“E274 ] A8 
a 
. meighboring- Indians mainly depend for support. ..t.would. render any 
posts on the Lower Platte unnecessary ; the ordinary communication _be- 
tween it aud the Migout being sufficient to control the intermediate In- 
dians. It would operate effectually to prevent any suclr coalitions as are 
now formed among the Gros Ventres, Sioux, Cheyennes, and other Indians, 
aa would keep the Oregon road through the valley, at the Sweet Water 
and the South Pass of the mountdins constantly o A glance at the 
map which accompanies. this repo ort will show har. fs lies at the foot of 
a broken and mountainous. region, along, which, by the establishment of 
small posts in the neighborhood of St. Vrain’s fort, on the South fork o 
the Platte, and Bent’s fort,on the Arkansas, a line of communication would 
be formed, by good wagon roads, with our age miiaLy posts, which 
would entirely command the mountain pass 1old some of the most 
troublesome tribes in check, and protect and facilitate our Spleuidufed with 
the neighboring Aes settlements. The valleys of the rivers on whic 
they would be situated are fertile; the country, which supports immense 
herds of buffalo; is naaee by adapted to grazing 5 - apd. herds of catile might 
be maintained. by the posts, or obtained from t Spanish. country, which 
pres Ly: Sepp licn a. portion of their provisions to sR trading posts. mentioned 
abo 
ie as we were leaving the camp this morning, our Indian came up, 
and stated his intention of not proceeding any further until he had seen 
the horse which I intended to give him. . I felt arene ae to ate 
him out of the camp; but. his. presence appeare: confidence to my 
men, and the. interpreter thought it absolately ni a there- 
fore obliged to'do what he requested, and pointed out the -aifthat with 
which he.seemed satisfied, and we continued our journey.. I had ima- 
pie that Mr. Bags long BRP had made him acquainted 
with the country, and, according to. his advice, proceeded directly forward, 
without attempting to regain the usual road. He. Cae ee oletnes me 
that he had rarely ever lost sight of the fort; “but the e the 
was to invelve us for a day or two among the hills, whee. althouptt we 
lost no time, we encountered an exceedingly rough road. 
ie ihe south, along our line of march to-day, the: main chain of the 
ack or Laramie hills rises precipitously, Time did not permit me to - 
ie. them; but, fram_comparative information, the. ridge is composed of 
_ the coarse. ‘sandstone or coaglomerate. hereafter described, It appears to 
enter the” tegion_of clouds, which are arrested in. their Sontee, aud lie in 
masses along the summits. An inverted cone of black cloud (cumulus) 
_rested during all the forenoon on the lofty peak of Larantie mountain, 
. which lL estimated to be about two serine oni fet above the fort, or six 
thousand five hundred above the sea. We halted to noon on the Fourche 
Amire, so called. from being timbered femelle. with the iard umere, 
(a. wa gi ponlss,). with which the valley of the little stream is tolerably 
weil woodec ich, with large expansive sumunits, grows to the 
OF, ani "feet. 
the creek is sand and gravel, the water dispersed over the 
br oad bed in shallow. streams. - We found here, on the right. bank, 
_ in the shade of @ pie miyse ing? spring of very cold water. It will be re- 
és panped ts nention, ion, in. this is portion of the j Jomeers —_ npera- 
&c.—an pmneion: which . will be 
