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CHAPTER XIII. 
DEPARTURE FROM FORT COLVILLE—VANCOUVER ISLAND CRABS. 
WE left Fort Colville in April. The snow was still 
on the ground, and everything very sloppy and 
wet. During the winter grain was taken out in 
sleighs, and distributed at different stations along 
the route. This enabled the Commission to start 
much earlier, as the mules by this arrangement 
were not dependant on grass. We followed the 
same course on our return as we did on coming 
up, a route already described. At Walla-walla 
we transferred all the mules and horses to some 
persons to whom the Commissioner had sold 
them, embarked in the steamer, reached the 
Dalles—thence the Cascades, Fort Vancouver, and 
Portland, from which place the ocean-steamer 
took us to Vancouver Island to await shipment 
to England. I added many things to my collec- 
tion during this time, amongst them a variety of 
crustaceans (vide illustration). 
On my return I submitted them to Mr. Spence 
