Rocky Mountains, 223 



One of the party, on attempting to cross this creek, was 

 thrown into the water, in consequence of his horse having 

 plunged suddenly beyond his depth; he, however, avoided 

 being carried down with the rapid current by seizing the 

 depending bough of i tree; the horse also was fortunately 

 saved. By taking a diffirrent direction we all passed over 

 without further casualty. But we were unable to trace any 

 farther the party that we thus ascertained to have so recently 

 preceded us, their footsteps being here entirely obliterated 

 by the rain. 



At the distance of sixteen miles, we encamped at an early 

 hour on the bank of the river, and sent out hunters, who, 

 however, after examining the vicinity, returned unsuccessful. 

 Our three meals were, therefore, again, by stern necessity, 

 reduced to a single frugal one, and our table, the soil, vas 

 set with a few mouldy biscuit crumbs boiled in a large quan- 

 tity of water, with the nutricious addition of some grease. 



Julien, who had been despatched for the peace flag, which 

 was casually left at a ravine, to our great satisfacti^m return- 

 ed with a skunk, or pole-cat, that he had fortunately killed. 

 This we determined to preserve for a feast to-morrow. 



21st. One of our horses strayed away last night, and could 

 not now be found; we, therefore, set out without him, and 

 as usual without breakfasting. The Indian trace was again 

 discovered, and pursued about nine miles to the dining 

 place at noon. Here we were obliged to have recourse for 

 food to a little treasured store of dried bison meat, which 

 when all issued, amounted to the pittance of two ounces per 

 man; this added to the soup maigre of the skunk, and a half 

 pint of the crumbs of bread, afforded a tolerably good though 

 far from abundant meal. 



Proceeded on under an extreme atmospheric tempera- 

 ture of ninety degrees. Several deer were seen, but they 

 proved to be so shy, that our hunters, perhaps through over 

 eagerness, did not succeed in approaching them within gun- 



