ACROSS THE ROCKV MOUNTAINS, ETC. 89 



some trouble. We are now in a part of the country which is 

 almost constantly infested by the Blackfeet; we have seen for 

 several mornings past, the tracks of moccasins around our camp, 

 and not unfrcquently the prints of unshod horses, so that we 

 know we are narrowly watched ; and the slumbering of one of 

 the guard, or the slightest appearance of carelessness in the con- 

 duct of the camp, may bring the savages whooping upon us like 

 demons. 



Our encampment this evening is on one of the head branches 

 of the Blackfoot river, from which we can see the three remark- 

 able conic summits known by the name of the " Three Bates''' 

 or " Tetons.^^ JNfear these flows the Portneuf, or south branch of 

 Snake or Lewis' river. Here is to be another place of rest, and 

 we look forward to it with pleasure both on our own account and 

 on that of our wearied horses. 



12th. — In the afternoon we made a camp on Ross' creek, a 

 small branch of Snake river. The pasture is better than we have 

 had for two weeks, and the stream contains an abundance of ex- 

 cellent trout. Some of these are enormous, and very fine eating. 

 They bite eagerly at a grasshopper or minnow, but the largest 

 fish are shy, and the sportsman requires to be carefully concealed 

 in order to take them. We have here none of the fine tackle 

 jointed rods, reels, and silkworm gut of the accomplished city 

 sportsman ; we have only a piece of common cord, and a hook 

 seized on with half-hitches, with a willow rod cut on the banks 

 of the stream ; but with this rough cquij)mcnt we take as many 

 trout as we wish, and who could do more, even with all the cu- 

 rious contrivances of old Izaac Walton or Christopher North ? 



The band of Indians which kept company with us from the 

 rendezvous, left; us yesterday, and fell back to join Captain Bon- 

 neville's party, which is travelling on behind. We do not regret 



their absence ; for although they added strength to our band, and 



12 



