518 FROM BITTER ROOT VALLEY TO FLATHEAD LAKE AND KOOTENAY RIVEE. 



the mountains either for agricultural or grazing purposes than this beautiful valley. It is true 

 that during some seasons the snow is found to be very deep, but it is not of long duration ; during 

 the spring and summer seasons it is a great resort for the Pend d Oreilles, for here they find 

 cam ash and bitter root in abundance, their principal roots for food. 



Finding excellent grass, we remained in camp on the 18th. We were visited by several showers 

 of rain during the day. Whilst here I was compelled to remark the generosity and kindness of 

 the Indians and half-breeds among whom we had pitched our camp. Having here a number of 

 cows, they brought to us milk in such abundance that our lodge might have been taken for a dairy, 

 more than the shelter of a small party of mountain travellers. Their presents of excellent salt 

 and fresh buffalo-tongues, the epicurean dish of the plains or mountains, were also duly appreciated. 

 On arriving at their camp the evening before, the women of the camp turned out &quot;en masse,&quot; 

 pitched our lodge, packed our wood, built our fire, and would probably have extended the limit of 

 their kindness much farther had we not requested them to desist. 



April 19. I intended this morning to visit the camp of the Pend d Oreilles, who were then 

 on the Clark s fork of the Columbia. At the distance of five miles in an easterly direction we 

 gained the summit of a low ridge of hills, or mountains, from which we had an excellent view of 

 the valley of the Clark s fork. The river in front of us flowed through high clay banks, while 

 the country to the east for fifteen or twenty miles was somewhat broken with several small 

 streams winding their way from the mountains, which here formed a very high snow-covered 

 ridge. The mountains were very rough and rugged, many peaks being jagged, while others 

 assumed a dome-shape and towered their sun-capped summits high above the level of the .valley. 

 The country to our right and left appeared to be one immense bed of rugged hills, their tops 

 being well timbered with the pine. Gaining the base of this ridge, we struck a small but swift and 

 deep stream called the Hot Spring creek, which takes its rise from a range of mountains to the 

 north. We followed along the right bank of this stream to its mouth, where it empties into the 

 Clark s fork; it is now about twenty yards wide, and in places very deep. Having made a 

 distance of thirteen miles, we encamped at its mouth on the Clark s fork. We met on the trail 

 to-day two Indians from the Pend d Oreilles camp, who had been sent by their chief, on hearing 

 of our being in their country, to ask us to visit his camp. This we had intended to do without a 

 formal invitation, as we desired to gain information from them as to the character of the country 

 to the north at this season, and to ascertain from them, and some Kootenay Indians whom we 

 heard were camped with them, as to the snows in the mountains and the character of the country 

 generally to the head-waters of Clark s fork and to the Kootenay river. We found encamped 

 at the mouth of the Hot Spring creek, Alexander, the principal chief of the Pend d Oreilles, with 

 forty-seven lodges. We also found encamped higher up on the creek some twelve or fifteen 

 lodges of Kootenays, Spokanes, and Pend d Oreilles. 



We had a talk with these Indians, who appeared very glad to see us; and an old Yakima chief 

 named Ow-hi, the great friend of the white men, being in this camp with a broken leg, sent for 

 us, and requested us to come and see him. We visited him, and found him to be a noble and 

 generous Indian. He is a large man, and has an open and benevolent face. He has letters from 

 several whites, and having been among and having seen much of them, he is now their firm and 

 stanch friend, and deserves humane and kind treatment at the hands of every white man with 

 whom he should meet. We ascertained in the camp of the Pend d Oreilles that the country north 

 towards the Kootenay river was not so bad as had been represented to us the day before; but, 

 on the contrary, we learned there was no snow in the mountains, and the greatest difficulty we 

 should have before reaching the Kootenay river would be the fallen timber in places and high 

 water, both of which I did not deem insuperable obstacles to keep us back; so, securing an 

 Indian who knew something of the country, we resumed our march early on the next day, trav 

 elling up and along the right bank of the Clark s fork. The river we found to-day very tortuous, 

 making numerous and large bends. It flowed mostly through high clay banks, the border* on 



