180 DOUGLAS' JOURNAL 



and narrow channels where, by the strength of such an immense body of 

 water forcing its way, it is risen in the middle to a perfect convexity. In 

 such places, where you think the next moment you are to be dashed to 

 pieces against the steep rocks, they approach and pass with an indescribable 

 coolness, leaving it behind cheering themselves with an exulting boat-song. 

 Reached the junction of the Spokane River twenty minutes after three 

 o'clock of the same day, having in the short space of eight hours made a 

 distance of ninety miles, which may give some idea of the current. As 

 Mr. K. made a stay of an hour, securing some boats from the sun, I took 

 a walk around our old April encampment, when I added several items to 

 the collection. Camped at dusk opposite the Cinqpoil River, forty miles 

 further down on the south side of the river. I was much obliged by Mr. K. 

 kindly putting to shore for anything x that attracted my attention. 



Tuesday, Qth. Embarked a few minutes before three and continued our 

 route : passed the Little Dalles at eleven, where I walked over the rocks 

 and, as usual, gleaned something for my collection. At one, arrived at Ok- 

 anagan establishment, where I found my old friend Mr. John Work, William 

 Conolly, Esq., a Mr. P. C. Pambrun, and a James Douglas, with a party of 

 men from Western Caledonia, and a Mr. Francis Ermatinger from Thom- 

 son's River, a brother of the young man who accompanied me in the spring, 

 all on their way to Fort Vancouver. I shall ever feel no small degree of 

 pleasure on thinking of the kindness I had from these people, which is 

 naturally doubly esteemed in this distant uninhabited country. I must 

 mention in particular the genuine and unaffected friendliness of Mr. 

 Conolly, who instantly begged that I would consider myself as an old 

 acquaintance. Mr. Work, whom I have so often spoken of, kindly pre- 

 served for me a large female grouse and a male black rock-grouse, both 

 very well done, with a few eggs of the former ; but as my time was so much 

 taken up collecting plants and changing the paper of those gathered on my 

 way down, I had no time to make a box to place them in, so I left them 

 until the autumn with Mr. Ermatinger. 1 Made a turn round the rocks 

 west of Okanagan River, and again made some more additions. 



* J From October till April they are seen abundantly and are easily killed by the 

 Indians with the bow on the banks of the Columbia from the junction of the Spokane 

 River to the Wallawallah River below, being the boundary of the plains, a chain of 

 three hundred miles. Are seen in large flocks at the Priest Rapids, about half-way 

 between the two places. I am informed by several of the persons in authority they also 

 inhabit the grounds around Lewis and Clarke's River or Snake River, Kooskooskee 

 River, and their numerous branches. It would appear that the great humidity of the 

 atmosphere, which is so sensibly felt on and near the coast and is in some degree the case 

 even two hundred miles from it, is prejudicial to them, and the cold on the east 

 the nearer they approach the dividing range of mountains, equally so. Between the 

 parallels of Lat. 43 to 48 N., Long. 116 to 119 West. June 10th. 



August 21st. Raised two large flocks near the Grand Coulee and had to content 

 myself with a sight of them, having no gun. Perhaps there might be ten or twelve 

 broods in each flock, say 100 or 120 birds. I could readily go within twenty yards. 

 The large grouse of the plains is by no means a rare bird, although at this season 

 seldom seen near the banks of the river, as they retire back to the elevated dry grounds 

 for the purpose of hatching. The male in particular is a very noble bird, measuring 

 2 feet to 34 inches in length, including the tail,and weighing 5 to 8 Ib. avoirdupois. 

 The flesh is very dry, and white like that of the ptarmigan, but tender, and affords 

 perhaps as little nutriment as any known animal substance. In the breast of the male 



* Footnotes made by Douglas. ED. 



