JOURNAL OF A TRIP ACROSS THE PLAINS, 1851

169 very steep hill, to the creek bottom. Here we crossed the creek at a ford, which was very swift and bad to cross, on account of large boulders. The road from here was good except two short, steep pitches we had to climb and one tolerably long and very steep hill. We are now en- tirely through the Cascade countains, into the great Will- amette valley. September 21. —This day over tolerably hilly road. At the end of seven miles we reached Philip Foster's, the first white settler on this route. The distance between this and St. Joseph, Mo., where we started, is about 2200 miles. Here we find all of the conveniences of civilized life and we are able for the first time to appreciate them. September 22. —This day our company separated and my own family and the family of one, Peter Smith, steered for north Yamhill valley, which we reached on the 25th of September, 1851, after having lived a camp life, five months and fifteen days, and having traveled 2,270 miles, through an Indian country, with ox teams. P. V . CRAWFORD . If