- 
Sept. 28th: Maim. The North {lam Is some 12 miles away, 
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hut we are to make it today while the train marches around to the 
northeast side. Reach the summit of the plateau near South Maqrja., 
having crossed in ascending some 200 feet of soft sandstones and 
marls. Round the top of the plateau very rough and oovered with 
masses of broken basalt and matted with timber. Reached the sum¬ 
mit of the ham by 5 o’clock and had a good view of the su 
ing plateaus, of the valley of the Grand, of the■Great Hogback 
and of the Elk Mountains. The mam-shaped summit is some 200 or 
300 feet above the mesa and is of dark, coarse, large celled 
basalt. 1 observed that it had been fortified by Indians and 
found arrow points and flint chips. efenses i , half a 
dozen shallow pits about the top, with low lines of loose stones 
laid along.the outer edge. Commenced the. descent within an hour 
of sunset and by dark reached the lower border of the timber 
and discovered some five miles down a valley a camp fire. Two 
hours later came to the fire and found only an Indian camp.One 
of those could speak American fairly, but they had seen go thin 
of our party. We then set out on the trail south, supposing 
that they had camped short of instructions and at 11 o’clock 
arrived in the sleeping group. Spencer got us supper and we 
had a good sleep, although exceedingly tired, having been in 
the saddle 14 hours and afoot two. There was good moonlight. 
In this plateau region the upper 200 or 500 feet are generally 
covered with spruce, below which is a belt of aspens as hand¬ 
some as possible - below these only oak bushes and other scrub 
trees and brush and grass. 
Sept. 29th : Grand River. Reached the Grand River some 
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