Calapooya Mountains, or to avert their sufferings from the cold rains and colder snows of November and December.
market might be found for such articles. From the journal of Thomas Holt, who with a French Canadian and five half-breeds went to the assistance of the belated immigrants, it appears that on learning from Thornton and others who arrived in the settlements the condition of those still m the Umpqua Valley, he left the French settlement on the 3d of December with a band of horses and all the provisions he could gather, Father Bolduc of the mission of St Paul freely contributing a portion to be given to the needy. On the 5th he met Mr Goff coming in with a company who had brought their wagons through, and particularly in charge of a Mrs Newton, whose husband had been murdered by the Umpqua Indians while sleeping at the door of his tent. Minto's Early Days, MS., 39. On the 8th he overtook Moses Harris and three others with horses and provisions, going to the relief of the immigrants. On this day they met three families on horseback and one wagon coming in, whom they supplied with flour. On the 9th they met eight wagons and families, and supplied them with provisions. On the 10th they came to a camp of several families whose teams were exhausted, and on the same day another relief party came up with horses. Next day the Frenchmen and three half-breeds turned back, being afraid if they crossed the Calapooya Mountains they would not be able to return that winter, while Holt and the other two continued. Near the head of the Willamette Valley they found five families unable to go farther, who were assisted to resume their journey by three men from the other relief parties. At the foot of the mountains were three families without food, whose oxen could travel no farther. 'It is hard for me to pass them,' says the Journal, 'but when I know there are helpless families among hostile Indians, I am bound to go and assist them.' They received some flour and were left to the mercy of others who might follow with horses. On the summit of the Calapooyas a single family was met on horses, and many dead cattle by the way. At the foot of the mountains on the south side were two families with their wagons, but doubting if their oxen would be able to cross. They were furnished with flour. On the 14th, having come to the north folk of Elk River, five families were found who had neither flour, meat, nor salt, and who were depending upon game, which was scarce. One of the half-breeds killed a deer for them, and they received some flour. [These families were those of Ezekial Kennedy, Croizen, R. B. Hall, Lovelin, and another.] On the 15th, crossing the forks of Elk River by swimming their horses, and ferrying the packs on rafts of logs, they came to the camp of the families of James Campbell, Rice Dunbar, and Rev J. A. Cornwall. Mr Campbell, having been to the settlements and returned in company with Harris and his party, brought horses to carry his family and some of his goods back with him. Harris and a Mr Jenkins remained with these persons to assist them; but there were not enough horses to take Cornwall's family out, and he was left in charge of a considerable property belonging to Campbell. On the 17th Holt met the last company of five families on the south folk of the Umpqua. 'They rejoiced very much when they saw us,' says the Journal. There had been no flour among them for eight weeks. While busy making pack-saddles, four of the precious horses were stolen by Indians. The families relieved at this last point were those of Crump, Butterfield, James Townsend, David Townsend, J. Baker, and Mrs Butterfield, widow. Those who rescued them were Holt, Owens, Duskins, and Patten—the last three being a part of the company which overtook Holt on the 10th—and the two half-breeds, Baptiste Gardapie and Q. Delore. The 20th all started once more for the Willamette, the natives refusing to grant the use of a canoe to cross the families over the north fork of the Umpqua which was too high to be forded, except they were paid with a gun be-