Chapter XI · HOMEWARD BOUND

I was satisfied that I could make the work pay me some profit, but it was not a very desirable contract. Still, if I refused to accept this offer from Colonel Gardiner, I could not afterwards consistently ask him for a better contract. If I should accept it and finish the work, I might later be in a position to receive a better offer from him. The most desirable country in Oregon, lying west of the Cascade mountains, had already been surveyed, or was under contract.

At first I was undecided which course to pursue. It seemed to be a turning point in my life. Should I engage to do the work, I might perhaps remain in Oregon for years to come, and possibly never return home. At that time it was about five years and three months since I had left home, and I had learned that the longer the absence was continued, the less strong my desire to return. But I soon came to a decision to go back to my old New Hampshire home, if for nothing more than a visit.

I thought that perhaps this was as good an opportunity to do so as would offer itself in the near future. Consequently, I made arrangements with Mr. Preston to draw the money for the balance of the surveys for which I had not yet been paid, and to forward the same to me at Hudson, N. H., my home. After having been a resident of the territory of Oregon for some more than three years, I left Portland for San Francisco in the steamer Columbia, which was the same vessel that brought me to Oregon.

To convey a faint conception of the many vicissitudes of the surveyors employed in making the surveys upon the public lands of the United States in sparsely settled regions, I will relate two or three incidents from many similar experiences which occurred while I was engaged upon the public surveys of Oregon.

One morning while making surveys of township lines, previous to leaving camp I gave the campmen their orders (I had two at that time) to move the camp during the day six miles east, or as near that point as they could find wood and water for camp purposes.

We were to start from the township corner that morning, and survey a line due east. Provided it should prove a good country for surveying, we could nearly or quite reach the opposite township corner, a distance of six miles, where I had ordered the campmen to pitch camp.

This was in the late autumn when the days were short, and at that season we took no lunch with us. The usual time for us to finish breakfast and leave camp in the morning was as early as sunrise.

On the day mentioned, our line was principally through a timbered and brushy country, so when night came we had completed but three and one-half miles.

Just before it began to grow dark, we left the survey and started east, expecting to find our camp within two or three miles. We had traveled about that distance when we came to a wagon trail or road, the course of which was nearly north and south, and near which was plenty of wood and water. We hallooed, as was our custom, to attract the attention of the campmen, but received no reply.

Under ordinary conditions we could be heard at least one mile, and sometimes, when conditions were more favorable, nearly or quite two miles. As we heard no reply from the campmen, we followed the road south about three miles, but could hear nothing from our camp. We then retraced our steps to the point at which we first intersected the road, and followed it in the opposite, or northerly direction, for about an equal distance, but could hear no reply to our calls, when we felt certain the camp could not be in that direction.

We again retraced our way to about the point at which we had at first intersected the road. We had seen no house on that day.

It was then about eleven o’clock at night. I saw a place by the roadside where there was an abundance of dry wood, and I said to the party that I should camp there for the night. They all concluded to adopt a similar course. We started a good blaze and remained near it until morning.

When morning came we started to find either our camp or some house. One of the men went with me, and we traveled in a southerly direction. The two other men went in another direction.

About ten o’clock in the forenoon we came to a small cabin. We entered it and found a man there who was living alone. I asked him if he could prepare something eatable for us, as we had eaten nothing since early in the morning on the day previous. He replied he was alone and that he could do nothing for us. I said to him: “Have you any provisions of any kind about your house?” His reply was that he had a little. I said that “we must have some of such as you have,” and that if he did not produce it for us himself we would help ourselves to such as we might be able to find about the house. He at once kindled a fire and prepared us a dinner, but it was near noon before our meal was in readiness. Previous to the time our dinner was in readiness the other two men made their appearance, and they had become so much exhausted and faint for the want of food, they had been eating the barks and roots of trees.

The next day I commenced work again without looking for camp any farther, but selected a line in another direction, which was through a country with settlements.

We worked three or four days, stopping at the houses for accommodations at night, before we heard anything from camp. Then the campmen found us, and I afterwards learned, although they would not admit it at that time, that instead of going six miles east, they traveled six miles south, and camped about nine miles from the point where they were ordered to go.

On another occasion, at the time I was engaged in running a party for Mr. Elder, upon going to camp one evening when it was nearly dark, we followed a line into a brushy bottom, to correct a quarter section post that had been set on a random line by the other party at work for Mr. Elder. One man accompanied me, who was present with the other party when the post was located. We followed the surveyed line and found the post without difficulty, and made the necessary correction, marking witness trees, etc.

At that time we knew the location of our camp, as it was not to be removed on that day. It was not more than a mile distant in a straight line. To follow the line back, upon which we had come, until we should reach the open land, and then go to camp would double the distance to be traveled.

The man with me proposed to take the short cut through the brush, and claimed to know the way as he had been over the same route with the other party. It was becoming quite dark, and I consented to his leadership, against my better judgment, which was something I seldom did, to follow another in the woods.

The route was very brushy, with much fallen timber, and being quite dark, our progress was slow. We continued to travel, making our way through the tangled brush as best we could. At length we came to a small river, from which we drank some water, and where we rested for a short time.

It being dark, it was impossible to read the bearing from the instrument. It was my opinion that we had not traveled altogether in a direct line. My companion desired to cross the stream, but I was convinced that we were on the same side as was our camp.

We again started and traveled until about eleven o’clock, previous to which I had utterly abandoned all hope of reaching camp on that night. As we came to a tall white fir tree, I said to my companion that I should camp under that tree for the night, as I believed we had traveled in a circle, at least to some extent, and there was no possibility for us to reach camp before daylight. He didn’t agree with my opinion, and he claimed we had traveled nearly in a straight line. He thought that we must be near camp, and left me, expecting to reach camp within a short time.

I climbed the tree, probably to a height of nearly 100 feet, to break off some twigs, on which to lie down for the remainder of the night. I remained in the tree for a considerable time, listening to the noise that came from my companion as he made his way through the brush. His progress was slow, as ours had been, and I could distinctly hear the brush crack, but instead of keeping a straight line, as he supposed he was doing, he soon began to bear away to the left in a curved line. He continued to circle to the left, but not for once did he pass beyond my hearing.

In about three-quarters of an hour after he left me, I could hear him approaching from nearly the opposite direction from that in which he had started. I descended the tree and awaited his approach. When he had reached a point within a few rods of me, he hallooed. I answered his call. He seemed surprised and came to me. His first question was how I came there. It was some time before I could convince him of the fact that I had remained during his absence at the same place where he had last parted from me.

He thought he had traveled in a straight line, and when he first heard my voice in answer to his call, he believed he was almost in camp. When he became convinced that he had passed around in a circle, and had made no progress toward camp, he seemed to be satisfied to remain with me until morning. The next morning I led the way to camp without any difficulty, where we arrived shortly after breakfast time, having been without food for some more than twenty-four hours.

These are sample or specimen cases, and many other similar, more or less varied experiences could be related, if space would permit, such as sleeping out in the mountains in the winter season, with one blanket only, with a cold drenching rain falling all through the night. I have awakened to find myself completely covered with snow two or three inches in depth, with the exception of my face.

At that time there were roaming in the coast and cascade ranges of mountains and valleys numerous wild animals, such as grizzly and black bears, cougars or mountain lions, wild cats, gray wolves and coyotes, deer, moose and many other species of animals. There were also two or three kinds of rattlesnakes.

Sometimes we would approach within sight of one of the animals, which would seem to be pleased to increase its distance between us as rapidly as possible. They are savage, ferocious animals when aroused, but when they are respected and passed at a distance without being interfered with in any way, they are seemingly not to be feared. To keep peace with them, their rights as monarchs of the forests should always be respected.

In San Francisco I met Mr. James E. Freeman, who was about to start on a survey of the public lands of California, and he desired me to assist him in doing the work. He offered me a salary of ten dollars per day and board for the entire time we should be absent from San Francisco in completing the work of the contract. I considered that to be a very liberal offer, and I hesitated before declining it. However, as I had made a start for home, and my mind had been fully decided in that direction, I concluded not to make a change.

I also found my uncle, Alfred Cummings, in San Francisco, occupied with carpenter work, and he had concluded to go home with me.

San Francisco had greatly increased in size and population, and had improved its condition during my absence. I remained there eight or ten days awaiting the departure of a steamer for Panama.

We left San Francisco near the end of July and took passage on the steamer Yankee Blade. Before reaching Panama the coal became exhausted, and we landed on a small, uninhabited island, where wood was cut and carried aboard the vessel in boats for fuel, in order to complete the voyage. We were then within two or three days sail of Panama.

In due time we reached Panama, where we landed and remained over night. At that time the Panama railroad had been completed from Aspinwall to a point about nine miles distant from the town of Panama, and near the summit of the isthmus. We left Panama the next morning, riding on mules, which were provided us by the steamship company, anticipating that we would reach Aspinwall, on the Atlantic shore, and board the steamer for New York that evening.

We reached the end of the railroad without any undue delay, and boarded a train of cars for Aspinwall, but from some cause or causes, to the passengers unknown, there were many delays, and our progress on that day was quite discouraging. We were sidetracked for the night, but a few miles distant from the point of starting, and the engine left us, word being given out that the cars would not move until morning. I procured something to eat at a small restaurant, and slept for the night upon the table at the same place. In the morning we supposed we were to go directly through to Aspinwall, but similar delays to those experienced the day preceding occurred, and when night came we were again sidetracked only a few miles distant from the place we spent the night previous, and at a distance from any place where we could procure refreshments. The patience of the passengers had become almost exhausted.

There were no conveniences for sleeping in the cars. They were full of passengers and the atmosphere was very bad, caused by poor ventilation.

Some time during the early part of the night I went to the rear platform of one of the cars and laid down and soon fell asleep. This was a platform I supposed the passengers would not use to pass over when going out or into the cars.

During the night some one in passing out in the darkness came in contact with me, which caused me to awake, and I spoke to him. He told me if I should continue to lie there in the night air, with no covering, I should almost certainly contract the deadly Panama fever. I replied that I would take the risk, and again fell asleep and enjoyed a very comfortable rest for the night. The next day the train took us through to Aspinwall with but little delay.

What caused the necessity to detain several hundreds of passengers in a train of cars for three days and two nights while traveling a distance of less than fifty miles, and where there was very little accommodation for refreshments or sleep, I could never comprehend.

At Aspinwall we boarded one of the steamers for New York. We had a fine passage to New York, where we arrived without any undue delay.

We remained in New York over one night, when we proceeded on our journey home, where we arrived near the last of August, 1854, after an absence of a little more than five years and four months.