has this to say in his book in regard to what he did there in the way of trade that winter:

"During Mr. Stuart's absence of 188 days I had procured 1550 beavers, besides other peltries, worth in the Canton (China) market 2,250 pounds sterling, and which on an average stood the concern in but 51⁄2 pence apiece, valuing the merchandise at sterling cost, or in round numbers 35 pounds sterling; a specimen of our trade among the Indians."

Ross devotes considerable space in his "Adventures" to his experiences during that first winter at Fort Okanogan.

On March 22nd, 1812, another party consisting of seventeen men was made up at Astoria and placed under command of Robert Stuart, a nephew of David. A portion of this brigade was to proceed overland to St. Louis, with dispatches for Mr. Astor at New York, and another portion carried supplies to Ft. Okanogan and was to bring back the results of the winter trade. After many vicissitudes and Indian fights on the lower river, this party arrived at Okanogan April 24, 1812, and after remaining five days left for Astoria again, carrying approximately 2,500 beaver skins. Mr. David Stuart accompanied this party and left Ross at Okanogan for the summer. Mr. Ross left Donald M'Gillis in charge and started with Boullard and an Indian with sixteen pack and saddle horses on a trading excursion up the Okanogan river to the country of the Shuswaps, following very closely Mr. Stuart's route of the winter before. They had a very successful trading trip and arrived back at Okanogan July 12, 1812. David Stuart got back from Astoria with a stock of goods, August 12, 1812, and on August 25th he and his men left Fort Okanogan to winter among the Shu-swaps at Kamloops. Ross was again left in charge at

Fort Okanogan for the winter of 1812 and 1813. He escorted Mr. Stuart as far as Osoyoos Lake and then returned to prepare his post for the winter operations. After spending the fall of 1812 in various trading excursions to nearby points, he left Fort Okanogan, December 2nd, to pay a visit to Mr. John Clarke, at Fort Spokane, which was a post that had just been established by the Astor Company along side of "Spokane House," which was the name of the post as we have heretofore seen, that was established and maintained by the Northwest Company.

Ross got back to his post from Spokane, December 14th, 1812, but nearly lost his own life and the lives of all his men and horses in a big snow storm that they encountered in the Big Bend country. On December 20th, he set out to visit Mr. Stuart at the Kamloops post. Ross calls it "Cumcloups." He arrived there on the last day of the year 1812. Here we find the enterprise and energy of the Northwesters again in evidence. They had established a post alongside Mr. Stuart's establishment. Mr. Ross has this to say of the conditions prevailing at Kamloops:

"There was opposition there as well as at Mr. Clarke's place, but without the trickery and maneuvering, M. LaRocque, the Northwest clerk in charge, and Mr. Stuart, were open and candid, and on friendly terms. The field before them was wide enough for both parties, and, what is more, they thought so; consequently they followed a fair and straightforward course of trade; with Mr. Stuart I remained five days, and in coming home I took a near and unknown route, in order to explore a part of the country I had not seen before."

Mr. Ross evidently returned from Kamloops through by Nicola Lake and struck the Similkameen some place near where Princeton now stands. He came down that river and struck the Okanogan river at the "forks," as he says, and got to Fort Okanogan, January 24th, 1813. On May 13th, 1813, Mr. Stuart arrived at Fort Okanogan from the Kamloops country with a rich catch of fur. They remained at Okanogan ten days, packing, pressing and loading the furs, and then Ross and Stuart with a crew of men set out with the canoes