RISE AND FALL OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 615 
request to take the amount of deposit every month; and if circumstances permit, shall take 
observations of the river during the winter freshet, and also next spring. 
Yours truly, 
JOHN D. BILES. 
George Gibbs, Esq. 
Observations of Columbia river during the freshet commencing May 8, and ending July 20, 1854; by 
John D. Biles , Fort Vancouver , Washington Territory. 
Hour. 
Date. 
Rise. 
Fall. 
Temperature 
of air. 
Temperature 
of water. 
Remarks. 
Inches. 
Inches. 
O 
o 
8 A. M. 
May 8 
2 
41.5 
40 
Water very muddy. 
it 
9 
2 J 
42 
41.2 
Do. 
it 
10 
34- 
42.5 
41 
Do. 
tt 
11 
4§ 
43 
42.5 
Do. 
ft 
12 
4 
42.5 
41.2 
Water clearer. 
tt 
13 
34 
42.9 
41.5 
tt 
14 
44 
44 
43.1 
it 
15 
54 
45.5 
44 
tt 
16 
4i 
46.5 
44.5 
tt 
17 
4ft 
46 
43. 75 
tt 
18 
44 
.. 
45.5 
44 
tt 
19 
5 
48 
46.5 
tt 
20 
44 
48.5 
46.2 
Water muddy. 
tt 
21 
E| 
47.5 
44. 75 
Do. 
tt 
22 
4 
48 
46.75 
Do. 
tt 
23 
3ft 
47.5 
45.75 
Do. 
a 
24 
3 
47 
44.5 
Do. 
it 
25 
24 
47.5 
45 
Do. 
tt 
26 
2 
46.5 
45 
Do. 
a 
27 
24 
47 
45.5 
Do. 
it 
28 
25 
49 
46 
Water clearing. 
tt 
29 
2 ft 
49.5 
46.5 
Do. 
tt 
30 
3 
50 
47.5 
Water clearer. 
tt 
31 
3f 
50.75 
48 
Do. 
a 
June 1 
34 
51.5 
49.2 
Water very muddy. 
it 
2 
2 
50.5 
49 
Do. 
tt 
3 
4 
50 
48.5 
Do. 
it 
4 
4 
49.5 
48 
Do. 
tt 
5 
49 
48.5 
a 
6 
49. 75 
47. 75 
Do. 
tt 
7 
1 
48.5 
46 
Commencement of fall. 
it 
8 
34 
47.5 
45. 75 
Clearing. 
it 
9 
45 
48 
46 ' 
it 
10 
35 
47.5 
46.5 
it 
11 
5 
46.5 
47.75 
it 
12 
64 
46 
45. 5 
it 
13 
85 
47. 1 
46 
tt 
14 
34 
48.5 
47.75 
it 
15 
1 
49 
48.3 
it 
16 
50.5 
49 
tt 
17 
51.5 
50. 5 
Do 
tt 
18 
4 
51 
49.75 
Fall. 
tt 
19 
52 
50.5 
it 
20 
4 
52.5 
51.75 
Commence to rise. 
tt 
21 
if 
52 
50.5 
tt 
22 
24 
49.9 
48.5 
it 
23 
44 
51.5 
50 
it 
24 
5ft 
53.1 
51 
it 
25 
6 
55 
53.1 
tt 
26 
56 
53.5 
tt 
27 
75 
55.5 
54 
tt 
28 
10 
59 
54.5 
tt 
29 
114 
58. 75 
54.9 
tt 
30 
124 
57.5 
55 
it 
July 1 
14 
51 
47. 75 
Water clear. 
it 
2 
4 
52.5 
48 
a 
3 
52. 75 
48.5 
Stand. 
