Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 7.pdf/327

Rh came to a high, rocky spur making into the water, around which we were at first unable to pass. But after searching and examining for a long time, we at length found a place where, by cutting away the brush for a considerable distance with our hatchets and plunging through the mire and snow, we could pass around the spur. Having accomplished this, and traveled up the narrow bottom about two miles further, we again came to where the mountain neared the river. The bottom land was miry and covered with brush, and the snow was about four feet deep. Our loose animals, which were in front, were crowded into the stream by the pack animals before we were aware of the situation. We succeeded, with difficulty, in stopping the animals which were packed with our provisions, etc., and stripping off our baggage and saddles, in the snow, we drove in the rest of our animals. They all succeeded in gaining a small island near the opposite shore, just large enough to contain them, where they stayed the whole night in the snow, without anything to eat. Having kindled a large fire, and arranged our camp, our next object was to make a way by which we could cross ourselves and baggage. For this purpose we felled a tree which, not being long enough to reach, was carried down the stream: we then selected a large, tall Fir, which we cut about half off and left it until the next morning, when we finished cutting it down. In falling it broke in two about fifteen feet from the opposite shore, and the top was carried away; the main trunk, however, lodged against the upper part of a large rock, and the force of the current supported it above. From the broken end of this tree we were able to throw poles across to the opposite shore, and in this manner we constructed a way upon which we carried across our baggage.

Having repacked our horses we continued up Juba River, traveling about an East course, sometimes in the