Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/39

Rh Baggage &c arrived, having had extreme difficulty in getting hereto, from the badness of the Country @ the emaciated state of the Horses, no Grass as yet havg. sprung up in these cold Regions. Having rested the People @ Horses on June 5th I sent off the Canoe @ 6 Men with half Cargoe to proceed as far as the Water would permit. A Man @ myself going by Land. The Horses @ rest of the Property were left at the Kootenae Plain, in care of Mr. Finan McDonald @ a Man, as this was the last @ only Place, where Pasture could be found for the Horses or Animals for the People for Food. On June 6th at Noon we left the main Stream coming from the N. N. W$d$. @ followed a Rivulet for ab$t$. 4 Miles, where it becoming too shoal, we put the Goods on shore, @ I staid in care of them; the Men @ Canoe immediately went off for the remainder, @ by June 10 all was landed at my Residence the People returned to live at Kootenae Plain, 'till I should send for them. Here among their stupendous @ solitary Wilds covered with eternal Snow, @ Mountain connected to Mountain by immense Glaciers, the collection of Ages @ on which the Beams of the Sun makes/hardly any Impression when aided by the most favourable weather I staid for 14 Days more, impatiently waiting the melting of the Snows on the Height of Land. During this Time we arranged all the Goods @ whatever could receive Harm by Shocks against the Trees, Rocks &c in Boxes of thin Boards sewed together. The Weather was often very severe, cloathing all the Trees with Snow as in the Depth of Winter, @ the Wind seldom less than a Storm we had no Thunder, very little Lightning, @ that very mild; but in return the rushing of the Snows down the Sides of the Mountains equalled the Thunder in Sound, overturning everything less than solid Rock in its Course, sweeping the Mountain Forests, whole acres at a Time from the very Roots, leaving not a Vestige behind; scarcely an Hour passed, without hearing one or more of these threatening Noises assailing our Ears. The Mountains themselves for half way down, were almost ever