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Palliser's Papers on the Exploration of British North America, 1859-65, page 158, James Hector reporting
September 28, 1859
( Spelling as in the Journal: in the
country of the Kootanie Indians - old lodge poles, and a well beaten track, they had camped at some calcereous springs. On the 30th, two Schonswaps joined - location 50 degrees, 47 minutes. This is the
latitude of a few kilometers South of present day Brisco ) The open appearance of the country was very pleasant to
us, and ever seemed to put new life into the horses. The ground was dusty, and the bunch grass more sparse than turf, but in other respects it was like riding through the open glades of a deer park, and if we had only
been supplied with a sufficiency of good food at the time, there are a few spots in the country that would have left a pleasanter impression than the Upper Columbia Valley...
Elk or wapiti must have at one time been
very numerous in this district, as we saw a great many antlers lying on the ground, and sometimes the Indians had piled them in heaps of 50 or 60 together, but the open nature of the woods, and the limited range,
excepting up & down the valley, must have made them an easy prey to the Indians as soon as they acquired firearms. We have not seen a single track of an elk yet in the valley, and but only a few of the smaller deer.
At noon we reached a succession of open prairies, and passed
the end of the trail from the Vermilion pass,
in latitude 50 degrees 29 minutes N.
We found in the evening that we had passed the lower Columbia Lakes where there is a Shonswap camp, without seeing it, owing to the woods.
The trail now resembles a well-beaten
cart road, the parallel horse tracks forming deep ruts like those produced by wheels.
Page 188: Journals, detailed reports and observations relative to Capt. Palliser's Explorations in BNA
September 25 at 51 degrees 2 minutes N
September 28 1859 Distance 7 miles SSE time 10 am to 3:40 pm
Break though the heavy timber with soft ground all dry. Encamp in a muskeg, within hearing of a great waterfall
on the other side of the valley: valley here changes to nearly a N & S direction
September 29 Distance 8 miles SSE 9:30 - 12:45
After crossing a large creek from the east, pass through poplar woods, and then swamp, till we come to open timber on terrace levels, where we fell on a well-marked trail
which seems to enter the valley by the creek we have just passed.
Sept 29 Distance 10 miles SSE __
Along the trail, and pass several old Indian camps.
Sept 30 Distance 5 8:30-10
Halt beside the river, in lat. 50 degrees 47 minute N
Sept 30 Distance 6 miles SSE 1:30 - 6 PM
Cross several large creeks which have deep valleys channelled out of the shingle deposits. Track good & firm.
Oct. 1 Distance 13 SSE 8-11:30am
Continue through open timber & bunch-grass plains. Halt halfway up the Lower Columbia Lake, in latitude 50 degrees 29 minutes N.
Oct 2
Source of the Columbia, lat 50 degrees, 7 minutes, 35 seconds N
October 2 miles South 4 pm-6:30
Cross the Kootenaie River, and pass through splendid open forest, and camp at several miles distance from the river.
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