NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY-FORT LANE—SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS. 
109 
November 3.—To-day we travelled about twenty-five miles to Fort Lane, crossing Rogue river 
at Evans’ ferry. His house, and others south of the river, were now protected hy a few soldiers. 
The disturbance had been confined to the northern side of the valley ; hut a few murders had 
been committed on the Siskiyou mountains, and the settlers were in great alarm. The road was 
gently undulating until we arrived at the ferry ; hut from that point it followed the level hank 
of the river nearly the whole distance to Fort Lane. The land appeared to be rich and valuable. 
The hills were thinly covered with oak, pine, and other kinds of trees. A short time before 
reaching the fort we passed a salt spring, at which the animals drank eagerly. 
November 4.—To-day we remained in camp to recruit the animals, which had suffered very 
much from fatigue and hunger during the last few days. We were treated with every possible 
kindness and attention by the officers stationed at the post. 
Fort Lane, at present a cavalry station, is pleasantly situated on the side of a low hill, near 
the junction of Stewart creek with Rogue river. The barracks and officers’ quarters are built of 
logs plastered with clay. Much of the surrounding country is fertile and settled, but destruc¬ 
tive Indian outbreaks are not unfrequent. On the opposite bank of Stewart creek there are some 
peculiar basaltic hills, with flat tops and precipitous sides, somewhat resembling those of the 
Des Chutes valley. The principal one, which is about five hundred feet high, is called Table 
Rock. Good observations were obtained at the fort, by which the altitude above the sea was 
found to be 1,202 feet, and the latitude 42° 25' 56". 
November 5.—This morning we continued our journey without an escort, as no Indian out¬ 
rages of importance had been recently perpetrated on the route. We found many houses 
deserted, however, and great alarm prevailing among the settlers. After travelling about 26 
miles up the valley of Stewart creek, we encamped at the house of Mr. Smith, near the foot of the 
Siskiyou mountains. The road was level, and the general appearance of the country was sim¬ 
ilar to that near the source of the Willamette river. The rolling hills that shut in the valley, 
were sometimes bare and sometimes thinly covered with trees. We passed, on the way, a hot 
spring, the temperature of which was about 100° Fahr. A continual escape of gas through the 
water gave it the appearance of boiling. 
November 6.—This morning we crossed the Siskiyou mountains. At first the ascent was 
gradual; but the road soon began to wind up a steep slope, portions of which were rendered 
very slippery by clay and rain, until, at length, the summit, elevated 2,385 feet above camp, 
was attained. Here the mountain was densely timbered, but near the base there were com¬ 
paratively few trees. The descent, for a short distance, was very abrupt; but it soon became 
gentle, and broken by a few hills. A pile of stones by the roadside marked the boundary 
between Oregon and California. When we passed this spot it was raining; but in the valley 
below, clouds of dust gave evidence of a long continued drought. The rainy season begins 
earlier in Oregon than in California; and it happened in several places that the first rain of 
the season occurred on the night of our arrival. Nature seems to have preceded legislation in 
making the Siskiyou mountains a boundary ; for, after passing them, the appearance of the 
country immediately undergoes a change. Rounded and nearly bare hills, not unlike those of 
the Sacramento valley, near Benicia, began to appear ; and a few scattered sage bushes reminded 
us of the plateau east of the Cascade Range. The general altitude above the sea, also, had 
increased between one and two thousand feet since leaving Rogue river. We crossed Klamath 
river at Dewitt’s ferry, and encamped on its southern bank, after a day’s march of about 
twenty-four miles. 
