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NAM i; \ 1' I \ I

F K X y L Ri N G K X P Is D 1 1^ [ N

Til i: uo('i{ V Moi i\'i .\ii\ss

IN TIfK \V.\\\ I81-,'.

\\ll TO

ORMGON AND NOimi (AMKOKNIA

r\ THE VF.ARS l84M-'44.

BREVET CAPTAIN J. C. FREMUNT,

or IIIE TOUliiRAPIIICAI, KNOINEERS,

I'NbKK iHK ORDERS OF CoL. J I. AEf-RT. CHiKK OF IHK TOPOGRAPHICAI, KI'KEAU

SECOND EUrriON. Ilt.MlI.VTtU fRO.M THF orFICIAL COPT.

W A S H I N (J '1' n N .

PUBLISHED BY HENRY POLKINHuKN.

Sold by Tayloh, Wilde, &. Co., No. 3, Ellioit's buildings, VVashing-

rON, D. C, AND AT JaRVIs's BUILDINGS, NoRTH STREKT, BALTIMORE ;

W. Taylor, No. 2, Astor House, and Burgess, String£r & Co.,
New York; G. fV Zeiber, & Co., Philadelphia; Redding & i>o., Sax-
ton & Kelt, and Jordan, Swift, & Wiley, Boston; Robinson &
Jones, Cincinnati ; NoxiLE & Dean, Louisville, and C, Marshall,
Lexington, Ky. ; Amos Head, Charleston, S. C. ; J. C. Morgan, J.
B. Steel, and W. McKean, New Orleans, and by all the princi-
pal BOOKSELLERS THROUGHOUT THE UnITED StATES.

MDCCCXLV.

TO Tin:

HON. THOMAS HAIIT |] EN TON,

Snidlor of l/ir l'i)ihil Sltitvx froia Missoidi,

'V\\v t'ollowiii^- pnu(^s, coinprisiiin- the Nnrnitiv<' ol* ('nptaiii
r'Ki;M(»i\rs lirsl and second expeditions, I he coiidncl of wliicli
rellerts so nuicli honor on the chiiiacler aiid tahuils ol" thai
most meritorious oHicer, whilst tli»! results redound so amply
to the credit oi' the country, and to the |)roniotion of know
iediic and all \\\v best interests of mankind, is (with ()ermis-
sion) very respectfully dedicated by

THE PUBLT^IIER.

Washixcjton City, In45.

l'IJIUJSIIKR>5 rU'KI' ATI-:

r Cnptniii
of wliicli

s (>r thill

so iimply
of know
h [)erinis-

BIIER.

Although larRp rtlilion> (i| ihr irporls nl tlicsc Ivvn ii>i|iiiit;iiil ;inil ino.-^l iiiitM*' img rxjirilitioiiM
wcri' priiiti'il l>y order (il ( 'iiMLsrc'S, yrl it Iwis liccn mi|i|m)S(iI tlcil (lir |(uli|ir liciiiiirnl wuulit mil
lie llicri'liv liilly iiK't. It was hUo JiuIitciI rxpi'iliiMil Id priiil llit' work in it t4hii|ic wliich inii;lil
ivrifliT il iiccrsHJblf Id rvrry rciidrr; divrsliiiir i| of iIk- sciriitilic dcliiils, and llir iiHtrnnnniicid
iihscrvuliniis 'ind (■idcidiit'ions, wliifli, alllumi'li ol' the lii^hi'si iiniMirlaiicc In tlu' Irrtrni'd fi-vv, coidd
Udl l>i' s(i|i|i()scd to allitrd inalcriiil intrrcsl lo iho RWioral rciidcr. A work ol lliis dcscriplion should
[lOHHPHM rvrry fucilily for diMsnnination. '["Iicrc^ is nol an individual in om cnlirf iiopulalion lo
whom its diiails am nol of irniiortaiwc; Ihcrr is scarcely one lo whom its liases wHI not atVord
Crrat iiitcresl. 'I\) every citi/eii of the I'liiletl Slates il addresses ilsplf vvilh pi'diliar lorce, a-, re-
InliuR entirely lo Ainrricau aHiiirx, as heiii'^ the result of Auieriean enlerpiise and wkill, and a.
dcvplopint; /nailers of \\\v ulinosi importance to American inlercsls. It is entirely a /lau/r innnn-
fiiclnri', ami il needs no oilier protertioii than that chcprin-i approbation wliicli the piihiislier (wi:,
-lire tlie palriolisni of his fcllow-citi/ens will award lo so meritorious a [troihiction. To the sei
riililic puhlii' abroad, as well as lo the liberal minded and iinpiirini; reader ni cverv country, llip
work uill be very accpplnble; cxhibitini; as il does a new \ws,i\ in tht- history of the world's sur-
face, and spreading out before the eyes ol iiiankiml some of the •.■raiidost scenes in nature, which
had scan'cly iver before been viewed by civilized man.

'Japtaiii I'hdmont appear.-; to have been peculiarly well adapted for thu command of these ev ■
pnlitions. Posscssfid of more then an averasji' share id' bodily vii^or, and mental energy and c-i-
paoity; <pialilied by scicniilie attainments, and an ardeni love of nalurc; and imbued with a la te
toi investiiraliiit; the arcana of the mineral, venelable, and animal kin;,'doms, li'm, vet concil-
iatory in his intercoms.'; modest, yet di'.'iiilied in his niinners; iilleily regardless of .self, but leel
ingly alive lo the comforts, the rights, and the i)iivilege.s of others; blending tho decision and the
vigor of a strict disri[)liiiarian, with the kindiic-s and coiisideralion of a fiiend, lo all who shared
vvilii him the perils and privations of hi.i arduous joiirnoyings — vvilh this combinalioti of (jualitie-,
hc> success is not to be wondrreii at,- Seldom have so many accessories lo suci-e.ss been united m
the leader of such expeditions.

The first of lhes(! expeditions terminalcd at the Rocky mounlains, and at the two point, ol
greatest interest in that ridge — namely, the South I'ass, and Fremont's Peal;; the former being the
lowest depression of the mounlains, through which the road lo Oregon now passes; and (he latter
the highest elevation, from the base of which four trreal rivers take their rise, and f1(tw in oppo-
.site directions, toward the rising and the setting .sun. 'J'hc, .second, afler approaching the
moiuUains by a dilVerent route, eonnerts with the first expedition at lUe Scnith Pass, and Ihenre
finds Iho great theatre of its labors west of the Rocky inountains, and liclwcen the Oregon
river and North California. The thinl expedition, now commencing, will be direcled lo that .see
luin of the Kocky mountains which y;ives rise to the Arkansas, the Itio <irande del Norte, and thm
Kio (Colorado of (lalifornia; and will extend west ami southwest of that section, so as to examine
the country towards the Pacific ocean, ascertain the lines of commnnicatioii between the nionntain.s
and the ocean in that latitude, and comiilete the examination of the (ireat Salt I.ake, and of the
interesting region which embosoms it.

The first expedition west of the Mississippi, under the direction of the (.iovernment of the United
States, vva.> that of Lewis and Clauke, which has been justly characterized as one of the most
cxlraordinarv of the age. Il vvas made in 1801, '.0, and 'fi. These bold advenlurcr.-s first made

' 1

I I

I'KKI- ACK,

nvtr.

IIS ;ir>)iuint(<() with thf |{')ik'. iiioiint iiii! , .iii>l ilir luniii idm tnl" m| Itnlitns tvho dwfilt in th«ir
proximity, «■> wpII «" with ihf < imntry wrsi nl thp ni"iiiit.iiii ■ (n ihf iiiHiih nf ihr Colamhia
Till ripr.|j»ir)ri vvim < oMilmtcil with tiiui'h hkill mid hrnvrr\ , .iii'l w .\u- iimli i ureni ohh^ationt
ihi'ir hnrdy lUiini'crM ii|hiii iiii until thru nntriiililrii |>,it|i.

Till' IP xt r\|irditi(iii w.iH III il III Miijiir /. M. I'iki, mi Ih i.'), 'tt, an! '/■ Tliin i\[i«(lilian wu
rontiiifil to tl>i' ii)t|itr \v itrrs nltli'' .Mi>'>iiiviit|)i iiiul llir wruiirii pirt <»( lioiiinliiiiii. Ih. imiduct re-
flecli'd iniicli rri'dil ii|i<iii the (>itlhiii( ciiiniiiiiiidiii^ ofrircr. '>

We liriii'vi tliiit iiDthinv more wiih dcmr tnwunU ("(|iliiiiim lhi'..r wr 'cm vvdd. niitil ISI!t, when
ttri fxiMvlilloii III \hv Kiii'ky nioiiiit liiiK Wiir. |i|.ttitii>il, miij llu' I'liiMnmiiil llifrri'l' iilicnl in (lie IniiidH

(Mhjoi (mow (jdIoiu'I) >* 11. liONi., ol till' 'I 'o|M)i;iii|ilii(':il l)iit;iai'i'ri

two rx

llllir lillM. (-UIIIIIKII

idi'd

pfdilions — till" lirst, in I8l!»-'a0, Id tln' Hmky iinHiiitiiiii-.; llic spcotul, in IHS:), to the
couroPK of llif Siiiiil I'firr, lh>' Irikc ol llu- WdihI), iVi-. Nrvcral Mi'idiitilic i^entloiiK'n worr nl-
laciicd to ihcHc p\|i"ditioii.^, and llii> lu'coiniN vvliii'li liavp licin |iiil>liHlird of llii'in, PXti'Mdint; to
forr octavo voliiiiu'.-i, may In" JU'^tly roiiHiduri-d an hi-iiia tlio lir.sl miMliodicrtl and .tcipnlillc nolicp ol
the fountriiM visited. We arc Indciilrd ti> Major lioxi, aiv! to liic scii-nlitic corp^ who accompi
iii"d liiiii, lor niMiiy exact Kconraiihica! positions, and loi a i;rcal aiiioimi ol' mader iii^hly iliii.ti.i-
tivp id' the pioduclions, natural history, and inhalill.inls ol those distant ic^ion-.

Another expedition, niidcr tiovernor < '\hs, assisted hs .Mr. Si iiooli ii ik r and othn t;pntlrni"ii.
V hited the head walcis of the Miski <si|ipi ni l">'0<l, and liirni^'hed liie hesi map liieii extant ot thp
country adjacent to Lake Snj)priur, and sonth o| ii.

Colonel Hkmi V I'oiKii,, ol the I niled Slat'", army , i oirim.mdi'l a .i|m i lion ol diagoon.. on ,in
pxpedition Ironi I'oil la'a\eiu\ortli lo llie Kocky inoniitam , in the .-niuiiii i t>\ \H'M->. The di..-
lance travelled was uboiil • i.xteen liniidred mile:., and allhoiK'h il cannol he muA that the e-xpeflitiou
added much to our eeoRraphical oi .scipiililic knowledqe ol ,iny kind, n wa • 'ondiicled with ureal
jndgmeiit on tin- pait ol it;, (jaliani eomii.andei, ;uid was proh.ihly the inian. ot Ptjlahlishmn pea-e
amoim all the dillerpiil trilirt; ol Indians re.sidin'^ lieiwein the rivers Arkansas and I'latlr.

Captain (.'.vNFiKi, II, of ttie Topo:.;raphic.tl nnu'ineer-, mtdp a survey ol a load liom th'' vi-inKy
ol F'orl liPavenv\orlh, on the .Missouri, lo Ihal oi' Fort Snelhiif;, on the Misas.sippi, in Ihe year
I Pill*.

Mr McCov, of .Mis.^oiiii, sill veyed tlip hoiinduric, of icil mi Indian rpf.ei valioiis. The." ..iir •
vevf. were afterwards revis'-d, in pari, l>\ th ' late (',i|iiaiii llnoii, of ih-" 'l"opo:4r,ipliic,il Fiiiuinecr ..

It IS heheved ihal th"se e.xpcilition- and survey ,i, with a few olhei p.uii.il ;.iitv(Vs and i:iolat"d
ob.servationft of particular places, constiinle all thai had been done, of a iialnie approachini; lo a',-
curacy, until the year I S3M

.Mr. j\i(to!,i.K T, a rreiich i;i'iitlemHn of lii-^h s'-i'iiliii-' all iinmenis, was eii'^atjed al hi' own ex-
pense, as a sciendlic traveller, from IH;).} to 18,'(8, in ;i lour lo the rc;;ioii we.-.l oi ihe iipjipr Mi,-
f-iBsippi. The result of his researches wa-i a m iji of ihe country, full of inloriiiatioii, and sn..-
tained by a nuinprons series of excellent aslronomical oliseuiiion--. lii.^ \arious joinncy ,, were
carefully traced upon it, and all the inlbnnalion collated, well dij;csl.od, .ind accurately conipil'd.
Jt gave new ideas of tliit coniitiy, and exiended throus'li about live dcjree-, of lonmliide and loin-
degrees of latitude. This map was purchased by the (io\ei iimeiil, and Mr. ,\iioi.i,i,r aflei-
wards employed to make a similar Hcicntilic nriiiiiK)i^sa>u:i: in the ns^ion norlli of the Misiomi, aiel
hetwoen the Missouri and the Mississij)pi. Mr. I''ukiio\ r accompanied .Mr. .\iidi,i,i;r, aslii.ai-
fiistanl; and this was his first essay as un explorer. Mr I''(ii;mon r rcceivivl ,i ciiiiiinission a.^ lieu-
tenant in the Topo2;raphical Engineers, in the fall of Is;iS. 'J'he ex|)edilion was eii[;ajied m ili
duties during the wdrkinu .seasons of lt^3><aud 1830, and relumed lo VV'asliini,'toii in the winbi
of the latter year, to prepare the maps and calculations.

(lovernmcnt being disirous to po.s.sess p;eo;>raplucal iul'onnition of the country :--outh of the Mis-
fcouri, between that river and the Kocky mouniain.s, and Mr. Nicoi.i.kt beiim then (April, l'34'4)
surteritig from that prostration and sicknesjA under which he linally bunk, lu the fall of that ycAi

nil'
uli
til

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relt in th«tr
imhia ri««r.
^li|{aUoni to

•nditinn wu
rrtnduct n-

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II ihi* hnmla
ruiniiiii tided
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II were •It
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'1 iiiolali'd
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iiiiil lour
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that veil

I n<*W fXpr-dltloil W.tx rnnfldril lo l,|i'llt>'li ml KlllMONI, v^ ll>> Il I'l liuiilli led

the comnuind of thi

, IntflltRnirp, iind npliliidi' lor mii<Ii .hi •'iii|i|i>vinriii, 'Iniun' hi ' ttrrvirn* «• H-iiinfrttii lo

grmt »

Mr. NiroM.rr.

Th* lijlluwinji iiiirr lUvr vmII miU'iiii'iiiI^ iiiiiiili' i t.iriitni ml I'HtMii^i'H vvorihiiii'' . ot iln ini I
repoiM>d ill him ihiriiii; thi-> iiiid iIh hiirirriliiiK i \|hmIiIiiiii. A-iMdcinr dI ihr ■■ imiihIi- vvliili
Oovernitii'nf lm.< |il;irMii ii|miii hin Ni-rvin-s mid l.thoin, it tn^iy hi- lnrr >l ih-i, lli;ii llif I'rf uliiii, In
and wilh llii' ron^i'iil nl ihr .'iriKilr, in Miirch IhhI, Ih'nIovmmI ii|ii>ii liii'iili iiiitil I'm vir, i ihi' hri'M't
OOiiiiiir'Mion III (\i|il. till, iiilviiiiriii;^ liiiti r.Mi i^raiiiM iil thr ^iiiiic tiiiii* — a riirr i iiiii|i|iiiii'til, hut mii'
whicli, \\t' lii'lii'vr, till will iitiiti' with iis in Hiiyiiiu;, wiih wi'll I'lirncd mid nrhly di'Mnrvid.

'I'lii' imliliHlu'r lliiiiK. lliiii ihi- lirnl' niillinf ol wli.it ii.i I lirni donr low.inU thr ix|i|iiriin» lljr
Wi'Htrrii wild-., |iri'\ii)ii4 to Ihi' r\|ii'dilioiiH of ('a|itaiii l''ui.>iii> r, will not Ih' iiniiilrri''ilini; lo thr
|iiiltlic. Ill- iifkiiowlt'ilufM liM indfhtciliiiiM lor thr iiiiiti'ri:iU lo .i I'oiimiiiirnalioii wliiih iiii[ii'ir»"l in
" 'I'/ir I'lilmi" .1 r< w wrrli-* sinci'. iiiid which liciirxlhc itiiirlxH of (<///>/(// roiri'itniHs.

('ii|il,iiii I'liDMii-. i'h liiliiMN iiiivi' iid'li'il inn h lo mir inrNioiis iiiliiriiKilion in ii iifoi;ni|iIiH'iil, ( om
nirni.il, iind .sriiiilirir |Miinl of vi w. 'I'lir tollowini{ I'Nlrinl Iroiii a ri'virw ol' lii< " ri'iioil.,"
whii II ii|i|iriiici| in ihi' " Siil'iiiinl lihlhu^i iif r" diiiinn ihi' iii I i.ioiilli. will |iii|.iii' llir ii.iiln tm
th'' lull ilc\i'lo|iiiii'iil iiiMili' in III!' tollowiiuj |i it{i'-i.

"In ut oi;rii|ihi< III iliMCoM'i'y <'ii|il:iiii l''ii kmuni' iiiiM doiic inuili lie hin sliowii ihil llir It, in. it
;i.\ii..- tin- l'ocl<y iiiiiiniliiiiis, |i:Mtiini;iils ill Ihr Sonlluiii I'lis.s i > iiiiii|i,ir:ili\i'|y r.isv ; Ihii th""
|.ni|iiiilion ol aii'oliili'ly linrrii roniilry i> sitrill ; Ihiil, fVoiii wilhiii I'lii' hninln'd iiiid lilly inilr.. ol
ihf .Missouri liontioi to iIh- loiiniiiiili' ol' I'orl l.;ir;iniii', ( IC'i'-' I'l',) Ihrrr is in itcni'rul irriMl )ili'iil\
of Ihr KJiort rnrly uriiss imIIi-iI IuiIIjIo nr.i.ss, W't'slwmd ol' ],ariiiiiti', lor a (■onsiilnahlf diHt. tier,
llif ifsioii is h.indy and a|i|iarriilly hti'rilr, and llu' plnT n|' ihc L''ra-H i.s iisiir|U'i| hy ihr iiriMiii'.in,
clhcr I'li'-.ililic:*, whrri" tlicri' i -^ ii di'liciciicy of jiasturiiiii', iirc I'iniid on hotli ' idrs ol tlu' tiiiiiiiilaiii' .
('Ii'".r ('\iiriliiion^, liii\vr\i'r, will rmni^h to liadiiii; 'aravaii-s nr lo nni.'.iiiliiiy |iarlir..., ii I, now Inl'.'/-
nl llii' inosl |ir;tiiicalilr routes, wliihr tlii'v may inosi ijiiirr.illy liii'l i-iislcnatici' lialliiii iiniinals,
,iiid water and I'liel lor iheiiiselveH. 'I'he road to Orison \\\\\ he iiiiidc ci'iitiiaralivcly ca-A ; iind
although the enii(;raiil \\\\'\ e()iilem|i|.ili's lakiiiu ii|i his line ot mar. Ii lo llial dislaiil ri'i;ion iini;lii
to lie a I 'I iri /.I'd of, and t;ii irded a','aiii>l, //" (/inii;i'.\, lln illj/iri/'/i.y, diirf lln jirriiliniis //» ir II
■'lurr III ' .iinnnhr, yet lie m.iy he elieeri'd li\ the eirtainly that he will iiiret with nnlhiii;', ImiI \\IihI
tor<";i';hl and jinideini m.iy in a f;ieal lie .isnro |irolect him IVom, an I ennrai'i't rniiitie .>, and |iei-
■ .M'raiiee oM-reome I If willlie ealled n]i ni lo e\eii'i.-.e all these i|ii;tlitii . ; :ind the liii'' I i|ani;ei
I'll . error into whi'li le' ean I'all is |.> iiuadne Ihal the jonrney is an easy ii;ie, and ihe |.ii| niiil
iilleim!; wliieh he will li i\e lo under(^o Irilliii;: and nniiniMirlanI .

"The (iriMl S.ill liiiUe, the Keiir Kiser \'alley, and Ihe livei's. Ihe \;il|i\s, ;iimI llie iniiiiiil:iiii . ol
I'lHier Calilornia, may lie said to lie now lirsl hroie'lil to the knowled'e ol' eivili/ed man hv itu'k'.''
I [leililioiis. 'The eorreelioii of oiir liirmer !;eo:rra|iliieal errors wilh res|iecl to the river liiirmin i/-
I'lni \'. e invr to Cijiliin I iii,'.io\ r; the e\i-.|eiiee ol a '.;rial eentral plain or liasin in ('ililoinia i.
r ialili.;lie I hy him, ai is idso the imp'irtanl linl ihal there is no river of anv iia\it;a'>|e M/r whieh
li.is Its iiiifi' I (InC'lljl lillii till I'livijii , mill run' iiiiiiiiriilf \ i''illi llir inslrrn ulnfii n/'inn r-iiil iii nl,
fjriiil Ihr ('i/linnlilti, helween llllV denrees nl northern latitude .mil the (Jnll' ot (Jalirornia In ,1
military |ioiiil ol' view, tliese e\|ieililions |ioinl mil where I'ort^ and posts may lie iim^l aihanla^eouilv
r I'lhli dl'-il, wilh .1 view |.i thi' s il'e o!'cn|ianey ol' Ihe eouiilry and the proleetinii 111' the inliahilant .
•nid Ihe trader liom Indian onliaije, m rrmn a'4'.^re.^sions or inlerlerenei s ol' ;iiii, kind. Thi,,
«e helicM', was tlie priilesseillv anthori/.ed oli|('il ol ( 'aplain l''reiiioiit's iwprditions ^ lail In .iidenf
and iietive temperamenl, and his Iwve of seii'iice and kiiuwledcjo, eoiild not rest salistled with a hare
I'rformance of presrriheil dulies. lie has sulimiltcd to hi. eonnliym 'ii and the world, in hi.', uii-
(Ti'tendinp; and modest narralive, a va-t hudy of holanieil, fjeolonie d, and ineteorolouieal infniriM
IK'H. The soil and the mineral water- ha\e heen siilijecled to .in.dysis. Muii' than fiuir hundred
.iiid thirty a.slroiiomie.d ohser\alions arc rei'orih'd, Ihe lalitinle and longitude of impoitanl point
H' iiiately delerminr.l, and the elevation of iiiouiiiains iiseeitained. The survey ol ('aplam l''nt-
viivr from the eavtward meels that of ('aptiin Wii.kks from Ihe westward, and, so far ;« - i leoni-
•lle fill ;dl immeiliale j'ri'lieal purposes^ the iiiip of OreLrmi is I'omplelf . ""

l)|ie ^re.ii iiii'ril ol' ( ',ip!ai ii rai^ioN-r a- a IraM'ller is e\p:es-e..l in iln' eoneludiii:; H'li'enie ol
111'. pielator\ iintiee, llesiy.-;

"The report, or narrative, el' this extended i xjiedition, like the iimji:, wh.ieh )llie,liali il, will hr
strictly confined to whii wis .'.eeii, and to what is luri'-sary lo ,-liow the laee and eharacter of the
i'Hinlr\, and to hiM ,-oiiif|!iiii2 to seieiee while lnlfilli:iM the iii-trnetioiis of the (ioverritii'»iit, winch

I'KKFACi:.

br Inlrrwt mitt^t
iiM^i \mft to wiharr

I hirflv ( nnfi'ni|iliiti il n militurv ln|iii(rttiphi<'al <iirvi'y. A Br»>i»lrr i|ri»fii> of poptili
\\,^\l^ Imtii iiii|miIiiI In il li\ .tiliiiillintr a itriiili i l.ililinli' nl ilrlml, litil il w.ih iIi>4uii«hI rnwt to wlliarr
Id ilir iik(<iiiiiiM rlciimii I i>i ,| ii/inrf, iiiiil i>> |irrsnii iiiiihinu, I'lllicr III \\v iiitrrnliv* or in th« inii|i«,
wliii'li vs^i- iimI llir rr'>iill itl |iiii«itiM' oli.ri viilioii."

<'ii|itiiiii I'lo viiNT i'< now iilwihl on liix iliinl cviirililioti j mi> liHik liirwuril lo hin return with
iiini'li iiIi'iikIiik iiMlici|iulioii. W'l* I'l'il iikhiikiI iIiiI iIic i'oMil)iiiiilioii ol Mir hhhIim ni Ida thiM viaiu
lo lilt- " Wi'mi" s\ill loriii It |iroilii(iioii vvorlliy of lliiK t'iilii;lilriiril ,\t',v, worthy of oiir nounlry
iiiiil oiii (lOVcniMinil, iiiiil Inulily i rrilit.ililr lo iN iinllior. Il will lir, wr iiif roiiv ith'i'il, n fit iif1i>r-
iiii; III iIk' rliiMK' o| Iiii>r;iliiir iiihI >-< Iiimi*, Iroiii oiir >oiimk iiimI l|oiiri>liiii;{ Hi'|iiili|ii', l>y ll|i- Initidi
o| oiii' ol' liiT iimi.hI liili'iilril iinil iiiniiilil)' noiih.

Willi llii'Mt' |tii'liilory olwiMvalioiiM, we Hiilimit llu' lollitwiii^ n iriiili\r lo llii> |Mililii', ;inil rcrl llml
wi* iiir oiti'rini! i ritli I'iiikI ol' iiiliUcctlliil riijoyiiii'iit lo u mtn iiiiiik ioiih |i>iiIioii nl mii li'lli
I ili/riiN.

VV'ahiiin). ION, IKt").

low

liar IntrrMt miKht
iMsl beat to K(lh«rr>
vp or In lh« iiMiHi,

i<i hiM rtturn with
I 1)1' liiH thr«0 viaiU
ly oi' oiir counlry

villi ••'I, II (U (ifTfr-
li|n', hy llii' Ii.iihIm

ililic, .mil (ill (III)
on III iiiir I'l'lliiw

A KKI'Oin

AN ivXi'LouA rioN or rill': (orN'i'KV

i.riMi Hf Twn > iiM

MISSOURI RIVER AiNl) THE RUCivV MOl^NTAINS,

ON THE I.I.VF. OF

THE KANSAS AND GREAT IM.ATTK RIVERS.

>p.

, ^,*1

IMIIST EXri:i)ITIOi\-LvU.

U'AHniNtiToN, March I, 1S43.

To ( ololiol J. J. A'IKHT,

«| Chh'Jof the Corps of Ttipdf^rdjihictil /'Intfineers :

Siu : At,'i('o;il)ly lo your oidiTs lo cxplor*' aiiM njporf ii|)(»ii llic comilry
Ik.'Iwccii tlio (Voniii'is ol' Missouri mid the Souili Pass iu tlio Kocivy luoi.ii-
taiiiN, and ou llie luio ol'tliu Kansas and (iruai PlatU> rivers, I sal out irom
WashiiiylDii city on the ,'d day o|' May, Ijsl'^, and arrived al St. I^ouis, hy
way of New ^'^)rl\,lll'' '-"Jd td' May,U'lif're the necessary |treparati()ns were
(■i)ni|iletcMl, and the expechiioM r'otnnK'nced. 1 piocecded in a steand)i)al to
(Chouteau's laiidinir, ahoul lour hundred miles hy water iVoni St. Louis,
and near Iht; niouih of the Kati'"'! river, whence we proceeded twelve
nules to Mr. Cyprian ('h<)ut(;au's tri ling house, whore wo coinplet<;d our
final arraiii^'eiuenis for the exi)e(Jiiion.

Had weather, which interfered with astronotnieal observations, delayed
ns .several days iu th<i early part of Juno at this post, which is on the ri^ht

■*■ hank of the Kansas river, ahout ten miles above the mouth, and six be-
yond tln! western boundary of Mi.ssouri. The sky cleared off at length,
and wt! W(!re enabled to delermiiK; oin* position, in longi.ude fJ4'' 2.')' -Ki",
and latitude 30° 5' 57". 'I'ho elevation above the :-,eu is ubout 700 feet.
Our eauip, in the mean limc!, presented an aniniated and bustling scene.
All were busily occupied in con.ph^tin:,' lla; necessary arrani,M!ments for
oiu' campaign iu the wilderness, and i)rofuini,' by this short delay on the
verge of civilization, to provide ourselves with all the littU, essentials to
condbrt in iho nomaiUc life we were to lead for the ensuing summer
months. Gradually, however, every thing — the mu/cricl of tht! camp, men,
horses, and even mules — settled into its place, and by the loth we were
ready to depart; but, before we moimt our liorses, I will give a .short de-

I scripiion of the i)ariy with which I performed this .service.

I had collected m the neighborhood of St. Louis twenty-one men, prin-
cipally Creole and (^aiuuhan voytti^ciirs, who iiad become I'amiliar Willi
prairie life in the service of the lur companies iu the Indian country. Mr.
Charles Preuss, a native of Germany, was my assistant in the topographi-
cal part of the survey. L. Maxwell, of Kaskaskia, liad been engaged as
hunter, and Christo[)her Carson (more familiarly known, for his exploits in
the mountains, as Kit Carson) was our guide. The persons engaged ui
St. Louis were :

Clement Lamber*, J. li. L'Espeiance, .1. B. Lefovre, Benjamin Potra,
Louis Gouin, J. li. IJumes, Basil Lajeuncsso, Fram^ois Tessier, Benjamin
Cadoite, Joseph Clement, Daniel Simonds, Leonard lienoit, Michel Morly,
Baj)tisto Bernier, Honore Ayot, Francois Latulippe, FraiH;ois Badeau,
Louis Menard, Jos(!pli Ruelle, Moise Cliardoimais, Augiiste Janisse, Ra-
phael Prone

CAPT. FREMOKTiS NAKRATIVE.

i
I

I-

■| ,
■'I

■f,

'{■'

[1148.

In addition to these, Henry HranI, son of f'ol. .1. 13. Brant, of St. Lotlif,
a young man of nineteen years of age, and Jiandolph, a lively boy of
twelve, son of the Hon. ThonuivS H. lienton, afconijianied mo, for the de-
velopment of mind and body which such an expedition would give. We
were all well armed and mounted, willi iIk; exception (<f eight mo.H, who
condueted as many carts, in which were packed our stores, with the bag-
gage and instruments, and which were each drawn by two mules. A few
loose horses, and four oxen, which had been added to our slock of pro-
vision'-, completed the train. We sat out on tin; morning of the 10th,
which Happened to be Friday — a circumstance! which our ini'ii did not fail
to remend)er and recall during the hardships and vexations of the ensuing
journey. jMr. ('yprian Chouteau, to whose kindness, during our stay at
tiis 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 char-
acteristics ; for here and there rode an Indian, atid but a few miles distant
heavy clouds of smoke were rolling before ilie fire. In about ten miles
we reached the Santa Fe road, along which we coniiimed for a short time,
and encaniped early on a small stream : having travelled about eleven
miles. During our journey, it was the customary practice to encamp an
hour or two before sunset, when the carts were disposed so as to 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 halter being twenty or thirty
feet long, which enabled them to obtain a little food during the night.
When we had reached a part of the country where such a precaution be-
came necessary, tlie carts being regularly arranged for defending the
camp, guard was mounted at eight o'clock, consisting of three men, who
were relieved every two hours; the morning watch being horse guard for
the day. At daybreak, the camp was roused, the animals turned loose to
graze, and breakfast generally over between six and seven o'clock, when
we resumed our march, making regularly a halt at noon for one or two
hours. Such was usually the order ot the day, except when accident of
country forced a variation ; which, however, happened but rarely. We
travelled the next day along 'he Santa Fe road, which we left in the af-
ternoon, 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 ofl'ered but little obstruction to

:i:i

[IS49.

>f St. Louit,
lively boy of

for the de-
I give. We
It mnR, who
iih the bag-
lies. A few
lock of pro-
of the 10th,
I did not fail
' llie eiisiiiiiL?

our stay at
niles on our
ict us on tho
lie ocean of
ilniosl to the

)ich we had

rged on the

iiikhig char-

iiiilcs distant

lit ten miles

a short lime,

ibont eleven

encamp an

s to form a

meter. The

;e to graze ;

?s, of which

g meal. At

picketed —

small steel -

nty or thirty

g the night.

caution be-

fending the

men, who

*se guard for

led loose to

clock, when

one or two

accident of

rarely. We

t in the af-

ixlled by the

e horses set

everal men

It midnight,

irance until

md slept on

and, as our

striiction to

1849.}

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

11*

rain; we were all well soaked, and glad when morning came. VVc had a
rainy inarch on thi; 12th, but the weather grew fine as the day advanced.
We encamped ill a remarkably beautiful situation on the Kansas blulfs,

[ 'iwhich commanded a hue view of the river valley, here from three to four
Dttiles wide. The central portion was occupied by a broad belt of heavy
limber, and neare.r the hills the prairies were of the richest verdure. One

[,i;bf the oxen was killed here for food.
■' Wo 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 prej)aratioiis for crossing. I had expected to find the river
f )rdable ; but it had been swollen by the late rains, and was sweeping by
with an angry current, yellow and turbid as the Missouri. Up to this
point, the road we had travelled was a remarkably fine one, well beaten,
a. id level — the usual road of a prairie country, ily our route, the ford was
otie hundred miles from the mouth of the Kansas river. Several mounted
UKMi 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 safely, with the ex(^eption ol the oxen, which swam some dis-
tance down the river, and, returning to the right bank, were not got over
until the next morning. In the mean time, the carts had been unloaded
and dismantled, and an India-rubber boat, which I had brought with me
for the survey of th(^ 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 tlie load belonging to it, and three men with paddles.
The velocity of the current, and the inconvenient freight, rendering it
didicult to be managed, Basil Lajeunesse, one of our bi^st swimmers, took
in his teetli 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 man-
ner, six |)assages had been successfully »iade,and as many carts with their
contents, and a greater portion of the party, deposited ou the left bank ;
but night was drawing near, and, in our anxiety to have all over before
the darkness closed in, I put upon the boat the remaining two carts, with
their accompanying load. The mat) at the helm was timid on water, and,
in his alarm, capsized the boat. Carts, barrels, boxes, and balesj were in
a moment floating down the current : but all tlie men who were on the
shore jumped into the water, without stopping to think if they could
swim, and almost everything — 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 bag of coffee, which con-
tained nearly all our provision. It was a losfi which none but a traveller
in a strange and inhospitable country can appreciate ; and often afterward,
when excessive toil and long marcliiiig 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, arid both, in
consequence, were taken ill. The former continuing so, I remained in
camp. A number of Kansas Indians visited us to-day. Going up to one
of the groups wlio were scattered among the trees, I found one sitting on
the ground, among some of the men, gravely and fluently speaking French,
"with as much facility and as little embarrassment as any of ray own party,
who were nearly all of French origin.

CAPT. FRKMONT'S NARRATIVR.

E1848.

On all sides was hoard tlio sfraiii^n language of liis own people, wild,
and harmonizing well with their appearance. I listened to hitn for some
lime with feelings of strange curiosity and interest, lie was now appa*
renlly thirty-five years of age ; and, on inquiry, I learned that he had been
at St. Loms when a boy, and there had learned the I'^rench language.
From one of the Indian wonmn I obtained a fine cow and caU in exchange
for a yoke of oxen. Several of them brought us vegetables, pumpkins,
onions, beans, and lettuce. One of them brought butter, and from a lialf-
breed near the river 1 had the good fortune to obtain some twenty or
thirty pounds of coilee. The dense timber in which we had encanqx'd
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 handsome, open prairie, some twenty leet
above the water, where the fine grass atlbrded a luxurious repast to our
horses.

During tiie day we occupied ourselves in making astronomical observa-
tions, 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 completing 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.

Friday, June 17. — 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 firing. In the steep bank
of the river here, were nests of innumerable 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,
darting at him, and vainly endeavoring to drive him off. A shot wound-
ed him, and, being killed, he was cut open, and eighteen young swallows
were found in his body. A sudden storm, that burst upon us in the after-
noon, cleared away in a brilliant sunset, followed by a clear night, which
enabled us to determine our position ui longitude 95° 3S' 05", and in lati-
tude 39° 06' 40".

A party of emigrants to the Columbia river, under the charge of Dr.
Wliite, 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 considerable number of cattle, and were transporting their household
furniture in large heavy wagons. J understood that there had been much
sickness among them, and that they had lost several children. One of the
party, who had lost his child, and whose wife was very ill, had left them
about one hundred miles hence on the prairies; and as a iumter, who had
accompanied them, visited our camp this evening, we availed ourselves of
his return to the States to write to our friends.

The morning of the 18th 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 whicli border the Kansas valley, generally about three miles wide,
and extremelv rich. We halted for dinner, after a march of about thir-

£1849. ■ lM9i}

CAl'T. FKliMONTVS NARUATIVK

)eople, wild,

iin for some

now appa-

lic had been

:h language.

in (ixcliange

, pumpkins,

I'roni a luilf-

e twenty or

d ciicunipcd

11(1 tliiinaccd

were slrnelc

moved about

twenty feet

[!past to our

ical obscrva-
• our (Misloni
tended willi
! provisions,
ige, until the
spent some
country, and
ss.

d us to make

lore did not

e steep bank

ne of which

occupied in

reat distress,

hot woimd-

swallows

n the after-

igiit, which

:ind in lati-

arge of Dr.

about three

d children.

They had

household

been much

One of the

1 left them

r, who had

ourselves of

was falling,
look dark
foot of the
miles wide,
about tliir-

After

teen miles, on the banks of one of the many liillf tributaries to ihr Kaii-
which look lilce trenches in the priiiric, ami are usually well timbered.
)ssing this streaui, 1 rode olf some miles to the left, attracteil bv
the appearance of a cluster of huts near the mouth of the Vermillion. It
tlnras a large but d(!si!rted Kansas village, scattered in an open wood, along
the margin of the stream, on a spot chosen with tlu; cusloiiuiry Indian
tfondness lor beauty of scenery. The I'awnees had attacked it in the early
pipring. Some of the houses were burnt, and others blackened with smoke,
and weeds were already getting possession of the cleared places. Riding
up the Vermillion river, I reached the ford in time to meet iIk; carts, and,
crossing, encamped on its western side. Tiu; weather continued cool, the
thermometer being this ev(>ning as low as 4!)°; but iIk; night was sulliciently
clear for astronomical obstsrvaiions, which placed us in longitud(! !j()" 04'
07", and latitude 3f>M5' 19". At snnsct, the barometer was at 2S..S 4 o,
thermometer 04^.

We breakfasted the next morning at hall" past live, and left oiir encamp-
ment early. The morning was cool, the thermometer being at 45''. (Quit-
ting the river bottom, I Ik; road ran alonu the uplands, over a rolling country,
g(;iierally m view of the Kansas, frotn ei-^lit to twelve miles distant. Many
large boulders, of a very compact sandstone, of various shades of red, some
of them four or five tons in weight, were scattered along the hills; and
many beautiful plants in liower, amontr which the (tinurphn viDicscena
was a characteristic, enlivened the green of the prairie. At the heads of
the ravines I remarked, occasionally, ihickcUs o( salix loni^ifolin, the most
connnon willow of the country. We tiavelled 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 barouKiter indicated a
considerable rise in the country — here about fourteen hundrfxl fe(!t above
the sea — and the increased elevation appeared already to have some slight
influence upon the vegetation. The night was coliJ, with a heavy tlew;
the thermometer at 10 p. m. standing at 4G'', barometer 2S.4y.'>. Our
position was in longitude !i(i^ 14' 49", and latitude 39'' 30' 40".

I The morning of the 20tli was fine, with a southerly breeze and a bright
sky ; and at 7 o'clock we were on the march. The country to-day was
rather more broken, rising still, and covered every wli(;re with fragments

' of siliceous limestone, particularly on the summits, when.' they were small,
and thickly strewed as pebbles on the siiore 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 bottoms and ravines, and on the
slopes, they flourished abundantly; among them the umnrpht, ^\!\\\ re-
taining its characteristic place. \Ve crossed, at 10 a. m., the Big Vermillion,
wiiich has a rich bottom of about one mile in breadth, one-third of which
is occupied by timber. Making our usual halt at noon, after a day's
march of twenty-four miles, wo reached the Hig Blue, and eiicami)Ld on
the uplands of the western side, near a small creek, where was a fine
large spring of very cold water. This is a clear and handsome stream,
about one lunidred 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 deer. Longitude

, of the camp 96° 32' 35", latitude ;.J9° 45' OS". Thermometer at sunset

5 75°. A pleasant southerly breeze and fine morning had given place to a
gale, witii indications of l>ad v, eather; when, after a march of len miles.

, ll^

i.=

1 i

[ill \

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE,

[1849.

wo Imltod lo noon on a small nronk, wlionj tli(! wator stood in deep pools.
Ill tlio liaiik of the cr<!(!k liinostoiu! luade its appcuraiico in a stratum about
one toot tliidc. In tlu^ afternoon, the pe(){)lr sf!«Mned to sufl'er for want of
wator. The road led alona; a his^h dry ridge; dark Mnes of timber indicated
the lieads of streams in the plains helow ; l)nt there was no water near,
and the day was very oppr(!ssive, with a hot wind, and the th(!rniometer
at fK/'. Along our route the (inKtrpha has hecn m very abundant but va-
riable bloom — in some places bending beneath the weight of purple cUis-
ters ; in others without a flowcir. It seems to love best the sunny slopes,
with a dark soil and southern exposure. Every where the rose is met
with, and reminds us of cultivated gardens and civilization. It is scat-
t(!re(l 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 ^/r/e^/i/.viV/, absintlie, or prairie sage, as
it is variously called, is increasing in size, and glitters like silver, as the
southern breeze turns up its leaves to the sun. All these plains have
their insect inhabitants, variously colored; taking generally the hue of the
flower on which they live. The arleniisia has its small lly accompany-
ing it through every change of elevation and latitude; and wherever I
liave seen ihe a\c/i'pi(/.s luher<>s(i,\ have always remarked, too, on the
flower a large butterfly, so nearly resembling it in color as to be distin-
guishable at a little distance only by the motio of its wings. Travelling
on the fresh traces of the Oregon emigrants relieves a little the loneliness
of the road ; and to-night, after a march of twenty-two miles, we halted
on a small creek, which had been one of their encampments. As we ad-
vance westward, the soil appears to be getting more sandy, and the sur-
face 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 atttiudanf, hordes of rnusiuitoes, with which we
were annoyed for the lirst time.

June 22. — We enjoyed at breakfast this morning a luxury, very unusual
in this country, in a cup of excellent cofTee, with cream from our cow.
Hcing milked at night, cream was thus had in the morning. Our mid-day
halt was at VVyeth's creeic, in the bed of which were numerous boidders
of dark ferruginous sandstone, mingled with others of the red sandstone,
already mentioned. Mere a pack of cards, lying loose on the grass, mark-
ed an encampment of our Oregon emigrants ; and it was at tlie close of
the day when we made our bivouac in the midst of some well-timbered
ravines near the Little lilue, twenty-four miles from our camp of the pre-
ceding night. Crossing the next morning a luunber of handsome creeks,
with clear water and sandy beds, we reached, at 10 a. m., a very beautiful
wooded stream, about thirty-five feet wide, called Sandy creek, and some-
times, as the Ottoes frequently winter there, the Ottoe fork. The coi . y
has became very sandy, and the plants less varied and abundant, with the
exception of the amnrphd, which rivals the grass in quantity, though not
so forward as it has been found to the eastward.

At the liig Trees, where we had intended to noon, no water was to be
found. The bed of the little creek was perfectly dry, and, on the adjacent
sandy bottom, c«c72, 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 the Little Blue, where
our arrival made a scene of the Arabian desert. As fast as they arrived,

[184«.

n deep pools,
iratiim about
r for want of
ber indicated
1 water near,
tli(!rn)ometer
i(i;iiit but va-

purple clus-
sunny slopes,
! rose is met
. It is scat-
j in the dews
e nK)st beau-
\irie s;igo, as
.silver, as the
J plants liave
le hue of the

accompany-
J wherever I
1, too, on the

to be distin-

Travelling

he lonehness

as, we halted

As we ad-

and the sur-

on a bed of
f closed over
h wiiich we

/ery unusual

m our cow.

Our mid-day

us boulders

d sandstone,

grass, mark-

tlie close of

ell-timbered

of the pre-

on)e creeks,

ry beautiful

, and some-

'he coi . y

nt, with the

though not

r was to be
he adjacent
We made
's march of
lue, where
ley arrived,

M"'

CAPT. FREMONT'S NAUKATIVn.

linen and horses rushed into the stream, where they bathed and (hank to-
rether in common enjoyment. We were now in ihi; range of the Paw-
[nees, who were accustomed to infest this part of the connlry, .stealing
lorses from companies on iheir way to the mouniahis, and, when in sulli-
lijient force, o|)enly attackina: and pinndtjring them, and subjecting theiu
|to various kinds of insult. For the first tiuK!, therefore, guard was mount-
5d to-i.iglit. Our route the next morning lay U]) the valley, which, bur-
lered by hills with graceful slopes, looked nnconmioiily green and b(!au-
liful. The stream was about filty feet wide, and three or four d'lej),
[fringed by cotton wood and willow, with frequent groves of oak t(ni;intt'd
Ibv Hocks of turkeys, (lame here, too, m.ide its appearance in gre.tti;r
i)lentv. l^li< were frequently seen on the hills, and now and then an an-
telope bounded across our path, or a deer brok(! from the groves. The
road in the afternoon was over the upper prairies, several miles from the
river, and we encamped at sunset on one of its small tributaries, wh(;re
an abundance of prt^le {e<juificlum) all\)rded fine forage to our tired ani-
mals. We had travelled thirty-one miles. A heavy bank of black clouds
ill the west came on us in a storm between nine and ten, prcjceded by a
violent wind. The rain fell in such torreius that it was ditlicult to breathe
facing the wind, the lliunder rolled incessantly, and the whole sky was
tremulous with lightning; now and then illuminated by a blinding tlasli,
.'succeeded by pitchy darkness. Carson had tlie watch from ten to mid-
night, and to him had been assigned our young cot/ip(ti(non\ de roi/iif^c,
Messrs. Brant and R. Benton. 'I'his was their liisl night on guard, and
such an introduction did not augur very auspiciously of the pleasures of
the expedition. Many things conspired to render their situation uncom-
fortable ; stories of desperate and blooiiy Indian fights were rife in the
camp; onr position was badly chosen, surrounded on all sides by timbered
hollows, and occupying an area of several hundred feet, so that necessa-
rily the guards were far apart ; and now and then I could hear liandoli»h,
as if relieved by the sound of a voice in the darkness, calling out to the
sergeant of the guard, to direct his atteniion to some imaginary alarm ;
but they stood it out, and took their turn rc:,Milarly afterward.

The next moming we had a specimen of the false alarms to which all
parties in these wild regions are subject. Prorecding up the valley, ob-
jects were seen on the opposite hills, which disa))peared before a glass
cotild be brought to bear upon them. A man, who was a short distance
in the rear, came spurring up in great haste, shouting Indians! Indians!
He had been near enough to see and count tlunn, aeconJiiig to his report,
and had made out twenty-seven. I immediately halted ; arms werti ex-
amined and put in order; the usual preparations made; and Kit ('arson,
springing upon one of the jiunting horses, crossed the river, and galloped
ort' into the opposite prairies, to obtain some certain intelligence of their
movements.

Mounted on a fine horse, without a .saddle, and scouring bareheaded
over the prairies. Kit was one of the finest pictures of a horseman I have
ever seen. A short time enabled him to discover that the Indian war
party of twenty-seven consisted 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 mo-
notony 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

]'ii

I if

lli

(>'AI»T. FHKMOM".-. NAKK A TIVE.

.Inly. Tlioy liail app.iroiilly killed hiillUlo here, ns
IvillL' ahoiil, ;iiicl (he Iraiiies wlier(^ the iliijes had lieen s

[1848.

iiiniiy bones ^
were
sometimes

.slaiidiim. 'I'lu! road ol the day had k(!|>l llie valley,
rich and well liinhereil, thmii.'h flio country is ueinTally sandy. Mingled
with llie tisii.il plants, a lliisil(! 'curJiiiis /t'Kn'n^rap/ius) had I'or tlio last
day or two made its appearance; ; and alontrthe river hntloni, fr(if/csc(tniia
(r//*i,'-//;/6v/) and milk plan! {(isrlt'pids sf/riaca'') in considi;ral)l(: <jnaiitilies.

Our niareji to-day had In tMi twenty-one; miles, and tlu; asironouiical ob«
servalimis ;;av(i us a chronoinetric loniiitndi; ol' '.)K' '^\i' ly", and latitiido
'10'^ 'J(i' fiO". Wo W(;r(! movui'^' forward at seven in the morninu;, and in
ahout five miles reacheil a fork of the Hliie, where tlm road leaves that
river, and crosses over to the I^latte. No water was to \w found oti thi;
ilividini^ ridi^e, and tlu; casks were fdled, and th(! ainmals here! allowed a
short repose. 'Ijie road led across a hii^ii and lt;vel prairie rid^e, where
\V(M'o hut h^w plants, and those principally l\\\s[\c {cttrdiiHs /cticoi,n(t/i/iits,)
and a kind of dwarf arteiuisia. 7Nnlolo|)o wero seem friupiently durim,'
(he mornin'.', wl;i(;li was very stormy. Sepialls of ram, willi thunder and
liuihlnim::, were around us in every direction: and while; we w(mo euved-
oped in one of them, a flash, which seemiKJ to scorch otu' liyes as it
jiassed, struck in iIk; prairie within a f(!W hundred fool, sending up a
coluum of dus«,

(JrossiuL' on the way several I'a'vneo roails to liie Arkansas, wo reach-
ed, in ahoMi tweiily-ono miles from our hail on the lUne, what is called
*' oast of the Nehraska, or Platte river. This had siiomcid in the dis-

tli(! coast ol the iNeoraska, or Plalto river. 1 his had siiomcid in the dis-
taiice a range; of high aiiel hrokeai hills ; hut on a iwareir appre)ach were;
found to he! elevations of forty to sixty fcesi, into which the winel hael
worked the sand. 'J'li(;y were; covered with the usual fine grasses of the;

* ♦' This plant is very oeloriforons. nnel in Canaela chi-rms the tnivpller, especially when passim^
throu£;h woods in the evening. The rnnch there cat ihc tender shoots in the spring, as we do
asparas;us. The natives make a sugar of the llmvers, gu'hering Iheni in the morning when they arc
covered witli dew, and collect the cotton from the pods t j fill their beds. On account of the silki-
noss of this cotton, Parkinson calls the plant Virginian s' Ik." — L(tui/o7i\s Enci/clopcdiu of I'lunls.

The Sioux Indians of '.he tipper Platte eat the young pods of this plant, lioiling them with tiie
meat of tl)f> hullalo.

oniiiiu:, •'Hid 111

:i(l IcMVcs tli:it

r<iilii(l oil ihi;

(Jll! alll)\VL'(| il

i' Y\dm', wlioro

'cilCOiC>(//)/lHS,)

|iU!i)tly diiriii:^'
il tliuiidcr and
'(! wr.rc. oiivcl-
)ur (!ycs as it
seiidiiig up u

^as, wc roacli-

wliat is callud

(ni ill till! dis-

pproacli \voi(!

till! wind had

j.M'asso.s of tli(!

adtli of about

luvc produced

;;11 llio [)laii(s

Aiiioii'^' \\\v.i\\

luid iiixiiriaiii

o mi I OS across

! oC tlu! riv(;r,

lay oxtciidcd

ujoiiili of iin!

Iiundrcd and

iifry wo had

same erratic

1 1 10 prairies

10 occasional

of the Piatto

ic astrcjiioiiii-

19", latitude

illy when passinur
spring, as wc do
ng when they arc
■oiint of tlio silki-
)(<liaof I'luiits.
ig them with the

|*||g^1 CAl'T. FUEMONTM NAUUATIVE. 17

^UM 27. — The animals worn sonimvliaf fatii^ued by tlioir march of yes-
[taHay; a»if'» ofl«r a short journey of i-ii^dilccn milns aloiiaf tlio ivcr hotloni,
|i encnnipf (I near the ln-ad of (Iraiid island, in limy;itiidc, hy ohscrvation,
J%<'05' 'J I", laiitnd(! -lO" M!>' Mi". Tlic soil Ihm-"' was li^dil hnt rich, though
[in some placi.'s rather sandy; and, with the exei'piion of a scattered fringe*
[«ong the haul;, the tindier, eonsistini,' priiiei[)ally of poplar, (popu/its via-
fii/ifrra,) elm, and hackbcrry, {celtis cr(i.s\iji)li(i,) i.s confmcd almost en-
fflrely to the islands.

Jioie 2H — We halted to noon at an open reach of the river, which oc-
cupies rather more than a fourth of iIk; valley, here only al)out four miles
broiid. The camp had been disposed with the usual precaution, the
horses ^Mazioi,' at a litil'' distance, attended hy tla; LMiard, and wr; were all
sitting (pnetly at our dinner on the grass, wh<,'n suddenly W(! heard the
startling cry *Uiu mondv !^^ In nn instant, every man's weapon was in
his hand, the horses wen; driven in, hobbled and picketed, and horsemfn
were galloping at full sp(!fd in the direction of tlie new comers, screaming
and ycdling with the wildest excitement. " flet ready, my lads!" said
tile Icadt^r of the api)roaching party to his men, when our wild-looking
horstiinen were discovered bearingdown upon them ; ''^ nous allons (ittraper
ties coups (Iv l.d^uetli'.''^ They proved to be a small party of fourteen,
under tlu; chargt; of a n,..n named John Lee, and, with their baggage Juid
provisions strapped to their backs, were inaKing their way on foot to th»'
frontier. A brief a(M:()Uiit of their fortun(\s will give some idea of naviga-
tion in the Ncbra.vka. Sixty days since, they had left the mouth of Lar-
amie's fork, some three hundred mihs above, in barges laden with the
furs of the American Fur Company. They start(!d with the annual flood,
and, drawing but nine inches water, hoped to make a speedy and pros-
perous voyage to St. Louis ; but, after a lapse of forty days, found thenn-
selves only one hundred iind thirty miles from their point of departure.
They came down rapidly as far as Scott's bliiffs, where their difillculties
began. SoiiKMinurs they camo upon places where the water was spread
over a great extent, and here they toiled from morning until night, en-
deavoring to drag their boat through the sands, making only two or three
miles ill as many days. Sometimes they would enter an arm of the river,
where there ap|)e:ired a fine channel, and, after descending prosperously
for eight or ten miles, would come suddenly u|)on dry sands, and be com-
pelled 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 I'oat, woiUd fiill into water up to their necks,
and the next moment tumble over against a sandbar. Discouraged, at
length, and fi ding the Platte growing every day more shallow, they dis-
charged the principal part of their cargoes one hundred and thirty miles
below Fort Lnramie, 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 sirngglmg in the sands, during winch they made but one hundred
and forty miles, th-y sunk their barges, made a cache of their remaining
furs and pro|)eriy,in trees on tlie bank, and, j)acking 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 merri-

/■Y,

ill' '

;

CiV

i-'i

■'<.'

( \vv I Kr.MoNTs \ \i.M;\rivi;

ac-
wu

S(5

[1849.

tiHMil l»> otlicrs. I'vt'ii «li<'ir sioik of idltiutro, ilint sinr f/un nnn of t\%*off-
iii^inr, wiilioiii wliicli ilic iiii-lil (in' in glooinv, wms niliiply fxImUMled.
Ilout V( r, we .sIkmIciiiiI ilinr hi'iiH'Wiinl jniiiiiry hy ;i Miiiill sii|'|i|y jrom
<tiir own |triiviMtiii. Tlicv yiivc ii-. (In' wch omc iiilrlliycncr iIliI iIip bnf-
lalo Wt'ir iilMliitl.'iliI soiiii' lui) tU\\s' lilitK'li III :i(lv.'ill)'<>, mikI imiilr una
ItrcsiMil ol'simic clidiff |»i«'i'«vs, wliwli wi'n- a very acn'|iiali'|c cliani.'c iVoin
otir sail pork. In tin* int<-ii-liaiii'<> oi' iirw.s, and tlic tciiowal nl oM
(|naililaii*'('s|ii|)s, w i< luiind u li<>i)'U itlial lo (ill a lniNy Imin ; linn
luoinilt'il tiiir hni'M's. and l,i('\' slinnldcicd iIumt packs, and we shook hands
and parted. .Vnionu ihcin, I had loniid an old coinpanion on iho norlhcrti
pranii'. a liard<-ii(*d and hardly m'iv.'i! xcicraii oT ih<> Mioiiniain^ who had
lu't'il as nilli'h hat'kfd and Mailed as ;iii old nnHtshtt'lif y)\ INapojcoii's "olil
ijiiard.*' IJr ilounshctl inilio soliiKpKi oT La Tiilipc, and his iral nan
I uovrr knew. I''iiulnii; thai lif was i-oini; lo iho Slalrs only \wv\\\\
his ronipaiiy was hound in llial diroilion, and that lie was ralliiT inon;
willint; lo K'linii willi iin', I look liiin au;ain inio my mtviim!. W't; Irav-
rllrd liustlay hnl sovcMilcrn nnkis.

At «)ur i^vt'iiing canii", ahonl siinsri, ihioc (imncs wnn discovcrod ap-
pvi>ai'liin!4. which onr glasses made oiil lo he Indians. 'I'hcy proved \o
i)c t'lieyenne.s — two men, and a i>oy of ihirlcen. Ahonl a inonlli since,
thoy had loH their people on the soiilli loik ol IJie river, some three hiiii-
drod miles to the wcsi\\;ii(l. and a p.iiiy o| only lour in nmnhrr had heeii
tt> the I'awnee villaues on a hoi^e-slcalin^' excoisioii. I'loin which |liey
were lotnrnini; niisiiccesslul. 'I'licy wen; miscrahly moiinlcd on wild
horses iVom ihe .\rkansas plains, ami had no other weapons than hows
ami loiii; sjiears; and li.id iliey heeii discovered hy the I'awiiees, eoiikl
not, liy any |M»ssil)ility, iiave escaped. They were; mortified hy their ill
success, ami said the I'awnees were coward-, who shin up their li()rs(vs in
their lodges at ni^iil. I invited tlinn lo sii|»per with me, and HindoipU
and the young ('heyeimc, wlio had hccn (-yiMii^; each other suspiciously
ami curiiuisjy. socni iiecaine intiniatc Iriends. After supper, we sal down
on the grass, and I placed a sheet ol paper hetween ns, on which lla^y
traced rudely, hnl wuli a certaiii degree ol'iclaiive truth, the walercinirsijs
of the country which lay heiwci-ii us and their villages, and (d' which I
desired to have some iulorniaiinn. Tlioir companions, they told tis, had
lakou a ncan'r route over the hills; hui, tlay had n'oun. cd one of tlie sum-
nuts to si)y oiU the I'ouniry. whence they luul caught a gliini)S(r of onr party,
and, coulideut of good tr(>atiiieut at the jiands of the whiles, hastened to
join company. Latitude of the camj) -10' 39' ')!".

We made the next morning sixteen miles. I remarked that tiie ground
was covered in many places wul< an elllorescenee of salt, and the jdants
were not numerous. In tln> i)o(t()ms was freiiuenlly s(,'(!n Irmlcscdulia,
and on the dry lenchcs were c^/yvZ/r;/*, tv/c/r/.y, and amorplni. A high wind
during the morning had increased lo a violent gale Irom the northwest,
which made our afternoon ride cold and unpleasant. We had the wel-
come siglit of two butlaloes on one of the large islands, and encamped at a
clump of timber about seven miles from our noon ljalt,after a day's march
of twenty-two miles.

The air was keen the next morning at sunrise, the thermometer stand-
ing at 44^ and it was sulliciently cold to make overcoats very comfortable.
A few miles brought us into the midst of the bud'alo, swarming in irn-
mcnse lunubers over the plains, where they had left scarcely a blade of

wn of a wy-
ly f'xImUHtcd.
I supply from
' lli;il lllii l)llf-
III liliilr IIS a

(-li.-iii!.',(* lioin

Ml! Ill oiil IIC-
in ; (lirli wn
' sltiMfJv IkiihIs

I lint IIDlllll'I'll

mis, will) Ii/kI
piili'oii's " old
lis ri';il tiaiiM)
only biKiiiiis);
^4 lalJHT iiioro
w. Wo iiav-

ll.scovoroij ap..
Iicy piovril lo

tiioiilii siti(;(\
no llnoo liiin-
iImt li.ni Itooii
I wliii'Ii jtioy
iili-d (III wild
IS than hows
iwiii'o.s, could
hy ilicir ill

it'ir liorsos in

1(1 l{:Mldi)lph

siispicioiisly
wo s;il down

which ihcy
watoi'C(Miist;s

of which I

lold IIS, had

' oTlIiu siiiii-

oi'oiir parly,

, hasluiu'd lo

U llic i2;roiiiid
id tlio i-iaiils
r(i(lcsc(nitia<f

A iiii-'h wind
10 iiorlliwesl,

lad llic wol-
icaniped at a

day's uiaich

iicter stand-
comfortable,
niing in ira-
y a blade of

10^01 <\I'IV I Ijr.MON I'M NAIMJMIVi; |f|

yrBMi ntniiditlf^. Mr. I'lni'-, who was skclchin!/ af a lililc di.lanro in llin
iWar, had al first iiolcd thoiii as lai;,'(> «rov«iN ol IiiiiImi. In Ihc siyhl of
[iWch u mass of lilo, ilic Iravollor foids u Ntrtuii;)- <'moiioii of frund'-iir.
[W« had hriird from a dislanco a (hill and conlin-d miirmnrmL', and,
twhiMi wo camo in viow of lln-ir darU masses, Micro wa*; not on • amomi;
[uf who did liol led his laait heal ipiickcr. It wa i thr early pait (d Ihc
ay, when il'c herds aro feeding; Jind i-very where ihey wi-re m motion.
[Here and there a liniv' old Imll was rolhiii; in the L'rass, and clouds of
'diisi rose in the air Irom vaiioiis parls <d toe hand., i-aeh the .scene of
';(»m<! ohsimate li^'lil. Indians and Inillalo make the p.riry and life of
the |>rairic, and onrcamp was In!! of llnir exhilaration. In place oi' tho
iplicl mmioloi.y of the maii'li, lelievcil onlv hv th'' er icKiii" <d tin; whip,
and all " r//vn/c/' ihnir ! viijiin' dr i;(/rrr f^' sIkoiIs and son:") rosoimded
Irom every p-'irt ol the hue, and oiir eveiiiiiL'; eamp was alway. the com-
iiieiicemiait of a feast, which terminated only with oiii departure uu the
lollowiiif,' morning. ,M any iime (»f the tii^ht nii'.dii he ii'ii pmces rd llio
most <l(||cate and choice' I nn at, lo.asliii'^' en (i/i/i(ii'i/\, on ticks ;iroiind the
lire, and the en.-iid were never wilhoiit company. With ple.isant weather
and no enemy to fear, an ahiindaiic(> of the most excellent meat, and no
H!arcity of bread or t(d»acco, they were enjoviii'.' the oai. ot'.i voyai^eiir'.s
.Jile, Threi! cows were kilieil li» day. Kit (lar.sini had shot e-ie, aiuj w.'i'i
eontimiiiiL,' the chase in ih'' midst of another herd, wli'ii Ins horsr; h^lj
lieadloiii;, hill spraii;,' up and joiin.d the llyini^ hand, 'riioii'.di consiflerahly
liiirt, he had (he t,'ood lorlniie to break no h(»nis ; and Maxwell, who was
mounted on a licet biintcr, captured the r'.inaway after a h;iril chase. Iff
was on the point, of shootiii'.,' him, lo av()id the loss of his hridle, (a hand-
somely nioiintcd Sp iiiish one,) when be found that his horsi! wa.s able lo
come lip with him. Animal; an; fre(pH;ntly lost i>i this way; and it is
necessary to keep (lose waicb over them, in the vicinily f>f the boil'ido, in
die mid.st of which they .scour oil' lo the plains, and are rarely retaken.
One ol' onr mules took a sudden freak into his head, and joined a neigh-
boring band to-day. As we were not in a condition to lo.->(! hor.so.s, I .sent
several iikmi in pursuit, and remained in (.'amp, in the hope of recovoriri^
liim; but lost ilie atternrion to no [mr[)ose, as we did not see him aL'aiii.
Astroiiomicfd oh.servatioiis jilaccd U.s in longitude 100'' 05' 17", latitude
' 10'^4f»' 55".

'/uh/ 1. — AIniii,' our road to-day the prairie bottom wa.s more elevated
and dry, and the hills whicji border the ricfbt side f)f the river bif^ber, and
more broken aiuJ pictiiicsipK! in iIk; outline, 'f'lie coimliy, too, wa.s bet-
ter timbered. As we were riding (piietly along tin; bank, a grand herd of
luidalo, some seven or eight hundred in numbr;r, came erowding up from
the river, where they had iKV'ti to drink, and commenced crossing the
jdain slowly, eating as they went. 'I'iie wind was favorable ; the coolnes.s
of the morning invited to (;xercise; the ground was ajiparently good, and
the distance across the prairie (two or three miles) gave us a fine opportu-
nity to charge them before they could get among the river hills. It wa.s
too fine a prospect for a chase to be lost ; and, halting for a few moments,
the hunters were bronulit uj) and saddled, and Kit Car.son, Maxwell, and
i, started together. They were now somewhat less than half a mile dis-
tant, and we rode easily along until within about three hundred yards,
when a sudden agitation, a wavering in the band, and a galloping to and
fro of some wiiich were scattered along the skirts, gave us the intimation

::J

i\-

y ::

11. i

»■'■'■

"I' ;,

•I

(APT. FHKMONTH .NAKHN TIVK

[184t.

that \vv weru cliscoviTcd, Wo shirlril toi^Mtl.rr at a linnd gallop, riding
■steadily al)i'<uist ol imcIi ndini, aixl Ikmi! tli<. iiilt'titsi ol tlu> cliasit huiMnie
Nil chgr«)NSilii!ly llilciisc, lli;il wv. wen; scnsililf in nollilll:,' clsr. W«! WOfO
now closiim U|)()ii ilifwi rapidly, and (lu; rroiil ol ilu; mass was already
ill rapid iiioiioii lor iIh> lulls, and in a lew sicuiids tlio luoviiinciit had
corniniini<'att'(l iisrll to iIk; whole herd.

A crowd ol' hulls, as nsiial, hroiii^ht up the rciir, and every now nYld
then H)U\v. of them laced ahont,and llieii dashed on aller iIm; hand a .short
disiance, and tnnied and looked again, as it' nune than hull' inclined to
.stanil and liuhl. In a lew inoiiMints, how«iver, diiriii',' which we had het'ii

qnieUenini,' onr pace, Hi*; roiil was universal, and we u cie gom^' over the
ground like a hniricane. \\ hen at ahi)iil ihirty yards, we t^ave the usual
slionl, (the hunter's /^//.v (/e r/utrtfc,) -mhI hroke into the lnird. VV (5 enter-
ed on the ^ide, the mass i;iviiiy: way in every dircciion in llii'lr heedless
course. Many ol the hulls, less active and less llcel than the cows, pay-
ing no attention to ijie ground, and occiipiitd solely with the hunter, were
preeipitateil to the earth with threat lorci^, rolling over and over with the
violence, ol" the shock, and hardly distinguishahio in the dust. \Ve scpa-
ratctl on enteriiii:, each sin^lini; out his L-aine.

My horse was a trained hunter, lainons in the west under the name ol'
Troveau, and, with his ey«!s llashinii:, and the foam tlyin^ t'roni his mouth,
sprang on after the cow like a ti;,'er. In a few nioinenls he hrought me
alongside of her. and, rising in the stirrups, I lircd at the distance of a
yard, the hall entering at the termination of the long hair, and jiassing
near the heart. She fell hoadlong at the report of the gun, and, checking
my horse, I looked around lor my companions. At a little disiance, Kit
was on the ground, eiigagtul in tying his horse to the horns of a cow
which he was preparing to cut U[). Among the scaltiired hands, at some
distance helow, I caught a glimpse <-( Maxwell ; and while I was looking,
a light wr(!ath of white smol;e curled away from his gun, from which I was
too far to hear the report. Nearer, and hetween me and the hills, towards
which they were direrting their course, was the hody of the herd, and,
giving my horse the rein, we dashed afier iIhmu A thick cloud of dust
hung upon their rear, which Ulled my moiah and eyes, and nearly smoth-
ered me. In the midst of this I could see nothing, and the bull'alo were
not distinguishahle until within thirty I'c.nl, 'I'hey crowded together more
densely still as I came upon them, and rushed along in such a compact
body, thai 1 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, but were left far behind ; and, singling out a cow, I gave her my
lire, but struck too high. She gave a tremendous leap, and scoured on
swifter than before. I reined up my horse, ami 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 the hunters, nearly out of sight, and the long dark line of our caravan
crawling along, three or four miles distant. After a march of twenty-four
iTiiles, we encamped at nightfall, one mile and a half above the lower end
oi Brady's island. The breadth of this arm of the river was eight hur;

try now nt»d

I l);iiiil a .short
II' inclined to

wu liud hcuii
;oit»^' over (lii;
avu I In; nsuiU
I. VV(5 oiiUir-
tlu'ir ho«jdl(!ss
u! cows, pay-

liunlcr, were
;)vcr Willi the
it. We scpa-

r the imi/ie ot'

)in his tnoutli,

le hroughl me

(livStaiice of a

, and passing

and, checkini^

distance, Kit

ns of a cow

iiids, at some

was looking,

II which I was
lills, towards

the herd, and,
cloud of dnst
nearly smolli-

biiUalo were
ogether more
ih a compact
leaping upon
efi,tlie horns
^ horse darted
dashed along

gave her my
d scoured on
ept on like a
[1 led us into
ed that there
led the whole
saw only one
f our caravan
f twenfy-fonr
he lower end
'^as eight hur;

IQ4JI 1 t'M'T FRKMONTM \ AKIt \ TIN 1). 91

dwd and eighty ynrds, and ili«' wati-r nowhero two O-el In »Ii'|)ili. T\m
iflland henrs thn nann- of a ni.-iii killrd on this spot soiin' vt'irs nyo. Mis
party hnd encamp*)! Ii)'r<>, tlirei; in company, and on*' ul th** niimhtM* wtiil
off to hunt, Iftivmi; Hrady atui hiv roinpainon lo^elhcr. 'I'licsi' two had
fr(!(|ti<Mitly ()narrr||t>d, iijid on ll-U! hnnlerVs return lie foimd llrady dead,
and was told that he had shut hiuH<.'lf accideiililly. ||i' w.is hurled lieri;
Oti tilt! hank ; hot, as nsual, the wolvi!^ h:id torn him mil, and some hii'iiau
bones that were lyiii'.,' on the ground wi* supposed were his. 'I'roops of
wolves, that were hniii^'inu on the skirts of the hullilo, kept np an uuiiiter-
riipted howling duriii'.,' liie iiiufht, ventunii'^' almosi juto <ainp. In thu
morning, they were silting at a shurl disiaijee, hailunjr, and impatienily
waitini; oni d''[)ariiire, to fall upon the Ixmes.

</u/i/ 2. — The mornin^r was cool and smoky. Our road led closer to the
hills, which here increased in elevatifni, preseiiiing an oiillini; of conical
peaks thret) hiindrt'd to live Imiidred feet high. Some liinher, apparently
pine, grows in the ravines, and streaks of clay or sand wliileu tlieK slopes.
We crossed (hiring iIkj morniii'j a numher ol' hollows, iimhered princi-
pally with hox elder, (firrr itvi^iniiln,) pnplar, .ind elm. hrady's island is
well wooded, and all (lie river aloni,' which our road led lo-day may, in
general, W. called tolerably well timhered. Wo jiassed near aii encamp-
ment of the Oregon f'tnigranis, where they app'-nr tohav«' repost;d several
days. A variely ol household articles were scattered al. out, and they had
proUahly dishiirdened ihem^elves here of many iIiIm^'s noi ahsolultsly ne-
cessary. I had left ilie usual road heforc.' the iiiidday halt, ruid in th«! af-
ternoon, having sent several men in advance to reconnoitre, marched di-
rectly for tin- month of the South fork. On our ai rival, the hors"meii were
sent in and scallered ahoui the river to search I he he^i fordiiiu: places, and
tin; carts followed iimiiediaiely. Tlit; stream is here dividi-d |>y an island
into two chrinnels. The .sontlierii is four himd'ed and fifty feet wide,
havint,' eighteen or twenty inches wat(!r in the dce'pcsi pku'es. With the
exception of a few dry bars, the bed of the riv(;r is generally fpncksands,
m which the carts began to siiilv ra|)idly so soon as the mules hailed, so
that it was necessary to keep them constantly in motion.

The northern channel, two thousand two hundretl and fifty leet wide,
was somewhat deeper, baviiii: fre([nently three leet water in the numer-
ous small channels, with a bed of coarse gravel. The whole breadth of
the Nebraska, immediately below the junction, is live thousand three hun-
dred and fifty feet. All our equipage had reached the left b;ink safely at ti
o'clock, having to-day made twenty miles. Wc; em.Minpted at the point
of land immediately at the junction of the North and Souih forks. He-
tween the streams is a low rich [)rairie, extending from their conlluence
eighteen miles westwanlly to the bordering hills, where it is five and a
half miles wide. It is covered with a luxuriant growth of grass, and
along the banks is a sliL,'ht and scattered fringe of cotton wood and willow.
In the buffalo trails and wallows, I remarked saline etllorescences, to
which a rapid evaporation in the great heat of the sun probably contrib-
utes, as the soil is entirely unprotecte'i by timber. In the vicinity of these
places there was a bluish grass, which the cattle refuse to t;at, called by
the voyageurs '^ herbe sulce," (.salt grass.) The latitude of the junction is
41° 04' 47", and longitude, by chronometer and lunar distances, 1()0°49'43".
The elevation above the sea is about two thousand seven hundred feet. The
hunters came in with a fat cow; and, as we had labored hard, we enjoyed

■'(

•J4 r'.\rr. nU'.MONT'H .NAHI{ATI\K [1648.

W(>ll i\ Nii|t;i< r i)| iD.-i.^to'i ril>s mid lunuliiis^ (lie r/it/ tVtruitrt of % prairia

cook. Mt)st|l|il<iis lllliiiii^cil iihiMII UN lIllH t'Vi'liiti;; ; l»ilt, \\y 10 o'cli)Ck,

wlini ilut ituriiiuiiii'iir liail l.illitii to 17 ', liny linl nil iliM;i|i|ii*nr(H}^/

./»//»/ .1. — An Miis was (II lit! ti |Hiiiit ill our lioiiH'waril joiiriH'V, f madfl t
cnr/ir (u ti'iiii iimmI in all iliis niiiiitry tur wli;ii i. linMrii in tli«< ^roiiml) of
abarnl ol \h»iU. It was imiuissiMo lo romiMi mkIi u iinuutrdiiiK IriMii tho
Nliurp «*yt*.s (it'iMtr ('linyuiino i*(Mn|>aiiiMiis, and I ilirrilori' told (Ikmii io*'go
and N«u! wli It It was iluy wtnii biiryiny:. Tiny would (»dn'r\vis«< htvo
not Called to K tiini and distroy oiir ini/ie, in i'\|it'rtatioii of soin<! ikMi
Ixioty ; l)iit |)oiU they di.sltlvt', and iiovcr rat. \\ <■ lilt our ramp at !', ron«
tinlllll^ u|i till! Soiitli lork, tliu prairii* bottmn allordiiu^ us a fair road ; hut
in tho lout,' urass we loihiid myriads of nioMiniioi'.s and \\\v.s, I'rum which
our horsi'N snllirrd M'Vi'rrly. Tin' day was Miioky, with a pleasant hn <•/•'
I'rom till' sotiili,and tin' plains on tint opposite sidi; were covontd with hut-
tnlo. Ilavini; iravtdlcd twenty tivi) miles, wu cuieaniprd at U in the uven-
in^ ', and the mtii wire sent acru-^s thi! river lor wood, as tlieri; is none
Iiure on the li It haiil<. Our fires were partially iii.idi! ol'ilie />/>/'v t/c var/if,
the (h'y excrement olilie hnH'alo, which, lil<" that oltjieeamel in tho Ara-
bian deserts, I'liriiishes to tliu truvtdler u V( ry uood Auh.stititiu fur wood,
buriiiii;i; like turf. Wolves in ^'ruat nuinhers siirroiiiidud ns (hirini^ tho
niijht, crossiiii,' and recrossiny; from the opposid! henls to our camp, and
huwlim; and iroitiiii: about in ihn river until momiiiL!.

.////// -1. — The niorniny was very smoky, the Mm shininu; <hm'v and red,
ns in II thick fo^. Tliu camp was roused witli a salute at day./rcMik, and
from our scanty slme a portion of what our [iidiaii friends called the " rcci
firo water" st-rvcMJ out lo iIk; men. While wc wen; at breakfast, a bulfalo
calf liroke tliroii;,'h lliu camp, followed by a con|)lo of wolves. In its
fright, it had probably mistaken ns for a band ol' bullalo. 'I'he wolvos
were oblii^ed to niak't; a circuit around (lie eaiiip, no ih.il the calf i^ot a lit-
tle iho i;tart,aud strained every nervu to riiach a lar^i; herd at the fool ol
tho hills, about two miles distant; but first one, and then another, and
another woll" Joined in the chase, until his pursuers amounted to twtiiity
or thirty, and they ran him down bt.'ibro he could reach bis friends.
There were a few bulls near the place, and one ol them attacked the
wolves, and tried lo risciie him ; but was ilriveii oil" immediately, and the
Httle animal fell au easy prey, half devoured before he was dead. We
watched the chase wiih the interest always lell for the weak; and had
there been a saddled horse at hand, he would havi' fared better. I^eaving
camp, our road soon approached the hills, in which strataof a marl like that
of the Chimney rock, hereafter described, make their appearance. It is
probably oithis rock that the hills on the riy;ht bank of the IMalie, a little
below the junction, are composed, and whieli an; woiked by tlie winds
and rains into sharp peaks ami cones, giviiii,' lliein. lii contrast to the sur-
rounding level region, something of a pietureMiue appearance. We
crossed this morning immerous beds of the small creeks which, in the
time of rains andmeltiim snow, pour down from the ridge, bringing down
with them always great (juantities of sand and yavel, which have gradu-
ally raised their beds four to ten feet above the level of the prairie, which
they cross, making each one of them a miniature Vo. liaised in this way
above tlie surrounding prairie, without any bank, the long yellow and
winding hne of their beds resembles a causeway from ilie hills to the
river. Many spots on the prairie are yellow with sunflower, {helianthus.)

[1849.

^ o( % priirii*
f 10 o'clock,
••nri'd.-.'
iM'v, I mndo a
till* Kroiiiid) of
I'lliiiK Irniii the

(1 tlliMII (i) 1(0

InTwisi' liJvo

of SOIIU! Il<*||

imp nt f), roil*
[.iir road ; Ixii
s, (null wliicli

lousHlil l»rri'/t'

)rud with liiit.
(> ill (lu! ovrri-

tlicir is Mono
/tois (Iv vai'fn\
ul ill llio Ara«
ito lor wood,
IS diiriiii^ till!
iir ciiin|), and

im'v and ri:d,
lay -roalc, and
illi'd tlic " rc(i
fast, ti l)UiraI()
)lv(!s. In its
'I'lit! wolv«s
lie ^ot a lit-
tlio Cool oi
notlier, and
to twenty
lis IritMids.
Hacked tli«
.'ly, and the
dead. Wo
and had
I^eaving
art like that
iincc. It is
alle, a little
the wind.s
to the sur-
tincp. We
licli, in tlie
iigiiig down
lave gradu-
liiie, which
in this way
mellow and
litis to the
elianlhus.)

rvrr. iih:m<».ni> NAititxTivi:

'i'^

ia4s.]

Am we were ridhi^ Hlowly utoii'4 ihiN ai'irrnoon, ilotids of dii^t in tlr*
'raviiH'M, ntnotiK iIk' IiiIIn (o ihi; r^dii, Midlinly itirarti'd our aiicntioii, and
in u 1«'W iiiiiiiiii'N coliiiiiii alter ctdiiiiiii of loill'.ilo (Miim* f;allo|)iii.; down,
niakiiiL! diii'tily to (he riv*'r. My ih«' Inii' Ihi! Icudiiit^ In rds had reach'-il
the waiitr, the |ii'niriu wan darkened with lh«' den^e iiiait>uH. liiiiiiMliately
b< (ore iiM, when the liands first raiiie ilowii into the vallty, strelehi'd an
Unfirok<ii liii '. lh<' h«ad o| whieli was Inst aiiioii;^' iImi river hills on lli.'
0|)|>Msi|i' >ide ; ..iid hlill thi'V poiirrd down lioni the ridne on niir right.
From hilt to hill, the prairie hotlom wan nrtainiy not leMs than two inile.s
wuhs and, allowing the animals to he ten let!! apart, and only leii in a
line, there wert! already elevrii thousand III vii'W. SniiM' iiha n ay thus
be lormi'd ol tliiM imiiiher when tiny had oeeiipied the whole plain. In
a shoit tinn- lliey stnroiiiKh'd lis on evitry side ; extending I'or several miles
in (he rear, and forward as far as the eyi; eoiild leaeli ; Ittaving around ii.>.
as we advaiiet'd, an open spaei-ol' only iwo or three hniidrt'd yanls. This
niovomeiil ol" the bidluto indie.iled to lis llie pit souce ol' Indians on the
North tork.

1 hatti'd earii) r than usual, ahoiit forty niihvs from the junction, and all
hamls were soon Imsily engaged in preparnii' a Irast to ecttihratt; the day.
The liindiiess (d" oiir Iriends at St. Luiiis had provided us with a largo
supply of cxci'lleiit pH'serves and rich fruit eake ; and when these were
added to a niaccaroni soup, and variously pn-pared dishes of tla; choicest
biill'alo iiii'at, erowiied with a cup of rolfce, and enjoyed witli prairie ap-
jietite, we felt, as we .sal in barbaric luxury around our smoking supper
on tile grass, a greater sensation of eiijoyiiKtiit tlian the Uomaii epieiire at
Iiis peri'iiined feast. Hul most of nil it si (•tned to please our Indian friends,
who, ill the imreslraiiied (Mijoyment of the moment, diMnanded to know if
our •'medicine days came otteii." No re>trainf wa.s exercised al (lie hos-
pitable board, and, to tlit; great delight of his elders, our young Indian hnl
made himself extremely drunk.

Our eiic.uiipmeiil was within a few miles of the place where the road
cross(!s to the iXorili fork, and various reasons led nie to divide rny parly
at this point. The North fork w.is the principal oliject of my survey, but
I was desirous to ascend theSoiith branch, with a view of obtaining some
astronomical positions, and detcrniining the mouths of its Iribiita.'ics as
far as St. Vrain's fort, (Estimated to Ik; soiik! two hundred miles further up
the river, and near to ]..ong's [leak. TIkmc I hoj)ed to obtain some mules,
which I found would bo necessary to relieve my horses. In a military
point o[ view, I was (b'siioiis to lorm some opinion of the country rtjialive
to the establishment ot' posts on a line coimeeting the settlenienls with
the South |»ass oi \\\v. Rocky mountains, by w"jy of the Arkansas and the
South and Laramie forks of the Plal'e. Crossing the country northwest-
wardly from Si. \' rain's fort, to the Ani(;rican company's fort at the month
of Laramie, would give me some acquaintance with the allluents wliieh
head in the mountains between the two ; I therefore determined to set out
the next morning, accompanied by Mr. Preuss and four men, Maxwell,
Bernier, Ayot, and IJasil Lajeimesse. Our Chcyennes, whose vill ige lay
up this river, also decided to accompany us. Tlie party I left in cliarge
of Clement Lambert, with orders to cross to the North fork; and at some
convenient place, near to the Coulv.c dcs Frines, make a cache of every
thing not absolutely necessary to the fiirtl.or progress of our expedition.
From this point, using the most guarded precaution in his march tlirough

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[18411.1

^I'T'

l.li«;

I !i:

the country, he was to proceed to the American company's fort at the
inouth of Laramie's fork, aiul await my arrival, which would be prior to
the IGth, asoM that and the following night would occur some occuliationg
which I was desirous to obtain at that place. ft

July 5. — Before breakfast, all was reudy. We had one led horse ih ad-
dition to those we rode, and a pack mule, destined to carry our instrumentsJ
provisions, and baggage; thu last two articles not being of very great
weight. The instruments consisted of a sextant, artificial horizon, &c., a|
barometer, spy glass, and compass. The chronometer I of course kept on
my person. 1 had ordered tlic 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 tlie materials for each man's bed,
and every one was provided v ith a change of linen. All were armed
with rifles or double barrelled guns; and, in addition to these, Maxwell
and myself were furnished with excellent pistols. Tiius accoutred, we
took a parting breakfast with our frie'jds, and set forth.

Our journey the first day afforded nothing of any interest. We shot
a buffalo toward sunset, and, having obtained some meat for our evening
meal, encamped where a little timber afforded ns the means of making a
fire. Having disposed our meat on roasting sticks, we proceeded to un-
pack our bales in search of coffee and sugar, and flour for bread. With
the exception of a little parched coflee, 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 ben able
to kill a cow,) and a little bitter coffee, we sat down in silence to oj./ mis-
erable 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-humored. To-day we had travelled
about thirty-six miles.

July 6. — Finding that our present excursion would be attended with
considerable hardship and unwilling to expose more persons than neces-
sary, I determined to send iMr. Preuss back to the party. His horse, too,
appeared in no condition to support the journey; and accoiUingly, 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 re-
join them the next day.

We continued our journey, seven in number, including the three Chey-
ennes. Our general course was southwest, up the valley of the river,
which wus 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 mihs from our resting place we crossed the bed of a consid-
erable stream, now entirely dry — a bed of sand. In a grove of willows,
near the mouth, were th3 remains of a considerable fort, constructed of
trunks of large trees. It was apparently very old, and had probably been
the scene of some hostile encounter among the roving tribes. Its soli-
tude formed an impressive contrast to the picture which our imaginations
invohnifarily drew of the busy scene which had been enacted here. The
timber appeared to have been much more extensive formerly than now.
There were but few trees, a kind of long-leaved willow, standing ; and

pit •

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

iny's fort at the
^uid be prior to
)mc occultations

led horse ifi ad-
our instruinentsJ
^ of very great
liorizon, &c., a!
■ course kept on
flour, cofree,and|
[, iu addition to
each man's bed,
A.11 were armed
these, Maxwell
s accoutred, we

3 rest. We shot
for our evening
ns of making a
)roceeded to un-
)r bread. With
J nothing. Our
orgotten. Tired
d not be n able
ence to o.i.' mis-
-t was yet fresh
ine. Each man
•rst part of these
ve had travelled

e attended with
ons tiian neces-
His horse, too,
coiaingly, after
one of my most
•e about fifteen
fork near their
.'ir trail, and re-
he three Chey-
of the rivei*,
alley by a low
lills became
led of a consid-
>ve of willows,
constructed of
probably been
ibes. Its soli-
r imaginations
;ed here. The
;rly than now.
standing: and

ittierous trunks of largo trees were scattered about on the ground. In
Mtny similar places I had occasion to remark an apparent progressive de-
cay in the timber. Ten miles farther we reached the mouth of Lodge
^ole creek, a clear and handsome stream, running through a broad valley.
In its course through the bottom it has a uniform breadth of twenty-two
feet, and six inches in depth. A few willows on the banks strike pleas-
tntly on the eye, by their greenness, in the midst of the hot and barren
^ands.

The umorpha was freqtient among the r-^'Mues, but the sunllower {heli-
mthus) was the characteristic ; and llowers of deep warm colors seem most
lo love the sandy soil. The impression of the country travelled 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 2fi '?3) at meridian. The
sky was clear, with a high wind from the soutn. At 2, we continued our
journey, the wind had moderated, and it became almost unendurably hot,
r|ind our animals sulfered severely, in the course of the afternoon, the wind
iose suddenly, and blew liard fron) the southwest, with thunder and light-
iiing, and squalls of rain ; these were blown against us with violence by
the wind; and, halting, we tu;ncd our baoks to the storm uiuil it blew
dver. Antelope wore tolerabiy 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 were all in fine
health, and had ridden nearly all of a long summer's day, with a burning
sun rellected from the sands. My companions slept rolled up in their
blankets, ind tho Indians lay in the grass near the fire ; but my sleeping
place generally had an air of more pretension. Oar rifles were tied to-
gether near the muzzle, the buits resting on the ground, and a knife laid
on the rope, to cut away iu case of an alarm. Over this, which made a
kind of frame, was thrown a largo India rubber cloth, which we used to
cover our packs. This made a tent sufficiently large to receive about lialf
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
ipatter close to my head, and know that 1 should be at least, half dry. Cer-
tainly, I never slept more soundly. The barometer at sunset was 26.010,
thermometer 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 some astro-
nomical observations, which made our position in latitude 40° 51' 17", and
longitude 103° 07' 00".

July 7. — At our camp this morning, at 6 o'clock, the barometer 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 replaced the sandy
soil. Buffalo absolutely covered the plain on both sides the river, and
whenever we ascended the liills, scattered lierds gave life to the view

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[184S

llti

1 ,)" !;!''■

in every (lircclioii. A small drove of wild horses made their appfarance on
the low river liottoms, a mile or two to tlic left, and 1 sent off one of the InJ
diaiis (wiio seemed very eager to catch one) on my led horse, a spirited audi
fleet animal. The savage maiueuvred a little to get llie wind of the horses,!
in which he succeeded — approaching within a hundred yards witliout beJ
ing discovered. The chase for a few minutes was animated and interest^
ing. My himter easily overtook and passed the hindmost of the wild drovel
which the Indian did net attempt to htsso; all his ellbrts being directed tol
the capture of 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 bunk of the river, the barometer at that time be'
ing 26.192, and the thermometer 103°, with a light air from the south, ami'
clear weather.

In the course of the 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 bestowed 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 look-
ing 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 with
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 seconds, 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 olf, to lie down somewhere. One of his en-
emies remained on the ground where we had first fired upon them, and we
stopped there for a short time to cut from him some meat for our supper.
We had neglected to secure our horses, thinking it an unnecessary precau-
tion 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,
so that nothing, not even the barometer, was in the least injured.

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 cotton wood, but not a drop of water. There
were several small forks to the stream, all in the same condition. With
the exception of the Platte botiGm,the country seemed to be of a clay form-
ation, dry, and perfectly devoid of any moisture, and baked hard by the
sun. Turning olf towards the river, we reached the bank in about a mile,
and were de'-ghted to find an old tree, with thick foliage and spreading
branches, where we encamped. At sunset, the barometer was at 25.950,

Wll

.th(

fore
^^Q^
adv

Ipai
ihe
fcad
but

It'

ofi

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

iir af^arance oi
off one of the In.

se, a spirited audi
ind of the horses,
ards witliout be-l
ted and interest-
»f the wild drove,!
being directed to
vcakened by the
le drove escappdj
r at that time be
n the south, aiui

Is at a particular

band of eighteen

lUgh butting and

, yet their efforts

bull, very lean,

e appeared very

3 we were look-

and a very few

took the side of

re so blind with

ice, although on

n twenty yards

jnds, we created

ked over by the

to retreat

as they went.

well dispersed

One of his en-

n them, and we

or our supper.

cessary precau-

lis head to start,

se, with all the

ed and brought

IS well secured,

ured.

er four or five
enty of wood
als, we should
atte. On our
eet wide, sunk
dicular banks,
ivater. There
idition. With
of a clay form-
l hard by the
about a mile,
and spreading
vas at 25.950.

)egan

irmometer 81*, with a strong wind from S. 20' K., and the sky partially
vered with heavy masses of cloud, which settled a little towards the
rizon by 10 o'clock, leaving it sulliciently clear for astronomical ob-
rvations, which placed us in latitude -10 ' '.VS 2(»'', and longitude 103-

37".
July S. — The morning was very plca.san*. The breeze was fresh from
50° E. with few clouds; the barometer at 6 o'clock .standing at 25.970,
id the thermometer at 10°. Since leaving the forks, our route had passed
er a country alternately clay and sand, each j)resenting the same naked
astc. On leaving camp this morning, we struck again a sandy region,
which the vegetation appeared somewhat more vigorous than that
'•which we had observed for the last few days ; and on the opposite side of
^e river were some tolerably large groves of lunber.

Journeying along, we carne suddenly upon a place where the ground
was covered with horses' tracks, which had been made since the rain, and
^dicated the immediate presence of Indians in our neighborhood. The
iftalo, too, which the day before had bee!» so numerous, were nowhere in
ht — another sure indication that theru were people near. Riding on, we
covered the carcass of a buffalo recently killed — perhaps the day before,
e scanned the horizon carefully with the glass, but no living object was
be seen. For the next mile or two, the ground was dotted with buffalo
rcasses, which showed that the Indians had made a surroimd here, and
ere in considerable force We went on quickly and cautiously, keeping
Ijj^e river bottom, and carefully avoiding the hills; but we met with no
Interruption, and began to grow careless again. We had already lost one
43£ our ho-ses, and here Basil's mule showed symptoms of giv'ing out, and
.finally refused to advance, being what the Canadians call resf6. He there-
fore dismounted, and drove her along before hiin ; but this was a very
mI^ow way of travelling. We had inadvertently got about half a mile in
l|dvance, but our Cheyennes, who were generally a mile or two in the
ar, remained with him. There were some dark-looking objects among
e hills, about two miles to the left, here low and undulating, which we
d seen for a little time, and supposed to be butfalo coming in to water ;
|ut, happening to look behind. Maxwell saw the Cheyennes whipping up
riously, and another glance at the dark objects showed them at once to
Indians coming up at speed.

Had we been well mounted, and disencumbered of instruments, we
Aight 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 the tired iUate
^{ our horses did not allow us to go faster than a steady canter, and they
ere gaining on us fast. At first, they did not appear to be more than
fteen or twenty in number, but group after group darted into view at the
p of the hills, until all the little eminences seemed in motion, and, in a
w minutes from the time they were first discovered, two or three hun-
red, naked to the breech cloth, were sweeping across the prairie. In a
w hundred yards we discovered that the timber we were endeavoring
make was on the opposite side of the river ; and before we could reach
e bank, down came the Indians upon us.
.. I am inclined to think that in a few seconds more the leading man,

fnd perhaps some of his companions, would have rolled in the dust ; for
re had jerked the covers from our guns, and our fingers were on the

CAPT. FREMONT'S NAURATIVB.

I ;

flit

triggers; men in such cases generally act from instinct, and a charge froB
three hundred naked savages is a circumstance not well calculated
promote a c^ol exercise of judgment. Just as he was ahout to fire, Max^
well recognised the leading Indian, and shouted to him in the Indian
language, " You're a fool, G — damn you, don't you know me?" Thj
sound of his own language seemed to shock the savage, and, swerving
liis horse a little, he passed us like au arrow. He wheeled, as I rode ou|
toward him, and gave me his hand, striking liis breast and exclaiming
"Arapahol" They proved to be a village of that nation, among whor
Maxwell had resided as a trader a year or two previously, and recognised
him accordingly. VVe were soon in the midst of the band, answering a<l
well as we could a multitude of questions ; of which the very first was, o: jjj
what tribe were our Indian companions who were coming in the rear' ^j
They seemed disappointed to know that they were Cheyennes, for thcj
had fully 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 buffalo on the other side of the Platte, imme
diately opposite us, which he said they were going to surround. They
had seen the band early ni the morning from their village, and had beer
making a large circuit, to avoid giving them the wind, when they discov-
ered us. In a few minutes the women came galloping up, astride or
their horses, and naked from their knees down, and the liips up. Thej
followed the men, to assist in cutting up and carrying off the meat.

The wind was blowing directly across the river, and the chief requestct
us to halt where we were for a while, in order to avoid raising the herd
We therefore unsaddled our horses, and sat down on the bank to view
the scene; and our new artpiaintances rode a few hundred yards lowt"
down, and began crossing the river. Scores of wild-looking dogs followed
looking like troops of wolves, and having, in fact, but very little of the
dog in their composition. Some of them remained with us, and I checkec
one of the men, whom I found aiming at one, which he was about to kil.
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 barometer stood at
25.920, the attached thermometer was at 108°. Our Cheyennes hao
learned that with the Arapaho village were about twenty lodges of thei:
own, including their own families ; they therefore immediately com-
menced making their toilette. After bathing in the river, they invested
themselves in some handsome calico shirts, which I afterward learnec
they had stolen from my own men, and spent some time in arrangins
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 had just
passed had recalled the freedom of her existence among the wild droves j
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 weallh of
our poor Cheyennes, all their accoutrements, and all the little articles
which they had picked up among us, with some few presents I had 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 con-
tinued their toilette. They appeared, however, a little mortified at the
thought of returning to the village in such a sorry plight. "Our people

».]

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

nd a charge f^o[

/•ell calculated

>out to fire, Max]

in ill the Indian

now me ?" Tlij

1,0, and, swervint

led, .'IS I rode oiil

and exclaiminj

)n, among whoi

y, and recognised

nd, answering a?

very first was, o:

ing in the rear'

jyenncs, for thej

lip that night.

six miles ahead

he Platte, imme

surround. Tliey

e, and had beer

hen they discov-

ig up, astride or

hips up. They

the meat.

e chief requestftc

raising tiie herd

le bank to view

red yards lowc

g dogs followed

ery little of the

IS, and I checked

vas about to kiL

as clear, with a

ometer stood at

Cheyennes hac

Y lodges of their

mediately com-

r, they invested

erward learned

ne in arrangins

on 1 had given

ler, one of their

which had just

the wild droves

p of her speed.

rldly weallh ol

little articles

its I had given

their spears and

ne. However,

lughingly con-

lortified at the

'Our people

laugh at lis," said one of them, "returning to tiio village on foot, in-
d of driving back a drove of Pawnee horses." Ho demanded to know
I loved my sorrel hunter very much; to which I replied, he was the
ject of my most intense atlection. Far from being able to give, I was
yself in want of horses ; and any suiigestion of j)arling wiih the few I
id valuable, was met with a peremptory refusal. In the mean time, the
aughter was about to conunetice on the other side. So soon as they
jached it, the Indians separated into two bodies. One party proceeded
irectly across the prairie, toward the hills, in an extended line, while the
ther went up tht) river; and instantly as they had given the wind to the
erd, the chase commenced. The buffalo started for the hills, but were
fotercepted and driven back toward the river, broken and running in every
direction. Tiie clouds of dust soon covered the whole scene, preventing
us from having any but an occasional view. It had a very singular ap-
pearance to us at a distance, especially when looking with tlie glass. We
were too far to hear the report of the guns, or any sound ; and at every
Instant, through the clouds of dust whifh the sun made luminous, ''C
could see for a moment two or three bulfulo dashing along, and close be-
Iiind them an Indian with his long spear, or other weapon, and instantly
Ugain they disappeared. The apparent silence, and the dimly seen figures
flitting by with such rupidity, gave it a kind of dreamy efi'ect, and seemed
tnore like a picturij than a scene of real life. It had been a large herd
when the cer?ie commenced, probably three or four hundred in number;
tut, though I watched them closely, I did not see one emerge from tlie
fatal cloud where the work of destruction was going on. After remain-
ing here about an hour, we resumed our journey in the direction of the
village.

Gradually, as we rode on, Indian after Indian came dropping along,
rladen with meat; and by the time we had iieared the lodges, the back-
ward road was covered with the returning horsemen. It was a pleasant
contrast with the desert road we had been travelling. Several had joined
•company with us, and one of the chiefs invited us to his lodge. The vil-
lage consisted of about one hundred and twenty-five lodges, of which
twenty were Cheyennes; the latter pitched a little apart from the Arapa-
hoes, Tiiey were disposed in a scattering manner on both sides of a
broad irregular street, about one hundred and fit\y feet wide, and running
along the river. As we rode al.>ng, I remarked near some of the lodges a
'. kind of tripod frame, formed ot three slender poles of birch, scraped very
i clean, to which were affixed the shield and spear, with some other weap-
; ens of a chief. All were scrupulously clean, the spear head was burnish-
ed bright, and the shield white and stainless. It reminded me of the
days of feudal chivalry; 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, I 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. Grad-
ually, 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 concealment; telling him
simply that I had made a visit to see the country, preparatory to the es-

CAP'J'. KKEMONT'S NAKRATIVE.

1:1

[1949.]

tablishmcnt of military posts on tho way to the mw^nteitis. Although
this was information of the highest interest to them, and l)y no means
•"alculatcd to please theni, it excited no expressiorj of snrprise, and in no
way altered the grave courtesy of their demeanor. The others listened
and smoked. I reniurUed, that in taking the pipe for tln^ first time, each
had turned the slum upward, with a rapid glance, as in oll'ering to the
Great Spirit, before he put it in his mouth. A storm had hceii gathering
for the past hour, and some pattering drops on the lodge warned us that
we had some miles to our camp. Some Indian had given Maxwell a
buiiJld of dried meal, whieh was very acceptable, as we had notiiing; and.
springing upon our horses, we rode oil at dusk in the face of a cold
shower and driving wind. We lound our companions under some densely
foliaged old trees, about three miles up the river. Under one of them lay
the trunk of a large cottoiiwood, to leeward of whieh tlu! men had kin-
dled a fire, and we sat here and roasted our meat in toler.nble shelter.
Nearly opposite was the moiuli of one of the most considerable allluents
of the South fork, la Fourche aux Castors, (Beaver fork,) heading off in
the ridge to the southeast.

July 9. — This morning wc caught the first faint glimpse of the Rocky
mountains, about sixty miles distant. Though a tolerably bright day,
there was a slight mist, and we were just able to discern the snowy sum-
mit of " Long's peak," ("' /t'.v deux oreii/en^' of the Canadians.) showing
like a small cloud near the horizon. I found it easily distinguishable,
there being a perceptible dill'erence in its appearance from the white
clouds that were floating about the sky. I was pleased to find that
among the traders and voyageiirs the name of " LiOiig's peak" had been
adopted and become fi miliar in the country. In the ravines near this
place, a light brown sandstone made it:> first ap|)eara!ice. About 8, we
tliscerned several persons on horseback a mile or two ahead, on the oppo-
site side of the river. They turned in towards tho river, and we rode
down to meet them. We found thein to be two white men, and a mu-
latto named Jim Beckwitli. who had left St. Louis when a boy, and gone
to live with the Crow Indians. He liad distinguished himself among
them by some acts of daring bravery, and had risen to the rank of a chief,
but had now, for some years, left them. They were in search of a band of
horses that had gone otl" 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 aftiuent of the right bank. Where we crossed it, a short distance
from the Platte, it has a sandy bod about four hundred yards broad ; the
water in various small streams, a few inches deep. Seven miles further
brought us to a camp of some four or five whites, (New Englanders, I be-
lieve.) 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 buffalo-fed boys that were tum-
bling about the camp, all apparently of the same age, about three or four
years old. They were encamped on a rich bottom, covered witii a pro-
fusion of fine grass, and had a large number of fine-looking horses and
mules. We rested with them a few minutes, and in about two miles ar-
rived at Chabonard's camp, on an island in the Platte. On the heights
above, we met the first Spaniard I had seen in the country. Mr. Chabo-

Val
Wal

»i]

CAIT. ''Kh'.'ONT'H NARRATIVE.

tis.^ Although
l)y no means
ise, mid in no
Ttliers listened
irst tiiiK!, each
jllcriiii^ to the
)V(iu gathering
'urned us that
'11 Maxwell a I
iiothinu^; and
iice of a cold
r some densely
ic of them lay
! innu had kin-
cr.'ible shelter,
irablfi alHuents
lioading off in

of the Rocky
ly bright day,
e snowy sum-
ans.) showing
listinguishable,
oni the wliite
1 to find that
ak" had been
iues near this
About 8, we
, on the oppo-
. and we rode
II, and a mu-
K)y, and gone
imsolf among
nk of a chief,
1 of a band of
|l large of Mr.
icarcli of the
on towards
ched Bijou's
hort distance
Is broad ; the
Imiles further
anders, I be-
ia river, and
and I was
t were tum-
hree or four
witii a pro-
horses and
o miles ar-
Ihe heights
Mr. Chabo-

[ard was in the service of Bent and St. Vraiii's company, and had left
Heir fort some lorty or fifty miles above, in the .spring, with boals laden
rith the furs of the last year's trade. He bad met tlit; sanu; fortune as
16 voyageurs on the North fork, and, finding it impossible to |)roceed,had
iken up his smnmer's rrsidence on tbis island, which be had named St.
lelena. The rivi'r hills appeared to be composed entirely of sand, and
le Platte had lost the nuuidy cbaracter of its waters, and bere was toler-
[bly clear. From tbe month of the South fork, I had fonnd it occasion-
lly broken up by small islands; and at the lime of our journey, which

as at a season o

f tb(! y

ear wlieii tlio waters wore at a favoral)lo stage, it

%;as not navigable for any tliin;.^ drawing six inches water. Tlie current
was very swift — tbe bed of tbe stream a coarse gravel.

From the place at which we had encountered the Arapaboes. tbe Platte
had been tolerably well hinged with timber, and tbe island here had a
fine grove of very large cotton woods, under whose broad shade ibe tents
■were pitched. There was a large drove of horses in tbe opposite jjrairie
bottom: smoke was rising from the scattered fires, aiiu tbe encampment
bad quite a i)atriarcbal air. Mr. C. received us hospitably. One of the
peopUi was sent to gather mini, with llie aid of wb'ch be concocted very
good julep; and some boiled bull'do tongue, and coffee with the luxury
of sugar, were soon set before us. The people in his employ were gene-
tally Spaniards, and amoui:: them I saw a young Spanish woman from
Taos, whom 1 found to be Beckwilli's wife.

Jii/ij 10. — We parted with our hospitable host after breakfast the next
morning, and readied St. Vrain's fort, about forty-five miles from St. Hele-
na, late in the evening. This post is situated on tbe South fork of the Platte,
immediately under the mountains, about seventeen miles east of Long's
peak. It is on tbe right bank, on the verge of the upland prairie, about
forty feet above the river, of wliich the immediate valley is about six hun-
dred yards wide. Tbe stream is divided into various branches by small
islands, among whicb it rims 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
inarls which give to the Lower Platte its yellow and dirty color. The
Black hills lie between tbe stream and the mountains, whose snowy peaks
glitter a few n.iles beyond. At the fort we found Mr. St. Vrain, M'ho re-
ceived us witli 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 come 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 useful in a camp, in taking care of horses and
mules ; and I engaged one, who proved to be an active, laborious man,
lind 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 region of perpetual snow, which
Was generally confined to the northern side of the peaks. Oti the south-
ern, I remarked very little. Here it appeared, so far as I could judge in
tbe distance, to descend but a few hundred feet below the summits.

I regretted that time did not permit me to visit them; but the proper
Object of my survey lay among the mountains further north ; and I looked
4^orward to an exploration of their snowy recesses with great pleasure.

CAPT. fui:mont'8 naukative.

[iMa.

The piiioy region of tlin mountains to the south wus «vnrek>ped in smokeJ
aMtl I was inlorniecl hud hecn on lire lor several months. PiL 'a peak ii{
said to be visihht I'rom this piuce, about one hundred miles to the south'
ward; but the smoky stale of the utmosjihero prevented my seeing it. I
The wefiiher contimied overeast during my May here, so that 1 failed in
doicrrnining the latitude, but obtained good observations for time on the
mornings of the 11th and 12th. An a:^sumcd latitude of 40*^22' 30" frornl
the evening [losiiion of the 12th, enabled me to obtain, for a tolerably cor-
rect lojigitude, 105° 12' 12".

Jnlxj 12. — 'I he kindness of Mr. St. Vrain had enabled mo to obtain al
couple of horses and llirce good mules; an(l,\viih a lurther 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 10,
on the morning of the 12th. We had been able lo procure nothing at the
post, in the way of provision. An expected supply from Taos had not yet
arrived, and a few pounds of collee was all that could be spared to us. In
addition to this, we had dried meat enough for the first day ; on tlie next,
we expected to iiiid butfalo. From this post, according to the estimate ot
the country, the fort at the mouth of Laramie's fork, which was our next
point of destination, 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 Thompson's creek, one of the alliuents to the left bank of the
South fork — a fine stream about sixty-five leer wide, and thiee feet deep,
Journeying on, the low dark line of the Hl.ick hills lyh)g between us and
the momitaius to the lei't, in about ten miles from the fort, we reached Cacht
a la Paudrc, wliere we halted to noon. This is a very beautiful moun-
tain stream, about one hundred feet wide, flowing with a full swift cur-
rent over a rocky bed. We halted under the shade of some cottonwoods,
with which the stream is wooded scatieringly. In the upper part of its
course, it runs amid the wildest moimtain 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 ot
a very untractable mule-r-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 contin-
ued our route in the afternoon.

At evening, we encamped on Crow (?) creek, having travelled about
twenty-eight miles. None of the party were well acquainted with the
country, and I had great difliculty in ascertaining what were the names
of the streams we crossed between the North and South forks of the Platte.
This 1 supposed to be Crow creek. It is what is called a salt stream, and
the water stands in pools, having no continuous course. A fine-grained
sandstone made its appearance in the banks. The observations of the
night placed us in latitude 40° 42', longitude 104° 57' 49". The barom-
eter at sunset was 25.231 ; attached thermometer at 66°. Sky clear, except
in the east, with a light wind from the north.

July 13. — There being no wood here, we used last night the bois dc

s:i

[1848.

>ped in smoke, I
Pill's peak is
s to the south-
I my soiiing it.
hut I i'uilud in
for time on the
)°22' 30" from
I tolerably cor-

[110 to obtain a
addition to our'
[!rs, who wero
•journey at 10,
! nothing at the
aoshad not yet
pared to us. In
r ; on liie next,
the estimate ol
h was our next
le hundred and

e Platto, which
jrs, which filled
listed of poplar,
three miles, wc
ift bank of the
Ithiec feet deep,
jetween us and

reached Cache
)eautifui inoun-
I full swift cur-
ie cottonwoods,

per part of its
feakiiig through

this place. In
[he possessor ot

turned over to

get the saddle
[nited, realizing

ind we contin-

travelled about
tinted with the
rere the names
is of the Platte,
(alt stream, and
fine-grained
fvations of the
The baroni-
[y clear, except

rht the bois dc

]54g,J CAPT. FKH.MON'ra NAKHATIVC. 33

[iMtcAe, which ia vnry ph'iiiiriii. At our camp this iiiorniim, ilic barometer
was at 2.^ 2;]/) ; tin; ult;ulii'il ilifiinnmetrr <i() '. A lew cIdikIs were moving
{through ade<ip biiio sky, with a light wind from ilic wist. Alter a ride
jof twelve miles, in a MoriJHMly dirt!Ction,ov('r a plain covered with innii-
iTncrnble fjiiaiitilies ol' cttr/f, wo rfached a small crtek in which there was
Iwater, and where soveinl li'i'ds ol liutlUlo wtjru scatlerrd ulxiiit among the
jraviries, wliirh always mIIokI uood |>asiiir!ig('. \\v. srcin now to he pass-
ling along the base of a pl;U(!au of tlu; HIack hills, in which ihi^ tormation
[consists of nnirls, some of them white and liiminated ; llu* foimtry to the
jloft rising suddenly, and falling; olfgrndually and unilorinly i<» the right.
In five or six miles of a northeasterly course, we st nick a liiifh ndge.

tiroken into conical peii s, on whose summits large boulders were gathered
ill heaps. 'I'he mai>neiic diieetioii of the ridge is northwest and south-
east, the glitt(!riiig white of its precipitous sides makim,' it visible formally
miles to the south. It is composed ol a soft earthy liiiH-siono :ind cnarls,
resembling that, iKireaftcr described, in the neighboihood of the (Jhimncy
rock, on the North fork of the Platte, easily worked by tho winds and
rains, and sometimes moiiMttl into very fantastic shapes. Ai the foot of
the northern slo|)e was the !)e(l of a creek, some fcrly fei I wide, coming,
l)y frecpient falls, from i\ni Ixjiieh above. It was shut in by hii;li perpen-
dicular banks, in which weie strata of wliito lamiiiateii marl. Its bed
was perfcictly dry, and the leading feature of the whole region is one
of remarkable aridity, and perfect freedom Iroiii 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 W(! came suddenly
upon a beautiful creek, which revived us with a feeling of delighted sur-
prise by the |)leasant coniiasl of the deep verdure; of its banks with the
parched desert we had passed. Wo. had sufl'ered much t(j-day, both men
and horses, for want of woler; having met with it but onct! in our unin-
torrupted marcii of Ibrty miles, and an exclusive mea: diet creates much
thirst.

'•''Las heitids tienen nmcha humhrc," said tiie young Si)aniard, inquir-
ingly ; *'i/ la genie tuinhienr said I, " amigo, we'll camp h(!re." A stream
of good and clear water ran winding about through the little valley, and a
herd of bulfalo were cpiietly feeding a little distance below. It was quite
a hunter's j»aradise ; and while some ran down toward the band to kill one
for supper, others collected hois ile vache for a fire, there being no wood ;
and I amused myself with hunting for plants among the grass.

It will bo 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 imi)rcssion in my mind, confirmed by subsequent ob-
servation, that the barren appearance of the country is due almost en-
tirely to the extreme dryness of the climate. Along our route, the country
had seemed to increase constantly in elevation. According to the indica-
tion 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 .sutiset was 24.862, the thermometer attached
showing 68°. I supposed this to be a fork of Lodge Pole crock, so iar as
J could determine from our uncertain means of information. Astronomi-
chI observations gave for the camp a longitude of 101° 39' 37", and lati-
tude 41° 08' 31".

i*.

CAPT. FRKMONT'H NARPATIVR.

[184t.

( /

Juii/ It — Th(! wind loniiiiiiod ircnli ironi ihc Miiiutqiiartnr in the morn-
itiK ; the day Immiik <-l*ai, wiili rlio excrpiioii of ii low cIoikIm in iho hori-
zon. At fnir «'ani|> nl (» tiNdork, iho hriglit of ihr li.itoriMMnr was 24.830,
Uu! atiaclKMl ihtriiionK'tcr (il". Our coiii.s<r tins riiDining was dirortly
north hy coinpaxs, ihc vari.iliou \u'\uu l.'i"or It/' rastcrly. A ride of foiirl
inili'.s bronuhl us lo Lod^c Polu creek, which wo had seen at its month |
on Iho South fork ; imo-nIii'.,' on (he way two dry slrnaius, in eighteen rnilrs
from t)ur on anipm'tit of the past ni:!ht, wo rfinliod a high hloak ridgr,
coinpoNtid itntmly td iho saiuo earthy hinostont' and mail pri>viou.sly dtv
ac^ribod. I had nuvi-r Htiiii any thing which impro cd .so strongly on my
mind a feoliii-j: of disolation. The valley, through which ran the watoMJ
of Horse cr(!<'k, lay in viow to the norih, l)nt too t.;r to liavo any iiilluonc
on the inimcdiatt' viow. On the pi-ak of tho riilgc. wh'/ro I was slandill^,
Aome t-ix or seven hiindn'd feet above the river, the wind was high and
bleak; the barren ami arid country .seemc' as if it had been swept by
fires, and in (jvory dir<'('.iion tho same (!ull asti colored hue, dtiriveil from
the formation, met th'' «ye. On the snnnnils wore sonu! .stunted pines,
many of them dead, all wearing the same aslu'ii hue (d' desolation. VVf
loll the place with pleasure ; and, after we had dcscondod sev(!ral hundri'il
foot, halted in one of the ravines, which, at the distanct! of every mile o;
two, cut the llanks of tlu; ri<lge with little rushing sirojiius, wearing som*;-
thing of a nionniain iliaracter. Wo had already beirnu to exchange the
comparatively barren lands for those of a more H.-rtilo eliaraclor. Though
tho sandstone formod the broken banks of the crcelc. yet they were cov-
ered with a iliin grass ; and the fifty or sixty feet which formed the bottom
land of the little stream wore clothed with very luxuriant grass, amoni,'
whic}i I remarked willow and cherry, {cer(tsu.<i riru^iniana ;) and a (luan-
tity of gooseberry and currant bushes occupied ihc tirealer part.

The creek was llirce or four feet broad, and about six inches d(U)p, with
a swift current of clear water, and tolerably cool. We had struck it Iom
low down to liiul the cold water, wliich wo should have enjoyed nearer
to its sources. At 2, p. m., the barometer was ;it 2.5.050, the attached
thermometer 10 r. A day of hot sunshine, with clouds, and a moderate
breeze from the south. Continuing down the stream, in about four miles
we readied its mouth, at one of the main branches of Horse creek. Looking
back upon the ridge, whose direction appeared to be a little to the north oi
cast, we saw it .•earned at Ireiiuent intervals with the dark lines of wooded
streams, alHuents of the river that flowed so far as we could see along it.'<
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 in-
formed, Goshen's iiole. There is somewhere in or near this locality a
place so called, but I am not certain that it was ihe place of our encamp-
ment. 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 .semi-circular sweej), which might very naturally be called a
hole in the hills. Tiio geological composition of the ridge is the same
which constiiiiies the rock of the Court-house and Chimney, on the North
fork, which appeared to me a continuation of this ridge. The wind.s and
rains work this formation into a variety of singular forms. The pass into

[1941.

t^^rin the morn- 1
lis III tho hori-
f«!r was 1^4.830,1
g was <lir«rtly
A ri(l« of four
II at its luotith
I «!ii,'lili!eii tnilr>t
!^li hicak ruigi*,|
pr«!VMmsly df-
itronu'ly (MI iiiv
riiii ilie wat«ir>
«! any iiitltK^nc
I Wiis standing,
was high and
hecn swept by
-!, (hjrivrd from
} stunted pines,
tosolation. We
several hiuulretl
I cvrry mile or
, wearing soinn-
exchang(5 the
ant«^r. Though
they were cov-
rmed the bottom
lit grass, among
a ;) and a (luati-
r pari.

ches deep, with

d struck it too

enjoyed nearer

0, the attached

nd a moderate

botit four miles

reek. Looking

le to the north oi

lines of wooded

Id see along its

oon halt, three

e most easterly.

wed an easterly

n bend to the

d, as I was in-

this locality a

i' our encamp-

w miles to the

hich runs the

lly be called a

j;e is the same

, on the North

'he winds and

The pass into

C.M'T KUKMONTrt N.XKU.-V PIVR

lOothen'f holn is about two unleN wii! >, nnd tho lull on the wetiteru nuh*
Imitated, in an extraordinary inuniuir, i tiui.vsivc iDrtiried place, with a ns-
nmrkabli* fulness of detail. The rock is mail and earthy limeNtone, white,
witliiHii the lea>t appearance of vegeiaii<)n. iiid niueh ri'stimbles mu.sonry
.|kt a hiilo distnnco; and hero it Mwccps around a hvel aiea two or thre»j
hundred y <r l^-i III diameter, and in the lorin of a half moon, termuiaiing
on ei ler exireiniiy 111 enormous bastions. Along the whole lin»; of tlo
nnrape.s ap|»(':ir domes and .slend»'r minarefs, forty or fifty feet lugh, giving
It every appearance of an old fortified town. On tho waters of White
liver, wh<!r«) this formation i.'xi.sts in ^real e.vtent, it presents apptjarances
whii'h excite flic admiration of the solitary voyaijenr, ami (oriii a frequent
theme ol'lhiir conven^ation when speaking of the wonders of the coimtry.
Sonn:iiines it oilers the perfectly illusive appe.iratmc of n Large city, with
nuriieroiis streets and magnificent huililin<j;s, among which the Canadians
never fail to see their cahttrrt : aiiil soiiiciiincN it fakes the fo'in of a soli-
tary house, With many large chambers, into u Inch they drive lluMr horses
at night, and I'.p m tliesu natural deftsnces perfectly secure from any at-
tack of prowling savages, lielore reaching our camp at (loshen's hole, in
crossing the immeiisf? detritus at the foot of (he Castle rock, we were in-
volved ;unidst winding pa.-..>ages cut by tin* watrrs of the lull; and whor»',
with a hrcadtli scarcely large enough for the passage of a hors«', the walls
rise thirty and forty feet perpendicularly. 'I'iiis formation supplies tlnj
discoloration of tlas Platte. At sunset, the hoight of the mercurial columti
was 2.0. /)()(), the attaclu.d thermometer «(/', and wind moderate from S.
2%'^ E. (Jlouds covered the sky with the rise of the moon, but I succeethjd
in obtaining the usual astronomical observations, which placed us in latitude*
41° 40' l;i", and longitude 104'^ 24' 'Mi' .

Juhj 15. — At (i this morning, the barometer was .it 25.51. "i, the thermoni-
efer 72"; tin? day was fine, with some clouds looking dark on the south, with
a fre.sh breeze from the same quarter. We found that in our journey across
the country we had kept too much to the eastwnrd. This morning, accord-
ingly, W(! travelleii by compass some l."") or 20" to the west of north, and
struck Mie Platte some thirteen miles below Fort Laramie. Tlie day was
extremei/ hot, and among the hills the wind seemed to have just issued
from an ovxMi. Our horses were much distressed, as we had travelled
hard ; and it was with some dilliculty that they were all brought to the
Platte; which we reached at 1 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 jimclion of Laramie with the
Platte. Like the 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, call-
ed Fort John, or Laramie. This was a large post, having more the air of
military construction 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

J<1

t M*"]'. FKKMONI H NMUIVIIVK

.'UihIi'm, ^nvlt it (piitn nil tiii|HiNiti^ ;i|i)>ciirnni'r m i|ii< iintrrtnin light of
I VriiiUK. A ('lu^U'l' iM l<>tlL;)'s, wht< li llii; lllll^ll:u;l) lolil IH lu>loiigt'd to
Siimx ImliitiiN, w.'iN |»itclii'il iiikIit tin* w;iIIn, and, wiili tin* Otin hnric
■jrriMihd III lilt* niiick liilh iiid llir |)iiMiiiiii'iil peak <>(' Ltiriiiiiif iitoiiiituiii,
strongly dniwii iii iIp' rltiii It hi oi ilic wcstrrn sky, wlini' ilii' miii hiid
iilr*'i(dy .N<(,th(> wlmlo litriiitMl ;it ilit> niniiirni u Nirikiiiuly Id itiitiliil tMiiiirc.
From llic n)iii|tiiiiy ill Si. Lmiiin I li;id li'ilcrs lor Mr. Iloiidciii, tiin :., •illu-
man in cliarui! nl' tliu post, liy wliom | was ri'«'<>ivcil with '^ri'al h(>s|)ilaliiy
and .'III ('iriciciit kiii(hit>.s.s, whhh was mvaliiahlif to iid' diiiiiiL' my slay iti
lh«' ('(iinili y. I loinid our iMopIr •iii' iiii|ird on iho hunk, a vhoit (h^iancn
abovii (ho lort. All wm; well ; and, in l\u^ uiijoym<'iit of a hoiiniilnl slip-
per, wliit'h coll'i'c and hri'ad inadi' hixinioiis lu lis, wi) soon I'orgot ilm fu-
tit^iifs ol' tli«< last Icn d.iy>.

•/f//// Hi. — I toiiiid dial, diiiiii'^' my .ihriicr, ihi* siliiation of alltiirs had
lmd^r^ollo soiiir chaiimi! : and ihc usual ([iiict and Nomi'whal inoiioioiioiiM
rcgularily id' llut ramp had ).'ivrn plai*(> lo rxrilMiwiit and alarm. Tlii!
circiim.siaia'cs wliirh ocrasjuiird iliis cliaiD^'i' wdl he loiiiid iianalcd in (ho
Icdlowing tf.Mracl Ironi ilu; n>iiiiial ol Mr. i'rt'iiss, wliifh comnu'iiccs with
iIk! day ut' uiir .separation on the Sotiih link ut the Platte.

Extract ft'oni tfiv jintrmil of Mr. /'ri'irss.

*'Jn/i/ (I — Wo ero.ssod the plateau or Iiii;hlniid between the two lorks in
ahoiit SIX hours. I lei my hoisu git as slow as he liked, to iiidiMiMiijy ns
l)o!h lor th(! |)revioiis liardsliip; and ahoni noon we reaelierl the North
I'ork. Theri' was no siijii lliai our parly had passed; W(! rode, ilmridori',
lo some piiu' trees, iinsad.ili'd ihe liorMS, and slreielu-d our limhs on the
j»ras8, awaiting the arrival ol' our trompaiiy. Al'ier reniainiii;^^ jiere Iwo
hours, my eompanion heeaiin! iiiipaiicnt, momileil his lioise a::ain. and
rode oil" down ihe river lo set; d' lie (.-oiild discover oiir people. I Hit so
inarodi! yet,ljial it was a lioiiil>'«( idea to me lo hestriile theJ saddl(! ;ii,Min;
so 1 lay still. I knew liny eoiild not come any other way, and then my
companion, oiu' of die hcvi uien of llie company, would not ahandon me.
The siin wenldown; he did not conu!. Uneasy 1 did not feel, but ve'ry
hungry; I luul no provisions, bnf 1 eonid make a lire; and as I esjiiiMl
two doves in a tree, I tried lo kill one; hut it needs a better marksman
than ir.yself to kill a Utile bird wiiha rille. 1 made a larire fire, liowiiver,
lighted my [)ipe — this iriii' iVieml of mine in every emerij^cMicy — lay down,
and let my thoie^dils wandi r (o ihe ilir east. It was not many minutes alU.-r
when 1 heard the tramp of a hor^ie, and my faithful companion was by
my side. He had foiml ihe party, who hud been delayed by making
their caelum about j^evcji miles bijlow. To the good supper which he
brought with him I did iniple justice. \h' had forgollen salt, and I tried
the soldier's substitute in time of war, and used gunpowder ; but it an-
swered badly — bitter enough, but no llavor of kitchen salt. 1 slept well ;
and was only disturbed by two owls, which were attracted by the fire,
and took their place in the tree under which wo slept. TluMr music
seemed as disagreeable to my companion as to myself; ho fired his rifle
twice, and then they let us alone.

'■^July 7. — At about 10 o'clock, the party arrived; and we continued our
iourney through a country which otfered but little to interest the traveller.
The soil was much more sandy than in tiie valley below the conlluence

vMn' rH\:>ti}\r!< wiujxrivK

of tlifl forki^, afnl till" f'a«'«' Ml llm roiiiiliy ln» Ihii/iT |irnMnil»M| lln- r-frt'^l

n of iiHiiirs had
i.-il rn'iiiMiiMKMiM
III al.-irrii. 'The
ti.'innii'il III iju)
oiiinit'iK'ON witli

lin two forks in
lo iiKlciiiiiijy IIS
clicfj iln! Norlli
rod*', ihcrdorc,
|ir liiiihs on tlii!
liii!/ liiTt! (wo

M> illiilill. .'iiui

|>lo. I I'clt so
s:ul(ll(! :ii,Miri;

lllld tllCM III/

:il);iii(luii inu.
I'l-'ol, 1)11 1 v«;ry
1 1 as I osj)i(Ml
tiT niarksiiian
liic, li()W(!Vi!r,
y — lay down,
iniiiiites aflur
iiioii was by
d Ijy niaUiiig
)or which he
it, and I tried
r ; hilt it aii-

I slept well ;
d hy tlie fire,

Their music

lircd his rifle

joiitinued our
the traveller,
le confluence

i«K K

r«'i'ii

whi'h IiikI IhiIhtjo rhMiiirtrri/'-d II. TIim ri«'h ifriiH"* whn now

foniid only iii dinpurist'd spoli, on lov\r i;iotiiMh, rind on llin holtom liiiid of

Ithc Ntr*>aiii'<. A lon^C droiiuhl, juini'd to I'Xtri'nin liciit, had mo purclird up

th«' iipp'T prairi' s, that tln'y w«ri' in inany plrwrs hald, or covi'ird unly

Iwitli a thill ^towth of ytdlow iiiid pooi ;'r.ivs. 'I'Im- iiaiiiri' of (Im> soil fii*

jdcrH It I'Xiri'iiK'ly NiiHntptihln to ihn vii'isMluih's of th«i rlirnaln. Mi'twuMt

tho folks, and from ihrir jiioction lo thi' Itlark hilh, the formaiion con-

Uists of ill. II I and a soft nurihy liini'stoiD', with ur;initi<' sandNtotif. Such a

IbrinalMii r;innol ^ivo riNu to a siirili- mmI ; and, on «nir ri'inrn in Sipi«'iii-

h(>r, when the coimlry hud been walrred hy fr«'ipient rtiiiiN, ihe vallny of

till' IMalle lookml like u ^ardi'ii ; so riih was the vrrdiirr o! lli»' Kfiisses,

and M) hiXMiiaiit flu* hlooiii of ahiindaiii IIiwits. 'I'Im; wild snqr hi't^ins to

make lis appiMiaiicc, and liniher is m» mmicc th iI we ^niM^rally niadf oni

fires of the /utis tie. luir/if, With th«' exception of now and then an isolated

tree or two, slandiiii,' like a li^^ht house mi the nver hank, there is none

whal«'V«T to he scf'ii.

*' ,/ii/i/ s. -Diir road toilay was a solitary one Nou^ame made its appear-
ance -iiol even a liiiHulo or a stray anltdope ; and nothing occurred to hn-ak
the monotony until ahont fi o'clock, wlirii (li*> caravan made asiuhl.Mi halt.
Tfiere was a uallnpinv in of scoiiis and h(M■.^elllen from every side — a hiir-
ryiiii,' to ami I'ro in noisy eonrii.sion ; rilli-s were taken from their cover ;
bullet pouches i3\aimiied : in short, there was thr; cry of « Indians,' heard
ai^'aiii. I hid hecoine so much aeciislome'd to these alarms, that now they
made hut liiiji' impression on me; ;iiid hefoie I had lime to hecome fx-
citeil, the new comers were ascertaiip'd id he whites. It was a laii^i; parly
of traders and trappers, conducted hy Mr. Ilridi^er, a man we'll known in
the history of the country. As the sun was low, and there was a fine grass
patch not far ahead, they turned hae!; and encniiped for the nrjlit willi
us. Mr. Mrid^er was invited to supper; and, alter ilie ////>/« rlolh wa'i
removed, we listened with eaj»er interest to an account of their adventures.
What they had mot, we would he likely to eiiitoimter; the chanciis which
had hefalleii lliein, would nrohahly leippen to us ; and W(! looked upon
their life as a jtielure of OP* own. lie informed us that the condition of
the country had hei^ome (JXceedill^ly daiiL,'erous. 'V\w. Sioux, who had
been badly (hspo.sed, had broken out inio open hi^lility,arid in the preced-
ing autumn his party had encountered them m a severe etii/agenient, in
which a niunher of lives had fiec.ii lost on holh .sides. Miiited with the
Cheyenne and (iros Ventre Indians, they were scouring tiie upper country
in war parties of great force, and were at this time in tlie neighborhood of
the /itd Unites, a famous landmark, which was directly on our path.
They had declared war upon every living thing which sliould be found
westward of that point ; though their main object was lo attack a large
cain[) of whites and Snake Indians, who had a rendezvous in the Sweet
Water valley. Availing himself of his intimate knowledge of tlie country,
he had reached Laramie by an unusual route through the Black hills, and
avoided coming into contact with any of the scattered parties. Thie gen-
tleman offered Ids services to accompany us so far as tlie head of the Sweet
Water ; but the absence of our leader, which was deeply regretted by us
cU, rendered it impossible for us to enter upon such arrangement. In a
Camp consisting of nieti whose lives had been spent in this, country, I ex-
pected to find every one prepared for occurrences of this nature; but, to

CAPT. FKEMON'l'H NARRATIVE.

[1848.

my great surprise, I fourxl, on the contrary, thai this news had thrown
them all into the greatest coiisteriialion ; and, on every side, I heard only
one exclamation, ' // n\)j aura jms <1e vie pour nous.' All the night, scat-
tered groups were assembled aronml the fires, smoking their pipes, and
listening with the greatest I'liutTMoss to exaggerated details of Indian hos-
tilities; and in the morning I lound the camp dispirited, and agitated by
a variety of confhcting opinions. A majority of the people wore strongly
disposed to return ; bnt ("lament Ijambcrt, with some five or six others,
professed their determination to follow ' ir. Freii:ont to the utf(M'most limit
of his journey. The others yielded to their remonstrances, and, some-
what asliamed of their cowardice, concluded t^) advance at least so 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 ihe days were extremely hot. and we wore
anxious to profit by the freshness of the morning, 'riic soft marly form-
ation, over which we were now journeying, Irequently oilers to the trav-
eller views of remarkable and picturesque beauty. To several of these
localities, where the winds ami tiie rain have worked the bluffs into
curious shapes, the voyageurs have given names according to some fan-
cied resemblance. One of these, culled the Court-house, we passed about
six miles from our encampment of last night, and toward noc.!< came in
sight of the celebrated Chimnei/ rock. It looks, at this distance of about
thirty miles, like what it is called — the long chimney of a steam factory es-
tablishment, or a shot tower in Haltimore. Nothing occurred to interrupt
the quiet of the day, and we eticamped on the river, after a march of twen-
ty-four miles. Buifulo had become very scarce, and but one cow had been
killed, of which the meat had been cut into thin slices, and luuig around
the carts to dry.

'■'■July 10. — 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 miies, from the frontiers of Missouri to the Laramie fork.
In the course of the day we met some whiles, who were following along
in the train of Mr. Bridger ; and, after a day's journey of twenty-four
miles, encamped about snnse* at the Chimney rock. It consists of marl
and earthy limestone, and the weather is rapidly diminishing its height,
which is now not more than two hundred feet above the river. Travel-
ers who visited it some years since placed its height at upwards of five
Imndred feet.

'■'■July \\. — The valley of Mic North fork is of a variable breadth, from
one to four, and sometimes six miles. Fifteen n^iles from tfie 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 escarpnicnt on the river of about mtie hunUi ?d 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 pasturage to our animals.
About twenty miles from the Chimney rock we had found a very beau-
tiful 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 fuiuier
on. The plain between Scott's birjfs and Chimney rock was almost

^vs had thrown
Je, I heard only

the night, scat-
ihcir pipes, and
s ol" Itidiuii hos-
\nd iigituted by
.0 wore stroiK^ly
e or six olhors,
: ntterniosl Hrnit
cos, aiid. some-
It least so fur as
Dger was to be
anient, \ve were
, and we virore
oft marly form-
ers to the trav-
everal of these

the bluffs into
g to some fan-
re passed about

nocLi came in
istance of about
team factory es-
red to interrupt
march of twen-
e cov liad been
d liiuig around

f beaten road,
distance of six
3 Laramie fork.
)llowing along
of twenty-four
insists of marl
ling its height,
river. Travel-
nvards of five

breadth, from
tlie Chimney
kes the bluffs,
the uplands,
nnicii ^d yards
had made a
place M'-here
our animals,
a very beau-
deep ravine,
we therefore
miles fuither
was almost

i^2.^ CAPT. KKEMONT'S NAHKATl\'i:. ff^

Bntirely covered with drift wood, consisting principally of cedar, which,
re were informed, liad been supplied from the Black hills, in a liood five
)r SIX years since.
^ July 12. — Nino milfs from our encampment of yosit-rday we crossed
[orse creek, a shallow stieam of clear water, about seventy yards wide,
falling into the Platte on tin; righ* bank. It was lightly limbered, and
jreat quantities of drift wood were piled up on the banks, a[)pearing to be
supplied by the creek IVoiii above. Afttr a jouruffy o( twenty-six miles,
re encamped on a rich bottom, which alfordcd fine grass to our animals.
Buffalo have entirely disap|)eared, and we live now upon the dried meat,
wiiich is excceditigly poor food. The marl and eartliy limestone, which
constituted the formation for several days past, had changed during the
day into a com[)act while or grayish white liiaestoiie, sometimes contain-
ing hornstone ; and at the ])lace of our encampment this evening, some
strata in the river hills crop|) -d out to the lieight of thirty or forty feet,
consisting of a fitie-graintd granitic sandstone; one of the strala closely
resembling gneiss.

^^ July 13. — To-day, about 4 o'clock, we reached Fort Laramie, where
we were cordially received; we pitched our camp a little above the fort,
on the bank of J^aramie river, in which the pure and clear water of the
mountain stream looked refreshingly coo', and made a pleasant contrast to
the muddy, yellow waters of the Platte."

I walked up to visii our friends at the fort, which is a qjadrangular
structure, built of clay, after the fashion of the iMexicans, vviio are gene-
rally employed in building thetn. The walls aie about fifteen feet high,
surmounted wiMi a wooden palisade, and form a portion of ranges of
houses, which entirely surround a yard of about one hundred and thirty
feet square. Livery apartment has its door ar.u wiiulow — all, of course,
opening on the inside. There are two entrances, op^)ositc each other, and
midway the wall, one of which is a large and public entrance : the other
smaller and more private — n 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
squpre 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. 15ou Jeau. Two of tlie com|)aiiy's clerks, Messrs.
Galpin and Kellogg, were with !-.im, 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 (juiie a populous
appearance. It is hardly necessary to say. that the object of the establish-
ment is trade with the neighboring tribes, who, in the course of the year,
generally irmke two or three visits to tlie fort. In addition to this, traders,
wun a i,maTi outfit, are constantly kept amongst them. The articles of
*rade consist, on the one side, almost entirely of buffalo robes; and, on the
other, of blankets, calicoes, guns, powder, and lead, with such cheap or-
naments as glass beads, looking-glasses, rings, vermilion for painting, to-
bacco, and principally, and in spite of the prohibition, of spirits, brought
into the country in the form of i.lcohol, and diluted v.Mlh water before
sold. While mentioning 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 spirituon liquors. But,

("APT. FRKMO.NT'.S NAKKA'IIN K.

[1842.

, -U.

• !

«ri:

ill fho prosciil sfalo of iliiiis^s, when tlio ooniUry i"< snpplitHl with alcohol,
when a kri; o[ it will purcliase from an Indian tivcry lliiiii^lu! possesses —
Iiis I'nrs, Ins lodge, Ins liors(!s, and ovcii lii.s wife and cIiiMren — and when
an^ vaijahond wlio has iiionoy onoiii;h to pnrchase a innio can go into a
villag«! and tradn ai:aiiisl llunn snccossfnily, willioiit withdrawing entirely
iVoni the trade, it is impossible for them to di^ oiitinne its nse. In their
oj)position to this pra'Mice, the company is snsiaiiied, not only by theirj
oM'^'ation to the laws of the conntry and the welfare of the Indians, hut
clearly also, on groimds of jxilicy ; for, with heavy inid (expensive outfits,
they contend at manifestly great disadvantage airaiiist the numerous inde-
pendent and unlicensed traders, wiio enter the country from various ave-
nues, from the United States and from Mexico. Iia\'ing no other stock in
trade than some kegs of li([uor, which they sell at the modest price ol
tiiirty-six ('ollars ])er gallon. The dilfei'ciice between the regular trader
and tlu! coKrenr dcs hois, (as the Freiieli call the itinerant or peddling tra-
ders,) with respect to the sale of spirits, is here, as it always has been, fix-
ed and permanent, and growing out of the naiuie of tlieii 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 nccessr.ry lo their fut.ire and perma-
nent success in hunting : the coureur f/cs hois has no permanent iriterest,
and gels what he can, and for what he can, iVom every Indian he meets,
even at the risk of disablin;2; him from doing any ilimg moreat hunting.

The fort had a very cool and clean appearance, Tlie great entrance, in
which I found the genllemen assembied, and which was f ''cd, and about
fifteen feet loi<g, made a j)lcasant, shaded seat, tiiroi .li the breeze

swep: constantly ; lor this country is famous for high winds. In the
course of conversation, 1 learned the following particulars, which will ex-
plain the condition of the country: For several years the Cheyennos and
Sioux had gradually become more and moie ho'-iiic to the whites, and
in the latter part of August, 1S41, had had a railicr severe engagement with
a party of sixty men, under the command of Mr. Frapp, of St. Louis. The
Indians lost eight or t' i 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 much alarm among my people. In the course of ihc spring, two other
small parties had been cut off by the Sioux — omc on their return from the
Crow nation, and the other among the BlacK hills. The emigrants to
Oregon and Mr. Hridger's party met here, a few days before our aiiivil.
Division and misunderstandings had grown up among them; tii ' •"jre
already somewhat disheartened by the fatigue of their long a;'t( W'.Il^: ■
some journey, and the feet of their cattle had become so much won "xs
to be scarcely able to travel. In this situation, they were n<Rt likely to
find encouragement in the hostile attitude of the Indians, and the new
and unexpected diiTicnlties which sprang up b. " t them. They were
told that the country was entirely swept of grass, and that few or no bufFa-
Jo were to be found on their line of route ; and, with their weakened ani-
mals, it would be ini))ossible for 'hem to transport their heavy wagons
over the mountain. Under these circumstances, they disposed of their
wagons and cattle at tlie forts; selling them at the prices th*^' ^ad paid
in the States, and taking in exchange coffee and sugar at one .jllar u
pound, and miserable worn-out horses, which died before they reached

f AfT. FHK MONT'S NARK ATI VK

iorl with alcohol,

i,' ho possesses —

Iron — and when

lie can go into a

Irawing entirely

Is use. In their

►t only hy their

the Indians, hut

xpcnsive ontfits.

ninn.^rous indo-

oni varions ave-

lo other stock in

modest price oi

10 regular trader

or peddling tra-

ys has heen, fix-

eii trade. The

sorvation of thi;

the preservation

tne and perma-

nianont interest,

ndian he meets,

re at Imnting.

'eat entrance, in

' 'od, and ahont

ti tiie breezu

winds. In the

which will ex-

I!heycnncs and

le whites, and

gagenient with

St. Lonis. The

eir leader and

alee river ; and

ch had spread

ing, two other

oturn from the

emigrants to

ire onr -li-nval.

m ; to

.re

ng a;'a \\".t: '
nnch won a?
n*t likely to
and the new
They were
IV or no buifa-
i^eakened ani-
leavy wagons
ose^l of their
h^^ wad paid
oht - jl la r a
they reached

\e monntains. Mr. Moiidoan iMfornied me that he liad pnrchused thirty.

id the low(M- lurl ri^hty head of fine; ciillle, some of them of dio Ijiirhani
eed. Ml'. l''ii/i)iitrick, whose naiwe and liiuli rcpntiilion aro familiar to

|i who Iniorcst lh(!nisrlves in the history of (liis country, had reached

laramio, ill company with Mr. Ikidgcr; and the omiyraiits were h)rtnnate
ongli to oliliiiii his services to j^iiidc them as far as the Hritish i)ost ol

[ort ilall, ahont two Imiidrt'd and fifty inihis hcyoiid the Sonlh Pass ot'
momitiiiiis. 'riu;y had .slarled for this posf on the -Ith of July, and.

nmodiaiely alt(U' their departure, a war paily of ihroo hundred and fifty
braves sal out upon their trail. As their pr-ncipal chief or partisan had
lost some relations in the recent fight, and had sworn lo kill the first whites
on his path, it was s!ij)posod that their intention was to attack the party,
should a favoiahie op])ortUiiity offer; or, if lliey were foiled in their prin-
cipal object by the vigilance of Mr. Fiizpatrick, content them.selves with
stealing horses and ciiili;igoff stragglers. 'I'hcsr h.-id heen gone but a few
days previous to our arrival.

The efre(;t of the eiiL^agement with Mr. Frapp had been greatly to irri-
tate the hostile spirit of tlio savages; and inniKidiately snbsecpient to that
event, the Gros Ventr(! Indians had united with the 0:;lallahs and Chey-
ennes, and taken thr; 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 u body of about one hundred
whites, who had made a rendezvous somewhere! in ti,e (irecn river valley.
or on the S\ve<;t Water. After spending soim; time in buffalo hunting in
the neighborhood of the Medicine l^ow mountain, they were to cross over
to the Green river waters, and return to Laramie [)y way of the South Pass
and the Sweet Water valley. According to the calculation of the Indians,
Mr. Boudeau informed me they were somowhere near the head of the
Sweet Water. I subsequently learned that the party led by Mr. Fitzpat-
rick were overtaken by their pursuers neiir Kock Ir:dcpendence, in tlie
valley of the Sweet VVater; but his skill and resolution saved them from
surprise, and, small as his force was, they did not venture to attack him
openly. Here they lost one of their party by an accident, and, continuing
up the valley, they came suddenly upon t.ie hirge village. B'rorn these
they met with a doubtful reception. Long residence and familiar acquaint-
ance had given to Mr. Fitzpatrick great personal influence among them,
and a portion of them were disposed to let him })ass quietly; but by far
tihe greater number were inclined to hostile measures ; and the chiefs spent
the whole of one night, during which they kept the little parly in the midst
of them, in council, debating the question of attacking them the next day :
but the influence of "the Broken Hand," as they called Mr. Fitzp'itrick.
(«ne of his hands having been shattered by the bursting of a gun,) at length
prevailed, and obtained for them an unmolested passage; but they sternly
assured him that this path was no longer open, and that any party of
■whites which should hereafter be found upon it would meet with certain
Uestruction. 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 incessantly repeated to them, I was
pot surprised that so much alarm prevailed among my men. Carson, one
of the best and most experienced mountainrers, fully supported the

4'i

('ATT. KIlKMONTeJ NAKKATIVK.

[164lJ

' ^1

ti ,

ni
sis

lit!

opinion given by Mriducr of tlu tiiingorons stuto of tlie country, an
openly expr('ss(!(l his (•(Hivicijoti that wo nonid not (tscipi; without som^
sharf) encotnitors with ihr Iiithaiis. In nddiiioti to this-, he iiiadi^ his w
and unioiiir tho circ:uiiisiaiic«'s which were constantly oi'cnrring to increase!
their alurm, this was tht; most inilbrinnate ; and 1 I'oinid that a iinrnbe
ol" my parly had become so much iniinudated. that they had reqiiestod t
t)e discharged at this place, i chned to-day at Fort I'latle, which ha
been mentioned as sitnaied al the junction of Laramie riviir with the Ne
i)raska. Here I iie.ird a eonlirmation of the slalenienis 'Swan al)ovi
The party ol' warriors, wliicli luui started a low days siiu'e on tlu^ trail u
ilie emi»*rants, was e.\|iee|<'d back in fourteen days, to join tho village
with which their families and the old men had reitiained. The arrivu er
of llie latter was hourly expected ; and some Indians have just come i
who had left tluMii on the L;iraiiiio fork, about twenty mib's above. M
IJissonetle, one of the traders belonging to Fort Platie, nrg(Hl the propriety ai
of taking with mo an interpreter and two or thret; old men of the village: us
in which case, Ik; thought there would b(! little or no hazard in encounter- in
inu any of the war |)arlii's. 'I'he principal danger was in bciing attacked en
Itelbrc thoy should know wlii> wc; were. wll

They iiad a confused idea ol" tho numbers and jiowerof our people, aii(i ou
dreaded to bring upon themselves tho military force of tho United States, an
This gentleman, who s])ok(! tlu; language lluently, oll'ered his services to tio
ace 'r^pany me so far as ilie Ked IJuttos. lie was desirous to join the lai
!arg' " ■ on its return, for purpos'**' of trade, and it would suit his views, ast
as wm. ay own, to go with us to the Huites; beyond which point it m^
would be impossible to prevail on a Sioux to venture, ou account of their rer
fear of the Crows. From Fort Laramie to the Rod Hullos, by the ordi- wa
nary road, is one hundred and thirty-five miles ; and, though only on the bee
threshold of danger, it seemed better to secure the services of an inter- oth
preter for the partial distanc(>, than to have none at all. A!

So far as frequent interruption from the Indians woidd allow, we occii- ev(
pied ourselves m making some astronomical calculations, and bringing up Tl:
the general map to this stage of our journey ; but the tent was generally as
occupied by a succession of our ceremonious visiters. Some came for to
presents, and others for information of our object in coming to the country: m\
now and then, one would dart up to the tent on horseback, jerk oft' his lifi
trappings, and stand silently at the door, holding his horse by the halter, oc
signifying his desire to trade. Occasionally a savage would stalk in with Tl
an invitation to a feast of honor, a dog feast, and deliberately sit down St
and wait quietly until I was ready to accompany him. I went to one ; ga
the women and children were sitting outside the lodge, and we took our ce
seats on buftalo robes spread around. The dog was in a large pot over th
the fire, in the middle of the lodge, and immediately on our arrival was ar
dished up in large wooden bowls, one of which was handed to each, dc
The flesh appeared very glutinous, with something of the flavor and ap-
pearance of mutton. Feeling sometningmove behind me, I looked round,
and found that I had taken my seat among a litter of fat young puppies.
Had I been nice in such matters, the prejudices of civiUzation 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 6 o'clock 85°. I was disappointed in my hope of ob-

th
at

P<
til

ta
Ij

tiie country, ant
i|)<^ vviflioiii som«
lir tiiad*' his will
nirriiii,' to iiicroasol
iikI liiiil u iMirubei
if had ro(]H(!.stc(l to|
I'l.'Uic, which liaj
ivcr with the NcJ
■Ills uivL'n abovt
not' oil fhf trail o
) join the villa;,'.-
iioil. The urrivd
•ive ju.st come i
iilcs above. Mi
rt,'(Hl the propriety
<'M of the village,
:aril in encounter
in being attackod

1)1* our people, and
ihe United States,
red his services to
L'sirons to join the
lid suit his views,
lid which point it
account of their
ittes, by the ordi-
oiiirh only on the
ices of an inter-
allow, we occu-
and bringing up
t was generally
Some came for
to the country:
ick, jerk oft' his
sc by the halter,
Id stalk in with
rately sit down
I went to one ;
nd we took our
large pot over
our arrival was
anded to each.
3 ilavor and ap-
I looked round,
young puppies,
tion might have
not of delicate

louth wind, and
my hope of ob-

CAPT. I'KKMONT'H N.\HK.\TIVi;

13.]

ling an observation of an oicnltalion, which took place about luidn; ht.
^e moon brought with her heavy banks of clouds, through which she
trcoly made her appearanct! (biiiiiu; the night.

The morning of the IHth was cloudy and calm, the thernionieter at (J
tiluck al (if. About )), with a moiieiate wind from the w(!si, a storm of
Jn came on, accoippaiiird by .sharp ibnnder and liyhliiing, winch last«.'d
font an iumr. During tli(! day ilin exptjcted villagt; arrived, coii.sisting

laapally of old men, women, and children. 'I'liey had a considerable

d i

'I'hcir lodi

linniher ot Ijorses, and lar^'^. Iriio|)s ol dogs. i ncir loupes were piicliei
near the fort, and our camp was ci^iislautly crowded wilh Indians of all
8iB(!s, from morning until night; at which time some of the soUkjis gHU-
erally came I. drive them all olf to the village. My icMit was the only
)loce which liiey respected. I!im-(! rjiily came the ehi(;l's and men of dis-
tinction, and generally one of ilieni remained to drive away the women
and children. The numenuis strange iivstruments, appli(!d to still stranger
Uits, excited awe and admiralion aiuong them, and those which I used
in talking with the sun and stars ihey looked upon with rs[)ecial rever-
ence, as mysterious tliinu;; of •• ^real medicine." Of the three barometers
wiiich I had brouifht with ine thus far successfully. I (oiind that two were
out of order, and spent llu; 1,'reater ])art of the I !Uh in repairing them —
an oj)eration of no small dib'itailty in the midst of the incessant inl(!rrup-
tions to which I was siibjecK-d. VV(! had the misforluiie to break here a
large thermometer, graduaU'd to show fifths of a degree, which I used to
atcertain the tempera'ure of boiling water, and with which I had promised
Myself some interesting experiments in the mountains. We hiid l)Ut one
remaining, on which the graduation extended snlliciently liigh ; and this
was too small for exact obst'rvations. During our stay here, the men had
been engaged in making: numerous repairs, arranging pack saddles, and
otherwise prcparini^ for the chances of a rough road pikI mountain truvel.
All things of (his nature being ready, 1 githered iheui aroiuid mo 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, iiuthe circumstances, every possible means
to insure our safety, in the rumors we had heard, I believed there was
much exaggeration, and then 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 expecied in the ordinary course of their .service.
They had heard of the unsettled condition of the country before leaving
St. Louis, and thercfoi ; could not make it a reason for breaking their en-
gagements. Still, I was unwilling to take wilh me, on a service of some
certain danger, men on whom I could not rely ; and as I had understood
that there were among th<.nn some who were disposed to cowardice, and
anxious to return, they had but to come forward at once, and state their
desire, and they would be discharged with the amount duo to them for
the time they had served." To their honor be it said, there was but one
an.ong 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
th3 ridicule of the men, and let him go. The day after our departure, he
engaged himself to one of the forts, and set off with a party for the Upper
Missouri. I did not think that the .situation of the country justified me in
taking our young companions, Messrs.^. Brant and Benton, along with us.
In case of misfortune, it would have been thought, at the least, an act of

Sir

! I* Win.

Ulilffiii

iiiii

44 ('APT. KKKMONT'H NAHKATIVi:. [igJ

great imp) lul'MiCf' ; and t}ierofc)r«\ thoiii^h r( Incfaiilly, I diitcrmined to Icai
them. Kaiulolpli had hi;<Mi th(5 Hlb of the ramp, and the ^^ petit irarfon]
was much irirrcitcd hy the men, to whom his hiioyant spirits had ulFordej
great anui.stunent. Thoy all, however. ai.M-ee(l in iho propriety of leavim
him .ii tlie fort, hocausc. as they «aid, he niiirht cost the livesof some of i|||
njen in a iight willi the Indianv.

'/ii/ij -1- — A portion of our l)agL'a£;e, with our field notes and observ:i
tions, and several instrumants, were left at the fort. One of the j^enileiiiei

Mr. (<

)d to ob>

ir. (fai[)Ui, t(iok charge ot a l:)ar(»mt'if'i', wnicli lie engagea to oDsen

during my absence; and I intrusted t«» Uantlolph, by way of occupatio'

the reL'idar winding up of two of my chronometers, which were amoiigtl

instruments lei't. Our observations showed that the chronometer which

retained I'or the continuation of our voyage had preserved its rate in a nxi

satisfactory maimer. As deduced from it. the longitude of Fort Laramie

7/j. or ar.iuul tVom lunar distance l/i. 01' 2\)"; giving for the adopti in

longitude 104*^ 47' 43". Comparing the barometrical observatiotis mad ^I

during our stay here, with those of Dr. G. Kiigelman at St. Louis, we fi

for the elevation of the fort above the (iulf of Mexico 4,470 feet. Th be

winter chmate here is remarkably mild for the latitude; but rainy weatln ^a

is frequent, and the plnce is celebrated for winds, of which the prevailiii, ^

one is west. An east wind in summer, and a south wind in winter, ar

said to be always accompanied with rain.

We were ready to depart; the tents wore striick, the mules geared Uj ^'^

and our horses saddled, and we walked up to the fort to take the stirrvj "*

cvp with our friends in an excellent home-brewed preparation. Will

thus pleasantly engaged, .seated in ono of tlie liule cool chambers, at tli

door of which a man had been stationed to prevent all intrusion from tli

Indians, a number of nl\efs, several of them powerful fine-looking mei ?"

forced their way into the room in spite of all opposition. Handing me lli ';'"

following letter, thev took their seats in silence : ^*^

" Four Platte, Juillet I, 1842. ^Y,

"Mvi. Fremont : Les ches s'etant as?embles presentement me diseii .u
de vous avertir de ne point vous mettre en route, avant que le parti d
jeunes gens, qui est en dehors, soient de retour. De plus, ils me disen .l
qu'ils sont trc certains qu'ils feront feu a la premiere rencontre. 11> ..
doivent otre de retour dans sept i\ huit jours. Excusez si je vous fais co
observations, mais il me semble qu'il est mon devoir de vous avertir di J^^
danger. MOme de plus, les chefs sont les porteurs de ce billet, qui vou
defendent de partir avant le retour des guerriers.
" Je suis votre obeissant serviteur,

"JOSEPH IHSSONETTE,

" Par L. B. CHARTRAIN.

thi
fir

inf

" Les noms de quelques chefs. — Le Chapeau de Loutre, le Casseur de
Fleches, la Nuit Noir, la Queue de Bocuf."

[Translation.]

"Fort Platte, July 1, 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

w<
sa

sn
B(
fei
th
th
us
sa
te

(•APT. FRi: MONT'S iXAUK ATIVK.

tlctcrmined to lea?

tlio '^ petit gargoA

spirits had a/FordeJ

iropricty of leavin]

livfsot'somooftlij

notes and oI)nervJ
it> of the i^oniloniei]
rigagod io obsorv
vay of occupation
ich were amoiin;tl
irononieter which
cd its rate in a mo
! of Fort Laramie
ing for the adopli
observations mad
; St. Louis, we fm
;o 4,470 feet. Tli
I but rainy weatlit
hich the prevailin,
nm\ in winter, rir

i mules geared uj
take the stirrni
reparation. Wiii
)l chambers, at th
intrusion from th
fine-looking mei
Handing me th

Juillet I, 1842.

tement me diseii
nt que le parti d
plus, ils me diseir
re rencontre. Ih
i je vous fais co-
vous averdr di,
ce billet, qui vou<

ETTE,
!HARTRAIN.

re, le Casseur de

July 1, 1842.

uncil, have jusi

ung men which

-low out shall have returni.'d. Furthermore, they tell mo that ihi^y are
Try sure they will fire upon yon as soun as they meet you. They are
pected l)ack in seven or eii^lit d iVN. Excuse me for n\ukin%' theso ob-
fvations, but it seems my duty to warn you of daiiut r. Moreover, the
jefs who prolubit your .-eiting out before the return of the warriors are
bearers of this note.

*' I am your obcdiont servant,

-JOSEPH HISSONE'ri'E,

" Jiy L. IJ. ( llAKTKALN.
i'

*• Samia of some, of the chiefs. — The Otter Hat, the Breaker of Arrows,
the Black Night, the iJuir.s Tail."

After reading this. I meniioned its purport to my companions ; and, see-
ing that all were fully possessed of its contents, one ol the Indians rose
up, and, having first shaken hands with me, spoke as follows :

.♦' Vou have come amoiii,!; us at a bad time. Some ol' our [)Oople have
b«en killed, and our young nujii. who are gone to the mountains, are
eager to avenge the blooil of their relations, which has been shed by the
whites. Our young men aiv^ bad, and, if they meet you, they will believe
that you are carrying goods and amnumition to their 'Micmies, 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. Wo love the whites, and are desirous of peace. Think-
ing of all these thing.?, we have deiermined to keep you here until our
warriors return. We arc glad to s<.>e you aujong us. Our lather is rich,
and we expected that you would have brought prooents to u.s — horses, and
guns, and blankets, liut wt; are g!ad to see you. We look upon your
coming as the light which goes betorc; the sun ; for you will teli oui great
father that you have seen us, and that we are naked and poor, and liave
nothing to eat; and he will send us ail these tilings." He wa^ followed
by the others, to the same elloct.

The observations of the savaije appeared reasonable ; but I was aware
that they had in view only the present nbject of detaining me, and were
unwilling I should go I'urtlier into the country. In reply, I asked them,
through the interpretation df Mr. Hondoau, to select two or three of their
nnndjer to accompany us until we ^-hoiild meet their people — they should
spread their robes in my tent and eat at my table, and on our return I
would give them presents in reward of their services. They declined,
saying that there were no youDg 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 patli.
Besides, they had no power over the young men, and were alVaid to inter-
fere with them. In my turn I addressed tliem : '-You say that you love
the whites; why have you killed 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 lis-
ten to you. Whateve. a chief among us tells his soldiers to do, is done.
We are the soldiers of ttie great chief, your father. He has told us to
oome here and s^^e this country, and all the Indians, his children. Why

CAPT. FKKMONT'M NAKI{.\TI\ E.

( %

r'
r

[18-41

should we not s^a? IJcCoro wv camo, we IkmhI ilmt yoii !iad killed hi
|)(!o|)le, juid (:(!iise(l to hu his chil Ireii ; hut wn ciiim; aiuong you peaceablv|
lioliiing out our hands. Now we find that the stories we heard are no
lies, and that you are no longer his Irieiids and children. Wo have thrown
away our bodies, and will not turn hack. When you told us that yoii^B^
young men would l<ill us, you did not know that our hearts were stroii;!
and you did not see the ritles which my youu'!? men carry in their Iniuh
We are I'ew, and you are many, and ni'iy kill us all; hut iliure will li<^Ki
nnich cryinG:iii ynur villages, lor many ot' your younur men will stay lialK
hind, and l(ir_'et to return with your warriors Irom the mountains. I)
yon think that our great chief will let his soldiers die, and lorget to gov.
their graves? IJclore the snows melt again, his warriors will sweopawii;
your villaL'cs as the fire does the prairie in the autumn. See! I hav
pulled down my w/iife lutuses, and my |)eoplc are rtuidy : when the sun
ton paces higher, we shall he on the march. If you have atiy thing to tc
us, you will say it soon." I broke up the conference, as I could do noti,
ifig with tllese people; and, being resolvfid to proceed, nothing was to I
gained by delay. Accoujpanicd by our hospitable friends, we rolm'ned i.
the camp. We had mounted our horses, and our parting salutations ha
been exchanged, when one of the chiets (the IJull's 'I'ail) arrived to tf!
me that they li;id determined to send a yotuig luiin with us; and if 1
would pouit out the place of our evening camp, he should join u.s there
" The young man is poor," said he ; " he has no liorse, and expects you ti
give him one." I described to him the place where I intended to encamji,
and, shaking hands, in a fe.v minines we were among the hills, and tlii>
last habitation of whites shut out from our view.

The road led over an interesting jilatcau between tjie North fork of tl:
Platte on the right, and Laramie river on the left. At the distance of tei
miles from the fbit, we entered the sandy bed of a creek, a kind of defile
shaded by precipitous rocks, down which we wound our way for severa
hundred yards, to a place where, on the left bank, a very large spriii:
gushes Willi considerable noise and force out of the liini-stonc rock. It i>
called ''the Warm Spring," and furnishes to the hitherto dry bed of tli"
creek a considerable rivulet. On the opposite side, a little below the
spring, is a lofty limestone escarpment, jxutially shaded by a grove o;
large trees, whose green foliage, in contrast with the whiteness of the rock,
renders this a picturesque locality. The rock is fossiliferous, and, so fara^
I was able to determine the character of the fossils, belongs to the carbonil-
erous limestone of tlie Missouri river, and is probably the western limit oi
that formation, lieyoiid this point I met with no fossils of any descrip-
tion.

I was desirous to visit the Platte near the point where it leaves tin;
Black hills, and therefore followed this stream, for two or three miles, to
the mouth ; where I encamped on a spot which afforded good grass and
prtle {egnlf!e/um) for our animals. Our tents having been found too thin
to protect ourselves and the instruments from the rains, which in this
elevated country are attended with cold and unpleasant weather, I hatl
procured from the Indians at Laramie a tolerably large lodge, about eigh-
teen feet in diameter, and twenty feet in height. Such a lodge, when
properly pitched, is, from its conical form, almost perfectly secure againsr
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. I3y raising the lower

[1841

u !ind killed hJ
ig you peaceably!
'0 hoard are ric
Wo |j;ive throwj
)l(l us tliut yuiiJ
iris were .stroiiM
' in their h-viulj
III ihur»j will ijH
cu will stay I).]
iriountaiiis. 1)1
I lorget to covi
will sweep avv;i,
n. See ! I hav

when the sun
' any thiui; to ic
I could do noli.
)lhmg was to I
s, we returned i

salutations ha
) arrived to tci
ith us; and it' 1
Id join us there
id expects you t(
nded to encamp,
e liills, and tlii^

forth fork of th
distance of tei
kind of defik',
way for severa
ry large spriii.
one rock. It i>
dry bed of tli^
itlle below tlic
by a grove o;
nessof the rock,
lis, and, so fara>
to the carbonil-
western limit oi
of any descrip-

it leaves the
three miles, to
ood grass and
found too thill
which in this
weather, I had
ge, about eigli-
a lodge, when
secure against
ith a fire in the
nng the lower

».]

CAPr. FREMONT'S NARUATIVR.

Urt, 80 ns to permit tiie breeze to pass freely, it is converted info a pious-

Mil suininer n'sidciice, with the extraordinary advantayo of being otuirely

free from inn.Mpiitoe.s, one o( which I have mver seen in an Indian lodge.

''hile we were eiiira^ed very nnskilfnlly ni (irfciin,' tins, the interpreter,

^Ir. Ui.sst)nclte, arrived, accompanied by the Indian and his wife. She

uighed at our awkwardness, and offered her as^istanee, of which we were

requeiilly afh'rw.ird oliligod to avail ourselves, l.'.;|.ire the men uctpiired

liitlicieni experiiiess to pitch it withouf dilliciiliy. From this place wa

jnd a fme view of the gorge wher«! the IMalle issucis from the Mlack hills,

{hanging its character abruptly from a mountain stn.'ani into a river of tin;

plains. III. mediately around us the valley of ih«! stream was tolerably

|)pen ; and at the distance of a few miles, where tiie river had eui its way

through the hills, was the narrow cleft, on one side of which a lofty preci-

i)ice ol' bright red rock rose vertically al)ove the low hills which lay be-

Jween us.

Ju/y ii2, — In (lie morning, while breakfast v;is being prepared, I visited
this place with my favorite man, Basil Lajeimesse. Entering so far as
there was looting for the mules, we disimninted, and, tying our aniiuals,
continued our way on foot. Like the whole ronntry, the scenery of the
river liad nnder^one an entire change, and was in this place the most
beautiful I have ever seen. The breadih of the stream, generally near
that of its valley, was from two to three hundrcid leet, with a swift cur-
rent, ocfasion.iljy br<»ken by rapids, and the water [lerfe-ctly clear. On
cither side rose the red precipices, vertical, and sometimes overhanging,
two and four liimdr(;d feet in heiglii, crowned with green summits, on
which were scattered a few pines. At the foot of the rocks was the usual
iietritns, formed of masses fallen from above. Among the pines that grew
here, and on the occasional banks, were the cherry, {cerosus virginiaua,)
currants, and grains de \nv\\{ {shepherd in ar^^enfen.) Viewed in the sun-
shine of a pleasant morning, the scenery was of a most . iriking and ro-
mantic beauty, which arose from the pictnresrp > disposition of the objects,
and the vivid contrast of colors. I thought with much pleasure of onr
approaching d'sccnt in the canoe through sucii interesnng places; and, in
the expeciation of being able at that time to give to them a full examina-
tion, did not now dwell so much as might have bofin desirable upon the
geological formations along ihe line of the river, where they are developed
with great clearness. The upper portion of the red strata consists of very
compact clay, in which are occasionally seen imbedded large pebbles.
Below was a stratum ol compact red sandstone, changing a little above
the river into a very hard siliceous litnestcj /- There is a !^mall but hand-
soaie 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 cotton wood on the Platte. The small stream which comes
in at this place is well timbered with pine, and good building rock is
abundant.

If it is in contemplation to keep open the communications with Oregon
'erritory, a show of military force 'i this country is absolutely necessary ■,
&nd a combination of advantages renders the neighborhood of Fort Lara-
mie the most suitable place, on the line of the Platte, for the establishment
of a military post. It is connected with the mouth of the Plaiie and the
Upper Missouri by excellent roads, which are in frequent use. and woMld

;■»

■p'

IJAI'T. FUEMONTM \AKIl\TIVE.

not 111 any way mU'rl'To with lh<' rango ot tim

btii:

[184S

on wliich (hJ

jieigliboriiiK Itidiuiis iii:iiiily ilopctiil lor .sii|»|i<irt. ll would rt'inirr any
fiosts on llic Lowor i'laiir iiiiiii'co.ssary ; tliu ontiiiary (-oiiiiniiiiK.'ulioti hJ
twenii it and (Ik; Missouri hiiiiLT MillicitMit (o control tlio uitrrtii'idiatu IiiJ
diatis. It would opcrriti! (•Il'ctnaliy to provtMit any siicli ooalitioiiM as arj
MOW lornMNl a^lon^ tin! (Iros Vi iiiri's, Sioiix, Cluiyonnt's, and oilit;r ItiditiiH
and wouUI keop lln! On-^on roid (lirough tluj valluy of the Swoul IVatd
and the Soiitli Pass oI'iIh' inoiuKains constantly i>|tor> It lii's.it tlm iViot oij
a l)rol\un and nioinitainoiis ri'UMr)ii, :ilonLr whioli, hy llic "slahlislnno.it
small posts Ml iIk' n"'i„'liboilii)oi| ol St. \'

ram .s loit, on the .SoiiMi

fork

the l'lattL>,and Honl's fort, on llic Arkansisji, a lino of cointmuiiratioii wonli
f>e forint'd, by i?ood wtrj^on roads, with t)iir .soiitlmrn miitivry posis, whicL
would cnlirniy roiniiiaiid thu mountain pass(3s, hold soiikj of ijio n\o<
tronhlesoine iriht.'s in clieok, and protect and faoiiitai*) oiii iiittMeoinso wii
the ncighhorins? Spanish seltlenu'iits. The valleys of the rivers on wliici
they would he situated art: fertile; the eomifry. which supports iininensi
herds ot hnll'alo, is adniirahly adapted to i;ra'/iiiiif ; ami herds of rattle inii;,lr
be maintained by the posts, or ol^iaiiied Irom (he Spanish country, whicl;
already supplies a porlion of their provisions to the trading; posts meniioneij
above.

Just as we wore leavim,' tlio camp this nioniin?, our Indian raino up,
and stated his intention ol not proeeedin;^ any turther until he hid seen
the horse which I int(Mi(Jed to give him. I fell stroiiiily tempted to drivt
him out of (he euinp; but his presence appeared to give contidence to tny
men, and the inter|)retpr thou-'lit it absolutely necessary. I was there-
fore obliged to do what he reiiuested, and pointed oiU the animal, witli
which he seemed satisfied, and wo conlinu<>d our joiiin y. I had ima-
gined (hat Mr. IJissoiietic's long lesideiice had tnade him accpiuinled
with the country, aii(J. acconling to his advice, proceecNid diredly lorward,
without attempting to regain the usual road, lie ai'ierwanl inl'ormed nn'
that he had rarely ever lost sight ot the fort; but tin; ell'ect of the mistake
was to involve us for a day or two among the hills, wiiere, although we
lost no time, we encountered an exceedingly rougli road.

'I'o the south, along oiu* line of march to-day, the main c;liain of the
lilack or Laramie hills rises precipitously, 'I'ime did not permit me to
visit them; but, from com))arative information, the ridge is composed of
the coarse sandstone or conglomerate hereafter described. It appears to
enter the region of clouds, which are arrested in (heir course, and lie in
masses along the su.nmits. An inverted cone of black cloud (cumulus)
rested during all the I'oreiioon on the lofty p<' ik of Laramie mountain,
which I estimated to be about two thousand feet above the tort, or six
thousand five hundred above the sea. We halted to noon on the Fourche
•/i/wt-r^", so called from beiiiir timbered principally with the Hard umi're,
(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 streairis. We found here, on the right bank,
in the shade of the trees, a fine spring of very cold water. It will be re-
marked that I do not mention, in this portion of the journey, the tempera-
ture of the air, sand, springs, &c. — an omission which will be explained in

imF?

CAIT. FHKMONTH NAIIKATIVE.

■ilo, on which th,
voiild roiidur an
)iMiiiiini(;:ifii)ii !>«;
I inifrtMi.'iliate In
1 coaiiiiiMiN us ari
ami uthiir Itidiaib,
tln' Swi'ni lYiite
Ill's ;it III*! loot
I nslahlislimo.'il d
ihc .Soii'h fork o:
tnuiiic.'jK^ii woiil.
I'.'iiy posis, which
DMKj oi tlio mosi
r iiiforcoiuse witl,
<• livcis on whici
supports iiiimeiist
rtlsoCcaltlu niigli;
ih country, which
j; posts uiemioiid

Indian caino U|i,
intil lie lind seen
tuuipiiid to dnvi
jonhdenct; to my
y. I was there,
tiiu aniniul, with

y. I had inia-

lini aoipiaintcd
Uirerily lorwai'd,
ard iu'Drrned iiu;
::f olihu mistake

It', althouijih we

liii chain of the
n permit me to

is composed of
It appears to
uise, and lie in

Olid (cumulus)
imie mountain,

the tort, or six
on the Fourche
10 Hard umbre,
!am is tolerably
, grows to the

crsed over ihe
the right bank,
It will be re-
y, the tempera-
)e explained in

le courne of the narrative. In my svurch for plants, I was well rowardi'd
.., ^ll this place.

\"^j^f With th*' change in the gnolugical formatinti on leaving Fort I^uramic,
he wholo face ot the country iius cniinly altered i(N iippcurunce. Ku^t-
rurd (d that meridian, the principal tdijecls which strike the eye of a travel-
jr art: iht: al'sence of tnul)er, and tlu! immeiisr ixpansr (d' prairie, covered
rith the v»r lure of rich grasses, and lii^ddy ad;ipied ft»r pasturage. Wher-
ver they are nut dislurhed hy iho vicinity OC man, large herdn of huHulo
ive uniujalion to this country. Weslwuid of Laramie river, the region is
liandy, and appinntly sterile; and the place of the gra.ss is usurped f)y the
rtanisiti and tdhcr odoriferous jilant.-, to whost; i^rowth the sai.dy soil
nd diy air of this clevateil region seem hi;,dily f.ivorable.

One of the prominent characieriiitics in the face of the country is the ex-

raordiiiary ahiindance of (he ar/iT/ti.siiis. 'I'luiy grow every where — on

ho hills, and over the river bottoms, in lomrli. twist( d, wiry clumps ; and,

herever ilie beaten track was left, Ihey rundend the progress of lluj carls

ough and slow. As the country increaNcd in elevation on our advance

o the west, iliey increased in size; and the whole air is strongly impreg-

laled and saturated with the odor of eaiupli >r and spirits ot turpentine

Ivhich bt I'Mi'^'s lo this plant. This climate has been found very favorable

lo the restoration of health, pariicnlarly in cases of consumption ; and pos-

•ibJy the respiration of air so highly imprt ;,'nated by aromatic plants may

liave some inlluence.

Our dried mi at had given out, and we began to be in want of food; but
one of the hunters killed an antelope this evening, which afforded some
relief, although it did iioi go fur among so many hungry men. At 8 o'clock
at uiiihl, afier a march of twenty-seven mili!>, we icucliedour proposed en-
campnunt on the Fcr-uChevu/, or llorst: shoe, creek, lleri; we found
good grass, with a great quantity o( prfie, which furnished good food for
^ur tired animals. This creek is well timbered, principally with Hard
amiird, and, widi tin? exception of \)vat crei k, which we had not yet reach-
.ed, is the largest atlliiL!il of the right bank between l.aramie and the
mouth of the Sweet Water.

July 2'A. — The present year had been one of unparalleled drought, and
throughout the country the water liad been almost dried up. Uy availing
themselves of the annual rise, the traders had invariably succeeded in
carrying their furs to the Missouri ; but this season, as has already been
mentioned, on both forks of the Platte they had entirely failed. The
greater number of the springs, and many of the streams, which maiic
halting places for the voyugeurSf had been dried up. Every where the soil
looked parched and burnt ; the scanty yellow grass crisped under the foot,
and even tlie hardiest planis were destroyed 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 afterward found to bo
the case.

I was informed tliat the roving villages of Indians and travellers had

never met with dilliculty in finding an abuiidauce of grass for their horses ;

and now it was after great search that wo were able to find a scanty patch

Oi grass, sufficient to keep them from sinking ; and in the course of a day

CArr. rKHMoNT'H NARHATIVK.

[IR41

"■■i

. «:;'•

or twt) ilii.*y hf^nn to Miliar vory nuirli. W«i IoiiikI notu; ro-dny nt noon;
himI, III iliD I'oiirMi' ol'otir siN'irrli on ilu! I'laittt, oiiiiMt to u urovo of i;ottuii.
wo lil, wli'TU MHiii] Iii>li.iii villauo \i.u\ ri'rciiily ciKriiinixiI. Hoin^hs of tli«|

ml
>(ir.sc 1)1

rottoiiwood yol i;ri'rii i-nvnrd lib; mroiiud, wliult (hi! Iiidiai 'iid c
down to t(!i'd ilii'ii lioiii-H ii|)iMi. It is only in t'lc winter iliat

lind i<> tliiii nnvuiM ol .Mistaiiiini( tlu'in ; and tliiir rvstni to it at lliis tinni wnil
u »tril<in.( oviilnu-u »»! lliti Male ol tliu ronniiy. Wo lollowitl ilniri xiiinpli'T
And liinii'd onr liorNcs mto a i^iovo ol voting' poplars, 'rins li'L'an to pr
sent l(^*'I^U8 a vor^ mci tons i:vil, lor on our animals di.'piMidcd allog«.<ili(>r|
till* rinilirr pr^M'(Mitioi) ot'onr jiuii'iiry.

Sluntly .iin

had li-lt this |)!.

>nt^

til'

camn ^tiiopinif ni
Itii' iiliii'in o\ lti(hans. Wo tiiriinj m iniincdiati'ly toward tlio nvi-r, winrli
hero had a suu'p lii;^h hank, win r.- wc lonnrd with ihu rarls a very cIom
burricadi% roslnn^ on thi; river, within which thu animals wuro »<irongly
hohhl<*d and pirkctid. 'I'lii< ^iiiis wcro dischargrd and reloaded, ami inun
thrown forward, under covi r of iIk; hank, in the chro«;tioii hy • 'hich (Ik
Indians woro expecletl. Onr iiiteipii'ier, who, with the Indian, had ;;oin:
to mct'l them, caim; in, in about ten nnniites, accompanied hy two Sioux,
'I'huy look(!d sulky, and we ctMild uhtaiii iVom thum only some eonfiuscd
information. Wo loariied that lliey hcloii-^'ed to the parly which had hecii
on the trail of the emi^riiits, whom they liad overtaken at Kock liidepoiid.
ence, on the Swc;el Water. Here tho party had disai^n;ed, and Ciinie ni;^li
liylilini; ttinoiig them.Nelv(\s. One porlmii were desirous of atlackinu; the
whites, hilt tho others were opposed lo it; and finally they had broken up
into small bands, and disper.M'd over iht! country. Tin,' i^reutir portion ui
them had gone over into the territory of the Crows, and intended to retnrii
by wav «>f the Wind river valley, m iIk; hopu of beini» abk' to fall upon
some small parties of (.'row Indiin.-. 'I'lie remainder were letnniin^ down
till! Platte, in .-eaitered parties ol' ten and twenty; and those whom wu had
enconntereel belojiired to those who had advocated ai illai k' on the emi-
grants. Several of the men sn'ji;gested shouting the i tho spot; but I
promptly discoimti'iiunced any Mich proceeding. . .. y fiirllhr inforimjd
me that bnllalo were very scaiee, and liitl(3 or no gra^-s to b(! found. There
had been no rain, and innumerable quantities of grasshoppers had destroy-
ed the grass. This insi.'Ct had been so mmiHioiis since leaving Kort l^a ra-
mie, that tho ground seemed alive with ihem ; and in walking, a little
moving cloud preceded onr foolsti'ps. This was bad news. No grass, no
jjullalo — food for neither hoi so nor man. I gave Ihein some plugs of to-
bacco, and they wont oil', ajiparently well satisfied to be clear of us ; for
my men did not look uj)oii them very lovingly, and they glanced suspi-
ciously at our warlike preparations, and the littlo ring of rilles which sur-
rounded them. They were evidently in a bad iiuinor, and shot one of
their hor cs when they had left us a short distance.

We continued our march, and, after a journey of about twenty-one miles,
encamped on the Platte. J)nrmg the day, I had occasionally remarked
among the hills tho psora/ea escu/enh/, the bread root of the Indians. Tho
Sioux use this root very extensively, and I liave frequently met with it
among them, cut into ihin slices and dried. In the course of tlio even-
ing wo were visited by six Indians, who told us that a larger parly was en-
camped a few miles above. Astronomical observations placed us in lonci-
tude 101° 59' 59", and latitude 42° ;j9' 25".

We made the next day twenty-two miles, and encamped on tlie right

fo-ilny nt noon;
grovi) of tjotiorJ

MfMt'.'fl.S of tli«|
Itidiai ';i(l (>u|l
iliat »iir.so ill
I at this tinio wml
(■<! ilii'ir ( \,'iiiiplt>l
'Ins Iklmii to |)r<>J
i(Mi(l*'(l alloi(<.'llii>r|

'Hoping' ill witlii

I tlio iivtr, which

arts a vi'ry ch).si

Is wcro stroiit^ly

'loaded, and ini.ii

ion Ity '.'liicli till

iidiaii, liaU ^^o||l!

(i hy I wo Sioux,

Y .soiiitr ('onrnscd

' which had htjcu

: liociv liidi>|icii(l-

1, and cainu ni;^li

(d' alliiolvinu; the

y had hroktMi up

,M-catrr portion ol

iti'iidcd to return

ablij to tail upon

: letiiriiiiii,' down

e whom wo had

on Iho oini-

tho spot ; hut I

irlhv.r intorinod

loll lid. 'Vluiw.

urs had destroy-

/iiiJi; Fort I^ara-

alkini?, a little

No grass, no

no phii^s of to-

:i«!ar of us ; for

1,'laiiced suspi-

illes which siir-

ul shot one ol

'onty-one miles,
nally reniurkod
e Indians. The
y met with it
I! ol the cveii-
r parly was eii-
eJ iiM in lonci-

W.)

r\n'. ntKMONTH' NARHA'nVK

)(

l-l on the right

ink of tho PIflttf, wluMn a h.uidiioriif iiicudow iillordrd toliTihly j^ooil

[tiHN. TIdtu were iIh' r<'ni:tinH of mi old fort htMi*, ilirovvn np in Moniit

dd«Mi ein«)rK«'iicy, and on ilui oppoinjio mdu was a pirinr«'N(pii> hiiiir of

rru'nnou^ siuk.'mIoim*

I'll) re was .1 hnndsoiii<< urovc ii liitli' !il)ov««, and

fiit<-i«'d ^ronps of iri>(*.s hdidirrd Iho river. Mnlfalo m ide iln'tr apptuir-

Ice tins afli'rnoon, aii<l the liimti.Ts t'unio in, shortly nller we had eni;amp-

wilh ihreu fnin oow.s. Tin* rnt'lit was fine, and ohservalionn i(uve for

\c latitude of the camp. I**" 17' 10".

hilif ifi. -\\\' made hnl ihirteon tniUiM this day, and eneauiped ahoiU

III! in a plea.sani urove on the ri«ht hank. Low scaliolds were erected,

lirt»M

mton which the meat was laid, eiit up into thm strips, and smai
ijiidled helow. Our ohject was to profit hy the vicinity (d the hiitlalo, to
i|y in a stock ol provisions lor ten or fifteen days. In iIm; course of the
lilernoon tin; hnnlers hroii'.dil in live or .six rows, and all Iniids were
■'pi hnsily (Miiploycd in preparing the me.'it, to the dr\ in^' of whieli tho
0iard attended during' ihe iii'.'lit. Our people had recovered their t^aycty,
a|id ihe hiisy limires around llie hlazini,' liri!s uMive a piciure.iipie air to the
(J|nnp. A viiry serious accident oicurred ttiis niornitiL', in the hreakin^ of
(Hie of the harometcrs. These had boon the ohject ol my eonsianl solici-
tude, and, as I had inteiidi'd ihein priiKMpally for ni'iuntain service, I had
wed iheiu as seldom as possiMe ; taking them always down at iiiLrht, and
0|i the occurrence of storms, in order to lessen the. chances of heiiii,' hrokon.
I was reduced to one, a standard harometer of 'I'muLditon's construction.
This I determined to preserve, if possible. Tin; laliindi; is ^'i' 51' 33",
aiid hy a mean of the lesiilis from chronometer and Imiar iJistaiices, the
Ijiopted lonii;itiidi' ol' this camp is lO.V .50' 4v5".

Julij Sit). — I'^irly this mornine: we were attain in motion. We had a
atock of provisions lor fifteen dav > carefully stcu'tid away in the carts, and
this I resolved should only hcj encroached upon wh(;n our rilles shonlii fail
to |)rocure us present support. I determined to reach the iiKunitaiiis, if it
were in any way possible. In the mean time, hull'alo were plenty, lu six
Itiies from our encampment, (which, by way of distinction, we shall call
Dried Meal camp,) we crosscnl a handsome stnnini, called Lit Fourchc
JSoinie. It is well limbered, and, among the llowers in bloom on its banks,
I remarked several uaters.

Five miles further, we made our noon halt, on the hanks of the Platte,
ill Ihe shade of some coilonwoods. There were luire, as g(!n(!rally now
aloniif the river, thickets of li'tppopJitiXy the i(ritin.s dc hd'uj of the country.
Tliey were of two kiiuls — one b(!aring a red berry, (tho shvjilicrdid argen-
till of Nuttall ;} the other a yellow berry, of which the Tartars arc said to
Uiake a kind of rob.

, By a meridian observation, tlu) latitude of the place was A'i^ 50' 08".
It was my daily practice to lalce observations of the sun's meridian altitude;
and why they are not given, will appear in the sequel. Eight miles further
we reached the mouth of Deer creek, where we encamped. Here was an
abundance of rich grass, and our animals were compensated for past priva-
tions. This stream was at this time twenty feet broad, and well timbered
villi Cottonwood of an uncommon size. It is the largest tributary of the
Platte, between the month of tiie Sweet Water and the Laramie. Our as-
tronomical observations irave. for the mouth of the stream a longitude of
lUG^ OS' 2\", and latitude A'i'' 5^' 24".

July 21. — Nothing v/orihy of mention occurred on this day ; we trav-

(APT. FUEMONT'8 NARRATIVK.

[1848

*|f

"i.n

i ' , -KB'*' F*'

'i\W6 later tlian usual, iiaving spent some fimo in scardiintj for grass,!
crossing and rccn'ssiiiL' the river before we could fuid ;i snMicient quantilyf
lor our uuiriuilft. 'I'uwurd dusk, we cncanipi'd iinion<^' sonje artemisial
l)ushes, two and threcj teet in height, where some scuiterr-d patches ofl
short toii3:h grass allorded a scanty supply. In crossing, we had occasioiil
to obsoive that llu! river was frequently too deep to ho Corded, tnough we|
always succeed* d i.i fuid'')g a place wht-re the water did not en*?r the:
carts. The stream contiiuied very clear, with two or three huiidr«d (w,\
breadth of water, and the sandy bed and banks were frequently cover'j!
with large round i)ohi)!cs. We had travelled this day iwenly-seven mile,,!
The main chain of the Black hills was here only al out seven miles u,
the south, on the right bank of the river, rising abruptly to the height oi
eight and twelve lunidred feet. Patches of grt'cn giass in the ravines on
the steep sides marked the presence of springs, and the summits were clad
vith pines.

July 28. — In two miles from our encampment, we reached the place
where the regular road crosses the Platte. Tliere was two hundred feet
breadth of water at this time in the bed, which has a variable width ot
eight to fifteen hundred feet. The channels were generally three feet deep,
and there weie large ;uig.ilar roc.';s on the bottom, which made the ford in
some places a little diilicu't. Even 3t its low stages, this river cannot be
crossed at random, and this has always been used as the best ford. The
low stage of tlie waters the present year had made it fordable in almost any
pari of its course, where access could be had to its bed.

For the satislaction of travellers, I will endeavor to give some descrip-
tion of the natiue of the road from Laramie to this ])oint. The nature of
the soil may be inferred from its geological Ibrmation. The limestone ai
the eastern limit oi tins section is succeeded by limestone without fossils.
ix great variety of sandstone, consisting principally of red sandstone and
fine conglomerates. The red sandstone is argillaceous, 'vitli compact white
gypsum or alabaster, very beautiful. The other sandstones are gr?y, yel-
low, and ferrugiiious, sometimes very coarse. The apjiarent 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 numerous streams which come
down from the neighboring mountain range. The ridges have an undu-
lating surface, with some such appearance as the ocean presents in an or-
dinary breeze.

The road which is now gener; Uy followed through this region is there-
fore a very good one, without any difficult ascents to overcome. The
principal obstructions are near the river, where the transient waters of
heavy rains have made deep ravines with steep banks, which renders fre-
quent circuits necessary. It will be remembered that wagons pass this
road only once or twice a year, which is by no means sufficient to break
i,iown the stubborn root; of the innumerable artemisia bushes A partial
absence of these is often the only indication of the track ; and the rough-
ness produced by their roots in many places gives the road the character
of one ncAvly 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
.♦"the inequalities it now presents.

From he mouth of the Kansas to t}\c Green river valley, west of the

CAPT. FFEMONT'S NAKUATIV 10.

archintj for grass,!
sijflicient quantityj
If? some artemisial
ittcrod patches ofl
', we had occasioii[
Corded, tnough wel
did not en^ir theS
tree hiiiid'od feetf
rocjiieiitl/ coreredl
/em V seven mile.]
lit seven miles to
-' to the height oi
ill the ravines on
lunmits were clad

•eached the place
two hundred feet
variable width o|
Iv three feet deep,
made the ford in
i river cannot be
G best ford. The
ible in almost any

ve some descrip-
t. The nature of
riie limestone at
e without fossils,
sandstone and

1 compact white
les are grt'y, yel-
aront sterility of

an the nature of
le called hilly. It
ims which come

have an undu-

resents in an or-

region is there-
pvercome. The
sient waters of
lich renders fre-
igons pass this
fficient to break
ihes A partial
and the rough-
d the chaidcter
■ considered the
ses through an
Lhe greater part

sy, west of the

-Kky mountain^^ there is no such thing as a mountain road on the line of

imraunication.

We continued our way, and four miles beyond the lord Indians were

iiscovf-cd again ; and I halted while a party were sent forward to ascertain
ho they were. In a short time they returned, accompanied by a number

If Indians of the O-ilaliah hand of Sioux. From them we received some
iteresting information. They had formed part of the great village, which
ey informed us had broketj up, and was on its way home. 'I ne greater

iart of the village, iuohuling tli3 Arapahoes, Choyennes, and Oglallahs,

lad crossed the Platte eight or ten miles below the mouth of the Sweet
*!Water, and wore now behind the mountains to the south of us, intending
to regain the Platte by way of Deer creek. Tlitiy had taken this unusual
toute in search of grass and game. They gave us a very discouraging
-|)icture of the coiaitry. The great drought, and the plague of grasshop-
tjpers, had swept it so that scarce a blade of grass was to be .seen, and
Ihere was not p buli'alo to be found in the whole roijion. 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 ho had fmishcd the interpretation of the.se things, Mr. Bissonette
immediately rode up to me, and urgently advised that I should entirely
abandon the further iiroserutioii of my exploration. " />f meilleure avis
)qiieJR pourrais voiia dormer c'est de vlrer de suited '■ The best advice I
fcan give you, is to turn back at once." It was his own intention to re-
turn, as ve had now reached the point to which lie had engaged to attend
me. In leply, I called up my men, and connnunicated to them fully the
information I had just received. I then expressed to them my fixed de-
termination to proceod to the end of the enterprise on which I had been
sent; but as the sifnatioti of the country gave me .some reason to appre-
hend that it might he 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 sonie five or six who I knew would remain. We
had still ten days' provisions; and, should no game be found, when this
stock was expetuied, wo had our horses and nmles, which we could eat
when other means of subsistence failed. But not a man Jlinched from
the undertaking. " We'll eat the mules," said iiasil Lajeunesse ; and
thereupon we shook hatids with our interpreter and his Indians, and
parted. With thf^m I sent back one of my men, Dumes. whom the effects
of an old wound in the leg rendered incapable of continuing the journey
on foot, and his horse seemed on the point of giving out. Having re-
solved to disencumber ourselves immediately of every thing not abso-
lutely necessary to our future operations, I turned directly in tows'd. the
river, and en'^amped on the left bank, a little above the place where our
council had been held, and where a thick grove of willows ottered a suit-
able spot for the object I iiad in view.

The carts having been discharged, the covers and wheels 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 ffUtter of the

iron work might not attract the observation of some straggling Indian.

In the sand, which had been blown up into waves among tlie willows, a

large hole was then dug, ten feet square, and six deep. In the mean time,

tl ' %l

■ i

■ -i

»1 !'!■

rill

■'i

ii tiP'ii

ri'i'!

!;»■

I ■»

fB-

r-t

J-til

r.l (APT. FKKMONT'H NMIUATIVK. [I84J

;ill our cilccis iiiwl hi-cii sjirriid out upon ilir i^miiiid, find wimtovor wj
»l('sii;ii<'d It) I'l' ciiiird iiloiis,' Willi us M'|i,iial( d mid laid aside, and the rJ
niiiiiiin'4 P'M'l call icd lo lli(> litdt; and i^nrclnlly I'dvcri'd ii|i. Asninclial
possiMo, all li'Mccs ol' our proccfdiii^s wore oliliicraird, and it wanfcd biJ
n rain lo rcndfr our rdr/ir sulo hcyond discovciv. All llm ukmi woro \un
siM at work to arraip^r ihc pjtck saddles and make np the patdts.

The day was v»'ry waiin ninl oaltn, and ilie sky eiilir«dy clear, exc(!|
where, jis iiMial aK>ny: the sninmils ol the nn»nnl!iiiions ridtftj opposite, ijn
elonds l;:»d cDimrcLialed in masses. Our lodvM- had heen planted, and,
aecoinit ot il;;: heal, the uroinid pins had hreii taken out, and the lowij
pari sliuhily raised. Near to it was standinu ilie haronieler, which swim.
in n tripod iVaine; and within the lodu;(\ where a small lir«! had hceii hiiili
Mr. I'reiiss was otciipu d in ohserviii!; the lemperalnre of hoiliiii; walci
At tins iiisiant. and wiihonl any warning; niilil 11 was wnliin fifty y;u(l^
a violent i-usl ol' wind dashed di)wn the lod<i:e, hiiryiim; under it Mr. I'nnis
and about n do/tni men, who had attempted to k<te|) it iVoni heiiiu; carrici
away. I stieeeeded 111 savini,' the baroineler, which the Iodide was carry
iiig oil' with itscll. hnl the tluinnoiimter was hroken. We had no other
oi a hi^h L'radiiatioii. none of those which remained i,'<>i"^ ini,'her thai
135"^ Fahrenheit. Oiir astronomical ohservations ^ave to this place, wliicl
we named ('(ic/ir camp, a loiiifitude of !()()'' lis' i.M»", latitude -lii" 5t)' 5A'
Jult/ 2!i. — All our arrangements haviiiL!; been eompleU'd, we left the I'li
campmeiU ai 7 o'clock this morniiiir. In this viciniiy tluj ordinary roai
leaves the I'lalte, and crosses over lo the Sweet Water river, which r
strikes near Kt.ck liide|iendence. Instead of jollowin^ this road, I hm
determined to k.'i p the immediate valley of the l*iail(^ so far as the nnmll
of tlie Sweet Water, in the expectation of (indniif belltM- i^Mass. To this I
was further prompled by the nature of toy instructions. To Mr. Carsoi
was assii;ned the oilice of ijuidc, as we had now reached a part of tlw
country with which, or a great part of which, long residence had inadi
him familiar. In a few miles we reached iIk; UimI linttes, a f;imous land-
mark in this coiniiry, whose geological composition is red sandstone, liino-
stone, and calcareous sandstone and pniUliiig stone.

The river here cuts its way through a ridge ; on the eastern side of i'
are the lot'ty I'scarpnieiits of red argillaceous L-andstone, which are called
the Red liuttes. In this passage the stream is not much compressed 01
pent up, there beiim a bank of considerable though variable breadth on
either side. ImnuHJiately on entering, we discovered a band of bulfalo
The hunters tailed to kill any of them; the leading hunter being throwL
into a ravine, v.'hich occasioned some delay, and in the mean time the
lierd clambered up the steep face of the ridge, it is .-iometimes wonderful
to see these apiiarently clumsy animals make their way up and down the
most rugged and broken precipices. We halted to noon before we had
cleared this passage, at a spot twelve miles distant \xo\\\ CV/c/jecamp, where
we found 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 mnnerous fresh tracks
of the grizzly biar, which are very fond of this fruit. The soil here is
red, the composiiion being derived from the red sandstone. About seven
miles brought us through the ridge, in which the course of the river isnordi
and south. Here the valley opens out broadly, and high walls of the red
formation present themselves among the hills to tlie east. We crossed

-^1

nnd wimtovnr wii
il iisidc, and the n

I lip. An much a
, .111(1 it waiWeil b
ilm iiKui woro no
in piKiks,
liridy cicnr, asrv
ridi,'!! opposiir, (III

II pl.'uilcd, and, n
out, and (hii lowi
t'lcr, \vhi«;li swim,
lin; Ik'uI I)o«mi hiiili
■ oC lioiliufr vvalc!
wiihin filly yard^
iid(!r it Mr. I'nuis
loiM hriiis^ cariici

l()dt;o was cany

VV(; had no ()th(!r

;<>inu: liii,di(!r ih;ii

> this place, whid

liUido -jy" 50' 5:i

^d, wo h5rt tlio I'll

Ihc onhiiary rorn

;r liver, which r

dii.s road, I hiti

I'iir as the nioial

i;rass. To this I

'I'o Air. CarscM

ed a part of tl

)42.]

CAPT. nJKMoNT's N \ i.'i; \ ri\ K

. ) )

leiice had rnadi

!, a t'aiuoiis land

sandstone, hmo.

Nisiern side of it
.vhich are called
1 con)pressed oi
ahle breadth on
•and of bulfalo
er being throwi,
mean time the
imes wonderful
) and down tlie
before we had
/jeeamp, whore
iG Indians was
ly treea. The
nis fresh tracks
'lie soil here ls
About seven
le river is iiordi
■alls of the red
. We crossed

Sijre a pretty liMlc .Tei'k, an allhicni of ilu; n^lit bank-. It is w»dl iiinl"'!-
d will) I'lftioMxVood in this vicniity, ami tin- absinllic has lost its shrnb-
Ike cliaracler, and bcuonics .small ncrs 'ix iiud ci'dit feet m bright, iind

"^Bometiiiirs ('ii;lii incln's in di;inn'lcr. Tu'n or ilnri! miltts ab()V<? tins creek
p made our cneampmeni, liavmL,' iravcllcd to-day twenty-live miles.
iM aiiniiiils fared well here, as iln!r<! is an alunidjuue, o|' ojass. Tlu! river
rd IS iiiiidc up (d' pc'bbh^s, and in the bank, at ilie |i;vel of ihe water, is a
on^loiiierati! of coarse pe,bbl(!.s aboiit lb'! si/e of ostrich ei/^s, and wbicli
rciiiatkcd in the banks of liie li-iianiie foik. Il is overlaid liv a soil of
\\\i.'(\ clay and sand, six fi;<'.t lliicK. liy ;isirf)iioinical observalions, oni
|)()siiion IS III longitude l()(i ' r,\' ;',:", and latitude -lii" liH'.
» .////// MO. — Alter travelling about twelve; miles this moriiim^ we reac.lnid
fi plac(! where iIk! Indian villii.^M- b;ul ci(tss"d t\\r. river. Here were the
|)oles of (lisc!i.i'<le(l lodges and skeleions (t| horses lying about. Mr. ('arson,
|lvbo had never Ixmui higher up than iliis |iouil on the river, wiiicli has the
(;liaract(!r of being exceedingly rng'jed, and w.illed in by precijiices above,
il'.ouglil it advisable; to camp niiar tins place, where we wen; certain of ob-
lainiiig urass, and lo-nK>rrow make oni crossing amoiiL'; the rllg^ed hills to
Ihe Sweet, \Val(!r river. Accordingly we turned back and descend<;d the
fivtJt to an island near by, which wa.s about twenty acrfis in size, covered
Ivilh a Inxiiiiant growth of gra.s.s. The formation here I found highly
interesiiiig. Iinmediat(!ly at this islami lla; iiv(!r is again shut up in the
jugged hills, which come down to it from the main ridge in a succession
l|pf spurs three or four hundrc'd feet liii^di, and alternated with green level
prdii'illotis or meadows, bordc^reid on the nvcir banks with thickets oi" wil-
low, and having many plants to inttirest the traveller. The island lies be-
tween two of these ridgcjs, three or four hundred yards a{)art, of which
that on the right bank is composed (;ntir(dy of red argillaceous sandstone,
"with thin layers of iibrous gypsum. On the Udl bank, the ridge i> com-
posed entirely of siliceous 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 determine, these strata in-
-line to tli<; northeast, with a dip 'd ribont 1,0". This pudding stone, or
"icongloinerale formation, I was enabled to trace ilirough an extended range
of country, from a few miles e ^ ol ihe meridian of Fort Laramie to where
I found it superposed on the granite of the Uocky mountains, in longitude
109'^ 00 . From its a{)pearaiice, ili<; mam chain of the Lmaiiue mountain
is composed of this rock; and in a miiriM r ol' places I I'ound isolated hills,
which served to mark a former level, which bad I 'icn probably sweid
away.

These conglomerates are very friable, and easily dec mposed ; and I
am inclined to think this formation is the source ir')ui which was derived
the great deposile of sand and gravel which torn. , the surface rock of the
prairie country west of the Mississi[)pi.

Crossin;^ the ridge of red sandstone, and traversing the Mttle prairie which
lies to the southward of it, we made in the afternoon rm v.xciirsion to a place
which we have called the Hot Spring Gate. This ; ice has much the ap.
pearance of a gate, by which the Plalle passes through a ridge composed
of a white and calcareous sandstone. The length of the passage is about
four hundred yards, with a smt oth green prairie on either side. Through
this place, ihestream ilows w th a quiet current, unbroken by any rapid.
and is about seventy yards wide between the walls, which rise perpen-

\'<L

'/I

f ■

r>(i

CAPT. FFiCMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[184S

F ■%

■•5;

tin
' ill

•licnlarly from tlie wator. To that 011 tlin right bank, which is the nwerj
the barometer gave a lM'ij;ht of three hmulrcd and sixty feet. This pl-^cel
will bo more particularly liescribccl hereafter, as we passeil through it oi,
our return.

We saw here nnmerotis lierJs of mountain sheep, and frequently hcardl
he volley of raltlinir stones which aceouipatiied their rapid desfOiit down)
the steep hills. This was tlu^ first place at which wo had killed any o([
these animals ; and, in coiiscquenre of thl« circmTistaiicc, atid of tlift|
ubundancc of those sheep or j»oats. (for they are called by each nnme,) w
gave to our encampment tlu; n;uiie of (loat IsUuid. Their llcsh is mudi
este<!med by the hunters, and b;is very much tlie liavor of the Allegany
mountain sheep. ! have frequtsntly seen the horns of this animal three
fe(!t long and seventeen inches in circumference at the base, weighing
ele -en pounds. Jiut two or iliri.'O of these were killed by our party at
this puce, and of these the horns werr small. The us(! ot th(\se horns
seems to be to protect the animal's head in pitching down precipices to
avoid pursuing wolvc^ —their only safety being in places where tliey can-
not be followed. 'I'he bones are very strong and solid, the marrow occu-
pying but a very small portion of the bone in the leg, about the thickness
ol a rye straw. The hair is short, resembling the winter color of our com-
mon deer, which it nearly approaches in rize and a| ij.-arance Except in
the horns, it has no reseinb!an>e whatever to the goat. The longitude of
this place, resulting from chronometer and lunar distances, and an occulta-
tion off Arietis, is 107° 13' JfJ", and the latitude 42^33' 27". One of our
horses, which had given out, we left to receive strength on the island,, intend-
ing to take her, perhaps, on our return.

Juli/ 31. — This morning we left the course of the Platte, to cross over
10 the Sweet Water. Our way, for a few miles, lay up the sandy bed of
a dry creek, in which I found several interesting plants. J^eaviiig this, we
■wound ou; way to the summit of the hills, of which the peaks are here
eight hundred feet above the Platt<>, b;ire and rocky. A long and gradual
slope led from these hills to the Sweet Water, which we reached in fifteen
miles from Goat Island. I made an early encampment here, in order to
give the himtersan opportunity to procure a supply from soveml bands of
buffalo, which made tlieir appearance in the valley near by. The stream
here is about sixty feet wide, and at this time twelve to eighteen inches
deep, with a very modera current.

The adjoining prairi are snndy, but the immediate river bottom is a
good soil, which afforded an abundance of soft grten grass to our horses,
and where I found a variety of nif cresting plants, which made their ap-
pearance for the first time. A raiii to-night made it unpleasantly cold;
and there was no tree hefo, to enable n:-i to pitch our single lent, the poles
of which had been left ai Cache camp. Wc had, therefore, no sheltsr
except what was to be found under cover of the ahsinthR bushes, which
grev/ in many thick patches, one or two and sometimes three feet
high.

August 1. — The hunters went ahead tliis morning, as bulTalo appeared
tolerably abundant, and I was desirous to secure a small stock of pro-
visions; and we moved about seven miles up the valley, and encamped
one mile below Rock Independence. This is an isolated granite rock,
about six hundred and fifty yards lo g, and forty in heiglit. Except in
a depression of the summit, where a little soil supports a scanty growth

t
a
a

CAPT. FIIKMONT'S NARRATIVE.

vhich is the nwerJ
■ i'eot. This phcel
ssed through it oJ

1 frofincntly heard
ipicl dcsfCiit (lownl

had lvill(!fl any o(
lUicc, and of'thfil
y each nnnie,) we
heir flesh is much'
r of (he AHogativ

(his atiinial three
r. hasc, weighing
1 I'y our j)arty ai
so of tliose horns
own precipices tn
? where tlicy can-
the marrow occu-
)oiu the thickness
3olor of onr com-
anco. Except in

'I'lic longitude of
3, and an occuha-
27". One of our
the island,, intend-

it(e, to cross over

the sandy bed of

eaving this, we

e peaks are lieic

ong and gradual

eachcd in fifteen

icre, in order to

overal bands of

/■. Tlie stream

eighteen inches

vcr bottom is a
s to our horses,
made their ap-

easantly cold;
) lent, tiie poles
lOve, no shelter

bushes, which
nies three feet

ilt'alo appeared
1 stock of pro-
md encamped
i granite rock,
It. Except in
scanty growth

shrubs, with a solitary dw.irf pine, it is cntirelv hare. Everywhere
ithin siJT or eight feet of the ground, wjuire th intacc is sufficiently
looth, and in some places sixty or eighty feet abovt lie rock is inscribed
lith the names of travellers. Many a name famous in the history of this
luntry, and some well known to science, are to be found mixed among
se of the traders and of travellers for j)leasure and curiosity, and of mis-
naries among the savages. Some of these have b(!en wa>h(>d away by
to rain, but the greater tunnher arc still very legiblo. The position of
lis rock is in longitude 107 ' Oii', latitude 12° 29' Mi". W'r remained at
r camp of August 1st until noon of tlio next day, occupied in drying
nieaf. Hv observation, the longitude of the place is 107*^ 25' 23", latitude
48° 29' 5(i".

.« Aiii^ust 2. — Five niiles above Rock Independence we camo to a place
#lled the Devil's Gate, wh(>rc the Sweet Water cuts through the point of
<i granite ridge. The length of the passage is about three humlred yards.
Slid the width thirty-fivo vards. The walls of rock are vertical, and about
ftur hundred feet in height; and the stream m the gate is almost entirely
choked up by masses which have fallen troiu above. In tlu; wall, on the
Tight bank, is a dike of 1r;ip ^ock, cutting through a fine-grained gray graii-
i^-:. Near the point of this ridge crop out some strata of the valley forma-
,iOn, consisiing of a gravish micaceous sandstone, and fiuo-grained con-
glomerate, and marl. We encamped eight miles above tiio Devil's Gate.
Ther? was no timber of any kind on the river, but good lires were made
<rf drift wood, aided by the hois de vache.

We had to-night no shelter from the rain, which coninionced witli
iqualH of wind abimt sunset. The coi ntry hero is exceedingly pic-
turesque. On either side of the valley, which is four or five miles broad,
the mountains rise to the luiight of twelvti and fifteen hundred or two
thousand feet. On the south side, the range appear.^ to be limbered, and
to-night is luminous with fires — probably the work of the Indians, who
have just passed through the valley. On the north, brolcen and granite
masses rise abruptly fr(^m the green sward of the river, terminating in a
line of broken summits. Except in the crevices of the roclc, 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 vege-
tation.

Among these masses, where* there are sometimes isolated hills and
ridges, green valleys open in upon the river, which sweeps the base of
tliese mountains for thirty-six miles. Every where 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 formy
its southern boundary. The great evaporation on the sandy soil of this
ielevated plain, and the saline eJllorescences which whiten the ground^
And shine hke lakes reflecting the sun, make a soil wholly unfit for culti-
vation.

- t^ugust 3. — We were early on the road the next morning, travelling
along the upland part of the valley, which is overgrown with artemisia.
Scattered about on the plain are occasional small isolated liills. One of
these which I examined, about fifty feet high, consisted of whhc clay and
marl, in nearly horizontal strata. Several bands of bufl'alo made their ap-

!
I

• '

il |i:i'

' .1

«:-i^;i

.-iS (AIT. FHKMON'i'M NAUUATIN n. [Ij

prnnuH'd io-cImv, willi hrnls oT nutclopiv, mimI ;> 'rii/./Iy bf^fM* — t!ioonlyo
wo (MK'DtiiiiiTrtl diiriiij,' tli(' jdunicy w.is si-cn sfiiiiMhIitit,' iipnmnMp;t
roi'ks. As u (' piisscd over a sliylu rise iicir llu^ iivfr, w»5 ciiili^lit llic fir
viinv o\ 111'- \\ iimI rivrr inoimt.iiiis, ;»|)|M';iriiii;, ;ii lliis distmic.! of ahoii
sovoiity miles, lt> he i\ low and dark nioiiii(;iiM(Mis ridi^'c. 'I'lm vuiw dissipnj
<'d in :i nMinnMil llic pictures wliicli li.id liecn ereiited i;i onr nunds, hy nriiii
dosenpliDns (t| lravell(>rs, who have eitni|»,ned these nionnlains to the Alp
ill Swil/erhuid. and speak of the. ghltermi,' pe;iks which ri.su in icy luiijtsti
amidst the eiern.il glaciers nine or ten thousand leet into the rc/^ioti olClH
nal snows. The nakechiess olthe river was reheved hy i^roves <»(' willnw
whert? we encamped at nitjht, alter a m;irch ol i\\«!nly-six miles ; and n
lui'rous hrii,'htct)lor(Ml (lowers had made (he river bottom look «;ay as
garden. NN e lound here a horse, which had heen ahatidoned l)y the h
(iiaus, because his hool's liad been s(» nniih worn that he was imablui
travel; and, durnii; llu^ mght. a dog caini^ Mit(» the camp.

»iiiHii.s/ I. — Our camp was at the loot ol' the ijraniltMnoimtains, wlm
we ehmbed this morning to tak(^ some haromtMrical h(Mghts; and In
among liie rocks was stMiii the (irsi maifpie. On our rettu'ii, we sa w di
at the mouth ol' the IMalto river. W r Idt her(! one of our horses, wlm
was unaltle to proceed farther. A few mil<s from the enrampiuont we li
ihe river, which makes a bond to the south, and, traversing an muiiilalin,
country. <'t>iisistniu ol a grayish micactMuts sandstoim atid f'mo.-grainod coi
glomerales. struck it again, and (Micatnped. alt(M" a it)uruey of twonty-liv
nnles. Astronouiica! ohservalions placed us in latitude 4ii" 32' :U)", an
Jongitude lO.s^' 30' 13".

v'Jt!ij^i/\/ 5. — The luorning was dark, with a driving rain, and (hsagroe
ably cold. We contimted our route as usu.il : hut. the weather became s
bad, that we were glad to avail ourselves o! the shelt(M' ofFered by a snia
island, about t( n miles above otir la.st encampment, which was coverti
with a dense growth of willows. There was line grass for our animals
and the tnnher all'orded us comfortable proU'ciiou and good fires. In lli<
afternoon, the sun hroke through the clouds lor a si: )rt time, and the ba
rometer at "). p. m., was at 2:{.71.3, the thermometer (iO", with the wiiii
strong from the northwest. Wo availed ourselves of the line weather ti
make ex(Mnsions in the neighboriiood. 'i'he river, at tliis place, is bolder
ed hy hills ol the valley formation. They are of moderate height; one o
the highest peaks on the right hank being, aceonling to the barometer, oii'
hundred and eighty feet above the river. On the left bank they are highei
They consist of a line white clayey sandstone, a white calcareous sandstoiio
and coarse sandstone or pudding stone.

•/Sui^^Ksf 6. — It contimied steadily raining all the day ; but,iiotwitlistaiul
ing, we left our encampment in the afternoon. Our animals had bec[
much refreshed hy their repose, and an abundance of rich, soft grass, whici
had been much improved by the rains. In about three miles, we reaciicc
the entrance of a kanyon, where the Sweet Water issues upon the niort
open valley we had passed over, humediately at the entrance, and super
imposed directly upon the granite, are strata of compact calcareous sand'
stone and chert, alternating with fine wliite and reddish white, and iiiif
gray and red sandstones. These strata dip to the eastward at an angle o;
about IS^, and form the western limit of the sandstone and limestone forma
tions on the hue of our route. Here we entered among the primitive
rocks. The usual road passes to the right of this place ; but we wounfi

ri«4

\y bojtr— tho only on
iiihliiit; iipnm»uif»(|]
r, wo Ciiiiylit lli(> lir
Ills (lislaiic of ;ilii)|J
<?. 'I'll"! VK'w (lissi|)i\||
!i our iiiinds, l>y iii;in|
iioiintaiiis to tlin Al|>
r|| list! ill ley in;i)is
ltd llic n';j;i(Ui olCiij
l»y i^iovcs i){' willdu'
ly-'<ix iiiilcN ; and r
Ixilloiii look yay ;is
l>ari(ioiii(l liy (lir li
hat he was uiiablci
inp.

iu^ nioiintaiiis, wliii
al h«Mglils; and \m
r n'tiiiti, W(! saw m.
ol' our liorsos, wIik
' (Mirampmntit wo li
/orsitii; ail iiiKJiiliiiiii
and rmo-graiiied ca>\
iiriity oi" Iwoiily-liv
lido '12" '32' MO"", ail

ii; rain, and disai'rci

5 wcallior bncaiiH! ^

ci- oflored by a siiia

, which was covorc

ass for our aniinal

I i,M)od fires. Ill 111

rt time, and the hi

(i(V', with the win

(h(; line weathor i

this place, is border

erate height ; one o

) the barometer, on

)ank they are highci

alcarecus sandstoin

; but,notwithstaii(l

' animals had bt^i

hySoft grass, whici

miles, we reaeiiei

acs npon the tnon

ntrancc, and super

ct calcareous sand'

sh white, and iiiu

vard at an angle o:

id limestone forma

long the primitive

:e ; but we wouii!

(An* ki{i:montm wiujatin k

fl»»

rrtthor srramltl'd, our way up llu' narrow valley lor several hoiu"-.
^ildui'ss Mini (li-iordrr wrro fiu" cliar.K'icr ol llihi ^n•||('ry. 'I'lie river had
)cn swollen by the lati^ rains, aiid eaine rnsbiii'j; lliroii<j;|i with an iinpotiKUiv
irp'Ut, three or (our feet deep, and L'ener.itly twenty yards broad, 'riic
ny was sdnietiines the breadth of the stream, and vometimes opened
ito ittit! Ljreen ineinlow's, sixty yards wnle, with npen ^'rovi-s of aspen,
he siieam was bordered lbroufi;bout with aspen, beech, iitid willow; and
II piiK's L'lew on the sides and summits of tla^ eia^s. On both sifjes, the

mite rocks nts(( |iiecipiiously to the beiidit of three hundred and ft

kindred leef, lermiiiatiii!^ in jai^^ed and broKen [lointed peaks ; and (rag-
iflleiitN of filleii roek lay piled up at the f.ii.t of the preeipice.s. (Iihm.ss,
^Mica slate, and a while yranite, were Jimonglbe. varieties I noticed. Here
'l^ert! m;iny old tiiues of beaver on the slienni ; lemnants of dams, near
^hieh were lyins.;: trees, wbieli flniy bad cut dnwii, one and two i'rcl in
«iiameler. The hills entirely shut up the river at the end of about five

tiles, and we turned up a ravine that led to a lii'.;li prairie, which seemed to
the general level of the country. Ileiiee, to ili(r summit of tin; ridg'',
.Acre is a remihir and very gradual ris«'. iJloeKs of granite were piled up
III the heads of the, ravines, and small bare knolls of mica slate and milky
quartz protruded at fretpKiiit intervals on the prairie, which was whitened
)jil occasional spots with small salt lakes, where ibe water had evaporatcfl,
<ltld left the bed covi^red With a shining nn-in Nation ol salt. Tfie evening
^as very cold, a northwest wind driving a fine rain in our faces ; and fit
Sightliill we (lese<!n<l(!d to a little stream, on wliii'h W); (iticarnped, about
fivo miles iVoin the Sweet Water. Iler(; bad recently bfien a very large,
Himp of Snake . iid (Irow Indians; and some larji-e poles lying about af-
Ibrded the means ol' pilchitig a tent, and inakini.': other places ul shelter.
Our fires to-mght were made princir)ally of the dry branches of the arte-
ihi-sia, which coviired tla; slopes, it burns (|uiekly, with a clear oily flame,
imd makes a hot (ire. 'I'lie hills li(;re are coinitosed of hard, compact niif;;i.
ilate, with veins of cpiartz.

» *^ui(usl 7. — We left our encampment with the rising sun. As we rose
Itom the bed of tin; creek, the .<t7ioto\'im'. ol the nioimlairis stretched grandly
^tefore US, the white peaks glittering in the sun. They liad been hidden
to the dark weather of the last few days, and il had been .innwing cm them,
■labile it rained in the plains. We cross<;d a ridije, nnd again struck the
flweet Water — here a beautiful, swift stream, with a more open valley,
Umbered with beech and cottonwood. It now b(,'g;ui to lose itself in the
many small forks which make its head; and we continued up the main
stream until near noon, when we left it a few miles, to make our noon hall
•n a small creek among the hills, from which the stream issues by a small
Opening. Within was a beautiful grassy spot, cov(jrcd with an open grove
mi large beech trees, among which I found several plants that I liad not.

frevionsly seen.
The afternoon was cloudy, with squalls of rain ; but the weather be-
came fine at sunset, when we again encampiid on the Sweet Water, with-
•^ a few miles of the South Pass. The coimlry over which we have
((passed to-day consists principally of the compact mica slate, which crops
iut on all the ridges, making the uplands very rocky and slaty. In the
iscarpments which border the creeks, it is seen alternating with a light-
colored granite, at an inclination of 45°; the beds varying in thickness
from two or three feet to six or eight hundred. At a distance, the granite

(iO

<;ai'T. kkkmontm nauuativk.

[isd

•I:

*I!^4-

rrcqucntly lias llio .ippcaraiin' of irromilar lnnipsof clay, Imrdftiicd by eJ
[tosurc. A varifily of ii.s/tr.\ may now hn miml)iM«!(l ainoiii^ llio cliaracieJ
istic |)lants, and iIm> artumisia contiiinos in lull i^lory ; liiii r//r// havo b«|
coinu rare, and nioss(;s l)ru;iii to dispiito tliu hills with thoiii. 'I'hu < voninl
was damp and in»pl<\'is;iiit ; \\u\ tluTinoiniilor, at lo o'tlock, l)eing at 36J
and iUo. f^rass wet with a in ivy di!W. Our aslionoinitMl oliM-ivations place
this JMicufuptninnt in lon.,Mtu.h!'l()!) ' 21' 32", and laliHidu ■\'^' 21' KO".

Karly in tho niorniim wo rc.snnuHl our jonrniiy, ihc wnailuT siill cloiidr
with occasional rain. Our ^MMicrai conrsc was west, as I had (Ujlcrniiii''
lo cross the dividing rulu'e hy a hndic )»ath anioiiu; the hioken coiniti
more ininiedialcly ill iIk; loot of the nioiintains, and n-tnin hy the wagi>
road, two and a hall niilos lo tho soulh of the point where the Hail crosso'

About six niil(!s from our (^ncauipnuMit hront^hi u. to the sininnil. Th
a.sccnt had been so matliial, that, with all Ihe intiinatis kni)wledu[C po«,
sesscd hy Carson, who h;id made this country his home for scvetitftci
years, we wore ohliyed i,o waich very closely to find tiiu place at whici
we had reached the ciilmiu-itini; point. This was Ix^twcen two low hill>
using on cither hand (ifiy or sixty feet. When I looUed hack at then, tl
from die foot of th(! inniu'diaie slope on the wesiern plain, iliiiir sninmii ii
appeared to ho about one hundred and twenty feel above. From the iiii
pression on my mind al this time, and subsecptenily on our rt'lurn, I shoiil
compare the elevalion whii:h we surmounted inunediatcly al tho Pass, I
the ascent of the ('ajMlol hill from the avenue, at Wasliin^lon. It is dilli
cult for mc to fix ))osiliveIy the breadth of this |)ass. From the broke:
ground where it commences, at the fool ol tlu! Wind rivi'r chain, the view
:o the southeast is over a champaign comitry, brokiMi, al the distance o
nineteen miles, by the Table rock; which, with the oilu;r isolated hill
in its vicinity, seems lo stand on a comparative plain. This I judged t(
be its termination, the ridL;e recovering its rugged character with the Tabit
Tock. It will be seen iIuU it in no manner resembles tin; places to whicl
the term is commonly applied — nothing of the gorge-like character am
winding ascents of the Allegheny passes in America: nothing of the Grea;
St. Bernard and Simplon passes in Europe. Approaching it from the
Tnouth of the Sweet Watcu', a sandy plain, one hundred and twenty mile;
long, conducts, by a gradual and regular ascent, lo the summit, abou
seven thousand feet above the sua; and the traveller, without being re^
minded of any change by toilsome ascents, suddenly linds himself on tlie
waters wliich flow to the Pacific ocean. By the route wc had travelled
the distance from Fort Laramie is three hundred and twenty miles, or nine
hundred and fifty from ihe mouth of the Kansas.

Continuing our march, we reached, in eight miles from the Pass, tlie
Little Sandy, one of the tributaries of the Colorado, or (Ireen river of the
Gulf of California. Tho weather had grown fine during tho morning, and
we remained h'^re the rest of the day, to dry our baggage and take some
astronomical observations. The stream was about forty feet wide, and \i
two or three deep, with clear water and a full swift current, over a sandy i
bed. It was timbered with a growth of low bushv and dense willows, i*
among which were litlle verdant spots, which gave our animals fine grass,
and where I found a nutnber of interesting plants. Among the neighbor-
ing hills I noticed fragments of granite containing magnetic iron. Longi-
tude of the camp was 109^ 'M' 59", and latitude 42^ 27' 34".

%'iugust 9. — We made our noon halt to-day on Big Sandy, another

w
th
9
re

ai
le

ts
?
\

■ I

[I!

•1.]

r-AlT KRKMONT.I NARH\T|VK

• 1

ly, Imrdflncd bye;

noiii^' thn charade

lull ctivli li.'ivo b(

liiMii. Tin; « vcnini

i'li><:l\, hi'illfj al

oliNi'ivarioiisplnci
•« -li' 2T 15".
fi'.'iilicr siill (;|()n,|
•"< I had (lot(Miuiiii
li<! lirokiMi couriir

ularyof rtrooii rivrr. Thf face of Iheronntty trav»'rsr'd was of ft brown

d of ^'r;iiiiic malcriah, Jho tfrfrifns o[ iho iifivhlmriiig inouritaiiiH.

a(a of iho milky quailz rro|ijMMl out, and I lorks of ;,'ratiito wcro scat-

d ahoul, (•(•Miaitiiiii,' inaytH-tic iron. On Sandy rrct-k Uir fortiiatioM wa,s

articolofcd s.itid.J'xhihitod in oscarpnKMil-i fifty to ()i;^'hfv tort high. In

aflornoon wr h.nl a scvrr*' stortn of li.iil. and • nc.unpod atsiiriNfttoii

first Now Fork. Wiihin iho space of a few 'uilt ;', iho Wind monn-

ns supply a nurnlx'r of trihuiarics lo (lr«MMi riv) r. wl;ich aro all cail'-d the

w Forks. N'MT our ramp wcrti two rcmaikiihlc isolated hdls, otu; <>l'

in Minici'-iiily lii!^''' lo nuril tho iiauK! ol iiio.intain. They are called

lurii hy Iho wagd (|||. Two lUittcs, and will servo to identify the place of our eUfumprnftnt,
re (he Hail crosst, ^jjch the <d)servalioiis of the eveiiirii» place;! in ion^'itude lOfi^ r>H' 11",
■td latiiu'le IJ ' \y -Hi". Oil the ri^'hl haidi of the Mreain, opposite to t!ie
Igj^e hill, the strata which are dis[)layed eoiisi.-t of dccumposio^' jrramte,
which sup[»lies the hmwii sand of which the face of the country is com-
Blscvi to a c<Misidera!)lc (l(!plli.

■ Jhiijufit 10.--'rii«- air at sunrise is clear and pure, and the morninj? ex-
tltmely cold, hiii hcaiililid. A lofty snow peak ol the mountain is glitler-
ain, iheirsiimniii ing in the first rays of the sun. which fias not yet reached us. The long
^e. From the im miDuntain wall to th(! east, risiuii two thoii,>an(l iVet ahrup'Iy fioni the
•ur reluni, I shoiil plain, heliind which we see the penks, is siill dark, and cuts clear against
;ely at the Pass, I the giowini,' sky. A fo^-, just risen from the river, lirs alonj, the base of
tie mountain. A I iltN; before sunrise, the thermometer was at 35°, and at
sunrise '.i'S". WaK-r I'ro/o last ni^ht, and finss are very comfortable. The
ijenery b(!come.s hourly mon; interesting and qraiid, and the view here .is
Huly magiiihcent; hut, indeed, it needs someihing to repay the long prai-
rie journey of a thoiivuid miles. The sun liars just shot above the wall,
and makei a inagical e.hangc. The whole valley is 'blowing and bright,

the Miminit. '\\
to knowledge po^
Jiiie for seventfip
M! place at wliici
^een two low hill
vcd hack at then

mgton. It is dilli
From the broke

or chain, the view
at the distance o

ih(!r isolated hill

I'll is 1 judged tc

er with the Tabit »nd all the moimiaiii penksare gleaming likesilver. Though these snow

e places to whici ©ountuins are not the Alps, they have their own character of grandeur

v'o character atK aiid magnificence, and will doul)tless find pens and pencils to do them

"ling of the Greu; jttstice. In the scene before us, we feel how much wood improves a view.

ling it from the The pines on the mountain seemed to give it much additional beauty. J

iiid twenty mile; was agreeably (iisappointed in the character of the streams on this side of

summit, abou: the ridge. Instead of the creeks, which descri[)tion had led me lo expect,

ithout being re J find bold, broad streams, with three or four feet water, and a rapid cur-

s himself on tlie lent. The fork on which we are encamped is upwanis of a hundred feet

^c had travelled, wide, timbered with groves or thickets of the low willow. We were now

ity miles, or nine approaching the loftiest part of the Wind river chain ; and I left the val-
ley a few miles from our encampment, intending to penetrate the monn-

11 the Pass, the tains as far as jjossihle with the whole party. We were soon involved in

reen river of the Very broken ground, among long ridges covered with fragments of granite.

10 morning, anil Winding our way up a long ravine, we came unexpectedly in view of a

and take some Bnost beautiful lake, set like a gem in the mountains. The sheet of water

feet wide, and lay transversely across the direction we had been pursuing; and, descend-

it. "ver a sandy ing the steep, rocky ridge, where it was necessary to lead our horses, we

dense wiliow.s, followed its hanks to the southern exirc.iity. Here a view of the utmost

imals fine grass, jnagnificence and grandeur burst upon our eyes. With nothing between

ig the neighbor- Us and their feet to lessen the effect of the whole height, a grand bed of

c iron. Longi- inow-capped mountains rose before us, pile upon pile, glowing in the
bright light of an August day. Immediately below them lay the lake,

Sandy, another J>etweea two ridges, covered with dark pines, which swept down from

(iy

t'APT. FWKMnNT'H NAHUATIVi:

/-i

[184^

tliu main cliaii) to llu> spot wlmrr wit. stood. IIcp, whero lli«> Inko ^littore
III ilio n|)en Niiiiliglil, its Itaiiks ot yiMow Mamlaiid (Im' liv;lit l'(>liai(i\f>t' fispii
)L'H)V«'s ooitliaMt'd well witli ilin yhioiiiy jUMt's. " i\»;vrr lu'lorn," jtanj
Mr. I'lriis.s, "III lliis ooiiiiiiy or in Knio|»i, liavti I mtii .mk'Ii inamiifif'Ptiil
•jiaiiil rocks.'* 1 w.is.so niii' Ii idcasfit widi llii; l>«!aniy o| (ho |>lacr, tlij
I dfiurmiiiiMl to maUo llii> main cain|i lioro, wluni! our animals would tiiiif
trood |iasinrai(*', and itxplorc llio nionniain.s with a small party ot' ni(>rt|
l>r(Ma!t>dln^ a litllo I'iikIhm, wc canK^ siuUicnly n|Hiii ilir unili-i ol llio lak>'
wlioro It tonnd ii.s way llirou.:li a narrow passagt' Ix'twiiii low lulls. |)ai,
|»incs. wliicji tjvciliniii,' ilio Mrcain, and masses ot' rock, wlicri! tinj vvnkr'
loaiiicd along, uavi; ii nincli rttinantic huanty. U'licr*! wo ('ro^.sl>d, wliici
wa.s imnii'diately at ilm oiillri, it i.s iw<» linndrrd and lil'iy fiit-i wide, uik
^o deep, llial Willi dillicnlly \v «' wrri' abli^ to lortl ii. lis hod was an ar $\^
cnmnlation ol r«)c'ks, hiMildt'i's, and hroad slahs, and larmi; an^^nlar t'ruu
nionis, ainon^ wliicli tlic .uiiinaLs tril ropcutodly.

'I'lif ciirrcui was very swiit, and llie water cold, and (d' a erystal purity
In crossing this sireain. I inel willi a yreat niisiorlniic in ii.ivin^' my ba cf
romuter hroUeii. ll was (lie only oiu*. A unreal part olllie intcicsi of tip U
journey for mo was in llw eX|iloiation of these niouiUams, of wlueh n
nnich had heen said that was douhtful and eoiilradiclory ; and now Ihci
snowy peaks rosf maj''stii:aliy helore me, and llu; only means of giviii:
them anlheniically lo .science, ihe olijecl of my anxious si)lieilndo 1)
night and day, was destroyed. We had l)rou;^dit this l)art)ni<'ti;r in .safel, ^^
a (hons;ind miles, and broke, it aimosi auionu; (he snow of thi; mountain:)
The loss was felt by llii' whole camp — all had seen my anxiciy, and aido:
>n»; in presorvmu: it. 'I'hc lieiuhi «d thcst; mouiiiains, considered l»y tie
huiitoi;; ..;.d traders liic hi^hesi in the whole ran^e, had hueii a iheino o:
constant ili.scn.s.vii)ii amoiiL: (hem; and all had looked torwarii with pleas-
ure to the monu'iii w lun (lie instrument, which they believed to bt; trm
as the sun, shonld s(and upon the summits, and decidt: llieir dispuif>
Their grid' was only inferior lo my own.

Thi.«: lake is aboni three miles long, and of very irregnhtr widih, and
apj':irently ijreal depth, and is the head water of the iliird New Fork,
a tributary lo (Jreeii livei'. ihe Colorado of the west. In the narra-
tive, 1 have called it .MouiKain lake. 1 encamped on liie north side,
about tliree hundred and liity yards liom the outlet. This was the most
western point at which 1 ol)(ained asirononucal obvservations, by which
this place, called iiernier's eiieampmeut, is made in 1 10' ots' o;>" west lon-
gitude from (ireenwieli, and laiitnde 43^ 49' 49". The mouniain peaks,
as laid down, were tixed by bear.ngs from this and other astronomical
l)oinis. We had no other compass than the small ones n-sed in sketchina;
the country ; but from an azimuth, in which one of ihem was u.'sed. tlu'
variation of the compass is is^^' east. The correction made in 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 a standard cistern barometer,
of Troughton's construction. The glass cistern liad been broken about
midway ; but as the nistrument had been !<:ept in a proper position, no air
had found its way into the tube, the end of which had always remained
covered. I had with me a number of vials of tolerably thick glass, some
of wliich were of the same diameter as the cistern, and I spent the day in

ai
or
te

th
ea

roi

of
of
th
d(
m
i\
B

•w
\«
n

[18^
urn iliolnkoglitjrr,

IKIiI lol|jll(ivol';if(pej

I Mif'li in.i^nincpnt

' «»(■ lilt) pluci', tlK-t

aniiii.ils would find
iiall |i,ir»y oC mpf
' oiill.'l ni ilio luk«
^••••1 luu' lulls. Darj
, wliiTt! the wniif

\V(! iMOMJ'd, wIlKi

I'ly I'cfi wide, ui|,
fs ht'd was an a<
n'^<' iiii;iiilar Ini-

ol a ciyslal |)iiiii\
ill ii.iviiiM; my I,;,
I'lln) iiilnt'si of ill
Jims, of which .s,
y ; and now tlioi
' iiu-aiis of giviii:
oils soliciliido 1)
ironu'tcr iii .safci,
<>t lh<> inoiiiitaiii>
• ii\i.:iy, jiikJ aide:
•onsidorc'd l»y t|i'
I'uoii a llicmo ()|
I wail i wilh pleas-
litivcd (o hv. irui
•it! lliuir di.s|)uif>

1 <;Al»r FHKMoNT'H NARHVTIVK. 99

rjy workini; 011 iI)i!m«!, (Midiavoriiit^ to rut (lioni of tlin rcqiiisiin luitglh ;

(IS my iiislruiiHMit was a very roii^di fdi;, I iiivarialily ImdtM tlinii. A
)Vo was cnl m oii«' of iIh; trt-rs, wlu!r»5 tli«* liaroiip'ln was pltrrd diiriiii;
ni;^'hl, (o III) onl of till' way of any posHilili; dani^«>r, and in tlw' nioriiiii;^
HiiriKMiccd ai'ain. Anions tin; powder horuN in tin) cantp, I found onn

li wasvi-ry traiiNpaiiMil, so ili it its cotittMils could Im aJinosf. as plainly

[\ as throui^ti ulas^. This I hoilrd and slrctcln:d <»n a picci- of wood to

rL'ijui.NUe dtanitlcr, and scriprd it vi'iy thin, in order lo incn-ase to ilio

list its trunsparunt^y. I thm sccuriMJ it firmly in iis placo on the instru«

lilt, with slront^ ^iiiu mudn from a hud'alo, and HilrMJ it with niMrciiry,

pif|ii rly heated. A pii^cc of skm, which hnd covcrml one o( iho vials,
fmiiisliid a ltojmJ pocket, wliH'li wis well socnr"d with strong' ilwead and
gUc and then the hrass cover was scrowj'd to its place. The instiuiiient
wps left some lime to dry ; and wImmi I nivorsed it.u few hours after, I had
tin salisfaclioii to find it in piifrei order ; its indicnlions lieiii'.^ ahonl the
MDie as on tlu! other side of' the |;d<e hefore it had hccn hrokt 11. Our snc>
CW III this little iiicHh'ul dill'iis(!d |il(!:tsnri! lhroiii;iioul tlu; caniji : and wc
iiatnediately Mct uhont our preparations for nsceiidin^ the mountains.

^\s will he s«;en on n.'fereiict' to a map, on this short niouiilain cjiaiti
art the head waters of lour LMcat rivers o( the continent ; iiam..'l\-. the Col-
OI!i<l<>, Colmnhia, .Missmni, and I'lalte rivers. It had heen niy iIi-'sIlmi, af-
ter haviiii; ascended tli«5 m.)unlains, lo continue oiu* route on thu western
side of the ran^e, and crossini; throu'Ji a pas.s at the north western end of
tbf chain, ahout thirty miles from our prijscnt cain|), return nloni,' tho
eHMcrn slope, acioss tli*; heads of tin; Y<;llowstoni! river, and jiin on Iho
line to otu' .station of Ar.i^Misi 7. immc'iliately at tho fool of the ridj^'e. In
this way, I should he unahlcd to include tlio whole chain, and its numo
rous waters, in my survey ; hm various considerations induced me, very
rductantly, to abandon this plan.

I was desirous to keep strictly within tho scope of my instructions; audit
HOiiM have rerphred ten or iilteen additional (lays for the accomplishuKMit
i,Milar widtli and ofiiiis object ; our animals had bccomi! very inu(;h worn out witii the length
of the journey; iiame was very scarce; and, tlioui,di it does not appear in
the course of the narativc, (as I have avoided dwelling upon trilling inci-
dents not connected with the objects of tho expedition,) the spirits of the

liird Ni;\v Fork.
Ill the narra-
I lie nortii side,
IS was the inos!
Uiniis, by whicii
)h' o!)" west Ion-
iiouniaiii peaks.
ler astronomical
cd in sketching
i was used, the
ule in our field
s a very correct

g to repair i7iy
tern barometer,
broken about
position, no air
ways remained
lick glass, some
pent the day in

men had been inucli exhau'-teM by the hardships and privations ti; which
they had been snIijectiMl, Our provisions had wellni'_'h all disafipeared.
Bread hud been long out of iIk; ([iiestion ; and of all our slock, we had re-
maining two or three [lounds of colleo, and a small quantity of maccaroni,
whicli iiad heen husbaiidcid with great care for tli<- mniinlain expedition
we were about to undertake. Our daily meal consisted of dry buH'alo
Bjeai, cooked in tallow; and, as wc had not dried this with Indian 'ikill,

efirt of it was spoiled ; and what remained of good, was as hard as wood,
nviiig much the tasie and apicaranoe of so many pieces of bark. Even
Qt' this, our stock was rapidly dimiiii^ihing in a camp which was capable
flif consuming two butl'aloes in every twenty-four hours. These animals
hnd entirely disappeared; and it was not ])robable that we should fall m
with them again until we returned to the Sweet Water.
I Our arrangements for the ascent were rapidly completed. Wo were in
a hostile country, which rendered the greatest vigilance ;ind circumspec-
tion necessary. The puss at the north end of the mountain was generally
iDfested by Blackfeet ; and immediately opposite was one of their foiLs, on

.>» "

•4

TAiT fnKMoNrM NAmtxrivK

•«J;^

[i«i

M\^

thu t'dgo o| li liiiln lliii;liul, two or tlirn> linmlrrd ivvl from our nnonnJ
nii'iil. \\v woro ptiittril in a ^rovo (if brirli, on llin iitar^Mii til' lltn \ai
;iii(l II (I'W liiiiiiln>(l loM Utwg, willi ii narrow /iniiri//nn mi ilir inner miJ
burdi^rrtl l)y (lie kx Uy ritii;!'. In (In* n|)|)i'r cml ol'ihis i;r(»vi' we ('liMrivll
circniur .spui-c alioni loriy li'i 1 in dianifh r, aiitl, willi liu' lilltd lnnl)i>rni{
niterwovcn hrnnclirs, surrounded it with a hn artwork livo U>ul in liiii;il
A ^a|) was It'll tor a L;al«' on tlii> inner side, Ity wlneli ilio uiniiiah \v>
to liu driven in and siv-iiriMl, while ilie men slipt iiKMind lliu lillle \viir|
It was hall Inddeii hy the loliai^e ; arri, ^airiMnied hy twelve reNoh
niuu, would have set at defiaiici! any liaixl ol' hava;^o:< wliieh iiiight ehai,

to discover them m iht; inlorval oi' our ah.stiie

Kiltcon of the Ih

les, Willi loiirleeii iiumi, wt'ru seleeted for the moniitain party. ()m |ii g

inn

visions I'.oiiM'oteil of dried iiiral tor two da\ >, wiih our litlli, MoeU ol ct
and soino inaioarom. In addition to the haroineter and a thermomet( r
look with me a s«>\ianl and spy i^lass, and we had nreonivsi; our couipasM
In charge of ih(> ramp I lel't Itermer, oii>- ol my niosi inisiworthy tii>
who po.s.se.ssed the most dciermintid eomai;e.

,iiii^ust r.j. — Marly in the, inornin^ we lelt tin^ camp, lil'iot'ii in nuinl
witll armed, ol course, and mounted ou onr heM mules. A paeU aiiiii
carried onr provisittiis, with a eotleu pi»t and l;ellle, and three or f»nir ■
cups. M\ery man had a hlankiit strapped over his iuuldle, lo .serve lor 1
bed, and the instruments were carried hy turns ou their hacks. We «
tercil directly on ronu;h and rocky j^ronnd ; ami, jnsl alter cri;.ssiii^ i
rid^e, had the :;ooil rorltine to shoot an anielope. \\e Jiear^l tht; roar, ;i
had a i,'liuipsi' of a watcilall as we rode alon|.' ; ;ui(l, crosNing in our w
two line streams, irihiilary to ihu Colorado, in ahout two hours' rido <
reached the lop u( tho lirsi row or ram^c of the mountains. Mi.rn, aga
a view of the most romantic heaiily nul onr eyes, ll eeined as if, Im
the vast expanse ol nninlerestiiig prairie wo had passed ovi'r, Nature li.
collected all her beauties together in one chosen place. \\\\ wore ovi
booking a deep valley, which was entirely «)cciipicd by three lakes, -.u
from the brink the .surrounding ridges \osv. precipitously live iamdretl ai
a thousand feet, covered wiih the dark green ol the balsaiu /no, relievi
on the border t)f the lake with the light foliage ol the uspon. 'Hiey a

g
a

'^.

commumcaied with each other; and the green of the waicrs, common ; a
mountain lakes of great depth, showed thai it would be impossible i
cross them. The surprise manilesteil by our gtiidcs wluju these impassah
obstacles suddenly barreil our progress j>rove(l ihat they were among ll.
hidden treasures of the place, unknown even lo the wandering trappers i
the region. Descending the hill, we proceeded to make our way aim
the margin to the soniliern extremity. A narrow strip of angular fr;i:
ineuls of rock sometimes allorded a rough pathway for our mules, h\ ^
generally we rode along the shelving side, occasionally scrambling up, at jj
considerable risk of tumbling back into the lake. /

The slope was fretpienily bO^; the pines grew dens-ely together, an a
the ground was covered with the branches and trunks of trees. The a ^
was fragrant with the odor of the pines; audi realized this dclighUi *
morning the pleasure of breathing that monnlain air wliich makes a coi '^
slant theme of lie hunter's praise, and which now made us feel as if w „
liad all been drinking some exhilarating gas. The depths of this umcn
plored forest were a place to delight the heart of a botanist. There wa ^
a rich undcrgrowtii of plants, and numerous gay-colored flowers in bri: f"

: from our rnrnrnj
iiiar^iii oi' ihi! la,

/I oil till- iiiiirr MiJ

I ^row w«' (It'ari'dl
Itii li'lltKi tiinlirr at
i livo licet ill litii>|J
li ilio unitii.'ilN wi
1111(1 ijiu liulc \v<ir|
Ity isvclvo rt'soli

Wllicll llll^llt ( ||;i| '

Killcon oi" thr |„
nil purty. Our pi
hull, Mofk ol" cull
ml u tlirriiioiiK'ln
iiisf «Mir compasv
I iriisiwortliy m

), lil'iooii ill iiiiiiil
."*. A pack iiiiiii
• I tliice or fiiiir
Idle, U) avtvv l'(ir I
L'ir hacks. VVr r
t alii'i- {•rossiiii,' n
licani tilt! roar, a
rroNsiiig in our w
I wo hours' ride >
[a ins. Ilcro, ag,i
ccuicd as il', till
1 over, Nature li
'. Wo wore ovi
y tliroo lakes, ai
i livo iiuiidrod ai
saiu / iiJ, rcliovi
u>peii. Thoy >>
waiors, coiniiioM i
he iinpossihio i
these impassuli
:y wore among tl
ering trappers i
<o our way alon
) of angular fViu
r our mules, In
crambling up, ul

CAI'T FUKMOM'H NAUItAIIVB-

oly together, an
of trees. The ;i
;ed this delightli
lich makes a coi
e us feel as if w
)ths of this uiiex
mist. There wa
d flowers in bri:

ht bloom. W*» riMchcil tlu* onilci at l.nj^ih, wlirro soino lV»•^hly IttirM'd
lllows that lay in the water showeil ihtii l)i)u\i*r hail heoii rocfiiliy at work
\vro wore noiiii* nniall hmwii stpiirri'l** Jiiiii|*iii'.; ahoiil in iho pines, and a
iipl(> of large mallard ducks NWiiiiuiiiig ahoui in (lt«< Niream.
The hills on this southern eiiil were low, and iho l.ike lookc<l like a
into !oa, as the waves hioke on iht' sandy heach in the lorei* of a Mtrong
M'/.o. 'riiirro WHS a f)reiiy open Npol, wilh line ;.'rass f<»r our iiiulo.n; and
tiiiide our noon halt on ih«; heach, under the shade of ^ollle largo hem-
jls's. \N'e re-'Unicd our journey iifirr a hall of ahoiit an !iour, making oiir
'»y lip the rid.;e on the western ' id»' of (he l;d<e. In search of snioolhor
)nnd, wo rodo a liltio inl:iiid; and, passing through groves of aspen, soon
Hid ourselves ai;iiin among the pines. Minirgiiig frmn the.se, wo striK k
tki' Mtminit o( the i'id.'> ahovo tl.i' iijtper «.>nd of ih«t lake.
^ Wo had reached a very eh-valed p<nnl ; and in the valN?y helow, and
tflioiig the hills, were a nundier of l.ikos at dilferont levels; some two or
iKfce hniidrtMJ foot ahovo oiliers, wilh which ihey communicated hy foam-
Uh: torrents. Mven to our 'jreat height, the roar of 'he caiarni ts came n[i,
fflil we ooiild SCO them leaping down in lines of snowy foam. Fr(*rn ihi^
^iie of bii^y waters, wo tin nod ahniptly into the stillncsN of a forest,
frh'Ti! w«! rodo among the ojioii lolls of ihi! pines, over a lawn of verdant
jAss, having strikiiiudy ilie air <d" niltivaiod groiiiMN. This lod us, alter
J^ine, among masses of rock which had no vetr'-'lahlo earth hut m hollows
Md orevi(!es, though sfill the pine forest continnod. Toward evening, wt»
Mpi^hed a dolile.or rather a htdc in the mountains, etiiircly shut in l)y dark
jmiecovered r<M'ks.

' A small stream, with a scarcely porceptihio riirreiit, (lowed through .i
level hotloin (d' peril. i[)s eighty yards width, wlu;ro the grass was saturated
Wilh water. Into this Iho mules wore turned, and were in;iilior hohhied
^Or picketed during the nii,dil, as the fiiu! |)asturage took iway all tompta-
flbn to stray; and wt; made our hivouac in the pines. The surrounding
losst's wore all of granite. VNJiili! supper was hoing l)repared, 1 set out
>h ill! oxcmsion in the iiei'jhhorhood, accowiimnied hy one of my men.
e wandered ahoiit among the r;rags and r.aviiKis until dark, richly repaid
for our walk by a fine collection of plants, many of th«,'tn in full bloom,
^iconding a peak to find the place of our (amp, wo saw that the little
Mfiie in which W(5 lay coinmunicaied wilh iho long green valley of some
jWroain, which, horr! locked up in the mountains, far away to the south,
ifi|;Lind its way in a dense foresi to ihe plains.

Looking along its upward course, il seomed to conduct, hy a smooth
radual slope, directly towarti the peak, which, from long consultation as
e ai)proaclied the mountain, we had decided lo bo the highest of the
Pleased with the discovery of so fine u road for the next day, we
stoned down to the camp, whore we arrived just in time for supper,
ur table service was rather .scant; and we hold the meat in our hands,
,d clean rocks made good plates, on which we spread our maccarorn.
niong all the strange places on which we had occasion to encamp during
jBjlir long journey, none have loft so vivid an impression on my mind as
Che camp of this evening. The disorder of tl^e masses which surrounded
; the little hole through which we saw the stars overhead; the dark

mnes where wo slept; and the rocks lit up with the glow of our fires,

made a night picture of very wild beauty.

,, tdugust 13. — The raoniing was bright and pleasant, just cool enough.

r,e

CAFT. FREM0M"8 NARRATIVE.

[1842.

t''k4

■I

to make exercise agrcea})lo, niid wo soon entered the dofilo I had soon the
].rec(;(linLr day. It was smoothly .arpeted with a soft grass, and scattered
over with i,M-oups of llowers, of which yellow was the prcdoniinant color.!
Soruetiiiies wo were forced, hy an occasional difficult pass, to pick our way!
on f» narrow ledso along the side of the defile, and the nuiles were fre-
miently on their knees; hni thise oltslruclions were rare, and we journeyedl
on in the sweet morning air, del^'j;hted at our good fortune in having found
such a beautiful entrance to the njountains. This road continued foi about]
three miles, wiieu we suddenly reached its termination in one ol the grand
views which, at every turn, n:t!(!l the traveller in this magnificent region.
Here the dufiie up which we had travelled opened out into a small lawn,
where, in a little lake, the stream had its source.

There were some fine asters in bloom, hut all the flowering plants appear-
ed 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 ke))t 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 represen'ed them
in the annexed view. It is not by the splendor of fiir-olf views, which
have lent such a glory to the Alps, that these im])ress the mind ; but by a
gigantic disorder of enormous masses, and a savage subliuiity of naked
rock, iu wonderful contrast with innumerable green spots of a rich floral
beauty, shut up in tlieir stem reces>es. Their wildness seeuis well suited
the character of the j)eoi)ie who iidiabit the country.

I determined to leave our anhnals here, and make the rest of our way on
foot. The peak appeared so near, that there was no doubt of our returning
before night; and a lew miii were lefi in charge of the amies, with our pro-
visions and blankets. We took willi us nothing but our arms and instru-
)nents, and, as the day had become warm, the greater part left our coats.
Having made an early dinner, we started again. We weie soon involved
in the most lagged precipices. Hearing the central chain very slowly, and
rising but little. Tlie first ridge hid a succession of others; and when, with
great fatigue and ditliculty, we had climbed up five hundred feet, it was but
to make an equal descent on the other side ; all these intervening places
Avere filled with small deep laicos, which met the eye in every direction,
descending from one level to another, sometimes under bridgi^s formed by
huge fragments of granite, beneath which was heard the roar of the water.
These constantly obstructed oin- path, forcing us to make \o\vi, d6loiirs ;
frequently obliged to retrace our steps, and frequently falling among the
rocks. Maxwell was precipitated toward the face of a precipice, and saved
himself from going over by throwing himself flat on the ground. We
clambered on, always ex|")ecting, with every ridge that we crossed, to
reach the foot of the peaks, and always disappointed, until about four
o'clock, when, pretty well wt^rn 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 diflicult 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 our-
selves 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

■run

less, a

[1842.

had seen t!ie|
iiid scuttored
luiiKiiit color. I
pick our way
lies were fre-
,ve jouriioyed
liaviug found
Lied I'oi about
! ol the grand 1
ificeiit region,
a. small lawn,

(lants appear-
1 lliau below,
le way of the
o a confusion
esou'ed ihem
views, which
iiid; but by a
nity of naked
f a rich floral
ns well suited

of our way on
our returning
with our pro-
ns and uistru-
cft our coats,
soon involved
y slowlVj ^i-iid
id when, with
Oct, it was but
veiling places
;ry direction,
i;s formed by
of the water,
ong ddtoiirs ;
ig among the
ice,and saved
ground. We
e crossed, to
I about four
a little lake,
time to rest,
es a beach of
lich the way
springs made

^e found our-
of the whole
flat rock, in
rags, and the

842.]

CAPT. F-R?1M0NT'S \.\RR ATIVE.

Tunks of fallen pinos aflnrded u.s l)rigiu fires. Near by was a foaming tor-
eiit, which tumbled into the little lake about one hundred and fifty feet
elow us, and which, by way of distinction, we have called Island lake.
rVe had reached the upper limit of the piney region ; as, above ihisiwint,
tree was to be seen, and patches of snow lay every where around us on
he cold sides of the rocks. The llora of the region we had traversed since
caving our mules was extremely rich, and, among the characteristic plants,
he scarlet flowers of the dothcathcon iletittttuni every where met the eye
a great abundance. A small gre(!n ravine, on the edge of which we were
jiicaniped, was filled with a profusion of alpiiic phiiits in brilliant bloom,
'rom barometrical observations, made during our three days' sojourn at
this place, its elevation a])Ove the Gulf of Mexico is 10,000 feet. During
the day, we had seen no sign ol animal life ; but among tlu; rocks here, we
heard what was supposed to be the bleat of a young gout, which we search-
ed for with hungry activity, and found to proceed from a small animal of a
|rray color, with short ears and no tail — probably the Siberian squirrel. We
f\\\ a considerable number of thorn, and, with the exception of a small bird
like a sparrow, it is the only inhabitant of this elevated part of the moun-
tains. On our return, we saw, below this lake, large flocks of the mountain
|:()at. We had nothing lo eat to-night. Lajeunesse, with several others,
Tcok their guns, and sallied out in search of a goat; but returned unsuccess-
iil. At sunset, the baromt^ter stood at 20.522 : the attacln d thermometer
0°. Here we had tiie misfortune to break our ihennometcr, having now
(Duly that attached to the barometer. I was taken ill shortly after we had
encamped, and continued so until lute in the inght, with violent headache
pnd vomiting. Tiiis was |)robably caused by the excessive fatigue I iiad
Undergone, and want of food, ;iiid perhaps, also, in some measure, by the
%urity of the air. 'I'he night was cold, as a violent gale from the north had
fl'rung up at sunset, which entirely blew away the heat of the fires. The
told, 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
Jiroparation for breakfast, we set out immediately.

On every side as we advtuiced was heard the roar of waters, and of a
torrent, which we followed up a short distance, until it expanded into a lake
ifibout one mile in length. On the northern side of the lake M-as a bank of
Ice, or rather of snow covered with a crust of ice. Carson had been our
|nide into the mountains, and, agreeably to his advice, we left this little
i'alley, and took to the ridges again ; which we Ibund extremely broken,

Iiiid where we were again involved among precipices. Here were ice fields;
iniong which we were all dispersed, seeking each the best path to ascend
he peak. Mr. Preuss attempted to walk along the upper edge of one of
hese fields, wliich sloped away at an angle of r.bout twenty degrees; but his
eet slipped from under him, and he went plunging down the plane. A few
undred feet below, at the bottom, were some fragments of sharp rock, »n
diich he landed ; and though he turned a couple of somersets, fortunately
eceived no injury beyond a few bruises. Two of the men, Clement Lam-
ert and Descoteaux, had been taken ill, and lay down on the rocks a short
istance below ; and at this point I was attacked with headache and giddi-
ess, accompanied by vomiting, as on the day before. Finding myself iin-
I'le to proceed, I sent the barometer over to Mr. Prenss, who was in a gap
wo or three hundred yards distant, desiring him to reach the peak, if pos-
sible, and take an observation there. He found himself unable to proceed

.■'\*K I

1)8

(JAPT. FREMONT'S NAHRATIN K.

[1842]

-■^;f

l^%

further in tliut direction, and took an observation, wlicre the barometer stooil
sit 19.401 ; attached iherruoinetur .50°, in the uap. Carson, who had goni|
over to him, sacci!C(U;d in reaching one oi t\io. snowy summits of the main
ridf^e, whence he saw the peak towards which all our fjfforts had been (JiJ
reeled, towering eight or ten hundred feet into the air above him. In thef
mean time, fhiding myst'lf grow rather worse than better, a'ld doubtful howl
tar my strength would carry me, I sent Basil Lajcunesse, with four mei:
back to the place where the nmles had b(!en left.

We were now better acquainted with the topograpliy oflhe country, ai;
I directed him to bring back with him, if it were in any way possible, fon
or five mules, with provisions auil blaidcets. With nie wore Alaxwell an.
Ayer ; and after we had remained nearly an iiour on the rock, it becanif! »
unpleasantly cold, though the day was bright, that we set out on our reliin
to the camp, at which we all arrived safely, straggling in one after the othe;
1 coniiiuied ill during the afternoon, but became better towards sundowi
when my recovery was completed by the appearance of Hasil and foil:
men, all mounted. The men wiio had gone with him had been too muci
fatigued to return, and were relieved by those in charge of the horses; bu
in his powers of endurance liasil resembled more a mountain goat than
man. They brought blankets and provisions, and we enjoyed well our drie
nieat and a cup of good coffee. We rolled ourselves tip in our blankets
and, with our feet turned to a blazing fire, slept soundly until morning.

Jlxio-ust 15. — It had been supposed that we had finished with the moui.

tains; and the evening l)efor(!, it had been arranged that Carson should sc

oui at daylight, and return to breakfast at the Camp of the iMules, takin.

with him all but four or i'we men, who were to stay with me and bring bac:

the mules and instruments. Accordingly, at the break of day iliey set on

With Mr. Prcuss and myself remained Basil Lajcunesse, Clement Lamber

Janisse, and Descoteaux. Wlien we had secured strength for the day b

a hearty breakfast, we covered what remained, wiiich was enough for or.

meal, with rocks, in order that it might be safe from any marauding bird

and saddling our n)ules, turned our laces once more towards the peak:

This time we determined to proceed quietly and catUiously, deliberate:

resolved to accouiplish our object if it were within the compass of hunia

means. We were of opinion that a long defile which lay to the left of ye:

terdav's route would lead us to the foot of the main peak. Our mules ha

been refreshed by the fine grass in the little ravine at the Island camp, ai.

we intended to ride up the defile as far as possible, in order to husband ot

strength for the main ascent. Though this was a fine passage, still it wa

a defile of the most rugged mountains known, and we had many a rom:

and steep slippery place to cross before reaching the end. In this place tl.

smi rarely shone ; snow lay along the border of the small stream whic:

flowed through it, and occasional icy passages made the footing of the mu'.i

very insecure, and the rocks and ground were moist with the trickliL

waters in this spring of mighty rivers. Wc soon had the satisfaction!

find ourselves riding along the huge wall which forms the central summi;

of the chain. There at last it rose by our sides, a nearly perpendicular wa

of gra,nite, terminating 2,000 to 3,000 feet above our heads in a serrated lii:

of broken, jagged cones. We rode on until we came almost immediate,

below the main peak, which I denominated the Snow peak, as it exhibite

more snow to the eye than any of the neighboring summits. Here we;

tiu"ee small lakes of a green color, each of perhaps a thousand yards .

■ {■

CAPT. FREMONT'S XARKATIVi:

«if»

L! barometer stood
11, who had gone
iniits of the main
forts had been (jJ
ove him. In thi
i:id doubtful houj
, with four meiij

fthe country, ai:

ray possible, foii

ere Ala X well an.

'ock, it became si

out on our retiiri

ne after the otlie;

owards sundowi

•f IJasil and foii:

d been too muc:

>f the horses ; bb

tain goat than

/ed well our drie

in our blanketj

Luitii morning.

d with the moui.

Carson should sc

lie Mules, takin.

ne and bring bao;

[ day tiiey set on;

Element Lamber

1 for the day b

IS enoush for or.

marauding bird

wards the peat

usly, deliberate!

ompass of hunia

to the left of ye:

Our mules ha

sland camp, ai;

r to husband oi;

ssage, still it wa

ad many a roug:

In this place tl,

lall stream whic

3tii)gof themiik

ith the tricklir.

le satisfaction i

central snmmi;

rpendicular wa

in a serrated lii::

lost immediate

k, as it exhibitc

lits. Here we.

lousand yards .

lameter, and apparently very deep. These lay in a kind of ('hasm ; ami,
:cording

to the barometer, we had attained but a few hiiiidrrd feet above

eei aoo
e Island lake. The barometer here stood at 20.45(J, attached therniome-
r 70°.

We managed to get our mules u\) to a little bench abt)ut a hundred feet
ove the lakes, where there was a patch of gO(»d grass, and turned them
ose to graze. During our rough ride to this place, tln^y had exhibited a
oiidcrful surefootedness. I'arts of the defile weie filled with angular,
lar}) fragments of rock, three or four and eight or ten feet cube; anil among
io.se they had worked their way, leaj)ing from one narrow point to another,
rely making a false sti;)), and giving us no occasion to disniDUnl. Having
iivested ourselves of every unnecessary encumbrance, we conunenced the
cent. This time, lilci; experiiniced travellers, we did not press ourselves,
t climbed leisurely, sitting down so soon as we louiid breath beginning
fail. At intervals we reached places where! a luinilier of springs gushed
•oni the rocks, and about 1,800 feet above the lakes came to ihes'.iow line,
roni this point our progress was uninterrupted climbing. Hitherto I had
,'orn a pair ol thick moccasins, with soles of parjlcche; but here I put on
light thin pair, which I had brought for the purpose, as now the use of
ur toes b(!Came necessary to a further advance. Invailed myself of a sort
f comb of the mountain, which stood against tin; wall like a buttress, and
diicli the wind and the solar radiation, joined to the steepness of tlie smooth
ock, had kept almost entirely free from snow. Up this I made my way
apidly. Our cautious method of advancing in the outset bad s])ared my
trength ; and, with the exception of a slight dis[)Osition to headache, I felt

10 remains of yesterday's illiiess. In a few minutes we reached a point
Inhere the buttress was overhanging, and there was no other way ol sur-

ouuting the difficulty than by passing around one sid(j of it, which was

le face of a vortical piecipice of several hundred feet.

Putting hands and I'eet iu the crevices between the i)iocks, 1 succeeded

getting over it, and, when I reached the top, found my companions in a

mall valley below. Descending to them, we continued climbing, and in

short time reached the crest. I sprang upon the summit, and another

tep would have precipitated me into an iuiinense snow field five hundred

eet below. To the edge of this field was a sheer icy precipice ; and then,

^ith a gradual Tall, the field sloped ofl' for about a mile, until it struck the

bot of another lower ridge. I stood on a narrow crest, about three feet in

: vidth, with an inclination of about 20° N. 51° E. As soon as I had grati-

ied the first feelings of curiosity, I descended, and each man ascended in

lis turn; for I would only allow one at a time to nioiinl the unstable and

1 )recarious slab, which it seemed a breath would hurl into the abyss below.

:; ^Ve mounted the barometer in the snow of the summit, and, fixing a ramrod

11 a crevice, unfurled the national Hag to wave in the breeze where never
lag waved before. During our morning's ascent, we had met no sign of
mimal life, except the small sparrow-like bird already mentioned. A still-
ness the most profound and a terrible solitude forced themselves constantly
DU the mind as the great features of the place. Here, on the summit, where

mhe stillness was absolute, unbroken by any sound, and the solitude com-

T)lele, we thought ourselves beyond the region of animated lite; but while

.^ve were sitting on the rock, a solitary bee (bromus, tfic humble bee) came

f^vinging his flight from the eastern valley, and lit on the kiiee of one of the

»•■■
I'J

5fi '.

' M

CAIT. Fi{i:.\i()NTVs n.\ki;ati\ i:.

>■■

i-f^m

[1842

It was a SI range place, the icy rock and iho liiij'Iiosi peak of the Rockjl
niouiitaiiis, (or a lover of warm suiisliiiio and llowors ; and we pleased ourl
solves wiiii the idea that he was the first of Ins specie to cross the mountaiJ
barrier — a solitary pioneer to foretell the advance of (Mvilization. I believe!
that a inonienl's thon-jht would have made ns let him continue liis way uiiJ
liarnied ; but we carried out the law of thisconntry, where all animated iiaJ
ture seems at war; and, seizing him innnediately, put him in at least a fi]
place — in the leaves ot' a large book, among the dowers wtj liad collects
on our way. The barometer stood at 18.293, the attached thermometer a:|
44°; givinu^ for the (Hevatiou of this summit 1:3,570 feet above tfie Gulf o;|
Mexico, which may be called the highest (liifht of iIh; bee. It is certaiiil;/
the highest known Higlit of that insect. From liie description given liy
Macket)zie of the moimtains where he cro'^sed them, with that of a Fienc!
officer still farther to the north, and Colonel Long's measurements to tli'
south, joined to the opinion of the oldest traders of the country, it is pro
sumed that this is the highest jieakof the Uocky mountains. The day wa
sunny and bright, but a slight shining mist hung over tlie lower plains
which interfered with our view of the surrounding country. On one sid'
we overlooked innumerable lakes and streams, the spring of the Colorado o:
the Gulf of California ; and on the otiier was the Wind river valley, whcrt
were the heads of the Yellowstone branch of the Missouri ; far to the north,
we just could discover the snowy heads of the Trots Teions, where were
the sources of the Missouri and Columbia rivers; and at the southern e.v
tremily of the ridge, the peaks were j^lainly visible, among which wen;
some of the springs of the Nebraska or Platte river. Around us, the whol';
scene had one mam striking feat.ire, which was that of terrible convulsion
Parallel to its length, the ridge was split into chasms and fissures; betweei
which rose the thin lofty walls, terminated with slender minarets atn;
columns. According to the barometer, the little crest of the wall on whicl.
we stood was three thousand five hundred and seventy feet above that place,
and two thoasand seven hundred and eighty above the little lakes at tlit
bottom, immediately at our feet. Our camp at the Two Hills (an astrO'
nomical station) bore south 3'^ east, which, with a bearing afterward ob'
tained from a fixed position, enabled us to locate the peak. The bearing
of the Trois Tetons was north 50° west, and the direction of the centra
ridge of the Wind river mountains south .39° east. The summit rock wa;
gneiss, succeeded by sienitic gneiss. Sienite and feldspar succeeded ii.
our descent to the snow line, where we found a teldspathic granite. I hac
remarked that the noise produced by the ex|)losion of our pistols had the
usual degree of loudness, but was not in the least prolonged, expiring al-
most instantaneously. Having now made what observations our meaiL^
atForded, we proceeded to descend. We had accomplished an object ol
laudable ambition, and beyond the strict order of our instructions. We
liad climbed the loftiest peak of the Rocky mountains, and looked down
upon the snow a thousand feet below, and, standing where never humai.
foot had stood before, felt the exultation of first explorers. It was about 2
o'clock when we left the summit ; and when we reached the bottom, the sui.
had already sunk behind the wall, and the day was drawing 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 ai.
object to regain our party as soon as possible, not knowing what accideii
the next hour might bring forth.

m
or

UAIT. FI:E.M()NTS NAHKATH e.

nk of the RockJ

we pleased our]

)ss the mountain

itiou. I believJ

nuc his way imJ

all animated naj

t in at least a fii

'^o iiad collector

thermometer a:l

ovo the Gulf'ol

It is certaiiil,'

iption given liy

hat ot'a Fienc!

iirements to tli'

)untry, it is pre

!. The day wa

le lower plaiiiv

^ On one sid

' the Colorado o:

er valley, w her:

far to the north

»/^s, where were

lie southern e.v

»ng which were

lid us, the whole

ihic convulsion

isures; betweei

!r minarets ani;

c wall on whicl.

hove that place,

tie lakes at tlit

Hills (an astrO'

afterward ol-

. The bearing

1 of the centra

mtnit rock wa^

r succeeded

grruiite. I hao

pistols had the

[■d, expiring ai-

ons our mean;

'.d an object oi

ructions. We

looked dowi.

never humai.

It was about 2

30ttom, the siii.

to a close. It

summit longer

, for it was ai.

what accideii

We reached our dipositc oi' provisions ;a iii^hlfail. Here was not the
nn wlii'-li awaits the tired travelhu* on hi^ return iVom Mont Hlanc, or the
range groves oi South Amijrica, with their refreshing juices and soft fra-
rant air ; hut we found our little c(tc/ie of dried inc. it and coffee undis-
luhed. Though the moon was bright, the ro:id wrxs full of pnieipices, and
he fatigue of the day had been great. We therefore ahaiiduned the idea
f njoining our friends, and lay down on the rock, and, in spile of the
[cold, slept soundly.

Jlui^nst Ki. — We left our encainjimeiit with the daylight. We saw on

our way large; nf)eks of the mountain goat looking down on us from the

ill's. At the crack of a rifle, they would hound off among the rocks, and

*in a few niinnies make their appearance on some lofty j)eak, some hundreil

or a thousand feet above. It is needless to attempt ar,y further description

of the country ; the portion over which we travelled this 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 V"LHUablc earth, dells and ravines of the most exquisite beauty,

■all kept gre(;n and fresh by the great moisture in the air, and sown with

|brilliant flowers, and every where thrown around all the glory of most mag-

Inificent scenes: these constitute the features of the place, and impress them-

iselves vividly on the mind of the traveller. It was not until 11 o'clock that

we reached the place where our animals had been left, when wc first at-

jtempted the mountains on foot. Near one of the still burning fires we

•ffound a piece of meat, which our friends had thrown away, and which

• furnished us a mouthful — a very scanty br.^akfast. We continued directly

Jon, and reached our camp on the mountain lake at dusk. Wc found all

well. Nothing had occurred to interrupt the ({uiet since our departure,

land the fine grass and good cool water had done much to re-establish

;'our animals. All iieard with great delight the order to turn our faces

'homeward; and toward sundown of the 17th, we encamped again at the

tTwo Bultes.

In the course of this afternoon's march, the barometer was broken past
remedy. I regretted it, as I was desirous lo com[)are it again with Dr. En-
gclman's barometers at St. Louis, to whicli mine were referred ; but it had
done its part well, and my objects were mainly fulfilled.

,/lugiist 19. — We left our camp on Little Sandy river about 7 in the

ii morning, and traversed the same sandy, imdulating country. The air was

:iilled with the turpentine scent of the various artemifiias, which are now

.in bloom, and, numerous as they arc, give much gayety to the landscape

of the plains. At 10 o'clock, we stood exactly on tlie divide in the pass,

where the wagon road crosses, an-J, 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 t'^e camp. Our coffee had been expended, but we now made a

kind or tea from the roots of the wild cherry tree.

%/ius;ust 23. — Yesterday evening we readied our encampment at Rock
Independence, where I took some astronomical observations. Here, not
unmindful of the custom of early travellers and explorers in our country.

CAPT. FnEM0Nr8 N.\RI5ATIVi:.

[I84M

i "^l^U,

iti

py^:

I engraved on tliis rock of the Far West a symbol of the Christian faithJ
Aiiiong the thickly iui-cnbed names, 1 niade on tlie hard granite the inij
pressioii of a huge cross, which I covered with a bhick preparation of IndJ
rubber, well caicnlatc^d to resist the inihionce of wind and rain. It standJ
amidst the names of many who liave long since found their way to tlic|
grave, and for whom the hui;c rock is a giant gravestone.

One Oeorgo Weymonth was sent out to Maine by the Earl of SouthJ
ampton. Lord Arundel, and others ; and in the narrative of tluiir discoveries]
he says: "The next day. we ascended in our pinnace that part of tliej
river which lies more to the westward, carrying with us a cross — a thiii:|
never omitted by any Chrisiian traveller — which we erected at the ullimaii:
end of our route/' This was in the year 1605 ; and in 1812 I obeyed tlit
feeling of early travellers, and left the impression of the cross deeply en-
graved on the vast lock one thousand miles hiyond the Mississipj);
to which discoverers have given the national name of liock Indepoiilvna

In obedience to my instructions to survey the river Platte, if possible,!
had determined to make an atteuipt at this place. The India-rubber boa;
■was filled with air, placed in the water, and loaded with what was neces
sary for our operations; and I embarked with Mr, Preuss and a party o:
men. When we had dragged our boat for a mile or two over the sands, 1
abandoned the impossible underiaking, and waited (or the arrival of tin
party, when we packed up our boat and eipiipage, and at 9 o'clock were
again moving along on our land journey. We continued along the valley
on the right bank of tlie Sweet VVater, where the formation, as already de-
scribed, consists of a grayish micaceous sandstone, and fme-grained con-
glomerate, and marl. We passed over a ridge which borders or constitute;
the river hills of the Platte, consisting of huge blocks, sixty or eighty fee!
cube, of decomposing granite. The cement which united them was i)roba-
bly of easier decomposition, and has disappeared and left them isolate, and
separated by small spaces. Numerous horns of the mountain goat werr
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, tranquil, and nppareiuly dee)
stream, which seemed, from its turbid appearance, to be considerably
swollen. I obtained here some astronomical observations, and the after-
noon was spent in getting our boat ready for navigation the next day.

,,Jiigusl 24. — We started before sunrise, intending to breakfast at Goat
island. I had directed the land party, in charge of Bernier, to i)roceed tc
this place, where they were to remain, should they find no note to apprize
ihem of our having passed. In the event of receiving this information,
they were to continue their route, passing by certain places which had been
designated. Mr. Preuss accompanied me, and with us were five of my
best men, viz: C. Lambert, Hasil Lnjeunesse, llonore 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
Tis a hollow roar, which we supposed to be that of a fall, of which we had
heard a vague rumor, l.ut whose exact locality no one had been able to de-
scribe tc us. We were approaching a ridge, through which the river passes

! \f$

TAPT. I'REMONr.S NARRATIVE.

) Earl of South]
.ln'ir (lisc()V(;ric<]
lliat part of tlif]
I cross — II tliiii:|
d ut tli(f ullimai^
112 I obeyed tin
iross deei)ly eu-
tlio Mississjpj);
k /n(/cpe/i(/t'/ic(
le, if possible, 1
idiii-rubber boa;
vliat was iieces-
i and a party o:
tver the sands, 1
le arrival of tlie
t U o'clock were
[ilong the valley
I, as already de-
iiio-graiiied con-
rs or constitute!
y or eighty fee!
leui was proba-
leiu isolate, and
itain goat wcr
osc trunks were
mall open plain
pid current into
tpareiuly dee)
)e cousiderablj
and the after-
next day,
akfast at Goat
to proceed to
Kite to apprize
s in formation,
hicli had been
ere five of my
, Benoist, and
took on board,
r twelve days,
iglit as a duck
e heard before
which we had
en able to de-
le river passes

w a place called *' cafion," (pronounced knnijan,) a Spanish word, signify-
ing a piece of artillery, iho barrel of a gun, or any kind of tube ; and
vhich, in this country, lias been adopted to describe the passage of a river
jetwccii perpendicular rocks of great height, which freciuently approach
jacii other so closely overh(!ad as to form a kind of tunnel over the stream,
rjiich foams along below, half choked up by fallen fragments. Betu'een
|he mouth of the Sweet Water and Goat island, there is probably a fall of
JOO feel, and that was ])rinci|)ally made in the canons before us ; as, with-
^)Ut them, the water was comparatively .smooth. As we nearr'd the ridge,
thf river made a sudden turn, and swept S(|uar»'Iy down ay;ainst one of the
Avails of the canon with a great velocity, and so steep a descent, that it hud,
1o the eye, the apj)earance of an inclined plane. WMicu we launched into
Ahis, the men jumped overboard, to check the velocity of the boat, but were
tioon in water up to their necks, and our boat ran on ; but we succeeded iu
^)riMging her to a small point of i )cks on the right, at the moiuh of the
fcanun. Here was a kind of elcvaied .sand beach, not many yards square,
)acked by the rocks, and around the point the river swept at a right angle,
"'ranks of trees deposited on juttnig points 20 or .'iO feet above, and other
niarks, showed that the water here frequentlyro.se to a considerable height,
^'hc ridge was of the same decomposing granite already miuuioned, and
fthe water had worked the surface, in many places, into a wavy surface oi
gidges and holes. We ascended the rocks to reconnoitre the ground, and
Ifrom the suunuit the passage appeared to be a continued cataract foaming
lover many obstructions, and broken by a number of small falls. We saw
luowhere a fall answering to that which had been described to us as having
t20 or 25 feet; but still concluded this to be the place in question, as, in the
'season of floods, the rush of the river against tiie wall would produce a
'great rise, and the waters, rellected squarely otV, would descend through the
'pa.ssage in a sheet of foam, having every appearance of a large fall. Eigh-
teen years previous to this time, as 1 have subsequently le.irned from him-
self, Mr. Fitzpatrick, somewhere above on this river, had embarked with a
valuable cargo of beaver. Unacquainted with the stream, which he be-
lieved would conduct him safely to the Missouri, he came unexpectedly 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 swanqied,and were
obliged to let her go in the full force of the current, and trust to the skill of
• the boatmen. Tiie dangerous places iu this canon were where huge rocks
had fallen from above, and hemmed iu 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 tunnel into the open day beyond. We were

' so delighted with the performance of our boat, and so confident in her

■p

CAPT. rUKMONTs NAUUATIVE.

[184J

"11

i!i^..

¥$X

. 3.

powers, fli.il wi; would not liavo hesitated lo leap a fall often foot with lierJ
Wo put to slioro for breakfast at soiiiu willows on tlw; ri^llt bank, innnodil
ately Itclow iIk! inotitli of tlic canon ; for it was now s o'clock, and we lia({
been working sinc(! dayli^dit, and wcro all wet, fatigued, and lnm;,'ryj
While the men wore preparinij breakfast, I went out to reconnoitre. 'I'tit^Bll
view was very limit' I. The conrsc of the river was smooth, so far as l|
could see; on both '■ides were l)rok'en hills; inul but a mile or two belov
was aiioiher high ridge. 'I'he rock at (he month of the canon was still ili
decomposing grajiite, with great ([uantities of mica, which made a very
glittering .sand.

We re-embarked at f) o'clock, and in abont twenty minutes reached tli
next canon. I^anding on a rocky bhorc at its commencenKMit, we asccndc fti
the ridge to reconnoitre. Portage was out t>f ilie (jnestion. So far as w. ^l]
could .sec. the j'lgged rocks pointed out the courst; of the cafion, on a wind fn

t)'

»<1

ing line of seven or eight miles. It was simply a narrow, dark chasm ir,
the rock; and here the perpendicular faces wcrt.- tnueh higher than in tl'
previous pass, being at this end two to three hundred, and further down, a
wo afterwards ascertained, five hundred feet in vertical height. Our pre-
vious success had mad(! us bold, and we determined again to run the cafion
Every thing was secured as firmly as possible ; and having divested our-
selves of the greater part of our clothins-, we pushed into tlie stream. To
save our chronometer from accident, Mr. Preuss took it, and attempted tc
proceed al()ng the shore on flic masses of rock, which in places were piloJ
up on either side; Init, after he had walked aboiu five minutes,every thin:
like shore disappeared, and the vcriical wall came S([uarely d.>wn into the
water. lie therefore waited mitil we came up. An ugly pass lay before uj:,
We had made fast to the stern of the boat a strong rope about fifty fe(!t long;
and three of the men clambered along among tl.e rocks, anil with this rop*
let her down slowly tlirough the pass. In several places high rocks lay scat-
tered about in the channel : and in the narrows it required all our strength
and skill to avoid staving the boat on the sharp points. In one of these, tlu
boat proved a little too broad, and stuck last for an instant, while the water
flew over us; fortunately, it was but lor an instant, as our united strength
forced her immediately through. The water swept overboard only a sextan:
and a pair of saddlebags. I caught the sextant as it passed by me ; but the
saddlebags became tlu; prey of the whirlpools. \Ve reached the place wlierc
Mr. Preuss was standing, took him on l)oard, mid, with the aid of the boa;,
put the men uiih the rope on the succeeding pile o( rocks. We found this
passage much worse than the previous one. and our position was rather a bad
one. To go back, Avas impossible ; before us, the cataract was a sheet oi
foatii ; and shut up in the chasm by the rocks, which, in some places, seemed
almost to meet overhead, the roar of the water vv\as 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. Lajcunesse,
the third man, hung on, and was jerked headforemost into the river from a
rock about twelve feet Jiigh ; 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 know ; but wesurreeded in turn-
ing the boat into an eddy below " 'CVe Diett,-' said Basi! Lajeunesse, as
he arrived immediately after us, ^'Je crois !)ien (;itej\ti nug6 itn denii mi/e."
He had owed his life to his skill as a swimmer , and I determined to take

711

;r(

liif^

jir

Vcc

fnc

fii

t)p

Wf
\vi
INI
wi
■th(
^di(
co:
•pr^

roi
fe(
tei
be
th

SCI

jo^
tic

\m ■

iifcs reached th
!iit, \VG ascciidti
1. So far as w.
innri, on a wind
, dark cliasiu i;.
Ljlier than in tl'
further down, a
light. Otir prC'
to run the canon,
1^ divested our-
the stream. To
Liid attempted to
ilaces were pilcJ
utes, every thine
y d.nvn into the
iss lay before u:<
nt fifty feet long;
111 with this rope
h rocks lay seat-
all our strength
lie of these, th'.
while the water
luiited strength
d only a sextan;
by me ; but the
the place wlierc
aid of the boa;.
We found thii
ns rather a bail
was a sheet oi
places, seemed
g. We pushed
current became
)e. Lajeunessc,
le river from a
n arrow, Basil
gth to keep in
ot in the while
'oeded in turn-
Lajeunessc, as
n (ienii mi/eJ^
mined to take

t UT. FIlUMOiNTX NAKKATJVE. 73

im and the two others on hoar<l,and trust to skill jw\ fortune to reach the

th'^r end in > iCetv. We placed ours(!lvi's on our kncts, with the short

addles in our hands, the most skilful l)(»atni;in being at the bow ; and

gain we comnienred our rapid descent. We cleared rock after rock, and

hot past fall .ilU'r rall,onr little boat seei.ung to play with the cataract.

e boramo thislird with success, and I'aniiliiir with the dangiir ; and,yield-

.g to the exciteintnit of the occasion, broke furtli togethi;r mtoa ('anadiaii

oat song. Singing, or rather shouting, we dashrd along; and were, I

clieve, in ih>: nndst of the chorus, when the boat struck a concealed rock

mnicdiattily II' tli(! t'oot of a fall, which whirled ln-r over in an instant.

^'hree of my men could not swim, and my first fcelmg was to assist then».

nd save some of our cU'ei'ts; but a sharp concussion or two convinced me

hat I had not yet saved myself A f(!w strokes brought me into an eddy,

nd I landed on a pile of rocks on the left side. Looking aroiuid, I saw that

Ir. I'reijss had gain«'d the sliore on the same side, about twenty yards

clow ; and a lilth; clunbing and swimming soon brou:zht him to my side.

t)n the opposite side, against the wall, lay the boat bottom up ; and Ijambcrt

tvas in the act of saving Descoteaiix, wliom he had grasped by tlie hair,

md who could not swim ; '* L<tcUc pan,"' said \w, as I afterward learned.

' lac/ie pas, chcrJWrc..^* '* CVrt«/i.y /;a.v," was the reply, "./« mVn vdis

Tionrir avdnt que dc te Idrher.^^ Such was the reply of courage and

j;enerosity in this danger. For a hundred yards below, the current was cov-

!red with flo iling books and boxes, bales of blankets, and scattered articles

)f clothing; and si> strong and boiling was the stream, that even our heavy

nstruments, which were all in cases, kept on the surface, and the sextant.

:ircle, and th<; long black box of the telescope, were in view at once. P'or

I mometit, I I'elt somewhat disheartened. All our books — ahnost every

Vecord of the journey — our journals and registers of astronomical and bar-

Jnmetrical observations — had been lost in a moment. Hut it was no time to

Jndulge in regrets; and I immediately set about endeavoring to save some-

bingfrom the wreck. Making ourselves imderstood as well as {)ossible by

igns, (for tiothing could be heard in the roar of waters.) we commenced our

perations. Of every thing on board, tlie only article that had been saved

"was my double barrelled gun, which Descoteaux had caught, and clung to

Vithdrowning tenacity. The men continued down the river on the left bank.

]\Ir. Preuss and myself descended on the side we were on; and Lajeunessc,

with a paddle in his hand, jumped on the boat alone, and continued down

the cai"ion. She was now light, and cleared every Inid place with much less

diffictilty. In a short time, he was joined by Laivd)ert ; and the searcli 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 htuidred feet high, and the fragments of
rocKS from above had choked the river into a hollow pass, but one or two
feet above tlie surface. Tlirough this and the interstices of the rock, the wa-
ter 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 luimber of
scattered astronomical observations, priii'ipally meridian altitudes of the
sun, and our barometrical register west of Laramie. Fortunately, our other
journals contained duplicates of the most important barometrical observa-
tions which had been taken in the mountains. These, with a few scattered
notes, were all that had been preserved of our meteorological observations.

CArr, KHKVfONT'.'« NAHKATIVK

[1641

1 '.'

.' 1 «

Ii-*fti-

it.

In nddifion to tliPS", we N.ivrd the r|rrl<»; and ihomo, willi a fow btaiikots
COdNtilulftl every tliifi^' lliul had been resciU'd Crom the waters.

'I'he day was riunimg ripidly away, and it was nticessury to reach Gosjl
isinnd, whillter llio party had preceded us, hefuru night. In this micurtaiij
comitry, the traveller is no nnicli in the power of chancf, that wo. bucami
somewhat inieasy in regar 1 to them. Should any thiui,' have occnrred,
the brief interval oi oiir siiparaiion, to prevent our rrjoiiiing ih<Mn, o»n' situ
ation would he lalher adissperateono. >Ve had not a morsel of provisions
our arms and anininnition were mmo — and wt; wtirt; (!Utir<ly at the meicyl
of any straifglnii: party of savages, and not a little in (hmgrr of .starvatioii
We ihcrefitre .set out at once in two parties. Mr. Prcuss and my-jclf on th
left, and the men on tli'> opjmsite side of tho river. Olimliini; out of iji.
caHon, we tonnd oursciivt's in a very brokers conniry, where we wore no;
yet able to rocojj'nise any locality. In the course of our descent throu«li
ihe canon, the rock, which at the upper end was of the decomposing i^raniti
changed into a varied sandstone furmation. Tlio hills ami points of ili
ridges were covered with fraLinients of a yellow sandstoni!, ol which tlit
.strata were sometiujes dispjaycid in the broken ravines which interrn[)lt;:
our course, and made our walk extremely fatiguing. Ai i.ne point of {h.
canon the red argillaceous sandstone rose in a wall of five hundred feel
surmounted by a stratum of white sandsl(jne ; and in an t)ppo>ite ravine
colunui of red san(lston(! rose, in form like a steeple, about one hundred an:
fifty feet liiL'h. The scenery was extremely j>icinrescpie, and,n'itwithstaiiil>
ing our forlorn condition, we were frei|uently obli'^ed to stop and admire it
Our progress was not very rapid. We had emerged from the water hah
naked, and, on arriving at the top of the precipice, I found myself with only
one moccasin. Tiie fragments of ruck made walking painful, and I was (Vc
qucnily obliged to stop and \' ' out the rliorns ol the cacius, here the pre
vailing plant, and with wliicli . few miniUes' walk covered the bottom o;
my feet. From this ridi^e the river emerged into a smiling prairie, and, dc
scending to the bank for water, we were joined by Henoist. The rest o;
the parly were out of sight, having taken a more inland roule. We crossoii
the river repeatedly — sometimes able to ford it, and sometimes swinnning—
climbed over the ridges of two mon^ canons, and towards evening reaches
tiie cut, which we here named the Hot Spring gate. On our previous visi
in July, we had not entered this pass, reserving it for our descent in tin
boat ; and when we entered it this evening, Mr. Prenss 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 ahove the river,
Eager to enjoy the crystal water, he threw himself down for a hasty draught
and took a moutlifnl of water almost boiling hot. He said nothing to lie-
noist, who laid himself down to drink ; but the sleam from the water arrest-
ed his eagerness, and he escaped the hot draught. We had no ihermometei
to ascertain the temperature, but I could hold my hand in the water jusi Ion:
enough to count two seconds. There arc eight or ten of these springs, dis-
charging themselves by streams large enough to be called runs. A loud hol-
low noise was heard from the rock, which I supposed to be produced by the
fall of the water. The strata immediately where they issue is a fine white and
calcareous suidstone, covered with an incrustation of common salt. Leav-
ing this Thermopyla; of the west, in a short walk we reached the red ridge
which has been described as lying just above Goat Island. Ascending this,
we found some fresh tracks ann a button, which showed that the other men

a fovir blunkois
twrs*.
ry lo rcncli Goai
III this iiticurtain
lial wc bociuiw
uvo occmic'd,
^' iIkmii, our sitti-j
I Dlprovisioiis-
I'ly at lliu iu(M(
5«'r of sturvutioiii
III! luyriuiroM (III
biiiLj out of thf
re wo wcru no;
duscoiil llirougli
mposiiig granite
1(1 points of tfi
u!, ol which tli^
hich inluiTiipii!:
mic point of tin
't; hniulred fi'ct
)ppnsiic ruviiK!
Olio hnndrcil un
kl,Mo(wilhstniiil-
op aiiij admire ii
I I ho water hall
iiiysolf with oril;
ul, and I wasfre
us, ht;re the pre
d the bottom o:
prairie, and, di
>t. The rest o;
tt,'. We crossed
los swimming—
ovoiiiiij^ roachoL
nr previous visi
descent in tlu
•! a few hundred
iddenly upon a
(I'U'e the river,
iliasly drauglii
nothing to }k
10 water arrest-
to lliermometei
water jusiloti:
ese springs, dis-
s. A loud hoi-
rod need by the
.fine white ami
on salt. Leav-
ed llie red ridgo
AsceudiMgthis,
t the otiier men

H«]

CAPT FHKMONTS NaKUATIVB

d nirendy arrivd. A .sln>ut from the man who fir»l roached iho top ol

, ndgo, rr.spoiid«Ml lo fr.)m below, iiift)rm»<l us that our friend.1 were a

the island ; and wc w«!ro ^oon among ihcm. We lonud some piecei of

lufTalo stnndinif around iho firr for nt*,aiid nianagfd to ;;<'i .soniedry clolht'K

long the p<()|)le. A siiddfu storm of rain drove \\s mlo the best shelier

fo could find, where wo slonl sotmdiy, after one of the most faligumg

(ays I have ever experienced.

Jltitrust vJ/5.— Karly this morning Lajcunossc wns sent to the wreck for

(• articles which liad been sived, and about noon we left the island. The

lure which wo had left here in .Inly had much improved in cotidition.and

10 served us well agam for some lime, but was fmally abandoruMi at a

|nl)se<pient part of the journey. At 10 in the u.orning of the 2(\\.\\ wh

•ached Cache camp, where we found every thiiiL!; midiMurbiid. We disui-

;rred our depositc, arranged our carls which had l)eon left here on the

MV out, and, travelling a few miles in the aliernoon, encamped for ibe

ligiit at the ford of the Platte.

.' ^lii^ust -27. — ,\t midday we halted at the j)lace where we had lakf^ndm-
jher on the 'J7tli of July. The coinitry which, win n we passed up, looked
As if the hard winter frosts had passed over it, had now assumed a new
fdo so much of vernal freshness had been given to it by the late rains.
ho Platte was exceedingly low — a mere lino of water among the sand-
Jars. We reached Laramie fort on the last day of August, after an ab-
ionce of forty-two days, and had the pleasure to find our friends all well.
riie forti<fth(lay had bt en fixed for our return ; ond the cpiick eyes of the
Indians, who W(!re on the lookout for us, discov<'ied oiirll.ig as we wound
unong the hills. The tort saluted us with ropeatid discharges of itssingle
)iece, which we retuined witii scattered volleys of our small arms, and telt
ihe joy of a home reception in getting back to this remote station, which
Icemed so far off as we went out.

' On the moroing of the .Id of September we bade adieu to our kind friends
III the fort, and continued our homeward journey down the Platte, which
was glorious with thi; autumnal splendor of uinumt'rable dowers in full and
\)rilliani bloom. On the warm sands, among the h*'li(tnthi, one of the
characteristic jdanfs, w«; saw groat numbers of rattlesnakes, of which five
or six were killed in the morning's ride. We occupied ourselves in im-
proving our |)revious survey cf the river; and, as the weather was fine,
astronomical t)bservations were generally made at night and at n(»on.
'. 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 extremely low ; in many places, the large expanse of
sands, with some occasional stunted trees on the banks, gave it the air of
the seacoast ; the bed of the river being merely a succession of sandbars,
among which the channel was divided into rivulets a few inches deep.
Wc crossed and recrossed with our carts repeatedly and at our pleasure ;
and, whenever an obstruction barred our way, in the shape of precipitous
bluffs thai came down upon the river, we turned directly into it, and mada
our way along the suiidy bed, with no other inconvenierice than the fre-
quent (piicksands, which greatly fatigued our anin»als. Disinterring on the
way the cache which had been made by our paity when they ascended the
river, we reached without accident, on the evening of the 12th of Septern-
li;ir, 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 sea*

«'.\!»T. riinMONTS WRIIVTIVF.

.• 1 »

voiiublo (ultlitiiui to our Mtock of provisioiis. At this ptaoc I linddi'icriiuin
to in.iko ano(lii>r .iilrrnpl lo ilfMriid ilio Piutlt; liy wati^r, atui acconliiiKli
sniMit iwo (lays ni lUc i'i)risiriii'lit\ri of a luill liuat. Mm witc m-hi mit od
llir iVtMiiiK III Mill- ariival, titi' iirot'sMaiy iimulicr of ImiILs killid, uiid tlic'ii(
skins hroil^lit to tin' raiiip. I'oitr tiflhu Ix'st ol' tia'ill u cri' slmii^ly .xcwci
to^clliiT with l>uli.ilo Niiii'W, ami .>tr('frh(*(l over h haskct i'lanic ol' willow]
'I'hr s«'aiiis wt'iu iJH'ii roviTt'iJ Willi aNln,'.s aiKJ I illow, ami ilic lioat h-U cxj
|)os«m1 lo till' sun lor the i,'r<:iti r part tW ou«' (lay, which was Nnllicioiill
(try and ctxiirai't the skin, and ni iko the wholo work solid aiitl htronif. I
had a roinidcd how, was ci:;!!! Coct Ionic and t\vv hroad, ami di(!w will
four ni'Mi aluniMoiir iinlifs waiti. On llir inoriiini,' td' lln' IIiIiwimiih
hark'd in oiii hide huat, .Mr. I'li-uss and inysiill', willi l\vt> mcii. W.
drav'i^cil Ihi over llu? sands Im ihrta; or loiir inil(;s, and llicii lull \wr on i
bar, and ahamloncd t'litncly all t'iniiior atloinpts to navigate this rivor. TIk
names ^lV«Ml hy lint Indians arc always rem irkaldy ap|tropriiiti! ; and ccr
taiiily none was tvci \i\i\r so than thai which ilicy have yiviiii to tin
strc'ain — "llic .Wdna.ka, or Shallow river." ^^'alkill^ .s|(;adily iIk; remain
der of the day, a lilllc hct'orc dark wo overtook our ptiopli; at Iheir even
ing camp, ah ml Iwcniy-one miles hclow the jiniclioii. Tin" next morniii.
we crtisscd ilic Pialic. and conlitmed our way down ihr nver bottom m
the left hank, where we loiind an rxeelleiii plainly heaiiMi road.

On the l.sih W(! reached (Irand islaiul, which is liliy-two miles loiii?, will
all nveras;(^ breadth oi' om; mile an I ihroeiinarUM's. Ii h ison it some smi
eminences, and is Miilii ieiitly elevated lo he sernre irom the annual lloo !>
ol' the river. As has heeii already remarked, it is well liinlnMcd, with ;ii
oxcelleiit soil, and recommends itself lo notice as the best point for a mill-
tary i)i>siiion on the Lower Platl(».

On the JiJd we arrived at tlu- villai^o of the (Irand IViwiiees, on the riirli'
bank of the river, about ihirly miles abo\e llu; nioiilh ol ihe Loop fork
They were jzatherin;.; In their corn, and we obtained from ihem a very wti
come supply of vem'tables.

The morning of i!ie J llh we reachid the Loup fork of ih-- Plalle. At
the place where we forded it, this stream was lour huiulrcd and thirty
yards hroad, with a swift current of c/car water ; in this respect, dilleriii:;
from the Flaile, which has a yellow mudily color, derived from tlie linn-
ilonc^ and marl formation, of which we hav(! previously spoken, 'fhc ford
Was dillicult, as tin; water was so deep thai it came into tin; body of tin
carts, and we reached the opposite hank after repeated ;Htempts, asceiidiii.'
and descending the bed of the rivisr in order lo avail ourselves of the bars,
We encamped on the left hank of the fork, in the point of land at its jmic-
tioti with ilie Platte. Duriie^ the two days that we reinuiiied here for
astronomical observations, tin; had weather j)erniitled us to obtain but out'
good observation for the latitude — a meridian altifud(! of the sun, which
gave for the latitude ol' the mouth of the Loup fork, 11° 22' 11".

Five or six days previously. I had sent forward C. Lambert, with two men.
to Hellevue, with directions to ask from Mr. P. Sarpy the gentleman inclvargo
of the American Company's establishment at that place, the aid of his carpen-
ters in constructing a boat, in which I proposed to descend the Missouri, tin
the afternoon of the 27th we met one of the men, who bad been despatched
by Mr. Sarpy witii a welcome supply of provisions and a very kind note,
which gave us the very gratifying intelligence that our boat was in rapid
l»rogress. On the evening of the 30th we encamped in an almost impeiic-

th<
tb.
ei

ii
of

okl
iDK

f<K
VO

w
th<
bo

I
t

tioii

at')
V€y
ula
ope

Loi
eile

tile
bir

[1841

I linddi'ii'iiMiii
, and iuT«>riliri^|
wtn- st'iji tiiii 01
s killed, and tlit>i
r«* slumgiy Si'W'i
(V.inu' (»r willt)\v,
I liir lioat I'il r\
W.l.s siillicicllt

d and Mi'oiitf.
, and flu'w wit

lilt! l.ltll Wl! «!||l
tWi) MU'h. \\<

Ian k'l't lu>r on a
ic llnsiiviT. Til
o|)riuti! ; and ci;r
vi« ^ivtiii l»i till
(dily iIk; reiimiii
[»li; ai llicir cwu
Iw tit.'M iiidinin.
'■ livtM' bottom oil
I road.

• niilrs loni;, will
ion it .sonif Mni!
ilic annual llood^
iinlii-rcd, with ai
I'oinl I'ur a inili

<M'T, nillMoNTH N.\HK\TIV»:

7f>

iui!s, on ijuj rigli!
till-' l^oiip Ibik
I'-ui a very wd-

111" Phille. A!

idrtd and thirly

(;s|)C'i:l, didoriiiL:

Iroin llic lini' •

ki'ii. '("lit; lonJ

lie l)0(ly <if the

iipts, ascfiidiii:'

vtsoI'iIh; bars,

and at its June-

laiiiud Uo.Tii I'or

obtain but oiio

tlio sun, wliicli

t' 11".

jwitli two men,

cnian inclKirge

id of hiscarpcii-

le Missouri. (On

L'en despatched

very kind note,

It was in rapid

1 1 most impcnc-

iorcrowlli on ili»' Iffi '>:uik «»f tlm I'i.iltr, In (Ii«> point id' land at ils
let* Willi tbr Mi^Nonii iliri'i' Inmdrt'tl and lilli'in nnl) s, iM*coidm;{
fi (Jvonin^, IroMi Ibc jnnilion of llir lorUs, and live hnndrcd and
iy fioni Fort l/iraniU!.

om lilt! pnii'iion wr b.-id loinid tin- lud of dm I'latl'- oivi pji-d witli nu>

^n^ iNJands, ni:iny oi ili* ni vrry lari,'i!, and all will iniibf »'d ; pos.sc.s,s.

iiN well as till! itoiloni l.indN ol tin! river, a very e\ei lleni soil. Witli

^^ exception of M»ni«) scatti-red qroves on the banks, ili»! boiioniN a;o ^cn-

|H|illy without liinb(!r. A portion of lliesi! eoiiNi.st ol low ".rounds, eoveriid

til a prol'iisioii o( fine irrasses, and are probably iiiund ited in iIim spriiiif^

.' leinaniin:^' part i^ lii:;h river pranie, eniircily beyond liie inllueiiee ot

I! llood.s. 'I'lie bre:idili ol' |||(> river Is usually iliret!-(|narlers ol' a nillo,

l<-ept wlier(! It isenlaiLf.'d by inlands. Tli il poriioii ol iiseonrse wbieli

(x'cupioil by (Jrainl island has an aveia/ • bieailtii, Ironi shore to short!,

of two and a half miles. 'I'Ih: breadth ol tint valley, with the various ar-

ittent.s of ^'roiiiKl — springs, limbor, ami whaluvor I liavtf th(»u^lil iiilunist-

|k to travellers .ind .selilei's.

^(h'tiihcr I. — I rose iln> moniiim loir^ before ilaylii,'ht, and he ird wiilia
4'liiit^ of pleasure ihe tinlvhn|^' of cow bells at th*! setileinent> on the op-
^ilu >ide of the Missouri. lOarly in the day wo rtsached .Mr. Siirpy'.s
>idenco; and, in thu s(!cuiily and comfort of his hospttibtu mansion, fittt
|e |ile.isiire ot btiiii^' ;iLralu Within the prde of civih/atioii. we found our
at on the sloelvN ; a lev/ daysMilliced to eomplele her ; ;itid, iii the al-
nooii of llif -Ith, w<; embarkt'd on the Missouri. All our ei|uipai,Mj —
rsL's, carts, and the inatirivl of the camp — had b(;en sold at piiblK; auc-
A\ at ni'lleviie. TIm! siren .'ih of my party enableil me t» man the boat
iili ten oars, relieved every iiour: and we descended rapidly. Ivirly on
i«! inurnlng of thu Idlli, we hailed io nuik«j some astronomical observa-
>ns at the mouth (d the Kansas, exactly four months since wi; had left
(' tratJini' post of Mr. Cyprian Chouteau, on the same river, leu miles
Itove. On our dcsc.ut lo this pl.ac ■, we had employed oiir>elves in sur-
▼eyin;,' and .sketchiiii^ llio Missouri, makiir-r astronomical (d)scrvatioiis reg-
ularly at night and at midday, wii.'Ueviir the weather permitted. These
operations on the river were eontiniied until our arrival at tin.' eity of St.
Louis, ,\li>s()mi, on the ITiIi. At St. i.,oins, ihe sale of oiir r(!mainiug
efl'i'ots was mide; and, leaving' that city by steamboat on the iMth. I had
"' e honor to report to you at the city of Washin_i;lon on the iJinh of Oeto-

Bir.
; \'ery respecifullv, t^ir. your obedient S'irvant,

.1. C. KKKMO.NT,
2(1 Lieut. Corps of Topo'^rajtiucdl /'Jn^i/icers.

i'T,

%' ■■;:

ASTUONOMTCAL OBSEUVATIONS

ANI>

TABLE OF LATITUDES AND LONGITUDES.

Mi.]

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS.

The longitudes given in llic subjoined table are referred to the meridian
ot Greenwich.

For the determination of astronomical positions, wo were provided with
the lollowing instruments:

One telescope, miignifyini? power 120.
One circle, by Gambey, Paris.
. One sextant, by Gaiubcy, Paris.

One sextant, by Troughton.
One box chronometer, No. 7,810, by Frencli.
One Brockbaiik pocket chronometer.

One small wntcli with a light chronometer balance, No. 4,632, by
Arnold & Dent.
: The rate of the chronometer 7,810, is exhibited in the following state-
fnent :

" New York, Mai/ 5, 1842.
Chronometer No. 7,810, by French, is tiiis day at noon —

" i^/ou; of Greenwich mean time - - 11 ' 4"

" /Vy/ of New York mean time - - 4h. 45' 1"

" Loses per day

2"-7_

"ARTHUR STEWART,

" 74 Merchants' Exchange.'^

An accident among some fough ground in the neighborhood of the Kan-
gas river strained the balance of this chronometer, (No. 7,810,) and ren-
dered it useless during the remainder of the campaign. From the 9th of
|ime to the 24th of August, inclusively, the longitudes depend upon the
i^rockbank pocket chronometer: the rate of which, on leaving St. Lonis»
.was fourteen seconds, The rate obtained by observations at l^'ort Laramie,
i4".05, has been used in calculation.

From the 24th of August until the termination of the journey. No. 4,G32
(of which the rate was 35 ".79) was used for the same purposes. Tlie rate
of this watch was irregular, and 1 place but little confidence in the few
longitudes which depend upon it, though, so far as we Iiave any means of
Judging, they appear tolerably correct.

J?,

5 4 (.'APT. KREMONTS NARRATIVF [ig^

Table of latitudes and lon^iludes, deduced froni ohservatioHs fn<

during the Journct/.

Date.

. < •

lii:

1842.
Mny 27
June H
If)

18
li)
20
25
26
27
28
30
2

July

:»im!^:.

4
«
7
II
12
13
14
16 I
23 I
34 !

25 '

26 I
26 I
28 ]
29
30

Auk. 1

4
7
8

S«pt. 3

8
9
10
16
If.
17

Station.

St. 1,(1111-, n <iclnuT i>t' Ooldiicl Mrniit

(Jhdiiti'imV hivvor triuiiiiif |niKt, Kann-.w river

Left l)!mk ot tlii' KiiiiHtis rivor, wvon niiU'H ulmvc tlif

lord ......

Vrrmillidn <'rr<'k .....

Colli !^|iviiii.'s, iK'iir till' roa«l to Iinraniir

Bic Hluf river . . - . -

liiltle nine riviT - . . . .

HIkIiI li:ink nt' l'l;itti' river . - - .

Hij-lit liimk v\ I'liifte river - - . -

Hinlil hank ft' I'liit'.f liver - . . .

Uiglit I'link ot IMitlle nver - - . -

.lun( lion of North mu! Soulli forks of tlie Nebranka

or iM:,tti- rivei- - . . - .

South forktif I'lulte riv( r, lellbitnk.
South (ork of I'h'ttr river, isliind ...
South fork of riiilte river, left Imiik - - -

South fork of I'l.iUe iiver, N|. Vniin
(!ro\v crc.k ...

On :i s|re;»iii, nstiiie unknown
Horse c'.rt'k. (><i- lien's fuili' '
Fori l.;iriiiiiir, nc.n tlie inuuth ofliarainie
Norlli fork of I'!;\Ue liviM- - . . .

Nortli fork <.f Platte river ....
IVorlh fork \>\ Pkitte river. Dried Moat ennip
North l.>ik ot f'liJtU' rivrr, !inoM halt
North fork '>f Platte river, luoulli of Deer creek
North fork of I'lattr nver, Cache cnnip
North t'ork ot I'latti river, left hnnk
North lork of F'lalte river, (Joat isliind
Sweet V\'at» r rive,-, one mil'' lielow Koek Indcpt-nd-

eiiee --.--.
Sweet \\ a'er nvtr -..»..
Sweet \\ iitei nver- . . . .

Little f^atulv enek, frilmlarv to the Colorado of the

West - - -■ . . .

.New fork, tiii'Utary to the Coiorudo
Mountain lak( . . . . .

Highest [leak of tl.e VN'uid river moimtaiiis.
Sweet "V\'atei, noon halt - . . .

Ii)rt

forr

rNwr

et Water rivi 1

Sweet A\ ater river - - . .

Sweet Water river, noau halt
Swert Water river, at Koek IndrpMidenrr -
North fork ol T'lalle river, mouth of Sweet ^Vater

orse

-shi'C

halt

North fork o: IMattc river, right hank
North fork o( Platte river, near Sfott's hlui'js
North fork of Pliit'e river, rifrht bank, si\ niiief; above
Chinincy r<ifk - - . . .

North fiirk of i'iatte river, nioiilh of A>.h errvk
North lork i>f EM.iltc river, right hank
North fork of IMatfe river, Cedar blutTs
Platte river, iwcn halt - - . .

Platte river, hit hank ....

Platte river, kit luink

Latitutl

I.on

qiiUuU.

thf^. mill

srr.

Drfr.

min, it(

:\H ;)7

;;4

■e

30 O.'i

25 \-

■

39 06

38 •■

30 1.")

\\t

04 ('■

30 :}()

14 1

3'> \r,

32 :i

40 26

.50

22 ;

40 41

45 (

40 30

05 1

40 3!(

40 30

100

05 1

41 ft.) 05 i 100 4') <

17 j

103

30 1

•>»>

35 i

105

12 1.

104

57 t.

104

39 i

104

24 •

104

47 t

25 '

104

59 f

A'l

.")l

105

80 1

\'i

0«

5 '2

106

08 Z\

106

38 i'

106

54 ):

107

13 :

\'l

107

25 .:

108

30 .

A'l

109

21 >;

109

37 ^

109

58 r.

4v;

110

08 )^

o»>

2?,

4 1

•:i

•50

.')1

.18

[JIM*

servntioki

modi

1.'.

I'nnnSXaAi.

1. xfr.
'M

D^tr.

mtn. j»f.

• ' 1

1 94

25 »•

38 'V

\\t

04 (■

<10

14 1

32 :]•

fiO

22 ;

Of)

1 98

45 !

05 :;

Til

f);')

100

05 1

(15

100

49 1

103

30 r

:jr)

105

12 l:

104

57 h

:io

104

39 r

104

24 3f

104

47 t

a 5

104

59 6

•10

105

50 4

106

08 :\

106

38 >

106

54 ]'.

107

13 :

5« j

107

25 :

108

30 ..!

109

21 T.

109

37 5

109

58 1;

110

08 r.

< APT. KUEMONT'S NARRAT/VK.
77j^/f of httituili's find longittides — Continued.

■Dste.

HUitioit.

LatituiJ

■ l842.

/>;'.

7)1 PI

. sec.

■ept.

PUttf river, Irlt hunk

■

Plutto river, left Imiik

Platti- rivir, noon liall, M\ iuinW

Pliiltc rivor, Irt't bunk

Pialte river, lell hunk

I'Uttc river, inion hull, lelt hunk

• •

Platte river, lell hunk

Plutte river, nioulli nl l.i)U|) liirk

'Z-i

PiutJe river, nioiilli nf Klli Horn river

Plutte river, let\ hank

0ft

Beilevue, ut llie |)(>«i of the Ainerieaii FurCom{j

any,

riplil hunk ol" the Missmiri river

Letl hunk ut tile Miisonri, (i|i|)OHitc

tu the riKlit

)urik

of the nioutll ut'the I'lulte

■

Missouri river

Bertholct's island, iu»in halt

Missouri river, nioutli of Nishnalmtona river

Missouri river,, left htnik

3!)

Missouri river, mouth of the Kansas river

LuiiKiluJe.

Dcfr. min. see.

95 20

4A: '■]»»•

'•iflfflL

■■

j^^H

:^^^H

■ — ^

. '. ■ ' f

;■'■ ^ ■■ ■.' 1

w^^^

A REPORT

01 TBS

EXPLORING EXPEDITION

OREGON AND NORTH CALIFORNIA,

IN THE YEARS 1843-'44.

"^«

8EC0NI" EXl'ElllTKIN — 184:{-t I

\Va<siiinoto.n Citv, March 1, 1815.
l^Coioiiel J. J. AnrHT,

j Chief nf the Corps of Topoi^rapliical Enfrineers:

f[ Siu: 111 pursiiaiicu of your iiistruclioiKs, lo comiect tlio rccoiiiioissanci! of
4>'^4'J, which I iiud thc3 honor to coiuliict, with (ho surveys ot Conimaiidcr
•IVilkes on the coast of ihe i'acitic ocean, so as to L'ive a connected survey
of the interior of our coiitiniMit, I proceeded to the (heat \\ I'st early in the
jpruig of 1843, and arrived, on the 17th of May, at the httle town of Kaii-
jas, oti the Missouri frontier, near the junction of the Kansas river willi
Ihe Missouri river, wliere I was detained near two weeks in completing
■Ulie necessary preparations for the extended explorations which my instruc-
tions contemplated.

) My parly consisted jirincipally of Creole and Canadian Frencli, and
Americans, amounting in all to 'M) iikmi ; anions: wh 'in you will recognise
Bcveral ol' those who were with me in my fir.^t expedition, and who have
been favorably hrougiit to yoin* notice in a former report. Mr. Thoma.s
Fitzpatrick, whom many years of hardship and exposure in the western
territories had r'lidered familiar with a portion of th(> country it was de-
iSigned to explore, had been selected as our guide ; and Mr. (.'Iiarles Preuss,
who had been my assistant in the previous journey, was again associated
Avith mo in the same ca|iaoiiy on the present expedition. Agreeably to your
.directions, Mr. Theodore Talbot, of Washington city, had been attached to
the party, with a view to advancement in his profession ; and at St. Louis
I had been joined by Mr. Frederi'/k Dwight, a gentleman of Springfield,
Massachusetts, who availed himself of our overland journey to visit the
Sandwich islands and China, by way of F(;rt Vancouver.
The men engaged for the service were :

Alexis Ayot,
Francois Badeau,
Oliver Beauliei;
Bapiiste Bernier.
John A. Cam[)bell,
John G. Campbell,
Manuel Chapman,
Ran.soni Clark,
Philibert Courteau,
Michel Crelis,
William Creuss,
Clinton Deforest,
Baptiste Derosier,
Basil Lajeunesse,
Francois Lajeunesse,
Henry Lee,

Louis ^fenard,
Louis Montreuil,
Samuel Neal,
Alexis Pera,
Francois Per*,
James Power,
Raphael Proue,
Oscar Sarpy,
Bapiiste Tabeau,
Charles Taplin,
Baptiste Tesson,
Augustc Vasquez,
Joseph Verrot,
Patrick White,
Tiery Wright,
Louis Zindel, and

fH)

(•AI'T. KIM'.MDN'IM NAUKA'I'IN K.

[184

.41

J.iroli Dodsoii. ;i !>•'•? youii(< <'()lt)rt"l inui of Wiisliinsfon ♦'Ity, who V(
UMt('(!r«>(l to .-ii-roiiipany tln^ rvpi'diiioii, ami iiurt'oriiiccl Ins duly manfullj
tlir<)iii;litmi lln' voyui^r. Two [)ol;i\vr:ire Iiidiiiiis— ;i fine-looUmg old noaj
aiidliissoii — \V(M'(> f!iigi):;tHl to nceoinpaiiy tlif<>x|»(litioii as liuiitcrH.throtii
lh<! kiiidiH'ss ol" Miijor ('luumiiis, lUa rxclli'iil Indent ayont. L. Maxw(
who had aocoinpaiiHjd ihc tx|n;dilioii as one ul iht; hmitiTs in IHI-*, hoii
on his way to Taos, in New .Sloxico, also join<'d tis ai this place.

The parly wasarruod goueraily with Hail's i-aibiiics, which, wilh a hMsl
12-lb. howitzer, had been furnished to nu riorn the Ihiilcd States arsena il
St. I^oiiis, a-.Tcoahly to the orders ol" Colonel S. \V. Kearney, coininandi!
the M tnililaiy division. Three men were espeeially detailed for tht; nia
ugeiueni ol this piece, under the charge of Louis /indel, a native of (Jeriii
iiy, who had Ixsen 10 years a non-coinniissioned oliicer of artillery in tl,
Prussian anny,.'»nd regularly insiructijd in tlu; duties of his profession. '11
camp e(|nipau;e and provisions were trans|iori«;d in twelve carts, drawn ear
by two mules; and a lii,dit covered wai^on, mounted on f^ood springs, li;i
been provided for the safer carriai^'o of the insiriimeiits. These were :

One refracting telescope, by Frauenhofer.

One reliectiiig circle, by Gaml)ey.

Two sextants, by Troughlon.

One pocket chronometer. No. 8:37, by (Jolfc, Falmouth.

One pocket chronometer. No. 73!), by Hrockbank.

One syphon barometer, by liimten, I'aris.

One cistern barometer, by Frye & Shaw, Ncsw York.

Six thermometers, and a munbcr of small compasses.

To make the exploration as useful as possible, 1 determined, in conforiii
ity to your general instructions, to vary the route to the Rocky mountaii;
from tliat followed in the year 1842. The route then was up the valley o
the Great Platte river to the South Pass, in north latitude 42^; the roui'
now determined on was up the valley of the Kansas river, and to the heai
of the Arkansas, and to some pass in the mountains, if any could be found
at the sources of that river.

By makin;^ this deviation from the former route, the problem of a new
road to Oregon and California, in a climate more genial, might bo solved
and a better knowledge obtained of an important river, and the country r
drained, while the great object of the expedition would find its point o:
conmienuemiMit at the termination of the former, which was at that grou
gate in the ridg(j of the Rocky mountains called the South Pass, and on tlH
lofty peak of the mountain which overlooks it, deemed the highest peak ii.
the ridge, and from the opposite sides of which four great rivers take their
rise, and llow to the Pacific or the Mississippi,

Various obstacles delayed our departure until the morning of the 2in\i
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 3lst, after the delay of a day to completi
our equipment and furnish ourselves with some of the comforts of civilizeJ
life, we encamped in the evening at Elm Grove, in company with severa
emigrant wagons, constituting a party which was proceeding to Upper Cal-
ifornia, under the direction of Mr. .1. B. Childs, of Missouri. The wagoiij
were variously freighted with goods, furniture, and farming utensils, eoli-

th*

f\rr FKKMr»rH nakkativk.

ton city, who vfl
his (hity manfullJ
;-lo()kiii^ old (Daj
s hunters, throijj
Jilt. I,. Maxwe

iTS ill 18 I J, hcig

lis plucu.
'hich, with ;i hraJ
(I Siatt's ars<,'ii;i \
Muy, comfimiidii
ail(!(l for th« mm
imlivo of (Joriii
if artillery in tl,
s profession. Tl
carts, drawn ear
u;oo(l springs, ji,,
Those were :

inod, in conforn,
ioclcy niountaii;
i lip the valley
« 42^ ; the rout'
and to iho lieaL
conUl he found

ohiem of a new
night be solved
id the country i

ind its point o:
as at that groa
Pass, and on tli-;

highest peak II

ivors take ihei:

ing of the 2J)tli.
a day, rendereii
iles beyond llie

lay to completf
orts of civilized
ly with severa
g to Upper Cal-
The wagoui
[ utensils, ecu-

liiifi; nuu)nt( other tiiinpR an entire set of niaehitiery for a null which Mr.
liMs ilesi^ned erectlll^ on the waters of the Saeranionto river omplyiiig
r) ill'' hay of San Kraiuisco.

W'c wre jftiiied lu!re by Mr. William (iilpin, of Mivsouri, who, intending

Is year to vnii the ^cttlenionis in Orev^on. had been iiivitcd to accoiiipauy

^ and proved a useful and agrroable addition to the party, Frotn ihiscu*

inpMieiit, oin route until the 'id of June was nearly the same as that de-

ribed lo you in 1S4'.*. Trains r)f wau'ons were almost eoiisiaiilly m sight ;

'iiiL' U)llie load a populous and aiiimali d appearance, although the great*

portion of the emigrants were collected at the crossing, or already on

Mk'ir march beyond the Kansas river.

Ijeaviiit? at the ford the u^iia! emigrant road to the mountains, we
OBnimued our route along the souihern side oj the Kati.sas, where we
flblmd the eotmiry nuieh more broken than on ttii: northern side of the
rtrer, and where our progress was much delayed by the numerous small
fUeains, wliirh obligrd US to mak<! fre<iiieMt brid:;es. On ihe morning of
file 'Uli, we crossed a bandsomt! stream, railed by the Indians ()tt(!r creek,
lR>out 1.30 feet wid(!, whore a Hat stratum of liiiKJstone, which forms the
bud, madv an e.xeollent ford. We met here a small party of Kansas and
flk'lawaic Indians, the latt(?r returning from a hunting and trapj)ing expe-
^tion on the upper waters of the iiver; and "ii the heights above were
#rc or six Kansas women, engaged in digging prairie potatoes, {psoralca
dfcu/cnffi.) On the afternoon of the titli, while busily engaged in crossing
■ wooded stream, we were thrown into a lilile eoiifusion Ity the sudden ar-
•vnl of Maxwell, who entered the caMi|> at full speed at the head of a war
pirty of Obage In(lian>^. with gay red blankets, and heads shaved to the
ICalp lock. They had run him a distanc*- of about nine miles, from a creek
0t\ whicii wo had encamped the day i)revi(Uis, and to wfiirh he bad re-
tferncd in search of a runaway horse belonging' to .Mr. Dwight, which had
liken the homeward road, carrying with linn saddle, bridle, and holster
rfistols. The Osages were probably ignorant of our strength, and, when
fhey charged into the oanip, drove ofl'a number of our best horses; but we
^ere fortunately W(^ll mounted, and, alter a liard cluibO of seven or eight
tfliiles, succeeded in recovering them all. 'i'his accident, which occasioned
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
nuit of having genilenien in company — very (.stimable, to be sure, but who
ire not trained to the care and vigilance and seli'-dcpendenee which such an
Expedition required, and who are not subject [d the orders which enforce
Ittention and exertion. We arrived on the Stli at the mouth of the Smoky-
hill fork, which is the piincipal southern branch of the Kansas; forming
kcre, by its junction with the Republican, or northern branch, the main
Kansas river. Neither stream was fordable, and the necessity of making
'i raft, together with "jud weather, detained us here until the morning of
ftie 11th; when we r?siimcd our journey along the Republican fork. By
qur observations, the junction of the streams i.s in latitude 39'' 03' 38", longi-
tude 96° 24' 56", and at an elevation of 9i2G feet above the gulf of Mexico.
J'or -evoral days we continued to travel along the Republican, through a
fcourifvy beiutilully watered with numerous streams, handsomely timbered;
ind i;iiely an incident occurred to vary the monotonous resemblance which
One day o.i the prairies here bears to another, and which scarcely require

s.,

*t>.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

y^:^

•^' ^,V ^.

V ^" // ^

1.0

I.I

1.25

1^ 1^ II'" .2
^ ^ ^

I "- IIIIIM

but.

Illll 1.8

1.4 ill 1.6

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^^^:

Photograpinc

Sciences

Corpomiion

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

c,i

CAPT. FREM(JNT>i NARRATIVE.

[1843

• 'J':

a particular description. Now and then, we caught a glimpse of a small
herd of elk ; and occasionally a band of antelopes, whose curiosity someJ
times brought them within rille range, would circle round us, and theuj
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 r<i.' xware Indians, game
of every kind continued very shy and wild. The bottoms which form thel
immediate valley of the main river were generally about three miles wide;|
having a rich soil of black vegetable mould, and, for a prairie country, well
interspersed with wood. The country was every where covered with ul
considerable variety of grasses — occasionally poor and thin, but far morei
frequently luxuriant and rich. We had been gradually and regularly as-
cending in our progress westward, and on the evening of the 14th, when
we encamped on a little creek in the valley of the Republican, 2G5 miles
by our travelling road from the mouth of the Kansas, we were at an eleva-
tion of 1,520 feet. That part of the river where we were now encamped is
called by the Indians the Bis^ Ti7nbe7\ Hitherto our 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. Fhidingthat at such a rate of travel it would be iniposible to com-
ply with your instructions, I determined at this place to divide the party,
and, leaving Mr. Fitzpatrick with 25 men in charge of the provisions and
heavier baggage of the camp, to proceed nyo^if in advance, with a light
party of 15 men, taking with me the howilz«r and the light wagon which
carried the instruments.

Accorduigly,on the morning of the 16th, the parties separated ; and, bear-
ing a little out from the river, with a view of heading some of the numerous
afflueHts, after a few hours' travel over somewhat broken ground, we en-
tered upon an extensive and high level prairie, on which we encamped to-
wards evening at a little stream, where a single dry cottonwood afforded the
necessary fuel for preparing supper. Among a variety of grasses whicK to-
day made their first appearance, I noticed bunch grass, {festucu,) and butfalc
grass, {sesleria dactyloiJes.) Amorpha canescens {lead plant) continued
the characteristic plant of the country, and a narrow-leaved lathyrus oc-
curred during the morning in beautiful patches. Sida coccinea occurred
frequently, with a psoi^alia near paoralia Jloribxinda^ and a number of
plants not hitherto met, just verging into bloom. The water on which we
had encamped belonged to Solomon's fork of the Smoky-hill river, along
.whose tributaries we continued to travel for several days.

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 be-
ing frequently obliged to bridge one of the numerous streams, which were
well limbered with ash, elm, cottonwood, and a very large oak — the latter
being, occasionally, 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 frequently, gen-
erally 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.
t^^morpha, with the same psoralen, and a dwarf species of lupinus, are the
characteristic plants.

;ai
a:
ing
lay
ind
lior

CAPT. f'rkm.;:;t8 iNAiatATivi;.

')}

impse of a small
! curiosity somel
id us, and thenl
id. these becamel
followed by the
B Ijidians, game
! which form the!
iree miles wide;|
rio country, wel
covered with al
in, but far more'
nd rej^ularly as-
' the 14th, when
)lican, 2G5 miles
rere at an eleva-
ow encamped is
d been laborious
t rain liaving so
ge every water-
only five or six
iiposible to com-
livide the party,
3 provisions and
ice, with a light
It wagon which

ated ; and, bear-
of the numerous
ground, we en-
e encamped to-
ood afforded the
rasses which to-
rca,)andbulfalc
lani) continued
ed lathyrus oc-
ccinea occurred
d a number of
er on which we
lill river, along

3eing generally
r delay than be-
ns, which were
oak — the latter
wading summit,
es on the high
t perfume,
requently, gen-
y on the broken
ery light touch.
ipinus, are the

1843.]

On the lf)th, in the afternoon, we crossed the Pawnee road to the Ar-
ansas, and, travelling a few miles onward, the monotony of the prairies
as suddenly dispelled by the appearance of five or six bnfialo bulls, forni-
ng a vanguard ot' immense herds, among which we were travelling a few
ays afterwards. Prairie dogs were seen for the lirsi lime during tlie day;
nd we had the good fortune to obtain an ant(;lope for supper. Our eleva-
ion had now increased to l,f)00 feet. Sui(/ coccinca was a characteristic
n the creek bottoms, and b'.ifl'alo grass is becoming abundant on the higher
arts of the ridges.

June 21. — During the forenoon we travelled np a branch of the creek on
ivhich we had encamped, in a broken country, where, however, the dividing
'ridges always aTordcd a good ri ad. Plants were few ; and with the
short sward of the bnllalo grass, wliich now prevailed every where, giving
to the prairies a smooth and mossy appearance, were mingled frequent
patches of a beautiful red grass, {aristida pdlleus.) wlucii had made its ap-
pearance only within the last few days.

We halted to noon at a solitary cottonwooJ in a hollow, near which was
killed the first buffalo, a large old bull.

Antelope appeared in bands during the day. Crossing here to the affluents
of the Republican, we encamped on a fork, about forty feet wide and one
loot deep, llowing with a swift current over a sandy I'cd, and well wooded
jwith ash-leaved maple, {negutido fraxinijoliton,) elm, cottonwood, and a
;few white oaks. We were visited in the evening by a very violent storm,
;accompaniedby wind, lightning, and thunder; a cold rain f.\lling in torrents.
According to llie barometer, our elevation was 2,130 feet above the gulf
At noon, on the 23d, we descended into the valley of a principal fork of
the Republican, a beautiful stream with a dense border of wood, consisting
principally of varieties of ash, forty feet wide and four feet deep. It was mu-
'sical with the notes of many birds, which, from the vast expanse of silent
jprairie 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 occupied with their villages,) and late in
'the evening encamped on its banks. The prevailing timber is a blue-foliaged
;ash, [fraxirms, near F. Jimericana,) and ash-leaved maple. With these
iWerefraxi7iuf{ ►iwer/c«?2^/, cottonwood, and long-leaved willow. We gave
!to this stream the name of Prairie Dog river. Elevation 3,350 feet. Our
jroad on the 25th lay over high smooth ridges, 3,100 feet above the sea;
Ibuffalo in great numbers, absolutely covering the face of the country. At
ieveningwe encamped within a few miles of the main Republican, on a lit-
|tle creek, where the air was fragrant with the perfume oi artemuia fili/olia ,
which we here saw for the first time, and which was now in bloom. Shortly
•after leaving our encampment on the 26th, we found suddenly that the na-
;tnre of the country had entirely changed. Bare sand hills every where sur-
I rounded us in the undulating ground along which we were moving; and
Uhe plants peculiar to a .^andy soil made their appearance in abundance. A
i few miles further we entered the valley of a large stream, afterwards known
itobe the Republican fork of the Kansas, whose shallow waters, with a
depth of only a few inches, were spread out over a bed of yellowish white
sand 600 yards wide. With the exception of one or two distant and de-
tached groves, no limber of any kind was to be seen; and the features of
the country assumed a desert character, with which the broad river, strug-
gling for existence among quicksands along tlie treeless banks, was strik-

K -1 ■'

i'jy

. I

■m

:'.V •>

CAPT. FRKMONT'S NAKRATIVE.

[1843J

iMgly ill kneping. On the opposite side, the broken ridges assumed almos
a mountainous appcaranee ; and, Ibrdini? the stream, we continued on ourj
course among these ridges, and encami)ed late in the evening at a little poiidl
of very bad water, from which we arove away a herd of bnli'alo that werel
standing in and about it. Our encampment this evening was 3,500 feetj
above the sea. Wc (ravelled now for several days through a broken aiidj
dry sandy region, i bont 4,000 feet above the sea, where there were no run.
ning streams; and some anxiety was constantly felt on account of the uii'l
certainly of water, which w;is only to be found in small lakes that occur.l
red occasionally among the lulls. The discovery of lhe.se always brouglu]
pleasure to the camp, as around them were generally green flats, wliicli af.
forded abundant pasturage for out animals ; and here were usually collected'
lierds of the buffalo, which now were scattered over all tjie country in
countless numbers.

The soil of bare and hot sands supported a varied and exuberant growth
of plants, which v, ere much I'urlher advanced than we had pr(3viously found
them, and whose showy bloom somewhat relieved the appearance of gene-
ral sterility. Crossing ilu^, sunnnit of an elevated and coiUinuous range ol
rolling hills, on the afternoon of the 30th of June wc found ourselves over-
looking a broad and misty valley, where, about ten miles distant, and 1,000
feet below us, the South fork of I'le Platte was rolling njagiiificcntly along,
swollen with the waters of the melting snows. It was in strotig and re-
freshing contrast with the parched eoimtry 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 tetits on the shore of the sea.

Travelling along i\\> the valley of the river, here 4,000 feet above the sea,
in the afternoon of .Tuly 1 we caught a far and uncertain view of a faint
blue mass in the west, as the sun sank behind it ; and from our camp in the
morning, at the mouth of Uijou, Long's peak and the neighboring moun-
tains 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 over-
flowed bottoms of the Platte, where our passage stirred up swarms of mos-
quitoes, wo came imexpectedly upon an Indian, who was perched on a
bluff, curiously watching the movements of our caravan. He belonged to
a village of Oglallah Sioux, who had lost all their animals in the severity
of the preceding winter, and wire now on their way up the liijou fork to
beg horses from the Arapahoes, who were hunting buffalo at the head of
that river. Several came into our camp at noon ; and, as they were iiangry,
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 en-
tirely exhausted when we arrived at the fort; but I was disappointed in ray
hope of obtaining relief, as I found it in a very impoverished condition ; and
we were able to procure 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 wets fre-
quently abundant. It was a rare thing to lie down hungry, and we had al-

Un
"hil

assumed almos.
loiiliiiued on our
'^lit a litdi; poiidl
uH'tilo that were!
J was .3,500 feetl
;Ii a broken audi
urc were norun-[
:ouni ot' the unJ
alces that occur,
always brought
I Hats, which af-,
usually collected'

I tJie country in

:uberaut growth
Teviously found
caranceof gene-
inuoiis range ot
ourselvcji over-
stunt, and 1,000
iiificcnlly along,

II strong and re-
had just issued;
istinct, it almost
ea.

et above the sea.

view of a faint
our camp in the

hboi-i)ig mouu-
covercd to their

i partially over-
iwarnis of mos-
s perched on a
He belonged to

in the severity
le Bijou fork to
I at the head of
y were h angry,

le hunters liad

where Mr. St.
us to join him

provisions en-
:»pointedinmy
condition ; and
our, and some

r where rarely
ere it was fre-
nd we had al-

1843.]

(Arr. FI{E.Vlt)NTS NAKKATIVE.

ready learned to think bread a luxury ; but we could not proroed without
animals, and our own wvva not capable of prosecuting the journey beyond
the mountains without relief.

I had been informed that a large number of mules had recently arrived
at Taos, froui U|)[)er Calilbniia , and as our friend, Mr. Maxwell, was
about to continue liis journey to that [ilaco, where a portion of liis family
resided, I engaged him to purchase for me 10 or 12 nmles, with the un-
derstanding that he ishould pack them with provisions and other necessa-
ries, and meet me at ihe month of the Fontaine qui hoii//, on the Arkan-
sas river, to which point I would be led in the course of the survey.

Agreeal)Iy to iiis (»wn re(piest. ami ui the conviction that his habits of
life and education had not tpialified hii.i to endure the hard lite of a voy-
I ageur, I discharged here one of my i)arty. Mr. Oscar Sarpy, having furnished
'him with arms and \neans ol' traiisport;ition to Fort Laramie, where he
would be in the line of caravan.s returning to the States.
At daybreak, on the fith of July, Maxwell was on his way to Taos ; and
j a few hours af'.er we also had recommenced our journey up the Platte,
j which was contiiuiously limbered with coltonwood and willow, on a gen-
- orally sandy soil. Passing on the way the remains of two abandoned
j forts, (one of which, however, was .still m good condition,) ue reached, in
j 10 miles, Fort Lancaster, the trading establishment tif Mr. l.uptoii. His post
I was beginning to assume the ap[)oarance of a comfortable farm : stock, hogs,
laud cattle, were ranging about on ilie prairie : there were dilferent kinds
I of poultry ; and there was the wreck of a promising garden, in which a
I considerable variety of vegetables liad been in a nourishing condition, but
lit had been almost etilircly mined by the recent high waters. I remained
I to spend willi him an agreeable iiour, and sat olf in a coid storm of rain,
I which was accompaniod with violent thunder and lightning. ^Ve encamped
I immediately on the river, l(i miles from St. Vram's. Several Arapalioes,
on their way to the village which was encauiped a few miles above us,
passed by the camp in (he course oi the afternoon. Night sat in stormy
"and cold, with lieavy and continuous rain, which lasted until morning.
Juh/ 7. — We made this morning an early start, continuing to travel up
the Platte ; and in a few miles frequent bands of horses and mules, scatter-
ed for several miles round about, indicated our approach to the Arapaho
I village, which we found encamiicd ni a beautiful bottom, and consisting of
about 160 lodges. It appeared extremely populous, with a great number
of children; a circumstance which indicated a regular supply of the means
of subsistence. The chiefs, who were gathered together at the farther end
of the village, receiVv.d us (as probably strangers are always received to
whom they desire to show respect or regard) by throwing their arms around
four necks and embracing us.

I It required some skill in horsemanship to keep the .'^addle during the per-
Ubrmance of this ceremony, as our American horses exhibited for them the
I same fear they have for a bear or any other wild animal. Having very few
I goods with me, I was only able to make them a meager present, accounting
|ibr the poverty of the gift by explaining that my goods had f en left whh
! the wagons in charge of Mr. Fitzpatrick, who was well known to them as
I the White Head, or the Broken Hand. I saw here, as I had remarked in
I an Arapaho village the preceding year, near the lodges of the chiefs, tall
I tripods of white poles supporting their spears and shields, which showed it
I to be a regular custom.

■^k

\yS,..'jf\'

LAIT. FKEMONTH NAKKATIVE.

[1843.

>. "

TliouL'^h disappointed in ohtaitiin^ tlic presents which had been evident-
ly exp«itt«'d, ihey behaved very courteously. aii(J, after a httie conversation, I
Holt tht.iti, and, conliuuiiifj^ on up thi; river, haUoil to noon on the bluff,
as the boliopis arc ahnost inundated; continuini>[ in the afternoon our
route along the mountains, which were dark, misty, and sfirouded — threat- 1
cning a storm ; the snow peaks sometimes i,'hltering through the ck)uds be-
yond the first ridi^e.

We surprised a izrizzly bear saiuiteritiii; ah)ni» the river; which, raising!
himself ui)on his hmd legs, took a deliberate survey of us, that did not ap-
pear 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 mosquitoes. Souic indithirent observation'^
jdaced the camp in latitude MV 43' 5J", and chronomttric longitude lOfi'i
1*4' 34". I

Ju/i/ .'■'. — We continued to-day to travel up the Platte; the morning pleas-
ant, with a prospect of fairer weather. Ihn .ng the forenoon our way lay
over a more broken country, with a gravelly and sandy surface ; altiiougli
the immediate bottom of the river was a good soil, of a dark sandy mould,
resting upon a stralum of large pebbies, or rolleil stones, as at Laramie fork.
On our righf, and apparently very near, but probably Sor 10 miles distant,
and two or three thousand feet above us, ran the first range of the moun-
tains, like a dark corniced line, in clear contrast with the great snowy chain
which, imn)ediulely beyond, rose glittering five thousand feet above them.
We caught this morning a view of Pike's peak ; but it appeared for a mo-
ment only, as clouds rose early over the mountains, and sfirouded 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 ol red rock. While trav-
elling 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 thickr^r and darker as the day advanced, until
the afternoon, when the thunder began to roll ; and invariably at evening
we had more or less of a thimder storm. At 1 1 o'clock, and 21 miles from
St. Vrain's fort, we readied a point in this southern fork of the Platte, where
the stream is divided into three folks; two of these (one of them being much
the largest) issuing directly from the mountains on the west, and forming,
with the easternmost branch, a river of the plains. The elevation of this
point i'? about 5.500 feet above the sea ; this river faUing 2,S00 feet in a
distance of 31G miles, to its junction with the North fork of the Platte. In
this estimate, the elevation of the junction is assumed as given by our bar-
ometrical observations in 1S42.

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 (populus tremuloides) was mixed with
the Cottonwood, and there were excellent grviss 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 oi gilia^ with slender
scarlet flowers, which appeared yesterday for the first time, was very fre-
quent to-day.

We had found very little game since leaving the fort, and provisions be-
gan to get unpleasantly scant, as we had had no meat for several days ; but
towards sundown, when we had already made up our minds to sleep another

■ •y

[1843.1

(1 boon evident,
le coiiversution,
Dti on the bluff,
afternoon our
•nnded — threat.
\\ tlio clouds be-

whicii, raising
that did not up-
river and swam'
! Cherry creek .
ml observation^

longitude lo/'i

morning plcas-

on our way lay

rface ; altliougii

k sandy mould.

It Laramie fork.

miles distant,

[e of the moun-

lat snowy chain

QCt above them.

eared for a mo-

rouded them in

!, as at the Red

;k. While trav-

irning the lofty

louds began to

advanced, until

biy at evening

} 21 miles from

le Platte, where

em being much

t, and forming,

evation of this

2,800 feet in a

the Platte. In

''on by our bar.

we first came
and where we
'^as mixed with
3r the animals.
rers, which we
ring flax made
with slender
, was very fre-

1643.']

t'Al'T. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

provisions be-
eral days ; but
3 sleep another

night without snpjM'r, Lnjtnniesse had the good forfinie to kill a fine deer,
which ho foinid feeding in a linllow near t)y ; .uid as the rain l)Ou;ui to fall,
threatening an unpleasant night, we hurried to secure a coml'ortable camp
in the timber.

To-ni2;lit the camp llres, girdled with ajijiohts of fine venison, looked
cheerful ni spite of the stormy weather.

////// !>. — On account of the low stale of our provisions ami the scarcity
of game, I determined to vary our roun^, and proceed several camps to the
eastwaril, in the hope of falling in with the butfalo. This route along the
dividing grt)tuuls between tlie South fork of the Platte and the Arkansas,
would also allbrd some additional geouiaphical information. This morning,
therefore, we turned to tlie eastward, along the Ujiper witers of the stream
on which we had encamped, entering a country of picturescjue and varied
.scenery ; broken into rocky hills of singular shapes ; little valleys, with
]inre crystal water, here leaping' swiftly alon:,% and there losing itself in the
sands; grecsn spots of luxuriant grass, llowers of all colors, and tind)er of
ditferent kind.s — every thing to give it a varied beauty, except game. To
one of these remarkably shaped hills, having on the simimit a circular
Hat rock two or three hundred yards in circumrerence, some one gave the
name of Poundcake, which it has been pernntted to retain, as our hungry
people seemed to think it a very agreeable comparison. In the afternoon
a bulfalo bull was killed, and we encamped on a small stream, near the
road which runs from St. Vrain's fort to the Arkansas.

July 10, — Snow fill heavily ou the mountains diu'ing the night, and
Pike's peak this morning is luminous and grand, covered from the sunmiit,
as low down as we can see, with glittering white. Leaving the encamp-
ment at 6 o'clock, we continued our eas crly course over a rolling country,
near to the high ridges, wliich arc generid'.y rough and rocky, with a coarse
conglomerate displayed in nia.v:ses. and covered with pines. This rock is
very friable, and it is undoubtedly from its deompositiou that the prairies
derive their sandy and gravelly formation. In miles we crossed a head
water of the Kioway river, on which we found a strong fortand cord/ that
had been built in the s|)ring, and halted to noon on the prhicipal branch of
the river. During the morning our route led over a dark vegetable mould,
mixed with sand and gravel, the characteristic plant being e.^parcette, {ono-
brychis 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 luxu-
riantly, 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 llower was very conmion 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. 'I'here 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 incUnation, 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

f^^-

er"

f'APT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[1813.

r'.

31^^

" fl

•' m •;'

l)jc people were sick to-day, and I was inclined to attribiifc their indispo.l i
slMon to tli(j ment olthe hull which had l)t)uii killed the previous day.

J(i/t/ W. — ThfTc wore uo indications of huHalo havini: hren icconlly in
the tii'ii,'ld)Oiliooil: anil, unwillinu: to travel farther eastward, I ttuiied this
morning to the southward, u|) the valhsy of Hijoii. Kspnrcetic oeciirri'd
universally, ami arnoncr the plants on the river I noticed, for the Urst time
duruig this jv)urney, a U'.w small bushes of the dhsinlhe of llu; voyag(Mirs,
which is couuiionly used for fire wood, [ortetnisia Iridcutala. ) Yesterday
and to-day the road has hijcn ornamented with the showy hlooni of a beau-
tiful ////;/« ;/.s, a characteristic in many partv of the niomitaiu region, on
which were generally great numbois of an iispcl witii very bright colors,
{litta vcskotoria.)

As we were riding quietly along, eagerly searching every hollow in
search of game, we discovered, at a little distance in the prairie, a largo
grizzly bear, so busily engaged in digging roots that he did not perceive us
until we were gallopin:r down a little hill fit'ty yards from him, when he
charged upon us with such suduen energy, that several of us came near
losing our saddles. Being wounded, he coumienced retreating to a rocky
piney ridge near by, from which we were not able to cut him off, and we
entered the timber with him. The way was very nuich blocked up with
fallen timber; and we kept uj) a running fight tor some time, animated by
the bear charging among the horses. He diil not fall imtil after he had
received six rifle balls, lie 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 piney ele-
vation, into which the prairies are gathered, and from which the waters
How, in almost every direction, to the Arkansas, Platte, and Kansas rivers;
the latter stream having here its remotest sources. Although somewhat
rocky and broken, and covered with pines, in comparison with the neigh-
boring mountains, it scarcely forms an interruption 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 dis-
tance of 40 miles. This mountain barrier presents itself to travellers on
the plains, which sweep almost directly to its bases — an immense and com-
paratively vsmooth 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 f
prairies are every where covered with a close and vigorous growth of a
great variety of grasses, among which the most abundant is the buflalo grass,
(sesleria dactyloides.) Between the Platte and Arkansas rivers, that part '
of this region which forms the 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 ex-
cellent, 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 approaching the Missouri river ; they generally have bottom lands,
bordered by bluffs varying from 50 to 500 feet in height. In all this

[1843.1 1843.]

CAIT. FRKMONT'S NARRATIVE.

' I

tholr iiidispo.
/ions (lay.
I't'M rccoiitly ill
I, I tiinied this
cctfc occurred
r \\\o. first time
ili(! voyagciirs, j
/. ) Yostcrday
oom of a beau-
a ill ivu;ion, oil

bright colors,

^ory hollow in

rairi'!, a large

not purcoive us

him, when he

us came near

tini^ to a rocky

til oil', and we

)clvud lip willi

e, animated by

I after he had

nothing to our

licli, according
is is apiney ele-
icli the waters
Kansas rivers;
iLch somewhat
itfi the neigh-
gicat prairie

p, at the dis-

travellers on

icnse and com-

with the black

Vith occasional

Tiention, these

growth of a

e buflalo grass,

vers, that part

of the Kansas,

inted, is based

ountry is ex-

)uld support a

le map, along

in is watered

lain, these are

ch the richer

bottom lands,

t. In all this

region tho timber is entirely confined to the streams. In tho enstorn half,
where tho Soil is a d«M'|i, rirh, vegr'talilf moiiltl, rittentivi! of rain ntid moist-
ure, it is of vigorous growth, and of many flilfiMeiil kinds ; and throughout
the western half it consists entirely of various speri«!s of cotfonwood, which
deserves to bo called tho ircjo of the desert — growing in sandy soils, where
no other tree! will grow ; pointing out tlM; existeiiff- of water, ami furnishing
tothe traviilhu' liici, and I'ood for his animals. Adil tolliis, thai ihc western
border of tin; plain is oeeiipied by the Sioux, Aiapaho, and (-heyenno na-
tions, and the Pawnees and other half-civilizcMJ tribes in its eastern limits,
lor whom the inierme(liat(! country is a war ground, you will have a toler-
ably correct idea ol' the appearand; and condition u'i the country. De-
'j scending a somewhat picciiJitousand roeky hill side.' iuongtbn pines, which
rarely appear elsewhere than on the ridge, we encamped at its foot, where
tiiere were seviual springs, which you will find laid down upon tlie map a.«
one of the extreiiu! somces of ib(5 Smoky Hill fork of the Kansas. Fr(Uii this
;ilace the view tjxtendiul over the Arlcaiisas valley, and the Spanish peaks

II the south beyond. As the grtjater |)art of the men continued sick, I
"iicampcd here for the day, ami ascertained conclusively, from (!X|)eriment.s

III mysulf, that their illness was caused by the meat of tin; luillalo I.miII.
v')n the summit (>f the ri(lure,near the camp, were several rock-lMult Ibrt.s,

which in front were very dillicult of approach, and i:i the roar were pro-
tected by a precipice entirely lieyond tho ntach of arilleball. The even-
ing was tolerably clear, with a temperature ut sunset of (),';\ Elevation of
the camp 7,300 leet.

Turning tho next day to the southwest, we reaclie 1, in the course of
the morning, tho wagon road to the settlements on the Arkansas river, and
encamped in the afternoon on the Fonluinv-<itti-})t>xiU (or Moiling Spring)
river, where it was fjO feet wide, with a swift cmreiit. i aiterwards found
that the spring and river owe their names to the bubbling of the elferves-
cing gas in the former, and not to the temperature of the water, which is
cold. During the morning, a tall species of 'j;Uia^ with a slender white
dower, was characteristic; and, in the latter part of tli(! day, another vari-
ety of esparcctte, (wild clover,) having the flower wliite, was equally so.
We had a fine sunset of golden brown; and, in the evening, a very bright
moon, with the near mountains, made a beautiful scene. Thermometer, at
sunset, was oy^, and our elevation al)Ove the sea 5,800 feet.

July 13. — The morning was clear, with a northwesterly breeze, and the
thermometer at sunrise at 46^. There were no clouds along the moun-
tains, and the morning sun showed very clearly their rugged character.

We resumed our journey very early down the river, following an ex-
tremely good lodge trail, which issues by the head of this stream from the
bayou Salade, a high mountain valley behind Pike's peak, 'fhe soil along
the road was sandy and gravelly, and the river well timbered. We halted
to noon under the shade of some fine large cotton woods, our animals lux-
uriating on rushes {equisetuiii hyemale,) which, along this river, were re-
jnarkably abundant. A variety of cactus made its appearance, and among
several strange plants were numerous and beautiful clusters of a plant
resembling mirahilis jalapa, with a handsome convolvulus I had not
hitherto seen, {calystegia.) In the afternoon we passed near the encamp-
ment of a hunter named Maurice, who had been out into the plains in pur-
sul: of buffalo calves, a number of which I s:iw among some domestic cat-

\.^Ji^y

J fT> "^^ T '

KM)

i\rV niKMoNPH NAMIIAI'IVK

'S'

[tfl43.

lln Hour Ins Uxl^iv Sln»rilv iiHiMwanh. ii |i,iiiy ol inotiiiltiiiicprR p;ilIopH
up It) UN litif-looKiiit^ ami luinly IIKmi. ilrcNNnl m t^Uwv, .iiiii iiiniiiitr<l oil
^(in(| fill Ihunin; allium; llnrii wi^ri» h«»v«'ral Coiiiu rfinii iiini, u pdrlioii oC
Wvt'lll''^ pailVi wIloMI I liail NMi'll iIh' \v\\ lirtoic. jiikI miIhms w<mo IIIOII
lioiii iIh' wcsinn Siahs.

Cotilttiuiuij; ilnwii ilii* lucr, \vn (•iirrinipitd at iinon on ilit> 1 illi at it.i
niiMiili, oil iIh> Arkansas riv)<r. A ^llo^t ilisiaia-o aliov*' our oncainium'nl,
on lln' Icli Itan'x ol lli<« Aikaiisa.s, is a /tnrhfo, (as ijin Mi'Xicaiis call llii'ir
nvili/i'd liiiliaii villai(i>.s,) wlirrr a nninix t ol imiiiiitaiiiois, who had mar
iii'd Spanish wnmi't. ni iho valloy ol Taos, had rolli'iird tov*'lh«>r, and od-
ciipKal ihcm.srlvi'.i in t'arinin^, ruiryiiiK «>iial llw ,s:im<> imih* u (IcmiIidiv hi*
diaii Iradr. 'riic\ woic piinripidlv Aini'in'aiis, and iHMicd ns wiili all iln; r|
iiido hospiialiiy thrii' Mtiiaiion adimilcd ; liiii as all cumnM'K'ial int<!ri'onr.s'>.
w ilh N«"w Mrxii'o was now iiihMinpird, in ron.sf(|niii«(' ol' Mcxiran dr-
n«M's to thai t'lirci, ilicro was noihin^' lo ho had in iIh* way ol provisions.
Thrx- had, liow(!Vt>r, a l'in<> stock ol' *'aiili>. and liirnisJK'd ns an ahini(hiiict!
ol' «'Xi't'lltMil milk. I JtMiiird hcio thai Maxwtll, in rompaov with Iwu
other men. had staitid lor Taos on tlii> inotnin^ of iho <iih. hnl tjiat hi<
would prohahiy tall into llu' hands ol lh<> I 'tali Indiaiiv, roinmoiiiy calltMJ
Ihc S/xmis/i Yh/iw. As Maxwoll had no knovvl<>d;,'n ol thrir hciiiif in th'-
vicinitv whtMi he cvosM'd the Arkansas, his clijoiii' ol escape was verv
doiihirni ; hut I did not eiit*>rlani niiu'li appieiiension lor Ins life, havin.;
jUri'at oonfideiH'e in his priidiMico and conraL^e. I was Inrlher inltoined that
there had heeii a popular tnninit ainoii|L' the yn//7*A;.v, or civili/ed Indinn.i,
nvsidinir near Taos, a!»ainsi the *• /n/v'/^-/</';\v" ol' that plaee, in which they
had plundered their houses and ill trealeil iheir lainilies. Amon;^ thoMi
wlios,' pr(»perty had heen ilestrt)yed, was ISIr. IJeiinhieii, ratlier-in-la\r ol
Miixwi'll, Iroin whom I had expected to ohiain supplies, and who had
ho(Mi ohli<;od to make his escape to Santa Fe.

13y this position ol' all'air.s, our expectation of ohiaimni? supplies from
Taos was cut oil'. I had Iumo the satisfaction to meet our yood huftalo
liiuiler of liSl'J, Christopher Carson, whose services I considerod my.seU
forluiiato to secure auain ; and as a reinl'orcenient of mules was ahsolutoly i
necessary, I despatched him iminediattily, with an aceonnt of our iiccessi- '
tics, 10 .Mr. Charles Hoiil, whose; principal j)ost is on tlu; Arkansas river,
about 7.') miles helow Fonfaine-t/uihoKt'/. lie was directed lo proceed
Iroiu thai j)ost by the nearest route across tlu; country, ami in(;et me with
wliat aiiiinals ho should be able to obtain al St. \' rain's fort. I a Uo ad-
mitted into the parly Charles Towns — a native of Si. Louis, a serviceable
man, with many of the qualities of a good voyatjeur. According to our ob-
servations, the latitude of the mouth o( the river is .'38'^ 15' 23"-, its longi-
tude 104'' 58' 30"; and its elevation above the sea -1,880 feet.

On the morning of the l(illi, the time lor Maxwell's arrival having ex-
pired, we resumed our journey, leaving for him a note, in which it was
stated tlinl I would wait for him at St. Vrain's fort until the morning of the
2()th, 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 celebrated
springs from which the river takes its name, and which are on its upper
waters, at the fool of Pike's peak. Our animals fared well while we were
on this stream, there being every where a great abundance of prele. Ipo-
viea hptophylla, in bloom, was a characteristic plant along the river, gen-

1843.1

« Ai'i I'HKMo.NTM NMiinrivn.

loi

I'ors ffrillopofi
I inniiiitnl on
I, II |i(iil|(>h ol
tH worn tiujii

III* I nil at its

iMir,illl|>IIH'l|t,

runs call tin'ir
u'lio liiul mar
i'IIh'I", ami or
(Icsiillorv lil-
ts Willi nil llii;
lal iiitori'oiirsM

McXH'IlM (!<'-

of provisions.

an iiliiindanc)-

uiy Willi two

, bill tlitil li)<

iiinoiily <'{ill)!<l

r Ix'in^ in Jli<'

ipd was very

IS lilV. Iiavin;,'

inlorin*'«l that

ili/,(j(l Indian.-.,

in which llnv/

Anion:? those

Ihcr-iti-law ol

Hill who hiifl

supplies from
^ood hnfl'iilo

idcrod inysolf
IS absolutely
our nccesKi-
<ansus river,

d to proceed
(!et me with
I aloo ad-
u serviceable
ng to our ob-
;}"; its longi-

al having ex-
rtrhich it was
lorning of the
Our direction
lie celebrated

on Its upper
hile we were

prele. Ipo-
le river, gen-

nrally in Inrp" binielieH, wnh lw«» to five ll»iw«'rs on eiicli, fliMitiifiil clnv-
tors ol ill'" plant ri"*einlilni ,/ ;;i /»•/////// v julitfin 'vcrf nnnicron ;, und ^/»/
cyrrfiiTii /ffiii/n/ft was a characN'ri'.lir oi ili«; hoilonr. Cnnanis iicurly
ripo wen* alinndaiii, and anionu; the Nlirubs which covered the boittMii was
Rvery Inxnnani ^lowili ui chciiopodiaccons Nhrnlis, four to ^ix feel hmh.

(In the afti'iiioon o| tli'> I 7ih we <'iil»'ii'd ainoii^ ihc lirol<cn ridt,'cs at the
fool of the inoinitain;, wlirri- flic river made '.cvcial forks. Leaving the
ramp to follow slowlv, I lodoalic.ul ill iIm' iificrnoon in search o( ||ic spriiiKs.
Ill the ineaii time, tin- clond'-^, which hail been f iiheird all the afternoon ovrr
ilie moiinlains, bei.Min lo roll down ile-ir -ideN ; ;nid a '.loi in so vioh-nt burst,
iipon inc, thiit. It appeared I h id entered the .lorehoiise o| th<. thunder
storms. I cotilnined, however, to ride mIoiiv up the river until abinil sini.';ei,
and was bei^tnnini; to be doubtful of (itidini,' the sprini^'s br-fore the next
(lay. when I came sii«ldeiily upon a lart'e smooth rock abioit twenty yards
ui diameter, where the wahr from sever, il Mprin'.'s w c; biibblio'' and boilinLi;
ii|i III the midst f»f a white mcritslalion with which it had covered a portion
III the rock. As Ibis did not ( orrespond with a description '/iveii me by tlie
liiitileis, I did not slop to lasie the water, but, disnioiniiin:', wall:ed a little
way up llie river, and, passin-.' fbroiiLdi a narrow tliici.et of sbtuhbery bor-
dering the .slieani, stepped dueclly llpHli a liii^e white rork, ;it iIm; loot ol
which the rivc^r, already become a torrent, foame»l aloni?, br<»ken by a small
l>ill. A <leer which bad been drinking at the spriiis/ was startled by my
a|)proa('li, and, spriii'j;iii!,' across the river, bounded off up tlic inonntnin.
Ill the upper pail (d ilie roel;. wlii'li Ii;hI ap|»areiiily been formed by depo-
sition, was a lir'autiful white basin, overhiini!; by r-iirrant bushes, in wliieh
the cold eh^ar wah-r bubbled up, kept in c(»iistant motion by ihe. eseapintj
i^'fts, anil overllowini^ llie rock, which ii had almost emirely covererl with
;i stuoolh (Miisl of elisicniiii,' while. I had all day relVainefl from drink-
ing, reservinu^ myself for the sprint^; and as I could not well be more wet
than till' rain bad i.lready made nc, I l,iy down by i:ie sir|e of the basin,
and drank heartily ol' the deliidilfiil water. Th'! sprill^ is siiii;i|{;d imme-
diately at the foot of lofty mountains, beautifully timbered, which sweep
cloMily round, sliiilfiuLj; up tin; little valley in a. kind of cove. As it was
beginning to grow dark, I rode ipiickly down the river, on which I found
the eam|> a few miles ImsIow.

The morning of till! isih was beautiful and clear, and, all the [jeopbj
])cing anxious to drink of these famous waters, we eiicaiu[<eii inimediutely
at the springs, and spent there a very pleasant day. On the opposite side
of the river is another locality of springs, which ;ire entirely of the same
nature. The water liasa vi^ry agreeable taste, wliicli Mr. Preuss found very
much to resemble that of the famous Suiter springs in the grand duchy of
Nassau, a country famous for wine and mineral waters; and it i.s almost
entirely of the same character, though still more agreeable than that of the
famous Hear spritigs, near Hear river of the Great Salt lake. The follow-
ing is an analysis of an incrustation witii which the water had covered a
piece of wood lying on the rock :

Carbonate of lime
Carbonate of magnesia
Sulphate of lime i

Chloride of calcium I-
Chloride of magni.isia )

02.25
1.21

.23

lOi

(APT fMtKM«).NT> NAUIlAriM:

[1843.

i^j if*

Silini

Vitmi'laM't iitiitiiM •

MdiNiiirc and ii).«i>

-«^

lOU.IM)

oi f^f

Al n o'clock, will II lli<! lcin|*«'raimo of lliu air was 73'^, llmt oi rpf
walcr III iliis was (»(),.•> ; aixl thai oi' llio ii|>|ifr >|»riiiu, which issued liotTi
thii llat rock, iiior>' ••\;)i».Md lo Iht; .M^l,wa^ i»!» . AtMiiisri, when the Itih-
pciatiirc ol dh' air was <»(> , diiil ol thu lower .s|iriii^.s was r>^ , and thai t>i
lh<' upper HI''.

•////// Ifi. - A hi'Miitiriil and clear luorniiii;, with a ^li^llt hrcczo from tlie
northwest; tilt' tf'iiipiTatinc ol' air at miiiiim' hniiy '>7..'>'. At this titn*'
the iciiipt raiuic of the lower .spring wus AT.h , and (hnl ol the iippci
5\.:i'\

The trees in the n'M:,'ld»orhood were hirch, willow, piiio, und an oak re-
sotnhliiiL' i/mrniy iiUni. In the .shrnhhery aloii;,' the river are currant liushe>.
(ri/xw,) ol which the Iriiit has a .sinuiilar pincy llavor ; and on the nioiintaii.
.sicU;, in a red i;ravelly soil, is u roniarkahle conileroiis tree, (p(!rli)*,<s an
ithir.s,) haviii'T the leaves siiiLriilary loni,', hroad, and Ncaltored, with hiish< ^
ol' y/ii):i ,1 (i)i;rfnli(i. Hy our o!)>ervation.s, th > place is »»,;i/)() I't'Oi above
llic sea. III lalitiide US' .^'j 10 ', and loiii,'ilude. H).') „';>' 15".

KcMuniiig our journey on this inorniim, wedtiscciided ihe rivc'r, in ordoi
to reach the niouili oi iI:m oo-ilcru link, which I proposed to ascend. The
left hank of the rive;- here is very much hrokeii. There! is a haiidsoine
little l)oftoni oil the li^hl, .'uul hoth hank's arc cxceiMJiii^ly |)ictunis(pi(! —
strata o( red rock, in nearly perpendicular walls, crossing the valley from
north to south. Ahoiit tliret; miles helow thes|)rinij;s, on the right banl< ol
the river, is a iic;irly perpendicular liinestone rock, pr(!sonliiig a nnil'orinly
unbiviUeii surlace, twenty to forty r(!el Jiii;li,(:oiilaiiiiii:; vi'iy great nunibt'r>
of a large univalve shell, which appears to h(;loiig to the \rrM\\i> i)ioce.r<ifnus.

In contact with this, to llu^ westward, wa.s another straluiu of limestone,
conta. ling fossil shells ol a diU'iireiil character; and still higher uji on the
stream were parallel strata, consisting of a compact sonitiwhat crystalline
limestone, and argillaceous hituminons liinestone in thin layers. During
the morning, wo travelled up the eastern fork of the Fonidine-f/ui-houif
river, our road i)cint; roughened by fre(pienl deep gullies timbered with
pine, and haltt'd to noon on a small biaiich of this sircam, timbered prin-
cipally with the iiiirrow-leaved coltonwood, (/^ry/y/z/j/.v d/iij^H.sliJ'olia,) called
by the Canadians /m/v/ a/tit'n'. On a hill, near by, were two remarkable
columns of a grayish-white conglomerate rock, one of whicii was about
twenty feet high, and two feel in diameter. They are surmounted l)y slabs
of a dark ferruginous conglomerate, forming black caps, and adding very
much to their coliunnar elfect at a distance. This rock is very destructible
by the action of the weather, and the hill, of which they formerly consti-
tuted r. 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 (i2°,
and our elevation above the sea was G,530 feet.

(II

(M"

til
III

I"
foi

ell

till

re(

till
till
I I
lie;

cif

CGI

of
bn
Tl
wr

rol

tiK

tJR

jea
col
vc:
no
in§
rej
bl>

K.'#.^..A

[1813. I iHii.]

«'.\nv rifnMONTH NAHIUTIVn.

103

.♦ 1.50

.Jf)

- -I.rjl

KJd.oO

'.". - - ...

^ thm oi

tho.

'h isMinl liofn

^vIkmi th)' 1

•'Ill*

h , aiiii ill

It 1)1

vA'//.o iVoni

III.'

At (Ins

tllllf

• il' ihr ll[)|»i'i

Liid an o.'iU K'-
iirianl liiisli»!>,
I (Ik- iiiDiiiit.iii.

!, i|M'lll!l|.» ai;

I, Willi hiisllt ^
150 ll'Oi al)OV<'

river, ill or(l»,'i

ascend, 'i'lir

i a liandsoiu''

))i(:lnros(|ii(! —

\r valley from

ri^'ht l);-n\' ul

y; a unilbriuly

,M(Mt nuniber>

sinocenu/ius.

I of liinesloiit' .

KM np on th*-

ai crystalliiM-

't.-rs. l)urini>

ine-f/ui-houif

iinbured with

inhered priii-

ijolia,) calle<l

o remarkable

cli was about.

nted by slabs

adding very

y destructible

rnierly consti-

and wo made
de, with clear
ic mountains,
stood at 62°,

.////// 80. — Tills iiioriiiiii» fill wi» u«MMT!»lly fuimd the inoniinj;** tinder
ih^M' nioiiMiaiiis) \va< very <*lear iiid iMMiitilnh and tin- air ••mil and ph-a.-s.

mil, vviih tin- tliermoint'ti i- at IJ . NVe itinin-d oiiniiairli up (he .sinain,

alonu: a ^rl<(•n slopiiit^ hottom, between piin- lull « on ilin one hand, ntid the
main Ml;t«-I, lulls on ilir nih»'r, towards th'- ridi;e which si-paiates the wator.s
of the Plain- lioni tliose n| thf .\rk.i(is.is As w«' appro;u-lnul the dividint;
iKl'jr, tilt' wholi- valley was radiant willi ilowt-r.-. ; hliir, yrllow, pniU, wlnu-,
Bcarl<-t, and piirph-, vietl with each other in splendor. Kspan-riiu wa« one
m th(- highly chararn-ristii' plants, and a hri.;dii-louKiii:< IhtWi'V {ifai/lnrJia
ttrinlnhi) was vrry ln'ipiem ; hut ihf inosf .ahiiiidaiit plant alidc^ oiir road
today WHS If rrtnn'uh' viuculntinn, which n the t hariictt-.i.slic plaiil on tint,
portion of the dividin:.^ i^roiinds. Cro.ssiiti^ tu the watur.s of the I'liitte, fields
of blue llax addr-d to the in.iirniCicriKie of ihi^ iiKHintaiii garden; tlii.s wa.s
orrasioinlly four l""-i'f in hf-iirhl, which w.is a liixiiri.iiice «ii' ^rowth tli;il I
rarely saw ihis almost inii\crsal plant ailaiii throii^hoiii the juniiiey. (-'on-
tiiiumv^ down a hraiirli of the IMalte, anionuf hiidi and very ^tecp tin-bercrl
liill.s, covered with fragments of rock, toward.s evi'iiini,' we issued fri/ui the
liitiey rc.'ion, and ni;ide a l;ite eiic;ini|iiMi'iit near l*oiiiidcake rock, on that
(ork of iIk' river whi( h we had ascended on the 8lh (d' .Inly. Oiir anunals
enjoyed the ahniidant ru.sln's this eve-ninj?, as tin; llii!s were so h.id amoiu
the pines that they had been much hara.ssed. A deer was killed here tins
evenini^'; and a-.,'ain the evenins^ was ov<!rca>.t,and a collection of brilliant
red clouds in iIk; west was loll, wed by the customary s(|uall of rain.

Jlchillen milh'Jhlimn (milloii; was amoiii' the characterisiic plants of
thcj river bi)ttoms to-day. This was one of the most common plants during
the whole of our joiirtiey, ot-ciu' inu; in almost tivery v.iriety (»f situation.
I noticed it on the lowlands of the rivers, near the coast of the Pacific, and
near to thf! snow ainoti^ tin; inoiiiitains of the Sierra A'rvtu/o.

DuriiiL!; this excursion, we had surveyed to its head one of tlio two prin-
cipal branches of the upfier Arkansas, 75 miles in length, aiirl entirely
completed our survcsy of the South fork of the; Platte, to the extreme sou. :es
of that portion of the river which belongs to the plains, and heads in the
broken hills of the Arkansas (Jividing ridge, at the foot of the mountains.
That j)ortion of its waters which were collected among t'lese mountains, it
was hop(!d to ex[)lore on our homeward voyage.

Reaching St. Vrain's fort on the morning of the 2.3d, we found Mr. Kitz-
patrick and his jiarty in good order and excellent health, and my true and
reliable friend, Kit Carson, who had brought with him leu good mules, with
the necessary pa'.;k saddles. Mr. Kiizpatrick, who had often endured every
extremity of wantdiiring the course of his mountain life, and knew well
the value of provisions in this country, had watched over our slock witli
jealous vigilance, and there was ati abundance of Hour, rice, sugar, and
cofl'ee, in the camp ; and again wi; fared luxuriously. Meat was, however,
very scarce ; and two very small pigs, which wo obtained at the fort, did
not go far among forty men. Mr. Fitzpalrick had been here a week, dur-
ing 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 tolera-
bly good condition.

I had been able to obtain no certain information in regard to the charac-
ter of the passes in this portion of the Rocky mountain range, which had
always been represented as impracticable for carriages, but the exploration
of which was incidentally contemplated by my instructions, with the view

'.4

'v • •

mii^^

104

CAl'T. I'KKMONT'iS NAKUATIVE.

[1843. ■ 16

of fiiuling some convnnicnt |ioiiit of puj^sjigo for tlio road of emigration,
which would (>ii;ihle it to r(!ach, on ;i more dinict hue, the usual ford o|'
the Oroat ('olonido — a place coiisidt.'red as determined by the nature of the
country heyond that river. It is siiii;ular that, iinmcdiafely at the foot of
the mountains, I coiiid fmd no one suOicienlly acquainted witli them to
guide us to the plains at flieir westorn base ; hut the race of trappers, who
formerly lived in their recesses, has aUnost entirely disappeared — dwindled
to a few scattered individuals — sonu; one or two of whom arc regularly
killed in the cour.se of each year hy the Indiiuis. V'ou will remember tiiat,
in the previous year, I hrcui^hf with me to their village near this post, and
hospitably treated on iIk; way,ijev(,'ral CMieyeuni! Indians, whom I had met
on the Lower Platte. Slioriiy after ihi'ir arrival here, these were out with
a party of Indians, (themselves the principal men,) which discovered a lew
trappers in the neighboring mountains, whom they innnediately murdeied,
although one of them had been nearly thirty years in the country, and was
perfectly well known, as he had grown gray an)ong them.

Through this portion of the mountains, also, are the customary roads ol'
the war parties going 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 strag-
gling lodges of their enemies. Shortly before our arrival, one of their par-
ties had attacked an Arapalio village in the vicinity, which they had found
unexpectedly strong; and their assault was 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.

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 Cdche-d-
la-Pottdre. river, which rises in the high bed of mountains around Long's
peak, I thought it advisable to avoid any encumbrance which would oc-
casion detention, and accordingly ' gain separated the party into two divi-
sions — one of which, under the command of Mr, Filzpatrick, 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 be-
longing to the Hudson Bay Company, and situated on Snake river, as it is
commonly called in the Oregon Territory, although 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 be-
came necessary to provide 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 profes-
sional skill he was a Ivirmidable rival to Carson, and constantly afterwards
■was among the best and most efficient of the party, and in difficult situa-
tions 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, hke Naomi

by
;aloi

;d0t(

i. ,

cha
ithe
iiii 1
I mo I

I
fide

the

belti

repc

the

peri

; rain
enci
dist

: T
plai

; tere
ther

; plac

' mac
■ ': live
; cult

•' clos

|; ant]

\i six

fe V

;: or r

(APT. IRHMONT'H NARRA'l'IVH.

105

of emigration,
Jisual ford of
e nature of the
at the foot of
witli tlieni to
fra|)|)ers, who
'cd — dwindled
arc rognlarly
einemberlliat,
• llii.s post, and
hotn I liadniet
wore out witli
SCO ve red a few
lei y murdered,
inilry, and was

imary roads of
Indians ; and
down to the
g some strag-
iie of tlieir par-
,liey had found
ipid Ihglit and
[1 llie animals

tinec or four
1 consequently
led to try the

the Cdche-d-
round Long's
eh would oc-
into two divi-
:, was directed
inning thence
all, a post be-

river, as it is
lowii to us as

ricted to one

homes, it be-
I accordingly
out 25 years
of which time
6 posts, or in
J and profes-
ly afterwards
ifRcult situa-
len belonging

ck on the 4th
wife of the
s, Uke Naomi

of old, to return to her people, requested and obtained pernnssion to travel
with my party to tlio neighborhood of llep.r river, where she expected to
jfBcet with some of their villages. Happier th .n tlie Jewish widow, she
carried witli her two children, pretty laiie half-breeds, who addctd much to
the liveliness of the camp. Her baggage was carried on five or six pack
horses; and I gave her a small tent, ibr which I no longer hud any use, uh
I had procured a lodge at the fort.

Fo'" my own party I selected the following men, a number of whom old
associations reiKJered agreeable to me:

Charles Prouss, Christopher Carson, IJasil Lajcuuesse, Francois liadcaii,
J. B, Bernier, Louis Menard, Kaphael Troue, Jacob Dodson, Louis Zindel,
Henry Lee, J. U. Derosiur, Francois Lajeunessc;, and Auguste Vasquez.

By observation, the latitude ol the post is 40'^ !(>' 33", and its longitude

i ;uj" 13' 23", depending, with all the other longitudes along this portion of

hue line, upon a subsequent occultation of September 13, 1843, to which

I hey are referred by the chronometer. Its distance from Kansas landing,

iby the road wo travelled, (which, it will be remembered, was very winding

lalong the lower Kansas river,) \vas 750 miles. The rate of the chronometer,

(Icteriniiied by observations at this place for the interval of our absence,

during thismonth, was33.72", which you will hereafter sec did not sensibly

change during the ensuing month, and remained ne;irly constant 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 jilace and the

mouth of the Foiiiuiiief/ui-iwnil.

Our various barometrical observations, which are better worthy of con-
fidence than the isolated deferniinatiou of 1S42, give, for the elevation of
: the fort above the sea, 4,930 ft.-et. The barometer here used was also a

etter one, and less liable to derangement.
I At the end of two days, which was allowed to my animals for necessary
repose, all the arrangements had bee'i completed, and on the afternoon of
the 26th we resumed our respective routes. Some little trouble was ex-
perienced in crossing the Platte, the waters of which were still kept up by
rains and melting snow ; and having travelled 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 comparative
plains, and, fording the Ctiche-d-la-Poudre on the morning of the2Sth, en-
tered the Black hills, and nooned on this stream in the mountains beyond
iihem. 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
driver again about dusk. A. littie labor, however, would remove this ditfi-
culty, and render the road to this point a very excellent one. The evening
closed in dark with rain, and the mountains looked gloomy.

Jult/ 29. — Leaving our encampment about 7 in the morning, we travelled
mtil 3 in the afternoon along tlie river, which, for this distance of about
ix miles, runs directly through a spur of the main mountains.
We were compelled by the nature of the ground to cross the river eight
r nine times, at difficult, deep, and rocky fords, the stream running with
leat force, swollen by the rains — a true mountain torrent, only forty or
fty feet wide. It was a mountain valley of the narrowest kind — almost
chasm; and the scenery very v/ild and beautiful. Towering mountains rose

■v--!.

'-•..»

■ ■ P

106

CAPT. FUKMON'rs NAI!K\TI\ H.

'H''

;:■ ,♦«':.;;;■,

round al>c)tU; tlioir sidcissomcMtncs dark with lorcsts of pine, and sometim
with lolly |)r(H'i|)ic»vs, washed hy iho rivo.r; while hnlow, as if they indcui
iiifiod iIkmmsoIvos in luxiirianix' for the scjaniy space, the green river hot
toni was covered with a wilderness of Mowers, their tall spikes sornetimpi
rising above our heads as we rode among tliein. A profusion of hlossoiiii
on a while (lowering \\nv., {clematis lusitmthi,) which was abundant alon
the river, contrasted handsomely with the green foliage of the trees. 'I'li
mountain appeared to be composed of a greenish gray and red granite, wliic
in some places appeared to be in a state of decom[)osiiion, making a red soiLl

The stream was wooded with cottonwood, box elder, and cherry, with
currant and serviceberry bushes. After a somewhat laborious day, dunn.'
which it had r.iin(;d incessantly, we encamped near the end of the pass ;i;
the mouth of a small creek, in sight of the grciat Ijaranjie plains. It con.
tiuued to rain heavily, and at evening the mountains were hid in misls;
but there was no lack of wood, and the, large fires we made to dry oiu
clothes were very comfortable; and at night the hunters came in with i
fine deer. Rough and dinicult as we found the pass to-day, an excelleu:
road may be made with a little labor. Elevation of the camp 5,5-10 foot,
and distance from St. Vrain's fort 50 miles.

July 30. — The day was bright ngain ; the thermometer at sunrise 5a':
and leaving our encampment at S o'clock, in about half a mile we crossed
the Cnc/ic-a-la-Foudre Yiver (or the last time; and, entering a smoothot
country, we travelled along a kind of vallnn, bounded on the right by roij
buttcsand precipices, while to the left a high rolling country extended to a
range of the Black hills, beyond which rose the great mountains aroutiJ
Long's peak.

By tjie great quantity of snow visible among them, it had probably snow-
ed 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 travellui
over a high country, gradually ascending towards a range of Imttes, 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 or.r elevation to 7,520 feet. Duriii:^
the day we had travelled 24 miles, liy some indifferent observations, our' Jcha
latitude is 41° 02' 19". A species of hedeome. was characteristic along the into
whole day's route. witi

Emerging from the mountains, we entered a region of bright, fair , and
weather. In my experience in this country, I was forcibly impressed with The
the different character of the climate on opposite sides of the Rocky mouii- , clea
tain range. The vast prairie plain on the east is like the ocean ; the rain mik
and clouds from the constantly evaporating snow of the mountains rushiii^' , J-,
down into the heated air of the plains, on which you will have occasion to our
remark the frequent storms of rain we encountered during our journey. , witl

July 31. — The morning was clear ; temperature 48°. A fine rolling road,! Ispol
among piney and grassy hills, brought us this morning into a large traiiT and
where an Indian village had recently passed. The weather was pleasaiiti covi
and cool ; we were disturbed by neither musquitoes nor flies; and the i mtl
country Avas certainly extremely beautiful. The slopes and broad ravinoj and
were absolutely covered with fields of flowers of the most exquisitely beauii- moi
ful colors. Among those which had not hitherto made their appearance, ami : the
whicli here were characteristic, Avas a new delphinium, of a green and i pro?

n^
»P

lini

jaiK

jbrc

jthe

|tiia
Fii
son
mo

llOfl

lati
flor
wit
eve
iiey

ill 4
foot
witl
pro;
The
locci

(;.\i"r. FRRMONT'8 N ATIIIATIVK.

107

«T1

;, and somotim
? if tlioy iiidt'm
jrecn rivor bot
)ik(js sornetimpi
sion of l)l().sson
inburulnntalon

tho trees. 'I'hi
3d granite, vvliic
lakinga rod soil.
nd cherry, with
ious day, during'
1 of the pass ;i;

plains. It coil.
"o hid in nii.sls:
lado to dry oiu
came in with ;i
ly, an cxcelloir,
amp .OjS-IO feet,

at sunrise 52 ,
rnilc wo crossed
ring a smoother
the right by re
ry extended tea
3untains aroutii

[probably snow-
US in the valley
jrnoon travelleij
ge of huttes, oif
Ige between the!

water, near the
JO feet. During
jservations, our
eristic along the

of bright, fair
impressed with;
e Rocky mouu-'
ocean ; the rain
)untains rushiii^
ave occasion to
our journey,
ine rolling road,,
to a large trail ^
er was pleasaiii

flies; and the
broad ravniev
juisitely beauti-
ippearance, and
of a green aui

iBtrous motnllif blue color, mingled witheompnct fwildsof several briqlit-
olored vnrifties of natrdf^tilus, whieli \wv.yo. crowded together in sphnidid
fusion. 'This trail rondueled us through a reiufirkable defile, to a little
irnbered creek, n[> wliieh wo wound our way, passing by a singular and
assivo wall of dark-rcid granite. Tiie formation of the country is a rerl
foklspathic gr.'itiile, overlying a decomposing mass of the same rock, form-
ng the soil of all this region, which every where is red and gravelly, and
ppoars to be of a, great lloral fertility.
As wp en/erged on a small tributary of the Laramie river, coming in
iglit of its principal stream, the flora becam<i p(!rli!Clly magnificent; and
we congratulated ourst^lves, as w(! rode along our pleasant road, that we
liad substituted this for th(! uninteresting country between Larami(! hills
and the Sweet Water valley. We had no meat for supper last night or
breakfast this morning, and were glad to see Carson come in at nooji with
a good antelope.

X njeridian observation of the sun placed us in latitude 4l°04'0f>". In
the evening, we encamped on the Laramie river, which is here very thinly
timbered with scattered groups of cotton vvooil at consilerabhi intervals.
From our camp, W(^ are able to distinguish llie gorges, in which are the
I sources of Criclie-a-la-Poudre and Laramie rivers; and the Medicine liow
mountain, toward the point of which we are directing our course this after-
noon, has been in sight the greater part of tin! day. IJy observation, the
latitude was 41'^ 1.5' 02", and longitude 10<r' Ui' .54". The same beautiful
flora continued till about 4 in the afternoon, when it suddeidy disappeared,
with the rod soil, whicli became sandy and of a whitish-gray color. The
evening was tolerably clear; temperature at sunset ()4°. The day's jour-
ney was .30 miles.

Jius^ust 1. — The morning was calm and clear, with sunrise temperature
at 42°. We travelled to-day over a plain, or open rolling country, at the
foot of the Medicine How mountain; the soil in the morning being sandy,
with fragments of rock abundant; and in the afternoon, when we ap-
. proached closer to the mountain, so stony that we made but little way.
The beautiful plants of yesterday reappeared occasionally ; flax in bloom
occurred during the morning, and esparcette in luxuriant abundance was a
characteristic of the stony ground in the afternoon. The camp was roused
nto a little excitement by a chase after a bull'alo bull, and an encounter
ith a war party of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians about 30 strong. Hares
nd antelope were seen during the day, and one of the latter was killed,
^he Laramie peak was in sight this afternoon. The evening was
slear, with scattered clouds: temperature 62°. The day's journey was 26
iles,

August 2. — Temperature at sunrise 52°, and scenery and weather made

our road to-day delightful. The neighboring moimtain is thickly studded

with pines, intermuigted with the brighter foliage of aspens, and occasional

pots like lawns between the patches of snow among the pines, and here

nd there on the heights. Our route below lay over a comparative plain,

overed with the same brilliant vegetation, and the day was clear and pleas-

ntly cool. During the morning, we crossed many streams, clear and rocky,

nd broad grassy valleys, of a strong black soil, washed down from the

ountains, and producing excellent pasturage. These were timbered with

he red willow and long-leaved cottonwood, mingled with aspen, as we ap-

roached the mountain more nearly towards noon. Esparcette was a char-

,<*■■

•H

if'*' •

in'*?.

y, ; 1. « 1

O'W^

108

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARHATIVR.

acteristic, and llax occurred freqiioiiily in Ijloom.^ Wc; hnltod at noon O!
the most western fork ot" Lar;imio rivor — a liaiidsonio stream about sixt
feet wide and two feet deep, with elear water and a swift cnrrent, over
bed composed entirely of houlcJers or roll sioiies. 'I'liero was a largo opei
bottom here, on which wenj many lodge; poles lying about; and in t
edge of tlio surrounding timber were three strong forts, that a|)peared t
have been recently occupied. At (his place I became first iicqu.-iinted wit
tho i/(/7np(i/i, {atit'thmn i!;r(iv('n/t')is,) which I foinid our Snake woiuan en.
gaged iu digging in the low tindiered bottom of the creek. Among the hi.
dians along the Uocky mountains, and more particularly among the Slio
shonee or Snake Indians, in who.se territory it is very al)undant, this j-
considered the best among the roots used for food. To ns, '.t wjs an in
teresting plant — a little liidc between the savage and eiviliz-'d life. Here,
among the Indians, its root is a common article of food, which they take
pleasure in offering to strangers; while with us, in a consiihnable portioi l|iiiii
of America and Eiuope, the se(>ds aie used to tlavor soup. It grows mou
abundantly, and in greater luxuriance, on one of the neighboring tributa
ries of the Colorado than in any other ))art of tliis region ; and on tlia
stream, to which the Snakes are accustomed to resort every year to prociir.
a supply of their favorite plaiU, they have bestowed the name of Yampui
river. Among the trappers, it is generally known as Little Snake river
but in this and other instances, where •* illustrated the history of the peo
pic inhabiting the country, I have prefeired to retain on the map the abo
riginal nan)e. IJy a meridional observation, the latitude is 41"^ 45' 59

In the afternoon we took our way directly across the spurs from tli(
point of the mouiUain, where we had several ridges to cross ; and, al
though the road was not rendered bad by the nature of the ground, it wai
made extremely rough by the stifl' tough bu.shes o{ arlemisia tridentatu
in this country commonly called sage.

This shrub now began to make its appearance in compact fields ; anii
we were about to quit for a long time this country of excellent pasliiragt
and brilliant flowers. Ton or twelve bulialo bulls were seen during thf
afternoon ; and Ave were surprised by the appearance of a large red ox
We gathered around him as if he had been an old acquaintance, with ai lu'aj
our domestic feelings as much awakened as if we had come in sight of ai:-
old farm house. He had probably made his escape from some party o
emigrants on Green river; and, with a vivid remembrance of some ok
green field, he was pursuing the straightest course for the frontier that tli', Ire ti
country admitted. We carried him along with us as a prize; and, wher. ;nd(
it was found in the morning that he had wandered otf, I would not let hiic frass
be pursued, for I would rather have gone through a starving time of three
entire days, than let liim be killed fter he had successfully run the gaunt
let so far among the Indians. I have been told by Mr. Ben*'<=' people o; xce
an ox born and raised at St. Vrain's fort, which made his escape from then
at Elm grove, near the frontier, having come in that year with the wagons
Tiiey were on their way out, and saw occasionally places where he hac
eaten and lain down to rest ; but did not see him for about 700 miles, whei:
they overtook him on the road, travelling along to the fort, having unac
countably escaped Indians and every other mischance.

ill
cr

11 i
cai

itit
et

■foo
11 a
dj

blii
icir
ni(
load
8"
ibn
tlioi
ics
ith
lead
ram
I'hic
lie.
le ri
lent
our!
owi
le f

nni]
ulfa

ith

ilty

* The greater portion of our subsequent journey was through a region where this shrub consti
luted the tree of the country ; and, as it wilt often be mentioned in occasional descriptions, the won.
artemisia only will be used, without the specific name.

rail

ceo
een
oon
mif
iffic
00 (
pi a
ver

CAIT. FKIIMONT'M .NAUHATIVK.

109

tcrl at ribon oi
am about sixt-
Lcurront, over
vas a large ope
mu ; and in ihi
l»al appeared t
iicquaiiitod wit
tiakc woman on^
Amoiii? the In
iinoiii^ (ho Slio
ibiuidaiit, this
s, it was an
Z''(l hfe. llfiie,
vhich I hey tak
siderable portioi
, It i^rows nioFi
;hboring tributa
n\ ; and on tiia
y year to prociir*
amn of Yuinpat
tie Snake river
story of the peo
10 map the abo
is 41^ 45' 59'
I spurs from th*
) cross ; and, al
e ground, it wai
isia trideiitatu,]

pact fields! ; audi
;ellent pastiiragi
seen during thsj
a large red o.\.'
intance, with aij
ne in sight of aii*

some party o
ncc of some ok
rontier that llu
rize; and, wlm
irould not let hiic
ixg time of three
y run the gaunt
iev*'" people o;
scape from then
tvith the wagons
3 where he hac

700 miles, whei;
rt, having unac-

ire this shrub const!-
descriptions, the wok

Wo encamped at evening on ll:e principal fork of Medicine liow river.
lear to an isolated mountain called iImj Medicine /hi/te, which appeared lo
10 about 1,800 I'eei ai)Ove the plain, fr(Mn which it rises abruptly, and was
ill while, nearly to its base, with a great (|iiantity of siiqw. The streams
ere limbered with the long-leaved coitonwood and red willow ; and diir-
g the afternoon r species of oiuon was very abundant. I obtained I "re
1 immersion of the first satellite of Jupiter, which, corresponding very
early with tile chronometer, placed us in longitude 10fJ"47' 25". The
itiiude, by observation, was 41'^ 3T Id" ; elevation above the sea, 7,800
et; and distance from St. drain's fort. 1 17 miles.

Jiugtist ;i. — There was a white Irost last iiii,dit ; t!io morning is clear and
ool. We were early on the road, having bre-akfasted before sunrise, and
1 a ft:w miles travel entered (lie pass of fli(! Medicine /y<</tV, through which
(i a broad trail, which had be<;n recently travelled by a very large party,
ininediately in the pass, (he road was broken by ravines, and we were
ibliged to clear a way through groves of aspens, which generally made
heir appearance when we reached elevated regions. According to the ba-
onieter, this was 8,300 feet ; and while we were detained in opening a
oad. I obtained a meridional observation of the sun, which g:ive 41° .35'
S" for the laiitude of the pass. The Me(heine Jhitlc is isolated by a small
ibulary of the North fork of the Platte, but the mountains approach each
tlicr very nearly ; the stream running at tlieir feet. On the .south they
ic smooth, with occasional streaksof ])ine ; but the buttc itself is ragged,
ith escarpments of red feldspatliic granite, and dark with pines; the snow
aching I'rom the summit to within a few iiundred feet of the trail. The
raiiiie here was more compact and durable than that in the formation
Inch we had passed through a few days before to the eastward of Lara-
lie. Con{inuing our way over a plain on the west side of the pass, where
10 road was terribly rough with arteniisia, we made our evening encamp-
lent on the creek, where it took a northern direction, unlavorable to the
lourse we were pursuing, liands of buffalo were discovered as we came
own upon the plain ; and f'arson brought into the camp a cow which had
le fat on the lleece two inches tliick. Even in this country of rich pas-
irage and abundant game, it is rare that the hunter chances upon a finer
nimal. Our voyage had already been long, but this was the first good
tilfalo meat we had obtained, \Vc travelled to-day 2ti miles.
*,dugiist 4. — The morning was clear and calm ; and, leaving the creek,
re travelled towards the North fork of the Platte, over a plain which was
jndered rough and broken by ravines. With the exception of some thin
rasses, the sandy soil here was occupied almost exclusively by artemisia,
'ith its usual turpentine odor. We had expected to meet with some diffi-
iilty in crossing the river, but happened to strike it where there was a very
xcellent ford, and halted to noon on the left bank, 200 miles from St,
'rain's fort. The hunters brought in pack animals loaded with fine meat,
ccording to our imperfect knowledge of the country, there should have
een a small affluent to this stream a few miles higher up ; and in the after-
oon we continued our way among the river hills, in the expectation of en-
imping upon it in the evening. The ground proved to be so exceedingly
ifficuh, broken up into hills, terminating in escarpments and broad ravines,
00 or 600 feet deep, with sides so precipitous that we cou,ld scarcely find
place to descend, that, towards sunset, I turned directly in towards the
ver, and, after nightfall, entered a sort of ravine. We were obliged to feel

'"> ^'

f*-

I ■ i.
\ • -

110

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[I84AM

i'\r

' ' • 1'

slf-s..

ei
ir
ar
ou
usi
tot

)ne

0|i(.
fV

nir

•er
e

our way, and clear a road in the darkness ; the surface being much broken,
and the progress of the carriages being greatly obstructed by the artemisia,
which had a luxuriant growth of four to six feet in height. We hai
scrambled along this gully for several hours, during which we had knocke
otf the carriage lanips, brok<'n a thcrtnometer and several small article
wlicn, fearing to lose something of more importance, 1 lialled for the nigl
at 10 o'clock. Our animals were turned down towards the river, that the
might pick up what little grass they could find ; and after a litile searcli
some water was found in a small ravine, and improved hy digging. W'el
lighted up the ravine with fires of arteniisia, and about midnight sat dowi
to a supper which we were hungry enough to find delightful — alihougt
the bulli'lo meal was crusted with sand, and the cofl'ee was bitter with the
wormwood taste of the arlemisia leave>.

A successful day's liunt had kept ^iir hunters occu|)ied until late, ami
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 iiia l^t t
Cottonwood grove on a beautiful grassy bottom, where ouranitnals indem.
nified iheniselves for the scanty lare of the past niglit. It was quite a pretty
and pleasant place ; a narrow strip of prairie about five hundred yards Ion
terminated at the ravine where we entered by high precipitous hills closins
in upon the river, and at the upper end by a ridge of low rolling hills.

In the precipitous blulfs were displayed a succession ol' strata rontainins
fossil vegetable remains, and several lods of coal. In some of the beds the
coal did not appear to be perfectly mi'.ieralized ; and in some of the seams
it was compact and remarkably lustrous. In these latter places there wert
also thin layers of a very fine white salts, in powder. As we had a large
supply of meat in tlie camp, which it was necessary to dry, and the siir- |^iet'
rounding country appeared to bo well stocked with bulfalo, which it was
probable, after a day or two, we would not see again until our return to tin:
Mississippi waters, 1 determined to make here a provision of dried meat
which would be necessary for our subsistence in the region we were aboir
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 b-:
dried; and all were busily occupied, when the camp was thrown into a
sudden tumult, by a charge from about 70 mounted Indians, over the low
hills at the upper end of the little bottom. Fortunately, the guard, whoi
was between them and our animals, iiad caught a glim])se of an Indiaivi
head, as he raised himself in his stirrups to look over the hill, a momeiii
before he made the charge ; and succeeded in turning tiie band into thell^i ^

IdcIo:

itht

ti mi

aiiu
uit
jorl

utit

Jclea

arr

[he <

sprit

fimo;
ovis
Ol
')iisi
hat
iro
hro
vidu

he'
lip ii

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 Indians brought to a sudden halt, which they made;
in time to save themselves from a howitzer shot, which would undoubtedlyjji'sec
have been very efl'ective in such a compact body ; and further proceedings^
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^ 1 pa
upon the camp under tlie belief that we were hostile Indians, and had dis-
covered their mistake only at the moment of the attack — an excuse which?
policy required us to receive as true, though under the full conviction tliai;fciica
the display of our little howitzer, and our favorable position in the grove.!
certainly saved our horses, and probably ourselves, from their marauding' ^ fe^
intetitions. They had been on a war party, and had been defeated, anS

CAPT. FKEMONTS i\ARKATIVE.

Ill

ere consequently in the state of mind which aggravates their innate
irst for pknidur and hlood. Their excuse, however, was tal; m in good
art, and the usual evidences of friendship interchanged. The pipe went
ound, provisions were spread, and the tobacco and goods furnished the
ustoniary presents, whicli they look for even from traders, and much more
from (lovernment authorities.
Th<!y were returning from an expedition against the Shoshojice Indians,
ne of whose villag«!s they had surprised, at Hridger's fort, ou Ham's forlv
fdreen river, (in the absence of the men, who were eii;,'aged in an ante-
)|te surround,) and succeeded in carrying olf their horses and taking
jluful — altliouglBtt^^^'^i"^' scalps. News of llie attack reached the Snakes immediately, who
bitter with tlieH|nirsiied and overtook them, and recovensd their horses ; and. in the running
tijht which ensued, the Arapahos had lost several men killed, and a mini-
ler 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 wliites
t the fort. After remaining until nearly sunset, they took their departure;
find the excitement which their arrival had afforded subsided into our usual
ijuiet, a little enlivened by the vigilance rendered necessary by the neigh-
borhood of our uucertain visiters. At noon the thermometer was at 75°, at
;iiiiset TO'^, and the evening clear. Elevation above the sea 6,820 feet ;
kilitiide 41" SG' 00"; longitude 107^ 22' 27".

t^usrusl C). — At suL.ise the thermometer was 40"^, the morning being
clear and calm. We travelled to-day over an extremely rugged country,
harren and uninteresting — nothing to be seen but artem.isia bushes; and, in
tiie 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
netty little stream of clear cool water, whose green banks looked refreshing
imong the dry rocky hills. The inniters brought in a fat mountain sheep,
ovis vionianu.)

Our road the next day was through a continued and dense field of (irte-

misia, which now entirely covered the country in such a luxuriant growtii

Ihat it was dillicult and laborious for a man on foot to force his way

through, and nearly impracticable for our light carriages. The region

hrough which we were travelling was a high plateau, constituting the di-

I'iding ridge between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and

the guard, who! ^JXtciiding to a considerable distance southward, from the neighborhood of

of an Indian"; 'i^e Table rock, at the southern side of the South Pass. Though broken

hill, a momeiii: ip into rugged and rocky hills of a dry and barren nature, it has nothing

band into the'. >ffi mountainous character; the small streams which occasionally occur

al yell. Before; belonging neither to the Platte nor the Colorado, but losing themselves

m was occupied; -'ither in the sand or in small lakes. From an eminence, in the afternoon,

hich they made! ^ mountainous range became visible in the north, in which were rccog-

Id undoubtedlyj '^'sed some rocky peaks belonging to the range of the Sweet Water valley;

her proceedins^ ^"d> determining to abandon any further attempt to struggle through this

► be a war paityi limost impracticable country, we turned our course directly north, towards

ley had chargedH i pass in the valley of the Sweet Water river. A sliaft of the gun carriage

IS, and had dis- ^vas broken during the afternoon, causing a considerable delay; and it was

n excuse whichw^^te in an unpleasant evening before we succeeded in finding a very poor

conviction tliat,icncampment, where there was a little water in a deep trench of a creek,

on in the grove.'rfr'^d some scanty grass among the shrubs. All the game here consisted in

their maraudingl^ few straggling buffalo bulls, and during the day there had been but very

n defeated, audi

ig much broken,
jy the arteniisii
sight. Wo h
wo had knockei
,1 suiall article
led for the nig
Lj river, that the
r a Utile search,
y digging. VVei
dnight sat down

d until late, aini
7; ourselves only
and camped in a
r animals indem.
as quite a preltj
ndred yards Ions
itous hills closin;
rolling hills
strata rontainin»
e of the beds the
me of the scams
)laces there wore
i we had a large
ry, and the siir
lo, which it was
our return to tlii
II of dried meat,
1 we were aboii:
Scatfolds were
thin slices to b;
IS thrown into a
ns, over the low

1 1 ■

■■ 1

■•."6.

-r:i^

112

CAPT. FKEMOXTH NAKRATIVE.

[1843.1

*■". 'V

, ;<-

liltlo grnss, except in some green spots where it liatl collected nround springs
or shallow lakes. Within fil'iy miles of the Sweet Water, the country
changed into a vast saline plain, in many places extremely level, occasiou*
ally resemhlini,' the llat sandy beds ol .shall(»w lakes. Here the v.'getalion
consisted of a shrubby growth, anions which were several varieties ofl
chenopotliacvotis plums; but the characteristic shrub was Fremonlid ver-
inicutitrin, with smaller saline slirubs urowing Avith singular luxurianct?
and in many places holding exchusive possession of the ground.

On the evening of the 8th, we encamped on one of these fresh-wate;
lakes, which the traveller considers himself fortunate to find ; and the ne.\
day, in latitude by observation 42° 20' Oti", halted to noon inuiiediately at
the foot of the southern side of the range which walls in the Sweet Watt-
valley, on the head of a small tributary to that river.

Continuing in the afternoon our course down the stream, which hen
cuts directly through the ridge, forming a very practicable pass, we enteroif
the valley ; and, after a march of about nine miles, enra!ni)ed on our fanu
iar river, endeared to us by the nrcpiaiutance of the previous expedition;
the night having already closed in with a cold rain storm. Our camp wa>
about iwe'ity miles above the Devil's gate, which we had been able to see
in coming down the plain : and, in the course of the night, the clouds broke
away around .lupiler for a short time, during which we obtained an im-
mersion of the first satellite, the result ot which agreed very nearly v;itl
the chronometer, giving for the mean longitude lO?'^ 50' 07"; elevatiot.
above the sea (j,010 feet; and distance from St. Vrain's fort, by the road
we had just travelled, 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 )»leasantly. With very little de
viation 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 poiii
where the road turns ofi'to cross to the plains of Green river. The increased
coolness of the weather indicated that we had attained a great 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, stanuing at 26.5°. Leaving
this encampment, (our last on the waters 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 different roads. Selecting as well as I could, in the scarcely distin-
guishable ascent, what might be considered the dividing ridge in this re-
markable depression in the mountain, I took a barometrical observation,
which gave 7,490 feet for the elevation above the Gulf of Mexico. You
will remember that, in my report of 1842, 1 estimated the elevation of this
pass at about 7,000 feet ; a correct observation with a good barometer ena-
Lles me now to give it with more precision. Its importance, as the great [f
gate through which commerce and travelling may hereafter pass between 1 1

[low

cha!

trib(

refu

loo:

)eei

the

itF

iesc

uid

0W(

[184S.I

around springjj
ir, the couniryi
level, occasion,
tlid v.'grtalion
III varieties ofj
''Vemnndu verA
lar luxiiriano'j
uid.

;se fresh -water
1 ; and the nex
immediately ai
e Sweet Watt'

im, which Iut'
)ass, we entereij
ed on our fami •
)us expedition,
Our camp wo
been able to see
he clouds brok*;
obtained an im-
ery nearly vntl
' 07"; elevatioi.
ort, by the road

lighway, where
[ely beaten and
animals for the
toiling so long
h very little de
up the valley;
'ater, at a point
The increased
Igreat elevation,
the night water

|g|3,] CAI'T. KREMONT'M NAHltATIVE. \\3

Ihe vnlley of the Mississippi and the north Pacific, jiisiifips a prrriso notice
i#f its locality and distance iVom leading points, in addition to tins statement
l^its elevation. As slated in the report of ISIJ, its lafitnd*' ;it the point

where wo crossed is 12° 24' 32" ; its longitude lOf)'^ 'if]' 00"; its disiancc
I from the month of the Kansas, by the conunon iravelhiig route, !»r»2 miles;
\ttorCi the mouth of the (Ireat IMatte.alonir the vallev of ihiil river, according

to oiu' survey o

f IS-rj, 8Hi miles; and itsdisiance from St. I.oui; about lOO

I miles more by the Kansas, and about 700 by tin; Crent Platte rc.ute ; these
additions being steamboat conveyaiicf! in both instances. From this pass
tn the nioutli of the Oregon is about 1,100 miles by the coumion travelling
routti; so that, under aireneral point of view, u may be assumed to be; abotU
halfway between the Mississippi and the racifu^ ocean, on the common

' tr;ivol!ing route. Following a hollow of slight and easy descent, in which
was very soon formed a liiiie iribiUary to flu; (Inlf of California, (for the

. waters which Mow west from tlie South Pass go to this gull',) wo made our

' usual halt four miles I'rom the j)ass, in latimde l)y observation 42° IM' r^3".

- Entering here the valley of (Ireen river — the great ('olorado of tin; West —
and inclitung very nuich to the southward along the streams which form
the Sandy river, the road hul for several days over dry and level umnter-
csliiig plains; to which a low, scrubby growth of artemisia gave a unifonu
dull grayish color; and on the evening of the l/ith v/o encamped in the
Mexican territory, on the left bank of Green rivtsr, (»9 miles from the South
Pass, in longitude 110° 05" 05", and latitude 11^5.'}' 54",dista»jt 1,0.31 miles
from the mouth of tla; Kansas. This is tne emigrant road to Oregon, which
bears much to the southward, to avoid the mountains about the western
heads of (ireen river— the IHo f 'crr/r of \\\o Spaniards.

t//ugtt\'f H). — Crossing the river, here about 400 If-et 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 strean!,of which the; islands and shores are hand-
somely timbered vith cottonwood. The refreshing appearance of the broad
river, with its timbered shores and green woorled islands, in contrast to its
dry sandy plains, probably obtained for it the name of Green river, which
was bestowed on it by the Spaniards who first came into this country to
trade some 2.5 years ago. It was then familiarly known as the Seeds-ke-
dee-agie, or Prairie Hen {letran nrophasiinnifi) river; a name which it re-
ceived ftom 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
. . travelling, it was called the Bitter Root river, from the great abundance in
ards tlie "snig: \[^ valley of a plant which affords them one of their favorite roots. Lower

|g a white frost;.
16.5°. Leaving

[ng ridge which

J by a road some

(return in 1842.

]xtreriiity of the

iy traversed by

I scarcely distin-

lidge in this re-

\dX observation.

Mexico. You

levation of this

Ibarometer ena-

:e, as the great

pass between

[lown, from Brown's hole to the southward, the river runs through lofty
chasms, walled in by precipices of red xock\ and even among the wilder
ribes who inhabit that portion of its course, I have heard it called by Indian
efugees from the Californian settlements the Rio Colorado. We halted to
loon at the upper end of a large bottom, near some old houses, which had
een a trading post, in latitude 41° 46' 54". At this place the elevation of
he river above the sea is 6,230 feet. That of Lewis's fork of the Columbia
t Fort Hall is, according to our subsequent observations, 4,500 feet. The
iescent of each stream is rapid, but that of the Colorado is but little known,
uid that little derived from vague report. Three hundred miles of its
ower part, as it approaches the gulf of California, is reported to be smooth
8

■K

114

CATT IKI'MONTM N AHUATIVK

|v^"

and trati<{iiil ; hut its iippiir part is iiiariif'ustly hrokcn into many fal)t
and rapids. Kroiii iiiniiy (i(!M'ripii(>ns of (rappers, it is prohal>l<> that in ilij
Uiaiiiiiii; foiirsf aiiiiMi;^ lis lofiy prrcipic cs it prfsfiils tiiany srciH's of wild
i^Taiidi'iir ; iiinl ihoiiuh ,<il<'iiiiir many Iciiiplalioiis, and olicii <h><Miss(>d, imj
tra]>pui-8 have hrcii I'otuid hold (inoii^h to mxlitrtako a voya^n which has to]
crriain a prospi><>.i ot'a fatal iciiniiiatioii. 'I'hr Indians have .strant^o srnriei
ot' hcauiilnl valleys ahoinidiiiu; with l)(^'lv^>r, shut up ainoni,' inaccessible (
walls of rock in tlm lower course oi the rjver ; and to which iIkj llel^hhor.
ing Iiulians, in their occasional \Tars with ihu S|)aniards, and atuoug them-
selves, drivti their luirds of cattle and lIocUs of shoe|), leaving' iheui to pas-
ture in pt rfecl secnrily.

The road hen- leaves the river, which hoiidscousiderahly to the east; and
111 the afternoon we riisiuunul our wesf<'rly course, passini; over usoiu(!what
hi^h and broken country ; and ahoul sunset, after a day's travel of 2li uiilcd,
rtsicheil DIaek's fork of llie (Ireeii iiver — a shallow stream, with a some,
wlial sluggish current, ahuul l:J(Jl'<:cl widts, liinhered principally with wil-
low, and here and there au occasional large tree. At .'t in tin; morning 1
oblaineil au observation of an enu'rsiou of the lirsl satellite of .Jupiter, with
other observations. Tlu; heavy wagniis havt; so comphMely pulverized the
soil, thai clouds of line light (lu.st ar(! raised by the slightest wind, uuikitrj;
the road sometimes very ilisagreeable.

*/Jit^u.sf 17. — Leaving our encumpmeiil at in the uiDruing, wo travelled
along the ln)ttom, which is about two miles wide, bordered by low lulls, in
which the strata contained liaiidsonK; and very distinct vegetable fossils. In
a gully a short distance farther up :lu! river, and underlying these, was ex-
posed a stralutu of un impure (U* argillaceous limestone. Crossing ou the
way Black's fork, where it is oik; loot deep and forty wid(», with clear water
and a pebbly bed, in niiuj miles we reached Ilaiu's fork, a tributary to tin;
former stream, having now about sixty leel breatlth,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 gias". 'I'lo road here makes a traverse of twelve
miles across a bend of the river. I'assing in the way some remarkable jiills,
two or tl'.me hundred feet high, with freciueiil and nearly vertical efcarp.
nients of a green stone, consisting of an aigillaceous carbonate of lime, nl
teruating with strata of an iroiibrown limestone, and worked into pictui'
esque forms by wind and ruin, at 2 m (he afternoon we reached the river
again, having made today xil miles. Since crossing the great dividing
ridge of the Rock;' monntains, plants have been very few iu variety, the
country being covered principally with arlemisia.

*/iugust IS, — We passed ou the road, this morning, tlie grave of one o!
the emigrants, being the second we had seen since falling 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 oi
her relations at Bridger's fort, wliich is only a mile or two distant, on a
fork of this stream. In the evetiing we encamped on a salt creek, aboii;
fifteen feet wide, having to-day travelled .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 journey we losij
six or seven of our animals. Tlie grass which the country had lately
forded was very poor and insufficient ; and animals which have been i

asc

for

pai

tail

ant

an(

bet

[lNt.S 11410

<!ArT FHKMi.NTH NAK«ATI\ K

to many fal)»j

il)li< ihat in itij
siciH's of wild]
I discussed, no
I! wliicli has 10
slriin,m) sroriei
ju; iiiju'oes.siblej
I ih(! iH'ii^lihor-
il aiMoiiu; thorn*
^ ihuiu lo P'ls-

n iho east; mid
nir usonjcwhrit
ivcl t»r -t) inil<!n.
1, with a soiin;-
|);dly with wil-
1 th(; moriiiiiu; I
1)1 .liipitor, Willi
f pulverized tiic
,t wind, uiakiti.!

li,', wo lravt;llt'(l
by low hills, ill
'table fossils. In
(T Ihcsc, was ex-
[Jri)ssiut( oil lilt;
wiUi clear watf't
1 tributary to tlui
;w inches deptli
llio botloui is ;i
rorso oC twelve
•mar Uable hills,
vtrlical escarp-
uate of lime, al-
;ed into pictiii-
laciied the rivet
<,'real dividing
iu variety, ilie

trravc of one o!
into their trail;

to find some oi
vo distant, on a
salt creek, aboui

le circumstancesj;

journey we losii
ry had lately at'j
h have been ac«

.1,

0IMtoined to f^rnin brroinn 'oon weak nnd unable to labor, when rediicod to
BO uliivr iinurishiiinnt than yrass. The Auieriean horseM (itsthoNO tiru
niually called which are brout{lit to ihiH country Irotu tli*' Suiics) nre not of
tny serviceable valine until aller llicy have retnaiiK d a wniter in the coiut-
try, and become aceustouicd to live entirely on ura^s.

^lui^iist IM. — I)«!.siroiis to avoid every delny not absolutely necessary, 1
tent on Oarsori in advance to Fort llall this iuornin^,l<i uiak*; arrangeiiiuht.s
for a small supply of proviMoiis. A few mile:4 Irom uwx eiicampmenl, iho
foad entered a hitdi iid^'f, which the trappers called the " litlle luouutani,"
coiineclini:; the lllali with llie Wind river chain ; and in oim; of the lulls near
which wo passed I leminkcd strata of a coni^loiiierate formation, Irai,'-
iiierits of which were scattered (»ver the surface. We crossed a ridj^e of
ifiis (■oiiL,'lomerate. the road [lassiii;^' near a t,'rove of low cedar, and de-
scended U|)oii oikm)! the heads of Ham's h»rK, called Mudily, where wo
made our midday halt. In the river hills at this place, I discovered strata
of fossilliferous rockJiavinu: an nolilir stnictiirc, wliicti, in ctMiiiexion with
the neitihboriiii,' strata, aiitliori/e us to b«tlii-ve ihiii Im re, on the west .side
ol the Kocky mountains, we liiid repeated the modern form;'.tions of Great
Ihitain and lOnrope, which have hiilierlo been waniii'g to coinplelo tlio
system of North iXincrican ircoloL'y.

Ill the afternoon w(! cMitiniied our road, and, s(!arcliiii<,' anionic the fiills
a few tnilt^s up the stream, and on the same bank, 1 discovered, aniomr alter-
iiatiiij,' beds of coal and clay, a stratum of white induratcii cluy, coiilainintj
very clear and b<;auiifiil imprcrssions of v(?getable remains, 'i'his was iho
most iiiterestiiii» fossil locality I had met in the country, and I d(!e|)ly re-
ijrelttid that time did not permit me to remain a day or two in the vicinity;
but 1 could not anticipate ihi; ilelays to which I mii^dit be e.\pos(.'d in iho
course of our journey — or, rather, 1 knew that tJiey were, many aiuJ iiiovi-
tabb;; and alter reinaitiiii'^^ here only about an hour, I liiirried oil', loaded
with as many s[)ccimens as 1 could conveniently carry.

Coal made its ap|)earanc(; o(,'casionally iu the hills during the afternoon,
and was displayed in rabbit Imrrows in a kind of gap, through which wo
pasRcil over some high hills, and we descended to n;ako our encampment
on the saiue sirotim, whert! we (bund but very poor grass. In the evening
a fiiio cow, with her call, which had strayed oil" from some emigrant party,
were found several miles from the road, and brought into camp; and as
she gave an abundance of milk, we enjoyed to-night an exct.'ll(;nt cup of
colfee. We travelled to-day 2S 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.

*/Jufftist ^0. — We continued lo 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 arc higher, presenting escarpments of
parti-colored and apparently clay rocks, purple, dark red, and yellow, con-
taining strata of sandstone and limestone with shells, with a bed of cement-
ed pebbles, the whole overlaid by beds of limestone. The alternation of red
and yellow gives a bright appearance to the hills, one of which was called
by our people the Haiiibow hill ; and the character of the country became
more agreeable, and travelling far niore pleasant, as now we found timber
and very good grass. Gradually ascending, we reached the lower level of a
bed of white limestone, lying upon a white clay, on the upper line of which

t ,

»>>

'i.

, >

116

c;apt. rnKMoNTN nnrhative.

[IMl

tin; wlioln rorid is altuiidaiitly Hiipplii'd witU bcuinrul ro»l npringt, KUthing
out (1 fool in lircadth uiid .M>vi>ral iiicIii'.h dtii'p, directly Iroiii ihu lull itide. At
noon wt> lialtrd at iIm; Iii>i iiiaiti tork ot'ilio crurk, at an lUtvalion of 7,l20(>
firot, and in laiiliid«<. liv oliMTVuiioti, 11' :iU' -15' ; and in the iiflcrnoon coi).
liniD'd on iIk! ^aiiii* im I'llmt load, up tlit< Icl'l or notili<<rn loik ot' th«
.slreuiii, towurcU its head, in a ptiiis winch lliu liaromviur iila<-( d ai M,'^:i()t«fU
ubovu tlio Ncii. This IS :i coiiiKJCiiiig rid^*> hctwoiMi the (tali or licur rivtM
mountains aixl tlu! Wiml nv«>r chain ot the Rocky iiiotintnins, .siipur.ittnij
tin; waters td the uull ol ('aUrornia on the «'asl, and lln)^u on the west be-
longing more diret ily (o the I'acdic, Iroiii a vast interior husin wlioiiu rivor.s
nrn rojlcctcd into nnineron.«i lakes having no oiidet lo th«.> ucuaii. From ih*!
siiinrnit of this p:i>s, the hitdiest which the ri»ad ( ro.sses hetweentho Missm-
;sippi and the W'esiern ocean, our view wasover a very inoiiniaiiioiis region,
U'liost! rnggud appenranco was greatly int:reas(!d hy the smoky weather,
through which the hrokeii ridgos wore dark and dimly m'UIi. TIiu ascent
to till' simnnit of the gap wa.-* occaNionully siiieper than ihe national road iii
the Alloghanies; and the descent, hy way of a spur on tho we>(ern side, ii
rather jirecipiioiis, hut tho pass may .still ho culled a good one. Soino
thickets of willow in the hollows below decoivod ns into tim expoclution o(
finding a camp at oiir usual hour al the foot of the mountain ; but we found
them without water, and continued down a ravine, and encamped ubom
dark at a place where tin; springs again began lo make thoir appearance,
but where our animals fared budly ; the stock of tlio emigrants Iinvitig
razed tho grass as completely as if we were again in LiO midst of the
btitfalo.

^'lugHst 21. — An hour's travel this morning brou-jht ns into tho fertile
and picturesquo valley of Hear river, tho principal tribiiiary to the (Ireat
Salt lake. The stream is bore 200 feet wide, fringtjd witli willows and
occasional groups of hawthorns. Wo were now entering a region which
for us possessed a strange and extraordinary interest. We were upon the
waters of the famous lake which forms a salient point among tho romarka-
blo geographical features of the country, and around which tho vague and
super.stitious accmints of tho trapper.s liad 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 inuiginaiion.

Fn our occasional conversations with tho few old hunters who had visited
the region, it had becMi a subject of frequent speculation; and the wonders
which they related were not tho Ies.s agreeable becau.se they wore highly
exaggerated and impossible.

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 shojes; and no instrumental ob-
servations or geographical survey, of any description, had ever been made
any where in the neighboring region. It wis generally supposed that it
had no visible outlet ; but among the trappers, including those in my own
camp, were many who believed tiiat soniow'iery on its surface was a ter-
rible whirlpool, through which its waters found their way to the ocean b/
some subterranean communication. All these things had made a frequent
subject of discussion in our desultory conversations around the fires at
eight ; and my own mind had become tolerably well filled with their in-

fJAIT. rur.VKJNTi* NARRATIVE.

117

ingi, giiihing
lull suits. At
iiiDii <»l' 7,'20u

llcillOOll COI).

II lork ot' th«

(hit M,'2:U)f«#!t

or licur river
IIS, Nupuraiiiig

I llu! WC.Hl b«'.

I wliiiso riv«M>
III. From ih*:
cti lliu MisM.^t-
:iiii()iis region,
loky NVo.itliiM,
. Tlio usct'iu
itioiiul roud ill
rcRicni sido, h
I oiii!. Some
I'Xpcctiitioii ol
; l)llt wu t'ouiid
nimprd uliotii
,r iij>|)caraiic»',
grunts having
j midst of iht;

iiito the frrtile
r to the CI real
1 willows and
. region which
ver*^ upon the
,' the roinarka-
tho vague and
tl'iil obscurity,
ic mean time,

10 had visited
llio wonders
were highly

ire wandering
very little for
re to he found
•trumental ob-
'er been madt;
iposed that it
ise in my own
ace was a ter-
the ocean b/
ide a frequent
[id the fires at
with their in-

d«flnUfl pictum, And iii!NOii*til>ly colored with ihtMr romnniic il(>Mrrlpiioii<i,
which, ill till' pliMiMiri' ot cxciirtiu'iit, I wan wcdl di.tposfd lo l)idi('vu, and
llAlfeXpecU'd to ru.tli/i).

Wliero wc drNccndi'd iiiio this hoautiiul vntli^y, it ix ihrut* to four inilrN in
jreadth, perfectly level, and houndiid by moiintuiiiouH rid^uM, one abovu
anf^ther, rising suddiiily I'roiii the plain.

VV<; coiitimiiMl our road down the river, and at ni^ht •ncumped with a
(iiiiiily of (>niiu^r. lilts — two men. women, and several chiltlren — who ap-
p<aii>d to be brill^ill^ up tlio rear of the great caravan. 1 was struck with
tli«; fiiK! appearance ol ih«>ir ratilr, sonu' six or eii^lit yoke of oxen, which
really looked ii.s well hm iI tlicy had hern nil iho Miin.iier at work on some
^uod farm. It was sirani^e to m " oii< sui.ill family travelling along through
•iirli a country, so remote from civilization. Some nine years since, such
,1 security iniglit have been a fatal one; but since iIiimt ijisastroiis dt^feats
III till! country a little norlli,tlii! Mlackteel hav<.> ceasi^d to visit these waters.
Iiidiaiis, however, are V(!ry nnccrljiiii iii their loialiiici; and the friendly
leelings, also, of those now inhabiting it may be changed.

Accorchng lo baronn;lric.'il observation at noon, the ilevalioii of the valley
was «),l()() feet above tlu; sea ; and our encampment at niulil in latitude
IJ 03' IT'^ai"' longitude III' 10' 5:3 ", by obsDrvatioii — the day's journey
having been 2(J miles. This encampment was theretoru within the territo-
rial limit of tli<i United States; our travelling, from the lime we entered the
valley of the (ireeii river, on the \M\\ of Aiiunsl, having been to the south
(if the 4iid degree of norili laiihide.and coiiseipieiitly on Mexican territory;
and this is the route all the emigrants now travel to Oregon.

The temperature at sunset was fi5^ ; and at evening there was a distant
dinnder storm, with a light bneze from the north.

Antelop(t 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 encaini)uiciit, we reach-
ed Smith's fork, a .stream of clear water, al»out 50 l"(;e; in breadth. It is
timbered with cottoiiwocxi, willow, and aspeii; and makcis a beautiful de-
bouchement through a pass about (iOO yards wide, between remarkable
mountain hills, rising abruptly on either side, and forming gigantic columns
to the gale by which it (Jiiters Hv.ar river valley. The bottoms, which below
Smith's fork had been two miles wide, narrowed, as we advanced, to a uap
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 bluo
flax was growing abundantly, a few miles below the mouth of Thomas's
fork, one of the larger tributaries of liie river.

Crossing, in the afternoon, the point of a narrow spur, we descended into
a beautiful bottom, formed l)y a lateral valley, which prei;ented a picture
of home beauty tiiat went directly to our hearts. The edge of the wood,
for several miles along the river, was dotted with the white covers of emi-
grant wagons, collected in groups at different camps, where the smokes
were rising lazily from the fires, around which the women were occupied
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.

'i'

■'■V/

■/' *.

\*>

■■»%'

^''^^i i

,j •••','

i', .■*■

lis

OAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[1943.

aiiH civilizofl comfort, that made a rare sight for the traveller in such a
rcMiote wildnriinss.

Id cominoii with all the emigration, they liaJ heeii reposing for several
days in this dulightfiil valley, in order to rccrnit their animals on its luxuri-
ant pastnrage after their long journey, and prepare them for the hard travel
along the comparatively sterile banks of the Upper Columbia. At the
lower end of this extensive bottom, the river passes through an open caiicfn,
Avhere there were high vortical rocks to the water's edge, and the road here
turns up a broad valley to the right. Il was alrciidy near sunset ; but.
hoping to reach the river again before night, we continued our march
along the valley, finding the road tolerab/y good, until we arrived at a point
■where it crosses the ridge by nn 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 wc were obliged to grope our way in the darkness down a very steep,
bad jnountain, reaching the river a* about 10 o'clock. It was late before
our animals were gathered into camp, several of those which were very
weak being necessarily left to pass the night on tlie ridge; and we sat down
again to a midnight supper. The road, in the morning, presented an ani-
mated appearaii e; We 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 breadtli, and the river swept off
along the mountains on the western side, the road continuing direnly on.

In about an hour's travel we met several Shoshonee Indians, who in-
formed us that they belonged to a large village which had just come into
the valley from the mountain to the westward, where they had been hunt-
ing 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, I turned immediately off into the plain towards their encamp-
ment, which was si'uated 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 Gj^eed, followed
by another, and another, in rapid succession ; 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
charging 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 bonnets 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; il being usually
borne by the Sioux, and the neighboring mountain Indians, when they
come here to war ; and we had accordingly been mistaken for a body of
their enemies. A few words from the chief quieted the excitement; and
the whole band, increasing 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 made known our purpose in visiting the village. 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 quan-

[1943.
iller in such a

iig for several
on its luxuri-
le hard travel
ibia. At the
n open candn,
the road here
• sunset ; but,
id our march
ved at a point
which was so
not reach the

ter and grass;
1 a very steep,
as late before
ch were very
1 we sat down
sented an ani-
large party of
dy in motion,
ver swept off
diren'.y on.
iians, who in-
iust come into

[id been hunt-
pportunity of
from them a
heir encamp-

)f the village,
eed, followed
;y after party
ed us, all the
, which came
es, and bows
ssed for war,
nearly to the
They had
r flag, which,
being usually
5, when they
for a body of
itement; and
ed us to their
amp, near his
J. [n a very
in exchange
e usual other
lerable quan-

|fl43.] CAI'T. PREMONTM NAHRATIVE. Ufi

dtf of berries of different kinds, anions^ which service berries were the most

liabundant; and several Uiiids of lools and seeds, which W(! could eat with

Ipleasijre, as any kind of vegetable food was uratifyii.g to us. I ate here, for

|'^,lhe first time, the konyah,ov tobacco rout, {ruteriutui edulis,) the principal

fledible root among the Indians who inhabit the upper waters of the streams

Konihe western side of the mountains. It has a very strong and remarkably

peculiar taste and odor, which I can compare to no other vegctahio that I

am acquainted with, and which to some i)ersons is extremely ofl'ensive. It

was characterized by Mr. Preuss as the ost horrid food he had ever put in

his mouth ; and when, in the evening, one of the chiefs sent his wife to me

with a portion which she had prepared as a delicacy to regale us, the odor

immediately drove him out of the lodge; and frecpiently afterwards lie used

to beg that when those who liked it had taken what they desired, it might

be sent away. To others, however, the taste -s rather an agreeable one,

and I was afterwards always glad wJien it (on^'cd an addition to our scanty

meals. It is full of nutriment ; and in its iniprepared state is said by the

Indians to have very strong poisonous qnnlities, of which it is deprived by

a peculiar process, being baked in the ground for about two days.

The morning of the 24th was disagreeably cool, with an easterly wind
and very smoky weather. We made a late start from the village, and, re-
gaining the road, (on whic'i, 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 cultivation, now almost entirely in seed — only a scat-
tered flower here and there remaining — is the most characteristic plant of
the Bear river valley. When we encamped at night on the right bank of
the river, it was growing as in a sown field. We had travelled during the
day 22 miles, encamping in latitude (by observation) 42° 36' 56", chrono-
metric longitude 111° 42' 05".

In our neighborhood, the mountains appeared extremely rugged, giving
still greater value to this beautiful natural pass.

August 25. — This was a cloudless but smoky autumn morning, with a
cold wind from the SE., and a temperature of 45° at si.nrise. In a few
miles I noticed, where a little stream crossed the road,fiagments of scona/-
td basalt scattered about — the first volcanic rock wc 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 mountains, 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 direc-
tion towards the Great Salt lake. A pretty little stream of clear
water enters the upper part of the basin from an open valley in the moun-
tains, and, passing through the bottom, discharges into Bear river. Cross-
ing this stream, we descended a mile below, and made our encamp-
ment in a grove of cedar immediately at the Beer springs, which, on ac-
count 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

■■'>* '

.Ji'

■;■»-

'■ \' ■

^'■i •;;.

120

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

and hard lives, arc fond of fiiidiiig some fancied resemblance to the luxQ*
lies they ruiuly have the fortune to enjoy. -^ v

Although somewhat disappointed in the expectations which various der!
scriptions had led mc to form of unusual beauty of situation and scbnery^j
I found it altogether a place of very great interest; and a traveller for th9
first tune in a volcanic region remains in a constant excitement, and at
every step is arrested by something remarkable and u'nv. There is a con-
fusion of interesting objects gathered together in a small space. Around
the place of encampment the Beer springs were numerous ; but, as far as
we could ascertain, were entirely confined 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 ofTervcscing gas rising up and agitating the water
in countless bubbling columns. In the vicinity round about were numerous
springs of au entirely different and equally marked mineral character. In a
rather picturesque spot, about 1,300 yards below our encampment, and im-
mediately on the river bank, is the most remarkable spring of the place.
In an opening on the rock, a white colunni of scattered water is thrown up,
in form like ajei'd'eau, to a variable height of about three feet, and, though
it is maintained in a constant supply, its greatest height is attained only at
regular intervals, according to the action of the force below. It is accom-
panied by a subterranean noise, wliich, 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 throu2;h which it is forced
is slightly raised in a convex manner, and gathered at the opening into an
urn-mouiJied form, and is evidently formed by continued 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 diam-
eter, through which, at regular intervals, escapes a blast of hot air with a
light wreath of smoke, accompanied by a regular noise. This hole had
been noticed by Doctor Wislizenus, a gentleman who several years since
passed by this place, and who remarked, with very nice observation, that
smelling the gas which issued from the orifice produced a sensation of gid-
diness 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, had overtaken us and halted to noon at our encamp-
ment; and, while we were sitting at the spring, a band of boys and girls,

AXi.LT8IS.

.it,

Carbonate of lime
Carbonate of magnesia
Oxide of iron
Silica "^

Alumina >

Water and lose j

92.55
0.42
1.05

5.98

100.00

.1 '
1.

>»if>

e to the luxiKJ

;h various dor
1 and scfenery^
iveller for thQ
nmeiit, and^ at.
^Iiere is a con.
acG. Around
but, as far as
lie bottom, in
L>d yards, they
ting the water
ere numerous
haracter. In a
ment, and im-
j of the place,
is thrown up,
!t, and, though
tained only at
It is accom-
iiiotiou of the
motion ; and,
3d, we gave to
lich it is lorced
pening into an
eposition from
nalysis of this
the properties
is tiie mineral
L pungent and
ingue. Within
inch in diam-
lot air with a
liis hole had
:al years since
ervation, that
isation of gid-
ervation, and
it pleasant to
h it produced
with a large
our encamp-
oys and girls,

92.55
0.42
1.05

5.98

100.00

121

II543.3 CAPT. FKEMONTS NARRATIVE.

ith two or three young men, came ?ip, one of whom I asked to stoop
urn and smell the gas, desirous to satisfy myself further of its ctfects. But
lia natural caution had been awakened by the singular and suspicious
;ures of the place, and ho declined my proposal decidedly, and with a
ifew indistinct remarks about the devil, whom he seemed to consider the
tnius loci. The ceaseless motion and the play of the fountain, the red
ck, 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 princii)ally
of carbonate of lime and oxide of iron, of regular structure, which is prob-
ably a fossil coral. The rocky bank along the shore between the Steam-
\ boat spring and our eticampnient, along which is dispersed the water from
the hills, is composed entirely of strata of a calcareous hifa, with the re-
I mains of moss and reed-like grus.ses, which is probably the formation of
|s|''.ings. T\\G Beer or Soda springs,\v\\'\c\\ have given name to this locality,
are agreeable, but less highly tiavored 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 :

Sulphate of magnesia - - - . .

. Sulphate of lime .---...

Carbo.ate of lime ------

Carbonate of magnesia - . - - -

Chloride of calcium - - - . -

■Chloride of magnesium - - - - . -

Chloride of sodium - - - - -

V'egetable extractive matter, &cc. - - - -

The carbonic acid, originally contained in the water, had mauily escaped
|before it was subjected to analysis ; and it was not, therefore, taken into
I consideration.

1 In the afternoon I wandered about among the cedars, which occupy the
greater part of the bottom towards the mountains. The soil here has a dry
land calcined appearance; in some places, the open giounds are covered
with saline efilorescences, and there are a number of regularly shaped and
I very remarkable hills, which are formed of a succession of convex strata
that have been dej'osited by the waters of extinct springs, the orifices of
which are found on their summits, some of them having the form of fun-
nel-shaped cones. Others of these remarkably shaped hills are of a red-
Icolored earth, entirely bare, and composed principally of carbonate of lime,
nvith oxide of iron, formed in the same manner. Walking near one of
Ithem, on the summit of which the springs were dry, my attention was at-
itracted by an underground noise, around which I circled repeatedly, until
il found the spot from beneath which it came ; and, removing the red earth,
Idiscovered a hidden spring, which was boiling up from below, with the
jsame disagreeable metallic taste as the Steamboat spring. Continuing up

Grains.

12.10

■•','•?;

2.12

>■;;

3.86

■.-'

3.22

1.33

': f

1.12

f ' ■

2.24

v'V

0.85

^■' /

26.84

V-' « -
•■■;''■>■■■

^1 ■

■<^ V.

I*;:-

1 " ,

i' ," ■)

. i

1 1 ■'■' ■"'

?f.'.::^

f ;:itv ';,. i^r

.*>. •

lot

CAPT. FUEMONT'rt NARRATIVE.

[1841

the ljottoiii,aii(] crossing the little stream wliich has hecn already mentioned]
I visited several reinarkablo red and whil>j liills, which had attracted ni'
attention I'rom the road m the inorniiii^. These are immediately upon thii
stream, and, like those already mentioned, are formed by the deposition oj
successive strata from the springs. On their summits, tlie orifices throu
which the waters had been discharged were so large that they resemble
miniature craters, being some of them several (eet in diameter,circular, am
regularly formed as if by art. At a former time, when these dried-up fotin
tains 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 ot
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 the
water is boiling up and bubbling over, constantly adding to the height oi
the little obelisks. In some, the water only boils up, no longer overflowing,
and has here the same taste as at the Steamboat spring. 'I'he observer will
remark a gradual subsidence in the water, which formerly supplied the
fountains, 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 higlier up the creek, its banks are formed by strata of a very
heavy and hard scoriaceous basalt, having a bright metallic lustre when
broken. The mountains overlooking the plain are of an entirely differeiii
geological character. Continuing on, I walked to the summit of one ot
them, where the principal rock was a granular quartz. Descending the
mountains, and returning towards the camp along the base of the ridge
which skirts the plain, I found at the loot of a mountain spur, and issuing
from a compact rock of a dark-blue fiolor, a great number of springs hav-
ing the same pungent and disagreeably metallic taste already mentioned,
the water of which was collected into a very remarkable basin, whose sin
gularity, perhaps, made it appear to me very beautiful. It is large-
perhaps fifty yards in circumference; and in it the water is contained ai
an elevation of several feet above the surrounding ground by a wall of cal
careous 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 three or four feet deep, where it could be conveniently measured neat
the wall; and, at a considerably lower level, is another pond or basin oi
very clear water, and apparently of considerable depth, from the bottom oi
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, reappearing among the rocks between the two great
springs near the river, which it entered by a little fall.

Late in the afternoon I sat out on my return to the camp, and, crossing
in the way a large field of a salt that was several inches deep, found on my
arrival that our emigrant friends, who had been encamped in company with
us, had resumed their journey, and the road had again assumed its solitary
character. The temperature of the largest of the Beer springs at our en
campment was G5° at sunset, that of the air being 62.5°. Our barometric
observation gave 5,840 feet for the elevation above the gulf, being about 5O0
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 latitude 42^
39' 57"; and 111° 46' 00" for the longitude. The night was very still and

[18iJ

»8.]

(APT. I'KKMO.NT^ NAIUJATIM:

193

idy mentionei

1 attracted rn'
lately upon tl
e deposition
>rifices tlirou
llicy resemhl©
)r, circular, ani
dried-up foiin
il display on a
e been formed
fains. At tlif;
, are several ot

udless, and I sat up for an ohsc.'rvatioii of ilir first satellite of Jupiter,

le emersion dI' which took ]>l;ice about rni(liiii,'ht ; but Irll asleep at the

lescope, uwakini,' just a io.w minutes after iIk; appLiarancc of the star.

The morning of the iiiiih was calm, au'J the sky without clouds, but

oky; and the tcniperuture at sunrise 28.5'\ At tiie same time, the tem-

ralure of the large IJeer spring, where we were encamped, was 5G°; that

f the Steamboat sprinjT m7°; and that of the steam hole, near it, 81.5°. In

he course of the morning, the last wagons of the emigration passed by,

[and we were again left in our |)laoe, in the rear.

Remaining in camp until nearly 11 o'clock, we travelled a short distance
down the river, and halted to noon on the bank, at a point where the road
.'quits the valley of licar river, and, crossing a ritlge which divides the Great
t the base, andiiBasin from the Pacific waters, reaches Fort Hull, by way of the Portneuf
he summit theljriver, in a distance of probably fifty miles, or two and a half days' journey
o the height oil for wagons. An examination of the great lake which is the outlet of this
er overflowing,! river, and the principal feature of geographical interest in the basin, was
le observer willl one of the main objects contemplated in the general plan of our ."survc", and
y supplied tliel I accordingly determined at this place to leave the road, and, after waving
3 now dry, anjl completed a reconnoissance of the lake, regain it sub.sequently at Fort Hall,
iding plain. I But our little stock of provisions had again become extremely low ; we had
rata of a veryl only dried meat suflicient for one meal, and our supply of flour and other
lie lustre wheiil .comforts was entirely exhausted. I therefore immediately despatched one
itirely difl'erenil of the party, Henry Lee, with a note to Carson, at Fort Hall, directing
mnit of one oil him to load a pack horse with whatever could be obtained there in the
Descending the! way of provisions, and endeavor to overtake me on the river. In the
e of the ridgel mean time, we had picked up along the road two tolerably well-grown
ur, and issuinsl calves, which would have become food for wolves, and which had proba-
of springs havj ibly been left by some of the earlier emigrants, none of those we had met
idy mentioned.! thaving made any claim to them; and on these I mainly relied for support
.sin, whose sin-| ^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 perpendicular walls of basalt, which
jalways fix the attention, from the regular form in which it occurs, and its
jperfect distinctness from the surrounding rocks among which it has been
placed. The mountain, which is rugged and steep, and, by our measure-
jment, 1,400 feet above the river directly opposite the place of our halt, is
jcalled the Sheep rock — probably because a flock of the common mountain
jsheep (ovis montana) had been seen on the craggy point.
I As we were about resuming our march in the afternoon, I was attracted
iby the singular appearance of an isolated hill with a concave summit, in
|the plain, about two miles from the river, and turned ofl* towards it, while
jthe camp proceeded on its way to the 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
Ihi!', the surface of the plain was rent into frequent fissures and chasms of
jthe same scoriated volcanic rock, from forty to sixty feet deep, but which
there was not sufficient light to penetrate entirely, and which I had not
time to descend. Arrived at the summit of the hill, I found that it termi-
nated 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 masonry in a very regular
manner, were composed of a brown-colored scoriaceous lava, evidently

It is large-
is contained ai
y a wall of cal-

three or four,
ilear and pure,
measured neat
nd or basin o!
1 the bottom oi

places. This
hundred yards,
the two great

), and, crossing
p, found on my
1 company with
ned its solitary
ings at our en-
Dur barometric
eing about 5O0
ture, at the fool
jr latitude 42'
s very still and

124

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

!l ■!

I f'l • r,

.,,, 4

l-nf ;

■ ■■■■ A*i

the production of a modorn volcano, aiid linviiig all the appoarance of tl
lighter scoriaceous lavras of Moiiiil yEtiia, Vesuvius, and other volcan
The faces of the walls were ie(ld(!iio(l and gltizod hy tho fire, in which th«
had been melted, and which had left them coniurled and twisted by ii
violent action.

Our route during the afternoon was a little rough, being (in lUv. directioi
we had taken) over a volcanic plain, where our progress was sometime
obstructed by fissures, and hhick ix'ds composed of tragments of the rock,
On both sides, the mountains appeared very broken, but tolerably we
timbered.

Jiugust aC. — Crossing a point of ridge which makes in to the river, we
fell upon it again before simst't, and encamped on the right bank, opposite
to the encampment of three lodges of Snake Indians. They visited 113
during the evening, and we obtained from them a small quantity of root'
of different kinds, in exchange for goods. Among them was a sweet rooi
of very pleasant flavor, having somewhat the taj>te of |)reservL'd quince,
My endeavors to become acquainted with the plants which furnish to the
Indians a portion of their support were only gradually suc^essl'ul, and af-
ter long and persevering attention; and oven after obtaining, I did not sue-
cecd in preserving them until they could be satisfactorily determined. In
this portion of the journey, I found this particular root cut up into such
small pieces, that it was only to be identified by its taste, when the bulb
was met with in perfect form among the Indians lower down on the Co-
lumbia, among whom it is the highly celebrated kamiis. It was long af-
terwards, on our return through Upper California, that I found the plan;
itself in bloom, which I suppo.^ed to furnish the kamds root, {camassia es
cuknta.) The root diet had a rather mournful effect at the conmience-
ment, and one of the calves was killed this evening for food. The animals
fared well on rushes.

August 27. — The morning was cloudy, with appearance of rain, and
the thermometer at sunrise at 29°. Making an unusually early start, we
crossed the river at a good ford ; and, following for about three hours a trail
which led along the bottom, we entered a labyrinth of hills below the main
ridge, and halted to noon in the ravine of a pretty little stream, timbered
with Cottonwood of a large size, ashleaved maple, with cherry and other
shrubby trees. The hazy weather, which had prevented any very extended
views since entering the Green river valley, began now to disappear. There
was a sHght ram in the earlier part of the day, and at noon, when the ther
mometer had risen to 79.5°, we had a bright sun, with blue sky and scat
tered cumuli. According to the barometer, our halt here among the hills
was at an elevation of 5,320 feet. Crossing a dividing ridge in the after-
noon, we followed down another little Bear river tributary, to the point
where it emerged on an open green fiat among the hills, timbered wiili
groves, and bordered with cane thickets, but without water. A pretty little
rivulet, coming out of the hill side, and overliung by tall flowering plants
of a species I had not hitherto seen, furnished us with a good camping
place. The evening was cloudy, tlie temperature at sunset 69°, and the ele-
vation 5,140 feet. Among the plants occurring along the Hue of road dur
ing the day, epinettes des prairies (grindelia squarrosa) was in considera
ble abundance, and is among the very few plants remaining in bloom—
the whole country having now an autumnal appearance, in the crisped and

(lio river, we
baiiU, opposite
'hey visited us
uuitiiy of root'
IS ;i sweet rooi
jserved quince,

1 I'liriiisli to tlie
cressrul, and af-
^, I did not sue-
eteruiiiied. In
It up into suck
when the bulb
awn on the Co-
It was long at"
ouud the plain
, {camassia es-
the connnence-
. The animals

;e of rain, and
early start, we
ee hours a trail
aelow the main
ream, timbered
erry and other
very extended
appear. There
when the ther
sky and scat
mong the hills
e in the after-
y, to the point
timbered wiiii
A pretty little
owe ring plants
good camping
9°, and the ele-
le of road dur-
s in considera-
ig in bloom—
the crisped and

18. J CA*'V FRKMONT'S NAUUATIVK. 125

Io\v plantR, and driod-up jrapses. Many cranes were seen during tlio
, with a few antelope, very shy and wild.
l^ugfi'St ','H. — During tlie night we hud a thunder storm, with moderate
In, which has made the nir this morning very clear, ilie thermometer
ijng at /J5". Leaving our encampment at the Canr spring;, and quilting
trail on which wo had been travelling, and whicli would probably have
"orded us a good road to the lake, we crossed some very deep ravines, and,
about an liour's travellitig, again reached the river. We were now in a
alley five or six miles wide, between mountain ranges, which, about thirty
iles below, appeared to close up and tern iiiate the valley, leaving for the
Inver only a very narrow ]iass, or canon, behind which we imagined that
we should find the broad waters of the lake. We made the usual halt at
le mouth of a small clear stream, having a slightly mineral taste, (perhaps
f salt,) ^,7G0 feet above the gulf. In the afternoon we (limbed a very
teep sandy hill ; and, after a slow and winding day's march of 27 miles,
iicainped at a slough on the river. There were great quantities of geese
nd ducks, of which only a few were shot; the Indians having probably
jliiade them very wild. The men employed thcmselve- in fishing, but caught
nothing. A skunk, {inephitis Jimcricamt,) which was killed in the alter-
jioon, made a supper for one of the messes. The river is bordered occa-
sionally with fields of cane, which we regarded as an indication of our
ppproach to a lake country. We had frequeiit .showers of rain during the
♦light, with thunder.

. dugust 29. — The thermometer at sunrise was 54°, with air from the
jNW., and dark rainy clouds moving on the horizon ; rain squalls and
|)right sunshine by intervals. I rode ahead with liasil to explore the coun-
try, and, continuing about three miles along the river, turned directly off on
ti trail running towards three marked gaps in the bordering range, where
the mountains appeared cut through to their bases, towards which the river
blain rose gradually. Putting our horses into a gallop on some fresh tracks
Vliich si 10 wed very plainly in the wet path, we came suddenly upon a
pniall party of Shosbonee Indians, who had fallen hito the trail from the
iiorth. We could only communicate by signs; but they made us under-
stand that the road through the chain was a very excellent one, leading
nto a broad valley which ran to the southward. We halted to noon at
vhat may be called the gate of the pass; on either side of which were
uge moLMtains of rock, between which stole a little pure water stream,
,vith a margin just sufficiently large for our passage. From the river, the
lain had gradually risen to an altitude of 5,500 feet, and, by meridian ob-
ervation, the latitude of the entrance was 42°.

In the interval of our usual halt, several of us wandered along up the
^tream to examine the pass more at leisure. Within the gate, the rocks
feceded a little back, leaving a very narrow, but most beautiful valley,
hrough which the little stream wound its way, hidden by diflferent kinds
f trees and shrubs — aspen, maple, willow, cherry, and elder ; a fine ver-
nre 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
he mountain here ; and opening directly on the grassy bottom were sev-
eral 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 bituminous exuda-
tions from the rock.

; ', i

■^i

.?.<:= V

mmmt

186

CAl'T. KUKMOiNTS NAKRATIVK.

i-f

•"* c*

■f!'^'"'. "'

'I-

The trail wns an cxcellpril otu! for park horses; but, as it flometi
crossed a sholviii^ point, to avoid tlu) slirid)hery wv. wenj ohlii^ed in seve
places lo open a road lor the carriage ihron^di llie wood. A piaw on hon
f»ack, accompanied by five or six dogs, entered tin; pass in the atternoon
hnt was too nnich terrified at fiiuhng herself in such nnexpceled compan<
to make any paus<! for eonvcrsalion, and linrried olf atai,'ood pace — hein,
of course, no further disti" bed ihan by an aceeleratini; shout. Sho w;
well and showily dressed, and was probably going to a village, riiicampe
somewhere lu'ar, and evidenlly did not belong to the tribe o{' root diifffrni,
Wo had now enten'd a count ry inhabited by th(;se people ; and as iu tlie|
course of our voyage; we shall freipienlly meet with them in various stagn
of existence, it will be well to inform you that, .scattered over the greai
region west of the Rocky moinitains, and south of the (Irc-at Snako river,
are numerous Indians whose subsistence; is almost solely derived from rooii
and seeds, and such small animals as chance and great i.,'ood fortune sonic.
times bring within their reach. Tiiey are miserably j)oor, armed only will,
bows and arrows, or clubs ; and, as the coimtry liiey inhabit is almosi
destitute of game, thcfy hav(^ no means of obtaining belter arms. In the
northern pan of t)ie region just tnentioued, tluty live generally in solitary
families; and farther lo the south, tlu'y are gathered togtilher in villag(i.\
Tho.se who live together iu villages, strengthened by association, arc in
exclusive possession ol the more genial and richer jjarts of tlie comitry;
while the others are driven to the riuler mountains, and to the more in.
hospitable parts of the country. But by simply observing, in accon)panyiii2
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, aiiii
you will find them worthy of your interest.

Roots, seeds, anil grass, ev(M'y vegetable that ali'ords any iiourishmeiii,
and every living animal thing, insect or worm, they eat. Nearly appronch-
ing to the lower animal creation, their sole em|)loym(Mit is to ohtain food;
and they are constantly occui)icd iu a struggle to support exisience.

The most remarkalile feature of tho i)ass is the .S7r//K//;/i,'/v;cX', which has
fallen fromthe cliirsabove,andstandingperpeudicularly near lliemiddleof tin
valley, presents itself likea watch tower in the pass. It will give you a tolera-
bly correct idea of the character of the scenery in this country, wliere general-
ly the mountains rise abruptly up from comparatively unbroken plains and
level valleys; but it will entirely fail in representing the [)iclnresipie beaut)
of this delightful place, where a green valley, full of foliage, and a hundred
yards wide, contrasts with naked crags that spire up into a blue line of pin-
nacles .3,000 feet above, sometimes crested with cedar and pine, and some-
times ragged and bare.

The detention that we met with in opening the road, and perhaps a wil-
lingness to linger on the way, made the afternoon's travel short; and about
two miles from the entrance we passed through another gate, and en
camped on the stream at tho junction of a little fork from the southward,
around which the mountains stooped more gently down, forming a small
open cove.

As it was still 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
lake ; but though our elevation afforded magnificent views, the eye ranging

imp

irn

it
mrr

JLs(
reaf

witi

J
nior
oold
feet,
com
:i sli
alon
ilie
urn I

iliro
con!'
elite
:iig(
')erri
low,
wliic
iiidi(
over
.'{iiiv
Bill
!rom
ilieir
blan
long
wrel
then
iliisi
as w
terec
year
'i few
cove
Tl
our
scale
exce
skin;
ofth
whe
tlierr
ganc
the (

»«.]

CAPT. KKKMONT'H NARRATIVK.

as it flomati

ilit^ed in seve
|ii;i\v on Hon
iliu nltfrtiooQ
iccicd compani
)il pace — hein,
lollt. Slio w
\\n'j,i\ niicampei
!)(' rout (iijiffjt'nf,
; and as in thi
II Viiiious stiigi's
over the eroai
lilt Simko river,
li vcd iVotn roou
(I Ibrtiuie somo-
niied only with
luibit is a! most
' arms. In the
rally in solitary
llicr in village.r
iriation, are in
ot ili'j roinitry

tlie more in

1 nccompanyiii2
til tliese peopli
lescri[>tion, and

y nonnshmoiit
early approach
to (i I) la in food
xisleiice.
/7;cX*, vvliiclilias
'lomiddloof til
ve yon a tolera-
where general-
)ken plains and
urcsipie beauty
,and a hnndred
Ine line of pin
ine, and some-

perliaps a wil
lort; and aboui
r gate, and en

the southward,
brming a small

1 one direction
r, and ascended
iications of the
the eye ranging

J A long extent of Hear river, wiMi the hrond and fertile Cache vallry
the direction of our search, was only to bo seen a bed ol aj>parently
impracticable monntains. Amoiii; ilie.si', the trail we had been Ibllowiin;

terned sharply to the northward, and it began to be doubt fnl if it would
BOt lend us away from the object of onr destination ; but I nevertheless do-
ttrmined to keep it, in the W.WvX that it would ('vcniually brin^ un rii;ht.
jisqinill of rain drovt; us out of the mountain and ii was la(<.' when wo
ttaclu'd the camp. The (ivenim,' closed in with fre([ueni showers of rain,
with some liuhtnini; and thunder.

tfiuifusl .'JO. — We had roiislant lliiindcr storms duriii!,' the iiiyht.bnt in tho
niormnf.? tiu! clouds were sinkinu; to the hori/on, and the air was ricar and
I'old, with the thermometer at suiuisc at :{9'\ lOlevalion by ba;oni»ter .'j,,'i80
feet. Wo were in motion early, continniiiu: up the little stream without cn-
counloring any ascent where a horse would not easily gallop, and, crossing
11 slight dividing ground at the summit, descended upon a small stream,
along which we conliimed on llu^ same excellent hku\. In riding through
ihe pass, numerous cranes were seen ; and prairio hens, or LMouse, {hnnusin
\imhcUns^) which lately had been rare, were very abundant.
This little atliuent bronglil us to a laiger stream, down whi(;li we travelled

.through a more open bottom, on a hivel road, where heavily-laden wagons

^ could pass without obstacle. 'I'he hills on the right grew lower, and, on
entering a more open country, we discovered tc SlioshoiKiO village ; and be-
ing desirous to obtain information, and purrhase from them some roots and
berries, we halted on the river, which was ligjjtly wooded with cimrry, wil-
low, maple, service berry, and aspen. A meridian ol)servation of the sun,

j which I obtained here, uave ia° 14' 2a"for our latitude, aiul the barometer
indicated a height ol' '),17n feet. A number of Indians came; immediately

, over to visit us, and several men were sent to the village with goods, tobacco,

' kniveSj cloth, vermilion, and the usual trinkets, to exchange for provisions.

, But they had no game of any kind ; and it was ditiicnlt to obtain any toots
!rom them, as they were miserably |)oor, and had bin little to spare from
their winter stock of provisions. Several of the Indians (Jrew 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, when they gave as a reason that it would expose
them to temporary starvation. A great portion of the region inhabited by
this nation formerly abounded in game ; the buffalo ranging aboni in herds,
as we had found them on the eastern waters, and the plains dotted with scat-
tered bands of antelope ; but so rapidly have they disap|)eared within a few
years, that now, as we journeyed along, an occasional bnOalo sknll and a
few wild antelope were all that remained of the abundance wliich liad
covered the country with animal life.
The extraordinary rapidity with which the buffalo is disappearing from

, our territories will not appear surprising when we remember the great
scale on which their destruction is yearly carried on. With inconsiderable
exceptions, the business of tho 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
where they are still found, the Indians derive their entire support from
them, and slaughter them with a thoughtless and abominable extrava-
gance. Like the Indians themselves, they have been a characteristic of
the Great West ; and as, like them, they are visibly diminishing, it will be

* •

> •

11'

"S .1

^il: ...

128 UAFT. FRKMONTrt NARRATIVK. [|§4j

intorcsiing to throw a glance backward thro«m;li the lust twonty yoart, and
givi! soimt nccoiiiit of their lonner distrihiitioii through thu couiUry, and tht
liiinl ol' ihiiir wusturii range.

Tho iiiloriimtion is derived priiioijjully from Mr. Fitzpatrick, stipporied
by my own puisouul knowledge and ao([Uuintance with lh«! country. Oh,-
knowledi^e does not qo I'ariher buck than tho s[)rin^or lS'Jt,at which tim«
tho butt'alo were spread in immense nuinhitrsover the (>recM river and Dear
river valleys, and through all the country lying hoiweeii the Colorado, ot
Green iiver ot* the gulf of California, and Ltiwis's fork of the Columbia
river; the meridian of Fort Mali then foruiiiig the western limit of thtir
range. The buHalo then remained Ibr many years in that country, and
frequently moved down the valley of tlie Columbia, on both sides of tlic
river as fur as tho Fishinif Jails. Uelow this point they never descendeil
in any numbers. About the year 1h;m or ISJ/i ihey bc^gan to diminish
very rapidly, and continued to decrease until IH.'JHor 1«1(), when, with the
country we have just described, they c.. 'lely abandoned all the waters oi
the Pacific north of Lewis's fork of the C»)lumbii'. At that time, tho Flat-
head Indians were in the habit of finding tlxur butialoon tho heads of Sal-
mon river, and other streams of the Columbia ; but ikjw they never meet
witli them furiher west than tho tliree forks of the Missouri or tlie plains
of the Yellowstone river.

In the course of our journey it will be remarked that the bufl'alo have not
so entirely abandoned the waters of the Pacific, in the Rocky-mouiitain ro-
giou south of the Sweet Water, as in the country north of llio Great Pass
This partial distribution can only be accounted for in the great pustora
beauty of ilial country, which bears marks ol having long been one of then
favorite haunts, and by the fact tliat the while hunters have more frequent-
ed tlie northern than tho southern region — it being north of the South Pass
that the liunters, trappers, and traders, have had their rendezvous tor many
years past ; and from tliat section also the greater portion of the beaver anil
rich furs were taken, although always the most dangerous as well as tin;
niost profitable hunting ground.

In that region lying between the Green or Colorado river and the liead
"waters of the Rio del Norte, over the Yumpali, Kooyah^ While, and Grand
rivers — all of which are the waters of the Colorado — the buffalo never ex-
tended so far to the westward 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 travelling through the country west
of the Rocky mountains, observation readily led me to the impression thai
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 tho great highways, continuous for hun-
dreds of miles, always several inches and sometimes several feet in depth,
which the bufl'alo have made in crossing from one river to another, or in
traversing the mountain ranges. The Snake Indians, more particularl;
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

sou
;is

•■'!

rci,

wil

as a
u

(lian

the (

wit^

and

. ions

robt

► year

■obta

jhide

iably

ever

robe

twei

'. P''»'t

hhis

'bour

iber !

\ In

JFrer

lowi

tains

failu

crea

pres<

[IS4J

Dty yoart, and
iiiitr/, and tht

fie43.]

lAIT. FIJEMD.N r8 NAKUATIVE.

IBonntflins, and llin'r exiraonlinnry diininiitinn, will ho mndo clearly cvi*
tferil iioiii iIk> ll>llo^vin^ .stiitoinciit : At itiiy tiiiu; IxitwciMi the ycnrs IH2t
iek sii^portadl^^*' IH30, a iravellcr might stint Iroiii niiy givr^ti point Noiitli or north in (hu
:oimiry, Ou'l Rocky mountain range, journeying \>y the niostt diicct route to the Afinaouri
river ; and, dtiring the whole distance, hit* road woidd he always among
lariit! hands ol' hull'alo, which would never he out ol his view until he nr-
rivt'd almost within sight ol the ahodes of eivili/ation.

At this time, the hull'alo occupy hut a very limited s|):icc, principally along
the eastern hasc of th(> Hocky mountains, sometimes extending at their
southern extremity to a considerahle distancj* into the plains hetween the
I'laltc und Arkansas rivtMs, and along the eastern Irontier ol New Mexico
ns far south as Texas.

The following statement, which I owe to the kindness of Mr. Sanford,
a paitner in the Ameiican Fur Com|)aiiy, will furlher illustrate thissuhject,
by extensive knowledge ac(piired duringsicverui years ol travel through the
rejjion inhabited by the bulValo :

at whirl) timt
river and Bear
e Colorado, ot
the Coliuubia
I limit of theit
t coiuiiry, and
til sides of till'
!ver desceiidt!il
in to diminish
vhen, with the
I the waters oi
time, the Flat-
10 heads of Sal-
ley never meet
i or the plain-

lullalo have not
y-inoiuitaiti iv-
ho Great Pass
great pastora
cen one of then
more frequent-
the South Pass
vous lor many
10 beaver and
as well ?.s tilt;

and the head
!/e, and Grand
flalo never ex-
he Columbia;
descend as far
e country west
mpression thai
waters of the
ig ; and in this
•appers in that
ever meet with.
try lying uponfc
nuous for hun-
1 feet in depth,
another, or in
re particularl
grateful to the
y expressed it)
the Columbia

"The total amount of ro!»es annually traded by ourselves and others
will not be found to ditl'er much from the following statement :

American Fur Company
Hudson's Hay Company
All other companies, probably

RohoM.

70,000
10,000
10,000

90,000

Making a total of - - - - •

as an average annual return for the last eight or ten years.

" In the northwest, the Hudson's Hay Company purchase from the In-
dians but a very small number — their only market being Canada, to which
the cost of transportation nearly rcpials the produce of the lurs; and it is only
within a very recent period that ihey have received bulTalo robes i trade ;
and out of the great number of buflalo annually killed throughout the ex-
lonsive regions inhabited by the Camanches and other kindred tribes, no
robts whatever are i'urnished for trade. During only four months of the
year, ( from November until March, ) the skins are good for dressing ; those
obtained in the remaining eight months being valueless to traders ; and the
hides of bulls are never taken ofTor dressed as robes at any season. Prob-
ably not more than one-third of the skins are taken from the animals killed,
even when they are in good season, the labor of preparing and dressing the
robes being very great ; 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
iliis time a skin is never taken for the purpose of trade."

From these data, which are certainly limited, and decidedly withia
bounds, the reader is left to draw his own inference of the immense num-
ber annually killed.

In 1842, I found the Sioux Indians of the Upper Platte demon tes^ as their
French traders expressed it, with the failure of the buffalo ; and in the fol-
lowing year, large villages from the Upper Missouri came over to the moun-
tains at the heads of the Platte, in search of them. The rapidly progressive
failure of their principal and almost their only means of subsistence has
e of the Rocky |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 atarva-
&

PI,

rr;>-

'■ "-^ ^

130
tion

lAlT. rilKMONTH NAKKATIVB.

[1B4S.

: one of thcNf is to rohtlic M'lilnncnl)! ftlonfc llii) (ronlicr of (ho States ^
and till odii r is to ronn u Ica^iM* hrtMCMi tlir vutiouM trjIicN o|' dm Siout
nation, tlitr (Mirycnrifft, nrul AiapuhoeH, iind niitkr wur ui(uin.%t the Crow
nation, in ordfi tr» take liom tlinn llu-ii country, which \* now thn hoit
hiiU'tdo coiinlry in \\\v. wc^tt. This phtn they now ha\u in conHid'Tation ;
iind it wouhl prohahiy he a wni of ixliM uiiiMtion, us the ('lo\^^ hiivc h)ng
hci'ii iidvixid «it thi8 Ntatr oi alV.tii s, ainl »ay that they arc pci fcctly |)r(>|)ari'd.
TheNi> arc the hcst waniiM.H in tit*' HucUy mountains, and art! now allied
with lh(> Snako Indians; arnl it is |itohahl(.> (hat their conihiriiition would
extend ilHcll to the IJtalis, vs ho have lt)n(; hecn en^u^cd in war against the
Siour.. It is in tliifl ut'ction oi' ((Mintiy that my olnservution luinierly led
nie to reconiinend the t stahji.thnieitl ol a military |i<>>it.

The Carlher (MiiirHo of our narrative will give I'liller and moie detailed
inforniittioti ol the pre sent dis|)o>iti()n oC the hull'.do in the country wc
visited.

Among the roots we ohiaincd lier(>, I could distinguish only five or nix
dillerent kinde) ; and the supply of the Indians \\ horn we met eohNistcd
principally of yampah, {anvllunn, ;j;i'airolcH.iy) lohacco root, {Valeriana^)
and a large root of a 8pe»"i( s of thi.itlt', ( rirciurn ^7r^'fn/r/nl///t,) w hich now
i^ occasioiKilly ahiindant, and is a \eiy agieeahly (lavori-d V(>g(>tal)le.

We had heen detaii.ed ^o long at (lu; village, that in itu; ulternoon wo
made only five milcM, and encamped on the same river alter a day^8 jour-
ney of 1!) miles. The Indians inlnrnird us that we should iiiudi the hi|r
suit water after having slept twice and (ravelling in a south direction. The
stream had here entered a nciiiiy h vel plain or valley, of good soil, eight or
ten miles hroad, to which no leiiainalion was to he seen, and lying hetwccn
ranges of mountains which, on lh<' right, ivere grassy and smooth, unhro-
ken hy rock, and lower than on liie left, where ttiey were rocky and hald,
increasing in height to the southwanl. On the creek were liinges of young
willows, older trees heing rarcdy found on tin; plains, where tlu; Indians
burn the surface to produce better giass. Several magpies {pica lladsonica]
were seen on the creek this aln moon ; and a rattlesnake was killed here,
the fust which had been seen since leaving the eastern plains. Our camp
to-night had such a hungry appearance, that I suH'ered (he little cow to be
killccl, and divided the loots aiul berries among the people. A number ol
Indians from the village cncuinped near.

The weather the next morning was clear, the thermometer at sunrise at
44". 5, and, continuing down the valley, in about fivo miles we followed
the little creek of our encampment to its junction with a larger stream,
ealled Roseaux^ •>< Reed river. Immediately opposite, on the right, the
rai7<fc was gathiMeu into its highest peak, .sloping gradually low, and run-
ning oiT to a point, apparently some forty or fifty miles below. Between
this (now bpcome the valley stream) and the loot of the mountains, we
journeyed along a handsome slojjing level, which frequent springs from tin
hills made occasionally miry, and hulled 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 color, and apparently well
adapted to cultivation. The day had become bright and pleasant, with the
thermometer at TV. By observation, our latitude was4r 59' 31", and the
elevation above the sea 4,G70 feet. On our left, this aftci

moon, the range
at ioiig intervals formed itself into peaks, appearing to terminate,

about

i \n\ I RB.MO.NTH NARHATIVE.

131

ofthr Stutoi}
of llic Sioui
iiif^t the Crow
now thn hflit
onHJd'Mation ;
iw.s liav(< long!
:i\y pic'piiu'd.
ri> now alliod
iriiition would
ai against (ho
1 iutnieiljf Ifd

inoic (Ictaihul
,0 country v.c

nly fivo or six
met conMlsted
, {Valeriana,)
n,) uhicli now
Cflilahli!.
alicinoon wc
• u liay's jour-
I reach the hig
liroclion. The
1(1 soil,(:i<;htur
1} in^ Ixitwecn
iuioolh, unbro-
ocky and hald,
injjes of young
re Uk; Indians
ca Jludsonica]
ab Uilled here
ns. Our camp
itlle c:ow to be ,(
A number o( j

jr at sunrise at ^
i we followed
larj^er slreara,
the tight, the
low, and run-
ow. Uetwecnl
mountains, we
priiigs from the
y spring, where
r was forty feet
3 and a half in
ipparently well
asant, with the(
31", and the
loon, the range!
irminate, about[

forty milesbt'low, in a rorky c»pfl ; beyond which, itftral othcri wcr«f fnint-
ly vii«it)l(> ; und we \\v^^- dnappoindd whru at every littln riito wu did not
ler (he lake. 'I'owardH evening, our way wii<i (ttnitcwhnt obnlrnetod by
lelds of artcmiiiia, which began In muko their appi'tuanci* bore, and we
•DCiiinpi'd on lln; KoHcaux, iho water ol which had iicipnred a deridudly
nit ta»i<>, neaily oppoNJir lo a caTion gap in tin- mount. lio'^, thioiigh wbicfi
the Hear river enters tin** v.illey. \n we eric.tmp*il, (he night .set in dark
and eotd, with heavy rain ; and the nrtemi^ia, which was h(>re our only
wood, WAS .so W(!t (bat it would not hiuti. A poor, nearly htarved dog,
with u wound in bis hide from a hall, came (o thi> camp, and t('niaine(|
with u.s uniil the winter, when he met a very unexpected fate.

Septeinhvr I. The moining was!<«pially and ccdd ; llm sky scaKered over
with clouds ; and thi; night had iieen so uncomlort. title, lh.it we w'>>re not on
the roud until H (t\;|ock. Travelling between Uo.seaux :iii(l Me.ir rivers, wo
continued todctxx'tid (he valley, which gradually expa'tded, as wi* advanc(>d,
in(o u levtd pl.iin of g«i()d soil, ul)uut 25 miles in hrea'lth, between moun<
tains 3,000 ami '1,()()() I'eet hi;^h, rising suddenly to the clouds, which all day
rcs(cd upon the pe.dvs. Tluse gleamed out in the occasintial >ut)light, man-
tled w ith the snow which bid fallen upon them, while it r lined on us in the
valley below, of whir-h tlur elevation here w.is about 1, .■>(»() tee) abovt; the
sea. The country belbre us plaitdy indicated tint wo were approaching
the lake, though, as the grouml where we were travelling allorded no ele-
vated point, nothing of it as yet could be seen ; and at a gicat liistance ahead
were several isolated mouritains, resembling i.>ilan Is, which they were after -
wards found to hr. On this upper plain the grass was every where dead ;
and among the shrubs \> ith u hieh it was almost exclusively occupied, (arte*
inisia being the njost abumlant,) iVefjuently occurred hiindsome clusters of
several species of tlletciia in bloom. Purshia tn\lcnt(itu was amo.ig the
frequent shrubs. Dcsieuding to the bottoms of IJfiar river, wo found good
^rass for the utiimals, and twicampcd about 300 yards above the mou'h of
Koscaux, which bete makes its junction, without eommunicating any
of its salty taste to the main .streum, of which the Water lemiins perfectly
pure. On the river ai e otdy w illow thickets, [salix lun<j\foUa,) and in the
bottoms the abundant pl.nts arc canes, solidago, and helianthi, and along
the banks of Uoseaux arc belds of mulva rotundi/'olia. At sunset the ther-
mometer was at al'-'.o, and the evening clear and calm ; but I deferred
making any use of it until 1 o'clock in the morning, when I endeavored
to obtain an emersion of the tirst satellite ; but it was Inst in a bank of
clouds, which also rendered our usual observations indill'orent.

Among the useful things which formed a portion of our equipage, was an
India-rubber boat, IS lect lon^, nridc somewhat in the form of a bark canoo
of the northern lakes. The sides were formed by two air-tight cylinders,
eighteen inches in diameter, connected wiih others forming the bow and
stern. To lessen the danger from accidents to the boat, these were divided
into four diflerent compartments, and the interior space was sufficiently
large to contain live or six persons and a considerable weight of baggage.
The Roseaux being too deep to be forded, our boat was filled with air, and
in about one hour all the equipage of the camp, carriage and gun included,
ferried across. Thinkiuij; that perhaps in the course of the day we might
reach the outlet at the lake, I got into the boat with Basil Lajeunessc, and'
paddled down Hear river, intending at night to rcjoiu i::e p'J-rty, v.'hich in
he mean time proceeded on its way. The river was from sixty to one

133

CAPT. FURMONT'H NARRATIVE.

,',s'w'

'»»V

i- ^;v:

<r ^ > ■

: * .'; "1. .'■*

i^ [1843.

hundred yards broad, and fhe water so iloop, that even on the comparatively
shallow points we eoiild not reach the bottom with 15 feet. Oneiihcrside
were alternately low bottoms and willow points, with an oecabional high
prairie ; ;ind lor live or six hours we followed slowly tin; wintling course of;
the river, whii^h crept alonjf with aslnngish current among lre<iuent drtoun
several miles around, sometimes mnning )br a considerable distance directly
up the valley. As we were stealing (piietly dow n the stream, trying in vain
to get;i shot at a strange large biid th.<' was nunieioiis among the willows,
but very shy, we came unex})ectedly upon sev(Mal lamilicsol Root Digger.'^^
who were eneamped among the rushes on the shore, and api)caretl very
busy a!)out several w( its or n(!ts which had been ludely made of canes and
rushes for (ho purpose of catching fish. They were very much startled at
our appearance, but we soon established an actjuainlanoe ; and finding that
they had some roots, I promised to send some men with goods to trado
with them. They had the usual very large heads, remarkaF)le among the
Digger tribe, with matted hair, and were almost entirely naked ; looking
very poor and misetable, as if their lives had becin spent in the rushes where
they were, beyond w hieli they seemed to have very little knowledge of any
thing. From the lew words v, e could comprehend, their language waa
that of the Snake Indians.

Our boat moved so heavily, thatwe had made very little progress; and,
finding that it would be impossible to overtake the camp, as joon as we werR
sufficiently far below the Indians, we put to the shore near a high prairie
bank, hauled up the boat, and cached our ellecls in the willows. Ascending
the bank, we Ibund that our desultory labor had brought us only a few miles
in a direct line ; and, going out into the prairie, alter a search we found the
trail of the camp, which was now 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 thiee 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 travelling for several di^ys 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
encrusted with a shining white residuum, and absolutely covered with very
small univalve shells. As we advanced, the whole country around us as-
sumed this pppear^nre ; and there wcd no other vegetation than the shrubby
chenopodiaceous and othar apparently saline pl.mts, which were confined
to the rising grounds. I ieie 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-burnt willows ; the stream being very deep and
sluggish, and sometimes 600 to 800 leet wide. Afi. r a rap'd walk of about
15 miles, we caughl sight ol the camp fires among clumps of willows just
as the sun had sunk behind the mountains on the west side of the val-
ley, filling the clear sky with a golden yellow. These last rays, to us so
piecious, could not have revealed a more welcome sight. To the traveller
and the hunter, a camp fire in the lonely wilderness is always cheering ;
and to ourselves, in our present situation, after a hard march in a region of
novelty, approaching the debouches of a river, in a lahe of almost fabulous
reputation, it was doubly so. A plentiful supper of aquatic birds, and the
interest of the scene, soor dissipated fatigue ; and I obtained during the

1843.]

CAPT. I llEMOiNT'H NARRATIVE.

i:;3

omparalively
')n either side
catiional high
ling course of i
([iicnt di' tours
ance directly
trying in vain
tlu! willows,

ppcarctl very
.? of canes and
eh startled at
d findiii}; that
;oods to trado
)l(; among tho
ked ; lookinjj;
rushes where
vledge of any
language waii

>rogres9 ; and,
on as we werfi
a high prairie
s. Ascending
ly a few miles
we found the
I followed the
makes at this
the trail ; and
t of a vigorous
rable plain on
d in extensive
shallow lakes,
r hnrd surface
red with very
around us as-
n the shrubby
were confined
ich was raised
uw border of
ery deep and
walk of about
willows just
e of the val-
rays, to us &o
the traveller
lys cheering ;
in a region of
most fabulous
jirds, and the
ed during the

night emersions of the second, third, and fourtli satellites of Jupiter, with
observations for time and latitude.

September 3. — The morning was clear, with a light air froui the north,
tndnhe thermometer at sunrise at 45". 5. At .3 in the niorning, Basil
was sent back with several men and horses for the boat, which, in a direct
course across the (hits, was not 10 miles distant ; and in the 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 accoimt of the
willows ; but we were evidently in the vicinity of the lake, and tlie water
fowl made this morning a noise like thunder. A pelican {peAecdiiUfi ono-
crotalus) was killed as he passed by, and many geese and duc^ks Hew over
ihe tamp. On the dry salt marsh here, is scarce any other plant than
^alicornia hfrbudu.

In the afternoon the men returned with the boat, bringing with them a
small quantity of roots, and souic meat, which the Indians had told them
was !)ear meat.

Descending the river for about tlirce miles in the afternoon, we found a
bar to any further travelling in that direction — the stream being spread out
in several branches, and covering the low grounds w iih 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 deUu which forms the tnou'Ji of Bear livcr ; a long arm of the
!dke stretching up to the north between us and the opp.osite mountains.
The river was bordered with a fringe of willows and canes, among which
vere interspersed a few plants ; and scattered about on the marsh was a
species of WKio^a, closely allied to U. sjticata of our sea coist. The whole
morass was animated with mnhitudcs of watei' fowl, which nj)pcared to be
very wild — rising lor tho ?pacc ol a mile round about at the sound of a gun,
vith a noise like distant timnder. Several of the pLople waded out into
'hc; marshes, and we had to-night a delicious suj)per of ducks, geese, and
plover.

Although the moon was bright, the night was otherwise favorable ; and
I obtained this evening an emersion of the first satellite, with the usual ob-
servations. A mean result, depending on var ious obsei vations made during
our sta^r in the neighborhood, places the mouth of tho 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 gvdf of Mexico. The
night was clear, with considerable dew, which I had remarked every night
since the first of September. The next morning, while we were preparing
to start, Carson lode into the camp with flour and a few other articles of
light provision, sufficient for two or three days — a scanty but very accepta-
;)le supply. Mr. Fitzpatrick had not yet arrived, and provisions were very

I scarce, and difficult to be had at Fort Hall, which had been entirely ex-
hausted by the necessities of the emigrants. He brought me also a letter
from Mr. Dwight, who, in company with several eaiigrants, had reached
that place in advance of Mr. Fitzpatrick, and was about continuing his

: journey to V ncouver.

f Returning^'* bout five miles up the river, we were occupied until nearly

■ J nset in ciossing to the left bank — the stream, which in the hist five or six
miles of its course, is very much narrower than above, L ing very deep im-

i mediately at the banks; and we had great difficulty in getting our animals

•' -I

131

CAPT. FREMf».\T'S NARKATIVE.

[1843.

4 5' •■■ .1

over. The pcoj)le with (he baji^agc were easily crossed in the boat, *nd,
we onciitupcfl on the left Ijiink where we crossed the river. At sunset the
thernionietcr w.is at 75 , aiul there was some rain during the night, with a
thunder storm at a distanc e.

September 5. — Bolore us was evidently the bed of the hike, being a great
salt marsh, perfectly level and bare, whitened in places by saline efflo-
rescences, with lieie and there a pool of water, and having the appearance
of a very level seu shore at low tide. Immediately along the river was a
very t.arrow stiip of vegetation, consisting of willows, hclianthi, roses,
flowering vines, and grass ; bordered on the verge ol the great marsh by a
fringe of singular plants, which appear to be a shrubby salicornia, 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 towards this we c ccordingly
directed our course, as it probably alForded a good view of the lake ; but
the deepening mud as we advanced forced us to return toward the river, and
gain the higher ground at the foot of the eastern mountains. Here we halt-
ed for a few minutes at noon, on a beautiful little stream of pure and re-
markably clear water, vvitii a bed of rock in situ, on which was an abun-
dant water plant witli a white blossom. There was good grass in the bot-
toms ; and, amidst a rather luxui iant growth, its banks were bordered with
a larg*^ showy plant {eupatorium purpureum,) whicli I here saw for the
first lime. VVe 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 shofo of the lake in the
spriiig ; the ground being high and firm, and tne so? v, •^'^t and covered
with vegetation, among which a lef^uminous plant \^..,lijtijrrhiza lepidota)
was a characteristic plant. The ridge here rises abruptly to the height ol
about 4.^000 feet ; its face being very prominemiy marked with a massive
stratum of rose colored granular quartz, which is evidently an altered sedi-
mentary rock ; the lines o^ deposition being very distinct. It is rocky and
steep; divided into several mountains; and the rain in the valley appears
to be always snow ^.) their summits at this season. Near a remarkable
rocky point of the niountain, at a large spring of pure water, were several
hackberry trees, (celtis,) probably a new species, the berries still green ;
and a short distance farther, 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 considerable force ten or Iv > ive hot
springs, highly impregnated with salt. In one of these, the .^iyn^ meter
stood at 136°, and in another at 132°.5 ; and the water, whic. ;• .n id in
pools over the low ground, was colored red.*

* An analysis of the red earthy matter deposited in the bed of the stream from the springs
gives the following result :

Peroxide of iron - - - - - - - - - 33.-

Carl: -nate of magnesia -----_-. 2.40

Carbonate of lime - - - - - - - - 50.43

Sulphate of lime - - - - - -.- - - 2.00

Chloride of sodium - - - - - - - 3.45

Silica and alumina - - _ - - . - 3. oo

Water and loss ---_---.- 5.22

100.00

..*'«': f

[1843. I 1843.]

CAI'T. FREMONT'S NAKUATIVE.

135

[he boat, And
At sunset the
night, with a

being a great
saline etflo-
c appearance
e river was a
lianthi, roses,
at marsh by a
iia,or a genus

(1 mountains,
e rccordingly
he lake ; but
the river, and
ilere we halt-
pure and rc-
was an abun-
ss in the bot-
)ordered with
J saw lor the

hero a broad
he lake in the
t and covered
iza lepidota)

the height ol
ith a massive

altered sedi-
t is rocky and
alley appears
a rpmarkable

were several
!S still green ;

about seven
le foot of the
)r ■ V -Ive hoi
K^i"'.!! meter
. ! . ri «d in

from the springs

33.

2.40
50.43
2.00
3.4.5
3.00
5.22

ICO.OO

At this place the trail we had been following turned to the If ft, app:\renf-
ly with the view of entering a gorge in tlm mountain, from which isssuctl
the principal fork of a large and coinj)nra(iv(ly well-liniberod strtAm, called
Weber's fork. VVe accordingly f'.rncd oil towards tlio lake, and encamped
on tjiis river, which was 100 to loO feet wide, with high banks, and very
clear pure water, without the tilightest indication of salt,

September 0. — Leaving the encampment o;irly, 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
[cralcBgus) which wore loaded with berries. This time we reached the
butte without any dilliculty, and, asccnd'iig to the summit, immediately at
our feet behold the object of our anxious search — the waters of the Inland
Sea, stietching in still and solitary graiuleiir 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 ip the first emotions of excited pleasure, I am doubtful
if the followers of Balboa felt more enlhusi.i n\ 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 ex-
pedition ; and to tiavellers so long shut up among mountain ranges, a sud-
den view over tlie expanse of silent waters had in it something sublime.
Several large islands raised their high rocky heads out of the waves; but
whether or not they were limbered, was still left to our imagination, as the
distance was too great to determine if the dark hues upon them were wood-
land 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 islands
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 ndles below our last encampment, the timber was gathered into groves,
and then disappeared entirely. 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, {equisetumhyemale.) At sunset, the ther-
mometer was at 55°; the evening clear and calm, with some cumuli.

September 7. — The morning was caim and clear, with a temperature
at sunrise of 39°. 5. The day was spent in active preparation for our in-
tended voyage on the lake. On the edge of the stream a favorable spot
Avas selected in a grove, and, felling the timber, we made a strong coral or
horse pen, for the anim , and a little fort for the people who were to re-
main. VVe were now probably in the country of the Utah Indians, though
none reside upon the lake. The India-rubber boat was repaired with pre-
pared cloth and gum, and filled with air, in readiness for the next day.

The provisions which Carsonhadbrought with him being new 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 w^ere sent back to Fort Hall, under the guidance
of Francois Lajeunesse, who, having been for many years a trapper in the
country, v/as considered an experienced mountaineer. Though they were
provided v.'ith good horses, and the road was a remarkably plain one of
only four days' journey for a horseman, they became bewildered, (as we
afterwards learned,) and, losing their way, wandered about the country in

•/•'

■, i

1 >' -1

136

CAPT. FHEMONT'S NARllATIVE.

[i84y.

'■',;.(•■

-1

,V;

■( ,'

parties of one or two, reaching the fi)it ahout a week afterwards. Sobe
straggled in of themselves, ami the others were hroiight in hy Indians who
had picked them up on Snake river, ahout sixty miles below the fort, trav-
elling along the emigrant road in full march for the Lower Coliiinbia. The
leader of this adventurous party was Francois.

Hourly barometrical observations were made during the day, and, after
departure of the party for Fort liall, we occupied ourselves in continuing
our little preparations, and in becoming acquainted with the country in
the vicinity. The bottonis alotig the river were tiuibered with several
kinds of willow, hawthorn, and line cottonwood Irces [populiis canadensis]
with remarkably large leaves, and sixty leet in hciglit by measurement.
We formed now but a small family. With Mr. Preuss and myself, Car-
8on,Bernier, and Basil Lajeunesse, had been selected lor the boat expedi-
tion — the (irst ever attempted on this interior sea ; and Badeau, with Do
rosier, and Jacob, ( the colored uian, ) wei e to be left in charge of the camp.
"We were favored with most delightful weather. To-night tiiere was a
brilliant sunset of golden orange and green, which left the western sky
clear and beautifully pure ; but clouds in the east made me lose an occulta-
tion. The summer frogs were singing around us, and the evening was
very pleasant, with a temperature of G0° — a night of a more southern au-
tumn. For our supper 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
rifl» \round our fire to-night were many speculations on what to-morrow
woUi/ % forth, and in our busy f'njectuies wc fancied that we should

find evc jne of the large islands a tangled wilderness of trees and shrub-
bery, teeniing with game of every description that the neighboring region
afforded, and which the fool 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 believed that we should find clear streams and springs
of fresh water; and we indulged in anticipations of the luxuiious repasts
with which we were to indemnify ourselves for past privations. Neither,
in our discussions, were the w hirlpooi and other mysterious dan^eis forgot-
ten, which Indian and hunter's stoiies attributed to this unexplored lake.
The men had discovered that, instead of being strongly sewed (like that of
the preceding year, which had so triumphantly rode the canons of the Up-
per Great Platte,) our present boat was only pasted together in a vcrj inse-
cure manner, the maker having been allowed so little time in the construc-
tion, 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 accomplished, was a certain im-
pression of danger, sufficient to give a serious character to our convprsaticn.
The momentary view which had been had of the lake the day before, its
great extent and rugged islands, dimly seen amidst the dark wat jrs in the
obscurity of the sudden storm, were well calculated to heighten the idea
of undefined danger with which the lake was generally associated.

September 8. — A calm, clear day, with a sunrise temperature of 41°.
In view of our present enterprise, a part of the equipment of the boat had
been made to consist in three air-tight bags, about three feet long, and ca-

1. These had been filled with water

pabl

ling

gall

the night before, and were now placed in the boat, with our blankets and

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

137

suiemcnt.
myself, Car-
boat expedi-
lu, \vith l)e
of the camp,
there was a
western sky
2 an occulta-
evening was
southern au-
ivored of the
ay of Jacob's
at to-morrow
at we should
3S and slirub-
)oring region
;vcr violated,
of their lofty
and springs
rious repasts
hs. Neither,
njiGi s forgot-
ipiored lake,
(like that of
lis of the Up-
1 a very inse-
the construc-
into several,
and, mingled
respect of an
a certain im-
convprsation.
ay before, its
watjrs in the
ittn the idea
iated.

ature of 41°.
the boat had
long, and ca-
d with water
blankets and

Initruments, consisting of a sextant, telescope, spy glass, thermometer, and
barometer.

VVc left the camp at sunrise, and had a very pleasant voyage down the
river, in wiiich there was generally eight or ten feet of water, deepening as
we neared the mouth in the latter part of the day. In the course of the
iDorning we discovered that two of the cylinders leaked so much as to re-
quire one man constantly at the I)ellows, to keep them sufl'iciently full of
air to support the boat. Although we had made a very early start, we
loitered so much on the way — .^topping every now and then, and lloating
silently along, to get a shot at a goose or a 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 difTiculty we
oould get tlie boat along, being obliged to get out and wade. We encamped
in a low point among rushes and young willows, where there was a quan-
;ity of drift wood, which served for our fires. The evening was mild and
clear ; we made a pleasant bed of the 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. Latitude (by observation) 41° 11' 26 ' ; and longitude 112°

irso".

September 9. — The day was clear and calm ; the thermometer at sunrise
at 49°. As is usual with the trappers on the eve of any entei prise, our peo-
ple had made dreams, and theirs happened to be a bad one — one which al-
ways preceded evil — and consequently they looked very gloomy this morn-
ing ; but we hurried through our breakfast, in order to make an early start,
and have all the day before us for our adventure. The channel 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 abrolutely
covered with flocks of screaming plover. We took of! our clothes, and,
getting overboard, commenced dragging the boat — making, by this opera-
tion, a very curious trail, and a veiy disagreeable smell in stirring up the
raud, as we sank above the knee at every step. The water here was still
fresh, with only an insipid 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 sud-
denly salt, beginning gradually to deepen, and the bottom was sandy and
firm. It was a remarkable division, separating the fresh water of the rivers
from the briny wat 'r of the lake, which was entirely saturated with com-
mon 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 directecf our course to-
wards 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

I! 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
I 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 thatdi-
• rection, and recalling the recollection of the whirlpool stories. The water

\V.

138

CAPT. FKEMONT.^ .XAKRATIV i:.

[1843

y?;-..

continued to dcopon as wo advanced ; the lak(^ becoming almost transpa-
rently clear, of an exfreinely beautiful bii^htj^rcen color; and tlie spray,
which was thrown into the boat and over our clothes, was directly con-
verted into a crii.it of common salt, which covered also our hands and artna.
" •Ja|)tain," said ('arson, who for sonu; time had been looking suspiciously
at some whiteninjj; a])pearances outside the nearest islands, " what arc 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 begin-
ning to break undef 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 w ifer bird ; but, at the sanie time, it was extremely slow in
its progress. When we were a little more than half way across the reach,
two of the divisions between the cylinders gave way, and it required the
constant use of the bellows to keep in a sulliciont 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 channel, 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 bottom at a consider-
able depth.

It was a handsome broad beach where we landed, behind which the hill.
into which the island was gathered, rose somewhat 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 encamp-
ment. We did not suffer our fragile boat to touch the sharp rocks; but,
getting overboard, discharged the baggage, and, lifting it gently out of the
water, carried it to the upper part of the beach, which was composed ot
very small fragments of rock.

Among the successive banks of the beach, formed by the action of the
waves, our attention, as we approached the island, had been attracted b)
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 larvtb of insects, or, in common language,
of the skins of Avorms, about the size of a grain of oats, which had been
washed .p by the waters of the lake.

Alluding to this subject some monthsafterwards, when travelling through
a more southern portion of this region, in company with Mr. Joseph Walker,
an old hunter, 1 was informed by him, that, wandering with a party of men
in a mountain country east of the great Californian range, he surprised a
party of several Indian families encamped near a small salt lake, who aban-
doned their lodges at his approach, leaving every thing behind them. Be-
ing 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 and pounded. On this they made a hearty supper ; and were
gathering around an abundantbreakfastthe next morning, when Mr. Walker
discovered that it was with these, or a similar worm, that the bags had been
filled. The stomachs of the stout trappers were not proof against their pre-
judices, and the repulsive food was suddenly rejected. Mr. Walker had
further 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

[1843 m 1843.]

CAIT. h'KKMoNT'S NAHKATIVE.

139

ir :.^4-

most transpa*
ni\ the spray,
directly con-
ids and arms.
; suspiciously
,'hat arc those
ised paddling
I were begin.
3ining up the
ind it lodc on
jraely slow in
Dss the reach,
required the
if air. For a
gradually we
Qoother water
t we took for
lifTs whitened
led the shore,
at a consider-

vhich the hill.
; and a point
there was an
isant encamp-
rp rocks ; but,
itly out of the
composed ol

action of the
1 attracted b)

more closely
even or eight
lion language,

ich had been

elling through

seph Walker,

party of men

e surprised a

te, who aban-

1 them. Be-

e abandoned

ppeared to be

er ; and were

n Mr. Walker

ags had been

nst their pre-

. Walker had

of food ; and

appear to be

t product of the sail luUcs. It may be well to ro call to your mind that Mr.
Walker was associated with Captain Hnnnovilb' in his expedition to tlio
Kooky mountains; ami has niiice that tiiiio rcrnaiiicd in the country, gen-
erally rcbiding in some one of the Snake villigos, when not engaged in one
of his numerous trapping expeditions, in which he is celebrated as one of
(he best and bravest loailcrs who have ever been in the country.

The dills and masses of rock along the shore were whitened by an in-
crustation of salt where the waves dashed up against them ; and the evap-
orating 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 appeared strange that, in the midst of this grand reservoir, one
of our greatest wants lately bad been salt. Exjiosed to be more perfectly
dried in the sun, this became veiy white and fine, having the usual llavor
ol" 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 the barometer and other instruments, in the afternoon
we ascended to the highest point of the island — a bare rocky peak, 800 feet
above the lake. Standing 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 thetn 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 searched for some in-
dications of a communication with other bodies of water, or the entrance of
other rivers ; but the distance was so great that we could make out nothing
with certainty. To the southward, several peninsular mountains, 3,000 or
4,000 feet high, entered the lake, appearing, so far as the distance and our
position enabled us to determine, to be connected by (lats and low ridges
with the mountains in the rear. These are probably the islands usually indica-
ted 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 ap-
pearing above the water at a great distance ; 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, 1 could hardly repress the almost irresistible desire to continue our ex-
ploration ; but the lengthening snow on the mountains was a plain indica-
tion of the advancing season, 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 sat-
isfied 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 sol-
itude of the place. From the point where we were standing, the ground
fell off on every si'^e to the water, giving us a perfect view of the island,
which is twelve or iiiirteen miles in circumference, being simply a rocky
hill, on which there is niether water nor trees of any kind ; although the

CAPT. FFIEMONTH NARUATIVn.

[1843.

!:-:/

cVf

k.)'

'A, %;V .',

Frenwnlia vermicular is ^ whicli was in guMt abundance, ini^ht easily be
mistaken for timber at a distance. Tho plant scented here to delight in a
congenial air, growing in extraordinary luxuriance seven to eight feet high,
and was very abund;int on the upper part!:! ol' the inland, whire it was aU )
nio!!>t the only plant. This is eminently a saline shrub ; its leaves have a
very salt taste ; and it luxuriates in saline soils, where it is usually a char-
acteristic. It is widely ditluscd over all this country. A chenopodiaceous
shrub, which is a new species ol oimonk, ((). rigida, Ton . \ Frcm^ } was
ecpially characteristic ol the lower puns of the island. Tlicse two are th(>
striking plants on the island, and belong to a class ol plants which lorin a
prominent feature in the vegetation of this country. On the lower parts ol
the island,also,aprickly pear of very large si/e was frecpient. On the shore,
near the water, was a woolly species oi p/iacd ; and a new species of um-
belliferous plant {leptota'tnia) was scattered about in very considerable
abundance. These constituted all tiic vegetation that now appeared upon
the island.

I accidentally left on the sniumit the brass cover to the object end of my
spy glass ; and as it will probably remain there undisturbed by Indians, it
will furnish matter of s])eculation to some futuie travcllei. In our excur-
sions about the island, we did not meet with any kind of animal ; a mag-
pie, and another larger bird, probably attracted by the smoke of our fire,
})aid us a visit from the shore, and were the only living things seen during
our stay. The rock constituting the clitls along the shore where wc were
encamped, is a talcous rock, or stealite, with brown spar.

At sunset, the temperature was 70*^. We had arrived just in time to ob-
tain a meridian altitude of the sun, and other observations were obtained
this evening, which place our camp in latitude 41*-' 10' 42 ", and longitude
112* 21' 05" from Greenwich. From a discussion of thu barometrical ob-
servations made during oui- stay on the shores of the lake, we have adopted
4,200 feet for its elevation above the gulf of Mexico. In the first disap-
pointment we felt from the dissipation of our dream of the fertile islands, I
called tltis Disappointment islatid.

Out of the diiftwood,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 perfect security ; no one thinking about his arms. The even-
ing was extremely bright and pleasant ; but the wind rose during the niglit,
and the waves began to break heavily on the shore, making our island
tremble. 1 had not expected in our inland journey to hear the roar of an
ocean surf; and the strangeness of our situation, and the excitement we
felt in the associated interests of the place, made this one of the most in-
teresting nights I remember during our long expedition.

In the morning, the surf was breaking heavily on the shore, and wc
were up early. The lake was dark and agitated, and we hurried through
our scanty breakfast, and embarked — having 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 consider-
able 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

♦ APT. FUKMONT'S .\.\HK ATIVK.

I tl

^ht easily be
o delight in a
iglit feet higli,
ere it was aU
leaves have a
sually a char-
iiopodiaceous
• Frem.,) was
ie two are thrt
which lorm a
lower parts ol
On the shore,
pecies of urn-
considerable
ppcarcd upon

jcct end of my
by Indians, it
In our excur-
liinal ; u mag'
ke of our fire,
is seen during
here we were

in time to ob-

wero obtained

and longitude

romctrical ob-

'lave adopted

le fust disap-

tile islands, I

)dges, open to
onder of any
time in a long
The even-
ng the night,
our island
the roar of an
xcitement we
the most lii-

lore, and we
rried through
f the buckets
^0 salt. The
as blowing a
ig a consider-
ed as we got
men to make
suu, and there

was danger of being blown into one of thn opm rrarhrs beyond the island.
At (he distance of half a inile from the beach, llu; dtptb of water was IG
feet, y^itli a clay bottom ; but, as the working of the boat was very severe
labor, and during the opeiation of rounding it wa:) necessary to cease pad-
dling, during which the boat lost considerable way, I was unwilling to dis-
courago the men, and reluctantly gave up my intention of ascertaining (lie
depth, and the character of the bed. Thcte was a general shout ifi the
boat when we found ourselves in one fathom, and we soon after landed on
a low point of mud, immediately under the hutfc of the peninsula, where
we unloaded the boat, and carried the baggage about a (i:arter of a mile to
firmer ground. We arrived just in time for meriditm observation, and
carried the barometer to the summit of the butte, which is 500 feet above
the lake. Mr. I'reuss set oil' on foot for the camp, which was about nine
miles distant; Basil accompanying him, to bring back horses lor the boat
and baggage.

The rude-looking shelter we raised on the shore, our scattered baggage
and boat lying on the beach, made quite a picture ; and we called this the
Fisherman's camp. Lynosiris gravcohns^ and another new species ol
oBioNE, (O. conlcrtifolia — Torr. ^' Frem.,) were growing on the low
grounds, with interspersed spots of an unwholesome suit grass, on a saline
flay 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 scaicely stand before it ; ami
we were obliged to pack our baggage hastily, as the rising water of the
I'lke had already reached the point where we were halted. Looking back
as we rode oil", we found the place of recent encampment entirely covered.
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, resemblini!; the beds of ponds, that were
bare of vegetation, and covered witli a powdery vvliite alts, being inter-
spersed among the shrubs. Artemisia trideitata ^/as very abundant, but
the plants were principally saline ; a large and vigorous chenopodiaceous
shrub, five to eight feet high, being characteristic, with Premontia vermicu-
laris, 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 people, who, bavin:';
been unable to see any thing of us on the lake, had begun f,o feel some
uneasiness.

September 11. — To-day we remained at this camp, in order ' obtain
some further observations, and to boil -I'^wn the water which had been
brought from the lake, for a supply of sait. Roughly evaporated over the
fire, the five gallons of water yielded fourteen jiints of very fine-grained
and very white salt, of which the whole lake may be regarded as a saturat-
ed 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)
Chloride of calcium
Cloridc of magnesium

97.80
0.61
0.24

';•'■:

>:,* ,'

f = l

v.-' ft.

,. y

li'- •*

Wi^':

-^*'

142

Sulphato of Moda
Sulpliuti- uf lime

. CAFT. FREMONTH NAUIIATIVK.

Lll|4S.

100.00

(tlancin^ your eye uloti^ the iiiii|), you will sec a siiiull .^lioniii entering
the Utah lake, south ol (he Spariinh lorU, uiid the lust waters ot thni lukt*
which our roud ol I Hit cronstrs in couiin^ up Iroiu (i.e souihwuid. VVhi n
I was on this stream uilh Mi. Walker in that year, he ititoiiti'd me that on
the upp(>r part oIiIk.' river are immense ho.ih ol rot k salt ot very ^r^?at tl.ick-
ness, which he hud Irequetilly visited. Farlh(!r to the m iitlnvard, tlH> i ivers
which are adiuent to (lie Colorado, such as the Hio Vir^en, and (iila river,
near their mouths, are imf>ic^naled with salt l>y (he clill's ol rock suit he-
twccn which lliey pas.s. 'riiese mines occur in the same ridge in which,
ahout 120 miles to the northward, and suhsecjuendy in iheii more immediate
neighhorliood, we di.'icoveied (he fossils helon|;in^ (o (he oolitic period, and
they are prohahly connected wi(h that lornialion, and are the depositc Jrom
whicit the (ireat Lake olxain-s its salt. Had we remained loader, we should
have I'ound them ii its hed, and in the mountains aiuund its shores.

By ohservation, the la(i(ude of this camp is 41^ 15' 50 ", and longitude
112'' OG' 43".

The observations made during our stay give for the rate of the chro-
nometer 31 ".72, coMeh|>on(liiig almost exactly with (he rate obtained
at St. Vrain's fort. liaiometrical observations were made hourly during
the day. This morning we breakfasted on yampali, and had only kama!)
for supper; but a cup of good coll'ee still distinguished us from ouv JJi/^ger
acijuaintances.

September 12. — The morning was clear and calm, with a temperature
at sunrise of 32*'. We resumed our journey late in tiie day, reluming by
nearly the same route which we had travelled in coining to the lake ; and,
avoiding the passage of Hawthorn creek, struck the hills a little below the
liot salt springs. The flat plain wc had here passed over consisted alter-
nately of tolerably good .sandy soil and of saline j)lats. 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 (he sea. liehind these Iroui peak.s the ridge rises
towards the Bear river mountains, which are probably as high as (he Wind
river chain. This creek is here unusually well timbeied with a variety of
trees. Among (hem weie biich(ftc<M/a,) the ni row-leaved poplar {populus
an^^usli/oUa,) sc\cvi\\ kinds of willow {salix,) hawthorn {crateegus,) al-
der {alnus viridis,) and ccrasus, with an oak allied to (juercus alba^ but
very distinct from that or any other species in the United States.

We had to-night a supper of sea gulls, w hich Carson killed near the lake.
Although cool, the thcrnjometer standing at 47'',musquitoes were sulDcient-
ly numerous to be troublesome this evening.

September 13. — Continuing up the river valley, we crossed several small
streams ; the racuntalns on (he right appearing to consist ol the blue lime-
stone, which we had observed in the same ridge to the northward, alternat-
ing 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 witli innutnerable
flowers, among which weie purple fields of cupatoriurn purpurcuni, with

[1941 ■ 1943]

• •APT. I'Ur.MONT'M NAKKATIVE.

143

•^ >• 0.8$
- lit

100.00

Btin cDtering
i of thai luke
ivaid. VVhtn
il inn that on
Y Hi«?at tl.ick-
t(l, thr* rivers
iti (iila river,
rock HuU he-
\\rv ill which,
10 i mined into
ic p('i'iud,and
(U'posite IVoin
er, we shouhl
shores,
uul longitude

of the chlo-
rate obtained
loutly duiin|!;
(1 only Uanii'i!)
in om JJif^ge I

1 teinpeiatuie

, leliirningl)}

(■ lake ; and,

lie below the

nsisled alter-

e encamped

the peaks of

e the luke, or

»c lidgc rises

\ as the Wind

I a variety of

)lar {populus

raiccf^us^) al-

us albOy but

ales.

icar the lake.
?ro sufficient-
several small
le blue lime-
ard, alternat-
hese streams,
several chan-
innutnerable
mrcunXy will'

bellaiithfv A haiidsomf! f«olida^o {S. canadenaia^) nnd a variety of other
plant.M in bloom. (Jontiiiuin^ alon^ the foot of the hill<4, in tint uflc'rnoon
we found five or b\\ hot .sprin^t ^u^•hin^out toKciher, bi neath u (on^lomc•
rate, consisting principally of Irai^mcnlsof a^rayish-blu(; limciiionc, < lllor-
eicing n salt upon the .Mirfat e. The temperature of these .springs waH l.'J4',
tnd the rocks in the bed \\<'ti' colored with :i red depo.site, and there was
common salt crystalli/od on the margin. There was alMi a white inciu.^t-
ation ii[>on loaves and loots, coiii^iMting principally of laibonate ot lime.
There were rushes seen alonj; the ri»ad this afternoon, and the .soil under
(lie hills was very black, and apparently very good ; btit at this time tho
•jrass IS entirely dried up. WC nuriinpi d on Mear river, iinm<(liately be low
a cut-ufl', the canon by which th(> liver enters this valley bijiin^ iioith by
compass. The night was tnild, with a very clear sky ; and I obtained a
very excellent observation of an occuUation of Tuu.' Arietis, with other ob-
servations. IJolh immersion and emersion of the star wt.'ie observed ; but,
as our observations have shown, the phase; atthebriglit lind)j;iii( rally gives
incorrect longitudes, and we have adopted the result obtained from the
emersion at the dark limb, without allowing any weight to the immersion.
Accoiding to these ob.seiv.ilions, lh( longitude is 1 1 J <>.'» 12 , and the lati-
tilde 41 42' 43'. All the longitudes on the line of our outward journey,
between St. V'rain's fort and the Dalles of the Columbi.i, which were not
directly determined by satellites, have been ehronometrically referred to
this place.

The people; to-day were rather low-spirited, hunger making them very
quiet and peaceable ; and th'ie was rarely an oath to be lieaiil in th(! camp —
not even a solitary enfant (ft qarcc. It was time for the men with an ex-
pected supply of provisions from I'Mtzpatrick to be in the neighboihooil ; and
the gun was fired at evening, to give them notice of our locality, but met
with no respon.s(.'.

September 14. — .\bout foui miles fioin this encampment, the trail led us
down to the river, where wc unexpectedly found uri excellent ford — the
stream being widened by an iidand, and not yet disengaged from the hills
at the foot of the range. Wc cncam|)ed on a little creek wlnie wc had
made a noon halt in descending the river. The night was very clear and
pleasant, the sunset lemperatuic being G7*'.

The people this evening looked so forlorn, that I gav<.' them permission to
kill a fat young horse whicli I had purchased with goods from the Snake
Indians, and they were very soon restored to gayety and good humor. Mr.
Preussaud myself could not yet overcome some remains of civilized preju-
dices, and preferred to st;:rvc .i little longer ; feeling as much saddened as
if a crin)e had been coniiuilted.

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 encanipinent of
two families of Snake Indians, [rem whom we purchased a small quantity
of kooyah. They had piles of seeds, of throe difTerent kinds, spread out
upon pieces of buiialo lobe ; and the squaws had just gathered about a
bushel of the roots of a thistle, {circium Virginianitm.) 'I'hey were about
the ordinary size of carrots, and, as I have previously mentioned, are sweet
and well flavored, requiring only a long preparation. They had a band of
twelve or fifteen horses, and appeared to be growing in llie sunshine with
about as little labor as the plants they were eating.

'S»

144

CAPT. FRKMONrw NARRATIVE.

[1A43. K184

t I

'■*.»*> '

Sliordy alU'rwniiU wv tnnt an ItuiiMn on liomclKick wli^ hnd killed «n
•ntc'ope, which wu puichiiMi'il Ironi hint lot n liltin |iow(lrr and <toint> hidU.
Wc cidsitLMl th(f Nonoiiux, und enodiii|>(!d on th«> Ivlt hank ; huUin^ enrlv for
thr pli>n*iiii (' ol cnjo) in^ u h hidrsonH- and ulmndattt Niippn , and w )loa|.
onlly c*ngiif{rd in ptotiai'tiriK ocr nnu.HUul ronilotl, \s\ivu Tabcau ^^.tilopcil
into (ho camp uilh \\rwn (hat Mr. Fi(/pa(ii(k was rncompcd clutto hy us,
wi(h a ^ood supply ol ptoviitions — fh)iii, rifc, and diii>d meat, and t'VcH u
little hnttn. Kxcitrnirnt to•ni^h( made ws all \vak<>(iit ; and alter a hroak*
fast hclttre sunriNc (he next moining, wc wtMc a^aiti on the road, and, cut.
tinning op the valley, crosstMl 8om(> hi^h points ol liillH, and halted (o nooi
on the same streim, near 80V( ral lod^i's of Snake Indians, iron) whom v,o
purcliased uliout a huslxd olNervice l)eiri(!s,p:irtially dritMl. By the {^ift el
a knite, I prevaile<t npon a little hoy to show me iUv. kooyah plant, whicf.

I)K)ved (o lie vaUiiann e^iulh. The mh)I, which confc(itute» ihv. kootjafi^M
arye, of a very hi ij^ht yellow color, with (he < haracteiistic odor, hut not m
fully developed ns in the prepared suhstance. It loves the rich moiiit soil
of river hottonis, wliith was the locality in which I always tfterwards fouihi
it. It was now entirely oulol bloom ; according to my oh9crvation,nowei-
ing in (he mondis of May and June. In (he alternoon we entered a lon^
ravine leadinir to a pass in ^hc dividing ridge hetwecn the waters of Bear
liver and the Snake river, <»r Leu isN folk of (he (]olumhia ; our way hein^^
very much impeded, and almost entirely hlocked up, hy compact fields ui
luxuriant artemisia. Taking leave at (his point of (he wa(ers of Bear river,
and oi (he geographical hasin which ench)ses(he sys(em of rivers and creeks-
which heloiig(<> (he (ireat Salt Lake, and which so richly deseives a future
detailed and ample explota(i()n, I can s;iy ol it, in general terms, that the
bottoms of this river, ( Bear,) and of some of (he creeks which I saw, form
a natural reciting and lecruiting station for travellers, now, and in all time
to come. The bottoms arc extensive; water excelle"t ; timber suflicicnt ;
the soil good, and well adapted to the grains and gt s suited to such ar
elevated region. \ military post, and a civilized nent, would beol

great vaUu; here; and cattle and horses would do well where grass and salt
$*o much abound. The lake will furnish exiiaustless supplies of salt. All
the mountain sides Ix^re are covered with a \ aluahle nutri(iou8 grass, called
bunch y;rass, fiom (he form in which it aiows, which has a second growth
in th(! iail. The beasts of the Indians were tat upon it ; our own found it
a good f»ubsistenc( ; and its quantity will .sustain any amount of cattle, and
make this (ruly a bucolic region.

VVc met bore an Indian family on hor 'eback, which had been out to g.)ther
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 ; (pop-
ulus trevi.,) the common blue flowering flix 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 appioximation, as at the time of
observation it was blowing a violent g.deol wind from the northwest, with
citrnM^t scattered in masses over the sky, (he day otheiwise bright and clear.
We descended, by a steep slope, into a broad open valley — good soil ; from
four to five miles v.ide ; coming down immediately upon one of the head-
waters of the Pannack river, which here loses itself in swampy ground.
The appearan-^e of the country 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

CAPT. rm:\i().NT'« nakuatin r,.

145

cloM" by ii«,

, Ullli V\Ct\ t

fUT a l)reuk'
ul, and, cor-
iiltt'd (o nnot
III whom \\t>
\y the j;ift of
plant, which
w. kootjah, ii
;)r, hut notiti
ch iiioiiit soil
rwards found
ition, (lower*
ttcrtul a lon^
itcfw of Bear
ur way being
pact fields ol
»f Hear river,
rs and creeki-
ives a future
rms, that the
J I saw, form
d in all tinu>
r suflicicnt ;
d to such ar,
would be of
rass and salt
of salt. All
;rass, called
cond j;rowth
own found it
f cattle, and

out together
ttered about
aspen ; (pop-
g the plants.
ut 6,300 feet
It the time of
thwest, with
ht and clear.
)d soil ; from
of the head-
mpy ground,
n either side
little timber,
he left, with

flill higher poiliH ltM)kin)( out abovi* thr rangt>. The vulloy ulVordt'd ugoud
Icfelroad ; but it was lat*: wlii'u it itrougbt uh to water, and wir cniMiiipi d
•idaik. The noilhwu.Ht wind It td bhiwn up voiy iold weather, and tho
irteminia, which wart our firewood lo-niglil, did not h.i|iperi (o be very
abundant. Thiii plant l(»ve<ta dry, sandy !toil,and c.mnotgrow in the good
W)(t<>iii*( wlicre it ii lich and nioisl, but on eveiy little eminence, where
viixiri il(Ks not rest long, it niainluin8 ab^ulute possession. Klevation above
tin; >e.i about 5,100 feet.

At night scattcnd fires gliiiiiiiered along iho mountains, pointing out
camps ollbe Indians ; and we contrasted (be compirativo senility in which
we travelled tbi(>ui!;b this countiy, with (he guarded vigilance we were com*
|iclled to exert .iiiioiig lliu Siuux and other indi.ms on the eastern side of
the Rocky mountains.

At sunset the thermiirneter was at jO^, and at midnight at OO**'.

Se/itcinhn' 17. The morning sky w.is c.ilm and clear, tlu; temperature
It daylight being 25*^, and at sunrise JO . Thuri; is throughout this mouii*
lain country a remarkable (li!rer(>nc(! between the morning and midday
temperatures, which at this season was very generally 10' or 50', and oe-
cusionally greater; and Irecpieutly, altera very frosty morning, th(! heiit in
a few hours would reinlei the tbinnol tlolhing agi o«!al)le. About noon wo
icached tho main foik. The I'annack livi r was before us ; tin* valley be-
ing here 1 j mile wide, fertile, and bordered by Miiooth bills, nut over. 500
li'f.'t high, partly covered with cedar; a high iidge,in which there is a
promirunt peak, rising beiiitid tbos(! on the Icli. We continued to descend
this stream, and loiirid on ii at night a waiin and comfortable camp. Flax
occutred so ire(|uently during the day as to be almost a ch.iractcristic,and
the soil appeired excellent. The opposite hills on the ri^fit are broken hero
into a great variety of shapes. "he evening was gusty, with a temperature
at sunset of 50'. I obtained, about midniglit, an observation of an emer-
sion of the (irst satellite ; the night being calm and very clear, the stars re-
iiiaikably bright, and the thermometer at 30 . Longitude, from mean of
siitellito and chronometer, 1 12^ 2d ol' ; and latitude, by observation, 43^

September 18. — The day clear and calm, with a temperature of 25" at
sunrise. After travelling seven or eight miles, w c emerged on tho plains of
the Columbia, in sight of the famous *" Three Z?»/<<!«," a well-known land-
mark in the countiy, distint about 15 miles. The French word hnttCj
whicdi so often oicurs in this nartative, is retained from the familiar lan-
guage of the country, and identifies the objects to which it refers. It is
naturalized in the region of the KocUy moiinlains ; and, even if desirable to
render it in English, I know of no word which would be its precise c(juiv-
alent. It is applied to the detached hills and ridges which rise abrujitly,
and reach too high to be called hills or ridges, and not high enough
to be called mountains. Knoh^ as applied in the western States, is their
most descriptive term in English. CVrro is the Spanish term ; hut no
translation, or paraphrasis, would preserve tho identity of these picturesque
landmarks, familiar to the traveller, and often seen at a great distance.
Covered as far as could be seen with artemisia,the dark and ugly appearance
of this plain obtained for it the name of the Saii;e Desert ; and we were
iig'eeably surprised, on reaching the Poitiieuf river, to see a beautiful green
valley with scattered timber spread out beneath us, on which, about lour
miles distant, were glistening the white walls of the fort. The Portneuf
10

\M'X^^

&§<Hi

14G CAPT. FKKMONTS NARRATIVK. ; [1843.^

rins along (he upland plain nearly to its month, and an abru^t^etcent of
pe.ha|)s 200 foe. brought us down icninodiately upon the stream, whiuh at
the lord is 100 yaids wide and 3 foot deep, with clear water, a swift cur-
rent, aiif' gravelly bed ; hut a little hij^her up the breadth was only about]
35 yartis, with appaienlly dec p water.

In the bottom 1 icmatkod a very groat number of springs and sloughsj'^
with remark?«b!y clear water and gravel beds. At sunset we encamp J witt'
Mr. Talbot and our friends, who came on to P^ort Hall when we vvent to
the lake, and whom we had the saliil'action to find all well, neither party
having met witli any mittehancc in the interval of our separation. I'hey,
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.
Fif.^patrick had rigidly hiis!)anded our stock of flour and light provisions,
in view of the approaching winter and the long journey before us.

Sep/emher 19. —This morning the sky was very dark and gloomy, and
at daylight it began snowing thickly, and continued all day, with cold, ais-
agreeable weather. At sunrise the touipcrature was 43°. I rode up to the
fort, and purchased from Mr. Grant (the officer in charge of the post) sev-
eral very inditferent horj.>s, and five oxen in very fine order, which were
receivod at the camp wit'i great satisfaction ; and, one being killed at even-
ing, the usual gayety and good humor were at once .estored. Night came
in stormy.

September 20. — We had a night of snow and rain, and the thermometer
at sunrise was at 34''" ; the morning was dark, with a steady rain, and there
was still an inch of snov/ on the ground, with an abundance on the neigh-
boring hills and mountains. The suddf n change in the weather was hard
for our animals, who trembled and shivered in the cold — sometimes taking
refuge in the timber, and now and then coming out and raking the snow
ofi' the ground for a little grass, or eating the young willows.

Septemher 2\ . — Ice made tolerably thick during the night, and in the
morning the weather cleared up very bright, with a temperature 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 18*^.

September 22. — The morning was clotidy and unpleasant, and at sunrise
a cold rain commenced, with a temperature of 41°.

The early approach of winter, and the difi^iculty of supporting a large
party, determined me to send jack a number of the men who had become
satisfied that they were not fitted for the laborious service and frequent pri-
vation to which they were necessarily exposed, and which there was reason
to believ3 would become more severe in the furtherextension of the voyage.
1 accordingly called them together, and. informing them of my intention to
continue our jouiney during the ensuing winter, in the course of which
they would probably be exposed to considerable hardship, succeeded in
prevailin'5 upon a number of them to return voluntarily. These were :
Charles De Forrest, Henry Lee, J. Campbell, VVm. Creuss, A. Vasouez, A.
Pera, Patrick White, B. Tessoti, M. Creely, Prangois Lajeunesse, 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, io be at home in the coming winiir. Our preparations having been
completed in the interval of our stay here, both parties were ready this
inorning to resume their respective routes.

[184S

-ui;>t ^descent
cam, whiuh atj
sr, a swift cur«
was oniiy about;

3 ni)d sloughs,
encamp J witli'i
en we went to
, neither party
ration. I'hey,
, as there had
ation ; and Mr.
ght provisions,
lore us.
id gloomy, ard
with cold, ais-
[ rode up to the
f the post) sev-
)r, which were
killed at even-
. Night came

e thermometer
rain, and there
5 on the neigh-
ather was hard
rnetiuiss taking
\king the snow
s.

;ht, and in the
iturc ut sunrise
t the fort, with
afternoon, and

and at sunrise

1843.}

CAPT. .MIEMONT'S NARItATIVE.

147

porting a large

o had become

d frequent pri-

ere was reason

1 of the voyage.

my intention to

)urse of which

). succeeded in

These were :

A.. Vasouez, A.

eunesse, Basil

sil Lajeunesse,

condition of his

ns having been

ere ready this

Except that there is a greater quantity of wood used in its construction, F'ort
Hall very much ret.'embh;s the other trading posts which have been already
described to you, and would be another excellent post of relief for the erni-

S;rati< n. It is in the low, rich bottom of a valley, apparently 20 miles lonp
brmed by the confluence of l^ortneuf river with Lewis's fork of theColun-
^bia, which itentcMS about nine miles below the fort, and nairowing gradj-
>ally to the mouth of the Pannack river, where it has a breadth ol only two
or three miles. Allowing 50 miles for the road from the liter sj/rings of
Bear river to Fort Hall, its di^ance along the travelled iom\ Ironj the town
of Westport, on the frontier of Missouri, byway 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 three hundred miles to the westward, a fertile spot of
ground sufliciently large to produce the necessary quantify of grain, or
pasturage enough to allow even a temporary repose to the emigiants. On
their recent passage, they had been able to obtain, at very high prices and
in insuflicient quantity, only such assistance as could be afforded 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 obtained nearly all its supplies lioni the distant
depot of Vancouver, by a diffinult water carriage of 250 miles up the Co-
lumbia river, and a land carriage by pack horses of 600 miles. An Ameri-
can military post sufliciently strong to give to their road a perfect security
against the Indian tribes, who are unsettled in locality and very uncertain
in their disposition, and which, with the necessary facilities for the repair
of thei, 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 emi-
gration. 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 cara-
vans, which may hereafter traverse these elevated, and, in many places,
desolate and inhospitable regions.

I subjoin an analysis of the soil in the river bottom near Fort Hall, which
will be of assistance in enabling you to form some correct idea of its gen-
eral character in the neighboring country. I characterize it as good land,
but the analysis will show its precise properties.

Analysis of soil.

Silica - - -

Alumina

Carbonate of lime
Carbonate of magnesia -
Oxide of iion -
Organic vegetable matter
Water and ioss -

68.55
7.45
8.51
5.09
L40
4.74
4.26

100.00

Our observations place this post in longitude 112? 29' 54", latitude 43*
or 30", and in elevation above the sea 4,500 fe^t.

Taking leave of the homeward party, we resumedour journey down

d • .:CV

148

CAPr. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[1849.

the valley, the weather being very cold, and the rain coming in hard gusts,
which the wind blew directly in our faces. We (brded the Portneuf in a
storm of rain, the water in the river bcin^ frequontly up to the axles, and
about 1 10 yards wide. Alter the gust, the weather improved a little, and
we encamped about three miles below, at the nioutli of the Pannack river,
on Lewis's fork, which here has a breadth of about 120 yards. The tera*
pcrature at sunset was 44'; the sky partially covered with dark, rainy
clouds.

September 23. — The temperature at sunrise was32'' ; the morning dark,
and snow falling stecuJily and thickly, witi) a light air from the southward.
Profited ci being obliged to remain in camp, to take hourly barometric.il
observations from sunrise to midnight. The wind at eleven o'clock set in
frona the noithward 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 commencen)ent of the autumn, of which
this was the first day.

Seplember 24. — 'I'he thermometer at sunrise was at 35°, and a blue sky
in the west promised a line day. The river bottoms here are narrow an*!
swampy, with frequent sloughs; and alter crossing the Pannack, the road
continued along the uplands, rendered very slippery by the soil of wet clay,
and entirely covered with artcmisia bushes, among which occur frequent
fragments 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 ^^merican falls
of Snake river. Among the willows here, were i-ome bushes of Lewis and
Clarke's currant, [ribes aureum.) The river here enters between low mu-
ral banks, which consist of a tine vesicular trap rock, the intermediate por-
tions being compact and crystalline. Gradually becoming higher in its
downward course, these banks of scoriated volcanic rock form, with occa-
sional interruptions, its characteristic feature along the whole line to the
Dalles of the Louver Columbia, resembling a chasm uhich 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, covered with black rocks
and aitemisias. In the south is a bordering 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
mountains, in front of which stand out prominently in the plain the three
isolated rugged-looking little 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 fora 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 riverabove is870feet wide, immediately contracted at
the fall in the form of a lock, by jutting piles of scoriaceous basalt, over which
the foaming river must presenta grand appearance at the time of high water.
The evening was clear and pleasant, with dew ; and at sunset the tempera-
ture was 54°. By observation, the latitude is 42° 47' 05", and the longi-
tude 112° 40' 13". A few hundred yards below the falls, and on the left
bank of the river, is an escarpment from which we obtained some speci-
mens.

September 25. — Thermometer at sunrise 47°. The day came in clear,

i-jis

^W3.]

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

149

oining (lark,
c southward,
barometrical
)'clock set in
ito rain. In
all the snow
to foot, were
nfin,of which

id a blue sky
3 narrow and
»ck, the road
I of wet clay,
cur frequent
illows, at the
nerican falls
af Lewis and
>een low inu-
mediate por-
higher in its
, with occa-
e line to the
ad been rent
n for its bed.
1 black rocks
ains, which,
nd at a great
Salmon river
lin the three
lis the Three
ge, the plain
nd rent into
tch annexed,
of the open
general line,
contracted at
t,overwhich
f high water,
the tempera-
id the longi-
d on the left
some speci-

me ill clear,

«;ftb a strong gale from the south, which commenced at 11 of the last
'.Blghti The road to-day led along the river, which is full of rapids and
)flD«ll falls. Grass is very scanty ; and along the rucged l» inks are scat-
tered cedars, with an ahuiidance of rocks and sage. We travelled 14 miles,
>aDd encamped in the affrniocn near the river, on a rocky cicek, the bed
of which was entirely occupied with boulders of a very large size. For
hhe last three or four miles the right bank of the river has a palisaded ap«
pearance. One of the oxen was killed here for food. The thermometer
at evening was at 55", the sky almost overcast, and the barometer indi-
cated an elevation of 4,400 feet.

September 26. — Kain during the night, and the temperature at sunrise
42*. Travelling along the river, in about 4 miles we reached a picturesque
stream, to which we gave the name of Fall creek. It is rcMiiarkable for the
many falls which occur i;> a short distance ; and its bed is composed of a
calcareous tufa, or vegetable rock, composed principally ol the remains of
leeds and mosses, reseml)liiig that at the Basin spring on Hear river.

The road along the river bhitl's 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 Ihis stream, until
we reached a point whence it could be seen making directly towards i, low
place in the range on the south side of the valley, and we became imme-
diately aware that we wcie on a trail iormed by a party of wagons, in com-
pany with whom we had encamped at EIni grove, near the frontier of
Missouri, and vvliich you will remember were proceeding to U|)per Califor-
nia under the direction of Mr. Jos. Chiles. At the time of their departure,
no practicable passes were known in the southern Rocky mountains 'vith-
in the territory of the United States ; and the probable apprehension of dif-
ficulty i.i attempting to pass near the settled frontierof New Mexico, together
wilhthe desert character of the unexplored region beyond, iiad induced them
to take a more northern and circuitous route by way ol the Sweet Water pass
and Fort Hall. They had still between them and the valley of the Sacramen-
to a great mass of mountains, forming the Sierra Nevada, here commonly
knowr as the (Jreat Califurnia mountain, and which were at this time
considered as presenting an impracticable baiiier to wheeled carriages.
Various considerations had s' ted to them a division of the party ; and

a greater portion of the camp, in 'm^ the wagons, with thi ni il and other
stores, were now proceeding under the guidance of Mr. Josf |,h Walker, who
had engaged to conduct them, by a lon.^ isweep to tht southward, around
what is called the jyoint of the mountain; md, cro^ iig through a pass
known only to himself, gain the banks of the Sacramento !)y the valley of
the San Joaquin. It was a long and a hazardous journey for . party in which
there were women and children. Sixty days wa^ the shortest period of
tinae in which they could reach the point of the Uiuuntain, 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 possessini^ :teat and intimate
knowledge of the Indians, with an extraordinary firr> ess and decision of
character. In the mean time, Mr. Chiles had passed down the Columbia
with a party of ten or twelve men, with the intention of reaching the set-
tlements on the Sacramento by a more direct course, which indefinite in-
formation from hunters had indicated in the direction of the head waters
of the Riviere aux Mulheurs ; and having obtained there a reinforcement
of animals, and a supply of provisions, meet the wagons before they should

rl* ,:-

.V-

^s-"- ••

^fK;:-:

ir)0 CAf»T. FREMONT M NAKIIATIVK. [1843.

have reached tfio puiot of the mountain, at a place which hnd been |^Te>
vioudly agittii iic-on. In the course ol Our nuirative, we shall be able lo
give you some iufornialion of the fortune which attended the movements
of tiiesc adventuious travellers.

'IJuving di. covered our error, we immediately regained the line along
the river, which the load (juitted about noon, and ct)camped at 5 o'cIock
on a stream called Waft river, ( Rivitre ini.v ('(■jeu.r,) having travelled only
13 miles. In the north, the Salmon river niouiiiains are visible at a very
I'ar distance ; and on llie left, the ridge in which Haft river heads is al)out
20 miles distant, rocky, and tolerably high. Thermometer at sunset 44*,
with a partially clouded sky, and a sharp wind from the SW.

September 27.- -it was now no longer possible, as in our previous journey,
to travel regularly every day, and find at any moment a convenient place
for vepose at noon or a camp at night; but tbi halting places were now
generally fixed along the road, by the nature oMiic country, at places where,
with water, there was a little scanty grass. Since leaving the American
falls, the road had fro()uc itly been very bad ; the many short, steep ascents,
exhausting Mic stretigth of our worn-out animals, re(|uiring 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 puipose, in such a rocky country, was extremely slow ; ".nd 1 again
determined to gain time by a division of the cauip. Accordin^';ly, today
the parties again separated, constituted very mucli as before — Mr. Fitzpat-
rick remaining in charge of me heavier baggage.

The morning was calm and clear, with a white frost, and the tempera-
ture at sunrise 24*^.

To-day the country had a very forbidding appearance ; and, after travel-
ling 20 miles over a slightly undulating plain, we encamped at a consider-
able spring, called Swamp creek, rising in low grounds near the point of a
spur from the mountain. Returning with a small party in a starving con-
dition from the westward 12 or 14 years since, Carson had met here three
or four bufi'alo 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 failed, as heretofore stated. At sunset the ther-
mometer was at 4G"^, and the evening was overcast, with a cold wind from
the SE., and to-night we had only sage for lire wood. Mingled with the
artemisia was a shrubby id thorny chenopodiaccous plant.

September 28. — The-.iiometer at sunrise 40*^. The wind rose early to
a gale from the west, with a very cold driving rain ; and, after an uncom-
fortable day's ride of 25 miles, we were glad whei; nt evening we found a
sheltered camp, where there was an abundance ol wood, at some elevated
rocky islands cover ed w ii 'i cedar, near 'ho eomn.encement of another long
canon of the river. With thi; exception oi 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 with the artemisias from the banks of the river to the foot
of the mountains. Idere 1 remarked, among the Siige bushes, green bunches
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 eood soil. Thermometer at sunset
45**, blowing a gale, and disagreeably cold.

[1843.

lad been ^^iie-
\\l bo able :o
e movements

he line along
at 5 o'clock
ravelled only
ible at a very
eads is about
t sunset 44*^,

iousjourney,
/enient place
IS were now
•laces where,
le American
teep ascents,
ways at such
me ; and our
!;ht and made
; "nd I again
in^';ly, today
■Mr. Fitzpat-

the tempera-
after travel-
it a consider-
he point of a
Uarving con-
st here three
among the
valley of the
set the thcr-
d wind from
led with the

ose early to
r an uncom-
; we found a
me elevated
mother long
a deep little
, we had to-
, sandy, and
r to the foot
ien bunches
ly has had a
e bordering
er at sunset

ri843.]

CAl'T. FRKMONT'S NAKKATIVE.

151

September 20. — The theimometer at sunriso .3(J'', with a bright sun, and
appearance of finer weather. Tiie road lor sever.-^l miles was extremely
rncky, and consequently bad ; bui, ontoring after s ii sandy country, it

{became very good, with no olhor inteiru|itioti than i. .^ sage hushen, which
eovoied the river plain so far as the vyu cuuUi roach, and, with their uni-
form 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 escarpment 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 S'de, the Sahnon
river mountains are visible at a great disilance. llaving made 24 miles,
we encamped about 5 o'clock on Hock cree, -a stream having considera-
ble water, a swift current, and wooded with willow.

September 30. — 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 pmsents a columnar apjjearance ; and the road be-
comes extiemely rocky \»'henevcr it passes near its banks. It is only about
twenty feet wide where the road crosses it, with a deep bed, and steep banks,
f.oveicd with rocky 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 incrusted. 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 re-
marked in the soil a considerable quantity of calcareous concretions. To-
wards evening the sages became more sparse, and the clear spaces were oc-
cupied by tufts of green grass. The river itill continued its course through
a trough oi' open canon ; and towards sunsei we followed the trail of several
wagons which had turned in towards Snalce river, and encamped, as they
had done, on the 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 boidcring the water.

Imuiediately 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 ils course. A melancholy and strange-look-
ing country — one of fracture, and violence, and (ire.

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 greit
joy of the people, he was found to be remaikably fat. As usual at such oc-
currences, the evening was devoted to gayety and feasting ; abundant fare
now made an epoch among us ; and in this laborious life, in such a country
as this, our men bad but little else to enjoy. The temperature at sunset
was G5°, 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 lati-
tude 42° 38' 44".

October 1. — The moining clear, with wind from the west, and the ther-
mometer at 55°. We descended to the bottom, taking with us the boat, for
the purpose of visiting the fall in the opposite cliffs ; and while it was being

•,.viV

•i?/

'\t:'^^-

■ A:

152

CAPT. FREMONT'S NAURATIVE.

[1843^.

^'v^

fit ■i;i

^» y;

.) :*«

filled with air, wc occupied ourselves lu measuring the river, whjeli.li*
1 ,78G leet in breadth, with hanks 200 lect hij;h. Wo were surprised, on our
arrival at the opposite side, to (ind a beautiful basin of clear water, formed
hy the falling river, around wliith the rocki were whitened by some saline, |
incrustation. Mere the Indians had constructed wicker dams, although [
■was informed that the salmon do not ascend the river so far ; and its char-
acter below would apparently render it impracticable.

The ascent of the steep hill side was rendered a little difllcult by a dense
growth of shrubs and fields of cant; ; and there were frequent hidden crev-
ices among the rooks, where the water was heard rushing below ; but we
succeeded in reaching the miiin stream, which, issuing from between strata
of the trap rock in two princi|)al branches, produced almost immediately a
torrent, 22 feet wide, and white with foam. It is a picturesque spot of sin-
gular beauty ; overshaded by bushes, from under which the torrent glances,
tumbling into the white basin below where the clear water contrasted beau-
tifully 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, (wr/tca
cajiabina,) which, before they were noticed, had set our hands and arms
on fire. The temperature of the spring was 5H°, while that of the river
was 5\°. The perpendicular height of the place at which this stream issues
is 45 feet above the river, and 152 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 proliably 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 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 beloAv the Fishing falls, a series
of cataracts with very inclined planes, which are probably so named because
they form a barrier to the ascent of the salmon ; and the great fisheries
from which the inhabitants of this barren region almost entirely derive a
subsistence commence at this place. These appeared to be unusually gay
savages, fond of loud laughter; and, in their apparent good nature and
merry character, struck me as being entirely ditlerent 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 sr.l non. At this
season they are not very fat, but we were easily pleased. The Indians
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 purpose ; and of a little animal
which seemed to be the most numerous, it required 20 skins to make a
covering to the knees. But they are still a joyous talkative race, who
grow fat and become poor with the salmon, which at least never fail
them — the dried being used in the absence of the fresh. >Ve are encamped
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,

Th(
be a I
cons
and
»ll t|

SCV(

on tl
01
the
ral II

[1843. Vims.]

CAPT. FREMONT'S NaRRATIVK.

153

, whieti \i»
scd,onour
:cr, formed
lomc salina,
although I
id its cnar-

hy a dense
ddcii crev-
w ; but we
ween strata
iiediiitely a
spot of sin-
!nt glances,
asted beau-
;red with a
les,(Mr/ica
s and arms
tf the river
ream issues
; precipice,
side here,
the shells
sition from
mds above,
right ; and,
ear several

lis, a series

ed because

at fisheries

ly derive a

jsually gay

nature and

)e Indians

r camp in

n. At this

c Indians

[the spring,

it random,

ling; there
tie animal
lo make a
I race, who
jnever fail
[encamped
)ut of the
laughing

love ; and J

ior the time, (he black precipices have disappeared, and no calcareous mat-
^r 18 visible in the soil. The thermometer at sunset 71' ; clear and calm.

October 2. — The sunrise temperature was 48"^; the weather clear and
ttlm. Shortly after leaving the encampment, we crossed n stream ol 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.
Tht barrenness of the country is in fine contrast to-day with the minglcci
beauty and grandeur of the river, which is more open than hitln'ito, With a
constant succession of falls and rapid.^. Over the edge of the 'I'ack clilFs,
and out from their faces, arc falling numberless streams and springs; and
»ll 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 seve-
ral little islands on the brink and in the river above give it much pictu-
resque beauty, and make it one of those places the traveller turns again and
again to fix in his memory. There were several lodges of Indians here,
from whom we traded salmon. Helow this place the i iver makes a remark-
able bend ; and the road, ascending the ridge, gave us a hue view of the
river below, intersected at many places by numcious fish dams. In tho
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 perhaj)s 100 miles or more. The river hills consist of
very broken massesof sand, covered every where with the same interminable
fields of sage, "nd occasionally the road is very heavy. We now very fre-
quently saw Indians, who were strung along the river at every little rapid
where hsh are to be caught, and the cry liaggaiy haggui, (f'sh,) was con-
stantly heard whenever we passed .car 'heir huts, or met them in the road.
Very many of theiM were oddly and partially dressed in overcoat, shirt,
waistcoat, or pantaloon.s,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 hawk's bells, beads, anu 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 i'ew trifling
pieces of clothing, travellers may procure food sufficient to carry them to
the Columbia.

We made a long stretch across the upper plain, and encamped on the
bluff, where the grass was very green and good ; the soil of the upper
plains containing a considerable proportion of calcareous matter. This
green freshness of the grass was very rematkable for the season of the year.
Again we heard the roar of a fall in the river below, where the v.ater in an
unbroken volume goes over a descent of seveial feet. The night is clear,
and the weather continues very warm and pleasant, with a sunset tempera-
ture of 70°.

October 3. — The morning was pleasant, with a temperature at sunrise
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 frag-
ments of limestone containing fossil shells.
On the left, the mountains are visible at the distance of twenty or thirty

^B^

151

CAPT. KIIKMO.NIVS NARK ATI VE.

^4:

[1848.

iTiilcs, appeal it);: sinnotli and ratlior low ; but at iiUeivals tiighcr peaks look
out tVoiit lioyotul, niid indicate that tlu; main ridge, which we are leaving
with tlio rourso of the river, and which lonns llie northern boundary of
the (ireat ISasin, still maintains its elevation. About 2 oV-lock wt; ar-
rived at the lord where the road crosses to (he right bank of Snake river.
An Indian was hired to conduct us throutrh t'le ford, which proved imprac-
ticable for us, the water sweeping away the howil'icr and nearly drowning
the mule»«, which we were obliged to extricate by cutting them out of the
harness. The river here is expanded info a little bay, in which there are
two islandi*, across which is the road of the ford ; und the emigrants had
passed by placing two of their heavy wagons abreast of each other, so as
to opposi! 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 direction, was carried oil by the current and diowned.
Since their passage, the water had rit^en considerably ; but, forlHnately, wc
had a resource in a boat, whicli 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, howit/er, and baggage of the camp,
being carried over in the boat. At the place where we crossed, above the
islands, the liver had narrowed to a breadth of 1,049 feet by measurement,
the greater portion of which was from 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 encamp-
ment on the right bank of the river was 42^ 55' 58" ; chronometric longi-
tude 115- 04' 40", and the travelled distance from Fort Hall 208 miles.

October 4. — 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 occasional 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 duiingthe 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, w ith a strong wind
from the northwest, w ith a few d ps of rain and occasional sunlight, threat-
enins a change.

Artemisia still covers the plain, but Purshia trideniata makes its appear-
ance here on the hill sides and on bottoms of the creeks — quite a tree in
size, and larger than the artemisia. We crost^ed several hollows with a
little water in ihcm, and improved grass; and, turning oft' from the road in
the afternoon in search of water, travelled about three miles up the bed of
a willow creek, towards the mountain, and found a good encampment, with
wood and grao*;. anr* little ponds of water in the bed of the creek ; which
must be of more importance at other seasons, as we found there several
old fixtures for fishing. There were many holes on the creek prairie,
which had been made by the diggers in search of roots.

Wind increa3cd to a violent gale from the NW., with a temperature at
sunset of 57'.

October 5. — The morning was calm and clear, and at sunrise the ther-
mometer was at 32". The road to-day was occasionally extremely rocky,
with hard volcanic fragments, and our travelling very slow. In about nine
miles the road brought us to a group of smoking hot springs, with a tern-

[184S. llS^S.]

CAIT. riJIlMONT's NARRATIVK.

l'^

r peaki look

arc leaving I

boundary of

lock wt) ar>

Snuko river.

)vc(l imprac'

\y drowning

ni out of the

ich there arc

uigrants had

other, so as

The Indians

cattle which

lid (howncd.

tonately, we

inched ; and

:,the animalii

af the camp,

:d, above the

leasuronient.

We were

idian lodges,

with straw,

our encarap-

metric longi-

208 miles.

jnrise at 47".

follovvinsii; up

out six miles

set above the

ng a broken

nates, where

supplies the

strong wind

ight,threat-

s its appear-
ite a tree in
lows with a
1 the road in
p the bed of
pment, with
reek ; which
lere several
eek prairie,

nperature at

se the ther-
mely rocky,
n about nine
with a tern-

trtttire of IGl . There were a lowhclianlhi in bloon», with some oti.er
plants, and the place wii.s green roui d about ; the ground warm, and
'tbo tir picnsicit, with a sumuur atn)oH|>h(>i( th.it wu!) very grateful in aday
'Ofhigh iu.d cold searching \\in<l. Tin; imk-. wo v. covered with a white
and red incrustation ; and ihe water has on the toiiguc the sanit unplea>-
•nt clTect as that of the IJasin spring on lioar rivcT. They form several
branches, and bubble up with force enough to ra'-<o the small pebbles seve-
ral inches.

The following is an analysis of the depo'>itc with which the rock;* ate
incrustcd :

Analysis

Silica

Carbonate of lime

Carbonate of magnesia

Oxide of iron

Alumina

Chloride of sodium, &c.

Sulphate of soda

Sulphate of lime, &c.

Organic vegetable matter

Water and loss

72.55

14.60
1.20
4.65
0.70

l.IO

5.30

100.00

These springs are near the foot of the ridgt;, (n dark and ruge^ed 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. 'I'he road was now about
to cross the point of this mountain, which we jnd^ied to be a spur from the
Salmon river range. We crossed a small creek, and encamped about
sunset on a slieam, which is probably Lake river. This is a small streanj,
some five or six feet broad, with a swift current, timbered principally vith
willows and some few cottonwoods. Along the banks weie canes, rose
bushes, and clematis, with Purshia tridentata and artemisias on the upper
bottom. The sombre appearance of the country in somewhat relieved in
coming unexpectedly from the dark rocks upon these green and wooded
watercourses, sunk in chasms ; and, in the spring, the contrasted effect
must make them beautiful.

The thermometer at sunset 47% and llic night threatening snow.

October 6. — The morning warm, the therniomctor46° at sunrise, and sky
entirely clouded. After travellingaboutthree milesoveranextremely rocky
road, the volcanic Iragments 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 intervals towards
the close of the day, and was replaceu by Purshia tridentata, with flowering
shrubs, and small fieldsofdie/eriarfivancfl/a, which gave bloom and gayety
to the hills. These were every where 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

I VN^I

15C

CAPT. FRKMONT'fl VAIlRATIVE.

[tMt»

4j^

^i*

m--

is altogether diirerciit lioin tliitl ol titn river plnin, being in many pUi
lilack, in othoiH sandy ond gravcdiy, but of u (inn and good (liaraeter, ap«
|)curing to rcHult lioni the doconiposition ot' (ho granite rockn, which ispro*
ctieding rapidly.

In quilting lur a time the aiti>niiitia (Hage ) through which we had bee*
so h)ng voyaging, and the Motnhre appearanee of which is no di!icourtigin||i^
I have to remark, that I have been inlot nicd that in Mexico wheat in grown
upon llie ground which pt (i(hi(-<-.s (his .sht ub ; which, il (rur, relieves the Hoil
Iruni the character ol o.eiiiilv iinpuled to it. He this ai> it ni;iy, there is nu
dispute about the grass, uhich is almost universal on the hills and nioun-
taitiit, and always nutritious, even in its dry state. We pasi-iod on the way
masses of granite? on the slope of a spur, which was very niu<h weathered
and abraded. I'his is a wliitr hldspathic granite, w ith sniidl scales ot
blue!., mica ; smoky (piartx. and garnets appear to constitute this portion of
the mountain.

The road at noon reached a broken ridge, on whidi 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 wilder-
ness uf plants, we encamped on a small streau), after u march of 22 miles,
in company with a few Indians. Temperature at sunset 51" ; and the night
was partially clear, with a few stars visible through drilling wiiite clouds.
The Indians made an unsuccessful attenjpt tost(;al a lew horses from us — a
thing of course with them, und to prevent which the traveller is on pci-
])Ctual watch.

October 7. — The day was bright, clear, and pleasant, with a temperature
of id'; and we breakfasted at sunrise, the birds singing in the trees as
merrily us if we weio in the midst of sunmier. On the upper eilge of the
hills on the opposite side of the cicek, the black volcanic rock reappears ;
und 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 com-
posed of the same, on the summit of one of which there was an opening re-
senibliiig a rent. We tiavclled to-day through a country resembling that
of yesterday, where, although the surface was hilly, the road was good, be-
ing firm, and entirely free irom locks and artemisiu. To our left, below,
was the great sage plain ; and on the right were the near mountains, which
presented a smoothly broken character, or rather a suiluce waved into
numberless hills. The road was occasionally enlivened by meeting In-
dians, and the day was extremely beautiful and pleasant ; and we were
pleased to be free from liie sage, even for a day. When we had trav-
elled about 8 miles, we were nearly opposite to the highest portion of the
mountains on the leftside of tiie Smoke river valley ; and, continuing on a
few miles beyond, we came suddenly in sight of the broad green line of
the valley of the Riviere Boisce^ (wooded river,) black near the gorge
where it debouches into the plains, with high precipices of basalt, between
walls of which it passes, on emerging from the mountains. Following
with the eye its upward course, it appears to be shut in among lofty moun-
tains, confining its valley in a very rugged country.

Descending the hills, after travelling a lew miles along the high plain,
the road brought us down upon the bottoms of the river, which is a beau-
tiful rapid stream, with clear tnountain water, and, as the name indicates,
well wooded with some varieties of timber — among which are handsome cot-
lonwoods. Such a stream had become quite a novelty in this country, and

mny plaoW
•kiacter, up*
liich is pro*

ti had beesi

!>c()uraginfi^

lilt in ^rown

ivcii thu (K)il

ilicic is nu

and moun-

(M» (lie way

wcallicrod

11 scales ul

i portion oi

Iteicd inaiiy
ivlieie, with
ttio wildcr-
ol 22 inilcc),
1(1 the night
iiite clouds.
iVom 119 — a
I is oil pel-

enipcratuie
he trees as
i'a\^o of tlie
reappears ;
which the
old crater,
hills com-
i»pening re-
iiMing that
IS good, be-
fit, below,
lins, which
rtaved into
iceting In-
d we were
B had trav-
tion of the
nuing on a
cen line of
the gorge
t, between
Following
ofty moun-

high plain,
is a beau-
i indicates,
dsome cot-
)untry,and

CAI'T. FREMONT « NVmiATIVE.

117

were firlightod tlii*< afternoon to tuake a pliM««ant cnmp under fine old
)tr0«8 Again. Thcru wove several Indian encanipintiits .Hcattcrcd along the
^rlver ; and .t niintlier of thi'ir InhahitantM, in (he roiirso of the evening,
«tmc to the camp on liorsebark with dried and Irehh fish to trude. Thu
evening was <iear, and the teinpcratun! at mitiset 57**.

At the time of the firMt occupation of this region by porties engaged in

the fur trade, a Hmall p;irty n( men umlor the command of Heid,

constituting all the gi.rriHon of a little foit on this river, were surprised and
massacre<l by the Indians; and to thi^ event the stream owes its occasional
name of Ueul\i rivet.

On the Hth we travelled about 26 miles, the ridge on the right havinir
Moattercd pines on the upper parts; and, continuing the next day our roaci
along the rivci bottom, after a day's travel ol 21 miles we encamped in
the evening on the right bank of the river, a mile above the mouth, and
early the next moiniiig arrived at Fort Itoiy.v. This is a simple dwelling-
house on the right bank of Snake river, af)'>nt a mib; below the mouth of
Uivii're Moissco ; and on our arrival we were leceived with an agieeablo
hospitality by ,Mi. I'aycttte, an officer of the Hudson IJay ('onipany, in
charge ot the fort ; all of whose garrison consisted in a Canadian en^af^e.

Hero the i-oad lecrosses the river, which is itroad and deep; but, with
our good boat, aided by two canoes, which were found at the place, the
camp was \eiy soon ttansferred to the loft bank. Here we found ourselves
again surrounded by the sage; urtemi>ia tridentata,ari(l the ditferent shrubs
which during out voyage had always maui' their .^ppearanc^e abundantly
un saline soils, being lieie the prevailing and a.tmost the only plants.
Among them the surface was covered with tin; usuAl saline efflorescences,
which here consist almost entirely of carbonate ol soda, with a small por-
tion of chloriile of sodium. Mr. Payette had made but slight attempts at
cultivation, his ell'orts being limited to raisinv; a lew veget.ibles, in which
he succf^eded tolerably well ; the post being principally supported by sal-
mon, lie was very hospitable and kind to us, and we made a sensible im-
pression upon all his comestibles; but our princi|)ai inroad was into the
dairy, which was abundantly supplied, stock appe u ing to thrive extremcdy
well; and we had an unusual luxury in a prevent of tresh 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 (he neighboring moinitains. During the summei", the
only subsistence of these people is derived trom (be salmon, of which tliey
are not provident enough to lay up a sutlicient store for the winter, during
which many of them die from absolute starvation.

Many little accounts and scattered histor ies, together with an acquaint-
ance which I gradually acquired of their modeis of life, had 'eft the abori-
ginal inhabitants of (his vast region pictured in my mind as & race of peo-
ple whose groat and constant occupation was the means of procuring a sub-
sistence ; and though want ol space, and other reasons, will prfivent me
from detailing the many incidents which made these things familiar to me,
this great feature among the characteristics of the country will gradually
be forced upon your mind.

Pointing to a group of Indians who had just arrived from the mountains
on the left side of the valley, and who were regarding our usual appliances
of civilization with an air of bewildered curiosity, Mr. Payette infoimed me

CAPT. FKKMONT'W NARRATIVK.

[IMt

1* "'

i'Vi

■ .V

•^-.v

7*/l

(hat, every ycnr HirxM' liin nniviil at tliid poMt, hn hnil un»'tirrf»«iHrulljr m.
clriivored to induce (lumc |i<>(i|ilc (o lay up a store ol ftalnioii lor llirir winUr
provimon. \Vliilc tli«< HtiimiK r u either uiul thn silimui ladled, (licy IjtmI
rontrntcdiy and happily, ftcaKcird aloii^ the ditViirciit stiraiuti where tli«
il'sh ueru tu he round , and as soon an the winter niiow.h hc^an to l.dl, litiU
imukes would be neen M->in^ arnon^ thu inountainn, where (hey would b«
toiind in miserahle groups, Ptai vini( out (ho winter ; md HoinetiiM •*, accord*
in^ to the gcMieral l)( liel, t educed tolhehorioi o( CannilMliMn (he •ttron^,
ul courHc, pre)int{ on iht; weaU. (Jcitain it is, they aie diiveti (o an) ex-
tremity lor lood, and cut ever; ini^eet, and every eieepin^ (hiti^, however
loadiNome and lepnUivo. Snailii, li/urds, uri(s — all ate devoured with (he
rcadine^iN .ml greediness of mere anitiials.

In eoniinon widi all tlut odter indian^wc had encountered sinre reach*
ing (he Paeiric watcr.s, these peopli; u'^o the Sho.'<honc'e or Snake language,
which you will have nccahioii to remark, in the course ol the nairutive, i»
tjio universal language over a V(>ry extensive rt'gion.

On the eveiiing ot the iDtli, I obtained, with tlu! usual observations, a
very excellent emersion ol tho lirst satellite, agreeing very in'aily with tho
chronometer. From (hese observations, the longitude ol the (oit is 110'-
•n 00" ; latitude 1.']*^ 1!)' 12 \ and elevation uJK.ve the .s.-a 2,100 leet.

Sitting by the lue on (lie liver bank, and waiting lor tbt; immersion ol
(ho satellite, which diil not (ake place until alter niidni;;b(, we heard tlio
monotonous ^ong ol' the Indians, with which (hey acconip < ly n ccitain
u;atne of which they are vciy Ibiid. Of the poetry wo could not judge,
but tho music, was miseraldo.

October 1 1. — The moiiiing Wi's dear, with a light bree/e iVoin the cast,
and a temperature at suiiii.xe ot .IJ*^. .\ part ol abnllcck piircdiiiscd at the
Ibrt, together with die bout to as.^ist him in cioshing, was lelt here for Mr.
Tit/patrick, niui at 11 o'cdotk we resumed our journey ; ami diuclly leav-
ing the river, and crossing lh(.' ai ienii.>>ia plain, in several ajceits wo reached
die foot of a lidge, where the load entered a dry sandy ladlow up whicli
it continued to the head ; and, crossing a dividing lidge, enl'tcd a similar
one. We met here two poor emigrants, ( Irishmen,) who li;ul Inst ilicir horses
two dajs since — pr(tbal)ly stolen by (ho Indians; and were tetiirning to the
fort, in hopes to hear soniotbiiiJi ordicni there. They had rect ?idy had noth-
ing to eat ; and 1 halted to unpack an animal, and gave them moat for their
dinner. In this hollow, the aitcmisia is partially displaced on the hill sides
by grass; and descending it — miles, about sunscit we reaciied the Uivicre
(Uij: Malheurs^ (the unloitunite or unlucky river,) a considerable stream,
with an average breadth ol 50 leet, and, at this time, lb inches depth of water.

The bottom lands were gencially one and a half mile broad, covered
principally with Iool' dry gra^s ; and we had dilFicully to find sufficient
good glass for the camp. VV iih the exception of a bad |)lace of a few hun-
dre<l yards long, which occurred in rounding a point of hill to reach the
ford of the river, (he road duiing the day had been very go(;d.

October 12. — The morning was clear and calm, and the tliermometei* at
sunrise 23". My attention was attracted by a smoke on the right side ot
the river, a little below the ford, where I found on the low bank, near the
water, a considerable number of hot springs, in which the teiuperature ol
the water was 193*^. The ground, which was too hot for the naked foot,
WPS covered above and below the springs with an incrust.ttion of common
salt, very white and good, and lino grained.

r tlirir %vinUr
(I, tlicy livsd
tiH where tlit
I) to tall, littlf
K y would b«
int !i, accord*
— tlu5 stronn,
cti to liny CX'
in^„ however
iircd with (lie

siiiro reach-
ike lungun^c,
! iiuirsitivc, h

).sorvution8, a
Miily with the
(! ioi t is I li)'-
101) I'cet.
iiiwiKMsion ol
we JKMird thf
n \y a certain
id uol judge,

Voin the east,

•hit'ied at tlie

htic lor Mr.

(liicctly leav-

s we I cached

w u|) whicli

»c(! I simil.ir

il.cir horses

iiiiii^ to the

ly had iiuth-

liC'iit lor their

K! hill sides

the liivUre

iihlc stream,

pthof vrater.

)ad, covereil

d sufficient

f a lew hun-

to reach the

rmometer at
ri;;ht side oi
nk, near the
uperature ot
! naked foot,
ol' cotnraon

1141.] CAI'T. niKMoNT'8 NAKRATIVB. 139

Londinfi: for Ti rniirn up a hriiid dry hraiioh nf the M ilhours river, the
fned enl«'i/d a Mandy hollow, wluie lh(> Nurhice wu.h r<*iid< kmI liiiu hy (ho
admixture ol' other rock ; hein^ good and level until arriving n(>ar the head
I'Of the ravine, where It heraMie a lililc rocky, and we nut with a iiuiiiher ol'
•harp ascents o>«>r an undulating MUifaoe, C'rosHing her*! a divitjin^ '*dgc,
it hecaine an excellent road of gt,.lwal descent down a veiy tiMiUed hollow ;
in which, alter 10 mile.M, willows hegari to appear in llur dry hcd ol a head
of the Hirirrc nux nniilnnix^ ( Bin h river;) aiul disccndin;; 7 iiiile!i, wo
found, at its junction with aiioihci hiancli, a littl^ water, not veiy gooii or
nhiindant, hut {Uiiricient in c.i'^c of necessity for a ciuip. ('ros^in^ Birch
liver, we continued for ahout t iiili 8 acro:>.H a point ol tiill ; the country on
the hit h( ing entirety niountainoiis, w ith no level spot to he ^eeii ; wlunco
we descended to Sn dt<> liver here a f'liie-looking stream, w ith a large hody
of water .md p mdooiIi cnireiit ; although we hear the rt>ai, and see helow
us the coiniiienceiiient ot rapid-^ ^^ll('^e it enters among the hilh;. It foriiiH
here a deep hay, w itii a low !«and i»l and in the niid^t ; and its course among
the mountains is agreenMy ext h^ingi'd for the hiack volcanic u)ck. Tho
wealluir during the day had Im en \('iy hright and extremely hot ; liut, us
usual, S(» soon as the sun \vent down, it was necessary to put ou ov< icoats.

1 ohtained (his evening an oh>etvaii>)n of an emersion ot the .irst satcl*
li>e, and our ohset vations ol the evening place thisencanipiiu nt in latitude
M 17 iJO ', and longitude 110 olJ 15' , which is the mean of the rc.-^ults
liom the satellite and chioiiomeler. The elevation ahove tlie sea l,&8t)
feet. At this encampment, thu grass is scanty and |)oor.

Orlohc.r !;{. — Tho morning was hright, with the temperature at sunset
28\ The horses had strayr d oil' dm ing the night, prol)al)ly in search of
grass ; and, after a eonsideialde di.lay, we had succeeih d in finding all hut
two, when, ahout f) o'th» k, ^^(> heard the so ind of an Indian song and
drum approaching; and shortly after, three (^ayuse Indians :ip|)eared it\
sight, hiinging with them th(^ two animals. They l»elon!.',ed to a party
which had heen on a hulValo hunt in thi- neighhoihooil ol the h'oeky moun-
tains, and were hurrying homo in advance. We presented ihoin with
some tohacco, and other things, with which they appeared well satisfied,
and, moderating their pace, travelled in company with 119.

We were now ahout U> leave the Mdley of the great southeiM hranrh of
the Columl)ia river, to whicli the ahsencc of timhcr, and the scarcity of
water, give the appearance of a do.jert, to enter a mountainous region where
the soil is goo<l, and in uhi( h the face of the country is covered w ith nutri-
tious grasses and dense forest — land emhracing many varieties of trees pe-
culiar to the country, and on which the timher exhihits a luxuiiance of
growth unknown to the eastern part of the continent and to Kuiope. This
mountainous region connects itself in the southward and we^tward with
tlie elevated country helonging to the Cascade or California range ; and,
as will he remarked in the course of (he narrative, lorms the e.^^tern limit of
the fertile and timher ed Uuids along the desert and mountcinous region in-
ch'ded within the Great Basin — a term which I apply to the intermediate
region holween the Rooky mountains and the next range , containing many
lakes, with their own system of rivers and creeks, (of which the (ireat Salt
is (he principal, ) and which have no connexion with the ocean, or the great
livers which flow into it. This Great Basin is yet to he adecpiately explored.
And here, on quitting the hanks of a sterile liver, to enter on arahle moun-
tains, the remark may he made, that, on this western slope of our continent,

160

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

^-^.

?^',.'

i*'-.v::\

■ '■• j; 1 ••

the usual order or distribution of good and bad soil is often reversed ; lh«
iiver and crccic bottoms beinj; often sterile, and darkened with the glooiQT
and barren arternisia ; while the mountain is often fertih^, 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
course through canons, afnidst rocky and impracticable mountains, where
there is no [)ossibility of travelling with animals, we ascended a long and
somewhat steep hill ; ani crossing the dividing ridge, came down into the
valley of Burnt rivi-r, which here looks like a hole among the hills. The
average breadth of the stream here is 30 feet ; it is well fringed with 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 travelled through a very mountainous country ; the stream run-
ning rather 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 so:netin)es deep; and all the day the animals were fatigued in
climbing up and descending a succession of steep ascents, to avo:d the pre-
cipitous hill sides; and the common trail, which leads along the mountain
side at places where the river strikes the base, is sometimes bad even for
a horseman. The irountains along this day's journey were composed, near
the river, of a slaty calcareous rock in a mctamor})hic condition. It ap-
pears originally to have been a slaty sedimentary limestone, but its pres-
ent condition indicates that it has been altered, and has become partially
crystalline — probably from tiie proximity of volcanic rocks. But though
travelling was slow and fatiguing to the animals, we were delighted vith
the appearance of the country, which was green and refreshing after our
tedious journey down the parched valley of Snake river. The mountains
were covered with good bunch grass, Qcstuca ;) the wator of the streams
was cold and pure; their bottoms were handsomely wooded with various
kinds of trees ; and huge and lofty and picturesque precipices were dis-
played where the river cut through the mountains.

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 tolera-
bly clear, with th(? thermometer at sunset at 59\ Our journey to-day was
about 20 miles.

October 14. — The day was clear and calm, with a temperature at sunrise
of 46°. After travelling about three miles up the valley, we found the
river shut up by precipices in a kind of canon, and the road makes a cir-
cuit over the mountains. In the afternoon we reached the river ^^ain, by
another little ravine; and, after travelling along it for a few miles, left it
enclosed among rude mountains; and, ascending a smaller branch, en-
camped on it abniii: 5 o'clock, very much elevated above the valley. The
view was every where 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 yesteiday and to-day. I noticed where
one wagon had been overturned t.»iee, 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 assistance, got through at all. Still, there is no mud ;
an'*, the road has one advantage, in being perfectly firm. The day had
been warm -ind very pleasant, and the night was perfectly clear.

anl

bl(

tii(

col

end

[18^1

versed ; libt
the gloomjr
nd covered

;rds.

to pursue its
tains, where
i a long and
)wn into the
J hills. The
red with the
better grass

stream riin-
dly bad and
1 where the

fatigued in
;^o:d the pre-
lie mountain
bad even for
iiposed, neat
tion. It ap-
but its pres-
)me partially

But though
ilighted v'ith
ing after our
ie mountains
* the streams
with various
es were dis-

J encamped
y burnt and
1 and tolera-
to-day was

re at sunrise
fe found the
lakes a cir-
ir ''oain, by
liles, left it
[branch, en-
lalley. The
1 longer seen
grass, and
load equally
lliced where
ice ; and it
\f and could
I is no mud ;
he day had

^3.]

CAPT. FRRMONT'8 NARRATIVE.

IGl

October IT}. — The thorinonioter at daylight was 42% and at sunrise 40°;
>clouds, which were scatf(Mit;d over nil the sky, disaf)ptared with (ho rising
Win. The trail did not uiiicli iniprovu until we had crossed the dividing
grounds between the BniU- (Miirnt) and Powder rivers. Th(! rock dis-
played on the mountains, as we approached the summit, was a compact
trap, decomposing on the tixposod surfaces, and apj)ar(Mitly an altered ar-
gillaceous sandstone, conlaiuini,' .small crystalline noduluNof anolcirue, ap-
parently filling cavities orii,MiKilly existmg. From the .summit li<;re, the
whole horizon shows lii'^li mouutains ; no high plain or level is to bo seen;
and on the left, from south around by the west to north, the mounraius are
black with ];^iues; while, through the ren.aining space to the ea.stward,
they are bald with the exception of some scattered pines. Vou will re-
mark that we are now euiering a region where all the elevated parts are
covered with dense and heavy forests. From the dividinur groiuids we
descended by a mouiUain road to Powder river, on an ol I bed ol" which we
encamped. Descendins,' from the simunit, we enjoyed ;i i)ictnrt'.'>qiie view
of high rocky uiountaiup on the right, illuminated by ilu! setting sun.

From the heights we had looked in vain for a well-known landniark on
Powder river, which had been described to me by Mr. Pay(;tt(i as I'arbre
sen/, (the lone tree;) and, on anivingat the river, we I'onnd ;i line tall pine
stretched on the gruund, 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 travelled on
ahead to-day; and this afternoon wo were visited by .sevi r.il Indians, who
belonged to the tribes on the Columbia. They were on hor.seback, and
were oiU on a hunting excinsion, but had obtained no better game tlian a
large gray hare, of which eaeh had some eux or seven hanging to his sad-
dle. We were also vi!^•ite(l by an Indian who had his lodge and family in
the mountaiii to the loft. He was in want of amnmmiion, and brought
with him a beaver skin to exchange, and winch he valued at six charges
of powder and ball. I learned from him that there are very i'cw of »hese
animals remaining in thi.s part of the country.

The temperature at sunset was ()l°, and the evening clear. I obtained,
with other observations, an ihiniersiou and emersion of the third satellite.
Elevation 3,100 feet.

October 16. — For several weeks the weather in the daytime has been
very beautiful, clear, and warm ; but the nights, in comparison, are very
cold. During the tnght there was ice a quarter of an inch thick iu the
lodge; and at daylight the thermometer was at 16*-^ and the s;mie at sun-
rise; the weather being calm ai;d clear. The annual vegetation now is
nearly gone, almost all the plants being out of bloom.

Last night two of our horses had run off again, which delayed 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 hitttom of Powder river.

The thermometer at sunset was at 61°, with an easterly wmiuJ, and par-
tially clear sky ; and the day has been quite plea.sant and warm, though
more cloudy than yesterday ; and the sun was frequently faint, but it grew
finer and clearer towards evening.

October 17. — Thermonie'ier at sunrise 25°. The weather at daylight
was fine, and the sky without a cloud ; but these came up, or were formed
with the sun, and at 7 were thick over all the sky. Just now, this appears
to be the regular course — clear and brilliant during t'.ie night, and cloudy
11

\ ■

If' f

162 CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE. [1843.

during the day. Tliore is snow yet visible in the neighborinG:^ mountain*,
which yesterday extended along our route tu the loft, in a lol'ty and dark*
blue range, having much the appearance ol" the Wind river mountains.
It is probable lliai they have received then* name ol' the Blue mountaint
from the dark-blue apj curance given to ihem by the pines. We travelled
this morning across the aliluents to Powder river, the road being good, firm,
and level; and the country became constantly more pleasant and interest-
ing. 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 followmg analytical result shows tlin precise (jnalities of this soil, and
will justify to science the character of fertility which the eye attributes
to it:

Analysis of Powder river soil.

Silica

Alumina -
Carbonate of lime
Carbonate of magnesia
Oxide of iron
Organic matter
Water and loss

72.30
6 25
6.S6
4.HI
1.20
4.50
4.27

100.00

Fromthe waters of this stream, tie road ascended by a good and moderate
ascent to a dividing ridge, but imn.ediately entered upon ground covered
with fragments of an altered siliceous slate, which are in many places large,
and render the road racking to a carriage. In this rock the planes of
deposition are distinctly preserved, and the metamorphism is evidently due
to the proximity of volcanic rocks. On eitlier 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 tiie fall. From its present color, we were enabled
to see that it forms a large proportion of the forests on the mountains, 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 dividing ridge, from which we obtained a food view of
the Grand Bond — a beautiful level basin, or mountain valley, covered with
good grass, on a rich soil, abundantly watered, and surrounded 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 in 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 diameter;
and may, in time, form a superb county. Probably with the view of avoid-
ing a circuit, the wagons had directly descended into the Bond by the face
of a hill so very rocky and continuously steep as to be apparently imprac-
ticable ; and, following down on their trail, we encamped on one of the
branches of the Grand Rond riv^er, 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 encamped, I found them to be

[1843.
\
mountaiot,

y and dark-
mo ii|jitain8.
mount aim
Vo travelled
^ good, firm,
iiid intercst-
emoly good,
on the river
)od ground,
his soil, and
-e altributts

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

163

72.30
6 25
6.S6
4.<)-2
1.20
4.50
4.27

100.00

nd moderate
und covered
places large,
|lie planes of
videnlly due
ains here are
ith the green
imis larix,)
ere enabled
untains, and
feet, which
we reached
oodvicw of
overed with
ed by high
3 form — the
|ir journey so
rero content
in diameter;
3W of avoid-
by the face
itly imprac-
f the

one o

Ithe hill. I

)n the plain,

them to be

«843.]

the bed of a dry salt lake, or niar.sh, very firm and bare, which was covered
thickly with a fine white powder, containing a largo quantity of ci rbonato
of soda, (thirty-three in one hundred parts.)

The old grass had been lately burnt off I'rom the surrounding hills, and,
•wherever the fire had passed, there was a recent growth of strong, green,
and vigorous grass ; and the soil of the level prairie, wliich sweeps directly
'up to the foot of the surrounding mountains, appoars to be very rich, pro-
ducing flax spontaneously and luxuriantly in various places.

Jlnalysis of the Grand Rond soil.

Silica - - - .

Alumina - . - -

Lime and magnesia

Oxide of iron

Vegetable matter, partly decomposed

Water and loss - . -

Phosphate of lime

70.81
10.97
1.38
2.21
8.16
5.46
l.OL

100.00

The elevation of this encampment is 2,940 feet above the sea.

October 18. — It began to rain an hour before sunrise, und continued until
10 o'clock ; the sky entirely overcast, and the temperature at sunrise 48°.

We resumed our journey somewhat later than usual, travelling in a
nearly north direction across this 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 expectation of finding a more direct and better
road across tlie 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 mountain in about three
miles, which they ascended by a hill as sleep and difficult as that by which,
we had yesterday descended to the Rond. Quitting, therefore, this road,
which, after a very rough crossing, issues from the mountains by the heads
of the Vinatilah 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 descends into the plain.
The clouds, which had rested very low along the mountain sides during
the day, rose gradually up in the afternoon ; and in the evening the sky-
was almost entirely clear, with a temperature at sunset of 47°- Some in-
different observations placed the camp in longitude 117° 28' 26'', latitude
45° 26' 47" ; and the elevation was 2,600 feet above the sea.

October 19. — 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 temperature was 35°.

We passed out of the Grand Rond by a fineroadalong 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

V€-

■ .^f

. .■•■ *.■

■ ■■ ;;.'■■ h

■i^

1C4

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVK.

[184$.

and black. Passing tlirongli a point of pines, which boro evidences of '
being much frequented by the Indians, and in which the trees wereSomo-
tinics iiiipnroiitly 200 feet high and 3 to 7 feet in diameter, we hMted
for a few minutes in the afternoon at the foot of the Klue mountains) on
a branch of ihe (irand Hond river, at an elevation of 2,700 feet. ]{esuini^g
our journey, we commenced tiio ascent of the mountain through an open
pine forest of large and stately trees, among which the balsam pine mad6
its aj)pearance ; the road licing g()od,witli the exception of one steep ascent,
with a corresponding descent, which might both have been easily avoided
1)y opening a way for a short distance tlirough the timber. It would have
been W(!ll had we encamped on the str(>am where we had halted below, as
the night overtook us on the mountain, and we were obliged to encamp
withoiit water, and tie up the animals to the trees for the night. We had
halted on a smooth open place of a narrow ridge, which descended very
rapidly to a ravine or piney hollow, at a considerable distance below; and
it was quite a pretty spot, had there been water near. IJut the fires at
night look vcm'v 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 severnl others, volunteered to take the India
rubber buckets and go down into tlie ravine in search of water. It was a
very diflicult way in the darkness down the slippery side of the steep moun-
tain, and harder still to clind) about hail" a mile uj) again ; but they found
the water, and the cup of colfee (which it enabled us to make) and bread
were only enjoyed with greater pleasure.

At sunset the temperature was 4b^; the evening remarkably clear; and
1 obtained an emersion of the fust satellite, which does not give a good re-
sult, although the observation was a very good one. The chronometric
longitude was 117° 2S' .14", latitude 45'^ '3S' 07", and we had ascended to
an elevation of 3,S30 feet. It appeared lo have snowed yesterday on the
mountains, their summits showing verv white to-day.

October 2ii. — 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 sides of the mountains, and their yellow foliage
contrasts handsomely with the green of the balsam and other pines. After
a few miles we ceased lo see any ))ines,and the timber consisted of several
varieties of spruce, larch, and balsam pine, which have a regularly conical
figure. These trees ajjpeared Iroin GO 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
branching, the conical form having a greater base. The instrument car-
riage 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 very 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 travelled, to take a barometrical observation at the height of
1,7G0 feet.

After travelling occasionally through open places in the forest, we were
obUged to cut a way through a dense body of timber, from which we

[IB49.

donees of
ere some-
ive liMted
fitaiiis) on
llesimihig
h an open
)ine made
!ep ascent,
y avoided
onid have
below, as
encamp

We had
nded very
;lo\v; and
fires at
reparation
izing logs,
the India

It was a
cep moun-
hey found
and bread

clear ; and
a good re-
roiiometric
scended to
iay on the

>lit, and at

le an early
Jense than
lies cinstcr
ow foliage
Ines. After

of several
irly conical
leiglit ; the
lies 2 1 feet.

and more
ument car-
11 trees and
, long spur,

he summit,
ntry where
le height of

it, we were
which we

1843.J

CAPT. FREMOXT'.S NAKKATIVE.

If)'

[< emerged /)n an open monntain sitle, where we fonnd a number of snial'.
springs, ;md encamped after a day's jonniey of 10 miles. Our elevation
here was 5,000 feet.

Octuhi'r 21. — There was a very heavy white frost during the night, and
the thernionieter at sunrise was 30*^.

We coniiiuied to travel through the forest, in which the road was ren-
dered diUieiilt by fullen trunks, and obstructed by many small trees, whioli
it was necessary to cut down. Uul these are otdy accidental (lillieulties.
which could easily be removed, 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 our 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 liead branches of the Uynulildli x'wgv. During this day's oumey,
the barometer was broken; and the elevations above the sea, hereafter given,
depend upon the temperature of boiling water. Some of the white spi iice?
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 i\easured
along the road. 1 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 lieight appeared
to bo 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 gen-
erally covered with branches nearly to the root. All these trees have their
branches, particularly the lower ones, declining.

October 23. — The white frost this morning was like snow on the ground ;
the ice was a quarter of an inch thick on tlie creek, and the thermometer at
sunrise was at 20°. But, in a few hours, the day became warm and pleas-
ant, and our road over the mountains was delightful and full of enjoyment.

The trail passed sometimes through vciry thick young timber, in which
there was much cutting to be done ; but, after travelling 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 here on the western
verge of the Blue mountains, long s})urs of which, very precipitous on either
side, extended down into the valley, the waters of the mountain roaring be-
tween them. On our right was a inou)itain plateau, covered with a dense
forest; and to the westward, immediately below us, was the great Nez
Perce (pierced nose) prairie, in which d irk lines of timber indicated the
course of many affluents to a considerable stream that was seen pursuing
its way across the plain towards wliat appeared to be the Columbia river.
This I knew to be the WalahwaUh river, and occasional spots along its
banks, which resembled clearings, were supposed to be the mission or In-
dian 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 moun-
tains in this latitude ; and all the region of country through which we have
travelled since leaving the Snake river has been the seat of violent and
extensive igneous action. Along the Burnt river valley, the strata are evi-
dently sedimentary rocks, altered by the intrusion of volcanic products,
which in some instances have penetrated and essentially changed their
original condition. Along our line of route from this point to the Califor-
nia mountains, there seems but little essential change. All our specimens
of sedimentary rocks show them to be much altered, and volcanic produc-
tions appear to prevail throughout the whole intervening distance.

166

CAPT. FREMONT'sJ NARRATIVE.

i >

Mil' "■

[1849.

The road now led along tlu! mountaiii side, around heads of the.precipi-
tous ravines ; and, keeping men ahead to clear a road, wo passed alternately
ihrongh bodies of timber and sniiill ojien prairies, and encamped in a large
meadow, in vi<!W of the great prairie below. ik

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 ravitie, into
ivhich we drove our animals, and had much trouble wiih them, in a very ,
;lose growth of small pines. Mr. I*renss had walked ahead, and did not get
jilo camp this evening. The frees here n)ainlained their size, and one of the
black spruces measured 15 feet in circnmference. In the neighborhood of
the camp, pines have reappeared iiere amonj^r the timber.

October 23. — The morning was very clear; there had 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 1 noticed some
small trees oi hemlock spruce, (/;<^v?/.y.sr,) the I'orest beca)ne more open, and
•we had no longer any trouble to clear a way. The pines here were 1 1 or 12
feet in circumference, andabout 1 10 (eet high, and appeared to love llie open
grounds. The trail now led along one of the long spurs of the mountahi,
descendinggradually towards the plain; and after a few miles travelling, 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 ex-
cellent, and the grass very green and 20od; the old grass having been burnt
olf early in the autmnn. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon we reached a
little bottom on the Walahwalah river, where we foimd Mr. Preuss, who
yesterday had reached this place, and found himself too far in advance of
the camp to return. The stream here has just issued from the narrow ra-
vines, which are walled with precipices, in which the rock lias a brown
and more burnt appearance than above.

At sunset the thermometer was at 48°; and our position was in longitude
1 18° GO' 39' , and in latitude 45° 53' 35".

The morning was clear, with a temperature at sunrise of 24°. Crossing
the river, we travelled over a hilly coutitry with good bunch grass ; the
river bottom, which generally contains the best soil in other countries, being
here a sterile level of rock 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 tributaries from the mountains. There was a band of several
hundred horses grazing on the hills about two miles ahead ; and as we
advanced on the road we met other bands, which hidians were driving out
to pasture also on the hills. True to its general character, tlie reverse of
other countries, the hills and mountains here were rich in grass, the bottoms
barren and sterile.

In six miles we crossed a principal fork, below which the scattered water
of the river was gathered info one chaimel ; and, passing on the way sev-
eral unfinished houses, and some cleared patches, where corn and potatoes
were cultivated, we reached, in about eight miles farther, the missionary
establishment of Dr. Whitman, which consisted, at this time, of one adobe
house — i. 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 large family of emigrants, men.

t-H.

PHMliP

[1849*.

.precipi- ♦
ernately
1 a large

aife

:loar
itic, into
n a very
d not get
ne of llio
rhood of

a heavy
n 31'^.
:ed some
pen, and
11 or 12
tlie open
lountain,
ling, we
and saw
onnding
was ex-
en burnt
-'ached a
iss, who
vance of
rrow ra-
ti brown

3ngitude

Crossing
ass ; the
3s, being
the Blue
)od here
the trail
lich was
eceiving
f several
id as we
ving out
iverse of
bottoms

3d water
'/ay sev-
potatoes
ssionary
le adobe

lumbia ;
ts, men.

1U43.] CATT. FUEMO.NTS NARRATIVL'. 107

Women, and children, in robust health, all indenmifyini' themselves for
I'previons scanty fan;, in a litMrty consumption o( potatofs, which are pro-
duced here of a remarkably ^nod (piality. VV'e wi-ro disappointed in our
expectation of obtainins? corn meal or Hour at tins station, tlie Utill belong-
ing to the mission having been lately burnt down ; but an abundant supply
of excellent potatoes baiiislied regrnts, and furnished a grateful substitute
for broad. A small town of Nez I'erce Itidians gave an inhabited and
even a populous a|)pearance to the station ; and, after remainimr about an
liour, we contimied our route, and encamped on the river about four miles
below, passing on the way an emigrant encampment.

Temperature at sunset, 4!/-'.

Octohcr 25. — The weatber was pleasant, with a sunrise temperature of
3G . Our road to-day had in it nothing of interest ; and the country of-
fered to the eye only a sandy, imdnlating plain, through which a scantily
timb(!red river takes its course. W'e halted aluint tbr«^e miles above the
inoutb, on account of orass ; atnl tl'<' next morning arrived at the Nez Perce
fort, one of the trading esiablishinents of the Hudson Hay Company, a
lew hundred yards above the junction of the Walahwalah with the Colum-
bia river. Hero we had the first view of this river, and found it about
1,200 yards wide, and presenting the appearance of a fine navigabli; stream.
We made our camp in a little grove of willows on the Walahwalah, which
are the only trees to bo seen in the neighborhood; but were obliged to send
the animals back to the encanipment we had left, 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 pre-
vailing high winds, which come from the sea. The apjjearance of the post
and country was without interest, except that we here saw, tor 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, in-
deed, a noble object, and has here aituined its full magnitndn. About nine
miles above, and in sight from the heights about the post, is the junction of
the two great forks which constitute the main stream — that on which we
liad been travelling JVom Fort Hall, and known bv the names of Lewis's
fork, Shoshonee, and Snake river; and the North fork, which has retamed
the name of Columbia, as being the main stream.

We did not go up to the junction, being pressed for time ; but the union
of two large streams, coming one from the southeast,and the other from the
northeast, and meeting in what may be treated as the geographical centre of
the Oregon valley, thence doubling the volume of water to the ocean, while
opening two great lines of conmumication with the interior continent, con-
stitutes 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 to the South Pass, and to the valley of the Mississippi; the other
to the pass at the head of the Athabasca 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. Battcaus from tide

*' ".

168

C.M'T. FREMONT'S NAHKATIVE.

[1849.

wtitcr uficiHid lo llio jtinelioi), and tlieiiru hiiih up the North fork, or Co.
Ininhia. ]^;)iiil (;onvi:yaiicu only is used npoti tho hue of I^uwis'^ fork.
To thcj iMJii'.,'raiits to Oregon, tho Nez PiTCi' is u poiiit of interest, as being,
lo those who choose it, the lennination ol thi'ir ovcihmd journey. Tho .
hroad expanse! ol the riv(>r here invites ihoin lo emhark on its bosom; and
the lofty iic«'s of the forest liirnish the moans ol tl<»iug so. ,

From the- South Pass to this place isal)Out 1.000 miles ; and as it is about*
the same distance from that pass to the; Missouri river at the moiuh of the
Kansas, ii may be as>uin<ul tluit 2,000 miles is the )i<re.s.s(iri/ land travel in
crossing iVoui tlie Uuifcid States to the Pacific ocoaii on this line. From tho
mouth of till! (Ireat Platte it would he about 100 miles less.

Mr. McKiulijy. the cimmiuder of the post, reeeivtvl us with great civili-
ty ; and both lo myself, and tho heads of the (!mi'j;r.u)ts who were there at
tho time, extended the riles of hospitality in a comlorlablc dinner lo which
he invited us.

By a meridional altitude of the sun, the only observation thai the weather
permitted us to obtain, the mouth of ihe VVnlahwalah river is in latitude
'16° 03' 4(> "; and, by tin! road we had travelled, t)12 miles from Fort Hull.
At the time of our arrival, a considerable body of the emigrants under the
direction of Mr . Applei2;ate, a man of considerable resolution and energy, had
nearly coujpleU'd the building of a number of Mackinaw boats, in which
they proposed tf» continue their further voyage ilown the Columbia. I had
seen, in deseentlin:!; the Walaliwalah river, a fine drove of several hundred
cattle, which they had exchanged for Californian cattle, to be received at
Vancouver, and which are considered a very inferior l>reed. The other
portion of the emigration had preferred to complete their journey by land
along the banks of the Columbia, takini< their stock and wagons with them.

Having remlbrced our aninmls witn eight Iresh horses, hired from the
post, and increased our stock of provisions with dried salmon, potatoes, and
a little beef, wo resumed our journey down the left bank of the Columbia,
being guided on our road by an intelligent Indian boy, whom I had en-
gaged to accompany 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 obtained 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 alouL' tiirough deep loose sands, and over fragments of black
volcanic rock, our laborious travelUng was strongly contrasted with tho
rapid progress of Mr. Applegate's fleet of boats, which suddenly came glid-
ing swiftly down the broad river, which here chanced to be tranquil and
smooth. At evening we encamped on the river bank, where there was
very little grass, and less timber. W^e frequently met Indians on the road,
and they were collected at every favorable spot along the river.

October 29. — The road continued along the river, and in the course of
the day Mount St. Helens, another snowy peak of the Cascade range, was
visible. We crossed the Umiitilah 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
yesterday; there was very little grass, and no wood. The Indians brought
us some pieces for sale, which were purchased to make our fires.

October 31. — By observation, our camp is in latitude 45° 50' 05", and

1643.]

C/Vrr. FKKMONT'M XARTIATIVB.

16f»

it is about*

all of (Ik-

travel in

From tlio

)at civili-

there ni

to which

) wcathfir
1 latitude
''ortllull.
mder the
ergy,ha(l
ill which
ia. I had
hundred
ceived at
"he other
>r by land
'ith them,
from the
itoes,and
Columbia,
I had en-

lother far
• bank an
D8". The
id as we
1 of black
with the
jime glid-
iquil and
lere was
the road,

:ourse of
nge, was
h. This
volcanic

that of

1 brought

35", and

longitude 110° 22' IS". The night has ho«'n cold, and wc have white
[frost this niorniii'jr, with a temperature at d;iylii,'lit (»f 25", and at sunrise of

J4°. The rarly morning was very ricar, and the stars bright ; hut, as
[usual sinre Wf i\ro on tim ('oliunbiu, eloiids formed inmn diately with the
[rising sini. TIk! day conlimied fini', tlu^ east 'wing covered with scattered
[clouds, but ihe west remaining clear; .'-howni',' the remarkable cone-like

peak of Mount Hood brightly drawn against the sky. This was in view

all day in th«? southwest, but no other pcuks of the range were visible.

Our rond was a bad one, of V(;ry loose (l(;e|i sand. We met on the way a

party ol Indians umisu.illy well dressed, weariin,'elotlies of civilized texture
and form. 'I'hey ippeared intelligent, and, in our slight intercourse, im-
pressed mo with ti.e belief that they possessed some aptitude for acciuiring
languages.

We continued to travel along the rivtir, the stream being interspersed
with many sand bars (it being the season of low water) and with many
islands, and an apparently good navigation. Sniall willows were the only
wood; rocic and sand the prominent geolo;.;ical feature.. The rock of this
section is a very compact and tough basalt, oceiirring in strata which have
the appearance of being broken into fragments, assuming the form of co-
liinmar hills, and appearing always in escarptneiits, with the broken frag-
ments strewed at the base and over the adjoining roiintry.

We made a late encampment on the river, and used to-night ptirshia
trident til a for fire wood. Among the rocks which formed the bank, was
very good green <?rass. Latitude 45° \'\' 'J.'}", longitude 119°45' 09".

November 1. — Mount Hood is glowing in the sunlight this morning, and
the air is pleasant, with a temperature of M.S. We continued down the
river, and, passing through a pretty green valley, bounded by high precipi-
tous 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 leet broad, and dark blulls of rock give it a picturesque
appearance.

November 2. — The river here entered among bliilfs, leaving no longer
room for a road ; and we accordingly leli it, and took a more inland way
among the river hills ; on which we Jiad 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 hi;.,di hills, with uncommonly deep valleys. At noon we crossed
John Day's river, a clear and beautiful stream, with a swift current and a
bed of rolled stones. It is sunk in a deep valley, which is characteristic
of all the streams in this region; and the hill we descended to reach it well
deserves the name of mountain. Some of the emigrants had encamped
on the river, and others at the summit of the farther hill, the ascent ot
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 will nit water; but as we
had been forewarned of this privation by the guide, the animals had all
been watered at the river, and we had brought with us a sufficient quantity
for the night.

November 3. — After two hours' ride through a fertile, hilly country?
covered as all the upland here appears to be with good green grass, we de-
scended again into the river bottom, along which we resumed our sterile
road, and in about four miles reached the ford of the Fall river, {Rivii:re

-^^

170

CAPT. rREMONrrt NARKATfVE.

if-

^' '■'■Si '

[1843.

aux Chutesj) a consideral.lu lril>ulury to tin- I'oluriiliid. Wo haci^eard, on
Teaching ihe Nez l*er(!6 fort, u rt;potilioii oC (lio accdiml in rexiird to the
uti.sfttled characlur of ihu Cohitiihui Indians at the prustint tiino ; and to
our hltlf party they had at various |touii.s nianilestinl a not very Iriondly
disposition, in several attcuipts to steal our horses. At thisplaen I cxpectinl
to find a badly disposed h:tnd, who had phnidered a party of 14 eniii^raiil
men a few days before, and taki n away their horses ; and ;i(;rordnigly w©
made tho necessary preparations for our security, but happily met with no
dilhcully.

The river was hii^li, divideil into s-veral arms, with a rocky island at its
ouilnt into the Columbia, which at this place it rivalled in size, and ap«
j»arently deserved its highly <;h iracterisiiir name, which is rt'ccived from
one of its many falls sunnj luriy nnles up the river. It iMitcred the ('olum-
biu with a roar of falU and rapids, and is probably a favorite fishing station
amoiii,' the Indians, with whom buth banks of tlie river were populous;
bill they scarcely paid any attention to us. The ford was vi^ry ihllicult at
this lime, and, had they cnti!rt:uiied any bad intentions, they were ollt'ied a
good opporlunily to cany thum out, as I drove directly into tho river, and
durnig tlie crossing tho howitzer was occasionally several feet luider water,
and a number of tho iik.'h appiuired l(» be more often b.tlow ili.in above.
Our giiidcj was well acquainted with the ford, and W(! succeeded in getting
every thing safe over to tlu; left bank. Wo delayed hero only a short time
to put the gun in order, and, iiscending a long mountain hill, left both
riv»3rs, ami resumed our route a','aiii am n!g the interior hills.

Tho ro.tr of tho Falls of Ihf. Colnnihia is heard from the heights, where
we halted a few moments to enjoy a hue view of the river below. In the
season of liigh water it would be a very interesting object to visit, in order
to witness what is related of the annual submerging ot tho fall under the
waters which back up from the ' in below, constituting a great natural
lock at this place. But time had Imcouk; an object of serious consideration ;
and the Falls, in their j)resciit state, had been seen and described by many.

After a day's journey of 17 miles, wo encamped among the iiills on a
little clear stream, where, as usual, the Indians immediately gathered round
lis. Among them was a very old man, almost blind from age, with long
and very white hair. I happened of nty own accord to give this old man
a present of tobacco, and was struck with the impression which my lui-
propiliatcd notice made on the Indians, who appeared in a remarkable man-
ner acquainted with the real value of goods, and to undciistand the equiva-
lents of trade. At evening, one of tiiem spoke a few words to his people,
and, telling me that we need eiUertain no uneasiness in regard to our ani-
mals, as none of them would be disturbrd, they went all (luietly 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.

November 4. — The road conlini;ed among the hills, and, reaching an
eminence, we saw before us in a little green valley, watered by a clear
stream, a tolerably large valley, through which the trail j)assed.

In comparison with the Indians of the Kocky moimtains 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
any thing but pleasant to persons who had just been riding in the fresh
iiioniiiig air. We were somewhat amused with the scanty dress of one

13.]

CAPT. PRKMONT'U NARRATIVE.

171

land .'It its
. and ap*
ivod from
le ('oluni-
iiig siatiun
|)opulou8;
dillictilt at
; oUt'ied a
liver, and
del water,
111 above,
ill getting
sliort time
, l».'ft both

his. where

,v. Ill the

it, in order

under the

;»t natural

.ideration ;

by many.

hills on a

red round

with long

is old man

h my un-

:able man-

le equiva-

lis people^

lo our ani-

iway. In

them the

jiresent ot"

aching an
jy a clear

the great

huts were

ere within

file fresh
iss of one

man, who, in common with the others, rushed out of iho UwU on our
rival, niid who, in default of other coverwig, used a child for a fii; leaf,
'i'tiu road In about half an hour passed near an i>levati>d point, from
hich we ovorlook'Kl the valley of the ('oluinhia for many miles, and saw
the distance several houses surroim led by fields, which a chief, who had
:oom|uinied us from the village, pointed out to us as the Mf.thodisi mis-
oiiary station.

ill a few miles wii di'sceiided to the river, whirh we reached ai onn of
> remarkably iiileresiing features, known as tlu; /ht/ies i>f Ihc Calumhia.
The whole volume of the river at tliis place jiassed between the walls of ft
lusm, which has the appearance of having ix.'en rent through the basaltic
rata which form the valley rock of the region. At th<! narrowest pl.ace
c found ill'- bre.idth, by measurement, ^S yards, and the average height
1 the walls above the water ii.") feet ; forming a trough between the
;ack> — whence the name, probably applied by a Caiiadi.in voyageur. The
iiu.ss of water, ill ilie present low st;it«.' of the river, |)us»«ed swiftly between,
,t'Op and bl.ack, and curled into many small whirlpools and couiilcr cur-
rents, but imbroken by loam, and so still that scarcely the sound of a rippio
was heard. The rock, for a consiflerable distance from the river, was
xorii over a large portion of its surface into circular lioli's iind well-like
avilies, by the abrasion of the river, whicti, at the season of high waters,
^ spread out over the adjoining boiroms.

hi the recent pa.ssage through this cliasm, an unfortunate event had oc-
curred lo Mr. Applea;ate's parly, ill the loss of one of their boats, which had
ueen carried under water in the midst of the Dtilles, and two of Mr. Ap-
I'legate's children and on.! man drowned. This misfortune was attributed
lily to want of skill in the steersman, as at this season there is no impedi-
ment to navigation ; although the place is entirely impassable at high water,
when boats pass safely over llif great falls above, in the submerged state
:ii which they then find lliemsdves.
The basalt here is precisely the same as that which consiitnles the rock
the valley iiighcr up the Columbia, being very compact, with a few
round cavities.

We passed rapidly three or four miles down the level valley, and en-
camped near the mission. The character of the forest growili here
changed, and we found ourselves, with pleasure, again among oaks and
Mlier forest trcjsof the east, to which we had long been strangers; and the
iiospitable and kind reception with which we were welcomed among our
f'nmlry people at the mission aided the momentary illusion of home.

Two good-looking wooden dwelling houses, and a large school house,
with stables, barn, and garden, and large cleared fields between the houses
:nd the river bank, on which were scattered the wooden huts of an Indian
■ illage, gave to the valley the cheerful and busy air of civilization, and had
u our eyes an appearance of aljiindant and enviable comfort.

Our land journey found here its western termination. The delay in-
volved in getting our camp to the right bank of the Columbia, and in open-
ing a road through the continuous forest to Vancouver, rendered a journey
Tiluiig the river impractir.ible ; and on this side the usual road across the
liiountain required strong and fresh animals, there being an interval of
iuee days in which they could obtain no food. I therefore wrote imme-
diately to Mr. Fitzpatrick,diri*cting him to abandon the carls at the Walali-
valah missionary station, and, as soon as the necessary pack saddles could

..•n'«i.

i^J

i;j

TAPT. riMlMONTs NAUKAI'IVK

Lisu

Ih< untie, wliii'li Ins jKiriy riMiuirfd, iii"ct iw it ili" Dalles, trtini which poin#|
I pniiHiMil III ruiiiiiiciiCi] our lituacwurd journey. The Uiiy ulU'r nur ,4r*
nviil l)inu:< Sunday, nu iMiNUie.sit c.ouUi hn duiio at the ini-iNiou; luii un|
MiMiihiy Mr. Perkuis asMinted n:e ni pHMMiruM fnuu the Indiaux ii l.ir^o ct*
une, ui wlue.h 1 deHl^ned to eoni|»lete our juurui^y to Vuuecuivur, where ||
e\|>('i'li!il u> ol)t;uu (hi) ueeessary supply oi provixiouH und Mores tor iiurH|||i
wuitiM' jiuuuey. Three ludiaiis, (ron» tlio laiuily to wht»m iho fftiioe In. ~
loured, were eri;airud 10 UMRist ni working Ih nluruiu; thu voyage, and, vvnli
them, oui w,a(*r party roiisi.st'd ol Mr. I'leiiNHind luy-sell, with Hernier anij
.lar*ol) l)o(i>ou. In (-harK«: ul the parly wlmh was to runiaui at the DalNs
I lel'l (.arson, wiih uiMiruclUMis to itcciipy the people in niakiu:: paek saddles
and rerttliim then tipiipa^c. Thi^ villa;;e Iroui whi<'h wo wurc to take tlic
ciiuoe was on the right hank vl' the river, alioui ten iuiIom helow, at lite
nunilli ol the ri.tanens creek ; and wlul>' .^lr. I'reusN procooded down tin
rivor Willi the in»iruiiu'Mto, in n litll<! < atiou padilled hy two Indians, Mr,
I'urkiUii aeionipaiucd iiie with the remainder of the party hy land. Tli '
last oT the emi.;raiits ha I pisl left the Dalles at the lime of our arrival, tr.iv-
ellin^ ^on|t' hy waior .Hid olhtu's hy land, inakiiiu ark-like rafts, on which
they had « uiharked their families and hou.strliold. with their large wagons
and other furuiluro, while their stork vvurediivtMi alon^' tiu; shore.

I'\>r aliiuii live miles holow the Dalles, the river is narrow, and |»roI alijy
very di ip ; hut iluriiiir this distance it is i.oniewhat open, with jjra.ssy hut-
toms (HI the left. lOnturinu;, then, auiitii;; the lower mountains of the ''is
cadu raii^e, u assnmuij a gtaiural character, and liii^di and ^teup rocky hills
.shut It III on either .side, rismi; ahrujilly lu places to tli(! hei^hl ol l,r>()/i
fuel ahoV'' the waiter, and irraciually :i o^piiriu,;/ a moro uiouutuinous char-
acter as tin river approaches the (-ascade.s.

After an hour's travel, when the sun was nearly down, we searched aloiii,'
the shore lor a pit asant plac", and haltid to J<ri|»are supjier. We had hccii
well .supplu il hy our friends at the niission with delicious salted salmon,
which had heiiii taken at the fattest stasttn ; also, with potatoes, hi*(;ad, fol-
fee, and sugar. Wo were deligliiod at a change m our mode of travelluiu'
and living. Tiu' canoe sailed smoothly ilown the river: at night we en-
camped u|>on the slhU'c, and a plentiful supply of comlbriahle provisions
supplied the firsi ol wants. We enjoyed the ctuiirast which it presciiledtn
our late iinlsome niarclnngs, our iiiirht walclhngs, and our freciuoni priva-
tion of food. NVe were a motley group, hut all hap|)y: three unknown In-
dians; Jacoh, a colored man; Mr. I'nuss. a (iermau ; Hernier, creolc
French ; and myself.

Bomg now upon the ground explored hy the South Sea expedition under
Cnptain Wilkes, and having accomj^lished the oiijtxt of uniting my survey
Willi ins. and thin presenting a connected exploration from the Mississippi
to the Pacifu;, and the winter being at haiul, I deemed it necessary to econ-
omize time hy Voyaging in the night, as is customary here, to avoid the
high Winds, which rise with the morning, and decline with the day.

Accordingly, after an hour's hall, we again einharked, and resumed our
pleasant voyage down the river. The wind rose to a gale after several
hours ; but tlu' moon was very bright, and the wind was fair, and the canoe
glanced rapidly down the stream, liie waves breaking into foam alongside;
and our niglii voyage, as the wind bore us rapidly along between the dark
mountains, was wild and interesting. Aboui midnight we put to tiic shore
oil u rocky beach, beiiind which was a dark-looking pine forest. We buili

rAl'T. KKKMONT'H NAUUAllVK.

17.1

which point
iiKT our uf.
KHi; hill un
i ii l;iri,'« ct.
«)r, whnro I
tirt!N hir m»r
u: <'aii(ii> h<>.
;«', Mini, Willi
lit'riiK'r iiiiij

It the Ditlli',

Mck N.iihiU's
' Id take till'

• lilOW, ill the
•(I (l(t\vil (In:

iKiiaiis, Mr.

land. TUr
irrival, Irav-
Is, on which
irK»- wagons
ior<'.

11(1 prol ihly
I j^rassy hut-

of Iho ''as-
|» '•0('|<y hills
i^hl of l,r)()!i
uitiuus char-

irchnd aloiii,'
Vo had hccii
tiled sahaoii,
s, broad, col-
oi t ravel liiii,'
iiiujiil wc en-
le provisioii>
preseiiled to
iinoni priva-
uiUnown In-
ruler, ereolo

dition under
^ my survey
3 Mississi[ii»i
iary to econ-
to avoiil the

I day.

resumed our
after several
id the canoo

II alongside;
i!on the dark
, to the shore
St. We buili

ip InrRr flrf'N nuioix; the rorkN, wliirli wrrn in liiri»n ninnnr^t round ihoul ;
liid, arrani^ini^ our hlunkcts on the nioMl MhultiTtMi pl.ices w<i r.ould liiid,
iiHHi'd 11 di'livhiliil niuhl.

After an eiuly hrrakl'!i«t,aldavli«h* wrt rnsinm-d otw joiiriM'y. •'•" wnnihffr
in'^ clear anil hoaiitiful, anil the river smooth ind still. On • iiIut niJo
|tlii< riioiiniains ari> all plnetiinlMrnl, rocky, and \\\nU. Wm Wit** now ap-
Iproachinu ono of tin* innrkrd tealtiri!^ of the lower ('olninhi.i. u Inre (he
riviT lorins n uri«at cannntr, with a series of rapids, in ltr<'aKii' • ilirf)n,.'h tho
riiiL'H of niMimtatiis lo whieh Hm' lolly p«'aksof Mount Ijitod and Sr. lli'InnN
I'loiiLr, and which nsp as u'real piilari^idNiiow on ••ithcr niiI<' o| thi- pti,ssi.^o.
riie iiiiiri hriinch of the Sun'mnfuto river, mid the Tlntnnthn isr.iie in ra«-
cides from lliis ranu;e ; and the Colinnhia. hrttakin.,' fhroiiyli it in a .vticetis-
Mdii of eahcades, wives the idea of ea'cadfN to the 'v^liolc raii'/e; and lieiic«5
lilt! nani<! of fhe (Jas('.m>k \\ wuk, whieh ii hitars. and dislinvnivli'-s if from
i!ie {'oiiNt Uaimo lower dowe, In makiny:a.'4iort turn to the south, tlinrivor
lorms the cascades m hrcakiimover a poirif of am^liuuerated masses of rock,
Iraviim a handsoin*' hay !<► the riyhl, with several rodcy pine-eovered
lilaiids, and the nioiinlains sweep at a diUanee around a ci>ve wlmre sovi»ral
«n)all stream.s enter the hay. In less ihnii an hour we halted on the loft
liink.ahont live iniiinles' walk ahove llu'eaKcadcs, where ihere weroMevornl
Indian huts, and where our u'liides iLiiiilied it was eiistoinarv to hire Indians
10 avsisl III malvinii l\\(' /ittrftfi^r. When travellin.? with ;i hoat a- liv'hl as
,1 canoe, wiiich may easily hu carried on the shmilders of the Irwhans, thi.s
IS much the better side of ihe river f(»r the porlaire, as the :,'roUMd hero is
very U(tod and level. heii>;f a h.ind .ome bottom, whieh I remarked was
coviired {(t\ i/uis n<nr ulivai/s lliv citsc dlonu; the rirer) \\ iili n '.'rowth of
areen i.iid fresh-lookiiiy; lmiiss. Ii v as lom? before we ••oiilil <<)ine to .an un-
il(!rstandiim[ willilhe Indians ; hut at h.'iiifth, when they had first received
llie piiei; o( their assislaiice in I'ood.s, they went vii^'oroiisly to work; and,
111 a shorter •ime than had bt-en occupied in making our arranvennints,
llie eanoe, instrnmenis, and bau"/a','e. were carried throiiLdi (a distance of
about half a mile) to the hank l)elf>w ine main cascade, where wo o.;ain em-
barked, the water heiii!^' white wiih foam ainonu; ii'.^ly rocks, and boilirii,'
into a thousand whirlpools. The boat passed willi :,'reat rapidity, crossing
and recrossini,' in the eddies o( the current. After passing; tbroii'.-li about 2
miles of broken water, we ran some wild-lookinq rajMds, which ar(! called
the Lower Rapids, bem^ the h-i on ilie river, which below is traiMpiiland
Miiooth — a broad, maiiiulicent stream. On a low broad point on the right
bank of tho rivur, at tli<! lower end of these rapids, were pitched many
tents of the emigrants, who were wailing here for their friends from above,
or for boats and provisions wbirli were expected from VancoiiVf r. In our
I'assage down the rapi<ls, I had noticed (heir camps along the shore, or
transporting their goods aitross tli(! portage. This portage makes a head
of navigation, ascinding the river. It is about two miles in length ; an 3
above, to the Dalles, is 15 miles of smooth and good navigation.

>V\ glided on without fnrlbor interruption between very rocky .and high
sleep mountains, which sweep along the river valley at a lilt! ' distance,
covered with forests of pine, and showing occasionally Infiy escarpments of
red rock. Nearer, the shore it bordered by steep escarped hills and huge
vertical rocks, from whieh the waters of the mountain reac!i tho river in a
variety of beautiful falls, sometimes S'lveral hundred I'eet in heigiit. Occa-
sionally along the river occurred i)rctly bottoms, covered will) the greenest

174

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[184jJ

ii*

verdure of the spring. To a professional farmer, however, it docs not offi
many places of sntUcient extent to be valuable for agriculture ; and aft
passinij a few miles below the Dalles, I had scarcely seen a place on the!
iiouth shore where wagons could get to the river, 'iim beauty of th
scenery was heightened by the continnance of very delightful weather, re
seinbling the Indian summer of the Atlantic. A few miles below the cas
cades w j passed a singular isolated hill ; and in the course of the next six
miles occurred five very pretty falls from the h«Mghts on the left bank, one
of them being of a very j)ictures([ne character; and towards sunset we
reached a remarkable point of rocks, distinguished, 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 conies boldly down into deep water ; and in violent gales down tlip
river, and from the opposite shore, which is the prevailing direction oi
strong winds, the water is dashed against it with considerable violence. I:
appears to form a serious obstacle to canoe travelling ; 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 cur-
rents, whicli show them to be governed by fixed .aws; and it is a problem
how far tney may come from tiie mountains, or from the ocean through the
breaks in the mountains 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 lor an inviting spot ; and, finding a clean rocky beach, where some
large dry trees were lying on the ground, we ran our boat i^ the shore:
and, after another comfortable supper, ploughed our way along the river in
darkness. Heavy clouds covered the sky this evening, and the wind began
to sweep in gusts among the trees, as if bad weather were coming. As we
advanced, the hills on both sides grew constantly lower; on the right, re-
treating from the shore, and lormingasomewhat extensive bottom of inter-
mingled prairie and wooded land. In the course of a few hours, and op-
posite to a small stream coming in from the north, called the 7Va Prairie
river, the highlands on the left declined to the plains, and three or four miles
beloAV disappeared entirely on both sides, and the river entered the low
country. The river had gradually expanded ; and when we emerged from
the highlands, the opposite shores were so distant as to appear indistinct n;
the uncertainty of the light. About 1 o'clock our pil jts halted, apparently t
coiifer about the course ; and, after a little hesitation, pulled directly across
an open expansion of the river, where the waves were somewhat rough for
a canoe, the wind blowing verv fresh. INIuch to our surprise, a few min-
utes afterwards we ran aground. Backing oti" 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 tlie wa by a cut-ott. Finally, oiie
of our Indians got into the water, and waded about until he found achanne:
sufficiently deep, tiirough 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 tloat quietly clown, we listejjed with pleasure to the unusual
sounds; and before midnight encamped on the bank of the river, about a
mile above Fort \'ancouver. Our fine dry weather had given place to a
d..rk cloudy night. At midnight it began to rain ; and we found ourselves

[184jMl843.]

CAPT. FnEMONTS NARRATIVE.

175

docs not offe
ire ; and aft .
X place on thtj
jeaiUy of th
il weather, re
lelow the cas
f the next six!
left bank, one
ds snnset w^
t of prcvailin;'
)o navigation,
wall of rock,
lies down thf
I direction oi
e violence. I:
was informed
detained two
icouver.
'/ blow in cur-
t is a problem
.n through the

nee, and had
hed along ihu
, where some
lo the shore;
ig the river 111
le wind began
'iiiing. As we

the right, ro-
>ttom of inter-
onrs, and op-

7\ia Prainf.
; or four miles
tered the low
irnerged trom
r indistinct ii;
apparently tu
irectly across
hat rough for
B, a few miii-
lade repeateu|

shifting sand I

Finally, 01:6
ind achanuo:
and in a fevs-
rapidly down
It bank ; and.
the unusual
iver, about a
en place to a
ind ourselves

suddenly in the gloomy and humid season, whifh, in the narrow region
lying between the Pacific and the Cascade niuuntaitis.and for a considerable
distance along the coast, supplies the ploce 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 her
voyage to England, and was now ready for sea; being detained only ill
waiting the arrival of the express batteaus, which descend the (Columbia
and its north fork with the overland mail from Canada and Hudson's hay,
which had been delayed beyond tJKMr usual time. 1 inunediately waited
Mpon Dr. -McLaughlin, the executive olficcr of the Hudson IJay Company
in ilie territory west of the Rocky mountains, who received me with the
courtesy and hospitality for which he lias been eminently distinguished,
and which makes a forcible and delightful impression on a traveller from
the long wilderness from which we had issued. I was immediately sup-
plied by him with the necessary stores and provifjions to refit 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 voya-
geurs and Indians, for their transportation to the Dalles of the Columbia.
In addition to this efficient kindness in furnishing me with these necessary
supplies, I received from him a warm and gratifying sympathy in the suf-
fering which his great experie".;^ led him toanticipaie for us in our home-
ward journey, and a letter of recommendation and credit for any officers
of the Hudson Hay Comp-iny into whose posts we might be driven by
ancxpccied misfortune.

Of course, the future supplies for my party were paid for, bills on the
Government of the United States being readily taken; but every hospitable
attention was extended to me, and I accepted an invitation to take a room
in the fort, 'V/nc/ to make niyaelf at fiome while I staid.'^

I found many Auicrican emigrants at the fort; others had already crossed
the river into their land of promise — the Walahmette valley. Others were
daily arriving; and all of them had ';)een furnished with shelter, so far as
it could be afibrded by the buildings connected with tiie establishment.
Necessary clothing and p.'-ovisions (the latter to be afterwards returned in
kind from the produce <i their labor) were also fumisheii. This friendly
assistance was of very c^eat value to the emit^rants, whose fanulies were
otherwise exposed to much suffering in the winter rains, which had now
commenced, at the sanrje time that they were in want of all the connuou
necessaries of life. Those who had taken a water conveyance at the Nez
Perce fort continued to arr.re safely, with no other accident than has been
already mentioned. Th*; paj-ty which had pasised over the Cascade moun-
tains were reported to have lost a number of their animals; and those who
\\?f: driven their stock down t'.ie Columbia had brougfit them safely in, and
found for them a r^'ady and very profitable market, and were already pro-
posing to return to the States in the spring for another supply.

In tfie space of two days our preparations had been completed, and W2
were ready to set out on our return. It would have been very gratifying
10 have u^ouc down to the Pacific, and, solely in the interest and in the love
of geography, to have seen the ocean on the western as well as on the east-
ern 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 jao beauty in any sceticry, and obstructed observations. The

176

CAPT. FUIOMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[184«.

^^.t:

?;%^'

object of my instructions had been entirely fulfilled in havini^ connected
our recoiuioissance Willi llie surveys of Captain Wilkes; and altliouglijt
would have been a^recal)le and satisfactory to tcnninato here also our
ruder r.stronornical observations, I was not, for such a reason, justified to
make a delay in waitiuir for favorable weather.

Near sunset of the ioth, the boats left the fort, and encanijjed after
making only a few miles. Oiir lloldia consisted of a Mackinaw barge and
three canoes — one of them that ui which we had descended ilu; liver; and
a party in all of 20 men. One of the emigrants, Mr. Ihunet, of Missouri,
wlio had left his family and priiperly at the Dalles, availed himself of the
oi)|)orti<nity aflbrded by the ri;turn of our boats to brins,' Ihem down to
Vancouver. This gentleman, as well as the M(!ssrs. Apjtlcgate, 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.

Novcffibci' 11. — The moriiiiiti was rainy and misty. We did not move
with the practised ccilerity of my own cam)); and it was near 9 o'clock
when our motley crew had fini>lied their breakfast and were ready to start.
Once alloat, however, they worked steadily and well, and v/e advanced at
a good rate up th(^ river; and in the afternoon a breeze sprung up, which
enabled us to add a sail to tb.e oars. At evening wo encamped on a warm-
looking beach, on the right bank, at the foot of the high river hill, immedi-
ately at the lower end of Cape iloni. On the opposite shore is said to be
a singular hol-j in the mountain, from which the Indians believe comes the
wind producing these gabs. It is called the Devil's hole; and the Indians,
1 was told, have been resolving to send down one of their slaves to explore
the region below. At dark,, the wind shifted into its stormy (piarter, gradu-
ally increasing to a gale fr«)ni the souiliwest; and the sky beconnng clear.
1 obtained a good observation dI an emersion of the first salcllne; the result
of which, being an absolute observation, I have adopted for the longitude
of the place.

November 12. — '''he wind during the night had uicrensod to so much
violence, that the broad river this morning was angry and white ; tlu'
waves breaking with considerable force against this rocky wall of the cape.
Our old Iroquois pilot was unwilling to risk ihe boats aroun J the point,
and I was not dis|)Osed to hazard the stores of our voyage for tiic delay of
a day. Further observations were obtained during ti:c day, giving for the
latitude of the place -15-^ J3' 09"; and the longitude, obtained from the
satellite, is 12i2'^ 6' lo".

Novem/icr 13. — W^; had a day of disagreeable and cold rain; and, late
in the afternoon, began to appr >ach the rapids of the cascades. There is
here a high timbered island ou the left shore, below which, in descending,
I had remarked in a blulf on iiio river the extremities of trunks of trees
appearing to be imbedded in the rock. Landing here this afternoon, i
found in the lower part of the escarpment a stratum of coal and forest
trees, imbedded betwer>u strata of altered clay containing (he remains ot
vegetables, the leaves of wliich indicate that the plants were dicotyledonous.
Among these, the stems of some of the ferns are net mineralized, but merely
cliarred, retaining still tlieir vegetable structure and substance; and in this
condition a portion also of the trees remain. The indurated appearance
and compactness of the strat a, as well, perhaps, as the mineralized condi-
tion of the coal, are probably due to igneous action. Some portions of the

CATT. FHHM0.\T'8 NARRATIVE.

177

g connected

alt hough it

rire also our

Justified to

Lm|)cd after
V barge and
L! rivor; and
of JNIissouri,
iiself of the
jui down to
!,aiid others
iracter, with
, which give

id not move
!ar 9 o'clock
•ady to start,
advanced at
•j; up, which
I oil a warm-
hill, imnriedi-
is said to be
'0 comes the
the Indians,
}s to explore
artor, gradu-
fining clear,
u; the result
le longitude

I to so much
white ; the
of the cape.
kJ the point,
tiie delay ot
ving for the
d from the

n ; and, late
s. There is
deiicending,
ml'-.s of trees
afiernoon, 1
I and forest
: remains oi
Dtylodonous.
but merely
and in this
appearance
dized condi-
tions of the

coal prccisoly resemble in aspect the cannel coal of England, and, with the
accomi)anying fossils, have been referred to the tertiary formation.

These strata appear to rest upon a niassof agiilomerated rock, being but
a few leet above the water of the river; and over them is the escarpment
of i)erhaps eighty feet, rising gradually m (he rear towards the mountains.
The wet and cold evening, and near approach of night, [)revented me from
making any other than a very sliiihl examination.

The current was now very swift, and wc were obliged to cardfile the
boat aloiig the left shore, where the hank was covered with large massesof
rocks. Night overtook us at the upper end of the island, a short distance
below the cascades, and we halted on the optm [)oint. In the nieati time,
ihe lighter canoes, paddled altogether by Indians, iiad passed ahead, and
wer'- oiu of sight. VVitli 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 thenj to hear above
the roar of the river; and we remained all night without shelter, tne rain
))Ouring down all the lime. The old voyageurs did not ap|:)ear to ujind it
much, but coveted lhemst;lves 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; anil, to add to our discomfort, the inces-
sant rain extinguished our fires; and we were glad when at last daylight
appeared, and we again embarked.

Crossing to the right bank, we corddkd the boat along tlie sh(>re, there
being no longer any use for the paddles, and put into a little t)ay below the
upper rapids. Here we found the lodge pitched, and about twenty Indians
silting around a blazing fire within, making a luxurious breakfast with
salmon, bread, bulier, sugar, coffee, and other provisions. In the forest, on
the edge of the high bluH" overlooking the river, is an Indian grave yard,
consisting ui a collection of tombj, in each of which were the scattered
bones of many skidelons. The tombs were made of boards, whicli were
ornamenied 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 kno^vn.

Tiie masses of rock displayed along the shores of the ravine in the
neighborhood of the cascades are clearly volcanic products. IJetween this
cove, which I called Grave-yard bay, and anotlier spot of smooth water
above, on the right, called Luders bay, sheltered ))y a jutting point of luige
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, m inclined positions.

The masses of rock forming the point at Liiders bay consist of a porous
trap, or basalt — a volcanic product of a modern period. Tlie rocks belong
to agglomerated masses, which form the immediate ground of the cascades,
and have been already mentioned as constituting a bed of cemented con-
gloraera'c rocks appearing at various places along tlie river. Here they
are scattered along the shores, and through the bed of the river, wearing
the character of convulsion, wliich forms the impressive and prominent
feature of the river at tins jilace.

Wherever we came in contact with the rocks of these mountains, we

found them volcanic, which is probably the character of the range ; and

ai this time, two of the great snowy cones^ Mount Regnier and St. Helens,

H'ere in action. On the 23d of the i)recedmg November, St, Helens had

ITS

(JAPT. I'I:K\I()M"S N.\KI{ATIVK.

[1843.

scatteiod its ashes, like u light fall of snow, over the Dalles of tlic Colntn-
Ilia, .'50 milrs (hstant. A specimen of these aslies was given to me by Mr.
Brewer, one of the eler^^ymen at iIk; iJ.tlles.

The lolly rani,'e of ihc; Cascade lununtaitis forms a distinct honndary be-
tween the opposite climates of the regions along its western and eastern
bases. On the west, they jToscnt ;i. harrier to the clonds of foir and rain
wliich roll np from the I'aeific (u-ean and heat against their rngged sides,
forming the rainy season of the winter in tl'
Into th

til

country along the coast,
iaslern base, ih

tie brighter skies of llu! ivpioi\ alo
Avinter never i)enetrales ; and at the Dalles of the Colnmbia the rainy
season is unknown, the brief winter being limited to a i)eriod of about two
months, during which the earth is covered with the slight snows of a
climate remarkably mild for so hitjh a latitude. The Cascade range has
an average (hstance of about 130 miles from the sea coast. It extends far
both noith and south ol the Coiunibia, and is indicated to the distant ob-
server, both in coursi' and jiosition, by the lofiy volcanic peaks which rise
out of it, and which are visible to an immense distance.'.

During several days of constant rain, it kejit our whole force hiboriously
employed in getting our barge and riuioes to the upper end of the cascades.
The portage ground was occupied by emigrant families; their thin and in-
sufHcient clothing, bare-headed and bare-footed children, attesting the
length of their journey, and showing that they had. in ujany instances, set
out without a due ))rej);irati()n of what was indispen->anle.

A geiitieinau named Lud(;rs, a botanist trom the city of IIam])urg, ar-
«j^ rived at the l)ay I have called by his iKUhe while we were occupied in bring-

ing up the boats. I was delighted to meet at such a place a man of kindred
pursuits; but weiiad only the j)lei\sure of a brief conversation, as his canoe,
under the guidancf! of two Indians, was about lo run the raj)ids; and I
could not enjoy the satisfaction of r(!galing h;m with a breakfast, which,
'% after his recent journey, would have been an extraordinary luxury. All

of liis few instrnments and bagsznge were in tiie canoe, and he liiirried
around by land to meet it at the (irave-yard 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, bottom up, with th.>,
loss of every thing it contained. In the iiaturnl concern I felt for his mis-
fortune, I gave to tlie little cove the name of Liiders bay.

November 15. — We continued to-day our work at the jiortage.

About noon, the two barg(!Sof the express from xMontreal 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 daugliter, emigrants from Canada. It was satis-
factory to see the order and sp(;ed with which these experienced watermen
effected the portage, and passed their boats over the cascades. They had
arrived at noon, and in the evening they expected to reach 'V'ancouver.
These batteaus carry the express of tlie Hudson Bay Company to the higli-
est navigable point of the north fork of the Columbia, whence it is carried
by an overland party to lake Winipec, where it is divided — part going to
Montreal, and part to Hudson bay. Thus a regular communication is
kept up between three very remote points.

The Canadian emigrant was nuich chagrined at the change of climate,
and inlbrmed rue that, only a few miles above, they had lelt a country of
bright blue sky and a shining sun. Tiie next morning the upper parts of

[1843.

le Colnm-
le by Mr.

lulury he-
ld castorti
and rain
L^cd sides,
the coast,
this raitiy
ilio rainy
about two
HOWS of a
ranyo has
xloiids far
hstant oh-
a'hich rise

aborionsly
; cascades,
liii and in-
ostiiig the
;tant:es, set

1843.]

CAIT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

179

in])urg, ar-

d ill briiig-

of Idiidred

his canoe,

ids; and I

ist, which,

vary. All

iR inirried

ircely out

rawn into

, with th.;

lor his nii.s-

ved at the
link of the
cd a fresh-
was satis-
watcrmeu
They had
ancouver.

the higli-

l is carried if
t aoing to
iiicatioii is

of Hi mate,
country of
er parts of

the raountains which direcily ovrrlook the cascades were white with the
freshly fallen snow, while it continued to rain steadily below.

Late in ihe afternoon we finished the portai;*:, and, tinbarking again,
moved a little distance up thti right l)ank, in order tu clear the smaller rap-
ids of the cascades, and have a smooth river for thc! ne.xt morning.
Though we maile but a lew miles, the weather im[)roved inmiediately ;
and tliongh the rainy coinitry and the cloudy mount lins were clo.se behind,
before us was tht; bright sky ; so distinctly is climat(! here marked by a
mountain boundary.

November 17. — We had to day an opportunity to complete the skelch
of that portion of the river down which we liad come by night.

Many places occur along the river, where the slumps, or rather por-
tions of the trunks of piiu; trees, are standimr alom^' iln; short, and in
the water, wlier«' they may be seen at a considerable (lej)tli below the
surface, in the beaulilully clear water. I'liesc collections of dead trees
are called on the Columbia the s u Inner !J:;e(l forest ,\x\\(\ arc- supposed to have
l)een created by the eli'ecfs of some convulsion which formed the cascades,
and which, b.y dammin:; up the river, placed these tree^^ under water and
destroyed them, lint 1 venture to presume thai I he- caseades are older
thanthetrees; andasthese submerged forests occur at fiveorsix placesalong
the river, I iiad an opportunity to satisfy myself that ihey have been formed
by immense land slide.-, from the mountains, which here closely shut in the
river, and wliicli broiiLrht down with them into the riv er tiie pines of the
mountain. At one place, on the right bank, I remarked a place where a
p(*rtion of one of these sillies seemed to have planted itself, with all the
evergreen foliage, and I he vegetation of the neiubborinLr hill, directly
amidst the I'allinjj: and yellow leaves of the river trees. It ocenrred to mo
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, 1 found that in the interior ])arts the trees were in their usual
erect position : but at tlu', extrj'mity of the slide they were rocked about,
and thrown into a confusion of mclinaiions.

About 4 o'clock in the afternoon we ]mssed a sandy bar in the river,
whence we had an unexpected view of Mount Hood, bearing directly
south by compass.

Dining the day we used oar and sail, and at night had again a delight-
ful camping ground, and a dry place to sleep upon.

November IS. — The d^y again was pleasant and ])right. 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 after-
wards, at tile village of our Indian Iriends, early in the afternoon we ar-
rived again at the Dalles.

Carson had removed the camp up the river a liuK; nearer to the hills,
where the animals had belter 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 adranco of the parly. His object in
visiting this country had been it) obtain c*>rrect information of the VValah-
metle settlements; and he had reached this poim in his journey, highly
jileased with the country over which he had travelled, and with invigorat-
ed health. On the Ibllowing day he continued his journey, in our return

w^ boats, to Vancouver.

130

CAPT. FKEMONT'rt NARRATIVB.

[1843.

Tlio camp was now occupied in makins? tlw; necessary preparations for
our hotnoward journey, wliicli, tlioui,'h lioint'wanl. c<»nt»Mnplated a new
route, and a yreat circnil to tlie south and soiulieast, and the exploration
of the Great Basin hetween the Rocky rnonntains and the Sierra XevaJa.
'I'hree principal t)l»jt'cts were indicated, by report or hy maps, as being on
this route; the character or cxisience of which I wished to ascertain, and
which I assumed as landmarks, or leading? points, on the projected hue o|
return. The first of these points was the Tlumut/i like, on the table
land hetwe<!ii tlu; head of F'all riv(*r, whicdi com'.'s to the Columbia, anil
the Sacramcnio, whi'h tjoes to the bay of San Fr.inrjsco ; and from whicli
lake a river ol the same name makes its way wcstuardly direct to ih.'
ocean. This lake and river arc often called h'/mnr/, hiu I have chosen to
write its name according; to the Indian pronunciaiioii. 'I'lie position o!
this lake, on the line ot inland commimication between Oregon and Cali-
fornia; its proximity to the dtimarcation boimdaiy of latitude U"; its im-
puted double character of lake, or meadow, accord mtj to the season ot
tlie 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 re[)orted lake
called Mary's, at some days' journey in the (Jreat Hasin; and thence, still
on southeast, to the reputed Ihioiaventurtt river, which has had a place
in so many maps, and count(;nanced the belief of liie existence of a great
river tiowins^ trom the Kooky mountains to the b ly of San Francisco
From the Huenaventura the next (loint was inttiiuled to be in that section
of the Rocky momitains which includes the luvids of Arkansas river, and
of the opposite waters of ihe Oalifornian gulf; and thence down the Ar-
kansas to Ikni's fort, and home. 'I'liis was our projected line of return —
a great part of it absolutely new to geographical, botanical, and geological
Ncience — 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 ttrra incos^niln really contained. It was a se-
rious 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 nations — American, French, German, (Canadian, Indian,
and colored — and mo>t ot them young, several being under twenty-on('
years of age. All knew that a strange country was to be explored, and
dangers and hardships to be encountered ; but no one blenched at the pros-
pect. On the contrary, courage and confidence animated the whole party.
Cheert'uiness, readiness, subordination, prompt obedience, characterized all ,
nor did any extremity of f»eril and privation, to which we were afterwards
exposed, ever belie, or derogate I'rom, the fine spirit of this brave and gen-
erous commencement. 'I'he course of the narrative will show at wlial
point, and for what reasons, we were prevented from the complete execu-
tion 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 lo the J'acific ocean, and along rhe western base of
tiie Sierra Nevada; where, iiidtied, a new and ample field of exploration
opened itself before us. For th{ present, we must follow the narrative,
which will first If.ad us south along the valley ot Fall river, and the east-
ern base of the Cancnde range, to the Tiamath lake, from which, or it.-^
luarmn, three rivers g) in three directions — one west, to the ocean ; another
ttorlh, to the Columbia , the third south, to (•aliforHia.

1843.]

CAPT. FUKMONT'd NARRATIVE.

IvSl

It ions for
d u new
ploration

Nevada.
buiiig 01)
tain, and
d line I) I
\.\\*\ table
ibici, anil
jni whirl)
ct to ihi'
cliosen to
)sitior) o!
and Cali-
^ its im
season oi
R Indians
<'rotn this
rted lake
lence, still
d a place
f a great
h'rancisco
It section
river, and
1 the Ar-

return —
^'eoiogica!
serts, and

inflamed
vas a se-
e traverse
e persons,
in,Itidian,
venty-onv-
lored, and
t the pros-
jolc party,
erized all ,
ifterwards
3 and gen-
at what
etc execn-
l, and how
mows, far
n base of
xploration
narrative,

the east-
ich, or itr,
another

For the snpporl oi' tho parly, I had providrd at V'anronvcr a supply of
provisior)s lor not loss thun ilirre month.s, consislnm princi[)ally of lh)ur,
pea.s, and tallow — ilio latlor henig used in cookinu; und, in addition to thi.s,
I had purchased at ihc niis.sion some ('alifornia Ciilllc which were to be
driven on ihe hool. VVm had lot mules and horses — purl of ihc latter pro-

id fi

the Indi

ission

lor il

)!' which

Ironi
our reliance Wiis upon the grass wliicli we shoniu nmi, ami liie soil porous
wood, which w;is to ho Us siihstitnle when there was none.

Mr. Fiizpalrick. with Mr. Talhiyt and the reinaindcr ofonr party, arriv-
ed on the iiisi; and the c;iiiip was now closely engaged in ilu; labor of
preparation. Mr. Perkins succeeded in oblaiinnu as a guidti to the TIanmth
iake two Indians — one ol whom had been there, and bore the marks of
several wounds lie had leccivi-d from some of the hidians in the neighbor-
hood ; and the tdlnr w(.'ni along lor company. In order to enable us to
obtain horses, ho despatched messengers to Ihe various Indian villages in
the neighborhood, infornnnij Ihem thai we were desirous to puicliase, and
appointing a day for them lo bring them in.

We made, in the nieaii time, several excursions in ih(! vicinity. Mr.
Perkins walked with Mr. Preuss ai.d myself to the heights, about nine miles
distant, on the opposite side of the river, whenee, in fine weather, an exten-
sive view may be had over tin? inounlains, inclndinir s.veii •2Xru{ peaks of the
('ascade range ; luit floiids, on this occasion, destroyed the aniicijuilc^d pleas-
are, and we obtained beaiiiiirs <inly lo three Ihat were visible: Mount Ueg-
nier, St. Helens, and Mount Hood. On the heiyhis, abiuu one mile south
of the mission, a very fin); view may be had of .Mount Ihuul and St, Helens.
In order to determint! their jiosilions with as iiiiie!i accuracy as possible,
the angular distances of the peaks were measuicMl wiih t!ie sextant, at dif-
ferent fixed points from which they could be seen.

The Indians brouiiht in their horses at the appointed lime, and \vc suc-
ceeded in obtaining a iiiiniber in exchange fur gcuxls ; biii iliey were rela-
tively much higher here, wlieie goods are plenty and at moderate prices,
than wo had found them in the more eastern part ofonr voyage. Several
of the Indians iinpiiied very anxiously to itnow if we had any dollars; and
:he hor.ses we procured were much fewer in number than 1 iiad desired,
and of thin, inferior (jiialily ; llu; oldest arid 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.

November )i\. — At this place one of Ihe men was discharged ; and at the
request of Mr. Perkins, a (>liinook Indian, ;• lad of niiitiicen, who was ex-
tremely desirous to "see the whites," and make some acquaintance with
our institutions, was received into the party, und<;r my special charge, with
the understanding that I would again return him to his iViends. He had
ived lor some time in the household of Mr. Perkins, and spoke a few words
uf the English languagf!.

November 25. — Wl; were all up early, in the exciteiiieiit of turning to-
wards home. The .stars were brilliant, and the morning cold — tlie ther-
mometer at daylight 20",

Our preparations had l)een finally completed, and to-day we commenced
our journey, 'I'ho lillle wagon wiiich had hitherto carried the instruments
I judged il ncfiessary to abandon ; and it was accordingly jjresented to the
mission. In all our lont liuveiling, il had never b.en ovcrtnrned or injured
' y any accidtMil of l)ie road; and the ouly things broken were the glass

l.^J

l:\VT. t*l{i:.\H ».%'!'•.'♦ NA liATIVi:

[1848.

liitnp-^, ;iii<l Diic <>r ihr iroiii |)iuii*ls, wlm-li li.-nl Iktii |<ick(>(l oiil by an uii-
nilv Iiiiliiiii liorst'. Til" liowiizor wiis ilic (Mily wlirdctl ••nrriaj^o \\n\V ro-
inuiiiiii:;. NV<^ .slarlnl :iIm)iiI noon, wlicii tlm wiMtlur had hecomo Uin-
ai^riMahly (did, wiili lliirncs ot miow. Our (ricnd Mr. IN-rkitis, whose
Uiiidkoss ha<l hiMMi atlivc and tUKKMit diiiinu our slay. !i<'<'<)Mi|)aiii(>d us s<>v-
oral iiiiirs on our r«).iil; wIkmi Ik^ hade, us larrwilLand rousii^Ht'd us (o the
cari! otOur ^'Uld(^s. A.s(;i!ndiui{ to tin* uplands hcyoud tho southern Cork of
the 7Vi/r//<r/*.v orccK, wr (ound tln^ sii(»w lyiiii,' on tlii* Lrroinid in iVt'cpinii'
patches, allhoiiyh liic pa.slur(! appeared uood,.iiid llm new short t,'rasH \va

trosh and ^rcen. \\ e (ravelled over hiuii, hilly land, and eiieaiuped on .t
littlu hratieh of rinanuns crixtk, wlicru thurt; wi-re, ^ood grass and tiuihei.
Thu soudiern haiiU was rovorcMJ widi snow, which was scatienid over tlir
bottom ; and the lillie creek, its l)orders liiuul with lee, had a chilly and
wiiUry look. A luiinlier (•! Indians had accompanied us so far on oui
roud, and remained with us during the iiivdit. Two had looking fellows,
who Were d«!tecleil in stealing, w(!rcliod and laid belore the (ire, and xiianl
moimled over them iluiin^ llio night. The ni;-»lil was cold, and partially
clear.

Novetnlwr 2{\. — The morning was cloudy and misly, and but a few star^
visible. DuriUL!; th(f nij;lit water Iroze in tin- lenis.aud at sunrise tho thei-
liiomoter was at JO '. I^id't camp at 10 o'clock, the road leadini,' along tribu-
taries of the 'I'iiianeiis, and bein::, so far, very gt»oil. \\\\ turned to tht
right at the lork o^ \\\v. nail, asceiuhn^ by a steep ascent along a spur to tin-
dividing grounds between this stream and the wau.*rs of Kail river. Tin'
creeks we had passed were limbered principally with oiik and othor de-
ciduous irec^s. Snow lies every where la^re on the ground, and we had ;(
slight fall duriii!,' the morning; but towards noon the L'ray sky yielded to a
brii:ht sun. This morning we had a grand view of St. lleUuis and Kes:-
nier : the latter ap|tcared of a conical form, and very lolly, leading thi; eye
far up uito the sky. The line of the timbered country is very distinctly
marked here, the hare hills making with it a remarkable contrast. The
summit of the ridue commanded a line view of the Taih prairie, and the
stream running through it, which is a tributary to the Kail river, the chasm
of which is visible to the; right. A steep descent of a mounlam hill broughl
us down into the valley, and we encamped (ii the stream after dark, guided
by the light ot lircs. wliich some naked Indians Ixdougmu: to a village oii
the opposit(> side were kindliiur for us on the bank. This is a large branch
of the Fall river. There was a broad band of thick ice some fifteen fee:
wide on either bank, and the river current is swift and bold. The night
was cold and clear, and we made our asirouomioal observation this even-
ing with the thermometer at 20\

In anticipation of coming liarciship, and to spare our horses, there was
much walkinir doiu; to-day ; and Mr. Kitzpatrick and myself made the day'-
journey on loot. Somewhere near the mouth of this stream are tlie fail>
from which the river takes its name.

November 21. — .\ fine view of Mount Hood this morning : a rose-colored
mass of snow, bearing S. S5- VV. by compass. The sky is clear, and the
air cold; the thermometer 2'.5 below zero; the trees and bushes glittering
white, and the rapid stream filled with tloaiiug ice.

Sfiletsi and //ic ll'fiite Crarie, two Indian chiefs who had accompanied
us thus far, took their leave, and we resumed oiu' journey at 10 o'clock.

1843.1

r\l'T. I iniMo.NT'H .\,\iji<\tim:.

1«:j

by ar> uii-

[I' \\n\v ro-

■<'oiii(! din-

ins, whose

i('(l IIS s('V-

<l IIS to liie

•Til fork of

II lV<'i|ii()iii

i,'r;iss wu

ii|)f'(l on ;i

nd tiinbci.

il over llif

cliilly .iiid

tar on om

11^ fi'llo\V>,

and KU.-inl
d partially

a (vw stftr>
St! tho tliei •
iloni; tribu-

IM'd to till

spnr lo tin;
iver. 'riir
I other d»!-
\V(! had ;(
ielded to ;i
s and Hpi;-
int^ ihi! cy«.'
; distinttly
last. Thti
0, and tin;
.the chasm
ill broiighi
irl(,u;iiided
village oij
r£?o branch
til'teen loo;
Tho night
this even-
there was
) the day'-
re the fall.>

ose-colored
ir, and the
s glittering

compaiiied
o'clock.

We ns( cikIimI by a sleep hill Trom ih<' river boitoiu, winch i.s .sand/, to a
vole.'Uiif |ilaiii, around whtoh lolly hills swrrp iii a rt't>;iilar lorin. It is cut
Up by .\Millios ol" b.asaliic rock, rscarpniiiils of which appear every where m
the hills. This plain is railed thiiTaih prairie, and is sprinUled with some
srallercd pnies. The comiiry is now far ninrr iiitcrcsimg t(» a travtilier
(hail the loiii.' aldii'.r the Siiakr and Columbia rivers. Tn our n;^lit w<'
had always the nioimtaiiis, fiom the mi'Isi n( whose dark pin*- fure.sls ihe
i.solated snowy peaks were looking out like giants. They served us for
grand Immciiiis loshow the rale at which we advanced inoiir joiniicy. Mount
llood was alr<'ady bef;<)miiig an old UMpMiiitaiicc, .iiid, when wc ascended
the pianie, we ohtained a bearing to Mount .leirer.H)ii, S. j;i ' \V. The In-
dian supersiilioii has peopled these lofty pe.-iks with evil sftirits, and (hey
have. nev('r yet known tli<! ireail ol a biiin.in loot. Sternly drawn against
lh(! sky, (hey look so )w^\\ and sh'cp, so snowy and rocky, dial il would
appear almost impossd>le to climb ihem ; but siill a trial would have its
attractions for the adve'iiliiroiis li'aveller. A small .rail lakes olf through
Ihe prauie, ntwards a low point in tin! range, and perhaps there is here a
pass into (lie W'alahnu;!!'' v.illry. Cio.Nsing the plain, we descemjed hy a
rocky hill into iIk; bed of a Iribulary of Fall riv<;r, and made an early eii-
campmeiii. The water was in holes, an<l frozen over, and we were obliged
to cut through the ire for the animals lo drink. An o.\, which was rather
lrouble>(Hiie to drive, waskille-d here for food.

The eveiiiii',' was line, the sky being very clear, and 1 obtained an im-
mersion ol" Ihe third satellite, with a good observation of an (Miiersion of
the first; the latter of whiidi giv(!s lor tli.! longitude, 121" 02' 13"; tho
latitude, by observation, being t.T 0(i' I.V. The night was cold — tho iher-
momeler dining ihe observations standing at !' '.

.\t)vrinl)rr js — 'I'lie sky was clear in ihe morning, but .suddenly clouded
over, and at sunrise began to snow, with the lhermomet(!r at IS''.

\\'(! traversed a broken high eouniry, partly timbfinul with pine, and
about noon crossed a mountainous ridg(!, in which, from the rock occa-
sionally displayed, Ihe formalion e(»iis:sis of compact lava. Fre(iuenl tracks
of elk were visiblt; in the .snow. On our right, in the afternoon, a high
plain, partially rtivered with pine, extended about ten miles, to the fool of
the ('aacade Mioimtains.

At evening wi- encamped in a basin narrowly surrounded by rocky lulls,
after a day's journey of 21 mill's. The surrou'iding rocks are either vol-
canic products, or highly altmed by volcanic action, consisting of ipiartz
and reddish-colored siliceous masses.

Noretiiher 2)>. — We (.'merged from the basin, by a narrow pa.'-^s, upon a
considerable branch of Fall river, rumung to the eastward through a nar-
row valley. The trail, descending this stream, brought us to a locality of
hot sjjriiigs, which were on either bank. Those on the left, wiiicli were
formed into {\ovy> handsome basins, woukl have been deliglitfiil baths, if
the outer air had not been .so keen, the thermometer in these being ai 89°.
There were others, on the opposite side, at the fool of an escarpment, in
which the temperature of the water was \'.]-\'\ 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 peuks —

'■ 4-

184

(APT. FUn.MONT'H NAIIUVTIVK.

[1848.

• ^ ;

'it'' , i!!'>'

'K44l

Mount Jtili'tirsoii, follnwt'd to lliu soiilliwiird hy two otiicr.n of tlio .samo rln«a;
uiid .succeed iiii;, at a still gruitcr distuiH e to tlio southward, wrrt! tliruo oilmr
lower [leaUs, clustcrinii; lo^elller iti a branch ridge. The5i«>, liku ilu.' threat
peaks, wore snowy masses, secondary only to llieni ; nndjioin lliehest ex-
tiininalion our linu; pi'miilted, w** arc inchned to believr ihut ilie rruigc to
which tlu;y belong is a hr.'iiu-Ji fruni th(; ^rcrit chain which here hears to
th(! weMtw.'ird. TIk! trail during the reniauider of the day followed near
♦o the larij;u stream on the li ff, winch was coininnonsly wailed in holwoeii
high rocky banks. We halted |,tr the nii/hl on a little hy-siream.

iXovetuher MO. — Oiu' jonrney to <|;iy was short, I'assin^ over a liigh
plain, on which were scattered cedars, with rnHjuent bods ol' volcanic rock
in lVa;5rnents inier.sperscrl ainoiiu' the grassy ^roinids, we arrivc-d snddeidy
on the veri^e ot" the ste(«p and rocky <lescent to the valley ol'the .stream wt;
had hecMi Ibllowing, and which here ran directly across onr path, eintM^ins^
from the rnoimtains on the right. Von will remark th;a the country is
abundantly watered with large streams, vHi''*' pour down trom the neigh-
boring range.

These; streams are charncteri/ed by the narrow and clia.';m-like vallcy.s
in which they run, generally sunk a thousand I'eet below the plain. At
the verge of this plain, they Irecinently connneiice in veitical j)recipices ot
basaltic rock, and which leave only casual place's at which they can be
entered by hor.ses. The road across the country, which would oiherwii.o be
very good, is rendered impracticable f»)r wagons by these .streams. There
is another trail among the ntomit lios, usually followed in the sntnmer,
which the snows now compelled us to avoid; and I have ivMson to believe
thai this, passing nearer the heads of these streams, would alforrl a much
better road.

At such places, the gnu carriage wa.s indimbered,and separately descend-
ed by hand. ContiiMiing a f(!W niilvs up the left bank of tliu iivt;r. we en-
camped early in an open bottom among the pines, a short dislanc(; l)ulow a
lodge of Indians. Here, along the river the blull's present t:.sc.»rpments
seven or eight hundred feet in height, containing strata of a very line porce-
lain clay, overlaid, at the lieighf of about five hundred feet, by a massive
.stratum of cotnpact basalt one hundred feet in thickness, which again is suc-
ceeded above by other strata of volcanic rocks. Tho clay strata are variously
colored, some of tliem very nearly as white as chalk, and very fine grained.
Specimens brought from th(;.s(! have boon subjected to micro>copical exami-
nation by Profcssior IJailey, of Wt^st Point, and are considered by him to
constitute one of the most remarkable deposites of llnviatile infusoria on
record. While they abound in geimra and species which arc common in
fresh water, but wliich rarely thrive wiiere the water is even brackish, not
one decidedly marine form is to be ("onnd among them ; and their fresh-
Avater 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 scarce-
ly have been transported by nnmiiig waters without an admixlute of sandy
particles; from which, however, they are remarkably free;. Fos.sil infusoria
of a fresh-water origin had been previously detected by Mr. liailey in speci-
mens brought by Mr. James D. Dana from the tertiary formation of Ore-
gon. Most of the species in those specimens difiered so much from those
now living and known, that lie vi^as led to infer that they might belong to
extinct species, and considered them also as affording proof of an altcrna-

[1843. ■ 1843.]

CAPT. I'liKMONTH NAUKATIVC.

165

^nmoclnsii;
tliruo oiliur
i tin.' ureal
lie Im.st (jx-
<! rriiii^o to
10 ln'ars to
i)\v'<.(l nenr
ill hclwucn
1.

r(?r a liigli
!c;iiiic rock
1 siii|(l(Mily
.stream wi;
I, onu.'ri^iiii;
country is
l\w iieij^h-

ikn valleys
plain. At
reci pines ol
i(!y can l)C
lierwi.se bi'
ns. There
c siitniner.
1 to believe
ril a much

y (le.soeiul-
i'(!r. we eu-
ice below a
.searpmeiits

hue porce-

a massive
^aiu is suc-
e variously
lie ijraiucd.
ical nxaini-

))' liiui to
iltisoria ou
;ouuuou iu
ackish, not
heir Iresh-
1 that tliey
»ul(i scarcc-
le of sandy
infusoria
ey in speci-
on of Ore-
from those
t belong to
an alterna-

tion, in tho formation from which they were obtained, of frcMh and salt
water depositos, which, eonunon enout(h in Kurope, had not hitherto heoii
noticed in thi; United .SiatcN, (>onun^ evidently from a locuhty entirely
(linVrent, onr specimens show very lew spticies in eouunon wuh Ihosn
brought by Mr. Dana, but bear .i much cloNur re.semblance to tliD.se mhah«
itiim the norlheastern States. It i.s possible that ihey are from a nioro re-
• >'\i[ deposile; l)ul the presence of a few remarkable forms which are com-
iiion to ihe twu locahtie^j renders it inoru probable that there is no ^reat
liffertMicf' in their aye.

I obtained here a uoocl ob.servation of an emersion of llu; second satellite ;
; lit clouds, which rapidly overspread the 8ky, prevented the usual number
iif observations. Tlio.se wludi we succeedwd in oblaiiiiny an-, however,
.ood ; and ^ive for the latiliidi^ of tho place 1 1 ;J.V JA", and lor tli«; longi-
.luie from the .satellitti 121 ' lo' J.V.

Dcceinhvr I. — A short distance above our encampment, we crossed thi.s
wver, which was thickly lined aloiii^r jts banks with ice. In common with
all these mountain stri'ams, ilir water was very chiar, and ih'* current swil>.
It was not every where fordabii-, ;uid the water was three or lour I'lcI deep
;u our crossing, and perhaps a hundred feet wide. As was frecjuetitly the
'.asc at such places, one of the mules got his pack, consist inv of sugar,
thoroughly wet, and turned info molasses. One of the trnides informed
ine that this was a •'salmon water," .iud pointed out .'•cveral iiiLrenioiusly
'ontrived places to catch the lisli ; among the pines in the bottom I saw au
inmensc one, about twelve Wx\{ iu diameter. A sleep ascent from the op-
l)Osile bank delayed us again ; and as, by the infornialion of onr guides,
L'rass would soon become vi-ry scarce, wt; encanifxid on thtt height of land,
:n a marshy place among thi; pines, where there wao an abundance of
i/rass. We found here a single Ncz Perce family, who had a very iiand-
some horse in tlnnr drove, which we endeavored to obtain in cvchangc for
a good cow ; but the man '' had two hearts," or, rallu:r, he had one and his
\v'ife had another : she wanti il the cow, but lie loved tin- horsi; too much to
part with it. These people altadi irreat value to cattle, with which they are
endeavoring to siip[)ly ihcmselves.

December 2. — In the first rays of the sun, the mountain peaks this morn-
ing presented a beautiful appearance, the snow being entirely covered with
a hue of rosy gold. We travelled today over a very stony, elevalcid plain,
about which were scalo>rp<l ccilar and pine, and encamjicd on another large
branch of Fall river. We were gradually ascending to a mon; elevated
region, which would have been indicated by the rapidly increasing quanti-
ties of snow and ice, had we not known it by other means. A mule which
was packed with our cooking utensils wandered olF among the pines unper-
ceived, and several men were sent back to search for it.

December 3. — Leaving Mr. Fitzpatrick witli the i)arty, I went ahead
with tlie howitzer and a few men, iu order to gain lime, as our progress
with the gun was necessarily slower. The country conlinued the same —
very stony, with cedar and pine ; and we rode on until dark', when we en-
camped on a hill side covereil with snow, which we used to-night for
water, n- we were unable to reach any stream.

Decimbci 1. — Our animals had taken the back track, although a great
uimbei wciJ hobbled; and we were consequently delayed until noon.
Shortly "ifter we had loft this encampment, t!ie iuountaiii trail from the

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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Hiotograpliic

Sdences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

o^..^ %^

v^^ #^

%''

18(i

CAPT. FRKMOXT'S NAIUJATIVE.

LIS43.

fV'

'u?^

Dalles joined that on which \vc were travellil)l,^ Alter passing for several
miles over ;in artemisia plain, the trail ontered a beantifiil pine forest,
throngh which we travelled for several honrs ; and about 4 o'clock
descendinl into the valley of another large? Ijrancli, 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, au J about 10
feet wide, and nearly half frozen over. Among the timber he e, are larcln.'s
140 feet high, and over 3 feet in diameter. We had to-night tlie rare sighi
of a lunar rainbow.

December 'j. — To-day the country was all pine forest, and heantil'ul
weather made our journey delightful. It was too warm at noon for winter
clothes ; and the snow, which lay every where in patches through the forest,
was melting rapidly. After a few hours' ride, we came upon a fine stream
in the midst of ihu forest, which proved to be the principal branch of Fall
river. It was occasionally 200 feet wide — sometimes narrowed to 50 feel ;
the waters very clear, and Irequeiitly deep. Wo ascended along tlic river,
which sometimes presented sheets of foaming cascades; its banks occa-
sionally blackened with, masses of scoriafed rock, and found a good en-
campment 0)1 the verge of an open bottom, which had been an old camp-
ing ground of the Cayuse Indians. A great number of doer horns were
lying about, indicating game in the neighborhood. The timber was uni-
formly 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 travelled through a country whert:
the rivers were so abounding in falls, and the name of this stream is singu-
larly characteristic. At every place where Ave come in the neighborhood
of the river, is heard the roaring of falls. Tlie rock along the banks of the
stream, and the ledge over which it falls, isascoriated basalt, with a bright
m !tallic fracture. The stream goes over in one clear pitch, succeeded by
a foaming cataract of several hundred yards. In the little bottom above
the falls, a small stream discharges into an entonnoir, and disappears below.

We had 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 cleaidy scraped. Had the owners been here, we
would have purchased them ; but as they wore not, we merely left the old
ones in their place, with a small quantity of tobacco.

December' G. — The morning was frosty and clear. We continued up
the stream on undulating forest ground, over which there was scattered
much fallen 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 the forest we emerged into an open valley ten or twelve
miles wide, through which the stream was flowing tranquilly, upward of
two hundred feet broad, with occasional islands, and bordered with fine
broad bottoms. Crossing the river, which here issues from a great moun-
tain ridge on the right, we continued up the southern and smaller branch,
over a level country, consisting of fine meadow land, alternating with pine
forests, and encamped on it early in tiie evening. A warm sunshine made
the day pleasant.

December 7. — To-day we had good travelling ground ; the trail leading
sometimes over rather saudy soils in the pine forest, and sometimes ovei'

[1S43. I 1843.]

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARI.ATIVE.

is:

for several
iiiu forest,

4 o'clock
1 of which
ass, in one
1 about 10
arc larches

rare sighi

boantilui
for winter
I the forest,
ine stream
ich of Fall
to 50 feet :
J tlie river,
anks occa-
i good en-
old camp-
lorns were
ir was uni-
ence at tlic

ntry whert'
m is singu-
ighborhood
anks of the
ith a bright
cceeded by
ttoin above
ears below,
he eveninu
poles were
ainst one of
m here, we
left the old

ntiniied up
,s scattered
idians, who
1 them fine
oot-digging
or twelve
upward of
1 with fine
reat moun-
ler branch.
g with pine
shine made

rail leading
Jtimes ovei-

meadow land along the stream. The great beauty of the country in summer
con^tauily ^U!.rgcsted itself to our imaciu^itions; and even now we found it
beautiful, us we rode along thesf! meiulows, from half a mile to twi) mile.s
wide. The rich soil and excellent water, surrounded by noble forests,
make a picture that would delight the eye of a farmer.

I observed to-night an occultation of »;• Geminoruni ; which, although at
the bright limb of the moon, appears to give a V(M'y good result, that has
been adopted for the longitude. The occultntioii, observations of satellites,
and our position deduced from daily surveys with the compass, agree re-
markably well tosether, and mutually support and strengthen each other.
The latitude of the camp is 43'' 30' 36"; and longitude, deduced from the
occultation, l','l° 3.V 50".

December s. — To-day we crossed the last branch of the Fall river, issu-
ing, 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 con-
staniiy through pine forests. The soil w;is generally bare, consisting, in
greater part, of a yellowish while pumice stone, jiroducing 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 re-
markable for the red color of the bolls ; atid among them occurs a species,
of which tlie Indians had informed me when leaving the Dalles. The un-
usual size of the cone (16 or 18 inches lung) had attracted their attention:
and they pointed 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 leatlets are short — only two or
three inches long, and five in a sheath ; the bark of a red color.

December 9. — 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 yesterday; and on the surface of a hill,
near our encampment, were displayed beds of pumice stone ; but the soil
prod' ced no grass, and again the animals fared badly.

December 10. — The country began to improve ; and about 11 o'clock we
reached a spring of cold water on the edge of a savannah, or grassy mea-
dow, which our guides informed us was nn arm of the Tlamath lake ; and
a few miles further we entered 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 travelling through
pine forests, so much needed; but the broad sheet of Wvater which consti-
tutes 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 Cascade range. A low point covered with pines made out into the
lake, which afforded us a good place for an encampment, and for the secu-
rity of our horses, which were guarded in view on the open meadow. The
character of courage and hostility attributed to the Indians of this quarter
induced more than usual precaution ; and, seeing smokes rising from the
middle of the lake (or savannah) and along the opposite shores, I directed
the howitzer to be fired. It was the first time our guides had seen it dis-
charged ; and the bursting of the shell at a distance, wliich was something
like the second fire of the gun, amazed and bewildered them with delight.

'-■'K

i • >

188

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARHATIVK.

[1843.

■'

■ y~<i

'. !'

if lv|

'!'■■ r *I

..'*'' 'S

"i^t*

II n

"^'V

k^t

■m

»•*

.P,d\

'^■\:.

1
1 .

^i0

1:> '.'"K^v

It inspired them with triumphant fceUngs ; but on the camps at a distance
the elfect was dilFerent, for the smokes in the lake and on tlie shores iiu.
mediately disappeared.

The point on which wi; were encamped forms, w' 'i llu; opjosite eastern
shore, a narrow neck, conneclins; the body of the lake with a deep cove or
bay which receives the principal ullhient stream, and over the greater part
of which the water (or ratluu' iet^) was at this time dispersed in shallovr
pools. Among tlie grass, and scaaered over the prairie lake, appeared to
be similar marshes. It is simply a shallow basin, which, for a sliort period
at the time of melting snows, is covered with water from the neighboriiii;
monntains ; but this probably soon rnns off, and leaves for the remainder
of the year a green savainiuli, through the midst of which iIk; river Tla-
math, which flows to the ocean, winds its way to the outlet on the south-
western side.

December 11. — 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 in 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 largo
huts, on the tops of which were collected the Indians. When we had ar-
rived within half a mile of the village, two persons were seen advancini,^
to meet us; and, to please the fancy of our guides, we ranged ourselves
into a long line, riding abreast, while they galloped ahead to meet the
strangers.

W^e were surprised, on riding up, to find one of tliem a woman, 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 excitement and alarm at
the unusual event and appearance, had come out to meet their fate together.
The chief was a very prepossessing Indiau, with very handsome features,
and a singularly soft and agreeable voice — so remarkable as to attract gen-
eral notice.

The huts were grouped together on the bank of the river, which, from
being spread out in a shallow marsh at the upper end of the lake, was col-
lected here into a single stream. They were large round huts, perhaps 20
feet in diameter, with rounded lops, on which was the door by which tliey
descended into the interior. Within, they were supported iDy posts and
beams.

Almost like plants, these people seem to have adapted tliemselves to the
soil, and to be growing on what the immediate locality afforded. Their
only subsistence at this time appeared 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. Tlieir shoes were made of straw or grass,
which seemed well adapted for a snowy country ; and the women wore on
their head a closely woven basket, which made a very good cap. Among
other things, were parti-colored mats about four feet square, which we pur-
chased to lay on the snow under our blankets, and to use for table cloths.

Numbers of singular-looking dogs, resembling wolves, were sitting on

[1843. ■l843.]

(^Al'T. FHEMONTVS NAKKA'I'IVK.

isn

t a distance
shores iiu.

)site eastern
eep cove or
greater part
in sliallow
ippeared to
<hort period
iieigljboring
I remainder
<; river Tla-
1 (he soutli-

Uermined to

her, and we

one of owr

laclied, as a

)f ice among

^e therefore

; and then

a few large

I we had ar-

[1 advancing

3d ourselves

to meet tlie

nan, having
less of war.
md alarm at
ate together,
me features,
attract gen-

which, from
ke, was col-
, perhaps 20
which tliey
y posts and

selves to the
ded. Their
quantities of
itrings about
dence in the
1 converting
raw or grass,
len wore on
ap. Among
liich we pur-
table cloths,
re sittuig on

(he tops of the huts ; and of these we purclirised a young one, which, after
its birthplace, was named Tlamath. The language sjjoken by these In-
[dians is dillcrent from that of the Shoshniieu and Columbia river bribes ;
and otherwi'^t^ than by signs they cannot understand each other. They
made us compreliend that they were at war with the people who lived to
the southward a..d to the eastward; but I could obtain from thern no cer-
taiii information. 'I'he river on which they live enters the Cascade HiOim-
lains on the western side of the lake, and breaks through them by a pas-
sage impracticable for travellers ; but over the mountains, to the northward,
are passes which present no other obstacle than in the almost impenetrable
iorests. 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 for the remainder of the
day. By observation, the latitude of the camp was 42^ 56' 51"; and the
diameter of the lake, or meadow, as has been intimated, about 20 miles.
It is a picturcs([ue and beautiful spot; and, under the hand of cultivation,
might become a little paradise. Game is found in the forest; timbered atid
snowy mountains skirt it, and fertility characterizes it. Situated near the
heads of three rivers, and on the line of inland communication with Cali-
fornia, and near to Indians noted for treachery, it will naturally, in the pro-
gress 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 rehed to recruit the animals, and repose the
party. Forming, agreeably to the best maps in my possession, a connected
water line from the Rocky mountahis to the Paciric ocean, I felt no other
anxiety tlian 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 bo sheltered
from the rigors of winter and from the inhospitable desert. The guides
who had conducted us thus far on our journey 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 family, as reasons for
refusing to go with us.

December 12. — Tiiis morning the camp was thronged with Tlamath
Indians from the southeastern shore of the lake; but, knowing the treach-
erous disposition which is a remarkable characteristic of the Indians south
of the Columbia, the camp was kept constantly on its guard. I was not
unmindful of the disasters which Smith and other travellers had met with
in thio coantry, and therefore was equally vigilant in guarding against
treachery and violence.

According to the best information I had been able to obtain from the In-
dians, in a few days' traveUing we should reach another large water, prob-
ably a lake, which they indicated exactly in the course we were about to

''i

■;i«!

190

CAIT. I' KK. MO NT'S NAHKATIVR.

[1843.

pursue. \Vc struck our tents at 10 o'clock, and crossed tliu Inkc in a nearly
east direction, where it lias the least extension — llu; hriuuhh oC the arm
being here only about a mile and a hull'. There weri! ponds ol ice, with
but lillle grass, for the grcMter |»ait of the way ; and it was (li(li(;ull to got
the pack annnals across, which lell frequently, and could not get up with
their loads, unassisted. The morning was very inip!easanl,suow falling at
intervals in large ilalccs, and the sky dark. In about two hours we sue-
ceedod in getting the animals over ; and, after travelling another hour along
the eastern slicirc of the lake, v/e turned up iiUo a cove wliere there was n
sheltered placci among the limber, with good grass, and encamped. The
Indians, who had accompanieil us so far, returned t/> their village on tlie
sojUheastern siiore. Among the pines liere, I noticed some live or six
feet ill diameter.

JJecem her IS. — The night has been cold; the peaks around the lake
gleam out brightly in the morning sun, and the therniomel\ir is ai zero.
We continued up the hollow lormed by a small aliluont to the lak', and
immediately entered an o[)en pine forest on the mountain. The way hero
M'-s sometimes obstructed by fallen trees, and the snov/ was four to twelve
iuclies deep. The mules at the gun pulled lieavily, and walking was a
little laborious. In tlic miu?<t of the wood, we heard ihe sound of galloping
horses, and were f.greeably surprised by the unexpected arrival of our
Tlamath chief, with several Indians. lie seemed to have lound his con-
duct inhospitable in letting the .siiangfrs depart without a guide through the
snow, and had come, with a few others, to pilot us a day or two on tlie way.
Alter travelling in an easterly direction through the forest lor about four
hours, we reached a considerable stream, with a border of good grass ; and
here, by tlie advice of our guide's, we encamped. It if, about thirty feet
wide, and two to lour feet dt'.ep; the water clear, with some curre'it; and,
according to the iulormation of our Indians, is the princijial ailhient to the
lake, and the liead water of the Tlamath river.

A very clear sky enabled mc to obtain here to-night good o'dscrvations,
including an emersion of the first satellite of .lupiter, which give lor the lon-
gitude 121° 20' 42", and for the latitude 42° 51' 26". This emersion coin-
cides remarkably well with the result obtained from an occultation at the
encampment of December 7tli to 8th, 1843 ; from which place, the line of oiu'
survey gives an easting of thirteen miles. The day's journey was 12 miles.

IJecember 14. — Our road was over a broad mountain, and we rode seven
hours in a thick sno\v storm, always through pine forests, when we came
down upou the liead waters of another stream, on which there was grass.
Tiie snow lay deep on the ground, and only the liigh swamp grass appeared
above. The Indians were thinly clad, and I had remarked during the day
that they suffered from the cold. This evening they told me that the snow
was getting too deep on the mountain, and 1 could not induce them to go
any farther. The stream we had struck issued from the mountain iu an
easterly direction, turning to the southward a short distance below ; and,
drawing its course upon the ground, they made us comprehend that it pur-
sued its way for a long distance in that direction, uniting with many other
streams, and gradually becoming a great river. Without the subsequent
information, which confirmed the opinion, we became immediately satisfied
that this, water formed the principal stream of the Sact^amen/ohvev ; 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

[1843.

in a nearly
o( the nrm
r ice, with
iculi 10 gel
\v.i iij) Willi
^v falliuy al
us we sue-
hour along
lioie was a
iped. Tilt'
l;ige on thci
live or six

d iho lako
• is at zero,
ic lak^, and
c way hero
ir 10 twelve
iking was a
[)!' galloping
ival of our
ind his con-
lluoiigh the
on the way.
: about four
I ij,iiiss ; and
It tliirty feet
u're'ii; and,
laeut to the

hscrvations,

lor the ion-
ersion coin-
ation at tlie
le line of our
as 12 miles.

rode seven
in we came

was grass.
bs appeared
•jng the day
at the snow

them to go
uitain in an
eiow ; and,

that it pur-
many other

subsequent
ely satisfied

river ; and,
Cisco had its
utary to the

.1843.]

CAIT. I'KKMONT'S NARRATIVE.

101

Columhia, and near tliL' lumd of the Tlaniath river, which goes to the ocean
north of 12", and within tiie United States.

December 15. — A picstiit, consisting of useful goods,. 'Ulorded nuich snlis-
faction to our guides ; aiul, showing iheiu the national llag, 1 explained that
it was a symbol of oiu- nation ; and they engaged always to receive it in a
friendly niamier. The chief pointed out a course, by following which wc
would arrive at the big walt'r, where no more snow was lo bu found. Trav-
elling in a direction N. (iO"^ \L by compass, wiiich the Indians informed mo
would avoid a bad mountain to the right, we crossed the Sacramento where it
iiirned lo the southward, and eiit<Med v. grassy level plain — a smaller Grand
Kond ; from the lower end of U'hicii the river issued mto an inviting country
of low rolling hills. Crossing a hard-frozen swamp on the I'artlier side of
ilie Kond, we entered again the pine forest, in which very deep snow made
our travelling slow and laborious. We were slowly but gradually ascend-
ing a mountain ; and, after a hard journey of seven hours, we came to some
naked places among the limber, wiit.'re 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, waskilicd here, hut the meat was rather tough.

December KJ. — We travelled this morning through snow about three feet
deep, which, being crusted, very much cut the feet ol' our animals. The
mountain still gradually rose; we crossed several spring heads covered with
quaking asp; otherwise it was ail pine forest. The air was dark with falling
snow, whicii every where weighed down the trees. The (]e|)tlisof the forc'St
were proibundly still ; and beiow, we scarce felt a breath of the wind which
v'hirled tlie ."snow through their branches I found that it required some
exertion of constancy to adhere steadily to one couisc through the woods,
when we wereunceriain how far the forest extend'd. or what lay be-yond;
and, on account of our ;uiimals. it would be bad to spend anotlier night on
the mountain. Towards noon the forest looked clear aiiead, aj)pearing sud-
denly to terminate ; and beyond a certain point we could see no trees.
Riding rapidly ahead to this .sj)ot, we found ourselves on the verge of a ver-
tical and rocky wall of tlie mountain. At our feet — more than a thousand
feet below — we looked into a green prairie country, in which a beautiful
lake, some twenty miles in length, was spread along tiie foot of the mouji-
tains, its shores bordered wiih green grass, .lust then the sun broke out
among the clouds, and illuiiiinated the country below, while around us the
storm raged fiercely. Not a particle of ice was to be seen on the lake, or
snow on its borders, and all was like sunmier or spring. The glow of the
sun in the valley below brightened up our hearts with sudden pleasure: and
we made the woods ring with joyful shouts to those behind ; and gradually,
as each came up, he stopped to enjoy the uupxpected scene. Shivering on
pnow three feat deep, ami j^tiflening in a coid north wind, wc exclaimed at
once that thj names of Summer Lake and Winter Ridge should be applied
to these two proximate ]iiacrs of such sudden and violent contrast.

We were now immediatel\' on the verge of the forest land, in which we
had been travelling 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 wliicii the arte-
misia became the principal wood, furnishing to its scattered inhabitants fuel
for their fires, building material for their huts, and shelter for the small
ganie which ministers to their hmiger and nakedness. Broadly marked by
the bomidary of the mountain wall, and immediately below us, were the

^■■;

'V:'' .

■.^^'' ■>■■

1!)2

(;APT FRRMONTM NAKRATIvn.

[1843.

first waters of that (Ircat Interior IJasiii wliicli lias the Wiihsatcli and Hoar
river iiiountains lor its ('(istcrii, and tlie Sic'ira Nevada for its western rim;
and tin! edgt! of wiiicli we had entered ni)wards of three months helore, at
lh<! (in-at Suit lake.

When we had .sulliciently admired the seene helow, we hegan to think
abont deseendinj,', whieli here was ini|t()s.sil)le, and W(! turned towards ih"
north, truvrllni'^' always aloni; the rocky wall. Wit eontinued on for fou.
or five niile.s, niakiiii,' inetfectiial attempts at several places ; and at lenf,'tl
sncceeded in jiettiii^ down at t)ne whieh was extremely didicult t)f descent
Night had (closed in before the fortJUiost reached the hoitoni,and it wasdark
befoie We all found ourselves together in the valley. There were threeo
four half dead dry eedar trees on the shore, and those who first arrived
kindled bright liies lo light on the otiu'rs. One of the mules rolled ov» r
and over two or three hundred feet into u ravine, but recovered himselt.
without any olher injury tlian to his pack; and the howitzer was left mid-
way tilt! iiioinitain until morning. IJy observation, lh«! latitude of this ei:-
cam))nient is -12' 57' iiiJ". It delayed us until near noon the next day J)
recover ourselves and put every thing in order ; and we made only a shoi'
camp along the westt-rn shore of the lak«', which, in the summer tempera-
ture we enjoyed to-day, justified the name we had given it. Our coiirs»'
would have laktiu us lo the other shore, ami over tiie highlands beyond ;
but I distrusted ihe appearance ol tlie country, and decided to follow a
plainly beaten Indian trail leading along this side of the lake. We were
now in a coiintiy where the scarcity of water and of gra^s makes travel-
ling dangerous, and great caution was nec«'ssary.

Deccviber lb. — We continued on the trail along the narrow strip of land
betwei n the lake and the high rocky wall, (roni which we liad looked dowt.
two d:iys before. Almost every half mile we crossed a little spring, or
stream of pure cold water; and tlu! grass was certainly as fresh and green
as in the early spring. From the white eillorescence along the shore ot
the lake, we were enabled to judge that the water was impure, like that
of lakes we sub^^e(]uently found; but the mud prevented us from approach-
ing it. We encamped near the eastern point of the lake, where there ap-
peared beivveen the hills a broad and low connecting hollow with the
country beyond. From a rocky hill in the rear, 1 could see, marked our
by a line of yellow dried grass, the bed of a stream, which probably con-
nected Ihe lake with other waters in the spring.

The observed latitude of this encampment is 42° 42' 37".

December 19. — 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 piney mountains. So far as we had been
able lo judge, between this sireum and the lake we had crossed dividing
grounds; and there did not appear to be any connexion, as might be in-
ferred from the impure condition of the lake water.

The rapid stream of pure water, roaring along between banks overhung
with aspens and willows, was a refre>hing and unexpected sight ; 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
covered with high reeds and rushes, and large patches of ground had been
turned up by tlie tquaws in digging for roots, as if a farmer had been pre-
paring the land for grain. I could not succeed in finding the plant for which

[1843.

I find near
cslt'iii rim;
i Leiore, a:

:U) to think
D wards l\:»
on lor foil:
d ut loDgll
of descuiu
ii was dark
L're ihrreo,
irst arrived
rolled ov»r
ed himsell,
as left mid-
I of this en-
tiuxt day f )
)tily a slioi-
er tompera-
Our coiirsf.'
ds hoyoiid ,
to follow :i
We wert'
akcs travel-
strip of land
poked dowt.
3 spring, or
1 and green
le shore ot
e, hke thai;
I approach-
re tliere ap-
^v with the
marked out
obably cor.-

1, through a
ind a rocky
fresh-water
e had been
ed dividing
light be in-

:s overhung
It ; and we
oon into a
m. It was
d had been
d been pre-
it for which

1843.

CAPT. FKKMONr'rt NAKIIATIN K.

193

thry had hcoii di^i^^iri^. 'IIumo wrre frt'rpicrit'trails, and fersh tiarks of
Itxhans ; and, froiii the abundant mIj^iis visibU*, (ho bluek-tailod ham appoars
to he nnnuMOUH hero. It was ovidcnt thut, in other scaHons, (his |)lnc(> was
a shoot of \\a(*!r. Crossing; tliiM niaish towards (he; oastorn hills, and pa.ss*
inu; over a bordorin<; plaiti of heavy sands, covored with artoniisia, wo cw-
c'ainp<;d bcforo sundown on iIk; nccU, which here was very .small, h.jviiij;
lost its water in the marshy ijround.s. Wo found here tolerably ;;oo(| <;ras8.
i'ho wind to-ni<;ht was high, and W(! had no longer our hll^o pine; firos,
but wor(! driven to our ohl ro.souicc of small dried willows an<l arlemisia.
About twelve miles ahead, the valley appears to be closed it\ by a high,
dark-looking lidgo.

December 20 — Travi-lling for a few hours down the stream this morn-
ing, we turned a point of the hill on chii' ii^!t,and (!ame suddenly in sight of
another and much larger lake, vvhieli, alonn its eastern shore, was elosely
bordered by the high black ridge which w ailed it in by a precipitous fa(;o on
this side. Throughout this region the fuco of the country is characterized
by lho.s(! pr(!('ipices of black volcanic lock, ge^nerally enclosing the valleys of
streams, and liofpiently terminating tlic bills. Often in the coujse of our
journey we wcuild be tempted to continue our road up the gentle ascent of x
sloping hill, w hirh, at the summit, would terminate abruptly in a black preci-
pice. Spread out over a length of 20 miles, (ho lake, when we f.ist camo
in view, presented a handsome sheet of water ; and 1 gave to it the najuo
of Lake Ab(Mt,in honor of the chief of the corps to which 1 belonged. Tho
fresh-water stream we had followed emptied into the lake by a little fall; and
\ was doubtful for a moment whether to go on, or encanip at this place. Tlie
miry ground in the neighborhood of tho lake did not allow us to examine
the vvutei' conveniently, and, being r»ow on the borders of a desert country,
we were moving cautiously. It was, however, still eaily in the day, and 1
continued on, trusting either that the water would be drinkable, or that wo
should fmd some little 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 holdinr out no prospect whatever. The white etilores-
cences wliich lined the shore like a bank of snow, and the disagreeable
odor which filled the air as soon as we came near, informed us ioo plainly
that the water belonged to one of those fetid salt lakes which are common
m this region. We continued until late in the evening to work along the
rocky shore, but, as often afterwards, the dry inhospitable rock deceived
us ; and, halting on the lake, we kindled up fires to guide those who were
stratrgling 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 cIo?e the day without
supper, dug holes along the shore, and obtained water, which, being filtered,
was sufficiently palatable to be used, but still retained much of its nauseat-
ing taste. There was very little grass for the animals, the shore being
lined with a luxuriant growth of chenopodiaceous shrubs, which burned
with a (juick bright flame, and made our firewood.

The next morning we had scarcely travelled two hours along the shore
when we reached a place where the 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 sp.ringSjoI
pure water; and the bottom vi^as covored with grass, which, althougli of a
•salt and unwholesome quality, and mixed with saline efflorescencej, was

Ml:,

■'It- -^

\'t\

CAPT. FKEMONTH NAHKATIVE.

[1843.

^till iifiiirulntit, niul iiindc u good It.iltini; place to recruit our aiiiin:il<i ; ond
\\-u iic(>()iilir<t;ly etKMunpei! lure lor the iciiiiiinder ol'thc day. I rodo ahead
several miles to ascertain il Iheic wanuuy ap|H!ataiice ol a uatercouisc; en-
teiiiif; the lake; hut loutKi rxrie, the hills preserving their dry character,
nnd the shore of the lake sprinkled \vith ihesnine white powdery »uf)starrce,
atrd covered with the same .Nhiuhs. 'rher(! were (locks ol" iliick.s otr the
lake, and Irecjuertt tracks u\' Indians alon^' the tihure, where the grass had
been recently hurnt liy their (ires.

We ascended the hordeiinn riioiintain, in order to ohtain a more perlcct
view of (he lake in bketchiriK its (i;.^(ire ; hills 8wee]> entirely around its
hasin, ironi which the waters ha\e no outlet.

JJecunhtr 22. — 'I'o-day we led this Coihidditijj hike. Impassable rocky
ridges barred our progress t(» the eastward, and 1 accordingly hore oil" to-
U'ards the south, over an cxteri^iive sage |)lairr. At a consiilctahle distance
ahead, and a little on our lelt, was a range oC snowy mountains, and the
country declined gradually towards the loot of a high and nearer riilge im-
mediately before us, which piesonted the (eature o( black precipices, .low
becoming cotunion to the country. Unthe sumrrrit o( the ridge, snow was
visible ; and there beirrg every indication ol' a stream at its base, we rode
on until after dark, but were unable to reach it, and halted among the sage
bushes on the open plain, \vithout either grass or u afer. 'I'he two India-
rubber bags had been tilled with water' in the morning, which all'orded suf-
iicient for the camp ; and rain in the uighi formed pools, which relieved the
thrist of the animals. Where we (Micumped on the bleak sandy plain, the
Indians had made huts or circular enclosures, al.oitt four I'eet high and twelve
feet broad, of arternisia bushes. Whether' these had been forts or houses,
or what they bad been doing in such a deser t place, we could not ascertain.

December 23. — The weather is mild ; the thermometer at daylight SS'-* ;
t'^^ '-'nd having been from the soitthward for several days. The country
I* \^ery forbidding appearance, picsenting to the eye nothing but sage
anu jarren ridges. We rode up towards the mountain, along the foot of
Avhicli we (ound a lake, which v/e 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 — iir such situations, a sure sign of water. We found here several
springs, and the hill side was well sprinkled with a species of festuca —
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 en-
couraging. Southward, about ten miles distant, was another small lake,
towards which abroad trail led along the ridge ; and this appearing to
afford the most practicable route, 1 determined to continue our journey in
that direction.

December 24. — We found the water of the lake tolerably pure, and en-
camped at the farther end. There were some good gr-ass and canes along
the shore, and the vegetation at this place consisted principally of chenopo-
diaceous shrubs.

December 25. — We were roused, on Christmas morning, by a discharge
from the small arms and howitzer, with which our people saluted the day ;
and the name of which we bestowed on the lake. It was the first time, per-
haps, in this remote and desolate region, in which it had been so commem-
orated. Always, on days of religious or national commemoration, our voy-
ageurs expact some unusual allowance ; and, having nothing else, I gave

[1843.

tnnlfl ; ond
ode ahead
L'cjiiiMo en-
cKaiactcr,
subataiicc,
(Us oil the
: grass had

iro perfect
utuuiid its

able rocky
)or(: oil to-
le (liiitaiicc
[18, und the
r ridge im-
ijjicps, .low
, SHOW was
0, we rode
ijfj; the sage
two liulia-
iVorded sul-
elicved the
I plain, the
and twelve
3 or houses,
t ascertain,
y light 38'^;
le country
g but sage
the loot of
unt of tlie
at the foot
und small
ere several
Jestuca —
id position
ig very en-
small lake,
ipearing to
journey in

re, and en-
;anes along
if chenopo-

discharge

d the day ;
t time, per-
comrnem-
n, our voy-
dse, I gave

1643.J CAF'T. FltRMO.NT'H NAItHATIVE. \f}li

thr»m cnrh a little l)ran<ly, (which was cftrofully giiardod, in one ofthe mo^t
useful articles a Ua\«'ll( r <'an can v,^ with som*! collVi' and sugar, which
hero, where every eatable wa«*ii luxury, was sutlicient to make them a least.
'I'ho day was •lutiny and warm ; and, resuminq our journey, wo crossed
noine slight dividing grounds into a similar basin, walled iri on the right by
a lofty mountain rid.'^c The plainly beaten trail still < ontiiuuMl, hihI occa*
sionally we pissed canipitig grounds of thc< Indians, which imiicatt'd to me
that v.e were on one of tin; great thoroughfares <»f the country. In the
afternoon I attempted to travel in a more eastern dir<'cti()n ; l)ut, altera few
laborious miles, was be ilcn back into the basin by an impossuble country.
There wore fresh Inilian ti.uks about the valley, and list night a hors(! was
stolen. We encamped on the valley bottom, where there was some cream*
like water in ponds, colored by a clay soil and fro/(Mi over, (-henopoiliaccous
shrubs constituted the growth, and made again our lire \v()0(l. The animals
were driven to the hill, where there was tolerably good ^'lass.

/kcembcr 2G. — Our general course was aj'ain soutli. The country con-
sists of larger or smalh;r basins, into which tne mountain waters I'un down,
forming small lakes; they piescnt a perfect level, from wliii'li the moun-
tains rise immediately and al)iuptly. Between the successive basins, the
dividing grounds are usually very slight ; and it is probable that, in the sea-
sons of high water, many of these basins are in communication. At such
times there is evidently an aniindance of water, though now we lind scarce-
ly more than the tlry beds. On either side, the mountain'^, tlu)ugh not very
high, appear to be rocky and sterile. The basin in whicli we W(.>re travel-
ling declined towai ds the southwest corner, where the mountains indicated
a narrow outlet; and, turning round a rocky point or cape, we continued
up a lateral branch valley, in which we encamped ot night on a lapid, pretty
little stream of fresh w ater, which wa found un(;xpectcdly atnoiig tlie sage
near the ridge, on the light side of the valley. It was l)or(lered with grassy
bottoms and clumps of willows, the water partially fiozen. This stream
belongs to the basin we had left. By a partial observation to-night, our
camp was found to be liirocily on the 13d parallel. Tonight a horse be-
longing to Carson, one of the best we had in the eamj), was stolen by the
Indians.

December 27. — We continued up the valley of the strcrim, the principal
branch of which here issues from a bed of high mountains. We turned
up a branch to the left, and fell into an Indian trail, which conducted us by
a good road over open bottoms along the creek, where the sno^v 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 supposed 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 Hat 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.

December 28. — The snow being deep, I had determined, if any more
horses were stolen, to follow the tracks of the Indians into the mountains,

":?'•

■V

lf)6

OAPT PUEMONTH KAKRATIVE

[1813.

and put A temporary rlicrk to thvir tily opnaiionN ; hut ii diii not orcur
igHin.

Of.r roiid thin morning lay down n li'vcl vidU'y,l>ord«rf(l by »tccp moun-
tuinouM rid;;<>>4, cisini; very abruptly Irurn ibi* pluin. Artt.>tlli^ill wan tbc pritt*
cipul plant, inin^lrd with KrcmontiH find lbt> chonopodjiircouN shrubti.
Tno nriciiiisiii wa.^t Uvie cxlri-niely liwge, bcin;; soiiictinins u foot in dianti -
tnr Dnd ci^bt Tim I lii^b liiding (juicily aloni'; ovir (be .^riow, we oauio nud-
denly upon .siuoUeH lisin^ anions the^e biiibth ; and, ^allopinu up, we found
two iiulH, open at tbo lop, and loosely built of Nn;;c, wbicb appeared tuha\i>
hccn deH(!ited at (be i;i»(unt; nnd, looking bastilv atouad, wn saw Heveial
Indians on tlie cre.st ol (be ridge near by, ami sev'ral oibers .scrambling u\)
the hide. \V{> had ^ omr upon them mo suddenly, tliat tbey had been well-
nigh surpri.^ed in ibeir lodges. A sage iiie nas burning in (be middle ; a
few baNU(!t:« made of straw were lying tibout, with one or two rabbit skins
and there wa.s a little gra.s.-s scattered abr)ut, on wbicb tbey had been lying.
" Tabibo — l)n !" tbey sbouted from the bills— a word which, in the Snakf
language, .signilie^ u:hilc — and remaincil looking at us Jrom behind (be
rocks. CuLson and Ciodey rode towards tb(> hill, but (be uwn ran oHIike
deer. Tbey bad been ho much pressed, tba( a woman with two children
had drop))e(l behind a sage bush ntMir the lodL'c. and wben Carson accident-
ally stumbled upon ber, sbe iir..r.c^'ia(ely tji'uan scrreaniing in the extremity
of fear, and shut her eyes fast, to avoul seeing biin. She was brought back
to the lodge, and we endeavored in vain to open a uoinmutdcation with the
men. By dint of piescnis, and friendly deinoiiHtrations, she was brougbt
to calmness; and we h)iind (hat they belonged (o (iie Snake nation, speak-
ing the language! of ibat people. Eight or ten appeared to live together,
under the same little shelter; and they seerjied to bave nootber subsistence
than the roots or seeds tbey might have stored ii(), and the hares which live
ill the sage, and wbicb they are enabled to track thioiigh the snow, and are
very skilful in killing. Tbeir skins allord them a little scanty covering.
Herding toge(he. among bushes, and crouching almost naked over a little
sage fire, using their instinct only to procure food, tbese may be considered,
among human beings, tbe nearest approach to tbe mere animal creation.
We have reason to believe that these had never before seen the face of a
white man.

The day bad bnen pleasant^ but about two o'clock it began to blow ; and
crossing a sligbt dividing ground we encamped on the sheltered side of a
hill, where Ibere was good hunch grass, having made a day's journey of 21
miles. The night closed in, threatening snow ; but the large sage bushes
made bright fiies.

December 20. — The morning mild, and at 4 o'clock it commenced snow-
ing. We took our way across a plain, thickly covered with snow, towards
a range of bills in the southeast. The sky soon became so dark with snow,
that little could c)o seen of tbe surrounding country ; and we reached the
summit of tbe liills in a heavy snow storm. On the side we had ap-
proached, (his 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 (ho weather would permit us to see, declined rapidly to
some low country aliead, presenting a dreary and sivage character; and
for a moment I looked around in doubt on the wild and inhospitable pros-
pect, scarcely knowing what road to take which might conduct us to some
place of shelter for the night. Noticing among the bills the bead of a

1844.1

CAPT. FRFMONTrt NAFlKATJVr

If»7

ecj) moun-
N thn pi 111-
118 tthrul)^.
; ill (lianit-

CUIIIC HUll-

, wf; fouitd
■(•<l to ha>t'
i\v wevcial
iiiiblin^ up
been well-
middlt! ; ,1
libit skins
)cen lyin^;.
the Snakf
jehind ihr
ran oil' like

chiUlr»Mi
n acnident-

1 extremity
ou^ht back
)n with th»»
as brought
ion,8peak-
e together,
iiibsistence
which live
w, and arc;
r covering,
ver a little
onsidered,

creation,
e face of a

blow ; and
d side of a
jrney of 24
age bushes

iced snow-
w, towards
with snow,
Bached the
'6 had ap-
d we were
mountains,

rapidly to
acter; and
table pros-
US to some

head of a

grassy hollow, I ilctcnniruMl to follow it, it thn hop<» that it would conduct
U8 to H Hlroaiii. \Vc foJIdwcMl n >i inding di'Hccnt lor hrv( nt miles, the liol-
low gradually broadritit);; into little meadows, and Im ((iiniii;^ the bed of a
stream a.s we a<lvaiu'r»l , .-iri(l towards night \\v v "ir agirralily Mirprised
by the appearancff ol a nnIIIow grove, where we loutid a !.lnlh'M'd camp,
with watc'r and excelliril and abundant grass. The grats, wbicli wascov-
«re<l by t*^e snow on the Ixtttoiii, was long ami green, aed the lace of the
mountain had a more l.ivorablo chiractcr in its vegetati«in, being snioother,
.ind coverc*! with grxxl buiit-h ^lass. 'I'he snow was deep, aii'l il.r night
very cold. A broad trail bad enten'd the valley from the iii;ht, and a nhort
distance below the camp were the tracks where a coiisid(M »ble party of
Indians had parsed on bnrs(>liack, who bad tuinerl out to the l(<lt, appa-
rently with the view of crosiinn the mountains to the eastward.

Decprnhcr M). — Alter lollnwing tin; streain lor a lew Imurs in a south-
east<!rly direction, it entered a cauon where we ronld not follow; but de-
U'rmined not to leave the stream, we searched a passage; below, where we
>()uld regain it, and entered a regular narrow v.dloy. The w.iter had now
more the appearance ol a llow iiig ereek ; several times w c p issed groves
of willows, and we began to led ourselves out of all dilViculty. From our
j)osition, it was reasonal)l(> to conclude that this stream would litid its outlet
in Mary's lake, and conduct us ini > a Ix ei coimti v. We bid descended
rapidly, and here we found very little snow. On both si(b's, the mountains
showed often stupendous and curious-lo(>king rocks, which at several places
so narrowed the valley, that scarcely a pas^ was left lor the camp. It was
a singular place to travel through — shut up in the earth, a sort of chasm,
tl.e little strip of grass under our feet, the rough walls of bare rock on
either hand, and the narrow strip of sky above. TIm.' giii.s.s to-night was
abundant, and we encamped in high spirits.

December 31. — Alter an hour's lide this morning, f)ur hop^^s were onco
more destroyed. Ilio valU^y opened out, and belorc us .i;;;iiii lay one of
the dry basins. Alter some search, we discovered a higli-walei outlet,
which brought us in a few miles, and by a descent of .several hundi ed feet,
into another long broad basin, iu which we found the bod of a stream, and
obtained sufficient water by cutting the ice. 'llie 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 tu travel; the grasses being frequently
of a very unwholesome character, and the h»)ols of our animals were so
worn and cut by the rocks, that many of them were lame, and could
scarcely be got along.

New Yearns daif, 1841. — We continued dow n 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 nut a blade of
grass, nor does any appear on the mountains. The soil in many places
consists of a fine powdery sand, covered with a saline elllorescence; and
the general character of the country is desert. During the day we di-
rected our course towards a black cape, at the foot of which a column of
smoke indicated hot springs.

January 2. — We were on the road early, the face of the country hidden
by falling snow. We irr.velled along the bed of the stream, in some places

198

(JAPT. KREMOM'rt NAHUATIVE.

[1844

dry, in olhcis covered with ice; the tiavellinn being very had, through
dot |) line saml, icn<lered tenacious by a uiixluic of clay. The weather
cIcatTtl ii|) a lillle at tioon, and we reached (ho hot spiings of which we
had seen the vii|)or tlie day before. There was a large fiehl of the usual
salt grass here, peculiar to such places^. The country otherwise is a per-
fect barren, without a blade of grass, the only j)lants being some dwarf
Fremontias. We passed the rocky cape, a jaizged broken point, bare and
torn. The rocks arc volcanic, and the hills here liavo a burnt appear-
ance — cinti* 5 aiui coal occasionally appealing as at a blacksmith's forge.
We crossed the large dry bed ol a muddy lake in a southeasterly direction,
and encamped at night w ithout water and without grass, among sage bushes
covered with snow. The heavy road made scv(Mal mules give out to-day;
and a horse, which had made the journey from the States successfully thus
far, was left on the trail.

January 3. — 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 possession, wo 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 foi bidding, that I was afraid to enter
it, and determined to bear away to the 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 travelled seven or eight miles along the ridge border-
ing the valley, and encamped where there were a few bunches of grass on
the bed of a hill torrent, without water. There were some large artemi-
sias ; but the principal plants are chenopodiaceous shrubs. The rock com-
posing 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 before. Latitude by ob-
servation, 40" 48' 15".

January 4. — The fog to-day was still more dense, and the people again
were bewildered. We travelled a few miles around the western point of
the ridge, and encamped where there were a tew tufts of grass, but no
water. Our animals now were in a very alarming state, and there was in-
creased anxiety in the camp.

January 5. — Same dense fog continued, and one of the mules died in
camp this morning. 1 have had occasion to reujark, on such occasions as
these, that animals w hich 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, abo t two miles distant. Taplin, one of our
best men, who had gone out on a scouting excursion, ascended a mountain
near by, and to his great 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 darkest fog.

January G. — The fog continued the same, and, with Mr. Preuss and Car-
son, 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,

[1844b

I, through
J weather
which we

the usual
J is a per-
ms dwail

bare and
t appeai-
:h's forge,
direction,
ge bushes
ut to-day;
il'ully thus

ed yards,
rses were
amp until
We had
t maps in
We were
9 us ; and
d to enter
along the.
lira river.
)f course,
e loads of
e border-
f grass on
;e artemi-
ock com-
ite. The
nervations
de by ob-

>ple again
n point of
s, but no
re was in-

3S died in
3asions as
I, coming
ce where
)ne of our
mountain
sunshine,
below all

and Car-

! country,

lored the

the mist,

1344]

C.VrT. rREM()NT\^ NARRATIVE.

IDl)

but the view obtained was not very gratifying. The fog had partially
clcarcd off from below when wc reached the summit; ond in the soiith-
wesl corner of a basin communicating with that in which we had encamp-
ed, we saw a lofty column of smoke, IG miles distant, indicating the presence
of hot springs. There, also, appealed to be the outlet of those draining
channels of the country ;and, as such places all'orded always more or less
grass, I dolcrmined io steer in that direction. The ridge we had ascended
appeared to be composed of fragments of white granite. We saw here
traces of sheep and antelope.

Entering the neighboring valley, and ciossing 'he bed of another lake,
after 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 thi? place, with reference to the past, u refreshing and
agreeable 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 extremity a circular space of about fifteen
feet in diameter, entirely occupied by the boiling water. It boils up at ir-
regular 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 surround-
ed on the margin with a border of jg-rcen grass, and nearthe shore the tem-
perature of the water was 20G°. We had no means of ascertaining that
of the centre, where the heat was greatest ; but, by dispersing the water
with a polo, the temperature at the margin was increased to 203% and in
the centre it was doubtless higher. By driving the pole towards the bot-
tom, the water was made to boil up with increased force and noise. There
are several other interesting 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 so as to render it unfit for general cooking;
and a mixture of snow made it pleasant to drink.

In the immediate neighborhood, the valley bottom is covered almost ex-
clusively 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 the last few days. I therefore determined, un-
til 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 thoiough explora-
tion of the neighboring valleys, and found in a ravine in the bordering
mountains a good camping place, where was water in springs, and a suffi-
cient quantity of grass for a night. Overshading the springs were some
trees of the sweet cottonwood, which, after a long interval of absence, we
saw again with pleasure, regarding 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

ly-'

^^^

fSJ'ii'

200

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[1844^

watering places of the country. On the western mountains of the valley,
Avith which this of the boilinj^ spring communicates, wc remarked scat-
tered cedars — probably an indication 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 forty miles. The horses we rode were in good
order, being of some that were kc|)t for emergencies, and rarely used,

Mr. Preuss had ascended one of the mountains, and occupied the day in
sketching the country ; and Mr. Fitzj)atrick had found, a lew 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. Indians appear to be every where prowling about like wild
animals, and there is a fresh trail across the snow in the valley near.

Latitude of the boiling springs, 40° 39' 46".

On the 9th wc crossed over to the cnttonwood camp. Among the shrubs
on the hills were a few bushes of ephedra occidtntalis, which afterwards
occurred frequently along our road, and, as usual, the lowlands wore occu-
pied with artemisia. While the party proceeded to this place, Carson and
myself reconnoitred the road in advance, and found another good encamp-
ment for the following day.

January 10. — We continued our roconnoisance ahead, pursuing a south
direction in the basin along the ridge ; the camp following slowly after. On
ii large trail there is never any doubt of finding suitable places for encamp-
ments. 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.
Leaving 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, the snow deepening to about a
foot as we neared the summit. Beyond, 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 w as very
grateful. It was set like a gem in the mountains, which, from our position,
seemed to enclose it almost entirely. At the western 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 atfirst 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 unknown 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 defile, about a mile from
the margin of the water, to which we hurried down immediately. The
water is so slightly salt, that, at first, we thought it fresh, and would be
pleasant to drink when no other could be had. The shore was rocky — a
handsome beach, which reminded us of the sea. On some large granite
houlders that were scattered about the shore, I remarked a coating of a
calcareous substance, in some places a few inches and in others a foot in
thickness. Near our camp, the hills, which were of primitive rock, were

[1844v '■ 1644.]

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

201

e valley,
kod scat-
ts of the
:it sunsety
Q in good
used,
he day in
s distant,
als were
to recruit
like wild
lear.

he shrubs
fterwards
ore occu-
arson and
1 encamp-

»g a south
alter. On
• encamp-
hollow of
)ch grass,
ay up the
ollow was
[0 about a
kiountains
he lower
oke upon
iove us,
ves were
a body of
d become
was very
position,
nunicated
opposite
erra. Us
ed moun-
ly shores
jf water ;

leep, and
mile from
ly. The
would be
rocky — a
e granite
iting of a
a foot in
3ck, were

also covered with this substance, which was in too great quantity on the
mountains 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 In-
dians.

January 13. — 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 travelling a short distance, the water swept the foot of
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 narrow beach in a long line of foaming
surf, five or six feet high. The day was unpleasantly cold, the wind driv-
ing 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 fresh and green.

W^e did not get the howitzer into camp, but were obliged to leave it on
the rocks until morning. We saw several flocks of sheep, but did not suc-
ceed in killing any. Ducks weie riding on the waves, and sev.eral large
fish were seen. The mountain sides were crusted with the calcareous
cement previously mentioned. There were chenopodiaceous and other
shrubs along the beach ; and, at the foot of the rocks, an abundance of
ephedra occidentalism whose dark-green colormakes them evergreens among
the shrubby growth of the lake. Towards evening the snow began to fall
heavily, and the country had a wintry appearance.

The next morning the snow was rapidly melting under 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, ac-
cording to our estimate, GOO feet above the water ; and, from the point we
viewed it, presented a pretty exact outline of the great pyramid of Cheops.
Like other rocks along the shore, it seemed to be incrusted with cal-
careous 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 t. aveller 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

* The label attached to a specimen of this rock was lost ; but I appenJ an analysis of that which,
from memory, I judge to be the specimen.

Carbonate of lime .-_---.. 77.31

('arbonate of magnesia - - - - - - - - 5-25

Oxide of iron - - - - - - - - - \.GQ

Alumina ..__.-^.- 1.06

Silica ..-.-.---- 8.55

Organic matter, water, and loss - - - - - •■ - 6.24

100.00

^•iir

2o;

CAPT. FREMONT'S NAIUJATIVE

[1844. ■ 1844.1

lake mako it an object of geographical interest. It is the nearest lake to
the western rim, as the (ireat Salt hike is to the eastern rim, of the (Jrcat
Basin which lies between the base of the Rocky mountains and the Sierra
Nevada ; and the extent and character of which, its whole circuinferen
and contcMits, it is so desirable to know.

The last of the cattle which had been (hivon from the Dalles was kill

0(1

here for food, and was still in good condition.

Jam

»de th(

thi

itiarij IJ. — A lew poorlooUing Indians made their appearaneo iins
morning, and we succeeded in getting one into the camp. He was naked,
with the exce|)tion of a tunic of hare sUins. 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 people could understand, he spoke a dialect of the Snako
language ; but we were not able to understand enough to know whether
the river ran in or out, or what was its course ; consequently, there still
rentiaiiicd a chance that this might bo Mary's hdce.

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 (hat now we wore in a country where human
beings could live. Accompanied by the Indian, we resumed our road, pass-
ing on the way several caves in the rock where there were baskets and
seeds ; bilt the people had disappeared. We saw al; o 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 moved on together towards the
village, which the chief said was encamped on the bottom.

Reaching the groves, we found the inlcl 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 informed us had no outlet. It is about 35 miles long ;
and, by the mark of the water line along the shores, 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 Indians armed with bows and ar-
rows issued from the thickets. W^e selected a strong place for our encamp-
ment — a grassy bottom, nearly enclosed by the river, and furnished with
abundant fire wood. The village, a collection of straw huts, was a few
hundred yaids 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 that of any fish I have ever
known. They were of extraordinary size — about as large as the Columbia
river salmon — generally from two to four feet in length. From the infor-
mation of Mr. Walker, who passed among some lakes lying more to the
eastward, this fish is common to the streams of the inland lakes. He sub-
sequently informed me that he had obtained them weighing six pounds
when cleaned and the head taken otl'; which corresponds very well with
the size of those obtained at this place. They doubtless formed the subsist-
ence 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

not ye

they a

to live

was c(

made

that th

guards

the pe

There

conduc

Intl

on in (

pared-

and ev

fresh o

be cer

had, as

articles

inform:

of the 1

raounta

beyond

of whi(

alludecJ

cd Stat

ward, .'

I trie

days on

The

of the i

Janu

tiful str

trails le

eottonw

along tl

with sn<

number

having

on the I

Janui

Qountai

Buenav

reached

only on

to him a

We folh

sage bui

stream,

but runr

On th

ran up t

(JAl'T. FFIEMONTVS NAKUATIVK.

203

seeds and ruots. Alllioiif;li this wnsn time ot' the year when the fish hnvo
not }el bi'conu! (al, tluy \v« re ex<'o!l<'!it, and we could only imagine what
they are at the proper season. 'J'hese Indians were very lat, and appeared
to live an easy and happy life. They crowded info the camp more than
was consistent with our safety, retaining always their arms; and, as they
as killed | made some unsatisfactory demonstrafions, ihey were given to understand
that they would not t)(> permitted to come armed into the camp ; and strong
guards were kepi with the horses. Strict vigilance was maintained among
the people, and onc-tliird at a time were kept ou guard during the night.
There is no reason to doubt that these disposiiioti.s, uniformly preserved,
conducted our paily pecinely through Indians famed for treachery.

In the niCiin 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 pre-
pared — boiled, fried, and roasted in the ashes — was put into requisition ;
and every few nvinutes an Indian would be seen running oft' to spear a
fresh one. Whether these Indians had seen whites before, v/e could not
be certain ; but they weie evidently in communication with others who
had, as one of them ha i some brass buttons,, and we noticed several other
articles of civilized manufacture. We could of)tain 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 the
mountains three or four days distant, in a direction a 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 travelled. Whether they
alluded to the settlements on the Sacramento, or to a party from the Unit-
ed States which had crossed the Sierra about three degrees to the south-
ward, a few years since, I am unable to determine.

I tried unsuccesafully to prevail on spn)e 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.

January 16. — This morning we continued our journey along this beau-
tiful stream, which we naturally called the Salmon Trout river. Large
trails led up on either side ; the stream was handsomely timbered with large
cottonwoods ; and the waters were very cleai* and pure. We were travelling
along the mountains of the great Sierra, which rose on our right, covered
with snow ; but below the temperature w'as mild and pleasant. We saw a
number of dams which the Indians had constructed to catch fish. After
having made about IS miles, we encamped under some large cottonwoods
on the river bottom, where there was tolerably good grass.

January 17. — This morning we left the river, which here issues from the
mountains '^•n the west. With every stream I 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 followed 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 cottonvvood, and flowing 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 the man
ran up the mountain with rapidity ; and the woman was so terrified, and

anee this
IS naked,
ire was a
From
he vSnakc
whether
here still

ith of the
II events,
re human
oad,paS9-
skets and
cks along

ires at the
^e had an
wards the

fer stream,
r nor the

ior lake,

les long ;

el is about

in a loud
rs and ar-

encamp-
3hed with
ivas a few

to trade,
trout ; we
ir delight,

stocked.
Iiave ever
Columbia
the infor-
Dre to the
He sub-
IX pounds
well with
le subsist-
)n.

first seen,
ist ; being
nerally on

204

OAPT. FREMONrs NARRATIVR.

fl844.

kept up such a continuod screaming, that wc rouhi do notliing with her,
and were obliged to let her fz;o.

January 18. — There were Indian lodges and fish dams on tlie stream.
There were no beaver ciittinjjs on the river; but below, it turned round
to the right ; and, hoping (hat it would prove a branch of the IJuenaventura,
we followed it down for about Ihreo hours, and encamped.

I rode out with Mr. Fitzpatrick and Carson to reconnoitre the country,
which had evidently been alarmed by the news 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 returned into the
camp, 1 found their feet so much cut up by the rocks, and so many of
them lame, that it was evidently impossible that they could cross the coun-
try to the Rocky mountains. 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. 1 therefore determined to abandon my
eastern course, and to cross the Sierra Nevada into the valley of the Sacra-
mento, wherever a practicable pass could be found. My decision was heard
with joy by the people, and dilfused new life throughout the camp.

Latitude, by observation, ^'d"" 24' 16".

January 19. — A great number of smokes are still visible this morning,
attesting at once the alarm which our appearance had spread among these
people, and their ignorance ol us. If they knew the whites, they would
understand ♦hat their only object incoming among them was to trade, which
required peace and friendship ; but they have nothing to trade — conse-
quently, nothing to attract the white man ; hence their fear and flight.

At daybreak we had a heavy snow ; but sat out, and, returning up the
stream, went out of our way in a circuit over a little mountain ; and en-
camped on the same stream, a few miles above, in latitude 39° 19' 21" by
observation.

January 20. — 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 tho plain.

We ascended a peak of the range, svhich commanded a view of this stream
behind the first ridge, where it was winding its course through a somewhat
open valley, and I sometimes regret 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 we travelled 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
travelled 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 appearance.

Latitude 39° 01' 53'.

January 22. — We travelled up the stream for about 14 miles to the foot
of the mountains, from which one branch issued in the southwest, the
other flowing from SSE. along their base. Leaving the camp below,

[1844.
; with her,

»e stream,
ncd round
naventura,

e country,
lice. This

but which
?mokG rose
[lians here,
JO country,
arharians.
d into the
o many ot
is the coun-
jsed for the
further use
bandon my

the Sacra-
\ was heard
amp.

is morning,
mong these
they would
rade, which
de — eonse-
flight.
ing up the
and en-
19 21" by

unped on it
d with the
probably

this stream
somewhat
ial to cross
darkened
we turned
le next day
iins on the
fter having
m, running
ran through

to the foot
thwest, the
mp below,

1S44.]

CAPT. FREMONT'S NAKHATIVE.

205

we ascended the nmge through which the first stream passed, in a cafion ;
on the western side was a circuhu* valley, about 15 miles long, through
which the .stream wound its way, issuing horn a gorge in the main moun-
tain, which rose abruptly beyond. Tho valley looked yellow with faded
grass ; and the trail we bad followed was visible, making towards the gorge,
and this was evidently a pass ; but again, while all was bright sunshine on
the ridge and oti the valley where we were, the snow was falling heavily
in the mountains. 1 determined to go still to the southward, and encamp-
ed on the stream near the forks ; the animals being fatigued and the
grass tolerably good.

The rock of the ridge we had ascended is a compact lava, assuming a
granitic appearance and structure, and (ontaining, in some places, small
nodules of obs^idian. So far as composition and aspect are concerned, the
rock in other parts of the ridge appears to be granite ; but it is probable
that this is only a compact form of lava of recent origin.

By observation, the elevation of the encampment was 5,020 feet ; and
the latitude 38" 49 51' .

January 23. — We moved along the coursio of the other branch towards
the southeast, the country affording a fine road ; and, passing .some slight
dividing grounds, descended towards ihc valley of another stream. There
was a somewhat rough-looking mountain ahead, which it appeared to issue
from, or to enter — we could not tell which ; and as the course of the valley
and the inclination of the ground had a favorable direction, we were
sanguine to find here a brancli of the Buenaventura ; but were again dis-
appointed, finding it an inland water, on which we encamped after a day's
journey of 21 miles. It was evident that, from the time we descended into
the plain at .Summer lake, we had been Hanking the great range of moun-
tains which divided the Great Basin from the wafers of the Pacific ; and
that the continued succession, and almost connexion, of lakes and rivers
which we encounteiecJ, were the drainingsof that range. Itsrains, springs,
and snows, would sufVicienlly account for these lakes and streams, numer-
ous as they were.

January 24. — A man was discovered running towards the camp as we
were about to stai t this morning, who pioved to be an Indian of rather ad-
vanced age — a sort of foilorn hope, who seemed to have been worked up
into the resolution of visiting the strangers who were passing through 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 lor the first time, and which Ur. Torrey has described as a
new species, under the name ol' pinus monophyllus ; in popular language^
it might bo culled the nut pine. VVe purchased them all from him. The
nut is oily, of very agreeable flavor, and must be very nutritious, as it
constitutes the principal subsistence of the tribes among which we were now
travelling. 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 unintelli-
gible. Several Indians, who had been waiting to see what reception he
would meet with, now came into camp; and, accompanied by the new
coiners, we resumed our journey.

•-•if'

J-V.

■■if"

206

f;AI"r. FKKMONTfl NARRATIVE.

[1844.

The road led us up (lie crook, which here hecoincs a rathor rapid moun-
tain stream, filty feet wide, holween dnrk-louking hills without snow ; hut
iniinediately hcyond thoin rose snowy mountains on oitlici side, timhered
principally with the nut piru;. On the lower ^tounds, (ho ^onoral height
of this tree is twelve to (wcnfy loci, and eight inches (ho groiKcst dianietcr ;
it is rather hranching, itnd has a peculiar and singular hut pleasant odor.
We I'ollowed the river lor only a short distance along a rocky trail, and
crossed it at a dam which (he Indians made us compteliond had heen huilt
to catch salmon trout. The miow arul ice were heaped uj) against it three
or four feel deep <!ntirely across the stream.

Leaving here the sdeam, which rims (hrough impassahle cauons, we con-
tinued our road over aveiy hrokon country, passing through a low gap be-
tween the snowy njountains. The rock which occuis immediately in the
pass has the appearance; of inijiuro sandstone, containing scales of black
mica. This may be only a istratificd lava ; on issuing from (he gap, the
compact lava, and other volcanic j)roducts usual in the countiy, again oc-
curred. We descended from (he gap into a wide valley, or lalhor basin, and
encamped on a small tributary to the last stream, on wliicli there was very
good grass. It was coveied with such thick ice, that it recpiircd some labor
with pickaxes to make holes lor the animals to dritdc. The banks are
lightly wooded with willow, and on the upper bottoms arc sage and Fre-
montia with ephedra occidenlalis, which begins to occur more frequently.
The day has been a summer one, warm and pleasant ; no snow on the (rail,
Avhich, as we are all on foot, makes (ravelling nuu e agreeable. The Inint-
ers went into the neighboring mountains, but found no game. We have
five Indians in camp to-night.

January 25. — 'liie morning was cold and bright, and as the sun rose the
day became beautiful. A party of twelve Indians came down froni the
mountains to trade pine nuis, of which each one carried a little biig. These
seemed now to be the staple of the country ; and whenever we met an In-
dian, his friendly salutation consisted in oftering a lew nuts to eat and to
trade ; their only arms were bows and flint-pointed arrows. It appeared
that, in almost all the valleys, the neighboring bands were at wai with each
other ; and we had some dilfieulty 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 ihe country appeared to be getting higher, and we
were gradually entering the heart of the mountains. Accompanied by all
the Indians, we ascended a long ridge, and reached a pure spring at the
edge of the timber, where (he Intlianshad waylaid and liilled an an(elope,
and where the greater part of ihem 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 etl'ects of power and kindness — for our arms in-
spired respect, and our little 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 appearing
to be composed of such rock. The timber consists principally of nut pines,
{pinus monophyllus,) which here are of larger size — 12 to 15 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

[1844*

pi(] motin*
snow ; but
, timhorod
>ral height
<lininotei ;
»sant odor,
trail, and
been huilt
nst it three

ns, wc con-
)W gap be-
itcly in the
['S of black
le gap, the
, again oc-
1 basin, and
o was very
some labor
» banks are
3 and Frc-
IVeqiicntly.
311 the trail,
The Inint-
VVe have

iiin rose the

n from the

Dii;. These

met an In-

eat and to

appeared

with each

accompany

other side

cr, and we
nied by all
ing at the
n antelope,
ad quieted
ided in us.
ir arms in-
iated their
p, and the
appearing
nut pines,
inches in
dians have

9 wore out
he unusual

1844.]

(Arr. niKMONT'H narrative.

'.'07

sight of an Indian who could not ride. Tie could not even guide the ani-
mal, and appeared to have no knowledge of horses. The snow was three
or four feet deep in the summit of the pass; and from tbis point the guide

fiointed out our future road, dec lining to go any further, liclow us was a
ittle valley; and beyond this, (he mountains rose higher Mill, one ridgo
above another, presenting a rude and rocky outline. We deseended rap
idly to the valley ; (he snow impeded us but little ; yet it was dark when
wc reached the foot of the uiountaiii.

The day had been .so warm, that our mocca.sins were wet with iiudting
snow ; but here, as soon as the sun begins to decline, the air gets .suddenly
cold, and we had great (lilhculty to keep our feet f^oiii freezing-— i*ur moc-
casins being frozen perfectly .''till'. Alter a hard day's maieb of 27 miles,
wc reached the rivei .some time; after dark, and found the snow ubout a foot
deep on the bottom — tlio river being entirely frozen over. We found
a comfortable camp, where there wcio dry willows abundant, and wo soon
had blazing fires. A little brandy, which I husbanded- with great care,
remained, and 1 do not know any medicine more salutary, or any drink
(except colVee) more agreeable, than this in a cold night alter a hard day's
march. Mr. Preuss (juostioiicd whether the famed nect.ir even possessed
so exquisite a llavor. All felt it to be a reviving cordial.

The next morning, when the sun had not yet risen over the mountains,
the thermometer was i2 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 to eighty feet wide, with a lively current, and very
clear water. It forked a liMle above our camp, one of its [)ranches com-
ing directly from the soiih. At its head appeared to be a handsome
pass; and from the neighbor ing heights we could see, beyond, a compara-
tively low and open country, which was supposed to form the valley of the
liuenaventura. The other branch issued from a nearer pass, in a direction
S. 75' W., forking at tiie loot of the mountain, and receiving part of its
waters from a little lake, i was in advance of the camp when our last
guides had left us ; but, so far as could be understood, this was the pass
which they had indicatetl, and, in company witli Caison, to-day I set out
to explore it. Entering the range, wa continued in a northwesterly direc-
tion up the valley, which here bent to the right. It was a pretty, 0})en bot-
tom, locked between lolty liiountains, which supplied fietpicnt streams as
wo 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 trails which occurred fre(|uently during
the morning, deer ap|)eared to be remarkably numerous in the mountain.

We had now entiiely left tlie 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 last water coming immediately out of the moun-
tain on the right; and this spot was selected 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 direction, with

K*<!^

■.■k«T

UU8

CAPT FKKMONT'M NAUHATIVK.

fl844.

u Hcaict'l) |urro|)lil)lc uHcont, t'utiiiiii^ a licaiitiliil puss; the expluration of
wliicli wc (U'li'ircd tiiilil (he iiox> day, and irtuiiicd to the caiii|>.

To day )iii Indian paHscd through (lu! valU \v, on his way *n(() (he inoiin-
tniiiH, wliirc he showed uh was hi.s lod^o. \V(> conipichendcd nothing ot
hi.s language; and, (houKh he appeared to have no tear, passinf^ uU)ni; ui
full view ot (he camp, he wan indi.xpused to hohl any eoniniunicatiuii wilh
Ud, hu( .showed (he way he was ^ojn^, and pointed loi- u.s (u i;u un otii road

\\y olisei vation, the* hilitude of this eneainpnient was 3H' lb 01', and
the tdrviition ahov*' the sea G,.'ilO I'eet.

Januiirif 21. — Leaving the camp to |'oIh)NV sh)wly, with directions (<>
Caison to (iic;inipal the plnrt^ agreed on, Mr. ril/patriek und mysell eon-
tinned (he rceonnoi.'^saMce. Arriving at thi> head ol the .stream, we heg;ih
to eni« r (he pass — pas.sing oceasionally (hioiigh opcMi groves of larjj;c pine
trees, on the warm .side ul the defde, whir«< the snow had melted away,
occa.sion.dly exposir)g a large Indian trail, i.'ontiniiing along a narro\\
mca(h»w, we leached in a few miles (h(> gate of (ho pass, where (here wis
a narrow slriji of prairie, ahoul tW'ly yards wide, IxUween walls of granite
rock. On either side rose the mountains, forming on the left a rugged
mass, or mickus, wholly covered wilh deep snow , piesentitjg u glitteiim;
und icy suil.ice. At the time, we supposed iliis to h(! the |)oint into which
they weie g;ithereil between the two great livers, and from which the
waters ll«)W(tl olV to the liay. This was the i(;y and cold side of the pass,
und the rays of the sun hardly touched the snow. On the left, the moun
tainsiose into peaks; hut they were lower and secondary, and the country
had a somewhat more open and lighter character. On the right were sev-
eral hot sf>rihgN, which appeared remarkable in such a place. In goiriy,
through, we felt impressed hy the majesty ol the mountain, along the huge
wall ol which we were riding. Ileie there was no snow; hut immedi-
ately heumd was a deep hank, through which we dragged our horses with,
consider. thie elfort. We then immediately struck upon a stream, which
gathered ilscll rai)idly, and descended quick; and the valley did not pre-
serve the opert character of the other side, appearing below to form a
canon. We iherefore climbed one of the peak-^ )n the right, leaving our
horses bt low ; but we were so much shut up, (hat we did not obtain an
extensive view, and w hat we saw was not very satisfactory, and awakened
considerable doubt. The valley of the stream pursued a northwesterly
direction, appearing below to turn sharply to the right, beyond which fur-
ther 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 ihe northern
side ; ami 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 but a small
space ol 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 h.td detained us long, and it was after nightfall when we reached
the cuiiip.

Januarx) 2S. — To-day we went through the pass with all the camp, and,
after a h;ii d da^ 's journey of twelve miles, encamped on a high point where
the snow had been blown off. and the exposed grass afforded a scanty pas-
ture lor the animals. Snow and broken country together made our travel-

MIOW.

[1844. ■ 1641 ]

l-'AI'T. h'KRMONT'M .NAHI{\TIVf:

20?»

uration of ^ ling diOieult : Wf> were oltcti ('otn|K>lliMl to iiiiikn inrgc ciniiiis, .ind ascend
llic highest :ii)d innst i'x|)osi'd iid^cs, jri ordrr to avoid ititow, wliicli in
otlirr placoN was liatiktd ii|> lo a ^rrat dcjitli.

During thv d;iy a lew Indians wno simmi circdin;; aroiiml mm on unow
sliooH, and Mkiniinini; .'ilon,:; tike Idrds ; lint \v(! could not liiin^ llicrn with-
in N|>('akin<; dist incc (iodry, who was a lillh' distamc lioin the ;'aMi|>, had
sat (h)wn to lie hin iiioccasiiis, when he heard a hiw whisth; tirar, and, h)ok«
in^; up, saw two Indians hall hiditi'.,' h<diind a rock ahoiit (orfy yards «listat>t ;
dicy wonid not allow him to apj'ioach, hut, hroakint; into a Jaii^h, skitniiuMl
I'll over tho snow, sn-niitifj; to liavj* no idea oC tin; powci ol (irr arms, and
dunking thorns* Ives perfectly sale wherr heyorul aim's leoijlh.

To-nii^ht we did not succeed in ;i(>ttiri^ the howit/er into carnp. This
was the most hhorions dav ue had yet passed ihionnh ; the ^leep ascents
Old (h'ep snow e\h:iiistiri;j; holli norn and animals. ( )iii >in.;le elinoiometer
had stopped during the d ly, and its error irr time occasioned Iho Ions of an
((lipse ol" a sa((dlite liiis evening. It had not pieH<'rv(;(l the rate with
which wo started from the Dalles, and this will account lor the ahscncc
III lon<;itudes alon<r this inter v. d oT our journey.

January JO. — I'ldm lliHlipi':ht we could scie, at a considerahio distarico
below, yellow spots in the valh'y, which indicated th it there was not niiicli
snow. One ol these* phices we (>xpected to I'eacdi to-iii;dit ; and some timo
bning r«Mpiiredto hiirrii; up the ^urt, I went .ahead witii \\\ I'it/patrick and
;i few men, leavini; the camp to follow, in (diar^(» of Mi'. Preuss. Wo fol-
lowed a trail down a hollow where the Indians had descended, the snow
being so deep that wo never- caiiK! near the t^ronnd ; hut this only made our
iloscent the easier, and, when we reacdied a lilth; allluenf to ihe river at the
bottom, we suddenly roimd ourselves in presence of eight or (en Indians.
They seemed to he walohiiig our motions, and, like the others, at first were
indisposed to let us approa<di, ranging th(nnselves like hird? on a fallen
log on the hill side ahove our heads, where, heing out of reach, they
thought themselves sal*;. Our Irienrlly demeanor- reconciled them, and,
when we got near' enough, ihey immediately stretched out to us handfulls
of pine nuts, which seemed an exercise of hospitality. We made them a
lew presents, and, telling us that their village was a low nules below, they
went on to let their people know what we were. The principal stream
still running through an iuipracticahle caTion, we ascended ;i very steep hill,
which proved afterwards the lost and fatal obstacle to our little howitzer,
which was finally ahandoned at this |)lace. We passed throutj;h a small
meadow a few miles helow, crossing the river, which depth, swilt current,
and rock, made it tlillicult to lord ; and, after a few more miles of very dif-
licult trail, issued into a lai-ger prairie bottom, at the farther end of which
we encamped, in a position rendered strong by rocks and trees. The lower
parts of the mountain wore 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 cle-.r that the waters on which
we were also belong to the Great Basin, ir. the eflge of which we had
bf'cn since the 17th of Docoinhcr; and it became evident that we had still
tiie 2;reat 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 wo were going
lO see ; and told them that we wished them to bring us a guide, to whom we
11

nutions lo
ysell coil-
we heg:ii\
large pine
Ited aw a),
; a narroNv
there wus
of granite
t a niggeil
1 glittering
into which
which the
f the pass,
the moun
lie country
, were sev-

In goiiij;
g the huge
it imnutdi-
lorses with,
am, which
d not pre-

to form a
aving our
t obtain an
awakened
thwesterly
which fur-
e our road
ove that of
summit of
6 northern
iter color,

)ut a small
; and the
est of oui
6 reached

camp, and,
sint where
icanty pas-
ur travel-

:ilO

CAPT. FKKMOM'rt NAHUATIVK.

ri844.

wudtd ^ivr |>rcH('iitH of Mcarlil cludi, anil ollivr ailicles, which w«ro shown
to thi'iii. 'Iluy looked at tin* icwiird \\rnni>i(>d,aiid ctirdi'iMMl with euch
oth(!i, liiii |)oint)-d to the .nriovv on ihf nioiinlnin, and ditiw tlioir hand*
ac'io.H.t tlt« ii nrck.H, and iimmimI llicni aliovo tin ii Ik adn, lo show (Ik; depth;
and (i^tiilicd (hat it watt inl|lo.H^il>k> (ur Hit to ^ct through. The) niudi*
siuns (hat we niti'it go to the .^touthwaid, ovcti a |i.i^s ihioiigh u lower |-ani;i>,
wliioh tliey iioinlrd out ; tlit le, they s.iid, ;it tli*! end ol otii! da) N tr ivel, Wt;
would lind |)('o|>lr who lived near a pass in the gieat uiountain ; and lo thai
poiii( they enga^i.-d (o liirniith un a guide. 'I'Ikv appealed (o hnvo ii coit.
iubed idea, tioin icpiui, ol whileti who lived on the other Midi* oi' the inouti<
tain ; and oiiee, they (ohi n-*, ahoiit two years imo, a party ol twelve incii
like; ourselves had ahcended their liver, and ero,><.N«'d to th(! other waters.
They pointed out to uh where they hid eroAsed ; hut then, they naid, it
was ^nlnlMel time ; hut now it would Ix; iiiipoN*4ilde. I helirvo that thi-^
was a pally hd Ity Mi. (>hileH, one ol the only two n en uhoin I know to
have pasMtl through the C'alilornia inountain.s lioni tlx.' inleiior ol the Ha
iiin — Walker heing the other ; and hoth were ( ngaged upwards ol twenty
day.t, in the Nuinniei time, in getting over. ChilesVsdeiitination was (he hay
ol San Friincisro, to whieh he descended hy the Stani.slau.siivei ; and Walk-
er suh»e(pi<>ntly inloi ined me that, like myscll, de>icending to the southward
on a more easleiii line, day alter <lay he Wiis searching lor the Muenaveii-
turu, thinking that he had round it with every now strcatu, until, like me,
he al>atid(ii)e(l all idea ol its exi»tencc, and, turning ahiuptly to the light,
cro^^ed the great chain. These were hoth western men, animated witli
the spirit ol exploratory enterprise which chaiactei i/es that people.

The Indians hiought in during (he evening :in aliundan( supply ol' pine
nuts, which wc traded Irom them. When roasted, their pleasant tiavor
■lade them an agieeahlc addition to our now scanty store of provibioii!),
which were reduced to a very low chh. Our principal stock was in peas,
which it is not necessary to say contain scarciely any nutri.. ent. Wc had
still a little llour lelt, some coll'ee, and a cpiantity of sugar, which 1 re-
served as a delence against starvation.

The Indians inlormed us that at certain seasons they have lish in tluir
watcis, which we supposed to he salmon trout ; for the remainder of the
year they live upon the pine nuts, which form their great winter suhsist-
cnce — a portion hcing always at hand, shut up in the natural storehouse
of the cones. At present, they were prefecnlcd to ns 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 moining. They had not suc-
ceeded in getting the howitzer beyond the place mentioned, and where it
had been left by JMr. I'reuss in obedience to my orders ; and, in anticipation
of the snow banks and snow fields still ahead, foreseeiig the inevitable de-
tention to which it would subject us, I reluctantly determined to leave il
there for the time. It was of the kind invented hy tlio French for tho
mountain part of their war in Algiers ; and the diiti<ncp. it had come witli
us proved how well it was adapted to its purpose. 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 re-
spect lor us on some critical occasions, and which might be needed for the
same purpose again.

January SO. — Our guide, who was a young man, joined us this morn-'

(;.\PT. FHFMONT'M N.MUIMIVB.

tro shown
with euch
loir hnixia
h() (U>p(h ;
'hey u\:nU'.

tr ivt'l, \\t!
ind to tlul
live A coik*

iIk> riioiiti-
viilvi! nun
wt waltMs.
\vy Muid, it
(! that thii
t I know I')

oi the h:i
s ()( twriily
was tht! b IV
;niulWalk-
I southward

MucnaviMi-
til, U\i" nic,
lo the iij;lit,
imatcd with
icoplo.
|)|)ly of pine
pasant flavor
^' provisions,
was in poas,
\Vc had

which 1 re-

fish in their

intlcr of the

nter subsist-

storehousf!

lole people

ut encamped
lad not sue-
nd where it
anticipation
evitable dc-
d to leave it
ench for tk
d come with
, to the great
a coujpanion
nmaiided re-
ceded for the

IS this morn-

ing ; nnd, Icaviri^our rnninipnM'nt lain in tlu> day, wo dosccndod llio river,
wliK h ininu'di.iiijy oponod out into a, broad vall«>y, lurniNhin^ ^^ood Iruvcl*
lin^ i^iound. In a aIkmI di^laiiri> w«v paH<«<M| ihr \ illa^p, a colicriion of
utraw huti, and a low niilct below, tlu- ;^uid(> pointed out tbt< plart; wIhmc
(III) wliili'< bad brill t'lMMiiipiMJ beforo lliry i'lilcird tli<> mount. lin. U'ilh
our lain Ntart wo lundn but ton niilo^, and cncampod on tho low rivor hot*
loin, whtMo lliorc wa<t no anow, but a ^;r(al deal of ice ; and wo out pilcN of
long gras.H to lay undor our b| tnl«(>tM, and I'nc^ vvcro inado of lar^o dry ui|.
low.H, i(tov(«t o| \>bi('h woodod tbo sire tin. TIk; rivor look hoiu a norlh-
oatitorly diiooiion, and iIiioukI) a ppui from the mountuinit on the left was
llip yap whoro wo woro lo pa.>tfl the next day.

Jttnntiii/ .J I. \Vr look oui way ovoi a u;onl!y . hint? ground, tho dividing
ii(li<() boiiii; l(d(!rably \ n\ ; aii<l travidlini^ easily alon;:? a broad trail, in
twolvo or fourteoti niiloH reached tho upper part of the pann, when it boLMii
to Hiiow tliickly, with very cold weather. The Indians had only the
UNual Hoatily covorim:, and a|)pearod lo NulVer greatly from llie cold. All
loft UM, { xcepi ourifiiido. Half bidden by ibo Htorn., the iiiounriins looked
dieary ; and, a*4 ni^bt beuan to approaeb, llie ^llld(• nhowod i^'ioat reluctance
lo m) forward. I f)laced him between two rilles, for the way l)eij;an to be
tlillicult. 'I'ravellini,' a little farther, we .struck a ravine, wbicli the Indian
.said would conduct u.s to llw; rivor ; and ;is the poor fellow .siilVered u'roally,
tdiiverini; in the snow which tell upon hi.s naked skin, I would not detain
him any longer ; and lie ran oil to t!i(> mountain, where ho .said there was
a hut near by. lie bad kept tho blue and scarlet cloth I had given him
tinbly ioIUmI up, prefeiiing rather to ondiiio the cold than to <^et thoin wet.
In the course ol the alternoon, one of the men had his foot irost bitten :
and about dark we had the satisfaction to reach the bottoms of n jstroaui
timbered with lai<j;e trees, among which \\(; found a sheltered camp, with an
abundance of siich i^'rass as the season alloided for the animals. Wc saw
before us, in descending from the pass, a i^reat continuous range, along which
stretched the valley of the river ; the lower pans steep, and dark with pines,
while above it was hidden in clouds of snow. This wc felt instantly satis-
fied was the central ridge of the Sierra Nevada, the great California moun-
tain, which only now intervened between us and tho waters of the bay. We
had made a forced march of 20 miles, and three mules had given out on
the road. Up to this point, with the exception of two stolen by Indians,
wc had lost none of the horses which had been brought from the Columbia
liver, 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 wiih
nearly naked Indians; some of them were furnished with long nets in ad-
dition to bows, and appeared to have been out on the sage hills to hunt
rabbits. Those nets were perhaps 30 to 4t) 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 common among th^
Indians of the Sacramento valley. They came among us without any
fear, ai»d scattered themselves al)out the (ires, mainly occupied in gratifying
their astonishment. 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 (piicli sharp eyes following every motion.

Wc gathered together a few of the most intelligent of the Indians, and
held this evening an interesting council. I explained to thetn my inten-

•»v

'it

■i,t
t- ■>,

:-i.-

.■■. »'■

212

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[184C

tions. I told ihem (hat we had come from a very far country, havirr"; been
truvollitif; now nearly a year, and that we were desirous simply to go across
the mounliiiii into the country of the other whites. There were two who
appeared particularly intelligent — one, a somewhat old man. lie told me
that, hefoio the snows fell, it was six sleeps to the place where the whites
lived, but that now it was impossible to cross the mountain on account of
the deep snow ; and showing us, as the olliers 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 lish.
There, he said, were niany people ; there was no siow on the ground ;
and we might lemuin there until the spring. From iheir descrij)tions, we
were enabled to judge that we had enciimped on the upper water of the
Salmon Trout river. It is hardly necrs^ary to say that our communication
was only by signs, as we undcistood nothing of their language ; hut they
spoke, notwithstanding, rapidly and veliemetitly, explaining what they con-
sidered the folly of our intentions, and uiging U3 lo go down to the lake.
Tah-ve, a word signifying snow, we very soon learned to know, from its
frequent repetition. 1 told him that the men and the horses were strong,
and that we would bre J. a road through the snow ; and spreading be-
fore him our bales of scarlet cloth, and trinkets, showed him what we
would give for a guide, li was necessaiy 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 themselves,
the old man made us comprehend, tliat ii we could breakthrough the snow,
at the end of three days we would come down upon grass, which he
showed us would be about six inches higli,and where the ground was en-
tirely free. So far, he said, he had been in hunting for elk; but beyond that,
(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 Melo — a word signifying friend,
which they used very frequently. He was thinly clad, and nearly barefoot ;
his moccasins being about worn out. VV"e gave him skins to make a new
pair, and to enable him to pei form his undertaking to us. The Indians re-
mained in the camp during the ni>iht, and Ave 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 fire arms. The snow, which had
intermitted in the evening, commenced falling again in the course of the
night, and it snowed steadily all day. In the morning I acquainted the
men with my decision, aiul explained to them that necessity required us to
make a great effort to clear the mountains. I reminded them of the beau-
tiful valley of the Sicramento, with which they were familiar from the de-
scriptions of Carson, who had been there some fifteen years ago, and who,
in our late privations, had delighted us in speaking of its rich pastures and
abounding game, and drew a vivid contrast between its summer climate,
less than a hundred miles distant, and the falling snow around us. I in-
formed (hem (and long experience had given them confidence in my ob-
servations and good instruments) that almost directly west, and only about
70 miles distant, was the great farming establishment of Captain Sutter — a

[1844.

aving been
to go across
re two who
He told me

the whites

account oi
it was over
r, which he
; large fish,
le ground ;
riptions, we
^ater of the
imunication

2 ; hut they
at they con-
to the lake.
iw, from its
vcre strong,
ireading be-
in what we
ssible ; for I

Fulling a
themselves,
!;h the snow, J
jS, which he
und was en-
bey ond that,
i one among
he returned
aid he, is a
d he swore,
true. With
n to be our
Tying friend,
rly barefoot;
miake a new

3 Indians re-
d two others
, and having
r', which had
ourse of the
quainted the
equired us to
of the beau-
from the de-
go, and who,
pastures and
raer climate,
nd us. I in-
e in my ob-
id only about
in Sutter — a

1844.]

CAPT. FRE.MONT'.S NAUKATIVE.

213

gentleman who had formerly lived in Missouri, and, emigrating lo tins
country, had become the possessor ol a j)rini'ip;ility. I assured them that,
from thi; heights of the mountain befoio us, we should doubtless sec the
valley of the Sacramento river, and with one elTort place ourselves again
in the midst ol plenty. The people received this decision with the cheer-
ful obedience which had always characterized them ; and the day was im-
mediately devoted to the preparations necessary to enable us to carry it into
effect. Loggings, moccasins, clothinii; — all were \ X into the best state to
resist the cold. Our guide was not neglected. Extremity of sulFering
might make him desert ; we therefore did the best we could for him. Leg-
gings, moccasins, some articles of clothing, and a large green blanket, in
addition to the blue and scarlet cloth, wore lavished upon him, and to liis
great and evident contentment. He an ayed himself in all his colors ; and,
clad in green, iilue, and scarlet, he made a gay-lookinj;; ' .tiian ; 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 v ere very low; we had neither
tallow nor grease of any kind remaining, .nd 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 beer a compagnon de voyage ever since,
had now become fat, and the mess to w hich it belonged requested permis-
sion 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 larre cottonwood, willow, and grain de hocuf. By observa-
tion, the latitude of this encampment was 3b° 37' 18".

Februan/ 2. — It had ceased snowing, and this morning the lower air
was clear and frosty ; and six or seven thousand feet above, the 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, shooting high up into the sky, and seeming almost im-
mediatel}'^ above us. Crossing the river on the ice, and leaving it imme-
diately, we commenced the ascent of the mountain along the valley of a
tributary stream. The people were unusually silent ; for every man knew
that our enterprise was hazardous, and the issue doubtful.

The snow deepened rapidly, and it soon became necessary to break a road.
Fo«- this service, a party of ten was formed, mounted on the strongest
horses ; each man in succession ope'iing the road on foot, or on horseback,
until himself and his horse becr.me fatigued, when he stepped aside; and,
the remaining number passing ahead, he took his station in the rear. Leav-
ing this stream, and pursuing a very direct course, we passed over an inter-
vening ridge to the river we had left. On the way we passed two low
huts entirely covered with snow, which might very easily have escaped
observation. A family was living in each ; and. the only trail I saw in the
neighboihood was from the door hole to a nut-pine tree near, which sup-
plied them with food and fuel. We found two similar huts on the creek
where we next arrived ; and, travelling a little higher up, encamped on its
banks in about four feet depth of snow. Carson found near, an open hill
side, where the wind and the sun had melted the snow, leaving exposed
sufficient bunch grass for the animals to-night.

^i*

■■.•.%v

' It''

:i»3"

'■■'<*

214

CAPT. FRCMONT'.S NARRATIVE.

[1844^

The nut pines were now giving way to heavy timber, and there were
some immense pines on the bottom, iiround the roots of which the sun had
melted away the snow ; and here we made our camps and built huge fires.
To-day we had travelled sixteen njiles, and our i^levation above the sea
was 6,760 feet.

Febrvary 3. — Turning our facesdirectly towards the main chain, we as-
cended an open hollow along a small tributary to the river, which, accord-
ing to the Indians, issues from a mountain to the soutli. The snow was
so deep in the hollow, that we were obliged to travel along the steep hill
sides, and over spurs, where 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 in the same
^vay 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 mountain. 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 6 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 occupied the remainder of the
day in beating down a road to the foot of the hill, a mile or two distant ;
the snow being beaten down when moist, in the warm part of the day, and
then hard frozen at night, made a foundation that would bear the weight
of the animals the 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.

February 4. — I went aliead early with two or three men, each with a
led horse, to break the road. We were obliged to abandon the hollow en-
tirely, 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 aninials ; but occasionally one plunged out-
side the trail, and slided along the field to the bottom, a hundred yards be-
low. Late in the day we reached another bench in the hollow, where, in
summer, the stream passed over a small precipice. Heie was a short dis-
tance of dividing ground between the two ridges, and beyond an open ba-
sin, 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, apparently 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 af-
ternoon to force a road; but after a laborious plunging 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 enter-
prise seemed hopeless. I returned a short distance back, to the break in
the hollow, where I met Mr. Fitzpatrick.

The camp had been all the day occupied in endeavoiing to ascend the
hill, but only the best horses had succeeded. The animals, generally, not

1844.]

CAPT. FRF.MONT'.S NARRATIVE.

215

•>h

Eiin, we as-
[;!i, accord-
snow was
i steep liill
ssencd the
y along the
II the same
J by some
/ ascended
as entirely
ofty cedar,
120 to 130
r.

ack to that
nder of the
vo distant ;
le day, and
the weight
ians joined
ut a foot in
of bark,
ach with a
hollow en-
p, and the
anced, and
unged out-
i yards be-
, where, in
I short dis-
in open ba-
snow. At
iin,a dark-

y destitute
)untry was

d in the af-
gh two or
ig to make
and. The
lere began
our enter-
le break in

ascend the
lerally, not

having sufficient strength to bring themselves up without the packs; and
all the line of road between this and the springs was strewed with camp
stores and equipage, and horses floundering in snow. 1 therefore imme-
diately encamped on the ground with my own mess, which was in ad-
vance, and directed Mr. P'itzpatrick 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 levrl 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 mountain, being frequently six
feet in diameter.

To-night we had no shelter, but we made a large fue 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 thermoineler was only at 10".
A strong wind, which spiang 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, im-
mediately began to harangue us, saying that ourselves and animals w^ould
perish in the snow; and that if we would go back, he would show us an-
other and a better way across the mountain. He spoke in a very loud
voice, and there was a singukir repetition of phrases and arrangement of
words, which rendered his speech striking, and not unmusical.

We had now begun to uiuhirstand some words, and, with the aid of signs,
easily coraprebt nded the old man's simple ideas. " Hock upon rock — rock
upon rock — snow upon snow — 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 which 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 lament. " 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 and the tall bolls
of the pines round about, and the old India.i haranguing, we presented a
group of very serious faces.

February 5. — 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, 1 threw on his shoulders one of my
blankets. We missed him a few minutes afterwards, and never saw him
again. He had deserted. 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 v/ere busied in making sledges and snow shoes.
I had determined to explore the mountain ahead, and the sledges were to
be used in transporting the baggage.

The mountains here consisted wholly of a white micaceous granite.

■ •»•

if-

■ *••

' {I ■

'■•t

.J-

.!>:■■
#

I ■

2\n

TAPT. KRKMONTrt NARHATIVE.

[1844.

Thn (lay was perfectly clear, and, while the sun \v«s in the sky, warm
and plc.js.int.

Hy ohsoi valioii, our latitude uas 38 '12' ?G'' ; and elevation, by the
boiling point, 7,100 {vv.i.

Fchniury (J. — Ai'coinpanied hy Mr. Fitzj)aliick, I sat out to-day with a
reconnoitrinj^ paity,on snow shoes. Wo marched all in single file, tramp-
ling the snow as heavily as we could. Crossin;; (lie open basin, in a march
of about ton miles we reached the to[) of t)Me of the peaks, to the left ol
the pass indicated by oui guide. Far below us, dimincMl by the distance,
was a large snowless > alley, bounded on the wiistern side, at the distance
of about a luuKJred miles, by a low range of mountains, which (yarsoii
recognised with delight as the mountains bordering the coast. " There."
said he, *' is ihe little mountain — it is 15 years ago since 1 saw it; but I
am just as suie as if I had seen it yesterday." IJetweun us, then, and this
low coast range, was the vall'jy of the Saciamento ; and no one who had
not accompanied us ihrougb the incidents of our life for the last few nionth.s
could realize the delight with which at last W(! looked down upon it. At
the distance of a|>parently 30 miles beyond us wer<; distinguished spots ol
prairie; and a dajk line, which could be traced with the glass, was im-
agined to be the course of the river; but we were evidently at a great
height above (he valley, and between us and the plains extended miles
of snowy fields and broken ridges of pine-covered mountains.

It was late in tiiu day when we turned towaids the camp ; and it grew
rapidly cold as ii drew towards night. One of the men became fatigued,
and liis feet bey:an to freeze, and, building a fire in the trunk of a dry old
cedar, Mr. Fitz|)atrick remained with him until his clothes could be dried,
and lie was iii a condition to come on. After a day's march of 20 miles,
we straggled into camp, one after another, at night fall; the greater num-
ber excessively fatigued, only two of the party haying ever travelled on
snow shoes before.

All our energies were now directed to getting our animals across the
snow ; and it was supposed that, after all the baggage 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 discovered some grassy spots, where the wind and sun had dispersed
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 broken stumps, and dried trees, to melt
holes in the snow for the camps. Its general depth was 5 feet; but we
passed over places where it was 20 feet deep, as shown by the trees.

With one party drawing sleighs loaded with baggage, I advanced to-day
about four miles along the trail, and encamped at the fiist grassy spot, where
we expected to bring our horses. Mr. Fitzpatrick, with another party, re-
mained behind, to form an intermediate station between us and the animals.

February 8. — The night has been extremely cold ; but perfectly still,
and beautifully clear. Before the sun appeared this morning, the ther-
mometer 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 mountains beautiful
in summer ; the purity and deep-blue color of the sky are singularly beau-
tiful ; 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

[1844.
sky, warm

1^44.1

CAI'T. FRHMONT'.S NARKA riVK.

S17

»n,

by the

lay with a
lie, trump-
in u march
the lolt ol
3 (iistai)ce,
e diiituncc
ch (/arson
" There/'
V it ; but I
n, and this
c who had
ew months
on it. At
nd spots ol
IS, was im*
at a great
tded miles

nd it grew
e fatigued,
f a dry old
d be dried,
20 miles,
ater num-
avelled on

across the
awn with
y hard to
ridge, we
dispersed
ng places

our way

s, to melt

t ; but we

trees.

ed to-day

)ot, where

party, re-

e animals.

ectly still.

the ther-

the lofty

beautiful
irly beau-
on hours ;
even now

wo would ho dclinhled here ; hut our provisions are getting fearfully scant.
Sleighs arrived wilh baggage ahoul 10 o'clock; and leaving a portion ot it
here, we continued on for a mile and a hall, and encamped at the foot of
a long hill on (his side of the o|)en botloni.

Bernicr and (lodey, who yestiirday morning had bisen sent to ascend a
higher peak, got in, hungr)' and fatigued. TlMiy conlirtntd what we had
already seen. Two other sleighs arrived in the afternoon ; and the men
being fatigued, I gave them all tea and sugar. Snow clouds began to rise
in the SSVV. ; and, apprehensive of a slorm, whieh would destroy our
road, I sent the people back to JMr. Fit/patrick vvith directions to send
for the animals in the morning. With nie renjained Mr. Preuss, Mr. Tal-
bot, and Carson, with .Jacob.

Elevation of the camp, by the boiling point, is 7,920 feet.

Fcbruari/ f). — During the night the weather changcid, the wind rising to
a gale, and commencing to snow before daylight ; before morning the trail
was covered. We remained quiet in camp all day, in the course of which
the weather improved. Four sleighs arrived toward evening, with the
bedding of the men. We suffer much frt)m the want of salt; and all ihc
men are becoming weak from insutlicient food.

Fcdruaiy 10. — Taplin was sent back with a few men to assist Mr. Fitz-
patrick ; and continuing on with three sleighs carrying a part of the bag-
gage, we had tiie satisfaction to encamp within two and a half miles of the
head ol the hollow, and at tlie foot of the hist mountain ridge. Here two
large trees had been set on fire, and in the holes, where the snow had been
melted away, we found a comfortable camp.

The wind kept the air fdled with snow during the day ; the sky was very
dark in the southwest, though elsewhere veiy clear. The forest here has
a noble appearance : the tall cedar is abinidant; its greatest height being
130 feet, and circumference 20, three or four feet above the ground ; and
here 1 see for the first time the white pine, of which there are some mag-
nificent trees. Hemlock spruce is among the timber, occasionally as large
as 8 feet in diameter four feet above the ground ; but, in ascending, it
tapers rapidly to less than one foot at the height of 80 feet. 1 have not
seen any higher than 130 feet, and the slight upper part is frequently
broken off by the wind. The white spruce is irequent ; and the red pine,
(pinus Colorado of the Mexicans,) which constitutes the beautiful forest
along the flanks of the Sierra Nevada to the northward, is here the prin-
cipal tree, not attaining a greater height than 140 feet, though with some-
times a diameter 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 support.
This ridge is composed of a compact trap, or basalt, of a columnar struc-
ture ; over the surface are scattered large boulders of porous trap. The hills
are in many places entirely covered with small fragments of volcanic rock.

Putting on our snow shoes, we spent the afternoon in exploring a road
ahead. The glare of the snow, combined with great fatigue, had rendered
many of the people nearly blind ; but we were fortunate in having some
black silk handkerchiefs, which, worn as veils, very much relieved the eye.

'';

•i.

'Ife'^

5%.

21S

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[1844.

February 11. — High uind continued, and onr trail this morning, was
nearly invisible — here and lIuMe itulicated by u little ridge ol snow. Our
(situation became tiresome and dreary, requiring a strong exercise of pa*
ticnce and resolution.

In the evening I received a message from Mr. Fitzpatrick, acquainting
me with the utter failure of his attempt to j^et oui- mules and horses over
ihe snow — the half-hidden trail luid proved entirely too ali«i;ht to support
them, and '>oy had broken through, and were plunging about or lying half
buried in snow. He was occupied in endeavoring to ^vA them back to
his camp; and in the mean time sent to me for lurther instructions. I
wrote to him to .send (lie aninuds immediately back to their old pastures;
and, alter 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.

February 12. — We made mauls, and worked hard at our end of the
road all the 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 shoul-
dered our mauls, and trudi^ed back to camp.

February 13. — We continued to labor on the road; and in the course
of the day had the satisfaction to see the people working down the face of
the opposite hill, about three miles distant. Durin^; the morning we had
the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Fitzpatrick, with the inlormatioii that all
was going on well. A party of Indians had passed on show shoes, who
said they were going to the western side of the mountain after fish. This
was at) indication that the salmon were coming up the streams; and we
could hardly restrain our impatience as wc thought of them, and worked
with increased vigor.

The meat train did not arrive this evening, and I gave Godey leave to
kill our little dog, ( Tlainath, ) which he prepared in Indian fashion ; scorch-
ing ofT the hair, and washing the skin with soap and snow, and then cut-
ting it up into pieces, 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.

February 14. — The dividing ridge of the Sierra is in sight from this
encampment. Accompanied by Mr. Preuss, 1 ascended to-day the high-
est 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
hidden in mist, as when we had seen it before. Snow could be distin-
guished on the higher parts of the coast mountains ; eastward, as far as the
eye could extend, it ranged over a terrible mass of broken snowy moun-
tains, fading off blue in the distance. The rock composing the summit con-
sists of a very coarse dark volcanic conglomerate ; the lower parts appeared
to be of a slaty structure. The highest trees were a few scattering cedars
and aspens. From the immediate foot of the peak, we were two hours in
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 gushing
springs cover the face of the mountain in all the exposed places ; but their
surface freezes instantly with the disappearance of the sun.

[1844. ■ 1>644.]

CAPT. FFlKM(y.\ 1 H NARRATIVE.

219

,orning.was
snow. Our
ciso of pa-

nequainting
horses over
t to 8U|)|)ort
I lying halt
cm back tu
ructions. I
Id pastures;
iij^tli ol his
ling it with

end of the
nd the snow
e people at
d we shoul-

n the course
1 the face of
ling we had
Uion that all
siioes, who
r fish. This
nis ; and we
and worked

ley leave to
ion ; scorch-
rid then cut-
afterwards,
to-night an

ht from this
ay the high-
a mountain
surrounded
taken with
ey was half
1 be distin-
as far as the
lowy moun-
suramit cen-
ts appeared
ering cedars
wo hours in
The day
e advancing
and gushing
IS ; but their

I o1)tained to-night some observations ; and the result from these, and oth-
ers made tiuring our stay, gives for the latitude 38" 41' 57 ", longitude 120°
25' 57", and rate of the chronometer 25". H2.

Februarif 16. — 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. Wo travelled 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 tol-
erably good grass; and I jud^'cd we should succeed in getting the camp
down by way of these. Towards sundown we discovered some icy spots
in a deep hollow ; and, descending the mountain, we encamped on the head
water of a little creek, where at last the water found its way to the I'acific.

'I'he night was clear and very long. Wo heard the cries of some wild
animals, which had been attracted by our lire, and a flock of geese passed
over during the night. Even these strange sounds had sometliin2[ pleasant
to our senses in this region of silence anil desolation.

We started again early in (he morning. The creek acquired a regular
breadth of about 20 feet, and we soon began to hear the rushing of the water
below the ice surface, over which we travelled to avoid the snow ; a few
miles below we broke through, where the water was several feet dee[), and
halted to make a fire and dry our clothes. We continued a few miles
farther, walking being very laborious w ithout snow shoes.

1 was now perfectly satisfied that we had struck the stream on which
Mr. Sutter lived ; and, turning about, made a hard push, and reached the
camp at dark. Here we had the pleasure 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 cakcof very white line-grained salt, which
the Indians told them they hud brought from the other side of the moun-
tain ; 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 oi" the next day, February 20, 1844, we
encamped with the animals and all the materiel of the camp, on the summit
of the Pass in tht dividing ridge, 1,000 miles by our travelled road from
the Dalles of 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 encamp-
ment 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 feel still higher. Thus, at
the extremity of the continent, and near the coast, the phenomenon was
seen of a range of mountains still higher than the great Rocky mountains
themselves. This extraordi-nary fact accounts fop 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 SS'' 44' ;
longitude 120° 28'.

Thus this 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.

f.^-

2,J0

CAIT. KUKMUNI-H NAISKAl'IVK.

[1844.

Fi'hnairif 21. — \Vv mow considrrrtl oiirsclvrH virtorlouH over Jlio riu^in-
tain ; li;ivin<; onlv the dt'scent Ix'lorc us, and the valley tindtir our vyva^ we
lelt strot);; Un\w that \V(! should lorce our way down, itut this was a case
in which \\\v dcM'jrjt wan not facile. Still deep Ciolds of snow lay helwcen,
and (here was a lat^(> interveiiit)^ space i-i rou!;h-looUiiifr mountains, thron;;li
which w(> had yd to wind our way. (Watson loused nic this morning; with
an eaily liic',aMil wr were all U|>long heloic day, in order to pass the snow
fields hrlore the sun should lender the? crust soft. We enjoyed this morn-
ing a scene, at sum ise, which even here w as unusually glorious and heaiili-
ful. Imnuuliatcly ahove the eastern nuxnitains was repented a cloud-lormcd
mass ol purple ratifies, hordercMl with hriuht yellow ^old ; the peaks sjiot
up into a nairow line ol" crinjson cloud, ahove which the air was (Hied with
a greenish oran>;e ; and over all was iIk; sin}j;ular heauty of the blue sky.
Passing along a ridge which commandcMl the lake on our right, ol 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 support-
ed the animals, and encamped on the ridge altera journey of G miles. The
grass was belter than we had yet seen, and we were; encamped in a clump
of trees twenty or thirty feet high, resend)ling white pine. With the excep-
tion of these small clumps, the ridges were bare ; and, w here the snow found
the 8up])ort of the trees, the wind had lilown it up into banks ten or fifteen
feet high. It retjuired much care to hinil out a practicable way, as the
most open places Ireijuently led to impassable banks.

We had hard and doubtiul labor yet before us, as the snow appeared to
be heavier where (he timber began lurther 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 sec that the mountain
descended rai)idly. 'I'he day had been one of April ; gusty, with a few oc-
casional (lakes of snow; which, in the alternoon, enveloped the upj)er
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, (^ound it all enveloped in a thunder storm. Fov us, as
connected with the idea of summer, it bad a singular charm; and we watch-
ed its progress with excited feelings until nearly sunset, when the sky clear-
ed off brightly, and we saw a shining line of water directing its course to-
wards 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, w here so (requently we had met with
disappointments, and where the crossing of every ridge disj)layed some un-
known lake or river, we were yet almost afraid to believe that we were at
last to escape into the genial country ot which we had heard so many
glowing descriptions, and dreaded again to find seme vast interior lake,
whose bitter waters would ^riiig 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 re-
membered perfectly to have crossed the mouth of a very large 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 impression of watercourses.

We had the satisfaction to know that at least there were people below .

1644.]

CAI'T. FUr.MO.NT'M NARKATIVK.

ii'ii

ir cyrH, Wo
was a case
Y hetvvccii,
nM,thr()n;j;li
riling with
s tlio snow
(his fiiom-
find boaiili-
)U(l-(oiin(>(l
peaks shot
iill(>(l Willi
) blun sky.
t, of which
wo passed
zh suppoil-
riilos. The
in a cliiin))
the excep-
snow found
n or fifteen
ivay, as the

ippcarcd to
)[)en spots.
)ver for the
e nioiintaiii
h a few oc-
the upper
dreaded a
id, looking
For us, as
we watch -
sky clear-
course to-
jc could be
t, after our
d met with
d some un-
kve were at
d so many
erior lake,
hern shore
line where
i up in our

ay, and re-
ge stream,
so entirely
to form no

pie below.

FiroH were lit up in tlu; valley Just at nit^ht, ajipearin^ to he in anftwer to
ours; and (hes(! signs of life rtix-wed, in soni«> nieiisure, the ^>y(!(y of thn
camp. They appealed so near, (hat we judf^ttd iImmu (o Ik; among (he tim-
ber of souio t)f (h(! neighhorini; i idges ; but, having them constanlly in view
day alter day, and night altei night, we aKerwaids found (hem lo Ix; (ires
that had \>v.v.i\ kindled by the Indians among the /(//art v, tm the shore of
the bay, HO miles distant.

Anu)ng the very lew plants that appealed here, wut* the eoinmou blue
flux. To-nighl, a mule was kilh d li>r food.

Fihruai')) 22. — Om bieaklast was over long before d.iy. VVc took ad-
vah(iiij;e ol (he coolness ol (be early morning to get over (lie snow, which
(o-day ocx'urred in very tieep banks among (lit; limber ; but we s(!archc<l
out the coldest places, and ihe animals passed succ(;ssfnlly with (lieii loads
the hard crust. Now and (hen, (he delay of making a road occasioned
much labor and loss ol lime. In the aller part of the day, we saw before
us >i handsome grassy t id'.;e point ; and, making a des|)(jrati! push over a
snow lield 10 to 15 le<'t deep, \v(; happily sncceediMl in gelling the camp
across ; and encaiupod on the i idg", after a march of (hrcje miles. We had
again the prospect ol a ihuiidei sioi iii below ; ami to-night we killed another
mule — now our only k.souici' from starvation.

We satisfied ourselves during the day that the lake had an outlet be-
tween two ranges on ihe ri^lit ; and with this, the creek on which I had
encamped probably oHeitiMl .i junction below. Hetween these, we were
descending.

We continued to ciijo} (he same delighdiil wealhcM ; (ho sky oi the same
beautiful blue, and such a sunset and sunrise as on our .Vtluniie coast we
could scarcely imagine. And lu'-ie among the mountains, D,()00 feet above
the sea, we haNo the deep-blue, sky and sunny climate of Smyrna and
Palermo, which a little map before me sho\\.s are in the same lautudo.

The elevation above the sea, by the boiling point, is Hj.'ifj.'i feet.

Februai'y 2o. — This was our most dillicult day : we were forced oil the
ridges by the (juantity ol snow among the timber, and obliged to lake to
the mountain sides, whore, occasionally, rocks and a southern e.\posure af-
forded us u chance to s(!iami)le along. Hut these were stocp, and slippery
with snow and ice ; and ihe tough evergreens of the mountain impeded
our way, tore our skins, and (.'.vbatisted our patience. Some of us had the
misfortune to wear moccaains with parjhche soles, so slippery that wo could
not keep our feet, and generally crawled across the snow beds, -\xesand
mauls weie necessary to-day, to make a road through tin' snow. Going
ahead with Carson to reconnoitre the road, we reached in the afternoon the
river wliich made the outlet of ihe lake. Carson sprang over, clear across
a place where the stream was compressed among rocks, but the parjlcche
sole of my moccasin glanced from the icy rock, and precipitated ine into the
river. It was some lew seconds before I could recover myself in the cur-
rent, and Carson, thinking me hurt, jirmped in after me, and we both had
an icy bath. We tried to search a while for my gun, which had been lost
in the fall, but the cold drove us out ; and making a large lire on the bank,
after we had partially dried ourselves 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 ci eek.

Using our old plan of breaking the road with alternate horses, we reached
the creek in the evening, and encamped on a dry open place in the ravine.

•4.'

,tiv

•V

■ii'.

■t
*{<

ft'

^'i

i.- . .

• \

Qi'i

CAPT. FUKMONTtt NAUKATIVE.

1644.

Anothor hrancli, which wo h.-nl IoIIowcmI, hern coinos in on tho left ; and
from this point the niountiiin wall, on which we h.\il travelled to-day, I'acot
to the south alon^ tlu; li^ht hank ot the livt'r, wheit? the nmii appears to
have tnelled the snow ; hut the opposite rid^c is entirely covered. Ifero,
anion^ the pines, the hill side produces hut little ^rass — harely siiilieient
to keep life in the aniin.ds. \Ve h.id th(.> pleaMue to he rained upon this
altertioon ; and grass was now our ;;t<a((st solicitude. Many ui' the men
looked hadly ; and some this ev<.>ning wer(> givin*^ out.

Fchrnarij l\. — We rose at thrtu; in the niornini;, for an aMtronomieuioh-
Horvation, and ohtained lor the place a laliludt; ol .]H^ IG' .OH" ; longitude
120" .'31' iO ". The sky was clear and puie, with a sharp wind from the
northeast, and the thermometer 2*^ helow the freezing point.

VVc continued down the south face of the mountain ; our road leading
over dry ground, we were ahle to avoid the snow al'^osl entirely. In the
course of the morning, we struck a foot path, which we were generally ahle
to ke(;p ; and the ground was soft to our aiiinials' feet, heing sandy or cover-
ed with mould, (ireen grass hegan to make its ap|)earance, and occasion-
ally we passed a hill scatteringly covered with it. The character of the
forest continued the same; an(i, iimoni; the trees, the pine with sharp
leaves and veiy large cones wasahundanf, some of them heing nol)le trees.
We measuied one that had 10 feet diameter, though the height was not
more than I JO leet. All along, tho 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 appealed on the ridge, and soon
became veiy frecjuent ; on these I reiuaikcd unusually great (juaniitics of
mistletoe. Hushes hegan to make their appearance ; and at ii small creek
wheic they were abundant, one of the messes was left with the weakest
horses, while we continued on.

The opposite mountain side wa.^ very steep and continuous — unbroken
by ravines, and covered with pines and snow ; while on the side wc were
travelling, innumeiable rivulets poured down from the ridge. Continuing
on, we halted a moment at one of thefe i i\ ulels, to iidtnite some beautiful
evergreen tires, i esembling live oak, which shaded the little sticam. They
were forty to (ilty feet high, and two in diameter, with a uniform tufted top;
and the summer green ot 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, tilled with excite-
ment, to escape entirely from the horrid region of inhospitable snow, to the
perpetual spring of the Sacramento.

When we had travelled 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 roaring torrent has already become a
river, and we had descended to an elevation of 3,864 feet.

Along our road to-day the rock was a white granite, which appears to
constitute the upper p^rt of the mountain: on both the eastern and western
slopes ; while between, the central is a volcanic rock.

Another horse was killed to-night, for food.

February 25. — Believing that the dilKculties of the road were passed,
and leiving Mr. Fitzpatrick to follow slowly, as the condition of the ani-
mals required, I started ahead this morning with a party of eight, consist-
ing (with myself) of Mr. Preussand Mr, Talbot, Curson, Derosier, Towns,

1844.]

CAPT. FRKMONT'H NARRATIVE.

993

c left ; and
(lay, I'aoei
appears to
ed. Hero,
y MiiHriciU
I upon (his
dI' the nini

loinicuioh-
; Inn^itiuU;
I from tho

ad leading
ly. In th(>
lerally uhlo
y or covtii-
d occasion-
I'tcr of the
with shaip
lohle trees.
;ht was not
ent, its tall

lon^ been
;e, and soon
uantitics ot'
umall creek

ic weakest

-unbroken
le wo were
Continuing
10 beautiful
am. They
tufted top;
j birds, and
)ak leaves,
b^ith excite-
now, to the

little to an
rlered with
J here we

become a

appears to
nd western

Me passed,
of the ani-
;ht, consist-
er, Towns,

Prouo, and .Iik oh. We took with us some of the bo^t uniiniiis, and my in*
tention wan to ptncred ah rapidly as possihh; (o liu; house of Mr. Suttei,
and r'>lurn to meet the party with a iiipply ol pidviNions arul IVehh animaU.

Continuin^do^vn the ri\er, whirh pursued a very dircel woNtcrly coiitse
through u narrow valley, with only a wiy slight and narrow bottom land,
wc made twelve miles, and eneamped at some old Indian huls, apparently
u fishing plite(! on the liver. The bottom wiis eovei(;d with trees of de-
ciduous fuliagt;, and overgrown with vin(!sand rushes. On a betich of the
hill near by, was a field of fiesh green glass, six inches long in some of ihe
tuft8 which I had the ruiiosity to measure. The animals were driven
here ; and 1 ,s|)ent pait of the afternoon sitting on a large rock among
them, erjjoying the paubeiess rapidity with wlm-h they luxuiiateti in the
unaccustomed lood.

The forest was im|)osing to-day in lh(! magiiifu'ence of the trees ; sonie
of the pines, l)earir)g large cones, were 10 feet in diameter ; cedar j also
abouruied, and we measured one 2ti': feet in circumference four feet from
the ground. This noble trc(! seemed hei(! to be in its |)rop(>r soil and cli-
mate. VVc found it on both sides of the Siena, but most abundant on the
west.

Febninrt/ 2i\. — \Ve continued to follow the strenm, the mountains on
either hand increasing ir) height as s\e descended, and shutting up the
river nairowly in precipices, along which we had j^rcat dilliculty to ^et
our horses.

It rained heavily during the afternoon, and we were forced off the river
to the heights above ; whence we descei»d(!(l, at night-fall, the point of a
spur between the river and a foik of nearly crjual si/e, coming in from the
right. Hero we saw, on the lower hills, the iirst tlowcrs in bloom, which
occurred suddenly, and in considerable (pianlity ; one of them a species of
gilia.

Thfa current in both streams (rather torrents than rivers) was broken by
large boulders. It was late, and the animals fatigued ; ant! not succeeding
to find a forfl immediately, we encamped, altiiou^ih the hill side allorded
but a lew stray buMc'ics of grass, and the horses, standing about in the
rain, looked very "uiserable.

February 21. — We succeeded in fording (he 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 liver was only about sixty feet wide, but rapid,
and occasionally deep, foaming among boulders, and the water beautitully
clear. We encamped on the hill slope, as (here was no bottom level, and
the opposite ridge is continuous, affording no streams.

We had wi(h 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 liver forced us to the heights, which we as-
cended by a steep spur 2,000 feet high. My favorite horse, Proveaii, had
become very weak, and \\ as scarcely able to bring himself to the top. Trav-
elling 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 Uio day au»unctJ aiid iio gratis a^ptared, for the lives of our aaiiuab

»*'

!•

"^i<

..V

CAIT. FHEMONTH NAKRATiVK.

[I8K

(It'pcntlod on findint; it (o-ni^ht. They were in junt Mueh n >on(ii(ion tlml
^rasM und irpoMo lot the hi^hl tnaMcd \\wm to ^(•t oii the iirxt lay. KvtMy
hour we had l)c>(MU'X|)('('tiiif; to sec open out hcloio usthi; van<>y,uhii;h, Iroin
lhi> luotintaii) ahovc, HOMitcd aiuio.st at our i'ov.i. A nuw and Niit^idai Hhrnh,
which had iiiadu ilN appciraiu u >iiu*L* crossing (hi; niouiitaiti, \va«« vrry trc-
(jiK.'nt to-thiy. It hratichcd out iirar tho ground, foiinitig a rlitinp eight to
ttn Icet lugh, with pah>gi(M ii liavivs ol uti oval Ibrin , atid Iho hody and
hranchuN had a naked appcainticr, as it N(ripp(>d ot tli<> hark, which is wry
Miioolh and thin, ol a chocolad- cohir, conlraHling uctl with (ho p.do green
ol the U'uvcs. The day was ncMiiy gon(> ; wr had inadr a hard day^r* march,
and found no grasM. Towns hccanii! light-hcadid, wandciit)^ oil into tho
woods \Nithoni knowing where hi> was going, and .lac«>l> l/ioiighl htiu hack.

Near night lall wc descended into the t^tei p ravine ol a handsotnc creek
thirty lut'l wide, and I was <Mig:tgod in getting llx; horses up tlu; opposite
hill, wlxMi I heard a shout tioiu (Jarsun, who had g()ti(> ahead a lew hun*
dred yards — ''liilc yet," sai<l ho, us he came i:p, *' lile yet ; I have lound n
hill side sprinkled with grass enough tor the niu,ht." Wv. diove idong our
horses, and encamped at the place ahout dark, and t'.iere was just room
(>n()Ugh to make a place lor >lieltei on (he edge ol the stream, 'i'hree
horses were lost to-day — I'loveau ; a line young horse IVdiii flu; Columbia,
belonging to Charles Towns; and another Indian horse which ciuriedour
cooking utensils ; the two lonner gave out, and the latter .sliayed oil' into
the woods as we rea<:hed lh(> camp.

February 21). — \N'«.' lay shut iif) in tlu; narrow ravine, and gave the ani-
mals a necessary tlay ; and men w( re sent back allci the otheis. I)( rosier
volunteered to bring up I'rovrau, to whom he knew I was greatly attach-
ed, as he had been my favorite horse on both expeditions. Carson and I
climbed one of the ii((!ii est mountains ; thcfoieyt land still extended ahead,
and the valley appeared ms lar as ever. The pack burse was luund near
the camp, but Derosier did not got in.

March 1. — Derosier did .lot get in during tlio iiigbt, and leaving him to
follow, as no grass remained heie, we coniiiuuil on over the uplands, cross-
ing many small streams, and camped again on the liver, having made G
miles. Here we found the hill side covered (although lightly) withiicsh
green grass ; and from this time forward we found it always improving
and abundant.

We made a pleasant camp on the river hill, whore were some beautiful
specimens of the chocolate-colored shrul), which were a foot in diameter
near the ground, and lilleen to twenty feet high. The opposite ridge runs
continuously along, unbroken b\ streams. We are rapidly descending into
the spring, and we are leaving our snowy region far behind ; every thing is
getting green ; butterllies are sv arming; numerous bugs arc creeping out,
wakened from their winter's sleep ; and the foiest flowers are coming into
bloom. Among those which ai)i)eared most numerously to-day \\A3<hde-
ca til eon dentatum.

We began to be uneasy at Dorosier's absence, fearing he might have
been bewildered in the woods. Charles Towns, who hail not yet recovered
his mind, went to swim in the river, as if it were sunuucr, and the stream
placid, when it was a cold mountain torrent foa.niiig among locks. 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 seveial days, i.nd thought we were still at the camp where

1844.]

CAI'T. FIIKMONT 8 NARFIATIVK.

875

ilitioM that
ly. KviMy

hirli, Iroii)
iliM shnih,
•' wry iiv-
i|i (Mght to
\uu\y (111(1
i<'h is vi'iv
mIo ^^o^'r»
y'i march,
tV into tiio
liiiu hack.
)iae creek
I) opposite
I few hun-
ve lound n
along our
just room
I. Three
Coliitnhiii,
Miriod oui
.'(I oil into

c the ani-
l)( rosier
[\\ attach-
rsoti and I
lorl iihcad,
jutul near

in;; him to
ids, cross-
ig made G
with iresh
mproving

heautiful

diameter

idfie runs

riding into

y thing is

l)ing out,

ming into

was (lode-

<i;ht have
ecovered
le stream
;ks. We
id, sitting
ijiined he
np where

he IkuI lelt \\s ; and we were pninrd to >co thai hin mind wai dernngrd. It
appeared that he had heen lont in the iiionulain, and fiungor and latigiie,
joined to \\r.iktu<«s ol body, and leal ol piii^liiii;^ in ijw* motinlaini, hid
cia/ed him. Thi^ limefl were Hevcrt* when ^(uiit men lost their mindM Ironi
extremity of Hull'ring — when ln)rHe«« died and when mides and hornefi,
ready to die ol wtarvalion, \\«'re kilted lor food. Vet there was no mur-
muring or lii'oii;i(ii)ti.

A hhort dJHlafue ludow our (>ncampment, the river mountains terminated
in precipiceft, and, alter a lati^tiirtg m.irrh ol drdy a lew tnile.i, we encamped
on a heneh whtrre there were siptingM and an abundance of the Ireshe.it
grass. In tlu* mean lime, Mr. I'reusM continued on <lowti tlie river, ami,
unaware that we had encamped «() early in the day, was lost. When night
urrive<I, atid he ihd not come in, w«! began to underht.md what had hap*
pened to him ; but it was ton I.Uo to make any Nenrch.

March 3. -We followed Mt. I'reuss's trail lor a con>ideral)lo distance
along the river, until wo riMched a place where he had di.'scended to the
slicam b(dow and encaiiipiMl. Here we shouted and limd guns, but leceived
no answer ; and we conclude*! that he had pushed on down the stream. I
determined to keep out Ironi th(> river, along which it wa«) nearly impracti*
cable to travel witii animals, until it should form a valley. .\t every step
the Country improied in beauty ; the pines wen* rapidly disappearing, and
oaks became llie pi iiici|)al trees ol the forest. Annnig these, the prevailing
tree was the evergrc^en oak, ( which, by way of diitinction, we shall call the
lire oak ;) and with these, occurred l'rei|iiently a iu;w species of oak hearing
a long slender acorn, from an imdi to an iiudi and a li.'lf in length, which
we now began to He(! foiiiied the principal vegetable food of the inhabitants
of this region. In a shoit distance we crossed a little rivulet, where were
two old huts, and near by were heaps of acorn hulls. The ground round
about was very licb, covered with an exuberant sward ol grass; and wo
sat down for a wbiU,' in the shade ol" the oaks, to hit the animals toed. Wc
repeated our .shouts for Mr. I'reiiss; and this time we were gratified with
an answer. 'I'lie voice grew rapidly nearer, ascending from the river ; hut
when wo expected to see him einei re, it ceased entirely. We had called up
some straggling Indian — the lir.st we had met, although for two days back
w'l: had seen tracks — who, mistaking us for his fellows, had been only un-
deceived on getting close up. It would have been pleasant to witness his
astonishment; he would not have been more riightencd had some of the
old mountain spirits they are so much afraid of suddenly appeared in his
path. Ignoiant of the character of these people, w<i had now an additional
cause of uneasiness in regard to Mr. Preuss ; he had no arms with him, and
wc began to third; his chance doubtful. We followed on a trail, still keep-
ing out from the river, and descended to a very large creek, dashing with
great velocity over a pre-eminently rocky bed and among large boulders.
The bed had sudden breaks, formed by deep holes and ledges of rock run-
ning across. Even here, it deserves the name of Aioc/i: creek, which we gave
to it. We succeeded in fording 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 ar d rocky banks ;
but hert , several miles from the river, the country is smooth and grassy;
the forest has no undergrowth; and in the open valleys of rivulets, o: around
spring heads, the low groves of live oak give the appearance of orchards
in an old cultivated country. Occasionally we met deer, but had not the
15

•V-

226

CAPT. FREaIONTS NARRATIVE,

[1844.

s?)

necessary time for liuntin/;. At one of tliesc orchard grounds, wo encamped
about noon to make an cHoit for Mr. Freuss, One man took his way along
a spur Icadinf; into the river, in hopi; to crosb his trail ; and another took
our own hack. Both were volunteers ; and to the i^ucce^siul man was prom-
ised a pair of pistols — not as a reward, hut as a token of gratitude for a
service which would free us all from much anxiety.

We had among our 1( w animals a horse which was so much reduced,
that, with travelling, even the good grass couUl d ^ save him; and, having
nothing to eat, he was killed this afternoon, lie was a good animal, ana
had made the journey round from Fort Hall.

Dodecutheon detitdlutu continued the charaoterislic |)larit in flower; arni
the naked-looking shrub already mentioned continued cliaiactt ristic, hegii;-
ning to put forth a small white blossom. At evening the men returned, hav-
ing seen or heard nothing of Mr. Preuss ; and 1 detertnined to make a
hard push down the river the next morning, and get ahead of him.

March 4. — VVe continued rapidly along on a broad plainly-beaten trail,
the mere travelling and breathing the delightlid air being a positive enjoy-
ment. Our road led along a ridge inclining to the river, and the air and
the open giounds were Ihigrant with llowe.ing shru1)S ; and in the course
of the morning we issued on an open spur, by wliich we descended directly
to the stre-im. Here the tiver issues suddenly from the mountains, whici
hitherto had hemmed it closely in ; these now become softer, and change
sensibly their character; and at this point commences the most beautiful
vallv?v in which we had ever travelled. VVe hur'ied to the river, on whicli
we noticed a snail sand beach, to which Mr. Preuss would naturally have
gone. VVe found no trace of him, but, instead, were recent tracks of bare-
iooted Indians, and little |)iles of muscle shells, and old tires where they
had roasted the fish. VVe travelled on over the river grounds, wiiich were
undulating, and covered wiiii grass to the river brink. VV^e halted to noon
a few miles beyond, always under the shade of the evergreen oak:, which
formed open groves on the bottoms.

Continuing our road in the afternoon, we ascended to the uplands, whero
the river passesround a |)oint of great bt auty , and goes through very remarka-
ble dalles, in character resembling those of the Columbia. Beyond, we again
descended to the bottoms, where we found an Indian village, consisting oi
two or three huts; we had come upon them suddenly, and the people had
evidently just run oft'. The huis we'e low and slight, made like beehives
in a picture, five or six feet high, and near each was a crate, formed of in-
terlaced branches and grass, in size and shape like a very large hogshead.
Each of these contained from ^ix to nine bushels. These were filled witii
the long acorns already mentioned, and in the huts were several neatly
made baskets, containing quantities of the acorns roasted. They \»ere sv eet
and agreeably flavored, and we supplied ourselves w ith about half a bushel,
leaving one of our shirts, a handkerchief, and some smaller articles, in tix-
change. The river again entered for a space among hills, anr' we followed
a trail leading across a bend through a handsome hollow behind. Here,
while engaged in trying to circumvent a deer, we discovered some Indianir
on a hill several hundred yards ahead, and gave them a shout, to whicia
they responded by loud and rapid talking and vehement gesti-^ulation, but
made no r op, hurrying up the mountain as fast as their legs could carry
them. V\''e passed on, and again encainped in a grassy grove.

I was prom-
titudc for a

li reduced,
and, having
animal, una

flower; and
istic, bcgiu-
urned, hav-
to make a
him.

aeaten trail,
itiveenjoy-
ihe air ana
1 the course
ded directly
tains, whic 1
and change
st beautilul
3r, on whicij
turally havfc
icksot' bare-
where they
wiiich were
ted to noot!
oak: , whici:

ands, where
ry remarka-

d, we again
onsisting ol

people had
ke beehivcir
)rmed of in-
e hogshead,
e filled with
reral neatly

were sv ee»:
alf a bushel,

icles, in ox-
i»'e followed

nd. Here,
ome Indians
jt, to which
'.ulation, but
ouid carrv

i844.1 ('APT. FREMONTd NARKATIVF. 227

The absence of Mr. I'reuss gave mo great concern ; and, for a large re-
ward, Dero-sicr volunteered to go buck on the trail. I diiected him to
search along the livcr, travelling upward for the s[)ace of iiday and a half,
at which time 1 expected he would Jiieet Mr. Fitzpatc ick, whom 1 requested
to aid in the search ; at all event.s, he was to go no farlhci, but return to
this canjp, where a cache of provisions was luadu for him.

Continuing the next day down the river, we discovered three squaws in
a little lK)tt()in,and surrounded them before they couM make their escape.
They h;id largo conical baskets, which they were engaged in fdling with a
small leafy plant {trodiuni ci cularium) juat now beginning to bloom, and
covering the ground like a swsrd of grass. These. did not make any
lamentations, but appeared very much impressed with our appearance,
speaking to us only in a whi.sper, and olferirig us smaller baskets of the
plant, 'vhich.they sigrsified 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 observed 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 woll under-
stand what slie 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 have given it the iiumo of the lieautiful Camp. The undulating river
shore was shaded witii 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 hud seen several of the acoin 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 hilh behind, and had the pleasure to see Mr. Pieuss descending towards
the camp. Like ourselves, he had travelled to-day 25 miles, but had seen
nothing of Derosier. Knowing, on the day he was lost, that I was deter-
mined to keep file river as much as possible, be had not thought it neces-
sary to follow the trail very closely, but walked on, light and left, cer-
tain to find it somewhere along the liver, searching places to obtain good
vi'ews of the country. Towards sunset he climbed do»vn towards the river
to look for the camp; but, finding no trail, concluded that we were behind^
and walked back until night came on, when, being very much fatigued, he
collected drift wooil and made a large fire among the rocks. The next day
it became more serious, and he encamped again alone, thinking that we
must have 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 reaching it soon His prin-
cipal moans of subsistence were a few roots, which the hunters call sweet
onions, having very little taste, but a good deal of nutriment, growinti gen-
erally in rocky ground, and requiring a good deal of l.ibi<r to gt t as he had
O'.ily a pocket knii'e. Seaiching for these, he found a nest f big ants,
which he let run on his hand, and stripped them oiT in his moui ; these
had an agreeable acid taste. One of his greatest privations was the want

:*'r

iJ-

^ r-.

<5.i

^^R

CAl'T. FREMONT'S NAnKATIVH.

[1844.

of tobacro ; and a pleasant smoke at ovcning would have been a relief
whicb only a voy;if;rur coidd a|)-j)iociato. llotiiotl tlic diiod loaves ot'llic
live OiiU, knnw'ii^ that those of" otiiei' <viks were soniefinirs used as a sub-
stitute ; but these uckUoo tliiek, and would not do. On the 1th he made
scv^n or eight miles, WidkiJis slo^\ly aloriu; the river, avoiding as much as
possible to elimb tb(> bills. In litll(> pools be eaugbt some rd' the smallest
kind of frogs, ..bich lu; swallowed, not so mucb in ibo gratilication of hun-
ger, as in the bojx ol ohtainitii^ some stPMigtb. Scattered along the river
were old lire-|;laces, where the Indians had roasted muscles and acoitis ;
but though be scarcluMJ diligently, be did not there su(!ceed in llndlng
cither, lie had oollerird (iie wood lor {he night, when he beard at some
distance fiom the livei (be baikiiig of what be thought w ere two dogs, and
walked in that ilireetioPi as (jtiiekly as be an as ai)le, hoping (o lind there
some Indian hut, but int t only two wolves ; and, in bis disappointment, the
gloom of the forest was doubled.

Tiavelling the n( xt day feebly down the rivei', be foimd five or six In-
dians at the huts of Nvbich we have spoken ; some were painting them-
selves black, and others toasting acorns. IJeing only one man, tbcy did
not run oiT, but received him kindly, ar.d gave him a v. olcome supply of
roasted acorns. He gave them bis pocket knife in return, and stretched
out bis band to one of the Indians, who did not apjx'ar to compreiiend ibc
motion, but jumped back, as if he thought he was about to lay bold of him.
Tliey seemed ai'raid of him, nol certain as to what be was.

Travelling on, be came to the p.lace where we had found the fuaws.
Here be found eur tiro still hurning, and the tracks of the hei ' ' ""'.le
sight gave bim sudden hope and courage ; and, following as lasi as be
could, joined us at evening.

March 6. — ^Ve t.-ntinuod on our road, tbrougli the same surpassingly
beautiful countty, o^iUirely une{}u:i!led for the pasturage of .-iocU by any
thing we bad ever seen. Our horses bad nf)W become so strong that they
were able to cany us, ami we travelled rapidly — over four miles an hour;
four of us riding every altei nate ' lur. Every few hundred yards we came
upon a little band of deer ; but we were too eager to reach the settlement,
wbich wc momentarily expected to discover, to halt for any other than a pass-
ing sbot. In a few hours we reached a large fork, the northern branch of
the river, and equal in size to tiiat which wc bad descended. Together
they formed a beautiful stream, GO to 100 yards wide ; ',»hicb at first, igno-
rant of the nature of t!ic country through which that river ran, we took
tO be the Sacramento.

We continued down l!ie tight bank of the river, travelling 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 bad fre-
quently noticed in descending, arising front the fires we bad seen from the
top of the Sierra. From the upland we descended into ad grovGS on
the river, consisting of the evergreen, and a new species oi' white oak with
a large tufted tep, and three to six feet in dianieter. Among these was no
"brushwood ; and the grassy surface gave to it the appearance of parks in
an old settled country. Followir.g the tracks of the hoises and cattle '"a
search of people, we discovered a small village of Indians. Some of t!
had on shirts of civilized manufacture, but were otherwise naked, and v
could understand nothing from them ; they appeared entirely astonished at
seeins us.

[1844.

^n a rolipf
ves of the
i as a siih-
!> ho. luado
IS mnch as
le sinallost
on of huM-
g the liver
1(1 acorn? ;
in findinir

111 at some

» (loj^s, and

find there

itnient,the

1 or six Fa-
ting tlicin-
1, they did

2 supply of
1 stretched
rehrnd ihe
old of him.

he fiiaus.
--S '^ho
I last as he

irpassingly
)CU by any
1!; that thoy
s an honr ;
Is we ca:ne
n;ttlement,
hanapass-
anch of
Togiether
first, i^no-
n, we took

while ovt
cattle. '^I'o
e had fre-
II from the

grovGS on
oak with
ese was no
jf parks in
id cattle ''n

icof t!M -^v.
3d, and v •_
tonished ai

^844.]

OAIT. FKK.MONTri NAltJJATIVE.

1 \)

Wo made an acorn meal at noon, and hunic'd on; the valley heiu;^ <;.u
with llowcrs, and .some of the l)atdcs bcinjj; ii'),-ioliitely golden with the Cali-
fornian \)<i]i\)y, {esclischollzia croccu.) Here the ^rass was smooth and
green, and the groves very open ; the larg(> oaks ihiowing a broad shade
among sunny spots. Shoi lly afterw.nds wo g^.ve a shout at the apj)earance
on a little Idiilf of a nisatly built (idohc houst; with glass windows. We
rode u|), but, to our (lisa})pointn)erit, found only Indians. Tiiere was noap-
})earance of (udlivalion, and we could see no cattle, and we supj)osed the
place had been abandDned. We now pressed on more eagt;rly than ever;
the river swept round in a large bend to the right; the hills loweicnl down
entirely ; and, gradually enteiing a broad valley, we came unexpectedly
into a large itidian village, where the people looked dean, and wore cotton
shirts and \arious other articles of dress. They itnmedialely crowded
around us, and wr had the inexpressible delight to find on(! who spoke a
little indillerciit Spanish, but who at first confounded us by saying there were
no whites in the; countiy ; but just then a well-dressed Indian came up, and
made his salutations in very well sjioken Spanish. In answer to our in-
quiries, be informed us that we were uj)on the Riodclos America nos^ {ihe
river of the Ameiicans,) and that it joined the Sacramento river about 10
miles below. Never did a name sound more sweetly ! We felt ourselves
among our countrymen ; lor the name of Anicrican, in these distant parts,
is applied to tin; citizens of the United Slates. To our ea^^er inquiries he
answered, " I am a vaquero (cow heid) in the service of Capt. Sutter, and
the people of this rancheria work for him." Our evident satisfaction made
him communicative; and ho went on to say that Capt. Sutter was a very
rich man, and always glad to see his country people. We asked for his
house, lie answered, that it was just over the hill before us; and offered,
if we would wait a moment, to lake his horse and conduct us to it. We
readily accepted his civil oiler. In a short distance we came in sight of the
fort ; and, passing on the way the house of a settler on the opposite siiiO,
(a Mr. Sinclair,) w(i forded the river; aiul in a few miles were met a short
distance from the fort by Capt. Sutter himself. Jle 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 refresh-
ment, 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 svith fresh hor^'-s and provisions, 1 hurried off to meet
ihem. On the second day we met, a few miles below the forks of the Rio
iC los Americanos; and a more forlorn and pitiable sight than they present-
6 ' cannot well be imagined. They were all on foot — each man, weak and
^raaciated, leading a horse or mule as weak and emaciated as themselves.
Tney had experienced great difficulty in descending the mountains, made
slippery by rains and melting snows, and many horses fell over precipices,
and wctc killed ; and \vith some were lost the packs they carried. Among
these, was a mule with thv", 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. Fitz-
patrick and his party, travelling 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 mr-de sick by the strange
and unwholesome food which the preservation of life compelled them to

. ;:'■«■

■r •

. /

'■<jt.

■T.I'

'k' !

*'<■■.

■-.tf i:

>V:<.,

f:.

i.'30

('APT. rKK.MONT'S NAKKATIVE.

[1614

„;v

^i':

>isc. VVc stopped and cnrampod as soon as wo tnot ; atid a rr|)a5t of «;ood
beef, oxrollont bread, and delicious salmon, whicli I had bioiij;bt along,
were their (hst relief from the sntleringsof the Sierra, and flieir first intro-
duction to the lijxiiries of the Siicramento. It reiquired all our philosophy
and forbearance to prevent ])lc7itij horn becoinin|:c as hurtful to us now, as
scarcity had been before.

The next day, Mandi 8(h, we encamped at the junction of the two riv-
ers, the Sacramento and Americanos; and thus found tlu' whole party in
the beautiful valley of llu; Sacramento. It was a convenient place for the
camp; and, among other things, was within reach of the wood necessar}'
to make the pack saddU^s, which we .shoiild 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 n)aich.

Ca|)taiM Sutter emigrated to this country from the western part of Mis-
souri in 1838-'30, and foimed the first settlement in the valley, on a large
grant of land which he obtained from the Mexican (iovernment. He had,
at first, some trouble with th(! 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, harro i* nd other agricultural operations, are entiiely the
work of these Indiu ir which they receive a very moderate compensa-
tion — principally in si. .its, blankets, and other articles of clothing. In the
same manner, on application to the chief of a village, he readily obtains 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 woollen factory; but
they were now all busily engas.';ed in constantly watering the gardens,
which the unfavorable dryness of the season rendered necessary. The oc-
casional dryness of some seasons, I unilerstood to be the only complaint of
the settlers in this fcitilc valley, as it sometimes renders the crops uncer-
tain. Mr. Sutter was about making arrangements to irrigate his lands by
means of the Rio de los Americanos. He had this vear sown, and alto-
gether by Indian labor, thiee hundred fanegaf 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 of war ; for these, a regular yearly payment is made in grain.

The fort is a quadrangular adobe structure, mounting 12 pieces of artil-
lery, (two of them brass,) and capable of admitting a garrison of a thou-
sand men ; this, at present, consists of 40 Indians, in uniform — '^ne cf
Avhom was always found on duty at the gate. As might naturally bo ex-
pected, the pieces are not in very good order. The whites in the em-
ployment of Capt. Sutter, American, F'onch and German, amount, per-
haps, to 30 men. The inner wall is formed into buildings comprising the
common quarters, with blacksmith 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 lanning creek communicat-
ing 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 tranquil, with several fathoms of water in the channel, and

1S44.]

CAPT. FREMONT'.s NARRATIVE.

231

s now, as

c two riv-
c party in
CO lor the
nocpssat}'
g journoy
ir months
y took up

It of Mis-
:)n a largo

Ho had,
xercise of
peaceable
?at fields ;
oted ; the
tirely the
ompensa-
i;. In the
obtains as
liis time a
tory ; but

gardens,

The oc-
nplaint of
ps uncer-

iuiids by
and alto-

iss, being
of stock,
illery and
in grain.
3 of artil-
f a thou-

— nno q(^

ly bo ex-
1 the em-
iint, per-
rising the
dwelling
mg more

imunicat-
ibont two
red yards
nnel, and

its banks continuously timbered. There were two vessels belonging to
Capt. Sutter at an'hor ne;«r the landing — one a largo two-ujasted lighter,
and the other a schooner, which was shortly to proceed on a voyage to
Fort Vancouver for a carqo of goods.

Since his airival, sevcial other persons, principally Americans, have es-
tablished themselves in the valley. Mr. Sincl.iir, Irom whom i exj)erienced
much kindness dining tny stay, is settled a lew miles distant, on the kio
de ios Americanos. Mr. Coudrois, a gentleman Irom (iermany,has estab-
lished himself on FtNither river, and is associated with Captain Sutter in
agricultural pursuits. Among other impiovenients, they are about to in-
troduce the cultivation of rape seed, [hrassUn rupus, ) which there is every
reaso'A to believe is admirably adaj)ted to the <'liiu;Ue and soil. 'I'he lowest
aveiage produce of wheat, as far as we can at present know, is 35 fanegas
for one sown ; but, as an instance of its fertility, it m;iy be mentioned that
Sefior Valejo obtained, on a pieite of ground where siicep had been pas-
tured, 800 fanegas for eight sown. TIkj produce being dill'erent in various
places, a very correct iilea cannot be lbrn)e(l.

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 col-
lected ; the horse mill was at work day and night, to make suflicient Hour ;
the blacksmith's shop was put in reipiisition for horse shoes and bridle
bitts ; and pack saddles, ropes, and bridles, and all the other little equip-
ments'of the c;>nip, were ag;un to be providi'd.

The delay thus occasioned was one ol repose and e/ijoyment, which our
situation required, and, anxious as we were to resume our homeward jour-
ney, was re;i;retted by no one. In the mean time, 1 had the pleasure to meet
with Mr. Chiles, who was residing at a farm on the other side of the river
Sacramento, while engaged in the selection of a place for a settlement, for
which lie had received the necessary grant of land from the Mexi .in Gov-
ernment.

It will be remembered that we had })arted near the frontier of the States,
and that he had subsecjuently desceiuled the valley of Lewis's fork, with a
party of 10 oi- \2 men, with the intention of crossing the intermediate moun-
tains to the waters of the bay of San Francisco. In the execution of this
design, and aided by subsequent information, he left the Columbia at the
mouth oi' Malheur river; and, making his way to the head waters of the
Sacramento with a part of his company, travelled down that river to the
settlements of Nueva Helvetia. The other party, to whom he had com-
mitted his wagons, and mill irons and saws, took a couisc further to the
south, and the wagons and their contents were lost.

On the 22d we made a preparatory move, and encamped near the settle-
ment of Mr. Sinclair, on the left bank of the fiio ue Ios Americanos. I had
discharged live of the party : 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 my-
self, his; good conduct induced me to comply with his request ; and 1 ob-
tained (or him, from Captain Sutter, a present compensation of two dollars
and a half per diem, with a promise that it should be increased to five, if he
proved as good a workman as had been represented. He was more par-
ticularly an agricultural blacksmith. The other men were discharged with
their own consent.

L*<

■I*

»::-v

.4 -^

■1 '

lf>:
•'■*.'

■ir-..

■u..

'«

•'1- .

r'i"

M-

!.^a

CAPT. FKKMON'l'JS NAKRATIVK.

[1844.

While wc icniiniu'd jit Ihis place, Deio.siei, one of our best men, wliose
s((>:uly irood coDdtict liiid won my rc^md, waiidi :ie<l oil lioni llic camp, and
never nMiurK li to it affiiin ; nor Ikis he sinie hern IkmkI oI'.

March Jt. — We /cmiiikmI onr journey witli an anipir .stock ol" provisions
and a large cavalcade ol animal's, con^ihtin^ ol \'.\{\ hothes and mules, and
ihout thirty head ol cattle, live of which were milch cows. Mr. Sutter
liirnishcd us also with an Indian hoy, whohati heen liained as a vaquero,
and who would he rierviceahle in manau;in^ our cavalcade, gieat |)art ol
which were neaily a.swihl as hullalo ; and who was, besides, vt;ry anxious

to iio

iiung witn us

Our direct couise honw was east; but the Sierra

would force us south, al)ove live hundred miles ol travelling:;, to a pass at
the head of the San .l();!(|uin liver. This pass, reporied to he ^ood, was
discovered by J\Jr. .l()se|)h Walker, ol'whonj 1 have already spoken, and
whose name it mi^ht there lore ;ippropviatrly bear. To reach it, our course
lay aloni; the valley ol the San,Joa(juin — the river on our ri^ht,and the lolty
wall of the impassable Siei ra on the l(>lt. Fron\ that pass we were to move
southcastwar(lly,havin!i;the Sieira tlienon the rijj;ht,and reach the ^'■Spaiiisk
//7m7," deviously traced from one wateiiufj; place to another, which constitut-
ed the route of the caiavans from Pucbla delus Atigelcs, near the coast of
the Pacific, to Santa 1\ of New Mexico. From the pass to this trail was 150
miles. Following that tiail ihrouffh a desert, relieved by some fertile plains
indicated by the recurrence of tlie term vcgas, imtil it turned to the right
to cross the Colorado, our course would be norllieast until we regained the
latitude we had lost in airiving at the JOutah lake, and thence to the Kocky
mountains at the head of the Arkansas. 'I'his course of travelling, forced
upon us by the structure of the country, would occupy a computed distance
of two tliousand 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 being
Spanish or Indian, indicated that it had been but little trod by American
feet. Though long, and not lice from hardships, this route })i'esented some
points of attraction, in tracing the Sierra Nevada — turning the Cireat Basin,
perhaps crossing its rim on the south — completely solving the problem of
any river, except the Colorado, from the Rocky mountains on that part of
our continent — and seeing the southern extremity of the (Iie;U Salt lake,
of which the northern pan had been examined the year befoi e.

Taking leave of Mr. Sutler, who, with several gentlenien, accompanied us
a few miles on our way, we travelled about eighteen miles, and encamped on
the Rio dclos Cosuntncs, a stieam receiving its name from the Indians who
live in its valley. Our road was through a level country, admirably suited
to cultivation, and covered with groves of oak trees, j)rincipally the ever-
green oak, and a large oak already mentioned, in form like those of the
Avhite oak. The weather, which here, at this season, can easily be changed
from the summer heat of the valley to the frosty mornings and bright days
nearer the mountains, continued delightful for travellers, but unfavorable
to the agriculturists, whose ciops of wheat began to wear a yellow tinge
from want of rain.

March 25. — Wo travelled for 28 miles over the same delightful country
as yesterday, and halted \n a beautiful bottom at the ford of the Rio delos
Mukelemnes, receiving its name from another 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 extra-
ordinary beauty, growing four to five feet in height, and covered with

[1844.

icn, whose
camp, and

provisions
ruule8, and
Mr. Sutter
a vaqutrOy
L>at part ot
uy anxious
tlio Sieira
[u a ))ass at

pood, was
)oket), and

our course
nd llio loftv
re to move
e ^^Spanisli
h coiistitut-
llic coast of
ail was 150
rtile plains
o the right
.'gained the

the Koeky
ing, lorced
ed distance
nsas ; not a

, all heing

American
>nted some
leat Basin,
)roblem ot

lat part of

Salt lake,

iipaniedus
camped on
dians who
ibly suited
the ever-
ose of the
e changed
right days
ifavorable
How tinge

j1 country
Rio de los
ng on the
ly fertile ;
of extra-
ered with

1844.]

(JAi'T. rKi;,\n)i\r'.s NAitK.vnvK

83:

spikes in hlonm, adortMMi tlic hanks of the river, and fdled tlic air with a
liglit and ^r.ilelul pcrfdinc.

On the L!()th we hali< d at the Anoi/n de las Calnrcras^ (Skull creek,) a
tributary to the; San .I(>a(|uin — ihe prc^vious two streiims (iiitering the bay
between the San .loiKpiiri and Sacramento livers. This place is beautiful,
with open groves of o.ik, and a grassy sward beneath, with many plants in
bloom ; some varieties of which seem to love the .shacU; of the trees, and
grow there in close small fields. Near the river, and icplacing the grass,
arc great (piaittities of (unnin/e, (soap plant,) the loaves of which are used
in CJalifornia for making, aiuimg other things, mats for s.iddle cloths. A
vine with a small white (lower, [mclathria /) called here la i/crba /juenu,
and which, from its abun(lanci>, gives name to an island and town in the
hay, was to-day very frecpient on our road — sometimes tunning on the
ground or climl)ing the trees.

March 27. — 'I'o-day we travtdied steadily and rapidly up the valley ; for,
with our wild animals, any other gait was impossible, and making about
five miles an hour. J)urii)g the eailier part ol the day, our ride had been
over a very level piaiiie,oi- latherii succession of long stretches of prairie,
separated by lines and groves o( oak timber, growing along <lry gullies,
which are fdled with water in seasons of rain ; and, perhaps, also, by the
melting snows. Over much of this extent, the vegetation was sparse ; the
surface showing plaitdy the action of water, which, in the season of flood,
the Joaijuin spreails ovei the valley. About 1 o'clock we came again
among innumerable flowers ; and a few miles further-, fields of the beautiful
hlue-llovvering Itipinc^ w liich seems to love the neighborhood of water, indi-
cated that we were approaching a stream. VVc here found this beautiful
shrub in thickets, some of them being 12 leet in height. Occasionally three
or four plants were dusteted together, forming a grand bou(piet, 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 imagine with what pleasuie we rode among these
flowering groves, which filled the air with a light and delicate fragrance.
We continued our toad for about half a mile, iriterspersed through an open
grove of live oaks, vvhicii, in form, were the most symmetrical and beautiful
we had yet seen in this country. The ends of their branches rested on the
ground, forming somewhat more than a halfspheic of very full and regular
figure, with leaves apparently smaller than usual.

The Californian poppy, of a rich orange color, was numerous to-day.
Elk and several bands of antelope made their appearance.

Our road was now one continued enjoyment ; and it was pleasant, riding
among this assemblage of green pastures witli varied floweis and scattered
groves, and out of the warm green spiing, to look ai the rocky and snowy
peaks where lately we had siifl'ered so much. Emerging from the timber,
we came suddenly upon the Stanislaus river, wheie we hoped to find a
ford, but the streaui was flowing by, dark and deep, swollen by the moun-
tain snows ; its general breadth was about 50 yards.

We travelled about five nijles up the river, and encamped without being
able to find a ford. Here W3 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 erodium cicuta-
Hum in bloom, eight or ten inches high. This is the plant which we had

!%■

4"'

234

('APT. KUKMONT'S NAHIJATIVK.

[1944.

seen the squaws palherinj; on the Rio de Io<i Amoi icanos. Uy the inh.ihit«
ants of th«' valley, it is hi'i,hly n.steennMl (or Cittpnirj^? callle, which upp<!ar
to he very lend of it. Ileic, where the soil hcgins to f)e .sandy, it stipplios
to a considerahio extent the want of f^rass.

Desirous, as far as possHile, without dMiay, to iticluth; in our examination
the San Jua(|uin rivrr, I rptinix'd (his Miornitmdown the Stanislaus (or M
miles, and a^ain encamped without having (bund a lol(litl^ place. Alter
following it for 8 miles (urtlior the next inornin;;, and (iiidini; ourselves in
tiie vicinity of the San .loa(|uiii, encamped in a hanilsoiiie o.ik strove, and,
several cattle hein':;kill('d, we fen ied over oui hag<fa<;e in their skins. Here
our Indian hoy, who prol)ahly had not much idea of where ho was goinn,
and began to he alarmed at the niany streams which we were rapidly put-
ting between him and the; village, (h.'seited.

Thirteen head of cattle look a sudden (right, while we were driving them
across the river, and galloped o(V. I remained a day in the endeavor to
recover them ; but, (iruling they had taken the trail hack to the fort, let them
go without further cd'ort. Here we had several days of warm and pleasant
rain, which doubtless saved the crops below.

On the 1st of A|)ril, wo. made 10 miles across a prairie without tiniher,
when we were stopped again by another large river, which is called the
Rio de la Merced, (river of our Lady of Mercy.) Here the country had
Jost its character o( extreme lettility, 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 o(
elk aiid wild horses ; and along the rivers are (rcquent fresh tracks ot griz-
zly bear, which are unusually numerous in (his country.

Onr route had been along the timber of (he San Joaquin, generally about
8 miles distant, over a high prairie.

In one of the bands of elk seen today, there were about 200 ; but the
larger bands, both of these and wild horses, are generally found on the other
side of the river, which, for that reason, 1 avoided crossing, i nad 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 animals
among them, together with the wish of adding to our recormoissance the
numerous streams which run down from the Sierra, decided me to travel
up the eastern hank.

April 2. — The day was occupied in building a boat, and feri'ying our
baggage across the river ; and we encamped on the bank. A large fishing
eagle, with white head and tail, was slowly sailing along, looking after sal-
mon ; 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 Helvetia, scattered about in flocks near
the wheat fields, and eating grass on the prairie ; a horseman would ride by
within 30 yards, without disturbing them.

April 3. — To-day we touched several times the San Joaquin river — 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, where steep, were a kind of sandy clay ; its average width
appeared to be about eighty yards. In the bottoms are frequent ponds,
where our apj)roach disturbed multitudes of wild fowl, principally geese.
Skirting along the timber, we frequently started elk ; and large bands were
seen during the day, with antelope and wild horses. The low country and

1844.]

CAI'T. FKEMONTS NAKUATIVK.

835

(atninatinn
laiis lor 11
ce. A It*.' I
uselves in
^rovo, and,
iins. Here
was goina;,
Ltpidly put-

iving them
n (leaver to
rt, let ihcm
[id pleasant

out timber,
I called the
country had
nore sandy
jsed by the
th bauds ol
L:ks ot griz-

rallv abouf

•

; but the
n the other
nad been

ably found
>ui- animals
issance the

e to travel

rrying our
irge fishing
g after sal -
partridges,
struck with
flocks near
aid ride by

liver — here
ntly deep,
hite sand ;
rage width
ent ponds,
ally geese,
jands were
ountry and

the timber rendered it difllciilt tokopp the main line of the river; and this
c\(.'ning we encamped on a Itibiitary stream, about five miles from it8
mouth. On the ptaiiie bordeiing the San Joa((iiin bottoms, there occurred
during the day but litth; grass, and in its place was » ^iparsc and dwarf
growth of plants ; the soil being sandy, with entail bare places and hillocks,
eminded nn; much ol the IMatte bnltxns ; but, on iipproachitig tlx; timber,
we found a more luxuriant vegetation ; and at our cam}) was an al)undance
of grass and pea vines.

The foliage of the oak is getting darker ; and every thing, except that the
weather is ii little cool, shows that spring is rapidly advancing ; and to-da)
we had (piite a summer lain.

April 4. — Commenced to rain at da) light, but cleared off brightly at sun-
rise. We ferried the river witltout any dilliculty, and continued up the San
Joaquin. Klk were running in bands over the prairie and in the skirt of
the timber. We reached the river again at tlu; moiith of a large slough,
which we were un;d)le to ford, and made a circuit of several miles around.
Uerc the country appears very flat; oak trees have enliiely disappeared,
and arc replaced by a large willow, nearly equal to it in size. The river is
about a hundred yards ifi breadth, branching into sloughs, and interspersed
with islands. At this tinu! it appears sutticiently dec^p for a small steamer,
but its navigation would be broken by shallows at low water. IJearing in
towards the river, we were again forced ofl' by another slough ; and, pass-
ing around, steered towards a clump of trees on the river, and, finding
there good grass, encamped. The prairies along the left batdi arc alive
with immense di o\es of wild horses ; and they had been seen during the
day at every opening through the woods which afforded us a view across
the river. Latitude, by observation, 37'^ 08' 00" ; longitude 1 20° -15' 23."

April 5. — During the earlier part of the day's ride, the country nresented
a lacustrine appearance ; the river was deep, and nearly on a levtjl with the
surrounding country ; its banks raised like a levee, i..id fringed with wil-
lows. Over the bordeiing plain were interspersed spots of prairie among
fields of titlr (bulrushes,) which in this country arc called tularcs, and lit-
tle ponds. On the opposite side, a line of timber was \isible, which, ac-
cording to information, points out the course of the slough, which, at times
of high water, connecis with the San Joaquin river — a large body of water in
the upper pai t of the valley, called the 'I'ule lakes. The rivei- and all its
sloughs are ve, y full, and it is probable that the lake is now discharging.
Here elk were frequently started, and one was shot out of a band which ran
around us. On our left, the Sierra maintains ^i^■ iiowy height, and masses
of snow appear to descend very low towards the plains ; probably the late
raina in the valley were snow on the mountains. We tiavelled 37 milej,
and encamped on the river. Longitude of the camp, 120° 28' 34", and
latitude 36° 49' 12".

April 6. — After having travelled 15 miles along the river, we made an
early halt, under the shade of sycamore trees. Here we found the San
Joaqui 1 coming (low n from the Sierra with a westerly course, and check-
ing our way, as all its tiibutaries had previously done. We had expected
to raft the river ; but 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 \.eic visible in the direction of the Tule lakes to the
southward — probably kindled in the tulares by the Indians, as signals that
there were strangers in the valley.

4''

'f' I

♦■v '

if ■
•>.

y. '■ 'I

4 I

iid

{•APT runMONTrt NAIlUAI'IVi:

riS44.

•i'ii

■»

•■A

\Vc made, on (ho 7tli, :i li.iid tiiiiit'li in a cold ciiilly tain from morning
until nii(l>t — the wijutliur so tliirk that vvn (ravclUMJ liy coinpaits. Tliis \\i\n
a Iravtmc iVoin (lio San .loa(|iiin to tiio watoiti o( tlie Tuli jukeo, and our
road wflji over a was If vol piairif cotinlry. VVt; saw wolv<'.s lr«M|ncnl y
during the day, piovvlin^ about aKcr llic youn^ antt lope, uliicli cannot run
very last. '^hu^|(J ucro 'tuitttruUii during tlic day, and two were caugltt by
the people.

Lute in iho alUMMoon wo di^covcMod (IioIxm, which wis found to he
<;roves ol" oak ttocs on a dry arrotjo, riic, rain, which had l.dlcn in (re-
fluent showcr.s, poured down it) a storm al .sunset, with a .stronu; wind,
which ^w(>pt oil' tlio cloud*), and Iclt a clear sky. liidin^ on through the
timber, about darkuolound abundant water in small ponds, li) to .30 yards
in dianu'ter, with clear deep water and .sandy beds, bordered with boj;
rusheb (^//ntuv (//■(HAU.'V,) and a tall lush iscii'iniH incnsfris) 12 tocit hii;h,
and suirounded near the margin with willow tribes in bloom; anion*; them
one which resembled sniix nii/ricoiiles. The oak ol" the j^roves was the
same already mentioncil, with stnall leaves, in I'onn like those; of the white
oak, and torming, with tlie evergreen oak, the eharaciei istic trees ot' the
valley.

April S. — Alter a rid*; ol' two miles through brush and open groves, we
reached a large stn.Min, called the River ol tinj Lake, resembling in si/e the
San Joai|uin, and being about 100 yards broad. This is the principal trib-
utary to the Tul • lakes, which collect all the \vaters in the upper purl ul
the valley. While we were searching tor a lord, son»e Indians appealed on
the opposite bank, and. having discovered that Wf! were not Spanish sol-
diers, showed us the way to a good loril several njiUis above.

The Indians ol the Sierra mike frecpjent descents upon the settlements
west of the Coast Range, which they keep constantly swept of horses ;
among the>n are many who are called Cluistian Indians, being refugees
from Spanish niission:>. Sevral of iliese incursions o'-ic.urred while we
were at Helvetia. Occasionally parties ol soldiers follow them across the
Coast Range, init never enter the Sierra.

On the opposite side wc found some forty or fifty Indians, who had come
to meet us from the village below. We made them some small presents,
and invited them to accompany us to our encampment, which, alter about
three miles through fine oak groves, we mad;) on the liver. We made a
fort, principally on account of our animals. Tlie Indians brought otter
skir.2, ant' ocveiul kinds of fish, and bread made of acorns, '« trade. Among
them were several who hat! come to live among tiiese Indians when the
missions were broken up, and who spoke S[)anish lluently. 'I hey inforned
us that they were called by the Spaniards mansitoSy (tame,) in distinction
from the wilder tribes of the mountains. They, however, think themselves
very insecure, not know ing at what unforeseen moment the iins of the
latter may be visited on them. They are dark-skinned, but handsome and
intelligent Indians, and live principally on acorns and the roots of the tule,
of which also their huts are made.

Bv observation, tiie latitude of the encampment is 36^ 21' 50", and lon-
gitude 119-41' 10'.

April 9. — For several miles we had very had travelling over what is
called rotten ground, in wiiich the horses were frequently up to their knees.
Making towards a line of timber, we found a small fcrdable stream, beyond
which the country improved, and the grass became excellent ; and, crossing

18'H.1

('\PT. FKMMONT'rt NAIlKVirVK

837

1 Miornni^
'I'lbis \\M
!H, and our
iro<|ueiil y
c;aniu)t run
: iMUglit l)y

•urul (o lie
lien ill l'i(>'
oiii; wind,
liroi.^li (liu
to JO yarils
i with bo^
to(!l iiiii;li,
iuon>; till MM
E5.S was the
" the white
308 ol' the

;iovc9, wo
in si/0 the
icipul tiil)-
er |):irl ul
ipoiitod on
|)anish sul-

ettleincnts

ol" horses ;

g rerugGOH

while we

across the

had conio

presents,

(tor about

V'o made a

(ught otter

D. Among

when the

y inlorned

distinction

hciuselves

ins ol the

[Jsome and

)! the tult',

', and lon-
er what is
leir knees,
in, beyond
J, crossing

a number of dry and tindiorrd arroyon^ wp travelled until late through opou
ouk grove.*), and encamped niiioiig a ('ollcclion ol Htieam**. 'I'licMr were
running among lushrs and willows; and, ns usual, ilix'ks ol hlarkbird.<«
announced our approach to water. \\t\ have here appioaihcil considerably
nearer to the east* in Siena, \\lii(;h >hows very plainly, ^tiil (oxert'cl with
ma-^ses ol snow, w hidi vestr'iday and tO'day Iia?» aho apjteaicd abundant
en the ('oast I?ange.

April It). — Today wc made another l(»ng journey of abotit foity mile!«,
through :i country ufiintcK •^li^g and tlat, with Vf ry little grass and a sandy
.s.iil, in which several branelies we cros-^iMl had l()>t their water. In the

evening the lace of the country became

hilly

niid, turning a few milcjs

up towards the mountains, we fouml a good encampment on a pretty stream
lii(id(Mi among th() hilb-, and liandsoiiiely limbered, principally with large
cottonwoods, [pojuiluH^ <lill(iiiig iVom any in iMubaux's Sylva.) 'i'hc
seed vessels ol this tree were now just about bursting.

Several Indians came downtlic livc^r to see us in the e\cning: we gave
them su|»per, ami cuMiioned them against stealing our horses; \\hich they
j)romi.sed not to attempt.

April II. — A bid;ni trail aloni^ the river here takes out among the hills.
" Huen camino," (good road,) ^aid one of the In<liaiis, of whom wo had
iiupiired about ihepass; and, follow ing it accoidingly, it condtjctcd usbeau-
lifidly through a very broken crtunfry, by an excellent way, which, other-
wise, we sbouid have found o.xtremely bail. 'I'akeii separately, the hills
present smooth and graceful outlines, but, together, make bad travelling
ground. Instead of grass, the w hole face ol" the country is closely covered
with vrodiuiu cicutarluni^ lure oidy two oi' three inches high. Its h<nght
and beauty vari<.'d in a inmaikable manner w ith the locality, being, in many
lo^v places wnicli wc passed during the day, aiouiul ^f reams and springs,
two and thiee Icet in height. The country had now assumed a character
of aridity; and the luxuriant green of these little streams, woodv-d with
willow, oak, or sycamore, looked very refresb'a:;; among the sandy hills.

In the evening wo encamped on a largo creek, with abundant water. I
noticed here in bloom, lor the first time since Icavir.g the Arkansas waters,
the mirohilia Jalapu.

t^pril \2. — Along our rorul to-day the country was alto'jretlier .sandy, and
vegetation meager. I'phciira occidentalism which wc had tir.st 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 ol"tlie afternoon, we reached a tolerably large river, which emp-
ties into a small lake at the head ol the valley ; it is about thirty-five yaids
wide, with a stony and gravelly bed, and the swiftest stream we have
crossed since leaving the bay. The bottoms produced no glass, though
well timbered w ith willow and cottonwood ; and, after ascending it for
several miles, we made a late encami)ment on a little bottom, with scanty
grass. In greater part, the Vegetation along our road consisted now of
rare and urmsual plants, among which many were entirely new.

Along tfie bottoms were thickets consisting of several varieties of shrubs,
which made here their first appearance ; and among these w as (iarrya
ellipticd, (Lindley,) a s'nall tree belonging to a very peculiar natur-al or-
der, and, in its gciiei'al appearance, (growing in thickets,) resembling
willow. It now became common along the streams, frequently supplying
the place oi' salix lon^nfolia.

I ' «

'.t

I ;

• '♦

■»'<■

t ■

'V.:

|v *

'j3ft cAi»r. niKMoNT?* nahhativj:. [ish.

^l/>ri7 13.— Tlio uuti'i WON low, uiid n (ow iiiilci nliovn wc forded the
riviir lit 11 riipid,(iiMl luarcliiMl in a Noiitlitnktrily dircclion ovoi a \chh lirokni

rotinlry. I hi* iiuxiMtatiis unr txiw \riy titMi', (icct-tiotially looiiiin;^ on*
tliitxi^li l<>^. In ii li'w JiDiiiM wc iriiclnd tlio lioltuiu ol a ncrk witlioii.
wutrr, ovri which lhi> Miiiidy l>edN wimc didiiciNi'd in many hiancfioM. Itn*
inrdiali'ly whrio wc (ittiick it, lht< iitnhrr liMmiiinIrd ; and hrlow, to tht
li^ht, it u.ts .1 liro.til hcd oTdiy and liarc sands. The ri* uni! many tracks
(d Indians and Iidisin inipiinlid in ihrsand, which, with (ilhci indicatioriv,
informed us was the creek i.siininf; from iho pans, and which wo ha\<
t'lHcd l*as!) crci'k. Wi; ascc nditd a trail for a lew miles alon^ tfi>
neck, and sinMcnly lutind a vticam of water live li'ct wide, innnin^ wiiii
a lively (IIik nt, hul lur^in^ itxdl almost imniciliattdy. This little ^(reanl
showed plaiidy the mannei in which the monnlaiii watcis lose themselves
in (iand at tlu! easlere. loot td' (he Sierra, leaving only a parched desert uixl
aiid plains heyond. The stream enlat^ed rapidi/, and the timher heeaim
alxindant as w c ascended. A new species ol pine iiiadt; its appearance,
with several kinds of oaks, and a vainly ol trttes ; and the cotinlry chang-
in^ its appeaiani" suddenly and entirely, wc fonnd ourselves again travel-
ling among the old orchanl'like plains. ll(Me we selected a delightful en-
eampment in a handsome green oak h(dlo\N\ wluMe, among the open bolU
of the trees, wa-i an ahnndant sward of grass and pea vines. In tlu! even-
ing a CMuislian Indian rode into the camp, widl diessed, with long spurs,
and a sonifneroy and speaking Spanish lluenlly. it was an unexpected ap-
paiition, and a sti.ing(! atul pleasant sight in this desolate gorge of ii monn-
t.dn — an Indian face, Spanish costume, jingling spurs, ami horse eipiippeii
after the Spanish manner. Il(> inlorme<l nu; that he helonged to one of the
Spanish missions to the sonth, distant two or three days^ ride, and that Ix'
liad ohlained from the piiests lea\ e to speiul a lew days with his relation-
in the Sierra. Having scvw ns enter Ihe yir/.sw, he had come vn to visii
us. Ilea[)peared familiarly aciiuainled with the country, gave me

definite and cl(!ar information in regard to the desert region cast of the
mountains. I had entered the pass w ilh a >trong disposition to vary my
route, and to travid directly across tow ards the CJreat S.dl lake, in the view
of ol)tainiMg some aitpiaintance w ith the inleiior ol tlu; (ireat liasin, while
pursuing a direct course lor the frontier ; hut his rci)rcsentation, which de-
hcribed it as an arid and l)arren desert, that had repulsed by its sterility al
the attem|»ls of the Indians to i)enetiatc it, determined me for the present
to relinquish tin,- plan; and, agieeahly to his advice, after crossing the
Sierra, continue our intended route along its eastern base to the Spanish,
trail. Hy this route, a parly of six Indians, who had cniG from a gniat
river in the eastern part of the dcport to tiade with his people, had jusi
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 conduct us so far on our way. His oiler was gladly accepted.
The fog, which had somewhat interfered with views in the valley, had en-
tirely passed off, and left a clear sky. That which had enveloped us in
the neighborhood of the pass proceeded evidently from (ires kindled amoni;
the tuliires by Indians living near the lakes, and which were intended t'j
warn those in the mountains that there were strangers in the valley. Our
position was in lalitutie .'55 17 12", and longitude 118 35' 03".

tj'lpril 14. — Our guide joined us this morning on the trail; and, arriving
in a short distance at an open bottom w here the creek forked, wc continued

IM4.1

(•\PT. FrUlSfo.NT'M NAKR^TIVK.

33f)

roi-clc<l the

IcNM lirokru
joining mi'
vk withoii.
iiclii's. Itn-

low, to lilt

iKiny triic'kt
itKlicitiori'*,
li \\v liaM*
alon^ tlii>
iniiii)); Willi
illlo ^t^(^Ull
ihcmsi'lvc-H
I (icsci t uixl
litr Ix'caiiift
ippcarancr,
nlry chaii^-
gain Iravfl-
}li;;liiriil cri-
I open bolU
n llu: even-
lon^ spur?,
xpt^t'lcd ap-
> ol a nioun-
*c C(piip|)rii
to one o( tilt'
and that In-
lis relation^
vn to visit
gave nw
cast of llie
to vary my
in the vieu
iasin, whilo
, which de-
sterility al
the preseru
ossing the
ho Spanitili
otn a great
e, had jui-i
lay to San
he offered
y accepted,
ey, had en-
oped us in
died amoni:
ntcnded t)
alley. Our

id, arrivinc
continue<i

up the riKht-huixl hianch, which wiih «>nri('h(Ml hy u profuHion of l1owi*rs,
nnd haniUoinciy wooded wilh ity('ainoii>,o:ikt,coiioriwood,nnd willow, with
other In I'M, and Nome shruhhy plants. In iit |<in^ .<«liing>« ol htillit, this
hyeaniore dillirH Iroin that ol llu* IJniird Slale<«, and is ihr phttiinuH occi-
tItnUilii ol llookir — n ncu- Hpeci(>r«, recently ihscnlted itinon^ ihe plants
collected in lh(< voyage ol ihe Sulphur. The collonvvood varied iiM loliag<>
with while lulls, anti ihe leathery needs wen,' llying plenlilully ihroi.gh Ihe
uir. (iooseherries, nearly ripe, were very .dxindant on ihe inouniain ; and
AH we pas>ed the dividing grounds, which were not very oiisy to usceitain^
(he air wa^ filled with perluine, us if we were (entering a hrghly cullivated
garden; and, in^le:ld of green, our pathway and ihi; mountain sides were
«'ov<;red with fields ol vi How (lowers, w hith iu'ie w as the prevailing color.
Our jotiiiiey to-da) w:is in the niicNl u\ an advancetl spring, whose green
and lloral heauty ollcred a delighilul conlr.i*^! to (he sandy valley w<! had
just left. All Ihe day, snow was in sight on the hiiU ol lh«' mounlain, which
frowned down uptui us ot\ the right ; hut we Ixhild it now wilh feelings
of pleasant srcurily, as we rod*' along Ixt ween green trees and on lloweiH,
wilh huminirig hird.t and other leathered ttiends of lh(> traveller erdivening
the serene spring air. .\s we ituehed iIk! Miininit of this heaulilul pass,
and olitained a view into ihe (>aslern counliy, we* saw at once that here
was the plac«! to take leave oi all such ph-asint si'Jiies as those around us.
The di>tant niouniains weit: now liaid rocUs agtin ; and helow, the land
had any color hut green. Taking into consideration the nature of the
Si(!rra Nevada, wo lound this pass an exct.llent one lor horses ; and with
a lilile la!)or, or prihaps wilh a more ptt feet examination of the localities,
it might he made sullw iei:tly piacticahle lor ^v igons. Its latitude and \<u\-
gitudc may he eonsideied t!i at of our list encampment, only a few miles
liistant. The elevation was not taken — our half-wild cavalcade making it
Ion lrou))lesome to halt before night, when once start(((l.

Wo here lelt llie waters t)l tlu> hiiy ol San Fiancisco, ,u\(|, though forced
uj)on then* contrary to my intcntiorn, I cannot regr« I the necessity which
occasicMK'd the deviation. It luido me well ac<|uainte<l with the great
range of ffie Siei ra Nevada of the Alia (^alilor rii.i, and sh'<w( d that this
hroad ami elevated snowy iiil;;e was a continuation ol the C.is<;ade Range
of Oregon, hetrveen which and the ocean there is .still aiu)ther ami a lower
range, pa alhl to ihcj tormor' and to the coast, and vvhii h may he called the
(Joast Ram c. It also made lue well acciuainted with the hasin ol the San
Francisco hay, and with the two pretty rivers and their valleys, (the Sacra-
mento and San Joacjuiii,) which are triltulary to that hay ; and cleared up
some points in gcogiaphy on which error had long prevailed. It had been
constantly represented, as 1 have already stated, that the bay of San Fran-
cisco opened far into tin; intei ioi, hy some river coming down from the
hase of the Rocky mounrains, and upon which su|)posed stream the name
of Rio Buenaventura had been bestowed. Our observations of the Sierra
Nevada, in the long distance from the head ol' the Sacramento to the head
of the San Joacjuin, and of the valley below it, which collects all the waters
of the San Francisco bay, show that this neitiier is noi' can be the case.
No river Irom the interior does, or can, cross the Sierra Nevada — itself more
lofty than the Itocky mountaiiis ; and as to the Hucnaventura, the mouth
of which seen on the coast gave the idea and the name of the reputed great
liver, it is, in fact, a small stream of no consojjuencf.', not only below the
Sierra Nevada, but actually below the Coast Range — taking its rise within

I ••

»•

> V

i •.

fo!:

240

CAPT. FREMOlN'T'S NAURATIVK.

[1844-

^i^

half a degree of (he ocean, iunnin<i parallel to it for about two degrees,
and then falling into tho Pa( 'io near Monterey. There is no openinp; from
the hay ol San Francisco into the interior of the continent. The tvro
rivers vhich lUnv in'.o it are comparatively shoit, and not perpendicular
to the coast, hut hucral to it, and having their heads towajds Oiegon and
southern California. They opt. > lines of coininunication north and south,
and not eastwardly ; and thus this want of interior communication from
the San Francisco bay, now fully ascertained, gives great additional value
to the Columbia, which stands aione as the only great river on the Pacific
slope of our continent which leads from the ocean to the Pocky mountains,
and opens a line of communication from the sea to the valley of the Mis-
sissippi.

Four compa\eros ']oincd our guide at the pass ; and two going back at
noon, the; otncrs continued on in company. Descending IVom the hills, we
reached a country of luie gr-*JS, where the erodiumcicutarium finally dis-
appeared, giving place to an excellent quality of bunch 2;rass. Passing by
some springs where there Mas 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 hi J beei^ killed by a paity of soldiers
which had unexpectedly penetrated into the moinitains. Crossing a low
sierra, and descending a hollow where a spring gushed out, we 'vere struck
by the suddei^ appearance ot yucca trees, which gave a strange and south-
ern character to, the country, and suited well witii the dry and desert re-
gion we were appioaohing. Associated with the idea of barren sands, their
stiff and ungraceful I'orm makes them to the traveller the most repulsive
tree in the vcgetai)!<^ 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.

Ap^'il 15. — The Indiatis who had accompanied tlio guide returned this
mornincr, and I purchased t'rom them a 8;)anish saddle and long spurs, as
reminiscences of the lime ; 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, iu which our guide in-
formed us that the water ver} soon disappeared, and turned directly to the
southward along the foot of the mountain ; the trail on which we rode ap-
pearing to describe the eastern limit of travel, where water and grass ter-
minated. Crossing a low spur, which boi dered the creek, we descended to
a kind of plain among the lower spurs; t .e desert being in full view on
our left, apparently illimitable. A hot mist lay over it to-day, through
which it had a while and glistening appearance ; here and there a few dry-
looking huUes and i.^olated' black ridges rose suddenly upon it. There,"
said our guide, stretching out his hand towards it, "there are the great
llanos, ( plains ; ) 7J0 hay agiia . ;:o hay zacate — iiada: there is neither water
nor grass — notiung ; eveiy animak that goes out upon them, dies." It was
indeed dismal to look upon, and hard 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 : hfc"°, within a few miles ride, a vast desert plain spread before us,
from which the boldest traveller turned away \ \ despair.

Directly in frc ^\ of us, at some distance to the southward, and running
out ill an (easterly direction from the mountains, stretched a sierra, having

[1844.

degrees,
eninR from

The tivo
pendicular
jiegon and
and south,
ation from
ional vaiuo
the Pacific
mountains,
of the Mis-

ng back at

lie hills, wc

finally dis-

Passingby

ves of large

1 out a spot
of soldiers

issing a low
'vere struck
; and south-
l desert rc-
sands, their
3t repulsive
hortly came
t put forth a
;!;rass.

turned this
112; spurs, OS
they gave

1844.]

CAl'T. FREMONTS NARRATIVR.

241

f",

r guide in-
ectlv to the
,ve rode ap-
d grass ter-
escended to
ill view on
y, through
a few dry-
There,'-
e the great
ither water
" It was
lange in so
ing a valley
with birds
n^e San Joa-
before us,

Ind running

Irra, havin

at thn ea.-'tern end (porhaps 50 miles distant) some snowy peaks, on which,
by the information of our iiuide, snow rested all the year.

Our cavalcade made a strange and groiesque appearance; and it was im-
possible to avoid rellecting upon our position and composition in this remote
solitude. Within twodeirrees of the Pacific oe(;an; already far south of the
latitude of Monterey; and still fon-ed on south by a desert on one hand, and

a mountain rau^c on

in. other; gnideiJ hy a civilized Indian, attended by
two wild ones from the Sierra; a Chinook from the Columbia; and our owii
mixture of American, French, German — all armed; four or five languages
lieard at once; above a hundred horses and mules, half wild: American.
Spanish, and Indian dresses and equipments intermingled — such was our
composition. Our niarcii was a sort of procession. Scouts ahead, and on
the Hanks; a front anc' rear division; the pack animals, baggage, and
horned cattle, in the cenfre ; and the whole stretching a quarter of a mile
ahng our dreary path. In this form we journeyed; looking more like we
belonged to Asia than to the United Stales of .\merica.

We continued in a southerly direction across the plain, to which, as well
as to all the country so far as we could see, the yucca trees gave a strange
and singular character. Several new i)lants appeared, among which was
a zygophyllaceous shrub {zyi^ophylluni Cdlifurniciirn, Torr. & Frem.)
aometinifs 10 feet in height; in form, and in the pliancy of its branches, it
is rather a graceful plant. Its leaves are small, covered witli 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 varieties of cactus, make the characteristic features in the vegetation
for a long distainie to the eastward. Along the foot of the mountain, 20
miles to the southward, red stripes of flowers were visible during the morn-
ing, which wc supposed to be variegated sandstones. We rode rapidly dur-
ing the day, and in the afternoon emerged from i\\Q yucca forest at the foot
of an outlier of (he Sierra before us, and came among the fields of flowers
we had seen in the morning, which consisted principally of the rich orange-
colored Californian poppy, mingled with other flowers of brighter tints.
Reaching the top of the spur, which was covered with fine bunch grass,
and where the hills were very green, our guide pointed to a small hollow
in the mountain before us, saying, "« este piedra hay agua." He appeared
to know every nook in the co\mtry. 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 buck-
wheat, with their white blossoms around the granite rocks, attracted our
notice as familiar plants. Several antelopes were seen among the hills, and
some arge 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 ca>np is 34° 41' 42"; and longitude
US'" 'Z'y 00". The next day the men returned with the mule.

jipr'/l 17. — Crossing the ridge by a beautiful pass of hollows, where sev-
eral deer broke out of the thickets, we emerged at a small salt lake in a
vation lying nearly east and west, where a trail from the mission of San
Bueuaventura comes in. The lake is about 1,200 yards in diameter; sur-
rounded on the margin by a white salty border, which, by the smell, re-
minded us slightly of Lake Aburt. Therearesomecottonwoods, with willow
and elder, around the lake; and the water is a little salt, although not en-
16

;,./
<..,

'■y

«'7

'^42

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

[1844.

lirely unfit for drinkiiia;. Hero wc turned directly to the eastward, along
UH! trail, which, from being seldom used, is almost imperceptible; and,
after travelling a few miles, our guide halted, and, pomting to the hardly
visible trail, ^^</qni, es car/u'/iu," said he, "no se pierUe — va stetnj)re." He
])ointed out a black bu/fe. on the plain at the foot of the mountain, where
Ave would find water to enca'.np at niglii; and, giving him a present of knives
and scarlet cloth, we shook hands and parted. Me bore off south, and in a
day's ride would arrive cit San J''ermindo, one of several missions in this
part of California, where the eoinury is so beautiful thit it is considered a
paradise, and the name of its principal town ( Puch/d de Ins ./Inij^eles) would
make it angelic. We continued on through a succession of valleys, and
came into a mo.st beautilul spot of ilower fields; instead of green, the liills
were pur()le and orange, with unbroken l)eds, into which each color was
separately gathered. A jinle straw color, with a bright yellow, the rich red
orange of the poppy n)ingled with fields of purple, covered the s[)Ot with a
iioral beauty; and, on the border of the sandy deserts, seemed to invite the
traveller to go no farther. Riding along through the perfumed air, we soon
after entered a defile overgrown wiih tlie ominous (trltmia'ui tridenlata^
which conducted us into a sandy plain covered more or less densely with
forests o{ yucca.

Having now the snowy ridge on our right, wc continued our way towards
a dark hutte belonging to a low sierra in the i)lain, and whicli our guide
liad pointed out for a lan.dm irk. Late in the day the familiar growth of
Cottonwood, a line of which \vas visible ahead, indicated our approach to
a creek, which we reached wbere 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, 16 feet wide, with a sAvift
current. A dark night overtook us A^hen avc reached the hills at the foot
of the ridge, and Ave Avero obliged to encamp without grass; tying up Avhat
animals we could secure in the darkness, the greater part of the wild ones
liaving free range for the night. Here the stream Avas tAvo feet deep,sAvift
and clear, issuuig from a neighboring snow peak. A few miles before
reaching this creek, Ave had crossed a broad dry river bed, Avhich, nearer
the hills, the hunters had tbund a bold and handsome stream.

April IS. — Some parties were engaged in hunting up the scattered horses,
and others in searching for grass above ; both Avere successful, and late iu
the day we encamped among some spring heads of the river, in a holloAV
which Avas covered wUh only tolerably good grasses, the loAver ground
being entirely overgrown Avith large bunches of the coarse stift grass,
[carex sitchernsh.)

Our latitude,by observation, was .34°27'03"; and longitude 117°13'00".

Travelling close along the mountain, Ave followed up, in the afternoon
of the 19th, another stream, in hopes to find a grass patch like that of the
previous day, but Avere deceived; except some scattered bunch gra.ss, there
Avas nothing but rock and sand; and even the fertility of the mountain
seemed Avithered by the air of the desert. Among the fcAv trees Avas the
nut pine, (pinus tnonophyllus.)

Our road the next day Avas still in an easterly direction along the ridge,
over very bad travelling ground, broken and confounded with crippled
trees and shrubs; and, after a difficult march of 18 miles, a general shout

1844.]

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.

243

J, along
G ; and,
5 hardly
'." He
I, where
I' knives
and in a
s in this
id c red a
s) would
eys, and
the hills
olor was
rich red '
)t with a
nvitc the
, we soon
'dent at (I,
scly with

/ towards
->ur guide
growth of
[) roach to
ids, and a
ould ])ass
nd nearer
hundred
til a swift
t the foot
; up what
wild ones
eep, swift
es before
h, nearer

jd horses,

Ind late in

a hollow

ix ground

llift grass,

|7°13'00".
lafternoon
liat of the
kiss, there
jraountain
Is was the

|the ridge,

crippled

bral shout

announced that we luul struck the great object of our search — thk Spanish
TRAIL — which here was running directly norih. The road itself, and its
course, were equally happy tlisooveries to us. Since the middle of Decenr,-
iicr we had continually Ix.'cn forctid south by mountains and hy deserts, and
now would have to make six d 'groes of worZ/j//;;^'-, to regain the latitude on
which we wished to cross the Rocky mountains. The course of (he road,
iiierefore, was what we wanted; and, once more, we felt like going home-
wards. A ruad to travel on, and the right course to go, were joyful con-
solations to us ; and our animals enjoyed the beaten track like our.selves.
Relieved from the rocks and brush, our wild nailes started o/l'at a rapid rate,
and in 15 miles we reached a considerabhi river, timbered wi(!i cottonwood
;uid willow, where we found a bottom of tolerable grass. As the nnimals
hadsulfered a great deal in tlu^ last few days, I'rernained here all next day,
to allow them the necessary repose; and it was now necesL-ary, at every
favorable place, to make a little halt. Between us and the Colorado river we
were aware that the coi^iiry was extremely poor in grass, and scarce for
water, there being ma.nyjornuda.s', (days' journey,) or long stretches of 40 to
()0 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 cbtiin no correct information about it; and the
greater part of what we had h^ard was found to be only a tissue of false-
hoods. The rivers that we found on it were never mentioned, and others,
particularly described in name and locality, were subsequently seen in an-
other part of the country. It was described as a tolerably 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 nearlv destroyed our band of fine mules and horses. Manyan-
jnials are destroyed on it every yt ar by a disease called the foot evil; and
a traveller should never venture on it without having his animals well shod,
and also carrying extra shoes.

Latitude .34° 34' 11"; and longitude 117° 13' 00".

The morning of the 22d was clear and bright, and a snowy peak to the
southward shonj out higli and sharply defined. As lu'r; been usual since
we crossed the mountauis and descend^'^ miIo the hot plains, we had a gale
i>[ wind. ^Ve travelled down the rig. f 'tank of the stream, over sa'ids
which are somewhat loose, and have no verdure, but are occupied i y va-
rious shnrbs. A clear bold stream, 60 feet wide id several fe't deep, had
a strange appearance, running between perfectly nakc 1 banks oi and. 'I'he
eye, however, is somewhat relieved by willows, and the beautiful green of
ihe sweet cottonwoods with which it is well wooded. As we followeu along
jts course, the river, instead of growing constantly larger, g. dually dwin-
dled away, as it was absorbed by the sand. We were now areful to take
liie old camping places of the annual Santa F6 caravans, which, luckily for
us, had not yet made their yearly passage. A drove of several I'-ousand
Jiorses and mules would entirely have swept away the scantv ■' iss at the
watering places, and we should have been obliged to leave tl road to ob-
tain subsistence for our animals. After riding 20 miles in a northeasterly
direction, we found an old encampment, where we halted.

By observation, the elevation of this encampment is 2,250 feet.

^pril 23. — The trail followed still along the river, which, in the course
of the morning, entirely disappeared. We contituied along the dry bed,
in which, after an interval of about 16 miles, the water reappeared in

:.''ii

1 1

'■('■ .

Ml
' 1 1

■^ • 1

1 ,

•W •

'h.

•r

JJ4

CAPT. FREMONT'rt NAKUATIVE.

[1844.

P^'ih

[..1

sonio low places, woU tiinbcicd witli cottoiiwood fii.d willow, where was
another of the customary ( ainpiiii,' ^[roniKls. Here a i)arty of six Indians
cuiue into cam;), poor and hnni;ry,and quite in keeping witli tlie character
of ih(! country. Tlicir arms were hows of unusual length, and each had
;; larg'j gourd, sirtMiglliened with meshes of cord, in which he carried water.
'J'hcy proved to he the ^h)hahve Indians mentioned by our recent guide;
and from oneof tliem, wiio spoke Spanish lliieiuly, I ohtuined some inter-
esting information, which 1 would he glad to intioduce heie. An account
of the people inhahitin:: tlii.s region would undouhiddly possess interest for
the civili/ed world. Our journey homeward was fruitful in incident; and
tlie country through wliicii we travelled, although a di'^crt, alforded nuicli
to excite the curiosity of the botanist ; hut limited lime, ami the rapidly ad-
vancing seasoi' in active operations, oblige njc to omil all extended de-
scriptions, and luivry iiielly to the conclusion of this repi ii.

The Indian who spoke Spanish had been educated for a number of years
at one of the Spanish missions, and, at the breakii^^ up of those establish-
ments, had returned to the mountains, wher(i Ik; had heim found by a party
o{ Mohahvc (sometim.s called *.^muchaba) 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 ilie soutlienst, which tl •:. •'soldicis
calied the Rio Colorado:" but that, forme) ly, a portioti of them lived upon
th;s river, and among the mountains vhich had boimded 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 oftb.c Sierra, bringing with them blanlcets and goods manufac-
tured by the Monquis and other Colorado Indians. They rarely carried
home horses, on account of the difliculty of getting them across the desert,
and of guarding theiv afterwards from the Pa-utah Indians, who inhabit
the Sierra, at the head of the Rio Virgen, (river of the Virgin.)

He intbrmed us that, a short distance below, this river linally disappear-
ed. The two ditierent portions in which water is found had received from
the priests two difierent names ; and subsequently I heard it called by the
Spaniards the Rio de las ,.^)iif/ias, but on the map we have called it the
Mohahve river.

Jlpril 24. — We continued down ihe stream (or rather hs bed) for about
eight miles, where there was wp' i still in several holes, and encamped.
The caravans sometimes continue below, to the end of the river, from which
there is a very \ongjo?'nada of perhaps sixty miles, without water. Here
a singular and new species of acacia, with spiral pods or seed vessels, made
ts first appearance ; becoming henceforward, for a considerable distance,
a characteristic tree. It wa'^ here omparativf^Iy bige, b<^ing about 20 feet
in height, with a full and si)readiiiy top, the lower branches declining to-
wards the ground. It afterwards occurred of smaller size, frequently in
groves, and is very fragrant. It has been called by Dr. Torrey spirolobium
odorahim. The zygophyllaceous shrub had been constantly characteristic
of the plains along the river; and here, among many new plants, a new
and very remarkable species of eriogonum {eriogonum injlatiim, Toxr. &
Frem.) made its first appearance.

Our cattle had become so tired and poor by this fatiguing travelling, that
three of them were killed here, and the meat .Iried. The Indians iiad now
an occasion for a great feast, and were occupied the remainder of the day

[184

ere was
: Indians
;lmractcr
lach had
•d water.
it guide ;
tuc inier-
1 account
terest for
lent ; and
[od much
ipidly iul-
liuded de-

)V of years
estabhsh-
)y a party
m he had

y master.)
; •' soldie.s
ived upon
ver valley
: they had
trade with
s manufac-
cly carried
the desert,
ho inhabit

disappear-
cived from
llled by the
ailed it the

) for about
|encamped.
Tom which

•. Here
jsels, made

distance,
lout 20 feet
fcclining to-
Iquently in
nrolobium
laracteristic
Ints, a new
\m, Torr. &

[elling, that
lis had now
[of tlie day

1844.]

OAI'T. riUOMONT'S x\AI{UATI\ K

and all the nigli

'i^^

all me nigni in cnoKiiig ana eainig. i nor(! was no part ol the aniin;u
for which they did not tind some use, except the hoiu^v In the arternooii
wc were snrpris(!d by the sudden appearance in the cu of two Mexi-
cuMS — a man and a boy. The name of the man was .'/nilrcas Fitentes ;
ana that of the boy, (a handsome lad, 11 years old,) I\ihln Ili'rniuKtet.
They belonged to a parly consisting of six persons, the remaining four
being the wife of Kueiiles, the father and mollier of Pablo, and Santiago
Giacome, a resident of New Mexico. With a eav;dea(l<; of about thirty
horses, they had come out from Fuebla do los Angeles, near tins coast,
under the guidance ol (liacomf?, in advance of the great caravan, in order
to travel more at leisure, and obtain better grass. Having advanced as
far into the desert as was considered consistent with tlieir s.-ifi'ty, they halted
at the Jlrchiktte., one of the customary cam|)ini; j,'run!i(ls, about 80 miles
from our encampment, wh'U-e there is a spring of good water, with sutli-
cient grass ; and conclu<ied to await there the arrival of the yreat caravan.
Several Indians were; soon discovered lurking about the eanip, who, in a
day or two after, came in, an I, after beharing in a very friendly manner,
took their leave, without aw ikening any suspicions. Their deportment
begat a security which prove(i fatal. In a few days afterwards, suddeidy
a party of about one lumdred Indians appeared in sight, advaticing to-
war'\> the Ccuup. It was too late, or they seemed not to have presence of
min'J to take proper UK^asure^i of safety : and the Indians charged down into
their camp, shoutimr as they advanced, and dischari/iiiiz flights of arrows.
Pablo and Fuentes were on horse guard at the time, and mounted, accord-
ing to the custom of the country. One of the princij)al objects of the In-
dians was to get possession of the horses, and part of them immediately
surrounded the band; but, in obedience to the sliouts of (liacome, Fuentes
drove the animals over and through tlie assailants, in spite of theirarrows ;
and, abandoning the rest to their fate, carried them off at speed across the
plain. Knowing that they would be piu'sued 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 Aguade Toiuaso. VV^ilhout giving themselves any time for
rest, they hurried on, hoping to meet the Spanishcaravan, when they discov-
ered my camp. I received them kindly, taking them into my own mess, and
promii;ed them such aid as circumstances might put it in my power to give.

Jipril 25. — 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 our-
selves,) and continued our way acro.ss a lower ridge of the mountain,
through a miserable tract of sand and gravel. We crossed at intervalsthe
broad beds of dry gullies, where in the season of rains and melting snows
there would be brooks or rivulets ; and at one of these, where there was
no indication of Avater, 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.
They 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 moun-
tainous 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 gullies, the plains below are strewed with beds of
large pebbles or rolled stones, destructive to our soft-footed animals, accus-

iji

'.1,

•i\\

^ .

> ■

24G

CAPT. FKK^fON^'H NAKRATI'^K.

ri844.

.At'

t()in<'<l lo rhe ani^sy plains of" tim Sacrnnu'iito valley. Tliroiit»li th'^se
«anUy basiiis soiiuMitii'Js strus^glod a .scuity siretiui, or occurred a holo of
Wiitor, wliicli rtiriiislicd caiiipirii;: ^r<»||ll(l.s (or travrillcrs. Frt.'([iiently in our
jounify across, snow was visihlo on iIki siirroiiiHlmi; tMountains ; but tlu-i:
waters rarely reacliod the sandy |)lain below, wlicrt^ w(! toiled alon^, op-
pressed with thirst and u burning sun. Hui, iluou^liout this tinkeMhuis.
ol' sand and L,'rav<il, were many beaut il'iil plants and lloweriug shrubs,
wliicli occurred in many U'!W species, and with ^DN'ite.r vari<;ly than we
had been aecuslomed n> see in the most lu.vtiriant prairie countries; this
was a peculiarity of this ije.sert. Even where no i^rass would take root,
the naked sand would liiooui with some rich and rare llower, which found
its ap|)ropriat(! home in the arid and barren .spot.

Scattered ov(!r the plain, and tolerably abimdani, was a handsomo legu-
minous shrid), three or four feet lugh, with tine bright-purplc llowcrs. It
is a now /isontlva, and occurred frei[Uenily hencelorward along our road.

lieyond tlw; first ridye, our road bore a little to the east of north, to-
wards a gap in a higher line of mountains; and, after travellmg about
twenty-five miles, we arrived at the ,'/i(n(t de Tomnso — the spring where
tlie horses had been left ; but, as we expected, they were gone. A brie!
cxaniinaiiou of the ground convinciid us that they had been driven olf by
the Indians, Carson and (iodey volunteered with the Mexican to pursue
thcni : and, well mounted, the tliree set olf on the uail. At this stopping
place there were a few bushes and very little grass. Its water was a pool;
but near by was a spring, wiiich had been dug out by Indians or travel-
lers. Its water was cool — a great refreshnnmt to us under a burning sun.

In the evening Fuenles returned, his horse having failed; but Ca-sou
and Godey had continued the pursuit.

I observed to-night an occultation of a' Cuncri, at the dark limb of the
moon, which gives for the longitude of the place IIG^ 23' 28": the lati-
tude, by observation, is .35*^ 1.3' 08". From Helvetia to this place, the po-
sitions along the intervening line are laid down with the longitudes ob-
tained from the chronometer, which appears to have retained its rate re-
markably well ; but henceforward, to the end of the journey, the {a^ lon-
gitudes given are absolute, depending upon a subsequent occultation and
eclipses of the satellites.

In the afternoon of the next day, a war-whoop was lieard, such as In-
dians make when returning from a victorious enterprise ; and soon C'xrson
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 o^'ertaken 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
nightfall entered the mountains, into which the trail led. After simset the
moon gave light, and they followed the trail by moonshine until late in the
night, when it entered a narrow defile, and was ditliciilt 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 silence and in darkness. Here they lay from
midnight till morning. At daylight tiiey resumed the pursuit, and about
sunrise discovered 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 encampment of four lodges close by.
They proceeded quietly, and had got within thirty or forty yards of their ob-

ISM.l

<.'AI'T. I'RKMONT'M NAIIHATIVi:.

34'

iiph those
a liole of
Dtly ill our

hut th«>i:
iiloiiu:, 0|)-
iiakodiio^.^
g shrubs.

than wi*
tries ; thl^
take root,
hicli louml

sonio legu-

Dwcrs. \'

our roaii

north, to-

hui^ about

iug wherf

. A bnet

ivoii oil" by

I to pursuo

[S stopping

ivas a pool;

or travel -

timing sun.

)Ut Ca"sou

imb of tho
' ; tho lati-
ace, the po-
itudes ob-
its rate re-
3 few lon-
tation and

ch as In-
oon Cirson
gnised by
dangUng
en the In-
s left them,
nd towards
sunset the
late in the
w. Afraid
, struck no
3y lay from
and about
id tying up
ened, from
es close by.
f their ob-

jorf, whru a niovruKJiit anioiii.' llu! horses disrovDrnd them to llni lii('iaiis;
givMi'j ihn war shoiil, tln-y insiuntiy (^liarujod into the caiiip,r('^'ardlcss of the
nninbcr which llio four lodges wonl<l im|)ly. 'Hic Indians received tln'm
with a lli'ihl of Jirrows shot from th(!ir louLr bows, oin' of whirh pas.st.'d
through (Iddiiy's shirt collar, h.iroly niissinii the iK-ck ; our incii (ir«!d their
ritles upon a steady aim, uiid rushed in. Two Indians w(!ro stretched on
the grou'id, fatally pierced with bullets-, the rest (led, except a l;id that w:is
captured. TIk! scalps of tlie faluiii were instantly stripped olf; but in the
process, one of tluiin, who had two b;dls llir()Ut:li his body, sprnii!,' to hi.s
feet, the blood siroamnig from his skinned head, and uttering a hiueous
howl. An old .scpiaw, possibly his mother. slojjptMl and looked back I'roni
the inonniain side she was climbini!;, threateimn: and lanuMiliiig. The
frighti'iil speciacli! appalled tlu; stout he;n!s of our men ; but they did what
humanity re(juircil, and (piickly terminated tlu; agonies of tlu; i^ory savage.
'J'liey were now masters ol the camp, which was a pretty little recess in tho
mountain, with a fine s|)rinir, and apparently safe from all invasion. (Ireat
preparations had becm made to f(;ast a laru'tj party, lor it was a very proper
place for a rendezvous, and for the celebration of such orgiesas robbers of
the desert would delight in. Several of the best horses had been killed,
skimietl, and cut n|) ; for the Indians living in mountains, and only coining
into the plains to rob and murder, make no other use of liorses than to eat
I hem. Large eartlum vessels were tni the firt!, boiling and slewing the
horse beef; and several baskets, containing fifty or sixty pairs of moccasins,
indicated the presence, or expectation, of aconsiderable party. They released
the boy, who had given strong evidence of the stoicism, or something else,
of ilu! savage character, in commencing his breakfast upon a horse's head
as soon as he found .e 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 f-iil, and rejoined us al our camp in
the afternoon of the same day. They had voae about one hundred miles iu
the pursuit and return, and all iu thirty hours. The time, place, object,
and numbers, considered, this expedition of Carson and Godey may be con-
sidered among the boldest and most disinterested which the annals of western
adventure, so full of daring d(^eds, can j)rcsent. Two men, in a savage des-
ert, pursue day and night an unknown body of Indians into the defiles 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 the
desert, and to avenge tin.' wrongs of Mexicans whom they did not know.
I repeat: it was Carson and Godey who did this — the former an »jQmerica?i,
born in the Boonslick county of Missouri ; the latter a Frenchman, born in
St. Louis — and botli trained to western enterprise from early life.

By the information of Fuentes, we had now to make a long stretch of
forty or fifty miles across a plain which lay between us and the next possi-
ble camp; and we resumed our journey late in the afternoon, with the in-
tention of travelling through the night, and avoiding the excessive heat of
the day, which was oppressive to our animals. For several hours we trav-
elled 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, travelling di-
rec'.iy towards the north star, we journeyed now across an open plain be-
tween mountain ridges ; that on the left being broken, rocky, and bald, ac-
cording to the information of Carson and Godey, who had entered here in

V :

'aV

248

r.WT. KlU: MONT'S NAIUIATIVE.

[1844.

^\'

pursuit of ihu horses. 'I'hi' phiitt appcarrdcoviTPil |>riii('ipally with thr :i/i^o-
phylluvi (Utliforniciitn already iiuMitioiH'd ; and iht; hii«i of our road was
marked hy the sUoltitoiis ol" horses, which wch' streweil to a coiisiderahhi
hrea(hhover the plain. \\v were afterwards always warn* d, <ni (Miteriiii^one
of these loiii;; stretches, hy the hones of thc'so animals, which had p(!rislied
hefore they conid reach the water, .\hont niidnii^ht we reached a consider-
ahle stream hod, now dry, the disr-huru^i; of th(! waters of this hasin, (when
it collect(ul any,) down which we dcsceniled in a nort/iinw/rr/i/ dirtjclion.
The creelv hed was overgrown with shrnhhe; y, anil se'Tral hours heforci
day it hrought us to tin? entrance of a cafion, where wo found water, and
encamped. This word cmion is nsi-d hy the Spaniards to si^infy ;i delilc
or i^orgo in a creek or river, where hnj:h rocks press in closi', and make ii
narrow way, usually dilTicidl, ami often inipossihle to he passotl.

In the mornins?we found that we had a very poor cam|)in)L? ground: a
swampy, salty spot, with a little long, unwholesome grass ; and tlie wattjr,
which rose iii springs, Ixnnu: usiUnl only to W(^t tlu; month, hut entirely too
salt to drink. All aromul was sand and rocks, and ski!l<;lons of horses
whicli had not heen ahle to fnid support for their lives. As wo were ahout
to start, we found, at tlu! distance of a lew hundred yards, among the hills
to the southward, a spring i^( tolerably good watiir, which was a relief to
oursclvos; hut the place was too poor to remain h>ng, and therefore wo
continued on this mornin:^. On the creek wore thickets of .spirolobhnn
odoratum (acacia) in hloom, and very fragrant.

Passing througli the canon, we entered another sandy hasin, through
which the dry stream hed continued its northwesterly course, in which di-
rection appeared a high snowy moimlain.

We travelled through a barren district, where a heavy gale was blowing
about the loose sand, and, altcu- a ride of eight miles, reached a large creeic
of salt and bitter water, running in a westerly direction, to receive the stream
bed we had left. U is called hy the Spaniards %fimurgns(i — the hitter water
of the desert. Where we struck it, the stream bends ; atid wo eontiimed in
a northerly course up the ravine of its valley, passing on the way a fork
from the right, near which occiu'rcd a bed of plants, consisting of a remark-
able new geiuis o( crucifern'.

Gradually ascending, the ravine opened into a green valley, where, at
the foot of the mountain, were springs of ccellent water. Wo encamped
among groves of the new acacia, and there was an abundance of good
grass lor the animals.

This was the best canijiing ground we had seen since wo struck the
Spanish trail. The day's journey was about 12 miles.

»^pril 29. — To-day we had to reach the Jirchilette, distant seven miles,
where the Mexican party had been attacked; and, leaving our encamp-
ment early, we traversed a partof the desert, the most sterile and repulsive
that we had yet seen. Its ;.;ominent features were dark sierras, naked and
dry ; on the plains a few straggling shrubs — among them, cactus of several
varieties. Fuentes pointed oat one called by the Spaniards bisnada, which
has a juicy pulp, slightly acid, and is eaten by the traveller 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

[1844,

•();ul \v:i9
sidtTublo
5riiia;oiiM
I»(?ri.slu5(l

II, (wliun
lirticlioii.
irs Ik'Ioi'c^
ahM, juul
y ;i ilclilc
(I iiiaUu a

;;r()Uii(l: a
lie vviitcr,
il^rcly too
of liorsos
re 10 about
'jr tlio hills
a relief lo
11! fore wo
irolobiuni

n, through
which (il-
ls hlowitig
arpo creclc
the stream
ittor water
ntinued in
/ay a fork
a remark-

I, where, at
encamped
;c of good

Istruck the

kven miles,
|r cncamp-
rcYHilsive
I naked and
of several
ida, which
[Uay thirst,
liing ridge,
\\\ was the
js a camp-
silence of
only the

1844.1

(•APT. FIIKMO.NTH NAIlHA'nVK

'iV.i

corpsrs of the two lutMi : every tliins^ oLso wii.s t^oiii*. 'I'lieyr wore imkod,
nuililuted, iiiid pierced with arrows. Ileriiatide/ Mad evi<l<>iitly fought, and
with desperation, lie lay in advaiKui of (he willow half-fac(!d tent, which
sh(;lter(!d his fainily. as if li>! had come out to meet (hiiiLr< r, 'ind to repui.sft
It, from that asylum. One of his li:inds, and hoili his ic/sjiad h(>eu cut
oil. (liacoine, who was a lar-^i' iiiid .stroni,'-lookini,' man, w.is lymij; in one
of th(j willow shelters, pien^ed with arrows. Of the women no irae»5 e-oiihl
he foutid, and it was evident •'ey had heeii carried cd' r.ipiive. A little
lap-doi,', which had heloiiL^'ed to Pablo's mother, rei./ained wilh the dead
bodies, and was frantic with joy at seeiiii,' i'ablo : he, poor ehiM, was franlic
with grief; and filled iIm; air wilh lamentations fir hi:: father /md luotlier.
A/i /unfrc ! Mi tnttt/n' ! — was his incessant cry When we beiiell 'his
pitiable sii^lit, and pictured to oiirstilves iIkj (ale<.f iho two won. en, earned
olf by savages so brutal and .so loathsome, all (;oin|'iiiieiion for the ;f.'i'ped-
alive Indian cea.sed ; and we rejoiced lhal(>arson and (Jodey had been able.
to give so usefid a lesson lo lliesjj Aineriern Arabs, who lio in wait to
murder and ])lund(M' the iiiiio(M!iit traveller.

We were all loo iniich allecled by ijie sad feelings wliieh the place iri-
s|)ired, to remain an uniu'ci-sary moment. The night wi; were obliged to
jiass there. Early in the morning we left it, having (irst written a I.Tief
account of what had happtMieil,and put it in the cleft of a poli; planted at the
spring, that the apiiroachiiui; caravan might learn the (ate of their friends.
Iti commemoration of the (ivenl, we called tiie place t^/^iu/ i/r llcnntndcz —
Jlernandez's spring. IJy observation, its latitude was :J5" HI' iil".

Jlpril 30. — We continued our journey over a district simil.'ir to that of
tlieday before. From the sandy l)asin, in which was the .spring, wee-ntered
another basin of tiu! sainc! character, suri;ounde(l every where; by moun-
tains. Before us str«!tclied ;i high range, risinu; still higher to the left, and
terminating in a snowy monnlain.

After a day's march of 2 t miles, we reached at eveuin<r the bed of a
stream from which the wat(!r had disappeared; a little only remained in
holes, which we increa.sed by diirging^ and about a mil»! above, the stream,
not yet entirely sunk, was spread out over the sands, allording a little water
for the animals. The stream caiuf out of the mountains on the left, very
slightly wooded wilh cotton wood, willow, and acacia, and afew dwarf oaks;
and grass was nearly as scarce as water. A plant with showy yellov/
flowers {Stanleya inlc^rifoliu) occurred abuudanlly at intervals for the
last two days, and crioi^onum 'uijlatum was among the characteristic plants.

May 1. — The air is rough, and overcoats pleasant. The sky is blue, and
the day bright. Our road was over a plain, towards the foot of the moun-
tain; zy^ophyllum Culifornicum, now in bloom with a small yellow tlower,
is characteristic of the coiint»y ; and cacti were very abundant, and in
rich fresh bloom, which wonderfully ornaments this poor country. We
encamped at a spring in the pass, which had been the site of an old village.
Here we found excellent grass, but very little water. We dug out the old
spring, and watered some of our animals. The mountain here was wooded
very slightly with the nut pine, cedars, and a dwarf species of oak ; and
among the shrubs were Pursfiia tridentata, arlemisiu, and ephedra ncci-
dentalis. The numerous shrubs which constitute the vegetation of the
plains are now in bloom, with flowers of white, yellow, red, and purple.
The continual rocks, and want of water and grass, begin to be very hard on
our mules and horses ; but the principal loss is occasioned by their crippled

.:/. \

, I

>,■•

2.10

('APT. PRKMONT'H NAKRA'I iVK.

I 1^14.

t:t\.

Iciit, l\\v p[r«';ii«r pari ot" lliosn It'll luin^ in oxci'llftiit order, ami scarcely a
(lay passus witlioiit soino loss; and, oiui by oiio, Fiit'iitos'.s lior.s«.>s aro coa-
«luiilly dro|i|>iiiu htdiiml. Wlmiuivc^r ilii;ymvc out, he disinoiuits and cul!?
oC tlit'ir tails and nian«ts, to inaUii .saddl*^ uirilis ; tlic lust udvuntago one oati
gain troni iIkmm.

Tho niixt day, in a short but roni?h rido of 12 ndlos, we crossed tli-'
liioiintaiii ; and, descending' toasm.ill valley plain, encamped at the loot
of the lidije, on the hed of a eroilc, where w«; found goo<l irrass in siilllrionr.
(|Hantily, and ahinalance of water in holes, 'I'Ik! ridge is extreriKily ruggoij
and broken, |>resenting on this side a continued procipico, and probably
atl'ords very few passes. Many (lii^i^cr tracks are seen around us, but no
Indians were visible.

Alai/ :i. — After a day's journey of is miles, in a northeasterly direction.
WG encamped in the midst of anoihcr very large basin, at a camping ground
called /(ts rrv^na — a term which the Spaniards use to signify fertile or
marshy plains, in contradistinction to //(tnos\ whicli they apply to dry anu
sterile plains. Two narrow streams of clear water, four or five feet deep,
gusli sudtlenly, with a ([uick current, from two singularly largo springs;
these, and other waters of the basm, pass out in a gap to the eastward.
The taste of the water is good, but rather too warm to be agreeable; tht'
temperature being 71" in the one, and 73 ' in the other. They, liowever.
aUbrdetl a delightful bathing place.

Ahty A. — We started this morninu: earlier than usual, travelling in a north-
easterly direction acro.ss the plain The \m\\v acacia {apirnlnbintn ndordlnrn ,
has now become the characteristic tr(!e ot" the country ; it is in bloom, ami
its blossoms are very fragrant. The day was still, and the heat, which
soon became very oppressive, app(5.irefl to bring out strongly the refreshiti!,'
scent of the zygophyllaceous shrubs and the sweet perfume of the acacia.
Tlu! snowy ridge we had just crossed looked out conspicuously in tht-
northwest. In about five hours' ride, we crossed a gap in the surrounding,
ridge, and the appearanccof skeletons of horses very soon warned us that we
were engaged in another dry jornutjo, which proved the longest we liad
made in all our journey — between fifty and sixty miles without a drop (jI
water.

Travellers 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 bisnaduy and moistened
our mouths with the acid of the sour dock, {riunex venosus.) Hourly ex-
pecting to find water, we continued to press on until towards midnight,
when, after a hard and uninterrupted march of IG 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 animal, in these desert regions, in
scenting at a distance this necessary of lilc.

According to the information we had received, Sevier river was a tribu-
tary of the Colorado ; and this, accordingly, should have been one of it.s
affluents. It proved to be the Rin dc las Jltii^^eles (river of the Angels) — a
branch of the Rio Virgen (river of the Virgin.)

Mai/ 5. — 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 all day, to keep them om
of the camp. They began to surround the horses, which, for the conve-

IflH.l

( A I'T. r R I : Nt I ) N I M N Alt U ATI V E ,

321

jicarcniy a
OS ar»^ c«)i\-
ts nmi cufi
go otie o;ui

irossecl th''
at ihn loot
I) .stilllriuiir.
Kfly ruggcii
(1 [)ri)l)ultly
1 us, but 110

y (lirontioii.
)ii)!^ ground
y lortile or
to dry and
I! feet deep,
r^i springs;
e eastward,
eeabic ; tin'
', however.

r iu a tiortli-
i f)(lor(rlnni ,
bloom, aiul
leat, wliicli
e rolVesliiii;^,
(the acacia.
)usly in tli'.-

rroundiiig.

us that wt:
est we hail
ut a drop o!

an have no
hot yellow-
bo entirely
inoistent'il
Hourly ex-
midnight,
wild mules
old running
regions, in

was a tribu-
i one of its
Angels) — a

nain to-day
3 morning :
them Gu:
• the conve-

nionre of ^rnss, we were guardnig a hitii; above, on the river. 'I'hrMe were
inuiiediutrly driven in, and k<>pl clo.se to the canip.

In llie daiKness of the night we liiid Miade u wry bad encanipinent, oni
fires bi'iiiK ftMnnwuidt'd by a ro<'ky binlf wiiliin .'iO yards ; but, notwilJistand-
ing, we had lli<- river anil sinull llncketsof willow.son (he other side. Several
times during llin day the r;ini|» was insulted by the Inilians ; but, peace
being our oljjeri, I kept simply on the delensive. Some of the Indians were
on the bottoms and others harangniiiv: us lr»^m the bluffs; and they were
scattered ni every direction over the lulls. Their language being probably
a dialert of the Utah, with the aid of sians .some of our people eould com-
prehend ihem very well. 'I'hey were iho siinio people who hail nmrdered
the Mexicans; and towards us llnMr disposition was evideiilly hostde, nor
were we well disposed towanis thenj. They were barefooted, and nearly
naked ; th*:tr hair gatlieri'd up into a knot behind ; and with his bow, each
man carried a (jiiiver with thirty or forty arrows partially drawn out.
Besides ih.se,e;ieh h(;ld in his hand two oi three arrows for instant .service.
Their arrows ar(! barbed with a very clear lranslue''tit stone, a species of
opal, nearly as hard as the diamond; and, shot from their long bow, are al-
most as edeciive us a gunsliot. In these hxlians, I was foreibly struck by an
expression of countenance njsembling that in a beast of prey ; and all their
actiojis ari! those of wild animals, .joined to tin; restles.s motion of the eye,
there is a want of mind — an absence of ihonght — and an action wholly by
impulse, strongly expressed, and which constantly recalls the similarity.

A man who appeared to boa chief, with two or three others, forced hini-
.self into eanip, liringing with him his arms, in s|)ite of my orders to the
contr;iry. When shown our weapons, he bored his ear with his fingers, and
said he could not hear. «* Wjiy,'' said he, " there are nojie of you." Count-
ing the people aroinid the c;imp, and including in the mnnber a mtile
which was being shod, he made out 22. •" So many," .said he, showing tho
number, "and we — wo arc a great many," and h(! pointed to tht^ hill':J and
mountains round about. '' If you have your arms," said he, twanging his
bow, " we havf! these." I had some dillicnlty in restraining the people,
particularly Carson, who felt an insult of this kind as nuich 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 iu good Eng-
Ush ; and juobably the old man was nearer to his end than he will be be-
fore he meets it.

Several animals had been necessarily left behind near the camp last
uight ; and early in the morning, before tho Indians made their appearance,
several men were sent to bring them in. When I was beginning to be un-
easy at their absence, they returned with information that they had been
driven off from the trail by Indians ; and, having followed the tracks in o
short distance, they found the animals cut uj) 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 Indians had long slicks, hooked at the end, which they used in haul-
ing 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 particularly had reference when occasionally speaking of a
people whose sole occupation is to procure food sufficient to support ex-

x '

;.-

15'.^

(Arr. I'MKMONI'X NAIlMATIVi:

[1844.

mH'Hoo, *rin» foriuntiMi) \\vrr rmiolHiN of flm* yllow ♦♦nmlxion*', nllnmnt*
iim with ti ciiiiisi' niiiuliiiiinrali', iii wliirli llin Jilitiitvs an' rrniii llii; ni/.i* itf
urditiuiy Kravrl to nix or imuIii iihIihn hi tliatiititrr. Tins m iId' roriiiulioii
wliit'li r(Mi(i<irN ilii; Miirl'ai'M orilio i*oiiiiiry no roirky. ami uMvi's iin now a roa<l
ailiTiiati'ly of loo.-nn luiivv siiiids ami rolli^il Ntoiirs, wliicli (*ri|i|)lii llin uin-
iiials III a iiiosl «txliaoi>liiiary iiiaiiiicr

Oii tliii r«>llowiiiL; iiiiiriiiiik{ wo lilt llio ffio (fi' Ins ,fin(f/f.i, and roiiiiiiiiinj
our way tliroiiidi ilic sanif ilcsohUi! and rovoliiiii; coinili v, wIkto ll/.urdN
w<>ro till* only amiiial, and tlio tiartis ot' llir li/.aid oatoiN tli>' |»rin('i|)al siurii
ol hiiiuaii licMiiKH. AlKM- iwi'iitv iniit's' inircli tliroii^h a ntad ol lulls ami
lu'tivy NaiuN, w*- riMirlu'd llic iiiosi droary nvi-r I liavo ovi nocii -a d«'«i|»
riipid Niroain, aliiioNl a lorinii. passim^ Nwiltly by, and ro tiini< aKUiiiNt oh
Nli'iKMioiiN. I'll!' iMidvs Will' woDilt'd willi wdlow, acacia, and a rici|iii>iit
planl ol llio coiiniiv alrcadv incniionod, {(inrri/n rf/i/i/ini,) mowing in
ilnckcls, rcMMnhJini^ willow, mid licaiint^ u Ninall pink Mower. Orossing it,
wu (Micainpcd on tln^ Icli ItanU, wIick; wo loiind a very lilllif grasN. Our
tliriu* ruinaiinng stems, hcmi; cniircly given out, were Killed liero. My the
lioiiiiig point, (he elovalioii ol the riv(<r lien^ is l.oiiil leet ; and laliinile, hy
oh.snrvation, ;l(» ' 1 1 ' ;<;{". The stream was rnnnini; towards ih<; soiilhwi'sl,
and appeared to come liom a snowy inoiiniain in lln^ north. It proved to
hi' tlie Jtio I 'ir^i n — a inhiilary to the (Colorado. Indians appeare(l m hands
on the hills, hiit did not cuini' into camp. l''or several days we coiiliniied
our journey lip the river, ihe hoiionis ol' which were thickly ovorgrown
with various kinds ot hrnsli ; and lh<; sandy soil was ahsolnlitly covid d
with till? Hacks of /)iir\'erx, who lollowed lis sieulthily, like a hand ol
wolvos; and we had lU) opportnniiv tt» leavii lu'hind, even lor a lew hours,
the tired aniiiKils, in order that they niiv'ht he hronuht into camp alter a
little repose. A horse or ninle, lelt heliind, was taken oil' in a inoniont.
On the t'venini; ol" the f<ili, having travelled 'JS miles up the river from our
first eiieampnient on il, we encamped at a liltl(! grass plat, where a spring
of cool water issued from the hinll. On the opposite side was a grove ot
coltonwoods at the tnoiilh of a fork, which here enters the river. i
either side the valley is honiiiletl hy ranges of mountains, every where liIjT^,
rocky, and hroki-n. The caravan road was lost and scalter(Ml in the sandy
country, and we luul bei-n lollowiiig an Indian trail up tlu; river. The
hmiteis the next day were sent out to reconnoitre, and in the mean time
wo moved about a mile farther up, where wo found a good lilth! patch of
grass. There being only sullieient grass for the night, the horscis were
sent with a strong guard in charge ol Tabeaii to a neighboring hollow,
wiiere they might i)astiir»! during tlie day; and, to be ready incase the In-
dians should make any attempt on the animals, several of the best horses
were picketed at the camp. In a few hours the hunters returned, havuig
lound a convenient ford in the river, and discovered the Spanish trail on
llie 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 reported that Tabeau, who early in the
day had lel't his i)ost, and, wiihout 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 huJdenly from the cottonwood grove below, which
plainly told us what had befallen him; it was raised to inform the sur-
rounding Indians that a blow had been struck, and to tell them to be on

-^^ :^^-i^ _^ ^ ^

▼

1IH44.

r), nlli^riitU*

1|H' HI/.«' nf

' iorillKtlMII

iKuv (i mail

>lti llin uiii-

\ rotilliillDtl
H'rr li/iirds
iii(*i|ial Hluii
ol lulls uiiil
m 11 (l«'r|»
agaiiiKt III)

I a iVitqiUMil
^rowill^ ill
(!rossm^ il,

f^ia.NS. Onr
ro. By ill'"
laliliidc. I>y

' SdlltllWt'Sl,

II proved to
rt'd III liatwls
'«! coiiliiiiKvl

oviMi^rown
Idly covt i< d
! :i band ol
a low horns,
iiiiip alliT a
a iii')tneiit.
cr iVom our
(Ml! a spring'
s a f^rovo ot
river, (i i
wImtg In?*^,
ill tliu sandy
liver. The
mean time
nil', patch of
horses were
iiig hollow,
case the In-
best horses
lied, havhig
isli trail on

1 the heat of
1 sundown,
early in the
to the camp
lie we were
elow, which
rm the sur-
m to be on

inu.]

«!AI»T KIlP.MriNT'H NARMATIVK.

3^1

their ^itard. ( iirMMi, with NitvtTiil iniMi widl inoiihltd, was inMaiitly himiI
down ilu' river, hut rrtiirni'd in iIm* iiikIi( witlioiii tiding** of llwi lnlSNln^
man. 'rimy wcnl to ilir ramp Wf hud 1)11. I>ii' nrithrr ho nor the innU*
was th«'r«v SnairlmiL; down llii- river, ihey loiiiid ilie lrarl<'. o| the mule,
(tvidnnily driven iilium by Indiana, whose tiaei.s were on eaeh Nide ol ihoNi*
miide by the animal. Alter uoUik Neveral miles, they canM) to ilm mnbt it«
sell, Miandiitu in some biislieN, morlally wounded m the side by an arrow,
and left to die, (bat it ml^llt be alierwards biihliered lor lood. They also
loimd. III another plaee.an they were bimliiiLi: ;ilioiii on the ground lorTa-
beau'.N tracks, sonietliMm that looked like a liille puddle ot blood, bill which
the darkness prevenletl them trom verilyin'.^' W ilh these di;tails they ru-
turned tr) our e;imp, and their i<;pori saddei>«d all oiii hearts.

/1/r/// 10. -This mnriiiiiur, as soon as there was lii^ht etionuh to jollow
tracks, I set out myselt, with Mr. Kil/pattick and .several men, in search ot
Tabeail. We went to the spot where ibe appear.ilM'e ol puddled blood had
been nccmi ; and ihi^, we saw at orie<>, bad been the place wlnu'e he Itdl and
died, lilood upon the haves, and iieateii down bit lies, showed that be liad
^ot his wound about twenty paite.s Irmn where he jell, and that be had stru^•
•.'led lor his life. Me bad pndiably Ixteii shot ibroii^h the liin^s with an
.arrow. I-'kuii the pl;ice where be lay and bled, ii, could be scmmi that he had
been (Irat'Ljed lo ilie river b.ink, and thrown into il. No vestige of" what,
had belon^'ed to bun could be louiid,e.\cept a Ira^'tiKint of his horse equip-
merit. I lorse,^iin, clothes — all iH.came the prey rd these Arabs ol" the New
World.

Tabeail had been one of our best men, and his unhappy death Npn^ad .i
^loom over our parly. Men, who have i^one iliroUL;h such dant^ers and
suHerin^s as wi! had .se»!ii, b"C()me like brothers, and leel (jacli otln'r's loss.
To defend and aveii'_'e e;ic|i other, is ilie deep ftelin<^' of all. We wish»,'d
to aveni;e his death; but tlii! coiidiiioii of our horses, lani,'Uishing for gra.ss
and repose, forbade an expedilioii into iiiiknowii mountains. We kriewtfie
tribe who h;id done the mischief — the same which lia(i been insulting our
camp. Tli<!y knew what ibey dr'si?rved, and had the discretion to show
themselves lo us no moie. The day bcjfore, they mlested our ('amp; now,
not one a[)peared ; nor did we ev(!r afterward.s see but one who even be-
longed to the same tribe, and he at a distance.

Our camp was in a basin below a deep cafioii — a ga[> of two thousand
feet deep in the moiiiilaiii — through which the; ///Vy I'irt^t'n passes, and
■where no man or beast could follow it. The S|)amsli trail, which we baiJ
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, rendered dillicult
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 wel-
come sight — which could not have lived in the desert we had pas.sed.

Descending a long hollow, towards the narrow valley of a stream, we saw
before us a snowy mountain, far beyond which appcsared 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 th*^
country infused among our people a more lively spirit, wiiich was heightened

t I

254

<'Ai*T. rin:Mo.\T'.s varrativk.

1814.

by finding ,it ovoiiing :i lialtinij plarc of very good grnss on ilio clear waters '
o\' \\w Sttnia (^/(ira fork of iln; /^io I'irirni.

Atii]^ 11. — 'I'lio iiiorriiiiL;: was r.loiuly iuid (itiilc cool, with a sliowor of
ram — llu! first wo liavo had .siiictj ciitcMini^ llio dusnrt, a period of tw<rity-
.srvcii dayx ; aini wo sivmu to \\.i\o ciiforiMl a dillertMil ijliiiialc, with the usual
Wi'i'lluir of ti»(5 Kocky looiiiilaiiis. Oiir marcli to-day was vciy lalionous,
over very Itrokeii ground, aloiii^ llio Santa Clara river; but iImmi tlin coun-
try is no longer so disiressiiii;ly d( solate. 'I'lic sirtsiui is i)rcllily wooded
with sweet Cottonwood irees — son»e of them of larye si/c ; and on the hills,
wh(!re the Uiit j)iMe is olien svu, 'y good and wholesome grass occurs fr(!-
»|ucntly. This co!tt)nwood, which s now in iVnil. is of a <li(rt'renl species
from any in Michaux's Sylva. Heavy dark clouds covered the sky m the
evening, and a cold wind sprang up, making (ires and oV(!rcoats comforta-
ble.

ilA/// I 'J. — A litlle ahove our cncainpmnut, the river forkiMl ; and wo con-
inied up the right hand branch, graiiually ascendiiii,' towards the stmimit
of liie mounlain. As we rose towards the head ol llie (;r(M'lc, llu; snowy
niomilain on our riidit showed out handsomely — high and rugged with
precipices, and (0V(M(Mi wilii snow for ahoM two thousand \'rc.\ iVom their
sunnnils down. Our animals were somewhat rcjjaid for their hard marches
by an excellent can\ping gromid on the summit of tht ricUc. which forms
here the dividing chain hetwiMMi the watersol' (he /i*/'; /V/'^'w/, whit^i goes
south to the Colorado, and iIiom- of Sevier river, lh)wing northwardly, and
belonging to the (Ireai l^asin. We considered ourselves r.s crossing the
rim of (he basin; and, entering it at this jioint, we foimd here an exten-
sive mountain meadow, rich in lumch grass, and fresh wnh numerous
springs of clear water, all rolVesJniig and delightful to look u:)ou. ll was,
in fact, that las Vt^aadc Sanht C!tir<t, which had been so long f>resen(ed to
us as the terminatini: point of the desert, and where the -unuial c::ravati
from (/alifornia to New Mexico halted and recruileU lor some wt iks. It
Mas a very sui(al.le place (o recover iVom the fatigue and exhaustion of a
month's suti'ermg in (he liot aiKJ sterile desert. The meadow was about a
mile wifle, and some tim miK-s long, bordered by grassy hills aiul moun-
taiiis — some of the latter rising two thousand feet, and white with snow
uown to the level ol the rwij^a^. Its elevation above the sea was 5,2S0 feet;
latitude, by observation, ;37 ' iiS' 2S" ; and its distance from where we first
struck the Spanish (rail about four hunih'cd miles. Counting from the time
we reached the desert, and bi-gan to skirt, at our descent from ^V^alker's
Pass in the Sierra Nevada, we had travelled 550 miles, occupying twen-
ty-seven days, in that inhospitable r(!gion. In passing before the great
caravan, we had the advantage of finding more grass, but the disadvantage
o( finding also the maraudin'^; savages, who had gathered down upon the
trail, waiting the approach i)i' that jirey. This greatly iiicroa'^ed our labors.
hesi(h'S costing us the iil'c ;;!' mm excellent man. We had to move all day in
a state ol watch, and prepared lor combat — scouts and ilankers out, a front
and rear division of our men, and liaggage animals in the ctMitre, At night,
camp duly was severe. Those v/ho had toiled all day, had to guard, by
turns, the camp atid the horses all night. Frequently one-third of the whole
party were on guard at once ; and nothing bi.t this vigilance saved us from
attack. We were constantly dogged by bands,and even whole tribes of the
marauders ; and although Tabcau was killed, and our camp infested and in-
sulted by seme, while swarms of them remained on the hills and mountain

ar waters

iliowdr of
r twnty-

the usual
liihorious,

tlin coiin-
y wooded
II tliii hills,
)ccur8 IVe-
Mit species
sky Ml the

couiforlii-

)d we con-
Ii('. sunnnil
llio snowy
mi^ed with
iVoMi their
rd ni.uche.s
hich Ibrnis
which goes

^^ardiViiinfl
rosoiiug the
all rxteu-
uunierouK
1. It was,
>r<'seuted to
al ciravnii
Wfi'ks. It
usiiou of a
us about a
and I noun -
with suow
5,280 feet;
M-c we first
111 the time
li Walker's
^'iug twen-
ihe great
advantage
I upon the
our labors,
all day in
[out, a front
At night,
guard, by
the whole
ed us from
ibes of the
;ted and in-
mountain

1844.1

(.APT. FKi:.M()NTM NAKKU'IVK.

255

t; !!

sidc.«?, there was nmnifcstly a consultalion and cnlculation ^oing on, to decide
the (|neslion of a(tackini( us. Ilavini,' itNiched (he rcstitii,' |»lact' of the AV'-
Af^/.v dv Sdulii ainra, we had coniplcM' rchef from llie heal and [)iivalioi)s
of the. desert, and som<! relaxation frt>m the s(!verily of camp duly. Some
relaxation, and relaxation only — for camp guards, horsn guards, and scouIm,
are indispi'u.Mahlt! from the tune of leavuig the frontiers of Missouri until
we return to then;.

Alter wi! left the /Vii-^.v, we had the gralificalion to he joined hy th(j fa-
mous himier and trapper, iVfr. .h)seph Walker, whom I have before men-
tioned, and who now became our !.,Miide. Me had left ('alilornia with th.j'
great caravan; and perceiviii:^, Iroiii tla; signs along the trail, that there
was a party ol' whiles ahead, which he jiidg^'d to be uune, he deiuched him
self from the (caravan, with eight umiii, (Americans,) and ran tin; j/auiillet of
the d(!scrt robbers, killing two, and getting' some of lla; horses wounded.^
and succeeded in oviMtaNim,' us. Nolliiiig but his great kiiovvle.di^M- of the
eountry. great courage and pr«'scnc(! of miiKJ, and good lilh^s, could have
iirought him saft; from such a perilous enterprise.

Mof/ l;J. — VVc remained one day at Ifiis noted [»lac(! of rest and refresh-
ment; and, resuming our progress in a northeastwardly direction, wc; de-
scended into a bioad valley, the water of which is tributary to S(!vier lake.
The next day we came in si dit cd' the Wah-satch range of momitains on
the right, white with snow, and here forming tiie southeast p.art of the Grfuit
Hasin. Sevitu' lake, upon the waters of which we now were, b(!longed to
the system of lakes in the easI'Mii part of the Hasiii — of which, the (Jrcat
Salt lake, and its southcnn limb, the Utah lake, were the principal — to-
wards llie region of which wc wore now approaching. VVy travelled for
several days in this direction, within the rim of the Oreat Basin, crossing
httle streams which bore to (lie leli for Sevier lake ; and plainly seeirig, by
ihe changed aspect of the counti _,'. that we were entiiely clear of the
desert, aiid approachiui^ the regions which appertained to the system of the
Uocky mountains. We met, in this traverse, a few mounted Utah Indians,
111 advance; oJ' their main body, \vatcbini,' the approach of the ^reat caravan.

May i(). — \N'e reached a small salt lake, about seveti miles long and one
broad, at the tiortlHU'ii extremity of which wecncam|>ed for the ni^^dit. This
little lake, which well merits its characteristic name, lies immediately at
the base of the Wah-satch lani^e, and nearly op[)Osiie a gi[) in that cliain
(d' mountains through which tini Sjjanisli trail passes; and which, again
railing upon the waters of the Coii^rado, and crossing that river, proceeds
(jver a mountainous coutitry to Santa Fe.

May 17. — After -^1^0 nnles of travelling en a trail, wliich served for a
road, we again found ourselves under the necessity of exploring a track
through the wilderness. The Spanish trail liad 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 present-
ed itself to us under (he 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 northwardly to the lake of the same name, coll-cts its
principal waters from this sect ion o'' the Wah-satch chain. \V'e had now
entered a region of great pastoral {;romise, abounding with fine streams,
the rich bunch grass, soil tiiat would produce wheat, and indigenous flax
;;rowmg as if it had been sown. Consistent with the general character ui
its bordering mountains, this feriiliiy of soil and vegetation does not extend

,. I'

25(i

CAPT. FUEMONTiS NAKKATIVK.

1844.

far into \ho (Ireat li.usin. Mr. Joseph Walker, our guide, and who has
more knowledge of these parts than any tnatj 1 know, informed me that all
the country to the left was nnknown to him, an<l that oven the JJiij^gcr
trihos, which l'ro(|uc!ited l^ake Sevier, oonld toll him nothintj ahont it.

Mfii/ 20. — We mot a hand of Utah Indians, headed hy a well-known
chief, who had ohtained the American or lOnglish name of Walker, hy
which he is (jnoted and well known. I'lu-y were all nionnled, armed with
rifles, and nse their rilles well. The chief had a fnsee, which he had car-
ried slun^, in addition to his ritle. They wen; jonrneying slowly towards
the Spanish trail, to li^vy their nsnal Irihuie npon the great Californian cara-
van. They were rohhers of a higher order than those of the desert. Thoy
condncicd their dejiredations with form, and nnder the color of trade and
toll for passing thronirh their country. Instead of attacking and killing, they
affect to purchase — taking the horses they like, and giving something nomi-
nal in rc^lnrn. The chief was quite civil tome. He was personally ac-
(juainted with his namesake, our guide, who made my name known to him.
He knew of my expedition of 1S42; and, as tokons of friendship, and
proof that we had met, proposed an interchange of prCvSents. We had no
great store to choose out of; so he gave me a Mexican blanket, and I gave
liim a very fine one which I had obtained at Vancouver.

Mat/ 23. — 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, I'rom eight
to twelve feet deep; and, after searching in vain for a fbrdable place, Ave
made little boats (or, rather, rafts) out of bulrushes, and ferried across.
These rafts arc readily made, and give a good conveyance across a river.
The rushes are bound in bundles, and lied bard ; the ftundles are tied down
iiponi)oles,as close as they can be pressed, and fashioned like a boat, in being
broader in the middle and pointed at tlie ends. The rushes, being tubular
and jointed, are light and stroui;. 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 tloai backwards and forwards, from shore to shore. The horses swam.
At our place of crossing, which was the mosi northern point of its bend, the
latitude was .'39" 22' 1J»". 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 after some American trap-
per or lunuer, and was the first American name wc had met with shice
leaving llie Columbia river. From the Dulkfi to the point where we turn-
ed across the Sierra Nevada, near 1,000 miles, we heard Indian names,
and the greater part of the distance none; from Nueva Helvetia (Sacra-
mento) to /^/s Vegas lie Santa Clara, about 1,000 more, all were Spanish;
from the Mississippi to the Pacific, French and Am.erican or English were
intermixed : and this prevalence of names indicates the national character
oi the first explorers.

We had here the misfortune to lose one of our people, Fran9ois Badeau,
who had been with me in both expeditions; during which he had always
been one of my most faithful and eflicient 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 hurried him on the banks
oi the river.

(1844.

who has
le that all
5 JJiifger
lit it.

ill-known
alker, by
nuul will\
I had car-
f towards
niancara-
irt. Thoy
trade and
lling, they
ling norni-
onally ac-
wntohiin.
dship, and
^Vc had no
and I gave

he lake of
lere breaks
, irom eight
e place, we
ried across,
ross a river,
c tied down
)at, in being
ing tnbular
[loved along
nby ropes.
r drew our
rsftsswam.
ts bend, the
for fertility
if this river
our people
erican trap-
with since
re we turn-
ian names,
tia (Sacra-
Spanish;
Inglish were
al character

oisBadeau,

Ihad always

in drawing

discharged

the banks

1844.

CATT. FREMONT'S NAKHATIVK.

257

Crossing tlic noxt day a slight ridi/o along the river, we entered a hand-
some niouiifaiii valley cdverctd with line u;rass, and directed our course to-
wards ;i high snowy peak, at the loot ol which lay the Utah lake. On
our right was a bed of high tnountains, tlirir sminnits covered with snow,
constituting the dividing rid^o between the liasin waters and those of the
Colorado. At noon we fell in with a ))arty ot Utah Indians cornuig out
of the mountain, and in the afternoon «'ncaini)t'd on a tributary to the lake,
which is s('paratc(l I'rotn the waters of the Seviur 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 gallop-
ing towards us, who proved to be Utah Indians — scouts from a village,
Avliich was encani|t<>il near the mouth of the river. They were aimed

With nlles, and their horses were m good condition, vve encamped near
them, on the Spanish fork, which is one of the principal tributaries to the
lake. Finding the Indians troubk-some, and desirous to remain here a day,
we removed the next morning fariher down the lake, and encamped on a
lertilc bottom near the foot of the same mountainous ridge which borders
the (Ireal Salt lake, and along which we had journeyed the previous Sep-
tember. Here the principal plants in bloom were two, which were re-
markable as aH'ording 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 ex-
traordinary luxuriance, and convollaria stelhtta, which, from the expe-
rience of ^l^. Walker, is the best remedial plant known among those In-
dians. A few miles below us was another village of Itidians, from which
we obtained some fish — among them a few salmon trout, v/iiich were very
much inferior in size to those along the Californian mountains. The sea-
son for taking them bad not yet arrived ; but the Indians were daily ex-
pecting them to come up out of the lake.

We had now accomplished an object we jiad 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 what we had intended, and without suf-
ficient time remaining to make tlie examinations which were 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 15 miles, stretching far
to the north, narrowing a.s it goes, and connecting with the Great Salt lake.
This is the report, and 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 mountaitis, walled on the north and east by a liigh 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, remarkable even in this country of rugged moun-
tains, has obtained for it from the Indians, In the Utah language, og-wdh-
be, the term for river, when coupled with other words in common conver-
sation, is usually abbreviated to ogo ; Ibnpdn signifying rock. It is probable
that this river furnished the name which on the older maps has been gene-
rally 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
17

'.<i^:

25S

<;apt. I'unMo.NTfi narrative.

[Ifi44.

rlic name of tlio people who reside on iis shores, and by which it is known
thr(iUghout Iho country.

The vohimeof water ud'orded hy the Tiinpan-of^'o is prohahly eqtial to
thnl of the Sevier river; and, at the linio of our visit, there was only one
place in the lake valley at which the Spanish fork was fordahle. In the
cove of int)unlain.s along its easierii shore, the lake is bordisred by a plain,
where tl)e soil is a:enerally i<o(ul, and in m'reater part fertile ; watered by a
delta of prettily tnnhered streams. Tliis wonid he an (.'xeelii'iit locality
for stock farms ; it is yen'Midly covered with i^'ood bunch grass, ai;d would
abundantly produce the ordinary grains.

In arriving at the Ttah lake, w(! had completed an in)inense circuit of
twelve degrees diamcler north and south, and t(;n degrees east and west;
and found ourselves, in May, Ib-ll, on the ."^ame sheet of water which wo
had left in September, 18 113. The Utali is the southern limb of the Great
Salt lake ; and thus we had seen that n-nrirkable sheet of water both at its
northern and southern exirenjity. and were able to fix its ]iosilion at these
two points. The circuit which we had made, and which had co^t us eight
months of time, and ^.500 miles of travelling, had given us a view of
Oregon and of North (!alif(H'nia from the Rocky niotn)tains 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 lieitig now about to
turn the l)ack upon the Pacific slope of our continent, ainl to recross the
Rocky moiuitains, it is natural to look back upon our footstej)s, and take
some brief view of the leadlim' features tud general structure of the coun-
try we had traversed. 'J'hese are peculiar and striking, and diller essentially
from the Atlantic side of our country. The monntaiiisall are hig!ier,moro
numerous, and more distinctly defined in their ranges and directions; and,
what is so contrary to the nuiiral order of such Jormations, one of these
ranges, which is near the coast, (liie Sierra Nevada and the Coast Range,)
presents higher elevations and peaks than any which are to be found in the
Rocky mountains themselves. lii our eight months' circuit, we were never
out of sight of snow; and the Sierra Nevada, where we crossed it, was
near 2,000 feet higher than the South J'ass in the RocJ<y uMuntains. In
height, these mountains greatly exceed those of the Atlantic side, con-
stantly presenting peaks which enter the region of eternal snow ; and some
of them volcanic, and in a fitMjut.-nt slate of activity. They are seen at
great distances, and guide the traveller in his courses.

The course and elevation of these ranees szive 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 ;ire the largest
after the Columbia, are local to that bay, and lateral to the coast, having
their sources about on a line with the Dalles of the Columbia, and runnijig
each in a valley of its own, between Coast range and the Cascade and Sierra
Nevada range. The Columbia is the only river which traverses the whole
breadth of the country, breaking through all the ranges, and entering the
sea. Drawing its waters from a section of ten degrees of lalilude in the
Rocky mountains, which are collected info one stream by three main forks
(Lewis's, Clark's, and the North fork) near the centre of (he Oregon valley,
this great river thence proceeds by c single cliannel to the sea, while its
three forks lead each to y. pass in the mountains, which open.s the way into

[1844.
IS known

equal to
only one

!. Ill tlio
ly a plain,
l'1(mI by a
[ii locality
u;d would

circuit of
ami west;
• which wc
■ the Great

both at its
on at these
ist us eight

a view ot"
the Pacific
bors on the
iw about to
iccruss the
.s, and take
)f the coun-
f essentially
li^her,ruoro

lions; and,
ne of these

ast Uan^'O,)
lioiiuu in the

were never
^cd it, was
hntains. In
side, con-

; and some

arc seen at

Olivers and
so below the
loo short to
tlio largest
jast, havhig
ind running
leiiiid Sierra
,'s the whole
niiering the
[indc in the
le main forks
legoii valley,
\x^ while its
Ihc way into

1844.')

th«

CAPT FRFMONT'8 NARRATIVE.

259

r' III

interior of the coniiuent. This fact in relation to the rivers of this
region

)s an immense value to the Columbia. Its moiKh is tlie only

inlet and outlet to md from the .sea : its tliree forks lead to tl

le passes ni

the mountains; it is tln'reCori! the only line of commiinieatioii bcitweeii the

Pacific and th

>f North Ai

d ail

itnerica ;

cojiimerce, of nationiil or .socinl intercourse, must be coiulucltjd upon it.
This gives it a value bc-yond esti.niUion, and would involve irreparable
injury if lost. In this unity and conoentraliou of its wiHers, the Pacific
side of our rontineiit diiTers entirely from the Atlantic siile, where liio
waters of the Allcgniiy mountains are disptirsed into many rivers, having
thcT different onfranres into the sea, and opening many lines of communi-
cr(ion with the interior.

The Pacific coast is equally difl'erent froHi that of the Atlantic. The
coast of the Atlantic is low and open, indented with numerotis bays,
sounds, and river estunries. accessible every where, nnd o])ening by many
channels into the iK.'art o[' the country. The I'acific coast, on the con-
trary, is high and coni[>act, with few bays, and biU one that opens into
the lieart of the country. The immediate coast is what the seamen call
iron bound. A little within, it is skirted by two successive ranges of moun-
tains, standing as ramparts between tiie sea and llie interior country; and
to get through which, there is but one gate, and that narrow and easily de-
fended. This strucmre of the coast, backed by these two ranges of moun-
tains, with its concentration and unity of waters, gives to the country an
immense military streniMli, and will probably render Oregon the most im-
pregnable cotmiry in the world.

Differing so miicli tVom the Atlantic side of our continent, in coast,
mountains, and rivers, the Pacific side differs from it in another most rare
and singular t'ealnre — that of the Great interior liasiii, of which I have so
often spoken, and \\\v. 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 reu;ion ; the structure of the
Sierra Nevada raiiL'e of mountains requires it to he 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 to the sea, nor any
connexion with the Columbia, or with the Colorado of the Gulf of Cali-
fornia. He described some of these lakes as being large, with numerous
streams, and even considerable rivers, falling into them. In fact, all concur
in the general report of these interior rivers and lakes; and, for waMt of
understanding the force and power <y{ evaporation, which so soon estab-
lishes an equilibrimn between the loss and supply of waters, the fable of
whirlpools and subterraui'ous outlets has gained belief, as the only imagi-
nable way of carrying ol] the waters which have no visible discharge.
The structure of the country would require this formation of interior lakes;
for the waters which would collect between the Rocky mountains and the
Sierra Nevada, not beiiis; able to cross this formidable [);jrrier,.4^or to get to
the Columbia or the Colorado, must naturally collect into reservoirs, eacli
of which would have its little system of streams and rivers to supply it.
This would be the natiua! effect ; and what I saw went to confirm it. The
Groat Salt lake is a (oriuation of this kind, and quite a large one; and having
many streams, and one considerable river, four or five hundred miles long,
falling into it. This lake and river I saw and examined myself; and also saw

sno

CAPT. FREMONT'S NARRATrvn.

[1S44.

the VVali-salcli and Hear River mouiituiiis which enclose the waters of the
Jake uii the east, and ooiKstititte, iti that quarter, the rim of the Great Basin.
Afterwards, along the ensstcrn hase of the Sierra Nevada, where we trav-
elled for forty-two days, I saw the line of lakes and rivers which lie at the
foot of that Sierra ; and which Sierra is the western rim of the liasin. In
goin^' down l^ewis's tbrk and the main ('ohnnbia. I crossed only inferior
streams coming in from the left, such as could draw their water from a
short distance only; aniJ I often saw the niountains at their heads, white
with snow; which, all accounts said, dividtd the WiUcrsof the desert froin
those of the Colund)i;i, and which could he no oilier than the range of
mountains which form the rim ol the Hasin on its northern side. And ii>
returning from California along the Spanish trail, as far as tlie head of tlie
Santa Clara I'ork of the Hio Virgen, 1 crossed only small streams making
their way soutli to the Colorado, or lost in sand — as liie Mo-hahve; while
to the left, lofty mountains, their sununits white with snow, were often visi-
ble, and which must have turned water to the north as well as to the south,
and thu.s constituted, on this part, the southern lim of the liasiu. At the
head of the Santa Clara fork, and in the Vegas dc Santa Clara, we crossed
the ridge which parted the two systems of waters. We entered the Basui
at that point, and have travelled in it ever since, having its southeastert.
rim (the Wah-satch mouniain) on tlie right, and crossing the streams which
flow down into it. Tlie existence of the Hasin is therefore an estahlislied
fact hi my mind ; its exieni and contents are yet to be better ascertained.
It camiot be less than four or tive hundred miles each way, and must lie
principally in the Aha California; the demarcation latitude of 42° proba-
bly cutting a segment from the north part of tiie rim. Of its interior, but
little is known. It is called a desert, and, from what I .saw of it, sterility
maybe its proinii. cut characteristic ; but where there is so much water,
there must be some ousis. The great river, and the great lake, reported,
may not be equal to the report; but where there is so much snow, there
must be streams; and where there is no outlet, there must be lakes to hold
the accumulated waters, or sands to swallow them up. In this eastern
part of the Basin, containing 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. \{\ the western part, on Sal-
mon 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
conmiimities upon some lake or river that supplies tlsh, and from which
they repulse the miserable Digger. The rabbit is the largest animal known
in this desert ; its flesh affords 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 ex-
traordinary size — sometimes a foot in diameter, and six or eight feet high.
It serves for fuel, for building material, for shelter to the rabbits, and for
some sort of covering for the feet and legs in cold weather. Such are the
accounts of tlie inhabitants and productions of the Great Basin ; and which,
though imperfect, must have some foundation, and excite our desire to know
the whole.

[lvS44.

5rs of the
at Husiit.
wo trav-
lie at tilt)
lasin. Iti
f inferior
jr frojn a
lis, white
sert froru
range ot"
And it.
>ad of the
,s makina;
ve ; whiU)
often visi-
the south,
1. At the
;^c crossed
the Basm
Uheasterr.
intis which
istabhshed
scertained.
d must he
42° proba-
iterior, but.
it, slerihty
Ach water,
, reported,
low, there
<es to hold
lis eastern
akes, and
soil and
rt, on Sal-
be made.
That it is
leard and
m, and in
fire arms;
— such IS
and live in
om which
iial known
overing is
it is of ex-
feet high,
ts, and for
ich are the
nd which,
re to know

1844.] CAPT. rUKMONT'S NARRATIVE. '^m

The whole idea of snrh a desert, and such a people, is a novelty in our
country, and e.vcitns Asiufic, not Amerifrm idfns. Interior basins, with
tlieir own systems of lakes and rivers, and often steriie.are coinnion enough
in Asia; people still in the <.'loniPntary state of families, living in deserts,
with no other occupation than the mere animal s«arrh for food, may still
be seen in that ancient ([unrler of the globe ; but in America such things
are new and strange, unlciiowii and unsuspected, and discredited when
related. iJut 1 llattcr myself that what is discovers I, thoUL'h not enough
to satisfy curiosity, is sutljeient to excite it, and that subsequent explorations
will completj; what has been eonmienced.

This account of the (Ireai liasin, it will be remembered, belongs to tho
Aha California, and has no application to Oregon, whose capabilities may
justify a separate remark. Referring to my journal for particular descrip-
tions, and for sectional bomidaries between good and bad districts, I can
only say, in general and conii)arative terms, that, in that branch of agri-
culture which implies the cultivation o grains and staple crops, it would
be inferior to the Atlantic States, though many parts are superior (or wheat;
while in the rearing of llocks 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 bufialo dflight to feed, (whence its
name of butfalo,-) and which is still good when dry and apparently dead.
West of those 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 thirs spontaneous [)roduct, the tradin:.' or travelling cara-
vans can find subsistenc'- for their animals; and in miliiary operations any
number of cavalry may be moved, and any number of caiiie may be driven;
and thus men and horses bo supported on long expeditions, and even in
winter in the sheltered sifnafions.

Commercially, the value ot' 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 thorouLdilare for the East India and China trade.

Turning our taces 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 afford few passes, and render a familiar acquaintance with them
necessary to the traveller. The stream can scarcely be said to have a val-
ley, the mountains risin£r often abruptly from the water's edge; but a good
trail facilitated our travelling, and there were frequent bottoms, covered
with excellent grass. The streams are prettily and variously wooded; and
every where the mountain shows grass and timber.

At our encampment on the evening of the 28lh, near the head of one
of the branches we had ascended, strata of bituminous limestone were
displayed in an escarpment on the river bluffs, in which were contained a
variety of fossil shells 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.

2fi2

CAPT. FREMONT'S NAKRATIVE.

[1844.

liavu t)u(>ii rol<!rri(i to tli«; oolitic period i it is proliahU; that those rocks also
btilonu to the .san»«5 I'onnaiion.

A t'fw miles iVoin tliis <;iiciiniprnoiit wo rouchcl thr hoad of the stream;
aud crossing, hy an open and oasy pass, thu (hvuUii^' ridi,''5 which soparutes
tlje waters ot' tho (Ireat IJasin irotn those oC the (.'olorado, wo reached the
head branclus of one of its larger irihntaries, which, from thu decided color
of its waters, has reeeived the name of VVhitts river. The snows of the
mountains wero now l)ei,Mnnirii» to melt, and ail the little rivulets were
rumiin^' hy in rivers, and rapidly becominu; dillienlt lo ford. (Jontimung a
few miles up a branch of White river, we cro.sscd a dividini,' ridge between
its waters and those of the Uintdh. The approach to the pass, which is
the best known lo iMr. Walker, was somewhat dillienlt for packs, and im-
practicable for wagons — all the streams being shut in by narrow ravines,
and the narrow trail along the steep hill sides allowing the passage of oidy
one animal at a time. From the summit we had a rine 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 ra|)idly gathered a little branch of the Uintah, and halted to
noon about 1,500 feet below the pass,atan elevation, by the boiling point,
of 6,900 feet above the sea.

The nex; day we descended along the river, and about noon reached a
point where three lorks come together. Fording one of these with some
difficulty, we contiimed up the middle branch, which, from the color of its
waters, is named the lied river. The few passes, and extremely rugged
nature of the country, give to it great strength, and secure the Utahs from
the intrusion of their enemies. Crossing in the afternoon a sornewliat
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 melting 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 every
where too deep to bo forded. After travelling about sixteen miles, we en-
camped again on the left bank.

I obtained here an occultalion of « Scorpii at the dark limb of the moon,
which gives for the longitude of the place 112° 18' 30", and the latitude
40° 18' 53".

June 1. — We left today the Duchesne fork, and, after traversing 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 sig-
nifies great swiftness, and is the same which they use to express the speed
of a race horse. It is spread out in various channels over several hundred
yards, and is every where too deep and swit\ to be forded. At this season
of the year, there is an uninterrupted noise from the large rocks which are
rolled along the bed. After infinite didiculty.. and the delay of a day, we
succeeded in getting the stream bridged, and got over wiUi the loss of one
of our animals. Continuhig our route across a broken country, of which
the higher parts were rocky and timbered with cedar, and the lower parts

IS44.

CAPT Fni:.\l().\T'M NAIIRATIN K.

263

[1814.
;ks also

stream;
parutos
heel the
od color
s of the
its were
lining a
jolwucn
A^hicli is
and ini-
ravinos,
1 of only
c snowy
the cold
A vine, in
Halted to
ig point,

L'ached a

ith some

lor of its

y rngged

ahs from

amewhat

cedar on

Uintah,

ot being

ifficulty.

gest arm

ably that

e obliged
ost every
s,we en-

le moon,
3 latitude

a broken
siderable
iproperly
iians sig-
he speed
hundred
lis season
vhich are
L day, we
ss of one
of which
wer parts

covcnnl Willi cjood grass, wo rearhod, on the .'iftornoon of thf^ 3(1. the
Uintah f(irt,.'i tradin;^ post h«'loiiying to Mr. A. Ht)nl»uloan,on the principal
fork of the, Uintah rivur. Wo toinid the sirraiii nijariy as rapid and tlitR-
cult as the; Jiuk(.' fork, divided into s jveral channels, which wore too broad
to be hriil^od. With the aid ot giiich-s from the fort, wo sncc ecdod, with
very great diHicnliy, in lording it ; and cncaii .pcd near the fort, which is
siluaiod u short di:itanco above the jun(;ii()ii ot two hraiichcs which make
the river.

Hy an imincrsion of the 1st satollito,(airriMMii2: W(!ll with tho result of the
occnltation ohsoivtid at tho Duchesne fork,) llu; loimitnde of the post is 109°
50' 42", the latitude -lO' 27' ^r^".

It has a moiloy i^arrison of Canadian and S[)aiiish cni^a^fs and hunters,
with tho usual mi.iiher of Indian women. Wo ohtanuMl a small supply of
sugar and coili-c!, with some dried meat and a cow, which was a very ac-
ceplahlo cluingo from tho pinoli on which we had subsisted for some weeks
past. I strengthened my parly at this j)laco by iIkj addition of Auguste
Archamb«;aii, an excellent voyagour and hunter, belonging to the class of
Carson and (lodoy.

On tho morning of tho flth we lelt the fort" and the Uintah river, and
continued our road over a broken country, which allbrded, however, a rich
addition to our botanical collection; and, after a march of 25 miles, were
again cheeked by another stream, called Ashley's fork, where we were de-
tained until noon of the next day.

An imincrsion of the 2d satellite gave for this place a longitude of 109^
27' 07", the latitude by observation being 40° 2S' 07".

In tho afternoon of the next day wo succeeded in finding a ford ; and,
after travelling (ideeii miles, encamped high upon the mountainside, where
we found excellent and ahundant grass, which wo had not hitherto seen.
A new species of elymns, which had a purgative and weakening effect
upon the animals, had occurred abundantly since leaving the fort. From
this point, by observation 7, '500 feet, ahove the sea, we had a view of the
Colorado below, sliut up amongst rugged mountains, and wliich is the re-
cipient of all the streams we had been crossing since we passed the rim of
the Groat Basin at the head of the Spanish fork.

On the 7th wo had a i)leasant 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 ravine, 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 but pretty
valley, about sixteen miles in length. The river was several hundred
yards in breadth, swollen to tho top of its hanks, near to which it was in
many place-! filteen to twenty feet deep. We repaired a skin boat which
had heel) purchased at the fort, and, after a delay of a day, reached the op-
posite banks with much less delay than had been encountered on the Uin-
tah waters. According to information, the lower end of the valley is the
most eastern part of the Colorado ; and the latitude of our encampment,
which was opposite to the remains of an old fort on the left bank of the
river, was 40" 46' 27", and, by observation, the elevation above the sea

• This fort was attacked and taken by a band of the Utah Indians since we passed it ; and the
men of tho j^arrison killed, the women carried ofl". Mr. Roubideau, a trader of St. Louis, wa« ab-
sent, and f<o escaped the fate of the rest.

264

(;apt. FHKMONT'H nahkativk

[IH44,

5,1 /lO loct. Tlie bonrini^ to tlio (Mitruiicu uf'llio ciniDti below was .sontli 20^
*mst. Iliro ilif} river eiucrs lictwiM-n lofty prccipijics of red rock, niiJ tlio
loiiiitiy holow iis said to usNimiD ;i vi^ry rnm?<!(l charnctt^r; tlitr river mid
its allliunits passiiij? ihrougli (Ninons which I'orhid all access to llie water.
This slutllered little valley was loriiierly a favorite wiiileriiii; yioiiiKJ for
the trappers, as it afibrded iheiii siilIiciiMii pasturage for their atiiiiials, and
the siirrouiidiiig inomitaiiis are well sI(m Iced witii LMiuf*.

We surprised a lloek of ni<»iiiit;iiii sheep as we dcsciiidc.'d to lli<.' river,
and our luiiiters killed :>evernl. 'I'lu.' hoitonis of a 8itiall stream called ihu
Veriiiillion creek, which enters the left hank of the river a short distance
below our »;ncanipn»ent, were covered abundantly with F. rcnnicnlaris,
and other chenopodiaceous shrubs. From tlus lower end of Urown's hole
we issued by a remarkably dry c\\\ )n, iiliy or sixty yards wide, and rising,
as we advanced, to the hci^hi of six or eight hundred feet. Issuing I'roni
this, and crossing a small green valley, we entered another rent of the same
nature, still narrower than the other, the rocks on either side rising in nearly
vertical j)recipices perhaps Ij/iOU feci iii height. These places an* men-
tioned, to give some idea of the country lower down on the Colorado, to
which the trappers usu illy a|)ply the name of a canon country. The canon
opened upon a pond of water, wIkmc w<' hall»d to noon. S(!veral lloeksof
mountam sheep were here among the rocks, which rung with volleys of
small arms. In the afternoon we entered upon an ugly, barren, and broken
coimtry, corresponding well with that we had traversed a lew degrees
north, iwx the same side of the Colorado. The Vermillion creek alforded
us brackish water and indiliereiit grass for the night.

A few scattered cedar trees were the only improvement oi the country
on the following day; and at a little spring of bad water, where we halted
to noon, we had not even the shelter of tb'se from the hot rays of the sun.
At night we encamped in a fine grove « Itonwood trees, on the baidcs of
the Elk Head river, the i)rincipul fork ui the Yatnpah river, commonly
called by the trappers the Bear river. Wo made here a very strong cordl
and fort, and formed the camp into vigilant guards. Tlie country we were
now entering is constantly infested by war parties of the Sioux and other
Indians, and is considered among the most dangerous war grounds in the
Rocky mountains; parties of whites having been repeatedly defeated on
this river.

On the nth we continued up the river, which is a considerable stream,
fifty to a hundred yards hi width, handsomely and continuously wooded
with groves of the narrow-leaved cottonwood, {populus ani^usti/olia ;)
with these were thickets of willow and grain du bceuf. The characteristic
plant along the river is F. ven/iicn/aris, which ti^anerally 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 disap-
peared. The country on either side was sandy and poor, scaniily wooded
with cedars, but the river bottoms aflbrded good pasture. Three ante-
lopes were killed in the afternoon, and wo 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 running water, with good grass.

[1844.

til JO^
nd ll»)
M' aiul
water,
lul lor
Is, and

8 rivor,
ted the
listaiico
uitiris,
i's liolo
I rising,
ig iVom
\o suiui;
\ nearly
If luen-
irado, 10
10 canon
llocksof
)llcys of
I broken
decrees
uiroided

I country
re halted
' the sun.
hunks of
lunionly
iiig conU
we were
lid other
Is in the
tated ou

stream,
wooded
\tifoiia;)
liicteristic
the bot-
Jv variety
[w disap-
wooded
i-ec ante-
la branch
le fort at
le passed
that one
the next
kv had a

184-t.]

CAPT. KKKMONT'S NAUKATIVE.

265

Yfstcrdfiy ftnd to-day wi> liavo had before our tyM iho \\\^\\ nionnlniiis
which (hvide tilt; I'uoitic from the .Missis.sip[>i waters; and (tnterni^ hcru
among the lower spins, or foot hilts of the range, ihe face of thi; coiuitry
began to improve with a niMi^ical rapidity. Nut only tln^ river bottoms,
but the hills, were covered wnh irrajs ; and among the n^nal varied lloiu
of the luonntaiti region, ibesc were occisioimtly htne with the >howy bloom
of a liipimis. In the course o( the morning wt; had tlie first L'lad view of
bnlfalo, and welcomed the appeariince of two old bulls with ;is much joy
as if they had been mt^ssengers from home ; and when we dcscendrd to
noon on St. Vraiu's fork, an allliitiil of flreeu riv<'r, the hunters broughl lu
moimtain sheep ami the uicai of two fat bolls. Fresh entrails in the river
^howed us that there were Indians abovo : and, at evening', judging it un-
safe to encamp in th(! bottoms, which were wooded only with willow thick-
• •ts, we ascendtid to the spurs above, and lorted strongly in ;\ small aspeii
Ljrove, near to whi^h was a spring of cold water. The Inmtcrs killed two
fine cow near the camp. A band of elk broke out of a neiirhboring grove;
antelopes were rmniing over the hills : and on tbc o[iposite river plains,
herds of buffalo wore raisin:;; floiids of dust. 'I'he coimtry here appealed
more variously stocked with game than any part of the Ho('l<y mjuntains
we had visited ; and its abundance i. owing to the excellent pasturage,
and its dangerous character rs a war groflnd.

Jutie 13. — There was snow lirrt^ near our mountain camp, and the morn-
ing was beautiful and cool. Leaving St. Viain's fork, we took oiir way di-
(t'ctly towards the sunmiit of the dividing ridge. The b(,'ttoms of the streams
and level places were wooded with aspens; and as wo nearcd the summit,
we entered atjaiii the piiiey region. We had a deli'^hlfnl morning's ride,
the ground affording us an e.xeellent bridle path, and reacli-al tlu! summit
towards midday, at an elevation of 8,000 feet. With joy and exnitaiion we
saw ourselves once more on the top of the llocky mountains, and behold a
little stream taking its course towards the rising sun. It was.iii allluenlof
the Platte, called Piil/(i?n\f fork, and we descended to noon upon it. It is
a pretty stream, IweiUy yards broad, and bears tie name of a trapper who,
some years sitice, was killed hero by the Gros yentre Indians.

Issuing from the pines in the afternoon, we saw spread out before us the
valley of the Platte, with the ])ass of the Medicine Ihiite beyond, and some
•^f the Sweet Water mountains ; but a smoky haziness in the air entirely
obscured the Wind River chain.

We were now about two degrees soutli of the South Pass, and our course
home would have been eastwardly ; but that would have taken us over
ground already examined, and therefore without the interest which would
excite curiosity. Southwardly there were objects worthy to be explored, to
wit: the approximation of the head waters of three ditlerent rivers — the
Platte, the Arkansis, and the (Irand River fork of the Rio Colorado of the
gulf of California ; the Passes at the heads of these rivers; and the three
remarkable mountain coves, cnlled Parks, in which they took their rise.
One of these Parks was, of course, on the western side of the dividing ridge;
and a visit to it would re(piirc us once more to cross the summit of the
Rocky mountains to the west, and then to re-cross to the east ; making, in
all, with the transit we had just accomplished, three crossings of that moun-
tain in this section of its course, lint, no matter. The coves, the heads of
the rivers, the approximation of their v/aters, the practicability of the moun-
tain pa.sses, and the locality of the threk Parks, were all objects of inter-
est, and, although well known to hunters and trajjpers, were uid<nown to

300

UAPT. FRKMONTM NARIlATrVK.

[Ifl44.

Nciniicu lunl to history- Wu tliuri'loru cliaiiu[)(l out* uturzic, uitd (uriicd up
tim valley <)( the IM.itiu iiistoud of going dowii it.

Wi) (trosM'd soviTiil sinall allliicnis, and again niadt* a fortiflfi] oamp in
a grovi!. Thf! ciMiniry had now hcconi" vo/y IhmuiiIuI — ri<:li in water,
grass, and ;^anu: ; and tu llicsu wore added tliucliuriti ofdcuiiury uttd |)li.'as-
ant weathur.

Jtmr \\ — Our ronto lids tnoridiig lay along ilio fool of tho moiititaiii,
ov«'r tint long low .spurs which >Io,mj(1 gradually down lo dicrivur, lorining
thu hroad valUsy olthu Plallo. Tho conntry is luanlilnlly waltTod. In al-
niONt rvciy liolluw ran a cluar,coui iiiounlain stream; uiid in thn cour.su ut'
tii(! morning we crossi.'d sovenlisuti, sovrral of lluni hoing large crcUs, forty
to fil'ty l'.'(!t wide, with a swift currtMit, and ((tlerahly deep. Tlieso w«!re
variously wooded witli groves of as|)eu and Cottonwood, with willow,
cherry, and other shrnhhy trees, nnllalo, antelope, and elk, were frocpient
(hiring the day ; and, in their ahundanoe, the latter sometimes reminded
us slightly of the SacraiiKMilo valley.

We halted at noon on Potter's fork — a clear and swift stream, forty yards
wide, and in many [)laces deep enough to swim our anitnals ; and in the
evening encamped on a pretty stream, where there were several beavtir
dams, and iu;uiy trees recently cut down hy the heaver. We gave to this
the name of IJeaviM- Dam creek, as now thoy are becoming sulUcieiilly rare
to distinguish hy their name the streams on which tiK.-y are found. In this
mountain they occurred more abundantly than elsewhere in all our journey,
in whicli their vestiges had been scarcely .seen.

The next day we cc.'imied our journey ii[) Iho valley, the country pre-
senting nmch tlu! same appearance, except that the gra.ss was more scanty
on the ridges, over which was spread a scrubhy growth of sago ; but still
the bottoms of the creeks were broad, and alliirded good pasture grounds.
We had an animated chase after a grii:zly boar this morning, which we
tried to lasso. Fucntes threw the lasso ii|)on his neck, but it slipped oil',
and he escaped into the dense thickets of the creek, into which we did not
like to venture. Our course in tiie afternoon brought us to tlie main Platte
river, here a handsome stream, with a uiiirurju breadth of seventy yards,
except where widcMied by freipient islamls. It was apparently deep, with
a moderate current, and wooded with groves of large willow.

Tlic valley narrowed as wo asfcended, and presently degenerated into a
gorge, ihrou:^li which the river passed as ihnni^h 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 moiint;iiu sides below the snow
line, and a paradise to all grazing animals. The Indian name for it signi-
fies '' vow loJ^e,'^ of which our own may be considered a translation ; the
enclosure, the grass, the water, and the herds of buffalo roaming over it,
naturally juesenting the idea of a i)ark. We halted for the night just within
the gate, and expected, as usual, to see ln-rds of buffalo ; but an Arapahoe
village had been before us, and tiol one was to bo seen. Latitude of the
encampment '10° 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 its first form ; and certainly no river
could ask a more beautiful origin.

June IG. — In the morning we pursued our way through the Park, follow-

[IS14.
:iied up

Cdllip 111

1 water,
id pk'us-

oiuituiiw

1. Ill al-
M)»ir.so of
Us, forty

iSO Wi'TO

willow,
frc(ivieiil
ctuiiidod

rty yards

1(1 Wl till!

il bcavor
ve to (his
Mitly rare
. Ill this
journey,

iiiiry pro-
)ro scanty
; but still
I grounds,
vliich we
)|»ed oil,
c did not
aiii Platte
ty yards,
cep, with

ed into a
ntered it,
f of thirty
itli water
the snow
r it sigui-
tion ; the
ig over it,
list within
Arapahoe
ule of the
feet.

rrounding
latte river
y no river

rk, follow-

Ifl14.1

CAI'T. KKKMO.M H NAKHATIVK.

ao:

inK n. principal branch of (ho Pluttn, and crossing, nmonq many smaller
oiM'N, H bold <«lit:ain, scaicidy forduble.rulifd l/xLr polu fork, and which i'«-
Mnu8 f''(ini n JaKr in ihe nioniitaiiiit on th(> rivht, ten miles long. In the uvcn-
ing >vo encamped onuMiiall Kireum,nuur (ho upper end of the I'.irk. Lati*
indc of the ramp in' ;J.i' J2".

June 17. — WiMiiniiiMi" tl our way anion? the waters of the Park, over the
foot hills of th*^ liordrriii'^ nioiiniains, where we tt)nn(l good paNtinage, and
surprised and killid ^oin<> Inilfalo. We lell into a broad and excellent (rail,
made by biilialo, u litre a wauon would pass with ease ; and, in the con; se
of the morning, we eiossed the .summit of ili(> Uocky moiniiunM, through
a ]n\st> which was tuie of (ho inost b(!aiitiful we had i ver seen. The trail
led among the a.spuns, through open grounds, richly covered with gras.s, and
carried ns ov<'r an •'Itvation o| about !i,()no feet al)ov<! the level of the sea.

The country ajipeared to great advaniau'> ni iIkj <l(;liuntfiil sununcr
weather of tli<! niountains, which wu .still coniimKMJ to enjoy. l)e»cunding
from the nasN, wo (omul ourselves again on the western waters; and halteci
to noon on the eilue of another nionntain valley, culled the Old Park, in
which is foinied (iraiid river, one of the principal blanches of ilie Colorado
of California. We were now moving with somt; caution, as, fnun the trad,
wo toiind (ho iVrapalioe village had also passed this way. As wo were
coming out of llieir enemy's country, and this was a war ground, we were
desirous to avoiil (hem. Af(era long afternooirs niariji, wc halted at night
on a small creek, tribut.iry to a main folk of (irand river, which ran
through this portion of the valley. The appearance of the country in the
Old Park is inieiesling, though of a diHerenl character from the Now; in-
stead of being a rotnparativi; plain, it is more or less broken into hills, and
surrounded by the high mountains, timbered on the lower parts with
quaking avp and pines.

June 18. — Our scouts, who were as usual alioad, made from a />k//c tliis
morning the signal of Indians, and we rode up in lime to meet a party of
about '.iO Arapahoes. They were men and women Loing into the hills — the
men for game, the women for roots — and informed us tlnit tho village was
encamped a few miles above, on the main fork of (Jr.iiid river, which passes
through the rnidst of the valley. I made tlieiii the usual prcjscnts; but
they appeared dis|)osed to be unfriendly, and galloped back at speed to the
village. Knowing that we liad trouble to expect, I descended immediately
into the bottoms of (irand river, which wcr(M)verllowed in places, the river
being up, and made the best encampment the ground alforded. Wc had no
time to build a fort, but found an open place among the willows, which was
defended by the river (Jii one side and the overlluwed bottcmis on the other.
We had scarcely made our lew preparations, when about iiOOof them ap-
peared on the verc:e of the bottom, mounted, painltsd, and armed for war.
We planti'd the American Hag between ns ; and a short parley ended in a
truce, with something more than the usual amount of presents. About iiO
Sioux were with them — one of them an old chief, who had always been
friendly to the whites. He iiiform<;d me that, before coining down, a coun-
cil had been held at the village, in which the ureaier part had declared for
attacking us — we had come from their enemies, 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. It will be remembered that it is cuslonip.ry for this peo-
ple to attack the trading parties which they meet in this region, considering

268

CAPT. rKLMO.NT'S NAKIJA'J'IVE.

[1844.

all whom they meet on the western side of the mountains to he their ene-
mies. They deceived me into the belief that I should fijul a ford at their
village, and I could not avoid accompanying them ; but put several sloughs
between us and their villige, and forted strongly on the banks of the river,
which was every where rapid and de('p,and over a hundr'ul yards in l^readtli.
TJie camp \vi.z generally crowd'sd with Indians; and though the baggage
was carefully watched and covered, a number of things were stolen.

The next morning we d(;si:(!nded the river for about eight miles, and
halted a short distance above a canon, tjirough which (irand river issues
from the Park. Here it was smooth and deep, 150 yards in breadth, and
its elevation at this point f),700 feet. A frame for the boat being very soon
made, our baggage was frrriod ncross; the Iiorses, in the menu lime, swim-
ming '^ver. A southern fork of (liand river here makes its junction, nearly
opposite to the branch l)y which we had entered the valley, .lud 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 was
70 to 90 yards in breadth, sometimes widened by ish-nds, and separated into
several channels, wiih a V(;ry swift current and bed of rolled rocks.

On the 20th we travelled up the left bank, with the prospect of a bad
road, the trail here taking the opposite side ; but the st»eam was up, and no-
where fordable. A piiiey ridge of mountains, with bare rocky jjcaks, v/as
on our right all the clay, and a snowy mountain appeared ahead. We
crossed many foaming torrents with rocky beds, rushing dov/n to the river;
and in tlie evening made a strong fort in an aspen grov^'. The valley had
already become very narrow, shut up m©re closely in densely timbered
mountains, the pines sweeping down the verge o. the bottoms. The cor/
de prairie {Iclrao curnp/Krsicanis) was occasionai'y seen among the sage.

VVe saw to-day the returning trail of an Araralioe parly whicli had been
sent from the vi'iage to look for Totalis in the Bayou Salade, (South Park ;)
and it bcin£' probable that they would visi» our camp with the desire to re-
turn oii horseback, we were more than usually on tlie alert.

Here the river diminished to ;3'> yards, and, notwithstanding the number
of affluents we had crossed, was stil u large stream, dashing swiftly by,
with a great continuous fall, and not ,'et fordable. We h id a delightful ride
along a good trail among the f'ragrr.iit pines; and the a;)j)earancc of buffalo
in great numbers indicated that there were Indians in the Hayou Salade,
(South Park,) by whom they were driven out. We halted to noon under
the shade of tlie pines, and the weather was most delightful. The country
was literally alive with buti'alo ; and the continued echo of tiie hiniter's
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 time they cjxme
into camp with the meat of .seven fat cows.

During the earlier i)art of the day's ride, the river had been merely a
narrow ravine between high ])iney mountains, backed on both sides, but
particularly on the west, by a line of snowy ridges ; but, a I r several hours'
ride, tlie stream opened out into a valley with pleasant hottoms. In the
afternoon the river forked into three apparently equal streams ; b.oad buffalo
trails leadiiig u[) the left hand, and the middle branch indicating <,ood 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
irost desirous to follow.) lliere was no sign of a buffolo trace. Apprehend-
ing from this reason, and the character of tlie mountains, which are known

[1844.

leir ene-
1 at their
1 sloughs
;be river,

r^readth.

baggage
leii.

liles, and
,'er issues
idth, and
I'eiy soou
lie, swim-
)n, nearly
ip this wo

a bottom
:!Ut it was
rated into

t of a bad

p.andno-

caks, v/as

ead. We

the river ;

ralley had

timbered

The coq

the sagi..

I had been

\\\\ Park ;)

sire to re-

e number

;\virtly by,

htful ride

of bullalo

\\ Salade,

ooH under

e country

hunter's

, thinking

liey cjxme

merely a
sides, but

ral hours'
. In the
»ad buft'alo
ood passes
e object of
sas, I was
pprehend-
ire known

1814.]

CAPT, FREMONT'S NARRATIVC.

2(39

to be extremely rugged, that the right-hand branch led to no pass, I pro-
ceeded u[) lli»' middle branch, which loruied x\ Ihu valley bottom between
Innbered ridges on the left and snowy mountains on the right, terminating
in large huttca of naked rock. The trail was good, and the country inter-
esting ; and at nightfall we encamped in ai\ open place among the pines,
where we built a strong fort. The •.noinitaiiis exhibit their usual varied
growth of llowers, and at this place i noticed, among others, thermopsiik
niontuna, whose bright yellow color makes it a showy plant. Tiiis lias
been a characteristic in many parts of the country since reaching the Uintah
waters. With fields of iris were aquilc^la CdTidca, 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 discovered, and, at the re-
port of a ijun, and the blaze of fresh ("ucl which was heaped on our fires,
those of the strangers were instantly extinguished. In the morning, they
were found to be a party of six trappers, who had ventured out among the
mountains after beaver. They informed us that two of the number with
which they started had been already killed by the Indians — one of them
but a few days ■^ince — by the .\rapahoes we liad lately seen, who had found
him alone at a camp on this river, and carried off Ins traps and animals.
As they were desirous to join us, the hunters returned v/ith them to their
encampment, and we contimied Uj^ llie valley, in which the stream rapidly
diminished, breaking into small tributaries — every r.ollow alfording water.
At our noon halt, the hunters j lined us with the trup|)ers. While preparing
to start from their encampment, they found themselves suddenly surround-
ed by a party of Arajiahoes, who informed them that their scouts had dis-
covered a large Utah vilhige in the Bayou Salade, (South Park,) and that a
large war party, consisiing 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 a.^ceiided the left fork of the river, which aflbrded a better pass
than the branch wo were on ; and this parly had followed our trail, in order
that we uiiglit add our force to theirs. Carson informed them that we were
too far ahead to turn back, but would join them in the bayou; and the In-
dians went oil' apparently satisfied, By thn temperature of boiling water,
our elevation here was 10,4 iO feet; and sti!l the p.ne forest continued, and
grass was trood.

In the ufternonn, we continued our road — occasionally through opon
pines, with a very gradual a*>cent. We surprised a herd of buft'alo, enjoying
the shad.8 at a small lake among' the pines ; and th<y made the dry branches
crack, as they broke through tue woods. In a rid^ of about tlu'-e-quarter-
of nn hour, and bavin? a*:«nded perhaps SOO feet, we reached the sum-
mit OF TUE DIVIDING KiDOE, which would tlius have an estimated height
of 1 1,q:v/0 feet. Mere the river sprc ads itsell" into smal. branches and springs,
heading n^;arly in the summit of (he ridge, which is very narrow. Imme-
diately 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 that imme-
diately beyond these mountains was the main branch of the Arkansas
river — most probably heading directly with the little stream below ns,
which gathered its waters in the snowy mountains near by. Descriptions
of the rugged character of the mountains around the head of the Arkan-
sas, which their appearance amply justified, deterred me from making any

270

(APT. h'KEMONT'S NARRATIVK.

[1844.

attempt to reach il, which woiild have involved a greater length of time
than now remained at my disposal.

In about a qnurter ol an hour, we descended from the summit of the Pass
into the creek below, our ro:i(l haviiiq; been very much cuiifiollcd and inter-
rupted by the pines and ypiinirs on the moinitain side. Turning up the
stream, wo encamped or. a Ijoltom of ijood grass near its head, which gath-
ers its waters in the dividing crest of the Kocky mounlain.s, and, according
to the l)est information we coidd obtain, se|,aratefl only by the rocky wall
of the ridge fr'^ni (In; ln.'ad of the main Arkansas river. IJy the observa-
tions of the evening, the latirudo of our encampment was 'A'l'^ 20' 24", and
south of which, therefore, is the head of the Arkansas river. The stream
on which we had (Micampcd is the head of cither the Futilftinc-(/uibonity
n branch of the Ark;in.'as, (U' the remotest head of t'le south fork of the
Platte; as which, you will find it laid down on the map. Hut descending
it only through a portion of its course, we liave not been able to settle this
point satisfactorily.

In tlic eveningjU band ofbullalo furnished a little cxcilenient, by charging
through the canip.

On the follownig day, we descended the stream by an excellent buflalo
trail, along the open grassy bottom of the river. On onr riirht. the bayou
was bordered by a moimtair.ons range, crested wiili rocK'y and naked peaks;
and below, it hail a beuutiful paik-like character ol' pretty level prairies, in-
tersper.-ed among low spurs, wooded openly with pine and quaking asp,
coiurasling well v.'ith the denser pines which swept around on tlu; moun-
tain sides. Desctniiing always the valley of the streaiv,, towards noon we
descried a mounted j)arty do'-cending the point of a spur, -iMd. judging them
to be Arapahoes — wlio. defeated or vi^Morious, were ecpially dangerous to
us, and with whom a. ll'jl;l would be inevitable — we hurried to post our-
selves as sfroni.'ly as pos.viMe on som ^ willow islands in the river. W'e had
scarcely halted wlien they arrived, proving to be a jiariy of Utah women,
wiio told us that on the otiier sidi^ of the ridge thor villa2e was figliting
with the ;\rai)ahoes. As .soon as they had iriven us this inlbrniation, they
filled the air with cries and lamentations, which made us und(!rstand that
some of tlx'ir chiefs had been killed.

Extendiiiff along the river, directly ahead ol' us, was a low piney i"i 'ge,
leaving l^etv.'een it and the stream a small open bottom, on which the
Utalis had very injudiciously placed their village, which, according- to the
■women, numbered al;oui :3f)0 warriors. .Advaneii.o: in the cover of the
pines, the Aiopahoes, about daylight, charged iiUo tlie viMag' . driving oil
a great number of tlieir horses, and killing tour men : among them, tht;
princii)al chief of the villac:e. They drove the horses perhaps a mile be-
yond the village, to the end of a hollow, where they \\v\ previously forted
at the edge of tjie piiie.s. Here the I'tahs had instantly attacked tliem in
turn, and, according to the report of the women, were gei.ing rather the
hest of the day. The women pressed us eagerly to join with their people,
and would immediately have provided us with the hest horses at the vil-
lage ; but it was not for us to interfere in such a conJhcf. Neither party
were our friends, or under our protection ; and each was ready to prey
upon us that could. Hut we could not help feeling an umisual (ixcitcrnent
at being within a few hunrlred yards of a fight, in whieh 500 men were
closely engaged, aiid hearing the sharp cracks of their rilles. Wo were in
a bad position, and subject to be attacked in it. Kithcr party which we

[1844.
;th of time

of the Pass
1 and inter-
line np the
vhich gath-
l,ar'cord)ng
rocky wall
fic observa-
0' 2\'\ and
The si ream
'-(/iiiboiiit,
fork of the
descending

settle this

by charging

lent buflulo
. the bayou
aked peaks;
p'-airies, in-
iiaking asp,

1 the momi-
•ds noon we
idling them
Miqerous to
to post our-
er. W'f" had.
fall women,
vas figliting

ition. they
rstand that

liiiey ri 'ge,
which the
till'; to the
»v<r of the
hiving olT
them, the.
a mile be-
lli:^ !y for ted
:ed them in
rather <he
leir people,
s at the viU
ilhcr party
dy to prey
excitement
men were
iVe were in
which we

1844.]

CAPT. ritEMOiNT'S NARRATIVR.

271

might meet, victorious or defeated, was certain to fall upon us; and, gear-
ing up innnediately, w(! kept close along the pines of the ridge, having it
between us and the village, and keeping the scouts on the summit, to give
us tiotice of the approach of Indians. As we passed by the village, which
was innnediately l.-elow us, horsemen were galloping to and fro, and groups
of people were gathered aroinid llios(^ who were wonnded and dead, and
who were being broujlit in iVnm tin; field. We continued to |)ress on, and,
crossing another fork, which came in from the right, after having made
fifteen miles from the villaire, fortified ourselves strongly in the jjines, a
short distance from the riv(;r.

During the afternoon, Pike's Peak had been plaitdy in vimv before ns,
and, from our encampmi.nt, bore N. 87° E. by compass. This was a
familiar object, and it had for us the face of an old fnetid. At its foot
were the springs, where we had spent a pleasant day in coming out. Near
it were the habitations of civilized men; and it overlook'd the broad
suKtolh plains, which promised ns an easy journey to oiir home.

The next day we left the river, which cominued its course towards
Pike's Peak; and taking a southeasterly direction, in abont ten miles we
crossed a gentle ridge, and, issuing' from the South Park, f 'Utid ourselves
involved among the luokiMi s|)urs of the mountains which boid(;r the great
prairie plains. Ahhoniih broken and extremely ruiiji^ed. the country was
very interesting, being well watered by ntmierousalllneiits to the Arkansas
river, and covered with grass and a vari(;ly of trees. 'J'Ih; str(\ain.s, which,
in the up[)er part of their conrs(!, ran through grassy and ojen hollows,
after a lew miles all descended into deep and impracticable canons, throngli
which tln^y found iheir way to the Arkansas valh^y. Here the butl'alo
trails we had followed were dispersed among the hills, or cro.vsed over into
the more open valleys of other streams.

During the day our road was fatiguing and difficult, rcmiiKhng us much,
by its steep and rocky charaeter, of our travelling the year before' among
the Wind river mountains ; but always at nig!it we found some grassy
bottom, which afforded us a [ileasautcamp. In the doi'p seclusion of these
little streams, we found always an abundant pasturage, and a wild luxu-
riance of plants and trees. Aspens and pines were the prevailing timber ;
on the creeks, oak was frecpient ; l)ut the narrow-leaved Cottonwood. (;>o;;-
u/i/s' ('ni^usliifnlid,) of unusually large size, and seven or ci^ht leet in
circumference, was the j)rincipal tr<'C. With these were mingled a variety of
shrubby trees, which aided to make the ravines almost impenolrablc.

After several days' laborious travelling, we sueceedetl in extricating
ourselvf s from the mountains, and on the morning of the iJ.sih encamped
imnHuliafely at their foot, on a handsome tributary to the y\rkansas river.
In the afternoon we descended the stream, winding our way along the
bottoms, which were densely wooded with oak, and i\\ tlu; (jvcuing en-
oumped near the main river. Continuing the next day our r«vid along the
Arkansas, and UKjetinif on the way a war party of Arajiahoe Indians, (who
i«ad recently been comnutiing i^ome outrages at Bent's fort, killing stock
and driving off horses,) we arrived before sunset at the Pueblo, near the
mouili of the Fontnine-ijui hnidt river, where we had the pleasure to find
a number of our old acipiaintanccs. The little settlement appeared in a
tiniving condition ; and in (he inlerval of our absence another had beeu
established on the river, some thirty miles above.

June 30. — Our cavalcade moved rapidly down the Arkansas, along the

272

CAPT. FUEMONT'.s NAKRATF\ R.

[1944,

>v.'

Inoad ro.'id wliicli follows tlic ri'. or, uiid on liio 1st of July we arrivi'd at
liiMit's fort, about 70 miles l)e!ow the immth of tJK* F()n/(/ific (/ui//ouii.
As we j'liieri^ed into view fr>)m the groves on tin; river, we wer(^ saliilt.'il
with a display of llie national Hag and repealed disrharges from the gim-.
of tin; fori, where we were received by Mr. (li-orgc; IJenr with a cordial
welcome and a friendly hospitality, in (lie enjoyment of which wc spent
several very agreeable days. We were now in the region wliere our
nionnlaineers were accustomed lo live ; ami all t'" dangers and ddlicultie-
of the road being considered past, four ol theni, including Carson and
Walker, remained at the fort.

On the fjih we resumed our journey down the Aikansas, travelling along
a broad wagon rt^id, and encamped about Iwcniy nnles below the fort.
On tln> way we met a very large villag<! of Sioiix and (Micyeimo Indians,
who, with the Arapahoes, were retiUMiiiii; from the crossing of the Arkaii-
sa.'', where they had been to meet the Kioway and ramancJK! Indians.
A few days jtrevious they liad massa'Mcd a party of fifteen Delawares,
whom ihey had discovered in a Ion on the Smoky Hill river, losing in the
allair several of their own peopU;. 'riii;y were desirons that W(! sliouM
bear a pacific message to the Delawares on the frontier, from whom tiiey
expected retaliation ; and we j)assed through them wiliiont any dilliculty
or delay. Dispersed over the? plain in scuitercd bodie:'! of horsemen, and
family groups of women and children, v\'ith dog trains car»-ving baggage, and
long lines of pack horses, their appearance was picturesque and imposing.

.Agreeably to your instructions, wliit-h reipiirc^d me to complete, as far as
practicable, our examina inns of the Kansas, I left at ihis encampment the
Arkansas nvt'r, taking a northeasterly direclion across llie elevated dividing
grounds which separate ihut river from th(! waters of the Plalte. On the
7th we crossed a large stream, about forty yards wide, and one or two feet,
deep. Il iwing with a lively current on a sandy bed. The discolored and
muddy appearance of the water indicated that it proceeded from recen*
rains; and we an; inclined to (Consider this a Ijranch of the Smoky Iliii
river, ahhough, possibly, it may be the Pawnee fork of the Arkansas. 15e-
yond lliis stream we travelled over high and level prairies, haltingat small
puids and holes of water, and using for our fires tin; boi.'i i/c. viiche, the
country being wiihout limber. On the evening of the Sth we encamped
in a Cottonwood grove on the baidcs o{ a sandy stream bed, where there
was water in holes sntiicient for the camp. Here several hollows, or dry
cretdv> with sandy beds, met together, tbriniiig ihe head of a stream whicli
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 Iiuiians were discovered. They belonged to a war party whicl:
had scattered over the prairie in returning from an expedition against the
Pawnees.

As we travelled down the valley, water gathereo rapidly in the sandy
bed from many little tributaries ; and at evening it had become a hand-
some stream, fifty to eighty feet in width, with a lively current in smaK
channels, ihe water being principally dispersed among quicksands.

Gradually enlarging, in a fev.' days' march it became a river eightv
yards in breadth, wooded wit!) occasional groves of cottonwood. Our ro d
was generally over level uplands bordering the river, which were clo?-^'';
covered with a sward of bulfalo grass.

On the lOlh we entered again the butfalo range., where we had foimd these

II
il
Ir

[1944.

arriviid at •
(juihonit.

XV S.lllltt.'tl

a cordial

wc spuiit

wliuro oil!

didicultio-

arson ami

illingaloiu;
V tho i'oir.
le Indians,
lie Alkali -
U! Indians.
Delawaros,
i.sing in tlie
W(! slionlil
vliom tliL'V
y dilliciilty
semen, and
ggage, and
injiosing.
[e, as I'ar as
iipnient the
ed dividing
e. On tho
or two fet'i
olored ami
roni recen'
nioky Hii'-
I'sas. IJe-
ngat sinal!
vdche, the
encampod
lere there
ws, or dry
earn which
er.

number of
arty whicl:
igainst the

the sandy
e a hand-
t in smaK
ds.

ver eightv
Our ro J
ere clof^-ly

bnnd these

1 841.1

(;A»*'J'. rUK.MONT'.S iN'AUIlATIVK.

'il\\

unhn.ds so almndani on uin' outward joinncy, and halted loi- ;i (Jay among
' nmnerons herds, in order to njake a j)roviM()n ol meat siujicient to carry
ns lo the IronliiM'.

A \\'\v days a Iter wards, wi; (MieampiMl, in a phias.mt evf;ning, on a high
river prairn', the slrcam hciir.^' ii'ss ilian a himdrcd yards hroaih During
ihc ni^ht wc had a succession ol'lhunchr storms, with heavy and eoiilinu-
<>ns rain, and towards morning the water suddenly hurst over ihe hanks,
ll(»o(lum the hoitonis.aud hecouiinga larve river, hve or si.v lunidred yards
in lireadlh. 'I'he darkness ol ih(! night and incessant rain had concealed
(Vom th(! ynartl tin; rise ol' the waler; and tlu; river broke into tiie cainn
so suddenly, that the haggagt; was instantly covered, aini all our perislKihle
eollections almost (julireiy ruin«'(|, and the haid lahor of many months
destroytui in a moment.

On the 17th wo. discovered a lar:i:e villauM? oi' Indians encamped at Ihe
moinli of a handsomely woodid siream on the, nuhl hank oC the river.
Readily inCerring, iVom the naliu'e ol' the encampmeiil, that ihey were
i'awiic(> hidians, and confidendy expecting uood treatment I'roin a peophi
who receive regular'y an annuity i'rom the (Jovernment, wc; procet!ri(;(| di-
rectly to the village, whert! \wv found asseiuhled nearly all the I'awiiee tril)e,
who were now returning from the cuossing of the Arkansas, wlieri,- lh(!y
had met ihe ICioway and ('ainanc'iie Indians. We w(!re reeeived hy them
wiih tiie nnlViciioly rudeness and ehai'ai'teristie insolence wliieii iliey iieV(;r
I'til lo (hs|)lay whenever ihey lind an occasion lor doing so with impunity.
'I'he litili' tiiat nnnained of our goods was distrihuled amont,' them, hut
proved (Mitirely insuliicient lo satisfy their giecMJy rapae-iiy; and, after some
delay, and coiisiderahU; dilliciilty. we succeeded in e\uicaling ourselves
from the village, and encamped on the river ahout fift(!en miles l)elow.*

Tlie country through which we had l)eeu travelling since leaving the
Ark'ansas river, for a distaii'-e of iifiO miles, presented to the eye only a
succession of far-stretching LM'eeii prairies, covercal with the nuhrolcen ver-
dure of the huU'alo grass, and sparingly woodeij along Ihe strtiams with
straggling irees and occasional groves of cottouwood; !)Ul li';re the country
h((gan perceptihly to (iliaimc! its ciiaracttir, lu^coming a more fertile, woodt^d,
and heautiful region, eovered with a, profusion of grassi-s, and watered with
iimumerahlt! little streams, which were woode(| wilh oak. large elms, and
the usual varieties of timher eonnnon 'to the lower course of the Kansas
river.

As we advanced, the coimtry sti^adily unproved, i;ratlually assimilating
itself in appearance to the northwestern pan of the State of Missouri. The
beautiful sward of the hud'alo irrass, which is regarded as the best and
most nutritious found on the prairies, appeared now only in patches, hcmg
j'cplaced by a longer and coarsiu* grass, wliich covered the face o( the coun-
try luxuriunlly. The diti'erence in llie character of tlie grasses became
suddenly evident in the weakened condition of our auinials, which began
sensibly to fail as soon as we cpiilted the buH'alo grass,

'I'he river ))r(!servcd a uniform breadth of eighty or a hundred yards,
'.vith broad botioms continuously timbered w;ih large Cottonwood trees,
among which were interspersed a few other varieties.

• III a rt'cont report to the 'lepiirtinnit, fioiu Major Wli.tvton, who vislloil the Piiwnei' viiUitri,^
with ii militury Uirt'i' some iiioiiths al'tirw.uds, it i.s slali'il ihut llu- Imhiiii8 huil intfiidid to attack
our party duriny: the night wo remained at this encampment, but \\ « ^' proMmted by the interposition
of the Pawnee Luiips.
IS

274

CAPT. FKEMONT'8 NARKATIVE.

While ongagod in crossiiig one o('th(» imiuerons creeks which fiotiiieDtly
impedfil uiid chfcK'ed our way, sotniitiiiies oljhLMiig iis to ascend them for
several miles, one of the i>eo|)lr! (Alexis Ayol) was sfiot ihronuh the le^ hy
tlie aecideiitiil (hschnri,^; of a rille— a mortifying and |Kunful mis(;!iance.
to he rri|)i)led for life hy an aeeidt-nt, al'UM- having nearly aecomplished in
safety a long and eventtul journey. lie was a young man of remarkahly
good and cheerful tcMUper, and had heiMi auiong the usefid and efljcicnl
men of lh(; party.

Afirr having travelled directly along ils hanks for two himdred and
ninety miles, wo left the river, wliere it hon^ suddenly olf in a northwesterly
direction, towards its junction with the Repuhlican fork of tin; Kansas, dis-
tant ahout sixty miles; and, continuing otn* easterly course, in ahout twenty
iiules we ( iilert'd ihc wagon road from Santa Fe to Independence, and on
the last day of .Inly encamped again at the little town of Kansas, on the
banks of the Missouri river.

During otu' protracted ahsence of fourteen months, in the course of which
we had necessarily been exposed to great varieties of weather and of climate,
no one case of sickness had ever occurred among us.

Here ended our land journey; and the day I'ollowing our arrival, wi;
found ourselves on hoard a steamboat raj)i(Jly gliding down tlie broad
Missouri, Our travel-worn animals had not been sold and di.s[)ersed ov(.'r
tlie country to renewed labor, hut were ])laced at good pasturage on the
frontier, and are now ready to do their part in the coming expedition.

On the fith of August w(! arriv(Kl at St. Louis, where the party was
finally ilisbanded ; a great ninnber of tin; men having their homes m the
neighborhood.

Andreas Fuentes also remained hen;, having readily found employment
for the winter, and is one of the men engaged to accompany nu; the present
year.

Pablo Hernandez remains in the family of Senator Henton, where he is
well taken care of, and conciliates good will by his docility, intelligence, and
amiability. OcMUM'al Almonte, the Mexican minister at Washington, to
whom he was of course made known, kindly olUu'cd to take charge of
him, anil to carry bun back to Mexico; but the boy preferred to remain
where he was luitil he got an education, for which he shows equal ardor
and ajititude.

Our Chinook Indian had his wish to .sei; the whites fidly gratified. He
accomi)ani(Hj me to Washington, and, after remaining several months at
tilt! ("olumbia college, was sent by the Indian department to Philadelphia,
where, among other things, he learned to read and write well, and .speak
tlie Kimiish language with some (luency.

He will accompany me in a few days to the frontier oi Missouri, whence
he will l)e sent with some one of the emigrant con\panies to the village at
the Dalles of the Columbia.

Very respectfully, your obedient .servant,

.1. C. FREMONT,
/>'/. C(fp/. Topi. Phii^iiieoj's.

[184^

VoiiiKintfy,
1 tlicni for
th(! It'll; l>y
uisclmiKM!.
plislicd ill

iinark'iihly
d I'diciciit

ulird and
liwt'storly
aiisas,dis-
lUt twenty
ce, and on
>ns, on the

3 of which
of cU mate,

iirival, W(!
the hroad
ersed over
a2;o on the
htion.
party was
nies m the

nployment
ic present

icre he is
L!:ence,atul
inL^ton, to
charge of
to remain
qnal ardor

fled. He
months at
iladelphia,
and speak

ri, whence
village at

(JAPT. I' lU; MONT'S NARRATIVE.

IWHLK OK DISTANCES

ALOKti

•J75

Till: ROAU TRAVKM.HIJ in I'lIK KM'KDITION IN 1843 AND lrt41.

OlITWAim .FOIIINKV.

From Kunnas Lauding to Fort I'ancouver.

S to

> >*

,s.s

"^ S'

— n

i-^

■~ "2

4. 3

Diitp.

5- -r

5- J*

liOrnliticH.

Diitf.

9 "Z

CiS

liOciiliticH.

5 ■/.
«M It

s 2

■n c

11.

^tS

i:u:}.

MUvs.

Mi/n.

)Hl:t.

.1///, .s.

.V/Av.

Muv 29

Julv 29

S07

831

5.')

8I>I

June I

Aug. 1

Hs't

100

1 2

918

Mi'iliiiMt! n.)sv rivir.

123

1 :J

914

141

902

Norllr fork.

.'i

I'J

UiO

9S1

«i

174

1,011

182

2!»

1,010

187

Junciioii ol' Smi)ky

1,000

Swcrt W liter.

Hill and Rqtub-

1,089

liciin forks.

1,118

188

1 l'^

1,113

212

S "

l,lo2

South Pasts.

1-J

240

Jir,

1,107

258

2r)

1,192

27.0

l!-i

1 "^i

fireen river, or Uio

If)

290

Colorado.

310

1,247

333

1,208

I'J

3r,i

1,300

■^0

2fi

377

1,328

•z\

404

1,3.'J8

'i-i

2()

4:J0

1,384

2G ;

4.'Jfi

1,421

34 I

490

1,133

2r)

2«

r)10

f'ro--iMcf of tiie Rc-

t>o

i,!.--,:)

puLilican.

2"!

1,403

Heer Springs.

• 26

24 ;

.'J40

1,184

27 1

.'J67

1 27

1,.")05

30 <

.'i97

I,r):j2

21 ;

018

i,r)49

2fi '

044

Huuth fork.

1,508

Inly !

070

1,.'J94

7(tr>

Sept. 1

1,010

733

1,1.33

7.')1

8(. VruinV' fort.

i :'

I.<i36

Modlli of Bear river.

2fi

7.'i.'i

i 4

1,042

781

1,009

20 ■

HOI

1,094

)^7f»

CAPT. FHEMONT'H NAIUIATIVE.
TAHLK OK DISTANCES— Coiitiiiuctl.

! h '

|4-

<S^

D«to. 1

Itiirul

ilicM.

1HI3.

T.iKiililii-H.

1R43.

Miln.

J///M.

iU/A.t.

Milen.

Mppt. 8 M

1,714

Shore of

tlio Salt

(tcl. 11

2,254

lake.

2,250

Fori lioiw's

1,723

iNlamI ill
liiki>.

the Salt

20
27

2,270
2,303

i,7r)0

2,323

1»

1,703

2,345

1.7!)0

If)

2,371

l.Sll

2,384

Ifi

l,N33

2,40ft

1«

I.Hf)!)

2,425

I,HH3

2,440

l.'.MIfi

Fort Hull.

2,158

1,918

2,403

1,028

Aiinririin

lulU on 1

Ifl

2,479

Lewis's

I'nrk. !

2,497

2r,

1,!»41

2,5 IB

'^(>

i.yrjB

8«

2,518

Fort Np/, Perci!, at

1,078

llu' iiiniitli of Wa

2,003

lnhwiiiiiii rivci.

2«

•J, 027

(

2,537

2(i

2,053

2,550

Ucl , I

•J.OfiO

2,577

2!)

2,098

2,003

2,114

Nov. 1

2,020

2,131

2,015

2(i

2, ir.o

2,002

H 3!i

2, 1 8 1

2,''i70

' Diillfs.

2,20 »

& 7

2,700

Fort Van''i"'ivri.

2li

2,230

!>•

J.iii.

rrOMKM AHI) .101 RNKV.

Finm the Da I Irs (a the Missouri river.

"3 .•

i t

si-

.£2

Date.

Milea.

Loc:iliti(>.s.

Dull-.
1843.

Jiocalilie'i.

1843.

Milen.

Miles.

Nov. 25

Dec. 4

147

158

177

202

821

235

Dec. 1

105

250

TiairiHth lak".

«t

110

255

138

267

J'cl..

TAPT. FREMONT'S NAHHATIVE.
TARLK OK DISTANCES— Continued.

IVK.

Duti<.

Doc. II

Prrio, al
III (if Wa-
I rivci.

IH'H.
.I.in. 1

'IVCI.

7. ja

S^ «

ytiks.

16
17
18

uu
83

23
24
25
26
27
28
2i)

Fel.

21
2(1

7
l.S
14
21
24
lU
l.'i
17
Ih

I.T

1-2

!»

!;■)

I.:

I'J

' 7

Mihs.

2H8

uoo

318
:124
Mi

3(i.')
UUl
31)7
42ti

4;i3

44G
4U0
481
505
521
.'■):if)

.')7l

501

(iUi

ti23

630

632

647

658

6(18

678

681

606

705

'.17

735

7o7

765

7m3

788

812

826

851

871

806

008

020

927

938

964

080

087

990

994

005

908

Hiitinnrr lake

Liil{o AIhtI.

ChriHtmns Ink".

D«to.

IM44.
Ki'l.. 20

23
24

5
12

(in;ii Moiling spriii!?.

Pyniiuiil liiki

25
26

Miircli 1

2 \ 3

/nrii 1

6
7

s
<i

11
15
17
18
10
•JO

23
24
25
27
28
29
30
1

May

2
3
4
6

14
II

1
10

6
10

7
20
31
16
IH
21
42
17

8
ID
'Z-i
18
37
15
50

31
10
24
15

'JV

M
'M
30
3
15
33

20
33

8
25
43
12

7
24
15
12
18
57
18

1,001

1,(106

1,000

1,011

1,026

1,040

l.d.H

1,055

1,065

1,071

1,081

1,088

1,108

1,142

1,158

1,176

1,107

1,2:19

1,256

I, --64

l,2M

1,296

l,3H

l,3r)|

l,36(i

1,116

1,122

1,153

I,IU3

1,517

1,532

1,55')

1,501
1,623
1,662
1,665
1,680
1,713

1,733

1,766

1,774

, 1,799

; 1,^12

1,854

1,861

1,885

1,000

1,012

1,930

i 1,987

2,005

l.'>rulili(<H.

Snmniil <)!" thr Sirrrsi
iN('vii<Ih.

Nucvii H«'lvrti!i.

Pass III tlir
rs'r\ii(l;i.

i>lprru

Sjmnish tr.ii! ;>l M'
liuhvi river.

Rio Virgrn.

378

l'AI»T. FREMONT'S NAKKATIVE.

TAHU: OF DISTAN'CKS— Cojiliniicd.

iif.

Date.

IHII.

M.iv ^

18
19
lA
10
17
l»
2(1
•J I
'J"
23
84
2:)
'^li
27
2S
•Jf)
:i()
:;i
I

3
5
U
7

luiio

18
13
14

IT)
Ki
17
18
10
20

l.ociilili*'-).

ill

IH
I
84
18
14

ir>

81
17
17
27
'ii
:il
23
12
2:J
32

<J
88
2.T
2r)
31
lO
Ki

S
21
2'i
15
3(»

30
30
8fi
2«
23

o r

26
33
13
IG
27

VcguH lit! Niintii Clurn.

2, (I I. -I

2.(M3

2.031

2,0.">8

2,070

8,084

2,0U»

8,180

8,137

8,1A4

8, HI

'J,-.Jtt3

2,231

2,2r.7

2,2«'J • Hcvirr river

2,8U8 I

2,384 I
j 2,3;}3 , L'liih Ilk' .

2,355

2,3S(»

2,405
1 2, 13»i
: 2.45:i

2,. His
j 2,47(1
' 2,1!i7

2,r)23
I 2,5:i8
j 8,568

2,r,()4

2,(i34

2,«i(i4

2,)i90

2,716

2,739
I 2,7fi4
j 2,7!MI
i 2,823

2,836

2,852

2,870

(.'iritah fort.

Grcrtj rivrr, (llrown'8
liolr.)

Now I'ark.
Old Park.

Aug.

ii!t

1!)

3.270
3.21IS

'')•'-"
3. •.152
3,3«v{
3,3sr.
3.417
3,111
3, nil
3, ni'.l
3,5:3
3,53!)
3,.'i(i-)
:i,5S7
3,<;o(i

3,fi30
3,(i'lH
3,(i70
3, (iH2
3. 694
3,702
3,70!)

liDCIllilil'N.

niivitu Hiilmlc, (Hiiutli
I'urk.)

I'liililii, on llii' .\r-
k.iiiHiiH.

Hint's fori.

Hi'uil wiitrr of Hninky
Mill lork ol llu<

KiiiisiiH,

Iviiisiis Janihiiu
Mi.sKiJuri iImt.

■iililii'M.

<alii.lc, (M.iutli
)

on the Ar-

)rt.

itpr of Smoky
orlv ol llu'

riviT.