Year: 1871

which had f1oated through my excited
brain the whole night, but which ala will
o'-the.wsip had thus far eluded US. Halt
ing at Piltcn creek to take breath and re-
admire the scene of yesterday, we travelled
about two miles over good land to another
creek. Refreshing ourselves here tho
march was resumed The trail entered a
forest Of magnificent frs. Now and then
giant was found lying prone upon tho
ground, on top of whose carcass ran the
Indian pathway in some instances for two
hundred feet or more.


A mile and a half further and we were
at the Indian village situated at the head
of the rocky canon above alluded to. The
Indians number fifteen adults, men and
women, and are at present engaged in
catching salmon. Seldom had the foot Of
the pale face penetrated their mountain
home. His presence among them is an
event in their history. AS they gathered
around us, talking and gcsticulating in
their queer way, the smoke of their wig
vans ascending in blue wreaths among the
| tall trees Of the forest, the river pouring its
| foaming waters into the narrow channel at
our feet with a sound that sent its thun-
dcrs echoing and re.echoing through the
gorges, the mountains rearing their gigan-
! tic heads thousands of feet above US, the
scream of the bald eagle and the fish hawk
as they darted with arrow-like swiftness
into the surging waters, or contendcd with
each other in fierce combat for their finny
prey, formed a scene which for wildness
and grandeur could not be surpassed, and
is rarely equalled. The Indians are culti-
waiting small patches of potatoes, peas, corn,
turnips, etc. l do not wonder they look
with jealous eye upon the movements Of
the whites. His touch to them has been
contamination, and here among their noun
tain Businesses, amid the grandest works
of that Great Spirit they so humbly wor-
ship, this child Of nature Who


"Looks through nature up to nature sGod,"
beholds with dread the march of civiliza-
ton, that civilization which to his fathers
has been death aud to himself despair.
Tobacco aud pipe we're now produced,
and the gravity with which each smoked
and handed the pipe to his neighbor until
it had passed around the entire circle Of
squatting redskins, was laughablc indeed.
This ceremony over, our packs were re-
sumed, the Indian Jim asaiu taking his
role of guide. 1t was soon evident By the
conformation of the country that We were
approaching valley. A walk of some-
thing more than mile proved that such
was the case. Standing upon the high
bank of the upland that overlooked the
bottom below, we discovered the object Of
our search In exultation exclaimed,
Eurekaw Descending the highland to
the valley, the distance of a furlong brought
US to the lost river, the Indian very grave
ly remarking: "This is it." Strange he
had not known it before. Here it was,
sure enough; and one seeing it once is not
likely soon to forget it. Not often is the
strange spectacle presented Of two rapid
rivers of nearly equal volume rushing to-
gether from opposite directions, as is she
case hero. The Cowlitz approaching from
the northeast makes sudden detour, and
comes dashing down over rocky bed from
nearly west course, and is met fully and
sauarely in the very teeth by this strange
river The shock is terrific; the water is
thrown into great commotion, whirling, ed
dying, and boiling fcarfully. So nearly
equal is the contest, that the now united
waters run off at right angle with their
junction, the direction being southerly.
Standing upon point, watching this queer
freak of nature, this meeting Of the wa
ters," imagined how romancer might
liken the scene to combat to the death Of
two knights of chivalry armed capapie,
with lance in rest, mounted on powerful
and frey steeds, meeting in full career in
tho middle of the lists; or like couple Of
lovers rushing together in an awful cm-
brace, aud made one by the laws Of matri-
mony, start off at double quick down the
vale Of life. But being Of more practical
turn of mind, could not help comparing
it to fracas between two rival bovines,
charging upon each other at two-forty
gallop, madly intent on row.


We were surprised to fad this stream so
large, being fully, or more than two
thirds the sizc of the Cowlitz. From
the color We called it White Water River.
The Indian name is "Shishpash," and is
not laid down on the large map OF Wash
inston Territory. The Indians say it
heads in large lake in the vicinity or di.
rectiou of Mount Adams. Two and a half
days journey from the mouth are high
perpendicular falls. AS We feared, we did
not find the e-bars as they were at the time
Mr.. Davis aud party were here. The guide
informed us that the great food three years
ago washed the bar out and changed the
! channel of the stream. Here was disap-
poiutment. The very object we had come
to examine was gone. However, there
were other bars; one large one at the mouth
of the river.


After lunch I began prospecting the
sand of the bed Of the stream and bars, and
the dirt Of the banks at different places Tor
a mile from the mouth. I found in the
sand particles of the precious metal, but
so small as scarcely to be seen. A little
coarscr specimen was found in the bank
- ha thu had rock