Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/193

 Diary of Rev. George H. Gary 173 write. We have a tent by ourselves, and enjoy ourselves tolerably well. Contentment and patience, what a treas- ure ! We are not able to make any calculations when we shall proceed ; about four p. m. we start and run perhaps an hour very pleasantly ; put up for the night little above Cape Horn, in full view of a mountain, perhaps four thousand feet high, illuminated by thousands of torches ; the most splendid exhibit of fire works I ever saw ; it is a time of a very great fire; thousands of trees up this mountain were in a splendid blaze, and ever and anon the report of a falling tree like distant cannon. Saturday, 28. Beautiful state of wind and water for us to descend the river ; but there is so much smoke as to hide the sun and darken the river so we were for a while lost. But we finally passed on and camped near Fort Vancouver; fire prevailing in almost every direction. Sunday, 29. Spent in Camp. Had meeting. Monday, 30. Today call at the Fort; then pass on, put up for the night on the banks of the Willamette. [1844] Tuesday, October 1. Today, reach the falls. Wednesday, 2. Attend court as a spectator. Doct. Babcock judge. Indeed it looks quite like a land of law and order. One criminal fined for sending a challenge to fight a duel, $500, and deprived of his eligibilities to any office of trust or profit ; also of the privilege of voting at any election; he was drawn as a juror before the grand jury brought in a bill against him; by order of the court his name was stricken from the list of jurors. Thursday, 3. In counsel today what had better be done with our book accounts which amount to more than $20,000. Friday, 4. Busy in writing. Bro. Perkins is here on his way to the states. Saturday, 5. Day spent in reading and writing. Sabbath, 6. Preached to about 35 hearers. Bro. Per- kins does not attend meeting today at all; as yet I am unable to even guess the reason.