LETTER OF A. W. TINKHAM. 
629 
and should not at any rate have felt justified in purchasing fresh animals. More than this, I am 
able to act intelligibly as to the character of the passes. 
This being celebrated here as New Year’s day (in place of the Sabbath,) my letter has been 
written with fiddling and dancing; and dancing, too, where not only the “fantastic toe” played 
its part, but where the heel drummed out a vigorous accompaniment. This may apologize for its 
somewhat dispirited character. 
Arriving at the Sound so much later than the parties which have preceded me, you will not 
consider it unreasonable for me to request that my early return to the States be facilitated as 
much as possible, and that it may occur as soon as the accomplishment of my duties will admit. 
Having quite a large mail (fifty communications,) I was obliged to strip all envelopes and 
waste-paper in order to save weight. You may accordingly find their order of arrangement 
somewhat disturbed. Everything, however, has been kept from injury, and your several com¬ 
munications are transmitted in perfect condition. 
My letter I leave open until to-morrow. 
January 3.—I have nothing of consequence to add. The animals have not yet come in ; but I 
am constantly expecting them, and expect to swim the river and make camp a short distance from 
here. Two of the tribe of Wallah-Wallahs go with me as far as the Mission, and there I expect 
to obtain a fresh guide. The day is fine and the weather mild. 
Very truly, your obedient servant, 
A. W. TINKHAM. 
Governor I. I. Stevens, 
Olymjna, Washington Territory. 
Olympia, Washington Territory, 
February 1, 1854. 
Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a brief report of my recent exploration from Fort 
Wallah-Wallah, Columbia river, to Puget sound, by way of the Snoqualme Pass of the Cascade 
mountains, regretting that, for causes explained in a former letter to you, I had means only for 
conducting so meagre a survey. 
Your instructions of December 12, despatched by special messenger from this place, reached 
me at Wallah-Wallah on the 30th of the same month, and the day after, my arrival there. The 
Cascade range, barring up the direct approach to the sound from the open and favorable valleys 
of the Columbia and its northern tributaries, had,*from the earliest consideration of the survey, 
been to me one of its great features of interest; and, impelled by the desire to know by actual 
observation its obstacles or facilities, as affecting the construction of a railroad, I had, previous to 
the arrival of your despatch, made arrangements to pass through this range of mountains in 
closing up my route to the Pacific. Your despatch put me in possession of such information as 
enabled me to proceed intelligently, and at the same time furnished me with such resources as to 
secure me from any unnecessary risk and exposure to be apprehended from crossing this import¬ 
ant range of mountains in mid-winter. 
The several members of my little party had cheerfully responded to my wish to attempt the 
proposed exploration, although they had just escaped from a long and somewhat tiresome deten¬ 
tion in the mountain snows of the Bitter Root range, and it was from no reluctance on their part 
that I saw fit to release them from any further winter work in the mountains, and to go forward 
alone. 
On the 7th of January, with two Wallah-Wallah Indians, I proceeded up the Columbia till it 
receives the waters of the Yakima river, and then taking this latter stream, turned westwardly to 
trace its waters to their source, in the close vicinity of which also spring the headwaters of the 
Snoqualme and White rivers, emptying into Puget sound. The valley of the Yakima, adjacent 
