Page:Route Across the Rocky Mountains with a Description of Oregon and California.djvu/29

 are high. On Long's Peak, which rises to the South, we could see a small spot of snow. We found in places, a few trees of Pine and Cedar scattered over the hills; but they were all small and quite dwarfish. We crossed a number of Creeks on our way through the Black Hills, in the narrow bottom of lands of which, we generally found good grass for our animals.

On the 20th, we met Messrs. Vasques and Walker, with a company of twenty or thirty men, coming down from the Mountains, where Messrs. Vasques and Bridger have a small Trading Post among the Shoshonee or Snake Indians. They were loaded with furs and skins, which they were taking to the Forts on the Platte, where they supply themselves with such articles as they want for the Indian trade.

Eighty miles above Fort Lauramie, we came to the Red Butes, (isolated hills.) They occupy a space of many miles in extent, and a large portion of the earth and stone of which they are composed, is as red as blood.

On the 23d, we crossed the North Fork, one hundred and twenty seven miles above Fort Lauramie, and for two days after leaving it, we suffered considerably for the want of water—the little which we found, being strongly impregnated with a kind of Salt, prevalent almost every where in the neighborhood of the waters of the Platte. At one of these Salt Springs, there are numerous sinks, into which the Buffalo sometimes fall and perish, The surfaces of them are dry, and appear firm; but in many places, they would mire a man, so that it would be impossible for him to extricate himself or escape, without assistance.

On the 25th, we came to the Willow Springs, where we found a beautiful Spring, of very clear cold water, rising in a little green valley, through which its waters flow about one mile, and sink in the sand. We also found here, an abundance of Willow wood. — The hunters, who had been out while we were traveling, had seen several bands of Buffalo; and as they were the first we had met with since we left the South Fork, we remained in camp nearly a day, in order to recruit our stock of provisions. The great scarcity of the Buffalo, through this country—a circumstance which afterwards was the cause of much suffering to the Emigrants—was attributable, in a great degree, to the presence of Sir William Stewart, with his pleasure party, and fifty or sixty fine horses for the chase; who, while we were passing through the Buffalo country, constantly kept several days