: — .. —_ 
. Spi 
women, and dani sokings health, all indemnifyin ceereghies for 
pesyiow sopnty fare, in a hearty consumption of potatoes, which a re pro- 
fa remarkably good quality. We were disappointed in our 
eepetotion of obtaining corn meal or flour at this station, the mill belong- 
ing to the mission having been lately burnt down; butan abundant supply 
of excellent potatoes anger eey regrets, and furnished a grateft i substitute 
for brea Nez Percé Indians gav 
even a populous Gneseiaes to the station; and, after remaining about an 
hour, we continued our route, and encamped on ove river about four _ 
below, passing on the way an emigrant eK “ene: 
Fe at sunset, 49°, = ee 
October 25.—The weather was pleasant, with a sunrise terhpenataie of 
36°. out road ae had in it nothing of interest; and the country of- 
ee be eye only a se eg plain, through which a scantily 
if river takes its cou We halted about three miles above the 
mouth, on account of grass ; shial the next morning arrived at the Nez Percé 
fort, one of the trading establishments of the Hudson Bay Company, a 
red yards above the junction of the Walahwalah with the Colum- 
bs sree: Here we had the first view of this river, and found it about 
e, and presenting the appearance ofa fine navigable stream. 
neds! ourcamp in alittle grove of willows on the Walahwalah, ee 
are 3 the only trees to be seen in the neighborhood; but were obliged“to send 
the animals back to the encampment we had left, as there yr cee -* 
blade of grass to be found. The post is on the bank of the Columbia a, on 
a plain of bare sands, from which the air was literally filled with clouds of 
sand, during one of the few days we remained here ; this place 
being one the several points on the river which are distinguished for pre- 
railing high winds, which come from the sea. The appearance of the aia 
and cou was without interest, except that we here saw, for the time, 
she great river on which the cottrse of events for the last half century has 
attention and conferring historical fame. The river is, in- 
deed, — sc nse and has here — is ding magnitude. Aboutnine ~ 
niles above, and in m t prep ap tah nm ght 
— eat forks which constitute hes via rathedl ream—that on w 
travelling from Fort Hall, and known by the names of se 
fork, "sifbchones, and Snake river; and the North fork, which has retained 
the name of Columbia, as being the main stream 
‘We did not go up to the panetiot, being pressed for time ; but the union” 
of two large streams, coming one from the southeast, and the other from the 
northeast, and meeting in what may be treated as the geographieal centre of 
the Oregon vee thence doubling the volume of water to oie ae while 
- + 
+ 
> 
a rom the structure of e country, m mast forever remain so—one of them 
Jeading to the South Pass, and to the valley of the Mississippi; the other 
be Fs the waters Hudson’ Bay: The British fur companies now use 
both lines; the heeticaés, in their emigration to Oregon, have begun t 
follow the one which leads towards the United States. 
water ascend to the junction, and thence high up the North fork, or ( 
Jumbia. Land ‘conveyance only is used upon the line of Lewis? $ + fork. 
* a # 
* - * 
