Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/256



248 JASON LEE

peaceable. They subsist at present on Salmon which have just commenced running. The Salmon go no higher than here. We purchased some dried and some fresh. They are most excellent being quite fat. The dried make good food without cooking at all. For two fish hooks I could get a fish that would weigh 12 or 14 pounds. Many of the males are entirely naked with the exception of a breech clout. The females have some skins about them but boys of 12 years are naked as they were born.

These Indians look healthy and are very fleshy and like all others that I have seen are fond of smoking. Our cows ex- cited a great curiosity among them being the first probibly that they ever saw. Some of them like their horses seemed to be afraid of them. The grass was so poor we were obliged to send the horses back 5 or 6 mi. to get food. It was with great difficulty that we could prevent the Indian dogs from devouring our fish.

Tues. August 12, 1834. Started at half past 8 o'clock and passed immediately through the Indian camp and men women and children came out to take a view of us as we passed.

The falls here are very beautiful.

The greatest fall is say 6 feet but the river is rapid for a long distance. Arrived at camp with the cows at Y-2. past 3 o'clock having traveled say 23 mi. over nearly barren hills and sand plains. The river is very swift all the way and many places rapid. It is truly beautiful and : it is the only beautiful object that I have seen to-day for I have seen so many naked rocky and barren sandy mountains that they have lost their power to charm. We are now drawing near the vast Pacific and I rejoice that few weeks with our usual prosperity will find us at Ft. Van Couver. How strikingly the Provi- dence of God has been manifested in furnishing us with food and preserving us from all harm through all the clangers which we have passed. O that our gratitude may keep pace with his mercies, "Bless the Lord o my soul."