by Win Blevins
4 Had a Quiet nights rest and a Beautifull clear morning Left our camp on the great river & proceed down the River passed several Indian villages all on the oposite side nothing seen but rocks sand & a shrubby stinted groth of vegetation with here & there [a] Bunch of short grass the north side of the River appears to be closely Bound by a ridge of Black frowning rocks current of the river rapid
The ridge of rocks mentioned in the fore noon closed up on the sauth side in afternoon and gave us an uncommon bad road even in this steril region and we had to travil over sharp rocks or deep sands & sometimes both the rocks being covered deep in sand so that our horses sunk half leg deep in sand & then stepd on unknown sharp rocks at the bottom makeing the way extremely tiresome & bad
Made 26 miles & encamped on the (on the) River again before we had packed up three men with thier guide & enterperter came up from willamette on their way to meet the emegrants one of them general [M. M.] McCarver was expecting to see his family on the road but we could not give him any information concerning them we soon parted they proceeding up & we down the river
The general seemed to speak in raptures of the Oregon Country and even went on to say that on the top of the cliff of Black rocks under which we ware encamped was a fine grazeing country this may be admitted but certainly their was not the amount of one cord of wood in the circuit of 25 miles & perhaps not a drop of water in the same distance except what flowed in the Columbia & many other extravigancies
5 Left our camp once more after haveing 28 miles of the most tiresome Travel we had yet found on account of the Quantity of sharp fallen rocke which filled the path over which we had to travel the [path] leading near the water in under a cliff of dark perpendicular rocks the fragments of which had fallin down & choked up all the narrow wally far in to the water some times disending to a considerable hight immediately under the cliff & then acsending back to the water edge along a narrow path which one animal could scarcely travel in over sharp rocks made the road tiresome in the extreme & we traveled steadly all day without stopping the afternoon being windy & Bo[is]torows the dust & sand nearly choked us when about sundown we came to a small open vally & encamped for the night tired and glad to find a resting place larg enough to ley down on these rocks remind one of emmense walled cities castled forts & ruins of tremendious magnitude but this is the last place in the world to enjoy any such scenery whare nothing is to be seen but rocks Sand & Savages
“Crossed Johndays River early”
Sunday
6 Crossed Johndays River early which like all the country in this region comes in through steep rocks & is difficult to cross on account of the rocks being very steep passed severall steep cliffs all of which may [be] said to be dangerous on account of the loose rocks of which they are composed & the high perpendicular cliffs below jetting over the river Late in the afternoon passed the river De Shutes made 44 miles in the 2 days
7 yestarday evening after passing the River De Chuttes took a guide who conducted us a short rout over the hills to a small rich vally with handsome little Brook running through it whare we encamped for the night this vally would bear cutivation but has no timber in sight saw mount hood nearly west covered in snow nearly halfway dow[n] its sides this weather continues thick & smoky
yanky story
Every device and artifice is used by the natives of this river to obtain ammunition & other manufactoried articles of the whites & the following was used by some natives to day 5 or 6 natives came leaping & yelling gaily from behind the sand hills one [had] a small piece of dried salmon an other a few handfulls of corn a 3d some dried roots each bringing something & insisted that we should eat we continued moveing on & they running along side offering ther subsistance without price untill reaching a bend in the River we stoped to let our horses drink when one of them spreading his blanket on the sand they spread out the repast for us, & obliged us to taste the provision which gave them a fair right to beg and importune us for tobacca Lead powder and in short every small article they could think of after giving a part of what they wanted we rode on they seeming well pleased
Reached Mr [H. K. W.] Perkins missionary station in the fore noon now occupid by Mr [Alvan F.] Waller delivered to him a letter taken from the office at west port Mr Waller apears to be a gentleman but I do not recolect that he thanked me for the care & trouble of bringing the letter but the reverend gentleman must be excused for my appearance certanly did not shew that I could appreceate any civilities not haveing shaved for about 15 days or changed clothes for more than 30 and the Reverend gentleman pricking himself verry much on outward appearances as I have since understood
8 started up the steep ridge west of the creek & in ½ an hour reached the top our selve & horses in a foam of sweat on account of the steepness of the path but the cool mountain Breeze soon relieved our lungs this like all the ridges of this mountain was soon crossed & we had a longer & steeper decent than any previouly crossed but after a pack horse or two pitching thire loads over their heads we at length reached not the bottom but smoothe going which fell into deep ravines to the right passed over an uneven plain covered with the pines & largest kind of Fir & pine timber interspersed with stented oaks this continued for some 9 [?] miles with several small Brook passing through made 18 miles & encamped near the bank of rapid tumbling mountain torrent immediately below the forks the eastern branch from its colour & appearanc being a part of the weepings from the white summit of Mount Hood which is covered in snow more than half way down its sides
The ridges over which we passed are verry steep and high being about 2 miles & about the same distance down the opposite side
From the missionary establishment passed yestarday there is a grand view of the Columbia pushing its course through the black Frowning rocks which stand in thick profusion in over & about the stream with the wildest mountain scenery in all directions & of all kinds surmounted in the north west by a conicle summit of a mountain caped in Eternal snow
9 Proceede early up the East side of the stream we had encamped on & soon crossed the Eastern branch the water being very rapid tumbling & roling down amidst the rocks which lay so thick that it was difficult for our horses to keep their feet pased up the stream some miles through allmost impervious thickits of veer[y] green shrubery of to me new & unknown kinds crossed over to the W Branch through the same kind of Shrubery & passed up the East side of the W Branch through immence groves of Fir timber the tallest & straites I ever beheld some supposed to be nearly or Quite 100 feet high & not more than 18 inches through at the ground immence mountains covered and crouded thickly with timber apearing in all directions in the afternoon we assended an open ridge the large timber having (havein) been killed off by fire & from this ridge we had a splendid view of mount Hood & various other ridges & pinicles some thickly timbered to their summits others nearly bar or covered with under brush shewing at this season a greate veriaty of [colors] some covered with a species of dwarf maple wore a deep red appearance others yallow & Brown contrasted with the deep green Firr of othe[r] points & the white snowy summit of Mount Hood gave us all the veriety of shades allmost between green white & red But soon we took down the steep sides again & all views ware lost except now & then a perpendicular peep up an immence Firr tree which seemed to have no reasonable stopping but went on to a dizzy hight
Made about 25 miles & encamped after sun down tied up our horses not having seen a hanfull of grass during the day
“some tremendious avalanch”
10 Saddled our Starved animals and proceed up the couse of one of branches of the same creek we followed all day yesterday the same immence Quantity of timber continueing & not in the [least] diminished in Size & hight in about 4 hours winding around & jumping over logs we (we) assended the highest ridge of the cascade mountains over which the trail passes but the timber prevented us forom having any view in any direction turning short to the west we began our desent down the western declivity & following the course of a ravine through which ran a clear Bro
ok of cool water we desended rapidly and found going down hill more pleasant than going up especially when one goes on foot as we all did our horses not being able to carry us in about 3 hours we came to an open sandy vally through which ran a rapid Brook called Sandy the vally being more than a mile wide & covered with sand & Loose rock
This vally appeared to have been a deep mountain ravine at no distant period from the greate Quantities of dry Firr that [were] standing on each side and lay strewn over and intermingled with the rocks and sand and as the Stream takes its rise from the summer weepings of Ice & snow on the western declivity of Mount Hood I conclud that some tremendious avalanch must have decended into the vally carrying every thing before it rock sand gravel timber & all in one confused mass the whole being carried down filled up the narrow ravine & forming the present vally now Just begining to shew a stented groth of young Firrs or that some internal heat must have melted off the ice & the immence flood of water broke over all its original bounds tore away from the lower part of the mountain [the] mixed mass that now fills & forms the vally
11 Left our camp on sandy & proceded along the blind trail down the stream at a slow gate untill nearly noon the brawling mountain torrent haveing assumed Quite the appearanc of a river we left the stream & turned short to the right & soon came to a kind of Brushy opening of rich soil & some grass whare we stoped to graze an hour saw some male Fern growing here nine or 10 feet in hight moved on the trail along a narrow ridge amongst the tall Firr and the emmence large Hemlock timber grate Quantities lying down & more standing Several small Brooks crossing our path untill near sundown we came to an opening or Small Prairie whare we encamped for the night going nearly ½ amile down a steep declivity for water to cook our Suppers during the whole of today the country had been burned some still on fire & some had been burned last year the under Brush being killed & the larger [timber] haveing fallen in all directions made the travelling verry bad & tiresome as our horses had to leap over all the logs filled with sharp snags & limbs to the greate danger of letting out their entrails
Made about 18 miles & we ware glad to find a spot of green grass for our animals to feed on during the night these mountains do not appear to have much game on them as we saw nothing but a few small Squirrels & some Pheasants the latter plenty in (in) some places & several ware killed to day which proved to make a fine Treat and ate well being fat and finely flavorured passed several small spots of land that appeared to have a deep rich soil of pale redish coloured clay mingled with decomposed rock and gravel and generally covered with an emmence thick and large groth of firr timber
12 Again under way before Sunrise a stiff white frost covered the grass & weeds in an hours travel we came down a Steep hill into a low ground completely strewn over with logs & brush a late fire having passed over in many [plaes] the smoldring logs ware (ware) yet smoking after leaping logs & Braking Brush we succeeded in gaining the Banks of sandy the stream we left to the south of us yestardy & crossed to South side whare for a mile or more we encountred the same difficulties as on the North side after greate exertion to our Jaded animals we at length gained the top of the Bluffs whare the pathe became more opin and traveling more pleasant crossing two or three handsome Brooks & passing as many thickets we at length gained an open highland of fine Soil covered thickly with fern & dug thickly with holes by some Burrowing animal what kind I did not asertain
Made about 15 miles and encamped at a small Spring whare we found fair grazing for our animals and we made preperations for Shaveing & prepareing ourselves to see our countrymen tomorrow allmost wearied out with the continual watching it requires to tarvel through an unsettled country such as we had now passed our little party felt lively and happy and [it] Bcame a pleasant task to once more wash shave and bathe ourselves in the cold clear running little brook that passed our present encampment and we spent a Jovial evening around our camp fire in the anticipation that for a while at least our constant toils ware about to ceas as we knew the setlements ware not far distant about dark two Indians of the Walla walla tribe came up & campd near having been to willhamett trading they remained with us & in the morning we parted each [going his own] road
Sunday
13 Early we ware again on our saddles and Kept down the valy of (of) some creek or river [of] which we heard the water rippeling but did not come in sight of the stream, the trail leading along through a kind of firr opening whare the grass in places looked green as summer in spots but we soon passed over all the fine places going up (and) steep banks through brush & logs allmost impassable the woods haveing been rcently burned & many old logs yet smoking and again crossed sandy haveing increased to a small river still running rapid over a rocky bed the low grounds being litterly covered with logs and brush after tearing through brush and leaping logs about an hour we at length assended the bluffs & found an open trail comparatively crossed Several fine running brooks of clear water steep guters &c &c About 2 oclock P.M. came on the top of ridge & saw some cattle feeding on the vally of the clackimus River & soon came in sight of a cabbin the first of the settlement of Willhamett and on enquiry found we ware within 4 miles of the Falls of Willhamett the Seat of government & the main commercial place for all the settlments of the Teritory of Oregon crossed a rough rocky Ridge & came to a small farm or two on the bottom land of the Clackimus crossed the river at an old Chinook village and in ½ an hour we ware on the banks of the Willhamett River and at (on) the lower part of the town or city platt
as soon as I entered the village I shook hands with a Mr Ware [J. W. Wair] a young man of my acquaintance from Indiana who came out with the last years emigration 20 miles
Along the Willamette in 1844 and 1845
It Commenced Raining on [Oct.] the 21 which is Earlier than usual From the 13th to the 22nd remained at the falls of Wilhamett or in the near vicinity when Three of us precured a skiff and made an excursion down to Fort Vancouver
This great depository of goods and peltries for all the Indian trade west of the main range of the Rocky mountains stands on a gravely plain on the north side of the Columbia River and about five miles above the upper mouth of the Wilhamet and is situated bearly above extreme high water mark
The Fort itself is a wooden stockade and contains in its inside the companies store all the officies of the company and a complete Quadangular row of Buildings for servants &c which like the outer works can be closed by port doors at pleasure all in a good State of repair & kept clean and neat
The present incumbent Doct. [John] McLaughlin received us verry hospitably and intertained us in the most kind genteel and agreeable manner during our stay at the Fort giving all the information desired on all subjects connected with the country but seemed anxious that greate Brittain might retain the north of the Columbia river saying that it was poor and of little use except the Fur and peltries that it yealded this may or may not be the fact
25th On our return from Vancouver the morning being pleasant I took my gun and left the skiff to the management of my comrades and landed on the western shore of the Willhamet I soon found a stripe of open Prarie land overflown in high water but now dry and pleasant walking with here and there a pool of mud and water which has stood the drough of summer These pools or ponds are now overgrown with several kind of vegitation and (and) litterly and completely covered over with water fowl of various kinds from the nobl and majestick swan down to the Teal & plover For miles the air seemed to be darkened with the emmenc flights that arose as I proceeded up the vally the morning being still thier nois was tumultuous and grand the hoarse shrieks of the Heron intermingled with the Symphonic Swan the fine treble of the Brant answered by the strong Bass of the goose with ennumerable shreeking and Quacking of the large and Smaller duck tribe filled every evenue of Surrounding space with nois and reminded one of Some aerial battle as discribed by Milton and all though I had been on the grand pass of waterfowl on the Illinois River it will not begin to bear a comparison with this thier being probably Half a Million in sight at one
time and all appearantly Screaming & Screeching at once
26 Arived at the Falls again the las week being showery.
27 Sunday Fair and warm wrote to H J Ross
Clyman’s letter to Ross
COL. CLYMAN.—Most of our readers in this vicinity, and particularly those who are old settlers, remember Col. James Clyman, one of the earliest settlers of Wisconsin, and they know also that a year ago last spring the Col. started with an emigrating party to Oregon. A few days since Mr. Hiram Ross received a letter from the Col. which we subjoin. We are confident that we could not give place in our columns to any thing that would be more acceptable.
Willamet Falls, Oregon,
October 27, 1844.
I arrived here on the 13th day of the present month, having been on the way 151 days from Independence, Missouri, which was at least one month longer than were the last year’s company of emigrants. This was owing to the unusual rains that fell during the first two months after our departure from Missouri.
My health is good and has been during the whole route. The health of the small party that accompanied me is also good. The last thousand miles no interruption from the Indians took place, nor did even a shower of rain fall to lay the dust.
None of the families have yet arrived. The foremost are expected to reach this neighborhood in about a week. The last range of mountains, called the Cascades, have never been passed with waggons. We were five days passing over this range of mountains, and found it by far the most difficult and fatiguing part of the journey, both for ourselves and our horses. The mountains extend to within a few miles of this place. The range runs nearly north and south. The Willamet is on the west side of the mountains. The Columbia breaks through from east to west; it has a number of dangerous passes, and two falls that cannot be passed by the lightest canoe. Our families, waggons and baggage were carried around the falls; the portages however are not lengthy.