208 DOUGLAS' JOURNAL 



Grand Rapids — having abeady made nearly fifty miles — and made a small 

 pan of tea, wliich I let stand till it cooled and settled, and then sucked the 

 water of the leaves. In the interval I gleaned a few seeds, bathed in the 

 rapid, which recruited me greatly, and again in the cool of the evening 

 resumed my route, course west. Towards dusk came to a small pool of 

 stagnant water, very bad, and having nothing to qualify it I was urged to 

 continue till eleven o'clock, when I came to a small spring, but without a 

 single twig for fuel. I made an efEort to boil my httle pan with dry grass, 

 a large species of Triticum, but was unable to succeed. Being an old 

 encampment I fortunately found some horse-droppings, by the aid of 

 which and the grass mentioned I managed to make some tea, when shortly 

 afterwards I laid myself down to sleep on the grass. I have a tent, but 

 generally am so much fatigued that the labour of pitching it is too great. 

 Here it could not be done for want of wood, and tent-poles cannot 

 be carried. 



Monday, 21st. — To-day I overslept myself ; started at four o'clock. 

 The coimtry same as yesterday ; at eight passed what is called by the 

 voyageurs the Grand Coulee, a most singular channel and at one time 

 must have been the channel of the Columbia. Some places from eight to 

 nine miles broad ; parts perfectly level and places with all the appearances 

 of falls of very extraordinary height and cascades. The perpendicular 

 rocks in the middle, which bear evident vestiges of islands, and those on the 

 sides in many places are 1500 to 1800 feet high. The rock is volcanic 

 and in some places small fragments of vitrified lava are to be seen. As I am 

 situated, I can carry only pieces the size of nuts. The whole chain of 

 this wonderful specimen of Nature is about 200 miles, communicating with 

 the present bed of the Columbia at the Stony Islands, making a circular 

 curve 1^° further south, and of course longer than the present chain. The 

 same plants pecuhar to the rocky shores of the Columbia are to be seen 

 here, and in an intermediate spot near the north side a very large spring is 

 to be seen which forms a small lake. I stayed to refresh the horses, there 

 being a fine thick sward of grass on its banks. The water was very cold, of 

 a bitterish disagreeable taste like sulphur. My horses would not drink it, 

 although they had had no water since last night. At noon continued my 

 route and all along till dusk. The whole country covered with shattered 

 stones, and I would advise those who derive pleasure from macadamised 

 roads to come here, and I pledge myself they will find it done by Nature. 

 Coming to a low gravelly point where there were some small pools of water 

 with its surfaces covered with Lemna, or duck weed, and shaded by long 

 grass, one of the horses, eager to obtain water, fell in head foremost. 

 My guide and myself made every efiort to extricate it, but were too weak. 

 As I was just putting some powder in the pan of my pistol to put an end to 

 the poor animal's misery, the Indian, having had some skiu pulled ofE his 

 right hand by the cord, through a fit of iU-nature struck the poor creature 

 on the nose a tremendous blow with his foot, on which the horse reared up 

 to defend himself and placed his fore-feet on the bank, which was steep, 

 when the Indian immediately caught him by the bridle and I pricked him 

 in the flank with my pen-knife, and not being accustomed to such treat- 



