FROM HEADWATERS OF THE MISSOURI TO DALLES OF THE COLUMBIA. 499 



January 5. -Sleeping was out of the question the latter part of last night. Our camp was 

 open and unprotected, and we had no lent or other shelter from the sharp wind. The dogs, too, 

 felt the severity of the weather as much as anybody, and no sooner had we gone to bed than all 

 the spare corners of our beds were appropriated by some of them, who, from time to time, dis 

 turbed us with their noisy disputes with the outsiders upon the rights of the squatters. Unable to 

 stand the cold any longer, I got up at 3 o clock and stirred up the fire. The thermometer stood 

 then 31 below zero. 



About 4 o clock the wind veered round to the southwest and freshened into a stiff breeze. After 

 sunrise it increased rather than abated, and gusts of driven snow followed fast upon one another 

 over the high prairies. The appearance of the morning determined me to remain in camp again 

 to-day, for our next march will of necessity be thirty -e ; ght miles over a high dividing prairie, in 

 order to reach the nearest wood on Sun river. About noon two Indians and two squaws came 

 into camp; the Indians were on foot, but the squaws were each mounted astride on an Indian 

 pony. One of the ponies was also harnessed to a traveille a very simple kind of vehicle much 

 used by the Indians. It consists of two poles, about fifteen feet long for horses, lashed together 

 at the small ends with leather thongs, and spread apart at the big ends in the form of a letter A. 

 A strong strap is attached to the two shafts near their forks, which rests across the saddle on 

 the horse s back, while the big ends drag on the ground. A short distance behind the horse s 

 heels two or more cross-pieces are bound, to which the load is lashed. This arrangement forms 

 the Indians principal means of transporting their movables from point to point, and is equally ap 

 plicable to horses or dogs, the only difference being in size. After sunset they caught up their 

 horses again and left, having previously given us to understand, by signs, that they were on their 

 way from Fort Benton to one of its outposts on the Marias, and that they intended to travel all 

 night a method frequently adopted by small parties in travelling, to avoid their enemies. I 

 thought at the time that they ran as much risk of being frozen to death in the night as of being 

 scalped in the day, and that there was very little choice between the two. 



January 6. This morning was quite clear, and much milder than yesterday. About sunrise 

 we left camp, and by constant walking succeeded in reaching Sun river (38 miles) about an hour 

 after sunset. It was a weary march, however; the snow was dry and just deep enough to make 

 it slippery under foot. It concealed also beds of prickly pears, which were very thick in this 

 prairie. These annoying things have barbs on them an inch long, and so sharp and strong that 

 they will go through anything short of a thick boot. The men, who wore moccasins, were fre 

 quently obliged to stop and pull them out of their feet. Just before supper I threw my buckskin 

 tobacco-pouch down on my bed, but, come to look for it a short time after, it was nowhere to be 

 found. It was a great loss, for it contained my flint, steel, and pipe my only pipe. I suspect 

 the pouch went the same way as a pair of moccasins I carelessly left by the fire to dry last 

 night the dogs ate them. About eight o clock the wind sprang up from the southeast, accom 

 panied with a little sleet and appearances of snow. 



On the morning of the 7th appearances were so favorable to a continuation of the snow, that I 

 sent back the pack-mules and extra men, and transferred our provisions, &c., to the trains. The 

 weight of each train was now about 175 pounds. This is a very light load for three good dogs, 

 but quite heavy enough for ours. They went along, however, much better than had been ex 

 pected. After travelling nine miles up Sun river, we camped early, in a point of cotton-wood, 

 where we were to leave its valley. 



The river is frozen over only at points where its course is sluggish. In the course of the day 

 a number of white-tailed deer, antelope, and grouse were started up, but nothing was killed but 

 a grouse. I begin to see that I was too hasty in sending back my pack-mules, for a breeze has 

 been blowing from the southwest all day, and has taken off nearly all the snow. A southwest 

 wind in this country is sure to bring with it fair, mild weather tor the season, whatever it be; and 



