ALONG THE PLATTE TO FORT LARAMIE. 



65 



minarets arise before the eyes of the astonished traveler, 

 in some places, while in others he beholds cities and castles in 

 ruins. 



Passing over a dreary country, which barely furnished 

 enough of grass for our famished animals, we arrived at Scott's 

 Bluffs on the afternoon of the 25th. This is a bold escarp- 

 ment of sand and clay, about a half a mile in length and near 

 a thousand feet in height, extending southward from the river 

 and rising like a gigantic barrier to obstruct our way. It was 



Chimney Eock. 



for a long time visible, and at a distance seemed impossible to 

 be surmounted. The road forks before we reach the bluffs, 

 one trail passing around its southern end and re-joining the 

 main road at some distance beyond it, the other passing 

 directly over its summit. The latter is the worse road of the 

 two, but it being the shorter, we chose it. We were detained 

 some time at the foot of the bluff by the breaking of one of 

 our wagons, but w^e at last got under way, and commenced 



