Astoria Chapter 22

In which the steadfast preparations and grim anticipations of a daring expedition into the vast and desolate wilderness of the far West are delicately portrayed, revealing a land of parched plains, rugged mountains, and restless tribes, where the spirit of adventure is tempered by sobering challenges and uneasy alliances. The narrative gently unfolds the forebodings of the party, the murmurings of desertion, and the introduction of a dubious interpreter, as they embark from the Arickara village into the unknown expanse with uncertain hopes and fragile resolve.