121 [ 174] 
of old, to return to her people, requested and obtained permission to travel 
with my party to the neighborhood of Bear river, where she expected to 
meet with some of their villages. Happier than the Jewish widow, she 
carried with her two children, pretty little half-breeds, who added much to 
the liveliness of the camp. Her baggage was carried on five or six pack 
horses; and I gave-her a small tent, for which I no longer had any use, as 
I had procured a lodge at the fort. 
For my own party I selected the following men, a number of whom old 
associations rendered agreeable to me: 
Charles Preuss, Christopher Carson, Basil Lajeunesse, Francois Badeau, 
J. B. Bernier, Louis Menard, Raphael Proue, Jacob Dodson, Louis Zindel, 
Henry Lee, J. B. Derosier, Francois Lajeunesse, and Auguste Vasquez. 
By observation, the latitude of the post is 40° 16’ 33’, and its longitude 
105° 12' 23", depending, with all the other longitudes along this portion of 
the line, upon a subsequent occultation of September 13, 1843, to which 
they are referred by the chronometer. Its distance from Kansas landing, 
by the road we travelled, (which, it will be remembered, was very winding 
along the lower. Kansas river,) was 750 miles. The rate of the chronometer, 
determined by observations at this place for the interval of our absence, 
during this month, was 33.72", which you will hereafter see did not sensibly 
change during the ensuing month, and remained nearly constant during 
the remainder of our journey across the continent. This was the rate used 
in referring to St. Vrain’s fort, the longitude between that place and the 
mouth of the Fontaine-qui-boutt. 
Our various barometrical observations, which are better worthy of con- 
fidence than the isolated determination of 1842, give, for the elevation of 
the fort above the sea, 4,930 feet. The barometer here used was also a 
repose, all the 01 
the 26th we resumed our respective routes. Some little trouble was ex- 
perienced in crossing the Platte, the waters of which were still kept up by 
rains and melting snow; and having travelled only about four miles, we 
encamped in the evening on Thompson’s creek, where we were very much 
disturbed by. musquitoes. ee 
- The following days we continued our march westward over comparative” 
plains, and, fording the Cache-d-la-Poudre on the morning of the 28th, en-. 
tered the Black hills, and nooned on this stream in the mountains beyond 
them. Passing over a fine large bottom in the afternoon, we reachec 
place where the river was shut up in the hills; and, ascending a ravine, 
made a laborious and very difficult passage around by a gap, striking the 
river again about dusk. A little labor, however, would remove this diffi- 
culty, and render the road to. this point a very excellent one. . The evening, 
closed in dark with rain, and the mountains looked gloomy. ’ 
| 1pment about 7 inthe morning, we travelled 
the river, which, for this distance of about 
of the main mountains. a 
