FROM BITTER ROOT VALLEY TO FORT HALL. 
323 
pated difficulties with Mexico; but even news of such an interesting character as this had lost 
much of its interest lor us; isolated as we were in the very heart of the mountains, cut off from 
both East and West, we lost sight of, for the moment, the deep interest that must be felt at home 
at the prospect of our nation being again engaged in war. But our feelings and interests at present 
lay in an entirely different quarter and much nearer ourselves. We were travelling over new and 
untrodden ground, which made our labor a pleasure, and that gave a zest to our every enjoyment. 
We passed, during the afternoon, two small creeks coming in from the east—the first called, in 
Flathead, the Shaikahole, (or the Many-roads creek;) the■ second, the Fabulous, (or Weeping- 
child’s creek.) The soil of this portion of the valley is principally of a rich dark-colored loam, 
mingled at times with much sand and gravel, (he whole being covered with a growth of rich and 
luxuriant grass. This portion of the Bitter Root valley, and in fact the whole of the valley from 
Hell Gate to the two main forks of the river, is well adapted to the purposes of agriculture. 
Wheat and potatoes have been found to grow here exceedingly well, and there is no doubt that 
all garden vegetables might be cultivated in rich abundance. Its principal capability and recom¬ 
mendation, however, consists in its fine prairie fields, where can graze thousands of head of cattle 
and horses. There are now several thousand head of cattle and horses roaming these fine grazing 
fields; and yet this number seems lost in the broad areas over which nature has so plenteously 
and bounteously spread such a perpetual growth of rich and luxuriant grass. It has been noted 
as a somewhat notorious fact, that when other valleys of the mountains are covered with snow, 
in this valley perpetual spring is found to reign through nearly every year. There are, too, 
many beautiful mountaiu streams running through these prairies, which seem to have been 
intended by nature for some good and useful purpose; and, in my judgment, many years will 
not elapse before this valley of perpetual verdure will be one villaged valley, teeming with life, 
bustle, and business. All it now needs to become this is to have the incursions and depredations 
of the Blackfeet cease, and soon will be seen growing up a rich and animated bourg, extending 
throughout the whole length and breadth of this beautiful valley. The river, with many bends 
up to our night’s camp, and flowing with an exceedingly rapid current, is well wooded with the 
cotton-wood and pine—the former being by far the most abundant. This tree, called by some 
the “tree of the prairie,” seems to have been nature’s favorite in this section of country. Although 
a very beautiful tree, it seems to me it would have been far better had nature scattered a little 
more variety in her distribution of forest trees in this region. From what I have seen of the 
cotton-wood in this section, it seems to me to be a native of low, sandy soils, not adapted to the 
growth of any other tree save the pine or the willow, which are its attendants. This tree, which 
resembles very much the poplar of the States, though smaller, grows almost perfectly straight, 
and to a height of sixty or seventy feet. The wood is exceedingly soft, and not well adapted to 
any purpose save that of fuel. It is said, by those who have tried it, to rot after being cut a 
year or two; totally unlike the pine, its neighbor, which grows to great heights, and is exceedingly 
durable. We found the mountains on each side of the valley covered with snow from base to 
summit, though no traces of snow are to be met with in the valley. Several lodges of a Nez 
Perces camp passed us daring the day, on their way to meet the main camp of the Nez Perces 
Indians, just returning from the buffalo hunt. We expect to meet this camp in a day or two. 
Friday , December 2.—Commences mild and pleasant, thermometer at sunrise being 44° Fah¬ 
renheit. We resumed our march this morning about eight a. m., our course tending a few degrees 
east of south, and up the valley of the Bilter Root river, which we crossed twice during the dav, 
finding the current exceedingly rapid, and the ford about two feet deep at each crossing. Like 
nearly all mountainous streams, its bed is exceedingly rocky and pebbly, its general width being 
about thirty yards. The valley of the stream we find gradually diminishing as we ascend it, but 
still continues to be well wooded, the pine to-day appearing in much greater abundance than the 
cotton-wood. This pine grows to a height of from seventy to one hundred and fifty feet, and 
perfectly straight. The bark is of a reddish yellow color; the burr or ball being from three to 
