John Work's Journey to Umpqua River, 1834 249 Some woods along the banks of the rivers. And on the high ground oaks here and there. The road for the next 4 miles lay along the base of some hills thickly timbered with oak and composed of rich tile soil & pretty well covered with grass. Large tracts of open ground extend to the E. The road now lay along [194] an extensive plain, some parts of it swampy, to Laurie river where we are camped not far from its discharge into a Channel of the Willamet. Here is an extensive plain on both sides of the river, and the mountains to the W. are nearly without wood. Clover was observed today both on the high and on the low ground. The soil & herbage has the same appearance as usual. Where we are camped at the usual traverse of the river is too high to be forded, but we learn from the Indians it is fordable a little higher up. We met a party of Indians today who informed us that all MichelFs party but himself and one man were killed by the Indians ; that this report was received from an Indian who was coming from the Umquah with the news, but turned back. Passed some Indian huts at the rivers we passed. A few natives visited us in the even- ing. The hunters were out in the evening, but without success. Comments June 1. Laurie River was Mary's River. This river is Riviere des Souris (Mice River) in Duflot de Mofras' Exploration, II, 210. Apparently John Work's Laurie is Duflot's Souris. The day's crossing was the South Fork of Luckiamute River, which John Work calls "another fork which falls into the river we left in the morning." The next creek mentioned is probably the later Soap Creek. Camp apparently was near the site of the later Corvallis. "MichelFs party" evidently refers to the party of Michel Laframboise, see under June 2, following. La- framboise is frequently referred to as "Michell" in this diary.
