The Conservative.
\ \ \
INCIDENTS OF WESTERN HISTORY.
Vin.
The First Ascent of Pike's Peak.
After the matters treated of in the
last papers , followed some years barren
of striking episodes in the west. There
were no Indian wars , no government
expeditions , no literary travelers.
The fur trade was at its height. Up
the Missouri , out the Platte and the
Arkansas , over the mountains , French
and American adventurers swarmed ;
finding out the parks and passes , fra
ternizing or fighting with the Indians ,
learning the characteristics of the
country and of its inhabitants , and
keeping an eye out for gold. The Santa
Fe trade by caravan from the Missouri
took its beginning : Pike was killed and
Fremont was born ; Astor relinquished
his Pacific coast designs and Astoria
was occupied by the British ; steamboats
appeared on the Mississippi and pushed
as far up the Missouri as Independence ;
and in 1818 the government set an en
terprise in motion from which great
things were hoped for. This was a
military and scientific expedition , under
Col. Henry Atkinson and Major Steph
en H. Long ; its object was to explore
the upper country , locate some point on
the British boundary , terrify and im
press the Indian tribes and acquire
knowledge generally. It was , however ,
a failure from start to finish. It set out
with unheard-of preparations and ex
penditure , having among other accessories
series five steamboats ; but by cold
weather in 1819 it had only gotten a few
miles above Omaha , and there it en
camped , at the place called -'Engineer
Cantonments. " Major Long wont back
east to report progress and was sourly
received ; congress withdrew all support
from his expedition , and , to be brief ,
the summer of 1820 saw him , with
seventeen men , starting across country
for the Rockies , authorized to find the
mysterious headwaters of Bed Eiver
and follow that stream down to the
Mississippi. The party's outfit was so
niggardly that they furnished all but
six of their animals themselves.
They marched up the Platte , going
along the left bank and crossing both
forks above the junction , and came in
sight of the noble peak which bears the
name of their leader on the 30th of
June.
They advanced towards the range ,
and were surprised , as many travelers
have been , to see that they apparently
came no nearer. Dr. Edwin James , the
historian of the expedition , and who
died in Iowa a few years ago , tells of
their further adventures as follows :
"July 3d. Breakfast was despatched
and we had mounted our horses before
five o'clock. We were enabled to have
our breakfast thus early , as the sentinel
on duty during the night was directed
to put the kettles over the fire at three
o'clock , all the processes preparatory to
boiling having been finished on the pre
ceding evening.
"Throughout the day wo were approaching
preaching the mountains obliquely , and
from our encampment at evening , we
supposed them to be about twenty miles
distant. Clouds were hanging about
all the highest parts of the mountains ,
which were sometimes observed to col
lect together , and descend in showers ,
circumscribed to a limited district.
This state of the weather obstructed
the clearness , but added greatly to the
imposing grandeur of some of the views
which the mountain presented.
" 4th. We had hoped to celebrate our
great national festival on the Rocky
Mountains ; but the day had arrived ,
and they were still at a distance. Be
ing extremely impatient of any un
necessary delay , which prevented us
from entering upon the examination of
the mountains , we did not devote the
day to rest , as had been our intention.
We did not , however , forgot to celebrate
the anniversary of our national inde
pendence , according to our circum
stances. An extra pint of maize was
issued to each mess , and a small portion
of whisky distributed.
* # * *
"Gth. The district occupied by the in
clined sandstone , at the base of the
mountains , we found much wider , and
the rooky summits incomparably more
elevated , than from a remote view we
had supposed.
"From our camp , we had expected to
be able to ascend the most distant sum
mits then in sight , and return the same
evening ; but night overtook us , and
we found ourselves scarcely arrived
at the base of the mountain.
* # * #
" 12th. The small stream on which
we encamped had some timber along
its valley. In this four deer had been
killed ; so that we now had provisions
in great plenty.
"From this camp we had a distinct
view of the part of the mountains
called by Captain Pike the highest
peak. It appeared about twenty miles
distant , towards the northwest. Our
view was cut off from the base by an
intervening spur of less elevation ; but
all the upper part of the peak was vis
ible , with patches of snow extending
down to the commencement of the
woody region.
"At about one o'clock p. m. , a dense
black cloud was seen to collect in the
southwest ; and advancing towards the
peak , it remained nearly stationary over
that part of the mountains , pouring
down torrents of rain. The thunder
was loud and frequent ; and though
little rain fell near our camp , the creek
soon began to swell ; and before sunset
it had risen about six feet , and again
subsided nearly to its former level.
When the stream began to rise , it was
soon covered with such a quantity of bis
on's dung , suddenly washed in from the
declivities of the mountains and the
plains at its base , that the water could
scarcely be seen. About this time our
ook filled his kettle , and put into it the
meat intended for supper ; but when the
soup was brought to our tent , the flavor
of the cow-yard was found so prevalent ,
and the meat so filled with sand , that
very little could be eaten.
"As one of the objects of our excur
sion was to ascertain the elevation of
the peak , it was determined to remain
in our present camp for three days ,
which would afford an opportunity for
some of the parcy to ascend the moun
tain.
"At an early hour on the morning of
the 18th , Lieutenant Smith , [ an evident
misprint. The officer meant was Lieu
tenant W. H. Swift of the Artillery ,
who was assistant Topographer and
Commander of the Guard to the Expedi
tion ] , accompanied by the guide , Joseph
Bijeau , [ Bijou creek was perhaps
named for him , although his right name
was Bessonet , ] was despatched from
camp , to measure a base near the peak ,
and to make there a part of the observa
tions requisite for calculating its eleva
tion. Dr. James , [ Dr. Edwin James ,
who wrote the published account of
the expedition , ] being furnished with
four men , two to be left at the foot of
the mountain to take care of the horses ,
and two to accompany him in the pro
posed ascent to the summit of the peak ,
set off at the same time.
"This detachment left the camp be
fore sunrise , and taking the most direct
route across the plains , arrived at eleven
o'clock at the base of the mountain.
Here Lieutenant Swift found a place
suited for his purpose ; where , also , was
a convenient spot for those who were to
ascend the mountain , to leave their
horses.
"After establishing their horse-camp ,
the detachment moved up the valley on
foot , arriving about noon at the boiling
springs , [ Manitou Springs ] where they
dined on a saddle of venison , and some
bison ribs they had brought ready
cooked from camp.
"After wo had dined , and hung up
some provisions in a large red-cedar
tree near the spring , intending it for a
supply on our return , we took leave of
Lieutenant Swift , and began to ascend
the mountain. We carried with us
each a small blanket , ten or twelve
pounds of bison meat , three gills of
parched corn meal , and a small kettle.
"The ascending party found the sur
face in many places covered with such
quantities of loose and crumbling gran
ite , rolling from under their feet , as
rendered the ascent extremely difficult.
We now began to credit the assertions
of the guide , who had conducted us to
the foot of the peak- and there left us ,
