15th and crossed to the south side on the 16th, establishing the present camp. All in good health. The few Indains we find here are miserably poor and almost destitute. Represent themselves as very friendly and ask permission to live undisturbed in the vicinity. I have represented to them that as long as they remained here without molesting in any manner our people who may travel through the country they might expect to live in peace, but on the contrary they could expect nothing but extermination; that I did not come out to make them presents or to buy a peace, but to make them feel and undersatnd that they must not only behave themselves, but that in the event of bad faith or conduct they would be pursued and punished. There are about thirty or forty of them living within eight miles above and below the falls. Most of them were here last September while I was camped in the neighborhood. They are of course like all other Indians, and have probably been guilty of acts of violence and robbery, but neither during the last nor this season have I heard of any complaints against them. There is a small campof the same party about thirty miles below on the north side of the river, which I will visit before leaving. I have been careful to impress upon the chief or head man of the party that himself and his people would be held responsible for any depredations that might be committed near the falls; that if bad Indians came among them they must immediately give notice of the fact, or suffer for their acts. Scouting parties under Captain Drake and Lieutenant Apperson have returned, reporting no signs of Inresent season. Captain Drake went up the river above Rock Creek to the Great Falls some forty or fifty miles, and reports three falls within five miles; the first or upper, 180 feet; the second, three miles below, 198 feet (measured); the third (estimated), about 20 feet; all perpendicular, almost inaccessible on account of the walls of rock from 500 to 1,000 feet high inclosing the river. The captain succeeded in getting his animals to the river at the second or greatest fall. At the first he discovered signs of visitors; at the second, none. Lieutenant Apperson with his party took a southwesterly direction with expectations of reaching headwaters of the Humboldt, but the scarcity of water compelled his return. He was thirty odd hours without water for man or animals. I will leave the falls on the 25th en route for the Owyhee, examining to the west all probable resosrts for the Indians, and will, whether any are found or not, be able to form a tolerably correct opinion as to the number who have inhabited or visited the country heretofore. The travel from the mines to Salt Lake and the east continues in small parties without the least difficulty. I am inclined to the opinion that more men have gone east than came west by the Snake River roads.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. F. MAURY,

Colonel First Cavalry Oregon Volunteers, Commanding.

ACTING ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Headquarters District of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter.

HDQRS. EXPEDITION AGAINST THE SNAKE INDIANS,
Camp Numbers 61, on Bruneau or Goose Creek, Idaho Ter., October 5, 1863.

SIR: As indicated in my letter of 23rd ultimo, the command moved from Salmon Falls Creek on the 25th and reached this camp on the