appearance--not even a buffalo or a stray antelope; and nothing
occurred to break the monotony until about 5 o'clock, when the caravan
made a sudden halt. There was a galloping in of scouts and horsemen
from every side--a hurrying to and fro in noisy confusion; rifles were
taken from their covers; bullet pouches examined: in short, there was
the cry of 'Indians,' heard again. I had become so much accustomed to
these alarms, that they now made but little impression on me; and
before I had time to become excited, the newcomers were ascertained to
be whites. It was a large party of traders and trappers, conducted by
Mr. Bridger, a man well known in the history of the country. As the sun
was low, and there was a fine grass patch not far ahead, they turned
back and encamped for the night with us. Mr. Bridger was invited to
supper; and, after the _table-cloth_ was removed, we listened with
eager interest to an account of their adventures. What they had met, we
would be likely to encounter; the chances which had befallen them,
would probably happen to us; and we looked upon their life as a picture
of our own. He informed us that the condition of the country had become
exceedingly dangerous. The Sioux, who had been badly disposed, had
broken out into open hostility, and in the preceding autumn his party
had encountered them in a severe engagement, in which a number of lives
had been lost on both sides. United with the Cheyenne and Gros Ventre
Indians, they were scouring the upper country in war parties of great
force, and were at this time in the neighborhood of the _Red Buttes_, a
famous landmark, which was directly in our path. They had declared war
upon every living thing that should be found westward of that point;
though their main object was to attack a large camp of whites and Snake
Indians, who had a rendezvous in the Sweet Water valley. Availing
himself of his intimate knowledge of the country, he had reached
Laramie by an unusual route through the Black hills, and avoided coming
into contact with any of the scattered parties. This gentleman offered
his services to accompany us as far as the head of the Sweet Water; but
the absence of our leader, which was deeply regretted by us all,
rendered it impossible for us to enter upon such arrangements. In a
camp consisting of men whose lives had been spent in this country, I
expected to find every one prepared for occurrences of this nature;
but, to my great surprise, I found, on the contrary, that this news had
thrown them all into the greatest consternation; and, on every side, I
heard only one exclamation, '_Il n'y aura pas de vie pour nous_.' All
the night, scattered groups were assembled around the fires, smoking
their pipes, and listening with the greatest eagerness to exaggerated
details of Indian hostilities; and in the morning I found the camp
dispirited, and agitated by a variety of conflicting opinions. A
majority of the people were strongly disposed to return; but Clement
Lambert, with some five or six others, professed their determination to
follow Mr. Fremont to the uttermost limit of his journey. The others
yielded to their remonstrances, and somewhat ashamed of their
cowardice, concluded to advance at least as far as Laramie fork,
eastward of which they were aware no danger was to be apprehended.
Notwithstanding the confusion and excitement, we were very early on the
road, as the days were extremely hot, and we were anxious to profit by
the freshness of the morning. The soft marly formation, over which we
were now journeying, frequently offers to the traveler views of
remarkable and picturesque beauty. To several of these localities,
where the winds and the rain have worked the bluffs into curious
shapes, the voyageurs have given names according to some fancied
resemblance. One of these, called the _Court-house_, we passed about
six miles from our encampment of last night, and towards noon came in
sight of the celebrated _Chimney rock_. It looks, at this distance of
about thirty miles, like what it is called--the long chimney of a steam
factory establishment, or a shot tower in Baltimore. Nothing occurred
to interrupt the quiet of the day, and we encamped on the river, after
a march of twenty-four miles. Buffalo had become very scarce, and but
one cow had been killed, of which the meat had been cut into thin
slices, and hung around the carts to dry.
"10th.--We continued along the same fine plainly beaten road, which the
smooth surface of the country afforded us, for a distance of six
hundred and thirty miles, from the frontiers of Missouri to the Laramie
fork. In the course of the day we met some whites, who were following
along in the train of Mr. Bridger; and, after a day's journey of
twenty-four miles, encamped about sunset at the Chimney rock. It
consists of marl and earthy limestone, and the weather is rapidly
diminishing its height, which is not more than two hundred feet above
the river. Travelers who visited it some years since, placed its height
at upwards of 500 feet.
"11th.--The valley of the North fork is of a variable breadth, from one
to four, and sometimes six miles. Fifteen miles from the Chimney rock
we reached one of those places where the river strikes the bluffs, and
forces the road to make a considerable circuit over the uplands. This
presented an escarpment on the river of about nine hundred yards in
length, and is familiarly known as Scott's bluffs. We had made a
journey of thirty miles before we again struck the river, at a place
where some scanty grass afforded an insufficient pasturage to our
animals. About twenty miles from the Chimney rock we had found a very
beautiful spring of excellent and cold water; but it was in such a deep
ravine, and so small, that the animals could not profit by it, and we
therefore halted only a few minutes, and found a resting-place ten
miles further on. The plain between Scott's bluffs and Chimney rock was
almost entirely covered with drift-wood, consisting principally of
cedar, which, we were informed, had been supplied from the Black hills,
in a flood five or six years since.
"12th.--Nine miles from our encampment of yesterday we crossed Horse
creek, a shallow stream of clear water, about seventy yards wide,
falling into the Platte on the right bank. It was lightly timbered, and
great quantities of drift-wood were piled up on the banks, appearing to
be supplied by the creek from above. After a journey of twenty-six
miles, we encamped on a rich bottom, which afforded fine grass to our
animals. Buffalo have entirely disappeared, and we live now upon the
dried meat, which is exceedingly poor food. The marl and earthy
limestone, which constituted the formation for several days past, had
changed, during the day, into a compact white or grayish-white
limestone, sometimes containing hornstone; and at the place of our
encampment this evening, some strata in the river hills cropped out to
the height of thirty or forty feet, consisting of fine-grained granitic
sandstone; one of the strata closely resembling gneiss.
"13th.--To-day, about four o'clock, we reached Fort Laramie, where we
were cordially received. We pitched our camp a little above the fort,
on the bank of the Laramie river, in which the pure and clear water of
the mountain stream looked refreshingly cool, and made a pleasant
contrast to the muddy, yellow waters of the Platte."
I walked up to visit our friends at the fort, which is a quadrangular
structure, built of clay, after the fashion of the Mexicans, who are
generally employed in building them. The walls are about fifteen feet
high, surmounted with a wooden palisade, and form a portion of ranges
of houses, which entirely surround a yard of about one hundred and
thirty feet square. Every apartment has its door and window,--all, of
course, opening on the inside. There are two entrances, opposite each
other, and midway the wall, one of which is a large and public
entrance; the other smaller and more private--a sort of postern gate.
Over the great entrance is a square tower with loopholes, and, like the
rest of the work, built of earth. At two of the angles, and diagonally
opposite each other, are large square bastions, so arranged as to sweep
the four faces of the walls.
This post belongs to the American Fur Company, and, at the time of our
visit, was in charge of Mr. Boudeau. Two of the company's clerks,
Messrs. Galpin and Kellogg, were with him, and he had in the fort about
sixteen men. As usual, these had found wives among the Indian squaws;
and, with the usual accompaniment of children, the place had quite a
populous appearance. It is hardly necessary to say, that the object of
the establishment is trade with the neighboring tribes, who, in the
course of the year, generally make two or three visits to the fort. In
addition to this, traders, with a small outfit, are constantly kept
amongst them. The articles of trade consist, on the one side, almost
entirely of buffalo robes; and, on the other, of blankets, calicoes,
guns, powder and lead, with such cheap ornaments as glass beads,
looking-glasses, rings, vermilion for painting, tobacco, and
principally, and in spite of the prohibition, of spirits, brought into
the country in the form of alcohol, and diluted with water before sold.
While 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 spirituous liquors. But
in the present state of things, when the country is supplied with
alcohol--when a keg of it will purchase from an Indian every thing he
possesses--his furs, his lodge, his horses, and even his wife and
children--and when any vagabond who has money enough to purchase a mule
can go into a village and trade against them successfully, without
withdrawing entirely from the trade, it is impossible for them to
discontinue its use. In their opposition to this practice, the company
is sustained, not only by their obligation to the laws of the country
and the welfare of the Indians, but clearly, also, on grounds of
policy; for, with heavy and expensive outfits, they contend at
manifestly great disadvantage against the numerous independent and
unlicensed traders, who enter the country from various avenues, from
the United States and from Mexico, having no other stock in trade than
some kegs of liquor, which they sell at the modest price of thirty-six
dollars per gallon. The difference between the regular trader and the
_coureur des bois_, (as the French call the itinerant or peddling
traders,) with respect to the sale of spirits, is here, as it always
has been, fixed and permanent, and growing out of the nature of their
trade. The regular trader looks ahead, and has an interest in the
preservation of the Indians, and in the regular pursuit of their
business, and the preservation of their arms, horses, and every thing
necessary to their future and permanent success in hunting: the
_coureur des bois_ has no permanent interest, and gets what he can, and
for what he can, from every Indian he meets, even at the risk of
disabling him from doing any thing more at hunting.
The fort had a very cool and clean appearance. The great entrance, in
which I found the gentlemen assembled, and which was floored, and about
fifteen feet long, made a pleasant, shaded seat, through which the
breeze swept constantly; for this country is famous for high winds. In
the course of the conversation, I learned the following particulars,
which will explain the condition of the country. For several years the
Cheyennes and Sioux had gradually become more and more hostile to the
whites, and in the latter part of August, 1841, had had a rather severe
engagement with a party of sixty men, under the command of Mr. Frapp of
St. Louis. The Indians lost eight or ten warriors, and the whites had
their leader and four men killed. This fight took place on the waters
of Snake river; and it was this party, on their return under Mr.
Bridger, which had spread so much alarm among my people. In the course
of the spring, two other small parties had been cut off by the
Sioux--one on their return from the Crow nation, and the other among
the Black hills. The emigrants to Oregon and Mr. Bridger's party met
here, a few days before our arrival. Divisions and misunderstandings
had grown up among them; they were already somewhat disheartened by the
fatigue of their long and wearisome journey, and the feet of their
cattle had become so much worn as to be scarcely able to travel. In
this situation, they were not likely to find encouragement in the
hostile attitude of the Indians, and the new and unexpected
difficulties which sprang up before them. They were told that the
country was entirely swept of grass, and that few or no buffalo were to
be found on their line of route; and, with their weakened animals, it
would be impossible for them to transport their heavy wagons over the
mountains. Under these circumstances, they disposed of their wagons and
cattle at the forts; selling them at the prices they had paid in the
States, and taking in exchange coffee and sugar at one dollar a pound,
and miserable worn-out horses, which died before they reached the
mountains. Mr. Boudeau informed me that he had purchased thirty, and
the lower fort eighty head of fine cattle, some of them of the Durham
breed. Mr. Fitzpatrick, whose name and high reputation are familiar to
all who interest themselves in the history of this country, had reached
Laramie in company with Mr. Bridger; and the emigrants were fortunate
enough to obtain his services to guide them as far as the British post
of Fort Hall, about two hundred and fifty miles beyond the South Pass
of the mountains. They had started for this post on the 4th of July,
and immediately after their departure, a war party of three hundred and
fifty braves set out upon their trail. As their principal chief or
partisan had lost some relations in the recent fight, and had sworn to
kill the first whites on his path, it was supposed that their intention
was to attack the party, should a favorable opportunity offer; or, if
they were foiled in their principal object by the vigilance of Mr.
Fitzpatrick, content themselves with stealing horses and cutting off
stragglers. These had been gone but a few days previous to our arrival.
The effect of the engagement with Mr. Frapp had been greatly to
irritate the hostile spirit of the savages; and immediately subsequent
to that event, the Gross Ventre Indians had united with the Oglallahs
and Cheyennes, and taken the field in great force--so far as I could
ascertain, to the amount of eight hundred lodges. Their object was to
make an attack on a camp of Snake and Crow Indians, and a body of about
one hundred whites, who had made a rendezvous somewhere in the Green
river valley, or on the Sweet Water. After spending some time in
buffalo hunting in the neighborhood of the Medicine Bow mountain, they
were to cross over to the Green river waters, and return to Laramie by
way of the South Pass and the Sweet Water valley. According to the
calculation of the Indians, Mr. Boudeau informed me they were somewhere
near the head of the Sweet Water. I subsequently learned that the party
led by Mr. Fitzpatrick were overtaken by their pursuers near Rock
Independence, in the valley of the Sweet Water; but his skill and
resolution saved them from surprise; and, 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
the large village. From these they met with a doubtful reception. Long
residence and familiar acquaintance had given to Mr. Fitzpatrick great
personal influence among them, and a portion of them were disposed to
let him pass quietly; but by far the greater number were inclined to
hostile measures; and the chiefs spent the whole of one night, during
which they kept the little party in the midst of them, in council,
debating the question of attacking them the next day; but the influence
of "the Broken Hand," as they called Mr. Fitzpatrick, (one of his hands
having been shattered by the bursting of a gun,) at length prevailed,
and obtained for them an unmolested passage; but they sternly assured
him that this path was no longer open, and that any party of the whites
which should hereafter be found upon it would meet with certain
destruction. From all that I have been able to learn, I have no doubt
that the emigrants owe their lives to Mr. Fitzpatrick.
Thus it would appear that the country was swarming with scattered war
parties; and when I heard, during the day, the various contradictory
and exaggerated rumors which were incessantly repeated to them, I was
not surprised that so much alarm prevailed among my men. Carson, one of
the best and most experienced mountaineers, fully supported the opinion
given by Bridger of the dangerous state of the country, and openly
expressed his conviction that we could not escape without some sharp
encounters with the Indians. In addition to this, he made his will; and
among the circumstances which were constantly occurring to increase
their alarm, this was the most unfortunate; and I found that a number
of my party had become so much intimidated, that they had requested to
be discharged at this place. I dined to-day at Fort Platte, which has
been mentioned as situated at the junction of Laramie river with the
Nebraska. Here I heard a confirmation of the statements given above.
The party of warriors, which had started a few days since on the trail
of the emigrants, was expected back in fourteen days, to join the
village with which their families and the old men had remained. The
arrival of the latter was hourly expected; and some Indians have just
come in who had left them on the Laramie fork, about twenty miles
above. Mr. Bissonette, one of the traders belonging to Fort Platte,
urged the propriety of taking with me an interpreter and two or three
old men of the village; in which case, he thought there would be little
or no hazard in encountering any of the war parties The principal
danger was in being attacked before they should know who we were.
They had a confused idea of the numbers and power of our people, and
dreaded to bring upon themselves the military force of the United
States. This gentleman, who spoke the language fluently, offered his
services to accompany me so far as the Red Buttes. He was desirous to
join the large party on its return, for purposes of trade, and it would
suit his views, as well as my own, to go with us to the Buttes; beyond
which point it would be impossible to prevail on a Sioux to venture, on
account of their fear of the Crows. From Fort Laramie to the Red
Buttes, by the ordinary road, is one hundred and thirty-five miles;
and, though only on the threshold of danger, it seemed better to secure
the services of an interpreter for the partial distance, than to have
none at all.
So far as frequent interruption from the Indians would allow, we
occupied ourselves in making some astronomical calculations, and
bringing the general map to this stage of our journey; but the tent was
generally occupied by a succession of our ceremonious visitors. Some
came for presents, and others for information of our object in coming
to the country; now and then, one would dart up to the tent on
horseback, jerk off his trappings, and stand silently at the door,
holding his horse by the halter, signifying his desire to trade.
Occasionally a savage would stalk in with an invitation to a feast of
honor, a dog feast, and deliberately sit down and wait quietly until I
was ready to accompany him. I went to one; the women and children were
sitting outside the lodge, and we took our seats on buffalo robes
spread around. The dog was in a large pot over the fire, in the middle
of the lodge, and immediately on our arrival was dished up in large
wooden bowls, one of which was handed to each. The flesh appeared very
glutinous, with something of the flavor and appearance of mutton.
Feeling something move 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 civilization might have interfered with
my tranquillity; but, fortunately, I am not of delicate nerves, and
continued quietly to empty my platter.
The weather was cloudy at evening, with a moderate south wind, and the
thermometer at six o'clock 85°. I was disappointed in my hope of
obtaining an observation of an occultation, which took place about
midnight. The moon brought with her heavy banks of clouds, through
which she scarcely made her appearance during the night.
The morning of the 18th was cloudy and calm, the thermometer at six
o'clock at 64°. About nine, with a moderate wind from the west, a storm
of rain came on, accompanied by sharp thunder and lightning, which
lasted about an hour. During the day the expected village arrived,
consisting principally of old men, women, and children. They had a
considerable number of horses, and large troops of dogs. Their lodges
were pitched near the fort, and our camp was constantly crowded with
Indians of all sizes, from morning until night, at which time some of
the soldiers generally came to drive them all off to the village. My
tent was the only place which they respected. Here only came the chiefs
and men of distinction, and generally one of them remained to drive
away the women and children. The numerous strange instruments, applied
to still stranger uses, excited awe and admiration among them; and
those which I used in talking with the sun and stars they looked upon
with especial reverence, as mysterious things of "great medicine."
Of the three barometers which I had brought with me thus far
successfully, I found that two were out of order, and spent the greater
part of the 19th in repairing them--an operation of no small difficulty
in the midst of the incessant interruptions to which I was subjected.
We had the misfortune to break here a large thermometer, graduated to
show fifths of a degree, which I used to ascertain the temperature of
boiling water, and with which I had promised myself some interesting
experiments in the mountains. We had but one remaining, on which the
graduation extended sufficiently high; and this was too small for exact
observations. During our stay here, the men had been engaged in making
numerous repairs, arranging pack-saddles, and otherwise preparing for
the chance of a rough road and mountain travel. All things of this
nature being ready, I gathered them around me in the evening, and told
them that "I had determined to proceed the next day. They were all well
armed. I had engaged the services of Mr. Bissonette as interpreter, and
had taken, in the circumstances, every possible means to ensure our
safety. In the rumors we had heard, I believed there was much
exaggeration; that they were men accustomed to this kind of life and to
the country; and that these were the dangers of every-day occurrence,
and to be expected in the ordinary course of their service. They had
heard of the unsettled condition of the country before leaving St.
Louis, and therefore could not make it a reason for breaking their
engagements. Still, I was unwilling to take with me, on a service of
some certain danger, men on whom I could not rely; and I had understood
that there were among them some who were disposed to cowardice, and
anxious to return; they had but to come forward at once, and state
their desire, and they would be discharged, with the amount due to them
for the time they had served." To their honor be it said, there was but
one among them who had the face to come forward and avail himself of
the permission. I asked him some few questions, in order to expose him
to the ridicule of the men, and let him go. The day after our
departure, he engaged himself to one of the forts, and set off with a
party to 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 great imprudence; and therefore,
though reluctantly, I determined to leave them. Randolph had been the
life of the camp, and the "_petit garçon_" was much regretted by the
men, to whom his buoyant spirits had afforded great amusement. They
all, however, agreed in the propriety of leaving him at the fort,
because, as they said, he might cost the lives of some of the men in a
fight with the Indians.
21st.--A portion of our baggage, with our field-notes and observations,
and several instruments, were left at the fort. One of the gentlemen,
Mr. Galpin, took charge of a barometer, which he engaged to observe
during my absence; and I in trusted to Randolph, by way of occupation,
the regular winding up of two of my chronometers, which were among the
instruments left. Our observations showed that the chronometer which I
retained for the continuation of our voyage had preserved its rate in a
most satisfactory manner. As deduced from it, the longitude of Fort
Laramie is 7h 01' 21", and from Lunar distance 7h 01' 29"; giving for
the adopted longitude 104° 47' 43". Comparing the barometrical
observations made during our stay here, with those of Dr. G. Engleman
at St. Louis, we find for the elevation of the fort above the Gulf of
Mexico 4,470 feet. The winter climate here is remarkably mild for the
latitude; but rainy weather is frequent, and the place is celebrated
for winds, of which the prevailing one is the west. An east wind in
summer, and a south wind in winter, are said to be always accompanied
with rain.
We were ready to depart; the tents were struck, the mules geared up,
and our horses saddled, and we walked up to the fort to take the
_stirrup cup_ with our friends in an excellent home-brewed preparation.
While thus pleasantly engaged, seated in one of the little cool
chambers, at the door of which a man had been stationed to prevent all
intrusion from the Indians, a number of chiefs, several of them
powerful, fine-looking men, forced their way into the room in spite of
all opposition. Handing me the following letter, they took their seats
in silence:--
"FORT PLATTE, Juillet 21, 1842.
"Mr. Fremont:--Les chefs s'étant assemblés présentement me disent de
vous avertir de ne point vous mettre en route, avant que le parti de
jeunes gens, qui est en dehors, soient de retour. De plus, ils me
disent qu'ils sont très-certains qu'ils feront feu à la première
rencontre. Ils doivent être de retour dans sept à huit jours. Excusez
si je vous fais ces observations, mais il me semble qu'il est mon
devoir de vous avertir du danger. Même de plus, les chefs sont les
porteurs de ce billet, qui vous defendent de partir avant le retour des
guerriers.
"Je suis votre obéissant serviteur, "JOSEPH BISSONETTE, "Par L.B.
CHARTRAIN.
"_Les noms de quelques chefs_.--Le Chapeau de Loutre, le Casseur de
Flèches, la Nuit Noir, la Queue de Boeuf."
[Translation.]
"FORT PLATTE, July 21, 1842.
"MR. FREMONT:--The chiefs having assembled in council, have just told
me to warn you not to set out before the party of young men which is
now out shall have returned. Furthermore, they tell me that they are
very sure they will fire upon you as soon as they meet you. They are
expected back in seven or eight days. Excuse me for making these
observations, but it seems my duty to warn you of danger. Moreover, the
chiefs who prohibit your setting out before the return of the warriors
are the bearers of this note.
"I am your obedient servant,
"JOSEPH BISSONETTE,
"By L.B. CHARTRAIN.
"_Names of some of the chiefs_.--The Otter Hat, the Breaker of Arrows,
the Black Night, the Bull's Tail."
After reading this, I mentioned its purport to my companions; and,
seeing that all were fully possessed of its contents, one of the
Indians rose up, and, having first shaken hands with me, spoke as
follows:
"You have come among us at a bad time. Some of our people have been
killed, and our young men, who are gone to the mountains, are eager to
avenge the blood of their relations, which has been shed by the whites.
Our young men are bad, and, if they meet you, they will believe that
you are carrying goods and ammunition to their enemies, and will fire
upon you. You have told us that this will make war. We know that our
great father has many soldiers and big guns, and we are anxious to have
our lives. We love the whites, and are desirous of peace. Thinking of
all these things, we have determined to keep you here until our
warriors return. We are glad to see you among us. Our father is rich,
and we expected that you would have brought presents to us--horses,
guns, and blankets. But we are glad to see you. We look upon your
coming as the light which goes before the sun; for you will tell our
great father that you have seen us, and that we are naked and poor, and
have nothing to eat; and he will send us all these things." He was
followed by others to the same effect.
The observations of the savage appeared reasonable; but I was aware
that they had in view only the present object of detaining me, and were
unwilling I should go further into the country. In reply, I asked them,
through the interpretation of Mr. Boudeau, to select two or three of
their number to accompany us until we should meet their people--they
should spread their robes in my tent, and eat at my table, and on their
return I would give them presents in reward of their services. They
declined, saying, that there were no young men left in the village, and
that they were too old to travel so many days on horseback, and
preferred now to smoke their pipes in the lodge, and let the warriors
go on the war-path. Besides, they had no power over the young men, and
were afraid to interfere with them. In my turn I addressed them.
"You say that you love the whites; why have you 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 listen to you. Whatever a chief among us,
tells his soldiers to do, is done. We are the soldiers of the great
chief, your father. He has told us to come here and see this country,
and all the Indians, his children. Why should we not go? Before we
came, we heard that you had killed his people, and ceased to be his
children; but we came among you peaceably, holding out our hands. Now
we find that the stories we heard are not lies, and that you are no
longer his friends and children. We have thrown away our bodies, and
will not turn back. When you told us that your young men would kill us,
you did not know that our hearts were strong, and you did not see the
rifles which my young men carry in their hands. We are few, and you are
many, and may kill us all; but there will be much crying in your
villages, for many of your young men will stay behind, and forget to
return with your warriors from the mountains. Do you think that our
great chief will let his soldiers die, and forget to cover their
graves? Before the snows melt again, his warriors will sweep away your
villages as the fire does the prairie in the autumn. See! I have pulled
down my _white houses_, and my people are ready: when the sun is ten
paces higher, we shall be on the march. If you have any thing to tell
us, you will say it soon."
I broke up the conference, as I could do nothing with these people;
and, being resolved to proceed, nothing was to be gained by delay.
Accompanied by our hospitable friends, we returned to the camp. We had
mounted our horses, and our parting salutations had been exchanged,
when one of the chiefs (the Bull's Tail) arrived to tell me that they
had determined to send a young man with us; and if I would point out
the place of our evening camp, he should join us there. "The young man
is poor," said he; "he has no horse, and expects you to give him one."
I described to him the place where I intended to encamp, and, shaking
hands, in a few minutes we were among the hills, and this last
habitation of whites shut out from our view.
The road led over an interesting plateau between the North fork of the
Platte on the right, and Laramie river on the left. At the distance of
ten miles from the fort, we entered the sandy bed of a creek, a kind of
defile, shaded by precipitous rocks, down which we wound our way for
several hundred yards, to a place where, on the left bank, a very large
spring gushes with considerable noise and force out of the limestone
rock. It is called the "Warm Spring," and furnishes to the hitherto dry
bed of the creek a considerable rivulet. On the opposite side, a little
below the spring, is a lofty limestone escarpment, partially shaded by
a grove of large trees, whose green foliage, in contrast with the
whiteness of the rock, renders this a picturesque locality. The rock is
fossiliferous, and, so far as I was able to determine the character of
the fossils, belongs to the carboniferous limestone of the Missouri
river, and is probably the western limit of that formation. Beyond this
point I met with no fossils of any description.
I was desirous to visit the Platte near the point where it leaves the
Black hills, and therefore followed this stream, for two or three
miles, to its mouth, where I encamped on a spot which afforded good
grass and _prele (equisetum)_ for our 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 had procured from the Indians at Laramie a tolerably large
lodge, about eighteen feet in diameter, and twenty feet in height. Such
a lodge, when properly pitched, is, from its conical form, almost
perfectly secure against the violent winds which are frequent in this
region, and, with a fire in the centre, is a dry and warm shelter in
bad weather. By raising the lower part, so as to permit the breeze to
pass freely, it is converted into a pleasant summer residence, with the
extraordinary advantage of being entirely free from musquitoes, one of
which I never saw in an Indian lodge. While we were engaged very
unskilfully in erecting this, the interpreter, Mr. Bissonette, arrived,
accompanied by the Indian and his wife. She laughed at our awkwardness,
and offered her assistance, of which we were frequently afterwards
obliged to avail our selves, before the men acquired sufficient
expertness to pitch it without difficulty. From this place we had a
fine view of the gorge where the Platte issues from the Black hills,
changing its character abruptly from a mountain stream into a river of
the plains. Immediately around us the valley of the stream was
tolerably open; and at the distance of a few miles, where the river had
cut its way through the hills, was the narrow cleft, on one side of
which a lofty precipice of bright red rock rose vertically above the
low hills which lay between us.
22d.--In the morning, while breakfast was being prepared, I visited
this place with my favorite man, Basil Lajeunesse. Entering so far as
there was footing for the mules, we dismounted, and, tying our animals,
continued our way on foot. Like the whole country, the scenery of the
river had undergone an entire change, and was in this place the most
beautiful I have ever seen. The breadth of the stream, generally near
that of its valley, was from two to three hundred feet, with a swift
current, occasionally broken by rapids, and the water perfectly clear.
On either side rose the red precipices, and sometimes overhanging, two
and four hundred feet in height, crowned with green summits, on which
were scattered a few pines. At the foot of the rocks was the usual
detritus, formed of masses fallen from above. Among the pines that grew
here, and on the occasional banks, were the cherry, (_cerasus
virginiana_,) currants, and grains de boeuf, (_shepherdia argentea_.)
Viewed in the sunshine of a pleasant morning, the scenery was of a most
striking and romantic beauty, which arose from the picturesque
disposition of the objects, and the vivid contrast of colors. I thought
with much pleasure of our approaching descent in the canoe through such
interesting places; and, in the expectation of being able at that time
to give to them a full examination, did not now dwell so much as might
have been desirable upon the geological formations along the line of
the river, where they are developed with great clearness. The upper
portion of the red strata consists of very compact clay, in which are
occasionally seen imbedded large pebbles. Below was a stratum of
compact red sandstone, changing a little above the river into a very
hard silicious limestone. There is a small but handsome open prairie
immediately below this place, on the left bank of the river, which
would be a good locality for a military post. There are some open
groves of cottonwood on the Platte. The small stream which comes in at
this place is well timbered with pine, and good building rock is
abundant.
If it is in contemplation to keep open the communication with Oregon
territory, a show of military force in this country is absolutely
necessary; and a combination of advantages renders the neighborhood of
Fort Laramie the most suitable place, on the line of the Platte, for
the establishment of a military post. It is connected with the mouth of
the Platte and the Upper Missouri by excellent roads, which are in
frequent use, and would not in any way interfere with the range of the
buffalo, on which the neighboring Indians mainly depend for support. It
would render any posts on the Lower Platte unnecessary; the ordinary
communication between it and the Missouri being sufficient to control
the intermediate Indians. It would operate effectually to prevent any
such coalitions as are now formed among the Gros Ventres, Sioux,
Cheyennes, and other Indians, and would keep the Oregon road through
the valley of the Sweet Water and the South Pass of the mountains
constantly open. It lies at the foot of a broken and mountainous
region, along which, by the establishment of small posts in the
neighborhood of St. Vrain's fort, on the South fork of the Platte, and
Bent's fort, on the Arkansas, a line of communication would be formed,
by good wagon-roads, with our southern military posts, which would
entirely command the mountain passes, hold some of the most troublesome
tribes in check, and protect and facilitate our intercourse with the
neighboring Spanish settlements. The valleys of the rivers on which
they would be situated are fertile; the country, which supports immense
herds of buffalo, is admirably adapted to grazing; and herds of cattle
might be maintained by the posts, or obtained from the Spanish country,
which already supplies a portion of their provisions to the trading
posts mentioned above.
Just as we were leaving the camp this morning, our Indian came up, and
stated his intention of not proceeding any further until he had seen
the horse which I intended to give him. I felt strongly tempted to
drive him out of the camp; but his presence appeared to give confidence
to my men, and the interpreter thought it absolutely necessary. I was
therefore obliged to do what he requested, and pointed out the animal,
with which he seemed satisfied, and we continued our journey. I had
imagined that Mr. Bissonette's long residence had made him acquainted
with the country; and, according to his advice, proceeded directly
forward, without attempting to gain the usual road. He afterwards
informed me that he had rarely ever lost sight of the fort; but the
effect of the mistake was to involve us for a day or two among the
hills, where, although we lost no time, we encountered an exceedingly
rough road.
To the south, along our line of march to-day, the main chain of the
Black or Laramie hills rises precipitously. Time did not permit me to
visit them; but, from comparative 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 their course, and lie
in masses along the summits. An inverted cone of black cloud (cumulus)
rested during all the forenoon on the lofty peak of Laramie mountain,
which I estimated to be about two thousand feet above the fort, or six
thousand five hundred above the sea. We halted to noon on the _Fourche
Amere_, so called from being timbered principally with the _liard
amere_, (a species of poplar,) with which the valley of the little
stream is tolerably well wooded, and which, with large expansive
summits, grows to the height of sixty or seventy feet.
The bed of the creek is sand and gravel, the water dispersed over the
broad bed in several shallow streams. We found here, on the right bank,
in the shade of the trees, a fine spring of very cold water. It will be
remarked that I do not mention, in this portion of the journey, the
temperature of the air, sand, springs, &c.--an omission which will be
explained in the course of the narrative. In my search for plants, I
was well rewarded at this place.
With the change in the geological formation on leaving Fort Laramie,
the whole face of the country has entirely altered its appearance.
Eastward of that meridian, the principal objects which strike the eye
of a traveler are the absence of timber, and the immense expanse of
prairie, covered with the verdure of rich grasses, and highly adapted
for pasturage. Wherever they are not disturbed by the vicinity of man,
large herds of buffalo give animation to this country. Westward of
Laramie river, the region is sandy, and apparently sterile; and the
place of the grass is usurped by the _artemisia_ and other odoriferous
plants, to whose growth the sandy soil and dry air of this elevated
region seem highly favorable.
One of the prominent characteristics in the face of the country is the
extraordinary abundance of the _artemisias_. They grow everywhere--on
the hills, and over the river bottoms, in tough, twisted, wiry clumps;
and, wherever the beaten track was left, they rendered the progress of
the carts rough and slow. As the country increased in elevation on our
advance to the west, they increased in size; and the whole air is
strongly impregnated and saturated with the odor of camphor and spirits
of turpentine which belongs to this plant. This climate has been found
very favorable to the restoration of health, particularly in cases of
consumption; and possibly the respiration of air so highly impregnated
with aromatic plants may have some influence.
Our dried meat had given out, and we began to be in want of food; but
one of the hunters killed an antelope this evening, which afforded some
relief, although it did not go far among so many hungry men. At eight
o'clock at night, after a march of twenty-seven miles, we reached our
proposed encampment on the _Fer-à-Cheval_, or Horse-shoe creek. Here we
found good grass, with a great quantity of _prele_, which furnished
good food for our tired animals. This creek is well timbered,
principally with _liard amere_, and, with the exception of Deer creek,
which we had not yet reached, is the largest affluent of the right bank
between Laramie and the mouth of the Sweet Water.
23d.--The present year had been one of unparalleled drought, and
throughout the country the water had been almost dried up. By availing
themselves of the annual rise, the traders had invariably succeeded in
carrying their furs to the 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 made
halting places for the _voyageurs_, had been dried up. Everywhere the
soil looked parched and burnt, the scanty yellow grass crisped under
the foot, and even the hardest plants 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 afterwards found to be the case.
I was informed that the roving villages of Indians and travelers had
never met with difficulty in finding abundance of grass for their
horses; and now it was after great search that we were able to find a
scanty patch of grass sufficient to keep them from sinking; and in the
course of a day or two they began to suffer very much. We found none
to-day at noon; and, in the course of our search on the Platte, came to
a grove of cottonwood, where some Indian village had recently encamped.
Boughs of the cottonwood yet green covered the ground, which the
Indians had cut down to feed their horses upon. It is only in the
winter that recourse is had to this means of sustaining them; and their
resort to it at this time was a striking evidence of the state of the
country. We followed their example, and turned our horses into a grove
of young poplars. This began to present itself as a very serious evil,
for on our animals depended altogether the further prosecution of our
journey.
Shortly after we had left this place, the scouts came galloping in with
the alarm of Indians. We turned in immediately towards the river, which
here had a steep, high bank, where we formed with the carts a very
close barricade, resting on the river, within which the animals were
strongly hobbled and picketed. The guns were discharged and reloaded,
and men thrown forward under cover of the bank, in the direction by
which the Indians were expected. Our interpreter, who, with the Indian,
had gone to meet them, came in, in about ten minutes, accompanied by
two Sioux. They looked sulky, and we could obtain from them only some
confused information. We learned that they belonged to the party which
had been on the trail of the emigrants, whom they had overtaken at Rock
Independence, on the Sweet Water. Here the party had disagreed, and
came nigh fighting among themselves. One portion were desirous of
attacking the whites, but the others were opposed to it; and finally
they had broken up into small bands, and dispersed over the country.
The greatest portion of them had gone over into the territory of the
Crows, and intended to return by way of the Wind River valley, in the
hope of being able to fall upon some small parties of Crow Indians. The
remainder were returning down the Platte, in scattered parties of ten
and twenty; and those whom we had encountered belonged to those who had
advocated an attack on the emigrants. Several of the men suggested
shooting them on the spot; but I promptly discountenanced any such
proceeding. They further informed me that buffalo were very scarce, and
little or no grass to be found. There had been no rain, and innumerable
quantities of grasshoppers had destroyed the grass. The insects had
been so numerous since leaving Fort Laramie, that the ground seemed
alive with them; and in walking, a little moving cloud preceded our
footsteps. This was bad news. No grass, no buffalo--food for neither
horse nor man. I gave them some plugs of tobacco, and they went off,
apparently well satisfied to be clear of us; for my men did not look
upon them very lovingly, and they glanced suspiciously at our warlike
preparations, and the little ring of rifles which surrounded them. They
were evidently in a bad humor, and shot one of their horses 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. During the day, I had occasionally remarked
among the hills the _psoralea esculenta_, the bread root of the
Indians. The Sioux use this root very extensively, and I have
frequently met with it among them, cut into thin slices and dried. In
the course of the evening we were visited by six Indians, who told us
that a large party was encamped a few miles above. Astronomical
observations placed us in longitude 104° 59' 59", and latitude 42° 29'
25".
We made the next day twenty-two miles, and encamped on the right bank
of the Platte, where a handsome meadow afforded tolerably good grass.
There were the remains of an old fort here, thrown up in some sudden
emergency, and on the opposite side was a picturesque bluff of
ferruginous sandstone. There was a handsome grove a little above, and
scattered groups of trees bordered the river. Buffalo made their
appearance this afternoon, and the hunters came in, shortly after we
had encamped, with three fine cows. The night was fine, and
observations gave for the latitude of the camp, 42° 47' 40".
25th.--We made but thirteen miles this day, and encamped about noon in
a pleasant grove on the right bank. Low scaffolds were erected, upon
which the meat was laid, cut up into thin strips, and small fires
kindled below. Our object was to profit by the vicinity of the buffalo,
to lay in a stock of provisions for ten or fifteen days. In the course
of the afternoon the hunters brought in five or six cows, and all hands
were kept busily employed in preparing the meat, to the drying of which
the guard attended during the night. Our people had recovered their
gayety, and the busy figures around the blazing fires gave a
picturesque air to the camp. A very serious accident occurred this
morning, in the breaking of one of the barometers. These had been the
object of my constant solicitude, and, as I had intended them
principally for mountain service, I had used them as seldom as
possible, taking them always down at night, and on the occurrence of
storms, in order to lessen the chances of being broken. I was reduced
to one, a standard barometer of Troughton's construction. This I
determined to preserve, if possible. The latitude is 42° 51' 35", and
by a mean of the results from chronometer and lunar distances, the
adopted longitude of this camp is 105° 50' 45".
26th.--Early this morning we were again in motion. We had a stock of
provisions for fifteen days carefully stored away in the carts, and
this I resolved should only be encroached upon when our rifles should
fail to procure us present support. I determined to reach the
mountains, if it were in any way possible. In the mean time, buffalo
were plenty. In six miles from our encampment (which, by way of
distinction, we shall call Dried Meat camp) we crossed a handsome
stream, called _La Fourche Boisce_. It is well timbered, and, among the
flowers in bloom on its banks, I remarked several _asters_.
Five miles further, we made our noon halt on the banks of the Platte,
in the shade of some cottonwoods. There were here, as generally now
along the river, thickets of _hippophæ_, the _grains de boeuf_ of the
country. They were of two kinds--one bearing a red berry, (the
_shepherdia argentea_ of Nuttall;) the other a yellow berry, of which
the Tartars are said to make a kind of rob.
By a meridian observation, the latitude of the place was 42° 50' 08".
It was my daily practice to take 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 abundance of rich grass, and our animals were compensated for
past privations. This stream was at this time twenty feet broad, and
well timbered with cottonwood of an uncommon size. It is the largest
tributary of the Platte, between the mouth of the Sweet Water and the
Laramie. Our astronomical observations gave for the mouth of the stream
a longitude of 106° 08' 24", and latitude 42° 52' 24".
27th.--Nothing worthy of mention occurred on this day; we traveled
later than usual, having spent some time searching for grass, crossing
and recrossing the river before we could find a sufficient quantity for
our animals. Towards dusk we encamped among some artemisia bushes, two
and three feet in height, where some scattered patches of short tough
grass afforded a scanty supply. In crossing, we had occasion to observe
that the river was frequently too deep to be forded, though we always
succeeded in finding a place where the water did not enter the carts.
The stream continued very clear, with two or three hundred feet breadth
of water, and the sandy bed and banks were frequently covered with
large round pebbles. We had traveled this day twenty-seven miles. The
main chain of the Black hills was here only about seven miles to the
south, on the right bank of the river, rising abruptly to the height of
eight and twelve hundred feet. Patches of green grass in the ravines on
the steep sides marked the presence of springs, and the summits were
clad with pines.
28th.--In two miles from our encampment, we reached the place where the
regular road crosses the Platte. There was two hundred feet breadth of
water at this time in the bed, which has a variable width of eight to
fifteen hundred feet. The channels were generally three feet deep, and
there were large angular rocks on the bottom, which made the ford in
some places a little difficult. Even at its low stages, this river
cannot be crossed at random, and this has always been used as the best
ford. The low stage of the water the present year had made it fordable
in almost any part of its course, where access could be had to its bed.
For the satisfaction of travelers, I will endeavor to give some
description of the nature of the road from Laramie to this point. The
nature of the soil may be inferred from its geological formation. The
limestone at the eastern limit of this section is succeeded by
limestone without fossils, a great variety of sandstone, consisting
principally of red sandstone and fine conglomerates. The red sandstone
is argillaceous, with compact white gypsum or alabaster, very
beautiful. The other sandstones are gray, yellow, and ferruginous,
sometimes very coarse. The apparent sterility of the country must
therefore be sought for in other causes than the nature of the soil.
The face of the country cannot with propriety be called hilly. It is a
succession of long ridges, made by the numerous streams which come down
from the neighboring mountain range. The ridges have an undulating
surface, with some such appearance as the ocean presents in an ordinary
breeze.
The road which is now generally followed through this region is
therefore 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 frequent 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 down the stubborn roots of the innumerable
artemisia bushes. A partial absence of these is often the only
indication of the track; and the roughness produced by their roots in
many places gives the road the character of one newly opened in a
wooded country. This is usually considered the worst part of the road
east of the mountains; and, as it passes through an open prairie
region, may be much improved, so as to avoid the greater part of the
inequalities it now presents.
From the mouth of the Kansas to the Green River valley west of the
mountains, there is no such thing as a mountain road on the line of
communication.
We continued our way, and four miles beyond the ford Indians were
discovered again; and I halted while a party were sent forward to
ascertain who they were. In a short time they returned, accompanied by
a number of Indians of the Oglallah band of Sioux. From them we
received some interesting information. They had formed part of the
great village, which they informed us had broken up, and was on its way
home. The greater part of the village, including the Arapahoes,
Cheyennes, and Oglallahs, had crossed the Platte eight or ten miles
below the mouth of the Sweet Water, and were now behind the mountains
to the south of us, intending to regain the Platte by way of Deer
creek. They had taken this unusual route in search of grass and game.
They gave us a very discouraging picture of the country. The great
drought, and the plague of grasshoppers, had swept it so that scarce a
blade of grass was to be seen, and there was not a buffalo to be found
in the whole region. Their people, they further said, had been nearly
starved to death, and we would find their road marked by lodges, which
they had thrown away in order to move more rapidly, and by the
carcasses of the horses which they had eaten, or which had perished by
starvation. Such was the prospect before us.
When he had finished the interpretation of these things, Mr. Bissonette
immediately rode up to me, and urgently advised that I should entirely
abandon the further prosecution of my exploration. "_Le meilleure avis
que je pourrais vous donner c'est de virer de suite_." "The best advice
I can give you, is to turn back at once." It was his own intention to
return, as we had now reached the point to which he had engaged to
attend me. In reply, I called up my men, and communicated to them fully
the information I had just received. I then expressed to them my fixed
determination to proceed to the end of the enterprise on which I had
been sent; but as the situation of the country gave me some reason to
apprehend that it might be attended with an unfortunate result to some
of us, I would leave it optional with them to continue with me or to
return.
Among them were some five or six who I knew would remain. We had still
ten days' provisions; and should no game be found, when this stock was
expended, we had our horses and mules, which we could eat when other
means of subsistence failed. But not a man flinched from the
undertaking. "We'll eat the mules," said Basil Lajeunesse; and
thereupon we shook hands with our interpreter and his Indians, and
parted. With them I sent back one of my men, Dumes, whom the effects of
an old wound in the leg rendered incapable of continuing the journey on
foot, and his horse seemed on the point of giving out. Having resolved
to disencumber ourselves immediately of every thing not absolutely
necessary to our future operations, I turned directly in towards the
river, and encamped on the left bank, a little above the place where
our council had been held, and where a thick grove of willows offered a
suitable spot for the object I had 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 glitter of
the iron-work might not attract the observation of some straggling
Indian. In the sand, which had been blown up into waves among the
willows, a large hole was then dug, ten feet square and six feet deep.
In the mean time, all our effects had been spread out upon the ground,
and whatever was designed to be carried along with us separated and
laid aside, and the remaining part carried to the hole and carefully
covered up. As much as possible, all traces of our proceedings were
obliterated, and it wanted but a rain to render our _cache_ safe beyond
discovery. All the men were now set at work to arrange the pack-saddles
and make up the packs.
The day was very warm and calm, and the sky entirely clear, except
where, as usual along the summits of the mountainous ridge opposite,
the clouds had congregated in masses. Our lodge had been planted, and,
on account of the heat, the ground-pins had been taken out, and the
lower part slightly raised. Near to it was standing the barometer,
which swung in a tripod frame; and within the lodge, where a small fire
had been built, Mr. Preuss was occupied in observing temperature of
boiling water. At this instant, and without any warning until it was
within fifty yards, a violent gust of wind dashed down the lodge,
burying under it Mr. Preuss and about a dozen men, who had attempted to
keep it from being carried away. I succeeded in saving the barometer,
which the lodge was carrying off with itself, but the thermometer was
broken. We had no others of a high graduation, none of those which
remained going higher than 135° Fahrenheit. Our astronomical
observations gave to this place, which we named _Cache_ camp, a
longitude of 106° 38' 26", latitude 42° 50' 53".
29th.--All our arrangements having been completed, we left the
encampment at 7 o'clock this morning. In this vicinity the ordinary
road leaves the Platte, and crosses over to the Sweet Water river,
which it strikes near Rock Independence. Instead of following this
road, I had determined to keep the immediate valley of the Platte so
far as the mouth of the Sweet Water, in the expectation of finding
better grass. To this I was further prompted by the nature of my
instructions. To Mr. Carson was assigned the office of guide, as we had
now reached a part of the country with which, or a great part of which,
long residence had made him familiar. In a few miles we reached the Red
Buttes, a famous landmark in this country, whose geological composition
is red sandstone, limestone, and calcareous sandstone and pudding-stone.
The river here cuts its way through a ridge; on the eastern side of it
are the lofty escarpments of red argillaceous sandstone, which are
called the Red Buttes. In this passage the stream is not much
compressed or pent up, there being a bank of considerable though
variable breadth on either side. Immediately on entering, we discovered
a band of buffalo. The hunters failed to kill any of them; the leading
hunter being thrown into a ravine, which occasioned some delay, and in
the mean time the herd clambered up the steep face of the ridge. It is
sometimes wonderful to see these apparently clumsy animals make their
way up and down the most broken precipices. We halted to noon before we
had cleared this passage, at a spot twelve miles distant from _Cache_
camp, 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
numerous fresh tracks of the grizzly bear, which are very fond of this
fruit. The soil here is red, the composition being derived from the red
sandstone. About seven miles brought us through the ridge, in which the
course of the river is north and south. Here the valley opens out
broadly, and high walls of the red formation present themselves among
the hills to the east. We crossed here a pretty little creek, an
affluent of the right bank. It is well timbered with cottonwood in this
vicinity, and the absinthe has lost its shrub-like character, and
becomes small trees six and eight feet in height, and sometimes eight
inches in diameter. Two or three miles above this creek we made our
encampment, having traveled to-day twenty-five miles. Our animals fared
well here, as there is an abundance of grass. The river bed is made up
of pebbles, and in the bank, at the level of the water, is a
conglomerate of coarse pebbles, about the size of ostrich eggs, and
which I remarked in the banks of the Laramie fork. It is overlaid by a
soil of mixed clay and sand, six feet thick. By astronomical
observations, our position is in longitude 106° 54' 32", and latitude
42° 38'.
30th.--After traveling about twelve miles this morning, we reached a
place where the Indian village had crossed the river. Here were the
poles of discarded lodges and skeletons of horses lying about. Mr.
Carson, who had never been higher up than this point on the river,
which has the character of being exceedingly rugged, and walled in by
precipices above, thought it advisable to encamp near this place, where
we were certain of obtaining grass, and to-morrow make our crossing
among the rugged hills to the Sweet Water river. Accordingly we turned
back and descended the river to an island near by, which was about
twenty acres in size, covered with a luxuriant growth of grass. The
formation here I found highly interesting. Immediately at this island
the river is again shut up in the rugged hills, which come down to it
from the main ridge in a succession of spurs three or four hundred feet
high, and alternated with green level _prairillons_ or meadows,
bordered on the river banks with thickets of willow, and having many
plants to interest the traveler. The island lies between two of these
ridges, three or four hundred yards apart, of which that on the right
bank is composed entirely of red argillaceous sandstone, with thin
layers of fibrous gypsum. On the left bank, the ridge is composed
entirely of silicious pudding-stone, the pebbles in the numerous strata
increasing in size from the top to the bottom, where they are as large
as a man's head. So far as I was able to determine, these strata
incline to the northeast, with a dip of about 15°. This pudding-stone,
or conglomerate formation, I was enabled to trace through an extended
range of country, from a few miles east of the meridian of Fort Laramie
to where I found it superposed on the granite of the Rocky mountains,
in longitude 109° 00'. From its appearance, the main chain of the
Laramie mountain is composed of this rock; and in a number of places I
found isolated hills, which served to mark a former level which had
been probably swept away.
These conglomerates are very friable, and easily decomposed; and I am
inclined to think this formation is the source from which was derived
the great deposite of sand and gravel which forms the surface rock of
the prairie country west of the Mississippi.
Crossing the ridge of red sandstone, and traversing the little prairie
which lies to the southward of it, we made in the afternoon an
excursion to a place which we called the Hot Spring Gate. This place
has much the appearance of a gate, by which the Platte passes through a
ridge composed of a white and calcareous sandstone. The length of the
passage is about four hundred yards, with a smooth green prairie on
either side. Through this place, the stream flows with a quiet current,
unbroken by any rapid, and is about seventy yards wide between the
walls, which rise perpendicularly from the water. To that on the right
bank, which is the lower, the barometer gave a height of three hundred
and sixty feet. This place will be more particularly described
hereafter, as we passed through it on our return.
We saw here numerous herds of mountain sheep, and frequently heard the
volley of rattling stones which accompanied their rapid descent down
the steep hills. This was the first place at which we had killed any of
these animals; and, in consequence of this circumstance, and of the
abundance of these sheep or goats, (for they are called by each name,)
we gave our encampment the name of Goat Island. Their flesh is much
esteemed by the hunters, and has very much the flavor of Alleghany
mountain sheep. I have frequently seen the horns of this animal three
feet long and seventeen inches in circumference at the base, weighing
eleven pounds. But two or three of these were killed by our party at
this place, and of these the horns were small. The use of these horns
seems to be to protect the animal's head in pitching down precipices to
avoid pursuing wolves--their only safety being in places where they
cannot be followed. The bones are very strong and solid, the marrow
occupying but a very small portion of the bone in the leg, about the
thickness of a rye straw. The hair is short, resembling the winter
color of our common deer, which it nearly approaches in size and
appearance. Except in the horns, it has no resemblance whatever to the
goat. The longitude of this place, resulting from chronometer and lunar
distances, and an occultation of Arietis, is 107° 13' 29", and the
latitude 42° 33' 27". One of our horses, which had given out, we left
to receive strength on the island, intending to take her, perhaps, on
our return.
31st.--This morning we left the course of the Platte, to cross over to
the Sweet Water. Our way, for a few miles, lay up the sandy bed of a
dry creek, in which I found several interesting plants. Leaving this,
we wended our way to the summit of the hills, of which the peaks are
here eight hundred feet above the Platte, bare and rocky. A long and
gradual slope led from these hills to the Sweet Water, which we reached
in fifteen miles from Goat Island. I made an early encampment here, in
order to give the hunters an opportunity to procure a supply from
several bands of buffalo, which made their appearance in the valley
near by. The stream is about sixty feet wide, and at this time twelve
to eighteen inches deep, with a very moderate current.
The adjoining prairies are sandy, but the immediate river bottom is a
good soil, which afforded an abundance of soft green grass to our
horses, and where I found a variety of interesting plants, which made
their appearance for the first time. A rain to-night made it
unpleasantly cold; and there was no tree here, to enable us to pitch
our single tent, the poles of which had been left at our _Cache camp_.
We had, therefore, no shelter except what was to be found under cover
of the _absinthe_ bushes, which grew in many thick patches, one or two
and sometimes three feet high.