Frojjnj die National Intelligencer. .V
JAPTAIN
FBEJioNrs. report;
Wehave
licre a document of more than
; pages, containing the -Exploringe
Expedition to Vie
lX hundred
Koch MouhUiinzin the year 1842, and to
jtron and i Tolh California injhe years
g43-44, bij BrevM Captain' J. C.:Pre
iosr, of thf Topographical Enginfers
)rited by order of the Senate of the UriV
ed States :
If Jtiow
thyself" be : regarded :as l a
0Od maxim fa moral and intellectual phi
isophy, thenbjiij p&rit of reason; ?UnoW
a geographical Sense.; In.this point of
jew w e reg ip the ;report of Captain Jii
ont's ExprdrlnjExpedition to the Rocky; ;
fountains, I cj Oregon, arid i to North? Cali-1
jroia", as of much nore.value toils Lime
can citizen'4 thaj jihe"; more bulkyYand
iowy nanqtivesjoEexpioring expeditions
ven to the Jfcnds; of the jearth." We have"
o wish to c epreciz te the latteri : As cit
:cns of the rijcLrahd; rejoicing In the
jrcad of information and the increase of
aowledge, vye hai! the hardy son of toil
tid travel, andthe I adventurous naviga
,r of the pc tjiless deep,' as benefactors of
ieir species , jlet therru bring: jaVinfpfrha
onftorn w latever shore, or concerning
hate vet branch! 6 the" Wide-spread ;hu
an family tfcey )iiay'"But, in the circle
'social atrjqtions and interests, our own
.untry has higher claims upon us than
iy other; id it is therefore that we feci,
we naves stated a deeper interest an
publication bclbre us.r i4 'hH
aptain Fremont has alreadmade two
editions w. the vvestern portion of our
ritment. rjThe first terminated at the
cly Iouhtains, and at the two points
njferestJ inUhat ruige, namely,
ass-ancl F remont s Peak: the
mp,r nnmrr
thd lowest depression of the
duntains, i hroujgl vvhich the road to Qr
;on now piSse;, xnd the latter the higfc
t elevation, frorti the base of which four
ejat rivers - ake heir fise and flqw in"
ijiosite directions tdyardshe rising and
0 setting sui. he. second expedition,
tpr apprqr c ling i he mountains by a dif
rent route onncjts with the first expe
iton at the $outh Pass, arid thence, finds
id great th ;dtreo it labors west of the
ocky lountains jjind between the,! Ore
3ii river an .l North dalifornia. The third
tpeditiontiov-pomniencing, will be di
eted to'thut jseptjon qf the Hocky Mown-
libs rAvhich gives rise "to the Arkansas,
ie Rio Grujidel duL N6rte, and th Rio
dorado of 45aliftniia,and wjll extend
,eit and so itjiwes: of that section,' so as
j examine hp jpountry to wa rd s th e jPac i
ie ocean, ascertain the lines of communi
atlion hettt ef n "th e mountains and the
iceanjn'that latittdeL and compleie the
T "1
xaminauoii m-luq ureat oita iaiie ana
if he interest
ng region .which embosoms
1 Uespcctijng thi; large and valuable
atti FE.Mox r bays : " This map may have
t njeager ai d! skel eton itppea ranee, to the
;cneral eye, bUt is expected to bet more
atuable to ;c;eric(! on that account,, be
ria wholly foimdjec upon positi ve data arid
ictual bhsei vritiors in a this, field, jAbout
eri thousand I mites: of actual . travelling
ind traversing in the "wildernessSvhich
lies between tliejfiontlers pf.Missouri and
the shores " of tlie Paci ficl' almost every
campbg station b!ing the fcene of astro
nomical ortaj-ome trical observations, fur
nish tluuna ejials out of which this map
!ias heen ct nkruc ted. Nothing supposi
tious has Ledn at mitted upon it. The
profile maps j sh'o ,ving the elevations, or
the rise and fall of the country from the
Mississippi to hej. 'acific, are perhaps the
most extend efl wo k of the kind ever con
strocied " e) mbitir ig in all about fourthou-"
saiid miles c profile-mapping, found upon
four hundred barometrical positions, with
views sketched and facts noted, in tha
field." - I ' j 5 I
Captain HRfeMONiv in the following ex
'ract lrom tliWprefiice to his report, jspeaks:
"uu uiucn rnoucsijy oi ins coutriuunuus iu
geological and botanical scie nee : but we
have reasort t6 believe that not only these,
oat also ihb astronomicai observations,
wd the sketches; elf rthe topographical fea
tures of .the! c Duntry, and the barometri
cal and metec roloical observations, are
girded is very iValuable by men well
versed in the respective sciences, aiid most
competent' to jjudjje : -:," '-
Manical andjscUnce, I have not yentur
fd to .advancj) ai' opinions on my . own
perfect knowledge of those branches5,
W have submitted all my specimens to
fte enlightened judgment -of Dr. ITorrejyi
fNew JercJ-, and Dr. Hall, of N. Yorkj
ho havekinjdly classified and arranged
that I wisi ablc tb submit, to them.
The botanic a j observations of .Dr. jTorrey
ill be furnietl.-full hereafter therej;
N being ti iitp Somplete them bow.--
The relnarlt Bf jliiv Hall, on the geologi
Ja specimens! furnished io him," will be
Hod in an ;apertdix to the.1 repoft ; arid
hia palaontblcdical skill I am iadebted
Jor the disc(i) vry of an oolitic formation n
W region esljot the Rocky; JNuntains;
hiclr furtlier examinatipn may" prove to
assimilate the geology of the new to that
orld in a rare particular, whicli
. pnt before been discovcred.in either
t J the two lArhericas. Unhappily, much
!hat wej hdd collected vyas lost by ac-.
j pf seri)birnport ttoourselvesv ais
i ta. l? url 4 an collections.--.
IJ. toe gorges sand ridges of the ; Sierra
CTada rl the) Alita California, we lost
2CI? hsejsj'ajnd mules;-falling fronv
or. precipices into chasms or rivers,
itomless fo us and to them, ?and- one of
-Sem loaded .with' bales 6f plants collect
JJn a linStwo thousand mi of tra
,lrandiWhenl almost home oar cam p. on
r v. V4 xvansas was xieiuKea oy
- Editor A Prnnririnr. z . (
8
terror and desolation on the borders f th-
Missouri and -Mississippi. ; and .by which
v".-&y . uuuc iu our remaining:
perishable specimens, all wet and satura
ted ;wittf:ater and5 whjch wevhad nb
tjmeto, drtoStilvhat is saved will be
ome, rejpectablfe j coritributibnrtoi botanic
cat science, thariks to the. skill and care of
Drrrey ; and both ineology and Bot
any tKe 'maps will be of creaC value, the
profile ' View - shovingc the : elevationsat
which the specimens were found, and the
geographical rnjp showing the localities
TromVwhichthe.pbnie. " ' v . -
;' The astronomical observations, taken
with good instrurrients, have been tested,
where they;wercfoostimportant;by three
fold jcomputationff one by Professor Walk
er, of Philadelphia, whose astronomical
reputation, is sol .great ; another by Mr.
Joseph C. Hubbard, a promising young
mathamatician frpm Connecticut; the third
by myself ; so that the correctness of the
longitudes and latitudes may well be re
lied upon. ; i J. - .
4 In sketching! the , topographical fea
tures of the country, a branch of science
in which he had been professionally edu
cated, Mr. Charles Preuss had been my
assistant in both .expeditions ; and to his
extraordinary skfll, supported by the plea
sure he felt in thp execution of his duties,
I am indebted foj thejeontinuous topogra
phical sketches fof the regions through
which we passecf. and which were never
interrupted by afiy extremity of fatigue or
privation.. i 1
7 The baromeirical and rneiorological
observations were carefully made with
good instruments and admit of no materi
al error beyondJhc minute deviations in
separable fromsuch operations. ;
" The third epedition, now commenc
ing, is undertaleh withmore ample means
than the two frper; and, being directed
to a region so irieresting in itself, and so
new to scienc(, ;an hardly fail to requite
the enterprise Wiichi explores it.
The reporf, lor narrative, of tluV ex
tended expedition, like the maps" which
illustrate it, vil be strictly confined to
what was seeli, arid to what is necessary
to show the fale And character of the coun
try, and to add something to science while
fulfilling thensiructions of the Govern
ment, whichhi ?fly contemplated a mili
tary topographical survey. A greater de
gree of.popul.ir interest might have been
imparted to itby admitting a greater lat
itude of detaiL but it was deemed best to
adherefQ the riorous character of are
port, arid to " present nothing, "either in the
narrative or in the maps, which was not
ihe result of rtositive observation." u
This last paragraph' gives a peculiar in
terest to Captain IFjremont's narrative, and
we. wish thai ohr modern book-makers
would, one anjf all, prescribe to themselves
arid be governedby so j ust and conscien
tipus a course! ofjproceeding. t ' ' ,
:Capt. FREAfoNTLdeparted from thejrad-ing-house
of MrpvrRiAN Chouteau, which
is situated nar ) the mouth of the Kan
sas, river, anjd about four hundred miles
above St. Louis on the 10th of June,
1842. His company consisted of Mr.
Charles Preuss, a native of Germany," as
his assistant n ihe topographical part of
the survey ; JU Maxwell,; of; Kaskaskia,
engaged as huntier ;' Christopher CarsoiM
the guide :-and twenty-one men, princi
pally Creole and Canadian voyageurs, whor
had become familiar with prairie life , in
w i ... a 'I
the service of the lur companies in the In- j
dian country. In addition to these, he
was accompniel M-by Henry Brant, son
of Col, J. B. Brant, of St. Louis, a young
Than of nineteen years.6f age ; and Ran
dolphva lueiy bpy of , twelve, son of the
Hon. Thomas HlBenton, for the develop
ment of mind ahjl body which such an ex
pedition wbujld give." r
On the 1 th July, ' whilst halting for
dinner, afterj a jnarch of about thirteen
miles, on tho.:, banks of. one of the many
little tributafiestbthe Kansas, which look
like trenches iivthe prairie, and ; are usu
ally well tirrlbercd ," Capt. Fremont Mrx)de
oft' some milts tq the left, attracted by the
appearance ff a cluster of huts near the
mouth of th Vej-million.i It was a large
but deserteuKahsas village, scattered in
an' open vojod, jilong- the margin of the
stream,' on a! spot chosen with the customa
ary Indian fondness for, beauty of scenery.
Ve mate tlfis sjiortr extract because we
are glad to add jthe testimony of so good
an authority! as papt. Fremont in proof of
this pleasing trait of the Indian cliaracter.
This love ofnaure and of natural tilings
appears to bf aj predominating feature of
Capt.y Frem(ntT character, fand ; it - fitted
hinxiin-apeuliar manner for his .enter
prise.r He had to traverse an immense
country,' where IheTlbot'of civilized man
had as yet sarely UrooT' and1 where the
rich stores of Njiture, in the mineral, theT
vegetable, and the animal wwld; present
ed much that had yet never been looked
upon' by the feyeof science;i Hbw; neces
sary ; ;was Jt? f hejrefpre, that he should pos
sess not on ly the feeling and taste which
prompted to conttnupd bbservationbf what
was around hinV but" alspr the 'judgment
rwhlchTcouItJ Veltimate, nd thescience!
whichicould;id'eScr
he met with j-i"Ve think that Kefpombin
ed these reauisites in ajvery.ra
To these s qualities he Tadded : a , perse ver:
nnn wl nli a '! ! fl? Atilf t as' tnny iwn rtr.
courage -which f no 'danger: could 2 appal
Keep a checx rroa aix toc .
'SALISBURYvfMj-'C.;
toil, deprivation: of , food and rest,1 and ex
posure of every; kind, could not subdue.
: , On the 20th June he says Tn -
Alongour route ks been
in very abundant but variable blokrnin
some places bending beneath the Hyeight
of purple "clusters jn 4 others wittout a
flower, t It seems to love best the j sunny
slopes, with a dark soil and southern ex
posure. -Every where the rose is met with,
and reminds us of cultivated gardens and
(Civilization. It is scattered over the prai
ries in small bouquets and, when flitter
ing in the dews, and waving in thj plea
sant breeze of the early morning,! is the
most beautiful of the prairie flovverg. The
atemisia, absinthe, or prairie sage, ks it is
variously called, is increasing in siie, and
glitters like silver as the southern breeze
turns up its leaves to the sun. Allj these
plants have their insect inhabitant, vari
ously colored r taking generally the hue
of the flower on which they livejf The
artemisia has its small fly accompanying
it through every change of elevation and
latitude; and, wherever I have sen the
asclepias tuberosa, I have always rebiark
ed, top, on the flower a large butterfly, so
nearly resembling it in color as to be dis
tinguishable at a little distance" only by
the motion of its wings." II
On the 22d, when halting at Wyeth's
Creek,' he met ".with-a very unexpected
mark of civilization, in the appearance
"of a pack of ' cards, lying loose in the
grass, making an encampment of our Pre
gon emigrants."
The first meeting with Indians and with
buffalo are noticed in the following very
graphic paragraphs : f
" At our evening camp, (June 23,)j about
sunset, three figures were discovered ap
proaching, which our glasses made out to
be-Indians. They-pfoved . to be Cneyen
nes two men, and a boy of thirteen.
About a month since, they had left their
people on the south fork of the river, some
three hundred miles to the westward, and
a party of only four in number hat( been
to the Pawnee villages on a ( horse j steal
ing excursion, from which they wejre re
turning unsuccessful. They were (miser
ably mounted on wild horses from the Ar
kansas plains, and had no other weapons
than bows and long spears ; and, had they
been discovered by the Pawnees, could
not, by any possibility, have escaped.
They were mortified by their ill success,
and said the Pawnees were cowards, who
shut up their horses in their lodges at
night. I invited them to supper with me,
and Randolph and .the young Cheyenne,
who had been eyeing each other jsuspi
ciously and curiously, soon became inti
mate friends. After supper, we sat down
upon the grass, and I placed a sheet of
paper between us, on which they iraced
rudely, but with a certain degree of rela
tive truth, the water-courses of thej coun
try which lay between us and their villa
ges, and of which I desired to have some
information. Their companions, they told
us, had taken a nearer route over the, hills ;
but they had mounted one of the summits
to spy out the country, whence thly had
caught a glimpse of our party, and, con
fident of good treatment at the hands of
the whites, hastened to join company."
" The air was keen the next morning at
sunrise, the thermometer standing sat 44
degrees, and it was sufficiently cold to
make overcoats very comfortable, p. few
miles brouirht us into the midst of the buf
- r" r- 1 ' it
folo, swarming in immense numbers over
the plains, where they had left scarcely a
blade of grass standing. Mr. PrucsS, who
was sketching at a little distance fn the
rear, had at first noted them as large proves
of timber. In the sight of such a niassof
life, the traveller'feels ft strange emotion
of grandeur. We had heard from. a dis-
tancc a dull and confused murmuring, and
when we came in view of their dark; mass
es, there was not one among us who did
not feel his heart beat quicker. It was
the early part of the day, whea thefjherds
nnomppo tl.oV;Uvoro
. -
'i;'n iir-.nnd thnrfi n h.mft old
, - ii: i 4u tA
Dun was roiuug m iuu gitAss,ci.iiv wuuuo
ofdnstrose inthe air from various parts
of the bands, each the scene of sortie ob-
stinate fightl Indians and buffalo ;makc
the poetry and life of the prairiev and our
camp was full of their exhilation. Id'place
of the quiet monotony of the mareji, re-
lieved only by the cracking of the
jwhip,
and an avance done ! enfant dc garce !'
shouts and songs resounded from jevery
part of the line, and our evening camp
was always the commencement of a feast,
which' terminated only with our departure
oh the following morning. At any j time
of the night might be seen pieces Of the
most delicate and choicest meat roasting
en appolas on sticks around the,firej and
the guard were never without company..
With pleasant weather and no. energy to
fear, an abundance oftbe most excellent
meat, and no scarcity oi breaa or tobacco,
they were enjoying the . oasis of a poya-
-r.r lrft were ndinjr slowly along:
u
afternoon,; (July ?4,) clouds of dost irt the
raVrneamoriffithe bills fto the right Sud
denly 'attracted tour attention, ; and In; a
few minutes columrt :after : column -ofjbuft
fald came galloping "down, making prect.
lyUo the riverBy theimeheleading.
herds had reached the ;tcrf the prairie
was: darkened uwith; the: dense rnasges
Immediately before !u when the ;bnds
' t . r . .... . . ii - 1 rL iv-.'J .1 L!ll ii k nmcfnra ri A rt I rr 1 2-1 a . K a Mif mrT linalfl I .
r I v iC T fr. rr rtnttrn llltll TnP VTIIIfA LI ILLUL.U L V If Itr." 11 UU L11L. 11111 W tvmw.. ' " - -. V f ...... ? : - J
-.-f ; , RrLTis. Do ras.' axd Luest't 1
AGUST')23,:.1'845;
an unbroken. line,!t be head of which was
lost ampngthW river Enls on the -opposite
side ; aiid still they poured down from the
fTid?. ovF. riSht-l From t( hill,;the
prairie bottom was certainl v not less than
two miles vide ; and, allowing the iarii
mals ta be .ten feet apart and only ten in
aline, there were already eleven thousand
in view. Some idea may thus be formed
of theirjnurhber when they had occupied
the whole plain: In a short time they sur
rounded us , on every side, extending for
several miles in the rear, and forward "as
far as the eye could reach ; leaving around
us, as we advanced, an open spaceof on
ly two or three hundred yards. This move
ment of the buffalo indicated to us ;. the
presence ofjndians on the North forkl .
- " I halted earlier than usual about forty
miles from the junction, and all hands were
soon busily engaged in preparing a feast to
celebrate the day. -'The kindness of our
friends at St. Louis had provided us with
a large supply of excellent preserves and
rich fruit cake ; and when these were ad
ded to a mKccaroni soup and variously
prepared dishes of the choicest buffalo
meat, crowned with a cup of coffee, and
enjdyedjwith prairie appetite, we felt, as
we satjin barbaric -luxury around our
smoking supper on the grass, a greater
sensation of; enjoyment than the Roman
epicure at his perfumed feast. But, most
of all, it seemed to please our Indian
friends, who, in the unrestrained enjoy
ment of the moment, demanded to know
if our medicine days came often.' No
restrain was exercised at the hospitable
board, a nd, to the great delight of his eliL
ers, our yourig Indian had made himself
extremely drunk."
"On :he 6th we crossed the bed of a
considerable stream, now entirely dry a
bed of sand. I In a grove of willows, near
the moiith, were the remains of a consid
erable fort, constructed of trunks of large
trees, jit was apparently very old, and
had prcjbably been the scene of some hos
tile encounter among the roving tribes.
Its solitbde formed an impressive contrast
to the picture which our imaginations in
voluntarily drew of the busy scene which
had been enacted here. The timber ap
peared to have been much more extensive
formerly than now.; There were but lew
trees a kind of long-leaved willow, stand
ing ; and numerous trunks of large trees
were scattered about on the ground. In
manylsimilar places I had occasion to re
mark an apparent progressive decay in
the timber." i
It is an important inquiry to what this
decay qf timber is owing, and whether it
exists generally in this region ? Too ma
ny accurate observations cannot be made,
or too many facts recorded, as to its ex
tent and the accompanying circumstances.
On the 7th July, we find the following
anecdote curiously illustrative of the his
tory and habits of the buffalo :
" In the course of the afternoon, dust
rising among the hills at a particular place
attracted our attention ; and, riding up,
we found aband of eighteen or twenty
buffalo! bulls engaged in a desperate fight.
Though butting and goring were bestow
ed liberally and without distinction, yet
ineir e iont were -
gainst one--a huge old bull,- very lean,
. i lr,4' :.i .1.. .1'. - ,1
while liis adversaries were all fat and in
wapo nil fnf nnrl in
good order. He appeared very weak, and
had already received some wounds, and
while we were looking on, was' "several
times knocked down and badly hurt, and
a very few minutes would have put an
end to him. Of course we took the side
of the J weaker party, and attacked the
herd ; but they were so blind with rage
that they fought on, utterly regardless of
our presence, aitnougn on loot mm uu
horseback we were firing in open view
wiminj iwemy yiu ui mui. w
did not: last lonff. In a very few seconds
..1 ! . - 1,. C T?!!!- tUJo
we created a commotion among them.
One or two which were knocked over by
- . t - .j. . 1
, "If Dans jumpea up ana run ou n o u
1 hills; and theybegan to retreat slowly
i along a broad ravine to the river, fighting
funouslv as thev went. By the time they
, , , ,r
!ue, 11 c
- , f V.. U.l
' well dispersed them, ana ine owuuiinou-
pieQoniuiiu uuwuuc. ,des &09;has no permanent interest, and
The great beauty, profusion, and varir-' gets what he can," and for what he can,
ty of 'the flowers in the wilderness is of-j from every Indian he meets, even at the
ten noted. On the 12th July "our road j risk of disabling him from doing any thing
lav down the? valley of the Platte, which i more at hunting. ' '
resembled a garden in' the splendor of
fields of varied flowers, which filled the
air with fragrance. 1 he only timner l
noticed consisted'of popular, birch, cotton
wood, and willow."
On the 13th, when in longitude 101 de
grees 39 mini 37 sec: and latitude 4 l'deg.
8 min. 31 sec,, and at an elevation of 5,
440 feet above the sea, Captain Fremont
isays
It will be i seen, by occasional remarks
on the, geographical formation, that the
Aonsiituents ot the, soil in these regions
are good, and every day served to strength-
r. en the impression in my mind, conurmeu
I by subsequent observation that the bar-
ren appearance, oi; ine couniry i& uuu ai-
m'nst Vntirelv! to the extreme dryness of
most entirely
the climale,"
f ; On "the 14tb; the following curious geo
logical scene is noticed: ' C:5 .r, .""'
The windkand rains work" this forma
tion into a Variety of singular forms. "The
pass into Goshen's hoie'is about two miles
flrJl U j U Ikill nfi ihn'wtKtern side imi-
' t - - .
.NUMBER 17, OF.rOLUMEtII. ,
4 .
tates, in an extraordmarv manner, a mas
sive fortified place; with a ! remarkable full-'i
ness of ojetaU.The5?rocfc is marlfatidj
earthy 1 imest one. vvhft ewi thou t the' least I
appearance ioT, vegetation, amluch re
semble mason ryifH
here"Us weeps around sl level area two or
three hundred yards in chameterand ' in
the form of ';a half jmobn, terminating on
either extremity in eriormbus bastions.
Along the whole line of the. parapets ap
pear domes and slender minarets, forty or
fifty feet highrgiving it every appearance
of an old fortified town. On the waters
of White river, where this formation ex
ists in great extent, it presents appear
ances which excite the admiration of the
solitary voyageur, and ; form a frequent
theme of their conversation when speak
ing of the wonders of the country. Some
times it offers the perfectly illusivp ap
pearance of a , largeVitv, with numerous
if. S. ? r, lBfU1' uuj;u. "'S among
i : ;c " 4. l t.i!
"uiuhuc uuauiaiupvBrmn.iuw.iHcir
cabaret ; and sometimes it takes the form
of asolitary house, with many large cham
bers, into which theyirive their horses at
night, and sleep in these natural defences
perfectly secure from any attack of prowl
ing savages. Before reaching our camp
at Goshen's hole, in crossing the immense
detritus at the foot of the Castle rock, we
were involved amidst winding passages
cut by the waters of the hill ; and where,
with a breadth scarcely large enough for
the passage of a horse, the walls rise thir
ty and forty feet perpendicularly. This
formation supplies the discoloration of the
Platte. ; ...
On the 15th of July, the party-cached
Fort John, or Laramie, a post of the Amer
ican Fur Company, situated near the junc
tion of the Laramie with the Platte. Re
specting this post Capt. F. says :
It is hardly necessary to say that the
object of the establishment is to trade with
the neighboring tribes, who, in the course
of the year, generally make two or three
visits to the fort. In addition to this, tra
ders, with a small outfit, are constantly
kept amongst them. The articles of trade
consist, on the one, side, almost entirely of
buffalo robes ; and, on the other, of blank
ets, calicoes, guns, powder, and lead, with
such cheap ornaments as glass-beads, looking-glasses,
rings, vermillion for painting,
tobacco, and principally, and in spite of
the prohibition, of spirits, brought into the
country in the form of alcohol, and diluted
with water before sold. While mention
ing this fact, it is but justice to the Amer
ican Fur Company to state, that, through
out the country, I nave always fbun them
strenuously opposed to the introduction of
spirituous liquors.' But, in the present,
-P-'i'L! I .l ' . .
suue 01 uungs, wuen ine country is sup
plied with alcohol, when a keg of It will
purchase from an Indian eve'ryj thing he
possesses his furs, his lodge, his horses,
and even his wife and children and when
any vagabond who has money enough to
purchase a mule can go irtlo a village and
trade against thenf successfully, without
withdrawing entirely from the trade, it is
impossible for them to discontinue its use.
In their opposition to this practice, the com
pany is sustainedVnoJ: only by their obi i
gatn,n io the laws of the country apd the-
.f f , ,ndikns unt W
. " ,L . " J 1
on grounds of policy for, with heavy and
expensive outfits, they contend at mani
festly great disadvantage against the nu
merous independent and unlicensed tra-
, ' ... 'Tl ' . I - . T .'
aers, who enter ine country irom various
avenues, from the United States and from
Mexico, having no other stock hi trade
than some kegs of liquor, which they sell
at the modest price of thirty-six Idollars
per gallon. The difference between the
regular trader arid the courcur des bois,
(as the French cali' the' itinerant or ped
j dling traders.) with respect to the sale of
j . ? . ... ,- ti r i -- -tL
. n n mb . - - r c a 4- r 1 urn 0 hno I- li tf aI
' , na,m-nt. n7A, rr,: .r ir,
, ' p,l -..,0' u ,.
1 iiaiui ui 1uv.11 n aus . j. jh ii -11 iui, 11 uuti
j ,ooks ahead :and has .an interest: in the
; : r'u t.-'c hn k
' , t!;, h,KinPS n,l thJ
A.. - ' u ull
VWimilWU U1UI C..l.o. JiVV, "
preservation of fheir arms, horses, and(
everv thin- necessary to their future and
pcrn;ancntiuccess in hunting: the courcur
j "The fort had a very cool and clean ap-
j pearance. The great entrance, id which
f j found the gentlemen assembled, and
which was floored, and about fifteen feet
long, made a pleasant,shaded seat through
which, the breeze swept constantly V for
this country is famous for highw'
Theunfavorallc intormation received Irom
the genllemen of the fort, rcfpccting 5hc temV
per and position of the Indians, led to much
consultation and deliberation: -' - "J::. ''-
appcaredjhat the country wasiswarmin
ic Uxa Zu i u-J
t du . the day, the various contradictory; and
etaerat rumors which were incessantly re-4
gd to. them;i was notfgurprised that so much
i aiarra prevailed among ray men. i Uarsoai one
j
of tha best and most experienced mountaineers
fully supported the opinion given by.Bridger of l
the dangerous state ot the country, anq opemjr
eioressed his "conviction TthatAve could not es-
cape.M'ithout some.' sharp encounters , with the
Indians.V In "addition to this, he made his will;.
and among the; (circumstances whwh,wre con
stantlvrocctirrinV; to increase their alarm; this
ana 'l iuuuu um a
number of mV part y had become so taucli'intitn!
r idated that they had requested to be discharged
I at this place." - ' , - .
All things,' however, being prepared for coa-
1 1 inuing the I route,: oa the t e ve ning of the 1 Oi h,
U u l gathered rny men',-around me, arid told
theni that - f I had "determined to proceed t thai
next day. They were all well armeJ. ,I had -engaged
the. services of Mr.Dissbnett as in.'"
terpreter, and had taken,' in. the, circumstances, '
every posMblel means to ensure our safety."-' la ¬
the rumors we! had heard,-1 believed there was.
much iexaggeration,sand then rthey : were', menlN -V
trj ; and that these -were-s tha dangers of every s
day occurrence, and to he expected in the ordi-V
nary course of their service. ;. They had heard T '
ot the unsettled condition 'oTihe'countryheforei
11 ?nrla5? forbreaking.theirengagements.---f?" ,
Still,! was unwilling; to takeg with me, on -a v
service of some, certain danger, inen on whom) -
F Dmitri nnf rVolv ami a f L.J .... J.. .!.. -J L
there were among" thera some who were dii-! "
posea io cowaraice, ana anxious-Jo return, thej
had but .to come forward at once, and state their
desire, and thev would "Le dIsrhnrfrir w.MtW'tKa! .1
amount due to them for the time they had served.'.
To their :Kon6r.be' V said, there xvasvbmVono
among them vho had the face to come forsvard "
and avail himselfof tho 'permission.'" ,! asked ' "
nim some lew Questions. inorder to ernofi him
to the ridicule! of the men,' and let 1 him -go.-
the day after our departure he"' engaged him'.'
LBenton, along with us. In case t)f misfortune,
"o r-'b ""
jt would have been
tKoughtilit the least, an net
sell to one of the forts," and set Off with a party
the situation of. the country justified, me- in ta-1 v
uiuiiiviiDi nicaai b iiiiiiiL nun "-.- s -
ui gi cai iiupruucucB. ,4 anu, laerciore, mongn re.t- f . .
rocianny, 1 ueiermined to ieavo them. . itan.r,'-"
dolph had been the life of the camp, and the'1 :
petit garcon was much regretted by the. men, ! - ;
to whom his buoyant spirits had afforded great" 1 '
amusement. They all, however, agreed in the ;
propriety of leaving him at the fort; because, as ' r '
mey saia, ne mignt cost n me lives ot some ots -i
the men in a fight with the Indidns.? H x
On the 22d July, the parly lAd a. Klne Vievj -
ot the gorge where the l'lalte issues trom tho ,
Black-hills," changing " its. tharacte r : abruptly .
from a mountain stream into a river of thc 1 "
piains. apiuin r . mus uescrjues mis locaiiljil
"In the morning, while breakfast was beingj
and, tying pur animals, continued our way on
foot. Like the whole country. tho:6cencrv of
th rirer had undergone nn jentire chanse, and 5 -
prepared, I visited this place with myWavbrito;
man. Basil Laieunesse. Entering: sii fiir n
ihfro was fantintr fnr ttiA mulpj wa AlemnttntnA V
--------- - -- aw ..lVUt.U : V
was in this place the most beautiful I have? ever,
seen. The breadth of the stream, 'geneiallyX
near that of its valley,, was, fronT-two tOfthree U .
hundred feet,rvilhji swift current, occasionallyLi -broken
hy,rapids, and the water perfectly clearvW
On either side, rose the red prccipices,:vcrticaij V
and sometimes overhanging, two and fourrhun'
drcd feet in height, crowned . with green' sumf -mits,
on which were scattered a few piriesr . Atf
the fbot of the rocks was ' the usual detritus; v
formed of masses fallen from - above. Among
the pines that grew, here, and on the occaslonat"
banks, were the cherry, (cerasus virginiana.)
currants, and grains do bo2uf, thtfiherdiaar-
gentea.) , Viewed in the sunshine ofa'pieasant-
mornins, the scenery was of a, -most strikin" -
ana romantic beauty, wincn arose Irom tue pic -
turesque disposition of theohjectsV and. the, vivid
contrast of colors. I, thought with much plea-1
sure of our approach irgrdescent j'n he canobji
throughsuch interesting places ; and, in the ex.
pectatioh of being able at that lime to give tot
them a full examination, did; jibt nowdwell 'so v f
much as might have been desirable wpon thb- ,
geological formations along the line of the river, :
where they are developed with great clearness, v :
: I t I " . """"'"
very compact clay, in which are occasionally
seen imbedded large pebbles. Beloiv wa . o. ?
stratum of compact red sandstone, changing .iY
little above the jjver into a hard siliceous Jimc- I ,
prairie immediately below; this place, on - the v -
Heft bank of the river, which would be. a good-
lucujii iur a uuuiary jhsi.. i nero; aro.somej
open croves ot cotton-wood on the l'Jatte.U The - f
small stream whichr comes in at this place U
well timbered with pine, and good building'?"
rock is abundant. .v -v 1 , , ff .
"If it is in contemplation to keep-open the
communications wtth Oregon territory, a show
of military force in .this country is absolutely 1
necessary and a combination of adraotagssJ""
renders the neighborhood of Vwti JLaramie the
most suitable place, on . the lino of Jjie .Platte,- y
for the 'establishment of ft military post.- It(3sj:,
connected with the mouth of the Platte and tm
Upper Missouri by excellent ' roads, which aroj,
in frequent use, and would not in any -waya.
terfere with, the range of the buffTdo, on which .
the neighboring Indians rhafnly depend for sup-
pon. it wouia renaer any posts on ine lowr: s
1 lane unnecessarvj 1110 oruiiiarT uuiuuiuuica
tion between, it and theHVlissoun being sutu
cient to control the intermediate 'Indiau?, It
would fipcrata cflcctualiy tdprcve'nt any sucli
lWii-iii a no am rtintv fTirtrwfl nmrtnor ffin Cima ?
Vrentr?s, SiouxCheyennes, and other. Indiana, V -
arid would keep the Oregon road through tho ;
valley of the Sweet Water and the South Pass
of the mountains constantly open; A glaneo'
at the map which accompanies this report-will
I show that it lies at the foot of a broken'' and
mountainous-region, along which, by. the cstah- r
lishmcnt of small posts in the neighborhood iof
St. rain's fort, Dn the south f tk ot the Platte,"
ana ieni s ion, on ne Arwansaa line 01 com- ?
munication would bo ' formed, by- good tcaggon "
roads, with our Southern military post, which -would
entirely command 'this mountain passes,
check, and protect arid facilitate our interccuro K
with th
valleys
with the neighboring Spani?n settlements. lhe
of tho rivers on whicu they. would, be
situated are; fertile ; the country, which- sup. .
ports: Immense, herds of -foulialo, is .admirably
nd.mfid in rrrazlnir : and ; herds of cattle I, fnhiht
be maintained h the posts7 or .obtained from T ,
the Spanish country, which already supplies a
portion of their provisions.to 1 the Jrading pests 1
mentioned above. j-r-?V:i , , J
tion 'oa' leavirigtFcjrtiLaramie, the ;Avhole face
of. the. country has: entirely: altered Jts appear-. ?
ance.j ; Eastward of tharmeridian the princi .-
'i t .t t'.t. '.Ji.. .l e if :.
pai oiyecis wuicu einesiuo 01 ! a naeHci. (
aie me aosence.oi umoer, ana me unmcusc cv. j
panse of prai rie, covered with . the verdure of-
rich grasses,' and highly adapted for pasturage. sl
iyt'ofl rriahVlarge herds of bufialo give anima.
rtidntothfs countryvVestward of Laramie V
ucreuT mey are jioi uimui is. vjj .... t . ,
river the region is sandyrarid apparently stenl ;
and the jdacc of, tho grass : isusurpe byf U19 4
I