The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-02-24

fort there are no soldiers kept. IL is merely
n depositing place for the Hudson Bay Fur
Company, who are here trading with the In.
dams. From Fort Hall, our next point was
Fort Boise, distance Of about 800 miles.
This stretch is very scarce Of grass-in the
main almost IN entire desert with sand, and
dust, and alkai, almost sufficient to choke an
OK 1t is in passing down Snake river that
the emigrant begins to see destruction among
stock, as they died off ike sheep with the
rot. We Travelled down the south side of
this river. II is sai.l the grass is better on
the nortl, but it is difficult crossing. Fort
Boise is situated on the north side Of Snake
near where the Boise river cmp,ies. This is
also place of deposit for the Hudson Bay
/ Fur Company. 1t is in passing over this
part OF our route that we pass the hot springs
another grand curiosity. One of them is u
large bold stream or spring perfectly clear,
| and looks very inviting to The thirsty passer-
by, but when tasted ii is very hot, the ther-
momcter when immersed. standin" at about
200 degrees, almost boiling. The country
round these springs from its ashy and parch.
ed appearance bears strong marks of internal
fires. In fact we saw smoke issuing from
the summit Of IN adjacent mountain which
we took to be u volcano. The country about
Fort Hall and Boise, belongs to the SnaLe
lndians-they are shy, we saw but few o!
them. From Boise we went to Malhucr rlv.
or, from thence to Birch creek and from
thence to Burnt river, which we Travelled up
40 or 80 miIcs-irum thence to Powder river
and from Powder river to the Grand Round
/ Valley, which i, rich, and the most delight
ful looking valley ever saw. The whole
making u distance of about 1870 miles, over
which we had plenty OF good grass wafer
and wood. On Powder RIVER we icas'ed our
selves for the first time upon salmon hsh,
which the Indians caught Tor US by the
wholesale They were large and delicious
weighing from II to 80 lbs. There could be
fine settlements made upon Powder river and
in the Grand Round Valley II 1t were permit
ed but this country belongs to the kuyansc
Indians, who are very friendly, and quite an
intelligent tribe. From Grand Round we
struck out across the Blue Mountains for
the Uma,iIla river, which we Travelled down
about % or 30 miles. From the UmaII!a we
struck for the Cascade Mountains, which we
reached about the last day of August, the
whole being distance of about 220 or 23O
miles. Over this stretch we had tocrably
plenty of grass, wood and water, and plenty
of rough road On the morning of the lst
Sept we let out across the Cascades for Fos.
/ ter's, he being the first man who lives in the
edge of the Wilamcttc valley at the western
base of the Cascade Mountain. We reached
Testers ON the 7th September, ut which point
the cmigrant feels that he is safe -, he is
now in the settlements and can get what he
wants if he has the money to pay tor it, The
distance ncross the Cascade Mountains i,
/ a. = ,,l,,l, II ,yii,h -
ragged with but vrr. little grass, cattle III
crossing nave I" s"nsis' rr'nc'Pnhy "r"n nj
dcr ana WHO" p"S''' IA. VI o''' i''s, zen
hesscc company So' mo INV 'n''y IL
reasonable hcallh--"c 'ost none u! ''c way
ihe hea''h o' our company WAS Sc"''''',
sood' WIN 'ne eNcel''ohS " IL" ''s's VI
mountain le'er' VINE" - very common ~ Il
good many While crossing thc mountains
AS Tor myself never chJnyc' De''cr hca''l'
lhrough summer III my me- never "'ssr'
Il meals vIctuais by sickness upon 'hc Who'c
routc-Dut was always Siau 10 see il'a' 'llie
come. Our loss IN stock was as ioiio"s: J.
II. small, lost ~ hcad; =. Neal o Mrs' Cuh-
hlhSlan, D; iiarVy oina'i, .; Jonh urnpo, =
myself u our mares ail come thr""S"' ihe
wagons thal boyu ana Io'. Daro Hi"ue LOT US
Stood thc "TRIP HhcIy, ana are now worm
Slooin ore9o'i. FROM roa.er "cn' W.
the willamette Valiey ABOUT oo miles, "here
have stopped to winter. am !liles from
Salem the seat OF government. nave nov
got me clam yct. ] ann III grttihs one III
the spring. found oregon 10 DC II pt'icr
country than i';d anticipated. All l nave
to regret Is That did not ehlgr'tc years
sooner, SO that could have set my stakes III
! the heart the willamette valley. The best,
and in fact all the claims, that are considered
worth much III the Willamette, tu'i"''' anu
Rogue river valleys, are no" taken. am
! told that there is some good country 10 be
settled on the coast yet, others say That lhcy
don't like it, There is plenty of country t"
be settled, north of the Columbia, III wash
ington Territory. see men who have been
there that appear to like that section, others
do not like it. have been through D conli-
ties, viz. CIackamus, Marion, Polk, Iamhill,
and Washington, they have u great deal OF
good land in them. The willamette valley
| is 100 or 200 miles long, and varies in width
| from 10 to 80 miles. 1t is frequently dNid-
ed by hills that make in between the creeks
that empty in the willamette river, from the
coast and Cascade ranges of mountains whcl.
bound this valley, the one on the east, and
III, other ON the west. 1t is in many places
scarce of timber, u great deal of II being
prairie country, which is now green with
grass of the finest quality, upon which both
cattle and horses keep lat the year round
without feed from their masters hand. lhc
Orcgoni;,ns raise from ID to 10, and some
times 50 bushels Of wheat to the acre, de-
pending pretty much on the time ana manner
in which they SOW. They SOW wheat from
September Till April and make good crops.