Cowiche Creek flows from the southwest and empties into the south side of the Naches, at a point about three miles above its mouth.
Tampico is situated on Section 17, Town 12, north of Range 16 East, on the north side of Ahtanum Creek, which flows nearly east along the base of the north side of Rattlesnake Range and empties into the Yakima at Union Gap or Lower Gap, below Old Yakima.
Fort Simcoe is located in a cluster of live oak trees, on one of the branches of Simcoe Creek, which flows in an easterly direction and empties into the Toppenish River, a western feeder of the Yakima. This place is at an altitude of 937 feet above the sea level and is surrounded by 'scab' land. Going west from Fort Simcoe, up the slopes of the Cascade Mountains, a mile or so, one notices timber in the valleys, and as one proceeds still further up the mountains, the timber becomes thicker and of greater size. This is the beginning of the forest, which at the west side of the Cascades becomes so remarkably dense. To the east of Fort Simcoe, however, no trees are seen, except in the bottoms along the streams, while on the lower reaches of the Yakima and on the banks of the Columbia, east of here, there are absolutely no trees.
Kennewick is located on the western side of the Columbia River about six miles below the mouth of the Yakima. It is opposite Pasco, which is about three miles above the mouth of Snake River. The place is only 366 feet above the sea level and except where irrigation has been practised, there are no trees in sight, the vegetation being that typical of the desert among which are sagebrush, grease-wood and cactus. Lewis and Clark, when here on their way to the Pacific Coast, October 17, 1805,[13] saw the Indians drying salmon on scaffolds for food and fuel. Captain Clark said, "I do not think [it] at all improbable that those people make use of Dried fish as fuel. The number of dead Salmon on the Shores & floating in the river is incrediable to say ... how far they have to raft their timber they make their scaffolds of I could not learn; but there is no timber of any sort except Small willow bushes in sight in any direction."
Sentinal Bluffs is the name given to both sides of the gap where the Columbia River breaks through Saddle Mountains. It is a short distance above the head of Priest Rapids. Crab Creek empties into the Columbia from the east on the north side of these mountains. On the western side of the river, between the Bluffs and the head of Priest Rapids, there is a flat place of considerable area, portions of which the Columbia floods during the winter. Going northwest from here to Ellensburg, the trail leads up a small valley in which are several springs surrounded by some small trees. One ascends about 2000 feet to the top of the divide and then descends perhaps 1000 feet into the Kittitas Valley.
FOOTNOTES:
[13] Lewis and Clark, III, p. 124.
Archaeological Sites.
At Clealum, we found no archaeological remains, except a single human skeleton unearthed in the sinking of a shaft for a coal mine. Here, however, our examination of the vicinity was limited to one day, and it is possible that a more thorough search might bring to light archaeological sites. Specimens from the vicinity of Clealum are unknown to the writer, although there are a number of collections from the vicinity of Ellensburg, Priest Rapids, Kennewick and other places lower down. The abundance of specimens on the surface near Priest Rapids and Kennewick in proportion to those found near North Yakima and Ellensburg, suggests that the high parts of the valley were less densely inhabited and that the mountains were perhaps only occasionally visited. It would seem possible that the prehistoric people of the Yakima Valley had their permanent homes on the Columbia, and possibly in the lower parts of the Yakima region. This is indicated by the remains of underground houses, some of which are as far up as Ellensburg. These remains are similar to those found in the Thompson River region, where such houses were inhabited in the winter. The people of the Yakima area probably seldom went up to the higher valleys and the mountains, except on hunting expeditions or to gather berries, roots and wood for their scaffolds, canoes and other manufactures. If this be correct, it would account for the scarcity of specimens upon the surface along the higher streams, since all the hunting parties, berry, root and wood-gathering expeditions were not likely to leave behind them so much material as would be lost or discarded in the vicinity of the permanent villages. Spinden states[14] that in the Nez Perce region to the east of the Yakima country, permanent villages were not built in the uplands, although in a few places where camas and kouse were abundant, temporary summer camps were constructed.