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28  

Chickwass to

Aug 16th Proceeding easterly for about a mile we again struck the trail & continued on for about five miles further through the same kind of forests when the pines began to be smaller & more scattered & the ground between bare & gravelly  Crossing the head of a deep ravine we entered the great desert extending between the Cascade and the Rocky Mountains & travelling on for about ten miles encamped by the side of a small river called the [["Swinko-ee"?]].  
The surface of this country is undulating, becoming steeper & more cut up towards the mountains. The hills are very stony & gravelly with a scattered growth of Artemisiae, bunch grass &c with a few Elder & Ceanothus bushes high up-  
Lizards & horned toads abound with a few snakes, but no rattlesnakes yet seen. The Sage fowl is common & flocks of 100-200 prairie fowls were seen in this valley-  Badgers & wolves are also found. The soil of the valleys is fertile & the hills well adapted for grazing, the Indians raising very fine cattle & horses. 
Along the brooks are small oak, poplar, birch & cherry trees- [[underlined]] 14 miles [[/underlined]]

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29

Atah-nam River- 

Aug 17th  Continued on northward through the "Plains" for about 8 miles encamping by another small river called Atahnam. Noticed on the high hill sides beds of basalt in loco apparently formed by several streams of lava having flowed down and where the rivers had cut deep ravines terraces projected from these various beds. 
The whole rock appears to be basaltic and a vein of semiopal was noticed yesterday on entering the plains- Collected several horned toads, one of which was of a brick color assuming the hue of the rock around it, which power Mr Gibbs says they possess The Indians think they have the power of poisoning by their spines-
The snake caught is common on this side of the Rocky Mts. & is called the "Blue Racer" by the emigrants (Bascanion  )
Aug 18th  Remained in camp to dry beef-  
Obtained another Blue Racer which was found under one of the soldiers beds.  
Shot a Turkey Buzzard, which is common along the Col. River & there eats dead fish- 
Noticed a small black hawk? or ^[[insertion]] Black [[/insertion]] vulture-  
Also Picus torquatus, blackbirds, swallows & nighthawks, the 2 last migrating -

Transcription Notes:
Swinko-ee may refer to Simcoe creek (sometimes Simkoe) which has headwaters near the Ahtanum river. Atah-nam = Ahtanum river? http://wa.water.usgs.gov/data/realtime/adr/interactive/maps/YakimaSC_basin.pdf Bascanion vetutustus = Blue Racer (Washington) http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-5753-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 Picus torquatus not verified @roswilkes