Whitman county shall consist of the territory bounded as follows, to wit: Commencing at a point where the range line between ranges thirty-eight and thirty-nine east intersects the fifth standard parallel, being the northeast corner of Adams county; thence east on said parallel to the boundary line between Idaho and Washington; thence south on said boundary line to the midchannel of the Snake river; thence down the midchannel of the Snake river to its intersection with the midchannel of the Palouse river; thence north along the midchannel of the Palouse river to the point where the same intersects the range line between ranges thirty-eight and thirty-nine east; thence north along said range line to the place of beginning.