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Show 143 [ 174 over a Jon~ extent of Jlear river, 'vith the ht·oad and fertile Cacl1e valhtt in the t1ir<'ction of bllr . ourcll, wns only to be ,cen n. bed of apparent ly impracticable lliOUntnins. Amono these, the trail \V'e had l>ren following · turned sharply to the northward, and it b ann to b donbtfnl if it would not lend ns n way from the object or our destiualion; bnt I tl vcrthrless d ~ tcrmiucd to keep it, in tho belief that it woulJ oventnnlly bring llS right. A squall ofrai11 drove ns ont of the monHtain, and it wns lnte when wt.~ roached the cmnp. Tltc .vening elosed in with frcqnout ~I JOwers of raiu, with some lightning and Lhnndor . .!Jugusl 30.-Wc had cor1s tant thunder storms during the night. but iu the mornillg the elond.- were l'inkiw5' to tho horizon, and the air was clear and coltl, with tile lll (Htnomett•r at sunrise at ~W0• Elevation hy baronwter 5,5 0 feet. \Vo were iutnotiotl nrly,continuing up the little ~tream without encountering auy ascnttt where a hor c would not ea, ily gallop, and, crossilJg a slight clividing gronntl at thn summit, descended upon a ~mall strenm, along which we contiuuod on tho ._amc excellent road. Jn ridinrr throuoh the pass, nnmcrous crane~ Wt're sron ·and prairie hens, or '' I'Ollso, (bo nasia 1tmbellus,) which J11 tel y had been rare, were very abnuJan t. This little n nlueut brougl1 t u~ to :~ Ia rgcr tream, d OWJJ w hi cit wet ravrlled through a more opeu bottom, on a level toad wl10re heavi ly-laden wagou · could p:-ts~ withollt ob ·tncle. The hills on tl1e right grew lower, and, on cutering a more opo11 COIIlllry, we diseoverod a Shoshon 'C villn<Yo · and IJeiug de irons to obtai11 infonuation nud purchase from them some roots and berries, we hn I ted on tl1e river, which was lightly wooded wit It cht'rry, willow, maple, .. ervir berry, and n.spPn. A meridian c b.·rrvatiou of tho suo which I obtained hert·, g-ave "12° l ,l' 22" lor our latitwlr, :wcJ tile barometer indicated a height of !5,'170 fcrt. A tntmher nf Jndialls can1o immediately over to visit u .. , and ~evural rncn were settt to the villae-c with goods, tobacco , knives) cloth, vermilion, nud the usual trinkets, to e~<'haJJg .'for prov]sion . . But they had no g:uno of any kind; and it was tliflic11lt to obtt iu auy roots frof!l th~m, ns tllPy were miscrn bly poor, and had but little to spare fronl then· Wlllll'l' stoel\ or provisions. Severn! of tho llHltans drew usido th rr blankets, :showitJO' nte their lean and bony fiaures; and I would not anr longer tmupt them with a display of our merchandise to p(lrt with their wretcltc<l .. ubsi~tcuce, when they gavo as a rcuson tltat it wonld expose th~m t~ temporary starvation. l\ grout portion of tho rrrriou inhabited by lhts nat lOll li_)rntcrl y abounded iu gallle; tho bnfi'alo rattglllg about in h .rds as wo had fonlld thctn on the easteru wators, au<.l the plains dolled with .cattcred bands of antelope; but , o rupidly have they d isapprared within a few· year._, .that uo w, as we journeyed along, an occasional bufralo skn~l and a few wtld antel0pe were all that rrmaiucd of the nbuudancc wluclt had covcrcu the country with auimal life. 1'hc e:xtn~ordiuary rapidity with which the bufl'alo i'> disappearing fron1 our terntortes will not app ar surprising wlleu we remrmbcr the groat scale o.n wllich their <.lest ruction is Yl'arl y carried ou. 'Vi th iJJcon~ idcrable ex~eptwns, tho busitH'~s of the American trading post is carried on in their skms; every year the Tudiau villages make uew lodg<'~, for which the~ kin of the buflalo l'urnishc tho material; a11d in that port ion of tlle country where they arc still itHHld, the IIJ(Jians tle1 ivc their ·ntiw support fronl them, and ~laughter thotn with a thouo-htless and a boulinabl ' extravagance. Like tho Iudiaus t hemst·l vos, they ha vo bccu a clw ractori tic of tho Great 'Vest; aud a:s, like them, they arc visibly diminishing, it will b ~ |