158 SYNIAKWATEEN. : 
was situated. The scenery is picturesque beyond 
description; densely wooded on each side, the 
river winds its way through a series of grassy 
banks, flat and verdant as English meadows. 
In June these grass-flats are flooded by the melt- 
ing snows, and fora short time the river assumes 
the appearance of a lovely lake. The Indians en 
route to the Buffalo plains, east of the Rocky 
Mountains, cross the Pend Oreille at this its 
narrowest neck—hence the name, Syniakwateen. 
The place is a perfect paradise for the lesser 
migrants: sunny, sheltered, and abounding in 
insects and flowers, the birds live sumptuously, 
and find in the forest-trees and shrubby under- 
brush every variety of site for building purposes. 
Few more wonderful displays of brilliant colour- 
ing can be imagined than an assemblage of but- 
terflies. ‘ Knights’ and ‘ chevaliers’ have a habit, 
in North and North-western America, of pitching 
together on the ground, choosing damp _ bare 
places for their gatherings; many hundreds of 
these brilliantly-coloured insects might be seen 
every day on these meadow-like river-banks, out- 
vying in variety of tints any grouping of flowers 
the most skilful gardener could produce. For 
what purpose they thus congregate I am at a loss 
to imagine. 
