Page:Route of Meek Cut-off, 1845.djvu/5

our teams at two o'clock P.M.; traveled six miles and encamped on Sandy,^[1] a delightful stream running to the northwest, affording an abundance of fine grass; no wood.

September 18. Three miles down we crossed over to the west side and after a travel of 12 miles we encamped at a good spring; found good grass and some cedar timber.

September 19. Made an advance of 12 miles and encamped again on Sandy; found grass and a few small willows.

September 20. Continued down the creek; passed through several narrow avenues where the mountains closed in on both sides, where we were compelled to follow down the channel of the creek for several hundred yards in water up to our wagon beds; continued to follow its meanders, crossing its channel a number of times; after an advance of 13 miles we encamped; found grass and willows.

September 21. Down the creek 10 miles; had bad road; we encamped; found grass, willow and cedar timber in abundance.

September 22. Three miles brought us to the foot of a huge mountain,^[2] where we commenced ascending through thick cedar timber; at two o'clock P.M. we gained the top, the scene of the country became beautiful and level; passed through several groves of pine and cedar timber; at 11 o'clock we came to a stream affording an abundance of grass and timber, where we encamped, having come 14 miles.

September 23. Started late; had good road; traveled 12 miles; stopped at nine o'clock at a spring; found good grass; no wood except a little sage.

September 24. Road good; traveled 14 miles through the level plain and stopped for the night without wood or water.

September 25. Made an early start; traveled six miles and encamped on Chutes or Fall River.^[3] This river is the most singular in character of any we have seen; it washes the eastern margin of the Cascade Mountains and flows with a rapid current through a deep cavern of rock, having a channel from 20 to 30 yards wide and is from 300 to 400 feet below the level plain.

September 26. Turned a northeast direction; traveled three miles and encamped at a good spring in company with about 200 wagons.^[4]

September 27. Laid by all day to rest.

September 28. Traveled eight miles and encamped on a small branch;^[5] found good grass and wood.

September 29. This morning we ascended a huge mountain;^[6] were compelled to double our teams; gained the top at 12 o'clock we continued our journey over the level plain until eight o'clock, when we encamped on the margin of a bluff, down which we descended 200 feet and found a small stream of

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1. Crooked River.
2. Ascent from Crooked River Valley to the plateau to the north, about five miles west of Prineville.
3. About 11 miles northwest of Madras.
4. Sagebrush Spring.
5. Present highway crossing of Trout Creek, at the Bolter place.
6. Ascending from Trout Creek Valley, west to the plateau.