TRIP THROUGH NACHES PASS, 1841 



together with the Indians, were very much exhausted. 

 The time had now come when the Indians, according to 

 agreement, were to be paid off, and they had done much 

 more than they agreed to do, having crossed the moun- 

 tain twice. 



Finding the necessity of retaining all the blankets 

 that had been brought with them, in order to buy horses, 

 Lieutenant Johnson proposed to the Indians to receive 

 an order on Nisqually, in lieu of the immediate delivery 

 of the blankets. This they readily assented to, and 

 also willingly gave up those that had already been paid 

 them, on receiving a similar order, thus showing a 

 spirit of accommodation highly praiseworthy. Only 

 two of them returned to Nisqually, to whom were 

 entrusted the botanical specimens, and the care of the 

 horses left upon the road. 



The banks of the small streams on the eastern side of 

 the mountain were bordered with the greatest variety 

 of trees and shrubs, consisting of poplars, buckthorn 

 fifty feet high, dogwood thirty to forty feet high, several 

 species of willow, alder, two species of maple, and 

 occasionally a yew. The undergrowth was composed of 

 Hazel, Vaccinium, Gaultheria, and a prickly species of 

 Aralia. The herbaceous shrubs were Goodyera, Neot- 

 tia, Viola, Claytonia, Corallorrhiza. The latter, how- 

 ever, were not in flower. 



The party on foot, after leaving the Little Prairie 

 about half a mile, crossed the northern branch of the 

 Smalocho, 1 which was found much swollen and very 

 rapid. Two trees were cut down to form a bridge. 

 After this, the walking through the forest became 

 smooth and firm, and they passed on at a rapid pace. 

 The Indians, although loaded with ninety pounds of 

 baggage, kept up with the rest. At nightfall they 

 encamped at the margin of the snow. 



On lighting their fires, they accidentally set fire to the 

 moss-covered trees, and in a few moments all around 



1 Greenwater branch of White River. 

 23 



