Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-01-31
LIEUT.. FREMoN1os EXPEDITION

IA son of DR.. Tapn Of this village was one of
Lieut. Fremonts company in this remarkable expe-
diton.]
The recent expedition of Lieut.. Fremont to the
region west of the Rocky Mountains, besides be-
ing one of the most hazardous and adventurous cX
PLOTS of the day. promises to add essentially to our
knowledge of that vast and important region. His
report has not yet been published, though we learn
that he is closely engaged in its preparation. 1t
will be quite voumnlous and will contain maps and
full descriptions of the country through which he
passed.
We find, mean time, among the documents which
accompanied the message Of the Acting President,
in the report from the Typographical Bureau to the
War Department, outline OF his route and some
indications of the nature and Importance of the ex-
plorations which he made. He left Westport the
frontier town of Missouri, June |, 1913, proceeded
to the mouth Of the kanzas river, aud thence up
the Republican. In consequence of the many i'm
pediments offered to his progress by the swollen
state of this river, he divided the party, leaving Mr..
Fitzpatrick with twenty seven men, and the heayl-
er baggage, and proceeding himself, with fifteen
men and two carriages, through fertile and well
watered country to the upper waters Of the Repub-
llcun, from which he crossed to the south fork OF
the Platte. or Nebraska, and reaching st. Vrain's
Fort under Longs Peak, on the 4h Of July. The
height of this peak-a shoot from the Rocky Noun
tains, named after Capt Longs stated at l2,50O
1Get lnenCe Lieut.. TTttllOHl continued ulOlp lIe
mountains southwark, and arrived July 18th, on the
Arkansas river at the mouth of the 'Fontaine qu
BOUT Surveying this river, and remaining day
at Pixies Springs, he assembled the eastern branch
to its head and again reached ST. Vrain's Fort on
the Odd, meeting Mr.. Fitzpatrick who had arrived
on the llth, and had spent the time in reftting.
The party again divided and resumed their routes
on the 20th-Lieut. L. crossing the broad plair
which extends from the river to the foot of the
mountains passed through the chain into the Lo
raine plains, and encamped in the "Sweet waite
Valley" on the 9th of August. Thence crossing
the mountains by the South Pass he descended in
to the valley of the Colorado-in the immediate vi
.cinity of the head waters of the Yellow Stone
| which flows into the Missouri, the Arkansas, which
| joins the Mississippi, Lewis's River which flows
into the Columbia, and the Colorado which rolls in
| to the Pacific Ocean. In the midst of frozen noun
tans he here stood upon the spot which waters
! great part of the North American continent. o.
the 81 of September he reached the great Sal
Lake" at the outlet Of Bear River, and spent
week in exploring the northern portion of this in
land sea. Nosurvey of it had ever before bee
made, none Of it, islands visited no ASTRONOMERS
! observations made, and, in short, nothing beyon
the fact Of its existence had been known. Here h
remained some days, and reached Fort Hall on til
18th of September. Mr. Fitzpatrick had arrived
few days before, and both were detained by storm
until the 2itII. On that day the journey was re
sumed and continued along the Oregon road t
Boice, post of the Hudson Bay Company, whic
he reached October 9th. On the 26td of Octobe
he arrived at Fort Nez Perez, on the Columbit
and on the 4th of November encamped at the mis-
sionary station of the Dallas lie continued hi
survey by water to Fort Vancouver, and then re
turned to the Dallas.
On the 25th of November, in the midst of
! snow Storm he set out on his return The ne,
day at sunset the thermometer was two degrees be
, low zero. lie continued to travel along tho we.
tern base Of the snowy range of the cascade mour
tans until Dec. 10, when he arrived at Hamat
Lake. Thence his course to the South and Ea
was continually obstructed by parallel ranges
mountains, covered with snow, range after range
which he crossed until his animals gave out and h
further progress eastward was stopped This n
gion is one of extraordinary interest, having nevt
$ before been traversed; and his animals beng Ell
tirely unable to proceed further in that direction,
determined to cross the great Californian mouI
tains, called the "Sierra Mirada," which lay b,
tween him and the bay of San Francisco. All IL
month of February was occupied in crossing ther
the snow being from fve 10 ttcenty feet deep. Ear
in March he descended from these icy regions