James Akin: Дневник Джеймса Акина

Tuesday, September 14, – Travel 16 miles to the west side of Grand Ronde; bought some beef at 20 cents per pound; excellent grass and water; fine wood.

Wednesday, September 15 – Lay by all day; great many camped here on account of sickness and to recruit their teams; plenty of Kioose (Cayuse)

Thursday, September 16, – Lost nine of our cattle; hunt for them all day and find them just at sunset; considerable sickness in our company.

Friday, September 17, – Travel 15 miles; cross the Blue Mountains and Grande Ronde River; roughest roads we have every had; travel through pine timber all-day; camp.

Saturday, September 18, – Travel 13 miles through thick timber and rough roads without water; camp on a creek; plenty water and wood; some grass; tie the cattle at night.

Sunday, September 19, – Start at 10 o'clock; travel five miles through the timber; roads better; camp in the timber; some grass, not much water.

Monday, September 20, – Travel 10 miles; good roads to Umatilla River; pass a Kioose (Cayuse) village; camp on the river; grass scarce.

Tuesday, September 21, – Travel 12 miles down the river; good roads; rained in the morning; camp on the river; no grass; wood and water plenty.

Wednesday, September 22, – Lay by 'till noon; travel 11 miles; dry camp; plenty grass; no wood or water.

Thursday, September 23, – Travel seven miles to Umatilla; camp at noon; lay by the balance of the day;

Plenty wood, water, and grass.

Friday, September, 24, – Travel 12 miles to Butter Creek; pass agency and cross Umatilla; camp on creek, good grass, wood and water.

Saturday, September 25 – Lay by all day; plenty of Walla Walla Indians about camp all night; plenty grass, wood and water.

Sunday, September, 26 – Start at noon; travel 10 miles; dry camp; no wood or water; grass plenty.

Monday, September, 27 – Travel 12 miles to Muddy Springs; water scarce and not good; travel six miles further; dry camp; not much grass.

Tuesday, September, 28 – Start at 3 o'clock a.m.; travel nine miles to Willow Creek; water scarce; not much grass; wood plenty.

Wednesday, September, 29 – Start at noon; travel ____________________miles; hilly roads; very windy day; camp; no wood, water, or grass.

Thursday, September, 30 – Start at noon; travel 18 miles; good roads; camp on John Day's River; plenty wood and water.

Friday, October 1, – Travel 12 miles; cross John Day's River; camp six miles from John Day's River; no water; good grass, good roads.

Saturday, October 2, – Start at midnight; travel 12 miles by sunrise; get breakfast; travel five miles further to Columbia River; camp on De Chutes River.

Sunday, October 3, – Cross De Shoot (Des Chute) River before breakfast; start at noon and travel six miles; camp on a creek; not much wood; plenty water and grass.

Monday, October 4, – Travel 10 miles; good roads; camp on a small creek; not much wood; plenty water and grass; camp within two miles of The Dalles.

Tuesday, October 5, – Travel 10 miles down Columbia River; pass The Dalles; flour 35 cents per pound; camp in Columbia River bottom; wood, water and grass.

Wednesday, October 6, – Travel two miles; camp and go to preparing to raft down river; haul some pine logs to the river; grass plenty.

Thursday, October 7, – Cut logs and caulk wagon beds all day; very windy evening and night; plenty wood, water and grass; boats and canoes running up and down the river.

Friday, October 8, – Very windy; cool day; haul logs all day; no boats running; cattle doing very well.

Saturday, October 9, – Still preparing our raft to go down the river; blustery, cool weather.

Sunday, October 10, – James Nicholson, John T. Stewart and John Akin start with the cattle on the pack trail.

Monday, October 11, – Calm day; take our raft to pieces; put it together again.

Tuesday, October 12, – Start down the river about 10 o'clock; travel six miles; wind upstream.

Wednesday, October 13, – Travel five miles; high wind up the river; camp in a big willow thicket; plenty of wood.

Thursday, October 14, – Travel five miles; all leave the raft and go down the river in an Indian canoe except Uncle Stewart and W. A. Colter.

Friday, October 15, – Reach the Cascades about 2 o'clock in the evening; everyone sick.

This is the last entry in the diary kept my James Akin, jr.

Mrs. Nancy Hanson tells me that we paid the Indians who brought us down in the canoe $20 in money and our big tent.

Our little sister, Mary Ann Akin, died at the Cascades and was buried there. We were at the Cascades about a week waiting for the steamboat to bring us down to Portland.

Our father died two weeks after we reached Portland.

Frances Rowe

There were eleven deaths in this company. From numerous sources, reasonably reliable, information has been secured which indicates that probably not less than five thousand persons died on the plains in the year 1852, principally from cholera-George H. Himes, Secretary

This diary is copied from "Transactions of the 36th Annual Reunion of the Oregon Pioneer Association"

Portland, OR June 11, 1908