Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1844-03-09
News from OREGON.

received by r. c. GALBRAlrH. Eso. y
Concord township, in this county, rrom
his nephew. Mr.. OvsRToN JoHvsax. nv
lett for Oregon with the comp,nv lrom
Iowa last spring. Mr.. Johnson Is saa
OF Mr.. B. Johnson. formerly If e.,
cord township. in this county, WIN u,w
resides in Indiana.
Wear" sorry TO hear that sn m,rr
difficulties were encountered Lv o.r !,
formant; VIC cannot but think. huwc,,.
in comparing it with other accounts. ,I,,,
during the ensuing spring, the e,n;sr,
tion 10 Oregon will be very extensive.
and that the difficulties incident 10 Il,
first pioneers will be- diminished by hss
ing divided with their new associaie..-
.FoRT HALL, Oregon Territory
Sept. Is. Is43
Dear Sister:-Tt will no doubt he
long time before this will reach won :.
The earliest opportunity Of its being coo.
veyed 10 the States will probably BE- -.
express bearing the dispatches 10 ON.
Government, from Major Fremont. of,s,
he has planted The flag Of the Uni,ed
States At Fort Vancouver. Wher. !
shall then be God only knows. bu, wbe,
ever it may be, trust that | shall i.
m,re pleasantly situated than am her.
We are now laying at Fort Hall, in N.
midst of country which. even 10 il,
streams, has been robbed or the ueans or
subsistence. Here are We almost d.,,;.
fute oc provisions. with hundred. of mile,
Of destitute country before us. We
must either procure provisions from the
For. or starve for the want Of them.
With a considerable surplus OF fat cattle
runninning upon the praire, the demand
Of US near two hundred dollars fos an OK:
at such prices we have not the mean. 10
purchase. Sncb il the character NJ one
al least. of the members of the Hudson
Bay Fur Company is their dispo
sition towards those who would settle in
this Territory alter receiving from
the uni,ed States Government The mil
lions which they have from the bcne
fi' Of Tho far trade They would willing.
" see her ci'izens perish before their
doors for the want cf the mt ans OF sub.
slstance. Blu. we have right 10 i've rs
well MS ihey-lhe world owes as q sub.
sistance. and we will ceriainy collect
the debt, by fair means if we CAR, BY foul
ones if we must
Since we left the Fort upon he Platte,
distance, the way we had TO travel, Of
about e CHIT huuered miles, we have been
IN the noun tains The road through
these mountains has been very circuioa,
and uneven; nj one time we would be
winding along the narrow valley o! some
mountain stream. md at another climb.
ing up or descending the steep and
rocky sides of,hc mountain ITSELF Incv
cry direction as we approached the grand
summit where the waters OF tie Eastern
and Western rivers are divided. The
peaks of the mountains are covered with
ice and snow; bcre va found the a,ms.
phere much cooler than upon the plains.
Water frozc in our camp kettles lie one.
eighth Of an inch thick, and quantities Of
snow fell frequently upon the nnuurams
10 the middle Of August-this kind Of eli.
mate continued until we reached Pon
Hull.
The country through which we have
travelled since We left the Forts upon
the Platte until we camo to Fort Vas
ques, situated fifty miles west Of Tho sum.
init Of the mountains, is composed chiefly
Of mountains Of rock an valleys Of sand.
From Fort Vos.,uess 10 Fort llall, though
no less MOUNTAINOUS, the country is grad.
ually improving; many Of The valleys
though narrow. are quite fertile, and IN
me will probably be settled. For. Hail
- situated in an ex ensive valley, AMI y
built similar 10 For, Platte.
We arc abou, to roll, William and
are packing; We ara bound for the Wala
Walla valley. t,he Mission) five hundred
miles from Fort Halls We will make il in
abou, twenty days. From the Mission
we will 90 To the mouth OF the Columbia.
and from thence we will 60 to Monterey.
IN Upper California, which place YOU
will write. Send your letters to sumo
one in New Orleans, and have them for.
warded 10 Mexico.
Make not track towards Oregon until
| return. II is likely iha, we will moi
remain long on this side OF the mountains
All hands stout and hearty. Our 70.
spccts 10 every body, aud will write mora
extensively when we enter port,
Your affection brother.
O. JOHNSON.
II. W, Johnson, Concord, Tppacanos
Co Ind