PUGET SOUND AND OKONAGAN. 453 



been bent down by the snow, but on passing these they often broke 

 through, and experienced much difficulty in extricating themselves, 

 particularly the poor Indians, with their heavy burdens. The breadth 

 of snow passed over was about eight miles. At three o'clock they 

 reached the Spipen river, where they encamped : this camp was 

 found to be two thousand five hundred and forty-one feet above the 

 level of the sea. The vegetation appeared to our botanical gentlemen 

 farther advanced on the east side than on the west, at the same 

 height ; the Pulmonarias and several small annuals were more for- 

 ward. There were only a few pine trees, and those small, seen on 

 the west side of the ridge ; and on the east side, there was a species of 

 larch, the hackmatack of the country. While they remained at this 

 camp, they found a Pyrola, and some new ferns. 



The country about the Spipen is mountainous and woody, with a 

 narrow strip of meadow-land along its banks. Mr. Waldron had, on 

 arriving at the camp, sent Lachemere, one of the Indians, down the 

 river to an Indian chief, in order to procure horses. Those that 

 remained after providing for the baggage, were consequently assigned 

 each to two or three individuals to ride and tye on their route. 



On the 30th, they proceeded down the Spipen, making a journey 

 of eighteen miles, and passed another branch of the river, the junc- 

 tion of which augmented its size very considerably. Its banks, too, 

 became perpendicular and rocky, with a current flowing between 

 them at the rate of six or seven miles an hour. After the junction, 

 the stream was about one hundred feet broad, and its course was east- 

 southeast. 



The vegetation on the east side of the mountains was decidedly 

 more advanced than that to the west, and several very interesting 

 species of plants were met with by the botanists, on the banks of the 

 streams : among them were Pseonia brownii, Cypripedium oregonium, 

 Pentstemon, Ipomopsis elegans, and several Compositse, and a very 

 handsome flowering shrub, Purshia tridentata. 



On the 3ist, they continued their route over a rough country, in 

 some places almost impassable for a horse from its steepness, and in 

 others so marshy as to reqnire much caution to prevent being mired. 



During the morning, they met two Indians, who informed them 

 that the chief of the Yakima tribe was a short distance in advance, 

 waiting to meet them, and that he had several horses. At noon 

 they reached a small prairie on the banks of the river, where old 

 Tidias, the chief, was seen seated in state to receive Lieutenant 



VOL. IV. 114 



