64 
NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY-PIT RIVER VALLEY. 
stick, apparently of elder, about six inches long and a quarter of an inch in diameter, and, 
inserting one end in the hole, rolled it very rapidly between the palms of his hands. In a few 
moments sparks of fire fell down upon the tinder and ignited it. These savages have a 
fondness for smoking tobacco, which I have never seen equalled. They inhale the smoke, and, 
after retaining it as long as possible, force it through their nostrils in an ecstasy of pleasure. 
They mark their faces with black, as a sign of mourning, and with red, for ornament; but I 
have never seen both colors used at once. Many of them perforate the nose, and insert a 
straight piece of bone about an inch and a half in length. 
Our camp to-night was on the river bank near the eastern entrance of the canon, where we 
found an abundant supply of excellent grass. I extract the following remarks upon the canon, 
from Lieut. Williamson’s note book. 
<£ The river itself was shallow throughout the whole canon, and always had a space between 
the water and bluff wide enough for a wagon road. No falls were noticed, and I saw nearly 
the whole of the canon. The bluffs were from 100 to 700 or 800 feet in height, and of basaltic 
trap. The slope was generally of the debris from the rock, but often vertical columns of tbe 
basalt were seen. In one place I noticed veins of a red material, tbe color of cinnabar.” 
August 8.—After fording the river, which was about forty feet in width, we continued our 
course through a level, grassy valley, bare of trees. Several grouse, duck and curlew were shot 
on the march. We passed many pits about six feet deep and lightly covered with twigs and 
grass. The river derives its name from these pits, which are dug by the Indians to entrap 
game. On this account, Lieut. Williamson always spelled the name with a single t, although 
on most maps it is written with two. We encamped on the bank of the river, which here 
flowed between bluffs, from twenty to thirty feet in height, bordered by bushes. Large 
quantities of obsidian were found in tbe vicinity. The river was about thirty feet in width. 
Lieut. Williamson made the following note on the day’s march. 
“ To-day we had a level, good, but tedious ride. Opposite the middle of the valley, to the 
west, is an opening in the hills of considerable breadth. This looks as if the hills south of 
the opening were the northern slope of the range north of Fall River valley. Opposite the 
head of the valley the hills appear again. Near our evening camp, I went on a ridge and 
found hills to the westward, not at all formidable in appearance, but which would still require 
work to make them passable for a railroad.” 
August 9.—Lieut. Williamson directed me to remain in camp with the main party and 
observe for latitude, &c., to-day, while he, with Lieut. Sheridan and the dragoons, explored 
the road in advance. The heat was oppressive, but the bushes near the river bank afforded a 
thick and pleasant shade. 
The following extract from Lieutenant Williamson’s journal shows the result of his exam¬ 
ination. 
“ We followed the Lassen trail for 2.5 miles, to where it crossed the river at the mouth of a 
small, dry branch. We here left the road to take the old Oregon trail, which was very dis¬ 
tinct. It led north up the branch to the divide, and thence on, in the same direction, until we 
struck a spring branch in pine timber, about seven miles from the river. I went on top of a 
partially bald bill and had a view of the country. The hills followed to the north, probably 
inclining to the east. The rest of the country east of the meridian line appeared to be rolling, 
or slightly hilly, and covered with open pine timber. I was sorry I could not ascertain if the 
spring branch had a continuous bed to Pit river. Its course near its source was westerly ; 
