Page:Rocky Mountain life.djvu/87

 it belonged.

Upon one of the affluents of Horse creek, thirty or forty miles south of the Platte, is a beautiful valley, shut in by two ridges of precipitous hills, known as Goche's hole.

This locality, in wildness and picturesque beauty, claims affinity to the neighborhood of Scott's Bluff. Its area is broad and of several miles extent, —inaccessible except at two or three points. The surrounding hills are generally composed of marl and earthy limestone. Towering in vertical walls to the height of many hundred feet, they present the appearance of a strongly fortified place. The soil is remarkably rich, well watered, and timbered, —strikingly contrasting with the nude sterility and desolation of the circumjacent country.

A heavy fall of snow during the night prevented our leaving camp until the fourth day subsequent, when were again en route. Having passed the night of Nov. 1st at Morain's Point, the next day we arrived at Fort Platte. This latter place is situated a short distance above the mouth of Larramie river, and is our point of present destination.

From Horse creek to the Larramie river, the bottoms, in many places, afforded dense groves of heavy timber—the more agreeable as we had been so long accustomed to open and woodless prairies.

The geological character of the country is nearly the same with that previously described—though possessed of greater humidity of soil. The formations, noticed in the vicinity of Scott's Bluff and Goche's hole, have merged into strata of limestone of various shades and compactness, with occasional layers of primitive sandstone.

The prairies were beautifully undulating, and covered with lusty growths of dried vegetation. The hills, now and then, were ornamented with a few scattering pines and cedars, which stood like lonely sentinels to watch the progress of changing seasons.

As some of my readers may entertain the design of visiting these remote regions, or passing beyond them to the more distant shores of the Pacific, it may not be

deemed a digression for me to present a few hints as to the most advisable mode of travelling upon this long and wearisome journey.

A caravan of waggons should make only two camps per day. Travellers should adopt the rule to start at daylight and continue until ten o'clock, A. M., —then, having halted some six hours, (if it be summer, if spring or fall, four only,) again resume their way till after sundown.

Fifteen miles, upon an average, are as far as an ox team should travel per day, —mules or horses might keep on for twenty miles.

Caravans ought always to lay by in rainy Weather, as the wet and irritation consequent upon draught, gall the neck and shoulders of their animals and soon render them unfit for service;—every precaution should be taken to preserve their strength and soundness, as upon them rests the sole dependence of a travelling company.

A mounted party ought, as a general thing, to observe the same rules,