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Show <( H z ~ 0 fA< H H ~ 0 ) . ~ f ' 0 } ~ \ ~ <: :> ~ z ~ ~ ~ ~ 1-l ~ ~ ~ ~ z ~ Cll (IJ < p, 233 [ 174 J we would be delighted herr; hut our provisions arc ~rtting fearfully scant. Slcitrhs arrived with baggage about 10 o'clock; and lravin~ a portion of it herc 0 we continued on for a mile und a half, and encamp d at the foot of a Jon'e; hill on this side of the open bottom. Bc~·nier and Godoy, who yesterday mornin~ had b<'en sent to ascend a }Jjtrhcr per\k, got in, hungry and fati~u •d. They conlinncd what we had al~eady seen. Two other sleighs arrived in the afternoon; and the me1~ bein•r fatigued, [ gave them all tea and ugar. Snow clouds began to ri ·c in tl7e SSW.; and, apprehensive of a storm, which would destroy our road, I sent the people back to 1\1r. Fitzp~trick, with dirC'ction to send for the animals in the morning. "Vith me remained ~1r. Prcu::;s, ~Ir. Talbot, and Carson, with Jacob. Elevation of the camp, by the boiling point, i 7,!)20 feet. February 9.-During the night tlw weather chann·cu, the wind rising to a gale, and commencing to snow before daylight; ucfore morn in ~~ the trail wa covered. We remained quiet in camp all Jay, in the cour::;c of which the weather improved. ~_.~our slcirrhs arrived toward cvcnin", "vith the bedding of the men. We su{l'er mueh from the want of salt; and all the men arc becoming weak from in uflieient food. Febnwr.IJ 10.-Taplin was sent back with a few men to assi ·t !Vfr. li'itzpatrick; and continuing on with three slei~hs carrying a part of the baggag , we had the sati faction to encamp within two and a half milci1 of the head of the hollow, and at the foot of the last mountain ridve. Ucrc two large trees had been set on fire, and in the holes, where the snow had been melted aw~y, we found a comfortnhl camp. The wind kept the air fi lled with snow during the day; the ~ky was vory dark in the southwest, though elsewhere very clear. The foreRt here ha. a noble appearance: the tall cedar is abundant; its greatest height ueing 130 feet, and circumference 20, three or four feet above the ground ; and h~re I ~ee for the first time the white pine, of which there arc ome mag~ nlficcnt trees. Liemlock spruce is amon~ the timber, occasionally a8 large as 8 feet i~ diameter four feet abo\-·c the ground; but, in aseending, it tapers rap1clly to less than one foot at the hci1rht of 0 feet. I have not seen any _higher than 130 feet, and the slight upper part is frequently br?kcn oil by the wind. The white spruce is frequent; and the red pine, (ptnus colorado of the JV[cxicans,) which constitutes the beautifnl forest a~ong the flanks of the . icrra Nevada to the north ward, is here the princ. lpal tree, not attaining a greater heio·ht than JtJO feet, thoutTh with sometimes a diameter of 10. Most of th~se treet> appeared to dillf.:r slightly fro,r~ those of the same kind on the other side of the continent. 1 hi) t:dcvation of the camp by til<' boiling point, is 8,050 feet. "Ve arc ~o~v 1 ~000 feet above the lcv~l of the. 'outh Pass in the ~ocky mountains; ~ .till we arc not done ascendino-. The top of a flat ndge nenr was bare 0 .snow, and very well sprinkled with bunch gr~ss, sulli.cient to pasture the Tanht~nul.s two or three days· and this was to be their main point of support. IS I' d · ' t 1 ge IS composed of a compact trap, or basalt, of a columnar struc-urc.; over the surface are scattered lar<rc boulders of porous trap. The hills ar~}n ~lany places entirely covered with small fragments of volcanic rock. ahca~t!Jn~ on our sno.w shoes, ,ve spc?t the .afternoon. i~ exploring a road rn · rhe glare of the snow, comb1ncd wtth great fatigue, had rendered btnk ~f the people nearly blind ; hut we were fortunate in having some ac stlk hanukerchiefs, which, worn as veils, very much relieved the eye. |