1826, JULY— AUGUST. KETTLE FALLS 65 



to whom I was known and from whom I had many good offices, for the 

 purpose of purchasing horses of several Indian tribes who had assembled 

 at the forks of Lewis and Clarke's Eiver for that purpose. This is a 

 fine large stream flowing through the same sort of country as the interior 

 parts of the Columbia. The weather was intensely warm, and we were 

 obliged to travel by short stages in order to devote time to procure fish. 

 These, however, were scarce, and we were under the necessity of destroying 

 our horses as a means of support, and some of the men preferred dog's 

 flesh. We arrived on the 25th, and the following day was devoted to 

 dancing and racing, in testimony of their respect for me. From this point 

 I again visited the Blue Mountains, the same ridge I had been on two 

 weeks ago. The want of provisions obliged me to return sooner than 

 I should have otherwise done. I brought with me Pentstemon glandulosus, 

 Ribes irriguum,i and many fine seeds. 



One of the principal chiefs whose nation was the most powerful, not 

 fewer in all than 700 warriors in his band, got into a quarrel with 

 Tosand, the interpreter, respecting his not translating faithfully to Mr. 

 Work. Seeing our party was weak, he did not fail to take advantage 

 of the circumstance by summoning his men to arms, in which the 

 difierent tribes assembled joined. Our party being divided, fourteen 

 on one side of the river and fifteen on the other, surrounded by a 

 powerful armed party, ouj state was not an enviable one. The 

 cool way in which we looked to these proceedings had a good efieet 

 on these persons. Rather than come to extremities their ill-temper 

 was removed by presents. The next day was devoted to peacemaking, 

 smoking, haranguing, and dancing. Though friendship was apparently 

 restored, I could not trust myself from the camp, but continued to pick 

 Tip what appeared curious in its immediate vicinity. On August 31st [sic] 2 

 Mr. Work, with six Canadian hunters and a band of 114 fine horses, left 

 this place for Spokane overland to the north, whom I joined, intending, 

 if possible, to spend a few days at the Kettle Falls. We passed 

 over an undulating woodless country of good soil, but not well watered ; 

 we were obliged to cook from stagnant pools full of lizards, frogs, water 

 snakes, Lemna and Utricularia. Thirty miles south of the Spokane River 

 we came to a fine small lake, very deep, clear and cool water, in a pine 

 wood, where we stayed a few hours, and arrived the following morning at 

 Spokane. From this place to the Kettle Falls I went by the same route 

 I followed in May last, and arrived on August 5th. 



August 6th to 15th was devoted to collecting seeds of all the 

 important plants seen here in the early part of summer, and making 

 other additions. Learning from Dr. McLoughlin the ship would be 

 despatched for England on the first of the month, I felt desirous of for- 

 warding by her the whole of my collection. I consequently made arrange- 

 ments through Mr. Dease to pass me on from one tribe to the other between 

 this place and the sea. ' The Little Wolf,' chief of a tribe near Okanagan 

 Lake, a useful fine fellow, was selected to go with me by land the 200 miles. 



' iJ. divaricalwrn var. irriguum, S. Wats. Bibl. Ind. N. Am. Bpt. p. 333. 

 " Probably a mistake of the pen and should have been July 31. — Ed. 



