NARRATIVE OF 1855. 203 
On reaching camp this evening Mr. Doty, Mr. Sohon, and myself, followed down the little 
stream on which we were to its junction with the Coeur d’Aléne river. There I took a baro- 
metrical observation, and observed the river carefully. I will observe that on starting yester- 
day morning I sent ahead a small pioneer party, consisting of two of my best voyageurs, to 
open the road, which was somewhat obstructed by fallen timber. One of the peculiarities of 
travelling in a wooded region is, that to get along comfortably with a pack train you must send 
a party ahead to clear the track of the fallen timber. The two men who were put upon this 
duty kept the track clear and were not joined by the train until they reached camp. 
STEVENS’S PASS. 
Sunday, July 1.—To-day we crossed the mountain and camped on the St. Regis de Borgia, 
our day’s journey being fifteen miles. Starting from camp, we moved three miles over the 
same rolling country as described in yesterday’s journal. The grass was very plentiful and 
luxuriant, and water in clear and limpid streams every mile or two until we reached, four miles 
further, a cedar swamp оп the banks of the Cœur d’Aléne river, through which we passed, 
and occasionally pursuing our course over very low side hills, coming to the river, from time 
to time, through a country wooded, open, and arable, we finally reached the crossing of the 
Coeur d'Aléne, and began the ascent of the mountain. Looking up the valley of the Cœur 
d'Aléne from this point of the crossing, which was seven miles from our camp of last night, I 
observed that the valley was quite wide and open, and from what I had observed of the stream 
on the other side two years since, it seemed to me probable that there would be found no 
difficulty here in tunnelling for a railroad. We had, in the course of the morning, taken quite 
a number of barometrical observations, and we continued these observations until we reached 
our evening’s camp. The western ascent of the mountain was somewhat steep. Although I 
carefully observed the whole country and found that, as regards a wagon road, I could lay one 
on gentler slopes than the slopes on the great national highway between Jalapa and Perote. 
This hill was 5,000 feet above the sea, and on its top and sides was a very heavy growth of 
timber. There was coarse and luxuriant grass over the mountain side—not choice food for 
animals, but which they eat very readily in the winter. The eastern descent of the mountain 
was more easy than the western; but the valley of the St. Regis de Borgia, in its upper por- 
tions, was more narrow and less practicable than that of the Coeur d Aléne. I found, however, 
that in every portion of this valley there was room enough to lay a wagon road or a railroad; 
to form embankments and to make excavations without filling up the valley or obstructing the 
course of the water—a consequence to be very much guarded against in narrow mountain 
valleys. In examining this and other valleys I have sometimes seen that sustaining walls would 
have to be used instead of embankments of earth, there not being sufficient room for the latter 
arrangement. Оп reaching camp I founda Cœur d'Aléne express, whom I despatched some 
days since to the Bitter Root valley with instructions to Mr. Adams in regard to the Flathead 
council Mr. A. informs me that the Indians are all ready to assemble; that he will have his 
camp established six miles below Hell-Gate; that everything is quiet in the Indian country, 
and that the Indians are all full of the Blackfoot council. 
ST. REGIS DE BORGIA RIVER TO CROSSING OF BITTER ROOT RIVER. 
Monday, July 2. —To-day I moved sixteen miles and a half, and made a most excellent camp, 
with grass, wood, and water, as good as one could desire. Тһе great feature of to-day’s travel 
was the constant crossing of the St. Regis de Borgia river. I took the precaution to note every 
