FROM BITTER ROOT VALLEY TO FLATHEAD LAKE AND KOOTENAY RIVER. 523 
referred to, for fifteen or twenty miles in length, and the same in width; the grass here is exceed¬ 
ingly rich and luxuriant. I determined to hah, and rest a day, to recruit the animals, which had 
now become very much jaded by their long and fatiguing march; and on the morning of the next 
day (April 26lh) leaving my camp, I went with my guide and interpreter to the Kootenay river. 
At the point where we struck the river we found it to be four hundred yards wide, and flowing 
through low banks, w r ith a gentle current. 
The country on its left bank forms an immense, low prairie bottom, in which the grass grows 
luxuriantly; this extends to the base of the mountains on the east. The country on the right 
bank, at the same place, is formed of a series of pine-clad hills that extend to the mountains of 
the north, which latter are very high, their snow-capped summits seeming lost in the clouds. 
The river runs for many miles from the northeast, through two high ranges of snow-covered 
mountains, many of whose peaks are covered with snow through every season. 
The soil along the Kootenay river is very fertile, and at the point where we struck it was car¬ 
peted by a beautiful green sward, upon which was growing an exceedingly great number of beauti¬ 
fully-colored and varied plants. Here I made a rich botanical collection, a description of which , 
from my limited knowledge of that science, does not here find a place, but is left for more able 
hands. This place is a great resort for the Kootenay Indians when not hunting in the mount¬ 
ains, as here is found at every season an abundance of excellent and nutritious grass ; the winters 
are represented as being mild, and the waters of the Kootenaie river afford them, at all seasons, 
a bountiful supply of the salmon-trout. So they have but to enjoy the many blessings and favors 
fortune has placed at their disposal, and live in their sluggish and miserable independence from 
year to year. 
The region of country bordering the Kootenay river for many miles on the south is totally 
unlike that bordering the Clark’s fork ; but few prairies are found, and there is but little else 
than one immense pine thicket, from the greater portion of which the light of day is ever ex¬ 
cluded, and in which the sound of the axe of the white man has never yet been heard. Lead 
and coal are both said to be found on the banks of the Kootenay, although I saw no traces o t 
either where we struck the stream. 
Having now accomplished one of the objects for which we started, I determined to strike the 
Clark’s fork to the south, but by a different route from that followed to the Kootenay river, which 
should lie more to the west, turning the immense bed of mountains bordering the Flathead lake 
on the west, and thus solve the problem of the character of the large belt of country between 
the Kootenaie river and Clark’s fork, from which flows no large tributary to either of these two 
streams; so, resuming our march on the morning of the 27th of April, we continued for a distance 
of ten miles on the same trail which we had followed going to the Kootenay river. This brought 
us to the crossing of the “Tobacco creek;” at this point our homeward trail bent more to the 
south of east. At the distance of a mile from the Tobacco creek we struck a fork of the main 
branch, which we found swimming deep, very rapid, and about twenty yards wide. Having 
unpacked everything, one of our Indians, stripping himself, packed everything on his back, swim¬ 
ming the river on horseback. By felling trees we made a bridge, and crossed over in safety. 
Two miles distant, our trail leading through an open pine forest, we reached a prairie bottom^ 
where we encamped for the night, having travelled a distance of only thirteen miles; but we were 
compelled to camp here, as it was the only grazing ground we should find for many miles. 
The weather to-day has been mild and pleasant, although during last night we had a heavy 
rain. On leaving camp this morning we were visited by a large number of Kootenay Indians, 
who brought with them roots and skins to trade. They represented that they were in a misera¬ 
ble condition; no meat, or ammunition to procure any. We gave them a little powder and ball, 
at which they appeared exceedingly glad. 
Aj)ril 28.—We continued this morning our march for the Bitter Root valley, travelling all day 
through an immense and dense pine forest. At a distance of a mile from the camp of last night 
