[ 174] 122 
round about ; their sides sometimes dark with forests of pine, and sometimes 
with lofty precipices, washed by the river; while below, as if they indem- 
nified theinselves in luxuriance for the scanty space, the green river bot- 
tom was covered with a wilderness of flowers, their tall spikes sotnetimes 
rising above our heads as we rode among them. A profusion of blossoms 
on a white flowering vine, (clematis lastanthi,) which was abundant along 
the river, contrasted handsomely with the green foliage of the trees. The 
mountain appeared to be composed of a greenish gray and red granite, which 
in some places appeared to be ina state of decomposition, making a red soil. 
The stream was wooded with cottonwood, box elder, and cherry, with 
currant and serviceberry bushes. After a somewhat laborious day, during 
which it had rained incessantly, we encamped near the end of the pass at 
the mouth of a small creek, in sight of the great Laramie plains. It con- 
tinued to rain heavily, and at evening the mountains were hid in mists; 
but there was no lack of wood, and the large fires we made to dry our 
clothes were hea comfortable ; and at night the hunters came in with a 
fine deer. Rough and difficult as we found the pass to-day, an excellent: 
road may be made with a little labor. Elevation of the camp 5,540 feet, 
and nce from St. Vrain’s fort 56 miles. 
0.—The day was bright again ; the thermometer at sunrise 52°; 
and faving our eicampment at 8 o’clock, in about half a mile we crossed 
the Cache-a-la-Poudre river for the last time; and, entering a smoother 
country, we travelled along a kind of vallon , bounded on the right by red. 
buttes and precipices, while to the left a high ‘rolling country extended toa 
Tone ie the Black hills, beyond which rose the great mountains around 
By th e great quantity of snow visible among them, it had probably snow- 
ed heavily there the previous day, while it had rained on us in the valley. 
We halted at noon on a small branch ; —— in the afternoon travelled 
over a high country, gradually ase srending to towards a range of duties, or 
high hills covered with pines, which forms ate dividing ridge between the 
waters we had left and those of Laramie river. 
Late in the evening weencamped at a spring of cold water, near the 
summit of the ridge, paige increased our elevation to 7,520 feet. During’ 
the day we had travelled 24 miles. By some indifferent observations, our 
latitude is 41° 02' 19’. A species of hedeome was characteristic along the 
whole day’s route. 
paiergig from the mountains, we entered a region = bright, fair 
i In my experience in this country, I was mtn impressed with 
the different character of the climate on opposite sides of the Rocky moun- 
tain range. The vast prairie plain on the east is like the ocean; the rain 
wads from the constantly evaporating snow of the mountains rushing: 
ato heated air-of the plains, on which you will have occasion tor 
an storms of rain we encountered during our journey. 
—The morning was clear ; temperature 48°. A fine rolling road, 
id grassy hills, brought us this morning into a large trail 
ze had recently passed. The weather was pleasant: 
urbed by neither musquitoes nor flies; and the 
el) Deautifal. The slopes and broad ¥: ravines’ 
ere 
