The New York herald., 1875-07-13
THE POWER OF TIE SIOUX.
NAArp HApNEY


have yet vsited better deserves reproduction in
pen-picture. Nature has here laid out noble parks
with far greater taste than could the hand OF man.
stately forests and groves. velvet lawns and
breezy hills, tall crags and sombre mountains
please the eye with their varied beauty and serene
Hepose Canyons, deep and vast separate great
masses OF rock upheaved by the earth In her
kmIghty throes, and their deep clefts, filed with
lsou ground from the surface b. The W nds and
storms OF thousands OF years are covered by black
timber that makes more gloomy their hoary forms.
Camp Harney Is in the middle OF the valley.
Tne cavalry are on one side OF the stream;
ithe infantry on the other. On the south, the bot
fom stretching along French Cresk is confined by
dark gray masses OF granite, rising perpendicu-
1arly out OF the ground, and above which is an
abrupt wooded riage. Beyond rise high puttes in
irregular order, covered rom base to crest with
thick black pines, and broken by abrupt ledges
Dand great ribs OF rock protruding above the sur
face. On the north side the valley is broken by
bow hills and ridges, deep holows and canyons
gloomy, overhangIng grass. and damp glades
lwatered by springs AS she mountains are ap-
eproached which bound the northern view from the
aevel OF the valley the scene grows wilder. the
gloom into which the notwithstanding ravines
head one, darker ana deeper. Little brooks baoble
hhrough green glades. embosomed in the wood,
land may be traced up 10 their source on the
mountain sides, whence they merrily dance down
fhetr pebbly path TO the long grass and crowdlng
Mowers below. Buttercups and miniature daisies,
Hoo peep through the rank grass, and many bril-
7iant-orbed blossoms OF the family astralagas noa
an the zephyr, as II eoquetting with the mountain
buebens near them, whose melting, dreamy looks
might wen entrance hamber denizens OF the
noral Kingdom.
In these dim hooks sudden bound is heard,
ana yonder goes in full career dasning through
1he cottonwood thickets,
A LIGHT-LIKBED DEER,
carrying erect its dehcatey formed head, It's ears
back 10 listen for pursuit and it's snowwhite tall
rased in the air, signal OF fright and alarm. Its
pace is the swift poetry OF motion Soon the
dusky shadows drown 1t from the sight. A quarter
OF a mile below the camps the stream bends
abruptly southwark anc the valley becomes
so narrow TO be only a ravine. Mountains
on either side rear their SUBMITS into heavens
blue. Yesterday, by q very circuitous ascent
rode TO the very top OF one OF these and enjoyed
beautiful prospect. South, west north and east,
mountains with wales and canyons between,
stretched away to the horizon. The valley
hioited its whole width, which, including the
irregular hills and ridges intervening between the
stream and the mountains, mus be about four
miles. The eminences on the north nave bleak
peaks. looking grand and picturesque but DESC
late. Their SUBMITS are composed OF ragged gray
rocks deep furro6s and clefts extending down
struggling ranks OF pine From my point OF
observation l had a southern view OF Harney's
Peak locking less tall and imposing than when
seen from tue northwest, but stu appearing like
come bald and ay-headed old giant
OF the earliest human period petri-
ned, as we read IN legends. for some vice
committed. Dodge's Peak is, unfortunately. not
dlstinguishsbe, BY It's peculiarly OF form, from
this side. Indeed, after leaving the rounded hill,
near Custer's Park, waen first beheld it, It has
not been visible from any part OF tns trail and IL
As not likely. therefore, 10 lend much lustre, IN the
travellers eyes, to the name with which 1t is now
burdened by the BoduS operaHdt OF explorers In
the vicinity Of Harney's Peak there Is little varla-
lion IN the height Of the mountains composing the
range. And this brings me to an attempt TO reach
and ascend Harney's Peak on last sunday, which
ANONYMOUSLY failed. -
AN ATTEMPT AT HARSEY's PEAK.
party, composed Of the commanding onicer OF
the expedition, Lieutenant Colonel Dodge, Lieu
tenant Foote. Lieutenant Bourke, aide-de-camp;
Mr.. MacMIllen and myself, accom- panied by sew
etsl orderlies, started from headquarters about
nine O'Clock. wen mounted and prepared for srdu-
Gus climbing. Inc morning was most beautiful, a
cool breeze bloEng from tne southwest;
but the sun, nevertheless, hurled such calid
darts upon US taat We found pathway leading
through the shadows OF the groves covering the
low hills much pleasanter than the one lying
through the open meadows on the bottom. We
pursued the course OF a tributary OF French Creek
toward is head, which flows through q smaller
VALLEY along the southern base OF the barney
Range. Tue stream purls through the grassy
bottom with a clear and icy current, winding
from one size OF the vale TO the other, new low
ing over smooth and brght-Vinted pebbles and
now gurgling through narrow passage OF grand
rocks. On the right several tiny mountain brooks
cisgorge their small store OF sparkling waters,
which they nave brought from springs existing in
the substrata OF Rnslss underlying the great
craRs that bear the name OF mountains. Up
narrow ravine, which becomes at length canyon,
we FIRST rooe and then led our horses through
dense brake OF mountain cottonwood and red
willow. by following the small water course we
had ascendsd 20 point far above the valley ana
here commenced steep aecivlty-the SIDE Of q
bare peak, composed OF solid rock, and present
ing great difnculties in the way OF attaining It's
summit This the Colonel supposed TO be part
OF Harney's Peak, but soon found his mistake.
Nature having endowed the chief OF our party
with supernuity OF nesA had also made him
subject 70 speedy exhaustion. Imagine our old
friend Sir John Fastan tugging up one Of these
ROCKY eminencesl We had passed through very
narrow aperture between two crags, ana here
TIED our animals IL then appeared that the
Colonel had intended to 60 TO the top OF the peak
only in case he could DO so without dismountng
and here we were near the base OF q subordinate
eminence which could only be mounted by severe
exertion. Harney's Peak was, perforce, given up
IN despair, and win Keen disappointment Dy the
younger members Of the party, who looked with
silent pity on the undue corpOrosity which hs1
frustrated a pleasant achievement. Only Lieu
tanant Foote and myself yentured upon the ascent
OF the mountain on which we were resting. The
ascent was cincut, partly performed on the
hands and knees, over rocks on which the footing
was very insecure. 4, one clip would have hurled
one ever . deep precipice upon sharply edged
Iedges hundreds OF feet below. Standing sc
5ength on the topmostcrag the whole surrounding
country lay before us Ike q map. Southwark Is
long series OF aDDarentlY level upland PARKS.