FREMONT
IV
Keeping on down Snake River, sometimes in its valley, sometimes, to
avoid bad travelling, marching back on the hills, the party went on.
Before long the Grand Rond was passed; and soon after this they entered
the timber, through a part of which they were obliged to cut their way.
When the missionary station, occupied by Dr. Whitman, was reached, it
was found that he was absent on a visit to the Dalles of the Columbia;
but here were seen a party of emigrants--men, women, and children--all
in good health, and living largely on potatoes, which even then were
raised here of good quality and in some quantity.
All the trading-posts in the Oregon country were still controlled
by the Hudson’s Bay people, but all received Fremont cordially, and
helped him on his way. They crossed John Day’s river, the Des Chutes,
called by Fremont Rivière aux Chutes. At the Dalles was a comfortable
settlement: “Two good-looking wooden dwelling houses, and a large
school house, with stables, barn and garden, and large cleared fields
between the houses and the river bank, on which were scattered the
wooden huts of an Indian village.” Here the party again divided,
Fremont leaving a part of his people at the Dalles with Carson, while
he and Mr. Preuss went on down the river by canoe.
The new mode of travel seemed very delightful to men who had been for
months journeying on foot and on horseback over a rough country. It was
very pleasant to float along down the broad stream, camping from time
to time to build their fires, and cook the fat salmon, and potatoes and
coffee, which they had, with bread and sugar--luxuries to which they
had long been strangers. It was a motley group, but a contented one.
Three Indians assisted in paddling the canoe, while the commander of
the expedition, the German, Preuss, the Frenchman, Bernier, and the
colored man, Jacob, floated onward to the sea. Fremont’s eagerness to
reach Fort Vancouver led him to travel during a part of each night; and
for the greater part of the voyage they had beautiful weather, made
good progress, and enjoyed the wonderful scenery. They were now in
sight of the splendid Cascade range, and of the towering peaks of Mount
Hood, St. Helens, and, later, Mount Rainier. As they passed on down the
river the hills grew lower, and presently, one night, they heard the
noise of a sawmill at work on the bank, and camped not far from Fort
Vancouver. Here, Dr. McLaughlin, the executive officer of the Hudson’s
Bay Company for the territory West of the Rocky Mountains, received the
travellers with that courtesy and hospitality for which he was so well
known, and concerning which all those who passed through the region in
early days spoke with so much gratitude.
About the fort were many American emigrants, some of them in a more or
less destitute condition, but all of them supplied with the necessaries
of life by the kindly Hudson’s Bay officer, who allowed them to pay for
what they had by their labor.
From Dr. McLaughlin Fremont procured three months’ provisions, and
through his kindness was enabled also to secure men and boats to
transport these provisions up the river to the camp of his main party
at the Dalles. The return journey was slow with the laden boats, for
they were obliged to cordelle the Mackinaw along the shore, being
unable to overcome the swift water by their oars.
From the Dalles it was Fremont’s purpose to go South, on the West
side of the Cascade range, as far as Klamath Lake--by Fremont written
Tlamath Lake; thence south to the reputed Buenaventura River, which
is said to empty into San Francisco Bay; thence across the desert to
the Rocky Mountains, opposite the headwaters of the Arkansas River,
and there, crossing the mountains, to follow down the Arkansas to
Bent’s Fort, and so back to St. Louis. Much of this region had never
been passed over by a surveyor. To make this trip at the beginning of
winter, the party consisted of twenty-five men, with one hundred and
four mules and horses, and a few California cattle, to be driven along
as food for the company.
After leaving the Dalles, Fremont’s whole party were occupied in making
the necessary preparations for the start into this new region. Horses
were purchased, provisions accumulated, all unnecessary baggage cut
out and left behind, and the little wagon which had hitherto carried
the instruments given to the mission. The howitzer, however, was to be
taken with them. Here a Chinook Indian, nineteen years old, who had
expressed a desire to see the whites, was permitted to join the party.
They started November 25 and followed along the plateau on the east
flanks of the Cascade range, and so on the western side of the Fall
River. The weather was cold and the streams frozen along the edges,
while snow lay on the ground. When the sky cleared superb views were
had of Mounts St. Helens, Hood, Rainier, Jefferson and other mountains
of what is now called the Presidential range. The weather grew
colder and the road more rough, it being over volcanic plains, often
interrupted by deep gulches or stream valleys. They were now passing
through the country of the Nez Percé, the Cayuse, and certain tribes
of Diggers, and from their Indian guides heard more or less alarming
accounts of the fierceness and treachery of the Indians before them.
December 10 they reached Klamath Lake and saw smoke arising from
different points about it. Here, for the purpose of encouraging their
guides, who evidently felt very shaky about the local Indians, and
alarming the latter, Fremont caused the howitzer to be fired with a
shell, and tells that “the bursting of the shell at a distance, which
was something like a second fire of the gun, amazed and bewildered them
with delight. It inspired them (the guides) with triumphant feelings,
but on the camps at a distance the effect was different, for the smokes
in the lake and on the shores immediately disappeared.”
The next day Fremont set out to look up the Indians, and before long
came near to a village from which two people were seen advancing to
meet them.
“We were surprised, on riding up, to find one of them a woman, having
never before known a squaw to take any part in the business of war.
They were the village chief and his wife, who, in excitement and alarm
at the unusual event and appearance, had come out to meet their fate
together. The chief was a very prepossessing Indian, with very handsome
features, and a singularly soft and agreeable voice--so remarkable as
to attract general notice.
“The huts were grouped together on the bank of the river, which, from
being spread out in a shallow marsh at the upper end of the lake, was
collected here into a single stream. They were large, round huts,
perhaps twenty feet in diameter, with rounded tops, on which was the
door by which they descended into the interior. Within, they were
supported by posts and beams.
“Almost like plants these people seemed to have adapted themselves to
the soil, and to be growing on what the immediate locality afforded.
Their only subsistence at this time appeared to be a small fish, great
quantities of which, that had been smoked and dried, were suspended on
strings about the lodge. Heaps of straw were lying around, and their
residence in the midst of grass and rushes had taught them a peculiar
skill in converting this material to useful purposes. Their shoes were
made of straw or grass, which seemed well adapted for a snowy country,
and the women wore on their heads a closely woven basket, which made a
very good cap. Among other things were parti-colored mats about four
feet square, which we purchased to lay on the snow under our blankets
and to use for table-cloths.
“Numbers of singular-looking dogs, resembling wolves, were sitting on
the tops of the huts, and of these we purchased a young one, which,
after its birthplace, was named Tlamath. The language spoken by these
Indians is different from that of the Shoshone and Columbia River
tribes, and otherwise than by signs they cannot understand each other.
They made us comprehend that they were at war with the people who lived
to the southward and to the eastward, but I could obtain from them no
certain information. The river on which they live enters the Cascade
Mountains on the western side of the lake, and breaks through them by
a passage impracticable for travellers, but over the mountains to the
northward are passes which present no other obstacle than in the almost
impenetrable forests. Unlike any Indians we had previously seen these
wore shells in their noses. We returned to our camp, after remaining
here an hour or two, accompanied by a number of Indians.”
Like many other persons since that time, Fremont was much impressed
by the attractions of Klamath Lake, and he stopped here a short time
to rest his animals. From this point on there were no maps, and
practically nothing could be learned of the country from the Indians,
although they drew rough maps in the effort to direct the explorers.
The road before them was hard and difficult, much of it through heavy
forest, made hard to travel by fallen trees, and by snow, which was
constantly growing deeper. After two or three very laborious and most
uncertain days, they came suddenly to the edge of a precipice, from
which they could look over into a green and sunshiny valley below,
partly filled by a great lake, which, from its appearance, Fremont
called Summer Lake. It stands so on the map to-day. The descent from
the mountain was a difficult one, but at last a way was found. It was
impossible, however, to reach the shores of the lake, on account of
the deep mud. However, streams of good water were passed at sufficient
intervals. They had now left the forest behind them, and their fuel
consisted of willow twigs and sage brush. A little farther along
another lake was approached, called Lake Abert, after Colonel Abert,
then the Chief of Engineers. The water of this lake, however, was very
bad. Everywhere about this lake were signs of Digger Indians, and about
this time they came upon a broad trail over which horses had passed.
Most of the country was sterile, and as they crossed the mountains,
from the watershed of these lakes, they found snow a foot deep.