172 NARRATIVE OF 1853. 
says, ‘‘ with this region free from snow, the country looked not unlike swelling fields of yellow 
grain all ready for the reaper's hook." | 
Passing up a branch of the Jefferson river towards the north, he again reached Wisdom 
river, about fifty miles east of where he crossed it in going south through Big Hole prairie, and 
found it here a bold stream, seventy-five yards wide, and timbered with cottonwood in abund- 
ance fifty or sixty feet high. Its valley is five miles wide, bounded on each side by high 
ranges of pine-clad mountains, but the soilis poor, producing chiefly artemisia and cactus. 
Following up the river for about twenty miles, through a fine open valley, he left it and fol- 
lowed up the valley of a small willow run, affording an excellent road, the valley being from a 
mile to a mile and a half wide. At the head of the stream he crossed low clay ridges, the last 
of which formed the dividing ridge between the waters of Wisdom river and Hell-Gate Fork. 
On the summit there was snow two inches deep, though none appeared in the valley below. 
Thus, on the last day of December, 1853, he again reached the waters of the Columbia by a 
pass nearly 70 miles east of where he left them on the fourth preceding. Descending a branch 
of Hell-Gate river on the first of January, 1854, Lieutenant Mullan entered the long, level, 
and beautiful prairie called the Deer Lodge, from the great numbers of deer found about it. 
It resembles that of the Bitter Root valley, but is more extensive, being about fifty miles long 
and twelve to fifteen wide, bounded on all sides, except the southeast, by high wooded moun- 
tains, of which the summits only were covered with snow. Like that, too, it is noted for the 
slight fall of snow in it during the severest winters, and its many streams are lined with timber. 
Large numbers of antelope were feeding in it, and mountain sheep and goats were seen on the 
peaks around. Near its centre is a conical mound (see sketch) about thirty feet high, around 
the base of which are innumerable springs of hot water, and on top a spring three feet in 
diameter, down which was thrust a pole twenty feet long without finding bottom. The water 
from this does not run over the top. A white soft salt is deposited around it. 
After crossing Deer Lodge prairie he followed down the Hell-Gate river to its junction with 
the Bitter Root, and reached Fort Owen on the 10th of J anuary. After the 3d there was a 
great change in the weather, accompanied by snow, and the streams became frozen over, 
though not hard enough to bear his animal's weight, and it was therefore not so cold as it had 
been on Jefferson Fork. His thermometer having been broken, the exact temperature could 
not be determined. 
Thus, in a journey of forty-five days, he had travelled seven hundred miles, crossed the 
mountains four times, at four different passes, and traversed two sections of country differing 
in soil, productions, natural features, and general character. In the Hell-Gate valley snow 
wae from four to six inches deep, but in the Bitter Root there was none at all, and it seemed 
as if he had entered an entirely different region and climate. Garry had pushed the express 
up Clark’s Fork in December, where he arrived early in January. The greatest depth of 
tara found in the latter part of December and early in January on the route was one foot. 
Lieutenant Mullan's letter is dated the 12th of January, at which time the Indian started on 
his return, passing down Clark’s Fork from about the 15th to the 25th of January. The 
greatest depth of snow on the entire route was then a foot and a half. 
. In regard to Higgins, he went up Clark's Fork in the month of March, finding no difficulty 
in moving along with horses, having taken the precaution to supply himself with forage, and - 
there was no difficulty whatever on his return trip. ; 
On the 25th of March I had made my arrangements to leave the next day with my report 
