6o EIvDORADO 



sometimes at serious loss, as the boat was somewhat an 

 "uncertain quantity" in the rapid current, going 

 quite a httle distance down before making the opposite 

 shore. One animal would be taken in tow by the boat 

 and others, driven in his wake, were compelled to 

 swim. Several lives, both of men and animals, had been 

 lost previous to our arrival. We made the passage of 

 the river with our packs and the animals in safetv. A 

 short distance below the crossing the river enters a nar- 

 row gorge between high, perpendicular rocks, through 

 a spur of the mountains, and the precipitous fall of the 

 water among the rocks can be heard a long distance. 



It was here on the Green river that Kit Carson, when 

 on one of his hunting and trapping expeditions, had a 

 controversy with a French mountaineer by the name 

 of Descateaux, who denounced the American govern- 

 ment in insulting language. It was about the time of 

 the close of the war with Mexico, when an immense 

 territory was being ceded to the United States. Car- 

 son was a patriotic American and always stood ready 

 to resent an insult to the Hag. He at once challenged 

 the Frenchman to combat, and with their rifles they at 

 once mounted their ponies, and, riding about twenty 

 paces apart, wheeled and fired. Carson's shot broke 

 the left arm and plowed along the ribs of the bully 

 The quarrel was settled, the flag vindicated and friend- 

 ship renewed. Carson was true and faithful in his 

 friendship, modest in his demeanor but fearless and 

 foremost in times of danger. 



Our next objective point, as mentioned in our guide 

 book, was Fort Bridger, fifty miles distant from Green 

 river. Before starting, however, the third morning 

 after our arrival (we had to wait oiu" turn before we 



