From the Columbia to Lewiston, one hundred miles, the Snake river is navigated by steamers; but beyond this point, owing to the numerous falls and rapids, there is no navigation. Innumerable branches of the Snake river intersect the whole country upon both sides of the main stream.

In the extreme northern corner of Idaho is Clarke's Fork, a branch of the Columbia river, of great magnitude, in its course passing through Lake Pen d'Orellie, twenty-two miles in length and six miles in width. Forty miles south of this lake, and near the line of Washington Territory, the Spokan river, a branch of the .Columbia, enters and passes through Lake Cœur d'Aline, twenty-five miles in length and five miles in width. There are several lakes of less magnitude than the two here named in the Territory, and many streams of great volume and beauty.

Forests of considerable magnitude, in which a great variety of valuable timber grows, are found; and there are large areas of grazing and agricultural lands. Boise, Wieser, Payette, Camas, and other valleys, contain hundreds of thousands of acres of superior land; and Bear Lake valley, in the extreme southeast corner of the Territory and close to the line of Utah Territory, and in which there is a Mormon settlement of five thousand people in a prosperous condition, is one of the richest agricultural districts on the Pacific coast. The climate is mild, and the soil rich beyond comparison. In this fertile valley are situated Bear lake, and the Bear river, a stream of considerable size, coursing through Bear valley in a circle, and finally emptying into Great Salt lake in Utah.

Monument, a station on the Central Pacific overland

To

railroad, at the northern end of Great Salt lake, is but twenty miles from the southern line of Idaho, near Bear valley, and from this and other points of this road travellers entering the southern portion of the Territory will find the easiest and shortest route. reach the northern portion of the Territory from the Pacific side, passage can be made by the waters of the Columbia and Snake rivers, or by a journey overland through Oregon.

The climate of Idaho in the northern section in winter is cold, and snow of great depth falls, and frost is severe in the mountains; but the cold of winter is much less than the cold in the same latitude east of the Rocky mountains. There are wide pasture-ranges in the Territory, and cattle, horses, and sheep in great numbers are driven toward the south, where they graze all winter upon the bunch grass and rich foliage of Southern Idaho; indeed, even in the northern part, cattle are rarely housed in winter. Summer in Idaho is delightful. The extreme heat of the Atlantic States is not experienced, and the evenings are cool and the general temperature bracing and charming. In the forests wild game is abundant, and the principal streams abound with salmon, trout, and other fish.

The red men, although still found in the country in considerable numbers, are neither numerous nor warlike, and, as in most parts of the West, having spent their fury, are slowly passing away to the shades of oblivion.

So far, mining is the chief business of the Territory, and, like the whole range west of the Rocky mountains, gold, silver, and other minerals are found in most of the mountain ranges, and many mines are worked with vigor and with great profit. The annual yield of gold

CRATER OF THE GIANT GEYSER, YELLOWSTONE REGION, WYOMING TERRITORY.

(Line of the Northern Pacific Railroad.)

THE FAN GEYSER, YELLOWSTONE REGION, WYOMING TERRITORY.

(Line of the Northern Pacific Railroad.)

and silver in Idaho is about $8,000,000-one-third as much as the annual yield of California at the present period. Many other metals besides gold and silver have been discovered, but, as yet, have been but little developed. Gold was first discovered in Idaho in 1852, about the banks of the Pen d'Orellie river, but attracted little attention. The discovery of the Oro Fino mines, in 1860, awakened great interest, and drew a large number of gold-hunters from California and Oregon toward the then almost unexplored region of Idaho. Since that time forward, settlement has gone steadily on, and a degree of prosperity highly creditable to the pioneers and sparse population of this heretofore remote and inaccessible region has been attained. Idaho, under the stimulus of the industry of her people, her great natural resources, as well in agriculture, grazing, and lumber as in mines of gold and silver, is fast attaining importance. Each year the capacity of the soil for producing wheat, oats, barley, vegetables, and fruit of almost every variety is becoming understood; and blooming orchards, waving fields of wheat-the latter producing from three to five times as many bushels to the acre as does Illinois, Virginia, or Tennessee-and wide and luxuriant pasture-ranges swarming with fat cattle, attest the capacity of the soil, and give hope of a future vigorous and prosperous State.

The Northern Pacific railroad, now being built from Lake Superior to Puget sound, will pass through a great portion of this Territory, and materially develop its resources and increase its population; and the projected Canadian Pacific road, from Canada to British Columbia, when constructed, will be tributary to this and all the American territory immediately south of that line.