TOPOGRAPHICAL REPORT ON WESTERN DIVISION. 
215 
bluff spurs) to its junction with the Columbia, two miles above Fort Colville. The distance to Fort 
Colville from the lake is about eighty-two miles by the trail, and it is about twenty-two miles to 
the mouth of the Siyahkan. A large fork (probably the main stream) comes in from the north thirty- 
one miles above the mouth. There are eleven small branches of the Nehoialpitkwu from the north, 
rapid mountain brooks from fifteen to twenty-five feet wide, and seven of similar character from the 
south, including the Siyahkan. The ascent to table-land from the lake is only abrupt in places, 
and is for the most part a long and gentle slope. The mountain divide is high terraced to its 
top, summit undulating and broken in places, with wet, marshy places, and small spring ponds, 
interspersed over it, in which the streams rise. The descent to the valleys of the Siyahkan and 
Nehoialpitkwu is gradual, except the last intermediate descents to these streams. The summit 
is well timbered with larch and pine, and some aspen and maple grow in the wet places. Fine 
bunch-grass grows uniformly over this range; it is soft and rounded in outline. Looking back from 
the summit to the Cascade mountains beyond the Okinakane, they present a series of parallel 
ranges running nearly north and south. These ranges appear to increase in altitude towards the 
main range, and to become more broken and harsh in outline. They were covered with snow at 
this date—October 13th. The valley of the Nehoialpitkwu is similar to those of the Methow and 
the Okinakane. The mountains along it are heavier and higher than on these latter streams, and 
heavily timbered with larch, pine, fir, and cedar. A little cotton-wood grows here and there on 
the margin of the stream. The mountains are continuous in high heavy masses at intervals, and 
then again run back from the river and fall away towards it in isolated hills and low, sharp, 
broken spurs. The trail crosses from side to side of the river as the spurs and bluffs require it. 
There is a low table-land, over which are scattered a great many small ponds, on the left bank 
of the river, five or six miles from its mouth. The Columbia was crossed opposite to Fort Colville. 
It is about three hundred and fifty yards wide at this point, and the river is very rapid. The 
Soinetkwu or Kettle falls are one mile below the crossing. These falls are about ten feet high 
at the lower falls, and about fifteen feet high at the upper falls, and the river is narrowed to 
about two hundred yards. The river here runs nearly north and south. The Slawntehus 
empties into the Columbia from the southeast at the falls. There is a long, narrow, sandy 
plateau at Fort Colville. A low range of mountains bound it on the east, lying back from the 
river. The chain comes bluff up to the river again below the mouth of the Slawntehus. The 
soil of this plateau is sandy and gravelly; fine grass grows upon parts of it. From Fort Colville 
the trail bears to the southeast for fifty-eight miles to the Spokane river, following up the valley of 
the Slawntehus and down the valley of the Chemakane. Low ranges of mountains are on both 
sides of the Slawntehus near Colville, but they gradually fall off'in altitude as they proceed to the 
south, and break up into irregular hills at or beyond the Spokane river. These ranges are tim¬ 
bered with larch and pine. A fine valley lies along the Slawntehus for thirty-five miles, varying 
in width from one to three miles. The soil of this valley is generally good, and capable of pro¬ 
ducing any of the crops that will grow in this latitude. It is boggy and marshy in places, and a 
great deal of it must be under water in the wet season. Much of it can be reclaimed by draining. 
Several settlements are made in the valley of this river. This river differs in its character from 
those on the right bank of the Columbia river. Its banks are low and subject to overflow; it has 
a valley; and the current is more sluggish. It is very crooked; thirty-five feet wide, and from 
six to ten feet deep. The fords are from three to three and a half feet deep, and bottom gravelly. 
The Slawntehus heads in a low range of mountains running northwest and southeast about forty 
miles from Colville. If has four eastern branches, the Schlowskan and Kitsemmawhep being the 
largest of these branches. The trail up to the divide in which this river rises is very good, 
and is for the most part through the valley over level county. The divide is timbered. Crossing 
the divide, (in which the Chemakane also rises,) the trail keeps down the valley of this latter 
river to the Spokane. This valley terminates about five miles above the junction of the river 
with the Spokane, and the soil for a mile at this lower end is good for farming: the other portions 
