THE COLUMBIA BLACK-TAILED DEEE. 129 



picked strawberries with one hand while the other rested 

 on a snow-bank. 



Interspersed throughout this region are many small 

 lakes. Some of them are not more than twenty-five or 

 thirty acres in extent; but they are all alive with mountain 

 trout. The larger streams also contain these fish in great 

 abundance. As I have previously mentioned, the Black- 

 tailed Deer is here found in great abundance. There are 

 also many Elk, Black, Brown, and Cinnamon Bears, Pan- 

 thers, Wildcats, etc. In fact, this is an ideal hunting and 

 fishing country. 



Once in awhile a few of the Klamath or Warm Spring 

 Indians visit this region for a hunt; but they are peaceable, 

 and the hunter has nothing to fear from them. No matter 

 how rough a piece of country may be, no matter what 

 hardships one has to undergo to reach it, you may rest 

 assured that the obstacles are not insurmountable to the 

 hardy prospector, and that if he has not already been there, 

 the near future will witness his advent. So it is with this 

 region; for many years ago these enterprising mountain 

 men washed the gravel of the creek-beds and chipped the 

 rocks of the ledges with their prospecting hammers. The 

 diggings proved to be of but little value, but some pretty 

 good ledges were discovered. In fact, it was business of 

 this nature that gave me my introduction to this country. 



A party of men, including myself, were sent into this 

 region to put up some mining machinery. The machinery 

 was not heavy, and we experienced no trouble until we 

 arrived at Cottage Grove. One bright morning we pulled 

 out of that village, our party forming quite a procession, as 

 it was composed of some thirty men and almost as many 

 horses. Most of the men walked, the animals being used 

 to haul the machinery, provisions, etc. For the first ten 

 miles we got along very well, but the rest of the forty-mile 

 journey was over a trail, than which a rougher would be 

 hard to find. 



On the third day we reached our destination, and in the 

 course of time all the machinery was setup. My part of the 



9 



