LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR. 619 



two flourishing settlements. It is probable the line of railroad will run either to Port Gardner or 

 to some point north, as Bellingham bay. I will have established at the falls a depot of provisions 

 and two or three men, and I shall send up a party into the pass from this side, which will prob 

 ably meet you. They may run the line to Bellingham bay. Make the falls a point in your 

 route. Should your animals be exhausted and unfit for further service, send them by one or two 

 men to Steilacoom, and take canoes and go down the river. It is about one day down the river 

 to its mouth, and a day and a half toOlympia. If your animals are strong enough, come through 

 all the way by land. I want you to see how railroads and wagon roads can be brought down 

 from the pass to Steilacoom, including, if practicable, a line to Elliott s bay. This line is said to 

 be impracticable. I will send forage to the falls. Write me word of your departure from 

 Wallah-Wallah, and take pains to have it forwarded promptly. 



OFFICE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD EXPLORATION AND SURVEY, 



Olympic,, Washington Territory, December 30, 1853. 



SIR : I have the honor to report the arrival of Lieutenant Arnold, from his route by the 

 northern trail to Colville, and thence by the line of the Columbia river to Wallah-Wallah, and 

 acknowledge his energy and promptitude in making, at this late state of the season, valuable 

 contributions to our knowledge of the country passed over by him. 



Lieutenant Arnold, under instructions from Lieutenant Donelson, left his camp at the crossing 

 of Clark s fork, west of the Pend d Oreille lake, on the 24th of October, with a select party of six 

 men, an Indian guide, and eighteen animals, and reached Colville on the 30th. Here, in pursu 

 ance of instructions left by me, he ascended the Columbia in canoes and found the mouth of 

 Clark s fork about two miles north of the 49th parallel, and thus settled a disputed question of 

 geography. His route from Colville to Wallah- Wallah was by the Grand Coulee. The follow 

 ing extracts from his reports to me, of this date, will give a general view of his route. 



&quot; In accordance with your instructions, I ascended the Columbia to the 49th parallel, which 

 was found to cross the Columbia about two miles south of its confluence with Clark s fork. My 

 observations in connexion with the survey of this portion of the river were confined to a narrow 

 belt of country, included between two parallel ridges of mountains, whose general directions were 

 north and south. This belt was level, gradually ascending to the north, well wooded, and, even 

 at this late season, covered with tine grass; the soil alluvial and sandy. The mountain ranges 

 are a continuation of those seen along the western bank to the south, to the east presenting one 

 uniform unbroken outline, the first pass being at Colville; the current of the river rapid in the 

 channel, with innumerable eddies and whirlpools along its banks ; its bed rocky. Having com 

 pleted the survey of the Columbia north of Colville, I left the latter place on the 14th of iNovem- 

 ber and marched along the east bank of the Columbia for six days distance, about 110 miles; 

 the trail over a level and wooded country, to the Spokane river, and from the latter place to 

 where the Columbia makes the great bend to the west, and from here to the moulh of the Grand 

 Coulee, exceedingly rough and dangerous ; the country to the east and south, after leaving the 

 high banks of the river, undulating. At this point, 110 miles from Colville, I proceeded south 

 from the river, and immediately made an ascent of about 100 feet, when I came to the Grand 

 Coulee. This mighty avenue, about 15 miles to the south, and three to six in width, has a gradual 

 ascent to the south. Its sides are one perpendicular mass of molten rock, about 800 feet in 

 height, and on a level with the grand plain of the Spokane. With the exception of a few trees, 

 seen in this coulee, there is no timber between this coulee and the Columbia. After marching 30 

 miles, I entered the most southern and second coulee in size. Its general appearance was like 

 the former, and it was about six miles in length, with a more westerly direction. The country 

 between these coulees generally level, with the exception of innumerable smaller ones, like those 

 already mentioned. From the southernmost coulee to the Columbia the country is level and 



