CHAPTER V. 
FORT BENTON, 
REPORTS ON THE CROSSING OF MOUNTAINS MADE BY VOYAGEURS AND INDIANS.—ITINERARY OF A WAGON Roan FROM Fort BENTON TO 
Віттев Roor VALLEY EY тив WHITE CRANE.—VovAGEUR HAMMELL’ or Слротте?з PAsS.— DESCRIPTION or Forts BENTON 
AND CAMPBELL —RETURN OF LIEUTENANT Grover’s PARTY.—INCIDENTS OF THEIR TRIP.—THEIR SUFFERING FROM HUNGER.—ÀRE 
RELIEVED AT LIEUTENANT DONELSON'S CAMP.— MR. STANLEY TAKES DAGUERREOTYPES OF THE INDIANS.—THEIR IDEAS CONCERNING ` 
HIM.—LiEUTENANT GROVER DESPATCHED TO Brrrer Root VALLEY.—DR. Evans ARRIVES FROM Fort Union.—Report OF HS 
nouTs.—A BLACKFOOT COUNCIL PnoPOsED.—LiTTLE Dog AND Marras Pass.—Rorren BELLY Rocks.—ORIGIN ОҒ THE NAME. 
DESPATCH FROM LIEUTENANT GROVER—RETURK то FORT Banton. ergata OF Тату Ant Saxton. ета at Fort Viii 
VER: (TES RivER.—DEPUTATION 
- R 
or CAYUSE INDIANS. WALLA Wists Moda Some W ALLA-W ALLA.—ANTOINE spice ee 
SNAKE Rryer.—Petuss River.—Detecation or PrLUSE AND Nez РевсЕв INDIANS.— ELOQUENT SPEECH.— THE ONLY MERCURIAL 
BAROMETER BROKEN.—SPOKANE RivER.—THE SPOKANES AND THEIR Cmrgr.—CoEUm D'ALÉNE Prainse.—Penp D'ORIELLE IN- 
DIANS.—THE WHOLE REGION DENSELY WOODED.—TmE VALLEY or СгАвк'з Fonk—THoMPsoN's PRAIRIE.—CROSSING OF Qus 
Fork. . Mary’s VILLAGE IN THE BITTER Воот Vattey.—Lizvrenant MACFEELY RETURNS TO FORT Мунин ее" NANT 
ARNOLD LEFT IN CHARGE ОҒ THE DEPOT.—LIEUTENANT SAXTON STARTS FOR FORT аиел. Hae бата. —JMPROPRIETY OF THE 
NAME.—DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY.—ITS ADAPTA rd feste 
AT Fort BENTON.—Mn. TINKHAM RETURNS To FORT BENTON.—INCIDENTS OF HIS TRIP.—MR. беке ASCENDS THE THREE 
uTTES.—MONUMENTS ON THE SUMMITS.— BOTANICAL AND pages "— —— VIEW. BEDS Ur оғ — AND 
Coat.—Marias RIVER — Tug Тархк.—Тнк KNEE.—TETO ANIMALS 
ғов wacons.—Mr. Dory 1s LEFT at Fort BENTON.—M 
Posr.—Mn. Dory DIRECTED то HOLD A COUNCIL WITH THE 
Western INDIANS.—RETURN or Mr. STANLEY.—REPORT оғ HIS TRIP TO Мик River.—Tus Precans.—Cypress MOUNTAIN. —Pa- 
KO-KEE LAKE.—OLD INDIAN Fort.—Bow River VALLEY.—Low RN, CHIEF OF THE PinGans.—Movine Camp.—Docs.— LEAVES 
INDIAN Camp WITH А DEPUTATION ror Fort BENTON.— PARTIAL VocaBuLARY.—SKETCHES.—TALK WITH BLACKFEET, PIEGANS, 
AND BLOOD INDIANS HELD AT FORT BENTON.—INTERPRETERS.—THEIR DUTIES.—DESCRIPTION OF INDIAN DRESSES AND ARMS.—CoM- 
PLAINTS OF THE СнЕЕЗ.—ЁРЕЕСН кш Governor STEYENS.—REPLY or Low Hogx.—DisTRIBUTION ОҒ PRESENTS. —SPEECH ОҒ Low 
Horn To ніз Braves.—Ippa or SEPARATION OF THE PARTY.— LIEUTENANT SAXTON DIRECTED 
TO REPORT AT WASHINGTON. --ІМЕСТЕНАНТ GROVER TO EXAMINE THE Мівзосві.—Твівоте то Мв. Dory.—RESULT OF SOJOURN АТ 
Fort Вкхтоз.--бо Fort BENTON 
September 2.—1 was occupied to-day in interrogating voyageurs and Indians in regard to the 
passes of the mountains and the general character of the country, and also in buying and 
exchanging horses to fit out the advance parties. Of the many Blackfeet Indians that I 
questioned, only one had crossed the mountains to the Bitter Root valley as late as November. 
Their surmises as to the depth of snow on the passes were very different. Some were of opinion 
that the snow would be so deep in the second moon after this that the route would be utterly 
impracticable. One Piegan, the Three Bears, told me there would be snow in the mountains 
the latter end of October. I asked him the question whether there would be snow on the trail 
or on the mountains peaks, and he said simply on the mountain peaks. А Blood Indian, the 
White Crane, gave me the following itinerary of a wagon road from Fort Benton to the Bitter 
Root valley, which I give entire, as the accuracy of it has been subsequently established by the 
surveys of Lieutenant Mullan. Blood Indian, White Crane, says that the Flatheads, who 
travel fast, can go to St. Mary's in four days, say from fifty to sixty miles per day. Same 
Indian says it would take us thirteen days with wagons. Road good except one or two hills 
requiring attention. 
