Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/334

 312 Charles Henry Carey Wednesday, 20. We start early and by noon are over the Dechutes River. This river we cross in a canoe and swim the horses. It is evident there is no peculiar tact a t in our leader. We are now beyond the knowl- edge of any of our company; only about fifteen miles from our starting place; discouragements are rapidly increasing. I wish we were back again. We are now told by an Indian that the John Day River on the wagon route is impassable, and that there is no canoe there to help us over, and that if we go on, we must take the old pack trail. We leave the Dechutes River between twelve and one; and after passing about three miles, we come to where the wagon and pack trails divide. Bro. Brewer leads on the way by pursuing the pack trail; in about one mile the path leads along on the side of a steep and somewhat high mountain in a fearful manner, Sister Brewer's courage fails ; Bro. Brewer and the Indian boys go along for some time on the sideling road, carrying the children. Mrs. B. pauses or halts, Mrs. Gary and myself also stop ; in a little while, Bro. B. returns and endeavors to persuade us to go on; Mrs. B. perhaps would have yielded, but Mrs. Gary and myself conclude with some firmness not to go any further on the old trail ; so after some consultation, we agree to return to the wagon route and take it, and go as far as John Day river, and if we find it impossible then to turn about and return to the Dalls. We act according to this arrangement and ride for perhaps seven or eight miles without seeing a tree or a drop of water ; no prospect of fuel and knowing nothing how far to water; we send Bro. B. ahead to see if he can find water; while he is gone, cold, weary, hungry and dirty, we halt and conclude to spend the night without fire and without water. Here Mrs. G. and myself make up our minds to return to the Dalls as soon as practicable. After a while Bro. B. returns and reports he finds water at John Day's river, and thinks it five or six miles to it; we report to him our conclusion to start early in