CHAPTER XV.

BONNEVILLE LEAVES WYOMING.

FURS COLLECted, ConvoyeD TO THE BIG HORN AND SHIPPED BY BULL BOATS-INTERESTING INCIDENTS OF THE Journey North-Discovery OF THE GREAT TAR SPRING-DANGERS AND DIFFICULTIES OF THE RETURN TRIP-DISCOVERY OF BIG HOT SPRING NEAR PRESENT SITE OF FORT WASHAKIE-CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE ATTEMPTS TO WORK HIS WAY THROUGH THE WIND RIVER RANGE-ASCENT OF MOUNT BONNEVILLE-TOILSOME JOURNEY-Discovers a Community of Beavers—— RETURNS TO HIS CACHES ON GREEN RIVER BY WAY OF SOUTH PASS -CROSSES THE WIND RIVER RANGE AT THE HEAD Of Green River -MANY INCIDENTS OF HIS SECOND JOURNEY TO THE COLUMBIALAST WINTER IN THE MOUNTAINS-RENDEZVOUS IN THE WIND RIVER VALLEY-RETURNS TO CIVILIZATION.

We left Captain Bonneville at the rendezvous on Green River, it being his second season at that point. He had collected a considerable number of furs which he determined to send to St. Louis in charge of Mr. Cerre. He concluded that the trip should be made by water down the Big Horn, Yellowstone, and thence by the way of the Missouri River. Before leaving his camp he detached Mr. Walker on a tour of exploration to Great Salt Lake, which was then little known and not at all understood. He determined to have the lake properly explored, and he instructed Mr. Walker to keep along the shores of it until he had traversed the whole distance to the place of beginning. He was to have his men trap in all the streams on his route, keep a journal and minutely record the events of his journey and note everything curious or interesting. He was also to make maps of the country through which he passed and on these he was to lay down the trail of his party from the time of leaving until his return. Forty men were to accompany Mr. Walker, and the party was outfitted with provisions for a year. Mr. Walker was instructed to meet Captain Bonneville on Bear River twelve months from that time. After the departure of the

Walker party, the Captain with sixty men took up the line of march and started for the Crow country. He followed round the southern end of the Wind River Range, then turned north until he reached the Popo Agie, down which stream he made his way. On reaching this point he was reminded by some of his trappers that he was in the vicinity of the "great tar spring." This spring was known among trappers and the tar was supposed to contain great medicinal properties. This is the well known Murphy oil wells of today, and Irving's account was undoubtedly the first ever published. This reads:

"After a toilsome search, he found it at the foot of a sand bluff, a little to the east of the Wind River Mountains, where it exuded in a small stream of the color and consistency of tar. The men immediately hastened to collect a quantity of it, to use as an ointment for the galled backs of their horses and as a balsam for their own pains and aches. From the description given of it, it is evidently the bituminous oil, called petroleum or naphtha, which forms a principal ingredient in the potent medicine called British Oil. It is found in various parts of Europe and Asia, in several of the West India Islands and in some places of the United States. In the state of New York it is called Seneca Oil, from being found near the Seneca lake."

It will be discovered that Captain Bonneville made the mistake of supposing he was on the Popo Agie, whereas he had only reached the south branch of that stream, known at this day as the Little Popo Agie. The name Popo Agie, he says, like most Indian names, is characteristic, Popo, in the Crow language, signifying head, and Agie, river.

After leaving the tar springs, he proceeded down the left bank of the Little Popo Agie and finally reached Big Wind River, where he encamped on account of the river being swollen by recent rains. During the course of the afternoon he beheld a long line of horsemen descending the slope of the hills on the opposite side of the Popo Agie. They were first thought to be Indians, but after a time Captain Bonneville became satisfied that they were white men. They proved to be the convoy of Robert Campbell, who was on his way to St. Louis with a large stock of furs.

Fitzpatrick and a hardy band of trappers were the convoy; also Nathaniel J. Wyeth on his way to Boston. The two parties came together some days afterward on the Big Horn River and camped and traveled in company until they reached a point below the Grand Canon of the Big Horn, at which place they arrived about the middle of August, where they constructed bull boats of buffalo hides stretched over wooden frames. It took three of these boats to convey the peltries, and they were manned by Mr. Cerre and thirtysix men. On the way to the place of embarkation on the Big Horn, Captain Bonneville had detached two parties to trap in the Crow country, and after the departure of Mr. Cerre and the boats, this brave leader found himself with only four men and forty-six horses. With these he retraced his steps across the Big Horn Mountains, intending to join his two bands which he had left on the road going north. On the mountain the Captain discovered traces of the terrible Blackfeet and he felt no little solicitude about the two small parties of trappers which he had detached, lest the Indians should have come upon them. He felt still more keenly the situation of his own little band. He resolved to use the greatest caution and thus elude the savages. No guns were discharged or fires lighted for some days, and it was not until the last day of their march to the rendezvous, where they expected to meet the two bands, that they discharged a gun. Hunger overcame their caution, so they fired at a buffalo bull and brought him down. The best pieces of meat were cut from the carcass, but they now hesitated to build a fire and cook it, as all along their route there had been indications of the presence of savages. They therefore conveyed the meat to their place of rendezvous, at which they arrived that evening, celebrating their arrival by a hearty supper. The two detachments had not yet come up, therefore the next morning they constructed a log fortress for their own defense and a strong pen in which to confine the horses. On the 29th the two detachments so anxiously looked for arrived. They had experienced many adventures with Indians, and in consequence had been un

able to secure any great amount of furs. They had been attacked by both Blackfeet and Crows, and while they had lost some horses and camp equipage, none of the men had been killed. The combined party after this moved south. This was on the 1st of September. The men were given an opportunity to trap as they passed slowly through the country. After reaching Wind River they turned westward up that stream. Many traps had been lost on the journey and Captain Bonneville discovered that it would be neces sary to visit the caches on Green River for a fresh supply; also to procure a few other much needed articles. He determined to take three men with him and make the journey, giving instructions to the main body to proceed up the Wind River, trapping on the way in the small tributaries of the stream. It was understood he would join the party on the headwaters of this stream as soon as he could make the trip to Green River and return over one of the low passes in the mountains which have an outlet at the head of Wind River. Captain Bonneville and his party of three crossed Wind River and followed up the Little Wind River. On the way he discovered smoke arising, which on closer investigation proved to be steam, from an hot spring that was about twenty-five yards in diameter and so deep that the water was of a bright green color. My readers will recognize this as the great hot spring located near Fort Washakie. They were now advancing in the direction of the Wind River Mountain, but the Captain saw that to reach the goods he had cached on Green River by a detour around the south end of the mountain made a distance nearly three times as great as it would be if there were some practical route through the Wind River Range. He therefore determined to try and find such an opening. The party first went up the North Fork Canon, but after several hours spent in climbing precipices they reached a point where they seemed surrounded by stupendous crags which barred further progress. There was nothing to do but again return to the plains. Following south, they soon came to the main Popo Agie and here again they attempted to force their way

through the mountain. During the first day they had little difficulty. They passed up the slope half a mile north of the Popo Agie, thinking to find an elevated plain a few miles farther up, but instead they found deep ravines and a second slope similar to the one they had just ascended, and so they kept on, toiling forward and upward, until night overtook them as they had just reached a wild dell, where they made their camp for the night. The next morning they pushed on again, and the difficulties increased as they proceeded. They at last reached a point where they had to climb down into a rocky ravine in order to ascend the next mountain. In attempting to get their horses down this place, some of them lost their footing and rolled to the bottom. They crossed many bright streams that went tumbling down to the valley below. On the third day they came upon two lakes of dazzling beauty surrounded by green meadows. Here they left their horses in charge of one man and Captain Bonneville with the other two climbed the neighboring height, expecting to find a way out of the labyrinth of moun tains. He gained the summit after much toil, only to find himself at the foot of another lofty peak. To the right and left were other tall mountains, the summits of which were covered with snow. Selecting the loftiest peak, they turned their footsteps in that direction and finally reached its base and commenced the ascent, and found it the most difficult task of their lives; but onward they pushed and, climbing at times on their hands and knees, and frequently they became so exhausted with their exertions that they gladly dropped down in the snow and rested from their laborious efforts and slaked their thirst with handfuls of snow. At times it seemed impossible to go any farther, but the Captain's pride would not permit him to turn back, so he still led the way onward and upward. At last the three men threw off their coats and hung them on some stunted bushes in a position in which they could be easily seen on the return journey. Thus lightly clad, they nerved themselves for another effort, and on they went again, climbing as it seemed to them to the very clouds, and at last reached the