The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-04-13

November II, several Indians we're
met, one OF whom had horse Mr..
Hunt finally purchased the animal
in exchange for an old tin kettle
after having offered a gun, ammu-
milton and beads in vain.
Mr.. Hunt here left the river and
started over the desert. Tho party
encountered great suffering and
hardship on this journey and final
ly reached the Boise river and an
Indian camp where fish and dogs
were purchased for food. The Pay
ette and Weiser rivers were forded
and the Snake finally reached again.
November 2sth, bag OF meal and
some fish were purchased from
party OF Shoshones who informed
Mr.. Hunt that they had seen white
men on both sides OF the Snake
river within the last few days.
Washington Irving, in his account
OF the Hunt expedition has this to
say OF the country west OF the
snake:
"A dreary desert OF sand aud
gravel extends from the Snake river
almost to the Columbia. Here and
there ia a thin and scanty herbago.
insufficient for the pasturago OF
horse or buffalo. Indeed these
trackless wastes between tho Rocky
mountains and the Pacific arc even
more desolate and barren than tho
naked upper prairios on the Allan
tic side; they present vast droary
and thirsty wilds between the habi-
tations OF man, In trayerBing which,
tho wanderor will often bo In dan
ger OF perishing."
II tho same party could 10 over
this route now. what a different
story they would have to tell. for
the magic hand OF reclamation has
made a garden out OF the former
desert and populous towns have
sprung up In the Snake river valley
whero members OF tho Hunt expedl-
tion nearly perished OF hunger and
hardship.
Mr.. Hunt and his party continued
on down the river canysn which was
very steep and difficult TO nego-
tiate. Food was very scarce. the
party subsistlng on a black-tail deer.
beaver and some frozen berries.
The horses we're killed and eaten
one by one until only that owned
by Pierre Dorion remained.
On December 9th. 1871, Mr..
Crooks and his party we're seen on
tho other side OF the river. return
Ing after a vain attempt 10 get
through the narrow precipitious
canyon OF the river and seeing moth
Ing but mountains piled upon noun
tais for miles ahead. Crooks and
his men were almost starved. having
subsisted on a few beaver and old
mooeasins. Hunt and his men then
turned about and started back up
the river.
In their extremity Mr.. Hunt sug-
gested that the horse OF Pierre Dor
ion bo killed and eaten. but the
owner doggedly refused 10 part with
his animal. Continuing on the party
came Unexpectedly upon a camp OF
shoshone Indians who fled In great
fright when the white men came In
sight. The party Immediately caught
five horses and killed one for food.
They made a boat OF the skin and
sent meat over to the starving men
on the other side OF the river. One
OF the Canadians, Jean Baptiste
Provost, returned in the boat and be
cause OF his hunger and enfeebled
condition, became excited on behold
ing the meat roasting before the fire
and upset the canoe and was
drowned in the cold. swift current
OF the river.
A station on the Homestead
branch OF railroad down the river is
named after the unfortunate Cana
dian and also in honor of Sarde-
pie, another Canadian boatman who
ferried meat across the treaeherous
stream for the relief OF the men on
the other side. Proceeding along
the river banks the party met with
some shoshone Indians and the lure
OF an old tin kettle secured another
horse for food.
Mr.. Hunt now came TO the Welser
river where a band OF Shoshones
were camped. From them he traded
for a couple OF horses. dog and
some dried cherries. After consider
able pickering he procured an In
dian guide to lead them over the
maintains m the CoIumhia I'm na-