The Prairie Traveler Part 20

5. Fort Hall.

15. Small Branch.-Camp is three miles below the crossing of Port Neuf River, which is fordable. Good wood, water, and gra.s.s.

10. American Falls.-Good camp.

13. Raft River.-Road rough and rocky. Sage for fuel; gra.s.s scarce.

17. Bend of Swamp Creek.-Gra.s.s scarce.

20. On Snake River.-Road crosses Swamp and Goose Creeks. Wood on the hills; gra.s.s short.

25. Rock Creek.-Road crosses one small creek, and is very rough and rocky for several miles, when it enters a sandy region, where the gra.s.s is scarce; sage plenty, and willows on the creek.

24. Snake River.-Road crosses several small branches. There is but little gra.s.s except in narrow patches along the river bottom.

26. Fis.h.i.+ng Falls.-Road very crooked and rough, crossing two small streams.

29. Snake River.-Road crosses several small creeks, but leaves the main river to the north, and runs upon an elevated plateau. Good gra.s.s at camp.

16. Snake River (ford).-Road tortuous; ford good in low water.

19. Small Branch.-Road crosses Snake River, and follows up a small branch, leaving the river to the left. Good gra.s.s. Road ascends to a high plateau, which it keeps during the whole distance.

26. River "Aux Rochers."-Road pa.s.ses Hot Springs, and is rough. Wood, water, and gra.s.s plenty.

22. Small Creek.-Road crosses two small branches, and is very rocky, but at camp gra.s.s, wood, and water are abundant.

23. Rio Boise.-Road crosses one small creek, and follows along the Boise River. Good wood, water, and gra.s.s.

26. Fort Boise.-Road follows the south bank of Boise River to the fort.

2. Fort Boise.-Road crosses Boise River. Good ford at ordinary stages. Gra.s.s good in the river bottom.

20. River "Aux Matthews."-Good road. Gra.s.s abundant, but coa.r.s.e; wood and water plenty.

27. Snake River.-Road pa.s.ses over a rough country. Gra.s.s scarce and of a poor quality.

20. Burnt River.-Road leaves Snake River, and takes across Burnt River, following up the north side of this to the camp. It is mountainous and rough, but the gra.s.s is good, and there is wood along the river.

22. Burnt River.-Road continues up the river, and is still rough and mountainous. Gra.s.s and wood plenty.

26. Small Branch.-Road pa.s.ses over a divide to "Powder River." It is still rough, but getting better. The gra.s.s is good.

13. Powder River.-Good road; gra.s.s plenty.

21. Creek.-Road pa.s.ses a divide, crossing several small streams, and is smooth, with plenty of gra.s.s and fuel.

20. Creek.-Road crosses one small branch, and is rather rough. The gra.s.s and fuel are good and abundant.

21. Creek.-Road follows down the creek for ten miles, then turns up a small branch, and is good. There is plenty of gra.s.s and fuel.

12. Branch.-Road crosses a divide and strikes another branch.

5. Small branch of the Umatilah River.-Good road, with plenty of wood and gra.s.s.

16. Branch of Wallah Wallah River.-Wood, water, and gra.s.s.

18. Wallah Wallah River.-Wood, water, and gra.s.s. Columbia River at Fort Wallah Wallah.-Wood, water, and gra.s.s.

10. Butler Creek.-Good camp.

18. Wells's Spring.-Good camp.

12. Willow Creek.-Good camp.

13. Cedar Spring.-Good camp.

6. John Day's River.-Good camp.

5. Forks of Road.-No camping. Left-hand road for wagons, and right-hand for pack trains. This itinerary takes the left.

10. Ouley's Camp.-Good camp.

19. Soot's River.-Good camp.

6. Fall River.-Good camp.

10. Utah's River.-Good camp.

18. Soot's River.-Good camp.

6. Soot's River.-Good camp. Road follows up the river, crossing it several times.

16. Sand River Fork.-Good gra.s.s a mile and a half to the left of the road.

8. Good Camp.

15. Royal Hill Camp.-Good camp.

7. Sandy River.-But little gra.s.s.

45. Down the River.-Good camps all the distance.

25. Oregon City.-Good camps all the distance.

75. Salem.-Good camps all the distance.

XII.-Route for pack trains from John Day's River to Oregon City.

Miles. John Day's River to 17. Columbia River.-From John Day's River to the forks of the road, and thence by the right-hand fork to the Columbia. Good camp.

2-1/2. Soot's River Ferry.-Good camp.

15. Dalles.-Good camp.

25. Dog River.-Good camp.

15. Cascade Mountains.-One bad place.

9. Ouley's Rock.-Good camp.

20. Image Plain Ferry.-Good camp.

15. Portland.-Good camp.

12. Oregon City.-Good camp.

XIII.-From Indianola and Powder-horn to San Antonio, Texas.

Miles. Powder-horn to 4. Indianola, Texas.-Steamers run from New Orleans five times a week to Powder-horn.

14. Chocolate Creek.-Good gra.s.s and water; fuel scarce. Road pa.s.ses over a low, flat country, which in wet weather is heavy and muddy.

12. Grove.-Grove of oak; good water and gra.s.s. The road pa.s.ses over a hog-wallow prairie, which is very muddy, and almost impa.s.sable for loaded teams after rains. The gra.s.s is abundant every where in this section.

12-1/2. Victoria.-The road is good, pa.s.sing along near the east bank of the Guadalupe River. The country is thickly settled with farmers, who sell grain at reasonable rates. Gra.s.s abundant, also fuel.

34. Yorktown.-Road crosses the Guadalupe River on a bridge; toll one dollar for a six-mule team. It then crosses a low bottom for three miles; from thence the road is good, over a rolling country, with plenty of wood, water, and gra.s.s.

33. Cibello River.-Good road; wood, water, and gra.s.s plenty.

35. San Antonio.-Good road, with plenty of wood, water, and gra.s.s along the road. The Cibello is fordable at ordinary stages. The traveler can procure any thing he may need at Victoria and at San Antonio.

XIV.-Wagon-road from San Antonio, Texas, to El Paso, N.M., and Fort Yuma, Cal.

[Distances in miles and hundredths of a mile.]

Miles. San Antonio to 6.41. Leona.

18.12. Castroville.

11.00. Hondo.

14.28. Rio Seco.

12.50. Sabinal.

13.46. Rio Frio.

15.12. Nueces.

10.27. Turkey Creek.

15.33. Elm Creek.-All good camps, with abundance of wood, water, and gra.s.s. Country mostly settled, and the road very good, except in wet weather, from San Antonio to Elm Creek.

7.00. Fort Clarke.-Good gra.s.s, wood, and water. Road level and good.

7.00. Piedra Pinta,-Good gra.s.s, wood, and water.

8.86. Maverick's Creek.-Good gra.s.s, wood, and water.

12.61. San Felipe.-Good gra.s.s, wood, and water.

10.22. Devil's River.-First crossing. Good wood, water, and gra.s.s.

18.27. California Springs.-Gra.s.s and water poor.

18.39. Devil's River.-Second crossing. Gra.s.s poor.

19.50. Devil's River.-Good camp. The only water between Devil's River and Live Oak Creek is at Howard's Springs. The road is very rough in places.

44.00. Howard's Springs.-Gra.s.s scarce; water plenty in winter; wood plenty.

30.44. Live Oak Creek.-Good water and gra.s.s. The road pa.s.ses within 1-1/2 miles of Fort Lancaster.

7.29. Crossing of Pecos River.-Bad water and bad camp. The water of the Pecos can be used.

5.47. Las Moras.-Good water, gra.s.s, and wood. The road is rough on the Pecos.

32.85. Camp on the Pecos River.-Wood and gra.s.s scarce.

16.26. Escondido Creek.-At the crossing. Water good; little gra.s.s or wood.

8.76. Escondido Spring.-Gra.s.s and water good; little gra.s.s.

19.40. Comanche Creek.-Gra.s.s and water good; little gra.s.s.

8.88. Leon Springs.-Gra.s.s and water good; no wood.

33.86. Barela Spring.-Gra.s.s and water good; wood plenty.