by Win Blevins
22 Thick and Foggy and the afternoon rainy
23 some light showers of rain fell during the night morning dark and cloudy Evening rainy
24 It rained nearly all night at early light we saw all the higher hills covered in snow but none in the vallies the most of the snow melted off during the day which was fair but not cleare
25 A Blustering windy rainy night succeded our Christmas and the morning was of the same meterial rain hail and snow with the usual accompaniment a strong South west wind the hills whitened again with snow Continued showers of rain and hail and snow throughout the day which melted and disappeared as fast as it fell
26 A strong south wind all night all the new fallen sno has again disappearered
27 Considerable rain fell last night this morning however the clouds arose and gave us a view of mountains again which shew some of the recently fallen snow
Cloudy wind South and Quite warm both day and night
28 Night Rainy and warm Bats seen flitting about the house seeking their food continued to rain in rapid showers most of the day
29 Remains Cloudy with rapid showers wind south with an occasional shift to s. W.
30 No alteration but still continues to rain rapidly in showers wind South
31 Continued the same
“helped to raise a cabbin”
1845 January the 1st
At Early day light it was Raining but slaked up at noon the wind veering to the west the afternoon was pleasant
2 no rain fell during the night the morning overcast but pleasant the day passed off withou Either wind or rain and the Lowing of cattle and the song of several birds sounded not unlike spring
3 A Fair morning and Quite warm and pleasant if it was not for the water that almost covers the Low grounds wind southe I noticed my fine american mare this morning which was bearly able to walk on my arival here in October and is now in good work order without a particle of grain the evening colsed without rain
4 Cloudy wind South afternoon rainy
5 Sunday a rainy night and the morning ditto the rain slacked up in the afternoon
6 Morning fair which proved fair throughout the day and pleasant for Oregon in January
7 Overcast and cloudy
8 Morning Clear with a stiff white frost remained clear through out the day
9 Foggy without rain helped to raise a cabbin in the neighbourhood the sun shone in the evening the melting off of the mountains occasioning a freshet in the river the old settlers say that this is the wettest winter they have yet seen some haveing been in country for 8 and 10 years
10 Fogy without rain the Earth becomming more firm as the water leaves it the day closed without rain
11 verry much the same as yestarday wind South
12 Clear and Beautifull
“I now witnessed the catching and branding of a lot of wild cattle”
13 [Jan. 1845] Slightly cloudy with light showers of rain or mist passing
14 It rained som last night But cleared off in the morning with a cool wind from the norgth
15 Clear and beautifull with a stiff white frost and some ice on Shallow water
I now witnessed the catching and branding of a lot of wild cattle bout 500 ware drove in to a strong pound and 4 or 5 men well mounted rode in to the pound the animal to be taken being pointed out some one went full speed amongst the herd and threw a rope with a almost dead certainty a round the horns or neck of the animal the cord being made fast to his saddle Bow he stoped his horse and checked the speed of the animal and if his horse was not sufficiently strong 3, 4 or 5 other men threw their cords on the animal then putting spurs to their horses they draged him out of the pound by main force and hampering his legs with cords they threw him then Butchered or branded him as the case might be
From information I found that in this settlement caled yam Hill their was owned and runing in the hills about Two thousand head of wild cattle and about as many called tame which tameness consists in thir being able to ride amongst them and drive them conveniantly nearly whare you wish the main bulk of these cattle are owned by Five individuals the other settlers being wrthless citizens or late imigrants which have but small stocks of Ten Twenty or thirty head
16 Cool and chilly light showers of rain and hail
17 Fogy with light misty showers of rain the [sun] shone the most of the afternoon
18 A Regular days rain
19 Same
20 Stormy with wind and rain
21 some snow fell on the mountains last night
22 continued Showers all night
23 Regular Showers in continuation
24 Showers grow lighter & less
25 Fine and warm and clear
26 Sunday morning pleasant continued fair
27 strong winds from the s. s. W. and W. with light showers of rain
28 Beautifull clear with a light frost we had a view of some of the mountains again during the day which had been closed for the last three weeks with fog and rain
29 Wet snow & rain
30 showers wind variable s. SW and W.
31 Cloudy wind S. W.
Notes on Chapter Nine:
Lancaster Clyman, mentioned in the letter Clyman wrote to H. J. Ross following the October 27 journal entry, was a nephew who emigrated to Oregon in 1843 and then to California, where he was a freighter during the Gold Rush. He later gave away land to encourage American settlers; James Clyman may have obtained some of his Oregon holdings in this way. Lancaster was said to have been a “dead shot with a muzzle loader gun,” keeping up family traditions.
Chapter 10
The Oregon Territory
[The Oregon Trail; February 1 to July 24, 1845]
In passing thrugh this country on the usual rout no Land is seen that will bear cultivation after pass[ing] the main divideing ridge seperating the waters of the atlantick and the Pacific untill you arive on Bear River whare some small vallies of appearantly cultivateable land are found But here the winters are cold and occasionally deep snows fall Timber is also inconvenient none being found Except in higher and more ruged parts of the mountains there occasional spots of good timber occurs of Pine Firr & Cedar on the lower Hills. However considerable stocks of cattle might be kept on the vallies of Bear River and weebers river on the lower vallies near the greate salt Lake and a resting place might here be made that would verry much assist Emigrants and others passing to and from the states to all parts of the Pacific Country the rout to california would seperate from the rout to oregon at this settlment allso—Aand here should be a military post Established and Perhaps [this] is the cheapest Place to support a Military Post on the Present rout if the head of the Lake dose not fall in to the Mexican Teritory A Low range of mountains divides Bear River from Snake River
Snake River Issues from the Mountains 80 or 100 miles above Fort Hall and soon passes out in to a wide vally being in many places from 40 to 60 miles wide mostly a dry arid sand plane covered with a Strong groth of wild Sage and prickly pears the lower vally However is well clothed with grass espicially on the moist ground and near the water [is] a thick groth of small willows with an occasional grove of cottonwood The Hudson bay co. who occupy Fort Hall keep a large Herd of cattl in this vally which do well and Furnish the fort with the fines of Beeff in the fall season These cattle as Likewise a large herd of horses live well through the winter without any food except what they obtain by their own industry on the Praries In the head or Eastern part of this vally stands the three Tetaws which are verry high steep conicle Mountains (the) appearantly rising out of an undulated plain and so high that their summits are covered with Eternal snow and frost and may be seen from a great distanc from the S. W. and west The three butes Likewise stand in this vally nearly opposite or North of Fort Hall and are rounded Detached conicle Hills Likewise But of no greate hight and are formed of roundeded water worn rock Clay Pumice stone and obesian [obsidian] the latter resembling Black glass which is here found in greate abundance and has former
ly been the place whar the Natives manufactured great Quantities of arrow points and other instrument of ofence and defense the fragments of which Lay thickly strewn over the surrounding plain continueing down West from the Buetes you come to the most recent appearance of an active volcano that is to be seen in this volcanic region here all the rocks have been in a state of complete fusion and at so late a period that not a particle of vegitation has commenced to grow the Craters appear different from any that I have seen on Record these being holes in the vally all others seem to have arisen above the surrounding country the Scorie of these holes or creaters seem to have been almost intirely composed of compact granite and several of the holes are some hundreds of feet deep mostly of a circular form the edges tops sides and Bottoms formed of a raged Black slag and give a keen sonorous sound when struck togather the slag in many instances being Quite porus
The extent or number of these holes I cannot tell to any certainty but I should think they extended some 15 or 20 miles in Length in a N. E. and S. W. direction and from 6 to 8 miles cross wise none of which tract can be passed ove[r] with the utmost caution by a man on foot on account of the loose and raged form of the slag and the numerous rents holes pits and chasms which intersept you in all directions In passing over this slag all the small fragmint that become detached drop immediately down and go gingling amongst the opposing rocks below sometimes to an immence depth before they find a resting place in fact I broke loose some pieces and threw them into the fisures which continued to strike and rebound untill they went intirely out of heareing near the western side of this field of Slag rises a ruged steep and high mountain composed of a rough greyish granite nearly Bear of vegitation and in many Places the field of Slag and the mountain approach so near that it was with great difficulty that our pack Horses could find sufficient room to pass and near this western side I observed a greate many large masses of this granite rock s[t]anding in all inclinations between perpendicular and Horizontal and had the appearance of having been affloat in the liquid mass the more weighty parts having sunk and shot up the ligh[t]er end and the Slag cooling left the rocks as they are now seen standing the heat not being Quite entence enough to melt the whole mass on the under side of these masses However the liquidated slag is left hanging in greate Quantities of rounded globules Just in the form that they cooled some nearly Ready to drop off numerous brooks and springs fall from the mountains in the slag and are immediately lost in the loose Slag and most probaby find their way into snake river some 60 or 80 miles S. W. whare a number of spings break out of the most magnificent kind and of the largest dimentions in beautifull gushes and columns of snow white spray some of these fountains throw several tuns of water per minuit cool & pure as crystal on the whole This valy presents many large and Spendid attractions for the Geologist as well as the almost unfathomable depth of the Kenyon that this river fall[s] into immediately below and which falls and cascades commence at the American Falls at the Lower end of the vally From the american Falls to Fort Boise a distance of 300 miles you pass over a dry dusty and in some places sandy as likewise in many places Rocky country bearing but little grass or Timber wild sage Prarie thorn &c making the general vegitation Travelers usually pass through this region as fast as they conveniently can there being no game no grass of consequence Except salmon in their proper season when Quantities are taken and can be had of the Indians for a mere trifle while Fresh
Fort Boise stands on the North Bank of Snake River a few miles below the mouth of the Boise River the great Woile [Owyhee River] Falling in on the oposite side a short distance above allso the surrounding country dry and parched grass and Timber being verry scarce in the vicinity of the Fort and no cultivatiable land seen in the neighbourhood cnsiderable stocks of cattle and Horses find good grazing in the vicinity as I noticied the cattl in particular ware fine and fat several Butes of considerable hight rais their dark looking summits to the south W. of the fort and a range of bear mountains of considerable length and hight are seen to the S. and S.W. dividing the waters running into snake river and those runing into ogdens Lake and other parts of the vally of the greate sale Lake these mountains no doubt are connected withe the Blue mountains some distance to the west
some 50 or 60 miles below Boise snake River takes into the Blue mountains in these mountains is whare Mr Hunt McKenzie and their party suffered so much as related by Mr Ervine [Irving] in his Astoria Nothing is seen in the shape or appearance of cultivatiable Land on the present rout For nearly 200 miles west of Boise when you arive near the (the) head of Powder River a small stream running East ward into snake River and in full view of the Blue mountains you come to several small valies of fair soil and good grazing but no timber of use Except on the mountains. I do not think However that their is any Extent of arable land to be found here Two short camps brings you into the grand round vally a Beautifull green spot in this region of interminable rocks dust and wild sage you are now fairly entered into the Blue mountains which Surround this vally on all sides the vally itself is nearly round and 16 or 18 miles across in either direction and has no doubt once been covered in water numerous small streams falling from the hills in all drictions and winding through the low grounds form a small River which has worn its way through the opposing rocks to a greate depth and takes a Northern course to the columbia as I am informed The winters are here Quite mild and the grass coming up in novembr remains green through the winter The Blue mountains are appearantly not verry high But the Ravines are steep and Rocky and generally covered tops and sides with a thick groth of Pine and other Eevergreen timber and Something the rise of 40 [more than 40 miles] across on the wagon trail which is a rough bad road for teams and scarce of both grass and water
The asent of these mountains on the western side is generally bear of Timber but thickly set with a nutricious kind of Bunch grass the utilla river running for some distance nearly paralell with the mountains on this stream (which in low water is a fine mill stream) is seen a narrow vally of good cultivateable soil bringing corn wheat & vegitables in good perfection The Skuse Indians cultivate some small spots which poduce well the usual rout passes down the utilla river to the columbia it is generally Believed that a greate number of small valies lie stiuated near the mountains on the South side of the (of the) Columbia but I saw no white man that had ever visited that region but I have no doubt of the correctness of this report Along and near the columbia River nothing can look more discourageing the river running in a deep chasm of nearly pependicular rocks Black and frowning with a scanty supply of grass and not a stick of timbr to relieve the continual monotony of Frowning rock or water with now and then a Field or mountain of sand to pass through Now having arived at the Delles whare you may rest a day or two with Mr Waller who is superintendent of the Methodist Mission at this place and is an accomodating man if he can be well paid but if you are scarce of funds you may hire an Indian to guide you over the cascade mountains or as we did guide yourself These mountains are 70 or 80 miles acoss by the way of the Trail verry thickly timberd. and Extremely steep rocky and rough The columbia on its entrance into the mountains passes through a verry dangerous rapid called the delles whare the river is nearly choked by large masses of sunken rock which raise their black heads in utmost confusion forming Tremendious whirlpools and are nearly impassable in low water and in fact at all times some 50 or 60 miles below is the greate falls which are at all times impassable and whare a portage or two has to be made by all the watercraft passing the river this last fall occurrs 80 or 100 miles above vacouver from this fall the river is clear of obstructions to its mouth for small craft and its navigation would be good for stiam boats Likewise But no cultivateable land of any consequence is seen untill you arive in the vicinity of Fort vancouver whare the mountains recede and the coves and vallies begin to open out all the Best Prairies however are occupied by the H. B. Co. who carry on farming on a Large scale in the viceinity of the fort and in fact continue to extend their agracultural persuits as the Furr and peltries de
crease The cascade mountains are one of the greate chain of mountains which strech themselves through nearly the whole length of North america commencing near the gulf of calliforni they keep a northern directon Divideing the Californian vally from the vally of the greate salt lake a chane however diverges from this chane some whare in Lower california and taking an Eastern direction bounds are greate salt Lake vally on the south and dividing that from the vally of Rio colerado and continueing East and N. E. by the head of green & Bear rivers it unites with the greate dividing ridge near the head of snake River
The Blue mountain chane seperates itself from the Cascades near the head of the clamet and umqua rivers and perhaps for some distance Bound[s] the vally of salt or the greate salt Lake vally on the north to near the head of the Willhamet and river de Shutes whare the Blue Mountain chain inclines to N. and an other chain branches off to the East deviding the Greate salt vally from snake River and continueing E. and N unites with the last mentioned chain near the head of snake River also The Blue chain continueing allmost to the columbia then Turning short to the east snake river bursting through this chain in the curve fall[s] into the Columbia the mountains continueing their eastern Direction dividing the waters of snake and Salmon Rivers unite(s) with the main chain also near the heads of the Southern Branches of the Missouri and North of snake River to These may be added a low chain of mountains linding on and near the coast of the pacific Broken through however by the columbia near the umpquaw the clamet and several other rivers
Having never traversed any portion of the country north of the columbia I will not attempt to give any discription of the mountains of that part of the country