Official report of the Owyhee reconnoissance : made by Lieut. Colonel C.S. Drew, 1st Oregon Cavalry, in the summer of 1864, pursuant to the orders of Brigadier George Wright, commanding Dept. of the Pacific.

Page 6

. -- - ·· ·- ·---·- -- 1\llnclmJ llin1, 11o1· <:onld h·: discov '1' a11)' vt'l'tigc or gign ol' lh<' prop ' I ty he th c·n lost; nud l'u1·thc1' ho ur!{c•l t h1\t thl':-.C lnd i1u1~ should not be in nny wny held cH·eountal,}u for whl\t trnnRpirl'd bc~yond tlH·i1· limit ~ on the 24th of .June. \Vo rcturucd to ca1np Sali)lfiCd O( the iiiii0CCI1CI! Of thC'~C JmJ 1\IIM as to tbc matters churgctl, aed on tlH! fol· owing morning I madll such chiJilg-es in the comm11nd. u1uJ n•t-~p('(;ting the ndminiH· tratilm of nlf'uir·s at Fort K Ia math n~ woulu prevent tho Cl'l'nting of lndittn ui!Ti· cuJti('l-11 t\1111 the COIISCfJIICilL fuilurc or llw rccon noiH!!Il nee. PuFsing out. of Hprague's river Y111ley in " southcn~terly direction we cros11eu th<' Oool'lc Luke Mountl\ins through n wi1lc nncl t>rnoblh gap, nucl by t\ 11 :\AY grudc, und rntcrcfl n !IIlla II fine Tull(•y !\ituatc<l to I h<' wc~ twMd uf the northern extremity of ti ll! \'1\Jiey 1\I'OIInrJ the upper portion 01' <JOOSE' Luke, but hnving nn outlet into it some distance down its western border. 'l'bis little vo.llry is abont fifteen milo::~ long, bnving a. general direction from no1·th to south. nnu bas nn cxtt·emc width of Rbout eight mil e~. It lJus 1\ southern ex· posurc and n fertile soil. J ts sut-rounuingR on the not·th, east, nod west, UI'C timber­covered meunto.ins, \vhile o. low range of gra11s-covcred bills bound it on the south· "nrd, separating it from tho bo.Rin of Goose Lnl<c. It is well watered by sevcml mountain strcnms, nnd by springs, fringed witb willow, and in some places with tlle cottonwood, and is covered witb a luxuri­nnt growth of grass. Its soil excels that or Sprague's river vnlley in its general .Wnptation to ngrieultural purpo~eR. A considerable creek puts into this \'alley near ils southern extremity, from ILIIOthcr valley of al>out tuc samo si:lc, situated . -· - ....... ._. ~ ahn11L t Wl' h 't' 111 i 1,·1'1 I o I il l! Wl!St want. o•r mllw:· north or WL'l! t , ill what i:; I\11 0 \VII u:i th(· .M t>'loc etllllltry. From :\ poi11t on tltc <'nst siclc of tllo ittlc Vllll t·y~inlo which we hutl t'lltured. nnJ ubout twelve 111 ill'H l'rorn its ltrud, we <liver• gcu to tho en~ I ward, nn<1 pu11Ni 11g over some low grussy hills nucl nloug tho lmuk or l\ !<lludl mountui11 1:1trenm running iu 1' fiOillh· <.'1\Hlcrly direction. we dcsct'IHlt:d iuto GooHc J,,tJ<c ba~i11 by IL wry cu ~y gruck, throngh n rcmurlmbly tll1looth deprcl:3siou iu it!i w e~tt: ru rim. F ro111 th i~ pa~s to tho heat] of G ooeo l.ld\c, the fir~t toua· miles wn!l ucro~R n snge <l~sert thnt ex tcttdR Aou th wnnl dowo the western bon]er or tho luke us fur l\i tho eye cun sc '· From thi1:1 dC!o!CI'l to the hcnd Qf Goooo Lnkc tho aurli1cc of the country is undolu. . tin;;, though from nuy consiJon.~btc distanco it hns the nppcarauco of beiog cntil'ely leviJ!I. The uplund!l nrc generally covered with n luxuriant ~ r·o wth of ~>unch gruss, but in muny places tbe ontcroppings of lnvf\ ren­dcr3 them unfit for other tbo.n gruziog pur­poses. For these however they excel nny portion of the country yet pnss12d over. 1'he lowl11nrls nlong the numerous little Btreams, nil putting in f1·om the northward anll converging town.rds the hend of tho lnke, but geoemlly Rinkiug b c fOl'C they ranch it, nrc ex tremely f~rlile, nnu \\'flit ndapted for cultivation. A smull portion o( them. bordering imme<.liutely on tbe lnke. nrc somewhat nlko.line, but produce in muny places ~n excellent growtb of rye­grass, and other vegetation iocident to a moci~; rate alkali reg_ion. The vullcy ,is beautifully studded , with )al'go wii)OWJ allu SOIUC cottoowood tLat • • 7 fring • its HI r '111 11 1!, nrJrl tiw lJer of g,,oJ 4'11d ity i.'i nunndtutL uod '~l "Y of' rtece~:~s lli'<JU lid it~; 1101' l !if~ l'll C4 tl'l!llli ty tll~ d dtJW (I ~long itt~ t'H!il<.•ro I H•rd 1~ r. --------- N CUI' the IH!Ild or tho LC\ku thcro LL I'C SJ V· emJ hot Sprill ;_;-8-0ile Of them LLl !Ito ,J IHI (;­Iion of our rou te• with tbllt fi'Onl Hed Blu(l', 'J'l~o m.1i11 J) llrl itm uf the vuii<'Y, from itH llortlturn uxtre111i ty down lo Lht~ lake, i~ ubout twt·uty nti ltlH in length. nnd f,·om the H1rrm l\\· v;.l(if~ M uuntuin~:~ wh ich bonutl it 011 t ill' eust w i tH ww:~t<' nt rim, tho cl i~l.,utco iH ncto~.l'ly · the snn1c. l n tit is nr(;'a i~ con­tu. inl·d t,l,l: rllOML \'ultHLUic ug-ricuiLUmllund.; of the OciO;;l! Lake b.1!ii11. ' ulifornitl, to u ,,itlc, via the 1\1 .dhl!ur. Wt.S l'onnd Hlltlit.:icntly ll t>t to boi l ltlCat, tltl! Ju. d irlll ~ lm V III~ ev ith·n tly u~wd it for thu t put·· JH>Hf'. 'l'he wato1· i1:3 c:!Pa.t·. but intpt'<'g'IHLit•d wi th S<)llH! urtpultAtl\blo sn b.~t,\ n cc which filt'ltll:l n reddish iucruqtat inn nroun'l it~ r ill! ttnd nlong oithOl' s:ul3 of tLo s tt·uum:~ whil:h flows from it. Tho emission of stenm from these AlonK tuu er ~ ~1or u ~h ·> l'll of tho 1:\k! h 1w ever, thet·o i.'\ co nt~ id t· r·ub lo g<H>d g'I',IY. i rtg country, with (Ul occo."ional tract of good farm ing lund, CtlVCI'OU with luxuria11t wild clover in ndtl i r iou to s\ll the w i lu gr·fL'Is·~ corumon to tho fer tile portion f! .pf tl.Jo country. 111prings id c fl:iLJlll t. I'CHl!ru iJiiog ut u <.l istuuce of orte to ton milea, SUlall clouds of du!it for whicb it m r~y bo t•usily mistukeu. 'f,hc route fl'oru Reel Blu!f, Ouliforn iu, via l•'t. Orook, to the Uoise region, pu&s~R hctweon the Sierras uud Oooso Lnl<c. It Wl\S Oll this l'OilLO tlD I) but 0. abort d i;;. 11\nce north of (ioo!ie Lake vnlloy that tlt<J l udiaus attuckcd Tower & Qo's train, io J1cly, killing two men ancl cnpturing t hn:o N umerons creek:; nnc1 springA of g00d wntcr put into tlte eu:~t aiuu of tht! lukl! fl'Oill th~ ~ icr·r·u N f..!VIu]u M.ountttill:t. 'l'i"Jbc•r i ulsn tlb tiiHluot nlonK the buso of tho ~icrras. up their· ru.vi ~tc·s. und in many pluc~·s up their si t! ~·~:~ to lho ~111 11 1 11iL. l u tho way of guml:, untelopo uncl duer nrt! quito plcuty, nud "oltl bruiu" i:i UIOL occa· l!;t)nally. Sandhill cmnes, ducks or over·y variut.y, curlew, r.uHl111l other l'owlo iucitlcnt to Oulifomitt, ru·o ubunclt.1nt thr·oughout Lbis rogiou, nnu nloug tho strer1m iu the uppct· portion of tho vullcy we suw numerous •· signs ''of ottct·. l1 undrcd hcnu of cutllo. OLIH:r depredatit>ns of liko churacter wcro evidently committctl thr 1·e during tho sumrn,•r. Ouptu in \VaruL•r, 'l't>po!(ruplt ioi\J Enginrcr, pa~;~o~ud up on the west ~ido of Q(lose LnkP, in ltis c.xpl0ru.tion of 1 81~, but uo truc~d of bis rou to uro now visuhlo . Among· tho Sonkcs, Modoc, upper P itt nive1·, Klumuth nruJ Piuto l utliuns, Goo e Lu.ko vullcy, ot· thut portiou of it whicb lie&; to the nortltwo.rd of tho Luke, is ucu­tra. l gi'OIIlld; ucitltet· tri bo cluitning it es­pecially, bnt (•uch using it nt will t'o1· hunt­iug uud li:;lt iug, nnd go.tberiug tl.lo wi ld rye ful' wint or food . 'l'ho ltLke is emphatically nllcaliue, b n t nbouncling witb fi .,h Ollur it~ tMin inlets. lts Aurfi\CC is hoautifully uottcu CVe1·ywhcrc with fluolc~ of swu.n, ro.:;emul ing, through 1u irugr, so tMoy Huets ~.tnuot· sui!. Mii'Ug(j exitits !.Jere to nbout tho snmc ex­teo t that it docs io aod nrouod Suu J ose valley Cali torn io.. Dtuing our stay ia t bis va ll<•y there ac­cun ·e<.l oue of thoso incidents, tbnt ure uu­fot ·tuna.tely too common ou our f1·ont icr, uod often end in the inj11ry or murder of