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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m*thode. rata elure, * J 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 u-- ^ • (i OREGON COMFRISINO A BRIEF HISTORY AND FULL DESCRIITION OF THE TERRITORIES OF OREGON AND WASHINGTON, lUBRACIKO TBI CITIES, TOWNS, RIVERS, MATS, HARBORS, COASTS, MOUNTAIliS, VALLEYS, PRAIRIES AND PLAINS; TOGETHER WITH REMARKS IPON TUB SOCIAL POSITION, PRODUCTIONS, RESOURCES AND PROSPECTS OF THE COUNl'HV, A DISSERTATION UPON THE CLIMATE, AND A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE INDIAN TRIHES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE, THEIR MANNER*, ETC. INTERSPERSED WITH INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL AND AD VENTURE. BY A. N. ARMSTRONCl. FOR THRU TEARS A OOVIRNUENT BURYEIOR IM ORIQON. CHICAGO ; PUBIISHID BT OHAB. SCOTT (t CO. mi." 9^ .4 V-'* -e " t,' »^' Entered nccordius t« the Act of CougrcM in the year 1857, by A . N . A K JI S T R O N G , 111 th.! Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United ytato.-. for the Northeru District of Il]iuul.UNl>EMC£. tcring white oaks, with occasionally a skirt of fir timber stretching far out into the prairie. From North to South, ex- tending as far as the eye can reach, through the center of the Territory, stretches the celebrated range of Cascade Mountains, with occasionally a snow-covered peak lifting its lofty head almost to the skies, and in summer, when the sun shines down in all his glory upon the white mantle that encircles its brow, seeming to wear a glittering crown of majestic grandeur. Delightful groves of fir, spruce, and white cedar that are not sur- passed in the world ; mountain streams without number, and beautiful springs of pure, running water, rippling over their smooth gravel beds, to cool and quench the thirst of the worn- out emigrant who has toiled for months and run a thousand risks of his life, and now, as ho hails the beautiful Land of Tromisc, eagerly springs fonvard, dropping on his knees by the cooling brook which kisses the parched lips that approach its silvery wavelets. Having taken this birds-eye view, add to these elements of beauty a climate that imparts vigor and robust health — a fertility of soil tiiat commends itself to every settler as being all that could be desired — and the boundless facilities for stock-grazing — and you have before you the Territory of Oregon, combining, in a degree seldom met with, the Beautiful with the Practical. This is the Territory of which you ask me to give you a detailed description ! The task looms up like the Cascade Range as an obstacle in the path ; but, glancing at my crowded note book, that accompanied me in many weary miles o'er mountain and valley, while exploring this region from North to South and from East to West, I yield to the inclination that prompts me to comply with the wishes of my friends, and respectfully refer you and the public to the following pages, wherein I have attempted sur- mounting the difliculties that were arrayed against me — whether successfully, or otherwise, must not be decided by THE AUTHOR. Int IJ / Vl ,J#*^ INDEX. Introductoky Correspondence 3 I. IIlSTOKY • "^ A l)ricf sketch of the History of Oregon from the cession by Spain to Franco in 17G2 ; Set- tlement of the country. II. The Willamette River 10 The River ; Portland ; Oregon City ; The Great Falls ; Catching Salmon ; Canemah ; Bute- ville ; The French ; The Yamhill ; Salem ; Blooniington ; Albany ; Marysville ; Mary's Peak ; Spencer's Butte ; The Cascade Moun- tains ; Timber, &c. III. Tributary Streams of the Willamette 22 A description of all the Tributaries of the Willa- mette ; A Remarkable Curiosity. IV. The Coast Mountains 29 Description ; Discovery by the Author ; Won- derful Lake ; Timber. V. Berries 35 VI. The Willamette Valley 37 The Valley ; Snowy Peaks ; Reflections ; Grass ; Cattle; The Oregon Horseman; The Soil; Productions. VII . Umpqua River and Valley 44 description ; Tributaries ; Towns ; Fisheries ; Hon. Jo. Lane. VIII. RoouE River and Valley 50 Description ; Tributaries ; Gold ; Towns ; Min- ing Intelligence ; The Siskiou Mountains. IX . Coasts and Harbors 57 Full Description; Gold; Indians; "Battle « Rock ;" Thrilling Incident ; Personal Adven- tures ; Sea Lions ; Fisheries : Oysters ; Paget Sound Country ; Vancouver Island. mm vi INDEX. II . X. Kartern and Middle Oregon 86 Description of the Country ; Rivers ; Indian Tribes ; Resources ; Mines ; Settlement, &o., &c. XI. The Climate 95 Mildness of Climato; Theory of the Author; Weather Table. XII. The Indian Tribes 99 Description of the various Tribes ; Their Cus- toms, Modes of Life, Peculiarities, Lan- guage, &c. ; Embracing numerous Anecdotes and Adventures illustrative of Indian Char- acter, and an outline of the " Jargon " Lan- guage. The Indian War I47 T 86 [lian &c., .95 lor ; OREGON 99 I!us- jiiii- otes har- lian- ...147 I. In the yoar 1762, France ceded to Spain tho Territory of Louisiana. In that treaty, Spain claimed to bo the ])Ossessor of the whole North- West I'crritory, including Orejron. The Spanish (rovcrunient built a ibrt and planted a colony in latitude nO" 30' N., near Nootka Sound, in 1780, the country at that time being inhabited by an iiiunciiso number of savage Indians. The settle- iiuMit was abandoned in 17U2 — the same year in which Capt. Gray ascended the Columbia river, lu l.SOO, Spain ceded the whole of Louisiana, in- cluding Oregon, to France ; and in 1803, France ceded the whole to the United States. During this period, several whaling vessels had j)assed and visited this coast. In the year 1802, the ship Boston, Capt. John Salter, from Boston, Mass., visited this coast, while upon a whaling expedition, and j)ut into Nootka Sound for a sujv ply of fresh water. While they were uf)on shore, the captain and crew were attacked by a party of savages, and all killed except two men — one John R. Jewett, and a man named Tr '^on. They were kept in a state of abject slavery among the oRrr.oN. Indians, durinjij the sp.-icr of two years and a half. Ok\vI':tt being a gunsmith, the natives availed thtjni- selvcs of his skill in making knives and fishing instruments. Tiiomi'son was a sail nuiker, which made him very useful to the Indians, as they got a large amount of sail cloth from the shij). Dur- ing the period of their captivity, they suflered un- told hardships — being compelled to labor unceas- ingly, and to live on fish and whale oil — until, finally, they wore released I'rom their tiiraldom by the strategy and skill of the brave and unfaltering Jewetp. From 1802 until 1804, the Oregon coast was occasionally visited by both American and JJritish vessels engaged in the fur trade, and l)y parties belonging to both countries who traveled over the country in search of furs and peltries. In the year 1804, during the administration of Thomas Jefferson, the purchase having been made from France the year previous, the President, with great wisdom and prudence, thought the newly ac- quired territory should be explored. After con- siderable search and inquiry for parties adequate to this great undertaking, which required men pos- sessed, in an eminent degree, of perseverance, skill, energy and fortitude, to enable them to venture out among the savages and wild beasts which were said to infest the Rocky mountains, — with the certainty before them of having to spend one or two winters in that far northern climate, then supposed to be immensely cold, he finally made choice of Messrs. i HISTORY. 9 Lkwis and Clauk, as bciiifj men (lualifiod for the task. Tliuy vvcro both notorious for their great courage and bravery, and were known to bo men of until ing and unfaltering perseverance. Early in the spring of 1804, Lkwis and Clark's Exi'KDiTioN set out; passing up th ' ^Tissouri river, they struck across the Rocky mouiiains to tho liead waters of some of the tribut, rios of the Co- lumbia river, along which they fi^llowcJ until they reached that river, which they descended to the ocean. They spent the winter in Llio valley, and, to their great astonishment, in thia far northern region, — latitude 40" 5', — there was no ice, but little snow (which socm melted ofl), and grass as green as a wheat lleld. They returned in tho spring of 1805, with a glowing description of tho far off country, but there was very little anxiety expressed by the citizens to venture out for settlemenL. The British and Americans each made occar sional settlements, consisting mainly of young men, hunters and trajjpers, there being but few women in the country at that time. John Jacob Astor, the great American trader, brought into the country a great many French, for the purpose of hunting and trapping, the defence of his forts, .ind the protection of his goods from the roguish natives. These French, scattered over the country, intermarried with the natives, and their descendants are, to this day, a great an- noyance to the present settlers of Oregon. So the 10 OREGON. British and Americans held possession jointly, un- til the year 1846, when all that part soutli of 49° north latitude, was ceded to the United States by Great Britain. About the year 1836, there began to be some di^'position manifested, by the citizens of the west- ern States, to visit and settle Oregon. A few traders and some scattering companies began to cross the i)lains. In 1840, a considerable company came over with packed mules ; in 1841 and '42, several other companies of packers came over ; ambition became high in 1843, and quite a number of families left the Missouri river with wagons and cattle, and succeeded in getting their w^agons to Walla-Walla, where Dr. Whitman held a Mis sion Station, and packed from there into the valley, a distance of about five imndred miles ; in the year 1844, the emigration brought their wagons into the settlements ; and from that period, immigration poured in rapidly. II. The Willamette River affords the largest amount of bottom land, the largest valley, and the best farming country, to be found upon any stream in the Territory. The river is about one hundred and eighty miles in length. It rises in the Cascade mountains, and runs a north-west course for the first twenty miles, then bears more THE WILLAMETTE RIVER. 11 north and takes its many windings, emptying into the Columbia about a hundred miles above its mouth. There are many beautiful towns and vil- lages upon the Willamette. Portland, situated on the south-west side of the river, fifteen miles above its mouth, is tlie head of ship navigation, and is the largest and most commercial town in the Territory. From this point, steamboats ply regularly to all the ports on the Co- lumbia, while a daily line of packets is established (between Portland and Oregon City. The com- mon tide water at Portland is about six feet. Oregon City, situated on the east bank of the Willamette, immediately below the Great Falls, is destined to be one of tlie greatest manufacturing cities in the Western world. Nature never made so lavish an expenditure in preparing conveniences for man's use, that some enterprising Yankee did not stand ready to appreciate the ofl'cr and avail himself of its advantages. The manufacturing fa- cilities of this place will soon be brought to give employment to numerous operatives, and bo of great advantage to all parts v,f Oregon and Cali- fornia ; tliere are now two flouring mills and two saw mills, doing an immense business. The Great Falls are a curiosity Avorthy a moment's attention ; the whole bed of the river is covered with a solid rock, — a sort of wall or barricade extending across the stream, — over which the water comes roaring and foaming, making one single leap of twentj/- three feet. The fact that you can sit in most of 12 OREGON. the doors in Oregon City aud be able to have a fair view of the Falls, adds much to the romantic beauty of its locality. The city is situated immediately on the bank of the river, with a high clifl', hanging with perpendicular walls of solid rock, from two hundred to three hundred feet high. There is a narrow strip of level land between the cliff and the river, on which the town stands. The town is about forty chains in length and four chains in breadth, and is one of the oldest towns in the Territory. The view from the top of the cliff overhanging the town, is a magnificent one indeed. You can see every house in the city ; the steamboats plying upon the river both above and below the rapids ; the foaming waters as they make their desperate leap and hurry headlong forward in their mad haste to join the more troubled waters of the broad Pacific ; the village of Lynn, on the opposite side of the stream ; and the country for miles around. From the brow of this cliff I beheld the Calla- pooya Indians catching salmon, and for the enter- tainment of my readers I will describe the manner in which they conduct this sport. In the months of May and June, the salmon ascend the Willa- mette river as far as the Falls ; not being satisfied, however, with the waters oelow, they strive hard to ascend further, and gathering in great schools below the Falls, commence to leap upward against the down-pouring torrent of water ; of course their efforts are all in vain, but their perseverance is wonderful, and their leaps are so perpetual that THE WILLAMETTE RIVER. 18 you can often see fifty large fish, that would -w cigh thirty pounds each, in the air at one time. You will sec the Indian fisherman approach in his skifl' with his spear in hand, make a "lunge" at the huge fish he has selected, and so soon as his prey is fast on his spear, you will hear his savage yell of exult- ation, which is answered by all his tribe who are within hearing. The Indian's spear for catching fish is made out of a piece of bone or horn, sharpened to a point, and fastened to a pole or handle iwelve or fifteen feet in length. A hole is bored through this barb, and a string about a foot long passed through it ; the spear is then fitted to the end of the pole, one end being hollowed for this purpose, and the string is tied loosely to the handle ; when the spear has been driven through the fish, the handle is drawn back quickly, while the point re- mains on the opposite side, and the fish is strung upon the string which connects the spear and pole. The Indians are expert fishermen, seldom missing their mark, and can take great numbers of salmon in a day. They may be seen constantly walking the streets with their fish on their backs, for sale. The salmon is a delicious fish. They have no bone but the spine and ribs, and the flesh, instead of being white, is as red as beef-steak. Immediately above Oregon City, the bluff, or cliff, juts in, almost a solid wall of rock, close to the water's edge. Through this, a wagon road has been cut, at great expense, for the purpose of haul- ing goods above the Rapids to a little village called 14 OREGON. l;i! lit lit ' Canemaii, whore all produce is taken on or put off the small boats that run above the Rapids to liic up country. At this place, a mclanclioly accident happened in the month of April, 1854, by the ex- plosion of the boilers of the steamer Gazelle^ which resulted in killing twenty-six persons, and wound- ing eighteen others. Great excitement prevailed. The circumstances arc something like these : A certain company owned the Avhole line of steamers on the Upper Willamette, and this boat had been put on to run in opposition, and had made but thi»ec or four trips, before she was blown into a thousand fragments. The boat was still cabled to the shore, but making preparations to start, when the explo- sion took place. It appeared that the engineer had weighted down the safety valve, and had left the boat, unobserved, and when the boat was blown up, was no where to be found. Some time after- ward, however, he was discovered, arrested and tried for murder ; but it could not be proven that he did it intentionally — only that he was drunk, or partially intoxicated. As we ascend the river, fifteen miles above Canemah we find Buteville, a small village sit jatcd on the east bank of the river. The name took its rise from a beautiful round, bare butte, which rises some four hundred feet above the level, being not more than twenty chains in cir- cumference at the base. Three miles further we come to the little village of Champoeg. This is a small village, but a place of trade, it being situ- ' 1 THE WILLAMETTE RIVER. 16 ated in the immediate neighborhood of " French Praiiiie," whicli derives its name from the fact that it was principally settled at an early day, by the French who were brought to Oregon by the Fur Company, and established here for the pur- pose of raising wheat for the supply of the trading posts. They soon intermarried with squaws, and have continued to reside here, and have now large amounts of land in wheat. They now raise large amounts of wheat, which is all shipped from Champoeg. The French are not liked at all by the other citizens of Oregon. They speak their own language, and have no more manners than the Indians — care nothing for schools — and are kept in ignorance by their Romish priesthood. Although they raise large amounts of wheat and stock, they are generally poor and " hard run" for money, as it takes all they can make to pay their priests for par- doning their numerous sins. Quite an excitement is now up, as it appears from the Donation Law passed by Congress, in donating land to the settlers of Oregon, that a Frenchman and his wife, and their offspring, are as much benefited by that law as an American citizen ; (the man re- ceiving three hundred and twenty acres, and his Indian wife the same.) They are at present a great annoyance to the country, and but little profit, but as soon as they get patents to their land, a groat portion of them will sell out. I will 16 OREGON. H\ m m add, to their credit, however, that they made good soldiers in tlic Indian war of 1850. Ten miles from Champocg is the mouth of the Yamhill river, which steamboats ascend to Day- ton, which is five miles from the mouth. Three miles above Dayton is Lafayeite, the head of steam navigation, and the county seat of Yamhill county — a fine place of business, as the county is well settled with wealthy farmers, who mostly got their stock and start before the discovery of gold in California, and they deal liberally in merchan- dise. In this county was made the first settlement of good farmers that came from the States, who selected their large land claims, and now liave them all improved. It was in this county that the early settlers lived on boiled wheat the whole winter through ; and wore their buckskin cloth- ing, and moccasins for shoes — all sewed wath " whang-s,'" as there was neither cloth, thread, nor leather in the country ; but those of the pioneers who are yet alive, are living at ease and taking their comfort. Ascending the Willamette, seven miles from the mouth of the Yamhill is Fairfield, a small landing for steamboats, where but little business is done. Twelve miles i^i-thcr up we come to Salem, the present capital of the Territory. This city is situated on the east side of the Willamette, and is beautifully located, being moderately level and gravelly. The streets arc mostly covered with ,:mooth, round gravel — well paved, not by the I THE WILLAMETTE RIVER. 17 labor of man, but by the hand of the Almighty. It is well watered, as there is a beautiful stream called Mill creek running through the north side of the town, another creek equally as good on the south side, both with beautiful gravelly beds. It is a place of considerable wealth, and great trade, and when the Legislature is in session the hotels arc crowded. It was at this place that the Methodist Mission was established in 1839. It is now called the Methodist Institute^ and a fine school is now connected with the institution, num- bering about two hundred pupils, embracing some of the most promising young men and ladies in the Territory. A splendid new court house has recently been finished. The capitol, which was burned down in the winter of 1855-6, was a splendid building. Its original cost was rising of $25,000, of which sum Congress donated $20,000 — through the influence of the lamented T. R. Thurston, to whose memory Oregon will ever owe a debt of gratitude, for his never-tiring zeal and perseverance in Congress in advancing the in- terests of his beloved Territory. Five miles above Salem, on the west side of the river, in Polk county, at the mouth of La Creole creek^ is situated the town of Cincinnati. It is a small village ; good steamboat landing. A high, bare butte rises on the north side of the town, about two hundred feet high, and runs due west about fifteen miles ; it is a beautiful ridge, covered with a fine coat of grass, with some 18 OREGON. scattering white oaks of a scrubby nature. Hang- ing to the oak branches is a gray moss, from six to twenty inches long. This range of hills divides the valley between the Willamette and the Coast Range of mountains. Fourteen miles further up, we come to Bloom- INGTON, at the mouth of Luckiamule river ^ a small steamboat landing and Post Office, on the west bank of the Willamette river. Immediately op- posite this place is the mouth of the Santiam riv- er. Up this stream, seven miles, is a village of the same name, to which steamboats sometimes ascend, in high water, and which is the head of navigation on this stream. Proceeding up the Willamette, nine miles from Bloomington, we arrive at Albany, a considerable town, and smart place of business, situated on the east side of the river, at the mouth of Callapooya creek. It is the county seat of Linn county. Twelve miles further up is Marysville — or CoRVALLis — the latter being the name given to the place l>y Act of the Legislature in 1843. The word " corvallis " is of Spanish derivation, and signifies " Centre of the Valley.''^ It is quite a handsome town, and is located upon the most beau- tiful site in the Territory, being on a high prairie, immediately on the bank of the river. Extending westward from the town, for some four miles, is a smooth, level prairie, when you reach the foot hills of the Coast Range, a succession of round buttes, gradually rising, showing a beautiful green THE WILLAMETTE RIVER. 19 coat of grass until you roach the height of twelve liundred feet, v'hen the fir timber sets in. From this place can be seen Mary's Peak, towering far above the other mountains. Snow falls on it early in the fall, and lies until late in the spring. The distance from Marysville to the Peak is about fif- teen miles, in a south-west course. This town is situated on the west bank of the river, and may be considered the head of steam navigation. It is destined soon to be one of the largest cities in Oregon, as the National Road passes through it to Umpqua, Jacksonville, and Yreka, California. From this point a large amount of goods and pro- duce is carried to the Golden Land — l)y o.\ teams in summer, and by pack trains in winter. Imme- diately above the town is the mouth of Mary^s river. As we ascend the Willamette, twelve miles fur- ther, we come to the small village of Burlington, on the east side of the river, a short distance above the mouth of a creek which is very appropriately named The Mitddy. Thirteen miles above this place, McKenzie\i Fork enters the Willamette from the east, although there is but little differ- ence in the size of the streams. Fifteen miles above the mouth of the McKenzie, we arrive at the junction of the Middlr Fork and Coast Fork (or Callapooya Fork, as it is sometimes called.) Near the Junction is Spencer's Butte, a beautiful mountain, two thousand feet high, running up in a conical shape, perfectly round at the base, and 20 OREGON. ending in a pinnacle at the summit. It was at this place there was such great excitement about the discovery of gold in 1854. A number of hands collected, and took from the bowels of the earth a large amount of what was supposed to be gold. It was in such profusion that an ounce could be obtained from a single panful of earth ; and a great '' gold fever " prevailed throughout the land. But imagine the mortification that ensued, when a return was made from the mint in California, stating that the substance was not gold ! What it is, is not known, to this day. It resembles gold very much, but is a shade redder, and yields, to the hammer, plates equally as thin. It is found in black lava, or cemented clay ; the clay, or cement, has to be powdered, then washed, before the metal is obtained. A little city called Eugene is situated at this place ; it is the county scat of Lane county. The points of the Cascade mountains begin to set in, a short distance above this place. The course that the river comes out of the mountains is S. 70^ E. It is about forty-five miles from Eu- gene City to the head of the main prong of the Willamette river ; its uppermost spring is on the side of the Cascade mountains, whence, with many windings, it flows through the most rugged moun- tains, seeming to have cut and worn its channel, for miles, through almost solid rocks. This river runs through the most valuable portion of Oregon, and divides the great valley tolerably equally, THK WILLAMKTTE RIVER. 21 leaving a little the larger jjortioii on the cast side, altliough the riehest jKjrtion is thought to bo on the west side. All the tributaries aflord groves of lir, ash, alder, and balm timber, whilst the hills, or buttes, aflord white oak sufficient for firewood and stakes for fences, and the mountains afford the best of rail timber in the known world, of white and red fir. From all the small streams that flow out of the mountains the timber is accessible. I have often seen white fir, eighteen inches in diam- eter, two hundred feet high, and have known fif- teen rail cuts, each ten feet long, to bo taken from one tree, there being but little difference in the size of the first and last. The amount of timber that would be on one acre, on the mountain slopes, is astonishing. On the east side of the river, the prairie sets in about three miles above Oregon City, and extends south to Spencer's Butte, or to the Coast Fork of the Willamette, a distance of ninety-six miles, on a straight line, the distance from the river to the Cascade mountains varying from twenty to seventy miles. On the west side of the river there is but little prairie, until you get to the mouth of the Yamhill river ; the prairie there sets in, and soon becomes very wide, as the Yamhill comes in almost at right angles, and all between, for a long distance, is prairie. Southward, between the Willamette and the Calapooya mountains, a distance of ninety miles, the country is all prairie. Between the river and the Coast Range, the width of the prairie 22 OREGON. varies from twenty to forty miles, with a niunbcr of small valleys running far up into tbc mountains, which aflord some of the best stock farms in the Territory, although occasionally depredations are committed on stock by the beasts of ])rey from the mountains, such as the large wolves, panthers, cougars (or California lion), and l)Iack bears. The wild beasts, however, cannot be said to bo "bad" on stock, considering tlieir numbers. III. •H ;! If I will now speak of the tributary streams of the "Willamette. The first on the east side is the Clackamas. It rises in tiic Cascade mountains and runs N. <) I V. I CAN say, without hesitation, that of all places for Berries, this l)cats the world. On the bottom lands the service berry and salmon berry arc the most common — the former ripens in July, the latter in June ; the salmon berry is of two kinds, one red when ripe, the other yellow. It grows on a brier as thick as a man's arm, eight or ten feet high — and the berry, which somewhat resem- bles the blackberry otherwise, is as large as a hen's egg. As you ascend the hill, you will next find the thimble berry; it grows on a tender bush, three feet high, resembles the raspberry and ripens in July. Next comes tlie raspberry, wliicli grows in great profusion and ripens in September. The deto berry, or ground blackberry, is of the size of a blackberry, and grows on a small vine that runs over brush and logs ; ripens in September. Next comes the salal berry, which resembles the common huckleberry, grows on a bush eighteen inches high, with leaves of a rich, glossy, olive ever- green, and ripens from 1st August to 1st Septem- ber. The mountain grape grows on a bush from one to four feet high, not on a vine, as other 86 OIIEGON. grapes do ; leaves evergreen, glossy in a[)|)ear- ancc, two inches long by one inch wide, saw- cdgcd ; the grapes resemble the common summer grape of the eastern States ; ripen from the Ist of August to the 1st November ; rather tart, but make an excellent dessert when stewed with sugar — at least, for those who arc camping out in the mountains. The red huckleberry is the size of a small cherry, of a clear red color ; the taste is tartisii, but delicious ; it grows on a bush from three to six feet high, with slender stalk and heavy top, and the bushes are sometimes loaded ■with fruit to such an extent that the top lies on the ground : when the berry is ripe, in order to gather the fruit you have only to place a pan under the bush and give the latter a shake. The large gooseberry grows on very high mountains, and to an enormous size, being as large as a hen's egg, and, though a rough, is a delicious berry. The wild currant grows on bushes ten feet higli ; it is of a n^alk-.vhite color, the size of a small cherry, and of a sweetish taste. On the hills, we find numerous other berries, which it would take up too much time to describe. In tlic valleys, we find the service berry, raspberry and blackberry ; together with a bountiful profusion of the most delicious straioberries. This fine fruit may be gathered at all times, from the first of May to the first of Deccml)cr ; they grow very large, and abound in all parts of the Valley. On the sea coast the strawberry is mostly oi a snowy Avhite- T J THE WILLAMETTR VALLKY. 37 ncss, ripens in July, is very large, and tlic leaf of the vine differs from the ordinary variety, being larger, and of a glossy green. VI. As I said before, the Willamette Valley is about one hundred and forty miles in length, and from forty to eighty miles wide. The AVilamette river and all its tril)utaries being of pure clear water, adds much to tiic comfort and convenience of the many settlers. The Willamette river is navigable for small steamboats as far as Corvallis, a distance of about one hundred miles. Some few boats, however, have ascended as high as Eugene City (Spencer's Butte), which is forty miles above Corvallis. This stream divides the great Willamette A^alley. The Valley lies in latitude 44° to 4G° north, and, strange as it may appear, there is scarcely any weather that can l)c called " winter." But little snow falls, and what does fall soon melts off; the ground seldom freezes at night so hard but wliat it thaws out by noon ; but little ice ever makes its appearance on the rivers. I have spent winters at Milledgeville, Georgia, in latitude 8.3°, and I am of th.e opinion that it is not colder here than there. The face of the country, both hill and valley, is 38 OREGON. covered all Avintcr with beautiful green grass. Nothing can be more pleasant, or excite one's perceptions of the beautiful in nature to a greater degree, than to sit and look over the long reaches of green prairie, skirted on every hand with lofty mountains rising like a blue mist along the horizon, with here and there a snow-clad peak lifting its crest above its neighbors as if conscious of its superiority. The loftiest of the snowy peaks is Mount Hood. It ^7S^s ascended by Mr. Belden, in October, 1.854, and found to be nineteen thousand four hundred feet high. They ascended as high as they could travel, first with snow shoes, then with ice hooks and spikes. When they reached a point some 18,000 feet high, respiration became very difficult, owing to the rarity of the atmosphere. At length the blood b.gan to ooze through the pores of the skin like drops of sweat — their eyes began to bleed — then the blood gushed from their ears. Then they couimeuced their downward march. At the point where they commenced the ascent, they had left their pack mule, and two men to guard them. The men went out hunting, and when they returned found that the cougars had killed two of their mules. About forty miles north of Mount Hood> is Mount Adams, about twenty-fi\c miles north-west of this peak loom? up Mount St. Helens, and north of St. Helens, forty miles, stands Mount Ranier South of Mount Hood, about fifty juiles, is Mount, THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 39 Jefferson, sixty miles further is a group of snowy peaks called the Three Sisters. All the above named peaks are covered with snow, winter and summer, and can be plainly seen from all parts of the Valley ; and when the rays of tho evening sun linger with dazzling brilliancy upon their towering summits, never did any objects make a grander display of the sublimity of the Almighty Power, as exhibited by the works of Nature's handicraft, then do these majestic mountains — these snow-clad guardians of the Valley. Often, when alone, have I sat as the evening shadows closed around me, and gazed upon these grand old mountains whose white crowns receive the last farewell radiance of the departing sunlight — sat, and gazed, until, upon the wings of imagination, I had scaled the mountain range whe^e these everlasting sentinels stand guard, and sped away across the wide reaches of plain and desert, until I held communion with friends and kindred, hundreds and hund ods of miles a^\ay. At such times, how calm, how serene, how balmy has appeared the evening air ; truly " The night would be filled with raiisio, And the cares that infest the day Would fold up their tents, like tho Arabs, ^ And as silently steal away." But — to the Valley again ! 13ut little rain falls here from the 1st of May to tho 1st of November ; during the interval, the grass all dries np — or " cures," like hay — and the cattle eat it greedily, 40 OREGON. for, as there is neither rain nor dew, it keeps its strength ; vegetation all dries up, and, when a fire breaks out, it occasions great damage, as the settlers depend upon the grass for their stock during the winter. About the first of October there come some light showers of rain,alternaliniE; with sunshine — weather warm and pleasant, ,iu>. resembling the usual April weather in the Siate.^. In a few days, that old dry grass resumes its life and verdure — don't wait for a new growth, but turns green ; I have seen old dry weeds turu green and bloom again, under the revivifying in- fluence of these autumnal rains. From October until the next July everything remains as green as a meadow in May. This grass resembles the red top or herd g^rass, and is more nutritious than the prairie grass of Illinois and Missouri. Oregon is a great grazing country. Cattle and horses are allowed to run at large — no care is taken of them, except to brand them while young ; the grass being ample for their sustenance, and salt springs, or pools, to which they nave free ac- cess, quite 7mnierous. The stock grow fast, aV winter, as they keep very fat; a common t,.,^ year old cov7 will weigh six hundred pounds. So it is — while the citizens of the States arc la- boring all summer to prepare for the coming win- ter, the Oregonians are taking their ease in the shade ; while the farmers of the States arc frcc:^ ing their fingers, in " packing out" feed for tlioir "lean kine," the Oregonians are sniifrly seated by I THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 41 a pleasant fire, finding companionship in a news- paper, or dandling their little ones on their knees, while their stoo.k are fattening on the grass that nature has provided for them. Sheep do well in Oregon. There are but few fine-blooded sheep in the Territory — owing to the great difficulty of getting them there. A drove of shecii is purcha^od in the States, and started across the Plains- — invariably, we find that the finest blooded sheep are the least able to stand the trip, that they " give out," and are left to feed the wolves, while the coarser qualities, only, reach their destination. Horses keep fat on the grass, winter and sum- mer. Those who have pastures enclosed, work or ride their horses all day, and then " turn them out to grass" without fear of having them " lose flesh." The men of Oregon are generally good riders ; and it may not be uninteresting to tbe reader to look at a picture of an " Oregon horseman," as he usually appears. He has a wooden saddle, of the Spanish kind, with enormous wooden stirrups — a Spanish-bit bridle — a large Spanish spur v,'ith jtrods an inch and a half long — leather leggings — and often leather or buckskin pants He seldom rides without his ':ianket ; in warm weather it serves him for a cushion ; when it rains, or is cold, he thrusts his head through a hole cut in the cen- ter, and is at once enveloped in a seamless cloak. Around his horse's neck he has a rawhide rope, forty feet long, rolled up and hung upon the horn 42 OREGON. *M of his saddle. He generally rides very hard — " goes in a hurry." These horses are generally of the Spanish or Indian stock, and are " broke" to the saddle in is way : They arc all driven into the enclosure -r corrallf as the Mexicans say); the one to bo " broke" is selected — the lasso (which the Orc- gonians all throw with great dexterity) is thrown over his head and fastens around his neck • he is then choked down and blindfolded, and sulieied to get up, when a saddle is put on and girted on very tight ; the youthful rider (always anxious for the sport) is then soon in the saddle, when a broad leathern strap is drawn over his thighs, and he is strapped down tight to the saddle — and he is ready for the ride. The blindfold is now taken from the horse's eyes, and he immediately com- mences rearing and plunging in a most desperate manner, leaping into the air, plunging on the ground stiflf-kneed, while the youthful rider, who is well pleased with his horse's noble performan- ces, is all the time whipping him with the end of the lasso. The horse plunges about in this man- ner awhile, and then starts off at full speed — tlie rider continuing to ply his whip and keeping up "full speed" until the horse is run down, when ho quietly returns, and from that time, is no longer so hard to ride. The young men of Oregon are tlie most unflinch- ing, undaunted young men in America. They smile at toil and danger — arc ever ready for a THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 43 jaunt of some kind — and the more hazardous and dangerous the adventure, the more eagerly they embark in it. In hard riding, difficult mountain trips, camp life, exposure to hunger and weather, hunting, and the like, they excel even the wild Indians. In an Indian war one of these men would be worth eight regular soldiers. ■ The soil of the Willamette Valley is generally rich. The greater part of that portion lying on the cast side of that river, is of a greyish color — gets very muddy in winter, and bakes a little too hard in summer. On the west side of the Willa- mette, the soil is generally of a black sandy loam ; on the buttes, or more rolling land, we find spots of a greyish color, and occasionally red clay loam. The appearance of the soil differs very much in different localities — and sometimes even in J, forty- acre field you may ha^■o five or six different kinds of soil. Growing everywhere on tlic grey soil, you can find a wild rose brier, three feet higli, which bears a handsome flower, l)ut Avhich is a great annoyance to the traveler riding over the prairie. The land is very productive — and Oregon is the best wheat country in the United States ; oats do well ; barley, peas, beans, pumpkins, squashes, melons, all grow and flourish well. IMaize — the common field corn — does not grow so well here as in the States, though I have seen some very good corn here ; but the proximity of the snowy moun- tains and the strong sea breezes make the nights too cool for corn. 44 OREGON. Garden vegetables of all kinds do well. Wo have the largest of cabbage ; beets I have meas- ured that were twenty-six inches in circumference, weighing sixteen pounds ; turnips grow very large, and may be raised at any time, winter or summer ; potatoes grow well — often remaining in the ground, without being dug, all winter, without freezing. I have seen cabbage stalks running up to seed and blooming all winter long — garden pinks in bloom, the middle of December. Onions, radishes, pars- nips, all grow very luxuriantly. The Oregonians can certainly live bountifully, if they choose. Their gardens supply them with a profusion of the choicest vegetables, and their cows yield them the richest of milk, from which they produce the finest flavored butter I ever tasted. ^^vP VII, We now come to the description of the Ujipqua River and Valley. It will be recollected that the Willamette river runs north to the Columbia. The Umpqua runs west to the Pacific ocean. Both these rivers head near the same place, in the Cascade Mountains. The valleys of the two streams are divided by a range of mountains called the Callapooya Moun tains. This is not a rugged range, but consists, generally, of regular slopes, heavily timbered and UMPQUA RIVER AND VALLEY. 45 of rich soil, with occasionally a bluff precipice/ On the mountains can be obtained the finest qual- ity of cedar, in great abundance ; excellent fir timber ; and chinquepin, large enough for rails. The undergrowth is principally hazel and fern. Game abounds on the mountains, such as elk, black-tailed deer, (a size larger than the common deer), black and red bears, and a few "grizzlys." The large black wolves are very numerous, and there are a few cougars and panthers. The main road, leading from the Willamette to California, passes over the Callapooya Mountains. it passes up the Willamette valley to its head, then crosses the mountains and strikes the waters of E/k creek, a tributary of the Umpqua. The Umpqua river rises in the Cascade Moun- tains ; its general course is north 45° west the first seventy-five miles, whence it bears nearly due west to the Pacific. The mouth of this river affords a good entrance for the largest sized ships ; and, by ascending some fifteen miles to the mouths of Smit/i's river and ScholJiehT s river — the former on the north side, tlie latter on the south side — there is a good and secure harbor, sheltered by high, rugged, iron-bound shores. At the mouth of Ump- qua river is a town bearing the same name. At the mouth of Smith's river is the town of Gardiner, and just opposite, at the mouth of Scholfield's, is the town of Providence. Ten miles higher up the river you arrive at Middlijton. All these towns are places of minor importance, as the 46 OREGON. country in their vicinity is very mountainous and unfit for cultivation. In prospecting for gold, some has been discov- ered ; but owing to the hostility and treachery of the Indians, prospecting has not been carried to any great extent. At ScoTTSBUUG you are at the head of naviga- tion ; and it is a place of considerable importance. Tliere is a wagon road leading from this point to the valley of the Umpqua. At Scottsburg, there is quite a fall in the river — though not so great as that in the Willamette. There is a perpendicular fall of sixteen feet. Tide water rises eight feet at the Falls. The iish from the ocean ascend to this point, such as large salmon, and " salmon trout," as the settlers call them ; but the best judges call these latter fish mackerel of the finest quality. The writer has eaten them, after they had been salted for six months, and, certainly, if task be any criterion upon whicli to found an oi)inion, tliey are the very best of mackerel. The Indians catch them in abundance ; and, I think, in a few years they will afford the finest fisheries that can lie establislicd on tlie Oregon. coast. Ascending tlie river, twelve miles further you arrive at Elkton, at tlie moutli of Elk river ; it is the county seat of Umpqua county. Tliere is but very little tillable land to be found on Ump- qua river below this point, as it is a mountainous country, very rugged and rocky. From the mouth of Elk, the valley begins to widen out, on the DMPQUA RIVER AND VALLEY. 47 river, and the soil is very productive. The river being very croolced, the tillable lands are princi- pally in the bends. The wagon road crosses the river three miles above Elkton at Drew's Ferry — crosses again a mile and a half above, at Dim- mock & Cooper's Ferry, while the distance around is not less than twelve miles. Four miles above the last mentioned ferry, is Kellogg's Mill, which is situated on the rapids in the river, as there is a great fall at that place. There is a fine bank of stone coal near the mill, and gold, in small quantities, has been found there, in low water, on the rock in the bed of the river. Ten miles from Kellogg's, as you ascend, you will pass through a deep canon and ent6r a beau- tiful valley called the Green Valley. Here, also, you reach the forks of the Umpqua river, called the North and South Umpqua. The valleys now spread out wide and beautiful, but diflfer from the Willamette Valley in the greater number of bare buttes, round knobs, and conical peaks that rise from the level bosoms of the valleys. Occasion- ally these hills rise to the height of eight hundred feet, covered from base to pinnacle with a luxu- riant growth of grass ; others again, are covered with grass and scattering black oaks — this being the most northern point at which the black oak is found in Oregon, or on the Pacific coast. About six miles above the forks is Winchester, the county seat of Douglas county. It is situ- ated on the North Fork of Umpqua river, in the 48 OREGON. heart of a fertile and flourishing country — the best grazing country in Oregon, and well adapted for all kinds of farming purposes, as no part of the United States surpasses it for wheat, oats, rye and potatoes. All kinds of garden vegetables, water- melons, musk-melons, pumpkins and squashes grow well, and have a flavor relished, at least, by your humble servant, when returning from a surveying tramp, where he had been living a camp life for a long time. It is in this county, that Hon. Joseph Lane — present Delegate in Congress — makes his home. He lives in comparative ease and splendor for that distant land. He has two hundred and fifty cows, from which there is a yearly increase of two hun- dred head — and all these provide for themselvr. , winter and summer, no care, except to brand the calves, being required on the part of the proprie- tor. When you are told that a two year old cow will sell for forty dollars,, you will readily admit that he ought to live at his ease. A stream, called the Callapooya, rises in the Cascade Mountains, and runs west, and inter- sects the Umpqua river four miles below Winches- ter. It is about thirty miles long, and affords fine tillable soil, which is in a high state of cultivation, there being some as fine farms there as the Terri- tory contains. From this place to the head of Umpqua, numer- ous small streams set in, affording clear water that ripples over beds of pearly gravel. UMPQUA RIVER AND VALLEY. 49 For a distance of twcnty-fivc miles south and east of Winchester, tlie country is thickly settled. Further up the streams the valleys arc smaller, but good farms arc located on all of them. Nearly all the settlements south of Winchester were destroyed by the hostile Indians in the winter of 1856 — the fine /rame houses and barns were laid in ashes, and what few settlers escaped the scalping knife, were loft destitute of home or shelter, turned out upon the world without refuge or clothing. About ninety miles south of Winchester, on the road leading to California, is the Great Canon spoken of. It is a narrow pass between two large mountains. The road passes up this creek a distance of twelve miles ; there has been a vast amount of money expended in making this road, and it is now barely passable for teams ; the attempt to make the trip from California to Oregon with wagons was never undertaken until 1854 — the travel, and all the produce taken from Oregon to California, overland, previously, had been by means of pack animals. This canon has been the scene of numoious murders. The sides of the mountains arc heavily timbered, and the undergrowth is thick chaparal, while the adjacent country is inhabited by the most hostile Indians on the Pacific coast. These the Indians spoken of that have been are treacherous and hostile at all times since they were first discovered by white men. They have 60 OREGON. been a greater terror, and have committed more murders upon the whites, than all other tribes on the coast combined. They never fail to kill the travelers through this canon, if they observe them, unless there is a sufficiently large party of whites to protect themselves ; in that case, they arc remarkably friendly, knowing that the white man never attacks — only defends after ho is attacked, giving the Indian entirely the advantage. VIII. We now continue on the road to California, and, crossing a small mountain, arrive in Rogue River Valley. Rogue river rises in the Cascade Mountains, and runs almost due west to the Pacific, in the north latitude 42° 30'. Its length is about one hundred and sixty miles. There is no entrance for ships at the mouth ; it has no harbor ; and it is not navigable for steamboats, as it passes through a very mountainous country. There are some good farming locations near the mouth, and some scattering farms for some distance up the river. About thirty miles from the mouth, a stream called Toohose river empties into Rogue river ; but little is known of this river, however, as it heads in the Siskiou Mountains. Con- siderable gold has bean discovered on this stream , ROGUE RIVER VALLEY. 61 and valuable gold diggings have been worked, to some extent, from this place to the mouth of Rogue river. But, owing to the number of hostile Indians prowling continually about tliis region, it has never been satisfactorily " prospected," from the fact that very faw persons were willing to risk their scalps, even in the search for gold. When- ever a rich spot did or does happen to be " struck," a crowd rushes to that point whose numbers act as a shield for their defence by itimidating the blood-thirsty savages; but, in prospecting, the parties are necessarily small, and arc, consequently, much exposed to danger. As you ascend Rogue river, seventy miles from the mouth. Grave creek empties in on the north side ; this stream affords some good gold diggings. A short distance below this stream are the " Big Meadows," the retreat, spoken of, of the Indians. Eight miles above Grave creek is Galloivs creek ; ten miles above this, Jump-off-Joe creek; on both of whicli streams there is some good land for farming purposes, Avhile on both gold has been discovered near their mouths. Six miles above Jum{>ofl-Joe, a creek runs in, on the south side of Rogue river, called Applcg-ate ; it is thirty miles in length, has some good farming country near the mouth, and rich gold mines have been successfully worked on the head waters, at the base of the Siskiou moun- tains. Four miles above the mouth of Applegate creek, the Oregon and California road crosses Rogue river, at which place a good ferry is kept. 52 OREGON. The valley now spreads out and affords a large scope of fine farming country. It was settled by industrious and intelligent farmers, and was in a high state of cultivation as the proximity of the mines gave a ready market for every article cf surplus produce, at high prices. But the Indian war of 1856 laid all this fine country waste, and its once wealthy inhabitants are now in poverty, or their bones bleaching on the hills ! Jacksonville, the county seat of Jackson county, is situated in this valley, on the south side of a rich and fertile section, and in the heart of a rich mining district. It is the most flourishing village in Southern Oregon. It is about one hundred and thirty miles from the Pacific coast, and is supplied with goods and groceries from Port Orford and Crescent City — the latter being a ship landing within the boundary of California. The goods are transported over very rough mountain trails on pack mules. The road from Oregon to California passes east of Jacksonville, but a branch passing through the town has been constructed and has become the main traveled road. Yreka, the great mining town of California, is about eighty miles south of Jacksonville. Near Jacksonville is thr> Indian Agency, for the Indians in all Southern Oregon. Near this, and about twenty miles north of Jacksonville, is the well known Table Rock, where the great battle was fought in lo63, between Gen. Jos. Lane and his command and the Rogue river ROGUE RIVER VALLEY. 68 Indians. It was at this place that Lane received his severe wound in the shoulder ; it was here that Capt. Ogden was killed ; here Capt. P. M. Arm- STRONG (brother of the writer) was killed — Capt. Oldem mounded and disabled for life — and many othsr valuable lives were lost. Those who were slai'i were all decently buried, but no sooner had the soldiers left the place than the brutal savages ret irned, dug them from their graves and cut them to pieces, leaving their mangled bodies to be devoured, and their bones gnawed by the wolves. The following " items" of " mining intelli- gence" were extracted from publications made in 1856, and will serve to give a pretty good idea of the Rogue river mines : " Jackson Creek. — The roiners on Jackson creek and vicinity are doing well, many of them taking out from two to three ounces a day to the hand. Those who have sunk shafts and drifted on the bed rock, as a general thing, find gold in considerable quantities. " Steuling. — Where water can be had to wac-h with, at Sterling, the miners arc doing very well. Many are drifting and stacking up the dirt until tno water comes. As soon js it rains, gold will be .ashed out in great abundance at Sterling. " We have seen and conver.ied with some of the returned party who have been down Rogue river, and in the vicinity of the coast, they report tha'^ on Galice creek the miners are doing well, perhaps better than any former period since the mines have been worked on that creek. "Whisky Creek, we understand, is all claimed, also the gulches making into the creek ; but our informant could not say how well they were doing, but from the 64 OREGON. extent of the claims, the natural inference would be that it paid well. "John Mule Creek. — The gold is coarse, and those having experience say that the prospects are good, yet the prospecting party only prospected near the surface and but temporarily. " Meadows. — Gold was found and justifies the party in saying that in some places it will pay ten dollars a day to the hand — generally found on the bars in the river, the gold heavy, and of the best quality. " Big Bend op Rogue River. — The prospects good, and coarse gold. The impression of those prospecting is, that good diggings will be found in the vicinity of the Big Bend. " Illinois. — At the mouth of Illinois river but slightly prospected. A few miles up the river the miners are doing well when they can work. Many good claims are lying without being worked on Jiceount of the Indians, as there are quite a number of hostile Indians in that neigh- borhood, of Old John's band, who have not made peace. '• Pistol River could not be prospected on account of the Indian.i. The appearance of the country and every indication goes to warrant the conclusion that gold is plenty on this river. " Ciietco was but slightly prospected; the prospect was good, the gold coarse ; but little doubt of rich diggings at this place. The prospectors were prevented from thoroughly prospecting the country on account of the Indians. It is reported that there are at least one hundred warriors roving over the Coast Range of mountains in the neighborhood of Rogue river." The SiSKiou Mountains appear to be nature's geographical boundary line between Oregon and California, as it is a regular chain, or solid moun- tain, from the Pacific coast east to the Cascade Range. But it is from twelve to twenty-five miles north of the true boundary line, which is estab- ./* ROGUE RIVER VALLEY. 65 lished on latitude 42" north. There is only one small stream south of these mountains, within the limits of Oregon — Smith'' s river, which has been l)ut little explored, except by a few gold hunters, who report an abundance of gold, and likewise a numerous horde of hostile Indians. The distance from Salem, the present seat of government, to the southern boundary of Oregon, measured on the raeriuian line, is two hundred and four miles ; but, by the traveled road, it is more than three hundred miles. In the extreme southern portions of the Terri- tory, the grizzly bear is a great annoyance to the farmers, in killing and carrying off their stock. They seldom attack a man, un^ 'J when wounded or have been ci-me upon su 'y and have no t;hance for retreat, when they willingly engage in a battle for death or victory. The desci .ptiou and habits of this ferocious animal liavc been su often given to the public, that I will not here repeat the same. Elk, black tailed deer, and antelope, aboun«^ plentifully in this region of country. It is amus- ing to sit on some high butte, and look over a beautiful valley and see the deer and antelopi' skipping about over the plain below. A small species of wolf, called by the natives, coy- ote — (pronounced ki-o-ta) — annoys the antelope very much, in the months of June and July. Tliey will never attack a full grown antelope, but when the fawns begin to travel, they manifest a great 66 OREGON. anxiety to get hold of them, and at the same thne tliey stand in mortal dread of the keen eyes and sharp hoofs of the old antelopes ; you will see them skulking and hiding Jibout where the antelopes are feeding, watehing every movement of a fawn as it plays about, until finally, tired out, it lies down to rest or sleep, its mother carelessly croj> ping the grass, some distance oiT. The coyote im- proves the opportunity by suddenly leaping from the chaparral and pouncing upon its victim. As soon as the old antelope discovers the situation of her young, slie utters a keen whistle, and darts after the coyote, followed by the whole flock. If tiiG wolf has miscalculated the distance, and fails to reach the shelter of a chaparral thicket before being overtaken, he is instantly stamped to death for his impudence. And if, as he is prowling about, the coyote happens to be espied by the ante- lopes, tlie latter all gather in a crowd, forming a ring, in the center of which their young are placed, while a portion of the flock Avill leave the ring and take after the ofTender ; as soon as he perceives them coming, knowing that his life is in danger, the coyote " breaks" for the chaparral — but if ho is overtaken, the foremost antelope springs high in the air and alights on the coyote, which knocks him over, and then the entire flock in pursuit alight on him, succeselv ly, in the same manner, so fast that he cannot j(;gain his feet. The ante- lope's hoof being sharp, every leap cuts, and the coyote is soon trampled to death. The antelope COASTS AND HARBORS. 67 is smaller than the common deer ; their meat is the most delicious of wild game — being much finer grained than the common venison. The common black bear is abundant in this region, and, being easily killed, affords the miners excellent food. IX. I WILL now proceed to give a description of the Coasts and Harbors of Oregon, commencing at the California line. The first harbor is the mouth of Smith's river, south of the Siskiou Mountains, which is twenty miles north of Crescent City, and affords an en- trance for small vessels. Near the mouth of this river is Pelican Bay, in the vicinity of which are good beach diggings. We next reach tlie mouth of Rogue river, where there is neither entrance nor harbor. The beach is rocky and precipitous ; some farming land is to be found in the vicinity, and beach gold diggings that have paid well, but both miners and settlers were cither killed or driven off during the Indian war of 185G. It was at this place that Benjamin Wright and Capt. John Poland were killed, and the great massacre took place of the troops under their command, and of the citizens of the place, by the professedly friendly Indians. In the summer of 1854, the beach was lined 68 OREGON. with the tents and shanties of the gold diggers, from Rogue river to Port Orford, a distance of thirty-five miles ; but there is no mining going on now. The gold obtained here is of the purest quality, being in thin flakes like wheat bran. Port Orford is the next place of note that we arrive at. It is a beautiful bay, with easy entrance ; there are some high rocks peering up above the water, but ships of the largest size can with" safety run up and anchor within eighty rods of the beach. The harbor is not good, as there is no shelter from the south. The mines of Port Orford do not yield as large a profit to the miner as those of Rogue river. Bnt the abundance of water, and the fact that supplies are shipped here by water, without the expense of land trans- portation, make it much more convenient and com- fortable for the miner. Another serious difficulty in the way of very successful mining is, that the gold dust is not v^orth more than ten dollars an ounce, owing to the large amount of a mineral called irid-osmium — a co apound of iridium and osmium, two minerals found in some of the mines in a pure state — which is mixed with the dust. Irid-osmium is usually found in very small grains, round or flattened, about as large as the end of a small type ; its specific gravity is greater than that of gold, and its color and lustre is that of bright steel ; on account of its weight it cannot be separated from the gold by washing or blowing. When the miner has, apparently, obtained three i a t s I COASTS AND HARBORS. 69 ounces of fj^okl, he has generally one ounce of irid- osniium. It is of but little use in the arts ; it is insoluble in any known acid or combination of acids ; it is infusible ; and it is extremely hard — the smallest piece, laid on a steel hammer and struck with another hammer, will enter the steel before it will yield. There is no other part of the mining district where this compound is so abundant as at the Fort Orford mines, although there is some found mixed with the gold of Klamath lake and ^^hasta. Tiie Indians of Port Orford arc rather an indif- ferent looking tribe. They are rather below the ordinary stature ; are indolent, lazy, and filthy in appearance ; live mostly on fish ; are generally aflected with weak cyCs, many of them being entirely blind, and many others partially so ; occa- sionally covered with sores about the neck, of syphilitic origin. Although yet a large tribe, they can survive but a few generations more, before becoming extinct. Until the Indian war broke out, the more rugged and savage tribe inhabiting the Rogue river country were a great terror to these miserable Indians — taking from them what- ever they chose, reducing them to servitude, and making beasts of burden of them whenever it suited them to do so. i3ut during the war they all united, and coopcratod as a band of brothers against the '-Bostons" — the whites. The boy of Port Orford is sometimes called Tichcnor's Bay. It is in north latitude 42° 45'. 60 OREGON. Upon entering the harbor, you pass near a precipi- tous bluff on the right, while on the other liand a large rock rises up out of the sea to the height of one hundred feet, which covers four acres of ground ; it is shaped something like an egg, with the point toward tlie sand beach and reaching within twenty feet of it. Issuing from the side of tliis rock flows a beautiful little stream of fresh, clear, cold, pure water, eighty feet above tide- water. I am particular in thfs description of the rock, as we have an instance to relate, here, show- ing the sagacity of the Oregonian. In the year 1851, a party of men from Portland, Oregon, selected this spot for a town site, depend- ing on its harbor, and the transportation by pack animals to the interior, as the basis of its suc- cess as a point of business. The discovery of gold on the coast stimulated their progress, and added to their prospects. The party consisted of eigh- teen men, who landed at Port Orford and com- menced establishing a town. After remaining a short time, their stock of provisions began to get low, and there being no means of procuring a sup- ply nearer than San Francisco or Portland, nine of the company hoisted sail upon their schooner and returned to Portland to obtain a cargo of pro- visions. At that time there was but little known of the country between Port Orford and the Willamette Valley, a distance ot some three hundred miles, and no knowledge was possessed by the whites of ' COASTS AND HARBORS. 61 any passago over or around the high, rough moun- tains, the deep canons and gulches. No ono possessed any accurate knowledge of the country except some old Indian traders and venturesome trappers and hunters, and these were scddom very communicative respecting the country, unless questioned particularly in regard to it. This section of Oregon, at that time, contained about two thousand Indian warriors, in the various tribes, who soon became aware that the ^vhites had settled their country, and they soon deter- mined to murder the little band at Port Orford. The latter became alarmed, and determined to retire from their weak fort on the main land, to the rock before alluded to, where they could better fortify themselves against attack. This they accomplished by throwing some poles across the chasm from the beach to the rock. This rock was a natural fortress — presenting three precipi- tous sides to the ocean, and being accessible from the land only at one narrow point, and there only by the aid of an artificial bridge. Tlie little party of nine men now carried their little brass cannon — a six pounder — and all their guns, pistols, and ammunition, on to this rock, and fortified their foot- bridge or pass-way. This was, for the distance of fifty yards, not more than five feet in width, and if the foot of any person walking upon it slipped, he would fall fifty feet headlong into the sea. At a point sixty yards from the beach, the whites pre- pared their fortification, leaving a port hole for their I .**■; **, t^Oh 62 OREGON. cannon. They then loaded the piece witli slugs, stones, and bits of iron, to the very muzzle, and j)rei)ared themselves for either deatli or victory — determined, however, to light to the last extremity. They were not long left in suspense. Their pre- cautions were well timed, for on the following day the tribes from the Umpqua, Rogue, and Co(|uille rivers assembled, mustering a thousand or twelve hundred warriors, armed with bows, arrows and war clubs ; they were entirely unacqAainied witii tlie use of the death-dealing rifle, or gunpowder. They commenced the attack by pouring up the narrow pass-way as tliick as they could crowd, with frightful yells ; and the little band began tc look upon their fate as being already sealed. The wiiites had chosen a Tennesseean, of Jackson nerve, as their commander, who restrained his men until the Indians had approached within ten paces of the mouth of the cannon. Arrows were flying thick and fast against the barricade, and over their heads, and the savages were rushing on with exulting yells, as if certain of success. At length the commander, in a loud, firm voice gave the woiu — " Fire .'" — and the cannon and rifles simultaneously discharged their messengers of death, witli deafening roar. The scene that ensued was one of horror that baflles all descrip- tion ! The yells of confident triumph were changed to shrieks of horror and despair — scores dropped in their tracks, dead — others, wounded, went rolling and tumbling over the sides of the 'i^» COASTS AND HARBORS. 63 rocky precipice — \vi1il3 liundretls who wore UMliurt by tlie discharge, wjrc so iVightened that they sprang headU>ii<>; over tlie precipice, striking against tlie craggy rocks in their descent, tnnibling from rock to rock, until they struck the roaring and Ibaniing surf, to rise no more. The number of A^arriors slain at this single discharge was never correctly ascertained, but it was afterward admitted by the Indians that tliree-fourths ot^their braves were swept oil". Tlio survivors, alarmed beyond measure at the report of the cannon — never having heard the like before, as thunder is unknown in Oregon — (led in consternation to the mountains. Our little bnnd came off unharmed, but as they had not suflicient powder left for another round, and as they feared a renewal of the attack, when the Indians should have overcome their temporary fright, they concluded to abandon the place. Accordingly, after nightfall, about eleven o'clock, they crawled from their " Rock of Safety," and made their way to the nearest mountain. The mountains being covered with heavy timber and thick undergrowth afforded them secure refuge from their enemies. For nineteen days they Avandered over the mountains, bearing a general course toward the Willamette Valley, where they arrived at the end of that time, in safety, subsist- ing on the way, upon such food as they could procure in the woods. 64 OREGON. From that day to this, the scene of their tcrriMe fight has borne the name of the " Battle Rock." About eighteen miles north of Port Orford, on the coast, is Cape Blanco, near north Latitude 43° and west longitude 124° 81' — the most westerly point of the U. S., except Cape Mendocino, in Calilbrnia, which is in west longitude 124° 38'. Cape Blanco presents a high, rugged, rocky clift' to the sea, which extends far out into the ocean. As the mariner doubles this cape, the white breakers can be seen dashing wildly along the rocky barrier, and flying iifty feet into the air. The rock appears to be a kind of conglomerate, or lava. Twelve miles further north we reach the mouth of Se.quatchin river, a small stream of no im- portance, as it affords but little funning land. It has been a place of great resort for the Indians, as salmon run up this stream in great numbers ; elk al)ound here ; and in no part of Oregon are there so many black tail deer as on this river. There has been no prospecting for gold here, except along the beach, where some has been found ; but the whole country abounds in gold- blossom, or quart/ rock, and now that the Indians are to be removed, this section will be thorougidy prospected. Eight miles further up the coast is the mouth of Coquille river. Until the fall of 1855, but little was known of this stream ; and there are but few COASTS AND IIAUBOUS. 05 settlers on it yet. No part of Orcfj^on, however, j)resents greater indiiccinouts to the fanner and stock raiser than the Coqnille country. Mining lias been carried on liere to some extent, with success, but the country has not been thoroughly prospected, hitherto, on account of the hostility of the Indians. The harbor of Coquille is good, and tho entrance easy for vessels drawing not more than fifteen feet. Tide water runs up the bay for sixty miles, and ships can safely ascend the distance of fifty miles. There are large bodies of »eautiful prairie, for farming and grazing purposes, lying along the shores of the l)ay, but the greater portion of the bay is ^.ii rounded by mountains — some covered with tall and beautiful fir and pine timber, with occasional groves of cedar, and others destitute of timber but clothed with grass. I will, in a few words, give you a (^"scription of a ten days* stroll that I took over the valleys and hills of the Coquille. Almost the first object of interest that attracted my attention was a tree, standing close to the river, about twelve miles below the junction of me North Fork. On the bark of this tree, I could trace the name of Dennis Wjiite, and date 1884, Avhicli had been cut in with a knife. Near by, is the stump of another tree cut down about the seme time, from appearances, and about twelve feet of the trunk is gone. It is supposed that some unfortunate man had been ship-wrecked somewhere on the coast, and had 66 OREGON. wandered thus far, without being discovered by tlic Indians, when, finding it impossible to travel furtlier east, he endeavored to make a canoe and return to the coast. The Avhole party, however, if this supposition be correct, must have perished or been killed, as we have no account of any white man visiting that bay until eight years later, when it was discovered by Capt. P. M. Armstrong, in 1842, while he w as on a voyage from the mouth of the Columbia to San Francisco. His vessel was a common sized schooner, and, a violent storm arising from the west, he saw no chance to escape, as the wind was driving his boat at a rapid rate landward, where the waves were beating violently against the iron-bound shore. Discov- ering a smooth opening in the foaming waves, he set his vessel's prow for that point, intending to beach her, and thus, perhaps, save the lives of his crew ; to this end he crowded on sail, in the liope of being able to run her far up on the sandy beach. The reader can imagine the pleasure and astonish- r.ient of " all hands" when they found their vessel riding safely over the waves into a beautiful l)ay, whce they found a secure harbor from tlie driving storm. They remained there five days, killing a number of elk. They also discovered gold, but, not being experienced miners, and tliis being previous to the discovery of gold on the Pacific coast, elsewhere, their discovery was passed by without much notice. Another thing that attracted my attention was ■r COASTS AND HARBORS. 67 the incalculable number of elk that ranged through this section of country. At that season of the year, (September,) in the morning and evening, they made the hills ring with their braying and whistling. Some of them are very large, weighing from six hundred to eight hundred pounds, after being dressed. The next thing that came under my observation was the large amount of good land I passed over. The fertile, or tillable land is not confined to the banks of the river, for every tributary that flows into the Coquille affords beautiful prairies, and bare buttes, covered with luxuriant grass. The timber, on the bottom lands, is mostly myrtle, ash, and maple — the soil being a black sandy loam. Some of the surrounding hills are covered with fir, pine, and red and white cedar. In 1856 this was a wild country — there being not to exceed a dozen wiiite men in the valley, and but two families from its head to its mouth, a distance of over a hundred miles. One difiiculty attending this valley is, that the trail for pack animals east, over the Coast Mountains, to the settlements, is very rough — a strong pack mule being able to pack no more than one hundred and fifty pounds. But the harbor will shortly be a place of note, being a short distance only from Kowes Bay, a fact that will greatly facilitate the Gcttlemcnt of the Coquille country. This is one of the greatest places for wild fruits to bo found on the Pacific coast, as there is a ■—-— -"^MHP 68 OREGON. supply of ripe and fresh fruit five months in the year. Among the varieties are the strawberry, white and red ; salmon berry ; blackberry ; salal berry ; and two kinds of huckleberry, the summer and winter — the latter a beautiful red, size and appearance of the cranberry, grows on elevated table land, ripens in September and lasts until December. The Indians of Coquillc live entirely on berries and fish — drying both for winter use. KowES Bay, at the mouth of the river of the same name, in north latitude 43° 30', comes next. Cape Arago lying immediately on the south of the entrance of the bay. As this bay is generally written " Coose," we will hereafter adopt the same style. The entrance has, until recently, been considered dangerous, until, lately, it is found to afford a good entrance. Below I give a statement m^de by Mr. Clark : " COOSE bay bar. " I feci it due to rhe citizens of Coose Bay, and more especially to the public, that I make a true and faithful statement of the depth of water at the entrance of tliia harbor. At the instance of Mr. Northrop, I came here some time ago to examine the entrance, in view of bring- ing in the bark Success, Capt. Davenport, a vessel of 203 tons. During this examination, I crossed and re- crossed the bar seventeen times, and examined carefully and thoroughly the whole lay of the bar. Where Capt. Crosby lays the channel on his chart, there is very little water — not onough to carry even a small vessel in safety. But to th.3 northward of the line marked on Crosby's chart for the channel, there is a channel sufficiently wide for beating in or out, and which has not less than fourteen COASTS AND HARBORS. 69 or fifteen feet of water at ordinary or half tide. I went out to Capt. Davenport in a canoe, and he, not knowing nic, and having Crosby's chart, and sec'ng that I wanted to bring liini in to the northward, was afraid to risk me, and sent in a note to Mr. Northrop, by an Indian, for instructions. The Indian not getting back with the in- structions, the next day the Captain concluded to risk it. So about noon on the 10th inst., with a strong north-west wind, we came in under close-reefed top-sails, without touching, or without shipping a drop of water. *' The l)ark has discharged her cargo, and will proceed to loading coal to-morrow. In my opinion, time will prove Goose Bay a good and safe place for shipping. The public will bo advised from time to time, as the facts in regard to the bar are developed by experience. " Respectfully yours, C. Clauk. ''Empire City, April 2S, 1855." Coosc Bay is destined to be a place of consid- erable importance at no distant day. It is sixty miles in length ; its shores affording some good farming land, on the beach, on each side, but the greater portion is timber of the fmcst quality — lir, cedar and pine. It will bo a great lumbering point, as it is nearer to San Francisco than any other, having an inexhaustible supply of timber. There arc, by this time, two steam saw mills in operation. The best coal mines on the Pacilic coast are on the beach of Coose Bay, and a number of hands are constantly employed at this place in taking the coal from the mines and loading the ships, there being generally from three to five ships in tbe har- bor taking coal on board. San Francisco in a great measure depends upon Coose Bay for her 70 OREGON. supply. The bed, or vein of coal is situated at the water's edge, and a portion of it is so low that there is difficulty in raising the coal on account of the water running in on the colliers. In addition to the lumbering and coal business, no where else do the beach gold diggings pay bet- ter than at Coose Bay. The gold is pure, bright, yellow and scaly, resembling the Feather river gold of California. The trail over the mountains, east, to the settle- ments, is very rugged. The amount of farming and grazing country, gold mines, and coal fields, of the Coquille region cannot be estimated, having been explored but little except along the coast. The Coquille and Coose rivers are but a short dis- tance apart — at one point approaching within twelve miles of each other, without a?iy mountain or barriers, except a low bottom intervening, and when the Coquille is very high, it sometimes overflows its banks, and its waters find their way into the Coose. The mouth of the Umpqua has been previously described. It has a good liarbor, and is fifteen miles north of Coose Bay, in north latitude 4o° 45'. We arrive, in latitude 44" 15', at Cape Pp:petua, just north of the mouth of Sciislicum river, z small stream that forms the southern boundary of the Coast or Yamhill Indian Reservation, and furnishes excellent fisheries for the Indians. Continuing north, along the coast, to latitude 44° 45', we arrive at the mouth of the Alseya river , COASTS AND HARBORS. 71 a small stream, Avith a bay fifteen miles in length, affording entrance for small vessels. A trail leads from this point, east, over the Coast Mountains, to Corvallis. There is some good farming land about the head of the bay, and some claims were made there, but, being in the Reserve, they had to be abandoned. Cape Foulweather is eight miles further up the coast. About latitude 45° is the mouth of Nekas river — of little importance except for fishing and hunt- ing ; the stream abounds with fine salmon, and the hills with elk, black tail deer, and black bear. Nine miles further north is the mouth of the Yaquinna, or Salmon river, near the mouth of which there is some farming land. There is,> at this place, neither harbor nor entrance. The stream is noted for its fisheries. Its head is east of the Coast Range, and the sources of this stream and the Yamhill river are not more than six hun- dred yards apart ; which affords a gap entirely through these mountains. The salmon ascend this stream to its very head waters in great numbers ; and the settlers of the Willamette Valley visited this fishing ground to a considerable extent, in the ^ears 1854 and 1855, but owing to the fact that this portion of the country is included within the boundary of the Coast Reserve, the whites are no longer permitted to fish there — which deprives the settlers in the Valley of all fishing facilities within convenient reach. The salmon run up all 72 OREGON. w the small streams tributary to this river in such numbers that, in deep places — in the small branches wlicre the water is eighteen inches deep — you can, in half an hour, takeout as many largo fish as you can pack on a mule. The mouth of this stream is noted for the num- ber of sea lions (or seals) that are found on the rocks and sand beach. Some of my company shot one that the tide afterward drifted on shore ard left dead, giving us an opportunity of examining it minutely ; it was one of the largest size — it would have weighed, probably, 1200 or 1500 pounds. We gave it to the Indians, who ap- peared to be very thankful, for they valued it as a great prize ; and we were certainly amply repaid by witnessing their actions. The men all gath- »ered in a ring around the carcase, and commenced brandishing their butcher knives — -jumping into the air — turning somersets — going through the war dance ; suiting all their words to their actions. Occasionally they would make desperate lunges at the dead carcase with their knives, but al\/ays took good care to miss it, while their blades would sink to the hilt in the sand. This ceremony lasted for about thirty minutes, when the chief returned his thanks to us for our generosity in bestowing on him and his tribe so rich and bountiful a supply of their choicest food. He then turned to the carcase of the " lion," and carefully marked it off with his knife in pieces about the size of sides of bacon. As soon as it was all marked off, all went c V h c o tl ll 2 COASTS AND HARBORS. 73 forward and commenced cutting it up into the sized pieces marked off, and throwing it in piles on the sand, apparently to represent the heads of families or wigwams. The women, who, all this time, had been sitting quietly on the grassy beach, watching the movements of the men, as soon as the monster was carved, marched up in a row, and turned their backs toward the piles of meat ; the men began to pick up the meat and lay it into ihe pack basket that was strapped on each squaw's back — packing them with from sixty to one hundred pounds each. The whole crowd then started for camp, a distance of four miles. The men carried nothing ; the squaws are their pack animals. The flesh of the sea lion is a yellow, oily sub- stance — appears to be a perfect body of oil, with- out any more solidity than leaf lard from a fat hog. Tiie Indians say it is close-muk-a-miik, (good food,) after it lies until it l)ccomcs putrid. They let all their fish and flesh become so putrid that the stench is intolerable to a white man before they think it fit to be eaten. They live mostly on fish and fish oil, whale blubber and whale oil. I have seen one of them drink a (piart of whale oil at a draught, without ever taking the vessel containing it from his lips. A numljer of dead whales drift upon the coast hereabouts — whales that have been crippled or disabled by being driven against the rocks, as the surf beats more violently against the shore here than at any other part of the Pacific coast. These Indians could never capture a whale alive, mmmm 74 OREGON. II M .1 ii I ■ i\ for they are a fat, squabby, sluggish, lubberly, lazy, filthy set of miserable creatures. Their filthy habits and indolent mode of life, undoubt- edly contribute to their degradation ; they have 110 energy whatever, unless it be to dance around a dead sea lion, and, although elk and bear abound upon the neighboring hills, they are too trifling and lazy to chase them. Continuing our journey northward, along the coast, we arrive next at Cape Lookout, in north latitude 45° 20'. In going along the beach trail to Tillamook, you cross a very high, rugged, moun- tain side, very dangerous and hazardous to pack trains — especially just opposite the Cape, as, at that point, rocks jut boldly out on the steep moun- tain side, so that it is with the greatest difficulty that mules can pass at all ; an animal losing his foothold here would have a clear fall of three hundred feet. In north latitude 45° 34', lies the Bay of Tilla- mook. It has a safe entrance and harbor for small vessels, and the bay is navigable a distance of twen- ty miles. In 1856, there was a settlement here of about thirty-seven families, who have a good pack trail east to the head of Yamhill river, by which route they reach the Willamette Valley. The settlers own a schooner, which does a coasting trade to Portland and San Francisco. Mr. Smith, of Tillamook, deserves great credit for his perse- verance and energy in exploring and opening trails to and from Tillamook ; and the citizens are greatly COASTS AND HARBORS. 75 indebted to him for the many sacrifices he has made in bringing that valuable, but secluded place into notice. There is some beautiful farming land in the valley and around the bay, comprising a boundary of from eight to ten townsliips of as beautiful farming and grazing country as Oregon affords. There is about one township of tide land, that affords the very best of pasturage. The fish- eries of Tillamook are surpassed l)y but few in Oregon. A county has been laid off, called Tilla- mook, and at no distant day this will be a place of considerable note. The following letter, con- tributed to one of the Oregon papers, will be read with interest : tly " Since my return from Tillamook, some weeks ago, I find many anxious inquirers concerning the route to the coast, the settlements, soil and produce. " The route from Grand Konde to Tillamook, is a trail barely practicable. It is the intention to finish the wagon road as soon as convenient which will make the traveling distance from Salcia to Tillamook, with wagons, two and a half days ; and as good a road can be made as from Salem to Portland. I think the day is not far distant, when our mails will come through the Tillamook route for all post ofiices above Dayton, as it is the nearest and most practical route as soon as the road shall be opened : for there are no large streams to be crossed, and there will be no washing away of briilges, or freezing up of rivers, &c. There will be the advantage also of a safe harbor for vessels to come in and go out, at any time, or with any wind, the entrance being good. I learn from Mr. J. P. Morgenson, a ship-builder residing near the bay, that at low tide, he measured seventeen feet water on the bar. " The country is not quite as large as I expected, though it lies better, and has certainly the richest soil in '^PV— w^^^ 76 OREGON. Oregon. I saw bettor specimens of potatoes, oats and fruit trees, in the montli of July, than wo hud in the WiHaniotte ^'alley. Other products of tlie farm were about tlie same. " This year, the settlers will raise a surplus. Tlicy seem to be on the progressive list. I saw the machinery for a saw-mill belonging to a Mr. Thomas, and a grist- mill to Mr. Trask, both enterprising men, who will in a short time have them in nmning order. " They have a si ' il in the neighborhood, and tem- perance prevails throughout the settlements ; and for aught I see, the farmers live as well and have things as convenient as those in this Valley. Fatter cattle and better butter I never saw ; the last named bringing three and four cents per lb. more than this Valley buttt-r, in the Portland market. They build their own vessels and do their own shipping. "What few Indians there are, seem to be desirous that the whites should come in and settle the remaining vacant prairie claims and be neighborly — the whites to farm and the Indians to tish. There is an abundance both of .shell and scale fish all the year round ; so that potatoes and fish arc at par. The Indians have but little trade otlier than fish and feathers, and seem U> be exceed- ingly harmless. " A word about fern and rain. Some seem to think that it rains all the time in Tillamook, and that the fern is a great drawback ; but they are mistaken. The fern is easily killed by plowing, (of which I was an eye-witness,) and it will not stand tramping. " You will see from tlie following statement, that we have had more rainy days in the last three months, than they have had on the other side of the Coast Mountains. The rainy days are for Salem, in May, 8 ; June, 13 ; July, 5 ; Total, 26 Tillamook, G 12; 4; 99 Difference, 4 " They have frequent morning fogs which rise a little after the sun and pass away. COASTS AND HARBORS. 77 " The fo;; and tho oiiormous size of tho wild t raii-apple trC(!s, with other tnics, Khnib.s and phints, niuko thu iin- ()rc,-.sion, tliut tho fruit Imsincss will ho profitahlo there, dr. ('lark's orohard hids fair for a lar^^o crop next year. The soil, tind)er, wafor and diniato arc excellent, and if I had no home, I know of no place I would sooner 20 to make a new ^tart than Tillamook. Unclk Tom. " August 10, I80O." The following spicy paragraphs wo clip from an editorial account of a pleasure trip to Tillamook, written by T. J. Dryer, Esq., of the Portland Orcgonian: " Trip to Tillamook. — On Monday of last week, wo cut loose from tho toils and cares of our ' vocation,' and took passage on that ohl favorite steamer Multnomah, under command of Capt. Hoyt, for some indclinite place called Tillamook. AVo reached Astoria early in the evening of the same day. As usual we found that an ' Oregon mist' prevailed there, which lasted daring the next day. On Wednesday morning old ' Sol ' ventured to show his head through tho mist, whereupon we took passage in a low, lank, piratical looking craft, under command of Capt. Tom Goodwin, celebrated for being fond of sport and f/ood living, as his dimensions will testify. After a long pull against wind and tide, we reached Lexington, which is situated some miles (more or less) up the celebrated river called Skipanon. /Vfter partaking of a good and substantial dinner, we took horses, and, loaded with Minnie rifles, double-barreled guns, fishing rods, game bags, &c., &c., all arrived at Lattie's ranch near to what is known as Tillamook heads, just before dark. Immediately after dismounting, we strung a fly, walked down to a small river some few rods otf, and haided in a salmon trout which weighed just fifteen lbs. This being a ' fish story,' none but those who choose aro requested to believe it. 78 OREGON. " Tho next morning at an early hour, some of our party proctUMlod to tho Hca beach, (distant lialf-a-niile,) sonio with fishing tacklo, to the river, (which liaving no name, we christ'.'n ' Lattio's river,') and commenced operations. Clams, mountain trout, &c., eame in great al)undanco by breakfast time We are no great apologists for gluttony, but tho way Messrs. Ladd, Callcnder, Goodwin and others, stowed away tlie product of the morning's work, ought to have alarmed the finny tribe -as well as all sorts of shell-fish on the Pacific coast. " After a short time we started, accompanied by Mr. Lattio for the mountains, in search of elk, bear, or othnr game. Soon after reaching the liighlands of what is called ' Tillamook heads,' wo discovered abundant signs of elk, bear, &c. The rain somewhat took the starch out of our ambition, and cooled our over-heated anxiety to become a ' Nimrod ' of tho first magnitude. Suffice it to say, we returned late in the evening, where we found our com- panions all eager to bring in the game. Mr. Ladd, in his peregrinations along the coast, discovered a large sea lion which, Jonah-like, had been cast upon dry land ; tho animal would weigh about 1,200 or 1,500 lbs., and was regarded by the Indians (a small band of whom live in tho neighborhood,) as a favorable omen of a full stomach for some time. " The next day it was reported that a whale had come ashore some eight miles north of the heads. Our whole party immediately saddled up and started to pay their respects to his whaleship. Upon arriving at the place indicated, we found a small whale of the iin-back species which measured forty-five feet in length stranded upon the sand beach, and surrounded by all the Indians in that region — some twenty-five in number. The Indians ap- peared in high glee, and seemed to enjoy the excitement of cutting off the blubber, while standing in tho rolling surf up to their waists ; occasionally the surf would roll in and completely cover both Indians and whale for a minute or more, when they would emerge from tho foaming surf, shake their locks, and with knife and hatchet pitch into tho work of severing largo pieces from the carcass. These COASTS AND IIAUMOItS. 79 Tndiiins soiimcd to rcspoct tlio rights of all to whatever portion (iui'li rould olilain. Men, woin(!» tuid chiliirun wen; all ('(|ually aiixiouH to l)oconio the owners of a largo Rliare of the hjiihlier, which, as fast as it could he severed from the eanass, was drajjj^ed upon the heaeh nhovo hi/^h water mark, and deposited in separate ))ilc-i. Wo learned afterward that uhout one hundn-d and lift) gallmis of oil, taken from this small whale, had, witliin three days after- ward, been brought to Astoria, and sold at one dollar per gallon. " Aflcr spending another day in the mountains, wo set out for home, ina Astoria. At Lexington wo again took a boat, and under the command of Capt. Tom, who had the reputation of being a skillful sailor, set out for Astoria with a ten-knot breeze. Upon arriving abreast of tho the town, our commander, f(jr the purpose wo suppo.so of exhibiting his skill, attempted to (jlhc ship Tvith all sails set, that ho might convince tho daughters of mother Eve, whoso admiring glances were peering from the N^indows, that he could capsize a boat in the most graceful manner imaginable. Tho result was demonstrated to tho entire satisfaction of all, that our friend, Capt. Tom,, is as scientific in upsetting as ho is in sailing. After indulging in the luxury of a cold bath, wo were all picked up by boats from tho shore, which was tho most satisfactory incident connected with the whole trip. If wo were to say that wo killed an elk, it might be thought we were telling a marvelous hunting story. Suffice it to say, wo brought a portion of one home, which several of our friends have, after te.'^ting the flavor of elk steaks and elk roasts, pronounced superior to any animal focjd." We next arrive at the month of the Cohihibia river. It is in north latitude 40° 15', according to the survey of Mr. Evans, and longitude 124° west. So much has been said of this point, by different writers, that I deem it unnecessary to make my remarks very extended. It is one of the 80 OREGON. most (laiifforous places of entry, for vessels, on. tlie Pacilic coast, and scarcely a Avinter passes that there are not one or more shipwrecks on Cjluinbia bar. Immediately south of the mouth is a level, sandy beach, for a distance of fifteen miles, called the Clatsop Plains, which gives the wind from the ocean an undisturbed forc^ and in addition to tliat difficulty, the bars, and bed of the river near the moutli, arc a body of drifting sand, causing tlic channel to change often. AVhen the channel is found by the pilot, it is a circuitous route ; and often, when a vessel is coming over the bar, under a full head of wind, the wind will suddenly cease, the vessel become becalmed, and the strong current of the Columbia will cause the vessel to drift seaward, often stranding upon the shoal bars, where the surf soon causes it to go to pieces. No approj)riation could be made by Congress of greater valne to Oregon than to furnish a good tug boat to assist ships over the bar. I have known ships to lie out in the ocean, outside the bar, for forty days, awaiting a favorable wind to cross. Cape Disap- pointment is on the north side of the Columbia; in 1841, the channel passed near tlie cape, on tlie north side of the river ; it is, at this time, on the south side of the river, five miles south of the former channel. Next comes Shonhvater Bay, the entrance to which is fifteen miles nortli of the Columbia, The entrance is good — the water deep — but, COASTS AND HARBORS. 81 owing to the low, sandy and swampy land around, there is but little prot>::"tion for vessels, — there- fore, it is not considered a good harbor. This is a beautiful little bay, about thirty miles in length, from north to south, and from six to eight miles wide. Whclappa river enters this bay from the east side. There is some beautiful farming land on this river, and along tlie east side of-thc bay. •Shoalwater Bay is the great oyster bay of the Pacific coast ; it affords an abundance of excellent oysters, and supplies San Francisco witli this luxury. When the oysters were first discovered, they were embedded together in solid masses, in layers of two and three feet in thickness, and were tliought to be of little use, as they were small and misshapen, but during the last five years they have been torn asunder and transplant- ed, and prove to be an excellent oyster. We next come to Gray's Harbor, in latitude 47°, at the mouth of Chchalis river — or, as the stream is commonly called, Chickalis river. Th^; entrance is easy — the water being (hn-p and i\\(; winds generally fair. The channel is twomili-sin leni>th. Tile bav is nine miles lonjj and three miles wide, aid the land borderinj/ ■.;»on it is generally low. The Chickalis river afford-; but a small amount of tillable land, for a iivcr si's large as it is — being one hundred and thirty miles in length. The Nevmukum and Skookum creeks are its principal tributaries ; on the first lauied stream, near its liead waters, there is a 82 OREGON. ]\Iissionary Station. The Cliickalis river heads ill tl'.c Cascade ^fountains, and runs due west. From this to tlie Straits of Juan dc Fuca, there is nothing worthy of notice. This embraces a coast line of ninety miles. These straits are situated in north latitude 48° 30', and constitute the northern l)oundary of the United States on the Pacific coast. The Straits of Juan de Fuca form the entrance to the Puiret Sound country. They are from eight to twelve miles wide for a distance of jighty miles, when they begin to expand, both north and south, and ramify into scores of inlets, bays, INDIANS. 109 a year ; perhaps, in the meantime, offering to sell lier at any price but finding no purchasers. The ])ersccutcd woman sometimes runs off, and endeavors to reach some neighboring tribe, but the merciless husband invariably pursues, and if she is overtaken he brings her back and complains to the chief, who gives him permission to do with her what he pleases — adding " You must not spill the blood of one of your own tribe." He then proceeds to his wigwam and tells his other wives to go out and dig a grave ; they immediately obey him, and dig a hole about six feet deep and eighteen inches in diameter. He then takes his culles (or bad wife) and puts her, feet downward, into the hole, she screaming loudly all the while ; he pays no regard to her cries, but presses her down into the pit, and, by the assistance of his other wives, commences cramming the dirt in around her. They continue their work, until the cries of the unfortunate wife are stifled by the dirt that is thrown upon her head ; the hole is then filled up, and "^ round hill is all that remains to mark her living tomb. The murderous husband, with his dutiful wives, all return quietly to camp. The Walla-Wallas inhabit the portion of country on the south side of the Columbia, extend- ing from twenty miles below old Fort Walla- Walla to a noint some distance above the mouth of Lewis or Snake river. They number about 3,000 souls, and are a hardy looking race of people, T I 110 OREGON. tall, square-built, sliowing great muscular strength. They are active, good warriors, brave and daring, but very treacherous, and are closely allied to the Yakimas, with whom they took a very active part in the recent war against the whites. They speak a very harsh, disagreeable language, giving tlie sound far down in the throat. It was among these Indians that Dr. Whitman's Mission was established and appeared for several years, to prosper. But, in the year 1847, the Doctor and his whole family, with all his assistants, were murdered, and the ^Mission l)urncd. The Indians learned much useful information from the Doctor, and some had advanced so far as to speak the English language well, and to read and write ; but, as soon as the Mission was destroyed, and these educated young men began to mingle again with their savage brethren, they became notorious rascals. Often visiting the Valley, among the whites, their knowledge of our language giving them character, they soon commenced the business of stealing horses in the Valley, writing false certificates of character, and the like, their information giving a shrewdness to accomplish dis- honest acts, which are character! ^-ic of the whole nation. Every one of these once promising youug men were caught and hung. Every attempt to Christianize or civilize this people has proved ineffectual, and repeated failures have proven to every person acquainted with the facts, how utterly futile must be all such efforts, so long as INDIANS. Ill tlic Indians are permitted to rove and mingle with other and savage tribes. The principal food of this tribe is the salmon, which they take in large numbers in the months of June, July, August and September. At this season of the year, the Indians collect about the falls on the river. The fish ascend early in the season to the head of the Columbia, and all its tributaries (unless it is some river where a per- pendicular fall prevents,) and in August and September they come drifting down the river in a weak and exhausted condition, and many of them dead. It is at this season that the Indians pre- pare their winter food by drying the salmon and stowing them away. Some of their hunters make long excursions to the buffalo country. There are several other small tribes living down the river, and south of the Walla-Wallas, viz. : the John Days, the Tyhs, the Deschutes, and the Dalles. All speak difie.'cnt languages, but their manners and appearance are much the same. They arc remnants of other tribes, but their number is small, there not being more than four thousand souls in the four bands. The Nez-Perces, or Saptans, inhabit the country from the Paloose to the Wallacacos, about one hundred miles, together with all its tributa- ries, extending, on the east, to the Rocky Moun- tains. They arc supposed to number 6,000 souls. In.aDpearance they resemble the Indians east of 1^ 112 OREGON. the Rocky Mountains — they dress better, and arc much neater in personal a[)j)earance than their neighbors. Tliey have many horses, and are good hunters, and make excursions to the Rocky Moun- tains yearly in pursuit of buffalo. In stature they are large and likely — the largest framed tribe that inhabit the Western country. They are the most lioncst Indians of that region, and have been the constant friends of the white men. Some of their young men joined, in the recent war, against the whites, but it was contrary to the orders of their chiefs. This is the most wealthy of all the moun- tain tribes, some of the chiefs owning as many as 4,000 horses, and common Indians owning 1,000 head. They also own a large number of cattle. The Waillatpus inhabit the region south of Walla-Walla river. Their most prominent loca- tion is on the head waters of this stream, where they live in close connection with a band of the Nez-Perces. They all speak the Nez-Pei-cc language, although they have a language of their own that is spoken by the old ones. This is a small tribe, numbering not more than 600 or 800 souls. Although their number is small, they are looked upon by other tribes with respect. They are very wealtliy, good warriors, and excellent riders. Their country being well suited for grazing purposes, and affording abundance of excellent pasturage, they own large droves of horses. The chief of this band owns 5,000 head. They are noble looking Indians. INDIANS. 113 From this band I dosircd to get a 1)oy, ten or twelve years old, to accompany me home. Through the assistance of !Mr. Noblk and Mr. Thompson, I saw a fine looking youth of ten years of ago, whose parents were both dead. He had l)cen adopted by the chief, and to him I went and made known my desire. He would not reply to my request immediately, but told me he would give me an answer the next day. He came, ac- cording to promise, bringing with him an inter- preter, when the following conversation took place between us : " I cannot let the boy go. I have a son four years old, whom you may have, and my sister has a son five years old — you may have both." •' They are too young," I replied, " I want the other one." " He must not go !" I asked him his objection — " you give me your son, why refuse me your adopted son ?" He cast his eyes to the ground for a moment, and then, slowly raising his head, he looked me full in the face and replied : " I am the chief of this tribe. I want my son to be chief, after me. If you take ray adopted son home with you, he will then be like white man — he will read and write — he will be smart man ; he then come back here — he be chief, my son only he Indian .'" Say- ing this, with a sorrowful look he turned and walked away. 114 OREGON. There was a tribe called the Molallk Indians, that dwelt in the broken and mountainous region about Mount Ilood ; but since the year 1840, they have become extinct, as a separate nation, and have attached themselves to otlier tribes. The Black Feet Indians occupy an extensive territory in and near the Rocky Mountains, between the head waters of the Missouri and Columbia. They are the confederacy of four tribes — the Pagans, the Palls, the Sussez, and the Black Feet. All these speak the regular Black Foot language except the Sussez, who speak the language of the Chippewas. These tribes are the best hunters of the Rocky Mountains, their occupation being confined princi- pally to buffalo hunting. Their name is a terror to other tribes, as they are brave, daring and war- like. Their number, from the best evidence now in our possession, is about 15,000. The Klamath Indians live on the head waters of Klamath river — designated by the name of " Klamath Lake country." Rogue river and Deschutes river head near the same place. This is the Southern boundary of Oregon and the Northern part of California. This tribe is very warlike, frequently attacking emigrant trains on their way to California, Their object appears to be plunder, and to capture women. In this particular, no tribe is so mucli to be dreaded as INDIANS. 116 the Kl.vmatiis. It is a fact, that they have some white women prisoners among them at this time, and bnt little eflbrt lias been made by the whites to regain them, tlieir immediate relatives having been killed at the time of their capture. These Indians will be more particularly described in my History of the War. Until within the last three years, they were engaged in constant hostilities with their neighbors, the Shastas and Rogue River Indians — their principal object being to steal the squaws whom tliey sold into slavery to the Nez-Perces and Waillatpus. The Panacks inhabit the country south-east of Klamath lake. They arc a wandering tribe, living on game and berries ; bold, and good warriors ; often attacking emigrants and traders. They are not a large tribe, however, and arc sup- posed to number not more than six hundred or eight hundred persons. The Shastas formerly inhabited the region of country about Shasta Peak, and on Shasta river, and where Yreka, Cal., now stands. The rem- nant of the tribe that is left now mostly dwell in the Siskiou Mountains and vicinity. They have been, to the gold-hunters, a very troublesome tribe. There were no horses introduced among them until about the year 1840 ; at that time they always conducted the chase on foot, nnd so fleet were they that they would frequently run down 116 OREGON. and capture a fat buck. When the settlers of the Willamette Valley first visited the g-old regions of California, these Indians were noted for their feats of activity, as it took the best of Oregon horses to overtake an Indian in running tiic distance of two miles, the latter having a little the start on foot. There were several small tribes lying north of these, in Oregon, that have been very troublesome to the settlers ; but, since the war of 18o5-(5, they have all been removed to the Coast Reservation. The Killewatsis are about the mouth of tho Umpqua ; higher up on the same river are the IsoLEL and the Kouse Indians ; and on the lower part of Rogue river are the Tatatnas — now called the " Rogue River" or " Rascal" Indians, from the fact that they arc the worst of rascals, and their continual hostility to the whites from the period of their first discovery. These Indians will bo spoken of in my History of the War ; and it was this tribe tl\at killed Capt. P. M. Arm- strong, in 1853. The Calapooyas fornerly inhabited the Wil- lamette Valley, above the Falls. Their posses- sions once embraced the whole Valley, but as this once powerful trioe is now almost extinct, we shall not make any extended remarks concerning them. They differ much from other tribes of the Rocky Mountains and Pacitic coast, in several respects. INDIANS. 117 Since thf! first acquaintance of the whites with tlieni, they have been characterized by a mild, kind and gentle disposition, and a greater degree of intelligence than their neighbors, while tlieir manners and customs are also very different. Their appearance shows them to be a distinct nation from all the other tribes of that country. Their national voice is mild, calm, smooth, gentle, sympathizing, while all the other tribes are charac- terized l)y a disagreeable, coarse, harsh, guttural voice. The Callapooyas seem to have been appropriately located in the Valley, to separate the wandering and warlike tribes cast of the Cascade Mountains, from the debased, filthy and quarrelsome Indians of the coast. Tlicy are more quiet than the former and more cleanly than the latter. There are now, perhaps, not more than five hundred members of this tribe, and they still rove over the Valley, among the whites, living in tents. The Indians cast of the moun- tains often make a descent upon them, and are thinning out their ranks from year to year, and a disease extant among them is rapidly taking them off; so that in five years, or less time, they will all be gone. The mode of life of all the Indians on the Upper Columbia and the interior of Oregon is, to some extent, similar. They have no fixed habita- tion, but wander from place to place, as necessity or inclinatiou moves them, living in tents. Yet, 118 OREGON. in reulitv, we do not know that wc should term them a " wandcrintr people," althougli they cliange their phicc of residence nearly every month — lor the same month of every year finds them occupying the same place they occupied the previous year. The reason is obvious. No part of tlie United States ai)ounds so greatly in esculent roots and berries, as Oregon. There are more than a dozen difteront kinds of roots that aflbrd nourishment to the human family, some of them very palatable, and mostly attainable by little labor. At ccrtair seasons the natives derive almost their entire sub sistencc from these roots, and as the differenl varieties grow in different localities, and arrive at maturity at intervals apart, the Indians are forced to change their position from one root ground to another. In the fishing season, when the Indians all flock to the banks of the rivers, you can see tents of Indians in every valley of the Columbia where there is grass sufficient to graze their stock. The salmon ascend in tlie spring and descend in the fall. This causes two removals, for, although the fall salmon are poor, they are taken in large quantities, dried, and stored away for winter use. They also gather a great quantity of acorns from the white oak, and store them away for the purpose of making bread when dried. Tliey gather a large amount, also, of come, or bread root, which iimch resembles the Irish potato, and, when dried an-3 powdered, is very white and T INDIANS. 119 mealy. They also collect a great many large black crickets, and grasshoppers by bushels ; these they put into a raorter with acorns or bread root, and pound into a mass, which is then kneaded, placed on a board, and baked for bread — the legs of the grasshoppers and crickets making a very rough crust. I have often seen them encircle the grass- hoppers in a ring of lire, by igniting the grass ; their wings are scorched by the blaze, and they fall to the ground, when the Indians gather around, collect them and cat them. You can see the insects kick as they go into the Indian's mouth, and hear them crack like chestnuts between his jaws. These Indians are in some respects like brutes; they will grow fat and corpulent in time of plenty, and lean when provisions are fjcarce. They can subsist, however, on very little food. The men usually make a long excursion to the Rocky Mountains, on a buffiilo hunt, during the latter part of the summer, leaving the women, in their absencL^, to gather '-oots and berries, and prepare them for winter use. Tlieir clotliing was principally manufactured of bulTalo robes and dressed deer skins, until, within the last few years, they liavu purchased some dry goods from the traders. They make up coats, leggings, and moccasins, of the deer and elk skins, very neatly, ornamenting them Imndsomcly with beads, of which tiiey are very fond ; I liave seen from five to ten pounds swung round an Indian's neck at one time. 120 OREGON. Each tribe has two principal chiefs — one to conduct their national aflairs, and decide all matters of personal difference between members of the tribe, but who has nothing to say with regard to war matters — these being left to the war chief, who conducts ail their war parties and superintends all their trainings for war. They are continually training for war, in various modes, and are very expert in all their manoeuvres. The different tribes are gcnerall}^ at war with each other. They would be the most happy people on earth, were they not constantly in dread. When they arc encamped in a valley, you will always see some of the tribe standi^ ^ or sitting on some high hill, looking carefully in every direction, fearful lest some party belonging to another tribe pounce upon them and carry off their j)roperty or their squaws. They never sleep at night without a close guard out, around their encampment ; all which shows, plainly enough, tliat their life is full of fear and anxiety — you can trace in tlieir coun- tenances an uneasiness and a lack of confidence as to their safety. In each tribe, also, there is a conjurer or medicine man. He uses but few roots or medi- cines ; but, when he lias a patient, he makes a great noise — hallooing, clapping liis hands, beating his own l)reast and that of his patient. This, lie says, is for the purpose of driving away the evil spirit. Wiien his patient is very sick, he never ceases his wailings the night long ; and if it bo a INDIANS. 121 chief, or any conspicuous person that is sick, and he dies, the surviving chief then appoints some of the friends of the deceased to put the doctor to death — a fate that the latter submits to without a murmur. The weapon used on such occasions is generally a butcher knife. On one occasion, when I was encamped with my surveying party, on the Umpqua river, a band of Indians were encamped on the opposite side of the river. There was a sick person among them, and tlie doctor was making a great noise, which he kept up until late at night. My hands commenced hallooing, and mocking the doctor, and there was a brief pause. Next morning the Indians came to my camp, very much dissatisfied, saying that my boys had killed the sick Indian — their hallooing at the doctor and making fun of him had rendered him unalde to keep oft' tlie evil spirit, and his mind was drawn oft" toward tlie boys who were making sport of him ; so the patient died. I called up the hands, in their presence, and told tliem to give an account of themselves, at the same time appear- ing to be very much dissatisfied with their con- duct. The boys justified themselves by assuring the Indians that they did not know there was any person sick — tlicy thought itAvas a dance, and they felt anxious to join them, V)ut could not cross the river. I gave them some bread, and they returned to camp, informing me that they would not kill the doctor, as it was not through any fault of his that the patient died, but giving me to understand 122 OREGON. that they would prefer taking the lives of my boys, which they no doubt would have done had an opportunity offered. Sometimes, thus, a trifling occurrence throws a traveler in their midst Into great danger, espe- cially if any fear be manifested. "When an Indian dies, his friends gather around, and the women set up a great lamentation, crying and hallooing, beating their breasts, arms, and faces, pulling great handsful of hair from their heads, and appearing to be in the greatest distress and agony. While witnessing a scene of this character, on one occasion, I ascertained, upon inquiry, that these women had been employed by the friends of the deceased, to mourn for their departed friend, for which service they expected to receive remuneration in the way of presents. In some instances, the friends promise the mourn- ers to perform the same offices for them when any of their friends may die. It is not uncommon to send to another village to procure professional mourn- ers who have become renowned for acts of cruelty perpetrated upon their own bodies on such occa- sions. The 7)ien never cry, no matter how near and dear a relative may die — it is considered " not brave" — it is the act of a squaw. The men seldom weep, except when enraged to the pitch of committing murder, and they are certain tlie deed they are going to commit will result in their own death, or when they are appointed by the chief to kill one of their o^/n tribe. You will sometimes INDIANS. 123 see the executioner and the victim walking arm in arm together, talking and crying, appearing to be great friends in deep distress, while tlie former has his knife concealed about him, and, suddenly, draws it, and, at a single stroke, lays his victim lifeless on the earth. The various tribes of California aro low, de- graded, dirty, filthy Indians, with little energy, living principally upon roots and carrion, no dead animal being too filthy for them to eat. They are generally called " Diggers," from their principal mode of sustaining life, digging for roots. They are far inferior, in every respect, to the Indians residing further north. But, as this History is only designed to treat on Oregon and "Washington Territories, we will not dwell on the Indians of California. The Indians living in the extreme northern portion of our possessions, on the Pacific, and in the British Territory , between latitude 49° and 60°, through the interior of the country, are a warlike, athletic race, and they were once wcaltliy, from the large amount of furs ilicy sold annually at the trading posts, no part of the Pacific region abounding with beaver so plentifully as did the head waters of the Columbia and Frazier rivers and their tributaries. Near the sources of these rivers there are many streams forming long lakes, making it a great place of resort for beaver. ! mmmmm 124 OREGON. Fort Colville, Fort Okanagan, and Fort Spokan, as well as a number of other forts, or trading posts, were established by the Hudson Bay Company and American traders, for the pur- })osc of affording safe and convenient places for bartering for the Indian's furs and peltries — the articles of barter being, for the most part, red blankets, red calicoes, large quantities of beads of various sizes and colors, and tobacco. All In- dians are very fond of tobacco, often refusing to sell their furs unless the trader can furnish tlieni some tobacco — they must have a smoke before they can commence a trade. The traders usually have a supply of this luxurious weed always on hand. There exists, and ever has existed a great jealousy and rivalry among the traders of this wild region. Having cut themselves loose from society, for the purpose of gain, they desire to make speedy fortunes, and leave no exertion untried to gain their ends by circumventing others. Between the American Fur Company's employees and the Hudson Bay traders, an ambition has ever existed to see which could succeed in driving the best bargains with the different tribes of Indians — as the whole nation go in a body to some designated point, once a year, for the purpose of trading, and the lucky trader who succeeds in securing their custom makes his fortune. I will give one instance of this ambition be- tween the trading parties. INDIANS. 125 A TALE OF THE OREGON FUR TRADE, BY PERCY n. ST. JOHN. Some years ngo, wlion the American fur company and the Hudson Bay traders carried on a powerful opposition to each other, in the wild and rocky territory of Oregon, several little forts were erected in the interior, whence the commerce in pelt- ries was made with the Indians. One of these to which our tale riifers, was planted in a f;reen and secluded valley, where pasiurc for cattle and comfort for man, were as much as possible com- bined with security and safety. In this spot, known as Spokan Fort, dwelt James MTherson, the owner and {governor of the wild locality. MTherson was a Scotchman, who in early days had left his native country a poor lad, and now, hy the exercise of that perseverance characteristic of Jiis countrymen, had obtained the position of a well-to-do merchant. It was about two years after the establishment of the fort, and when all were in activity and bustle, that Edward Ray, a young Louisianian, obtained an appointment under the owner, and traveled the whole distance from New Orleans, had conveyed a carpo of merchandise for the use of the company. In addition to this, he had taken up, to rejoin her father, Miss M'Pherson and an attendant. So peculiar and so long a journey had thrown the young people mudi together, and without any reflection with regard to their diH^ercnce of position, a mutual att'ection had arisen between them. At length, however, they arrived at their journey's end. Kay became a clerk, and Miss M'Pherson pre- sided over the cstal>lishment, as the daughter of tiie owner was in duty bound to do. Whatever might have been the lady's feelings, the poor clerk sought not to learn them. He felt the ditT'erence of station, and, shrinking from any manifestation of his aspiring hopes, attended to his business honestly and dili- gently, but without showing the slightest enthusiasm for the avocation. Under these circumstances he was considered useful in his way, but failed to excite that notice that might have led to his advancement. Reserved and taciturn, even his mistress thought herself deceived in him. With the excitement of their happy journey, all his energies seemed to have departed. The truth was, that Ray, who was not of a sanguine disposition, saw no means of arriving to a level with his master, and allowed despondency to unnerve his spirit. AiH)ut three months after his iirrival, the time approached when tlie annual interview with the various Indians took place, — a meeting of much itnportance, as then the whole fortutus of the year were decided. It was usual to appoint a ])\{^^■v for the natives to camp, with their heaver and other skins, where the rival traders at once repaired, and whoever otVered the best price obtained a ready and profitable market. About two days before 1 126 OREGON. the time appointed, the licads of tiic fort were seated at their eveniiifij men!. Plenty and variety made up for delicacies and seasonings. Buffalo, deer-meat, trout, salmon, wild-fowl, all abounded on the board, round which sat M'Pherson, Ins daugh- ter, Hay, and three other clerks. The whole party were engaged discussing the good things before them, when a bustle was heard without, and after the pause of a moment, a half-breed hunter appeared on the threshold. " What news, Nick V said M'Pherson, who recognized in tho intruder a scout sent out to learn the proceedings of tho rival traders. "Bad," said Nick, advancing. "Master Sublette got ahead of Spokan. The Indians arc all at camp already, with plenty heaver. Master Sublette buy up all, but him got no tobacco, so he send away to Brown for some ; then smoke, and buy all the beaver." " Why, that is good news," said M'Pherson, laughing ; " if Sublette has no tobacco, all is right. We have plenty, and not an Indian will sell a skin until he has had a good puff at the pipe of peace. So up, my men," he continued, addressing his clerks; "you must away and out-goiieral Sublette, by taking to Johnson a good supply of the weed." "All very fine," said Nick, with a knowing jerk of the head, " but Sublette him know a trick worth two of that. A hundred Blackfeet are out lying in the woods, and not a soul will reach the market until they arc gone.' "The Blackfeet !" cried M'Pherson; "then we arc defeated surely. What is to be done V " How many bales will suffice f" said Ray, quietly. " If Johnson, our agent, had but one," replied the trader, despondingly, " all would be right. It is impossible, however ; and this year is lost to me." " By no means," said the clerk, rising, with all his native energy and fire beaming in his eye ; " Johnson shall have the bale, or my scalp shall hang in a Blackfoot lodge before morning." " Edward !" exclaimed the daughter, with an alarmed glance, which opened the father's eyes to what had hitherto been a pro- found secret. " Are you in earnest, Mr. Ray t" said M'Pherson gravely, and even sternly. " I am, sir ; give mc Wild Polly, (a favorite mare,) and trust to me for the accomplishment of your wishes." " You will go alone, then V " I will." M'Pherson ordered the mare he valued so much to he saddled, and in half an hour, Edward Ray, with two bales of tobacco behind him, and armed to the teeth, sallied forth from Spokan, amidst the plaudits of the whole i)arty, whose astonishment regarded less the perilousness of the adventure, than the charac- tl T INDIANS. 127 tcr of the man who undertook it. Miss M'Pherson, conscious of the interest she hud bctrnyed in her father's clerk, hastily retired to her chamber ; while tlie father, after carefully fastening the gates, and posting proper sentinels, lit his pipe and seated himself, absorbed in reflection, by the huge fire-place in the principal ai)artment. Great smokers are your Indian traders, who in more things than one resemble the men with whom they have to deal. Meanwhile, Edward Ray, after leaving the fort, rode down the valley, reflecting on the wisest course to pursue. It was some time ere the young man paused, and then a sudden hesitation on the part of his mare brought him back to consciousness. Rais- ing his eyes, he found himself close upon a wood, between which and a somewhat broad river he had now to pass. A single glance told him that Indians were near, as a light smoke arose amid the trees ; whether they had yet discovered him was a matter of uncertainty. Ray therefore determined to make a bold dash ; and, trusting to his beast, rode at a hard gallop along the tikirt of the forest. The moment he neared the trees, his hand upon his rifle, ho listened with the most anxious attention. Not a sound, save the clatter of his unshod mare, was heard, until he had half-cleared the diyigcrous cover. Then came the sound of pursuit, and then the Blackfcet war-whoop, with the crack of rifles. His enemies were in full chase. Now it was that the gal- lant steed put forth her energy, and now it was that Ray's spirit rose and he felt himself a man, with all a man's energy, and also with all a man's love of life. Looking back, he saw the wild Indian warriors coming fust toward him, but still not gaining ground ; and he felt Fure did ho loosen his precious merchandise, and give it up to the pursuers, that he could with ease outstrip them. But he was resolved to serve his master's interests, and he urged his laden steed to her utmost. An hour passed in this mannor. The howling, whooping Indians, half a hundred in number, galloped madly after him, their long l/lack hair stream- ing to the wind. Before him lay a cane-brake, where the reeds rose ten feet, dry, parched and crackling. Through this lay the path of the fugi- tive. Ray looked forward to the welcome shelter, determined to make a stand ; and there, at the very entrance, stood, mounted on a tall horse, an opposing foe. Clutching bis pistol, the clerk clenched his teeth, and rode madly against this new opponent, who, just in time to save himself, cried, " All right, saucy Nick !" There was no time for greeting, and away they scampered through :he cane-brake, not before, however, the half-breed had cast a brand amid the reeds. " Away!" cried Nick, urging his steed to the utmost, "the fire spirit is awake ; he rides in yonder cloud ! Away, or our bones will be mingled with those of the red men upon this plain." " But Nick," said Ray, as side by side they dashed across the prairie, " how met we i ' 1 left you at the fort." I 128 OREGON. I'<, I " No, Nick start linlf nn lioiir licfoic. Wouldn't let bravo warrior {;o by liimsclf. Found liim cIuisimI by Indians — Black- foe t ; but Indian no take Master Kay. Nick know trick wortli two of that. But liusti !" he iiddcd, as be f^aincd the entrance of a valley, "the hoofs of our hor.scs have walked the great lire spirit; but we arc not yet free. Blackfcet in valley." At this intimation of their bcintr nj^ain about to meet a party of their enemies. Hay ])rc|iarc(l his arms once more, and then, patting the neck of his gallant steed, urged her at a rattling pace tlirough the valley. A flusli and t.'ic ^rack of guns lired in haste, showed that Nick was not mistaken ; but giving a volley in reply, and without pausing to discover its ctl'ect, the pair gal- loped onward, and once more emerged on the plain. Nick now led the way, and diverging from the ordimiry route, entered iX stream, the course of which they followed slowly for some time. At length, satisfied that ho had batlled pursuit, the halflirecd once more entered upon the usual track, and before daylight, reached the great camp, where the Indians had pitched their tents with a view to tratlic with the rival white men. To the right were the wagons of Sublette ; to the left, those of Johnson, MThcrson's agent. They found -the latter in very bad spirits, as his rival was expected to receive the necessary sup ply of tobacco in the course of the afternoon, when all chanco for Spokan would have been over. As, however, l{ay detailed the object of his journey, and the success which had attended it, the agent's eye glistened, and at length he exclaimed with a chuckle, " Bravo, Mr. Bay ; I should like to be in your shoes ; for if you haven't made old Mac's forttme, mymmic is not John- son. Such prime beavers you never saw. By the immortal head of General Jackson, but you arc a lucky dog!" Bay expressed his satisfaction at having been of such great service, and after a hearty meal, the traders began their day's work. First the chiefs were summoned and i<r missionary labor ; and it is to bo hoped that the subject will excite such interest as shall lead to the redemption of this race from the gloom of ignorance. In form, features, and moral sentiments, if tliat term may be used in speaking of a people so benighted, they are greatly superior to many of the human races that have received enlightenment from missionary teaching, and certainly their claima are equal with the rest of mankind." ,t j! it In addition to thp various tribes spoken many more uld be mentioned — all speaking different languages. It was found by the Hudson Bay Company, and all the early traders, to be very difficult to trade successfully with them, as there was so little uniformity of language among them. Among such a vast number of Indians and tongues, it was found that interpreters were not to be procured. It was important that some- thing be done, then, to make a common language, or JARGON, that would be intelligible to all and easily learned. Accordingly a shrewd Scotchman undertook the task, and soon prepared a jargon, that has proved to be inimitable in its way. A number of Canadian French were then employed by the Company to learn this language ; these wer"^ then sent to the various tribes, and succeeded in imparting a knowledge of the language to some of the members of each tribe they visited. At the present time, it is spoken, more or less, by all the tribes and by all the whites in that region. The Scotchman was chosen to pre^Dare the lan- t. V. ^-v INDIANS. 145 guago on account of the slirewdncss and per- severance of his race, and tlic Canadian French to carry it to the Indians, from the facility with which they habituate themselves to the mode of life they were of necessity compelled to adopt in the performance of their mission. A few remarks concerning this language will, perhaps, not bd ill-timed ; and thr y will serve to show the ingenuity and shrewdness of the Scotch- man who prepared it. He availed himself of his knowledge of human nature — that men, no matter of what race, prompted, perhaps, by innate de- pravity, will more readily learn, and retain in memory, any thing that is tainted with vulgarity or tinged with the appearance of wit or eccen- tricity — to prepare this jargon ; and we find it, therefore, a compound of blackguard English, low French, humorous Spanish, (words selected with- out reference to their original meaning,) grafted on the NooTKA language as the main root or stock — that being the language spoken in common among the greatest number of Indians — with an occasional working in of words selected at random from various other Indian languages. Thinking that the reader might be interested in knowing how this JARGON sounds, I have selected a few words, with their respective significations, which may serve as a fair specimen of the language ; Ten-nes, High-ess, Cock-sit, Pat-lack, Little. Til-la-cum, Man Large. Clook-e-man, Woman Broke. Rat-lak-tik, Brother Give. Cloocb-e-mup, Sister 146 OREGON. Que-tan, IJorsc. Waw-waw, Talk. Moos-moos, Cow, or Elk. Wake, No. Tip-sy, Grass. Wake-six, No friend . Mo-wich, Deer. Iknh, Myself. Eck-foot, Hear. Nico, Yourself. Pow, Slioat. Is'a-nock, Look about. Cul-la-cul-la, Duck, or Goo.sc. Close, Good. High-ess cul-la -cul-la, Crane. Cul-tis, Bad. Lo-har, Salmon. Cum-tux, Understand. Mim-a-lootf, Muc-a-muc, Dead. To cat. Wake cum-tux, i Don't under- stand. Clat-ta-wa, Go away. Tum turn, Heart. Cha-co, Come, or come back. La-mah, Arm. Il-la-hc, Laiul. Scu-cum, Strong. Chuck, Water. La-mah scu-cum. Armstrong. Salt Chuck, Sea, or Ocean. Cap-swal-low, Steal. Ek-icc-raan, Money. Com-min-na-whit, You lie. Si-wash, Indian. Quash, Afraid, cowardly. The writer, it will be perceived, does not receive a very euphonious appellation in this tongue. The following table of words most in use in the Nootka language will show what relation the two languages bear to each other : Check-up, Man. Sic-yah, Sky Klootz-mah, Woman. Toop-clth, Sea Noowexa, Fatber. Cha-hak, Fresh water Hooma-hexa, Mother. Meetla, Rain Tanussis, Cbild. Queece, Snow Katlahtic, Brother. Noot-chec, Mountain or hill Kloot-chem-up, Sister. Klat-tur-miss, Earth Tanassis-check-up, Son. Een-nuk-sce, Fire or fuel Tanassis-klootz-mali, Daughter. Mook-scc, Kock Tau-hat-se-tce, Head. Muk-ka-tce, House Kassee, Eyes. Wik, No Kap-se-up, Hair. Hcho, Yes Naetsa, Nose. Kak-koelth, Slave Parpee, Ears. Mah-haek, Whale Chce-chee, Teeth. Klack-e-mis, Oil Choop, Tongue. Quart-lak, Sea-otter Kook-a-nik-sa, Hands. Coo-coo-ho-sa Seal Klish-klin, Feet. Moo-wateh, Bear Oophelth, Sua or Moon. So-har, Salmon Tar-tooB», Stars. Toosch-qua, Cod 4 INDIANS. 147 Pow-ee, Halibut. Kloos-a-mit, Herring. Chnp-atz, Canoe. Oo-wlia-pa, ratklie. Chee-me-na, A fisli-hook. Cliee-mcn. Fish-liooks. Sick-a minny, Iron. Toop-hdth, Cloth. Cham-n ass, Fruit. Cham-niass- ( Sweet or pleasant isli, ( to the taste. Moot-sus, Powder. Chce-pckcs, Copper. Hah-weks, Hungry. Nec-siM-mcr-hise, Enough. Chic-ta-yek, Knife or Dagger. Klick-er-yek, Rings. Quish-ar, Smoke. Mar-met-ta, Goose or Duck. Pook-shit-tlc, To blow. Ecn-a-qui-shit-tle, \ To kindle ^ ( JJ^ fire. Ar-tccse, To bathe. Ma-mook-su-mah, To go to fish. Ar-smootish- ) . check-up, \ A warrior. Ma-kook, To sell. Cha-alt-see-klat- tur-wah. Kah-ah-pah-chilt, Oo-nah, I-yah-ish, Kom-mc-tak, I-yce-ma-hak, i Em-me-chap, Kle-whar, Mac-kam-mah sish, Kah-ah-coh, Sah-wauk, Att-la, Kat-sa, Mooh, Soo-chah, Noo-poo, At-tle-poo, At-lah-quelth, Saw-wauk-quelth, Hy-o, Sak-aitz, Soo-jewk, Hy-e-oak, ( Go off, or ( go away. j (jive me j something. How many. Much. I understand. do not ■ nder- stand. To play. To laugh. j Do you want J to buy. Bring it. One, Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Twenty. One hundred. One thousand. ADVERTISEMENT. At this point "•■ must take leave of the readcj , Following this volume, I shall ?oon issue a History of jrn Indian War in Oregon, in the course of which I shall touoh upon matters that, in some degree, pertain to the topics treated of in *the present •work, but which I have deemed more appropriate to be mentioned in connection with the War. Having been an active participant in tliat War, much concerning wliich I shall write fell under my personal observation ; and for the rest I shall draw upon tho most authentic ani reliable sources.