27 



delightful camp, and is named Camp Strong, in honor of General William 

 E. Strong, of Chicago. Here we are to remain in camp one day in order 

 to give the hunters of the party a chance to test their skill. A lightning 

 stroke kindled a fire in the woods on the other side of the river last 

 night. Moore and Campbell went ahead on the trail, after we got into 

 camp, to reeonnoiter it and cut it out as much as may be necessary to 

 permit our pack trains to pass. They report a bad trail from here to 

 the Lower Falls of Lewis' or Lake Fork, with much burned and fallen 

 timber. Altitude of camp, 7,050 feet; distance marched, 8 miles. 



A ugustlS, Friday. — Remained in camp. We had thought when we went 

 into camp here that the small stream which empties into the river just 

 above our camp was the Lewis or Lake Fork, but as the general became 

 doubtful about it, I went up the river, taking Shoshone Dick with me, 

 and discovered that the mouth of Lewis' Fork is a good 4 miles up the 

 river from camp. Opposite the mouth of Lewis' Fork, on the south bank 

 of the river, are two groups of geysers, or rather hot springs, which 

 present abundant evidence of having been geysers, and now pour their 

 tribute of hot water into the Snake River. From the top of a mount- 

 ain, about 800 or 1,000 feet above the river, I could plainly see the break 

 of the Lewis Fork through the dense timber for 10 or 12 miles of dis- 

 tance, and also the line of the Heart River trail to Yellowstone Lake. 

 The hunters returned to camp from their trip to the Teton range in 

 search of large game shortly after noon, having seen nothing. General 

 and Colonel Sheridan also went out hunting at 5 a. m. to-day, but re- 

 turned with similar result. We were greatly surprised that Jackson's 

 Hole, which is so rich in pasturage, wood, and water, was not already 

 occupied by cattle-men, who, since the cessation of Indian difficulties 

 have so rapidly spread over nearly all of our great Northwest. Preble, 

 the man who visited us in camp the day before yesterday, says it is be -^ 

 cause of the presence, in vast numbers, and the virulence, of the deer, 

 dog, and other flies during the early part of the season, and that horses 

 and cattle cannot live during a part of June and July, unless shielded by 

 buildings from their attacks. He himself the past summer had to build 

 a barn for his horses, although he has as yet no house for himself. This, 

 if it be true, may account for the absence of game just now, although 

 the fly season is over. Trout were caught in great abundance to day, 

 and General Sackett, whilst sitting and walking on the river bank in 

 front of camp, caught this evening fifteen or sixteen suckers. 



AugifHt 19, Saturday. — This morning the water in our buckets was 

 frozen hard, and the grass solidly covered with heavy white frost. The 

 trail to-day lay, most of the time, thrpugh dense standing, fallen, and 

 burned timber. We crossed Lewis 9 or Lake Fork to the east about 16 

 miles from camp. Above the lower falls we passed out of the worst of 

 the timber, but had to go over a good deal of swampy ground along 

 the bottom of the river. Many of our pack-mules mired, but were got- 

 ten out without damage to themselves or their packs. We went into 



