[ 174] “196 
the usual order or distribution of good and bad soil is often reversed ; the 
river and creek bottoms being often sterile, and darkened with the gloomy. 
and: barren artemisia;.while the mountain is often fertile, and covered 
with rich grass, pleasant to the eye, aud: good for flocks and herds. 
Leaving entirely the Snake river, which is said henceforth to pursue its 
course through carions, amidst rocky and impracticable mountains, where 
there is no possibility of travelling with animals, we ghended a long and. 
somewhat steep hill; and ee, ; the ‘dividing ridge, came down into the 
valley ob rntiveds: which he ks like a hole date the hills. The 
average breadth of the stream fae’ is 30 feet ; it is well fringed with the 
usual small timber; and the soil in the bottoms is good, with better grass 
than we had lately been accustomed to see ; 
e now travelled through a very mountainous country ; the stream run- 
ning rather in-a ravine than a valley, and the road is decidedly bad and 
dangerous for single: wagons, frequently crossing the stream where the 
water is sometimes deep; and all the day the animals were fatigued in 
climbing up and descending a succession of steep ascents, to avoid the pre- 
cipitous hill sides; and the common trail, which leads along the mountain 
side at places where the river strikes the base, is sometimes bad even for 
ahorseman. The mountains along this day’s journey were composed, near 
the river, of a slaty calcareous rock in a metamorphic condition. It ap- 
pears originally to have been a slaty sedimentary limestone, but its pres- 
ent condition indicatés that it has been altered, and has become partially 
fm erystalline—probably from the proximity of volcanic rocks. But though 
¢ 
‘travelling was slow and fatiguing to the animals, we were delighted with 
‘the appearance of the country, which was green and refreshing after our 
pres. gid down the £ adage valley of Snike river. The mountains 
was cold and pure; their bottoms were ha adapirel wooded with various 
kinds of trees; and huge and lofty and picturesque precipices were dis- 
played where’ the river cut through the mountains. 
We found in the evening some good grass and rushes; and encamped 
among large timber, principally birch, which had been recently burnt and 
blackened, and almost destroyed by fire. The night was calm and tolera- 
bly clear, with the thermometer at sunset at 59°. Qur journey to-day was’ 
about 20 miles. 
October 14.—The day was clear and calm, with a temperature at sunrise . 
of 46°. After travelling about three miles. ern the valley, we found the 
tiver shut up by preeipices in a kind of eajion, and the road m a 
cuit over the mountains. In the afternoon we rea gio Med in, | 
another little ravine; and, after travelling alors r a few miles, left it 
mong rude mountains; and, ascending a smaller branch, en- 
ion it about 5 o’clock, very much elevated above the valley. The 
view. was every where limited by mountains, on which were no longer seen 
the black and barren aig but a fertile soil, with excellent grass, and 
partly well covered with pine. I have never seen a wagon road equally 
bad in the same’ space, as this of yesterday and to-day. I noticed where 
one wagot’ had been overturned twice, in a very short distance; and it 
was surprising to me that those wagons which were in the rear r, and eould 
not have had much assistance, got through at all. Still, there is no mud ; 
and. the pene in being perfectly fitm. <The day bad 
bavarm and very p -and the night was perfectly clear. 
