The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-28

pass. In several places high rocks lay scattered
about in the channel and in the narrows II required
all strength and skill 10 pyoid STAYING the boat
the sharp points. In one Of these, the boat proved
little too broad, and stuck fast for an instant,
while the water flew over u.s. fortunately II was but
for instant, united strength forced her I'M
medialely through. The water swept overheard
only sextant and pair of saddlebags | caught
the sexiant as il passed by me; but the saddlebags
became the prey Of the whirlpools. We reached the
place where Mr. Preuss was standing, took him ON
board, and. with the aid of the boat, put the men
with the rope on. the succeeding pile Of rocks. We
found this passage much worse than the previous
one, and position was rather a bad one. To 60
back was impossible before us, the cataract was
| sheet Of foam; and, shut up in the chasm by the
rocks, which in some places seemed almost to meet
overhead, the roar of the water was deafening
We pushed off again; but after making little DIS
ance the force Of the current became too great for
the on shore, and two of them let go the rope
Lajeunesse, the third man, hung on, and was jerked
headforemost into the river from rock about twelve
| feet high; and down the boat shot like an arrow,
Basil following us in the rapid current, and exert
ing all his strength to keep in mid channehis head
only occasionally like black spot in the white
| foam. How far we went, do not exactly know
but we succeeded in turning the boat into an eddy
| below. "'Crs Dieu," said Basil Laieunesse, as he
arrived Immediately after US, "Je erois bien que tai
mage un demi miie.n He had owed his life to-
his skill as swimmer and determined to take
MN the OtLerS DOdru, anu trust 10 Skill
fortune to reach the other end in safety We placed
ourselves our knees with the short paddles in
our hands, the most skillfu boatman being at the
bow; and again we commenced our rapid descent
We cleared rock after rock, and shot past fall after
fall little boat seeming to play with the cataract
We became flushed with success and familiar with
the danger; and, yielding to the excitement Of the
occasion, broke forth together into Canadian boat
song. Singing, rather shouting, we dashed along
and were, believe, in the mds, of the chorus when
/ al. u A.
foot OF fall, which whired her over in an instant
Three of my men could not SWIM and my first feel
ing was to assist them, and of our effects
but sharp conclusion or two convinced me that
had not yet saved myself A few strokes brought
me into an eddy, and landed on pile of rocks on
the left side. Looking around, saw that Mr..
Preuss had gained the shore on the side, about
twenty yards below and little climbing and swim
ming soon brought him 10 my side. On the oppo-.
site side against the wall, lay the boat bottom up;
and Lambert was in the act of saving Desco-
teaux, whom he had grasped by the hair, and who
could not swim; "Lache pas" said he, as | AFTER
wards learned, "iache pas, cher rere" Grains pa"
was the reply, "Je men vais n,onir 6rant que de Il
dcber." Such was the reply of courage and generos-
ity in this danger. For hundred yards below, the
current was covered with floating books and boxes,
bales Of blankets, and scattered articles of clothing;
and so strong and boiling was the stream that even
our heavy Instruments, which were all in cases,
kept on the surface, and the sextant, circle,
and the long black box of the telescope,
were in view at once. For a moment, felt
somewhat disheartened. All our books-almost
every record Of the ourney-our journals and regis
tiers of astronomical and barometrical observations
had been lost in moment But il was no time to
indulge in regrets; and Immediately set about err
deavoring to save something from the wreck, Ma
king ourselves understood as well as possible by
signs, (for nothing could be heard in the roar Of
waters,) we commenced our operations. Ofevery-
thing on board the only article that had been saved
was my double-barreled gun, which Descoteaux
had caught, and chung to with drowning tenacity
The men continued down the river on the left bank.
Mr.. Preuss and myself descended on the side we
were on; and Lajeunessc, with paddle in his hand
jumped on the boat alone, and continued down the
cation. She was now light and cleared every bad
place with much less difficulty. In short time, he
was joined by Lambert; and the search was coHtn-
ued for about mile and half, which was as far as
the boat could proceed in the pass.
"Here the walls were about five hundred feet
high, and the fragments of rocks from above had
choked the river into hollow pass, but one or two
feet above the surface. Through this and the in
terstces of the rock, the water found its way Fa-
vored beyond our expectations, all of our registers
had been recovered with the exception of one Of my
Journals, which contained the notes and incidents Of
travel, and Typographical descriptions, number Of
&c Uttered astronomical observations principally me-
ridian attitudes Of the sun, and our barometrical
register west Of Laramie. Fortunately, our other
journals contained duplicates of the most important
barometrical observations which had been taken in
the mountains. These, with few scattered notes,
were all that had been preserved Of our meeorolog
cal observations In addition to these we saved the
circle; and these, with few blankets, constituted
everything that had been rescued from the waters y
After this perilous adventure Fremont found him.
self and the few men who had used the boat with him.
with their lives safe, but drenched to the skim with
out provisions, arms and ammunition gone "en-
trey at the mercy of any struggling party of saw
ages, and not little in danger of sarvation.' The
day was passing away, and it was necessary that
he should reach before night place called Goat
island, to which the part of his party which could
not take the boat had gone by land. He clambered
up the banks Of the river, and pursued his weary
course; yet, even under these sufferings and ex-
posures perceive his delight in the beauties of the
scenes around him: s
"The scenery was extremely picturesque, and,
notwithstanding forlorn condition. we were FIRE.
quently obliged to stop and admire it, Our progress
was not very rapid. We had emerged from the
water half naked, and. arriving at the top Of the
precipice, found myself with only one moccasin.
The fragments Of rock made walking painful. and
Was frequently obliged to stop, and pull out the
thorns Of the cactus here the prevailing plant, and
with which a few minutes walk covered the bottom
of my feet"
These are some Of the trials to which such hardy
adventures are exposed, and which require the
greatest energies of body and mind successfully to
surmount. He had previously described his daring
ascent of one of the peaks Of the Wind River chain.
we climb with him;--we hear the roar Of dreadful
cafaracts-we stop shuddering upon the edge Of pre-
cpices;.-wc suffer with him the pains OF hunger
and cold and sink with him exhausted from the
difficult breathing in such elevated regions AT last
accomplished.
Putting hands and feet in the crevices between
the blocks, succeeded in getting over it, and, when
reached the top, found my companions in small
valley below Descending to them, we continued
sprang upon the summit and another step would
have precIpltatcd me into immense snowfeld FIVE
hundred feet below. To the edge Of this field was
sheer icy precipice; and then, with gradual fall.
the field sloped off for about mile until it struck
row crest, about three feet in width with an incina
ton OF about 200 N. $40 E. As soon as had graft
ned the first feelings of curiosity, descended, and