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Show \ [ 243 J 36 than two hundred feet above the ri\'er. Travellers who visited it some years since placed its l1eight at upwards of five hundred feet. July 11.-The valley of the North fork is of a variable br:ndth, from one to four aud sometimes six miles. Fifteen miles from the Chunuey Rock we reached one of those places where the river strikes the blulTs and forces tho road to make n considerable circuit over the uplands. 'I'his pn'sented an escarpmeut on the river of about 11ine hundred yards in length~ and is familiarly known as Scott's bluffs. We had n1ade a journey of thirty miles before we again struck the river, at a place where some scanty gra8s afforded an insutncient pasturage to our animals. About twenty miles from the Chimney Rock, we had found a v ry beautiful spring of excellent and cold water, but it was in such a deep ravine, nnd so small, that the anilllals could not prot1t by it, and we, therefore, balled only a few minutes, and found a resting plnce ten mtles further on. The plain between Scott's hlufTs aud Chimney Rock was almost entirely covered with drift wood, consi ting prin cipally of cednr, which, we were informed, had been supplied from the Black Hills, in a flood five or six yenrs since. July 12.-Ninc miles from our encampment of yesterday we cro~~ed Horse creek, a shallow stream of clear water about seventy yards wide, fall ing into the Platte on the right bank. ll 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 n journey of twenty-six miles, we encamped on a rich bottom, which afforded fine grass to our aninmls. Bufralo have entirely disappearetl~ and we live now upon the dried meat, which is ex<..eedingly poor food. 'fhe marl and enrthy limestone which constituted tho formation for several days past, had changed Juring the day into a compact white, or grayish white limestone, sometimes containing hornstonc ; and at the place of our encampment this evening some strata in tile river hills cropped out to the height of thirty or forty feet, consisting of a finc ·grained granitic sandstone; one of the strata closely rc cmbling gneiss. July 13.-To-Jay about four o'clock we reached F'ort Laramie, where we were cordially received; we pitched our camp a little above the fort, on the hank of Laramie river, in which the pure and clcnr water of the mountain str am looked refreshingly cool, and made a pleasaAt contrast to the muddy, yellow waters of the Pli.ttte." I wal~ed up to visit our friends at {he fort., wl1ich is a quadrangular structure, bu.Ilt of. cl.ay, after the fashion of the Mexicans, who are generally emp!? ycd Ill bmldmg them. The walls are about fifteen feet high, sunnounterf \~rth a wooden palisade, and form a portion of ranges of l10uses, which entirely surround~ yard of about one hundred and thirty feet square. Every apartn1ent has Its door and window, all, of course, opening on the inside. ~l~hcrc. nr? two entrances oppo itc each other and midway the wall, one of wllJd.l ts a lar·~·e and public entrance tbe other smaller and more private : a ~ort of po t~rr1 gate. Over the great entrance is a square tower, with loophole::;~ and, hke the ~est of the work, built of earth. At two of the angle!:', and dwgoncdly opposttc each other, arc large square ba~tions, so arranged as I o ~\\'ccp the four faces of the walls . . '.l,hi~ p~st bclo11g::; to the American Fur Company, and, at the titne of our r~sJr , \\'a · 111 ~lliuge of .Mr. 13oudcntl. Two of the company's clerks, Messrs. { •\dprtl <llld J\. cllug-g, W1·rc with him, and he had in the fort about sixteen Hlt;tl. As w;ual, thc::;c had found wive;; among the Indian squaws; and, with ' • I .-........ ~ .._ -..... ........ ' -.'.. ... ~ ...... ...... -....._... ' |