NOVEMBER 18, 1843. [At the Dalles again]. . . . Carson had re-
moved the camp a little nearer to the hills, where the animals
had better grass. We found everything in good order, and arrived
just in time to partake of an excellent roast of California beef. My
friend Mr. Gilpin had arrived in advance of the party. His object in
visiting this country had been to obtain correct information of the
Willamette settlements; and he had reached this point in his journey
highly pleased with the country over which he had traveled, and
with invigorated health. On the following day he continued his
journey, in our returning boats, to Vancouver.

The camp was now occupied in making the necessary prepara-
tions for our homeward journey, which, though homeward, con-
templated a new route, and a great circuit to the south and south-
east, and the exploration of the Great Basin between the Rocky
Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Three principal objects were in-
dicated, by report or by maps, as being on this route, the character
or existence of which I wished to ascertain, and which I assumed as
landmarks, or leading points, on the projected line of return. The
first of these points was the Klamath lake, on the tableland between
the head of Fall River, which comes to the Columbia, and the Sacra-
mento, which goes to the Bay of San Francisco; and from which lake
a river of the same name makes its way westwardly direct to
the ocean. This lake and river are often called Klamath. . . . The
position of this lake, on the line of inland communication between
Oregon and California; its proximity to the demarcation boundary
of latitude 42°; its imputed double character of lake, or meadow,
according to the season of the year; and the hostile and warlike

-308-