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

FROM FORT OWEN TO WALLAH-WALLAH.
was placed in charge of sixteen quartermaster's employ6s and ten soldiers, and ordered by
Lieutenant R. Saxton to proceed with them to Fort Vancouver.
The route by which I was to return having been left to my own selection, I chose the one
crossing the Bitter Root or St. Mary's mountains, known as the Nez Perces trail, believing that
by this route I could reach the Dalles in less time than by either the route across the Coeur
d'A]ene mountains, or the one over which we had just travelled.
There being no Indians at this time in the neighborhood of the St. Mary's village, I was unable
to procure a guide. I learned, however, from Mr. Frank Owen, that his brother had once
travelled this trail, and that though much worse, it was at least one-third shorter than either of
the others. Mr. Owen also kindly offered to accompany and show me where the trail entered
the mountains.
After remaining a few days at the St. Mary's village to rest our weary animals and to dry some
beef for our use, we set out on the 4th of September without a guide, map, or compass, and with
but twenty days' rations, to find our way back by an ulknown route to the Dalles.
My party consisted in all of twenty-seven men, and we had with us fifty-nine horses and one
mule. The most of our horses were so weak and lame as to be totally unfit to undertake the long
journey through the mountains.
Our course, as near as I could guess, for the two days after leaving the St. Mary's village, was
nearly south; passing up the valley of the Bitter Root, and following that stream about forty miles,
the trail entered the canon or pass in the mountains.
The ountry through which we passed was moderately rolling; about one-fourth being covered
with timber, and the rest prairie or open land. The soil of the bottom land is a brownish loam,
mixed with sand-gravel; that of the upland contains less loam, and is not so rich, though yielding
an abundance of good grass.
On entering the mountains on the third day, we took a nearly west course, following a small
Indian trail which led through a deep canon up the Nez Perces fork of the Bitter Root river,
crossing and recrossing it very often during the day, the trail winding at first through open
timber, which gradually became thicker as we advanced farther into the mountains. This
stream, I was informed by Mr. F. Owen, is the principal fork of the Bitter Root; it varies in width
from three to six yards, seldom exceeding two feet in depth. Its current is very rapid, and, like
all mountain streams, it is clear and cold.
Alter following up this stream for about twenty-five miles, and encariping on it one night, we
commenced the ascent of the mountains. The trail ascending for some time by a gentle acclivity,
and winding round the edge of a precipice, became, as we continued to advance, more steep;
in some places leading us across narrow shelves of rocks, and at others over a loose soil of sand
and gravel, making it difficult and dangerous for our animals. In about an hour, leaving the
a small spring. Stopping here about an hour to rest our animals, we were compelled, for want
of grass, and in hopes of soon finding some, to set out again. When about half way up this slope,
night cofing on, we were unable to fwllow the trail, and finding no grass, tied up our animals to
keep them from straying off in search of it; and having no water with which to prepare our
upper, we turned in without it.
The next morning we started at peep of day, and not having eaten anything since the morning
before, were anxious soon to come upon water, intending, when we did, to stop and get breakfast.
Our animals were now so much exhausted from the fatigue of the last two days, during which
time they had had nothing to eat, that I made all the men dismount, and informed them that they
would have to walk until we got out of the mountains. Our road this day was similar to that
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