Rocky Mountains. 83 



phyritic greenstone. These are in some places accumulated 

 in such quantities as greatly to retard the traveller. 



At half past eleven A. M*, a violent storm with high and 

 cold wind, came on from the northeast, and continued for 

 two hours. Soon after its commencement we halted to dine, 

 but were unable to find a spot affording wood, until so much 

 rain had fallen as to wet our clothing and baggage. Fire 

 was almost the only comfort we could now command, our 

 provision being so nearly^trxhausted, that about an ounce of 

 jerked bison meat was all that could be allowed each man 

 for his dinner. 



The rain ceasing, we again resumed our march, but had 

 not proceeded far, when we were overtaken by a second 

 storm from the N. E., still more violent than the first, and 

 attended with such pelting hail, that our horses refused to 

 proceed in any direction, except that of the wind, so that 

 rather than suffer ourselves to be. carried off our course, we 

 were compelled to halt and sit patiently upon our horses; 

 opposing our backs to the storm, we waited for its violence 

 to abate. As soon as the hail ceased, we moved on; the water 

 pouring in streams from our mockasins and every part of 

 our dress. The rain continued until dark, when being unable 

 to find wood, and having no occasion for water, we halted, 

 and without the delay of cooking supper or eating it, we set 

 up our tent, and piled ourselves together under it in the most 

 social manner imaginable. During the day, the mercury had 

 fallen from 70'' to 47", indicating a change of temperature, 

 which was the more severely felt as we were hungry, wet, 

 and much fatigued. As we had neither dry clothing nor 

 blankets, we could find no other method of restoring the 

 warmth to our benumbed bodies than by placing them to- 

 gether in the least possible compass. We spent a cheerless 

 night, in the course of which Mr. Peale experienced an 

 alarming attack of a spasmodic affection of the stomach in- 



