8d. — ^Turning  our  faces  directly  towards  the  main  chain,  we
ascended  an  open  hollow  along  a  small  tributary  to  the  river
which,  according  to  the  Indians,  issues  from  a  mountain  to  the
south.  The  snow  was  so  deep  in  the  hollow,  that  we  were
obliged  to  travel  along  the  steep  hill-sides,  and  over  spurs,
where  the  wind  and  sun  had  in  places  lessened  the  snow,  and
where  the  grass,  which  appeared  to  be  in  good  quality  along
the  sides  of  the  mountains,  was  exposed.     We  opened  our  roa<5


ADVENTUEBS  AND  BXPLOBATIONS.       393

in  the  same  way  as  yesterday,  but  made  only  seven  miles,  and
encamped  by  some  springs  at  the  foot  of  a  high  and  steep  hill,
-by  which  the  hollow  ascended  to  another  basin  in  the  moun-
tain. The  little  stream  below  was  entirely  buried  in  snow.
The  springs  were  shaded  by  the  boughs  of  a  lofty  cedar,  which
here  made  its  first  appearance  ;  the  usual  height  was  120  to
130  feet,  and  one  that  was  measured  near  by  was  six  feet  in
diameter.
There  being  no  grass  exposed  here,  the  horses  were  sent
back  to  that  which  we  had  seen  a  few  miles  below.  We  oc-
cupied the  remainder  of  the  day  in  beating  down  a  road  tothe
toot  of  the  hill,  a  mile  or  two  distant ;  the  snow  being  beatei
down  when  moist,  in  the  warm  part  of  the  day,  and  then  hard
frozen  at  night,  made  a  foundation  that  would  bear  the  weight
of  the  animals  next  morning.  During  the  day  several -Indians
joined  us  on  snow-shoes.  These  were  made  of  a  circular  hoop,
about  a  &ot  in  diameter,  the  interior  space  being  filled  with  an
open  network  of  bark.
