FROM BITTER ROOT VALLEY TO FLATHEAD LAKE AND KOOTENAY RIVER. 521 
the lake immense numbers of deer and elk were found, while the lake afforded its usual abund- 
ance of excellent fish, but now little if any game is found throughout this whole region; yet this 
beautiful lake has lost none of its pristine character in yielding to the fisherman a rich and abund- 
ant harvest at all seasons. May it not be, in years to come, when this hitherto neglected region 
shall become a thickly settled district, that the lumber and the fisheries of this beautiful lake of 
the mountains shall constitute one of the chief articles of trade from this region, and return to the 
coffers of the future State of Washington a handsome and valuable revenue ? 
Cannot navigation be extended from the Pacific to the very base of the Rocky mountains? 
What is there to prevent it? Are there insuperable obstacles in the way? No; in my humble 
judgment, I think not. Let but the enterprise and the ingenuity of the Yankee nation once be 
extended to this now secluded and neglected region, and soon will be seen steamers ploughing 
the beautiful waters of the Columbia from its mouth to the base of the mountains. The river 
always affords, except during three months of the year, an abundance of water for navigation ; 
the borders of the stream and its lakes afford a sufficiency of fuel; and all it now needs is, to 
have the Cascades, the Dalles, and the few falls above the mouth of the Lewis’s fork, removed, 
to complete the water communication from the Pacific to the Rocky mountains. 
April 23.—Continuing for a short distance this morning through the pine forest passed through 
yesterday, we emerged into a broad, open, level, and beautiful prairie, that extends from the 
north end of Flathead lake for a distance of thirty or forty miles to the north and twenty miles to 
the west. The soil here is very excellent, and the great number of sloughs, small lakes, and 
ponds, afford an abundance of small game. There are two beautiful streams flowing through this 
prairie bottom, both of which we crossed during the morning. The first is called the Cotton- 
wood creek, from the great abundance of that timber found on its borders; and the second the 
Maple river, from the reported abundance of this timber found on its banks, although I saw none 
on the river the whole distance travelled. Gaining this prairie, we could trace the mountains for 
many miles. We observed that the range referred to several times as running along the eastern 
border of the Flathead lake, continues its general direction of northwest and southeast; but at a 
distance of forty or fifty miles from the north end of the lake, a spur of this range, similar in all 
respects to the main range, bends more to the west. This spur, as the main range, was cov-, 
ered with snow to midway of its height. The mountains here are all well wooded with pine ; 
their summits are a combination of jagged and serrated peaks, with many dome-shaped peaks, 
all covered with snow. 
The Cotton-wood creek we found to be ten yards wide, with a gentle current; water in the 
ford two feet deep, and good banks on either side. ‘The Maple river I found to be the swiftest 
stream that I have ever crossed in the mountains. It flows, at the ford, over a rocky bed. The 
water we found near three feet deep, and, with its impetuous current, we could with difficulty 
ford it. Most of our packs were submerged, and everything wet in the crossing. Before cross- 
ing this stream, we struck again the Clark’s fork, along which we travelled for a mile. Here the 
stream is one hundred and fifty yards wide, flowing with a sluggish current through high clay 
banks, and is well wooded on the left bank with the cotton-wood and pine, principally the former. 
The water is not clear, but is colored yellow by the waters of the Maple river, which are very 
turbid at this season. We followed up the Maple river on its left bank for a distance of ten 
miles, our trail lying partially over the level prairie before described, and partially through a 
dense pine forest. The timber here is very high and straight, with much underbrush. The grass 
we found here to be very sparse and poor. Gaining a small prairie, along the southern edge of 
which the Maple river flowed, we encamped, having travelled a distance of twenty-two miles. 
We found here poor grass; but as the guide told us it was the best we should find for many 
miles, our animals had to fare upon very indifferent repast. ‘The day has been bright, warm, 
and pleasant. 
66F 
