NARRATIVE OF 1853. 145 
becomes mixed with it, and finally more abundant in many places. Besides these, the scrub 
pine occurs in spots of sandy soil, and a few trees of other pines, supposed to be the red, and 
short-leaved or Bank’s pine, (cypress of the voyageurs) occur northward. On the higher and 
more northern mountains there is also a small kind of white pine, and two or three kinds of 
spruce, small, and of little value comparatively. 
Oak grows near the Dalles and along the skirt of the forest as far north as the Yakima, 
Cotton-wood and aspen usually line the streams, and the paper birch and a kind of cedar 
(juniper) grow near Fort Colville. The white cedar, or arbor-vitw, so important west of 
the mountains, is not common on their eastern slope, though apparently more so on the western 
slope of the Bitter Root range. Among these forests of the eastern slopes there are found at 
intervals prairies, which are superior in character of soil to those near the Great Plain. Such 
is Tahk Plain, ten miles long, and from one to three wide, lying southeast of Mount Adams, 
and at the bank of Klikitat river, fifteen miles north of the Columbia, which has a lake in 
its centre, and is covered with luxuriant grass. 
Among the pine forests there is almost everywhere a fine growth of grass, remaining green 
and fresh much later than on the lower plains and in the vallies. On the highest portion of 
the mountains extensive prairies are covered with the richest pasture when nearly all below is 
dried up, presenting the finest grazing tracts, even when too elevated for cultivation. Chequoss 
prairie, 4,000 feet above the sea, is one of this kind, and there are others of much less elevation 
in the passes at the head of the Yakima and its branches. 
During our stay at Colville we visited McDonald’s leap. Near it there is а Mission, under 
the charge of Pére Louis, whom we visited. It is said that all through the valley of the 
Columbia there is trap rock veins of quartz. The Indians about the Mission are well disposed 
and religious. To-morrow Père Louis is to dine with us at McDonald's. As we returned to 
the fort Mr. Stanley was just going into camp, having made a march of 35 miles. The animals 
were put with McClellan’s. In the evening we listened to the thrilling stories and exciting 
legends of McDonald, with which his memory seems to be well stored. He says intelligence 
had reached him, through the Blackfeet, of the coming of my party ; that the Blackfeet gave 
most singular accounts of everything connected with us. For instance, they say that our 
horses have claws like the grizzly bear ; they climbed up the steep rocks and held on by their 
claws ; that their necks were like the new moon ; and that their neighing was like the sound of 
distant thunder. McDonald has, of course, given a free translation of the reports made by 
the Indians. We listened to his accounts of his own thrilling adventures of his mountain life, 
and a description of an encounter with a party of Blackfeet is well worth relating. At the 
head of a party of three or four men he was met by a band of these Indians, who showed evidences 
of hostility. By signs he requested the chief of the Blackfeet to advance and meet him, both 
being unarmed. When the chief assented, and met him half way between the two parties, 
McDonald caught him by the hair of the head, and, holding him firmly, exacted from the 
remaining Indians promises to give up their arms, which they accordingly did and passed on 
peaceably. From Vancouver I wrote to him requesting him to give me, in writing, a store of 
legends, and to accompany them by notes upon the climate and nature of the country obtained 
by his own experience. Не has lived here many years, and is an upright, intelligent, manly, 
and energetic man. 
I now, after consultation with Captain McClellan, determined upon a continuation of opera- 
tions, subject, however, to be modified by the condition of our animals on the arrival of Lieutenant 
195 
