Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/109

 small herd behind the pack train, and, it is elsewhere said, often had come into camp after dark, tired and supperless. The Jason Lee party of missionaries had driven cattle through from the Missouri in 1834.

From this camping place (in Oregon, near Nyssa) to La Grande the party followed closely the trail used by the Indians, which became the Oregon trail of the pioneers a few years later. When riding along the highway nearby, one can probably now see the marks left by their wagon wheels when crossing the ridge toward Vale on Malheur River. A hiatus exists in the journal of Mrs. Whitman during the next three days. The trails of those days are indicated in the letter of Mr. Gray, already mentioned, as follows:

"23rdOff 7½ A M go 16 miles do west Noon on a little streame called Amalago [Malheur] go 11 miles N.W. camp at a spring on a hill all the water to be found for 20 miles; make 26 miles.

"24thWe Nooned on Snake River and camped on Brula; course 12 miles to S[nake] River West of North to Brula or Burnt River 11 miles, to Noon our trail beeing along the sides of the Mountain and only wide enough for a single animal to pass winding around and along steep presipisses and among the rocks which scarcely permits the foot of man or beast to secure a firme foot hold, while passing along. In the afternoon we made 11 miles more over hills that I should thought impossible to pass in N.Y. ascending and decending and winding around points of hill and rocks 22 miles We camped on a little streame that we gave the name of Division streame, the 26th 12 miles from last camp on Brula, at this place we left Mr. Spalding and our animals that were almost exhausted with the fatigues of the 2 last days with the men Dr W & wife and my self taking 3 pack animals and our horses continued on with Mr MCloud."

The track or trail up Burnt River (Brule) is described in the journals of many pioneers as the most difficult and exhaustive of the entire journey from the Missouri. Just above Durkee station, on the Union Pacific Railroad, this trail turned to the right over the mountain ridge to what is known as Virtue Flat; thence down hill to Powder River Valley at the Lone Tree, a