Rocky Mountains. 149 



abundant than in any region we had passed since we left the 

 Missouri. Extensive forests appeared in the distant horizon, 

 and the prairies in every direction were intersected by creeks 

 and ravines, fringed by lines of timber. The aspect of the 

 country is very similar to that of Grand river and the lower 

 part of the Missouri, but the soil is more fertile. The first 

 elevations rise from forty to fifty feet above the bed of the 

 river, and these are succeeded by others ascending by an al- 

 most imperceptible slope towards the interior. Among the 

 trees on the uplands are the black cherry, the linden, and the 

 honey locust all indicating a fertile soil. 



A liitle before we halted to dine, Adams, our interpreter 

 of Spanish, having dropped some article of baggage return- 

 ed on the track for the purpose of recovering it, and as he 

 did not join us again we concluded he must have missed his 

 way. 



At evening we returned to the valley of the river and pla- 

 ced our camp under a small Cottonwood tree, upon one of 

 whose branches was a swarm of bees. These useful insects 

 reminded us of the comforts and luxuries of life among men, 

 and at the same time gave us the assurance that we were 

 drawing near the abodes of civilization. Bees, it is said by 

 the hunter and the Indians, are rarely if ever seen more than 

 two hundred and fifty or three hundred miles in advance of 

 the white settlements. 



On receiving the first intimation of the absence of Adams, 

 who had been following in the rear of the party, a man was 

 sent back to search for, and bring him to our encampment; 

 but as he could not be found we concluded that he had mis- 

 sed our path, and probably gone forward. We were confirmed 

 in this belief, when on the following morning we discovered 

 the track of a solitary mule, which had passed down along 

 the bed of the river. This we accordingly followed, not 

 doubting but Adams must soon perceive he had passed us, 

 and would wait until we should overtake him. 



