diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:36:06 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:36:06 -0700 |
| commit | 3890637647fb84a8f5274b67a925e66fb0c43d2f (patch) | |
| tree | 6f5061f941971ccce5a2fa34b1664026dc5f7ba3 /11145-h | |
Diffstat (limited to '11145-h')
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/11145-h.htm | 5486 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/109.png | bin | 0 -> 3935 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/117.png | bin | 0 -> 2562 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/118.png | bin | 0 -> 17578 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/119.png | bin | 0 -> 8554 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/148.png | bin | 0 -> 15558 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/205bottom.jpg | bin | 0 -> 23738 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/205top.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15119 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/209.jpg | bin | 0 -> 25495 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/210.jpg | bin | 0 -> 12732 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/211.jpg | bin | 0 -> 17031 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/212.jpg | bin | 0 -> 14985 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/213.jpg | bin | 0 -> 21555 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/214.jpg | bin | 0 -> 25937 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/215.jpg | bin | 0 -> 24961 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/216.jpg | bin | 0 -> 32236 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/217.jpg | bin | 0 -> 36078 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/218.jpg | bin | 0 -> 25456 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/219.jpg | bin | 0 -> 33455 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/220.jpg | bin | 0 -> 49465 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/221.jpg | bin | 0 -> 20620 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/222.jpg | bin | 0 -> 19752 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/223.jpg | bin | 0 -> 43841 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/224.jpg | bin | 0 -> 16203 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/225.jpg | bin | 0 -> 46618 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/226.jpg | bin | 0 -> 51382 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/227.jpg | bin | 0 -> 19254 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/228.jpg | bin | 0 -> 68725 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/229.jpg | bin | 0 -> 16128 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/230.jpg | bin | 0 -> 52604 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/231.jpg | bin | 0 -> 51259 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/232.jpg | bin | 0 -> 12266 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/233.jpg | bin | 0 -> 22593 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/234.jpg | bin | 0 -> 37960 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/235bottom.jpg | bin | 0 -> 14354 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/235top.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15566 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/236.jpg | bin | 0 -> 23552 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/237.jpg | bin | 0 -> 43763 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/238.jpg | bin | 0 -> 64432 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/239.jpg | bin | 0 -> 17456 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/240.jpg | bin | 0 -> 28010 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/241.jpg | bin | 0 -> 20375 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/242.jpg | bin | 0 -> 13729 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/243.jpg | bin | 0 -> 18074 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/245.jpg | bin | 0 -> 16550 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/246__.jpg | bin | 0 -> 39965 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/247.jpg | bin | 0 -> 29813 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 11145-h/images/42.png | bin | 0 -> 3537 bytes |
48 files changed, 5486 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/11145-h/11145-h.htm b/11145-h/11145-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fbd38e3 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/11145-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5486 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" + content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of + The Discovery of Yellowstone Park, + by Nathaniel Pitt Langford. +</title> +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + * { font-family: Times;} + P { text-indent: 1em; + margin: 10%; + margin-top: .75em; + font-size: 14pt; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; } + HR { width: 33%; } + PRE { font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;} + // --> +</style> +</head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11145 ***</div> + +<h1>THE DISCOVERY OF YELLOWSTONE PARK</h1> +<center> +<i>Journal of the Washburn Expedition to the Yellowstone and Firehole +Rivers in the Year 1870</i> +</center><br> + +<h2>by Nathaniel Pitt Langford</h2> + +<br><br><br> + + +<h3>1905</h3> + + + +<hr> + +<br><br><br> +<a name="TOC"><!-- TOC --></a> +<h2> + CONTENTS +</h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<p>Foreword (not included)</p> +<p><a href="#INT">Introduction</a></p> +<p><a href="#RULE4_1">Journal</a></p> +<p><a href="#APX">Appendix</a></p> +<p>Index (not included)</p> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="INT"><!-- INT --></a> +<h2> + INTRODUCTION +</h2> + +<p> +When the rumored discovery in the year 1861 of extensive gold placers on +Salmon river was confirmed, the intelligence spread through the states +like wild fire. Hundreds of men with dependent families, who had been +thrown out of employment by the depressed industrial condition of the +country and by the Civil War, and still others actuated by a thirst for +gain, utilized their available resources in providing means for an +immediate migration to the land of promise. Before midsummer they had +started on the long and perilous journey. How little did they know of +its exposures! The deserts, destitute of water and grass, the alkaline +plains where food and drink were alike affected by the poisonous dust, +the roving bands of hostile Indians, the treacherous quicksands of river +fords, the danger and difficulty of the mountain passes, the death of +their companions, their cattle and their horses, breakage of their +vehicles, angry and often violent personal altercations—all these fled +in the light of the summer sun, the vernal beauty of the plains and the +delightfully pure atmosphere which wooed them day by day farther away +from the abode of civilization and the protection of law. The most +fortunate of this army of adventurers suffered from some of these +fruitful causes of disaster. So certain were they to occur in some form +that a successful completion of the journey was simply an escape from +death. The story of the Indian murders and cruelties alone, which befell +hundreds of these hapless emigrants, would fill volumes. Every mile of +the several routes across the continent was marked by the decaying +carcasses of oxen and horses, which had perished during the period of +this hegira to the gold mines. Three months with mules and four with +oxen were necessary to make the journey—a journey now completed in five +days from ocean to ocean by the railroad. Some of these expeditions, +after entering the unexplored region which afterwards became Montana, +were arrested by the information that it would be impossible to cross +with wagon teams the several mountain ranges between them and the mines. +</p> +<p> +In the summer of 1862 a company of 130 persons left St. Paul for the +Salmon river mines. This Northern overland expedition was confided to +the leadership of Captain James L. Fisk, whose previous frontier +experience and unquestionable personal courage admirably fitted him for +the command of an expedition which owed so much of its final success, as +well as its safety during a hazardous journey through a region occupied +by hostile Indians, to the vigilance and discipline of its commanding +officer. E.H. Burritt was first assistant, the writer was second +assistant and commissary, and Samuel R. Bond was secretary. Among those +who were selected for guard duty were David E. Folsom, Patrick Doherty +(Baptiste), Robert C. Knox, Patrick Bray, Cornelius Bray, Ard Godfrey, +and many other well known pioneers of Montana. We started with ox teams +on this journey on the 16th day of June, traveling by the way of Fort +Abercrombie, old Fort Union, Milk river and Fort Benton, bridging all +the streams not fordable on the entire route. Fort Union and Fort +Benton were not United States military forts, but were the old trading +posts of the American Fur Company. +</p> +<p> +This Northern overland route of over 1,600 miles, lay for most of the +distance through a partially explored region, filled with numerous bands +of the hostile Sioux Indians. It was the year of the Sioux Indian +massacre in Minnesota. After a continuous journey of upwards of eighteen +weeks we reached Grasshopper creek near the head of the Missouri on the +23d day of October, with our supply of provisions nearly exhausted, and +with cattle sore-footed and too much worn out to continue the journey. +There we camped for the winter in the midst of the wilderness, 400 miles +from the nearest settlement or postoffice, from which we were separated +by a region of mountainous country, rendered nearly impassable in the +winter by deep snows, and beset for the entire distance by hostile +Indians. Disheartening as the prospect was, we felt that it would not do +to give way to discouragement. A few venturesome prospectors from the +west side of the Rocky Mountains had found gold in small quantities on +the bars bordering the stream, and a few traders had followed in their +wake with a limited supply of the bare necessaries of life, risking the +dangers of Indian attack by the way to obtain large profits as a +rightful reward for their temerity. Flour was worth 75 cents per pound +in greenbacks, and prices of other commodities were in like proportion, +and the placer unpromising; and many of the unemployed started out, some +on foot, and some bestride their worn-out animals, into the bleak +mountain wilderness, in search of gold. With the certainty of death in +its most horrid form if they fell into the hands of a band of prowling +Blackfeet Indians, and the thought uppermost in their minds that they +could scarcely escape freezing, surely the hope which sustained this +little band of wanderers lacked none of those grand elements which +sustained the early settlers of our country in their days of disaster +and suffering. Men who cavil with Providence and attribute to luck or +chance or accident the escape from massacre and starvation of a company +of destitute men, under circumstances like these, are either wanting in +gratitude or have never been overtaken by calamity. My recollection of +those gloomy days is all the more vivid because I was among the indigent +ones. +</p> +<p> +This region was then the rendezvous of the Bannack Indians, and we named +the settlement "Bannack," not the Scotch name "Bannock," now often given +to it. +</p> +<p> +Montana was organized as a territory on the 26th day of May, 1864, and I +continued to reside in that territory until the year 1876, being engaged +chiefly in official business of a character which made it necessary, +from time to time, for me to visit all portions of the territory. It is +a beautiful country. Nature displays her wonders there upon the most +magnificent scale. Lofty ranges of mountains, broad and fertile valleys, +streams broken into torrents are the scenery of every-day life. These +are rendered enjoyable by clear skies, pure atmosphere and invigorating +climate. +</p> +<p> +Ever since the first year of my residence there I had frequently heard +rumors of the existence of wonderful phenomena in the region where the +Yellowstone, Wind, Snake and other large rivers take their rise, and as +often had determined to improve the first opportunity to visit and +explore it, but had been deterred by the presence of unusual and +insurmountable dangers. It was at that time inhabited only by wild +beasts and roving bands of hostile Indians. An occasional trapper or old +mountaineer were the only white persons who had ever seen even those +portions of it nearest to civilization, previous to the visit of David +E. Folsom and C.W. Cook in the year 1869. Of these some had seen one, +some another object of interest; but as they were all believed to be +romancers their stories were received with great distrust. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-1"><!-- Image 1 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/209.jpg" width="300" height="487" +alt="James Bridger."> +</center> + +<p> +The old mountaineers of Montana were generally regarded as great +fabricators. I have met with many, but never one who was not fond of +practicing upon the credulity of those who listened to the recital of +his adventures. James Bridger, the discoverer of Great Salt lake, who +had a large experience in wild mountain life, wove so much of romance +around his Indian adventures that his narrations were generally received +with many grains of allowance by his listeners. Probably no man ever had +a more varied and interesting experience during a long period of +sojourning on the western plains and in the Rocky Mountains than +Bridger, and he did not hesitate, if a favorable occasion offered, to +"guy" the unsophisticated. At one time when in camp near "Pumpkin +Butte," a well-known landmark near Fort Laramie, rising a thousand feet +or more above the surrounding plain, a young attache of the party +approached Mr. Bridger, and in a rather patronizing manner said: "Mr. +Bridger, they tell me that you have lived a long time on these plains +and in the mountains." Mr. Bridger, pointing toward "Pumpkin Butte," +replied: "Young man, you see that butte over there! Well, that mountain +<i>was a hole in the ground</i> when I came here." +</p> +<p> +Bridger's long sojourn in the Rocky Mountains commenced as early as the +year 1820, and in 1832 we find him a resident partner in the Rocky +Mountain Fur Company. He frequently spent periods of time varying from +three months to two years, so far removed from any settlement or trading +post, that neither flour nor bread stuffs in any form could be obtained, +the only available substitute for bread being the various roots found in +the Rocky Mountain region. +</p> +<p> +I first became acquainted with Bridger in the year 1866. He was then +employed by a wagon road company, of which I was president, to conduct +the emigration from the states to Montana, by way of Fort Laramie, the +Big Horn river and Emigrant gulch. He told me in Virginia City, Mont., +at that time, of the existence of hot spouting springs in the vicinity +of the source of the Yellowstone and Madison rivers, and said that he +had seen a column of water as large as his body, spout as high as the +flag pole in Virginia City, which was about sixty (60) feet high. The +more I pondered upon this statement, the more I was impressed with the +probability of its truth. If he had told me of the existence of falls +one thousand feet high, I should have considered his story an +exaggeration of a phenomenon he had really beheld; but I did not think +that his imagination was sufficiently fertile to originate the story of +the existence of a spouting geyser, unless he had really seen one, and I +therefore was inclined to give credence to his statement, and to believe +that such a wonder did really exist. +</p> +<p> +I was the more disposed to credit his statement, because of what I had +previously read in the report of Captain John Mullan, made to the war +department. From my present examination of that report, which was made +Feb. 14, 1863, and a copy of which I still have in my possession, I find +that Captain Mullan says: +</p> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + + I learned from the Indians, and afterwards confirmed by + my own explorations, the fact of the existence of an + infinite number of hot springs at the headwaters of the + Missouri, Columbia and Yellowstone rivers, and that hot + geysers, similar to those of California, exist at the head of + the Yellowstone. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + +<p> +Again he speaks of the isochimenal line (a line of even winter +temperature), which he says reaches from Fort Laramie to the +headwaters of the Yellowstone, at the hot spring and geysers of that +stream, and continues thence to the Beaver Head valley, and he adds: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + This is as true as it is strange, and shows unerringly that + there exists in this zone an atmospheric river of heat, + flowing through this region, varying in width from one to + one hundred miles, according to the physical face of the + country. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-2"><!-- Image 2 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/210.jpg" width="300" height="438" +alt="Very Much Yours D.G. Folsom"> +</center> + +<p> +As early as the year 1866 I first considered the possibility of +organizing an expedition for the purpose of exploring the Upper +Yellowstone to its source. The first move which I made looking to this +end was in 1867 and the next in 1868; but these efforts ended in nothing +more than a general discussion of the subject of an exploration, the +most potent factor in the abandonment of the enterprise being the +threatened outbreaks of the Indians in Gallatin valley. +</p> +<p> +The following year (1869) the project was again revived, and plans +formed for an expedition; but again the hostility of the Indians +prevented the accomplishment of our purpose of exploration. Hon. David +E. Folsom was enrolled as one of the members of this expedition, and +when it was found that no large party could be organized, Mr. Folsom and +his partner, C.W. Cook, and Mr. Peterson (a helper on the Folsom ranch), +in the face of the threatened dangers from Indians, visited the Grand +Cañon, the falls of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone lake, and then +turned in a northwesterly direction, emerging into the Lower Geyser +basin, where they found a geyser in action, the water of which, says Mr. +Folsom in his record of the expedition, "came rushing up and shot into +the air at least eighty feet, causing us to stampede for higher ground." +</p> +<p> +Mr. Folsom, in speaking of the various efforts made to organize an +expedition for exploration of the Yellowstone says: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + In 1867, an exploring expedition from Virginia City, + Montana Territory, was talked of, but for some unknown + reason, probably for the want of a sufficient number to + engage in it, it was abandoned. The next year another was + planned, which ended like the first—in talk. Early in the + summer of 1869 the newspapers throughout the Territory + announced that a party of citizens from Helena, Virginia + City and Bozeman, accompanied by some of the officers + stationed at Fort Ellis, with an escort of soldiers, would + leave Bozeman about the fifth of September for the Yellowstone + country, with the intention of making a thorough + examination of all the wonders with which the region was + said to abound. The party was expected to be limited in + numbers and to be composed of some of the most prominent + men in the Territory, and the writer felt extremely flattered + when his earnest request to have his name added to + the list was granted. He joined with two personal friends + in getting an outfit, and then waited patiently for the other + members of the party to perfect their arrangements. About + a month before the day fixed for starting, some of the + members began to discover that pressing business engagements + would prevent their going. Then came news from + Fort Ellis that, owing to some changes made in the disposition + of troops stationed in the Territory, the military + portion of the party would be unable to join the expedition; + and our party, which had now dwindled down to ten + or twelve persons, thinking it would be unsafe for so small + a number to venture where there was a strong probability + of meeting with hostile Indians, also abandoned the undertaking. + But the writer and his two friends before mentioned, + believing that the dangers to be encountered had + been magnified, and trusting by vigilance and good luck to + avoid them, resolved to attempt the journey at all hazards. + + We provided ourselves with five horses—three of them + for the saddle, and the other two for carrying our cooking + utensils, ammunition, fishing tackle, blankets and buffalo + robes, a pick, and a pan, a shovel, an axe, and provisions + necessary for a six weeks' trip. We were all well armed + with repeating rifles, Colt's six-shooters and sheath-knives, + and had besides a double barreled shotgun for small game. + We also had a good field glass, a pocket compass and a + thermometer. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-3"><!-- Image 3 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/211.jpg" width="300" height="423" +alt="C.W. Cook"> +</center> + +<p> +Mr. Folsom followed the Yellowstone to the lake and crossed over to the +Firehole, which he followed up as far as the Excelsior geyser (not then +named), but did not visit the Upper Geyser basin. On his return to +Helena he related to a few of his intimate friends many of the incidents +of his journey, and Mr. Samuel T. Hauser and I invited him to meet a +number of the citizens of Helena at the directors' room of the First +National Bank in Helena; but on assembling there were so many present +who were unknown to Mr. Folsom that he was unwilling to risk his +reputation for veracity, by a full recital, in the presence of +strangers, of the wonders he had seen. He said that he did not wish to +be regarded as a liar by those who were unacquainted with his +reputation. But the accounts which he gave to Hauser Gillette and myself +renewed in us our determination to visit that region during the +following year. Mr. Folsom, however, sent to the Western Monthly of +Chicago a carefully prepared account of his expedition, which that +magazine published in July, 1870, after cutting out some of the most +interesting portions of the story, thus destroying in some measure the +continuity of the narrative. The office of the Western Monthly was +destroyed by fire before the copies of the magazine containing Mr. +Folsom's article were distributed, and the single copy which Mr. Folsom +possessed and which he presented to the Historical Society of Montana +met a like fate in the great Helena fire. The copy which I possessed and +which I afterwards presented to that Society is doubtless the only +original copy now in existence; and, for the purpose of preserving the +history of the initial step which eventuated in the creation of the +Yellowstone National Park, I re-published, in the year 1894, 500 copies +of Mr. Folsom's narrative, for distribution among those most interested +in that exploration. +</p> +<p> +In the spring of 1870, while in St. Paul, I had an interview with Major +General Winfield S. Hancock, during which he showed great interest in +the plan of exploration which I outlined to him, and expressed a desire +to obtain additional information concerning the Yellowstone country +which would be of service to him in the disposition of troops for +frontier defense, and he assured me that, unless some unforeseen +exigency prevented, he would, when the time arrived, give a favorable +response to our application for a military escort, if one were needed. +Mr. Hauser also had a conference with General Hancock about the same +time, and received from him like assurances. +</p> +<p> +About the 1st of August, 1870, our plans took definite shape, and some +twenty men were enrolled as members of the exploring party. About this +time the Crow Indians again "broke loose," and a raid of the Gallatin +and Yellowstone valleys was threatened, and a majority of those who had +enrolled their names, experiencing that decline of courage so aptly +illustrated by Bob Acres, suddenly found excuse for withdrawal in +various emergent occupations. +</p> +<p> +After a few days of suspense and doubt, Samuel T. Hauser told me that if +he could find two men whom he knew, who would accompany him, he would +attempt the journey; and he asked me to join him in a letter to James +Stuart, living at Deer Lodge, proposing that he should go with us. +Benjamin Stickney, one of the most enthusiastic of our number, also +wrote to Mr. Stuart that there were eight persons who would go at all +hazards and asked him (Stuart) to be a member of the party. Stuart +replied to Hauser and myself as follows: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + Deer Lodge City, M.T., Aug. 9th, 1870. + + Dear Sam and Langford: + + Stickney wrote me that the Yellow Stone party had + dwindled down to eight persons. That is not enough to + stand guard, and I won't go into that country without having + a guard every night. From present news it is probable + that the Crows will be scattered on all the headwaters of + the Yellow Stone, and if that is the case, they would not + want any better fun than to clean up a party of eight (that + does not stand guard) and say that the Sioux did it, as they + said when they went through us on the Big Horn. It will + not be safe to go into that country with less than fifteen + men, and not very safe with that number. I would like it + better if it was fight from the start; we would then kill + every Crow that we saw, and take the chances of their + rubbing us out. As it is, we will have to let them alone + until they will get the best of us by stealing our horses or + killing some of us; then we will be so crippled that we + can't do them any damage. + + At the commencement of this letter I said I would not + go unless the party stood guard. I will take that back, for + I am just d——d fool enough to go anywhere that anybody + else is willing to go, only I want it understood that very + likely some of us will lose our hair. I will be on hand Sunday + evening, unless I hear that the trip is postponed. + + Fraternally yours, + + JAS. STUART. + + Since writing the above, I have received a telegram saying, + "twelve of us going certain." Glad to hear it—the + more the better. Will bring two pack horses and one pack + saddle. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +I have preserved this letter of James Stuart for the thirty-five years +since it was received. It was written with a lead pencil on both sides +of a sheet of paper, and I insert here a photograph of a half-tone +reproduction of it. It has become somewhat illegible and obscure from +repeated folding and unfolding. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-4"><!-- Image 4 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/238.jpg" width="450" height="647" +alt="A Letter."> +</center> + + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-5"><!-- Image 5 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/239.jpg" width="450" height="406" +alt="A Letter, Continued."> +</center> + +<p> +Mr. Stuart was a man of large experience in such enterprises as that in +which we were about to engage, and was familiar with all the tricks of +Indian craft and sagacity; and our subsequent experience in meeting the +Indians on the second day of our journey after leaving Fort Ellis, and +their evident hostile intentions, justified in the fullest degree +Stuart's apprehensions. +</p> +<p> +About this time Gen. Henry D. Washburn, the surveyor general of Montana, +joined with Mr. Hauser in a telegram to General Hancock, at St. Paul, +requesting him to provide the promised escort of a company of cavalry. +General Hancock immediately responded, and on August 14th telegraphed an +order on the commandant at Fort Ellis, near Bozeman, for such escort as +would be deemed necessary to insure the safety of our party. +</p> +<p> +Just at this critical time I received a letter from Stuart announcing +that he had been drawn as a juryman to serve at the term of court then +about to open, and that as the federal judge declined to excuse him, he +would not be able to join our party. This was a sore and discouraging +disappointment both to Hauser and myself, for we felt that in case we +had trouble with the Indians Stuart's services to the party would be +worth those of half a dozen ordinary men. +</p> +<p> +A new roster was made up, and I question if there was ever a body of men +organized for an exploring expedition, more intelligent or more keenly +alive to the risks to be encountered than those then enrolled; and it +seems proper that I here speak more specifically of them. +</p> +<p> +Gen. Henry D. Washburn was the surveyor general of Montana and had been +brevetted a major general for services in the Civil War, and had served +two terms in the Congress of the United States. Judge Cornelius Hedges +was a distinguished and highly esteemed member of the Montana bar. +Samuel T. Hauser was a civil engineer, and was president of the First +National Bank of Helena. He was afterwards appointed governor of Montana +by Grover Cleveland. Warren C. Gillette and Benjamin Stickney were +pioneer merchants in Montana. Walter Trumbull was assistant assessor of +internal revenue, and a son of United States Senator Lyman Trumbull of +Illinois. Truman C. Everts was assessor of internal revenue for Montana, +and Nathaniel P. Langford (the writer) had been for nearly five years +the United States collector of internal revenue for Montana, and had +been appointed governor of Montana by Andrew Johnson, but, owing to the +imbroglio of the Senate with Johnson, his appointment was not confirmed. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-6"><!-- Image 6 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/212.jpg" width="300" height="467" +alt="James Stuart."> +</center> + +<p> +While we were disappointed in our expectation of having James Stuart +for our commander and adviser, General Washburn was chosen captain of +the party, and Mr. Stickney was appointed commissary and instructed to +put up in proper form a supply of provisions sufficient for thirty (30) +days, though we had contemplated a limit of twenty-five (25) days for +our absence. Each man promptly paid to Mr. Stickney his share of the +estimated expense. When all these preparations had been made, Jake Smith +requested permission to be enrolled as a member of our company. Jake was +constitutionally unfitted to be a member of such a party of exploration, +where vigilance and alertness were essential to safety and success. He +was too inconsequent and easy going to command our confidence or to be +of much assistance. He seemed to think that his good-natured nonsense +would always be a passport to favor and be accepted in the stead of real +service, and in my association with him I was frequently reminded of the +youth who announced in a newspaper advertisement that he was a poor but +pious young man, who desired board in a family where there were small +children, and where his Christian example would be considered a +sufficient compensation. Jake did not share the view of the other +members of our company, that in standing guard, the sentry should resist +his inclination to slumber. Mr. Hedges, in his diary, published in +Volume V. of the Montana Historical Society publications, on September +13th, thus records an instance of insubordination in standing guard: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + Jake made a fuss about his turn, and Washburn stood + in his place. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +Now that this and like incidents of our journey are in the dim past, let +us inscribe for his epitaph what was his own adopted motto while doing +guard duty when menaced by the Indians on the Yellowstone: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + "REQUIESCAT IN PACE." + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +Of our number, five—General Washburn, Walter Trumbull, Truman C. +Everts, Jacob Smith and Lieutenant Doane—have died. The five members +now surviving are Cornelius Hedges, Samuel T. Hauser, Warren C. +Gillette, Benjamin Stickney and myself. +</p> +<p> +I have not been able to ascertain the date of death of either Walter +Trumbull or Jacob Smith. Lieutenant Doane died at Bozeman, Montana, May +5, 1892. His report to the War Department of our exploration is a +classic. Major Chittenden says: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + His fine descriptions have never been surpassed by any + subsequent writer. Although suffering intense physical torture + during the greater portion of the trip, it did not extinguish + in him the truly poetic ardor with which those + strange phenomena seem to have inspired him. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +Dr. Hayden, who first visited this region the year following that of our +exploration, says of Lieutenant Doane's report: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + I venture to state as my opinion, that for graphic description + and thrilling interest, it has not been surpassed + by any official report made to our government since the + times of Lewis and Clark. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +Mr. Everts died at Hyattsville, Md., on the 16th day of February, 1901, +at the age of eighty-five, survived by his daughter, Elizabeth Everts +Verrill, and a young widow, and also a son nine years old, born when +Everts was seventy-six years of age,—a living monument to bear +testimony to that physical vigor and vitality which carried him through +the "Thirty-seven days of peril," when he was lost from our party in +the dense forest on the southwest shore of Yellowstone lake. +</p> +<p> +General Washburn died on January 26, 1871, his death being doubtless +hastened by the hardships and exposures of our journey, from which many +of our party suffered in greater or less degree. +</p> +<p> +In an eloquent eulogistic address delivered in Helena January 29, 1871, +Judge Cornelius Hedges said concerning the naming of Mount Washburn: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + On the west bank of the Yellowstone, between Tower Fall + and Hell-broth springs, opposite the profoundest chasm + of that marvelous river cañon, a mighty sentinel overlooking + that region of wonders, rises in its serene and solitary + grandeur,—Mount Washburn,—pointing the way his enfranchised + spirit was so soon to soar. He was the first to + climb its bare, bald summit, and thence reported to us the + welcome news that he saw the beautiful lake that had been + the proposed object of our journey. By unanimous voice, + unsolicited by him, we gave the mountain a name that + through coming years shall bear onward the memory of + our gallant, generous leader. How little we then thought + that he would be the first to live only in memory. * * * + The deep forests of evergreen pine that embosom that lake + shall typify the ever green spot in our memory where shall + cluster the pleasant recollections of our varied experiences + on that expedition. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +The question is frequently asked, "Who originated the plan of setting +apart this region as a National Park?" I answer that Judge Cornelius +Hedges of Helena wrote the first articles ever published by the press +urging the dedication of this region as a park. The Helena Herald of +Nov. 9, 1870, contains a letter of Mr. Hedges, in which he advocated the +scheme, and in my lectures delivered in Washington and New York in +January, 1871, I directed attention to Mr. Hedges' suggestion, and urged +the passage by Congress of an act setting apart that region as a public +park. All this was several months prior to the first exploration by the +U.S. Geological Survey, in charge of Dr. Hayden. The suggestion that the +region should be made into a National Park was first broached to the +members of our party on September 19, 1870, by Mr. Hedges, while we were +in camp at the confluence of the Firehole and Gibbon rivers, as is +related in this diary. After the return home of our party, I was +informed by General Washburn that on the eve of the departure of our +expedition from Helena, David E. Folsom had suggested to him the +desirability of creating a park at the grand cañon and falls of the +Yellowstone. This fact was unknown to Mr. Hedges,—and the boundary +lines of the proposed park were extended by him so as to be commensurate +with the wider range of our explorations. +</p> +<p> +The bill for the creation of the park was introduced in the House of +Representatives by Hon. William H. Clagett, delegate from Montana +Territory. On July 9, 1894, William R. Marshall, Secretary of the +Minnesota Historical Society, wrote to Mr. Clagett, asking him the +question: "Who are entitled to the principal credit for the passage of +the act of Congress establishing the Yellowstone National Park?" Mr. +Clagett replied as follows: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, July 14th, 1894. + + Wm. R. Marshall, + + Secretary Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minn. + + Dear Sir: Your favor of July 9th is just received. I + am glad that you have called my attention to the question, + "Who are entitled to the principal credit for the passage + of the act of Congress establishing the Yellowstone + National Park?" The history of that measure, as far as + known to me, is as follows, to-wit: In the fall of 1870, + soon after the return of the Washburn-Langford party, + two printers at Deer Lodge City, Montana, went into the + Firehole basin and cut a large number of poles, intending + to come back the next summer and fence in the tract of + land containing the principal geysers, and hold possession + for speculative purposes, as the Hutchins family so + long held the Yosemite valley. One of these men was + named Harry Norton. He subsequently wrote a book on + the park. The other one was named Brown. He now + lives in Spokane, Wash., and both of them in the summer + of 1871 worked in the New Northwest office at Deer Lodge. + When I learned from them in the late fall of 1870 or + spring of 1871 what they intended to do, I remonstrated + with them and stated that from the description given by + them and by members of Mr. Langford's party, the whole + region should be made into a National Park and no private + proprietorship be allowed. + + I was elected Delegate to Congress from Montana in + August, 1871, and after the election, Nathaniel P. Langford, + Cornelius Hedges and myself had a consultation in + Helena, and agreed that every effort should be made to + establish the Park as soon as possible, and before any person + had got a serious foot-hold—Mr. McCartney, at the + Mammoth Hot Springs, being the only one who at that time + had any improvements made. In December, 1871, Mr. Langford + came to Washington and remained there for some + time, and we two counseled together about the Park project. + I drew the bill to establish the Park, and never knew + Professor Hayden in connection with that bill, except that + I requested Mr. Langford to get from him a description of + the boundaries of the proposed Park. There was some + delay in getting the description, and my recollection is + that Langford brought me the description after consultation + with Professor Hayden. I then filled the blank in the + bill with the description, and the bill passed both Houses + of Congress just as it was drawn and without any change + or amendment whatsoever. + + After the bill was drawn, Langford stated to me that + Senator Pomeroy of Kansas was very anxious to have the + honor of introducing the bill in the Senate; and as he + (Pomeroy) was the chairman of the Senate committee on + Public Lands, in order to facilitate its passage, I had a + clean copy made of the bill and on the first call day in the + House, introduced the original there, and then went over + to the Senate Chamber and handed the copy to Senator + Pomeroy, who immediately introduced it in the Senate. + The bill passed the Senate first and came to the House, + and passed the House without amendment, at a time when + I happened to be at the other end of the Capitol, and hence + I was not present when it actually passed the House. + + Since the passage of this bill there have been so many + men who have claimed the exclusive credit for its passage, + that I have lived for twenty years, suffering from a + chronic feeling of disgust whenever the subject was mentioned. + So far as my personal knowledge goes, the first + idea of making it a public park occurred to myself; but + from information received from Langford and others, it + has always been my opinion that Hedges, Langford, and + myself formed the same idea about the same time, and + we all three acted together in Montana, and afterwards + Langford and I acted with Professor Hayden in Washington, + in the winter of 1871-2. + + The fact is that the matter was well under way before + Professor Hayden was ever heard of in connection with + that measure. When he returned to Washington in 1871, + he brought with him a large number of specimens from + different parts of the Park, which were on exhibition in + one of the rooms of the Capitol or in the Smithsonian Institute + (one or the other), while Congress was in session, + and he rendered valuable services, in exhibiting these specimens + and explaining the geological and other features of + the proposed Park, and between him, Langford and myself, + I believe there was not a single member of Congress + in either House who was not fully posted by one or the + other of us in personal interviews; so much so, that the + bill practically passed both Houses without objection. + + It has always been a pleasure to me to give to Professor + Hayden and to Senator Pomeroy, and Mr. Dawes of Mass, + all of the credit which they deserve in connection with + the passage of that measure, but the truth of the matter + is that the origin of the movement which created the Park + was with Hedges, Langford and myself; and after Congress + met, Langford and I probably did two-thirds, if not + three-fourths of all the work connected with its passage. + + I think that the foregoing letter contains a full statement + of what you wish, and I hope that you will be able + to correct, at least to some extent, the misconceptions + which the selfish vanity of some people has occasioned on + the subject. + + Very truly yours, + + Wm. H. Clagett. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-7"><!-- Image 7 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/213.jpg" width="300" height="431" +alt="Wm. H. Clagett"> +</center> + +<p> +It is true that Professor Hayden joined with Mr. Clagett and myself in +working for the passage of the act of dedication, but no person can +divide with Cornelius Hedges and David E. Folsom the honor of +<i>originating the idea</i> of creating the Yellowstone Park. +</p> +<p> +By direction of Major Hiram M. Chittenden there has been erected at the +junction of the Firehole and Gibbon rivers a large slab upon which is +inscribed the following legend: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + JUNCTION + OF THE + GIBBON AND FIREHOLE RIVERS, + FORMING THE MADISON FORK OF THE MISSOURI. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + ON THE POINT OF LAND BETWEEN THE TRIBUTARY STREAMS, + SEPTEMBER 19, 1870, THE CELEBRATED WASHBURN EXPEDITION, + WHICH FIRST MADE KNOWN TO THE WORLD THE WONDERS + OF THE YELLOWSTONE, WAS ENCAMPED, AND HERE WAS + FIRST SUGGESTED THE IDEA OF SETTING APART THIS REGION + AS A NATIONAL PARK. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +On the south bank of the Madison, just below the junction of these two +streams, and overlooking this memorable camping ground, is a lofty +escarpment to which has appropriately been given the name "National +Park mountain." +</p> +<p> +I take occasion here to refer to my personal connection with the Park. +Upon the passage by Congress, on March 1, 1872, of the act of +dedication, I was appointed superintendent of the Park. I discharged the +duties of the office for more than five years, without compensation of +any kind, and paying my own expenses. Soon after the creation of the +Park the Secretary of the Interior received many applications for leases +to run for a long term of years, of tracts of land in the vicinity of +the principal marvels of that region, such as the Grand Cañon and Falls, +the Upper Geyser basin, etc. These applications were invariably referred +to me by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Hon. B.R. Cowen. It +was apparent from an examination of these applications that the purpose +of the applicants was to enclose with fences their holdings, and charge +visitors an admission fee. To have permitted this would have defeated +the purpose of the act of dedication. In many instances the applicants +made earnest pleas, both personally and through their members in +Congress, to the Interior Department and to myself for an approval of +their applications, offering to speedily make improvements of a value +ranging from $100,000 to $500,000. I invariably reported unfavorably +upon these alluring propositions, and in no instance was my +recommendation overruled by Secretary Cowen, to whom Secretary Delano +had given the charge of the whole matter, and to Judge Cowen's firmness +in resisting the political and other influences that were brought to +bear is largely due the fact that these early applications for +concessions were not granted. A time should never come when the American +people will have forgotten the services, a generation ago, of Judge +Cowen, in resisting the designs of unscrupulous men in their efforts to +secure possession of the most important localities in the Park, nor +the later services of George Bird Grinnell, William Hallett Phillips and +U.S. Senator George Graham Vest, in the preservation of the wild game of +the Park and of the Park itself from the more determined encroachments +of private greed. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-8"><!-- Image 8 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/214.jpg" width="300" height="495" +alt="Hiram M. Chittenden"> +</center> + +<p> +The second year of my services as superintendent, some of my friends in +Congress proposed to give me a salary sufficiently large to pay actual +expenses. I requested them to make no effort in this behalf, saying that +I feared that some successful applicant for such a salaried position, +giving little thought to the matter, would approve the applications for +leases; and that as long as I could prevent the granting of any +exclusive concessions I would be willing to serve as superintendent +without compensation. +</p> +<p> +Apropos of my official connection with the Park a third of a century +ago, is the following letter to me, written by George Bird Grinnell. +This personal tribute from one who himself has done so much in behalf of +the Park was very gratifying to me. +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + New York, April 29th, 1903. + + <i>Mr. N.P. Langford St. Paul, Minn</i>., + + Dear Sir: I am glad to read the newspaper cutting from + the Pioneer Press of April 19th, which you so kindly sent me. + + In these days of hurry and bustle, when events of importance + crowd so fast on each other that the memory of each + is necessarily short lived, it is gratifying to be reminded + from time to time of important services rendered to the nation + in a past which, though really recent, seems to the + younger generation far away. + + The service which you performed for the United States, + and indeed for the world, in describing the Yellowstone + Park, and in setting on foot and persistently advocating the + plan to make it a national pleasure ground, will always be + remembered; and it is well that public acknowledgment + should be made of it occasionally, so that the men of this + generation may not forget what they owe to those of the + past. + + Yours very truly, + + GEO. BIRD GRINNELL. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +The Act of Congress creating the Park provided that this region should +be "set apart for a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and +enjoyment of the people," but this end has not been accomplished except +as the result of untiring vigilance and labor on the part of a very few +persons who have never wavered in their loyalty to the Park. It may +never be known how nearly the purposes of the Act of Dedication have +escaped defeat; but a letter written to me by George Bird Grinnell and +an editorial from <i>Forest and Stream</i> may reveal to visitors who now +enjoy without let or hindrance the wonders of that region, how narrowly +this "Temple of the living God," as it has been termed, has escaped +desecration at the hands of avaricious money-getters, and becoming a +"Den of Thieves." +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + New York, July 25, 1905. + <i>Mr. N.P. Langford</i>. + + Dear Sir: I am very glad that your diary is to be published. + It is something that I have long hoped that we + might see. + + It is true, as you say, that I have for a good many years + done what I could toward protecting the game in the Yellowstone + Park; but what seems to me more important than + that is that <i>Forest and Stream</i> for a dozen years carried on, + almost single handed, a fight for the integrity of the National + Park. If you remember, all through from 1881 or thereabouts + to 1890 continued efforts were being made to gain + control of the park by one syndicate and another, or to run + a railroad through it, or to put an elevator down the side + of the cañon—in short, to use this public pleasure ground + as a means for private gain. There were half a dozen of us + who, being very enthusiastic about the park, and, being in a + position to watch legislation at Washington, and also to + know what was going on in the Interior Department, kept + ourselves very much alive to the situation and succeeded in + choking off half a dozen of these projects before they grew + large enough to be made public. + + One of these men was William Hallett Phillips, a dear + friend of mine, a resident of Washington, a Supreme Court + lawyer with a large acquaintance there, and a delightful + fellow. He was the best co-worker that any one could have + had who wanted to keep things straight and as they ought + to be. + + At rare intervals I get out old volumes of the <i>Forest and + Stream</i> and look over the editorials written in those days + with a mingling of amusement and sadness as I recall how + excited we used to get, and think of the true fellows who + used to help, but who have since crossed over to the other + side. + + Yours sincerely, + + GEO. BIRD GRINNELL. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-9"><!-- Image 9 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/240.jpg" width="450" height="312" +alt="National Park Mountain. at Junction of Firehole and Gibbon Rivers."> +</center> + + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-10"><!-- Image 10 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/241.jpg" width="300" height="538" +alt="Geo. Bird Grinnell"> +</center> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + From <i>Forest and Stream</i>, August 20, 1904. + + SENATOR VEST AND THE NATIONAL PARK. + + In no one of all the editorials and obituaries written last + week on the death of Senator Vest did we see mention made + of one great service performed by him for the American people, + and for which they and their descendants should always + remember him. It is a bit of ancient history now, and + largely forgotten by all except those who took an active part + in the fight. More than twenty years ago strong efforts were + made by a private corporation to secure a monopoly of the + Yellowstone National Park by obtaining from the government, + contracts giving them exclusive privileges within the + Park. This corporation secured an agreement from the Interior + Department by which six different plots in the Yellowstone + Park, each one covering about one section of land—a + square mile—were to be leased to it for a period of ten + years. It was also to have a monopoly of hotel, stage and + telegraph rights, and there was a privilege of renewal of the + concession at the end of the ten years. The rate to be paid + for the concession was $2 an acre. + + When the question of this lease came before Congress, it + was referred to a sub-committee of the Committee on Territories, + of which Senator Vest was chairman. He investigated + the question, and in the report made on it used these + words: "Nothing but absolute necessity, however, should + permit the Great National Park to be used for money-making + by private persons, and, in our judgment, no such necessity + exists. The purpose to which this region, matchless in + wonders and grandeur, was dedicated—'a public park and a + pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people'—is + worthy the highest patriotism and statesmanship." + + The persons interested in this lease came from many sections + of the country, and were ably represented by active + agents in Washington. The pressure brought to bear on + Congress was very great, and the more effectively applied, + since few men knew much about conditions in the Yellowstone + Park, or even where the Yellowstone Park was. But + pressure and influence could not move Senator Vest when + he knew he was right. He stood like a rock in Congress, resisting + this pressure, making a noble fight in behalf of the + interests of the people, and at last winning his battle. For + years the issue seemed doubtful, and for years it was true + that the sole hope of those who were devoted to the interests + of the Park, and who were fighting the battle of the public, + lay in Senator Vest. So after years of struggle the right + triumphed, and the contract intended to be made between + the Interior Department and the corporation was never consummated. + + This long fight made evident the dangers to which the + Park was exposed, and showed the necessity of additional + legislation. + + A bill to protect the Park was drawn by Senator Vest and + passed by Congress, and from that time on, until the day + of his retirement from public life, Senator Vest was ever a + firm and watchful guardian of the Yellowstone National + Park, showing in this matter, as in many others, "the highest + patriotism and statesmanship." For many years, from + 1882 to 1894, Senator Vest remained the chief defender of a + National possession that self-seeking persons in many parts + of the country were trying to use for their own profit. + + If we were asked to mention the two men who did more + than any other two men to save the National Park for the + American people, we should name George Graham Vest and + William Hallett Phillips, co-workers in this good cause. + There were other men who helped them, but these two easily + stand foremost. +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<center> +<img src="./images/242.jpg" width="300" height="532" +alt="W. Hallett Phillips"> +</center> + +<center> +<img src="./images/243.jpg" width="300" height="437" +alt="GEORGE GRAHAM VEST."> +</center> +<p> +In the light of the present glorious development of the Park it can be +said of each one who has taken part in the work of preserving for all +time this great national pleasuring ground for the enjoyment of the +American people, "He builded better than he knew." +</p> +<p> +An amusing feature of the identity of my name with the Park was that my +friends, with a play upon my initials, frequently addressed letters to +me in the following style: +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-11"><!-- Image 11 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/42.png" width="300" height="97" +alt="National Park Langford"> +</center> + +<p> +The fame of the Yellowstone National Park, combining the most extensive +aggregation of wonders in the world—wonders unexcelled because nowhere +else existing—is now world-wide. The "Wonderland" publications issued +by the Northern Pacific Railway, prepared under the careful supervision +of their author, Olin D. Wheeler, with their superb illustrations of the +natural scenery of the park, and the illustrated volume, "The +Yellowstone," by Major Hiram M. Chittenden, U.S. Engineers, under whose +direction the roads and bridges throughout the Park are being +constructed, have so confirmed the first accounts of these wonders that +there remains now little of the incredulity with which the narrations of +the members of our company were first received. The articles written by +me on my return from the trip described in this diary, and published in +Scribner's (now Century) Magazine for May and June, 1871, were regarded +more as the amiable exaggerations of an enthusiastic Munchausen, who is +disposed to tell the whole truth, and as much more as is necessary to +make an undoubted sensation, than as the story of a sober, +matter-of-fact observer who tells what he has seen with his own eyes, +and exaggerates nothing. Dr. Holland, one of the editors of that +magazine, sent to me a number of uncomplimentary criticisms of my +article. One reviewer said: "This Langford must be the champion liar of +the Northwest." Resting for a time under this imputation, I confess to a +feeling of satisfaction in reading from a published letter, written +later in the summer of 1871 from the Upper Geyser basin by a member of +the U.S. Geological Survey, the words: "Langford did not dare tell +one-half of what he saw." +</p> +<p> +Mr. Charles T. Whitmell, of Cardiff, Wales, a distinguished scholar and +astronomer, who has done much to bring to the notice of our English +brothers the wonders of the Park—which he visited in 1883—in a lecture +delivered before the Cardiff Naturalists' Society on Nov. 12, 1885, +sought to impress upon the minds of his audience the full significance +of the above characterization. He said: "This quite unique description +means a great deal, I can assure you; for Western American lying is not +to be measured by any of our puny European standards of untruthfulness." +</p> +<p> +But the writings of Wheeler and others, running through a long series of +years and covering an extended range of new discoveries, have vindicated +the truthfulness of the early explorers, and even the stories of Bridger +are not now regarded as exaggerations, and we no longer write for his +epitaph, +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + Here LIES Bridger. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +As I recall the events of this exploration, made thirty-five years ago, +it is a pleasure to bear testimony that there was never a more unselfish +or generous company of men associated for such an expedition; and, +notwithstanding the importance of our discoveries, in the honor of which +each desired to have his just share, there was absolutely neither +jealousy nor ungenerous rivalry, and the various magazine and newspaper +articles first published clearly show how the members of our party were +"In honor preferring one another." +</p> +<p> +In reviewing my diary, preparatory to its publication, I have +occasionally eliminated an expression that seemed to be too personal,—a +sprinkling of pepper from the caster of my impatience,—and I have also +here and there added an explanatory annotation or illustration. With +this exception I here present the original notes just as they were +penned under the inspiration of the overwhelming wonders which +everywhere revealed themselves to our astonished vision; and as I again +review and read the entries made in the field and around the campfire, +in the journal that for nearly thirty years has been lost to my sight, I +feel all the thrilling sensations of my first impressions, and with them +is mingled the deep regret that our beloved Washburn did not live to see +the triumphant accomplishment of what was dear to his heart, the setting +apart at the headwaters of the Yellowstone, of a National "public park +or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." +</p> +<center> +NATHANIEL PITT LANGFORD. +</center> +<p> +St. Paul, Minn., August 9, 1905. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-12"><!-- Image 12 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/215.jpg" width="450" height="562" +alt="The Author"> +</center> + + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<a name="RULE4_1"><!-- RULE4 1 --></a> +<h2> + JOURNAL +</h2> + +<p> +<b>Wednesday, August 17, 1870</b>.—In accordance with the arrangements made +last night, the different members of our party met at the agreed +rendezvous—the office of General Washburn—at 9 o'clock a.m., to +complete our arrangements for the journey and get under way. Our party +consisted of Gen. Henry D. Washburn, Cornelius Hedges, Samuel T. Hauser, +Warren C. Gillette, Benjamin Stickney, Truman C. Everts, Walter +Trumbull, Jacob Smith and Nathaniel P. Langford. General Washburn has +been chosen the leader of our party. For assistants we have Mr.—— +Reynolds and Elwyn Bean, western slope packers, and two African boys as +cooks. Each man has a saddle horse fully rigged with California saddle, +cantinas, holsters, etc., and has furnished a pack horse for +transportation of provisions, ammunition and blankets. There are but few +of our party who are adepts in the art of packing, for verily it is an +art acquired by long practice, and we look with admiration upon our +packers as they "throw the rope" with such precision, and with great +skill and rapidity tighten the cinch and gird the load securely upon the +back of the broncho. Our ponies have not all been tried of late with the +pack saddle, but most of them quietly submit to the loading. But now +comes one that does not yield itself to the manipulations of the packer. +He stands quiet till the pack saddle is adjusted, but the moment he +feels the tightening of the cinch he asserts his independence of all +restraint and commences bucking. This animal in question belongs to +Gillette, who says that if he does not stand the pack he will use him +for a saddle horse. If so, God save Gillette! +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-13"><!-- Image 13 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/216.jpg" width="450" height="366" +alt="Packing a Recalcitrant Mule."> +</center> + +<p> +<b>Thursday, August 18.</b>—I rode on ahead of the party from Mr. Hartzell's +ranch, stopping at Radersburg for dinner and riding through a snow storm +to Gallatin City, where I remained over night with Major Campbell. +General Washburn thought that it would be well for some members of the +company to have a conference, as early as possible, with the commanding +officer at Fort Ellis, concerning an escort of soldiers. I also desired +to confer with some of the members of the Bozeman Masonic Lodge +concerning the lodge troubles; and it was for these reasons that I rode +on to Bozeman in advance of the party. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-14"><!-- Image 14 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/217.jpg" width="450" height="363" +alt="The Start. Prickly Pear Valley."> +</center> + +<p> +<b>Friday, August 19</b>.—Rode over to the East Gallatin river with +Lieutenants Batchelor and Wright, crossing at Blakeley's bridge and +reaching Bozeman at 7 o'clock p.m. +</p> +<p> +<b>Saturday, August 20</b>.—Spent the day at Bozeman and at Fort Ellis. I met +the commanding officer, Major Baker, of the Second U.S. Cavalry, who +informs me that nearly all the men of his command are in the field +fighting the Indians. I informed him that we had an order for an escort +of soldiers, and he said that the garrison was so weakened that he could +not spare more than half a dozen men. I told him that six men added to +our own roster would enable us to do good guard duty. The rest of the +party and the pack train came into Bozeman at night. +</p> +<p> +This evening I visited Gallatin Lodge No. 6, and after a full +consultation with its principal officers and members, I reluctantly +decided to exercise my prerogative as Grand Master and arrest the +charter of the lodge as the only means of bringing to a close a grievous +state of dissension. In justice to my own convictions of duty, I could +not have adopted any milder remedy than the one I applied. +</p> +<p> +<b>Sunday, August 21</b>.—We moved into camp about one-half mile from Fort +Ellis on the East Gallatin. General Washburn presented the order of +Major General Hancock (recommended by General Baird, Inspector General, +as an important military necessity) for an escort. Major Baker repeated +what he said to me yesterday, and he will detail for our service five +soldiers under the command of a lieutenant, and we are satisfied. +General Lester Willson entertained us at a bounteous supper last night. +His wife is a charming musician. +</p> +<p> +<b>Monday, August 22</b>.—We left Fort Ellis at 11 o'clock this forenoon with +an escort consisting of five men under command of Lieut. Gustavus C. +Doane of the Second U.S. Cavalry. Lieutenant Doane has kindly allowed me +to copy the special order detailing him for this service. It is as +follows: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + Headquarters Fort Ellis, Montana Territory, + August 21; 1870. + + In accordance with instructions from Headquarters District + of Montana, Lieutenant G.C. Doane, Second Cavalry, + will proceed with one sergeant and four privates of Company + F. Second Cavalry, to escort the Surveyor General of + Montana to the falls and lakes of the Yellowstone, and + return. They will be supplied with thirty days' rations, + and one hundred rounds of ammunition per man. The + acting assistant quarter-master will furnish them with the + necessary transportation. + + By order of Major Baker. + + J.G. MacADAMS, + First Lieutenant Second Cavalry. + Acting Post Adjutant. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-15"><!-- Image 15 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/218.jpg" width="300" height="424" +alt="Olin D. Wheeler."> +</center> + +<p> +The names of the soldiers are Sergeant William Baker and Privates John +Williamson, George W. McConnell, William Leipler and Charles Moore. This +number, added to our own company of nine, will give us fourteen men for +guard duty, a sufficient number to maintain a guard of two at all times, +with two reliefs each night, each man serving half of a night twice each +week. Our entire number, including the packers and cooks, is nineteen +(19). +</p> +<p> +Along the trail, after leaving Fort Ellis, we found large quantities of +the "service" berry, called by the Snake Indians "Tee-amp." Our ascent +of the Belt range was somewhat irregular, leading us up several sharp +acclivities, until we attained at the summit an elevation of nearly two +thousand feet above the valley we had left. The scene from this point is +excelled in grandeur only by extent and variety. An amphitheatre of +mountains 200 miles in circumference, enclosing a valley nearly as large +as the State of Rhode Island, with all its details of pinnacle, peak, +dome, rock and river, is comprehended at a glance. In front of us at a +distance of twenty miles, in sullen magnificence, rose the picturesque +range of the Madison, with the insulated rock, Mount Washington, and the +sharp pinnacle of Ward's Peak prominently in the foreground. Following +the range to the right for the distance of twenty-five miles, the eye +rests upon that singular depression where, formed by the confluent +streams of the Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin, the mighty Missouri +commences its meanderings to the Gulf. Far beyond these, in full blue +outline, are defined the round knobs of the Boulder mountains, +stretching away and imperceptibly commingling with the distant horizon. +At the left, towering a thousand feet above the circumjacent ranges, are +the glowering peaks of the Yellowstone, their summits half enveloped in +clouds, or glittering with perpetual snow. At our feet, apparently +within jumping distance, cleft centrally by its arrowy river, carpeted +with verdure, is the magnificent valley of the Gallatin, like a rich +emerald in its gorgeous mountain setting. Fascinating as was this scene +we gave it but a glance, and turned our horses' heads towards the vast +unknown. Descending the range to the east, we reached Trail creek, a +tributary of the Yellowstone, about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, where we +are now camped for the night. We are now fairly launched upon our +expedition without the possibility of obtaining outside assistance in +case we need it, and means for our protection have been fully considered +since we camped, and our plans for guard duty throughout the trip have +been arranged. Hedges is to be my comrade-in-arms in this service. He +has expressed to me his great satisfaction that he is to be associated +with me throughout the trip in this night guard duty, and I am +especially pleased at being assigned to duty with so reliable a +coadjutor as Hedges, a man who can be depended upon to neglect no duty. +We two are to stand guard the first half of this first night—that is, +until 1 o'clock to-morrow morning; then Washburn and Hauser take our +places. Fresh Indian signs indicate that the red-skins are lurking near +us, and justify the apprehensions expressed in the letter which Hauser +and I received from James Stuart, that we will be attacked by the Crow +Indians.[<a href="#note-A">A</a>] I am not entirely free from anxiety. Our safety will depend +upon our vigilance. We are all well armed with long range repeating +rifles and needle guns, though there are but few of our party who are +experts at off-hand shooting with a revolver. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-16"><!-- Image 16 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/219.jpg" width="450" height="534" +alt="Taking a Shot at Jake Smith's Hat."> +</center> + +<p> +In the course of our discussion Jake Smith expressed his doubt whether +any member of our party except Hauser (who is an expert pistol shot) is +sufficiently skilled in the use of the revolver to hit an Indian at even +a close range, and he offered to put the matter to a test by setting up +his hat at a distance of twenty yards for the boys to shoot at with +their revolvers, without a rest, at twenty-five cents a shot. While +several members of our party were blazing away with indifferent +success, with the result that Jake was adding to his exchequer without +damage to his hat, I could not resist the inclination to quietly drop +out of sight behind a clump of bushes, where from my place of +concealment I sent from my breech-loading Ballard repeating rifle four +bullets in rapid succession, through the hat, badly riddling it. Jake +inquired, "Whose revolver is it that makes that loud report?" He did not +discover the true state of the case, but removed the target with the +ready acknowledgment that there were members of our party whose aim with +a revolver was more accurate than he had thought. I think that I will +make confession to him in a few days. I now wish that I had brought with +me an extra hat. My own is not large enough for Jake's head. +Notwithstanding the serious problems which we must deal with in making +this journey, it is well to have a little amusement while we may. +</p> +<p> +<b>Tuesday, August 23</b>.—Last night was the first that we were on guard. The +first relief was Hedges and Langford, the second Washburn and Hauser. +Everything went well. At 8 a.m. to-day we broke camp. Some delay +occurring in packing our horses, Lieutenant Doane and the escort went +ahead, and we did not again see them until we reached our night camp. +</p> +<p> +We traveled down Trail creek and over a spur of the mountain to the +valley of the Yellowstone, which we followed up eight miles to our +present camp. Along on our right in passing up the valley was a vast +natural pile of basaltic rock, perpendicular, a part of which had been +overthrown, showing transverse seams in the rock. Away at the right in +the highest range bordering the valley was Pyramid mountain, itself a +snow-capped peak; and further up the range was a long ridge covered with +deep snow. As we passed Pyramid mountain a cloud descended upon it, +casting its gloomy shadow over the adjacent peaks and bursting in a +grand storm. These magnificent changes in mountain scenery occasioned by +light and shade during one of these terrific tempests, with all the +incidental accompaniments of thunder, lightning, rain, snow and hail, +afford the most awe-inspiring exhibition in nature. As I write, another +grand storm, which does not extend to our camp, has broken out on +Emigrant peak, which at one moment is completely obscured in darkness; +at the next, perhaps, brilliant with light; all its gorges, recesses, +seams and cañons illuminated; these fade away into dim twilight, broken +by a terrific flash, and, echoing to successive peals, +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + "* * * the rattling crags among + Leaps the live thunder" in innumerable reverberations. + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +On the left of the valley the foot hills were mottled with a carpet of +beautiful, maroon-colored, delicately-tinted verdure, and towering above +all rose peak on peak of the snow-capped mountains. +</p> +<p> +To-day we saw our first Indians as we descended into the valley of the +Yellowstone. They came down from the east side of the valley, over the +foot hills, to the edge of the plateau overlooking the bottom lands of +the river, and there conspicuously displayed themselves for a time to +engage our attention. As we passed by them up the valley they moved down +to where their ponies were hobbled. Two of our party, Hauser and +Stickney, had dropped behind and passed towards the north to get a shot +at an antelope; and when they came up they reported that, while we were +observing the Indians on the plateau across the river, there were one +hundred or more of them watching us from behind a high butte as our +pack-train passed up the valley. As soon as they observed Hauser and +Stickney coming up nearly behind them, they wheeled their horses and +disappeared down the other side of the butte.[<a href="#note-B">B</a>] This early admonition +of our exposure to hostile attack, and liability to be robbed of +everything, and compelled on foot and without provisions to retrace our +steps, has been the subject of discussion in our camp to-night, and has +renewed in our party the determination to abate nothing of our +vigilance, and keep in a condition of constant preparation. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-17"><!-- Image 17 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/220.jpg" width="450" height="399" +alt="On Guard. Valley of the Yellowstone."> +</center> + +<p> +With our long-range rifles and plenty of ammunition, we can stand off +200 or 300 of them, with their less efficient weapons, if we don't let +them sneak up upon us in the night. If we encounter more than that +number, then what? The odds will be against us that they will "rub us +out," as Jim Stuart says. +</p> +<p> +Jake Smith has sent the first demoralizing shot into the camp by +announcing that he doesn't think there is any necessity for standing +guard. Jake is the only one of our party who shows some sign of +baldness, and he probably thinks that his own scalp is not worth the +taking by the Indians. +</p> +<p> +Did we act wisely in permitting him to join our party at the last moment +before leaving Helena? One careless man, no less than one who is easily +discouraged by difficulties, will frequently demoralize an entire +company. I think we have now taken all possible precautions for our +safety, but our numbers are few; and for me to say that I am not in +hourly dread of the Indians when they appear in large force, would be a +braggart boast. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Everts was taken sick this afternoon. All day we have had a cool +breeze and a few light showers, clearing off from time to time, +revealing the mountains opposite us covered from their summits half way +down with the newly fallen snow, and light clouds floating just below +over the foot hills. Until we reached the open valley of the Yellowstone +our route was over a narrow trail, from which the stream, Trail creek, +takes its name. The mountains opposite the point where we entered the +valley are rugged, grand, picturesque and immense by turns, and colored +by nature with a thousand gorgeous hues. We have traveled all this day +amid this stupendous variety of landscape until we have at length +reached the western shore of that vast and solitary river which is to +guide us to the theatre of our explorations. From the "lay of the land" +I should judge that our camp to-night is thirty-five to forty miles +above the point where Captain William Clark, of the famous Lewis and +Clark expedition, embarked with his party in July, 1806, in two +cottonwood canoes bound together with buffalo thongs, on his return to +the states. It was from that point also that some six hundred residents +of Montana embarked for a trip to the states, in forty-two flat boats, +in the autumn of 1865.[<a href="#note-C">C</a>] We learn from Mr. Boteler that there are some +twenty-five lodges of Crow Indians up the valley.[<a href="#note-D">D</a>] +</p> +<p> +<b>Wednesday, August 24</b>.—It rained nearly all of last night, but +Lieutenant Doane pitched his large tent, which was sufficiently +capacious to accommodate us all by lying "heads and tails," and we were +very comfortable. Throughout the forenoon we had occasional showers, but +about noon it cleared away, and, after getting a lunch, we got under +way. During the forenoon some of the escort were very successful in +fishing for trout. Mr. Everts was not well enough to accompany us, and +it was arranged that he should remain at Boteler's ranch, and that we +would move about twelve miles up the river, and there await his arrival. +Our preparations for departure being completed, General Washburn +detailed a guard of four men to accompany the pack train, while the rest +of the party rode on ahead. We broke camp at 2:30 p.m. with the pack +train and moved up the valley. At about six miles from our camp we +crossed a spur of the mountain which came down boldly to the river, and +from the top we had a beautiful view of the valley stretched out below +us, the stream fringed with a thin bordering of trees, the foot hills +rising into a level plateau covered with rich bunch grass, and towering +above all, the snow-covered summits of the distant mountains rising +majestically, seemingly just out of the plateau, though they were many +miles away. Above us the valley opened out wide, and from the +overlooking rock on which we stood we could see the long train of pack +horses winding their way along the narrow trail, the whole presenting a +picturesque scene. The rock on which we stood was a coarse conglomerate, +or pudding stone. +</p> +<p> +Five miles farther on we crossed a small stream bordered with black +cherry trees, many of the smaller ones broken down by bears, of which +animal we found many signs. One mile farther on we made our camp about a +mile below the middle cañon. To-night we have antelope, rabbit, duck, +grouse and the finest of large trout for supper. As I write, General +Washburn, Hedges and Hauser are engaged in an animated discussion of the +differences between France and Germany, and the probabilities of the +outcome of the war. The three gentlemen are not agreed in determining +where the responsibility for the trouble lies, and I fear that I will +have to check their profanity. However, neither Washburn nor Hedges +swears. +</p> +<p> +<b>Thursday, August 25</b>.—Last night was very cold, the thermometer marking +40 degrees at 8 o'clock a.m. At one mile of travel we came to the middle +cañon, which we passed on a very narrow trail running over a high spur +of the mountain overlooking the river, which at this point is forced +through a narrow gorge, surging and boiling and tumbling over the rocks, +the water having a dark green color. After passing the cañon we again +left the valley, passing over the mountain, on the top of which at an +elevation of several hundred feet above the river is a beautiful lake. +Descending the mountain again, we entered the valley, which here is +about one and a half to two miles wide. At nineteen miles from our +morning camp we came to Gardiner's river, at the mouth of which we +camped. We are near the southern boundary of Montana, and still in the +limestone and granite formations. Mr. Everts came into camp just at +night, nearly recovered, but very tired from his long and tedious ride +over a rugged road, making our two days' travel in one. We passed to-day +a singular formation which we named "The Devil's Slide," From the top of +the mountain to the valley, a distance of about 800 feet, the trap rock +projected from 75 to 125 feet, the intermediate layers of friable rock +having been washed out. The trap formation is about twenty-five feet +wide, and covered with stunted pine trees. Opposite our camp is a high +drift formation of granite boulders, gravel and clay. The boulders are +the regular gray Quincy granite, and those in the middle of the river +are hollowed out by the action of the water into many curious shapes. We +have here found our first specimens of petrifactions and obsidian, or +volcanic glass. From the top of the mountain back of our camp we can see +to-night a smoke rising from another peak, which some of our party think +is a signal from one band of the Indians to another, conveying +intelligence of our progress. Along our trail of to-day are plenty of +Indian "signs," and marks of the lodge poles dragging in the sand on +either side of the trail.[<a href="#note-E">E</a>] +</p> +<p> +Jake Smith stood guard last night, or ought to have done so, and but for +the fact that Gillette was also on guard, I should not have had an +undisturbed sleep. We know that the Indians are near us, and sleep is +more refreshing to me when I feel assured that I will not be joined in +my slumbers by those who are assigned for watchful guard duty. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-18"><!-- Image 18 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/221.jpg" width="300" height="443" +alt="S.T. Hauser"> +</center> + +<p> +<b>Friday, August 26</b>.—For some reason we did not leave camp till 11 +o'clock a.m. We forded Gardiner's river with some difficulty, several of +our pack animals being nearly carried off their feet by the torrent. We +passed over several rocky ridges or points coming down from the +mountain, and at one and a half miles came down again into the valley, +which one of our party called the "Valley of desolation." Taking the +trail upon the left, we followed it until it led us to the mouth of a +cañon, through which ran an old Indian or game trail, which was hardly +discernible, and had evidently been long abandoned. Retracing our steps +for a quarter of a mile, and taking a cut-off through the sage brush, we +followed another trail upon our right up through a steep, dry coulee. +From the head of the coulee we went through fallen timber over a burnt +and rocky road, our progress being very slow. A great many of the packs +came off our horses or became loosened, necessitating frequent haltings +for their readjustment. Upon the summit we found a great many shells. +Descending the divide we found upon the trail the carcass of an antelope +which the advance party had killed, and which we packed on our horses +and carried to our night camp. In the morning Lieutenant Doane and one +of his men, together with Mr. Everts, had started out ahead of the party +to search out the best trail. At 3 o'clock p.m. we arrived at Antelope +creek, only six miles from our morning camp, where we concluded to halt. +On the trail which we were following there were no tracks except those +of unshod ponies; and, as our horses were all shod, it was evident that +Lieutenant Doane and the advance party had descended the mountain by +some other trail than that which we were following. Neither were there +any marks of dragging lodge poles. There are seemingly two trails across +the mountain,—a circuitous one by as easy a grade as can be found, over +which the Indians send their families with their heavily laden pack +horses; and a more direct, though more difficult, route which the war +parties use in making their rapid rides. This last is the one we have +taken, and the advance party has doubtless taken the other. +</p> +<p> +Our camp to-night is on Antelope creek, about five miles from the +Yellowstone river. After our arrival in camp, in company with Stickney +and Gillette, I made a scout of eight or ten miles through the country +east of our trail, and between it and the river, in search of some sign +of Lieutenant Doane, but we found no trace of him. Parting from Stickney +and Gillette, I followed down the stream through a narrow gorge by a +game trail, hoping if I could reach the Yellowstone, to find a good +trail along its banks up to the foot of the Grand cañon; but I found the +route impracticable for the passage of our pack train. After supper Mr. +Hauser and I went out in search of our other party, and found the tracks +of their horses, which we followed about four miles to the brow of a +mountain overlooking the country for miles in advance of us. Here we +remained an hour, firing our guns as a signal, and carefully scanning +the whole country with our field glasses. We could discern the trail for +many miles on its tortuous course, but could see no sign of a camp, or +of horses feeding, and we returned to our camp. +</p> +<p> +<b>Saturday, August 27</b>.—Lieutenant Doane and those who were with him did +not return to camp last night. At change of guard Gillette's pack horse +became alarmed at something in the bushes bordering upon the creek on +the bank of which he was tied, and, breaking loose, dashed through the +camp, rousing all of us. Some wild animal—snake, fox or something of +the kind—was probably the cause of the alarm. In its flight I became +entangled in the lariat and was dragged head first for three or four +rods, my head striking a log, which proved to be very rotten, and +offered little resistance to a hard head, and did me very little +damage. Towards morning a slight shower of rain fell, continuing at +intervals till 8 o'clock. We left camp about 9 o'clock, the pack train +following about 11 o'clock, and soon struck the trail of Lieutenant +Doane, which proved to be the route traveled by the Indians. The marks +of their lodge poles were plainly visible. At about four miles from our +morning camp we discovered at some distance ahead of us what first +appeared to be a young elk, but which proved to be a colt that had +become separated from the camp of Indians to which it belonged. We think +the Indians cannot be far from us at this time. Following the trail up +the ascent leading from Antelope creek, we entered a deep cut, the sides +of which rise at an angle of 45 degrees, and are covered with a +luxuriant growth of grass. Through this cut we ascended by a grade +entirely practicable for a wagon road to the summit of the divide +separating the waters of Antelope creek from those of [<a href="#note-F">A</a>]—— creek, and +from the summit descended through a beautiful gorge to a small tributary +of the Yellowstone, a distance of two miles, dismounting and leading our +horses almost the entire distance, the descent being too precipitous for +the rider's comfort or for ease to the horse. We were now within four +miles of[<a href="#note-F">F</a>]—— creek, and within two miles of the Yellowstone. On the +right of the trail, two miles farther on, we found a small hot sulphur +spring, the water of which was at a temperature a little below the +boiling point, which at this elevation is about 195 degrees. Ascending a +high ridge we had a commanding view of a basaltic formation of +palisades, about thirty feet in height, on the opposite bank of the +Yellowstone, overlooking a stratum of cement and gravel nearly two +hundred feet thick, beneath which is another formation of the basaltic +rock, and beneath this another body of cement and gravel. We named this +formation "Column Rock." The upper formation, from which the rock takes +its name, consists of basaltic columns about thirty feet high, closely +touching each other, the columns being from three to five feet in +diameter. A little farther on we descended the sides of the cañon, +through which runs a large creek. We crossed this creek and camped on +the south side. Our camp is about four hundred feet in elevation above +the Yellowstone, which is not more than two miles distant. The creek is +full of granite boulders, varying in size from six inches to ten feet in +diameter. +</p> +<p> +General Washburn was on guard last night, and to-night he seems somewhat +fatigued. Mr. Hedges has improvised a writing stool from a sack of +flour, and I have appropriated a sack of beans for a like use; and, as +we have been writing, there has been a lively game of cards played near +my left side, which Hedges, who has just closed his diary, says is a +game of poker. I doubt if Deacon Hedges is sufficiently posted in the +game to know to a certainty that poker is the game which is being +played; but, putting what Hedges tells me with what I see and hear, I +find that these infatuated players have put a valuation of five (5) +cents per bean, on beans that did not cost more than $1 quart in Helena, +and Jake Smith exhibits a marvelous lack of veneration for his +kinswoman, by referring to each bean, as he places it before him upon +the table, as his "aunt," or, more flippantly, his "auntie." Walter +Trumbull has been styled the "Banker," and he says that at the +commencement of the game he sold forty of these beans to each of the +players, himself included (200 in all), at five (5) cents each, and that +he has already redeemed the entire 200 at that rate; and now Jake Smith +has a half-pint cup nearly full of beans, and is demanding of Trumbull +that he redeem them also; that is, pay five (5) cents per bean for the +contents of the cup. Trumbull objects. Jake persists. Reflecting upon +their disagreement I recall that about an hour ago Jake, with an +apologetic "Excuse me!" disturbed me while I was writing and untied the +bean sack on which I am now sitting, and took from it a double handful +of beans. +</p> +<p> +It seems to me that a game of cards which admits of such latitude as +this, with a practically unlimited draft upon outside resources, is +hardly fair to all parties, and especially to "The Banker." +</p> +<p> +<b>Sunday, August 28</b>.—To-day being Sunday, we remained all day in our +camp, which Washburn and Everts have named "Camp Comfort," as we have an +abundance of venison and trout. +</p> +<p> +We visited the falls of the creek, the waters of which tumble over the +rocks and boulders for the distance of 200 yards from our camp, and then +fall a distance of 110 feet, as triangulated by Mr. Hauser. Stickney +ventured to the verge of the fall, and, with a stone attached to a +strong cord, measured its height, which he gives as 105 feet. +</p> +<p> +The stream, in its descent to the brink of the fall, is separated into +half a dozen distorted channels which have zig-zagged their passage +through the cement formation, working it into spires, pinnacles, towers +and many other capricious objects. Many of these are of faultless +symmetry, resembling the minaret of a mosque; others are so grotesque as +to provoke merriment as well as wonder. One of this latter character we +named "The Devil's Hoof," from its supposed similarity to the proverbial +foot of his Satanic majesty. The height of this rock from its base is +about fifty feet. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-19"><!-- Image 19 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/222.jpg" width="300" height="437" +alt="Devil's Hoof."> +</center> + +<p> +The friable rock forming the spires and towers and pinnacles crumbles +away under a slight pressure. I climbed one of these tall spires on the +brink of the chasm overlooking the fall, and from the top had a +beautiful view, though it was one not unmixed with terror. Directly +beneath my feet, but probably about one hundred feet below me, was the +verge of the fall, and still below that the deep gorge through which the +creek went bounding and roaring over the boulders to its union with the +Yellowstone. The scenery here cannot be called grand or magnificent, but +it is most beautiful and picturesque. The spires are from 75 to 100 feet +in height. The volume of water is about six or eight times that of +Minnehaha fall, and I think that a month ago, while the snows were still +melting, the creek could not easily have been forded. The route to the +foot of the fall is by a well worn Indian trail running to the mouth of +the creek over boulders and fallen pines, and through thickets of +raspberry bushes. +</p> +<p> +At the mouth of the creek on the Yellowstone is a hot sulphur spring, +the odor from which is perceptible in our camp to-day. At the base of +the fall we found a large petrifaction of wood imbedded in the debris of +the falling cement and slate rock. There are several sulphur springs at +the mouth of the creek, three of them boiling, others nearly as hot as +boiling water. There is also a milky white sulphur spring. Within one +yard of a spring, the temperature of which is little below the boiling +point, is a sulphur spring with water nearly as cold as ice water, or +not more than ten degrees removed from it. +</p> +<p> +I went around and almost under the fall, or as far as the rocks gave a +foot-hold, the rising spray thoroughly wetting and nearly blinding me. +Some two hundred yards below the fall is a huge granite boulder about +thirty feet in diameter. Where did it come from? +</p> +<p> +In camp to-day several names were proposed for the creek and fall, and +after much discussion the name "Minaret" was selected. Later, this +evening, this decision has been reconsidered, and we have decided to +substitute the name "Tower" for "Minaret," and call it "Tower Fall."[<a href="#note-G">G</a>] +</p> +<p> +General Washburn rode out to make a <i>reconnaissance</i> for a route to the +river, and returned about 3 o'clock in the afternoon with the +intelligence that from the summit of a high mountain he had seen +Yellowstone lake, the proposed object of our visit; and with his compass +he had noted its direction from our camp. This intelligence has greatly +relieved our anxiety concerning the course we are to pursue, and has +quieted the dread apprehensions of some of our number, lest we become +inextricably involved in the wooded labyrinth by which we are +surrounded; and in violation of our agreement that we would not give the +name of any member of our party to any object of interest, we have +spontaneously and by unanimous vote given the mountain the name by which +it will hereafter and forever be known, "Mount Washburn." +</p> +<p> +In addition to our saddle horses and pack horses, we have another +four-footed animal in our outfit—a large black dog of seeming little +intelligence, to which we have given the name of "Booby." He is owned +by "Nute," one of our colored boys, who avers that he is a very knowing +dog, and will prove himself so before our journey is ended. The poor +beast is becoming sore-footed, and his sufferings excite our sympathy, +and we are trying to devise some kind of shoe or moccasin for him. The +rest to-day in camp will benefit him. Lieutenant Doane is suffering +greatly with a felon on his thumb. It ought to be opened, but he is +unwilling to submit to a thorough operation. His sufferings kept him +awake nearly all of last night. +</p> +<p> +<b>Monday, August 29</b>.—We broke camp about 8 o'clock, leaving the trail, +which runs down to the mouth of the creek, and passed over a succession +of high ridges, and part of the time through fallen timber. The trail of +the Indians leads off to the left, to the brink of the Yellowstone, +which it follows up about three-fourths of a mile, and then crosses to +the east side. Hauser, Gillette, Stickney, Trumbull and myself rode out +to the summit of Mount Washburn, which is probably the highest peak on +the west side of the river. Having an aneroid barometer with us, we +ascertained the elevation of the mountain to be about 9,800 feet. The +summit is about 500 feet above the snow line. +</p> +<p> +Descending the mountain on the southwest side, we came upon the trail of +the pack train, which we followed to our camp at the head of a small +stream running into the Yellowstone, which is about five miles distant. +As we came into camp a black bear kindly vacated the premises. After +supper some of our party followed down the creek to its mouth. At about +one mile below our camp the creek runs through a bed of volcanic ashes, +which extends for a hundred yards on either side. Toiling on our course +down this creek to the river we came suddenly upon a basin of boiling +sulphur springs, exhibiting signs of activity and points of difference +so wonderful as to fully absorb our curiosity. The largest of these, +about twenty feet in diameter, is boiling like a cauldron, throwing +water and fearful volumes of sulphurous vapor higher than our heads. Its +color is a disagreeable greenish yellow. The central spring of the +group, of dark leaden hue, is in the most violent agitation, its +convulsive spasms frequently projecting large masses of water to the +height of seven or eight feet. The spring lying to the east of this, +more diabolical in appearance, filled with a hot brownish substance of +the consistency of mucilage, is in constant noisy ebullition, emitting +fumes of villainous odor. Its surface is covered with bubbles, which are +constantly rising and bursting, and emitting sulphurous gases from +various parts of its surface. Its appearance has suggested the name, +which Hedges has given, of "Hell-Broth springs;" for, as we gazed upon +the infernal mixture and inhaled the pungent sickening vapors, we were +impressed with the idea that this was a most perfect realization of +Shakespeare's image in Macbeth. It needed but the presence of Hecate and +her weird band to realize that horrible creation of poetic fancy, and I +fancied the "black and midnight hags" concocting a charm around this +horrible cauldron. We ventured near enough to this spring to dip the end +of a pine pole into it, which, upon removal, was covered an eighth of an +inch thick with lead-colored sulphury slime. +</p> +<p> +There are five large springs and half a dozen smaller ones in this +basin, all of them strongly impregnated with sulphur, alum and arsenic. +The water from all the larger springs is dark brown or nearly black. The +largest spring is fifteen to eighteen feet in diameter, and the water +boils up like a cauldron from 18 to 30 inches, and one instinctively +draws back from the edge as the hot sulphur steam rises around him. +Another of the larger springs is intermittent. The smaller springs are +farther up on the bank than the larger ones. The deposit of sinter +bordering one of them, with the emission of steam and smoke combined, +gives it a resemblance to a chimney of a miner's cabin. Around them all +is an incrustation formed from the bases of the spring deposits, +arsenic, alum, sulphur, etc. This incrustation is sufficiently strong in +many places to bear the weight of a man, but more frequently it gave +way, and from the apertures thus created hot steam issued, showing it to +be dangerous to approach the edge of the springs; and it was with the +greatest difficulty that I obtained specimens of the incrustation. This +I finally accomplished by lying at full length upon that portion of the +incrustation which yielded the least, but which was not sufficiently +strong to bear my weight while I stood upright, and at imminent risk of +sinking in the infernal mixture, I rolled over and over to the edge of +the opening; and, with the crust slowly bending and sinking beneath me, +hurriedly secured the coveted prize of black sulphur, and rolled back to +a place of safety. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-20"><!-- Image 20 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/223.jpg" width="450" height="402" +alt="Securing a Specimen at Hell-Broth Springs."> +</center> + +<p> +From the springs to the mouth of the creek we followed along the bank, +the bed or bottom being too rough and precipitous for us to travel in +it, the total fall in the creek for the three miles being about fifteen +hundred feet. Standing upon the high point at the junction of the creek +with the Yellowstone, one first gets some idea of the depth of the cañon +through which the river runs. From this height the sound of the waters +of the Yellowstone, tumbling over tremendous rocks and boulders, could +not be heard. Everything around us—mountains, valleys, cañon and trees, +heights and depths—all are in such keeping and proportion that all our +estimates of distances are far below the real truth. To-day we passed +the mouth of Hell-Roaring river on the opposite side of the Yellowstone. +</p> +<p> +It was again Jake Smith's turn for guard duty last night, but this +morning Jake's countenance wore a peculiar expression, which indicated +that he possessed some knowledge not shared by the rest of the party. He +spoke never a word, and was as serene as a Methodist minister behind +four aces. My interpretation of this self-satisfied serenity is that his +guard duty did not deprive him of much sleep. When it comes to +considering the question of danger in this Indian country, Jake thinks +that he knows more than the veteran Jim Stuart, whom we expected to join +us on this trip, and who has given us some salutary words of caution. In +a matter in which the safety of our whole party is involved, it is +unfortunate that there are no "articles of war" to aid in the +enforcement of discipline, in faithful guard duty. +</p> +<p> +<b>Tuesday, August 30</b>.—We broke camp about 9 o'clock a.m., traveling in a +southerly direction over the hills adjoining our camp, and then +descended the ridge in a southwesterly direction, heading off several +ravines, till we came into a small valley; thence we crossed over a +succession of ridges of fallen timber to a creek, where we halted about +ten miles from our morning camp and about a mile from the upper fall of +the Yellowstone. Mr. Hedges gave the name "Cascade creek" to this +stream. +</p> +<p> +When we left our camp this morning at Hell-Broth springs, I remarked to +Mr. Hedges and General Washburn that the wonders of which we were in +pursuit had not disappointed us in their first exhibitions, and that I +was encouraged in the faith that greater curiosities lay before us. We +believed that the great cataracts of the Yellowstone were within two +days', or at most three days', travel. So when we reached Cascade creek, +on which we are now encamped, after a short day of journeying, it was +with much astonishment as well as delight that we found ourselves in the +immediate presence of the falls. Their roar, smothered by the vast depth +of the cañon into which they plunge, was not heard until they were +before us. With remarkable deliberation we unsaddled and lariated our +horses, and even refreshed ourselves with such creature comforts as our +larder readily afforded, before we deigned a survey of these great +wonders of nature. On our walk down the creek to the river, struck with +the beauty of its cascades, we even neglected the greater, to admire the +lesser wonders. Bushing with great celerity through a deep defile of +lava and obsidian, worn into caverns and fissures, the stream, +one-fourth of a mile from its debouchure, breaks into a continuous +cascade of remarkable beauty, consisting of a fall of five feet, +succeeded by another of fifteen into a grotto formed by proximate rocks +imperfectly arching it, whence from a crystal pool of unfathomable depth +at their base, it lingers as if half reluctant to continue its course, +or as if to renew its power, and then glides gracefully over a +descending, almost perpendicular, ledge, veiling the rocks for the +distance of eighty feet. Mr. Hedges gave to this succession of cascades +the name "Crystal fall." It is very beautiful; but the broken and +cavernous gorge through which it passes, worn into a thousand fantastic +shapes, bearing along its margin the tracks of grizzly bears and lesser +wild animals, scattered throughout with huge masses of obsidian and +other volcanic matter—the whole suggestive of nothing earthly nor +heavenly—received at our hands, and not inaptly as I conceive, the name +of "The Devil's Den." +</p> +<p> +I presume that many persons will question the taste evinced by our +company in the selection of names for the various objects of interest we +have thus far met with; but they are all so different from any of +Nature's works that we have ever seen or heard of, so entirely out of +range of human experience, and withal so full of exhibitions which can +suggest no other fancy than that which our good grandmothers have +painted on our boyish imaginations as a destined future abode, that we +are likely, almost involuntarily, to pursue the system with which we +have commenced, to the end of our journey. A similar imagination has +possessed travelers and visitors to other volcanic regions. +</p> +<p> +We have decided to remain at this point through the entire day +to-morrow, and examine the cañon and falls. From the brief survey of the +cañon I was enabled to make before darkness set in, I am impressed with +its awful grandeur, and I realize the impossibility of giving to any one +who has not seen a gorge similar in character, any idea of it. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-21"><!-- Image 21 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/224.jpg" width="300" height="481" +alt="Cornelius Hedges."> +</center> + +<p> +It is getting late, and it is already past our usual bedtime, and Jake +Smith is calling to me to "turn in" and give him a chance to sleep. +There is in what I have already seen so much of novelty to fill the +mind and burden the memory, that unless I write down in detail the +events of each day, and indeed almost of each hour as it passes, I shall +not be able to prepare for publication on my return home any clear or +satisfactory account of these wonders. So Jake may go to. I will write +until my candle burns out. Jacob is indolent and fond of slumber, and I +think that he resents my remark to him the other day, that he could burn +more and gather less wood than any man I ever camped with. He has dubbed +me "The Yellowstone sharp." Good! I am not ashamed to have the title. +Lieutenant Doane has crawled out of his blankets, and is just outside +the tent with his hand and fore-arm immersed in water nearly as cold as +ice. I am afraid that lock-jaw will set in if he does not consent to +have the felon lanced. +</p> +<p> +<b>Wednesday, August 31</b>.—This has been a "red-letter" day with me, and one +which I shall not soon forget, for my mind is clogged and my memory +confused by what I have to-day seen. General Washburn and Mr. Hedges are +sitting near me, writing, and we have an understanding that we will +compare our notes when finished. We are all overwhelmed with +astonishment and wonder at what we have seen, and we feel that we have +been near the very presence of the Almighty. General Washburn has just +quoted from the psalm: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + "When I behold the work of Thy hands, what is man + that Thou art mindful of him!" + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +My own mind is so confused that I hardly know where to commence in +making a clear record of what is at this moment floating past my mental +vision. I cannot confine myself to a bare description of the falls of +the Yellowstone alone, for these two great cataracts are but one feature +in a scene composed of so many of the elements of grandeur and +sublimity, that I almost despair of giving to those who on our return +home will listen to a recital of our adventures, the faintest conception +of it. The immense cañon or gorge of rocks through which the river +descends, perhaps more than the falls, is calculated to fill the +observer with feelings of mingled awe and terror. This chasm is +seemingly about thirty miles in length. Commencing above the upper fall, +it attains a depth of two hundred feet where that takes its plunge, and +in the distance of half a mile from that point to the verge of the lower +fall, it rapidly descends with the river between walls of rock nearly +six hundred feet in vertical height, to which three hundred and twenty +feet are added by the fall. Below this the wall lines marked by the +descent of the river grow in height with incredible distinctness, until +they are probably two thousand feet above the water. There is a +difference of nearly three thousand feet in altitude between the surface +of the river at the upper fall and the foot of the cañon. Opposite Mount +Washburn the cañon must be more than half a vertical mile in depth. As +it is impossible to explore the entire cañon, we are unable to tell +whether the course of the river through it is broken by other and larger +cataracts than the two we have seen, or whether its continuous descent +alone has produced the enormous depth to which it has attained. Rumors +of falls a thousand feet in height have often reached us before we made +this visit. At all points where we approached the edge of the cañon the +river was descending with fearful momentum through it, and the rapids +and foam from the dizzy summit of the rock overhanging the lower fall, +and especially from points farther down the cañon, were so terrible to +behold, that none of our company could venture the experiment in any +other manner than by lying prone upon the rock, to gaze into its awful +depths; depths so amazing that the sound of the rapids in their course +over immense boulders, and lashing in fury the base of the rocks on +which we were lying, could not be heard. The stillness is horrible, and +the solemn grandeur of the scene surpasses conception. You feel the +absence of sound—the oppression of absolute silence. Down, down, down, +you see the river attenuated to a thread. If you could only hear that +gurgling river, lashing with puny strength the massive walls that +imprison it and hold it in their dismal shadow, if you could but see a +living thing in the depth beneath you, if a bird would but fly past you, +if the wind would move any object in that awful chasm, to break for a +moment the solemn silence which reigns there, it would relieve that +tension of the nerves which the scene has excited, and with a grateful +heart you would thank God that he had permitted you to gaze unharmed +upon this majestic display of his handiwork. But as it is, the spirit of +man sympathizes with the deep gloom of the scene, and the brain reels as +you gaze into this profound and solemn solitude. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-22"><!-- Image 22 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/225.jpg" width="450" height="627" +alt="Grand CaÑon."> +</center> + +<p> +The place where I obtained the best and most terrible view of the cañon +was a narrow projecting point situated two or three miles below the +lower fall.[<a href="#note-H">H</a>] Standing there or rather lying there for greater safety, +I thought how utterly impossible it would be to describe to another the +sensations inspired by such a presence. As I took in this scene, I +realized my own littleness, my helplessness, my dread exposure to +destruction, my inability to cope with or even comprehend the mighty +architecture of nature. More than all this I felt as never before my +entire dependence upon that Almighty Power who had wrought these +wonders. A sense of danger, lest the rock should crumble away, almost +overpowered me. My knees trembled, and I experienced the terror which +causes, men to turn pale and their countenances to blanch with fear, and +I recoiled from the vision I had seen, glad to feel the solid earth +beneath me and to realize the assurance of returning safety. +</p> +<p> +The scenery surrounding the cañon and falls on both banks of the +Yellowstone is enlivened by all the hues of abundant vegetation. The +foot-hills approach the river, crowned with a vesture of evergreen +pines. Meadows verdant with grasses and shrubbery stretch away to the +base of the distant mountains, which, rolling into ridges, rising into +peaks, and breaking into chains, are defined in the deepest blue upon +the horizon. To render the scene still more imposing, remarkable +volcanic deposits, wonderful boiling springs, jets of heated vapor, +large collections of sulphur, immense rocks and petrifications abound in +great profusion in this immediate vicinity. The river is filled with +trout, and bear, elk, deer, mountain lions and lesser game roam the +plains, forests and mountain fastnesses. +</p> +<p> +The two grand falls of the Yellowstone form a fitting completion to this +stupendous climax of wonders. They impart life, power, light and majesty +to an assemblage of elements, which without them would be the most +gloomy and horrible solitude in nature. Their eternal anthem, echoing +from cañon, mountain, rock and woodland, thrills you with delight, and +you gaze with rapture at the iris-crowned curtains of fleecy foam as +they plunge into gulfs enveloped in mist and spray. The stillness which +held your senses spellbound, as you peered into the dismal depths of the +cañon below, is now broken by the uproar of waters; the terror it +inspired is superseded by admiration and astonishment, and the scene, +late so painful from its silence and gloom, is now animate with joy and +revelry. +</p> +<p> +The upper fall, as determined by the rude means of measurement at our +command, is one hundred and fifteen feet in height. The river approaches +it through a passage of rocks which rise one hundred feet on either side +above its surface. Until within half a mile of the brink of the fall the +river is peaceful and unbroken by a ripple. Suddenly, as if aware of +impending danger, it becomes lashed into foam, circled with eddies, and +soon leaps into fearful rapids. The rocky jaws confining it gradually +converge as it approaches the edge of the fall, bending its course by +their projections, and apparently crowding back the water, which +struggles and leaps against their bases, warring with its bounds in the +impatience of restraint, and madly leaping from its confines, a liquid +emerald wreathed with foam, into the abyss beneath. The sentinel rocks, +a hundred feet asunder, could easily be spanned by a bridge directly +over and in front of the fall, and fancy led me forward to no distant +period when such an effort of airy architecture would be crowded with +happy gazers from all portions of our country. A quarter of the way +between the verge and the base of the fall a rocky table projects from +the west bank, in front of and almost within reaching distance of it, +furnishing a point of observation where the finest view can be obtained. +In order to get a more perfect view of the cataract, Mr. Hedges and I +made our way down to this table rock, where we sat for a long time. As +from this spot we looked up at the descending waters, we insensibly felt +that the slightest protrusion in them would hurl us backwards into the +gulf below. A thousand arrows of foam, apparently <i>aimed at us</i>, leaped +from the verge, and passed rapidly down the sheet. But as the view grew +upon us, and we comprehended the power, majesty and beauty of the scene, +we became insensible to danger and gave ourselves up to the full +enjoyment of it. +</p> + +<p> +Very beautiful as is this fall, it is greatly excelled in grandeur and +magnificence by the cataract half a mile below it, where the river takes +another perpendicular plunge of three hundred and twenty feet into the +most gloomy cavern that ever received so majestic a visitant. Between +the two falls, the river, though bordered by lofty precipices, expands +in width and flows gently over a nearly level surface until its near +approach to the verge. Here a sudden convergence in the rocks compresses +its channel, and with a gurgling, choking struggle, it leaps with a +single bound, sheer from an even level shelf, into the tremendous +chasm. The sheet could not be more perfect if wrought by art. The +Almighty has vouchsafed no grander scene to human eyes. Every object +that meets the vision increases its sublimity. There is a majestic +harmony in the whole, which I have never seen before in nature's +grandest works. The fall itself takes its leap between the jaws of rocks +whose vertical height above it is more than six hundred feet, and more +than nine hundred feet above the chasm into which it falls. Long before +it reaches the base it is enveloped in spray, which is woven by the +sun's rays into bows radiant with all the colors of the prism, and +arching the face of the cataract with their glories. Five hundred feet +below the edge of the cañon, and one hundred and sixty feet above the +verge of the cataract, and overlooking the deep gorge beneath, on the +flattened summit of a projecting crag, I lay with my face turned into +the boiling chasm, and with a stone suspended by a large cord measured +its profoundest depths. Three times in its descent the cord was parted +by abrasion, but at last, securing the weight with a leather band, I was +enabled to ascertain by a measurement which I think quite exact, the +height of the fall. It is a little more than three hundred and twenty +feet; while the perpendicular wall down which I suspended the weight was +five hundred and ten feet. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-23"><!-- Image 23 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/226.jpg" width="450" height="580" +alt="Lower Fall of the Yellowstone."> +</center> + +<p> +Looking down from this lofty eminence through the cañon below the falls, +the scene is full of grandeur. The descent of the river for more than a +mile is marked by continuous cascades varying in height from five to +twenty feet, and huge rapids breaking over the rocks, and lashing with +foam the precipitous sides of the gorge. A similar descent through the +entire cañon (thirty miles), is probable, as in no other way except by +distinct cataracts of enormous height can the difference in altitude +between this point and its outlet be explained. The colors of the rock, +which is shaly in character, are variegated with yellow, gray and brown, +and the action of the water in its rapid passage down the sides of the +cañon has worn the fragments of shale into countless capricious forms. +Jets of steam issue from the sides of the cañon at frequent intervals, +marking the presence of thermal springs and active volcanic forces. The +evidence of a recession of the river through the cañon is designated by +the ridges apparent on its sides, and it is not improbable that at no +distant day the lower fall will become blended by this process with the +upper, forming a single cataract nearly five hundred feet in height. +</p> +<p> +There are but few places where the sides of the Grand cañon can be +descended with safety. Hauser and Stickney made the descent at a point +where the river was 1,050 feet below the edge of the cañon, as +determined by triangulation by Mr. Hauser. Lieutenant Doane, accompanied +by his orderly, went down the river several miles, and following down +the bed of a lateral stream reached its junction with the Yellowstone at +a point where the cañon was about 1,500 feet in depth—the surface of +the ground rising the farther he went down the river. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hedges and I sat on the table-rock to which I have referred, +opposite the upper fall, as long as our limited time would permit; and +as we reluctantly left it and climbed to the top, I expressed my regret +at leaving so fascinating a spot, quoting the familiar line: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +Mr. Hedges asked me who was the author of the line, but I could not +tell. I will look it up on my return.[<a href="#note-I">I</a>] +</p> +<p> +Yes! This stupendous display of nature's handiwork will be to me "a joy +forever." It lingers in my memory like the faintly defined outlines of a +dream. I can scarcely realize that in the unbroken solitude of this +majestic range of rocks, away from civilization and almost inaccessible +to human approach, the Almighty has placed so many of the most wonderful +and magnificent objects of His creation, and that I am to be one of the +few first to bring them to the notice of the world. Truly has it been +said, that we live to learn how little may be known, and of what we see, +how much surpasses comprehension. +</p> +<p> +<b>Thursday, September 1</b>.—We did not break camp till nearly ten o'clock +this morning, the pack-train crossing Cascade creek at its head, and +coming into the river trail about two miles above the upper fall. The +more direct trail—shorter by one and a half miles—runs along the bank +of the river. +</p> +<p> +If we had not decided, last night, that we would move on to-day, I think +that every member of the party would have been glad to stay another day +at the cañon and falls. I will, however, except out of the number our +comrade Jake Smith. The afternoon of our arrival at the cañon (day +before yesterday), after half an hour of inspection of the falls and +cañon, he said: "Well, boys, I have seen all there is, and I am ready to +move on." +</p> +<p> +However, the perceptible decline in our larder, and the uncertainty of +the time to be occupied in further explorations, forbid more than these +two days' stay at the falls and cañon. The sun this morning shone +brightly, and its rays were reflected upon the sides of the dismal +cañon—so dark, and gray, and still—enlivening and brightening it. +To-day has been warm, and nature this morning seemed determined that our +last look should be the brightest, for the beauties of the entire +landscape invited us to make a longer stay, and we lingered till the +last moment, that the final impression might not be lost. +</p> +<p> +Pursuing our journey, at two miles above the falls we crossed a small +stream which we named "Alum" creek, as it is strongly impregnated with +alum. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-24"><!-- Image 24 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/227.jpg" width="300" height="466" +alt="W.C. Gillette."> +</center> + +<p> +Six miles above the upper fall we entered upon a region remarkable for +the number and variety of its hot springs and craters. The principal +spring, and the one that first meets the eye as you approach from the +north, is a hot sulphur spring, of oval shape, the water of which is +constantly boiling and is thrown up to the height of from three to seven +feet. Its two diameters are about twelve feet and twenty feet, and it +has an indented border of seemingly pure sulphur, about two feet wide +and extending down into the spring or cauldron to the edge of the water, +which at the time of our visit, if it had been at rest, would have been +fifteen or eighteen inches below the rim of the spring. This spring is +situated at the base of a low mountain, and the gentle slope below and +around the spring for the distance of two hundred or three hundred feet +is covered to the depth of from three to ten inches with the sulphurous +deposit from the overflow of the spring. The moistened bed of a dried-up +rivulet, leading from the edge of the spring down inside through this +deposit, showed us that the spring had but recently been overflowing. +Farther along the base of this mountain is a sulphurous cavern about +twenty feet deep, and seven or eight feet in diameter at its mouth, out +of which the steam is thrown in jets with a sound resembling the puffing +of a steam-boat when laboring over a sand-bar, and with as much +uniformity and intonation as if emitted by a high-pressure engine. From +hundreds of fissures in the adjoining mountain from base to summit, +issue hot sulphur vapors, the apertures through which they escape being +encased in thick incrustations of sulphur, which in many instances is +perfectly pure. There are nearby a number of small sulphur springs, not +especially remarkable in appearance. +</p> +<p> +About one hundred yards from these springs is a large hot spring of +irregular shape, but averaging forty feet long by twenty-five wide, the +water of which is of a dark muddy color. Still farther on are twenty or +thirty springs of boiling mud of different degrees of consistency and +color, and of sizes varying from two to eight feet in diameter, and of +depths below the surface varying from three to eight feet. The mud in +these springs is in most cases a little thinner than mortar prepared +for plastering, and, as it is thrown up from one to two feet, I can +liken its appearance to nothing so much as Indian meal hasty pudding +when the process of boiling is nearly completed, except that the +puffing, bloated bubbles are greatly magnified, being from a few inches +to two feet in diameter. In some of the springs the mud is of dark brown +color, in others nearly pink, and in one it was almost yellow. Springs +four or five feet in diameter and not over six feet apart, have no +connection one with another either above or beneath the surface, the mud +in them being of different colors. In some instances there is a +difference of three feet in the height to which the mud in adjoining +springs attains. There may be in some instances two or more springs +which receive their supply of mud and their underground pressure from +the same general source, but these instances are rare, nor can we +determine positively that such is the case. This mud having been worked +over and over for many years is as soft as the finest pigments. +</p> +<p> +All of these springs are embraced within a circle the radius of which is +from a thousand to twelve hundred feet, and the whole of this surface +seems to be a smothered crater covered over with an incrustation of +sufficient strength and thickness to bear usually a very heavy weight, +but which in several instances yielded and even broke through under the +weight of our horses as we rode over it. We quickly dismounted, and as +we were making some examinations, the crust broke through several times +in some thin places through which vapor was issuing. Under the whole of +this incrustation the hottest fires seem to be raging, and the heat +issuing from the vents or from the crevices caused from the breaking in +of the surface is too intense to be borne by the gloved hand for an +instant. Surrounding the natural vents are deposits of pure sulphur, +portions of which in many instances we broke off, and after allowing +them to cool, brought them away with us. On the top of the mountain +overlooking the large sulphur spring is a small living crater about six +inches in diameter, out of which issue hot vapor and smoke. On the slope +adjoining the mud spring is another crater of irregular shape, but +embracing about one hundred square inches, out of which issues hot +vapor, the rocks adjoining changing color under the intense heat with +every breath blown upon them. +</p> +<p> +The tramp of our horses' feet as we rode over the incrustation at the +base of the mountain returned a hollow sound; yet while some of our +party were not disposed to venture upon it with their horses, still I +think with care in selecting a route there is very little danger in +riding over it. +</p> +<p> +On the mountain, large quantities of sulphur formed by the condensation +of the vapor issuing from the crevices, now closed, but once in activity +in the incrusted covering, have been deposited, and we collected many +specimens of pure and crystallized sulphur. Thousands of pounds of pure +and nearly pure sulphur are now lying on the top and sides of the +mountain, all of which can be easily gathered with the aid of a spade to +detach it from the mountain side incrustations to which it adheres in +the process of condensation. We gave to this mountain the name "Crater +hill." +</p> +<p> +Five miles further on we camped near the "Mud geyser." Our course to-day +has been for the greater part over a level valley, which was plainly +visible from the top of Mount Washburn. The water of the river at this +point is strongly impregnated with the mineral bases of the springs +surrounding our camp, and that empty into the river above it. +</p> +<p> +<b>Friday, September 2</b>.—To-day we have occupied ourselves in examining the +springs and other wonders at this point. At the base of the foot-hills +adjoining our camp are three large springs of thick boiling mud, the +largest of which resembles an immense cauldron. It is about thirty feet +in diameter, bordered by a rim several feet wide, upon which one can +stand within reach of the boiling mass of mud, the surface of which is +four or five feet below the rim enclosing it, the rim being a little +raised above the surrounding level. Some twelve or fifteen rods from +this spring are two other springs from ten to twelve feet in diameter. +Near by is a hot (not boiling) spring of sulphur, fifteen to eighteen +feet in diameter, too hot to bathe in. From these we passed over the +timbered hill at the base of which these springs are situated. In the +timber along the brow of the hill and near its summit, and immediately +under the living trees, the hot sulphur vapor and steam issue from +several fissures or craters, showing that the hottest fires are raging +at some point beneath the surface crust, which in a great many places +gives forth a hollow sound as we pass over it. Through a little coulee +on the other side of the hill runs a small stream of greenish water, +which issues from a small cavern, the mouth of which is about five feet +high and the same dimension in width. From the mouth, the roof of the +cavern descends at an angle of about fifteen degrees, till at the +distance of twenty feet from the entrance it joins the surface of the +water. The bottom of the cavern under the water seems to descend at +about the same angle, but as the water is in constant ebullition, we +cannot determine this fact accurately. The water is thrown out in +regular spasmodic jets, the pulsations occurring once in ten or twelve +seconds. The sides and mouth of this cavern are covered with a dark +green deposit, some of which we have taken with us for analysis. About +two hundred yards farther on is another geyser, the flow of which occurs +about every six hours, and when the crater is full the diameter of the +surface is about fourteen feet, the sides of the crater being of an +irregular funnelshape, and descending at an angle of about forty-five +degrees. At the lowest point at which we saw the water it was about +seven feet in diameter on the surface. One or another of our party +watched the gradual rise of the water for four or five hours. The +boiling commenced when the water had risen half way to the surface, +occasionally breaking forth with great violence. When the water had +reached its full height in the basin, the stream was thrown up with +great force to a height of from twenty to thirty feet, the column being +from seven to ten feet in diameter at the midway height of the column, +from bottom to top. The water was of a dark lead color, and those +portions of the sides of the crater that were overflowed and then +exposed by the rise and fall of the water were covered with stalagmites +formed by the deposit from the geyser. +</p> +<p> +While surveying these wonders, our ears were constantly saluted by dull, +thundering, booming sounds, resembling the reports of distant artillery. +As we approached the spot whence they proceeded, the ground beneath us +shook and trembled as from successive shocks of an earthquake. Ascending +a small hillock, the cause of the uproar was found to be a mud +volcano—the greatest marvel we have yet met with. It is about midway up +a gentle pine-covered slope, above which on the lower side its crater, +thirty feet in diameter, rises to a height of about thirty-five feet. +Dense masses of steam issue with explosive force from this crater, into +whose tapering mouth, as they are momentarily dispelled by the wind, we +can see at a depth of about forty feet the regurgitating contents. The +explosions are not uniform in force or time, varying from three to eight +seconds, and occasionally with perfect regularity occurring every five +seconds. They are very distinctly heard at the distance of half a mile, +and the massive jets of vapor which accompany them burst forth like the +smoke of burning gunpowder. +</p> +<p> +Some of these pulsations are much more violent than others, but each one +is accompanied by the discharge of an immense volume of steam, which at +once shuts off all view of the inside of the crater; but sometimes, +during the few seconds intervening between the pulsations, or when a +breeze for a moment carries the steam to one side of the crater, we can +see to the depth of thirty feet into the volcano, but cannot often +discover the boiling mud; though occasionally, when there occurs an +unusually violent spasm or concussion, a mass of mud as large in bulk as +a hogshead is thrown up as high as our heads, emitting blinding clouds +of steam in all directions, and crowding all observers back from the +edge of the crater. We were led to believe that this volcano has not +been long in existence; but that it burst forth the present summer but a +few months ago. The green leaves and the limbs of the surrounding forest +trees are covered with fresh clay or mud, as is also the newly grown +grass for the distance of 180 feet from the crater. On the top branches +of some of the trees near by—trees 150 feet high—we found particles of +dried mud that had fallen upon the high branches in their descent just +after this first outburst, which must have thrown the contents of the +volcano as high as 250 or 300 feet. Mr. Hauser, whose experience as an +engineer and with projectile forces entitles his opinion to credit, +estimates from the particles of mud upon the high trees, and the +distance to which they were thrown, that the mud had been thrown, in +this explosion, to the height of between 300 and 400 feet. By actual +measurement we found particles of this mud 186 feet from the edge of the +crater. +</p> +<p> +We did not dare to stand upon the leeward side of the crater and +withstand the force of the steam; and Mr. Hedges, having ventured too +near the rim on that side, endangered his life by his temerity, and was +thrown violently down the exterior side of the crater by the force of +the volume of steam emitted during one of these fearful convulsions. +General Washburn and I, who saw him fall, were greatly concerned lest +while regaining his feet, being blinded by the steam, and not knowing in +which direction to turn, he should fall into the crater. +</p> +<p> +Between the volcano, the mud geyser and the cavern spring are a number +of hot sulphur and mud springs, of sizes varying from two to twenty feet +in diameter, and many openings or crevices from which issue hot vapor or +steam, the mouths of which are covered with sulphur deposits or other +incrustations. +</p> +<p> +From the mud volcano we moved up the valley about four miles to our camp +on the river, passing several mud puffs on the way. One of the soldiers +brought in a large string of river trout, but the water of the river is +strongly impregnated with the overflow from springs near its bank, and +is not palatable. Some of our party who have drank the water are feeling +nauseated. Others think that their illness is caused by partaking too +freely of one of the luxuries of our larder, canned peaches. I assuaged +my thirst with the peaches, and have not partaken of the water, and +there is no one in our camp in finer condition than I am. +</p> +<p> +Lieutenant Doane's felon has caused him great suffering to-day, and I +have appealed to him to allow me to lance it. I have for many years +carried a lancet in my pocketbook, but I find that I have inadvertently +left it at home. So all this day, while on horseback, I have been +preparing for the surgical operation by sharpening my penknife on the +leathern pommel of my saddle as I rode along. I have in my seamless sack +a few simple medicines, including a vial of chloroform. Lieutenant Doane +has almost agreed to let me open the felon, provided I put him to sleep +with the chloroform; but I feel that I am too much of a novice in the +business to administer it. However, I have told him that I would do so +if he demanded it. Our elevation to-day is about 7,500 feet above sea +level. +</p> +<p> +<b>Saturday, September 3</b>.—This morning General Washburn and I left camp +immediately after breakfast and returned four miles on our track of +September 1st to Crater Hill and the mud springs, for the purpose of +making farther examinations. We found the sulphur boiling spring to be +full to overflowing, the water running down the inclined surface of the +crust in two different directions. It was also boiling with greater +force than it was when we first saw it, the water being occasionally +thrown up to the height of ten feet. About 80 or 100 yards from this +spring we found what we had not before discovered, a boiling spring of +tartaric acid in solution, with deposits around the edge of the spring, +of which we gathered a considerable quantity. In the basin where we had +found so many mud springs we to-day found a hot boiling spring +containing a substance of deep yellow color, the precise nature of which +we could not readily ascertain. We accordingly brought away some of it +in a bottle (as is our usual custom in such cases of uncertainty), and +we will have an analysis of it made on our return home. In the same +basin we also found some specimens of black lava. +</p> +<p> +A half mile south of these springs we found an alum spring yielding but +little water and surrounded with beautiful alum crystals. From its +border we obtained a great many curiously shaped deposits of alum +slightly impregnated with iron. The border of this spring below the +surface had been undermined in many places by the violent boiling of the +water, to the distance of several feet from the margin, so that it was +unsafe to stand near the edge of the spring. This, however, I did not +at first perceive; and, as I was unconcernedly passing by the spring, my +weight made the border suddenly slough off beneath my feet. General +Washburn noticed the sudden cracking of the incrustation before I did, +and I was aroused to a sense of my peril by his shout of alarm, and had +sufficient presence of mind to fall suddenly backwards at full length +upon the sound crust, whence, with my feet and legs extended over the +spring, I rolled to a place of safety. But for General Washburn's shout +of alarm, in another instant I would have been precipitated into this +boiling pool of alum. We endeavored to sound the depth of this spring +with a pole twenty-five feet long, but we found no bottom. +</p> +<p> +Everything around us—air, earth, water—is impregnated with sulphur. We +feel it in every drop of water we drink, and in every breath of air we +inhale. Our silver watches have turned to the color of poor brass, +tarnished. +</p> +<p> +General Washburn and I again visited the mud vulcano to-day. I +especially desired to see it again for the one especial purpose, among +others of a general nature, of assuring myself that the notes made in my +diary a few days ago are not exaggerated. No! they are not! The +sensations inspired in me to-day, on again witnessing its convulsions, +and the dense clouds of vapor expelled in rapid succession from its +crater, amid the jarring of the earth, and the ominous intonations from +beneath, were those of mingled dread and wonder. At war with all former +experience it was so novel, so unnaturally natural, that I feel while +now writing and thinking of it, as if my own senses might have deceived +me with a mere figment of the imagination. But it is not so. The wonder, +than which this continent, teeming with nature's grandest exhibitions, +contains nothing more marvelous, still stands amid the solitary +fastnesses of the Yellowstone, to excite the astonishment of the +thousands who in coming years shall visit that remarkable locality.[<a href="#note-J">J</a>] +</p> +<p> +Returning to the camp we had left in the morning, we found the train had +crossed the river, and we forded at the same place, visiting, however, +on our way another large cauldron of boiling mud lying nearly opposite +our camp. Soon after fording the river we discovered some evidence that +trappers had long ago visited this region. Here we found that the earth +had been thrown up two feet high, presenting an angle to the river, +quite ingeniously concealed by willows, and forming a sort of rifle-pit, +from which a hunter without disclosing his hiding place could bring down +swans, geese, ducks, pelicans, and even the furred animals that made +their homes along the river bank. +</p> +<p> +We followed the trail of the advance party along the bank of the river, +and most of the way through a dense forest of pine timber and over a +broad swampy lowland, when we came into their camp on the Yellowstone +lake two miles from where it empties into the river, and about ten miles +from our morning camp. We passed Brimstone basin on our left, and saw +jets of steam rising from the hills back of it. From all appearances the +Yellowstone can be forded at almost any point between the rapids just +above the upper fall and the lake, unless there are quicksands and +crevices which must be avoided. +</p> +<p> +Yellowstone lake, as seen from our camp to-night, seems to me to be the +most beautiful body of water in the world. In front of our camp it has a +wide sandy beach like that of the ocean, which extends for miles and as +far as the eye can reach, save that occasionally there is to be found a +sharp projection of rocks. The overlooking bench rises from the water's +edge about eight feet, forming a bank of sand or natural levee, which +serves to prevent the overflow of the land adjoining, which, when the +lake is receiving the water from the mountain streams that empty into it +while the snows are melting, is several feet below the surface of the +lake. On the shore of the lake, within three or four miles of our camp, +are to be found specimens of sandstone, resembling clay, of sizes +varying from that of a walnut to a flour barrel, and of every odd shape +imaginable. Fire and water have been at work here together—fire to +throw out the deposit in a rough shape, and water to polish it. From our +camp we can see several islands from five to ten miles distant in a +direct line. Two of the three "Tetons," which are so plainly visible to +travelers going to Montana from Eagle Rock bridge on Snake river, and +which are such well-known and prominent landmarks on that stage route, +we notice to-night in the direction of south 25 degrees west from our +camp. We shall be nearer to them on our journey around the lake. +</p> +<p> +<b>Sunday, September 4</b>.—This morning at breakfast time Lieutenant Doane +was sleeping soundly and snoring sonorously, and we decided that we +would not waken him, but would remain in camp till the afternoon and +perhaps until morning. Walter Trumbull suggested that a proper deference +to Jake Smith's religious sentiments ought to be a sufficient reason +for not traveling on Sunday, whereupon Jake immediately exclaimed, "If +we're going to remain in camp, let's have a game of draw." +</p> +<p> +Last evening Lieutenant Doane's sufferings were so intense that General +Washburn and I insisted that he submit to an operation, and have the +felon opened, and he consented provided I would administer chloroform. +Preparations were accordingly made after supper. A box containing army +cartridges was improvised as an operating table, and I engaged Mr. Bean, +one of our packers, and Mr. Hedges as assistant surgeons. Hedges was to +take his position at Doarte's elbow, and was to watch my motion as I +thrust in the knife blade, and hold the elbow and fore-arm firmly to +prevent any involuntary drawing back of the arm by Lieutenant Doane, at +the critical moment. When Doane was told that we were ready, he asked, +"Where is the chloroform?" I replied that I had never administered it, +and that after thinking the matter over I was afraid to assume the +responsibility of giving it. He swallowed his disappointment, and turned +his thumb over on the cartridge box, with the nail down. Hedges and Bean +were on hand to steady the arm, and before one could say "Jack +Robinson," I had inserted the point of my penknife, thrusting it down to +the bone, and had ripped it out to the end of the thumb. Doane gave one +shriek as the released corruption flew out in all directions upon +surgeon and assistants, and then with a broad smile on his face he +exclaimed, "That was elegant!" We then applied a poultice of bread and +water, which we renewed a half hour later, and Doane at about eight +o'clock last night dropped off into a seemingly peaceful sleep, which +has been continuous up to the time of this writing, two o'clock p.m.[<a href="#note-K">K</a>] +</p> +<p> +<b>Evening of September 4</b>.—I have been glad to have this rest to-day, for +with the time spent in writing up a detailed diary in addition to the +work about camp, I have been putting in about sixteen hours work each +day. So this afternoon a nap of two or three hours was a pleasant rest. +I strolled for a long distance down the shore, the sand of which abounds +in small crystals, which some of our party think may possess some value. +Craters emitting steam through the water are frequently seen beneath the +surface, at a distance of from forty to fifty feet from its margin, the +water in which is very hot, while that of the lake surrounding them I +found to be too cool for a pleasant bath. In some places the lake water +is strongly impregnated with sulphur. One crater emits a jet of steam +with a hissing noise as loud as that usually heard at the blowing off of +the safety valve of a steam-boat. In the clear light of the setting sun, +we can see the three Tetons in a southwesterly direction. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-25"><!-- Image 25 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/228.jpg" width="450" height="649" +alt="Grand Teton."> +</center> + +<p> +Some member of our party has asked what is the meaning of the word +"Teton" given to these mountains.[<a href="#note-L">L</a>] Lieutenant Doane says it is a +French word signifying "Woman's Breast," and that it was given to these +mountains by the early French explorers, because of their peculiar +shape. I think that the man who gave them this name must have seen them +from a great distance; for as we approach them, the graceful curvilinear +lines which obtained for them this delicate appellation appear angular +and ragged. From our present point of view the name seems a misnomer. If +there were twelve of them instead of three, they might better be called +the "Titans," to illustrate their relation to the surrounding country. +He indeed must have been of a most susceptible nature, and, I would fain +believe, long a dweller amid these solitudes, who could trace in these +cold and barren peaks any resemblance to the gentle bosom of woman. +</p> +<p> +<b>Monday, September 5</b>.—Lieutenant Doane continued to sleep all last +night, making a thirty-six hours nap, and after dressing his thumb and +taking an observation to determine our elevation, which we found to be +7714 feet above the ocean, we broke camp at nine o'clock. After the +train had got under way, I asked Mr. Hedges to remain behind and assist +me in measuring, by a rude system of triangulation, the distance across +the lake as well as to the Tetons; but owing to the difficulty we +encountered in laying out a base line of sufficient length, we abandoned +the scheme after some two hours of useless labor. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-26"><!-- Image 26 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/109.png" width="450" height="263" +alt="Slate Specimens from Curiosity Point. Slate Cup. Leg and Foot."> +</center> + +<p> +Following the trail of the advance party, we traveled along the lake +beach for about six miles, passing a number of small hot sulphur springs +and lukewarm sulphur ponds, and three hot steam jets surrounded by +sulphur incrustations. After six miles, we left the beach, and traveled +on the plateau overlooking the lake. This plateau was covered with a +luxuriant growth of standing pine and a great deal of fallen timber, +through which at times considerable difficulty was experienced in +passing. A little way from the trail is an alkaline spring about six +feet in diameter. We came to camp on the shore of the lake, after having +marched fifteen miles in a southerly direction. We have a most beautiful +view of the lake from our camp. Yesterday it lay before us calm and +unruffled, save by the waves which gently broke upon the shore. To-day +the winds lash it into a raging sea, covering its surface with foam, +while the sparkling sand along the shore seems to form for it a jeweled +setting, and the long promontories stretching out into it, with their +dense covering of pines, lend a charming feature to the scene. Water +never seemed so beautiful before. Waves four feet high are rolling in, +and there appear to be six or seven large islands; but we cannot be +certain about this number until we reach the south shore. From this +point we cannot tell whether the wooded hills before us are islands or +promontories. On the shore are to be found large numbers of carnelians +or crystallized quartz, agates, specimens of petrified wood, and lava +pebbles or globules. We have found also many curious objects of slate +formation, resembling hollowed-out cups, discs, and two well formed +resemblances of a leg and foot, and many other curious objects which +Nature in her most capricious mood has scattered over this watery +solitude. All these seem to be the joint production of fire and water; +the fire forming and baking them, and the water polishing them. We +called this place "Curiosity Point." +</p> +<p> +If Mount Washington were set in the lake, its summit would be two +thousand feet below the surface of the water. +</p> +<p> +To-night a conference of the party was held, to decide whether we would +continue our journey around the lake, or retrace our steps and pass +along the north side of the lake over to the Madison. By a vote of six +to three we have decided to go around the lake. Mr. Hauser voted in +favor of returning by way of the north side. My vote was cast for going +around the lake. +</p> +<p> +As we passed along the shore to-day, we could see the steam rising from +a large group of hot springs on the opposite shore of the lake bordering +on what seems to be the most westerly bay or estuary.[<a href="#note-M">M</a>] We will have an +opportunity to examine them at short range, when we have completed our +journey around the lake. +</p> +<p> +<b>Tuesday, September 6</b>.—We broke camp at ten thirty this morning, +bearing well to the southeast for an hour and then turning nearly due +south, our trail running through the woods, and for a large part of our +route throughout the day, through fallen timber, which greatly impeded +our progress. We did not make over ten miles in our day's travel. +Frequently we were obliged to leave the trail running through the woods, +and return to the lake, and follow the beach for some distance. We +passed along the base of a brimstone basin, the mountains forming a +semi-circle half way around it, the lake completing the circle. In +company with Lieutenant Doane I went up the side of the mountain, which +for the distance of three or four miles and about half way to the summit +is covered with what appears to be sulphate (?) of lime and flowers of +sulphur mixed. Exhalations are rising from all parts of the ground at +times, the odor of brimstone being quite strong; but the volcanic action +in this vicinity is evidently decreasing. +</p> +<p> +About half way up the deposit on the mountain side a number of small +rivulets take their rise, having sulphur in solution, and farther down +the mountain and near the base are the dry beds of several streams from +ten to twenty feet in width which bear evidence of having at some time +been full to the banks (two or three feet deep) with sulphur water. The +small streams now running are warm. +</p> +<p> +The side of the mountain over which we rode, seems for the most part to +be hollow, giving forth a rumbling sound beneath the feet, as we rode +upon the crust, which is very strong. In no instance did it give way as +did the crust at "Crater hill," under which the fires were raging, +though the incrustation appears to be very similar, abounding in vents +and fissures and emitting suffocating exhalations of sulphur vapor. +</p> +<p> +On the sides of the mountain were old fissures, surrounded by rusty +looking sulphur incrustations, now nearly washed away. The whole +mountain gives evidence of having been, a long time ago, in just the +same condition of conflagration as that in which we found "Crater hill;" +but all outward trace of fire has now disappeared, save what is found in +the warm water of the small streams running down the sides. +</p> +<p> +Our course for the past two days has been in nearly a south-southeast +direction, or about parallel with the Wind river mountains. We have +to-day seen an abundance of the tracks of elk and bears, and +occasionally the track of a mountain lion. +</p> +<p> +<b>Wednesday, September 7</b>.—Last night when all but the guards were asleep, +we were startled by a mountain lion's shrill scream, sounding so like +the human voice that for a moment I was deceived by it into believing +that some traveler in distress was hailing our camp. The stream near the +bank of which our camp lay, flows into the southeast arm of Yellowstone +lake, and for which the name "Upper Yellowstone" has been suggested by +some of our party; but Lieutenant Doane says that he thinks he has seen +on an old map the name "Bridger" given to some body of water near the +Yellowstone. We tried to cross the river near its mouth, but found the +mud in the bed of the stream and in the bottom lands adjoining too deep; +our horses miring down to their bellies. In accordance with plans agreed +upon last night, General Washburn and a few of the party started out +this morning in advance of the others to search for a practicable +crossing of the river and marshes, leaving the pack train in camp. +</p> +<p> +In company with Lieutenant Doane I went out upon a reconnaissance for +the purpose of determining the elevation of the mountains opposite our +camp, as well as the shape of the lake as far as we could see the +shore, and also to determine as far as possible our locality and the +best line of travel to follow in passing around the lake. There is just +enough excitement attending these scouting expeditions to make them a +real pleasure, overbalancing the labor attendant upon them. There is +very little probability that any large band of Indians will be met with +on this side of the lake, owing to the superstitions which originate in +the volcanic forces here found. +</p> +<p> +We followed along the high bank adjacent to the bottom through which the +river runs in a direction a little south of east for the distance of +about three miles, when we entered a heavily timbered ravine, which we +followed through the underbrush for some three miles, being frequently +obliged to dismount and lead our horses over the projecting rocks, or +plunging through bushes and fallen timber. At the end of two hours we +reached a point in the ascent where we could no longer ride in safety, +nor could our horses climb the mountain side with the weight of our +bodies on their backs. Dismounting, we took the bridle reins in our +hands, and for the space of an hour we led our horses up the steep +mountain side, when we again mounted and slowly climbed on our way, +occasionally stopping to give our horses a chance to breathe. Arriving +at the limit of timber and of vegetation, we tied our horses, and then +commenced the ascent of the steepest part of the mountain, over the +broken granite, great care being necessary to avoid sliding down the +mountain side with the loose granite. The ascent occupied us a little +more than four hours, and all along the mountain side, even to near the +summit, we saw the tracks of mountain sheep. The view from the summit of +this mountain, for wild and rugged grandeur, is surpassed by none I ever +before saw. The Yellowstone basin and the Wind river mountains were +spread out before us like a map. On the south the eye followed the +source of the Yellowstone above the lake, until, twenty-five miles away, +it was lost in an immense cañon, beyond which two immense jets of vapor +rose to a height of probably three hundred feet, indicating that there +were other and perhaps greater wonders than those embraced in our +prescribed limit of exploration. On the north the outlet of the lake and +the steam from the mud geyser and mud volcano were distinctly visible, +while on the southeast the view followed to the horizon a succession of +lofty peaks and ridges at least thirty miles in width, whose jagged +slopes were filled with yawning caverns, pine-embowered recesses and +beetling precipices, some hundreds and some thousands of feet in height. +This is the range which Captain Raynolds, approaching from the east, +found impassable while on his exploring tour to the Yellowstone in the +year 1860. I shall, upon my return home, read Captain Raynolds' report +with renewed interest.[<a href="#note-N">N</a>] +</p> +<p> +The mountain on which we stood was the most westerly peak of a range +which, in long extended volume, swept to the southeastern horizon, +exhibiting a continuous elevation more than thirty miles in width, its +central line broken into countless points, knobs, glens and defiles, all +on the most colossal scale of grandeur and magnificence. Outside of +these, on either border, along the entire range, lofty peaks rose at +intervals, seemingly vying with each other in the varied splendors they +presented to the beholder. The scene was full of majesty. The valley at +the base of this range was dotted with small lakes. Lakes abound +everywhere—in the valleys, on the mountains and farther down on their +slopes, at all elevations. The appearance of the whole range was +suggestive of the existence, ages since, of a high plateau on a level +with these peaks (which seemed to be all of the same elevation), which +by the action of the water had been cut down in the intervals between +the peaks into deep gorges and cañons. The sides of the mountains formed +in many places a perpendicular wall from 600 to 1,000 feet in height. +</p> +<p> +This range of mountains has a marvelous history. As it is the loftiest, +so it is probably the most remarkable lateral ridge of the Rocky range. +In the expedition sent across the continent by Mr. Astor, in 1811, under +command of Captain Wilson P. Hunt, that gentleman met with the first +serious obstacle to his progress at the eastern base of this range. +After numerous efforts to scale it, he turned away and followed the +valley of Snake river, encountering the most discouraging disasters +until he arrived at Astoria.[<a href="#note-O">O</a>] +</p> +<p> +I have read somewhere (I think in Washington Irving's "Astoria" or +"Bonneville's Adventures") that the Indians regard this ridge of +mountains as the crest of the world, and that among the Blackfeet there +is a fable that he who attains its summit catches a view of the "Land of +Souls" and beholds the "Happy Hunting Grounds" spread out below him, +brightening with the abodes of the free and generous spirits. +</p> +<p> +Lieutenant Doane and I were somewhat fatigued with our climb of four +hours' duration, and we refreshed ourselves with such creature comforts +as we found on the summit; but, although we attained the "crest," we did +not discern any "free and generous spirit," save that which we saw +"through a glass darkly." +</p> +<p> +At the point where we left our horses there was, on the east slope of +the mountain, a body of snow, the surface of which was nearly +horizontal, and the outer edge of which was thirty feet in perpendicular +height. This body of snow is perpetual. At this point the elevation, as +indicated by our aneroid barometer, was 9,476 feet, while at the summit +it was 10,327 feet, a difference of 581 feet, which was the broken +granite summit. +</p> +<p> +The descent occupied an hour and a quarter, when we struck the trail of +the pack train near the base of the mountain, which we followed until we +found three poles placed in the form of a tripod, the longer pole +pointing to the right to indicate that at this point the party had +changed its course. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-27"><!-- Image 27 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/117.png" width="450" height="222" +alt="Marker made from sticks"> +</center> + +<p> +Obeying this Indian sign, we descended the bank bordering the valley and +traversed the bottom lands to the river, which we forded at a point +where it was about ninety feet wide and three feet deep, with a current +of about six miles an hour. This was about six or seven miles from the +mouth of the river. We followed the trail of the advance party through a +beautiful pine forest, free from underbrush, for the distance of two +miles, passing two beautiful lakes. By this time night had overtaken us, +and it was with difficulty that we could follow the trail, the tracks of +the horses' shoes, which were our sole guide, being hardly discernible. +But we pressed on, following the dark, serpentine line of freshly +disturbed earth till it turned up the side of the mountain, where we +followed it for upwards of a mile. Fearing lest we were not upon the +right trail, we dismounted, and, placing our faces close to the ground, +examined it carefully, but could not discover the impression of a single +horseshoe. Gathering a few dry branches of pine, we kindled a fire upon +the trail, when we discovered that we had been following, from the base +of the mountain, the trail of a band of elk that had crossed the line of +travel of the pack train at a point near the base of the mountain, and +in the dim twilight we had not discovered the mistake. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-28"><!-- Image 28 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/118.png" width="450" height="558" +alt="Map of Yellowstone Lake, As Known Between 1860 and 1870. from the Map of Raynolds' Expedition of 1860."> +</center> + +<p> +The prospect for a night on the mountain, without blankets or supper, +seemed now very good; but we retraced our steps as rapidly as possible, +and on reaching the base of the mountain, struck out for the lake, +resolving to follow the beach, trusting that our party had made their +camp on the shore of the lake, in which case we should find them; but +if camped at any considerable distance from the shore, we should not +find them. Our ride over fallen timber and through morass for the +distance of about two miles to the shore of the lake was probably +performed more skillfully in the darkness of the night than if we had +seen the obstacles in our path, and as we rounded a point on the smooth +beach we saw at a distance of a little over a mile the welcome watch +fire of our comrades. When we arrived within hailing distance we gave a +loud halloo, and the ready response by a dozen sympathetic voices of our +companions-in-arms showed that our own anxiety had been shared by them. +Our camp to-night is on the westerly side of the most southeasterly bay +of the lake. These bays are separated by long points of land extending +far out into the lake. From our camp of two days ago some of these +points seemed to be islands. From the top of the mountain, which Doane +and I ascended to-day, I made an outline map of the north and east sides +of the lake and part of the south side; but on account of the heavy +timber on the promontories I could not make a correct outline of the +south and west shores. General Washburn and Hauser, as well as myself, +have thus far made outlines of the lake shore as best we could from +points on a level with the lake, but these have been unsatisfactory and +have lacked completeness, and Washburn and Hauser have both expressed +their satisfaction with the sketch of the lake shore I made to-day from +the top of the mountain; and Washburn has just told me that Lieutenant +Doane has suggested that, as I was the first to reach the summit of the +mountain, the peak should be named for me. I shall be gratified if this +is done.[<a href="#note-P">P</a>] +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-29"><!-- Image 29 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/119.png" width="450" height="537" +alt="Map of Yellowstone Lake. Copy of the Original outline Sketched by Nathaniel P. Langford from the Top of Mount Langford, Sept. 7, 1870, and Completed Sept. 10 and 13."> +</center> + +<p> +We have traveled from our morning camp about twelve miles, but we are +not more than four miles from it in a straight line. +</p> +<p> +<b>Thursday, September 8</b>.—Travel to-day has led us in zigzag directions +over fallen timber some twelve miles. We have halted on a small creek +about one mile from the most southerly arm of the lake and about seven +miles in a straight line from our morning camp. +</p> +<p> +This has been a terrible day for both men and horses. The standing trees +are so thick that we often found it impossible to find a space wide +enough for the pack animals to squeeze through, and we were frequently +separated from each other in a search for a route. Hedges and Stickney, +in this way, became separated from the rest of the party, and after +suffering all the feelings of desolation at being lost in this +wilderness, accidentally stumbled upon our camp, and they freely +expressed their joy at their good fortune in being restored to the +party. I fully sympathized with them, for, speaking from a personal +experience of a similar character which I had in 1862, I can say that a +man can have no more complete sense of utter desolation than that which +overwhelms him when he realizes that he is lost. +</p> +<p> +At one point while they were seeking some sign of the trail made by the +rest of the party, a huge grizzly bear dashed by them, frightening +Hedges' horse, which broke his bridle and ran away. +</p> +<p> +After supper Washburn and Hauser went up on the ridge back of the camp +to reconnoiter and ran across a she grizzly and her two cubs. Being +unarmed, they hastily returned to camp for their guns, and five or six +of us joined them in a bear hunt. The members of this hunting party were +all elated at the thought of bagging a fine grizzly, which seemed an +easy prey. What could one grizzly do against six hunters when her +instinctive duty would lead her to hurry her little ones to a place of +safety! +</p> +<p> +While putting our guns in order and making other preparations for the +attack, an animated discussion took place concerning a proper +disposition of the two cubs which were to be captured alive. Some of our +party thought that they ought to be carried home to Helena, but Bean and +Reynolds, our packers, being appealed to, thought the plan not feasible +unless they could be utilized as pack animals. When we reached the spot +where Washburn and Hauser had last seen the bear, we traced her into a +dense thicket, which, owing to the darkness, we did not care to +penetrate, for not one of us felt that we had lost that particular bear. +Jake Smith, with more of good sense than usual, but with his usual lack +of scriptural accuracy, remarked, "I always considered Daniel a great +fool to go into a den of bears."[<a href="#note-Q">Q</a>] +</p> +<p> +Our journey for the entire day has been most trying, leading us through +a trackless forest of pines encumbered on all sides by prostrate trunks +of trees. The difficulty of urging forward our pack train, making choice +of routes, extricating the horses when wedged between the trees, and +re-adjusting the packs so that they would not project beyond the +sides of the horses, required constant patience and untiring toil, +and the struggle between our own docility and the obstacles in our way, +not unfrequently resulted in fits of sullenness or explosions of wrath +which bore no slight resemblance to the volcanic forces of the country +itself. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-30"><!-- Image 30 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/229.jpg" width="300" height="453" +alt="Benj. Stickney"> +</center> + +<p> +On one of these occasions when we were in a vast net of down timber and +brush, and each man was insisting upon his own particular mode of +extrication, and when our tempers had been sorely tried and we were in +the most unsocial of humors, speaking only in half angry expletives, I +recalled that beautiful line in Byron's "Childe Harold," "There is a +pleasure in the pathless woods," which I recited with all the "ore +rotundo" I could command, which struck the ludicrous vein of the company +and produced an instantaneous response of uproarious laughter, which, so +sudden is the transition between extremes, had the effect to restore +harmony and sociability, and, in fact, to create a pleasure in the +pathless wilderness we were traveling. +</p> +<p> +One of our pack horses is at once a source of anxiety and amusement to +us all. He is a remarkable animal owned by Judge Hedges, who, however, +makes no pretentious to being a good judge of horses. Mr. Hedges says +that the man from whom he purchased the animal, in descanting upon his +many excellent qualities, said: "He is that kind of an animal that +drives the whole herd before him." The man spoke truly, but Mr. Hedges +did not properly interpret the encomium, nor did he realize that the +seller meant to declare that the animal, from sheer exhaustion, would +always be lagging behind the others of the herd. From the start, and +especially during our journey through the forest, this pony, by his +acrobatic performances and mishaps, has furnished much amusement for us +all. Progress to-day could only be accomplished by leaping our animals +over the fallen trunks of trees. Our little broncho, with all the +spirit necessary, lacks oftentimes the power to scale the tree trunks. +As a consequence, he is frequently found resting upon his midriff with +his fore and hind feet suspended over the opposite sides of some huge +log. "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." He has an +ambitious spirit, which is exceeded only by his patience. He has had +many mishaps, any one of which would have permanently disabled a larger +animal, and we have dubbed him "Little Invulnerable." One of the +soldiers of our escort, Private Moore, has made a sketch of him as he +appeared to-day lying across a log, of which I am to have a copy. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-31"><!-- Image 31 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/230.jpg" width="450" height="779" +alt="Little invulnerable."> +</center> + +<p> +I growled at Hauser and scolded him a little in camp to-night because of +some exasperating action of his. I here record the fact without going +into details. I think that I must try to be more patient. But I am +feeling somewhat the fatigue of our journey. However, there is something +to be said on the other hand, and that is that there is no one of the +party better able to bear its labors and anxieties than I, and therefore +I should be the last man to lose my patience. +</p> +<p> +I know of nothing that can try one's patience more than a trip of any +considerable length by wagon train or pack train through an uninhabited +region, and the most amiable of our race cannot pass this ordeal +entirely unscathed. Persons who are not blessed with uncommon equanimity +never get through such a journey without frequent explosions of temper, +and seldom without violence. Even education, gentle training and the +sharpest of mental discipline do not always so effectually subdue the +passions that they may not be aroused into unwonted fury during a long +journey through a country filled with obstructions. Philosophy has never +found a fitter subject for its exercise than that afforded by the +journey we are now making, which obliges the members of our party to +strive to relieve each other's burdens. +</p> +<p> +<b>Friday, September 9</b>.—Last night there occurred an incident which I +would gladly blot from these pages, but a faithful record of all the +events of camp life in connection with this expedition demands that I +omit nothing of interest, nor set down "aught in malice." +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hedges and I were on guard during the last relief of the night, +which extends from the "Wee sma' hours ayont the twal" to daybreak. The +night was wearing on when Hedges, being tempted of one of the Devils +which doubtless roam around this sulphurous region, or that perhaps +followed Lieutenant Doane and myself down from that "high mountain +apart" where the spirits roam, asked me if I was hungry. I replied that +such had been my normal condition ever since our larder had perceptibly +declined. Mr. Hedges then suggested that, as there was no food already +cooked in the camp, we take each a wing of one of the partridges and +broil it over our small fire. It was a "beautiful thought," as Judge +Bradford of Colorado used to say from the bench when some knotty legal +problem relating to a case he was trying had been solved, and was +speedily acted upon by both of us. But I was disappointed in finding so +little meat on a partridge wing, and believed that Hedges would have +chosen a leg instead of a wing, if he had pondered a moment, so I +remedied the omission, and, as a result, each roasted a leg of the bird. +Soon increase of appetite grew by what it fed on, and the breast of the +bird was soon on the broiler. +</p> +<p> +In the meantime our consciences were not idle, and we were "pricked in +our hearts." The result was that we had a vision of the disappointment +of our comrades, as each should receive at our morning breakfast his +small allotment of but one partridge distributed among so many, and it +did not take us long to send the remaining bird to join its mate. Taking +into consideration the welfare of our comrades, it seemed the best thing +for us to do, and we debated between ourselves whether the birds would +be missed in the morning, Hedges taking the affirmative and I the +negative side of the question. +</p> +<p> +This morning when our breakfast was well nigh finished, Mr. Hauser asked +"Newt," the head cook, why he had not prepared the partridges for +breakfast. "Newt" answered that when he opened the pan this morning the +birds had "done gone," and he thought that "Booby" (the dog) had eaten +them. Whereupon Hauser pelted the dog with stones and sticks. Hedges and +I, nearly bursting with our suppressed laughter, quietly exchanged +glances across the table, and the situation became quite intense for us, +as we strove to restrain our risibles while listening to the comments of +the party on the utter worthlessness of "that dog Booby." Suddenly the +camp was electrified by Gillette asking, "Who was on guard last night?" +"That's it," said one. "That's where the birds went," said another. This +denouement was too much for Hedges and myself, and amid uproarious +laughter we made confession, and "Booby" was relieved from his disgrace +and called back into the camp, and patted on the head as a "good dog," +and he has now more friends in camp than ever before. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hauser, who brought down the birds with two well directed shots with +his revolver, made from the back of his horse without halting the +animal, had expected to have a dainty breakfast, but he is himself too +fond of a practical joke to express any disappointment, and no one in +the party is more unconcerned at the outcome than he. He is a +philosopher, and, as I know from eight years' association with him, does +not worry over the evils which he can remedy, nor those which he cannot +remedy. There can be found no better man than he for such a trip as we +are making. +</p> +<p> +"Booby" is taking more kindly, day by day, to the buckskin moccasins +which "Newt" made and tied on his feet a few days ago. When he was first +shod with them he rebelled and tore them off with his teeth, but I think +he has discovered that they lessen his sufferings, which shows that he +has some good dog sense left, and that probably his name "Booby" is a +misnomer. I think there is a great deal of good in the animal. He is +ever on the alert for unusual noises or sounds, and the assurance which +I have that he will give the alarm in case any thieving Indians shall +approach our camp in the night is a great relief to my anxiety lest some +straggling band of the Crows may "set us afoot." Jake Smith was on guard +three nights ago, and he was so indifferent to the question of safety +from attack that he enjoyed a comfortable nap while doing guard duty, +and I have asked our artist, Private Moore, to make for me a sketch of +Smith as I found him sound asleep with his saddle for a pillow. Jake +might well adopt as a motto suitable for his guidance while doing guard +duty, "Requieseat in pace." Doubtless Jake thought, "Shall I not take +mine ease in mine inn?" I say <i>thought</i> for I doubt if Jake can give a +correct verbal rendering of the sentence. A few evenings ago he jocosely +thought to establish, by a quotation from Shakespeare, the unreliability +of a member of our party who was telling what seemed a "fish story," and +he clinched his argument by adding that he would apply to the case the +words of the immortal Shakespeare, "Othello's <i>reputation's</i> gone." +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-32"><!-- Image 32 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/231.jpg" width="450" height="470" +alt="Jake Smith, Guarding the Camp from Hostile indian attack. 'Requiescat in Pace.'"> +</center> + +<p> +We broke camp this morning with the pack train at 10 o'clock, traveling +in a westerly course for about two miles, when we gradually veered +around to a nearly easterly direction, through fallen timber almost +impassable in the estimation of pilgrims, and indeed pretty severe on +our pack horses, for there was no trail, and, while our saddle horses +with their riders could manage to force their way through between the +trees, the packs on the pack animals would frequently strike the trees, +holding the animals fast or compelling them to seek some other passage. +Frequently, we were obliged to re-arrange the packs and narrow them, so +as to admit of their passage between the standing trees. At one point +the pack animals became separated, and with the riding animals of a +portion of the party were confronted with a prostrate trunk of a huge +tree, about four feet in diameter, around which it was impossible to +pass because of the obstructions of fallen timber. Yet pass it we must; +and the animals, one after another, were brought up to the log, their +breasts touching it, when Williamson and I, the two strongest men of the +party, on either side of an animal, stooped down, and, placing each a +shoulder back of a fore leg of a horse, rose to an erect position, while +others of the party placed his fore feet over the log, which he was thus +enabled to scale. In this way we lifted fifteen or twenty of our animals +over the log. +</p> +<p> +Soon after leaving our camp this morning our "Little Invulnerable," +while climbing a steep rocky ascent, missed his footing and turned three +back summersaults down into the bottom of the ravine. We assisted him to +his feet without removing his pack, and he seemed none the worse for his +adventure, and quickly regained the ridge from which he had fallen and +joined the rest of the herd. +</p> +<p> +At 3 o'clock in the afternoon we halted for the day, having traveled +about six miles, but our camp to-night is not more than three miles from +our morning camp. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hedges' pack horse, "Little Invulnerable," was missing when we +camped; and, as I was one of the four men detailed for the day to take +charge of the pack train, I returned two miles on our trail with the two +packers, Reynolds and Bean, in search of him. We found him wedged +between two trees, evidently enjoying a rest, which he sorely needed +after his remarkable acrobatic feat of the morning. We are camped in a +basin not far from the lake, which surrounds us on three sides—east, +north and west. Mr. Everts has not yet come into camp, and we fear that +he is lost. +</p> +<p> +About noon we crossed a small stream that flows towards the southwest +arm of the lake, but which, I think, is one of the headwater streams of +Snake river. I think that we have crossed the main divide of the Rocky +Mountains twice to-day. We have certainly crossed it once, and if we +have not crossed it twice we are now camped on the western slope of the +main divide. If the creek we crossed about noon to-day continues to flow +in the direction it was running at the point where we crossed it, it +must discharge into the southwest arm of the lake, and it seems probable +that Mr. Everts has followed down this stream. +</p> +<p> +I have just had a little talk with Lieutenant Doane. He thinks that our +camp to-night is on the Snake river side of the main divide, and there +are many things that incline me to believe that he is correct in his +opinion.[<a href="#note-R">R</a>] +</p> +<p> +Last night we had a discussion, growing out of the fact that Hedges and +Stickney, for a brief time, were lost, for the purpose of deciding what +course we would adopt in case any other member of the party were lost, +and we agreed that in such case we would all move on as rapidly as +possible to the southwest arm of the lake, where there are hot springs +(the vapor of which we noticed from our camp of September 5th), and +there remain until all the party were united. Everts thought a better +way for a lost man would be to strike out nearly due west, hoping to +reach the headwaters of the Madison river, and follow that stream as his +guide to the settlements; but he finally abandoned this idea and adopted +that which has been approved by the rest of the party. So if Mr. Everts +does not come into camp to-night, we will to-morrow start for the +appointed rendezvous. +</p> +<p> +<b>Saturday, September 10</b>.—We broke camp about 10 o'clock this morning, +taking a course of about ten degrees north of west, traveling seven +miles, and coming to camp on the lake shore at about five miles in a +direct line from our morning camp at half past two p.m. No sign of Mr. +Everts has been seen to-day, and on our arrival in camp, Gillette and +Trumbull took the return track upon the shore of the lake, hoping to +find him, or discover some sign of him. A large fire was built on a high +ridge commanding all points on the beach, and we fired signal guns from +time to time throughout the night. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hauser and I ascended a high point overlooking our camp, and about +eight hundred feet above it, where from the top of a tall tree I had a +fairly good view of the shore outline of the west and south shores of +the lake, with all the inlets, points and islands. We were also enabled +to mark out our course of travel which it would be necessary to follow +in order to reach the most southwesterly arm of the lake and take +advantage of openings in the timber to facilitate travel. On this high +point we built a large fire which could be seen for many miles in all +directions by any one not under the bank of the lake, and which we hoped +Mr. Everts might see, and so be directed to our camp. +</p> +<p> +In going to the summit we traveled several hundred feet on a rocky ridge +not wide enough for safe travel by a man on horseback. At an elevation +of about eight hundred feet above Yellowstone lake we found two small +lakes nestled in a deep recess in the mountain and surrounded by the +overturned rocks. +</p> +<p> +Our route to-day has been entirely through fallen timber, and it has +been a hard day of travel on our horses, necessitating jumping over logs +and dead branches of trees, and thus we have made very slow progress. +</p> +<p> +The map of Yellowstone lake which we will be enabled to complete from +the observations made to-day will show that its shape is very different +from that shown on Captain Raynolds' map. The lake has but three +islands. +</p> +<p> +We are more than ever anxious about Mr. Everts. We had hoped, this +morning, to make our camp to-night on the southwest arm of the lake, but +the fallen timber has delayed us in our travel and prevented our doing +so. The southwest arm of the lake has been our objective point for the +past three days, and we feel assured that Mr. Everts, finding himself +lost, will press on for that point, and, as he will not be hindered by +the care of a pack train, he can travel twice as far in one day as we +can, and we are therefore the more anxious to reach our destination. We +have carefully considered all the points in the case, and have +unanimously decided that it will be utter folly to remain in camp +here, and equally so to have remained in this morning's camp, hoping +that he would overtake us. On the evening that Mr. Hedges was lost, Mr. +Everts told him that he ought to have struck out for the lake, as he +(Everts) would do if lost. So we will move on to the southwest arm of +the lake and remain three or four days. If Mr. Everts overtakes us at +all he will do so by that time. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-33"><!-- Image 33 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/232.jpg" width="300" height="491" +alt="Truman C. Everts"> +</center> + +<p> +<b>Sunday, September 11</b>.—Gillette and Trumbull returned to camp this +morning, having traversed the shore of the lake to a point east of our +camp of September 9th, without discovering any sign of Mr. Everts. We +have arrived at the conclusion that he has either struck out for the +lake on the west, or followed down the stream which we crossed the day +he was lost, or that he is possibly following us. The latter, however, +is not very probable. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hauser, Lieutenant Doane and I saddled up immediately after +breakfast, and, with a supply of provisions for Mr. Everts, pressed +forward in advance of the rest of the party, marking a trail for the +pack animals through the openings in the dense woods, and avoiding, as +far as possible, the fallen timber. We rode through with all possible +dispatch, watching carefully for the tracks of a horse, but found no +sign of Mr. Everts. We followed both the beach and the trail on the bank +for several miles in either direction, but we saw neither sign nor +track. The small stream which we crossed on the 9th does not flow into +this arm of the lake as we thought it might, and it is evidently a +tributary of the Snake river. +</p> +<p> +The pack train arrived early in the afternoon with the rest of the +party, and all were astonished and saddened that no trace of Mr. Everts +had been found. We shall to-night mature a plan for a systematic search +for him. It is probable that we will make this camp the base of +operations, and remain here several days. Everts has with him a supply +of matches, ammunition and fishing tackle, and if he will but travel in +a direct line and not veer around to the right or left in a circle, he +will yet be all right. +</p> +<p> +Directly west of our camp on the further side of this arm of the lake, +and about four miles distant, are several hot springs which we shall +visit before leaving the lake. +</p> +<p> +We were roused this morning about 2 o'clock by the shrill howl of a +mountain lion, and again while we were at breakfast we heard another +yell. As we stood around our campfire to-night, our ears were saluted +with a shriek so terribly human, that for a moment we believed it to be +a call from Mr. Everts, and we hallooed in response, and several of our +party started in the direction whence the sounds came, and would have +instituted a search for our comrade but for an admonitory growl of a +mountain lion. +</p> +<p> +We have traveled to-day about seven miles. On leaving our camps +yesterday and to-day, we posted conspicuously at each a placard, stating +clearly the direction we had taken and where provisions could be found. +</p> +<p> +The country through which we have passed for the past five days is like +that facetiously described by Bridger as being so desolate and +impassable and barren of resources, that even the crows flying over it +were obliged to carry along with them supplies of provisions. +</p> +<p> +<b>Monday, September 12</b>.—In accordance with our pre-arranged programme, +three parties were sent out this morning in search of Mr. Everts. Smith +and Trumbull were to follow the take shore until they came in sight of +our last camp. Hauser and Gillette were to return on our trail through +the woods, taking with them their blankets and two days' rations. +General Washburn and myself were to take a southerly direction towards +what we called "Brown Mountain," some twelve miles away. Smith and +Trumbull returned early in the afternoon and reported having seen in +the sand the tracks of a man's foot, and Smith thought that he saw +several Indians, who disappeared in the woods as they approached; but +Trumbull, who was with him, did not see them, and Smith says it was +because he was short-sighted. For some reason they did not pursue their +investigations farther, and soon returned in good order to camp. +</p> +<p> +The reconnaissance made by General Washburn and myself resulted in no +discovery of any trace of Everts. We traveled about eleven miles +directly south, nearly to the base of Brown mountain, carefully +examining the ground the whole of the way, to see if any horseshoe +tracks could be discovered. We crossed no stream between the lake and +the mountain, and if Mr. Everts followed the stream which we crossed on +the 9th, he is south of Brown mountain, for it is evident that he did +not pass westward between Brown mountain and Yellowstone lake; otherwise +we would have discovered the tracks of his horse. +</p> +<p> +It is now night, and Hauser and Gillette have not yet returned. +</p> +<p> +Two miles on this side (the north side) of Brown mountain, Washburn and +I passed over a low divide, which, I think, must be the main range of +the Rocky Mountains, just beyond which is another brimstone basin +containing forty or fifty boiling sulphur and mud springs, and any +number of small steam jets. A small creek runs through the basin, and +the slopes of the mountains on either side to the height of several +hundred feet showed unmistakable signs of volcanic action beneath the +crust over which we were traveling. A considerable portion of the slope +of the mountain was covered with a hollow incrustation of sulphur and +lime, or silica, from which issued in many places hot steam, and we +found many small craters from six to twelve inches in diameter, from +which issued the sound of the boiling sulphur or mud, and in many +instances we could see the mud or sulphur water. There are many other +springs of water slightly impregnated with sulphur, in which the water +was too hot for us to bear the hand more than two or three seconds, and +which overflowed the green spaces between the incrustations, completely +saturating the ground, and over which in many places the grass had +grown, forming a turf compact and solid enough to bear the weight of a +man ordinarily; but when it once gave way the underlying deposit was so +thin that it afforded no support. While crossing, heedless of General +Washburn's warning, one of these green places, my horse broke through +and sank to his body as if in a bed of quicksand. I was off his back in +an instant and succeeded in extricating the struggling animal, the turf +being strong enough to bear his body alone, without the addition of the +weight of a man. The fore legs of my horse, however, had gone through +the turf into the hot, thin mud beneath. General Washburn, who was a few +yards behind me on an incrusted mound of lime and sulphur (which bore us +in all cases), and who had just before called to me to keep off the +grassy place, as there was danger beneath it, inquired of me if the +deposit beneath the turf was hot. Without making examination I answered +that I thought it might be warm. Shortly afterwards the turf again gave +way, and my horse plunged more violently than before, throwing me over +his head, and, as I fell, my right arm was thrust violently through the +treacherous surface into the scalding morass, and it was with difficulty +that I rescued my poor horse, and I found it necessary to instantly +remove my glove to avoid blistering my hand. The frenzied floundering of +my horse had in the first instance suggested to General Washburn the +idea that the under stratum was hot enough to scald him. General +Washburn was right in his conjecture. It is a fortunate circumstance +that I to-day rode my light-weight pack horse; for, if I had ridden my +heavy saddle horse, I think that the additional weight of his body would +have broken the turf which held up the lighter animal, and that he would +have disappeared in the hot boiling mud, taking me with him. +</p> +<p> +At the base of Brown mountain is a lake, the size of which we could not +very accurately ascertain, but which was probably about two miles long +by three-quarters of a mile wide. On the south end appeared to be an +outlet, and it seems to be near the head of the Snake river. Owing to +the difficulty of reaching the beach, growing out of the mishaps arising +from the giving way of the turf, as I have described, our nearest +approach to the lake was about one-half of a mile. +</p> +<p> +During the absence of Washburn and myself Mr. Hedges has spent the day +in fishing, catching forty of the fine trout with which the lake +abounds. Mr. Stickney has to-day made an inventory of our larder, and we +find that our luxuries, such as coffee, sugar and flour, are nearly used +up, and that we have barely enough of necessary provisions—salt, +pepper, etc., to last us ten days longer with economy in their use. We +will remain at the lake probably three or four days longer with the hope +of finding some trace of Everts, when it will be necessary to turn our +faces homewards to avoid general disaster, and in the meantime we will +dry a few hundred pounds of trout, and carry them with us as a +precautionary measure against starvation. At all of our camps for the +past three days, and along the line of travel between them, we have +blazed the trees as a guide for Mr. Everts, and have left a small supply +of provisions at each place, securely cached, with notices directing Mr. +Everts to the places of concealment. The soldiers' rations issued for +thirty days' service will barely hold out for their own use, and we have +little chance of borrowing from them. We left Helena with thirty days' +rations, expecting to be absent but twenty-five days. We have already +been journeying twenty-seven days, and are still a long way from home. +</p> +<p> +A few nights ago I became ravenously hungry while on guard, and ate a +small loaf of bread, one of five loaves that I found in a pan by the +campfire. I was not aware at the time that these loaves were a part of +the soldiers' breakfast rations, nor did I know that in the army service +each soldier has his own particular ration of bread. So the next +morning, with one ration of bread missing, one soldier would have been +short in his allowance if the others had not shared their loaves with +him. I supposed at the time of my discovery of the five loaves that they +belonged to the larder of the Washburn branch of the party—not to the +escort—and I apologized to the soldiers when I learned the truth, and +we are now as good friends as ever; but, from an occasional remark which +they drop in my presence, I perceive that they think they have the laugh +on me. Unfortunately for them, we will part company before we reach the +settlements, and I will have no opportunity to <i>liquidate</i> my +obligations. Hard work and plain living have already reduced my +superfluous flesh, and "my clothes like a lady's loose gown hang about +me," as the old song runs. +</p> +<p> +Day before yesterday Mr. Gillette and I discussed the question of the +probability of a man being able to sustain life in this region, by +depending for his subsistence upon whatever roots or berries are to be +found here. We have once before to-day referred to the fact that we have +seen none of the roots which are to be found in other parts of the Rocky +Mountain region, and especially in the elevated valleys. We have not +noticed on this trip a single growing plant or specimen of the camas, +the cowse, or yamph. If Mr. Everts has followed the stream on which we +were camped the day he was lost down into the Snake river valley, he +will find an abundance of the camas root, which is most nutritions, and +which will sustain his life if he has sufficient knowledge of the root +to distinguish the edible from the poisonous plant. +</p> +<p> +I have been told by James Stuart that in the valley of the Snake river +the "camas" and the "cowse" roots are to be found in great abundance, +and are much prized as food by the Indians. "Cowse" is a Nez Perce word, +the Snake Indians give the name "thoig" to the same root. It grows in +great abundance in the country of the Nez Perce Indians, who eat great +quantities of it, and these Indians are called by the Snake Indians the +"Thoig A-rik-ka," or "Cowse-eaters." The camas is both flour and +potatoes for several wandering nations, and it is found in the most +barren and desolate regions in greatest quantity. The camas is a small +round root, not unlike an onion in appearance. It is sweet to the taste, +full of gluten, and very satisfying to a hungry man. The Indians have a +mode of preparing it which makes it very relishable. In a hole a foot in +depth, and six feet in diameter, from which the turf has been carefully +removed, they build a fire for the purpose of heating the exposed earth +surface, while in another fire they heat at the same time a sufficient +number of flat rocks to serve as a cover. After the heating process is +completed, the roots are spread over the bottom of the hole, covered +with the turf with the grass side down, the heated rocks spread above, +and a fire built upon them, and the process of cooking produces about +the same change in the camas that is produced in coffee by roasting. It +also preserves it in a suitable form for ready use. +</p> +<p> +The yamph has a longer and smaller bulb than the camas, though not quite +as nutritious, and may be eaten raw. Either of these roots contains +nutriment sufficient to support life, and often in the experience of the +tribes of the mountains winters have been passed with no other food. +There is a poisonous camas, which is sometimes mistaken for the genuine +root, but which cannot be eaten in large quantities without fatal +results. It always grows where the true camas is found, and much care is +necessary to avoid mixing the two while gathering the roots in any +considerable quantity. So great is the esteem in which the camas is held +that many of the important localities of the country in which it is +found are named for it.[<a href="#note-S">S</a>] +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-34"><!-- Image 34 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/233.jpg" width="450" height="296" +alt="Section of Funnel-Shaped Spring. SHOWING HOW BRANCHES AND TWIGS LODGE AT THE POINT OF CONVERGENCE SO AS +TO MAKE A FOUNDATION FOR GRASS AND EARTH UNTIL THE SPRING IS FILLED TO +THE TOP AND THE SURFACE IS COVERED WITH A LIVING TURF STRONG ENOUGH TO +BEAR A CONSIDERABLE WEIGHT."> +</center> + +<p> +Lieutenant Doane was much amazed at the appearance of my horse's legs, +upon our return from Brown mountain, and has asked General Washburn and +myself what can be the nature of the ground where such a mishap could +occur. My theory of the matter is this: We frequently found springs of +hot water—though not boiling—some fifteen or twenty feet in diameter +at the top, the sides of which were funnel-shaped, and converged to a +narrow opening of say three feet diameter at a depth of twelve or +fifteen feet, and which below the point of convergence opened out like +an hour glass. In some of these springs at the point of convergence we +found tree branches that had fallen into the spring and had become +impregnated with the silica or lime of the water; water-soaked we call +it. I saw a number of such springs in which several branches of trees +were lying across the small opening at the point of convergence. When +once these are firmly lodged, they form a support for smaller branches +and twigs, and thus the tufts of grass which the spring floods or +melting snows bring down from the sides of the mountain will, after a +few years, made a sufficiently strong foundation for the earth, which +will also wash down the slopes into the spring. Once a firm footing is +established, it is only a question of time when the spring will be +filled to the brim with earth. Then gradually the seed blown over the +surface of the spring from the weeds and grass near by will take root, +and, in the course of a few years, a strong turf will be formed, through +which the water may percolate in many places, though giving to the +unsuspecting traveler no sign of its treacherous character. I think that +it was through such a turf as this that the fore legs of my horse and my +right hand were plunged.[<a href="#note-T">T</a>] +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-35"><!-- Image 35 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/234.jpg" width="450" height="391" +alt="Breaking Through the Turf, formed over the Surface of Such a Spring As That Shown Above."> +</center> + +<p> +My pack horse which I rode to-day, a buckskin colored broncho, which is +docile under the pack saddle, "bucked" as I mounted him this morning; +but I kept my seat in the saddle without difficulty. Walter Trumbull, +however, on my return to-night, presented me with a sketch which he says +is a faithful portrayal of both horse and rider in the acrobatic act. I +think the sketch is an exaggeration, and that I hugged the saddle in +better form than it indicates. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-36"><!-- Image 36 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/148.png" width="300" height="424" +alt="My Bucking Broncho."> +</center> + +<p> +<b>Tuesday, September 13</b>.—It was Jake Smith's turn to stand guard last +night, but he refused to do so, and Washburn took his place. +</p> +<p> +We have remained in camp all day. At about 9 o'clock this morning it +began to rain and hail, and we have had a little snow, which continued +to fall at intervals all day. At about 6 o'clock this evening Hauser and +Gillette arrived in camp, having returned on the trail to within three +miles of the place where we camped on the night of September 7th. They +examined the trail and the beach with the utmost care, but without +discovering any trace of Mr. Everts. They say that the trail over which +our train passed, or, rather, the path which our train made, was hardly +plain enough to be followed, and in many places where the pine leaves +had fallen thick upon the ground, it was totally invisible, so that no +one could have followed it with certainty except by dismounting and +closely observing the ground at every step. They made the journey very +well, from the fact that they had traveled the route once before, and +their horses instinctively followed the back path for a great part of +the distance without any special guidance. On their near approach to +camp, when the trail was no longer discernible, their dog "Booby" took +the lead when they were at fault, and brought them into camp all right. +They think they might have been forced to lie out all night but for the +sagacity of "Booby." They made on each of the two days nearly as great a +distance as our train traveled in four days. Their report has fully set +at rest the question of Mr. Everts having followed us. It settles as a +fact that he did not again strike our trail, and that had he done so he +could not have followed it, owing to his short-sightedness. Hauser and +Gillette are probably the two best trailers and woodsmen in our party, +and their report of the condition of the trail and the difficulty +experienced in following it has satisfied us that Mr. Everts has either +struck off in a southerly direction, following perhaps the headwaters of +the Snake river, or that he has made an effort to reach the head of the +lake with a view of returning by our trail to Boteler's ranch. It is +snowing hard to-night, and the prospect for a day or two more in this +camp is very good. The murky atmosphere to-night brings to view a number +of springs on the opposite shore of this arm of the lake and farther +back in the hills which we have not heretofore seen, and the steam is +rising from fifty craters in the timbered ridge, giving it the +appearance of a New England factory village. +</p> +<p> +After holding a council this evening we have resolved to remain at this +place two days more, hoping that Mr. Everts may overtake us, this arm of +the lake being the <i>objective point</i> of our travel, fixed on the day +before that on which Mr. Everts was lost. +</p> +<p> +<b>Wednesday, September 14</b>.—We have remained in camp all day, as it is +next to impossible to move. The snow is nearly two feet deep, and is +very wet and heavy, and our horses are pawing in it for forage. Our +large army tent is doing us good service, and, as there is an abundance +of dry wood close by our camp, we are extremely comfortable. I am the +only one of the party who has a pair of water-proof boots, and I was up +and out of the tent this morning before daylight cutting into cordwood a +pine log, and before noon I had more than a half cord at the tent door. +Washburn and Hauser offered to do some of this work if I would loan them +my water-proof boots; but, as they are of a full size for me, and would +probably drop off of their feet, I told them that I would get the wood. +</p> +<p> +Lieutenant Doane to-day requested me to loan him this diary from which +to write up his records, as the condition of his thumb has interfered +with his use of a pen or pencil. I have accordingly loaned it to him, +and Private Moore has been busy the greater part of the day copying +portions of it. +</p> +<p> +For myself, I am very glad to have a day of rest, for I have felt much +wearied for several days. I think that I am certainly within bounds when +I say that I have put in sixteen hours a day of pretty hard work, +attending to camp duties, and writing each day till late at night, and I +realize that this journal of travel is becoming ponderous. Yet there is +daily crowded upon my vision so much of novelty and wonder, which should +be brought to the notice of the world, and which, so far as my +individual effort is concerned, will be lost to it if I do not record +the incidents of each day's travel, that I am determined to make my +journal as full as possible, and to purposely omit no details. It is a +lifetime opportunity for publishing to all who may be interested a +complete record of the discoveries of an expedition which in coming time +will rank among the first and most important of American explorations. +</p> +<p> +It is cold to-night, and the water in a pail standing at our tent door +was frozen at 7 o'clock in the evening. +</p> +<p> +The water fowl are more abundant at this point than they have been +elsewhere on the lake on our journey around it, and we could see to-day +hundreds of swans, geese and ducks, and many pelicans and gulls. +</p> +<p> +<b>Thursday, September 15</b>.—This forenoon the weather moderated, and +one-half the snow has melted, so that it is but about ten inches deep +to-night. Still, our horses are becoming restless for want of sufficient +food. The patches of grass which may be found under the snow are very +limited in extent, and as the animals are confined to the length of +their lariats, foraging is much more difficult than if they were running +loose. We have seen no signs of Indians following us since we made our +first camp upon the lake, and but little evidence that they have ever +been here, except some few logs piled so as to conceal from view a +hunter who may be attempting to bring down some of the game swimming on +the lake. We feel convinced that Jake Smith drew upon both his +imagination and his fears three days ago, when he reported that he had +seen Indians on the beach of the lake. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-37"><!-- Image 37 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/235top.jpg" width="450" height="469" +alt="Lieut. Gustavus C. Doane."> +</center> + +<p> +Each night that we have been camped here we have heard the shrill cries +of the mountain lions, and under a momentary illusion I have each time +been half convinced that it was a human being in distress. Because of +the mountain lions we are keeping close watch upon our horses. They are +very fond of horse flesh, and oftentimes will follow a horseman a +long distance, more to make a meal upon the flesh of the horse than for +the purpose of attacking the rider. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-38"><!-- Image 38 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/235bottom.jpg" width="450" height="502" +alt="Jack Baronette."> +</center> + +<p> +During the three days we have spent in this camp, I have been enabled to +complete my diary for September 8th, 9th and 10th, which were red letter +days—days of great anxiety. +</p> +<p> +I had a good nap this afternoon while my diary was being used for +Lieutenant Doane, and I feel greatly refreshed. My first thought on +awakening was for poor Everts. I wonder where he can be throughout all +this fierce storm and deep snow! Perhaps the snow did not reach him, for +I noticed to-night that the ground was quite bare on the opposite side +of this arm of the lake, while the snow is eight or ten inches deep here +at our camp. Hauser is not feeling very well to-night. +</p> +<p> +<b>Friday, September 16</b>.—We this morning resolved to move over to the +vicinity of the hot springs on the opposite side of this arm of the +lake, from which point we will leave the Yellowstone for the Madison +river or some one of its branches. We followed up the beach for half a +mile, and then journeyed along the bank of the lake through the woods +for a mile to avoid the quicksands on the lake shore; then, taking the +beach again, we followed it to the springs where we are now camped.[<a href="#note-U">U</a>] +</p> +<p> +These springs surpass in extent, variety and beauty any which we have +heretofore seen. They extend for the distance of nearly a mile along the +shore of the lake, and back from the beach about one hundred yards. They +number between ninety and one hundred springs, of all imaginable +varieties. Farthest from the beach are the springs of boiling mud, in +some of which the mud is very thin, in others of such a consistency that +it is heaped up as it boils over, gradually spreading under its own +weight until it covers quite a large surface. The mud or clay is of +different colors. That in some of the springs is nearly as white as +white marble; in others it is of a lavender color; in others it is of a +rich pink, of different shades. I have taken specimens of each, which I +will have analyzed on my return home.[<a href="#note-V">V</a>] In close proximity to these are +springs discharging water nearly clear and apparently odorless, the +bottoms and sides of which, as well as of the channels of the streams +running from them, are covered with soft deposits of some substance they +contain in solution. These deposits and the hard incrustations around +the edges of the springs are of various colors, in some cases being dark +red, in others scarlet, in others yellow, and in still others green. +</p> +<p> +Along the shore of the lake are several boiling springs situated in the +top of incrusted craters, but which do not boil over, the sediment which +has been deposited around them forming a wall or embankment, holding +back the water. +</p> +<p> +But the most remarkable of all the springs at this point are six or +seven of a character differing from any of the rest. The water in them +is of a dark blue or ultra-marine hue, but it is wonderfully clear and +transparent. Two of these springs are quite large; the remaining five +are smaller, their diameters ranging from eight to fifteen feet. The +water in one of these latter is thrown up to the height of two feet. +The largest two of these springs are irregular in their general outline +of nearly an oval shape, the larger of the two being about twenty-five +feet wide by forty long, and the smaller about twenty by thirty feet. +The discharge from each of them is about one gallon per minute. The +sides of the springs are funnel-shaped, and converge until at the depth +of thirty feet, the opening is about eight feet in diameter. From the +surface or rim down to the lowest point of convergence where the opening +enlarges, the sides of the funnel (which are corrugated and very uneven +and irregular) are covered with a white deposit or incrustation which +contrasts vividly with the dark opening at its base, which is distinctly +visible at the depth of forty feet. These two springs are distant from +each other about twenty yards, and there is a difference of about four +feet in the elevation or level of the water. One peculiar feature of all +these springs is that they seem to have no connection with each other +beneath the surface. We find springs situated five or six feet apart, of +the same general appearance but of different temperatures, and with the +water upon different levels. The overflow from these springs for a great +number of years has formed an incrusted bank overlooking the border of +the lake, rising to the height of six feet; and, as the streams running +from the springs are bordered with incrustations of various hues, +depending upon the nature of the deposit or substance in solution, so +the incrusted bank, which has been in process of formation for ages, +exhibits all of these varied colors. In a number of places along the +bank of the lake, this incrusted deposit is broken down and has crumbled +into small pieces, upon which the waves have dashed until they have been +moulded into many curious shapes, and having all the colors of the +deposits in the springs—white, red and white blended, yellow and green. +Cavernous hollows which fill the shore incrustation respond in weird +and melancholy echoes to the dash of the billows. +</p> +<p> +The bottoms of the streams flowing from the deeper springs have for some +distance a pure white incrustation; farther down the slope the deposit +is white in the center with sides of red, and still farther down the +white deposit is hidden entirely by the red combined with yellow. From +nearly all these springs we obtained specimens of the adjoining +incrustations, all of which were too hot to be held for more than a +moment even with the gloved hand. +</p> +<p> +Between the springs all along the border of the lake were small craters +from which issued hot steam or vapor, besides which there were many cold +craters. Along the edge of the lake, out in the water from ten to thirty +feet from the shore are to be found springs with the water bubbling up a +few inches above the surface. None of the springs in this locality +appeared to be very strongly impregnated with sulphur. Some of the +incrustations on the beach are as white and delicate as alabaster. These +are the springs which we observed on September 5th from our camp on the +eastern shore of the lake. +</p> +<p> +Our explorations of the Yellowstone will cease at this point, and +to-morrow we start in our search for Firehole Basin. Our journey around +Yellowstone lake in close proximity to the beach is doubtless the first +ever attempted; and, although it has been attended with difficulty and +distress, these have been to me as nothing compared with the enjoyment +the journey has afforded, and it is with the greatest regret that I turn +my face from it homewards. How can I sum up its wonderful attractions! +It is dotted with islands of great beauty, as yet unvisited by man, but +which at no remote period will be adorned with villas and the ornaments +of civilized life. The winds from the mountain gorges roll its placid +waters into a furious sea, and crest its billows with foam. Forests of +pine, deep, dark and almost impenetrable, are scattered at random along +its banks, and its beautiful margin presents every variety of sand and +pebbly beach, glittering with crystals, carnelians and chalcedony. The +Indians approach it under the fear of a superstition originating in the +volcanic forces surrounding it, which amounts almost to entire +exclusion. It possesses adaptabilities for the highest display of +artificial culture, amid the greatest wonders of Nature that the world +affords, and is beautified by the grandeur of the most extensive +mountain scenery, and not many years can elapse before the march of +civil improvement will reclaim this delightful solitude, and garnish it +with all the attractions of cultivated taste and refinement. +</p> +<p> +Strange and interesting as are the various objects which we have met +with in this vast field of natural wonders, no camp or place of rest on +our journey has afforded our party greater satisfaction than the one we +are now occupying, which is our first camp since emerging from the dense +forest. Filled with gloom at the loss of our comrade, tired, tattered, +browned by exposure and reduced in flesh by our labors, we resemble more +a party of organized mendicants than of men in pursuit of Nature's +greatest novelties. But from this point we hope that our journey will be +comparatively free from difficulties of travel. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hauser's experience as a civil engineer has been an invaluable aid +in judging of the "lay of the land," and so in giving direction to our +party in its zig-zag journeying around the lake. In speaking of this, +Hauser says that he thinks that I have a more correct idea of mountain +heights, distances and directions, and can follow a direct course +through dense timber more unerringly than any man he knows, except James +Stuart—a compliment which I accept most graciously. Some of our party +declare that they would have had no expectation of finding their way +back to camp, if they had ventured into the forest in search of Mr. +Everts. +</p> +<p> +I recited to Washburn and Hauser to-night an extract from "The Task," by +the poet Cowper, which, in my younger days, I memorized for declamation, +and which, I think, is at once expressive of our experience in the +journey around the lake and of our present relief. +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + "As one who long in thickets and in brakes + Entangled, winds now this way and now that, + His devious course uncertain, seeking home, + Or having long in miry ways been foiled + And sore discomfited, from slough to slough + Plunging, and half despairing of escape, + If chance at length he finds a green-sward + Smooth and faithful to the foot, his spirits rise. + He chirrups brisk his ear-erecting steed, + And winds his way with pleasure and with ease." + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +It is a source of great regret to us all that we must leave this place +and abandon the search for Mr. Everts; but our provisions are rapidly +diminishing, and force of circumstances obliges us to move forward. We +still indulge the hope that he may have found and followed down some +branch of the Madison river and reached Virginia City, or down Snake +river and reached some settlement in that valley; and but for our +anxiety to reach home and prove or disprove our expectations, we might +have devoted much more time to visiting the objects of interest we have +seen, and which we have been obliged to pass by. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hauser has eaten nothing to-day, and this evening he told me that he +felt sick. Such an acknowledgment from him means far more than it would +coming from many another man, for I know from intimate association with +him for eight years that there is no man in our party who will more +uncomplainingly reconcile himself to the hardships and privations of +such a journey as this, and if he is too ill to travel to-morrow +morning, and if the rest of our party think that they ought to take up +the journey homeward, I will remain with him here for a day, and as the +others will have to search out a path through the fallen timber, we can +make their two days' journey in one by following their beaten trail +without obstacles, and overtake them by the time they reach the Firehole +river, if they find it at all. +</p> +<p> +<b>Saturday, September 17, morning</b>.—We were awakened before daylight this +morning by loud roaring sounds proceeding from the hot springs close by +our camp, some of which were in violent action, though entirely +quiescent yesterday. Some of them in which the surface of the water, +last night, was several feet below the rim, are now overflowing. +</p> +<p> +My saddle horse broke his lariat, frightened by the roaring of the +springs, and plunged along too near one of them, when the surrounding +incrustation gave way and he sank down to his body, but frantically +extricated himself without standing upon the order of his +extrication;—but he has cut his foot so badly that I do not think it +will be prudent to ride him to-day. In his stead I will ride my smaller +pack horse, who has nearly recovered from the effects of the scalding he +received on my trip to Brown mountain. The hair has come off his legs in +several places as the result of that mishap, yet his wonderful vitality +always leaves him in a cheerful frame of mind and ready for any duty. +</p> +<p> +This has been a gloomy morning in our camp, for we all have been +depressed at the thought of leaving the lake and abandoning the search +for Mr. Everts. We have discussed the situation from every point of +view, and have tried to put ourselves in his place and have considered +all the possibilities of fate that may befall him. At one moment he may +be buoyed up with hope, however faint—at another weighed down by +despair and fear, with all their mental terrors. Has he met death by +accident, or may he be injured and unable to move, and be suffering the +horrors of starvation and fever? Has he wandered aimlessly hither and +thither until bereft of reason? As I contemplate all these +possibilities, it is a relief to think that he may have lost his life at +the hand of some vagabond Indian. +</p> +<p> +As the result of this conference we have decided upon a final plan of +action. We will give to Gillette from our remnant of provisions, ten +days' rations, and Lieutenant Doane will detail Privates Moore and +Williamson, with ten days' rations, and the three will continue the +search from this point. Mr. Gillette says that with the ten days' +rations they can devote five days to a continuous search, and the +remaining five days will be sufficient, with forced traveling, for them +to overtake us. +</p> +<p> +Hauser has endeavored to throw a little cheer into the conference by +saying to Gillette: +</p> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> +<pre> + + "I think that I should be willing to take the risk of spending + ten days more in this wilderness, if I thought that by so + doing I could find a father-in-law." This provoked an uproarious + shout of laughter, for we well understood that + Hauser alluded to the many social courtesies which Gillette, + in Helena, had extended to Miss Bessie Everts, the charming + daughter of our lost comrade, and one of the most attractive + of Montana belles. This sally of Mr. Hauser gives to me + the assurance of his own convalescence; and, if it so happens + that Gillette finds Mr. Everts, we will have the realization + of another image in "Childe Harold," "A rapture on the + lonely shore."[<a href="#note-W">W</a>] + +</pre> +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> +<b>Saturday, September 17, evening</b>.—Gillette, Moore and Williamson left +us this morning about 9 o'clock on their final quest for Mr. Everts, and +the rest of our party soon resumed our journey. We have traveled about +twelve miles to-day, about one-half of the distance being through open +timber, and the other half over prostrate pines unmarked by any trail, +and through which we found it difficult to make our way, although the +obstructions were not so formidable as those on the south shore of +Yellowstone lake.[<a href="#note-X">X</a>] About noon we crossed a high ridge which we had +reached by a steep ascent, and on descending the opposite side we saw +upon our left a large lake which Lieutenant Doane and some others of our +party think is at the head of Firehole river, and they suggested that we +make our way to this lake and take as a guide to the Firehole the stream +which they believe will be found flowing from it. They argued that by +so doing we would be relieved from all uncertainty concerning the course +to be pursued in order to reach the Firehole river; but they were easily +persuaded that if the Firehole does take its rise in that lake, we can +as certainly strike that river by pursuing our present westwardly +direction as if we followed the plan suggested by them. Hauser and I +feel sure that this large lake is the head of Snake river. +</p> +<p> +In the afternoon we passed another ridge and descended into a small open +valley where we found a spring of good water, and where we are now +camped, near a very small creek, which runs in a direction a little +north of west, and which I believe flows to the Firehole or the Madison +river. Our direction of travel to-day has been governed somewhat by our +compasses, but we have neglected to make allowance for the variation of +the magnetic needle, which I think is about twenty degrees east of the +true meridian. Therefore in trying to follow a westerly course, we have +in reality taken a course about twenty degrees north of west. +</p> +<p> +As we passed the large lake on our left to-day, I observed that there +was no ridge of land between us and the lake; therefore I believe that +it is in the Snake river valley, and that we have to-day twice crossed +the main range of the Rocky Mountains. The fact that the Snake river +valley is so readily accessible from Yellowstone lake, gives me hope +to-night that Mr. Everts may have made his way out of the forest to some +settlement in the Snake river valley. +</p> +<p> +There is still four or five inches of snow on the ground, but there is +plenty of long grass under it, and our horses are faring tolerably well, +and will soon fill themselves with either grass or snow. There is no +clear space large enough for us to pitch our tent. We have had our +supper—an indifferent and scanty meal—and each man is now seeking with +varied success a dry spot beneath the sheltering branches of the pines +whereon to spread his blankets. +</p> +<p> +Some of our party seem terribly fatigued, and others mentally depressed. +The question of our present locality is still unsolved in their minds, +and has been intensified by the discussions in camp to-night as to +whether or not the large lake we saw discharges its waters into the +Snake river, and they ask: "If it does so, have we re-crossed the main +range to the eastern slope?" For myself I do not know of any day since +we left home when I have been in better spirits. I am sure we are on the +right course and feel no anxiety. +</p> +<p> +The sky to-night is clear and cloudless, but the snow is melting fast, +and there is a peculiar odor in the air that gives assurance of rain +before morning. Hedges (my bed fellow) and I have selected our sleeping +place, and I have placed over it a ridge-pole, supported by branches of +a tree, and have erected a "wickiup" of green pine boughs overlapping +like a thatched roof, which will turn off the rain if it comes, and I +have advised the others of our party to make similar preparations for a +rain. Hedges says that he feels worried and very much discouraged. +</p> +<p> +<b>Sunday, September 18, 8 o'clock a.m.</b>—There occurred a half hour ago the +first serious mishap affecting the welfare of the entire party; and +while the packers, Bean and Reynolds, are repairing the damage resulting +therefrom, I will go back a few hours and chronicle in the order of +their occurrence the events of the early morning. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hedges and I, sleeping securely under the sheltering roof of our +pine-thatched wickiup, were aroused from our sweet dreams of home about +4 o'clock this morning by several members of our party, who sought +shelter from the rain which came down abundantly, or, as a Westmoreland +deacon used to say, "in cupious perfusion." The rain storm broke about 3 +o'clock in the morning, and all of the party except Hedges and myself +were well drenched, as their only protection from the rain was their +blankets. An effort had been made by some of the party to kindle a fire +under the shelter of a large standing tree, but with indifferent +success. Hedges and I crawled out of our dry blankets, and sat upright, +so as to make as much room as possible for the others, and we welcomed +all our comrades to our dry shelter. General Washburn, who is suffering +somewhat from a cold, was especially grateful for the protection from +the storm, which continued until about 7 o'clock. The roof of our +wickiup had completely protected Hedges and myself from the rain except +at one spot directly over Hedges' exposed ear, where a displacement of +the pine leaves allowed a small stream to trickle through the roof, +filling his ear with water, much to his discomfort. +</p> +<p> +Some members of our party, at our early breakfast this morning, sitting +upon logs at various distances from our camp fire in their half-dried +clothing, and eating their scanty meal in silence, presented a sorry +appearance. Some are disappointed that we did not, last night, reach the +Firehole river, or some large branch of the Madison, which may guide us +homeward, and are wondering if we are moving in the right direction. I +feel so perfectly confident that we are traveling the right course that +I am in the best of spirits. It may be that my cheerfulness is owing, in +some degree, to my having dry clothing and a dry skin, which few of my +comrades have, but I see no reason for discouragement. I think that Mr. +Hauser is the best and most accurate judge of distances, of heights of +mountains, and direction of travel, of any man I know, and he does not +doubt that we are moving in the right direction. It is a satisfaction to +have my opinion confirmed by his judgment. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-39"><!-- Image 39 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/236.jpg" width="300" height="495" +alt="Nathaniel P. Langford"> +</center> + +<p> +We had just finished our breakfast a half hour ago when something—some +wild animal, or, perhaps, a snake—moving in the brush near where our +horses were picketed, frightened three of them, and in their violent +plunging they pulled up the iron picket pins attached to their lariats, +and dashed at a gallop directly through our camp, over the campfire, and +upsetting and scattering hither and thither our cooking utensils. The +iron picket pins flying through the air at the lariat ends narrowly +missed several of our party, but became entangled with the only two +sound pack saddles remaining of the entire number with which we started, +and dashed them against the adjacent trees, tearing off the side pieces +of the saddletrees, and rendering them useless. Our first thought was +that the damage done was beyond repair. We had, however, a few thin +boards, the remnants of our canned goods boxes, and from my seamless +sack of personal baggage I produced two gimlets, a screwdriver, a pair +of nippers, some wrought nails and two dozens of screws of various +sizes. When all these things were laid out, my comrades expressed great +surprise, for not one of them or the packers had any idea that there +were any tools or screws in our "outfit." On the other hand, it is a +matter of surprise to me that I am the only member of our party who has +a rubber coat, or a pair of oil-tanned water-proof boots, or who has +brought with him any medicines, tools, screws, etc.; and, except myself, +there is but one member of our party (whom I will not "give away" by +here recording his name) who had the foresight to bring with him a flask +of whiskey. I think we will be known among those who will hereafter +visit this marvelous region as "The Temperance Party," though some of +our number who lacked the foresight to provide, before leaving Helena, a +needed remedy for snake bites, have not lacked the hindsight required in +using it. +</p> +<p> +Bean and Reynolds have just announced that the pack saddles have been +repaired, and that preparations are being made for the start, so on +this hint I suspend my record until night. +</p> +<p> +<b>Sunday, September 18, evening</b>.—We left our morning camp about 9 +o'clock, pursuing our uncertain course through fallen timber for a +distance of about three miles, when we had all our fears of misdirection +relieved by coming suddenly upon the banks of the Firehole river, the +largest fork of the Madison, down which we followed five miles, passing +several groups of boiling springs and a beautiful cascade[<a href="#note-Y">Y</a>] (to which +we gave no name), when we emerged from the dense forest into a +sequestered basin two miles above the union of the Firehole river with a +stream which comes in from the southwest, the basin extending to the +width of a mile, and traversing the river until contracted between +proximate ranges two miles below our camp. +</p> +<p> +I have spent the entire afternoon and part of this evening in examining +the geysers and springs, but will not further record the explorations of +to-day until we are ready to leave the basin. +</p> +<p> +<b>Monday, September 19</b>.—When we left Yellowstone lake two days ago, the +desire for home had superceeded all thought of further explorations. +Five days of rapid travel would, we believed, bring us to the upper +valley of the Madison, and within twenty-five miles of Virginia City, +and we indulged the remote hope that we might there find some trace of +Mr. Everts. We had within a distance of fifty miles seen what we +believed to be the greatest wonders on the continent. We were convinced +that there was not on the globe another region where within the same +limits Nature had crowded so much of grandeur and majesty with so much +of novelty and wonder. Judge, then, of our astonishment on entering this +basin, to see at no great distance before us an immense body of +sparkling water, projected suddenly and with terrific force into the air +to the height of over one hundred feet. We had found a real geyser. In +the valley before us were a thousand hot springs of various sizes and +character, and five hundred craters jetting forth vapor. In one place +the eye followed through crevices in the crust a stream of hot water of +considerable size, running at nearly right angles with the river, and in +a direction, not towards, but away from the stream. We traced the course +of this stream by the crevices in the surface for twenty or thirty +yards. It is probable that it eventually flows into the Firehole, but +there is nothing on the surface to indicate to the beholder the course +of its underground passage to the river. +</p> +<p> +On the summit of a cone twenty-five feet high was a boiling spring seven +feet in diameter, surrounded with beautiful incrustations, on the slope +of which we gathered twigs encased in a crust a quarter of an inch in +thickness. On an incrusted hill opposite our camp are four craters from +three to five feet in diameter, sending forth steam jets and water to +the height of four or five feet. But the marvelous features of this +wonderful basin are its spouting geysers, of which during our brief stay +of twenty-two hours we have seen twelve in action. Six of these threw +water to the height of from fifteen to twenty feet, but in the presence +of others of immense dimensions they soon ceased to attract attention. +</p> +<p> +Of the latter six, the one we saw in action on entering the basin +ejected from a crevice of irregular form, and about four feet long by +three wide, a column of water of corresponding magnitude to the height +of one hundred feet. Around this crevice or mouth the sediment is piled +in many capricious shapes, chiefly indented globules from six inches to +two feet in diameter. Little hollows in the crust filled with water +contained small white spheres of tufa, of the size of a nutmeg, formed +as it seemed to me around some nuclei.[<a href="#note-Z">Z</a>] +</p> +<p> +We gave such names to those of the geysers which we saw in action as we +think will best illustrate their peculiarities. The one I have just +described General Washburn has named "Old Faithful," because of the +regularity of its eruptions, the intervals between which being from +sixty to sixty-five minutes, the column of water being thrown at each +eruption to the height of from eighty to one hundred feet. +</p> +<p> +The "Fan" has a distorted pipe from which are projected two radiating +sheets of water to the height of sixty feet, resembling a feather fan. +Forty feet from this geyser is a vent connected with it, two feet in +diameter, which, during the eruption, expels with loud reports dense +volumes of vapor to the height of fifty feet. +</p> + +<!-- NOTE: Remove center tags and put align="left" or align="right" for text wrapped alignments --> + +<a name="image-40"><!-- Image 40 --></a> +<center> +<img src="./images/237.jpg" width="450" height="649" +alt="Old Faithful. Named by General Washburn."> +</center> + +<p> +The "Grotto," so named from the singularly winding apertures penetrating +the sinter surrounding it, was at rest when we first discovered it. +Externally it presented few indications of its character as a geyser. +Private Williamson, one of our escort, crawled through an aperture and +looked into the discharging orifice. When afterwards, he saw it belching +forth a column of boiling water two feet in diameter to the height of +sixty feet, and a scalding stream of two hundred square inches flowing +from the cavern he had entered a short time before, he said that he felt +like one who had narrowly escaped being summarily cooked. +</p> + +<p> +The "Castle" is on the summit of an incrusted elevation. This name was +given because of its resemblance to the ruins of some old tower with its +broken down turrets. The silicious sinter composing the formation +surrounding it takes the form of small globules, resembling a ripe +cauliflower, and the massive nodules indicate that at some former period +the flow of water must have been much larger than at present. The jet is +sixty feet high by four feet in diameter, and the vent near it, which is +in angry ebullition during the eruption, constantly flows with boiling +water. +</p> +<p> +One of the most wonderful of the springs in this basin is that of +ultra-marine hue directly in front of the "Castle" geyser. It is nearly +round, having diameters of about twenty and twenty-five feet, the sides +being corrugated and funnel-shaped, and at the depth of thirty feet +opening out into a cavern of unfathomable depth, the rim of the spring +having beautifully escalloped edges. It does not boil over, but a very +small stream of water flows from it, and it is not affected in its +appearance by the spouting of the geyser in its immediate proximity. +There is evidently no connection between this spring and the geyser. +</p> + +<p> +The "Giant" is a rugged deposit presenting in form a miniature model of +the Colosseum. It has an opening three feet in diameter. A remarkable +characteristic of this geyser is the duration of its discharges, which +yesterday afternoon continued for more than an hour in a steady stream +about three feet in diameter and one hundred and forty feet high. +</p> +<p> +Opposite our camp, on the east side of the Firehole river, is a +symmetrical cone resembling an old-fashioned straw beehive with the top +cut off. It is about five feet in diameter at its base, with an +irregular oval-shaped orifice having escalloped edges, and of +twenty-four by thirty-six inches interior diameter. No one supposed that +it was a geyser, and until this morning, among so many wonders, it had +escaped a second notice. Suddenly, while we were at breakfast this +morning, a column of water shot from it, which by quite accurate +triangular measurement proved to be two hundred and nineteen feet in +height. Our method of triangulation was as follows: A point on the +surface of the ground was marked, which was in a direct line with a +branch of a tree near by, and of the top of the column of water when at +its greatest height. Having obtained the perpendicular height of the +branch of the tree from the ground, and the distance from this +perpendicular to the point of observation and to the geyser cone, we +were enabled to make a very accurate calculation of the height of the +column of water. We named this geyser the "Bee Hive." +</p> +<p> +Near by is situated the "Giantess," the largest of all the geysers we +saw in eruption. Ascending a gentle slope for a distance of sixty yards +we came to a sink or well of an irregular oval shape, fifteen by twenty +feet across, into which we could see to the depth of fifty feet or more, +but could discover no water, though we could distinctly hear it gurgling +and boiling at a fearful rate afar down this vertical cavern. Suddenly +it commenced spluttering and rising with incredible rapidity, causing a +general stampede among our company, who all moved around to the windward +side of the geyser. When the water had risen within about twenty-five +feet of the surface, it became stationary, and we returned to look down +upon the foaming water, which occasionally emitted hot jets nearly to +the mouth of the orifice. As if tired of this sport the water began to +ascend at the rate of five feet in a second, and when near the top it +was expelled with terrific momentum in a column the full size of the +immense aperture to a height of sixty feet. The column remained at this +height for the space of about a minute, when from the apex of this vast +aqueous mass five lesser jets or round columns of water varying in size +from six to fifteen inches in diameter shot up into the atmosphere to +the amazing height of two hundred and fifty feet. This was without +exception the most magnificent phenomenon I ever beheld. We were +standing on the side of the geyser exposed to the sun, whose sparkling +rays filled the ponderous column with what appeared to be the clippings +of a thousand rainbows. These prismatic illusions disappeared, only to +be succeeded by myriads of others which continually fluttered and +sparkled through the spray during the twenty minutes the eruption +lasted. These lesser jets, thrown so much higher than the main column +and shooting through it, doubtless proceed from auxiliary pipes leading +into the principal orifice near the bottom, where the explosive force is +greater. The minute globules into which the spent column was diffused +when falling sparkled like a shower of diamonds, and around every shadow +produced by the column of steam hiding the sun was the halo so often +represented in paintings as encircling the head of the Savior We +unhesitatingly agreed that this was the greatest wonder of our trip. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hedges and I forded the Firehole river a short distance below our +camp. The current, as it dashed over the boulders, was swift, and, +taking off our boots and stockings, we selected for our place of +crossing what seemed to be a smooth rock surface in the bottom of the +stream, extending from shore to shore. When I reached the middle of the +stream I paused a moment and turned around to speak to Mr. Hedges, who +was about entering the stream, when I discovered from the sensation of +warmth under my feet that I was standing upon an incrustation formed +over a hot spring that had its vent in the bed of the stream. I +exclaimed to Hedges: "Here is the river which Bridger said was <i>hot at +the bottom</i>."[<a href="#note-AA">AA</a>] +</p> +<p> +How many more geysers than those we saw in eruption there are in this +remarkable basin, it is impossible to determine. We will be compelled +reluctantly to leave it before it can be half explored. At least a +thousand pipes rise to the plain, one or two hundred of which, to all +appearances, are as likely to be geysers as any we have seen. +</p> +<p> +This entire country is seemingly under a constant and active internal +pressure from volcanic forces, which seek relief through the numberless +springs, jets, volcanoes and geysers exhibited on its surface, and which +but for these vents might burst forth in one terrific eruption and form +a volcano of vast dimensions. It is undoubtedly true that many of the +objects we see are of recent formation, and that many of the +extinguished craters recently ceased their condition of activity. They +are constantly breaking forth, often assuming new forms, and attesting +to the active presence of volcanic force. +</p> +<p> +The water in some of the springs presents to the eye the colors of all +the precious gems known to commerce. In one spring the hue is like that +of an emerald, in another like that of the turquoise, another has the +ultra-marine hue of the sapphire, another has the color of the topaz; +and the suggestion has been made that the names of these jewels may very +properly be given to many of these springs. +</p> +<p> +The packers with the pack train and several of our party broke camp at +9:30 this morning, a few of us remaining for an hour, hoping to have +another view of an eruption of the "Giantess;" but in this we were +disappointed, for it gave no sign of an eruption, save that the water, +visible generally at a depth of about twenty feet, would rise suddenly +eight or ten feet in the well, and as suddenly fall again. +</p> +<p> +We moved down the river on the east bank, part of the way through an +open valley and part through fallen timber. At about eight miles we came +upon an enormous spring of dark blue water, the largest we have seen. +Mr. Hauser measured it, and says it is four hundred feet in diameter. +The mineral solution has been deposited by the overflow on all sides for +two hundred yards, the spring itself being thirty feet above the general +level of the valley. Out near the center of the lake the water boils up +a few feet, but without any especial violent action. The lake has no +well-defined outlet, but overflows on many sides, the water flowing down +the slopes of the incrusted mound about one-quarter of an inch deep. As +we stood on the margin of this immense lake a small flock of ducks came +sailing down as if to alight; but as they skimmed the water a few inches +above the surface, they seemed to scent danger, and with rapid flapping +of their wings, all except one rose into the air. This one, in his +descent, had gained too great an impetus to check his progress, and +came down into the water, and his frantic efforts to rise again were +futile, and with one or two loud squawks of distress, which were +responded to by his mates who had escaped, he was in a moment "a dead +duck." We gave no name to this lake.[<a href="#note-AB">AB</a>] +</p> +<p> +About one hundred yards from the lake on the side towards the river, the +incrustation breaks off perpendicularly, and another large lake is +formed, the surface of which is about fifteen feet below the upper and +larger lake. There are a few other springs near the river farther down +the stream. +</p> +<p> +Jake Smith, for the first time on this trip, selected at this large lake +a curious specimen of tufa. It was a circumstance so unusual that Hedges +called our attention to it, but as Smith was riding along holding his +treasure carefully in his hand, his horse stumbled, and he accidentally +dropped his specimen, and with a remark which I will not here record, +and which is at variance with his own Bible instruction, he denounced as +worthless all the specimens of the party which he had seen, and +inveighed against the folly of spending any time in gathering them. +</p> +<p> +From this point we passed down the valley close by the bank of the +river. The valley on our right was very marshy, and we saw at a +considerable distance one very large fountain of water spouting into the +atmosphere to a considerable height, and many steam jets, but, owing to +the swampy character of the ground, we did not visit them.[<a href="#note-AC">AC</a>] +</p> +<p> +When we left Helena on August 17th, we believed that twenty-five days +would be the limit of time which would be consumed before our return; +but to meet all exigencies we laid in a thirty days' supply of +provisions. We have now been absent thirty-four days, and as we cached +some of our supply on Yellowstone lake for Mr. Everts' relief, we are +now on short rations, but the fish we dried while camped on Yellowstone +lake are doing good service. +</p> +<p> +While riding to-day alongside of Stickney and bemoaning the lack in our +larder of many articles of food, such as sugar, coffee and tea, the +supply of which has become exhausted, I asked him if he was fond of +maple sugar, and would like a lump of it. He requested me not to +tantalize him by mentioning the subject, whereupon I astonished him by +producing a goodly sized cake which I had brought with me from Helena, +and which for five weeks I had preserved untouched in my seamless sack. +It was enjoyed by all who shared it, but Stickney was especially +grateful for his division of the sweet morsel, and received it +gratefully and gracefully, and seemingly without reluctance, at the same +time remarking, "You are always doing something to make me laugh!" and +added, "You always seem to have another card up your sleeve when an +emergency arises." By this last figure of speech he delicately suggested +to me the methods adopted by Jake Smith in playing poker.[<a href="#note-AD">AD</a>] +</p> +<p> +We have traveled to-day about eighteen miles, crossing just before the +day closed a timbered ridge, and we are now camped at the junction of +the Firehole river with a stream coming into it from the east nearly as +large as the Firehole, but to which we have given no name.[<a href="#note-AE">AE</a>] +</p> +<p> +<b>Tuesday, September 20</b>.—We broke camp at half past nine o'clock, +traveling along the rocky edge of the river bank by the rapids, passing +thence through a beautiful pine wood and over a long stretch of fallen +timber, blackened by fire, for about four miles, when we again reached +the river, which here bends in a westerly direction. Lieutenant Doane +and I climbed to the top of one of the two prominent hills on our +course, and had a fine view of the country for the distance of thirty +miles. +</p> +<p> +Last night, and also this morning in camp, the entire party had a rather +unusual discussion. The proposition was made by some member that we +utilize the result of our exploration by taking up quarter sections of +land at the most prominent points of interest, and a general discussion +followed. One member of our party suggested that if there could be +secured by pre-emption a good title to two or three quarter sections of +land opposite the lower fall of the Yellowstone and extending down the +river along the cañon, they would eventually become a source of great +profit to the owners. Another member of the party thought that it would +be more desirable to take up a quarter section of land at the Upper +Geyser Basin, for the reason that that locality could be more easily +reached by tourists and pleasure seekers. A third suggestion was that +each member of the party pre-empt a claim, and in order that no one +should have an advantage over the others, the whole should be thrown +into a common pool for the benefit of the entire party. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Hedges then said that he did not approve of any of these plans—that +there ought to be no private ownership of any portion of that region, +but that the whole of it ought to be set apart as a great National Park, +and that each one of us ought to make an effort to have this +accomplished. His suggestion met with an instantaneous and favorable +response from all—except one—of the members of our party, and each +hour since the matter was first broached, our enthusiasm has increased. +It has been the main theme of our conversation to-day as we journeyed. I +lay awake half of last night thinking about it;—and if my wakefulness +deprived my bed-fellow (Hedges) of any sleep, he has only himself and +his disturbing National Park proposition to answer for it. +</p> +<p> +Our purpose to create a park can only be accomplished by untiring work +and concerted action in a warfare against the incredulity and unbelief +of our National legislators when our proposal shall be presented for +their approval. Nevertheless, I believe we can win the battle. +</p> +<p> +I do not know of any portion of our country where a national park can be +established furnishing to visitors more wonderful attractions than here. +These wonders are so different from anything we have ever seen—they are +so various, so extensive—that the feeling in my mind from the moment +they began to appear until we left them has been one of intense surprise +and of incredulity. Every day spent in surveying them has revealed to me +some new beauty, and now that I have left them, I begin to feel a +skepticism which clothes them in a memory clouded by doubt. +</p> +<p> +<b>Wednesday, September 21</b>.—We broke camp soon after 9 o'clock, traveling +northwesterly down the stream, which at six miles entered a cañon +extending ten miles in a very tortuous course, the stream gradually +bending to the west. The sides of the cañon are steep, and a great many +small lateral streams flow into it, forming cascades of remarkable +beauty. There are also many springs gushing out from the sides of the +cañon afar up. Below the cañon we traveled over a high ridge for the +distance of ten miles, and camped in a deep coulee, where we found good +water and an abundance of wood and grass. Mr. Hauser and Mr. Stickney +all through the day were a few miles in advance of the rest of the +party, and just below the mouth of the cañon they met two men who +manifested some alarm at sight of them. They had a supply of provisions +packed on riding saddles, and were walking beside their horses. Mr. +Hauser told them that they would meet a large party up the cañon, but we +did not see them, and they evidently cached themselves as we went by. +The Upper Madison in this vicinity is said to be a rendezvous for horse +thieves. We have traveled about twenty-five miles to-day. +</p> +<p> +As the outcome of a general conversation to-night, I will leave the +party to-morrow morning, and start for Virginia City, where I have a +forlorn hope that some tidings may be had of Mr. Everts. We think that +Virginia City is not more than thirty miles distant; but, as we are not +now on any trail leading to it, I shall have to take my chances of +finding it. +</p> +<p> +Jake Smith to-day asked me if I expected that the readers of my diary +would believe what I had written. He said that he had kept no diary for +the reason that our discoveries had been of such a novel character, that +if he were to write an account of them he would not be believed by those +who read his record, and he would be set down as a liar. He said that he +did not mind being called a liar by those who had known him well for +many years, but he would not allow strangers that privilege. This +ambiguous remark indicates that Jake has more wit and philosophy than I +have given him the credit of possessing. +</p> +<p> +<b>Thursday, September 22, Virginia City</b>.—With a small supply of needed +creature comforts (lunch, etc.), I left the party early this morning, +uncertain as to the time which would be required to take me to Virginia +City. About noon I met a horseman who had left Virginia City this +morning, who directed me to the trail leading to the town. He paused +long enough to let me scan a newspaper which he had, from which I +learned of the capitulation of the French at Sedan. I asked him to hand +the newspaper to General Washburn, whose party he would meet in the +Madison valley. He said that he would stop at the cabin of "Bannack +George." +</p> +<p> +The distance from our morning camp to this place is much farther than we +thought, and it was 9 o'clock this evening before I reached Virginia +City. Nothing has been heard of Mr. Everts, and his friends are shocked +at the intelligence of his loss from our party. +</p> +<p> +Owing to the late hour of my arrival I have met but few of my old +acquaintances, but these are greatly interested in the result of our +explorations, and I have promised to remain here another day before +starting for Helena, and give them a further description of what I have +seen. I have enjoyed one good square meal. +</p> +<p> +<b>Tuesday, September 27, Helena</b>.—I reached Helena last night. The +intelligence of my arrival in Virginia City, and of the loss of Mr. +Everts from our party, had been telegraphed to Helena from Virginia +City, and on my arrival I was besieged by many of the friends of Mr. +Everts for information concerning the manner in which he became +separated from our party. I have spent the larger part of this day in +describing the many wonders which we found on our trip, and I shall be +most glad to have a few days' rest and put on some of my lost flesh. At +the outset of this journey I tipped the beam of the scales at a little +over one hundred and ninety (190) pounds, and to-day I weigh but one +hundred and fifty-five (155) pounds, a loss of thirty-five (35) pounds. +One of my friends says that I may consider myself fortunate in bringing +back to civilization as much of my body as I did. I have already +received several invitations from householders to meet their families +and friends at their homes, and tell them of our trip, but the present +dilapidated condition of my toilet renders it necessary for me to +decline their hospitalities until some future period. My first duty to +myself and my fellow citizens is to seek a tailor and replenish my +wardrobe. Jake Smith is the only one of our party who has returned with +a garment fit to wear in the society of ladies. +</p> +<p> +My narrations to-day have excited great wonder, and I cannot resist the +conviction that many of my auditors believe that I have "drawn a long +bow" in my descriptions. I am perfectly free to acknowledge that this +does not surprise me. It seems a most natural thing for them to do so; +for, in the midst of my narrations, I find myself almost as ready to +doubt the reality of the scenes I have attempted to describe as the most +skeptical of my listeners. They pass along my memory like the faintly +defined outlines of a dream. And when I dwell upon their strange +peculiarities, their vastness, their variety, and the distinctive +features of novelty which mark them all, so entirely out of the range of +all objects that compose the natural scenery and wonders of this +continent, I who have seen them can scarcely realize that in those +far-off recesses of the mountains they have existed so long in +impenetrable seclusion, and that hereafter they will stand foremost +among the natural attractions of the world. Astonishment and wonder +become so firmly impressed upon the mind in the presence of these +objects, that belief stands appalled, and incredulity is dumb. You can +see Niagara, comprehend its beauties, and carry from it a memory ever +ready to summon before you all its grandeur. You can stand in the valley +of the Yosemite, and look up its mile of vertical granite, and +distinctly recall its minutest feature; but amid the cañon and falls, +the boiling springs and sulphur mountain, and, above all, the mud +volcano and the geysers of the Yellowstone, your memory becomes filled +and clogged with objects new in experience, wonderful in extent, and +possessing unlimited grandeur and beauty. It is a new phase in the +natural world; a fresh exhibition of the handiwork of the Great +Architect; and, while you see and wonder, you seem to need an additional +sense, fully to comprehend and believe. +</p> +<hr> +<center> +FOOTNOTES: +</center> +<p> +<a name="note-A"><!-- Note Anchor A --></a>[Footnote A: In his diary under date of August 22d General Washburn +wrote: "Stood guard. Quite cold. Crows (Indians) near."] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-B"><!-- Note Anchor B --></a>[Footnote B: On August 23d General Washburn wrote: "Indians of the Crow +tribe."] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-C"><!-- Note Anchor C --></a>[Footnote C: Near where Livingston is now located.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-D"><!-- Note Anchor D --></a>[Footnote D: Lieutenant Doane in his report to the War Department under +date of August 24th writes: "Guards were established here during the +night, as there were signs of a party of Indians on the trail ahead of +us, all the members of the party taking their tours of this duty, and +using in addition the various precautions of lariats, hobbles, etc., not +to be neglected while traveling through this country."] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-E"><!-- Note Anchor E --></a>[Footnote E: Under date of August 25th Lieutenant Doane writes: "From +this camp was seen the smoke of fires on the mountains in front, while +Indian signs became more numerous and distinct." Under date of August +25th General Washburn wrote in his diary: "Have been following Indian +trails, fresh ones, all the way. They are about two days ahead of us."] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-F"><!-- Note Anchor F --></a>[Footnote F: These blanks were left in my diary with the intention of +filling them, upon the selection by our party of a name for the creek; +but after going into camp at Tower fall, the matter of selecting a name +was forgotten. A few years later the stream was named Lost creek.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-G"><!-- Note Anchor G --></a>[Footnote G: In making a copy of my original diary, it is proper at this +point to interpolate an account of the circumstances under which the +name "Tower" was bestowed upon the creek and fall. +</p> +<p> +At the outset of our journey we had agreed that we would not give to any +object of interest which we might discover the name of any of our party +nor of our friends. This rule was to be religiously observed. While in +camp on Sunday, August 28th, on the bank of this creek, it was suggested +that we select a name for the creek and fall. Walter Trumbull suggested +"Minaret Creek" and "Minaret Fall." Mr. Hauser suggested "Tower Creek" +and "Tower Fall." After some discussion a vote was taken, and by a small +majority the name "Minaret" was decided upon. During the following +evening Mr. Hauser stated with great seriousness that we had violated +the agreement made relative to naming objects for our friends. He said +that the well known Southern family—the Rhetts—lived in St. Louis, and +that they had a most charming and accomplished daughter named "Minnie." +He said that this daughter was a sweetheart of Trumbull, who had +proposed the name—her name—"Minnie Rhett"—and that we had unwittingly +given to the fall and creek the name of this sweetheart of Mr. Trumbull. +Mr. Trumbull indignantly denied the truth of Hauser's statement, and +Hauser as determinedly insisted that it was the truth, and the vote was +therefore reconsidered, and by a substantial majority it was decided to +substitute the name "Tower" for "Minaret." Later, and when it was too +late to recall or reverse the action of our party, it was surmised that +Hauser himself had a sweetheart in St. Louis, a Miss Tower. Some of our +party, Walter Trumbull especially, always insisted that such was the +case. The weight of testimony was so evenly balanced that I shall +hesitate long before I believe either side of this part of the story. +<br> + +N.P. LANGFORD.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-H"><!-- Note Anchor H --></a>[Footnote H: Now Called Inspiration Point.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-I"><!-- Note Anchor I --></a>[Footnote I: The above quotation is from a poem by John Keats.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-J"><!-- Note Anchor J --></a>[Footnote J: Dr. P.V. Hayden, geologist in charge of the U.S. Geological +Survey, first visited this region in the summer of 1871—the year +following the visit of the Washburn party, whose discoveries and +explorations are recorded in this diary. Dr. Hayden, on his return, +graphically described the various wonders which he saw, but had very +little to say concerning the mud volcano. This fact was the more +inexplicable to me for the reason that the Washburn party thought it one +of the most remarkable curiosities to be found in that region, and I was +greatly surprised to find that Dr. Hayden made so little allusion to it. +</p> +<p> +In 1872, the year following Dr. Hayden's first visit, I again visited +the volcano, and the omission by Hayden was explained as soon as I saw +the volcano in its changed condition. The loud detonations which +resembled the discharges of a gun-boat mortar were no longer heard, and +the upper part of the crater and cone had in a great measure +disappeared, leaving a shapeless and unsightly hole much larger than the +former crater, in which large tree-tops were swaying to and fro in the +gurgling mass, forty feet below—the whole appearance bearing testimony +to the terrible nature of the convulsion which wrought such destruction. +Lieutenant Doane, in his official report to the War Department, thus +describes the volcano as it appeared in 1870: +</p> +<p> +"A few hundred yards from here is an object of the greatest interest. On +the slope of a small and steep wooded ravine is the crater of a mud +volcano, 30 feet in diameter at the rim, which is elevated a few feet +above the surface on the lower side, and bounded by the slope of the +hill on the upper, converging, as it deepens, to the diameter of 15 feet +at the lowest visible point, about 40 feet down. Heavy volumes of steam +escape from this opening, ascending to the height of 300 feet. From far +down in the earth came a jarring sound, in regular beats of five +seconds, with a concussion that shook the ground at 200 yards' distance. +After each concussion came a splash of mud, as if thrown to a great +height; sometimes it could be seen from the edge of the crater, but none +was entirely ejected while we were there. Occasionally an explosion was +heard like the bursting of heavy guns behind an embankment, and causing +the earth to tremble for a mile around. The distance to which this mud +had been thrown is truly astonishing. The ground and falling trees near +by were splashed at a horizontal distance of 200 feet. The trees below +were either broken down or their branches festooned with dry mud, which +appeared in the tops of the trees growing on the side hill from the same +level with the crater, 50 feet in height, and at a distance of 180 feet +from the volcano. The mud, to produce such effects, must have been +thrown to a perpendicular elevation of at least 300 feet. It was with +difficulty we could believe the evidence of our senses, and only after +the most careful measurements could we realize the immensity of this +wonderful phenomenon." +</p> +<p> +The visitor to the Park who has read the description given by Washburn, +Hedges, Doane or myself, of the mud volcano as it appeared in 1870, will +readily perceive that it has undergone a great change since the time of +its first discovery. +</p> +<p> +In my account of my trip made in 1872, published in Scribner's (now +Century) Magazine for June, 1873, I say, concerning this change: "A +large excavation remained; and a seething, bubbling mass of mud, with +several tree-tops swaying to and fro in the midst, told how terrible and +how effectual must have been the explosions which produced such +devastation. I could not realize that in this unsightly hole I beheld +all that was left of those physical wonders which filled this +extraordinary region. * * * Great trees that then decorated the hillside +were now completely submerged in the boiling mass that remained." +</p> +<p> +The trees with their green tops, which were visible in 1872, have now +entirely disappeared. Can any one conjecture what has become of them?] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-K"><!-- Note Anchor K --></a>[Footnote K: Lieutenant Doane, on page 19 of his report to the War +Department, says with reference to this surgical operation: +</p> +<p> +"I had on the previous evening been nine days and nights without sleep +or rest, and was becoming very much reduced. My hand was enormously +swelled, and even ice water ceased to relieve the pain. I could scarcely +walk at all, from excessive weakness. The most powerful opiates had +ceased to have any effect. A consultation was held, which resulted in +having the thumb split open. Mr. Langford performed the operation in a +masterly manner, dividing thumb, bone, and all. An explosion ensued, +followed by immediate relief. I slept through the night, all day, and +the next night, and felt much better. To Mr. Langford, General Washburn, +Mr. Stickney and the others of the party I owe a lasting debt for their +uniform kindness and attention in the hour of need."] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-L"><!-- Note Anchor L --></a>[Footnote L: Repeated efforts to ascend the Grand Teton, made prior to +the year 1872, all terminated in failure. On the 29th day of July of +that year the summit was reached by James Stevenson, of the U.S. +Geological Survey, and Nathaniel P. Langford, the writer of this diary. +An account of this ascent was published in Scribner's (now Century) +Magazine for June, 1873. The next ascent was made in 1898 by Rev. Frank +S. Spalding, of Erie, Pennsylvania, and W.O. Owen, of Wyoming, and two +assistants. This ascent was accomplished after two failures of Mr. Owen +in previous years to reach the summit. Mr. Owen then asserted that the +summit of the mountain was not reached in 1872 by Stevenson and +Langford. His efforts—in which Mr. Spalding had no part—to impeach the +statement of these gentlemen failed utterly. Mr. Spalding, who was the +first member of his party to reach the summit, writes: "I believe that +Mr. Langford reached the summit because he says he did, and because the +difficulties of the ascent were not great enough to have prevented any +good climber from having successfully scaled the peak, * * * and I +cannot understand why Mr. Owen failed so many times before he +succeeded."] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-M"><!-- Note Anchor M --></a>[Footnote M: The bay here referred to is at the "Thumb" Station.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-N"><!-- Note Anchor N --></a>[Footnote N: Captain Raynolds wrote on May 10, 1860: "To our front and +upon the right the mountains towered above us to the height of from +2,000 to 3,000 feet in the shape of bold, craggy peaks of basaltic +formation, their summits crowned with glistening snow. * * * It was my +original desire to go from the head of Wind river to the head of the +Yellowstone, keeping on the Atlantic slope, thence down the Yellowstone, +passing the lake, and across by the Gallatin to the Three forks of the +Missouri. Bridger said, at the outset, that this would be impossible, +and that it would be necessary to pass over to the head waters of the +Columbia, and back again to the Yellowstone. I had not previously +believed that crossing the main crest twice would be more easily +accomplished than the travel over what in effect is only a spur; but the +view from our present camp settled the question adversely to my opinion +at once. Directly across our route lies a basaltic ridge, rising not +less than 5,000 feet above us, the walls apparently vertical, with no +visible pass nor even cañon. On the opposite side of this are the head +waters of the Yellowstone."] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-O"><!-- Note Anchor O --></a>[Footnote O: Later, in 1833, the indomitable Captain Bonneville was lost +in this mountain labyrinth, and, after devising various modes of escape, +finally determined to ascend the range. +</p> +<p> +Washington Irving, in his charming history, "Bonneville's Adventures," +thus describes the efforts of General Bonneville and one of his comrades +to reach the summit of this range: +</p> +<p> +"After much toil he reached the summit of a lofty cliff, but it was only +to behold gigantic peaks rising all around, and towering far into the +snowy regions of the atmosphere. He soon found that he had undertaken a +tremendous task; but the pride of man is never more obstinate than when +climbing mountains. The ascent was so steep and rugged that he and his +companion were frequently obliged to clamber on hands and knees, with +their guns slung upon their backs. Frequently, exhausted with fatigue +and dripping with perspiration, they threw themselves upon the snow, and +took handfuls of it to allay their parching thirst. At one place they +even stripped off their coats and hung them upon the bushes, and thus +lightly clad proceeded to scramble over these eternal snows. As they +ascended still higher there were cool breezes that refreshed and braced +them, and, springing with new ardor to their task, they at length +attained the summit."] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-P"><!-- Note Anchor P --></a>[Footnote P: Soon after the return of our party to Helena, General +Washburn, then surveyor-general of Montana, made in his office for the +Interior Department at Washington, a map of the Yellowstone region, a +copy of which he gave to me. He told me that in recognition of the +assistance I had rendered him in making a fair outline of Yellowstone +lake, with its indented shore and promontories, he had named for me the +mountain on the top of which I stood when I made the sketch of the south +shore of the lake. I called his attention to the fact that Lieutenant +Doane had been my comrade in making the ascent, and suggested that +Doane's name be given to the adjoining peak on the north. He approved of +this suggestion, and the map, with these mountains so named, was +transmitted to the Interior Department. +</p> +<p> +Dr. Hayden, the geologist in charge of the United States geological +survey, made his first visit to this region the following year (1871), +and on the map which he issued in connection with his 1871 report, the +name "Mount Langford" was given to another mountain far to the +northeast. Since that time my name has again been transferred to a +mountain on the southeast. I think that Dr. Hayden must have been aware +at that time that this mountain bore my name; for he had read the +account of the Washburn exploration, which was published in Scribner's +Magazine for May, 1871, accompanied by a copy of the map made by General +Washburn. +</p> +<p> +The significance of connecting my name with this mountain is centered in +the circumstance that it was intended to mark or commemorate an +important event—that of giving to the public a very correct outline map +of Yellowstone lake. In confirmation of the fact that the first outline +of the lake approximating any degree of accuracy was made from the +mountain-top, I here quote from page 21 of Lieutenant Doane's report to +the War Department. +</p> +<p> +"The view from this peak commanded completely the lake, enabling us to +sketch a map of its inlets and bearings with considerable accuracy." +</p> +<p> +On page 23 of this report Lieutenant Doane speaks of this mountain as +"Mount Langford." The map last published previous to that made by +General Washburn was that of Captain Raynolds, of which I here present a +copy, as well as a copy of the map made by me.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-Q"><!-- Note Anchor Q --></a>[Footnote Q: On our return to Helena, Walter Trumbull published, in the +Helena Gazette, some incidents of our trip, and from his narrative I +copy the following account of our hunt for the grizzly: +</p> +<p> +"Some of the party who had gone a short distance ahead to find out the +best course to take the next day, soon returned and reported a grizzly +and her two cubs about a quarter of a mile from camp. Six of the party +decorated themselves as walking armories, and at once started in +pursuit. Each individual was sandwiched between two revolvers and a +knife, was supported around the middle by a belt of cartridges, and +carried in his hand a needle carbine. Each one was particularly anxious +to be the first to catch the bear, and an exciting foot-race ensued +until the party got within 300 yards of the place where the bear was +supposed to be concealed. The foremost man then suddenly got out of +breath, and, in fact, they all got out of breath. It was an epidemic. A +halt was made, and the brute loudly dared to come out and show itself, +while a spirited discussion took place as to what was best to do with +the cubs. The location was a mountain side, thickly timbered with tall +straight pines having no limbs within thirty feet of the ground. It was +decided to advance more cautiously to avoid frightening the animal, and +every tree which there was any chance of climbing was watched with +religious care, in order to intercept her should she attempt to take +refuge in its branches. An hour was passed in vain search for the +sneaking beast, which had evidently taken to flight. Then this +formidable war party returned to camp, having a big disgust at the +cowardly conduct of the bear, but, as the darkie said, 'not having it +bad.' Just before getting in sight of camp, the six invincibles +discharged their firearms simultaneously, in order to show those +remaining behind just how they would have slaughtered the bear, but more +particularly just how they did not. This was called the 'Bear Camp.'" +</p> +<p> +Mr. Trumbull was one of the party of hunters whose efforts to capture +the bear he so well describes.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-R"><!-- Note Anchor R --></a>[Footnote R: Our subsequent journeying showed that Lieutenant Doane was +right in his conjecture.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-S"><!-- Note Anchor S --></a>[Footnote S: The Honorable Granville Stuart, of Montana, in his book +"Montana as It Is," published in 1865, says that there is another root +found in portions of Montana which I have never seen. Mr. Stuart says: +</p> +<p> +"Thistle-root is the root of the common thistle, which is very abundant +in the bottoms along nearly all the streams in the mountain. They grow +to about the size of a large radish, and taste very much like turnips, +and are good either raw or cooked with meat." +</p> +<p> +Captain William Clark, of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition, dropped +the final <i>e</i> from the word cowse, spelling it c-o-w-s. Unless this +error is noticed by the reader, he will not understand what Captain +Clark meant when he said that members of his party were searching for +the <i>cows</i>.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-T"><!-- Note Anchor T --></a>[Footnote T: Lieutenant Doane, in his official report to the War +Department, says, concerning this episode: +</p> +<p> +"Washburn and Langford * * * became entangled in an immense swampy +brimstone basin, abounding in sulphur springs. * * * Mr. Langford's +horse broke through several times, coming back plastered with the white +substance and badly scalded."] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-U"><!-- Note Anchor U --></a>[Footnote U: The location of this camp is what is now called the "Thumb" +station on the stage route.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-V"><!-- Note Anchor V --></a>[Footnote V: Analyses of the various specimens of mud taken from the +springs in this locality, made on our return to Helena, gave the +following results: +</p> + + + + +<center> +<table summary=""> + + + + <tr><td> White Sediment.</td><td> </td><td> Lavender Sediment. </td><td> </td><td> Pink Sediment.</td></tr> + +<tr><td>Silica </td><td>42.2 </td><td>Silica </td><td> 28.2 </td><td> Silica </td><td> 32.6</td></tr> + +<tr><td>Magnesia </td><td>33.4 </td><td>Alumina </td><td> 58.6 </td><td> Alumina</td><td> 52.4</td></tr> + +<tr><td>Lime </td><td>17.8 </td><td>Boracic acid </td><td> 3.2 </td><td> Oxide of calcium </td><td>8.3</td></tr> + +<tr><td>Alkalis </td><td>6.6 </td><td>Oxide of iron</td><td> 0.6 </td><td> Soda and potassa </td><td>4.2</td></tr> + + <tr><td> <td> ------ </td><td>Oxide of calcium </td><td>4.2 </td><td> Water and loss</td><td> 2.5</td></tr> + + <tr><td> </td><td> 100.0 </td><td> Water and loss</td><td> 5.2 <td> </td><td> -----</td></tr> + <tr><td> </td><td> </td> <td> </td> <td> ----- </td> <td> </td> <td> 100.0</td></tr> + <tr><td> </td><td> </td> <td> </td> <td> 100.0 </td></tr> + +</table> +</center> + + + + + +<p> +These analyses were made by Professor Augustus Steitz, assayer of the +First National Bank of Helena, Mont.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-W"><!-- Note Anchor W --></a>[Footnote W: On our return home, finding that no tidings of Mr. Everts +had been received, Jack Baronette and George A. Prichett, two +experienced trappers and old mountaineers, were provided with thirty +days' provisions and dispatched in search of him, and by them Mr. Everts +was found on October 16th, after wandering in the forest for +thirty-seven days from the time he was lost. From the letter of Mr. +Prichett addressed to Mr. Gillette, myself and others, I quote: "We +found him on the 16th inst. on the summit of the first big mountain +beyond Warm Spring creek, about seventy-five miles from Fort Ellis. He +says he subsisted all this time on one snow bird, two small minnows and +the wing of a bird which he found and mashed between two stones, and +made some broth of in a yeast powder can. This was all, with the +exception of thistle roots, he had subsisted on." +</p> +<p> +The narrative of Mr. Everts, of his thirty-seven days' sojourn in the +wilderness (published in Scribner's Magazine for November, 1871, and in +volume V. of the Montana Historical Society publications), furnishes a +chapter in the history of human endurance, exposure, and escape, almost +as incredible as it is painfully instructive and entertaining.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-X"><!-- Note Anchor X --></a>[Footnote X: Our general line of travel from the southwest estuary of +the lake (Thumb) to the Firehole river was about one mile south of the +present stage route. The tourist who to-day makes the rapid and +comfortable tour of the park by stage, looking south from Shoshone +Point, may catch a glimpse of a portion of the prostrate forest through +and over which we struggled, and thus form some idea of the difficulties +which beset us on our journey from the lake to the Firehole river.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-Y"><!-- Note Anchor Y --></a>[Footnote Y: Called now Kepler's cascade.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-Z"><!-- Note Anchor Z --></a>[Footnote Z: An incident of so amusing a character occurred soon after +my return to Helena, that I cannot forbear narrating it here. Among the +specimens of silica which I brought home were several dark globules +about the size of nutmegs. I exhibited these to a noted physician of +Helena, Dr. Hovaker, and soon after the return of Mr. Gillette from his +search for Mr. Everts, I called upon him at his store and exhibited to +him these specimens of silica. At the same time I took a nutmeg from a +box upon the store counter, and playfully asked Gillette, in the +presence of Dr. Hovaker, if he had found any of those singular +incrustations. Dr. Hovaker, believing of course that the specimen I held +in my hand came from the Yellowstone, took the nutmeg, and with wonder +exhibited in every feature, proceeded to give it a critical examination, +frequently exclaiming: "How very like it is to a nutmeg." He finally +took a nutmeg from a box near by, and balanced the supposed incrustation +with it, declaring the former to be the lighter. Asking my permission to +do so, he took the nutmeg (which he supposed to be an incrustation) to a +jeweler in the vicinity, and broke it. The aroma left him no doubt as to +its character, but he was still deceived as to its origin. When I saw +him returning to the store, in anticipation of the reproof I should +receive, I started for the rear door; but the Doctor, entering before I +reached it, called me back, and in a most excited manner declared that +we had discovered real nutmegs, and nutmegs of a very superior quality. +He had no doubt that Yellowstone lake was surrounded by nutmeg trees, +and that each of our incrustations contained a veritable nutmeg. In his +excitement he even proposed to organize a small party to go immediately +to the locality to gather nutmegs, and had an interview with Charley +Curtis on the subject of furnishing pack animals for purposes of +transportation. When, on the following day, he ascertained the truth, +after giving me a characteristic lecture, he revenged himself by good +naturedly conferring upon the members of our party the title, by which +he always called them thereafter, of "Nutmegs." +<br> + +N.P. LANGFORD.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-AA"><!-- Note Anchor AA --></a>[Footnote AA: James Bridger was famous for the marvelous stories he was +accustomed to relate of his mountain life and experiences. He once told +me that he had seen a river which flowed so rapidly over the smooth +surface of a descending rock ledge in the bottom of the stream, that the +water was "hot at the bottom." My experience in crossing the Firehole +river that day, leads me to believe that Bridger had had, at some time, +a similar experience. He well knew that heat and fire could be produced +by friction. Like other mountain men, he had doubtless, many a time, +produced a fire by friction; and he could not account for the existence +of a hot rock in the bed of a cold stream, except upon the theory that +the rapid flow of water over the smooth surface evolved the heat, by +friction. +<br> + +N.P. LANGFORD.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-AB"><!-- Note Anchor AB --></a>[Footnote AB: This lake is now called "Hell's Half-acre;" and from the +lower lake the "Excelsior" geyser has burst forth.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-AC"><!-- Note Anchor AC --></a>[Footnote AC: The fountain and jets here referred to are those of the +Lower Geyser Basin, and the larger column of water which we saw is +undoubtedly the "Fountain" geyser, named by Dr. Hayden in 1871.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-AD"><!-- Note Anchor AD --></a>[Footnote AD: In the course of a recent correspondence with Mr. +Stickney, I asked him if he recalled this incident. Under date of May +20, 1905, he wrote me from Sarasota, Florida: "The maple sugar incident +had almost faded from my memory, but like a spark of fire smouldering +under rubbish it needed but a breath to make it live, and I recall my +reflections, after my astonishment, that you did so many quaint things, +that it was quite in accordance with them that you should produce maple +sugar in a sulphurous region." +<br> + +N.P. LANGFORD.] +</p> +<p> +<a name="note-AE"><!-- Note Anchor AE --></a>[Footnote AE: This stream was afterwards named "Gibbon river."] +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="APX"><!-- APX --></a> +<h2> + APPENDIX. +</h2> + +<p> +It is much to be regretted that our expedition was not accompanied by an +expert photographer; but at the time of our departure from Helena, no +one skilled in the art could be found with whom the hazards of the +journey did not outweigh any seeming advantage or compensation which the +undertaking promised. +</p> +<p> +The accompanying sketches of the two falls of the Yellowstone, and of +the cones of the Grand and Castle geysers, were made by Walter Trumbull +and Private Moore. They are the very first ever made of these objects. +Through an inadvertence in the preparation of the electroyped plates for +the printer, they did not appear in their proper places in this diary. +Major Hiram M. Chittenden, in his volume "The Yellowstone Park," says of +the two sketches made by Private Moore: "His quaint sketches of the +falls forcibly remind one of the original picture of Niagara, made by +Father Hennepin, in 1697." +</p> +<center> +<img src="./images/205bottom.jpg" width="450" height="325" +alt="CASTLE GEYSER CONE. ORIGINAL SKETCH."> +</center> +<center> +<img src="./images/205top.jpg" width="450" height="350" +alt="GIANT GEYSER CONE. ORIGINAL SKETCH."> +</center> +<center> +<img src="./images/246__.jpg" width="450" height="685" +alt="Upper Fall of the Yellowstone. Original Sketch"> +</center> +<center> +<img src="./images/247.jpg" width="450" height="685" +alt="Lower Fall of the Yellowstone."> +</center> +<center> +<img src="./images/245.jpg" width="450" height="298" +alt="Doing Guard Duty. Original Sketch."> +</center> + +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11145 ***</div> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/11145-h/images/109.png b/11145-h/images/109.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cc416a8 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/109.png diff --git a/11145-h/images/117.png b/11145-h/images/117.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..54898d7 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/117.png diff --git a/11145-h/images/118.png b/11145-h/images/118.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8f9ffe0 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/118.png diff --git a/11145-h/images/119.png b/11145-h/images/119.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..91fd26e --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/119.png diff --git a/11145-h/images/148.png b/11145-h/images/148.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ffa79e9 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/148.png diff --git a/11145-h/images/205bottom.jpg b/11145-h/images/205bottom.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..49a5cae --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/205bottom.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/205top.jpg b/11145-h/images/205top.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..87e436a --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/205top.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/209.jpg b/11145-h/images/209.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..fabaadd --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/209.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/210.jpg b/11145-h/images/210.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..b234e39 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/210.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/211.jpg b/11145-h/images/211.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3ba7a43 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/211.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/212.jpg b/11145-h/images/212.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ce46462 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/212.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/213.jpg b/11145-h/images/213.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..4fdf719 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/213.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/214.jpg b/11145-h/images/214.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..05025ba --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/214.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/215.jpg b/11145-h/images/215.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2d4639f --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/215.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/216.jpg b/11145-h/images/216.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..766cb7f --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/216.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/217.jpg b/11145-h/images/217.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2e99f1c --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/217.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/218.jpg b/11145-h/images/218.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..242aeb8 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/218.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/219.jpg b/11145-h/images/219.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0a05b2e --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/219.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/220.jpg b/11145-h/images/220.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8022dbc --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/220.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/221.jpg b/11145-h/images/221.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cbff888 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/221.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/222.jpg b/11145-h/images/222.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..21b13e3 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/222.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/223.jpg b/11145-h/images/223.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..727462e --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/223.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/224.jpg b/11145-h/images/224.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d1f06a7 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/224.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/225.jpg b/11145-h/images/225.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2596afe --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/225.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/226.jpg b/11145-h/images/226.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d9528a5 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/226.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/227.jpg b/11145-h/images/227.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..dec861a --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/227.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/228.jpg b/11145-h/images/228.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e4194f5 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/228.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/229.jpg b/11145-h/images/229.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a686b96 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/229.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/230.jpg b/11145-h/images/230.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..675d596 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/230.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/231.jpg b/11145-h/images/231.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..f8881d3 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/231.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/232.jpg b/11145-h/images/232.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d844120 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/232.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/233.jpg b/11145-h/images/233.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..84c2d94 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/233.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/234.jpg b/11145-h/images/234.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ac22e7f --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/234.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/235bottom.jpg b/11145-h/images/235bottom.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0b9fcec --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/235bottom.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/235top.jpg b/11145-h/images/235top.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..eb8aa8a --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/235top.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/236.jpg b/11145-h/images/236.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..54fa469 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/236.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/237.jpg b/11145-h/images/237.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..18d195c --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/237.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/238.jpg b/11145-h/images/238.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..28a51fc --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/238.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/239.jpg b/11145-h/images/239.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..15de904 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/239.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/240.jpg b/11145-h/images/240.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..b182723 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/240.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/241.jpg b/11145-h/images/241.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0122dfa --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/241.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/242.jpg b/11145-h/images/242.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cdc470e --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/242.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/243.jpg b/11145-h/images/243.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cbf6aab --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/243.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/245.jpg b/11145-h/images/245.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cfe9338 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/245.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/246__.jpg b/11145-h/images/246__.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..98bbb07 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/246__.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/247.jpg b/11145-h/images/247.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..030c2e7 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/247.jpg diff --git a/11145-h/images/42.png b/11145-h/images/42.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3bd5304 --- /dev/null +++ b/11145-h/images/42.png |
