Sept* 88th ; Msair* The forth Mam Is some 12 miles away, 
hut we are to make it today while the train marches around to the 
northeast side* Reach the summit of the plateau near South Item# 
% ’ , ; >• • ** ■■ 
having crossed in ascending some 200 feet of soft sandstones and 
<*• * f 
marls. Pound the top of the plateau very rough and covered with 
masses of broken basalt and matted with timber. Reached the sum¬ 
mit of the Mara by 3 o’clock and had a good view of the surround¬ 
ing plateaus, of the valley of tha Grand, of the Great Hogback 
and of the Elk Mountains, The mam-shaped summit is some 200 or 
300 feet above the mean and is of dark, coarse, large celled 
basalt. I observed that it had been fortified by Indians and 
found arrow points and flint chips. The defenses were half a 
dosen shallow pits about the top, with low lines of loose stones 
laid along the outer edge* Coeraoncedthe 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 these could speak .American fairly, but they had seen nothing 
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 m 
had a good sleep, although exceedingly tired, having been in 
the saddle 14 hours and afoot two% There was good moonlight, 
hi this plateau region the upper 200 or 300 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 mid brush and grass. 
Sept, 29th : Grand River* Reached the Grand River some 
