a road ahead. The glare of the snow, combined with great fatigue,
had rendered many of the people nearly blind; but we were fortunate
in having some black silk handkerchiefs, which, worn as veils, very
much relieved the eye.

"In the evening I received a message from Mr. Fitzpatrick, acquainting me
with the utter failure of his attempt to get our mules and horses
over the snow -- the half hidden trail had proved entirely too slight
to support them, and they had broken through, and were plunging
about or lying half buried in snow. He was occupied in endeavoring
to get them back to his camp; and in the mean time sent to me for
further instructions. I wrote to him to send the animals immediately
back to their old pastures; and, after having made mauls and
shovels, turn in all the strength of his party to open and beat a
road through the snow, strengthening it with branches and boughs
of the pines.

"February 12. -- We made mauls, and worked hard at our end of the
road all the day. The wind was high, but the sun bright, and the
snow thawing. We worked down the face of the hill, to meet the
people at the other end. Towards sundown it began to grow cold,
and we shouldered our mauls, and trudged back to camp.

"February 13. -- We continued to labor on the road; and in the
course of the day had the satisfaction to see the people working
down the face of the opposite hill, about three miles distant. During
the morning we had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Fitzpatrick,
with the information that all was going on well. A party of Indians
had passed on snowshoes, who said they were going to the western
side of the mountain after fish. This was an indication that the