i 
[ = I 32° 
The pipirtéy region of the mountains to the south was enveloped in smoke, 
and I was informed had been on fire for several months. Pike’s peak is 
said to be visible from this place, about one hundred miles to the south- 
ward; but the smoky state of the atmosphere prevented my seeing it. 
The weather continued overcast during my stay here, so that I failed in 
determining the latitude, but obtained good observations for time on the 
mornings of the 11th and 12th. An assumed latitude of 40° 22' 30” from 
the evening position of the 12th, enabled me ‘to obtain, for a ey cor- 
rect longitude, 105° 12’ 12”. 
July 12.—The kindness of Mr. St. Vrain had enabled me to obtain a 
couple of horses and three good mules; and, with a further addition to our 
party of the Spaniard whom I had ‘hired, and two others, who were 
going to obtain service at Laramie’s fork, we resumed our journey at 10, 
on the morning of the 12th. We had been able to procure nothing at the 
post, in the way of provision. An expected supply from Taos had not yet 
arrived, and a few pounds of coffee was all that could be spared to us. In 
addition to this, we had dried meat enough for the first day ; on the next, 
we expected to find buffalo, From this post, according to the estimate of 
the country, the fort at the mouth of Laramie’s fork, which was our next 
point of destination, was nearly due north, distant about one hundred and 
twenty-five mile 
or a short distance, our road: lay down the valley of the Platte, which 
resembled a garden in the splendor of fields of varied flowers, which filled 
the air with fragrance. — only timber I noticed consisted of poplar, 
birch, cottonwood, and willow. In something less than three miles, we 
crossed Thompson’s sea; one of the affluents to the left bank of the 
South fork—a fine stream about sixty-five feet wide, and three feet deep. 
Journeying on, the low dark line of the Black hills lying between us and 
the mountains to the left, in about ten miles from the fort, we reached Cache 
ala Po where we halted to noon. This isa very beautiful moun- 
tai stream, about one hundred feet wide, flowing with a full swift eur- 
rent over a rocky bed. We halted under the shade of some cottonwoods, 
with which = siream is wooded scatteringly. In the upper part of its . 
course, it runs amid the wildest mountain scenery, and, breaking through 
the Black hills, falis into the Platte about ten miles below this place. In 
_ the course of our late journey, I had managed to become the possessor of 
a very untractable mule—a perfect vixen—and her I had turned over to 
my Spaniard. It occupied us about half ‘an hour to-day to get the saddle 
upon her; but, once on her back, J osé could not be dismounted, realizing 
the accounts given of Mexican horses horsemanship ; and we contin- 
ued our route in the afternoon. 
Se AL evening, we encamped on Crow (?) creek, having travelled about 
twenty-eight miles, None of the Party were well _ uainted with the 
c ntry,and I had great difficulty in eit lacapes Ptetp at were the names 
the streams we crossed between the North and South forks of the Platte. 
pposed to be Crow creek. It is what is called a salt stream, an 
ee ‘water stands in besls, having no continuous course. A fine-grained. 
sandstone made its appearance in the banks. The observations of-thé 
— —— us in aaa: 40° 42’, un 104° 57' 49". The Baton: 
j leter at 66°. nt 
ar; 
ha Tou yar 8 2: 
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