to be seen but lava. Ranges of mountains skirt this plain, and, in Captain Bonneville's opinion,were
formerly connected, until rent asunder by some convulsion of nature. Far to the east the ThreeTetons
lift their heads sublimely, and dominate this wide sea of lava -- one of the most striking featuresof
a wilderness where everything seems on a scale of stern and simple grandeur.
We look forward with impatience for some able geologist to explore this sublime but almostunknown region.
It was not until the 25th of April that the two parties of trappers broke up their encampments,and
undertook to cross over the southwest end of the mountain by a pass explored by their scouts.
From
various points of the mountain they commanded boundless prospects of the lava plain, stretchingaway in cold and gloomy barrenness as far as the eye could reach. On the evening of the 26ththey
reached the plain west of the mountain, watered by the Malade, the Boisee, and other streams,which
comprised the contemplated trapping-ground.
The country about the Boisee (or Woody) River is extolled by Captain Bonneville as themost
enchanting he had seen in the Far West, presenting the mingled grandeur and beauty of mountainand plain, of bright running streams and vast grassy meadows waving to the breeze.
We shall not follow the captain throughout his trapping campaign, which lasted until thebeginning
of June, nor detail all the manoeuvres of the rival trapping parties and their various schemes tooutwit and out-trap each other. Suffice it to say that, after having visited and camped aboutvarious
streams with varying success, Captain Bonneville set forward early in June for the appointedrendezvous at the caches. On the way, he treated his party to a grand buffalo hunt. The scouts hadre ported numerous herds in a plain beyond an intervening height. There was an immediate halt;the
fleetest horses were forthwith mounted and the party advanced to the summit of the hill. Hencethey
beheld the great plain below; absolutely swarming with buffalo. Captain Bonneville nowappointed
the place where he would encamp; and toward which the hunters were to drive the game. Hecautioned the latter to advance slowly, reserving the strength and speed of the horses until withina
moderate distance of the herds. Twenty-two horsemen descended cautiously into the plain,conformably to these directions. ""It was a beautiful sight," says the captain, ""to see the runners,as they are called, advancing in column, at a slow trot, until within two hundred and fifty yardsof
the outskirts of the herd, then dashing on at full speed until lost in the immense multitude ofbuffaloes scouring the plain in every direction." All was now tumult and wild confusion. In themeantime Captain Bonneville and the residue of the party moved on to the appointed campingground; thither the most expert runners succeeded in driving numbers of buffalo, which werekilled
hard by the camp, and the flesh transported thither without difficulty. In a little while the wholecamp looked like one great slaughter-house; the carcasses were skilfully cut up, great fires weremade, scaffolds erected for drying and jerking beef, and an ample provision was made for futuresubsistence. On the 15th of June, the precise day appointed for the rendezvous, CaptainBonneville
and his party arrived safely at the caches.
Here he was joined by the other detachments of his main party, all in good health and spirits.
The
caches were again opened, supplies of various kinds taken out, and a liberal allowance of aquavitae
distributed throughout the camp, to celebrate with proper conviviality this merry meeting. [Return to Contents].
