204 TOPOGRAPHICAL REPORT ON WESTERN DIVISION. 



the waters of its principal tributaries, Atahnam, Nahchess, &c., the country along the Yakimn 

 river from its sources in the mountains to its junction with the Columbia. From Ketetas north 

 erly to the mouth of the Pisquouse or Wenatshapam ; thence, up the Columbia to Fort 

 Okinakane, the country on the Methow river from its head to its mouth, the country along the 

 Okinakane river from its junction with the Columbia to the lakes beyond the forty-ninth parallel; 

 thence, leaving the Okinakane at its forks, eastward across the country to the Nehoialpit river; 

 thence, down this river to its mouth, crossing the Columbia at Fort Colville. From Fort Colville 

 to Fort Wallah-Wallah, via the valleys of the Slawntehus, Chemakane, Cherahna, and Wallah- 

 Wallah rivers, crossing the Spokane river a few miles below the forks or site of the old Spokane 

 house, and the Saptin or Lewis fork of the Columbia at the mouth of the Peluse; thence, down 

 the south bank of the Columbia to the Dalles, and from the Dalles down the Columbia river 

 by water to Fort Vancouver. 



The country gradually rises back of Vancouver into a light range of hills running parallel 

 to Columbia river, and generally about a mile and a half from it. Two miles from Vancouver 

 the trail crosses a brook twenty feet wide, which empties into a lake three miles below that 

 place; the lake communicating with the Columbia ten miles below. From this stream the coun 

 try along the trail breaks into small openings or plains having no timber on them. They 

 vary from a half to several miles in extent, are very level, as well as the adjacent country, 

 and are separated from each other by narrow strips of woods. Kolsas, the largest of these 

 plains, about seven miles from Vancouver, is six or seven mile? long, and three or four in breadth, 

 and connects on the south with a swampy arm of Camas plain, which stretches off to the east 

 ward, in which direction there is a large tract of the same character of country lying along Mill 

 creek, and running down towards the Columbia. From Kolsas the trail bears to the northeast 

 for six miles to a plain called Simsik, about a mile and a half long. The country between 

 Vancouver and Simsik is similar in character heavily timbered with fir, spruce, and a dense 

 undergrowth of maple and hazel bushes. The soil is sandy and gravelly, especially the open 

 plains ; the soil in the woods between Kolsas and Simsik is the best. The country up to 

 Simsik is quite level; leaving Simsik east of north the country becomes hilly and broken along 

 the trail, the hills becoming higher and more rocky as we approach the Cathlapoot l river. 

 Between these points the trail crosses several branches of the Cathlapoot l. Six miles from 

 Simsik there is a small rapid brook fifteen feet wide; two miles farther on there is another, thirty 

 feet wide and two deep; and a third, the Yahkohtl, eight miles beyond, about forty feet wide 

 and two and a half deep. The bottoms of these streams are rocky, and that of the Yahkohtl 

 very stony ; the currents rapid. They run among high hills, and have no valleys. They unite 

 a short distance below the lords, the main stream uniting with the Cathlapoot l tour miles from 

 its junction with the Columbia. Eleven and a half miles from the Yahkohtl the trail crosses 

 the Chalacha. This river is thirty-five feet wide, ford good. It receives two branches a short 

 distance below the ford the first from the southeast, a bold rapid brook twenty feet wide; and 

 the other a small rivulet coming in from the other side and running nearly parallel to the Chalacha, 

 and one and a half or two miles from it. Thirteen miles from Simsik is Mankas Plain, surrounded 

 by hills, and more low and swampy than the other plains met with. Six miles beyond the Yah 

 kohtl river is the Yahkohtl Plain, a high, sandy, undulating plain, about three miles long. Five 

 and a half miles beyond this plain occurs the Chalacha Plain, lying between the Chalacha river and 

 the parallel rivulet before spoken of. The country between Mankas and Simsik is simply hilly; 

 hills higher near the latter place. Between Mankas and the Yahkohtl river there are two sharp 

 spurs of the Cascades, differing from the oth^hills by being higher and rocky. They stretch oft 

 to the east and west, increasing in altitude towards the east, but falling off&quot; in the opposite direction. 

 Between the Yahkohtl and Chalacha rivers the country is high and hilly, and, in places, much 

 broken. There is a high spur running along the left bank of the Chalacha river, and the plain o^ 

 this name is entirely surrounded by high ridges and rocky peaks. An almost perfectly symmetrical 



