110 NARRATIVE OF 1853. 
it is difficult to collect them in the morning. In consequence,-however, of the mistake of his 
guide, as to camping places, Lieutenant Saxton was entirely without grass for two nights. 
He then reached Thompson’s Prairie, a fine tract of meadow land, hemmed in by the 
mountains, where the excellent grass makes it a favorite camping-ground for the Indians, 
and where the Hudson Bay Company formerly had a trading post, which was abandoned 
on account of the hostility of the Blackfeet. The forest here is open, and grass of good 
quality grows under the trees. Here, on August 21, the first rain fell since he left the Dalles. 
During the next eight days he found excellent prairie camps, and crossing Clark’s Fork 
on a raft, which delayed him for a day, reached St. Mary’s village, in the Bitter Root valley, 
on August 28, where he had the disappointment of learning that the eastern division had not 
been heard from. On the way tracks of Blackfeet were seen, and the guide, Antoine, felt 
satisfied that they were watching an opportunity to steal horses. The officers kept strict 
guard, and, though an alarm was given one night, no trouble was encountered. The lateness 
of the season and the great losses sustained in transporting the provisions made it necessary | 
to send back from here every man who could be spared, so as to save for the eastern division 
as much of the stores as possible. Lieutenant Macfeely, though anxious to accompany him to 
Fort’ Benton, yet, with a generous devotion to the interests of the survey, consented to take 
charge of the returning party, and conduct them by the southern Nez Percés route across the 
Bitter;Root mountains near the Koos-koos-kia river. 
St. Mary's, or Flathead village, was laid out by the Jesuit missionaries, who introduced much 
instruction in agriculture and other arts of civilized life. They, however, deserted it before 
completion, and it was finished by the present occupant, Mr. Owen. The Flatheads have 
a considerable village of log-houses around Fort Owen, and own a large number of cattle, 
Taising also wheat, potatoes, poultry, &c. 
Lieutenant Arnold, with his brother and four men, were left in charge of the depot and 
animals, with directions to complete his observations for latitude and longitude. 
Lieutenant Macfeely, with nineteen men and twenty-three days’ provision, were to return 
to Fort Vancouver by the route mentioned, considered shorter but more mountainous than that 
traversed in coming eastward. Lieutenant Saxton, with seventeen men and the guide, who 
thought it unsafe to cross the mountains with a smaller party, left the village September 2, on 
his way to Fort Benton. He says of the country along the Blackfeet Fork, after passing | 
Hell Gate: ‘‘I think it decidedly a misnomer to call this beautiful region by so unholy a name. 
The sun does not shine on a better spot on earth, and I found that my previous ideas of the 
Rocky mountain range were, as far as this section is concerned, entirely erroueous." 
‘‘Instead of a vast pile of rocks and mountains almost impassable, I found a fine country, 
well watered by streams of clear, cold water, and interspersed with meadows covered with 
the most luxuriant grass." 
Passing through a region of similarly fine character, on September 7 he crossed the dividing 
ridge, which he describes as a high hill. The distance in a straight line between the waters 
of the Columbia and the Missouri, at this place, is not more than a mile. 
Nature seemed to have intended it for the great highway across the continent, and it 
appeared to offer but little obstruction to the passage of a railroad, though from having only 
an aneroid barometer he could not ascertain its exact altitude. Game abounded on the western 
slopes of the mountains, but was less abundant eastward. 
The next day, September 8, he was agreeably surprised by the arrival in his camp of Lieu- 
