"Looking back upon our route, we saw we had followed Bitter Root river to its head, which we found from its mouth to be ninety five miles long, flowing through a wide and beautiful valley, whose soil is fertile and productive, well timbered with the pine and cotton-wood, but whose chief characteristic and capability is that of grazing large herds of cattle, and affording excellent mill sites along the numerous streams flowing from the mountains. The country thence is watered by tributaries to the Missouri and its forks, to the range of mountains separating these waters from those of the Snake river, or the south branch of Lewis' fork of the Columbia, and is also fertile, but its characteristic feature is the great scarcity of timber for any purpose, the willow and wild sage being used for fuel along the whole route. The geological formation of this section belongs to the tertiary period. The capability of this broad area, however, for grazing, is excellent. It is a great resort at present for all Indians in the mountains, the mountains and valleys affording a great abundance of game, consisting of elk, bear, deer, and antelope, while the numerous rivers and streams abound in fish and beaver. The latter are still caught in large numbers on the head waters and tributaries of the Missouri, but are not so anxiously sought after as years back, owing to the great depreciation of value in the market east. The whole country is formed of a series of beds of mountainous ranges or ridges, with their intervening valleys, all of which are well defined and marked, the decomposition and washings of the rocks of the mountains giving character to the soil of the valleys, which may be termed, as a general thing, fertile. The geological formations along the Jefferson fork and its principal tributaries are limestone and conglomerate rock. From the range called the Snake River divide, the whole character of the country is completely changed. Here the geological formation is basaltic and volcanic principally. None of the numerous streams and rivulets flowing from the mountains along the route we traveled emptied into the Snake river, but either sunk into the ground, or formed small lakes in the broad valley of Snake river. The ground in most places is formed principally of sand; and where large beds of basalt are not found, the ground is of a dry, absorbing nature, through which the water sinks, at times bursting out again. It was somewhat singular, that for sixty miles above Fort Hall, along the main stream of Snake river, we did not cross but one tributary, and that coming in from the south, while none came in from the north; all of the streams, as before mentioned, either forming lakes or sinking into the ground. This section is also noted for the great scarcity of timber, and the immense plains of wild sage; which is so abundant, that it merits the name of the sage desert of the mountains. It extends for many miles in length and breadth, forming an immense ocean of prairie whose sameness is only broken by the Three Buttes' of the valley, which rise like islands in the sea in this broad and barren area. Its whole character might be included in the word sterility."

Experience, moreover, has shown that there is moisture enough for profitable tillage. The crops that have been raised about the Dalles, at the Walla Walla, in the Nez Perces country, on the Spokane, at Colville, in the Bitter Root valley, on the Jocko, on Sun river, at Fort Benton, and at Fort Union, show that there is ample rain for moisture to insure a certain crop. I will refer gentlemen interested in this matter to my report for a minute description of this country in this respect, and especially to the forthcoming report of Dr. Evans, which will be found to be exceedingly interesting and instructive: but, before leaving this subject, I desire to say that Northern Nebraska is fully equal, and Washington Territory is much superior, to certain provinces in Southern Russia, with which they may be com

pared. These provinces, or governments, are Bessarabia, Kherson, Ekatherinoslaw, Taurido, (Crimea,) Stavropol, (Caucasia,) Astrakhan, and the country of the Don Cossacks, and they extend from the mouth of the Danube along the shores of the Black sea, the sea of Asov, and across the lower parts of the Don, the Volga, and the Ural into the plains of Central Asia. These all lie between latitude 49° and the Black sea, excepting Stavropol and Astrakhan, which extend south between it and the Caspian sea, latitude, 44°.

In 1851, including the government of Koursk, which lies north of latitude 49°, the population of this region, containing an area of 262,000 square miles, ranged from 98 souls to the square mile as in the government of Koursk, through the intermediate numbers of 4.98, (Bessarabia,) 38.8, (Ekatherinoslaw,) 32, (Kherson,) 26.6, (Taurido,) 17.6, (Stavropol,) 17.6, (Don Cossacks,) down to 8.8 in the government of Astrakhan. Five of these provinces produce more grain than they consume-the export of wheat being 18,000,000 bushels,-two sufficient for home consumption, and Astrakhan only imports it. The average return for the same province is six times the amount of seed sown, while for the whole empire it is only four.

In 1847, over two million bushels of potatoes were raised in the five provinces bordering on the Black sea. Beet root sugar is an important product. Large quantities of wine are manufactured, and large quantities of fruit are produced. Tobacco is grown to a considerable extent. In this region are over two millions of horses, and nearly five millions of cattle and twelve millions of sheep.

These provinces are in fact the most productive portion of Russia in Europe. Yet Nebraska will compare favorably with them in temperature, amount of moisture precipitated, the constituents of the soil, and general geographical position. Both regions are mainly regions of prairie, and large portions of each are destitute of wood. The comparison, however, in all these respects is in favor of Nebraska, and yet the population of the province Koursh is much denser than that of any of our best agricultural States of the Mississippi valley, and the average of the six provinces exceed the average of the Mississippi river States, and the population is rapidly increasing by immigration from the more northern regions of Russia.

But the comparison between southern Russia and Washington Territory is greatly in favor of the latter. The climate is much milder than in Southern Russia, and more moisture is deposited. Indeed, the climate of Washington is superior to that of any part of western New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, or Minnesota. The greater part of eastern and northern central Washington is

wooded, the forest growth being large, with frequently a luxurious undergrowth.

I beg leave to quote the following from Lewis and Clarke's narrative, as descriptive of the country lying under and to the westward of the Bitter-Root Mountains. I have passed over this country in several directions, and know their description to be accurate:

When encamped in the Kookooskia valley on May 17, 1805, they say:

"The country along the Rocky mountains for several hundred miles in length, and about fifty wide, is a high level plain, in all its parts extremely fertile, and in many places covered with a growth of tall, long-leaved pine. This plain is chiefly interrupted near the streams of water, where the hills are steep and lofty, but the soil is good, being unincumbered by much stone, and possesses more timber than the level country. Under shelter of these hills the bottom lands skirt the margin of the rivers, and though narrow and confined, are still fertile and rarely inundated. Nearly the whole of this wide-spread tract is covered with a profusion of grass and plants which are at this time as high as the knees. Among these are a variety of esculent roots, acquired without much difficulty, and yielding not only a nutritious, but a very agreeable food. The air is pure and dry, the climate quite as mild if not milder than the same parallel of latitude in the Atlantic States, and must be equally healthy, for all the disorders which we have witnessed may fairly be imputed more to the nature of the diet than to any intemperance of climate."

Proceeding eastward they reached one of the Kamas prairies on the Kookooskia, within the spurs of the Bitter Root mountains. There they encamped in a point of woods bordering the extensive level and beautiful prairie; and as the kamas was in blossom, it being the 10th of June, the surface presented a perfect resemblance to a lake of clear blue water. The country, though hilly around them, was generally free from stone, extremely fertile, and well supplied with timber, consisting of several species of fir, pine, and birch.

Another advantage of the northern route is, that it can be worked in a greater number of sectior.s than any other route. In my railroad report of 1854, I gave a scheme, and presented a programme for building this road, which proposed making use of the waters of the Columbia and Missouri, for transporting the workmen, and tools, and materials of all kinds, and organizing the work in corresponding divisions. One would be from Puget Sound and from Vancouver to the point where the railroad line crosses the Columbia, another from this point to the head of navigation at Fort Benton, a third from Fort Benton to Fort Union, another to St. Paul, and the western end of Lake Superior.

Thus the route can be thrown into four divisions, on each of which the work can be commenced at both ends, so that eight sections may be worked at a time, affording extraordinary facili

ties to hasten the construction of the road. The most difficult of these divisions, the one between the Columbia and Missouri, could be attacked almost as soon, within two or three months, as those lying on the Pacific or great lakes. It is not necessary to wait till the tunneling is done on the route, as, to establish a thorough communication for the nonce, the system of zigzags, by which the Alleghanies are scaled in Pennsylvania, can be adopted.

It is objected to the northern route that it involves excessive tunneling. This is not necessarily the case. The northern road can be located with little or no tunneling, but at a very great increase of distance.

Lieut. Mullan reports that, by his wagon pass (Mullan's or Little Blackfeet Pass) a railroad can be laid across the Rocky mountains with only a cut one hundred feet deep through the Divide, which is but half a measured mile from base to base, and that no excessive grades will be required on the eastern approach. The descent down the valley of the Little Blackfeet and HellGate is exceedingly favorable. Thus, a line can be laid down from the Mississippi to Olympia, on Puget Sound, with but short and few tunnels, but which will be two hundred and seventy-six miles longer than the route by Cadotte's, the Cœur d'Aléne or Stevens' and the Snoqualmoo Passes to Seattle. We cross the Rocky mountains by the northern Little Blackfoot or Mullan's Pass, then follow down the Little Blackfoot and Hell-Gate valleys, cross over the Jocko divide to Hell-Gate, follow down Clark's fork to below the Pend d'Oreille lake, cross over to the Spokane, and, finally, after passing over the great plain of the Columbia, follow down the Columbia valley to near the mouth of the Cowlitz, and reach the Sound by the easy and practicable line of the Cowlitz and intermediate country. If, instead of a cut of half a mile through Mullan's Pass, this distance should have to be tunneled, the only remaining tunnels will be at the Cabinet, three hundred yards in length, fifty per cent. in basaltic trap, and Cape Horn, seven hundred feet in length. By this route the distance to Olympia from St. Paul will be two thousand and forty miles, against one thousand seven hundred and sixty-four miles, the distance to Seattle by the route of the tunnels.

From the great plain of the Columbia, the distance, via the Snoqualmoo Pass to Seattle, is 155 miles less than by the Columbia and Cowlitz rivers.

In both my preliminary report of 1854 and my final report of 1859, I recommended that from some point in the general vicinity of the mouth of Snake river there should be two branches-one to Seattle, on Puget Sound, across the Snoqualmoo Pass, and the other down the Columbia river to Vancouver. In

justice to myself, I will state that, in my reports to the War Department, at Fort Benton, in September, 1853, I took it for granted that the route down the Columbia river was practicable, and that after making a personal examination of it myself, I actually reported it as practicable on the 19th of December, 1853. I considered it probably practicable before I left the city of Washington to commence the survey of the northern route.

To make the route a cheap and practicable freight route, it is essential to diminish both the length of the line and the gradients as much as possible. To effect this, a very considerable increase of expense might be incurred, provided the interest on the increased cost did not exceed the saving in the expense of running the line.

For this reason especially, I have urged a direct connexion with Puget Sound via the Snoqualmoo Pass; for the superiority of the route within our own borders over that in the British possessions may be lost if Puget Sound be reached by the circuitous route of the Columbia and Cowlitz rivers.

This plan will accommodate both Oregon and Washington, and will insure an extension of the Columbia river branch via the Willamette and Sacramento valleys to San Francisco. The connexion, moreover, with the several railroad systems of the States, not included in the St. Lawence Basin, and the great navigable rivers of the Mississippi valley, will be as short as a connection by the Snake river route. For the distance from Seattle and Vancouver to Chicago by the northern route, is 2,154 and 2,147 miles against 2,364 miles, the distance from Vancouver to Chicago by the South Pass and Rock Island, and against 2,182 miles, the distance from Vancouver to Rock Island. But if the equated distances be compared, the result will be still more in favor of the northern route. A ton of freight can be delivered at Chicago by the northern route for a less sum than it can be delivered at Rock Island, on the Mississippi river, by the South Pass route. Indeed, a comparison of the equated distances, the practical comparison invariably instituted by practical men, shows that a ton of freight can be taken either from Seattle or Vancouver, over the northern route to St. Paul, be placed on a steamer and delivered not only at Rock Island or St. Louis at less cost than it can be delivered at either of these points by the route of the South Pass, but it can descend the Mississippi and be delivered at any point thence to New Orleans, at less cost than a ton of freight from San Francisco, either by the central or southern route.

It has also been objected to the northern route that snow and the excessive cold weather would be an obstruction, both to the building and the running of the road. The following brief summary of information with regard to this matter is. presented to show conclusively that these objections are utterly untenable.