ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 127 



biscuit, and to a luingry man, ov one who has long subsisted 

 without vegetables of any kind, is i-ather palatable. 



.On the morning of the 18th, we commenced ascending the 

 hills again, and had a laborious and toilsome day's march. One 

 of our poor wearied horses gave up, and stopped ; kicking, and 

 cuffing, and beating had no effect to make him move ; the poor 

 animal laid himself down with his load, and after this was de- 

 tached and shifted to the back of another, we left him where he 

 fell, to recruit, and fall into the hands of the Indians, or die 

 among the arid hills. This is the first horse we have lost in this 

 manner; but we have great fears that many others will soon fail, 

 as their riders and drivers are compelled to use the whip con- 

 stantly, to make them walk at the slowest gait. We comfort 

 ourselves, however, by supposing that we have now nearly 

 passed the most rugged country on the route, and hope, before 

 many days, to reach the valley of the Shoshone, where the 

 country will be level, and the pasture good. We are anxious, 

 also, to fall in with the Snake Indians, in order to get a supply 

 of salmon, as we have been living for several days on a short 

 allowance of wretched, dry meat, and this poor pittance is now 

 almost exhausted. 



19th. — This morning was cold, the thermometer stood at 28°, 

 and a thick skim of ice was in the camp kettles at sunrise. 

 Another hard day's travel over the hills, during which we lost 

 two of our largest and stoutest horses. Towards evening, we 

 descended to a fine large plain, and struck Boisee, or Big Wood 

 river, on the borders of which we encamped. This is a beautiful 

 stream, about one hundred yards in width, clear as crystal, and, 

 in some parts, probably twenty feet deep. It is literally crowded 

 with salmon, which are springing from the water almost con- 

 stantly. Our mouths are watering most abundantly for soine of 

 them, but we are not provided with suitable implements for 



