498 
FROM HEADWATERS OF THE MISSOURI TO DALLES OF THE COLUMBIA. 
the river and its banks much resemble that portion of the stream between the fort and the mouth 
of the Marias. 
C. GROVER, 
Lieutenant United States Army. 
Governor I. I. Stevens. 
FINAL REPORT OF LIEUTENANT C. GROVER, OF HIS EXAMINATIONS ON A TRIP FROM THE HEAD¬ 
WATERS OP’ THE MISSOURI TO THE DALLES OF THE COLUMBIA. 
Sir : I have the honor to submit the following journal of my trip from the headwaters of the 
Missouri to the Dalles on the Columbia, embracing observations upon the depth of snow, and the 
general character of the climate during mid-winter along the route taken by the main party of the 
expedition under the command of Lieutenant Donelson. 
After returning from the survey of that portion of the Missouri intrusted to my charge, I 
remained at Fort Benton, on the Missouri, until the second day of January, 1854. Up to this 
date but very little snow had fallen in this section of the country, and what had fallen covered 
the ground but a few days at a time. The weather, as a general thing, had been mild and even, 
arid the stock of the Fur Company, though depending solely upon the range for subsistence, and 
without shelter or care, were in fine condition. The Missouri had for a short time in the month 
of December been closed with ice, but on New Year’s was entirely open. 
My instructions contemplated the use of dog-trains as transportation. On the first of January 
everything was prepared, with this end in view. We had four trains; each train consisted sim¬ 
ply of a thin ash board, about ten feet long and ten inches wide, turned up like a sled in front, 
with four cross-bars from front to rear, to keep it from splitting and to lash packing-straps to. 
The loads were done up in long narrow sacks, to admit of being readily packed upon the trains. 
They consisted of the bedding of our party—five men in all—what cooking utensils were indis¬ 
pensably necessary, and our provisions, viz: twenty days’ rations of hard bread, flour, and 
bacon, and a supply of sugar and coffee, and 165 pounds of pemican* for the dogs, which gave 
them an allowance of three-quarters of a pound each per day. 
The dogs, eleven in number, such as they were, had been purchased from the Fur Company 
and the Indians. They were small, inferior, wolfish-looking animals, and mostly unaccustomed 
to draught, but nevertheless the best that could be had. 
We had been looking impatiently for a snow-storm for some time; but as none of any conse¬ 
quence had fallen, on the 2d we left Fort Benton with empty trains on bare ground, with two 
extra men and four pack-mules, which were to accompany us to the commencement of snow, 
and camped on the Teton, eight miles from the fort. 
January 3.—About three o’clock this morning the wind changed from the southwest to the 
northwest, and it commenced snowing, and kept it up, off and on, all day. We therefore did 
not move camp, but retired to a dense thicket, patched up a tolerable shelter, and awaited the 
end of the storm. The evening was still more squally than the morning, and at sunset the ther¬ 
mometer stood 6° above zero—lower than I had seen it before, this winter. 
January 4.—At sunrise this morning three inches of snow had fallen, and notwithstanding the 
intensity of the cold, a slight breeze from the northwest brought occasional additions. We left 
camp at half-past nine, and having followed up the course of the Teton about eighteen miles, 
camped in a broad bottom sparsely covered with cotton-wood and willow. During the latter 
part of the day we had a slight breeze full in the face, and in consequence several of the party 
had their noses and ears more or less frosted. At sunset the thermometer was 16° below zero, 
and still falling. 
* Dried buffalo-meat pounded and packed in a sack. 
