CHAPTER XIV. 
THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF FORT BENTON.—THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.—BITTER ROOT RIVER.—CLARK’S 
FORK.—THE PASSES.—THE COLUMBIA RIVER, ITS TRIBUTARIES AND VALLEY.—CASCADE MOUNTAINS.— 
THE RIVERS AND ISLANDS OF THE SOUND. 
THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF FORT BENTON.—THE BLACK HILLS.—THE RISE BETWEEN FORT BENTON AND FORT UNION.— 
OBSERVATION ON THE CLIMATE AND SOIL.—THE Rocky MouNTAINS.—LEWIS AND CLARK’S DESCRIPTION.—THE 
SorIL.—METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.—THE KAMAS AIRIES ON THE KoOOSKOOSKIA.—THE WESTERN BACK- 
BELOW HELL-GATE.—FLINT CREEK VALLEY — CLARK’S ForK.—FLATHEAD LAKE.—TRIBUTARIES ABOVE AND BELOW 
LAKE.—NAVIGATION OF THE RIVER.—SOIL OF THE VALLEY.—THE KOUTENAY.—THE PASSES BETWEEN THE 
MISSOURI AND THE COLUMBIA: Bic HOLE Pass.—Ross's HoLE.—HELL-GaTE Pass.—THE SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN 
LITTLE PBLACKFOOT.—CaADOTTE'S PAss.—LEWIS AND CLARK’s Pass —THE Maras Pass.—THe Passes TO THE 
STEVENS's PASS.—AREA OF ARABLE AND TIMBERED LAND.—THE GREAT PLAIN OF THE COLUMBIA —THE COURSE OF 
THE COLUMBIA.—Irs № О TRIBUTARIES ON THE EASTERN Snore, SNAKE, SPOKANE, 
KooskooskiA, SALMON, WALLA-WALLA RIVERS AND THEIR VALLEYS.—THE CŒUR D'ALÉNE-—CHARACTER OF THE 
CounTRY.—MINERALS AT THE KOUTENAY.—THE BLUE MOUNTAINS AND THE TRIBUTARIES OF THE WALLA-WALLA.— 
LAKES PEND D'OREILLES AND RoOTHAM.—TRIBUTARIES ON THE WESTERN SHORE OF THE COLUMBIA: THE YAKIMA.— 
THE PISQUOUSE.—FALSE REPORTS CONCERNING THIS REGION.—AÀGRICULTURE OF THE YAKIMA DisTRICT.—TRIBU- 
TARIES OF THE COLUMBIA FROM THE SouTH: THE UMATILLA.—WILLOW CREEK.—BuTTER CREEK.—JoHN Day's 
R 
BETWEEN PUGET SOUND AND THE COAST.—SHOALWATER BaAY.—GRAY 8 BOR.—CHEHALIS RIVER.—WILLOPAH 
RIVER.—THE QUI-NAUITL.—THE CoWLITZ.—THE DES CHUTES. —THE NISQUALLY —THE SNOHOMISH AND THE SNOQUAL- 
Moo FaLLs.—TuHE STOLU-KWHA-MISH.—THE DWAMISH.—THE NACHESS.—TRAILS AT Lake KITCHELUS.—THE 
NACHESS AND SNOQUALMOO PassES.-— THE SKAGIT. - CHARACTER OF OTHER vERS.—THE NoRTHERN BOUNDARY 
LiNE.—QUALITY OF THE LAND 
ROCKY AND BITTER ROOT MOUNTAIN REGION. 
My attention was early given to the character of the country between Fort Benton and the 
emigrant route by Fort Laramie and the South Pass, and I became satisfied that it was entirely 
practicable, easy for wagon or pack roads, much of it wooded, and generally arable and grassed, 
It was reported by Indians and voyageurs to be well watered. This conclusion of ming in 1853, 
and the judgment which I then formed that the country ought to be examined in order to 
establish the connexion between our northern passes and the great emigrant trail by the South 
Pass, thus far seems to have been verified so far as the explorations have progressed. Lieu- 
tenant Warren has examined the country for some 175 miles north of Fort Laramie, and thence 
to the eastward, and has found a country similar to the wooded country, soon to be dgnoribed, 
on the northern route, having large quantities of fine pine and much arable and grazing land. 
It is to be hoped that this efficient and enterprising officer will be intrusted with а thorough 
examination of the country and the establishment of the connexion. Чә Black Hills, which 
have been a great bugbear to geographers and to voyageurs not acquainted with them, are 
inconsiderable, and portions of the country which have been laid down even on the maps of 
climatologists as barren and sterile are pronounced by geologists who pass over them as being 
arable. i 
Fort Benton is 2,780 feet above the sea, and Fort Union 2,019 feet. Thus the general rise 
of the country between these two points, à distance along the 48th parallel of latitude of 306 
miles, is 761 feet, and the rise from Fort Benton to what may be deemed the western edge 
| It is somewhat difficult to form 
of the plateau is 1,630 feet on a distance of eighty-one miles. 
31 8 
