98 
NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY-CASCADE MOUNTAINS. 
they would have rendered an advance, without cutting a way with fixes, impracticable. Driving 
about sixty loose animals through this forest was no easy task, as when the leaders were delayed 
by the logs, those behind would leave the trail on both sides, and crowd into places where it 
was impossible to advance and nearly so to retreat. Our usual order of march had been for the 
gentlemen of the party, with a man riding the hell horse, to form an advanced guard; while the 
packers, in charge of Mr. Coleman, brought up the rear of the train. The fallen timoer now 
compelled me to separate the men among the animals, giving a certain number in charge to 
each man. This scattered our little party over a space of more than half a mile, and rendered 
a successful defence against a sudden attack almost hopeless. 
Yaugh-pas-ses meadow is drained by a small brook that discharges itself into a branch of 
Tysch creek, which we crossed a little more than a mile from camp. It was a clear rapid stream, 
about fifteen feet wide, flowing in a small ravine near the northern base of two prominent peaks, 
called Nu-ah-hum by the Indians. We followed along the side of this narrow valley about 
seven miles, to the source of the stream. It was a mountain lake called Wat-tum-pa, which 
was more than a mile long, bordered by a little meadow grass and surrounded with thick 
forests. Its banks were so miry that our animals could with difficulty drink. Here we were 
compelled to encamp ; our mules had spent the day in jumping over or creeping under logs, 
and the men in strugging after them and repairing broken packs. We were all fully convinced 
that wandering amid “ forests primeval” in poetry, and among the Cascade mountains, are 
two essentially different things. 
We began to find among the trees a few mountain whortleberries, called Oo-lal-le by the 
Indians, who gather them in large quantities and dry them for winter food. There were two 
varieties, one large and black, growing on hushes about six feet high, and the other much 
smaller, of a blue color, and found on bushes of about half that height. Both were delicious 
when fresh. We also noticed that we had passed beyond the region of hunch grass, and that 
its place among the trees was supplied by a very coarse, deep green species, which none of the 
animals would taste. — 
October 8.—Last night a few of our animals strayed off into the forest, and we were delayed 
some hours in searching for them ; by the great exertions of Mr. Coleman they were at length 
all found, and we started. The trail lay on a ridge, having a ravine parallel to it on each side. 
The fallen timber was not so troublesome as yesterday, hut the forest, which was composed of 
huge trees of yew, fir and spruce, and some pine, was very dense. In about a mile we crossed a 
small stream with no grass near it. A mile further on we reached an open prairie, about one 
mile long and half a mile wide, covered with a coarse kind of grass ; it was called by the Indians 
Lu-alf-hum-lu-ali'-hum, and appeared to be sometimes occupied by the savages as a camping 
place. Doubtless there must he water near it, hut we found none. There were several large 
trails here, hut our guide, after hesitating a few moments, took a very small one leading west, 
through a thick forest of young trees and hushes. In about two miles we came to a beautiful 
mountain lake, called Ty-ty-pa. It had a narrow border of rich grass, separating it from the 
dense forest around ; hut the whole open space was only about half a mile long. This is the 
second camping place of the Indians when travelling from Tysch creek to the AYillamette by 
this trail. It is also a favorite resort for gathering whortleberries, which we found growing 
in very great abundance. The ground had been dug over by bears in many places, and 
large numbers of ducks and a few wild geese were swimming in the lake. The forest concealed 
the surrounding country, but the Indian said that it was level for a long distance, both north 
and south, and filled with deer. He also said that the next water was very far off, and the 
