356 WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 



of the river, which consists of a shingle beach some two hundred feet 

 wide, are to be found cornelians, agates, and chalcedony, among the 

 loose pieces of basalt of which it is composed. The current was found 

 to run at the rate of three miles an hour, although the water was said 

 to be low. An old canoe was procured, in which we passed over, 

 while one of the horses was led, and swam by its side: the rest were 

 driven into the water, and followed to the opposite side. Here we met 

 George Gay, who was travelling with his Indian wife : he told us that 

 he would join us on our trip to the Yam Hills, which we proposed to 

 make the next. day. 



We found our camp established by Plumondon, near the residence 

 of Mr. O'Neill, formerly the property of the Rev. Mr. Leslie : it lies 

 about a mile from the river, in a pretty, oval prairie, containing about 

 three or four hundred acres, with a fine wood encircling it. Sixty of 

 these are under cultivation ; about forty in wheat, that was growing 

 luxuriantly. 



Three years since, O'Neill came to the valley with only a shirt to his 

 back, as he expressed it: he began by working part of this farm, and 

 obtained the loan of cattle and other articles from Dr. M'Laughlin, all 

 of which he has, from the natural increase of his stock and out of his 

 crops, since repaid. He has bought the farm, has two hundred head of 

 stock, horses to ride on, and a good suit of clothes, all earned by his 

 own industry ; and he says it is only necessary for him to work one 

 month in the year to make a living: the rest of the time he may amuse 

 himself. He spoke in the highest terms of Dr. M'Laughlin, and the 

 generous aid he had afforded him in the beginning. This farm is the 

 best we have seen, in every respect ; and it is not only well arranged, 

 but has many advantages from its location. The success of O'Neill 

 is a proof of what good education and industrious habits will do, and it 

 is pleasing to see the happiness and consideration they produce. Mr. 

 O'Neill is also a mechanic, and has gained much of his wealth in that 

 way : he ploughs and reaps himself, and is assisted by a few Indians, 

 whom he has the tact to manage. He has a neat kitchen-garden, and 

 every thing that a person in his situation can desire. 



The Rev. Mr. Leslie, who lives with O'Neill, invited us to the hospi- 

 tality of his roof, but we preferred our camp to putting him to any 

 inconvenience. 



The next day (9th of June) we started for the Yam Hills, which 

 divide the valleys of the Willamette and Faulitz. They are of but 

 moderate elevation: the tops are easily reached on horseback, and 

 every part of them which I saw was deemed susceptible of cultivation. 

 The soil is a reddish clay, and bears few marks of any wash from the 



