FROM BITTER ROOT VALLEY TO FLATHEAD LAKE AND KOOTENAT RIVER. 519 



either side being much cut up by numerous but small coulees, which gave the whole section 

 the appearance of the country along the upper portion of the Missouri. The soil is principally a 

 light yellow clay, so that there is little difference in appearance between this district along the 

 Clark s fork and the Mauvaises Terres of the Missouri. The river we found to be two hundred 

 yards wide, and swift and deep. Its banks are sparsely timbered with the pine and cedar ; some 

 few trees of the cotton- wood and quaking asp were to be seen along its banks ; but the principal 

 trees were the pine and red cedar, both being of a small growth. Gaining a high point of view 

 on our march, we could trace the windings of the river for many miles, by the long line of timber 

 skirting its borders. We had an excellent view of. the country in every direction save to the 

 east, our view here being limited by the high range of snow-clad mountains mentioned yesterday. 

 This range has a direction nearly north and south, and is exceedingly high. It runs along the 

 eastern border of the lake its whole length, which, during high water, forms its left bank or shore; 

 it thence continues up the Clark s fork to its head. At about fifty miles north of the lake is a spur 

 of equal height bending to the west, and extending to the Kootenay river. -The country to the 

 north from whence we viewed it appeared to be one immense bed of mountains and rugged hills. 

 The country south of the Flathead lake, and between the range of mountains referred to and the 

 Clark s fork, is much broken in appearance from a point of view twenty miles distant. Through 

 this section flow two small streams, the more northern of the two being called the Crow river, 

 and the other the Birch so named from the great abundance of that timber found on its borders. 

 Travelling a distance of twenty-three and a half miles we reached the southern end of the lake, 

 at the point where the Clark s fork leaves it; here we encamped for the night. The river at the 

 outlet is two hundred and fifty yards wide ; the current is not rapid, but at a distance of half a 

 mile begins a series of rapids and falls that extend down the river for eight miles. There is one 

 fall in this distance of fifteen feet. The lake at its southern extremity is about four miles wide 

 at this season, and at a point six or eight miles above makes three beautiful islands, which ob 

 structed our view to the north. Its southern border is sparsely wooded with the pine ; the country 

 to the west along its southern and western border being high-rolling prairie. 



We found at the lake four lodges of the Pend d Oreilles, who have been here some weeks fish 

 ing ; they presented us, on arriving at their camp, with some fine fresh and dried salmon-trout. 

 This lake, and also the Clark s fork here, abounds in excellent fish, the salmon-trout being the 

 most abundant. These latter. are caught from the lake, often measuring three feet long. It forms 

 one of the chief articles of food for the Pend d Oreilles at this season. During the winter they 

 often camp here when the lake is frozen over, when, cutting holes in the ice, they secure an 

 abundance of these most excellent fish. While here, during the night we were aroused by a 

 noise from the river, when, going to see whence it came, we found three men swimming the 

 Clark s fork ; they had been fishing on the opposite bank, and, having secured a large number, 

 they were returning to their homes. The night was somewhat cold, yet such is the hardiness of 

 these men that they think nothing of undergoing fatigue of this character. On their arrival at 

 our camp they presented us with a number of these so dearly earned but excellent fish. We 

 were visited during the evening and night by several very heavy showers of rain. 



April 21. We travelled to-day along the western border of the lake. At a distance of two 

 miles from our camp, we left the lake about two miles to the right, as the bluffs here came to 

 the water s edge, and there is a trail only during low water. Here \ve entered a fine forest, 

 through which we travelled for five miles, when we again struck the lake. While travelling 

 through this timber we found a small but beautiful lake, called the Turtle lake. It is about half 

 a mile long, and five hundred yards wide. The pine growing in this thicket is high and straight. 



Striking the lake a second time, we had an excellent view, although much limited on account 

 of the hazy and cloudy weather. Several large and beautiful islands lay near the middle of the 

 lake, all covered with an excellent growth of pine ; many of these islands are several miles long. 

 On one of these, called the &quot; Wild Horse&quot; island, is a band of wild horses that belong to a Pend 



