Jan. 12... The river continues to fall, but not low enough for the mills to run yet. Costs $7 to have the notice of the wine put in the paper twice.
Jan. 13... Got our logs to the mill and sold them for a little over $20.
Jan. 14.Another fine day, paid at the rate of $2.50 pr bushel for Potatoes, & 18 cts pr pound for Beef. Flour is $24.00 pr hundred. The river continues to fall and the Eagle & Multnoma,[1] Steam Boats have commenced their regular trips.
Jan. 16... I believe Levi that I have never given you a discription of those parts of the country that I have seen, and perhaps now is as good a time as I shall have. The Cascade Mountains is an object of interest to you and others, as any part of the country, so far as curiosity goes. Three of the highest peaks can be seen, by the emegrants while on the Umatilla, about 150 or 60 miles from them. These are Ranier on the north, St. Hellen next to Mount Hood on the south, all covered with snow. These are betwene 16 and 18 thousand feet high. The Dalles are at the foot on the east side, and some 25 or 30 miles north east of Mount Hood. The Columbia of course haves to pass through a gap in these mountains, being nearly perpendicular on each side in many places. As you approach the Cascade, the mountains on the north present one of the grandest, and most unaccountable appearances, of any on the whole rout. Some half of a mile or perhaps a little more, the mountain rises many thousand feet, the ridge runing north and south, covered with pine or fir trees, and at this very point has the appearance of haveing been broken off suddenly and as even as man could possibly have wished. The ridge upon the south side comes nearer, or clear up to the river, where the water rolls and tumbles
- ↑ The steamer Multnomah "was built in the east and sent out in sections, and was called the barrel boat' because she was constructed with stave-like timber. She landed at Oregon City in June, 1851, and after remaining a short time on the upper river, was withdrawn in May, 1852, and taken around the falls to run between Portland and Oregon City. In the fall she was put on the Portland and Cascade route in command of Capt. Fauntleroy. In 1853 she was again placed on the Oregon City run in charge of Capt. Richard Hoyt, Sr. The next year Capt. Hoyt bought her and put her on the Astoria route, where she carried the mail;" Lewis & Dryden, 34.
