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Show 170 JOUHNAL OF A VOYAGE and from their having cut down so large a quantity of tree!> to support their horses, conclude there n1ust have been at least one thousand souls : passed several more in the course of the day; also one Spanish camp. Distance 1.5 miles. Killed two deer. This day came to the first cedar and pme. 1st December, Monday.-The storm still continuing with violence, we remained encamped ; the snow by night one foot deep ; our horses being obliged to scrape it away, to obtain their miserable pittance, and to incJ:ease their misfortunes, the poor animals were attacked by the magpies, who attracted by the scent of their sore backs, alighted on them, and in defiance of their wincing and kicking, picked many places quite raw; the difficulty of procuring food rendered those birds so bold as to light on our mens arms and cat meat out of their hands. One of our hunter's out but killed nothing. 2d December, Tuesday.-It cleared off in the night, and in the morning the thermometer stood at 1 7 below O, (Reaumcr) being three times as cold as any morning we had yet experienced. We killed an old buffalo on the oppo!:iite side of the river, which here was so deep as to swim horses. Marched and found it necessary to cross to the north side, about two miles up, as the ridge joined th~ river. The ford was a good one, but the icc ran very baJ, and two of the n1en got their feet froze before we could get accommodated with fire &c. Secured some of our old bufi~do and continued our tnarch. The country bcmg very rugged and hilly, one of our horses took a freak in his head and turned back, which occasioned three of our rear guard to lay out all night; I was very apprehensive they n1ight perish on the opcJl prairie. Distance 13 miles. ·ro TilE SOURCES OF TilE ARKA~ SA \V, &c. 171 sd December, Wednesday.-The weather n1odcrating to 3 below 0, our absentees joined, one with his feet frozen, but were not able to bring up the horse; sent two men back on horseback. The hardships of last voyage had now began, and had the climate only been as severe as the climate then was, some of the men must have perished, for they had no winter clothing ; I wore n1yself cotton overalls, for I had not calculated on being out in that inclement season of the year. Dr. Robinson and myself, with assistants, ,.vent out and took the altitude of the north mount;in, on the base of a mile;* after which, together with Sparks, we endeavoured to kill a cow but without effect. Killed two bulls, that the men might use pieces of their hides for mockinsons. Left Sparks out. On our return to camp found the men had got back with the strayed horse, but too late to march. 4th December, Thursday.-Marchcd about ftve ; took up Sparks who had succeeded in killing a cow. Kill~d two buffalo and six turkies. Di tance 20 miles. 5th December, Friday.-Marched at our usual hour. Passed one very bad place of falling rorks ; had to carry our loads. Encamped on the main branch of the river, near the entrance of the south mountain. In the evening walked up to the n1ountain. llcarcll4 guns at camp during my absence, which alarmed me considerably; returned as quickly as possible, and found that the cause of my • The perpendicular height of the mount:1in fr0m the level of the prairie, was Io,s8r feet, and admitting that the prairie wa::. 80•JO ft.:ct from the level of the sea, it would make the elevation of this peak r8,s8r feet, equal to some, and surpassing the calculated height of others, for the pe:tlc of Tcnt.:rdfc and f.tlling ~hort <•f that of Chimborazo only I,JOI feet. ludct.:d it was so ro.!markable :~s to he known to all the savage nation for hundreds of miles arounll, and to be spoken of w Jt h admiration by the Spaniards of N. Mexico, and wa-; the hounds of their travd N. \V. Incccd in our wandering in the mountains, it wJs never 0ut of our sight, t except when in a valley) from the 14th Novembc:r to the 27th January. |