As our explorers advanced, one of the most prominent features of the
country was the abundance of artemisia growing everywhere, on the hills
and in the river bottoms, in twisted wiry clumps, filling the air with
the odor of mingled camphor and spirits of turpentine, and impeding the
progress of the wagons out of the beaten track.
They met a straggling party of the Indians which had followed the trail
of the emigrants, and learned from them that multitudes of grasshoppers
had consumed the grass upon the road, so that they had found no game,
and were obliged to kill even their horses, to ward off starvation. Of
course danger from these Indians was no longer to be apprehended, though
the prospect was a gloomy one, but new courage seemed to inspire the
party when the necessity of endurance seemed at hand.
The party now followed Carson's advice, given at Fort Laramie, to
disencumber themselves of all unnecessary articles, and accordingly they
left their wagons, concealing them among low shrubbery, after they had
taken them to pieces, and made a _cache_ of such other effects as they
could leave, among the sand heaps of the river bank, and then set to
work to mend and arrange the pack saddles, and packs, the whole of which
was superintended by Carson, and to him was now assigned the office of
guide, as they had reached a section of the country, with a great part
of which long residence had made him familiar. Game was found in great
abundance after they reached the river bottom, off the traveled road,
both upon the Platte and after they crossed over the _divide_ to the
Sweet Water.
Speaking of the gorge where the Platte River issues from the Black
Hills, changing its character abruptly from a mountain stream to a river
of the plain, Fremont says, "I visited this place with _my favorite
man_, Basil Lajeunesse;" and this extraordinary expression, left
unexplained, would lead the casual reader to believe or think that
Carson had lost the confidence of the _official_ leader of the party.
It has seemed to us, in reading Fremont's narrative of this first
expedition to the Rocky Mountains, that in view of some failures to
achieve what was sought, and to avoid what was suffered, Carson's
advice, given with a larger experience, and with less of impetuosity
than that of the young Huguenot's, would, if followed, have secured
different results, both for the comfort of the party, and the benefit of
science; and while those of like temperament were chosen for companions
by Lieutenant Fremont, it detracts nothing from his reputation for
scientific analysis and skill, or for high courage, but only gives to
Carson the deserved meed of praise to say, his was the hand that
steadied the helm, and kept the vessel on her way, at times when,
without his judgment, sagacity, and experience, it must have been
seriously damaged, if not destroyed; and with this balance wheel, a part
of his machinery, the variety of difficulties that might have defeated
the scientific purpose of the expedition, or have made it the last
Fremont would desire, or the Government care to have him undertake, were
avoided; and no one inquired to know the cause.
It often happens that the quiet, simpler offices of life become
imperative, and first duties, to one who feels that all the
qualifications fitting for more honorable place, are possessed by him,
in much larger measure than by the occupant of the higher official
position,--as men are wont to esteem it--and, as there is no explanation
given, nor, by declaration, even the fact stated that this was true now
in respect to Christopher Carson, we shall give no reason, further than
to say, that the care of finding suitable places for camping, of seeing
that the party were all in, and the animals properly cared for, their
saddles in order, and the fastenings secure; of finding game, and
watching to see that the food is properly expended, so that each supply
shall last till it can be replenished; of seeing that the general
property of the party is properly guarded, and a variety of other
matters, which pertain to the success of an enterprise like this, and
without which it must be a failure, could not all be borne by Fremont;
and while he had assigned to each his position in the labor of the camp,
the place of general care-taker, which comes not by appointment, fell
naturally to the lot of Carson; and such supervision was cheerfully
performed, though it brought no other reward than the satisfaction of
knowing that the essential elements of success were not neglected.
Shall we not then deem him worthy of all praise for being content to
occupy such a position? Employed to guide the party, he had hoped to
share the confidence of its leader, but the latter had already other
friends, jealous of his attentions; he had another hunter, jealous of
his own reputation in his profession, and of his knowledge of the
country; then there were two youths in the party, one of whom wished to
be amused, and both to be instructed; and in becoming the general
providence of the party, which is scarcely thought of, because it seems
to come of itself, we find the reason why Fremont's first narrative
shows Carson so little like the brave, bold hunter we have known him
hitherto. We allude to two lads, one a son of the Hon. T. H. Benton, who
accompanied him out during a portion of his first expedition, and for
whom it is evident he made many sacrifices.
Buffalo were numerous, and they saw many tracks of the grizzly bear
among the cherry trees and currant bushes that lined the river banks,
while antelope bounded fitfully before them over the plains.
But the reader is already familiar with this condition of things in the
country, because the hero of our story has been here before, and to
apply the term explorer here to Fremont, and to call this an exploring
expedition, seems farcical, only as we remember that there had not been
yet any written scientific description of this region, so long familiar
to the trappers, and to none more than Carson.
They had now approached the road at what is called the South Pass. The
ascent had been so gradual, that, with all the intimate knowledge
possessed by Carson, who had made this country his home for seventeen
years, they were obliged to watch very closely to find the place at
which they reached the culminating point. This was between two low
hills, rising on either hand fifty or sixty feet.
Approaching it from the mouth of the Sweet Water, a sandy plain, one
hundred and twenty miles long, conducts, by a gradual and regular
ascent, to the summit, about seven thousand feet above the sea; and the
traveler, without being reminded of any change by toilsome ascents,
suddenly finds himself on the waters which flow to the Pacific ocean. By
the route they had traveled, the distance from Fort Laramie was three
hundred and twenty miles, or nine hundred and fifty from the mouth of
the Kansas.
They continued on till they came to a tributary of the Green River, and
then followed the stream up to a lake at its source in the mountains,
and had here a view of extraordinary magnificence and grandeur, beyond
what is seen in any part of the Alps, and here, beside the placid lake,
they left the mules, intending to ascend the mountains on foot, and
measure the altitude of the highest point.
Fremont had wished to make a circuit of a few miles in the mountains,
and visit the sources of the four great streams, the Colorado, the
Columbia, the Missouri, and the Platte, but game was scarce, and his men
were not accustomed to their entirely meat fare, and were discontented.
With fifteen picked men, mounted on the best mules, was commenced the
ascent of the mountains, and amid views of most romantic beauty,
overlooking deep valleys with lakes nestled in them, surrounded by
precipitous ridges, hundreds of feet high, they wound their way up to
the summits of the ridges, to descend again, and plod along the valley
of a little stream on the other side.
For two days they continued upon their mules, through this magnificent
region, when the peak appeared so near, it was decided to leave the
mules beside a little lake, and proceed on foot; and as the day was
warm, some of the party left their coats. But at night they had reached
the limit of the piney region, when they were ten thousand feet above
the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and still the peak rose far above
them, so that they camped without suffering, in a little green ravine,
bordered with plants in bloom, and the next morning continued the
ascent. Carson had led this day, and succeeded in reaching the summit of
a snowy peak, supposed to be the highest, but saw from it the one they
had been seeking, towering eight hundred or a thousand feet above him.
They now descended off the snow, and sent back for mules, and food, and
blankets, and by a blazing fire all slept soundly until morning.
Carson had understood that they had now done with the mountains, and by
directions had gone at day break to the camp, taking with him all but
four or five men, who were to remain with Fremont, and take back the
mules and instruments. But after their departure, the programme was
changed, and now understanding the topography of the country better, the
party left, continued with the mules as far as possible, and then on
foot, over chasms, leaping from point to point of crags, until they
came, with extreme difficulty, in the intense cold and rarified air, to
the height of the crest, and Fremont stood alone upon the pinnacle, and
able to tell the story of this victory of Science to the world. He had
been sick the day before, and Carson could not urge the prosecution of
the enterprise, to reach the highest point, when the leader of the
expedition was too ill to climb the summit, and therefore had not
objected to the arrangement of returning to the camp.
But we have nothing more to say. The reader of the story, as Fremont
tells it, wishes there were evidences of higher magnanimity, which are
wanting. Carson finds no fault, seems to notice none. He performed
faithfully the duty assigned to him, utters no complaint, but is content
in carrying out a subordinate's first obligation, that of obeying
orders.