Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/115

 streams. Next day's travel will be perhaps the most eventful of the western journey.

"29th Had a continuation of the same scenery as yesterday afternoon. Rode over many logs an obstruction that we had not found in our way since we left the states. Here I frequently met old acquaintances, in the trees & flowers & was not a little delighted. Indeed I do not know as I was ever so much affected with any scenery in my life. The singing of birds the echo of the voices of my fellow travelers, as they were scattered through the woods, all had a strong resemblance to bygone days. But this scene was of short duration. Only one day. Before noon we began to descend one of the most terrible mountains for steepness & length I have yet seen. I[t] was like winding stairs in its decent & in some places almost perpendicular. We were a long time descending it The horses appeared to dread the hill as much as we did. They would turn & wind in a zigzag manner all the way down. The men usually walked but I could not get permission to, neither did I desire it much. We had no sooner gained the foot of the mountain when another more steep & dreadful was before us. We did not mount this untill we had taken some refreshment & rest. Our ride this afternoon exceeded everything we have had yet & what rendered it the more aggravating the path all the way was very stony resembling a newly McAdamized road. Our horses feet were very tender, all unshod, so that we could not make that proggress we wished. The mountains in many places was covered with this black broken basals. We were late in making camp tonight After ascending the mountain immediately after dinner, we kept upon the main divide untill sunset, looking in vain for water and a camping place. While upon this elevation, we had a view of the valley of the Columbia river. It was beautiful. Just as we gained the highest elevation & began to decend, the sun was dipping his disk behind the western horizon. Beyond the valley we could see two distant Mountains Mount Hood & Mount St. Helens. These lofty peaks were of a conical form & seperate from each other by a considerable distance. Behind the former the Sun was hiding part of his rays which gave us a more distinct view of this gigantic cone. The beauty of this extensive valley