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

GENERAL REPORT ON WESTERN DIVISION.
trail over more level ground. In other words, he has more consideration for himself than for his
horse.
The largest fork of the stream joins that up which the trail passes about 25 miles from the
sumrnmit, and heads directly in Mt. Rainier; its valley is even more difficult than that of the
trail. The elevation of the lowest point of' the divide, above Vancouver, is 4,890 feet. In the
last seven miles of the valley the ascent is 229 feet per mile. From the summit of the mountains, bordering the pass, there is a fine view of Mt. Rainier. Exceedingly massive, it presents,
from near the pass, the appearance of a long ridge with two peaks; the eastern one being
rather the higher, and more rounded of the two. At a short distance above the snow-line there
is a belt of jagged cones, extending the whole breadth of the mountain. Between the pass
and Rainier, as well as to the west- the mountains are generally covered with timber; to the
south and southeast, they are frequently bare of trees, quite rough, and with more or less
snow upon them in August; but to the northward there is a vast sea of bare, jagged, snow crowned ranges extending as far as the eye can reach.
Proceeding westward, the trail soon descends by avery precipitous route into the'valley of
Green river; follows that as far as its juncture with the White river, (they form the S'kamish,
or south fork of the D'Wamish,) and keeps to the S'kamish valley, about ten miles farther. To
the point where the trail leaves this valley the country passed over is all of the same nature.
The descent for the first twenty miles from the summit is very abrupt; the valley very narrow,
much like that of the Nahchess, except that it is much more heavily timbered. The mountainrs approach the stream so often that frequent crossings are necessary.
Portions of the S'kamish valley are very boggy; grass is almost entirely wanting for a distance of at least fifty miles from the summit. From the S'kamish to the Puyallup, the country
is a high plateau, much broken up by ridges and mountains. It is densely timbered with fir, but
interspersed with prairies, the soil of some of whichis good.
The descent into and the ascent fronm the valley of the Puyallup are long and steep. From
Puyallup, towards the Nisqually, the country is elevated, and although somewhat rolling is by
no means so rough as the section last described. This also is densely timbered and interspersed
with prairies, which assume a more grave and sterile character as the sound is approached.
The crossings of the streams on this trail are bad; the current being rapid, and the bottom
covered with loose and rounded stones.
Having satisfied myself of the impracticability of the Nahchess Pass for a railway communica tion, I returned and reached the depot camp at Wenass late on the 29th.
On the 31st I received a note froIn Lieutenant Hodges, in which he informed me that he had
arrived when it was written, on the 27th, within twenty-five miles of Steilacoom:; that he had
been three days without grass, and was out of provisions; that sixteen horses had already
broken down; that there were no mu-les to be had at Steilacoom; and that it would be perfectly
impossible for him to bring out the number of rations I required. He desired instructions.
I at once determined to send in the escort and reduce the party to the minimum, and wrote to
him by an Indian express to that effect; also, directing him to discharge a certain number of his
packers.
Lieutenant Duncan returned about noon of this day, 31st, from the upper Yakima; Mr. Gibbs
late in the afternoon, from the lower Yakima. Early on the 2d September, Lieutenant Mowry
started for the Dalles with seventeen ment, of whom but two were to return with him; he took in
all collections made up to this time, and everything that could be dispensed with.
On the 3d of September the depot camp was moved from the Wenass to Ketetas, on the main
Yakimna.. On the mcorning of the 4th I left camp to examine the pass at the head of the main
Yakima, with Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Minter, and six men. The camp was left under the care of Lieu tenant Duncan, with directions to employ his available time in examining the country in the
vicinity. I reached and encamped upon the divide late on the 0th. Although a somewhat
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