148 NARRATIVE OF 1853. 
was a good farmer and taught them agriculture, and by them his name is now mentioned with 
great respect. The house occupied by Walker is still standing, but Ее] s has been burned down. 
The site of the Mission is five miles from the Spokane river, in an extensive open valley, well 
watered and very rich. Here we met Garry and some 200 Spokanes. Garry has forwarded 
the letter to Donelson, but had received no intelligence of his arrival in the Cœur d' Aléne 
plain. We therefore concluded to encamp here, and to-morrow McClellan and myself are to 
accompany Garry to the Spokane House. The route by Walker and Eel's Mission to Colville 
unites with that taken by us twelve or fourteen miles from the Mission. It is a better route, 
affording go6d grazing during the whole distance. The Colville or Slawntehus and Chemakane 
valleys have a productive soil, and are from one to three miles wide, and bordered by low hills, 
covered with larch, pine, and spruce, having also a productive soil, which gradually become 
broken and lower towards the south. In the evening the Indians clustered around our fire, and 
manifested much pleasure in our treatment of them. Gibbs was indefatigable in collecting in- 
formation in regard to these Indians. I have now seen a great dealof Garry and am much 
pleased with him. Beneath a quiet exterior he shows himself to be a man of judgment, 
forecast, and great reliability, and I could see in my interview with his band the ascendancy he 
possesses over them Near the Mission lives Solomon Pelter, a settler, who, by Garry’s per- 
mission, has taken up his abode in this valley. I told Pelter, in reply to his request to be per- 
mitted to remain here, that though I had no power to authorize him, yet I could see no objec- 
tion to his so doing; that I looked with favor upon it, and requested him to have an eye to the 
interests of the Indians. 
I should have mentioned, in its proper place, that in Colville valley there is a line of settle- 
ments twenty-eight miles long. The settlers are persons formerly connected with the Hudson 
Bay Company, and they are anxious to become naturalized, and have the lands they now occupy 
transferred to themselves. І informed them that I could only express my hopes that their case 
would be met by the passage of a special act. They are extensive farmers and raise a great 
deal of wheat. 
October 25.—Having left the necessary directions for raising camp and moving it to the place 
of meeting with Donelson, agreeably to the arrangement made yesterday, Captain McClellan 
and myself accompanied Garry to the Spokane House, hoping there to hear from Donelson. The 
road was slippery, in consequence of the thawing of the snow, and we were obliged frequently 
to dismount. We met some Spokanes, from whom I learned that Antoine, who had been sent 
for horses in the morning of the 23d, had gone to meet Donelson. I sent after him, directing 
him to return, desiring to conclude the bargains for horses before the main train arrived. We 
found Garry's family in a comfortable lodge, and he informed us that he always had on hand 
flour, sugar, and coffee, with which he could make his friends comfortable. We then went to 
our new camp south of the Spokane, which had been established whilst we were visiting Garry's 
place. From the Chemakane Mission the train left the river, and passing through a rolling 
country covered with open pine woods, in five miles reached the Spokane, and crossing it by a 
good and winding ford ascended the plain, and in six miles, the first two of which was through 
open pine, reached Camp Washington. 
October 26, 27, 28, and 29.—During these days I was occupied at our camp (Camp Wash- 
ington) in making the arrangements for moving westward. On the 27th, through our Indian 
friend Garry, I received a note from Lieutenant Donelson, informing me that he would reach 
my camp the next day. In this note he stated that he had fitted out Lieutenant Arnold for his 
