up one of the
branches of the Popo Agie, but soon found themselves in the midst of
stupendous crags and precipices that barred all progress. Retracing
their steps, and falling back upon the river, they consulted where to
make another attempt. They were too close beneath the mountains to scan
them generally, but they now recollected having noticed, from the plain,
a beautiful slope rising, at an angle of about thirty degrees, and
apparently without any break, until it reached the snowy region. Seeking
this gentle acclivity, they began to ascend it with alacrity, trusting
to find at the top one of those elevated plains which prevail among the
Rocky Mountains. The slope was covered with coarse gravel, interspersed
with plates of freestone. They attained the summit with some toil, but
found, instead of a level, or rather undulating plain, that they were
on the brink of a deep and precipitous ravine, from the bottom of which
rose a second slope, similar to the one they had just ascended. Down
into this profound ravine they made their way by a rugged path, or
rather fissure of the rocks, and then labored up the second slope. They
gained the summit only to find themselves on another ravine, and now
perceived that this vast mountain, which had presented such a sloping
and even side to the distant beholder on the plain, was shagged by
frightful precipices, and seamed with longitudinal chasms, deep and
dangerous.

In one of these wild dells they passed the night, and slept soundly
and sweetly after their fatigues. Two days more of arduous climbing and
scrambling only served to admit them into the heart of this mountainous
and awful solitude; where difficulties increased as they proceeded.
Sometimes they scrambled from rock to rock, up the bed of some mountain
stream, dashing its bright way down to the plains; sometimes they
availed themselves of the paths made by the deer and the mountain sheep,
which, however, often took them to the brinks of fearful precipices, or
led to rugged defiles, impassable for their horses. At one place, they
were obliged to slide their horses down the face of a rock, in which
attempt some of the poor animals lost their footing, rolled to the
bottom, and came near being dashed to pieces.

In the afternoon of the second day, the travellers attained one of the
elevated valleys locked up in this singular bed of mountains. Here were
two bright and beautiful little lakes, set like mirrors in the midst of
s