334 Peter Skene Ogden Journals the 15th of August, when all the freemen but six had parted from him, his party then being only 15 strong, and he was going through a dangerous country." And at Spokane House again on Monday, Sept. 26. "Late last night Faneant, one of Mr. Ogden's men, arrived from the Missouri with letters dated on the nth inst. Mr. Ogden is now on his way with 20 men to Walla Walla by the Snake country and has sent orders here for the part of his outfit that is at this place. He expects to reach that place about the 20th October. He also requires Mr. D'ears to be sent to meet him with horses." And writing from Ft. Nez Perces (Walla Walla) to John McLeod on Nov. 9, 1825, Dr. John McLoughlin, who was there impatiently waiting, says : "I have this moment been called off to receive Mr. Ogden ; his men are to be here in twO' days. His horses are so knocked up that we cannot send you any until he is supplied." From these sources and references in the Journals it is known that Mr. Ogden was absent upon his first Snake Coun- try expedition almost a year and met with reverses (not by any stampede or physical encounter, but) by the desertion to the Americans of nearly all his free trappers (French-Canadians) with their furs and outfits,and that he returned along the trails previously used by an equally corpulent and resourceful prede- cessor, Mr. Donald McKenzie of the Northwest Company, across Southern Idaho and by the valleys of Burnt River, Pow- der River and the Grand Ronde to the Valley of the Walla Walla, a route afterward followed by the first wagons ever brought to the Columbia (by Robt. Newell, Francis Ermatin- ger and others) and later by the various migrations and still later by the steel rails. Reaching Ft. Walla Walla he found his old companion Samuel Black just succeeding Mr. John Dease to the command there, and his chief factor, Dr. Mc- Loughlin ; and while spending the twelve days of his brief va- cation before starting on the second expedition that "strange occurrence" took place which is related in Chapter IH. (en- titled The Burial of the Dead and the Living) of the book
^'Traits," etc., already mentioned.----
