GENERAL REPORT ON WESTERN DIVISION. 
193 
detailed description of the valley of the Yakima is given in my railroad report, dated February 8, 
and it is described for a portion of its length in Lieutenant Duncan’s report, I will here describe 
the nature of the line, that it may the more readily be compared with the description of Nahchess 
Pass contained in this same report. 
The Yakima unites with the Columbia in a vast sage desert, extending to the north and north¬ 
east as far as the eye can reach; and the desolate, dark gray color of the sage is unbroken by the 
verdure of grass or trees. The Columbia is here about tour hundred yards in width, with sand 
and gravel banks thirty feet in height; a placid current; here and there a cluster of willow bushes 
border the stream, usually destitute of vegetation. In the Yakima, at its mouth, are three islands 
covered with good grass—all that is to be found in the vicinity. Neither stone nor timber occurs 
in the neighborhood. The valley of the Yakima soon becomes more contracted by low hills, 
which gradually close upon it, and soon increase in height as the stream is ascended. To the 
commencement of the pine timber, a distance of nearly one hundred miles from the mouth, the 
average width of the valley is about six miles, occasionally reduced to four or five hundred yards 
by spurs closing in on both sides, and sometimes widening out to ten miles. Cotton-wood and 
willow fringe the stream ; grass is generally confined to the water’s edge, but is not in sufficient 
quantity to adapt the valley to grazing purposes on a large scale. In some of the small lateral 
valleys good bunch-grass is found, as well as on the summits of the highest ridges and hills. 
But the winters are too severe for cattle to thrive in the open air, the whole country being 
covered with snow ; and, in addition, the bunch-grass is of too scanty a growth to be cut for 
hay. During the winter the Indians drive their horses and cattle to the most sheltered spots, 
where they feed on wild sage and willow. 
As far up as Ketetas the wild sage covers the valley in all parts a little back from the water. 
The general character of the soil is sandiness, or exceeding lightness; occasionally gravelly, 
or covered with loose stones. It might in many places answer well for small grains, when 
compared with the greater part of the territory. By reference to the map, it will be observed 
that Mr. Gibbs returned from the mouth of the Yakima to Wenass by a trail to the north of the 
river valley. From the point where he left the Yakima, his trail passed through a wide valley 
for some twenty-four miles ; this valley is somewhat undulating and is very barren, being 
almost entirely destitute of grass, having no timber, but one little pool of water sixteen miles after 
leaving the Yakima, and that brackish; it is covered with the usual growth of sage. The trail 
then enters a canon with basaltic walls, and gradually ascends until the summit is reached, 
in about eight miles. Grass occurs near the summit; also, a few small pools of brackish water. 
The trail now gradually descends towards the west into a broad valley, which unites with 
that of the Yakima. In this valley the grass is good; there are a few small pools of brackish 
water, but no timber. This trail is not practicable for a railway, but would make a good 
wagon road, were it not for the absence of wood and scarcity of water. The upper forty-five 
miles of the valley are wooded with yellow pine, gradually replaced towards the summit by 
white spruce, &c. The width is considerably less than below, averaging from one to two miles; 
it is always wide enough, however, to make a good road, perfectly practicable, although it is at 
present much obstructed by fallen timber and dense underbrush. Occasional prairies afford 
an abundance of grass for travelling purposes to near Lake Kitchelus. The soil is less sandy 
and more gravelly than below. 
By reference to the map it will be seen that the Yakima and two of its branches head in lakes. 
These are surrounded by rough and lofty mountains, rising directly from the water’s edge, and 
many of them having snow upon them in August. The lakes are apparently of great depth; 
the large salmon are found in most of them at the proper season. 
But a short distance above Lake Kitchelus—above its foot, rather—the trail leaves the valley 
and passes westward over a very steep and lofty mountain, a portion of the dividing ridge. The 
pass is through a gorge at the foot and to the north of this mountain. At the summit of the pass, 
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