MOUNT RAINIER 



The party now pursued the route up the river, and 

 in two hours reached the Yakima, up whose valley they 

 passed, encamping after making twenty-five miles. 

 The country was rolling, and might be termed sandy 

 and barren. 



Mount St. Helen's, 1 with its snow-capped top, was 

 seen at a great distance to the west. 



On the 5th, they continued their route, and at mid- 

 day were overtaken by an Indian, with a note informing 

 them of the arrival of Mr. Drayton at Wallawalla with 

 the brigade. This was quick travelling for news in 

 Oregon ; for so slow is it usually carried, that our party 

 were the first to bring the news of the arrival and opera- 

 tions of the squadron in Oregon. This intelligence had 

 not previously reached Wallawalla, although it is con- 

 sidered to be on the direct post-route to the interior, 

 notwithstanding we had been in the country nearly two 

 months. The news of the murder of Mr. Black, in New 

 Caledonia, was nearly a year in reaching some points on 

 the coast. 



This was one of the warmest days they had exper- 

 ienced, and the thermometer under the shade of a 

 canopy stood at 108. At a short distance from the 

 place where they stopped was a small hut, composed of 

 a few branches and reeds, which was thought to be 

 barely sufficient to contain a sheep ; yet under it were 

 four generations of human beings, all females, seated in 

 a posture, which, to whites, would have been imprac- 

 ticable. They had just procured their subsistence for 

 the day, and their meal consisted of the berries of the 

 dogwood. The scene was not calculated to impress one 

 very favourably with savage life. The oldest of these 

 had the cartilage of the nose pierced, but the others had 

 not ; leading to the conclusion that the practice had 

 been discontinued for some years in the nation, who 

 still, however, retain the name. 



The country exhibited little appearance of vegeta- 



1 Mount Adams. The two peaks were frequently confused in early writings. 



3 



