Nez Percé mode of computing numbers

Naks	1	Putimpt wah wimatat	18
Lapit	2	Putimpt wah kuis	19
Mitat	3	Laptit	20
Pilapt	4	Laptit wah naks	21
Pahat	5	Mitaptit	30
Wilaks	6	Piloptit	40
Winapt	7	Pakaptit	50
Wimatat	8	Wilaksaptit	60
Kuis	9	Winaptit	70
Putimpt	10	Wimitaptit	80
Putimpt wah naks	11	Kuisaptit	90
Putimpt wah lapit	12	Putaptit	100
Putimpt wah mitat	13	Laposhus	200
Putimpt wah pilapt	14	Mitoshus	300
Putimpt wah pahat	15	Pelaposhus	400
Putimpt wah wilaks	16	Pakoshus	500
Putimpt winapt	17

[TABLE OF DISTANCES FROM INDEPENDENCE,
MISSOURI; AND ST. JOSEPH, TO
OREGON CITY, IN OREGON
TERRITORY]

		MILES
From	Independence to Rendezvous	20
"	Rendezvous to Elm Grove	13
"	Elm Grove to Walkarusha	20
"	Walkarusha to crossing of Kansas river	28
"	Kansas to crossing of Turkey creek	14
"	Turkey creek to Little Vermilion	24
"	Little Vermilion to branch of same	12
"	To Big Vermilion, with intermediate camps	29
"	Vermilion to Lee's branch	8
"	Lee's branch to Big Blue	6
"	Big Blue to the junction with St. Joseph's trail	10
The distance from St. Joseph, Missouri, to the Independence trail, striking it ten miles west of Blue river, is about one hundred miles. Good camps can be had from eight to fifteen miles apart.

From	forks of road as above, to Big Sandy, striking it near its junction with the Republican Fork of Blue river, with intermediate camps	42
"	Sandy to Republican fork of Blue river	18
"	up Republican fork, with good camps	53
"	Republican fork to Big Platte	20
"	up Big Platte to the crossing of South fork	120
Camps can be had at suitable distances, with wood for fuel upon the islands.
From	lower to upper crossings of South fork	45
There is a road on each side of the river, and but little choice in them.
From	South to North fork, at Ash Hollow	20
"	Ash Hollow to opposite Solitary Tower, on Little creek	42
"	Little creek to opposite Chimney rock	16
"	Chimney Rock to where the road leaves the River	15
"	thence to Scott's Bluffs (Good Spring)	10
"	Scott's Bluffs to Horse creek	12
"	Horse creek to Fort Laramie	24
"	Laramie to Dry Branch and Big Spring	12
"	to Bitter Cottonwood	10
To	Willow Branch	7
"	Horse Shoe Creek	7
"	River	8
Thence	to where the Road leaves the River	8
To	Big Timber creek	16
"	Marble creek	5
"	Mike's-head creek	12
"	the River, crossing several streams	10
"	Deer creek	6
Thence	to crossing of North fork of Platte	25
From	crossing of Platte to Spring	10
Thence	to Mineral Springs (bad camp)	8
"	Willow Spring (good camp)	5
"	Independence Rock on Sweet Water	22
"	Devil's Gate	5
Up	Sweet Water to South Pass (good camps)	104
Over the dividing ridge to Pacific Spring, the waters of which run into Green river		5
Here, Hail Oregon!
From	Spring to Little Sandy	20
Here the road forks, the southern trail going by way of Bridger's Old Fort, and thence to Bear river. The northern (which is two and a half days less driving) strikes Green river about forty miles above the southern trail; I will give the distance on both routes.
The	northern route, from Little Sandy to Big Sandy	6
From	Big Sandy to Green river (No water and but little grass between.)	40
"	thence to Bear river, (with good camps,)	64
On the southern route:—
From	Little Sandy to Big Sandy	12
Down	Big Sandy to Green river	24
Cross	Green river and down	8
From	Green river to Black's fork	15
Up	Black's fork to Bridger's Old Fort	30
From	Old Fort to Little Muddy (poor camp)	8
"	thence to Big Muddy (poor camp)	10
Up	Big Muddy to the dividing ridge (good camp near head of creek)	32
Over	dividing ridge to spring	10
From	spring to camp on Bear river	6
"	thence to where the northern trail comes in	10
To	Smith's fork three miles, to Narrows four miles, and thence to crossing of Bear river three miles	10
Here the road forks; the nearest is to follow up the creek two miles, cross and then go over the ridge five miles to foot of Big Hill, where the roads again unite		7
The other road crosses the river, follows up the bottom about ten miles, re-crosses and is then about seven miles to junction.
From	foot of Big Hill, to top of ridge is about	3
"	thence to Big Timber on Bear river	4
Here is a company of American traders and trappers
From	Big Timber to Soda Springs	36
"	Spring to Soda Pool seven miles, to Spring Branch three	10
"	Spring to Running Branch	9
"	thence to foot of hill	8
"	foot of hill over dividing ridge and down to camp	12
"	thence to Lewis's river bottom at Springs	18
	and to Fort Hall	5
"	Fort Hall to the crossing of Portneth	6
"	Portneth to American falls	12
"	American falls to Levey Creek	15
"	thence to Cassia creek, (here the California trail turns off)	8
"	Cassia to Big Marsh	15
"	Marsh to River	11
"	River to Goose creek four miles, seven miles to river, and twelve miles to Dry Branch, (water in pools)	23
To	Rocky Creek	8
To	crossing of Rocky creek, eight miles, down to where the road leaves the bluff of creek, seven	15
"	Salmon Falls creek	20
From	thence to Salmon falls	6
"	Falls to first crossing of Lewis river	23
"	crossing to Bois river is about	70
Camps can be had from six to fifteen miles
Down Bois river to Fort Bois (good camps)		46
Cross	Lewis river and thence to Malheur	15
"	Malheur to Birch creek, about	20
"	Birch creek to river three miles, and thence five miles to Burnt river	8
Up	Burnt river about (good camps)	26
From	where the road leaves Burnt river, to the lone pine stump in the bottom of Powder river, (the last thirteen miles no water)	28
To the crossing of Powder river		10
To Grand Round		15
Across the southern end of Grand Round		7
Up Big Hill and on to Grand Round river		8
Over the Blue Mountains to Lee's encampment		19
To Umatillo river		16
Down	Umatillo river	44
"	Columbia river to John Day's river	33
From	thence to Falls river	22
And thence to the Dalles of the Columbia		16
From	the Dalles to Oregon city, by way of wagon road south of Mount Hood about	160

Upon reaching the Columbia, emigrants should have persons in advance to select suitable places for camp ground: as the country along the river is extremely barren, and the grazing limited to small patches.

[APPENDIX]

[LETTER OF THE REV. H. H. SPALDING TO
JOEL PALMER]

(Referred to on page 126 [our page 233])

NEZ PERCÉ MISSION, CLEAR WATER RIVER,

Oregon Territory, April 7, 1846.

To Joel Palmer Esq. of Indiana.

My Dear Sir:—Agreeably to your request I most cheerfully give you my views concerning the Oregon territory, its extent, its most desirable climate, fertility of soil, rivers and mountains, seas and bays, and its proximity to one of the most extensive markets opening upon the world.

The Oregon territory is usually divided into three great divisions, the lower, middle, and upper regions. The upper includes the Rocky Mountains, with the head waters of most of the rivers running west and east, north and south, and extends west to the Blue and Spokan ranges of mountains. The lower includes the belt of country bounded on the west by the Pacific, and on the east by the Nesqually, Cascade, and California Mountains. The middle region lies between the two, and embraces probably far the greatest extent of country, and is in some respects the most desirable for settlers.

The number of rainy days, during the winter season, in the lower country, is thought to be about eighty-five one-hundredths; while the number of rainy days during the same season in the upper (or middle) country, is about fifteen one-hundredths. {166} There is but little more snow during the winter season in the middle than in the lower region of the Columbia river, or upon the plains. Of course the depth of snow upon the mountains, depends upon their height.

The lower country is subject to inundations, to a greater or less extent, from the Columbia river, which gathering into standing pools, with the great amount of vegetable decay consequent upon low prairie countries, produces to some extent unhealthy fogs during the summer season. This, however, is greatly moderated by the sea breezes from the Pacific. The middle region is entirely free from these evils, and has probably one of the most pacific, healthy, and every way most desirable climates in the world. This, with its extensive prairies, covered with a superior quality of grass tuft, or bunch grass, which springs fresh twice a year, and spotted and streaked everywhere with springs and streams of the purest, sweetest water, renders it admirably adapted to the herding system. The lower country will ever have greatly the advantage in its proximity to market, its extensive sea coast, and from the fact that it contains one of the largest and best harbors in the world, viz. Puget's sound, running far inland, the mouth of which is protected by Vancouver's island, easy of access at all seasons and under all winds.

But to go into detail. Myself and wife were appointed missionaries by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and destined to this field, and with our worthy associates, Dr. Whitman, and lady, arrived in this country in the fall of 1836. The Doctor settled among the Cayuses near fort Wallawalla, and myself at this place, where we have ever since continued to dwell. Our duties have called us to travel more or less every year to visit the distant bands and tribes, as also to pack our supplies. I have traversed this middle region in seventeen different routes, of from 60 to 300 miles. Over many of the routes I have passed probably in every month in the year, have marked the progress of vegetation from its earliest shooting forth; the effects of this climate {167} upon the animal constitution; the rapidity with which exhausted poor animals regain their flesh and activity, when turned upon the plains; and have kept tables under some of these heads, as also a meteorological table for several years.

Let me here observe that my views of the country have been materially changed by a more accurate acquaintance with its true nature. I once thought the valleys only susceptible of habitation; considering the plains too dry for cultivation. But I am now prepared to say this is not the case. The plains suffer far less from drought than the valleys, on account of the reflection of heat from the surrounding hills. The country, however, is nowhere peculiarly subject to drought, as was once thought. My place is one of the deepest valleys, and consequently the most exposed to the reflection from the high bluffs around, which rise from two to three thousand feet; but my farm, though prepared for irrigation, has remained without it for the last four years. I find the ground becomes more moist by cultivation. Three years ago I raised six hundred bushels of shelled corn from six acres, and good crops of wheat on the same piece the two following years, without irrigation. Eight years ago I raised 1500 bushels of potatoes from one acre and a half; measuring some of the bags in which they were brought to the cellars, and so judging of the whole amount. I gave every eleventh bag for digging and fetching, and kept a strict account of what every person brought, so that I was able to make a pretty accurate estimate of the whole amount. My potatoes and corn are always planted in drills.

Every kind of grain or vegetable which I have tried or seen tried in this upper country, grows well. Wheat is sown in the fall, and harvested in June at this place; at Dr. Whitman's in July, being a more open country. Corn is planted in April and ripens in July; peas the same.