THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 81 



of the new Territory of Washington, and was now about proceeding 

 to the field of his duties. The survey was divided into two main 

 bodies, one to proceed towards the Rocky mountains from the east, the 

 other to cross the isthmus and start in li-om the Pacific side to meet the 

 former. Each of these parties was again subdivided into sub-parties, the 

 progress and superintendence of which is as follows : 



Governor Stevens, with the main party, proceeded from St. Paul, 

 on the 8th of June, 1853, westward to Fort Union, a trading post 

 belonging to the American Fur Company, situated at the mouth of the 

 Yellow Stone river ; thence up the Missouri river to the mouth of Milk 

 river; and up the valley of Milk river, nearly due west, to Fort Benton, 

 another trading post of the American Fur Company near the Falls of 

 the Missouri, where they arrived September 1. 



From Fort Benton Governor Stevens crossed to the mission of St. 

 Mary's ; thence, by the Coeur d'Alene, to Fort Colville ; thence to 

 Fort Vancouver and Olympia. 



Lieutenant Saxton started from Fort Vancouver, and proceeded up 

 the Columbia river, by water, as far as the Dalles ; Irom the Dalles, up 

 the valley of the Columbia, by land, to Walla-walla, a trading post 

 occupied by the Hudson's Bay Company ; thence in a northeasterly 

 direction to the western extremity of Kalispe lake, crossing Lewis's 

 fork of the Columbia, forty miles from Walla-walla, and Clarke's fork, 

 near the outlet of Kalispe lake ; thence along the northern shore of this 

 lake and Clarke's fork of the Columbia, in a southeasterly direction, re- 

 crossing the river near the mouth of the Bitter Root, one of its branches ; 

 and thence nearly due south to the Flathead village of St. Mary's, situated 

 on the St. Mary's fork of the Bitter Root, thirty miles south of the mouth 

 of the Hellgate river. He proceeded up the valley of the Hellgate 

 or Blackfoot river and the Foospinney, one of its branches, to the 

 Blackfoot pass in the Rocky mountains. This pass is situated about 

 ninety miles from Fort Benton, near the sources of the Teton and 

 Medicine rivers. He crossed the mountains through this pass, and 

 met Governor Stevens and his party at Fort Benton. From Fort 

 Benton he went down the Missouri river to St. Louis — in a keel-boat 

 as far as Fort Leavenworth. 



Lieutenant Donelson, with the main party, passed over Lieutenant 

 Saxton's route from Fort Benton to Fort Vancouver. Dr. Suckley went 

 down the river, from St. Mary's valley, in a canoe, from the Flathead 

 village to Fort Colville. Captain McClellan explored the country on 

 both sides of the Cascade range northward from Vancouver; he met 

 Governor Stevens's parties at Fort Colville, and then continued his expe- 

 dition as far north as our northern boundary line. Lieutenant Mullen went 

 from Fort Benton to St. Mary's village b}^ the Jeiferson fork of Missouri. 

 He remained at St. Mary's village during the winter, continuing his 

 exploiations as far north as the Flathead lake, and southward to Fort 

 Hall. Ait:er continuing in the mountains for nearly a year, he returned 

 to Olympia in the winter of 1854-'55. Lieutenant Macfeely returned 

 from St. Mary's village to Fort Vancouver by the southern Nez Perce 

 trail down the valley of Kooskooskie and Little Salmon rivers. Mr. 

 Tinkham, civil engineer, accompanied Governor Stevens's party as far 

 a^ St. Mary's village, and recrossed the Rocky mountains to Fort 

 Mis. Doc. 24 6 



