The small point of land on which we encamped has a sandy soil, and is thinly covered with cotton-wood, intermixed with the aspen poplar (P. tremula, Mx.) and a few willows. The undergrowth is scattered and small, consisting principally of the amorpha fruticosa and a syngenecious shrub, probably a vernonia. Along the base of the mountains, and about this encampment, we had observed a small asclepias not easily distinguished from a verticillata, but rarely rising more than two or three inches from the ground. Here, we saw also the A. longifolia and A. viridifolia of Punsh. The scanty {250} catalogue of grassy and herbaceous plants found here comprises two sunflowers, (H. giganteus, N. and an undescribed species,) the great bartonica, the Mexican argemone, the cactus ferox, the andropogon furcatum, and A. ciliatum, cyperus uncinatus, elymus striatus, and a few others. Soon after arriving at this encampment, we commenced the separation of our baggage, horses, &c. preparatory to the division of the party. It was now proposed, pursuant to the plan already detailed, that one division of the party, consisting of Mr. Say, Mr. Seymour, Lieut. Swift, the three Frenchmen, Bijeau, Le Doux, and Julian, with five riflemen, the greater part of the pack-horses, the heavy baggage, and the two dogs, all under the direction of Captain Bell, should proceed directly down the Arkansa by the most direct route to Fort Smith, there to await the arrival of the other division; while Major Long, accompanied by Dr. James, Mr. Peale, and seven men, should cross the Arkansa, and travel southward in search of the sources of Red river. While several of the party were engaged in making these preparations, hunters were sent out; who were so far successful, that they soon returned, bringing two deer, one antelope, and seven turkeys. The opportunity of an unoccupied moment was taken to collect from Bijeau an account of some part of the Rocky Mountains which we had not seen. Joseph Bijeau, (or Bessonet, which is his hereditary name, the former having been derived from a second marriage of his mother,) had performed, in a very adequate and faithful manner, the services of guide and interpreter from the Pawnee villages to this place. He had formerly been resident in these western wilds, in the capacity of hunter and trapper, during the greater part of six years. He had traversed the country lying between the north fork of the Platte and the Arkansa in almost every direction. His pursuits often led him within the {251} Rocky Mountains, where the beaver are particularly abundant. He appears possessed not only of considerable acuteness of observation, but of a degree of candour and veracity which gives credibility to his accounts and descriptions. To him we are indebted for the following account of the country situated within the mountains.