WOOD-PILE ON FIRE. 83 



takino* a northerly direction, to cross the Snake 

 river, where its tributary, the Peloose, joins it; 

 then, passing by the Big Lake, travel due north 

 to Fort Colville. It will facilitate description to 

 resume my journal :- 



June 5. I start alone for Walla-walla. A 

 stage from the Dalles takes me to the Des 



o 



Chutes or ' fall ' river, where I embark in the 



' Colonel Wright,' a small crank steamer propelled 



by an enormous stern-wheel. The Columbia 



river was in full flood, and rushing down with 



terrific force made our progress tediously slow. 



We were well out in the current, when there 



was a hue-and-cry that the wood-pile was on fire ; 



luckily it did no harm the burning logs were 



dragged out and thrown into the water. More 



dismal scenery can hardly be imagined not a 



tree or shrub visible nothing but grass dry as 



hay, and level sandy plains. At Sundown the 



vessel is made fast to some stakes driven into the 



bank, there being nothing else to moor her to. 



June 6. The splash of the stern- wheel and 

 creak of machinery awake me; we are again 

 struggling against a terrific current, and the wind 

 blowing a gale dead ahead. The same monoto- 

 nous shrubless waste nothing to interest or 

 amuse, save the excitement of twisting and 



G 2 



