The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-05-15


ney by passing southwark and recrossing
the Sierra Nevada above Los Angeles. Great
salt Lake was again reached in May, after
an absence of eight months During that
time the expedition had travelled $500
miles, had endured the seventies Of winter
in Oregon and northern California and
thoroughly explored the basin between the
Rockies and the Sierras.
In the spring of 1915 Fremont started
with his third and last government eXpedi
ton. Many of his old companions Joined
him, among them Cooley and Carson, the
noted scouts. Carson abandoned his valu
able ranch on the Arkansas when the col
umn reached there and fell into line, such
was the respect he bore to the young tel
derfoot" explorer The part numbered 60
when il reached salt Lake. From there it
crossed the desert to the foot Of the Sierras.
1t was the dead of winter, and the men and
animals were too exhausted to cross the
mountains. Fremont, with IS picked men,
made the trip to Suffers farm in 10 days
and returned with supplies to succor the
main party, but it had moved south to
warmer region and reached the California
settlements.
Fremont Immediately placed himself I'M
der the orders of Commodore Stockton and
engaged in the conquest of California. He
was court martialed for technical dis
obedience of ORDERS and resi- med his com
| mission to engage in Il fourth expedition on
| his own hook. His aim wa to discover
/ feasible route to California for travel all
/ the year round. The voyagcurs numbered
/ SO. They crossed the country from Santa
! Fe to the Sierras through the lands of the
/ fiery Comanches and Apaches, but were
stopped by the ofty mountains buried in
snow
The guide pretended to have lost his way
and conducted the column to the highest
peaks One-third of the men and horses
perished and the survivors, reduced to the
extremity of subsisting on human flesh,
fell back to Santa Fe. Still undaunted,
Fremont gathered up 30 more men, and in
the spring of 1S49 found a good pass to
Southern California. Fremont was the
real leader and master of the band, though
he was a boy beside some of them. His ca
reer as an explorer ended at the age of b.
The wild party which rode into Monterey on
his third expedition was described by a
British seaman, who CHANGED to be in port,
as follows:
Fremont rode ahead-a spare, active
looking man. He was dres ed in blouse
and leggings and wore a felt hat. After
him came five Delaware Indians who were
his bodyguard through all his wanderings
The rest, many of them blacker than Indi.
ans, rode two and two the rifle held by one
hand across the pommel Of the saddle The
dress of these men was principally a long,
loose coat of deerskin tied with thongs in
front; trousers of the same of their OVID
manufacture. They are allowed no liquor
and the discipline is very strict"
On the march, with scouts ahead and on
the TANKS, with an advance and rear guard
and the noncombatants, pack animals
baggage and horned cattle in the center
the column looked rather like a wandering
tribe in Asia than a scientific expedition
hailing from civilized states.
When it came to battle, Fremont was a
hero. In fight with the KlamIths, Carson's
rife missed fire just as his Indian opponent
was drawing his bow. Fremont fired, but
missed also Then he spurred his horse
and jumped him upon the Indian, throw
ing him over and causing the arrow to
fly wild. The savage was dispatched with
war club, and the arrows in his culver
were found to be steel-tipped and poisoned
Fremont's quick daring saved Carson from
terrible death. GEORGE L. kILMER.