Rocky Mountains. 93 



to encamp. After sunset we found a small puddle of stagnant 

 water in the bed of the creek, which though extremely im- 

 pure, was not as bitter as that near which we halted in the 

 middle of the day. Neither wood nor bison dung could be 

 found, so that being unable to kindle a fire, we were com- 

 pelled to rest satisfied with the eighth part of a sea biscuit 

 each for supper, that being the utmost our supplies would 

 allow. In the afternoon one of our hunters had killed a bad- 

 ger, which was all the game we had, and this we were com- 

 pelled to reserve until we could make a fire to cook it. 



3d. Little delay was occasioned by our preparations for 

 breakfast. The fourth part of a biscuit, which had been is- 

 sued to each man on the preceding evening, and which was 

 to furnish both supper and breakfast, would have required 

 little time had all of it remained to be eaten, which was not 

 the case. We were becoming somewhat impatient on account 

 of thirst, having met with no water which we could drink, 

 for near twenty-four hours. Accordingly getting upon our 

 horses at an early hour, we moved down the valley, passing 

 an extensive tract, whose soil is a loose red sand, intermixed 

 with gravel and small pebbles, and producing nothing but a 

 few sunflowers and sand-cherries still unripe. While we 

 should remain upon a soil of this description, we could scarce- 

 ly expect to meet with water or wood, for both of which we 

 began to feel the most urgent necessity, and as the prospect 

 of the country before us promised no change, it is not sur- 

 prising we should have felt a degree of anxiety' and alarm, 

 which, added to our sufferings from hunger and thirst, made 

 our situation extremely unpleasant. We had travelled greater 

 part of the day enveloped in a burning atmosphere, some- 

 times letting fall upon us the scorching particles of sand 

 which had been raised by the wind, sometimes almost suffo- 

 cating by its entire stagnation, when we had the good for- 

 tune to meet with a pool of stagnant water, which though 

 muddy and brackish, was not entirely impotable, and afford- 



