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

has no horse, and expects you to give
one" described to him the place whe.o
intended to encamp, and. shaking hands,
in few minutes we were among the hills,
and this last habltatiou Of whites shut out |
from our view.
July 23.-Our dried meat had given out, |
and we began to be in want of food but
one of the hunters killed an antelope this
evening, which afforded some relief, al
though il did not 90 far among so many
hungry men. One OF the prominent cha
racterstics in the face If this country is
The extraordinary abundance of the arte-
misias wild sage They grow every
where-on the hills, and over the river
bottom, in tough, twisted wlry clumps; and
wherever the beaten track was LETT, they
rendered the progress of the carts rough
and slow. AS the country increased in
elevation in our advance to the west, they
increased in size; and the whole air Is
strongly impregnated and saturated with
the odor of camphor and spirits of turpen-
line which belongs to this plant. This
climate has been found very favorable to
the restoration of health, particularly in
cases of consumption; and possibly the re-
spiration of air so highly impregnaled by
aromatic plants may have some influence.
July 29.-We continued our way, and
four miles beyond the ford, Indians were
discovered again; and | halted while a
party went forward to ascertain who they
were. In short time :hey returned, ac-
companed by a number Of Indians of the
OglaIah band of Sioux. From them we
received some interesting informant n -
They had formed part of the great village
which had been on the trail OF the Ore
gon emigrants, whom they had overtaken
at Rock independence, but quarrelIing
among themselves, they had not attacked
them as was intended. They informed US
that the greater part of the party had cross
ed the Platte eight or ten miles below the
mouth of the Sweet Water, and were now
behind the mountains to the south of US,
intending to regain the Platte by way of
Deer creek. They had taken this unusu.
al route in search Of grass and game
They gave us very discouragng picture
of the country. The great drought, and
the plague of grasshoppers, had swept il
so that scarce blade Of grass was to be
seen, and there was not a buffalo to be
found in the whole region. Their people
they further said, had been nearly starved
to death, and we would find their road
marked by lodges which they had thrown
away in order TO move more rapidly, anC
by the carcases of the horses which they
had eaten, or which had persisted by star
walton. Such was the prospect before US
When he had finished the Interpretation
of these things, Mr.. Bissonnette immedi
ately rode up to me, and urgently advised
that should entirely abandon the furthe
prosecution of my exploration. 1.-The bes
advice can give you, is 10 turn back a
once" II was his own intention to re
turn, as we had now reached the point t.
which he had engaged to attend me. Ii
reply, called up nv men, and cornmu
nicated to them fully the information hac
lust received. | then expressed to then
nv fixed determination TO proceed to tht
end of the enterprise on which had beer
, sent; but as the situation of the country
gave me some reason TO apprehend that
might be attended with an unfortunate re
suit TO some of us, would leave it option
al with them to contlnne with me Or to re
turn. Among them were some five or 81,
who knew would remain. We had sill
ten days provisions; and, should no gam
; be found, when this stock was expended
| we had our horses and mules, which W
; could eat when other means Of Sub<istenc
r filled But not man filnched feom tn
: undertaking. "We'Il eat the mules" sal
. Basil Lajeunesse thereupon we shoe
e hands with our interpreter and his II
0 dams, and departed. Having resolved t
? dsencumber ourselves Immediately of eve
/ nv thing not absolutely necessary to GU
i future operations, | turned directly in tC
Y ward the river, and encamped, where
E thick grove OF willows offered sultabl
Il spot for the object had in view
' The Carts having been discharged, th
d covers and wheels were taken of, an
n with the frames, carried into some 10
II places among the willows, and conceale
d i'll the dense foliage in such manner til
e the glitter of lhe iron work might noi a
D tract the observation of some stragglin
e indian. Ia the sand which had bee
+ blown up into waves among the willows,
e large hole was then dug, ten feet squar
Isl and six deep. La the mean time, all o.
~ effects had been spread upon the groun
it and whatever was designed to be carrie
along with US separated and laid asid
Id and the remaining part carried to the hol
lg and carefully covered up. As much
,e possible all traces OF our proceedings we
lr obliIeraied, aud il wanted but rain 10 re
lie der our cache safe beyond discovery. a
I'd the men were now set at work to arrani
i i L. l.. al