AN ENCOUNTER WITH INDIANS Continuing with their search, the viewing party reported, ³... the next stream we found was the Malheur River which takes it¹s rise in the southern part of the Blue Mountains. ... on this stream is the finest grass I ever witnessed either in Oregon or California. The soil places of the finest quality no timber except Willow on this stream. We travailed on this stream 40 miles when we were surprised by Indians and had to abandon the course.² Maps of eastern Oregon, of this time period, show the Malheur River flowing out of the Blues, through Harney and Malheur lakes toward the Snake River. In reality the river they were following was a seasonal stream called Silver Creek and a portion of the Silvies. It was just a few days later, not far from the Silvies and north of the lakes, that the party was attacked by Indians. It was September 15,1852. The report also states ³... before this we had falen onto the Meek rout which was in places easily traced.² This in reference to the Stephen Meek wagon train of 1845. ³... who were on that rout we learn {and} were within 60 Ms of Fort Boise if so we make the distance from the upper Willamette Valley to Fort Boise 380 Miles.² The balance of the report gives only some information gathered from a chance meeting with an Indian on his way from the Columbia to Klamath Lake, and only a single reference regarding the Indian attack on Sept. 15. ³On the 15th of September, at 3PM we were opposed by a company of Indians, 50 or 60 strong, near the Malheur river, (remember it was in reality the Silvies) and about 60 miles west of Fort Boise.² The viewers then left ³...the plain ... aimed to pass through a defile of the mountain into the Malheur Valley, when to our surprise an army {of Indians} which doubtless had been in ambush all day, came on the charge with all the shrieks of the unchained hosts ... When they came within three hundred yards, we formed a line of battle, being conscious that was the order of the enemy, and presented our arms in battle array ...² Macy then reports that when the seven ³presented our arms² the Indians stopped and ³...raised their hands as tokens of peace. Several of the horsemen came forward and shook hands with us, but we thought the friendship rather cold - at the same time their General had the rear advancing towards us; so we started on our way with the intention of keeping the footmen in the rear, knowing that we could manage the horsemen. When they found it vain to detain us in that way, one of the horsemen came up offering to swap a fine American horse for one of our poor ones, but we didn¹t stop to trade; so, when they found there was no opportunity to surrounding us, they discharged a few guns and a host of arrows at us - two balls and one arrow only taking effect on our persons. Three horses were shot with arrows ... four of the seven only unhurt; and as the Indians were running in all directions we knew not what impenetrable difficulties ... were to be surmounted; so we kept our fire, They pursued us five miles, when night overtook us; and being fearful of some snare ahead, we retraced our steps for two miles, then passed out to the northward unmolested. We traveled as much of the night as the loss of blood would allow.²