[1]. As the fish go up the river to spawn, this is evidently a slip of the pen for "ascend."
We walked for about three miles, until we had passed the Cascades, and then took another little steamer which was to carry us to the Dalles. The scenery above is similar to that which we had already passed. In one place the mountains seem to come down to the river, ending in a huge rock perfectly steep, which has received the name of Cape Horn. Above, the precipices are covered with fir and white cedar; two small cascades, like silver lines, leap from point to point for a distance of one hundred and fifty feet, while below, in the deep shadow the waters seem to sweep around the rocks with a sullen sound. About ten at night we reached the end of our journey.
The post at the Dalles possesses none of the outward attractions of scenery which distinguish that of Vancouver. Its principal recommendation is its healthiness. The buildings are badly arranged, having been planned and erected some years ago by the Mounted Rifles, when they were stationed in Oregon. The officers' quarters are on the top of a hill, and the barracks for the men some distance further down, as if the officers intended to get as far from them as possible. There is a want of compactness, and as there is no stockade—nothing in the shape of a fortification—in case of an outbreak by any hostile tribe of Indians, the post might easily be surprised. At this time, two Companies of the 4th Infantry were stationed there under the command of Major Rains.
Here I spent a week very much as I had done at Vancouver. During this time we were enlivened by a visit from Governor Stevens, the Governor of Washington Territory. He was on his way to the interior of the Indian country—to Walla-Walla—in connection with the Indian Commissioners, to hold a Grand Council, to which he had summoned the tribes far and near. For some time they have been restless, numerous murders of emigrants crossing the plains, have occurred, and it is deemed necessary by the Government to remove some of the tribes to Reservations which have been selected for them. The object of this Council was, therefore, to propose to them the purchase of their territory—a proposition which it was expected, (as it afterwards proved,) would be received by some tribes with violent opposition. Governor Stevens had therefore stopped to request a small body of troops to be sent on to meet him at the Council ground, to act as escort to the Commissioners, and also to guard the presents which were to be forwarded for distribution among the Indians.
A Lieutenant and about forty men were therefore detailed by Major Rains for this duty, to which were added two half-breeds to act as packers, and a Cayuse Indian, who was to officiate as guide. This worthy, from having been shot in the mouth in a fight with the Snake Indians, rejoiced in the soubriquet of Cut-mouth John. Wounds are said to be honorable, particularly when received in front, but this was certainly not ornamental, for it had given him a dreadful distortion of visage.
On the invitation of the young commander of the expedition, I agreed to accompany it. The choice of this officer indeed held out every promise of a pleasant time. Lieutenant Archibald Gracie, in addition to his high qualifications as a soldier and gentleman, (traits which he shares in common with the other officers of the post,) had for my purpose the advantage of our cadet life together for a while at West Point, which gave us a common topic and ground of interest in the past. Many an evening, therefore, have we spent lying before our camp fire, out on the still plains or by the rushing waters of the Umatilla, talking over these recollections or discussing the probable fortunes of those who were with us in the House of Bondage.
Our preparations were soon made, for army expeditions do not allow much time for packing of trunks. The command was mounted, some fifteen pack mules added to carry the camp equipage, and about noon, May 18th, we bid farewell to the officers and rode away from the Dalles. Our course during the afternoon was through the Des Chutes Valley, an admirable country for grazing, as the temperature is such that cattle can be kept out for the whole year and always find subsistence. It was formerly the place where the Hudson Bay Company raised all the best horses they used. The country appears, however, from the absence of timber, to be waste and desolate, though the soil is said to be rich and admirably adapted to agriculture. After passing the little river of Des Chutes, we found some springs near the Columbia and encamped, having advanced about twenty miles.
Our arrangements for sleeping were soon made. We carried no tents, so that a buffalo robe and a blanket formed all our bedroom furniture. This did well enough on pleasant nights, but when it rained, it required some skill to take refuge under the buffalo robe in such a way as to keep dry, and not to wake up finding one's self lying in a pool of water. As soon as we encamped, fires were made by the soldiers and the cooking commenced. Our suppers indeed, were not very sumptuous, the invariable bill of fare being, bacon, hard biscuit and a cup of coffee. Yet a long day's ride would supply the appetite, and after the horses were picketed and we were sitting cosily by the fire or were lying down watching the stars above us, with no sound on the wide plain but the measured tread of our sentinel, there was a degree of freedom about it far more pleasant than the conventional life of cities.
Saturday, May 9th.—We were up early this morning with the intention of making a long march, but were disappointed, as some of our animals had strayed off. There being no Indians in the neighborhood, they had been turned out loose. Men had to be sent out to hunt them up, and it was near eleven o'clock before the command was ready to march. However, we improved on the previous day, going twenty-five miles. During the morning, we reached John Day's River. This, so called from a hunter who was one of the original members of Mr. Astor's enterprise, it took us some time to cross, as the water was high, and all the pack mules had to be unloaded and their packs taken across in a canoe. We went into camp about five o'clock.