COLUMBIA RIVER. 125 



and spiraea ; its length was four miles. The soil was composed of a 

 shallow, black, sandy, vegetable earth. 



On their route they passed three small prairies, one of which was 

 about ten acres in extent, and lay on the northwest side of a lake : the 

 lake, called Sachal by the Indians, was examined, and found to be one 

 and a half miles in length, and three-fourths of a mile in breadth. It is 

 surrounded on all sides by willow and alders ; the soil about it was 

 a light brown sandy loam ; the forest extends down to the water, which 

 is of a dark brown colour, as if tinged with vegetable matter ; this, 

 however, was not the case, for in taking the water up in a glass, it was 

 found pure and crystal-like. 



A line of soundings was taken across the lake, by which five and a 

 quarter fathoms was found to be the greatest depth. It was said to 

 abound in fish, but they did not succeed in taking any. In the lake 

 were quantities of yellow lilies (Nuphar lutea), pond-weed (Potamoge- 

 ton) of two species, and a water-lily (Nymphoea.) 



Mr. Eld was told that there was another lake to the northeast, and 

 set out w*ith Mr. Colvocoressis, to visit it. The supposed lake was 

 reached after a walk of five miles over the same kind of country, and 

 proved to be only a pond, about two hundred yards in diameter, quite 

 shallow, and covered, like the former, with water-lilies. 



After their return they broke up the encampment, and embarking in 

 their canoes on Lake Sachal, passed to its southern end, where they 

 entered the river of the same name. This appeared at first almost 

 impassable, for it was for four miles almost choked up with Spar- 

 ganiums, Nuphai's, &c, so that it was difficult to pass even with the 

 small canoe. Its breadth was from twenty to sixty feet, and it was 

 from three to twelve feet deep. The turns were sometimes so short, 

 that the large canoe would be in contact with the thickets on the banks 

 at both ends, and it required much force to drag her along, by pulling 

 by the branches, and caused great labour in cutting their way. They 

 also unfortunately lost their hatchet, which afterwards proved a serious 

 mishap. 



They were obliged to continue their course down the river until 

 nine o'clock at night, before they could find any place to encamp, on 

 account of the bog and jungle. At that hour they came to a small 

 green spot, occupied by a party of Indians. Here Mr. Eld obtained 

 some altitudes of the north star for latitude; and the next day, being 

 compelled to make a portage of two miles to avoid an impassable part 

 of the river, he employed himself, during the time it was making, in 

 getting a full set of equal altitudes. By 6 p. m. they had carried every 

 thing across and embarked ; but the river was full of sand-bars, shallow 



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