Rocky Mountains. 31 



On the south the mountain is continued, having another 

 summit (probably that ascended by Captain Pike,) at the dis- 

 tance of eight or ten miles. This, however, falls much below 

 the High Peak in point of elevation, being wooded quite to 

 its top. Between the two lies a small lake, about a mile long 

 and half a mile wide, discharing eastward into the Boiling- 

 spring creek. A few miles farther towards the south, the 

 range containing these two peaks terminates abruptly. 



The weather was calm and clear, while we remained on the 

 Peak, but we were surprised to observe the air in every di- 

 rection filled with such clouds of grasshoppers, as partially 

 to obscure the day. They had been seen in vast numbers 

 about all the higher parts of the mountain, and many had 

 fallen upon the snow and perished. It is perhaps difficult to 

 assign the cause, which induces these insects to ascend to 

 those highly elevated regions of the atmosphere. Possibly 

 they may have undertaken migrations to some remote dis- 

 trict, but there appears not the least uniformity in the direc- 

 tion of their movements.* They extended upwards from the 

 summit of the mountain, to the utmost limit of vision, and 

 as the sun shone brightly, they could be seen by the glittering 

 of their wings, at a very considerable distance. 



About all the woodless parts of the mountain, and parti- 

 cularly oil the summit, numerous tracks were seen resembling 

 those of die common deer, but they most probably have been 

 those of the big-horn. The skulls and horns of these ani- 

 mals we had repeatedly seen near the licks and saline springs 

 at the foot of the mountain, but they are known to resort 

 principally about the most elevated and inaccessible places. 



The party remained on the summit only about half an hour. 



* Notes referring' particularly to t'lis grasshopper, and to many other 

 insects, and many other animals, collected ou the Platte, and about the 

 mountains, were subsequently lost, in the robbery committed hy three of 

 the soldiers, whc deserted from the party in the country of the Osages. It 

 is on this account that the name of the insect alluded t<,), cannot be given, 

 as it is now impossible to identify the specimen. 



