208 JOHN C. FREMONT. 



as far as the eye could reach, except the snowy sum- 

 mits and the dismal wastes of the mountains stretch 

 ing away, and lying in cold and cheerless desolation 

 against the whole circuit of the wintry heavens. 



Fremont soon discovered that the guide had 

 missed the real pass. Dangers rapidly thickened 

 around the adventurers ; the cold was becoming 

 insupportable ; a hundred and twenty mules, hud- 

 dled together from the natural instinct of self-pre- 

 servation, were still unable to resist the cold by 

 their mutual warmth, and many of them fell over 

 dead, frozen stiff as they stood. The situation of 

 the party was now perilous in the extreme. They 

 were distant at least ten days' journey from the 

 nearest New Mexican settlement. Fremont imme- 

 diately despatched thither a guide with three picked 

 men, for the purpose of obtaining supplies of food 

 and succor. Twenty days were allowed them for 

 the performance of this duty, while the remainder 

 of the party remained with Fremont in the snowy 

 solitudes of the mountains. 



After waiting sixteen days for their return, Fre- 

 mont, accompanied by three persons, overcome by 

 anxiety and impatience, started forth on foot to 

 meet them. The snow was waist-deep, After tra- 

 velling six days, Fremont came upon the camp of 

 the party. He found the chief guide dead : he had 



