Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/401

Peter Skene Ogden Journal, 1827-1828 371 to the American camp. In this also he failed. I have supplied the American with meat as they cannot procure it without snow shoes. The Americans are starving on Bear River ac- cording to report, no buffalo in that quarter, they are reduced to eat horses and dogs. We could not learn from Indians if the American traders had come up from St. Louis. Friday 25th. Snow and storms continue, a terrible winter. A man who went in quest of lost traps arrived with reports of fearful distress of the Americans. Horses dead, caches rifled. I be- lieve this as a trapper saw calico among the Snakes, traded from the Snakes of the Plains. The Americans are determin- ed to proceed but find it is to no purpose these extravagant offers. They are making snow-shoes themselves wh. they ought to have done 2 wks. ago. I cannot ascertain the mo- tive of their journey south. I dread their returning with liquor. 1 A small quantity would be most advantageous to them but the reverse to me. I know not their intentions but had I the same chance they have, long since I would have had a good stock of liquor here, and every beaver in the camp would be mine. If they succeed in reaching their camp they may bring 20 or 30 trappers here which would be most in- jurious to my spring hunt. As the party have now only 10 traps, no good can result to us if they succeed in reaching their depot and returning here. We have this in our favor; they have a mountain to cross, and before the snow melts can convey but little property from the depot as with horses they cannot reach here before April. Saturday 26. The Snakes have now about 400 guns obtained in war excursions against Blackfeet and from trappers they have killed and stolen caches. In the plunder of Reid's Fort, 2 they secured 40. Still these villains are allowed to go unmolested iThis was what caused the trouble in May, 1825, already alluded to, if we understand correctly. 2 On what is now Boise river in January, 1814; built by John Reed.