14 BOTANY OF THE ROUTE. 



a^o autumn are so crowded into the space of three to five short months that even the siibalpine 

 region may be said to have but two seasons — first, that of vegetation, and secondly, winter, 

 continuing for the rest of the year, while the ground is covered with snow. Though the days 

 were very warm during our stay there, ice formed at night one-third of an inch thick at our 

 camp: and we had a violent and cold hailstorm, which for a short time buried the flowers, thus 

 in an hour changing summer into winter. 



The precise limits of the seasons cannot be definitely fixed, and probably vary much in 

 different years and on the different exposures of the mountains. About the 12th of the 

 following October snow fell in the Nachess Pass during Lieutenant Hodge's journey across it, 

 its elevation being nearly the same, 4, 890 feet above the sea. Snow is known to fall at this 

 height in every month between September and May, but it does not lie constantly for so long 

 a time, and vegetation probably goes on during both those months, and even for a month or 

 two longer. But the local differences are very great and must amount to a month or more, 

 according to the exposures of surface to sun and rain even at the same elevation. There is no 

 dry season at this height, as clouds are almost constantly hovering about the peaks, and rain can 

 be seen even from the valleys below, falling at all seasons, especially on the more westward parts 

 of the range. 



I found animals more abundant in this cool elevated region than below. The large herbivo- 

 rous quadrupeds had sought the fresh spring-like herbage, and were probably followed by 

 many beasts of prey. Ducks, geese, and cranes abounded, witli the interesting little phalarope, 

 seeking these cool regions to raise their young; but in our hasty journey across I could merely 

 glance at the multitude of new beings which surrounded me. 



The moist hollows between the mountains were densely covered with rank grass, promising 

 rich pasturage for the herds which, when the country becomes more settled, will doubtless be 

 driven there during the summer, when the plains eastward are parched by drought. In healthi- 

 ness and beauty of scenery these mountains cannot be excelled. 



On the 11th of August we commenced to descend the eastern slopes of the Cascade range 

 near the base of Mount Adams, and at once found ourselves in quite a different natural region 

 from any before seen. Although forests continue as on the western slopes, they are composed 

 of entirely distinct sjjecies of trees, and have a very different appearance. Instead of spruces, 

 one pine almost exclusively prevails, (P. ponderosa, called "Yellow Pine,") growing usually 

 over a hundred feet high, with a straight clear trunk three to five feet thick, branching at the 

 height of about forty feet. Its bark is thick, reddish, and deeply' furrowed, like that of the 

 chestnut. The wood is said to be unusually heavy and useful for many purposes, besides being 

 excellent fuel. A few of the smaller "White Pine" and stunted larches are mixed with this 

 on the higher parts of the slope, and descending below, about the elevation of 3,500 feet, the 

 oak began to reappear. 



There is so little underbrush in these forests that a wagon may be drawn through them without 

 difficulty, forming a striking contrast to the dense thickets of the western slopes, to be here- 

 after described. The level terraces, covered everywhere with good grass and shaded by fine 

 symmetrical trees of great size, through whose open light foliage the sun's rays penetrate with 

 agreeable mildness, give to these forests the appeai'ance of an immense ornamental park. 

 Almost the only shrub is a Ceanothus, (C. velutinus, Bougl. ,) vfith beautiful shining foliage 

 and a strong aromatic odor something like cinnamon, growing in scattered thickets. 



This beautiful forest continued for about twelve miles eastward from Mount Adams. It 



