The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-08-23
Excursion to Yacolt.

started for Yacolt Prairie to gather
huckleberries, hunt, fish, and have a
good time generally. When I say
we, l mean Mr.. Titus and lady, Miss
Lucinda Pollock, Lille Lockwood,
Alice Chambers, Martha Kelly, Mas
ter John Pollock and Sumner Lock-
wood. Col. Seth Abbey made one of
the party as far rs his sons ranch,
near Eaton, where we arrived at II NJ.
After leaving Eaton and driving over
three miles of the toughest road in
Clarke county, we arrived at MIR.
Brickey's, the terminus of our wagon
road, if such it could be called. Here
+ we shifted cargo to the hurricane
deck of our cayuses and started on.
All went we'll for a time, until we
were informed in no very gentle tone
of voice by one of the young ladies',
that we were on the wrong road;
this young lady having been over the
road at no very remote time, we did
not feel able to refute her argument;
SO we cheerfully acquiesced and agreed
to be her followers, and be it said to
her credit, she proved an efficient
guide.
Somehow our pack refused to stay
on the saddle; we had failed to get
the diamond hitch" After repack-
ing and remodeling, we mounted
small boy on behind to hold it secure,
and went on our way rejoicing, not,
however, without slight accident.
On going down steep descent, the
horse On which Mrs. Titus was riding
'took slide," and the lady in ques-
ton was precipitated to the ground
more hastily than gracefully; not Sc
riously hurt, however. About . o'clock
p. NJ. we reached the prairie, and after
a cursory examination of our surround
ings, we selected large white fir tree
for our house. OH i forgot to say
that it was raining, and had been for
about two hours. But rousing fire
and a good warm supper made us feel
as happy as "big sunAower." After
being here two days, the young ladies
entered complaint against us for not
allowing them to enjoy themselves.
Feeling rather ruffled at this slur ON
our amiable disposition, we proposed
trip to the falls on the East Fork OF
Lewis River, distant about two miles.
The road leading there is a wild
mountain trail, grown up with weeds
and underbrush, hardly passable for
the Indians OF course we did not
expect these delicate young ladies
would ever reach there, but they did,
and we are happy to say they are the
first white ladies' that ever visited this
wild place. The scenery along the
river is grand and picturesque; the
river bed is a solid mass of aqueous
rock; the water is clear as crystal and
as cold as ice. AT the falls the river
is only ten feet wide, simply narrow
channel cut through mass of solid
rock. We saw plenty of beautiful
salmon trout attempting to leap over
the falls; they all seemed to make a
failure; these trout will not take the
bait, as we found to our disgust.
The Indians catch them with basket
or dip-net, by suspending it over the
falls, SO the fish will fall in when at
tempting to jump over. After ram
bling over the rough river bed, and
feasting on red huckleberries to our
hearts content, we started for camp,
which we reached about FIVE o'clock
r. NJ. Here we found as a pleasant
addition to our party, Mr.. Chas. Ab-
boy and lady, from Eaton. With such