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 EXPLORING EXPEDITION 
 
 TO THE 
 
 •ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 
 
 OREGON AND CALIFORNIA, 
 
 BV BREVET COL. J. C. FREMONT. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED A DESCRIPTION OF THS 
 
 PH '^SICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 WITH RECENT NOTICES Or 
 
 THE GOLD EEGION 
 
 FROM THE LATEST AND HOST AUTHENTIC SOURCE!. 
 
 
 NEWYORK AND AUBURN: 
 MILLER, ORTON & MULLIGAN. 
 
 Now Y'ork: 85 Pork Row— Auburn: 107 Oeoesee-st. 
 
 1856. 
 

 
 
 f&x- 
 
 A U B U R K : 
 MILLER, ORTON & MULLIGAN, 
 
 8TERE0TVPERS AND PRINTERS. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 No work has appeared from the American press 
 within the past few years better calculated to interest 
 the community at large than Colonel J. C. Fremont's 
 Narrative of his Exploring Expedition to the Rocky 
 Mountains, Oregon, and North California, undertaken 
 by the orders of the United States government. 
 
 Eminently qualified for the task assigned him, Colonel 
 Fremont entered upon his duties with alacrity, and has 
 embodied in the following pages the results of his obser- 
 vations. The country thus explored is daily making 
 deeper and more abiding impressions upon the minds 
 of the people, and information is eagerly sought in re- 
 gard to its natural resources, its climate, inhabitants, 
 productions, and adaptation for supplying the wants 
 and providing the comforts for a dense hopulation. 
 The day is not far distant when that territo:*y, hitherto 
 so little known, will be intersected by railroij,ds, its wa- 
 ters navigated, and its fertile portions peopled by an 
 active and intelligent population. ^ 
 
 To all persons interested in the successful extension 
 of our free institutions over this now wilderness portion 
 of our land, this work of Fremont commends itself as 
 a faithful and accurate statement of the present state 
 of affairs in that country. 
 
ADVERTISEMENT TO THE NEW EDITION. 
 
 The dreams of the vi ionary have "come to pass! " the unseen 
 El Dorado of the "fathers" looms, in all its virgin freshness and 
 beauty, before the eyes of their children! The "set time" for 
 the Golden age, the advent of which has been looked, for and 
 longed for during many centuries of iron wrongs and hardships, 
 has fully come. In the sunny clime of the south west — in Upper 
 California — may be found the modern Canaan, a land "flowing 
 with milk and honey," its mountains studded and its rivers lined 
 And choked, with gold! 
 
 He who would know more of tiiis rich and rare land before 
 commencing his pilgrimage to its golden bosom, will find, in the 
 last part of this new edition of a most deservedly popular work, 
 a succinct yet comprehensive account of its inexhaustible riches 
 and its transcendent loveliness, and a fund of much needed 
 information in regard to the several routes which lead to its invi- 
 ting borders. 
 
A REPORT 
 
 ON 
 
 AN EXPLORATION OF THE COUNTRY 
 
 LYINQ BETWEEN THE 
 
 MISSOURI RIVER AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 
 
 ON THE LINE OF THE 
 
 KANSAS AND GREAT PLATTE RIVERS. 
 
 Washington, March 1, 1843. 
 To Colonel J. J. Abert, Chief of the Corps of Top. Eng: 
 
 Sir : Agreeably to your orders to explore and report upon 
 the country between the frontiers of Missouri and the South 
 Pass in the Rocky Mountains, and on the line of the Kansas 
 and Great Platte rivers, I set out from Washington city on the 
 2d day of May, 1842, and arrived at St. Louis by way of New 
 York, the 22d of May, where the necessary preparations were 
 completed, and the expedition commenced. I proceeded in a 
 steamboat to Chouteau's landing, about four hundred miles by 
 water from St. Louis, and near the mouth of the Kansas river, 
 whence we proceeded twelve miles to Mr. Cyprian Chouteau'.^ 
 trading-house, where we completed our final arrangements for 
 the expedition. 
 
 Bad weather, which interfered with astronomical observa- 
 tions, delayed us several days in the early part of June at this 
 post, which is on the right bank of the Kansas n'ver, about 
 ten miles above the mouth, and six beyond the western bound- 
 ary of Missouri. The sky cleared off at length and we were 
 
6 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Junb, 
 
 enabled to determine our position, in longitude 90° 25'' 46'^, and 
 latitude 39° 5^ 5T^. The elevation above the sea is about 700 
 feet. Our camp, in the mean time, presented an animated and 
 Dustling scene. All were busily engaged in completing the 
 necessary arrangements for our campaign in the wilderness, 
 and profiting by this short stay on the verge of civilization, to 
 provide ourselves with all the little essentials to comfort in the 
 nomadic life we were to lead for the ensuing summer months. 
 Gradually, however, every thing — the materiel of the camp — 
 men, horses, and even mules — settled into its place ; and by 
 the 10th we were ready to depart ; but, before we mount oui 
 horses, I will give a short description of the party with which 
 I performed the service. 
 
 I had collected in the neighborhood of St. Louis twenty-one 
 men, principally Creole and Canadian voyageurs, who had be- 
 come familiar with prairie life in the service of the fur compa- 
 nies in the Indian country. Mr. Charles Preuss, a native of 
 Germany, was my assistant in the topographical part of the sur- 
 vey ; L. Maxwell, of Kaskaskia, had been engaged as hunter, 
 and Christopher Carson (more familiarly known, for his ex- 
 ploits in the mountains, as Kit Carson) was our guide. The 
 persons engaged in St. Louis were : 
 
 Clement Lambert, J. B. L'Esperance, J. B. Lefevre, Ben- 
 jamin Potra, Louis Gouin, J. B. Dumes, Basil Lajeunesse, 
 Fran9ois Tessier, Benjamin Cadotte, Joseph C/lement, Daniel 
 Simonds, Leonard Benoit, Michel Morly, Baptiste Bernier, 
 Honore Ayot, Frangois La Tulipe, Francis Baucau, Louia 
 Menard, Joseph Ruelle, Molse Chardonnais, Auguste Janisse, 
 Raphael Proue. 
 
 In addition to these, Henry Brant, son of Col. J. B. Brant, 
 of St. Louis, a young man of nineteen years of age, and Ran- 
 dolph, a lively boy of twelve, son of the Hon. Thomas. H. 
 Benton, accompanied me, for the development of mind and 
 body such an expedition would give. We were well armed 
 and mounted, with the exception of eight men, who conducted 
 as many carts, in which were packed our stores, with the bag. 
 gage and instruments, and which were drawn by two mules. 
 A few loose horses, and four oxen, which had been added to 
 
lH4i?.J CAPT. Fremont's narrative. t 
 
 our stock of provisions, completed the train. We set out on 
 the morning of the 10th, which happened to be Friday, a 
 circumstance which our men did not fail to remember and re- 
 call during the hardships and vexations of the ensuing jour- 
 ney. Mr. Cyprian Chouteau, to whose kindness, during our 
 stay at his house, we were much indebted, accompanied us 
 several miles on our way, until we met an Indian, whom he 
 had engaged to conduct us on the first thirty or forty miles, 
 where he was to consign us to the ocean of prairie, which, we 
 were told, stretched without interruption almost to the base of 
 the Rocky Mountains. 
 
 From the belt of wood which borders the Kansas, in which 
 we had passed several good-looking Indian farms, we suddenly 
 emerged on the prairies, which received us at the outset with 
 some of their striking characteristic? ; for here and there rode 
 an Indian, and but a few miles distant heavy clouds of smoke 
 were rolling before the firr . In about ten miles we reached 
 the Santa Fe road, along which we continued for a short time, 
 and encamped early on a small stream — having traveled about 
 eleven miles. During our journey, it was the customary 
 practice to encamp an houi or two before sunset, when the 
 carts were disposed so as id form a sort of barricade around a 
 circle some eighty yards in diameter. The tents were pitched, 
 and the horses hobbled and turned loose to graze ; and but a 
 few minutes elapsed before the cooks of the messes, of which 
 there were four, were busily engaged in preparing the evening 
 meal. At nightfall, the horses, mules, and oxen were driven 
 in and picketed, — that is, secured by a halter, of which one 
 end was tied to a small steel-shod picket, and driven into the 
 ground ; the haller being twenty or thirty feet long, which en- 
 abled them to obtain a little food during the night. When we 
 had reached a part of the country where such a precaution 
 became necessary, the carts being regularly arranged for de- 
 fending the camp, guard was mounted at eight o'clock, con- 
 sisting of three mer who were relieved every two hours — the 
 morning-watch bein^ orse-guard for the day. At daybreak 
 the camp was roused, the animals turned loose to graze, and 
 breakfast generally over between six and seven o'clock, when 
 
8 CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVK. J^JUWB^ 
 
 we resumed our march, making regularly a halt at noon for 
 one or two hours. Such was usually the order of the day, 
 except when accident of country forced a variation ; which, 
 however, happened but rarely. We traveled the next day 
 along the Santa Fe road, which we left in the afternoon, and 
 encamped late in the evening on a small creek, called by the 
 Indians, Mishmagwi. Just as we arrived at camp, one of the 
 horses 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 appearance until morning. He had 
 lost his way in the darkness of the night, and slept on the 
 prairie. Shortly after midnight it began to rain heavily, and, 
 as our tents were of light and thin cloth, they offered but lit- 
 de obstruction to the rain : we were all well soaked, and glad 
 when morning came. We had a rainy mai'ch on the 12th, 
 but the weather grew fine as the day advanced. We encamp- 
 ed in a remarkably beautiful situation on the Kansas bluffs, 
 which commanded a fine view of the river valley, here from 
 four to five miles wide. The central portion was occupiea 
 by a broad belt of heavy timber, and nearer the hills the 
 prairies were of the richest verdure. One of the oxen was 
 killed here for food. 
 
 We reached the ford of the Kansas late in the afternoon of the 
 14th, where the river was two hundred and thirty yards wide, 
 and commenced, immediately, preparations for crossing. I 
 had expected to find the rive/ fordable ; but it had swollen by 
 the late rains, and was sweepmg by with an angry current, 
 yellow and turbid as the Missouri. Up to this point the road 
 we had traveled was a remarkably fine one, well beaten, and 
 level — the usual road of a prairie country. By our route, the 
 ford was one hundred miles from the mouth of the Kansas 
 river. Several mounted men led the way into the stream to 
 swim across. The animals were driven in after them, and in 
 a few minutes all had reached the opposite bank in safety, 
 with the exception of the oxen, which swam some distance 
 down the river, and, returning to the right bank, were not got 
 over till the next morning. In the mean time, the carts had 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 9 
 
 oeen unloaded and dismantled, and an India-rubber boat, which 
 I had brought with me for the survey of the Platte river, 
 placed in the water. The boat was twenty feet long and five 
 broad, and on it were placed the body and wheels of a cart, 
 with the load belonging to it, and three men with paddles. 
 
 The velocity of the current, and the inconvenient freight, 
 rendering it difficult to be managed, Basil Lajeunesse, one of 
 our best swimmers, took in his teeth a line attached to the 
 boat, and swam ahead in order to reach a footing as soon as 
 possible, and assist in drawing her over. In this manner six 
 passages had been successfully made, and as many carts with 
 their contents, and a greater portion of the party, deposited on 
 tiie left bank ; but night was drawing near, and, in our anx- 
 iety to have all over before the darkness closed in, I put upon 
 the boat the remaining two carts, with their accompanying 
 load. The man at the helm was timid on water, and in his 
 alarm capsized the boat. Carts, barrels, boxes, and bales, 
 were in a moment floating down the current ; but all the men 
 who were on the shore jumped into the water, without stopping 
 to think if they could swim, and almost every thing — even 
 heavy articles, such as guns and lead — was recovered. 
 
 Two of the men who could not swim came nigh being 
 drowned, and all the sugar belonging to one of the messes 
 wasted its sweets on the muddy waters ; but our heaviest loss 
 was a large bag of coffee, which contained nearly all our pro- 
 vision. It was a loss which none but a traveler in a strange 
 and inhospitable country can apjijreciate ; and often afterward, 
 when excessive toil and long marching had overcome us with 
 fatigue and weariness, we remembered and mourned over our 
 loss in the Kansas. Carson and Maxwell had been much 
 in the water yesterday, and both, in consequence, were taken 
 ill. The former continuing so, I remained in camp. A num- 
 ber of Kansas Indians visited us to-day. Going up to one of 
 the groups who were scattered among the trees, I found one 
 sitting on the ground, among some of the men, gravely a'ld 
 fluently speaking French, with as much facility and as little 
 embarrassment as any of my own party, who were nearly all 
 of French origin. 
 1* 
 
to CAPT. FREMONT S NARRATIVE. [JUNB| 
 
 On all sides was heard the strange language of his own peo- 
 ple, wild, and harmonizing well with their appearance. I 
 listened to him for some time with feelings of strange curiosity 
 and interest. He was now apparently thirty-five years of age ; 
 and, on inquiry, I learned that he had been at St. Louis when 
 a boy, and there had learned the French 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 us vege- 
 tables, pumpkins, onions, beans, and lettuce. One of them 
 brought butter, and from a half-breed near the river, I had the 
 good fortune to obtain some twenty or thirty pounds of coffee. 
 The dense timber in which we had encamped interfered with 
 astronomical observations, and our wet and damaged stores 
 required exposure to the sun. Accordingly, the tents were 
 struck early the next morning, and, leaving camp at six 
 o'clock, we moved about seven miles up the river, to a hand- 
 some, open prairie, some twenty feet above the water, where 
 the fine grass afforded a luxurious repast to our horses. 
 
 During the day we occupied ourselves in making astrono- 
 mical observations, in order to lay down the country to this 
 place ; it being our custom to keep up our map regularly in 
 the field, which we found attended with many advantages. 
 The men were kept busy in drying the provisions, painting the 
 cart covers, and otherwise completi; g our equipage, until the 
 afternoon, when powder was distributed to them, and they 
 spent some hours in firing at a mark. We were now fairly 
 in the Indian country, and it began to be time to prepare for 
 the chances of the wilderness. 
 
 17th. — The weather yesterday had not permitted us to make 
 the observations I was desirous to obtain here, and I therefore 
 did not move to-day. The people continued their target fir- 
 ing. In the steep bank of the river here, were nests of innu- 
 nerable swallows, into one of which a large prairie snake had 
 got about half his body, and was occupied in eating the young 
 birds. The old ones were flying about in great distress, dart- 
 ing at him, and vainly endeavoring to drive him off. A sliot 
 wounded him, and, being killed, he was cut open, and eighteen 
 young swallows were found in his bodv. A sudden storm. 
 
1842.] CAPT. feemont's narrative, n 
 
 that burst upon us in the afternoon, cleared a\i ay in a brilliant 
 sunset, followed by a clear night, which enabled us to deter- 
 mine our position in longitude 95° SS' 05''', and in latitude 
 39° 06' 40''. 
 
 A party of emigrants to the Columbia river, under the 
 charge of Dr. White, an agent of the government in Oregon 
 Territory, were about three weeks in advance of us. They 
 consisted of men, women, and children. There were sixty- 
 four men, and sixteen or seventeen families. They had a con- 
 siderable number of cattle, and were transporting their house- 
 hold furniture in large, heavy wagons. I understood that 
 there had been much sickness among them, and that they had 
 lost several children. One of the party wlio had lost his 
 child, and whose wife was very ill, had left them about one 
 hundred miles hence on the prairies ; and as a hunter, who 
 had accompanied them, visited our camp this evening, we 
 availed ourselves of his return to the States to write to our 
 IViends. 
 
 The morning of the 1 8th was very unpleasant. A fine rain 
 was falling, with 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 extreme- 
 ly rich. We halted for dinner, after a march of about thir- 
 teen 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. After crossing this stream, I rode 
 oif some miles to the left, attracted by the appearance of a 
 cluster of huts near the mouth of the Vermilion. It was a 
 large but deserted Kansas village, scattered in an open wood, 
 along the margin of the stream, chosen with the customary 
 Indian fondness for beauty of scenery. The Pawnees had at- 
 tacked it in the early spring. Some of the houses were burnt, 
 and others blackened with smoke, and weeds were already 
 getting possession of the cleared places. Riding up the Ver- 
 milion river, I readied tlie ford in time to meet the carts, and 
 crossing, encaniped on ' western side. The weather con- 
 tinued cold, the thermometvir being this evening as low as 49°; 
 
1%. CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jui«f, 
 
 but the night was sufficiently clear for astronomical observa- 
 tions, which placed us in longitude 96° 04" 07"", and latitude 
 39° 15" 19"". At sunset, the barometer was at 28-845, ther- 
 mometer 64°. 
 
 We breakfasted the next morning at half-past five, and left 
 our encampment early. The morning was cool, the ther- 
 mometer being at 45°. Quitting the river bottom, the road 
 ran along the uplanr^s, over a rolling country, generally in 
 view of the Kansas from eight to twelve miles distant. Many 
 large bjulders, of a very compact sandstone, of various shades 
 of red, some of them of four or five tons in weight, were scat- 
 tered along the hills ; and many beautiful plants in flower, 
 among which the amorpha canescens was a characteristic, en- 
 livened the green of the prairie. At the heads of the ravines I 
 remarked, occasionally, thickets of saix longifolia, the most 
 common willow of the country. We traveled nineteen miles 
 and pitched our tents at evening on the head-waters of a small 
 creek, now nearly dry, but having in its bed several fine 
 springs. The barometer indicated a considerable rise in the 
 country — here about fourteen hundred feet above the sea — and 
 the increased elevation appeared already to have some slight 
 influence upon vegetation. The night was cold, with a heavy 
 dew ; the thermometer at 10 p. m. standing at 46°, barometer 
 28-483. Our position was in longitude 96° 14" 49"", and lad- 
 tude 39° 30' 40"". 
 
 The morning of the 20th was fine, with a southerly breeze 
 and a bright sky ; and at seven»o'clock we were on the march. 
 The country to-day was rather more broken, rising still, and 
 covered everywhere with fragments of silicious limestone, 
 particularly on the summits, where they were small, and 
 thickly strewed as pebbles on the shore of the sea. In these 
 exposed situations grew but few plants; though, whenever the 
 soil was good and protected from the winds, in the creek bot- 
 toms and ravines, and on the slopes, they flourished abundant- 
 iy ; among them the amorpha, still retaining its characteristic 
 place. We crossed, at 10 a. m., the Big Vermilion, which 
 has a rich bottom of about one mile in breadth, one-third of 
 which is occupied by timber. Making our usual halt at noon, 
 
 ,xS^ 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 18 
 
 after a day's march of twenty-four miles, we reached the Big 
 Blue, and encamped on the uplands of the western side, near 
 a small creek, where was a fine large spring of very cold wa- 
 ter. This is a clear and handsome stream, abo.it one hundred 
 and twenty feet wide, running with a rapid current, through a 
 well-timbered valley. To-day antelope were seen running 
 over the hills, and at evening Carson brought us a fine deei. 
 Longitude of the camp 96° 32' 35'^ latitude 39° 45' 08''. 
 Thermometer at sunset 75°. A pleasant southerly breeze 
 and fine morning had given place to a gale, with indications 
 of bad weather ; when, after a march of ten miles, we halted 
 to noon on a small creek, where the water stood in deep pools. 
 In the bank of the creek limestone made its appearance in a 
 stratum about one foot thick. In the afternoon, the people 
 seemed to suffer for want of water. The road led along a high 
 dry ridge ; dark lines of timber indicated the heads of streams 
 in the plains below ; but there was no water near, and the day 
 was oppressive, with a hot wind, and the thermometer at 90°. 
 Along our route the amorjiha has been in very abundant but 
 variable bloom — in some places bonding beneath the weight of 
 purple clusters ; in others without a flower. It seemed to love 
 best the sunny slopes, with a dark soil iand southern exposure. 
 Everywhere the rose is mot with, and reminds us of cultivated 
 gardens and civilization. It is scattered over the prairies in 
 small bouquets, and, when glittering in the dews and waving 
 in the pleasant breeze of the early morning, is the most beau- 
 tiful of the prairie flowers. The artemisia, absinthe, or prairie 
 sage, as it is variously called, is increasing in size, and glit- 
 tering like silver, as the southern breeze turns up its leaves to 
 the sun. All these plants have their insect inhabitants, vari- 
 ously colored — taking generally the hue of the flower on which 
 they live. The artemisia has its small fly accompanying it 
 through every change of elevation and latitude ; and wherever 
 I have seen the asclepias iuherosa, 1 have always remarked, 
 too, on the flower a large butterfly, so nearly resembling it 
 in color as to be distinguishable at a little distance only by 
 the motion of its wings. Traveling on, the fresh traces of 
 the Oregon emigrants relievo a little ^he innpi.'npss of the road; 
 
|4 CA^T. FRELIONt's NARRATIVE. [JuNK 
 
 and to-night, after a march of twenty-two miles, we baited on 
 a small creek which had been one of their encampments. As 
 we advanced westward, the soil appears to be getting more 
 eandy ; and the surface rock, an erratic deposite of sand and 
 gravel, rests here on a bed of coarse yellow and gray and very 
 friable sandstone. Evening closed over with rain and its usual 
 attendant hordes of mosquitoes, with which we were annoyed 
 for the first time. 
 
 22d. — We enjoyed at breakfast this morning a luxury, very 
 unusual in this country, in a cup of excellent coffee, with 
 cream from our cow. Being milked at night, cream was thus 
 had in the morning. Our mid-day halt was at Wyeth's creek, 
 in the bed of which were numerous boulders of dark, ferru- 
 ginous sandstone, mingled with others of the red sandstone 
 already mentioned. Here a pack of cards, lying loose on the 
 grass, marked an encampment of our Oregon emigrants ; and 
 it was at the close of the day when we made our bivouac in 
 the midst of some well-timbered ravines near the Little Blue, 
 twenty- four miles from cur camp of the preceding night. 
 Crossing the next morning a number of handsome creeks, with 
 •'ater clear and sandy beds we reached, at 10 a. m., a very 
 jeautiful wooded stream, abou^ thirty-five feet wide, called 
 Sandy creek, and sometimes, is the Ottoes frequently wintei 
 there, the Otto fork. The country has become very sandy, 
 and the plants less varied and abundant, with the exception of 
 the amorpha, which rivals the grass in quantity, though not sc 
 forward as it has been found to the eastward. 
 
 A.t the Big Trees, where we had intended to noon, no walei 
 «"as to be tbund. The bed of the little creek was perfectly 
 ary, and, on the adjacent sandy bottom, cacti, for the first time, 
 made their appearance. We made here a short delay in search 
 of water; and, after a hard day's march of twenty-eight miles, 
 encamped, at 5 o'clock, on tiie Little Blue, where our arrival 
 made a scene of the Arabian desert. As fast as they arrived 
 men and horses rushed into the stream, where thoy bathed ano 
 .Irank together in common enjoyment. We were now in the 
 range of the Pawnees, who were accustomed to infest this part 
 of the country, stealing horses from companies on their way 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 16 
 
 to the mountains ; and, when in sufficient force, openly attack- 
 ing and plundering them, and subjecting them to various kinds 
 of insult. For the first time, therefore, guard was mounted 
 to-night. Our route the next morning lay up the valley, 
 which, bordered by hills with graceful slopes, looked uncom- 
 monly green and beautiful. The stream was about fifty feet 
 wide, and three or four deep, fringed by cotton-wood and wil- 
 low, with frequent groves of oak, tenanted by flocks of 
 turkeys. Game here, too, made its appearance in greater 
 plenty. Elk were frequently seen on the hills, and now and 
 tlien an antelope bounded across our path, or a deer broke 
 from the groves. The road in the afternoon was over the 
 upper prairies, several miles from the river, and we encamped 
 dt sunset on one of its small tributaries, wiiere an abundance 
 of prele (equisetum) afforded fine forage to our tired animals. 
 We had traveled thirty-one miles. A heavy bank of black 
 clouds in the west came on us in a storm between nine and 
 ten, preceded by a violent wind. The rain fell in such tor. 
 rents that it was difficult to breathe facing the wind ; the 
 thunder rolled incessantly, and the whole sky was tremulous 
 with lightning — now and then illuminated by a blinding flash, 
 succeeded by pitchy darkness. Carson had the watch from 
 ten to midnight, and to him had been assigned our young 
 compagnons de voyage, Messrs. Brant and R. Benton. This 
 was their first night on guard, and such an introduction did 
 not augur very auspiciously of the pleasures of the expedi- 
 tion. Many things conspired to render their situation un- 
 comfortable ; stories of desperate and bloody Indian fights 
 were rife in the camp ; our position was badly chosen, sur- 
 rounded on all sides by timbered hollows, and occupying an 
 area of several hundred feet, so that necessarily the guards 
 were far apart ; and now and then I could hear Randolph, as 
 if relieved by the sound of a voice in the darkness, calling out 
 -0 the sergeant of the guard, to direct his attention to somo 
 imaginary alarm ; but they stood it out, and took their turn 
 regularly afterwards. 
 
 The next morning we had a specimen of the false alarms to 
 which all parties in these wild regions are subject. Proceed- 
 
18 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Junk, 
 
 ing up the valley, objects were seen on the opposite hills, 
 which disappeared before a glass could be brought to bear 
 upon then>. A man who was a short distance in the rear, 
 came springing up in great haste, shouting " Indians ! Indians !'' 
 He had been near enough to see and count them, according to 
 his report, and had made out twenty-seven. I immediately 
 halted ; arms were examined and put in order ; the usual pre- 
 parations made ; and Kit Carson, springing upon one of the 
 hunting horses, crossed the river, and galloped off into the 
 opposite prairies, to obtain some certain intelligence of their 
 movements. 
 
 Mounted on a fine horse, without a saddle, and scouring bare 
 headed over the prairies, Kit was one of the finest pictures ot 
 a horseman I have ever seen. A short time enabled hipi to 
 discover that the Indian war-party of twenty-seven consistea 
 of six elk, who had been gazing curiously at our caravan as 
 it passed by, and were now scampering off at full speed. 
 This was our first alarm, and its excitement broke agreeably 
 on the monotony of the day. At our noon halt, the men were 
 exercised at a target ; and in the evening we pitched our tents 
 at a Pawnee encampment of last July. They had apparently 
 killed buffalo here, as many bones were lying about, and the 
 frames where the hides had been stretched were yet standing. 
 The road of the day had kept the valley, which is sometimes 
 rich and well timbered, though the country generally is sandy. 
 Mingled with the usual plants, a thistle (carduus leucograplms) 
 had for the last day or two made its appearance ; and along 
 the river bottom, trade scantia (virginica) and milk plant (as- 
 clepias syriaca*) in considerable quantities. 
 
 • This plant is very odoriferous, and in Canada charms the traveler, 
 especially when passing through woods in the evening. The French there 
 eat the tender shoots in the spring, as we do asparagus. The natives 
 make a sugar of the flowers, gathering them in the morning when they 
 arc covered with dew, and collect the cotton from their pods to fill theii 
 beds. On account of trie silkiness of this cotton, Parkinson calls the plant 
 Virginian silk. — Loudon^a Encyclopedia of Plants. 
 
 The Sioux Indians of the Upper Platte eat the young pods of this plant 
 ooiling them with the meat of the buffalo. 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narkative. 17 
 
 Our march tu-day had been twenty-one miles, and the as- 
 tronomical observations gave us a chronometric longitude of 
 98° 22' 12", and latitude 40^ 26^ 50'^ We were moving 
 forward at seven in the morning, and in about five miles 
 reached a fork of the Blue, where the road leaves that river, 
 and crosses over to the Platte. No water was to be found on 
 the dividing ridge, and the casks were filled, and the animals 
 here allowed a short repose. The road led across a high and 
 level prairie ridge, where were but few plants, and those prin- 
 cipally thistle, {carduus /eucographus,) and a kind of dwarf 
 artemisia. 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 in one of them, a flash, which seemed to scorch 
 our eyes as it passed, struck in the prairie within a few hun- 
 dred feet, sending up a column of dust. 
 
 Crossing on the way several Pawnee roads 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 Platta river. 
 This had seemed in the distance a range of high and broken 
 hills ; but on a nearer approach was found to be elevations of 
 forty to sixty feet into which the wind had worked the sand. 
 They were covered 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 here to have 
 produced some change in the vegetation. Cacti were numer- 
 ous, and all the plants of the region appeared to flourish 
 among the warm hills. Among them 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 the river, about twenty miles below the head of Grand 
 Island, which lay extended before us, covered with dense and 
 heavy woods. From the mouth of the Kansas, according to 
 our reckoning, we had traveled three hundred and twenty- 
 eight miles ; and the geological formation of the country we 
 had passed over consisted of lime and sand stone, covered by 
 the same erratic deposits of sand and gravel which forms the 
 
18 CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. [JuNE, 
 
 surface rock of the prairies between the Missouri and Missis- 
 sippi rivers. Except in some occasional limestone boulders, I 
 had met with no fossils. The elevation of the Platte valley 
 above the sea is here about Iwo thousand feet. The astrono- 
 mical observations of the night placed us in longitude 98° 45' 
 49'', latitude 40° 41' 06'^ 
 
 27th. — The animals were somewhat fatigued by their march 
 of yesterday, and, after a short journey of eighteen miles 
 along the river bottom, I encamped near the head of Grand 
 Island, in longitude, by observation, 99° 05'' 24''', latitude 40° 
 39' 32". The soil was here light but rich, though in some 
 places rather sandy ; and, with the exception of scattered 
 fringe along the bank, the timber, consisting principally of 
 poplar, (populus moniliefera,) elm, and hackberry, {celtis cras- 
 sifolia,) is confined almost entirely to the islands. 
 
 28th. — We halted to noon at an open reach of the river, 
 which occupies rather more than a fourth of the valley, here 
 only about four miles broad. The camp had been disposed 
 with the usual precaution, the horses grazing at a little dis- 
 tance, attended by the guard, and we were all sitting quietly 
 at our dinnei; on the grass, when suddenly we heard the start- 
 ling cry, " Du monde !" In an instant, every man's weapon 
 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 excitement. " Get ready, my lads !" said the leader 
 of the approaching party to his men, when our wild-looking 
 horsemen were discovered bearing down upon them — "nous 
 aliens attraper des coups de baguette."- They proved to be a 
 small party of fourteen, under the charge of a man named 
 .fohn 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 navi- 
 gation in the Nebraska. Sixty days since, they had left the 
 m«uth 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 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 19 
 
 to St. Louis ; but, after a lapse of forty days, found them 
 selves only one hundred and thirty miles from their point of 
 departure. They came down rapidly as far as Scott's bluffs, 
 where their difficulties began. Sometimes they came upon 
 places where the water was spread over a great extent, and 
 here they toiled from morning until night, endeavoring to drag 
 their boat through the sands, making only two or three miles 
 in as many days. Sometimes they would enter an arm of the 
 liver, where there appeared a fine channel, and, after descend- 
 ing prosperously for eight or ten miles, would come suddenly 
 upon dry sands, and be compelled to return, dragging their 
 boat for days against the rapid current ; and at others, they 
 came upon places where the water lay in holes, and, getting 
 out to float off their boat, would fall into water up to their 
 necks, and the next moment tumble over against a sandbar. 
 Discouraged at length, and finding the Platte growing every 
 day more shallow, they discharged the principal part of their 
 cargoes one hundred and thirty miles below Fort Laramie, 
 which they secured as well as possible, and, leaving a few 
 men to guard them, attempted to continue their voyage, laden 
 with some light furs and their personal baggage. After fifteen 
 or twenty days more struggling in the sands, during which 
 they made but one hundred and forty miles, they sunk their 
 barges, made a cache of their remaining furs and property in 
 trees on the bank, and, packing on his back what each man 
 could carry, had commenced, the day before we encountered 
 them, their journey on foot to St. Louis. We laughed then at 
 their forlorn and vagabond appearance, and, in our turn, a 
 month or two afterwards, furnished the same occasion for 
 merriment to others. Even their stock of tobacco, that sine 
 qua non of a voyageur, without which the night fire is gloomy, 
 was entirely exhausted. However, we shortened their home- 
 ward journey by a small supply from our own provision. 
 They gave us tiie welcome intelligence that the buffalo were 
 abundant some two days' march in advance, and made us a 
 present of some choice pieces, which were a very acceptable 
 change from our salt pork. In the interchange of news, and 
 tne renewal of old acquaintanceships, we found wherewithal 
 
20 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Junb, 
 
 to fill a busy hour j 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 scarred as an old mous- 
 tache of Napoleon's '• old guard." He flourished in the sobri- 
 quet of La Tulipe, and his real name I never knew. Finding 
 that he was going to the States only because his company was 
 bound in that direction, and that he was rather more willing to 
 return with me, I took him again into my service. We trav- 
 eled this day but seventeen miles. 
 
 At our evening camp, about sunset, three figures were dis- 
 covered approaching, which our glasses made out to be Indians. 
 They proved to be Cheyennes — two men, and a boy of thir- 
 teen. 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 miserably 
 mounted on wild horses from the Arkansas plains, and had no 
 other weapons than bows and long spears ; and had they been 
 discovered by the Pawnees, could not, by any possibility, have 
 escaped. They were mortified 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 Ran- 
 dolph and the young CheyennCj 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 water-courses of the coun- 
 try which lay between us and their villages, and of which I 
 desired to have some information. Their companions, they 
 told us, had taken a nearer route over the hills ; but they had 
 mounted one of the summits to spy out the country, whence 
 they had caught a glimpse of our party, and, confident of good 
 treatment at the hands of the whites, hastened to join company. 
 Latitude of the camp 40° 39' f)V'. 
 
 We made the next morning sixteen miles. I remarked that 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 21 
 
 the ground was covered in many places with an efflorescence 
 of salt, and the plants were not numerous. In the bottoms 
 were frequently seen tradescantia, and on the dry lenches 
 were carduus, cactus, and amorpha. A high wind during the 
 morning had increased to a violent gale from the northwest, 
 which made our afternoon ride cold and unpleasant. We had 
 the welcome sight of two buffaloes 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 ther- 
 mometer standing at 44°, and it was sufficiently cold to make 
 overcoats very comfortable. A few miles t ought us into the 
 midst of the buffalo, swarming in immense numbers over the 
 plains, where they had left scarcely a blade of grass standing. 
 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 traveler feels a strange emotion of 
 giandeur. We had heard from a distance a dull and confused 
 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, when the herds 
 are feeding ; and everywhere they were in motion. Here and 
 there a huge old bull was rolling in the grass, and clouds of 
 dust rose in the air from various parts of the bands, each the 
 scene of some obstinate fight. Indians and buffalo make the 
 poetry and life of the prairie, and our camp was full of their 
 exhilaration. In place of the quiet monotony of the march, 
 relieved only by the cracking of the whip, and an " avance 
 done ! enfant de garce !" shouts and songs resounded from 
 every part of the line, and our evening camp was always the 
 commencement of a feast, which terminated only with our de- 
 parture on the following morning. At any time of the night 
 might be seen pieces of the most delicate and choicest meat, 
 roasting ev appolas, on sticks around the fire, and the guard 
 were never without company. With pleasant weather and no 
 enemy to fear, an abundance of the most excellent meat, and 
 no scarcity of bread or tobacco, they were enjoying the oasis 
 of a voyageur's life. Three cows were killed to-day. Kit 
 
22 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jult, 
 
 Carson had shot one, and was conti.iuing the chase in the midst 
 of another herd, when his horse fell headlong, but sprang up 
 and joined the flying band. Though considerably hurt, he 
 had the good fortune to break no bones ; and Maxwell, who 
 w£is mounted on a fleet hunter, captured the runaway after a 
 hard chase. He was on the point of shooting him, to avoid the 
 loss of his bridle, (a handsomely mounted Spanish one,) when 
 he found that his horse was able to come up with him. An'- 
 mals are frequently lost in this way ; and it is necessary to 
 keep close watch over them, in the vicinity of the buffalo, in 
 the midst of which they scour off" to the plains, and are rarely 
 retaken. One of our mules took a sudden freak into his head, 
 and joined a neighboring band to-day. As we were not in a 
 condition to lose horses, I sent several men in pursuit, and re- 
 mained in camp, in the hope of recovering him ; but lost the 
 afternoon to no purpose, as we did not see him again. Astro- 
 nomical observations placed us in longitude 100° 05^ 47'''', 
 latitude 40° 49' 55^ 
 
 JULY. 
 
 1st. — Along our road to-day the prairie bottom was more 
 elevated and dry, and the river hills which border the right 
 side of the river higher, and more broken and picturesque in 
 the outline. The country, too, was better timbered. As we 
 were riding quietly along the bank, a grand herd of buffalo, 
 some seven or eight hundred in number, came crowding up 
 from the river, where they had been to drink, and commenced 
 crossing the plain slowly, eating as they went. The wind 
 was favorable ; the coolness of the morning invited to exercise ; 
 the ground was apparently good, and the distance across the 
 prairie (two or three miles) gave us a fine opportunity to 
 charge them before they could get among the river hills. It 
 was too fine a prospect for a chase to be lost ; and, halting for 
 a few moments, the hunters were brought up and saddled, and 
 Kit Carson, Maxwell, and I, started together. They were 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 23 
 
 now somewhat less than half a mile distant, and we rode easily 
 along until within about three hundred yards, wiien a sudden 
 agitation, a wavering in the band, and a galloping to and fro 
 of some which were scattered along the skirts, gave us the in- 
 timation that we were discovered. We started together at a 
 hand gallop, riding steadily abreast of each other ; and here 
 the interest of the chase became so engrossingly intense, that 
 we were sensible to nothing else. We were now closing upon 
 them rapidly, and the front of the mass was already in rapid 
 motion for the hills, and, in a few seconds the movement had 
 communicated itself to the whole herd. 
 
 A crowd of bulls, as usual, brought up the rear, and every 
 now and then some of them faced about, and then dashed on 
 after the band a short distance, and turned and looked again, 
 as if more than half inclined to fight. In a few moments, 
 however, during which we had been quickening our pace, the 
 rout was universal, and we were going over the ground like a 
 hurricane. When at about thirty yards, we gave the usual 
 shout, (the hunter's pas de charge,) and broke into the herd. 
 We entered on the side, the mass giving way in every direc- 
 tion 'n their heedless course. Many of the bulls, less active 
 ana i.. than the cows, paying no attention to the ground, and 
 occupied solely with the hunter, were precipitated to the earth 
 with great force, roUin.'- over and over with the violence of the 
 shock, and hardly dist guishable in the dust. We separated 
 on entering, each singling out his game. 
 
 My horse was a trained hunter, famous in the West under 
 the name of Proveau ; and, with his eyes flashing and the 
 foam flying from his mouth, sprang on after the cow like a 
 tiger. In a f(;w moments he brouglit me alongside of her, and 
 rising in the stirrups, I fired at the distance of a yard, the ball 
 entering at the tennination of the long hair, and passing near 
 tlie heart. She fell lieadlong at the 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 he was preparing to cut up. Amontr 
 the scattered bands, at some distance below, I caught a glimpse 
 of Maxwell ; and wliile 1 was looking, a light wreath of smoke 
 
24 CAPT Fremont's narrative. ['uly, 
 
 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 body of the 
 herd ; and, giving my horse the rein, we dashed after them. 
 A. thick cloud of dust hung upon their rear, which filled my 
 mouth and eyes, and nearly smothered me. In tlie midst of 
 this I could see nothing, aud the buffalo were not distinguish- 
 able until vdthin thirty feet. They crowded together more 
 densely still as I came upon them, and rushed along in such a I 
 compact body, that I could not obtain an entrance — the horse 
 almost leaping upon them. In a few moments the mass divided 
 to the right and left, the horns clattering with a noise heard 
 above every thing else, and my horse darted into the opening. 
 Five or six bulls charged on us as we dashed along the line, I 
 but were left fur behind ; and, singling out a cow, I gave her i: 
 my fire, but struck too high. She gave a tremendous leap, ) 
 and scoured on swifter than before. I reined up my horse, i 
 and the band swept on like a torrent, and left the place quiet 
 and clear. Our chase had led us into dangerous ground. A 
 prairie-dog village, so thickly settled that there were three or 
 four holes in every twenty yards square, occupied the whole \ 
 bottom for nearly two miles in length. Looking around, I saw ■ 
 only one of tlie hunters, nearly out of sight, and the long, dark i 
 line of our caravan crawling along, three or four miles distant. 
 After a march of twenty-four miles, we encamped at nightfall, 
 one mile and a half above the lower end of. Brady's Island. 
 The breadth of this arm of the river was eight hundred and 
 eighty yards, and the water nowhere two feet in depth. The 
 island bears tlie name of a man killini on this spot some years 
 ago. His party hud encamped here, three in company, and 
 one of the number went off to hunt, leaving Brady and his 
 companion together. These two liad frequently quarreled, 
 and on the hunter's return he found Brady dead, and was told 
 that he had shot himself accidentally. He was buried here on 
 the bank ; l)Ut, as usual, the wolves tore him out, and some 
 human bones that were lying on the ground we supposed were 
 his. Troops of wolves that were hanging on the skirts of the 
 buffalo, kept up an uninterruptr.i howling during the night, 
 
1842.] CAPT. FREiMONT S NAERATIVB. -t5 
 
 venturing almost into camp. In the morning, they were sitting 
 at a short distance, barking, and impatiently waiting our de- 
 parturc, to full upon the bones. 
 
 2d. — The morning was cool and smoky. Our road led 
 closer to the hills, wliich here increased in elevation, present- 
 ing an outline of conical peaks three hundred to five hundred 
 feet higli. 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 hollows, timbered principally 
 with box, elder, (ncer negundo,) poplar, and elm. Brady's 
 Island is well wooded, and all the river along which our road 
 led to-day, may, in general, be called tolerably well timbered. 
 We passed near the encampment of the Oregon emigrants, 
 where they appeared to have reposed several days. A variety 
 of household articles were scattered about, and they had prob- 
 ably disburdened themselves here of many things not absolute- 
 ly necessary. I had left the usual road before the mid-day 
 halt, and in the afternoon, having sent several men in advance 
 to reconnoitre, marched directly for the mouth of the South 
 fork. On our arrival, the horsemen were sent in and scattered 
 about the river to search for the best fording-places, and the 
 carts followed immediately. The stream is here divided by an 
 island into two channels. The southern is four hundred and 
 fifty feet wide, having eighteen or twenty inches water in the 
 deepest places. With the exception of a few dry bars, the bed 
 of the river is generally quicksands, in which the carts began 
 to sink rapidly so soon as the mules halted, so that it was ne- 
 cessary to keep them constantly in motion. 
 
 The northern channel, two thousand two hundred and fifty 
 foet wide, was somewhat deeper, having frequently three feet 
 water in the numerous small channels, with a bed of coarse 
 gravel. The whole breadth of the Nebraska, immediately be- 
 low the junction, is five thousand three hundred and fifty feet. 
 All our equipage had reached the left bank safely at six o'clock, 
 having today made twenty miles. We encamped at tne point 
 of land immediately at the junction of the North and Soath 
 forks. Between the streams is a low rich prairie extending 
 from their confluence eighteen miles westwardly to the bor- 
 8 
 
20 CAPT. Fremont's narrativk. [Jult, 
 
 dering hills, where it is five and a half miles wide. It is ooy- 
 ered with a luxuriant growth of grass, and along the banks is 
 a slight and scattered fringe of cottonwood and willow. In the 
 buffalo-trails and wallows, I remarked saline efflorescences, to 
 which a rapid evaporation in the great heat of the sun probably 
 contributes, as the soil is entirely unprotected by timber. In 
 the vicinity of these places there was a bluish grass, which the 
 cattle refuse to eat, called by the' voyageurs " herbe salee," 
 (salt grass.) The latitude of the junction is 41° 04' 47^', and 
 longitude, by chronometer and lunar distances, 100° 49' 43'". 
 The elevation above the sea is about two thousand seven hun- 
 dred feet. The hunters came in with a fat cow ; and, as we 
 had labored hard, we enjoyed well a supper of roasted ribs 
 and boudins, the chef-d'oeuvre of a prairie cook. Mosquitoes 
 thronged about us this evening ; but, by ten o'clock, when the 
 thermometer had fallen to 47°, they had all disappeared. 
 
 3d. — As this was to be a point in our homeward journey, I 
 made a cache (a term used in all this country for what is hid- 
 den in the ground) of a barrel of pork. It was impossible to 
 conceal such a proceeding from the sharp eyes of our Chey- 
 enne companions, and I therefore told them to go and see what 
 it was they were burying. They would otherwise have not 
 failed to return and destroy our cache in expectation of some 
 rich booty ; but pork they dislike and never eat. We left oui 
 camp at nine, continuing up the South fork, the prairie-bottom 
 affording us a fair road ; but in the long grass we roused myri. 
 ads of mosquitoes and flies, from which our horses suffered 
 severely. The day was smoky, with a pleasant breeze from 
 the south, and the plains on the opposite side were covered 
 with buffalo. Having traveled twenty-fivo miles, we en- 
 camped at six in the evening ; and the men were sent across 
 the river for wood, as there is none here on the left bank. 
 Our fires were partially made of the bnis de vache, the dry ex- 
 crement of the buftulo, which, like that of the camel in the 
 Arabian deserts, furnishes to the traveler a very good substi- 
 tute for wood, burning like turf. Wolves in great numbers 
 surrounded us during the night, crossing and recrossing from 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's na^uative. 27 
 
 Ae opposite herds to our camp, and howling and trotting about 
 in the river until morning. 
 
 4th. — The morning was very smoky, the sun shining dimly 
 and red, as in thick fog. The camp was roused by a salute 
 at daybreak, and from our scanty store a portion of what our 
 Indian friends called the " red fire-water" served out to the 
 men. While we were at breakfast, a buffalo-calf broke through 
 the camp, followed by a couple of wolves. In its fright, it had 
 probably mistaken us for a band of buffalo. The wolves were 
 obliged to make a circuit round the camp, so that the calf got 
 a little the start, and strained every nerve to reach a large 
 herd at the foot of the hills, about two miles distant ; but first 
 one and then another, and another wolf joined in the chase, un- 
 til his pursuers amounted to twenty or thirty, and they ran 
 him down before he could reach his friends. There were 
 few bulls near the place, and one of them attacked the wolves 
 and tried to rescue him ; but was driven off immediately, and 
 the little animal fell an easy prey, half devoured before he was 
 dead. We watched the chase with the interest always felt for 
 the weak ; and had there been a saddled horse at hand, he 
 would have fared better. Leaving camp, our road soon ap- 
 proached the hills, in which strata of a marl like that of the 
 Chimney rock, hereafter described, made their appearance. It 
 is probably of this rock that the hills on the right bank of the 
 Platte, a little below the junction, are composed, and which are 
 worked by the winds and rains into sharp peaks and cones, 
 giving them, in contrast to the surrounding level region, some- 
 . thing of a picturesque appearance. We crossed, this morning, 
 numerous beds of the small creeks which, in the time of rains 
 and melting snow, pour down from the ridge, bringing down 
 with them, always, great quantities of sand and gravel, which 
 have gradually raised their beds four to ten feet above the level 
 of the prairie, which they cross, making each one of them a 
 miniature Po. Raised in this way above the surrounding 
 prairie, without any bank, the long yellow and winding line of 
 their beds resembles a causeway fVom the hills to the river. 
 Many spots on the prairie are yellow with sunflower, (helmn' 
 Urns.) 
 
-28 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jolt, 
 
 As we were riding slowly along this afternoon, clouds of dust 
 in the ravines, among the hills to the right, suddenly attract, 
 ed our attention, and in a few minutes column after column of 
 buffalo came galloping down, making directly to the river. 
 By the time the leading herds had reached the water, the 
 prairie was darkened with the dense masses. Immediately 
 before us, when the bands first came down into the valley, 
 stretched an unbroken line, the head of which was lost among 
 the river hills on the opposite side ; and still they poured down 
 from the ridge on our right. From hill to hill, the prairie bot- 
 tom was certainly not less than two miles wide ; and, allowing 
 the animals to be ten feet apart, and only ten in a line, there 
 were already eleven thousand in view. Some idea may thus 
 be formed of their number when they had occupied the whole 
 plain. In a short time they surrounded us on every side, ex- 
 tending for several miles in the rear, and forward as far as the 
 eye could reach ; leaving around us, as we advanced, an open 
 space of only two or three hundred yards. This movement of 
 the bufllalo indicated to us the presence of Indians on the North 
 fork. 
 
 I halted earlier than usual, about forty miles from the junc- 
 tion, and all hands were soon busily engaged in preparing a 
 feast to celebrate the day. The kindness of our friends at St. 
 Louis had provided us with a largo supply of excellent pre- 
 serves and rich fruit-cake ; and when these were added to a 
 macaroni soup, and variously prepared dishes of the choicest 
 buffalo-meat, crowned with a cup of coffee, and enjoyed with 
 prairie appetite, we felt, as we sat in barbaric luxury around 
 our smoking supper on the grass, a greater sensation of enjoy- 
 ment than the Roman epicure at his perfumed feast. But 
 most of all it seemed to please our Indian friends, who, in the 
 unrestrained enjoyment of the moment, demanded to know if 
 our " medicine-days came often." No restraint was exercised 
 at the hospitable board, and, to the great delight of his elders, 
 our young Indian lad made himself extremely drunk. 
 
 Our encampment was within a few miles of the place when* 
 the road crosses to the North fork, and various reasons led me 
 to divide my party at this point. The North fork was the prin- 
 
1842.] CAPT. FRBMONT's NARHAnVK. W 
 
 cipal object of my survey ; but I was desirous to ascend the 
 South branch, with a view of obtaining some astronomical po- 
 sitions, and determining the mouths of its tributaries as far as 
 St. Vrain's fort, estimated to be some two hundred miles far- 
 ther up the river, and near to Long's Peak. There 1 hoped to 
 obtain some mules, which I found would be necessary to re- 
 lieve my horses. In a military point of view, I was desirous 
 to form some opinion of the country relative to the establish- 
 ment of posts on a line connecting the settlements with the 
 south pass of the Rocky Mountains, by way of the Arkansas 
 and the South and Laramie forks of the Platte. Crossing the 
 country northwestwardly from St. Vrain's fort, to the Ameri- 
 can Company's fort at the mouth of the Laramie, would give 
 me some acquaintance with the affluents which head-in the 
 mountain between the two ; I therefore determined to set out 
 the next morning, accompanied by four men — Maxwell, Der- 
 nier, Ayot, and Basil Lajeunesse. Our Cheyennes, whose 
 village lay up this river, also decided to accompany us. The 
 party I left in charge of Clement Lambert, m ith orders to cross 
 to the North fork ; and at some convenient place, near to the 
 Coulee des Frenes, make a cache of every thing not absolutely 
 necessary to the further progress of our expedition. From this 
 point, using the most guarded precaution in his march through 
 the country, he was to proceed to the American Company's 
 fort at the mouth of the Laramie's fork, and await my arrival, 
 which would be prior to the 16th, as on that and the following 
 night would occur some occultations which I was desirous to 
 obtain at that place. 
 
 5th. — Before breakfast all was ready. We had one led 
 horse in addition to those we rode, and a pack- mule, destined to 
 carry our instruments, provisions, and baggage ; the last two 
 articles not being of ^reat weight. The instruments consisted 
 of a sextant, artificial horizon, dec, a barometer, spy-glass, and 
 compass. The chronometer I of course kept on my person. I 
 had ordered the cook to put up for us some flour, coffee, and 
 sugar, and our rifles were to furnish the rest. One blanket, 
 in addition to his saddle and saddle blanket, furnished the ma- 
 terials for each man's bed, and every one was provided with • 
 
30 CAPT. Fremont's* NARRATIVE. [July, 
 
 change of linen. All were armed with rifles or double-bar< 
 relied guns ; and, in addition to these, Maxwell and myself 
 were furnished with excellent pistols. Thus accoutred, we 
 took a parting breakfast with our friends, and set forth. 
 
 Our journey the first day afforded nothing of any interest. 
 We shot a buffalo towards sunset, and having obtained some 
 meat for our evening meal, encamped where a little timber af- 
 forded us the means of making a fire. Having disposed our 
 meat on roasting-sticks, we proceeded to unpack our bales in 
 search of coffee and sugar, and flour for bread. With the ex- 
 ception of a little parched coffee, unground, we found nothing. 
 Our cook had neglected to put it up, or it had been somehow 
 forgotten. Tired and hungry, with tough bull-meat without 
 salt, (for we had not been able to kill a cow,) and a little bit- 
 ter coffee, we sat down in silence to our miserable fare, a very 
 disconsolate party ; for yesterday's feast was yet fresh in our 
 memories, and this was our first brush with misfortune. Each 
 man took his blanket, and laid himself down silently ; for the 
 worst part of these mishaps is, that they make people ill-humor- 
 ed. To-day we had traveled about thirty-six miles. 
 
 6th. — Finding that our present excursion would be attended 
 with considerable hardship, and unwilling to expose more per- 
 sons than necessary, I determined to send Mr. Preuss back to 
 the party. His horse, too, appeared in no condition to sup- 
 port the journey ; and accordingly, after breakfast, he took 
 the road across the hills, attended by one of my most trusty 
 men, Bernier. The ridge between the rivers is here about 
 fifteen miles broad, and I expected he would probably strike 
 the fork near their evening camp. At all events he would not 
 fail to find their trail, and rejoin them the next day. 
 
 We continued our journey, seven in number, including the 
 three Cheyennes. Our general course was southwest, up the 
 valley of the river, which was sandy, bordered on the northern 
 side of the valley by a low ridge ; and on the south, after 
 seven or eight miles, the river hills became higher. Six miles 
 from our resting-place we crossed the bed of a considerable 
 stream, now entirely dry — a bed of sand. In a grove of wil 
 lows, near the mouth, were the remains of a considerable fort* 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 81 
 
 constructed of trunks of large trees. It was apparently very 
 old, and had probably been the scene of some hostile encoun- 
 ter among the roving tribes. Its solitude formed an impres- 
 sive contrast to the picture which our imaginations involunta- 
 rily drew of the busy scene which had been enacted here. 
 The timber appeared to have been much more extensive for- 
 merly than now. There were but few trees, a kind of long- 
 leaved willow, standing ; and numerous trunks of large trees 
 were scattered about on the ground. In many similar places 
 I had occasion to remark an apparent progressive decay in the 
 timber. Ten miles farther we reached the mouth of Lodge 
 Pole creek, a clear and handsome stream, running through a 
 broad valley. In its course through the bottom it has a uni- 
 form breadth of twenty-two feet and six inches in depth. A 
 few willows on the banks strike pleasantly on the eye, by 
 their greenness, in the midst of hot and barren sands. 
 
 The amorpha was frequent among the ravines, but the sun- 
 flower (helianthus) was the characteristic ; and flowers of deep 
 warm colors seem most to love the sandy soil. The impres- 
 sion of the country traveled over to-day was one of dry and 
 barren sands. We turned in towards the river at noon, and 
 gave our horses two hours for food and rest. I had no other 
 thermometer than the one attached to the barometer, which 
 stood at 89°, the height of the column in the barometer being 
 26*235 at meridian. The sky was clear, with a high wind 
 from the south. At 2 we continued our journey ; the wind 
 had moderated, and it became almost unendurably hot, and 
 our animals suffered severely. In the course of the afternoon, 
 the wind rose suddenly, and blew hard from the southwest, 
 with thunder and lightning, and squalls of rain ; these were 
 blown against us with violence by the wind ; and, halting, we 
 turned our backs to the storm until it blew over. Antelope 
 were tolerably frequent, with a large gray hare ; but the 
 former were shy, and the latter hardly worth the delay of 
 stopping to shoot them ; so, as the evening drew near, we 
 again had recourse to an old bull, and encamped at sunset on 
 an island in the Platte. 
 
 We ate our meat with a good relish this evening, for we 
 
9d 3APT. Fremont's narrativk. [J^-o^* 
 
 were all in fine health, and had ridder. nearly all of a long 
 summer's day, with a burning sun reflected from the sands. 
 My companions slept rolled up in their blankets, and the In- 
 dians lay in the grass near the fire ; but my sleeping-place 
 generally had an air of more pretension. Our rifles were tied 
 together near the muzzle, the butts resting on the ground, and 
 a knife laid on the rope, to cut away in case of an alarm. 
 Over this, which made a kind of frame, was thrown a large 
 India-rubber cloth, which we used to cover our packs. This 
 made a tent sufficiently large to receive about half of my bed, 
 and was a place of shelter for my instruments , and as I was 
 careful always to put this part against the wind, I could lie 
 here with a sensation of satisfied enjoyment, and hear the wind 
 blow, and the rain patter close to my head, and know that I 
 should be at least half dry. Certainly I never slept more 
 soundly. The barometer at sunset was 2G'010, thermometer 
 at 81°, and cloudy ; but a gale from the west sprang up with 
 the setting sun, and in a few minutes swept away every cloud 
 from the sky. The evening was very fine, and I remained up 
 to take astronomical observations, which made our position in 
 latitude 40° 5V IT', and longitude 103° OT 00"^ 
 
 7th. — At our camp this morning, at six o'clock, the barom- 
 eter was at 26-183, thermometer 69°, and clear, with a light 
 wind from the southwest. The past night had been squally, 
 with high winds, and occasionally a few drops of rain. Our 
 cooking did not occupy much time, and we left camp early. 
 Nothing of interest occurred during the morning. The same 
 dreary barrenness, except that a hard marly clay had re- 
 placed the sandy soil. Bufl^alo absolutely covered the plain, on 
 both sides of the river, and whenever we ascended the hills, 
 scattered herds gave life to the view in every direction. A small 
 drove of wild horses made their appearance on the low river 
 bottoms, a mile or two to the left, and I sent off one of the In- 
 dians (who seemed very eager to catch one) on my led horse, 
 a spirited and fleet animal. The savage manoeuvred a little to 
 get the wind of the horses, in which he succeeded — approach- 
 ing within a hundred yards without being discovered. The 
 chase for a few minutes was interesting. My hunter easily 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. M 
 
 overtook and passed the hindmost of the wild drove, which the 
 Indian did not attemp to lasso ; all his efforts being directed to 
 capture the leader. But the strength of the horse, weakened 
 by the insufficient nourishment of grass, failed in a race, and 
 all the drove escaped. We halted at noon on the bank of 
 the river, the barometer at that time being 26 192, and the 
 thermometer 103°, with a light air from the south and clear 
 weather. 
 
 In the course of tne afternoon, dust rising among the hills, 
 at a particular place, attracted our attention ; and, riding up, 
 we found a band of eighteen or twenty buffalo bulls engaged 
 in a desperate fight. Though butting and goring were be- 
 stowed liberally, and without distinction, yet their efforts were 
 evidently directed against one — a huge, gaunt old bull, very 
 lean, while his adversaries were all fat and in good order. He 
 appeared very weak, and had already received some wounds ; 
 and, while we were looking on, was several times knocked 
 down and badly hurt, and a very few moments would have put 
 an end to him. Of course, we took the side of the weaker 
 party, and attacked the herd ; but they were so blind witl 
 rage, that they fought on, utterly regardless of our presence 
 although on foot and on horseback we were firing, in open 
 view, within twenty yards of them. But this did not last long. 
 In a very few s'^conds, we created a commotion among them. 
 One or two, which were knocked over by the balls, jumped up 
 and ran off into the hills ; and they began to retreat slowly 
 along a broad ravine to the river, fighting furiously as they 
 went. By the time they had reached the bottom, we had 
 pretty well dispersed them, and the old bull hobbled off to lie 
 down somewhere. One of his enemies remained on the ground 
 where we had first fired upon them, and we stopped theie for 
 a short time to cut from him some meat for our supper. We 
 had neglected to secure our horses, thinking it an unnecessary 
 precaution in their fatigued condition ; but our mule took it 
 into his head to start, and away he went, followed at full 
 speed by the pack-horse, with all the baggage and instruments 
 on his back. They were recovered and brought back, after 
 a chase of a mile. Fortunately, every thing was well secured* 
 2* 
 
34 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [July, 
 
 80 that nothing, not even the barometer, was in the least in< 
 jured. 
 
 The sun was getting low, and some narrow lines of timber, 
 four or five miles distant, promised us a pleasant camp, where, 
 with plenty of wood for fire, and comfortable shelter, and rich 
 grass for our animals, we should find clear cool springs, instead 
 of the warm water of the Platte. On our arrival, we found 
 the bed of a stream fifty to one hundred feet wide, sunk some 
 thirty feet below the level of the prairie, with perpendicular 
 banks, bordered by a fringe of green cottonwood, but noc a 
 drop of water. There were several small forks to the stream, 
 all in the same condition. With the exception of the Platte 
 bottom, the country seemed to be of a clay formation, dry, and 
 perfectly devoid of any moisture, and baked hard by the sun. 
 Turning off towards the river, we reached the bank in about a 
 mile, and were delighted to find an old tree, with thick foliage 
 and spreading branches, where we encamped. At sunset, the 
 barometer was at 25-950, thermometer 81°, with a strong 
 wind from S. 20° E., and the sky partially covered with heavy 
 masses of cloud, which settled a little towards the horizon by 
 ten o'clock, leaving it sufficiently clear for astronomical obser- 
 vations, v,hi<'h placed us in latitude 40° 33' 26^', and longitude 
 103° 30' 37''. 
 
 8th. — The morning was very pleasant. The breeze was 
 fresh from S. 50° E., with few clouds j the barometer at six 
 o'clock standing at 25*970, and the thermometer at 70°. Since 
 leaving the forks our route had passed over a country alter* 
 nately clay and sand, each presenting the same naked waste. 
 On leaving camp this morning, we struck again a sandy 
 region, in which the vegetation appeared somewhat more vig- 
 orous than that which we had observed for the last few days ; 
 and on the opposite side of the river were some tolerably large 
 groves of timber. 
 
 Journeying along, we came suddenly upon a place where 
 the ground was covered with horses' tracks, which had been 
 made since the rain, and indicated the immediate presence of 
 Indians in our neighborhood. The buffalo, too, whicn the day 
 before had been so numerous, were nowhere in sight — another 
 
 m 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrat|vb. 35 
 
 sure indication that there were people near. Riding on, we 
 discovered the carcass of a buffalo recently killed — perhaps 
 the day before. We scanned the horizon carefully with the 
 glass, but no living object was to be seen. For the next mile 
 or two, the ground was dotted with buffalo carcasses, which 
 showed that the Indians had made a surround here, and were 
 in considerable force. We went on quickly and cautiously, 
 keeping the river bottom, and carefully avoiding the hills ; but 
 we met with no interruption, and began to grow careless again. 
 We had already lost one of our horses, and here Basil's mule 
 showed symptoms of giving out, and finally refused to advance, 
 being what the Canadians call reste. He therefore dismounted, 
 and drove her along before him ; but this was a very slow way 
 of traveling. We had inadvertently got about half a mile in 
 advance, but our Cheyennes, who were generally a mile or 
 two in the rear, remained with him. There were some dark- 
 looking objects among the hills, about two miles to the left, 
 here low and undulating, which we had seen for a little time, 
 and supposed to be buffalo coming in to water ; but, happening 
 to look behind. Maxwell saw the Cheyennes whipping up 
 furiously, and another glance at the dark objects showed them 
 at once to be Indians coming up at speed. 
 
 Had we been well mounted and disencumbered of instru- 
 ments, we might have set them at defiance ; but as it was, we 
 ^ were fairly caught. It was too late to rejoin our friends, and 
 we endeavored to gain a clump of timber about half a mile 
 ahead ; but the instruments and tired state of our horses did 
 not allow us to go faster than a steady canter, and they were 
 gaining on us fast. At first, they did not appear to be more 
 than fifteen or twenty in number, but group after group darted 
 into view at the top of the hills, until all the little eminences 
 seemed in motion ; and, in a few minutes from the time they 
 were first discovered, two or three hundred, naked to the breech- 
 cloth, were sweeping across the prairie. In a few hundred 
 yards we discovered that the timber we were endeavoring to 
 make was on the opposite side of the river ; and before we 
 could reach the bank, down came the Indians upon us. 
 
 I am inclined to think that in a few seconds more the lead- 
 
M CAPT. fbkmont's narrative. [July, 
 
 ing man, and perhaps some of his companions, would have 
 rolled in the dust ; for we had jerked the covers from our 
 guns, and our fingers were on the triggers. Men in such 
 cases generally act from instinct, and a charge from three 
 hundred naked savages is a circumstance not well calculated 
 to promote a cool exercise of judgment. Just as he was about 
 to fire. Maxwell recognised the leading Indian, and shouted to 
 him in the Indian language, " You're a fool, G — damn you — 
 don't you know me ?" The sound of his own language seemed 
 to shock the savage ; and, swerving his horse a little, he passed 
 us like an arrow. He wheeled, as I rode out towards him, and 
 gave me his hand, striking his breast and exclaiming " Ara- 
 paho !" They proved to be a village of that nation, among 
 whom Maxwell had resided as a trader a year or two pre- 
 viously, and recognised him accordingly. We were soon in 
 the midst of the band, answering as well as we could a multi- 
 tude of questions ; of which the very first was, of what tribe 
 were our Indian companions who were coming in the rear ? 
 They seemed disappointed to know that they were Cheyennes, 
 for they had fally anticipated a grand dance around a Pawnee 
 scalp that night. 
 
 The chief showed us his village at a grove on the river six 
 miles ahead, and pointed out a band of buiTalo on the other 
 side of the Plotte, immediately opposite us, which he said they 
 were going to surround. They had seen the band early in 
 the morning from their village, and had been making a large 
 circuit, to avoid giving them the wind, when they discovered 
 us. In a few minutes the women came galloping up, astride 
 on their horses, and naked from their knees down and the hips 
 up. They followed the men, to assist in cutting up and carry- 
 ing off the meat. 
 
 The wind was blowing directly across the river, and the 
 chief requested us to halt where we were for awhile, in order 
 to avoid raising the hcd. We therefore unsaddled our horses, 
 and sat down on the bank to view the scene ; and our new ac- 
 quaintances rode a few hundred yards lower down, and began 
 crossing the river. Scores of wild-looking dogs followed, 
 looking like troops of wolves, and having, in fact, but very 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 87 
 
 little of the dog in their composition. Some of them remained 
 with us, and I checked one of the men, whom I found aiming 
 at one, which he was about to kill for a wolf. The day had 
 become very hot. The air was clear, with a very slight 
 breeze; and now, at 12 o'clock, while the baronreter stood at 
 25-920, the attached thermometer was at 108° Our Chey- 
 ennes had learned that with the Arapaho village were about 
 twenty lodges of their own, including their own families j 
 they therefore immediately commenced making their oilette. 
 After bathing in the river, they invested themselves in some 
 handsome calico shirts, which I afterwards learned they had 
 stolen from my own men, and spent some time in arranging 
 their hair and painting themselves with some vermilion I had 
 given them. While they were engaged in this satisfactory 
 manner, one of their half-wild horses, to which the crowd of 
 prancing animals which hud just passed had recalled the free- 
 dom of her existence among the wild droves on the prairie, 
 suddenly dashed into the hills at the top of her speed. She 
 was their pack-horse, and had on her back all the worldly 
 wealth of our poor Cheyennes, all their accoutrements, and all 
 the little articles which they had picked up among us, with 
 some few presents I haJ given them. The loss which they 
 seemed to regret most were their spears and shields, and some 
 tobacco which they had received from me. However, they 
 bore it all with the philosophy of an Indian, and laughingly 
 continued their toilette. They appeared, however, to be a 
 little mortified at the thought of returning to the village in 
 such a sorry plight. "Our people will laugh at us," said one 
 of them, " returning to the village on foot, instead of driving 
 back a drove of Pawnee horses." He demanded to know if I 
 loved my sorrel hunter very much ; to which I replied, he was 
 the object of my most intense affection. Far from being able 
 to give;, I was myself in want of horses ; and any suggestion 
 of porting with the few I had valuable, was met with a per- 
 emptory refusal. In the mean time, the slaughter was about 
 to commence on the other side. So soon as they reached it, 
 the Indians separated into two bodies. One party proceeded 
 directly across the prairie, towards the hills, in an extended 
 
88 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [July, 
 
 line, while the other went up the river ; and instantly as they 
 had given the wind to the herd, the chase commenced. The 
 buffalo started for the hills, but were iincrcepted and driven 
 back towards the river, broken and running in every directioi , 
 The clouds of dust soon covered the whole scene, preventing 
 us from having any but an occasional view. It had a verj 
 singular appearance to us at a distance, especially when look- 
 ing with the glass. We were too far to hear the report of the 
 guns, or any sound ; and at every instant, through the clouds 
 of dust, which the sun made luminous, we could see for a 
 moment two or three buffalo dashing along, and close behind 
 them an Indian with his long spear, or other weapon, and in- 
 stantly again they disappeared. The apparent silence, and 
 the dimly seen figures flitting by with such rapidity, gave it a I 
 / iciB4^4>f dreamy effect, and seemed more like a picture than a 
 scene of real life. It had been a 'large herd when the ceme 
 Qommenced, probably three or four hundred in number ; but, 
 though I watched them closely, I did not see one emerge from 
 the fatal cloud where the work of destruction was going on. 
 After remaining here about an hour, we resumed our journey 
 in the direction of the village. 
 
 Gradually, as we rode on, Indian afler Indian came drop- 
 ping along, laden with meat ; and by the time we had neared 
 the lodges, the backward road was covered with the returning 
 horsemen. It was a pleasant contrast with the desert road we 
 had been traveling. Several had joined company with us, and 
 one of the chiefs invited us to his lodge. The village con- 
 sisted of about one hundred and twenty-five lodges, of which 
 twenty were Cheyennes ; the latter pitched a little apart from 
 the Arapahoes. They were disposed in a scattering manner 
 on both sides of a broad, irregular street, about one hundred 
 and fifly feet wide, and running along the river. As we rode 
 along, I remarked near some of the lodges a kind of tripod 
 frame, formed of three slender poles of birch, scraped very 
 clean, to which were affixed the shield and sponr, with some 
 other weapons of a chief. All were scrupulously clean, the 
 spear-head was burnished bright, and the shield white and 
 stainless. It reminded me of the days of feudal chivalry ; 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 39 
 
 and when, as I rode by, I yielded to the passing impulse, and 
 touched one of the spotless shields with the muzzle of my gun, 
 [ almost expected a grim warrior to start from the lodge and 
 resent my challenge. The master of the lodge spread out a 
 robe for me to sit upon, and the squaws set before us a large 
 wooden dish of buffalo meat. He had lit his pipe in the mean 
 while, and when it had been passed around, we commenced 
 our dinner while he continued to smoke. Gradually, however, 
 five or six other chiefs came in, and took their seats in silence. 
 When we had finished, our host asked a number of questions 
 relative to the object of our journey, of which I made no con- 
 cealment ; telling him simply that I had made a visit to see 
 the country, preparatory to the establishment of military posts 
 on the way to the mountains. Although this was information 
 of the highest interest to them, and by no means calculated to 
 please them, it excited no expression of surprise, and in no 
 way altered the grave courtesy of their demeanor. The 
 others listened and smoked. I remarked, that in taking the 
 pipe for the fi»'st time, each had turned the stem upward, with 
 a rapid glance, as in offering to the Great Spirit, before he put 
 it in his mouth. A storm had been gathering for the past 
 hour, and some pattering drops in the lodge warned us that we 
 had some miles to our camp. An Indian had given Max- 
 well a bundle of dried meat, which was very acceptable, as 
 we had nothing ; and, springing upon our horses, we rode off 
 at dusk in the face of a cold shower and driving wind. We 
 found our companions under some densely foliaged old trees, 
 about three miles up the river. Under one of them lay the 
 trunk of a large Cottonwood, to leeward of which the men 
 had kindled a fire, and we sat here and roasted our meat in 
 tolerable shelter. Nearly opposite was the mouth of one 
 of the most considerable affluents of the South fork, la Fourche 
 aux Castors, (Beaver fork,) heading off in the ridge to the 
 southeast. 
 
 9th, — This morning we caught the first faint glimpse of the 
 Rocky mountains, about sixty miles distant. Though a tolera- 
 bly bright day, there was a slight mist, and we were just able 
 10 discern the snowy summit of " Long's peak," (" les deux 
 
40 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jt 
 
 oreilles" of the Canadians,) showing like a cloud near the 
 horizon. I found it easily distinguishable, there being a per- 
 ceptible difference in its appearance from the white clouds that 
 were floating about the sky. I was pleased to find that among 
 the traders the name of " Long's peak" had been adopted and 
 become familiar in the country. In the ravines near this 
 place, a light brown sandstone made its first appearance. 
 About 8, we discerned several persons on horseback a mile or 
 two ahead, on the opposite side of the river. They turned in 
 towards the river, and we rode down to meet them. We found 
 them to be two white men, and a mulatto named Jim Beck- 
 with, who had left St. Louis when a boy, and gone to live with 
 the Crow Indians. He had distinguished himself among them 
 by some acts of daring bravery, and had risen to the rank of 
 chief, but had now, for some years, left them. They were in 
 search of a band of horses that had gone off from a camp 
 some miles above, in charge of Mr. Chabonard. Two of them 
 continued down the river, in search of the horses, and the 
 American turned back with us, and we rode on towards the 
 camp. About eight miles from our sleeping-place, we reached 
 Bijou's fork, an affluent of the right bank. Where we crossed 
 it, a short distance from the Platte, it has a sandy bed about 
 four hundred yards broad ; the water in various small streams,. 
 a few inches deep. Seven miles further brought us to the camp 
 of some four or five whites, (New Englanders, I believe,) who 
 had accompanied Captain Wyeth to the Columbia river, and 
 were independent trappers. All had their squaws with them, 
 and I was really surprised at the number of little fat, bufl!alo- 
 fed boys that were tumbling about the camp, all apparently of 
 the same age, about three or four years old. They were en- 
 camped on a rich bottom, covered with a profusion of rich 
 grass, and had a large number of fine-looking horses and 
 mules. We rested with them a few minutes, and in about two 
 miles arrived at Chabonard's camp, on an island in the Platte 
 On the heights above, we met the first Spaniasd I had seen in 
 the country. Mr. Chabonard was in the service of Bent and 
 St. Vrain's company, and had left their fort some forty or 
 fifty miles above, in the spring, with boats laden with the furs 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 41 
 
 of the last year's trade. He had met the same fortune as the 
 voyageurs on the North fork ; and, finding it impossible to 
 proceed, had taken up his summer's residence on this island, 
 wliich he had named St. Helena. The river hills appeared to 
 be composed entirely of sand, and the Platte had lost the 
 muddy character of its waters, and here was tolerably clear. 
 From the mouth of the South fork, 1 had found it occasionally 
 broken up by small islands ; and at the time of our journey, 
 which was at a season of the year when the waters were at a 
 favorable stage, it was not navigable for any thing drawing 
 six inches waler. The current was very swift — the bed of 
 the stream a coarse gravel. From the place at which we had 
 encountered the Arapahoes, the Platte had been tolerably well 
 fringed with timber, and the island here had a fine grove of 
 vory large cotton woods, under whose broad shade the tents 
 were pitched. There was a large drove of horses in the op- 
 posite prairie bottom ; smoke was rising from the scattered fires, 
 and the encampment had quite a patriarchal air. Mr. C. re- 
 ceived us hospitably. One of the people was sent to gather 
 mint, with the aid of which he concocted very good julep •, 
 and some boiled buffalo tongue, and coffee with the luxury 
 of sugar, were soon set before us. The people in his employ 
 were generally Spaniards, and among them I saw a young 
 Spanish woman from Taos, whom I found to be Beckwith's 
 wife. 
 
 10th. — We parted with our hospitable host after breakfast 
 the next morning, and reached St. Vrain's fort, about forty-five 
 miles from St. Helena, late in the evening. This post is situ- 
 ated on the South fork of the Platte, immediately under the 
 mountains, about seventeen miles east of Long's peak. Ii is 
 on the right bank, on the verge of the upland prairie, about 
 forty feet above the river, of which the immediate valley is 
 about six hundred yards wide. The stream is divided into 
 various branches by small islands, among which it runs with 
 a swift current. The bed of the river is sand and gravel, the 
 water very clear, and here may be called a mountain-stream. 
 This region appears to be entirely free from the limestones and 
 marls which give to the Lower Platte its yellow and dirty color. 
 
4a CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [July, 
 
 i 
 
 The Black hills lie between the stream and the mountains, ^ 
 whose snowy peaks glitter a few miles beyond. At the fort 
 we found Mr. St. Vrain, who received us with much kindness 
 and hospitality. Maxwell had spent the last two or three years 
 between this post and the village of Taos ; and here he was at 
 home, and among his friends. Spaniards frequently came 
 over in search of employment ; and several came in shortly 
 after our arrival. They usually obtain about six dollars a 
 month, generally paid to them in goods. They are very use- 
 ful in a camp, in taking care of horses and mules ; and I en 
 gaged one, who proved to be an active, laborious man, and was 
 of very considerable service to me. The elevation of the 
 Platte here is five thousand four hundred feet above the sea. 
 The neighboring mountains did not appear to enter far the re- I 
 gion of perpetual snow, which was generally confined to the l 
 northern side of the peaks. On the southern, I remarked very | 
 little. Here it appeared, so far as 1 could judge in the dis- | 
 tance, to descend but a few. hundred feet below the summits. J 
 
 I regretted that time did not permit me to visit them ; but I 
 the proper object of my survey lay among the mountains far- | 
 ther north ; and I looked forward to an exploration of their | 
 snowy recesses with great pleasure. The piney region of the | 
 mountains to the south was enveloped in smoke, and I was in- ■« 
 formed had been on fire for several months. Pike's peak is 
 said to be visible from this place, about one hundred miles to 
 the southward ; but the smoky state of the atmosphere prevent- 
 ed my seeing it. The weather continued overcast during my 
 stay here, so that I failed in determining the latitude, but ob- 
 tained good observations for the time on the mornings of the 
 11th and 12th. An assumed latitude of 40° 22' 30" from the 
 evening position of the 12th, enabled me to obtain for a toler- 
 ably correct longitude, 105° 12' 12". 
 
 12th. — The kindness of Mr. St. Vrain enabled me to obtain i 
 a couple of horses and three good mules ; and, with a further 
 addition to our party of the Spaniard whom I had hired, and 
 two others, who were going to obtain service at Laramie's fork, 
 we resumed our journey at ten, on the morning of the 12th. 
 We had been able to procure nothing at the post in the way 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 43 
 
 of provision. An expected supply from Taos had not yet ar- 
 rived, and a few pounds of coffee was all that could be spared 
 to us. In addition to this we had dried meat enough for the 
 first day ; on the next, we expected to find buflfalo. From this 
 post, according to the estimate of the country, the fort at the 
 mouth of Laramie's fork, which was our next point of destina- 
 tion, was nearly due north, distant about one hundred and 
 twenty.five miles. 
 
 For a short distance our road lay down the valley of the 
 Platte, which resembled a garden in the splendor of fields of 
 varied flowers, which filled the air with fragrance. The only 
 timber I noticed consisted of poplar, birch, cottonwood, and 
 willow. In something less than three miles we crossed Thomp- 
 son's creek, one of the affluents to the left bank of the South 
 fork — a fine stream about sixty-five feet wide, and three feet 
 deep. Journeying on, the low dark line of the Black hills 
 lying between us and the mountains to the left, in about ten 
 miles from the fort, we reached Cache d la Poudre, where we 
 halted to noon. This is a very beautiful mountain-stream, 
 about one hundred feet wide, flowing with a full swift current 
 over a rocky bed. We halted under the shade of some cotton- 
 woods, with which the stream is wooded scatteringly. In the 
 upper part of its course, it runs amid the wildest mountain 
 scenery, and, breaking through the Black hills, falls into the 
 Platte about ten miles below this place. In the course of our 
 late journey, I had managed to become the possessor of a very 
 untractable mule — a perfect vixen — and her I had turned over 
 to my Spaniard. It occupied us about half an hour to-day to 
 get the saddle upon her ; but, once on her back, Jose could not 
 be dismounted, realizing the accounts given of Mexican horses 
 and horsemanship ; and we continued our route in the after- 
 noon. 
 
 At evening, we encamped on Crow creek, having traveled 
 about twenty-eight miles. None of the party were well ac- 
 quainted whh the country, and I had great diflliculty in ascer- 
 taining what were the names of the streams we crossed between 
 the North and South forks of the Platte. This I supposed to 
 be Crow creek. It is what is called a salt stream, and the 
 
44 OAPT. frem«nt's narrative. [July, 
 
 v/ater stands in pools, having no continuous course. A fine- 
 grained sandstone made its appearance in the banks. The ob- 
 servations of the night placed us in latitude 40*^ 42', longitude 
 104° 57' 49". The barometer at sunset was 25-231 ; attached 
 thermometer at 66°. Sky clear, except in the east, with a 
 light wind from the north. 
 
 13th. — There being no wood here, we used last night the 
 bois de vache, which is very plentiful. At our camp this 
 morning, the barometer was at 25*235 ; the attached thermom- 
 eter 60°. A few clouds were moving through a deep-blue 
 sky, with a light wind from the west. After a ride of twelve 
 miles, in a northerly direction, over a plain covered with innu- 
 merable quantities of cacti, we reached a small creek in which 
 there was water, and where several herds of buffalo were 
 scattered about among the ravines, which always afford good 
 pasturage. We seem now to be passing along the base of a 
 plateau of the Black hills, in which the formation consists of 
 marls, some of them white and laminated ; the country to the 
 left rising suddenly, and falling off gradually and uniformly to 
 the right. In five or six miles of a northeasterly course, we 
 struck a high ridge, broken into conical peaks, on whose sum- 
 mits large boulders were gathered in heaps. The magnetic 
 direction of the ridge is northwest and southeast, the glittering 
 white of its precipitous sides making it visible for many miles 
 to the south. It is composed of a soft earthy limestone and 
 marls, resembling that hereafter described in the neighbor- 
 hood of the Chimney rock, on the North fork of the Platte, 
 easily worked by the winds and rains, and sometimes moulded 
 into very fantastic shapes. At the foot of the northern slope 
 was the bed of a creek, some forty feet wide, coming, by fre- 
 quent falls, from the bench above. It was shut in by high, 
 perpendicular banks, in which were strata of white laminated 
 marl. Its bed was perfectly dry, and the leading feature of 
 the whole region is one of remarkable aridity, and perfect 
 freedom from moisture. In about six miles we crossed the 
 bed of another dry creek ; and, continuing our ride over a high 
 level prairie, a little before sundown we came suddenly upon 
 ft beautiful creek, which revived us with a feeling of delighted 
 
1642.] CAPT. fr£Moi«t's narrativh. 45 
 
 surprise by the pleasant contrast of the deep verdure of its 
 banks with the parched desert we had passed. We had suf- 
 fered much to-day, both men and horses, for want of water ; 
 having met with it but once in our uninterrupted march of 
 forty miles ; and an exclusive meat diet creates much thirst. 
 
 *' Les bestias iienen mucha hambre" said the young Spaniard, 
 inquiringly : " y la genie tambien" said I, " amiago, we'll camp 
 here." A stream of good and clear water ran winding about 
 through the little valley, and a herd of buffalo were quietly 
 feeding a little distance below. It was quite a hunter's para- 
 dise ; and while some ran down towards the band to kill one 
 for supper, others collected bois de vache for a fire, there being 
 no wood ; and I amused myself with hunting for plants among 
 the grass. 
 
 It will be seen, by occasional remarks on the geological 
 formation, that the constituents of the soil in these regions are 
 good, and every day served to strengthen the impression in 
 my mind, confirmed by subsequent observation, that the barren 
 appearance of the country is due almost entirely to the ex- 
 treme dryness of the climate. Along our route, the country had 
 seemed to increase constantly in elevation. According to the 
 indication of the barometer, we were at our encampment 5,440 
 feet above the sea. 
 
 The evening was very clear, with a fresh breeze from the 
 south, 50° east. The barometer at sunset was 24-802, the 
 thermometer attached showing 68°. I supposed this to be a 
 fork of Lodge Pole creek, so far as I could determine from our 
 uncertain means of information. Astronomical observations 
 gave for the camp a longitude of 104° 39' 37'^, and latitude 
 41° 08' 31''. 
 
 14th. — The wind continued fresh fiom the same quarter in 
 the morning ; the day being clear, with the exception of a few 
 cloudvs in the horizon. At our camp, at six o'clock, the height 
 of the barometer was 24-830, the attached thermometer 61°. 
 Our course this morning was directly north by compass, the 
 variation being 15° or 16° easterly. A ride of four miles 
 brought us to Lodge Pole creek, which we had seen at the 
 mouth of the South fork ; crossing on the way two dry streams. 
 
46 CAPT. fkkmont's narrative. [Jult, 
 
 in eighteen miles from our encampment of the past night, we 
 reached a high bleak ridge, composed entirely of the same 
 earthy limestone and marl previously described. I had never 
 seen any thing which impressed so strongly on my mind a 
 feeling of desolation. The valley, through which ran the 
 waters of Horse creek, lay in view to the north, but too far to 
 have any influence on the immediate view. On the peak of 
 the ridge where I was standing, some seven hundred feet 
 above the river, the wind was high and bleak ; the barren and 
 arid country seemed as if it had been swept by fires, and in 
 every direction the same dull ash-colored hue, derived from 
 the formation, met the eye. On the summits were some 
 stunted pines, many of them dead, all wearing the same ashen 
 hue of desolation. We left the place with pleasure ; and, 
 after we had descended several hundred feet, halted in one of 
 the ravines, which, at the distance of every mile or two, cut 
 the flanks of the ridge with little rushing streams, wearing 
 something of a mountain character. We had already begun 
 to exchange the comparatively barren lands for those of a 
 more fertile character. Though the sandstone formed the 
 broken banks of the creek, yet they were covered with a thin 
 grass ; and the fifty or sixty feet which formed the bottom land 
 of the little stream were clothed with very luxuriant grass, 
 among which 1 remarked willow and cherry, (cerasus vir 
 giniana,) and a quantity of gooseberry and currant bushes oc 
 cupied the greater part. 
 
 The creek was three or four feet broad, and about six inches 
 deep, with a swift current of clear water, and tolerably cool. 
 We had struck it too low down to find the cold water, which 
 we should have enjoyed nearer to its sources. At two, p. m., 
 the barometer was at 25-050, and the attached thermometer 
 104°. A day of hot sunshine, with clouds, and moderate 
 breeze from the south. Continuing down the stream, in abou' 
 four miles we reached its mouth, at one of the main branche; 
 of Horse creek. Looking back upon the ridge, whose direc 
 tion appeared to be a little to the north of east, we saw it 
 seamed at frequent mtervals with the dark lines of wooded 
 streams, affluents of the river that flowed so far as we could 
 
1842.] CAPT. feemont's narrative. 47 
 
 see along its base. We crossed, in the space of twelve miles 
 from our noon halt, three or four forks of Horse creek, and 
 encamped at sunset on the most easterly. 
 
 The fork on which we encamped appeared to have followed 
 an easterly direction up to this place ; but here it makes a 
 very sudden bend to the north, passing between two ranges of 
 precipitous hills, called, as I was informed, Goshen's hole. 
 There is somewhere in or near this locality a place so called, 
 but I am not certain that it was the place of our encampment. 
 Looking back upon the spot, at the distance of a few miles to 
 the northward, the hills appear to shut in the prairie, through 
 which runs the creek, with a semicircular sweep, which might 
 very naturally be called a hole in the hills. The geological 
 composition of the ridge is the same which constitutes the rock 
 of the Court-house and Chimney, on the North fork, which ap- 
 peared to me a continuation of this ridge. The winds and 
 rains work this formation into a variety of singular forms. The 
 pass into Goshen's hole is about two miles wide, and the hill 
 on the western side imitates, in an extraordinary manner, a 
 massive fortified place, with a remarkable fulness of detail. 
 The rock is marl and earthy limestone, white, without the 
 least appearance of vegetation, and much resembles masonry 
 at a little distance ; and here it sweeps around a level area 
 two or three hundred yards in diameter, and in the form of a 
 half moon, terminating on either extremity in enormous bas- 
 tions. Along the whole line of the parapets appear domes 
 and slender minarets, forty or fifty feet high, giving it every 
 appearance of an old fortified town. On the waters of White 
 river, where this formation exists in great extent, it presents 
 appearances which excite the admiration of the solitary voy- 
 ageur, and form a frequent theme of their conversation when 
 speaking of the wonders of the country. Sometimes it offers 
 the perfectly illusive appearance of a large city, with numer- 
 ous streets and magnificent buildings, among which the Cana- 
 dians never fail to see their cabaret — and sometimes it takes 
 the form of a solitary house, with many large chambers, into 
 which they drive their horses at night, and sleep in these nat- 
 ural defences perfectly secure from any attack of prowling 
 
48 CAPT. Fremont's nahrativk. [July, 
 
 lavages. Before reaching our camp at Goshen s hole, in 
 crossing the immense detritus at the foot of the Castle rock, we 
 Were involved amidst winding passages cut by the waters of 
 the hill ; and where, with a breadth scarcely large enough 
 for the passage of a horse, the walls rise thirty and forty feet 
 perpendicularly. This formation supplies the discoloration of 
 the Platte. At sunset, the height of the mercurial column was 
 25'500, the attached thermometer 80°, and wind moderate 
 from S. 38° E. Clouds covered the sky with the rise of the 
 moon, but I succeeded in obtaining the usual astronomical ob- 
 servations, which placed us in latitude 41° 40^ 13''^, and longi- 
 tude 104° 24' 36''. 
 
 15th. — At six this morning, the barometer was at 25*515 
 the thermometer 72° ; the day was fine, with some clouds 
 looking dark on the south, with a fresh breeze from the same 
 quarter. We found that in our journey across the country 
 we had kept too much to the eastward. This morning, ac- 
 cordingly, we traveled by compass some 15 or 20 to the west 
 of north, and struck the Platte some thirteen miles below Fort 
 Laramie. The day was extremely hot, and among the hills 
 the wind seemed to have just issued from an oven. Our 
 horses were much distressed, as we had traveled hard ; and 
 it was with some difficulty that they were all brought to the 
 Platte, which we reached at one o'clock. In riding in towards 
 the river, we found the trail of our carts, which appeared to 
 have passed a day or two since. 
 
 After having allowed our animals two hours for food and 
 repose, we resumed our journey, and towards the close of the 
 day came in sight of Laramie's fork. Issuing from the river 
 hills, we came first in view of Fort Platte, a post belonging to 
 Messrs. Sybille, Adams & Co., situated immediately in the 
 point of land at the junction of Larumie with the Platte. Like 
 'he post we had visited on the South fork, it was built of earth, 
 and still unfinished, being enclosed with walls (or rather 
 houses) on three of the sides, and open on the fourth to the 
 river. A few hundred yards brought us in view of the post 
 of the American Fur Company, called Fort John, or Laramie. 
 This was a large post having more the air of military con- 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativs. 48 
 
 struction than the fort at the mouth of the river. It is on the 
 left bank, on a rising ground some twenty-five feet above the 
 water; and its lofty walls, whitewashed and picketed, with 
 the large bastions at the angles, gave it quite an imposing ap- 
 pearance in the uncertain light of evening. A cluster of 
 lodges, which the language told us belonged to Sioux Indians, 
 was pitched under the walls ; and, with the fine background 
 of the Black hills and the prominent peak of Laramie moun- 
 tain, strongly drawn in the clear light of the western sky, 
 where the sun had already set, the whole formed at the mo- 
 ment a strikingly beautiful picture. From the company at 
 St. Louis I had letters for Mr. Boudeau, the gentleman in 
 charge of the post, by whom I was received with great hospi- 
 tality and an efficient kindness, which was invaluable to me 
 during my stay in the country. I found our people encamped 
 on the bank, a short distance above the fort. All were well 
 and, in the enjoyment of a bountiful supper, which coffee and 
 Dread made luxurious to us, we soon forgot the fatigues of the 
 •ast ten days. 
 
 16th. — I found that, during my absence, the situation of af. 
 fairs had undergone some change ; and the usual quiet and 
 somewhat monotonous regularity of the camp had given place 
 to excitement and alarm. The circumstances which occasion- 
 ed this change will be found narrated in the following extract 
 from the journal of Mr. Preuss, which commences with the 
 day of our separation on the South fork of the Platte : 
 
 " Gth. — We crossed the plateau or highland between the two 
 forks in about six hours. I let my horse go as slow as he 
 liked, to indemnify us both for the previous hardship; and 
 about noon we reached the North fork. There was no sign 
 that our party had passed ; we rode, therefore, to some pine 
 trees, unsaddled the horses, and stretched our limbs on the 
 grass, awaiting the arrival of our company. After remaining 
 here two hours, my companion became impatient, mounted his 
 horse again, and rode off down the river to see if he could dis- 
 cover our people. I felt so marode yet, that it was a horrible 
 idea to tne to bestride that saddle again ; so I lay still. I knew 
 they could not come any other way, and then my companion, 
 8 
 
10 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. L^^lt, 
 
 one of the best men of the company, would not abandon me. 
 The sun went down — he did not come. Uneasy I did not feel, 
 but very hungry. I had no provisions, but I could make a 
 fire ; and as I espied two doves in a tree, I tried to kill one. 
 But it needs a better marksman than myself to kill a little bird 
 with a rifle. I made a fire, however, lighted my pipe — this 
 true friend of mine in every emergency-r-lay down, and let 
 my thoughts wander to the far east. It was not many minutes 
 after when I heard the tramp of a horse, and my faithful com- 
 panion was by my side. He had found the party, who had 
 been delayed by making their cache, about seven miles bek)w. 
 To the good supper which he brought with him I did ample 
 justice. He had forgotten salt, and I tried the soldier's substi- 
 tute in time of war, and used gunpowder; but it answered 
 badly — bitter enough, but no flavor of kitchen salt. 1 slept 
 well ; and was only disturbed by two owls, which were at- 
 tracted by the fire, and took their place in the tree under which 
 we slept. Their music seemed as disagreeable to my compan- 
 ion as to myself J he fired his rifle twice, and then they let 
 us alone. 
 
 " 7th. — At about 10 o'clock, the party arrived ; and we con- 
 tinued our journey through a country which ofl'ered but little 
 to interest the traveler. The soil wiss much more sandy than 
 in the valley below the confluence of the forks, and the face 
 of the country no longer presented the refreshing green which 
 had hitherto characterized it. The rich grass was now found 
 only in dispersed spots, on low grounds, and on the bottom land 
 of the streams. A long drought, joined to extreme heat, had 
 so parched up the upper prairies, that they were in many 
 places bald, or covered only with a thin growth of yellow and 
 poor grass. The nature of the soil renders it extremely sus- 
 ceptible to the vicissitudes of the climate. Between the forks, 
 and from their junction to the Black hills, the formation con- 
 sists of marl and a soft earthy limestone, with granitic sand- 
 stone. Such a formation cannot give rise to a sterile soil; 
 and, on our return in September, when the country hud been 
 wc^ered by frequent rains, the valley of the Platte looked like 
 * garden ; so rich was the verdura of the grosses, and no lux* 
 
1642.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 61 
 
 uriant the bloom of abundant flowers. The Avild sage begins 
 to make its appearance, and timber is so scarce that we gen- 
 erally made our fires of the bois de vache. With the exception 
 of now and then an isolated tree or two, standing like a light- 
 house on the river bank, there is none to be seen. 
 
 " 8th. — Our road to-day was a solitary one. No game made 
 its appearance — not even a buffalo or a stray antelope ; and 
 nothing occurred to break the monotony until about 5 o'clock, 
 when the caravan made a sudden halt. There was a galloping 
 in of scouts and horsemen from every side — a hurrying to and 
 fro in noisy confusion ; rifles were taken from their covers ; 
 bullet pouches examined : in short, there was the cry of * In. 
 dians,' heard again. I had become so much accustomed to 
 these alarms, that they now made but little impression on me ; 
 and before I had time to become excited, the new-comers were 
 osoertained to be whites. It was a large party of traders and 
 trappers, conducted by Mr. Bridger, a man well known in the 
 history of the country. As the sun was low, and there was a 
 fine grass patch not far ahead, they turned back and encamped 
 for the night with us. Mr. Bridger was invited to supper; 
 and, after the table-cloth was removed, we listened with eager 
 interest to an account of their adventures. What they had 
 met, we would be likely to encounter ; the chances which hid 
 befallen them, would probably happen to us ; and we looked 
 upon their life as a picture of our own. He informed us that 
 the condition of the country had become exceedingly dangerous. 
 The Sioux, who had been badly disposed, had broken out into 
 open hostility, and in the preceding autumn his party had en- 
 countered them in a severe engagement, in which a number 
 of lives had been lost, on both sides. United with the Che- 
 venne and Gros Ventre Indians, they were scouring the upper 
 country in war parties of great force, and were at this time in 
 the neighborhood of the Red Buites, a famous landmark, which 
 was directly in our path. They had declared war upon every 
 living thing that should be found westward of that point ; 
 though the' ,nain object was to attack a large camp of whites 
 and Snake Indians, who had a rendezvous in the Sweet Water 
 Valley. Availing himself of hia intimate knowledge of thi» 
 
62 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [JuLt, 
 
 country, he had reached Laramie by an unusual route through 
 the Black hills, and avoided coming into contact with any of 
 the scattered parties. This gentleman offered his services to 
 accompany us as far as the head of the Sweet Water ; but the 
 absence of our leader, which was deeply regretted by us all, 
 rendered it impossible for us to enter upon such arrangements. 
 In a camp consisting of men whose lives had been spent in 
 this country, I expected to find every one prepared for occur 
 rences of this nature ; but, to my great surprise, I found, on 
 the contrary, that this news had thrown them all into the great- 
 est consternation ; and, on every side, I heard only one excla- 
 mation, *J/ n'y aura pas de vie pour nous.' All the night, 
 scattered groups were assembled around the fires, smoking 
 their pipes, and listening with the greatest eagerness to exag- 
 gerated details of Indian hostilities ; and in the morning I found 
 the camp dispirited, and agitated by a variety of conflicting 
 opinions. A majority of the people were strongly disposed to 
 return ; but Clement Lambert, \^nh some five or six others, 
 professed their determination to follow Mr. Fremont to the ut- 
 termost limit of his journey. The others yielded to their re- 
 monstrances, and somewhat ashamed of their cowardice, con 
 eluded to advance at least as far as Laramie fork, eastward of 
 which they were aware no danger was to be apprehended. 
 Notwithstanding the confusion and excitement, we were very 
 early on the road, as the days were extremely hot, and we 
 were anxious to profit by the freshness of the niorning. The 
 soft marly formation, over which we were now journeying, 
 frequently offers to the traveler views of remarkable and pic- 
 turesque beauty. To several of these localities, where the 
 winds and the rain have worked the bluffs into curious shapes, 
 the voyageurs have given names according to some fancied 
 resemblance. One of these, called the Court-house, we passed 
 about six miles from our encampment of last night, and towards 
 noon came in sight of the celebrated Chimney rock. It looks, 
 at this distance of about thirty miles, like what it is called — 
 tho long chimney of a steam factory establishment, or a shot 
 tower in Baltimore. Nothing occurred to interrupt the quiet 
 of the day, and we encamped on the river, aAer a march ot 
 
i842.] CAFT. Fremont's narrative. 58 
 
 twenty-four miles. Buflfalo had become very scarce, and but 
 one cow had been killed, of which the meat had been cut into 
 thin slices, and hung around the carts to dry. 
 
 " 10th. — We continued along the same fine plainly beaten 
 road, which the smooth surface of the country afforded us, for 
 a distance of six hundred and thirty miles, from the frontiers 
 of Missouri to the Laramie fork. In the course of the day we 
 met some whites, who were following along in the train of Mr. 
 Bridger ; and, after a day's journey of twenty-four miles, en- 
 camped about sunset at the Chimney rock. It consists of marl 
 and earthy limestone, and the weather is rapidly diminishing 
 its height, which is not more than two hundred feet above the 
 river. Travelers who visited it some years since, placed its 
 height at upwards of 500 feet. 
 
 "11th. — The valley of the North fork is of a variable 
 breadth, from one to four, and sometimes six miles. Fifteen 
 miles from the Chimney rock we reached one of those places 
 where the river strikes the bluffs, and forces the road to make 
 a considerable circuit over the uplands This presented an 
 escarpment on the river of about nine hundred yards in length, 
 and is familiarly known as Scott's bluffs. We had made a 
 journey of thirty miles before we again struck the river, at a 
 place where some scanty grass afforded an insufficient pas- 
 turage to our animals. About twenty miles from the Chimney 
 rock we had found a very beautiful spring of excellent and 
 cold water ; but it was in such a deep ravine, and so small, 
 that the animals could not profit by it, and we therefore halted 
 only a few minutes, and found a resting-place ten miles fur- 
 ther on. The plain between Scott's bluffs and Chimney rock 
 Was almost entirely covered with drift-w^ ''d, consisting princi- 
 pally of cedar, which, we were inforr dd, had been supplied 
 from the Black hills, in a flood five or six years since. 
 
 " r2th. — Nine miles from our encampment of yesterday we 
 crossed Horse creek, a shallow stream of clear water, about 
 seventy yards wide, falling into the Platte on the :ight bank. 
 It was lightly timbered, and great quantities of drift-wood were 
 piled up on the banks, appearing to be supplied by the creek 
 uom above. After a journey of twentv-six miles, we encamped 
 
ti CAPT. Fremont's NAiSArivs. [Jvlti 
 
 on a rich bottom, which afforded fine grass to our animals 
 Buffalo have entirely disappeared, and we live now upon the 
 dried meat, which is exceedingly poor food. The marl and 
 earthy limestone, which constituted the formation for several 
 days past, had chanjrjed, during the day, into a compact white 
 or grayish-white limestone, sometimes containing hornstone ; 
 and at the place of our encampment this evening, some strata 
 in the river hills cropped out to the height of thirty or forty 
 feet, consisting of fine-grained granitic sandstone ; one of the 
 strata closely resembling gneiss. 
 
 " 13th. — To-day, about four o'clock, we reached Fort La- 
 ramie, where we were cordially received. We pitched our 
 camp a little above the fort, on the bank of the Laramie river, 
 in which the pure and clear water of the mountain stream 
 looked refreshingly cool, and madtj a pleasant contrast to the 
 muddy, yellow waters of the Platte." 
 
 I walked up to visit our friends at the fort, which is a quad- 
 rangular structure, built of clay, after the fashion of the Mexi- 
 cans, who are generally employed in building them. The 
 walls are about fifteen feet high, surmounted with a wooden 
 palisade, and form a portion of ranges of houses, which entire. 
 ly surround a yard of about one hundred and thirty feet 
 square. Every apartment has its door and window, — all, of 
 course, opening on the inside. There are two entrances, op- 
 posite each other, and midway the wall, one of which is a 
 large and public entrance ; the other smaller and more pri- 
 vate — a sort of postern gate. Over the great entrance is a 
 square tower with loopholes, and, like the rest of the work, 
 built of earth. At two of the angles, and diagonally opposite 
 each other, are large square bastions, so arranged as to sweep 
 the four faces of the walls. 
 
 This post belongs to the American Fur Company, and, at 
 the time of our visit, was in charge of Mr. Boudeau. Two of 
 the company's clerks, Messrs. Galpin and Kellogg, were with 
 him, and he had in the fort about sixteen men. As usual, 
 these had found wives among the Indian squaws ; and, with 
 the usual accompaniment of children, the place had quite a 
 populous appearance. It is hardly necessary to say, that the 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narkativk. 65 
 
 object of the establishment is trade with the neighboring tribes^ 
 who, in the course of the year, generally make two or threo 
 visits to the fort. In addition to this, traders, with a small 
 outfit, are constantly kept amongst them. The articles of 
 trade consist, on the one side, almost entirely of buffalo robes ; 
 and, on the other, of blankets, calicoes, guns, powder and lead, 
 with such cheap ornaments as glass beads, looking-glasses, 
 rings, vermilion for painting, tobacco, and principally, and in 
 spite of the prohibition, of spirits, brought into the country in 
 the form of alcohol, and diluted with water before sold. While 
 .nentioning this fact, it is but justice to the American Fur 
 Company to state, that, throughout the country, I have always 
 found them strenuously opposed to the introduction of spiritu- 
 ous liquors. But in the present state of things, when the 
 country is supplied with alcohol — when a keg of it will pur- 
 chase from an Indian every thing he possesses — his furs, his 
 lodge, his horses, and even his wife and children — and when 
 any vagabond who has money enough to purchase a mule can 
 go into a village and trade against them successfully, without 
 withdrawing entirely from the trade, it is impossible for them 
 to discontinue its use. In their opposition to this practice, the 
 company is sustained, not only by their obligation to the laws 
 of the country and the welfare of the Indians, but clearly, also, 
 on grounds of policy ; for, with heavy and expensive outfits, 
 they contend at manifestly great disadvantage against the nu- 
 merous independent and unlicensed traders, who enter the 
 country from various avenues, from the United States and 
 from Mexico, having no other stock in trade than some kegs of 
 liquor, which they sell at the modest price of thirty-six dollars 
 per gallon. The difference between the regular trader and 
 the coureur des hois, (as the French call the itinerant or ped- 
 dling traders,) with respect to the sale of spirits, is here, as it 
 always has been, fixed and permanent, and growing out of the 
 nature of their trade. The regular trader looks ahead, and 
 has an interest in the preservation of the Indians, and in the 
 regular pursuit of their business, and the preservation of their 
 arms, horses, and every thing necessary to their future and 
 permanent success in hunting : the coureur des boU has no 
 
60 CAPT. Fremont's narrativb. [Jult, 
 
 permanenf interest, and gets what he can, and for what he can, 
 from every Indian he meets, even at the risk of disabling him 
 from doing any thing more at hunting. 
 
 The fort had a very cool and clean appearance. The great 
 entrance, in which I found the gentlemen assembled, and which 
 was floored, and about fifteen feet long, made a pleasant, 
 shaded seat, thro^gh which the breeze swept constantly ; for 
 this country is famous for high winds. In the course of the 
 conversation, I learned the following particulars, which will 
 explain the condition of the country. For several years the 
 Cheyennes and Sioux had gradually become more and more 
 hostile to the whites, and in the latter part of August, 1841, 
 had had a rather severe engagement with a part} of sixty men, 
 under the command of Mr. Frapp of St. Louis. The Indians 
 lost eight or ten warriors, and the whites had their leader and 
 four men killed. This fight took place on the waters of Snake 
 river ; and it was this party, on their return under Mr. Bridger, 
 which had spread so mucii alarm among my people. In the 
 course of the spring, two other small parties had been cut off 
 by the Sioux — one on their return from the Crow nation, and 
 the other among the Black hills. The emigrants to Oregon 
 and Mr. Bridger's party met here, a few days before our arri. 
 val. Divisions and misunderstandings had grown up among 
 them ; they were already somewhat disheartened by the fa- 
 tigue of their long and wearisome journey, and the feet of their 
 cattle had become so much worn as to be scarcely able to 
 travel. In this situation, they were not likely to find encour- 
 agement in the hostile attitude of the Indians, and the new and 
 unexpected difficulties which sprang up before them. They 
 were told that the country was entirely swept of grass, and that 
 few or no buffalo were to be found on their line of route ; and, 
 with their weakened animals, it would be impossible for them 
 to transport their heavy wagons over the mountains. Under 
 these circumstances, they disposed of their wagons and cattle 
 at the forts ; selling them at the prices they had paid in the 
 States, and taking in exchange colfee and sugar at one dollar 
 a pound, and miserable worn-out horses, which died before 
 they reached the mountains. Mr. Boudeau informed me that 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. tiff' 
 
 ae had purchased thirty, and the lower fort eighty head of fine 
 
 cattle, some of them of the Durham breed. Mr. Fitzpatrick, 
 
 whose name and high reputation are familiar to all who inter* 
 
 est themselves in the history of this country, had reached La- 
 
 ramie in company with Mr. Bridger ; and the emigrants were 
 
 fortunate enough to obtain his services to guide them as far as 
 
 '.he British post of Fort Hall, about two hundred and fifty miles 
 
 beyond the South Pass of the mountains. They had started 
 
 for this post on the 4th of July, and immediately after their de- 
 
 parture, a war party of three hundred and fifty braves set out 
 
 upon their trail. As their principal chief or partisan had lost 
 
 some relations in the recent fight, and had sworn to kill the 
 
 first whites on his path, it was supposed that their intention 
 
 was to attack the party, should a favorable opportunity offer ; 
 
 or, if they were foiled in their principal object by the vigilance 
 
 of Mr. Fitzpatrick, content themselves with stealing horses and 
 
 cutting off stragglers. These had been gone but a few days 
 
 previous to our arrival. 
 
 The effect of the engagement with Mr. Frapp had been 
 
 greatly to irritate the hostile spirit of the savages ; and imme< 
 
 diately subsequent to that event, the Gross Ventre Indians had 
 
 united with the Oglallahs and Cheyennes, and taken the field 
 
 in great force — so far as I could ascertain, to the amount of 
 
 eight hundred lodges. Their object was to make an attack on 
 
 a camp of Snake and Crow Indians, and a body of about one 
 
 hundred whites, who had made a rendezvous somewhere in the 
 
 Green river valley, or on the Sweet Water. After spending 
 
 some time in buffalo hunting in the neighborhood of the Medi* 
 
 cine Bow mountain, they were to cross over to the Green river 
 
 waters, and return to Laramie by way of the South Pass and 
 
 the Sweet Water valley. According to the calculation of the 
 
 Indians, Mr. Boudeau informed me they were somewhere near 
 
 the head of the Sweet Water. I subsequently learned that the 
 
 party led by Mr. Fitzpatrick were overtaken by their pursuers 
 
 near Rock Independence, in the valley of the Sweet Water ; 
 
 but his skill and resolution saved them from surprise ; and, 
 
 email as his force was, they did not venture to attack him open* 
 
 y. Here they lost one of their party by an accident, andi 
 3* 
 
K^ OAPT. prbmont's narrative. [Jul 
 
 oontiniiing up the valley, they came suddenly upon the largt 
 village. From these they met with a doubtful reception. Long 
 residence and familiar acquaintance had given to Mr. Fitzpat- 
 rick great personal influence among them, and a portion of 
 them were disposed to let him pass quietly ; but by far the 
 greater number were inclined to hostile measures ; and the 
 chiefs spent the whole of one night, during which they kept the 
 little party in the midst of them, in council, debating the ques- 
 tion of attacking them the next day ; but the influence of ** the 
 Broken Hand," as they called Mr. Fitzpatrick, (one of his 
 hands having been shattered by the bursting of a gun,) at 
 length prevailed, and obtained for them an unmolested pass- 
 age ; but they sternly assured him that this path was no longer 
 open, and that any party of the whites which should hereafter 
 be found upon it would meet with certain destruction. From 
 all that I have been able to learn, I have no doubt that the 
 emigrants owe their lives to Mr. Fitzpatrick. 
 
 Thus it would appear that the country was swarming with 
 scattered war parties ; and when I heard, during the day, the 
 various contradictory and exaggerated rumors which were in- 
 cessantly repeated to them, I was not surprised that so much 
 alarm prevailed among my men. Carson, one of the best and 
 most experienced mountaineers, fully supported the opinioii 
 given by Bridger of the dangerous state of the country, and 
 openly expressed his conviction that we could not escape with- 
 out some sharp encounters with the Indians. In addition to 
 this, he made his will ; and among the circumstances which 
 were constantly occurring to increase their alarm, this was the 
 most unfortunate ; and I found that a number of my party had 
 become so much intimidated, that they had requested to be 
 discharged at this place. I dined to-day at Fort Platte, which 
 has been mentioned as situated at the junction of Laramie river 
 with the Nebraska. Here I heard a confirmation of the state- 
 ments given above. The party of warriors, which had started 
 n few days since on the trail oi the emigrants, was expected 
 back in fourteen days, to join the village with which their fam- 
 ilies and the old men had remained. The arrival of the lattei 
 vas hourly expected ; and some Indians have just come in who 
 
1642.J CAFT. frbmont's narsativx. 59 
 
 had left them on the Laramie fork, about twenty miles above. 
 Mr. Bissonette, one of the traders belonging to Fort Platte^ 
 urged the propriety of taking with me an interpreter and two 
 or three old men of the village ; in which case, he thought 
 there would be little or no hazard in encountering any of the 
 war parties. The principal danger was in being attacked be- 
 fore they should know who we were. 
 
 They had a confused idea of the numbers and power of our 
 people, and dreaded to bring upon themselves the military force 
 of the United States. This gentleman, who spoke the lan- 
 guage fluently, offered his services to accompany me so far as 
 the Red Buttes. He was desirous to join the large party on 
 its return, for purposes of trade, and it would suit his views, as 
 well as my own, to go with us to the Buttes ; beyond which 
 point it would be impossible to prevail on a Sioux to venture, 
 on account of their fear of the Crows. From Fort Laramie to 
 the Red Buttes, by the ordinary road, is one hundred and thirty- 
 five miles ; and, though only on the threshold of danger, it 
 seemed better to secure the services of an interpreter for the 
 partial distance, than to have none at all. 
 
 So far as frequent interruption from the Indians would allow 
 we occupied ourselves in making some astronomical calcuVju 
 tions, and bringing the general map to this stage of our jour- 
 ney ; but the tent was generally occupied by a succession of 
 our ceremonious visiters. Some came for presents, and others 
 for information of our object in coming to the country j now 
 and then, one would dart up to the tent on horseback, jerk oflT 
 his trappings, and stand silently at the door, holding his horse 
 by the halter, signifying his desire to trade. Occasionally a 
 savage would stalk in with an invitation to a feast of honor, a 
 iog feast, and deliberately sit down and wait quietly until I 
 was ready to accompany him. I went to one ; the women 
 and children were sitting outside the lodge, and we took our 
 seats on buffalo robes spread around. The dog was in a large 
 pot over the fire, in the middle of the lodge, and immediately 
 on our arrival was dished up in large wooden bowls, one of 
 which was handed to each. The flesh appeared very glutinom^ 
 with something of the flavor and appearance of mutton. Fm1« 
 
•0 CAPT. Fremont's NARRATr7B [Jvli, 
 
 ing something move behind me, I looked round, and found tha 
 I had taken my seat among a litter of fat young puppies. Had 
 I been nice in such matters, the prejudices of civilization might 
 have interfered with my tranquillity ; but, fortunately, I am 
 not of delicate nerves, and continued quietly to empty my 
 platter. 
 
 The weather was cloudy at evening, with a moderate south 
 wind, and the thermometer at six o'clock 85°. I was disap- 
 pointed in my hope of obtaining an observation of an occultation, 
 which took place about midnight. The moon brought with 
 her heavy banks of clouds, through which she scarcely made 
 her appearance during the night. 
 
 The morning of the 18th was cloudy and calm, the thermom- 
 eter at six o'clock at 64°. About nine, with a moderate wind 
 from the west, a storm of rain came on, accompanied by sharp 
 thunder and lightning, which lasted about an hour. During 
 the day the expected village arrived, consisting principally of 
 old men, women, and children. They had a considerable num- 
 ber of horses, and large troops of dogs. Their lodges were 
 pitched near the fort, and our camp was constantly crowded 
 with Indians of all sizes, from morning until night, at which 
 time some of the soldiers generally came to drive them all off 
 to the village. My tent was the only place which they re- 
 spected. Here only came the chiefs and men of distinction, 
 and generally one of them remained to drive away the women 
 and children. The numerous strange instruments, applied to 
 still stranger uses, excited awe and admiration among them ; 
 and those which I used in talking with the sun and stars they 
 looked upon with especial reverence, as mysterious things of 
 " great medicine." 
 
 Of the three barometers which I had brought with me 
 thus far successfully, I found that two were out of order, 
 and spent the greater part of the 19th in repairing them — 
 an operation of no small difficulty in the midst of the inces. 
 sant interruptions to which I was subjected. We had the 
 misfortune to break here a large thermometer, graduated to 
 show fifths of a degree, which I used to ascertain the tempera- 
 ture of boiling water, and with which I had promised myself 
 
1842.J CAPT. ^•'remont's narrative. 61 
 
 some interesting experiments in the mountains. We had but 
 one remaining, on which the graduation extended sufficiently 
 iiigh ; and this was too small for exact observations. During 
 our stay here, the men had been engaged in making numerous 
 repairs, arranging pack>saddles, and otherwise preparing for 
 ihe chance of a rough road and mountain travel. All things 
 of this nature being ready, I gathered them around me in the 
 evening, and told them that *' I had determined to proceed the 
 next day. They were all well armed. I had engaged the 
 services of Mr. Bissonette as interpreter, and had taken, in the 
 circumstances, every possible means to ensure our safety. In 
 the rumors we had heard, I believed there was much exagger- 
 alien ; that they were men accustomed to this kind of life and 
 to the country ; and that these were the dangers of every-day 
 occurrence, and to be expected in the ordinary course of their 
 service. They had heard of the unsettled condition of the 
 country before leaving St. Louis, anJ therefore could not make 
 it a reason for breaking their engagements. Still, I was un- 
 willing to take with me, on a service of some certain danger, 
 men on whom I could not rely ; and I had understood that 
 there were among them some who were disposed to cowardice, 
 and anxious to return ; they had but to come forward at onoc, 
 and state their desire, and they would be discharged, with the 
 amount due to them for the time they had served." To their 
 honor be it said, there was but one among them who had the 
 face to come forward and avail himself of the permission. I 
 asked him some few questions, in order to expose him to the 
 ridicule of the men, and let him go. The day after our de 
 parture, he engaged himself to one of the forts, and set off with 
 a party to the Upper Missouri. I did not think that the situa- 
 tion of the country justified me in taking our young compan- 
 ions, Messrs. Brant and Benton, along with us. In case of 
 misfortune, it would have been thought, at the least, an act of 
 great imprudence ; and therefore, though reluctantly, I deter- 
 mined to leave them. Randolph had been the life of the camp, 
 and the ** petit gargon" was much regretted by the men, to 
 whom his buoyant spirits had afforded great amusement. 
 They all, however, agreed in the propriety of leaving him at 
 
•3 CAFT. Fremont's narrativb. [July, 
 
 the fort, because, as they said, he might cost the lives of some 
 of the men in a fight with the Indians. 
 
 2l8t. — A portion of our baggage, with our field-notes and 
 observations, and several instruments, were left at the fort. 
 One of the gentlemen, Mr. Galpin, took charge of a barometer, 
 which he engaged to observe during my absence ; and I in 
 trusted to Randolph, by way of occupation, the regular wind 
 Ing up of two of my chronometers, which were among the in. 
 struments left. Our observations showed that the chronometer 
 which I retained for the continuation of our voyage had pre. 
 served its rate in a most satisfactory manner. As deduced 
 from it, the longitude of Fort Laramie is T*" 01' 2V^, and from 
 lunar distance T"" 01' 29'''' ; giving for the adopted longitude 
 104° 47' 43". Comparing the barometrical observations made 
 during our stay here, with those of Dr. G. Engleman at St 
 Louis, we find for the elevation of the fort above the Gulf of 
 Mexico 4,470 feet. The winter climate here is remarkably 
 mild for the latitude ; but rainy weather is frequent, and the 
 place is celebrated for winds, of which the prevailing one is the 
 west. An east wind in summer, and a south wind in winter, 
 are said to be always accompanied with rain. 
 
 We were ready to depart ; the tents were struck, the mules 
 geared up, and our horses saddled, and we walked up to the 
 fort to take the stirrup cup with our friends in an excellent 
 home-brewed preparation. While thus pleasantly engaged, 
 seated in one of the little cool chambers, at the door of whicL 
 a man had been stationed to prevent all intrusion from the In 
 dians, a number of chiefs, several of them powerful, fine-looking 
 men, forced their way into the room in spite of all opposition. 
 Handing me the following letter, they took their seats in si. 
 lence : — 
 
 " Fort Platte, Juillet 21, 1842. 
 " Mr. Fremont : — Les chefs s'^tant assembles pr^sentement me disent 
 de vouB avertir de ue point vous tnettre en route, avant que le parti da 
 jeunes gens, qui est en dehors, soient de retour. De plus, ils me disent qu'il* 
 mnt trte'Certains qu'ils feront feu & la premiere rencontre. Ils doivent dtre 
 de retour dans sept k huit jours. Excueez si je vous fais ces observations, 
 Biais il me eemble qu'il est mon devoir de vous avertir du danger. Mdme 
 
1612.] CAPT. pksmont's narrative. 68 
 
 ie plus, lef chefli sont les porteun de ce billet, qai vow defendeut de pulir 
 dvant le rctour des guerriera. 
 
 " Je auis Totre ob^issant eerriteur, 
 
 "JOSEPH BISSONETTE, 
 
 " Par L. B. CHARTRAIN. 
 " LtB noma de quelquea chefs. — Le Chapeau de Loutre, le Caaseur do 
 j^l^ches, la Nuit Noir la Queue de Boeuf." 
 
 [Translation.] 
 
 «• Fort Platte, July 21, 1842. 
 " Mr. Fremont: — The chiefs having assembled in council, have just told 
 me to warn you not to set out before the party of young men which is now 
 out shall have returned. Furthermore, they tell me that they are very sure 
 they will fire upon you as soon aa they meet you. They are expected back 
 in seven or eight days. Excuse me for making these observations, but it 
 seems my duty to warn you of danger. Moreover, the chiefs who prohibit 
 /our setting out before the return of the warriors are the bearers of this note 
 
 " I am your obedient servant, 
 
 "JOSEPH BISSONETTE, 
 
 " By L. B. CHARTRAIN. 
 
 " Names of some of tTie chiefs. — The Otter Hat, the Breaker of Arrows, 
 the Black Night, the Bull's Tail." 
 
 After reading this, I mentioned its purport to my compan- 
 ions ; and, seeing that all were fully possessed of its contents, 
 one of the Indians rose up, and, having first shaken hands with 
 me, spoke as follows : 
 
 '* You have come among us at a bad time. Some of our 
 people have been killed, and our young men, who are gone to 
 the mountains, are eager to avenge the blood of their relations, 
 which has been shed by the whites. Our young men are bad, 
 and, if they meet you, they will believe that you are carrying 
 goods and ammunition to their enemies, and will fire upon 
 you. You have told us that this will make war. We know 
 that our great father has many soldiers and big guns, and we 
 are anxious to have our lives. We love the whites, and are 
 desirous of peace. Thinking of all these things, we have de- 
 termined to keep you here until our warriors return. We are 
 glad to see you among us. Our father is rich, and we expect- 
 ed that you would have brought presents to us — horses, guns, 
 
64 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jult« 
 
 and blankets. But we are glad to see you. We look upon 
 your coming as the light which goes before the sun ; for you 
 will tell our great father that you have seen us, and that we 
 are naked and poor, and have nothing to eat ; and he will send 
 us all these things." V was followed by others to the same 
 effect. 
 
 The observations of the savage appeared reasonable ; but I 
 was aware that they had in view only the present object of de- 
 taining me, and were unwilling I should go further into the 
 country. In reply, I asked them, through the interpretation 
 of Mr. Boudeau, to select two or three of their number to ac- 
 company us until we should meet their people — they should 
 spread their robes in my tent, and eat at my table, and on their 
 return I would give them presents in reward of their services. 
 They declined, saying, that there were no young men left in 
 the village, and that they were too old to travel so many days 
 on horseback, and preferred now to smoke their pipes in the 
 lodge, and let the warriors go on the war-path. Besides, they 
 had no power over the young men, and were afraid to interfere 
 with them. In my turn I addressed them. 
 
 " You say that you love the whites ; why have you killea 
 so many already this spring ? You say that you love the 
 whites, and are full of many expressions of friendship to us ; 
 but you are not willing to undergo the fatigue of a few days* 
 ride to save our lives. We do not believe what you have 
 said, and will not listen to you. Whatever a chief among uj 
 tells his soldiers to do, is done. We are the soldiers of thd 
 great chief, your father. He has told us to come here and see 
 this country, and all the Indians, his children. Why should 
 we not go ? Before we came, we heard that you had killed 
 his people, and ceased to be his children ; but we came among 
 you peaceably, holding out our hands. Now we find that the 
 stories we heard are not lies, and that you are ao longer his 
 friends and children. We have thrown away our bodies, and 
 will not turn back. When you told us that your young men 
 would kill us, you did not know that our hearts were strong 
 and you did not see the rifles which nay young men carry ir 
 their hands. We are few, and you are many, and may kil 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's nabbatitb. 6ft 
 
 us all ; but there will be much crying in your villages, for 
 many of your young men will stay behind, and forget to re- 
 turn with your warriors from the mountains. Do you think 
 that our great chief will let his soldiers die, and forget to cover 
 their graves ? Before the snows melt again, his warriors will 
 sweep away your villages as the fire does the prairie in the 
 autumn. See ! I have pulled down my white houses, and my 
 people are ready : when the sun is ten paces higher, we shall 
 be on the march. If you have any thing to tell us, you will 
 say it soon." 
 
 I broke up the conference, as I could do nothing with these 
 people ; and, being resolved to proceed, nothing was to be 
 gained by delay. Accompanied by our hospitable friends, we 
 returned to the camp. We had mounted our horses, and our 
 parting salutations had been exchanged, when one of the chiefs 
 (the Bull's Tail) arrived to tell me that they had determined 
 to send a young man with us ; and if I would point out the 
 place of our evening camp, he should join us there. " The 
 young man is poor," said he ; " he has no horse, and expects 
 you to give him one." I described to him the place where I 
 intended to encamp, and, shaking hands, in a few minutes we 
 were among the hills, and this last habitation of whites shut 
 out from our view. 
 
 The road led over an interesting plateau between the North 
 fork of the Platte on the right, and Laramie river on the left. 
 A.t the distance of ten miles from the fort, we entered the sandy 
 bed of a creek, a kind of defile, shaded by precipitous rocks, 
 down which we wound our way for several hundred yards, to 
 a place where, on the left bank, a very large spring gushes 
 with considerable noise and force out of the limestone rock. 
 It is called the " Warm Spring," and furnishes to the hitherto 
 dry bed of the creek a considerable rivulet. On the opposite side, 
 a little below the spring, is a lofty limestone escarpment, partially 
 shaded by a grove of large trees, whose green foliage, in con- 
 trast with the whiteness of the rock, renders this a picturesque 
 locality. The rock is fossiliferous, and, so far as I was able to 
 determine the character of the fossils, belongs to the carbonif- 
 erous limestone of the Missouri river, and is probably the wesU 
 
0§ CAPT. pbbmont's NABRATIVB. fJjJht, 
 
 em limit of that formation. Beyond this point I met with na 
 fossils of any description. 
 
 I was desirous to visit the Platte near the point where it 
 leaves the Black hills, and therefore followed this stream, for 
 two or three miles, to its mouth, where I encamped on a spot 
 which afforded good grass and prele (equisetum) for our ani- 
 mals. Our tents having been found too thin to protect our. 
 selves and the instruments from the rains, which in this ele- 
 vated country are attended with cold and unpleasant weather, 
 I had procured from the Indians at Laramie a tolerably large 
 lodge, about eighteen feet in diameter, and twenty feet in 
 height. Such a lodge, when properly pitched, is, from its 
 conical form, almost perfectly secure against the violent winds 
 which are frequent in this region, and, with a fire in the centre, 
 is a dry and warm shelter in bad weather. By raising the 
 lower part, so as to permit the breeze to.pass freely, it is con- 
 verted into a pleasant summer residence, with the extraordina- 
 ry advantage of being entirely free from musquitoes, one of 
 which I never saw in an Indian lodge. While we were en- 
 gaged very unskilfully in erecting this, the interpreter, Mr. 
 Bissonette, arrived, accompanied by the Indian and his wife. 
 She laughed at our awkwardness, and offered her assistance, 
 of which we were frequently afterwards obliged to avail our 
 selves, before the men acquired sufficient expertness to pitch 
 it without difficulty. From this place we had a fine view of 
 the gorge where the Platte issues from the Black hills, changing 
 its character abruptly from a mountain stream into a river of 
 the plains. Immediately around us the valley of the stream 
 was tolerably open ; and at the distance of a few miles, where 
 the river had cut its way through the hills, was the narrow 
 cleft, on one side of which a lofty precipice of bright red rock 
 rose vertically above the low hills which lay between us. 
 
 22d. — In the morning, while breakfast was being prepared, 
 I visited this place with my favorite man, Basil Lajeunesse. 
 Entering so far as there was footing for the mules, we dis- 
 mounted, and, tying our animals, continued our way on foot. 
 Like the whole country, the scenery of the river had under, 
 gone an entire chan^^e, and was in this place the most beautiful 
 
1642.] CAPT. FBIMONT's NABIATITI. fV 
 
 I have ever seen. The breadth of the stream, generally near 
 that of its valley, was from two to three hundred feet, with a 
 swift current, occasionally broken by rapids, and the water 
 perfectly clear. On either side rose the red precipices, and 
 sometimes overhanging, two and four hundred feet in height, 
 crowned with green summits, on which were scattered a lew 
 pines. At the foot of the rocks was the usual detritus, formed 
 of masses fallen from above. Among the pines that grew here, 
 and on the occasional banks, were the cherry, (cerasus vir- 
 gmiana,) currants, and grains de bceuf, (shepJierdia argentea.) 
 Viewed in the sunshine of a pleasant morning, the scenery 
 was of a most striking and romantic beauty, which arose from 
 the picturesque disposition of the objects, and the vivid con. 
 trast of colors. I thought with much pleasure of our approach- 
 ing descent in the canoe through such interesting places ; and, 
 in the expectation of being able at that tim? to give to them a 
 full examination, did not now dwell so much as might have been 
 desirable upon the geological formations along the line of the 
 river, where they are developed with great clearness. Tlie 
 upper portion of the red strata consists of very compact clay, 
 m which are occasionally seen imbedded large pebbles. Be- 
 low was a stratum of compact red sandstone, changing a little 
 above the river into a very hard silicious limestone. There ia 
 a small but handsome open prairie immediately below this place, 
 on the left bank of the river, which would be a good locality for 
 a military post. There are some open groves of Cottonwood on 
 the Platte. The small stream which comes in at this place is 
 well timbered with pine, and good building rocl' is abundant. 
 
 If it is in contemplation to keep open the communication 
 with Oregon territory, a show of military fr>rce in this country 
 is absolutely necessary ; and a combination of advantages ren- 
 ders the neighborhood of Fort Laramie the most suitable place, 
 on the line of the Platte, for the establishment of a military 
 post. It is connected w;th the mouth of the Platte and the 
 Upper Missouri by excellent roads, which are in frequent use, 
 and would not in any way interfere with the range of the buf- 
 falo, on which the neighboring Indians mainly depend for sup. 
 port. It would render any posts oa the Lower Platte unneoee* 
 
tl CAPT. Fremont's narrativk. [July, 
 
 sary ; the ordinary communication betv«reen it and the Missouri 
 being sufficient to control the intermediate Indians. It would 
 operate effectually to prevent any such coalitions as are now 
 formed among the (Jros Ventres, Sioux, Cheyennes, and other 
 Indians, and would keep the Oregon road through the valley 
 of the Sweet Water and the South Pass of the mountains con- 
 stantly open. It lies at the foot of a broken and mountainous 
 region, along which, by the establishment of small posts in the 
 neighborhood of St. Vrain's fort, on the South fork of the 
 Platte, and Bent's fort, on the Arkansas, a line of communica. 
 tion would be formed, by good wagon-roads, with our southern 
 military posts, which would entirely command the mountam 
 passes, iiold some of the most troublesome tribes in check, and 
 protect and facilitate our intercourse with the neighboring 
 Spanish settlements. The valleys of the rivers on which they 
 would be situated are fertile ; the country, which supports 
 immense herds of buffalo, is admirably adapted to grazing; 
 and herds of cattle might be maintained by the posts, or obtained 
 from the Spanish country, which already supplies a portion of 
 their provisions to the trading posts mentioned above. 
 
 Just as we were leaving the camp this morning, our Indian came 
 up, and stated his intention of not proceeding any further until 
 he had seen the horse which I intended to give him. I felt 
 strongly tempted to drive him out of the camp ; but his pres- 
 ence appeared to give confidence to my men, and the interpreter 
 thought it absolutely necessary. I was therefore obliged to do 
 what he requested, and pointed out the animal, with which he 
 seemed satisfied, and we continued our journey. I had ima- 
 gined that Mr. Bissonette's long residence had made him ac* 
 quainted with the country ; and, according to his advice, pro- 
 ceeded directly forward, without attempting to gain the usual 
 road. He afterwards informed me that he had rarely ever 
 lost sight of the fort; but the effect of the mistake was to 
 involve us for a day or two among the hills, where, although 
 we lost no ti.T.e, we encountered an exceedingly rough road. 
 
 To the south, along our line of march to-day, the main chain 
 of the Black or Laramie hills rises precipitously. Time did 
 not permit me to visit them ; but, from comparative informa* 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativk. 69 
 
 tion, the ndge is composed of the coarse sandstone or congloin> 
 erate hereafter described. It appears to enter the region of 
 clouds, which are arrested in their course, and lie in masses 
 along the 'summits. An inverted cone of black cloud (cumu< 
 us) rested during all the forenoon on the lofty peak of Lara- 
 mie mountain, which I estimated to be about two thousand 
 feet above the fort, or six thousand five hundred above 
 the sea. We halted to noon on the Fourche Amere, so 
 called from be'ng timbered principally with the liard amerCt 
 (a species of poplar,) with which the valley of the little stream 
 IS tolerably well wooded, and which, with large expansive 
 summits, grows to the height of sixty or seventy feet. 
 
 The bed of the creek is sand and gravel, the water dispersed 
 over the broad bed in several shallow streams. We found 
 here, on the right bank, in the shade of the trees, a fine spring 
 of very cold water. It will be remarked ihat I do not men- 
 lion, in this portion of the journey, the temperature of the air, 
 sand, springs, &c. — an omission which will be explained in 
 the course of the narrative. In my search for plants, I was 
 well rewarded at this place. 
 
 With the change in the geological formation on leaving Fort 
 Laramie, the whole face of the country has entirely altered its 
 appearance. Eastward of that meridian, the principal objects 
 which strike the eye of a traveler are the absence of timber, 
 and the immense expanse of prairie, covered with the verdure 
 of rich grasses, and highly adapted for pasturage. Wherever 
 they are not disturbed by the vicinity of man, large herds of 
 buffalo give animation to this country. Westward of Laramie 
 river, the region is sandy, and apparently sterile ; and the 
 place of the grass is usurped by the artemisia and other odorif- 
 erous plants, to whose growth the sandy soil and dry air of this 
 elevated region seem highly favorable. 
 
 One of the prominent characteristics in the face of the coun- 
 try is the extraordinary abundance of the artemisias. They 
 grow everywhere — on the hills, and over the river bottoms, 
 in tough, twisted, wiry clumps ; and, wherever the beaten 
 track was left, they rendered the progress of the carts rough 
 and slow. As the country increased in elevation on our ad- 
 
'•TO CAPT. rSEMONT's NARRATiyK. [JdLT, 
 
 ▼ance to the west, they increased in size ; and the whole air 
 is strongly impregnated and saturated with the odor of cam- 
 phor and spirits of turpentine which belongs to this plant. 
 This climate has been found very favorable to the restoration 
 of health, particularly in cases of consumption ; and possibl}r 
 the respiration of air so highly impregnated with aromatic 
 plants may have some influence. 
 
 Our dried meat had given out, and we began to be in want 
 of food ; but one of the hunters killed an antelope this even- 
 ing, which afforded some relief, although it did not go far 
 among >.<■ many hungry men. At eight o'clock at night, after 
 a march of twenty-seven miles, we reached our proposed en- 
 campment on the Fer-d-Cheval, or Horse-shoe creek. Here 
 we found good grass, with a great quantity ofprele, which fur. 
 nished good food for our tired animals. This creek is well 
 timbered, principally with Hard amere, and, with the exception 
 of Deer creek, which we had not yet reached, is the largest af- 
 fluent of the right bank between Laramie and the mouth of the 
 Sweet Water. 
 
 23d. — The present year had been one of unparalleled drought, 
 and throughout the country the water had been almost dried 
 up. By availing themselves of the annual rise, the traders 
 had invariably succeeded in carrying their furs to the Mis- 
 souri ; but this season, as has already been mentioned, on both 
 forks of the Platte they had entirely failed. The greater num- 
 ber of the springs, and many of the streams, which made halt- 
 ing places for the voyageurs, had been dried up. Everywhere 
 the soil looked parched and burnt, the scanty yellow gvass 
 crisped under the foot, and even the hardest plants were de- 
 stroyed by want of moisture. I think it necessary to mention 
 this fact, because to the rapid evaporation in such an elevated 
 region, nearly five thousand feet above the sea, almost wholly 
 unprotected by timber, should be attributed much of the sterile 
 appearance of the country, in the destruction of vegetation, and 
 the numerous saline efflorescences which covered the ground. 
 Such I afterwards found to be the case. 
 
 I was informed that the roving villages of Indians and trav- 
 •lera had never met with diflnculty in finding abundance of 
 
1842 ] CAPT. FREAfONT's NABRATIVS. 71 
 
 grass for their horses ; and now it was afler great search that 
 we ^^ere able to find a scanty patch of grass sufficient to keep 
 them from sinking ; and in the course of a day or two they 
 began to suffer very much. We found none to-day at noon ; 
 and, in the course of our search on the Platte, came to a grove 
 of Cottonwood, where some Indian village had recently en- 
 camped. Boughs of the cottonwood yet green covered the 
 ground, which the Indians had cut down to feed their horses 
 upon. It is only in the winter that recourse is had to this means 
 of sustaining them ; and their resort to it at this time was a 
 striking evidence of the state of the country. We followed 
 their example, and turned our horses into a grove of young 
 poplars. This began to present itself as a very serious evil, 
 for on our animals depended altogether the further prosecution 
 of our journey. 
 
 Shortly after we had left this place, the scouts came gallop- 
 ing in with the alarm of Indians. We turned in immediately 
 towards the river, which here had a steep, high bank, where 
 we formed with the carts a very close barricade, resting on 
 the river, within which the animals were strongly hobbled and 
 picketed. The guns were discharged and reloaded, and men 
 thrown forward under cover of the bank, in the direction by 
 which the Indians were expected. Our interpreter, who, with 
 the Indian, had gone to meet them, came in, in about ten min- 
 utes, accompanied by two Sioux. They looked sulky, and 
 we could obtain from them only some confused information. 
 We learned that they belonged to the party which had been on 
 the trail of the emigrants, whom they had overtaken at Rock 
 Independence, on the Sweet Water. Here the party had dis- 
 agreed, and came nigh fighting among themselves. One portion 
 were desirous of attacking the whites, but the others were op- 
 posed to it ; and finally they had broken up into small bands, and 
 dispersed over the country. The greatest portion of them had 
 gone over into the territory of the Crows, and intended to re- 
 turn by way of the Wind River valley, in the hope of being 
 able to fall upon some small parties of Crow Indians. The 
 remainder were returning down the Platte, in scattered par- 
 ties of ten and twenty ; and those whom we had encountered 
 
W CAPT. premont's*nabrative. [July, 
 
 belonged to those who had advocated an attack on the emi- 
 grants. Several of the men suggested shooting them on the 
 spot ; but I promptly discountenanced any such proceeding. 
 They further informed me that buffalo were very scarce, and 
 little or no grass to be found. There had been no rain, and 
 innumerable quantities of grasshoppers had destroyed the 
 grass. The insects had been so numerous since leaving Fort 
 Laramie, that the ground seemed alive with them ; and in 
 walking, a little moving cloud preceded our footsteps. This 
 was bad news. No grass, no buffalo — food for neither horse 
 nor man. I gave them some plugs of tobacco, and they went 
 off, apparently well satisfied to be clear of us ; for my men 
 did not look upon them very lovingly, and they glanced suspi- 
 ciously at our warlike preparations, and the little ring of rifles 
 which surrounded them. They were evidently in a bad hu- 
 mor, and shot one of their horses when they had left us a 
 short distance. 
 
 We continued our march, and after a journey of aboui 
 twenty-one miles, encamped on the Platte. During the day, 
 I had occasionally remarked among the hills the psoralen escu- 
 lento,, the bread root of the Indians. The Sioux use this, root 
 very extensively, and I have frequently met with it among 
 them, cut into thin slices and dried. In the course of the 
 evening we were visited by six Indians, who told us that a large 
 party was encamped a few miles above. Astronomical obser. 
 vations placed us in longitude 104° 59' 59'^, and latitude 
 42° 29' 2.y^ 
 
 We made the next day twenty-two miles, and encamped on 
 the right bank of the Platte, where a handsome meadow afford- 
 ed tolerably good grass. There wore the remains of an old 
 fort here, thrown up in some sudden emergency, and on the 
 opposite side was a picturesque bluff of ferruginous sandstone. 
 There was a handsome grove a 'little above, and scattered 
 groups of trees bordered the river. Buffalo made their ap- 
 pearance this afternoon, and the hunters came in, shortly after 
 we had encamped, with three fine cows. The night was fine 
 and observations gave for the latitude of the camp, 42° 47' W. 
 
 25th. — We made but thirteen miles this day, and encamped 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativb. 73 
 
 about noon m a pleasant grove on the right bank. Low scaf- 
 folds were erected, upon which the meat was laid, cut up into 
 thin strips, and small fires kindled below. Our object was to 
 profit by the vicinity of the buffalo, to lay in a stock of provi- 
 sions for ten or fifteen days. In the course of the afternoon 
 1116 hunters brought in five or six cows, and all hands were 
 kept busily employed in preparing the meat, to the drying of 
 which the guard attended'during the night. Our people had 
 recovered their gayety, and the busy figures around the bla- 
 zing fires gave a picturesque air to the camp. A very serious 
 accident occurred this morning, in the breaking of one of the 
 barometers. These had been the object of my constant solici- 
 tude, and, as I had intended them principally for mountain 
 service, I had used them as seldom as possible, taking them 
 always down at night, and on the occurrence of storms, in or- 
 der to lessen the chances of being broken. I was reduced to 
 one, a standard barometer of Troughton's construction. This 
 I determined to preserve, if possible. The latitude is 42° 51' 
 3.y, and by a mean of the results from chronometer and 
 lunar distances, the adopted longitude of this camp is 105° 
 50 45'^ 
 
 26th. — Early this morning we were again in motion. We 
 had a stock of provisions for fifteen days carefully stored away 
 in the carts, and this I resolved should only be encroached 
 upon when our rifles should fail to procure us present support. 
 I determined to reach the mountains, if it were in any way 
 possible. In the mean time, buffalo were plenty. In six 
 miles from our encampment (which, by way of distinction, we 
 jhall call Dried Meat camp) we crossed a handsome stream, 
 called La Fourche Boisce. It is well timbered, and, among 
 the flowers in bloom on its banks, I remarked several asters. 
 
 Five miles further, we made our noon halt on the banks of 
 the P'ltte, in the shade of some cotton woods. There were 
 here, as generally now along the river, thickets of hippophce, 
 the grariis de bocuf of the country. They were of two kinds — 
 one bearing a red berry, (the shepherdia argentea of Nuttall ;) 
 the other a yellow berry, of which the Tartars are said to 
 make a kind of rob. 
 4- 
 
74 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [July, 
 
 By a meridian observation, the latitude of the place was 42° 
 5(K 08'^. It was my daily practice to take observations of the 
 sun's meridian altitude ; and why they are not given, will ap- 
 pear in the sequel. Eight miles further we reached the mouth 
 of Deer creek, where we encamped. Here was acunuance 
 of rich grass, and our animals were compensated foi past pri- i 
 vations. This stream was at this time twenty feet broad, and 
 well timbered with cottonwood of an uncommon size. It is 
 the largest tributary of the Platte, between the mouth of the 
 Sweet Water and the Laramie. Our astronomical observations 
 gave for the mouth of the stream a longitude of 106° 08'' 24**^, 
 and latitude 42° 52' 24'^ 
 
 27th. — Nothing worthy of mention occurred on this day ; we 
 traveled later than usual, having spent some time searching for 
 grass, crossing and recrossing the river before we could find 
 a sufficient quantity for our animals. Towards dusk we en- 
 camped among some artemisia bushes, two and tiiree feet in 
 height, where some scattered patches of short tough grass af- 
 forded a scanty supply. In crossing, we had occasion to ob- 
 serve that the river was frequently too deep to be forded, 
 though we always succeeded in finding a place where the wa- 
 ter did lot enter the carts. The stream continued very clear, 
 with two or three hundred feet breadth of water, and the sandy 
 bed and banks were frequently covered with large round peb. 
 bles. We had traveled this day twenty-seven miles. The 
 main chain of the Black hills was here only about seven miles 
 to the south, on the right bank of the river, rising abruptly to 
 the height of eight and twelve hundred feet. Patches of green 
 grass in the ravines on the steep sides marked the presence of 
 springs, and the summits were clad with pines. 
 
 28th. — In two miles from our encampment, we reached the 
 place where the regular road crosses the Platte. There was 
 two hundred feet breadth of water at this time in the bed, 
 which has a variable width of eight to fifteen hundred feet. 
 The channels were generally three feet deep, and there were 
 large angular rocks on the bottom, which made the ford in 
 some places a little difficult. Even at its low stages, tftis river 
 cannot be crossed at random, and this has always been used 
 
1842.] CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. 75 
 
 as the best ford. The low stage of the water the present year 
 had made it fordable in almost any part of its course, where 
 access could be had to its bed. 
 
 For the satisfaction of travelers, I will endeavor to give some 
 description of the nature of the road from Laramie to this 
 point. The nature of the soil may be inferred from its geo- 
 logical formation. The limestone it the eastern limit of this 
 section is succeeded by limestone without fossils, a great va- 
 riety of sandstone, consisting principally of red sandstone and 
 fi'd conglomerates. The red sand- ne is argillaceous, with 
 .->inpact white gypsum or alabaster, very beautiful. The 
 jther sandstones are gray, yellow, and ferruginous, sometimes 
 very coarse. The apparent sterility of the country must 
 therefore be sought for in other causes than the nature of the 
 soil. The face of the country cannot with propriety be called 
 hilly. It is a succession of long ridges, made by the nu- 
 1 erous streams which come down from the neighboring 
 mountam range. The ridges have an undulating surface, 
 ttith some such appearance as the ocean presents in an ordi- 
 .lary breeze. 
 
 The road which is now generally followed through this re- 
 ff'on is therefore a very good one, without any difficult ascents 
 .0 overcome. The principal obstructions are near the river, 
 where the transient waters of heavy rains have made deep ra- 
 vines with steep banks, which renders frequent circuits necos- 
 eary. It will be remembered that wagons pass this road only 
 once or twice a year, which is by no means sufficient to break 
 down the stubborn roots of the innumerable artemisia bushes. 
 A partial absence of these is often the only indication of the 
 track; and the roughness produced by their roots in many 
 places gives the road the character of one newly opened in a 
 wooded country. This is usually considered the worst part of 
 the road east of the mountains ; and, as it passes through an 
 open prairie region, may be much improved, so as to avoid the 
 greater part of the inequalities it now presents. 
 
 From the mouth of the Kansas to the Green River valley. 
 west of the mountains, there is no such thing as a mountain 
 road on the line of communication. 
 
76 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jult 
 
 We continued our way, and four miles beyond the ford In 
 dians were discovered again ; and I halted while a party wer 
 sent forward to ascertain who they were. In a short time the\ 
 "eturned, accompanied by a number of Indians of the Oglallat 
 band of Sioux. From them we received some interesting in 
 formation. They had formed part of the great village, which 
 they informed us had broken up, and was on its way home. 
 The greater part of the village, including the Arapahoes, 
 Cheyennes, and Oglallahs, had crossed the Platte eight or ten 
 miles below the mouth of the Sweet Water, and were now be- 
 hind the mountains to the south of us, intending to regain the 
 Platte by way of Deer creek. They had taken this unusual 
 route in search of grass and game. They gave us a very 
 discouraging picture of the country. The great drought, and 
 the plague of grasshoppers, had swept it so that scarce a blade 
 of grass was to be seen, and there was not a buffalo to be 
 found in the whole region. Their people, they further said, 
 had been nearly starved to death, and we would find their road 
 marked by lodges, which they had thrown away in order to 
 move more rapidly, and by the carcasses of the horses which 
 they had eaten, or which had perished by starvation. Such 
 was the prospect before us. 
 
 When he had finished the interpretation of these things, Mr. 
 Sissonette immediately rode up to me, and urgently advised 
 <hat I should entirely abandon the further prosecution of my 
 exploration. " Le meilleure avis que je pourrais vous donner 
 s'est de virer de suite." " The best advice I can give you, is 
 <o turn back at once." It was his own intention to return, as 
 we had now reached the point to which he had engaged to at- 
 tend me. In reply, I called up my men, and communicated 
 to them fully the information I had just received. I then ex- 
 pressed to them my fixed determination to proceed to the end 
 of the enterprise on which I had been sent ; but as the situa- 
 tion of the country gave me some reason to apprehend that it 
 might be attended with an unfortunate result to some of us, I 
 would leave it optional with them to continue with me or to 
 return. 
 
 Among them were some five or six who I know would re- 
 
1(442.] CAPT. fekmont's narrative. 77 
 
 main. We had still ten days' provisions ; and should no game 
 be found, when this stock was expended, we had our horses 
 and mules, which we could eat when other means of subsist- 
 ence failed. But not a man flinched from the undertaking. 
 " We'll eat the mules," said Basil Lajeunesse ; and thereupon 
 we shook hands with our interpreter and his Indians, and 
 parted. With them I sent back one of my men, Dumes, whom 
 the effects of an old wound in the leg rendered incapable oi' 
 continuing the journey on foot, and his horse seemed on the 
 point of giving out. Having resolved to disencumber ourselves 
 immediately of every thing not absolutely necessary to our fu- 
 ure operations, I turned directly in towards the river, and 
 encamped on the left bank, a little above the place where our 
 council had been held, and where a thick grove of willows 
 affered a suitable spot for the object I had in view. 
 
 The carts having been discharged, the covers and wheelt 
 were taken off, and, with the frames, carried into some low 
 places, among the willows, and concealed in the dense foliage in 
 such a manner that the glitter of the iron-work might not attract 
 the observation of some straggling Indian. In the sand, 'vhich 
 had been blown up into waves among the willows, a large hole 
 was then dug, ten feet square and six feet deep. In the mean 
 time, all our effects had been spread out upon the ground, and 
 whatever was designed to be carried along with us separated 
 and laid aside, and the remaining part carried to the hole and 
 carefully covered up. As much as possible, all traces of our 
 proceedings were obliterated, and it wanted but a rain to ren- 
 der our cache safe beyond discovery. All the men were 
 now set at work to arrange the pack-saddles and make up the 
 packs. 
 
 The day was very warm and calm, and the sky entirely 
 clear, except where, as usual along the summits of the moun- 
 tainous ridge opposite, the clouds had congregated in masses. 
 Our lodge had been planted, and, on account of the heat, the 
 ground-pins had been taken out, and the lower part slightly 
 raised. Near to it was standing the barometer, which swung 
 in a tripod frame ; and within the lodge, where a small fire 
 had been built, Mr. Preuss was occunied in ob««>rvu> 
 
78 CAP?. Fremont's nareativb. [July 
 
 temperature of boiling water. At this instant, and without 
 any warning until it was within fifty yards, a violent gust of 
 wind dashed down the lodge, burying under it Mr. Preuss and 
 about a dozen men, who had attempted to keep it from being 
 carried away. I succeeded in saving the barometer, which 
 the lodge was carrying off with itself, but the thermometer 
 was broken. We had no others of a high graduation, none o^ 
 those which remained going higher than 135° Fahrenheit. 
 Our astronomical observations gave to this place, which we 
 named Cache camp, a longitude of IO60 38' 26'', latitude 42° 
 50' 53'^ 
 
 29th. — All our arrangements having been completed, we 
 left the encampment at 7 o'clock this morning. In this vi- 
 cinity the ordinary road leaves the Platte, and crosses over to 
 the Sweet Water river, which it strikeo near Rock Indepen- 
 d« nee. Instead of following this road, I had determined to 
 keep the immediate valley of the Platte so far as the mouth 
 of the Sweet Water, in the expectation of finding better grass. 
 To this I was further prompted by the nature of my instruc- 
 tions. To Mr. Carson was assigned the office of guide, as 
 we had now reached a part of the country with which, or 
 a great part of which, long residence had made him familiar. 
 In a few miles we reached the Red Buttes, a famous land- 
 mark in this country, whose geological composition is red sand- 
 stone, limestone, and calcareous sandstone and pudding-stone. 
 
 The river here cuts its way through a ridge ; on the easterr 
 side of it are the lofty escarpments of red argillaceous sard 
 stone, which are called the Red Buttes. In this passage tht 
 stream is not much compressed or pent up, there being a bank 
 of considerable though variable breadth on either side. Im- 
 mediately on entering, we discovered a band of buffalo. The 
 hunters failed to kill any of them ; the leading hunter being 
 thrown into a ravine, which occasioned some delay, and in the 
 mean time the herd clambered up the steep face of the ridge 
 It is sometimes wonderful to see these apparently clumsy ani- 
 mals make their way up and down the most broken precipices. 
 We halted to noon before we had cleared this passage, at a 
 spot twelve miles distant from Cfrhe camp, where we fo"nd 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 79 
 
 an abundance of grass. So far, the account of the Indians 
 was found to be false. On the banks were willow and cherry 
 trees. The cherries were not yet ripe, but in the thickets 
 were numerous fresh tracks of the grizzly bear, which are 
 very fond of this fruit. The soil here is red, the composition 
 being derived from the red sandstoae. About seven miles 
 brought us through the ridge, in which the course of the river 
 is north and south. Here the valley opens out broadly, and 
 high walls of the red formation present themselves among the 
 hills to the east. We crossed here a pretty little creek, aa 
 affluent of the right bank. It is well timbered with cotton, 
 wood in this vicinity, and the absinthe has lost its shrub-like 
 character, and becomes small trees six and eight feet in height, 
 c ;id sometimes eight inches in diameter. Two or three miles 
 above this creek we made our encampment, havipg traveled 
 to-day twenty-five miles. Our animals fared well here, as 
 there is an abundance of grass. The river bed is made up 
 of pebbles, and in the bank, at the level of the water, is a 
 conglomerate of coarse pebbles, about the size of ostrich eggs, 
 and which I remarked in the banks of the Laramie fork. It 
 is overlaid by a soil of mixed clay and sand, six feet thick. 
 By astronomical observations, our position is in longitude lOG*^ 
 54' S2'% and latitude 42° 38^ 
 
 30th. — After traveling about twelve miles this morning, we 
 reached a place where the Indian village had crossed the river. 
 Here were the poles of discarded lodges and skeletons of 
 horses lying about. Mr. Carson, who had never ' en higher 
 up than this point on the river, which has the char, er of be- 
 ing exceedingly rugged, and walled in by precipices above, 
 thought it advisable to encamp neor this place, where we were 
 certain of obtaining grass, and to-morrow make our crossing 
 among the rugged hills to the Sweet Water river. According, 
 ly we turned back and descended the river to an island near 
 by, which was about twenty acres in size, covered with a 
 iUxuriant growth of grass. The formation here I found highly 
 interesting. Immediately at this island the river is again shut 
 up in the rugged hills, which come down to it from the main 
 ridge in a succession of spurs three or four hundred feet high, 
 
eO JAPi. Fremont's narrative. [Jflt 
 
 and alternated with green level prairillons or meadows, bordered 
 on the river banks with thickets of willow, and having many 
 plants to interest the traveler. The island lies between two 
 of these ridges, three or four hundred yards apart, of which 
 that on the right bank is composed entirely of red argillaceous 
 sandstone, with thin layers of fibrous gypsum. On the left 
 bank, the ridge is composed entirely of silicious pudding-stone, 
 the pebbles in the numerous strata increasing in size from the 
 top to the bottom, where they are as large as a man's head. 
 So far as I was able to datermine, these strata incline to the 
 northeast, with a dip of about 15°. This pudding-stone, or 
 conglomerate formation, I was enabled to trace through an ex- 
 tended range of country, from a few miles east of the meridian 
 of Fort Laramie to where I found it superposed on the granite 
 of the Rocky mountains, in longitude 109° 0(K. From its ap- 
 pearance, the main chain of the Laramie mountain is composed 
 of this rock ; and in a number of places I found isolated hills, 
 which served to mark a former level which had been probably 
 swept away. 
 
 These conglomerates are very friable, and easily decom- 
 posed ; and I am inclined to think this formation is the source 
 from which was derived the great deposite of sand and gravel 
 which forms the surface rock of the prairie country west of 
 the Mississippi. 
 
 Crossing the ridge of red sandstone, and traversing the little 
 prairie which lies to the southward of ;t, we made in the after- 
 noon an excursion to a place which we called the Hot Spring 
 Gate. This place has much the appearance of a gate, by 
 which the Platte passes through a ridge composed of a white 
 and calcareous sandstone. The length of the passage is about 
 four hundred yards, with a smooth green prairie on either 
 side. Through this place, the stream flows with a quiet cur- 
 rent, unbroken by any rapid, and is about seventy yards wide 
 between the walls, which rise perpendicularly from the water. 
 To that on the right bank, which is the lower, the barometer 
 gave a height of three hundred and sixty feet. This place 
 will be more particularly described hereftfter, as we passeJ 
 through it on our return 
 
1842.] CAPT. FREMONT'S KARBATIVK. <M 
 
 We saw here numerous herds of mountain sheep, and fre- 
 quently heard the volley of rattling stones which accompanied 
 their rapid descent down the steep hills. This was the first 
 place at which we had killed any of these animals ; and, in 
 consequence of this circumstance, and of the abundance of 
 these sheep or goats, (for they are called by each name,) we 
 gave our encampment the name of Goat Island. Their flesh 
 is much esteemed by the hunters, and has very much the 
 flavor of Alleghany mountain sheep. I have frequently seen 
 the horns of this animal three feet long and seventeen inches 
 in circumference at the base, weighing eleven pounds. But 
 two or three of these were killed by our party at this place, 
 and of these the horns were small. The use of these horna 
 seems to be to protect the animal's head in pitching down pre- 
 cipices to avoid pursuing wolves — their only safety being in 
 places where they cannot be followed. The bones are very 
 strong and solid, the marrow occupying but a very small por- 
 tion of the bone in the leg, about the thickness of a rye straw. 
 The hair is short, resembling the winter color of our common 
 deer, which it nearly approaches in size and appearance. Ex- 
 cept in the horns, it has no resemblance whatever to the goat. 
 The longitude of this place, resulting from chronometer and 
 lunar distances, and an occultation of Arietis, is 107° 13' 29''', 
 and the latitude 42° 33' 27". One of our horses, which had 
 given out, we left to receive strength on the island, intending 
 to take her, perhaps, on our return. 
 
 31st. — This morning we left the course of the Platte, to 
 cross over to the Sweet Water. Our way, for a few miles, 
 lay up the sandy bed of a dry creek, in which I found several 
 yjteresting plants. Leaving this, we wended our way to the 
 summit of the hills, of which the peaks are here eight hundred 
 feet above the Platte, bare and rocky. A long and gradual 
 slope led from these hills to the Sweet Water, which we reached 
 in fifteen miles from Goat Island. T madf ^n eariy encamp- 
 ment here, in order to give the nuniers an opportunity to procure 
 a supply from several bands of buffalo, which made their ap- 
 pearance in the valley near by. The stream is ?bout sixty 
 
 4* 
 
82 cAPT. Fremont's nareative. fJiTLy, 
 
 feet wide, and at this time twelve to eighteen inches deep, with 
 a very moderate current. 
 
 The adjoining prairies are sandy, but the immediate rivei 
 bottom is a good soil, which afforded an abundance of soft 
 green grass to our horses, and where I found a variety of in- 
 teresting plants, which made their appearance for the first 
 time. A rain to-night made it unpleasantly cold ; and there 
 was no tree here, to enable us to pitch our single tent, the 
 poles of which had been left at our Cache camp. We had, 
 therefore, no shelter except what was to be found under cover 
 of the absinthe bushes, which grew in many thick patches, one 
 or two and sometimes three feet high. 
 
 AUGUST. 
 
 1st. — The hunters went ahead this morning, as buffalo ap- 
 peared tolerably abundant, and I was desirous to secure a 
 small stock of provisions ; and we moved about seven miles 
 up the valley, and encamped one mile below Rock Indepen- 
 dence. This is an isolated granite rock, about six hundred 
 and fifty yards long, and forty in height. Except in a depres 
 sion of the summit, where a little soil supports a scanty growth 
 of shrubs, with a solitary dwarf pine, it is entirely bare. 
 Everywhere within six or eight feet of the ground, where the 
 surface is sufficiently smooth, and in some places sixty or 
 eighty feet above, the rock is inscribed with the names of 
 travelers. Many a name famous in the history of this country, 
 and some well known to science, are to be found mixed among 
 those of the traders and travelers for pleasure and curiosity, 
 and of missionaries among the savages. Some of these have 
 been washed awav by the rain, but the greater number are still 
 very legible. The position of this rock is in longitude 107° 
 56', latitude 42° 29' 36''. We remamed at our camp of August 
 1st until noon of the next day, occupied in drying meal. By 
 observation, the longitude of the place is 107° 25' 23", latitude 
 42° 29' 56". 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 83 
 
 2d. — Five miles above Rock Independence we came to a 
 place called the Devil's Gate, where the Sweet Water cuts 
 through the point of a granite ridge. The length of the pas- 
 sage is about three hundred yards, and the width thirty-five 
 yards. The walls of rock are vertical, and about four hundred 
 feet in height ; and the stream in the gate is almost entirely 
 choked up by masses which have fallen from above. In the 
 wall, on the right bank, is a dike of trap-rock, cutting through 
 a fine-grained gray granite. Near the point of this ridge crop 
 out some strata of the valley formation, consisting of a grayish 
 micaceous sandstone, and fine-grained conglomerate, and marl. 
 We encamped eight miles above the Devil's Gate. There 
 was no timber of any kind on the river, but good fires were 
 made of drift wood, aided by the bois de vache. 
 
 We had to-night no shelter from the rain, which commenced 
 with squalls of wind about sunset. The country here is ex- 
 ceedingly picturesque. On either side of the valley, which is 
 five miles broad, the mountains rise to the height of twelve 
 and fifteen hundred or two thousand feet. On the south side, 
 the range appears to be timbered, and to-night is luminous with 
 fires — probably the work of the Indians, who have just passed 
 through the valley. On the north, broken and granite masses 
 rise abruptly from the green sward of the river, terminating in 
 a line of broken summits. Except in the crevices of the rock, 
 and here and there on a ledge or bench of the mountain, where 
 a few hardy pines have clustered together, these are perfectly 
 bare and destitute of vegetation. 
 
 Among these masses, where there are sometimes isolated 
 hills and ridges, green valleys open in upon the river, which 
 sweeps the base of these mountains for thirty-six miles. 
 Everywhere its deep verdure and profusion of beautiful 
 flowers is in pleasing contrast with the sterile grandeur of the 
 rock and the barrenness of the sandy plain, which, from the 
 right bank of the river, sweeps up to the mountain range that 
 forms its southern boundary. The great evaporation on the 
 sandy soil of this elevated plain, and the saline etHorescences 
 which whiten the ground, and shine like lakes reflectinc ^n the 
 aun, make a soil wholly unfit for cultivatir n. 
 
84 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Auo. 
 
 3d. — We were early on the road the next morning, travel- 
 ing along the upper part of the valley, which is overgrown 
 with artemisia. Scattered about on the plain are occasional 
 small isolated hills. One of these which I have examined, 
 about fifty feet high, consisted of white clay and marl, in 
 nearly horizontal strata. Several bands of buffalo made their 
 appearance to-day, with herds of antelope ; and a grizzly bear 
 — the only one we encountered during the journey — was seen 
 scrambling up among the rocks. As we passed over a slight 
 rise near the river, we caught the first view of the Wind River 
 mountains, appearing, at this distance of about seventy miles, 
 to be a low and dark mountainous ridge. The view dissipated 
 in a moment the pictures which had been created in our minds, 
 by many descriptions of travelers, who have compared these 
 mountains to the Alps in Switzerland, and speak of the glit- 
 tering peaks which rise in icy majesty amidst the eternal 
 glaciers nine or ten thousand fset into the region of eternal 
 snows. The nakedness of the river was relieved by groves 
 of willows, where we encamped at night, after a march of 
 twenty-six miles ; and numerous bright-colored flowers had 
 made the river bottom look gay as a garden. We found here 
 a horse, which iiad been abandoned by the Indians, because 
 fiis hoofs had been so much worn that he was unable to travel ; 
 and during the night a dog came into the camp. 
 
 4th. — Our camp was at the foot of the granite mountains, 
 which we climbed this morning to take some barometrical 
 heights ; and here among the rocks was seen the first magpie. 
 On our return, we saw one at the mouth of the Platte river. 
 We left here one of our horses, which was unable to proceed 
 .arther. A few miles from the encampment we left the river^ 
 which makes a bend to the south, and traversing an undula- 
 ting country, consisting of a grayish micaceous sandstone and 
 fine-grained conglomerates, struck it again, and encamped 
 after a journey of twenty-five miles. Astronomical observa- 
 tions placed us in latitude 42"^ 32^ 30^^ and longitude 108° 
 30' 13'^ 
 
 5th. — The morning was dark, with a driving rain, and 
 disagreeably cold. We continued our route as usual ; but the 
 
1942.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 85 
 
 weather became so bad, that we were glad to avail ourselves 
 of the shelter offered by a small island, about ien miles above 
 our last encampment, which was covered with a dense growth 
 of willows. There was fine grass for our animals, and the 
 timber atTorded us comfortable protection and good fires. In 
 the afternoon, the sun broke through the clouds for a short 
 time, and the barometer at 5 p. m. was 23"713, the thermometer 
 60", with the wind strong from the northwest. We availed 
 ourselves of the fine weather to make excursions in the neigh- 
 borhood. The river, at this place, is bordered by hills of the 
 valley formation. They are of moderate height ; one of the 
 highest peaks on the right bank being, according to the barom- 
 Ptor, one hundred and eighty feet above the river. On the 
 left bank they are higher. They consist of a fine white clayey 
 sandstone, a white calcareous sandstone, and coarse sandstone 
 or pudding-stone. 
 
 6th. — It continued steadily raining all day ; but, notwith- 
 standing, we left our encampment in tho afternoon. Our ani- 
 mals had been much refreshed by their repose, and an abun- 
 dance of rich, soft grass, which had been much improved by 
 the rains. In about three miles, we reached the entrance of a 
 kanyon, where the Sweet Water issues upon the more open 
 valley we had passed over. Immediately at the entrance, and 
 superimposed directly upon the granite, are strata of compact 
 calcareous sandstone and chert, alternating with fine white and 
 reddish-white, and fine gray and red sandstones. These strata 
 dip to the eastward at an angle of about 18°, and form the western 
 limit of the sandstone and limestone formations on the line of 
 our route. Here we entered among the primitive rocks. The 
 usual road passes to the right of this place ; but we wound, or 
 rather scrambled, our way up the narrow valley for several 
 hours. Wildness and disorder were the character of this 
 scenery. The river had been swollen by the late rains, and 
 came rushing through with an impetuous current, three o' 
 four feet deep, and generally twenty yards broad. The valley 
 was sometimes the breadth of the stream, and sometimes 
 opened into little green meadows, sixty yards wide, with open, 
 groves of aspen. The stream was bordered throughort with 
 
86 CAPT. FEKMONT S NARRATIVE. [Aua. 
 
 aspen, beech, aiid willow ; and tall pines grew on the sides and 
 summits of the crags. On both sides the granite rocks rose 
 precipitously to the height of three hundred and five hundred 
 feet, terminating in jagged and broken pointed peaks; and 
 fragments of fallen rock lay piled up at the foot of the preci- 
 pices. Gneiss, mica slate, and a white granite, were among 
 the varieties I noticed. Here were many old traces of beaver 
 on the stream ; remnants of dams, near which were lying 
 trees, which they had cut down, one and two feet in diameter. 
 The hills entirely shut up the river at the end of about five 
 miles, and we turned up a ravine that led to a high prairie, 
 which seemed to be the general level of the country. Hence, 
 to the summit of the ridge, there is a regular and very gradual 
 rise. Blocks of granite were piled up at the heads of the ra- 
 vines, and small bare knolls of mica slate and milky quartz 
 protruded at frequent intervals on the prairie, which was 
 whitened in occasional spots with small salt lakes, where the 
 water had evaporated, and \r i the bed covered with a shining 
 incrustation of salt. The evening was very cold, a norinwest 
 wind driving a fine rain in our faces ; and at nightfall we de- 
 scended to a little stream, on which we encamped, abcut two 
 miles from the Sweet Water. Here had recently jeen a very 
 large camp of the Snake and Crow Indians ; and some large 
 poles lying about aflbrded the means of pitching a tent, and 
 making other places of shelter. Our fires to-night were made 
 principally of the dry branches of the artemisia, which covered 
 the slopes. It burns quickly, and with a clear oily flame, and 
 makes a hot fire. The hills here are composed of hard, com- 
 pact mica slate, with veins of quartz. 
 
 7th. — We left our encampment with the rising sun. As we 
 rose from the bed of the creek, the snow line of the mountains 
 stretched gradually before us, the white peaks glittering in the 
 sun. They had been hidden in the dark weather of the last 
 few days, and it had been snowing on them, while it rained in 
 the plains. We crossed a ridge, and again ssiiuck the Sweet 
 Water— here a beautiful, swift stream, with a more open val- 
 ley, timbered with beech and cotton wood. It now began to 
 hae itself in the many small forkf 'vhich make its head ; and 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 87 
 
 we continued up the main stream until near noon, when w*> 
 left it a few miles, to make our noon halt on a small cree» 
 tmong the hills, from which the stream issues by a small opei 
 ng. Within was a beautiful grassy spot, covered with an 
 open grove of large beech-trees, among which I found several 
 plants that I had not previously seen. 
 
 The afternoon was cloudy, with squalls of rain ; but the 
 weather became fine at sunset, when we again encamped on 
 the Sweet Water, within a few miles of t^ SV-^-h Pass. Th« 
 country over which we have passed to-aa^' »^unsists principalis 
 of the compact mica slate, which crops out on all ridges, 
 making the uplands very rocky and slaty. In the escarpments 
 
 hich border the creeks, it is seen alternating with a light- 
 colored granite, at an inclination of 45° ; the beds varying m 
 thickness from two or three feet to six or eight hundred. At 
 a distance, the granite frequently has the appearance of irreg- 
 ular lumps of clay, hardened by exposure. A variety of 
 asters may now be numbered among the characteristic plants, 
 and the artemisia continues in full glory ; but cacti have be- 
 ome rare, and mosses begin to dispute the hills with them. 
 The evening was damp and unpleasant — the thermometer, at 
 ten o'clock, being at 36°, and the grass wet with a heavy dew. 
 Our astronomical observations placed this encampment in lon- 
 gitude 109° 2V 32'', and latitude 42° 27' 15'', 
 
 Early in the morning we resumed our journey, the weather 
 still cloudy, with occasional rain. Our general course was 
 west, as I had determined to cross the dividing ridge by a 
 bridle-path among the country more immediately at the foot 
 of the mountains, and return by the wagon road, two and a 
 half miles to the south of the point where the trail crosses. 
 
 About six miles from our encampment bn ught us to the 
 summit. The ascent had been so gradual, that, with all the 
 .ntimate knowledge possessed by Carson, who had made the 
 country his home for seventeen years, we were obliged to watch 
 very closely to find the place at which we had reached the 
 culminating point. This was between two low hills, rising on 
 either hand fifty or sixty feet. When I looked back at them, 
 from the foot of t'ij immediate slope on the western plain, their 
 
88 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Ava. 
 
 summiis appeared to be about one hundred and twenty feet 
 above. From the impression on my mind at this time, and sub- 
 sequently on our return, I should compare the elevation which 
 we surmounted immediately at the Pass, to the ascent of the 
 Capitol hill from the avenue, at Washington. It is difficult 
 for me to fix positively the breadth of this Pass. From the 
 broken ground where it commences, at the foot of the Wind 
 River chain, the view to the southeast is over a champaign 
 country, broken, at the distance of nineteen miles, by the 
 Table rock ; which, with the other isolated hills in its vicinity, 
 seem to stand on a comparative plain. This I judged to be its 
 termination, the ridge recovering its rugged character with the 
 Table rock. It will be seen that it in no manner resembles the 
 places to which the term is commonly applied — nothing of the 
 gorge-like character and winding ascents of the Alleghany 
 passes in America; nothing of the Great St. Bernard and 
 Simplon passes in Europe. Approaching it from the mouth 
 of the Sweet Water, a sandy plain, one hundred and twenty 
 miles long, conducts, by a gradual and regular ascent, to the 
 summit, about seven thousand feet above the sea; and the 
 traveler, without being reminded of any change by toilsome 
 ascents, suddenly finds himself on the waters which flow to the 
 Pacific ocean. By the route we had traveled, the distance 
 from Fort Laramie is three hundred and twenty miles, or nine 
 hundred and fifty from the mouth of the Kansas. 
 
 Continuing our march, we reached, in eight miles from the 
 Pass, the Little Sandy, one of the tributaries of the Colorado, 
 or Green river of the Gulf of California. The weather had 
 grown fine during the morning, and we remained here the rest 
 of the day, to dry our baggage and take some astronomical 
 observations. The stream was about forty feet wide, and two 
 or three deep, with clear water and a full swift current, over 
 a sandy bed. It was timbered with a growth of low bushy and 
 dense willows, among which were little verdant spots, which 
 gave our animals fine grass, and where I found a number of 
 interesting plants. Among the neighboring hills I noticed 
 fragments of granite containing magnetic iron. Longitude of 
 the camp was 109° 37' 59^', and latitude 42° 27' 34''. 
 
184*2.] OAPT. Fremont's narrativb. 89 
 
 9th. — We made our noon halt on Big Sandy, another tribu- 
 tary of Green river. The face of the country traversed was 
 of a brown sand of granite materials, the detritus of the neigh- 
 boring mountain. Strata of the milky quartz cropped out, and 
 blocks of granite were scattered about, containing magnetic 
 iron. On Sandy creek the formation was of parti-colored 
 sand, exhibited in escarpments fifty to eighty feet high. Ir 
 the afternoon we had a severe storm of hail, and encamped at 
 sunset on the first New Fork. Within the space of a few 
 miles, the Wind mountains supply a number of tributaries 
 to Green river, which are called the New Forks. Near our 
 camp were two remarkable isolated hills, one of them suflli- 
 ciently large to merit the name of mountain. They are called 
 the Two Buttes, and will serve to identify the place of our en 
 campment, which the observations of the evening placed in 
 longitude 109° 58^ IV, and latitude 42° 42' W. On the 
 right bank of the stream, opposite to the large hill, the strata 
 which are displayed consist of decomposing granite, which 
 supplies the brown sand of which the face of the country is 
 composed to a considerable depth. 
 
 10th. — The air at sunrise is clear and pure, and the morning 
 extremely cold, but beautiful. A lofty snowy peak of the moun- 
 tain is glittering in the first rays of the sun, which have not 
 yet reached us. The long mountain wall to the east, rising 
 two thousand feet abruptly from the plain, behind which we 
 see the peaks, is still dark, and cuts clear against the glowing 
 sky. A fog, just risen from the river, lies along the base of 
 the mountain. A little before sunrise, the thermometer was 
 at 3.5°, and at sunrise 33'^. Water froze last night, and fires 
 are very comfortable. The scenery becomes hourly more in- 
 teresting and grand, and the view here is truly magnificent ; 
 but, indeed, it needs something to repay the long prairie jour- 
 ney of a thousand miles. The sun has shot above the wall, 
 and makes a magical change. The whole valley is glowing 
 and bright, and all the mountain peaks are gleaming like sil- 
 ver. Though these snow mountains are not the Alps, they 
 have their own character of grandeur and magnificence, and 
 Goubtless will find pens and pencils to do them justice. In 
 
90 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Auq. 
 
 the scene before us, we feel how much wood jtnpwfes a view. 
 The pines on the mountain seemed to give'lt much additional 
 beauty. I was agreeably disappointed inthe character of the 
 streams on this side of the ridge. Instead of the creeks, which 
 description had led me to expect, I find bold, broad streams, 
 with three or four feet water, and a rapid current. The fork 
 on which we are encamped is upwards of a hundred feet wide, 
 timbered with groves or thickets of the low willow. We 
 were now approaching the loftiest part of the Wind River 
 chain ; and I left the valley a few miles from our encamp- 
 ment, intending to penetrate the mountains as far as possible 
 with the whole party. We were soon involved in very broken 
 ground, among long ridges covered with fragments of granite. 
 Winding our way up a long ravine, we came unexpectedly in 
 view of a most beautiful lake, set like a gem in the mountains. 
 The sheet of water lay transversely across the direction we 
 had been pursuing ; and, descending the steep, rocky ridge, 
 where it was necessary to lead our horses, we followed its 
 banks to the southern extremity. Here a view of the utmost 
 magnificence and grandeur burst upon our eyes. With noth- 
 ing between us and their feet to lessen the effect of the whole 
 height, a grand bed of snow-capped mountains rose before us, 
 pile upon pile, glowing in the bright light of an Au^vst day. 
 Immediately below them lay the lake, between two ridges, cov- 
 ered with dark pines, which swept down from the main chain 
 to the spot where we stood. Here, where the lake glittered in 
 the open sunlight, its banks of yellow sand and the light foli- 
 age of aspen groves contrasted well with the gloomy pines. 
 " Never before," said Mr. Preuss, " in this country or in 
 Europe, have I seen such grand, magnificent rocks." I was 
 so much pleased with the beauty of the place, that I determined 
 to make the main camp here, where our animals would find 
 good pasturage, and explore the mountains with a small party 
 of men. Proceeding a little further, we came suddenly upon 
 the outlet of the lake, where it found its way through a nar- 
 row passage between low hills. Dark pines which overhung 
 the stream, and masses of rock, where the water foamed along, 
 gave it much romantic beauty. Where we crossed, which 
 
1842. J. CAPT. Fremont's naerativb. 91 
 
 was immediately at the outlet, it is two hundred and fifty feet 
 wide, and so deep that with difficulty we were able to ford it. 
 Its bed was an accumulation of rocks, boulders, and broad slabs, 
 and large angular fragments, among which the animals fell 
 repeatedly. 
 
 The current was very swift, and the water cold, and of a 
 crystal purity. In crossing this stream, I met with a great 
 misfortune in having my barometer broken. It was the only 
 one. A great part of the interest of the journey for me was 
 in the exploration of these mountains, of which so much had 
 been said that was doubtful and contradictory ; and now their 
 snowy peaks rose majestically before me, and the only means 
 of giving them authentically to science, the object of my anx- 
 ious solicitude by night and day, was destroyed. We had 
 brought this barometer in safety a thousand miles, and broke 
 it almost among the snow of the mountains. The loss was felt 
 by the whole camp — all had seen my anxiety, and aided me 
 in preserving it. The height of these mountains, considered 
 by many hunters and traders the highest in the whole range, 
 had been a theme of constant discussion among them ; and all 
 had looked forward with pleasure to the moment when thei|k. 
 strument, which they believed to be as true as the sun, sh^Kl 
 stand upon th. summits, and decide their disputes. Their 
 grief was only inferior to my own. 
 
 The lake is about three miles long, and of very irregular 
 width, and apparently great depth, and is the head- water of 
 ihe third New Fork, a tributary to Green river, the Colorado 
 of the west. In the narrative I have called it Mountain lake. I 
 encamped on the north side, about three hundred and fifty 
 yards from the outlet. This was the most western point at 
 which I obtained astronomical observations, by which this 
 place, called Bernier's encampment, is made in 110° 08^ 03 
 west longitude from Greenwich, and latitude 43° 49'' 49 
 The mountain peaks, as laid down, were fixed by bearings 
 from this and other astronomical points. We had no other 
 compass than the small ones used in sketching the country ; 
 but from an azimuth, in which one of them was used, the va- 
 riation of the compass is 18° east. The correction made in 
 
 
49 CAPT. Fremont's narbativb. [Avo. 
 
 our field-work by the astronomical observations indicates that 
 this is a very correct observation. 
 
 As soon as the camp was formed, I set about endeavoring to 
 repair my barometer. As I have already said, this was h 
 standard cistern barometer, of Troughton's construction. The 
 glass cistern had been broken about midway ; but as the in- 
 strument had been kept in a proper position, no air had found 
 '*s way into the tube, the end of which had always remained 
 overed. I had with me a number of vials of tolerably thick 
 
 ass, some of which were of the same diameter as the cistern, 
 md I spent the day in slowly working on these, endeavoring 
 o cut them of the requisite length ; but, as my instrument was 
 a very rough file, I invariably broke them. A groove was 
 cut in one of the trees, where the barometer was placed during 
 the night, to be out of the way of any possible danger, and in 
 the morning I commenced again. Among the powder-horns 
 in the camp, I found one which was very transparent, so that 
 its contents could be almost as plainly seen as through glass. 
 This I boiled and stretched on a piece of wood to the requisite 
 diameter, and scraped it very thin, in order to increase to the 
 utmost its transparency. I then secured it firmly in its place 
 on the instrument, with strong glue made from a buffalo, and 
 filled it with mercury, properly heated. A piece of skin, 
 which had covered one of the vials, furnished a good pocket, 
 which was well secured with strong thread and glue, and then 
 the brass cover was screwed to its place. The instrumen 
 was left some time to dry ; and when I reversed it, a few 
 hours after, I had the satisfaction to find it in perfect order ; 
 its indications being about the same as on the other side of the 
 lake before it had been broken. Our success in this little 
 incident diffused pleasure throughout the camp ; and we im. 
 mediately set about our preparations for ascending the moun. 
 tains. 
 
 As will be seen on reference to a map, on this short moun- 
 tain chain are the head-waters of four great rivers on the con- 
 tinent, namely : the Colorado, Columbia, Missouri, and Platte 
 rivers. It had been my design, after ascending the mountains, 
 lo continue our route on the western side of the range, 9\^ 
 
l842.] CAPT. Fremont's narratite. 93 
 
 crossing through a pass at the northwestern end of the chain, 
 about thirty miles from our present camp, return along the 
 eastern slope, across the heads of the Yellowstone river, and 
 join on the line to our station of August 7, immediately at the 
 foot of the ridge. In this way, I should be enabled to include 
 the whole chain, and its numerous waters, in my survey ; but 
 various considerations induced me, very reluctantly, to aban* 
 don this plan. 
 
 I was desirous to keep strictly within the scope of my in- 
 structions, and it would have required ten or fifteen additional 
 days for the accomplishment of this object ; our animals had 
 become very much worn out with the length of the journey ; 
 game was very scarce ; and, though it does not appear in the 
 course of the narrative, (as I have avoided dwelling upon tri- 
 fling incidents not connected with the objects of the expedition,) 
 the spirits of the men had been much exhausted by the hardships 
 and privations to which they had been subjected. Our provisions 
 had wellnigh all disappeared. Bread had been long out of the 
 question ; and of all our stock, we had remaining two or three 
 pounds of cf ffee, and a small quantity of macaroni, which had 
 been husbanded with great care for the mountain expedition 
 we were about to undertake. Our daily meal consisted of dry 
 buffalo meat, cooked in tallow ; and, as we had not dried this 
 with Indian skill, part of it was spoiled ; and what remamed 
 of good, was as hard as wood, having much the taste and ap- 
 pearance of so many pieces of bark. Even of this, our stock 
 was rapidly diminishing in a camp which was capable of con- 
 suming two buffaloes in every twenty-four hours. These ani- 
 mals had entirely disappeared ; and it was not probable that 
 we should fall in with them again until we returned to the 
 Sweet Water. 
 
 Our arrangements for the ascent were rapidly completed. 
 We were in a hostile country, which rendered the greates'. 
 vigilanci and circumspection necessary. The pass at the 
 north end of the mountain was greatly infested by Blackfeet, 
 and imme liately opposite was one of their forts, on the edge of 
 a little thicket, two or three hundred feet from our encamp 
 ment. We were posted in a grove of beech, on the margin of 
 
94 CAPT. Fremont's narrative [Aug. 
 
 the lake, and a few hundred feet long, with a narrow prairillon 
 on the inner side, bordered by the rocky ridge. In the uppei 
 end of this grove we cleared a circular space about forty feet 
 in diameter, and, with the felled timber, and interwoven 
 branches, surrounded it with a breastwork five feet in height. 
 A gap was left for a gate on the inner side, by which the ani- 
 mals were to be driven in and secured, while the men slept 
 around the little work. It was half hidden by the foliage, and 
 garrisoned by twelve resolute men, would have set at defiance 
 any band of savages which might chance to discover them in 
 the interval of our absence. Fifteen of the best mules, with 
 fourteen men, were selected for the mountain party. Our pro- 
 visions consisted of dried meat for two days, with our little 
 stock of cofiTee and some macaroni. In addition to the ba« 
 rometer and thermometer, I took with me a sextant and spy- 
 glass, and we had of course our compasses. In charge of the 
 camp I left Bernier, one of my most trustworthy men, who 
 possessed the most determined courage. 
 
 12th. — Early in the morning we left the camp, fifteen in 
 number, well armed, of course, and mounted on our best 
 mules. A pack-animal carried our provisions, with a coffee- 
 pot and kettle, and three or four tin cups. Every man had a 
 blanket strapped over his saddle, to serve for his bed, and the 
 instruments were carried by turns on their backs. We enter- 
 ed directly on rough and rocky ground ; and, just after cross- 
 ing the ridge, had the good fortune to shoot an antelope. We 
 heard the roar, and had a glimpse of a waterfall as we rode 
 along, and, crossing in our way two fine streams, tributary to 
 the Colorado, in about two hours' ride we reached the top of 
 .he first row or range of the mountains. Here, again, a view 
 of the most romantic beauty met our eyes. It seemed as if, 
 from the vast expanse of uninteresting prairie we had passed 
 over, Nature had collected all her beauties together in one 
 chosen place. We were overlooking a deep valley, which was 
 entirely occuoied by three lakes, and from the brink to tb« 
 surrounding ridges rose precipitously five hundred and a thou- 
 sand feet, covered with the dark green of the balsam pine, re- 
 Vieved on the border of the lake with the light foliage of the 
 
1842.] cAPT. Fremont's narrative. vti 
 
 aspen. They all communicated with each other, and the 
 green of the waters, common to mountain lakes of great depth, 
 snowed that it would be impossible to cross them. The sur- 
 prise manifested by our guides when these impassable obsta- 
 eles suddenly barred our progress, proved that they were 
 *mong the hidden treasures of the place, unknown even to the 
 A'andering trappers of the region. Descending the hill, we 
 )roceeded to make our way along the margin to the southern 
 extremity. A narrow strip of angular fragments of rock 
 yDmetimes afforded a rough pathway for our raules, but gener- 
 <lly we rode along the shelving side, occasionally scrambling 
 jp, at a considerable risk of tumbling barx into the lake. 
 
 The slope was frequently 60° ; the /ines grew densely to- 
 i^ether. and the ground was covered with the branches and 
 trunks of trees. The air was fragrant 'fith the odor of the 
 pines ; and I realized this delightful mornmg the pleasure of 
 breathing that mountain air which makes a constant theme of 
 the hunter's praise, and which now made us feel as if we had 
 all been drinking some exhilarating gas. The depths of this 
 unexplored forest v ere a place to delight the heart of a bota- 
 nist. There was a rich undergrowth of plants, and numerous 
 gay-colored flowers in brilliant bloom. We reached the out- 
 let at length, where some freshly-barked willows that lay in 
 tlie water showed that beaver had been recently at work. 
 There were some small brown squirrels jumping about in the 
 pines, and a couple of large mallard ducks swimming about in 
 tJ^e stream. 
 
 The hills on this southern end were low, and the lake look- 
 ed like a mimic sea, as the waves broke on the sandy beach in 
 the force of a strong breeze. There was a pretty open spot, 
 with fine grass for our mules ; and we made our noon halt on 
 Jie beach, under the shade of some large hemlocks. We re- 
 sumed our journey after a halt of about an hour, making our 
 way up the ridge on the western side of the lake. In search 
 of smoother ground, we rode a little inland ; and, passing 
 through groves of aspen, soon found ourselves again among 
 the pines. Emerging from these, we struck the summit of the 
 •idje abov« the uoper end of the lake. 
 
96 CAPT. FREMUNl S MAKUATIVE. [AUO. 
 
 V j» had reached a very elevated point, and in the valley be- 
 low, and among tlie hills, were a number of hikes of dillcrent 
 levels J some two or three hundred feet above others, with 
 which they communicated by foaming torrents. Even to our 
 great height the roar of the cataracts came up, and wo could 
 see them leaping down in lines of snowy foam. From this 
 Ncene of busy waters, we turned abruptly into tiie stillness of 
 « forest, where we rode among the open bolls of the pines, ovei 
 • lawn of verdant grass, having strikingly the air of cultivated 
 grounds. This led us, after a time, among masses of rock 
 which had no vegetable earth but in hollows and crevices 
 though still the pine forest continued. Towards evening we 
 reached a defile, or rather a hole in the mountains, entirelr 
 shut in by dark pine-covered rocks. 
 
 A small stream, with scarcely perceptible current, flowed 
 through a level bottom of perhaps eighty yards width, where 
 the grass was saturated with water. Into this the mules were 
 turned, and were neither hobbled nor picketed during the 
 night, as the fine pasturage took away all temptation to stray ; 
 and we made our bivouac in the pines. The surrounding 
 masses were all of granite. While supper was being pre- 
 pared, I set out on an excursion in the neighborhood, accom- 
 panied by one of my men. We wandered about among the 
 crags and ravines until dark, richly repaid for our walk ly a 
 fine collection of plants, many of them in full bloom. Ascend- 
 ing a peak to find the place of our camp, we saw that the little 
 defile in which we lay communicated with the long green val- 
 ley of some stream, which, here locked up in the mountains, 
 far away to the south, found its way in a dense forest to the 
 plains. 
 
 Looking along its upward course, it seemed to conduct, by a 
 Bmooth gradual slope, directly towards the peak, which, from 
 long consultation as we approached the mountain, we had de- 
 cided to be the highest of the range. Pleased with the dis- 
 covery of so fine a road for the next day, we hastened down to 
 the camp, where we arrived just in time for supper. Our 
 table-service was rather scant ; and we held the meat in our 
 hands, and clean rocks mad.s good plates, on wWJ »ve spread 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 07 
 
 o\ir macaroni. Among all the strange places on which we 
 had occasion to encamp during our long journey, none have left 
 80 vivid an impression on my mind as the camp of this even. 
 ing. The disorder of the masses which surrounded us — the 
 little hole through which we saw the stars over hoad — the dark 
 pines where we slept — and the rocks lit up with the glow of 
 our fires, made a night-picture of very wild beauty. 
 
 13th. — The morning was bright and pleasant, just cool 
 enough to make exercise agreeable, and we soon entered the 
 defile I had seen the preceding day. It was smoothly carpeted 
 with soft grass, and scattered over with groups of flowers, of 
 which yellow was the predominant color. Sometimes we were 
 forced, by an occasional difliculi pass, to pick our way on a 
 narrow ledge along the side of the defile, and the mules were 
 frequently on their knees ; but these obstructions were rare, 
 and we journeyed on in the sweet morning air, delighted at 
 our good fortune in having found such a beautiful entrance to 
 ihe mountains. This road continued for about three miles, 
 when we suddenly reached its termination in one of the grand 
 views which, at every turn, meet the traveler in this magnifi- 
 cent region. Here the defile up which we had traveled open- 
 ed out into a small lawn, where, in a little lake, the stream 
 had its source. 
 
 There were some fine asters in bloom, but all the flowering 
 plants appeared to seek the shelter of the rocks, and to be of 
 lower growth than below, as if they loved the warmth of the 
 soil, and kept out of the way of the winds. Immediately at 
 our feet, a precipitous descent led to a confusion of defiles, and 
 before us rose the mountains, as we have represented them in 
 the annexed view. It is not by the splendor of far-oflT views, 
 which have lent such a glory to the Alps, that these impress 
 the nimd ; but bv a gigantic disorder of enormous masses, and 
 a savage sublimity of naked rock, in wonderful contrast with 
 innumerable green spots of a rich floral beauty, shut up in 
 their stern recesses. Their wildness seems well suited to 
 the«character of the people who inhabit the country. 
 
 I determined to leave our animals here, and make the rest 
 of our way on foot. The peak appeared so near, that there 
 5 
 
98 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Auo. 
 
 was no doubt of our returning before night ; and a few men 
 were left in charge of the mules, with our provisions and 
 blankets. We toolc with us nothing but our arms and instru- 
 ments, and, as the day had become warm, the greater part 
 left our coats. Having made an early dinner, we started 
 again. We were soon involved in tl*e moist ragged precipices, 
 nearing the central chain very slowly, and rising but little. 
 The first ridge hid a succession of others ; and when, with 
 great fatigue and difficulty, we had climbed up five hundred 
 feet, it was but to make an equal descent on the other side ; 
 all these intervening places were filled with small deep lakes, 
 which met the eye in every direction, descending from one 
 level to another, sometimes under bridges formed by huge 
 fragments of granite, beneath which was heard the roar of the 
 water. These constantly obstructed our path, forcing us to 
 make long detours; frequently obliged to retrace our steps, 
 and frequently falling among the rocks. Maxwell was pre- 
 cipitated towards the face of a precipice, and saved himself 
 from going over by throwing himself flat on the ground. We 
 clambered on, always expecting, with every ridge that we 
 crossed, to reach the foot of the peaks, and always disappointed, 
 until about four o'clock, when, pretty well worn out, we 
 reached the shore of a little lake, in which was a rocky island. 
 We remained here a short time to rest, and continued on 
 around the lake, which had in some places a beach of white 
 sand, and in others was bound with rocks, over which the way 
 was difficult and dangerous, as the water from innumerable 
 springs made them very slippery. 
 
 By the time we had reached the further side of the lake, we 
 found ourselves all exceedingly fatigued, and, much to the 
 satisfaction of the whole party, we encamped. The spot we 
 had chosen was a broad flat rock, in some measure protected 
 from the winds by the surrounding crags, and the trunks of 
 fallen pines aflbrded us bright firos. Near by was a foaming 
 torrent, which tumbled into the little lake about one hundred 
 and fifty feet below us, and which, by way of distinction„we 
 have called Island lake. We had reached the upper limit of 
 the piney region ; as, above this point, no tree was to be seen, 
 
1843.J CAPT. Fremont's narrative. §0 
 
 and patches of snow lay everywhere around us, on the cold 
 sides of the rocks. The flora of the region we had traversed 
 since leaving our mules was extremely rich, and, among the 
 characteristic plants, the scarlet flowers of the dodecatheon den- 
 latum everywhere met the eye, in great abundance. A small 
 green ravine, on the edge of which we were encamped, was 
 tilled with a profusion of alpine plants, in brilliant bloom. 
 From barometrical observations, made during ouv three days* 
 sojourn at this place, its elevation above the Gulf of Mexico is 
 10,000 feet. During the day, we had seen no sign of animal 
 life ; but among the rocks here, we heard what was supposed 
 to be the bleat of a young goat, which we searched for with 
 hungry activity, and found to proceed from a small animal of 
 a gray color, with short ears and no tail — probably the Sibe 
 rian squirrel. We saw a considerable number of them, and, 
 with the exception of a small bird like a sparrow, it is the only 
 inhabitant of this elevated part of the mountains. On our 
 return, we saw, below this lake, large flocks of the mountain- 
 goat. We had nothing to eat to-night. Lajeunesse, with 
 several others, took their guns, and sallied out in search of a 
 goat; but returned unsuccessful. At sunset, the baromotei 
 stood at 20*522; the attached thermometer 50°. Here we 
 had the misfortune to break our thermometer, having now only 
 that attached to the barometer. I was taken ill shortly after 
 we had encamped, and continued so until late in the night, 
 with violent headache and vomiting. This was probably 
 caused by the excessive fatigue I had undergone, and want of 
 food, and perhaps, also, in some measure, by the rarity of the 
 air. The night was cold, as a violent gale from the north had 
 sprung up at sunset, which entirely blew away the heat of the 
 fires. The cold, and our granite beds, had not been favorable 
 to sleep, and we were glad to see the face of the sun in the 
 morning. Not being delayed by any preparation for break- 
 fast, we set out immediately. 
 
 On every side, as we advanced, was heard the roar of waters, 
 and of a torrent, which we followed up a short distance, until 
 It expanded into a lake about one mile in length. On the 
 northern side of the lake was a bank of ice, or rather of snow 
 
100 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aito. 
 
 covered with a crust of ice. Carson had been our guide into 
 the mountains, and, agreeably to his advice, we left this little 
 valley, and took to the ridges again, which we found ex- 
 tremely broken, and where we were again involved among 
 precipices. Here were ice-fields ; among which we were all 
 dispersed, seeking each the best path to ascend the peak. 
 Mr. Preuss attempted to walk along the upper edge of one of 
 these fields, which sloped away at an angle of about twenty 
 degrees ; but his feet slipped from under him, and he went 
 plunging down the plain. A few hundred feet below, at 
 the bottom, were some fragments of sharp rock, on which he 
 landed ; and, though he turned a couple of somersets, fortu- 
 nately received no injury beyond a few bruises. Two of the 
 men, Clement Lambert and Descoteaux, had been taken ill, 
 and lay down on the rocks, a short distance below ; and at this 
 point I was attacked with headache and giddiness, accompanied 
 by vomiting, as on the day before. Finding myself unable to 
 proceed, I sent the barometer over to Mr. Preuss, who was in 
 a gap two or three hundred yards distant, desiring him to reach 
 the peak if possible, and take an observation there. He found 
 himself unable to proceed further in that direction, and took an 
 observation, where the barometer stood at 19"401 ; attached ther- 
 mometer 50°, in the gap. Carson, who had gone over to him, 
 succeeded in reaching one of the snowy summits of the main 
 ridge, whence he saw the peak towards which all our efforts 
 had been directed, towering eight or ten hundred feet into the 
 air above him. In the mean time, finding myself grow rather 
 worse than better, and doubtful how far my strength would 
 carry me, I sent Basil Lajeunesse, with four men, back to the 
 place where the mules had been left. 
 
 We were now better acquainted with the topography of the 
 country, and I directed him to bring back with him, if it were 
 in any way possible, four or five mules, with provisions and 
 blankets. With me were Maxwell and Ayer; and after we 
 had remained nearly an hour on the rock, it became so un- 
 pleasantly cold, though the day was bright, that we set out on 
 our return to the camp, at which we all arrived safely, strag- 
 gling in one after the other. I continued ill during the after- 
 
1842.] CAPT. fr£mont's narrative. 101 
 
 noon, but became beiter towards sundown, when my recovery 
 was completed by the appearance of Basil and four men, all 
 mounted. The men who had gone with him had been too 
 much fatigued to return, and were relieved by those in charge 
 of the horses ; but in his powers of endurance Basil resembled 
 more a mountain-goat than a man. They brought blankets 
 and provisions, and we enjoyed well our dried meat and a cup 
 of good coffee. We rolled ourselves up in our blankets, and, 
 with our feet turned to a blazing fire, slept soundly until 
 morning. 
 
 15th. — It had been supposed that we had finished with the 
 mountains ; and the evening before it had been arranged that 
 Carson should set out at daylight, and return to breakfast at 
 the Camp of the Mules, taking with him all but four or five 
 men, who were to stay with me and bring back the mules and 
 instruments. Accordingly, at the brpak of day they set out. 
 With Mr. Preuss and myself remained Basil Lajeunesse, Clem- 
 ent Lambert, Janisse, and Descoteaux. When we had se- 
 cured strength for the day by a hearty breakfast, we covered 
 what remained, which was enough for one meal, with rocks, 
 in order that it might be safe from any marauding bird, and, 
 saddling our mules, turned our fac^^s once more towards the 
 peaks. This time we determined to proceed quietly and 
 cautiously, deliberately resolved to accomplish our object if it 
 were within the compass of human means. We were of opin- 
 ion that a long defile which lay to the left of yesterday's route 
 would lead us to the foot of the main peak. Our mules had 
 been refreshed by the fine grass in the little ravine at the 
 Island camp, and we intended to ride up the defile as far aa 
 possible, in order to husband our strength for the main ascent. 
 Though this was a fine passage, still it was a defile of the most 
 rugged mountains known, and we had many a rough and steep 
 slippery place to cross before reaching the end. In this place 
 the sun rarely shone ; snow lay along the border of the small 
 stream which flowed through and occasional icy passages 
 made the footing of the mules very insecure, and the rocks 
 and ground were moist with the trickling waters in this spring 
 cf mighty rivers. We soon had the satisfaction to find our. 
 
102 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Avo. 
 
 selves riding along the huge wall which forms the central 
 summits of the chain. There at last it rose by our sides, a 
 nearly perpendicular wall of granite, terminating 2,000 to 
 3,000 feet above our heads in a serrated line of broken, jagged 
 cones. We rode on until we came almost immediately below 
 the main peak, which I denominated the Snow peak, as it ex- 
 hibited more snow to the eye than any of the neighboring sum- 
 mits. Here were three small lakes of a green color, each, 
 perhaps, of a thousand yards in diameter, and apparently very 
 deep. These lay in a kind of chasm ; and, according to the 
 barometer, we had attained but a few hundred feet above the 
 Island lake. The barometer here stood at 20*450, attached 
 thermometer 70°. 
 
 We managed to get our mules up to a little bench about a 
 iiundred feet above the lakes, where there was a patch of good 
 grass, and turned them loose to graze. During our rough ride 
 to this place, they had exhibited a wonderful surefootedness. 
 Parts of the defile were filled with angular, sharp fragments 
 of rock, three or four and eight or ten feet cube ; and among 
 these they had worked their way, leaping from one narrow 
 point to another, rarely making a false step, and giving us no 
 occasion to dismount. Having divested ourselves of every 
 unnecessary encumbrance, we commenced the ascent. This 
 time, like experienced travelers, we did not press ourselves, 
 but climbed leisurely, sitting down so soon as we found breath 
 beginning to fail. At intervals we reached places where a 
 number of springs gushed from the rocks, and about 1800 feet 
 above the lakes came to the snow line. From this point our pro- 
 gress was uninterrupted climbing. Hitherto I had worn a 
 pair of thick moccasins, with soles of parf^cJie, but here I put 
 on a light, thin pair, which I had brought for the purpose, as 
 now the use of our toes became necessary to a further ad- 
 vance. I availed myself of a sort of comb of the mountain, 
 which stood against the wall like a buttress, and which the 
 wind and the solar radiation, joined to the steepness of the 
 smooth rock, had kept almost entirely free from snow. Up 
 this I made my way rapidly. Our cautious method of ad- 
 vancing at the outset had spared my strength ; and, with the 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. lOS 
 
 exception of a slight disposition to headache, I felt no remains 
 of yesterday's illness. In a few minutes we reached a point 
 where the buttress was overhanging, and there was no other 
 way of surmounting the difficulty than by passing around one 
 iide of it, which was the face of a vertical precipice of several 
 hundred feet. 
 
 Putting hands and feet in the crevices between the blocks, I 
 succeeded in getting over it, and, when I reached the top, 
 found my companions in a small valley below. Descending 
 to them, we continued climbing, and in a short time reached 
 the croRt. I sprang upon the summit, and another step would 
 have precipitated me into an immense snow-field five hundred 
 feet below. To the edge of this field was a sheer icy preci- 
 pice; and then, with a gradual fall, the field sloped off* for 
 about a mile, until it struck the foot of another lower ridge. 
 I stood on a narrow crest, about three feet in width, with an 
 inclination of about 20° N. 51° E. As soon as I had gratified 
 the first feelings of curiosity, I descended, and each man as- 
 cended in his turn ; for I would only allow one at a time to 
 mount the unstable and precarious slab, which it seemed a 
 breath would hurl into the abyss below. We mounted the 
 barometer in the snow of the summit, and, fixing a ramrod in 
 a crevice, unfurled the national flag to wave in the breeze 
 where never flag waved before. During our morning's ascent, 
 we had met no sign of animal life, except the small sparrow- 
 like bird already mentioned. A stillness the most profound 
 and a terrible solitude forced themselves constantly on the 
 mind as the great features of the place. Here, on the sum- 
 mit, where the stillness was absolute, unbroken by any sound, 
 and solitude complete, we thought ourselves beyond the region 
 of animated life ; but while we were sitting on the rock, a 
 solitary bee {bromus, the humble-bee) came winging his flight 
 from the eastern valley, and lit on the knee of one of the 
 men. 
 
 It was a strange place, the icy rock and the highest peak 
 of the Rocky mountains, for a lovei" of warm sunshine and 
 flowers ; and we pleased ourselves with the idea that he was 
 the first of hLs species to cross the mountain barrier- -a solitary 
 
104 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Auo 
 
 oioneer to foretell the advance of civilization. 1 believe thai 
 a moment's thought would have made us let him continue his 
 way unharmed ; but we carried out the law of this country, 
 where all animated nature seems at war; and, seizing him 
 immediately, put him in at least a fit place — in the leaves of a 
 large book, among the flowers we had collected on our way. 
 The barometer stood at 1 8*293, the attached thermometer at 
 44° ; giving for the elevation of this summit 13,570 feet above 
 the Gulf of Mexico, which may be called the highest flight 
 of the bee. It is certainly the highest known flight of that 
 insect. From the description given by Mackenzie of the 
 mountains where he crossed them, with that of a French 
 ofllicer still farther to the north, and Colonel Long's measure- 
 ments to the south, joined to the opinion of the oldest traders 
 of the country, it is presumed that this is the highest peak of 
 the Rocky mountains. The day was sunny and bright, but a 
 slight j;hining mist hung over the lower plains, which interfered 
 with our view of the surrounding country. On one side we 
 overlooked innumerable lakes and streams, the spring of the 
 Colorado of the Gulf of California ; and on the other was the 
 Wind River valley, where were the heads of the Yellowstone 
 branch of the Missouri ; far to the north, we could just dis- 
 cover the snowy heads of the Trois Tetons, where were the 
 sources of the Missouri and Columbia rivers ; and at the 
 southern extremity of the ridge, the peaks were plainly visible,' 
 among which were some of the springs of the Nebraska or 
 Platte river. Around us, the whole scene had one main, 
 striking feature, which was that of terrible convulsion. Paral- 
 lel to its length, the ridge was split into chasms and fissures ; 
 between which rose the thin lofty walls, terminated with slender 
 minarets and columns. According to the barometer, the little 
 crest of the wall on which we stood was three thousand five 
 hundred and seventy feet above that place, and two thousand 
 seven hundred and eighty above the little lakes at the bottom, 
 immediately at our feet. Our camp at the Two Hills (an as- 
 tronomical station) bore south 3° east, which, with a bearing 
 afterwjards obtained from a fixed position, enabled us to locate 
 the peak. The bearing of the Trois Tetons was north 50^ 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. ' 105 
 
 west, and the direction of the central ridge of the W* ind River 
 mountains south 39° east. The summit rock was gneiss, suc- 
 ceeded by sienitic gneiss. Sienite and feldspar succeeded in 
 our descent to the snow line, where we found a feldspathic 
 granite. I had remarked that the noise produced by the ex- 
 plosion of our pistols had the usual degree of loudness, but 
 was not in the least prolonged, expiring almost instanta- 
 neously. 
 
 Having now made what observations our means afforded, we 
 proceeded to descend. We had accomplished an object of 
 laudable ambition, and beyond the strict order of our instruc- 
 tions. We had climbed the loftiest peak of the Rocky moun- 
 tains, and looked down upon the snow a thousand feet below ; 
 and, standing where never human foot had stood before, felt 
 the exultation of first explorers. It was about two o'clock 
 when we left the summit, and when we reached the bottom, the 
 sun had already sunk behind the wall, and the day was draw- 
 ing to a close. It would have been pleasant to have lingered 
 here and on the summit longer ; but we hurried away as rapidly 
 as the ground would permit, for it was an object to regain our 
 party as soon as possible, not knowing what accident the noxt 
 hour might bring forth. 
 
 We reached our deposite of provisions at nightfall. Here 
 was not the inn which awaits the tired traveler on his return 
 from Mont Blanc, or the orange groves of South America, 
 with their refreshing juices and soft fragrant air ; but we found 
 our little cache of dried meat and coffee undisturbed. Though 
 the moon was bright, the road was full of precipices, and the 
 fatigue of the day had been great. We therefore abandoned 
 the idea of rejoining our friends, and lay down on the rock, 
 and, in spite of the cold, slept soundly. 
 
 16th. — We left our encampment with the daylight. We 
 saw on our way large flocks of the mountain-goat looking 
 down on us from the clifls. At the crack of the rifle, they 
 would bound off among the rocks, and in a few minutes make 
 their appearance on some lofty pe-^k, some hundred or a thou- 
 sand feet above. It is needless I *ttempt any further descrip- 
 tion of the country j the portion over which we traveled this 
 5* 
 
106 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Auo 
 
 morning was rough as imagination could picture it, and to us 
 seemed equally beautiful. A concourse of lakes and rushing 
 waters — mountains of rocks naked and destitute of vegetable 
 earth — dells and ravines of the most exquisite beauty, all kept 
 green and fresh by the great moisture in the air, and sown 
 with brilliant flowers, and everywhere thrown around all the 
 glory of most magnificent scenes, — these constitute the features 
 of the place, and impress ther selves vividly on the mind of 
 the traveler. It was not until 11 o'clock that we reached the 
 place where our animals had been left, when we first attempted 
 the mountains on foot. Near one of the still burning fires we 
 found a piece of meat, which our friends had thrown away, 
 and which furnished us a mouthful — a very scanty breakfast. 
 We continued directly on, and reached our camp on the moun- 
 tain lake at dusk. We found all well. Nothing had occurred 
 to interrupt the quiet since our departure, and the fine grass 
 and good cool water had done much to re-establish our animals. 
 All heard with great delight the order to turn our faces home- 
 ward ; and towards sundown of the 17th, we encamped again 
 at the Two Buttes. 
 
 In the course of this afternoon's march, the barometer was 
 broken past remedy. I regretted it, as I was desirous to com- 
 pare it again with Dr. Engleman's barometers at St. Louis, 
 to which mine were referred ; but it had done its part well, 
 and my objects were mainly fulfilled. 
 
 19th. — We left our camp on Little Sandy river about seven 
 in the morning, and traversed the same sandy, undulating 
 country. The air was filled with the turpentine scent of the 
 various artemisias, which are now in bloom, and, numerous as 
 they are, give much gayety to the landscape of the plains. 
 At ten o'clock, we stood exactly on the divide in the pass, 
 where the wagon-road crosses ; and, descending immediately 
 upon the Sweet Water, halted to take a meridian observation 
 of the sun. The latitude was 42° 24^ 32'', 
 
 In the course of the afternoon we saw buffalo again, and at 
 our evening halt on the Sweet Water the roasted ribs again 
 made their appearance around the fires ; and, with them, good 
 humor, and laughter and song, were restored to the camp. 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narra :ive. 107 
 
 Our coffee had been expended, but we now made a kind of tea 
 from the roots of the wild-cherry tree. 
 
 23d. — Yesterday evening we reached our encampm6;nt at 
 Hock Independence, where I took some astronomical observa- 
 tions. Here, not unmindful of the custom of early travelers 
 and explorers in our country, I engraved on this rock of the 
 Far West a symbol of the Christian faith. Among the tlackly 
 inscribed names, I made on the hard granite the impression of 
 a large cross, which I covered with a black preparation of 
 India-rubber, well calculated to resist the in.'luence of wind 
 and rain. It stands amidst the names of many who have long 
 since found their way to the grave, and for whom the huge 
 rock is a giant gravestone. 
 
 One George Weymouth was sent out to Maine by the 
 Earl of Southampton, Lord Arundel, and others ; and in the 
 narrative of their discoveries, he says : " The next day we 
 ascended in our pinnace that part of the river which lies more 
 to the westward, carrying with us a cross — a thing never 
 omitted by any Christian traveler — which we erected at the 
 ultimate end of our route." This was in the year 1605 ; and 
 in 1842 I obeyed the feeling of early travelers, and left the 
 impression of the cross deeply engraved on the vast rock one 
 thousand miles beyond the Mississippi, to which discoverers 
 iiave given the national name of Rock Independence. 
 
 In obedience to my instructions to survey the river Platte, 
 if possible, I had determined to make an attempt at this place. 
 The India-rubber boat was filled with air, placed in the water, 
 and loaded with what was necessary for our operations ; and I 
 embarked with Mr. Preuss and a party of men. When we 
 held dragged our boat a mile or two over the sands, I abandoned 
 the impossible undertaking, and waited for the arrival of the 
 party, when we packed up our boat and equipage, and at nine 
 o'clock were again moving along on our land journey. We 
 continued along the valley on the right bank of the Sweet 
 Water, where the formation, as already described, consists of 
 a grayish micaceous sandstone, and fine-grained conglomerate, 
 and marl. We passed over a ridge which borders or consti- 
 tutes the river hills of the Platte, consisting of huge blocks, 
 
108 JAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aufl, 
 
 sixty or eighty feet cube, of decomposing granite. The cement 
 which united them was probably of easier decomposition, and 
 has disappeared and left them isolate, and separated by small 
 spaces. Numerous horns of the mountain-goat were lying 
 among the rocks ; and in the ravines were cedars, whose 
 trunks were of extraordinary size. From this ridge we 
 descended to a small open plain, at the mouth of the Sweet 
 Water, which rushed with a rapid current into the Platte, 
 here flowing along in a broad and apparently deep stream, 
 which seemed, from its turbid appearance, to be considerably 
 swollen. I obtained here some astronomical observations, and 
 the afternoon was spent in getting our boat ready for naviga- 
 tion the next day. 
 
 24th. — We started before sunrise, intending to breakfast at 
 Goat island. I had directed the land party, in charge of Ber- 
 nier, to proceed to this place, where they were to remain, should 
 they find no note to apprize them of our having passed. In 
 the event of receiving this information, they were to continue 
 their route, passing by certain places which had been desig- 
 nated. Mr. Preuss accompanied me, and with us were five 
 of my best men, viz. : C. Lambert, Basil Lajeunesse, Honore 
 Ayot, Benoist, and Descoteaux. Here appeared no scarcity 
 of water, and we took on board, with various instruments and 
 baggage, provisions for ten or twelve days. We paddled down 
 the river rapidly, for our little craft was light as a duck on the 
 water ; and the sun had been some time risen, when we heard 
 before us a hollow roar, which we supposed to be that of a fall, 
 of which we had heard a vague rumor, but whose exact locality 
 no one had been able to describe to us. We were approach- 
 ing a ridge, through which the river passes by a place called 
 "canon," (pronounced kanyon,) — a Spanish word, signifying a 
 piece of artillery, the barrel of a gun, or any kind of tube ; 
 and which, in this country, has been adopted to describe the 
 passage of a river between perpendicular rocks of great height, 
 which frequently approach each other so closely overhead as 
 to form a kind of tunnel over the stream, which foams along be- 
 low, half choked up by fallen fragments. Between the mouth 
 of the Sweet Water and Goat island, there is probably a fall 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 109 
 
 of three hundred feet, and that was principally made in the 
 canons before us ; as, without them, the water was compara- 
 tively smooth. As we neared the ridge, the river made a 
 sudden turn, and swept squarely down against one of the walls 
 of the canon, with great velocity, and so steep a descent that it 
 had, to the eye, the appearance of an inclined plane. When 
 we launched into this, the men jumped overboard, to check the 
 velocity of the boat ; but were soon in water up to their necks, 
 and our boat ran on. But we succeeded in bringing her to a 
 small point of rocks on the right, at the mouth of the canon. 
 Here was a kind of elevated sand-beach, not many yards 
 square, backed by the rocks ; and around the point the river 
 swept at a right angle. Trunks of trees deposited on jutting 
 points, twenty or thirty feet above, and other marks, showed 
 that the water here frequently rose to a considerable height. 
 The ridge was of the same decomposing granite already men- 
 tioned, and the water had worked the surface, in many places, 
 mto a wavy surface of ridges and holes. We ascended the 
 rocks to reconnoitre the ground, and from the summit the pas- 
 sage appeared to be a continued cataract, foaming over many 
 obstructions, and broken by a number of small falls. We saw 
 nowhere a fall answering to that which had been described to 
 us as having twenty or twenty-five feet ; but still concluded 
 this to be the place in question, as, in the season of floods, the 
 rush of the river against the wall would produce a great rise ; 
 and the waters, reflected squarely off*, would descend through 
 the passage in a sheet of foam, having every appearance of a 
 large fall. Eighteen years previous to this time, as I have 
 subsequently learned from himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, somewhere 
 above on this river, had embarked with a valuable cargo of 
 beaver. Unacquainted with the stream, which he believed 
 would conduct him safely to the Missouri, he came unexpect- 
 edly into this canon, where he was wrecked, with the total loss 
 of his furs. It would have been a work of great time and 
 labor to pack our baggage across the ridge, and I determined 
 to run the canon. We all again embarked, and at first 
 attempted to check the way of the boat ; but the water swept 
 through with so much violence that we narrowly escaped being 
 
lit CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aw, 
 
 swamjjed, and were obliged to let her go in the full force of 
 the current, and trust to the skill of the boatmen. The dan- 
 gerous places in this canon were where huge rocks had fallen 
 from above, and hemmed in the already narrow pass of the 
 river to an open space of three or four and five feet. These 
 obstructions raised the water considerably above, which was 
 sometimes precipitated over in a fall ; and at other places, 
 where this dam was too high, rushed through the contracted 
 opening with tremendous violence. Had our boat been made 
 of wood, in passing the narrows she would have been staved ; 
 but her elasticity preserved her unhurt from every shock, and 
 she seemed fairly to leap over the falls. 
 
 In this way we passed three cataracts in succession, where 
 perhaps 100 feet of smooth water intervened ; and, finally, 
 with a shout of pleasure at our success, issued from our tun- 
 nel into the open day beyond. We were so delighted with the 
 performance of our boat, and so confident in her powers, that 
 we would not have hesitated to leap a fall often feet with her. 
 We put to shore for breakfast at some willows on the right 
 bank, immediately below the mouth of the canon ; for it was 
 now eight o'clock, and we had been working since daylight, 
 and were all wet, fatigued, and hungry. While the men were 
 preparing breakfast, I went out to reconnoitre. The view was 
 very limited. The course of the river was smooth, so far as I 
 could see ; on both sides were broken hills ; and but a mile or 
 two below was another high ridge. The rock at the mouth 
 of the canon was sfill the decomposing granite, with great 
 quantities of mica, which made a very glittering sand. 
 
 We re-embarked at nine o'clock, and in about twenty min- 
 utes reached the next canon. Landing on a rocky shore at its 
 commencement, we ascended the ridge to reconnoitre. Port- 
 age was out of the question. So far as we could see, the jag 
 ged rocks pointed out the course of the canon, on a winding 
 line of seven or eight miles. It was simply a narrow, dark 
 chasm in the rock ; and here the perpendicular faces were 
 much higher than in the previous pass, being at this end two 
 to three hundred, and further down, as we afterwards ascer- 
 tained, five hundred feet in vertical height. Our previous 
 
1H42.] CAPT. Fremont's NABRAiiVE. Ill 
 
 success had made us bold, and we determined agam to run 
 the canon. Every tiling was secured as firmly as possible ; 
 and having divested ourselves of the greater part of our cloth- 
 ing, we pushed into the stream. To save our chronometer 
 from accident, Mr. Preuss took it, and attempted to proceed 
 along the shore on the masses of rock, which in places were 
 piled up on either side ; but, after he had walked about five 
 minutes, every thing like shore disappeared, and the vertical 
 wall came squarely down into the water. He therefore wait- 
 ed until we came up. An ugly pass lay before us. We hud 
 made fast to the stern of the boat a strong rope about fifty feet 
 long ; and three of the men clambered along among the rocks, 
 and with this rope let her slowly through the pass. In several 
 places high rocks lay scattered about in the channel ; and in 
 the narrows it required uU our strength and skill to avoid sta- 
 ving the boat on the sharp points. In one of these, the boat 
 proved a little too broad, and stuck fast for an instant, while 
 the water flew over us ; fortunately, it was but for an instant, 
 as our united strength forced her immediately through. The 
 water swept overboard only a sextant and a pair of saddle- 
 bags- I cfiUght the sextant as it passed by me ; but the sad- 
 dle-bags became the prey of the whirlpools. We reached the 
 place where Mr. Preuss was standing, took him on board, and, 
 with the aid of the boat, put the men with the rope on the suc- 
 ceeding pile of rocks. We found this passage much worse 
 than the previous one, and our position was rather a bad one. 
 To go back was impossible ; before us, the cataract was a 
 sheet of foam ; and shut up in the chasm by the rocks, which, 
 m some places, seemed almost to meet overhead, the roar of 
 the water was deafening. We pushed off again ; but, after 
 making a little distance, the force of the current became too 
 great for the men on shore, and two of them let go the rope. 
 Lajeunesse, the third man, hung on, and was jerked headfore- 
 most into the river from a rock about twelve feet high ; and 
 down the boat shot like an arrow, Basil following us in the 
 rapid current, and exerting all his strength to keep in mid 
 channel — his head only seen occasionally like a black spot in 
 the white foam. How far we went, I do not exactly itnow ; 
 
1 12 CAFT. FREMONT S NARRATIVE. [AVtt* 
 
 but we succeeded in turning the boat into an eddy below. 
 " 'Cre Dieu" said Basil Lajeunesse, as he arrived immediate 
 ly after us, " Je crois hien que fai nage un demi mile.*' He 
 had owed his life to his skill as a swimmer, and I determined 
 to take him and the two others on board, and trust to skill and 
 fortune to reach the other end in safety. We placed ourselves 
 on our knees with the short paddles in our hands, the most 
 skilful boatman being at the bow ; and again we commenced 
 our rapid descent. We cleared rock after rock, and shot past 
 fall after fall, our little boat seeming to play with the cataract 
 We became flushed with success, and familiar with the danger ; 
 and, yielding to the excitement of the occasion, broke forth into 
 a Canadian boat-song. Singing, or rather shouting, we dash- 
 ed along, and were, I believe, in the midst of the chorus, when 
 the boat struck a concealed rock immediately at the foot of a 
 fall, which whirled her over in an instant. Three of my men 
 could not swim, and my first feeling was to assist them, and 
 save some of our eftects ; but a sharp concussion or two con- 
 vinced me that I had not yet saved myself. A few strokes 
 brought me into an eddy, and I landed on a pile of rocks on 
 the left side. Looking around, I saw that Mr. Preuss had 
 gained the shore on the same side, about twenty yards below ; 
 and a little climbing and swimming soon brought him to my 
 side. On the opposite side, against the wall, lay the boat bot- 
 tom up ; and Lambert was in the act of saving Descoteaux, 
 whom he had grasped by the hair, and who could not swim ; 
 '* Ldche pas," said he, as I afterwards learned, " Idche pas, 
 cker fr^re." " Grains pas," was the reply : "je m'en vais 
 mourir avant que de ie Idcher." Such was the reply of cour- 
 age and generosity in this danger. For a hundred yards be- 
 low the current was covered with floating books and boxes, 
 bales and blankets, and scattered articles of clothing ; and so 
 strong and boiling was the stream, that even our heavy in- 
 struments, which were all in cases, kept on the surface, and the 
 sextant, circle, and the long black box of the telescope, were 
 in view at once. For a moment, I felt somewhat dishearten- 
 ed. All our books — almost every record of the journey — our 
 journals and registers of astronomical and barometrical obser* 
 
194*2.] CAFT. Fremont's nahrativb. 113 
 
 nations — had been lost in a moment. But it was no time to 
 indulge in regrets; and I immediately set about endeavoring to 
 save something from the wreck. Making ourselves understood 
 as well as possible by signs, (for nothing could be heard in 
 the roar of the waters,) we commenced our operations. Of 
 every thing on board, the only article that had been saved was 
 my double-barreled gun, which Descoteaux had caught and 
 clung to with drowning tenacity. The men continued down 
 the river on the left bank. Mr. Preuss and myself descended 
 on the side we were on ; and Lajeunesse, with a paddle in his 
 hand, jumped on the boat alone, and continued down the can- 
 on. She was now light, and cleared every bad place with 
 much less difficulty. In a short time he was joined by Lam. 
 bert, and the search was continued for about a mile and a half, 
 which was as far as the boat could proceed in the pass. 
 
 Here the walls were about five hundred feet high, and the 
 fragments of rocks from above had choked the river into a hoi- ' 
 low pass, but one or two feet above the surface. Through 
 this and the interstices of the rock, the water found its way. 
 Favored beyond our expectations, all of our registers had been 
 recovered, with the exception of one of my journals, which 
 contained the notes and incidents of travel, and topographical 
 descriptions, a number of scattered astronomical observations, 
 principally meridian altitudes of the sun, and our barometri- 
 cal register west of Laramie. Fortunately, our other journals 
 contained duplicates of the most important barometrical obser- 
 vations which had been taken in the mountains. These, with 
 a few scattered notes, were all that had been preserved of our 
 meteorological observations. In addition to these, we saved 
 the circle ; and these, with a few blankets, constituted every 
 tiling that had been rescued from the waters. 
 
 The day was running rapidly away, and it was necessary 
 to reach Goat island, whither the party had preceded us, be- 
 fore night. In this uncertain country, the traveler is so much 
 m the power of chance, that we became somewhat uneasy in 
 regard to them. Should any thing have occurred, in the brief 
 interva. of our separation, to prevent our rejoining them, our 
 siluatiea would be rather a desperate one. We had not a 
 
114 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aug. 
 
 morsel of provisions — our arms and ammunition were gone — and 
 we were entirely at the mercy of any straggling pa.iy of sav- 
 ages, and not a little in danger of starvation. We therefore 
 set out at once in two parties, Mr. Preuss and myself on the 
 left, and the men on the opposite side of the river. Climbing 
 out of the canon, we found ourselves in a very broken country, 
 where we were not yet able to recognise any locality. In the 
 course of our descent through the canon, the rocks, which at 
 the upper end was of the decomposing granite, changed into a 
 varied sandstone formation. The hills and points of the ridgea 
 were covered with fragments of a yello v sandstone, of which 
 the strata were sometines displayed in the broken ravines 
 which interrupted our course, and made our walk extremely 
 fatiguing. At one point of the canon the red argillaceous sand- 
 stone rose in a wall of five hundred feet, surmounted by a 
 stratum of white sandstone ; and in an opposite ravine a col- 
 umn of red sandstone rose, in form like a steeple, about one 
 hundred and fifty feet high. The scenery was extremely pic- 
 turesque, and notwithstanding our forlorn condition, we were 
 frequently obliged to stop and admire it. Our progress was 
 not very rapid. We had emerged from the water half naked, 
 and, on arriving at the top of the precipice, I found myself 
 with only one moccasin. The fragments of rock made walk- 
 ing painful, and I was frequently obliged to stop and pull out 
 the thorns of the cactus, here the prevailing plant, and with 
 which a few minutes' walk covered the bottoms of my feet. 
 From this ridge the river emerged into a smiling prairie, and, 
 descending to the bank for water, we were joined by Benoist. 
 The rest of the party were out of sight, having taken a more 
 Inland route. We crossed the river repeatedly — sometimes 
 able to ford it, and sometimes swimming — climbed over the 
 ridges of two more canons, and towards evening reached the 
 cut, which we here named the Hot Spring gate. On our pre- 
 vious visit in July, we had not entered this pass, resjerving it 
 for our descent in the boat ; and when we entered it this even- 
 ing, Mr. Preuss was a few hundred feet in advance. Heated 
 with the long march, he came suddenly upon a fine bold spring 
 gushing from the rock, about ten feet above the river. Eager 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative, 116 
 
 to enjoy the crystal water, he threw himself down fo a hasty 
 draught, and took a mouthful of water almost boiling hot. He 
 said nothing to Benoist, who laid himself down to dunk ; but 
 the steam from the water arrested his eagerness, and he es- 
 caped the hot draught. We had no thermometer to ascertain 
 the temperature, but I could hold my hand in the water just 
 long enough to count two seconds. There are eight or ten of 
 these springs discharging themselves by streams large enough 
 to be called runs. A loud hollow noise was heard from the 
 rock, which I supposed to be produced by the fall of water. 
 The strata immediately where they issue is a fine white and 
 calcareous sandstone, covered with an incrustation of common 
 salt. Leaving this Thermopylae of the west, in a suort walk 
 we reached the red ridge which has been described as lying 
 just above Goat island. Ascending this, we found some fresh 
 tracks and a button, which showed that the other men had al- 
 ready arrived. A shout from the man who first reached the 
 top of the ridge, responded to from below, informed us that our 
 friends were all on the island; and we were soon among them. 
 We found some pieces of buffalo standing around the fire for 
 us, and managed to get some dry clothes among the people. 
 A sudden storm of rain drove us into the best shelter we could 
 find, where we slept soundly, after one of the most fatiguing 
 days I have ever experienced. 
 
 25th. — Early this morning Lajeunesse was sent to the wreck 
 for the articles which had been saved, and about noon we left 
 the island. The mare which we had left here in July had 
 much improved in condition, and she served us well again for 
 some time, but was finally abandoned at a subsequent part of 
 the journey. At 10 in the morning of the 26th we reached 
 Cache camp, where we found every thing undisturbed. We 
 disinterred our deposite, arranged our carts which had been 
 left here on the way out ; and, traveling a few miles in tlie 
 afternoon, encamped for the night at the ford of the Platte. 
 
 27th. — At mid-day we halted at the place where we had 
 taken dinner on the 27th of July. The country which, when 
 we passed up, looked as if the hard winter frosts had passed 
 over it, had now assumed a new face, so much of vernal fresh 
 
116 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aug. 
 
 ncss had been given to it by the rains. The Platte was ex. 
 ceedingly low — a mere line of water among the sandbars. We 
 reached Laramie fort on the last day '"f August, after an 
 dbsence of forty-two days, and had the pleasure to find our 
 fi iends all well. The fortieth day had been fixed for our re- 
 turn ; and the quick eyes of the Indians, who were on the 
 lookout for us, discovered our flag as we wound among the 
 hills. The fort saluted us with repeated discharges of its 
 single piece, which we returned with scattered volleys of our 
 smalUarms, and felt the joy of a home reception in getting 
 back to this remote station, which seemed so far off as we 
 went out. 
 
 SEPTEMBER. 
 
 On the morning of the 3d September we bade adieu to our 
 kind friends at the fort, and continued our homeward journey 
 down the Platte, which was glorious with the autumnal splen. 
 dor of innumerable flowers in full and brilliant bloom. On 
 the warm sands, among the helianthi, one of the characteristic 
 plants, we saw great numbers of rattlesnakes, of which five 
 or six were killed in the morning's ride. We occupied our- 
 selves in improving our previous survey of the river ; and, as 
 the weather was fine, astronomical observations were generally 
 made at night and at noon. 
 
 We halted for a short time on the afternoon of the 5th with 
 a village of Sioux Indians, some of whose chiefs we had met 
 at Laramie. The water in the Platte was exceedingly low ; 
 in many places, the large expanse of sands, with some oc- 
 casional stunted tree on its banks, gave it the air of the sea- 
 coast ; the bed of the river being merely a succession of sand- 
 bars, among which the channel was divided into rivulets of a 
 few inches deep. We crossed and recrossed with our carts 
 repeatedly and at our pleasure ; and, whenever an obstruction 
 barred our way in the shape of precipitous bluflfs that came 
 down upon the river, we turned directly info it, and made our 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 117 
 
 way along the sandy bed, with no other inconvenience than 
 the frequent quicksands, which greatly fatigued our animals. 
 Disinterring on the way the cache which had been made by 
 our party when they ascended the river, we reached without 
 accident, on the evening of the 12th of September, our old 
 encampment of the 2d of July, at the junction of the forks. 
 Our cache of the barrel of pork was found undisturbed, and 
 proved a seasonable addition to our stock of provisions. At 
 this place I had determined to make another attempt to descend 
 the Platte by water, and accordingly spent two days in the 
 construction of a bull boat. Men were sent out on the evening 
 of our arrival, the necessary number of bulls killed, and their 
 skins brought to the camp. Four of the best of them were 
 strongly sewed together with bulTalo sinew, and stretched over 
 a basket frame of willow. The seams were then covered with 
 ashes and tallow, and the boat left exposed to the sun for the 
 greatei part of one day, which was sufficient to dry and con- 
 tract the skin, and make the whole work solid and strong. It 
 had a rounded bow, was eight feet long and five broad, and 
 drew with four men about four inches water. On the morning 
 of the 15th we embarked in our hide boat, Mr. Preuss and 
 myself, with two men. We dragged her over the sands for 
 three or four miles, and then left her on a bar, and abandoned 
 entirely all further attempts to avigate this river. The names 
 given by the Indians are always remarkably appropriate ; and 
 certainly none was ever more so than that which they have 
 given to this stream — "The Nebraska, or Shallow river." 
 Walking steadily the remainder of the day, a little before dark 
 we overtook our people at their remaining camp, about twenty- 
 one miles below the junction. The next morning we crossed 
 the Platte, and continued our way down the river bottom on 
 the left bank, where we found an excellent, plainly- beaten 
 road. 
 
 On the 18th we reached Grand Island, which is fifty-two 
 miles long, with an average breadth of one mile and three- 
 quarters. It has on it some small eminences, and is sufficiently 
 elevated to be secure from the annual floods of the river. As 
 has been already remarked, it is well timbered, with an excel- 
 
118 CAPT. PREMONT*S NARRATIVE. [SePT. 
 
 lent soil, and recommends itself to notice as the best point fot 
 a military position on the Lower Platte. 
 
 On the 22d we arrived at the village of the Grand Paw- 
 nees, on the right bank of the river, about thirty miles above 
 the mouth of the Loup fork. They were gathering in their 
 corn, and we obtained from them a very welcome supply of 
 vegetables. 
 
 The morning of the 24th we reached the Loup fork of the 
 Platte. At the place where we forded it, this stream was four 
 hundred and thirty yards broad, with a swift current of clear 
 water ; in this respect, differing from the Platte, which has a 
 yellow muddy color, derived from the limestone and marl for- 
 mation, of which we have previously spoken. The ford was 
 difficult, as the water was so deep that it came into the body 
 of the carts, and we reached the opposite bank after repeated 
 attempts, ascending and descending the bed of the river, in 
 order to avail ourselves of the bars. We encamped on the 
 left bank of the fork, in the point of land at its junction with 
 the Platte. During the two days that we remained here for 
 astronomical observations, the bad weather permitted us to ob- 
 tain but one good observation for the latitude — a meridian alti- 
 tude of the sun, which gave for the latitude of the mouth of 
 the Loup fork, 41° 22' IV. 
 
 Five or six days previously, I had sent forward C. Lambert, 
 with two men, to Bellevue, with directions to ask from Mr. P. 
 Sarpy, the gentleman in charge of the American Company's 
 establishment at that place, the aid of his carpenters in con- 
 structing a boat, in which I proposed to descend the Missouri. 
 On the afternoon of the 27th we met one of the men, who had 
 been dispatched by Mr. Sarpy with a welcome supply of pro- 
 visions and a very kind note, which gave us the very gratify- 
 ing intelligence that our boat was in rapid progress. On the 
 evening of the 30th we encamped in an almost impenetrable 
 undergrowth on the left bank. of the Platte, in the point of land 
 at its confluence with the Missouri — 315 miles, according to 
 our reckoning, from the junction of the forks, and 520 from 
 Fort Laramie. From the junction we had found the bed of 
 the Platte occupied with numerous islands, many of them 
 
1842.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 119 
 
 very large, and all well timbered ; possessing, as well as the 
 bottom lands of the river, a very excellent soil. With the 
 exception of some scattered groves on the banks, the bottoms 
 are generally without timber. A portion of these consist of 
 low grounds, covered with a profusion of fine grasses, and are 
 probably inu dated in the spring ; the remaining part is high 
 river prairie, entirely beyond the influence of the floods. The 
 breadth of the river is usually three-quarters of a mile, except 
 where it is enlarged by islands. That portion of its course 
 which is occupied by Grand island has an average breadth, 
 from shore to shore, of two and a half miles. 
 
 OCTOBER. 
 
 1st. — I rose this morning long before daylight, and heard 
 with a feeling of pleasure the tinkling of cow-bells at the set- 
 tlements on the opposite side of the Missouri. Early in the 
 day we reached Mr. Sarpy's residence ; and, in the security 
 and comfort of his hospitable mansion, felt the pleasure of 
 being within the pale of civilization. We found our boat on 
 the stocks ; a tew days sufficed to complete her ; and, in the 
 afternoon of the 4th, we embarked on the Missouri. All our 
 equipage — horses, carts, and the materiel of the camp — had 
 been sold at public auction a* Bellevue. The strength of my 
 party enabled me to man the ooat with ten oars, relieved every 
 hour ; and we descended rapidly. Early on the morning of 
 the 10th, we halted to make some astronomical observations 
 at the mouth of the Kansas, exactly four months since we had 
 left the trading-post of Mr. Cyprian Chouteau, on the same 
 river, ten miles above. On our descent to this place, we had 
 employed ourselves in surveying and sketching the Missouri, 
 making astronomical observations regularly at night and at 
 mid-day, whenever the weather permitted. These operations 
 on the river were continued until our arrival at the city of St. 
 Louis, Missouri, on the 17th. At St. Louis, the sale of our 
 
120 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Ocs. 
 
 remaining effects was made ; and, leaving that city oy steam, 
 boat on the 18th, I had the honor to report to you at the city 
 of Washington on the 29th of October. 
 
 Very respectfully, sir, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 J. C. FREMONT, 
 2d Lieutenant Corps of Topographical Engineers. 
 
 ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS 
 
 The Longitudes given in the subjoined Table are referred to the 
 meridian of Greenwich. 
 
 For the determination of astronomical positions, we were 
 provided. with the following instruments: 
 
 One telescope, magnifying power 120. 
 
 One circle, by Gambey, Paris. 
 
 One sextant, by Gambey, Paris. 
 
 One sextant, by Troughton. -> 
 
 One box chronometer, No. 7,810, by French. 
 
 One Brockbank pocket chronometer. 
 
 One small watch with a light chronometer balance, No. 
 4,632, by Arnold and Dent. 
 
 The rate of the chronometer, 7,810, is exhibited in the fol- 
 lowing statement : 
 
 " New York, May 5, 1842 
 
 " Chronometer No. 7,810, by French, is this day at noon — 
 " Slow of Greenwich mean time, - - - 11' 4" 
 " Fast of New York mean time, - - 4A. 45' 1" 
 
 " Loses per day, ---... 2".7 
 
 " Arthur Stewart, 74 Merchants' Exchange." 
 
 An accident among some rough ground in the neighborhood 
 of the Kansas river, strained the balance of this chronometer, 
 ^No. 7,810,) and rendered it useless during the remainder of 
 the campaign. From the 9th of June to the 24th of August, 
 inclusively, the longitudes depend upon the Brockbank pocket 
 ciironometer ; the rate of which, on leaving St. Louis, was 
 
1842.] 
 
 CAPT. FREMONT S NAnKATl'S. 
 
 121 
 
 fouiteen seconds. The rate obtained by observe tions at Fort 
 Laramie, 14^'. 05, has been used in calculation. 
 
 From the 24th of August until the termination of the jour- 
 ney, No. 4,632 (of which the rate was 35^^.79) was used for 
 the same purposes. The rate of this watch was irregular, and 
 I place little confidence in the few longitudes which depend 
 upon it, though, so far as we have any means of judging, they 
 appear tolerably correct. 
 
 Table of Latitudes and Longitudes, deduced from Observations 
 made during the Journey. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Station. 
 
 1842. 
 
 May 27 
 
 lune 8 
 
 16 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 30 
 
 July 3 
 
 4 
 6 
 7 
 II 
 12 
 13 
 14 
 16 
 23 
 24 
 25 
 20 
 26 
 28 
 29 
 30 
 Mtg. 1 
 
 4 
 
 7 
 
 9 
 10 
 15 
 19 
 19 
 20 
 22 
 22 
 23 
 30 
 
 St. Louis, residence of Colonel Brant, 
 
 Chonteau's lower trading-post, Kansas river, 
 
 IjCft t)ank of Kansas river, 7 miles above the ford, 
 
 Vermilion creek, 
 
 Cold springs, near the road to Laramie, 
 
 Big Blue river, 
 
 Little Blue river. 
 
 Right bank of Platte river, 
 
 Right bank of Platte river, 
 
 Right bank of Platte river, 
 
 Right bank of Platte river, 
 
 Junction of north and south forks of the Nebraska 
 or Platte river, 
 
 South fork of Platte river, left bank, 
 
 South fork of Pliitte river, island, 
 
 South fork of Platte river, left b:ink 
 
 South fork of Platte river, St. Vrain's fort, 
 
 Crow creek, 
 
 On a stream, name unknown, 
 
 Horse creek, Goshen's hole 1 
 
 Fort Laramie, near the mouth of Laramie's fork,. 
 
 North fork of Platte river, 
 
 North fork of Platte rivtT. 
 
 North fork of Platte river. Dried Meat camp, 
 
 North fork of Platte river, noon halt 
 
 North fork of Platte r.ver, mouth of Deer creek, .. 
 
 North fork of Platte river. Cache camp, 
 
 North fork of Platte river, left hank 
 
 North fork of Platte river. Goat island 
 
 Sweet Water river, one mile below Rock Inde- 
 pendence, 
 
 Sweet Water river, 
 
 Sweet Water river, 
 
 Little Sandy creek, tributary- to the Colorado of 
 
 the West, 
 
 New fork, tributary to the Colorado, 
 
 Mountain lake, 
 
 Highest (teak of the Wind River mountains, 
 
 Sweet Water, noon halt, 
 
 Sweet Water river, 
 
 Sweet Water river, 
 
 Sweet Water river, noon halt, 
 
 Sweet Water river. Rock Independence, 
 
 North fork of Platte river, mouth of Sweet Water, 
 Horseihoe creek, noon halt, 
 
 Latitude. Longitude. 
 
 Def. min. sec. Deg. min. fee 
 
 38 37 34 
 
 39 05 57 94 35 46 
 39 06 40 95 38 05 
 39 15 19 96 04 07 
 39 30 40 96 14 49 
 
 39 45 08 96 32 35 
 
 40 26 50 98 22 12 
 40 41 06 98 45 49 
 40 39 :)2 99 05 24 
 40 39 51 
 40 39 55 
 
 41 05 05 
 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 41 
 41 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 49 
 
 51 17 
 
 53 26 
 
 22 35 
 
 41 59 
 08 30 
 40 13 
 12 10 
 .39 25 
 47 40 
 
 51 35 
 50 (18 
 
 52 24 
 50 53 
 38 01 
 33 27 
 
 29 ,56 
 
 32 31 
 
 27 15 
 
 27 34 
 
 42 41) 
 49 49 
 
 24 32 
 
 22 22 
 
 31 4t! 
 
 26 10 
 29 36 
 
 27 18 
 74 34 
 
 100 05 47 
 
 100 49 43 
 
 103 07 
 
 103 ."JO 37 
 105 12 12 
 
 104 57 49 
 104 39 37 
 104 24 ,36 
 104 47 43 
 
 104 59 59 
 
 105 50 45 
 
 106 08 24 
 106 38 26 
 
 106 .54 32 
 
 107 13 29 
 
 107 25 23 
 
 108 30 n 
 
 109 21 32 
 
 109 37 59 
 
 109 58 11 
 
 110 08 03 
 
 6 
 
122 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [1842. 
 
 Table of Latitudes and Longitudes — Continued. 
 
 Date. 
 
 1843. 
 Sept. 3 
 4 
 5 
 
 8 
 9 
 10 
 16 
 16 
 17 
 18 
 19 
 21) 
 20 
 21 
 S.3 
 23 
 25 
 28 
 29 
 Oct. 2 
 
 . 5 
 6 
 6 
 8 
 
 10 
 
 Statiun. 
 
 North fork of Platte river, right bank, 
 
 North fork of I'Uvtte river, near Scott's bluffs, 
 
 North fork of Tlatte river, right bank, six miles 
 above Chimney rock, 
 
 North fork of Platte river, mouth of Ash creek,. • . 
 
 North fork of Platte river, right bank, 
 
 North fork of Platte river. Cedar bluffs, 
 
 Platte river, noon halt, 
 
 Platte river, left bank, 
 
 Platte river, left bank, 
 
 Platte river, left bank, 
 
 Platte river, left bank, 
 
 Platte river, noon halt, left bank, 
 
 Platte river, left bank, 
 
 Platte river, left bank, 
 
 Platte river, noon halt, left bank, 
 
 Platte river, left bank, 
 
 Platte river, mouth of Loup fork, 
 
 Platte river, mouth of Elk Horn river, 
 
 Platte river, left bank, 
 
 Believue, at the post of the.American Pur Com- 
 pany, right bank of the Missouri river, 
 
 Left bank of the Missouri, opposite to the right 
 bank of the mouth of the-Platte, 
 
 Missouri river, 
 
 Bertholet's island, noon halt, 
 
 Missouri river, mouth of Nishnabatona river, .... 
 
 Missouri river, left bank, 
 
 Missouri river, mouth of the Kansas river, 
 
 Latitude. 
 
 Def. min. 
 
 43 01 
 
 41 54 
 
 41 43 
 
 41 17 
 
 41 14 
 
 41 10 
 
 40 54 
 
 40 52 
 
 40 42 
 
 40 40 
 
 40 39 
 
 40 48 
 
 40 54 
 
 41 05 
 41 20 
 41 22 
 41 22 
 41 09 
 41 02 
 
 MC. 
 
 40 
 38 
 
 36 
 19 
 30 
 16 
 31 
 34 
 38 
 21 
 44 
 19 
 02 
 37 
 20 
 52 
 11 
 34 
 15 
 
 Deg. min, ite 
 
 41 08 24 
 
 Longitude. 
 
 41 02 
 
 40 34 
 
 40 27 
 
 40 16 
 
 39 36 
 
 39 06 
 
 11 
 
 08 
 08 
 40 
 02 
 03 
 
 95 20 
 
A REPORT 
 
 or 
 THE EXPLORING EXPEDITION 
 
 TO 
 
 OREGON AND NORTH CALIFORNIA. 
 
 IN THE YEARS 1843-44. 
 
 Washington City, March 1, 1845 
 To Colonel J. J. Abert, Chief of the Corps oj Top. Engineers 
 
 Sir : — In pursuance of your instructions, to connect the rt 
 connoisance of 1842, which I had the honor to conduct, with the 
 surveys of Commander Wilkea on the coast of the Pacific 
 ocean, so as to give a connected survey of +he interior of our 
 continent, I proceeded to the Great West early in the spring 
 of 1843, and arrived, on the 17th of May, at the little town of 
 Kansas, on the Missouri frontier, near the junction of the Kan- 
 sas river with the Missouri river, where I was detained near 
 two weeks in completing the necessary preparations for the 
 extended explorations which my instructions contemplated. 
 
 My party consisted principally of Creole and Canadian 
 French, and Americans, amounting in all to thirty-nine men ; 
 among whom you will recognise several of those who were 
 with me in my first expedition, and who have been favorably 
 brought to your notice in a former report. Mr. Thomas Fitz. 
 patrick, whom many years of hardship and exposure, in thf 
 western territories, had rendered familiar with a portion of the 
 country it was designed to explore, had been selected as our 
 guide ; and Mr. Charles Preuss, who had been my assistant in 
 a previous journey, was again associated with me in the same 
 capacity, on the present expedition. Agreeably to your direc- 
 tion?, Mr. TlieoJore Talbot, of Washington city, had been 
 
124 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Mat, 
 
 attached to the party, with a view to advancement in his pro. 
 fession ; and at St. Louis I had been joined by Mr. Frederick 
 Dwight, a gentleman of Springfield, Massachusetts, who availed 
 himself of our overland journey to visit the Sandwich Islands 
 and China, by way of Fori Vancouver. 
 
 The men engaged for the service were : Alexis Ayot, Fran- 
 cis Badeau, Oliver Beaulieu, Baptiste Bernier, John A. Camp, 
 bell, John G. Campbell, Manuel Chapman, Ransom Clark, 
 Philibert Courteau, Michel Crelis, William Creuss, Clinton 
 Deforest, Baptiste Derosier, Basil Lajeunesse, Francois J-jajeu. 
 nesse, Henry Lee, Louis Menard, Louis Montreuil, Samuel 
 Neal, Alexis Pera, Frangois Pera, James Power, Raphael 
 Proue, Oscar Sarpy, Baptiste Tabeau, Charles Taplin, Bap. 
 tiste Tesson, Auguste Vasquez, Joseph Verrot, Patrick White, 
 Tiery Wright, Louis Zindel, and Jacob Dodson, a free young 
 colored man of Washington city, who volunteered to accom- 
 pany the expedition, and performed his duty manfully through, 
 out the voyage. Two Delaware Indians — a fine-looking old 
 man and his son — were engaged to accompany the expedition 
 as hunters, through the kindness of Major Cummins, the excel- 
 lent Indian agent. L. Maxwell, who had accompanied the 
 expedition as one of the hunters in 1842, being on his way to 
 Taos, in New Mexico, also joined us at this place. 
 
 The party was generally armed with Hall's carbines, which 
 with a brass twelve-pound howitzer, had been furnished to me 
 from the United States arsenal at St. Louis, agreeably to the 
 orders of Colonel S. W. Kearney, commanding the third mili- 
 tary division. Three men were especially detailed for the 
 management of this piece, under the charge of Louis Zindel, a 
 native of Germany, who had been nineteen years a non-com. 
 missioned officer of artillery in the Prussian army, and regu. 
 larly instructed in the duties of his profession. The camp 
 equipage and provisions were transported in twelve carts, 
 orawn each by two mules ; and a light covered wagon, mounted 
 on good springs, had been provided for the safer carriage of 
 mstruments. These were : 
 
 One refracting telescope, by Frauenhofer. 
 
 One reflecting circle, by Gambev. 
 
1848.] CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. 125 
 
 Two sextants, by Troughton. 
 
 One pocket chronometer, No. 837, by Goffe, Falmouth. 
 
 One pocket chronometer. No. 739, by Brockbank. 
 
 One syphon barometer, by Bunten, Paris. 
 
 One cistern barometer, by Frye and Shaw, New York. 
 
 Six thermometers, and a number of small compasses. 
 
 To make the exploration as useful as possible, I determined, 
 m conformity to your general instructions, to vary the route to 
 the Rocky mountains from that followed in 1842. The route 
 was then up the valley of the Great Platte river to the South 
 Pass, in north latitude 42° ; the route now determined on was 
 up the valley of the Kansas river, and to the head of the Ar- 
 kansas river, and to some pass in the mountains, if any could 
 be found, at the sources of that river. 
 
 By making this deviation from the former route, the problem 
 of a new road to Oregon and California, in a climate more 
 genial, might be solved ; and a better knowledge obtained of 
 an important river, and the country it drained, while the great 
 object of the expedition would find its point of commencement 
 at the termination of the former, which was at that great gate 
 in the ridge of the Rocky mountains called the South Pass, and 
 on the lofty peak of the mountain which overlooks it, deemed 
 the highest peak in the ridge, and from the opposite side of 
 which four great rivers take their rise, and flow to the Pacific 
 or the Mississippi. 
 
 Various obstacles delayed our departure until the morning 
 of the 29th, when we commenced our long voyage ; and at 
 the close of a day, rendered disagreeably cold by incessant 
 rain, encamped about four miles beyond the frontier, on the 
 verge of the great prairies. 
 
 Resuming our journey on the 31st, after the delay of a day 
 to complete our equipment and furnish ourselves with some of 
 the comforts of civilized life, we encamped in the evening at 
 Elm Grove, in company with several emigrant wagons, con- 
 stituting a party which was proceeding to Upper California, 
 under the direction of Mr. J. B. Childs, of Missouri. The 
 wagons were variously freighted with goods, furniture, and 
 farmmg utensils, containing among other things an entire set 
 
186 CAPT. Fremont's narbativb. L^^y* 
 
 of machinery for a mill which Mr. Childs designed erecting 
 on the waters of the Sacramento river, emptying into the bay 
 of San Francisco. 
 
 We were joined here by Mr. Wm. Gilpin of Mo., who, in- 
 tending this year to visit the settlements in Oregon, had been 
 invited to accompany us, and proved a useful and agreeable 
 addition to the party. 
 
 JUNE. 
 
 From Elm Grove, our route until the third of June was 
 nearly the same as that described to you in 1842. Trains of 
 wagons were almost constantly in r^ight ; giving to the road a 
 populous and animated appearance, although the greater por» 
 tion of the emigrants were collected at the crossing, oj already 
 on their march beyond the Kansas river. Leaving at the ford 
 the usual emigrant road to the mountains, we continued our 
 route along the southern side of the Kansas, where we found 
 the country much more broken than on the northern side of 
 the river, and where our progress was much delayed by the 
 numerous small streams, which obliged us to make frequent 
 bridges. On the morning of the 4th we crossed a handsome 
 stream, called by the Indians Otter creek, about 130 feet wide, 
 where a flat stratum of limestone, which forms the bed, made 
 an excellent ford. We met here a small party of Kansas and 
 Delaware Indians, the latter returning from a hunting and 
 trapping expedition on the upper waters of the river ; and on 
 the heights above were five or six Kansas women, engaged in 
 digging prairie potatoes, (psoralea escuhnta.) On the after- 
 noon of the 6th, whilst busily engaged in crossing a wooded 
 stream, we were thrown into a little confusion by the sudden 
 arrival of Maxwell, who entered the camp at full speed at the 
 head of a war party of Osage Indians, with gay red blankets, 
 and heads shaved to the scalp lock. They had run him a 
 distance of about nine miles, from a creek on which we had 
 encamped the day previous, and to which he had returnp<) :q 
 
I <43.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 127 
 
 bearch of a runaway horse belonging to Mr. Dvvight, which 
 had taken the homeward road, carrying with him saddle, 
 bridle, and holster- pistols. Tiie Otjugcs were probably igno- 
 rant of jur strength, and, when they charged into the camp, 
 drove off a number of our best horses ; but we were fortunately 
 well mounted, and, after a hard chase of seven or eight miles, 
 succeeded in recovering them all. This accident, which oc- 
 casioned delay and trouble, and threatened danger and loss, 
 and broke down some good horses at the start, and actually 
 endangered the expedition, was a first fruit of having gentle- 
 men in company — very estimable, to be sure, but who are not 
 trained to the care and vigilance and self-dependence which 
 such an expedition required, and who are not subject to the 
 orders which enforce attention and exertion. We arrived on 
 the 8th at the mouth of the Smoky-hill fork, which is the prin- 
 cipal southern branch of the Kansas ; forming here, by its 
 junction with the Republican, or northern branch, the main 
 Kansas river. Neither stream was fordable, and the necessity 
 of making a raft, together with bad weather, detained us here 
 until the morning of the 11th j when we resumed our journey 
 "ilong the Republican fork. By our observations, the junction 
 »f the streams is in lat. 39° 30^ 38'^ long. 96° 24' 36'^ and 
 at an elevation of 926 feet above the Gulf of Mexico. For 
 several days we continued to travel along the Republican, 
 through a country beautifully watered with numerous streams, 
 und handsomely timbered ; and rarely an incident occurred to 
 vary the monotonous resemblance which one day on the prairies 
 here bears to another, and which scarcely require a particular 
 description. Now and then, we caught a glimpse of a small 
 herd of elk ; and occasionally a band of antelopes, whose 
 curiosity sometimes brought them within rifle range, would 
 circle round us and then scour off into the prairies. As we 
 advanced on our road, these became more frequent ; but as 
 we journeyed on the line usually followed by the trapping and 
 hunting parties of the Kansas and Delaware Indians, game of 
 every kind continued very shy and wild. The bottoms which 
 form le immediate valley of the main river were generally 
 aboi' ihree miles wide ; having a rich soil of black vegetable 
 
128 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Junk, 
 
 mould, and, for a prairie country, well interspersed with wood. 
 The country was everywhere covered with a considerable 
 variety of grasses, occasionally poor and thin, but far more 
 frequently luxuriant and rich. We had been gradually and 
 regularly ascending in our progress westward, and on the 
 evening of the 14th, when we encamped on a little creek in 
 the valley of the Republican, 265 miles by our traveling road 
 from the mouth of the Kansas, we were at an elevation of 
 1,520 feet. That part of the river where we were now en- 
 camped is called by the Indians the Big Timber. Hitherto o"r 
 route had been laborious and extremely slow, the unusually 
 wet spring and constant rain having so saturated the whole 
 country that it was necessary to bridge every water-course, 
 and, for days together, our usual march averaged only five or 
 six miles. Finding that at such a rate of travel it would be 
 impossible to comply with your instructions, I determined at 
 this place to divide the party, and, leaving Mr. Fitzpatrick 
 with twenty-five men in charge of the provisions and heavier 
 baggage of the camp, to proceed myself in advance, with a 
 light party rf fifteen men, taking with me the howitzer and the 
 light wagon whi;n carried the instruments. 
 
 Accordingly, on ihn morning of the 16th, the parties sepa* 
 rated j and, bearing a little out from the river, with a view of 
 heading some of the numerous aflluents, after a few hours' 
 travel over somewhat broken ground, we entered upon an ex- 
 tensive and high level prairie, on which we encamped towards 
 evening at a little stream, where a single dry cottonwood af- 
 forded the necessary fuel for preparing supper. Among a 
 variety of grasses which to-day made their first appearance, I 
 noticed bunch-grass, (fesiuca,) and buffalo-grass, (sesleria dac- 
 tyloides.) Amorpha canescens {lead plant) continued the char- 
 acteristic plant of the country, and a narrow-leaved lathyrus 
 occurred during the morning, in beautiful patches. Sida cocci- 
 nea occurred frequently, with a. psoralen near psoralen Jloribin. 
 da, and a number of plants not hitherto met, just verging in'o 
 bloom. The water on which we had encamped belonged to 
 Solomon's fork of the Smoky-hill river, along whose tributariea 
 we continued to travel for several days. 
 
184S.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 129 
 
 The country afforded us an excellent road, the route being 
 generally over high and very level prairies; and we met with 
 no other delay than being frequently obliged to bridge one of the 
 numerous streams, which were well timbered with ash, elm, 
 Cottonwood, and a very large oak — the latter being occasion- 
 ally five and six feet in diameter, with a spreading summit. 
 Sida coccinea is very frequent in vermilion-colored patches on 
 the high and low prairie ; and I remarked that it has a very 
 pleasant perfume. 
 
 The wild sensitive plant {schrankia angustata.) occurs fre- 
 quently, generally on the dry prairies, in valleys of streams, 
 and frequently on the broken prairie bank. I remark that 
 the leaflets close instantly to a very light touch. Amorpha, 
 with the same psoralea, and a dwarf species of lupinus, are the 
 characteristic plants. 
 
 On the 1 9th, in the afternoon, we crossed the Pawnee road 
 to the Arkansas, and traveling a few miles onward, the mo- 
 notony of the prairies was suddenly dispelled by the appear- 
 ance of five or six buffalo bulls, forming a vanguard of im- 
 mense herds, among which we were traveling a kw days af- 
 terwards. Prairie dogs were seen for the first time during 
 the day ; and we had the good fortune to obtain an antelope 
 for supper. Our elevation had now increased to 1,900 feet. 
 Sida coccinea was the characteristic on the creek bottoms, and 
 buffalo grass is becoming abundant on the higher parts of the 
 ridges. 
 
 21st. — During the forenoon we traveled up a branch of the 
 creek on which we had encamped, in a broken country, where, 
 however, the dividing ridges always afforded a good road. 
 Plants were few ; and with the short sward of the buffalo- 
 grass, which now prevailed everywhere, giving to the prai- 
 ries a smooth and mossy appearance, were mingled frequent 
 patches of a beautiful red grass, {aristida pallens,) which had 
 made its appearance only within the last few days. 
 
 We halted to noon at a solitary cottonwood in a hollow, 
 near which was killed the first buffalo, a large old bull. 
 
 Antelope appeared in bands during the day. Cwssing here 
 to the affluents of the Repubiinan, we encamped on a fork, 
 6* 
 
130 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Juifi, 
 
 about forty feet wide and one foot deep, flowing with a swift 
 current over a sandy bed, and well wooded with ash-leaved 
 maple, {negundo fraxinifoUum,) elm, cottonwood, and a few 
 white oaks. We were visited in the evening by a very vio- 
 lent storm, accompanied by wind, lightning, and thunder ; a 
 cold rain falling in torrents. According to the barometer, our 
 elevation was 2,130 feet above the gulf. 
 
 At noon, on the 23d, we descended into the valley of a prin 
 cipal fork of the Republican, a beautiful stream with a dense 
 border of wood, consisting principally of varieties of ash, forty 
 feet wide and four deep. It was musical with the notes of 
 many birds, which, from the vast expanse of silent prairie 
 around, seemed all to have collected here. We continued 
 during the afternoon our route along the river, which was 
 populous with prairie dogs, (the bottoms being entirely occu- 
 pied with their villages,) and late in the evening encamped on 
 its banks. The prevailing timber is a blue-foliaged ash, (Jrax 
 inus, near F. Americana,) and ash-leaved maple. With thesi 
 werefraxinus Americanay cottonwood, and long-leaved willow 
 We gave to this stream the name of Prairie Dog river. Ele 
 vation 2,350 feet. Our road on the 25th lay over high smooti 
 ridges, 3,100 feet above the sea ; buffalo in gieat numbers, 
 absolutely covering the face of the country. At evening we 
 encamped within a few miles of the main Republican, on a 
 little creek, where the air was fragrant with the perfume of 
 artemisia JilifoUa, which we here saw for the first time, and 
 which was now in bloom. Shortly after leaving our encamp, 
 ment on the 26th, we found suddenly that the nature of the 
 country had entirely changed. Bare sand-hills everywhere 
 surrounded us in the undulating ground along which we were 
 moving, and the plants peculiar to a sandy soil made their 
 appearance in abundance. A few miles further we entered 
 the valley of a large stream, afterwards known to be the Re- 
 publican fork of the Kansas, whose shallow waters, with a 
 depth of only a few inches, were spread out over a bed of yel- 
 lowish white sand 600 yards wide. With the exception of one 
 or two distant and detached groves, no timber of any kind was 
 to be seen ; and the features of the country assumed a desert 
 
J43.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. }81 
 
 iharacier, with which the broad river, struggling for existence 
 Among the quicksands along the treeless banks, was strikingly 
 in keeping. On the opposite side, the broken ridges assumed 
 almost a mountainous appearance j and fording the stream, 
 we continued on our course among these ridges, and encamp, 
 ed late in the evening at a little pond of very bad water, from 
 which we drove away a herd of buffalo that were standing in 
 and about it. Our encampment this evening was 3,500 feet 
 above the sea. We traveled now for several days through a 
 broken and dry sandy region, about 4,000 feet above the sea, 
 where there were no running streams ; and some anxiety was 
 constantly felt on account of the uncertainty of water, which 
 was only to be found in small lakes that occurred occasional- 
 ly among the hills. The discovery of these always brought 
 pleasure to the camp, as around them were generally green 
 flats, which afforded abundant pasturage for our animals ; and 
 here we usually collected herds of the buffalo, which now were 
 scattered over all the country in countless numbers. 
 
 The soil of bare and hot sands supported a varied and exu- 
 berant growth of plants, which were much farther advanced 
 than we had previously found them, and whoso showy bloom 
 somewhat relieved the appearance of general sterility. Cross- 
 ing the summit of an elevated and continuous range of rolling 
 hills, on the afternoon of the 30th of June, we found ourselves 
 overlooking a broad and misty valley, where, about ten miles 
 distant, and 1,000 feet below us, the South fork of the Platte 
 was rolling magnificently along, swollen with the waters of the 
 melting snows. It was in strong and refreshing contrast with 
 the parched country from which we had just issued ; and when, 
 at night, the broad expanse of water grew indistinct, it almost 
 seemed that we had pitched our tents on the shore of the sea. 
 
 JULY. 
 
 Traveling along up the valley of the river, here 4,000 feet 
 above the sea, in the afternoon of July 1, we caught a far and 
 uncertain view of a faint blue mass in the west, as the sun sank 
 
132 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [July, 
 
 behind it ; and from our camp in the morning, at the mouth of 
 Bijou, Long's peak and the neighboring mountains stood out 
 into the sky, grand and luminously white, covered to their 
 bases with glittering snow. 
 
 On the evening of the 3d, as we were journeying along the 
 partially overflowed bottoms of the Platte, where our passage 
 stirred up swarms of musquitoes, we came unexpectedly on an 
 Indian, who was perched upon a bluff, curiously watching the 
 movements of our caravan. He belonged to a village of Og- 
 lallah Sioux, who had lost all their animals in the severity of 
 the preceding winter, and were now on their way up the Bijou 
 fork to beg horses from the Arapahoes, who were hunting buf- 
 falo at the head of that river. Several came into our camp at 
 noon ; and, as they were hungry, as usual, they were provided 
 with buffalo-meat, of which the hunters had brought in an 
 abundant supply. 
 
 About noon, on the 4th of July, we arrived at the fort, where 
 Mr. St. Vrain received us with his customary kindness, and 
 invited us to join him in a feast which had been prepared in 
 honor of the day. 
 
 Our animals were very much worn out, and our stock of 
 provisions entirely exhausted, when we arrived at the fort ; 
 but I was disappointed in my hope of obtaining relief, as I found 
 it in a very impoverished condition ; and we were able to pro- 
 cure only a little unbolted Mexican flour, and some salt, with 
 a few pounds of powder and lead. 
 
 As regarded provisions, it did not much matter in a country 
 where rarely the day passed without seeing some kind of game, 
 and where it was frequently abundant. It was a rare thing to 
 lie down hungry, and we had already learned to think bread a 
 luxury; but we could not proceed without animals, and oui 
 own were not capable of prosecuting the journey beyond the 
 mountains without relief. 
 
 I had been informed that a large number of mules had re- 
 cently arrived at Taos, from Upper California ; and as our 
 friend, Mr. Maxwell, was about to continue his journey to that 
 place, where a portion of his family resided, I engaged him to 
 ourchase for me ten or twelve mules, with the understanding • 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 139 
 
 that he should pack them with provisions and other necessaries, 
 and meet me at the mouth of the Fontaine-qui-bouit, on the 
 Arkansas river, to which point I would be led in the course of 
 the survey. 
 
 Agreeably to his own reque3t, and in the conviction that his 
 habits of life and education had not qualified him to endure the 
 hard life of a voyageur, I discharged here one of my party, 
 Mr. Oscar Sarpy, having furnished him with arms and means 
 of transportation to Fort Laramie, where he would be in the 
 line of caravans returning to the States. 
 
 At daybreak, on the 6th of July, Maxwell was on his way 
 to Taos ; and a few hours after we also had recommenced our 
 journey up the Platte, which was continuously timbered with 
 Cottonwood and willow, on a generally sandy soil. Passing on 
 the way the remains of two abandoned forts, (one of which, 
 however, was still in good condition,) we reached, in ten miles, 
 Fort Lancaster, the trading establishment of Mr. Lupton. 
 
 His post was beginning to assume the appearance of a com- 
 fortable farm : stock, hogs, and cattle, were ranging about on 
 the prairie — there were different kinds of poultry ; and there 
 was a wreck of a promising garden, in which a considerable 
 variety of vegetables had been in a flourishing condition ; but 
 it had been almost entirely ruined by the recent high waters. 
 I remained to spend with him an agreeable hour, and set off" in 
 a cold storm of rain, which was accompanied with violent thun- 
 der and lightning. We encamped immediately on the river, 
 sixteen miles from St. Vrain's. Several Arapahoes, on their 
 way to the village which was encamped a few miles above us, 
 passed by the camp in the course of the afternoon. Night set 
 in stormy and cold, with heavy and continuous rain, which 
 lasted until morning. 
 
 7th. — We made this morning an early start, continuing to 
 travel up the Platte ; and in a few miles frequent bands of 
 horses and mules, scattered for several miles round about, 
 indicated our approach to the Arapaho village, which we found 
 encamped in a beautiful bottom, and consisting of about one 
 nundred and sixty lodges. It appeared extremely populous, 
 with a great number of children — a circumstance which indi 
 
184 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. ['Tum^ 
 
 cated a regular supply of the means of subsistence. The 
 chiefs, who were gathered together at the farther end of the 
 village, received us (as probably strangers are always received 
 to whom they desire to show respect or regard) by throwing 
 their arms around our necks and embracing us. 
 
 It required some skill in horsemanship to keep the saddle 
 during the performance of this ceremony, as our American 
 horses exhibited for them the same fear they have for a bear, 
 or any other wild animal. Having very few goods with me, I 
 was only able to make them a meager present, accounting for 
 the poverty of the gift by explaining that my goods had been 
 left with the wagons in charge of Mr. Fitzpatrick, who was 
 well known to them as the White Head, or the Broken Hand. 
 I saw here, as I had remarked in an Arapaho village the pre- 
 ceding year, near the lodges of the chiefs, tall tripods of white 
 poles supporting their spears and shields, which showed it to be 
 a regular custom. 
 
 Though disappointed in obtaining the presents which had 
 been evidently expected, they behaved very courteously ; and, 
 after a little conversation, I left them, and, continuing on up 
 the river, halted to noon on the bluff, as the bottoms are almost 
 inundated ; continuing in the afternoon our route along the 
 mountains, which were dark, misty, and shrouded — threatening 
 a storm j the snow peaks sometimes glittering through the 
 clouds beyond the first ridge. 
 
 We surprised a grizzly bear sauntering along the river, 
 which, raising himself upon his hind legs, took a deliberate 
 survey of us, that did not appear very satisfactory to him, and 
 he scrambled into the river and swam to the opposite side. We 
 halted for the night a little above Cherry creek ; the evening 
 cloudy, with many musquitoes. Some indifferent observations 
 placed the camp in lat. 39^ 43^ 53^^, and chronometric long. 
 105° 24' 34'^ 
 
 8th. — We continued to-day to travel up the Platte : the morn- 
 ing pleasant, with a prospect of fairer weather. During the 
 forenoon our way lay over a more broken country, with a 
 gravelly and sandy surface ; although the immediate bottom 
 of the river was a good soil, of a dark and sandy mould, 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 136 
 
 resting upon a stratum of large pebbles, or rolled stones, as at 
 Laramie fork. On our right, and apparently very near, but 
 probably 8 or 10 miles distant, and two or three thousand feet 
 above us, ran the first range of the mountains, like a dark 
 corniced line, in clear contrast with the great snowy chain 
 which, immediately beyond, rose glittering five thousand feet 
 above them. We caught this morning a view of Pike's peak ; 
 but it appeared for a moment only, as clouds rose early over 
 the mountains, and shrouded them in mist and rain all the day. 
 In the first range were visible, as at the Red Buttes on the 
 North fork, very lofty escarpments of red rock. While travel- 
 ing through this region, I remarked that always in the morning 
 the lofty peaks were visible and bright, but very soon small 
 white clouds began to settle around them — brewing thicker and 
 thicker as the day advanced, until the afternoon, when the 
 thunder began to roll ; and invariably at evening we had more 
 or less of a thunder storm. At 11 o'clock, and 21 miles from 
 St. Vrain's fort, we reached a point in this southern fork of the 
 Platte, where the stream is divided into three forks ; two of 
 these (one of them being much the largest) issuing directly 
 from the mountains on the west, and forming, with the eastern- 
 most branch, a river of the plains. The elevation of this 
 point is about 5,500 feet above the sea ; this river falling 2,800 
 feet in a distance of 316 miles, to its junction with the North 
 fork of the Platte. In this estimate, the elevation of the junc- 
 tion is assumed as given by our barometrical observations in 
 1842. On the easternmost branch, up which we took our way, 
 we first came among the pines growing on the top of a very 
 high bank, and where we halted on it to noon ; quaking asp 
 (popultis tremuloides) was mixed with the cottonwood, and 
 there were excellent grass and rushes for the animals. 
 
 During the morning there occurred many beautiful flowers, 
 which we had not hitherto met. Among them, the common 
 blue flowering flax made its first appearance ; and a tall and 
 handsome species of gilia, with slender scarlet flowers, which 
 appeared yesterday for the first time, was very frequent 
 to-day . 
 
 We had found very little game since leaving the fort, and 
 
138 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jult, 
 
 provisions began to get unpleasantly scant, as we had had Ti& 
 meat for several days; but towards sundown, when we had 
 already made up our minds to sleep another night without 
 supper, Lajeunesse had the good fortune to kill a fine deer, 
 which he found feeding in a hollow near by ; and as the rain 
 began to fall, threatening an unpleasant night, we hurried to 
 secure a comfortable camp in the timber. 
 
 To-night the camp fires, girdled with appolas of fine venison, 
 looked cheerful in spite of the stormy weather. 
 
 9th. — On account of the low state of our provisions and the 
 scarcity of game, I determined to vary our route, and proceed 
 several camps to the eastward, in the hope of falling in with 
 the buffalo. This route along the dividing grounds between 
 the South fork of the Platte and the Arkansas, would also 
 afford some additional geographical information. This morn- 
 ing, therefore, we turned to the eastward, along the upper 
 waters of the stream on which we had encamped, entering a 
 country of picturesque and varied scenery ; broken into rocky 
 hills of singular shapes ; little valleys, with pure crystal water, 
 here leaping swiftly along, and there losing itself in the sands; 
 green spots of luxuriant grass, flowers of all colors, and timber 
 of different kinds — every thing to give it a varied beauty, ex- 
 cept game. To one of these remarkably shaped hills, having 
 on the summit a circular flat rock two or three hundred yards 
 in circumference, some one gave the name of Poundcake, 
 which it has been permitted to retain, as our hungry people 
 seemed to think it a very agreeable comparison. In the after- 
 noon a buffalo bull was killed, and we encamped on a small 
 stream, near the road which runs from St. Vrain's fort to the 
 Arkansas. 
 
 10th. — Snow fell heavily on the mountains during the night, 
 and Pike's peak this morning is luminous and grand, covered 
 from the summit, as low down as we can see, with glittering 
 white. Leaving the encampment at 6 o'clock, we continued 
 our easterly course over a rolling country, near to the high 
 ridges, which are generally rough and rocky, with a coarse 
 conglomerate displayed in masses, and covered with pines. 
 The rock is very friable, and it is undoubtedly from its d<v 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 137 
 
 composition that the prairies derive their sandy and gravelly 
 formation. In six miles we crossed a head-water of the Kioway 
 river, on which we found a strong fort and coral that had been 
 built in the spring, and halted to noon on the principal branch 
 of the river. During the morning our route led over i dark 
 and vegetable mould, mixed with sand and gravel, the c \rac- 
 teristic plant being esparcette, {onohrychis saliva,) a species of 
 clover which is much used in certain parts of Germany for 
 pasturage of stock — principally hogs. It is sown on rocky 
 waste ground, which would otherwise be useless, and grows 
 very luxuriantly, requiring only a renewal of the seed about 
 once in fifteen years. Its abundance here greatly adds to the 
 pastoral value of this region. A species of antennaria in 
 flower was very common along the line of road, and the creeks 
 were timbered with willow and pine. We encamped on Bijou's 
 fork, the water of which, unlike the clear streams we had 
 previously crossed, is of a whitish color, and the soil of the 
 bottom a very hard, tough clay. There was a prairie dog 
 village on the bottom, and, in the endeavor to unearth one of 
 the little animals, we labored ineffectually in the tough clay 
 until dark. After descending, with a slight inclination, until 
 it had gone the depth of two feet, the hole suddenly turned at 
 a sharp angle in another direction for one more foot in depth, 
 when it again turned, taking an ascending direction to the next 
 nearest hole. I have no doubt that all their little habitations 
 communicate with each other. The greater part of the people 
 were sick to-day, and I was inclined to attribute their indis- 
 position to the meat of the bull which had been killed the 
 previous day. 
 
 11th. — There were no indications of buffalo having been 
 recently in the neighborhood ; and, unwilling to travel far- 
 ther eastward, I turned this morning to the southward, up 
 the valley of Bijou. Esparcette occurred universally, and 
 among the plants on the river I noticed, for the first time du- 
 ring this journey, a few small bushes of the absinthe of the 
 voyageurs, which is commonly used for firewood, (artemisia 
 tridentata.) Yesterday and to-day the road has been orna- 
 mented with the showy bloom of a beautiful lupinus, a charao- 
 
138 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Julf> 
 
 teristic in many parts of the mountain region, on which were 
 generally great numbers of an insect with very bright colors, 
 (litta vesicaloria.) 
 
 As we were riding quietly along, eagerly searching every 
 hollow in search of game, we discovered, at a little distance in 
 the prairie, a large grizzly bear, so busily engaged in digging 
 roots that he did not perceive us until we were galloping down 
 a little hill fifty yards from him, when he charged upon us with 
 such sudden energy that several of us came near losing oui 
 saddles. Being wounded, he commenced retreating to a rocky 
 piny ridge near by, from which we were not able to cut him 
 off, and we entered the timber with him. The way was very 
 much blocked up with fallen timber ; and we kept up a run- 
 ning fight for some time, animated by the bear charging among 
 the horses. He did not fall until after he had received six rifle 
 balls. He was miserably poor, and added nothing to our stock 
 of provisions. 
 
 We followed the stream to its head in a broken ridge, which, 
 according to the barometer, was about 7,500 feet above the 
 sea. This is a piny elevation, into which the prairies are 
 gathered, and from which the waters flow, in almost every di. 
 rection, to the Arkansas, Platte, and Kansas rivers ; the lattei 
 stream having here its remotest sources. Although somewhat 
 rocky and broken, and covered with pines, in comparison 
 with the neighboring mountains, it scarcely forms an inter- 
 ruption to the great prairie plains which sweep up to their 
 bases. 
 
 We had an excellent view of Pike's peak from this camp, at 
 the distance of forty miles. This mountain barrier presents 
 itself to travelers on the plains, which sweep almost directly 
 to its bases — an immense and comparatively smooth and grassy 
 prairie, in very strong contrast with the black masses of timber, 
 and the glittering snow above them. With occasional exceptions, 
 comparatively so very small as not to require mention, these 
 prairies are everywhere covered with a close and vigorous growth 
 of a great variety of grasses, among which the most abundant 
 is the buffalo grass, {sesleria dactyloides.) Between the Piatte 
 and Arkansas rivers, that part of this region which forms the 
 
1843.] CAFT. Fremont's narbativb. 189 
 
 basin drained by the waters of the Kansas, with which our 
 operations made us more particularly acquainted, is based upon 
 a formation of calcareous rocks. The soil of all this country 
 is excellent, admirably adapted to agricultural purposes, and 
 would support a large agricultural and pastoral population. A 
 glance at the map, along our several lines of travel, will show 
 you that this plain is watered by many streams. Throughout 
 the western half of the plain, these are shallow, with sandy 
 beds, becoming deeper as they reach the richer lands ap- 
 proaching the Missouri river; they generally have bottom 
 lands, bordered by bluffs varying from fifty to five hundred 
 feet in height. In all this region the timber is entirely con- 
 fined to the streams. In the eastern half, where the soil is a 
 deep, rich, vegetable mould, retentive of rain and moisture, it 
 is of vigorous growth, and of many different kinds ; and 
 throughout the western half it consists entirely of various Sj.e- 
 cies of Cottonwood, which deserves to be called the tree of the 
 desert — growing in sandy soils, where no other tree will grow — 
 pointing out the existence of water, and furnishing to the trav- 
 "Xer fuel, and food for his animals. Add to this that the west- 
 ern border of the plain is occupied by the Sioux, Arapaho, and 
 dheyenne nations, with the Pawnees and other half-civilized 
 tribes in its eastern limits, for whom the intermediate country 
 is a war-ground, and you will have a tolerably correct idea of the 
 appearance and condition of the country. Descending a some- 
 what precipitous and rocky hillside among the pines, which 
 rarely appear elsewhere than on the ridge, we encamped at its 
 foot, where there were several springs, which you will find 
 laid down upon the map as one of the extreme sources of the 
 8moky Hill fork of the Kansas. From this place the view ex- 
 tended over the Arkansas valley, and the Spanish peaks in the 
 south beyond. As the greater part of the men continued sick, 
 I encamped here for the day, and ascertained conclusively, 
 from experiments on myself, that their illness was caused by 
 the meat of the buffalo bull. 
 
 On the summit of the ridge, near the camp, were several 
 rock-built forts, which in front were very difficult of approach, 
 and in the rear were protected by a precipice entirely beyond 
 
140 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jult, 
 
 the reach of a rifle-ball. The evening was tolerably clear, 
 with a temperature at sunset of 63°. Elevation of the camp 
 seven thousand and three hundred feet. 
 
 Turning the next day to the southwest, we reached, in the 
 course of the morning, the wagon-road to the settlements on the 
 .\rkansas river, and encamped in the afternoon on the Fon- 
 taine-qui-bouit (or Boiling Spring) river, where it was fifty feet 
 wide, with a swift current. I afterwards found that the spring 
 and river owe their names to the bubbling of the effervescing 
 gas in the former, and not to the temperature of the water, 
 which is cold. During the morning a tall species ofgilia, with 
 a slender white flower, was characteristic ; and, in the latter 
 part of the day, another variety of esparcette, (wild clover,) 
 having the flower white, was equally so. We had a fine sun- 
 set of golden brown ; and, in the evening, a very bright moon, 
 with the near mountains, made a beautiful scene. Thermom- 
 eter, at sunset, was 69^^, and our elevation above the sea 5,800 
 feet. 
 
 13th. — The morning was clear, with a northwesterly breeze, 
 and the thermometer at sunrise at 46°. There were no clouds 
 along the mountains, and the morning sun showed very clear- 
 ly their rugged character. 
 
 We resumed our journey very early down the river, follow- 
 ing an extremely good lodge-trail, which issues by the head of 
 this stream from the bayou Salade, a high mountain valley be- 
 hind Pike's peak. The soil along the road was sandy and 
 gravelly, and the river well timbered. We halted to noon 
 under the shade of some fine large cottonwoods, our animals 
 luxuriating on rushes, (equisetum hyemale,) which, along this 
 river, were remarkably abundant. A variety of cactus made 
 its appearance, and among several strange plants were numer- 
 ous and beautiful clusters of a plant resembling mirahilis jala- 
 pa, with a handsome convolvulus I had not hitherto seen, 
 [calystegia.) In the afternoon we passed near the encampment 
 of a hunter named Maurice, who had been out into the plains 
 in pursuit of buffalo calves, a number of which I saw among 
 some domestic cattle near his lodge. Shortly afterwards, a 
 party of mountaineers galloped up to us — fine-looking and 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 141 
 
 hardy men, dressed in skins, and mounted on good fat horses ; 
 among them were several Connecticut men, a portion of 
 Wyeth's party, whom I had seen the year before, and others 
 were men from the western states. 
 
 Continuing down the river, we encamped at noon on the 
 14th, at its mouth, on the Arkansas river. A short distance 
 above our encampment, on the left bank of the Arkansas, is a 
 pii^blOf (as the Mexicans call their civilized Indian villeiges,) 
 where a number of mountaineers, who had married Spanish 
 women in the valley of Taos, had collected together and 
 occupied themselves in farming, carrying on at the same time 
 a desultory Indian trade. They were principally Americans, 
 and treated us with all the rude hospitality their situation ad- 
 mitted ; but as all commercial intercourse with New Mexico 
 was now interrupted, in consequence of Mexican decrees to 
 that effect, there was nothing to be had in the way of provis- 
 ions. They had, however, a fine stock of cattle, and furnished 
 us an abundance of excellent milk. I learned here that Max- 
 well, in company with two other men, had started for Taos on 
 the morning of the 9th, but that he would probably fall into 
 the hands of the Utah Indians, commonly called the Spanish 
 Yutes. As Maxwell had no knowledge of their being in the 
 vicinity when he crossed the Arkansas, his chance of escape 
 was very doubtful ; but I did not entertain much apprehension 
 for his life, having great confidence in his prudence and cour- 
 age. I was further informed that there had been a popular 
 tumult among the pueblos, or civilized Indians, residing near 
 Taos, against the ^^foreigners'' of that place, in which they had 
 plundered their houses and ill-treated their families. Among 
 those whose property had been destroyed, was Mr. Beaubien, 
 father-in-law of Maxwell, from whom I had expected to ob- 
 tain supplies, and who had been obliged to make his escape to 
 Santa Fe. 
 
 By this position of affairs, our expectation of obtaining sup- 
 plies from Taos was cut off. I had here the satisfaction to 
 meet our good buffalo-hunter of 1842, Christopher Carson, 
 whose services I considered myself fortunate to secure again ; 
 and as a reinforcement of mules was absolutely necessary, 1 
 
142 CAPT. premont's narrative. [Jutt, 
 
 dispatched him immediately, with an account of our necessi- 
 ties, to Mr. Charles Bent, whose principal post is on the Ar. 
 kansas river, about seventy-five miles below Fontaine-qui-bouit. 
 He was directed to proceed from that post by the nearest route 
 across the country, and meet me, with what animals he should 
 be able to obtain, at St. Vrain's fort. I also admitted into the 
 party Charles Towns, a native of St. Louis, a serviceable man, 
 with many of the qualities of a good voyageur. According to 
 our observations, the latitude of the mouth of the river is 38° 
 15' 23'^ its longitude 104° 58' 30'", and its elevation above 
 the sea 4,880 feet. 
 
 On the morning of the 16th, the time for Maxwell's arrival 
 having expired, we resumed our journey, leaving for him a 
 note, in which it was stated that I would wait for him at St. 
 Vrain's fort, until the morning of the 26th, in the event that he 
 should succeed in his commission. Our direction was up the 
 Boiling Spring river, it being my intention to visit the cele 
 brated springs from which the river takes its name, and whicl. 
 are on its upper waters, at the foot of Pike's peak. Our ani 
 mals fared well while we were on this stream, there bein^ 
 everywhere a great abundance of prele. Ipomea leptophylla 
 in bloom, was a characteristic plant along the river, generally 
 in large bunches, with two to five flowers on each. Beautify, 
 clusters of the plant i^sembling mirabilis jalapa were numer 
 ous, and glycyrrhiza lepidota was a characteristic of the bot 
 toms. Currants nearly ripe were abundant, an among th#. 
 shrubs which covered the bottom was a very luxuriant growti, 
 of chenopodiaceous shrubs, four to six feet high. On the aS' 
 ternoon of the 17th we entered among the broken ridges at tlk 
 foot of the mountains, where the river made several forkfi 
 Leaving the camp to follow slowly, I rode ahead in the after, 
 noon in search of the springs. In the mean time, the clouda^ 
 which had been gathered all the afternoon over tne mountains, 
 began to roll down their sides ; and a storm so violent bursi 
 upon me, that it appeared I had entered the storehouse of the 
 thunder-storms. I continued, however, to ride along up the 
 river until about sunset, and was beginning to be doubtful of 
 finding the springs before the next day, when I came suddenly 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative 148 
 
 upon a large smooth rock, about twenty yards in diameter, 
 where the water from several springs was bubbling and boil- 
 ing up in the midst of a white incrustation, with which it had 
 covered a portion of the rock. As this did not correspond with 
 the description given me by the hunters, I did iiot stop to taste 
 the water, but dismounting, walked a little way up the river, 
 and, passing through a narrow thicket of shrubbery bordering 
 the stream, stepped directly upon a huge white rock, at the 
 foot of which tie river, already become a torrent, foamed 
 along, broken by a small fall. A deer which had been drink- 
 ing at the spring was startled by my approach, and, springing 
 across the river, bounded off up the mountain. In the upper 
 patt of the rock, which had apparently been formed by deposi- 
 tion, was a beautiful white basin, overhung by currant bushes, 
 in which the cold clear water bubbled up, kept in constant mo- 
 tion by the escaping gas, and overflowing the rock, which it had 
 almost entirely covered with a smooth crust of glistening white. 
 [ had all day refrained from drinking, reserving myself for the 
 spring ; and as I could not well be more wet than the rain had 
 already made me, I lay down by the side of the basin, and 
 drank heartily of the delightful water. The spring is situated 
 immediately at the foot of lofty mountains, beautifully timber- 
 ed, which sweep closely round, shutting up the little valley in 
 a kind of cove. As it was beginning to grow dark, I rode quickly 
 down the river, on which I found the camp a few miles below. 
 
 The morning of the 18th was beautiful and clear ; and, all 
 the people being anxious to drink of these famous waters, we 
 encamped immediately at the springs, and spent there a very 
 pleasant day. On the opposite side of the river is another lo- 
 cality of springs, which are entirely of the same nature. The 
 water has a very agreeable taste, which Mr. Preuss found very 
 much to resemble that of the famous Selter springs in the grand 
 duchy of Nassau, a country famous for wine and mineral wa. 
 ters ; and it is almost entirely of the same character, though 
 still more agreeable than that of the famous Bear springs, near 
 Bear river of the Great Salt lake. The following is an analy- 
 sis of an incrustation with which the water had covered a piece 
 of wood lying on the rock : 
 
Ii4 CAPT. fremoKt's narrativb. [July, 
 
 Carbonate of lime, ------- 93'35 
 
 Carbonate of magnesia, ------ 1'21 
 
 Sulphate of lime, \ 
 
 Chloride of calcium, >------ "03 
 
 Chloride of magnesia, J 
 
 Silica, 1-50 
 
 Vegetable matter, ------- "20 
 
 Moisture and loss, ------- 4'61 
 
 100-00 
 
 At eleven o'clock, when the temperature of the air was 
 73°, that of the water in this was 60-5° ; and that of the upper 
 spring, which issued from the flat rock, more exposed to the sun, 
 was 69**. At sunset, when the temperature of the air was 66°, 
 that of the lower springs was 58°, and that of the upper 61°. 
 
 19th. — A baautiful and clear morning, with a slight breeze 
 from the northwest ; the temperature of the air at sunrise be- 
 ing 57*5°. At this time the temperature of the lower spring 
 was 57'8°, springs was 58°, and that of the upper 54'3o. 
 
 The trees in the neighborhood were birch, willow, pine, and 
 an oak resembling quercus alba. In the shrubbery along the 
 river are currant bushes, {ribes,) of which the fruit has a sin- 
 gular piny flavor ; and on the mountain side, in a red gravelly 
 soil, is a remarkable coniferous tree, (perhaps anabies,) having 
 the leaves singularly long, broad and scattered, with bushes of 
 spiraa ari(Bfolia. By our observations, this place is 6,350 
 feet above the sea, in latitude 38° 52' 10", and longitude 
 1 05° 22' 45''. 
 
 Resuming our journey on this morning, we descended the 
 river, in order to reach the mouth of the eastern fork, which I 
 proposed to ascend. The left bank of the river here is very 
 much broken. There is a handsome little bottom on the right, 
 and both banks are exceedingly picturesque — strata of red 
 rock, in nearly perpendicular walls, crossing the valley from 
 north to south. About three miles below the springs, on the 
 right bank of the river, is a nearly perpendicular limestone 
 rock, presenting a uniformly unbroken surface, twenty to forty 
 feet high, containing very great numbers of a large univalve 
 shell, which appears to belong to the genus inoceramus. 
 
 In contact with this, to the westward, was another stratum 
 
•J843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 145 
 
 of limestone, containing fossil shells of a different cliaracter ; 
 and still higher up on the stream were parallel strata, consist- 
 ing of a compact somewhat crystalline limestone, and argilla- 
 ceous bituminous limestone in thin layers. During the morn- 
 ing, we traveled up the eastern fork of the Fontaine-qui-houU 
 river, our road being roughened by frequent deep gullies tim. 
 bered with pine, and halted to noon on a small branch of the 
 stream, timbered principally with the narrow-leaved cottonwood, 
 {fopulus angustifolia,) called by the Canadians Hard amcre. On 
 a hill near by, were two remarkable columns of a grayish- white 
 conglomerate rock, one of which was about twenty feet high, and 
 two feet in diameter. They are surmounted by slabs of a dark 
 ferruginous conglomerate, forming black caps, and adding very 
 much to their columnar effect at a distance. This rock is very 
 destructible by the action of the weather, and the hill, of which 
 they formerly constituted a part, is entirely abraded. 
 
 A shaft of the gun-carriage was broken in the afternoon ; 
 and we made an early halt, the stream being from twelve to 
 twenty feet wide, with clear water. As usual, the clouds had 
 gathered to a storm over the mountains, and we had a showery 
 evening. At sunset, the thermometer stood at 62°, and our 
 elevation above the sea was 6, .530 feet. 
 
 20th. — This morning (as we generally found the mornings 
 under these mountains) was very clear and beautiful, and the 
 air cool and pleasant, with the thermometer at 44°. We con- 
 tinued our march up the stream, along a green sloping bottom, 
 between pine hills on the one hand, and the main Black hills 
 on the other, towards the ridge which separates the waters of 
 the Platte from those of the Arkansas. As we approached the 
 diving ridge, the whole valley was radiant with flowers ; blue, 
 yellow, pink, white, scarlet, and purple, vie with each other 
 in splendor. Esparcctte was one of the highly characteristic 
 plants, and a bright-looking flower {gaillardia aristata) was 
 very frequent ; but the most abundant plant along our road to- 
 day, was geranium maculatum, which is the characteristic plant 
 on this portion of the diving grounds. Ci'ossingto the waters of 
 the Platte, fields of blue flax added to the magnificence of this 
 mountain garden ; this was occasionally four feet in height, 
 7 
 
146 CAPT. pkemont's narrative. [July, 
 
 which was a luxuriance of growth that I rardy saw this al- 
 most universal plant attain throughout the journey. Continu- 
 ing down a branch of the Platte, among high and very steep 
 timbered hills, covered with fragments of rock, towards even- 
 ing we issued from the piny region, and made a late encamp- 
 ment near Poundcake rock, on that fork of the river which we 
 had ascended on the 8th of July. Our animals enjoyed the 
 abundant rushes this evening, as the flies were so bad among 
 the pines that they had been much harassed. A deer was 
 killed here this evening ; and again the evening was overcast, 
 and a collection of brilliant red clouds in the west was follow- 
 ed by the customary squall of rain. 
 
 Achillea millefolium (milfoil) was among the characteristic 
 plants of the river bottoms to-day. This was one of the most 
 common plants during the whole of our journey, occurring in 
 almost every variety of situation. I noticed it on the lowlands 
 of the rivers, near the coast of the Pacific, and near to tho 
 snow among the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. 
 
 During this excursion, we had surveyed to its head one of 
 the two principal branches of the upper A rkansas, 75 miles in 
 length, and entirely completed our survey of the South fork of 
 the Platte, to the extreme sources of that portion of the river 
 which belongs to the plains, and heads in the broken hills of 
 the Arkansas dividing ridge, at the foot of the mountains. 
 That portion of its waters which were collected among these 
 mountains, it was hoped to explore on our homeward voyage. 
 
 Reaching St. Vrain's fort on the morning of the 23d, we 
 found Mr. Fitzpatrick and his party in good order and excel- 
 lent health, and my true and reliable friend. Kit Carson, who 
 had brought with him ten good mules, with the necessary 
 pack-saddles. Mr. Fitzpatrick, who had often endured every 
 extremity of want during the course of his mountain life, and 
 knew well the value of provisions in this country, had watch- 
 ed over our stock with jealous vigilance, and there was an 
 abundance of flour, rice, sugar, and coffee, in the camp ; and 
 ag^.in we fared luxuriously. Meat was, however, very scarce; 
 nn ' two very small pigs, which we obtained at the fort, did 
 not go far among forty men. Mr. Fitzpatrick had been 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 147 
 
 here a week, during which time his men had been occupied in 
 refitting the camp ; and the repose had been very beneficial to 
 his animals, which were now in tolerably good condition. 
 
 I had been able to obtain no certain information in regard 
 to the character of the passes in this portion of the Rocky 
 Mountain range, which had always been represented as im- 
 practicable for carriages, but the exploration of which was in- 
 cidentally contemplated by my instructions, with the view of 
 finding some convenient point of passage for the road of emi- 
 gration, which would enable it to reach, on a more direct line, 
 the usual ford of the Great Colorado — a place considered as 
 determined by the nature of the country beyond that river. It 
 is singular, that immediately at the foot of the mountains, I 
 could find no one sufficiently acquainted with them to guide 
 us to the plains at their western base ; but the race of trap- 
 pers, who formerly lived in their recesses, has almost entirely 
 disappeared — dwindled to a few scattered individuals — some 
 one or two of whom are regularly killed in the course of each 
 year by the Indians. You will remember, that in the previous 
 year I brought with me to their village near this post, and hos 
 pltably treated on the way, several Cheyenne Indians, whom 
 1 met on the Lower Platte. Shortly after their arrival here, 
 these were out with a party of Indians, (themselves the princi- 
 pal men,) which discovered a few trappers in the neighboring 
 mountains, whom they immediately murdered, although one 
 of them had been nearly thirty years in the country, and was 
 perfectly well known, as he had gi'own gray among them. 
 
 Through this portion of the mountf^ 'ns, also, are the cus- 
 tomary roads of the war parties goi .g out against the Utah 
 and Shoshonee Indians ; and occasionally parties from the 
 Crow nation make their way down to the southward along 
 this chain, in the expectation of surprising some straggling 
 lodges of their enemies. Shortly before our arrival, one of 
 their parties had attacked an Arapaho village in the vicinity, 
 which they had found unexpectedly strong ; and their assault 
 /as turned into a rapid flight and a hot pursuit, in which they 
 had been compelled to abandon the animals they had rode 
 and escape on their war-horses. 
 
148 CAPT. fhemont's narrative. [Jtrtt, 
 
 Into this uncertain and dangerous region, small parties of 
 three or four trappers, who now could collect together, rarely 
 ventured ; and consequently it was seldom visited and little 
 known. Having determined to try the passage by a pass 
 through a spur of the mountains made by the Cache-A-la-Pou- 
 dre river, which rises in the high bed of mountains around 
 Long's peak, I thought it advisable to avoid any encumbiance 
 which would occasion detention, and accordingly again sepa- 
 rated the party into two divisions — one of which, under the 
 command of Mr. Fitzpatrick, was directed to cross the plains 
 to the mouth of Laramie river, and, continuing thence its route 
 along the usual emigrant road, meet me at Fort Hall, a post 
 belonging to the Hudson Bay Company, and situated on Snake 
 river, as it is commonly called in the Oregon Territory, al- 
 though better known to us as Lewis's fork of the Columbia. 
 The latter name is there restricted to one of the upper forks 
 of the river. 
 
 Our Delaware Indians having determined to return to their 
 homes, it became necessary to i)rovide this party with a good 
 hunter ; and I accordingly engaged in that capacity Alexander 
 Godey, a young man about 25 years of age, who had been in 
 this country six or seven years, all of which time had been 
 actively employed in hunting for the support of the posts, or 
 in solitary trading expeditions among the Indians. In courage 
 and professional skill he was a formidable rival to Carson, and 
 constantly afterwards was among the best and most efficient of 
 the party, and in difficult situations was of incalculable value. 
 Hiram Powers, one of the men belonging to Mr. Fitzpatrick's 
 party, was discharged at this place. 
 
 A French engage, at Lupton's fort, had been shot in the 
 back on the 4th of July, and died during our absence to the 
 Arkansas. The wife of the murdered man, an Indian woman 
 of the Snake nation, desirous, like Naomi of old, to return to 
 her people, requested and obtained permission to travel with 
 my party to the neighborhood of Bear river, where she expected 
 to meet with some of their villages. Happier than the Jewish 
 widow, she carried with her two children, pretty little halt' 
 oreeds, who added much to the liveliness of the camp. Hel 
 
1848.*) CAPT. f&smont's narrativk. 149 
 
 baggage was carried on five or six pack-horses ; and I gave ber 
 a small tent, for which I no longer had any use^ as I had 
 procured a lodge at the fort. 
 
 For my own party I selected the following men, a number 
 of whom old associations had rendered agreeable to me ; 
 
 Charles Preuss, Christopher Carson, Basil Lajeunesse, Fran- 
 cois Badeau, J. B. Bernier, Louis Menard, Raphael Proue* 
 Jacob Dodson, Louis Zindel, Henry Lee, J. B. Derosier, Fraoti 
 9ois Lajeunesse, and Auguste Vasquez. 
 
 By observation, the latitude of the post is 40° 16'' SS*", and 
 its longitude 105° 12' 23^% depending, with all the other lon- 
 gitudes along this portion of the line, upon a subsequent occul- 
 tation of September 13, 1843, to which they are referred by 
 the chronometer. Its distance from Kansas landing, by the 
 road we traveled, (which, it will be remembered, was very 
 winding along the lower Kansas river,) was 750 miles. The 
 rate of the chronometer, determined by observations at this 
 place for the interval of our absence, during this month, 
 was 33*72''', which you will hereafter see did not sensibly 
 change during the ensuing month, and remained nearly con- 
 stant during the remainder of our journey across the continent. 
 This was the rate used in referring to St. Vrain's fort, the 
 longitude between that place and the mouth of the Fontaine- 
 qui-bouit. 
 
 Our various barometrical observations, which are better 
 worthy of confidence than the isolated determination of 1842, 
 give, for the elevation of the fort above the sea, 4,930 feet 
 The barometer here used was also a better one, and less liable 
 to derangement. 
 
 At the end of two days, which was allowed to my ani- 
 mals for necessary repose, all the arrangements had b*»en 
 completed, and on the afternoon of the 26th we resumed our 
 respective routes. Some little trouble was experienced in 
 crossing the Platte, the waters of which were still kept up by 
 rains and melting snow ; and having traveled only about four 
 miles, we encamped in the evening on Thompson's creek, where 
 we were very much disturbed by musquitoes. 
 
 The following days we continued our march westward over 
 
160 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jvft, 
 
 comparative plains, and, fording the Cache-aL-la-Poudre on the 
 morning of the 28th, entered the Black hills, and nooned on 
 this stream in the mountains beyond them. Passing over a 
 fine large bottom in the afternoon, we reached a place where 
 the river was shut up in the hills ; and, ascending a ravine, 
 made a laborious and very difficult passage around by a gap, 
 striking the river again about dusk. A little labor, however, 
 would remove this difficulty, and render the road to this point 
 a very excellent one. The evening closed in dark with rain, 
 and the mountains looked gloomy. 
 
 29th. — Leaving our encampment about seven in the morn- 
 ing, we traveled until three in the afternoon along the river, 
 which, for the distance of about six miles, runs directly through 
 a spur of the main mountains. 
 
 We were compelled by the nature of the ground to cross 
 the river eight or nine times, at diffi<fult, deep, and rocky 
 fbrds, the stream running with great force, swollen by the 
 rains — a true mountain torrent, only forty or fifty feet wide. 
 It was a mountain valley of the narrowest kind — almost a 
 chasm — and the scenery very wild and beautiful. Towering 
 mountains rose round about ; their sides sometimes dark with 
 forests of pine, and sometimes wivh lofty precipices, washed 
 by the river ; while below, as if they indemnified themselves 
 in luxuriance for t)ie scanty space, the green river-bottom was 
 covered with a wilderness of flowers, their tall spikes some- 
 times rising above our heads as we rode among them. A pro- 
 fusion of blossoms on a white flowering vine, (clematis lasianthi,) 
 which was abundant along the river, contrasted handsomely 
 with the green foliage of the trees. The mountains appeared 
 to be composed of a greenish-gray and red granite, which in 
 some places appeared to be in a state of decomposition, making 
 a red soil. 
 
 The stream was wooded with cottonwood, box-elder, and 
 cherry, with currant and serviceberry bushes. After a some- 
 what laborious day, during which it had rained incessantly, 
 we encamped near the end of the pass at the mouth of a small 
 creek, in sight of the great Laramie plains. It continued to 
 rain heavily, and at evening the mountains were hid 'n Tiists ; 
 
1543.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 151 
 
 but there was no lack of wood, and the larce fires we made to 
 dry our clothes were very comfortable ; and at night the hunters 
 came in with a fine deer. Rough and difticult as we found the 
 pass to-day, an excellent road may be made with a little labor. 
 Elevation of the camp 5,540 feet, and distance from St. Vrain's 
 fort 56 miles. 
 
 30th. — The day was bright again ; the thermometer at sun- 
 rise 52° ; and leaving our encampment at eight o'clock, in 
 about half a mile we crossed the Cache-d-la-Poudre river for 
 the last time ; and, entering a smoother country, we traveled 
 along a kind of vallon, bounded on the right by red buttes and 
 precipices, while to the left a high rolling country extended to 
 a range of the Black hills, beyond which rose the great moun- 
 tains around Long's peak. 
 
 By the great quantity of snow visible among them, it had 
 probably snowed heavily there the previous day, while it had 
 rained on us in the valley. 
 
 We halted at noon on a small branch ; and in the afternoon 
 traveled over a high country, gradually ascending towards a 
 range of buttes, or high hills covered with pines, which forms 
 the dividing ridge between the waters we had left and those of 
 Laramie river. 
 
 Late in the evening we encamped at a spring of cold water, 
 near the summit of the ridge, having increased our elevation 
 to 7,520 feet. During the day we had traveled 24 miles. By 
 some indifferent observations, our latitude is 41° 02' 19^^ A 
 species of hedeome was characteristic along the whole day's 
 route. 
 
 Emerging from the mountains, we entered a region of bright, 
 fair weather. In my experience in this country, I was forci- 
 bly impressed with the JifTerent character of the climate on 
 opposite sides of the Rocky Mountain range. The vast prairie 
 plain on the east is like the ocean ; the rain and clouds from 
 the constantly evaporating snow of the mountains rushing down 
 into the heated air of the plains, on which you will have occa- 
 sion to remark the frequent storms of rain we encountered du- 
 ring our journey. 
 
 31st. — The morning was clear j temperature 48°. A fine 
 
152 CAPT. FBEMONi's NAflRATIVB. [JuLT 
 
 rolling road, among piny and grassy hills, brought us this morn- 
 ing into a large trail where an Indian village had recently 
 passed. The weather was pleasant and cool ; we were dis- 
 turbed by neither musquitoes nor flies ; and the country wa:3 
 certainly extremely beautiful. The slopes and broad ravines 
 were absolutely covered with fields of flowers of the most ex- 
 quisitely beautiful colors. Among those which had not hith- 
 erto made their appearance, and which here were character 
 istic, was a new delphinium, of a green and lustrous metallic 
 blue color, mingled with compact fields of several bright-col- 
 ored varieties of astragalus, which were crowded together in 
 splendid profusion. This trail conducted us, through a remark- 
 able defile, to a little timbered creek, up which we wound our 
 way, passing by a singular and massive wall of dark-red gran- 
 ite. The formation of the country is a red fcldspathic granite, 
 overlaying a decomposing mass of the same rock, forming the 
 soil of all this region, which everywhere is red and gravelly, 
 and appears to be of a great floral fertility. 
 
 As wo emerged on a small tributary of the Laramie river, 
 coming in sight of its principal stream, the flora became per- 
 fectly magnificent ; and we congratulated ourselves, as we 
 rode along our pleasant road, that we had substituted this for 
 the uninteresting country between Laramie hills and the Sweet 
 Water valley. We had no meat for supper last night or break- 
 fast this morning, and were glad to see Carson come in at noon 
 with a good antelope. 
 
 A meridian observation of the sun placed us in latitude 
 410 04^ 06''^. In the evening we encamped on the Laramie 
 river, which is here very thinly timbered with scattered groups 
 of Cottonwood at considerable intervals. From our camp, we 
 are able to distinguish the gorges, in which are the sources of 
 Cache-a-la-Poudre and Laramie rivers; and the Medicine Bow 
 mountain, towards the point of which we are directing oui 
 course this afternoon, has been in sight the greater part of the 
 day. By observation the latitude was 41° 15^ 02''^ and longi- 
 tude 100° 16' 54". The same beautiful flora continued till 
 about four in the afternoon, when it suddenly disappeared, with 
 the red soil, which became sandy, and of a whitish-gray color. 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. MM 
 
 The evening was tolerably clear ; temperature at sunset 64^. 
 The day's journey was 30 miles. 
 
 AUGUST. 
 
 Ist. — The morning was calm and clear, with sunrise tem- 
 perature at 42*^. We traveled to-day over a plain, or open 
 rolling country, at the foot of the Medicine Bow mountain.; 
 the soil in the morning being sandy, with fragments of rock 
 abundant, and in the afternoon, wjien we approached closer 
 to the mountain, so stony that we made but little way. The 
 beautiful plants of yestei*day reappeared occasionally ; flax in 
 bloom occurred during the morning, and esparcette in luxu* 
 riant abundance was a characteristic of the stony ground in the 
 afternoon. The camp was roused into a little excitement by 
 a chase after a buffalo bull, and an encounter with a war 
 party of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians about 30 strong. Harr/i 
 and antelope were seen during the day, and one of the la*',er 
 was killed. The Laramie peak was in sight this afterr^jonk 
 The evening was clear, with scattered clouds ; temperature 
 62°. The day's journey was 26 miles. 
 
 2d. — 'Temperature at sunrise 52°, and scenery and weather 
 made our road to-day delightful. The neighboring mountain 
 is thickly studded with pines, intermingled with the brighter 
 foliage of aspens, and occasional spots like lawns between the 
 patches of snow among the pines, and here and there on the 
 heights. Our route below lay over a comparative plain, cov- 
 ered with the same brilliant vegetation, and the day was clear 
 and pleasantly cool. During the morning, we crossed many 
 streams, clear and rocky, and broad grassy valleys, of a strong 
 black soil, washed down from the mountains, and producing 
 excellent pasturage. These were timbered with the red wil- 
 low and long-leaved cottonwood, mingled with aspen, as we 
 approached the mountain more nearly towards noon. Espar- 
 cette was a characteristic, and flax occurred frequently in 
 bloom. We halted at noon on the most western fork of Lara 
 7* 
 
194 CAPT. Fremont's narp.ative. [Atto. 
 
 inie river — a handsome stream about sixty feet wide and two 
 feet deep, with clear water and a swift current, over a bed 
 composed entirely of boulders or roll-stones. There was a 
 large open bottom here, on which were many lodge poles lying 
 about : and in the edge of the surrounding timber were three 
 strong forts, that appeared to have been recently occupied. At 
 this place I became first acquainted with the yampah, {aneihum 
 graveolens,) which I found our Snake woman engaged in dig- 
 ging in the low timbered bottom of the creek. Among the 
 Indians along the Rocky Mountains, and more particularly 
 among the Shoshonee or Snake Indians, in whose territory it 
 is very abundant, this is considered the best among the roots 
 used for food. To us it was an interesting plant — a little link 
 between the savage and civilized life. Here, among the In- 
 dians, its root is a common article of food, which they take 
 pleasure in offering to strangers ; while with us, in a consider- 
 able portion of America and Europe, the seeds are used to 
 flavor soup. It grows more abundantly, and in greater luxu- 
 riance, on one of the neighboring tributaries of the Colorado, 
 than in any other part of this region ; and on that stream, to 
 which the Snakes are accustomed to resort every year to pro- 
 cure a supply of their favorite plant, they have bestowed the 
 name of Yampah river. Among the trappers it is generally 
 known as Little Snake river ; but in this and other instances, 
 where it illustrated the history of the people inhabiting the 
 country, I have prefcred to retain on the map the aboriginal 
 name. By a meridional observation, the latitude is 41° 45^ 59" 
 In the afternoon we took our way directly across the spurs 
 from the point of the mountain, where we had several ridges 
 to cross ; and, although the road was not rendered bad by the 
 nature of the ground, it was made extremely rough by the still' 
 tough bushes of arlemisia tridentata,* in this country commonly 
 called sage. 
 
 * The greater portion of our subsequent journey was through a region 
 where this shrub constituted the tree of the country ; and, as it will often 
 be mentioned in occasional descriptions, the word ar.«mi8ia only will ba 
 used, without the specific name. 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 155 
 
 This shrub now began to make its appearance in compact 
 fields ; and we were about to quit for a long time this country 
 of excellent pasturage and brilliant flowers. Ten or twelve 
 buffalo bulls were seen during the afternoon ; and we were 
 surprised by the appearance of a large red ox. We gathered 
 around him as if he had been an old acquaintance, with all 
 our domestic feelings as much awakened as if we had come in 
 sight of an old farm-house. He had probably made his escape 
 from some party of emigrants on Green river ; and, with a 
 vivid remembrance of some old green field, he was pursuing 
 the straightest course for the frontier that the country admitted. 
 We carried him along with us as a prize ; and, when it was 
 found in the morning that he had wandered off, I would not 
 let him be pursued, for I would rather have gone through a 
 starving time of three entire days, than let him be killed afler 
 he had successfully run the gauntlet so far among the Indians. 
 I have been told by Mr. Bent's people of an ox born and rais- 
 ed at St. Vrain's fort, which made his escape from them at 
 Elm grove, near the frontier, having come in that year with 
 the wagons. They were on their way out, and saw occasion, 
 ally places where he had eaten and laid down to rest ; but did 
 not see him for about 700 miles, when they overtook him on 
 the road, traveling along to the fort, having unaccountably 
 escaped Indians and every other mischance. 
 
 We encamped at evening on the principal fork of Medicine 
 Bow river, near to an isolated mountain called the Medicine 
 Butte, which appeared to be about 1,800 feet above the plain, 
 from which it rises abruptly, and was still white, nearly to its 
 base, with a great quantity of snow. The streams were tim- 
 bered with the long-leaved cottonwood and red willow ; and 
 during the afternoon a species of onion was very abundant. J 
 obtained here an immersion of the first satellite of Jupiter, 
 which, corresponding very nearly with the chronometer, 
 placed us in longitude 106° 47^ 2.^. The latitude, by obser- 
 vation, was 41° 37^ 16^''; elevation above the sea, 7,800 feet, 
 and distance from St. Vrain's fort, 147 miles. 
 
 3d. — There was a white frost last night; the morning is 
 clear and cool. We were early on the road, having break- 
 
156 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Auo. 
 
 fasted before sunrise, and in a few miles' travel entered the 
 pass of the Medicine Butte, through which led a broad trail, 
 which had been recently traveled by a very large party. Im. 
 mediately in the pass, the road was broken by ravines, and we 
 were obliged to clear a way through groves of aspens, which 
 generally made their appearance when we reached elevated 
 regions. According to the barometer, this was 8,300 feet ; and 
 while we were detained in opening a road, I obtained a meri. 
 dional observation of the sun, which gave 41° 35' 48^^ for the 
 latitude of the pass. The Medicine Butte is isolated by a 
 small tributary of the North fork of the Platte, but the moun- 
 tains approach each other very nearly ; the stream running al 
 their feet. On tiie south they are smooth, with occasional 
 streaks of pine ; but the butte itself is ragged, with escarp, 
 ments of red feldspathic granite, and dark with pines ; the 
 snow reaching from the summit to within a few hundred feet 
 of the trail. The granite here was more compact and durable 
 than that in the formation which we had passed through a few 
 days before to the eastward of Laramie. Continuing our way 
 over a plain on the west side of the pass, wliere the road was 
 terribly rough with artemisia, we made our evening encamp- 
 ment on the creek, where it took a northern direction, unfavor- 
 ably to the course we were pursuing. Bands of buffalo were 
 discovered as we came down upon the plain ; and Carson 
 brought into the camp a cow which had the fat on the fleece 
 two inches thick. Even in this country of rich pasturage and 
 abundant game, it is rare that a hunter chances upon a finer 
 animal. Our voyage had already been long, but this was the 
 first good buffalo meat we had obtained. We traveled to-day 
 26 miles. 
 
 4th. — The morning was clear and calm ; and, leaving the 
 creek, we traveled towards the North fork of the Platte, over 
 a plain which was rendered rough and broken by ravines. 
 With the exception of some thin grasses, the sandy soil here 
 was occupied almost exclusively by artemisia, with its usual 
 turpentine odor. We had expected to meet with some difficulty 
 in crossing the river, but happened to strike it where there was 
 a very excellent ford, and halted to noon on the left bunk, two 
 
L84S.] CAPT- Fremont's narrative. W7 
 
 hundred miles from St. Vrain's fort. The hunters brought in 
 pack-animals loaded with fine meat. According to our imper* 
 feet knowledge of the country, there should have been a small 
 adluent to this stream a few miles higher up ; and in the aAer< 
 noon we continued our way among the river hills, in the ex- 
 pectation of encamping upon it in the evening. The ground 
 proved to be so exceedingly difficult, broken up into hills, ter- 
 minating in escarpments and broad ravines, five hundred or 
 six hundred feet deep, with sides so precipitous that we could 
 scarcely find a place to descend, that, towards sunset, I turned 
 directly in towards the river, and, after nightfall, entered a sort 
 of ravine. We were obliged to feel our way, and clear a road 
 in the darkness ; the surface being much broken, and the pro- 
 gress of the carriages being greatly obstructed by the artemi- 
 sia, which had a luxuriant growth of four to six feet in height. 
 We had scrambled along this gulley for several hours, during 
 which we had knocked off the carriage-lamps, broken a ther- 
 mometer and several small articles, when, fearing to lose some- 
 thing of more importance, I halted for the night at ten o'clock 
 Our animals were turned down towards the river, that they 
 might pick up what little grass they could find ; and after a 
 little search, some water was found in a small ravine, and im- 
 proved by digging. We lighted up the ravine with fires of 
 artemlsia, and about midnight sat down to a supper which we 
 were hungry enough to find delightful — although the bufialo- 
 meat was crusted with sand, and the coffee was bitter with the 
 wormwood taste of the artemisia leaves. 
 
 A successful day's hunt had kept our hunters occupied until 
 late, and they slept out, but rejoined us at daybreak, when, 
 finding ourselves only about a mile from the river, we followed 
 the ravine down, and camped in a cottonwood grove on a beau- 
 tiful grassy bottom, where our animals indemnified themselves 
 for the scanty fare of the past night. It was quite a pretty 
 and pleasant place ; a narrow strip of prairie, about five hun- 
 dred yards long, terminated at the ravine where we entered 
 by high precipitous hills closing in upon the river, and at the 
 upper end by a ridge of low rolling hills. 
 
 In the precipitous bluffs were displayed ■ succession of 
 
158 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aug. 
 
 strata containing fossil vegetable remains, and several beds of 
 coal. In some of the beds the coal did not appear to be per. 
 fectly mineralized, and in some of the seams it was compact, 
 and remarkably lustrous. ' those latter places, there were 
 also thin layers of a very fine white salts, in powder. As we 
 had a large supply of meat in the camp, which it was necessary 
 to dry, and the surrounding country appeared to be well stocked 
 with buffalo, which it was probable, after a day or two, we 
 would not see again until our return to the Mississippi waters, 
 I determined to make here a provision of dried meat, which 
 would be necessary for our subsistence in the region we were 
 about entering, which was said to be nearly destitute of game. 
 Scaffolds were accordingly soon erected, fires made, and the meat 
 cut into thin slices to be dried ; and all were busily occupied, 
 when the camp was thrown into a sudden tumult, by a charge 
 from about seventy mounted Indians, over the low hills at the up- 
 per end of the little bottom. Fortunately, the guard, who was 
 between them and our animals, had caught a glimpse of an In- 
 dian's head, as he raised himself in his stirrups to look over the 
 hill, a moment before he made the charge, and succeeded in turn- 
 ing the band into the camp, as the Indians charged into the bottom 
 with the usual yell. Before they reached us, the grove on the 
 verge of the little bottom was occupied by our people, and the In- 
 dians brought to a sudden halt, which they made in time to save 
 themselves from a howitzer shot, which would undoubtedly have 
 been very effective in such a compact body ; and further pro- 
 ceedings were interrupted by their signs for peace. They 
 proved to be a war party of Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians, 
 and informed us that they had charged upon the camp under 
 the belief that we were hostile Indians, and had discovered 
 their mistake only at the moment of the atiack — an excuse 
 which policy required us to receive as true, though under the 
 full conviction that the display of our little howitzer, and our 
 favorable position in the grove, certainly saved our horses, and 
 probably ourselves, from their marauding intentions. They 
 had been on a war party, and had been defeated, and were 
 consequently in the state of mind which aggravates their innate 
 thirst for plunder and blood. Their excuse, however, was 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 159 
 
 taken in good part, and the usual evidences of friendship inter 
 changed. The pipe went round, provisions were spread, and 
 the tobacco and goods furnished the customary presents, which 
 they look for even from traders, and much more from govern- 
 ment authorities. 
 
 They were returning from an expedition against the Sho- 
 shonee Indians, one of whose villages they had surprised, at 
 Bridger's fort, on Ham's fork of Green river, (in the absence 
 of the men, who were engaged in an antelope surround,) and 
 succeeded in carrying off their horses, and taking several 
 scalps. News of the attack reached the Snakes immediately, 
 who pursued and overtook them, and recovered their horses ; 
 and, in the running fight which ensued, the Arapahoes had 
 lost several men killed, and a number wounded, who were 
 coming on more slowly with a party in the rear. Nearly all 
 the horses they had brought off were the property of the whites 
 at the fort. After remaining until nearly sunset, they took their 
 departure ; and the excitement wliich their arrival had afforded 
 subsided into our usual quiet, a little enlivened by the vigilance 
 rendered necessary by the neighborhood of our uncertain 
 visiters. At noon the thermometer was at 75°, at sunset 70°, 
 and the evening clear. Elevation above the sea 6,820 feet ; 
 latitude 41° 36^ 00'"; longitude 107° 22' 27''. 
 
 6th. — At sunrise the thermometer was 46**, the morning 
 being clear and calm. We traveled to-day over an extremely 
 rugged country, barren and uninteresting — nothing to be seen 
 but artemisia bushes ; and, in the evening, found a grassy 
 spot among the hills, kept green by several springs, where we 
 encamped late. Within a few hundred yards was a very 
 pretty little stream of clear cool water, whose green banks 
 looked refreshing among the, dry, rocky hills. The hunters 
 brought in a fat mountain sheep, {ovis montana.) 
 
 Our road the next day was through a continued and dense 
 field of artemisia, which now entirely covered the country in 
 such a luxuriant growth that it was difficult and laborious for 
 a man on foot to force his way through, and nearly impractica- 
 ble for our light carriages. The region through which we 
 were traveling was a high plateau, constituting the dividing 
 
IGO CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Ai70> 
 
 ridge between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and 
 extending to a considerable distance southward, from the neigh- 
 borhood of the Table rock, at the southern side of the South 
 Pass. Though broken up into rugged and rocky hills of a dry 
 and barren nature, it has nothing of a mountainous character ; 
 the small streams which occasionally occur belonging neither 
 to the Platte nor the Colorado, but losing themselves either in 
 the sand or in small lakes. From an eminence, in the after- 
 noon, a mountainous range became visible in the north, in 
 which were recognised some rocky peaks belonging to the 
 range of the Sweet Water valley ; and, determining to aban- 
 don any further attempt to struggle through this almost im- 
 practicable country, we turned our course directly north, to- 
 wards a pass in the valley of the Sweet Water river. A shaft 
 of the gun-carriage was broken during the afternoon, causing 
 a considerable delay ; and it was late in an unpleasant even- 
 ing before we succeeded in finding a very poor encampment, 
 where there was a little water in a deep trench of a creek, and 
 some scanty grass among the shrubs. All the game here con- 
 sisted of a few straggling buffalo bulls, and during the day 
 ♦here had been but very little grass, except in some green 
 spots where it had collected around springs or shallow lakes. 
 Within fifty miles of the Sweet Water, the country changed 
 into a vast saline plain, in many places extremely level, occa- 
 sionally resembling the flat sandy beds of shallow lakes. 
 Here the vegetation consisted of a shrubby growth, among 
 which were several varieties of chenopodiaceous plants ; but 
 the characteristic shrub was Fremonlia vermicularis, with 
 smaller saline shrubs growing with singular luxuriance, and 
 in many places holding exclusive possession of the ground. 
 
 On the evening of the 8th we encamped on one of these 
 fresh-water lakes, which the traveler considers himself fortu- 
 nate to find ; and the next day, in latitude, by observation, 42° 
 20' 06'^, halted to noon immediately at the foot of the southern 
 side of the range which walls in the Sweet Water valley, on 
 the head of a small tributary to that river. 
 
 Continuing in the afternoon our course down the stream, 
 which here cuts directly through the ridge, forming a very 
 
1843.] CAPT. frbjiont's narbativb. 161 
 
 practicable pass, we entered the valley ; and, after a inarch 
 of about nine miles, encamped on our familiar river, endeared 
 to us by the acquaintance of the previous expedition — the night 
 having already closed in with a cold rain-storm. Our camp 
 was about twenty miles above the Devil's gate, which we had 
 been able to see in coming down the plain ; and, in the couise 
 of the night, the clouds broke away around Jupiter for a. short 
 time, during which we obtained an emersion of the first satel- 
 lite, the result of which agreed very nearly with the chronom- 
 eter, giving for the mean longitude 107° 50^ 07''^ ; elevation 
 above the sea 6,040 feet ; and distance from St. V rain's fort, 
 by the road we had just traveled, 315 miles. 
 
 Here passes the road to Oregon ; and the broad smooth 
 highway, where the numerous heavy wagons of the emigrants 
 had entirely beaten and crushed the artemisia, was a happy 
 exchange to our poor animals, for the sharp rocks and tough 
 shrubs among which they had been toiling so long ; and we 
 moved up the valley rapidly and pleasantly. With very little 
 deviation from our route of the preceding year, we continued 
 up the valley ; and on the evening of the 12th encamped on 
 the Sweet Water, at a point where the road turns off to cross 
 to the plains of Green river. The increased coolness of the 
 weather indicated that we had attained a greater elevation, 
 which the barometer here placed at 7,220 feet ; and during the 
 night water froze in the lodge. 
 
 The morning of the 13th was clear and cold, there being a 
 white-frost, and the thermometer, a little before sunrise, stand- 
 ing at 26-5°. Leaving this encampment, (our last on the wa- 
 ters which flow towards the rising sun,) we took our way along 
 the upland, towards the dividing ridge which separates the 
 Atlantic from the Pacific waters, and crossed it by a road 
 some miles further south than the one we had followed on our 
 return in 1842. We crossed very near the Table mountain, 
 at the southern extremity of the South Pass, which is near 
 twenty miles in width, and already traversed by several differ- 
 ent roads. Selecting, as well as I could, in the scarcely dis- 
 tinguishable ascent, what might be considered the dividing 
 ridge in this remarkable depression in the mountain, I took a 
 
162 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aug. 
 
 barometrical observation, which gave 7,490 feet for the eleva- 
 tion above the Gulf of Mexico. You will remember that, in 
 my report of 1842, I estimated the elevation of this pass at 
 about 7,000 feet ; a cori-ect observation with a good barometer 
 enables me to give li with more precision. Its importance, 
 as the great gate through which commerce and traveling 
 may hereafter pass between the valley of the Mississippi and 
 the North Pacific, justifies a precise notice of its locality and 
 distance from leading points, in addition to this statement of its 
 elevation. As stated in the report of 1842, its latitude, at the 
 point where we crossed, is 42° 24^ 32'^; its longitude 109° 
 26' 00'''' ; its distance from the mouth of the Kansas, by the 
 common traveling route, 962 miles ; from the mouth of the 
 Great Platte, along the valley of that river, according to our 
 survey of 1842, 882 miles ; and its distance from St. Louis 
 about 400 miles more by the Kansas, and about 700 by 
 the Great Platte route ; these additions being steamboat con- 
 veyance in both instances. From this pass to the mouth of the 
 Oregon is about 1,400 miles by the common traveling route ; 
 so that under a general point of view, it may be assumed to be 
 about half-way between the Mississippi and the Pacific ocean, 
 on the common traveling route. Following a hollow of slight 
 and easy descent, in which was very soon formed a little trib- 
 utary to the Gulf of California, (for the waters which flow west 
 from the South Pass go to this gulf,) we made our usual halt 
 four miles from the pass, in latitude, by observation, 42° 19' 
 53''''. Entering here the valley of Green river — the great 
 Colorado of the West — and inclining very much to the south- 
 ward along the streams which form the Sandy river, the road 
 led for several days over dry and level uninteresting plains ; 
 to which a low scrubby growth of artemisia gave a uniform 
 dull grayish color ; and on the evening of the 15th we en- 
 camped in the Mexican territory, on the left bank of Green 
 river, 69 miles from the South Pass, in longitude 110° 05' 05''', 
 and latitude 41° 53' 54", distant 1,031 miles from the mouth 
 of the Kansas. This is the emigrant road to Oregon, which 
 bears much to the southward, to avoid the mountains about the 
 western heads of Green river — the Rio Verde of the Spaniards. 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 168 
 
 16tli. — Crossing the river, here about 400 feet wide, by a 
 very good ford, we continued to descend for seven or eight 
 miles on a pleasant road along the right bank of the stream, 
 of which the islands and shores are handsomely timbered with 
 Cottonwood. The refreshing appearance of the broad river, 
 with its timbered shores and green wooded islands, in contrast 
 to its dry and sandy plains, probably obtained for it the name 
 of Green rivar, which was bestowed on it by the Spaniards 
 who first came into this country to trade some 25 years ago. 
 It was then familiarly known as the Seeds-ke-dee-agie, or 
 Prairie Hen {tetrao urophasianus) river ; a name which it re- 
 ceived from the Crows, to whom its upper waters belong, and 
 on which this bird is still very abundant. By the Shoshonee 
 and Utah Indians, to whom belongs, for a considerable distance 
 below, the country where we were now traveling, it was called 
 the Bitter Root river, from a great abundance in its valley of 
 a plant which affords them one of their favorite roots. Lower 
 down, from Brown's hole to the southward, the river runs 
 through lofty chasms, walled in by precipices of red rock ; 
 and even among the wilder tribes which inhabit that portion of 
 its course, I have heard it called by Indian refugees from the 
 California settlements the Rio Colorado. We halted to noon 
 at the upper end of a large bottom, near some old houses, 
 which had been a trading post, in lat. 41° 46' 54^''. At this 
 place the elevation of the river above the sea is 6,230 feet. 
 That of Lewis's fork of the Columbia at Fort Hall is, accord- 
 ing to our subsequent observations, 4,500 feet. The descent 
 of each stream is rapid, but that of the Colorado is but little 
 known, and that little derived from vague report. Three 
 hundred miles of its lower part, as it approaches the Gulf of 
 California, is reported to be smooth and tranquil ; but its upper 
 part is manifestly broken into many falls and rapids. From 
 many descriptions of trappers, it is probable that in its foaming 
 course among its lofty precipices it presents many scenes of 
 wild grandeur ; and though offering many temptations, and 
 •ften discussed, no trappers have been found bold enough to 
 undertake a voyage which has so certain a prospect of a fatal 
 termination. The Indians have strange stories of beautiful 
 
164 CAPT. fbemont's nabbativb. [Auck 
 
 vaUeys abounding with beaver, shut up among inaccessible 
 walls of rock in the lower course of the river ; and to whicli' 
 the neighboring Indians, in their occasional wars with the 
 Spaniards and among themselves, drive their herds of cattle 
 and flocks of sheep, leaving them to pasture in perfect se- 
 curity. 
 
 The road here leaves the river, which bends considerably to 
 the east ; and in the afternoon we resumed our westerly 
 course, passing over a somewhat high and broken country ; 
 and about :j ^aset, after a day's travel of 26 miles, reached 
 Black's fork of the Green river — a shallow stream, with a 
 somewiiat sluggish current, about 120 feet wide, limbered prin- 
 cipally with willow, and here and there an occasional large 
 tree. At three in the morning I obtained an observation of an 
 emersion of the first satellite of Jupiter, with other observations. 
 The heavy weigons have so completely pulverized the soil, that 
 clouds of fine light dust are raised by the slightest wind, ma- 
 king the road sometimes very disagreeablb, 
 
 17th. — Leaving our encampment at six in the morning, we 
 traveled along the bottom, which is about two miles wide,, 
 bordered by low hills, in which the strata contained handsome 
 and very distinct vegetable fossils. In a gully a short distance 
 farther up the river, and underlying these, was exposed a 
 stratum of an impure or argillaceous limestone. Crossing on 
 the way Black's fork, where it is one foot deep and forty wide, 
 with clear water and a pebbly bed, in nine miles we reached 
 Ham's fork, a tributary to the former stream, having now 
 about sixty feet breadth, and a few inches depth of water. It 
 is wooded with thickets of red willow, and in the bottom is a 
 tolerably strong growth of grass* The road here makes a 
 traverse of twelve miles across a bend of the river. Passing 
 in the way some remarkable hills, two or three hundred feet 
 high, with frequent and nearly vertical escarpments of a green 
 stone, consisting of an argillaceous carbonate of lime, alter- 
 nating with strata of an iron-brown limestone, and worked into 
 picturesque forms by wind and rain, at two in the afternoon 
 we reached the river again, having made to-day 21 miles. 
 Since crossing the great dividing ridge of the Rocky moun- 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's nabiiative. 105 
 
 tains, plants have been very few in variety, the country being 
 covered pTincipally with artemisia. 
 
 18th. — We passed on the road, this morning, the grave of 
 one of the emigrants, being the second we had seen since fall- 
 ing into their trail ; and halted to noon on the river, a short 
 distance above. 
 
 The Shoshonee woman took leave of us here, expecting to 
 find some of her relations at Bridger's fort, which is only a 
 mile or two distant, on a fork of this stream. In the evening 
 we encamped on a salt creek, about fifteen feet wide, having 
 to-day traveled 32 miles. 
 
 I obtained an emersion of the first satellite under favorable 
 circumstances, the night being still and clear. 
 
 One of our mules died here, and in this portion of our jour- 
 ney we lost six or seven of our animals. The grass which the 
 country had lately afforded was very poor and insufficient ; 
 and animals which have been accustomed to grain become soon 
 weak and unable to labor, when reduced to no other nourish- 
 ment than grass. The American horses (as those are usually 
 called which are brought to this country from the States) are 
 not of any serviceable value until after they have remained a 
 winter in the country, and become accustomed to live entirely 
 on grass. 
 
 I9th. — Desirous to avoid every delay not absolutely neces- 
 sary, I sent on Carson in advance to Fort Hall this morning, to 
 make arrangements for a small supply of provisions. A few 
 miles from our encampment, the road entered a high ridge, 
 which the trappers called the *' little mountain," connecting the 
 Utah with the Wind River chain ; and in one of the hills near 
 which we passed I remarked strata of a conglomerate forma- 
 tion, fragments of which were scattered over the surface. We 
 crossed a ridge of this conglomerate, the road passing near a 
 grove of low cedar, and descending upon one of the heads of 
 Ham's fork, called Muddy, where we made our mid-day halt; 
 In the river hills at this place, I discovered strata of fossilifer*. 
 ous rock, having an oolitic structure, which, in connection 
 with the neighboring strata, authorize us to believe that here^ 
 on the west side of the Rocky mountains, we find repeated the 
 
166 CAPT. Fremont's narkative. [Avo. 
 
 modern formations of Great Britain and Europe, which have 
 hitherto been wanting to complete the system of North Ameri- 
 can geology. 
 
 In the afternoon we continued our road, and searching among 
 the hills a few miles up the stream, and on the same bank, I 
 discovered, among the alternate beds of coal and clay, a stra- 
 tum of white indurated clay, containing very clear and beauti- 
 ful impressions of vegetable remains. This was the most in- 
 teresting fossil locality I had met in the country, and I deeply 
 regretted that time did not permit me to remain a day or two 
 in tlie vicinity ; but I could not anticipate the delays to which 
 I might be exposed in the course of our journey— or, rather, I 
 knew that they were many and inevitable ; and after remain- 
 ing here only about an hour, I hurried off, loaded with as 
 many specimens as I could conveniently carry. 
 
 Coal made its appearance occasionally in the hills during 
 the afternoon, and was displayed in rabbit burrows in a kind 
 of gap, through which we passed over some high hills, and we 
 descended to make our encampment on the same stream, where 
 we found but very poor grass. In the evening a fine cow, 
 with her calf, which had strayed off from some emigrant party, 
 was found several miles from the road, and brought into 
 camp ; and as she gave an abundance of milk, we enjoyed to- 
 night an excellent cup of coffee. We traveled to-day 28 
 miles, and, as has been usual since crossing the Green river, 
 the road has been very dusty, and the weather smoky and 
 oppressively hot. Artemisia was characteristic among the 
 few plants. 
 
 20th. — We continued to travel up the creek by a very 
 gradual ascent and a very excellent grassy road, passing on 
 the way several small forks of the stream. The hills here are 
 higher, presenting escarpments of party-colored and apparently 
 clay rocks, purple, dark-red, and yellow, containing strata of 
 sandstone and limestone with shells, with a bed of cemented 
 pebbles, the whole overlaid by beds of limestone. The alter- 
 nation of red and yellow gives a bright appearance to the hills, 
 one of which was called by our people the Rainbow hill, and 
 the character of the country became more agreeable, and 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 167 
 
 traveling far more pleasant, as now we found timber and 
 very good grass. Gruduully ascending, we reached the lower 
 level of a bed of white limestone, lying upon a white clay, on 
 the upper line of which the whole road is abundantly supplied 
 with beautiful cool springs, gushing out a foot in breadth and 
 several inches deep, directly from the hill-side. 
 
 At noon we halted at the last main fork of the creek, at an 
 elevation of 7,200 feet, and in latitude, by observation, 41° SiK 
 45^^ ; and in the afternoon continued on the same excellent 
 road, up the left or northern fork of the stream, towards its 
 head, in a pass which the barometer placed at 8,230 feet above 
 the sea. This is a connecting ridge between the Utah or Bear 
 River mountains and the Wind River chain of the Rocky moun 
 tains, separating the waters of the Gulf of California on the 
 east, and those on the west belonging more directly to the Pa- 
 cific, from a vast interior basin whose rivers are collected into 
 numerous lakes having no outlet to the ocean. From the sum- 
 mit of this pass, the highest which the road crosses between 
 the Mississippi and the Western ocean, our view was over a 
 very mountainous region, whose rugged appearance was great- 
 ly increased by the smoky weather, through which the broken 
 ridges were dark and dimly seen. The ascent to the summit 
 of the gap was occasionally steeper than the national road in the 
 AUeghanies ; and the descent, by way of a spur on the west- 
 ern side, is rather precipitous, but the pass may still be called 
 a good one. Some thickets of the willow in the hollows below 
 deceived us into the expectation of finding a camp at our 
 usual hour at the foot of the mountain ; but we found them 
 without water, and continued down a ravine, and encamped 
 about dark at a place where the springs began again to make 
 their appearance, but where our animals fared badly ; the 
 stock of the emigrants having razed the grass as completely as 
 if we were again in the midst of the buffalo. 
 
 21st. — An hour's travel this morning brought us into the 
 fertile and picturesque valley of Bear river, the principal trib- 
 utary to the Great Salt lake. The stream is here two hundred 
 feet wide, fringed with willows and occasional groups of haw- 
 thorns. We were now entering a region which, for us, pos- 
 
I'dS CAPT. FIiEMONT's NARRATIVE. [A'tTO. 
 
 sessed a strange and extraordinary interest. We were upon 
 the waters of the famous lake which forms a salient point among 
 the remarkable geographical features of the country, and around 
 which the vague and superstitious accounts of the trappers had 
 thrown a delightful obscurity, which we anticipated pleasure 
 in dispelling, but which, in the mean time, left a crowded field 
 for the exercise of our imagination. 
 
 In our occasional conversations with the few old hunters who 
 had visited the region, it had been a subject of frequent specu- 
 lation ; and the wonders which they related were not the less 
 agreeable because they were highly exaggerated and impos- 
 sible. 
 
 Hitherto this lake had been seen only by trappers who were 
 wandering through the country in search of new beaver-streams, 
 caring very little for geography ; its islands had never been 
 visited ; and none were to be found who had entirely made the 
 circuit of its shores ; and no instrumental observations or geo- 
 graphical survey, of any description, had ever been made any- 
 ^vhere in the neighboring region. It was generally supposed 
 that it had no visible outlet ; but among the trappers, including 
 those in my own camp, were many who believed that some- 
 where on its surface was a terrible whirlpool, through which 
 its waters found their way to the ocean by some subterranean 
 communication. All these things had made a frequent subject 
 of discussion in our desultory conversations around the fires at 
 flight ; and my own mind had become tolerably well filled 
 with their indefinite pictures, and insensibly colored with their 
 romantic descriptions, which, in the pleasure of excitement, I 
 was well disposed to believe, and half expected to realize. 
 
 Where we descended into this beautiful valley, it is three to 
 four miles in breadth, perfectly level, and bounded by moun- 
 tainous ridges, one above another, rising suddenly from the plain. 
 
 We continued our road down the river, and at night en- 
 camped with a family of emigrants — two men, women, and 
 several children — who appeared to be bringing up the rear of 
 tne great caravan. I was struck with the fine appearance of 
 their cattle, some six or eight yoke of oxen, which really looked 
 as well as if they had been all the summer at work on some 
 
1843.] CAl'T. FKRiMONr's NARRATIVE. 109 
 
 good farm. It wiis strange to see one small family traveling 
 along through such a country, so romote I'rom civilization 
 Some nine years since, such a security might have been a 
 fatal one, but since their disastrous defeats in the country a 
 little north, the Blackfeet have ceased to visit these waters. 
 Indians, however, are very uncertain in their localities ; and 
 the friendly feelings, also, of those now inhabiting it may be 
 changed. 
 
 According to barometrical observation at noon, the elevation 
 of the valley was 6,400 feet above the sea ; and our encamp- 
 ment at night in latitude 42^ 03' 47''', and longitude 111° 
 10' 53'', by observation — the day's journey having been 26 
 miles. This encampment was therefore within the territorial 
 limit of the United States ; our traveling, from the time we 
 entered the valley of the Green river, on the 15th of August, 
 having been south of the 42d degree of north latitude, and con- 
 sequently on Mexican territory ; and this is the route all the 
 emigrants now travel to Oregon. 
 
 The temperature at sunset was 65° ; and at evening there 
 was a distant thunder-storm, with a light breeze from the 
 north. 
 
 Antelope and elk were seen during the day on the opposite 
 prairie ; and there were ducks and geese in the river. 
 
 The next morning, in about three miles from our encamp, 
 ment, we reached Smith's fork, a stream of clear water, about 
 50 feet in breadth. It is timbered with Cottonwood, willow, and 
 aspen, and makes a beautiful debouchemcnt through a pass about 
 600 yards wide, between remarkable mountain hills, rising ab- 
 ruptly on either side, and forming gigantic columns to the gate 
 by which it enters Bear River valley. The bottoms, which 
 below Smith's fork had been two miles wide, narrowed as we 
 advanced to a gap 500 yards wide, and during the greater part 
 of the day we had a winding route, the river making very 
 sharp and sudden bends, the mountains steep and rocky, and 
 the valley occasionally so narrow as only to leave space for a 
 passage through. 
 
 We made our halt at noon in a fertile bottom, where the 
 common blue flax was growing abundantly, a few miles below 
 8 
 
170 CAPT. Fremont's nautjative. [Auo. 
 
 the mouth of Thomas's fork, one of the larger tributaries of the 
 river. 
 
 Crossing, in the afternoon, the point of a narrow spur, w« 
 descended into a beautilul bottom, formed by a lateral valley, 
 which presented a picture of home beauty that went directly 
 to our hearts. The edge of the wood, for several miles along 
 the river, was dotted with the white covers of emigrant wagons, 
 collected in groups at dilferent camps, where the smoke was 
 rising lazily from the fires, around which the women were oc- 
 cupied in preparing the evening meal, and the children playing 
 in the grass ; and herds of cattle, grazing about in the bottom, 
 had an air of quiet security, and civilized comfort, that made a 
 rare sight for the traveler in such a remote wilderness. 
 
 In common with all the emigration, they had been reposing 
 for several days in this delightful valley, in order to recruit 
 their animals on its luxuriant pasturage after their long jour- 
 ney, and prepare them for the hard travel along the compara- 
 tively sterile banks of the Upper Columbia. At the lower end 
 of this extensive bottom, the river passes through an open canon, 
 where there were high vertical rocks to the water's edge, and 
 the road here turns up a broad valley to the right. It was al- 
 /eady near sunset ; but, hoping to reach the river again before 
 night, we continued our march along the valley, finding the 
 road tolerably good, until we arrived at a point where it crosses 
 the ridge by an ascent of a mile in length, which was so very 
 steep and difficult for the gun and carriage, that we did not 
 reach the summit until dark. 
 
 It was absolutely necessary to descend into the valley for 
 water and grass ; and we were obliged to grope owr way in 
 the darkness down a very steep, bad mountain, reaching the 
 river at about ten o'clock. It was late before our animals 
 were gathered into the camp, several of. those which were very 
 weak being neccsstirily left to pass the night on the iridge ; and 
 we sat down again to a midnight supper. The road, in the 
 morning, presented an animated appearance. Wc found that 
 we had encamped near a large party of emigrants , and a few 
 miles below, another party was already in motion. Here the 
 valley had resumed its usual breadth, and the riv«jr swept off 
 
1843.] cAPT. Fremont's narrative. 171 
 
 ulong the tiiouniains on the western side, the road continuing 
 directly on. 
 
 In about an hour's travel we met several Shoshonee Indiana, 
 who informed us that they belonged to a large village which 
 hud just come into tlie valley from the mountain to the west- 
 ward, where tliey had been hunting antelope and gathering 
 service-berries. Glad at the opportunity of seeing one of their 
 villages, and in the hope of purchasing from them a few horses, 
 1 turned immediately otf into the plain towards their encamp- 
 ment, which was situated on a small stream near the river. 
 
 We had approached within something more than a mile of 
 the village, when suddenly a single horseman emerged from it 
 at full speed, followed by another and another in rapid succes 
 sion ; and then party after party poured into the plain, until, 
 when the foremost rider reached us, all the whole intervening 
 plain was occupied by a mass of horsemen, which came charg 
 ing down upon us with guns and naked swords, lances, and 
 bows and arrows — Indians entirely naked, and warriors fully 
 dressed for war, with the long red streamers of their war-bon- 
 nets reaching nearly to the ground, all mingled together in the 
 bravery of savage warfare. They had been thrown into a 
 sudden tumult by the appearance of our flag, which, among 
 these people, is regarded as an emblem of hostility — it being 
 usually borne by the Sioux and the neighboring mountain 
 Indians, when they come here to war ; and we had, accordingly 
 oeen mistaken for a body of their enemies. A few words from 
 the chief quieted the excitement ; and the whole band, increas- 
 ing every moment in number, escorted us to their encampment, 
 where the chief pointed out a place for us to encamp, near his 
 own lodge, and we made known our purpose in visiting the vil- 
 lage. In a very short time we purchased eight horses, for 
 which we gave in exchange blankets, red and blue cloth, beads, 
 knives, and tobacco, and the usual other articles of Indian 
 traffic. We obtained from them also a considerable quantity 
 of berries, of different kinds, among which service-berries were 
 the most abundant ; and several kinds of roots and seeds, which 
 we could eat with pleasure, as any kind of vegetable food was 
 gratifying to us. I ate here, for the first time, the kooydh, or 
 
772 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Avo. 
 
 tobacco-root, {Valeriana edulis,) — the principal edible root among 
 tne Indians who inhabit tlie upper waters of the streams on the 
 Western side of the mountains. It has a very strong and 
 remarkably peculiar taste and odor, which I can compare to 
 DO other vegetable that I am acquainted with, and which ta 
 some persons is extremely offensive. It was characterized by 
 Mr. Preuss as the most horrid food he had ever put in his 
 mouth ; and when, in the evening, one of the chiefs sent hi? 
 wife to me with a portion which she had prepared as a delicacj 
 to regale us, the odor immediately drove him out of the lodge ; 
 and frequently afterwards he used to beg that when those wlu 
 liked it had taken what they desired, it might be sent away 
 To others, however, the taste is rather an agreeable one ; ana 
 I Vv^as afterwards glad when it formed an addition to our scantj 
 meals. It is full of nutriment ; and in its unprepared state \i 
 said by the Indians to have very strong poisonous qualities, oi 
 which it is deprived by a peculiar process, being baked in tht 
 ground for about two days. 
 
 The morning of the 24th was disagreeably cool, with ai 
 easterly wind, and very smoky weather. We made a lat« 
 start from the village, and, regaining the road, (on which 
 during all the day, were scattered the emigrant wagons,) we 
 continued on down the valley of the river, bordered by high 
 and mountainous hills, on which fires are seen at the summit. 
 The soil appears generally good, although, with the grasses, 
 many of the plants are dried up, probably on account of the 
 great heat and want of rain. The common blue flax of culti- 
 vation, now almost entirely in seed — only a scattered flower 
 here and there remaining — is the most characteristic plant of 
 the Bear River valicy. When we encamped at night, on the 
 right bank of the river, it was growing as in a sown field. We 
 had traveled during the day twenty-two miles, encamping in 
 latitude (by observation) 42° 36^'' 56''^, chronometric longitude 
 111° 42^ Qb'\ 
 
 In our neighborhood the mountains appeared extremely 
 rugged, giving still greater value to this beautiful natural pass. 
 
 25th. — This was a cloudless but smoky autumn morning, 
 with a cold wind from the southeast, and a temperature of 45*^ 
 
1843.] CAPT. feemont's narrative. 173 
 
 at sunrise. In a few miles I noticed, where a little stream 
 crossed the road, fragments of scoriated basalt scattered about— 
 the first volcanic rock we had seen, and which now became a 
 characteristic rock along our future road. In about six miles* 
 travel from our encampment, we reached one of the points in 
 our journey to which we had always looked forward with great 
 interest — the famous Beer springs. The place in which they 
 are situated is a basin of mineral waters enclosed by the moun- 
 tains, which sweep around a circular bend of Bear river, here 
 at its most northern point, and which, from a northern, in the 
 course of a few miles acquires a southern direction towards the 
 Great Salt Lake. A pretty little stream of clear water en- 
 ters the upper part of the basin, from an open valley in the 
 mountains, and, passing through the bottom, discharges into 
 Bear river. Crossing this stream, we descended a mile below, 
 and made our encampment irx a grove of cedar immediately at 
 the Beer springs, which, on account of the effervescing gas and 
 acid taste, have received their name from the voyageurs and 
 trappers of the country, who, in the midst of their rude and 
 hard lives, are fond of finding some fancied resemblance to the 
 luxuries they rarely have the fortune to enjoy. 
 
 Although somewhat disappointed in the expectations which 
 various descriptions had led me to form of unusual beauty of 
 situation and scenery, I found it altogether a place of very 
 great interest ; and a traveler for the first ' le in a volcanic 
 region remains in a constant excitement, ana t every «tep is 
 arrested by something remarkable and new. There is a con- 
 fusion of interesting objects gathered together in a small space. 
 Around the place of encampment the Beer springs were numer- 
 ous ; but, as far as we could ascertain, were confin'^d en- 
 tirely to that locality in the bottom. In the bed of the river, 
 in front, for a space of several hundred yards, they were very 
 abundant ; the effervescing gas rising up and agitating the 
 water in countless bubbling columns. In the vicinity round 
 about were numerous springs of an entirely different and 
 equally marked mineral character. In a rather picturesque 
 spot, about 1,300 yards below our encampment, and imme- 
 diately on the river bank, is the most remarkable spring of the 
 
174 CAPT. fREMONT's NARRATIVE. [AUQ. 
 
 place. In an opening on the rock, a white column of scat- 
 tered water is thrown up, in form like a jet-d'eau, to a variable 
 height of about three feet, and, though it is maintained in a 
 constant supply, its greatest height is only attained at regular 
 intervals, according to the action of the force below. It is ac- 
 companied by a subterranean noise, which, together with the 
 motion of the water, makes very much the impression of a 
 steamboat in motion ; and, without knowing that it had been 
 already previously so called, we gave to it the name of the 
 Steamboat spring. The rock through which it is forced is 
 slightly raised in a convex manner, and gathered at the open- 
 ing into an urn-mouthed form, and is evidently formed by con- 
 tinued deposition from the water, and colored bright red by 
 oxide of iron. An analysis of this deposited rock, which I 
 subjoin, will give you some idea of the properties of the water, 
 which, with the exception of the Beer springs, is the mineral 
 water of the place.* It is a hot spring, and the water has a 
 pungent and disagreeable metallic taste, leaving a burning 
 effect on the tongue. Within perhaps two yards of the jet- 
 d'eau is a small hole of about an inch in diameter, through 
 which, at regular intervals, escapes a blast of hot air, with a 
 light wreath of smoke, accompanied by a regular noise. Tliis 
 hole had been noticed by Dr. Wislizenus, a gentleman who 
 had several years since passed by this place, and who re- 
 marked, with very nice observation, that smelling the gas 
 which issued from the orifice produced a sensation of giddiness 
 and nausea. Mr. Preuss and myself repeated the observation, 
 and were so well satisfied with its correctness, that we did not 
 find it pleasant to continue the experiment, as the sensation of 
 giddiness which it produced was certainly strong and decided. 
 A huge emigrant wagon, with a large and diversified family 
 
 * ANALTBIB. 
 
 Carbonate of lime -.--.. 92-55 
 Carbonate of magnesia ----- 0-42 
 Oxide of iron -.--.»- 1-05 
 Silica \ 
 
 Alumina > -....- 598 
 
 Water and loss J 
 
 , lUOOO 
 
1843. J CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 175 
 
 had overtaken us and halted to noon at our encampment ; and, 
 while we were silting at the spring, a band of boys and girls, 
 with two or three young men, camo up, one of whom I asked 
 to stoop down and smell the gas, desirous to satisfy myself 
 further of its eHects. But his natural caution had been 
 awakened by the singular and suspicious features of the placf , 
 and he declined my proposal decidedly, and with a few indis- 
 tinct remarks about the devil, whom he seemed to consider 
 the genms loci. The ceaseless motion and the play of the 
 fountain, the red rock and the green trees near, make this a 
 picturesque spot. 
 
 A short distance above the spring, and near the foot of the 
 same spur, is a very remarkable, yellow-colored rock, soft and 
 friable, consisting principally of carbonate of lime and oxide 
 of iron, of regular structure, which is probably a fossil coral. 
 The rooky bank along the shore between the Steamboat spring 
 and our encampment, along which is dispersed the water from 
 the hills, is composed entirely of strata of a calcareous tufa, 
 with the remains of moss and reed-like grasses, which is 
 probably the formation of springs. The Beer or Soda springs, 
 which have given name to this locality, are agreeable, but less 
 highly flavored than the Boiling springs at the foot of Pike's 
 peak, which are of the same character. They are very 
 numerous, and half hidden by tufts of grass, which we amused 
 ourselves in removing and searching about for more highly 
 impregnated springs. They are some of them deep, and of 
 various sizes — sometimes several yards in diameter, and kept 
 in constant motion by columns of escaping gas. By analysis, 
 one quart of the water contains as follows : 
 
 Grains. 
 
 Sulphate of magnesia -..-.- 12-10 
 
 Sulphate of lime - - 2V?. 
 
 Carbonate of liu^e ....... 3'8G 
 
 Carbonate of ma^;nesia ....-- 3'22 
 
 Chloride of calcium .-.---. 1'33 
 
 Chloride of mafrnesium ...... 1'12 
 
 Chloride of sodium -...--- 224 
 
 Vegetable extractive matter, &c. . - - - 0-85 
 
 26-84 
 
.T6 CAPT. FREMONI'b NARRATIVK. [AtTO. 
 
 The carbonic acid, originally contained in the water, had 
 •mainly escaped before it was subjected to analysis ; and it was 
 not, therefore, taken into consideration. 
 
 In the afternoon I wandered about among thp cedars, which 
 occupy the greater part of the bottom towards the mountains. 
 The soil here has a dry and calcined appearance ; in some 
 places, the open grounds are covered with saline efflorescences, 
 and there are a number of regularly-shaped and very remark- 
 able hills, which are formed of a succession of convex strata 
 that iiave been deposited by the waters of extinct springs, the 
 orifices of which are found on their suumiits, some of them 
 naving the form of funnel-shaped cones. Others of these re- 
 markably-shaped hills are of a red-colored earth, entirely 
 bare, and composed principally of carbonate of lime, with 
 oxide of iron, formed in the same manner. Walking near one 
 of them, on the summit of which the springs were dry, my 
 attention was attracted by an underground noise, around which 
 I circled repeatedly, until I found the spot from beneath which 
 it came ; and, removing the red earth, discovered a hidden 
 spring, which was boiling up from below, with the same disa- 
 greeable metallic taste as the Steamboat spring. Continuing 
 up the bottom, and crossing the little stream which has been 
 already mentioned, I visited several remarkable red and white 
 hills, which had attracted my attention from the road in the 
 morning. Tliese are immediately upon the stream, and, like 
 those already mentioned, are formed by the deposition of suc- 
 cessive strata from the springs. On their summits, the orifices 
 through which the waters had been discharged were so large, 
 that they resembled miniature craters, being some of them 
 several feet in diameter, circular, and regularly formed as if 
 by art. At a former time, when these dried-up fountains were 
 all in motion, they must have made a beautiful display on a 
 grand scale ; and nearly all this basin appears to me to have 
 been formed under their action, and should be called the 
 place of fountains. At the foot of one of these hills, or rather 
 on its side near the base, are several of these small limestone 
 columns, about one foot in diameter at the base, and tapering 
 upwards to a height of three or four feet ', and on the summit 
 
1843.] CAPT. frejiont's narrative. 171 
 
 the water is boiling up and bubbling over, constantly adding 
 to the height of the little obelisks. In some, the water only 
 boils up, no longer overflowing, and has here the same taste as 
 at the Steamboat spring. The observer will remark a gradual 
 subsidence in the water, which formerly supplied the foun- 
 tains ; as on all the summits of the hills the springs are now 
 dry, and are found only low down upon their sides, or on the 
 surrounding plain. 
 
 A little higher up the creek its banks are formed by strata 
 of very heavy and hard scoriaceous basalt, having a bright 
 metallic lustre when broken. The mountains overlooking the 
 plain are of an entirely different geological character. Con- 
 tinning on, I walked to the summit of one of them, where the 
 principal rock was a granular quartz. Descending the moun- 
 tains, and returning towards the camp along the base of the 
 ridge which skirts the plain, I found, at the foot of a mountain 
 spur, and issuing from a compact rock of a dark blue color, a 
 great number of springs having the same pungent and disa- 
 greeably metallic taste already mentioned, the water of which 
 was collected into a very remarkable basin, whose singularity, 
 perhaps, made it appear to me very beautiful. It is large — 
 perhaps fifty yards in circumference ; and in it the water is 
 contained, at an elevation of several feet above the surrounding 
 ground, by a wall of calcareous tufa, composed principally of 
 the remains of mosses, three or four, and sometimes ten feet 
 high. The water within is very clear and pure, and ihree or 
 four feet deep, where it could be measured, near the wall ; and 
 at a considerably low level is another pond or basin of very 
 clear water, and apparently of considerable depth, from the 
 bottom of which the gas was escaping in bubbling columns at 
 many places. This water was collected into a small stream, 
 which, in a few hundred yards, sank under ground, reappear- 
 ing among the rocks between the two great springs near the 
 river, which it entered by a little fall. 
 
 Late in the afternoon I set out on my return to the camp, 
 
 and, crossing in the way a large field oi salt that was several 
 
 inches deep, found on my arrival that our emigrant friends, 
 
 who had been encamped in company with us, had resumed 
 
 8* 
 
178 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Auo. 
 
 their journey, and the road had again assumed its solitary 
 character. The temperature of the largest of the Beer springs 
 at our encampment was 65° at sunset, that of the air being 
 62-5°. Our barometric observation gave 5,840 feet for the 
 elevation above the gulf, being about 500 feet lower than the 
 Boiling springs, which are of a similar nature, at the foot of 
 Pike's peak. The astronomical observations gave for our lati- 
 tude 42° 39' 57", and 111° W 00^^ for the longitude. The 
 night was very still and cloudless, and I sat up for an observa- 
 tion of the first satellite of Jupiter, the emersion of which took 
 place about midnight ; but fell asleep at the telescope, awaking 
 just a few minutes after the appearance of the star. 
 
 The morning of the 26th was calm, and the sky without 
 clouds, but smoky, and the temperature at sunrise 28*5°. At 
 the same time, the temperature of the large Beer spring, where 
 we were encamped, was 56° ; that of the Steamboat spring 
 87°, and that of the steam-hole, near it, 81-5°. In the course 
 of the morning, the last wagons of the emigration passed by, 
 and we were again left in our place, in the rear. 
 
 Remaining in camp until nearly 11 o'clock, we traveled a 
 short distance down the river, and halted to noon on the bank, 
 at a point where the road quits the valley of Bear river, and, 
 crossing a ridge which divides the Great basin from the Pacific 
 waters, reaches Fort Hall, by way of the Portneuf river, in a 
 distance of probably fifty miles, o) two and a half days' jour- 
 ney for wagons. An examination of the great lake which is 
 the outlet of this river, and the principal feature of geographi- 
 cal interest in the basin, was one of the main objects con- 
 templated in the general plan of our survey, and I accordingly 
 determined at this place to leave the road, and, after having 
 completed a reconnoissance of the lake, regain it subsequently 
 at Fort Hall. But our little stock of provisions had again be- 
 come extremely low ; we had only dried meat sufficient for 
 one meal, and our supply of flour and other comforts was en- 
 tirely exhausted. I therefore immediateijr dispatched one of 
 :he party, Henry Lee, with a note to Carson, at Fort Hall, di. 
 reeling him to load a pack-horse with whatever could be ob- 
 tained there in the way of provisions, and endeavor to overtake 
 
a843.] capt. Fremont's narrative. 179 
 
 me on the river. In the mean time, we had picked up along 
 the road two tolerably well-grown calves, which would have 
 become food for wolves, and which had probably been left by 
 some of tiie earlier emigrants, none of those we had met hav- 
 ing made any claim to them ; and on these I mainly relied for 
 support during our circuit to the lake. 
 
 In sweeping around the point of the mountain which runs 
 down into the bend, the river here passes between perpendicu- 
 lar walls of basalt, which always fix the attention, from the 
 regular form in which it occurs, and its perfect distinctness 
 from the surrounding rocks among which it had been placed. 
 The mountain, which is rugged and steep, and, by our meas 
 urement, 1,400 feet above the river directly opposite the place 
 of our halt, is called the Sheep-rock — probably because a flock 
 of the mountain sheep (^ovis montana) had been seen on the 
 craggy point. 
 
 As we were about resuming our march in the afternoon, I 
 was attracted by the singular appearance of an isolated hill 
 with a concave summit, in the plain, about two miles from tiie 
 river, and turned off towards it, while the camp proceeded on 
 its way southward in search of the lake. I found the thin and 
 stony soil of the plain entirely underlaid by the basalt which 
 forms the river walls ; and when I reached the neighborhood 
 of the hill, the surface of the plain was rent into frequent fis- 
 sures and chasms of the same scoriated volcanic rock, from 40 
 to 60 feet deep, but which there was not sufficient light to pen- 
 etrate entirely, and which I had not time to descend. Arrived 
 at the summit of the hill, I found that it terminated in a very 
 perfect crater, of an oval, or nearly circular form, 360 paces 
 in circumference, and 60 feet at the greatest depth. The 
 walls, which were perfectly vertical, and disposed like mason- 
 ry in a very regular manner, were composed of a brown-color- 
 ed scoriaceous lava, similar to the light scoriaceous lava of Mt. 
 Etna, Vesuvius, and other volcanoes. The faces of the walls 
 were reddened and gla/.ed by the fire, in which they had been 
 melted, and which had left them contorted and twisted by its 
 violent action. 
 
 Our route during the afternoon was a little rough, being {in 
 
180 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aug. 
 
 the direction we had taken) over a volcanic plain, where our 
 progress was sometimes obstructed by fissures, and black beds, 
 composed of fragments of the rock. On both sides, the moun- 
 tains appeared very broken, but tolerably well timbered. 
 
 Crossing a point of ridge which makes in to the river, 
 we fell upon it again before sunset, and encamped on the right 
 bank, opposite to the encampment of three lodges of Snake In- 
 dians. They visited us during the evening, and we obtained 
 from them a small quantity of roots of ditferent kinds, in ex- 
 change for goods. Among them was a sweet root of very 
 pleasant flavor, having somewhat the taste of preserved quince. 
 My endeavors to become acquainted with the plants which fur- 
 nish to the Indians a portion of their support, were only grad- 
 ually successful, and after long and persevering attention ; 
 and even after obtaining, I did not succeed in preserving them 
 until they could be satisfactorily determined. In this portion 
 of the journey, I foundvthis particular root cut up into small 
 pieces, that it was only to be lentified by its taste, when the 
 bulb was met with in perfect form among the Indians lower 
 down on the Columbia, among whom it is the highly celebrated 
 kanias. It was long afterwards, on our return through Upper 
 California, tliat I found the plant itself in bloom, which I sup- 
 posed to furnish the kamas root, (camassia esculenta.) Tht^ 
 root diet had a rather mournful elFect at the commencement, 
 and one of the calves was killed this evening for food. The 
 animals fared well on ruslies. 
 
 .-ilih. — The morning was cloudy, with appearance of rain, 
 and the thermometer at sunrise at 29°. Making un unusually 
 early start, we crossed the river at a good ford ; and, follow- 
 ing for about three hours a trail which led along the bottom, 
 we entered a labyrinth of hills below the main ridge, and halt- 
 ed to noon in the ravine of a pretty little stream, timbered 
 with Cottonwood of a large size, ash-leavcd maple, with cherry 
 and other shrubby trees. The hazy weather, which had pre- 
 vented any very extended views sinoe entering the Green 
 River valley, began now to disappear. There was a slight 
 rain in the earlier part of the day, and at noon, when the 
 Ithermometer had rlocn io 79*5°, we had a bright sun, with blue 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 181 
 
 sky and scattered cumuli. According to the barometer, oui 
 halt here among the hills was at an elevation of 5,320 feet. 
 Crossing a dividing ridge in the afternoon, we followed down 
 another little Bear River tributary, to the point where it emerged 
 on an open green flat among the hills, timbered with groves, 
 and bordered with cane thickets, but without water. A pretty 
 little rivulet coming out of the hillside, and overhung by tall 
 flowering plants of a species I had not hitherto seen, furnish- 
 ed us with a good camping-place. The evening was cloudy, 
 the temperature at sunset 69°, and the elevation 5,140 feet. 
 Among the plants occurring along the road during the day, 
 epinettes des prairies (grindelia squarraso) was in considerable 
 abundance, and is among the very few plants remaining in 
 bloom — the whole country having now an autumnal appear, 
 ance, in the crisp and yellow plants, and dried-up grasses 
 Many cranes were seen during the day, with a few antelope^ 
 very shy and wild. 
 
 28th. — During the night we had a thunder-storm, with 
 moderate rain, which has made the air this morning very clear, 
 the thermometer being at 55°. Leaving our encampment at 
 the Cane spring, and quitting the trail on which we had been 
 traveling, and which would probably have afforded us a good 
 road to the lake, we crossed some very deep ravines, and, in 
 about an hour's traveling, again reached the river. We were 
 now in a valley five or six miles wide, between mountain 
 ranges, which, about thirty miles below, appeared to close up and 
 terminate the valley, leaving for the river only a very narrow 
 puss, or canon, behind which we imagined we would find the 
 broad waters of the lake. We made the usual halt at the 
 mouth of a small clear stream, having a slightly mineral taste, 
 (perhaps of salt,) 4,760 feet above the gulf. In the afternoon 
 we climbed a very steep sandy hill ; and after a slow and 
 winding day's march of 27 miles, encamped at a slough on the 
 river. There were great quantities of geese and ducks, of 
 which only a few were shot ; the Indians having probably 
 made them very wild. The men employed themselves in fish- 
 ing, but caught nothing. A skunk, {mephitis Americana,) 
 which was killed in the afternoon, made a supper for one of 
 
182 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aug. 
 
 the messes. The river is bordered occasionally with fields of 
 cane, which we regarded as an indication of our approach to 
 a lake-country. We had frequent showers of rain during the 
 night, with thunder. 
 
 29th. — The thermometer at sunrise was 54°, with air from 
 the NW., and dark rainy clouds moving on the horizon ; rain 
 squalls and bright sunshine by intervals. I rode ahead with 
 Basil to explore the country, and, continuing about three miles 
 along the river, turned directly off on a trail running towards 
 three marked gaps in the bordering range, where the moun- 
 tains appeared cut through their bases, towards which the river 
 plain rose gradually. Putting our horses into a gallop on 
 some fresh tracks which showed very plainly in the wet 
 path, we came suddenly upon a small party of Shoshonee In- 
 dians, who had fallen into the trail from the north. We could 
 only communicate by signs ; but they made us understand 
 that the road through the chain was a very excellent one, 
 leading into a broad valley which ran to the southward. We 
 halted to noon at what may be called the gate of the pass ; on 
 either side of which were huge mountains of rock, between 
 which stole a little pure water stream, with a margin just suf- 
 ficiently large for our passage. From the river, the plain had 
 gradually risen to an altitude of 5,500 feet, and, by meridian 
 observation, the latitude of the entrance was 42°. 
 
 In the interval of our usual halt, several of us wandered 
 along up the stream to examine the pass more at leisure. 
 Within the gate, the rocks receded a little back, leaving a very 
 narrow, but most beautiful valley, through which the little 
 stream wound its way, hidden by the different kinds of trees 
 and shrubs — aspen, maple, willow, cherry, and elder; a fine 
 verdure of smooth short grass spread over the remaining space 
 to the bare sides of the rocky walls. These were of a blue 
 limestone, which constitutes the mountain here ; and opening 
 directly on the grassy bottom were several curious caves, 
 which appeared to be inhabited by root-diggers. On one side 
 was gathered a heap of leaves for a bed, and they were dry, 
 open, and pleasant. On the roofs of the caves I remarked 
 l)ituminous exudations from the rock. 
 
1843.] OAPT. Fremont's narratitb. 183 
 
 The trail was an excellent one for pack-horses; but as it 
 sometimes crossed a shelving point, to avoid the shrubbery we 
 were obliged in several places to open a road for the carriage 
 through the wood. A scjuaw on horseback, accompanied by 
 five or six dogs, entered the pass in the afternoon; but was 
 too much terrified at finding herself in such unexpected com- 
 pany to make any pause for conversation, and hurried off at a 
 good pace — being, of course, no further disturbed than by an 
 accelerating shout. She was well and showily dressed, and 
 was probably going to a village encamped somewhere near, 
 and evidently did not belong to the tribe of root-dUfgers. We 
 now had entered a country inhabited by these people ; and as 
 in the course of the voyage we shall frequently meet with thera 
 in various stages of existence, it will be well to inform you 
 that, scattered over the rijreat region west of the Rocky moun^ 
 tains, and south of the Great Snake river, are numerous In- 
 dians whose subsistence is almost solely derived from roots and 
 seeds, and such small animals as chance and great good for- 
 tune sometimes bring within their reach. They are miserably 
 poor, armed only with bows and arrows, or clubs; and, as the 
 country they inhabit is almost destitute of game, they have no 
 means of obtaining better arms. In the northern part of the 
 region just mentioned, they live generally in solitary families; 
 and farther to the south they are gathered together in villages. 
 Those who live together in villages, strengthened by associa- 
 tion, are in exclusive possession of the more genial and richer 
 parts of the country ; while the others are driven to the ruder 
 mountains, and to the more inhospitable parts of the country. 
 But by simply observing, in accompanying us along our road, 
 you will become better acquainted with these people than we 
 could make you in any other than a very long description, and 
 you will find them worthy of your interest. 
 
 Roots, seeds, and grass, every vegetable that aflTords any 
 nourishment, and every living animal thing, insect or worm, 
 they eat. Nearly approaching to the lower animal creation, 
 their sole employment is to obtain food ; and they are con- 
 stantly occupied in struggling to support existence. 
 
 The most remarkable feature of the pass is the Standing 
 
184 CAPT. Fremont's nareativb. [Auo. 
 
 rocky wnich has fallen from the clifls above, and standing per- 
 pendicularly near the middle of the valley, presents itself 
 like a watch-tower in the pass. It will give you a tolerably 
 correct idea of the character of the scenery in thia country, 
 where generally the mountains rise abruptly up from com- 
 paratively unbroken plains and level valleys ; but it will en- 
 tirely fail in representing the picturesque beauty of this de- 
 lightful place, where a green valley, full of foliage and a hun- 
 dred yards wide, contrasts with naked crags that spire up into 
 a blue line of pinnacles 3,000 feet above, sometimes crested 
 with cedar and pine, and sometimes ragged and bare. 
 
 The detention that we met with in opening the road, and 
 perhaps a willingness to linger on the way, made the after- 
 noon's travel short ; and about two miles irom the entrance, 
 we passed through another gate, and encamped on the stream 
 at the junction of a little fork from the southward, around 
 which the mountains stooped more gently down, forming a 
 small open cove. 
 
 As it was slill early in the afternoon, Basil and myself in 
 one direction, and Mr. Preuss in another, set out to explore 
 the country, and ascended different neighboring peaks, in 
 the hope of seeing some indications of the lair r but though 
 our elevation afforded magnificent views, the eye ranging over 
 a large extent of Bear river, with the broad and fertile Cache 
 valley in the direction of our search, was only to be seen a bed 
 of apparently impracticable mountains. Among these, the trail 
 we had been following turned sharply to the northward, and it 
 began to be doubtful if it would not lead us away from the ob- 
 ject of our destination ; but I nevertheless determined to keep 
 it, in the belief that it would eventually bring us right. A 
 squall of rain drove us out of the mountain, and it was late 
 when we reached the camp. The evening closed in with fre- 
 quent showers of rain, with some lightning and thunder. 
 
 30th. — We had constant thunder-storms during the night, 
 but in the morning the clouds were sinking to the horizon, and 
 the air was clear and cold, with the thermometer at sunrise at 
 39°. Elevation by barometer 5,580 feet. We were in mo- 
 tion early, continuing up the little stream without encountering 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 185 
 
 any ascent where a horse would not easily gallop ; and, cross- 
 ing a slight dividing ground at the summit, descended upon 
 a small stream, along which continued the same excellent 
 road. In riding through the pass, numerous cranes were seen ; 
 and prairie hens, or grouse, {bonasia umbellus,) which lately 
 had been rare, were very abundant. 
 
 This little affluent brought us to a larger stream, down 
 which we traveled through a more open bottom, on a level 
 road, where heavily-laden wagons could pass without obstacle. 
 The hills on the right grew lower, and, on entering a more 
 open country, we discovered a Shoshonee village ; and being 
 -esirous to obtain information, and purchase from them some 
 roots and berries, we halted on the river, which was lightly 
 wooded with cherry, willow, maple, service-berry, and aspen. 
 A meridian observation of the sun, which I obtained here, gave 
 42° 14^ 22^^ for our latitude, and the barometer indicated a 
 height of 5,170 feet. A number of Indians came immediately 
 over to visit us, and several men were sent to the village with 
 goods, tobacco, knives, cloth, vermilion, and the usual trinkets, 
 to exchange for provisions. But they had no game of any 
 kind ; and it was difficult to obtain any roots from them, as 
 wiey were miserably poor, and had but little to spare from 
 their winter stock of provisions. Several of the Indians drew 
 aside their blankets, showing me their lean and bony figures ; 
 and I would not any longer tempt them with a display of our 
 merchandise to part with their wretched subsistence, vvhen they 
 gave as a reason that it would expose them to temporary starv- 
 ation. A great portion of the region inhabited by this nation, 
 formerly abounded in game — the buffalo ranging about in 
 herds, as we had found them on the eastern waters, and the 
 plains dotted with scattered bands of antelope ; but so rapidly 
 have they disappeared within a few years, that now, as we 
 journeyed along, an occasional buffalo skull and a few wild 
 antelope were all that remained of the abundance which had 
 covered the country with animal life. 
 
 The extraordinary rapidity with which the buffalo is disap- 
 pearing from our territories will not appear surprising when 
 we remember the great scale on which tneir destruction ia 
 
186 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. f Aug. 
 
 yearly carried on. With inconsiderable exceptions, the busi. 
 ness of the American trading-posts is carried on in their skins; 
 every year the Indian villages make new lodges, for which the 
 skin of the buffalo furnishes the material ; and in that portion 
 of the country wliere they are still found, the Indians derive 
 their entire support from them, and slaughter them with a 
 thoughtless and abominable extravagance. Like the Indians 
 themselves, they have been a characteristic of the Great West ; 
 and as, like them, they are visibly diminishing, it will be in- 
 teresting to throw a glance backward through the last twenty 
 years, and give some account of their former distribution 
 through the country, and the limit of their western range. 
 
 The information is derived principally from Mr. Fitzpatrick, 
 supported by my own personal knowledge and acquaintance 
 with the country. Our knowledge does not go farther back 
 than the spring of 1824, at wiiich time the buffalo were spread 
 in immense numbers over the Green River and Bear River 
 valleys, and through all the country lying between the Colora- 
 do, or Green river of the Gulf of California, and Lewis's fork 
 of the Columbia river ; the meridian of Fort Hall then form- 
 ing the western limit of their range. The buffalo then re- 
 mained for many years in that country, and frequently moved 
 down the valley of the Columbia, on both sides of the river as 
 far as the Fishing falls. Below this point they never descend- 
 ed in any numbers. About the year 1834 or 1835 they began 
 to diminish very ripidly, and continued to decrease until 1838 
 or 1840, when, vvith the country we have just described, they 
 entirely abandoned all the waters of the Pacific north of Lew. 
 is's fork of the Columbia. At that time, the Flathead Indians 
 were in the habit of finding their buftalo on the heads of Salm- 
 on river, and other streams of the Columbia ; but now they 
 never meet with them farther west than the three forks of the 
 Missouri, or the plains of the Yellow-stone river. 
 
 In the course of our journey it will be remarked that the 
 buffalo have not so entirely abandoned the waters of the Pacif- 
 ic, in the Rocky-Mountain region south of the Sweet Water, as 
 in the country north of the Great Pass. This partial distribu- 
 tion can only be accounted for in the great pastoral beauty of 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 187 
 
 that country, which bears marks of having been one of their 
 favorite haunts, and by the fact that the white hunters have 
 more frequented the northern than the southern region — it be- 
 ing north of the South Pass that the hunters, trappers, and tra- 
 ders, have had their rendezvous lor many years past ; and 
 from that section also the greater portion of the beaver and rich 
 furs were taken, although always the most dangerous as well as 
 the most profitable hunting-ground. 
 
 In that region lying between the Green or Colorado rivef 
 and the head-waters of the Rio del Norte, over the Yampah, 
 Kooyah, White, and Grand rivers — all of which are the waters 
 of the Colorado— the buffalo never extended so far to the west- 
 ward as they did on the waters of the Columbia ; and only in 
 one or two instances have they been known to descend as far 
 west as the mouth of White river. In traveling through the 
 country west of the Rocky mountains, observation readily led 
 me to the impression that the buffalo had, for the first time, 
 crossed that range to the waters of the Pacific only a few years 
 prior to the period we are considering ; and in this opinion I 
 am sustained by Mr. Fitzpatrick, and the older trappers in that 
 country. In the region west of the Rocky mountains, we never 
 meet with any of the ancient vestiges which, throughout all the 
 country lying upon their eastern waters, are found in the great 
 highways, continuous for hundreds of miles, always several 
 inches, and sometimes several feet in depth, which the bufTalo 
 have made in crossing from one river to another, or in traver- 
 sing the mountain ranges. The Snake Indians, more particu- 
 larly those low down upon Lewis's fork, have always been 
 very grateful to the American trappers, for the great kindness 
 (as they frequently expressed it) which they did to them, in 
 driving the buffalo so low down the Columbia river. 
 
 The extraordinary abundance of the buffalo on the east side 
 of the Rocky mountains, and their extraordinary diminution, 
 will be made clearly evident from the following statement : 
 At any time between the years 1824 and 1836, a traveler 
 might start from any given point south or north in the Rocky 
 Mountain range, journeying by the most direct route to the 
 Missouri river j and, during the whole distance, his road would 
 
188 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Auo. 
 
 always be among large bands of buffalo, which would never 
 1)6 out of his view until he arrived almost within sight of the 
 abodes of civilization. 
 
 At this time, the buffalo occupy but a very limited space, 
 principally along the eastern base of the Rocky mountains, 
 someUines extending at their southern extremity to a conside- 
 rable distance into the plains between the Platte and Arkansas 
 rivers, and along the eastern frontier of New Mexico as far 
 south as Texas. 
 
 The following statement, which I owe to the kindness of Mr. 
 Sanford, a partner in the American Fur Company, will fur 
 ther illustrate this subject, by extensive knowledge acquired 
 during several years of travel through the region inhabited by 
 the buffalo : 
 
 " The total amount of robes annually traded by ourselves 
 and others will not be found to differ much from the following 
 Htatement : 
 
 Robes. 
 American Fur Company ..... 70,000 
 
 Hudson's Bay Company ..... 10,000 
 
 All other companies, probably .... 10,000 
 
 Making a total of .... 90,000 
 as an average annual return for the last eight or ten years. 
 
 " In the northwest, the Hudson's Bay Company purchase 
 from the Indians but a very small number— their only market 
 being Canada, to which the cost of transportation nearly equals 
 the produce of the furs ; and it is only within a very recent 
 period that they have received buffalo robes 'n trade ; and out 
 of the great number of buffalo annually killed throughout the 
 extensive region inhabited by the Camanches and other kindred 
 tribes, no robes whatever are furnished for trade. During 
 only four months of the year, (from November until March,) 
 the skins are good for dressing ; those obtained in the remain, 
 ing eight months are valueless to traders ; and the hides of 
 bulls are never taken off or dressed as robes at any season. 
 Probably not more than one-third of the skins are taken from 
 the animals killed, even when they are in good season, the 
 abor of preparing and dressing the robes being very great ; 
 
I84a.] CAPT. fremont'5 narrative. 189 
 
 and it is seldom that a lodge trades more than twenty skins 
 in a year. It is during the summer months, and in the early 
 part of autumn, that the greatest number of buffalo are killed, 
 and yet at this time a skin is never taken for the purpose of 
 trade." 
 
 From these data, which are certainly limited, and decidedly 
 within bounds, the reader is left to draw his own inference of 
 ihe immense number annually killed. 
 
 In 1842, I found the Sioux Indians of the Upper Platte 
 demontes, as their French traders expressed it, with the failure 
 of the buffalo ; and in the following year, large villages from 
 the Upper Missouri came over to the mountains at the heads 
 of the Platte, in search of them. The rapidly progressive 
 failure of their principal, and almost their only means of sub- 
 sistence, has created great alarm among them ; and at this 
 time there are only two modes presented to them, by which 
 they see a good prospect for escaping starvation : one of these 
 is to rob the settlements along the frontier of the States ; and 
 the other is to form a league between the various tribes of the 
 Sioux nation, the Cheyennes, and Arapahoes, and make war 
 against the Crow nation, in order to take from them their 
 country, which is now the best buffalo country in the west. 
 This plan they now have in consideration ; and it would proba- 
 bly be a war of extermination, as the Crows have long been 
 advised of this state of affairs, and say that they are perfectly 
 prepared. These are the best warriors in the Rocky moun- 
 tains, and are now allied with the Snake Indians ; and it is 
 probable that their combination would extend itself to the 
 Utahs, who have long been engaged in war against the Sioux. 
 It is in this section of country that my observation formerly led 
 me to recommend the establishment of a military post. 
 
 The farther course of our narrative will give fuller and more 
 derailed information of the present disposition of the buffalo in 
 the country we visited. 
 
 Among the roots we obtained here, I could distinguish only 
 five or six different kinds ; and the supply of the Indians whom 
 we met consisted principally of yampah, {anethum graveolensy) 
 tobacco-root, {Valeriana,) and a large root of a species of 
 
190 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Atro, 
 
 thistle, (circium Virginianum,) which now is occasionally abun> 
 dant, and is a very agreeably flavored vegetable. 
 
 We had been detained so long at the village, that in the af- 
 ternoon we made only five miles, and encamped on the same 
 river after a day's journey of 19 miles. The Indians inform- 
 ed us that we should reach the big salt water after having 
 slept twice and traveling in a south direction. The stream 
 had here entered nearly a level plain or valley, of good soil, 
 eight or ten miles broad, to which no termination was to be 
 seen, and lying between ranges of mountains which, on the 
 right, were grassy and smooth, unbroken by rock, and lower 
 than on the left, where they were rocky and bald, increasing 
 in height to the southward. On the creek were fringes of 
 young willows, older trees being rarely found on the plains, 
 where the Indians burn the surface to produce better grass. 
 Several magpies {pica Hudsopica) were seen on the creek this 
 afternoon ; and a raUlesnake was killed here, the first which 
 had been seen since leaving the eastern plains. Our camp to- 
 night had such a hungry appearance that I suffered the little 
 cow to be killed, and divided the roots and berries among the 
 people. A number of Indians from the village encamped 
 near. 
 
 The weather the next mornmg was clear, the thermometer 
 at sunrise at 44-5^ ; and, continuing down the valley, in about 
 five miles we followed the little creek of our encampment to 
 its junction with a larger stream, called Roseaux, or Reed river. 
 Immediately opposite, on the right, the range was gathered into 
 its highest peak, sloping gradually low, and running off" to a 
 point apparently some forty or fifty miles below. Between this 
 (now become the valley stream) and the foot of the mountains, 
 we journeyed along a handsome sloping level, which frequent 
 springs from the hills made occasionally miry, and halted to 
 noon at a swampy spring, where there were good grass and 
 abundant rushes. Here the river was forty feet wide, with a 
 considerable current, and the valley a mile and a half in 
 breadth ; the soil being generally good, of a dark fcolor, and 
 apparently well adapted to cultivation. The day had become 
 Dright and pleasant, with the thermometer at T'lo. By obser- 
 
'843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 191 
 
 (Nation, our latitude was 41° 59' 31^', and the elevation above 
 *fte sea 4,670 feet. On our left, this afternoon, the range at 
 ong intervals formed itself into peaks, appearing to terminate, 
 ubout forty miles below, in a rocky cape, beyond which sev- 
 •lal others wore faintly visible ; and we were disappointed 
 •> hen, at every little rise, we did not see the lake. Towards 
 vening, our way was somewhat obstructed by fields of arte- 
 uisia, which began to make their appearance here, and we 
 jncaniped on the Roseaux, the water of which had acquired a 
 fcccidedly salt taste, nea'.ly opposite to a canon gap in the 
 y-nountanis, through whicn the Bear river enters this valley. 
 ;Vs we encamped, the r.ight set in dark and cold, with heavy 
 .•ain, and the artemijia, which was our only wood, was so 
 set that It would nol burn. A poor, nearly starved dog, with 
 u wound ni his side from a ball, came to the camp, and re- 
 mained witK -is until the winter, when he met a very unex- 
 \ ected fate. 
 
 SEPTEMBER. 
 
 \A. — Tht .Horning was squally and cold; the sky scatter- 
 ed over with clouds ; and the night had been so uncomfortable, 
 that we weiv not on the roa'd until eight o'clock. Traveling 
 between Rosv^aux and Bear rivers, we continued to descend the 
 valley, which gradually expanded, as we advanced, into a level 
 plain, of good soil, about 25 miles in breadth, between moun- 
 tains 3,000 and 4,000 feet high, rising suddenly to the cloflds, 
 which all day rested upon the peaks. These gleamed out in 
 the occasional sunlight, mantled with the snow which had fallen 
 upon them, while it rained on us in the valley below, of which 
 the elevation here was 4,500 feet above the sea. The coun- 
 try before us plainly indicated that we were approaching the 
 lake, though, as the ground we were traveling atforded no ele- 
 vated point, nothing of it as yet could be seen ; and at a 
 great distance ahead were several isolated mountains resem- 
 bling islands, which they were afterwards found to be. On this 
 upper plain the grass was everywhere dead ; and among the 
 
192 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Sept 
 
 shrubs with which it was ahnost eT«;lusively occupied, (arte- 
 misia being tlie most abundant,) frequently occurred handsome 
 clusters of several species of dieierm in bloonn. Purshia iri- 
 dentata was among the frequent shrubs. Descending to the 
 bottoms of Bear river, we found good grass for the animals, 
 and encamped about 300 yards above the mouth of Ro^eaux, 
 which here makes its junction, without communicatiujv any of 
 its salty taste to the main stream, of which the water remain* 
 perfectly pure. On the river are only willow thickets,, {saliv 
 hngifolia,) and in the bottoms the abundant plants a.ro canes, 
 soldiago, and helianthi, and along the banks of Roseaux are 
 ■fields of malva rotundifolia. At sunset the thermometer wa.«» 
 at 54*5°, and the evening clear and calm ; but I deferref* 
 making any use of it until one o'clock in the morning, when ] 
 endeavored to obtain an emersion of the first satellite ; but ii 
 was lost in a bank of clouds, which also rendered our usual 
 observations indifferent. 
 
 Among the useful things which formed a portion of oui 
 equipage, was an India-rubber boat, 18 feet long, made some- 
 what in the form of a bark canoe of the northern lakes. The 
 sides were formed by two air-tight cylinders, eighteen inches 
 in diameter, connected with others forming the bow and stern 
 To lessen the danger from accidents to the boat, these were 
 divided into four different compartments, and the interior space 
 was sufficiently large to contain five or six persons, and a con 
 siderable weight of baggage. The Roseaux being too deep te 
 be forded, our boat was filled with air, and in about one houi 
 alVthe equipage of the camp, carriage and gun included, fer- 
 ried across. Thinking that perhaps in the course of the day 
 we might reach the outlet of the lake, I got into the boat with 
 Basil Lajeunesse, and paddled down Bear river, intending at 
 night to rejoin the party, which in the mean time proceeded 
 on its way. The river was from sixty to one hundred yards 
 broad, and the water so deep, that even on the comparatively 
 shallow points we could not reach the bottom with 15 feet. 
 On either side were alternately low bottoms and willow points, 
 with an occasional high prairie ; and for five or six hours we 
 followed slowly the winding course of the river, which crept 
 
1843.J CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 198 
 
 along with a sluggish current among frequent detours several 
 miles around, sometimes running for a considerable distance 
 directly up the valley. As we were stealing quietly down the 
 stream, trying in vain to get a shot at a strange large bird that 
 was numerous among the willows, but very shy, we came un- 
 expectedly upon several families of Root-Diggers, who were 
 encamped among the rushes on the shore, and appeared very 
 busy about several weirs or nets which had been rudely made 
 of canes and rushes for the purpose of catching fish. They 
 were very much startled at our appearance, but we soon es- 
 tablished an acquaintance ; and finding that they had some 
 roots, I promised to send some men with goods to trade with 
 them. They had the usual very large heads, remarkable 
 among the Digger tribe, with matted hair, and were almost 
 entirely naked : looking very poor and miserable, as if their 
 lives had been spent in the rushes where they were, beyond 
 which they seemed to have very little knowledge of any thing. 
 From the words we could comprehend, their language was 
 that of the Snake Indians. 
 
 Our boat moved so heavily, that we had made very little 
 progress ; and, finding that it would be impossible to overtake 
 the camp, as soon as we were sufficiently far below the Indians, 
 we put to the shore near a high prairie bank, hauled up the 
 boat, and cached our effects in the willows. Ascending the 
 bank, we found that our desultory labor had brought us only a 
 few miles in a direct line ;' and, going out info the prairie, after 
 a search we found the trail of the camp, which was nowhere in 
 sight, but had followed the general course of the river in a large 
 circular sweep which it makes at this place. The sun was 
 about three hours high when we found the trail ; and as our 
 people had passed early in the day, we had the prospect of a 
 vigorous walk before us. Immediately where we landed, the 
 high arable plain on which we had been traveling, for several 
 days past, terminated in extensive low flats, very generally 
 occupied by salt marshes, or beds of shallow lakes, whence the 
 water had in most places evaporated, leaving their hard surface 
 incrusted with a shining white residuum, and absolutely cov- 
 ered with very small univalve shells. As we advanced, the 
 9 
 
104 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Sept. 
 
 whole country around us assumed this appearance; ana there 
 was no other vegetation than the shrubby chenopodiaceous and 
 other apparently saline plants, which were confined to the 
 rising grounds. Here and there, on the river bank, which 
 was raised like a levee above the flats through which it ran, 
 was a narrow border of grass and short black-barnt willows ; 
 the stream being very deep and sluggish, and sometimes six 
 hundred to eight hundred feet wide. After a rapid walk of about 
 fifteen miles, we caught sight of the camp-fires among clumps 
 of willows, just as the sun had sunk behind the mountains on 
 the west side of the valley, filling the clear sky with a golden 
 yellow. These last rays, to us so precious, could not have 
 revealed a more welcome sight. To the traveler and the 
 hunter, a camp-fire in the lonely wilderness is always cheer- 
 ing ; and to ourselves, in our present situation, after a hard 
 march in a region of novelty, approaching the debouches of a 
 river, in a lake of almost fabulous reputation, it was doubly so. 
 A plentiful supper of aquatic birds, and the interest of the scene, 
 soon dissipated fatigue ; and I obtained during the night emer- 
 sions of the second, third, and fourth satellites of Jupiter, with 
 observations for time and latitude. 
 
 3d. — The morning was clear, with a light air from the north, 
 and the thermometer at sunrise at 45-5°. At three in the 
 morning, Basil was sent back with several men and horses for 
 the boat, which, in a direct course across the flats, was not ten 
 miles distant ; and in th>3 mean time there was a pretty spot of 
 grass here for the animals. The ground was so low that we 
 could not get high enough to see across the river, on account 
 of the willows ; but we were evidently in the vicinity of the 
 lake, and the water-fowl made this morning a noise like thun- 
 der. A pelican {pelecanus onocrotalus) was killed as he passed 
 by, and many geese and ducks flew over the camp. On the 
 dry salt marsh here is scarce any other plant than salicornia 
 herbacea. 
 
 In the afternoon the m?n returned with the boat, bringing 
 with them a small quantity of roots and some meat, which the 
 Indians had told them was bear-meat. 
 
 Descending the river for about three miles, in the afternoon. 
 
1S43.J CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVB. 105 
 
 we found a bar to any further traveling in that direction — ^the 
 stream being spread out in several branches, and covering the 
 low grounds with water, where the miry nature of the bottom 
 did not permit any further advance. We were evidently on 
 the border of the lake, although the rushes and canes which 
 covered the marshes prevented any view ; and we accordingly 
 encamped at the little delta which forms the mouth of Bear 
 river — a long arm of the lake stretching up to the north, be- 
 tween us and the opposite mountains. The river was bordered 
 M ith a fringe of willows and canes, among which were inter- 
 spersed a few plants ; and scattered about on the marsh was a 
 species of uniola, closely allied to U. spicata of our sea-coast. 
 The whole morass was animated with multitudes of water-fowl, 
 which appeared to be very wild — rising for the spac of a mile 
 round about at the sound of a gun, with a noise like distant 
 thunder. Several of the people waded out into the marshes, 
 and we had to-night a delicious supper of ducks, geese, and 
 plover. 
 
 Although thfi moon was bright, the night was otherwise 
 favorable ; and I obtained this evening an emersion of the first 
 satellite, with the usual observations. A mean result, depend, 
 ing on various observations made during our stay in the neigh- 
 borhood, places the mouth of the river in longitude 112° 19' 30^' 
 west from Greenwich ; latitude 41° 30' 22'' ; and, according 
 to the barometer, in elevation 4,200 feet above the Gulf of 
 Mexico. The night was clear, with considerable dew, which 
 1 had remarked every night since the first of September. The 
 next morning, while we were preparing to start, Carson rode 
 into the camp with flour and a few other articles of light pro- 
 vision, sufficient for two or three days — a scanty but very ac- 
 ceptable supply. Mr. Fitzpatrick had not yet arrived, and 
 provisions were very scarce, and difficult to be had at Fort 
 Hall, whir' had been entirely exhausted by the necessities of 
 the emigra. He brought me also a letter from Mr. Dwight, 
 
 who, in company with several emigrants, had reached that 
 place in advance of Mr. Fitzpatrick, and was about continuing 
 Ills journey to Vancouver. 
 
 Returning aVout five miles up the river, we were occupied 
 
196 CAPT. ikkmont's narrative. [Sept, 
 
 until nearly sunset in crossing to the left bank — the stream, 
 which in the last five or six miles of its course is very much 
 narrower than above, being very deep immediately at the 
 banks j and we had great difficulty in getting our animals 
 over. The people with the baggage were easily crossed in 
 the boat, and we encamped on the left bank where we crossed 
 the river. At sunset the thermometer was at 75°, and there 
 was some rain during the night, with a thunder-storm at a dis> 
 lance. 
 
 5th. — Before us was evidently the bed of the lake, being a 
 great salt marsh, perfectly level and bare, whitened in places 
 by saline efflorescences, with here and there a pool of water, 
 and having the appearance of a very level seashore at low tide. 
 Immediately along the river was a very narrow strip of vege- 
 tation, consisting of willows, helianthi, roses, flowering vines, 
 and grass ; bordered on the verge of the great marsh by a 
 fringe of singular plants, which appear to be a shrubby sali- 
 cornia, or a genus allied to it. 
 
 About 12 miles to the southward was one of those isolated 
 mountains, now appearing to be a kind of peninsula ; and to- 
 wards this we accordingly directed our course, as it probably 
 afforded a good view of the lake ', but the deepening mud as 
 we advanced forced us to return towards the river, and gain 
 the higher ground at the foot of the eastern mountains. Here 
 we halted for a few minutes at noon, on a beautiful little 
 stream of pure and remarkably clear water, with a bed of rock 
 in situ, on which was an abundant water-plant with a white 
 blossom. There was good grass in the bottoms ; and, amidst 
 a rather luxuriant growth, its banks were bordered with a 
 large showy plant, (eupatorium purpureum,) which I here saw 
 for the first time. We named the stream Clear creek. 
 
 We continued our way along the mountain, having found 
 here a broad plainly-beaten trail, over what was apparently 
 the shore of the lake in the spring ; the ground being high and 
 firm, ana the soil excellent, and covered with vegetation, 
 among which a leguminous plant {glycyrrhiza lepidota) was a 
 characteristic plant. The ridge here rises abruptly to the 
 height of about 4,000 feet, its face being very prominently 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 197 
 
 marked with a massive stratum of rose-colored granular quartz, 
 which is evidently an altered sedimentary rock, the lines of 
 deposition being very distinct. It is rocky and steep — divided 
 into several mountains — and the rain in the valley appears to 
 be always snow on their summits at this season. Near a re- 
 markably rocky point of the mountain, at a large spring of 
 pure water, were several hackberry-trees, (celtis,) probably a 
 new species, the berries still green ; and a short distance far- 
 ther, thickets of sumach, (rhus.) 
 
 On the plain here I noticed blackbirds and grouse. In about 
 seven miles from Clear creek, the trail brought us to a place 
 at the foot of the mountain where there issued, with considera- 
 ble force, 10 or 12 hot springs, highly impregnated with salt. 
 [n one of these the thermometer stood at 136°, and in another 
 at 132'5°, and the water, which was spread in pools over the 
 low ground, was colored rtd. 
 
 An analysis of the red earthy matter deposited in the bed of 
 the stream from the springs, gives the following result : 
 
 Peroxide of iron 3350 
 
 Carbonate of magnesia ------ 2-40. 
 
 Carbonate of lime -....-- 50*43 
 
 Sulpiiate of lime ....... 200 
 
 Chloride of sodium -•-.-.- 3*45 
 
 Silica and alumina -.-.... 3*00 
 
 Water and loss 522 
 
 10000° 
 
 At this place the trail we had been following turned to the 
 left, apparently with a view of entering a gorge in the moun 
 tain, from which issued the principal fork of a large and com 
 paratively well-timbered stream, called Weber's fork. We 
 accordingly turned off towards the lake, and encamped on this 
 river, which we 5 100 to 150 feet wide, with high banks, and 
 very clear pure water, without the slightest indication of 
 salt. 
 
 6th. — Leaving the encampment early, we again directed our 
 course for the peninsular butte across a low shrubby plain, 
 crossing in the way a slough-like creek with miry banks, and 
 wooded with thickets of thorn, {cratcegus,) which were loarled 
 
198 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Sepi 
 
 with berries. This time we reached the butte without any 
 difficulty, and, ascending to the summit, immediately at our 
 feet beheld the object of our anxious search — the waters of the 
 Inland Sea, stretching in still and solitary grandeur far beyond 
 the limit of our vision. It was one of the great points of the 
 exploration ; and as we looked eagerly over the lake in the first 
 emotions of excited pleasure, I am doubtful if the followers of 
 Balboa felt more enthusiasm when, from the heights of the 
 Andes, they saw for the first time the great Western ocean. 
 It was certainly a magnificent object, and a noble terminus to 
 this part of our expedition ; and to travelers so long shut up 
 among mountain ranges, a sudden view over the expanse of 
 silent waters had in it something sublime. Several large isl- 
 ands raised their high rocky heads out of the waves ; but 
 whether or not they were timbered, was still left to our imagi- 
 nation, as the distance was too great to determine if the dark 
 hues upon them were woodland or naked rock. During the 
 day the clouds had been gathering black over the mountains to 
 the westward, and, while we were looking, a storm burst down 
 with sudden fury upon the lake, and entirely hid the inlands 
 from our view. So far as we could see, along the shores there 
 was not a solitary tree, and but little appearance of grass ; and 
 on Weber's fork, a few miles below our last encampment, the 
 timber was gathered into groves, and then disappeared entire- 
 ly. As this appeared to be the nearest point to the lake, where 
 a suitable camp could be found, we directed our course to one 
 of the groves, where we found a handsome encampment, with 
 good grass and an abundance of rushes, {equisetum hyemale.) 
 At sunset the thermometer was at 55° ; the evening clear and 
 calm, with some cumuli. 
 
 7th. — The morning was calm and clear, with a temperature 
 at sunrise of 39*5°. The day was spent in active preparation 
 ^or our intended voyage on the lake. On the edge of the stream 
 a favorable spot was selected in a grove, and, felling the tim- 
 ber, we made a strong coral, or horse-pen, for the animals, 
 and a little fort for the people who were to remain. We were 
 now probably in the country of the Utah Indians, though none 
 reside on the lake. The India-rubber boat was repaired with 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 199 
 
 prepared cloth and gum, and filled with air, in readiness for 
 the next day. 
 
 The provisions which Carson brought with him being now 
 exhausted, and our stock reduced to a small quantity of roots, 
 I determined to retain with me only a sufficient number of 
 men for the execution of our design ; and accordingly seven 
 were sent back to Fort Hall, under the guidance of Frangois 
 Lajeunesse, who, having been for many years a trapper in the 
 country, was considered an experienced mountaineer. Though 
 they were provided with good horses, and the road was a re- 
 markably plain one of only four days' journey for a horse- 
 man, they became bewildered, (as we afterwards learned,) and, 
 losing their way, wandered about the country in parties of one 
 or two, reaching the fort about a week afterwards. Some 
 straggled in of themselves, and the others were brought in by 
 Indians who had picked them up on Snake river, about sixty 
 miles below the fort, traveling along the emijrrant road in full 
 march for the Lower Columbia. The leader of this adventurous 
 party was Francois. 
 
 Hourly barometrical observations were made during the 
 day, and, after the departure of the party for Fort Hall, we 
 occupied ourselves in continuing our little preparations, and in 
 becoming acquainted with the country in the vicinity. The 
 bottoms along the river were timbered with several kinds of 
 willow, hawthorn, and fine cotton wood-trees (populus canaden. 
 sis) with remarkably large leaves, and sixty feet in height by 
 measurement. 
 
 We formed now but a small family. With Mr. Preuss and 
 myself, Carson, Bernier, and Basil Lajeunesse, had been 
 selected for the boat expedition — the first attempted on this in- 
 terior sea ; and Badeau, with Derosier, and Jacob, (the colored 
 man,) were to be left in charge of the camp. We were favor- 
 ed with most delightful weather. To-night there was a bril- 
 liant sunset of golden orange and green, which left the west- 
 ern sky clear ^nd beautifully pure; but clouds in the east made 
 me lose an oc- Station. The summer frogs were singing around 
 us, and the evening was very pleasant, with a temperature of 
 60° — a night of a more southern autumn. For our supper 
 
200 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Sbvt. 
 
 we had yampah, the most agreeably flavored of the roots, 
 seasoned by a small fat duck, which had come in the way of 
 Jacob's rifle. Around our fire to-night were many specula- 
 tions on what to-morrow would bring forth, and in our busy 
 conjectures we fancied that we should find every one of the 
 large islands a tangled wilderness of trees and shrubbery, 
 teeming with game of every description that the neighboring 
 region aflbrded, and which the foot of a white man or Indian 
 had never violated. Frequently, during the day, clouds had 
 rested on the summits of their lofty mountains, and we be- 
 lieved that we ^ould find clear streams and springs of fresh 
 water; and we indulged in anticipations of the luxurious re- 
 pasts with which we were to indemnify ourselves for past 
 privations. Neither, in our discussions, were the whirlpool 
 and other mysterious dangers forgotten, which Indian and 
 hunters' stories attributed to this unexplored lake. The men 
 had ibund that, instead of being strongly sewed, (like that of 
 the preceding year, which had so triumphantly rode the canons 
 of the upper Great Platte,) our present boat was only pasted 
 together in a very insecure manner, the maker having been 
 allowed so little time in the construction, that he was obliged 
 to crowd the labor of two months into several days. The 
 insecurity of the boat was sensibly felt by us ; and, mingled 
 with the enthusiasm and excitement that we all felt at the 
 prospect of an undertaking which had never before been ac- 
 complished, was a certain impression of danger, sufficient to 
 give a serious character to our conversation. The momentary 
 view which had been had of the lake the day before, its great 
 extent and rugged islands, dimly seen amidst the dark waters 
 in the obscurity of the sudden storm, were calculated to heighten 
 the idea of undefined danger with which the lake was generally 
 associated. 
 
 8th. — A calm, clear day, with a sunrise temperature of 
 41°. In view of our present enterprise, a part of the equip- 
 ment of the boat had been made to consist in three air-tight 
 bags, about three feet long, and capable each of containing five 
 gallons. These had been filled with water the night before, 
 and were now placed in the boat, with our blankets and instru. 
 
184!).] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 201 
 
 ments, consisting of a sextant, telescope, spy-glass, thermome- 
 ter, and barometer. 
 
 We left the camp at sunrise, and had a very pleasant voyage 
 down the river, in which there was generally <.aght or ten feet 
 of water, deepening as we neared the mouth in the latter part 
 of the day. In the course of the morning we discovered that 
 two of the cylinders leaked so much as to require one man 
 constantly at the bellows, to keep them sufficiently full of air 
 to support the boat. Although we had made a very early 
 start, we loitered so much on the way — stopping every now 
 and then, and floating silently along, to get a shot at a goose 
 or duck — that it was late in the day when we reached the 
 outlet. The river here divided into several branches, filled with 
 fluvials, and so very shallow that it was with difficulty we 
 could get the boat along, being obliged to get out and wade. 
 We encamped on a low point among rushes and young willows, 
 where was a quantity of drift-wood, which served for our fires. 
 The evening was mild and clear ; we made a pleasant bed of 
 young willows ; and geese and ducks enough had been killed 
 for an abundant supper at night, and for breakfast the next 
 morning. The stillness of the night was enlivened by millions 
 of water-fowl. Lat. (by observation) 41° IV 26'^; and long. 
 112° 11' 30'^ 
 
 9th. — The day was clear and calm ; the thermometer at 
 sunrise at 49°. As is usual with the trappers on the eve of 
 any enterprise, our people had made dreams, and theirs hap- 
 pened to be a bad one— Hjne which always preceded evil — and 
 consequently they looked very gloomy this morning ; but we 
 hurried through our breakfast, in order to made an early start, 
 and have all the day before us for our adventure. The chan. 
 nel in a short distance became so shallow that our navigation 
 was at an end, being merely a sheet of soft mud, with a few 
 inches of water, and sometimes none at all, forming the low- 
 water shore of the lake. All this place was absolutely cover- 
 ed with flocks of screaming plover. We took off our clothes, 
 and, getting overboard, commenced dragging the boat — making, 
 by this operation, a very curious trail, and a very disagreeable 
 smell in stirring up the mud, as we sank above the knee at 
 9* 
 
203 CAPT. FREMONT S NARRATIVE. [SsPT. 
 
 every step. The water here was still fresh, with only an in- 
 sipid and disagreeable taste, probably derived from the bed of 
 fetid mud. After proceeding in this way about a mile, we 
 came to a small black ridge on the bottom, beyond which the 
 water became suddenly salt, beginning gradually to deepen, 
 and the bottom was sandy and firm. It was a remarkable di- 
 vision, separating the fresh waters of the rivers from the briny 
 water of the lake, which was entirely saturated with common 
 salt. Pushing our little vessel across the narrow boundary, 
 we sprang on board, and at length were afloat on the waters 
 of the unknown sea. 
 
 We did not steer for the mountainous islands, but directed 
 our course towards a lower one, which it had been decided we 
 should first visit, the summit of which was formed like the 
 crater at the upper end of Bear River valley. So long as we 
 could touch the bottom with our paddles, we were very gay ; 
 but gradually, as the water deepened, we became more still in 
 our frail batteau of gum-cloth distended with air, and with 
 pasted seams. Although the day was very calm, there was a 
 considerable swell on the lake ; and there were white patches 
 of foam on the surface, which were slowly moving to the 
 southward, indicating the set of a current in that direction, and 
 recalling the recollection of the whirlpool stories. The water 
 continued to deepen as we advanced — the lake becoming al- 
 most transparently clear, of an extremely beautiful bright-green 
 color ; and the spray, which was thrown into the boat and 
 over our clothes, was directly converted into a crust of com- 
 mon salt, which covered also our hands and arms. •' Captain," 
 said Carson, who for some time had been looking suspiciously 
 at some whitening appearances outside the nearest islands, 
 " what are those yonder ? — won't you just take a look with 
 the glass ?" We ceased paddling for a moment, and found 
 them to be the caps of the waves that were beginning to 
 break under the force of a strong breeze that was coming up 
 the lake. 
 
 The form of the boat seemed to be an admirable one, and it 
 rode on the waves like a water-bird ; but, at the same time, it 
 was extremely slow in its progrcwsis. When we were a little 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narkative. 203 
 
 more than half way acrosb the reach, two of the divisions be- 
 tween the cylinders gave way, and it required the constant use 
 of the bellows to keep in a sufficient quantity of air. For a 
 long time we scarcely seemed to approach our island, but 
 gradually we worked across the rougher sea of the open chan< 
 nel, into the smoother water under the lee of the island, and 
 began to discover that what we took for a long row of pelicans, 
 ranged on the beach, were only low cliffs whitened with salt 
 by the spray of the waves ; and about noon we reached the 
 shore, the transparency of the water enabling us to see the bot- 
 tom at a considerable depth. 
 
 It was a handsome broad beach where we landed, behind 
 which the hill, into which the island was gathered, rose some- 
 what abruptly ; and a point of rock at one end enclosed it in a 
 sheltering way ; and as there was an abundance of drift-wood 
 along the shore, it offered us a pleasant encampment. We did 
 not suffer our frail boat to touch the sharp rocks, but, getting 
 overboard, discharged the baggage, and, lifting it gently out of 
 the water, carriied it to the upper part of the beach, which was 
 composed of verj small fragments of rock. 
 
 Among the successive banks of the beach, formed by the ac 
 tion of the waves, our attention, as we approached the island, 
 had been attracted by one 10 to 20 feet in breadth, of a dark- 
 brown color. Being more closely examined, this was found to 
 be composed, to the depth of seven or eight and twelve inches, 
 entirely of the larvcB of insects, or, in common language, of the 
 skins of worms, about the size of a grain of oats, which had 
 been washed up by the waters of the lake. 
 
 Alluding to this subject some months afterwards, when trav- 
 eling through a more southern portion of this region, in com- 
 pany with Mr. Joseph Walker, an old hunter, I was informed 
 by him, that, wandering with a party of men in a mountain 
 country east of the great California range, he surprised a party 
 of several Indian families encamped near a small salt lake, 
 who abandoned their lodges at his approach, leaving every 
 thing behind them. Being in a starving condition, they were 
 delighted to find in the abandoned lodges a number of skin 
 bags, containing a quantity of what appeared to be fish, dried 
 
204 CAPT. Fremont's narrative [Sept. 
 
 and pounded. On this they made a hearty supper, and were 
 gathering around an abundant breakfast the next morning, 
 when Mr. Walker discovered that it was with these, or a sinii. 
 lar worm, that the bags had been filled. The stomachs of the 
 stout trappers were not proof against their prejudices, and the 
 repulsive food was suddenly rejected. Mr. Walker had fur- 
 ther opportunities of seeing these worms used as an article of 
 food ; and I am inclined to think they are the same as those 
 we saw, and appear to be a product of the salt lakes. It may 
 be well to recall to your mind that Mr. Walker was associated 
 with Capt. Bonneville in his expedition to the Rocky moun- 
 tains, and has since that time remained in the country, gener- 
 ally residing in some one of the Snake villages, when not en- 
 gaged in one of his numerous trapping expeditions, in which he 
 is celebrated as one of the best and bravest leaders who have 
 ever been in the country. 
 
 The cliffs and masses of rock along the shore were whitened 
 by an incrustation of salt where the waves dashed up against 
 them ; and the evaporating water, which had been left in holes 
 and hollows on the surface of the rocks, was covered with a 
 crust of salt about one-eighth of an inch in thickness. It ap- 
 peared strange that, in the midst of this grand reservoir, one 
 of our greatest wants lately had been salt. Exposed to be 
 more perfectly dried in the sun, this became very white and 
 fine, having the usual flavor of very excellent common salt, 
 without any foreign taste ; but only a little was collected for 
 present use, as there was in it a number of small black insects. 
 
 Carrying with us tne barometer and other instruments, in the 
 afternoon we ascended to the highest point of the island — a 
 bare, rocky peak, eight hundred feet above the lake. Stand- 
 ing on the summit, we enjoyed an extended view of the lake, 
 enclosed in a basin of rugged mountains, which sometimes left 
 marshy flats and extensive bottoms between them and the shore, 
 and in other places came directly down into the water with 
 bold and precipitous bluffs. Following with our glasses the 
 irregular shores, we a3arched for some indications of a commu- 
 nication with other bodies of water, or the entrance of other 
 rivers ; but the distance was so great that we could make ou 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 205 
 
 nothing with certainiy. To the southward, several peninsular 
 mountains, 3,000 or 4,000 feet high, entered the lake, appear- 
 ing, so far as the distance and our position enabled us to deter- 
 mine, to be connected by flats and low ridges with the moun- 
 tains in the rear. These are probably the islands usually in- 
 dicated on maps of this region as entirely detached from the 
 shore. The season of our operations was when the waters were 
 at their lowest stage. At the season of high waters in the 
 spring, it is probable that the marshes and low grounds are 
 overflowed, and the surface of the lake considerably greater. 
 In several places the view was of unlimited extent — here and 
 there a rocky islet appearing above the waters, at a great dis- 
 tance ; and beyond, every thing was vague and undefined. As 
 we looked over the vast expanse of water spread out beneath 
 us, and strained our eyes along the silent shores over which 
 hung so much doubt and uncertainty, and which were so full 
 of interest to us, I could hardly repress the almost irresistible 
 desire to continue our explorations ; but the lengthening snow 
 on the mountains was a plain indication of the advancing sea- 
 son, and our frail linen boat appeared so insecure that I was 
 unwilling to trust our lives to the uncertainties of the lake. I 
 therefore unwillingly resolved to terminate our survey here, 
 and remain satisfied for the present with what we had been 
 able to add to the unknown geography of the region. We felt 
 pleasure, also, in remembering that we were the first who, in 
 the traditionary annals of the country, had visited the islands, 
 and broken, with the cheerful sound of human voices, the long 
 solitude of the place. From the point where we were standing, 
 the ground fell off" on every side to the water, giving us a per- 
 fect view of the island, which is twelve or thirteen miles in 
 circumference, being simply a rocky hill, on which there is 
 neither water nor trees of any kind ; although the Fremontia 
 vemiicularis, which was in great abundance, might easily be 
 taken for timber at a distance. The plant seemed here to de- 
 light in a congenial air, growing in extraordinary luxuriance 
 seven to eight feet high, and was very abundant on the upper 
 parts of the island, where it was almost the only plant. This 
 is eminently a saline shrub ; its leaves have k salt taste ; and 
 
206 capt. Fremont's narrative. [Sept. 
 
 it luxuriates in saline soils, where it is usually a characteristic 
 It is widely diffused over all this country. A chenopodiaceous 
 shrub, which is a new species of obione, (O. rigida, Torr. and 
 Frem.,) was equally characteristic of the lower parts of the 
 island. These two are the striking plants on the island, and 
 belong to a class of plants which form a prominent feature in 
 the vegetation of this country. On the lower parts of the 
 island, also, a prickly pear of very large size was frequent. 
 On the shore, near the water, was a woolly species of phaca ; 
 and a new species of umbelliferous plant {leptoUBmid) was scat- 
 tered about in very considerable abundance. These consti- 
 tuted all the vegetation that now appeared upon the island. 
 
 I accidentally left on the summit the brass cover to the ob- 
 ject end of my spy-glass : and as it will probably remain there 
 undisturbed by Indians, it will furnish matter of speculation to 
 some future traveler. In our excursions about the island, we 
 did not meet with any kind of animal ; a magpie, and another 
 larger bird, probably attracted by the smoke of our fire, paid 
 us a visit from the shore, and were the only living things seen 
 during our stay. The rock constituting the cliffs along the 
 shore, where we were encamped, is a talcous rock, or steatite, 
 with brown spar. 
 
 At sunset, the temperature was 70°. We had arrived just 
 in time to obtain a meridian altitude of the sun, and other ob- 
 servations were obtained this evening, which placed our camp 
 in latitude 41° 10' 42'^ and longitude 112° 21' 05'^ from 
 Greenwich. From a discussion of the barometrical observa- 
 tions made during our stay on the shores of the lake, we have 
 adopted 4,200 feet for its elevation above the Gulf of Mexico. 
 In the first disappointment we felt from the dissipation of our 
 dream of the fertile islands, I called this Disappointment island. 
 
 Out of the drift-wood, we made ourselves pleasant little 
 lodges, open to the water ; and, after having kindled large fires 
 to excite the wonder of any straggling savage on the lake 
 shores, lay down, for the first time in a long journey, in per- 
 fect security ; no one thinking about his arms. The evening 
 was extremely bright and pleasant ; but the wind rose during 
 the night, and the waves began to break heavily on the shore, 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. * 207 
 
 making our island trennble. I had not expected in our inland 
 iourney to hear the roar of an ocean surf; and the strange- 
 ness of our situation, and the excitement we felt in the associ- 
 ated interest of the place, made this ono of the most interesting 
 nights I made during our long expedition. 
 
 In the morning, the surf was breaking heavily on the shore, 
 and we were up early. The lake was dark and agitated, and 
 we hurried through our scanty breakfast, and embarked — hav- 
 ing first filled one of the buckets with water from the lake, of 
 which it was intended to make salt. The sun had risen by 
 the time we were ready to start ; and it was blowing a strong 
 gale of wind, almost directly off the shore, and raising a con- 
 siderable sea, in which our boat strained very much. It 
 roughened as we got away from the island, and it required all 
 the efforts of the men to make any head against the wind and 
 sea, the gale rising with the sun ; and there was danger of 
 being blown into one of the open reaches beyond the island. 
 At the distance of half a mile from the beach, the depth of the 
 water was 16 feet, with a clay bottom ; but, as the working of 
 the boat was very severe labor, and during the operation of 
 sounding it was necessary to cease paddling, during which the 
 boat lost considerable way, I was unwilling to discourage the 
 men, and reluctantly gave up my intention of ascertaining the 
 depth and the character of the bed. There was a general 
 shout in the boat when we found ourselves in one fathom, and 
 we soon after landed on a low point of mud, immediately un- 
 der the bulte of the peninsula, where we unloaded the boat, 
 and carried the baggage about a quarter of a mile to firmer 
 ground. We arrived just in time for meridian observation, 
 and carried the barometer to the summit of the butte, which is 
 500 feet above the lake. Mr. Preuss set off on foot for the 
 camp, which was about nine miles distant ; Basil accompany- 
 ing him, to bring back horses for the boat and baggage. 
 
 The rude-looking shelter we raised on the shore, our scat- 
 tered baggage and boat lying on the beach, made quite a pic- 
 ture ; and we called this the Fisherman's camp. Lynosiris 
 graveolens, and another new species of obione, (O. confertifo- 
 lia — Torr. ^ Frem.,) were growing on the low grounds, with 
 
908 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [S; 
 
 interspersed spots of an unwholesome salt grass, on a salina 
 clay soil, with a few other plants. 
 
 The horses arrived late in the afternoon, by which time the 
 gale had increased to such a height that a man could scarcely 
 stand before it ; and we were obliged to pack our baggage 
 hastily, as the rising water of the lake had already reached 
 the point where we were halted. Looking back as we rode 
 off, we found the place of recent encampment entirely cover, 
 ed. The low plain through which we rode to the camp was 
 covered with a compact growth of shrubs of extraordinary 
 size and luxuriance. The soil was sandy and saline ; flat 
 places, resembling the beds of ponds, that were bare of vegeta- 
 tion, and covered with a powdery white salt, being interspersed 
 among the shrubs. Artemisia tridentata was very abundant, 
 but the plants were principally saline ; a large and vigorous 
 chenopodiaceous shrub, five to eight feet high, being charac- 
 teristic, with Fremontia vermicularis, and a shrubby plant 
 which seems to be a new salicornia. We reached the camp 
 in time to escape a thunder-storm which blackened the sky, and 
 were received with a discharge of the howitzer by the peo 
 pie, who, having been unable to see any thing of us on the 
 lake, had begun to feel some uneasiness. 
 
 11th. — To-day we remained at this camp, in order to obtain 
 some further observations, and to boil down the water which 
 had been brought from the lake, for a supply of salt. Roughly 
 evaporated over the fire, the five gallons of water yielded four- 
 teen pints of very fine-grained and very white salt, of which 
 the whole lake may be regarded as a saturated solution. A 
 portion of the salt thus obtained has been subjected to analysis, 
 giving, in 100 parts, the following proportions : 
 
 Analysis of the salt. 
 
 Chloride of sodium, (common salt,) .... 97*80 
 
 Chloride of calcium, ...... 0-61 
 
 Chloride of magnesium, ...... 0'24 
 
 Sulphate of soda, ....... 0*23 
 
 Sulphate of lime, ....... M2 
 
 10000 
 Glancing your eye along the map, you will see a small 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 209 
 
 stream entering Utah lake, south of the Spanish fork, and the 
 first waters of that lake which our road of 1844 crosses in 
 conning up from the southward. When I was on this stream 
 with Mr. Walker in that year, he info med me that on the up- 
 per part of the river are immense beds of rock-salt of very 
 great thickness, which he had frequently visited. Farther to 
 the southward, the rivers which are affluent to the Colorado, 
 such as the Rio Virgen, and Gila river, near their mouths, 
 are impregnated with salt by the cliffs of rock-salt between 
 which they pass. These mines occur in the same ridge in 
 vhich, about 120 miles to the n rthward, and subsequently in 
 their more immediate neighborhood, we discovered the fossils 
 belonging to the oolitic period, and they are probably connect- 
 ed with that formation, and are the deposite from which the 
 Great Lake obtains its salt. Had we remained longer, we 
 should have found them in its bed, and in the mountains around 
 its shores. By observation the latitude of this camp is 41° 15' 
 50^', and longitude 112° 06' 43". 
 
 The observations made during our stay give for the rate of 
 the chronometer 31 "72", corresponding almost exactly with the 
 rate obtained at St. Vrain's fort. Barometrical observations 
 were made almost hourly during the day. This morning we 
 breakfasted on yampah, and had only kamas for supper ; but 
 a cup of good coffee still distinguished us from our Digger ac- 
 quaintances. 
 
 12th. — The morning was clear and calm, with a tempera- 
 ture at sunrise of 32°. We resumed our journey late in the 
 day, returning by nearly the same route which we had traveled 
 in coming to the lake ; and, avoiding the passage of Hawthorn 
 creek, struck the hills a little below the hot salt-springs. The 
 flat plain we had here passed over consisted alternately of tolera- 
 bly good sandy soil and of saline plats. We encamped early 
 on Clear creek, at the foot of the high ridge ; one of the peaks 
 of which we ascertained by measurement to be 4,210 feet 
 above the lake, or about 8,400 feet above the sea. Behind 
 these front peaks the ridge rises towards the Bear River moun. 
 tains, which are probably as high as the Wind River chain 
 This creek is here unusually well timbered with a variety of 
 
210 CAPT. Fremont's narrativr. [SErr. 
 
 trees. Among them were birch, (betula,) the narrow-leaved 
 poplar, {jpopulus anguslifolia,) several kinds of willow, {solix,) 
 hawthorn, (craUegus,) ulder, {alnus viridis,) and cerasus, with 
 an oak allied to quercus alba, but very distinct from that or any 
 other species in the United States. 
 
 We had to-night a supper of sea-gulls, which Carson killed 
 near the lake. Although cool, the thermometer standing at 
 47°, musquitoes were sufficiently numerous to be troublesome 
 this evening. 
 
 13th. — Continuing up the river valley, we crossed several 
 small streams ; the mountains on the right appearing to con- 
 sist of the blue limestone which we had observed in the same 
 ridge to the northward, alternating here with a granular quartz 
 already mentioned. One of these streams, which forms a 
 smaller lake near the river, was broken up into several chan- 
 nels ; and the irrigated bottom of fertile soil was covered 
 with innumerable flowers, among which were purple fields of 
 eupalorium purpureum, with helianthi, a handsome solidago, {S. 
 canadensis,) and a variety of other plants in bloom. Continu- 
 ing along the foot of the hills, in the afternoon we found five 
 or six hot-springs gushing out together, beneath a conglomerate, 
 consisting principally of fragments of a grayish-blue limestone, 
 efflorescing a salt upon the surface. The temperature of these 
 springs was 134°, and the rocks in the bed were colored with 
 a red deposite, and there was common salt crystallized on the 
 margin. There was also a white incrustation upon leaves and 
 roots, consisting principally of carbonate of lime. There 
 were rushes seen along the road this afternoon, and the soil 
 under the hills was very black, and apparently very good ; 
 but at this time the grass is entirely dried up. We encamped 
 on Bear river, immediately below a cut-off, the canon by which 
 the river enters this valley bearing -north by compass. The 
 night was mild, with a very clear sky ; and I obtained a very 
 excellent observation of an occultation of Tau. Arietis, with 
 other observations. Both immersion and emersion of the star 
 were observed ; but, as our observations have shown, the 
 phase at the bright limb generally gives incorrect longitudes, 
 and we have adopted the result obtained from the emersion 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativk. 211 
 
 at the dark limb, without allowing any weight to the immer- 
 sion. According to these observations, the longitude is 112o 
 05' 12'^ and the latitude 41° 42' 43''. All the longitudes 
 on the line of our outward journey, between St. Vrain's fort 
 and the Dalles of the Columbia, which were not directly de- 
 termined by satellites, have been chronometrically referred to 
 this place. 
 
 The people to-day were rather low-spirited, hunger making 
 them very quiet and peaceable ; and there was rarely an oath 
 to be heard in the camp — not even a solitary enfant de garce. 
 It was time for the men with an expected supply of provisions 
 from Mr. Fitzpatrick to be in the neighborhood ; and the gun 
 was fired at evening, to give notice of our locality, but met 
 with no response. 
 
 14th. — About four miles from this encampment, the trail 
 led us down to the river, where we unexpectedly found an ex- 
 cellent ford — the stream being widened by an island, and not 
 yet disengaged from the hills at t\ie foot of the range. We 
 encamped on a little creek where we had made a noon halt in 
 descending the river. The night was very clear and pleasant, 
 the sunset temperature being 67°. 
 
 The peop'e this evening looked so forlorn, that I gave them 
 permission : kill a fat young hone which I had purchased 
 with goods from the Snake Indians, and they were very soon 
 restored to gayety and good humor. Mi. Preuss and myself 
 could not yet overcome some remains of civilized prejudices, 
 and preferred to starve a little lo.iger ; feeling as much sad- 
 dened as if a crime had been committed. 
 
 The next day we continued up the valley, the soil being 
 sometimes very black and good, occasionally gravelly, and 
 occasionally a kind of naked salt plains. We found on the 
 way this morning a small encampment of two families of 
 Snake Indians, from whom we purchased a small quantity of 
 kooyah. They had piles of seeds, of three different kinds, 
 spread out upon pieces of buffalo robe ; and the squaws had 
 just gathered about a bushel of the root of a thistle, [circium 
 Virginianum.) They were about the ordinary size of carrots, 
 and, as I have previously mentioned, are sweet and well 
 
213 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Sept. 
 
 flavored, requiring only a long preparation. They had a band 
 of twelve or fifteen horses, and appeared to be growing in 
 the sunshine with about as little labor as the plants they were 
 eating. 
 
 Shortly afterwards we met an Indian on horseback who had 
 killed an antelope, which we purchased of him for a litt^j 
 powder and some balls. We crossed the Roseaux, and en- 
 camped on the left bank ; halting early for the pleasure of 
 enjoying a wholesome and abundant supper, and were^pleasant- 
 ly engaged in protracting our unusual comfort, when Tabeau 
 galloped into the camp with news that Mr. Fitzpatrick was en- 
 camped close by us, with a good supply of provisions — flour, 
 rice, and dried meat, and even a little butter. Excitement to- 
 night made us all wakeful ; and after a breakfast before sun- 
 rise the next morning, we were again on the road, and, con- 
 tinuing up the valley, crossed some high points of hills, and 
 halted to noon on the same stream, near several lodges of 
 Snake Indians, from whom we purchased about a bushel of 
 service-berries, partially dried. By the gift of a knife, I pre- 
 vailed upon a little boy to show me the kooydh plant, which 
 proved to be Valeriana edulis. The root which constitutes the 
 kooydh, is large, of a very bright yellow color, with the charac 
 ♦eristic odor, but not so fully developed as in the prepared sub- 
 stance. It loves the rich moist soil of river bottoms, which 
 was the locality in which I always afterwards found it. It 
 was now entirely out of bloom ; according to my observation, 
 flowering in the months of May and June. In the afternoon 
 we entered a long ravine leading to a pass in the dividing ridge 
 between the waters of Bear river and the Snake river, or 
 Lewis's fork of the Columbia ; our way being very much im- 
 peded, and almost entirely blocked up, by compact fields of 
 luxuriant artemisia. Taking leave at this point of the waters 
 of Bear river, and of the geographical basin which encloses the 
 system of rivers and creeks which belong to the Great Sail 
 Lake, and which so richly deserves a future detailed and ample 
 exploration, I can say of it, in general terms, that the bot- 
 toms of this river, (Bear,) and of some of the creeks which 1 
 saw, form a natural resting and recruiting station for travel- 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 218 
 
 ers, now, and in all time to come. The bottoms are extensive ; 
 water excellent ; timber sufficient ; the soil good, and well 
 adapted to grains and grasses suited to such an elevated re- 
 gion. A military post, and a civilized settlement, would be 
 of great value here ; grass and salt so much abound. The 
 lake will furnish exhaustless supplies of salt. All the moun- 
 tains here are covered with a valuable nutritious grass, called 
 bunch-grass, from the form in which it grows, which has a 
 second growth in the fall. The beasts of the Indians were fat 
 upon it ; our own found it a good subsistence ; and its quantity 
 will sustain any amount of cattle, and make this truly a bucolic 
 region. 
 
 We met here an Indian family on horseback, which had 
 been out to gather service-berries, and were returning loaded. 
 This tree was scattered about on the hills ; and the upper part 
 of the pass was timbered with aspen, {popuJus trem. ;) the 
 common blue flowering-flax occurring among the plants. The 
 approach to the pass was very steep, and the summit about 
 6,300 feet above the sea — probably only an uncertain approxi- 
 mation, as at the time of observation it was blowing a violent 
 gale of wind from the northwest, with cumuli scattered in 
 masses over the sky, the day otherwise bright and clear. We 
 descended, by a steep slope, into a broad open valley — good 
 soil — from four to five miles wide, coming down immediately 
 upon one of the head-waters of the Pannack river, which here 
 loses itself in swampy ground. The appearance of the coun- 
 try here is not very interesting. On either side is a regular 
 range of mountains of the usual character, with a little timber, 
 tolerably rocky on the right, and higher and more smooth on 
 the left, with still higher peaks looking out above the range. 
 The valley afforded a good level road, but it was late when it 
 brought us to water, and we encamped at dark. The north- 
 west wind had blown up very cold weather, and the artemisia, 
 which was our firewood to-night, did not happen to be very 
 abundant. This plant loves a dry, sardy soil, and cannot 
 grow in the good bottoms where it is rich and moist, but on every 
 little eminence, where water does not rest long, it maintains 
 absolute possession. Elevation above the sea about 5,100 feet. 
 
214 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Skm. 
 
 At night scattered fires glimmered along the mountains, 
 pointing out camps of the Indians ; and we contrasted the com- 
 parative security in which we traveled through this country, 
 with the guarded vigilance we were compelled to exert among 
 the Sioux and other Indians on the eastern side of the Rocky 
 mountains. 
 
 At sunset the thermometer was at 50°, and at midnight at 
 30°. 
 
 17th. — The morning sky was calm and clear, the tempera- 
 ture at daylight being 25°, and at sunrise 20°. There is 
 throughout this country a remarkable difference between the 
 morning and mid-day temperatures, which at this season was 
 very generally 40° or 50°, and occasionally greater ; and fre- 
 quently, after a very frosty morning, the heat in a few hours 
 would render the thinnest clothing agreeable. About noon we 
 reached the main fork. The Pannack river was before us, the 
 valley being here 1^ miles wide, fertile, and bordered by 
 smooth hills, not over 500 feet high, partly covered with ce- 
 dar ; a high ridge, in which there is a prominent peak, rising 
 behind those on the left. We continued to descend this stream, 
 and found on it at night a warm and comfortable camp. Flax 
 occurred so frequently during the day as to be almost a cha- 
 racteristic, and the soil appeared excellent. The evening was 
 gusty, with a temperature at sunset of 59°. I obtained, about 
 midnight, an observation of an emersion of the first satellite, 
 the night being calm and very clear, the stars remarkably 
 bright, and the thermometer at 30°. Longitude, from mean 
 of satellite and chronometer, 112° 29^ 52^^, and latitude, by 
 observation, 42° 44^ 40'^ 
 
 18th. — The day clear and calm, with a temperature of 2.5° 
 at sunrise. After traveling seven or eight miles, we emerged 
 on the plains of the Columbia, in sight of the famous " Three 
 BvUes," a well-known landmark in the country, distant about 
 45 miles. The French word buUe, which so often occurs in 
 this narrative, is retained from the familiar language of the 
 country, and identifies the objects to which it refers. It is 
 naturalized in the region of the Rocky mountains, and, even if 
 desirable to render it in English, I know of lo word which 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativb 916 
 
 would be its precise equivalent. It is applied to the detached 
 hills and ridges which rise rapidly, and reach too high to be 
 called hills or ridges, and not high enough to be called moun- 
 tains. Knob, as applied in the western states, is their descrip- 
 live term in English. Cerro is the Spanish term ; but no 
 translation, or periphrasis, would preserve the identity of these 
 picturesque landmarks, familiar to the traveler, and often seen 
 at a great distance. Covered as far as could be seen with ar- 
 temisia, the dark and ugly appearance of this plain obtained 
 for it the name of Sage Desert ; and we were agreeably sur- 
 prised, on reaching the Portneuf river, to see a beautiful green 
 valley with scattered timber spread out beneath us, on which, 
 about four miles distant, were glistening the white walls of the 
 fort. The Portneuf runs along the upland plain nearly to its 
 mouth, and an abrupt descent of perhaps two hundred feet 
 brought us down immediately upon the stream, which at the 
 ford is one hundred yards wide, and three feet deep, with 
 clear water, a swift current, and gravelly bed ; but a little 
 higher up the breadth was only about thirty-five yards, with 
 apparently deep water. 
 
 In the bottom I remarked a very great number of springs 
 and sloughs, with remarkably clear water and gravel beds. 
 At sunset we encamped with Mr. Talbot and our friends, who 
 came on to Fort Hall when we went to the lake, and whom we 
 had the satisfaction to find all well, neither party having met 
 with any mischance in the interval of our separation. They, 
 too, had had their share of fatigue and scanty provisions, as 
 there had been very little game left on the trail of the populous 
 emigration ; and Mr. Fitzpatrick had rigidly husbanded our 
 stock of flour and light provisions, in view of the approaching 
 winter and the long journey before us. 
 
 19th. — This morning the sky was very dark and gloomy, 
 and at daylight it began snowing thickly, and continued all 
 day, with cold, disagreeable weather. At sunrise the temper 
 ature was 43°. I rode up to the fort, and purchased from Mr. 
 Grant (the officer in charge of the post) several very indiffer- 
 ent horses, and five oxen, in very fine order, which were re- 
 ceived at the camp with great satisfaction : and, one being 
 
916 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Sept. 
 
 killed at evening, the usual gayety and good humor were at 
 once restored. Night came in stormy. 
 
 20th. — We had a night of snow and rain, and the thermom- 
 eter at sunrise was at 34° ; the morning was dark, with a 
 steady rain, and there was still an inch of snow on the ground, 
 with an abundance on the neighboring hills and mountains. 
 The sudden change in the weather was hard for our animals, 
 who trembled and shivered in the cold — sometimes taking ref- 
 uge in the timber, and now and then coming out and raking 
 the snow off the ground for a little grass, or eating the young 
 willows. 
 
 21st. — Ice made tolerably thick during this night, and in the 
 morning the weather cleared up very bright, with a tempera- 
 Uire at sunrise of 29° ; and I obtained a meridian observation 
 for latitude at the fort, with observations for time. The sky 
 was again covered in the afternoon, and the thermometer at 
 sunset 48°. 
 
 22d. — The morning was cloudy and unpleasant, ana at sun- 
 rise a cold rain commenced, with a temperature of 41°. 
 
 The early approach of winter, and the difficulty of support- 
 ing a large party, determined me to send back a number of 
 the men who had become satisfied that they were not fitted for 
 the laborious service and frequent privation to which they were 
 necessarily exposed, and which there was reason to believe 
 would become more severe in the further extension of the voy- 
 age. I accordingly called them together, and, informing them 
 of my intention to continue our journey during the ensuing 
 winter, in the course of which they would probably be exposed 
 to considerable hardship, succeeded in prevailing on a number 
 of them to return voluntarily. These were : Charles de For- 
 rest, Henry Lee, J. Campbell, Wm. Creuss, A. Vasquez, A. 
 Pera, Patrick White, B. Tesson, M. Creely, Francjois Lajeu- 
 nesse, Basil Lajeunesse. Among these I regretted very 
 much to lose Basil Lajeunesse, one of the best men in my 
 party, who was obliged, by the condition of his family, to be 
 at hom« in the coming winter. Our preparations having been 
 completed in the interval of our stay here, both parties were 
 iready this morning to resume their respective routes. 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's nabrative. 217 
 
 Except that there is a greater quantity of wood used in its 
 construction, Fort Hall very much resembles the other trading 
 posts which have already been described to you, and would be 
 another excellent post of relief for the emigration. It is in the 
 low rich bottom of a valley, apparently 20 miles long, formed 
 by the confluence of Portneuf river with Lewis's foik of the 
 Columbia, which it enters about nine miles below the fort, and 
 narrowing gradually to the mouth of the Pannack river, where it 
 has a breadth of only two or three miles. Allowing 50 miles 
 for the road from the Beer springs of Bear river to Fort Hall, 
 its distance along the traveled road from the town of Wesfport, 
 on the frontier of Missouri, by way of Fort Laramie and the 
 great South Pass, is 1,323 miles. Beyond this place, on the 
 line of road along the barren valley of the Upper Columbia, 
 there does not occur, for a distance of nearly 300 miles to the 
 westward, a fertile spot of ground sufficiently large to produce 
 the necessary quantity of grain, or pasturage enough to allow 
 even a temporary repose to the emigrants. On their recent 
 passage, they had been able to obtain, at very high prices and 
 in insufficient quantity, only such assistance as could be afford- 
 ed by a small and remote trading-post — and that a foreign one — 
 which, in the supply of its own wants, had necessarily drawn 
 around it some of the resources of civilization, but which ob- 
 tained nearly all its supplies from the distant depot of Van- 
 couver, by a difficult water-carriage of 250 miles up the Co- 
 lumbia river, and a land-carriage by pack-horses of 600 miles. 
 An American military post, sufficiently strong to give to their 
 road a perfect security against the Indian tribes, who are un- 
 settled in locality and very uncertain in their disposition, and 
 which, with the necessary facilities for the repair of their 
 equipage, would be able to afford them relief in stock and 
 grain from the produce of the post, would be of extraordinary 
 value to the emigration. Such a post (and all others which 
 may be established on the line to Oregon) would naturally 
 form the nucleus of a settlement, at which supplies and repose 
 would be obtained by the emigrant, or trading caravans, which 
 may hereafter traverse these elevated, and, in many placeSf 
 desolate and inhospitable regions. 
 10 
 
218 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Sbpi- 
 
 I subjoin an analysis of the soil in the river bottom neai 
 Fort Hall, which will be of assistance in enabling you to form 
 some correct idea of its general character in the neighboring 
 country. I characterize it as good land, but the analysis will 
 show its precise properties. 
 
 Analysis of the Soil. 
 
 Silicina 68*55 
 
 Alumina 7-45 
 
 ( arbonate of lime 8*51 
 
 Carbonate of magnesia 5'09 
 
 Oxide of iron ....... 1"40 
 
 Organic vegetable matter 4*74 
 
 Water and loss .... . . 4-26 
 
 100-00 
 
 // 
 
 Our observations place this post in longitude 112° 29' 54 
 latitude 43° 01' 30'^, and the elevation above the sea, 4,500 
 feet. 
 
 Taking leave of the homeward party, we resumed our jour- 
 ney down the valley, the weather being very cold, and the 
 rain coming in hard gusts, which the wind blew directly in our 
 faces. We forded the Portneuf in a storm of rain, the water 
 in the river being frequently up to the axles, and about 110 
 yards wide. After the gust, the weather improved a little, 
 and we encamped about three miles below, at the mouth of the 
 Pannack river, on Lewis's fork, which here has a breadth of 
 about 120 yards. The temperature at sunset was 42°; the 
 sky partially covered with dark, rainy clouds. 
 
 23d. — The temperature at sunrise was 32° ; the morning 
 dark, and snow falling steadily and thickly, with a light air 
 from the southward. Profited of being obliged to remain in 
 camp, to take hourly barometrical observations from sunrise to 
 midnight. The wind at eleven o'clock set in from the north- 
 ward in heavy gusts, and the snow changed into rain. In the 
 afternoon, when the sky brightened, the rain had washed all 
 the snow from the bottoms; but the neighboring mountains, 
 from summit to foot, were luminously white — an inauspicious 
 commencement of the autUinn, of which this was the first day. 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 219 
 
 24th. — The thermometer at sunrise was 35°, and a blue sky 
 in the west promised a fine day. The river bottoms here are 
 narrow and swampy, with frequent sloughs ; and after cross- 
 ing the Pannack, the road continued along the uplands, ren- 
 dered very slippery by the soil of wet clay, and entirely cov- 
 ered with artemisia bushes, among which occur frequent frag- 
 ments of obsidian. At noon we encamped in a grove of 
 willows, at the upper end of a group of islands about half a 
 mile above the American falls of Snake river. Among the 
 willows here, were some bushes of Lewis and Clarke's currant, 
 {jibes aureum.) The river here enters between low mural 
 banks, which consist of a fine vesicular trap-rock, the interme- 
 diate portions being compact and crystalline. Gradually be- 
 coming higher in its downward course, these banks of scoriated 
 volcanic rock form, with occasional interruptions, its charac- 
 teristic feature along the whole line to the Dalles of the Lower 
 Columbia, resembling a chasm which had been rent through 
 the country, and which the river had afterwards taken for its 
 bed. The immediate valley of the river is a high plain cov- 
 ered with black rocks and artemisias. In the south is a bor- 
 dering range of mountains, which, although not very high, are 
 broken and covered with snow ; and at a great distance to the 
 north is seen the high, snowy line of the Salmon river moun- 
 tains, in front of which stand out prominently in the plain the 
 three iso' vted rugged-looking mountains commonly known as 
 the Three Buttes. Between the river and the distant Salmon 
 river range, the plain is represented by Mr. Fitzpatrick as so 
 entirely broken up and rent into chasms as to be impracticable 
 for a man even on foot. In the sketch annexed, the point of 
 view is low, but it conveys very well some idea of the open 
 character of the country, with the buttes rising out above the 
 general line. By measurement, the river above is 870 feet 
 wide, immediately contracted at the fall in the form of a lock, 
 by jutting piles of scoriaceous basalt, over which the foaming 
 river must present a grand appearance at the time of high 
 water. The evening was clear and pleasant, with dew ; and 
 at sunset the temperature was 54^. By observation, the lati- 
 tude is 42° 4T 05", and the longitude 112° 40^ 13". A few 
 
320 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Ssrt. 
 
 hundred yards below the falls, and on the left bank of the rirer, 
 is an escarpment from which we obtained some specimens. 
 
 25th. — Thermometer at sunrise 47°. The day came in 
 clear, with a strong gale from the south, which commenced al 
 eleven of the last night. The road to-day led along the river, 
 which is full of rapids and small falls. Grass is very scanty ; 
 and along the rugged banks are scattered cedars, with an 
 abundance of rocks and sage. We traveled fourteen miles, 
 and encamped in the afternoon near the river, on a rocky 
 creek, the bed of which was entirely occupied with boulders 
 of a very large size. For the last three or four miles the 
 right bank of the river has a palisaded appearance. One of 
 the oxen was killed here for food. The thermometer at eve- 
 ning was at 55°, the sky almost overcast, and the barometer 
 indicated an elevation of 4,400 feet. 
 
 26th. — Rain during the night, and the temperature at sun. 
 rise 42°. Traveling along the river, in about four miles we 
 reached a picturesque stream, to which we gave the name of 
 Fall creek. It is remarkable for the many falls which occur 
 in a short distance ; and its bed is composed of a calcareoua 
 tufa, or vegetable rock, composed principally of the remains 
 of reeds and mosses, resembling that at the Basin spring, on 
 Bear river. 
 
 The road along the river bluffs had been occasionally very 
 bad ; and imagining that some rough obstacles rendered such 
 a detour necessary, we followed for several miles a plain 
 wagon-road leading up this stream, until we reached a point 
 whence it could be seen making directly towards a low place 
 in the range on the south side of the valley, and we became 
 immediately aware that we were on a trail formed by a party 
 of wagons, in company with whom we had encamped at Elm 
 grove, near the frontier of Missouri, and which you will re- 
 member were proceeding to Upper California under the direc- 
 tion of Mr. Jos. Chiles. At the time of their departure, no 
 practicable passes were known in the southern Rocky moun- 
 tains within the territory of the United States ; and the prob- 
 able apprehension of difficulty in attempting to pass near the 
 settled frontier of New Mexico, together with the desert char 
 
1843.] CAFT. fbsmont's narrative. 221 
 
 aoter of the unexplored region beyond, had induced them to 
 take a more northern and circuitous route by way of the Sweet 
 Water pass and Fort Hall. They had still between them and the 
 valley of the Sacramento a great mass of mountains, forming 
 the Sierra Nevada, here commonly known as the Great Cali- 
 fornia mountain, and which were at this time considered as 
 presenting an impracticable barrier to wheeled-carriages. 
 Various considerations had suggested to them a division of the 
 party ; and a greater portion of the camp, including the wag- 
 ons, v/ith the mail and other stores, were now proceeding under 
 the guidance of Mr. Joseph Walker, who had engaged to con- 
 duct them, by a long sweep to the southward, around what is 
 called the point of the mountain; and, crossing through a pass 
 known only to himself, gain the banks of the Sacramento by 
 the valley of the San Joaquin. It was a long and a hazardous 
 journey for a party in which there were women and children. 
 Sixty days was the shortest period of time in which they could 
 reach the point of the mountain, and their route lay through a 
 country inhabited by wild and badly-disposed Indians, and 
 very poor in game ; but the leader was a man possessing great 
 and intimate knowledge of the Indians, with an extraordinary 
 firmness and decision of character. In the mean time, Mr. 
 Chiles had passed down the Columbia with a party of ten oi 
 twelve men, with the intention of reaching the settlements on 
 the Sacramento by a more direct course, which indefinite infor- 
 mation from hunters had indicated in the direction of the head- 
 waters of the Riviire aux Malheurs ; and having obtained 
 there a reinforcement of animals, and a supply of provisions, 
 meet the wagons before they should have reached the point of 
 the mountain, at a place which had been previously agreed 
 upon. In the course of our narrative, we shall be able to giv« 
 you some information of the fortunes which attended the move- 
 ments of these adventurous travelers. 
 
 Having discovered our error, we immediately regained the 
 line along the river, which the road quitted about noon, and 
 encamped at five o'clock on the stream called Raft river, (itt. 
 vi^e aux Cajeux,) having traveled only 13 miles. In the north, 
 the Salmon River mountains are visible at a very far distance ; 
 
222 CAPT. Fremont's naebative. [Sxpt. 
 
 and on the left, the ridge in which Rafl river heads is about 20 
 miles distant, rocky, and tolerably high. Thermometer at 
 sunset 44*^, with a partially clouded sky, and a sharp wind 
 from the S.W. 
 
 27th. — It was now no longer possible, as in our previous 
 journey, to travel regularly every day, and find at any mo- 
 ment a convenient place for repose at noon or a camp at night ; 
 but the halting-places were now generally fixed along the road, 
 by the nature of the country, at places whore, with water, 
 there was a little scanty grass. Since leaving the American 
 falls, the road had frequently been very bad ; the many short, 
 steep ascents, exhausting the strength of our worn-out animals, 
 requiring always at such places the assistance of the men to 
 get up each cart, one by one ; and our progress with twelve 
 or fourteen wheeled-carriages, though light and made for the 
 purpose, in such a rocky country, was extremely slow ; and I 
 again determined to gain time by a division of the camp. Ac- 
 cordingly, to-day, the parties again separated, constituted very 
 much as before — Mr. Fitzpatrick remaining in charge of the 
 heavier baggage. 
 
 The morning was calm and clear, with a white frost, and 
 the temperature at sunrise 24°. 
 
 To-day the country had a very forbidding appearance ; and. 
 after traveling 20 miles over a slightly undulating plain, we 
 encamped at a considerable spring, called Swamp creek, ris- 
 ing in low grounds near the point of a spur from the moun- 
 tain. Returning with a small party in a starving condition 
 from the westward 12 or 14 years since, Carson had met here 
 three or four buffalo bulls, two of which were killed. They 
 were among the pioneers which had made the experiment of 
 colonizing in the valley of the Columbia, and which had fail- 
 ed, as heretofore stated. At sunset the thermometer was at 
 46°, and the evening was overcast, with a cool wind from the 
 S. E., and to-night we had only sage for firewood. Mingled 
 with the artemisia was a shrubby and thorny chenopodiaceous 
 plant. 
 
 28th. — Thermometer at sunrise 40°. The wind rose early 
 to * gale from the west, with a very cold driving rain ; and 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 223 
 
 after an uncomfortable day's ride of 25 miles, we were glad 
 when at evening we found a sheltered camp, where there was 
 an abundance of wood, at some elevated rocky islands covered 
 with cedar, near the commencement of another long canon of 
 the river. With the exception of a short detention at a deep 
 little stream called Goose creek, and some occasional rocky 
 places; we had to-day a very good road ; but the country has 
 a barren appearance, sandy, and densely covered witii the ar- 
 temisias from the banks of the river to the foot of the moun- 
 tains. Hero I remarked, among the sage bushes, green bunch- 
 es of what is called the second growth of grass. The river 
 to-day has had a smooth appearance, free from rapids, with a 
 low sandy hill-slope bordering the bottoms, in which there is a 
 little good «soil. Thermometer at sunset 45°, blowing a gale, 
 and disagreeably cold. 
 
 29th. — The thermometer at sunrise 36°, with a bright sun, 
 and appearance of finer weather. The road for several miles 
 was extremely rocky, and consequently bad ; but, entering af- 
 ter this a sandy country, it became very good, with no other in- 
 terruption than the sage bushes, which covered the river plain 
 as far as the eye could reach, and, with their uniform tint of 
 dark gray, gave to the country a gloomy and sombre appear- 
 ance. All the day the course of the river has been between 
 walls of the black volcanic rock, a dark line of the escarp- 
 inent on the opposite side pointing out its course, and sweeping 
 along in foam at places where the mountains which border 
 the valley present always on the left two ranges, the lower 
 one a spur of the higher ; and, on the opposite side, the 
 Salmon River mountains are visible at a great distance. Hav- 
 ing made 24 miles, we encamped about five o'clock on Rock 
 creek — a stream having considerable water, a swift current, 
 and wooded with willow. 
 
 30th. — Thermometer at sunrise 28°. In its progress towards 
 the river, this creek soon enters a chasm of the volcanic rock, 
 which in places along the wall presents a columnar appearance ; 
 and the road becomes extremely rocky whenever it passes near 
 its banks. It is only about twenty feet wide where the road 
 crosses it, with a deep bed, and steep banks, covered with rocky 
 
224 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Sbpt, 
 
 fragments, with willows and a little grass on its narrow bottom. 
 The soil appears to be full of calcareous matter, with which 
 the rocks are iiicrusted. The fragments of rock which had 
 been removed by the emigrants in making a road, where we 
 ascended from the bed of this creek, were whitened with lime ; 
 and during the afternoon's march I remarked in the soil a con- 
 siderably quantity of calcareous concretions. Towards even- 
 ing the sages became more sparse, and the clear spaces were 
 occupied by tufts of green grass. The river still continued its 
 course through a trough, or open canon ; and towards sunset 
 we followed the trail of several wagons which had turned in 
 towards Snake river, and encamped, as they had done, on thp 
 top of the escarpment. There was no grass here, the soil 
 among the sage being entirely naked ; but there is occasionally 
 a little bottom along the river, which a short ravine of rocks, 
 at rare intervals, leaves accessible ; and by one of these we 
 drove our animals down, and found some tolerably good grass 
 bordering the water. 
 
 Immediately opposite to us, a subterranean river bursts out 
 directly from the face of the escarpment, and falls in white 
 foam to the river below. The main river is enclosed with 
 mural precipices, which form its characteristic feature along a 
 great portion of its course. A melancholy and strange-looking 
 country — one of fracture, and violence, and fire. 
 
 We had brought with us, when we separated from the camp, 
 a large gaunt ox, in appearance very poor ; but, being killed 
 to-night, to the great joy of the people, he was found to be 
 remarkably fat. As usual at such occurrences, the evening 
 was devoted to gayety and feasting ; abundant fare now made 
 an epoch among us ; and in this laborious life, in such a coun- 
 try as this, our men had but little else to enjoy. The temper- 
 ature at sunset was 65°, with a clear sky and a very high 
 wind. By the observation of the evening, the encampment 
 was in longitude 114° 25' 04'^ and in latitude 42° 38' 44''. 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativs. St35 
 
 OCTOBER. 
 
 1st. — The morning clear, with wind from the west, and the 
 thermometer at 55°. We descended to the bottoms, taking 
 with us the boat, for the purpose of visiting the fall in the op- 
 posite cliffs ; and while it was being filled with air, we occu- 
 pied ourselves in measuring the river, which is 1,786 feet ia 
 breadth, with banks 200 feet high. We were surprised, oa 
 our arrival at the opposite side, to find a beautiful basin of 
 clear water, formed by the falling river, around which the 
 rocks were whitened by some saline incrustation. Here the 
 Indians had constructed wicker dams, although I was informed 
 that the salmon do not ascend the river so far ; and its charac- 
 ter below would apparently render it impracticable. 
 
 The ascent of the steep hill-side was rendered a little diffi- 
 cult by a dense growth of shrubs and fields of cane ; and there 
 were frequent hidden crevices among the rocks, where the 
 water was heard rushing below ; but we succeeded in reach- 
 ing the main stream, which, issuing from between strata of the 
 trap-rock in two principal branches, produced almost imme- 
 diately a torrent, 22 feet wide, and white with foam. It is a 
 picturesque spot of singular beauty, overshadowed by bushes, 
 from under which the torrent glances, tumbling into the white 
 basin below, where the clear water contrasted beautifully with 
 the muddy stream of the river. Its outlet was covered with a 
 rank growth of canes, and a variety of unusual plants, and 
 nettles, {uriica canabina,) which, before they were noticed, had 
 set our hands and arms on fire. The temperature of the spring 
 was 58°, while that of the river was 51°. The perpendicular 
 height of the place at which this stream issues is 45 feet above 
 the river, and 162 feet below the summit of the precipice — 
 making nearly 200 feet for the height of the wall. On the 
 hill-side here was obtained a specimen consisting principally 
 of fragments of the shells of small Crustacea, and which was 
 probably formed by deposition from these springs, proceeding 
 from some lake or river in the highlands above. 
 
 We resumed our journey at noon, the day being hot and 
 10* 
 
226 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Oct. 
 
 bright ; and, after a march of 17 miles, encamped at sunset on 
 the river, near several lodges of Snake Indians. 
 
 Our encampment was about one mile below the Fishing 
 falls — a series of cataracts with very inclined planes, which 
 are probably so named because they form a barrier to the as- 
 cent of the salmon ; and the great fisheries, from which the 
 inhabitants of this barren region almost entirely derive a sub- 
 sistence, commence at this place. These appeared to be un- 
 usually gay savages, fond of loud laughter ; and, in their ap- 
 parent good nature and merry character, struck me as being 
 entirely different from the Indians we had been accustomed to 
 see. From several who visited our camp in the evening, we 
 purchased, in exchange for goods, dried salmon. At this season 
 they are not very fat, but we were easily pleased. The In- 
 dians made us comprehend, that when the salmon came up the 
 river in the spring, they are so abundant that they merely 
 throw in their spears at random, certain of bringing out a fish. 
 
 These poor people are but slightly provided with winter 
 clothing ; there is but little game to furnish skins for the pur- 
 pose ; and of a little animal which seemed to be the most numer- 
 ous, it required 20 skins to make a covering to the knees. But 
 they are still a joyous, talkative race, who grow fat and be- 
 come poor with the salmon, which at least never fail them — 
 the dried being used in the absence of the fresh. We are en- 
 camped immediately on the river bank, and with the salmon 
 jumping up out of the water, and Indians paddling about in 
 boats made of rushes, or laughing around the fires, the camp 
 to-night has quite a lively appearance. 
 
 The river at this place is more open than for some distance 
 above, and, for the time, the black precipices have disappear- 
 ed, and no calcareous matter is visible in the soil. The ther- 
 mometer at sunset 74°, clear and calm. 
 
 2d. — The sunrise temperature was 48° ; the weather clear 
 and calm. Shortly after leaving the encampment, we crossed 
 a stream of clear water, with a variable breadth of 10 to 25 
 yards, broken by rapids, and lightly wooded with willow, and 
 having a little grass on its small bottom-land. The barren- 
 ness of the country is in fine contrast to-day with the mingled 
 
1843.] cAPT. /remont's narrative. 227 
 
 beauty ancr grandeur of the river, which is moi« «)p€n than 
 hitherto, with a constant successiott of falls a^id rapids. Over 
 the edge of the black cliffs, and out from their faces, are fall- 
 ing numberless streams and springs ; and all the line of the 
 river is in motion with the play of the water. In about seven 
 miles we reached the most beautiful and picturesque fall I 
 had seen on the river. 
 
 On the opposite side, the vertical fall is perhaps 18 feet 
 high ; and nearer, the sheet of foaming water is divided and 
 broken into cataracts, where several little islands on the brink 
 and in the river above, give it much picturesque beauty, and 
 make it one of those places the traveler turns again and again 
 to fix in his memory. There were several lodges of Indians 
 here, from whom we traded salmon. Below this place the 
 river makes a remarkable bend ; and the road, ascending the 
 ridge, gave us a fine view of the river below, intersected at 
 many places by numerous fish dams. In the north, about 
 50 miles distant, were some high snowy peaks of the Salmon 
 River mountains ; and in the northeast, the last peak of the 
 range was visible at the distance of perhaps 100 miles or more. 
 The river hills consist of very broken masses of sand, covered 
 everywhere with the same interminable fields of sage, and oc- 
 casionally the road is very heavy. We now frequently saw 
 Indians, who were strung along the river at every little rapid 
 where fish are to be caught, and the cry Jiaggai, haggai, (fish,) 
 was constantly heard whenever we passed near their huts, or 
 met them in the road. Very many of them were oddly and 
 partially dressed in overcoat, shirt, waistcoat, or pantaloons, 
 or whatever article of clothing they had been able to procure 
 in trade from the emigrants ; for we had now entirely quitted 
 the country where hawks' bells, beads, and vermilion were 
 the current coin, and found that here only useful articles, and 
 chiefly clothing, were in great request. These, however, are 
 eagerly sought after ; and for a few trifling pieces of clothing, 
 travelers may procure food sufficient to carry them to the 
 Columbia. 
 
 We made a long stretch across the upper plain, and en- 
 camped on the bluff, where the grass was very green and 
 
S2S. CAPT. Fremont's marbative. [On. 
 
 good, the soil of the upper plains containing a considerable pro. 
 portion of calcareous matter. This green freshness of the 
 grass was very remarkable for the season of the year. Again 
 we heard the roar of the fall in the river below, where the 
 water in an unbroken volume goes over a descent of several 
 fee. The night is clear, and the weather continues very warm 
 and pleasant, with a sunset temperature of 70°. 
 
 3d. — The morning was pleasant, with a temperature at sun- 
 rise of 42°. The road was broken by ravines among the 
 hills, and in one of these, which made the bed of a dry creek, 
 I found a fragmentary stratum, or brecciated conglomerate, 
 consisting of flinty slate pebbles, with fragments of limestone 
 containing fossil shells. 
 
 On the left, the mountains are visible at the distance of 20 
 or 30 miles, appearing smooth and rather low ; but at inter- 
 vals higher peaks look out from beyond, and indicate that the 
 main ridge, which we are leaving with the course of the river, 
 and which forms the northern boundary of the Great Basin, 
 still maintains its elevation. About two o'clock we arrived at 
 the ford where the road crosses to the right bank of Snake 
 river. An Indian was hired to conduct us through the ford, 
 which proved impracticable for us, the water sweeping away 
 the howitzer and nearly drowning the mules, which we were 
 obliged to extricate by cutting them out of the harness. The 
 river here is expanded into a little bay, in which there are two 
 islands, across which is the road of the ford ; and the emi- 
 grants had passed by placing two of their heavy wagons abreast 
 of each other, so as to oppose a considerable mass against the 
 body of water. The Indians informed us that one of the men, 
 in attempting to turn some cattle which had taken a wrong di- 
 rection, was carried off by the current and drowned. Since 
 their passage, the water had risen considerably ; but, fortu- 
 nately, we had a resource in a boat, which was filled with air 
 and launched ; and at seven o'clock we were safely encamped 
 on the opposite bank, the animals swimming across, and the 
 carriage, howitzer, and baggage of the camp, being carried 
 over in the boat. At the place where we crossed, above the 
 islaads, the river had narrowed to a breadth of 1,049 feet by 
 
1843,] CAPT. fbbmokt's narrative. 339 
 
 measurement, the greater portion of which was frorn six to 
 eight feet deep. We were obliged to make our camp where 
 we landed, among the Indian lodges, which are semicircular 
 huts made of willow, thatched over with straw, and open to the 
 sunny south. By observation, the latitude of our encampment 
 on the right bank of the river was 42° 55' 58^' ; chrononrietric 
 longitude 115° 04'' 46''', and the traveled distance from Foxi 
 Hall 208 miles. 
 
 4th. — Calm, pleasant day, with the thermometer at sunrise 
 at 47°. Leaving the river at a considerable distance to the 
 left, and following up the bed of a rocky creek, with oc- 
 casional holes of water, in about six miles we ascended, by a 
 long and rather steep hill, to a plain 600 feet above the river, 
 over which we continued to travel during the day, having a 
 broken ridge 2,000 or 3,000 feet high on the right. The plain 
 terminates, where we ascended, in an escarpment of vesicular 
 trap-rock, which supplies the fragments of the creek below. 
 The sky clouded over with a strong wind from the northwest, 
 with a few drops of rain and occasional sunlight, threatening 
 a change. 
 
 Artemisia still covers the plain, but Purshia tridentata 
 makes its appearance here on the hill-sides and on bottoms of 
 the creeks — quite a tree in size, larger than the artemisia. 
 We crossed several hollows with a little water in them, and 
 improved grass ; and, turning off from the road in the after- 
 noon in search of water, traveled about three miles up the bed 
 of a willow creek, towards the mountain, and found a good 
 encampment, with wood and grass, and little ponds of water 
 m the bed of the creek ; which must be of more importance 
 at other seasons, as we found there several old fixtures for fish- 
 ing. There were many holes on the creek prairie, which had 
 been made by the Diggers in search of roots. 
 
 Wind increased to a violent gale from the N. W., with a 
 temperature at sunset of 57°. 
 
 5th. — The morning was calm and clear, and at sunrise the 
 thermometer was at 32°. The road to-day was occasionally 
 extremely rocky, with hard volcanic fragments, and our travel. 
 Ing very slow. In about nine miles the road brought us to a 
 
230 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Oct. 
 
 group of smoking hot springs, with a temperature of 164°. 
 There were a few helianthi in bloom, with some other low 
 plants, and the place was green round about ; the ground warm 
 and the air pleasant, with a summer atmosphere that was very 
 grateful in a day of high and cold, searching wind. The 
 rocks were covered with a white and red incrustation ; and 
 the water has on the tongue the same unpleasant effect as that 
 of the Basin spring on Bear river. They form several branch- 
 es, and bubble up with force enough to raise the small peb- 
 bles several inches. The following is an analysis of the deposite 
 with which the rocks are incrusted : 
 
 Silica 72-55 
 
 Carbonate of lime --..... 14'60 
 
 Carbonate of magnesia ...... 1-20 
 
 Oxide of iron -.--..-- 4*65 
 
 Alumina --.-..... 0'70 
 
 Chloride of sodium, &c. '\ 
 
 Sulphate of soda > ..... I-IO 
 
 Sulphate of lime, &c. j 
 
 Organic vegetable matter ) p.on 
 
 Water and loss > !_ 
 
 10000 
 
 These springs are near the foot of the ridge, (a dark and 
 rugged-looking mountain,) in which some of the nearer rocks 
 have a reddish appearance, and probably consist of a reddish- 
 brown trap, fragments of which were scattered along the road 
 after leaving the spring. The road was now about to cross 
 the point of this mountain, which we judged to be a spur from 
 the Salmon River range. We crossed a small creek, and en- 
 camped about sunset on a stream, which is probably Lake 
 river. This is a small stream, some five or six feet broad, 
 with a swift current, timbered principally with willows and 
 some few cottonvvoods. Along the banks were canes, rose- 
 bushes, and clematis, with Purshia tridentata and arteraisias 
 on the upper bottom. The sombre appearance of the country 
 is somewhat relieved in coming unexpectedly from the dark 
 rocks upon these green and wooded water-courses, sunk in 
 chasms ; and, in the spring, the contrasted effect must make 
 them beautiful. 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativb. 231 
 
 The thermometer at sunset 47°, and the night threatening 
 snow. 
 
 6th. — The morning warm, the thermometer 46° at sunrise, 
 and sky entirely clouded. After traveling about three miles 
 over an extremely rocky road, the volcanic fragments began 
 to disappear ; and, entering among the hills at the point of the 
 mountain, we found ourselves suddenly in a granite country. 
 Here, the character of the vegetation was very much changed ; 
 the artemisia disappeared almost entirely, showing only at in- 
 tervals towards the close of the day, and was replaced by 
 Purshia tridentata, with flowering shrubs, and small fields of 
 dieteria divaricata, which gave bloom and gayety to the hills. 
 These were everywhere covered with a fresh and green short 
 grass, like that of the early spring. This is the fall or second 
 growth, the dried grass having been burnt off by the Indians ; 
 and wherever the fire has passed, the bright, green color is 
 universal. The soil among the hills is altogether different 
 from that of the river plain, being in many places black, in 
 others sandy and gravelly, but of a firm and good character, 
 appearing to result from the decomposition of the granite rocks, 
 which is proceeding rapidly. 
 
 In quitting for a time the artemisia (sage) through which we 
 had been so long voyaging, and the sombre appearance of 
 which is so discouraging, I have to remark, that I have been 
 informed that in Mexico wheat is grown upon the ground which 
 produces this shrub ; which, if true, relieves the soil from the 
 character of sterility imputed to it. Be this as it may, there 
 is no dispute about the grass, which is almost universal on the 
 hills and mountains, and always nutritious, even in its dry 
 state. We passed on the way masses of gr6«iite on the slope 
 of the spur, which was very much weathered and abraded. 
 This is a white feldspathic granite, with small scales of black 
 mica ; smoky quartz and garnets appear to constitute this por- 
 tion of the mountain. 
 
 The road at noon reached a broken ridge, on which were 
 scattered many boulders or blocks of granite ; and, passing 
 very small streams, where, with a little more than the usual 
 timber, was sometimes gathered a little wilderness of plants. 
 
233 CAPT. Fremont's nakrativb. [Oct* 
 
 we encamped on a small stream, ai\er a march of 22 miles, in 
 company with a few Indians. Temperature at sunset 51° j 
 and the night was partially clear, with a few stars visible 
 through drifting white clouds. The Indians made an un- 
 successful attempt to steal a few horses from us — a thing of 
 course with them, and to prevent which the traveler is on per- 
 petual watch. 
 
 7th. — The day was bright, clear, pleasant, with a tempera- 
 ture of 45<3; and we breakfasted at sunrise, the birds singing 
 in the trees as merrily as if we were in the midst of summer. 
 On the upper edge of the hills on the opposite side of the creek, 
 the black volcanic rock appears ; and ascending these, the 
 road passed through a basin, around which the hills swept in 
 such a manner as to give it the appearance of an old crater. 
 Here were strata and broken beds of black scoriated rock, and 
 hills composed of the same, on the summit of one of which 
 there was an opening resembling a rent. We traveled to-day 
 through a country resembling that of yesterday, where, al- 
 though the surface was hilly, the road was good, being firm, 
 and entirely free from rocks and artemisia. To our left, be- 
 low, was the great sage plain ; and on the right were the near 
 mountains, which presented a smoothly-broken character, or 
 rather a surface waved into numberless hills. The road was 
 occasionally enlivened by meeting Indians, and the day was 
 extremely beautiful and pleasant ; and we were pleased to be 
 free from the sage, even for a day. When we had traveled 
 about eight miles, we were nearly opposite to the highest por- 
 tion of the mountains on the left side of the Smoke River val- 
 ley ; and, continuing on a few miles beyond, we came sud- 
 denly in sight of the broad green line of the valley of the 
 Riviire Boisie, (wooded river,) black near the gorge where it 
 debouches into the plains, with high precipices of basalt, be- 
 tween walls of which it passes, on emerging from the moun- 
 tains. Following with the eye its upward course, it appears 
 to be shut in among lofty mountains, confining its valley in a 
 very rugged country. 
 
 Descending the hills, after traveling a few miles along the 
 high plain, th» road brought us down upon the bottoms of th« 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 233 
 
 river, which is a beautiful, rapid stream, with clear mountain 
 water ; and, as the name indicates, well wooded with some va« 
 rieties of timber — among which are handsome cottonwoods. 
 Such a stream had become quite a novelty in this country, and 
 we were delighted this afternoon to make a pleasant camp under 
 fine old trees again. There were several Indian encampments 
 scattered along the river ; and a number of their inhabitants, 
 in the course of the evening, came to the camp on horseback 
 with dried and fresh fish, to trade. The evening was clear, 
 and the temperature at sunset 57°. 
 
 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 of 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. 
 tinning 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, a mile 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 ; and on our arrival we were re- 
 ceived with an agreeable hospitality by Mr. Payette, an officer 
 of the Hudson's Bay Company, in charge of the fort, all of whose 
 garrison consisted in a Canadian engage. 
 
 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 to the 
 left bank. Here we found ourselves again surrounded by the 
 sage ; 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 car. 
 bonate of soda, with a small portion of chloride of sodium. Mr, 
 Payette had made but slight attempts at cultivation, his efforts 
 being limited to raising a few vegetables, in which he succeed. 
 
234 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Oct. 
 
 ed tolerably well ; the post being principally supported by 
 salmon. He was very hospitable and kind to us, and we made 
 a sensible impression upon all his comestibles ; but our princi- 
 pal inroad was into the dairy, which was abundantly supplied, 
 stock appearing to thrive extremely well ; and we had an un- 
 usual luxury in a present of fresh butter, which was, however, 
 by no means equal to that of Fort Hall — probably from some 
 accidental cause. During the day we remained here, there 
 were considerable numbers of miserable, half-naked Indians 
 around the fort, who had arrived from the neighboring moun- 
 tains. During the summer, the only subsistence of these peo- 
 ple is derived from the salmon, of which they are not provident 
 enough to lay up a sufficient store for the winter, during which 
 many of them die from absolute starvation. 
 
 Many little accounts and scattered histories, together with 
 an acquaintance which I gradually acquired of their modes of 
 life, had left the aboriginal inhabitants of this vast region pic- 
 tured in my mind as a race of people whose great and constant 
 occupation was the means of procuring a subsistence ; and 
 though want of space and other reasons will prevent me from 
 detailing the many incidents which made this familiar to me, 
 this great feature among the characteristics of the country will 
 gradually be forced upon your mind. 
 
 Pointing to the group of Indians who had just arrived from 
 the mountains on the left side of the valley, and who were re- 
 garding our usual appliances of civilization with an air of be- 
 wildered curiosity, Mr. Payette informed me that, every year 
 since his arrival at this post, he had unsuccessfully endeavored 
 to induce these people to lay up a store of salmon for their 
 winter provision. While the summer weather and the salmon 
 lasted, they lived contentedly and happily, scattered along the 
 different streams where fish are to be found ; and as soon as 
 the winter snows began to fall, little smokes would be seen 
 rising among the mountains, where they would be found in 
 miserable groups, starving out the winter ; and sometimes, ac- 
 cording to the general belief, reduced to the horror of canni- 
 balism — the strong, of course, preying on the weak. Certain 
 it is they are driven to any extremity for food, and eat every 
 
1943.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 235 
 
 insect, and every creeping thing, however loathsome and re- 
 pulsive. Snails, lizards, ants — all are devoured with the readi< 
 ness and greediness of mere animals. 
 
 In common with all the other Indians we had encountered 
 since reaching the Pacific waters, these people use the Shosho- 
 nee or Snake language, which you will have occasion to re- 
 mark, in the course of the narrative, is the universal language 
 over a very extensive region. 
 
 On the evening of the 10th, I obtained, with the usual obser- 
 vations, a very excellent emersion of the first satellite, agree- 
 ing very nearly with the chronometer. From these observa- 
 tions, the longitude of the fort is 116° 47' 00^', latitude 43° 49^ 
 22^', and elevation above the sea 2,100 feet. 
 
 Sitting by the fire on the river bank, and waiting for the 
 immersion of the satellite, which did not take place until after 
 midnight, we heard the monotonous song of the Indians, with 
 which they accompany a certain game of which they are very 
 fond. Of the poetry we could not judge, but the music was 
 miserable. 
 
 11th. — The morning was clear, with a light breeze from 
 the east, and a temperature at sunrise of 33°. A part of a 
 bullock purchased at the fort, together with the boat, to assist 
 him in crossing, was left here for Mr. Fitzpatrick, and at 1 1 
 o'clock we resumed our journey ; and directly leaving the 
 river, and crossing the artemisia plain, in several ascents we 
 reached the foot of a ridge, where the road entered a dry sandy 
 hollow, up which it continued to the head ; and, crossing a 
 dividing ridge, entered a similar one. We met here two poor 
 emigrants, (Irishmen,) who had lost their horses two days 
 since — probably stolen by the Indians ; and were returning to 
 the fort, in hopes to hear something of them there. They had 
 recently had nothing to eat ; and I halted to unpack an ani- 
 mal, and gave them meat for their dinner. In this hollow, the 
 artemisia is partially displaced on the hill-sides by grass j 
 and descending it — miles, about sunset we reached the 
 Riviire aux Malheurs, (the unfortunate or unlucky river,) — a 
 considerable stream, with an average breadth of 50 feet, and, 
 at this time, 18 inches' depth of water. 
 
286 CAPT. Fremont's naskatiye. [Oct. 
 
 The bottom lands were generally one and a halfi.iile broad, 
 covered principally with long dry grass ; and we had difficulty 
 to find sufficient good grass for the camp. With the exception 
 of a bad place of a few hundred yards long, which occurred in 
 rounding a point of hill to reach the ford of the river, the road 
 during the day had been very good. 
 
 12th. — The morning was clear and calm, and the thermom- 
 eter at sunrise 23°. My attention was attracted by a smoke 
 on the right side of the river, a little below the ford, where I 
 found, on the low banks near the water, a considerable num- 
 ber of hot springs, in which the temperature of the water was 
 193°. The ground, which was too hot for the naked foot, was 
 covered above and below the springs with an incrustation of 
 common salt, very white and good, and fine-grained. 
 
 Leading for tive miles up a broad dry branch of the Malheurs 
 river, the road entered a sandy hollow, where the surface was 
 rendered firm by the admixture of other rock ; being good and 
 level until arriving near the head of the ravine, where it be- 
 came a little rocky, and we met with a number of sharp as- 
 cents over an undulating surface. Crossing here a dividing 
 ridge, it becomes an excellent road of gradual descent down a 
 very marked hollow ; in which, after ten miles, willows began 
 to appear in the dry bed of a head of the Riviire aux Bouleaux, 
 (Birch river;) and descending seven miles, we found, at its 
 junction with another branch, a litt' > water, not very good or 
 abundant, but sufficient, in case ol necessity, for a camp. 
 Crossing Birch river, we continued for about four miles across 
 a point of hill ; the country on the left being entirely moun- 
 tainous, with no level spot to be seen ; whence we descended 
 to Snake river — here a fine-looking stream, with a large body 
 of water and a smooth current ; although we hear the roar, 
 and see below us the commencement of rapids, where it enters 
 among the hills. It' forms here a deep bay, with a low sand 
 island in the midst ; and its course among the mountains is 
 agreeably exchanged for the black volcanic rock. The 
 weather during the day had been very bright and extremely 
 hot i but| 48 usual, so soon as th^ sun went dowD| it was oeces- 
 sary to put on overcoats. 
 
1843. J CAPT. FKSMOlCr^S NARRATin. 337 
 
 1 obtained this evening an observation of an emersion of the 
 first satellite, and our observations of tho evening place this 
 encampment in latitude 44° 17' 36^', and longitude 116° 66'' 
 45^', which is the mean of the results from the satellite and 
 chronometer. The elevation above the sea is 1,880 feet. At 
 this encampment, the grass is scanty and poor. 
 
 13th. — The morning was bright, with the temperature at 
 sunrise 28°. The horses had strayed off during the night, 
 probably in search of grass ; and, after a considerable delay, 
 we had succeeded in finding all but two, when, about nine 
 o'clock, we heard the sound of an Indian song and drum ap- 
 proaching ; and shortly after, three Cayuse Indians appeared 
 in sight, bringing with them the two animals. They belonged 
 to a party which had been on a bufTalo-hunt in the neighbor, 
 hood of the Rocky mountains, and were hurrying home in ad- 
 vance. We presented them with some tobacco and other 
 things, with which they appeared well satisfied, and, moderating 
 their pace, traveled in company with us. 
 
 We were now about to leave the valley of the great southern 
 branch of the Columbia river, to which the absence of timber, 
 and the scarcity of water, give the appearance of a desert, to 
 enter a mountainous region, where the soil is good, and in 
 which the face of the country is covered with nutritious grasses 
 and dense forest — land embracing many varieties of trees pe- 
 culiar to the country, and on which the timber exhibits a luxu- 
 riance of growth unknown to the eastern part of the continent 
 and to Europe. This mountainous region connects itself in 
 the southward and westward with the elevated country be- 
 longing to the Cascade or California range ; and, as will be 
 remarked in the course of the narrative, forms the eastern 
 limit of the fertile and timbered lands along the desert and 
 mountainous region included within the Great Basin — a term 
 which I apply to the intermediate region between the Rocky 
 mountains and the next range, containing many lakes, with 
 their own system of rivers and creeks, (of which the Great 
 Salt is the principal,) and which have no connection with the 
 ocean, or the great rivers which flow into it. This Great Basin 
 is yet to be adequately explored. And here, on quitting the 
 
238 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Oct. 
 
 banks of a sterile river, to enter on arable mountains, the re- 
 mark may be made, that, on this western slope of our continent, 
 the usual order or distribution of good and bad soil is often re- 
 versed ; the river and creek bottoms being often sterile, and 
 darkened with the gloomy and barren artemisia; while the 
 mountain is often fertile, and covered with rich grass, pleasant 
 to the eye, and good for flocks and herds. 
 
 Leaving entirely the Snake river, which is said henceforth 
 to pursue its way through canons, amidst rocky and imprac 
 ticable mountains, where there is no possibility of traveling 
 with animals, we ascended a long and steep hill ; and crossing 
 he dividing ridge, came down into the valley of Burnt river, 
 which here looks like a hole among the hills. The average 
 L.readth of the stream here is thirty feet; it is well fringed 
 ^ith the usual small timber; and the soil in the bottoms is 
 good, with better grass than we had lately been accustomed to 
 see. 
 
 We now traveled through a very mountainous country ; the 
 stream running rathfer in a ravine than a valley, and the road 
 is decidedly bad and dangerous for single wagons, frequently 
 crossing the stream where the water is sometimes deep ; and 
 all the day the animals were fatigued in climbing up and de- 
 scending a succession of steep ascents, to avoid the precipitous 
 hill-sides ; and the common trail, which leads along the moun- 
 tain-side at places where the river strikes the base, is some- 
 times bad even for a horseman. The mountains along thif 
 day's journey were composed, near the river, of a slaty cal 
 careous rock in a metamorphic condition. It appears origi 
 nally to have been a slaty sedimentary limestone, but iti 
 present condition indicates that it has been altered, and hai 
 become partially crystalline — probably from the proximity of 
 volcanic rocks. But though traveling was slow and fatiguing 
 to the animals, we were delighted with the appearance of the 
 country, which was green and refreshing after our tedious 
 journey down the parched valley of Snake river. The moun- 
 tains were covered with good bunch-grass, {festuca;) the 
 water of the streams was cold and pure ; their bottoms were 
 handsomely wooded with various kinds of Irees ; and huge and 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 239 
 
 lofty picturesque precipices where the river cat through the 
 mountain. 
 
 We found in the evening some good grass and rushes ; and 
 encamped among large timber, principally birch, which had 
 been recently burnt, and blackened, and almost destroyed by 
 fire. The night was calm and tolerably clear, with the ther- 
 mometer at sunset at 59°. Our journey to-day was about 
 twenty miles. 
 
 14th. — The day was clear and calm, with a temperature at 
 sunrise of 46°. After traveling about three miles up the 
 valley, we found the river shut up by precipices in a kind of 
 canon, and the road makes a circuit over the mountains. In 
 the afternoon we reached the river again, by another lit^la 
 ravine ; and, after traveling along it for a few miles, left it en- 
 closed among rude mountains ; and, ascending a smaller 
 branch, encamped on it about five o'clock, very much elevated 
 above the valley. The view was everywhere limited by 
 mountains, on which were no longer seen the black and barren 
 rocks, but a fertile soil, with excellent grass, and partly well 
 covered with pine. I have never seen a wagon-road equally 
 bad in the same space, as this of yesterday and to-day. 1 
 noticed where one wagon had been overturned twice, in a very 
 short distance ; and it was surprising to me that those wagons 
 which were in the rear, and could not have had much assist- 
 ance, got through at all. Still, there is no mud ; and the road 
 has one advantage, in being perfectly firm. The day had been 
 warm and very pleasant, and the night was perfectly clear. 
 
 15th. — The thermometer at daylight was 42°, and at sun- 
 rise 40° ; clouds, which were scattered over all the sky, dis- 
 appeared with the rising sun. . The trail did not much im- 
 prove until we had crossed the dividing-ground between the 
 BrUUe (Burnt) and Powder rivers. The rock displayed on the 
 mountains, as we approached the summit, was a compact trap, 
 decomposed on tiie exposed surfaces, and apparently an altered 
 argillaceous sandstone, containing small crystalline nodules of 
 anolcime, apparently filling cavities originally existing. From 
 the summit here, the whole horizon shows high mountains ; 
 no high plain or level is to be seen ; and on the left, from south 
 
910 CAPT. fhemont's nakhativr. [Oct. 
 
 around by tho west to north, the mountains are black with 
 pines; while, through tho remaining apnco to tlio eastward, 
 Ihey aro bald, with the exception of some scattered pines. 
 You will rem»rk that we are now entering a region where all 
 the elevated [Mirta are covered with dense and heavy forests. 
 From tho dividing-grounds wo devscpnd(<l by a mountain-road 
 to Powder river, on an old lwi\ of which we encamped. De- 
 Rcending fix>m tho summit, wo enjoyed a picturesque view of 
 high rocky mountains on tho rijijht, illuminated by the setting 
 sun. 
 
 From the heights we had looked in vain for a well-known 
 Mndmark on Powder river, which had been described to me 
 by Mr. Payette as Varhre senl, (the lone tree ;) and, on arriving 
 »t tho river, we found a fme tall pine stretched on the ground, 
 which had been felled by some inconsiderate emigrant axe. 
 It had been a beacon on the road for many years past. Our 
 Cayuses had become impatient to reach their homes, and trav- 
 elod on ahead to day ; and this afternoon we were visited by 
 several Indians who belonged to the tribes on the Columbia. 
 They were on horseback, and were out on a hunting excur- 
 sion, but had obtained no better game than a large gray hare, 
 of which each had some six or seven hanging to his saddle. 
 We Were also visited by on Indian who had his lodge and 
 family in the mountain to the left. He was in want of amnui- 
 nition, and bri>ught with him a beaver-skin to exchange, and 
 which he valued at six charges of powder and ball. I learned 
 from him that there are very few of these animals remaining 
 in this part of the country. 
 
 The temperature at sunset was 61°, and the evening clear. 
 I obtained, with other observations, an immersion and emersion 
 of the third satellite. Elevation 3,100 feet. 
 
 16th. — For several weeks the weather in the daytime has 
 been very beautiful, clear, and warm ; but the nights, in com- 
 parison, are very cold. During the night there was ice a quar- 
 ter of an inch thick in the lodge ; and at daylight the thermo- 
 meter was at 16°, and the same at sunrise, the weather being 
 calm and clear. The annual vegetation now is nearly gone, 
 almost all the plants being out of bloom. 
 
1948.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 241 
 
 Last night two of our horses had run off again, which delay- 
 ed us until noon, and we made to-day but a short journey of 
 13 miles, the road being very good, and encamped in a fine 
 bottom of Powder river. 
 
 The thermometer at sunset was at 61°, with an easterly 
 wind, and partially clear sky ; and the day has been quite 
 pleasant and warm, though more cloudy than yesterday ; and 
 the sun was frequently faint, but it grew finer and clearer to- 
 wards evening. 
 
 17th. — Thermometer at sunrise 25°. The weather at day- 
 light was fine, and the sky without a cloud ; but these came 
 up, or were formed by the sun, and at seven were thick over 
 all the sky. Just now, this appears to be the regular course — 
 clear and brilliant during the night, and cloudy during the 
 day. There is snow yet visible in the neighboring mountains, 
 which yesterday extended along our route to the left, in a lofty 
 and dark-blue range, having much the appearance of the Wind 
 River mountains. It is probable that they have received their 
 name of the Blue mountains from the dark-blue appearance 
 given to them by the pines. We traveled this morning across 
 the affluents to Powder river, the road being good, firm, and 
 level, and the country became constantly more pleasant and 
 interesting. The soil appeared to be very deep, and is black 
 and extremely good, as well among the hollows of the hills on 
 the elevated plats, as on the river bottoms, the vegetation being 
 such as is usually found in good ground. The following ana- 
 lytical result shows the precise qualities of this soil, and will 
 justify to science the >-' iracter of fertility which the eye at- 
 tributes to it : 
 
 Analysis of Powder river soil. 
 
 Silica 72-30 
 
 Alumina ........ 6'25 
 
 Carbonate of lime ....... 6'86 
 
 Carbonate of magnesia ...... 4*62 
 
 Oxide of Iron 1-20 
 
 Organic matter ....... 4-50 
 
 Water and loss ........ 4-27 
 
 10000 
 
 n 
 
243 CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. [OcT. 
 
 From the waters of this stream, the road ascended by a good 
 and moderate ascent to a dividing ridge, but immediately en 
 tered upon ground covered with fragments of an altered sili- 
 cious slate, which are in many places large, and render the 
 road racking to a carriage. In this rock the planes of deposi- 
 tion are distinctly preserved, and the metamorphism is evident- 
 ly due to the proximity of volcanic rocks. On either side, the 
 mountains here are densely covered with tall and handsome 
 trees ; and, mingled with the green of a variety of pines, is the 
 yellow of the European larch, (pinus larix,) which loses its 
 leaves in the fall. From its present color, we were enabled to 
 see that it forms a large proportion of the forests on the moun- 
 tains, and is here a magnificent tree, attaining sometimes the 
 height of 200 feet, which I believe is elsewhere unknown. 
 About two in the afternoon we reached a high point of the di- 
 viding rid^e, from which we obtained a good view of the Grand 
 Bond — a beautiful level basin, or mountain valley, covered 
 with good grass, on a rich soil, abundantly watered, and sur- 
 rounded by high and well-timbered mountains — and its name 
 descriptive of its form — the great circle. It is a place— one 
 of the few we have seen on our journey so far — where a farmer 
 would delight to establish himself, if he were content to live in 
 the seclusion which it imposes. It is about 20 miles in diame- 
 ter, and may, in time, form a superb county. Probably with 
 the view of avoiding a circuit, the wagons had directly de- 
 scended into the Rond by the face of a hill so very rocky and 
 continuously steep as to be apparently impracticable, and, fol- 
 lowing down on their trail, we encamped on one of the branches 
 of the Grand Rond river, immediately at the foot of the hill. I 
 had remarked, in descending, some very white spots glistening 
 on the plain, and, going out in that direction after we had en- 
 camped, I found them to be the bed of a dry salt lake, or 
 marsh, very firm and bare, which was covered thickly with a 
 fine white powder, containing a large quantity of carbonate of 
 soda, (thirty-three in one hundred parts.) 
 
 The old grass had been lately burnt off from the surround- 
 ing hills, and, wherever the fire had passed, there was a recent 
 growth of strong, green, and vigorous grass ; and the soil of 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativb. 243 
 
 the level prairie, which sweeps directly up to the foot of the 
 mrrounding mountains, appears to be very rich, produ*iog 
 fleix spontaneously and luxuriantly in various places. 
 
 Analysis of Grand Bond soil. 
 
 Silica, 70-81 
 
 Aluminh,' ----.--- 10'97 
 
 Lime and magnesia, ...... l«3)3 
 
 Oxide of iron, ....... 2*21 
 
 Vegetable matter, partly decomposed, ... 8*16 
 
 Water and loss, ....... 5'46 
 
 Phosphate of lime, - . . . . > > 1-01 
 
 fob-oo 
 
 The elevation of this encampment is 2,940 feet above the sea. 
 
 18th. — It began to rain an hour before sunrise, and con- 
 tinued until ten o'clock ; the sky entirely overcast, and the 
 temperature at sunrise 48°. 
 
 We resumed our journey somewhat later than usual, travel- 
 ing in a nearly north direction across the beautiful valley ; and 
 about noon reached a place on one of the principal streams, 
 where I had determined to leave the emigrant trail, in the ex- 
 pectation of finding a more direct and better road across the 
 Blue mountains. At this place the emigrants appeared to 
 have held some consultation as to their further route, and finally 
 turned directly off to the left ; reaching the foot of the moun- 
 tain in about three miles, which they ascended by a hill 
 as steep and difficult as that by which we had yesterday de- 
 scended to the Rond. Quitting, therefore, this road, which, af- 
 ter a very rough crossing, issues from the mountains by the 
 heads of the Umaiilah river, we continued our northern course 
 across the valley, following an Indian trail which had been 
 indicated to me by Mr. Payette, and encamped at the northern 
 extremity of the Grand Rond, on a slough-like stream of very 
 deep water, without any apparent current. There are some 
 pines here on the low hills at the creek ; and in the northwest 
 corner of the Rond is a very heavy body of timber, which de- 
 scends into the plain. The clouds, which had rested very low 
 along the mountain sides during the day, rose gradually u ) in 
 the atlernoon ; and in the evening the sky *vas almost enti ely 
 
S44 CAPT. Fremont's narrativb. {Oct. 
 
 elear, with a temperature at sunset of 47°. Some indifferent 
 observations placed the camp in longitude 117° 28' 26'", lati- 
 tude 45° 26' 47'' ; and the elevation was 2,600 feet above 
 the sea. 
 
 19th. — This morning the mountains were hidden by fog ; 
 there was a heavy dew during the night, in which the exposed 
 thermometer at daylight stood at 32°, and at sunrise the tem- 
 perature was 35°. 
 
 We passed out of the Grand Rond by a fine road along the 
 creek, which, for a short distance, runs in a kind of rocky 
 chasm. Crossing a low point, which was a little rocky, the 
 trail conducted into the open valley of the stream — a handsome 
 place for farms ; the soil, even of the hills, being rich and 
 black. Passing through a point of pines, which bore evidences 
 of being very much frequented by the Indians, and in which 
 the trees were sometimes apparently 200 feet high, and three 
 to seven feet in diameter, we halted for a few minutes in the 
 afternoon at the foot of the Blue mountains, on a branch of the 
 Grand Rond river, at an elevation of 2,700 feet. Resuming 
 our journey, we commenced the ascent of the mountains 
 through an open pine forest of large and stately trees, among 
 which the balsam pine made its appearance ; the road being 
 good, with the exception of one steep ascent, with a corres- 
 ponding descent, which might both have been easily avoided 
 by opening the way for a short distance through the timber. 
 It would have been well had we encamped on the stream where 
 we had halted below, as the night overtook us on the mountain, 
 and we were obliged to encamp without water, and tie up the 
 animals to the trees for the night. We halted on a smooth 
 open place of a narrow ridge, which descended very rapidly to 
 a ravine or piny hollow, at a considerable distance below ; and 
 it was quite a pretty spot, had there been water near. But 
 the fires at night look very cheerless after a day's march, 
 when there is no preparation for supper going on ; and, after 
 sitting some time around the blazing logs, Mr. Preuss and 
 Carson, with several others, volunteered to take the India-rub- 
 ber buckets and go down into the ravine in search of water. 
 It M as a very difficult way in the darkness down the slippery 
 
1843.] CAPT. fkemont's narbativb. 345 
 
 side of the steep mountain, and harder still to climb about half 
 a mile up again ; but they found the water, and the cup of 
 coffee (which it enabled us to make) and bread were only en- 
 joyed with greater pleasure. 
 
 At sunset the temperature was 46° ; the evening remarka- 
 bly clear ; and I obtained an emersion of the first satellite, 
 which does not give a good result, although the observation 
 was a very good one. The chronometric longitude was 117° 
 28' 34'', latitude 45° 38' 07", and we had ascended to an 
 elevation of 3,830 feet. It appeared to have snowed yes- 
 terday on the mountains, their summits showing very white 
 to-day. 
 
 20th. — There was a heavy white frost during the night, and 
 at sunrise the temperature was 37°. 
 
 The animals had eaten nothing during the night ; and we 
 made an early start, continuing our route among the pines, 
 which were more dense than yesterday, and still retained their 
 magnificent size. The larches cluster together in masses on the 
 side of the mountains, and their yellow foliage contrasts hand- 
 somely with the green of the balsam and other pines. After a 
 few miles we ceased to see any pines, and the timber consisted 
 of several varieties of spruce, larch, and balsam pine, which 
 have a regularly conical figure. These trees appeared from 60 
 to nearly 200 feet in height ; the usual circumference being 10 
 to 12 feet, and in the pines sometimes 21 feet. In open places 
 near the summit, these trees became less high and more branch- 
 ing, the conical form having a greater base. The instrument 
 carriage occasioned much delay, it being frequently necessary 
 to fell trees and remove the fallen timber. The trail we were 
 following led up a long spur, with a vety gradual and gentle 
 rise. At the end of three miles, we halted at an open place 
 near the summit, from which we enjoyed a fine view over the 
 mountainous country -where we had lately traveled, to take a 
 barometrical observation at the height of 4,460 feet. 
 
 Afler traveling occasionally through open places in the 
 forest, we were obliged to cut a way througli a dense body of 
 timber, from which we emerged on an open mountain-side, 
 where we found a number of small ^rings, and encamped 
 
340 ciPT. fbemont's narrativb. [Oct. 
 
 after a day's journey of ten miles. Our elevation here was 
 5,000 feet. 
 
 21st. — There was a very heavy white frost during the night, 
 and the thermometer at sunrise was 30°. 
 
 We continued to travel through the forest, in which the road 
 was rendered difficult by fallen trunks, and obstructed by 
 many small trees, which it was necessary to cut down. But 
 these are only accidental difficulties, which could easily be re- 
 moved, and a very excellent road may be had through this 
 pass, with no other than very moderate ascents or declivities. 
 A laborious day, which had advanced us only six miles on the 
 road, brought us in the afternoon to an opening in the forest, 
 in which there was a fine mountain meadow, with good grass, 
 and a large clear-water stream — one of the head branches of 
 the Umatilah river. During this day's journey, the barometer 
 was broken ; and the elevations above the sea, hereafter given, 
 depend upon the temperature of boiling water. Some of the 
 white spruces which I measured to-day were twelve feet in 
 circumference, and one of the larches ten ; but eight feet was 
 the average circumference of those measured along the road. 
 I held in my hand a tape line as I walked along, in order to 
 form some correct idea of the size of the timber. Their height 
 appeared to be from 100 to 180, and perhaps 200 feet, and the 
 trunks of the larches were sometimes 100 feet without a limb ; 
 but the white spruces were generally covered with branches 
 nearly to the root. All these trees have their branches, par- 
 ticularly the lower ones, declining. 
 
 22d. — The white frost this morning was like snow on the 
 ground ; the ice was a quarter of an inch thick on the creek, 
 and the thermometer at sunrise was at 20°. But, in a few 
 hours, the day became warm and pleasant, and our road over 
 the mountains was delightful and full of enjoyment. 
 
 The trail passed sometimes through very thick young timber, 
 m which there was much cutting to be done ; but, after travel, 
 ing a few miles, the mountains became more bald, and we 
 reached a point from which there was a very extensive view 
 in the northwest. We were on the western verge of the Blue 
 mountains, long spurs of which, very precipitous on eithr^r side 
 
1648.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. J47 
 
 extended down into the valley, the waters of the mountain 
 roaring between them. On our right was a mountain plateau, 
 covered with a dense forest ; and to the westward, immediate- 
 ly below us, was the great Nez Perce (pierced nose) prairie, in 
 which dark lines of timber indicated the course of many afflu- 
 ents to a considerable stream that was pursuing its way across 
 the plain towards what appeared to be the Columbia river. 
 This I knew to be the Walahwalah river, and occasional spots 
 along its banks, which resembled clearings, were supposed to 
 be the mission or Indian settlements ; but the weather was 
 smoky and unfavorable to far views with the glass. The rock 
 displayed here in the escarpments is a compact amorphous trap, 
 which appears to constitute the mass of the Blue mountains in 
 this latitude ; and all the region of country through which we 
 have traveled since leaving the Snake river has been the seat 
 of violent and extensive igneous action. Along the Burnt 
 River valley, the strata are evidently sedimentary rocks, altered 
 Dy the intrusion of volcanic products, which ir some instances 
 have penetrated and essentially changed th«"-ir original condi- 
 tion. Along our line of route from this prmt to the California 
 mountains, there seems but little essential change. All our 
 specimens of sedimentary rocks show tliem much altered, and 
 volcanic productions appear to prevail throughout the whole 
 intervening distance. 
 
 The road now led along the mountain side, around heads of 
 the precipitous ravines ; and keeping men ahead to clear the 
 road, we passed alternately through bodies of timber and small 
 open prairies, and encamped in a large meadow, in view of the 
 great prairie below. 
 
 At sunset the thermometer was at 40°, and the night was 
 very clear and bright. Water was only to be had here by 
 descending a bad ravine, into which we drove our animals, and 
 had much trouble with them in a very close growth of small 
 pines. Mr. Preuss had walked ahead and did not get into the 
 camp this evening. The trees here maintained their size, and 
 one of the black spruces measured 15 feet in circumference. 
 In the neighborhood of the camp, pines have reappeared here 
 among the timber. 
 
949 CAPT. Fremont's nahbativ^. [Oct. 
 
 23d. — The morning was very clear ; there hao been a heavy 
 white frost during the night, and at sunrise the thermometer 
 was at 31°. 
 
 After cutting through two thick bodies of timber, in which 
 I noticed some small trees of hemlock spruce, (j)erusse,) the 
 forest became more open, and we had no longer any trouble to 
 clear a way. The pines here were 11 or 12 feet in circum- 
 ference, and about 110 feet high, and appeared to love the 
 open grounds. The trail now led along one of tho long spurs 
 of the mountain, descending gradually towards the plain ; and 
 after a few miles traveling, we emerged finally from the forest, 
 in full view of the plain below, and saw the snowy mass of 
 Mount Hood, standing high out above the surrounding country 
 at the distance of 180 miles. The road along the ridge was 
 excellent, and the grass very green and good ; the old grass 
 having been burnt off early in the autumn. About 4 o'clock 
 in the afternoon we reached a little bottom of the Walahwalah 
 river, where we found Mr. Preuss, who yesterday had reache'* 
 this place, and found himself too far in advance of the cami> 
 to return. The stream here has just issued from the narrow 
 ravines, which are walled with precipices, in which the rock 
 has a brown and more burnt appearance than above. 
 
 At sunset the thermometer was at 48°, and our position was 
 in longitude 1 18° 00' 39'^ and in latitude 45° 53' 35''. 
 
 The morning was clear, with a temperature at sunrise of 
 24°. Crossing the river, we traveled over a hilly country 
 with a good bunch-grass ; the river bottom, which generally 
 contains the best soil in other countries, being here a sterile 
 level of rocks and pebbles. We had found the soil in the Blue 
 mountains to be of excellent quality, and it appeared also to be 
 good here among the lower hills. Reaching a little eminence 
 over which the trail passed, we had an extensive view along 
 the course of the river, which was divided and spread over its 
 bottom in a network of water, receiving several other tribu. 
 taries from the mountains. There was a band of several hun- 
 dred horses grazing on the hills about two miles ahead ; and 
 as we advanced on the road we met other bands, which Indians 
 were driving out to pasture also on the hills. True to its gen* 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 948 
 
 eral character, the reverse of other countries, the hills and 
 mountains here were rich in grass, the bottoms barren and 
 iterile. 
 
 In six miles we crossed a principal fork, below which the 
 scattered waters of the river were gathered into one channel ; 
 and, passing on the way several unfinished houses, and some 
 cleared patches, where com and potatoes were cultivated, we 
 reached, in about eight miles further, the missionary establish- 
 ment of Dr. Whitman, which consisted at this time of one 
 adobe house — t. e., built of unburnt bricks as in Mexico. 
 
 I found Dr. Whitman absent on a visit to the Dalles of the 
 Columbia ; but had the pleasure to see a fine-looking family 
 of emigrants, men, women, and children, in robust health, all 
 mdemnifying themselves for previous scanty fare, in a hearty 
 consumption of potatoes, which are produced here of a remark- 
 ably good quality. We were disappointed in our expectation 
 of obtaining corn-meal or flour at this station, the mill belong- 
 mg to the mission having been lately burned down ; but an 
 abundant supply of excellent potatoes banished regrets, and 
 furnished a grateful substitute for bread. A small town of 
 Nez Perce Indians gave an inhabited and even a populous ap- 
 pearance to the station ; and, after remaining about an hour, 
 we continued our route and encamped on the river about four 
 miles below, passing on the way an emigrant encampment. 
 
 Temperature at sunset, 49°. 
 
 25th. — The weather was pleasant, with a sunrise tempera- 
 ture of 36°. Our road to-day had nothing in it of interest ; 
 and the country offered to the eye only a sandy, undulating 
 plain, through which a scantily-timbered river takes its course. 
 We halted about three miles above the mouth, on account of 
 grass ; and the next morning arrived at the Nez Perce fort, 
 one of the trading establishments of the Hudson Bay Company, 
 a few hundred yards above the junction of the Walahwalah with 
 the Columbia river. Here we had the first view of this river, and 
 found it about 1,200 yards wide, and presenting the appear- 
 ance of a fine, navigable stream. We made our camp in a 
 little grove of willows on the Walahwalah, which are the only 
 trees to be seen in the neighborhood ; but were obliged to send 
 11* 
 
250 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Oot. 
 
 the animals back to the encampment we had leA, as there was 
 scarcely a blade of grass to be found. The post is on the 
 bank of the Columbia, on a plain of bare sands, from which the 
 air was literally filled with clouds of dust and sand, during one 
 of the few days we remained here ; this place being one of the 
 several points on the river which are distinguished for prevail- 
 ing high winds, that come from the sea. The appearance of 
 the post and country was without interest, except that we here 
 saw, for the first time, the great river on which the course of 
 events for the last half century has been directing attention and 
 conferring historical fame. The river is, indeed, a noble ob- 
 ject, and has here attained its full magnitude. About nine 
 miles above, and in sight from the heights about this post, is 
 the junction of the two great forks which constitute the main 
 stream — that on which we had been traveling from Fort Hall, 
 and known by the names of Lewis's fork, Shoshonee, and 
 Snake river; and the North fork, which has retained the 
 name of Columbia, as being the main stream. 
 
 We did not go up to the junction, being pressed for time ; 
 but th»* union of two large streams, coming one from the south- 
 east, and the other from the northeast, and meeting in what 
 may be treated as the geographical centre of the Oregon val- 
 ley, thence doubling the volume of water to the ocean, while 
 opening two great lines of communication with the interior 
 continent, constitutes a feature in the map of the country 
 which cannot be overlooked ; and it was probably in reference 
 to this junction of waters, and these lines of communication, 
 that this post was established. They are important lines, and, 
 from the structure of the country, must forever remain so, 
 — one of them leading lo the South Pass and to the valley of 
 the Mississippi, the other to the pass at the head of the Atha- 
 basca river, and to the countries drained by the waters of the 
 Hudson Bay. The British fur companies now use both lines ; 
 the Americans, in their emigration to Oregon, have begun to 
 follow the one which leads towards the United States. Bateaux 
 from tide- water ascend to the junction, and thence high up 
 the North fork, or Columbia. Land conveyance only is used 
 upon the line of Lewis's fork. To the emigrants to Oregon, 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativk. 251 
 
 the Nez Perce is a point of great interest, as being, to those 
 who choose it, the termination of their overland journey. The 
 broad expanse of the river here invites them to embark on its 
 bosom ; and the lofty trees of the forest furnish the means of 
 doing so. 
 
 From the South Pass to this place is about 1,000 miles ; and 
 as it is about the same distance from that pass to the Missouri 
 river at the mouth of the Kansas, it may be assumed that 2,000 
 miles is the necessary land travel in crossing from the United 
 States to the Pacific ocean on this line. From the mouth of 
 the Great Platte it would be about 100 miles less. 
 
 Mr. McKinley, the commander of the post, received us with 
 great civility ; and both to myself, and the heads of the emi- 
 grants who were there at the time, extended the rights of hos- 
 pitality in a comfortable dinner to which he invited us. 
 
 By a meridional altitude of the sun, the only observation 
 that the weather permitted us to obtain, the mouth of the Wa- 
 Idhwalah river is in latitude 46° 03^ 46^' ; and, by the road we 
 had traveled, 612 miles from Fort Hall. At the time of our 
 arrival, a considerable body of emigrants, under the direction 
 of Mr. Applegate, a man of considerable resolution and energy, 
 had nearly completed the building of a number of Mackinaw 
 boats, in which they proposed to continue their further voyage 
 down the Columbia. I had seen, in descending the Walahwa- 
 lah river, a fine drove of several hundred cattle, which they 
 had exchanged for California cattle, to be received at Vancou- 
 ver, and which are considered a very inferior breed. The 
 other portion of the emigration had preferred to complete their 
 journey by land along the banks of the Columbia, taking their 
 stock and wagons with them. 
 
 Having reinforced our animals with eight fresh horses, hired 
 from the post, and increased our stock of provisions with dried 
 salmon, potatoes, and a little beef, we resumed our journey 
 down the left bank of the Columbia, being guided on our road 
 by an intelligent Indian boy, whom I had engaged to accom- 
 pany us as far as the Dalles. 
 
 From an elevated point over which the road led, we obtained 
 another far view of Mount Hood, 150 miles distant. We ob- 
 
S59 CAPT. Fremont's karrativb. [Oct. 
 
 tained on the river bank an observation of the sun at noon, 
 which gave for the latitude 45° 58'' 08'^. The country to-day 
 was very unprepossessing, and our road bad ; and as we toiled 
 slowly alop' through deep loose sands, and over fragments of 
 black volcanic rock, our laborious traveling was strongly con- 
 trasted with the rapid progress of Mr. Applegate's fleet of 
 boats, which suddenly came gliding swiftly down the broad 
 river, which here chanced to be tranquil and smooth. At even- 
 ing we encamped on the river bank, where there was very 
 little grass, and less timber. We frequently met Indians on 
 the road, and they were collected at every favorable spot along 
 the river. 
 
 29th. — The road continued along the river, and in the course 
 of the day Mount St. Helens, another snowy peak of the Cas- 
 cade range, was visible. We crossed the Umatilah river at a 
 fall near its mouth. This stream is of the same class as the 
 Walahwalah river, with a bed of volcanic rock, in places split 
 into fissures. Our encampment was similar to that of yester- 
 day ; there was very little grass, and no wood. The Indians 
 brought us some pieces for sale, which were purchased to make 
 our fires. 
 
 31st. — By observation, our camp is in latitude 45° 50^ Oy% 
 and longitude 119° 22' 18^''. The night has been cold, and 
 we have white frost this morning, with a temperature at day- 
 light of 25°, and at sunrise of 24°. The early morning was 
 very clear, and the stars bright; but, as usua^ since we are 
 on the Columbia, clouds formed immediately irith the rising 
 sun. The day continued fine, the east being covered with 
 scattered clouds, but the west remaining clear, showing the 
 remarkable cone-like peak of Mount Hood brightly drawn 
 against the sky. This was in view all day in the southwest, 
 but no other peaks of the range were visible. Our road was 
 a bad one, of very loose, deep sand. We met on the way a 
 party of Indians unusually well-dressed. They appeared in- 
 telligent, and, in our slight intercourse, impressed me with 
 the belief that they possessed some aptitude for acquiring lan- 
 guages. 
 
 We continued to travel along the river, the stream being 
 
1S48.] CAPT, Fremont's narrativi. 20S 
 
 interspersed with many sand-bars (it being the season of low 
 water) and with many islands, and an apparently good navi- 
 gation. Small willows were the only wood ; rock and sand 
 the prominent geological feature. The rock of this section is 
 u very compact and tough basalt, occurring in strata which 
 have the appearance of being broken into fragments, assuming 
 the form of columnar hills, and appearing always in escarp, 
 ments, with the broken fragments strewed at the base and over 
 the adjoining country. 
 
 We made a late encampment on the river, and used to-night 
 the purshia tridentata for firewood. Among the rocks which 
 formed the bank, .was very good green grass. Latitude 45® 
 44' 23^', longitude 119° 45^ 09^^ 
 
 NOVEMBER. 
 
 1st. — Mount Hood is glowing in the sunlight this morning, 
 and the air is pleasant, with a temperature of 88°. We con- 
 tinued down the river, and, passing through a pretty green 
 valley, bounded by high precipitous rocks, encamped at the 
 lower end. 
 
 On the right shore, the banks of the Columbia are very high 
 and steep ; the river is 1,690 feet broad, and dark bluffs of 
 rock give it a picturesque appearance. 
 
 2d. — The river here entered among bluffs, leaving no longer 
 room for a I'oad ; and we accordingly left it, and took a more 
 inland way among the river hills^-on which we had no sooner 
 entered, than we found a great improvement in the country. 
 The sand had disappeared, and the soil was good, and covered 
 with excellent grass, although the surface was broken into high 
 hills, with uncommonly deep valleys. At noon we crossed 
 John Day's river, a clear and beautiful stream, with a swifl 
 current and a bed of rolled stones. It is sunk in a deep val< 
 ley, which is characteristic of all the streams in this region ; 
 and the hill we descended to reach it well deserves the name 
 
SA4 CAPT. Fremont's narrativb. [Not. 
 
 of mountain. Some of the emigrants had encamped on the 
 river, and others at the summit of the farther hill, the ascent 
 Of* which had probably cost their wagons a day's labor ; and 
 others again had halted for the night a few miles beyond, 
 where they had slept without water. We also encamped in a 
 grassy hollow without water ; but, as we had been forewarned 
 of thi? privation by the guide, the animals had all been water- 
 ed at the river, and we had brought with us a sufficient quan« 
 tity for the night. 
 
 3d. — After two hours' ride through a fertile, hilly country, 
 covered, as all the upland here appears to be, with good green 
 grass, we descended again into the river bottom, along which 
 we resumed our sterile road, and in about four miles reached 
 the ford of the Fall river, (RivUre aux Chutes,) a considerable 
 tributary to the Columbia. We had heard, on reaching the 
 Nez Perce fort, a repetition of the account in regard to the un- 
 settled character of the Columbia Indians at the present time ; 
 and to our little party they had at various points manifested a 
 not very friendly disposition, in several attempts to steal our 
 horses. At this place I expected to find a badly-disposed band, 
 who had plundered a party of 14 emigrant men a few days 
 before, and taken away their horses ; and accordingly we made 
 the necessary preparation for our security, but happily met 
 with no difficulty. 
 
 The river was high, divided into several arms, with a rocky 
 island at its outlet into the Columbia, which at this place it 
 rivalled in size, and apparently derived its highly characteris- 
 tic name, which is received from one of its many falls some 
 forty miles up the river. It entered the Columbia with a roar 
 of falls and rapids, and is probably a favorite fishing station 
 among the Indians, with whom both banks of the river were 
 populous ; but they scarcely paid any attention to us. The 
 ford was very difficult at this time, and, had they entertained 
 any bad intentions, they were offered a good opportunity to 
 carry them out, as I drove directly into the river, and during 
 the crossing the howitzer was occasionally several feet under 
 water, and a number of the men appeared to be more often be 
 low than above. Our guide was well acquainted with the 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 26ft 
 
 ford, and we succeeded in getting every thing safe over to the 
 leA bank. We delayed here only a short time to put the gun 
 in order, and, ascending a long mountain hill, resumed our 
 route again among the interior hills. 
 
 The roar of the Falls of the Columbia is heard from the 
 heights, where we halted a few moments to enjoy a fine view 
 of the river below. In the season of high water, it would be 
 a very interesting object to visit, in order to witness what is re- 
 lated of the annual submerging of the fall under the waters 
 which back up from the basin below, constituting a great natu- 
 ral lock at this place. But time had become an object of 
 serious consideration ; and the Falls, in their present state, had 
 been seen and described by many. 
 
 After a day's journey of 17 miles, we encamped among the 
 hills on a little clear siicam, where, as usual, the Indians im- 
 mediately gathered round us. Among them was a very old 
 man, almost blind from age, with long and very white hair. I 
 happened of my own accord to give this old man a present of 
 tobacco, and was struck with the impression which my unpro- 
 pitiated notice made on the Indians, who appeared in a remark- 
 able manner acquainted with the real value of goods, and to 
 understand the equivalents of trade. At evening, one of them 
 spoke a few words to his people, and, telling me that we need 
 entertain no uneasiness in regard to our animals, as none of 
 them would be disturbed, they went all quietly away. In the 
 morning, when they again came to the camp, I expressed to them 
 the gratification we felt at their reasonable conduct, making 
 them a present of some large knives and a few smaller articles. 
 
 4th. — The road continued among the hills, and, reaching an 
 eminence, we saw before us, watered by a clear stream, a tol- 
 erably large valley, through which the trail passed. 
 
 In comparison with the Indians of the Rocky mountains and 
 the great eastern plain, these are disagreeably dirty in their 
 habits. Their huts were crowded with half-naked women and 
 children, and the atmosphere within was any thing but pleasant 
 to persons who had just been riding in the fresh morning air. 
 We were somewhat amused with the scanty dress of a woman, 
 whO) in common with the others, rushed out of the huts on our 
 
860 CAFT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVB. [NoY 
 
 arrival, and who, in default of other covering, used a ehild for 
 a fig-leaf. 
 
 The road in about half an hour passed near an elevated 
 point, frcim which we overlooked the valley of the Columbia 
 for nittuy miles, and saw in the distance several houses sur. 
 rounded by fields, which a chief, who had accompanied us 
 from the village, pointed out to us as the Methodist missionary 
 station. 
 
 In a few miles we descended to the river, which we reached 
 at one of its remarkably interesting features, known as the 
 Dalles of the Columbia. The whole volume of the river at this 
 place passed between the walls of a chasm, which has the ap- 
 pearance of having been rent through the basaltic strata which 
 form the valley-rock of the region. At the narrowest place 
 we found the breadth, by measurement, 58 yards, and the 
 average height of the walls above the water 25 feet ; forming 
 a trough between the rocks — whence the name, probably ap- 
 plied by a Canadian voyageur. The mass of water, in the 
 present low state of the river, passed swiftly between, deep and 
 black, and curled into many small whirlpools and counter cur 
 rents, but unbroken by foam, and so still that scarcely the 
 sound of a ripple was heard. The rock, for a considerable 
 distance from the river, was worn over a large portion of its 
 surface into circular holes and well-like cavities, by the abra- 
 sion of the river, which, at tne season of high waters, is spread 
 out over the adjoining bottoms. 
 
 In the recent passage through this chasm, an unfoilunate 
 event had occurred to Mr. Applegate's party, in the loss of one 
 of their boats, which had been carried under water in the midst 
 of the Dalles, and two of Mr. Applegate's children and one 
 man drowned. This misfortune was attributed only to want 
 of skill in the steersman, as at this season there was no impedi- 
 ment to navigation ; although the place is entirely impassable 
 at high water, when boats pass safely over the great falls above, 
 in the submerged state in which they then find themselves. 
 
 The basalt here is precisely the same as that which consti- 
 tutes the rock of the valley higher up the Columbia, being very 
 compact, with a few round cavities. 
 
1849.] CAFT. Fremont's narratitx. 25* 
 
 We passed rapidly three or four miles down the level valkjr 
 and encamped near the mission. The character of the forest 
 growth here changes, and we found ourselves, with pleasure, 
 again among oaks and other forest- trees of the east, to which 
 we had long been strangers ; and the hospitable and kind re< 
 ception with which we were welcomed among our country 
 people at the mission, aided the momentary illusion of home. 
 
 Two good-looking wooden dwelling-houses, and a large 
 schoolhouse, with stables, barn, and garden, and large cleared 
 fields between the houses and the river bank, on which were 
 scattered the wooden huts of an Indian village, gave to the 
 valley the cheerful and busy air of civilization, and had in our 
 eyes an appearance of abundant and enviable comfort. 
 
 Our land journey found here its western termination. Th» 
 delay involved in getting our camp to the right bank of th* 
 Columbia, and in opening a road through the continuous fores* 
 to Vancouver, rendered a journey along the river impractica. 
 ble ; and on this side the usual road across the mountain re* 
 quired strong and fresh animals, there being an interval of three 
 days in which they could obtain no food. I therefore wrote 
 immediately to Mr. Fitzpatrick, directing him to abandon the 
 carts at the Walahwalah missionary station, and, as soon as 
 the necessary pack-saddles could be made, which his party re- 
 quired, meet me at the Dalles, from which point I proposed to 
 commence our homeward journey. The day after our arrival 
 being Sunday, no business could be done at the mission ; but 
 on Monday, Mr. Perkins assisted me in procuring from the 
 Indians a large canoe, in which I designed to complete our 
 journey to Vancouver, where I expected to obtain the necessary 
 supply of provisions and stores for our winter journey. Three 
 Indians, from the family to whom the canoe belonged, were 
 engaged to assist in working her during the voyage, and, with 
 them, our water party consisted of Mr. Preuss and myself, 
 with Bernier and Jacob Dodson. In charge of the party which 
 was to remain at the Dalles I left Carson, with instructions to 
 occupy the people in making pack-saddles and refitting their 
 equipage. The village from which we were to take the canoe 
 was on the right bank of the river, about ten miles below, at 
 
868 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Nov. 
 
 the mouth of the Tinanens creek ; and while Mr. Pceuss pro- 
 ceeded down the river with the instruments, in a little canoe 
 paddled by two Indians, Mr. Perkins accompanied me with 
 the remainder of the party by land. The last of the emigrants 
 had just left the Dalles at the time of our arrival, traveling 
 some by water and others by land, making ark-like rafts, on 
 which they had embarked their families and households, with 
 their large wagons and other furniture, while their stock were 
 driven along the shore. 
 
 For about five miles below the Dalles, the river is narrow, 
 and probably very deep; but during this distance it is some- 
 what open, with grassy bottoms on the left. Entering, then, 
 among the lower mountains of the Cascade range, it assumes 
 a general character, and high and steep rocky hills shut it in 
 on either side, rising abruptly in places to the height of fifteen 
 hundred feet above the water, and gradually acquiring a 
 more mountainous character as the river approaches the 
 Cascades. 
 
 After an hour's travel, v^hen the sun was nearly down, we 
 searched along the shore for a pleasant place, and halted to 
 prepare supper. We had been well supplied by our friends at 
 the mission with delicious salted salmon, which had been taken 
 at the fattest season ; also, with potatoes, bread, coffee, and 
 sugar. We were delighted at a change in our mode of travel- 
 ing and living. The canoe sailed smoothly down the river ; 
 at night we encamped upon the shore, and a plentiful supply 
 of comfortable provisions supplied the first of wants. We en- 
 joyed the contrast which it presented to our late toilsome march- 
 ings, our night watchings, and our frequent privation of food. 
 We were a motley group, but all happy : three unknown In- 
 dians ; Jacob, a colored man ; Mr. Preuss, a German ; Bernier, 
 Creole French ; and myself. 
 
 Being now upon the ground explored by the South Sea 
 expedition under Captain Wilkes, and having accomplished 
 the object of uniting my survey with his, and thus presenting 
 a connected exploration from the Mississippi to the Pacific, 
 and the winter being at hand, I deemed it necessary to econo- 
 mize time by voyaging in the night, as is customary her<», to 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's nareativb. 259 
 
 avoid the high winds, which rise with the morning, and decline 
 with the day. 
 
 Accordingly, after an hour's halt, we again embarked, and 
 resumed our pleasant voyage down the river. The wind rose 
 to a gale after several hours ; but the moon was very bright, 
 and the wind was fair, and the canoe glanced rapidly down the 
 stream, the waves breaking into foam alongside ; and our night 
 voyage, as the wind bore us rapidly along between the dark 
 mountains, was wild and interesting. About midnight we put 
 to the shore on a rocky beach, behind which was a dark-look- 
 ing pine forest. We built up large fires among the rocks, 
 which were in large masses round about ; and, arranging oui 
 blankets on the most sheltered places we could find, passed a 
 delightful night. 
 
 After an early breakfast, at daylight we resumed our jour- 
 ney, the weather being clear and beautiful, and the river 
 smooth and still. On either side the mountains are all pine< 
 timbered, rocky, and high. We were now approaching one 
 of the marked features of the lower Columbia where the river 
 forms a great cascade, with a series of rapids, in breaking 
 through the range of mountains to which the lofty peaks of 
 Mount Hood and St. Helens belong, and which rise as great 
 pillars of snow on either side of the passage. The main 
 branch of the Sacramento river, and the Tlamath, issue in 
 cascades from this range ; and the Columbia, breaking through 
 it in a succession of cascades, gives the idea of cascades to 
 the whole range ; and hence the name of Cascade Range, 
 which it bears, and distinguishes it from the Coast Range lower 
 down. In making a short turn to the south, the river forms 
 the cascades in breaking over a point of agglomerated masses 
 of rock, leaving a handsome bay to the right, with several 
 rocky, pine-covered islands, and the mountains sweep at a dis- 
 tance around a cove where several small streams enter the 
 bay. In less than an hour we halted on the left bank, about 
 five minutes' walk above the cascades, where there were several 
 Indian huts, and where our guides signified it was customary 
 to hire Indians to assist in making the portage. When travel- 
 ing with a boat as light as a canoe, which may easily be car- 
 
360 CAPT. Fremont's marbativb. [Nor. 
 
 ried on the shoulders of the Indians, this is much the better 
 side of the river for the portage, as the ground here is very 
 good and level, being a handsome bottom, w^hich I remarked 
 was covered (a* was now always the case along the river) with 
 a growth of green and fresh-looking grass. It was long be- 
 fore we could come to an understanding with the Indians ; but 
 to length, when they had first received the price of their assist- 
 ance in goods, they went vigorously to work ; and, in a shorter 
 time than had been occupied in making our arrangements, the 
 canoe, instruments, and baggage, were carried through (a 
 distance of about half a mile) to the bank below the maia 
 cascade, where we again embarked, the water being white 
 with foam among ugly rocks, and boiling into a thousand whirl- 
 pools. The boat passed with great rapidity, crossing and re- 
 crossing in the eddies of the current. After passing through 
 about two miles of broken water, we ran some wild-looking 
 rapids, which are called the Lower Rapids, being the last on 
 the river, which below is tranquil and smooth — a broad, mag- 
 nificent stream. On a low broad point on the right bank of 
 the river, at the lower end of these rapids, were pitched many 
 tents of the emigrants, Who were waiting here for their friends 
 from above, or for boats and provisions which were expected 
 from Vancouver. In our passage down the rapids, I had 
 noticed their camps along the shore, or transporting their 
 goods across the portage. This portage makes a head of navi- 
 gation, ascending the river. It is about two miles in length ; 
 and above, to the Dalles, is 45 miles of smooth and good navi- 
 gation. 
 
 We glided on without further interruption between very 
 rocky and high steep mountains, which sweep along the river 
 valley at a little distance, covered with forests of pine, and 
 showing occasionally lofty escarpments of red rock. Nearer, 
 the shore is bordered by steep escarped hills and huge vertical 
 rocks, from which the waters of the mountain reach the river 
 in a variety of beautiful falls, sometimes several hundred feet 
 in height. Occasionally along the river occurred pretty bot- 
 toms, covered with the greenest verdure of the spring. To a 
 professional farmer, however, it does not offer many places oi 
 
1848.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 261 
 
 sufficient extent to be valuable for agricultUFe ; and after 
 passing a few miles below the Dalles, I had scarcely seen a 
 place on the south shore where wagons could get to the river. 
 The beauty of the scenery was heightened by the continuance 
 of very delightful weather, resembling the Indian summer of 
 the Atlantic. A few miles below the cascades we passed a 
 singular isolated hill ; and in the course of the next six miles 
 occurred five very pretty falls from the heights on the left 
 bank, one of them being of a very picturesque character ; and 
 towards sunset we reached a remarkable point of rocks, distin< 
 guished, on account of prevailing high winds, and the delay it 
 frequently occasions to the canoe navigation, by the name of 
 Cape Horn. It borders the river in a high wall of rock, which 
 comes boldly down into deep water ; and in violent gales down 
 the river, and from the opposite shore, which is the prevailing 
 direction of strong winds, the water is dashed against it with 
 considerable violence. It appears to form a serious obstacle 
 to canoe traveling ; and I was informed by Mr. Perkins, that 
 in a voyage up the river he had been detained two weeks at 
 this place, and was finally obliged to return to Vancouver. 
 
 The winds of this region deserve a particular study. They 
 blow in currents, which show them to be governed by fixed 
 laws J and it is a problem how far they may come from the 
 mountains, or from the ocean through the breaks in the moun< 
 tains which let out the river. 
 
 The hills here had lost something of their rocky appearance, 
 and had already begun to decline. As the sun went down, 
 we searched along the river for an inviting spot ; and, finding 
 a clean rocky beach, where some large dry trees were lying 
 on the ground, we ran our boat to the shore ; and, after another 
 comfortable supper, ploughed our way along the river in dark< 
 ness. Heavy clouds covered the sky this evening, and the 
 wind began to sweep in '^tists among the trees, as if bad weather 
 Were coming. As we advanced, the hills on both sides grew 
 constantly lower ; on the right, retreating from the shore, and 
 forming a somewhat extensive bottom of intermingled prairie 
 and wooded land. In the course of a few hours, and opposite 
 to a small stream coming in fi'om the north, called the Tea 
 
963 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Not. 
 
 Praine river, the highlands on the left declined to the plains, 
 and three or four miles more disappeared entirely on both sides, 
 and the river entered the low country. The river had gradu< 
 ally expanded ; and when we emerged from the highlands, the 
 opposite shores were so distant as to appear indistinct in the 
 uncertainty of the light. About ten o'clock our pilots halted, 
 apparently to confer about the course ; and, after a little hesi- 
 tation, pulled directly across an open expansion of the river, 
 where the waves were somewhat rough for a canoe, the wind 
 blowing very fresh. Much to our surprise, a few minutes af- 
 terwards we ran aground. Backing off our boat, we made 
 repeated trials at various places to cross what appeared to be a 
 point of shifting sand-bars, where we had attempted to shorten 
 the way by a cut-off. Finally, one of our Indians got into the 
 water, and waded about until he found a channel sufHciently 
 deep, through which we wound along after him, and in a few 
 minutes again entered the deep water below. As we paddled 
 rapidly down the river, we heard the noise of a saw-mill at 
 work on the right bank ; and, letting our boat float quietly 
 down, we listened with pleasure to the unusual sounds, and 
 before midnight, encamped on the bank of the river, about a 
 mile above Fort Vancouver. Our fine dry weather had given 
 place to a dark cloudy night. At midnight it began to rain ; 
 and we found ourselves sncidenly in the gloomy and humid 
 season, which, m the narrow region lying between the Pacific 
 and the Cascade mountains, and for a considerable distance 
 along the coast, supplies the place of winter. 
 
 In the morning, the first object that attracted my attention 
 was the barque Columbia, lying at anchor near the landing. 
 She was about to start on a voyage to England, and was now 
 ready for sea ; being detained only in waiting the arrival of 
 the express bateaux, which descend the Columbia and its north 
 fork with the overland mail from Canada and Hudson's Bay, 
 which had been delayed beyond the usual time. I immediately 
 waited upon Dr. McLaughlin, the executive officer of the Hud- 
 son Bay Company, in the territory west of the Rocky moun- 
 tains, who received me with the courtesy an^ hospitality for 
 which he has been eminently distinguished, and ^hich makes 
 
1843.] CAPT. FIBMONT'S NARRATIVE. 288 
 
 a forcible and delightful impression on a traveler from the long 
 wilderness from which we had issued. I was immediately 
 supplied by him with the necessary stores and provisions to re- 
 fit and support my party in our contemplated winter journey 
 to the States ; and also with a Mackinaw boat and canoes, 
 manned with Canadian and Iroquois voyageurs and Indians, 
 for their transportation to the Dalles of the Columbia. In ad- 
 dition to this efficient kindness in furnishing me with these 
 necessary supplies, I received from him a warm and gratifying 
 sympathy in the suffering which his great experience led him 
 to anticipate for us in our homeward journey, and a letter of 
 recommendation and credit for any officers of the Hudson Bay 
 Company into whose posts we might be driven by unexpected 
 misfortune. 
 
 Of course, the future supplies for my party were paid for, 
 bills on the Government of the United Slates being readily 
 taken ; but every hospitable attention was extended to me, and 
 I accepted an invitation to take a room in the fort, ^*and to 
 make myself at home while I stayed." 
 
 I found many American emigrants at the fort ; others had 
 already crossed the river into their lane of promise — the Wa- 
 lahmette valley. Others were daily arriving ; and all of them 
 have been furnished with shelter, so far as it could be afforded 
 by the buildings connected with the establishment. Necessary 
 clothing and provisions (the latter to be returned in kind from 
 the produce of their labor) were also furnished. This friendly 
 assistance was of very great value to the emigrants, whose 
 families were otherwise exposed to much suffering in the 
 winter rains, which had now commenced ; at the same time 
 they were in want of all the common necessaries of life. 
 Those who had taken a water conveyance at the Nez Perce 
 fort continued to arrive safely, with no other accident than has 
 been already mentioned. The party which had crossed over 
 the Cascade mountains were reported to have lost a number of 
 tlieir animals ; and those who had driven their stock down the 
 Columbia had brought them safely in, and found for them a 
 ready and very profitable market, and were already proposing 
 to return to the States in the spring for another supplv. 
 
M4 OAPT. Fremont's narrativi. [Nov. 
 
 In the space of two days our preparations had been com- 
 pleted, and we were ready to set out on our return. It would 
 have been very gratifying to have gone down to the Pacific, 
 and, solely in the interest and love of geography, to have seen 
 the ocean on the western as well as on the eastern side of 
 the continent, so as to give a satisfactory completeness to the 
 geographical picture which had been formed in our minds ; 
 but the rainy season had now regularly set in, and the air was 
 filled with fogs and rain, which left no beauty in any scenery, 
 and obstructed observations. The object of my instructions 
 had been entirely fulfilled in having connected our reconnois- 
 sance with the surveys of Captain Wilkes; and although it 
 would have been agreeable and satisfactory to terminate here 
 also our ruder astronomical observations, I was not, for such a 
 reason, justified to make a delay in waiting for favorable 
 weather. 
 
 Near sunset of the 10th, the boats left the fort, and encamped 
 after making only a few miles. Our flotilla consisted of a 
 Mackinaw barge and three canoes — one of them that in which 
 we had descended the river ; and a party in all of twenty men. 
 One of the emigrants, Mr. Burnet, of Missouri, who had left 
 his family and property at the Dalles, availed himself of the 
 opportunity afforded by the return of our boats to bring them 
 down to Vancouver. This gentleman, as well as the Messrs. 
 Applegate, and others of the emigrants whom I saw, possessed 
 intelligence and character, with the moral and intellectual 
 stamina, as well as the enterprise, which give solidity and 
 respectability to the foundation of colonies. 
 
 11th. — The morning was rainy and misty. We did not 
 move with the practised celerity of my own camp ; and it was 
 nearly nine o'clock when our motley crew had finished their 
 breakfast and were ready to start. Once afloat, however, they 
 worked steadily and well, and we advanced at a good rate up 
 the river; and in the afternoon a breeze sprung up, which 
 enabled us to add a sail to the oars. At evening we encamped 
 on a warm-looking beach, on the right bank, at the foot of the 
 high river-hill, immediately at the lower end of Cape Horn. 
 On the opposite shore is said to be a singular hole in the moun* 
 
1848.'! CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 206 
 
 lain, from which tho Indians believe comes the wind producing 
 these gales. Ii is called the Devil's hole ; and tho Indians, 1 
 was told, had been resolving to send down one of their slaves 
 to explore the region below. At dark, the wind shifted into 
 its stormy quarter, gradually increasing to a gale from the 
 southwest ; and the sky becoming clear, I obtained a good 
 observation of an emersion of the first satellite ; the result of 
 which being an absolute observation, I have adopted for the 
 longitude of the place. 
 
 12th. — The wind during the night had increased to so much 
 violence, that the broad river this morning was angry and 
 white ; the waves breaking with considerable force against 
 this rocky wall of the cape. Our old Iroquois pilot was un- 
 willing to risk the boats around the point, and I was not dis- 
 posed to hazard the stores of our voyage for the delay of a day. 
 Further observations were obtained during the day, giving for 
 the latitude of the place 45"^ 33^ 09''' ; and the longitude ob- 
 tained from the satellite is 122° 6' 15'\ 
 
 13th. — We had a day of disagreeable and cold rain, and, 
 late in the afternoon, began to approach the rapids of the cas- 
 cades. There is here a high timbered island on the left shore, 
 below which, in descending, I had remarked, in a bluff of the 
 river, the extremities of trunks of trees, appearing to be im- 
 bedded in the rock. Landing here this afternoon, I found, in 
 the lower part of the escarpment, a stratum of coal and forest- 
 trees, imbedded between strata of altered clay, containing the 
 remains of vegetables, the leaves of which indicate that the 
 plants were dicotyledonous. Among these, the stems of some 
 of the ferns are not mineralized, but merely charred, retaining 
 still their vegetable structure and substance ; and in this con- 
 dition a portion also of the trees remain. The indurated ap- 
 pearance and compactness of tho strata, as well, perhaps, as 
 the mineralized condition of the coal, are probably due to ig- 
 neous action. Some portions of the coal precisely resemble 
 in aspect the canal coal of England, and, with the accompany- 
 ing fossils, have been referred to the tertiary formation. 
 
 These strata appear to rest upon a mass of agglomerated 
 rock, being but a few feet above the water of the river ; and 
 12 
 
268 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Not. 
 
 over them is the escarpment of perhaps 80 feet, rismg gradu- 
 ally in the rear towards the mountains. The wet and cold 
 evening, and near approach of night, prevented me from ma- 
 king any other than a slight examination. 
 
 The current was now very swift, and we were obliged to 
 cordelle the boat along the left shore, where the bank was cov- 
 ered with large masses of rocks. Night overtook us at the 
 upper end of the island, a short distance below the cascades, 
 and we halted on the open point. In the mean time, the lighter 
 canoes, paddled altogether by Indians, had passed ahead, and 
 were out of sight. With them was the lodge, which was the 
 only shelter we had, with most of the bedding and provisions. 
 We shouted, and fired guns ; but all to no purpose, as it was 
 impossible for them to hear above the roar of the river ; and 
 we remained all night without shelter, the rain pouring down 
 all the time. The old voyageurs did not appear to mind it 
 much, but covered themselves up as well as they could, and 
 lay down on the sand-beach, where they remained quiet until 
 morning. The rest of us spent a rather miserable night ; and, 
 to add to our discomfort, the incessant rain extinguished our 
 fires ; and we were glad when at last daylight appeared, and 
 we again embarked. 
 
 Crossing to the right bank, we cordelled the boat along the 
 shore, there being no longer any use of the paddles, and put 
 into a little bay below the upper rapius. Here we found a 
 lodge pitched, and about 20 Indians sitting around a blazing 
 fire within, making a luxurious breakfast with salmon, bread, 
 butter, sugar, cofR;e, and other provisions. In the forest, on 
 the edge of the high bluff overlooking the river, is an Indian 
 graveyard, consisting of a collection of tombs, in each of which 
 were the scattered bones of many skeletons. The tombs were 
 made of boards, which were ornamented with many figures of 
 men and animals of the natural size — from their appearance, 
 constituting the armorial device by which, among Indians, the 
 chiefs are usually known. 
 
 The masses of rock displayed along the shores of the ravine 
 in the neighborhood of the cascades, are clearly volcanic pro- 
 ducts. Between this cove, which I called Graveyard bay, and 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 267 
 
 another spot of smooth water above, on the right, called Luders 
 bay, sheltered by a jutting point of huge rocky masses at the 
 foot of the cascades, the shore along the intervening rapids is 
 lined with precipices of distinct strata of red and variously- 
 colored lavas, in inclined positions. 
 
 The masses of rock forming the point at Luders bay consist 
 of a porous trap, or basalt — a volcanic product of a modern 
 period. The rocks belong to agglomerated masses, which 
 form the immediate ground of the cascades, and have been 
 already mentioned as constituting a bed of cemented conglom- 
 erate rocks, appearing at various places along the river. 
 Here they are scattered along the shores, and through the 
 bed of the river, wearing the character of convulsion, which 
 forms the impressive and prominent feature of the river at this 
 place. 
 
 Wherever we came in contact with the rocks of these moun- 
 tains, we found them volcanic, which is probably the charac- 
 ter of the range ; and at this time, two of the great snowy 
 cones, Mount Regnier and St. Helens, were in action. On 
 the 23d of the preceding November, St. Helens had scattered 
 its ashes, like a white fall of snow, over the Dalles of the Co- 
 lumbia, 50 miles distant. A specimen of these ashes was 
 given to me by Mr. Brewer, one of the clergymen at the 
 Dalles. 
 
 The lofty range of the Cascat' mountains form > a distinct 
 boundary between the opposite Ci ^ates of the regions along 
 its western ^nd eastern bases. On the wes , they present a 
 barrier to the clouds of fog and rain which roll up from the 
 Pacific ocean and beat against their rugged sides, forming the 
 rainy season of the winter in the country along the coast. 
 Into the brighter skies of the region along their eastern base, 
 this rainy winter never penetrates ; and at the Dalles of the 
 Columbia the rainy season is unknown, the brief winter being 
 limited to a period of about two months, during which the earth 
 is covered with the slight snows of a climate remarkably mild 
 for so high a latitude. The Cascade ;ange has an average 
 distance of about 130 miles from the sea-coast. It extends far 
 both north and south of the Columbia, and is indicated to the 
 
268 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Not. 
 
 distant observer, both in course and position, by the lofty vol- 
 canic peaks which rise- out of it, and which are visible to an 
 immense distance. 
 
 During several days of constant rain, it kept our whole force 
 laboriously employed in getting our barge and canoes to the 
 upper end of the Cascades. The portage ground was occu- 
 pied by emigrant families ; their thin and insufficient clothing, 
 bareheaded and barefooted children, attesting the length of 
 their jourrey, and showing that they had, in many instances, 
 set out without a due preparation of what was indispensable. 
 
 A gentleman named Luders, a botanist from the city of 
 Hamburg, arrived at the bay I have called by his name while 
 we were occupied in bringing up the boats. I was delighted 
 to meet at such a place a man of kindred pursuits ; but we 
 had only the pleasure 9f a brief conversation, as his canoe, 
 under the guidance of two Indians, was about to run the rapids; 
 and I could not enjoy the satisfaction of regaling him with a 
 breakfast, which, after his recent journey, would have been an 
 extraordinary luxury. All of his few instruments and bag- 
 gage were in the canoe, and he hurried around by land to meet 
 it at the Graveyard bay ; but he was scarcely out of sight, 
 when, by the carelessness of the Indians, the boat was drawn 
 into the midst of the rapids, and glanced down the river, bot- 
 tom up, with a loss of every thing it contained. In the natural 
 concern I felt for his misfortune, I gave to the little cove the 
 name of Luders bay. 
 
 15th. — We continued to-day our work at the portage. 
 
 About noon, the two barges of the express from Montreal 
 arrived at the upper portage landing, which, for large boats, is 
 on the right bank of the river. They were a fine-looking 
 crew, and among them I remarked a fresh-looking woman 
 and her daughter, emigrants from Canada. It was satisfactory 
 to see the order and speed with which these experienced water- 
 men effected the portage, and passed their boats over the cas- 
 cades. They had arrived m noon, and in the evening they 
 expected to reach Vancouver. These bateaux carry the ex- 
 press of the Hudson Bay Company to the highest navigable 
 point of the North Fork of the Columbia, whence it is car- 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 269 
 
 ried by an overland party to Lake Winipec, where it is 
 divided ; part going to Montreal, and part to Hudsor Bay. 
 Thus a regular communication is kept up between three very 
 remote points. 
 
 The Canadian emigrants were much chagrined at the change 
 of climate, and informed me that, only a few miles above, they 
 had left a country of bright blue sky and a shining sun. The 
 next morning the upper parts of the mountains which directly 
 overlook the cascades, were white with the freshly fallen snow, 
 while it continued to rain steadily below. 
 
 Late in the afternoon we finished the portage, and, embarking 
 again, moved a little distance up the right bank, in order to 
 clear the smaller rapids of the cascades, and have a smooth 
 river for the next morning. Though we made but a few miles, 
 the weather improved immediately ; and though the rainy 
 country and the cloudy mountains were close behind, before 
 us was the bright sky ; so distinctly is climate here marked by 
 a mountain boundary. 
 
 17th. — We had to-day an opportunity to complete the 
 sketch of that portion of the river down which we had come 
 by night. 
 
 Many places occur along the river, where the stumps, or 
 rather portions of the trunks of pine-trees, are standing along 
 the shore, and in the water, where they may be seen at a con- 
 siderable depth below the surface, in the beautifully clear water. 
 These collections of dead trees are called on the Columbia the 
 submerged forest, and are supposed to have been created by the 
 effects of some convulsion which formed the cascades, and 
 which, by damming up the river, placed these trees under 
 water and destroyed them. But I venture to presume that the 
 cascades are older than the trees ; and as these submerged 
 forests occur at five or six places along the river, I had an op- 
 portunity to satisfy myself that they have been formed by 
 immeiic*^ land-slides from the mountains, which here closely 
 shut in the river, and which brought down with them into the 
 river the pines of the mountain. At one place, on the right 
 bank, I remarked a place whero a portion of one of thes^ 
 •lides seemed to have planted itself, with all the evergreen 
 
270 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Not. 
 
 foliage, and the vegetation of the neighboring hill, directly 
 amidst the falling and yellow leaves of the river trees. It oc- 
 curred to me that this would have been a beautiful illustration 
 to the eye of a botanist. 
 
 Following the course of a slide, which was very plainly 
 marked along the mountain, I found that in the interior parta 
 the trees were in their usual erect position ; but at the extremity 
 of the slide they were rocked about, and thrown into a confusion 
 of inclinations. 
 
 About 4 o'clock in the afternoon we passed a sandy bar in 
 the river, whence we had an unexpected view of Mount Hood, 
 bearing directly south by compass. 
 
 During the day we used oar and sail, and at night had 
 again a delightful camping ground, and a dry place to sleep 
 upon. 
 
 18th. — The day again was pleasant and bright. At 10 
 o'clock we passed a rock island, on the right shore of the 
 river, which the Indians use as a burial-ground ; and halting 
 for a short time, about an hour afterwards, at the village of 
 our Indian friends, early in the afternoon we arrived again at 
 the Dalles. 
 
 Carson had removed the camp up the river a little nearer 
 to the hills, where the animals had better grass. We found 
 every thing in good order, and arrived just in time to partake 
 of an excellent roast of California beef. My friend, Mr. 
 Gilpin, had arrived in advance of the party. His object ia 
 visiting this country had been to obtain correct information 
 of the Walahmette settlements ; and he had reached this 
 point in his journey, highly pleased with the country over 
 which he had traveled, and with invigorated health. On the 
 following day he continued his journey, in our returning boats, 
 to Vancouver. 
 
 The camp was now occupied in making the necessary pre- 
 parations for our homeward journey, which, though homeward, 
 contemplated a new route, and a great circuit to the south and 
 southeast, and the exploration of the Great Basin between the 
 Rocky mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Three principal 
 objects vrere indicated, by report or by maps, as being on this 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 271 
 
 route ; the character or existence of which I wished to ascer- 
 tain, and which I assumed as landmarks, or leading points, on 
 the projected line of return. The first of these points was the 
 Tlamaih lake, on the table-land between the head of Fall river, 
 which comes to the Columbia, and the Sacramento, which goes 
 to the Bay of San Francisco ; and from which lake a river of 
 the same name makes its way westwardly direct to the ocean. 
 This lake and river are often called Klamet, but I have chosen 
 to write its name according to the Indian pronunciation. The 
 position of this lake, on the line of inland communication be- 
 tween Oregon and California ; its proximity to the demarca- 
 tion boundary of latitude 42° ; its imputed double character 
 of lake, or meadow, according to the season of the year ; and 
 the hostile and warlike character attributed to the Indians 
 about it — all made it a desirable object to visit and examine. 
 From this lake our course was intended to be about southeast, 
 to a reported lake called Mary's, at some days' journey in the 
 Great Basin ; and thence, still on southeast, to the reputed 
 Buenaventura river, which has had a place in so many maps, 
 and countenanced the belief of the existence of a great river 
 flowing from the Rocky mountains to the Bay of San Fran- 
 cisco. From the Buenaventura the next point was intended 
 to be in that section of the Rocky mountains which includes 
 the heads of Arkansas river, and of the opposite waters of the 
 Californian gulf; and thence down the Arkansas to Bent's fort, 
 and home. This was our projected liiie of return — a great 
 part of it absolutely new to geographical, botanical, and geolo- 
 gical science — and the subject of reports in relation to lakes, 
 rivers, deserts, and savages hardly above the condition of mere 
 wild animals, which inflamed desire to know what this terra 
 incognita really contained. 
 
 It was a serious enterprise, at the commencement of winter, 
 to undertake the traverse of such a region, and with a party 
 consisting only of twenty-five persons, and they of many na- 
 tions — American, French, German, Canadian, Indian, and 
 colored — and most of th .m young, several being under twenty- 
 one years o/ age. All knew that a strange country was to be 
 explored, and dangers and hardships to b« «?ncountered j but 
 
273 CAPT. fkemont's narbativb. [Nov. 
 
 no one Menched at the prospect. On the contrary, courage 
 and confidence animated the whole party. Cheerfulness, readi- 
 ness, subordination, prompt obedience, characterized all ; nor 
 did any extremity of peril and privation, to which we were af- 
 terwards exposed, ever belie, or derogate from, the fine spirit 
 of this brave and generous commencement. The course of the 
 narrative will show at what point, and for what reasons, we 
 were prevented from the complete execution of this plan, after 
 having made considerable progress upon it, and how we were 
 forced by desert plains and mountain ranges, and deep snows, 
 far to the south, and near to the Pacific ocean, and along the 
 western base of the Sierra Nevada, where, indeed, a new and 
 ample field of exploration opened itself before us. For the 
 present, we must follow the narrative, which will first lead us 
 south along the valley of Fall river, and the eastern base of 
 the Cascade range, to the Tlamath lake, from which, or its 
 margin, three rivers go in three directions— one west, to the 
 ocean ; another north, to the Columbia ; the third south, to 
 California. 
 
 For the support of the party, I had provided at Vancouver a 
 supply of provisions for not less than three months, consisting 
 principally of flour, peas, and tallow — the latter being used in 
 cooking ; and, in addition to this, I had purchased at the mis. 
 sion some California cattle, which were to be driven on the 
 hoof We had 104 mules and horses — part of the latter pro- 
 cured from the Indians about the niission ; and for the susten- 
 ance of which, our reliance was upon the grass which we 
 should find, and the soft porous wood which was to be substi- 
 tuted when there was none. 
 
 Mr. Fitzpatrick, with Mr. Talbot and the remainder of the 
 party, arrived on the 21st ; and the camp was now closely en- 
 gaged in the labor of preparation. Mr. Perkins succeeded in 
 obtaining as a guide to the Tlamath lake two Indians — one of 
 whom had been there, and bore the marks of several wounds 
 he had received from somr f the Indians in the neighborhood ; 
 and the other went along for company. In order to enable us 
 to obtain horses, he dispatched messengers to the various In- 
 dian villages in the neighborhood, informing them that we were 
 
1843.] CAPT. fhkmont's narrative. 278 
 
 desirous to purchase, and appointing a day for them to Dring 
 them in. 
 
 We made, in the mean time, several excursions in the vi- 
 cinity. Mr. Perkins walked with Mr. Preuss and myself to 
 the heights, about nine miles distant, on the opposite side of the 
 river, whence, in fine weather, an extensive view may be had 
 over the mountains, including seven great peaks of the Cas- 
 cade range ; but clouds, on this occasion, destroyed the antici- 
 pated pleasure, and we obtained bearings only to three that 
 were visible — Mount Regnier, St. Helens, and Mount Hood. 
 On the heights, about one mile south of the mission, a very 
 fine view may be had of Mount Hood and St. Helens. In 
 order to determine their position with as much accuracy as 
 possible, the angular distances of the peaks were measured 
 with the sextant, at different fixed points from which they could 
 be seen. 
 
 The Indians brought in their horses at the appointed time, 
 and we succeeded in obtaining a number in exchange for 
 goods ; but they were relatively much higher here, where 
 goods are plenty and at moderate prices, than we had found 
 them in the more eastern part of our voyage. Several of the 
 Indians inquired very anxiously to know if we had any dol- 
 lars ; and the horses we procured were much fewer in num- 
 ber than I had desired, and of thin, inferior quality ; the oldest 
 and poorest being those that were sold to us. These horses, 
 as ever in our journey you will have occasion to remark, are 
 valuable for hardihood and great endurance. 
 
 24th. — At this place one of the men was discharged ; arid 
 at the request of Mr. Perkins, a Chinook Indian, a lad of nine- 
 teen, who was extremely desirous to " see the whites," and 
 make some acquaintance with our institutions, was received 
 into the party under my special charge, with the understand- 
 ing that I would again return him to his friends. He had 
 lived for some time in the household of Mr. Perkins, and spoke 
 a few words of the English language. 
 
 25th. — We were all up early, in the excitement of turning 
 towards home. The stars were brilliant, and the morning 
 cold, the thermometer at daylight 26°. 
 12* 
 
9T4 <'APT. Fremont's narrative. [Nov. 
 
 Our preparations had been fully coiupleted, and to-day we 
 commenced our journey. The little wagon which had hitherto 
 carried the instruments, I judged it necessary to abandon ; and 
 it was accordingly presented to the mission. In all our long 
 traveling, it had never been overturned or injured by any ac- 
 cident of the road ; and the only things broken were the glass 
 lamps, and one of the front panels, which had been kicked out 
 by an unruly Indian horse. The howitzer was the only 
 wheeled carriage now remaining. We started about noon, 
 when the weather had become disagreeably cold, with flurries 
 of snow. Our friend Mr. Perkins, whose kindness had been 
 active and efficient during our stay, accompanied us several 
 miles on our road, when he bade us farewell, and consignea 
 us to the care of our guides. Ascending to the uplands be- 
 yond the southern fork of the Tinanens creek, we found the 
 snow lying on the ground in frequent patches, although the 
 pasture apper^-ed good, and the new short grass was fresh and 
 green. Wt traveled over high, hilly land, and encamped on a 
 little branch of Tinanens creek, where there were good grass 
 and timber. The southern bank was covered with snow, 
 which was scattered over the bottom ; and the little creek, its 
 borders lined with ice, had a chilly and wintry look. A num- 
 ber of Indians had accompanied us so far on our road, and re- 
 mained with us during the night. Two bad-looking fellows, 
 who were detected in stealing, were tied and laid before the 
 fire, and guard mounted over them during the night. The 
 night was cold, and partially clear. 
 
 26th. — The morning was cloudy and misty, and but a few 
 stars visible. During the night water froze in the tents, and 
 at sunrise the thermometer was at 20°. Left camp at 10 
 o'clock, the road leading along tributaries of the Tinanens, and 
 being, so far, very good. We turned to the right at the fork 
 of the trail, ascending by a steep ascent along a spur to the 
 dividing grounds between this stream and the waters of Fall 
 river. The creeks we had passed were timbered principally 
 with oak and other deciduous trees. Snow lies everywhere 
 here on the ground, and we had a slight fall during the morn- 
 ing ; but towards noon the bright sky yielded to a bright suu. 
 
1843.] CAPT. fremoist's narrative. 276 
 
 This morning we had a grand view of St. Helens and Regnier : 
 the latter appeared of a conical form, and very lofty, leading 
 the eye far up into the sky. The line of the timbered country 
 is very distinctly marked here, the bare hills making with it a 
 remarkable contrast. The summit of the ridge commanded a 
 fine view of the Taih prairie, and the stream running through 
 it, which is a tributary to the Fall river, the chasm of which 
 is visible to the right. A steep descent of a mountain hill 
 brought us down into the valley, and we encamped on the 
 stream after dark, guided by the light of fires, which some 
 naked Indians, belonging to a village on the opposite side, were 
 kindling for us on the bank. This is a large branch of the Fall 
 river. There was a broad band of thick ice some fifteen feet 
 wide on either bank, and the river current is swift and bold. 
 The night was cold and clear, and we made our astronomical 
 observation this evening with the thermometer at 20°. 
 
 In anticipation of coming hardship, and to spare our horses, 
 there was much walking done to-day ; and Mr. Fitzpatrick and 
 myself made the day's journey on foot. Somewhere near the 
 mouth of this stream are the falls from which the river takes 
 its name. 
 
 27th. — A fine view of Mount Hood this morning ; a rose- 
 colored mass of snow, bearing S. 85° W. by compass. The 
 sky is clear, and the air cold ; the thermometer 2-5° below 
 zero, the trees and bushes glittering white, and the ra^ id stream 
 filled with floating ice. 
 
 Stiletsl and the White Crane, two Indian chiefs who hao' ac- 
 companied us thus far, took their leave, and we resumed our 
 journey at 10 o'clock. We ascended by a steep hill from the 
 river bottom, which is sandy, to a volcanic plain, around which 
 lofty hills sweep in a regular form. It is cut up by gullies of 
 basaltic rock, escarpments of which appear everywhere in the 
 hills. This plain is called the Taih prairie, and is sprinkled 
 with some scattered pines. The country is now far more inter- 
 esting to a traveler than the route along the Snake and Colum- 
 bia rivers. To our right we had always the mountains, from 
 *he midst of whose dark pine forests the isolated snowy peaks 
 were looking out like giants. They served us for grand bea- 
 
276 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Nov. 
 
 cons to show the rate at which we advanced in our journey. 
 Mount Hood was already becoming an old acquaintance, and, 
 when we ascended the prairie, we obtained a bearing to Mount 
 Jefferson, S. 23° W. The Indian superstition has peopled 
 these lofty peaks with evil spirits, and they have never yet 
 known the tread of a human foot. Sternly drawn against the 
 sky, they look so high and steep, so snowy and rocky, that it 
 appears almost impossible to climb them ; but still a trial would 
 have its attractions for the adventurous traveler. A small 
 trail takes off through the prairie, towards a low point in the 
 range, and perhaps there is here a pass into the Wuhlamette 
 valley. Crossing the plain, we descended by a rocky hill into 
 the bed of a tributary of Fall river, and made an early encamp, 
 ment. The water was in holes, and frozen over ; and we were 
 obliged to cut through the ice for the animals to drink. An 
 ox, which was rather troublesome to drive, was killed here for 
 food. 
 
 The evening was fine, the sky being very clear, and I ob- 
 tained an immersion of the third satellite, with a good observa- 
 tion of an emersion of the first ; the latter of which gives for 
 the longitude, 121° 02'' 43'''; the latitude, by observation, be- 
 ing 45° 06' 45''''. The night was cold — the thermometer dur- 
 ing the observations standing at 9°. 
 
 28th.— The sky was clear in the morning, but suddenly 
 clouded over, and at sunrise it began to snow, with the thermom- 
 eter at 18°. 
 
 We traversed a broken high country, partly timbered with 
 pine, and about noon crossed a mountainous ridge, in which, 
 from the rock occasionally displayed, the formation con.jists of 
 compact lava. Frequent tracks of elk were visible in tb-e snow. 
 On our right, in the afternoon, a high plain, partially covered 
 with pine, extended about ten miles, to the foot of the Cascade 
 mountains. 
 
 At evening we encamped in a basin narrowly surrounded 
 by rocky hills, after a day's journey of twenty-onw miles. 
 The surrounding rocks are either volcanic products, n^ highly 
 altered by volcanic action, consisting of quartz and reddish* 
 colored silicious masses. 
 
1843.] CAPT. freiMONt's narrative. 2T7 
 
 29th. — We emerged from the basm, by a narrow pass, upon 
 a considerable branch of Fall river, running to the eastward 
 through a narrow valley. The trail, descending this stream, 
 brought us to a locality of hot springs, which were on either 
 bank. Those on the left, which were formed into deep hand, 
 some basins, would have been delightful baths, if the outer air 
 had not been so keen, the thermometer in these being at 89°. 
 There were others on the opposite side, at the foot of an escarp, 
 ment, in which the temperature of the water was 134°. These 
 waters deposited around the spring a brecciated mass of quartz 
 and feldspar, much of it of a reddish color. 
 
 We crossed the stream here, and ascended again to a high 
 plain, from an elevated point of which we obtained a view of 
 six of the great peaks — Mount Jefferson, followed to the south, 
 ward by two others of the same class ; and succeeding, at a 
 still greater distance to the southward, were three other lower 
 peaks, clustering together in a branch ridge. These, like the 
 great peaks, were snowy masses, secondary only to them ; and, 
 from the best examination our time permitted, we are inclined 
 to believe that the range to which they belong is a branch from 
 the great chain which here bears to the westward. The trail, 
 during the remainder of the day, followed near to the large 
 stream on the left, which was continuously walled in between 
 high rocky banks. We halted for the night on a little by. 
 stream. 
 
 30th. — Our journey to-day was short. Passing over a high 
 plain, on which were scattered cedars, with frequent beds of 
 volcanic rock in fragments interspersed among the grassy 
 grounds, we arrived suddenly on the verge of the steep and 
 rocky descent to the valley of the stream we had been follow- 
 ing, and which here ran directly across our path, emerging 
 from the mountains on the right. You will remark that the 
 country is abundantly watered with large streams, which pour 
 down from the neighboring range. 
 
 These streams are characterized by the narrow and chasm, 
 like valleys in which they run, generally sunk a thousand feet 
 below the plain. At the verge of this plain, they frequently 
 commence in vertical precipices of basaltic rock, and which 
 
VJS CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Nov. 
 
 leave only casual places at which they can be entered by 
 horses. The road across the country, which would otherwise 
 be very good, is rendered impracticable for wagons by these 
 streams. There is another trail among the mountains, usually 
 followed in the summer, which the snows now compelled us to 
 avoid ; and I have reason to believe that this, passing nearer 
 the heads of these streams, would afford a much better road. 
 
 At such places, the gun-carriage was unlimbered, and sepa- 
 rately descended by hand. Continuing a few miles up the lefl 
 bank of the river, we encamped early in an open bottom among 
 the pines, a short distance below a lodge of Indians. Here, 
 along the river the bluffs present escarpments seven or eight 
 hundred feet in height, containing strata of a very fine porce- 
 lain clay, overlaid, at the height of about five hundred feet, by 
 a massive stratum of compact basalt one hundred feet in thick- 
 ness, which again is succeeded above by other strata of vol- 
 canic rocks. The clay strata are variously colored, some of 
 them very nearly as white as chalk, and very fine-grained. 
 Specimens brought from these have been subjected to micro- 
 scopical examination by Professor Baiiey, of West Point, and 
 are considered by him to constitute one of the most remarkable 
 deposites of fluviatile infusoria on re ord. While they abound 
 in genera and species which are common in fresh water, but 
 which rarely thrive where the water is even brackish, not one 
 decidedly marine form is to be found among them ; and their 
 fresh-water origin is therefore beyond a doubt. It is equally 
 certain that they lived and died at the situation where they 
 were found, as they could scarcely have been transported by 
 running waters without an admixture of sandy particles ; from 
 which, however, they are remarkably free. Fossil infusoria 
 of a fresh-water origin had been previously detected by Mr. 
 Bailey, in specimens brought by Mr. James D. Dana from the 
 tertiary formation of Oregon. Most of the species in those 
 specimens differed so much from those now living and known, 
 that he was led to infer that they might belong to extinct 
 species, and considered them also as affording proof of an 
 alteration, in the formation from which they were obtained, of 
 fresh and salt-water deoosites, which, common enough in 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 279 
 
 Europ« , had not hitherto been noticed in the United States. 
 Coming evidently from a locality entirely different, our speci- 
 mens show very few species in common with those brought by 
 Mr. Dana, but bear a much closer resemblance to those inhab- 
 iting the northeastern states. It is possible that they are from 
 a more recent deposite ; but the presence of a few remarkable 
 forms which are common to the two localities renders it more 
 probable that there is no great difference in their age. 
 
 I obtained here a good observation of an emersion of the 
 second satellite ; but clouds, which rapidly overspread the sky, 
 prevented the usual number of observations. Those which we 
 succeeded in obtaining, are, however, good ; and give for the 
 latitude of the place 44° 35' 23''', and for the longitude from 
 the satellite 121° 10' 25'', • 
 
 DECEMBER. 
 
 1st.— A short distance above our encampment, we crossea 
 the river, which was thickly lined along its banks with ice. 
 In common with all these mountain-streams the water was 
 very clear and the current swift. It was not everywhere ford- 
 able, and the water was three or four feet deep at our crossing, 
 and perhaps a hundred feet wide. As was frequently the case 
 at such places, one of the mules got his pack, consisting oi" 
 sugar, thoroughly wet, and turned into molasses. One of the 
 guides informed me that this was a "salmon-water," and 
 pointed out several ingeniously-contrived places to catch the 
 fish ; among the pines in the bottom I saw an immense one, 
 about twelve feet in diameter. A steep ascent from the oppo- 
 site bank delayed us again ; and as, by the information of our 
 guides, grass would soon become very scarce, we encamped 
 on the height of land, in a marshy place among the pines, 
 where there was an abundance of grass. We found here a 
 single Nez Perce family, who had a very handsome horse in 
 their drove, which we endeavored to obtain in exchange for a 
 good oow ; but the man " had two hearts," or, rather, he had 
 
 y 
 
CAPT. FRBMONT's narrative. [-IK- 
 
 one and his wife had another : she wanted the cow, but he 
 loved the horse too much to part with it. These people attach 
 great value to cattle, with which they are endeavoring to sup- 
 ply themselves. 
 
 2d. — In the first rays of the sun, the mountain peaks this 
 morning presented a beautiful appearance, the snow being en- 
 tirely covered with a hue of rosy gold. We traveled to-day 
 over a very stony, elevated plain, about which were scattered 
 cedar and pine, and encamped on another branch of Fall river. 
 We were gradually ascending to a more elevated region, 
 which would have been indicated by the rapidly increasing 
 quantities of snow and ice, had we not known it by other 
 means. A mule, which was packed with our cooking- utensils, 
 wandered off among the pines unperceived, and several men 
 were sent back to search for it. 
 
 3d. — Leaving Mr. Fitzpatrick with the party, I went ahead 
 with the howitzer and a few men, in order to gain time, as our 
 progress with the gun was necessarily slower. The country 
 continued the same — very stony, with cedar and pine ; and we 
 rode on until dark, when we encamped on a hill-side covered 
 with snow, which we used to-night for water, as we were una- 
 ble to reach any stream. 
 
 4th. — Our animals had taken the back track, although a 
 great number were hobbled ; and we were consequently de- 
 layed until noon. Shortly after we had left this encampment, 
 the mountain trail from the Dalles joined that on which we 
 were traveling. After passing for several miles over an arte- 
 misia plain, the trail entered a beautiful pine forest, through 
 which we traveled for several hours ; and about 4 o'clock de- 
 scended into the valley of another large branch, on the bottom 
 of which were spaces of open pines, with occasional meadows 
 of good grass, in one of which we encamped. The stream is 
 very swift and deep, and about 40 feet wide, and nearly half 
 frozen over. Among the timber here, are larches 140 feet 
 high, and over three feet in diameter. We had to-night the 
 rare sight of a lunar rainbow. 
 
 5th. — To-day the country was all pine forest, and beautiful 
 weather made our journey delightful. It was too warm at 
 
1843.] CAPT. FRgr ont's narrative. 381 
 
 noon for winter clothes ; and the snow, which lay everywbeie 
 in patches through the forest, was melting rapidly. After a 
 few hours' ride, we came upon a fine stream in the midst of 
 the forest, which proved to be the principal branch of the Fall 
 river. It was occasionally 200 feet wide — sometimes narrow- 
 ed to 50 feet — the waters very clear, and frequently deep. 
 We ascended along the river, which sometimes presented sheets 
 of foaming cascades — its banks occasionally blackened with 
 masses of scoriated rock — and found a good encampment on 
 tlie verge of open bottom, which had been an old camping- 
 ground of the Cayuse Indians. A great number of deer-horns 
 were lying about, indicating game in the neighborhood. The 
 limber was uniformly large, some of the pines measuring 22 
 feet in circumference at the ground, and 12 to 13 feet at six 
 feet above. 
 
 In all our journeying, we had never traveled through a coun- 
 try where the rivers were so abounding in falls ; and the name 
 of this stream is singularly characteristic. At every place 
 where we come in the neighborhood of the river, is heard the 
 roaring of falls. The rock along the banks of the stream, and 
 the ledge over which it falls, is a scoriated basalt, with a bright 
 metallic fracture. The stream goes over in one clear pitch, 
 succeeded by a foaming cataract of several hundred yards. 
 In a little bottom above the falls, a small stream discharges into 
 an entonnoir, and disappears below. 
 
 We made an early encampment, and in the course of the 
 evening Mr. Fitzpatrick joined us here with the lost mule. 
 Our lodge-poles were nearly worn out, and we found here a 
 handsome set, leaning against one of the trees, very white, 
 and cleanly scraped. Had the owners been here, we would 
 have purchased them ; but as they were not, we merely left 
 the old ones in their place, with a small quantity of tobacco. 
 
 6th. — The morning was frosty and clear. We continued up 
 the stream on undulating forest ground, over which there was 
 scattered much falling timber. We met here a village of Nez 
 Perce Indians, who appeared to be coming down from the 
 mountains, and had with them fine bands of horses. With them 
 were a few Snake Indians of the root-digging species. From 
 
283 CAPT. fkemont's narrative. [Dec. 
 
 the forest we emerged into an open valley ten or twelve miles 
 wide, t.nrough which the stream was flowing tranquilly, up- 
 wards of two hundred feet broad, with occasional islands, and 
 bordered with fine broad bottoms. Crossing the river, which 
 here issues from a great mountain ridge on the right, we con- 
 tinued up the southern and smaller branch over a level coun- 
 try, consisting of fine meadow-land, alternating with pine for- 
 ests, and encamped on it early in the evening. A warm sun- 
 shine made the day pleasant. 
 
 7th. — To-day we had good traveling ground, the trail lead- 
 ing sometimes over rather sandy soils in the pine forest, and 
 sometimes over meadow-land along the stream. The great 
 beauty of the country in summer constantly suggested itself 
 to our imaginations ; and even now we found it beautiful, as 
 we rode along these meadows, from half a mile to two miles 
 wide. The rich soil and excellent water, surrounded by no- 
 ble forests, make a picture that would delight the eye of a 
 farmer. 
 
 I observed to-night an occultation of a Geminorum ; which, 
 although at the bright limb of the moon, appears to give a very 
 good result, that has been adopted for the longitude. The oc- 
 cultation, observations of satellites, and our position deduced 
 from daily surveys with the compass, agree remarkably well 
 together, and mutually support and strengthen each other. 
 The latitude of the camp is 43° 30^ 36^' ; and longitude, de- 
 duced from the occultation, 121° 33' 50'^ 
 
 8th. — To-day we crossed the last branch of the Fall river, 
 issuing, like all the others we had crossed, in a southwesterly 
 direction from the mountains. Our direction was a little east 
 of south, the trail leading constantly through pine forests. The 
 soil was generally bare, consisting, in greater part, of a yel- 
 lowish-white pumice-stone, producing varieties of magnificent 
 pines, but not a blade of grass ; and to-night our horses were 
 obliged to do without food, and use snow for water. These 
 pines are remarkable for the red color of the bolls ; and among 
 them occurs a species of which the Indians had informed me 
 when leaving the Dalles. The unusual size of the cone (16 or 
 18 inches long) had attracted their attention ; and they poinieJ 
 
1843.] OArr Fremont's narrative. S88 
 
 it out to me among the curiosities of the country. They are 
 more remarkable for their large diameter than their height, 
 which usually averages only about 120 feet. The leaflets are 
 shorts-only two or three inches long, and five in a sheath ; the 
 bark of a red color. 
 
 9th. — The trail leads always through splendid pine forests. 
 Crossing dividing grounds by a very fine road, we descended 
 very gently towards the south. The weather was pleasant, 
 and we halted late. The soil was very much like that of yes- 
 terday ; and on the surface of a hill near our encampment, 
 were displayed beds of pumice-stone ; but the soil produced 
 no grass, and again the animals fared badly. 
 
 10th. — The country began to improve ; and about eleven 
 o'clock we reached a spring of cold water on the edge of a sa- 
 vannah, or grassy meadow, which our guides informed us was 
 an arm of tfte Tlamath lake ; and a few miles further we en- 
 tered upon an extensive meadow, or lake of grass, surrounded 
 by timbered mountains. This was the Tlamath lake. It was 
 a picturesque and beautiful spot, and rendered more attractive 
 to us by the abundant and excellent grass, which our animals, 
 after traveling through pine forests, so much needed ; but the 
 broad sheet of water which constitutes a lake was not to be seen. 
 Overlooking it, immediately west, were several snowy knobs, 
 belonging to what we have considered a branch of the Cciscade 
 range. A low point, covered with pines, made out into the 
 lake, which afforded us a good place for an encampment, and 
 for the security of our horses, which were guarded in view on 
 the open meadow. The character of courage and hostility at- 
 tributed to the Indians in this quarter induced more than usual 
 precaution ; and, seeing smokes rising from the middle of the 
 take (or savannah) and along the opposite shores, I directed 
 ihe howitzer to be fired. It was the first time our guides had 
 ieen it discharged ; and the bursting of the shell at a distance, 
 which was something like the second fire of the gun, amazed 
 and bewildered them with delight. It inspired them with tri- 
 umphant feelings ; but on the camps at a distance the efiTect 
 was different, for the smokes in the lake and on the shores im- 
 mediately disappeared. 
 
284 c-APT. Fremont's narrativf.. [Dec. 
 
 The point on which we were encamped forms, with the op. 
 posite eastern shore, a narrow neck, connecting the body of 
 the lalte with a deep cove or bay which receives the principal 
 affluent stream, and over the greater part of which the water 
 (or rather ice) was at this time dispersed in shallow pools. 
 Among the grass, and scattered over the prairie lake, appeared 
 to be similar marshes. It is simply a shallow basin, which, for 
 a short period at the time of melting snows, is covered with 
 water from the neighboring mountains ; but this probably soon 
 runs off, and leaves for the remainder of the year a green sa- 
 vannah, through the midst of which the river Tlamath, which 
 flows to the ocean, winds its way to the outlet on the south- 
 western side. 
 
 11th. — No Indians made their appearance, and I determined 
 to pay them a visit. Accordingly the people were gathered 
 together, and we rode out towards the village iti the middle 
 of the lake which one of our guides had previously visited. 
 It could not be directly approached, as a large part of the lake 
 appeared a marsh ; and there were sheets of ice among the 
 grass on which our horses could not keep their footing. We 
 therefore followed the guide for a considerable distance along 
 the forest ; and then turned off towards the village, which we 
 soon began to see was a few large huts, on the tops of which 
 were collected the Indians. When we had arrived within half 
 a mile of the village, two persons were seen advancing to meet 
 us ; and, to please the fancy of our guides, we ranged our- 
 selves into a long line, riding abreast, while they galloped 
 ahead to meet the strangers. 
 
 We were surprised, on riding up, to find one of them a wo- 
 man, having never before known a squaw to take any part in 
 the business of war. They were the village chief and his wife, 
 who, in exivyitement and alarm at the unusual event and appear- 
 ance, had come out to meet their fate together. The chief 
 was a very prepossessing Indian, with handsome features, and 
 a singularly soft and agreeable voice — so remarkable as to 
 attract general notice. 
 
 The huts were grouped together on the bank of the river 
 whichi from being spread out in a shallow marsh at the upper 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 285 
 
 end of the lake, was collected here into a single stream. The} 
 were large round huts, perhaps 20 feet in diameter,' with 
 rounded tops, on which was the door by which they descend- 
 ed into the interior. Within, they were supported by posts 
 and beams. 
 
 Almost like plants, these people seem to have adapted them- 
 selves to the soil, and to be growing on what the immediate 
 locality afforded. Their only subsistence at the time appear- 
 ed to be a small fish, great quantities of which, that had been 
 smoked and dried, were suspended on strings about the lodge. 
 Heaps of straw were lying around ; and their residence in the 
 midst of grass and rushes had taught them a peculiar skill in 
 converting this material to useful purposes. Their shoes were 
 made of straw or grass, which seemed well adapted for a 
 snowy country ; and the women wore on their heads a closely- 
 woven basket, which made a very good cap. Among other 
 things, were party-colored mats about four feet square, which 
 we purchased to lay on the snow under our blankets, and to 
 use for table-cloths. 
 
 Numbers of singular-looking dogs, resembling wolves, were 
 sitting on the tops of the huts ; and of these we purchased a 
 young one, which, after its birthplace, was named Tlamath. 
 The language spoken by these Indians is different from that 
 of the Shoshonee and Columbia River tribes ; and otherwise 
 than by signs they cannot understand each other. They made 
 us comprehend that they were at war with the people who 
 lived to the southward and to the eastward ; but I could obtain 
 from them no certain information. The river on which they 
 live enters the Cascade mountains on the western side of the 
 lake, and breaks through them by a passage impracticable for 
 travelers ; but over the mountains, to the northward, are passes 
 which present no other obstacle than in the almost impenetra- 
 ble forests. Unlike any Indians we had previously seen, these 
 wore shells in their noses. We returned to our camp, after 
 remaining here an hour or two, accompanied by a number of 
 Indians. 
 
 In order to recruit a little the strength of our animals, and 
 obtain some acquaintance with the locality, we remained here 
 
286 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Die, 
 
 for the reitrainder of the day. By observation, the latitude of 
 the camp was 42° 66^ 51^', and the diameter of the lake, or 
 meadow, as has been intimated, alx>ut 20 miles. It is a pic- 
 turesque and beautiful spot, and, under the hand of cultivation, 
 might become a little paradise. Game is found in the forest, 
 timbered and snowy mountains skirt it, and fertility character- 
 izes it. Situated near the heads of three rivers, and on the line 
 of inland communication with California, and near to Indians 
 noted for treachery, it will naturally, in the progress of the 
 settlement of Oregon, become a point for military occupation 
 and settlement. 
 
 From Tlamath lake, the further continuation of our voyage 
 assumed a character of discovery and exploration, which, from 
 the Indians here, we could obtain no information to direct, and 
 where the imaginary maps of the country, instead of assisting, 
 exposed us to suffering and defeat. In our journey across the 
 desert, Mary's lake, and the famous Buenaventura river, were 
 two points on which I relied to recruit the animals and repose 
 the party. Forming, agreeably to the best maps in my pos- 
 session, a connected water-line from the Rocky mountains to 
 the Pacific ocean, I felt no other anxiety than to pass safely 
 across the intervening desert to the banks of the Buenaventura, 
 where, in the softer climate of a more southern latitude, our 
 horses might find grass to sustain them, and ourselves be shel- 
 tered from the rigors of winter, and from the inhospitable des- 
 ert. The guides who had conducted us thus far on our jour- 
 ney were about to return ; and I endeavored in vain to obtain 
 others to lead us, even for a few days, in the direction (east) 
 which we wished to go. The chief to whom I applied alleged 
 the want of horses, and the snow on the mountains across 
 which our course would carry us, and the sickness of his fami- 
 ly, as reasons for refusing to go with us. 
 
 12th. — This morning the camp was thronged with Tlamath 
 Indians from the southeastern shore of the lake ; but, knowing 
 the treacherous disposition which is a remarkable characteristic 
 of the Indians south of the Columbia, the camp was kept con- 
 stantly on its guard. I was not unmindful of the disasters 
 which Smith and other travelers had met with in this oountryi 
 
1643.] CAP! . Fremont's NARRATIVE. 287 
 
 and therefore was equally vigilant in guarding against treache- 
 ry and violence. 
 
 According to the best information I had been able to obtain 
 from the Indians, in a few days' traveling we should reach 
 another large water, probably a lake, which they indicated ex- 
 actly in the course we were about to pursue. We struck our 
 tents at 10 o'clock, and crossed the lake in a nearly east di- 
 rection, where it has the least extension — the breadth of the 
 arm being here only about a mile and a half. There were 
 ponds of ice, with but little grass, for the greater part of the 
 way, and it was difficult to get the pack-animals across, which 
 fell frequently, and could not get up with their loads, unassist- 
 ed. The morning was very unpleasant, snow falling at inter- 
 vals in large flakes, and the sky dark. In about two hours we 
 succeeded in getting the animals over ; and, after traveling 
 another hour along the eastern shore of the lake, we turned up 
 into a cove where there was a sheltered place among the tim- 
 ber, with good grass, and encamped. The Indians, who had 
 accompanied us so far, returned to their village on the south- 
 eastern shore. Among the pines here, I noticed some five or 
 six feet in diameter. 
 
 13th. — The night has been cold ; the peaks around the lake 
 gleam out brightly in the morning sun, and the thermometer is 
 at zero. We continued up the hollow formed by a small afflu- 
 ent to the lake, and immediately entered an open pine for. 
 est on the mountain. The way here was sometimes obstructed 
 by fallen trees, and the snow was four to twelve inches deep. 
 The mules at the gun pulled heavily, and walking was a little 
 laborious. In the midst of the wood, we heard the sound of 
 galloping horses, and were agreeably surprised by the unex- 
 pected arrival of our Tlamath chief with several Indians. He 
 seemed to have found his conduct inhospitable in letting the 
 strangers depart without a guide through the snow, and had 
 come, with a few others, to pilot us a day or two on the way. 
 After traveling in an easterly direction through the forest for 
 about four hours, we reached a considerable stream, with a 
 border of good grass ; and here, by the advice of our guides, 
 we encamped. It is about thirty feet wide, and two to fom 
 
288 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Deo. 
 
 feet deep, the water clear, with some current ; and, according 
 to the information of our Indians, is the principal affluent to the 
 lake, and the head-water of the Tlamath river. 
 
 A very clear sky enabled me to obtain here to-night good 
 observations, including an emersion of the first satellite of 
 Jupiter, which gave for the long. 121° 20' 42'', and for the 
 lat. 42° 51' 26''. This emersion coincides remarkably well 
 with the result obtained from an occultation at the encampment 
 of December 7th to 8th, 1843 ; from which place, the line of 
 our survey gives an easting of 13 miles. The day's journey 
 was 12 miles. 
 
 14th. — Our road was over a broad mountain, and we rode 
 seven hours in a thick snow-storm, always through pine forests, 
 when we came down upon the head-waters of another stream, 
 an which there was grass. The snow lay deep on the ground, 
 and only the high swamp-grass appeared above. The Indians 
 were thinly clad, and I had remarked during the day that they 
 suffered from cold. This evening they told me that the snow 
 was getting too deep on the mountain, and I could not induce 
 them to go any farther. The stream we had struck issued 
 from the mountain in an easterly direction, turning to the 
 southward a short distance below ; and, drawing its course 
 upon the ground, they made us comprehend that it pursued its 
 way for a long distance in that direction, uniting with many 
 other streams, and gradually becoming a great river. With- 
 out the subsequent information, which confirmed the opinion, 
 we became immediately satisfied that this water formed the 
 principal stream of the Sacramento river ; and, consequently, 
 that this main affluent of the bay of San Francisco had its 
 source within the limits of the United States, and opposite a 
 tributary to the Columbia, and near the head of the Tlamath 
 river, which goes to the ocean north of 42°, and within the 
 United States. 
 
 15th. — A present, consisting of useful goods, afforded much 
 satisfaction to our guides ; and, showing them the national 
 flag, I explained that it was a symbol of our nation ; and they 
 engaged always to receive it in a friendly manner. The chief 
 pointed out a course, by following which we would arrive at 
 
mS.] CAPT. FREMONT S NARRATIVE. 269 
 
 the big water, where no more snow was to be found. Travel- 
 ing in a direction N. 60° E. by compass, which the Indians 
 informed me would avoid a bad mountain to the right, we 
 crossed the Sacramento where it turned to the southward, and 
 entered a grassy level plain — a smaller Grand Rond ; from 
 the lower end of which the river issued into an inviting country 
 of low rolling hills. Crossing a hard-frozen swamp on the 
 farther side of the Rond, we entered again the pine forest, in 
 which very deep snow made our traveling slow and laborious. 
 We were slowly but gradually ascending a mountain ; and, 
 after a hard journey of seven hours, we came to some naked 
 places among the timber, where a few tufts of grass showed 
 above the snow, on the side of a hollow ; and here we encamped. 
 Our cow, which every day got poorer, was killed here, but the 
 meat was rather tough. 
 
 16th. — We traveled .his morning through snow about three 
 feet deep, which, being crusted, very much cut the feet of our 
 animals. The mountain still gradually rose ; we crossed 
 several spring heads covered with quaking asp ; otherwise it 
 was all pine forest. The air was dark with falling snow, 
 which everywhere wnighad down the trees. The depths of tiie 
 forest were profoundly slill ; and below, we scarcely felt a breath 
 of the wind which whirled the snow through their branches. 
 I found that it required some exertion of constancy to adhere 
 steadily to one course through the woods, when we were un- 
 certain how far the forest extended, or what lay beyond ; and, 
 on account of our animals, it would be bad to spend another 
 night on the mountain. Towards noon the forest looked clear 
 ahead, appearing suddenly to terminate ; and beyond a certain 
 point we could see no trees. Riding rapidly ahead to this 
 spot, we found ourselves on the verge of a vertical and rocky 
 wall of the n ountain. At our feet — more than a thousand 
 feet below — we ooked into a green prairie country,, in which 
 a beautiful lake, me twenty miles in length, was spread along 
 the foot of the mc ains, its shores bordered with green grass. 
 Just then the sun bi ke out among the clouds, and illuminated 
 the country below, w le around us the storm raged tiercely. 
 Not a particle of ice v\ -s to be seen on the lake, or snow on 
 13 
 
290 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Dec. 
 
 its borders, and all was like summer or spring. The glow of 
 the sun in the valley below brightened up our hearts with sud- 
 den pleasure ; and we made the woods ring with joyful shouts 
 to those behind ; and gradually, as each came up, he stopped 
 to enjoy the unexpected scene. Shivering on snow three fee; 
 deep, and stiffening in a cold north wind, we exclaimed at once 
 that the names of Summer Lake and Winter Ridge should be 
 applied to these two proximate places of such sudden and vio. 
 lent contrast. 
 
 We were now immediately on the verge of the forest land, 
 in which we had been traveling so many days ; and, looking 
 forward to the east, scarce a tree was to be seen. Viewed 
 from our elevation, the face of the country exhibited only 
 rocks and grass, and presented a region in which the artemisia 
 became the principal wood, furnishing to its scattered inhabi- 
 tants fuel for their fires, building material for their huts, and 
 shelter for the small game which ministers to their hunger 
 and nakedness. Broadly marked by the boundary at the 
 mountain wall, and immediately below us, were the first 
 waters of that Great Interior Basin which has the Wahsatch 
 and Bear River mountains for its eastern, and the Sierra 
 Nevada for its western rim ; and the edge of which we had 
 entered upwards of three months before, at the Great Salt Lake. 
 
 When we had sufficiently admired the scene below, we be- 
 gan to think about descending, which here was impossible, and 
 we turned towards the north, traveling always along the rocky 
 wall. We continued on for four or five miles, making inef- 
 fectual attempts at several places ; and at length succeeded in 
 getting down at one which was extremei^ difficult of descent. 
 Night had closed in before the foremost reachea tne bottom, 
 and it was dark before we all found ourselves together in the 
 valley. There were three or four half-dead dry cedar-trees 
 on the shore, and those who first arrived kindled bright fires to 
 light on the others. One of the mules rolled over and over 
 two or three hundred feet into a ravine, but recovered himself 
 without any other injury than to his pack ; and the howitzer 
 was left midway the mountain until morning. By observation, 
 tho latitude of this encampment is 42° bT 22'''. It delayed 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 291 
 
 us until near noon the next day to recover ourselves and put 
 every thing in order ; and we made only a short camp along 
 the western shore of the lake, which, in the summer tempera- 
 ture we enjoyed to-day, justified the name we had given it. 
 Our course would have taken us to the other shore, and over 
 the highlands beyond j but I distrusted the appearance of the 
 country, and decided to follow a plainly-beaten Indian trail 
 leading along this side of the lake. We were now in a country 
 where the scarcity of water and of grass makes traveling dan- 
 gerous, and great caution was necessary. 
 
 18th. — We continued on the trail along the narrow strip of 
 land between the lake and the high rocky wall, from which we 
 had looked down two days before. Almost every half mile we 
 crossed a little spring, or stream of pure cold water, and the 
 grass was certainly as fresh and green as in the early spring. 
 From the white efflorescence along the shore of the lake, we 
 were enabled to judge that the water was impure, like that of 
 lakes we subsequently found, but the mud prevented us from 
 approaching it. We encamped near the eastern point of the 
 iuke, where there appeared between the hills a broad and low 
 connecting hollow with the country beyond. From a rocky 
 hill in the rear, I could see, marked out by a line of yellow 
 dried grass, the bed of a stream, which probably connected the 
 lake with other waters in the spring. 
 
 The observed latitude of this encampment is 42° 42^ 37^'. 
 
 19th. — After two hours' ride in an easterly direction, through 
 a low country, the high ridge with pine forest still to our right, 
 and a rocky and bald but lower one on the left, we reached a 
 considerable fresh-water stream, which issues from the piny 
 mountains. So far as we had been able to judge, between this 
 stream and the lake we had crossed dividing grounds, and there 
 did not appear to be any connection, as might be inferred from 
 the impure conditio^ of the lake water. 
 
 The rapid stream of pure water, roaring along between 
 Danks overhung with aspens and willows, was a refreshing and 
 unexpected sight j and we followed down the course of the 
 stream, which brought us soon into a marsh, or dry lake, 
 formed by the expanding waters of the stream. It was cover- 
 
292 CAPT. Fremont's narrativl. [Dec. 
 
 ed with high reeds and rushes, and large patches of ground 
 had been turned up by the squaws in digging for roots, as if a 
 farmer had been preparing the land for grain. I could not 
 succeed in finding the plant for which they had been digging. 
 There were frequent trails, and fresh tracks of Indians ; and, 
 from the abundant signs visible, the black-tailed hare appears 
 to be numeious here. It was evident that, in other seasons, 
 this place was a sheet of water. Crossing this marsh towards 
 the eastern hills, and passing over a bordering plain of heavy 
 sands, covered with artemisia, we encamped before sundown 
 on the creek, which here was very small, having lost its water 
 in the marshy grounds. We found here tolerably good grass. 
 The wind to-night was high, and we had no longer our huge 
 pine fires, but were driven to our old resource of small dried 
 willows and artemisia. About 12 miles ahead, the valley ap 
 pears to be closed in by a high, dark-looking ridge. 
 
 20th. — Traveling for a few hours down the stream this 
 morning, we turned the point of a hill on our left, and came 
 suddenly in sight of another and much larger lake, which, 
 along its eastern shore, was closely bordered by the high black 
 ridge which walled it in by a precipitous face on this side. 
 Throughout this region th. face of the country is characterized 
 by these precipices of black volcanic rock, generally enclosing 
 the valleys of streams, and frequently terminating the hills. 
 Often, in the course of our journey, we would be tempted to 
 continue our road up the gentle ascent of a sloping hill, which, 
 at the summit, would terminate abruptly in a black precipice 
 Spread out over a lengfh of 20 miles, the lake, when we first 
 came in view, presented a handsome sheet of water, and I 
 gave to it the name of Lake Abert, in honor of the chief of 
 the corps to which I belonged. The fresh-water stream we 
 had followed emptied into the lake by a little fall ; and I was 
 doubtful for a moment whether to go on, or encamp at thia 
 place. The miry ground in the neighborhood of the lake did 
 not allow us to examine the water conveniently, and, being 
 novi^ on the borders of a desert country, we were moving cau- 
 tiously. It was, however, still early in the day, and 1 con- 
 tinued on trusting either that the water would be drinkable 
 
1843.] CAFT. Fremont's narrative. 293 
 
 or that we should find some Utile spring from the hill-side. We 
 were following an Indian trail which led along the steep rocky 
 precipice — a black ridge along the western shore holding out 
 no prospect whatever. The white efflorescences which lined 
 the shore like a bank of snow, and the disagreeable odor which 
 filled the air as soon as we came near, informed us too plainly 
 that the water belonged to one of those fetid salt lakes which 
 are common in this region. We continued until late in the 
 evening to work along the rocky shore, but, as often after- 
 wards, the dry, inhospitable rock deceived us ; and, halting on 
 the lake, we kindled up fires to guide those who were strag- 
 gling along behind. We tried the water, but it was impossible 
 to drink it, and most of the people to-night lay down without 
 eating ; but some of us, who had always a great reluctance to 
 close the day without supper, dug holes along the shore, and 
 obtained water, which, being filtered, was sufficiently palata- 
 ble to be used, but still retained much of its nauseating 
 taste. There was very little grass for the animctls, the shore 
 being lined with a luxuriant growth of chenopoiiaceous shrubs, 
 which burned with a quick bright flame, and made our firewood. 
 
 The next morning we had scarcely traveled two hours along 
 the shore, when we reached a place where ihe mountains made 
 a bay, leaving at their feet a low bottom around the lake. 
 Here we found numerous hillocks covered with rushes, in the 
 midst of which were deep holes, or springs, of pure water ; 
 and the bottom was covered with grass, which, although of a 
 salt and unwholesome quality, and mixed with saline efflo- 
 rescences, was still abundant, and made a good halting-place 
 to recruit our animals, and we accordingly encamped here for 
 the remainder of the day. I rode ahead several miles to as- 
 certain if there was any appearance of a water-course entering 
 the lake, but found none, the hills preserving their dry charac- 
 ter, and the shore of the lake sprinkled with the same white 
 powdery substance, and covered with the same shrubs. There 
 were flocks of ducks on the lake, and frequent tracks of In- 
 dians along the s^ e, where the grass had been recently burnt 
 by their fires. 
 
 We ascended the bordering mountain, iii order to obtain amor* 
 
SOt CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Dko. 
 
 perfect view of the lake, in sketching its figure : hills swf ep en 
 tirely around its basin, from which the waters have no outlet. 
 
 22d. — To-day we left this forbidding lake. Impassable 
 rocky ridges barred our progress to the eastward, and I accord- 
 ingly bore olT towards the south, over an extensive sage-plain. 
 At a considerable distance ahead, and a little on our left, was 
 a range of snowy mountains, and the country declined gradu- 
 ally towards the foot of a high and nearer ridge, immediately 
 before us, which presented the feature of black precipices now 
 becoming common to the country. On the summit of th* 
 ridge, snow was visible ; and there being every indication of 
 a stream at its base, we rode on until after dark, but were un- 
 able to reach it, and halted among the sage-bushes on the open 
 plain, without either grass or water. The two India-rubber 
 bags had been filled with water in the morning, which afforded 
 sufficient for the camp ; and rain in the night formed pools, 
 which relieved the thirst of the animals. Where we encamped 
 on the bleak sandy plain, the Indians had made huts or circular 
 enclosures, about four feet high and twelve feet broad, of artemisia 
 bushes. Whether these had been forts or houses, or what they 
 had been doing in such a desert place, we could not ascertain. 
 
 23d. — The weather is mild ; the thermometer at daylight 
 88° ; the wind having been from the southward for several 
 days. The country has a very forbidding appearance, present- 
 ing to the eye nothing but sage, and barren ridges. We rode 
 up towards the mountain, along the foot of which we found a 
 lake, that we could not approach on account of the mud ; and, 
 passing around its southern end, ascended the slope at the foot 
 of the ridge, where in some hollows we had discovered bushes 
 and small trees — in such situations, a sure sign of water. We 
 found here several springs, and the hill-side was well sprinkled 
 with a species offestuca — a better grass than we had found for 
 many days. Our elevated position gave us a good view over 
 the country, but we discovered nothing very encouraging. 
 Southward, about ten miles distant, was another smail lake, 
 towards which a broad trail led along the ridge ; and this ap- 
 pearing to afford the most practicable route, I determined to 
 continue our journey in that direction. 
 
1843.] CAPT. frbmont's narrative. 395 
 
 24th. — We found the water at the lake tolerably pure, ana 
 encamped at the farther end. There were some good grass 
 and canes along the shore, and the vegetables at this place 
 consisted principally of chenopodiaceous shrubs. 
 
 25th. — We were roused on Ciiristmas morning by a dis- 
 charge from the small-arms and how'tzer, with which our 
 people saluted the day ; and the name of which we bestowed 
 on the lake. It was the first time, perhaps, in this remote and 
 desolate region, in which it had been so commemorated. Al- 
 ways, on days of religious or national commemoration, our 
 voyageurs expect some unusual allowance ; and having nothing 
 else, I gave them each a little brandy, (which was carefully 
 guarded, as one of the most useful articles a traveler can carry,) 
 with some coffee and sugar, which here, where every eatable 
 was a luxury, was sufficient to make them a feast. The day 
 was sunny and warm ; and resuming our journey, we crossed 
 some slight dividing grounds into a similar basin, walled in on 
 the right by a lofty mountain ridge. The plainly-beaten trail 
 still continued, and occasionally we passed camping-grounds 
 of the Indians, which indicated to me that we were on one of 
 the great thoroughfares of the country. In the afternoon I 
 attempted to travel in a more eastern direction ; but after a 
 few laborious miles, was beaten back into the basin by an im- 
 passable country. There were fresh Indian tracks about the 
 valley, and last night a horse was stolen. We encamped on 
 the valley bottom, where there was some cream-like water in 
 ponds, colored by a clay soil, and frozen over. Chenopodia- 
 ceous shrubs constituted the growth, and made again our fire- 
 wood. The animals were driven to the hill, where there was 
 tolerably good grass. 
 
 26th. — Our general course was again south. The country 
 consists of larger or smaller basins, into which the mountain 
 waters run down, forming small lakes : they present a perfect 
 level, from which the mountains rise immediately and abruptly. 
 Between the successive basins, the dividing grounds are usu- 
 ally very slight ; and it is probable that in the seasons of high 
 water, many of these basins are in communication. At such 
 times there is evidentlv an abundance of water, though now we 
 
200 CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. [DsO. 
 
 find scarcely more than the dry beds. On eitb it ,ide, the 
 mountains, though not very high, appear to bo rocky and sterile. 
 The basin in which we were traveling declined towards the 
 southwest corner, where the mountains indicated a narrow out- 
 let ; and, turning round a rocky point or cape, we continued 
 up a lateral branch valley, in which we encamped at night, on 
 a rapid, pretty little stream of fresh water, which we found un- 
 expectedly among the sage, near the ridge, on the right side of 
 the valley. It was bordered with grassy bottoms and clumps 
 of willows ; the water partially frozen. This stream belongs 
 to the basin we had left. By a partial observation to-night, our 
 camp was found to be directly on the 42d parallel. To-night 
 a horse belonging to Carson, one of the best we had in the 
 camp, was stolen by the Indians. 
 
 27th. — We continued up the valley of the stream, the prin 
 cipal branch of which here issues from a bed of high moun- 
 tains. We turned up a branch to the left, and fell into an In- 
 dian trail, which conducted us by a good road over open bottoms 
 along the creek, where the snow was five or six inches deep. 
 Gradually ascending, the trail led through a good broad pass 
 in the mountain, where we found the snow about one foot deep. 
 There were some remarkably large cedars in the pass, which 
 were covered with an unusual quantity of frost, which we sup- 
 posed might possibly indicate the neighborhood of water ; and 
 as, in the arbitrary position of Mary's lake, we were already 
 beginning to look for it, this circumstance contributed to our 
 hope of finding it near. ..descending from the mountain, we 
 reached another basin, on the flat lake bed of which we found 
 no water, and encamped among the sage on the bordering plain, 
 where the snow was still about one foot deep. Among this the 
 grass was remarkably green, and to-night the animals fared 
 tolerably well. 
 
 28th. — The snow being deep, I had determined, if any more 
 horses were stolen, to follow the tracks of the Indians into the 
 mountains, and put a temporary check to their sly operations j 
 but it did not occur again. 
 
 Our road this morning lay down i level valley, bordered 
 by steep mouitainous ridges, rising yery abruptly from the 
 
1643.J CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 297 
 
 plain. Artemisia was tlie principal plant, mingled with Fre- 
 montia and the chenopodiacoous shrut»s. The artemisia was 
 here extremely large, being sometimes a foot in diameter, and 
 eight feet high. Riding quietly along over the snow, we came 
 suddenly upon smokes rising among these bushes ; and, gal- 
 loping up, we found two huts, open at the top, and loosely built 
 of sage, which appeared to have been deserted at the instant j 
 and, looking hastily around, we saw several Indians on the 
 crest of the ridge near by, and several others scrambling up 
 the side. We had come upon them so suddenly, that they 
 had been well-nigh surprised in their lodges. A sage fire was 
 burning in the middle ; a few baskets made of straw were 
 lying about, with one or two rabbit-skins ; and there was a 
 little grass scattered about, on which they had been lying. 
 " Tabibo— bo !" they shouted from the hills — a word which, in 
 the Snake language, signifies white — and remained looking at 
 us from behind the rocks. Carson and Godey rode towards 
 the hill, but the men ran off like deer. They had been so 
 much pressed, that a woman with two children had dropped 
 behind a sage-bush near the lodge, and when Carson acci- 
 dentally stumbled upon her, she immediately began screaming 
 in the extremity of fear, and shut her eyes fast to avoid seeing 
 him. She was brought back to the lodge, and we endeavored 
 in vain to open a communication with the men. By dint of 
 presents, and friendly demonstrations, she was brought to calm- 
 noss ; and we found that they belonged to the Snake nation, 
 speaking the language of that people. Eight or ten appeared 
 to live together, under the same little shelter ; and they seemed 
 to have no other subsistence than the roots or seeds they might 
 have stored up, and the hares which live in the sage, and which 
 they are enabled to track through the snow, and are very 
 skilful in killing. Their skins afford them a little scanty cov- 
 ering. Herding together among bushes, and crouching almost 
 naked over a little sage fire, using their instinct only to procure 
 food, these may be considered, among human beings, the near- 
 est approach to the animal creation. We have reason to believe 
 that these had never before seen the face of a white man. 
 The day had been pleasant, but about two o'clock it began 
 13* 
 
298 CAPT. Fremont's nabrativb. [Die. 
 
 1,0 blow ; and crossing a slight dividing ground we encamped on 
 the sheltered side of a hill, where there was good bunch-grass, 
 having made a day's journey of 24 miles. The night closed in, 
 threatening snow ; but the large sage-bushes made bright fires. 
 
 29th. — The morning mild, and at 4 o'clock it commenced 
 snowing. We took our way across a plain, thickly covereo 
 with snow, towards a range of hills in the southeast. Th« 
 sky soon became so dark with snow, that little could be seer 
 of the surrounding country ; and we reached the summit of 
 the hills in a heavy snow-storm. On the side we had ap 
 proached, this had appeared to be only a ridge of low hills • 
 and we were surprised to find ourselves on the summit of a bed 
 of broken mountains, which, as far as the weather would 
 permit us to see, declined rapidly to some low country ahead, 
 presenting a dreary and savage character j and for a moment 
 I looked around in doubt on the wild and inhospitable prospect, 
 scatcely knowing what road to take which might conduct us 
 to some place of shelter for the night. Noticing among the 
 hills the head of a grassy hollow, I determined to follow it, in 
 the hope that it would conduct us to a stream. We followed 
 a winding descent for several miles, the hollow gradually 
 broadening into little meadows, and becoming the bed of a 
 stream as we advanced ; and towards night we were agreeably 
 surprised by the appearance of a willow grove, where we 
 found a sheltered camp, with water and excellent and abundant 
 grass. The grass, which was covered by the snow on the 
 bottom, was long and green, and the face of the mountain had 
 a more favorable character in its vegetation, being smoother, 
 and covered with good bunch-grass. The snow was deep, and 
 the night very cold. A broad trail had entered the valley from 
 the right, and a short distance below the camp were the tracks 
 where a considerable party of Indians had passed on horseback, 
 who had turned out to the left, apparently with the view of 
 crossing the mountains to the eastward. 
 
 30th. — After following the stream for a few hours in a 
 southeasterly direction, it entered a canon where we could nol 
 follow ; but, determined not to leave the stream, we searched 
 a passage below, where we could regain it, and entered a reg* 
 
1843.] CAPT. Fremont's naRxIative. 299 
 
 ular narrow valley. The water had now more the appearance 
 of a flowing creek ; several times we passed groves of willows, 
 and we began to feel ourselves out of all difRculty. From our 
 position, it was reasonable to conclude that this stream would 
 find its outlet in Mary's lake, and conduct us into a better 
 country. We had descended rapidly, and here we found very 
 little snow. On both sides, the mountains showed often stu- 
 pendous and curious-looking rocks, which at several places so 
 narrowed the valley, that scarcely a pass was left for the camp. 
 It was a singular place to travel through — shut up in the earth, 
 a sort of chasm, the little strip of grass under our feet, the 
 rough walls of bare rock on either hand, and the narrow strip 
 of sky above. The grass to-night was abundant, and we en 
 camped in high spirits. 
 
 31st. — After an hour's ride this morning, our hopes were 
 once more destroyed. The valley opened out, and before us 
 again lay one of the dry basins. After some search, we dis- 
 covered a high-water outlet, which brought us in a few miles, 
 and by a descent of several hundred feet, into a long, broad 
 basin, in which we found the bed of the stream, and obtained 
 sufficient water by cutting the ice. The grass on the bottoms 
 was salt and unpalatable. 
 
 Here we concluded the year 1843, and our new year's eve was 
 rather a gloomy one. The result of our journey began to be very 
 uncertain ; the country was singularly unfavorable to travel ; 
 the grasses being frequently of a very unwholesome character, 
 and the hoofs of our animals were so worn and cut by the rocks, 
 that many of them were lame, and could scarcely be got along. 
 
 JANUARY. 
 
 New Year's day, 1844. — We continued down the valley, 
 between a dry-looking black ridge on the left, and a more 
 snowy and high one on the right. Our road was bad along 
 the bottom, being broken by gullies and impeded by sage, and 
 sandy on the hills, where there is not a blade of grass, nor 
 does any appear on the mountains. The soil in many placet 
 
800 CAPT. Fremont's yARHATivE. [Jau, 
 
 ! consists of a fine powdery sand, covered with a saline efflores- 
 conce ; and the general character of the country is desert. 
 During the day we directed our course towards a black cape, 
 
 ' at the foot of which a column of smoke indicated hot springs. 
 2d. — We were on the road early. The face of the country 
 
 ' was hidden by falling snow. We traveled along the bed of the 
 stream, in some places dry, in others covered with ice ; the 
 traveling being very bad, through deep fine sand, rendered 
 tenacious by a mixture of clay. The weather cleared up a 
 little at noon, and we reached the hot springs of which we had 
 seen the vapor the day before. There was a large field of the 
 usual salt grass here, peculiar to such places. The country 
 otherwise is a perfect barren, without a blade of grass, the 
 only plant being some dwarf Fremontias. We passed the 
 rocky cape, a jagged broken point, bare and torn. The rocks 
 are volcanic, and the hills here have a burnt appearance — 
 cinders and coal occasionally appearing as at a blacksmith's 
 furge. We crossed the large dry bed of a muddy lake in a 
 southeasterly direction, and encamped at night, without water 
 and without grass, among sage-bushes covered with snow. 
 The heavy road made several mules give out to-day; and a 
 horse, which had made the journey from the States success- 
 fully, thus far, was left on the trail. 
 
 3d. — A fog, so dense that we could not see a hundred yards, 
 covered the country, and the men that were sent out after the 
 horses were bewildered and lost ; and we were consequently 
 detained at camp until late in the day. Our situation had 
 now become a serious one. We had reached and run over 
 the position where, according to the best maps in my posses- 
 sion, we should have found Mary's lake or river. We were 
 evidently on the verge of the desert which had been reported 
 to us ; and the appearance of the country was so forbidding, 
 that I was afraid to enter it, and determined to bear away to 
 ^he southward, keeping close along the mountains, in the full 
 expectation of reaching the Buenaventura river. This morning 
 I put every man in the camp on foot — myself, of course, among 
 the rest — and in this manner lightened by distribution the loads 
 of the animals. We traveled seven or eight miles along the 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative- 801 
 
 ridge bordering tho valley, and encamped where there were a 
 few bunches of grass on the bed of a hill-torrent, without wa^ 
 ter. There were some large artemisias; but the principal 
 plants are chenopodiaceous shrubs. The rock composing the 
 mountains is here changed suddenly into white granite. The 
 fog showed the tops of the hills at sunset, and stars enough for 
 observations in the early evening, and then closed over us as 
 l)efore. Latitude by observation, 40^^ 48' 15''. 
 
 4th. — The fog to-day was still more dense, and the people 
 again were bewildered. We traveled a few miles around 
 the western point of the ridge, and encamped where there 
 were a few tufts of grass, but no water. Our animals now 
 were in a very alarming state, and there was increased anx- 
 iety in the camp. 
 
 5th. — Same dense fog continued, and one of the mules died 
 in camp this morning. I have had occasion to remark, on 
 such occasions as these, that animals which are about to die 
 leave the band, and, coming into the camp, lie down about the 
 fires. We moved to a place where there was a little better 
 grass, about two miles distant, Taplin. one of our best men, 
 who had gone out on a scouting excuwioii, ascended a moun- 
 tain near by, and to his surprise emerged into a region of 
 bright sunshine, in which the upper parts of the mountain 
 were glowing, while below all was obscured in the dark- 
 est fog. 
 
 6th. — The fog continued the same, and, with Mr. Preuss 
 and Carson, I ascended the mountain, to sketch the leading 
 features of the country as some indication of our future route, 
 while Mr. Fitzpatrick explored the country below. In a very 
 short distance we had ascended above the mist, but the view 
 obtained was not very gratifying. The fog had partially 
 cleared off from below when we reached the summit ; and in 
 the southwest corner of a basin communicating with that in 
 which we had encamped, we saw a lofty column of smoke, 16 
 miles distant, indicating the presence of hot springs. There, 
 also, appeared to be the outlet of those draining channels of the 
 country ; and, as such places afforded always more or less 
 grass, I determined to steer in that direction. The ridge we 
 
80'i CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jan. 
 
 had ascended appeared to be composed of fragments of white 
 granite. We saw here truces of sheep and antelope. 
 
 Entering the neighboring valley, and crossing the bed of 
 another lake, afler a hard day's travel over ground of yielding 
 mud and sand, we reached the springs, where we found an 
 abundance of grass, which, though only tolerably good, made 
 this place, with reference to the past, a refreshing and agrec> 
 able spot. 
 
 This is the most extraordinary locality of hot springs we had 
 met during the journey. The basin of the largest one has a 
 circumference of several hundred feet ; but there is at one ex- 
 tremity a circular space of about fifteen feet in diameter, en- 
 tirely occupied by the boiling water. It boils up at irregular 
 intervals, and with much noise. The water is clear, and the 
 spring deep : a pole about sixteen feet long was easily immersed 
 in the centre ; but we had no means of forming a good idea of 
 the depth. It was surrounded on the margin with a border of 
 green grass, and near the shore the temperature of the water 
 was 206°. We had no means of ascertaining that of tiio 
 centre, where the heat was greatest ; but, by dispersing the 
 water with a pole, the temperature at tlie margin was increased 
 to 208°, and in the centre it was doubtless higher. By driving 
 the pole towards the bottom, the water was made to boil up 
 with increased force and noise. There are several other inter- 
 esting places, where water and smoke or gas escape ; but they 
 would require a long description. The water is impregnated 
 with common salt, but not so much as to render it unfit for gen- 
 eral cooking; and a mixture of snow made it pleasant to 
 drink. 
 
 In the immediate neighborhood, the valley bottom is covered 
 almost exclusively with chenopodiaceous shrubs, of greater 
 luxuriance, and larger growth, than we have seen them in any 
 preceding part of the journey. 
 
 I obtained this evening some astronomical observations. 
 
 Our situation now required caution. Including those which 
 gave out from the injured condition of their feet, and those 
 stolen by Indians, we had lost, since leaving the Dalles of the 
 Columbia, fifteen animals ; and of these, nine had been left in 
 
1844.] CAFT. Fremont's narrative. 909 
 
 the last few days. 1 therefore determined, until we should 
 reach a country of water and vegetation, to feel our way ahead, 
 by having the line of route explored some fifteen or twenty 
 miles in advance, and only to leave a present encampment 
 when the succeeding one was known. 
 
 Taking with me Godey and Carson, I made to-day a thorough 
 exploration of the neighboring valleys, and found in a ravine, 
 in the bordering mountains, a good encamping place, where 
 was water in springs, and a sufficient quantity of grass for a 
 night. Overshadowing the springs were some trees of the 
 sweet Cottonwood, which, after a long interval of absence, we 
 saw again with pleasure ; regard" ig them as harbingers of a 
 better country. To us, they were eloquent of green prairies 
 and buffalo. We found here a broad and plainly-marked trail, 
 on which there were tracks of horses, and we appeared to have 
 regained one of the thoroughfares which pass by the watering- 
 places of the country. On the western mountains of the val- 
 ley, with which this of the boiling spring communicates, we 
 remarked scattered cedars — probably indicating that we were 
 on the borders of the timbered region extending to the Pacific. 
 We reached the camp at sunset, after a day's ride of about 
 40 miles. The horses we rode were in good rrder, being of 
 some that were kept for emergencies, and rarely used. 
 
 Mr. Preuss had ascended one of the mountains, and occupied 
 the day in sketching the country; and Mr. Fitzpatrick had 
 found, a few miles distant, a hollow of excellent grass and pure 
 water, to which the animals were driven, as I remained another 
 day to give them an opportunity to recruit their strength. In- 
 dians appear to be everywhere prowling about like wild ani- 
 mals, and there is a fresh trail across the snow in the valley near. 
 
 Latitude of the boiling springs, 40<^ 39^ 46''^ 
 
 On the 9th we crossed over to the cottonwood camp. Among 
 the shrubs on the hills were a few bushes of ephedra occidentalis, 
 which afterwards occurred frequently along the road, and, as 
 usual, the lowlands were occupied with artemisia. While the 
 party proceeded to this place, Carson and myself reconnoitred 
 the road in advance, and found another good encampment for 
 the following day. 
 
804 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jan. 
 
 10th. — We continued our reconnoissance ahead, pursuing a 
 south direction in the basin along the ridge ; the camp follow, 
 ing slowly after. On a large trail there is never any doubt 
 of finding suitable places for encampments. We reached the 
 end of the basin, where we found, in a hollow of the mountain 
 which enclosed it, an abundance of good bunch-grass. Leav- 
 ing a signal for the party to encamp, we continued our way 
 up the hollow, intending to see what lay beyond the mountain. 
 The hollow was several miles long, forming a good pass j the 
 snow deepening to about a foot as we neared the summit. Be- 
 yoni, a defile between the mountains descended rapidly about 
 two thousand feet ; and, filling up all the lower space, was a 
 sheet of green water, some twenty miles broad. It broke upon 
 our eyes like the ocean. The neighboring peaks rose high 
 above us, and we ascended one of them to obtain a better view. 
 The waves were curling in the breeze, and their dark-green 
 color showed it to be a body of deep water. For a long time 
 we sat enjoying the view, for we had become fatigued with 
 mountains, and the free expanse of moving waves was very 
 grateful. It was set like a gem in the mountains, which, from 
 our position, seemed to enclose it almost entirely. At the west 
 ern end it communicated with the line of basins we had left a 
 few days since ; and on the opposite side it swept a ridge of 
 snowy mountains, the foot of the great Sierra. Its position at 
 first inclined us to believe it Mary's lake, but the rugged moun- 
 tains were so entirely discordant with descriptions of its low 
 rushy shores and open country, that we concluded it some un- 
 known body of water, which it afterwards proved to be. 
 
 On our road down, the next day, we saw herds of mountain 
 sheep, and encamped on a little stream at the mouth of the de- 
 file, about a mile from the margin of the water, to which we 
 hurried down immediately. The water is so slightly salt, tliat, 
 at first, we thought it fresh, and would be pleasant to drink 
 when no other could be had. The shore was rocky — a hand- 
 some beach, which reminded us of the sea. On some large 
 granite boulders that were scattered about the shore, I remark- 
 ed a coating of calcareous substance, in some places a few 
 inches, and in others a foot in thickness. Near our camp, the 
 
1844.] ciPT. Fremont's narrative. 805 
 
 hills, which were of primitive rock, were also covered with 
 this substance, which was in too great quantity on the moun< 
 tains along the shore of the lake to have been deposited by 
 water, and has the appearance of having been spread over the 
 rocks in mass.* 
 
 Where we had halted appeared to be a favorite camping- 
 place for Indians. 
 
 13th. — We followed again a broad Indian trail along the 
 shore of the lake to the southward. For a short space we had 
 room enough in the bottom ; but, after traveling a short dis- 
 tance, the water swept the foot of the precipitous mountains, 
 the peaks of which are about 3,000 feet above the lake. The 
 trail wound along the base of these precipices, against which 
 the water dashed below, by a way nearly impracticable for the 
 howitzer. During a greater part of the morning the lake was 
 nearly hid by a snow-storm, and the waves broke on the nar 
 row beach in a long line of foaming serf, five or six feet high. 
 The day was unpleasantly cold, the wind driving the snow 
 sharp against our faces ; and, having advanced only about 12 
 miles, we encamped in a bottom formed by a ravine, covered 
 with good grass, which was fx'esh and green. 
 
 We did not get the howitzer into camp, but were obliged to 
 leave it on \e rocks until morning. We saw several flocks 
 of sheep, bm did not succeed in killing any. Ducks were 
 riding on the waves, and several large fish were seen. The 
 mountain sides were crusted with the calcareous cement pre- 
 viously mentioned. There were chenopodiaoeous and other 
 
 * The label attached to a specimen of this rock was lost ; but I ap- 
 pend an analysis of that which, from memory, I judge to be the speci- 
 •nen: 
 
 Carbonate of lime 77-31 
 
 Carbonate of magnesia 5-25 
 
 Oxide of iron 1-60 
 
 Alumina 1-05 
 
 Silica 8-55 
 
 Organic matter, water, and loss .... G-24 
 
 100-00 
 
806 CAPT. FREMONT S NARRATIVE. f JaN. 
 
 shrubs along the beach ; and, at the foot of the rocks, an abun- 
 dance of ephedra occidentalism whose dark-green color makes 
 them evergreens among the shrubby growth of the lake. To- 
 wards evening the snow began to fall heavily, and the country 
 had a wintry appearance. 
 
 The next morning the snow was rapidly melting inder a 
 warm sun. Part of the morning was occupied in bringing up 
 the gun ; and, making only nine miles, we encamped on the 
 shore, opposite a very remarkable rock in the lake, which had 
 attracted our attention for many miles. It rose, according to 
 our estimate, 600 feet above the water, and, from the point we 
 viewed it, presented a pretty exact outline of the great pyra- 
 mid of Cheops. Like other rocks along the shore, it seemed 
 to be incrusted with calcareous cement. This striking feature 
 suggested a name for the lake, and I called it Pyramid Lake ; 
 and though it may be deemed by some a fanciful resemblance, 
 I can undertake to say that the future traveler will find much 
 more striking resemblance between this rock and the pyramids 
 of Egypt, than there is between them and the object from which 
 they take their name. 
 
 The elevation of this lake above the sea is 4,890 feet, being 
 nearly 700 feet higher than the Great Salt lake, from which it 
 lies nearly west, and distant about eight degrees of longitude. 
 The position and elevation of this lake make it an object of 
 geographical interest. It is the nearest lake to the western 
 rim, as the Great Salt lake is to the eastern rim, of the Great 
 Basin which lies between the base of the Rocky mountains 
 and the Sierra Nevada — and the extent and character of 
 which, its whole circumference and contents, it is so desirable 
 to know. 
 
 The last of the cattle which had been driveii from the 
 Dalles was killed here for food, and was still in good condi- 
 tion. 
 
 15th. — A few poor-looking Indians made their appearance 
 this morning, and we succeeded in getting one into the camp. 
 He was naked, with the exception of a tunic of hare-skins. 
 He told us that there was a river at the end of the lake, but 
 that he lived in the rocks near by. From the few words our 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. SOT 
 
 people could understand, he spoke a dialect of the Snake lan- 
 guage ; but we were not ahl<» <o understand enough to know 
 whether the river ran in or out, or what was its course ; con- 
 sequently, there still remained a chance that this might be 
 Mary's lake. 
 
 Groves of large cottonwood, which we could see at the mouth 
 of the river, indicated that it was a stream of considerable size, 
 and, at all events, we had the pleasure to know that now we 
 were in a country where human beings could live. Accom- 
 panied by the Indian, we resumed our road, passing on the 
 way several caves in the rock where there were baskets and 
 seeds, but the people had disappeared. We saw also horse- 
 tracks along the shore. 
 
 Early in the afternoon, when we were approaching the 
 groves at the mouth of the river, three or four Indians met us 
 on the trail. We had an explanatory conversation in signs, 
 and then we moved on together towards the village, which the 
 chief said was encamped on the bottom. 
 
 Reaching the groves, we found the inlet of a large fresh- 
 water stream, and all at once were satisfied that it was neither 
 Mary's river nor the waters of the Sacramento, but that we 
 had discovered a large interior lake, which the Indians inform- 
 ed us had no outlet. It is about 35 miles long, and, by the 
 mark of the water-line along the shore, the spring level is 
 about 12 feet above its present waters. The chief commenced 
 speaking in a loud voice as we approached ; and parties of In- 
 dians, armed with bows and arrows, issued from the thickets. 
 We selected a strong place for our encampment — a grassy 
 bottom, nearly enclosed by the river, and furnished with abun- 
 dant firewood. The village, a collection of straw huts, was a 
 few hundred yards higher up. An Indian brought in a large 
 fish to trade, which we had the inexpressible satisfaction to 
 find was a salmon-trout ; we gathered round him eagerly. 
 The Indians were amused with our delight, and immediately 
 brought in numbers, so that the camp was soon stocked. Their 
 flavor was excellent — superior, in fact, to chat of any fish I 
 have ever known. They were of extraordinary size — about 
 M large as the Columbia River salmon — generally from two 
 
808 cApr. Fremont's narhative. [Jaw 
 
 to four feet in length. From the information of Mr. Wallier, 
 who passed among some lakes lying more to the eastward, this 
 fish is common to the streams of the inland lakes. He subse- 
 quently informed me that he had obtained them weighing six 
 pounds when cleaned and the head taken off, which corre. 
 sponds very well with the size of those obtained at this place. 
 They doubtless formed the subsistence of these people, who 
 hold the fishery in exclusive possession. 
 
 I remarked that one of them gave a fish to the Indian we 
 had first seen, which he carried off to his family. To them it 
 was probably a feast ; being of the Digger tribe, and having 
 no share in the fishery, living generally on seeds and roots. 
 Although this was a time of the year when the fish have not 
 yet become fat, they were excellent, and we could only im- 
 agine what they are at the proper season. These Indians 
 were very fat, and appeared to live an easy and happy life. 
 They crowded into the camp more than was consistent with 
 our safety, retaining always their arms ; and, as they made 
 some unsatisfactory demonstrations, they were given to un- 
 derstand that they would not be permitted to come armed into 
 the camp ; and strong guards were kept with the horses. 
 Strict vigilance was maintained among the people, and one- 
 third at a time were kept on guard during the night. There 
 is no reason to doubt that these dispositions, uniformly pre- 
 served, conducted our party securely through Indians famed 
 for treachery. 
 
 In the mean time, such a salmon-trout feast as is seldom 
 seen was going on in our camp ; and every variety of manner 
 in which fish could be prepared — boiled, fried, and roasted in 
 the ashes — was put into requisition ; and every few minutes 
 an Indian would be seen running off to spear a fresh one. 
 Whether these Indians had seen whites before, we could not 
 be certain ; but they were evidently in communication with 
 others who had, as one of them had some brass buttons, and 
 we noticed several other articles of civilized manufacture. 
 We could obtain from them but little information respecting 
 the country. They made on the ground a drawing of the 
 river, which they represented as issuing from another lake in 
 
1B4A.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 8Utt 
 
 the mountains three or four days distant, in a direction e little 
 west of south ; beyond which, they drew a mountain ; and 
 further still, two rivers ; on one of which they told us that 
 people like ourselves traveled. Whether they alluded to the 
 settlements on the Sacramento, or to a party from the United 
 States which had crossed the Sierra about three degrees to the 
 southward, a few years since, I am unable to determine. 
 
 I tried unsuccessfully to prevail on some of them to guide us 
 for a few days on the road, but they only looked at each other 
 and laughed. 
 
 The latitude of our encampment, which may be considered 
 the mouth of the inlet, is 39° 51^ 13^^ by our observations. 
 
 16th. — This morning we continued our journey along this 
 beautiful stream, which we naturally called the Salmon Trout 
 river. Large trails led ap on either side ; the stream was 
 handsomely timbered with large cottonwoods ; and the waters 
 were very clear and pure. We were traveling along the 
 mountains of the great Sierra, which rose on our right, covered 
 with snow ; but below the temperature was mild and pleasant. 
 We saw a number of dams which the Indians had constructed 
 to catch fish. After having made about 18 miles, we encamp- 
 ed under some large cottonwoods on the river bottom, where 
 there was tolerably good grass. 
 
 17th. — This morning we left the river, which here issues from 
 the mountains on the west. With every stream 1 now expected 
 to see the great Buenaventura ; and Carson hurried eagerly to 
 search, on every one we reached, for beaver cuttings, which 
 he always maintained we should find only on waters that ran 
 to the Pacific ; and the absence of such signs was to him a sure 
 indication that the water had no outlet from the Great Basin. We 
 foil iwed the Indian trail through a tolerably level country, with 
 small sage-bushes, which brought us, after 20 miles' journey, 
 to another large stream, timbered with cottonwood, and flow- 
 ing also out of the mountains, but running more directly to the 
 eastward. 
 
 On the way we surprised a family of Indians in the hills ; 
 but tne man ran up the mountain with rapidity ; and the wo- 
 man was so terrified* and kept up such a continued scream- 
 
810 CAPT. Fremont's narrativb. [Jau. 
 
 ing, that we could do nothing with her, and were obliged to let 
 her go. 
 
 18th. — There were Indian lodges and fish-dams on the stream. 
 There were no beaver cuttings on the river ; but below, it 
 turned round to the right ; and, hoping that it would prove a 
 branch of the Buenaventura, we followed it down for about 
 three hours, and encamped. 
 
 I rode out with Mr. Fitzpatrick and Carson to reconnoitrt 
 the country, which had evidently been alarmed by the new» 
 of our appearance. This stream joined with the open valley 
 of another to the eastward ; but which way the main water 
 ran, it was impossible to tell. Columns of smoke rose over the 
 country at scattered intervals — signals by which the Indians 
 here, as elsewhere, communicate to each other that enemies are 
 in the country. It is a signal of ancient and very universal 
 application among barbarians. 
 
 Examining into the condition of the animals when I return- 
 ed into the camp, I found their feet so much cut up by the 
 rocks, and so many of them lame, that it was evidently impos- 
 sible that they could cross the country to the Rocky moun- 
 tains. Every piece of iron that could be used for the purpose 
 had been converted into nails, and we could make no further 
 use of the shoes we had remaining. I therefore determined 
 to abandon my eastern course, and to cross the Sierra Nevada 
 into the valley of the Sacramento, wherever a practicable pass 
 could be found. My decision was heard with joy by the peo- 
 ple, and diffused new life throughout the camp. 
 
 Latitude, by observation, 39° 24'' 16'^ 
 
 19th. — A great number of smokes are still visible this morn- 
 ing, attesting at once the alarm our appearance had spread 
 among these people, and their ignorance of us. If they 
 knew the whites, they would understand that their only ob- 
 ject in coming among them was to trade, which required 
 peace and friendship ; but they have nothing to trade — con- 
 sequently, nothing to attract the white man ; hence their feai 
 and flight. 
 
 At daybreak we had a heavy snow ; but set out, and, re 
 turning up the stream, went out of our way in a circuit ove 
 
1844.] CAPT. FREMONT S NARRATIVE. 311 
 
 a little mountain ; and encamped on the same stream, a few 
 miles above, in latitude 39° 19' 2V^ by observation. 
 
 2()th. — To-day we continued up the stream, and encamped 
 on it close to the mountains. The freshly fallen snow was 
 covered with the tracks of Indians, who had descended from 
 the upper waters, probably called down by the smokes in the 
 plain. 
 
 We ascended a peak of the range, which commanded a view 
 of this stream behind the first ridge, where it was winding its 
 course through a somewhat open valley, and I sometimes re- 
 gret that I did not make the trial to cross here ; but while we 
 had fair weather below, the mountains were darkened with 
 falling snow, and, feeling unwilling to encounter them, we 
 turned away again to the southward. In that direction wp 
 traveled the next day over a tolerably level country, having 
 always the high mountains on the west. There was but little 
 snow or rock on the ground ; and, after having traveled 24 
 miles, we encamped again on another large stream, running 
 off to the northward and eastward, to meet that we had left. 
 It ran through broad bottoms, having a fine meadow-land ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 Latitude 39° OV 53'^ 
 
 22d. — We traveled up the stream about fourteen miles, to 
 the foot of the mountains, from which one branch issued in the 
 southwest, the other flowing S.S.E. along their base. Leaving 
 the camp below, we ascended the range through which the 
 first stream passed, in a canon ; on the western side was a circu- 
 lar valley about 15 miles long, through which the stream wound 
 its way, issuing from a gorge in the main mountain, which 
 rose abruptly beyond. The valley looked yellow with faded 
 grass ; and the trail we had followed was visible, making to- 
 wards the gorge, and this was evidently a pass ; but again, 
 wliile all was bright sunshine on the ridge and on the valley 
 where w: were, the snow was falling heavily in the moun- 
 tains. I determine^ .." ^o still to the southward, and encamp- 
 ed on the stream near the forKs , ih** animals being fatigued 
 and the grass tolerably good. 
 
 The rock of the ridge we had ascended is a compact lava, as 
 
313 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jan. 
 
 Burning a granitic appearance and structure, and containing, 
 in some places, small nodules of obsidian. So far as composi- 
 lion and aspect are concerned, the rock in other parts of the 
 ridge appears to be granite ; but it is probable that this is only 
 » compact form of lava of recent origin. 
 
 By observation, the elevation of the encampment was 5,020 
 feet ; and the latitude 38° 49' 54"^ 
 
 23d. — We moved along the course of the other branch to- 
 wards the southeast, the country affording a fine road ; and, 
 passing some slight dividing-grounds, descended towards the 
 valley of another stream. There was a somewhat rough-look- 
 ing mountain ahead, which it appeared to issue from, or to 
 enter — we could not tell which ; and as the course of the val- 
 ley and the inclination of the ground had a favorable direction, 
 we were sanguine to find here a branch of the Buenaventura ; 
 but were again disappointed, finding it an inland water, on 
 which we encamped after a day's journey of 24 miles. It was 
 evident that, from the time we descended into the plain at 
 Summer lake, we had been flanking the great range of moun- 
 tains which divided the Great Basin from the waters of the 
 Pacific ; and that the continued succession, and almost con- 
 nection, of lakes and rivers which we encountered, were the 
 drainings of that range. Its rains, springs, and snows, would 
 sufficiently account for these lakes and streams, numerous as 
 they were. ^ 
 
 24th. — A man was discovered running towards the camp as 
 we were about to start this morning, who proved to be an In- 
 dian of rather advanced age — a sort of forlorn hope, who 
 seemed to have been worked up into the resolution of visiting 
 the strangers who were passing throu^'i the country. He 
 seized the hand of the first man he met as he came up, out of 
 breath, and held on, as if to assure himself of protection. He 
 brought with him, in a little skin bag, a few pounds of the 
 seeds of a pine-tree, which to-day we saw for the first time, 
 and which Dr. Torrey has described as a new species, under 
 the name ofpinus monophyllus ; in popular language it might 
 be called the nut ■pine. We purchased them all from him. 
 The nut is oily, of very agreeable flavor, and must be very 
 
1344.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. SIH 
 
 nutritious, as it constitutes the principal suDsistence of the 
 tribes among which we were now traveling. By a present 
 of scarlet cloth, and other striking articles, we prevailed upon 
 this man to be our guide of two days' journey. As clearly as 
 possible by signs, we made him understand our object ; and 
 he engaged to conduct us in sight of a good pass which he 
 knew. Here we ceased to hear the Shoshonee language — 
 that of this man being perfectly unintelligible. Several In- 
 dlans, who had been waiting to see what reception he would 
 meet with, now came into camp ; and, accompanied by the 
 new-comers, we resumed our journey. 
 
 The road led us up the creek, which here becomes a rather 
 rapid mountain stream, fifty feet wide, between dark-looking 
 hills without snow ; but immediately beyond them rose snowy 
 mountains on either side, timbered principally with the nut 
 pine. On the lower grounds, the general height of this tree is 
 twelve to twenty feet, and eight inches the greatest diameter ; 
 it is rather branching, and has a peculiar and singular, but 
 pleasant odor. We followed the river for only a short distance 
 along a rocky trail, and crossed it at a dam which the Indians 
 made us comprehend had been built to catch salmon trout. 
 The snow and ice were heaped up against it three or four feet 
 deep entirely across the stream. 
 
 Leaving here the stream, which runs through impassable 
 canons, we conimued our road over a very broken country, 
 passing through a low gap between the snowy mountains. 
 The rock which occurs immediately in the pass has the ap- 
 pearance of impure sandstone, containing scales of black mica. 
 This may be only a stratified lava. On issuing from the gap, 
 the compact lava, and other volcanic products usual in the 
 country, again occurred. We descended from the gap into a 
 wide valley, or rather basin, and encamped on a small tribu- 
 tary to the last stream, on which there was very good grass. It 
 was covered with such thick ice, that it required some labor with 
 pickaxes to make holes for the animals to drink. The banks 
 are lightly wooded with willow, and on the upper bottoms are 
 sage and Fremontia, with ephedra occidenialis, which begins 
 to occur more frequently. The day has been a summer one, 
 14 
 
814 cAP-i. Fremont's narrative. [Jan. 
 
 warm and pleasant ; no snow on the trail, which, as we are all 
 on foot, makes traveling more agreeable. The hunters went 
 into a neighboring mountain, but found no game. We have 
 five Indians in camp to-night. 
 
 25th. — The morning was cold and bright, and as the sun 
 rose the day became beautiful. A party of twelve Indians 
 came down from the mountains to trade pine nuts, of which 
 each one carried a little bag. Those seemed now to be the 
 staple of the country ; and whenever we met an Indian, his 
 friendly salutation consisted in offering a few nuts to eat 
 and to trade ; their only arms were bows and flint-pointed 
 arrows. It appeared that in almost all the valleys the neighbor, 
 ing bands were at war with each other ; and we had some 
 difficulty in prevailing on our guides to accompany us on this 
 day's journey, being at war with the people on the other side 
 of a large snowy mountain which lay before us. 
 
 The general level of the country appeared to be getting 
 higher, and we were gradually entering the heart of the moun- 
 tains. Accompanied by all the Indians, we ascended a long 
 ridge, and reached a pure spring at the edge of the timber, 
 where the Indians had waylaid and killed an antelope, and 
 where the greater part of them left us. Our pacific conduct 
 had quieted their alarms ; and though at war among each other, 
 yet all confided in us — thanks to the combined effects of power 
 and kindness — for our arms inspired respect, and our lit- 
 tle presents and good treatment conciliated their confidence. 
 Here we suddenly entered snow six inches deep, and the ground 
 was a little rocky, with volcanic fragments, the mountain ap- 
 pearing to bo composed of such rock. The timber consists 
 principally of nut pines, (pinus monopJiyJIus,) which here are 
 of larger size — 12 to lb inches in diameter; heaps of cones 
 lying on the ground, where the Indians have gathered the 
 seeds. 
 
 The snow deepened gradually as we advanced. Our guides 
 wore out their moccasins ; and putting one of them on a horse, 
 we enjoyed the unusual sight of an Indian who could not ride. 
 lie could not even guide the animal, and appeared to have no 
 knowledge of horses. The snow was three or four feet deep 
 
1944.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 315 
 
 on the summit of the pass ; and from this point the guide point- 
 ed out our future road, declining to go any further. Below us 
 was a little valley ; and beyond this the mountains rose high- 
 er still, one ridge above another, presenting a rude and rocky 
 outline. We descended rapidly to the valley : the snow im- 
 peded us but little J yet it was dark when we reached the foot 
 of the mountain. 
 
 The day had been so warm that our moccasins were wet 
 with melting snow ; but here, as soon as the sun begins to de- 
 cline, the air f;ets suddenly cold, and we had great difficulty 
 to keep our feet from freezing — our moccasins being frozen 
 perfectly stiff. After a hard day's march of 27 miles, we 
 reached the river some time after dark, and found the snow 
 about a foot deep on the bottom — the river being entirely frozen 
 over. We found a comfortable camp, where there were dry 
 willows abundant, and we soon had blazing fires. A little 
 brandy, which I husbanded with great care, remained, and I 
 do not know any medicine more salutary, or any drink (except 
 coffee) more agreeable, than this in a cold night and after a 
 hard day's march. Mr. Preuss questioned whether J he famed 
 nectar ever possessed so exquisite a flavor. All felt it to be a 
 reviving cordial. 
 
 The next morning, when the sun had not yet risen over 
 the mountains, the thermometer was at 2° below zero ; 
 but the sky was bright and pure, and the weather changed 
 rapidly into a pleasant day of summer. I remained encamped 
 in order to examine the country, and allow the animals a day 
 of rest, the grass being good and abundant under the snow. 
 
 The river is fifty or eighty feet wide, with a lively current, 
 and very clear water. It forked a little above our camp, one 
 of its branches coming directly from the south. At its head 
 appeared to be a handsome pass ; and from the neighboiing 
 liL'ights we could see, beyond, a comparatively low and open 
 country, which was supposed to form the valley of the Buena- 
 vnntura. The other branch issued from a nearer pass, in a 
 direction S. 75° W., forking at the foot of the mountain, and 
 receiving a part of its waters from a little lake. I was in 
 advance of the camp when our last guides had left us ; but. 
 
816 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jiw. 
 
 80 far as could be understood, this was the pass which they 
 had indicated, and, in company with Carson, to-day I set ou; 
 to explore it. Entering the range, we continued in a north- 
 westerly direction up the valley, which here bent to the right. 
 It was a pretty open bottom, locked between lofty mountains, 
 which supplied frequent streams as we advanced. On the 
 lower part they were covered with nut-pine trees, and above 
 with masses of pine, which we easily recognised, from the 
 darker color of the foliage. From the fresh truls which 
 occurred frequently during the morning, deer appeared to be 
 remarkably numerous in the mountain. 
 
 We had now entirely left the desert country, and were on 
 the verge of a region which, extending westward to the shores 
 of the Pacific, abounds in large game, and is covered with a 
 singular luxuriance of vegetable life. 
 
 The little stream grew rapidly smaller, and in about twelve 
 miles we had reached its head, the lust water coming imme- 
 diately out of the mountain on the right ; and this spot was se- 
 lected for our next encampment. The grass showed well in 
 sunny places ; but in colder situations the snow was deep, and 
 began to occur in banks, through which the horses found some 
 difficulty in breaking a way. 
 
 To the left, the open valley continued in a southwesterly di- 
 rection, with a scarcely perceptible ascent, forming a beautiful 
 pass, the exploration of which we deferred until the next day, 
 and returned to the camp. 
 
 To-day an Indian passed through the valley, on his way 
 into the mountains, where he showed us was his lodge. Wo 
 comprehended nothing of his language ; and, though he ap- 
 peared to have no fear, passing along in full view of the camp, 
 he was indisposed to hold any communication with us, but 
 showed the way he was going, and pointed for us to go on our 
 road. 
 
 By observation, the latitude of this encampment was 38o 
 18' OV^, and the elevation above the sea 6,310 feet. 
 
 27th. — Leaving the camp to follow slowly, with directions 
 to Carson to encamp at the place agreed on, Mr. Fitzpatrick 
 and myself continued the reconnoissance. Arriving at the heaa 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's nabrativk. 817 
 
 »f the stream, we began to enter the pass — passing occasional- 
 ly through open groves of large pine-trees, on the warm side 
 of" the defile, where the snow had melted away, occasionally 
 exposing a large Indian trail. Continuing along a narrow 
 Bioiidow, we reached, in a few miles, the gate of the pass, where 
 tliere was a narrow strip of prairie, about 50 yards wide, be- 
 tween walls of granite rock. On either side rose the moun- 
 tains, forming on the left a rugged mass, or nucleus, wholly 
 covered with deep snow, presenting a glittering and icy sur- 
 face. At the time, we supposed this to be the pouit into which 
 they were gathered between the two great rivers, and from 
 which the waters flowed ofl'to the bay. This was the icy and 
 cold side of the pass, and the rays of the sun hardly touched 
 the snow. On the left, the mountains rose into peaks, but they 
 were lower and secondary, and the country had a somewhat 
 more open and lighter character. On the right were several 
 hot springs, which appeared remarkable in such a place. In 
 going through, we felt impressed by the majesty of the moun- 
 tain, along the huge wall of which we were riding. Here 
 there was no snow ; but immediately beyond was a deep bank, 
 through which we dragged our horses with considerable effort. 
 We then immediately struck upon a stream, which gathered 
 itself rapidly, and descended quick ; and the valley did not 
 preserve the open character of the other side, appearing below 
 to fon.i a canon. We therefore climbed one of the peaks on 
 the right, leaving our horses below ; but we were so much 
 shut up that we did not obtain an extensive view, and what we 
 saw was not very satisfactory, and awakened considerable 
 doubt. The valley of the stream pursued a northwesterly di- 
 rection, appearing below to turn sharply to the right, beyond 
 which further view was cut off. It was, nevertheless, resolved 
 to continue our road the next day down this valley, which we 
 trusted still would prove that of the middle stream between the 
 two great rivers. Towards the summit of this peak, the fields 
 of snow were four or five feet deep on the northern side ; and 
 We saw several large hares, which had on their winter color, 
 being white as the snow around them. 
 The winter day is short in the mountains, the sun having 
 
31& CAPT. FRE3I0NT's NARRATIVE. [J AN. 
 
 but a small space of sky to travel over in the visible part 
 above our horizon ; and the moment his rays are gone, the 
 air is keenly cold. The interest of our work had detained 
 us long, and it Vt as after nightfall when we reached the camp. 
 
 28th. — To-day we went through the pass with all the camp, 
 and, after a hard day's journey of twelve miles, encamped on 
 a high point where the snow had been blown off, and the ex- 
 posed grass afforded a scanty pasture for the animals. Snow 
 and broken country together made our traveling difficult ; we 
 were often compelled to make large circuits, and ascend the 
 highest and most exposed ridges, in order to avoid snow, which 
 in other places was banked up to a great depth. 
 
 During the day a few Indians were seen circling around us 
 on snow-shoes, and skimming along like birds ; but we could 
 not bring them within speaking distance. Godey, who was a 
 little distance from the camp, had sat down to tie his moccasins, 
 when he heard a low whistle near, and, looking up, saw two 
 Indians half hiding behind a rock about forty yards distant ; 
 they would not allow him to approach, but breaking into a 
 laugh, skimmed off over the snow, seeming to have no idea of 
 the power of firearms, and thinking themselves perfectly safe 
 when beyond arm's length. 
 
 To-night we did not succeed in getting the howitzer into 
 camp. This was the most laborious day we had yet passed 
 through, the steep ascents and deep snow exhausting both men 
 and animals. Our single chronometer had stopped during the 
 day, and its error in time occasioned the loss of an eclipse of a 
 satellite this evening. It had not preserved the rate with 
 which we started from the Dalles, and this will account for the 
 absence of longitudes along this interval of our journey. 
 
 29th. — From this height we could see, at a considerable di«!- 
 tance below, yellow spots in the valley, which indicated that 
 there was not much snow. One of these places we expected 
 lo reach to-night ; and some time being required to bring up the 
 gun, I went ahead with Mr. Fitzpatrick and a few men, leav- 
 ing the camp to follow, in charge of Mr. Preuss. We followed 
 a trail down a hollow where the Indians had descended, the 
 gnow being so deep that we never came near the ground ; bu« 
 
1S44.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 319 
 
 this only made our descent the easier, and, when we reached 
 a little affluent to the river, at the bottom, we suddenly found 
 ourselves in presence of eight or ten Indians. They seemed 
 to be watching our motions, and, like the others, at first were 
 indisposed to let us approacii, ranging themselves like birds on 
 a fallen log, on the hill-side above our heads, where, being out 
 of our reach, they thought themselves safe. Our friendly de- 
 meanor reconciled them, and, when we got near enough, they 
 immediately stretched out to us handfuls of pine-nuts, which 
 seemed an exercise of hospitality. We made them a few 
 presents, and, telling us that their village was a few miles be- 
 low, they went on to let their people know what we were. The 
 principal stream still running through an impracticable canon, 
 we ascended a very steep hill, which proved afterwards the 
 last and fatal obstacle to our little howitzer, which was finally 
 abandoned at this place. We passed through a small meadow 
 a few miles below, crossing the river, which depth, swift cur- 
 rent, and rock, made it difficult to ford ; and, after a few more 
 miles of very difl^icult trail, issued into a larger prairie bottom, 
 at the farther end of which we encamped, in a position ren- 
 dered strong by rocks and trees. The lower parts of the moun- 
 tain were covered with the nut-pine. Several Indians appeared 
 on the hill-side, reconnoitring the camp, and were induced to 
 come in ; others came in during the afternoon ; and in the 
 evening we held a council. The Indians immediately made it 
 clear that the waters on which we were also belonged to the 
 Great Basin, in the edge of which we had been since the 17th 
 of December ; and it became evident that we had still the great 
 ridge on the left to cross before we could reach the Pacific 
 waters. 
 
 We explained to the Indians that we were endeavoring to 
 find a passage across the mountains into the country of the 
 whites, whom we were going to see ; and told them that we 
 wished them to bring us a guide, to whom we would give 
 presents of scarlet cloth, and other articles, which were shown 
 to them. They looked at the reward we offered, and conferred 
 with each other, but pointed to the snow on the mountain, and 
 drew their hands across their necks, and raised them above 
 
320 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jan. 
 
 their heads, to show the depth ; and signified that it was impos- 
 sible for us to get through. They made signs that we must go 
 to the southward, over a pass through a lower range, which 
 they pointed out : there, they said, at the end of one day's 
 travel, we would find people who lived near a pass in the great 
 mountain ; and to that point they engaged to furnish us a guide. 
 They appeared to have a confused idea, from report, of whites 
 who lived on the other side of the mountain ; and once, they 
 told us, about two years ago, a party of twelve men like our- 
 selves had ascended their river, and crossed to the other waters. 
 They pointed out to us where they had crossed ; but then, they 
 said, it was summer time ; but now it would be impossible. I 
 believe that this was a party led by Mr. Chiles, one of the only 
 two men whom I know to have passed through the California 
 mountains from the interior of the Basin — Walker being the 
 other ; and both were engaged upwards of twenty days, in the 
 summer time, in getting over. Chiles's destination was the 
 bay of San Francisco, to which he descended by the Stanislaus 
 river ; and Walker subsequently informed me that, like my. 
 self, descending to the southward on a more eastern line, day 
 after day he was searching for the Buenaventura, thinking that 
 he had found it with every new stream, until, like me, he aban- 
 doned all idea of its existence, and, turning abruptly to the 
 right, crossed the great chain. These were both western men, 
 animated with the spirit of exploratory enterprise which char- 
 acterizes that people. 
 
 The Indians brought in during the evening an abundant sup- 
 ply of pine-nuts, which we traded from them. When roasted, 
 their pleasant flavor made them an agreeable addition to ur 
 now scanty store of provisions, which were reduced to a very 
 low ebb. Our principal stock was in peas, which it is not neces- 
 sary to say contain scarcely any nutriment. We had still a 
 little flour left, some coflfee, and a quantity of sugar, which I 
 reserved as a defence against starvation. 
 
 The Indians informed us that at certain seasons they have 
 rish in their waters, which we supposed to be salmon-trout : for 
 the remainder of the year they live upon the pine-nuts, which 
 form their great winter subsistence — a portion being always at 
 
1944.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. S21 
 
 hand, shut up in the natural storehouse of the cones. At 
 present, they were presented to us as a whole people living 
 upon this simple vegetable. 
 
 The other division of the party did not come in to-night, but 
 encamped in the upper meadow, and arrived the next morning. 
 They had not succeeded in getting the howitzer beyond the 
 place mentioned, and where it had been left by Mr. Preuss, in 
 obedience to my orders ; and, in anticipation of the snow-bank:, 
 and snow-fields still ahead, foreseeing the inevitable detention 
 10 which it would subject us, I reluctantly determined to leave 
 it there for the time. It was of the kind invented by the French 
 for the mountain part of their war in Algiers ; and the distance 
 it had come with us proved how well it was adapted to its pur- 
 pose. We left it, to the great sorrow of the whole party, who 
 were grieved to part with a companion which had made the 
 whole distance from St. Louis, and commanded respect for i»« 
 on some critical occasions, and which might be needed for tho 
 bame purpose again. 
 
 30th. — Our guide, who was a young man, joined us this 
 morning ; and, leaving our encampment late in the day, we 
 descended the river, which immediately openeH out ''nto u 
 broad valley, furnishing good uavelmg grmjud. In a short 
 Jisiuuue ffe paosed lue village, a collection of straw nuts; and 
 a few miles below, the guide pointed out the place where the 
 whites had been encamped, before they entered the mountain. 
 With our late start we made but ten miles, and encamped on 
 the low river-bottom, where there was no snow, but a great deal 
 of ice ; and we cut piles of long grass to lay under our blan- 
 kets, and fires were made of large dry willows, groves of 
 which wooded the stream, The river took here a northeasterly 
 direction, and through a spur from the mountains on the left 
 was the gap where we were to pass the next day. 
 
 31st. — We took our way over a gently rising ground, the 
 
 dividing ridge being tolerably low; and traveling easily along, 
 
 a broad trail, in twelve or fourteen miles reached the upper 
 
 part of the pass, when it began to snow thickly, with very cold 
 
 weather. The Indians had only the usual scanty covering, 
 
 wid appeared to suffer greatly from the cold. All left us, ex- 
 14* 
 
822 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jan. 
 
 cept our guide. Half hidden by the storm, the mountains 
 looked dreary ; and, as night began to approach, the guide 
 showed great reluctance to go forward. I placed him between 
 two rifles, for the way began to be difficult. Traveling a little 
 farther, we struck a ravine, which the Indian said would con- 
 duct us to the river ; and as the poor fellow suffered greatly, 
 shivering in the snow which fell upon his naked skin, I would 
 not detain him any longer ; and he ran off to the mountain, 
 where he said was a hut near by. He had kept the blue and 
 scarlet cloth I had given him tightly rolled up, preferring rather 
 to endure the cold than to get them wet. In the course of the 
 afternoon, one of the men had his foot frostbitten ; and about 
 dark we had the satisfaction to reach the bottoms of a stream 
 timbered with large trees, among which we found a sheltered 
 camp, with an abundance of such grass as the season afforded 
 for the animals. We saw before us, in descending from the 
 pass, a great continuous range, along which stretched the 
 valley of the river ; the lower parts steep, and dark with pines, 
 while above it was hidden in clouds of snow. This we felt 
 instantly satisfied was the central ridge of the Sierra Nevada, 
 the great California mountain, which only now intervened be- 
 tween us and the waters of the bay. We had made a forced 
 march of 26 miles, and three mules had given out on the 
 road. Up to this point, with the exception of two stolen by 
 Indians, we had lost none of the horses which had been brought 
 from the Columbia river, and a number of these were still 
 strong and in tolerably good order. We had now 67 animals 
 in the band. 
 
 We had scarcely lighted our fires, when the camp was 
 crowded with nearly naked Indians ; some of them were fur- 
 nished with long nets in addition to bows, and appeared to 
 nave been out on the sage hills to hunt rabbits. These nets 
 were perhaps 30 to 40 feet long, kept upright in the ground 
 by slight sticks at intervals, and were made from a kind of 
 wild hemp, very much resembling in manufacture those com. 
 mon among the Indians of the Sacramento valley. They 
 came among us without any fear, and scattered themselves 
 about the fires, mainly occupied in gratifying their astonish' 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 323 
 
 ment. I was struck by the singular appearance of a row of 
 about a dozen, who were sitting on their haunches perched on 
 a log near one of the fires, with their quick sharp eyes follow- 
 ing every motion. 
 
 We gathered together a few of the most intelligent of the 
 Indians, and held this evening an interesting council. I ex- 
 plained to them my intentions, i told them that we had come 
 from a very far country, having been traveling now nearly a 
 year, and that we were desirous simply to go across the moun- 
 tain into the country of the other whites. There were two 
 who appeared particularly intelligent — one, a somewhat old 
 man. He told me that, before the snows fell, it was six sleeps 
 to the place where the whites lived, but that now it was im- 
 possible to cross the mountain on account of the deep snow ; 
 and showing us, as the others had done, that it was over our 
 heads, he urged us strongly to follow the course of the river, 
 which he said would conduct us to a lake in which there were 
 many large fish. There, he said, were many people ; there 
 was no snow on the ground ; and we might remain there until 
 the spring. From their descriptions, we were enabled to 
 judge that we had encamped on the upper waUir of the Salmon 
 Trout river. It is hardly necessary to say that our communi- 
 cation was only by signs, as we understood nothing of their 
 language ; but they spoke, notwithstanding, rapidly and ve- 
 hemently, explaining what they considered the folly of our 
 intentions, and urging us to go down to the lake. Tah-ve, a 
 word signifying snow, we very soon learned to know, from its 
 frequent repetition. I told him that the men and the horses 
 were strong, that we would break a road through the snow ; 
 and spreading before him our bales of scarlet cloth, and trin- 
 kets, showed him what we would give for a guide. It was 
 necessary to obtain one, if possible ; for I had determined here 
 to attempt the passage of the mountain. Pulling a bunch of 
 grass from the ground, after a short discussion among them- 
 selves, the old man made us comprehend, that if we could 
 break through the snow, at the end of three days we would 
 come down upon grass, which he showed us would be about 
 six inches high, and where the ground was entirely free. So 
 
324 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jaw. 
 
 far, he said, he had been in hunting for elk ; but beyond thai 
 (and he closed his eyes) he had seen nothing ; but there was 
 one among them who had been to the whites, and, going out of 
 the lodge, he returned with a young man of very intelligent 
 appearance. Here, said he, is a young man who has seen the 
 whites with his own eyes ; and he swore, first by the sky, and 
 then by the ground, that what he said was true. With a large 
 present of goods, we prevailed upon this young man to be our 
 guide, and he acquired among us the name of Melo — a word 
 signifying friend, which they used very frequently. He was 
 thinly clud, and nearly barefoot ; his moccasins being about 
 worn out. We gave him skins to make a new pair, and to enable 
 him to perform his undertaking to us. The Indians remained 
 in the camp during the night, and we kept the guide and two 
 others to sleep in the lodge with us — Carson lying across the 
 door, and having made them comprehend the use of our firo 
 arms. 
 
 FEBRUARY. 
 
 1st. — The snow, which had intermitted in the evening, com- 
 menced falling again in tiie course of the night, and it snowed 
 steadily all day. In the morning I acquainted the men with 
 my decision, and explained to them that necessity required us 
 to make a great effort to clear the mountains. I reminded 
 'them of the beautiful valley of the Sacramento, with which 
 they were familiar from the descriptions of Carson, who had 
 been there some fifteen years ago, and who, in our late priva- 
 tions, had delighted us in speaking of its rich pastures and 
 abounding game, and drew a vivid contrast between its sum- 
 mer climate, less than a hundred miles distant, and the falling 
 snow around us. I informed them (and long experience had 
 given them confidence in my observations and good instru- 
 ments) that almost directly west, and only about 70 miles dis- 
 tant, was the great farming establishment of Captain Sutter— 
 a gentleman who had formerly lived in Missouri, and, ami- 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 325 
 
 grating to this country, had become the possessor of a princi- 
 pality. I assured them that, from the heights of the mountait) 
 before us, we should doubtless see the valley of the Sacramento 
 river, and with one effort place ourselves again in the midst of 
 plenty. The people received this decision with the cheerful 
 obedience which had always characterized them, and the day 
 was immediately devoted to the preparations necessary to ena- 
 ole us to carry it into effect. Leggins, moccasins, clothing — ' 
 all were put into the best state to resist the cold. Our guide 
 was not neglected. Extremity of suffering might make him 
 desert ; we therefore did the best we could for him. Leggins, 
 moccasins, some articles of clothing, and a large green blan- 
 ket, in addition to the blue and scarlet cloth, were lavished 
 upon him, and to his great and evident contentment. He ar- 
 rayed himself in all his colors, and, clad in green, blue, and 
 scarlet, he made a gay-looking Indian ; and, with his various 
 presents, was probably richer and better clothed than any of 
 his tribe had ever been before. 
 
 I have already said that our provisions were very low ; we 
 had neither tallow nor grease of any kind remaining, and the 
 want of salt became one of our greatest privations. The poor 
 dog which had been found in the Bear River valley, and which 
 had been a comjpagnon de voyage ever since, had now become 
 fat, and the mess to which it belonged, requested permission to 
 kill it. Leave was granted. Spread out on the snow, the 
 meat looked very good ; and it made a strengthening meal 
 for the greater part of the camp. Indians brought in two 
 or three rabbits during the day, which were purchased from 
 them. 
 
 The river was 40 to 70 feet wide, and now entirely frozen 
 over. It was wooded with large cottonwood, willow, and grain 
 de bcBvf. By observation, the latitude of this encampment was 
 38° '6r 18^^ 
 
 2d. — It had ceased snowing, and this morning the lower aii 
 was clear and frosty j and six or seven thousand feet above, 
 ihe peaks of the Sierra now and then appeared among the 
 rolling clouds, which were rapidly dispersing before the sun. 
 Our Indian shook his head as he pointed to the icy pinnacles* 
 
828 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Fkb. 
 
 shooting high up into the sky, and seeming almost immediately 
 above us. Crossing the river on the ice, and leaving it imme. 
 diately, we commenced the ascent of the mountain aloig the 
 valley of a tributary stream. The people were unusuj.lly si- 
 lent, for every man knew that our enterprise was hazi jdous, 
 and the issue doubtful. 
 
 The snow deepened rapidly, and it soon became nee essary 
 to break a road. For this service, a party of ten was i )rmed, 
 mounted on the strongest horses, each man in successioi open- 
 ing the road on foot, or on horseback, until himself < ad hia 
 horse became fatigued, when he stepped aside, and, the re- 
 maining number passing ahead, 'he took his station in tb j rear. 
 Leaving this stream, and pursuing a very direct cou; 9e, we 
 passed over an intervening ridge to the river we had lef . On 
 the way we passed two low huts entirely covered with snow, 
 which might very easily have escaped observation. A .amily 
 w*9 living in each ; and the only trail I saw in the neij hbor- 
 hood was from the door-hole to a nut-pine tree near, Khich 
 supplied them with food and fuel. We found two similaj huts 
 on thj creek where we next arrived ; and, traveling a little 
 higher up, encamped on its banks in about four feet dep h of 
 snow. Carson found near, an open hill-side, where the >vind 
 and the sun had melted the snow, leaving exposed suffic ient 
 bunch-grass for the animals to-night. 
 
 The nut-pines were now giving way to heavy timber, i nd 
 there were some immense pines on the bottom, around .he 
 roots of which the sun had melted away the snow ; and ht "e 
 we made our camp and built huge fires. To-day we h- d 
 traveled 16 miles, and our elevation above the sea was 6,76 "> 
 feet. 
 
 3d. — Turning our faces directly towards the main chain, w. 
 ascended an open hollow along a small tributary to the river 
 which, cv 'Cording to the Indians, issues from a mountain to the 
 south, The snow was so deep in the hollow, that we were 
 obliged to travel along the steep hill-sides, and over spurs, 
 where the wind and sun had in places lessened the snow, and 
 where the grass, which appeared to be in good quality along 
 the sides of the mountains, was exposed. We opened our road 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 827 
 
 in the same way as yesterday, but made only seven miles, and 
 encamped by some springs at the foot of a high and steep hill, 
 by which the hollow ascended to another basin in the moun- 
 tain. The little stream below was entirely buried in snow. 
 The springs were shaded by the boughs of a lofty cedar, which 
 here made its first appearance ; the usual height was 120 to 
 130 feet, and one that was measured near by was six feet in 
 diameter. 
 
 There being no grass exposed here, the horses were sent 
 back to that which we had seen a few miles below. We oc- 
 cupied the remainder of the day in beating down a road to the 
 foot of the hill, a mile or two distant ; the snow being beatei 
 down when nfioist, in the warm part of the day, and then harj 
 frozen at night, made a foundation that would bear the weight 
 of the animals next morning. During the day several Indians 
 joined us on snow-shoes. These were made of a circular hoop, 
 about a foot in diameter, the interior space being filled with an 
 open network of bark. 
 
 4th. — I went ahead early with two or three men, each with a 
 led horse to break the road. We were obliged to abandon the 
 hollow entirely, and work along the mountain-side, which was 
 very steep, and the snow covered with an icy crust. We cut 
 a footing as we advanced, and trampled a road through for the 
 animals ; but occasionally one plunged outside the trail, and 
 slided along the field to the bottom, a hundred yards below. 
 Late in the day we reached another bench in the hollow, 
 where, in summer, the stream passed over a small precipice. 
 Here was a short distance of dividing ground between the two 
 ridges, and beyond an open basin, some ten miles across, whose 
 bottom presented a field of snow. At the further or western 
 side rose the middle crest of the mountain, a dark-looking ridge 
 of volcanic rock. 
 
 The summit line presented a range of naked peaks, appa- 
 rently destitute of snow and vegetation ; but below, the face 
 of the whole country was covered with timber of extraordinary 
 size. 
 
 Towards a pass which the guide indicated here., we attempted 
 in the afternoon to force a road ; but after a laborious plunging 
 
338 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Feb. 
 
 through two or three hundred yards, our best horses gave out, 
 entirely refusing to make any further effort, and, for the time, 
 we were brought to a stand. The guide informed us that we 
 were entering the deep snow, and here began the difficulties 
 of the mountain ; and to him, and almost to all, our enterprise 
 seemed hopeless. I returned a short distance back, to the 
 break in the hollow, where I met Mr. Fitzpatrick. 
 
 The camp had been occupied all the day in endeavoring to 
 ascend the hill, but only the best horses had succeeded ; the 
 animals, generally, not having sufficient strength to bring 
 themselves up without the packs ; and all the line of road be- 
 tween this and the springs was strewed with camp-stores and 
 equipage, and horses floundering in snow. I therefore im- 
 mediately encamped on the ground with my own mess, which 
 was in advance, and directed Mr. Fitzpatrick to encamp at 
 the springs, and send all the animals, in charge of Tabeau, 
 with a strong guard, back to the place where they had been 
 pastured the night before. Here was a small spot of level 
 ground, protected on one side by the mountain, and on the other 
 sheltered by a little ridge of rock. It was an open grove of 
 pines, which assimilated in size to the grandeur of the moun- 
 tain, being frequently six feet in diameter. 
 
 To-night we had no shelter, but we made a large fire around 
 the trunk of one of the huge pines ; and covering the snow 
 with small boughs, on which we spread our blankets, soon 
 made ourselves comfortable. The night was very bright and 
 clear, though the thermometer was only at 10°. A strong 
 wind, which sprang up at sundown, made it intensely cold ; 
 and this was one of the bitterest nights during the journey. 
 
 Two Indians joined our party here ; and one of them, an 
 old man, immediately began to harangue us, saying that our- 
 selves and animals would perish in the snow ; and that if we 
 would go back, he would show us another and a better way 
 across the mountain. He spoke in a very loud voice, and there 
 was a singular repetition of phrases and arrangement of words, 
 which rendered his speech striking and not unmusical. 
 
 We had now begun to understand some words, and, with the 
 aid of signs, easily comprehended the old man's simple ideas* 
 
1844.] CAPT. fke;io.\t*s narrative. 329 
 
 " Rock upon rock — rock upon rock — snow upon snow," said 
 he ; " even if you get over the snow, you will not be able to 
 get down from the mountains." He made us the sign of 
 precipices, and showed us how the feet of the horses would 
 slip, and throw them off from the narrow trails that led along 
 their sides. Our Chinook, who comprehended even more 
 readily than ourselves, and believed our situation hopeless, 
 covered his head with his blanket, and began to weep and la- 
 ment. " I wanted to see the whites," said he ; " I came away 
 from my own people to see the whites, and I wouldn't care to 
 die among them, but here" — and he looked around into the 
 cold night and gloomy forest, and, drawing his blanket over 
 his head, began again to lament. 
 
 Seated around the tree, the fire illuminating the rocks ano 
 the tall bolls of the pines round about, and the old Indian 
 haranguing, we presented a group of very serious faces. 
 
 5th. — The night had been too cold to sleep, and we were up 
 very early. Our guide was standing by the fire with all his 
 finery on ; and seeing him shiver in the cold, I threw on 
 his shoulders one of my blankets. We missed him a few 
 minutes afterwards, and never saw him again. He had desert- 
 ed. His bad faith and treachery were in perfect keeping with 
 the estimate of Indian character, which a long intercourse with 
 this people had gradually forced upon my mind. 
 
 While a portion of the camp were occupied in bringing up 
 the baggage to this point, the remainder were busied in making 
 sledges and snow-shoes. I had determined to explore the 
 mountain ahead, and the sledges were to be used in transport- 
 ing the baggage. 
 
 The mountains here consisted wholly of a white micaceous 
 granite. The day was perfectly clear, and, while the sun was 
 in the sky, warm and pleasant. 
 
 By observation our latitude was 38° 42' 26^'; and elevation 
 by the boiling point, 7,400 feet. 
 
 6th. — Accompanied by Mr. Fitzpatrick, I set out to-day 
 with a reconnoitring party on snow-shoes. We marched a'l 
 in single file, trampling the snow as heavily as v/e coul' 
 Crossing the open basin, in a march of about ten miles we 
 
880 CAPT. Fremont's narrativk. [Feb. 
 
 reached the top of one of the peaks, to the left of the pass indicated 
 by our guide. Far below us, dimmed by the distance, was a 
 large snowless valley, bounded on the western side, at the dis- 
 tance of about a hundred miles, by a low range of mountains, 
 which Carson recognised with delight as the mountains border, 
 ing the coast. '* There," said he, "is the little mountain — it 13 
 fifteen years since I saw it ; but I am just as sure as if I Imd 
 seen it yesterday." Between us, then, and this low coast range. 
 was the valley of the Sacramento ; and no one who had not 
 accompanied us through the incidents of our life for the last 
 few months could realize the delight with which at last we 
 looked down upon it. At the distance of apparently 30 miles 
 beyond us were distinguished spots of prairie ; and a dark line 
 which could be traced with the glass, was imagined to be the 
 course of the river ; but we were evidently at a great height 
 above the valley, and between us and the plains extended miles 
 of snowy fields and broken ridges of pine-covered mountains. 
 
 It was late in the day when we turned towards the camp; 
 and it grew rapidly cold as it drew towards night. One of the 
 men became fatigued, and his feet began to freeze, and build- 
 ing a fire in the trunk of a dry old cedar, Mr. Fitzpatrick re- 
 mained with him until his clothes could be dried, and he was 
 in a condition to come on. After a day's march of 20 miles, 
 we straggled into the camp one after another, at nightfall ; the 
 greater number excessivel fatigued, only two of the party 
 having ever traveled on sno -shoes before. 
 
 All our energies are now directed to getting our animals 
 across the snow ; and it was supposed that after all the bag- 
 gage had been drawn with the sleighs over the trail we had 
 made, it would be sufficiently hard to bear our animals. At 
 several places between this point and the ridge, we had discov- 
 ered some grassy spots, where the wind and sun had dis- 
 persed the snow from the sides of the hills, and these were to 
 form resting-places to support the animals for a night in their 
 passage across. On our way across we had set on fire several 
 oroken stumps, and dried trees, to melt holes in the snow for 
 .he camps. Its general depth was five feet ; but we passed over 
 places where it was 20 feet deep, as shown by the trees. 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 881 
 
 With one party drawing sleighs loaded with baggage, I ad. 
 vanced to-day about four miles along the trail, and encamped 
 ut the first grassy spot, where we expected to bring our horses. 
 Mr. Fitzpatrick, with another party, remained behind, to form 
 on intermediate station between us and the animals. 
 
 8th. — The night has been extremely cold j but perfectly 
 Etill, and beautifully clear. Before the sun appeared this 
 inorning, the thermometer was 3° below zero ; 1° higher, when 
 his rays struck the lofty peaks ; and 0° when they reached 
 our camp. 
 
 Scenery and weather, combined, must render these moun- 
 tains beautiful in summer ; the purity and deep-blue color of 
 the sky are singularly beautiful ; the days are sunny and 
 bright, and even warm in the noon hours ; and if we could be 
 free from the many anxieties that oppress us, even now we 
 would be delighted here ; but our provisions are getting fear- 
 fully scant. Sleighs arrived with baggage about ten o'clock ; 
 and leaving a portion of it here, we continued on for a mile 
 and a half, and encamped at the foot of a long hill on this sidp 
 of the open bottom. 
 
 Bernier and Godey, who yesterday morning had been sent 
 to ascend a higher peak, got in, hungry and fatigued. They 
 confirmed what we had already seen. Two other sleighs ar- 
 rived in the afternoon ; and the men being fatigued, I gave 
 them all tea and sugar. Snow clouds began to rise in the 
 S.S.W. ; and, apprehensive of a storm, which would destroy 
 our road, I sent the people back to Mr. Fitzpatrick, with di- 
 rections to send for the animals in the morning. With me re- 
 mained Mr. Preuss, Mr. Talbot, and Carson, with Jacob. 
 
 Elevation of the camp, by the boiling point, is 7,920 feet. 
 
 9th. — During the night the weather changed, the wind ris- 
 ing to a gale, and commencing to snow before daylight ; be- 
 fore morning the trail was covered. We remained quiet in 
 camp all day, in the course of which the weather improved. 
 Four sleighs arrived towards evening, with the bedding of the 
 men. We suffer much from the want of salt j and all the 
 men are becoming weak from insufficient food. 
 
 10th. — Taplin was sent back with a few men to assist Mr. 
 
882 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Feb, 
 
 Fitzpatrick ; and continuing on with three sleighs carrying a 
 part of the baggage, we had the satisfaction to encamp within 
 two and a half miles of the head of the hollow, and at the foot 
 of the last mountain ridge. Here two large trees had been set 
 on fire, and in the holes, where the snow had been melted 
 awayj we found a comfortable camp. 
 
 The wind kept, the air filled with snuw during the day ; the 
 sky was very dark in the southwest, though elsewhere very 
 clear. The forest here has a noble appearance ; and tall cedar 
 is abundant; its greatest height being 130 feet, and circum- 
 ference 20, three or four feet above the ground ; and here I 
 see for the first time the white pine, of which there are some 
 magnificent trees. Hemlock spruce is among the timber, oc- 
 casionally as large as eight feet in diameter, four feet above 
 the ground ; but, in ascending, it tapers rapidly to less than 
 one foot at the height of eighty feet. I have not seen any 
 higher than 130 feet, and the slight upper part is frequently 
 broken off by the wind. The white spruce is frequent ; and 
 the red pine {pinus Colorado of the Mexicans) which constitutes 
 the beautiful forest along the banks of the Sierra Nevada to 
 the northward, is here the principal tree, not attaining a 
 greater height than 140 feet, though with sometimes a diame- 
 ter of 10. Most of these trees appeared to differ slightly from 
 those of the same kind on the other side of the continent. 
 
 The elevation of the camp by the boiling point, is 8,050 feet. 
 We are now 1 ,000 feet above the level of the South Pass in 
 the Rocky mountains ; and still we are not done ascending. 
 The top of a flat ridge near was bare of snow, and very well 
 sprinkled with bunch-grass, sufficient to pasture the animals 
 two or three days ; and this was to be their main point of sup. 
 port. This ridge is composed of a compact trap, or basalt of 
 a columnar structure ; over the surface are scattered large 
 boulders of porous trap. The hills are in many places en- 
 tirely covered with small fragments of volcanic rock. 
 
 Putting on our snow-shoes, we spent the afternoon in ex- 
 ploring a road ahead. The glare of the snow, combined with 
 great fatigue, had rendered many of the people nearly 
 blind 'f but wq were fortunate in having some black silk hand- 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 333 
 
 kerchiefs, which, worn as veils, very much relieved the 
 eye. 
 
 11th. — High wind continued, and our trail this morning was 
 nearly invisible — here and there indicated by a little ridge of 
 snow. Our situation became tiresome and dreary, requiring 
 a strong exercise of patience and resolution. 
 
 In the evening I received a message from Mr. Fitzpatrick, 
 acquainting me with the utter failure of his attempt to get our 
 mules and horses over the snow — the half-hidden trail had 
 proved entirely too slight to support them, and they had broken 
 through, and were plunging about or lying half buried in 
 snow. He was occupied in endeavoring to get them back to 
 his camp ; and in the mean time sent to me for further instruc- 
 tions. I wrote to him to send the animals immediately back 
 to their old pastures; and, after having made mauls and shovels, 
 turn in all the strength of his party to open and beat a road 
 through the snow, strengthening it with branches and boughs 
 of the pines. 
 
 12th. — We made mauls, and worked hard at our end of the 
 road all day. The wind was high, but the sun bright, and the 
 snow thawing. We worked down the face of the hill, to meet 
 the people at the other end. Towards sundown it began to 
 grow cold, and we shouldered our mauls and trudged back to 
 camp. 
 
 13th. — We continued to labor on the road ; and in the course 
 «f the day had the satisfaction to see the people working down 
 fhe face of the opposite hill, about three miles distant. During 
 the morning we had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Fitzpat- 
 rick, with the information that all was going on well. A party 
 of Indians had passed on snow-shoes, who said they were going 
 10 the western side of the mountain after fish. This was an 
 indication that the salmon were coming up the streams ; and 
 we could hardly restrain our impatience as we thought of them, 
 tind worked with increased vigor. 
 
 The meat train did not arrive this evening, and I gave 
 (jodey leave to kill our little dog, (Tlamath,) which he prepared 
 m Indian fashion ; scorching off the hair, and washing the 
 skin with soap and snow, and then cutting it up into pieces. 
 
334 CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRAT'VE. [FgB. 
 
 which were laid on the snow. Shortly afterwards, the sleigh 
 arrived with a supply of horse-meat ; and we had to-night an 
 extraordinary dinner — pea-soup, mule, and dog. 
 
 14th. — The dividing ridge of the Sierra is in sight from this 
 encampment. Accompanied by Mr. Preuss, I ascended to-dav 
 the highest peak to the right ; from which we had a beautiful 
 view of a mountain lake at our feet, about fifteen miles in 
 length, and so entirely surrounded by mountains that we could 
 not discover an outlet. We had taken with us a glass ; but 
 though we enjoyed an extended view, the valley was half hid- 
 den in mist, as when we had seen it before. Snow could be 
 distinguished on the higher parts of the coast mountains ; east- 
 ward, as far as the eye could extend, it ranged over a terrible 
 mass of broken snowy mountains, fading off blue in the dis. 
 tance. The rock composing the summit consists of a very 
 coarse, dark, volcanic conglomerate ; the lower parts appeared 
 to be of a slaty structure. The highest trees were a few scat- 
 tering cedars and aspens. From the immediate foot of the 
 peak, we were two hours reaching the summit, and one hour 
 and a quarter in descending. The day had been very bright, 
 still, and clear, and spring seems to be advancing rapidly. 
 While the sun is in the sky, the snow melts rapidly, and gush- 
 ing springs cover the face of the mountain in all the exposed 
 places ; but their surface freezes instantly with the disappear- 
 ance of the sun. 
 
 I obtained to-night some observations ; and the result from 
 these, and others made during our stay, gives for the latitude 
 38° 41' 57'^, longitude 120° 25' 57'', and rate of the chro- 
 nometer 25.82". 
 
 16th. — We had succeeded in getting our animals safely to 
 the first grassy hill ; and this morning I started with Jacob on 
 a reconnoitring expedition beyond the mountain. We traveled 
 along the crests of narrow ridges, extending down from the 
 mountain in the direction of the valley, from which the snow 
 was fast melting away. On the open spots was tolerably good 
 grass ; and I judged we should succeed in gettiner tiid camp 
 down by way of these. Towards sundown we discnvered some 
 icy spots in a deep hollow ; and, descending the mountain, we 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's naurative. 33^ 
 
 encamped on the head-w^ater of a little creek, where at last the 
 water found its way to the Pacific. I 
 
 The night was clear and very long. We heard the cries of 
 some wild animals, which had been attracted by our fire, and 
 a flock of geese passed over during the night. Even these 
 strange sounds had something pleasant to our senses in this 
 region of silence and desolation. 
 
 We started again early in the morning. The creek acquired 
 a regular breadth of about 20 feet, and we soon began to hear 
 the rushing of the water below the icy surface, over which we 
 traveled to avoid the snow ; a few miles below we broke 
 through, where the water was several feet deep, and halted to 
 make a fire and dry our clothes. We continued a few miles 
 farther, walking being very laborious without snow-shoes. 
 
 I was now perfectly satisfied that we had struck the stream 
 on which Mr. Sutler lived ; and, turning about, made a hard 
 push, and reached the camp at dark. Here we had the pleas- 
 ure to find all the remaining animals, 57 in number, safely 
 arrived at the grassy hill near the camp ; and here, also, we 
 were agreeably surprised with the sight of an abundance of salt. 
 Some of the horse-guard had gone to a neighboring hut for pine 
 nuts, and discovered unexpectedly a large cake of very white 
 fine-grained salt, which the Indians told them they had brought 
 from the other side of the mountain ; they used it to eat with 
 their pine nuts, and readily sold it for goods. 
 
 On the 19th, the people were occupied in making a road and 
 bringing up the baggage ; and, on the afternoon of the next 
 day, February 20, 1844 we encamped, with the animals and 
 all the materiel of the ^amp, on the summit of the Pass in the 
 dividing ridge, 1,000 miles by our traveled road from the 
 Dalles to the Columbia. 
 
 The people, who had not yet been to this point, climbed the 
 neighboring peak to enjoy a look at the valley. 
 
 The temperature of boiling water gave for the elevation of 
 the encampment, 9,338 feet above the sea. 
 
 This was 2,000 feet higher than the South Pass in the Rocky 
 mountains, and several peaks in view rose several thousand 
 feet still higher. Thus, at the extremity of the continent, and 
 
/ 
 
 83d CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Feb. 
 
 near the coasi, the phenomenon was seen of a range of moun. 
 tains jstiL higher than the great Rocky mountains themselves. 
 This extraordinary fact accounts for the Great Basin, and 
 shows that there must be a system of small lakes and rivers 
 here scattered over a flat country, and which the extended 
 and lofty range of the Sierra Nevada prevents from escaping 
 to the Pacific ocean. Latitude 38° 44' ; longitude 120° 28^ 
 
 Thus the Pass in the Sierra Nevada, which so well deserves 
 Its name of Snowy mountain, is eleven degrees west and about 
 four degrees south of the South Pass. 
 
 21st. — We now considered ourselves victorious over the 
 mountain ; having only the descent before us, and the valley 
 under our eyes, we felt strong hope that we should force our 
 way down. But this was a case in which the descent was not 
 facile. Still deep fields of snow lay between them, and there 
 was a large intervening space of rough-looking mountains, 
 through which we had yet to wind our way. Carson roused 
 me this morning with an early fire, and we were all up long 
 before day, in order to pass the snow-fields before the sun 
 should render the crust soft. We enjoyed this morning a 
 scene at sunrise, which even here was unusually glorious and 
 beautiful. Immediately above the eastern mountains was re- 
 peated a cloud-formed mass of purple ranges, bordered with 
 bright yellow gold ; the peaks shot up into a narrow line of 
 crimson cloud, above which the air was filled with a greenish 
 orange ; and over all was the singular beauty of the blue sky. 
 Passing along a ridge which commanded the lake on our right, 
 of which we began to discover an outlet through a chasm on 
 the west, we passed over alternating open ground and hard- 
 crusted snow-fields which supported the animals, and encamp- 
 ed on the ridge, after a journey of six miles. The grass was 
 better than we had yet seen, and we were encamped in a 
 clump of trees 20 or 30 feet high, resembling white pine. With 
 the exception of these small clumps, the ridges were bare; 
 and, where the snow found the support of the trees, the wind 
 had blown it up into banks 10 or 15 feet high. It required 
 much care to hunt out a practicable way, as the most on«n 
 places frequently led to impassable banks. 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 337 
 
 We had hard and doubtful labor yet before us, as the snovir 
 appeared to be heavier wjjere the timber began further down, 
 with few open spots. Ascending a height, we traced out the 
 best line we could discover for the next day's march, and had 
 at least the consolation to see that the mountain descended rap- 
 idly. The day had been one of April — gusty, with a few oc- 
 casional flakes of snow — which, in the afternoon, enveloped 
 the upper mountain in clouds. We watched them anxiously, 
 as now we dreaded a snow-storm. Shortly afterwards we 
 heard the roll of thunder, and, looking towards the valley, 
 found it enveloped in a thunder-storm. For us, as connected 
 with the idea of summer, it had a singular charm, and we 
 watched its progress with excited feelings until nearly sunset, 
 when the sky cleared off brightly, and we saw a shining line 
 of water directing its course towards another, a broader and 
 larger sheet. We knew that these could be no other than the 
 Sacramento and the Bay of San Francisco ; but, after our long 
 wandering in rugged mountains, where so frequently we had 
 met with disappointments, and where the crossing of every 
 ridge displayed some unknown lake or river, we were yet al- 
 most afraid to believe that we were at last to escape into the 
 genial country of which we had heard so many glowing de- 
 scriptions, and dreaded to find some vast interior lake, whose 
 bitter waters would bring us disappointment. On the southern 
 shore of what appeared to be the bay could be traced the 
 gleaming line where entered another large stream ; and again 
 the Buenaventura rose up in our minds. 
 
 Carson had entered the valley along the southern side of the 
 bay, and remembered perfectly to have crossed the mouth of a 
 very largo stream, which they had been obliged to raft ; but 
 the country then was so entirely covered with water from snow 
 and rain, that he had been able to form no correct impressions 
 of water -courses. 
 
 We had the satisfaction to know that at least there were 
 people below. Fires were lit up in the valley just at night, 
 appearing to be in answer to ours ; and these signs of life re- 
 newed, in some measure, the gayety of the camp. They ap- 
 peared so near, that we judged them to be among the timber 
 16 
 
338 CAPT. Fremont's narrative [Feb. 
 
 of some of tlie neighboring ridges ; but, having them con. 
 stantly in view day after day, and night after night, we after. 
 wards found them to be fires that had been kindled by the In. 
 (tians among the tulares, on the shore of the bay, 80 miles 
 distant. 
 
 Among the very few plants that appeared here, was the 
 common blue flax. To-night a mule was killed for food. 
 
 22d. — Our breakfast was over long before day. We took 
 advantage of the coolness of the early morning to get over the 
 snow, which to-day occurred in very deep banks among the 
 timber ; but we searched out the coldest places, and the ani. 
 mals passed successfully with their loads over the hard crust. 
 Now and then the delay of making a road occasioned much laboi 
 and loss of time. In the after part of the day, we saw before 
 us a handsome grassy ridge point ; and, making a desperate 
 push over a snow-field 10 to 15 feet deep, we happily succeed. 
 ed in getting the camp across, and encamped on the ridge, 
 after a march of three miles. We had again the prospect of 
 a thunder-storm below, and to-night we killed another mule- 
 now our only resource from starvation. 
 
 We satisfied ourselves during the day that the lake had an 
 outlet between two ranges on the right ; and with this, the 
 creek on which I had encamped probably eflfccted a junction 
 below. Between these, we were descending. 
 
 We continued to enjoy the same delightful weather ; the 
 sky of the same beautiful blue, and such a sunset and sun. 
 rise as on our Atlantic coast we could scarcely imagine. 
 And here among the mountains, 9,000 feet above the sea, we 
 have the deep-blue sky and sunny climate of Smyrna and 
 Palermo, which a little map before me shows are in the same 
 latitude. 
 
 The elevation above the sea, by the boiling point, is 8,565 
 feet. 
 
 23d. — This was our most difficult day ; we were forced off 
 the ridges by the quantity of snow among the timber, and 
 obliged to take to the mountain sides, where occasionally rocks 
 and a southern exposure afibrded us a chance to scramble 
 along. But these were steep, and slippery with snow and ice 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 839 
 
 and the toiigh evergreens of the mountain impeded our way, 
 tore our skins, and exhausted our patience. Some of us had 
 the misfortune to wear moccasins with parfliche soles, so slip- 
 pery that we could not keep our feet, and generally crawled 
 across the snow-beds. Axes and mauls were necessary to-day, 
 to make a road through the snow. Going ahead with Carson 
 to reconnoitre the road, we reached in the afternoon the river 
 which made the outlet of the lake. Carson sprang over, clear 
 across a place where the stream was compressed among rocks, 
 bui the parJlt^cJie sole of my moccasin glanced from the icy 
 rock, and precipitated me into the river. It was some few 
 seconds before I could recover myself in the current, and 
 Carson, thinking me hurt, jumped in after me, and we both 
 had an icy bath. We tried to search awhile for my gun, which 
 had been lost in the fall, but the cold drove us out ; and mak- 
 ing a large fire on the bank, after we had partially dried our- 
 selves we went back to meet the camp. We afterwards found 
 that the gun had been slung under the ice which lined the 
 banks of the creek. 
 
 Using our old plan of breaking roads with alternate horses, 
 we reached the creek in the evening, and encamped on a dry 
 open place in the ravine. 
 
 Another branch, which we had followed, here comes in on 
 the left ; and from this point the mountain wall, on which 
 we had traveled to-day, faces to the south along the right bank 
 of the river, where the sun appears to have melted the mow ; 
 but the opposite ridge is entirely covered. Here, among the 
 pines, the hill-side produces but little grass — barely sufficient 
 to keep life in the animals. We had the pleasure to be rained 
 upon this afternoon ; and grass was now our greatest solicitude. 
 Many of the men looked badly ; and some this evening were 
 giving out. 
 
 24th. — We rose at three in the morninc for an astronomical 
 observation, and obtained for the place a lat. of *)8° 46' 58''' ; 
 long. 120° 34' 20". The sky was clear and pure, with a 
 sharp wind from the northeast, and the thermomeier 2^ bcJow 
 the freezing f>oini. 
 
 We coiitinuea down the south face of the mountain ; our road 
 
840 cAPT. Fremont's nahrative. [Feb. 
 
 leading over dry ground, we were able to avoid the snow al. 
 most entirely. In the course of the morning, we struck a foot- 
 path, which we were generally able to keep ; and the ground waa 
 soft to our animals' feet, being sandy or covered with mould. 
 Green grass began to make its appearance, and occasionallv 
 we passed a hill scatteringly covered with it. The character 
 of the forest continued the same ; and, among the trees, the 
 pine with sharp leaves and very large cones was abundant, 
 some of them being noble trees. We measured one that had 
 10 feet diameter, though the height was not more than 130 
 feet. All along, the river was a roaring torrent, its fall very 
 great ; and, descending with a rapidity to which we had long 
 been strangers, to our great pleasure oak-trees appeared on the 
 ridge, and soon became very frequent ; on these I remarked 
 great quantities of mistletoe. Rushes began to make their ap. 
 pearance ; and at a small creek where they were abundant, 
 one of the messes was left with the weakest horses, while we 
 continued on. 
 
 The opposite mountain-side was very steep and continuous — 
 unbroken by ravines, and covered with pines and snow ; wh'ie 
 on the side we were traveling, innumerable rivulets poured 
 down from the ridge. Continuing on, we halted a moment at 
 one of these rivulets, to admire some beautiful evergreen-tree s, 
 resembling live-oak, which shaded the little stream. They 
 were forty to fifty feet high, and two in diameter, with a uni- 
 form tufted top ; and the summer green of their beautiful 
 foliage, with the singing birds, and the sweet summer wind 
 which was whirling about the dry oak leaves, nearly intoxicated 
 us with delight ; and we hurried on, filled with excitement, to 
 escape entirely from the horrid region of inhospitable snow, to 
 the perpetual spring of the Sacramento. 
 
 When we had traveled about ten miles, the valley opened a 
 little to an oak and pine bottom, through which ran rivulets 
 closely bordered with rushes, on which our half-starved horses 
 fell with avidity ; and here we made our encampment, here 
 the roannfj torrent has already become a river, and we had 
 descended to an elevation of 8,864 feei. 
 
 Along our road to-day the rock was a white granite, wnich 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 341 
 
 appears to constitute the upper part of the mountains on both 
 the eastern and western slopes ; while between, the central is 
 a volcanic rock. 
 
 Another horse was killed to-night, for food. 
 
 25th. — Believing that the difficulties of the road were passed, 
 and leaving Mr. Fitzpatrick to follow slowly, as the condition 
 of the animals required, I started ahead this morning with a 
 Darty of eight, consisting of myself, Mr. Preuss and Mr. Tal- 
 bot, Carson, Derosier, Towns, Proue, and Jacob. We took with 
 us some of the best animals, and my intention was to proceed 
 as rapidly as possible to the house of Mr. Sutter, and return 
 to meet the party with a supply of provisions and fresh ani- 
 mals. 
 
 Continuing down the river, which pursued a very direct 
 westerly course through a narrow valley, with only a very 
 slight and narrow bottom-land, we made twelve miles, and en- 
 camped at some old Indian huts, apparently a fishing-place on 
 the river. The bottom was covered with trees of deciduous 
 foliage, and overgrown with vines and rushes. On a bench of 
 the hill near by, was a hill of fresh green grass, six inches 
 long in some of the tufts which I had the curiosity to measure. 
 The animals were driven here ; and I spent part of the after- 
 noon sitting on a large rock among them, enjoying the pause- 
 less rapidity with which they luxuriated on the unaccustomed 
 food. 
 
 The forest was imposing to-day in the magnificence of the 
 trees; some of the pines, bearing large cones, were 10 feet in 
 diameter. Cedars also abounded, and we measured one 28^ 
 feet in circumference, four feet from the ground. This noble 
 tree seemed here to be in its proper soil and climate. We 
 found it on both sides of the Sierra, but most abundant on the 
 west. 
 
 26th. — We continued to follow the stream, the mountams on 
 either hand increasing in height as we descended, and shutting 
 up the river narrowly in precipices, along which we had great 
 lifficulty to got our horses. 
 
 It rained heavily during the afternoon, and we were forced 
 off the river to the heights above ; whence we descended, at 
 
342 OAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Feb. 
 
 night-fall, the point of a spur between the river and a fork of 
 nearly equal size, coming in from the right. Here we saw, on 
 the lower hills, the first flowers in bloom, which occurred sud- 
 dcnly, and in considerable quantity — one of them a species of 
 gilia. 
 
 The current in both streams (rather torrents than rivers) 
 Was broken by large boulders. It was late, and the animals 
 fatigued ; and not succeeding to find a ford immediately, wo 
 encamped, although the hill-side afforded but a few stray 
 bunches of grass, and the horses, standing about in the rain, 
 looked very miserable. 
 
 27th. — We succeeded in fording the stream, and made a 
 trail by which we crossed the point of the opposite hill, which, 
 on the southern exposure, was prettily covered with green 
 grass, and we halted a mile from our last encampment. The 
 river was only about 60 feet wide, but rapid, and occasionally 
 deep, foaming among boulders, and the water beautifully clear. 
 Wo encamped on the hill-slope, as there was no bottom level, 
 and the opposite ridge is continuous, affording no streams. 
 
 We had with us a large kettle ; and a mule being killed 
 here, his head was boiled in it for several hours, and made a 
 passable soup for famished people. 
 
 Below, precipices on the river forced us to the heights, which 
 we ascended by a steep spur 2,000 feet high. My favorite 
 horse, Proveau, had become very weak, and was scarcely able 
 to bring himself to the top. Traveling here was good, except 
 in crossing the ravines, which were narrow, steep, and frequent. 
 We caught a glimpse of a deer, the first animal we had seen ; 
 but did not succeed in approaching him. Proveau could not 
 keep up, and I left Jacob to bring him on, being obliged to 
 press forward with the party, as there was no grass in the 
 forest. We grew very anxious as the day advanced and no 
 grass appeared, for the lives of our animals depended on find- 
 mg it to-night. They were in just such a condition that grass 
 and repose for the night enabled them to get on the next day. 
 Every hour we had been expecting to see open out before us 
 the valley, which, from the mountain above, seemed almost at 
 our feet. A new and singular shrub, which had made its ap* 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narhative. 348 
 
 pearance since cros-sing the mountain, was very frequent to- 
 day. It brHnched out near the ground, forming a clump eight 
 to ten feet high, with pale-green leaves, of an oval form ; and 
 the body and bianehes had a naked appearance, as if stripped 
 of the bark, which is very smooth and thin, of a chocolate 
 color, contrasting well with the pale green of the leaves. The 
 day was nearly gone ; we had made a hard day's march, and 
 found no grass. Towns became light-headed, wandering off 
 into the woods without knowing where ho was going, and Jacob 
 brought him back. 
 
 Neai night-fall we descended into the steep ravine of a hand. 
 some creek 30 feet wide, and I was engaged in getting the 
 horses up the opposite hill, when I heard a shout from Carson, 
 who had gone ahead a few hundred yards — " Life yet," said 
 he, as he came up, " life yet ; I have found a hill-side sprinkled 
 with grass enough for the night." We drove along our horses, 
 and encamped at the place about dark, and there was just room 
 enough to make a place for shelter on the edge of the stream. 
 Three horses were lost to-day — Proyeau ; a fine young horse 
 from the Columbia, belonging to Charles Towns ; and another 
 Indian horse, which carried our cooking utensils. The two 
 former gave out, and the latter strayed off into the woods as 
 we reached the camp. 
 
 29th. — We lay shut up in the narrow ravine, and gave the 
 animals a necessary day ; and men were sent back after the 
 others. Derosier volunteered to bring up Proveau, to whom 
 he knew I was greatly attached, as he had been my favorite 
 horse on bo*h expeditions. Carson and T climbed one of the- 
 nearest mountains ; the forest land still extended ahead, and 
 the valley appeared as far as ever. The pack-horse was found 
 near the camp ; but Derosier did not get in. 
 
 MARCH. 
 
 1st. — Derosier did not get in during the night, and leaving 
 him to follow, as no grass remained here, we continued on over 
 
344 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [March, 
 
 the uplands, crossing many small streams, and camped again 
 on the river, having made six miles. Here wo found tlie hill, 
 side covered (iiltliough lightly) with fresh green grass ; and 
 from this time forward we found it always improving and abun- 
 dant. 
 
 We made a pleasant camp on the river hill, where wore 
 some beautiful specimens of the chocolate-colored shrub, which 
 were a foot in diameter near the ground, and fifteen to twenty 
 feet high. The opposite ridge runs contiimously along, un- 
 broken by streams. We are rapidly descending into the spring, 
 and we are leaving our snowy region far beliind j every 
 thing is getting green ; butterflies are swarming ; numerous 
 bugs are creeping out, wakened from their winter's sleep; 
 and the forest flowers are coming into bloom. Among those 
 which appeared most numerously to-day was dodecatlieon den- 
 tatum. 
 
 We began to be uneasy at Derosier's absence, fearing he 
 might have been bewildered in the woods. Charles Towns, 
 who had not yet recovered his mind, went to swim in the 
 river, as if it were summer, and the stream placid, when it 
 was a cold mountain torrent foaming among the rocks. We 
 were happy to see Derosier appear in the evening. He came 
 in, and, sitting down by the fire, began to tell us where he 
 had been. He imagined he had been gone several days, and 
 thought we were still at the camp where he had left us ; and 
 we were pained to see that his mind was deranged. It ap- 
 peared that he had been lost in the mountain, and hunger and 
 fatigue, joined to weakness of body and fear, of perishing in 
 the mountains, had crazed him. The times were severe when 
 stout men lost their minds from extremity of suffering — when 
 horses died — and when mules and horses, ready to die of starv- 
 ation, were killed for food. Yet there was no murmui.ng or 
 hesitation. 
 
 A short distance below our encampment the river moun- 
 tains terminated in precipices, and, after u fatiguing march of 
 only a few miles, we encamped on a bench where there were 
 springs, and an abundance of the freshest grass. In the mean 
 tinie, Mr. Preuss continued on down the river, and, unaware 
 
1844.] CAPT. frbmont's narrative. 845 
 
 that we had encamped so early in the day, was lost. When 
 night arrived, and he did not come in, we began to understand 
 what had happened to him j but it was too late to make any 
 search. 
 
 3d. — We followed Mr. Prouss' trail for a considerable dis- 
 tance along the river, until we reached a place where he had 
 descended to the stream b(;low and encamped. Here we 
 shouted and fired guns, but received no answer ; and we con- 
 cluded that he had pushed on down the stream. I determined 
 to keep out from the river, along which it was nearly imprac 
 ticable to travel with animals, until it should form a valley. 
 At every step the country improved in beauty ; the pines 
 were rapidly disappearing, and oaks became the principal 
 trees of the forest. Among these, the prevailing tree was 
 the evergreen oak, (which, by way of distinction, we call the 
 live-oak ;) and with these occurred frequently a new species of 
 oak bearing a long slender acorn, from an inch to an inch and a 
 half in length, which we now began to see formed the principal 
 vegetable food of the inhabitants of this region. In a short dis- 
 tance we crossed a little rivulet, where were two old huts, and 
 near by were heaps of acorn hulls. The ground round about 
 was very rich, covered with an exuberant sward of grass; and 
 we sat down for a while in the shade of the oaks, to let the 
 animals feed. We repeated our shouts for Mr. Preuss ; and 
 this time were gratified with an answer. The voice grew 
 rapidly nearer, ascending from the river ; but when we ex- 
 pected to see him emerge, it ceased entirely. We had called 
 up some straggling Indian — the first we had met, although for 
 two days back we had seen tracks — who, mistaking us for his 
 fellows, had been only undeceived on getting close up. It 
 would have been plea.sant to witness his astonishment ; he 
 would not have been more frightened had some of the old 
 mountain spirits they are so much afraid of suddenly appeared 
 m his path. Ignorant of the character of these people, we had 
 now an additional cause of uneasiness in regard to Mr. Preuss; 
 he had no arms with him, and we began to think his chance 
 doubtful. We followed on a trail, still keeping out from thd 
 river, and descended to a very large creek, dashing with great 
 15* 
 
346 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [March, 
 
 velocity over a pre-eminently rocky bed, and among large boul- 
 ders. The bed had sudden breaks, formed by deep holes and 
 ledges of rock running across. Even here, it deserves the 
 name of Rock creek, which we gave to it. We succeeded in 
 fordi..^ it, and toiled about three thousand feet up the opposite 
 hill. The mountains now were getting sensibly lower ; but still 
 there is no valley on the river, which presents steep and rocky 
 banks ; but here, several miles from the river, the country ig 
 smooth and grassy ; the forest has no undergrowth ; and in 
 the open valleys of rivulets, or around spring-heads, the low 
 groves of live-oak give the appearance of orchards in an old 
 cultivated country. Occasionally wo met deer, but had not 
 the necessary time for hunting. At one of these orchard, 
 grounds, we encamped about noon to make an effort for Mr. 
 Preuss. One man took his way along a spur leading into 
 the river, in hope to cross his trail ; and another took our own 
 back. Both were volunteers ; and to the successful man was 
 promised a pair of pistols — not as a reward, but as a token 
 of gratitude for a service which would free us all from much 
 anxiety. 
 
 We had among our few animals a horse which was so 
 much reduced, that, with traveling, even the good grass could 
 not save him ; and, having nothing to eat, he was killed this 
 afternoon. He was a good animal, and had made the journey 
 round from Fort Hall. 
 
 Dodccatheon dentaium continued the characteristic plant in 
 flower ; and the naked-looking shrub already mentioned con- 
 tinned characteristic, beginning to put forth a small white bios- 
 som. At evening the men returned, having seen or heard 
 nothing of Mr. Preuss ; and I determined to make a hard push 
 down the river the next morning and get ahead of him. 
 
 4th. — We continued rapidly along on a broad plainly-beaten 
 trail, the mere travelir.g and breathing the delightful air being 
 a positive enjoyment. Our road led along a ridge inclining to 
 the river, and the air and the open grounds were fragrant with 
 flowering shrubs ; and in the course of the morning we issued 
 on an open spur, by which we descended directly to the stream. 
 Here the river issues suddenly from the mountains, which 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 347 
 
 hitherto had hemmed it closely in ; these now become softer, 
 and change sensibly their character ; and at this point com« 
 mences the most beautiful valley in which we had ever traveled. 
 Wo hurried to the river, on which we noticed a small sand 
 beach, to which Mr. Preuss would naturally have gone. We 
 found no trace of him, but, instead, were recent tracks of bare- 
 footed Indians, and little piles of muscle-shells, and old fi. 
 where they had roasted the fish. We traveled on over th> 
 river grounds, which were undulating, and covered with grass 
 to the river brink. We halted to noon a few miles beyond, 
 always under the shade of the evergreen oaks, which formed 
 open groves on the bottoms. 
 
 Continuing our road in the afternoon, we ascended to the 
 uplands, where the river passes round a point of great beau- 
 ty, and goes through very remarkable dalles, in character re- 
 sembling those of the Columbia. Beyond, we again descended 
 to the bottoms, where we found an Indian village, consisting 
 of two or three huts ; we had come upon them suddenly, and 
 tlie people had evidently just run off. The huts were low and 
 slight, made like beehives in a picture, five or six feet high, 
 and near each was a crate, formed of interlaced branches and 
 grass, in size and shape like a very large hogshead. Each of 
 these contained from six to nine bushels. These were filled 
 with the long acorns already mentioned, and in the huts were 
 several neatly-made baskets, containing quantities of the acorns 
 roasted. They were sweet and agreeably flavored, and we 
 supplied ourselves with about half a bushel, leaving one of our 
 shirts, a handkerchief, and some smaller articles, in exchange. 
 The river again entered for a space among the hills, and we 
 followed a trail leading across a bend through a handsome hol- 
 low behind. Here, while engaged in trying to circumvent a 
 deer, we discovered some Indians on a hill several hundred 
 yards ahead, and gave them a shout, to which they responded 
 by loud and rapid talking and vehement gesticulation, but made 
 no stop, hurrying up the mountain as fast as their legs could 
 carry them. We passed on, and again encamped in a grassy 
 grove. 
 
 The absence of Mr. Preuss gave me great concern ; and, 
 
348 CAPT. Fremont's narrativl. [March, 
 
 for a large reward, Derosier volunteered to go back on the trail. 
 I directed him to search along the river, traveling upward for 
 the space of a day and a half, at which time I expected he 
 would meet Mr, Fitzpatrick, whom I requested to aid in the 
 search ; at all events, he was to go no farther, but return to 
 this camp, where a cache of provisions was made for him. 
 
 Continuing the next day down the river, we discovered three 
 squaws in a little bottom, and surrounded them before they 
 could make their escape. They had large conical baskets, 
 which they were engaged in filling with a small leafy plant 
 {erodium cicufarium) just now beginning to bloom, and covering 
 the ground like a sward of grass. These did not make any 
 lamentations, but appeared very much impressed with our ap- 
 pearance, speaking to us only in a whisper, and offering us 
 smaller baskets of the plant, which they signified to us was 
 good to eat, making signs also that it was to be cooked by the 
 fire. We drew out a little cold horse-meat, and the squaws 
 made signs to us that the men had gone out after deer, and that 
 we could have some by waiting till they came in. We ob- 
 served that the horses ate with great avidity the herb which 
 they had been gathering ; and here also, for the first time, 
 we saw Indians eat the common grass — one of the squaws 
 pulling several tufts, and eating it with apparent relish. See- 
 ing our surprise, she pointed to the horses ; but we could not 
 well understand what she meant, except, perhaps, that what 
 was good for the one was good for the other. 
 
 We encamped in the evening on the shore of the river, at a 
 place where the associated beauties of scenery made so strong 
 an impression on us that we gave it the name of the Beautiful 
 Camp. The undulating river shore was shaded with the live- 
 oaks, which formed a continuous grove over the country, and 
 the same grassy sward extended to the edge of the water, and 
 we made our fires near some large granite masses which were 
 lying among the trees. We had seen several of the acorn 
 caches during the day, and here there were two which were 
 .very large, containing each, probably, ten bushels. Towards 
 evening we heard a weak shout among the hills behind, and 
 had the pleasure to see Mr. Preuss descending towards the 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 349 
 
 camp. Like ourselves, he had traveled to-day 25 miles, but 
 had seen nothing of Derosier. Knowing, on the day he was lost, 
 that I was determined to keep the river as much as possible, he 
 had not thought it necessary to follow the trail very closely, but 
 walked on, right and left, certain to find it somewhere along 
 tiie river, searching places to obtain good views of the coun- 
 try. Towards sunset he climbed down towards the river to 
 look for the camp ; but, finding no trail, concluded that we 
 were behind, and walked back till night came on, when, being 
 very much fatigued, he collected drift-wood and made a large 
 fire among the rocks. The next day it became more serious 
 and he encamped again alone, thinking that we must hav» 
 taken some other course. To go back would have been mad 
 ness in his weak and starved condition, and onward towards 
 the valley was his only hope, always in expectation of reach- 
 ing it soon. His principal means of subsistence were a few 
 roots, which the hunters call sweet onions, having very little 
 taste, but a good deal of nutriment, growing generally in 
 rocky ground, and requiring a good deal of labor to get, as he 
 had only a pocket-knife. Searching for these, he found a nest 
 of big ants, which he let run on his hand, and stripped them 
 off in his mouth ; these had an agreeable acid taste. One of 
 his greatest privations v/as the want of tobacco ; and a pleas- 
 ant smoke at evening would have been a relief which only a 
 voyageur could appreciate. He tried the dried leaves of the 
 live-ouk, knowing that those of other oaks were sometimes 
 used as a substitute ; but these were too thick, and would not 
 do. On the 4th he made seven or eight miles, walking slowly 
 along the river, avoiding as much as possible to climb the hills. 
 In little pools he caught some of the smallest kind of frogs, 
 which he swallowed, not so much in the gratification of hun- 
 ger, as in the hope of obtaining some strength. Scattered along 
 the river were old fire-places, where the Indians had roasted 
 muscles and acorns ; but though he searched diligently, he did 
 not there succeed in finding either. He had collected firewood 
 for the night, when he heard, at some distance from the river, 
 the barking of what he thought were two dogs, and walked ic 
 that direction as quickly as he was able, hoping to find there 
 
350 CAPT. Fremont's narhativb. [March, 
 
 some Indian hut; but met only two wolves ; and, in his disap. 
 pointment, the gloom of the forest was doubled. 
 
 Traveling the next day feebly down the river, he found five 
 or six Indians at the huts of which we have spoken : some 
 were painting themselves black, and others roasting acorns. 
 Being only one man, they did not run off, but received him 
 kindly, and gave him a welcome supply of roasted acorns. 
 He gave them his pocket-knife in return, and stretched out his 
 hand to one of the Indians, who did not appear to comprehend 
 the motion, but jumped back, as if he thought he was about to 
 lay hold of him. They seemed afraid of him, not certain as 
 to what he was. 
 
 Traveling on, he came to the place where we had found the 
 squaws. Here he found our fire still burning, and the tracks 
 of the horses. The sight gave him sudden hope and courage ; 
 and, following as fast as he could, joined us at evening. 
 
 6th. — We continued on our road through the same surpass- 
 ingly beautiful country, entirely unequalled for the pasturage 
 of stock by any thing we had overseen. Our horses had now 
 become so strong that they were able to carry us, and we 
 traveled rapidly — over four miles an hour ; four of us riding 
 every alternate hour. Every few hundred yards we came 
 upon a little band of deer ; but we were too eager to reach the 
 settlement, which we momentarily expected to discover, to halt 
 for any other than a parsing shot. In a few hours we reached 
 a large fork, the northern branch of the river, and equal in 
 size to that which we had descended. Together they formed 
 a beautiful stream, 60 to 100 yards wide ; which at first, igno- 
 rant of the nature of the country through which that river ran, 
 we took to be the Sacramento. 
 
 We continued down the right bank of the river, traveling for 
 a while over a wooded upland, where we had the delight to 
 discover tracks of cattle. To the southwest was visible a black 
 column of smoke, which we had frequentl' noticed in descend- 
 ing, arising from the fires we had see i from the top of the 
 Sierra. From tiie upland we descended into broad groves on 
 the river, consisting of the evergreen, ana a new species of a 
 white-oak, with a large tufted top, and three to six feet in diam- 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 361 
 
 eter. Among tliese was no brushwood ; and the grassy sur- 
 face gave to it the appearance of parks in an old-settled coun- 
 try. Following the tracks of the horses and cattle, in search 
 of people, we discovered a small village of Indians. Some of 
 these had on shirts of civilized manufacture, but were other- 
 wise naked, and we could understand nothing from them : they 
 appeared entirely astonished at seeing us. 
 
 We made an acorn meal at noon, and hurried on ; the val- 
 ley being gay with flowers, and some of the banks being abso- 
 lutely golden with the Californian poppy, {escheschoUzia crocea.) 
 Here the grass was smooth and green, and the groves very open ; 
 the large oaks throwing a broad shade among sunny spots. 
 Shortly afterwards we gave a shout at the appearance, on a 
 little bluff, of a neatly-built adohe house, with glass windows. 
 We rode up, but, to our disappointment, found only Indians. 
 There was no appearance of cultivation, and we could see no 
 cattle ; and we supposed the place had been abandcued. We 
 now pressed on more eagerly than ever : the river swept round 
 a large bend to the right ; the hills lowered down entirely ; 
 and, gradually entering a broad valley, we cams unexpectedly 
 into a large Indian village, where the people looked clean, and 
 wore cotton shirts and various other articles of dress. They 
 immediately crowded around us, and we had the inexpressible 
 delight to find one who spoke a little indifferent Spanish, but 
 who at first confounded us by saying there were no whites in 
 the country ; but just then a well-dressed Indian came up, and 
 made his salutations in very well-spoken Spanish. In answer 
 to our inquiries, he informed us that we were upon the Rio de 
 los Americanos, (the river of the Americans,) and that it joined 
 the Sacramento river about ten miles below. Never did a name 
 sound more sweetly ! We felt ourselves among our country- 
 men ; for the name of American, in these distant parts, is ap- 
 plied to the citizens of the United States. To our eager inqui- 
 ries he answered, " I am a vaqnero (cowherd) in the service of 
 Capt. Sutter, and the people of this rancheria work for him. " 
 Our evident satisfaction made him communicative ; and he 
 went on to say that Capt. Sutter was a very rich man, and al- 
 ways glad to see his country people. We asked for his house. 
 
852 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [March, 
 
 He answered, that it was just over the hill before us; and 
 offered, if we would wait a moment, to take his horse and con. 
 duct us to it. We readily accepted this civil offer. In a short 
 distance we came in sight of the fort ; and, passing on the way 
 the house of a settler on the opposite side, (a Mr. Sinclair,) we 
 forded the river j and in a few miles were met, a short distance 
 from the fort, by Capt. Sutter himself. He gave us a most 
 frank and cordial reception — conducted us immediately to his 
 residence — and under his hospitable roof we had a night of 
 rest, enjoyment, and refreshment, which none but ourselves 
 could appreciate. But the party left in the mountains, with 
 Mr. Fitzpatrick, were to be attended to ; and the next morning, 
 supplied with fresh horses and provisions, I hurried off to meet 
 them. On the second day we met, a few miles below the forks 
 of the Rio de los Americanos ; and a more forlorn and pitiable 
 sight than they presented, cannot well be imagined. Thoy 
 were all on foot — each man, weak and emaciated, leading a 
 horse or mule as weak and emaciated as themselves. They 
 had experienced great difficulty in descending the mountains, 
 made slippery by rains and melting snows, and many horses 
 fell over precipices, and were killed ; and with some were lost 
 the packs they carried. Among these, was a mule with the 
 plants which we had collected since leaving Fort Hall, along 
 a line of 2,000 miles' travel. Out of 67 horses and mules, 
 ■ with which we commenced crossing the Sierra, only 33 reached 
 the valley of the Sacramento, and they only in a condition to 
 be led along. Mr. Fitzpatrick and his party, traveling more 
 slowly, had been able to make some little exertion at hunting, 
 and had killed a few deer. The scanty supply was a great 
 relief to them ; for several had been made sick by the strange 
 and unwholesome food which the preservation of life compelled 
 them to use. We stopped and encamped as soon as we met ; 
 and a repast of good beef, excellent bread, and delicious salmon, 
 which I had brought along, was their first relief from the suf- 
 ferings of the Sierra, and their first introduction to the luxuries 
 of the Sacramento. It required all our philosophy and for- 
 bearance to prevent plenty from becoming as hurtfjl to us now, 
 as scarcity had been before. 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 353 
 
 The next day, March 8th, we encamped at the junction of 
 the two rivers, the Sacramento and Americanos; and thus 
 found the whole party in the beautiful valley of the Sacramento. 
 It was a convenient place for the camp ; and, among other 
 things, was within reach of the wood necessary to make the pack- 
 saddles, which we should need on our long journey home, from 
 which we were farther distant now than we were four months 
 before, when from the Dalles of the Columbia we so cheerfully 
 took up the homeward line of march. 
 
 Captain Sutter emigrated to this country from the western 
 part of Missouri in 1838-39, and formed the first settlement in 
 the valley, on a large grant of land which he obtained from 
 the Mexican Government. He had, at first, some trouble with 
 the Indians ; but, by the occasional exercise of well-timed 
 authority, he has succeeded in converting them into a peaceable 
 and industrious people. The ditches around his extensive 
 wheat-fields ; the making of the sun-dried bricks, of which his 
 fort is constructed ; the ploughing, harrowing, and other agri- 
 cultural operations, are entirely the work of these Indians, for 
 which they receive a very moderate compensation — principally 
 in shirts, blankets, and other articles of clothing. In the same 
 manner, on application to the chief of a village, he readily ob- 
 tains as many boys and girls as he has any use for. There 
 were at this time a number of girls at the fort, in training for 
 a future woolen factory ; but they were now all busily en- 
 gaged in constantly watering the gardens, which the unfavora- 
 ble dryness of the season rendered necessary. The occasional 
 dryness of some seasons, I understood to be the only complain 
 of the settlers in this fertile valley, as it sometimes renders the 
 crops uncertain. Mr. Sutter was about making arrangements 
 to irrigate his lands by means of the Rio de los Americanos, 
 He had this year sown, and altogether by Indian labor, three 
 hundred fanegas of wheat. 
 
 A few years since, the neighboring Russian establishment 
 of Ross, being about to withdraw from the country, sold to him 
 a large number of stock, with agricultural and other stores, 
 with a number of pieces of artillery and other munitions ol 
 •var J for these, a regular yearly payment is made in grain. 
 
354 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [March, 
 
 The fort is a quadrangular adohe structure, mounting twelve 
 pieces of artillery, (two of them brass,) and capable of ad- 
 mitting a garrison of a thousand men ; this, at present, con- 
 sists of forty Indians in uniform — one of whom was always 
 found on duty at the gate. As might naturally be expected, 
 the pieces are not in very good order. The whites in the 
 employment of Capt. Sutter, American, French, and German, 
 amount, perhaps, to thirty men. The inner wall is formed 
 into buildings, comprising the common quarters, with black- 
 smith and other workshops ; the dwelling-house, with a large 
 distillery-house, and other buildings, occupying more the centre 
 of the area. 
 
 It is built upon a pond-like stream, at times a running creek 
 communicating with the Rio de los Americanos, which enters 
 the Sacramento about two miles below. The latter is here a 
 noble river, about three hundred yards broad, deep and tran- 
 quil, with several fathoms of water in the channel, and its 
 banks continuously timbered. There were two vessels be- 
 longing to Capt. Sutter at anchor near the landing — one a 
 large two-masted lighter, and the other a schooner, which was 
 shortly to proceed on a voyage to Fort Vancouver for a cargo 
 of goods. 
 
 Since his arrival, several other persons, principally Ameri- 
 cans, have established themselves in the valley. Mr. Sinclair, 
 from whom I experienced much kindness during my stay, is 
 settled a few miles distant, on the Rio de los Americanos. Mr. 
 Coudrois, a gentleman from Germany, has established himself 
 on Feather river, and is associated with Capt. Sutter in agri- 
 cultural pursuits. Among other improvements, they are about 
 to introduce the cultivation of rape-seed, (brassica rapus,) which 
 there is every reason to believe is admirably adapted to the 
 climate and soil. The lowest average produce of wheat, as 
 far as we can at present know, is thirty-five fanegas for one 
 sown ; but, as an instance of its fertility, it may be mentioned 
 that Senor Valejo obtained, on a piece of ground where sheep 
 had been pastured, 800 fanegas for eight sown. The produce 
 being different in various places, a very correct idea cannot be 
 formed. 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 855 
 
 An impetus was given to the active little population by our 
 arrival, as we were in want of every thing. Mules, horses, 
 and cattle, were to be collected ; the horse-mill was at work 
 day and night, to make sufficient flour ; the blacksmith's shop 
 was put in requisition for horse-shoes and bridle-bits; and 
 pack-saddles, ropes, and bridles, and all the other little equip- 
 ments of the camp, were again to be provided. 
 
 The delay thus occasioned was one of repose and enjoyment, 
 which our situation required, and, anxious as we were to re- 
 sume our homeward journey, was regretted by no one. In the 
 mean time, I had the pleasure to meet with Mr. Chiles, who 
 was residing at a farm on the other side of the river Sacramen- 
 to, while engaged in the selection of a place for a settlement, 
 for which he had received the necessary grant of land from the 
 Mexican government. 
 
 It will be remembered that we had parted near the frontier 
 of the states, and that he had subsequently descended the val 
 ley of Lewis's fork, with a party of ten or twelve men, with 
 the intention of crossing the intermediate mountains to the 
 waters of the Bay of San Francisco. In the execution of this 
 design, and aided by subsequent information, he left the Co- 
 lumbia at the mouth of Malheur river, and, .making his way to 
 the head-waters of the Sacramento with a part of his company, 
 traveled down that river to the settlements of Nueva Helvetia. 
 The other party, to whom he had committed his wagons, and 
 mill-irons, and saws, took a course further to the south, and the 
 wagons and their contents were lost. 
 
 On the 22d we made a preparatory move, and encamped 
 near the settlement of Mr. Sinclair, on the left bank of the Rio 
 de los Americanos. I had discharged five of the partv ; Neal, 
 the blacksmith, (an excellent workman, and an unmarried 
 man, who had done his duty faithfully, and had been of very 
 great service to me,) desired to remain, as strong inducements 
 were offered here to mechanics. 
 
 Although at considerable inconvenience to myself, his good 
 conduct induced me to comply with his request ; and I ob- 
 lained for him from Capt. Sutter, a present compensation of 
 two dollars and a half per dieivi, with a promise that it should 
 
856 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [March, 
 
 he increased to five, if he proved as good a workman as had 
 been represented. He was more particularly an agricultural 
 blacksmith. The other men were discharged with their own 
 consent. 
 
 While we remained at this place, Derosier, one of our best 
 men, whose steady good conduct had won my regard, wander- 
 cd off from the camp, and never returned to it again, nor has 
 he since been heard of. 
 
 24th. — We resumed our journey with an ample stock of 
 provisions and a large cavalcade of animals, consisting of 130 
 horses and mules, and about 30 head of cattle, five of which 
 were milch-cows. Mr. Sutter furnished us also with an Indian 
 boy, who had been trained as a vaquero, and who would be 
 serviceable in managing our cavalcade, great part of which 
 were nearly as wild as buffalo, and who was, besides, very anx- 
 ious to go along with us. Our direct course home was east, but 
 the Sierra would force us south, above 500 miles of traveling, 
 to a pass at the head of the San Joaquin river. This pass, re- 
 ported to be good, was discovered by Mr. Joseph Walker, of 
 whom I have already spoken, and whose name it might there- 
 fore appropriately bear. To reach it, our course lay along the 
 valley of the San Joaquin — the river on our right, and the lofty 
 wall of the impassable Sierra on the left. From that pass we 
 were to move southeastwardly, having the Sierra then on the 
 right, and reach the " Spanish trail,'' deviously traced from one 
 watering-place to another, which constituted the route of the 
 caravans from Puehla de los Avgelos, near the coast of the 
 Pacific, to Santa Fe of New Mexico. From the pass to this 
 trail was 150 miles. Following that trail through a desert, 
 relieved by some fertile plains indicated by the recurrence of 
 the term vegas, until it turned to the right to cross the Colorado, 
 our course would be northeast until we regained the latitude 
 we had lost in arriving at Eutah lake, and thence to the Rocky 
 mountains at the head of the Arkansas. This course of trav- 
 eling, forced upon us by the structure of the country, would 
 occupy a computed distance of 2,000 miles before we reached 
 the head of the Arkansas — not a settlement to be seen upon 
 it — and the names of places along it, all bc'rg Spanish or lu- 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's nabrativb. 857 
 
 dian, indicated that it had been but little trod by American feet. 
 Though long, and not free from hardships, this route presented 
 some points of attraction, in tracing the Sierra Nevada — turn- 
 ing the Great Basin, perhaps crossing its rim on the south — 
 completely solving the problem of any river, except the Colo- 
 rado, from the Rocky mountains on that part of our continent 
 — and seeing the southern extremity of the Great Salt lake, of 
 which the northern part had been examined the year before. 
 
 Taking leave of Mr. Sutter, who, with several gentlemen, 
 accompanied us a few miles on our way, we traveled about 18 
 miles, and encamped on the Rio de los Cosumnes, a stream re- 
 ceiving its name from the Indians who live in its valley. Our 
 road was through a level country, admirably suited to cultiva- 
 tion, and covered with groves of oak-trees, principally the 
 evergreen-oak, and a large oak already mentioned, in form like 
 those of the white-oak. The weather, which here, at this sea- 
 son, can easily be changed from the summer heat of the valley 
 to the frosty mornings and bright days nearer the mountains, 
 continued delightful for travelers, but unfavorable to the agri- 
 culturists, whose crops of wheat began to wear a yellow tinge 
 from want of rain. 
 
 25th. — We traveled for 28 miles over the same delightful 
 country as yesterday, and halted in a beautiful bottom at the 
 ford of the Rio de los Mukelemnes, receiving its name from an- 
 other Indian tribe living on the river. The bottoms on the 
 stream are broad, rich, and extremely fertile, and the uplands 
 are shaded with oak groves. A showy lupinus, of extraordi- 
 nary beauty, growing four to five feet in height, and covered 
 with spikes in bloom, adorned the banks of the river, and filled 
 the air with a light and grateful perfume. 
 
 On the 26th we halted at the Arroyo de las Calaveras, (Skull 
 creek,) a tributary to the San Joaquin — the previous two 
 streams entering the bay between the San Joaquin and Sacra- 
 mento rivers. This place is beautiful, with open groves of 
 oak, and a grassy sward beneath, with many plants in bloom, 
 some varieties of which seem to love the shade of the trees, 
 and grow there in close small fields. Near the river, and re- 
 placing the grass, are great quantities of aminole, (soap plant,) 
 
868 CAPT. Fremont's narrative l^*^arch, 
 
 the leaves of which are used in California for making, among 
 other things, mats for saddlc-clotlis. A vine with a small white 
 flower, {rnelothria ?) called here la yerha buena, and which, 
 fronts its ahundance, gives name to an island and town in the 
 bay, was to-day very frequent on our road — sometimes running 
 on the ground or climbing the trees. 
 
 27th. — To-day we traveled steadily and rapidly up the val- 
 ley ; for, with our wild animals, any other gait was impossi- 
 ble, and making about five miles an hour. During the earlier 
 part of the day, our ride had been over a very level prairie, or 
 rather a succession of long stretches of prairie, separated by 
 lines and groves of oak timber, growing along dry gullies, 
 which are filled with water in seasons of rain ; and, perhaps, 
 also, by the melting snows. Over much of this e tent, the 
 vegetation was sparse ; the surface showing plainl7 the action 
 of water, which, in the season of flood, the Joac An spreads 
 over the valley. About one o'clock we came «.gain among 
 innumerable flowers ; and a few miles further, fields of the 
 beautiful blue-flowering lupine, which seems to love the neigh- 
 borhood of water, indicated that we were approaching a stream. 
 We here found this beautiful shrub in thickets, some of them 
 being 12 feet in height. Occasionally three or four plants 
 were clustered together, forming a grand bouquet, about 90 
 feet in circumference, and 10 feet high; the whole summit 
 covered with spikes of flowers, the perfume of which is very 
 sweet and grateful. A lover of natural beauty can imagimi 
 with whut pleasure we rode among these flowering groves, 
 which filled the air with a light and delicate fragrance. We 
 continued our road for about a half a mile, interspersed through 
 an open grove of live-oaks, which, in form, were the most sym- 
 metrical and beautiful we had yet seen in this country. The 
 ends of their branches rested or? 'ne ground, forming somewhat 
 more than a half sphere of vei full and regular figure, with 
 leaves apparently smaller than usual. 
 
 The Californian poppy, of a rich orange color, was numer- 
 ous to-day. Elk and several bands of antelope made their ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 Our road was now one continued enjoyment; and it was 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 359 
 
 pleasant riding among this assemblage of green pastures with 
 varied flowers and scattered groves, and out of the warm green 
 spring to look at the rocky and snowy peaks where lately we 
 had suffered so much. Emerging from the timber, we came 
 suddenly upon the Stanislaus river, where we hoped to find 
 a ford, but the stream was flowing by, dark and deep, swol- 
 len by the mountain snows ; its general breadth was about 50 
 yards. 
 
 We traveled about five miles up the river, and encamped 
 without being able to find a ford. Here we made a large 
 coral, in order to be able to catch a sufficient number of our 
 wild animals to relieve those previously packed. 
 
 Under the shade of the oaks, along the river, I noticed erO' 
 dium cicutarium in bloom, eight or ten inches high. This is 
 the plant which we had seen the squaws gathering on the Rio 
 de los Americanos. By the inhabitants of the valley it is 
 highly esteemed for fattening cattle, which appear to be very 
 fond of it. Here, where the soil begins to be sandy, it supplies 
 to a considerable extent the want of grass. 
 
 Desirous, as far as possible, without delay, to include in our 
 examination the San Joaquin river, I returned this morning 
 down the Stanislaus for 17 miles, and again encamped without 
 having found a fording-place. After following it for eight 
 miles further the next morning, and finding ourselves in the 
 vicinity of the San Joaquin, encamped in a handsome oak grove, 
 and, several cattle being killed, we ferried over our baggage 
 in their skins. Here our Indian boy, who probably had not 
 much idea of where he was going, and began to be alarmed at 
 the many streams which we were rapidly putting between him 
 and the village, deserted. 
 
 Thirteen head of cattle took a sudden fright, while we were 
 driving them across the river, ^nd galloped off. I remained & 
 day in the endeavor to recover them ; but, finding they haa 
 taken the trail back to the fort, let them go without further ef- 
 fort. Here we had several days of warm and pleasant rain, 
 which doubtless saved the crops below. 
 
180 CAPT. febmont's narrative. [Aphii, 
 
 Ax^RIL. 
 
 On die 1st of April, we made 10 miles acioss a prairie with- 
 out timber, when we were stopped again oy another large 
 river, which is called the Rio de la Merced, ^river of our Lady 
 of Mercy.) Here the country had lost its character of ex- 
 treme fertility, the soil having become more sandy and light; 
 but, for several days past, its beauty had been increased by 
 the additional animation of animal life; and now, it is crowded 
 with bands of elk and wild horses ; and along the rivers are 
 frequent fresh tracks of grizzly bear, which are unusually 
 numerous in this country. 
 
 Our route had been along the timber of the San Joaquin, 
 generally about eight miles distant, over a high prairie. 
 
 In one of the bands of elk seen to-day, there were about 200 ; 
 but the larger bands, both of these and wild horses, are gener- 
 ally found on the other side of the river, which, for that rea- 
 son, I avoided crossing. I had been informed below, that the 
 droves of wild horses were almost invariably found on the 
 western bank of the river ; and the danger of losing our ami- 
 mals among them, together with the wish of adding to our 
 reconnoissance the numerous streams which run down from the 
 Sierra, decided me to travel up the eastern bank. 
 
 2d. — The i y was occupied in building a boat, and ferrying 
 our baggage across the river ; and we encamped on the bank. 
 A large fishing eagle was slowly sailing along, looking after 
 salmon ; and there were some pretty birds in the timber, with 
 partridges, ducks and geese innumerable in the neighborhood. 
 We were struck with the tameness of the latter bird at Helve- 
 tia, scattered about in flocks near the wheat-fields, and eatins.' 
 grass on the prairie ; a horseman would ride by within 30 
 yards, without disturbing them. 
 
 3d. — To-day we touched several times the San Joaquin riv- 
 er — here a fine-looking tranquil stream, with a slight current, 
 and apparently deep. It resembled the Missouri in color, with 
 occasional points of white sand ; and its banks, whore steep, 
 were a kind of sandy clay ; its average width appeared to be 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 361 
 
 about eighty yards. In the bottoms are frequent ponds, where 
 our approach disturbed multitudes of wild fowl, principally 
 geese. Skirting along the timber, we frequently started elk; 
 and large bands were seen during the day, with antt-lope and 
 wild hoi-ses. The low country and the timber tendered it diffi- 
 cult to keep the main line of the river; and this evening we 
 encamped on a tributary stream, about five miles from its 
 mouth On the prairie bordering the San Joaquin bottoms, 
 there occurred during the day but little grass, and in its place 
 was a sparse and dwarf growth of plants ; the soil being sandy, 
 with small bare places and hillocks, reminded me much of the 
 Platte bottoms; but, on approaching the timber, we found a more 
 luxuriant vegetation, and at our camp was an abundance of 
 grass and pea-vines. 
 
 The foliage of the oak is getting darker ; and every thing, 
 except that the weather is a little cool, shows that spring 
 is rapidly advancing ; and to-day we had quite a summer 
 rain. 
 
 4th. — Commenced to rain at daylight, but cleared off brightly 
 at sunrise. We ferried the river without any difficulty, and 
 continued up the San Joaquin. Elk were running in bands 
 over the prairie and in the skirt of the timber. We reached 
 the river at the mouth of a large slough, which we were unable 
 to ford, and made a circuit of several miles around. Here the 
 country appears very flat ; oak-t'-^es have entirely d* appeared, 
 and are replaced by a large wih ■, nearly equal to it in size. 
 The river '3 about a hundred yards in breac 'h, branching into 
 sloughs, and interspersed with islands. At this time it appears 
 sufficiently deep for a small steamer, but its navigation would 
 be broken by shallows at low water. Bearing in towards the 
 river, we were again forced off by another t.ough ; and passing 
 around, steered towards a cluinpof treeson the river, and find- 
 ing there good grass, encamped. The prairies along the left 
 bank are alive with immense droves of wild horses ; and they 
 had been seen during the day at every opening through the 
 woods which afforded us a view acrors the river. Latitude, 
 by observation, 37° 08^ 00^' ; longitude 120^ 45' 22"^ 
 
 5.h — During the earlier part of the day's ride, the country 
 
362 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [April 
 
 presented a lacustrine appearance ', the river was deep, ano 
 nearly on a level with the surrounding country ; its banks 
 raised like a levee, and fringed with willows. Over the bor- 
 dering plain were interspersed spots of prairie among fields of 
 iule, (bulrushes^) which in this country are called tulares, and 
 little ponds. On the opposite side, a line of timber was visible 
 which, according to information, points out the course of the 
 r»ough, which at times of high water connects with the San 
 -toaquin river — a large body of water in the upper part of the 
 valley, called the Tule lakes. The river and all its sloughs 
 are very full, and it is probable that the lake is now discharg. 
 ing. Here elk were frequently started, and one was shot out 
 of a band which ran around us. On our left, the Sierra main, 
 tains its snowy height, and masses of snow appear to descend 
 very low towards the plains; probably the late rains in the 
 valley were snow on the mountains. We traveled 37 miles, 
 and encamped on the river. Longitude of the camp, 120° 28' 
 34'^ and latitude, 36° 49" 12"''. 
 
 6th. — After having traveled fifteen miles along the river, 
 we made an early hah, under the shade of sycamore-trees 
 Here we found the San Joaquin coming down from the Sierra 
 with a westerly course, and chocking our way, as all its tribu- 
 taries had previously done. We had expected %o raft the river; 
 hut found a good ford, and encamped on the opposite bank, 
 where droves of wild horses were raising clouds of dust on the 
 prairie. Columns of smoke were visible in the direction of the 
 Tule lakes to the southward — probably kindled in the tulares 
 by the Indians, as signals that there were stran^:ers in the vaj. 
 ley. 
 
 We made, on the 7th, a hard march in a cold chilly rain 
 from morning until night — the weather so thick that we travel- 
 ed by compass. This was a traverse from the San Joaquin to 
 the waters of the Tule lakes, and our road was over a very 
 level prairie country. We saw wolves frequently during the 
 day, prowling about after the young antelope, which cannot 
 run very fast. These v/ere numerous during the day, and two 
 were caught by the people. 
 
 Late in the afternoon we discovered timber, which was found 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 363 
 
 to be groves of oak-trees on a dry arroyo. The rain, which 
 had fallen in frequent showers, poured down in a storm at sun- 
 set, with a strong wind, which swept otf the clouds, and left a 
 clear sky. Riding on through the timber, about dark we found 
 abundant water in small ponds, 20 to 30 yards in diameter, 
 with clear deep water and sandy beds, bordered with bog rush- 
 es, {juncus effusus,) and a tall rush (scirpus lactistris) twelve 
 feet high, an') surrounded near the margin with willow-trees in 
 bloom ; among them one which resembled salix myricoides. 
 The oak of the groves was the same already mentioned, with 
 small leaves, in form like those of the white-oak, and forming, 
 with tlie evergreen-oak, the characteristic trees of the valley 
 
 8th. — After a ride of two miles through brush and open 
 groves, we reached a large stream, called the River of the 
 Lake, resembling in size the San Joaquin, and being about 100 
 yards broad. This is the principal tributary to the Tule lakes, 
 which collect all the waters in the upper part of the valley. 
 While we were searching for a ford, some Indians appeared 
 on the opposite bank, and having discovered that we were not 
 Spanish soldiers, showed us the way to a good ford several 
 miles above. 
 
 The Indians of the Sierra make frequent descents upon the 
 settlements west of the Coast Range, which they keep constant- 
 ly swept of horses ; among them are many who are called 
 Christian Indians, being refugees from Spanish missions. Sev- 
 eral of these incursions occurred while we were at Helvetia. 
 Occasionally parties of soldiers follow them across the Coast 
 Range, but never enter the Sierra. 
 
 On the opposite side we found some forty or fifty Indians, 
 »vho had come to meet us from the village below. We made 
 them some small presents, and invited them to our encampment, 
 which, after about three miles through fine oak groves, we 
 m^de on the river. We made a fort, principally on account 
 of cur animals. The Indians brought otter-skins, and several 
 kinds of fish, and bread made of acorns, to trade. Among 
 them were several who had comr; to live among these Indians 
 when the missions were broken up, and who spoke Spanish 
 fluently. They informed us that they were called by the 
 
864 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [April, 
 
 Spaniards mansitos, (tatne,) in distinction from tlie wildei 
 tribes of the mountains. They, however, think themselves 
 very insecure, not knowing at what unforeseen moment tlie 
 sins of the latter may be visited upon them. They are dark- 
 skinned, but handsome and intelligent Indians, and live princi- 
 pally on acorns and the roots of the tule, of which also their 
 huts are made. 
 
 By observation, the latitude of the encampment is 36° 24' 
 50'^ and longitude 119° 41' 40^^ 
 
 9th. — For several miles we had very bad traveling over 
 what is called rotten ground, in which the horses were fre- 
 quently up to their knees. Making towards a line of timber, 
 we found a small fordable stream, beyond which the count) y 
 improved, and the grass became excellent ; and crossing a 
 number of dry and timbered arroyos, we traveled until 1. ^3 
 through open oak groves, and encamped among a collection of 
 streams. These were running among rushes and willows; 
 and, as usual, flocks of blackbirds announced our approach to 
 water. We have here approached considerably nearer to the 
 eastern Sierra, which siiows very plainly, still covered with 
 masses of snow, which yesterday and to-day has also appeared 
 abundant on the Coast Range. 
 
 10th. — To-day we made another long journey of about forty 
 miles, through a country uninteresting and flat, with very little 
 grass and a sandy soil, in which several branches we crossed 
 had lost their water. In the evening the flice of the country 
 became hilly ; and, turning a few miles up towards the moun- 
 tains, we found a good encampment on a pretty stream hidden 
 among the hills, and handsomely timbered, principally with 
 large cottonwoods, {populus, differing from any in Michaux's 
 Sylva.) The seed-vessels of this tree were now just about 
 bursting. 
 
 Several Indians came down the river to see us in the even 
 ing : we gave them supper, and cautioned them against steal 
 ing our horses ; which they promised not to attempt. 
 
 11th. — A broad trail along the river here takes out among 
 the hills. " Buen camino," (good road,) said one of the In- 
 iifins, of whom we had inquired about the pass ; and, follow- 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 865 
 
 ing it accordingly, it conducted us beautifully through a very 
 broken country, by an excellent way, which, otherwise, we 
 should have found extremely bad. Taken separately, the hills 
 present smooth and graceful outlines, but, together, make bad 
 traveling ground. Instead of grass, the whole face of the 
 country is closely covered with erodium cicutarium, here only 
 two or three inches high. Its height and beauty varied in a 
 remarkable manner with the locality, being, in many low places 
 which we passed during the day, around streams and springs, 
 two and three feet high. The country had now assumed a 
 character of aridity ; and the luxuriant green of these little 
 streams, wooded with willow, oak, or sycamore, looked very 
 refreshing among the sandy hills. 
 
 In the evening we encamped on a large creek, with abundant 
 water. I noticed here in bloom, for the first time since leaving 
 the Arkansas waters, the MlrihiUs Jalapa. 
 
 12th. — Along our road to-day the country was altogether 
 sandy, and vegetation meager. Ephedra occidentalis, which we 
 had first seen in the neighborhood of the Pyramid lake, made 
 its appearance here, and in the course of the day became 
 very abundant, and in large bushes. Towards the close of the 
 afternoon, we reached a tolerably large river, which emptier 
 into a small lake at the head of the valley ; it is about thirty, 
 five yards wide, with a stony and gravelly bed, and the 
 swiftest stream we have crossed since leaving the bay. The 
 bottoms produced no grass, though well timbered with willow 
 and Cottonwood ; and, after ascencHng several m»les, we 
 made a late encampment on a little bottom, with scanty grass. 
 In greater part, the vegetation along our road consisted now 
 of rare and unusual plants, among which many were entirely 
 new. 
 
 Along the bottoms were thickets consisting of several varie- 
 ties of shrubs, which made here their first appearance ; and 
 among these was Garrya elUptica, (Lindley,) a small tree be- 
 longing to a very peculiar natural order, and, in its general 
 appearance, (growing in thickets,) resembling willow. It now 
 became common aloi'g the streams, frequently supplying the 
 place of salix longifolia. 
 
366 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [April, 
 
 lyth. — The water was low, and a few miles above we forded 
 the river at a rapid, and marched in a southeasterly direction 
 over a less broken country. The mountains were now very 
 near, occasionally looming out through fog. In a few hours 
 we reached the bottom of a creek without water, over which 
 the sandy beds were dispersed in many branches. Immediately 
 where we struck it, the timber terminated ; and below, to the 
 right, it was a broad bed of dry and bare sands. There were 
 many tracks of Indians and horses imprinted in the sana, 
 which, with other indications, informed us was the creek issu- 
 ing from the pass, and which we have called Pass creek. We 
 ascended a trail for a few miles along the creek, and suddenly 
 found a stream of water five feet wide, running with a lively 
 current, but losing itself almost immediately. This little 
 stream showed plainly the manner in which the mountain 
 '"aters lose themselves in sand at the eastern foot of the Sierra, 
 leaving only a parched desert and arid plains beyond. The 
 stream enlarged rapidly, and the timber became abundant as 
 we ascended. 
 
 A new species of pine made its appearance, vith several 
 kinds of oaks, and a variety of trees ; and the country chang- 
 ing its appearance suddenly and entirely, we found ourselves 
 again traveling among the old orchard-like places. Here we 
 selected a delightful encampment in a handsome green oak 
 hollow, where among the open bolls of the trees was an abun- 
 dant sward of grass and pea- vines. In the evening a Christian 
 Indian rode into the camp, well dressed, with long spurs, and a 
 sombreo, and speaking Spanish fluently. It was an unexpected 
 apparition, and a strange and pleasant sight in this desolate 
 gorge of a mountain — an Indian face, Spanish costume, jing- 
 ling spurs, and horse equipped after the Spanish manner. He 
 informed me that he belonged to one of the Spanish missions to 
 the south, distant two or three days' ride, and that he had oh- 
 tained from the priests leave to spend a few days with his 
 relations in the Sierrq Having seen us enter the pass, he had 
 come down to visit us. He appeared familiarly acquainted 
 with the country, and gave me definite and clear information 
 in regard to the desert region east of the mountains. I had 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narkative. 867 
 
 entered the pass with a strong disposition to vary my route, and 
 to travel directly across towards the Great Salt lake, in the view 
 of obtaining some a( [uaintance with the interior of the Great 
 Basin, while pursuir r a direct course for the frontier ; but his 
 representation, whic . described it as an arid and barren desert, 
 that had repulsed by its sterility all the attempts of the Indians 
 to penetrate it, determined me for the present to relinquish the 
 plan, and agreeably to his advice, after crossing the Sierra, 
 continue our intended route along its eastern base to the Span- 
 ish trail. By this route, a party of six Indians, who had come 
 from a great river in the eastern part of the desert to trade 
 with his people, had just started on their return. He would 
 himself return the next day to San Fernando, and as our roads 
 would be the same for two days, he offered his services to con- 
 duct us so far on our way. His offer was gladly accepted. 
 The fog which had somewhat interfered with views in the val- 
 ley, had entirely passed off, and left a clear sky. That which 
 had enveloped us in the neighborhood of the pass proceeded 
 evidently from fires kindled among the tulares by Indians living 
 near the lakes, and which were intended to warn those in the 
 mountains that there were strangers in the valley. Our posi- 
 tion was in latitude 35° 17^ 12^^ and longitude 118° 35^ 03^'. 
 14th. — Our guide joined us this morning on the trail ; and, 
 arriving in a short distance at an open bottom where the creek 
 forked, we continued up the right-hand branch, which was en- 
 riched by a profusion of flowers, and handsomely wooded with 
 sycamore, oaks, cottonwood, and willow, with other trees, and 
 some shrubby plants. In its long strings of balls, this sycamore 
 differs from that of the United States, and is the platanus occi- 
 dentalus of Hooker — a new species recently described among 
 the plants collected in the voyage of the Sulphur. The cotton- 
 wood varied its foliage with white tufts, and the feathery seeds 
 were flying plentifully through the air. Gooseberries, nearly 
 ripe, were very abundant in the mountains ; and as we passed 
 the dividing grounds, which were not very easy to ascertain, 
 the air was filled with perfume, as if we were entering a 
 highly cultivated garden ; and, instead of green, our pathway 
 and the mountain sides were covered with fields of yellow 
 
868 CAPT. FREMONT'S SARRATIVB. [April, 
 
 flowers, which here was the prevailing color. Our journey 
 to-day was in the midst of an advanced spring, whose grceii 
 and tioral beauty oft'ered a delightful contrast to the sandy val- 
 ley we had just left. All the day, snow was in sight on the 
 butte of the mountain, which frowned down upon us on the right; 
 but we beheld it now with feelings of pleasant security, as we 
 rode along between green trees, and on flowers, with humming, 
 birds and other feathered friends of the traveler enlivening 
 the serene spring air. As we reached the summit of thia 
 beautiful pass, and obtained a view into the eastern country, 
 we saw at once that here was the place to take leave of all 
 such pleasant scenes as those around us. The distant moun. 
 tains were now bald rocks again, and below the land had any 
 color but green. Taking into consideration the nature of the 
 Sierra Nevada, we found this pass an excellent one for 
 horses ; and with a little labor, or perhaps with a more per- 
 feet examination of the localities, it might be made sufficient. 
 ly pract oable for wagons. Its latitude and longitude may 
 be considered that of our last encampment, only a few miles 
 distant. The elevation was not taken— our half- wild caval- 
 cade making it troublesome to halt before night, when once 
 started. 
 
 We here left the waters of the bay of San Francisco, and, 
 though forced upon them contrary to my intentions, I cannoi 
 regret the necessity which occasioned the deviation. It made 
 me well acquainted with the great range of the Sierra Nevada 
 of the Alta California, and showed that this broad and ele- 
 vated snowy ridge was a continuation of the Cascade Range 
 of Oregon, between which and the ocean there is still another 
 and a lower range, parallel to the former and to the coast, and 
 which may be called the Coast Range. It also made me well 
 acquainted with the basin of the San Krancisco bay, and with 
 the two pretty rivers and their valleys (the Sacramento and 
 San Joaquin) which are tributa.*v to that bay, and cleared up 
 some points in geography on which error had long prevailed. 
 It had been constantly represented, as I have already stated, 
 that the bay of San Francisco opened far into the interior, by 
 some river coming dov/n from the base of the Rocky mouo. 
 
1844. J CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. 869 
 
 tains, and upon which supposed stream the name of Rio Buena< 
 Ventura had been bestowed. Our observations of the Sierra 
 Nevada, in the long distance from the head of the Sacramento, 
 to the head of the San Joaquin, and of the valley below it, 
 which collects all the waters of the San Francisco bay, show 
 that this neither is nor can be the case. No river from the 
 interior does, or can, cross the Sierra Nevada — itself more 
 lofty than the Rocky mountains ; and as to the Buenaventura, 
 the mouth of which seen on the coast gave the idea and the 
 name of the reputed great river, it is, in fact, a small stream 
 i)f no consequence, not only below the Sierra Nevada, but 
 actually below the Coast Range — taking its rise within half a 
 iegree of the ocean, running parallel to it for about two de- 
 grees, and then falling into the Pacific near Monterey. There 
 is no opening from the bay of San Francisco into the interior 
 of the continent. The two rivers which flow into it are com- 
 paratively short, and not perpendicular to the coast, but lateral 
 to it, and having their heads towards Oregon and southern 
 California. They open lines of communication north and 
 south, and not eastwardly ; and thus this want of interior com- 
 munication from the Sun Francisco bay, now fully ascertained, 
 gives great additional value to the Columbia, which stands 
 alone as the only great river on the Pacific slope of our conti- 
 nent which leads from the ocean to the Rocky mountains, and 
 opens a line of communication from the sea to the valley of the 
 Mississippi. 
 
 Four companeros joined our guide at the pass ; and two go- 
 ing back at noon, the others continued on in company. De- 
 scending from the hills, we reached a country of fine grass, 
 where the erodium cicutarium finally disappeared, giving place 
 to an excellent quality of bunch-grass. Passing by some 
 (Springs where there "'as a rich sward of grass among groves 
 of large black-oak, we rode over a plain on which the guide 
 pointed out a spot where a refugee Christian Indian had been 
 killed by a party of soldiers which had unexpectedly pene- 
 trsited into the mountains. Crossing a low sierra, and descend- 
 ing a hollow where a spring gushed out, we were struck by 
 the sudden appearance of yucca trees, which gave a strange 
 16* 
 
870 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Aphii, 
 
 and southern character to the country, and suited well with the 
 dry and desert region we were approaching. Associated with 
 the idea of barren sands, their stiff and ungraceful form makes 
 them to the traveler the most repulsive tree in the vegetable 
 kingdom. Following the hollow, we shortly came upon a 
 creek timbered with large black-oak, which yet had not put 
 forth a leaf. There was a small rivulet of running water, with 
 good grass. 
 
 15th. — The Indians who had accompanied the guide return- 
 ed this morning, and I purchased from them a Spanish saddle 
 and long spurs, as reminiscences of the time ; and for a few 
 yards of scarlet cloth they gave me a horse, which afterwards 
 became food for other Indians. 
 
 We continued a short distance down the creek, in which our 
 guide informed us that the water very soon disappeared, and 
 turned directly to the southward along the foot of the moun- 
 tain ; the trail on which we rode appearing to describe the 
 eastern limit of travel, where water and grass terminated. 
 Crossing a low spur, which bordered the creek, we descended 
 to a kind of plain among the lower spurs, the desert being in 
 full view on our left, apparently illimitable. A hot mist lay 
 over it to-day, through which it had a white and glistening ap. 
 pearance ; here and there a few dry-looking buttes and isolated 
 black ridges rose suddenly upon it. " There," said our guide, 
 stretching out his hand towards it, " there are the great llanos, 
 (plains,) no hay agua ; no hay zacate — nada : there is neither 
 water nor grass — nothing ; every animal that goes upon them, 
 dies." It was indeed dismal to look upon, and to conceive so 
 great a change in so short a distance. One might travel the 
 world over, without finding a valley more fresh and verdant — 
 more floral and sylvan — more alive with birds and animals — 
 more bounteously watered — than we had left in the San Joa- 
 quin : here, within a few miles' ride, a vast desert plain 
 spread before us, from which the boldest traveler turned away 
 in despair. 
 
 Directly in front of us, at some distance to the southward, 
 and running out in an easterly direction from the mountains, 
 stretched a sierra, having at the eastern end (perhaps 50 miles 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 871 
 
 distant) some snowy peaks, on which, by the information ol* 
 our guide, snow rested all the year. 
 
 Our cuvalcade made a strange and grotesque appearance ; 
 and it was impossible to avoid reflecting upon our position and 
 composition in this remote solitude. Within two degrees of 
 the Pacific ocean — already far south of tiie latitude of Monte- 
 rey — and still forced on south by a desert on one hand, and a 
 mountain range on the other — guided by a civilized Indian, 
 attended by two wild ones from the Sierra — a Chinook from 
 the Columbia, and our mixture of American, French, German 
 — all armed — four or five languages heard at once — above a 
 hundred horses and mules, half wild — American, Spanish, and 
 Indian dresses and equipments intermingled — such was our 
 composition. Our march was a sort of procession. Scouts 
 ahead and on the flanks ; a front and rear division ; the pack- 
 animals, bcggage, and horned-cattle in the centre ; and the 
 whole stretching a quarter of a mile along our dreary path. 
 In this form we journeyed, looking more as if we belonged to 
 Asia than to the United States of America. 
 
 We continued in a southerly direction across the plain, to 
 vhich, as well as to all the country, so far as we could see, 
 »he yucca trees gave a strange and singular character. Several 
 new plants appeared, among which was a zygophyllaceous 
 shrub, {zygophyllum Califomicum, Torr. and Frem.,) some- 
 times ten feet in height ; in form, and in the pliancy of its 
 brancbfis, it is rather a graceful plant. Its leaves are small, 
 covered with a resinous substance ; and, particularly when 
 bruised and crushed, exhale a singular but very agreeable and 
 refreshing odor. This shrub and the yucca, with many varie- 
 ties of cactus, make the characteristic features in the vegeta- 
 tion for a long distance to the eastward. Along the foot of the 
 mountain, 20 miles to the southward, red stripes of flowers 
 were visible during the morning, which we supposed to be va- 
 riegated sandstones. We rode rapidly during the day, and in 
 the afternoon emerged from the yucca forest at the foot of an 
 outlier of the Sierra before us, and came among the fields of 
 flowers we had seen in the morning, which consisted princi- 
 oally of the rich orange-colored California poppy, mingled with 
 
372 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. L-^pril, 
 
 other flowers of brighter tints. Reaching the top of the spur, 
 which was covered with fine bunch-grass, and where the hills 
 were veiy green, our guide pointed to a small hollow in the 
 mountain before us, saying, " a este piedra hay agua." He 
 appeared to know every nook in the country. We continued 
 our beautiful road, and reached a spring in the slope at the 
 foot of the ridge, running in a green ravine, among granite 
 boulders ; here nightshade, and borders of buckwheat, with 
 their white blossoms around the granite rocks, attracted our 
 notice as familiar plants. Several antelopes were seen among 
 the hills, and some large hares. Men were sent back this 
 evening in search of a wild mule with a valuable pack, 
 which had managed (as they frequently do) to hide itself along 
 the road. 
 
 By observation, the latitude of the camp is 34° 4V \^'\ 
 and longitude 118° 2^ 00'^. The next day the men returned 
 with the mule. 
 
 17th. — Crossing the ridge by a beautiful pass of hollows, 
 where several deer broke out of the thickets, we emerged at a 
 small salt lake in a vallon lying nearly east and west, where a 
 trail from the mission of San Buenaventura comes in. Tlie 
 lake is about 1,200 yards ir diameter; surrounded ori the 
 margin by a white salty border, which, by the smell, remindi'd 
 us slightly of Lake Abert. There are some cottonwoods, with 
 -villow and elder, around the lake ; and the water is a little 
 salt, although not entirely unfit for drinking. Here we turned 
 directly to the eastward along the trail, which, from being sel- 
 dom used, is almost imperceptible ; and, afler traveling a ftiw 
 miles, our guide halted, and, pointing to the hardly visible trail, 
 " aqui es camino" said he, " no se pierde — va sienipre.^' He 
 pointed out a black butte on the plain at the foot of the moun- 
 tain, where we would find water to encamp at night ; and, 
 giving him a present of knives and scarlet cloth, we shook 
 hands and parted. He bore off south, and in a day's ride 
 would arrive at San Fernando, one of several missions in this 
 part of California, where the country is so beautiful that it is 
 considered a paradise, and the name of its principal town 
 (Puebh de los Angeles) would make it angelic. We con- 
 
1844. J CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 378 
 
 tinued on through a succession of valleys, and came into a 
 most beautiful spot of flower fields ; instead of green, the hills 
 were purple and orange, with unbroken beds, into which each 
 color was separately gathered. A pale straw-color, with a 
 bright yellow, the rich red orange of the poppy mingled with 
 fields of purple, covered the spot with a floral beauty ; and, 
 on the border of the sandy deserts, seemed to invite the 
 traveler to go no farther. Riding along through the per- 
 fumed air, we soon after entered a defile overgrown with the 
 ominous artemisia tridentata, which conducted us into a sandy 
 plain covered more or less densely with forests of yucca. 
 
 Having now the snowy ridge on our right, we continued our 
 way towards a dark buite^ belonging to a low sierra on the 
 plain, and which our guide had pointed out for a landmark. 
 Late in the day, the familiar growth of cottonwood, a line of 
 which was visible ahead, indicates our approach to a creek, 
 which we reached where the water spread out into sands, and 
 a little below sank entirely. Here our guide had intended we 
 should pass the night ; but there was not a blade of grass, and, 
 hoping to find nearer the mountain a little for the night, we 
 turned up the stream. A hundred yards above, we found the 
 creek a fine stream, sixteen feet wide, with a swift current. 
 A dark night overtook us when we reached the hills at the 
 foot of the ridge, and we were obliged to encamp without 
 grass ; tying up what animals we could secure in the dark- 
 ness, the greater part of the wild ones having free range for 
 the night. Here the stream was two feet deep, swift and 
 clear, issuing from a neighboring snow peak. A few miles 
 before reaching this creek, v/e had crossed a broad dry river- 
 bed, which, nearer the hills, the hunters had found a bold and 
 handsome stream. 
 
 18th. — Some parties were engaged in hunting up the scat- 
 tered horses, and others in searching for grass above ; both 
 were successful, and late in the day we encamped among some 
 spring-heads of the river, in a hollow which was covered with 
 only tolerably good grasses, the lower ground being entirely 
 overgrown wi"h large bunches of the coarse stiff grass, {carea 
 tUchensis.) 
 
874 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [April, 
 
 Our latitude, by observation, was 34° 27' 03'^, and long!, 
 tude 117° 13' 00'^ 
 
 Traveling close along the mountain, we followed up, in the 
 afternoon of the 19th, another stream, in hopes to find a grass. 
 patch like that of the previous day, but were deceived ; except 
 some scattered bunch-grass, there was nothing but rock and 
 sand ; and even the fertility of the mountain seemed withered 
 by the air of the desert. Among the few trees was the nut 
 pine, (pinus monophyllus.) 
 
 Our road the next day was still in an easterly direction along 
 the ridge, over very bad traveling ground, broken and con- 
 founded with crippled trees and shrubs ; and, after a diflicult 
 march of eighteen miles, a general shout announced that wo 
 had struck the great object of our search — the Spanish Trail 
 — which here was running directly north. The road itself, 
 and its course, were equally happy discoveries to us. Since 
 the middle of December we had continually been forced south 
 by mountains and by deserts, and now would have to make six 
 degrees of northing, to regain the latitude on which we wished 
 to cross the Rocky mountains. The course of the road, there, 
 fore, was what we wanted ; and, once more, we felt like going 
 homewards. A road to travel on, and the right course to go, 
 were joyful consolations to us ; and our animals enjoyed the 
 beaten track like ourselves. Relieved from the rocks and 
 brush, our wild mules started off at a rapid rate, and in fifteen 
 miles we reached a considerable river, timbered witii cotton- 
 wood and willow, where we found a bottom of tolerable grass. 
 As the animals had suffered a great deal in the last few days, 
 I remained here all next day, to allow them the necessary re- 
 pose ; and it was now necessary, at every favorable place, to 
 make a little halt. Between us and the Colorado river we were 
 aware that the country was extremely poor in grass, and scarce 
 for water, there being many Jornada*, (days' journey,) or long 
 stretches of forty to sixty miles, without water, where the road 
 was marked by bones of animals. 
 
 Although in California we had met with people who had 
 passed over this trail, we had been able to obtain no correct 
 information about it ; and the greater part of what we had 
 
1944.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 875 
 
 heard was found to be only a tissue of falsehoods. The rivero 
 that \\ 3 found on it were never mentioned, and others, particu- 
 larly described in name and locality, were subsequently seen 
 ill another part of the country. It was described as a tolera- 
 bly good sandy road, with so little rock as scarcely to require 
 the animals to be shod ; and we found it the roughest and 
 rockiest road we had ever seen in the country, and which 
 nearly destroyed our band of fine mules and horses. Many 
 animals are destroyed on it every year by a disease called the 
 foot-evil ; and a traveler should never venture on it without 
 having his animals well shod, and also carrying extra shoes. 
 
 Latitude 34° 34' W ; and longitude 117° 13' 00''. 
 
 The morning of the 22d was clear and bright, and a snowy 
 peak to the southward shone out high and sharply defined. As 
 has been usual since we crossed the mountains and descended 
 into the hot plains, we had a gale of wind. We traveled down 
 the right bank of the stream, over sands which are somewhat 
 loose, and have no verdure, but are occupied by various shrubs. 
 A clear bold stream, 60 feet wide, and several feet deep, had a 
 strange appearance, running between perfectly naked banks 
 of sand. The eye, however, is somewhat relieved by willows, 
 and the beautiful green of the sweet cottonwoods with which 
 it is well wooded. As we followed along its course, the river, 
 instead of growing constantly larger, gradually dwindled away, 
 as it was absorbed by the sand. We were now careful to take 
 the old camping-pluces of the annual Santa Fe caravans, 
 which, luckily for us, had not yet made their yearly passage. 
 A drove of several thousand horses and mules would entirely 
 have swept away the scanty grass at the watering places, and 
 we should have been obliged to leave the road to obtain sub- 
 sistence for our animals. After riding 20 miles in a north, 
 easterly direction, we found an old encampment, where we 
 halted. 
 
 By observation, the elevation of this encampment is 2,250 
 feet. 
 
 23d. — The trail followed still along the river, which, in the 
 course of the morning, entirely disappeared. We continued 
 along the dry bed, in which, after an interval of about 16 
 
376 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [A.prii, 
 
 miles, the water reappeared in some low places, well timbere'' 
 with Cottonwood and willow, where was another of the cus- 
 tomary camping-grounds. Here a party of six Indians came 
 into camp, poor and hungry, and quite in keeping with the 
 character of the country. Their arms were bows of unusual 
 length, and each had a large gourd, strengthened with nrseshes 
 of cord, in which he carried water. They proved to be the 
 Mohahve Indians mentioned by our recent guide ; and from 
 one of them, who spoke Spanish fluently, I obtained some in- 
 teresting information, which I would be glad to introduce here. 
 An account of the people inhabiting this region would un- 
 doubtedly possess interest for the civilized world. Our jour- 
 ney homewards was fruitful in incident ; and the country 
 through which we traveled, although a desert, afforded much 
 to excite the curiosity of the botanist ; but limited time, and 
 the rapidly advancing season for active operations, oblige me 
 to omit all extended descriptions, and hurry briefly to the con- 
 elusion of this report. 
 
 The Indian who spoke Spanish had been educated for a 
 number of years at one of the Spanish missions, and, at the 
 breaking up of those establishments, had returned to the moun- 
 tains, where he had been found by a party of Mohahve (some- 
 times called Amuchaba) Indians, among whom he had ever 
 since resided. 
 
 He spoke of the leader of the present party as " mi amo," 
 (my master.) He said they lived upon a large river in the 
 southeast, which the " soldiers called the Rio Colorado ;" but 
 that, formerly, a portion of them lived upon this river, and 
 among the mountains which had bounded the river valley to the 
 northward during the day, and that here along the river they 
 had raised various kinds of melons. They sometimes came 
 over to trade with the Indians of the Sierra, bringing with 
 them blankets and goods manufactured by the Monquis and 
 other Colorado Indians. They rarely carried home horses, on 
 account of the difficulty of getting them across the desert, and 
 of guarding them afterwards from the Pa-utah Indians who 
 inhabit the Sierra, at the head of the Rio Virgen, (river 3f the 
 Virgin. 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 377 
 
 He informed us that, a short distance below, this river 
 finally disappeared. The two different portions in which wa- 
 ter is found had received from the priests two different names ; 
 and subsequently I heard it called by the Spaniards the Rio 
 de las Animas, but on the map we have called it the Mohahve 
 river. 
 
 24th. — We continued down the stream (or rather its bed) 
 for about eight miles, where there was water still in several 
 holes, and encamped. The caravans sometimes continued be- 
 low, to the end of the river, from which there is a very long 
 Jornada of perhaps 60 miles, without water. Here a singular 
 and new species of acacia, with spiral pods or seed-vessels, 
 made its first appearance ; becoming henceforward, for a con- 
 siderable distance, the characteristic tree. It was here com- 
 paratively large, being about 20 feet in height, with a full 
 and spreading top, the lower branches declining towards the 
 ground. It afterwards occurred of smaller size, frequently in 
 groves, and is very fragrant. It has been called by Dr. Tor- 
 rey, spirolohium odoratum. The zygophyllaceous shrub had 
 been constantly characteristic of the plains along the river; 
 and here, among many new plants, a new and very remarka- 
 ble species of eriogonum (eriogonum injlatum, Tor. & Frem.) 
 made its first appearance. 
 
 Our cattle had become so tired and poor by this fatiguinij 
 traveling, that three of them were killed here, and the meal 
 dried. The Indians had now an occasion for a great feast, 
 and were occupied the remainder of the day and all night in 
 cooking and eating. There was no part of the animal for 
 which they did not find some use, except the bones. In the 
 afternoon we were surprised by the sudden appearance in the 
 camp of two Mexicans — a man and a boy. The name of the 
 man was Andreas Fuentes ; and that of the boy, (a handsome 
 lad, 11 years old,) Pablo Hernandez. They belonged to a 
 party consisting of six persons, the remaining four being the 
 wife of Fuentes, and the father and mother of Pablo, and San- 
 tiago Giacome, a resident of New Mexico. With a cavalcade 
 of about thirty horses, they had come out from Peubla de los 
 Augeles, near the coast, under the guidance of Giacome, in 
 
878 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Apr l, 
 
 advance of* the great caravan, in order to travel more at leis. 
 ure, and obtain better grass. Having advanced as far into the 
 desert as was considered consistent with their safety, they 
 halted at the Archilette, one of the customary camping-grounds, 
 about 80 miles from our encampment, where there is a spring 
 of good water, with sufficient grass ; and concluded to await 
 there the arrival of the great caravan. Several Indians were 
 Boon discovered lurking about the camp, who, in a day or two 
 after, came in, and, after behaving in a very friendly manner, 
 took their leave, without awakening any suspicions. Their 
 deportment begat a security which proved fatal. In a few 
 days afterwards, suddenly a party of about one hundred In- 
 dians appeared in sight, advancing towards the camp. It was 
 too late, or they seemed not to have presence of mind to take 
 proper measures of safety ; and the Indians charged down into 
 their camp, shouting as they advanced, and discharging flights 
 of arrows. Pablo and Fuentes were on horse-guard at the 
 time, and mounted according to the custom of the country. 
 One of the principal objects of the Indians was to get posses- 
 sion of the horses, and part of them immediately surrounded 
 the band ; but, in obedience to the shouts of Giacome, Feun- 
 tes drove the animals over and through the assailants, in spite 
 of their arrows ; and, abandoning the rest to their fate, carried 
 them off at speed across the plain. Knowing that they would 
 be pursued by the Indians, without making any halt except to 
 shift their saddles to other horses, they drove them on for 
 about sixty miles, and this morning left them at a watering- 
 place on the trail, called Agua de Tomaso. Without giving 
 themselves any time for rest, they hurried on, hoping to meet 
 the Spanish caravan, when they discovered my camp. I re- 
 ceived them kindly, taking them into my own mess, and pro- 
 mised them such aid as circumstances might put it in my 
 power to give. 
 
 25th.— We left the river abruptly, and, turning to the north, 
 regained in a few miles the main trail, (which had left the 
 river sooner than ourselves,) and continued our way acro^ys a 
 lower ridge of the mountain, through a miserable tract of sand 
 and gravel. We crossed at intervals the broad beds of dry 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. . 379 
 
 gullies, where in the seasons of rains and melting snows there 
 would be brooks or rivulets ; wnd at one of these, where chere 
 was no indication of water, were several freshly-dug holes, in 
 which there was water at the depth of two feet. These holes 
 had been dug by the wolves, whose keen sense of smell had 
 scented the water under the dry sand. Th6y were nice little 
 wells, narrow, and dug straight down ; and we got pleasant 
 water out of them. 
 
 The country had now assumed the character of an elevated 
 and mountainous desert; its general features being black, 
 rocky ridges, bald, and destitute of timber, with sandy basins 
 between. Where the sides of these ridges are washed by gul- 
 lies, the plains below are strewed with beds of large pebbles or 
 rolled stones, destructive to our soft-footed animals, accustomed 
 to the soft plains of the Sacramento valley. Through these 
 sandy basins sometimes struggled a scanty stream, or occurred 
 a hole of water, which furnished camping-grounds for travelers. 
 Frequently in our journey across, snow was visible on the sur- 
 rounding mountains ; but their waters rarely reached the sandy 
 plain below, where we toiled along, oppressed with thirst and 
 a burning sun. But, throughout this nakedness of sand and 
 gravel, were many beautiful plants and flowering shrubs, which 
 occurred in many new species, and with greater variety than 
 we had been accustomed to see in the most luxuriant prairie 
 countries ; this was a peculiarity of this desert. Even where 
 no grass would take root, the naked sand would bloom with 
 some rich and rare flower, which found its appropriate home in 
 the arid and barren spot. 
 
 Scattered over the plain, and tolerably abundant, was a hand- 
 some leguminous shrub, three or four feet high, with fine bright 
 purple flowers. It is a new psoralea, and occurred frequency 
 henceforward along our road. 
 
 Beyond the first ridge, our road bore a little to the east of 
 north, towards a gap in a higher line of mountains ; and, after 
 traveling about 25 miles, we arrived at the Agua de Tomaso — 
 the spring where the horses had been left ; but, as we expected, 
 they were gone. A brief examination of the ground convinced 
 us that they had been driven off by the Indians. Carson and 
 
880 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [April, 
 
 Godey volunteered, with the Mexican, to pursue them; and, 
 well mounted, the three set off on the trail. At this stopping, 
 place there are a few bushes, and a very little grass. Its 
 water was a pool ; but near by was a spring, which had been 
 dug out by Indians or travelers. Its water was cool — a great 
 rulVcshinent to us under a burning sun. 
 
 Iii the evening Fuentes returned, his horse having failed ; 
 but Carson and Godey had continued the pursuit. 
 
 I observed to-night an occultation of a2 Cancri, at the dark 
 limb of the moon, which gives for the longitude of the place 
 116° '23' 28^'; the latitude, by observation, is 35° 13' 08'^ 
 From Helvetia to this place, the positions along the intervening 
 line are laid down, with the longitudes obtained from the chro- 
 nometer, which appears to have retained its rate remarkably 
 well ; but henceforward, to the end of our journey, the few 
 longitudes given are absolute, depending upon a subsequent 
 occultation and eclipses of the satellites. 
 
 In the afternoon of the next day, a war-whoop was heard, 
 such as Indians make when returning from a victorious enter. 
 prise ; and soon Carson and Godey appeared, driving before 
 them a band of horses, recognised by Fuentes to be part of 
 those they had lost. Two bloody scalps, dangling from the 
 end of Godey 's gun, announced that they had overtaken the In- 
 dians as well as the horses. They informed us, that after 
 Fuentes left them, from the failure of his horse, they continued 
 the pursuit alone, and towards night-fall entered the mountains, 
 into which the trail led. After sunset the moon gave light, 
 and they followed the trail by moonshine until late in the night, 
 when it entered a narrow defile, and was difficult to follow. 
 Afraid of losing it in the darkness of the defile, they tied up 
 their horses, struck no fire, and lay down to sleep, in silenct 
 and in darkness. Here they lay from midnight until morning. 
 At daylight they resumed the pursuit, and about sunrise dis- 
 covered the horses ; and, immediately dismounting and tying 
 up their own, they crept cautiously to a rising ground which 
 intervened, from the crest of which they perceived the encamp- 
 ment of four lodges close by. They proceeded quietly, and 
 had got within 30 or 40 yards of their object, when a move- 
 
1844.] CAPT. fri.mont's narrative. 881 
 
 inent among the horses discovered them to the Indians. Giving 
 tJie war-shout, they instantly charged into the camp, regardless 
 of the number which the four lodges would imply. The In- 
 dians received them with a flight of arrows shot from their long- 
 bows, one of which passed through Godey's shirt-coUur, barely 
 missing the neck : our men fired their rifles upon a steady aim, 
 and rushed in. Two Indians \/ere stretched upon the ground, 
 fatally pierced with bullets: the rest fled, except a little lad 
 that was captured. The scalps of the fallen were instantly 
 stripped off*; but in the process, one of them, who had two balls 
 through his body, sprang to his feet, the blood streaming from 
 his skinned head, and uttering a hideous howl. An old squaw, 
 possibly his mother, stopped and looked back from the mountain- 
 Bides she was climbing, threatening and lamenting. The frigiit- 
 ful spectacle appalled the stout hearts of our men ; but they did 
 what humanity required, and quickly terminated the agonies 
 of the gory savage. They were now masters of the camp, 
 which was a pretty little recess in the mountain, with a fine 
 spring, and apparently safe from all invasion. Great prepara- 
 tions had been made to feast a large party, for it was a very 
 proper place to rendezvous, and for the celebration of such 
 orgies as robbers of the desert would delight in. Several of 
 the best horses had been killed, skinned, and cut up ; for the 
 Indians living in mountains, and only coming into the plains to 
 rob and murder, make no other use of horses than to eat them. 
 Large earthen vessels were on the fire, boiling and stewing 
 the horse-beef; and several baskets, containing 50 or 60 pairs 
 of moccasins, indicated the presence, or expectation, of a con- 
 siderable party. They released the boy, who had given strong 
 evidence of the stoicism, or something else, of the savage char- 
 acter, in commencing his breakfast upon a horse's head, as 
 soon as he found he was not to be killed, but only tied as a 
 prisoner. Their object accomplished, our men gathered up 
 all the surviving horses, fifteen in number, returned upon their 
 trail, and rejoined us, at our camp, in the afternoon of the same 
 day. They had rode about 100 miles, in the pursuit and re- 
 turn, and all in 30 hours. The time, place, object, and num- 
 bers considered, this expedition of Carson and Godey may lie 
 
882 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Apbil, 
 
 considered among the boldest and most disinterested which the 
 annals of western adventure, so full of daring deeds, can present. 
 Two men, in a savage desert, pursue day and night an unknown 
 body of Indians, into the defile of an unknown mountain — attack 
 them on sight, without counting numbers — and defeat them in 
 an instant — and for what? To punish the robbers of tlie 
 desert, and to avenge the wrongs of Mexicans whom they did 
 
 not know. I repeat ; it was Carson and Godey who did this 
 
 the former an American, born in the Boonslick county of Mis- 
 souri ; the latter a Frenchman, born in St. Louis, — and both 
 trained to western enterprise from early life. 
 
 By the information of Fuentes, we had now to make a long 
 stretch of 40 or 50 miles across a plain which lay between us 
 and the next possible camp ; and we resumed our journey late 
 in the afternoon, with the intention of traveling through the 
 night, and avoiding the excessive heat of the day, which was 
 oppressive to our animals. For several hours we traveled 
 across a high plain, passing, at the opposite side, through a 
 canon by the bed of a creek, running northwardly into a small 
 lake beyond, and both of them being dry. We had a warm, 
 moonshiny night ; and, traveling directly towards the north-star, 
 we journeyed now across an open plain, between mountain- 
 ridges — that on the left being broken, rocky, and bald, accord- 
 ing to Carson and Godey, who had entered here in pursuit of 
 the horses. The plain appeared covered principally with the 
 zygophyllum Cahfomicum, already mentioned ; and the line of 
 our road was marked by the skeletons of horses, which were 
 strewed to considerable breadth over the plain. We were al- 
 ways warned on entering one of these long stretches, by the 
 bones of these animals, which had perished before they could 
 reach the water. About midnight we reached a considerable 
 stream-bed, now dry — the discharge of the waters of this basin, 
 (when it collected any) — down which we descended, in a 
 northwesterly direction. Tho creek-bed was overgrown with 
 shrubbery, and several hours before day it brought us to the 
 entrance of a canon, where we found water, and encamped. 
 This word canon is used by the Spaniards to signify a defile or 
 gorge in a creek or river, where high rocks press in close, and 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 38S 
 
 make a narrow way, usually difficult, and oflen impossible to 
 be passed. 
 
 In the morning we found that we had a very poor camping- 
 ground — a swampy, salty spot, with a little long, unwholesome 
 grass; and the water, which rose in springs, being useful only 
 to wet the mouth, but entirely too salt to drink. All around 
 was sand and rocks, and skeletons of horses which had not been 
 able to find support for their lives. As we were about to start, 
 we found, at the distance of a few hundred yards, among the 
 hills to the soutliward, a spring of tolerably good water, which 
 was a relief to ourselves ; but the place was too poor to remain 
 long, and therefore we continued on this morning. On the 
 creek were thickets of spirolobium odoraium (acacia) in bloom, 
 and very fragrant. 
 
 Passing through the canon, we entered another sandy ba- 
 sin, through whi^'. the dry stream-bed continued its north- 
 westerly course, in which direction appeared a high snowy 
 mountain. 
 
 We traveled through a barren district, where a heavy gale 
 was blowing about the loose sand, and, after a ride of eight 
 miles, reached a lar.;^e creek of salt und bitter water, running 
 in a westerly direction, to receive the stream-bed we had left. 
 It is called by the Spaniards Amargosa — the bitter-water of 
 the desert. Where we struck it, the stream bends ; and we 
 continued in a northerly course up the ravine of its valley, 
 passing on the way a fork from the right, near which occurred 
 a bed of plants, consisting of a remarkable new genus of cru- 
 r.ifercR. 
 
 Gradually ascending, the ravine opened into a green valley, 
 where, at the foot of the mountain, were springs of excellent 
 water. We encamped among groves of the new acacia, and 
 there was an abundance of good grass for the animals. 
 
 This was the best camping-ground we had seen since we 
 struck the P ^nish trail. The day's journey was about twolve 
 miles. 
 
 29th. — To-day we had to reach the ArchileUe, distant seven 
 miles, where the Mexican party had been attacked, and, leav. 
 ing our encampment early, we traversed a part of the desert, 
 
384 CAPT. Fremont's narrativk. [April, 
 
 the most sterile and repulsive we had yet seen. Its prominent 
 features were dark, sierras, naked and dry ; on the plains a 
 few straggling shrubs — among them, cactus of several varie. 
 tie:» Fuentes pointed out one called by the Spaniards bisnada, 
 which lias a juicy pulp, slightly acid, and is eaten by the trav. 
 elcr to allay thirst. Our course was generally north ; and, 
 after crossing an intervening ridge, we descended into a sandy 
 plain, or basin, in the middle of which was the grassy spot, 
 with its springs and willow bushes, which constitutes a camp, 
 ing-place in the desert, and is called the Archilette. The dead 
 silence of the place was ominous ; and, galloping rapidly up, 
 we found only the corpses of the two men : every thing else 
 was gone. They were naked, mutilated, and pierced with ar- 
 rows. Hernandez had evidently fought, and with desperation. 
 He lay in advance of the willow half-faced tent, which shelter- 
 ed his family, as if he had come out to meet danger, and to re. 
 pulse it from that asylum. One of his hands, and both his legs, 
 had been cut off. Giacome, who was a large and strong-look- 
 ing man, was lying in one of the willow shelters, pierced with 
 arrows. 
 
 Of the women no trace could be found, and it was evident 
 they had been carried off captive. A little lap-dog, which had 
 belonged to Pablo's mother, remained with the dead bodies, and 
 was frantic with joy at seeing Pablo ; he, poor child, was fran. 
 tic with grief, and filled the air with lamentations for his father 
 and mother. Mi Padre ! Mi Madre ! — was his incessant 
 cry. When we beheld this pitiable sight, and pictured to our- 
 selves the fate of the two women, carried off by savages so 
 brutal and so loathsome, all compunction for the scalped-alive 
 Indian ceased ; and we rejoiced that Carson and Godey had 
 been able to give so useful a lesson to these American Arabs 
 who lie in wait to murder and plunder the innocent traveler. 
 
 We were all too much affected by the sad feelings which the 
 place inspired, to remain an unnecessary moment. The night 
 we were obliged to pass there. Early in the morning we left 
 it, having first written a brief account of what had happened, 
 and put it in the cleft of a pole planted at the spring, that the 
 approaching caravan might learn the fate of their friends, hi 
 
184<l.] CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. 865 
 
 commemoration of the event, we called the place Ague de Her- 
 nandez — Hernandez's spring. By observation, its latitude was 
 
 80th. — We continued our journey over a district similar to 
 that of the day before. From the sandy basin, in which was 
 the spring, we entered another basin of the same character, 
 surrounded everywhere by mountains. Before us stretched a 
 high range, rising still higher to the left, and terminating in a 
 snowy mountain. 
 
 After a day's march of 24 miles, we reached at evening the 
 bed of a stream from which the water had disappeared, a little 
 only remaining in holes, which we increased by digging ; 
 and about a mile above, the stream, not yet entirely sunk, 
 was spread out over the sands, affording a little water for the 
 animals. The stream came out of the mountains on the left, 
 very slightly wooded with cottonwood, willow, and acacia, and 
 a few dwarf-oaks ; and grass was nearly as scarce as water. 
 A plant with showy yellow flowers {Stanleya integrifoUa) oc- 
 curred abundantly at intervals for the last two days, and eriogo- 
 num. injlatum was among the characteristic plants. 
 
 MAY. 
 
 1st. -The air is rough, and overcoats pleasant. The sky is 
 blue, and the day bright. Our road was over a plain, towards 
 llie foot of the mountain ; zygophyllum Calif ornicum, now in 
 bloom, with a small yellow flower, is characteristic of the 
 country ; and cacti were very abundant, and ir rich fresh 
 bloom, which wonderfully ornaments this poo- country. We 
 encamped at a spring in the pass, which .lad been the site of 
 on old village. Here we found excellent grass, but very little 
 water. We dug out the old spring, t^nd watered some of our 
 animals. The mountain here was wooded very slightly with 
 ll:e nut-pine, cedars, and a dwarf species of oak ; and among 
 the blirubs were Purshia tridentala, artemisia, and ephedra oc- 
 oidentalis. The numerous shrubs which constitute the vege- 
 17 
 
890 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Mat 
 
 tation of the plains are now in bloom, with flowers of while 
 yellow, red, and purple. The continual rocks, and want ol 
 water and grass, began to be very hard on our mules and 
 horses ; but the principal loss is occasioned by their crippled 
 feet, the greater part of those left being in excellent order, and 
 scarcely a day passes without some loss ; and, one by one, 
 Fuentes' horses are constantly dropping behind. Whenever 
 they give out, he dismounts and cuts off their tails and manes, 
 to make saddle-girths — the last advantage one can gain from 
 them. 
 
 The next day, in a short but rough ride of 12 miles, we 
 crossed the mountain ; and, descending to a small valley plain, 
 encamped at the foot of the ridge, on the bed of a creek, and 
 found good grass in sufficient quantity, and abundance of water 
 in holes. The ridge is extremely rugged and broken, present- 
 ing on this side a continued precipice, and probably affords very 
 few passes. Many digger tracks were seen around us, but no 
 Indians were visible. 
 
 3d. — After a day's journey of 18 miles, in a northeasterly 
 direction, we encamped in the midst of another very large 
 basin, at a camping ground called las Vegas — a term which 
 the Spaniards use to signify fertile or marsiiy plains, in con- 
 tradlstinction to lUnos, which they apply to dry and sterile 
 plains. Two narrow streams of clear water, four or five feet 
 deep, gush suddenly, with a quick current, from two singularly 
 large springs ; these, and other waters of the basin, pass out in 
 a gap to the eastward. The taste of the water is good, but 
 rather too warm to be agreeable j the temperature being 71° 
 in the one, and 73° in the other. They, however, aflbrd a de- 
 lightful bathing-place. 
 
 4th. — We started this morning earlier than usual, traveling 
 in v. northeasterly direction across the plain. The new acacia 
 {spirotou^'in odoratum) has now become the characteristic tree 
 of the country , it is in bloom, and its blossoms are very fra- 
 grant. The day was still, and the heat, which soon became very 
 oppressive, appeared to bring out strongly the refreshing scent 
 of the zygophyllaceous siirubs and the sweet perfume of the 
 acacia. The snowy ridge we had just crossed looKcd out con- 
 
1R44.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 887 
 
 spicuously in the northwest. In about five hours' ride, W9 
 crossed u gap in the surrounding ridge, and the appearance of 
 skeletons of horses very soon warned us that we were engaged 
 in another dry jomada, which proved the longest we had made 
 in all our journey — between fifty and sixty miles without a 
 drop of water. 
 
 Travelers through countries affording water and timber can 
 have no conception of our intolerable thirst while journeying 
 over the hot yellow sands of this elevated country, where the 
 heated air seems to be entirely deprived of moisture. We ate 
 occasionally the bisnada, and moistened our mouths with the 
 acid of the sour dock, (rumex venosus.) Hourly expecting to 
 find water, we continued to press on until towards midnight, 
 when, after a hard and uninterrupted march of 16 hours, our 
 wild mules began running ahead ; and in a mile or two we 
 came to a bold running stream — so keen is the sense of that ani- 
 mal, in these desert regions, in scenting at a distance this 
 necessary of life. 
 
 According to the information we had received, Sevier river 
 was a tributary of the Colorado; and thi.% accordingly, should 
 have been one of its affluents. It proved to be the Rio de lo$ 
 Angeles, (river of the Angels) — a branch of the Rio Virgen, 
 (river of the Virgin.) 
 
 5th. — On account of our animals, it was necessary to remain 
 to-day at this place. Indians crowded numerously around us 
 in the morning ; and we were obliged to keep arms in hand ail 
 day, to keep them out of the camp. They began to surrouna 
 the horses, which, for the convenience of grass, we were guard- 
 ing a little above, on the river. These were immediately driven 
 in, and kept close to the camp. 
 
 In the darkness of the night we had made a very bad en- 
 campment, our fires being commanded by a rocky bluflf within 
 50 yards ; but, notwithstanding, we had the river and small 
 thickets of willows on the other side. Several times during 
 the day the camp was insulted by the Indians ; but, peace 
 being our object, I kept simply on the defensive. Some of the 
 Indians wer )n the bottoms, and others haranguing us from 
 the bluffs J and they were scattered in every direction over the 
 
888 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Mat, 
 
 hills. Their language being probably a dialect of the Utah, 
 with the aid of signs some of our people could comprehend 
 them very well. They were the same people who had mur- 
 dered the Mexicans; and towards us their disposition was 
 evidently hostile, nor were we well disposed towards them. 
 They were barefooted, and nearly naked ; their hair gathered 
 up intj a knot behind ; and with his bow, each man carried a 
 quiver with thirty or forty arrows partially drawn out. Be. 
 sides these, each held in his hand two or three arrows for in< 
 stant service. Their arrows are barbed with a very clear 
 translucent stone, a species of opal, rearly as hard as the dia- 
 mond ; and, shot from their long bow, are almost as effective 
 as a gunshot. In these Indians, I was forcibly struck by an 
 expression of countenance resembling that in a beast of prey ; 
 and all their actions are those of wild animals. Joined to the 
 restless motion of the eye, there is a want of mind — an absence 
 of thought — and an action wholly by impulse, strongly ex- 
 pressed, and which constantly recalls the similarity. 
 
 A man who appeared to be a chief, with two or three otheis 
 forced himself into the camp, bringing with him his arms, ih 
 spite of my orders to the contrary. When shown our weap. 
 ons, he bored his ear with his fingers, and said he could not 
 hear. *' Why," said he, "there are none of you." Counting 
 the people around the camp, and including in the number a 
 mule that was being shod, he made out 22. '• So many," said 
 he, showing the number, " and we — we are a great many ;" 
 and he pointed to the hills and mountains round about. " If 
 you have your arms," said he, twanging his bow, " we have 
 these." I had some difficulty in restraining the people, partic 
 ularly Carson, who felt an insult of this kind as much as if it 
 had been given by a more responsible being. " Don't say that, 
 old man," said he ; " don't you say that — your life's in danger" 
 — speaking in good English ; and probably the old man was 
 nearer to his end than he will be before he meets it. 
 
 Several animals had been necessarily left behind near the 
 camp last night ; and early in the morning, before tne Indians 
 made their appearance, several men were sent to bring them 
 In. When I was beginning to be uneasy at their absence^ ihey 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativk. 889 
 
 returned with information that they had been driven off from 
 the trail by Indians ; and, having followed the tracks in a 
 short distance, they found the animals cut up and spread out 
 upon bushes. In the evening I gave a fatigued horse to some 
 of the Indians for a feast ; and the village which carried him 
 off refused to share with the others, who made loud complaints 
 from the rocks of the partial distribution. Many of these In- 
 dians had long sticks, hooked at the end, which they use in 
 hauling out lizards, and other small animals, from their holes. 
 During the day they occasionally roasted and ate lizards at our 
 fires. These belong to the people who are generally known 
 under the name of Diggers ; and to these I have more partic- 
 ularly had reference when occasionally speaking of a people 
 whose sole occupation is to procure food sufficient to support 
 existence. The formation here consists of fine yellow sand- 
 stone, alternating with a coarse conglomerate, in which the 
 stones are from the size of ordinary gravel to six or eight inches 
 in diameter. This is the formation which renders the surface 
 of the country so rocky, and gives us now a road alternately 
 of loose heavy sands and rolled stones, which cripple the ani- 
 mals in a most extraordinary manner. 
 
 On the following morning We left the Rio de los AngeleSf 
 and continued our way through the same desolate and revolt- 
 ing country, where lizards were the only animal, and the tracks 
 of the lizard eaters the principal sign of human beings. After 
 twenty miles' march through a road of hills and heavy sands, 
 we reached the most dreary river I have ever seen — a deep 
 rapid stream, almost a torrent, passing swiftly by, and roaring 
 against obstructions. The banks were wooded with willow, 
 acacia, and a frequent plant of the country already mentioned, 
 (Garrya eUiptica,) growing in thickets, resembling willow, and 
 bearing a small pink flower. Crossing it we encamped on the 
 left bank, where we found a very little grass. Our three re- 
 maining steers, being entirely given out, were killed here. By 
 the boiling point, the elevation of the river here is 4,060 feet ; 
 and latitude, by observation, 36° AV 33^'. The stream was 
 running towards the southwest, and appeared to come from a 
 •nowy mountain in the north. It proved to be the Rio Virgen 
 
S90 CAPT. FKEMONT'S NARRAtlVB. LMAT, 
 
 —a tributary to the Colorado. Indians appeared in bands oft 
 the hills, but did not come into camp. For several days we 
 continued our journey up the river, the bottoms of which were 
 thickly overgrown with various kinds of brush ; and the sandy 
 soil was absolutely covered with the tracks of Diggers, who 
 followed us stealthily, like a band of wolves ; and we had no 
 opportunity to leave behind, even for a few hours, the tired 
 animals, in order that they might be brought into camp after a 
 little repose. A horse or mule, left behind, was taken off in a 
 moment. On the evening of the 8th, having traveled 28 miles 
 up the river from our first encampment on it, we encamped at 
 a little grass-plat, where a spring of cool water issued from the 
 bluff. On the opposite side was a grove of cottonwoods at the 
 mouth of a fork, which here enters the river. On either side 
 the valley is bounded by ranges of mountains, everywhere 
 high, rocky, and broken. The caravan road was lost and 
 scattered in the sandy country, and we had been following an 
 Indian trail up the river. The hunters the next day were sent 
 Out to reconnoitre, and in the mean time we moved about a mile 
 farther up, where we found a good little patch of grass. There 
 being only sufficient grass for the night, the horses were sent 
 with a strong guard in charge of Tabeau to a neighboring hoi- 
 low, where they might pasture during the day ; and, to be 
 ready in case the Indians should make any attempt on the an- 
 imals, several of the best horses were picketed at the camp. 
 In a few hours the hunterii returned, having found a convenient 
 ford in the river, and discovered the Spanish trail on the other 
 side. 
 
 I had been engaged in arranging plants ; and, fatigued with 
 the heat of the day, I fell asleep in the afternoon, and did not 
 aWake until sundown. Presently Carson came to me, and report- 
 ed that Tabeau, who early in the day had left iiis post, and, 
 without my knowledge, rode back to the camp we had left, in 
 search of a lame mule, had not returned. While we were 
 speaking, a smoke rose suddenly from the cottonwood grove 
 below, which plainly told us what had befallen him ; it was 
 raised to inform the surrounding Indians that a blow had been 
 Struck, And to tell them to be on their guard. Carson, *vith 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 891 
 
 several meti well mounted, was instantly sent down the river, 
 but returned in the night without tidings of the missing man. 
 They went to the camp we had left, but neither he nor the mule 
 was there. Searching down the river, they found the tracks of 
 the mule, evidently driven along by Indians, whose tracks were 
 on each side of those made by the animal. After going several 
 miles, they came to the mule itself, standing in some bushes, 
 mortally wounded in the side by an arrow, and left to die, that 
 it might be afterwards butchered for food. They also found, in 
 another place, as they were hunting about on the ground for 
 Tabeau's tracks, something that looked like a little puddle of 
 blood, but which the darkness prevented them from verify- 
 ing. With these details they returned to our camp, and their 
 report saddened all our hearts. 
 
 10th. — This morning, as soon as there was light enough to 
 follow tracks, I set out myself, with Mr. Fitzpatrick and several 
 men, in search of Tabeau. We went to the spot where the 
 appearance of puddled blood had been seen ; and this, we saw 
 at once, had been the place where he fell and died. Blood 
 upon the leaves, and beaten-down bushes, showed that he had 
 got his wound about twenty paces from where he fell, and that 
 he had struggled for his life. He had probably been shot 
 through the lungs with an arrow. From the place where he 
 lay and bled, it could be seen that he had been dragged to the 
 river bank, and thrown into it. No vestige of what had be- 
 longed to him could be found, except a fragment of his horse 
 equipment. Horse, gun, clothes — all became the prey of 
 these Arabs of the New World. 
 
 Tabeau had been one of our best men, and his unhappy 
 death spread a gloom over our party. Men, who have gone 
 through such dangers and sufferings as we had seen, become 
 like brothers, and feel each other's loss. To defend and 
 avenge each other, is the deep feeling of all. We wished to 
 avenge his death ; but the condition of our horses, languish- 
 ing for grass and repose, forbade an expedition into unknown 
 mountains. We knew the tribe who had done the mischief— 
 the same which had been insulting our camp. They kn^w 
 what they deserved, and had the discretion to show them. 
 
393 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Mat, 
 
 selves to us no more. The day before, they infested our 
 camp ; now, not one appeared ; nor did we ever afterwards 
 see bur. one who even belo.iged to the same tribe, and he at a 
 distance. 
 
 Our camp was in a basin below a deep canon — a gap of 
 two thousand feet deep in the mountain — through which the 
 Rio Virgen passes, and where no man or beast could follow 
 it. The Spanish trail, which we had lost in the sands of the 
 basin, was on the opposite side of the river. We crossed over 
 to it, and followed it northwardly towards a gap which was 
 visible in the mountain. We approached it by a defile, ren- 
 dered difficult for our barefooted animals by the rocks strewed 
 along it ; and here the country changed its character. From 
 the time we entered the desert, the mountains had been bald 
 and rocky ; here they began to be wooded with cedar and 
 pine, and clusters of trees gave shelter to birds — a new and 
 welcome sight — which could not have lived in the desert we 
 had passed. 
 
 Descending a long hollow, towards the narrow valley of a 
 stream, we saw before us a snowy mountain, far beyond which 
 appeared another more lofty still. Good bunch-grass began to 
 appear on the hill-sides, and here we found a singular variety 
 of interesting shrubs. The changed appearance of the coun- 
 try infused among our people a more lively spirit, which was 
 heightened by finding at evening a halting-place of very good 
 grass on the clear waters of the Santa Clara fork of the Eio 
 Virgen. 
 
 11th. — The morning was cloudy and quite cool, with a 
 shower of rain — the first we have had since entering the desert, 
 a period of 27 days — and we seem to have entered a different 
 climate, with the usual weather of the Rocky mountains. Our 
 march to-day was very laborious, over very broken ground, 
 along the Santa Clara river ; but then the country is no longer 
 so distressingly desolate. The stream is prettily wooded with 
 sweet Cottonwood trees — some of them of large size ; and on 
 the hills, where the nut-pine is often seen, a good and whole- 
 some grass occurs frequently. This cottonwood, which is 
 now in fruit, is of a different species from any in Michaux's 
 
1S44.] OAPT. Fremont's narrative. 898 
 
 Sylva. Heavy dark clouds covered the sky in the evening, 
 and a cold wind sprang up, making fires and overcoats com- 
 fortable. 
 
 12th. — A little above aur encampment the river forked, and 
 we continued up the right-hand branch, gradually ascending 
 towards the summit of the mountain. As we rose towards the 
 head of the creek, the snowy mountains on our right showed 
 out handsomely — high and rugged, with precipices, and cov- 
 ered with snow for about two thousand feet from their summits 
 down. Our animals were somewhat repaid for their hard 
 marches by an excellent camping-ground on the summit of the 
 Wdge, which forms here the dividing chain between the waters 
 of the Rio Virgen, which goes south to the Colorado, and those 
 of Sevier river, flowing northwardly, and belonging to the 
 Great Basin. We considered ourselves as crossing the rim of 
 the basin ; and, entering it at this point, we found here an ex- 
 tensive mountain meadow, rich in bunch-grass, and fresh with 
 numerous springs of clear water, all refreshing and delightful 
 to look upon. It was, in fact, that las Vegas de Santa Clara, 
 which had been so long presented to us as the terminating 
 point of the desert, and where the annual caravan from Cali- 
 fornia to New Mexico halted and recruited for some weeks. 
 It vfvs a very suitable place to recover from the fatigue and 
 exhaustion of a month's suffering in the hot and sterile desert. 
 The meadow was about a mile wide, some ten miles long, bor- 
 dered by grassy hills and mountains — some of the latter rising 
 two thousand feet, and white with snow down to the level of 
 the vegas. Its elevation above the sea was 5,280 feet ; lati- 
 tude, by observation, 37° 28'' 28^'; and its distance from where 
 we first struck the Spanish trail about 400 miles. Counting 
 from the time we reached the desert, and began to skirt, at our 
 descent from Walker's Pass in the Sierra Nevada, we had 
 traveled 550 miles, occupying 27 days, in that inhospitable 
 region. In passing before the Great Caravan, we had the ad- 
 vantage of finding more grass, but the disadvantage of finding 
 also the marauding savages, who had gathered down upon the 
 trail, waiting the approach of that prey. This greatlj in- 
 creased our labors, besides costing us the life of an excellent 
 17* 
 
S94 CAPT. Fremont's warrativb. [Mat, 
 
 ihdn. Wd had to move all day in a state of watch, and pre. 
 pared for combat — scouts and flankers out, a front and rear 
 division of our men, and baggage-animals in the centre. At 
 ilight, camp duty was severe. Those who had toiled all day, 
 had to guard, by turns, the camp and the horses, all night. 
 Frequently one-third of the whole party were on guard at 
 once ; and nothing but this vigilance saved us from attack. 
 We were constantly dogged by bands, and even whole tribes 
 of marauders ; and although Tabeau was killed, and our camp 
 infested and insulted by some, while swarms of them remained 
 on the hills and mountain-sides, there was manifestly a con- 
 sultation and calculation going on, to decide the question of 
 attacking us. Having reached the resting-place of the Vegas 
 de Santa Clara, we had complete relief from the heat and pri. 
 "ations of the desert, and some relaxation from the severity of 
 camp duty. Some relaxation, and relaxation only — for camp, 
 guards, horse-guards, and scouts, are indispensable from the 
 time of leaving the frontiers of Missouri until we return to 
 them. 
 
 A fter we left the Vegas, we had the gratification to be joined 
 by the famous hunter and trapper, Mr. Joseph Walker, whom 
 I have before mentioned, and who now became our guide. ' i 
 had left California with the great caravan; and percei g, 
 from the signs along the trail, that there was a party of lites 
 ahead, which he judged to be mine, he detached him • i from 
 the caravan, with eight men, (Americans,) and ran ..e gaunt- 
 let of the desert robbers, killing two, and getting ome of the 
 horses wounded, and succeeded in overtaking us. Nothing but 
 his great knowledge of the country, great c<<urage and pres. 
 ence of mind, and good rifles, could have Drought him safe 
 from such a perilous enterprise. 
 
 13th. — We remained one day at this noted place of rest and 
 refreshment ; and, resuming our progress in a northwestward, 
 ly direction, we descended into a broad valley, the water of 
 which is tributary to Sevier lake. The next day we came in 
 sight of the Wahsatch range of mountains on the right, white 
 with snow, and here forming the southeast part of the Great 
 Basin. Sevier lake, upon the waters of which we now were, 
 
1%44.'| CAPT. Fremont's nahrativb. 906 
 
 belonged to the system of lakes in the eastern part of the Basin 
 —of which, the Great Salt lake, and its southern limb, the Utah 
 lake, were the principal — towards the region of which we 
 were now approaching. We traveled for several days in this 
 direction, within the rim of the Great Basin, crossing little 
 streams which bore to the left for Sevier lake j and plainly 
 seeing, by the changed aspect of the country, that we were 
 entirely clear of the desert, and approaching the regions which 
 appertained to the system of the Rocky mountains. We 
 met, in this traverse, a few mounted Utah Indians, in advance 
 of their main body, watching the approach of the great 
 caravan. 
 
 16th. — We reached a small salt lake, about seven miles 
 long and one broad, at the northern extremity of which we en- 
 camped for the night. This little lake, which well merits its 
 characteristic name, lies immediately at the base of the Wah- 
 satch range, and nearly opposite a gap in that chain of moun« 
 tains through which the Spanish trail passes ; and which, 
 again falling upon the waters of the Colorado, and crossing 
 that river, proceeds over a mountainous country to Santa Fe. 
 
 17th. — After 440 miles of traveling on a trail, which served 
 for a road, we again found ourselves under the necessity 
 of exploring a track through the wilderness. The Spanish 
 trail had borne off to the southeast, crossing the Wah-satch 
 range. Our course led to the northeast, along the foot of 
 that range, and leaving it on the right. The mountain pre- 
 sented itself to us under the form of several ridges, rising one 
 above the other, rocky, and wooded with pine and cedar ; the 
 last ridge covered with snow. Sevier river, flowing north- 
 wardly to the lake of the same name, collects its principal wa- 
 ters from this section of the Wah-satch chain. We had now 
 entered a region of great pastoral promise, abounding with fine 
 streams, the rich bunch-grass, soil that would produce wheat, 
 and indigenous flax growing as if it had been sown. Consist- 
 ent with the general character of its bordering mountains, this 
 fertility of soil and vegetation does not extend far into the Great 
 Basin. Mr. Joseph Walker, our guide, and who has more 
 knowledge of these parts than any man I know, informed me 
 
800 CAPT. Fremont's nakrativi. [Mat, 
 
 .hat all the country to the left was unknown to him, and that 
 even the Digger tribes, which frequented Lake Sevier, could 
 tell him nothing about it. 
 
 20th. — We met a band of Utah Indians, headed by a well, 
 known chief, who had obtained the American or English name 
 of Walker, by which he is quoted and well known. They 
 were all mounted, armed with rifies, and used their rifles well. 
 The chief had a fusee, which he carried slung, in addition to 
 his rifle. They were journeying slowly towards the Spanish 
 trail, to levy their usual tribute upon the great California cara- 
 van. They were robbers of a higher order than those of the 
 desert. They conducted their depredations with form, and 
 under the color of trade and toll, for passing through their 
 country. Instead of attacking and "killing, they affect to pur- 
 chase — taking the horses they like, and giving something nom- 
 inal in return. The chief was quite civil to me. He was 
 personally acquainted with his namesake, our guide, who 
 made my name known to him. He knew of my expedition 
 of 1842; and, as tokens of friendship, and proof that we had 
 met, proposed an interchange of presents. We had no great 
 store to choose out of; so he gave me a Mexican blanket, 
 and I gave him a very fine one which I had obtained at Van- 
 couver. 
 
 23d. — We reached Sevier river — the main tributary of the 
 lake of the same name — which, deflecting from its northern 
 course, here breaks from the mountains to enter the lake. It 
 was really a fine river, from eight to twelve feet deep ; and 
 after searching in vain for a fordable place, we made little 
 boats (or rather rafts) out of bulrushes, and ferried across.; 
 These rafts are readily made, and give a good conveyance 
 across a river. The rushes are bound in bundles, and tied 
 hard ; the bundles are tied down upon poles, as close as they 
 can be pressed, and fashioned like a boat, in being broader in 
 the middle and pointed at the ends. The rushes, being tubular 
 and jointed, are light and strong. The raft swims well, and 
 is shoved along by poles, or paddled, or pushed and pulled by '^' 
 swimmers, or drawn by ropes. On this occasion, we used 
 ropes — one at each end — and rapidly drew our little float 
 
1S44.] CAPT. FREMONT 8 NABRATIVB. 807 
 
 backwards and forwards from shore to shore. The norsei 
 swam. At our place of crossing, which was the most north 
 em point of its bend, the latitude was 39° 22^ 19^^ The 
 banks sustained the character for fertility and vegetation 
 which we had seen for some days. The name of this river 
 and lake was an indication of our approach to regions of 
 which our people had been the explorers. It was probably 
 named afler some American trapper or hunter, and was the 
 first American name we had met with since leaving the Co- 
 lumbia river. From the Dalles to the point where we turned 
 across the Sierra Nevada, near 1,000 miles, we heard Indian 
 names, and the greater part of the distance none ; from Nueva 
 Helvetia (Sacramento) to las Vegas de Santa Clara, about 
 1,000 more, all were Spanish ; from the Mississippi to the Pa- 
 cific, French and American or English were intermixed ; and 
 this prevalence of names indicates the national character of the 
 first explorers. 
 
 We had here the misfortune to lose one of our people, Fran- 
 (,*ois Badeau, who had been with me on both expeditions ; dur- 
 ing which he had always been one of my most faithful and 
 efficient men. He was killed in drawing towards him a gun 
 by the muzzle ; the hammer being caught, discharged the gun, 
 driving the ball through his head. We buried him on the 
 banks of the river. 
 
 Crossing the next day a slight ridge along the river, we en- 
 tered a handson.3 mountain valley covered with fine grass, and 
 directed our course towards a high snowy peak, at the foot of 
 which lay the Utah lake. On our right was a bed of high 
 mountains, thsi" summits covered with snow, constituting the 
 dividing ridge between the Basin waters and those of the Colo- 
 rado. At noon we fell in with a party of Utah Indians com- 
 ing out of the mountain, and in the afternoon encamped on a 
 tributary to the lake, which is separated from Ihe waters of the 
 Sevier by very slight dividing grounds. 
 
 Early the next day we came in sight of the lake ; and, as 
 we descended to the broad bottoms of the Spanish fork, three 
 horsemen were seen galloping towards us, who proved to be 
 Utah Indians — scouts from a village, which was encamped 
 
S9P CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Mat, 
 
 hear th^ rtiouth of the river. They were armed with rifles, 
 and their horses were in good condition. We encamped near 
 them, on the Spanish fork, which is one of the principal tribu- 
 taries to the lake. Finding the Indians troublesome, and de. 
 circus to remain here a day, we removed the next morning 
 farther down the lake and encamped on a fertile bottom near 
 the foot of the same mountainous ridge which borders the 
 Great Salt lake, and along which we had journeyed the pre- 
 Vious September. Here the principal plants in bloom were 
 two, which were remarkable as affording to the Snake Indians 
 • — the one an abundant supply of food, and the other the most 
 useful among the applications which they use for wounds. 
 These were the kooyah plant, growing in fields of extraordinary 
 luxuriance, and convollaria stellata, which, from the experience 
 of Mr. Walker, is the best remedial plant known among these 
 Indians. A few miles below us was another village of Indians, 
 from which we obtained some fish — among them a few salmon 
 trout, which were very much inferior in size to those along the 
 Californian mountains. The season for taking them had not 
 yet arrived ; but the Indians were daily expecting them to come 
 up out of the lake. 
 
 We had now accomplished an object we had in view when 
 leaving the Dalles of the Columbia in November last : we had 
 reached the Utah lake ; but by a route very different from the 
 one we had intended, and without sufficient time remaining to 
 make the examinations which we desired. It is a lake of note 
 in this country, under the dominion of the Utahs, who resort 
 to it for fish. Its greatest breadth is about fifteen miles, stretch- 
 ing far to the north, narrowing as it goes, and connecting with 
 the Great Salt lake. This is the report, which I believe to 
 be correct ; but it is fresh water, while the other is not only salt, 
 but a saturated solution of salt ; and here is a problem which 
 requires to be solved. It is almost entirely surrounded by 
 mountains, walled on the north and east by a high and snowy 
 range, which supplies to it a fan of tributary streams. Among 
 these, the principal river is the Timpan-ogo — signifying Rock 
 river — a name which the rocky grandeur of its scenery, re- 
 maikable even in this country of rugged mountains, has 
 
1844.] CAPT. premont's narrative. 899 
 
 obtained fbt it from the Indians. In the Utah language, dg- 
 ieah-he, the term for river, when coupled with other words in 
 common conversation, is usually abbreviated to ogo ; timpati 
 signifying rock. It is probable that this river furnished the 
 name which on the older maps has been generally applied to 
 the Great Salt lake ; but for this I have preferred a name 
 which will be regarded as highly characteristic, restricting 
 to the river the descriptive term Timpan-ogo, and leaving 
 for the lake into which it flows the name of the people who 
 I'eside on its shores, and by which it is known throughout thfli 
 country. 
 
 The volume of water afforded by the Timpan-ogo is proba- 
 bly equal to that of the Sevier river ; and, at the time of our 
 visit, there was only one place in ihe lake-valley at which 
 the Spanish fork was fordable. In the cove of the mountains 
 along its eastern shore, the lake is bordered by a plain, where 
 the soil is generally good, and in greater part fertile ; watered 
 by a delta of prettily timbered streams. This would be an 
 excellent locality for stock-farms ; it is generally covered with 
 good bunch-grass, and would abundantly produce the ordinary 
 grains. 
 
 In arriving at the Utah lake, we had completed an immense 
 circu of twelve degrees diameter north and south, and ten 
 degrees east and west ; and found ourselves, in May, 1844, on 
 the same sheet of water which we had left in September, 1843. 
 The Utah is the southern limb of the Great Salt lake ; and 
 thus we had seen that remarkable sheet of water both at its 
 northern and southern extremity, and were able to fix its posi- 
 tion at these two points. The circuit which we had made, 
 and virhich had cost us eight months of time, and 3,500 miles 
 of traveling, had given us a view of Oregon and of North 
 California from the Rocky mountains to the Pacific ocean, and 
 of the two principal streams which form bays or harbors on 
 the coast of that sea. Having completed this circuit, and be- 
 ing now about to turn the back upon the Pacific slope of our 
 continent, and to recross the Rocky mountains, it is natural to 
 look back upon our footsteps, and take some brief view of the 
 leading feat ires and general structure of the country we had 
 
400 CAPT. Fremont's narratiyb. [Mat* 
 
 traversed. These are peculiar and striking, and differ essen. 
 tially from the Atlantic side of the country. The mountains 
 all are higher, more numerous, and more distinctly defined in 
 their ranges and directions ; and, what is so contrary to the 
 natural order of formations, one of these ranges, which is near 
 ihe coast, (the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Ran£ ?,) presents 
 higher elevations and peaks than any which are to be found 
 in the Rocky mountains themselves. In our eight months' 
 circuit, we were never out of sight of snov/ ; and the Sierra 
 Nevada, where we crossed it, was near 2,000 feet higher than 
 the South Pass in the Rocky mountains. In height, these 
 mountains greatly exceed those of the Atlantic side, constantly 
 presenting peaks which enter the region of eternal snow ; and 
 some of them volcanic, and in a frequent state of activity. 
 They are seen at great distances, and guide the traveler in his 
 course. 
 
 The course and elevation of these ranges give direction to 
 the rivers and character to the coast. No great river does, or 
 can, take its rise below the Cascade and Sierra Nevada range ; 
 the distance to the sea is too short to admit of it. The rivers 
 of the San Francisco bay, which are the largest after the Co- 
 lumbia, are local to that bay, and lateral to the coast, having 
 their sources about on a line with the Dalles of the Columbia, 
 and running each in a valley of its own, between the Coast range 
 and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada range. The Columbia is 
 the only river which traverses the whole breadth of the coun- 
 try, breaking through all the ranges, and entering the sea. 
 Drawing its waters from a section of ten degrees of latitude in 
 the Rocky mountains, which are collected into one stream by 
 three main forks (Lewis's, Clark's, and the North fork) near 
 the centre of the Oregon valley, this great river thence pro- 
 ceeds by a single channel to the sea, while its three forks lead 
 each to a pass in the mountains, which opens the way into the 
 interior of the continent. This fact in relation to the rivers of 
 this region, gives an immense value to the Columbia. Its mouth 
 is the only inlet and outlet to and from the sea : its three forks 
 lead to the passes in the mountains : it is, therefore, the only 
 line of communication between the Pacific and the interior of 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 401 
 
 North America ; and all operations of war or commerce, of 
 national or social intercourse, must be conducted upon it. 
 This gives it a value beyond estimation, and would involve 
 irreparable injury if lost. In this unity and concentration of 
 its waters, the Pacific side of our continent differs entirely from 
 (he Atlantic side, where the waters of the Alleghany moun> 
 tains are dispersed into many rivers, having their different en- 
 trances into the sea, and opening many lines of communication 
 with the interior. 
 
 The Pacific coast is equally different from that of the At- 
 iantic. The coast of the Atlantic is low and open, indented 
 tvith numerous bays, sounds, and river estuaries, accessible 
 everywhere, and opening by many channels into the heart of 
 :he country. The Pacific coast, on the contrary, is high and 
 oompact, with fe v bays, and but one that opens into the heart 
 of the country. The immediate coast is what the seamen call 
 iron-bound. A little within, it is skirted by two successive 
 ranges of mountains, standing as ramparts between the sea and 
 the interior of the country ; and to get through which there is 
 but one gate, and that narrow and easily defended. This struc- 
 ture of the coast, backed by these two ranges of mountains, 
 jvith its concentration and unity of waters, gives to the country 
 in immense military strength, and will probably render Oregon 
 che most impregnable country in the world. 
 
 Differing so much from the Atlantic side of our continent, ift 
 toast, mountains, and rivers, the Pacific side differs from it in 
 another most rare and singular feature — that of the Great 
 Interior Basin, of which I have so often spoken, and the whole 
 form and character of which I was so anxious to ascertain. 
 Its existence is vouched for by such of the American traders 
 and hunters as have some knowledge of that region ; the struc- 
 ture of the Sierra Nevada range of mountains requires it to be 
 there ; and my own observations confirm it. Mr. Joseph 
 Walker, who is so well acquainted in those parts, informed me 
 that, from the Great Salt lake west, there was a succession of 
 lakes and rivers which have no outlet o the sea, nor any con- 
 nection with the Columbia, or with the Colorado of the Gulf of 
 California. He described some of these lakes as being large, 
 
4015 CAPT. Fremont's narrativb. [Mai 
 
 with numerous streams, dnd even considerable rivers fallini 
 into them. In fact, all concur in the general report of them 
 interior rivers and lakes ; and, for want of understanding the 
 force and power of evaporation, which so soon establishes an 
 equilibrium between the loss and supply of waters, the fable 
 of whirlpools and subterraneous outlets has gained belief, as 
 the only imaginable way of carrying off the waters which have 
 no visible discharge. The structure of the country would re- 
 quire this formation of interior lakes ; for the waters which 
 would collect between the Rocky mountains and the Sierra 
 Nevada, not being able to cross this formidable barrier, nor to 
 get to the Columbia or the Colorado, must naturally collect 
 into reservoirs, each of which would have its little system of 
 streams and rivers to supply it. This would be the natural 
 effect ; and what I saw went to confirm it. The Great Salt 
 lake is a formation of this kind, and quite a large one ; and 
 having many streams, and one considerable river, 400 or 600 
 miles long, falling into it. This lake and river I saw and 
 examined myself; and also saw the Wah-satch and Bear River 
 mountains, which enclose the waters of the lake on the east, 
 and constitute, in that quarter, the rim of the Great Basin. 
 Afterwards, along the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada, where 
 we traveled for 42 days, I saw the line of lakes and rivers 
 which lie at the foot of that Sierra ; and which Sierra is the 
 vt^estern rim of the Basin. In going down Lewis's fork and 
 the main Columbia, I crossed only inferior streams coming in 
 from the left, such as could draw their water from a short dis- 
 lance only ; and I often saw the mountains at their heads white 
 with snow, — which, all accounts said, divided the waters of the 
 desert from those of the Columbia, and which could be noothei 
 than the range of mountains which form the rim of the Basin 
 on its northern side. And in returning from California along 
 the Spanish trail, as far as the head of the Santa Clara fork of 
 the Rio Virgen, I crossed only small streams making theii 
 way south to the Colorado, or lost in sand, (as the Mo-hah-ve;) 
 while to the left, lofty mountains, their summits white with 
 toow, were often visible, and which must have turned water 
 to th6 north as well as to the south, And thus constituted, on 
 
I 1844.] rA^T. PRBMONT'3 NARItAtlVB. 408 
 
 ' this part, the southern rim of the Basin. At the head of the 
 Santa Clara fork, and in the Vegas de Santa Clara, we crossed 
 the ridge which parted the two systems of waters. We entered 
 the Basin at that point, and have traveled in it ever since ; 
 having its southeastern rim (the Wah-satch mountain) on the 
 right, and crossing the streams which flow down into it. The 
 existence of the Basin is, therefore, an established fact in my 
 mind : its extent and contents are yet to be better ascertained. 
 It cannot be less than 400 or 500 miles each way, and must 
 lie principally in the Alta California ; the demarcation latitude 
 of 42° probably cutting a segment from the north part of the 
 tim. Of its interior, but little is knoM'n. It is called a desert^ 
 and, from what I saw of it, sterility may be its prominent char- 
 acteristic ; but where there is so much water, there must be 
 ftome oasis. The great river, and the great lake, reported, 
 ^ay not be equal to the report ; but where there is so much 
 I now, there must be streams ; and where there is no outlet, 
 ' here must be lakes to hold the accumulated waters, or sands 
 lO swallow them up. In this eastern part of the Basin, con- 
 taining Sevier, Utah, and the Great Salt lakes, and the rivers 
 and creeks falling into them, we know there is good soil and 
 good grass, adapted to civilized settlements. In the western 
 part, on Salmon Trout river, and some other streams, the same 
 remark may be made. 
 
 The contents of this great Basin are yet to be examined. 
 That it is peopled, we know ; but miserably and sparsely. 
 From all that I heard and saw, I should say that humanity 
 here appeared in its lowest form, and in its most elementary 
 state. Dispersed in single families ; without fire-arms ; eating 
 seeds and insects ; digging roots, (and hence their name,) — 
 such is the condition of the greater part. Others are a degree 
 higher, and live in communities upon some lake or river that 
 supplies fish, and from which they repulse the miserable Dig. 
 ger. The rabbit is the largest animal known in this desert ; 
 its flesh aflbrds a little meat ; and their bag-like covering is 
 made of its skins. The wild sage is their only wood, and here 
 It is of extraordinary size — sometimes a foot in diameter, and 
 iix or eight feet high. It serves for fuel, for buildirtg material, 
 
404 CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. IMaT, 
 
 for shelter to the rabbits, and for some sort of covering for th» 
 feet and legs in cold weather. Such are the accounts of the 
 inhabitants and productions of the Great Basin ; and which, 
 though imperfect, must have some foundation, and excite our 
 desire to know the whole. 
 
 The whole idea of such a desert, and such a people, is a 
 novelty in our country, and excites Asiatic, not American 
 ideas. Interior basins, with their own systems of lakes and 
 rivers, and often sterile, are common enough in Asia ; people 
 still in the elementary state of families, living in deserts, with 
 no other occupation than the mere animal search for food, may 
 still be seen in that ancient quarter of the globe ; but in America 
 such things are new and strange, unknown and unsuspected, and 
 discredited when related. But I flatter myself that what ia 
 discovered, though not enough to satisfy curiosity, is sufficient 
 to excite it, and that subsequent explorations will complete what 
 has been commenced. 
 
 This account of the Great Basin, it will be remembered, be. 
 longs to the Alta California, and has no application to Oregon, 
 whose capabilities may justify a separate remark. Referring 
 to my journal for particular descriptions, and for sectional 
 boundaries between good and bad districts, I can only say, in 
 general and comparative terms, that, in that branch of agricul. 
 ture which implies the cultivation of grains and staple crops, 
 it would be inferior to the Atlantic States, though many parts 
 are superior for wheat ; while in the rearing of flocks and 
 herds it would claim a high place. Its grazing capabilities are 
 great ; and even in the indigenous grass now there, an element 
 of individual and national wealth may be found. In fact, the 
 valuable grasses begin within one hundred and fifty miles of 
 the Missouri frontier, and extend to the Pacific ocean. East 
 of the Rocky mountains, it is the short curly grass, on which 
 the buflTalo delights to feed, (whence its name of buffalo,) and 
 which is still good when dry and apparently dead. West of 
 Jhose mountains it is a larger growth, in clusters, and hence 
 called bunch-grass, and which has a second or fall growth. 
 Plains and mountains both exhibit them ; and I have seen good 
 pasturage at an elevation of ten thousand feet. In this sponta* 
 
1844.] CAPT. fb£mont's narrative. 406 
 
 neous product the trading or traveling caravans can find sub* 
 sistence for their animals ; and in military operations any num< 
 ber of cavalry may be moved, and any number of cattle may 
 be driven ; and thus men and horses be supported on long ex- 
 peditions, and even in winter, in the sheltered situations. 
 
 Commercially, the value of the Oregon country must be 
 great, washed as it is by the North Pacific ocean — fronting 
 Asia — producing many of the elements of commerce — mild 
 and healthy in its climate — and becoming, as it naturally will, 
 a thoroughfare for the East India and China trade. 
 
 Turning our faces once more eastward, on the morning of 
 the 27th we left the Utah lake, and continued for two days to 
 ascend the Spanish fork, which is dispersed in numerous 
 branches among very rugged mountains, which afibrd few 
 passes, and render a familiar acquaintance with them necessary 
 to the traveler. The stream can scarcely be said to have a 
 valley, the mountains rising often abruptly from the water's 
 edge ; but a good trail facilitated our traveling, and there were 
 frequent bottoms, covered with excellent grass. The streams 
 are prettily and variously wooded ; and everywhere the moun- 
 tain shows grass and timber. 
 
 At our encampment on the evening of the 28th, near the 
 head of one of the branches we had ascended, strata of bitumi- 
 nous limestone were displayed in an escarpment on the river 
 bluffs, in which were contained a variety of fossil sheila of 
 new species. 
 
 It will be remembered, that in crossing this ridge about 120 
 miles to the northward in August last, strata of fossiliferous 
 rock were discovered, which have been referred to the oolitic 
 period ; it is probable that these rocks also belong to the same 
 formation. 
 
 A few miles from this encampment we reached the bed of 
 the stream, and crossing, by an open and easy pass, the di- 
 viding ridge which separates the waters of the Great Basin 
 from those of the Colorado, we reached the head branches of 
 one of its larger tributaries, which, from the decided color of 
 its waters, has received the name of White river. The snows 
 of the mountains were now beginning to melt, and all tne littli* 
 
400 CAPT> FREMONT^S NABRATIV8. T}^ 
 
 rivulets were running by in rivers, and rapidly becoming diffi. 
 cult to ford. Continuing a few miles up a branch of White 
 river, we crossed a dividing ridge between its waters and those 
 of Uintah. The approach to the pass, which is the best known 
 to Mr. Walker, was somewhat difficult for packs, and imprac- 
 ticable for wagons — all the streams being shut in by narrow 
 ravines, and the narrow trail along the steep hill-sides allow, 
 ing the passage of only one animal at a time. From the sum- 
 mit we had a fine view of the snowy Bear River range, and 
 there were still remaining beds of snow on the cold sides of 
 the hills near the pass. We descended by a narrow ravine, 
 in which was rapidly gathered a little branch of the Uintah, 
 and halted to noon about 1,500 feet below the pass, at an ele. 
 vation, by the boiling point, of 6,900 feet above the sea. 
 
 The next day we descended along the river, and about noon 
 reached a point where three forks come together. Fording one 
 of these with some difficulty, we continued up the middle 
 branch, which, from the color of its waters, is named the Red 
 river. The few passes, and extremely rugged nature of the coun- 
 try, give to it great strength, and secure the Utahs from the in- 
 trusion of their enemies. Crossing in the afternoon a somewhat 
 broken highland, covered in places with fine grasses, and with 
 cedar on the hill-sides, we encamped at evening on another 
 tributary to the Uintah, called the Duchesne fork. The water 
 was very clear, the stream not being yet swollen by the melt- 
 ing snows, and we forded it without any difficulty. It is a 
 considerable branch, being spread out by islands, the largest 
 arm being about a hundred feet wide, and the name it bears is 
 probably that of some old French trapper. 
 
 The next day we continued down the river, which we were 
 twice obliged to cross ; and, the water having risen during the 
 night, it was almost everywhere too deep to be forded. Af- 
 ter traveling about sixteen miles, we encamped again on the 
 left bank. 
 
 I obtained here an occultation of Scorpii at the dark limb of 
 tne moon, which gives for the longitude of the place 112° 18 
 30'', and the latitude 40° 18' 53". 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 407 
 
 JUNE. ' 
 
 1st. — We left to-day the Duchesne fork, and, after 1 ravers- 
 ing a broken country for about sixteen miles, arrived at noon 
 at another considerable branch, a river of great velocity, to 
 which the trappers have improperly given the name of Lake 
 fork. The name applied to it by the Indians signifies great 
 swiftness, and is the same which they use to express the speed 
 of a racehorse. It is spread out in various channels over sev- 
 eral hundred yards, and is everywhere too deep and swift to 
 be forded. At this season of the year, there is an uninter- 
 rupted noise from the large rocks which are rolled along the 
 bed. After infinite difficulty, and the delay of a day, we suc- 
 ceeded in getting the stream bridged, and got over with the 
 loss of one of our animals. Continuing our route across a 
 broken country, of which the higher parts were rocky and 
 timbered with cedar, and the lower parts covered with good 
 grass, we reached, on the afternoon of the 3d, the Uintah fort, 
 a trading-post belonging to Mr. A. Roubideau, on the princi- 
 pal fork of the Uintah river. We found the stream nearly a^ 
 rapid and difficult as the Lake fork, divided into several chan- 
 nels, which were too broad to be bridged. With the aid of 
 guides from the fort, we succeeded, with very great difficulty, 
 in fordir :; it, and encamped near the fort, which is situated a 
 short distance above the junction of two branches which make 
 the river. 
 
 By an immersion of the first satellite, (agreeing well with 
 the result of the occultation observed at the Duchesne fork,) 
 the longitude of the post is 109° 56' 42^', the latitude 40° 2T 
 4.V'. 
 
 It has a motley garrison of Canadian and Spanish engages 
 and hunters, with the usual number of Indian women. We 
 obtained a small supply of sugar and coffee, with some dried 
 meat and a cow, which was a very acceptable change from the 
 pinoh on which we had subsisted for some weeks past. I 
 strengthened my party at this place by the addition of August* 
 
406 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Juki, 
 
 Arcnainboau, an excellent voyageui and hunter, belonging to 
 the class of Carson and Godcy. 
 
 On the morning of tho 5th we left the fort* and the Uintah 
 river, and continued our road over a broken country, which 
 afforded, however, a rich addition to our botanical collection ; 
 and, after a march of 25 miles, were again checked by an- 
 other stream, called Ashley's fork, where we were detained 
 until noon of the next day. 
 
 An immersion of the second satellite gave for this place a 
 longitude of 109° 27' 07'^ thy latitude, by observation, being 
 40° 28' 07". 
 
 In the afternoon of the next day we succeeded in finding a 
 ford ; and, after traveling 15 miles, encamped high up on the 
 mountain-side, where we found excellent and abundant grass, 
 which we had not hitherto seen. A new species of elymus, 
 which had a purgative and weakening effect upon the animals, 
 had occurred abundantly since leaving the fort. From this 
 point, by observation 7,300 feel above the sea, we had a view 
 of the Colorado below, shut up amongst rugged mountains, and 
 which is the recipient of all the streams we had been crossing 
 since we passed the rim of the Great Basin at the head of the 
 Spanish fork. 
 
 On the 7th we had a pleasant but long day's journey, 
 through beautiful little valleys and a high mountain country, 
 arriving about evening at the verge of a steep and rocky ra- 
 vine, by which we descended to *• Brown's hole." This is a 
 place well known to trappers in the country, where the canons 
 through which the Colorado runs expand into a narrow bu* 
 pretty valley, about 16 miles in length. The river was sev 
 eral hundred yards in breadth, swollen to the top of its banks, 
 near to which it was in many places 15 to 20 feet deep. We 
 repaired a skin-boat which had been purchased at the fort, 
 and, after a delay of a day, reached the opposite banks with 
 
 * This fort was attacked and taken by a band of the Utah Indians since 
 we passed it, and the men of the garrison killed — tho women carried off. 
 Mr. Roubideau, a trader of St. Louis, waa absent, and so escaped the fatv 
 of th« rest 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativr. 400 
 
 much loss delay than hnd been encountered on the Uintah wa- 
 ters. According to information, the lower end of the valley is 
 the most eastern j)urt of the Colorado; and the latitude of our 
 encampment, wiiich was opposite to the remains of an old fort 
 on the left bank of the river, was 40° 46' 27'', and, by olwer- 
 vat ion, the elevation above the sea 5,150 feet. The bearing 
 to the entrance of the canon below was south 20° east. Here 
 the river enters between lofty precipices of red rock, and the 
 country below is said to assume a very rugged character, the 
 river and its aflluents passing through canons which forbid all 
 access to the water. This sheltered little valley was formerly 
 a favorite wintering ground for the trappers, as it afibrded 
 them sufficient pasturage for their animals, and the surround- 
 ing mountains are well slocked with game. 
 
 We surprised a flock of mountain sheep as we descended to 
 the river, and our hunters killed several. The bottoms of a 
 small stream called Vermilion crock, which enters the left 
 bank of the river a short distance below our encampment, 
 were covered abundantly with F. vermicular/s, and other che- 
 nopodiaceous shrubs. From the lower end of Rrown's hole 
 we issued by a remarkably dry canon, fifty or sixty yards 
 wide, and rising, as we advanced, to the height of six or eight 
 liundred feet. Issuing from this, and crossing a small green 
 valley, we entered another rent of the same nature, still nar- 
 rower than the other, the rocks on either side rising in nearly 
 vertical precipices perhaps 1,.500 feet in height. These places 
 are mentioned, to give some idea of the country lower down 
 on the Colorado, to which tlie trappers usually apply the name 
 of a canon country. The canon opened upon a pond of wa- 
 ter, where we halted to noon. Several flocks of mountain 
 sheep were here among the rocks, which rung with volleys of 
 small-arms. In the afternoon we entered upon an ugly, bar- 
 ren, and broken country, corresponding well with that we had 
 traversed a few dejirees north, on the same side of the Colora- 
 do. The Vermilion creek afforded us brackish water and in- 
 different grass for the night. 
 
 A few scattered cedar-trees were the only improvement of 
 the country on the following day ; and at a little spring of bad 
 18 
 
410 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Juni, 
 
 water, where we halted at noon, we had not even the shelter 
 of these from the hot rays of the sun. At night we encamped 
 in a fine grove of cottonwoo<l-trees, on the banks of the Klk 
 Head river, the principal fork of the Yampuh river, conuuonly 
 called by the trappers the Bear river. We made here a very 
 strong fort, and formed the camp into vigilant guards. The 
 country we were now entering was constantly infested by 
 war parties of the Sioux and other Indians, and is among the 
 most dangerous war-grounds in the Rocky mountains ; parties 
 of whites having been repeatedly defeated on this river. 
 
 On the 11th we continued up the river, which is a consider- 
 able stream, fifty to a hundred yards in width, handsomely 
 and continuously wooded with groves of the narrow-leaved Cot- 
 tonwood, populus angustifolia ; with these were thickets of 
 willow, and grain du hceuf. The characteristic plant along 
 the river is F. vermicnlaris, which generally covers the bot- 
 toms ; mingled with this are saline shrubs and artemisia. The 
 new variety of grass which we had seen on leaving the Uintah 
 fort had now disappeared. The country on either side was 
 sandy and poor, scantily wooded with cedars, but the river bot- 
 toms afforded good pasture. Three antelopes were killed in 
 the afternoon, and we encamped a little below a branch of the 
 river, called St. Vrain's fork. A few miles above was the fort 
 at which Frapp's party had been defeated two years since ; 
 and we passed during the day a place where Carson had been 
 fired upon so close that one of the men had five bullets through 
 his body. Leaving this river the next morning, we took our 
 way across the hills, where every hollow had a spring of run- 
 ning water with good grass. 
 
 Yesterday and to-day we had before our eyes the high 
 mountains which divide the Pacific from the Mississippi wa- 
 ters; and entering here among the lower spurs or foot-hills of 
 the range, the face of the country began to improve with a 
 magical rapidity. Not only the river bottoms, but the hills 
 were covered with grass ; and among the usual varied flora 
 of the mountain region, these were occasionally blue with the 
 showy bloom of a lupinus. In the course of the morning wo 
 had the first glad view of buffalo, and welcomed the appear 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrativb. 411 
 
 fince of two old bulls with as much joy as if they hrtd been mes- 
 sengers from home ; and when we descended to noon on St. 
 V rain's fork, an affluent of Green river, the hunters brought 
 in mountain sheep and the meat of two fat bulls. Fresh en- 
 trails in the river showed us that there were Indians above, 
 and at evening, judging it unsafe to encamp in the bottoms, 
 which were wooded only with willow thickets, we ascended 
 to the spurs above, and forted strongly in a small aspen grove, 
 near to .hich was a spring of cold water. The hunters kill- 
 ed two line cowa near the camp. A band of elk broke out of 
 a neighboring grove ; antelopes were running over the hills ; 
 and on the opposite river-plains herds of buffalo were raising 
 clouds of dust. The country here appeared more variously 
 stocked with game than any part of the Rocky mountains we 
 had visited ; and its abundance is owing to the excellent pas- 
 turage, and its dangerous character as a war-ground. 
 
 13th. — There was snow here near our mountain camp, and 
 the morning was beautiful and cool. Leaving St. Vrain's 
 fork, we took our way directly towards the summit of the di- 
 viding ridge. The bottoms of the streams and level places 
 were wooded with aspens ; and as we neared the summit, we 
 entered again the piny region. We had a delightful morning's 
 ride, the ground affording us an excellent bridle-path, and 
 reached the summit towards mid-day, at an elevation of b,000 
 f et. With joy and exultation we saw ourselves once more 
 on the top of the Rocky mountains, and beheld a little stream 
 taking its course towards the rising sun. It was an affluent of 
 the Platte, called PuUam's fork, and we descended to noon 
 upon it. It is a pretty stream, twenty yards broad, and bears 
 the name of a trapper who, some years since, was killed here 
 by the Gros Venire Indians. 
 
 Issuing from the pines in the afternoon we saw spread out 
 before us the valley of the Platte, with the pass of the Medicine 
 Butte beyond, and some of the Sweet Water mountains ; but a 
 smoky haziness in the air entirely obscured the Wind River 
 chain. 
 
 We were now about two degrees south of the South Pass, 
 and our course home would have been eastwardly ; but that 
 
412 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jonb, 
 
 would havo lukon us ovor ground nlroady cxaminod, and 
 iheroforo without the interest that would excite curiosity. 
 Southwardly there were objects worthy to bo explored, to wit : 
 the approximation of tho head-waters of three difleront riv- 
 ers — the Pintto, tho Arkansas, and tho Grand River fork of 
 tho Rio Colorado of the (»ulf of California ; the passages at the 
 heads of these rivers ; and the three remarkable mountain coves, 
 called Parks, in which they took their rise. One of these 
 Parks was, of course, on tho western side of tho dividing ridgo ; 
 and a visit to it would once more require us to cross the sum- 
 mit of tho Rocky mountains to the west, and then to recross to 
 the east, making in all, with the transit we had just accomplish- 
 ed, three crossings of that mountain in this section of its course. 
 But no matter. Tho coves, the heads of the rivers, tho approxi- 
 mation of their waters, the practicability of the mountain passes 
 and the locality of the three Parks, were all objects of interest. 
 and, although well known to hunters and trappers, were unknowi 
 to science and to history. We therefore changed our course 
 and turned up tho valley of the Platte instead of going down it 
 
 VVc crovssed several small aflluents, and again ma<ic a fortiliot' 
 camp in a grove. The country had now became very beauti- 
 ful — rich in water, grass, and game ; and to these wore aMcd 
 the charm of scenery and pleasant weather. 
 
 14th. — Our route this morning lay along the foot of the 
 mountain, over tho long low spurs which sloped gradnally 
 down to the river, forming the broad valley of the Platte 
 The country is beautifully watered. In almost every hollow 
 ran a clear, cool, mountain stream ; and in the course of the 
 morning we crossed seventeen, several of them being larn;e 
 creeks, forty to fifty feet wide, with a swift current, and tolera- 
 bly deep. These were variously wooded with groves of aspon 
 and Cottonwood, with willow, cherry, and other shmbby 
 trees. Butfalo, antelope, and elk, were frequent during 
 the day ; and, in their abundance, the latter sometimes re- 
 minded us slightly of the Sacramento valley. 
 
 We halted at noon on Potter's fork — a clear and swift 
 stream, forty yards wide, and in many places deep enough to 
 swim our animals ; and in the evening encamped on a pretty 
 
>844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 418 
 
 itream, whero there were sovcrul beaver dums, nnd many trees 
 roceritly cut down \>y the boiivor. Wu gave to this the name 
 of Heaver J)ani creek, us now they are beconjiiig sunicicnlly 
 rare to distinguish l>y their names the streams on which they 
 are found. Iti this mountain they occurred more abundantly 
 than elsewhere in all our journey, in which their vestiges hud 
 been scarcely seen. 
 
 The next day we continued our journey up the valley, the 
 country presenting much the same appearance, except that the 
 grass was more scanty on the ridges, over which was spread 
 a scrubby growth of sago ; but still the bottoms of the creeks 
 were broad, and alForded good pasture-grounds. We had an 
 animated chase after a grizzly bear this morning, which we 
 tried to lasso. Fuentes threw the lasso upon his neck, but it 
 slipped oir, and he escaped into the dense thickets of the creek, 
 into which we did not like to venture. Our course in the 
 afternoon brought us to the main Platte river, here a handsome 
 stream, with a uniform breadth of seventy yards, except where 
 widened by frequent islands. It was apparently deep, with a 
 moderate current, and wooded with groves of largo willow. 
 
 The valley narrowed as we ascended, and presently degen- 
 erated into a gorge, through which the river passed as through 
 a gate. We entered it, and found ourselves in the New Park 
 — a beautiful circular valley of thirty miles diameter, walled 
 in all round with snowy mountains, rich with water and with 
 grass, fringed with pine on the mountain sides below the snow 
 line, and a paradise to all grazing animals. The Indian name 
 for it signifies " cow lodge," of which our own may be consid- 
 ered a translation ; the enclosure, the grass, the water, and 
 the herds of buffalo roaming over it, naturally presenting the 
 idea of a park. We halted for the night just within the gate, 
 and expected, as usual, to see herds of buffalo ; but an Arapa. 
 hoe village had been before us, and not one was to be seen. 
 Latitude of the encampment 40° 52' 44^'. Elevation by the 
 boiling point 7,720 feet. 
 
 It is from this elevated cove, and from the gorges of the 
 surrounding mountains, and some lakes within their bosoms, 
 that the Great Platte river collects its first waters, and assumes 
 
414 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Junb, 
 
 itH first form ; and certainly no river could ask a more beauti- 
 ful origin. 
 
 16th. — In the morning we pursued our way through the 
 Park, following a principal branch of the Platte, and crossing, 
 among many smaller ones, a bold stream, scarcely forduble, 
 called Lodge Pole fork, and which issues from a lake in the 
 mountains on the right, ten miles long. In the evening we 
 encamped on a small stream near the upper end of the Park. 
 Latitude of the camp 40° 33'' 22^'. 
 
 17th. — We continued our way among the waters of the Park 
 over the foot-hills of the bordering mountains, where we found 
 good pasturage, and surprised and killed some buffalo. We 
 fell into a broad and excellent trail, made by buffalo, where a 
 wagon would pass with ease ; and, in the course of the morn- 
 ing we crossed the summit of the Rocky mountains, through a 
 pass which was one of the most beautiful we had ever seen. 
 The trail led among the aspens, through open grounds, richly 
 covered with grass, and carried us over an elevation of about 
 9,000 feet above the level of the sea. 
 
 The country appeared to great advantage in the delightful 
 summer weather of the mountains, which we still continued to 
 enjoy. Descending from the pass, we found ourselves again 
 on the western waters ; and halted to noon on the edge of 
 another mountain valley, called the Old Park, in which is formed 
 Grand river, one of the principal branches of the Colorado 
 of California. We were now moving with some caution, as, 
 from the trail, we found the Arapahoe village had also passed 
 this way; as we were coming out of their enemy's country, 
 and this was a war-ground, we were desirous to avoid them. 
 After a long afternoon's march, we halted at night on a small 
 creek, tributary to a main fork of Grand river, which ran 
 through this portion of the valley. The appearance of tiio 
 country in the Old Park is interesting, though of a different 
 character from the N'^w ; instead of being a comparative plain, 
 it is more or less broken into hills, and surrounded by the high 
 mountains, timbered on the lower parts with quaking asp and 
 pines. 
 
 18th. — Our scouts, who were as usual ahead, made from a 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 416 
 
 butte this rnorniiig the signal of Indians, and wo rode up in 
 time to meet a party of about 30 Arapahoes. They were 
 men and women going into the hills — the men for game, the 
 women for roots — and informed us that the village was en- 
 camped a few miles above, on the main fork of Grand river, 
 which passes through the midst of the valley. I made them 
 the usual presents ; but they appeared disposed to be unfriendly, 
 and galloped back at speed to the village. Knowing that we 
 liad trouble to expect, I descended immediately into the bot- 
 toms of Grand river, which were overflowed in places, the 
 vivcr being up, and made the best encampment the ground 
 afforded. We had no time to build a fort, but found an open 
 place among the willows, which was defended by the river on 
 one side and the overflowed bottoms on the other. We had 
 scarcely made our (cw preparations, when about 200 of them 
 appeared on the verge of the bottom, mounted, painted, and 
 armed for war. We planted the American flag between us; 
 and a short parley ended in a truce, with something more than 
 the usual amount of presents. About 20 Sioux were with 
 tliem — one of them an old chief, who had always been frie'.dly 
 to the whites. He informed me that, before coming down, a 
 council had been held at the village, in which the greater part 
 had declared for attacking us — we had come from their ene- 
 mies, to whom we had doubtless been carrying assistance in 
 arms and ammunition ; but his own party, with some few of 
 the Arapahoes who had seen us the previous year in the plains, 
 opposed it. !t will be remembered that it is customary for 
 this people to attack the trading parties which they meet in this 
 region, considering all whom they meet on the western side of 
 the mountains to be their enemies. They deceived me into 
 the belief that I should find a ford at their village, and I could 
 not avoid accompanying them ; but put several sloughs between 
 us and their village, and forted strongly on the banks of the 
 river, which was everywhere rapid and deep, and over a 
 hundred yards in breadth. The camp was generally crowded 
 with Indians ; and though the baggage was carefully watched 
 »nd covered, a number of things were stolen. 
 
 The next morning we descended the river for about eight 
 
416 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Jukb, 
 
 miles, and halted a short distance above a canon, through which 
 Grand river issues from the Park. Here it was smot)th and 
 deep, 150 yards in breadth, and its elevation at this point 
 6,700 feet. A frame for the boat being very soon made, our 
 baggage was ferried across ; the horses, in the mean tune, 
 swimming over. A southern fork of Grand river here makes 
 its junction, nearly opposite to the branch by which we had 
 entered the valley, and up this we continued for about eight 
 miles in the afternoon and encamped in a bottom on the left 
 bank, which afforded good grass. At our encampment it wus 
 70 to 90 yards in breadth, sometimes widened by islands, and 
 separated into several channels, with a very swift current and 
 bed of rolled rocks. 
 
 On the 20th we traveled up the left bank, with the prospect 
 of a bad road, tiie trail here taking the opposite side ; but the 
 stream was up, and nowhere fordable. A piny ridge of moun- 
 tains, with bare rocky peaks, was on our right all the day, and 
 a snowy mountain appeared ahead. We crossed many foaming 
 torrents with rocky beds, rushing down the river ; and in the 
 evening made a strong fort in an aspen grove. The valley 
 had already become very narrow, shut up more closely in 
 densely timbered mountains, the pines sweeping down the verge 
 of the bottoms. The coq de prairie {ietrao curophasianua) was 
 occasionally seen among the sage. 
 
 We saw to-day the returning trail of an Arapahoe party 
 which had been sent from the village to look for Utahs in the 
 Bayou Salade, (South Park;) and it being probable that they 
 would visit our camp with the desire to return on horseback, 
 we were more than usually on the alert. 
 
 Here the river diminished to 35 yards, and, notwithstanding 
 the number of affluents we had crossed, was still a large 
 stream, dashing swiftly by, with a great continuous fall, and 
 not yet fordable. We had a delightful ride along a good trail 
 among the fragrant pines ; and the appearance of bulfalo in 
 great numbers indicated that there were Indians in the Bayou 
 Salade, (South Park,) by whom they were driven out. We 
 halted to noon under the shade of the pines, and the weather 
 was most delightful. The country was literally alive with 
 
1644.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 417 
 
 buiTaio ; and the continued echo of the hunters' rifles on 
 the other side of the river for a moment made me uneasy, 
 thinking perhaps they were engaged with Indians ; but in 
 a short lime they came into camp with the meat of seven fat 
 cows. 
 
 During tlie earlier part of the day's ride, the river had been 
 merely a narrow ravine between high piny niountains, backed 
 on both sides, but particularly on the west, by a line of snowy 
 ridges ; but, after several hours' ride, the stream opened out 
 into a valley with pleasant bottoms. In the afternoon the river 
 forked into three apparently equal streams ; broad buffalo 
 trails leading up the left hand, and the middle branch, indi- 
 cating good passes over the mountains ; but up the right-hand 
 branch, (which, in the object of descending from the mountain 
 by the main head of the Arkansas, I was most desirous to 
 follow,) there was no sign of a buffalo trace. Apprehending 
 from this reason, and the character of the mountains, which are 
 known to be extremely rugged, that the right-hand branch led 
 to no pass, I proceeded up the middle branch, which formed a 
 flat valley- bottom between timbered ridges on the left and 
 snowy mountains on the right, terminating in large buttes of 
 naked rock. The trail was good, and the country interesting; 
 and at nightfall we encamped in an open place among the 
 pines, where we built a strong fort. The mountains exhibit 
 their usual varied growth of flowers, and at this place I no- 
 ticed, among others, thermopsis montana, whose bright yellow 
 color makes it a showy plant. This has been a characteristic 
 in many parts of the country since reaching the Uintah waters. 
 With fields of iris were aquilegia cmrulea, violets, esparcette, 
 and strawberries. 
 
 At dark we perceived a fire in the edge of the pines, on the 
 opposite side of the valley. We had evidently not been dis- 
 covered, and, at the report of a gun, and the blaze of fresh fuel 
 which was heaped on our fires, those of the strangers were in- 
 stantly extinguished. In the morning, they were found to be 
 a party of six trappers, who had ventured out among the moun- 
 tains after beaver. They informed us that two of the number 
 with which they had started had been already killed by tho 
 18* 
 
418 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [June, 
 
 Indians — one of them but a few days since — by the Arapahoes 
 We had lately seen, who had found him alone at a camp on 
 this river, and carried off his traps and animals. As they 
 were desirous to join us, the hunters returned with them to the 
 encampment, and we continued up the valley, in which the 
 stream rapidly diminished, breaking into small tributaries — 
 every hollow affording water. At our noon halt, the hunters 
 joined us with the trappers. While preparing to start from 
 their encampment, they found themselves suddenly surrounded 
 by a party of Arapahoes, who informed them that their scouts 
 had discovered a large Utah village in the Bayou Salade, 
 (South Park,) and that a large war-party, consisting of almost 
 every man in the village, except those who were too old to go 
 to war, were going over to attack them. The main body had 
 ascended the left fork of the river, which afforded a better pass 
 than the branch we were on, and this party had followed our 
 trail, in order that we might add our force to theirs. Carson 
 informed them that we wore too far ahead to turn back, but 
 would join them in the bayou ; and the Indians went off ap- 
 parently satisfied. By the temperature of boiling water, our 
 elevation here was 10,430 feet, and still the pine forest contin 
 ued, and grass was good. 
 
 In the afternoon we continued our road occasionally through 
 open pines, with a very gradual ascent. We surprised a herd 
 of buffalo, enjoying the shade at a small lake among the pines, 
 and they made the dry branches crack, as they broke through 
 the woods. In a ride of about three-quarters of an hour, and 
 having ascended perhaps 800 feet, we reached the summit of 
 the dividing ridge, which would thus have an estimated height 
 of 11,200 feet. Here the river spreads itself into small branches 
 and springs, heading nearly in the summit of the ridge, which 
 is very narrow. Immediately below us was a green valley, 
 through which ran a stream ; and a short distance opposite 
 rose snowy mountains, whose summits were formed into peaks 
 of naked rock. We soon afterwards satisfied ourselves thaf 
 immediately beyond these mountains was the main branch of 
 the Arkansas river — most probably heading directly with the 
 little stream below us, which gathered its waters in the snowy 
 
1844.] ci.PT. Fremont's narrative. 419 
 
 mountains near by. Descriptions of the rugged character ot* 
 the mountains around the head of the Arkansas, which their 
 appearance amply justified, deterred me from making any at- 
 tempt to reach it, which would have involved a greater length 
 of time than now remained at my disposal. 
 
 In about a quarter of an hour, we descended from the sum- 
 mit of the Pass into the creek below, our road having been very 
 nnich controlled and interrupted by the pines and springs on 
 the mountain-side. Turning up the stream, we encamped on 
 a bottom of good grass near its head, which gathers its waters 
 in the dividing crest of the Rocky mountains, and, according 
 to the best information we could obtain, separated only by the 
 rocky wall of the ridge from the head of the main Arkansas 
 river. By the observations of the evening, the latitude of our 
 encampment was 39° 20'' 24''^ and south of which, therefore, 
 is the head of the Arkansas river. The stream on which we 
 had encamped is the head of either the Fontaine-qui-bouit, a 
 branch of the Arkansas, or the remotest head of the south fork 
 of the Platte, as which you will find it laid down on the map. 
 But descending it only through a portion of its course, we have 
 not been able to settle this point satisfactorily. In the evening 
 a band of buffalo furnished a little excitement, by charging 
 through the camp. 
 
 On the following day we descended the stream by an excel- 
 lent buffalo-trail, along the open grassy bottom of the river. 
 On our right, the bayou was bordered by a mountainous range, 
 crested with rocky and naked peaks ; and below, it had a beau- 
 tiful park-like character of pretty level prauies, interspersed 
 among low spurs, wooded openly with pine and quaking asp, con- 
 trasting well with the denser pines which swept around on the 
 mountain sides. Descending always the valley of the stream, 
 towards noon we descried a mounted party descending the point 
 of a spur, and, judging them to be Arapahoes — who, defeated 
 or victorious, were equally dangerous to us, and with whom 
 a fight would be inevitable — we hurried to post ourselves as 
 strongly as possible on some willow islands in the river. We 
 had scarcely halted when they arrived, proving to be a party 
 of Utah women, who told us that on the other side of the ridge 
 
420 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Junk, 
 
 their village was fighting with the Arapahoes. Aa soon aa 
 they had given us this information, they filled the air with 
 cries and lamentations, which made us understand that some 
 of their chiefs had heen killed. 
 
 Extending along the river, directly ahead of us, was a low 
 piny ridge, leaving between it and the stream a small open 
 bottom, on which the Utahs had very injudiciously placed their 
 village, which, according to the women, numbered about 300 
 warriors. Advancing in the cover of the pines, the Arapahoes, 
 about daylight, charged into the village, driving olF a great 
 number of their horses, and killing four men ; among them, the 
 principal chief of the village. They drove the horses perhaps 
 a mile beyond the village, to the end of a hollow, where they 
 had previously forted, at the edge of the pines. Here the 
 Utahs had instantly attacked them in turn, and, according to 
 the report of the women, were getting rather the best of the 
 day. The women pressed us eagerly to join with their people, 
 and would immediately have provided us with the best horses 
 at the village ; but it was not for us to interfere in such a con- 
 fiict. Neither party were our friends, or under our protection ; 
 and each was ready to prey upon us that could. But we could 
 not help feeling an unusual excitement at being within a few 
 hundred yards of a fight, in which 500 men were closely en- 
 gaged, and hearing the sharp cracks of their rifles. We were 
 in a bad position, and subject to be attacked in it. Either 
 party which we might meet, victorious or defeated, was certain 
 to fall upon us ; and, gearing up immediately, we kept close 
 along the pines of the ridge, having it between us and the vil- 
 lage, and keeping the scouts on the summit, to give us notice 
 of the approach of Indians. As we passed by the village, 
 which was immediately below us, horsemen were galloping to 
 and fro, and groups of people were gathered around those who 
 were wounded and dead, and who were being brought in from 
 the field. We continued to press on, and, crossing another 
 fork, which came in from the right, after having made fifteen 
 miles from the village, fortified ourselves strongly in the pines, 
 a short distance from the river. 
 
 During the afternoon, Pike's Peak had been plainly in view 
 
1844.] CAPT. Fremont's narrative. 421 
 
 before us, and, from our encampment, bore N. 87° E. by com- 
 pass. This was a familiar object, and it had for us the face 
 of an old friend. At its foot were the springs, where we had 
 spent a pleasant day in coming out. Near it were the habita- 
 tions of civilized men ; and it overlooked the broad smooth 
 plains, which promised us an easy journey to our home. 
 
 The next day we left the river, which continued its course 
 towards Pike's Peak ; and taking a southeasterly direction, in 
 about ten miles we crossed a gentle ridge, and, issuing from 
 the South Park, found ourselves involved among the broken 
 spurs of the mountains which border the great prairie plains. 
 Although broken and extremely rugged, the country was very 
 interesting, being well watered by numerous affluents to the 
 Arkansas river, and covered with grass and a variety of trees. 
 The streams, which, in the upper part of their course, ran 
 through grassy and open hollows, after a few miles all descend, 
 ed into deep and impracticable canons, through which they 
 found their way to the Arkansas valley. Here the buffalo 
 trails we had followed were dispersed among the hills, or 
 crossed over into the more open valleys of other streams. 
 
 During the day our road was fatiguing and difficult, remind- 
 ing us much, by its steep and rocky character, of our travel- 
 ing the year before among the Wind River mountains ; but al- 
 ways at night we found some grassy bottom, which afforded us 
 a pleasant camp. In the deep seclusion of these little streams, 
 we found always an abundant pasturage, and a wild luxuriance 
 of plants and trees. Aspens and pines were the prevailing 
 timber : on the creeks oak was frequent ; but the narrow-leaved 
 Cottonwood, {jpopulus angustifoUa,) of unusually large size, and 
 seven or eight feet in circumference, was the principal tree. 
 With these were mingled a variety of shrubby trees, which 
 aided to make the ravines almost impenetrable. 
 
 After several days' laborious traveling, we succeeded in ex- 
 tricating ourselves from the mountains, and on the morning of 
 the 28th encamped immediately at their foot, on a handsome 
 tributary to the Arkansas river. In the afternoon we descend- 
 ed the stream, winding our way along the bottoms, which were 
 densely wooded with -oak, and in the evening encamDed near 
 
422 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [Junk, 
 
 the main river. Continuing the next duy our road along the 
 Arkansas, and meeting on the way a war-party of Arapahoe 
 Indians, (who had recently heen committing some outrages at 
 Bent's fort, killing stock and driving ofF horses,) we arrived 
 before sunset at the Pueblo, near the mouth of the Fontaine- 
 qui-houit river, where we had the pleasure to find a number of 
 our old acquaintances. The little settlement appeared in a 
 thriving condition ; and in the interval of our absence an- 
 other had been established on the river, some thirty miles 
 above. 
 
 On the 30th of June our cavalcade moved rapidly down the 
 Arkansas, along the broad road which follows the river. 
 
 ' JULY. 
 
 On the 1st of July we arrived at Bent's fort, about 70 miles 
 below the mouth of the Fontaine-qui-bouit. As we emerged into 
 view from the groves on the river, we were saluted with a dis- 
 play of the national flag, and repeated discharges from the gunj 
 of the fort, where we were received by Mr. George Bent with a 
 cordial welcome and a friendly hospitality, in the enjoyment 
 of which we spent several very agreeable days. We were 
 now in the region where our mountaineers were accustomed 
 to live ; and all the dangers and difficulties of the road being 
 considered past, four of them, including Carson and Walker, 
 remained at the fort. 
 
 On the 5th we resumed our journey down the Arkansas 
 traveling along a broad wagon-road, and encamped about 29 
 miles below the fort. On the way we met a very large villagt 
 of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians, who, with the Arapahoes 
 were returnkig from the crossing of the Arkansas, where they 
 had been to meet the Kioway and Camanche Indians. A few 
 days previous they had massacred a party of fifteen Dela- 
 wares, whom they had discovered in a fort on the Smoky Hill 
 river, losing in the affair several of their own people. They 
 were desirous that we should bear a pacific message to the 
 
1844. J cAi'T. Fremont's narrative. 423 
 
 Delavvares on the frontier, from whom they expected retalia- 
 tion; and we passed tli rough them without any difficulty or 
 delay. Dispersed over the plain in scattered bodies of horse- 
 men, and family groups of women and children, with dog- 
 trains carrying baggage, and long lines of pack-horses, their 
 appearance was picturesque and imposing. 
 
 Agreeably to your instructions, which required me to com- 
 plete, as far as practicable, our examinations of the Kansas, I 
 left at this encampment the Arkansas river, taking a north- 
 easterly direction across the elevated dividing grounds which 
 separate that river from the waters of the Platte. On the 7lh 
 we crossed a large stream, about forty yards wide, and one or 
 two feet deep, flowing with a lively current on a sandy bed. 
 The discolored and muddy appearance of the water indicated 
 that it proceeded from recent rains ; and we are inclined to 
 consider this a branch of the Smoky Hill river, although, pos- 
 sibly, it may be the Pawnee fork of the Arkansas. Beyond 
 this stream we traveled over high and level prairies, halting 
 at small ponds and holes of water, and using for our fires the 
 bois de vache, the country being without timber. On the 
 evening of the 8th we encamped in a cottonwood grove on the 
 banks of a sandy stream-bed, where there was water in holes 
 sufficient for the camp. Here several hollows, or dry creeks 
 with sandy beds, met together, forming the head of a stream 
 which afterwards proved to be the Smoky Hill fork of the 
 Kansas river. 
 
 The next morning, as we were leaving our encampment, a 
 number of Arapahoe Indians were discovered. They belong- 
 ed to a war-party which had scattered over the prairie in re- 
 turning from an expedition against the Pawnees. 
 
 As we traveled down the valley, water gathered rapidly in 
 the sandy bed from many little tributaries ; and at evening it 
 had become a handsome stream, fifty to eighty feet in width, 
 with a lively current in small channels, the water being prin- 
 cipally dispersed among quicksands. 
 
 Gradually enlarging, in a few days' march it became a 
 river eighty yards in breadth, wooded with occasional groves 
 of cottonwood. Our road was generally over level upland 
 
424 cAPT. fuemont's narrative. [July, 
 
 bordering the river, wliich were closely covered with a sward 
 of buffulo-gruss. 
 
 On the 10th we entered again the buffalo range, where we 
 had found these animals so abundant on our outward journey, 
 and halted for a day among numerous herds, in order to make 
 a provision of meat sufficient to carry us to the frontier. 
 
 A few days afterwards, we encamped, in a pleasant even- 
 ing, on a high river prairie, the stream being less than a hun. 
 dred yards broad. During the night we had a succession of 
 thunder-storms, with heavy and continuous rain, and towards 
 morning the water suddenly burst over the banks, flooding the 
 bottoms and becoming a large river, five or six hundred yards 
 in breadth. The darkness of the night and incessant rain had 
 concealed from the guard the rise of the water ; and the river 
 broke into the camp so suddenly, that the baggage was in- 
 stantly covered, and all our perisha^'** 'yillitw*' ms almost en- 
 tirely ruined, and the hard labor of many months destroyed in 
 a moment. 
 
 On the 17th we discovered a large village of Indians en- 
 camped at the mouth of a handsomely wooded stream on the 
 right bank of the river. Readily inferring, from the nature 
 of the encampment, that they were Pawnee Indians, and con- 
 fidently expecting good treatment from a people who receive 
 regularly an annuity from the government, we proceeded di- 
 rectly to the village, where 3 found assembled nearly all 
 the Pafwnee tribe, who were now returning from the crossing 
 of the Arkansas, where they had met the Kioway and Ca- 
 manche Indians. We were received by them with the un- 
 friendly rudeness and characteristic insolence which they never 
 fail to display whenever they find an occasion for doing so 
 with impunity. The little that remained of our goods was 
 distributed among them, but proved entirely insufficient to 
 satisfy their greedy rapacity ; and, after some delay, and con- 
 siderable difficulty, we succeeded in extricating ourselves from 
 the village, and encamped on the river about 15 miles below.* 
 
 • In a recent report to the department, from Major Wharton, who visit- 
 ed the Fawuee villages with a military force some months afterwardi, it k 
 
1844.] CAi'T. i'ke.mont's narrative. 496 
 
 The country through which we had been traveling since 
 leaving the Aikansus rivtsr, for a distance of 260 miles, pre- 
 sented to the eye only a succession of far-stretching greco 
 prairies, covered with the unbroken verdure of the bullalo- 
 grass, and sparingly wooded along the streams with straggling 
 trues and occasional groves of cottonwood ; but here the coun- 
 try began perceptibly to change ita character, becoming a 
 more fertile, wooded, and beautiful region, covered with a 
 profusion of grasses, and watered with innumerable little 
 streams, which were wooded with oak, large elms, and the 
 usual varieties of timber common to the lower course of the 
 Kansas river. 
 
 As we advanced, the country steadily improved, gradually 
 assimilating itself in appearance to the northwestern part of the 
 state of Missouri. The beautiful sward of the buifulo-grass, 
 which is regarded as the best and most nutritious found on the 
 prairies, appeared now only in patches, being replaced by a 
 longer and coarser grass, which covered the face of the coun- 
 try luxuriantly. The difference in the character of the grasses 
 became suddenly evident in the weakened condition of our 
 animals, which began sensibly to fail as soon as we quitted the 
 buffalo-grass. 
 
 The river preserved a uniform breadth of eighty or a hun- 
 dred yards, with broad bottoms continuously timbered with 
 large cottonwood-trees, among which were interspersed a few 
 other varieties. 
 
 While engaged in crossing one of the numerous creeks which 
 frequently impeded and checked our way, sometimes obliging 
 us to ascend them for several miles, one of the people (Alexis 
 Ayot) was shot through the leg by the accidental discharge of 
 a rifle — a mortifying and painful mischance, to be crippled foi 
 life by an accident, after having nearly accomplished in safety 
 a long and eventful journey. He was a young man of remark- 
 
 6tat«d that the Indians had intended to attack our party during the night 
 wo TODiained at this encampment, but were prevented by the interpositioo 
 of the Fawueo Luups. 
 
426 CAPT. Fremont's narrative. [July-Aug 
 
 ably good and cheerful temper, and had been among the use- 
 ful and efficient men of the party. 
 
 After having traveled directly along its banks for 290 miles, 
 we left the river, where it bore suddenly off in a northwesterly 
 direction, towards its junction with the Republican fork of the 
 Kansas, distant about 60 miles ; and, continuing our easterly 
 course, in about 20 miles we entered the wagon-road . from 
 Santa Fe to Independence, and on the last day of July en- 
 camped again at the little town of Kansas, on the banks of the 
 Missouri river. 
 
 During our protracted absence of 14 months, in the course 
 of which we had necessarily been exposed to great varieties of 
 weather and of climate, not one case of sickness had ever oc- 
 curred among us. 
 
 Here ended our land journey ; and the day following our 
 arrival, we found ourselves on board a steamboat rapidly 
 gliding down the broad Missouri. Our travel-worn animals 
 had not been sold and dispersed over the country to renewed 
 labor, but were placed at good pasturage on the frontier, and 
 are now ready to do their part in the coming expedition. 
 
 On the 6th of August we arrived at St. Louis, where the 
 party was finally disbanded, a great number of the men having 
 their homes in the neighborhood. 
 
 Andreas Fuentes also remained here, having readily found 
 employment for the winter, and is one of the men engaged to 
 accompany me the present year. 
 
 Pablo Hernandez remains in the family of Senator Benton, 
 where he is well taken care of, and conciliates good- will by his 
 docility, intelligence, and amiability. General Almonte, the 
 Mexican minister at Washington, to whom he was of course 
 made known, kindly offered to take charge of him, and to carry 
 him back to Mexico ; but the boy preferred to remain where 
 he was until he got an education, for which he shows equal 
 ardor and aptitude. 
 
 Our Chinook Indian had his wish to see the whites fully 
 gratified. He accompanied me to Washington, and, after re- 
 maining several months at the Columbia College, was sent by 
 the Indian department to Philadelphia, where, among othor 
 
1844.] CAPT. FHEMONT'b NARKiTIVU. 427 
 
 things, he learned to read and write well, and speak the Eng- 
 lish language with some fluency. He will accompany me in 
 a few days to the frontier of Missouri, where he will be sent 
 with some one of the emigrant companies to the village at the 
 Dalles of the Columbia. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 J. C. FREMONT, 
 JBt Capt. Topi. JEngineers. 
 
 GOLD REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA.. 
 
 The " placers " or Gold Mines of California, are located in the valley of 
 the Sacramento, in the northern part of that new territory. They are all 
 on the public lands, with the exception of the portion belongii.pf to Messrs. 
 Forbes and Sutter. The region which they embrace and whii;h Ii«»s, accord- 
 ing to authentic reports, on both sides of the Sierra Nevada, muA Je "larger 
 than the State of New York." The miue/i, it is estimated, s/e worth a 
 thousand millions of dollars. The most ruliable information Lu regard to 
 them may be found in the official reports communicated to the aathorities at 
 Washington, by some of the American officers who have visited the region. 
 The following document is of this nature. The author of it, Col. Mason, 
 the military commauder in California, speaks, as will be seen, from observ- 
 ation, and the fullest confidence may be placed in his account: — 
 
 Headc^darters 10th Military Dkpot, 
 
 Monterey, California, Aug. 17, 1848. 
 
 Sir: — I have the honor to inform you that, accompanied by Lieut W. T. 
 Sherman, 3d artillery, A. A. A. General, I start'' d on the 12th of June last 
 to make a tour through the northern part of Ca ifornia. My principal pur- 
 pose, however, was to visit the newly-discovered gold "placer," in the 
 Valley of the Sacramento. I had proceeded about forty miles, when I was 
 overtaken by an express, bringing me intelligence of the arrival at Monterey 
 of the U. S. ship Southampton, with important letters from Com. Shubrick 
 and Lieut. Col. Barton. I returned at once to Monterey, and dispatched 
 what business was most important, and on the 1 7 ih resumed my journey. 
 We reached San Francisco on the 20th, and found that all, or nearly all, its 
 male inhabitants had gone to the mines. The town, which a few months 
 before was so busy and thriving, was then almost deserted. 
 
 On the evening of the 25th, the horses of the escort were crossed to 
 Sousoleto in a launch, and on the following day we resumed the journey by 
 way of Bodega and Sonoma to Sutter's fort, where we arrived on the morn- 
 ing of the 2d of July. Along the whole route mills were lying idle, fields 
 of wheat were open to cattle and horses, houses vacant, and farms going to 
 waste. At Sutter's there was more life and business. Launches were 
 chscbarging their cargoes at the river, and carts were hauling goods to the 
 
428 GOLD REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 fort, where already were established several stores, a hotel, &c. Captain 
 Sutter had only two mechanics in his employ, (a wagon-maker and a black- 
 smith,) whomhe was then paying ten dollars a day. Merchants pay him a 
 moutiily rent of $100 per room; and while I was there, a two-story house 
 in the fort was rented as a hotel for $500 a month. 
 
 At the urgent solicitation of many gentlemen, I delayed there to partici- 
 pate in the first public celebration of our national anniversary at that fort, 
 but on the 5th resumed the journey and proceeded twenty-five miles up the 
 American fork to a point on it now known as the Lower Mines, or Mormon 
 Diggings. The hill-sides were thickly strewn with canvas tents and bush 
 arbors; a store was erected, and several boarding shanties in operation. The 
 day was intensely hot, yet about two hundred men were at work in the full 
 glare of the sun, washing for gold — some with tin pans, some with close- 
 woven Indian baskets, but the greater part had a rude machine, known as the 
 cradle. This is on rockers, six or eight feet long, open at the foot, and at 
 its head has a coarse grate, or sieve; the bottom is rounded, with small 
 cleets nailed across. Four men are required to work this machine: one digs 
 the ground in the bank close by the stream; another carries it to the cradle 
 and empties it on the grate; a third gives a violent rocking motion to the 
 machine; while a fourth dashes on water from the stream itself. 
 
 The sieve keqis the coarse stones from entering the cradle, the current of 
 water washes on tiie earthy matter, and the gravel is gradually carried out 
 at the foot of the machine, leaving the gold mixed with a heavy fine black 
 sand above the first cleets. The sand and gold mixed together are then 
 drawn off through auger holes into a pan below, are dried in the sun, and 
 afterwards separated by blowing off the sand. A party of four men thus 
 employed at the lower mines averaged $100 a day. The Indians, and 
 those who have nothing but pans or willow baskets, gradually wash out the 
 earth and separate the gravel by hand, leaving nothing but the gold mixed 
 with sand, which is separated in the manner before described. The gold in 
 the lower mines is in fine bright scales, of which I send several specimens. 
 
 As we ascended the north branch of the American fork, the country 
 became more broken and mountainous, and at the saw-mill, 25 miles above 
 the lower washings, or 50 miles from Sutter's, the hills rise to about a thou- 
 sand feet above the level of the Sacramento plain. Here a species of pine 
 occurs which led to the discovery of the gold. Capt Sutter, feeling the 
 great want of lumber, contracted in September last with a Mr. Marshall to 
 build a saw-mill at that place. It was erected in the course of the past winter 
 and spring — a dam and race constructed; but when the w^ater was let on 
 the wheel, the tail-race was found to be too narrow to permit the water to 
 escape with suflScient rapidity. Mr. Marshall, to save labor, let the water 
 directly into the race with a strong current, so as to wash it wider and 
 deeper. He effected his purpose, and a large bed of mud and gravel was 
 carried to the foot of the race. 
 
 One day Mr. Marshall, as he was walking down the race to this deposit 
 of mud, observed some glittering particles at its upper edge; he gathered a 
 few, examined them, and became satisfied of their value. He then went 
 to the fort, told Capt. Sutter of his discovery, and they agreed to keep it 
 secret until a certain grist-mill of Sutter's was finished. It, however, got 
 out, and spread like magic. Remarkable success attended the lauors of the 
 first explorers, and in a few weeks hundreds of men were drawn fhither 
 At the time of my visit, but little over three months after the first discovery, 
 it was estimated that upwards of four thousand people were employed. At 
 the mill there is a fine deposit or bank of gravel, which the people respect 
 
COL. mason's official report. 429 
 
 «s the pro]«rty of Captain Sutter, although he protends to no right to it, and 
 tvould be perfectly Batisfied with the eiinple promise of a pre-emption, on 
 account of the miil which he has built there at considerable cost. Mr. 
 Marshall was living near the mill, and informed me that many persons wero 
 eraploj'cd above and below him; that they used the same machines at the 
 lower washings, and that their success was about the same — ranging from 
 one to three ounces of gold per man daily. This gold, too, is in scales a 
 little coarser than those of the lower mines. 
 
 From the mill Mr Marshall guided me up the mountain on the opposite 
 or north bank of the south fork, where, in the bed of small streams or ravines, 
 now dry, a great deal of coarse gold has been found. 1 there saw several 
 parties at work, all of whom were doing verj' well; a great many specimens 
 were shown me, some as heavy as four or live ounces in weight, and I send 
 three pieces labelled No. 5, presented by a Mr. Spence. You will perceive 
 that some of the specimens accompanying this, hold mechanically pieces of 
 quartz; that the surface is rough and evidently moulded in the crevice of a 
 rock. This gold cannot have been carried far by water, but must have re- 
 mained near where it was first deposited from the rock that once bound it. 
 I inquired of many people if they had encountered the metal in its matrix, but 
 in every instance they said they had not; but that the gold was invariably 
 mixed with washed gravel or lodged in the crevices of other rocks. All bore 
 testimony that they had found gold in greater or less quantities in the numer- 
 ous small gullies or ravines that occur in that mountainous region. 
 
 On the 7th of July I left the mill, and crossed to a stream emptying into 
 the American fork, three or four miles below the saw mill. I struck this 
 stream (now known as Weber's creek) at the washings of Sunol & Co 
 They had about thirty Indians employed, whom they payed in merchandise. 
 They were getting gold of a character similar to that found on the main 
 fork, and doubtless in sufficient quantities to satisfy them. I send you a 
 small specimen, presented by this company, of their gold. From this point 
 wo proceeded up the stream about eight miles, where we found a great many 
 people and Indians — some engaged in the bed of the stream, and others in 
 the small side valleys that put into it. These latter are exceedingly rich, and 
 two ounces were considered an ordinary yield for a day's work. A small 
 gutter, not more than a hundred yards long by four feet wide and two or 
 three feet deep, was pointed out to me as the one where two men — William 
 Daly and Pa^ry McCoon — had, a short time before, obtained 17,000 dollars 
 worth of gold." Capt. Weber informed me that he knew that these two men 
 had employed four white n and about a hundred Indians, and that at the 
 end of one week's wor' , they paid off their party, and had left $10,000 
 worth of this gold. Another small ravine was shown me, from which had 
 been taken upwards of $12,000 worth of gold. Hundreds of similar ravines 
 to all appearances are as yet untouched. I could not have credited these re- 
 ports had I not seen, in the abundance of the precious metal, evidence of 
 their truth. 
 
 Mr. Neligh, an agent of Commodore Stockton, had been at work about 
 three weeks in the neighborhood, and showed nve in bags and bottles over 
 $2,000 worth of gold; and Mr. Lyman, a gentleman of education and worthy 
 of every credit, said he had been engaged with four others, with a machine, 
 on the American fork, just below Sutter's mill; that they worked eight days, 
 and that his share was at the rate of $50 a day; but hearing that others 
 wero doing better at Weber's place they had removed there, and were then 
 on flio point of resuming operations. I might tell of hundreds of similar 
 instances; hut to illustrate how plentiful the gold was in the pockets of com- 
 
430 GOLD RBGIONH OF CALIFOllXIA. 
 
 moil laborers, I will mention a simple occurrence which look place In my 
 presence when I was at Weber's stort.-. This store was nothing but an arbor 
 of bushes, under which he had exposed for sale goods and grocerips suited 
 to his customers. A man came in, picked up a box of Seidhlz powders and 
 asked the price. Captain Weber told him it was not for sale. The man 
 otierod an ounce of gold, but CapL Weber told it only cost fifty cents, and 
 he did not wish to sell it The the man then oifervd an ounce and a half, 
 when Capt. Weber luid to take it. The prices of all things are high, and 
 yet Indians, who before hardly knew what a breech clom was, can now 
 afford to buy the most gaudy dresses. 
 
 The country on either side of Weber's creek is much broken up by hills, 
 and is intersected in every direction by small streams or ravines, which con- 
 tain more or less gold. Those that have been worked are barely scratched; 
 and although thousands of ounces have been carried away, I do not consider 
 that a serious impression has been made upon the whole. Every day was 
 developing new and richer deposits; and the only impression seemed to be, 
 that the metal would be found in such abundance as seriously to depreciate 
 in value. 
 
 On the 8th of July 1 returned to the lower mines, and on the following 
 day to Sutter's, where, on the 19th. I was making preparations for a visit to 
 the Feather, Yubah, and Bear rivers, when I received a leiter from Com- 
 mander A. R. Long, United States Navy, who had just arrived at San 
 Francisco from Mazatlan, with a crew for the sloop-of-war Warren, with 
 orders to take that vessel to the squadron at La Paz. Capt. Long wrote to nie 
 that the Mexican Congress had adjourned without ratifying the treaty of 
 peace, that he had letters from Commodore Jones, and that his orders were 
 to sail with the Warren on or before the 20th of July. In consequence of' 
 this I determined to return to Monterey, and accordingly arrived here on the 
 I7th of July. Before leaving Sutter's I satisfied myself that gold existed in 
 the bed of the Feather river, in the Yubah and Bear, and in many of the 
 smaller streams that lie between the latter and the American fork; also that 
 it had been found in the Ccsummes to the south of the American fork. In 
 each of these streams, the gold is found in small scales, whereas in the in- 
 tervening mountains it occurs in coarser lumps. 
 
 Mr. Sinclair, whose rancho is three miles above Sutter's on the north side 
 of the American, employs about fifty Indians on the north fork, not far from 
 its junction with the main stream. He had been engaged about five weeks 
 when I saw him., and up to that time his Indians had used simply closely 
 woven willow baskets. His nett proceeds (which I saw) were a'jout $16,000 
 worth of gold. He showed me the proceeds of his last week's work — four- 
 teen pounds avoirdupois of clean-washed gold. 
 
 Tile principal store at Sutter's Fort, that of Brannan & Co., had received 
 in payment for goods $36,000 (worth of this gold) from the 1st of May to 
 the ibthof July. Other merchants had also made extensive sales. Large 
 quantities of goods were daily sent forward to the mines, as the Indians, 
 heretofore so poor and degraded, have suddenly become consumers of the 
 luxuries of life. I before mentioned that the greater part of the farmers and 
 rancheros had abandoned their fields to go to the mines. This is not the 
 case with Capt. Sutter, who was carefully gathering his wheat, estimated at 
 40,000 bushels. Flour is already worth at Sutter's $36 a barrel, and soon 
 will be fifty. Unless large quantities of breadstuffs reach the countrj', much 
 suffering will occur; but as each man is now able to pay a large price, it is 
 believed the merchants will bring from Chili and Oregon a plentiful supply 
 for the coming winter. 
 
COL. mason's official keport. 431 
 
 The most moderate estimate I could obtain from men acquainted with the 
 subject, wai^, that upwards of four thousand men were working in the gold 
 district, of whom more than oue-half were Indians; and that from $30,U00 
 to If 50,000 worth of pohl, if not more, was daily obtained. The entire gold 
 district, with very few exceptions of grants made some years ago by the 
 Mexican authorities, is on land belonging to the United States. It was a 
 matter of serious reflection with me, how I could secure to the Government 
 certain rents and fees for the privilege of procuring this gold; but upon con- 
 sidering the large extent of country, the character of the people engaged, 
 and the small scattered force at my command, I resolved not to interfere but 
 to permit all to work freely, unless broils and crimes should call for interfer- 
 ance. I was surprised to learn that crime of any kind was very unfrequent, 
 and that no thefts or robberies had been committed in the gold district 
 
 All live in tents, in bush arbors, or in ihe open air; and men have fre- 
 quently about their persons thousands of dollars worth of this gold, and it 
 was to me a matter of surprise that so peaceful and quiet state of things 
 should continue to exist Conflicting claims to particular spots of ground 
 may cause collisions, but they will be rare, as the extent of country is so 
 
 f^reat, and the gold so abundant, that for the present there is room enough 
 or all. Still the Government is entitled to rents for this land, and imme- 
 diate steps should be devised to collect them, for the longer it is delayed the 
 more difficult it will become. One plan I would suggest is, to send out from 
 the United States surveyors with high salaries, bound to serve specified 
 periods. 
 
 A superintondant to be appointed at Sutter's Fort, with power to grant 
 licenses to work a spot of ground —say 100 yards square — for one year, at 
 a rent of from 100 to 1,000 dollars, nt his discretion; the surveyors to meas- 
 ure the ground, and place the renter in possession. 
 
 A better plan, however, will be to have the district survej'ed and sold at 
 public auction to the highest bidder, in small parcels — say from 20 to 40 
 acres. In either case, there will be many intruders, whom for years it will 
 bo almost impossible to exclude. 
 
 The discovery of these vast deposits of gold has entirely changed the 
 character of Upper California. Its people, before engaged in cultivating 
 their small patches of ground, and guarding their herds of cattle and horses, 
 have all gone to the mines, or are on their way thither. Laborers of every 
 trade have left their work benches, and tradesmen their shops. Sailors 
 desert their ships as fast as they arrive on the coast, and several vessels have 
 gone to sea with hardly enough hands to spread a sail. Two or three ar« 
 HOW at anchor in San Francisco with no crew on board. Many desertions, 
 too, have taken place from the garrisons within the influence of these mines, 
 twenty-six soldiers have deserted from the post of Sonoma, twenty-four from 
 tliat of San Francisco, and twenty-four from Monterey. For a few days 
 tlie evil appeared so threatening, that groat danger existed that the garrisons 
 would leave in a body; and I refer you to my orders of the 25th of July, to 
 show the steps adopted to met this contingency. I shall spare no exertions 
 to apprehend and punish deserters, but I believe no time in the history 
 of our country has presented such temptations to desert aa now exist in 
 California. 
 
 The danger of apprehension is small, and the prospect of high wages 
 certain; pay and bounties are trifles, as laboring men at the mines can now 
 earn in one (lay more than double a soldier's pay and allowances for a month, 
 and even the pay of a lieutenant or captain cannot hire a servant A car- 
 penter or mechanic would not listen to an ofFcr of less than fifteen or twenty 
 
432 GOLD REOIOKS OF CAUPORNIA. 
 
 dollars a day. Could any combination of affuirs try a man's fideliiy more 
 tlian this ? 1 really think some extraordinary mark of favor should bo given 
 to those soldiers who remain faithful to their flag throughout this tempting 
 crisis. No officer can now live in California on his pay, money has so litilo 
 value; the prices of necessary articles of clothing and subsistence are so 
 exorbitant and labor so high, that to hire a cook or servant has become an 
 impossibility, save to those who are earning from thirty to fifty dollars a day. 
 This state of things cannot last for over. Yet from the geographical position 
 of California, and the new character it has assumed as a mining country, 
 prices of 'abor will always be high, and will hold out temptations to desert 
 1 therefore have to report, if the Government wish to prevent desertions 
 here on the pa * of men, and to secure zeal on the part of officers, their pay 
 must be increased very materially. Soldiers, both of the volunteers and 
 regular service, d.scharged in this country, should be permitted at once to 
 locate their land warrants in the gold district 
 
 Many private letters have gone to the United States giving accounts of 
 the vast quantity of gold recently discovered, and it may be a matter of 
 surprise why I have made no report on this subject at an earlier date. The 
 reason is, that I could not bring myself to believe the reports that I heard of 
 the wealth of the gold district until 1 visited it myself. 1 have no hesitation 
 now in saying that there is more gold in the country' drained by the Sacra- 
 mento anu San Joaquin rivers than will pay the cost of the present war with 
 Mexico a hundred times over. No capital is required to obtain this gold, 
 as the laboring man wants nothing but his pick and shovel and tin pan, 
 with which to dig and wash the gravel; and many frequently pick gold out 
 of the crevices of rocks with tlieir butcher knives in pieces from one to six 
 ounces. 
 
 Mr. Dye, a gentleman residing in Monterey, and worthy of overj- credit, 
 has just returned from Feather river. He tells me that the company to 
 which he belonged worked seven weeks and two days, with an average of 
 fifty Indians (washers,) and that their gross product was 273 pounds of gold. 
 His share (one seventh,) after paying all expenses, is about thirty-seven 
 
 f>ounds, which he brought with him and exhibited in Monterey. 1 see no 
 aboring man from the mines who does not show his two, three, or four 
 pounds of gold- A soldier of the artillerj' company returned here a few 
 days ago from the mines, having been absent on furlough twenty days. He 
 made by trading and working during that time $1500. During these 
 twenty days he was traveling ten or eleven days, leaving but a week, in 
 which ho made a sum of money greater than he receives in pay, clothes, 
 and rations during a whole enlistment of five years. These statements 
 appear incredible, but they are true. 
 
 Gold is also believed to exist on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada; 
 and when at the mines, I. was informed by an intelligent Mormon, that it had 
 been found near the Great Salt lake by some of his fraternity Nea.'ly all 
 the Mormons are leaving California to go to the Salt lake, and this they 
 purely would not do unless they were sure of finding gold ihcre in the same 
 abundance as they now do on the Sacramento. 
 
 The gold •• placer" near the mission of San Fernando has long been 
 known, but has been little wrought for want of water. This is a spur which 
 puts off from the Sierra Nevada, (see Fremont's map,) the same in which 
 the present mines occur. There is, therefore, every reason to believe, that 
 in the intervening spaces of fiOO miles, (entirely unexplored,) there must be 
 many hidden and rich deposits. The " placer" gold is now substituted as 
 tlie currency of this countiy; in trade it passes freelv at ,<|!lfi per ounce; as 
 
roL. mason's official report. 43.'i 
 
 •n article of commerce itn value ia not yet fixed. The only purchase I made 
 was of the Kpecfmen No. 7, which I got of Mr. Neligh at $12 the ounce. 
 That 1*8 about the present cash value in the country« although it has been 
 pnid fur loHs. The groat demand for goods and provisions made by sudden 
 aevelopment of wealth, has increased the amount of commerce at San Fran- 
 t>j8co very much, and it will continue to increase. 
 
 I would recommend that a mint be established at some eligible point of 
 the Bay of San Francisco; and that machiuen,*, and all the uecesssary ap- 
 paratus and workmen, be sent out by sea. These workmen must be Mund 
 by high wages, and even bonds, to secure their faithful services, else the 
 whole plan may bo frustrated by their going to the mines as soon as they 
 arrive in California. If this course be not adopted, gold to the amount of 
 many millions of dollars will pass yearly to other countries, to enrich their 
 merchants and capitalists. Before leaving the subject of mines, 1 will men- 
 tion that on my return from the Sacramento, I touched at New Almoder, 
 tne quickHJlver mine of Mr. Alexander Forbes, Consul of Her Britannic 
 Majesty at Topic. This mine is in a spur of the mountains, 1000 feet above 
 the level of the Bay of San Francisco, and is distant in a southern direction 
 from the Puebia de San Jos6 about twelve miles. I'he ore (cinnabar) occurs 
 in a large vein dipping at n strong angle to the horizon. Mexican miners 
 are employed in working it, by driving shafts and galleries about six feet by 
 •even, following the vein. 
 
 The fragments of rock and ore are removed on the backs of Indians, in 
 raw-hide sacks. The ore is then hauled in an ox wagon, from the mouth 
 of the mine down to a valley well supplied with wood and water, in which 
 the furnaces are situated. The furnaces are of the simplest construction— 
 exactly like a common bake-oven, in the crown of which is inserted a 
 whaler's fr)'ing-kettlo; another inverted kettle forms the lid. From a hole 
 in the lid a small brick channel leads to an apartment or chamber, in the 
 bottom of which is inserted a small iron kettle. The chamber has a chimney. 
 
 In the morning of each day the kettles are filled with t!ie mineral (broken 
 in small pieces) mixed with lime; fire is then applied and kept up all day. 
 The mercur}' is volatilized, passes into the chamber, is condensed on the 
 sides and bottom of the chamber, and flows into the pot prepared for it No 
 water is used to condense the mercury. 
 
 During a visit I made last spriHg, four such ovens were in operation, and 
 yielded in the two days I was there 656 pounds of quicksilver, worth at 
 Mazatlan $1 80 per pound. Mr. Walkinshaw, the gentleman now in charge 
 of this mine, tells me that the vein is improving, and that he can afford to 
 keep his people employed even in these extraordinary times. The mine is 
 very valuable of itself, and will become the more so as mercury is exten- 
 sivoly used in obtaining gold. It is not at present used in California for that 
 purpose, but will be at some future time. When I was at this mine last 
 spring, other parties were engaged in searching for veins; but none have 
 been discovered worth following up, although the earth in that whole range 
 of hills is highly discolored, indicating the presence of this ore. I send 
 several beautifulspecimens, properly labelled. The amount of quicksilver 
 in Mr. Forbes' vats on the 15th of July was about 2,500 pounds. 
 
 I inclose you herewith sketches of the country through which I passed, 
 indicating the position of the mines and the topography of the country in the 
 vicinity of those I visited. 
 
 Some of the specimens of gold accompanying this were presented for 
 transmission to the Department by the gentlemen named below. The 
 
 19 
 
434 GOLD RFAilONS OF CALIFOKNIA. 
 
 numbers on the topopraphioal skftch corresponding to the labels of the re- 
 spective sppciineiiH, Hhow from what purt of the gold region they are 'ibtained 
 
 1. Captain J. A. Sutter. 
 
 2. John Sinclair. 
 
 3. Win. Glover, R. C. Kirby, Ira Blanchard, Levi Fifield, Frai'khu H, 
 Arj'nes, Mormon diggings. 
 
 4 Charles Weber. 
 
 5 Robert Spence. 
 
 6. Sunol & Co. 
 
 7. Robert D. Noligh. 
 
 8. C. E. Picket, American Fort Columa. 
 
 9. E. C. Kemble. 
 
 10. T. H. Green, from San Fernando, near Los Angelos. 
 
 A. 2 oz. purchased from Mr. Noligh. 
 
 6. Sand found in washing gold, which contains small particlei. 
 
 11. Captain Frisbie, Dry Diggings, Weber's Creek. 
 13. Consumnes. 
 
 13. Consumnes, Hartwell's Ranch. 
 
 1 have the honor to be your most ob't ser't, 
 
 R. B. MASON, Col. Ist Dragoons, Commanding. 
 Brig. Gen. R. Jones, Adj. Geu. U. S. A., Washington, D. C. 
 
 [NoTK. — The original letter, of w^hich this is a copy, was sent to its ad- 
 dress, in charge of Lieut. L. Loeser, 3d Artillery, bearer of dispatches, who 
 sailed in the schooner Lambayccana, from Monterey, Aug. 30, 1B48, bound 
 for Payta, Peru. Lieut. Loeser bears, in addition to the specimens mentioned 
 n the foregoing letter, a tea-caddy containing two hundred and thirty ounces 
 fifteen pennyweights and nine grains of gold. This was purchased at San 
 Francisco by my order, and is sent to you as a fair sample of the gold ob- 
 tained from the mines of the Sacramento. It is a mixture, commg from the 
 various parts of the gold district. 
 
 R. B. MASON, Col. 1st Drag. Comd'g. 
 Headquarters 10th Mil. Department, 
 Monterey, (Cal.,) Sept. 10th, 1848.] 
 
 PURITY OF CALIFORNIA GOLD DUST. 
 
 The numerous analyses which have been made show that the gold dust 
 of California is remarkably pure. The editor of the Buffalo Ccniniercial 
 Advertiser, under date of December 2()th, 1848, says: — 
 
 "A small quantity of California gold was shown us this morning. It was 
 in grains, about the size and shape of flax seed. Altogether there was half 
 an ounce. It was received by a gentleman of this city, who, last year, left 
 a quantity of goods in California for sale on commission. A few days a<jo 
 lie received advices that his goods had heen sold, and the proceeds remitted 
 in gold dust to New York. The receipts from the mint show its great purity 
 The weight before melting was 428 ounces; after melting 417. Nett value, 
 $7,685 49." 
 
 Gold is seldom found, in any parts of the earth, more than 22 carats fine: 
 and it will be seen by the following report lately made by an experienced 
 
PlIYaiCAL OBOanAPIlY OF CALIFORNIA. 435 
 
 smelter and refiner, Mr. John Warwick, of New York city, that the gold 
 du.st of California is us pure as that found iu any part of this country. 
 Prulialily there in none in Europe purer: 
 
 " 1 have aHsayed the portion of gold dust, or metal, from California, sent 
 me, and the result shows that it is fully equal to any found in our Southeru 
 gold mines. 
 
 1 return you lOj grains out of the 12 which I have tested — the value of 
 which is 45 cents. It is 21 J carats fine — within half a curat of the quality 
 of English sovereigns or American Eagles, and is almost ready to go to tho 
 mint 
 
 The finest gold metal we get is from Africa, which is 22J to 23 carats 
 fine. In Virginia we have mines where the quality of the gold is much 
 inferior — some of it as low as 19 carats, and in Georgia the mines produce 
 it nearly 22 carats) fine. 
 
 The gold of California which I have now assayed, is fully equal to that of 
 any, and much superior to some produced from the mines in our Southern 
 Slates." 
 
 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Whatever appertains to California, the new El Dorado of the southwest, is 
 interesting to Americans and indeed to the whole civilized world. The 
 following brief account, therefore, of its physical geography, compiled from 
 authonic sources and carefully condensed, will readily receive the attention 
 of the inquiring mind: 
 
 " Upper California extends, upon tho Pacific, from the 32d parallel of lati- 
 tude, about seven hundred miles north-westward to Oregon, from which it 
 is divided, nearly in the course of the 42d parallel — that is in the latitude 
 of Boston — by a chain of highlands called the Snowy Mountains; the 
 Sierra Nevada of the Spaniards. Its boundaries on the west are not, as yet, 
 politically determined by the Mexican government; nor do geographers 
 agree with regard to natural limiU) in that direction. By some, it is consid- 
 ered as embracing only the territory between the Pacific and the summit of 
 the mountains which border the western side of the continent: others 
 extend its limits to the Colorado; while others include in it, and others again 
 exclude from it, the entire regions drained by that river. The only portion 
 occupied by Mexicans, or of which any distinct accounts have been obtained, 
 is that between the great cham of mountains and the ocean; the country 
 east of that ridge to the Colorado appears to be an uninhabitable desert 
 
 "Northward from the Peninsula, or Lower California, tho great western- 
 most chain of mountains continues nearly parallel with the Pacific coast, to 
 the 34th degree of latitude, under which rises Mount San B nardin, one of 
 the highest peaks in California, about forty miles from tb jcean. Further 
 north the coast turns more to the west, and the space iween it and the 
 summit line of the mountains becomes wider, so as ♦. exceed eighty miles 
 in some places; the intermediate region being travorstid by lines of hills, or 
 smaller mountams, connected with the main range The principal of these 
 inferior ridges extends from Mount San Bernardin north-westward to its 
 termination on the south side of the entrance of the Bay of San Franciso, 
 near the 33th degree of latitude, where it is called tho San Bruno Moun- 
 tains. Between this range and the coast run the San Barbara Mountains, 
 terminaling on the north at the Cape of Pines, on the south-west sido 
 
436 GOLD REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 of thn Bay of Monterey, near the latitude 36| degrees. North of the San 
 Bruno mountains is the Bolbones ridge, bordering the Bay of Sun FranciHco 
 on the east; and hUII further in the same direction are other and much 
 higher lines of highlands, stretching from the great chain and terminating 
 ID capes on the Pacific. 
 
 " The southern part of Upper California, between the Pacific and tht 
 great westernmost chain of mountains, is very hot and dry, except during a 
 short time in winter. Further north the wet season increases in leugih, 
 and about the Bay of San Francisco the rains are almost constant from 
 November to April, the earth being moistened during the remainder of the 
 year by heavy dews and fogs. Snow and ice are sometimes seen in the 
 winter on the shores of the bay, but never further south, except on the 
 mountain tops. The whole of California is, however, subject to long 
 droughts." Heavy rains are of rare occurrence, and two years without any 
 is not unusual; notwithstanding which, vegetation does not suffer to the 
 extent that might be inferred, because in the first place, many small streams 
 descend from the mountain ranges, supplying the merns of both natural 
 and artificial irrigation; and, next, that the country near the coast is favored 
 with a diurnal land and sea breeze; and, from the comparatively low tem> 
 perature of the sea, the latter is always in summer accompanied with fogs, 
 in the latter part of the night, and which are dissipated by the morning's 
 sun, but serve to moisten the pastures and nourish a somewhat peculiar 
 vegetation abounding in beautiful flowers. 
 
 "Among the valleys of Upper California are many streams, some of 
 which discharge large quantities of water in the rainy season; but no river 
 is known to flow through the maritime ridge of mountains from the interior 
 to the Pacific, except perhaps the Sacramento, falling into the Bay of San 
 Francisco, though several are thus represented on the maps. The valleys 
 thus watered anord abundant pasturage for cattle, with which they are 
 covered; California, however, contains but two tracts of country capable of 
 supporting large numbers of inhabitants, which are that west of Mt. San Ber- 
 nardin, about the 34th degree of latitude, and that surrounding the Bay of 
 San Francisco, and the lower part of the Sacramento; and even in these, 
 irrigaMon would be indispensable to insure success- in agriculture." 
 
 •* The provincial terms of New Mexico, and of Upper and Lower Cali- 
 fornia, have been, and are yet, rather designations of indefinite tracts than 
 of real defined political sections. The Pacific ocean limits on the west, and 
 by treaty, N. lat. 42'^ on the north; but inland and southward, it is in vain 
 to seek any definite boundary. In order, however, to give as distinct a view 
 as the nature of the case will admit, let us adopt the mouth of the Colorado 
 and Gila, or the head of the Gulf of California, as a point on the southern 
 boundary of Upper California. The point assumed coincides very nearly 
 with N. lat. 3!2^ and, if adopted, would give to that country a breadth of teu 
 degrees of latitUv or in round numbers 800 statute miles from south to 
 north. As alreaa^ stated, the Pacific Ocean bounds this country on the 
 west, and lat. 42^ oi. he north. To separate it on the east from New Mex- 
 ico, we must assume he mountain chain of Sierra Madre, or Anuhuac, 
 which, in this region, inclines but little from north to south: whilst the 
 Pacific coast extends in general course north-west and south-east. These 
 opposite outlines contract the southern side to about 500 miles, and open the 
 northern side to rather above 800 miles; giving a mean breadth of 650 
 miles. The area, for all general purposes, may be safely taken at 500,(100 
 square miles. The general slope or declination of this great region is west- 
 ward, towards the Pacific and Uulf of California." 
 
PHT8ICAL OKOGRAPHT OF CALIFORNIA. 437 
 
 " The climate of the western slope of North America has a warmth ten 
 degrees at least higher than the eastern, upon similar latitude. The cause 
 of this difference is the course of prevailing winds in the temperate zones 
 of the earth, from the western points. Thus the winds on the western side 
 of the continent are from the ocean, and on the eastern from the land. 
 
 " The soil is as variable as the face of the country. On the coast range 
 of hills there is little to invite the agriculturist, except in some vales of no 
 great extent. The hills are, however, admirably adapted for raising herds 
 and flocks, and are at present the feeding-grounds of numerous deer, elk, 
 &c., to which the short, sweet grass and wild oats that are spread over them 
 afford a plentiful supply of food. The valley of the Sacramento, and that 
 of San Juan, are the most fruitful parts of California, particularly the latter, 
 which is capable of producing wheat, Indian corn, r)'e, oats, &!c., with all 
 the fruits of the temperate, and many of the tropical climates. It likewise 
 oiTers pasture grounds for cattle. This region comprises a level plain, from 
 fifteen to twenty miles in width, extending from the Bav of San Francisco, 
 beyond the mission of that name, north and south. This may be termed 
 the garden of California; but although several small streams and lakes serve 
 to water it, yet in dry seasons or droughts, not only the crops but the herb- 
 age also suffers extremely, and the cattle are deprived of food." The most 
 extensive portion of Upper California — the inland plain between the Cali- 
 fornia and the Colorado range of mountains — is an arid waste, destitute of 
 the requisites for supplying the wants of man. This plain is a waste of sand, 
 with a few detached mountains (some of which rise to the region of perpet- 
 ual snow,) whose positions are unknown; from these flow small streams that 
 are soon lost in the sand. A few Indians are scattered over the plain, the 
 most miserable objects in creation." 
 
 The climate is very peculiar, the thermometer on the coast ranging aa 
 high, on the average, in winter as in summer. Indeed, snmmer is really 
 the coldest and most disagreeable part of the year, owing to the north-west 
 winds which frequently prevail during that season. As you recede from the 
 coast, however, the climate undergoes a great change for the better. At 
 San Juan, thirty miles from the coast, is one of the most delightful climates 
 in the world. The two principal rivers in Upper California are the Sacra- 
 mento and the San Joaquim. There are, hpwever, many smaller streams 
 flowing through the different valleys, which serve, during the dry season, to 
 irrigate the land. The only navigable stream is the Sacramento. 
 
 Beside the bays and harbors of Monterey, Santa Barbara and San Pedro, 
 Upper California possesses the harbor of San Francisco, within a few miles 
 of the Gold Mines, and one of the largest and most magnificent harbors in 
 the world. 
 
 " The yield of wheat, small grain, and vegetables, is said to be great, and 
 very remarkable, but, as agriculture cannot succeed in Upper Califcrnia, but 
 by Irrigation, it has hitherto happened that it has been principally occupied 
 as a pastoral country — as costing less labor to rear cattle, for which it is only 
 necessary to provide keepers, and have them marked. The numerous ani- 
 mals which are there slaughtered for little more than their hides and tallow, 
 do no putrify and become offensive as they would in other climates, but, as 
 wood is not everywhere as abundant as their bones, the last are sometimes 
 used to supply the place of the former^ in the construction of garden 
 fences &c. 
 
 " The area of Upper California is about 500,000 square miles, and tho 
 population, exclusive of Indians scattered over this extent, as follows: 
 
438 GOLD RB0I0N8 OF OALIFOHNIA. 
 
 CaliforninnB descended from Spain 4000 
 
 Americans from United States, 360 
 
 English, Scotch, .md Irish, 300 
 
 Europeai: Spa^'irtis, 80 
 
 French and Canadians, 80 
 
 Germans, Italians, Portugese, and Sandwich Islanders, 90 
 
 Mexicans, 90 
 
 Total 5000 
 
 "Upper California is, on the whole, admirably fitted for colonization 
 This province presents the greatest facilities for raising cattle, for cullivaiiug 
 corn, plants, and for the grape; it might contain twenty millions of inhabi- 
 tants; and its ports are a point of necessary coinmunicaiion for vessels going 
 from China and Asia to the western coasts of North America. 
 
 ** It is beyond doubt, that so soon as an intelligent and laborious population 
 is established there, this country will occupy an elevated rank in the 
 commercial scale; it would form the entrepot where the coasts of the great 
 ocean would send their products, and would furnish the greatest part of their 
 subsistence in grains to the north-west, to Mexico, to Central America, to 
 Ecuador, to Peru, to the north coast of Asia, and to many groups of Poly- 
 nesia — such as the Sandwich isles, the Marquesas, and Tahiti." 
 
 " The peninsula of Lower California, extending from Cape San Lucas to 
 the Bav of Todos Santos, in lat. 32° N., on the Pacific, and to (lie ruoutli of 
 the Colorado on the Gulf side, is a pile of volcanic debris and scorite. Much 
 of tlie surface is still heated by subterranean fires. No craters are in action; 
 but hot springs of water and bitumen, and frequent earthquakes, and the 
 scorched face of the whole region, demonstrate it to bo a mere mass upheaved 
 from the sea, and burned to cinders. The range of mountains that comes 
 up through Lower California, runs on northwardly into Upper California, at 
 an average distance of sixty or seventy miles from the sea, till it falls away 
 into low hills south of the bay of San Francisco. This, also, is a volcanic 
 range; though not so strongly marked to that effect in the Upper as in the 
 Lower Province. 
 
 •• Some portions of this range are lofty. That part lying east and south- 
 east of El Pueblo de los Angelos, is tipped with perpetual snows. But the 
 greater part of it presents a base covered up to more than half of the whole 
 elevation with pine and cedar forests; the remaining height being composed 
 of bare, dark, glistening rocks, lying in confused masses, or turreted in the 
 manner observed on the Black Hills in the Great Prairie Wilderness — spireg, 
 towers, and battlements, lifted up to heaven, among which the white feathery 
 clouds of beautiful days rest shining in the mellow snn. 
 
 " The Snowy Mountain range is perhaps the boldest and most peculiar of 
 the California highlands. Its western terminus is Cape Mendocino, a bold 
 snow-capped headland, bending over the Pacific in 40" north latitude. Its 
 western terminus is in the Wind River Mountains, latitude 42° N., about 
 seven hundred miles from the sea. Its peculiarity consists in what may be 
 termed its confused geological character. Near the sea its rocks are prinn'- 
 tive, its strata regular. A hundred miles from the sea where the President's 
 range crosses it, everything is fused — burned; and at the distance of seventy 
 njiles northeastwardly from the Bay of San Francisco, a spur comes off witli 
 a lofty peak, which pours out immense quantities of lava, and shoots up a 
 flame so broad and bright as to be seen at sea, and to produce distinct 
 6hadoWs at eighty miles' distance. Here is an extensive tract of tiiis range 
 
PHYSICAL OEOORAPIIY OF CALIFORNIA. 43U 
 
 which has bpon burned, and whose strata have been torn from their natural 
 ponitiona; dmplayin^ an ainal(rariiat»d mass of ])riinitive rocks, ex loco, 
 niiiijried with vurioiis dnHcriptiuns of volcanic reinainN. F 'Oin this point 
 eastward, it iH a broken irrcjruiur chain of peaks and rifted collateral ranges, 
 and spurs running otF northwardly aud southwardly, some of which are 
 primitive and others volcanic. 
 
 " Another range of mountains which deserves notice in this place, is that 
 which bounds the valley of the San Joaquim on the east. This is a wide 
 and towering range. It is in fact a continuation of the President's range, 
 and partakes very strongly of its volcanic character. That part of it which 
 lies eastwardly from tlie Bay of San Francisco, is very broad and lofty 
 One of its peaks. Mount Jackson, as it is called, is the highest in all the 
 President's range. Mountains of great size are piled around it, but they 
 appear like molehills beside that veteran mount. Its vast peak towers over 
 them all several thousand feet, a glittering cone of ice. 
 
 *• All over the Californias, the traveler finds evidences of volcanic action 
 Far in the interior, among the deserts; in the streams; in the heights; in the 
 plains; everywhere, are manifestations of the fact, that the current of sub- 
 terranean fire which crossed the Pacific, throwing up that line of islands 
 lying on the south of the Sea of Kamschatka, and passed down the continent, 
 upheaving the Oregon territory, did also bring up from the bed of the ocean 
 the Californiaa. 
 
 •• The peninsula, or lower California, which extends from Cape San Lucas 
 in N. lat. 22'' 48', to the Bay of Todos Santos in laL 32» N., is a pile of 
 barren volcanic mountains, with very few streams, and still fewer spots of 
 ground capable of sustaining vegetation. The territory lying north and 
 south of the Colorado of the west, aud within the boundaries of the Cali- 
 fornias, is a howling desolation. 
 
 " From the highlands near the mouth of the Rio Colorado, a wild and 
 somewhat interesting scene opens. In the east appears a line of mountains 
 of a dark hue, stretching down the coast of the Gulf as far as the eye can 
 reach. These heights are generally destitute of trees; but timber grows in 
 some of the ravines. The general aspect, however, is far from pleasing. 
 There is such avastness of monotonous dessolation; so dry, so blistered with 
 volcanic fires; so forbidding to the wants of thirsting and hungering men, 
 that one gladly turns his eye upon the water, the Mar de Cortcz, the Gulf 
 of California.' The Colorado, two and a half miles in width, rushes into 
 this Gulf with great force, lashing as it goes the small islands lying at its 
 mouth, and for many leagues around the waters of the Gulf are discolored 
 by its turbulent flood. On the west, sweep away the mountains of Lower 
 California. These also are a thirsty mass of burned rocks, so dry that vege- 
 tation finds no resting-place among them. 
 
 " That province of Lower Califonnia varies from thirty to one hundred 
 and fifty miles in width, a superficial extent almost equal to that of Great 
 Britain; and yet on account of its barrenness, never will, from the products 
 of the soil, maintain five hundred thousand people in a state of comfort, 
 ordinarily found in the civilized condition. Every few years tornadoes 
 sweep over the country with such violence, and bearing with them such 
 floods of ruin, that whatever of soil has been in any manner preriousiy 
 formed, is swept into the sea. So that even those little nooks among the 
 mountains, where the inhabitants from time to time make their fields, and 
 task the vexed earth for a scanty subsistence, are liable to be laid bare by the 
 torrents. In case the soil chance to be lodged in some other dell, before it 
 reach the Ocean or the Gulf, and the people follow it to its new location, 
 
4i0 GOLD REUIORS OF CALIFOKNIA. 
 
 they find perhaps no water thare and cannot cultivate it. Conseqnentl;, .hey 
 •re often driven by dreadful want to some otiier point in quest of Busteuaiice, 
 where they may not find it, and pe?ish among the parched liighlands, Tlie 
 mean range of temperature in the whole country in the summer season is 
 from 60''' to 74" Fahrenheit The rains fall in the winter montiis; are very 
 severe, <>nd of short duration. During the remainder of the year the air is 
 dry an jlear; and the sky more beautiful than the imagination can conceive, 
 
 ** The range of mountains occupying the whole interior of this country, 
 vary in height from one to five thousand feet above the level of the sea. 
 They are almost bare of all verdure, mere brown piles of barrenness, sprin- 
 kled here and t lere with a cluster of briars, small shrubs, or dwarf trees. 
 Among the rid^res are a few spots to which the sweeping rains have spared 
 a little soil. These, if watered by springs or streams, are beautiful and 
 productive. There are also a few places near the coast which are well 
 adapted to tillage and pasturage. 
 
 " But the principal difficulty with this region, is one common to all coun- 
 tries of volcanic origin, — a scarcity of water. The porousness of the rocks 
 allows it to pass under ground to the sea. Consequently one finds few 
 streams and springs in Lower California. From the Cape San Lucas to the 
 month of the Colorado, six hundred miles, there are only two streams emp- 
 tying into the Gulf. One of these is called San Josef del Cabo. It passes 
 through the plantations of the Mission bearing the same name, and dischar- 
 ges itself into the bay of San Barnabas. The other is the Mulege, which 
 waters the Mission of Santa Rosalia, and enters the Gulf in latitude 27'' N. 
 These are not navigable. The streams on the ocean coast, also, are few and 
 small. Some of them are large enough to propel light machinery, or irri- 
 gate considerable tracts of land, but none of them are navigable. In the 
 interior are several large springs, which send out aoundant currents along 
 the rocky beds of Iheir upper courses; but when they reach the loose sau£ 
 and porous rocks of the lower country, they sink and enter the sea through 
 subterranean channels. A great misfortune it is too, that the lands which 
 border those portions of these streams which run above the groupd, consist 
 of barren rocks. Where springs, however, and arable land occur together, 
 immense fertility is the consequence. There is some variety of climate on 
 the coasts, which it may be well to mention. On the Pacific shore the tem- 
 perature is rendered delightfully balmy by the sea breezes, and the humidity 
 which they bring along with them. 'Fahrenheit's thermometer ranges on 
 this coast, during the summer, between fifty-eight and seventy-one degrees. 
 In the winter months, while the rains are faUing, it sinks as low as fifty 
 degrees above zero. On the Gulf coast there is a still greater variation. 
 While at the Cape, the mercury stands between sixty and seventy degrees, 
 near the head of the Gulf it is down to the freezing point. 
 
 " Those isolated facts, in regard to the great territory under consideration, 
 will give the reader as perfect an idea of the surface and agricultural capaci- 
 ties of Lower California as wil. be here needed. 
 
 DIFFERENT ROUTES TO CALIFORNIA. 
 
 There are four different routes to California from the United States. One 
 is from New York to Vera Cruz, thence across Mexico by the Diligencia, to 
 Acapuico on the Pacific, where all the northern bound vessels touch. This 
 
• 
 
 $150 
 
 • 
 
 20 
 
 • 
 
 250 
 
 • 
 
 80 
 
 12 to 15 
 
 days. 
 
 2 
 
 «t 
 
 20 
 
 t« 
 
 ROUTES TO CALIFORNIA. 441 
 
 route woula be preferable to all others, were it not for the fact that the road 
 from Vera Cruz to Acapulco is infested with robbers. 
 
 Another route is by steam around Cape Horn — a long Toyage, though 
 perhaps the cheapest route. It should be performed in our winter, when it 
 is summer in the Southern liemisphere and consequently warmer at Cape 
 Horn than at anyother season of the year. The fare on this route by steam 
 is about $350. The time of performing the voyage is about 130 days. 
 
 Another route is by the Isthmus of Duien. The fsure on this route is as 
 follows: 
 
 From New York to Chagres (by steam) 
 
 From Chagres to Panama, across the Isthmus 
 
 From Panama to San Francisco . 
 
 From New York to Chagres (by sailing vesssl) 
 The time of the voyage is as follows: — 
 
 From New York to Chagres . . . 
 
 From Chagres to Panama . . . 
 
 From Panama to San Francisco 
 
 The following description of Chagres and Panama, will be fouud both 
 interesting and valuable to the traveler on this route. 
 
 THE TOWN OF CHAGRES, 
 
 as it is usually called, but in reality village, or collection of huts, is, as is 
 well known, situated at the mouth of the river Chagres, where it empties 
 itself into the Atlantic ocean. 
 
 It is but a small village, and the harbor is likewise small, though secure. 
 It is formed by the jutting out of a narrow neck of land, and is defended 
 by the castle, which is built on a high bluff on the other side. The village 
 itself, as I have before said, is merely a collection of huts, and is situated in 
 the midst of a swamp — at least the ground is low, and the continual rains 
 which prevail at Chagres, keep it in a swampy condition, Chagres is in- 
 habited by colored people, entirely, with the exception of some few ofEcials 
 at the castle and in <,he custom-house. Its population, (I speak, of course, 
 of it previous to the influx,) was probably not more than 500 in all, if so 
 much. 
 
 ITS CLIMATE 
 
 \n, without doubt, the most pestiferous for whites in the whole world. The 
 coast of Africa, which enjoys a dreadful reputation in this way, is not so 
 deadly in its climate as is Chagres. The thermometer ranges from 78° to 
 85° all the year, and it rains every day. Many a traveler who has incau- 
 tiously remained there for a few days and nights, has had cause to remember 
 Chagres; and many a gallant crew, who nave entered the harbor in full 
 health, have, ere many days, found their final resting place on the dank and 
 malarious banks of the river. Bilious, remittent, and congestive fever, in 
 their most malignant forms, seem to hover over Chagres, ever ready tc 
 pounce down on the stranger. Even the acclimated resident of the trop'!jii 
 runs a great risk in staying any time in Chagres; but the stranger fresh from 
 the North and its invigorating breezes, runs a most fearful one. 
 
 THE RIVER JOURNEY 
 is performed in canoes, propelled up the stream by means of poles. There 
 are two points at which one may land, viz : the villages of Gorgona and 
 Cruces. The distance from Chagres to the first named, is about 45 or 50 
 miles — to the latter, some 50 or 55 miles. The traveler, who for the first 
 19" 
 
442 GOLD REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 time ia his life embarks on a South American river like the Chagres, cannot 
 fail to experience a singular depression of spirits at the dark and sombre 
 aspect of the scene. In the first place, he finds himself in a canoe, so small 
 that he is forced to lay quietly iu the very centre of the stern portion, in 
 order to prevent it upsetting. The palm leaf thatch (or toldo, as it is termed 
 on the river) over his portion of the boat, shuts out much of the view, while 
 his baggage, piled carefully amidships, and covered with oil cloths, encerra- 
 dos as they are termed, is under the charge of his active boatman, who, 
 stripped to the buf^, with long pole in hand, expertly propels the boat up 
 stream, with many a cry and strange exclamation. The river itself is a 
 dark, muddy, and rapid stream ; in some parts quite narrow, and again at 
 other points it is from 300 to 500 yards wide. Let no one fancy that it 
 resembles the bright and cheerful rivers which are met with here at the 
 North. No pleasant villages adorn its banks — no signs of civilization are 
 seen on them, nothing but the sombre primeval forest, which grows with ail 
 tho luxury of the tropics down to the very margin of its swampy banks. 
 
 A light canoe with two active boatmen and but one passenger in it, will 
 reach Cruces in ten or twelve hours, whilst a heavier one might require 
 thirty-six hours to accomplish the passage. The passenger must take his 
 provisions with him, as none are to be had on the river. 
 
 A doubloon ($16) was the lowest charge for a single passenger, and from 
 that up to two, three, and even four doubloons. As for taking our boats 
 from here, and rowing them up the river, I should think it would be a 
 hopeless attempt. Hardy boatmen from our southwestern States, who are 
 accustomed to a much similar mode of travel on thjir rivers, would prob- 
 ably be able to accomplish it; but in that burning and unhealthy climate, for 
 young men fresh from the North, unacquainted with the dangers of such 
 navigation, and all unacclimated, to attempt such a feat would be madness 
 indeed. 
 
 Let us, however, suppose the journey completed, and our adventurer 
 safely arrived at 
 
 CRUCES 
 
 He may now congratulate himself on having achieved the most toilsome 
 port of his journey, and but twenty-one miles of land route intervene 
 between him and the glorious Pacific Ocean. Cruces is a small village, sit- 
 uated on a plain, immediately on the banks of the river, which here are 
 high and sandy. Gorgona, the other landing place, is a few miles below 
 Cruces, and is likewise a small village, very similar to Cruces — in fact, all 
 South American villages resemble one another very much. From these 
 two points, both about the same distance from Panama, there are roads to 
 that city, which roads unite about nine miles from it. Starting from either 
 point he commences his 
 
 JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS. 
 
 The usual method of performing it, is on horse or on mule-back, with 
 another mule to carry the baggage and a muleteer who acts as guide. The 
 road is a mere bridle path, and as the rains on the Isthmus are very heavy, 
 and there is more or less of them all the year round, the mud-holes and 
 swampy places to be crossed are very numerous. Those who, at the North, 
 talk gaily of a walk across the Isthmus, as if the road were as plain and easy 
 as some of our macadamized turnpikes, would alter their tone a little, could 
 they see the road as it is. As for walking from Cruces to Panama, in case 
 mules are scarce, the feat is by no means impossible, provided the traveler 
 arrives in Crucos in good health, and has but little baggage. It might easily 
 
ROUTES TO CALIFORNIA, 443 
 
 fte done with the assistance of a guide; but let no stranger, unacquainted 
 with the language and new to such countries, attempt it without a guide. 
 Having, then, fairly started from Cruces, either on horse or on foot, after a 
 toilsome journey of some eight or ten hours, the Savanna of Panama is at 
 last reached, and the sight of the broad and glittering Pacific Ocean, and 
 the white towers of the Cathedral of Panama, which are seen at the distanco 
 of about four miles from the city, give the now weary traveler assurance 
 that his journey will shortly end; and another hour's toil brings him to the 
 suburbs of the famed 
 
 CITY OF PANAMA. 
 
 We will find, however, that with this, as with most other South American 
 cities, 
 
 '"Tis distance lends enchantment to the view, 
 And clothes the mountain with iis azure hue." 
 
 The city of Panama is situated on the shores of the bay of that name, 
 and a most beautiful bay it is, too. What is the number of the present 
 population, I cannot say, as it is doubtless filled with strangers — it formerly 
 contained from 5000 to 7000 inhabitants, and was a quiet, still city, where, 
 during the day, nought but the sounds of the convent bell and church bells 
 disturbed the horses of the citizens in their gi'azings in the public squares, 
 which were all overgrown with grass. The trade carried on consisted in 
 importing dry goods from Jamaica, for the supplv of the Isthmenians, the 
 neighboring produce of Veragua, the Pearl Islands, the towns of Chiriqui, 
 David, and their vicinities, and the various little inland towns. Goods also 
 were sent down to the ports of Payta, in Peru, ana Guayaquil, in the Ecua- 
 dor. The returns made for these goods, consisted in the produce of the 
 Isthmus: such as gold dust, hides, India rubber, pearl oyster shell (from 
 which the mother of pearl of commerce is made,) sarsaparilla, &c. The 
 climate is warm, say from 80 to 85 degrees all the year round — the rainy 
 season long and severe. The nights in Panama, however, are much cooler 
 than usual in tropical climate. 
 
 The other route is the overland, by Independence. The details of this 
 route are given below by Mr. Edwin Bryant, the author of '• What I saw in 
 California." They were communicated to the Louisville Courier in answer 
 to questions but to Mr. B. by the editor: — 
 
 t^rst — Which route by land is the best for the emigrant ? 
 
 Answer — The route via Independence or St. Joseph, Missouri, to Fort 
 Daramie, South Pass, Fort Hall, the Sink of Mary's River, &c. &c. the 
 old route. Let no emigrant, carrj'ing his family with him, deviate from it, 
 or imagine to himself that he can find a better road. This road is the best 
 that has yet been discovered, and to the Bay of San Francisco and the gold 
 regions it is much the shortest. The Indians, moreover, on this route, 
 have, up to the present time been so friendly as to commit no acts of 
 hostility on the emigrants. The trail is plain and good, where there are no 
 physical obstructions and the emigrant, by taking this route, will certainly 
 reach his destination in good season, and without disaster. From our infor- 
 mation we wonld most earnestly advise all emigrants to take this trail, 
 without deviation, if they would avoid the fatal calamities which almost 
 invariably have attended those who liave undertaken to explore new routes. 
 
 Seconrf^ What kind of wagon and team is preferable? 
 
 Answor — The lightest wagon that can be constructed of sufficient 
 strength to carry 2,500 pounds weight, as the vehicle most desirable. No 
 wagon should be loaded over this weight, for if it is, it will be certain to 
 
444 OOLJ RSOIOKS OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 ■tall in the muddy sloughs and crossings on the prairie in the first part of 
 the journey. This wagon can be hauled by three or four yokes of oxen or 
 ■ix mules. Oxen are usually employed by the immigrnnifl for hauling their 
 wagons. They travel about fifteen miles per day, and all things considered, 
 are perhaps equal to mules for this service, although thev cannot travel so 
 fast. They are, however, less expensive, and there is not so much dangei 
 of their starving and of being stolen by the Indians. 
 
 Pack-mules can only be employed by parties of men. It would be very 
 difficult to transport a party of women and children on pack^mules with the 
 provisions, clothing and baggage necessary to their comfort. A party of 
 men, however, with pack-mules, can make the journey in less time by on« 
 month than it can be done in wagons, carrying with them, however, nothing 
 more than their provisions clothing and amunition. 
 
 For parties of men going out, it would be well to haul their wagons, 
 provisions, &c., as far as Fort Laramie or Fort Hall by mules, carrying 
 with them pack-saddles and al/orgaaes, or large saddle-bags, adapted to the 
 pack saddle, with ropes for packing, <&c., when, if they saw proper, they 
 could dispose of their wagons for Indian ponies, and pack into California 
 gaining perhaps two or three weeks' time. 
 
 Third — What provisions are necessary to a man? 
 
 Answer — The provisions actually necessary per man are as follows. 
 
 Of Flour 150 lbs. I Of Bacon 150 lbs. 
 
 Coffee 25 " | Sugar, 30 '• 
 
 Added to these, the main items, there should be a small quantity of rice, 
 fifty or seventy-five pounds of crackers, dried peaches, &c, and a keg of 
 lard, with salt, pepper, &c., with auch other luxuries of light weight as the 
 person out-fitting chooses to purchase. He will think of them Before lis 
 starts. 
 
 Fourth — What arms and ammunition are necessary? 
 
 Answer — Every man should be provided with a good rifle, and if con- 
 Tenient with a pair of pistols, five pounds of powder and ten pounds of 
 lead. A revolving belt pistol may be found useful. 
 
 With the wagon there should be carried such carpenter's tools as a hand- 
 saw, auger, gimblet, chisel, shaving-knife, &c., an axe, hammer, and 
 hatchet. The last weapon every man should have in his bolt, with a 
 hunter's or a bowie knife. 
 
 Fifth — What is the length of the journey ? 
 
 Answer — From Independence to the first settlement in California, which 
 is near the gold region, is about 2050 miles — to San Francisco, 2290 miles. 
 
 Sixth — What is the time for starting? 
 
 Answer — Emigrants should be at Independence, St. Joseph, Mo., or the 
 point of starting, by the 20th of April, and start as soon thereafter as the 
 grass on the prairies will permit. This is sometimes by the first of May 
 and sometimes ten days later, according to the season. 
 
 THE GOLD REGIONS — MISCELLANEOUS MATTER. 
 
 The following extract is from a letter written by Thomas O. Larkin to Mr 
 Buchanan, the Secretary of State. It is dated at Monterey, June 2i3, 1848. 
 
 I am of the opinion that on the American fork. Feather River, and 
 Copimes River, there are near two thousand people, uiue-tenths of them 
 
MISCELLAN30U8 HATTER. 446 
 
 foreigners. Perhaps there are one hundred families, who hav iheir teams, 
 wagons and tents. Many persons are waiting to see whether the months of 
 July and August will be sickly, before they leave their present business to 
 go to the *• Placer." The discoverj" of this gold was made by some Mor- 
 mons, in January or February, who for a time kept it a secret; the majority 
 of those who are working there began in May. In most every instance the 
 men, after digging a few days, have been compelled to leave for the purpose 
 of returning home to see their families, arrange their business and purchase 
 provisions. I feel confident in saying there are fiftv men in this "placer" 
 who have on an average $1000 each, obtained in May and June. I have 
 not met with any person who had been fully employed in washing gold one 
 month; most, however, appear to have averaged an ounce per day. I think 
 there must, by this time, bo over 1000 men at work upon the different 
 branches of the Sacramento; putting their gains at $10,000 per day, for 
 six days in the week, appears to me not overrated. 
 
 Should this news reach the emigration of California and Oregon, now on 
 the road, connected with the Indian wars, now impoverishing the latter 
 country, we should have a large addition to our population; and should the 
 richness of the gold region continue, our emigrants in 1849 will be many 
 thousand, and in 1850 still more. If our countrj'men in California as clerks, 
 mechanics and workmen will forsake employment at from $2 to $6 per day, 
 how many more of the same class in the Atlantic States, earning much less, 
 will leave for this countnt' under such prospects? It is the opinion of many 
 who have visited the gold regions the past and present ironths, that the 
 ground will afford gold for many years, perhapfi for a centur)*. From my 
 own examination of the rivers and their bankd, 1 am of opinion that, at 
 least for a few years, the golden products will equal the present year. 
 However, as neither men of science, nor the laborers now at work, have 
 made any explorations of consequence, it is a matter of impossibility to give 
 any opinion as to the extent and richness of this part of California. Every 
 Mexican who has seen the place says throughout their Republic there has 
 never been anv "placer like this one." 
 
 Could Mr. t'olk and yourself see California as we now see it, you would 
 think that a few thousand people, on ICO miles square of the Sacramento 
 valley, would yearly turn out of this river the whole price our country pays 
 for the acquired territorj'. When I finished my first letter I doubted my 
 own writing, and, to be better satisfied, showed it to one of the principal 
 merchants of San Francisco, and to Capt. Folsom, of the Quartermaster's 
 Department, who decided at once I was far below the reality. You cer- 
 tainly will suppose, from my two letters, that I am, like others, led away by 
 the excitement of the day. I think I am not. In my last I inclosed a small 
 sample of the gold dust, and I find my only error was in putting a value to 
 the sand. At that time I was not aware how the gold was found; I now 
 can describe the mode of collecting it. 
 
 A person without a machine, after digging cff one or two feet of the 
 upper ground, near the water (in some cases they take the top earth,) 
 throws into a tin pan or wooden bowl a shovel full of loose dirt and stones; 
 then placing the basin an inch or two under water, continues to stir up the 
 dirt with his hand in such a manner that the running water will carry ofT 
 the light earths, occasionally, with his hand, throwing out the stones; af>er 
 an operation of this kind for twenty or thirty minutes, a spoonful uf small 
 black sand remains; this \f, on a handkerchief or cloth, dried in the sun, 
 the emerge is blown off, leaving the pure gold. I have the pleasure of 
 inclosing a paper of this sand and gold, which I, from a bucket of dirt and 
 
446 GOLD RE0I0X3 OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 •tones, in half an hour, standing at the edge of the water, washed out 
 myself. The vaUio of it may be .fi or $3. 
 
 The size of the ffold depends in some measure upon the river from which 
 It is taken, the banks of one river having iurger grains uf gold than another. 
 ( presume more than one-half of the gold put into pans or machines is 
 washed out and goes down the stream; this is of no consequence to the 
 washers, who core only for the present time. Some have formed companies 
 of four or five men, and have a rough-made machine put together in a day, 
 which worked to much advantage, yet many prefer to work alone, with a 
 wooden bowl or tin pan, worth fifteen or twenty cents in the States, but eight 
 to sixteen dollars at the gold region. As the workmen continue, and mate- 
 rials can be obtamed, improvements will take place in the mode of obtaining 
 gold; at present it is obtained by standing in the water, and with much 
 severe labor, or such as is called here severe labor. 
 
 How long tliis gathering of gold by the handful will continue here, or the 
 future effect it will have on California, I cannot say. Three-fourths of the 
 bouses in the town on the Buy of San Francisco are deserted. Houses are 
 sold at the price of the ground lots. The effects are this week showing 
 themselves in Monterey. Almost every house I had hired out is given up. 
 Every blacksmith, carpenter and lawyer is leaving; brick yards, saw mills 
 and ranches are left perfectly alone. A large number of the volunteers at 
 San Francisco and Sonoma have deserted; some have been retaken and 
 brought back; public and private vessels are losing their crews: my clerks 
 have had 100 per cent, advance offered them on their wages to accept em- 
 ployment. A complete revolution in the ordinar\' state of affuirs is taking 
 place; both of our newspapers are discontinued from want of workmen ana 
 the loss of their agencies; the Alcaldes have left San Francisco, and I 
 believe Sonoma likewise; th(3 former place has not a Justice of the Peace 
 left. 
 
 The second Alcalde of Monterey to-day joins the keepers of our principal 
 hotel, who have closed their office and house, and will leave to-morrow for 
 the golden rivers. I saw on the ground a lawyer who was last year Attor- 
 ney General of the King of the Sandwich Islands, digging and washing out 
 his ounce and a half per day; near him can be found most all his brethren 
 of the long robe, working in the same occupation. 
 
 To conclude; my letter is long, but I could not well describe what I have 
 seen in less words, and I now can believe that my account may be doubted; 
 if the affair proves a bubble, a mere excitement, I know not how we can all 
 be deceived, as we are situated. Gov. Mason and his staff have left Mon- 
 terey to visit the place in question, and will. I suppose, soon forward to his 
 department his views and opinions on this subject. Most of the land where 
 gold has been discovered, is public land; there are, on different rivers, some 
 jwivate grants. I have three such, purchased in 1846 and '47, but have 
 not learned that any private lands have produced gold, though they may 
 hereafter do so. 
 
 Here is a letter of great sprightliness, beauty and interest, prepared by 
 that finished scholar and noted writer, the Rev. Walter Colton, Alcalde ol 
 Monterey. 
 
 MoNTKRKY, California, Aug. 2^, 1!'48. 
 
 The gold discoveries still continue — every day brings some new deposit 
 to light. It has been found in large quantities on the Sacramento, Feather 
 River, Yerba River, the American fork — North and South branches — the 
 Cosamar, and in mauy dr}' ravines, and indeed on the tops of high hills 
 
MLSCELLANEorS MATTER 447 
 
 The tract of country in which it is ascertained to exist, extends some two 
 hundied miles Nortli and South, and some sixty East and West; and these 
 limits are every day enlarfjing by new discoveries. On the streams where 
 the gold has been subjected to the action of water and sand, it exists in fine 
 grains; on the hills and among the clefts of the rocks it is found in rough, 
 lagged pieces of a quarter or half an ounce in weight, and sometimes two 
 or three ounces. 
 
 The gold is obtained in a variety of ways; some wash it out of the sand 
 with howls, some with a machine made like a cradle, only longer and open 
 at the foot, while at the oilier end, instead of a squalling infant, there is a 
 grating upon which the earth is thrown, and then water; both pass through 
 the grating, — the cradle is rocked, and being on an inclined plane, the 
 water carries off the earth, and the gold is deposited in the bottom of the 
 cradle. So the two things most prized in this world, gold and infant beauty, 
 are both rocked out of their primitive stage, one to pamper pride, and the 
 other to pamper tho worm. Some forego cradles and bowls as too tame an 
 occupation, and mounted on horses, half wild, dash up the mountain gorges 
 and over the steep hills, picking the gold from the clefts of the rocks with 
 their bowie knives, — a much better use to make of these instruments than 
 picking the life out of men's bodies; for what is a man with that article 
 picked out of him ? 
 
 A larger party, well mounted, are following up the channel of the Sacra 
 mento, to discover where this gold, found in its banks, comes from ; and 
 imagine that near the river's fount they will find the great yellow mass itself. 
 But they might as well hunt the fleeting rainbow. The gold was thrown up 
 from the bed of the ocean with the rocks and sands in which it is found; and 
 still bears, where it has escaped the action of the element, vivid traces of 
 volcanic fire. It often encases a crystal of quartz, in which the pebble lies 
 as if it had slumbered there from eternity; its beautiful repose sets human 
 artifice at defiance. How strange that thit: ore should have lain here, scat- 
 tered about in all directions, peeping everywhere out of the earth, and spark- 
 ling in the sun, and been trod upon for agqs by white men and savages, and 
 by the emissaries of every scientific association in the world, and never till 
 now have been discovered ! What an ass man is, with all his learning ! 
 He stupidly stumbles over hills of gold to reach a rare pepper pod, or rifle a 
 bird's nest ! 
 
 The whole countrj' is now moving on the mines. Monterey, San Fran- 
 cisco, Sonoma, San Jose, and Santa Cruz, are emptied of their male popu- 
 lation. A stranger coming here would suppose he had arrived among a race 
 of women, who, by some anomalous provsion of nature, multiplied their 
 images without the presence of the other sex But not a few of the women 
 have gone too, especially those who had got out of tea — for what is women 
 without her tea pot — a pythoness without her shaking tripod — an angel that 
 has lost his lyre. Every bowl, tray, warming-pan, and piggin has gone to 
 the mines. Everything in short, that has a scoop in it ♦hat will hold sand 
 and water. All the iron has been worked up into crow-bars, pick-axes and 
 spades. And all these roll back upon us in the shape of gold. We have, 
 therefore, plenty of gold, but little to eat, and still less to wear. Our supplies 
 must come from Oregon, Chili and the United States. Our grain gold, in 
 exchange for coin, sells for nine and ten dollars the ounce, though it is well 
 known to be v/orth at the mint in Philadelphia eighteen dollars the ounce at 
 least. Such is the scarcity of coin here. 
 
 We want a mint. liCt Congress send us one at once over the Isthmus; 
 elsn this grain gold go«s to Mazatlun, to Chili and P«ru — whers it is lost to 
 
448 GOLD REGIONS OF CALIFOHNIA. 
 
 our national currency. Over a million jf gold, at the lowest computation, 
 is taken from these mines every month — and this quantity will be more than 
 doubled when the emigration from the Stales, from Oregon, the Sandwich 
 Islands, and the Southern republics arrives. Send us a mint ! I could 
 give you forty more illustrations of the extent and productiveness of these 
 mines, but no one will believe what I have said without mv name, and 
 perhaps but few with k 
 
 LETTER FROM CAPT. FOLSOM. 
 
 The latest and most authentic intelligence from the Gold Regions of Cali- 
 fornia, is the most interesting and the best. The following letter from Capt. 
 Folsom, it will be seen, is of recent date; and on perusal the reader will 
 find it is pregnant with valuable facts: 
 
 Saw Fkancisco, California, Oct. 8th, 1848. 
 
 Mt Deah Sir: — The prices of labor here will create surprise in the Uni- 
 ted States. Kannakas, or Sandwich Islanders, the worst of laborers, are now 
 employed constantly about town in storing and landing merchandise at a 
 dollar an hour each; and the most indifTerent laborers are hired by the week 
 together at six or eight dollars per day. Mechanics obtain, when employed 
 by the day, eight or ten dollars per day, and by the month about six. In a 
 few days, as the sickly season is over, I presume wages will advance, for 
 most of the laboring classes are returning to the mines. 
 
 I have just completed the repairs upon a government lighter, preparatory 
 to discharging the cargo of the transport ship Huntress, f attempted to hire 
 a lighter to effect this, but could not get one capable of containing one hun- 
 dred and twenty barrels manned by two men, short of fiftv dollars per day. 
 I have had the master of the government lighter employed for several days 
 in getting a crew for her; and when he offers $80 per month for sailors, he 
 is laughed at, and told that a man can get that amount at the mines in one 
 day. 
 
 A few days since, I sent a wagon-master to employ some men to handle 
 stores in the public warehouse. After searching about the town in vain, foi 
 several hours, he saw a man on the dock whom he felt sure of getting, fo. 
 the individual in question did not seem to be blessed with a redundancy of 
 this world's gear. He was wearing a slouched hat without a crown, a 
 dilapidated buckskin hunting shirt or frock, a very uncleanly red woolen 
 shirt, with pantaloons hanging in tatters, and his feet had an apology for a 
 covering in one old shoe, and one buckskin moccasin, sadly the worse for 
 wear and age. When asked if he wanted employment, he replied in the 
 affirmative; and as the young man was proceeding to tell him what he 
 wished to have him do, he was interrupted with •• It is not that kind of work, 
 sir, that I want; (at the same time taking a bag containing about hco quarts 
 of gold dust from his buckskin shirt,) I want to work in the mines, sir. 
 Look here, stranger, do you see this? This bag contains gold dust; and do 
 
 vou suppose I am to make a d d nigger of myself, handling boxes and 
 
 i)arrels for eight or ten dollars per dnijf I should think not, stranger! '' 
 And our friend left in a most contemptuous manner. Nor was this a solitary 
 instance of like conduct; they occur daily and hourly in this village. 
 
 All sorts of labor is got at enormous rates of compensation. Common 
 clerks and salesmen in the stores about town often receive as high as $2500 
 and their board. The clerk now in my office is a young boy, who, until a 
 few weeks since, was a 'private of volunteers, and I am now paying him 
 $1500 per annum. This will not appear high, when I tell you that I have 
 
MISCELLANEOUS MATTER. 449 
 
 junt seen upon his table a wa«h bill, made out and paid, at the rate of eight 
 dollars per dozen; and (hat alnioet every thing else is at corresponding pri* 
 ces. 1 he principal waiter in the hotel where I board is paid $1,7UU per 
 vear, and several others from $1,2U0 to $1,500. 1 fortunately have an 
 Indian boy, or 1 should be forced to clean lyy own boots, for 1 could not 
 employ a good body servant fur the full amount of my salary ae a govern- 
 ment officer. It will be impoeaiblie for any army officer to live here upon his 
 pay without becoming rapidly impoverished, for his time is not his own to 
 enter upon business; and although he might have money, his opportunities 
 for making it useful to him are few, unless he invests it in real estate. 
 Unless something is done, I am unable to see how it is possible for officers, 
 living upon the salaries granted by law to militar}' men, to support them- 
 selves in this country. 
 
 I believe every army officer in California, with one or two exceptions, 
 would have resigned last summer, could they have done it and been free at 
 once to commence for ihemselves. But the war was not then terminated, 
 and no one could 'hope to communicate with Washington correspondents, to 
 
 fret an answer in loss than six, and perhaps ten months. For some time 
 ast summer, (August and July,) the officers at Monterey were entirely 
 without servants; and the Governor (Col. Mason,) actually took his turn in 
 cooking for his mess. Unless some prompt action is taken to pay both offi- 
 cers and men serving in this country, in proportion to the unavoidable 
 expenses to be incurred, the former will resign and the latter will desert, and 
 it will be impossible to maintain a military force in California. 
 
 I look upon California as perhaps the richest mineral country on the globe. 
 I have written you at great length as to the gold, and since the date of that 
 letter other and richer mines have been discovered. Rich silver mines are 
 known to exist in various parts of the country, but they are not worked. 
 Quicksilver mines are found at innumerable places, and many of them afford 
 the richest ores. The new Almadin mine at Santa Clara gives the richest 
 ore of which we have any accounts. With very imperfect machinery, it 
 yields upward of fifty per cent., and the proprietors are now working it, and 
 are preparing to quadruple their force. Iron, cupper, lead, tin, sulphur, zinc, 
 platinum, cobalt, &c. are said to be found in abundance, and most of them 
 are known to exist in various sections of the country. 
 
 As an agricultural territory, its great disadvantage is a want of rain; but 
 this is by no means so great as has been represented. I believe California 
 can be made to produce as fine wheat, r)'e, oats, buckwheat, barley, vegeta- 
 bles, and fruits, especially grapes, as any portion of the world. Nothing that 
 has been fairly tried has failed, and nearly every thing has produced wonder- 
 fully. The portions of the soil which are capable of cultivation are inconsid- 
 erable in comparison with the whole area of the country; but the soil about 
 this bay, and in many of the large valleys, is equal to the wants of a dense 
 population. It is proverbially healthy, and with the exception of portions of 
 the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, no country ever had, at the same 
 period of its settlement, a more salubrious climate. 
 
 1 think California affi)rds means for the investment of capital such as few 
 other countriss oifer. Any person who could come in here now with ready 
 cash would be certain of doubling his money in a few months. Large for- 
 tunes will be made here within the ensuing year, and I am told that there 
 are some hundreds of persons who have already made on an average ^'25, 
 000 each. Whole cargoes of goods are sold at an average of about 150 per 
 cent, clear profit, and ready pay in gold dust. 
 
 When I came to this place 1 expended a few hundred dollars iu waste lots. 
 
450 GOLD REGIONS OF CALIKOUNIA. 
 
 Covered with bunlicH and Hand hills. Tho chapter of events \vh ch has /ol 
 lowed JH iikplyto innko this (iropoity quite valualile, if 1 am able to look alter 
 u. What cost ine leis« than $M(J(i, 1 MuppoNc I could now sell tor $S,OUU or 
 perhaps |ill),(IO(). It is this consideration which makes me willing to return 
 to a country whore mysalarjtis insulKciont for my su|iport. If ConjjreHs 
 does not increase tiie pay of officers serving here, 1 should still he willing to 
 return, in tho expectation that my private interests would justify a measure 
 which would otherwise be certain to impoverish me. 
 
 Something should be done here at once for the establishment of peace and 
 good order in the country. All law, both civil and military, is at an end. 
 Among the mines, and indeed in most parts of the country out of the villa- 
 ges, no authority but that of tho strongest exists, and outrages of the most 
 disgraceful nature are constantly occurring, and the oUbndcrs go unpunished. 
 There are now about twenty-five vessels in this port, and 1 believe there is 
 not one of them that has a crew to go to sea. Frequently the sailors arm 
 themselves, take the shi|)'s boats, and leave in the most open manner, 
 defying both their otlicers and the civil magistrates. These things are dis- 
 graceful to the country and the Hag, and while vessels have to pay port 
 charges, duties, &c., their owners ought to be protected. The tariff law of 
 lb46 is now in force in California. 
 
 We have not had an American man-of-war in this port for more than a 
 year, aud all the naval resources of tho United States on this coast are con- 
 centrated at Monterey, which is not a harbor but an open roadstead, and 
 which has not one-tenth of the business on its watei« which is done in this 
 bay. During the whole year that 1 was collector of this port, there was not 
 a gun mounted for commanding the entrance of the port, and there was not 
 a United States man-of-war in the harbor. We were exacting a "military 
 contribution," and we possessed not the slightest means of preventing ves- 
 sels from leaving in defiance of our authority. 
 
 In a few months the lino of ocean mail steamers will be in operation from 
 Panama to Oregon, and this port is to be a depot for coal, and of course a 
 stopping point in passing both ways. The starting of the line of steamers 
 on this coast is likely to be an undertaking of very great diiHculty, and at 
 this time, such is its importance, with reference to both Oregon and Cali- 
 fornia, that its failure might be looked upon as a national calamity. Still, 
 unless some kind of protection is extended to the shipping of this port, it is 
 not at all improbable that it may fail for want of the necessary laborers, aa 
 soon as the boats reach this harbor. Indeed, it is altogether probable, unless 
 some competent authority is found here at the time to preserve order, that 
 the crew will quit in a body as soon as the first vessel arrives. 
 
 Every possible assistance should be extended to insure the success of this 
 company, and even.' reasonable latitude should be granted in the execution 
 of their contract. It is now uncertain if the steamers can enter Columbia 
 river at all times in the winter; and they may find it necessarj' to run up to 
 Paget's Sound. This would be a small inconvenience in comparison to the 
 loss of one of these versels upon the very dangerous bar at the mouth of the 
 Columbia — an event not at all improbable, if they enter that river in the 
 winter. 
 
 NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 The followingletters were communicated to the "Californian" newspaper 
 and exhibit very graphically the state of excitement and the actual state ol 
 things in the Gold Regions during last summer. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS MATTER. 461 
 
 Nkw Helvetia, Juno 30, 1818. 
 I have just returned from Fort Sacramento, from the gold rogioii, from 
 whence 1 write this; and in compliance with my promise, on leaving the 
 sea coast, I send you such items as I have gathered. 
 
 Our trip after leaving your city, by way of Puoblo, San Jose, and the San 
 Joaquin river, we found very agreeable. Passing over a lovely country, 
 with its valleys and hills covered with the richest verdure, intertwined with 
 flowers of every hue. The country from the San Joaquin river to this 
 place, is rich beyond comparison, and will admit of a dense population. 
 
 We found the fort a miniature Manchester, a young Lowell. The black- 
 smith's hammer, the tinner, the carpenter, and the weaver's shuttle, plying 
 by the ingenuity of Indians, at which place there are several hundred in the 
 employ of Capt. J. A. Sutter. I was much pleased with a walk in a large 
 and beautiful garden attatched to the fort. It contains about eight or ten 
 acres, laid out with great taste, under the supervision of a you>.ig Swiss. 
 Among the fruit trees I noticed the almond, fig, olive, pear, apple, and 
 peach. The grape vines are in the highest state of cultivation, and for 
 vegetables, I would refer you to a seedman's catalogue. 
 
 About three miles from the fort, on the east bank of the Sacramento, the 
 town of Suttersville is laid out. The location is one of the best in the 
 country, sitnated in the largest and most fertile district in California, and 
 being the depot for the extensive gold, silver, platina, quicksilver, and iron 
 mines. A hotel is now building for the accomodation of the travelling pub- 
 lic, who are now obliged to impose on the kind hospitalities of Capt. Sutter. 
 A party of men who have been exploring a route to cross the Sierra Nevada 
 mountains, have justreturned, and report that they have found a good wagon 
 road on the declivity ridge between the American fork and the McCossamy 
 rivers, the distance being much less than by the old route. The road will 
 pass through the gold district, and enter the valley near the American fork 
 A ferry is to be established at Sutterjvillo, on the Sacramento, and the 
 road across the tularie improved soon, which will shorten the distance from 
 this place to Sonoma and your city, about 60 miles. 
 
 After leaving the fort we passed up on the south bank of the American 
 fork, about twelve miles. This is a beautiful river, about three fathoms deep 
 the water being very cold and clear; and after leaving the river we passed 
 through a country rolling and timbered with oak. We soon commenced 
 ascending the hills at the base of the Sierra Nevada, which are thickly set with 
 oak and pine timber, and soon arrived at a small rivulet. One of our party 
 dipped up a cupful of sand from the bed of the creek, washed it, and found 
 five pieces of gold. This was our first attempt at gold digging. About dark 
 we arrived at the saw-mill of Captain Sutter, having ridden over gold, silver, 
 platina and iron mines, some twenty or thirty miles. The past three days 1 
 have spent in exploring the mountains in this district, and conversing with 
 many men who have been at work here for some weeks past. Should I 
 attempt to relate to you all that I have seen, and have been told, concerning 
 itje extent and productions of the mines, I am fearful your readers would 
 think me exaggerating too much, therefore 1 will keep within bounds. I 
 could fill your columns ^vith the most astonishing tales concerning the mines 
 here, far excelling the Arabian Nights, and all true to tlie letter. 
 
 As near as I tan ascertain, there are now about 2,000 persons engaged, 
 and the roads leading to the mines are thronged with people and wagons. 
 From one to nine ounces of pure virgin gold per day is gathered by every 
 man who performs the requisite labor. The mountains have been i xplored 
 for about forty miles, and gold has been found in great abundance in almost 
 
462 GOLD RX0I0N8 01* CALITOKNIA. 
 
 ever}' part of Ihom. A gentleman informed me that he had spent some tint 
 in exploriiig the countryt and had dug fifty-two holes with his butcher's 
 knife iu diiierent places, and found gold in every one. 
 
 Several extensive silver mines have been discovered, but very little atten- 
 tion is paid to them now. Inunonse beds of iron ore, of superior quality, 
 yielding b5 to 90 per cent., have also been found near the American (ork. 
 
 A griHt mill is to be attached to the saw mill, for the purpose of conveni- 
 ence of families and others settling at the mines. The water power of the 
 American Fork is equal to any upon this continent, and in a few years large 
 iron founderies, rolling, splitting and nail mills will be erected. 
 
 The granite of the mountains is superior to the celebrated Quincy. A 
 quarrj' of beautiful marble has been discovered near the McCossamy river, 
 specimens of which you will see in a few years in the front of the Custom 
 House, Merchants' Exchange, City Hall, and other edifices iu your flour- 
 ishing city. 
 
 P. S. — •* The crj' is still, they come." Two men have just arrived for 
 provisions from the Abjuba river, who state that they have worked five days, 
 and gathered $950 in gold, the largest piece weighing nearly one ounce. 
 They report the quantity on that river to be immense, and in much larger 
 pieces than that taken in other parts. 
 
 SoHOHA, Aug. 5, 1848. 
 
 The mining fever is raging here, as well as elsewhere. Not a mechanic or 
 laboring man can be obtained in town, and most of our male citizens have 
 " gone up" to the Sierra Nevada, and are now enjoying "golden moments." 
 Spades, shovels, pick-axes, hoes, bottles, vials, snun-boxes, brass tubes, 
 earthern jars, and even barrels, have been put in requisition, and have also 
 abruptly left town. 
 
 I have heard from one of our citizens who has been at the Gold Placer a 
 few weeks, and he had collected $1,500 worth of the "root of evil," and 
 was still averaging $100 per day. Another gent, wife and boy collected 
 $•500 worth in one day. Another still, who shut up his hotel here some five 
 or six weeks since, has returned with $2,200 in pure virgin gold, collected 
 by his own exertions, with no other aid than a spade, pick and Indian 
 basket. 
 
 Three new and valuable lead mines have recertly been discovered in this 
 vicinity, and one of our citizens, Mr. John Bowles, of Galena, III. — a gent, 
 who has been reported by the Boston press as having been murdered by the 
 Indians, on the Southern route to Oregon, from the States — informed ma 
 that the ore would yield 90 per cent., and that it was his intention to erect, 
 as soon as practicable, six large smelting furnaces. 
 
 The Colonnade Theatre, at this place, has closed for the season; it was 
 well attended, however, from the time the Thespians made their debut till 
 they made their exit The " Golden Farmer," the " Omnibus," and a 
 Russian comedy called " Feodora,' (translated from the German of Kotze- 
 bue, by Mr. F. Linz, of Sonoma,) were their last attractions. 
 
 The military company under command of Capt. J. E. Brnckett, are to- 
 day exchanging posts with Company H., under command of Captain Fris- 
 bie, both of ihe New York Volunteers. Company C. has been stationed 
 with us more than a year, and much praise is due its members, not only for 
 the military and soldier-like manner in which they have acquitted them- 
 selves as a corps, but for their gentlemanly and orderly deportment individ- 
 ually aiiti collectively. We regret to part with them, and cannot let them 
 go without expressing a hope that when peace shall have been declared, 
 their regiment disbanded, and their countr)* no longer needs their serviceiii 
 
MISCKLLiNBOtJB UATTCR. 468 
 
 they may have fallen aufficiently in love with oar healthy climate and oar 
 beautiful valley to cume back and aetUe. 
 
 GOLD. 
 
 The New York Evening Pott haa an article upon this rabject« from which 
 we take the following: 
 
 The places where it is found are much more numerous than we might at 
 first suppose. The mines of America, however, surpass those of all other 
 countries. Though of comparative newness, they have furnished three 
 times and a half more gold and twelve times more silver than those of the 
 old world. Silver and gold were, before the discovery of America, supposed 
 to bear to each other the relation of 55 to 1. In Europe the proportion ia 
 now about 15 to 1. 
 
 The gold of Mexico is chiefly found m argentiferous veins, as at Guana* 
 xnato, where it is obtained one ounce in 360. The only auriferous veins, 
 worked as such, are at Oaxaca. The rivers in Caraccas now over auriferous 
 sands. Peru is not reported rich in gold at present. The gold of New 
 Grenada is found in alluvial soil, and is washed out in the shape of spangles 
 and grains. The gold of Chili is found under similar circumHtances. Bra- 
 zil formerly brought the most gold to market, not even excepting Russia, 
 which now, however, surpassses her. All the rivers running from the Bra* 
 xilian mountains have gold, and the annual product of fine metal is now 
 rated at |5,000,000. 
 
 There are no very late tables of the products of the American mines. 
 We have ascertained, by accident purely, how the estimate is made at 
 present. 
 
 From 1790 to 1830, forty years, the product of Mexico was:— 
 
 Gold £6,436,453 
 
 Silver 139,818,032 
 
 ChiU — 
 
 Gold £2.768,488 
 
 Silver 1,822,924 
 
 Buenos Ayres — 
 
 Gold £4,024.895 
 
 Silver 27,182,673 
 
 Add to this Russia— 
 
 Gold £2,703,743 
 
 Silver 1,502,981 
 
 And we have from four countries alone 1880 millions of pounds sterling, o? 
 forty-seven millions per annum. 
 
 If we add the products of Europe and Asiatic Russia, of the East Indies 
 and Africa, which some estimate ui thirty-six tons of gold per annum, we 
 perceive that a vast amount of the precious metal is unearthed and some* 
 where in use. The relative value of gold has certainly changed very much 
 within a few hundred years, and it probably will change still more. But we 
 do not think it is likely to depreciate one-half in our time, for many reasons, 
 thouirh some persons imagine it will. 
 
 The true secret of all this present excitement is this: the Anglo Saxon 
 race, for the first time in their history, own and occupy gold mines of very 
 great value. Hitherto Africans, Asiatic or Indians, have held them, and 
 Ihey have never shown that ardor combined with perseverance which belongs 
 to lis. England never had any mines of gold, or she would have worked 
 
454 GOLD REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 them as diligently as she has those of coal. The Americans have now a 
 golden chauco, and they are the first of their blood that have ever had it 
 They will be sure to turn the opportunity to account. 
 
 At our leisure we will refer to some other interesting facta, in relation to 
 the value of gold at different periods. We conclude with recalling one sin- 
 gular circumstance to the recollection of our readers, that when the Romans 
 captured Jerusalem, they obtained so much gold, that the price of it iu Syria 
 fell one half. 
 
 LiKUTENANT L. LoKSER, of the Third Artillery, a graduate of West Point, 
 furnishes the following information respecting the gold region: 
 
 "We have been favored by Lieutenant Looser, bearer of dispatches from 
 Governor Mason to the government at Washington (who also brought on 
 about $20,00U of gold dust, which he deposited at Washington,) with a 
 general description of the gold regiou, the climate, «&c., of California. He 
 says the gold region is very large, and there is suihcient ore to profitably 
 employ one hundred thousand persons for generations to come. So far as 
 discovered, the gold is found in an extent of country four hundred miles 
 long, by one hundred and fifty wide, and no particular portion seems more 
 productive than another. In the river and on the flatlands the gold dust is 
 found; but among the rocks and in the highlands it is found in lumps, from 
 the size of a man's hand to the size of an ordinary duck-shot, all of which 
 is solid, and presents the appearance of having been thrown up by a volcanic 
 eruption. So plenty is the gold, that little care is paid to the washing of it 
 by those engaged when he left; the consequence of which is great quantities 
 are thrown away. In the highlands he was walking with a man who found 
 a piece weighing about thirty-five pennyweights, worth $29, but which he 
 purchased for )|4. The piece is solid, and has the form of a perfect acorn 
 on the top of it. He has had it, just as it was found, converted into a breast- 
 pin. A man, by ordinary labor, may procure from $50 to $sJOO per day. 
 With regard to the climate, he says, it is salubrious, at no time being so cold 
 as to require more than a light blanket to sleep under. When he left, the 
 people were sleeping under the trees, without the fear of sickness from 
 exposure. The rb y season begins about the first of November, and con- 
 tinues until March, though there are five clear days for every rainy one. 
 Provisions are generally high, at least such as cannot be obtained in the 
 country. Flour is worth $80 per barrel, though a fine bullock may be 
 obtained for $3. Clothing is very high, and the demand is very great. 
 The Indians, who have heretofore used no clothing whatever, now endeavor 
 to imitate the whites, and will give any price for garments. The report rel- 
 ative to the Mormons requiring 30 per cent, of all the gold found, he says, is a 
 mistake. When the gold was first discovered, one of the leaders of that 
 people demanded that amount from all the Mormons, but they remonstrated, 
 and refused to pay it, which remonstrance caused not the slightest difhculty 
 among the people. He was in San Francisco when the gold was first dis- 
 covered, about forty miles from that place. The news was received one 
 day, and the following morning, out of the whole company to which he was 
 attached, every one deserted except two sergeants, and took with them all 
 the horses belonging to the officers. In a few days the city was almost 
 entirely deserted, and Col. Mason, the governor of the territory, was, and 
 has ever sin:;e been, obliged to prepare and cook his own food. A servant 
 cannot he hrd at any price; and the soldiers have not sufTiciont pay for n 
 month to subsist on fur a week. The salary of the governor is not sufiicient 
 
MISCELLANEOUS MATTER. 455 
 
 to support hiiri; and, like all others in the more wealthy circles of life, he la 
 o)>li^rt:(l lo be Iu8 own Hcrvant He epeaks of the country as olVering the 
 l^ruutest intiucenienttj to young uion of enterprise, and thinks there is ample 
 fooiii iiiiJ > old lur hundruds ol thousands. 
 
 ADVICE TO THOSE GOLNG TO CALIFORNIA BY THE CAPES. 
 
 The foliowinjr article, condensed from correspondence in a daily paper of 
 New Yoik City, will be found to contain many valuable hints to the Califor- 
 nia hound iravc-lor. It came to hand too late to appear in its proper place, 
 whore the four diffen'iit routes are spoken of : 
 
 The fnst grand desideratum is, to secure comfort on the passage, by the 
 most eflicient and ccononiicul means, thereby, as far as possible insuring the 
 arrival of the cumpuuy at tiicir destination in good health and condition. 
 
 To insure the most p( rfect health and comfort attainable on so long a 
 voyage, a vessel should not be fitted up as our European passenger 8hij)s are, 
 witli bunks for the passengers to sleep in, but the berth deck should be free 
 from bulkheads fore and alt. This arrangement would give plenty of room 
 for the company to swing iheir hammocks or cots, which could be stowed on 
 deck in pleasant weather, leaving the berth deck free from encumbrance, for 
 the company to amuse themselves with conversation or exercise. Such an 
 anangoment would secure a more perfert ventilation (a very important con- 
 sideration) than bunks could possibly admit of, as bunks unavoidably harbor 
 filth and vorn)in, besides leaving very little room for the exercise so abso- 
 lutely necessary in preventing the diseases incident to a protracted voyage. 
 Before the company proceeds on the voyage, each member should subscribe 
 to a code of regulations, and oflicers be appointed to carry them into effect. 
 This arrangement should bo made in order to obviate the vexation and an- 
 noyance which inevitably occur wherever a large number of persons are 
 promiscuously on shipboard. A simple system, such as regularity of meals 
 and cleansing the interior of the ship, similar to the Navy regulations in that 
 particular, are indispensible and will contribute much to the pleasure, com- 
 fort, health, and good fellowship of all on board. 
 
 The company should be composed of practical r sons— Agriculturists, 
 Mechanics, and Artisans, as t rly eqvul inpeamiary condition and inteUi' 
 gence as circumstances will ac r, and it would be verv important for the 
 most useful and necessary art;-, to oe well re^ -esented. By such an organi- 
 zation, the company would be very efHcient; for by taking on board cloth, 
 leather, iron, lumber, brick, &c. their clothing, shoes, iron and wood work 
 of a brick house niigiit be made on board. And would employ the various 
 mechanics connected with those arts, would tend to relieve the monotony of 
 the ocean, and practically illustrate the bi--fits and. many advantages of a 
 true associuti n of interests. 
 
 The agricultural implements of the most approved method, together w'th 
 the choicest varieties of young fruit trees and garden seeds, should be 
 jdovided. Instead of the usual ballast for the vessel, brick and lime, if 
 necessary, could be taken for that purpose, which might be used by the 
 company or disposed of to great advantage at San Francisco. The vessel 
 might be profitably employed in iransjHM-ting passengers to and from the 
 Isthmus, with great profit to the rom; any, of which the otHcers and ship's 
 company should be members. A skillful surgeon should belong to the 
 association. Every meniber of the company should contribute all the useful 
 books he could, as a library on ship-board would be a constant source of 
 anmsement and instruction. 
 
456 GOLD RKOIOKS OF CAI.IPOTINIA 
 
 Persons nbout emharking on so long « vojnge should be v«n- phiiicuiar 
 and have their provisions carefully put up. The United Stales service 
 rations will be found to be veiy ecouoniicai. The following is the weekly 
 allowance per man: — 
 
 Sunday — 14 oz. bread, l| lb. beef, ^ lb, flour. 
 Monday— '14 oz. bread, 1 lb. pork, ^ pint t>eanH 
 Tuesday — 14 oz. bread, 2 oz. cheese, 1 lb. beef. 
 Wednesday— • 14 oz. bread, 1 lb. pork, ^ pint of rice. 
 Thursday— 14 oz. bread, 1^ lbs, beef, I lb. flour. 
 Friday— -14 ox. bread, 4 oz. cheese, 2 oz. butter, | pint rice, } pint 
 molasses, ^ pint vinegar. 
 
 Saturday— 14 oz. bread, 1 lb. pork, | pint beans, J lb. raisins. 
 The spirit ration is omitted. 
 
 This is sufficient fo< the hardest-working seaman. The flour thould be 
 kiln dried; any baker can do it It is only necessary- to evaporate all the 
 moisture, and pack it in air-tight casks. Pine-apple cheese is the best and 
 should be put up in water-tight boxes, saturated in alcohol. Sour crout, 
 pickles, &C. are excellent anti-scorbutics, and should bo eaten freely. Be 
 careful and lay in a good store of " salt water soap." 
 
 N. B. The flour should be packed in casks that have contained distilled 
 spirits. 
 
 A vessel bound for California by the way of Cape Horn by touching at 
 Rio Janeiro, Brazil and Callao, in Peru, would divide the vo}'age into three 
 
 Sieriods, increasing its interest without much addition to its length of time, 
 lio Janeiro has one of the most magnificent harbors on the globe, far 
 surpassing in natural grandeur the bay of Naples. The approach to the 
 stupendous mountain coast is inexpressibly grand. The entrance to the 
 capacious roadstead is through a narrow strait of great depth of water 
 unobstructed by rock or shoal, flanked on the North by the huge fortress of 
 Santa Cruz; on the South the " Sugar Loaf " rock proudly roars its lofty 
 cone near one thousand feet above the surface of the deep. The entire bay is 
 nearly surrounded by numerous mountain peaks of every conceivable form. 
 Leaving Rio we prepare to encounter the terrors of the " Horn," having 
 overcome its Westerly gales and " head-beat seas " debouching on the vast 
 Pacific, we career onwa-d before the •• trades " to Callao, the port of Lima 
 and capital of the Peruvian Republic. Here the refreshments peculiar to 
 the Tropics are plenty and of excellent quality. We ride at anchor over 
 the aneient City of Callao, (destroyed and sunk by an earthr|Uake 1746,) io 
 sight of the loftv Andes, the mighty cones of Pichnia and C'^topaxi blazing 
 their volcanic rires far above the region of eternal snow, their ice-frosted 
 summits glittering in the sun, forming a dazzling contrast with the clear 
 deep azure of the trophal skies. 
 
 Waving adieu to (. allao, our canvas spread lo woo the " trades," we 
 sweep onward to Alta-California, and entering the " Golden Gate " of the 
 Cornucopia of the Pacific, drop our anchor in the bav of San Francisco.