At  the  time  of  the  -first  occupation  of  this  region  by  parties
engaged  in  the  fur-trade,  a  small  party  of  men,  under  the  com-
mand of Reid,  constituting  all  the  garrison  of  a  small  fort

on  this  river,  were  surprised  and  massacred  by  the.  Indians  ;
and  to  this  event  the  stream  owes  its  occasional  name  oi  Reid's
river.  On  the  8th  we  traveled  about  26  miles,  the  ridge  on
the  right  having  scattered  pines  on  the  upper  parts ;  and,  con-
tinuing the  next  day  our  road  along  the  river  bottom,  after  a
day's  travel  of  24  miles,  we  encamped  in  the,  evening  on  the
right  bank  of  the  river,  amile  above  the  mouth,  and  early  the
next  morning  arrived  at  Fort  Boise.  This  is  a  simple  dwelling-
house  on  the  right  bank  of  Snake  river,  about  a  mile  below  the
mouth  of  Riviere  Boisee  j  and  on  our  arrival  we  were  re-
ceived with  an  agreeable  hospitality  by  Mr.  Payette,  ap  officer
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  in  charge  of  the  fort,  all  of  whose
garrison  consisted  in  a  Canadian  engagi.
Here  the  road  recrosses  the  river,  which  is  broad  and  deep  ;
but,  with  our  good  boat,  aided  _by  two  canoes,  which  were
found  at  the  place,  the  camp  was  very  soon  transferred  te>  the
left  bank.  Here  we  found  ourselves  again  surrounded  by  the
sage  J  artemisia  tridentata,  and  the  different  shrubs  which  du-
ring our  voyage  had  always  made  their  appearance  abundantly
on  saline  soils,  being  here  the  prevailing  and  almost  the  only
plants.  -Among  them  the  surface  was  covered  with  the  usual
saline  efflorescences,  which  here  consist  almost  entirely  of  caj-
bonate  of  soda,  with  a  small  portion  of  chloride  of  sodium.  Mr.
