Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/381

DOCUMENTS 373 timbered with pine, oak, and what is unknown so far as I have been able to learn in any other part of the mountains, sugar tree. No winter, grass green through the year, Utaws and Navihoes in the vicinity, wild Indians, no man safe among them. Navi- hoes raise great quantities of grain, cattle, sheep, etc., and make their own clothing, and have their own religion, reject the Cath- olics of California, could be reached without doubt by any other religion. Who will go ? Thence west to Fort Hall, on Snake or Lewis river, Lat. 42 degrees, 13 minutes, Long. 113 degrees. This fort was built in 1834 by Capt. Whyeth of Boston, who came that year into the country to engage in the fur trade and with whom the missionaries Lees came. No female accompanied them. Here turnips have been raised but too frosty for farm- ing. Some timber on a small spot and apparently several thous- and acres of good soil. This is a dangerous situation, in the vicinity of the Black Feet, a blood-thirsty Indian tribe, fre- quently at the gates of the fort, have destroyed many lives and stolen hundreds of horses. From this fort, north of west down Snake river, to Snake Fort at the junction of Wood and Snake rivers, Lat. 44 degrees 10 minutes, Long. 116 degrees 20 minutes, called Wood river from its having a little timber on it, a species of poplar called cotton wood, found abundant in the western states, and the only timber except a little pine sometimes on the mountains, found whenever any is found in the mountains. This fort was built last year by the Hudson Bay Co., where 16 years ago a fort, and all the men except one were cut up. On Wood river there is considerable land not subject to frosts, a favorable situation for settlement, the first we met with from fort W., a distance of 1050 miles. This is a safe country ; Indians friendly. Snakes and Bonnocks. From this fort northwest to Walla Walla, at the junction of Colum- bia and Walla Walla rivers Lat. 40 degrees 10 minutes Long. 119 degrees 15 minutes. This fort was built 19 years ago by the Hudson Bay Co. Much good land up the Walla Walla river some 50 miles; timber plenty near the mountains, some 90 or 100 miles ; none within 60 miles of the fort, except flood wood down the Columbia ; fertile spots of 5 or 20 acres within