The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY.

THE ROUTE FROM OREGON.

OVERLAND MAIL FROM OREGON-ARRIVAL OF DR. WHITE,
DIRECT FROM OREGON-UNPRECEDENTED DISPATCH
-THROUGH IN NINETY DAYS.
We had the pleasure, on Saturday evening last, of
taking by the hand our old friend I)r. Elijah White,
sub-agent of Indian affairs for the territory of Oregon,
who had just arrived with a party of only three men,
Messrs. Chapman, Brown, and Saxton, all claiming to
be citizens of Willamette, two of whom, Oras Brown
and Charles Saxton, had accompanie i him f, r sonic time
previously on an interesting and important exploring
expedition, the results of which will soon come before
the public officially.
They left the beach of the Pacific on the 30th of July,
some 40 miles from the Urnqua river, and arrived in the
colony about the 10th of August. They found the
Legislature in session at Oregon city, and I)r. White
being officially requested to bear a memorial and peti-
tion einana.ing from that body and signed unanimously
by them, also by the judge of the tereitiiry and executive
committee—to the Congress of the United States, left on
the 16th. They arrived at Fort Vancouver on the 17th,
the Danes of the Columbia on the 20th, and on the 23d
proceeded on their journey.
At the first camp, Major Moses Harri, alias " Black
Ramis," his pilot and his dependence, as interpreter for
the Sioux and-Pawnee Indians in passing through their
country, without any difference or explanation, withdrew
from the party and returned to the valley. Sur-
prised, but nothing intimidated, they moved forward.
They met the Wallawall Indians—so much excited
the spring before, by reason of the violent and trea-
cherous death of Eiija Heading, an educated young chief
of distinction, killed by a white man in California—
and were handsomely saluted and most cordially re-
ceived—the excitement having entirely subsided. Corn,
potatoes, peas, camas, and cherries, were brought
forward for the consumption of the ! party, and their
plantations, with those of the Keyuse, speak well for
their advancement in agriculture and civilisation. Not
many of the Wallawallahs cultivate; they generally sub-
sist on fish. But the Keyuse and Nezperces, or Schep-
tans, under the auspices of Dr. Whitman and lady, and
Rev. H. 11. Spaulding and lady, are represented as
having made most commendable advance in agriculture,
science, arts, morals, and religion ; many of the latter
reading their own language fluently and writing well,
and in the regularity of their family devotions and ob-
servance of the Sabbath, it is believed few equal them.
On the Ist of September they met at Burnt River
Captains Barlow, Knighton, and Macdonald's companies
of emigrants, the three companies comprising some
eight hundred persons, with eighty-seven waggons,
within some three hundred and fifty miles of their desti-
nation, all in good health and fine spirits, representing
the difficulties of the route as nothing in comparison
with what they had expected. While the Doctor was
giving them an intellectual treat, to vs hick all listened
with indescribable interest, some of the ladies
prepared a rich repast for him and his little party;
coffee, sugar, bread, biscuit, buttermilk, and honey,
with bacon, rice, and several kinds of dried fruits,
were nicely spread out ; they ate and drank, talked, and
mutually cheered each other, and parted in the happiest
mood. At different points, for a distance of a hundred
and thirty miles, they met others—each party soliciting,
they all received a lecture on Oregon. The last party,
called the St. Joseph Company, were met on Snake
River, camped disadvantageously, being some two-
and-a-half miles from wood or water on the sandy
desert ; but they found them in good spirits, and
after advising them at some length on Oregon, the
party was invited to dinner, and sat down to a
table in the tent of the Reverend M. Fisher, a Baptist
clergyman, spread with a white cloth, and partook of tea,
light bread, crackers, maple molasses, dried beef, and
butter, all prepared in the neatest manner. This com-
pany were mostly New England people, had emigrated
to lowa and thence to Oregon, and carried their virtues
and intelligence over the mountains with them. All
much happier and better for the interview, the party
took their leave of this interesting group of venerable
sires, aged matrons, and smiling youth, and passed on
to Fort Hall, where they arrived on the 19th of Sep-
tember, and met a cordial reception from Captain Grant.
On the 23d they passed the romantic and interesting
soda springs, were ad drank freely.
On the 27th met Dr. Joseph Burk, botanist and mine-
ralogist, sent out by the English Government to make
collections, and return in seven years from the time of
his departure—dined with him—found him an intelligent,
unassuming gentleman. The party passed the divide on
the 4th of October, all walking over it, and on striking
the sweet water, all drank, not a little pleased to behold
the water once more running into the Atlantic. On the
13th of October, came in sight of a large Sioux village of
some 3001odges, and containing 2,ooosouls—wentinnedi-
study to it—were met by several chiefs, and the party con-
ducted by them to the Soldier's-lodge, a here they feasted
on the choicest buffalo meat. Dr. White exchanged a
horse with a chief, at the Indian's request, and left, after
tarrying two hours, the party being as much pleased
with their reception as the Indians appeared to be in
entertaining them. They encamped three miles below
the village, horses unmolested and nothing missed.
Next day met Smoke, a notable chief, and 200 Indians
with him, moving up to the large village which they
had passed—exchanged the usual salutations of the
day, and all went off most agreeably. On the 15th
reached Fort Laramie, where the party were hos-
pitably entertained, as at Fort Hall, by Mr. Pepin.
Left on the 16th, having purchased a sufficient supply
of dried buffalo meat and flour, with groceries,
to last to Independence, intending to accomplish the
journey with all possible expedition, and not to stop to
kill game. On the 17th met eight or nine ox teams,
heavily loaded with goods for trading with the Indians,
in charge of Captain Finch, who had a trading post
seven miles below Fort Laramie, on the Platte. On
the 18th met Mr. Spane—had also several teams loaded
with goods for trading with the Sioux ; he had buried
his partner the day previous, having died of a nervous
fever. On the 29th, met two men on an express to Fort
Laramie from the American Fur Company at St. Louis.
They told the Doctor he would probably meet the Pawnee
Indians before leaving the Platte, and if he did, that
they would rob him and his party.
On the 31st, at about eleven o'clock, the Doctor, riding
in front of the party to keep a look out for the Paw-
nees, discovered a large smoke a head, halted, adjusted
the pack animals, and then went cautiously on again ;
proceeded a few miles, when a horse was discovered
three or four miles a-head, tied, and apparently uneasy.
The party were now convinced that the Pawnees were
not far off; halted again, and each man examined his
fire-arms. The doctor proposed to leave the road and go
into the hills, and to keep on travelling all night to
avoid coming in contact with Indians, whose character
was that of highway robbers. They did so, and pro-
ceeded four or five miles in the direction of the hills,
when three Indians were seen in front of them, advancing;
the party went on a short distance, and twelve or fifteen
came up to them. The Doctor made signs to them to keep
away, and that he was in great haste to go on, but they
all came up; when the Doctor stopped, requested Saxton
to get off his horse and open a pack, get some tobacco arid
give them; he did so, and gave them all there was;
mounted his horse again, when one of the pack horses took
fright at the Indians, and ran with great violence, but was
at la et caught by Chapman and Saxton, and the pack
adjusted by them, ready to go on again. But an Indian,
who had been very impudent and saucy, now came to
Chapman and asked him for p ,wider ; he refused to
give him any, when the rascally Indian cocked his gun.
At the suggestion of the Doctor, Chapman gave him
some powder and he went off ; but while the Doctor was
talking to Chapman six or seven had surrounded him,
and two had his horse by the bridle, when he asked
Brown to come to him. Brown did so, presenting his
pistol et one of th, ID. and the Doctor motioning to them
at the same time, with his six-shooter in his hand, to
be off, they left, and the party collected their animals
and started again towards the hills, where a large Pawnee
village, of some three hundred lodges, appeared in sight,
several miles from the road.

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village,hill s
As the Indians left the party they fired three times at
them, and the shot fell thickly around Brown—the
Indians going towards the village, and the party from
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and another appeared in sight, each coming from afferent
directions ; and in ten minutes from the time
the
first two appeared in sight, the party were completely
surrounded by two or three hundred men, armed with
rifles, muskets, bows and arrows, tomahawks, and war-
clubs, while the air resounded with the awful war-whoop
as they still continued to dash upon them on their fleet
horses. Seeing that four could do nothing by firing on
such numbers, the Doctor told the party not to fire,
while the Indians were in great confusion among them-
selves. The first who came talked loud and boisterous,
and began to catch the pack-horses, when it was pro-
posed to go with them to the village.
In the meantime all was confusion, some snatching a
rifle from one, while another caught a blanket from an-
other, and ran off. Saxton first got under way, follow-
ing his packed horse, having many valuable papers, and
surrounded by some twenty Indians. They soon stripped
him of his powder-horn and his horse and saddle,
and put him bare-back, while a brave, with a large
battle-axe, led his horse by the bridle. Brown
followed Saxton in a similar manner, passed him,
and was the first to grace their fiendish triumph
as they entered their villages in full gallop. The
Doctor was next suffered to start towards the vil-
lage, but not until they had torn his coat into pieces, and
stripped him of his vest. One Indian then struck him a
hard blow with his bow on the right cheek; another hit
him two blows on the top of the head with a war club,
which nearly deprived him of his senses. With nothing
left but his flannel shirt and pantaloons, he passed Sax-
ton soon after Brown, with a brave leading his horse,
and a chief riding behind him, embracing him in his
arms. Chapman followed immediately after Brown ;
they struck him several times as he was riding; he was
hurried along and taken into the village. The Doctor
was last on the ground, and was conducted into the
lodge of a chief, but not permitted to converse with any
of his party ; the rest of the men were conducted to
separate lodges, and treated in a similar manner.

'Fhe party„ were fed several times during the evening
on boiled corn, at different lodges, accompanied by an
Indian, but were not permitted to be together, except
about ten minutes at a time. The first impression made
upon the Doctor and all the party on entering the lodges
was, that the chief would cause most of the property to
be given back, but before morning all were convinced to
the contrary, by having their packs opened and pillaged
of everything of value; not even letters to people in the
States were omitted. Dr. White lost many of his most valu-
able papers, and some twenty letters, though he mailed at
this place 541, to various persons in the Union. After rob-
bing the party of all their provisions and clothing, as well
as horses, in the morning several squaws, true to the
character of women, put up some corn, and the chiefs
who were at the head of the outrage brought forward