ft1 9
Conservative *
with the assurance that the whole of the
mountain to its summit was covered
with loose sand and gravel ; so that ,
though many attempts had been made
by the Indians and by hunters to ascend
it , none had ever proved successful. We
passed several of these tracts , not with
out some apprehension for our lives ; MS
there was danger , when the foothold
! was once lost , of sliding down , and be
ing thrown over precipices. After labor
ing with extreme fatigue over about two
miles , in which several of these
dangerous places occurred , we halted
about sunset in a small cluster of fir
trees. Wo could not , however , find a
piece of even ground large enough to lie
down upon , and were under the neces
sity of securing ourselves from rolling
into a brook near which we encamped ,
by means of a pole placed against two
trees. In this situation we passed an
uneasy night ; and though the mercury
fell only to 54 ° , felt some inconvenience
from cold.
"On the morning of the 14th , as soon
as daylight appeared , having suspended
in a tree our blankets , all our provisions ,
except about three pounds of bison's
flesh , and whatever articles of clothing
could be dispensed with , we continued
the ascent , hoping to be ' able to reach
the summit of the peakaud return to the
same camp in the evening. After pass
ing about half a mile of rugged and dif
ficult traveling , like that of the preced
ing day , we crossed a deep chasm , open
ing towards the bed of the small stream
we had hitherto ascended , and following
the summit of the ridge between these ,
found the way less difficult and danger
ous.
"Having passed a level tract of sever
al acres covered with aspen , poplar , a
few birches and pines , we arrived at a
small stream running towards the south ,
nearly parallel to the base of the conic
part of the' mountain which forms the
summit of the peak. From this spot
we could distinctly see almost the whole
of the peak ; its lower half thinly clad
with pines , junipers , and other ever
green trees ; the upper , a naked conic
pile of yellowish rocks , surmounted hero
and there with broad patches of snow.
But the summit appeared so distant , and
the ascent so steep , that we began to de
spair of accomplishing the ascent and
returning on the same day.
"The day was bright , and the air
nearly calm. As we ascended rapidly
wo could perceive a manifest change of
temperature ; and before wo reached the
outskirts of the timber , a little wind
was felt from the north-east. On this
part of the mountain is frequently seen
the yellow-flowered stoneorop , almost
the only herbaceous plant which occurs
in the most closely wooded parts of the
mountain. Wo found the trees of a
smaller size , and more scattered in pro
portion to the elevation at which they
grew ; and arrived at about twelve
o'clock at the limit above which none
are found. This is a defined line , en
circling the peak in a part which , when
seen from the plain , appeared near the
summit ; but when we arrived at it , a
greater part of the whole elevation of
the mountain seemed still before us.
Above the timber the ascent is steeper ,
but less difficult than below ; the surface
being so highly inclined that the large
masses , when loosened , roll down , meet
ing no obstruction until they arrive at
the commencement of the timber. The
red cedar , and the flexible pine , are the
trees which appear at the greatest eleva
tion. Those are small , having thick
and extremely rigid trunks ; and near
the commencement of the naked part of
the mountain , they have neither limbs
nor bark on that side which is exposed
to the descending masses of rook. It
may appear a contradiction to assert
that trees have grown in a situation so
exposed as to be unable to produce or
retain bark or limbs on one side ; yet of
the fact that they are now standing and
living in such a situation there can be
no doubt. It is , perhaps , probable the
timber may formerly have extended tea
a greater elevation on the sides of this
peak than at present , so that those trees
which are now on the outskirts of the
forest were formerly protected by their
more exposed neighbors.
"A few trees were seen above the
commencement of snow ; but these are
very small , and entirely procum
bent , being sheltered in the crevices
and fissures of the rock. There are
also the roots of trees to bo seen at
some distance above the part where
they are now standing.
' ' A little above the point where the
timber disappears entirely , com
mences a region of astonishing
beauty , and of great interest on ac
count of its productions. The in
tervals of soil are sometimes exten
sive , and covered with a carpet of
low but brilliantly-flowering alpine
plants. Most of these have either
matted procumbent-stems , or such as ,
including the flower , rarely rise more
than an inch in height. In many of
them the flower is the most con
spicuous and the largest part of the
plant , and in all the colouring is
astonishingly brilliant.
"At about two o'clock wo found
ourselves so much exhausted as to
render a halt necessary. Mr. Wilson ,
[ Zachariah Wilson , baggage master to
the expedition ] who had accompanied
us as a volunteer , had been loft behind -
hind some time since , and could not
now bo seen in any direction. As wo
felt some anxiety on his account , wo
halted , and endeavored to apprize
him of our situation ; but repeated
calls and the discharging of the
rifleman's piece , produced no answer ,
Wo therefore determined to wait
some time to rest , and to eat the
provision wo had brought , hoping ,
in the meantime , ho would over
take us.
"Wo halted at.a place about a mile
above the edge of the timber. The
stream by which wo wore sitt ing
we could perceive to fall immedi
ately from a largo body of snow ,
which filled a deep ravine on the
southeastern side of the peak. Below -
low us , on the right , wore two or
throe extensive patches of snow ; and
ice could bo soon everywhere in the
crevices of the rocks.
"Here , as wo wore sitting at our'
dinner , wo observed several small
animals , nearly of the size of the
common gray squirrel ; but shorter ,
and more clumsily built. They wore
of a darK gray colour , inclining to
brown , with a short thick head , and
erect rounded ears. In habits and
appearance , they resemble the prairie
dog , and arc believed to bo u species
of the same genus. The mouth of
their burrow is usually placed under
the projection of a rock ; and near
these the party afterwards saw sev
eral of the little animals watching
their approach and uttering all the
time a shrill note , somewhat like
that of the ground squirrel. Several
attempts wore made to secure a speci
men of this animal , but always with
out success , as we had no guns but
such as carried a heavy ball.
"After sitting about half an hour ,
wo found ourselves somewhat re
freshed , but much benumbed with
cold. We now found it would bo
impossible to reach the summit of the
mountain , and return to our camp of
the preceding night , during that part
of the day which remained ; but as
wo could not persuade ourselves to
turn back , after having so nearly ac
complished the ascent , wo resolved to
take our chauoo of spending the
night on whatever part of the moun
tain it might overtake us. Wilson
had not yet been soon ; but as no time
could bo lost , wo resolved to go as
soon as possible to the top of the
peak , and look for him on our return.
We met , as wo proceeded , an oh
numbers of unknown and interesting
plants , as to occasion much delay in
collecting ; and wore under the mor
tifying necessity of passing by num
bers we saw in situations difficult of
access.
"As wo approached the summit ,
those became loss frequent , and at
length ceased entirely. Few crypto-
gamous plants are seen about any
part of the mountain ; and neither
those nor any others , occur frequently
on the top of the peak. There is
an area of ton or fifteen acres , form
ing the summit , which is nearly
level ; and on this part scarce a
lichen was to bo soon. It is covered
to a great depth with largo splintery