+ 
He # W265, [ 174] 
We conn at evening on the princi ape fork of Medicine Bow river, 
near to an isolated mountain called the Medicine Butte, which appeared to 
be about 1,800 feet above the plain, from which it rises abruptly, and was 
still white, nearly to its base, with a great quantity of snow. The streams 
were timbered with the long-leaved cottonwood and red willow ; and dur- 
ing the afternoon a species of onion was very abundant. TI obtained here 
an immersion of the first satellite of Jupiter, which, corresponding very 
nearly with the chronometer, placed us in longitude 106° 47" 25". The 
latitude, by observation, was 41° 37' 16"; Mit above the sea, 7,800 
feet ; and distance from St. Vrain’s fort, 147 m 
Augus st 3.—There was a white frost last night : the morning is clear and 
cool. We were early on the road, having breakfasted before sunrise, and 
in a few miles travel entered the pass of the Medicine Bute, through which 
led a broad trail, which had been recently travelled by a very large party. 
Immediately in the pass, the road was broken by ravines, and we were 
obliged to clear a way through groves of aspens, which generally made 
their appearance when we reached elevated regions. According to the ba- 
rometer, this was 8,300 feet; and while we w he atte in opening a 
road, I obtained a ‘meridional observation of the sun, which gave 41° 35’ 
48" for the latitude of the pass. The Medicine Butte’ is isolated by a small 
tributary of the North fork of the Platte, but the mountains approach each 
other very nearly; the stream running at their feet. On the south t 
are smooth, with occasional streaks of pine; but the butte itself is ra 
with escarpments of red feldspathic granite, and dark with pines ; the: snow 
reaching from the summit to within a few hundred feet of the trail. The 
anite here was more compact and durable than that in the formation 
which we had passed through a few days before to the eastward of Lara- 
mie. Continuing our way over a plain on the west side of the pass, where 
the road was Reap rough with errr e: we etn ey euug encamp> 
yyage had already Pics | long, 5 yn lag Ric the first good 
| ot jained. We travelled to-day 2 
mn ¢ was clear and calm; and, earing ht creek, . 
ards the North fork of the Platte, over a plain which was 
rendered rough and broken by ravines. With the exception of some thin 
grasses, the sandy soil here was occupied almost exclusively by ag * 
with its usual turpentine odor. We had expected to meet with some di 
culty in crossing the river, but happened to strike it where ther @ was a very 
excellent ford, and halted to noon on the Jeft bank, 200 miles from St. 
_ Vrain’s fort. The hunters brought in pack animals loaded with fine meat. 
A ing to our imperfect knowledge of the er OE theré should have 
been a small affluent to this stream a few we higher up; and in the aftet- 
noon we continued our way among the river hills, in the expectation of en- 
camping upon it in the’evening. The ground proved to beso exc 
diffieult, broken up into hills, terminating in escarpments and broad ravines, 
500 or 600 feet deep, with sides so precipitous that we could scarcely fi nd 
a ined descend, that, towards stmset, I turped directly “in toware 
"river, ner nightfall: entered a sort of ravine: We were apliget to feel 
e 
