After passing the top of the divide, to the left of the trail from Ellensburg to Priest Rapids, chips and fragments of variegated float quartz suitable for chipped implements were found. This apparently marked a place where a fragment of float rock had been broken up, but fine fragments were hardly numerous enough to indicate that the place had been a shop site, or at least a large one. The quantity of material broken up, judging from the amount of refuse, was small. On the western side of the Columbia, at the base of the basaltic rocks where they meet the bottom-land, perhaps a mile from the river were rock-slide graves in the talus slope. At the head of Priest Rapids, the river turns towards the west and then southward, flowing close to the southern end of this escarpment. On the flat, at the very head of Priest Rapids, the river, during high water had washed out the remains of a village or camp site, where pestles and animal bones were numerous. A short distance above this, in a low ridge near the river were some modern graves some of which were marked with sticks at the head and foot. The bodies, judging from the mounds of earth, were laid full length and many, if not all of them, judging from the size of the head and foot sticks, were placed with the feet towards the east. Perhaps a mile above here near the home of Mr. Britain Everette Craig, several large and deep pits, the sites of ancient semi-subterranean houses were seen. Above and near his house, the river had washed out what was apparently a village site, and perhaps a few graves. Here was found the small fresh water shell heap, shown in [Fig. 1, Plate V], and the pile of flat oval pebbles which probably marked a cooking place, shown in Fig. 2. On the west beach of the Columbia at Sentinal Bluffs perhaps another mile further up the river, notched sinkers and other indications of a camp or fishing ground were found.
On the eastern side of the river near the head of Priest Rapids some material was found on the surface of the beach where the floods of the river had uncovered it. A mile or more above here, pecked on the basaltic columns of Sentinal Bluffs, which may be seen in both figures of [Plate V] were a number of petroglyphs, shown in [Plate XI] and described on [page 121]. Those shown in Fig. 1, photographed from the west, are on the columns to the east of the road, blasted through the rocks at this point, and perhaps fifteen feet from the river. Those in Fig. 2, photographed from the north, are to the west of the road on the columns which rise abruptly from the river. Some specimens and indications of habitation were found scattered between this point and the mouth of Crab Creek, the bed of which was dry in most places when we visited it.
FOOTNOTES:
[14] Spinden, p. 178.
[15] See 99-4325, page 163.
[16] See [Fig. 3, Plate VI] from the north of west.
[17] See [p. 142] and [Fig. 1, Plate IX].
[18] See [p. 15] and [Fig. 1, Plate IV].
[19] See [p. 52] and [Fig. 2, Plate IV].