continued overcast during my stay here, so that I failed in determining
the latitude, but obtained good observations for the time on the mornings
of the 11th and 12th. An assumed latitude of 40 deg. 22' 30" from the evening
position of the 12th, enabled me to obtain for a tolerably correct
longitude, 105 deg. 12' 12".

12th.--The kindness of Mr. St. Vrain enabled me to obtain a couple of
horses and three good mules; and, with a further addition to our party of
the Spaniard whom I had hired, and two others, who were going to obtain
service at Laramie's fork, we resumed our journey at ten, on the morning
of the 12th. We had been able to procure nothing at the post in the way of
provision. An expected supply from Taos had not yet arrived, and a few
pounds of coffee was all that could be spared to us. In addition to this
we had dried meat enough for the first day; on the next, we expected to
find buffalo. From this post, according to the estimate of the country,
the fort at the mouth of Laramie's fork, which was our next point of
destination, was nearly due north, distant about one hundred and twenty-
five miles.

For a short distance our road lay down the valley of the Platte, which
resembled a garden in the splendor of fields of varied flowers, which
filled the air with fragrance. The only timber I noticed consisted of
poplar, birch, cottonwood, and willow. In something less than three miles
we crossed Thompson's creek, one of the affluents to the left bank of the
South fork--a fine stream about sixty-five feet wide, and three feet deep.
Journeying on, the low dark line of the Black hills lying between us and
the mountains to the left, in about ten miles from the fort, we reached
_Cache a la Poudre_, where we halted to noon. This is a very
beautiful mountain-stream, about one hundred feet wide, flowing with a
full swift current over a rocky bed. We halted under the shade of some