* 
{ 4] 106 
Jacob Dodson, a free young colored man of Washington city, who vol- 
unteered to accompany the expedition, and performed his duty manfully 
throughout the voyage. Two Delaware Indians—a fine-looking old man 
and hisson—were engaged to accompany the expedition as hunters, through 
the kindness of Major Cummins, the excellent Indian agent. L. Max well, 
who had accompanied the expedition as one of the hunters in 1, being 
on oa way to Taos, in New Mexico, also joined us at this place 
arty was armed generally with Hall’s carbines, which, witha brass 
12-lb. howities had been furnished to me from the United States arsenal at 
St. Louis, agreeably to the orders of Colonel S. W. Kearney, paircaonand 
the 3d military division. Three men were especially detailed for the m 
agement of this piece, under ~~ eee _ Louis Zindel, a native of ina. 
ny, who had been 19 years n-commissioned officer of artillery in the 
russian army, and regularly poeaned i in the duties of his profession. The 
camp equipage and provisions were transported in twelve carts, drawn each 
by two mules; and a light covered wagon, mounted on good springs, had 
hemmpromided for the safer carriage of the instruments. These 
One refracting pode a by Frauenhofer. 
One reflecting b 
Two sextants, by Troughton. 
One pocket chronometer, No. 837, by Goffe, Falmouth. 
One pocket chronometer, No. 739, by Brockbank. 
One syphon barometer, by Bunten, Paris. 
One cistern barometer, by Frye & & Shaw, New York. 
Six thermometers, and a number of small compasses. 
1 + 
To make the exploration as useful as possible, I determined, in confann- 
ity to your general instructions, to vary the route to the Roc ocky mountains 
from that followed in the yeaP1842. The route then was up the valley of 
‘the Great Platte river to the South Pass, in north latitude 42°; the route 
now determined on was up the vailey of ‘the Kansas river, and to the head 
of the Arkansas, and to some pass in the mountains, if any could be found, 
» at the sources of that river. 
By making this deviation from the former > the problem of a new 
road to Oregon and California, in aclima e genial, might be solved ; 
and a better owledge obtained of an seatcaents river, and the country it 
drained, while the f the expedition would find its point of 
commencement at the LaPiNeiatioh f the former, which was at that great 
gate in the ridge of the Rocky mountains called the South Pass, and on the 
oa peak of the: mountain which overlooks it, deemed the highest peak in 
» and from the opposite sides of which four great rivers take their 
& 
oe 
ve 
* 
to oe Pacific or the Mississippi. 
delayed our departure until the morning of the 29th,. 
wach: our long voyage; and at the close of a day, rendered 
A by i incessant rain, ——— about four miles beyond the 
ge of io ee prairie 
; e 3ist, ane the delay of aday to complete 
h hiesclves” with some of the comforts of civilized 
aga at Elm sage company with several 
tuting a party which was proceeding to Upper Cal- 
on of Mr. J. B. Childs, of Missouri. The € wagons 
ed with ; ge and farming, utensiis, con- 
= 
