Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/180

 miles over a ridge brought us to a valley with numerous springs. We traveled down the valley three or four miles, and over a sidling, stony ridge, to the top of the Grande Ronde hill, then down a long, steep- sidling to Grande Ronde valley. Here we found and passed some of our advanced company repairing a broken wagon. Eight miles across the head of the valley brought us to a small creek at the foot of the hill, where the road leaves the valley. Here we camped on good grass, water and wood. The surroundings here are most delightful. We found Cayuse Indians here, with peas, and potatoes for sale. All well.

August 21.—This day we traveled eleven miles. Where we started the road led up a very long, very steep, stony hill, hard to climb. It then winds along about one mile to the top of the hill. From here it was hilly with groves of scattering pines for five miles, then down a long, steep, stony hill, to Grande Ronde river. The stream here is about fifty feet wide, with clear water running over a nice pebbly bottom. The valley is very narrow, being only about sufficient for a wagon roadbed. Here we crossed and followed up the stream four hundred yards to where we begin to climb the Blue mountains. Here we nooned. This afternoon we climbed a very steep hill, to the top of a ridge, distance half mile, then up the ridge one mile and a half, then over a piny ridge, two miles, to where we enter a level branch land heavily timbered with fir and tamarack. Here we camped for the first time in the long-looked-for pine woods of Oregon.

August 22.—This day our road has been very rough, first a up a long hill, where we had to double teams, then down a long ridge to a dry branch, then up another long ridge and down a steep hill to another dry branch. Here we had to double teams again, to get onto the next ridge along the side of which we traveled five miles. Here we camped on the ridge and drove down into a deep hollow to water and grass. We had to carry water half a mile up a very steep hill to camp. We are now in the Blue