with
the boats thus lightened toward Kedgwick Lake. The lightening of the
boats was rendered necessary in consequence of the diminution of the
volume of the river and the occurrence of falls, over which it would
have been impossible to convey them when fully loaded. For want of a
guide, a branch more western than that which issues from the lake was
entered. One of the boats was therefore sent round into the lake to
await the return of the engineers dispatched to the meridian line.
The stores, which were all that could be brought up in the state of the
waters, were now found to be wholly insufficient to allow of committing
the party to the unexplored country between this stream and Tuladi. Even
the four days which must intervene before the return of the engineers
could be expected would do much to exhaust them. The commissioner
therefore resolved to proceed across the country, with no other
companion than two men, carrying ten days' provisions. It was hoped that
four or five days might suffice for the purpose, but ten of great toil
and difficulty were spent before Lake Tuladi was reached. The remainder
of the detachment, united by the return of the engineers, descended the
north branch of the Grande Fourche to the junction of the south branch,
ascended the latter, and made the portage to Green River. In this the
boats were completely worn out, and the last of their food exhausted
just at the moment that supplies sent up the Green River to meet them
arrived at their camp.

No arrangement which could have been made would have sufficed to prevent
the risk of famine which was thus encountered by the second detachment.
A greater number of boats would have required more men, and these would
have eaten all they could have carried. No other actual suffering but
great fatigue and anxiety were encountered; and it is now obvious that
had the rains which were so abundant during the first week of October
been snow (as they sometimes are in that climate) there would have been
a risk of the detachment perishing.

The third detachment reached their station on Green River Mountain on
the 13th September and continued there until the 12th October. A full
set of barometric observations was made, the latitude well determined
by numerous altitudes, and the longitude approximately by some lunar
observations.

The fourth detachment, after depositing the stores intended for the
return of the party in charge of the British commissary at Fort I