172 JOHN C. FREMONT. 



somewhat disheartened. All our books, almost 

 every record of the journey, our journals and re- 

 gisters of astronomical and barometrical observa- 

 tions, had been lost in a moment. But it was no 

 time to indulge in regrets; and I immediately set 

 about endeavoring to save something from the 

 wreck. Making ourselves understood as well as 

 possible by signs, (for nothing could be heard in the 

 roar of waters,) we commenced our operations. Of 

 every thing on board, the only article that had been 

 saved was my double-barrelled gun, which Desco- 

 teaux had caught and clung to with drowning 

 tenacity. The men continued down the river on 

 the left bank. Mr. Preuss and myself descended 

 on the side we were on; and Lajeunesse, with a 

 paddle in his hand, jumped on the boat alone and 

 continued down the canon. She was now light, and 

 cleared every bad place with much less difficulty. 

 In a short time he was joined by Lambert, and the 

 search was continued for about a mile and a half, 

 which was as far as the boat could proceed in the 

 pass. 



"Here the walls were about five hundred feet high, 

 and the fragments of rocks from above had choked 

 the river into a hollow pass but one or two feet above 

 the surface. Through this and the interstices of 

 the rock the water found its way. Favored beyond 



