378 WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 



high and low. The soil on the higher is of a gravelly or light 

 nature, while on the lower it is a dark loam, intermixed with a bluish 

 clay. The prairies are at least one-third greater in extent than the 

 forest : they were again seen carpeted with the most luxuriant growth 

 of flowers, of the richest tints of red, yellow, and blue, extending in 

 places a distance of fifteen to twenty miles. 



The timber we saw consisted of the live and white oak, cedar, 

 pine, and fir. 



We reached " the Mill" by noon, which consists of a small grist and 

 saw mill on the borders of an extensive prairie. They are both under 

 the same roof, and are worked by a horizontal wheel. The grist-mill 

 will not grind more than ten bushels a day ; and during the whole 

 summer both mills are idle, for want of water, the stream on which 

 they are situated being a very small one, emptying into the Wil- 

 lamette. We found here two good log houses, and about twenty 

 lay members, mechanics, of the mission under Mr. Raymond, who 

 is the principal at the mills. There are, besides, about twenty-five 

 Indian boys, who, I was told, were not in a condition to be visited 

 or inspected. Those whom I saw were nearly grown up, ragged 

 and half-clothed, lounging about under the trees. Their appearance 

 was any thing but pleasing and satisfactory ; and I must own I was 

 greatly disappointed, for I had been led to expect that order and 

 neatness at least would have been found among them, considering 

 the strong force of missionaries enffaged here. 



From the number of persons abovit the premises, this little spot had 

 the air and stir of a new secular settlement; and I understood that 

 it is intended to be the permanent location of the mission, being 

 considered more healthy than the bank of the Willamette. The 

 missionaries, as they told me, have made individual selections of 

 lands to the amount of one thousand acres each, in prospect of the 

 whole country falling under our laws. 



We received an invitation from Mr. Raymond to take dinner, 

 which we accepted ; previous to which, I rode about two miles, to 

 the situation selected by the Rev. Mr. Hines, in company with that 

 gentleman. On our way, he pointed out to me the site selected for 

 the seminary, &c. We found Mr. Hines's family encamped under 

 some oak trees, in a beautiful prairie, to which place he had but just 

 removed : he intended putting up his house at once, and they had 

 the ordinary comforts about them. We returned, and found the table 

 well spread with good things, consisting of salmon, pork, potted 



