A DISAGREEABLE WINTER.



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procured from the Indians. Poor and scanty as was the
supply thus obtained, it was, after boiled wheat, compara-
tive luxury while it lasted.
  1841. The winter proved a very disagreeable one.
Considerable snow fell early, and went off with heavy
rains, flooding the whole country. The little camp on
the Tualatin Plains had no defence from the weather bet-
ter than Indian lodges, and one small cabin built by
Doughty on a former visit to the Plains; for Doughty had
been one, of the first of the mountain-men to come to the
Wallamet on the breaking up of the fur companies. In-
dian lodges, or no lodges at all, were what the men were
used to; but in the dryer climate of the Rocky Moun-
tains it had not seemed such a miserable life, as it now
did, where, for months together, the ground was saturated
with rain, while the air was constantly charged with
vapor.
  As for going anywhere, or doing anything, either were
equally impossible. No roads, the streams all swollen and
out of banks, the rains incessant, there was nothing for
them but to remain in camp and wait for the return of
spring. When at last the rainy season was over, and the
sun shining once more, most of the mountain-men in the
Tualatin Plains camp took land-claims and set to work
improving them.   Of 'those who began farming that
spring, were Newell, Doughty, Wilkins, and Walker.
These obtained seed-wheat from the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany, also such farming implements as they must have,
and even oxen to draw the plow through the strong
prairie sod. The wheat was to be returned to the cQm-
pany-the cattle also; and the farming implements paid
for whenever the debtor became able. This was certainly
liberal conduct on the part of a company generally un-
derstood to be opposed to American settlement.