Explorations in the Upper Columbia Country [pp. 255-266]

Explorations in the Upper Columbia Country.
snow, were a beautiful sight; while the river
flowing into it, although muddy, did not seem
to affect the clearness of its waters in the
slightest degree.
A question not fully decided at that time
as to the form of the head of Lake Chelan,
that is, whether it branched out into two, or
had only one, I had been called upon to answer. It was evident that we could not settle the matter from the position we then occupied, as it was possible to see only a few
miles of the lake, so the Doctor and I discussed affairs, and finally decided upon the
following plan: Smitkin, with another Indian, who had joined us for this part of the
trip, was to go down to the head of the lake,
and plant there a long pole with a white rag
on it; then our whole party was to return by
the same trail we had taken up the Twitsp
to the Methow, down this stream to its mouth,
and thence along the Columbia to the foot
of Lake Chelan, where a boat could be obtained which would enable us to fully explore its waters. This course seemed the
best to pursue, as it would give us a thorough insight into the whole valley of the
Methow.
Accordingly, we were soon packed up, and
by dint of fast travel reached the mouth of
the Methow in three days. Our trail along
the latter river below the mouth of the Twitspt
lay on the east side, and led us through
a more open, yet well-timbered country. The
whole valley in this part was thick in rich
bunch grass, and abounded in beautiful sites
for homesteads and ranches, perfectly sheltered from high, cold winds and storms. The
winters, to be sure, are said to be severe, but
the warm weather, beginning early in the
spring, lasts until late into the fall; then,
too, although the river rises considerably in
the spring, its banks here are much higher
than in the upper valley, and there need be
no fear of an overflow.
At the mouth of the Methow we found
a good ford, and saw the only Indian ranch
that exists on the river. Its owner brought
us fresh vegetables, which we were glad to
have. Indian dogs also visited us, and if
there ever was a sneak thief in the true sense
of the word, these animals must be the originals. Long-bodied, short-legged, and with
the head of a fox, they look the very embodiment of villainy; and they practiced it, too,
on our provisions, leaving us a good many
pounds lighter in this direction.
Before bidding good-bye to the Methow,
I must not,forget to mention the great number of hornets that are found throughout its
valley. Their cone-shaped nests, hanging
from low bushes, and hidden by the thick
foliage, were the source of great discomfort
to our horses and mules, who frequently disturbed them. The result would be a general running, kicking, and balking until we
were some distance from the dangerous spot.
At our camps along the river we were continually pestered by these creatures, and especially at meal time. They seemed ravenous, and fairly swarmed upon our plates, so
that we feared being stung at every mouthful,
but they appeared only to think of their own
appetites, and we soon looked upon them as
inevitable but never welcome guests.
Along the Columbia, below the Methow,
we found a generally dry prairie country
with few or no trees. Our trail lay along a
bluff varying from about twenty to nearly
two hundred feet in height. On a wide
stretch of sand right by the Columbia's banks,
and four or five miles from Lake Chelan, we
came upon some Chinamen washing out gold.
They slept in rude dug-outs covered with
boards and straw, and there on this sand-spit
they patiently toiled, mining out seventy-five
cents per day per man. I tried to procure
some tobacco but they gruffly refused to sell,
and I left them willingly, and proceeded.
From the mouth of the Methow to the
foot of Lake Chelan, which we reached about
noon, was a distance of eighteen miles. Here
we procured and loaded up the boat so as to
start up the lake early in the morning. Everything superfluous was left behind with our
horses and pack-train, and a few men to care
for them.
The next morning we started out in the
boat, a large, flat-bottomed scow provided
with oars, and fitted with a large square sail
made of two of our shelter tents.
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[March,