518 



H 



Ex. 



oc. No. 41. 



h 



h 



mileSj we reachpd a deep gorge, into which we prepared to de- 



scend*- 



There I found the '' sand -board" of some wagon 



which 



had been broken in passing this abrupt declivity. We achieved the 

 descent in safety, but just we as arrived opposite the salt lake, the 

 wagon wheel broke entirely off. I immediately ordered the mules 

 to be unhitched, and we set to work to splice the broken axle-tree. 

 The piece of wood that I Lad picked up was of good seasoned oak, 

 and of the exact width of the axle tree. By sunset we had finished 

 the wood work, and it was now necessary to put on the irons* 



To-day we saw great numbers of antelopesj in one herd there 

 must have been nearly two hundred; and the prairie dogs were 

 running about as if it were not winter. The morning was quite 

 warm, and the little snow upon the road thawed rapidly. St^veral 

 of my men are now sick with the measels; the poor fellows are 

 suffering much. We are obliged to travel, and can take no care 

 of them, and they are necessarily very much exposed to the in- 

 clemencies of the weather. Those who yet retained their wonted 

 health attend to their duties with such zeal as seems to show that 



they know how much depends upon their effort 



a 



nd I 



am 



truly 



; Jantiary 6. 



grateful to them for their support. 



A.t 3 o'clock this morning we w^ere awftkencd by 

 the beating of the snow against our tents. The wind blew a hurri- 

 cane, and the pelting of the snow flakes sounded like pattering of 

 hail. We had been oblipjcd to encamp in an open valley, by the 

 side of the wagon which had been broken; and in this exposed 

 situation we. had to abide the fury of the storm. Fortunately it 

 soon cleared away, and we were able to resume our labor of re- 

 . pairing the axletree. 



'.Our mules were loosened from their pickets, and permitted to 

 range in the neighboring forests of pine and cedar, while the gu^ard 

 built large firesj and under the shelter of the trees passed their 

 time more comfortably than any others of the party. At length we 

 "nished our work 



noticed around our camp great numbers of skylarks, (^'alauda 

 alpestris-") Some idea may be formed of the immense numbers 

 in the flock, when I state that 25 were killed at one shot. Among 

 them were several snowlarks, ('^plectro-phanes nivalis,'*) one of 

 which I skinned. 



After returning to camp, we saw the ravens engaged in chasing 

 some of the birds which had been wounded. They showed them- 



liitlc 



3 and commenced packing up our bagq;age. 



at " 



I 



genus, and in a 



selves as skilful in hawking as the falcon 



time they captured five or six birds. Then \n amusing scene took 



place, for the successful bird catcher was sure to be attacked by 



oY 



W 



drop his prey 



devoured at once, than to die a lingering death*. 



At two o'clock this evening we 



commenced our march. The 

 road was covered with snow, which was in many places very deep, 

 and in some places covered with a hard crust, which was sufficiently 

 strong to bear the weight of our ;nules, although it broke through 

 beneath the wheels of our wagon. Towards evening we met some 



