182 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
In other places, as at Usk, La Claires, and MetalLue, the river bottom widens out and there are many 
acres of excellent farming land. During high water large areas of this level land are covered by 
water, hut when the waters subside these tracts become valuable meadow lands. 
Trout are alnindant in this river; salmon trout are also quite abundant, and both bite readily. 
lYe know of no stream which olTers finer opportunities for sport with the rod than the lower Pend 
d’Oreille. Deer, wild geese, and ducks were also seen in considerable numbers. From the Big Canon 
below Metalino wo were compelled to walk back to Newport, a distance of about 75 miles. As there 
was no trail for the greater part of this distance, except a cattle trail, which was used by cattle only 
later in the summer and which was now under water, we found the trip a very ditficult one, attended 
by many hardships. We reached Newport early in the morning of August 15, where we took the 
train for Colville, Washington. 
THE UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER. 
The Ui>per Columbia River Avas visited only at Kettle Falls, Washington, but several of its tribu- 
taries were examineil, notes upon which are given in the following pages. 
Kettle Falls, about 9 miles from Colville, AVashington, are the only falls in the Upper Columbia 
that need mentioning in this connection. At this x>lace the river cuts through a ledge of highly 
crystalline rock, the strata of Avliich have a gentle dip niistream. A large island diAudes the riv'er 
into two parts, as shoAvn in the folloAviug diagram: 
At the present stage of water we judged these falls to have a A^ertical fall of 12 to 15 feet each, hut 
they are not of equal height throughout their entire width. The uxAper falls (a) Avas at least 11 feet 
A'ertical near the island and in the middle, but tow.ard the l ight bank it seemed to be lower and less 
vertical. The lower fall (h) is probably 15 feet high in its highest places, Init at tlie right shore it, 
too, is not so high nor so nearly vertical. At c is a seething Avhirlpool, the water coming around the 
left side of the island, having to make an abrupt turn in order to get out. The upper fall is probably 
not of great importance in this connection, for, Avhen salmon haA^e once gotten above the lower falls 
they can go arountl to the right (going upstream) of the island Avhere there are no serious obstruc- 
tions, but they are seen to swim up over the upper falls. George E. and Jacob A. Meyers are two 
intelligent and well-informed men Avho hav^e liA-ed at Kettle Falls for 23 years, and are quite familiar 
with the falls and their relation to the salmon. From them we obtained the following information: 
Up to 1878 salmon were A^ery abundant in this part of the Columbia; “ millions AA'ere seen ascending 
the falls eve-Ty season.” The run Avould begin in June and continue until October, the biggest run 
being in the last half of August. The run toAvard the end of June Avas also large, but while there was 
