The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-09-01

| mere ana elsewhere communicate 10 each othet ina
enemies are in the country" On making his en-
| campment that evening, he says;
Examining into the condition of the animals,
found their feet so much cut up by the rocks, ant
so many of them lame, that IL was evidently mpos
sibe that they could the country to the Rocky
mountains. Every piece OF iron that could be used
for the purpose had been converted into nails, and
we could make no further use ofthe shoes we hat
remaining. ! therefore determined to abandon my
course, and to the Sierra Nevada int
the valley of the Sacramento, wherever practicable
pass could be found. My decision was heard with
Joy by the people, and difused new life Throughout
the camp.
Latitude by observation, 800 "a 49,"
On the 18th he had heavy snow On the Goth
be covered with tracks Of Indians, and the usus
slgn OF alarm by the number of smokes. 2ist, ODD
I'D, still moving southwardly.
january "a "A man was discovered running to-
wards the camp, as we were about to start this
morning, who proved to be an Indian Of rather ad
vanced age--a sort of forlorn hope, who seemed "a
have been worked up into the resolution of visiting
the strangers who were passing through the coun-
try He seized the hand of the first man he met at
he came up, out of breath, and held on tito as
sure himself of protection. He brought with him il
little skin bag few pounds Of the seeds Of pine
tree, which to day we saw for the first time, and
which DR.. Torrey has described new specie,
language, it might be called the nut pine. We pur.
chased them all from him. The nut is oily, ofvery
agreeable flavor, and must be very nutritious, as IL
constitutes the principal subsistence of the tribes
among which we were now travelling BY present
Of scarlet CLOTH and other striking articles we pre-
vailed upon this man to be our guide of two days
journey. As clearly possible by signs, we made
him understand our object; and he engaged to con-
duct in sight of good pass which he knew.
Here we ceased to hear the Shoshonee language;
that of this man being perfectly uniniegble. Seve-
raj Indians, who had been waiting to seeOwhat re.
ception he would meet with, now came into camp
and, accompanied by the new corners, we resumed
our Journey"
These Indians appeared to have no knowledge Of
the of horses. They assisted to guide the party
for two days. then left it, pointing out the course to
be followed. The ground was covered with snow
the weather very cold the thermometer in the morn
ing being two degrees below zero. But the ''sky
was bright and pure, and the weather changed rapid
ly into pleasant day."
His route continued through dangers, toll, and DIFF
fculties. The 9th was occupied in recommending
in advance.
january 2s.-To-day we went through the pas.
with all the camp, and, after hard days journey
of twelve miles, encampcd on high point, where
the snow had been blown of, and the exposed grass
afforded scanty pasture for the animals Snow
and broken country together made our travelling
difficult: we were often compelled make large cir
cults, and ascend the highest and most exposed
ridges in order to avoid snow, which in other places
was banked up to great depth.
"Durng the day, few Indians were seen circling
around us on snow-shoes, and SWIMMING along like
birds; but we could not bring them within speaking
distance. Cooley, who was little distance from the
camp, had sat down to tie his moccasins, when he
heard low whistle near, and, looking up, saw two
Indians haf-hiding behind rock about forty yards
distant; they would not allow him to approach, but
breaking into laugh SKINNED off over the snow
seeming to have no idea of the power Of firearms
and thinking themselves perfectly safe when beyond
arms length.
"To-night we did not succeed in getting the how
tzcr into camp. This was the most laborous day
we had yet passed through; the steep ascents and
deep snow oxhausting both men and animals. Our
single chronometer had stopped during the day, and
its in time occasioned the loss of an eclipse Of
a satellite this evening. II had not preserved the
rate with which we started from the Dalles; and
this will account for the absence of longudes along
this interval of our journey.
sJanuary 29--From this height we could see, at
considerable distance below yellow spots in the val
ley, which indicated that there not much snow.
One Of these places we expected to reach to-nght
and time being required to bring up the gun,
went ahead with Mr.. Fitzpatrick and few men,
leaving the camp follow in charge Of Mr.. Prcuss.
We followed a trail down hollow where the In
dams had descended the snow being SO deep that
we never came the ground; but this only made
our descent the easier and, when reached lit
tie ahuent TO the river at the bottom, we suddenly
found ourselves in presence of eight or ten Indians
They seemed to be watching our motions, and, like
the Others at first indsposed to let approach
ranging themselves like birds on fallen log on the
hillside above heads, where, being out of reach
they thought themselves safe Our friendly de-
meanor reconcilcd them, and, when we got near
enough, they Immediately stretched out to us hand
fuls of pne-nuts, which seemed an exercise of hos
aIa "a u,xA
ing that their village was few miles below, they
went on to let their people know what we were.
The principal stream still running through an i'm
practicable CATION, We assembled very steep hill,
which proved afterwards the last and fatal obstacle
to our little howitzer, which was finally abandoned
at this place. We passed through small meadow
few miles below, crossing the river, which depth,
swift current and rock made it difficult to ord and,
after few more miles of very difficult trail, issued
into larger prairie bottom, at the farther end of
which we encampcd, in position rendered strong
by rocks and trees The lower parts of the noun.
tain were covered with the nutpinc. Several Indi-
ans appeared on the hillside, recommending the
camp, and were induced to come I'M others came in
during the afternoon; and in the evening we held a
council. The Indians Immediately made it clear
that the water on which we were also belonged to
the Great Basin, in the edge of which we had been
since the 18th Of December; and it became evident
that had still the great ridge the left to cross
before we could reach the Pacific waters.
awe explained to the Indians that we were en-
deavoring to find passage across the mountains
into the country Of the whites, whom we going
to sec; and told them that wished them to bring
a guide, to whom we would give presents Of scarlet
cloth, and other articles, which were shown TO them.
They looked at the reward offered, and conferred
with each other, but pointed to the snow on the
mountains and drew their hands across their necks,
and raised them above their heads, TO show the
depth; and sgnfcd that it was impossible for us TO
get through. They made signs that we must 60 to
the southwark, over pass through lower range,
which they pointed Out; there, they said, at the end
of one days travel, would find people who lived
near pass in the great mountain and to that point
they engaged to furnish us guide. They appeared
to have confused idea, from report, of whites who
lived on the other side of the mountan and once,
they told us, about two years ago. party of twelve
men like ourselves had assembled their river and
crossed to the other waters. They pointed out TO
us where they had crosscd but then, they said, il
was summer time, but now il would be impossible.
believe that this was party led by MIR. Chiles,