day. The day after, some natives came on board, and reported that
Messrs. M'Dougal and Stuart had capsized the evening before in crossing
the bay. This news at first alarmed us; and, if it had been verified,
would have given the finishing blow to our discouragement. Still, as the
weather was excessively bad, and we did not repose entire faith in the
story of the natives--whom, moreover, we might not have perfectly
understood--we remained in suspense till the 10th. On the morning of
that day, we were preparing to send some of the people in search of our
two gentlemen, when we perceived two large canoes, full of Indians,
coming toward the vessel: they were of the _Chinook_ village, which was
situated at the foot of a bluff on the north side of the river, and were
bringing back Messrs. M'Dougal and Stuart. We made known to these
gentlemen the report we had heard on the 8th from the natives, and they
informed us that it had been in fact well founded; that on the 7th,
desirous of reaching the ship agreeably to their promise, they had
quitted _Chinook_ point, in spite of the remonstrances of the chief,
_Comcomly_, who sought to detain them by pointing out the danger to
which they would expose themselves in crossing the bay in such a heavy
sea as it was; that they had scarcely made more than a mile and a half
before a huge wave broke over their boat and capsized it; that the
Indians, aware of the danger to which they were exposed, had followed
them, and that, but for their assistance, Mr. M'Dougal, who could not
swim, would inevitably have been drowned; that, after the Chinooks had
kindled a large fire and dried their clothes, they had been conducted by
them back to their village, where the principal chief had received them
with all imaginable hospitality, regaling them with every delicacy his
wigwam afforded; that, in fine, if they had got back safe and sound to
the vessel, it was to the timely succor and humane cares of the Indians
whom we saw before us that they owed it. We liberally rewarded these
generous children of the forest, and they returned home well satisfied.