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52 Upper Chehalis [[left margin]] July 4th [[\left margin]] [[left margin]] distance [[\left margin]] Left Goodells at 7 A.M. but mistaking the road I walked about five miles out of my course & did not reach Armstrong's sawmill until dark having travelled about 25 instead of 15 miles. Morning overcast but clear & warm after 9 A.M. though with a fine S breeze. [[left margin]] Plains [[\left margin]] [[left margin]] soil [[\left margin]] The gravelly plains continue on each side of Black River for some miles with an interval of about 1 mile wide of excellent alluvial land overflowed until [[?June]]. [[left margin]] river bed [[\left margin]] This seems to have been formerly the bed of an ancient river as it is lower than the surrounding country & expands into a lake near the Sound. [[left margin]] Black R. [[\left margin]]The River is sluggish & black until very near its outlet & does not seem to escape freely being obstructed by a spur of the Black hills. The mounds on its west side about six miles above the Chehalis are about 8 ft. high - standing very close together. [[left margin]] Basalt [[\left margin]] [[left margin]] Sandstone [[\left margin]] Along the East side of the Black Hills which is an almost perpendicular bluff - granular & rounded masses of Basalt are exposed and there is said to be a good building sandstone? near the mouth of the River. The side of these hills seems as if cut away by fluvial action like those along the Columbia. [[left margin]] Col. R. [[\left margin]] Did not that river once run north along the coast & Range & empty by several months into Puget's Sound? [[end page]] [[start page]] 53 [[left margin]] July 5th [[\left margin]] Rained at intervals all day though the clouds were broken in the afternoon - wind S.W. Remained at the sawmill waiting for a canoe going down the river. [[left margin]] Cinclus Amer nest [[\left margin]] Here found a nest of the water ouzel containing three young of a 2nd brood. It was built under an immense Cedar stump at the foot of the dam in a cavity among the roots formed of moss (Hypnum) with a flooring of twigs and completely arched over. The opening was large enough for the hand and the inside very capacious probably to admit both the adults. [[left margin]] habits [[\left margin]] These birds are very tame and showed no fear while I was examining the nest. [[left margin]] [[?Insdunoevison]] song [[\left margin]] The melancholy notes of the Painted Thrush are also heard in these forests now - well suited to the damp & sombre gloom where the sun scarcely reaches. [[left margin]] [[drawing of half moon]] 7th [[\left margin]] Crossed over the river to start down but had to wait until 3 1/2 P.M. The weather today was cloudy with a little rain but warm. [[left margin]] Prairie [[\left margin]] The prairie here is of about 1500 acres somewhat gravelly & was probably formed by the wash from the plains above. [[left margin]] soil [[\left margin]] The soil of these prairies improves in descending the river and they are subject to partial overflow a few days in winter. The soil of the woods is also good throughout this Coast Region. [[left margin]] Abics Mens. [[?lesir]] [[\left margin]] The Black spruce appears near the mouth of Black River and the Yellow species also but the latter does not extend below tide water where the first is most abundant. Went about 10 miles down & camped for the night.
