Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/392

 stated that, they had overtaken old Peter Lassen and a portion of his party, lost in the mountains and half starved. That very evening we overtook Lassen and half of his party in the condition described by Lovejoy. In abou teight days after we had first seen Lassen's road, we had overtaken him.

Peter Lassen had met the incoming immigration that fall, and had induced the people belonging to ten wagons to come by his new route. This route he had not previously explored. He only had a correct idea of the courses, and some general knowledge of the country through which they must pass. So long as this small party were traveling through prairies, or open woods, they could make fair progress; but the moment they came to heavy timber, they had not force enough to open the road. After reaching the wide strip of timber already mentioned, they converted their ten wagons into ten carts, so that they could make short turns, and thus drive around the fallen timber. This they found a slow mode of travel. One half of the party became so incensed against Lassen that his life was in great danger The whole party had been without any bread for more than a month, and had during that time lived alone on poor beef. They were, indeed, objects of pity. I never saw people so worn down and so emaciated as these poor immigrants.

The people that belonged to five of the carts had abandoned them, packed their poor oxen, and left the other half of the party a short time before we reached those that remained with the other five carts and with Lassen. We gave them plenty of provisions, and told them to follow us, and we would open the way ourselves. Of course, they greatly rejoiced. How their sunken eyes sparkled with delight! Our pilot, Thomas McKay, overtook an old woman on foot, driving before her a packed oxen down a long, steep hill. When he approached near to her, he