oe 
[ 174 ] 162 
runs along the upland plain nearly to its mouth, and an abrupt descent of 
pasheps 200 feet brought us down immediately upon the stream, which at 
the ford is 100 yards wide. and 3 feet deep, with clear water, a swift cur- 
rent, and gravelly bed; but alittle higher up the breadth was only about. 
_ 35 yards, with apparently deep water. 
In the bottom 1 remarked a very great number of springs and sloughs, 
with remarkably clear water and gravel beds. «:! sunset we encamped with 
Mr. Talbot and our friends, who came on “to Fort Hall when we went to 
the lake, and whom we had the satisfaction to find all well, neither party 
having met with any mischance in the interval of our separation. They, 
too, had had ‘their share of fatigue and scanty provisions, as there had 
been very little game left on the trail of the populous emigration ; and Mr. 
Fitzpatrick had rigidly husbanded our stock of flour and light provisions, 
in view of the approaching winter and the long journey before us. 
* September 19.—This morning the sky was very dark and gloomy, and 
-at daylight it began snowing thickly, and continued all day, with cold, dis- 
agreeable weather. Atsunrise the temperature was 43°. Irode up to the 
fort, and purchased from Mr. Grant (the officer in charge of the post) sev- 
eral very indifferent horses, and five oxen in very fine order, which weré 
received at the camp with great satisfaction ; and, one being killed at even- 
ing, the usual gayety and good humor were at once restored. Night came 
in stormy. 
September 20.—We had a night of snow and rain, and the thermometer 
at sunrise was at 34° ; the morning was dark, witha steady rain, and there 
was still an inch of snow on the ground, with an abundance on the neigh- 
boring hills and mountains. The sudden change in the weather was hard 
for our animals, who trembled and shivered in the cold—sometimes taking 
refuge in the timber, and now and then coming out and raking the snow 
off the ground for a little grass, or eating the young willows. 
tember 21.—Ice made tolerably thick during the night, and in the 
morning the weather cleared up very bright, with a temperature at sunrise 
of 29° ; and I obtained a meridian observation for latitude at the fort, with 
observations for time. e sky was again covered in the afternoon, and 
2 thermometer at sunset 48°. 
iaemtember 22.—The morning was cloudy and unpleasant, and at sunrise 
a cold rain commenced, with a temperature of 41°. 
The early approach of winter, and the difficulty of supporting a large 
party, determined me to send back a number of the men who had become 
_ Satisfied that they were not fitted for the laborious service and frequent pri- 
vation to which they were necessarily exposed, and which-there was reason 
to believe would become more severe in the further extension of the voyage. 
I aeeordingly called them together, and, informing them of my intention to 
-continue our journey during the ensuing winter, in the course of which 
hey would probably be exposed to considerable hardship, succeeded in 
prevailing upon a number of them to return voluntarily. These were: 
Charles De Forrest, Henry Lee, J. Campbell, Wm. Creuss, A. Vasquez, A. 
Pera, Patrick White, B. Tesson, M. Creely, F rancois Lajeunesse, Basil 
Lajeunesse. Among these, ! regretted very much to lose Basil Lajeunesse, 
one of the best men in my party, who was obliged, by the condition of his 
family, to be at home in the coming winter. Our preparations having been 
eompleted in the interval of our stay here, both parties: were ready this 
+ 
worming to resume 
