Rocky Mountains-, 231 



of about twenty-one miles, during which the greatest degree 

 of heat was 92''. 



Several small flocks of the common wild pigeons flew by 

 us both yesterday and to-day, in a southerly direction. 



29th. After some detention in seeking a troublesome horse 

 that had strayed, we again proceeded forward fasting. This 

 abstinence, to which we have been several times subjected, 

 affects one of our party in a singular and uniform manner: 

 his voice becomes hollow-toned, and his hearing much im- 

 paired, a state that is popularlv known, as he expresses it, 

 by the phrase of the almonds of the ears being down. 



We pursued the Indian path a considerable distance this 

 morning, but as its course continued to diverge from the 

 river, and we were fearful of deviating too far, we abandon- 

 ed it, and by an oblique course endeavoured to regain the 

 river. Here, however, the undergrowth being almost imper- 

 vious, induced our return to the path, which we again attain- 

 ed near an Indian huntmg camp of the past season, situate 

 in a beautiful prairie, near a gently swelling hill. Here find- 

 ing a little water in a ravine puddle, we halted, and served 

 out a stinted ration of dried meat to each individual, instead 

 of dinner, which so far from gratifying, tended to stimulate 

 our desire for food. 



Having been some days entirely destitute of tobacco in 

 any shape, those of the party who are habituated to the use 

 of it experience an additional and formidable privation. One 

 of the men, who was erroneously supposed to have still a 

 remnant of the precious stimulant in his possession, was 

 heard to reply to an earnest and most humble petition for 

 a small taste of it, or to be allowed to apply his tongue to 

 it, " every man chaws his own tobacco, and them that has'nt 

 any, chaws leaves." 



During the prevalence of the greatest heat of the day, 

 which was ninety-four degrees, we again set forward, and 

 passed over a gently undulated surface supporting an open 



