288 OVERLAND EXPEDITION TO SAN FRANCISCO. 



the fire having destroyed everything but the trees. The 

 rocks are intersected with veins of quartz, and the soil is 

 sandy and generally of a light-red color. 



In the course of the day, the hunters discovered the fresh 

 foot-prints of Indians, and in searching for the savages, they 

 came upon three squaws, who had been left, when the others 

 fled. It was clear that the savages were closely watching our 

 movements, and only waited for a good opportunity to pounce 

 upon us. At 4 P. M. we arrived, and encamped on the 

 banks of Young's Creek, where we found a party of Klamet 

 Indians ; they looked very innocent, and pretended to be glad 

 to see us ; but the guide represented them as being the most 

 rascally set in all Oregon — calling them horse-thieves, robbers, 

 and murderers. 



During the 25th and 26th, our road lay through an undu- 

 lating country, interspersed with forests of the Pinus Lamber- 

 tiana. I tasted the sugar produced by this singular tree, and 

 found it to be slightly bitter. It is a powerful cathartic, yet 

 I was told that the trappers used it as a substitute for sugar ; 

 the Indian mode of collecting it is to burn a cavity in the 

 tree, whence it exudes in large quantities. We passed, on 

 the last of these days, Tootootutnas River, another beautiful 

 stream, upwards of one hundred yards in width, and abound- 

 ing in salmon and other fish. The land, a few hundred 

 yards from its banks, rises into hills of considerable height, 

 formed principally of granite sand. 



Several Indians came about the camp and pretended to be 

 friendly, but we placed no confidence in their professions, and 

 sent them away before night came on. They had canoes with 

 which they navigated the neighboring streams, but they were 

 very rude, and dug out square at the extremes. 



During both these days most of the gentlemen of the party 



