THE DALLES-CELILO CANAL 145
Massachusetts, who passed down the Columbia in October, 1832. Mr. Wyeth was a man of great pluck and thorough integrity although he did "dream dreams and see visions" and failed in his attempt to compete with the Hudson's Bay Company. One of these dreams was a peculiar sort of boat he manufactured at Cambridge, a boat equipped with wheels to carry it on dry land, and in turn to be carried when in the water. In the actual experience he left the boat on the East slope of the Alleghanies, crossed the plains on horseback, and traded his horses with Chief Trader Pierre Chrysologue Pam- brun at Fort Walla Walla for a bateau and arrived at the portage on October 24th, 1832. His account is as follows :
"24th Started about 9 and after about [6 miles] passed the grand falls of the Columbia just above which a small river [Des Chutes] puts into the Columbia about the size of the small rivers above, the Wallah [Wallah] for instance. These falls now the water is low are about 25 feet; when the water is high these falls are covered. The water not have a sufficient vent below the water here rises about 40 feet. Just before arriving at the falls are considerable rapids. The falls are easily passed in boats at high water ; we hired the Indians about 50 for a quid of tobacco each to carry our boat about I mile round the falls the goods we carried ourselves. Shortly after passing the falls we passed what are called the dalles [small] or where the river is dam (m)ed up between banks steep and high of not more than 100 feet apart through which the whole waters of the mighty Columbia are forced with much noise and uproar. I passed through with some Indians while my men went round they not being good boatmen enough to trust and f right ( en )ed withall. We are now camped at the Great Dalles which are still narrower and more formidable than the small, having stop(p)ed after making 20 miles the wind being high and unfavorable for passing. At the gorge of this pass the water rises by the mark on the rock at least 50 feet, form- ing a complete lock to the falls above, the back water covering them entirely. The Indians are thieves but not dangerous.
