CHAPTER III. 



A detachment from the exploring" party ascend the Arkansa to 

 the Rocky Mountains — BelPs Springs — Descent of the Ar- 

 kansa — Grizzly Bear. 



On the morning of the l/th, Captain Bell, with Dr. James 

 and two men, left the encampment of the party proposing to 

 ascend the Arkansa to the mountains. They were furnished 

 with provisions for two days, according to the scanty allow- 

 ance to which now we were reduced. 



The river valley was found so narrow and so obstructed 

 by the timber and the windings of the stream as greatly to 

 obstruct the travelling. We therefore resolved to leave it, 

 and pursue our journey in the open plain at a distance from 

 the river. The course of the Arkansa for the first twenty 

 miles from the mountain is but little south of east. It en- 

 ters the plain at one extremity of an extensive amphitheatre 

 formed by the continued chain of the mountains on the west 

 and northwest and by the projecting spur which contains 

 the High Peak on the east. This semicircular area is about 

 thirty miles in length from north to south and probably twen- 

 ty wide at its southern extremity. The mountains which 

 bound it on the west are high, and at this time were partial- 

 ly covered with snow- 



The surface of the area is an almost unvaried plain, 

 based on a stratum of argillaceous sandstone. Near the foot 

 of the mountain the same sandstone is observed resting in an 

 inclined position against the primitive rocks. It forms a range 

 like that already mentioned when speaking of the moun- 

 tains at the Platte separated from the primitive, by a narrow 

 valley. On entering this valley, we found the recent trace 

 of a large party of Indians travelling with skin lodges, who 



