Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-09-03

by high mountain ranges on either side.
the one on the rish, composed of denscly
wooded mountains, stretching in long uu-
dulating lines parallel with the river, the
range on the left nearer. less dcnsc!y
wooded, more lofty, and often risingin hi n
stony peaks. One Of these, for many
miles the most prominent feature, is called
by the Indians the Iumtum, or Heart
Mountain, from its peculiar shape. The
valley, where first struck at Silver Creek
has very rerceptibly rapid elevation, and
the rushing sound of the river, heard dis.
tinctly from occasional points of the trail,
indicates proportionally rapid descent in
the river.
On the evening of the llth, the party
reached Copper Creek, and established on
it their fourth camp. This is another tribu-
tary of the Nisqually, named by Messrs
Longmire and Packwood, and about twenty
miles from the Indian house. From Cop.
per Greek, the course Of the party contin
ued still up the valley, taking them to the
summit ola high butte, rising from the Gen.
ter of the valley. Descending this, they
again reached the Nisqually at the mouth of
Goat Creek, another small tributary. About
noon, on the 18th, they forded the North
Fork Of the Nsqually. 1t has width
here of about twenty five or thirty yards,
with an exceedingly rapid current, the wa
ter icy cold, and of the same chalky hue as
the main river.
In crossing, Mr.. Coleman had his ice
poleswept from his grasp, and carried be-
yond recall. Looking up the course of
the North Fork, the tourists obtained their
first view of Rainier during the trip thus
far. Two only of the peaks were visible,
and the party were surprised to see i'm.
mense patches or fields of bare rock on
their slopes, high up the snow line. Thus
they had very clearly explained the mys-
terry of the dark spots on the snow line as
seen from the Sound and the prairies near
Olympia. To account for these dark spots
SO high on the line of perpetual snow,
many had advanced the theory of shadows
cast by projecting peaks Or masses of snow.
Soon after leaving the North Fork, the
party again struck the main river, and fol-
lowed slowly up its bed for several hours.
Three times during the afternoon the
river had to be fordcd. The water was
waist deep. icy cold, and owing to the
great rapidity of the current and the huge
boulders in the river bed, they found it
very difficult to avoid being washed down
stream or being thrown down. While
crossing a sort of slough of the river the
pack animals sank to their bellies in quick
sand, and their packs had to be taken off
before they could he extricatcd. After
several similar experiences, and good
deal of worry and fatigue, point in the
trail was reached where it abandoned the
river finally, and commenced the ascent of
a high bald mountain to the south of it,
After ascending this mountain to its sum-
NIT and reaching the head off canon
which slopes to the south and cmptics its
waters into the Cowltz, the party obtained
a view of Bear Prairie, which they reached
in three miles from the last crossing of the
Nisqually, on the evening of the 18th Of
August.
Bear Prairie is green little oasis in a
scene of desolation. 1t lies near the sum-
nit of the canon mentioned above, and is
surrounded on three sides by high grey for
bidding looking mountains, entirely desti-
tute of vegetation and thickly covered
with tall, blackened, dead frs. In the
evening an incident occurred in camp that
came near proving a serious accident. AT
ter their hearty evening repast of coffee,
bacon and frying-pan bread, the several
members of the party, weary with the toll
and mishaps of the day, were stretched
comfortably on their blankets, when sudden.
ly astartling, cracking sound was heard on
the mountain side above them. The whole
party starting to their feet, and Hooking to
the quarter whence the sounds proceeded,
discovered that tall dead fir. which some
former fire had eaten nearly through a
short distance from the ground, was break
ing and already leaning threateningly d.
rectly toward camp. An instantaneous
scamper was made in various directions
for Ravens of safety, which we're barely
reached when the tree came down with a
great crash, directly across the camp.
| Fortunately no damooe w,a Ioro othor