The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1849-02-27


tain we entered again the pinoy region We had
delightful n.ornng's ride, the ground affordins
us an excellent brdle-path, and reached the sunl-
mat towards midday, al an elt vation of eighteen
thousand feet above the level Of the sea. With
10y ank exultation, we saw ovrsslvos once more
on the top OF the Rocky Mountains, and beheld
little stream tuking its course towards the ris.
ing sun. 1t was an afiluent OF the north fork OF
the Great Platte, called Pullan,'s fork, from the
name of trader killed there some years ago by
the Gros Ventre lndians--a pretty slrcam--aud
ws descended to noon upon H." n trI
Tat pass, said, is about one degree
south of the South Pass; and although al
an levaiion of eight thousand feet, vel that
elevation, as in The case of all the passes, is
distributed over long line, and presents 10
character Of abrupiness. The abundance
Of game was an index TO the character Of
The country. They only frequent countries
rich in pusturagr; and whcre d.are is pas
turage there is fertile soil, and home for
man, and domestic cattle and horses, as well
as for wild animals. s75 Fla
From tn pass he went TO the river Platte,
which is there n handsome stream. That
river was found always 10 present large and
broad bottoms, about seven thousand feet
above the level of the sea, and good for cul-
livaiion. His description of this river will
show what kind Of country was found in
these mountains al so great an elevation:
"Our route this morning (June I4) lay along
the foot Of the mountains, over the long spurs
which sloped gradually down TO the river, form
ing The broad wiley Of the Platte, (about seven
thousand feet above the level Of the sea.) The
,ak kan .l,l.,
ry hollow ran q clear, cool moi nain stream; and
in the course Of the morning we crossed seven
teen-soveral Of them being large creeks, forty
or fifty feet wide, with swift current, and tolcr
ably deep. These were varously wooded with
groves Of aspen or cottonwood, with willow,
cherry, and other shrubby trees. Buffalo, ante
lope, and elk were frequent duri1g the day; and
in their abundance, the latter sometimes remind
ed us Of the Sacromeno valley. The next day
we continued our progress up the valley, the
country presenting much the same appearance,
except that the grass was more scanty on the
ridges, over which was spread shrubby grow th
Of 6age but still the bottoms Of the creeks
were btsdd, and afforded good pasture grounds.
Our course In ths afternoon brought us to the
main Platte river, (hhrth FORK here handsome
stream, with uniform r-adth oi seventy yards,
except where widened BY frequent islands. II
was apparently deep, with moderate current,
Such is the character ofthe north folk Of
the Great Plaue, in the bosom Of the noun
tains--a handsome stream--a broad valley
an attractive home 10 many that will love
the wild mountain life. read il to show
that there is good country in the mountains;
but have more beautiful yet 10 show-the
Three Parks unsurpassed by anything in
Swizorland-replete with all the beauty of
The most picturesque parts of Switzerland
and without glacers. Mr.. Fremont did
not distover these parks; they were disco
vered long before by Tire huntrrs and ira
ders. There is nothing 10 be discouercd in
the whole chain of the Rocky Mountains
within the broad expanse Of our domain
nothing from the British line in 40 degrees
to the Mexican in 81 degrees. All is known
| % the hunters and traders; description alone
was wanting, an that Mr.. Frcemon, sup
piled. 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 ardor of true
lover Of SCIENCE, he turned back to traverse
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and forwards, and
along its crest, 10 examine all the country
south 10 the head of the Arkansas. lie
says:
"We are now about two degrees south pf the
South Pass. and our course home wonld have
been eastwardly; but that would taken us over
ground already examined. and therefore without
the utility and interest which the nature OF the
expedition required Southwardly there were OBJ
jecfs worthy to be explored, 10 wit: The approx
imatiun OF the head waters Of three different rlv.
ers-the Platte. the Arkansas, and the Grand Riv-
er fork of the Rio Colorado Of the Gulf of Calor-
MIA; the passes at the head of these rivers; and
the three remarkable mountain coves, called
parks, in which they took their rise. One OF these
parks was, of course, on the western side OF the
ividing ridge, and visit to II would require US
once more to cross the summit OF the Rocky
Mountains TO the west, and then to recross to the
east i making, in all, with the transit we had just
| accomplished, three crossings Of that mountain
in this section of Its course. But, no matter.--
The coves, the heads of the rivers, the approx-
nation of their waters, the practicabiity OF the
mountain passes, and the locality of the three
parks. were all objects Of interest, and, although
well known to hunters and trappers. were un.
known 10 science and to history. We therefore
changed our course. and turned up the valley OF
the Platte, instead Of going down it,"
now read the description which he gives
of these parks-a name translated from the
Indian, which signifies buffalo lodge:
North Park.
The valley (of the Plaite) narrowed as we
a ended, and presently degenerated into gorge
through which the river passed asthrough gate.
| We entered it, and found ourselves in the North
Park--a beautiful circular valley Of thirty miles
diameter, walled in all round with snowy noun
lains, rich in grass and water, fringed with pine
on the mountain sides below the snow-line, and
| 4 slparadse to all grazing animals. We halted
or the night just within the gate, and expected,
as usual, 70 see herds of buffalo; but an Arapahoe