292 
VOYAGE IN A CANOE FROM FORT OWEN TO VANCOUVER 
drew about ten inches of water, had frequently to be lightened. After reaching the St. Mary’s— 
formed by the junction of the last-named river and the Hell Gate river—I always had sufficient 
depth of water. About sixty miles (by the river) below the mouth of the Hell Gate the mount¬ 
ains approach very closely to the bed of the stream, rendering its current very swift, and abound¬ 
ing in rapids. Farther down it is more straight, with large flats on one or both sides; channel 
deeper and current more sluggish. 
At a point about sixty miles above the Pend d’Oreille mission (of St. Ignatius) is the Pend 
d’Oreille or Kalispelm lake, formed by a dilatation of the river; it is a beautiful sheet of water, 
about forty-five miles in length: below it the river is sluggish and wide for some twenty-six 
miles, where rapids are again encountered during low water. From a point nine miles above 
the lake to these rapids, a distance of about eighty miles, steamboats drawing from twenty to 
twenty-four inches could readily ascend. In higher water, of course, the distance would be 
lengthened. There would be but one bad obstacle between the Cabinet (twenty-five miles 
above Lake Pend d’Oreille) and a point ten miles below the mission, a distance of one hundred 
and forty miles. The obstacle alluded to is where the river is divided by rocky islands, with a 
fall of six and a half feet on each side. At this point a lock might readily be constructed. The 
Hudson’s Bay Company’s large freight-boats are in the habit of ascending from the lower end of 
Pend d’Oreille lake to the Horse Plains, a distance of about one hundred and thirty-five miles. 
This involves two portages. On the Columbia, between the mouths of the Spokane and 
Des Chutes rivers, a distance of about three hundred and fifty miles, there are but three bad 
obstacles to navigation for steamboats drawing from twenty to thirty inches. The principal 
of these are the Priest and Buckland rapids. These might probably be locked, or so modified 
by art as to render them passable by steamboats or other craft. The mouth of the Des Chutes 
river is about eight miles above the present steamboat landing at the Dalles. I have dwelt on 
these particulars, knowing how important they will prove in relation to questions of railroad 
construction and the transportation of supplies. From the Horse Plains before spoken of, the 
river , so far as I examined it, would be excellent for rafting purposes. Timber in this manner could 
be transported a great distance. Above this, to the St. Mary’s village, I cannot give a decided 
opinion in its favor, but I am inclined to the opinion that rafts might be run—at any rate, logs 
could be readily driven down the current from an immense distance. 
While on the subject of timber , I will briefly allude to its quantity and quality. Along the 
Bitter Root and Hell Gate rivers, and the mountains in their vicinity, the red pine and the larch, 
favorite trees in ship-building, are found in great quantities. Farther down these streams we 
find, in addition, cypress, cedar, hemlock, spruce, and fir, besides several hard-wood trees. The 
timber country extends from the main range of the Rocky mountains to a point about eighty 
miles below Fort Colville; from thence to the Dalles there is no timber. At the Dalles it again 
appears, and trees of many descriptions, and frequently of enormous size, are found thickly cov¬ 
ering the valleys and surrounding hills. Good building-stone is found along nearly the whole 
route. There are a few pieces of excellent land along these rivers; their waters are clear and 
beautiful, and filled with thousands of fish of the different species of the salmon family. The 
country above the Dalles is remarkably healthy, (see medical report.) The St. Mary’s valley, 
so called after the Roman Catholic mission which was here established, is situated between the 
Rocky and Bitter Root ranges of mountains. The valley at Fort Owen (on the site of the former 
mission) is about twelve miles wide. It is very fertile, watered by cool, sparkling brooks, and 
surrounded by lofty and picturesque mountains. It is inhabited by the Flathead or Selish 
Indians. How they obtained the name of Flatheads I am unable to say, as the custom of flat¬ 
tening children’s heads is not practised by them. The men are rather below the average size, 
but they are well-knit, muscular, and good-looking. Although professedly Roman Catholics, 
they still keep up their aboriginal mode of dress, and many of their old customs. They are 
remarkably honest, good-natured, and amiable. On account of the depredations and constant 
