IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ 1.0 ^Ui lii Ul Uli 122 U Itt 1.1 S lii 12.0 liii 14^ -J^ I^iotographic ^Sciences Corporalion L1>^ <> ^, 6^ 'i3 WIST MAIN STMIT W3!BSTM,N-Y. i45M (716. r. ''2-4503 '^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Coliection de microfiches. Canadian instituta for HtYtorical Microraproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductiona hiatoriquaa Ttohnical and Blbllographio Notaa/NotM taohniquM at MbliographiquM Tha Inatituta ha* attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographioaily uniqua. which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may significantly changa tha usual mathod of filming, ara chackad baiow. D D D D D D Colourad covara/ Couvartura da coulaur |~n Covars damagad/ Couvartura andommagAa Covara rastorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura raatauria at/ou paiiieulAa r~| Covar titia miasing/ La titra da couvartura manqua Colourad mapa/ Cartaa gAographiquaa an coulaur Colourad ink (i.a. othar than blua or black)/ Encra da coulaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou nolra) r~| Colourad plataa and/or iiluatratlona/ Planchas at/ou illustrations an coulaur Bound with othar matariai/ Rail* avac d'autraa documanta Tight binding may cauaa shadows or distortion along intarior margin/ La r» liura sarrAa paut causar da i'ombra ou da la diatortion la long da la marga intiriaura Blank laavaa addad during rastoration may appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar poaaibla. thaaa hava baan omittad from filming/ 11 sa paut qua cartainaa pagas blanchas ajoutiaa iors d'una raatauration apparaiaaant dans la taxta, maia, iorsqua cala Atalt poaaibla, caa pagas n'ont paa 4t« fiimiaa. Additional commanta:/ Commantalraa suppMmantairaa: L'Inatitut a mIcrofilmA la malllaur axampiaira qu'll lul a At4 posslbia da sa procurar. Las dAtaiis da cat axampiaira qui sont paut-itra uniquas du point da vua bibliographiqua. qui pauvant modlflar una imaga raproduita, ou qui pauvant axigar una modification dana la mAthoda normala da f iimaga sont indiquAs cl-daaaous. |~~| Colourad pagaa/ D D D D Thia itam ia filmad at tha roduction ratio chackad balow/ Ca documant aat film* au taux da reduction indiquA ci*daaaoua. Pagaa da coulaur Pagaa damagad/ Pagaa andommagias |~~| Pagaa raatorad and/or laminatad/ Pagas raataurAaa at/ou pailiculAaa Pagas diacolourad. stalnad or foxa« Pagas dAcoiorAaa. tachatAas ou piquAaa Pagaa datachad/ Pagas dAtachiaa Showthroughy Tranaparanca Fyl Pagas diacolourad. stalnad or foxad/ r~~1 Pagaa datachad/ rri Showthrough/ Quality of print varias/ Quallt* inigaia da I'impraasion Includaa aupplamantary matariai/ Comprand du material auppiimantaira Only adition availabia/ Saula MKIon diaponlbia Pagas wholly or partially obscurad by arrata alipa. tissuas. ate., hava baan rafiimad to ansura tha baat possibia imaga/ Laa pagaa totalamant ou partiallamant obacurcias par un fauiiiat d'arrata, una palura, ate. ont AtA filmAas i nouvaau da fa^on A obtanir la maillaura imaga possibia. 10X 14X 18X 22X 2BX 30X y i 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X 1 Th« copy film«d h«r« .Sat b—n r«produc«4 thank* to th* ganarotity of: Library Oivtiion Provincial Archives of Britiih Columbia L'axamplaira fllm4 fut raproduit grica A la g4nAroslt4 da: Lilnarv Oiviuon Provincial Archival of Brilith Columbia Tha imagaa appaaring hara ara tha baat quality poaalbia eonaldarlng tha condition and laglblllty of tha original copy and In kaaping with tha filming contract apaclflcationa. Laa Imagaa sulvantaa ont At* raproduitaa avac la plus grand coin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattatA da I'aKamplalra fllmA, at mn conformitA avac laa conditions du contrat da fllmaga. Original capias in printad papar covars ara filmad baginning with tha front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impras- slon. or tha back covar whan appropriata. All othar original capias ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or illustratad impras- sion, and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad imprasslon. Tha last racordad frama on aach microfiche shall contain tha symbol — ^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol ▼ (moaning "END"), whichavar applias. Las SMamplairas originauK dont la couvartura mn paplar ast ImprimAa sont filmAs on common^ant par la pramiar plat at an tarmlrtant salt par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'Imprasslon ou d'illustratlon. soit par la sacond plat, salon la cas. Tous las autras axamplairas originauii sont filmAs »% commandant par la pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'Imprasslon ou d'illustratlon at an tarminant par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Un das symbolas suivants apparaltra sur la darnlAra imaga da chaqua microficha. salon la cas: la symbols -^ signlfia "A SUIVRE ". la symbols V signiflo "FIN". Maps, platas, charts, ate, may ba filmad at diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly includad in ona axposura ara filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand corner, laft to right and top to bottom, as many framas as raquirad. Tha fallowing diagrams illustrata tha mathod: Las cartas, planchas. tablaaux. ate. pauvant Atra filmAs A das taux da rAduction diff Arants. Lorsqua la document ast trap grand pour Atra raproduit mn un saul cllchA. 11 ast f llmA A partir da I'angla supAriaur gaucha. da gaucha A droita, at da haut an bas. an pranant la nombra d'imagas nAcassaira. Las diagrammas suivants illustrsnt la mAthoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 V- / ^. ' . ' • '# ( NARRATIVE or THE EXPLORING EXPEDITION to THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS IN THE YEAR 18454, AND TO OJIEGON AND NOIITII CALIFORNIA IN TFTE YEARS 18l:j-4.i. BT BREVET CAPTAIN J. ('. FHEMONT. or THE TOPOGn.\Piiir i, F.\aiNRKiti», UNDER ™k oKUKns OP coK. .. ,. .„kkt. ai.Kr or thk roro.n umixa. nunr.At REPRINTED FROM tHK OFFICIAI. COPT. NEW YORK: D. APPLETON & COMPANY, 200 UllOADWAY. PIlILADKhPnrA: GEO. S. APPLETON, 148 CHESNUT STREET. CINCINNATI :-DERBV. BilADLEY, t COMPANY. 113 MAIN STREET 1846. PREFATORY NOTICE. f i The immense ro^ioii west of the Rocky Mountains, cxlcmiing to the P.irific ocean, and I)oiiMiled by the Russian frontier on the north, and CaU- furnin on the south, now attracts so much of popular regard, and is com- iniiiirlod widi so many important national interests, that an accurate and niimito ac(|uaintance with the general to])ic is essential to every American cili/.L-n. Several explorinif tours of the western portion of our continent, within the geographical boundaries of the wilds now commonly known by the title, ()uF.(i(jN, have taken place during the present century. President Jefferson, in 1804, directed the first scrutiny in that country under the superintendence of Messrs. Lewis and Clarke, who devoted the larger part of three years to tiio examination of those trackless forests, and who were the pioneers of the movements which are now extending the limits of civilization, where Indians, or deer, bears, or buffaloes only roamed. The second expedition by Major Pike to survey the West, forty years ago, was restricted to the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, and consequently communicated little direct intelligence concerning the lands, the possession of which is now the subject of controversy between the United States and Britain. The other subsequent travellers in the western territory confined their researches within the country through which the Upper Mississippi and Missouri flow; and therefore imparted no information of any importance cuiiceriiing the Oregon lands, rivers, and other topics of public interest. J)uring several years, however, from 1833 to 1838, Mr. Nicollet, a scien- tific tourist, explored a very extensive portion of the western country beyond the northern branches of the Mississippi. At the close of his amateur travels, the government of the United States engaged him to repeat his journey in another region ; and Captain Fremont was united with him to assist his efforts. After an absence of two seasons, they returned and e.xhibitcd the 27'; vi) Iv PUKKATOHY NOTKI-: rcnitlt of llu'ir (Iiscovohi-h niul iiHtrononiioil oliMrrviitioiiii iiiul lopo^rnphirnl miinciiHiircnu'iilH tt> tlir Kovoriunciil at ^Vaslllll^loll. It luMi)^ ili'niraltli' lor the I''eii«-ial autlionticri to lircotiio (iiliy a('(|ii.-iiiilr(i wiili ||i(« Mtati! of tlir territory between the !»nnlliern wco^rapliieal l»oiwularv t'f llin riiitetl Slalt'H and the Hot ky MomilaiiiH, around the head-waters ;if the Missouri, Captain Fremont was appointed to superintend that explorin:< Ifiir. 'rhiM enlerjirisuiK and »<*ieiiti(ie traveller in now ahnent on his f/iiid expedition to enlarge our ar(|u;ui)laii('*! with llu! western uninhahited ilistriels. The ciiMuin:^ narratives include th(^ Ki:i>oUT8 of the two tours whit h have already l>een made l)y Caplain I'renjonl, as they were pri'senled to ihe Con- gress of the I'nited tStates, and urigitially puMished liy their eonunund ; cx« eluding only the ]iortions which nro altogether asiionomieal, seienlifie, and pluiosophual, and llieretore not adapted tor gr'ueral ulilMy. ( aplam rremont Htates that (he whoh; of the ilelineations hoth *' in the narmlive anil in the ma])s," which constitute the uflleial publication, txrv. " the result tif jtositivc observation." From a survey of the researches thus presented, it appt'ars, that the entire nutp of Oregon lias been amply drawn tail, so far as at present IS re(|iusitj! for all tin' purposes of geographical iu'juirv and national arrange- ment. ^^'ith these claims on |)idilic attention, and the deep interest which the subjeel itself now olb is, iliiit authenlic edition of C'ajilain Fremont's e.vlensive and prolrac!' d researches in the western dominions of the United f-'lates, is c( i.(:(!cnl!y n con.meiidetl to the peru.sul iT our fclluw-cilizcnii. Nfcw \ unK, Surrmkri II, HT*. 4 9 I w «i; A RKPORT AN EXPLORATION OF THE COUNTRY LTina »iiTw«iiii TUB MISSOURI RIVER AND Till] ROCKY MOrMWINS, ON Till Lim or THE KANSAS AND (HIKAT PLATTE RIVERS. VV'asiiincto.n, March 1, 1813. To Colonel J. J. AllKKT, Chu-f of ihf Corji^ »f Top. Kmr : Sir : Ajjr(!('iil)ly to yniir itnlcrH to explore anil rc[)ort niMni tlio country Iwtwccn llio frontier)* of Miflnonri aiitl the Soiiili Vnt"* in the Iliie.ky nioiiiitaiii.-', ami on the line of the Kansas and (Jreat IMiitte rivers, I tn't out from VVacliinpton city on the 'Jil day of May, IS 13, anti arrived at St. EouiH, hy way of New York, the UlM of .May, where the nc- ccsHary |)re|>arations uereconipleteil, and the expedition commenced. I proceeded in a «teani!)oat to CliotiteanV landing, alimit four iiundred miles l)y water from St. I.oui!<, and near the mouth of the Kansas river, whence we proceeded twelve miles to Mr. Cyprian Chouteau's tradinjj house, where we com- pleted our linal arrangements for the expedi- tion. Had weather, which interfered with a.xtro- uojnical oliscrvationo, delayed us neveral Jays in the early part of June at this poht, which is on the ri^rht bank of the Kan^aH river, ahont ten miles almvc the mouth, and six iK-yond the western boundary of Missouri. The sky cleared off at length, and we were enabled to determine our position, in hmgi- tude nU' 2.'i'4fi", and latitude 39* 6' 67 . The elevation alMJvo the sea is about 700 feet. Our camp, in the meantime, presented an animated and bustlin)r scene. All were busily occupied in completinjj the necessary arrun linrilKliliiD mill vexullnnii of tlic rnmilni; {•iirtiry. Kir ('y|irian CliHuirnti, to v\Ii<)m> iiiiliiofi, iliiriiiK uiir nlay Ht Iiin hi>iiM>, we v^iTt' iiiiirh iiidrlilotl, nrninipniiii'il uh nrviTiil milt'M on our way, iiiilil w«> iimI hii liitlian, wlioni lii< liail «>iitrn([iMl lo cniuliKt im in Iht' lifft lliirty or lorty uiiU'n, wli» ('<i;;ii im to llii< oci'nn of pmiri«>, uliit-li, ui< uiTi' Inlil, »tri'tt-lii*«l without inli'rrii|ili of llio Uorky mmintninii. I'riini tli<> Im'II of wimnI w' irli lioiilcrM tlit> KnhfiiK, in wliicli wi' linil puxHnl vrvcml ('iiiHl-liHikin^ Inilion fHrnii*, wo hiulili-nly t-nirrijiMl on tin* prairim, which riTi'ivrd uii lit ihr (iiitfiOt with Home of thr r Mrikiiiff cha- rHrifrii«tic(« ; for hrri' nnd thire riK!o iin In- iliim, nnil hut a fuw mili'i ilihtant hi>ii\ v rloudu of Hnniki> were rollinif ln'fore ihi* (iro. In ulmiit li'n niilei* wo ronohod tho Santa Fe nmd, nU>uf uliicli wo cuntiiiuod for a hhort tinn', and oncani|i(>d early on a Hinall vtroiim ; l.avini; tnivi'llod aliuut rlrvrn niilcH. Dur* in^r our journey, it waH the cuhlmmry prac- tico to rncump an hour or two iKfuro Nuncot, wlion tho oartH woro dinposod k) an to form a Hort of Imrrioade around a circlo fi mo eighty yardij in dianu-tor. Tho tontrt wire fiitrlit'd, nnd the horROH hobhlod luul turiu-d iKMO to (rrazo ; niui hut a fow minnton olapxod Ix'foro iho ctK>k» of tho moHnOi*, of which thor» four, were hunily t ii^>nj;od in preparing veiiiiij,' mini. At nijjht- fall, the horson, . iule^, and oxen, were driven in and picketed — that in, secured hy a halter, of which one end wan tiod to a funall htoel- filiod picket, and driv'Mi into the |;round ; Iho halter leiu}.' twenty or thirty foot long, which eiiiiMcil liicni to obtain a little fiNMi during' the ui(,'lit. When we had reached a part uf the I'ountry whore such a precaution became necessary, the carts lieing regularly arnin{jed fur defending; the camp, guard was mounted at eight o'clock, consisting of three men, who were relieved every two hours; the morning watch being horse guard for the day. At davbreak, tho camp was roused, the ani- mals turned loose to graze, and breakfast generally over betw cen six and seven o'clock, when we resumed our march, making regu- larly a halt at noon for one or two hours. Such was usually the order of the day, ex- cept when accident of country forced a varia- tion ; which, liowevcr, happened but rarely. We travelled the next day along the Santa Fe road, which we lell in the aflcrnoon, and encamped late Ik tlie evening on a small creek, called by the Indians Mishmagwi. Just as wc arrived at camp, one of the iiorses set off at full speed on his return, and was followed by others. Several men were sent in pursuit, and returned with the fugitives about midnight, with the exception of one man, who did not make his ap|)camiice until morning. He had lost his way in the dark- neiiii of the utf>\A, nnd ulcpt on the prairli>. Shortly Hitrr niidni(;hl it het:nn to ruin I ea- \ily, Hiid, an our lenlMWore of light hmiI thin cloth, they ollired but little oUlriiilion In rain ; we w ore all w ell noaked, and (;liid w hen mirninir came. We hud u rainy inuii h i n Iho I'.'lh, but the wenlhir grow tine mm iho day advanced. N\'oencam|i«'d in a rniiiirLi- blv Ixniitiful oituation on tiio KHn!r, and nearer Iho hills tho |,rnirioH wore of tho richeiit verdure. One of Iho o\. n was ' H'ed here for foinl. Wo n ached the li>i>4 of the Kansaa lato in Iho aftpriuon of the Mth, where the river waw two hundred and thirty yards wide, and coiiiiiieiiced imiiiediately prenarulionH for crushing. I had expect* d to find tho river fordublo . hut it had i>een swollen hy the late rains, and was swooping bv with an angry current, \ellow nnd liirbid as the Mit>souri. ('|i to this point, the road wo had travelled was a remarkably ("no one, well henton, and level — the usual roud of a prairie country. Ily our route, the ford was one hundred luili's Inin the mouth of tho Kansas rive . SeMHil mounted men lid the way into the stream, lo swim ncrons. Tiie animals were driven in after them, and in a few miHutes nil had reached the opposite bank in safety, with the exception of the oxen, which swam some distance down the river, nnd, returning to the right bank, were not got over until the next morning. In the meantime, the cart.s liad been unloaded anddismnntlod, nnd an India-rubber boat, which I liad brought with me for the survey of the I'lntle river, placed in tlie water. The boit was twenty feet long and five broad, a -id on it were placed the bo IIIUkIi III tilK* IIH till' I rt iiiiirl.i. >n»UK lilnlfh, I'l till- river null H w iilo. I liy H brtiiij i>«> IiiIIh tlic ^••ro. Olio VIIIIHIIM llto ■p the rivrr ' wide, and utiiiiiK for I tin' river liyilir late 'in iinjfry ' MibHuuri. I truvrllcd OHtiMi, and f rountry. s liiindri-d fAn rivf . y into tlie rimlR wore V iniNiitrs in rafety, it'll Hwain rolnrninjr •vor until timp, tliti itl<'d, nnd luoiiglit llo rivor, tvvj'iity it were It, Willi icii with e incon- It to bo our best It Inched rder to Ullll UH- unnner, made, Im, and iled on e near, before le boat nccom- in was . p.-'ized bit leu, "rent ; f'hore intr to 18 IJ J r.M'T FIIK MONT'S NAIIU ATIVK. Il.ink if they roiild Mwim, iiml iilmont every- thing -even hiM y artuteH, mirh an U^n» tmlliinl — vv.iit reciisert'd. Twn iif the riH'ii, Mill) I'ouiil not xwiin, Clinic liiiii iM'ili;; drowned, mid nil the Nii^iir bpton^ill^ to Olio of the iiiCHiteM wnNted ilK aweeli* nil the iiiiiddy watern ; but our hea- vicMl hMH vvui it linjr of euU'ee, which cmi- taiui'd iieiirly till our proviMimi. It wan a hifM wiiiili iiiiiic but n traveller in :i Mtran(;e and iuh<»-|iitiihle cDiiiitry run a|i|ireciate ;iiiid ot'li'ii urtiTvviirii, v\heii exci-Miiive toil mid loiiu iii-irchin^ had (ivercontu iia with ruti;;u(> and weiiriiicHH, we reiiieinlN'rcd and nuMirtied over our Ihih in the Kivnsii!*. Cnrxoii nnd Muxwcll Imd been much in tho water yen- tt'rdiiy, and JHith, in coiitei|ucnce, were lakeii ill. The roriuer conlinuiu}; no, I remained ill cituip. A nuinlirr of Kmiink- ing French, with an much fitcilily and at. little embarniHHiuent uk any of my own |)arty, who were ■early all ol'French oriirin. On nil nidoa wan heard the Ntrnn(;c,' Vnn- gnngu of hid own people, wild, and liannon- izing well with their appearance. I liHtnied to him tor some time with feclingH of strange curiosity and intorent. He wan now appa- rently ihirty-fivo years of ago ; and, on in- (|uiry, I learned that he had been at St. Ixiuin when a boy, ami there had learned the Freiuli language. From one of the Indian women I obtained a fine cow and calf in ex- change for a yoke of oxen. Several of them brought UH vegctablen, pumpkins, onions, beand, and lettuce. One of them brought butter, and from a lialf-breed near the river I had the good fortune to obtain Home twenty or thirty iMiuiida of cotFee. The dense tim- ber in which we had encamped interfered with aHtronomical observations, and our wet and damaged Ftores re(|uired exposure to the Bin. Accordingly,thc tents were Btruck early the ne.\t morning, and, leaving camp at six o'clock, we moved about seven miles up the river, to a handsome, open prairie, some twenty feet above the water, where the fhie frrasa afforded a luxurious repast to our lorses. During the day we occupied ourselves in making astronomical observations, in order to lay down the country to this place ; it being our custom to keep up our map regu- larly in the field, which we found attended with many advantages. Tlie men were kept busy in drying tlie provisions, painting the cart covers, and otherwise completing our C'luipagc, until the afternoon, when pow- der '« dcHiroiiM to oblain litre, and I therefore did not move to-day. The people continued their target tiring In the fleep hank of the river here, were iieNtx nl iniiii- meralile awallowo, into mie of vvbu h a Jnruo prairie nnnke had got about half Iiih hoirv, mid wan occupied in eating the young bird*. The old oiu'H were ttying about in greiit dii«< treuM, darting at him, and vainly endeavoring to' 40 A party of emigrants to the Coliimbiii river, umfer tho charge of J)r. While, an agent of the (iovernment in Oregon Terri- tory, were alwut three weeks in advance of UH. They consisted of men, women, and children. There were sixty-four min, and sixteen or seventeen funiilics. They had a considerable number of cattle, and were trans|Hirting their household furniture in large heavy wagons. I understood that ihero had l)een much sickness among them, and that they had lost several children. One of the party who had lost his child, and whose wife was very ill, had left them aUnit ono hundred miles hence on the prairies; and as a hunter, who had accompanied them, visited our camp this evening, we availed oiimdvea of his return to the States to write to our friends. The morning of the 18tli was very unplea- sant. A tine rain was falling, will', cold wind from the north, and mists made the river hills look dark and gloomy. We left our camp at seven, journeying along the foot of the hills which border the Kansas valley, generally about three miles wide, and ex- tremely rich. We halted for dinner, after a march of alwut thirteen miles, on the banks of one of the many little tributaries to the Kansas, which look like trenches in the prairie, and are usually well timbered. Af- ter crossing this stream, I rode ofT some miles to the led, attracted by the appearance of a cluster of huts near the mouth of the Vermillion. It was a large but deserted Kan- sas village, scattered in an open wood, along the margin of the stream, on a spot chosen with the customary Indian fondness for beauty of scenery. The I'awnecs had attacked it in the early spring. Some of the houses were burnt, and others blackened with smoke, and weeds were already getting pos- session of the cleared places. Riding up CAPT KKKMONTS N.MIRAIIVK flMt. Dm Vcnnilllon riv«»f, I rpn.liwl ihr fonl in llm<' «n mt'H tin' (•i»rt>', ntnl, rntfiHff, en- rKmiN'il oil It* wi»<»liin*ti'r Wmg tliU pvrnmif «• low n* l!»^; l>iH lli«> r\^^\^ w»» oiilticii'iitlv rlour liir i»»'tri>ne>niiial olworvt- lii»n«, wliirli pliiri'il im in liiitilnilf (Ml" or 07 . iii).l lntitii.li. -Mf l.V l!»". At nun-fl. till' lHiriiiiii-'i>r wa* ill 'JK.HI.V tin mioiiiolpr « I". W)' liri'iikiNnttHl till* next morning ut Imlt' ]in>-t I'lM', 'Mill Ifll iiiir i>nruMi|iiiM'iit rariy. Till' iimniiiiK wnn nml, tin' tin rmoiiirliT lieiiitf ut Ift*. Qiiitliii;: tlii' riMT l>Htli*, i>vit n rtiiiit. IVlMny liiri;i' UhiMck, oI » M-ry rompnrt «:iii(lntoni', (if vnrioii* uliuiicn of ml, foiiic of llinii four or livi' loim in wri^'lit, wi-ro fiiil- trri-il uUmu tin' liilU; iiml mnny ln-iiiitiful lilnnli in II.>wiT, niiioiiir wliicli the ami>rf>hniiij'o!iiif tin- iiiont rriiiimi>n willow of the iouniry. W«' 'riivclli'l nli.i ircn inili'K, mill |iiiclii' tfoii liiinilri'ii fppt oIhivi' till' Bi'i — unil till' inor»';MP(l i-U'vii- tion iijiwMrril iilrotiiiy to liini» KiMiir .'!ij;lit intliinitt' iipiii till' vi';;ft;itiitn. 'J'iio iii;;l!t wild fold, Willi n liiMiv \ (I'.'w ; llir tlu'rinoim>. trr at 1 i p. in. Htaiuiin;; Ht Ui^, li.iriimvti>r '.'S. |H H. Our |Hni(i(in wnn in l"iii;;itiiili' 1)6° If I!)", ami liilitii.!.' 30' ;10 I'l . 'rill' iii'iruiiij; of till' I'Oili wri!, liiio, willi a Houtlier'y lirft'Zf ami a liri^lit pky ; iiml at tU'Von o'riuck we vvcri' on lli'- niari'li. Tlu" country to-i!iiy was rallii'r in'ri' Im-krii, rin- iiip Hlill. ami cowTpil cvfrywiu'ri' wiili iVa;,'- niPiitu of Kilicpoiis Iiinci'tdiiP, pcrticiihrlv on tliP Hiitiiniif.-, will re tli»'y were small, ami thickly Ftri'wi'il as pchhlps on tin' ^!lorl' of tlip sea. Ill ihr.xp Pxpo!=i'il siliiatinji-t i^ri'vv hut fi'w plants; tlioujjh, whoncvpr llic 8oil was pood and protected from tlio wind.-i, in the crock bottoms and raviiipn, and on the slopps, tlipy Ilourislied abundantly; amon^j thpm tlip nmnrphn, Htill rotaininp its charac- teristic plarp. \Vp croii>-Td at 10 a. ni., the Bip V'-riiiillion, wliirli has a rich liottom of about ono inilo in breadth, ono-third of which la occupied liy timber. Makinsx our usual haltnt noon, after a day's manli of twenty- four milpfi, wo reachod the \\\\t Blue, am' encamppd on tlie nplnnds of the Wf.^'rn aide, near a small creek, where w's a line large spring of very cold water. Thix '« u clear and handsome stream, about one hun- dred and twenty feel wide, running, witli a rapid fftrrrnl. lhroui;h a wcll'timlierpd vaN |py. To-day nnirlo|M' were neen running ivcr the liilU, ami at evening < 'amon liroiiglit na u tine derr Lingitiide of the camp iMI* 3-J Mi , hititude 3(1** 46 DM 'i'liermome* ler at wun'i't lb". A iilpaaxnl »iMithprljf hree/e and liiii' niornin^r liad (.'iviii place tu a i;nlc, with indicatiniiii ol Uid xM'iither; vsIkmi. after a march ol ten milci*. we liallrd to noon on n fuiall creek, where the water htiNwl III d'-e|i potiN. In the linnk of the crii'k liiiie>toiie made itn ap|M-ariitice in a xtMliim aiNiiit one ftHit thick. In the ufier noon, the |H'i>i- maili tin' wiight ol purple cliifterH ; in oth- ers without a lliiwcr. It seems to Ionc lit'Ht the Miiiny hIo|m's, with a dark soil and :lilter- m^r ill till' dews and wavin„' in the piea^unt brce/t' of the early inorniii;;, is the most Uaiilifil of the prairie (lowers. The «r/r- miniit, a'isinthe, or prairie sage, as it is va- riou-ly ci.lled, is increasing in size, and glit- t^-rs like silver, as the southern brei/.e turns lip its leaves to the sun. All these plants have their in^ect inhabiiants, variously cidor- ed ; taking generally the hue of the tlower on which they live. The artrtnixiit has its small Hy accoiiijanying it Ihniugh every cliaii;;e of elevation and latitude ; and wher- ever I lia\e yeeii the asclijiius liil>'ii).\ii, I have always remarked, too, on the liower a lirge butterlly, co nearly resembling it in color as to he distinguishable ut a little dis- tance only bv the motion of its wings. Tra- V Hill}; on, tiie fresh traces of the (Jregon emigrants relieve a little tho loneliness of till' roiid ; and to-night, after a march of twenty-two miles, we halted on a small creek, which had been one of their encamp- ments. As we advance westward, the soil appear* to l.e getting more sandy, and the surface riick,.an erratic deposite ol sand and gr.ivel, rests here on a bed of coarse yellow and grey and very friable sandstone. Kven- iiijr closed over with rain and its iipual at- tendant hnriles of inusqiiitoes, with which we were Hiinoyed for the first time. June 'i'i. — We enjoyed at breakfast this morning i lu.xiiry, very nnusual in I it country, in a cup of excellent eoiree. w '\ cream fnm our cow. Being milked it night, cream was thus had in the 'noniing. riA4t. tnhorrd vaN *ii niiining •nil hruii|f|it • niiiii) W" rii< Imlird ' tilt' wiilor ink (if iho riiii(*<> III ■ I llii> ufii'r r lor want II lii^-li dry ii-ntnl tlio w'low ; bill (< (l;iy Wta I, and (ho Mil!" Ihu lilt tail VII- 'lidJii); Im<. H ; ill iitli. ) lovr licxt and Miiiitli* l>M! i-* IIH't il {;iiid«'ii.'* nvi'r the pii (ililti'r- ■ (ik'u^uiit tliu riioitt 'VUv arte- \ it in va- uiid ^lit- zc tiiriiM t |iliiiili« y iiiliir- (Idwer llllH it8 every id wlicr- iiiMi, I fliiMcr a i: it in ittio (lis- Tra- (Jrogon less of ircli of Hinall ncninp- lio soil and tlio lid and yoIIoMf Kvcn- ll:il at- u liich 1st this in J l^ 1S42.) CAIT. KKKMONT'tt NARRVI'INK. r'' IV jrtiing. Our ml«i->itiid«li)ii>', iiiiiiuIimI wiih othvr* ol tli(> ri'd mtiiijiluiio Hlri'Hdy nn'ii- (ii>n«f>i< •11 tlii> ffrn*', iiiiirki'd mi <'nriiiii|Mii(Mit ol mir Ori'Knii iMiii^riiiitn ; und it wn« iit tin i'lo«i* 1)1 (lii> diy mIumi \sv iiumI*' <>iir liaoiiur in tlit' iiiidit III Hiiiiii> v\idl(iiiilx-rcd mviiu'i* iii'.ir liit* Liitit! Illu«>, tMi'iily-loiir inili*>« trmn mir rump or till' |)ri'ci'diii>( nijjlil. ('ri»H<«iM|; ||m> nuvt niorniiiK u iiuiiilM>r nt liiiiiiUoiii<> rrcok*, Mitli I'l'iir wiitfriind Nuiidy IxmU, wi' r)Mrli«>d, Mt IW .t Ml , • very iM-aiililtil wixNlcd Hlnani, m\n>ul tlurty-Hvc fi'it wide, mili-d Sandy cn-i-k, and Hoiiictiiiicx, ii4 tlio (>(toi>it In'- fjin'iitly winter lliere, tlie Otto fork. 'I'lio I'liunlry Ii:h h<'ciiiii<< vi-ry xaiidy, and tin* pluntx lenH varied and alMind.ini, widi llie oxi'r|itii.n of tliu (jm(iryt/i<<, wliii'li rivnix Ilie ifr.is-* ill (jiiuntity, tlnMii^ii iMt hu forward aa It tiii>4 Ix'iMi fiiiiiid to (lie I'it^tward. At iht' \l\g Trceii, wlnte we Imd intended to noun, no water wum to lie fniind. 'I'lie U'd of lin' little rroc'k wu-t |M'rlecily dry, and, o'l tlie uil.iueiil Kiiiidy botioin, rti'i, lor lite liriit time, inado tlieir a|>'M'iir.ini'e. Wo made lu-re a Hlior( delay in Meari'li ol water ; and, alt-r a hard duvM iiiarcli ol twcnly-ei^lit unlet:, uiM'aiii|ieil, at 6 o'llock, on tlie l.iltle Itliie, w'liero our arrival inadi' ii nceiie ol the Araliiaii desert. Ah fant as they arrived, men and liiiiwes rn^lled into the blreain, where they bathed and drank tof^other in coininoii eiij-iym'-iit. Wo wore novv in the raiinc of tiiu I'awneeM, who wore accustomed to interit this put ol the (-oiintry, Httck- in;; and plunderin^r them, and Hiibi) ctin^; them to various kindn of insult. For the first time, therefore, jjuard was mnnnted to- niifht. Our route tin? ne.vt morning lay up the valley, which, bordered by hills with Kriiceful s!()|»c«, looked uncommonly ^reen ami be.intiful. The stream wa« aUiut lifty feet wide, iind throe or four dee|), frinj,'ed by cotton woihI and willow, with fre(|uont proves of oak tenanted by Hocks of turkeys. (Jame liere, too, made its a|)|)oaranco in greater plenty. KIk were frequently ceen on tlio mils, and nh, xiicceeded In pitt liy darkiM'M. Carbon hud the wal'h ir<'iii (en to inidniifhl, a)id to liim had h"<t the pleamiren III the ex|ie<|ition, .Miiiiv tlnn :M''tii«pire,' limlN'n d hollow*, mil occiipvmi an iiriu >i| several hundred feet, mi that necosiirilv the guards were tir a|Kirl ; and niw and then I nitilj hear Kamloliih, ai if relieved by th.> muind ol b voice III (lie tlarkness, culling out (o (htf H(>ri:eaiit ol ilie giinnl, to direct Ins attention to some iuriifiniry Hlarm : but tl ey h1or> ward. I'iie next morning wo had a Mp< ciiuen of the laUe alarms to which all purlieu in theic wild regions are subject. I'n -.Iiiig ii|i the valley, o' jei (s were seen on the e'ipiu site bills, which disnpix'ared Is'lore a glii>s could be broiiglit to Immp ii|Hin lliem. A man, who w:im a short di t mce in the rear, came spurring up in great liiis(i>, hh and < oiiiil them, ncconlmg to his report, and had inadc out twenty ••even. I immediately halted ; arms wer(> examined and put in order ; the usual preparations made; niul Kii Carson, s|)riniring upon ono of the hunting horses, crosiied the river, and galloped olV into the op|Misite prairii>s, (o ob> tain some certain inlelligcncu of their move* iiientH. .MountiMJ on a fine horse, without a paddle, and scouring bareheaded over the prairies, Kit was one«tf the linest pictures of a horse- map I have ever seen. A short time ena- blid him to discover that the Indian war party of twenty-seven, consisted of si.v elk, who had been gnzing curiously at our cara- van as it passed by, and were now 8cain|M»r- ing oil' at full sjM'ed. This was our lirst alarm, and its excitement broke agreeably on the monotony of '.he day. At oii'- iiik)Ii halt, the men were e.vercised at R target ; and in the evening w(> pitched our touts at a Pawnee encampment of last July. Th*ey had apparently Killed builiilo here, as many bones were lying about, and tho frames whore tin* hides had been stretched were yet standing. The road of tho day had kept tho valloy, which is sometimes rich and well timbered, though the country is generally sandy. Mingled with the usual plants, a thistle (carduus leucii^raphus) haci for the last day or two made its appearance ; aad 10 CAPT. FREMCNT'S NARRATIVE. [1849. Hi' along the river bottom, Iradcscatttia (virijini- ca) nnil milk plant (afclei>iits stjriaca*) in conBidembie quantities. Our march to-day hail l)oen twcnly-onc miloB, and the aBtronomical observations gave us a chronometric I' n^itndeof 98° 23' VI", and latitude 40« 20 SO'. We were moving forward at seven in the mominf^.and in about five miles reached a fork ot the Blue, where the road leaves that river, and crosses over to the Plaltc. No water was to be found on the dividing ridge, and the casks were filled, and the animals here allowed a short rejKJse. The road led across a high and level prairie ridge, where were but few l>iants, and those principally thistle (carduiis kuc6graphu!t), anil a kmd of dwarf artemi- sia. Antelope were seen frequently during the morning, which was very stormy. Squalls of rain, with thunder and lightning, were around us in every direction ; and while we were enveloped m one of them, a flash, which seemed to scorch our eyes as it passed, struck in the prairie within a few iiundred feet, sending up a column of dust. CiDssing on the way several Pawnee road:^ to the Arkansas, we reached, in about twenty-one miles from our halt on the Blue, what is called the coast of the Nebraska, or Platte river. This had seemed in the dis- tance a range of high and broken hills ; but on a nearer approach were found to be ele- vations of forty to sixty feet, into which the wind had worked the sand. They were co- vered with the usual fine grasses of the country, and bordered the eastern side of the ridge on a breadth of about two miles. Change of soil and country appeared lierc to have produced some change in the vege- tation. Cacti were numerous, and all the plants of the region appeared to flourish among the warm hills. Among thcin the amorpha, in full bloom, was remarkable for its large and luxuriant purple clusters. From the foot of the coast, a distance of two miles across the level bottom brought us to our encampment on the shore of tne river, about twenty miles below the head of Grand Island, which lay extended before us, cover- ed with dense and heavy woods. From the moutk of the Kansas, according to our reck- oning, we had travelled three Tiundred and twenty-eight miles ; and the geological form- ation of the country we had passed over * "7..ig plant is very odoriferous, and in Canada efaarms the traveller, especially when passing through woods in the evening. The French there eat the lender shoots in the spring, as we do asparagus. The naUvea make a sugar ol the flowers, gathering them in the morning when they arc covered with dew, and collect the cotUm from their pods to All their beds. On account of the silkiness of this cotton, Parkinson calls the plant Vinrinian tilk."— Loudon's Eneyelopadia of Planti. The Sioux Indians of the Upper Platte eat the young pods of this plant, boiling them with the meat of the bM&lo. consisted of lime and sandstone, covered by the same erratic ilr|K)sitc of sand and gnivcl which forms the surface rock of the prairies between the Missouri and Missisnippi rivers. Except in some occasional limestone bould- ers, I hud met with no fossils. The t;l<'Ta- tion of the Platte valley above tlio sea is here about two thousand feet. The astro- nomical observations of the ni^hi placed ns in longitude 1)8° 46' 49", latitude lOoll' 06'. June 27. — The animals were somewhat fatigued by their march of ycstordny, and, after a short journey of eighteen miles along the river bottom, I encamped near the head of (Jrand Inland, in longitude, by oliserva- tion, 99*' 05' 24", latitude 40" 39' 32". The soil here was light but rich, though in some places rather sandy ; and, v/ith the ex- ception of a scattered fringe along the bank, the timber, consisting principally of poplar {populus mnnilijera), elm, and hackberry (celt is crassi/olia), is confined almost entirely to the islands. June 28. — We halted to noon at an open reach of the river, which occupies rather more than a fourth of the valley, here only al)out four miles broad. The camp had been dis|)osed with the usual precaution, the horses grazing at a little distance, attended by the guard, and we were all sitting quietly at our dinner on the grass, when suddenly we heard the startling cry " dii monde !" In an instant, every man's \. eapon was in his hand, the horses were driven in, hobbled and picketed, and horsemen were galloping at full speed in the direction of the new comers, screaming and yelling with the wildest e.\- citement. " Get ready, my lads I " said ihf leader of the approaching party to his men. when our wild-looking horsemen were dis- covered bearing down upon them ; " nour allons atlraper aes coups de baguette." They proved to l^ a small party of fourteen, under the charge of a man named John Lee, and, with their baggage and provisions strapped to their backs, were making their way on foot to the frontier. A brief account of their fortunes will give some idea of navigation in the Nebraska. Sixty days since, they had left the mo-'h of Laramie's fork, some three hundred miles above, in barges laden with the furs of the American Fur Company. They started with the annual flood, and, drawing but nine inches water, hoped to make a speedy and prosperous voyage to St. Ix)uis ; but, after a lapse of forty days, foand themselves only one hundred and thirty miles from their point of departure. They came down rapidly as far as Scott's bluf&, where their difficultiee began. Sometime* they came upon places where the water was spread over a great extent, and here they toiled from morning until night, endeavoring M [1849. 1S49.] CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. 11 le three II with mpany. and, )cd ti) to St. foand thirty They hluffi, etiines T was ' they raring to Ang thoir boat throufrh the Hands, making only two or thrcu miles in an many days. Sometimes they would enter an arm of the river, where there apjieared a tine channel, and, a.\\tit desccniiing pntsporously for eight or tt>n miles, would come suddenly upon dry hand-i, and he compelled to return, dragging tlioir lioat fur days igaiust the ninid current ; and ut others, they came u|ton places where tiiu water lay in holes, and, getting out to tluat oil' their boat, would fall into water up to their necks, and the next moment tumble over against a sandbai Discouraged, at leufith, and fmding the IMatto growing every day more shallow, they discharged the prin- cipal part of their cargoes one liundrod and thirty miles below Fort I^aramie, which they secured as well as pos:)ible, and, leaving a few men to guard tliem, attem|)ted to con- tinue their voyage, laden with some light turs and their personal baggage. After fif- teen or twenty days more struggling in the sands, during which they made but one hun- dred and lorty miles, they sunk their barges, made a cache of their remaining furs and property, in trees on the bank, and, packin_ on his back what each man could carry, ha commenced, the day before we encountered them, their journey on foot to St. Louis. We laughed then at their forlorn and vag- abond ap|>«'arance, and, in our turn, a month or two afterwards, furnished the same occa- sion for merriment to others. Even their stock of tobacco, that si^iie qjid non of a voy- ageiir, without which the night tire is gloomy, was entirely exhausted. However, we shortened their homeward journey by a small supply from our own provision. They gave us the welcome intelligence that the buifalo were abundant some two days' march in ad- rance, and made us a present of some choice pieces, which were a very acceptable change irom our salt pork. In the interchange of news, and the renewal of old acquaintance- ships, we found wherewithal to till a busy hour ; then we mounted our horses, and they shouldered their packs, and we shook hands and parted. Among them, I had found an old companion on the northern prairie, a hardened and hardly served veteran of the mountains, who had been as much hacked and scarreii as an old moustache of Napoleon's " old guard." He flourished in tlie sobriquet of La Tulipe, and his real name I never knew. Finning that he was going to the States only because his compa- ny was bound in that direction, and that he was rather more willing to return with me, I took him again into my service. We travelled this day but seventeen miles. At Oil' evening camp, about sunset, three figures were discovered approaching, which our glasses made oat to be Indians. They proved to be Cbeyennes — two men, and a boy of thirteen. About a month since, they had left their people on the south fork of the river, some three hundred miles to the west- ward, and a party of only four in number had been to the Pawnee villages on a horse- stealing excursion, from which they were returning unsuccessful. They were miser- ably mounted on wild hordes from the Ark- ansas plain*, and had no other weaiMins than bows and long spears ; and had they been discovered by the Pawnees, coi;!d not, by any possibility, have escaped. They were mortitied by their ill success, and said the Pawnees were cowards, who shut up their horses in their lodges at night. I invited them to supper with me, and Randolph and the young dlieyenne, who had been eyeing each other suspiciously and curiously, soon became intimate friends. After supper, we sat down on the grass, and I placed a sheet of paper between us, on which they traced rudely, but with a certain degree of relative truth, the watercourses of the country which lay between us and their village.^, and of which I desired to have some iii'orniation. Their companions, they told us, li > taken a nearer route over the hills; but i!i'>y had mounted one of the summits to spy out tlie country, whence they had caught a glimpse of our party, and, confident of good treat- ment at the hands of the whites, hastened to join company. Latitude of the camp 40° 39' 61". We made the next morning sixteen miles. I remarked that the ground was covered in many places with an efflorescence of salt, and the plants were not numerous. In the bottoms were frequently seen iradescanlia, and on the dry ienches were ranliius, caclus, and amorpha, A high wind during the morning had increased to a violent gaiefrom the northwest, which made our afternoon ride cold and unpleasant. We had the wel- come sight of two bufliiloes on one of the large islands, and encamped at a clump of timber about seven miles from our noon halt, after a day's march of twenty-two miles. The air was keen the next morning at sunrise, the thermometer standing at 44o, and it was sufficiently cold to make over- coats very comfortable. A few miles brought us into the midst of the buffalo, swarming in immense numbers over the plains, where they had left scarcely a blade of grass stand- ing. Mr. Preuss, who was sketching at a little distance in the rear, had at first noted them as large groves of timber. In the sight of such a mass of life, the traveller feels a strange emotion of grandeur. We had heard from a distance a dull and con- fused murmuring, and, when we came in view of their dark masses, there was not one among us who did not feel his heart beat quicker. It was the early part of the day. la CAl'T. FRKMONTS NARRATIVE. [1849. il when the hcrdH are ffi'diii;? ; and cvory- wlien- llit'V wore in motion. Here and tliorc a hui;c old bull was rollin}r in tlio (rrnnrt, and cloutL of diiMt rose in llie iiir from variouH |)artrt of tlio hiindrt, «>aoli the ncotw of j^omo ol): Ijirht. lndi:iii.-4 and htitllilo make (lie |M>oiry ami lift' ol llif prairio, and o\ir camp was full of llu'ircxliilarution. In placo of llio fjuii't monotony of the ma/ch, ri'lievtd only by the cracking of the whip, and an '• niiiiirr ditnc ! eiifitiil dr i^urc: ! " hIioiiIh and sonjrs ii'soimdod from ivory part of the line, and our eveninjr camp was always the oonnnoncenifnt of :i I'e.ist, which terniinuted II. only with t)ur tlepuriiire on the ful.'owinir mornin;:. .At any time of tiie niplit tnijilit bo Hcen pieces of llie most delicate and choicest meat, roa^itinp in iipjixhis, on slicks around the tire, and the frujird were never without company. With pleasruit w eather and no enemy to fear, an abundance of the most excellent meat, and no scarcity of bread or tobacco, they were eiijoyin;,' thi' o.isiri of a voyai;eur's lite. Three cows were killed lo-d:iy. Kit (.'arson had shot rue, and was continuin^r llie char-e in the midst of uiiotlier herd, when his horse leil headlonjr, but Bpran;; up and joined the (lyini; kind. Th-iiiir!i considerably liurf, ho had tl.e ^ood fortune to Itreak no iHines; and Afaxweil, who was mounted on a fleet hunter, cap- tured the runaway alter a hard chase, lie j was on the point of .^bootinjj him, to avoid i the !o.-s of his bridle, (a liaiidsiMnely numnt- j cd Spanish one), when he found that liis I hor.'^e was able to come up wilh him. Ani- ; mals are freipiently lost in this way ; and it is necessary to keep close watch over them, in the vicinity of the buflUlo, in the midst of | which they scour oil" to the jdains, and are rarely retaken. One of our mules took a sudden freak into his head, and joined a ncighborinff band to-«Iay. As we were not in a condition to lose horses, I sent several men in pursuit, and remained in camp, in the hope of recoverinjj him ; but lost the afternoon to no purpose, as we did not see him again. Astronomical observations placed us in longitude lOOo 06' 47", latitude 40O49' 65". July 1. — Along our road to-day tlie prairie bottom was more elevated and dry, and the hills which border the right side of the river higher, and more broken and picturesque in the outline. The country, too, was belter timbered. As we were ridinsj quietly along the bank, a grand herd of bullalo, some seven or eight hundred in number, came crowding up from the river, where they had been to drink, and commenced crossing the plain nlowly, eating as they went. Tlie wind was favorable ; the coolness of the morning in- vited to exercise ; the ground was apparently good, and the distance across the prairie (two or three miles) gave uh a fine op|iortunity to change them before they could get among the river hills. It was t(H) tine a proB|M'ct for a chase to Im; lost ; and, Imltinfr for a few mo- ment?, the hunters were brought pn and sad- dled, and Kit Car.^on, Maxwell, ami I,sfa:fed togi'ther. They were now somewhat lesi than half a mile distant, and we rode easily along until within about three hundred yards, when a siuldeii agitation, a wavering in the hand, and a galloping to an<'. fro of some which were scattered along the skirts, gave us the intimation that we were discovered. We (-tarled together at a ha ml gallop, ridiii;; steadily al)rcii>t of each other, and here the interest of thech'se became .«(> engrossingly intense, that we were sensible lo nothing else. We were now closing upon them rapidly, and the front of the mass was already in rapid mofiiin for the hills, and in a few sectuids the movement had communicated itself to the whole herd. A crowd of bulls, as usual, brought np the rear, and every now and then some of them laced about, and then dashed on aOer the band a short distance, and turned and looked again, a^ if n.ore than half inclined to stand and tight. In a few moments, however, du- ring which we had been quickening our pace, the rout was universal, and we were going ovi-r the ground like a hurricane. When at about thirty yards, wo gave the usual shout (the hunter's /vls de charge), and broke into the herd. We entered on the side, the maw giving way in every direction in their heed- less course. Many of the bulls, less active and less fleet than the cows, paying no at- tention to the ground, and occupied solely with tlie hunter, were precipitated to the eartli with great force, rolling over and over wilh the violence of the shock, and hardly dis- tinguishable in the dust. We separated on entering, each singling out his game. My hor.se was a trained hunter, famous in the west under the name of I'roveaii, and, with his eyes flashing, and the foam flying from his mouth, sprang on after the cow like a tiger. In a few moments he brought me alongside of her, and rising in tiic stirrups, I fired at the distance of a yard, the ball enter- ing at the termination of the long hair, and passing near the heart. .She fell headlong at tl.o report of the gun, and, checking my horse, I looked around for my companions. At a little distance, Kit was on the ground, engaged in tying his horse to the horns of a cow which lie was preparing to cut np. Among the scattered bands, at some distance below, I caught a glimpse of Maxwell ; and while I was looking, a light wreath of white smoke curled away from his gun, from which I was too far to hear the report. Nearer, and between me and the hills, towards which they were directing their course, was the \ rl ol [1849. opjiortunity to [,M-t amuiifr th(> •rosprct tor a for a few mo- it i>n mill Hiid- ami I,Ntii-ti>d llllCU'llUt ICRf e rod(> caeily undrt'd yards, Prinnr ill tlio ("ni of Hcino ' nl(irtH, piivp s tliscovrrcd. ,'iilloj), ridiii" iiid iurt< Ili(> C'lli:r08.sill(r|y iiiitliirif,' else. I rapidly, and iuly in rapid I seconds tlio itself to tli(> aiiglit lip tliP OHIO of lliom in after tlie 1 and looked ncd tu stand lowever, du- ng our pare, were goiiii: . When at nsiml slioiit broke into Je, the maw their heed- less active t'm^ no nt- pied solely theearlli over with lardly dis- la rated on tiie. fainons in ■can, and, jam Hying le cow like rought me stirrups, 1 ball enter- hair, and headlong eking my inpimions. e ground, ( horns of } cut lip. e distance well ; and 1 of while om which Nearer, rds which was the 1843.] CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. It to )V body ol the herd, and, giving my horse the rein, wo danhed after them. A thick cloud of dust hung U|)on their rear, which tilled my mouth and eyes, and nearly smothered me. In the midst of this I could see nothing, and .he butfalo were not distingnishalilc until within thirty feet. They crowded together more densely still as I came iipf)n them,nnil rushed along in such a compact body, that I could not obtain an entrance — the horse al- most leaping u|)on thorn. In a lew moments tho mass Jivided to the right and lott, the horns clattering with a noise heard above everything else, and my horse darted into tho opening. Five or six bulls charged on us as we dashed along tho lino, but were 'eft far iiehind ; and, singling out a cow, I gave her my fire, but struck t(K> high. She gave a tremendous leap, and scoured on swift(>r than before. I reined up my horse, and tlie band swept on like a torrent, and loft tho place quiet and clear. Our chase had led us into dangerous ground. A prairio dog-vil- .agc, so thickly settled that there were three or four holes in every twenty yards square, occupied the whfde bottom for nearly two miles in length. Looking around, I saw only one of tho hunters, noarFy out of sight, anil the long dark line of our caravan crawling along, three or four miles distant. After a inarch of twonty-four miles, we encamped at nightfall, one mile and a half above tho lower end of Brady's Island. Tho breadth of this arm of the river was eight hundred and eighty yards, and the water nowhere two feet in depth. The island bears the name of a man killed on this spot some years ago. His party had encamped here, three in com- pany, and one of the number went off to iinnt, leaving Brady and his companion together. These two had frequently quarrelled, and on the hunter's return he found Brady dead, and was told that he had shot himself accitlont- ally. He was buried here on the bank ; but, as usual, the wolves had torn him out, and some human bonea that were lying on the ground we supposed were his. Troops of wolves, that were hanging on the skirts of the buiiklo, kept up an uninterrupted howling during the night, venturing almost into camp. In the morning, they were sitting at a short distance, barking, and impatiently waiting our departure, to fall upon the bones. July 2. — The morning was cool and smoky. Our road led closer to the hills, which here increased in elevation, presenting an outline of conical peaks three hundred to five hun- dred feet high. Some timber, apparently pine, grows in the ravines, and streaks of clay or sand whiten their slopes. We crossed during the morning a number of hol- lows, timbered principally with box elder {acer negundo), poplar and elm. Brady's island is well wooded, and all the river along which our ro.id led tcwiay may, in general, Imj called toleraitly well timhorod. Wt; pass- ed near an encampment of the Oregon emi- grants, where they appeared to have n'|K)scd several days. A variety of household arti- cles wore scattered aliout, and llioy Iml pru- liably disbiirdonod thomselves here of ininy things not alisolutoly necessary. ! Iiad h-it the usual road Itefore the mid-day halt, an I in the afternoon, having sent sovi nil men i i advance to reconnoitre, marched dirccily lor the mouth of tho South fork. On our .irn- val, the horsemen were sent in ami siMtli-n J aix>ut the rivor to search the Ix'sf f