104 CROSSING THE SNAKE EIVEE. 



scattered about, their height above the river, 

 together with many minor matters, induces 

 me to think the place could never have been used 

 as a burial-ground. I merely state the fact, in- 

 cidentally of considerable interest to me,asbearing 

 on the past history of the North-western tribes. 



We left Walla- walla on June 28, en route noTih- 

 ward, to reach Fort Colville. I resume my 

 journal : 



July 2. We are on the bank of the Snake 

 river, one of the larger tributaries to the Co- 

 lumbia; the river is 400 yards in width, and 

 running like a mill-race. There had once been 

 a ferry, in the shape of a large scow, that was 

 worked from side to side by a truck-wheel 

 traversing on an iron wire rope, strained across 

 the river ; but, unluckily, the rope was broken, so 

 we had to cross by sailing and paddling the scow, 

 and a few canoes hired from the Indians. It was 

 a most wearisome job, as the scow had to be 

 towed on both sides of the river, far above the 

 landing she had to reach, in order to compensate 

 for the swift current. Crossing occupied the 

 entire day, but success finally crowned our 

 exertions. 



A short distance above where we are crossing 

 I can see the mouth of the Pelouse river, a 2;ood- 



