This Is The Itinerary That Was Exactly Carried Out.
The Very First Incident Set Forth In The Journal Is A Celebration
Of Independence Day, As Follows:
-
"Friday, July 4. Early in the morning three hunters were
sent out. The rest of the party having collected the horses
and breakfasted, we proceeded at seven o'clock up the valley,
which is now contracted to the width of from eight to ten miles,
with a good proportion of pitch-pine, though its low lands,
as well as the bottoms of the creeks, are strewn with large stones.
We crossed five creeks of different sizes, but of great depth,
and so rapid that in passing the last several of the horses
were driven down the stream, and some of our baggage was wet.
Near this river we saw the tracks of two Indians, whom we supposed
to be Shoshonees. Having made sixteen miles, we halted at an hour
for the purpose of doing honor to the birthday of our early
country's independence. The festival was not very splendid,
for it consisted of a mush made of cows and a saddle of venison;
nor had we anything to tempt us to prolong it. We therefore
went on till at the distance of a mile we came to a very
large creek, which, like all those in the valley, had an immense
rapidity of descent; we therefore proceeded up for some distance,
in order to select the most convenient spot for fording.
Even there, however, such was the violence of the current that,
though the water was not higher than the bellies of the horses,
the resistance made in passing caused the stream to rise over their
backs and loads.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 323 of 362
Words from 98715 to 98998
of 110166
