322 Capt. Blakiston’s Explorations in the Rocky Mountains. 
bearings of this mountain, to which I gave the name of ‘The 
Pyramid.” 
We camped at the forks of a creek, called by our hunter the 
“Strong Current.” Here he was successful enough to procnre a 
few fine mountain trout, which proved a very agreeable change 
to our ordinary fare, which consisted of dried buffalo meat, con- 
taining 2s means too large a proportion of fat, washed down 
by tea. Bread was not in our bill of fare, and I may here state, 
that during the whole summer while travelling, with the excep- 
tion of two Sundays, I never tasted a morsel of farinaceous food. 
This may appear astonishing, but when continually travelling, 
with the appetite sharpened by a ride over the prairie in the 
ze of the mountains, one becomes acccustomed to do 
without flour, salt, sugar, &., which under other circumstances 
would be considered indispensable. 
The next day was Saturday; we rose early, packed the horses, 
and made a start as usual about sunrise, and travelled on through 
much the same sort of country, the up-lands being generally 
wooded, while the bottoms were partially covered by scrub- 
willow and other bushes. We halted between 8 and 9 a. M. for 
breakfast, giving the horses a “spell” of a couple of hours or 
80; then case again, and gained a somewhat elevated position, 
from which we had an extensive view of a fine valley, watered 
by two clear mountain streams, which as they neared the edge 
of the great plains, stretching probably without break for 700 
miles eastward, united, and with mingled waters, pursued their 
course towards Bow River, ultimately to pour themselves into the 
icy basin of Hudson’s Bay. We continued on until we reach 
the southernmost of the two creeks, within ten yards of which, 
under the shade of some fine poplars, I pitched my small patrol 
tent. The valley bottom was a fine piece of prairie pasture for 
the horses, and presented a most suitable resting-place for a 
Sunday camp. I had (for it was only two o'clock), halted in 
sufficient time to allow me to obtain an observation of the sun 
during the afternoon for comparison with one I hoped to obtain 
on the morrow, and so rate my chronometer. This important 
instrument was carried each day, turn about, by one of the men, 
who for that day did nothing else but carry it as carefully a — 
possible. I would recommend this plan to future explorers. In 
a large party, a few of the steadier hands should be selected for 
this service; but the same man should never be obliged to carry 
the instrument every day, lest he become careless. 
_ My ordinary mode of travelling, gave the horses six to seven 
hours’ work per day, with the exception of Sundays. Frequent 
ly I halted from breakfast till noon, in order to obtain an obser> — 
vation for latitude, in which case I camped later. I never, how- = 
ever, gave up the plan which I adopted from the first, of making — 
