Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean: Vol. 1, Pt. 2

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GREAT PLAIN OF THE COLUMBIA.
Tou-chet river to the Snake, twenty-eight miles; yet, by a slight deflection to the east, water can
be got at shorter intervals than twenty miles.
Lewis or Snake river, after cutting out a corner of Washington Territory, turns southward into
Oregon, leaving, however, a tributary to the eastward-the Little Salmon or Kooskooskia riverwhich, passing through the Nez Perces country, forks and affords two trails through the Coeur
d'Alene mountains, called the northern and southern Nez Perces trails.
In the re-entering formed by the Snake, whilst most of the country between the Snake and
the Wallah-Wallah, along the Columbia, and for some twenty miles back, has but little arable
land, there is good though somewhat scant bunch-grass over nearly the whole surface, and the
Wallah-Wallah itself, with its numerous tributaries, affords excellent arable and grazing land. It
has already attracted the attention of emigrants, and if the Indian title were ever extinguished, it
would be rapidly filled up.
The Spokane river, and its principal tributary, the Coeur d'Alene river, and Clark's fork,
furnish the other two trails through the Coeur d'Alene range.
These four trails have already been described, and the route of Clark's fork indicated as the
most practicable one for a railroad route. On this river is the Pend d'Oreille lake, forty-five
miles long, and on the Cour d'Alene tributary of the Spokane river, the Coeur d'Alene lake.
Between the Pend d'Oreille lake and the country from the Coeur d'Alene lake to the falls of the
Spokane, the country is favorable, the divide low, and feasible routes are afforded for passing from
Clark's fork to the Spokane plain, and across the Columbia. This gives a southwestern direction
to the railroad route. Westward, however, of this favorable region of country, a high range of
mountains extends across Clark's fork, and presents obstacles to the construction of the road
either towards the mouth of Clark's fork or Colville, though, as will be seen by reference to the
report of Lieutenant Arnold, accompanying that of Lieutenant Donelson, a practicable route
probably exists, and could be made use of did the connexion west require it. Westward of the
Columbia river, at these points, the country is very rugged, indeed impracticable, and leads to
the abandonment of all plans of reaching the passes of the Cascades in this direction.
From the Coeur d'Alene mission, some miles above the Cceur d'Alene lake, there is a good
wagon trail to Wallah-Wallah. There is also said to be a good wagon trail from the Pend
d'Oreille lake, keeping on its eastern and southern shore, to the Coeur d'Alene mission and to
the Coeur d'Alene river, and an excellent railroad route, which is marked on the sketch.
As regards the great features of the country west of the mountains in reference to its practicability for a railroad, viz: the Bitter Root, Clark's Fork, and Columbia rivers, I will state that
Dr. Suckley, the surgeon and naturalist of the eastern division of the exploration, left St. Mary's
village on the 15th of October, and, proceeding down the Bitter Root and Clark's fork, reached
Columbia barracks onl the 6th of December, making the whole distance, except about sixty miles
from the Pend d'Oreille mission to Colville, by water. The distance was 1,049 miles, (estimated,) the running time 2855 hours, made in fifty-three days, or 3.67 miles per hour. But three
portages of magnitude were made —one of thirteen hundred paces on Clark's Fork river, above
the Pend d'Oreille lake, one on the Columbia, at the Dalles, of eight hundred paces, and one at
the Cascades, one and a half mile in length.
From Horse Plain, at the confluence of Clark's fork and the Bitter Root river, the whole distance to the mouth of the Columbia readily admits the rafting of lumber, and it is probable that
logs can be run to Horse Plain from the upper valley of the Bitter Root in the freshets of spring,
and from and above the Flathead lake, on Clark's fork.
The forest growth on the banks of the Columbia above the mouth of the Wenatshapam can be
transported down to any point of the river where it may be needed for fuel, for buildings, and
for constructions. Thus, for all practical purposes of railroad construction, the Columbia throughout its entire length may be considered as bountifully supplied with wood.
With reference to the growth along its banks, I will quote from the report of Dr. Suckley:
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