From the West

As Oregon, California and Vancouver are all the "go" in these last days, we have thought it advisable to give in this number of the Times and Seasons the following intelligence. Although it is not of so religious a cast as we generally publish, yet it may be of general benefit to the great exodus of the Mormons next season. We must be ready and profit by what we learn.

From the Independence Express, Nov. 17, Extra.

OVERLAND MAIL FROM OREGON -ARRIVAL OF DR. WHITE, DIRECT FROM OREGON-UNPRECEDENTED DESPATCH-THROUGH IN NINETY DAYS.

We had the pleasure on Saturday evening last, of taking by the hand our old friend, Dr. Elijah White, Sub-Agent of Indian affairs for the territory of Oregon, who had just arrived, with a party of only three men; Messrs, Chapman, Brown, and Saxton, all claiming to be citizens of Willamette-two of whom, Oras Brown and Charles Saxton, had accompanied him for some time previously, on an interesting and important exploring expedition, the results of which will soon come before the public, officially.

They left the beach of the Pacific on the 30th of July, some forty miles from the Umpua river, and arrived in the Colony about the 10th of August. They found the Legislature in session in Oregon city, and Dr. White being officially requested to bear a memorial and petition emanating from that body and signed unanimously by them-also by the Judge of the Territory and Executive Committee-to the Congress of the United States, left on the 16th. They arrived at Fort Vancouver on the 17th, the Dalles of the Columbia on the 20th, and on the 23rd proceeded on their journey.

At the first camp, Major Moses Harris, alias "Black Harris," his pilot and his dependence, as interpreter for the Sioux and Pawnee Indians in passing through their country, without any difference or explanation, withdrew from the party and returned to the valley. Surprised, but nothing intimidated, they moved forward. They met Wallawalla Indians-so much excited the spring before, by reason of the violent and treacherous death of Elijah Heading, an educated young Chief of distinction, killed by a white man in California-and were handsomely saluted and most cordially received-the excitement having entirely subsided. Corn, potatoes, peas, camas and cherries, were brought forward for the consumption of the party, and their plantations, with those of the Keyuse, speak well for their advancement in agriculture and civilization. Not many of the Wallawallas cultivate; they generally subsist on fish. But the Keyuse and Nezperces, or Seheptans, under the auspices of Dr. Whitman and lady, and Rev. H. H. Spaulding and lady, are represented as having made most commendable advancement in agriculture, science, arts, morals and religion-many of the latter reading their own language fluently and writing well, and in the regularity of their family devotions, and observance of the Sabbath, it is believed few equal them.

On the first of September, they met at Burnt river, Capt. Barlow, Knighton, and McDonald's companies of emigrants-the three companies comprising some eight hundred persons, with eighty-seven wagons, within some three hundred and fifty miles of their destination, all in good health and fine spirits, representing the difficulties of the route as nothing in comparison with what they had expected. While the Doctor was giving them an intellectual treat to which all listened with indiscribable [indescribable] interest some of the ladies prepared a rich repast for him and his little party: coffee, sugar, bread, biscuit, butter-milk and honey, with bacon, rice and several kinds of dried fruits were nicely spread out; they ate and drank, talked and mutually cheered each other, and parted in the happiest mood. At different points, for a distance of a hundred and thirty miles they met others-each party soliciting, they all received a lecture on Oregon. The last party, called

the St. Joseph company, were met on Snake river, camped disadvantageously, being some two and a half miles from wood and water on the sandy desert; but they found them in the best spirits, and after advising them at some length on Oregon, the party was invited to dinner, and sat down to table in the tent of Rev. M. Fisher, a Baptist clergyman, spread with a white cloth, and partook of tea, light bread, crackers, maple molasses, dried beef and butter, all prepared in the neatest manner.-This company were mostly New England people, had emigrated to Iowa and from thence to Oregon, and carried their virtues and intelligence over the mountains with them. All much happier and better for the interview, the party took their leave of this interesting group of venerable sires, aged matrons and smiling youth, and passed on to Fort Hall, where they arrived on the 19th of September, and met a cordial reception from Capt. Grant. On the 23rd they passed the romantic and interesting Soda Springs, where all drank freely.

On the 27th, met Dr. Joseph Burk, Botanist and Mineralogist, sent out by the English government to make collections, and return in seven years from the time of his departure-dined with him, found him an intelligent, unassuming gentleman. The party passed the divide on the 4th of October, all walking over it, and on striking the Sweet Water, all drank, not a little pleased to behold the water once more running into the Atlantic. On the 13th of October, came in sight of a large Sioux village of some three hundred lodges, and containing 2,000 souls-went immediately to it-were met by several chiefs, and the party conducted by them to the Soldier's lodge, where they feasted on the choicest buffalo meat. Dr. White exchanged a horse with a chief, at the Indian's request, and left, after tarrying two hours, the party being as much pleased with their reception, as the Indians appeared to be in entertaining them. They encamped three miles below the village, horses unmolested and nothing missed. Next day met Smoke, a notable chief, and 200 Indians with him, moving up to the large village which they had passed; exchanged the usual salutations of the day, and all went off most agreeably. On the 15th reached Fort Laramie, where the party were hospitably entertained as at Fort Hall, by Mr. Papin. Left on the 16th, having purchased a sufficient supply of dried buffalo meat and flour, with groceries to last to Independence, intending to accomplish the journey with all possible expedition, and not to stop to kill game. On the 17th, met eight or nine ox teams, heavily loaded with goods for trading with the Indians, in charge of Captain Finch, who had a trading post seven miles below Fort Laramie, on the Platte. On the 18th, met Mr. Spane, he had also several teams loaded with goods for trading with the Sioux; he had buried his partner the day previous, having died of a nervous fever. On the 29th, met two men on an express to Fort Laramie, from the American Fur Company of St. Louis. They told the Doctor he would probably meet the Pawnee Indians before leaving the Platte, and if he did they would rob him and his party.

On the 31st, at about 11 o'clock, the Doctor riding in front of the party to keep a look out for the Pawnees, discovered a large smoke ahead; halted, adjusted the pack animals, and then went cautiously on again; proceeded a few miles, when a horse was discovered three or four miles ahead, tied, and apparently uneasy. The party were now convinced that the Pawnees were not far off, halted again, and each man examined his fire-arms. The Doctor proposed to leave the road and go into the hills, and to keep on travelling [traveling] all night to avoid coming in contact with Indians, whose character is that of highway robbers. They did so, and proceeded four or five miles in the direction of the hills, when three Indians were seen advancing in front of them; the party went on a short distance, and twelve or fifteen came up to them. The Doctor made signs to them to keep away, and that he was in great haste to go on, but they all came up; when the Doctor stopped, requested Saxton to get off his horse and open a pack, get some tobacco and give them; he did so, and gave them all there was; mounted his horse again, when one of the pack horses took fright at the Indians, and ran with great violence, but was at last caught by Chapman and Saxton, the pack adjusted by them, ready to go on again. But the Indian who had been very impudent and saucy, now came to Chapman and asked him for powder he refused to give him any, when the rascally Indian cocked his gun. At the suggestion of the Doctor, Chapman give him some powder and he went off; but while the Doctor was talking to Chapman, six or seven had surrounded him, and two had his horse by the bridle, when he asked Brown to come up to him. Brown did so, presented his pistol at one of them, and the Doctor motioning them at the same time, with his sixshooter in his hand, to be off; they left, and the party haltered their animals, and started on again towards the hills, when a large Pawnee village, of some three hundred lodges, appeared in sight, several miles from the road.

As the Indians left the party, they fired three times at them, and the shot fell thickly around Brown-the Indians going towards the village, and the party from it over the hills. When out of sight of the Indians and the village, the party again halted, filled their powder horns, and took a good quantity of balls in their pouches, and went on again; but they had scarcely started, when two Indians were seen coming from towards the village over the hills soon another & another appeared in sight, each coming from different directions & in ten minutes from the time the first two appeared in sight the party were completely surrounded by two or three hundred men armed with rifles, muskets, bows & arrows, tomahawks & war-clubs, while the air resounded with the awful war whoop, as they still continued to dash upon them on their fleet horses. Seeing that four could do nothing by firing on such numbers, the Doctor told the party not to fire, while the Indians were in great confusion among themselves. The first who came, talked loud and boisterous, and began to catch the pack horses, when it was proposed to go with them to the village.

In the mean time, all was confusion, some snatching a rifle from one, while another caught a blanket from another, and run off. Saxton first got under way, following his pack horse, having many valuable papers, and surrounded by some twenty Indians; they soon stripped him of his powder horn and his horse and saddle, and put him bare back, while a brave, with a huge battle axe, led his horse by the bridle. Brown followed Saxton in a similar manner, passed him, and was the first to grace their fiendish triumph as they entered their village in full gallop. The Doctor was next suffered to start towards the village, but not until they had torn his coat into pieces, and stripped him of his vest. One Indian then struck him a hard blow with his bow on the right cheek; another hit him two blows on the top of the head with a war club, which nearly deprived him of his senses. With nothing left but his flannel shirt and pantaloons, he passed Saxton soon after Brown; they struck him several times as he was riding; he was hurried along and taken into the village. The Doctor was last on the ground, and was conducted into the lodge of a Chief, but not permitted to converse with any of his party: the rest of the men were conducted to separate lodges and treated in a similar manner.

The party were fed several times during the evening on boiled corn, at different lodges, accompanied by an Indian, but were not permitted to be together, except about ten minutes at a time. The first Impression made upon the Doctor and all the party, on entering the lodges was, that the Chiefs would cause most of the property to be given back, but before morning all were convinced to the contrary, by having their packs opened, and pillaged of everything of value; not even letters to people in the States were omitted. Dr. White lost many of his most valuable papers, and some twenty letters, though he mailed at this place 541, to various persons in the Union. After robbing the party of all their provisions and clothing, as well as horses; in the morning several squaws, true to the character of women, put up some corn, and the Chiefs who were at the head of the outrage, brought forward several poor, lame ponies and mules, and gave each man a few old garments, scarcely enough to cover him, much less to protect him from the inclement season. A little after sunrise they told them to be off, pointing over the hills where they were taken prisoners.

In the lodge where Saxton stopped during the night, while Brown was with him a few moments, an old Chief came in with a large package of papers, evidently robbed from some individual, but he would not suffer him to read any of them except the wrapper, which was of the kind of paper used for envelops [envelopes] in the War Department, and directed on the envelope, "Tangawanga, Chief of the Otto nation." The Indian then opened the package and took out a passport from the United States, and a large paper having ten or twelve seals upon it, opposite of which were many signatures, a large paper resembling a deed, and a French passport; he then folded them all up, after pointing to the coat of arms on each, but would not suffer them to be investigated; putting them all into the envelope, laid them under his thigh, gave a contemptuous laugh, and soon left the lodge. The party travelled [traveled] till one o'clock at night without a drop of water, on the day they left the village on the open prairie, taking as their guide the north star, and going in an easterly direction. The Doctor was very much indisposed, owing to the violent blows he had received. Soon after the party were out of sight of the village, the smoke behind them told them that their enemies had fired the prairie, and all that day the wind drove the fire hard upon the party, and at night the flames of the tall grass were seen behind them, mingling with the horizon, giving it the appearance of an ocean of fire. One of the party kept watch while the other slept, or rather dosed. Next morning taking a bit of raw

corn, they continued their course north-east; the party and poor animals suffering extreme want of water. About ten o'clock, when the party struck a deep ravine and began to follow it, but they had only proceeded a short distance, when the Doctor discovered two Indians far in the distance, to the south east; the party stopped and concealed themselves in the ravine; Brown crept to the bank to watch their movements; the Indians advanced a little, then also stopped. The Doctor then prepared to retreat and change the course of travel, and the party readily complied with his suggestion, went up the ravine some distance, took a southerly direction and travelled [traveled] six miles, when they struck a small creek, kept their course still towards the south, and just at dark struck the Oregon road, to the great joy of all the pry. They encamped that night at 12 o'clock on the Republican Fork, again eating raw corn for supper.

On the 3d of November, they considered themselves nearly out of reach of the Pawnees, being fifty miles from their village. They arrived at the bank of the Big Blus [Blue?] on the evening of the 7th, when on entering the tall forest trees, by the light of the moon, a large flock of turkies [turkeys] were heard among the branches. All were excited with pleasing anticipations of once more tasting something palatable, as the corn, in whatever state it was taken, for several days had soured on the stomachs of the men, and they ate it only to keep from starving. The next morning, Brown's well-directed rifle brought a fat turkey to the ground. After the turkey was despatched, they returned to the corn again, as the Indians gave them only two rifles, having percussion locks with no more ammunition, and the other rifle was unloaded to strike fire with the powder.

On the evening of the 13th, they ate the first meal in the house of Mr. Charles Fish, quickly prepared by his lady, residing among the Shawnee Indians, thirty miles from the United States line.

The Doctor left the Williamette colony in a very flourishing state, and is of opinion that Oregon, at no distant day, will rival many of the Atlantic States in agriculture, science, and the arts. In this opinion all the party concur, and they intend to return again in the spring.

A daily computation makes the distance from

Oregon city to Fort Hall 800 miles

From Fort Hall to Green river, 195 "

From Green river to Fort Laramie 400 "

From Fort Laramie to Independence. 630 "

2025