234 
SOUTHERN OREGON. 
loss of all their horses and property. There are still human bones, 
and among them parts of skulls, that mark the spot where this deadly 
strife took place. 
Two Indians came into the camp, who were said to be friendly, 
having often visited the Company’s parties. One of them had a kind 
of coat of mail, to protect himself from arrows. It resembled a strait- 
jacket, and only covered the body, leaving the arms free. It was 
made of sticks as large as a man’s thumb, woven together so closely 
as to resist the force of arrow's. It consisted of two parts, fastened 
together with shoulder-straps at the top, and secured around the w 7 aist 
at the bottom. 
On the opposite bank of the Rogues’ river some Indians were 
seen at a fire; but on the discovery of our party, they removed 
farther from the river. Shortly afterwards, a small dog belonging 
to them came down to the river bank, when a man, by the name of 
Wood, took his rifle, and, contrary to the orders and rules of the 
camp, shot it. Lieutenant Emmons had discharged the man a few 
days before for some misbehaviour, and he w T ould have been turned 
out of camp, if there had been any place of safety for him. It was 
now r sufficiently evident why the Indians had removed immediately out 
of gunshot. During the night, the Indians collected within hearing of 
the camp, and had a war-dance. 
Most of the gentlemen of the party had suffered exceedingly from 
attacks of the ague; the chills were very violent while they lasted, 
and several were obliged to stop for an hour or two during their con¬ 
tinuance. This oecame a source of uneasiness to the whole party; 
for it was necessary to pass on rapidly, and not delay the main body 
more than was unavoidably necessary: the sudden and great atmo¬ 
spheric changes which constantly occurred, tended to aggravate, if 
they did not produce, these attacks: the thermometer during the day 
frequently standing above 80°, and at night nearly as low as the 
freezing point. 
On the 27th, they proceeded along the bank of the river. The 
Indians were observed to be gathering, and were heard to utter yells, 
on the opposite bank. After a while, a large band of them were 
seen near a rocky point which encroaches upon the river, and where 
the path came within the reach of their arrows. The party now had 
strong reason for apprehending an attack; Lieutenant Emmons, there¬ 
fore, took such precautions as w r ere necessary to clear the path from 
any dangers, by throwing a detachment on foot in advance of the 
main party. Here the high perpendicular bank confined the path to 
very narrow limits, rendering a passing party liable to be seriously 
