baker.] REPORT BY PARKE, 1859. 67 
The zenith telescope and transit instrument were put up and observa- 
tions made for latitude and time. Keconnoitering and surveying 
parties took the field, with instructions to connect Sumass station with 
the depot and continue on over the trail, connecting the several 
astronomical stations, and to obtain the topography of the country 
along and adjacent to the boundary line. The pack mules were sent 
from their wintering station to the depot, and arrangements were 
made for the delivery of subsistence, stores, and forage, at that place. 
A chronometer trip was made between Camp Simiahmoo and Chilo- 
weyuck depot by a party under charge of Mr. Harris. Eleven chro- 
nometers were transported back and forth, and the entire trip being 
performed in whale-boats, it is confidently expected that a very nice 
determination of the difference of longitude will be obtained. The 
observations for time at the depot were made by Mr. Gardner, and 
those at Camp Simiahmoo by myself. 
On the 19th of May, Mr. Harris left Camp Simiahmoo with the 
outfit for an astronomical and surveying party. On arriving at the 
depot, he started for the Tummeahai station, Mr. Custer having previ- 
ously found a practicable route for a pack trail to that point on the 
left bank of the Chiloweyuck, it being impracticable at that time to 
cross the stream opposite the mouth of the Tummeahai. Mr. Custer 
commenced opening the trail; and, on Mr. Harris taking charge of 
the party, Mr. Custer continued his reconnoissance over to the Nook- 
sahk, and up the tributaries of the Chiloweyuck. 
The trail from the depot to Chiloweyuck lake was reopened and 
made practicable for pack mules, requiring bridging, corduroying, and 
heavy grading. The high water of the streams, and the great quan- 
tity of fallen timber, made the work very heavy, and required a strong 
force. 
On the third of June I arrived at Chiloweyuck depot, and on the 
fourth, Mr. G. C. Gardner started for the lake depot. Arriving there, 
he put the boats in order, built a storehouse for the supplies, and com- 
menced marking the parallel by cutting a vista through the timber 
across the valley, at the southern end of the lake. On the completion 
of this, he proceeded to Chuchchehum station, and made a cut thereon 
the parallel, embracing the two crossings of the trail. The parallel at 
these stations was marked by pyramidal piles of stones from six to eight 
feet high, covering posts accurately marking points on the line. Mr. 
Harris marked the parallel in the same manner at the Tummeahai sta- 
tion, having cut a vista through the timber, embracing the two forks 
of the stream. On the completion of the work at Tummeahai, Mr. 
Harris proceeded to the lake depot, and commenced opening the trail 
through to the station on the Skagit river. Here again the work was 
very heavy, it requiring a force of from ten to eighteen men nearly one 
month to open about thirty-five miles of trail, of which nearly one- 
