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Show 1G8 JOUH.NAL OF A V( )"\"AG L 25th November, Tuesday.-Marched early, with an expectation of ascending the mountain, but was only able to encamp at its base, after passing over many small hills covered with cedars and pitch pines. Our encampment was on a creek where we found no water for several miles fron1 the n1ountain, but near its base, found springs suf. :ficient. Took a meridional observation, and the alti. tude of the mountain. Killed two buffalo. Distance 22 miles. 26th No'Lrember, TVcdncsday.-Expecting to return to our camp that evening, we left all our blankets and provisions, at the foot of the mountain. Killed a deer of a new species, and hung his skin on a tree with some meat. We commenced ascending, found it very diHicult, being oblio·ed to climb up rocks, sometimes almost perpcndicu-b . lar ; and after marching all day, we encamped m a cave, without blankets, victuals or watr'r. \7\f e had a fine clear sky, whilst it was snowing at the bottom. On the side of the mountain, we found only yellow and pitch pine. Some distance up we found bufralo, higher still the new species of deer and pheasants. 27th November, Tbursday.-Arose hungry, dry, and extremely sore, fron1 the inequality of the rocks, on which we had lain all night, but were amp I y compensated for toil by the sublimity of the prospects below. The unbounded prairie was overhung with clouds, which appeared like the ocean in a storm ; wave piled on wave and foa1ning, whilst the sky was perfectly clear where we were. Commenced our march up the mountain, and in about one hour arrived at the summit of this chain : here we found the snow middle deep; no sign of beast or bird inhabiting this r egion. The thermometer which stood at 9° above 0 at the foot of the mountain, here fell to 1·0 below 0. The summit of the Grand Peak, wl1ich was en· TO THE SOURCES OF TilE ARKANSA '\r, &c. 16.1 tircly bare of vegetation and covered. with snow, no\v app "'ared at the distance of 1 5 or 16 miles fron1 us, and a~ hi h again as what we had ascended, and would have ta~cn a whole day's march to have arrived at its base, when I believe no human being could have ascend('d to its pinical. This with the condition of n~y solllicrs who had only light overalls on, and . no stockmgs, and e~c:ry \vay ill provided to endure the Inclemency of ~he rcg1o1:? the bad prospect of killing any thing to subsi.st 0~1, w1t!1 the further detention of two or three Jays, '" h1ch 1t must occasion, determined us to return. The clouds from below had now ascended the n1ountain and entirely nvcloped the summit on which rests eternal snows. "\V e descended by a long deep ravine with much less diOicul y than cOI:· tcmplatcd. • Found all our baggage safe, but the provisions all destroyed. It began to snow, and we sought shelter under the ~iJe of a projecting rock, were we, all four made a meal on one partridge, and a piece of deer's ' . ribs, the ravens had left u , being the first we had eaten 111 that 18 hours. 28th }lovembcr, Friday.-Marched at nine o'clock. Kept straight down the creek to avoid the hills. At half past one o'clock shot two buffalo, when we rnade the fi rst full meal we had made in three days. Encamped in a valley under a shelving rock. The land here very rich, and covered with old Tetau camps, 29th November, Saturday.-Marched after a short· repast, and arrived at our camp before night; found aH well. 30th No1.rember, Szmday.- lVIarchcd at eleven o'clock, it snowing very fast, but n1y impatience to l>e moving would not permit my lying still at that camp. The doctor, Baroney and myself, went to view a Tctau en· campment, which appeared to be about two years old:. |