Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-10-18

along the valley Of that riyei,


400 miirs more by the Kansas, and
about 700 by the Great Platte route;
these additions being steamboat con-
veyance in both instances. From this
pass TO the mouth Of the Oregon is
ahoat l4oo miles by the common trav-
cling route; so that under a general
point Of view, it may be assumed to be
about half way between the Mississip-
| pi and the Pacific ocean, on the COM
mon travelling route. Following
hollow Of slight and easy descent, in
which was very soon formed little
tributary to the Gulf Of California,
(for the waters which flow west from
the South Pass 60 to this gulf we
made our usual halt four miles from
the pass, ia latitude by observation, 42
deg 10 min. So see. Entering here
the valley Of Green river--the great
Colorado of the West--and inclining
very much TO the southwark along the
streams which form the Sandy river,
the road led for several days over dry
and level undressing plains;to which
a low scrubhy growth Of ariemisa gave
uniform dull grayish color; and on
the evening of the 18th we eneamped
10 the Mexican territory. on the left
bank Of Green river, 60 miles from the
South Pass, in longitude ITO deg. %
min. O5 sec, and latitude Al deg. 81
min. 81 Sec, distant 1881 miles from
the mouth Of the Kansas. This is the
emigrant road to Oregon, which bears
much to the southwark, to avoid the
moutains about the western heads OF
Green river--the Rio Verde OF the
Spaniards."
The rapid and wasterul destruction
OF the bvsalo in the western wilder
ness has often been alluded to and la
mcnted by travellers, yet the SUBJECTS
Of so much importance that we cannot
omit Captain Fremont's very sensible
observations upon il. On August 80.
in latitude AZ deg, Ia min. % sec, and
longitude about I'D:
"a number of Indians came to visit
lis. and several men were sent TO the
village with goods, tobacco, knives,
cloth, vcrmilion, and the usual trink-
cts, to exchange for provisions. But
they had no game of any kind; and It
was difficult TO obtain any roots from
them. as they were miserably poor,
and had but little to spare from their
winter stock Of provisions. Several
Of the Indians drew aside their blank
cts, showed me their lean and bony
fingers: and l would not any longer
tempt them by display Of our mer-
chandize to part with their wrctchcd
subsistence, when they gave rs rea-
son that it would expose them to tenn
porary starvation. A great portion Of
the region Inhabited by this nation fors
merly aboundcd in game; the buiert
ranging abont in herds, 40 we have
found them on the eastern waters, aud
the plains dotted with scattered bands
Of antelope; but so rapidly have they
disappeared within few years, that
now, as we journeyed along, an occa-
sional buffalo skull and few wild an
tclopc were all that remained of the
abundance which had covered the
country with animal life.
"Thc extraordinary rapidly with
which the buffalo is disappearing from
our territories will not appear surpri-
sing, when we remember the great
scale on which their destruction Is
yearly carried on. With inconsidera-
bic exceptions. the business OF the
American trading posts is carried on
in their skins; every year the Indian
villages make new lodges, for which
the skin ofibe buffalo furnishes the ma
terial; and in thgt portion of the coun-
try where they arc still found, the In
dams derive their entrie support from
them, and slaughter them with a
thoughtless and abominable cxtfaya-
gance. Like the Indians themselves,
they have been characteristic Of the
Great West; and as, like them, they
are visibly diminishing. it will BIO in
teresting TO throw glance backward
through the last twenty years, and give
some account Of their former distri5 o.
ton through the country, and the limit
of their western range.
"The information is derived pria-
cipally from Mr.. Fitzpatrick, sup ported
by my own personal knowledge and
acquaintance with the country. Our
knowledge does not go further back
than the spring Of 1894, at which time