nd eight inches in height. In this
neighborhood, he saw on the rocky banks of the river several prismoids
of basaltes, rising to the height of fifty or sixty feet.

Nothing particularly worthy of note occurred during several days as the
party proceeded up along Snake River and across its tributary streams.
After crossing Gun Creek, they met with various signs that white people
were in the neighborhood, and Captain Bonneville made earnest exertions
to discover whether they were any of his own people, that he might join
them. He soon ascertained that they had been starved out of this tract
of country, and had betaken themselves to the buffalo region, whither he
now shaped his course. In proceeding along Snake River, he found small
hordes of Shoshonies lingering upon the minor streams, and living upon
trout and other fish, which they catch in great numbers at this season
in fish-traps. The greater part of the tribe, however, had penetrated
the mountains to hunt the elk, deer, and ahsahta or bighorn.

On the 12th of May, Captain Bonneville reached the Portneuf River, in
the vicinity of which he had left the winter encampment of his company
on the preceding Christmas day. He had then expected to be back by the
beginning of March, but circumstances had detained him upward of two
months beyond the time, and the winter encampment must long ere this
have been broken up. Halting on the banks of the Portneuf, he dispatched
scouts a few miles above, to visit the old camping ground and search for
signals of the party, or of their whereabouts, should they actually
have abandoned the spot. They returned without being able to ascertain
anything.

Being now destitute of provisions, the travellers found it necessary
to make a short hunting excursion after buffalo. They made caches,
therefore, on an island in the river, in which they deposited all their
baggage, and then set out on their expedition. They were so fortunate as
to kill a couple of fine bulls, and cutting up the carcasses, determined
to husband this stock of provisions with the most miserly care, lest
they should again be obliged to venture into the open and dangerous
hunting grounds. Returning to their island on the 18th of May, they
found that the wolves had been at the caches, scratched up the contents,
and scattered them in every direction. They now constructed a more
secure one, in which they deposited their heaviest articles, and then
descended Snake River again, and