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Show [ 17.t ] 184 To the emigrants to Oregon, the ~ cz. Perc6 is ~ point of int~rest, as being, to those who choo e it, the termmauon of thou· overland JOUrney. The broad expanse of the river here invites thmn to embark on its bosom. and the lofty trees of the forest furnish the means of doing so. ' From the So nth Pass to this place is about 1,000 miles ; and as it is about the same distance from that pass to the Missouri river at the month of the Kansas, it may be assumed that 2,000 mil~s is the ntccss~n·.'l( land travel in crossino- fi·om tbc United States to the Pacdic ocean on thLs ltne. From the mouth ~f the Great Platte it would be about 100 miles less. Mr. J.VIcKiulcv, the commander of the post, recei vcd us with great civility; and both to. my elf, .and the he~Js .of ~he cmigran ts who. were there at the time, eA.tcnueu the ntes of hospttaltty u1 a cotnfortable Jmner to which he invited us. By a meridional altitude of the sun, the on! y observation that the weather permitted us to obtain, the mouth of the W ulah walah river is in latitnde 46° 03' 46"; and, by the road we had travelled, 612 miles from Fort Hall. At the time of our arrival, a considerable body of the emigrants under the direction of Mr. Applegate, a man of considerable resolution and energy, had nearly completed the building of a number of Mackinaw boats, in which they proposed to continue their fnrther voyage down the Columbia. I had seen, in descending the Walah walah river, a fine drove of several huudred cattle, which they had exchanged for Californian cattle, to be received at Vancouver, and which are considered a very inferior breed. The olher portion of the omigration had preferrPd to complete their journey by land along the banks of the Colnrr.bia, ta kin ·their stock and wagons with them. Having reinforced our animals wun eight fresh horses, hired from the post, and increased our stock of provisions with dried salmon, potatoes, and a little beef, we resumed our journey down the left bank of the Columbia, being guided on our road by an intelligent Indian boy, whom I had en· gaged to accompany ns as far as the Dalles. The sketch of a rock which we passed in the course of the morning is annexed, to show the manner in which the basaltic rock, which constitutes the geological ~ormation of the Columbia valley, now presents itself . . From an elevated pomt over which the road led, w c obtained another far v1ew of Mount Hood, lSO.llliles distant. We obtained on the river bank an obser· vation of the snn at noon, which gave for the latitude 45° 58' 08". The co_untry to-day was very unprepo. sessing, and our road bad; and us we to1led ~lowly along through deep loose sands, and over fragments oF black volcamc rock, our laborious travellino- was strono-ly contrasted w1th the 'd 5 ~ap1 p~·ogress of Mr. Applegate's fleet of boats, whb ich suddenly cam~ gI 1'd • mg SWiftly down the broad river which here chanced to be trauqwl and smoot~. At evening we encamp~d on the river bank, where tllero was very httle grass, and less timber. We frequently met Indiaus on the road, and they were collected at every favorable spot along the river. October 29.-The road continued along the river, and in the course of t~e. day Mouut 't. Helens, au other snowy peak of' the Cascade range,,:v~s VIstble .. We crossed the Umatiluh river at a falluear its month. Ih~s strea~ ls of the same class as tho Walah walah river with a bed of volcamc rock, Ill places f\plit into fissures. Onr encampment' was similar to that of yesterday~ there was very little O'rass aud uo wood. The Indians brought us so me p 1· . 1 . tl ' wcc or sa e, wluch were pu rchu~rtl to make our firrs. , d October 31.-By observation, our camp is in latitude 45° 00 ' 05 ' au . .· I· . - I· . I . I .· , __ L . . . !" . .. ~ · ~ > H p:: "< ·P=~ - ~- ~ ~ 0 0 ~ ~ E-1 z 0 · E-4 ~ · < en < ~ ~ < z ~ p H C>. ~ ~ 0 |