, 1867-02-22
IA. W...tnekna WAGON Road.

TIE W~stnekna Wagon Road.
The wastucknA wagon road is the direct route |
from Wallula tOthe Cow Greek House, at the
forks Of the Mullan aad Colville roads. The
road crosses Snake River at Jim Ford's Island,
about half way between the Palouse Ferry and
the mouth. A wire rope ferry has just been put
in and is now ready to cross travel and trains.
The whole distance is ffiy .eight.milss, and the
general course north 30 degrees east. From
Wallula the road follows the basin Of the Co.
lumbia three miles, thence leaving the river at
an angle of 30 degrees, it strikes across the
prairie in a direct line to Fish Hook Bend on
Snake River, twelve or fifteen miles from Wal
lula. There is a well beaten wagon track along
the Columbia, and for Eve miles after leaving
that stream the road follows a plain Travelled
Indian trail. The ground is unusually level.
The greatest, and in fact only obstacle on the
whole route is encogntered Immediately on leAv-
ing the Columbia In the shape of nearly four
miles of sand. None of this, however, is drift
ed, and not great deal deep or heavy sand.
Pack trains will have no difficulty in travelling
it, The remainder of the distance to Fish Hook
Bend is over a level, bunch grass bench or
plateau.
From the Bend TO the Ferry, distance of
ten miles, the road follows the general course of
the river. For the first FIVE miles it crosses a
broad plateau, cutting off great bend of the
Snake, including Anchor Canyon, then striking
the stream again, follows along its bank five
miles farther 10 the Ferry. The old Iodan t.,
up and down the river take the same course, so
that pack trains will find the road already bro.
ken Crossing the river by the ferry at jim
rords Island, the road surmounts a high bin
by means of a lOug, gently sloping canyoh, and
strikes across the country to wastuckna Lake
fifteen miles. This is the lo".gest di.;,ncs h,.
tween "atSSr on the entire route, and the hill At
he river is the highest But so gradual and easy
is the ascent that loaded teams can pull up 1t
without doubling and once at the summit,
there are no more bills 10 ascend between that
aud Cow Greek.
| Wastuckna Lake lies deep in a remarkable cou.
lee or canyon, that commencing near the juncr
tion of Cow Greek with the Palouse, extends
in southwest course to the lake, aud thence
|
debouching some fifteen miles above the Yaki.
ma. 1t has served the Indians as a great tho.
roughfare between the Palouse and the Colum,
bia, and iS travelled through its whole length by
their trail, four abreast. The breadth of the
coulee is from half mile to a mile its depth
Eve to eight hundred feet below the general
level of the country. Its floor is perfectly level
"A nd nh ha
remoles, though on a smaller scale, the bed Of
Snake River, supposng the waters of that
stream were transformed to a bunch grass plain
Atseveral points in its course, copious springs
Of pure water gush out Of the earth, and after
flowing some distance sink again into the ground.
One of the largest OF these feds Wastuckia
Lake, which gives its name to the road This
lake is two miles long by half mile wide. The
water is perfectly fresh End pure In the fall
thousands OF ducks and geese frequent its shores.
Passing around the Lake, the road follows the
Indian trail along the coulee for eight miles to
secong spring. This bursts out Of the ground
with volume equal, in mining terms to thirty
| inches of water, or enough to supply an army of
ten Thousand men, sud after flowing a quarter
of mile sinks. The banks are densely fringed
with willows, some of them Of tolerable size.
Just beyond the spring, the road leaves the cou-
lee and fellows branch canyon to the left for
four miles, gently asctsding all the way until it
runs out upon the extensive lain On the west
bank of Cow Greek. Thence il crosses cor
ner of this plain, four miles, descends into the
Valley Of the Greek, and intersects the forks Of
the Colville and Mullsn roads, not half II mile
from the Cow Greek House. The distance from
the spring to the junction is right miles.
The following table gives the distance between
camps or watering places.
From Walula up the Columbia, 3 miles.