Fork—Fort Hall—Division of the Party—Arrival at Dalles—The Sierra
Nevada—Preparations for the Passage Through the Mountains—Fremont's
Account.
The explorers remained in camp the next day and boiled down some of the water from the lake, thereby1 obtaining considerable salt. The following morning was clear and beautiful and they returned by the same route, ascending3 the valley of Bear River toward the north.
The expected Fitzpatrick and the provisions did not show themselves and the party began to suffer for food. When their situation became serious, Fremont permitted a horse to be killed and then all enjoyed one of their old fashioned feasts.
But this supply could not last long, and still they failed to meet their expected friends. After a time they encountered an Indian who had killed an antelope4, which they quickly purchased and another feast made every heart glad. By way of dessert, a messenger galloped5 into camp with the news that Fitzpatrick was close at hand with an abundant supply of provisions.
The next morning the two parties united and continued the journey together. After leaving the Bear River Valley they crossed over to Lewis's Fork of the Columbia. At night the camp fires of the Indian twinkled like so many stars along the mountain side; but they were all friendly and the tired explorers slept peacefully.
Pushing onward6 they reached the upper waters of Lewis's Fork, where snow began to fall. However, they were quite near Fort Hall and they therefore went into camp, while Fremont rode to the fort and procured7 several horses and oxen.
The weather continued severe, but Fremont determined8 to push on, despite the hardships which he knew awaited them all. As a matter of prudence9, however, he sent back eleven of his men, leaving about twenty with which he pursued his journey down the river valley in the direction of the Columbia. The Dalles was reached in safety where Kit10 Carson was left in command of the party, while Fremont with a few companions pushed on to Vancouver Island, where he procured some provisions. On his return, the whole party united and made their way to Klamath Lake, in what was then Oregon Territory. When their observations were completed, they took up their march in the direction of California.
After a long and wearisome journey, attended by much suffering for the lack of food, they came in sight of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which were seen to be covered with snow. The men were in a sorry plight11. The provisions were nearly gone; they could not turn back, and there seemed but two alternatives before them: to push on through the mountains or remain where they were and starve to death. Such men were not the ones to fold their hands and lie down in helpless despair. Accordingly, they made their preparations for the terrible venture.
The snow was so deep that it was impossible to get forward without the aid of snowshoes. Devoting themselves to the manufacture of these indispensable articles, a few were sent ahead to learn how far it was necessary to break a path for the animals. After a laborious13 passage, it was found that nine miles would have to be prepared in that fashion. Carson was with this advance and when they halted, he saw in the distance the green Sacramento Valley. Although nearly twenty years had passed since he visited that section, he recognized it at once. Away beyond towered the white peaks of the Coast Range. Carson was the only man in the party who really knew where they were.
This passage of Fremont and his men through the Sierra Nevada Mountains is one of the most extraordinary achievements in American history. Carson himself took such a prominent part in it, that it seems only just that Fremont's thrilling account should be quoted.
"The people were unusually silent; for every man knew that our enterprise was hazardous14, and the issue doubtful.
"The snow deepened rapidly, and it soon became necessary to break a road. For this service, a party of ten was formed, mounted on the strongest horses; each man in succession opening the road on foot, or on horseback, until himself and his horse became fatigued15, when he stepped aside; and, the remaining number passing ahead, he took his station in the rear.
"The camp had been all the day occupied in endeavoring to ascend2 the hill, but only the best horses had succeeded; the animals, generally, not having sufficient strength to bring themselves up without the packs; and all the line of road between this and the springs was strewed17 with camp stores and equipage, and horses floundering in snow. I therefore immediately encamped on the ground with my own mess, which was in advance, and directed Mr. Fitzpatrick to encamp at the springs, and send all the animals, in charge of Tabeau, with a strong guard, back to the place where they had been pastured the night before. Here was a small spot of level ground, protected on one side by the mountain, and on the other sheltered by a little ridge18 of rock. It was an open grove19 of pines, which assimilated in size to the grandeur20 of the mountain, being frequently six feet in diameter.
"Tonight we had no shelter, but we made a large fire around the trunk of one of the huge pines; and covering the snow with small boughs21, on which we spread our blankets, soon made ourselves comfortable. The night was very bright and clear, though the thermometer was only at 10 degrees. A strong wind which sprang up at sundown, made it intensely cold; and this was one of the bitterest nights during the journey.
"Two Indians joined our party here; and one of them, an old man, immediately began to harangue22 us, saying that ourselves and animals would perish in the snow; and that, if we would go back, he would show us another and a better way across the mountain. He spoke23 in a very loud voice, and there was a singular repetition of phrases and arrangement of words, which rendered his speech striking, and not unmusical.
"We had now begun to understand some words, and, with the aid of signs, easily comprehended the old man's simple ideas. 'Rock upon rock—rock upon rock—snow upon snow—snow upon snow,' said he; 'even if you get over the snow, you will not be able to get down from the mountains.' He made us the sign of precipices24, and showed us how the feet of the horses would slip, and throw them off from the narrow trails led along their sides. Our Chinook, who comprehended even more readily than ourselves, and believed our situation hopeless, covered his head with his blanket, and began to weep and lament25. 'I wanted to see the whites,' said he; 'I came away from my own people to see the whites, and I wouldn't care to die among them; but here'—and he looked around into the cold night and gloomy forest, and, drawing his blanket over his head, began again to lament.
"Seated around the tree, the fire illuminating26 the rocks and the tall boils of the pines round about, and the old Indian haranguing27, we presented a group of very serious faces.
"February 5.—The night had been too cold to sleep, and we were up very early. Our guide was standing28 by the fire with all his finery on; and seeing him shiver in the cold, I threw on his shoulders one of my blankets. We missed him a few minutes afterwards, and never saw him again. He had deserted29. His bad faith and treachery were in perfect keeping with the estimate of Indian character, which a long intercourse30 with this people had gradually forced upon my mind.
"While a portion of the camp were occupied in bringing up the baggage to this point, the remainder were busied in making sledges31 and snowshoes. I had determined to explore the mountain ahead, and the sledges were to be used in transporting the baggage.
"Crossing the open basin, in a march of about ten miles we reached the top of one of the peaks, to the left of the pass indicated by our guide. Far below us, dimmed by the distance, was a large, snowless valley, bounded on the western side, at the distance of about a hundred miles, by a low range of mountains, which Carson recognized with delight as the mountains bordering the coast. 'There,' said he, 'is the little mountain—it is fifteen years ago since I saw it; but I am just as sure as if I had seen it yesterday.' Between us, then, and this low coast range, was the valley of the Sacramento; and no one who had not accompanied us through the incidents of our life for the last few months, could realize the delight with which at last we looked down upon it. At the distance of apparently32 thirty miles beyond us were distinguished33 spots of prairie; and a dark line, which could be traced with the glass, was imagined to be the course of the river; but we were evidently at a great height above the valley, and between us and the plains extended miles of snowy fields and broken ridges34 of pine covered mountains.
"It was late in the day when we turned towards the camp; and it grew rapidly cold as it drew towards night. One of the men became fatigued and his feet began to freeze, and building a fire in the trunk of a dry old cedar35, Mr. Fitzpatrick remained with him until his clothes could be dried, and he was in a condition to come on. After a day's march of twenty miles, we straggled into camp, one after another, at nightfall; the greater number excessively fatigued, only two of the party having ever travelled on snowshoes before.
"All our energies were now directed to getting our animals across the snow; and it was supposed that, after all the baggage had been drawn36 with the sleighs over the trail we had made, it would be sufficiently37 hard to bear our animals.
"At several places, between this point and the ridge, we had discovered some grassy38 spots, where the wind and sun had dispersed39 the snow from the sides of the hills, and these were to form resting place to support the animals for a night in their passage across. On our way across, we had set on fire several broken stumps40 and dried trees, to melt holes in the snow for the camp. Its general depth was five feet; but we passed over places where it was twenty feet deep, as shown by the trees.
"With one party drawing sleighs loaded with baggage, I advanced today about four miles along the trail, and encamped at the first grassy spot, where we expected to bring our horses. Mr. Fitzpatrick, with another party, remained behind, to form an intermediate station between us and the animals.
"Putting on our snowshoes, we spent the afternoon in exploring a road ahead. The glare of the snow, combined with great fatigue16, had rendered many of the people nearly blind; but we were fortunate in having some black silk handkerchiefs, which, worn as veils, very much relieved the eye.
"In the evening I received a message from Mr. Fitzpatrick, acquainting me with the utter failure of his attempt to get our mules41 and horses over the snow—the half hidden trail had proved entirely42 too slight to support them, and they had broken through, and were plunging43 about or lying half buried in snow. He was occupied in endeavoring to get them back to his camp; and in the mean time sent to me for further instructions. I wrote to him to send the animals immediately back to their old pastures; and, after having made mauls and shovels44, turn in all the strength of his party to open and beat a road through the snow, strengthening it with branches and boughs of the pines.
"February 12.—We made mauls, and worked hard at our end of the road all the day. The wind was high, but the sun bright, and the snow thawing45. We worked down the face of the hill, to meet the people at the other end. Towards sundown it began to grow cold, and we shouldered our mauls, and trudged46 back to camp.
"February 13.—We continued to labor12 on the road; and in the course of the day had the satisfaction to see the people working down the face of the opposite hill, about three miles distant. During the morning we had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Fitzpatrick, with the information that all was going on well. A party of Indians had passed on snowshoes, who said they were going to the western side of the mountain after fish. This was an indication that the salmon47 were coming up the streams; and we could hardly restrain our impatience48 as we thought of them, and worked with increased vigor49.
"I was now perfectly50 satisfied that we had struck the stream on which Mr. Sutter lived, and turning about, made a hard push, and reached the camp at dark. Here we had the pleasure to find all the remaining animals, fifty-seven in number, safely arrived at the grassy hill near the camp; and here, also, we were agreeably surprised with the sight of an abundance of salt. Some of the horse guard had gone to a neighboring hut for pine nuts, and discovered unexpectedly a large cake of very white fine grained salt, which the Indians told them they had brought from the other side of the mountain; they used it to eat with their pine nuts, and readily sold it for goods.
"On the 19th, the people were occupied in making a road and bringing up the baggage; and, on the afternoon of the next day, February 20, 1844, we encamped with all the materiel of the camp, on the summit of the pass in the dividing ridge, 1,000 miles by our travelled road from the Dalles of the Columbia.
"February 21.—We now considered ourselves victorious51 over the mountain; having only the descent before us, and the valley under our eyes, we felt strong hope that we should force our way down. But this was a case in which the descent was not facile. Still, deep fields of snow lay between, and there was a large intervening space of rough looking mountains, through which we had yet to wind our way. Carson roused me this morning with an early fire, and we were all up long before day, in order to pass the snow fields before the sun should render the crust soft. We enjoyed this morning a scene at sunrise, which, even here, was unusually glorious and beautiful. Immediately above the eastern mountains was repeated a cloud formed mass of purple ranges, bordered with bright yellow gold; the peaks shot up into a narrow line of crimson52 cloud, above which the air was filled with a greenish orange; and over all was the singular beauty of the blue sky. Passing along a ridge which commanded the lake on our right, of which we began to discover an outlet53 through a chasm54 on the west, we passed over alternating open ground and hard crusted snow fields which supported the animals, and encamped on the ridge after a journey of six miles. The grass was better than we had yet seen, and we were encamped in a clump55 of trees, twenty or thirty feet high, resembling white pine."
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1
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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2
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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3
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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4
antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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5
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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6
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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7
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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8
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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9
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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10
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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11
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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12
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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13
laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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14
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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15
fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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17
strewed
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| v.撒在…上( strew的过去式和过去分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满 | |
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18
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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19
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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20
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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21
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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22
harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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23
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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24
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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25
lament
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| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
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26
illuminating
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| a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的 | |
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27
haranguing
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| v.高谈阔论( harangue的现在分词 ) | |
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28
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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29
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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30
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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31
sledges
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| n.雪橇，雪车( sledge的名词复数 )v.乘雪橇( sledge的第三人称单数 )；用雪橇运载 | |
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32
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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33
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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34
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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35
cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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36
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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37
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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38
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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39
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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40
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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41
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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42
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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43
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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44
shovels
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| n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份 | |
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45
thawing
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| n.熔化，融化v.（气候）解冻( thaw的现在分词 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化 | |
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46
trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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47
salmon
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| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
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48
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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49
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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50
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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51
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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52
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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53
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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54
chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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55
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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