FROM CANTONMENT STEVENS TO FORT DALLES. 527 



therefore, either be along the Clark s fork, from its first great northern bend, or through the Cceur 

 d Alene range of mountains. 



Accompanying this you will find a map of the country travelled over, and sketches character 

 istic of the routes. 



Truly, your obedient servant, 



J. MULLAN, 



Lieutenant U. S. Army. 

 Governor I. I. STEVENS, 



In Charge of N. P. Railroad Exploration and Survey. 



REPORT OF LIEUT. JOHN MULLAN, U. S. A., OF HIS EXPLORATION FROM CANTONMENT STEVENS 

 TO FORT DALLES, THROUGH THE PASSES AND LATERAL VALLEYS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 

 INCLUDING A PASS OVER THE CO3UR D ALENE MOUNTAINS. 



FORT VANCOUVER, November 12, 18-54. 



SIR : In conformity to your letter of instructions of October 4, 1853, directing me to continue the 

 exploration of the passes and lateral valleys of the Rocky mountains, gaining information as to the 

 practicability of the same for railroad and wagon routes, and making a topographical map of the 

 country traversed, and your later communication, dated at Washington city, June 2, 1854, with 

 drawing my party from the mountains, with instructions to follow the best practicable route to 

 the Pacific, or the route explored by Mr. Adams, under my directions, I have the honor to report 

 that I left Cantonment Stevens on the 19th of September last, for the fulfilment of the above 

 instructions. 



Your instructions of 2d June were received on the 23d of August ; but in order to arrange my 

 accounts of property, and carry out the views embodied in your letter, I was compelled to await 

 the arrival of the party of James Doty, Esq., then under orders for the Pacific from the falls of the 

 Missouri. By this means we were enabled to consult as to the routes to be followed westward, 

 the plan of operation of each, and thus fully carry out your views for the interest of the survey. 



On the receipt of your communication, I despatched an express across the mountains to carry 

 to Mr. Doty his letters and instructions. 



Mr. Adams, my assistant, having been assigned to duty as special Indian agent in the Bitter 

 Root district, was absent by my order at the receipt of your letters, but arrived at the post on the 

 10th of September. To him I turned over certain animals and property that he needed for his 

 purposes in the mountains. Mr. Burr, who had been associated with me for more than a year in 

 meteorology, remained with Mr. Adams. 



Our preparations having been completed by the morning of the 19th of September, we took our 

 departure from the Cantonment where had been our winter home for twelve months ; and I must 

 say that, though the reflection that we were soon to mingle with our friends on the Pacific was 

 pleasant and refreshing, still we parted with our late home with feelings of true and heartfelt 

 regret. Our comforts had been few and rude, it is true, but sufficiently great to endear us to a 

 place and a people that we shall not soon forget. 



As you have already been informed in a former communication, Mr. Adams was instructed by 

 me to examine and report upon a route across the Bitter Root mountains represented by an 

 Iroquois Indian to be an excellent and practicable road for wagon trains, and which he was 

 willing to point out. He was further instructed, that should the route, upon examination, prove 

 to be such as it had been represented, he should with a party of nine men remove all obstruct 

 ions, so far as his force would allow him, and cross the mountains to the Cosur d Alene mission, 

 where he should await further instructions. Early in March last he started to make the recon 

 naissance, taking with him as guide the Iroquois Indian referred to. I should here state that, at 

 the same time, I left the Bitter Root valley to examine a pass across the mountains to Fort 



