New Caledonia, 10 Apr., 1831. I have not one word of either Work or Frank [Ermatinger]—but believe both proceeded last summer on the trapping expeditions. God bless them both—I wish them well out of it—Poor Work—if he remains much longer in the Country neglected I fear he'll die of the spleen—he is much more discontented with the manner in which the good things are shared here than myself—He has now however an arduous duty to perform, but there is little doubt of his getting through it with his usual success."19
John Work returned from the expedition mentioned by Tod on July 27, 1832.20 He was informed that he was to start on another expedition almost at once. His reaction to the prospect is seen in a letter he wrote to Edward Ermatinger:
I am going to start with my ragamuffin freemen to the southward towards the Spanish settlements but with what success I cannot say. I am tired of the cursed country, Ned, and becoming more dissatisfied every day with the measures in it; things don't go fair, I don't think I shall remain long, my plan is to hide myself in some out of the way corner, and drag out the remainder of my days as quietly as possible. Susette [Josette] is well, we have now got three little girls, they accompanied me these last two years, but I leave them behind this one, the misery is too great. I shall be very lonely without them but the cursed trip exposes them to too much hardship.21
It was not John Work's intention to take his family on the California expedition, but he reckoned without the intrepid Josette. Although not the slightest intimation is written in his day by day record that she was a member of the southern brigade, a letter written to a friend after their return states definitely that she and the three little girls were with him.22 Josette came down from Fort Colville, where she had been visiting during Work's absence at Fort Vancouver, and met him when the brigade came up-river to Fort Nez Perce.23 A list of the sick people of the California party has recently been found among some uncatalogued papers in the Archives of British Columbia. It is in John Work's handwriting. Entries include members of his family.24
The route of the southern brigade of the Hudson's Bay Company of 1832 followed the Columbia River by water to Fort Nez Perce, later called Fort Walla Walla, where horses awaited the party. The band of trappers, which numbered one hundred men, women and children, then turned southward over the mountains until they reached the headwaters of Silvies River, which stream they followed to its mouth at Malheur Lake in central Oregon. Here they turned west across the sagebrush desert region, finding their way by familiar landmarks: isolated buttes now called Iron Mountain, Wagontire Butte, and Juniper Mountain. Bending to the southwest they passed Alkali Lake, Abert Lake and Abert Rim, reaching at last Goose Lake on the 42nd parallel, the boundary between the Oregon Country, jointly held by England and the United States, and the Mexican province of California.
Goose Lake was traced along its eastern shore until Pit River was reached. The trail followed down this stream, crossing and recrossing Pit River several times, until a stream now called Hat Creek was attained. The brigade ascended Hat Creek to a point now known as Doyle's Corners. A trail here turned to the west to ascend a steep slope between Magee Peak and Burney
