The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California: To which is Added a Description of the Physical Geography of California, with Recent Notices of the Gold Region from the Latest and Most Authentic Sources — John Shaqi
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California: To which is Added a Description of the Physical Geography of California, with Recent Notices of the Gold Region from the Latest and Most Authentic SourcesFrémont, John Charles
History
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California: To which is Added a Description of the Physical Geography of California, with Recent Notices of the Gold Region from the Latest and Most Authentic Sources
Frémont, John Charles
California -- Gold discoveries; Pacific States -- Description and travel; Rocky Mountains; United States -- Discovery and exploration; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
The creek was three or four feet broad, and about six inches deep, with
a swift current of clear water, and tolerably cool. We had struck it
too low down to find the cold water, which we should have enjoyed
nearer to its sources. At two, P.M., the barometer was at 25�050, and
the attached thermometer 104 deg. A day of hot sunshine, with clouds, and
moderate breeze from the south. Continuing down the stream, in about
four miles we reached its mouth, at one of the main branches of Horse
creek. Looking back upon the ridge, whose direction appeared to be a
little to the north of east, we saw it seamed at frequent intervals
with the dark lines of wooded streams, affluents of the river that
flowed so far as we could see along its base. We crossed, in the space
of twelve miles from our noon halt, three or four forks of Horse creek,
and encamped at sunset on the most easterly.
The fork on which we encamped appeared to have followed an easterly
direction up to this place; but here it makes a very sudden bend to the
north, passing between two ranges of precipitous hills, called, as I
was informed, Goshen's hole. There is somewhere in or near this
locality a place so called, but I am not certain that it was the place
of our encampment. Looking back upon the spot, at the distance of a few
miles to the northward, the hills appear to shut in the prairie,
through which runs the creek, with a semicircular sweep, which might
very naturally be called a hole in the bills. The geological
composition of the ridge is the same which constitutes the rock of the
Court-house and Chimney, on the North fork, which appeared to me a
continuation of this ridge. The winds and rains work this formation
into a variety of singular forms. The pass into Goshen's hole is about
two miles wide, and the hill on the western side imitates, in an
extraordinary manner, a massive fortified place, with a remarkable
fulness of detail. The rock is marl and earthy limestone, white,
without the least appearance of vegetation, and much resembles masonry
at a little distance; and here it sweeps around a level area two or
three hundred yards in diameter, and in the form of a half moon,
terminating on either extremity in enormous bastions. Along the whole
line of the parapets appear domes and slender minarets, forty or fifty
feet high, giving it every appearance of an old fortified town. On the
waters of White river, where this formation exists in great extent, it
presents appearances which excite the admiration of the solitary
voyageur, and form a frequent theme of their conversation when speaking
of the wonders of the country. Sometimes it offers the perfectly
illusive appearance of a large city, with numerous streets and
magnificent buildings, among which the Canadians never fail to see
their _cabaret_--and sometimes it takes the form of a solitary house,
with many large chambers, into which they drive their horses at night,
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