203 | [174] 
meadow landalong the stream. The great beauty of Re country in summer 
constantly suggested itself to cage imaginations; and even now we found it 
beautiful, as we rode along these meadows, from half a mile to two miles 
bree The rich soil and excellent water, surrounded: by noble rests, 
make a picture vey would delight the eye of a Te 
_ the very small scale of the map would not allow 1 s to give s some repre- 
sentation of these scanieea of the country. 
TL observed to-night an occultation of » Geminorum ; which , although at 
the bright limb of ‘the moon, appears to give a very good result, that has 
been adopted for the longitude. The occultation, observations of satel 
and our position deduced from daily surveys with the compass, agree re- 
markably well together, and mutually support and strengthen each other. 
The latitude of the camp is 43° 30' oh and tongituiie, deduced from the 
pest she 121°. 33:50". 
mber 8. —To-day- we crossed "the last branch of the Fall river, issu- 
ing, like all thé others we had crossed, in a southwesterly direction from the 
mountains. Our direction was a little east of south, the trail leading con- 
stantly through pine forests. ‘The soil was generally bare, consisting, in 
greater Part; of a yellowish white: pumice stone, producing varieties \ 
nt pines, bat not a blade of grass; and to-night our horses were 
obliged to to do without food, and use snow for’ eae These pines are re- 
markable for the red color of the bolls; and among them occurs a species, 
_of which the Indians had informed me when leaving the Dalles. The un- 
- usual size of the cone (16 or 18 inches long) had attracted their attention; 
and they pointed it out to me among the curiosities of the country. They 
are more remarkable-for their large diameter than their height, rch 
usually averages only about 120 feet. The leaflets are short—only tw 
three inches pest a — in a sheath ; the barkef a red color. ; 
December 9.— ail leads always: through splendid pine forests. 
ossing dividing aie by a very fine road, we a ee patie 
‘ 4 " ae es ; J ] / te ‘ 5 
ror by tithbered mountains. moat 
a pict ue and beautiful spot, and rendered more attrac 
abundant and excellent grass, which our — afte! Reval, through 
pine forests, so much newlees but —_ broad eet of water which consti- 
Eetaaee “me Belo point in covered with i st pines made out into the © 
lake, which aff forded us a good place for an marerapent snd for the secu- 
w on the ead 
and ‘hostility attributed to thesIndians of this quarter 
nd, seeing smokes rising! from the 
