Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/103

Rh we traveled to the south. Vegetation was forward, especially flax and currants of an orange color.

July 26—We crossed the Lewis River in the bull boat, where Fort Hall now is. Three of the men left us here to trap alone. The white and variegated marble and melted rock showed the effects of volcanic action. The vegetation was diversified and timber of various kinds grew in abundance. We had a little rain. Traveling to the southwest we crossed several creeks with volcanic bluffs on either side of blacksmith-cinder-like rocks, often pentagonal in form, although they had not lost their stratification. In examining the rocks, was nearly bitten by a rattlesnake.

We found many berries and currants, red and black, also orange in color. On the twenty-eighth passed Gray's Fork to Gray's Hole. The Trois Tetons were still in sight to the northeast. Grass was good, the buffalo fat, and we staid in camp two days drying meat. We then crossed Blackfoot Creek to a hilly and wooded country with high basaltic rocks in perfect pentagonal form.

August 1—Mrs. Milton Sublette (a squaw) had a child, and the next day she mounted her horse, the babe was put in a basket feet down and hung on the pommel of her saddle, and she rode fifteen miles that day. Mrs. Sublette also had a child about three years of age who rode a gentle pony. The child was so fastened on by blankets as to keep it upright, and the pony followed the train with loose horses, never straying far with its charge. The thermometer fell to 20 F. We traveled to the southeast, crossing the Blackfoot to a branch of the Port Neuf, over an extensive prairie, which they say extends to Bear River of the Salt Lake country, a hundred miles distant.

August 5—In camp drying more meat. Saw a white wolf and some crows eating together on a buffalo carcass. There are two kinds of wolves here, that make the nights hideous. We traveled down the Port Neuf to the south eighteen miles, crossed it, and encamped on a branch for two days.

August 11—We started to the west, encamped on a small creek, and the next day continued southwest on same creek. Here the sixteen independent trappers quit us, going south into California.

August 13—We traveled west northwest over two ridges, the first limestone, the second volcanic, and came in view of the Lewis River at the American Falls. The course of the river is nearly west. Extensive plains stretched away to the north, and a far-off snow-clad mountain range was seen. Here I lost my pocket thermometer. We traveled to the southwest away from the Lewis River and encamped on the Cassia. Vegetation was rank. Next we traveled up the Cassia to the south over barren plains of prickly pears and sage, and encamped in high grass on a creek coming in from the west. Vegetation was