148 COLUMBIA RIVER. 



an indraught from the west. This current is found to increase in 

 violence as the rarefied region is approached ; and so constant is 

 this draught, that we experienced only three days of easterly winds 

 during our stay, and these were very moderate in force. Imme- 

 diately on the coast, the winds are from the west-southwest, to west- 

 northwest : these maintain their direction until they reach the interior, 

 and blow with great violence. 



The winters are invariably what would be termed open ones with 

 us. Snow seldom falls, and, when it does, it rarely lasts more than 

 two or three days. The rains during this season are frequent, though 

 not violent. The climate in the western section, from all accounts, is 

 not unlike that of England, and would be termed a wet one. The 

 winter of 1840 was the severest they had yet experienced. 



The middle section is, on the contrary, exceedingly dry, and the 

 temperature more changeable, the variations being great and sudden. 

 The mercury has been known to fall as low as — 18° in the winter, 

 and to rise as high as 108° in the shade, in summer. In Appendix 

 XIII., Vol. IV., will be found a register of the temperature, kept 

 at one of the missionary stations, Lapwai, on the Kooskooskee. It 

 may be said to be on the eastern border of the middle section. 



The eastern section has an exceedingly variable climate : it fluc- 

 tuates from cold to hot in a few hours, ranging through fifty or sixty 

 degrees of temperature; yet, from the accounts I have, from very 

 respectable authority, the cold is by no means severe for any length 

 of time. The Rev. Mr. Smith, who was two years there, assured 

 me that the cattle and horses required no other food than what they 

 could pick up, the natural hay before spoken of being sufficient for 

 their support. 



The climate throughout Oregon is thought to be salubrious for 

 the white race ; and was considered so by the Indians, prior to the 

 year 1830, when the ague and fever, or any disease resembling it, 

 was not known to exist. The Indians fully believe, to this day, that 

 Captain Domini s introduced the disease in 1830. Since that time, it 

 has committed frightful ravages among them ; not so much, perhaps, 

 from the violence of the disease itself, as the manner in which they 

 treat it. It was not until quite lately that they were willing to be 

 treated after our mode, and they still in many cases prefer the incan- 

 tations and practices of the medicine-man. 



I satisfied myself that the accounts given of the depopulation of 

 this country are not exaggerated ; for places were pointed out to me 



