Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-04-12
Northwest Explorations.

A4elChdhlS, W eAplOre the region and val
ley of the Saskatchewan river to see i
there were not direct and feasible pas
sage to the diggings, which might be made
available to the tide Of travel and business
| which was expected to flow thither from
the States. The party started in the ear.
/ ly part OF the summer Of 50 numbering
about dozen or fifteen in all The party
was under the lead of Col VIM H. MOBILES
OF St. Paul. Arriving at Fort Ellice, a
Hudson's Bay trading post, situated eight
hundred miles cast Of the Rocky Noun
talns, Col. Mobiles with six or seven COM
panlons, decided to return to the States,
but the remainder Of the party, eight in
number, determined to push on, and ac-
complish if possible, the objects Of the ex-
pedition. The returning party reached
the States in safety, late in the fall.
BY recent letter from Oregon, we learn
that the heroes who were true to their
mission they had undertaken, reached Port
land about the last of December in sad
plight, but all alive, and suffering not be-
yond recovery from the fatigue and dan
gers through which they had passed
None Of the party hau ever been on the
plains before, and the dangers Of the jour
ney were enhanced by the late period at
which it was commenced. They were
poorly provided also and without a guide,
travelling only by compass ana imperfect di-
rections. From. Fort Ellice they proceeded
to the South Saskatchewan, following that
river to Bow river, and up Bow river to
Kelly river. About ninety miles up Kel-
ly river, they left the river and took
southwest course, expecting to be through
the mountains in week, but when they
got into the mountains they got lost and
wandered about in the snow for three weeks,
when they came across an Indian, who was
nearl ly frightened to death by their dread
tul shouts, cheers, and crying. IF they
had not met the Indian, who was a friend
ly member Of the Kootonais tribe. not one
OF the party would ever have beer heard
of, although they were then only fifty miles
from Fort Benton.
Putting themselves under the guidance
of the Indian, the party reached the Boun-
dary Pass, and subsequently the Kootonais
village, at the western entrance Of the
pass. The road from kootonais to Fort
CoIylIlc Is the worst that can be conceived
OF, mountains all the way, and full Of fall
en- timber The whole route they travelled
is probably the worst there is for omigra-
ton.
We can but regret that Mr. Marble did
not continue with the expedition to the end,
as he would then have had subject worthy
OF his pen and the pencil Of the artist,
and very valuable addition might have
been made to our limited knowledge of
the physical features of the interior Of
Northern America Mr. w. II. Thompson, /
from whose letter We have quoted, makes |
the following remarks in regard to the
country through which they passed.
The country through which we passed .
is, [ think, the poorest o1 the American
continent. There is no wood between
Fort Ellice and the mountains, except oc-
2aslonal clumps Of cottonwood trees on the /
liver bottoms. The soil from thirty miles .
before we struck the Saskatchewan to with |
n seventy five miles Of the mountains is
he poorest [ ever saw. 1t is mixture of
;lay, sand and gravel, and don produce a
hing. Some Of our animals died of ac-
,ual starvation. Several times we struck
out from the river in hopes of finding food
or our poor animals, but were as often driv-
IN back on account Of the scarcity Of wa
er
The ground is all cut up by buffalo trails
'unning down to the rivers, and is cover
ID with dung, and looks like waste cattle
Tard in the wilderness, We passed through
millions Of them every day, and killed
great many, but they we're so poor and
ough we could not eat them. 1t seems
ike travelling over plowed ground. For
Of miles there is not even a sod
IN the ground, and the bufalos had eaten
II the grass there might have been, so our
,oor animals had to suffer.
The water all through this country is al
,aline. The Saskatchewan is quite wide
tream, and is filed with sandbars, which
re continually shifting their positions. It's
ottoms are very wide and extensive, and
re generally from $50 to 200 feet below
he level Of the prairie We were forced
own to the river every night to camp, by
he scarcity of water on the prairie 1t
would generally take US about an hour ev-
ry night to get to the river from where
re began to descend, and the same length
f time to get back on the prairie again in
he morning. We couldn't make more
han five or ten miles travel per day
ence our prolonged journey. This coun-
ry abounds in game of all descriptions.
here Is not point between Pembina and
Valla Walla, on the route we came, where