BOTANICAL INFORMATION'. 295 



two low species of Vaccinium and the Arbutus uva ursi. In 



satisfaction, that I descended considerably. Already at noon, the snow 

 began to disappear, my path became plainer, and at last brought me to 

 a narrow rocky defile, when after another descent I observed a wide plain 

 stretched before me, with but little snow and plenty of fine grass. The 

 afternoon was beautiful, and my horse trotted on briskly along a woody 

 seam of basaltic rocks. About sunset, I observed four horses grazing in 

 the plains, which made me believe that 1 must be near an Indian village. 

 Believing that some of the people might come and see after these horses, 

 which they commonly do every two days, I resolved to camp on the spot ; 

 and to be easily recognized I put fire to a dry pine, covered with resin 

 which burnt the whole night like a torch. A bright beautiful night ensued, 

 which I enjoyed, feeling some hope of being now near the end of my 

 trying excursion. The sun rose beautifully above the snow towering 

 mountains next morning, when my horse came to my camp-fire volun- 

 tarily, having had an excellent grazing night. The four other horses also 

 were only a short distance off. Mounting and proceeding onward I met 

 several paths forking off from the main, and while I checked my horse, 

 not knowing which one to take, my eyes caught at the distance an object 

 which turned out after a minute or two, to be an Indian on a white horse, 

 galloping over the plains towards the smoke column of my burning pine 

 tree. At once I put the heels to ray horse and dashed up to him. A 

 short parley in words and signs ensued, of where we came from and 

 where we were about to go to. I understood from him that I was on the 

 direction both to Fort Colville and the Spokan Mission station. He was 

 an old, coarse and wild-looking fellow, but agreed, and was willing at once 

 to bring me to the crossing place of Spokan River, for which he asked seven 

 balls and powder, a high price in that country for a two hours' ride. The 

 passage through the river was rather difficult, the crossing place being 

 immediately below a high water-fall. After I had paid off my guide, and 

 smoked a pipe with him, he turned very civil, and accompanied me a short 

 distance further, showing me the road afterwards to the nearest Indian 

 village. For this additional trouble, he again asked to be paid by some 

 flints and a piece of tobacco, which I did. He returned to fetch his 

 horses. Trotting along a series of trap rocks, covered with scanty pines 

 and tracts of sandy woods for three or four hours, I found myself at once 

 on the brink of a precipice, overlooking a small river in a narrow valley 

 below, and discerned an Indian village on an elevated bank opposite. To 

 my right, I recognized Spokan River in a rather broad valley. Both 

 rivers joined a short distance below, and enclose a point of land of classic 

 reputation in Oregon ; namely, the place where the trading-company led 

 by the great pioneer Wilson P. Hunt, of St. Louis, built their first trading 

 post, which was the first that was surprised by the British North West 



