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 arrows. It consisted of two parts, fastened 

 together with shoulder-straps at the top, and secured around the waist 

 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 would have been turned 

 out of camp, if there had been any place of safety for him. It was 

 now 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 became 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 were 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 



