The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-28
COM MU NICATION vs..
For the Union.
FREMoNT's EXPEDITIONS.
w. F. TAYLOR.


For the Union.
FREMONT'S EXPEDITIONS.
In our previous remarks we have spoken of the
official connection between Fremont and Nicollet-
the former having been principal assistant to the lat
ter in his expeditions under the government and in
the making Of the map. We have also taken mo-
tce of the services Of Nicollet, as well from motive
of doing justice to that distinguished and amented
man, as to show the severe schooling through which
Capt Fremont was taken, before he was himself in
trusted with separate command. was, indeed, a
fortunate event for Fremont that he was made the
assistant Of Nicoet-a man who had already ac-
quired great experience with our Indians, who had
shown great tact in his intercourse with them, and
who had obtained no small degree of reputation
for his ability to manage them--who, to a pro-
found knowledge of the mathematics, united sim
gular experiences as an astronomical observer and
calculator, and a fondness of communicating and
instructng. Ii was fortunate, therefore, to serve
with such q man; and fortunate, also, that Free
mont possessed the abilities to profit by such SER
vice, and to avail himself Of the valuable lessons
daily placed before him.
But as previously remarked, the feeble health of
Ncolet did not admit of his again taking the field,
and the experience and services of Fremont were
considered fully juslfying the placing Of him in
the command of the expedition then (the spring Of
lS42) about being organized TO explore the country
between the Missouri and the Rocky mountains,
and to determine ofthe features Of those noun
tains He was accordingly placed in the command.
He left the frontier in May, returned in the
time to have it printed in March, l843. This re-
port was reprinted by Congress under an order of
the last session, in conjunction with the report Of
his second expedition; and the maps Of both expe-
ditons are blended into one, and printed with the
reports Of the expeditions. The first report relates
to the country between the Missouri and the Rocky
mountains; the second relates more particularly to
the country of Oregon and North California.
The style of Captain Fremont is worthy Of imta-
ton by all travellers. Simple, clear, unassuming,
beautifully graphic; describing what was seen pre-
cisely seen, with sentiments which would natr-
rally arise on the occasion. We give as specimen
the passage of the "caKon' Of the Sweet Water, a
tributary of the Platte. II is taken from page 70 Of
his first expedition
s'.quglist 24--We started before sunrise, intend
ing to breakfast at Goat island. had directed the
land party i'm charge Of Bernier to proceed to this
place, where they were to remain, should they find
no note to apprize them Of our having passed. In
the Of receiving this information they were to
continue their route, passing by certain places which
had been designated. Mr. Preuss accompanied me,
and with us were five ofmy best men, viz: G. Lam
bert, Basil Lajeuncsse, Honore Ayot, Benois and
Desceteaux. Here appeared no scarcity of water,
and we took on board, with various instruments and
baggage, provisions for ten or twelve days. We
padded down the river rapidly, for our little craft
was light as duck on the water; and the sun had
been some time risen, when we heard before US a
hollow roar, which we supposed to be that of fall,
Of which we had heard vague rumor, but whose
exact locality no one had been able to describe TO
u.s. We were approaching ridge, through which
the river passes by a place called "caiIonn (pro-
nounced kanyon,) Spanish word, signifying a
piece of artillery, the barrel Of gum any kind
Of tube and which, in this country, has been adopt
ed to describe the passageof river between perpen
dicuar rocks Of great height, which frequently APP
- - 4 Il
kind of tunnel over the stream, which foans along
below, halfchoked up by fallen fragments. Be-
tween the mouth of the Sweet Water and Goat isl
and there is probably fall of 800 feet and that was
principally made in the cations before us; as with.
out them, the water was comparatively smooth. As
we neared the ridge the river made q sudden turn,
and swept squarely down against one of the walls Of
the Gallon with great velocity, and 30 steep de-
SCENT that had to the eye the appearance of an in
cined plane. When we launched into this, the men
jumped overheard to check the velocity Of the boat,
but were soon in water up to their ecks and our boat
ran on but we succeeded in bringing her to a small
point Of rocks the right at the mouth Of the CATION
Here was kind Of elevated sand-beach not many
yards squire, backed by the rocks, and around the
point the river swept at right angle. Trunks Of
trees deposited utting points 20 or 30 feet above
and other marks, showed that the water here fire.
quently rose to a considerable height The ridge
was of the same decomposing granite already mem
toned, and the water had worked the surface, in
many places, into wavy surface of ridges and holes.
We assembled the rocks TO reconnoitrc the ground,
and from the summit the passage appeared to be a
continued cataract foaming over many distractions,
and broken by number of small falls We saw
nowhere fall answering to that which had been de-
scrbed to us as having 20 or Is feet; but still
cuded this TO be the place in question: as the
Of floods, the rush Of the river against the wall
would produce great rise, and the waters, reflect
ed squarely off, would descend through the passage
80 l~.x
fall Eighteen years previous to this time Ihave
subsequently learned from himself Mr.. Fitzpatrick,
somewhere above on this river, had embarked with
valuable cargo of beaver. Unacquainted with the
stream, which he believed would conduct him safe
ly to the Missouri, he came Unexpectedly into this
cation, where he was wrecked, with the total loss Of
his fnrs. II would have been work Of great time
and labor to pack our baggage across the ridge, and
determined to run the cation. We all again en-
barked, and at first attempted to check the way of
the boat; but the water swept through with so
much violence, that we narrowly escaped being
swamped, and were obliged to let her go in the full
force of the current and to trust to the skill Of the
boatmen The dangerous places in this cation were
where huge rocks had fallen from above and
hemmed in the already narrow pass Of the river to
an open space of three or four and five feet. These
distractions raised the water considerably above,
which was sometimes precipitated in fall; and
at other places, where this dam was too high, rush.
ed through the contracted opening with tremendous
violence. Had our boat been made of wood, in
passing the narrows she would have been STAYED;
but her elasticity preserved her unhurt from every
shock, and she seemed fairly to leap over the falls.
ain this way we passed three cataracts in success
sion, where, perhaps 100 feet of smooth water inter-
vened and finally, with shout of pleasure at our
success, issued from our tunnel into the open day
beyond. We were so delighted with the perform
ance of our boat, and so confident in her powers,
that we would not have hesitated to leap fall Of
ten feet with her We put to shore for breakfast at
some willows on the right bank, Immediately below
the mouth Of the cailon; for it was now O'Clock,
and we had been working since daylight, and were
all wet, fatgued, and hungry. While the men were
preparing breakfast went out to reconnoitre The
view very limited The course Of the river
was smooth, SO far as | could see on both sides
were broken hills and but mile or two below was
another high ridge. The rock at the mouth of the
cation was still the decomposng granite, with great
quantities of mica, which made very gliticring
sand.
1--WE re-embarked at o'clock and in nbout