334 COLUMBIA RIVER. 



end of a journey, he may think himself fortunate. In the lower 

 country, however, there are few snakes that are venomous, and the 

 rattlesnake is rarely seen, in consequence of the wetness of the soil 

 and dampness of the climate : but in the middle section, where it is 

 dry, they are to be found in great numbers. 



Being somewhat fatigued, we all slept soundly. The guide and 

 Indians, according to the custom of the country, after rolling them- 

 selves in their blankets, lay down near the fire (which continued to 

 burn brightly all night) without any shelter. In the morning, we 

 found by the tracks that elk and deer had been near us, probably 

 attracted by the fire. Our horses having been hobbled, were easily 

 procured : they had not strayed, as the grass around the tents was of 

 the most nutritious kind. 



In the morning, when we resumed our journey, the park scenery 

 increased in beauty, and it was almost impossible to realize that we 

 were in a savage and wild country, and that nature, not art, had per- 

 fected the landscape. Beautiful lakes, with greensward growing to 

 the water edge, with deer feeding fearlessly on their margin, and 

 every tint of fl.ower, many of which were not new to our gardens at 

 home, strewn in profusion around ; we could hardly, in galloping 

 along, but expect to see some beautiful mansion, as a fit accompani- 

 ment to such scenery. 



We soon reached the Bute Prairies, which are extensive, and 

 covered with tumuli or small mounds, at regular distances asunder. 

 As far as I could learn, there is no tradition amon(T the natives rela- 

 tive to them. They are conical mounds, thirty feet in diameter, 

 about six to seven feet high above the level, and many thousands 

 in number. Being anxious to ascertain if they contained any 

 relics, I subsequently visited these prairies, and opened three of the 

 mounds, but nothing was found in them but a pavement of round 

 stones. 



After a ride of twelve miles, we reached Chickeeles river, which 

 empties itself into Gray's Harbour, about forty miles north of the 

 Columbia. We found the stream about two hundred yards wide 

 in this place, and running in a southwest direction. On its banks 

 there were a few lodges, containing about twenty Indians of the 

 Nisqually tribe, who had coixie here to make preparations for the 

 salmon-fishery, then about to commence (20th May.) They were a 

 miserable-looking set, barely covered with pieces of dirty blankets 

 and skins. We stopped here for two hours, to rest our horses. 



