upon it. All round about us, near and afar, rocks 
and mountains arise. The Platte Mountains are on 4% 
our left. The Platte itself is said to be twelve miles 
off. The next morning we crossed the Sweet Waters. 
For six days we ascended the river in westerly direc- 
tion, following it more or less closely and crossing it 
several times to cut off its meanders. Our road at 
first was level and passed through a valley, rather 
narrow at the entrance, but gradually widening, 
which was bounded on both sides by the Sweet Wa- 
ters Mountains. The rocks of these mountains are 
partly bare, partly pine-clad. On their summit it is 
said there live many mountain sheep (big horn, ar- 
gali, Ovis ammon L), an animal resembling the deer 
in outward appearance, only somewhat larger, but 
provided instead of antlers with curved horns like 
a ram, of which one sometimes weighs about thirty 
pounds. The Indians make their best bows out of 
these horns. The mountain sheep climb with ease 
the steepest rock where they can be followed only 
with difficulty. To my vexation we did not get sight 
of a single one. We ran across several buffalo. I 
could not resist the temptation to try my newly ac- 
quired horse at buffalo hunting. I singled out an 
old bull. My horse soon caught up with him, and 
fearlessly galloped at his left side, permitting me to 
put the pistol almost on its breast. At the second 
shot the bull suddenly turned upon me; but my swift 
Journey 
along the 
t 
River 
Mountains 
