Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/195

Rh across the grand valley of the "River of the West" to Mt. Hood and Mt. Baker. Ah, what a glorious sight it was.

In Oregon—That was what I felt as I looked across the upper valley of the Columbia. I passed my twenty-second birthday as one of a party of six, without a particle of food among us and our means of barter with the natives getting very low. We passed the trail to Whitman's and thereby missed seeing Whitman and his noble wife—the first home-builders of the conquering race in Oregon.

When we got to the Umatilla a single Indian came to us with about 20 pounds of potatoes, which he offered to us for a shirt. The proposition suited, but we had few spare shirts; one of the party had, however, a good, clean, checked shirt which he had not worn on the trip; the young man eagerly made the exchange and went with it toward the brush, out of which two young women emerged and examined his purchase. The one we supposed was his wife held it up and perceiving that it showed wear on the shoulders began to jeer at him for being a bad trader. We had mounted to ride on, but they rode in among us demanding the return of the potatoes; but we needed food and believing that the garment was ample pay, said no. The man who had made the trade attempted to take the sack but threw it on the ground and looked into the muzzle of a gun before he concluded that a trade was a trade. Next morning a couple of horses were missing and a party of Indians came to our camp offering to find them for a blanket; we made them understand that we were acquainted with their methods of getting clothing and did not pay for lost horses that way. We were delayed about an hour and met General M. M. McCarver near the mouth of the Umatilla. He was that far east with a liberal supply of provisions for his family whom he expected to meet on the way. Mr. Daniel Holman was with him and an old Indian from The Dalles, the owner of the six horses the party had. This man was evidently distrustful of the local Indians in regard to horses, and he had need to be, for the fishing villages were gathering points for