1st.--Along our road to-day the prairie bottom was more elevated and
dry, and the river hills which border the right side of the river
higher, and more broken and picturesque in the outline. The country,
too, was better timbered. As we were riding quietly along the bank, a
grand herd of buffalo, some seven or eight hundred in number, came
crowding up from the river, where they had been to drink, and commenced
crossing the plain slowly, eating as they went. The wind was favorable;
the coolness of the morning invited to exercise; the ground was
apparently good, and the distance across the prairie (two or three
miles) gave us a fine opportunity to charge them before they could get
among the river hills. It was too fine a prospect for a chase to be
lost; and, halting for a few moments, the hunters were brought up and
saddled, and Kit Carson, Maxwell, and I, started together. They were
now somewhat less than half a mile distant, 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 which were
scattered along the skirts, gave us the intimation that we were
discovered. We started together at a hand gallop, riding steadily
abreast of each other; and here the interest of the chase became so
engrossingly intense, that we were sensible to nothing else. We were
now closing upon them rapidly, and the front of the mass was already in
rapid motion for the hills, and in a few seconds the movement had
communicated itself to the whole herd.
A crowd of bulls, as usual, brought up the rear, and every now and then
some of them faced about, and then dashed on after the band a short
distance, and turned and looked again, as if more than half inclined to
fight. In a few moments, however, during which we had been quickening
our pace, the rout was universal, and we were going over the ground
like a hurricane. When at about thirty yards, we gave the usual shout,
(the hunter's _pas de charge_,) and broke into the herd. We entered on
the side, the mass giving way in every direction in their heedless
course. Many of the bulls, less active and fleet than the cows, paying
no attention to the ground, and occupied solely with the hunter, were
precipitated to the earth with great force, rolling over and over with
the violence of the shock, and hardly distinguishable in the dust. We
separated on entering, each singling out his game.
My horse was a trained hunter, famous in the West under the name of
Proveau; and, with his eyes flashing and the foam flying from his
mouth, sprang on after the cow like a tiger. In a few moments he
brought me alongside of her, and rising in the stirrups, I fired at the
distance of a yard, the ball entering at the termination of the long
hair, and passing near the heart. She fell headlong at the report of
the gun; and, checking my horse, I looked around for my companions. At
a little distance, Kit was on the ground, engaged in tying his horse to
the horns of a cow he was preparing to cut up. Among the scattered
bands, at some distance below, I caught a glimpse of Maxwell; and while
I was looking, a light wreath of smoke curled away from his gun, from
which I was too far to hear the report. Nearer, and between me and the
hills, towards which they were directing their course, was the body of
the herd; and, giving my horse the rein, we dashed after them. A thick
cloud of dust hung upon their rear, which filled my mouth and eyes, and
nearly smothered me. In the midst of this I could see nothing, and the
buffalo were not distinguishable until within thirty feet. They crowded
together more densely still as I came upon them, and rushed along in
such a compact body, that I could not obtain an entrance--the horse
almost leaping upon them. In a few moments the mass divided to the
right and left, the horns clattering with a noise heard above every
thing else, and my horse darted into the opening. Five or six bulls
charged on us as we dashed along the line, but were left far behind;
and, singling out a cow, I gave her my fire, but struck too high. She
gave a tremendous leap, and scoured on swifter than before. I reined up
my horse, and the band swept on like a torrent, and left the place
quiet and clear. Our chase had led us into dangerous ground. A
prairie-dog village, so thickly settled that there were three or four
holes in every twenty yards square, occupied the whole bottom for
nearly two miles in length. Looking around, I saw only one of 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 miles, we encamped at nightfall, one mile and a half above
the lower end of Brady's Island. The breadth of this arm of the river
was eight hundred and eighty yards, and the water nowhere two feet in
depth. The island bears the name of a man killed on this spot some
years ago. His party had encamped here, three in company, and one of
the number went off to hunt, leaving Brady and his companion together.
These two had frequently quarreled, and on the hunter's return he found
Brady dead, and was told that he had shot himself accidentally. He was
buried here on the bank; but, as usual, the wolves tore him out, and
some human bones that were lying on the ground we supposed were his.
Troops of wolves that were hanging on the skirts of the buffalo, kept
up an uninterrupted howling during the night, venturing almost into
camp. In the morning, they were sitting at a short distance, barking,
and impatiently waiting our departure, to fall upon the bones.
2d.--The morning was cool and smoky. Our road led closer to the hills,
which here increased in elevation, presenting an outline of conical
peaks three hundred to five hundred feet high. Some timber, apparently
pine, grows in the ravines, and streaks of clay or sand whiten their
slopes. We crossed, during the morning, a number of hollows, timbered
principally with box, elder, (_acer negundo_,) poplar, and elm. Brady's
Island is well wooded, and all the river along which our road led
to-day, may, in general, be called tolerably well timbered. We passed
near the encampment of the Oregon emigrants, where they appeared to
have reposed several days. A variety of household articles were
scattered about, and they had probably disburdened themselves here of
many things not absolutely necessary. I had left the usual road before
the mid-day halt, and in the afternoon, having sent several men in
advance to reconnoitre, marched directly for the mouth of the South
fork. On our arrival, the horsemen were sent in and scattered about the
river to search for the best fording-places, and the carts followed
immediately. The stream is here divided by an island into two channels.
The southern is four hundred and fifty feet wide, having eighteen or
twenty inches water in the deepest places. With the exception of a few
dry bars, the bed of the river is generally quicksands, in which the
carts began to sink rapidly so soon as the mules halted, so that it was
necessary to keep them constantly in motion.
The northern channel, two thousand two hundred and fifty feet wide, was
somewhat deeper, having frequently three feet water in the numerous
small channels, with a bed of coarse gravel. The whole breadth of the
Nebraska, immediately below the junction, is five thousand three
hundred and fifty feet. All our equipage had reached the left bank
safely at six o'clock, having to-day made twenty miles. We encamped at
the point of land immediately at the junction of the North and South
forks. Between the streams is a low rich prairie extending from their
confluence eighteen miles westwardly 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 slight and scattered fringe of
cottonwood and willow. In the buffalo-trails and wallows, I remarked
saline efflorescences, to which a rapid evaporation in the great heat
of the sun probably contributes, as the soil is entirely unprotected by
timber. In the vicinity of these places there was a bluish grass, which
the cattle refuse to eat, called by the voyageurs "herbe salée," (salt
grass.) The latitude of the junction is 41° 04' 47", and longitude, by
chronometer and lunar distances, 100° 49' 43". The elevation above the
sea is about two thousand seven hundred feet. The hunters came in with
a fat cow; and, as we had labored hard, we enjoyed well a supper of
roasted ribs and boudins, the chef d'oeuvre of a prairie cook.
Mosquitoes thronged about us this evening; but, by ten o'clock, when
the thermometer had fallen to 47°, they had all disappeared.
3d.--As this was to be a point in our homeward journey, I made a cache
(a term used in all this country for what is hidden in the ground) of a
barrel of pork. It was impossible to conceal such a proceeding from the
sharp eyes of our Cheyenne companions, and I therefore told them to go
and see what it was they were burying. They would otherwise have not
failed to return and destroy our cache in expectation of some rich
booty; but pork they dislike and never eat. We left our camp at nine,
continuing up the South fork, the prairie-bottom affording us a fair
road; but in the long grass we roused myriads of mosquitoes and flies,
from which our horses suffered severely. The day was smoky, with a
pleasant breeze from the south, and the plains on the opposite side
were covered with buffalo. Having traveled twenty-five miles, we
encamped at six in the evening; and the men were sent across the river
for wood, as there is none here on the left bank. Our fires were
partially made of the _bois de vache_, the dry excrement of the
buffalo, which, like that of the camel in the Arabian deserts,
furnishes to the traveler a very good substitute for wood, burning like
turf. Wolves in great numbers surrounded us during the night, crossing
and recrossing from the opposite herds to our camp, and howling and
trotting about in the river until morning.
4th.--The morning was very smoky, the sun shining dimly and red, as in
thick fog. The camp was roused by a salute at daybreak, and from our
scanty store a portion of what our Indian friends called the "red
fire-water" served out to the men. While we were at breakfast, a
buffalo-calf broke through the camp, followed by a couple of wolves. In
its fright, it had probably mistaken us for a band of buffalo. The
wolves were obliged to make a circuit round the camp, so that the calf
got a little the start, and strained every nerve to reach a large herd
at the foot of the hills, about two miles distant; but first one and
then another, and another wolf joined in the chase, until his pursuers
amounted to twenty or thirty, and they ran him down before he could
reach his friends. There were a few bulls near the place, and one of
them attacked the wolves and tried to rescue him; but was driven off
immediately, and the little animal fell an easy prey, half devoured
before he was dead. We watched the chase with the interest always felt
for the weak; and had there been a saddled horse at hand, he would have
fared better. Leaving camp, our road soon approached the hills, in
which strata of a marl like that of the Chimney rock, hereafter
described, made their appearance. It is probably of this rock that the
hills on the right bank of the Platte, a little below the junction, are
composed, and which are worked by the winds and rains into sharp peaks
and cones, giving them, in contrast to the surrounding level region,
something of a picturesque appearance. We crossed, this morning,
numerous beds of the small creeks which, in the time of rains and
melting snow, pour down from the ridge, bringing down with them,
always, great quantities of sand and gravel, which have gradually
raised their beds four to ten feet above the level of the prairie,
which they cross, making each one of them a miniature Po. Raised in
this way above the surrounding prairie, without any bank, the long
yellow and winding line of their beds resembles a causeway from the
hills to the river. Many spots on the prairie are yellow with
sunflower, (_helianthus_.)
As we were riding slowly along this afternoon, clouds of dust in the
ravines, among the hills to the right, suddenly attracted our
attention, and in a few minutes column after column of buffalo came
galloping down, making directly to the river. By the time the leading
herds had reached the water, the prairie was darkened with the dense
masses. Immediately before us, when the bands first came down into the
valley, stretched an unbroken line, the head of which was lost among
the river hills on the opposite side; and still they poured down from
the ridge on our right. From hill to hill, the prairie bottom was
certainly not less than two miles wide; and, allowing the animals to be
ten feet apart, and only ten in a line, there were already eleven
thousand in view. Some idea may thus be formed of their number when
they had occupied the whole plain. In a short time they surrounded us
on every side, extending for several miles in the rear, and forward as
far as the eye could reach; leaving around us, as we advanced, an open
space of only two or three hundred yards. This movement of the buffalo
indicated to us the presence of Indians on the North fork.
I halted earlier than usual, about forty miles from the junction, and
all hands were soon busily engaged in preparing a feast to celebrate
the day. The kindness of our friends at St. Louis had provided us with
a large supply of excellent preserves and rich fruit-cake; and when
these were added to a macaroni soup, and variously prepared dishes of
the choicest buffalo-meat, crowned with a cup of coffee, and enjoyed
with prairie appetite, we felt, as we sat in barbaric luxury around our
smoking supper on the grass, a greater sensation of enjoyment than the
Roman epicure at his perfumed feast. But most of all it seemed to
please our Indian friends, who, in the unrestrained enjoyment of the
moment, demanded to know if our "medicine-days came often." No
restraint was exercised at the hospitable board, and, to the great
delight of his elders, our young Indian lad made himself extremely
drunk.
Our encampment was within a few miles of the place where the road
crosses to the North fork, and various reasons led me to divide my
party at this point. The North fork was the principal object of my
survey; but I was desirous to ascend the South branch, with a view of
obtaining some astronomical positions, and determining the mouths of
its tributaries as far as St. Vrain's fort, estimated to be some two
hundred miles farther up the river, and near to Long's Peak. There I
hoped to obtain some mules, which I found would be necessary to relieve
my horses. In a military point of view, I was desirous to form some
opinion of the country relative to the establishment of posts on a line
connecting the settlements with the south pass of the Rocky Mountains,
by way of the Arkansas and the South and Laramie forks of the Platte.
Crossing the country northwestwardly from St. Vrain's fort, to the
American Company's fort at the mouth of the Laramie, would give me some
acquaintance with the affluents which head-in the mountain between the
two; I therefore determined to set out the next morning, accompanied by
four men--Maxwell, Bernier, Ayot, and Basil Lajeunesse. Our Cheyennes,
whose village lay up this river, also decided to accompany us. The
party I left in charge of Clement Lambert, with orders to cross to the
North fork; and at some convenient place, near to the _Coulée des
Frenes_, make a cache of every thing not absolutely necessary to the
further progress of our expedition. From this point, using the most
guarded precaution in his march through the country, he was to proceed
to the American Company's fort at the mouth of the Laramie's fork, and
await my arrival, which would be prior to the 16th, as on that and the
following night would occur some occultations which I was desirous to
obtain at that place.
5th.--Before breakfast all was ready. We had one led horse in addition
to those we rode, and a pack-mule, destined to carry our instruments,
provisions, and baggage; the last two articles not being of 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. I had ordered the cook to put up for us some flour,
coffee, and sugar, and our rifles were to furnish the rest. One
blanket, in addition to his saddle and saddle blanket, furnished the
materials for each man's bed, and every one was provided with 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. Thus accoutred, we took a parting breakfast with our friends;
and set forth.
Our journey the first day afforded nothing of any interest. We shot a
buffalo towards sunset, and having obtained some meat for our evening
meal, encamped where a little timber afforded us the means of making a
fire. Having disposed our meat on roasting-sticks, we proceeded to
unpack our bales in search of coffee and sugar, and flour for bread.
With the exception of a little parched coffee, unground, we found
nothing. Our cook had neglected to put it up, or it had been somehow
forgotten. Tired and hungry, with tough bull-meat without salt, (for we
had not been able to kill a cow,) and a little bitter coffee, we sat
down in silence to our miserable fare, a very disconsolate party; for
yesterday's feast was yet fresh in our memories, and this was our first
brush with misfortune. Each man took his blanket, and laid himself down
silently; for the worst part of these mishaps is, that they make people
ill-humored. To-day we had traveled about thirty-six miles.
6th.--Finding that our present excursion would be attended with
considerable hardship, and unwilling to expose more persons than
necessary, I determined to send Mr. Preuss back to the party. His
horse, too, appeared in no condition to support the journey; and
accordingly, after breakfast, he took the road across the hills,
attended by one of my most trusty men, Bernier. The ridge between the
rivers is here about fifteen miles broad, and I expected he would
probably strike the fork near their evening camp. At all events he
would not fail to find their trail, and rejoin them the next day.
We continued our journey, seven in number, including the three
Cheyennes. Our general course was southwest, up the valley of the
river, which was sandy, bordered on the northern side of the valley by
a low ridge; and on the south, after seven or eight miles, the river
hills became higher. Six miles from our resting-place we crossed the
bed of a considerable stream, now entirely dry--a bed of sand. In a
grove of willows, near the mouth, were the 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 solitude formed an impressive contrast to the
picture which our imaginations involuntarily 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 numerous trunks of large trees were
scattered about on the ground. In many similar places I had occasion to
remark an apparent progressive decay in the timber. Ten miles farther
we reached the mouth of Lodge Pole creek, a clear and handsome stream,
running through a broad valley. In its course through the bottom it has
a uniform breadth of twenty-two feet and six inches in depth. A few
willows on the banks strike pleasantly on the eye, by their greenness,
in the midst of hot and barren sands.
The _amorpha_ was frequent among the ravines, but the sunflower
(_helianthus_) was the characteristic; and flowers of deep warm colors
seem most to love the sandy soil. The impression of the country
traveled over to-day was one of dry and barren sands. We turned in
towards the river at noon, and gave our horses two hours for food and
rest. I had no other thermometer than the one attached to the
barometer, which stood at 89°, the height of the column in the
barometer being 26.235 at meridian. The sky was clear, with a high wind
from the south. At 2 we continued our journey; the wind had moderated,
and it became almost unendurably hot, and our animals suffered
severely. In the course of the afternoon, the wind rose suddenly, and
blew hard from the southwest, with thunder and lightning, and squalls
of rain; these were blown against us with violence by the wind; and,
halting, we turned our backs to the storm until it blew over. Antelope
were tolerably frequent, with a large gray hare; but the former were
shy, and the latter hardly worth the delay of stopping to shoot them;
so, as the evening drew near, we again had recourse to an old bull, and
encamped at sunset on an island in the Platte.
We ate our meat with a good relish this evening, for we were all in
fine health, and had ridden nearly all of a long summer's day, with a
burning sun reflected from the sands. My companions slept rolled up in
their blankets, and the Indians lay in the grass near the fire; but my
sleeping-place generally had an air of more pretension. Our rifles were
tied together near the muzzle, the butts resting on the ground, and a
knife laid on the rope, to cut away in case of an alarm. Over this,
which made a kind of frame, was thrown a large India-rubber cloth,
which we used to cover our packs. This made a tent sufficiently large
to receive about half of my bed, and was a place of shelter for my
instruments; and as I was careful always to put this part against the
wind, I could lie here with a sensation of satisfied enjoyment, and
hear the wind blow, and the rain patter close to my head, and know that
I should be at least half dry. Certainly I never slept more soundly.
The barometer at sunset was 26.010, thermometer at 81°, and cloudy; but
a gale from the west sprang up with the setting sun, and in a few
minutes swept away every cloud from the sky. The evening was very fine,
and I remained up to take astronomical observations, which made our
position in latitude 40° 51' 17", and longitude 103° 07' 00".
7th.--At our camp this morning, at six 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 of the river, and whenever we ascended the hills, scattered herds
gave life to the view in every direction. A small drove of wild horses
made their appearance on the low river bottoms, a mile or two to the
left, and I sent off one of the Indians (who seemed very eager to catch
one) on my led horse, a spirited and fleet animal. The savage
manoeuvred a little to get the wind of the horses, in which he
succeeded--approaching within a hundred yards without being discovered.
The chase for a few minutes was interesting. My hunter easily overtook
and passed the hindmost of the wild drove, which the did not attempt to
_lasso_; all his efforts being directed to capture the leader. But the
strength of the horse, weakened by insufficient nourishment of grass,
failed in a race, and all the drove escaped. We halted at noon on the
bank of the river, the barometer at that time being 26.192, and
thermometer 103°, with a light air from the south and 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 looking on, was several times knocked down
and badly hurt, and a very few moments would have put an end to him. Of
course, we took the side of the weaker party, and attacked the herd;
but they were so blind 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 off to lie down somewhere. One of his enemies 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 precaution in their
fatigued condition; but our mule took it into his head to start, and
away he went, followed at full speed by the pack-horse, with all the
baggage and instruments on his back. They were recovered and brought
back, after a chase of a mile. Fortunately, everything 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
cottonwood, 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
bottom, the country seemed to be of a clay formation, dry, and
perfectly devoid of any moisture, and baked hard by the sun. Turning
off towards the river, we reached the bank in about a mile, and were
delighted to find an old tree, with thick foliage and spreading
branches, where we encamped. At sunset, the barometer was at 25.950,
thermometer 81°, with a strong wind from S. 20° E., and the sky
partially covered with heavy masses of cloud, which settled a little
towards the horizon by ten o'clock, leaving it sufficiently clear for
astronomical observations, which placed us in latitude 40° 33' 26", and
longitude 103° 30' 37".
8th.--The morning was very pleasant. The breeze was fresh from S. 50°
E., with few clouds; the barometer at six o'clock standing at 25.970,
and the thermometer at 70°. Since leaving the forks our route had
passed over a country alternately clay and sand, each presenting the
same naked waste. On leaving camp this morning, we struck again a sandy
region, in which the vegetation appeared somewhat more vigorous than
that which we had observed for the last few days; and on the opposite
side of the river were some tolerably large groves of timber.
Journeying along, we came suddenly upon a place where the ground was
covered with horses' tracks, which had been made since the rain, and
indicated the immediate presence of Indians in our neighborhood. The
buffalo, too, which the day before had been so numerous were nowhere in
sight--another sure indication that there were people near. Riding on,
we discovered the carcass of a buffalo recently killed--perhaps the day
before. We scanned the horizon carefully with the glass, but no living
object was to be seen. For the next mile or two, the ground was dotted
with buffalo carcasses, which showed that the Indians had made a
surround here, and were in considerable force. We went on quickly and
cautiously, keeping the river bottom, and carefully avoiding the hills;
but we met with no interruption, and began to grow careless again. We
had already lost one of our horses, and here Basil's mule showed
symptoms of giving out, and finally refused to advance, being what the
Canadians call _reste_. He therefore dismounted, and drove her along
before him; but this was a very slow way of traveling. We had
inadvertently got about half a mile in advance, but our Cheyennes, who
were generally a mile or two in the rear, remained with him. There were
some dark-looking objects among the hills, about two miles to the left,
here low and undulating, which we had seen for a little time, and
supposed to be buffalo coming in to water; but, happening to look
behind, Maxwell saw the Cheyennes whipping up furiously, and another
glance at the dark objects showed them at once to be Indians coming up
at speed.
Had we been well mounted and disencumbered of instruments, we might
have set them at defiance; but as it was, we were fairly caught. It was
too late to rejoin our friends, and we endeavored to gain a clump of
timber about half a mile ahead; but the instruments and tired state of
our horses did not allow us to go faster than a steady canter, and they
were gaining on us fast. At first, they did not appear to be more than
fifteen or twenty in number, but group after group darted into view at
the top of the hills, until all the little eminences seemed in motion;
and, in a few minutes from the time they were first discovered, two or
three hundred, naked to the breechcloth, were sweeping across the
prairie. In a few hundred yards we discovered that the timber we were
endeavoring to make was on the opposite side of the river; and before
we reach the bank, down came the Indians upon us.
I am inclined to think that in a few seconds more the leading man, and
perhaps some of his companions, would have rolled in the dust; for we
had jerked the covers from our guns, and our fingers were on the
triggers. Men in such cases generally act from instinct, and a charge
from three hundred naked savages is a circumstance not well calculated
to promote a cool exercise of judgment. Just as he was about to fire,
Maxwell recognised the leading Indian, and shouted to him in the Indian
language, "You're a fool, G---- damn you--don't you know me?" The sound
of his own language seemed to shock the savage; and, swerving his horse
a little, he passed us like an arrow. He wheeled, as I rode out towards
him, and gave me his hand, striking his breast and exclaiming
"Arapaho!" They proved to be a village of that nation, among whom
Maxwell had resided as a trader a year or two previously, and
recognised him accordingly. We were soon in the midst of the band,
answering as well as we could a multitude of questions; of which the
very first was, of what tribe were our Indian companions who were
coming in the rear? They seemed disappointed to know that they were
Cheyennes, for they had 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, immediately opposite us, which he said they were going to
surround. They had seen the band early in the morning from their
village, and had been making a large circuit, to avoid giving them the
wind, when they discovered us. In a few minutes the women came
galloping up, astride on their horses, and naked from their knees down
and the hips up. They followed the men, to assist in cutting up and
carrying off the meat.
The wind was blowing directly across the river, and the chief requested
us to halt where we were for awhile, in order to avoid raising the
herd. We therefore unsaddled our horses, and sat down on the bank to
view the scene; and our new acquaintances rode a few hundred yards
lower down, and began crossing the river. Scores of wild-looking dogs
followed, looking like troops of wolves, and having, in fact, but very
little of the dog in their composition. Some of them remained with us,
and I checked one of the men, whom I found aiming at one, which he was
about to kill for a wolf. The day had become very hot. The air was
clear, with a very slight breeze; and now, at 12 o'clock, while the
barometer stood at 25.920, the attached thermometer was at 108°. Our
Cheyennes had learned that with the Arapaho village were about twenty
lodges of their own, including their own families; they therefore
immediately commenced making their toilette. After bathing in the
river, they invested themselves in some handsome calico shirts, which I
afterwards learned they had stolen from my own men, and spent some time
in arranging their hair and painting themselves with some vermilion I
had given them. While they were engaged in this satisfactory manner,
one of their half-wild horses, to which the crowd of prancing animals
which had just passed had recalled the freedom of her existence among
the wild droves on the prairie, suddenly dashed into the hills at the
top of her speed. She was their pack-horse, and had on her back all the
worldly wealth of our poor Cheyennes, all their accoutrements, and all
the little articles which they had picked up among us, with some few
presents I 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 continued their toilette. They appeared, however, to be
a little mortified at the thought of returning to the village in such a
sorry plight. "Our people will laugh at us," said one of them,
"returning to the village on foot, instead of driving back a drove of
Pawnee horses." He demanded to know if I loved my sorrel hunter very
much; to which I replied, he was the object of my most intense
affection. Far from being able to give, I was myself in want of horses;
and any suggestion of parting with the few I had valuable, was met with
a peremptory refusal. In the mean time, the slaughter was about to
commence on the other side. So soon as they reached it, Indians
separated into two bodies. One party proceeded across the prairie,
towards the hills, in an extended line, while the other went up the
river; and instantly as they had given the wind to the herd, the chase
commenced. The buffalo started for the hills, but were intercepted and
driven back towards the river, broken and running in every direction.
The clouds of dust soon covered the whole scene, preventing us from
having any but an occasional view. It had a very singular appearance to
us at a distance, especially when looking with the glass. We were too
far to hear the report of the guns, or any sound; and at every instant,
through the clouds of dust, which the sun made luminous, we could see
for a moment two or three buffalo dashing along, and close behind them
an Indian with his long spear, or other weapon, and instantly again
they disappeared. The apparent silence, and the dimly seen figures
flitting by with such rapidity, gave it a kind of dreamy effect, and
seemed more like a picture than a scene of real life. It had been a
large herd when the _cerne_ commenced, probably three or four hundred
in number; but, though I watched them closely, I did not see one emerge
from the fatal cloud where the work of destruction was going on. After
remaining here about an hour, we resumed our journey in the direction
of the village.
Gradually, as we rode on, Indian after Indian came dropping along,
laden with meat; and by the time we had neared the lodges, the backward
road was covered with the returning horsemen. It was a pleasant
contrast with the desert road we had been traveling. Several had joined
company with us, and one of the chiefs invited us to his lodge. The
village consisted of about one hundred and twenty-five lodges, of which
twenty were Cheyennes; the latter pitched a little apart from the
Arapahoes. They were disposed in a scattering manner on both sides of a
broad, irregular street, about one hundred and fifty feet wide, and
running along the river. As we rode along, I remarked near some of the
lodges a kind of tripod frame, formed of three slender poles of birch,
scraped very clean, to which were affixed the shield and spear, with
some other weapons of a chief. All were scrupulously clean, the
spear-head was burnished bright; and the shield white and stainless. It
reminded me of the days of feudal chivalry; 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. Gradually, however, five or six other chiefs came
in, and took their seats in silence. When we had finished, our host
asked a number of questions relative to the object of our journey, of
which I made no concealment; telling him simply that I had made a visit
to see the country, preparatory to the establishment of military posts
on the way to the mountains. Although this was information of the
highest interest to them, and by no means calculated to please them, it
excited no expression of surprise, and in no way altered the grave
courtesy of their demeanor. The others listened and smoked. I remarked,
that in taking the pipe for the first time, each had turned the stem
upward, with a rapid glance, as in offering to the Great Spirit, before
he put it in his mouth. A storm had been gathering for the past hour,
and some pattering drops in the lodge warned us that we had some miles
to our camp. An Indian had given Maxwell a bundle of dried meat, which
was very acceptable, as we had nothing; and, springing upon our horses,
we rode off at dusk in the face of a cold shower and driving wind. We
found our companions under some densely foliaged old trees, about three
miles up the river. Under one of them lay the trunk of a large
cottonwood, to leeward of which the men had kindled a fire, and we sat
here and roasted our meat in tolerable shelter. Nearly opposite was the
mouth of one of the most considerable affluents of the South fork, _la
Fourche aux Castors_, (Beaver fork,) heading off in the ridge to the
southeast.
9th.--This morning we caught the first faint glimpse of the Rocky
mountains, about sixty miles distant. Though a tolerably bright day,
there was a slight mist, and we were just able to discern the snowy
summit of "Long's peak," ("_les deux oreilles_" of the Canadians,)
showing like a cloud near the horizon. I found it easily
distinguishable, there being a perceptible difference in its appearance
from the white clouds that were floating about the sky. I was pleased
to find that among the traders the name of "Long's peak" had been
adopted and become familiar in the country. In the ravines near this
place, a light brown sandstone made its first appearance. About 8, we
discerned several persons on horseback a mile or two ahead, on the
opposite side of the river. They turned in towards the river, and we
rode down to meet them. We found them to be two white men, and a
mulatto named Jim Beckwith, who had left St. Louis when a boy, and gone
to live with the Crow Indians. He had distinguished himself among them
by some acts of daring bravery, and had risen to the rank of chief, but
had now, for some years, left them. They were in search of a band of
horses that had gone off from a camp some miles above, in charge of Mr.
Chabonard. Two of them continued down the river, in search of the
horses, and the American turned back with us, and we rode on towards
the camp. About eight miles from our sleeping-place, we reached Bijou's
fork, an affluent of the right bank. Where we crossed it, a short
distance from the Platte, it has a sandy bed about four hundred yards
broad; the water in various small streams, a few inches deep. Seven
miles further brought us to the camp of some four or five whites, (New
Englanders, I believe,) who had accompanied Captain Wyeth to the
Columbia river, and were independent trappers. All had their squaws
with them, and I was really surprised at the number of little fat,
buffalo-fed boys that were tumbling about the camp, all apparently of
the same age, about three or four years old. They were encamped on a
rich bottom, covered with a profusion of rich grass, and had a large
number of fine-looking horses and mules. We rested with them a few
minutes, and in about two miles arrived at Chabonard's camp, on an
island in the Platte. On the heights above, we met the first Spaniard I
had seen in the country. Mr. Chabonard was in the service of Bent and
St. Vrain's company, and had left their fort some forty or fifty miles
above, in the spring, with boats laden with the furs of the last year's
trade. He had met the same fortune as the voyageurs on the North fork;
and, finding it impossible to proceed, had taken up his summer's
residence on this island, which he had named St. Helena. The river
hills appeared to be composed entirely of sand, and the Platte had lost
the muddy character of its waters, and here was tolerably clear. From
the mouth of the South fork, I had found it occasionally broken up by
small islands; and at the time of our journey, which was at a season of
the year when the waters were at a favorable stage, it was not
navigable for any thing drawing six inches water. The current was very
swift--the bed of the stream a coarse gravel. From the place at which
we had encountered the Arapahoes, the Platte had been tolerably well
fringed with timber, and the island here had a fine grove of very large
cottonwoods, under whose broad shade the tents were pitched. There was
a large drove of horses in the opposite prairie bottom; smoke was
rising from the scattered fires, and the encampment had quite a
patriarchal air. Mr. C. received us hospitably. One of the people was
sent to gather mint, with the aid of which he concocted very good
julep; and some boiled buffalo tongue, and coffee with the luxury of
sugar, were soon set before us. The people in his employ were generally
Spaniards, and among them I saw a young Spanish woman from Taos, whom I
found to be Beckwith's wife.
10th.--We parted with our hospitable host after breakfast the next
morning, and reached St. Vrain's fort, about forty-five miles from St.
Helena, late in the evening. This post is situated on the South fork of
the Platte, immediately under the mountains, about seventeen miles east
of Long's peak. It is on the right bank, on the verge of the upland
prairie, about forty feet above the river, of which the immediate
valley is about six hundred yards wide. The stream is divided into
various branches by small islands, among which it runs with a swift
current. The bed of the river is sand and gravel, the water very clear,
and here may be called a mountain-stream. This region appears to be
entirely free from the limestones and marls which give to the Lower
Platte its yellow and dirty color. The Black hills lie between the
stream and the mountains, whose snowy peaks glitter a few miles beyond.
At the fort we found Mr. St. Vrain, who received us with much kindness
and hospitality. Maxwell had spent the last two or three years between
this post and the village of Taos; and here he was at home, and among
his friends. Spaniards frequently came over in search of employment;
and several came in shortly after our arrival. They usually obtain
about six dollars a month, generally paid to them in goods. They are
very useful in a camp, in taking care of horses and mules; and I
engaged one, who proved to be an active, laborious man, and was of very
considerable service to me. The elevation of the Platte here is five
thousand four hundred feet above the sea. The neighboring mountains did
not appear to enter far the region of perpetual snow, which was
generally confined to the northern side of the peaks. On the southern,
I remarked very little. Here it appeared, so far as I could judge in
the 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 farther north; and I looked
forward to an exploration of their snowy recesses with great pleasure.
The piney region of the mountains to the south was enveloped in smoke,
and I was informed had been on fire for several months. Pike's peak is
said to be visible from this place, about one hundred miles to the
southward; but the smoky state of the atmosphere prevented my seeing
it. The weather continued overcast during my stay here, so that I
failed in determining the latitude, but obtained good observations for
the time on the mornings of the 11th and 12th. An assumed latitude of
40° 22' 30" from the evening position of the 12th, enabled me to obtain
for a tolerably correct longitude, 105° 12' 12".
12th.--The kindness of Mr. St. Vrain enabled me to obtain a couple of
horses and three good mules; and, with a further addition to our party
of the Spaniard whom I had hired, and two others, who were going to
obtain service at Laramie's fork, we resumed our journey at ten, on the
morning of the 12th. We had been able to procure nothing at the post in
the way of provision. An expected supply from Taos had not yet arrived,
and a few pounds of coffee was all that could be spared to us. In
addition to this we had dried meat enough for the first day; on the
next, we expected to find buffalo. From this post, according to the
estimate of the country, the fort at the mouth of Laramie's fork, which
was our next point of 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 affluents to the left
bank of the South fork--a fine stream about sixty-five feet wide, and
three feet deep. Journeying on, the low dark line of the Black hills
lying between us and the mountains to the left, in about ten miles from
the fort, we reached _Cache à la Poudre_, where we halted to noon. This
is a very beautiful mountain-stream, about one hundred feet wide,
flowing with a full swift current over a rocky bed. We halted under the
shade of some cottonwoods, with which the stream is wooded
scatteringly. In the upper part of its course, it runs amid the wildest
mountain scenery, and, breaking through the Black hills, falls into the
Platte about ten miles below this place. In the course of our late
journey, I had managed to become the possessor of a very untractable
mule--a perfect vixen--and her I had turned over to my Spaniard. It
occupied us about half an hour to-day to get saddle upon her; but, once
on her back, Jose could not be dismounted, realizing the accounts given
of Mexican horses and horsemanship; and we continued our route in the
afternoon.
At evening, we encamped on Crow creek, having traveled about
twenty-eight miles. None of the party were well acquainted with the
country, and I had great difficulty in ascertaining what were the names
of the streams we crossed between the North and South forks of the
Platte. This I supposed to be Cow 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 barometer at sunset was 25.231; attached thermometer at
66°. Sky clear, except in the east, with a light wind from the north.
13th.--There being no wood here, we used last night the _bois de
vache_, which is very plentiful. At our camp this morning, the
barometer was at 25.235; the attached thermometer 60°. A few clouds
were moving through a deep-blue sky, with a light wind from the west.
After a ride of twelve miles, in a northerly direction, over a plain
covered with innumerable quantities of _cacti_, we reached a small
creek in which there was water, and where several herds of buffalo were
scattered about among the ravines, which always afford good pasturage.
We seem now to be passing along the base of a plateau of the Black
hills, in which the formation consists of marls, some of them white and
laminated; the country to the left rising suddenly, and falling off
gradually and uniformly to the right. In five or six miles of a
northeasterly course, we struck a high ridge, broken into conical
peaks, on whose summits large boulders were gathered in heaps. The
magnetic direction of the ridge is northwest and southeast, the
glittering white of its precipitous sides making it visible for many
miles to the south. It is composed of a soft earthy limestone and
marls, resembling that hereafter described in the neighborhood of the
Chimney rock, on the North fork of the Platte, easily worked by the
winds and rains, and sometimes moulded into very fantastic shapes. At
the foot of the northern slope was the bed of a creek, some forty feet
wide, coming, by frequent falls, from the bench above. It was shut in
by high, perpendicular banks, in which were strata of white laminated
marl. Its bed was perfectly dry, and the leading feature of the whole
region is one of remarkable aridity, and perfect freedom from moisture.
In about six miles we crossed the bed of another dry creek; and,
continuing our ride over high level prairie, a little before sundown we
came suddenly upon a beautiful creek, which revived us with a feeling
of delighted surprise by the pleasant contrast of the deep verdure of
its banks with the parched desert we had passed. We had suffered much
to-day, both men and horses, for want of water; having met with it but
once in our uninterrupted march of forty miles; and an exclusive meat
diet creates much thirst.
"_Les bestias tienen mucha hambre_," said the young Spaniard,
inquiringly: "_y la gente tambien_," said I, "_amiago_, we'll camp
here." A stream of good and clear water ran winding about through the
little valley, and a herd of buffalo were quietly feeding a little
distance below. It was quite a hunter's paradise; and while some ran
down towards the band to kill one for supper, others collected _bois de
vache_ for a fire, there being no wood; and I amused myself with
hunting for plants among the grass.
It will be seen, by occasional remarks on the geological formation,
that the constituents of the soil in these regions are good, and every
day served to strengthen the impression in my mind, confirmed by
subsequent observation, that the barren appearance of the country is
due almost entirely to the extreme dryness of the climate. Along our
route, the country had seemed to increase constantly in elevation.
According to the indication of the barometer, we were at our encampment
5,440 feet above the sea.
The evening was very clear, with a fresh breeze from the south, 50°
east. The barometer at sunset was 24.862, the thermometer attached
showing 68°. I supposed this to be a fork of Lodge Pole creek, so far
as I could determine from our uncertain means of information.
Astronomical observations gave for the camp a longitude of 104° 39'
37", and latitude 41° 08' 31".
14th.--The wind continued fresh from the same quarter in the morning;
the day being clear, with the exception of a few clouds in the horizon.
At our camp, at six o'clock, the height of the barometer was 24.830,
the attached thermometer 61°. Our course this morning was directly
north by compass, the variation being 15° or 16° easterly. A ride of
four miles brought us to Lodge Pole creek, which we had seen at the
mouth of the South fork; crossing on the way two dry streams, in
eighteen miles from our encampment of the past night, we reached a high
bleak ridge, composed entirely of the same earthy limestone and marl
previously described. I had never seen any thing which impressed so
strongly on my mind a feeling of desolation. The valley, through which
ran the waters of Horse creek, lay in view to the north, but too far to
have any influence on the immediate view. On the peak of the ridge
where I was standing, some seven hundred feet above the river, the wind
was high and bleak; the barren and arid country seemed as if it had
been swept by fires, and in every direction the same dull ash-colored
hue, derived from the formation, met the eye. On the summits were some
stunted pines, many of them dead, all wearing the same ashen hue of
desolation. We left the place with pleasure; and, after we had
descended several hundred feet, halted in one of the ravines, which, at
the distance of every mile or two, cut the flanks of the ridge with
little rushing streams, wearing something of a mountain character. We
had already begun to exchange the comparatively barren lands for those
of a more fertile character. Though the sandstone formed the broken
banks of the creek, yet they were covered with a thin grass; and the
fifty or sixty feet which formed the bottom land of the little stream
were clothed with very luxuriant grass, among which I remarked willow
and cherry, (_cerasus virginiana_,) and a quantity of gooseberry and
currant bushes occupied the greater part.
The creek was three or four feet broad, and about six inches deep, with
a swift current of clear water, and tolerably cool. We had struck it
too low down to find the cold water, which we should have enjoyed
nearer to its sources. At two, P.M., the barometer was at 25050, and
the attached thermometer 104°. A day of hot sunshine, with clouds, and
moderate breeze from the south. Continuing down the stream, in about
four miles we reached 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 of east, we saw it seamed at frequent intervals
with the dark lines of wooded streams, affluents of the river that
flowed so far as we could see along its base. We crossed, in the space
of twelve miles from our noon halt, three or four forks of Horse creek,
and encamped at sunset on the most easterly.
The fork on which we encamped appeared to have followed an easterly
direction up to this place; but here it makes a very sudden bend to the
north, passing between two ranges of precipitous hills, called, as I
was informed, Goshen's hole. There is somewhere in or near this
locality a place so called, but I am not certain that it was the place
of our encampment. Looking back upon the spot, at the distance of a few
miles to the northward, the hills appear to shut in the prairie,
through which runs the creek, with a semicircular sweep, which might
very naturally be called a hole in the bills. The geological
composition of the ridge is the same which constitutes the rock of the
Court-house and Chimney, on the North fork, which appeared to me a
continuation of this ridge. The winds and rains work this formation
into a variety of singular forms. The pass into Goshen's hole is about
two miles wide, and the hill on the western side imitates, in an
extraordinary manner, a massive fortified place, with a remarkable
fulness of detail. The rock is marl and earthy limestone, white,
without the least appearance of vegetation, and much resembles masonry
at a little distance; and here it sweeps around a level area two or
three hundred yards in diameter, and in the form of a half moon,
terminating on either extremity in enormous bastions. Along the whole
line of the parapets appear domes and slender minarets, forty or fifty
feet high, giving it every appearance of an old fortified town. On the
waters of White river, where this formation exists in great extent, it
presents appearances which excite the admiration of the solitary
voyageur, and form a frequent theme of their conversation when speaking
of the wonders of the country. Sometimes it offers the perfectly
illusive appearance of a large city, with numerous streets and
magnificent buildings, among which the Canadians never fail to see
their _cabaret_--and sometimes it takes the form of a solitary house,
with many large chambers, into which they drive their horses at night,
and sleep in these natural defences perfectly secure from any attack of
prowling savages. Before reaching our camp at Goshen's hole, in
crossing the immense detritus at the foot of the Castle rock, we were
involved amidst winding passages cut by the waters of the hill; and
where, with a breadth scarcely large enough for the passage of a horse,
the walls rise thirty and forty feet perpendicularly. This formation
supplies the discoloration of the Platte. At sunset, the height of the
mercurial column was 25.500, the attached thermometer 80°, and wind
moderate from S. 38° E. Clouds covered the sky with the rise of the
moon, but I succeeded in obtaining the usual astronomical observations,
which placed us in latitude 41° 40' 13", and longitude 104° 24' 36".
15th.--At six this morning, the barometer was at 25.515 the thermometer
72°; the day was fine, with some clouds looking dark on the south, with
a fresh breeze from the same quarter. We found that in our journey
across the country we had kept too much to the eastward. This morning,
accordingly, we traveled by compass some 15 or 20 to the west of north,
and struck the Platte some thirteen miles below Fort Laramie. The day
was extremely hot, and among the hills the wind seemed to have just
issued from an oven. Our horses were much distressed, as we had
traveled hard; and it was with some difficulty that they were all
brought to the Platte, which we reached at one o'clock. In riding in
towards the river, we found the trail of our carts, which appeared to
have passed a day or two since.
After having allowed our animals two hours for food and repose, we
resumed our journey, and towards the close of the day came in sight of
Laramie's fork. Issuing from the river hills, we came first in view of
Fort Platte, a post belonging to Messrs. Sybille, Adams & Co., situated
immediately in the point of land at the junction of 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, called 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 angles, gave it quite an imposing appearance
in the uncertain light of evening. A cluster of lodges, which the
language told us belonged to Sioux Indians, was pitched under the
walls; and, with the fine background of the Black hills and the
prominent peak of Laramie mountain, strongly drawn in the clear light
of the western sky, where the sun had already set, the whole formed at
the moment a strikingly beautiful picture. From the company at St.
Louis I had letters for Mr. Boudeau, the gentleman in charge of the
post, by whom I was received with great hospitality and an efficient
kindness, which was invaluable to me during my stay in the country. I
found our people encamped on the bank, a short distance above the fort.
All were well; and, in the enjoyment of a bountiful supper, which
coffee and bread made luxurious to us, we soon forgot the fatigues of
the last ten days.
16th.--I found that, during my absence, the situation of affairs had
undergone some change; and the usual quiet and somewhat monotonous
regularity of the camp had given place to excitement and alarm. The
circumstances which occasioned this change will be found narrated in
the following extract from the journal of Mr. Preuss, which commences
with the day of our separation on the South fork of the Platte:
"6th.--We crossed the plateau or highland between the two forks in
about six hours. I let my horse go as slow as he liked, to indemnify us
both for the previous hardship; and about noon we reached the North
fork. There was no sign that our party had passed; we rode, therefore,
to some pine trees, unsaddled the hoses, and stretched our limbs on the
grass, awaiting the arrival of our company. After remaining here two
hours, my companion became impatient, mounted his horse again, and rode
off down the river to see if he could discover our people. I felt so
marode yet, that it was a horrible idea to me to bestride that saddle
again; so I lay still. I knew they could not come any other way, and
then my companion, one of the best men of the company, would not
abandon me. The sun went down--he did not come. Uneasy I did not feel,
but very hungry. I had no provisions, but I could make a fire; and as I
espied two doves in a tree, I tried to kill one. But it needs a better
marksman than myself to kill a little bird with a rifle. I made a fire,
however, lighted my pipe--this true friend of mine in every
emergency--lay down, and let my thoughts wander to the far east. It was
not many minutes after when I heard the tramp of a horse, and my
faithful companion was by my side. He had found the party, who had been
delayed by making their _cache_, about seven miles below. To the good
supper which he brought with him I did ample justice. He had forgotten
salt, and I tried the soldier's substitute in time of war, and used
gunpowder; but it answered badly--bitter enough, but no flavor of
kitchen salt. I slept well; and was only disturbed by two owls, which
were attracted by the fire, and took their place in the tree under
which we slept. Their music seemed as disagreeable to my companion as
to myself; he fired his rifle twice, and then they let us alone.
"7th.--At about 10 o'clock, the party arrived; and we continued our
journey through a country which offered but little to interest the
traveler. The soil was much more sandy than in the valley below the
confluence of the forks, and the face of the country no longer
presented the refreshing green which had hitherto characterized it. The
rich grass was now found only in dispersed spots, on low grounds, and
on the bottom land of the streams. A long drought, joined to extreme
heat, had so parched up the upper prairies, that they were in many
places bald, or covered only with a thin growth of yellow and poor
grass. The nature of the soil renders it extremely susceptible to the
vicissitudes of the climate. Between the forks, and from their junction
to the Black hills, the formation consists of marl and a soft earthy
limestone, with granitic sandstone. Such a formation cannot give rise
to a sterile soil; and, on our return in September, when the country
had been watered by frequent rains, the valley of the Platte looked
like a garden; so rich was the verdure of the grasses, and so luxuriant
the bloom of abundant flowers. The wild sage begins to make its
appearance, and timber is so scarce that we generally made our fires of
the _bois de vache_. With the exception of now and then an isolated
tree or two, standing like a lighthouse on the river bank, there is
none to be seen.