88 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



September I bad excellent sport taking them iu that manner. Many 

 were so large as to carry away my tackle at the first ouset. It seems 

 to me that tbey would prove to be a most excellent variety for stocking 

 many small rivers. They are very abundant and full of spawn in August 

 and September. 



As to tlie supply of large salmon in the west fork, I am not certain. 

 On the bank I saw the backbone of one over 3 feet in length; and 1 saw 

 the salmon jumping in the river, but cannot speak as to the variety or 

 quantity. 



With this exception, the locality I speak of i^ossesses every requisite 

 mentioned in your report. With slight improvement the road would 

 be hard and excellent during the entire year. There is abundance of 

 timber on the ground, and water can be conducted, if necessary, 200 

 feet above the stream. There are no settlers above, and none to inter- 

 fere below the falls. It is an ideal place for a hatchery for several 

 varieties of trout and salmon, but, as I stated before, I am not certain 

 as to the numbers of the larger salmon. The climate is all that could 

 be desired, with the exception of considerable snow in some winters. 

 With this exception, I think it is as good as any place in Oregon. I 

 would like to see a Government hatchery at that jdace. W^hen I was 

 at the falls last season the silver trout were trying to jump from the 

 pool to the river above, but all that I saw failed in the attempt and 

 fell back again. Dr. Suckley does not describe this fish in his report. 



Eleven years ago I assisted in running the boundary line between 

 Idaho and W^ashiugton Territories, I'rom Lewistou north to the forty- 

 ninth parallel, or international boundary. Our line crossed the Pend 

 Oreille in plain sight and a little below the falls you mention, which are 

 about 8 feet in height. Below the falls the river runs slowly for not 

 less than 20 miles, as near as I can judge, before it forms a canyon. 

 The head of the canyon must be some 10 miles below the old Saint Ig- 

 natius Mission. At the point of crossing we caught trout and a slender 

 whitefish, but saw no signs of salmon. About the old Mission, now 

 abandoned, were fine meadows of timothy and red-top, but the Indians 

 are not to be trusted. 



From the Little Spokane to the Pend Oreille Elver, following up the 

 first-named stream, is a natural route for a wagon-road. Lake Kau- 

 iksu, the waters of which llow into the Pend Oreille above the fall men- 

 tioned, is a very beautiful body of water, estimated at 20 miles in length. 

 The Indians have a horse-trail from the old Mission to this lake, where 

 they dry and smoke large quantities of trout. If you have any ambi- 

 tious tourist in mind who is desirous of exi)loring unknown lands, I 

 know of no more interesting locality than this lake. 



The Dalles, Oreg,, January 17, 1885. 



