The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California | Page 8

level bottom brought us to our encampment on the shore of
the river, about twenty miles below the head of Grand Island, which lay
extended before us, covered with dense and heavy woods. From the
mouth of the Kansas, according to our reckoning, we had traveled three
hundred and twenty-eight miles; and the geological formation of the
country we had passed over consisted of lime and sand stone, covered
by the same erratic deposits of sand and gravel which forms the surface
rock of the prairies between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Except
in some occasional limestone boulders, I had met with no fossils. The
elevation of the Platte valley above the sea is here about two thousand
feet. The astronomical observations of the night placed us in longitude
98° 45' 49", latitude 40° 41' 06".
27th.--The animals were somewhat fatigued by their march of
yesterday, and, after a short journey of eighteen miles along the river
bottom, I encamped near the head of Grand Island, in longitude, by
observation, 99° 05' 24", latitude 40° 39' 32". The soil was here light
but rich, though in some places rather sandy; and, with the exception of
scattered fringe along the bank, the timber, consisting principally of
poplar, (populus moniliefera,) elm, and hackberry, (celtis crassifolia,)
is confined almost entirely to the islands.
28th.--We halted to noon at an open reach of the river, which occupies
rather more than a fourth of the valley, here only about four miles
broad. The camp had been disposed with the usual precaution, the

horses grazing at a little distance, attended by the guard, and we were
all sitting quietly at our dinner on the grass, when suddenly we heard
the startling cry, "Du monde!" In an instant, every man's weapon was in
his hand, the horses were driven in, hobbled and picketed, and
horsemen were galloping at full speed in the direction of the
newcomers, screaming and yelling with the wildest excitement. "Get
ready, my lads!" said the leader of the approaching party to his men,
when our wild looking horsemen were discovered bearing down upon
them--"nous allons attraper des coups de baguette." They proved to be
a small party of fourteen, under the charge of a man named John Lee,
and, with their baggage and provisions strapped to their backs, were
making their way on foot to the frontier. A brief account of their
fortunes will give some idea of navigation in the Nebraska. Sixty days
since, they had left the mouth of Laramie's fork, some three hundred
miles above, in barges laden with the furs of the American Fur
Company. They started with the annual flood, and, drawing but nine
inches water, hoped to make a speedy and prosperous voyage to St.
Louis; but, after a lapse of forty days, found themselves only one
hundred and thirty miles from their point of departure. They came
down rapidly as far as Scott's bluffs, where their difficulties began.
Sometimes they came upon places where the water was spread over a
great extent, and here they toiled from morning until night, endeavoring
to drag their boat through the sands, making only two or three miles in
as many days. Sometimes they would enter an arm of the river, where
there appeared a fine channel, and, after descending prosperously for
eight or ten miles, would come suddenly upon dry sands, and be
compelled to return, dragging their boat for days against the rapid
current; and at others, they came upon places where the water lay in
holes, and, getting out to float off their boat, would fall into water up to
their necks, and the next moment tumble over against a sandbar.
Discouraged at length, and finding the Platte growing every day more
shallow, they discharged the principal part of their cargoes one hundred
and thirty miles below Fort Laramie, which they secured as well as
possible, and, leaving a few men to guard them, attempted to continue
their voyage, laden with some light furs and their personal baggage.
After fifteen or twenty days more struggling in the sands, during which
they made but one hundred and forty miles, they sunk their barges,

made a cache of their remaining furs and property in trees on the bank,
and, packing on his back what each man could carry, had commenced,
the day before we encountered them, their journey on foot to St. Louis.
We laughed then at their forlorn and vagabond appearance, and, in our
turn, a month or two afterwards, furnished the same occasion for
merriment to others. Even their stock of tobacco, that sine qua non of a
voyageur, without which the night fire is gloomy, was entirely
exhausted. However, we shortened their homeward journey by a small
supply from our own provision. They gave us the welcome intelligence