Departure from Green River valley--Popo Agie--Its course--The rivers into which itruns--Scenery of the Bluffs--the great Tar Spring--Volcanic tracts in the Crowcountry--Burning Mountain of Powder River--Sulphur springs--Hidden fires--Colter'sHell--Wind River--Campbell's party--Fitzpatrick and his trappers--Captain Stewart, anamateur traveller--Nathaniel Wyeth--Anecdotes of his expedition to the FarWest--Disaster of Campbell's party--A union of bands--The Bad Pass--Therapids--Departure of Fitzpatrick--Embarkation of peltries--Wyeth and his bullboat--Adventures of Captain Bonneville in the Bighorn Mountains--Adventures in theplain--Traces of Indians--Travelling precautions--Dangers of making a smoke-- Therendezvous ON THE 25TH of July, Captain Bonneville struck his tents, and set out on his route forthe Bighorn, at the head of a party of fifty-six men, including those who were to embarkwith Cerre. Crossing the Green River valley, he proceeded along the south point of theWind River range of mountains, and soon fell upon the track of Mr. Robert Campbell'sparty, which had preceded him by a day. This he pursued, until he perceived that it leddown the banks of the Sweet Water to the southeast. As this was different from hisproposed direction, he left it; and turning to the northeast, soon came upon the watersof the Popo Agie. This stream takes its rise in the Wind River Mountains. Its name, likemost Indian names, is characteristic. Popo , in the Crow language, signifies head; and Agie , river. It is the head of a long river, extending from the south end of the WindRiver
Mountains in a northeast direction, until it falls into the Yellowstone. Its course isgenerally through plains, but is twice crossed by chains of mountains; the first called theLittlehorn; the second, the Bighorn. After it has forced its way through the first chain, itis called the Horn River; after the second chain, it is called the Bighorn River. Itspassage through this last chain is rough and violent; making repeated falls, and rushingdown long and furious rapids, which threaten destruction to the navigator; though ahardy trapper is said to have shot down them in a canoe. At the foot of these rapids, isthe head of navigation; where it was the intention of the parties to construct boats, andembark.
Proceeding down along the Popo Agie, Captain Bonneville came again in full view ofthe "Bluffs," as they are called, extending from the base of the Wind River Mountainsfar away to the east, and presenting to the eye a confusion of hills and cliffs of redsandstone, some peaked and angular, some round, some broken into crags andprecipices, and piled up in fantastic masses; but all naked and sterile. There appearedto be no soil favorable to vegetation, nothing but coarse gravel; yet, over all thisisolated, barren landscape, were diffused such atmospherical tints and hues, as toblend the whole into harmony and beauty.
In this neighborhood, the captain made search for "the great Tar Spring," one of thewonders of the mountains; the medicinal properties of which, he had heardextravagantly lauded by the trappers. After a toilsome search, he found it at the foot ofa sand-bluff, a little east of the Wind River Mountains; where it exuded in a smallstream of the color and consistency of tar. The men immediately hastened to collect aquantity of it, to use as an ointment for the galled backs of their horses, and as abalsam for their own pains and aches. From the description given of it, it is evidently thebituminous oil, called petrolium or naphtha, which forms a principal ingredient in thepotent medicine called British Oil. It is found in various parts of Europe and Asia, inseveral of the West India islands, and in some places of the United States. In the stateof New York, it is called Seneca Oil, from being found near the Seneca lake.
The Crow country has other natural curiosities, which are held in superstitious awe bythe Indians, and considered great marvels by the trappers. Such is the BurningMountain, on Powder River, abounding with anthracite coal. Here the earth is hot andcracked; in many places emitting smoke and sulphurous vapors, as if coveringconcealed fires. A volcanic tract of similar character is found on Stinking River, one ofthe tributaries of the Bighorn, which takes its unhappy name from the odor derived fromsulphurous springs and streams. This last mentioned place was first discovered byColter, a hunter belonging to Lewis and Clarke's exploring party, who came upon it inthe course of his lonely wanderings, and gave such an account of its gloomy terrors, itshidden fires, smoking pits, noxious streams, and the all-pervading "smell of brimstone,"that it received, and has ever since retained among trappers, the name of "Colter'sHell!"
Resuming his descent along the left bank of the Popo Agie, Captain Bonneville soonreached the plains; where he found several large streams entering from the west.
Among these was Wind River, which gives its name to the mountains among which ittakes its rise. This is one of the most important streams of the Crow country. The riverbeing much swollen, Captain Bonneville halted at its mouth, and sent out scouts to lookfor a fording place. While thus encamped, he beheld in the course of the afternoon along line of horsemen descending the slope of the hills on the opposite side of the PopoAgie. His first idea was that they were Indians; he soon discovered, however, that theywere white men, and, by the long line of pack-horses, ascertained them to be theconvoy of Campbell, which, having descended the Sweet Water, was now on its way tothe Horn River.
