allen_idaho
Hero Member
Hi all. While looking over an old book on the columbia river, I came across this account which may interest some of the rockhounds out there. The area is today called the Drumheller Channels in the scablands. The area is very distinctive, located east of the Saddle Mountains and containing several channels, potholes and small lakes.
Anyway, here is the story.
"About forty miles above Lewis' River, Messrs. Stewart, M'Millan, and I, with three men, quitted the canoes to proceed overland to Spokan House. During this journey, which occupied five or six days, we did not meet a single native; and with the exception of a few stunted cedar trees, and some juniper birch and willow, the country was divested of wood. Early on the morning of the second day we entered a remarkable ravine, (drumheller canyon) with high, bold, and rocky sides, through which we rode upwards of twenty miles, when we were obliged to leave it in order to follow our direct course. The soil in this ravine is a fine whitish-coloured clay, firm and hard. There is but little vegetation, except on the sides, where clusters of willow and choke-cherry are occasionally met with. While we rode through it we passed several small lakes, round the shores of which I picked up some ver fine pebbles of agate species, extremely hard, and possessing great delicacy and variety of shading. The banks of the Columbia, from the falls up to Lewis' River, abound with pebbles of the same description; some of which I brought home, and had cut. They take a beautiful polish, and in the opinion of lapidaries far exceed the cornelian in value."
Anyway, here is the story.
"About forty miles above Lewis' River, Messrs. Stewart, M'Millan, and I, with three men, quitted the canoes to proceed overland to Spokan House. During this journey, which occupied five or six days, we did not meet a single native; and with the exception of a few stunted cedar trees, and some juniper birch and willow, the country was divested of wood. Early on the morning of the second day we entered a remarkable ravine, (drumheller canyon) with high, bold, and rocky sides, through which we rode upwards of twenty miles, when we were obliged to leave it in order to follow our direct course. The soil in this ravine is a fine whitish-coloured clay, firm and hard. There is but little vegetation, except on the sides, where clusters of willow and choke-cherry are occasionally met with. While we rode through it we passed several small lakes, round the shores of which I picked up some ver fine pebbles of agate species, extremely hard, and possessing great delicacy and variety of shading. The banks of the Columbia, from the falls up to Lewis' River, abound with pebbles of the same description; some of which I brought home, and had cut. They take a beautiful polish, and in the opinion of lapidaries far exceed the cornelian in value."
