Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/278

264 cattle belonging to the Indians, which were slaughtered and the meat jerked and prepared for our food on the trip. We camped here at the foot of the Blue Mountains one night, and started next morning on our perilous journey. The soldiers accompanied us up into the snows and then parted with us, wishing us a safe journey. Then, turning our faces eastward, we branched out—ten of us—the snow being from five to eight feet deep, going eight or ten miles, and camped at the summit the first night. We had a hard trip breaking the trail. One man would go ahead and break trail until he gave out and then one of the others would take his place. The first night we camped without fire and no feed for our horses—had to tie them to pine trees. The next night we made the bald hill and found feed for our horses; also found here eight head of horses. Some of the company were for taking the horses and some were opposed. Finally we concluded to leave them. The supposition was that the horses belonged to the Indians that murdered Dr. Whitman and family.

The third night out we camped on the Powder River. The snow was mostly gone except in the ravines. From that on for four or five days nothing of interest occurred until we came to Snake River. We here found the Indians with the measles. A great many of them were dying from their mode of doctoring, which was to jump into the water when they were broken out with the disease. One of our company caught the measles, John Owens by name, and we had to pack, him on a mule by fixing a bed for him. Provisions were getting short and we could not stop. As good fortune favored us, he soon got well. Nothing more of interest occurred until we arrived at Fort Hall, Captain Grant in command. He was a Hudson's Bay trader. Colonel Meek had letters from Dr. John McLoughlin to get supplies and animals if needed. Grant was absent and we could get nothing. We went on from there and the fourth day one of our horses gave out and we killed him. Colonel Meek and myself cut out some of the choice pieces to live on as we were then without anything to eat, and God only knew when we would get any more. The rest of the