NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY FINAL SEPARATION. 91 



SECOND EXPLORATION IN DES CHUTES VALLEY, AND CROSSING OF THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS. 



September 24. The party again separated at Camp S on Why-chus creek. Lieut. William 

 son dispensed with the future services of all the escort, except Lieut. Sheridan, with his dragoon 

 detachment of twenty-five men, and Lieut. Crook, the quartermaster and commissary of the 

 expedition. Accompanied by this small party, with Messrs. Fillebrown, Young, Bartee, and 

 three packers, he started to cross the mountains near Diamond Peak, and follow down the 

 Willamette valley to Vancouver. Lieut. Gibson, with the rest of the escort, started for Fort 

 Lane. Dr. Newberry, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Coleman, and fourteen packers, with all the spare 

 animals and most of the baggage, remained with me in camp. My orders were to explore the 

 mountains to the north ; cross them where I best could ; and rejoin Lieut. Williamson at Van 

 couver. Not anticipating any Indian troubles, we considered my party sufficiently strong 

 for this purpose. The day was spent in recruiting the animals, and in repairing a broken 

 barometer. 



September 25. In the morning we travelled about eight miles towards the base of the 

 &quot; black butte,&quot; and encamping on Que-y-ee brook, near where we had crossed it in going to 

 the Dalles, spent the rest of the day in completing our arrangements. I had already seen that 

 no railroad could be built in the valley near the Des Chutes river. It now remained to explore 

 the region near the eastern base of the foot hills. Having about eighty animals, many of 

 which were almost broken down, I decided to divide my command, and examine the unknown 

 region with a light scouting party, while Mr. Coleman, in charge of the rest of the train, 

 should return by our former trail to Nee-nee springs, and recruit the animals on the excellent 

 bunch grass there, until I should join him. 



The brook Que-y-ee, near camp, was clear and cold, but rendered difficult of access by thick 

 bushes, and in some places by miry banks. There was plenty of bunch grass in the vicinity, 

 but the dense forest which surrounded us rendered the loss of animals probable. 



September 26. This morning we separated. My little party consisted of Mr. Anderson, Dr. 

 Newberry, myself and eight men. We took eleven days provisions, and twelve pack mules 

 loaded with only seventy-five pounds each, as I anticipated many difficulties on our unknown 

 route. We followed our old trail to the point where it forked, about nine miles from camp, 

 hoping that the western branch might lead to the foot hills ; but it almost immediately terminated 

 in an old Indian rancheria, near which there was a little water in the bed of the creek that we 

 had found dry at the fork. Disappointed in the trail, I endeavored to take a northwest course by 

 compass. The pine forest was very thick ; the pumice-stone soil was so light that our mules 

 sank over the fetlock at every step ; and the fallen timber and thick underbrush continually 

 obstructed our way. We toiled slowly up a long, gradual ascent, now turning to the right and 

 now to the left to avoid the fallen timber, until we were forced, by some impenetrable underbrush, 

 into a slight ravine, in which were a few pools of water. Fighting our way with great difficulty 

 among the logs which filled the bottom, we climbed its northern side, and entered a small open 

 space dotted with a few clumps of grass. The men were directed to herd the jaded animals in 

 this breathing spot, while Dr. Newberry and I crawled over the dead trees into another ravine, 

 northeast of us, to search for water. Finding none, we all struggled on towards the west, fully 

 expecting, as the sun was low, to encamp in the forest without water or grass. Before halting, 

 however, we suddenly reached the summit of a slight precipice ; at our feet lay a fine little 

 prairie, about a quarter of a mile long, covered with the richest bunch grass, and bordered on 



