530 FROM CANTONMENT STEVENS TO FORT DALLES. 



affording a good road. Up to 3 p. m. we crossed two small streamlets coming in from the north, 

 upon the second of which we halted to rest the animal?, having travelled a distance of 2l&amp;gt; miles. 

 A better road could be made by following the valley of Lo-Lo s fork. Of course, many crossings 

 of the stream would be inevitable; but as the water here is very shallow, the crossings would be 

 of minor importance, considering the advantages to be gained by a level road. Resuming our 

 march at 4 p. m., we continued for three miles along the side-hills, through fallen timber, when 

 we crossed and immediately recrossed the Lo Lo s fork. At this point we reached a very beau 

 tiful prairie, about one-third of a mile in length. This place afforded us nn excellent camp; 

 though, following the advice of our guide, we travelled a distance of four miles farther, when we 

 encamped. Finding no grass, our animals started on the back trail an hour after reaching camp; 

 but it being now sunset, it was too late to retrace our steps. 



September 22. Remained in camp during this day our animals having strayed back to our 

 camp of last night. Sent two men back in search of them, and in the meanwhile made a corral. 

 The men arrived at sunset with all but four animals. We pul them in the corral, where we kept 

 them all night without grass, and on the morning of the 23d resumed our march at an early hour, 

 our road for seven miles leading up and along the sides of very high and steep mountains, ob 

 structed by much fallen timber, which proved very fatiguing to our animals. Gaining a high 

 point of view, we had a prospect in every direction, where nothing was seen save an immense 

 bed of high, rugged, pine-clad mountains. At the end of seven miles we again struck the Lo-Lo s 

 creek at its forks. Here we found a small prairie, with very excellent grass, affording a fine 

 camp to a large party. The many signs of elk tracks seen through this prairie, shows that this is 

 a great resort for this animal the great quantities of willow affording them an abundance of food. 

 The mountains around this prairie are quite low and pine-clad. Our trail lay along the southern 

 fork of the creek, which we crossed several times. The bed is covered with large rocks and 

 boulders of sandstone. Each fork is ten yards wide, with bluff banks on either side. At a dis 

 tance of two miles from the junction of the forks, we reached a range of hot springs, flowing from 

 a bed of light, coarse-grained, friable sandstone. These springs are highly impregnated with 

 sulphur, and are of the same degree of heat as those I found in the &quot;Big Hole,&quot; the temperature 

 of which was 132 Fahrenheit. Here occurs a small prairie, wilh very good grass, affording an 

 excellent camp. The rock in the vicinity of these springs being easily disintegrated by the 

 weather, presents quite a wild and picturesque appearance, being worn and rounded in every 

 possible conceivable shape. They formed truly a relief to the eye from the monotonous char 

 acter of the country through which we had been travelling. The accompanying sketch shows 

 the vicinity of these springs, though no good point of view could be selected to sketch the rocks 

 themselves as they appeared in nature. We stopped at thpse springs, where the men enjoyed a 

 bath, and the animals the excellent grass here found. Leaving these springs, we commenced 

 the ascent of the dividing ridge of mountains which separate the waters of the Bitter Root river 

 from those of the Salmon fork of the Clearwater. This divide we found lower than the mount 

 ains along the Lo-Lo s creek, though covered wilh the pine, and in some places much obstructed 

 by fallen timber. At a distance of seven miles from the hot springs we reached a prairie of two 

 miles in length, where we encamped for the night. Through this prairie flows a small creek to 

 the headwaters of the Clearwater, called by Messrs. Lewis and Clark &quot;Glade creek.&quot; Here we 

 found good grass; but it was with the greatest difficulty that we could restrain our animals from 

 taking the back track, and only succeeded by guarding them during the whole night. Having 

 been deprived of grass last night, we could not possibly tie them up or deprive them of grass. 

 The night was clear and pleasant, though with a very heavy frost. 



September 24. We resumed our march this morning at an early hour, crossing Glade creek 

 three times, when we commenced the ascent of a high and steep mountain about nine miles 

 across, rendered difficult by stones, rocks, and fallen timber. At the end of this distance we 

 struck the main northern branch df the Kooskooskia river, which we found to be a stream about 



