KLAMATH EXPLORING EXPEDITION 347
proceeded up the river they passed a village consisting of eight houses, and here the Indians they had employed as guides left them, but joined them again about three miles above, with the addition of about a dozen more to the party. As they proceeded up the river the rapids increased in difficulty and frequency, and after progressing to a point about fifteen miles from the mouth of the river, the further prosecution of the exploration was abandoned. The members of the party were well fagged out and most of them wet to the skin, as they had frequently to leave the boats and take to wading; the river banks being in many places too steep and precipitous to afford a passage on shore, and the Indians had already greatly increased in numbers, and were likely to still further increase, so that in the judgment of some of the party it would be dangerous for them to encamp. The exploring party in their progress up the river had occasionally prospected on the bars for indications of gold ; but none was found.
When the Indians found that the party was about to return they tried to persuade them to go on; they informed them by signs that there were plenty of deer up the river ; this they did by placing their hands in place of horns at the side of their heads and pointing up the river. They appeared very much disappointed when they found that the party persisted in returning. The start down the river was made about three o'clock in the afternoon, the Indians soon following. When the party came to the first village below, they stopped to trade with the Indians, but found that nearly all of them were absent. The party found here an iron chain of about one hundred pounds weight, the bobstay of some vessel. This was supposed to have been taken from the schooner Hackstaff. which was wrecked at or near the mouth of the river some time before. This chain was purchased for a handkerchief and a small piece of calico, but while the trade was being made with one Indian, another Indian had the adroitness to pick the pocket of the purchaser of another handkerchief and a memorandum book. One of the party had a hole torn
