50 



FROM FORT KEARNY TO FORT LARAMIE. 



much meat as two pack-mules could carry — their riding-mules also 

 being loaded with the same welcome freight. They had killed three 

 elk and an antelope. Ther. in the sun, with fresh breeze, at 12|- 

 o'clock, 981°. 



Monday^ July 9. — Ther. at sunrise, 55° ; Bar. 26.26 ; Wind N. 

 W. I determined this morning to examine more particularly the 

 curious bluffs or range which extends from the Court-house to 

 Chimney Rock, and on beyond nearly to Scott's Bluffs. Riding 

 south from the road for a distance of about five miles over an open 

 prairie, cut up in every direction by hollows and little short ridges, 

 we arrived at a pass or gorge through what appeared to be the 

 main bluff, or southern boundary of the Platte valley. The cliffs 

 on either side of the pass were about thirty feet high, and presented 

 a section of clay, sandy clay, and calcareous sandstone. In some 

 places, projecting from the side of the cliff, were rounded layers of 

 the latter rock, disposed in a vertical direction, presenting the ap- 

 pearance of the vertebrae of some large animal. On reaching the 

 summit of the pass, I found that this range, instead of being the 

 main bluff bounding the Platte valley, was only a high ridge sepa- 

 rating it from that of Lawrence's Fork. The latter stream here 

 runs about north-east, through a broad, level prairie, four or five 

 miles wide, bounded by a high bluff on its southern side, and dis- 

 charges itself into the Platte many miles below ; the stream forks 

 just above, and a high, broad ridge, similar in its character to that 

 we had just crossed, divided the two branches, the valleys of which 

 seemed to extend a considerable distance to the west. A few trees 

 were seen on the farther one. In the pass, two handsome varie- 

 ties of Digitalis occurred, both of a blue colour, one with glabrous 

 leaves, and flowers of a bright blue, the other with pubescent leaves, 

 and flowers not so bright ; a dwarf white chrysanthemum was also 

 found in the same locality. I hoped to find some more specimens of 

 lignite on this stream, which is the same that washes the base of the 

 Court-house lower down, where that substance was seen yesterday. 

 I accordingly rode out to it. It was here a beautiful bubbling brook, 

 flowing with a rapid current over sand and rolled stones, brought 

 down from the Court-house ridge in immense quantities. No 

 lignite was discovered at this spot, although I have little doubt that 

 it exists higher up, near the sources of this little stream. 



The south side of the ridge, which we followed until nearly op- 

 posite the Chimney Rock, presents the same fantastic appear- 

 ance as does that fronting the Platte valley, being worn by the 



