6 JUDGE WII^IAM C. BROWN
of the Astorians. To be sure he was traveling with great vigor, when he did travel, but that was the way of the North- westers. Taking his original journal for our guidance, it begins to look as if it would be more proper to say that his arrival at Astoria was merely the culmination of a plan that he had been for several years endeavoring to carry forward, as fast as his opportunities and the means supplied him would permit, viz. : To open out as soon as possible for the North- west Company, a trade route and chain of posts on Columbian waters to the sea. The work of exploring, and at the same time occupying with self sustaining trading stations, that vast and rugged country filled with unknown tribes of Indians whose confidence and friendship had to be won, was a task that took a great deal of time, hence the four years and over that elapsed from the time when he first reached Columbian waters, till he was finally able to push through to the mouth.
It is not necessary to discuss here what happened during the seven days that Thompson remained at Astoria more than to say that considerable sparring in the way of fur trade diplomacy was indulged in by both sides, each endeavoring to represent its strength to the best advantage, and likewise to find out as much as possible from the other, without disclosing too much to the other, but on the whole it appears that both parties were fairly frank in most respects, and very courteous. The Astorians being determined to send an expedition up the Columbia to establish an inland post, it was agreed between them and Thompson that the brigade made up for that purpose should start out with the Thompson party on its return up the Columbia for mutual assistance and protection, as the Indians along the river in the vicinity of the Cascades were a plundering, predatory lot of miscreants. Accordingly on the 22nd day of July, 1811, the two parties started up the Columbia from Astoria. Old David Stuart was in charge of the Astor party, with him were the clerks, Ovide de Montigney, Francis Pillette, Donald McLennan and Alexander Ross, two or three Canadian voyageurs whose names are not specified in any of the accounts and two Sandwich Islanders. It should be under-
