The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-08

fork Ia water of the Upper Cooado we took our way
ecuy towards the SUMMIT of the dividing ridge. The bot
toms OF the and level plains We're wooded will
aspehs ana as we neared tue OF the mountain
entered again The piney region We had delightful morn
and reached the summit towards midday at an elevation
OF eight thousand feet above the level of the sea With
Joy and exutaton saw ourselves once more on the tor
OF the Rocky mountains, and beleld litte stream taking
It's course towards the rising 1t an of the
north fork OF the Great Platte called p,a,s crk from
The name OF trader killed there years ago by The
eros Ienfre lndans-a pretty stream and descended
to noon uponit."
That pass, said is about one degree soutb os tho
South Pass and although elevation of eight thou
sand icet, yet that elevation, the of all the
passes, is distributed over long ine and presents
character OF abrupness. The abundance of game was
an index to the character of the country They only fire.
quent countries rich in pastuage; and where there
pastuTage there is fertile soil and home for man and
domestic cattle and horses well for wild animals
From this pass he went 10 the river Platte which is
there handsome stream. That river found alway
feet above the level of the and good for cultivation
His description of this river will show what kind of
country was found in these mountains at great an ele
walton:
OF the mountains, over the long low spurs which oped
gradually down TO the river, forming the broad valley of
the Platte (about thousand feet above the level
OF the sea) The country is beautifully watcred. In al
most every hollow ran clear cool mountain stream
ana III he course oil the morning crossed
several OF them being large creeks forty fifty feet
wide with swift c9rren, and toerably deep. These
were venously wooded with groves of pen cotton
wood, with willow, cherry aud other hrubby Buf
lao antelope and elk were frequent during the day; and
IN their abundance, the latter sometimes reminded us
slightly of the Sacramento valley The day we con
tnucd progress up the valley the country presenting
the except that the grass wa more
scany ON the ridges oyel which was spread shrubby
broad and afforded good pasture grounds Our course in
the afternoon brought to the main Platte river (north
fork,) here handsome stream with uniform breadth of
seventy yards excep, where widened by frequent Islands
It was apparently Deep with moderate current, and
wooded with groves OF large willow"
is he IF tha forL of ,bo C,o,
Platte IN the bosom OF the mountans-a handsome
streama broad valeyan attractive home to many that
there is good country in the mountains but have more
beautiful yet TO showthe Three Parks-unsurpassed BY
anything IN SwHerand-replete with all the beauty Of
the picturesque parts of Switzerland-and without
glaciers. MIR. Fremont did not discover these PAL ks
they discovered long before by the hunters and ira
ders. There is nothing to be discovered in the whole
chain OF the Rocky mountains within the broad expanse
OF mountaineering from the British line in 40 deg to
the Mexican in 81 deg. All is known to the hunters and
traders description alone wanting, and that Mr. FIRE.
mont supplied In this way he makes us acquainted
with these beautiful parks, and the passes from them
through the mountains. Instead of coming down the
Platte home, after his long absence, with the ardo of
true lover OF science, he turned back to traverse the
mountain backwards and forwards, and along its crest
TO examine all the country south to the head of the
Arkansas. He says:
I'VE about two degrees south of the South
Pass and home would have been eastwarily
but that would have taken ground already exam
ned and therefore without the utility and interest which
the nature OF the expedition required Southwardy here
objects worthy 10 be explored wit. the approving
10 L,ns.s ,n H. ~ al - 49,. r ~ ~ ~ - r. WE
Of ,he Gulf of C;anrna ,h p,sses 81, ,ba haaJ r o
rivers and arkab.e mountain coves colI.j
par in which they took their rise One of these parks
of course, the western side of the dividing ridge. and
visit to 1t would require the sum
NIT OF the Rocky mountains to the west, and then
- the making in ALL with the transit we
had Just accomplished, three crossings of that mountain
this section OF It's But The coves
the heads OF the rivers the approximation of their
the practicaby OF the mountain passes and the locality
the Three Parks, were all objects OF interest," aud, al
though we'll known to hunters and appers unknown
science and to history We there changed COURSE
and turned up the valley OF the Platte instead OF going
| now read the description which he gives of these
parks-a name translated from the Indian which sipn
frs bnta}o ledge. 90
~, -,
, m ay So uio i ,dte1 narrowed as we assembled,
river IA sd "a tinron, y cate W. e,., 7, WI .n w,
on selves in the North Park~a beau,I circnar va,u ~
thirty miles diameter walled in all round with snowy
mountains, rich in grass and water rnged with pine on
the mountain SIDES beow the snow line, and paradise to
az slan'hs ai'is, we haeo LOT me night Just within
bu, an Arauo1oe viiln,e had been hef,ra ne .n ~, @
was IN he seen Iati,,Ie Of tho enco mn,nen An a. s9
min ~ sec elevation bv the ho,ling noin 71S ,.a,
II is from His elsva ted cove and G,nn Tx ;n ~
hoson. hat The GIe,t p ,t, rive, co,ec,s re M,
and assumes i,s Airs, firm and cer,,;,I n 80. o,ii
.sk . more heau,iInI orioin ' $50 49, N0N
June rs We nurs,sd osr yyay il, the ,,orrir ,h,,
the Park toowinr princip, branch or The Plate "a
crossing among MANY smaller ones hold strean
GorI,ble which, issues from lake in the n,ount,ins On ia
right ten miles long Encamped in the evening near the
MINER end of the Prk-atitue Al der 33 min 900 on
n small stream." ' 80
N,,,b p,L J d..
,- Wy, 49,
June 1--we continued our way among the waters OF
the Park, over tue loot hills OF the ordering mountains
where we found good pasturage and surprised and killed