eighteenth they entered the spacious
valley of the Snake river, near its upper waters. The next morning the
snow began to fall and it continued snowing all day.

They were now very near Fort Hall. They therefore encamped, and Colonel
Fremont rode up to the fort and purchased several horses, and five fat
oxen. The arrival of the oxen, giving promise of such good cheer, was
received with shouts of joy. Though night came down upon the wanderers,
cold and stormy, rousing fires and smoking steaks made all happy.

For several days the party remained in their encampment. They had
journeyed from the frontier of Missouri, thirteen hundred and twenty-three
miles. Though winter had come on thus early, and both game and forage were
known to be scarce along the route they were about to travel, Colonel
Fremont decided to continue his explorations, regardless of ice and cold.
He thought it, however, expedient to diminish the number of his party.
Accordingly he assembled the men, informed them of his intention, and of
the great hardships to which they would doubtless be exposed. Thus he
persuaded eleven men to withdraw from the expedition, and return to the
States.

With the lessened party, about twenty in number, Colonel Fremont
recommenced his journey, on the twenty-second of September, down the
valley of the river towards the mouth of the Columbia. We have not space
here to record the many interesting events of this journey. The Colonel
bears constant and affectionate testimony to the services rendered by Kit
Carson. After travelling six or seven hundred miles, they reached Fort
Dalles, then passing directly south, through the very heart of the Oregon
territory, they made a thorough exploration of Klamath Lake, to its
extreme southern border.

Thence they started for California. It was necessary to cross a ridge of
the Sierra Nevada mountains. The snow was six feet deep on a level. The
toils and sufferings of the men were dreadful. There was neither game nor
forage to be found. Many of the mules died of starvation. One incident,
which occurred during this dreadful march, we give in the words of Colonel
Fremont. Under date of February 23rd he writes:

"This was our most difficult day. We were forced off the ridges, by the
quantity of snow among the timber, and obliged to take to the mountain
sides, where occasionally rocks and a southern exposure afforded us a
chance to scramble along. But these were steep, and slippery with sno