TOPOGRAPHICAL REPORT ON WESTERN DIVISION. 
205 
peak is seen towards the northeast and at the end of the plain in that direction. Between Chalacha 
and the Cathlapoot’l is a high spur of the Cascade mountains, which runs along the left bank of that 
river. The ascent to it is gradual, and by successive hills and long slopes, but the descent is rocky 
and abrupt, and dangerous for loaded animals. The Cathlapoot’l is a very bold, rapid river, run¬ 
ning about twenty-five yards in its bed, but, judging from the sand and shingle on its banks, it 
evidently becomes over two hundred yards wide at the ford. This, however, is not the general 
character of its banks, as they usually are high and well defined, preventing an overflow at any 
season. It is about three feet deep at the ford, and the bottom is filled with large water-worn 
shingle, and makes the fording difficult in so rapid a stream. Just opposite the ford the Spilyeh 
debouches into it from the north. Between Simsik and the Cathlapoot’l, with the exception of the 
small plains, the country is well timbered with fir, hemlock, &c., and the underbrush is very 
dense in places. Some alder and maple grow along the Yahkohtl river. The soil is generally 
very good, and that between Yahkohtl river and plain will compare favorably with any in the 
Territory; there is but little of it, however. The Cathlapoot’l, at the ford, runs nearly west and 
east. There are two mountain chains running along its banks, one on either side; the one on the 
right or northern bank is composed of rugged, broken hills, is lower than the chain on the south 
bank, is less continuous, and lies farther back from the river. Bluffs and spurs from it, however, 
run up to the river. To avoid these, the trail runs back from the river in a northerly direction 
across the range four and a half miles to Spilyeh plain. The Spilyeh river is crossed about a mile 
from the Cathlapoot’l at its forks, the trail running up the hills on the longue between them. 
One branch bears to the northeast, the other to the west of north. Spilyeh plain is long and 
narrow. A high range of mountains border it on the north a short distance back, and on the 
south is seen the rugged river chain of hills that we have crossed. As this is the last of the 
plains which we meet on the western side of the mountains, it will be well to remark, in this 
place, that, from the facts noted on Lieutenant Hodges’ trip across the mountains to Steilacoom, 
from what we saw on the route, and subsequently noticed between Vancouver and Olympia, 
the entire country west of the mountains is broken up by these small plains occurring at regular 
intervals here and there throughout its whole extent. They are generally slightly rolling and dry, 
and covered with fine bunch-grass. Their soil for the most part is too sandy and gravelly to 
be good, particularly in those which lie ne.arest the sound. Some of them, however, as Mankas 
and Chalacha, are lower and swampy, and the soil of such is better suited for agriculture. 
From Spilyeh the trail bears to the east, over a pretty level country, occasionally passing 
over spurs which come down from the chain on the left for four and a half miles, where it 
again strikes the river ; thence follows the river lor two and a half miles, and crosses to the left 
bank to a place called by the Indians Lakas. The northeastern branch of the Spilyeh is again 
crossed before reaching the Cathlapoot’l. There is a high range on the left of the trail on the 
right bank of the river, and the chain crossed between the Cathlapoot’l and Spilyeh plains ceases 
before the trail again reaches the river. The country between Spilyeh and Lakas is heavily 
timbered with spruce, hemlock, and fine large cedars. From Lakas the trail follows the banks 
of the Cathlapoot’l, crossing from side to side to avoid the bluffs running up to the river from both 
ranges for seventeen miles, to Wininepat. At this point the river bends from its general east 
and west course more to the north, and judging from the openings or gorges in the mountain 
ranges, (which here become high and heavy,) it soon forks, one branch running to the northeast 
and the other bending back to the northwest, and running up towards St. Helens. Two and a 
half miles from Lakas there is a fiae mountain brook coming in from the north on the right bank of 
the river. This stream is very rapid, twenty feet wide and eighteen inches deep; bottom stony. 
Seven and a halt miles beyond, the Noomptnamie river comes in on the same bank, from the 
north, almost at right-angles with the Cathlapoot’l. There is a large field of lava between the 
mountain brook just mentioned and the Noomptnamie river. It is limited on the north by a high 
rough range of mountains between the trail and Mount St. Helens, running parallel to the 
