Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/269

 John Work's Journey to Umpqua River, 1834 247 plain of fine soil, and different from the country we passed through three days past by being a dead level. It appears a fine rich soil. The plain continues on without interruption except a few trees along some small streams, on to the mountains to the Westward and is capable of yielding pasture for immense herds of cattle, for in places it is several miles wide. On the North side of the river the plains also continue on to the mountains, as well as along the Faladin fork. The banks of the river are clothed with a little timber, principally pine with a mixture of oak & some other trees. This wood here & there juts in points out to the [191] Plain, and there are patches of oak here & there. To the Southward of this plain on the S side of the river, a range of low green hills extend, with a few oak trees upon them, and would be a fine pasturage for sheep. The river has generally steep clayey banks, & is difficult to approach on account of the underwood, and can only be crossed at some places wherever traversed. It runs over a bed of soft rotten sandstone, and many of the horses fell descending the the lower part of the slop- ing bank which is also composed of these stones. This & the river which we crossed yesterday morning are the only places we have seen stones since we started. Where we crossed there is a rapid, but from the formation of the river it would be difficult to make it secure for mill- stream [?] The hunters were out. P. Lagere killed a deer. Sunday May 31. Fine & warm, cool at night & heavy dew in the morning. Continued our route 6% hours Comments May 31. Camp apparently was on Luckiamute River, which the diary calls "second fork from the Yamhill." The first "fork" was Rickreall River. The route passed the sites of later McCoy, Dallas and Monmouth. The "lake" is one mile south of Perrydale.