ACKOSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 119 



whole plains have hitherto been covered, and the compact and 

 dense growth of willows which has uniformly fringed every 

 stream and rivulet, the ground was completely denuded ; not a 

 single shrub was to be seen, nor the smallest appearance of vege- 

 tation, except in small patches near the water. The mountains, 

 also, which had generally been rocky, and covei'ed with low, 

 tangled bushes, here abound in beautiful and shapely pine trees. 

 Some of the higher peaks are, however, completely bare, and 

 capped with enormous masses of snow- 

 After we had travelled about twelve miles, we entered a defile 

 between the mountains, about five hundred yards wide, covered, 

 like the surrounding country, with pines ; and, as we proceeded, 

 the timber grew so closely, added to a thick undergrowth of 

 bushes, that it appeared almost impossible to proceed with our 

 horses. The farther we advanced, the more our difficulties 

 seemed to increase ; obstacles of various kinds impeded our 

 progress ; — fallen trees, their branches tangled and matted toge- 

 ther, large rocks and deep ravines, holes in the ground, into 

 which our animals would be precipitated without the possibility 

 of avoiding them, and an hundred other difficulties, which beggar 

 description. 



We travelled for six miles through such a region as I have 

 attempted to describe, and at 2 o'clock encamped in a clear spot 

 of ground, where we found excellent grass, and a cold, rapid 

 stream. Soon after we stopped. Captain W. and Richardson left 

 us, to look for a pass through the mountains, or for a spot where 

 it would be possible to cross them. Strange as it may appear, 

 yet in this desolate and almost impassable region we have ob- 

 served, to-day, the tracks of a buffalo which must have passed 

 here last night, or this morning ; at least so our hunters say, and 

 they are rarely deceived in such matters. 



Captain W. and Richardson returned early next morning, with 

 the mortifying inteUigence that no practicable pass through the 



