NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY NEAR HEAD OF DES CHUTES VALLEY. 73 



traversed yesterday, except that it became slightly undulating. The dense clouds of dust raised 

 by our animals from the ashy soil were suffocating. After riding about 18.7 miles from camp, 

 we suddenly emerged from the dense forest, and found ourselves in the beautiful grassy bottom 

 of the Des Chutes river. It was here a fine stream about thirty feet in width, and fordable 

 although the current was rapid and the bed stony. We immediately encamped. At the water 

 hole, this morning, two trails diverged. We followed the more easterly one ; but two of the 

 party by mistake took the other, which was equally large. It conducted them to a point 

 further up stream, and was doubtless a trail leading to the wagon road across the Cascade 

 Range, which Lieut. Williamson subsequently examined. The supply of grass to-night was 

 abundant, and of fine quality ; the water was cold, and the position in every respect excellent 

 for a camp. Large numbers of delicious trout, marked with red longitudinal stripes, were 

 caught with great ease in the river. 



August 26. This morning we left the bank of the stream, and followed the trail for about 

 seven miles through a pine forest. It passed over several low hills, upon which the soil was 

 light and ashy. As it wound considerably towards the east, Lieut. Williamson was afraid that 

 it might leave the river entirely, and lead to the Wallah- Wallah country. He therefore 

 abandoned it, and turned again towards the stream, which was reached in about 1.5 miles. 

 We crossed it at a good ford, and, to our great surprise, came upon an old nearly effaced 

 wagon trail. This we followed with difficulty for a short distance, when it seemed to disappear 

 in a thick growth of young trees and underbrush. After struggling forward for a short dis 

 tance, we recrossed the river and again struck the wagon trail, which must have crossed to 

 the eastern bank, near where we entered the bushes. We followed it down the river. The 

 soil during the whole day s march was light and ashy. The country had been recently burned 

 over by the Indians ; and we were beginning to despair of obtaining forage for our animals, 

 when a sudden bend revealed a portion of the river bottom thickly carpeted with luxuriant 

 grass. Here we encamped under a few small trees. The river, which was about forty feet in 

 width, flowed through a grassy bottom bordered by low bluffs, distant about 200 yards from 

 the stream. The current was rapid, and the water clear and cold. Trout were abundant and 

 easily caught. 



August 27. To-day we remained in camp, and Lieutenant Williamson made preparations 

 to start to-morrow with Lieutenant Sheridan and the dragoon detachment, to begin the exam 

 ination for a pass through the Cascade Range to the Willamette valley. The soil was so light 

 that I found it impossible to take astronomical observations near camp. The ordinary move 

 ments of the men and animals caused a continual shaking of the ground, which disturbed the 

 mercury of the artificial horizon, although surrounded by a trench nearly two feet in depth. 

 It was consequently necessary, for every observation at this camp, to carry the instruments about 

 an eighth of a mile to the bluffs above the river bottom. In the night, Lieutenant Williamson 

 and others of our mess were taken violently sick. It was supposed by some that we had been 

 poisoned by eating trout caught in the river ; but I think that the sickness was probably occa 

 sioned by some carelessness of the cook. 



August 28. Although Lieutenant Williamson was quite unwell this morning, he started 

 with Lieutenant Sheridan and the dragoons for the mountains. An itinerary of his trip will 

 be found in Chapter IV. The main party remained under my charge in camp, where the cus 

 tomary observations were taken. Many crawfish, which when cooked were scarcely inferior to 

 lobsters, were caught in the river. 

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