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
"10th.--We continued along the same fine plainly beaten road, which the
smooth surface of the country afforded us, for a distance of six
hundred and thirty miles, from the frontiers of Missouri to the Laramie
fork. In the course of the day we met some whites, who were following
along in the train of Mr. Bridger; and, after a day's journey of
twenty-four miles, encamped about sunset at the Chimney rock. It
consists of marl and earthy limestone, and the weather is rapidly
diminishing its height, which is not more than two hundred feet above
the river. Travelers who visited it some years since, placed its height
at upwards of 500 feet.
"11th.--The valley of the North fork is of a variable breadth, from one
to four, and sometimes six miles. Fifteen miles from the Chimney rock
we reached one of those places where the river strikes the bluffs, and
forces the road to make a considerable circuit over the uplands. This
presented an escarpment on the river of about nine hundred yards in
length, and is familiarly known as Scott's bluffs. We had made a
journey of thirty miles before we again struck the river, at a place
where some scanty grass afforded an insufficient pasturage to our
animals. About twenty miles from the Chimney rock we had found a very
beautiful spring of excellent and cold water; but it was in such a deep
ravine, and so small, that the animals could not profit by it, and we
therefore halted only a few minutes, and found a resting-place ten
miles further on. The plain between Scott's bluffs and Chimney rock was
almost entirely covered with drift-wood, consisting principally of
cedar, which, we were informed, had been supplied from the Black hills,
in a flood five or six years since.
"12th.--Nine miles from our encampment of yesterday we crossed Horse
creek, a shallow stream of clear water, about seventy yards wide,
falling into the Platte on the right bank. It was lightly timbered, and
great quantities of drift-wood were piled up on the banks, appearing to
be supplied by the creek from above. After a journey of twenty-six
miles, we encamped on a rich bottom, which afforded fine grass to our
animals. Buffalo have entirely disappeared, and we live now upon the
dried meat, which is exceedingly poor food. The marl and earthy
limestone, which constituted the formation for several days past, had
changed, during the day, into a compact white or grayish-white
limestone, sometimes containing hornstone; and at the place of our
encampment this evening, some strata in the river hills cropped out to
the height of thirty or forty feet, consisting of fine-grained granitic
sandstone; one of the strata closely resembling gneiss.
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