The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-08-14

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there were no trails. and nothing 10 indI.
cate that even the Indians had visited IL.
Having completed their explorations
thus far, and just as they emerged from
a wide valley, covered 10 a great extent
with timber and swamps, they were
greeted with one of the most beautiful
pieces OF mountain scenery that America
can boast of. The walls of a rocky cam
yon, rising almost perpendicalarly to .
! height of one and two hundred feet.
guarded the river like castle towers as ii
flowed between them, while through the
gate which thus seemed I'D forbid pas
sage tO the Eden beyond, he two pros
pectors saw, half n mile before them =
succession of tails and rapids rising "a
n height of hundred and fifty feet.
oassing through the gate, Capt. McClels
Ian and his companion, led as it were by
snchantment, and desire 70 more closely
inspect the recently discovered beau
ties, and 10 explore the country beyond,
proceeded up the right bank of the river,
to the foot of the falls. We cannot moro
briefly nor more accurately give an idea
of these new found curiosities than by
describing them as stone steps, three in
number, cut in the solid rock, and carpet
ed with an ever changing stream; pure
as the SHOWS above. from which, as from
n crystal wOOt, the fingers Of the SUI had
+, woven IL, and beautiful rs il was pure.
/ Upon either side rocky banks still arose,
smooth and water-worn, TO q distance of
! from eight to ten feet, their SUBMITS
I cushioned by thick set groves of pine
/ The falls were respectively, commencing
at the lower one, twenty-five, thirty five
and forty feet in height. separated from
each other by gentle rapids one hundred
! yards in length. The width of the upper
fall was about fifty feet, and of the lower
ones seventy-five feet. But where did
the water come from, and what was be
yond A snowy conical peak raised it's
head above the upper fall as the gold =
hunters looked up to il: but il seemed to
be moved far back into the mountains,
with much room left between itself and
the Steps of Beauty for other wonders.
Capt. Mcclellan therefore clambered up
TO the level of the upper fall. Arrived
there he saw spread out before him, a
sheet ut water fifteen miles in length,
and from five to fen miles in width. This
lake was of a heart shape, the lower point
being aJ the falls, and the ro-entrant
angle directly opposite and five miles
distant. In this anglo last named, and
upon each side of the lobes of the heart
extend distance of fifteen miles from
the falls into the mountains, is situated
the snow capped ;seak n-nvion=ly ruen-
toned, ;.s DaTren rocky face looming ut,
against the sky: and rising peTpendicu-
larly from the waters' edge to "a hight OF
a thousand feet. On either side of this
peak, and along its base, skirting the
waters cdge, and casting their green
shadows in the mountain mirror, were
forests of pine, but still above them, and
running far back into the mountains,
were the rocky cTags, covered on their
SUBMITS with eternal snow. On the
left hand, or southern side of the lake
there arose gradually heavily timbered
slope, eliminating finally in n high
mountain range. On the northerly side
OF the lake extended a beautiful prairie
for great distance, having the appear.
ance of a level meadow. Along the edge
of this prairie, Capt Mcclellan and his
companion followed the north bank of
the lake to its highest point, where q
stream, nearly as large as the Blackfoot
River, Onters it This stream they as
cended distance of thirty miles, led ON
partially by hope of finding gold, bat
still more by the new and beautiful
scenes that were constantly srcetine
them as they advanced. Having enter,
ed farther into the mountains at this
point than ever men went before ana
having made record of the fact on some
trees, they started on their return-bads
farewell TO the lake. swan the river and
returned to camp. The liquid acc of hearts
as il lay upon the green cloth of the noun
tains had been very pretty to look upon
but failed 80 prove itself a winning card in
the game for gold. On his return to camp
Capt. Mcclellan found many of his men
dissatisfied. The cloud of disappoint-
ment that had, like the rain clouds, hung
over the expedition from the outset, was
commencing to have depressing effect
upon the members of the party. Five
men alone of the company were scquaint-
ed with mountain life. viz: Loup Nowlan.
VIM. Ross, Michael Dillon, Jas. Abrams
and w. Dillon. The Others, those
equipped by the merchants of Fort Benz
ton included in the number, seemed
generally iudlsPOsed to do any thing save
to consume the provisions. When their
complaints came TO the ears of Can't. Nc
Clcllan, he offered them fifteen days' pro.
visions and n riding horse apiece. If they
wished to return, but they refused to ac-|
cept of the proposition, and were unceas.
ing in their efforts to induce the whole
expedition to turn back. In this they
were unsuccessful. 4 number of incl.
dents occurred while the party WIS en-,
camped at st. Mary s Lakes, which would
prove Interesting to our readers, but we
can enumerate but one or two. On the
18th of June, at O'Clock in the after-
noon, there commenced one Of the most
terrific storms that has ever been known
in the mountains. II was ACCOMPANIED
by thunder and lightning to a degree
perfectly appalling. and at about five
o'clock. heavens artillery commenced n
cannonade of hail stones fully as large as
hens eggs Tho Flying Dutchinan'
was knocked down. others of the marty
sheltered their heads under saddles dogs
howled and ran for the brush. and the