NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY-CASCADE MOUNTAINS. 
97 
I had acquired some knowledge of the Chinook language, and we were able to converse with 
considerable ease. After reaching camp, which we found undisturbed, we made every prepara- 
tion to start to-morrow for the Willamette valley. 
October 5.—This morning we followed a westerly course, near the southern slope of the 
Mutton mountains, through a slightly undulating region, covered with hunch grass and 
destitute of trees. After crossing a large trail leading from Tyscli creek to Warn Chuck 
river, we passed over a slight spur from the Mutton mountains, and winding round the 
northern base of a prominent hill called Wali'-nit-ched, came upon a fine open prairie. Before 
long the trail suddenly turned towards the north round a steep hill, and we entered the forest, 
which extended almost without interruption to the Willamette valley. To-day it was open, 
without any fallen timber or hushes, and it consisted mostly of pine and larch. After 
travelling about twelve miles from camp, we reached, in the midst of the forest and at a short 
distance from the trail, a small spring called Wil-la-wit. There was good hunch grass near 
it among the trees. The guide said that we could not reach the next stopping place before 
dark, and, rather unwillingly, I concluded to encamp, taking every possible precaution against 
a surprise. We had found much silica on the road during the day, and here we obtained fine 
specimens of several varieties. 
October G.—There were indications of Indians around camp last night, and this morning, as 
we were about starting, one of them came to us and used insolent and threatening language. 
No attack or attempt to stampede our animals was made, however. Our course lay through a 
nearly level country, covered by an open pine forest offering no obstacles to travel. In about 
six miles we came to a little tributary of Warn Chuck river, called Wan-nas-see. It flowed in 
a small ravine, which the trail followed without obstruction for about a mile, to where a trail 
from Tyscli creek entered it by a lateral canon. At this spot the ravine became narrower, and 
fallen timber began to retard our progress. It grew worse as we advanced, until it was almost 
impossible to get the “little cart” over the huge logs. We toiled on, with much labor and 
difficulty, for about four miles further to a little open meadow, about a mile long and a 
quarter of a mile wide. It was called Yaugh-pas-ses, the Indian name for cranberries, which 
were plentiful in the vicinity. The Indians, when travelling from Tyscli creek to their whortle¬ 
berry patches near Mount Hood, choose this spot for the first camping place. They come, of 
course, by the trail which enters ours on Wan-nas-see creek, and which the guide said was a good 
one. I was very desirous to go further to-day, hut Sam said that the fallen timber was very bad 
ahead, and the camping place a long distance off. We might possibly reach it about sundown, 
hut I must certainly, as he expressed it in Chinook, U maml-uk mam!-a-loos ten'-as chik'-chik ”— 
that is, “kill the little cart.” As most of the train was still struggling among the fallen 
timber in the rear, I concluded to encamp, and to adopt on the morrow a new order of march, 
better adapted to a country blocked up with logs and underbrush. I also decided, much 
against my will, to “ kill the little cart.” The men took the spokes for picket pins, and in 
this form, our old friend continued to accompany us to the end of the survey. We found many 
common varieties of silex on the route from Nee-nee to this point, hut none afterwards. The 
grass of the meadow was coarse and not very nutritious, and water lay on the surface in many 
places. We encamped in the driest place we could find, and took all possible precautions 
against a night attack. 
October 7.—To-day we had to struggle through a tangled forest of spruce, yew, fir, and pine, 
with many fallen logs crossing, and sometimes even piled up on the trail. On both sides of it, 
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