Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-06-21

nag waved befote. During our mornings as
cent we had met no sign Of animal life, except
the small spauow-like bird already mentioned
A stiffness the mos, profound anil a terrible
solitude forced themselves constantly on the
mind as the great features of The place. Here
on the summit. where the stiffness was abso.
late, unbroken by any sound, and the solitude
complete, we ihoughi ourselves beyond the re-
gion Of animated life but while we were sit
ting on the rock, solitary bee, (broD.as, Me
humble J,c) came winaing his fight from the
eastern valley, and lit on the knee Of one Of
the men.
at was 4 strange place the icy rock and the
highest peak Of the Rocky Mountains, for
lover Of warm sunshine and flowers and we
! pleased ourselves with the idea that he was the
FIRST Of his species to cross the mountain barri-
era solitary pioneer to foreiell the advance Of
civilization. ] believe that moments though,
would have made US let him continue his way
unharned but we carried out the law Of this
country. where all animated nature seems at
war, and, seizing him Immediately, pu, him in
al least fit place-in The leaves of large
book, among the flowers we had collected on
our way. The barometer stood at Is, ,2gl, the
attached thermometer at "a deg; giving for the
elevation OF this summit Il, $40 feet above ,he
Gulf of Mexico, which may be called the high
est fight Of the bee. II is certainly the high
est known fight Of that insect. From the tles-
criplion given by Mackenzie af the mountains
where he crossed them, with tha, Of French
officer still farther to the north, aud Colonel
Longs measurements to the south, Joined 10 the
a l.
is presumed that this is the highest peak Of The
Rocky Mountains. The day was sunny and
bright, but a slight shining mist hung over the
lowest plains. which in,eriered with our view
of tho surrounding country. On one side wa
ove,luoked innumerabla late. and s,rear. ,i,o
spriuo of the Colorado of The GuIf Of c,I;e,r-
aia and ON the other was IN, Wind ,;vor al
lev. where we're ,h,. heads or tho yaIlou.,or.
branch of The Missouri. far 10 ,l,s no,,h va
inst could discover The snowy heads Of tho T,o;,
Tsfoas. where were the sonrce of The N;s.ou,;
and Columbia rivers and at The southern e,.
,remi,y of the ridge. the neaks wore nlaiDIv
visible. amonr which were some of The snrincs
of the Nebraska \, pl,ue ri,e, A,ound 20
tho rhole sccDo IA ono u,,;n .,,;t;na e,s,.-o
which v.s ,b,, or ,.,,;lis onny,l.ior p,,.I
lei Ia lis lero,b The r;dse r,. ali, in,och,sD,.
and assures bo,weeD ,sbich ,oss ,bs hin I,I,v
walls ,ermina,ed v;,b slander rn;n,,a,. IL
columns Acco-li,, 10 tho b,,on,o,or ,b. h.
,la cres, oc ,Lo wi, ~, - ,''s - ,
,hreo ,bons,nd sve hnnd,od .nd s.~.n,s c...
,boye ,h,, nl.co .nd ,,,'o ,h,n.aad .,ra,' L.u
drod and s;oh,v ,hov. ,h. I;,,Io - a, ,h,
ho,,or, ;mmeJa,slv a, oor eoo, o,,, ..,n,, !,
the Two Hills fan astronomical ,,,,ionl h.r.
sou,b Acc cas-, Min u,;,h ho.r;n, g.
wn,d ob,,iosd r-oo, s,ed no.i,,on an.Iiaan. -.
10 locate The pear, The bsaring az ,bs J,,o,s
Te,ons was north so dec. west. and the d;ree.
tion of the central ridge of the Wind river
mountains south 30 deg. eas,
"The summit rock was ppeiss. succeeded bv
sieni,ic eueiss. Sienitic and feldspar succeed.
ed in our descent TO the snow line. where we
found ieldspathic granite. had remarked tina,
the noise produced by the explosiou of our MIS-
tolls had the usn,I de,,a,, or i,,dn... hn, -