FROM BITTER ROOT VALLEY TO FLATHEAD LAKE AND KOOTENAY RIVER. 517 



These Blackfeet had been in the mountains apparently several weeks, had built themselves a 

 fort, and had killed two cows from the valley, the meat of which they had dried. They left in 

 the fort seven pairs of snow-shoes and many trinkets. 



Seventeen Flatheads and Pend d Oreilles pursued acro&s the mountains, through deep snow 

 and timber, but succeeded not in overtaking them ; and thus these hell-hounds made off with a 

 large and valuable band of fat horses. 



Hearing this, I sent an Indian back to my camp with instructions to have our animals guarded 

 during the day and corralled at night, thus using every precaution in securing a large and valuable 

 band of government animals, which are by no means safe from these well known and noted 

 horse-thieves of the Rocky mountains. 



We resumed our march on the morning of the 16th, in a heavy rain-storm ; our trail for seven 

 miles being over a rolling prairie, when we entered Conacan s defile. This is a defile in the 

 mountains separating the Jocko river from the Hell Gate : it is so named from the fact that three 

 Kanakas, bearing this name, were killed here some years ago by the Blackfeet. We found the 

 road very rough and rocky, with much fallen timber along the trail. On the summit of this 

 divide is a small prairie called the &quot; Camash Prairie.&quot; It is here where the Pend d Oreilles, at 

 times, dig the camash root. 



Gaining the base of the divide on the north, we struck the &quot;Course des Femmes,&quot; a small 

 stream that empties into the Jocko. It is so named from the fact that here formerly the Indian 

 women ran races. It flows through a level and beautiful prairie, where we found the grass very 

 rich and green. The camash grows here quite abundantly. 



Travelling a few miles farther in this prairie we struck the Jocko, which we had to our right. 

 This we found quite a large stream, being now swollen by the melting of the snow in the mount 

 ains. We crossed it five times during the day, it being ford able at each crossing. At a distance 

 of thirty-six miles from the Hell Gate we struck the Clark s fork of the Columbia, encamping 

 on its left bank a short distance above the mouth of the Jocko. 



This stream we found very much swollen ; we tried the ford during the evening, but found the 

 water very deep, and, as it was necessary to go as far as Horse Plain before seeing an Indian 

 who could guide us in a northern direction, we were compelled to build rafts to cross the river. 

 So, setting the party at work after arriving in camp, we had at the river s edge by sunset timber 

 sufficient for two rafts, so that early on the morning of the 17th we made our rafts and crossed 

 everything in safety to the opposite bank. The river at this point is two hundred and fifty yards 

 wide, and in the channel we could not find bottom, having tried it with poles fifteen feet long. 

 Thence resuming our march down the right bank of the Clark s fork, we found the trail leading 

 over a somewhat rough and difficult road. It lay principally along the side-hill, where had 

 broken off numberless rocks and fragments of rock, affording us a very difficult road; a much 

 better road we found on the opposite bank of the river, as there is a low level beach extending to 

 the point of the river where it enters a steep mountain canon. Where the trail leaves the river 

 it is fordable in low water, and during high water it could be rafted. The trail on the right bank 

 bends to the northwest, and does not strike the river again till it reaches Horse Plain. Travelling 

 a distance of twenty miles, we passed in the Camash prairie Michelle Ogden, the gentleman 

 in charge of Fort Conna, on the Flathead river, when we encamped for the night. Finding here 

 some Indians, I secured one who could guide me to the forks of Clark s fork. As I was informed 

 here that it was impossible to reach the Kootenay river at this season on account of the great 

 depth of the snow in the mountains, I concluded to go as far as the forks of the river, and then 

 strike to the west and reach Camash prairie by a different route, unless I could find a guide 

 at the Pend d Orcille camp who would guaranty to guide me through to the Kootenay river. 

 The Camash prairie referred to is nearly a circular prairie in the mountains, and perfectly 

 level. The grass this season growing in it is exceedingly green and abundant. It is sheltered 

 on every side by high hills and mountains, the soil is very fertile, and there is no better spot in 



