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14 Chalacha Plain - to [[circled text with line leading to insert this 5 lines below, in front of the word "About"]] July 31st [[/circled]] Walked through nearly the whole prairie in hope of finding some game or specimens but saw nothing except the remains of a skunk which had been devoured by a bird of prey, and the animals before mentioned About 8 A.M. left this camp and at 11 oclock reached the "Chalacha" or great plain which is about 6 miles from the last one This is of an oval form and about 5 miles long by 2 wide, surrounded by high precipitous hills above which tower the snow-capped peak of St Helens in a direction nearly northerly from the prairie. Here we remained through the day and night Caught the snake mentioned under this date in the Index which appears to be of the same species obtained at Vancouver etc The newts with it are peculiar from having gills or their rudiments and are said to be found much larger. The small fish with them seems to be the young of a trout. On the end of this prairie is a grove of oaks the only species I have seen here, peculiar from being always unmixed with evergreen which cover nearly the whole country. A mountain exactly conical stands at the NE. end rising to the height of about 200 ft. [[end page]] [[start page]] 15 Cath-la-pootle River Aug 1st Left the Chalacha prairie at 9 A.M. & travelled through a hilly country towards the north for several miles when we reached a steep sloping hill, & descended by a continuous declivity & on angle of about 40[[degree symbol]] for 600 ft. driving our animals before us - On the way one of the best mules got off the path & rolled down a steep ravine about 200 ft.* breaking its back in the fall & losing its load of powder and tobacco - Noticed on the hillside a Taxus (Yew) in fruit At the bottom of this mountain we were stopped by the "Cath-la-pootle" river here about 150 ft wide & very rapid, flowing over a bed of volcanic pebbles mostly porous lava & porphyritic conglomerate - Our horses forded this river without accident and we then continued on our course through a nearly level forest to the prairie where we camped about 3 o'clock, having made about nine miles. The remarkable scarcity of game & of all animals must be noticed, our hunters having brought in nothing yet except a few hares & partridges Small birds & animals are equally scarce, and my collections thus far have been small - (10 m *by the barometer
Transcription Notes:
The title of these two pages runs across them both and is "Chalacha Plain to Cath-la-pootle River"
