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slowly working on these, endeavoring to cut them of the requisite length ; 
if . 
but, as my instrument was a very rough file, I invariably broke them. A 
“groove was cut in one of the trees, where the barometer was placed during 
fis night, to be out of the way of any possible danger, and in the morning 
I commenced again. Among the powder horns in the camp, I found one 
~ which was very transparent, so that its contents could be almost as plainly 
seen as through glass. This I boiled and stretched on a piece of wood to 
the requisite diameter, and scraped it very thin, im order to increase to the 
utmost its transparency. I then secured it firmly in its place on the instru- 
“ment, with strong glue made from a buffalo, and filled it with mercury, 
properly heated. A piece of skin, which had covered one of the vials, 
oe a good pocket, which was well secured with strong thread and 
glue, and then the brass cover was screwed to its place. The instrument * 
was left some time to dry; and when I reversed it, a few hours after, I had 
the satisfaction to find it in perfect order; its indications being about the 
same as on the other side of the lake before it had been broken. Our suc- 
* cess in this little incideut diffused pleasure throughout the camp; and we 
immediately set about our preparations for ascending the mountains. 
As will be seen on reference to a map, on this short mountain chain 
are the head waters of four great rivers of the continent; namely, the Col- 
orado, Columbia, Missouri, and Platte rivers. It had been my design, af- 
ter having ascended the mountains, to continue our route on the western 
side of the range, and crossing through a pass at the north western eid of 
~ yeluctantly, to abandon this 
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the course of the narative, (as I have avoided dwelling upon trifliug.inci- 
dents not connected with the objects of the expedition,) the spirits of the 
men had been much exhausted by the hardships and privations to which 
they had been subjected. Our provisions had wellnigh all disappeared. 
. Bread had been long out of the question; and of all our siock, we had re- 
maining two or three pounds of coffee, and a small quantity of macea roni, 
ich had been husbanded with great care for the mouirtain expedition 
we were about to undertake. Our daily meal consisted of ‘dry buffalo 
meat, cooked in tallow; and, as we had not dried this with Indian skill, 
part of it was spoiled ; and what remained of good, was as hard as wood, 
having much the taste and appearance of so many pieces of bark. Even 
of this, our stock was rapidly diminishing in a camp which was capable 
€ 
of consuming two buffaloes in every twenty-four hours, These animals 
had entirely disappeared ; and it was not probable that we should fall in 
_ with them again until we returned to the Sweet Water. ie 
Our arrangements for the ascent were rapidly completed. We were in 
~ a hostile country, which rendered the greatest vigilan d circumspec- 
~~ ton n t the north end of the was g erally 
tion necessary. The pass at north en f the mountain was gener 
d by Blackfeet ; and immediately opposite was one of their forts, on 
* 
