Page:All Over Oregon and Washington.djvu/172

166 . Even when we Lave come opposite to the open plains, there is still a screen of trees between us and them.

It is apparent that most of the level country lies on the eastern side of the river, and that a chain of hills crosses the west side of the valley transversely. Some of the high, rolling land of the west side offers beautiful farm-sites, preferable for their splendid views and sunny exposures to the level plains. Fruit, it is understood, does better upon these farms than upon those of the prairie.

Steaming along up at rather a low rate of speed, there is little to entertain the traveler, except the frequent windings, the luxuriant vegetation of the river-banks, and observations on the current, which is often miles between Portland and Eugene City, at the head of high-water navigation on the Wallamet. This being true, rapids might reasonably be looked for in this river. At no place, except at Oregon City, is navigation seriously impeded by them; but very frequently they give the shallow, narrow hull of our boat all it can do to make its way against them. The water is beautifully clear, and the bed of the stream has a gravelly bottom.

Mention should be made of Champoeg, the French-Canadian settlement of the retired servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, on the east side of the river, twelve or fifteen miles above Oregon City. It was here that the "Organic Laws" were adopted by a majority of the Oregon settlers, in May, 1843, and a Provisional Government erected, to last until such time as the United States Government should see fit to acknowledge Oregon as one of her Territories.