Route across the Rocky Mountains, with a description of Oregon and California: their geographical features, their resources, soil, climate, productions, &c.

Page 15

~liE JOURNEY OUT., the sand. We also found ~ere, an abundance of Willow wood.~ The huntet·s. who had been out while we wet·e traveling, had seen sevoral bands of Bnffalo; and ·a.-; they were the fit·st we had met with since we left the South Fork, we remained in camp ne~dy q. . d~y, in order to recruit our stock of provisions. The gre~t sc~rci-ty of the Buffalo, tht·ough this country-a cit·cumstance which aftet·ward~ 'Yas tl1~ cam;e of m~ch suffering to the ~migrants-was attributable, in a gre~t degr ~e, to tqe presence of Sit· Willian) ~tewart, with his pleasure party, and fifty or sixty pne horses foL~ the ehase; whl'J, while we were passing through th~ Buffal9 coun-: try, constantly kept sevet·al days ahead of us-running, killing ancl dt·iving the game out of our reach. It was cheap sport to them, but dear to us; and we wet·e led to conclude, that, if ever again an English or Scottish nobleman sees fit to look for p\easu re in the ,E.ocky Mountains, while an emigrating pat·ty is passing over t~em, it will be prudent to place him in the rear, instead of the . . ' van. Qn the 20th, we encamped on Sweet Water, one of the tributa· r1es of the North Fori~, neat· the Indepeqd~nce. Rock; which is l\ hug~ isolated ~us~ of co~rse gt·an.ite, abopt 'three-fourths of a mile i!l circ~rnfer~nce, on€ hundred feet high, r~ther oblong, and 1·oun-: ued on the top'. On the South side, next to the stream. which l'Uns, ~ithin ten yards of iLs base, it i~ ~lmost covered with the names of different pers~ns, who have traveled through this country. ~twa~ called Independence ~ock, by Mr. Wm. ~u9let, an old Indiaq Tra­der; who, several years ago. celebrateq here, the 4th of July.­These masses of d,etuc~ed and qarren rocks, ~xtend many miles up Swe~t · Water, principally on the North side. At the ~weet Water Canion, about four miles above the Independence Rock, the river runs half a mil~ · through a narrow chas~, between rugged and almost perpendicul(l.r walls of rock, whic'h ·rise oh eithe·r side to the.height ~f about three hundred feet,--(~nd this. constit~tes what 1s knmyn through the Rocky Mountains,.Oregon and Caliror­ni. a, as a C~nipn:) BP,ing informed by those '!Vho were acquainted Wlth. the couqtrr' th.at we should soon leave the Buffalo region'; all the different compames of the Emigration rernained several days <~in this part of Sw~et W:at.er, to procure provisions for the remainde 1~ of the journey. · <;Jwing: to the scarcity of game, we ~ere compel .. · led to travel~ qay, and 50metirnes further, from the road, to find it .• 1 We made up a party here· 'from our comp~ny, to go to the moun­\~ ins on the South, whic~ .. ~e.re distant about fifteen mi\es from tn~ WITIJ ITS l~ C lDENT~ . 21 Rlver. Ha:ving crossed 0\eL' the plain, an<.l seeing but fi!w Buffa­lo, and those we saw being very wild, and some of tho bands being already pet·sued by othet· hl}nters; we continued ·along the Moun­t~ in to the farther extremity ·of the valley, and finding nothing IH, re, }Ve held a council, to decide "!'hat eout·se it was best to pnrsue.­Diifering in opinion, the larger number turned back to !~)\low the pase of the Mountain on the Nonh side, while a small party con­tinued on, intending to cross over it. \Ve found it very stt>c p, rug~ ged, and difficult of ascent; and night overtaking us neat· the sum­' mit, we were compelled to encamp. The Mountai11 was covered in places with pine, and there "~<vero many small streams running pawn its sides, upon which there was an abundance of grass. The pight was quite cold; but~ ~ we were in a deep sit~l(, at the source of one of the se Mountain streams, we thfJught there would be }ittle danger of bci11g seen, c~nd bu:lt up a large fire; by which we slept very eornfol'tably; having, before going to rest, tied out· ani~ rnals on the grass. In the morning we ascended to the summit, to f1SCet·tain what luy ~eyond it, and look ov~r the be~ t probable fie14 'for game. Having gained it, we E?aw an extensiv~ plain, thl'Ough which, at a gre11t distance, there was a Rivet· flowing, which wq ~upposcd to be t.i)e North Fork of the Platte. Tne descent to it \Vas easy, and there we re several b~nds of Buffalo feeding upon it~ pelow us. w~ ~·eturn e d for our ~or s es, and having passed into th~ plain, began to appt·oach the nearest herd; but they took fright before we came within shooting di::stance, and we proceeded to thq next. Having ~orne near them, we stopped, leaving one of our: company with the animals, while we approached ne<p·er on foot. The ground favoring, we succeeded in bringing them within the range pf the rifle; aqq killed th reo before they run off. It \yas now the second day sin.ce we had eaten, and as soon as we ~ould load out· animals with t~~ choice meat, we went to the nearest wn.ter, (wl1ich, contl~ary to the way it generally happens, was only a short distance · fl'Om .us,) l<indled a fire and had a fine feao;;t of "roasted ribs ami. marrow bones." Having what meat ~e could carry, we proceeded West, along the foot of th~ Mountain, for a deep gap, which we had seen ft·om the other side, in tb~ evening. About sunset, as we were going along, we saw three B~t:p·s, up in the breaks of the Mountain, busily engaged scratching in the earth for roots. Having taken aqvan­~ age of the ground, we appl'Oacqed near to them, and again le(\ving p~r partner, \fho was ~ot a v~r.~ good shot, a Httltl clistauce p,e~inq