New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-09-28

speak the Indian languages, for the m'ddIe-men-
and the hands and other hangers on Tor the RAD 1e
ONLY the Captain, clerks and traders are adn.'Oou
70 the table OF the establIshment-the tFo form,
err occupying the head, and the latter the pOI ',
the table. The hands, &C., have dried m AZ anu
salt doled cut to them, which they cook and eat
Eortnne has thus farbeen favoi able to me. had
scarce been here three days when an opportunity
was presented TO observe the finest scenery upon
the Continent east Of the main chain OF the hock!
Mountains, The exigences Of the trade required
tbs nresence Of a p.rty at the Gate Of the Ms
,ourt and on arriving at that point We mad 20
mass the great falls, two Of the most extraordI-
nary scenes in the world. party oil l. OF US,
with mules pack mules, two horses, supply OF
dried meat arms and ammunition, bide ad'eu 20 tne
inmates Of the Fort on the morning Oh tne O'u
Nav. As we advanced. the wonderful and pictu-
rescue scenery Of the Rocky Mountains was rap
;oIv revealed 10 our astonished eyes. Along the
shores of the river walls OF soft white sandstone
rose perpendicuarIy up for miles together. Inc
elements have worked these ROCKS Into tnousalu
fantastic and beautiful forms, sometimes preseat'
ing the appearance Of long street oil sone an
Gent city quilt up with succession OF co'uIins'
arches. and archItrayes-then the fragmrntafy
MINIS Of a magnificent building, adorned with P,'
lasters and sculptuTed spaces then scattered,
detached and confused masses with solitary doules
and mipaIets which seem 10 mock tue runs
they adorn" As we moved on there seemed 70
be no end to this enchanting scenery, which pre-
scented new and more beautiful aspects at every
turn of the river. IL was as 4. seating ourselves
upon the miraculous carpet Of the Arabian tale,
we had been transported into the region where
the gen hold their court and exercise their SUI
pernatural powers in the creation Of gigantic see
nery and gorgeous palaces. COlonnades, 10 Sers,
dome', Publications, cupolas, m'n4rets, Castles
and villas rose up IN rapid succession, while sm''
Ing and howery psins, deep forests, iroSnihs
mountains and the solemn and melancholy music
Of flowing waters held tine mind entranced Tor
hours and days toge ther.
On the 1ith We approached the Great taHS OF
the Missouri. The river Is here three hundred
wards in width. For many miles the hoarse roar-
ing Of the rushing. boiling ana tumbhng current
NAV be heard and as the morning sun passes ms
mellow light upon them the curvng and leap'ns
Amd refracts the beams into myriads OF capricious
and Changing figures, and the uprising m 81 Is
pencileo into a succession OF gnlhcrnt rainoo"s,
which span the broad stream and tremble WIN
intense and fickering brilliancy. These falls con
sIst If a succession OF rspds and perpendicular
d,scents. The first Of these IS thu ~ feet, the
second twenty .sIx and half feet, the third nine
and a half feet. the fourth four feet the hth
three Get the sixth three feet the seventh two
feet, the eighth fOuTt-s and hslt iett the nn'h
forty. seven and a half feet, the tenth nineteed
feet, the eleventh FIVE feet the twelfth sixteen
feet, the thirteenth three feet, the fourteenth
three feet SIX int hes the ite nth three iret, the
sxt, ebth six feet the seventeenth three feet, the
eighteenth two feet, the nineteenth thirteen ieet,
the twentieth eighty seven and halt feet, the
fret SIX feet, the twenty second four ieet,
the twenty third thirteen feet the tFeDty'iouftn
eightt en- f. ct, twenty fifth SIX feet the twenty
siAth ten feet, TIVE nty- s, venth elght feet-mak-
ing the Whole descent two hundred and SIXTY hso
f. ct and come inches. | give the measurement
az f1Tnuhed 10 me afteTward at the Fort. they
were made many wears ago by order OF the Com'
nianOsnt.
We were now fairly within the range of the
stupendous cham of the Rocky Mountains, aud
conscious Of beng nightly surrounded by large
number Of grIslv hears, the hercest, most word
oious and most powerful animal of the continent
SOMETIMES torrents of ram, which seemed 70 Dc
poured cut N one mars filled the valleys and re-
vince with a sudden and dangerous inuad
at Othrrs a q -nse sheet OF clouds would be eA-
pandtd as II by magic over our heads, and noNeT
down, succsssiyely a.. oseJn' i'm, te"'ones o.
IAN and hail, accompanied with VIVID flashes OF
the elt ctnc nuid, and thunders which shook the
FOUNTAINS To their deep foundations. We we're
made daily witnesses of an extraordinary pne-
nomenon. Thus was an explosion sometimes
single one at Others FIVE or FIX IN succession, re-
semblipg the booming of distant ordnance. the
same thing has been observed ia NOrthern Europe
and ia the Andes. In the former country, IL mas
been attributed to the bursting of rocks, occa-
stoned hy cOpgealing waters IN tnrir crs' ces in
the latter, The J'suIts attributed It TO the burst
ing of small pudding stone IN which collection
of rich Jewell are q, posted. Humboldt conl-c-
tunes that i may lie caused by d.sengagement OF
ny drogeD, produced by BE- OF coal IN n scat- OF
Inflammation. The vOy ageurs " L. WIS and Clark,
at least those OF Canadian origin, imagined lt 60
be caused by pent up mines OF gold and silver.
Perhaps, after all the solution gwen US by Crow
Indian was as rational any Of these guesses
4.
evil tpiTts, WI ON the Great spirit had mprson-
ed within the bowels Of the noun tains for their
vi'aiDy to he nd man, to regain thu IT freed IN.
Fortunately We encountered no accident or CO.
en- until approached the great Gate oil The dis
Here for hive and three quarter mile tine riy-
ef flows bvtseen walls Ofrock elevated psrpendicu-
larlv from its surface 10 the hight Of twelve hun
bred feet. It's obvious that it has burst ts way
through this nmtnse barrier for the trophies OF rs
victory are cOntusedly scattered for several hul-
bred ards below the mouth OF the chasn. The
IVES theI.bcstenmgss-s ofrock, the moaning sounds
Of the ~afers, the flashing stresml.ts which jet
from the .OmbTe walls and the irowDing mo Intalos
and owe hanging cliffs, which enerce tne perspec-
tive concur to present scene Of interse interest
end grandeur. We followed the line OF the cid
fIom the outlet TO the opening OF the Gdie. To-
Vulnerable swallows and other small birds had
built their nests in the creyices. As a whole, |
have never opened NV eyes upon scene cOnpar-
hblc 10 inns IN grandeur ana suDhinity. At Lno
be ad Of this natural csnsl we terminated our jour
ley westward. Ii was the point selected TOR meet.
log Of traders from several places 10 collect lnen
furs and renew their stocks OF tnnk-ts and g )ods.
In the immediate vicinity VAS peak SD elevated,
that our curiosity wes excited 10 asc md X and
survey the surround Dg country. Although sur
rouIotd by mount aims, ITS point was ~ far above
them ss TO give il an aspect Of solitary magnii-
cence The day before we Commenced retIaciag
steps to the Fort, five Of US cecided to under.
60 the fatigue Of the ascent. We made a start
before sunnse, and ofter tOillog through thieAets
Of underground, along the edges Of dangerous prec-
ipces, across deep rsVres, and through snOss sew
eTsl feet deep aud over masses Of ice, aad timber
r, nj ana sueNn by storms into nexIcab'e cohfu.
sion, at lens en-, wheo nearly exhausted reached
the summit Ii was indeed a scene winch one
might tell for week to reach, and then ~ Oice 70
be mold. Turning 70 the east IN ,gination tollo we'd
the slyeIy stream We had so Ia els left through
broken and jagged cliffs and verdant valleys uutll
cu elttpy mt IN - -, -.