New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-08-09

mon. and his little band of explorers scaled the
highest De ak OF the Rocky MouOtains, never before
trooden by human foot, and unfrled the flag OF our
Union from that bleak pinnacle, 1890 fees ABOVE
the level of the ocean-the highest point at which
that flag ever waved. We are tempted TO e1rac'
from his official report Of that exploration the ioi
loving account Of the ascent of the summit:
AuS l5.-It had been supposed that we had hnisned
With Il noun alma and the evening before II han oeeI
arranged that Carson should set out al dayngn,, anu
return to breakfast at the camp o' tIe muo stsS
with him all but four or five men, VINO were 10 s1sy
with m, and b,ug back the mules ana iDs'f ai1r r
Accordinely at the break of day they SET out WIN
Mr. Pleuss and nyse'f remained Bash LsJeuWue1sse,
Clement Lambert, Janlsse, aru Desco'eaN-
VIZ Rae secured strength for the day by hearty break
fast we covered what remained, which was enough
for one me al with rocks, in order that IL might oe
safe from mayaucing bird, and ssdaih' our h',
turned our faces orCe more toward the PEAKS LUIS
time we determined to proceed quety and cautiously,
crljberately resolved to accomplish our object II II
were within the compass of human means. we were
Of opinion that long defie which lay TO the LETT OF
Yesterday route would lead u to the foot OF the man
peak Our mules had been refreshed ~ the hne grass
in The little syDe at the Island camp ana We intended
TO tide M the dee far as possioi", III oroer 10
husband our strength for the main ascent ihouSn
this was fine passage, ELL was cue VI 'no 'o'
rugged mountains known, and we had many rough
end In this place the gun rarely shone; sn9" lay
along the border of the email stream when no"ed
through IT, al occasional icy passages made me ioo'
ing If the mules very insecure, and the rocks ana
ground were moist with the tr'ckh9g waters ~ .ns
spring of mighty rivers. We soon had the satisfaction
10 find ourselves riding along the huge wal when
forms the central submits OF the chain. lheIe at Isst
it rose by our sides, nearly perpendicular wal OF
granite Terminating 900 to 900 feet above our heads
IN serrated line of broken, jagged cones. we rode
on until we came almost immeoistely below the main
peak, VIII oh denominated the Snow peak, as 1t ex-
tblted more snow to the eye than any OF the neigh
boIhg submits. Here were three small lakes OF
green coloi, each, perhaps, of thousand yards in
diameter, and apparently very deep. These lay III a
kind of chasm and, according to the barometer, we
hac attained but few hundred feet above the Island
lake. The barometer here stood az 20-ioO attached
thermo meter 20 deg.
We managed TO get our mules up to little bench
about huDdred feet above the lakes where theie
was patch of good grass and turned them loose to
Craze. During our rough roe 20 this place, tney had
exhibited wonderful surefootedness. Parts OF the
defile were filled with angular, sharp fragments Of
rock three four and eight or ten feet cuDe; ana
amoIg these had worked their way, espirg from one
narrow point TO another rarely making false step,
and giving us 10 occasion 10 dismosnt. Having d.
vested Ourselves CT every unnecessary lncumorance,
We commenced the ascent. The time, hke expert
.nced travellers, did not press ours' Ives, but
climbed leisurely, sitting Gown 80 soon "a we found
breath bseiIIing TO fail. AZ intervals We reached
places vile number Of springs gusheI from the
rocts. ard about 200 feet above the lakes came to
the line. From this point our progress was IN
interrupted climbing. Hitherto had worn pair OF
thick moccasins, with s0les OF parf}che, bat here
put Oh a liz h. thin pair which | had brought for the
puposf now the use of our toee became necessary
to further advance. | aydled myself or sort OF
comb Of the mountain. which stood against the wal
like bu,tress and which the wind and the collar radi
stOD, Oiued 70 the teepntss OF the smooth rock had
X pit almost entirely free from snow. Up thi. made
NY rapidly. Our cautions method OF advancing
at he outset had spared 10y strength and, with the
exception of slight disposition to headache, felt no
remains OF yesterdays illness. In fe v minutes
reacht Il point where the buttress overhangDg,
and there vas no other WAY OF surmountlng the diff
Guilty than By passing around one side Of it. which
the face Of vertical precpice Of several bundred
feet.
Putting hands AZ d feet in the crevces between the
blocks, succC eded in getting over il, and when 1
reached tie top found my companions in small val
ley below. Descending to them, we continued climb
ing, and III a short time reached the crest. | spraDg
upt n the summit, and another step would have pre-
plated NE il 10 immense snow field five huidred
ieet below To the ecge of this field sheer 10y
piecipce; and Their with gradual fall, the field
soped of for about mile unLl it struck the foot of
al other lower ricge. stood on nairow crest about
three ttet in width, with inclination OF about 20
deg. N 81 deg +. A had grstifed the first
feelings OF curiosity, / descended, and each man
cendtd in his turn; for would only allow one at a
tine to mount the unstable ard precarious slab which
i seemed breath would hur into the abys. below
W e mounted the barometer In the snow OF the sum-
nit, and. hx1g ramrod in crevice unfurled the
tonal flag to wave in the breeze where never flag
waved before. During our mornings ascent, we had
met 10 sign Of animal life, except the small sparrow
Ike bird already mentioned. A stiffness the most
prufaud ard tenible solitude forced themselves con-
sarty on the mind the great features Of the place
Here on the summit, where the stiffness was absolute
uLbiCken by any sound, ard solitude complete
thought Ourselves beyond the region Of animated life;
but while we were sitting on the rock, a solitary bee
(broTus, the kunJieJte) came wDging biz flight from
The eastern valley, and lit on the knee Of one of the
men.
wa a strange place. the icy rock AMI the hishert
peak Of the Rocky Mountains, for "a lover # warm
suIshiIe and flowers; and plcased ourselves with
the idts that the tint Of hs species 10 the
mountain baier-s solitary pioneer Ia fOretc the al
vance Of civilization. | believe that moments
thought would have made us Jet him continue his way
uutamed; bur carried out the law Of this country,
where all animated nature seems AZ war and, scZiog
hin immt dately, put him in at leat fl plsce-in
the eay e. ofa large book, among the flower. We had
collected our way. The barometer stood at l3-293,
tie ATTACHED Thermometer at "a deg. giving for the
elevation Of this summit 10 $40 feet above the Gulf of
Mexico, which NAV be called the highest flight Of the
bee. II il certaiLy the highest known fight Of that
insect. From the description given by Mackenzie OF
the mC un'ains where lie erOsed them, With that of
French officer still further 10 the north, and Col Longs
measurements 10 the south, joined to the opinion of
the DIGEST traders Of the country II i. presumed that
THE is the highest p Ak of the Rocky Mountains The
day eunny and bright but slight shining mist
burg over the lower plains which inteTfered with our
view Of the surrounding country. On one eide we
oveIlocked il honorable lax ard streams the sprug
of the Colorado OF the Golf Of California; and on the
other the Wind River valley, where were the
be ads Of the Yellowstone branch of the Missouri;
far TO the north, could Just discover the
snowy heads tf the I'rO,s Tetons, where wee the
sources OF the Missouri and Columbia Riyers: and Al
the southern extremity Of the ridge the peaks were
plainly visible among which come Of the springs
Of the Nebraska or Platte River. Around us. the
whole sceLe bad one main, str king feature which was
ridge was split into cbasms and fissures; between
which TIE thin lofty WALL TERMINATED with slender
nil srets and columns. According to the barometer,