Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/162

 boot. At the end of 14 miles of tolerable hilly road, we encamped on the banks of the Laramie river. Here we found a large number of Sioux Indians that were very friendly but were great beggars.

June 6.—This day we lay in camp overhauling our loads and shortening some of our wagonbeds, preparatory to crossing the Rocky mountains, which were considered to commence here but which point I never could see, for it has been the same for a long distance as it is here and appears to be for a long distance to come. This evening at 5 o'clock we crossed a tall ridge and passed around a high point of hills and camped near the main river in a beautiful bottom. The bluffs here are studded with pitch pine, the bottom narrow, the river narrow and swift.

June 7.—This day, our road up the river bottom 10 miles, then left the river. When we left the river we found a very rough road for four miles, into a valley surrounded by rocky bluffs, studded with pitch pine and red cedar. Here I could see the Rocky mountain points.

June 8.—This day we traveled up a long ridge and down another to Bitter Cottonwood creek, 10 miles. Good grass and water. Road good. Three miles over another ridge we found another small creek, then seven miles over another ridge, to the third creek. Here we camped, making 20 miles this day.

June 9.—This morning we traveled down the creek to the river. Here, left the river again and followed a gap between two low ranges of hills to a creek, named Horseshoe creek, a shallow creek about 60 feet wide. Here found a beautiful bottom, with luxuriant grass and plenty of wood. Eight miles farther brought us to the Dalles of the Platte, where we encamped for the night. At this place a spur of a very high mountain has split off from the main body, filling up the old channel and letting the stream run through the crevice, which is over 1000 feet deep at the highest place.

June 10.—This day, six or seven miles up the river brought us to where the road again leaves the Platte and