The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-04-21

L.,ng on her way 90 CAlllofnln VIA IhhhHh,
'r.Isuers came into the possession Of her
cher. Col. Benton, by whonl,they are made
,,I,I,c. We copy ibis week all That Inns come
% hand %. 900
,,,,i,e "a yon from the house ofour good
CD Carson. This morning cup Ofchoc-
n,a,e ,yns brought 10 nae while w bed, To
Wv" o,erwou oycrworkrd, fuigued, mud star
'n,,r,,ellcr,fhese lutte luXuries of the world
agtr mn interest which, IN your comfortable
name, II IL not possible for you "a conceive,
Tornier lrllera will have uHde you neqtinin'
ned with our progress az FIR NJ Beul's FOr,
NH. from reli0r, you will have heard the
circumstances Of Our departure FROM tie Up
per Pueblo, .ncnr the head Of the Arkausns'
We leh lint place on the 25lh of NOyenlbrr,
Nd, upwards of one hundred good mules
and one hundred thirty bushels 0fshellcd
cnrli, intended 10 support our nnmnls Nv the
,lrrt, sunws of Tho high unnulnns aud down
'lo ie tower pnria the Grnnd river lrihu-
iaries, where usuully Ihc snow inruiS no oh,
srrlr IN winter travelling. AZ Pueblo hnd
engaged ns n guide uii odd lrapper,well known
ne HBill Willilus," mud who ind spout some
wruly FIVE years 0Ili. life 10 trapping ~ va.
ri0Hs parts OF tiIr Rorkt ',toortriti-,
The error ofOur expedition was committed
In engaging this nan. lie proved never to
have known, or entirely to hhve forgotten,
the whole country through which w9were to
mss. e-0ccupicdINiitr passing Tie noun
Iaml more tlnu 'mlf n month ln making the
urogtcss ofn'irw days. bugdering along n
fornou- course through deep snow, which
nlrendy began 10 choke up the pnsscs, and
wasting our ZINE ia searching lhc way. The
lltll of December we found ourselves NJ the
Il m0ll or The Rio del Nortc cnnOn.whCrc Tint
nm issues from the Sierrn Snu Juuu. -cno
Y ofihc highest, most rugged, mud inIprncticH-
LIe ufnll the Rocky Mountain ranges, unc-
rcssible to trnppcrs mud hunters in sum.
mcr, Across the point 0flhis elevated rnugc,
onr guide conducted us; aud, hayiugS III
great confidence in this. mans knowlcdgc,wo
pressed EDWARDS with fatal rcsolulion H..
ven along the river butloIns Ihe suow.was nl.
ready breast deep'ior the mules, nnd falling
frequently in tIr,Yallcy, mud almost constant
~ OH the uuuntihns. Tile cold was eXrTHOT=
binary. Az tie warmest hours tho dav
(hclweeu one and two) 1.-THE thcrnomctcr(F Fair
renheiu stood. in tbs shade Of u tree trunk at
zero; and TINT wns favorable dny, the sun
shining, and moderate breeze. Jddge of
Mo nights aud tie storusl -r.
Wo pressed up towards the summit, the
snow drcpcUing ms VIC rose, mud IN four or
frc dnys OF his sIrugrlingnud climbing, all
on foot, we reached tile nalicd ridges which
lie above The line Of tie iinIhrrcd region, and
which FORM The dividing heights between the
e wnIrfs Of The Atlantic aud Pntitc oceans. a.
long these naked heights il storms NIL winter,
and the raging winds sweep across them
with rcmorSrless fury. On our first attempt
10 cross we encountered n pJU1rTJs dry snow
driven thirk through the mir by violent wind,
aud in which objects are visible only M n
short distnnce)-nnd were driven hack, hnv-
-laCe, hnHds, or feet. The guido came near
hcing frozen To dcnili here, and mules were
alrendy dend nhout The cnnIp fires. alcHm-
time 1t showed steadily. The next day DE
cephcr-) wc renewed the attempt TO scale
Me summit. mud were more fortunate, rs il
then seemed. Making mntls, aud beating
down rond, or trench, through The dccp
snow, We forced the ascent ia defiance Of The
driving poude,ie, crossed the crest, descend.
ri little, aud cncampcd Immediately below,
III ihe elge nllhe tinherGd region. The trail
showed rs ia defeated party Ind pissed hy
., packs, pnck saddles, scattered articles of
clothing, aud dead mules strowcd nlong. We
ere-encampod about twelve thousand feet
above the level nCihe sen. Westward the
country was buried in snow. The storm
continued. All movement WINS pnralyzcd. To
advance with tho expedition was mposshlc:
70 get back, impossible. Our fate stood re-
-Hllled,-Ne were vovrrtukgHhy sudden mud
mevnnhc ruin. The poor animals were 10
go hrsl. The only plnccs where grass could
Se had were the extreme SUBMITS of the
SIERRA, where Tie sweeping winds kept the
rocky ground hire and where the men could
not live. Below, in the limbered re iun, the
poor anmnls could not get about, The snow
Ne'ng deep enough 10 hurry them aIive II
was instantly apparent that we should lose
. every one. took my resolution Immediate.
G'nhd determined to <ccross the mountain
o'ck to the wiley of the Rio del Norte, drag
g'hg or packing The baggage Inv men. With
great mh"r lhe baggage WINS TRANSMITTED n
",oSe t"e crest 'e lie head springs Of n llle
e"e"fu Iead'ng To The fnain river few
"cys Wore suihcient 10 destroy TINT fine bnnd
S' "'''es winch you snw me purchase hast
ni' on the frontier of Missouri. They ,.encr-
a'ly KEPT hudhled together; nnd,as they troze.
ohe -"euld he seen 10 tnmhle down. aud dis
npPenr under the driving snow. Sometimes
,ney would break off,nud rush down towards,
me timber I'LL stopped by the deem snow.
were They were room hidden by the poude-
total. ~ '''o '"'" ~"
IN his situation determined to send in
pnr'y to The Spanish Rettle,nonts of New
neAlco, for provisions, md for mules to trnns
, ,ol o"f baggage. With econurry, mil nf.
W, mr we should leave the mules, we Ind nor
~" "eehs' provision in the cnnp. and these
"S'sted of u reserve of rnnccaroni. bncon.
&C, intended for the last extremity, IL
oil indispensable 10 send for relief nsk
80, Volunteers for the service From the
r;dn mat offered. chose KifsH. Broekep-
AMI cren'Zteldt, md the guide, Williams:
u. -P'Hced the purty under The cnn,r,,J oc