9th.--This morning we caught the first faint glimpse of the Rocky
mountains, about sixty miles distant. Though a tolerably bright day, there
was a slight mist, and we were just able to discern the snowy summit of
"Long's peak," ("_les deux oreilles_" of the Canadians,)
showing like a cloud near the horizon. I found it easily distinguishable,
there being a perceptible difference in its appearance from the white
clouds that were floating about the sky. I was pleased to find that among
the traders the name of "Long's peak" had been adopted and become familiar
in the country. In the ravines near this place, a light brown sandstone
made its first appearance. About 8, we discerned several persons on
horseback a mile or two ahead, on the opposite side of the river. They
turned in towards the river, and we rode down to meet them. We found them
to be two white men, and a mulatto named Jim Beckwith, who had left St.
Louis when a boy, and gone to live with the Crow Indians. He had
distinguished himself among them by some acts of daring bravery, and had
risen to the rank of chief, but had now, for some years, left them. They
were in search of a band of horses that had gone off from a camp some
miles above, in charge of Mr. Chabonard. Two of them continued down the
river, in search of the horses, and the American turned back with us, and
we rode on towards the camp. About eight miles from our sleeping-place, we
reached Bijou's fork, an affluent of the right bank. Where we crossed it,
a short distance from the Platte, it has a sandy bed about four hundred
yards broad; the water in various small streams, a few inches deep. Seven
miles further brought us to the camp of some four or five whites, (New
Englanders, I believe,) who had accompanied Captain Wyeth to the Columbia
river, and were independent trappers. All had their squaws with them, and
I was really surprised at the number of little fat, buffalo-fed boys that
were tumbling about the camp, all apparently of the same age, about three
or four years old. They were encamped on a rich bottom, covered with a
profusion of rich grass, and had a large number of fine-looking horses and