FROM CANTONMENT STEVENS TO FORT DALLES. 527 
therefore, either be along the Clark’s fork, from its first great northern bend, or through the Coeur 
d’Alene range of mountains. 
Accompanying this you will find a map of the country travelled over, and sketches character¬ 
istic of the routes. 
Truly, your obedient servant, 
J. MULLAN, 
Lieutenant U. S. Army. 
Governor I. I. Stevens, 
In Charge of N. P. Railroad Exploration and Survey. 
REPORT OF LIEUT. JOHN MULLAN, U. S. A., OF HIS EXPLORATION FROM CANTONMENT STEVENS 
TO FORT DALLES, THROUGH THE PASSES AND LATERAL VALLEYS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 
INCLUDING A PASS OVER THE COEUR D’ALENE MOUNTAINS. 
Fort Vancouver, November 12, 1854. 
Sir : In conformity to your letter of instructions of October 4, 1853, directing me to continue the 
exploration of the passes and lateral valleys of the Rocky mountains, gaining information as to tlie 
practicability of the same for railroad and wagon routes, and making a topographical map of the 
country traversed, and your later communication, dated at Washington city, June 2, 1854, with¬ 
drawing my party from the mountains, with instructions to follow the best practicable route to 
the Pacific, or the route explored by Mr. Adams, under my directions, I have the honor to report 
that I left Cantonment Stevens on the 19th of September last, for the fulfilment of the above 
instructions. 
Your instructions of 2d June were received on the 23d of August ; but in order to arrange my 
accounts of property, and carry out the views embodied in your letter, I was compelled to await 
the arrival of the party of James Doty, Esq., then under orders for the Pacific from the falls of the 
Missouri. By this means we were enabled to consult as to the routes to be followed westward, 
the plan of operation of each, and thus fully carry out your views for the interest of the survey. 
On the receipt of your communication, I despatched an express across the mountains to carry 
to Mr. Doty his letters and instructions. 
Mr. Adams, my assistant, having been assigned to duty as special Indian agent in the Bitter 
Root district, was absent by my order at the receipt of your letters, but arrived at the post on the 
10th of September. To him I turned over certain animals and property that he needed for his 
purposes in the mountains. Mr. Burr, who had been associated with me for more than a year in 
meteorologjq remained with Mr. Adams. 
Our preparations having been completed by the morning of the 19th of September, we took our 
departure from the Cantonment where had been our winter home for twelve months ; and I must 
say that, though the reflection that we were soon to mingle with our friends on the Pacific was 
pleasant and refreshing, still we parted with our late home with feelings of true and heartfelt 
regret. Our comforts had been few and rude, it is true, but sufficiently great to endear us to a 
place and a people that we shall not soon forget. 
As you have already been informed in a former communication, Mr. Adams was instructed by 
me to examine and report upon a route across the Bitter Root mountains represented by an 
Iroquois Indian to be an excellent and practicable road for wagon trains, and which he was 
willing to point out. He was further instructed, that should the route, upon examination, prove 
to be such as it had been represented, he should with a party of nine men remove all obstruct¬ 
ions, so far as his force would allow him, and cross the mountains to the Coeur d’Alene mission, 
where he should await further instructions. Early in March last he started to make the recon¬ 
naissance, taking with him as guide the Iroquois Indian referred to. I should here state that, at 
the same time, I left the Bitter Root valley to examine a pass across the mountains to Fort 
