Oregon Us 1t Il.
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Geo. Wilkes's History


The Emgrants left Independence, on the West
ern borders Of the Missouri settlements, on the
9Th Of May, IS41. The writer arrived a, Van
Couver, (ninety miles up the Columbia and
nearly opposite the mouth Of the Willamette on
the 10Th Of November, but the mass OF the emf
grants, with their cattle, were some days behino'
and did not probably reach the settlement on the
Willamette before the lst of December At all
events it is good SIX months work to traverse
with cattle and wagons the 2,Co3 miles intervening
between independence and the Willamette. IL
might be done in somewhat less time with horses
only. but the hardships OF this mode, from hunger
exposure TO s,orras, &c. are Infinitely greater
Stout men NAV endure them, though the parties OF
Faraham and Fremont respectively suffered every
thing short OF DEATH but ignorance ana waRt ol
due forecast in the one case ana unreasonable ex-
posure in the other greatly aggravated ther sufier-
ings. The present route Is shorter and easier tnan
that traversed by Mr.. Farnham; grass Is found
over good part of 1t; and where there is grass
those who drive mich COWS and bullocks in ade-
ouate numbers need not fear starvation. But the
sterility and desttuton of nineteen-twentieths OF
Oregon is utterly inconceivable by men who have
been accustomed only to the fertility and verdure
Of the Atlantic slope and the valley of the Missls
sippi. Even the country for five hundred miles on
this side of the Rocky Mountains is barely saved
from being one cherries, uniform desert by the
streams thrown off by the springs and the everlas'
ing SHOWS of the Great Chain. OF the Great Platte,
or Nebraskie, which ruRs about ta,0 miles due East
nearly under the 43d degree OF latitude before II
untes with its Southern Branch, it is SAID IN the
Journal before us-that Like the Nile, 1t runs
hundreds of miles through sterile wilderness, and
like the Nile it unros its "trip OF green across the
vastness of the DESERT and is the father Of all The
vegetatiOi near II !"


Leaving the fountains Of the Platte al the South
Pass, in lat. APP 30', the Emlgrating Party were
nearly menth passing through the Rocky Noun
tains, and, though this was in midsummer (Au-
gust,) their suferings were no trlhe. Says the
'Jaurnal,' "This was the most arduous and diff
cult part of the journey. In many parts OF this
region, we had to move sharply to secure water
and range for our cattle, and the scarcity OF game
forced us TO rely for food on the resources OF our
private arders. The greater portion OF this coun-
try is sterile, finty waste, and except IN occa-
sional dots and in the green ribbons that bind the
edges Of the streams is worthless for Agricultural
purposes." Such is, according TO a settler in Ore
gon another five hundred miles ofthe route hither.
But the next stretch of or GOO miles, from the
Rocky to the Blue Mountains, or TO the junction
of the Saptin with the larger branch OF the CoIum-
bia. is still more forbidding The Journal says
of it:


"Thc third region Is called s high country and Is
desert consisting ridges Of rocks OF volcanic strata and
alternate sandy plains 1t has its occasional fertile spots
IL true but they few and far between. II Is ds-
gushing features Its excessive dyncss and the extra
ordinary difference Of the temperature between night anu
day. This extremity amounting sometimes 10 variation
OF 40 or even 50 degrees is modified somewhat in the a
proach toward the middle region but this outside sccon
doubtless Incapable of being reclaimed to any great extent
BY the hand We emerged from the patch OF yege-
tat!on arond Fort Hall IN few hours upon wldc barrea
plains OF yellow sandy cay which, among its short and dry
yrasa bore nothing but the wild wonwood and the pr!ckl
pear with here and there some stuned cotton wood or
&willow."


y The country thus described comprises the larger
part of Oregon, and makes up about 1900 miles of
utter sterility Uhe narrow belt of the Platte ex-
cepted) of the 1000 miles stretching from Missouri
TO the Pacific. In all this distance, there is but
rarely forest goody grove to be seen, and even
on the Platte the emigrants must watch for and
seize little bsnches and shreds OF willows floating
on the stream (drift.wood there is none,) or have
no fuel and no cookery. Except In the desert of
Central Africa, and around the Poles, there is no
such utter destution of timber, of verdure and Of
capacity for cultivation, the face of the Earth
The Creator appears to have visibly marked the
region of the Rocky Mountains as the boundary OF
nations.


But the next region of Oregon, stretching from
the Blue to the Cascade Mountains, say l50 miles,
is little better. The Journal says of so much
Of it as is not covered by mountains that II consists
OF plains between mountains the soil of which is
poor. The timber also is rery scarce upon 1t, and
what there is is soft and poor" He says, however,
that the climate during summer is agreeable and
salubrious though the winter brings frequent rains;
and that, though unfit for tllase, many of its plains
are covered with shor, grass, which will render Ia
good stock country, consider that the stock
can never be profitaby driven 1900 miles TO the
States, while they will be some distance from the
Pacific, near which is better stock country, (be-
cause having more fertile soil aud mider climate }
and we must be permitted TO doubt whether such
lands will ever be in demand for Stock-raisng, at
least while California and Northern Mexico have
hardly an nhabitant TO ten miles square of surface.


The last and lowest division of Oregon is the best
1t has mild climate, though not desirable one,
the winter being excessively rainy and the summer
excessively dry. Indian com cannot be raised, by
reason Of drou,h and frosts, but most grains and
vegetables do .elI; Cattle excellently. Snow sci,
dom lies over three days in the most favored val
leys, though snow capped mountains are IN sight
almos, every where throughout the year. The
multiplicity of mountains is destructive TO naviga-
ton and almost to all rational hopes of future i'm
proyement By Railroads, nc. The valley of the
Willamette contains perhaps as much good land as
that OF the Muskingum or Mohawk, and there is
perhaps three times that quantity of arabic land in
lower Oregon South of the Great river. There is
little good land in the valley Of the Cowelitz, an
inconsiderable tributary OF the Columbia, which
enters i, about ffty miles from its mouth but be-
side this. says the Journal most OF the soil on
the North bank of the Columbia is poor, and is
'unht Tor the production Of wheat or the esculens


grains, except sparsely and in spots This feature
increases as you proceed northward, and the land
In the vicinity of Nisqually, on Puge,s Sound, is
ll