Year: 1876

lower with the hues turf pines as If dnrkened
shadow. Brawng by the lakes, which are on higher
level the stream tumbles from the valley into dark
and narrow canyon, crowded with slender pines and
FIR trees In this haunt two huge buffalo bulls
The packers found the "coor OF goldr-a single
nake-in the soil on the margin OF Nowood Creek


We began our return toward camp about twelve
O'clock Tho ruggcdness OF the from the valley
OF Nowood Greek was iudescrlbabic but it deter
mined 70 avoid the botomless OF the canyon of
the south fork OF the Tongue River Attaining the
summit of pass after pass euges and debris OF
granite, seemingly ntermiqaole chain of green gens
and rocky canyons with dark and spongy bottoms,
rsekng with melted snow and linkeo by lofty
gaps between the granite cones while
ra waIshs vail snowy ransewhcs ne s'eA presented @
for long time as we podded northwaid no inviting
passage such the object OF our search. our
mules scrambled rocks logs boulders through
thckets aud marshes and snow drifts AT length the
mountains became less lofty on the west and the valley
more open We suddenly came to the head of a lake,
beyond which a large herd OF elk grazing Most
OF them were cows by their calves Some
the packers OF party fred at them prematurely,
and they escaped several voleys at long range un-
harmed


We are now bivouacked mile north OF the lake, at
the base OF high but gradual pass which hope TO
penetrate tomorrow.


MORE MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCES


The second night spent the western side and
the crest OF the mountains very cool although the
temperature was CHER than might have bcen supposed,
III cohs,deration oi the proximity oil the everlasting
snow. We rose about three O'Clock in the morning and
had eaten with gusto breakfast OF big ham, buffalo,
elk and deer meat, when the sun imdly peeped over
the main granite ridge hrs making the topmost drifts
family blush Ike maiden who is conscious oil a
pleasure; then the light fell through the gap the
right upon the little pools in the canyon; then 1t
burst upo1 us in all It's splendor, with dazzling re1ec
tons III every nook that glazed with
sivery texture OF frost glistcned everyt thing but
the beauty of tho picture cold and nhospltable.
The verdure OF pines and turf was sombre the gray
ellis and towers of granite unreentingiy stern in
aspect, the snow upon their loreheads a badge OF
gloomy, rownng old age, which had Witnessed the
lapse OF geological cycles their grzzed men like that
OF an ungracious Magos, gi0werng and unhumblcd IN
the spell which bound them TO motioness silence.
that MI
to have been nattened into graduated steps or pa
teaus leading down TO tho great valley OF tho Big
Horn from the wide but lofty pass on the right A
faint trail dscernible which is probably Of
the highways of the Sioux in entering the country of
probably pro "U'' was originally marked by the m,gra
ton OF the elk from the lower TO tho upper SUBMITS
OF the mountains whittier they arc driven in mldsum
mer by the mosquitoes and the heat The mules had
luxuriated during the night upon the Short rich grass
nj the Alpine valley and we're willing for the
start Having slept at an elevation OF about
H. 500 feet the ascent tho top Of the pass,
which moro than Il 900 feet above the evcl OF the
sea- was accomplished. II cannot be more than
a few hundred feet inferior in altitude to Cloud reak
We seemed 10 survey the world. The plain pelow US
looked dim-litte moro defined in features than u
stratum of cloud. The red apices oil tho ridges
and knolls, where the erosion of the elements
has left bare the burned sandstone, looked like
the upper borders of vapory
tinged by the Tie distance from the pass
the eastern base Of the mountain chain, although
in reality twenty miles, seemed but span. nearly
ignoring which the eye dwelt5hpon the hazy of
plain which, II rolling III dim surges, stretched





tion and melting into the shadowy ln1nty OF distance.
Tho soft and faint bill0wy iorms blended
with the murky midsummer blue as II we were gazing
through The strange glamour and glow OF tropical
sky The lanlest suggestion OF dark waving lines In
the east, springng from nothing and agAn swallowed
up IT, the contour of the Black Hills, 100 miles
away. A dark belt, sweeping from tho northern
Iemiy OF the mountain range toward the northeast
the OF the Big Horn River reach
ing the plain. Beyond 1t, fainter streak OF color,
might have hcen the shaded banks of tho Yellowstone
The Rosebud Mountains looked ant hills Spiral col





the Powder River, from burning beds OF Ignite
In that vicinity there are great fields of smoulderng
fire. Flames leap out through assures OF the baked
mari, ard cracklo sepulchrally as If cremation OF all
the dead IN ades were ID progress The ground is too
hot to walk on Many former sites OF these beds
where the fire has long been from exhaustion OF
iuel scattered the country through which
the expedition has marched, but in my letters have
heretofore forgotten to mention them They Indicate
probably, the immensely OF coal deposits In the
northern portion OF Wyoming as has been developed
that more luly explored.





Cloud Peak seemed to have taken strides toward us
since our last glimpse Of It. Even since it 1rst
in have had no certainty OF its identity, many
of the neighboring SUBMITS being apparently OF the
altitude. We weie then probably nearer 1t than
any white man had ever been before Travellers
have agreed that 1t is the highest Of the Big Horn
Mountains but they have described It's peculiar
outlines We, for the nrst time, realize Its great
superiority OF height and the abruptness and goosque
ness of the contour OF the topmost crag THIS is the
feature by which Cloud Peak should hereafter be
known. Its sister peaks are more symmetrical; no
other in the whole range is ragged and broken in





ton made through telescope it might be concluded
that, after its upheava 1t had cracked ana fallen
fragments whose edges have been duled by
natural erosion. There are two great knobs, the
between them The drned snow lies nuadreds Of feet
deep The form OF Inc mountain from It's base for
halt of It's height, IS that Of a bulky eone but cliffs
then rise vertically at least 900 feet without break
where could lodge to cover the gloomy granite
on the northern side OF the main knob ponderous
block of ovcrhangs the precpice





Northwest of Cloud Peak l observed another summit
nearly as lofty with features indicative OF ancient vol
action There remains circular rim ike that OF
crater. Minor pnnacles bear the apparent evidence
of having been cast in molten granite and having cooled
before the convnsons OF the igueous beneath
tho earth crust had entirely ceased. They retain al
most fantastic shapes


Tho snowy range exhibits many enormous canyons
Though they now like sinuous grooves they werc
probably originally snsrpedscd ceits and gasbcs The
clemens have ground slowly from The heights,
by glacial, thermal ana aerial action a nne
powder which has accumulated the crevces together
with the coarser debris hurled down from the beetng
crags The melted snow and the rain pcrmeate it to
great depth and IL trcacherously yeds under the tread
of animals. The erosion must have been very rapid
because immense beds OF gravel found by both
sides OF the main rdge and within the OF the
mountains showed evidences of avery recent release
IRON the mother rock The pebbles instead OF being
rounded smoothly, angular This characteristic Is
u sign unlavurablc the gold ia consider.
able quantity IL betokens that deposits are COM
paratively modern. Sull thero
u mining in similar placers in Montana and Nevada
rne timber line on Tho Biz Horn Mountains
paraiively low The TACT is due to the
denudaon OF the granite above elevation OF 900
feet. in somc other portions o the Rocky Mountains
Fedspar is the principal component OF the rock Veins
quar,z for which the gold hunter always looks
eagerly, rare hut lew were seen the SUBMITS


PICTURESQUE VIEWS


medley OF lesser mounts. plateaus, canyon and
ravine dinge wood and glade torrent pool and lake
chaotc but piciuresquelay below the gitterng line
OF snowy SUBMITS aud within the sombrc foot ruge.
Tho gorge, which had been ior vale ot dicultics,
the right and the lagoons, which we bad passed
ia making the ascent OF The eastern side OF tho noun
tans cmbosomed sombrc shade, now were displayed
ike string OF sapphres mirroring the deep blue sky,
while the bright, wowy fringe OF the river contrasted
with the dense coonnadcs OF pines dead and living
Blush gray smoke from point at the edge Of the
depressed mesa


We backward glance the great basin OF the
Big Horn, encompassed 10y majestic mountains south,
west, north east, and charmed The sub
Unity of the survey. The main divide OF the Rocky