t this naked height, had whirled all the snow into the valley
beneath, so that the horses found tolerable winter pasturage on the
dry grass which remained exposed. The travellers, though hungry in the
extreme, were fain to make a very frugal supper; for they saw their
journey was likely to be prolonged much beyond the anticipated term.

In fact, on the following day they discerned that, although already at
a great elevation, they were only as yet upon the shoulder of the
mountain. It proved to be a great sierra, or ridge, of immense height,
running parallel to the course of the river, swelling by degrees to
lofty peaks, but the outline gashed by deep and precipitous ravines.
This, in fact, was a part of the chain of Blue Mountains, in which the
first adventurers to Astoria experienced such hardships.

We will not pretend to accompany the travellers step by step in this
tremendous mountain scramble, into which they had unconsciously betrayed
themselves. Day after day did their toil continue; peak after peak had
they to traverse, struggling with difficulties and hardships known only
to the mountain trapper. As their course lay north, they had to ascend
the southern faces of the heights, where the sun had melted the snow,
so as to render the ascent wet and slippery, and to keep both men and
horses continually on the strain; while on the northern sides, the snow
lay in such heavy masses, that it was necessary to beat a track down
which the horses might be led. Every now and then, also, their way was
impeded by tall and numerous pines, some of which had fallen, and lay in
every direction.

In the midst of these toils and hardships, their provisions gave out.
For three days they were without food, and so reduced that they could
scarcely drag themselves along. At length one of the mules, being about
to give out from fatigue and famine, they hastened to dispatch him.
Husbanding this miserable supply, they dried the flesh, and for three
days subsisted upon the nutriment extracted from the bones. As to the
meat, it was packed and preserved as long as they could do without it,
not knowing how long they might remain bewildered in these desolate
regions.

One of the men was now dispatched ahead, to reconnoitre the country, and
to discover, if possible, some more practicable route. In the meantime,
the rest of the party moved on slowly. After a lapse of three days, the
scout rejoined them. He informed them that Snake River ran imm