Rocky Mountains. 33 



the night in so bleak and inhospitable a situation. We could 

 not, however, proceed without imminent danger from preci- 

 pices, and by the aid of a good fire, and no ordinary degree 

 of fatigue, we found ourselves able to sleep during a greater 

 part of the night. 



At day -break on the following morning the thermometer 

 stood at 38^; as we had few comforts to leave, we quitted 

 our camp as soon as the light was sufficient to enable us to 

 proceed, and had travelled about three hours, when we dis- 

 covered a dense column of smoke rising from a deep ravine 

 on our left. As we concluded this could be no other 

 than the smoke of the encampment where we had left our 

 blankets and provisions, we descended directly towards it. 

 The fire had spread and burnt extensively among the leaves, 

 dry grass, and small timber, and was now raging over an 

 extent of several acres. This created some apprehension lest 

 the smoke might attract the notice of any Indians, who 

 should be at that time in the neighbourhood, and who might 

 be tempted by our weakness to offer some molestation. But 

 we spon discovered a less equivocal cause of regret, in the 

 loss of our cache of provisions, blankets, clothing, &c. which 

 had not escaped the conflagration. Most of our baggage was 

 destroyed, but out of the ruins we collected a scanty break- 

 fast, of the half consumed fragments of the bison's meat. We 

 chose a different route for the remaining part of the descent, 

 from the one we had taken in going up, and by that means 

 avoided a part of the difficulty arising from the crumbled gra- 

 nite; but this was nearly counterbalanced by the increased 

 numbers of yuccas and prickly pears. 



We arrived, a little after noon, at the Boiling spring, where 

 we indulged freely in the use of its highly serated and ex- 

 hilarating waters. In the bottom of both these springs a great 

 number of beads and other small articles of Indian ornament 

 were found, having unquestionably been left there as sacri- 

 fices or presents to the springs, which are regarded with a sort 



VOL. 11. 5 



