NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY-NEAR HEAD OF DES CHUTES VALLEY. 
73 
traversed yesterday, except that it became slightly undulating. The dense clouds of dust raised 
by our animals from the ashy soil were suffocating. After riding about 18.7 miles from camp, 
we suddenly emerged from the dense forest, and found ourselves in the beautiful grassy bottom 
of the Des Chutes river. It was here a fine stream about thirty feet in width, and fordable 
although the current was rapid and the bed stony. We immediately encamped. At the water 
hole, this morning, two trails diverged. We followed the more easterly one ; but two of the 
party by mistake took the other, which was equally large. It conducted them to a point 
further up stream, and was doubtless a trail leading to the wagon road across the Cascade 
Range, which Lieut. Williamson subsequently examined. The supply of grass to-night was 
abundant, and of fine quality ; the water was cold, and the position in every respect excellent 
for a camp. Large numbers of delicious trout, marked with red longitudinal stripes, were 
caught with great ease in the river. 
August 26.—This morning we left the bank of the stream, and followed the trail for about 
seven miles through a pine forest. It passed over several low hills, upon which the soil was 
light and ashy. As it wound considerably towards the east, Lieut. Williamson was afraid that 
it might leave the river entirely, and lead to the Wallah-Wallah country. He therefore 
abandoned it, and turned again towards the stream, which was reached in about 1.5 miles. 
We crossed it at a good ford, and, to our great surprise, came upon an old nearly effaced 
wagon trail. This we followed with difficulty for a short distance, when it seemed to disappear 
in a thick growth of young trees and underbrush. After struggling forward for a short dis¬ 
tance, we recrossed the river and again struck the wagon trail, which must have crossed to 
the eastern hank, near where we entered the hushes. We followed it down the river. The 
soil during the whole day’s march was light and ashy. The country had been recently burned 
over by the Indians ; and we were beginning to despair of obtaining forage for our animals, 
when a sudden bend revealed a portion of the river bottom thickly carpeted with luxuriant 
grass. Here we encamped under a few small trees. The river, which was about forty feet in 
width, flowed through a grassy bottom bordered by low bluffs, distant about 200 yards from 
the stream. The current was rapid, and the water clear and cold. Trout were abundant and 
easily caught. 
August 27.—To-day we remained in camp, and Lieutenant Williamson made preparations 
to start to-morrow with Lieutenant Sheridan and the dragoon detachment, to begin the exam¬ 
ination for a pass through the Cascade Range to the Willamette valley. The soil was so light 
that I found it impossible to take astronomical observations near camp. The ordinary move¬ 
ments of the men and animals caused a continual shaking of the ground, which disturbed the 
mercury of the artificial horizon, although surrounded by a trench nearly two feet in depth. 
It was consequently necessary, for every observation at this camp, to carry the instruments about 
an eighth of a mile to the bluffs above the river bottom. In the night, Lieutenant Williamson 
and others of our mess were taken violently sick. It was supposed by some that we had been 
poisoned by eating trout caught in the river ; hut I think that the sickness was probably occa¬ 
sioned by some carelessness of the cook. 
August 28.—Although Lieutenant Williamson was quite unwell this morning, he started 
with Lieutenant Sheridan and the dragoons for the mountains. An itinerary of his trip will 
he found in Chapter IV. The main party remained under my charge in camp, where the cus¬ 
tomary observations were taken. Many crawfish, which when cooked were scarcely inferior to 
lobsters, were caught in the river. 
10 X 
