Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 7.pdf/96

90 for many miles, the spurs of the Mountains on the South side run down to the river, and the road over them is in many places steep and rocky. We crossed a number of small creeks which run down from these Mountains to the River, the water of which is cool and clear. Many of the hills, over which we passed, were covered with a dwarfish growth of Cedar, and the Mountains on the South with Pine. The River, below the Falls, runs through a deep and narrow cañon, between black and rugged basaltic walls, and is little else than a succession of Falls and Rapids.

The valley through which Snake River flows is very wide, elevated from one to three hundred feet above the stream, and bounded on the North and South by parallel ranges of high Mountains. Its surface is broken and cut by deep ravines. It is very sandy and barren, producing nothing but wild sage and a few scattering blades of short grass. In traveling through this valley it is necessary to obtain some directions from those who are acquainted with the way, since grass is seldom found, except on the small streams.

A few days after our departure from Fort Hall we left our camp one morning, when, according to our bill of the route, we had a long stretch ahead before we would come to wood and water. The clouds were floating heavily along the sides of the distant Mountains, and the wind blowing in fitful gusts, made us fearful of an approaching storm. But our scanty supply of provisions induced us to proceed. We had not gone very far before the Heavens were completely obscured by the clouds. The cold increased to severity, and the mingled rain and snow, began to fall very fast. The dim trail, which led us over a high barren plain, became more and more indistinct from the accumulating snow. The distant Mountains, already,as white as the flakes that filled the air, gradually faded in