, 1860-03-15

found in snow-storm, when We had lost the
trail and given egcry thing up, by an Indian,
who proved to be Of the kootonais t1ibc, from
tho west sids Of the mountains, and who vas
rstarniag from hunt. We knew We uere lost,
and had been for three ws&ks. but VIC supposed
that at last We had found the Pass We had not
seen a living human being aimee We LEFT Fort
El!ice, and had been praying Tor indiana for
three weeks. This felloww ncar!y frightened
to dea'h by the cheering, und crying, aud dare
ing going on when we sas7 him. lie motioned
tons that We were IN old Indian hunting grounds,
and about one hundred miles south oi lie Pass.
We afterwards found ont that we wero within
1l(ty miles Of Fort Benton.
We followed Nr. Indian out Of The scEape and
smussssed him. for guide through the moun-
ta'n*; He took Us up north about eighty miles,
aud through the boundary Pass. Ii we hadn't
met the Indian, not one Of us would be uliye
no". we lad over eighteen inches of snow
through the mountains. and it often puzzled the
guide himself to follow the trail At last we
arrived ut tic kootonaIs village ut tie west.
ern entrance Of the Pass, and here we
found white man. This is in the kootouais
Talley, Which is entirely surrounded by noun
ta'ns with tops covered with snow the year
round. Tie climate in this valley is beautiful,
not very cold, aud the atmosphere is nearly al.
ways very ctear-the soili not very productive,
however. We stayed 4 week trading horses
With the Indians aud getting supply OF pro-
visions.
Tbs road from this point to Fort CoIrille is
the worst that can he conceived of-mountains
all the was, and the fallen tmbsr makes 1t
worse. W. had deep snow u1l the way from the
hootanais3 village 10 within 50 mics Of CoIyi,;e.
On This road se got out Of provisions, and hzd
TO Kill q dog and horse to Keep from starvation.
We came probably the worst rou,.: tt.e.e
Is tor emigration: We were .uld nj fort ElIcc
that this route had neEer been Travelled by
wtl:e men on account If hostile Indians, and
We we're cautioned not to 1ase II; but sc cou-
sl4ered it the only rou c by which We stood my
chauec Of getting through that season, and 50
&c pitched IN. Perhaps Luckily We saw only
this one kootonais 1ud,an, but God knows he
saved our hvcs.
The country through which we passed Is, I
think, the poorest OIL 4he American Cont;neut,
There Is no wood between Fort Ell ice md tic
Mountains, except occasional culnps of cotton.
wood trees On tie r.ver bottoms. The soil from
tlle1y miles before we struck the Saska che an
to within scrc .ty dso miles Ct the mountains, Is
the poorest ever sa"- 1t is d mixture OF clay,
sand aud gravel, a1d don't produce thing.
Some Of our un,n,alt t'i=d from actual starrs-
tlon: Several tiu.s we struck ont from the 1is-
ers in hopes Of finding food for our poor apimals,
but we're IS often driven lack, on account OF the
scarcity Of wat,r,
The ground is aI1 cut up BY Rutfalo trails run
ming down to the firers, and i. covered with
the wilderness. Wepasscd through nil ions of
them every day. aud killed great many, but
they were sh poor and tough that we could not
cat theul.' 1t Stems like travelling over plowed
ground. For hundreds Of nlies-there is not
cvcu sod on the ground-and the Lufialoes
had eaten oil tie grass there might have been
80 our poor animals had to suffer.
The water all through this country is alkaline
The Saska!clla"ah il quite a wide stream, and
is filed with sandbar*, which are continually
shifting their positions. Its bottoms are very
wide and extensive, and are generally from
$50 to 200 feet below the lercl Of the prairie.
The soil these bottoms is, it any thing, poorer
than that up on the prairie. We were forced
down 10 the river neasiy every night to camp,
By the scarcity Of water on the prairie
1t would geher4liy take LIS about an hour
every night to get TO the river !rutn whfre we
began 10 descend, and the same length of tin G
to Jet back on tile prairie uga'n III tic morning
We conduit make more than tronl i've to Ten
miles trar.I per day-hencr our prolonged ,our-
ney. In travelling Ill the way we had 10 keep
out four or five niles from the rivers to avoid
the deep ravines.
This country abounds in game Of all descrip-
tion. 1Ne1s is not L point 5<tpeea Pxn5iaa and
Wu}L1 Htlia on Me route roe came xLtre a fo,ca
site tettltment could frisf. Heaven be praised,
howerer, am 4. Inst in Pottland-encc more
in civilization. 1Ae Eewxfrnm the mines is very
encouraging. Everybody here il g"ns as soon
as *ptiug opens. 4 great many are surfing
ereu now We expect to hare 4 secnud San
Ftauci-co here in about two years. THIS is on
tue sncst practicable route to the mines, and
miners will outfit themselves here.
Yours truly, WV. Ii. Tnoxrsos.