SOUTHERN OREGON. 253 



Lieutenant Emmons, during the day, obtained both dip and in- 

 tensity observations. The thermometer, in the shade, rose to 100°. 

 At dawn the following morning, it was 32°. The hunters did not 

 succeed in procuring any game. 



On the 1st of October, they were enabled to take an early start. 

 The weather was, however, sultry, and the atmosphere again so 

 smoky as to shut out the Shaste Peak from view. In about two 

 hours they crossed the Klamet river, where it was about eighty yards 

 wide, with low banks, destitute of bushes. It was about four feet 

 deep, with a pebbly bottom. Both above and below the ford, there 

 were rapids ; the volume of water was about equal to that of the 

 Umpqua. From the appearance of its banks, it is subject to overflow. 

 The prairie, after crossing the river, became dry and barren, from 

 which a solitary bute, by which term these hills are known, occasion- 

 ally rose up, from one to five hundred feet high. These are peculiar 

 to this country. Heaps of volcanic rocks, consisting of large masses 

 of grayish or reddish porphyritic lava, in blocks of from one to ten 

 cubic feet in size, were lying on the surface in disorderly piles. 

 Beyond, to the eastward, the lava heaps became still more numerous. 



They encamped on the southern branch of the Klamet river, 

 which is a beautiful, clear, and rapid stream, where they met with a 

 small spot of grass, the only one they had seen during the day. Two 

 Indians were discovered on the look-out from one of the lava heaps. 

 Lieutenant Emmons, taking the guide with him, succeeded in pre- 

 venting their escape, and was enabled to approach them. They were 

 at first under great fear, but soon became reconciled, and sold two 

 salmon they had with them, which they had taken in the river with 

 their fish-spears. The salmon were of a whitish colour, and not at 

 all delicate to the taste ; their tails were worn off, and the fish other- 

 wise bruised and injured. Many salmon are caught in all these 

 rivers. The Indians were thought to be better-looking than those 

 before seen about the villages, and were quite naked, excepting the 

 maro. After having disposed of their fish, they were willing to sell 

 their bows and quiver with arrows, which they had hid in the grass. 

 These, which were all neatly made, were bought for a knife. They 

 then pointed out some more of their tribe, who were seated on the 

 side of a distant hill, and were very desirous that they might be 

 permitted to come into the camp ; but permission was refused them. 

 Here our gentlemen saw large bundles of rushes, made up in the 



vol. v. 64 



