LETTER FROM CAPTAIN MCCLELLAN TO THE SECRETARY OP WAR. 25 



Nahchess Pass, I received an express from Lieutenant Hodges, informing me that most of his 

 horses had given out, and that there were no spare mules at Steilacoom. I therefore at once 

 determined to reduce the size of the party, and on the next day sent in the escort and packers 

 enough to reduce the number from sixty-eight to about thirty, for which number I can carry 

 the requisite supplies on mules. The Nahchess Pass is at the head of the river of the same 

 name, (the south fork of the Yakima,) about fifteen miles north of Kegnier. The lowest point 

 of the divide is 4,966 feet above Vancouver; the divide quite narrow, the ascent in the upper 

 eight miles of the valley 1,612 feet. The valley is frequently reduced to a mere canon, wholly 

 occupied by the bed of the stream. Judging from the snow-marks on the trees, and information 

 received from the Indians, the snow accumulates to great depths in the narrow valleys I 

 should suppose at least twenty feet and upon the mountains some five to six feet. 



Lieutenant Hodges reports the valley on the west side as sloping with great rapidity for 

 about twenty miles from the summit, and as presenting no great difficulties thence to the 

 sound. The pass at the head of the main Yakima, (the Snoqualme Pass) some twenty miles 

 north of the Nahchess Pass, is but 3,544 feet above Vancouver. On the lowest point of the 

 summit is a shallow lake, about two hundred yards long, from which the water runs both 

 ways. From this lake to the west the descent is exceedingly rapid. Towards the east the 

 descent in the distance of about three quarters of a mile is five hundred and thirty feet to 

 another lake about half a mile long ; from this to the large lake in which this river heads a 

 distance of about two miles in a direct line the descent is five hundred and ninety-nine feet. 

 From this last lake (Kitchelus) there is no difficulty in the way of the construction of a road of 

 any kind ; the valley of the river being generally wide and level, but covered in the upper part 

 by a dense growth of timber. The snow must accumulate to about the same extent as in the 

 other pass ; but the valley on the east slope being more open, the obstruction would be much 

 less on this route. Being exceedingly pressed for time, I was unable to proceed more than a 

 few miles beyond the divide in the Snoqualme Pass ; as far as I went the valley was narrow 

 and the descent steep. The Indians say that, at the distance of about twenty-five miles from 

 the divide, the stream enters a lake, at the foot of which is a cascade some sixty feet in height. 

 Lieutenant Hodges informs me that the officers of the Hudson s Bay Company at Nisqually are 

 confident that the western portion of this pass is better than the corresponding portion of the 

 Nahchess Pass. But the result of my short experience in this country has been, that not the 

 slightest faith or confidence is to be placed in information derived from the employes of the 

 company, or from the inhabitants of the Territory : in every instance when I have acted upon 

 information thus obtained, I have been altogether deceived and misled. It will, therefore, be 

 impossible to make any accurate comparison of the relative advantages of the west slopes of 

 these passes until we have examined the whole of the Snoqualme Pass ourselves. Near St. 

 Helens the mountains are by no means so large and rugged as near Mount Kegnier, yet there 

 does not appear to be so well marked and defined a pass. The lowest point over which our 

 trail passed in that vicinity was 3,100 feet above Vancouver; yet, judging from the appearance 

 of the country near St. Helens, I think there would be great difficulty in passing by the mount 

 ain. In the portion of the range near Kegnier the mountains are so thickly timbered that it 

 is very difficult to obtain any extensive view, and they are so rough as to make it exceedingly 

 difficult to explore them even on foot. I have examined the divides on foot, and, from the short 

 time at my disposal, have been unable to extend the examination as far as would be desirable. 



Following the west slope of the mountains from Vancouver to the Cathlapoot l river, the 

 country is very densely timbered, and required constant cutting on the trail. With the exception 

 of a few small tracts, the soil is poor. In the valley of the Cathlapoot l, which we followed 

 for four days, the country is quite rough and thickly timbered the soil miserable, and no grass. 

 On the east slopes, near Mount Adams, the country is generally covered by open pine 

 woods, with a coarse grass, the soil not good enough to induce settlements. The last forty-five 

 miles of the trail have been over barren sage plains, mostly without grass, always without 



