Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-01-28

OF three ponds OF coffee, aud small
quantity of maccaroni, which had been
husbanded wl.h great care for the noun
tam expedition we we're about 10 under
take. Our daily meal consisted of drv
buffalo meat, cooked in talow; and as We
had not dried this with Indian skill, part of
II was spoilcd; and what remained good,
was as hard as wood, having much tho
iasIe and appearance OF 80 many pieces
OF bark. Even Of this our stock was ra-
pldly diminishing in camp which was ca.
pablo OF consuming two bulIalos in every
twcnty-lour hours, These animals had
entirely disappeared, and il was MOI proba-
bic we should fall IN with them again un.
I'll we returned TO the Sweet Water.
Our arrangements for tho ascent were
rapidly commenced We were in hos.
tile country, which rendered the greatest
vigilance and circumspection necessary.
The pass Al The north end Of the noun
tain was generally infested by BIackfcet;
and Immediately opposite was ono Of their
forts, on the edge OF a little lhicket, 300
feet from our encampmcnt.
August l2.--We had reached pory
elevated point; and in the valley below,
and among the bills were nutuber OF
lakes al different lovelsj some Two or three
hundred feet above others. with which
they communicated by ioaming torrents.
Even az our gioat height, the roar OF the
caiaracts came up, and we could soc them
eaping down in lines Of snowy foam, To-
wards evening, We reached deliIe, or m
ther hole IN the mountains, entirely shut
IN by dark pine.covcred rocks. Among all
the strange places on which we had occa-
sion to cneamp during our long journey,
none have left so vivid an impression on
my mind as the camp Of this evening -
The disorder OF the masses which sur.
rounded us the little hole through which
which VIC saw the stars overheard tho
dark pines where we slept; aud the rocks
lit up with the glow OF our fires, made
night picture Of very Wild beauty. We
had nothing TO eat tonight.
Ascent Of The highest peak.
August l5.-We managed to get our
mules up to little bench about 100 loet
above the lakes, where there was patch
Of good grass, and turned them loose to
groze. During our rough ride 10 this
place, they had exhibited wonderful
surfootedness. Parts Of the defle were
filled with angular, sharp fragments Of
rock, and among these they had worked
their way, leapiDg from one narrow point
10 another, rarely making false step,
giving us no occasion TO dismount. ilav-
ing divesled ourselves Of every unneces-
sary encnmbrance, we commenced the as
cent. This time, like experienced travel.
lers, we did not press ourselves, but climb
ed lclsnrely along, sitting down as soon as
breath began 10 fail. At intervals we
reached places where number Of springs
gushed from the rocks, and about 500
feet above the lakes, camo 10 the snow
line. From this point our progress was
uninterrupted climbing. Hitherto had
worn pair Of thick moccasns, with soes
Of parfechej but here put on light thin
pair, which had brought for the purpose,
as now the use Of our toes became neces-
sary for further advance. Iayaied my
self Of a sort Of comb of the mountain,
which stood against the wall like bull
tress, and which the wind and the solar RAJ
dlalion, joined 10 the steepness Of tho
smooth rock, had KEEP, almost entirely free
from snow Up this | made my way ra-
pldly. In few minutes we reached
point whore the buttress was overhanging,
and there was no other way of surmount
ing the difficulty than by passing around
one side Of il, which was the face of
vertical precipice Of several hundred feet.
Putting hands and feet 10 the crevices
between tho blocks, succeeded in getting
over il, and, when reached the top, found
my companions in small valley below.
Descending to them, we continued our
climbing, and in short time reached the
crest. sprang upon the summit, and an
Their step would have precipiiated me into
an immense snow field, five hundred feet
below. To the edge Of this field was
sheer icy precipice; and then, with a gra-
dual fall, the field sloped of for about
mile, until II struck the foot Of another low
ridge. stood on a narrow crest, about
three feet in width. with an inclination OF
about zoe N. SIC T.. As soon as had
graiitied The frat feelings Of curiosity,
descended, and each man assembled in his
turn; for ! would only allow one at time
to mount the unstable and precarious slab,
which i seemed a breath would hurl into
the abyss below. We mounted the baro-
meter in the snow Of the summit, and, fix
ing ramrod in crcyice, uniurled the
national hig to wave in the breeze where
never flag waved before. During our
mornings ascent we had met no sign of
animal life, except the small sparrow-lIke
bird already mentioned A stiffness the
most profound, and terrible solitude,
forced themselves constanilyon the mind,
N lha. trrnat Enna..r.n ~ IL. .lau. IL.