^ . Ex. Doc. No. 41. 53^ 



V to regain its feetj some corn~^v 



;tnl2^ht-it had wandered off a fe 



could not be driven, and when we had softened the soil by build- 

 ing fires, the sand became too loose to hold the pins. 



February 3. — This morning we arose at an early hour; packing 

 up our camp furniturej we recrossed the river and marched a mile 

 fujther down the Arkansas. 



The mule that we had drawn out of the river had recovered suf- 



the pastnl^ht-it had wandered off a few yards and was attacked 

 by wolve^5 and devoured while endeavoring to regain the wagonsj 

 the saddle blanket that I had girted around it was torn to pieces. 

 Poor mule! it met a cruel death after going throujjh so many trou- 

 bles; it was the lajt one of the set with which I left Bent's Fort 

 on the 9lh of last September. 



To-day Brown was struck blind, from the effects of the glaring 

 light reflected by the snow. We left him in camp until the after- 

 noon, w4ien I sent some men to gather up his clothing and lead 

 him into our new* qamp. 



Those who had left their property at the camp when the storm^ 



occurred, took spades and went and dug it out. 



The men in camp overhauled the provisions and the bedding; al- 

 though our wagons had each two covers^ or sheets, they were full 

 of snow. 



On a fallen tree, against which we built "our fires, we read that 

 ^hich follows: "J. Abrea, Y. Litsendorfer, C. Estis, March 11^ 

 1816.'' '^ A storm." This gave us new encouragement^ for we 

 felt that other men, under the same circumstances, and in the. same 

 place, had felt, suffered, and thought as we had, and we felt that 

 ^e, like they, could weather the storm. 



In the evening, some of the men led Brown into camp. He said, 

 that while lying near our old camp fires, listening to the bickering 

 of the ravens and magpies, which were contending for the scraps 

 "We had left, he felt something give his buffalo robe a jerk, and 

 looking round, he saw several wolves; they ran off a few steps, 

 seeming to have but little fear of him; his eyes pained him. so much 

 that he <!id not attempt to shoot. 



February 4. — We again started at our usual time, and in good 

 order, leaving many articles which only served to encumber us. 

 As our ^^mulada" was now weakened by the loss of the four iro- 

 2en mules, our progress was slower than heretofore. 



During the first lew hours, it was with difficulty that we could 

 5ceep jhe road, which w^as covered with deep snow; in many 

 places it was a foot deep, although, now and then, we found little 

 spots on the road that were perfectly bare, and in the river bot- 

 toms there w^as but little snow. At midday the sun shone fortb 

 ^vith warmth, the snow began to thaw, and our progress became 

 comparatively easy. Wc marched fifteen miles, and camped near 

 a fine grove, where we found some dry wood and pretty good grass; 

 although the buffalo, which had recently been here in great n»fla- 

 i>ers, had much impaired tiie grazing. 



The greatest inconvenience that we have suffered on this marcii 

 kas been caused by the negligence of others with re-rrd to the 



