348 FROM FORT HALL TO HEAD OF HELL GATE RIVER. 



the Pncific, it must necessarily become ihe great thoroughfare of travel from the two ocrans 

 \v ;sb:ng the east and west co:ists of our country, not only for our own citizens, but Europe on 

 the one side, and Asia, together with the numerous and valuable islmds of the Pacific, on the 

 other; will naturally turn the course of their trade and travel for this grand avenue, which must 

 needs therefore be guarded for our nation s safety as well as prosperity; will afford an easy, 

 direct, and expeditious connexion for transporting men and munitions of war to the Pacific in 

 case of danger or difficulty from abroad; and will (we feel the necessity every day) dispense 

 with in a great measure the long, dangerous, and circuitous route either of the Isthmus or by 

 Cape Horn. 



Looking back upon our route, we saw we had followed the Bitter Root river to its head, 

 which we found from its mouth to be ninety-five miles long, flowing through a wide and beautiful 

 valley, whose soil is fertile and productive, and well timbered with the pine and cotton-wood; 

 but whose chief characteristic and capability is that of grazing large bands of cattle, and affording 

 excellent mill-sites along the numerous streams flowing from the mountains. The country thence, 

 which is watered by tributaries to the Missouri and its forks, to the range of mountains separating 

 these waters from those of the Snake river, or the south branch of Lewis s fork of the Columbia, 

 is also fertile ; but. its characteristic feature is the great scarcity of timber for any purpose, the 

 willow and wild sage being used for fuel along the whole route. The geological formation of 

 this section belongs to the tertiary period. The capability of this bioad area, however, for 

 grazing, is excellent. It is the great resort, at present, for all Indians in the mountains; the 

 mountains and valleys affording a great abundance of game consisting of elk, bear, deer, and 

 antelope while the numerous rivers and streams abound in fish and beaver. The latter are 

 still caught in large numbers on the headwaters and tributaries of the Missouri, but are not so 

 anxiously sought after as in years back, owing to the great depreciation of value in the market 

 east. The whole country is formed of a series of mountain ranges or ridges, with their inter 

 vening valleys, all of which are well defined and marked ; the decomposition and washings of 

 the rocks of the mountains giving character to the soil of the valleys, which may be termed, as 

 a general thing, fertile. The geological formations along the Jefferson fork, and its principal 

 tributaries, are limestone and conglomerate rock. From the range called the Snake River divide, 

 the whole character of the country is completely changed. Here the geological formation is 

 basaltic and volcanic principally. None of the numerous streams and rivulets flowing from the 

 mountains along the route we travelled emptied into the Snake river; but either sunk into the 

 ground, or formed small lakes in the broad valley of the Snake river. The ground in most places 

 is formed principally of sand, and where large beds of basalt are not found the ground is of a 

 very dry, absorbing nature, through which the water sinks at times bursting out again. It was 

 somewhat singular that for sixty miles above Fort Hall, along the main stream of the Snake 

 river, we did not cross but one tributary, and this coming in from the south, while none came 

 from the north; all of the streams, as before mentioned, either forming lakes or sinking into the 

 ground. This section is also noted for the great scarcity of timber and the immense plains of 

 wild sage, which is so abundant that it merits the name of the Sage Desert of the mountains. 

 It extends for many miles in length and breadth, forming an immense sea of prairie, whose same 

 ness is only broken by the &quot;Three Buttes&quot; of the valley, which rise like islands in the sea in 

 this broad and barren area. Its whole characteristic might be described in the one word 

 sterility. From the mountains bounding the Snake river valley on the north to Fort Hall, a 

 travelled distance of one hundred and twelve miles, there is but one fertile spot of ground that 

 could be converted to any useful purpose, and this is found at Cantonment Loring, five miles 

 above Fort Hall. Here the soil is of a grayish blue clay and sand, that might be made use of 

 for agricultural purposes. The grazing here is most excellent. 



Our return route to the Bitter Root valley, which lay to the east of the Bitter Root mountains, 

 from the Snake river to the ridge separating the waters of Wisdom river, or the Big Hole fork of 



