Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean: Vol. 1, Pt. 2

FROM BITTER ROOT VALLEY TO FORT HALL.
they had nothing but two rabbits which they had just killed. Seeing no prospect of getting fresh
provisions in this quarter, we journeyed along the right bank of the Snake river for a distance of
a mile, and encamped in excellent grass for our animals, which they very much needed, as the
grass: of last night was poor and scarce. Our fuel for this night consisted of the different wood
brought down by the Snake river during the season of the freshets, and which along the banks
is scattered and lpiled in every direction, The day was mild, though cloudy. The thermometer
at sunset was 38~, and at 9 p. m. 32~.
December 12, 1853.-Conmmences clear and pleasant, the thermometer at sunrise being 34%
The Tetons and the high range of Sailmon mountains in the east, covered with their mantles of
snow, shone silvery bright this morning, uiider the genial rays of the sun. All of our animals
were found this morning save one; when, a short time after missing him, we espied at a distance
our Banax friend leading him along the bank of the river, it having strayed to his band of horses
during the night. He was accompanied by his son, who it seemed had turned out at an early
houlr this morning and caught a number of fine trout, which hle brought to our camp and presented to us, in return for which we gave him a supply of tobacco. Our journey of to-day lay
along the right bank of the Snake river, still continuing through the immense sage desert already
reterred to. We found the river to make numerous and large bends, and instead; of following
the course of the river along its many windings, our trail lay through the prairie, leaving the
river to our left. We struck it, however, several times during the day, and found it to be about
two hundred yards wide, and. in its course having exceedingly many rapids and falls. Its banks
we found untimbered save by the willow; and we continued on till we reached a camp, where
we found the cotton-wood and cedar in great abundance. The river, during the whole distance
travelled to-day, winds through the sage prairie, with high clay banks on each side, with occa
sionally a low gravelly slope. Along the river we found much drift-wood, in some places piled
to the height of mariy feet. Many islands were to be seeni in the river, some of which were
formed of so]id rock, and rose to a considerable height above the water. This rock, many fragments of which will be seen along the banks of the river, is a black, honey-combed, volcanic
rock, the same that has already been referred to as occurring in very many places through the
Snake River valley, and which is first noticed after crossing the dividing ridge of the Missouri
and Snake river waters.
About: twelve miles from our camp of last night we espied a smoke, some distance to our left
on the river bank; when approaching it, we found, among the artemisia of the prairie, three or
flour families of the Root-Digger Indians, who were living here on the hnk of the river. They
were astonished to see us, the children running and scampering through the bu'shes as if their
lives were in danger. These Indians are probably the most miserable of all the Indian tribes,
either east or west of the mountains. They had with them no lodges and no food, save a large
pile of- white-colored roots which they had just dug from the side of the river, and which they
seem to feast on with as much contentedness as if they were surrounded by all the luxuries of
life. The men were absent fishing. Fish and roots are-their only subsistence; and still these
people are fat and in good condition, and, without knowing it, we would have supposed their fare
to consist of aught else than fish and roots. They all seemed to be living in small corrals, as
it were, formed of the artemisia, in which they had a few glowing embers. A few horses and a
mule stood near by, who actually seemed to occupy, at least in our estimation, a much higher
position in the social scale than these miserable, worthless creatures. Apparently, their sole
object in living, and pursuit in life, seems to be to gain a subsistence wherewith to keep body and
soul together. Words, in fact, are not adequate to express the deep misery, degradation, and
wretchedness of these moral brutes of the mountains. They approach more to the order of the
brute creation than probably any portion of the human race on the face of the globe. We had
visited their abodes with the expectation of procuring fresh meat; but disgust getting the better
of us, as soon as we were madle acquainted with our new neighbors we put spurs to our horses
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