The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-23

day we commenced moving our animals and
stuff: Dignan was compelled to leave his
race horse, Kelly, here; he is nothing but
bag of bones we ran out of meat and lived
for some time on dried fish they made us
all very sick severe diarrhaa we could
get no meat; the Indians are very poor,
and have nothing but fish and berries. We
had no provisions Of any kind, with the ex-
ception of fish and berries -four, tea, coffee,
meat, and everything else all gone, but the
fish and hard travelling. We were all re-
duced to walking on foot through slush and
mud almost knee deep; it commenced rain
ing the day we left the river and continued
through night and day for eight days; and
sleeping in our wet blankets and clothes
rendered us so weak that we could scarcely
travel. On Thursday, the 18th of October,
we were compelled to kill our dog and eat
him we found the flesh very good and
nourishing, and on the 10Th we killed
horse and eat him horse flesh is excellent !;
Lynch gave his horse for the benefit of the
party it was the only fat horse fit to kill
that we had in the party.
On the Goth of October we arrived at the
crossing of Lake Kullespelm, and on the
Oath crossed the lake which is here about
half a mile wide, swimming our animals, and
crossing our stuff in canoes, as usual. From
here we found no more snow. We travelled
for two days, making about thirty miles a
day on foot, sore and weary without any
thing to eat; our horse meat being all used
up. When we arrived at half breeds,
named Antonio Plaute, on the Spokane
valley, we found provisions, but had to pay
a great price for them; coarse unbolted
flour SIG per hundred pounds, bacon 81 per
pound, green coffee 81 per pound. Here we
found an Indian trader, named Samuel
Moore, from New Jersey, U. S. We made
arrangements with him, and he brought us
here. We arrived here on the g. of Deem
Der on the 4th it commenced showing, and
continued so for a few days it has been
very cold, they say, for this country, the
thermometer ranging 6 to 10 degrees below
zero. This 1.-THE Walla Walla) valley is
excellent soil, quite close to the Blue Noun.
tains, and about thirty miles from Old Fort
Walla, on the Columbia river. There were,
a year ago last September, only three houses
in this village, and now there are at least a
hundred; the majority have mud floors, and
offer little protection against the cold; every
thing is very dear; -four $l2 hundred,
and everything else in proportion freight
from Dalles, 100 miles below this, to this
place, averages about $3.50 ton. The
Columbia river is frozen now down to the
mouth. Horses are very cheap. have
seen them sold in the streets for from SIS to
$40 for excellent unbroken horses well
broken, good saddle or pack horses are
worth SIS to $40 each, The boys are all
in excellent health and enjoying themselves
well. have got an excellent boarding
place with an old farmer, who lives about
two miles from the village. Through the
kindness of brother Mason I have an office
in his store, where 1 have hung out my
single. l have been here only very few
days, and am now $25 in pocket better than
when l came There is an excellent open
ing here for a physician, there being no
regular practitioner in the place.
DR.. TH1BoDo speaks in high terms of the
richness of the mines, and concludes his let.
ter with the following table of distances: