East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-09-23

scarcely have made better time. foi
we continued shouting as he ran and
his speed seemed to increase until hs
was lost from Our view among the
pines. We were now entering couh-
try where the natives had seen but
teW white people. Following the river
up to where IL leaves the Lower Klam-
ath Lake, we came to n rifle where
fit seemed possible to cross. William
Parker wdded in and explored the
tord. II was deep, rocky and rapid.
but we all passed over safely and then
proceeding along the river and lake.
shore for n mile or 80 when we came
INTO the main valley of the Lower
klamath Lake. We could see columns
OF smoke rising in every direction for
our presence was already'known to the
lModocs and the signal fire telegraph
was tn active operation Moving
southwark along the shore we came to
q little stream coming in from the
southwark. and there found pieces of
newspapers and other unmistakable
evidences Of civilized people having
camped there a short time before. We
found place where the turf had been
cut away. also the willows. near the
bank of the creek and horses had been
repeatedly driven over the, place. Asl
there were many places where animals
could get water without this trouble,
some of the party were of the opinion
that some persons had been buried
there and that horses had been driven
over the place to obliterate all marks |
and thus prevent the Indians from
disturbing the dead. The immense ex-
element among the Indians on our
arrival there strengthened this opin- |
ion. Col. Fremont. only few days
before, had reached this point on his |
way northward when he was over
taken by Lieut.. Gllispie of the United |
states army with important dispatch |
es and returned to Lower California. |
The Mexican war had just begun and
the pathfinder was needed else
where. On the very night he was
overtaken by Lieut.. Gillispie, the Mo
does surprised his camp. killed three
of his Delaware Indians and it is said
had it not been for the vigilance and
presence of mind of Kit Carson. he.l
probably would have suffered a COM
plete rout. At this place we arranged
our camp, on open ground so that the
Indians could not possibly approach
us without discovery 1t is likely that
the excitement among the Modoes wa
caused. more than anything else by
the apprehension that ours was a
party sentto chastise them for their
attack on Fremont. We were but
handful of men surrounded by hun
dpeds of Indians armed with their
poisoned arrows. but by dint of great
care and vigilance we were able to
pass through their country safely. On
every line of travel from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, there has been great
loss of life from a failure to exercise
a proper degree of caution. and too
often have reckless and foolhardy
men who have, through the want of
proper care, become embroiled in diff
ficulties with the Indians, gained the
reputation of being Indian fighters
and heroes. while the men who were
able to conduct parties in safety
through the country Of warlike saw
ages. escaped the worlds notice.
From Tule Lake to the Spring in the
Desert.
On the morning of July 5th we left
our camp on the little creek now call
ed Hot creek) and continued our
course along the shore of Lower Kla-
math Lake. This threw us off our
course considerably, as the lake
extended some miles to the southward
of our last camp, and we did not reach
the eastern shore until the day was
far spent. We camped on the lake
shore, and the next morning, July 6th,
we ascended high rocky ridge to the
eastward for the purpose of making
observations Near the base of the
ridge, ON the east, was a large lake,
Tperhaps twenty miles in length. Be-
yond it. to the eastward, we could see
a timbered butte, apparently thirty
miles distant at the base of which
there appeared to he low pass
through the mountain range which
seemed to encircle the lake basin. 1t
appearing practicable to reach this
pass by passing around the south end
of the lake, we decided to adopt that
Iroute and began the descent of the
fridge. but we soon found ourselves in
the midst of an extremely rugged
lcountry. Short lava ridges ran in
severy conceivable direction, while be-