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.1 W.Sc W. S. JONES. AUGUSTA, GA., SATURDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 6, 1846. VOL. IX--NO. 106.
FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 6.
» The Editor of thfe Chronicle and Sentinel
seems considerably riled at the charge that the
Win'£P r sses, in endeavoring to make Annexa
ii ,n unpopular, “are playing into the hands 1
0 ( British sagacity, and seconding the wily t
schemes of British diplomacy.” The remark, ,
in all its force and effict, is fully deserved by
the factious and Anti-American course ol lh-<se !
presses, the Chronicle included, and therefore 1
not a syllable is retracted.” .
The above paragraph is extracted Irom the '
rejoinder of the Constitutionalist of yesterday, t
to our article ol the day previous, and although 1 <
we regard the article which we yesterday trans
terred to our columns upon tin's subject a most j
triumphant vindication ol the Whig press and (
party against such charges, yet it may not be
improper to add a few remarks in reply to this 1
particular paragraph.
No one is mote familiar with the truth of the i
adage, that it is one thing to make a charge, and
another and a very different thing to establish it; j
vet, if mere dogmatical assertion,obstinately per
severed in, could establish facts, we confess we
know of no one who would ho more successful
in establishing his positions than our neighbor.
The Editor charged that the Whig press “ are
playing into the hands of British sagacity, and !
seconding the wily schemes of British diploma- '
cy,” and attempted, very unsuccessfully, as we
have already shown, to sustain his position by
extracts from this paper, anti the Columbus En
quirer. Upon this grave charge, we promptly
joined issue, and we have the charge repeated
with the addition, that “the remark, in all its
force and eSect, is fully deserved by the factious
and Anti-American course of those presses.”
This may be sustaining a charge by proof, yet
we had supposed that our neighbor was too fa
miliar with the law of evidence to imagine it
would be so regarded by the intelligent reader
We know not what import the editor attach
es 'o the terras “factions ami AnU-American.”
We are aware that the presses of both patties
at the North, to some extent, have manifested
decided hostility to annexation, even since Ihe
passage and acceptance thereof of the Annexa
tion resolutions. Os this fact our neighbor is
equally well advised, but itdid not serve hi -pur
pose to make the declaration. So far as these
particular presses arc concerned the epithets
of the Constitutionalist may apply, Lin the at
tempt to apply them to the whig press of the
South has proven a moslsignal failure, and the
same remark is true of many of the leading
whig organs at the North. Asa paity,su far
from the whigshavin? ever attempted, either be
fore or after the passage of the annexation resolu
tions,to “play into the hands of'Eriiish sagacity”
or “second the wily schemes of British diplo
macy,” they entered the late residential canvass
with the following unequivocal language of Mr.
Clay in his Raleigh letter inscribed upon their
banners, and they faithfully maintained through
out the contest its statements;
“ If any European nation entertains anv am
bilious designs upon Texas, such as that of col
onising her. or in any way subjugating her,
1 should regard it as ihe impeiative duty of the
G ivernment of the United States U oppose to
such designs the most firm and determined Re
sistance, to the extent, if necessary, of appealing
to arms to prevent the accomplishment id any
such designs.”
If our neighbor can show that this language
of the distinguished Whig standard-bearer,
savors of Anti-American sentiment, wc shall
most certainly acknowledge the force of his
logic.
Movement of Troops.— The Charleston
Courier of yesterday says:—The steamer Cin
cinnati left yesterday for Aransas Bay, (Texas)
with Companies A and I, 3d Regt. U, >S. Ar
tillery.
Departure of the Steamer Great Britain.
—The steamship Great Britain, Capt. Hosken,
took her departure lor Liverpool at three o’clock,
P M , Saturday last. She had litiy-three cabin
passengers, a large mail, and twelve hundred
bales of cotton, and packages of other articles,
as cargo.
Death of Judge Thruston. —The Hon.
Buckner Thruston, Associate Judge ol the
Circuit Court of the United States for the Dis
trict ol Columbia, died at his residence in
Washington city, on Saturday morning last,
in his 83d year.
Emigration in Canada. — The number of
emigrants arrived in GLuebec, during the week
ending August 23.1, was 22,805 —an increase ol
5,694 over the same period last year.
Northern Maid. —The Savannah Republi
can of Wednesday says:— We understand that
Messrs, Brooks & Barden have notified the
Post Master General ol their intention to give
up the contract for carrying the mail between
this city and Charleston, at the expiration of
ninety days. They have been compelled to do
this, we learn, in consequence ol the small re
muneration paid for the service. The Post
Master General has issued proposals for carry
ing the mail between the two cities, alter the old
fashion, viz: in two horse post-coaches, leaving
Charleston at 10 o’clock, A. M., and arrive at
Savannah on the next day, at 10 A. M., and re
turning, leave this city at 1, P. M, Bid* are
also invited for steamboats, with an expedited
schedule to be proposed by the bidder.
Ahead of the Magnetic Telegraph. —The
Sb Louis papers are felicitating themselves up
on the prospect that, when the Magnetic Tele
graph is completed from Washington to their
city, they will be able to report the speeches in
Congress a lew minutes b fore they are deliver
od, in consequence of the difference ol longitude
between the two places.
. usz&ss ~r>rr —rrr ~r*aa;i •• i ,th ■ < m umm i tii,i~i
From the National Intelligencer.
CAPTAIN FKfiMO.VT’S Rtel'OßT.
1
We are templed to give the annexed extract, i
notwithstanding its length, on account ol the
t
graphic beauty of the description and the in- t
teresting nature of the position and the scene de- 1
scribed. It not only gives a lair specimen ol ;
Capt. F.’s powers as a writer, but it does very |
great credit to him as a man ol the most human- ,
ized and correct feelings, capable of apprecia- <
ting the beautiful in Nature and the elevated ‘
and dignified in moral conduct: <
“August 12.—Early in the morning we left \
the camp, fifteen in number, well armed of c
course, and mounted on our best mules. A 1
pack animal carried our provisions, with a cos- "
fee pot and kettle, and three or four tin cups.— i
Every man had a blanket strapped over his
saddle, to serve for his bed, and the instruments i
were carried by turns on their backs. Vv e ;
entered directly on rough and rocky ground; r
and, just after crossing ihe ridge, had the good i
fortune to shoot an antelope. We heard the f
roar and had a glimpse of a waterfall as we <
rode along; and, crossingin our way two fine 1
streams, tributary to the Colorado, in about two i
hours’ride we reached the top of the first row
or range of the mountains. Here, again, a (
view oi the most romantic beauty met our eyes, I
It seemed as if, from the vast expanse of unin- -
teresting prairie we had passed over, Na ure had I
collected all her beauties together in me chosen t
place. We were overlooking a deep valley, ;
which was entirely occupied by three lakes, j
and from the brink the surrounding ridges rose '
precipitously five hundred and a thousand leet, <
covered with the dark green ol the babam pine, i
relieved on the border of the lake with the light i
foliage of the aspen. They an communicated <
with each other; and the green of the waters, i
common to mountain lakes ol great depth, <
showed that it wonid be impossible to cross t
them. The surprise manifested by our guides i
when these impassable obstacles suddenly bar- i
red our progress, proved that they were among
the hidden treasures ol the place, unknown <
even to the wandering trappers ol the region, t
Desc hiding the hill, we proceeded to make our ‘
way along the margin to the southern extremi- t
ty. A narrow strip ol angular fragments ol rock
sometimes afforded a rough pathway for our <
mules, but generally we rode along the shelving :
side, occasionally scrambling up, at a conside- <
ruble risk of tumbling back into (tie lake.
“ The slope was frequently 60°; the pines
grew densely together, and the ground was co- i
vered with the brandies and trunks of trees.— 1
I'i catr was fragrant with the odor of ihe pines;
and I realized ih is delightful morning the plea- <
sure ol breathing that mountain air which
makes a constant theme of the hunter’s praise,
and which now made us fee 1 as if we hail all 1
been drinking some exhilarating gas. The
depths ol this unexplored forest were a place <
to delight the heart of a botanist. There was I
a rich undergrowih of plants, and numerous
gav-colored flowers in brilliant bloom. We
reached the outlet at length, where some fresh
ly barked willows that lay'in the water showed
ihat beaver had been recently at work. There
were some small brown squirrels jumping about
in the pines, and a couple of large mallard
ducks swimming about in the stream.
“The hills on the southern end were low,
and the lake looked like a mimic sea, as the
waves broke on satulv beach in the force ol
a strong breeze. There was a pretty open spot,
with fine grass for our mules; and we made
our noon hall on the beach, under the shade of
some large hemlocks. We resumed our jour
ney alter a halt of about an hour, making our
way up the ridge on the western side of the
lake. In search of smoother ground, we rode
a little inland ; and, passing through groves ol
aspen, soon (blind our.-elves again among the
pines. Emerging from these, we struck the
-umiuiCof the Edge above the upper end of the
1 ke ...
“We had reached a very elevated point; and
in the valley below, and among the hills, were
a numberoflakes at different levels; some two
or three hundred feet above others, with which
they communicated by foaming torrents. Even
o our great height, the roar of the cataracts
came up, and we could see them leaping down
in lines of snowy foam. From this scene of
busy waters, wc turned abruptly into the still
ness of a forest, where we rode among the open
bolls ol the pines, over a lawn of verdant grass,
having strikingly the air of cultivated grounds
This led us, aber a time, among masses ct rock
which had no vegetable eatth but in hollows
and crevices, though still the pine Ibrest con
tinued. Toward evening, we reached a defile,
or rather a hole in the mountains, entirely shut
in by dark pine-covered rocks.
“A small stream, with a scarcely percepti
ble current, flowed through a level bottom of
perhaps eighty yards width, where the grass
was saturated with water. Into this the mules
were turned, and were neither hobbled nor
picketed during the night, as the fine pasturage
look away all temptation to sfay; and we made
our bivouac in the pines. The surrounding
masses were all of granite. While supner was
being prepared, 1 set out on ? n excursion in
the neighborhood, accompanied by one ol my
men. We wandered about among the crags
and ravines until dark, richly repaid for our
walk by a fine collection ol plants, many of
them in full bloom. Ascending a peak to find
the place of our camp, we saw that the little de
file in which we lay communicated with the
long green valley of some stream, which, here
locked up in the mountains, lar away to the
sotuh found its way in a dense forest to the
plains.
“ Looking along its upward course, it seem
ed to conduct, by a smooth gradual slope,
. directly toward the peak, which, from long con
sultation as we approached the mountain, we
had decided to be the highest of the range.—
> Pleased with the discovery of so fine a road
, for the next day, we hastened down to the
camp, were we arrived just in time for supper,
1 Our table service was rather scant; and we held
1 the meat in our hands, and clean rocks made
) good plates, on which we spread our naaccaroni.
Among all the strange places on which we
had occasion to encamp dnringour long jour
t nev, none have left so vivid an impression on
. my mind as the camp of this evening. The
disorder of the masses which surrounded ns;
‘ the little hole through which we saw the stars
r overhead; the dark pines where we slept; and
t the rocks lit up with the glow of our fires, made
a night picture of very wild beauty,
“• Avgust 13.—The morning was bright and
pleasant, just cool enough to make exercise
1 agreeable, and we soon entered the defile I had
seen the preceding day. It was smoothly
carpeted with a soft grass, and scattered over
with groups ol flowers, of which yellow was the
? predominant color. Sometimes we were forced,
. by an occasional difficult pass, to pick our way
on a narrow ledge along the side of the defile,
and the mules were frequently on their knees;
r nit these obstructions were rare, and we jnur
n a eyed on in the sweet morning air, delighted at
>ur good fortune in having found such a beauti
ful entrance to the mountains. This road con
e tinued for about three miles, when we suddenly
reached its termination in one oi the grand
rtmimm rwan<gatapcscag»3Baaatjp i n ~~~ a— —a
views which, at every turn, meet the traveller
in this magnificent region. Here the defile up
which we had travelled opeueo out into a small
lawn, where, in a little lake, the steam had its
source.
Thi re were some tine asters in bloom, but all
the flowering plants appeared to seek the shel
ter of the rocks, and to be ol tower growth than
below, as if they loved the warmth ol the soil,
and kept out of the way of the winds. Imme
diately at our feet, a precipitous descent led to a
confusion of defiles, and before us rose the
mountains as we have represented them in the
annexed view. It is not by the splendor ol far
off vie is, which have lent such a glory to the
Alps, that these impress the mind; but by a gi
gantic disorder ol enormous masses, and a sa
vage sublimity ol naked rock, in wonderful
contrast with innumerable green spots of a rich
floral beauty, shut up in their stern recesses
Their wildness seems well suited to the cha
racter of the people who inhabit the country.
“ 1 determined to leave our animals here and
make the rest of our way on foot. The peak
appeared so near, that there was no doubt ol our
returning before night; and a lew men were
left in charge ol the mules, with our provisions
and blankets. We took with us nothing but
our arms and instruments, and. as the day had
become warm, the greater part left our coats.
Having made an early dinner, we started again.
We were soon involved in the most ragged
precipices, nearing the central chain very slow
ly, and rising but little. The first ridge hid a
successions of others; and when, with great
fatigue and difficulty, we had climbed up five
hundred leet, it was but to make an equal de
scent on the other side; ail these intervening
places were filled with small deep lakes, which
met the eye in every direction, descending from
one level to another, sometimes under bridges
formed by huge fragments ol granite, beneath
which was heard the toar of the water. These
constantly obstructed our path, forcing us to
make long detours; frequently obliged to retrace
our steps, and frequently falling airung the
rocks. Maxwell was precipitated toward the
face cd a precipice, and saved himself from go
ing over by throwing himself flat on the ground
We clambered on, always expecting, with
every ridge that we crossed, to reach the loot ol
the peaks, and always disappointed, until about
4 o’clock, when, pretty well worn out, we
leached the shoreofa little lake, in which there
was a rocky island, and from which we obtain
ed the view given in the frontispiece. Wc re
mained here a short time to rest, and continued
un around the lake, which had in some places a
beach of while sand, and in others was bound
with rocks, over which the way was difficult
and dangerous, as the water from the innumera
ble springs made them very slippery,
“By the lime wc had reached thelnithet side
of the 1 ke, we found ourselves all exceedingly
fatigued, and, much to ihe satisfaction ol the
whole party, wc encamped. The spot wc had
chosen was a broad flat rock, in some measure
protected from the winds b\ the surrounding
crags, and the trunks oi fallen pities afforded us
blight fires. Near by was a foaming torrent,
which tumbled into the little lake about one
hundred and fifty led below us, and which, by
way of distinction, we have called island Lake.
Wc had reached the upper limit of the pir.ey
region ; as, above this point, no tree was to be
seen, and patches of snow la\r every where
around us on the cold sides of the rocks. The
flora of the region we had traversed since
leaving our mules was extremely rich, and,
among the characteristic plants, the scarlet
11 iwers ol the dodeealkeon denlalum every where
met the eye in great abunrance. A small green
ravine, on the edge of which we were encamp
ed, was filled with a prolusion of alpine plants
in brilliant bloom. From barometrical obser
vations, made during our three davs’ sojourn
at this place, its elevation above the Gulf ol
Mexico is 10,000 leet. During the day, we had
seen no sien of animal life; but among the
rocks iieie, wc hcaul what was supposed to be
the bleat ol a young goat, which vve searched
for with hungry activity, and found to proceed
from a small animal ol a gray color, with short
ears and no tail—probably the Siberian squir
rel. We saw a considerable number of them,
and, with the exception ol a small tiid like a
-parrow, it is the only inhabitant of this eleva
ted part ol the mountains. On our return, we
saw below this lake large flocks ol the moun
tain goat. Vve had nothing to cat to-night.
Lajeunesse, with several others, look their
guns, and sallied out in search ol a goat; but
returned unsuccessful. At sunset, the barome
ter stood at 20,522; the attached thermometer
50°. Here we had the misfortune to break our
thermometer, having now only that attached to
he barometer. I was taken ill shortly alter we
had encamped, and continued so until late in
•he night, with violent headache and vomiting.
This was probably caused by the excessive
fatigue I had undergone, and want ol food, and
perhaps, also, in some measure, by the rarity of
the air. The night was cold, as a violent gale
from the north had sprung up at sunset, which
entirely blew away the heat ol the fires. The
cold, and our granite beds, had not been favora
ble to sleep, and we were glad to sec the lace
of the sun in the morning. Not being delayed
by any preparation for breakfast, we set out im
mediately.
“ On every' side as wc advanced was beard
the roar of waters, and ol a torrent, which we
followed up a short distance, until it expanded
into a lake about one mile in length. On the
northern side of the lake was a bank of ice, or
rather ol snow covered with a crust of ice.
Carson had been our guide into the mountains,
and, agreeably to his advice, we left Ibis little
valley, and took to the ridges again ; which we
found extremely broken, at d where we were
again involved among precipices. Here were
ice fields; among whicti we were all dispersed,
seeking each the best path to ascend the peak.
Mr. Preuss attempted to walk along the upper
edge of one ol these fields, which sloped away
at an angle of about twenty degrees; but his
leet slipped from under him, and he went plung
ing down the plane. A lew hundred leet below,
at the bottom, were some fragments of sharp
rock, on which he landed; and though he turn
ed a couple of somersets, fortunately received
no injury beyond a lew bruises. Two ol the
men, Clement Lambert and Descoteaux, had
been taken ill, and lay down on the rocks a short
distance below; and at this point I was attacked
with headache and giddiness, accompanied by
vomiting, asonthe day before. Finding my
self unable to proceed, I sent the barometer over
to Mr. Preuss, who was in a gap two or three
bundled yards distant, desiring him to reach the
peak, il possible, and take an observation there.
He found himself unable to proceed further in
that direction, and took an observation, where
the barometer stood at 19,401; attached ther
mometer 50° in the gap. Carson, who had
gone over to him, succeeded in reaching one of
the snowy summits ol the main ridge, whence
he saw the peak towards which all our efforts
bad been directed, lowering eight or ten hun
dred feel in the air above him. In the mean
time, finding myself grow rather worse than
better, and doubtful how far my stienglh would
carry me, I sent Basil Lajeunesse, with four
! men, hack to the place where the mules had
. been left.”
“August \b.— lt had been supposed that we
r had finished with the mountains; and the eve
-11 ning before, il had been arranged that Carson
r- ■ imr !■ ■ ■Mill ll
should set out at daylight, and return to break- '
fast at the camp ol the mules, taking with him
all but four or five men, who were to stay with
me and bring back the mules and instruments.
Accordingly at the break ol day they set out, i
W ith Mr. Preuss and myself remained Basil
Lajeunesse, Clement Lambert, Janisse, and
Descoteaux. When we had secured strength
tor the day by' a hearty breakfast, we covered I
what remained, which was enough for one :
meal, with rocks, in order that it might be sale i
from any marauding bird; and, saddling our |
mules, tinned our faces once more towards j
the peaks. This time we determined to proceed I
quietly' and cautiously, deliberately resolved to I
accomplish our object if it were within the com- I
pass ol human means. We were of opinion I
that along defile which lay to the left of yes-j
terday’s route would lead us to the foot of the i
main peak. Our mules had been refreshed by'
the fine grass in the little ravine at the Island
Camp, and we intended to ride up the defile as
far as possible, in order to husband our strength
for the main assent.
“Though this was a fine passage, still it was
a defile of the most rugged mountains known, j
and we had many a rough and steep slippery
p’ace to cross before reaching the end. In this
place the sun rarely shone; snow lay along the
border of the small stream which flowed
through it. and occasional icy passages made
the lootingofthe mules very insecure, and the
rocks and ground were moist with the trickling
waters in this spring ol mighty rivers. We
soon had the satisfaction to find oversells
riding along the huge wall which forms the
centra! summits ol the chain. There at last it
ruse by our sides, a nearly perpendicular wall
of granite, terminating 2,000 to 3,000 feet above
our heads in a serrated line of broken jagged
cones. We rode on until we came almost im
mediately below the main peak, which I denomi
nated the Snow Peak, as it exhibited more
snow to the eye than any ol the neighboring
summits. Here were three small lakes of a
green color, each of perhaps a thousand yards
in diameter, and apparently very deep. These
lay in a kind of chasm ; and, according to the
barometer, v.c had attained but a few bundled
feet above the Island Lake. The baiomctcr
ht ie stood at 20.450, attached thermometer 70 u .
“ Wc managed loget our mules up to a little
bench about a hundred leet above the lakes,
where {here was a patch of good glass, and
turned them loose !o graze. During our rough
ride to this place, they had exhibited a wonder
ful .me (ootcuness. Parts of the defile were
filled with angular, sharp fragments ot locks,
three or four and eight or ten feel cube; and
among these they had worked their way, leap
ing from one narrow point to another, rarely
making a false step, and giving us no occasion
to dismount. Having divested ourselves of
every unnecessary incumbrance, vve com
menced the ascent. This time, like experienced
travelleis, wc did not press ourselves, but
climbed leisurely, sitting down so soon as we
iound breath beginning to fail. At intervals
we lead ed places where springs gushed from
ihe locks, and about !,800 leet above the
lakes came to the snow line. From this
point our progress was uninterrupted climb
ing:. Hitherto i had worn a pair ot thick
moccasins, with soles ot parjieche; but here
I put on a light thin pair,' which 1 had
brought for the purpose, as now the use of our
toes became necessary to a further advance. I
availed myself ol a sort of combo! the mountain
which stood against the wall like a buttress
and which the wind and a solar radiation, join
ed to the steepness ofthe smooth rock, had kept
almost entirely free from snow. U p this 1 made
my way rapidly. Our cautious method ot ad
vancing in die outset had spared my strength;
and, with the exception of a slight headache, 1
lelt no remains ol yesterday’s illness. In a lew
minutes we reached a point: where the buttress
was overhanging, and there was no other way
of surmounting the difficulty than by passing
around one side ol it, which was the fare ol a
vertical precipice of several hundred feet.
Putting hands and feetin the crevices between
the blocks, I succeeded in getting over it, and
when 1 reached the top, found my companions
in a small valley below. Descending to them
we continued climbing, and in a short time
reached the crest. I sprang upon the summit,
and ano'her step would have precipitated me
into an immense snow field five hundred feel
below. To the edge of this field was a sheer
icy precipice; and then, with a gradual fall the
field slop d off for about a mile, until it struck
the foot of another lower ridge I stood on a
narrow crest about three feet in width, with an
inclination of about 20* N. sf° E. As soon as
I gratified the first feelings ot curiosity, I de
scended, and each man ascended in his turn;
fori would allow one only at a lime to mount
the unstable and precarious slab, which itseem
ed a breath would hurl into the abyss below.
Wc mounted the barometer in the snow ol the
summit, and fixing a ramrod in a crevice, tin
(tuled the national flag to wave in the breeze
where never flag waved before. During our
morning’s ascent, we had met no sign of animal
life, except the small sparrow like bird already
mentioned. A stillness the most profound, and
a terrible solitude forced themselves constantly
on the mind as the great features of the place.
Here, on the summit, where the stillness was
absolute, unbroken by any sound, and the soli
tude complete, wc thought ourselves beyond the
region of animated life, but while we were sit
ting on the rock, a solitary bee ( bromus, th
humble bee,) came winging its flight from the
eastern velley, and lit on the knee of one ofthe
men. It was a strange place, the icy rock and
the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains, fi r a
lover of warm sunshine and flowers; and we
j pleased ourselves with the idea that he was the
first of his species to cross the mountain barrier
—a solitary pioneer to foretell the advance
of civilization. 1 believed that a moment’s
thought wou d have made us let him continue
his way unharmed; but we carried out the
law of this country, where all animated nature
seems at war; and seizing him immediately,
put him in at least a fit place—in the leaves of a
large book, among thell nvers we had collected on
. our way. The barometer stood at 18 293, the
attached thermometer 44°; giving for the eleva
tion ol this summit 13 570 feet above the Gull
ol Mexico, which may be called the highest
. flight of the bee. It is certainly the highest
known flight of that insect. From the descrip
tion given by Mackenzie of the mountains
where he crossed them, with that of a French
• officer still further to the north, and Col. Long’s
• measurements to the south, joined totheopinion
■ ofthe oldest traders ol the country, it is pre
sumed that this is the highest peak ol the Rocky
i Mountains. The day was sunny and bright,
i but a slight shining mist hung over the lower
plains which interfered with our view ofthe
I surrounding country. On one side we over
-1 looked innumerable lakes and streams, the
; spring of the Colorado on the Gnll of
j California; and on the other was the Wind
- river valley, where were the heads of the
i Yellowstone branch ol the Missouri ; lar
i to the north, wc could just discover the
1 snowy heads ot the 'Prois Tetons , where
r were the sources of the Missouri and Columbia
1 rivers, and at the southern extremity oftheridge
'he peaks were plainly visible, among which
; were some ol the springs ol the Nebraska or
- Platte river. Around us, the whole scene had
one main striking feature, which was thatol
terrible convulsion. Parallel to its length, the
ridge was split into chasms and fissures; be
tween which rose the thin Jolt}' walls, termi
nated with slender minarets and columns, which
is correctly represented in the view from the
camp on Island lake. According to the ba
, ro meter, the little crest of the wall on which
|" e stood was three thousand five hundred
and seventy leet above that place, and two
thousand seven hundred and eighty above the
little lakes at the bottom, immediately at our
, leet. Our camp at the Two Hills (an astrq
| Domical station) bore south 3° east, which
, wih a bearing afterward obtained from a fixed
! position, enabled us to locate the peak. The
! bearingofthe Trois Tetons was north 50° west,
land the direction of the central ridge ofthe
| Wind river mountains south 39° east. The
I summit rock was gneiss, succeeded by sicnitie
gneiss. Sienite and feldspar succeeded in our
descent to the snow line, where we found a
feldspathic granite, I had remarked that the
noise produced by the explosion ol our pistols
had the usual degree of loudness, but was
not in the least prolonged, expiring almost in
i stantaneously. Having now made what ob
servations our means afforded, we proceeded to
descend. We had accomplished an object of
laudable ambition, and beyond the strict order
ol our instructions. Wo had climbed the lofti
est peak of the Rocky Mountains, and looked
down upon ihe snow a thousand led below,
and standing where never human toot stood be
fore, felt the exultation of first explorers. It
was about 2 o’clock when wc left the summit;
and when wc reached the bottom the sun had
already sunk behind the wall, and the day was
drawing to a close. It would have been plea
sant to have lingered here and on the summit
longer; but we hurried away as rapidly as the
ground would permit, fur it was an object to
regain our parly as soon as posible, nut know
ing what accident the next hour might bring
forth.
“ V/c reached our deposite ot provisions at
nightfall. Here was not the inn which awaits
the tired traveller on his return from Mont
Blanc, or the orange groves of South America,
wi th the ir re freshing j uices and soft frag ra ut air;
but vve found our little cache of dried meal and
coffee undisturbed. Though Ihe moon was
bright, the road was full ol precipices, and fa
tigue of the day had been great. We therefore
abandoned tiie idea of rejoining our friends, and
lay down on the rooks, and, in spite of Ihe cold,
slept soundly.
“ August 16.—We left our encampment with
the daylight. We saw on out* way large flocks
ofthe mountain goats looking down on us from
ihe cliff’s. At the crack of a rifle they would
bound off among the rocks, and in a few minutes
make their appealanee on some lofty peak,
some hundred or a thousand feet above. It is
needless to attempt any further description of
the country; the portion over which vve travel
led this morning was rough asimaginaliou could
picture it, and to as seemed equally beautiful.
A concourse ol lakes and rushing waters, moun
tains of rocks naked and destitute of vegetable
earth, dells and ravines ol the most exquisite
beauty, all kept green and fresh by the great
moisture in the air, and sown with brilliant
flowers, and every where thrown around all the
glory of most magnificent scenes; these consti
tute the features of the place, and impress them
selves vividly on the mind of the traveller. It
was not until 11 o’clock that vve reached the
nlace where our animals had been left when we
first attempted the mountains on foot. Near
one ol the still burning fires vve found a piece
of meat, which our friends had thrown avvav,
and which furnished us a mouthful—a very
scanty breakfast. Wc continued directly on,
and reached our camp on the mountain lake a'
dusk. We found all well. Nothing had oc
curred to interrupt (he quiet since om departure,
and the fine grass and good cool water had
done much to re-establish out animals. All
heard with great delight the order to turn our
'aces homeward; and toward sundown ofthe
17th, we encamped again at the Two Buttes.
From the N. O. Picayune of the 30 th nil.
Latest from Corpus Christ!—Arrival ot the
Alabama—No Fighting yet.
In order to allay all anxiety which may be
felt on the state ot affairs at Corpus Christ!, we
hasten to give our readers the following:
By the arrival early this morning of the last
sailing steamship Alabama, Capt. Windle, from
Aransas Bay, we have intelligence from Cor
pus Christi up to Wednesday evening last. One
of the editors of the Picayune came passenger
. in the Alabama, and brings the latest news.
The most important intelligence, perhaps, is
the non confirmation ofthe many late exciting
reportsrelative to the movements ofthe Mexican
army, and the probability of an engagement
. between the forces under Gen. Taylor and the
Mexicans. So far, there is no prospect of a
. fight. Gen. Taylor, himself, does not antiei
• pate such an event.
Gen. Arista is at Mala morns with about 2000
men entrenching himself, and knows of Gen.
1 Taylor’s position. It is believed that if Arista
had marched at once upon Gen. Taylor when
the latter first landed, he might easily have over
; come him, and so on with other detachments as
'hey continued to arrive ; but it is now too late.
. Our army at Corpus Christi at thislimc number
. some 2000 strong, and is in a condition to resist
four or five limes that number of Mexicans.
■ The country, too, between the Rio Grande and
> Corpus Christi cannot now support an army in
1 an attack —one of the principal impediments be
i mg a scarcity of water, of which there is little
? or none at all.
; On Sunday, the 24th instant., the Alabama
- anchored off St. Joseph’s Island, in 53 hours
. from the Balize, with the troops and volunteers
; from this city. On the passage there was a lit
; tie rough weather, with considerable thunder
. and lightning, but no accident occurred, and all
■ arrived in good condition.
The next morning all the troops landed and
[ went into campon St. Joseph’s. On Tuesday,
. the volunteers, Maj. Gally’s ami Capt. Forno’s
• companies of artillery embarked for Corpus
. Christi, 35 miles distant, on boanl the steamboat
f j Dayton, and joined Gen. Taylor’s encampment
i j the same evening.
t ' When the Alabama left Aransas Bay, the
. {traops on the Island were preparing to start lor
s I Corpus Christi, and probably by this time they
i I have all been removed, except a lew to protect
5 the stores, &c. The Monmouth and Dayton,
i however, were busy in transporting the stores,
. and soon everything will be removed.
r The brig William Ivy, which was chartered
in this city some time since, to take two compa
r nies of the 4th Infantry to Aransas Bay, arrived
. on the 25th inst., just before the Alabama. On
. their passage slie encountered a squall which
• knocked her on her beam-ends; but she forlu
-1 nately righted in a few minutes without damage.
] Previous to the storm, one ol the soldiers on
? board of her, in a fit of mania-a-potu, jumped
r overboard. A boat was lowered and went after
? him, and though he resisted, he was picked up,
; taken on board and tied. When the squall
i struck the brig he was released, in order that he
» might not drown if thrown into the water ; when
i he again jumped into the sea and was lost,
r The brig sailed on the 26th inst. (or Matagorda,
d The schooner Ecward b. Lambden, with
>1 Quartet MastcUs stores, from New Orleans,
arrived al St. Joseph’s on the morning of the
25th.
The schooner Swallow, from this port, with
army property, for St. Joseph’s Island, was
wrecked about the i2th inst., after getting over
the bar at Aransas. She had no pilot on board,
and was following the steamboat Monmouth in t
when the under current swept her into the break
ers on the eastern shore of the Island. Every
thing on board belonging to the Government, as
well as the private property ot some ol the offi
cers of the army, (excepting a lew articles in a
damaged state,) was lost. Vessel a complete
wreck, but no lives lost.
On the morning of the 26th inst. the U. S.
brig Lawrence, Commander Jarvis, arrived
from the Balize, and came to anchor off the Is
land of St. Joseph’s. All well. When the Al
abama lelt, the Lawrence expected to sail on the
29th, yesterday, for Pensacola.
The schooner Mary Wilkes, from this city,
arrived at Aransas last Wednesday, having on
board Col. Whistler and Major Stannilord, of
the army, together with horses, stores, &c.
Mr. Ringgold, who passed through this city
some time since with despatches to Texas, arri
ved at Aransas on the 24th, from Galveston, in
the Texan revenue cutter Santa Anna, with
despatches for Gen. Taylor, and proceeded at
once to Corpus Christi. He also came pas
senger in the Alabama.
On Monday, the 25th, we had news of the ar
rival of the 2d Regiment of Dragoons, under
Col. Twiggs, within four miles of Gen. Tay
lor’s encampment, which they were to have
joined last Thursday. They were very lortu
naic in their long march with their horses—not
having lost any. There were, however, two or
threedesertions. They heard and saw nothing of
Mexicans on their route.
Near San Antonio there was a large body of
Camauches, (about 300 in all,) seme ol whom
visited Col. Twiggs. They seemed friendly
and much delighted at the idea of the United
States making war against Mexico. 1 hey in
formed Col. Twiggs that they were going to
wards the Mexican borders and intended hos
tiliues against the Mexicans. The daring of
these Indians is well known. A conversation
not a little amusing occurred while they were
in the Dragoon encampment. They seemed to
admire the horses very much, and asked Col.
Twiggs if they would be allowed to steal any of
i hem. The Colonel, in hi? usually eccentric
manner, told them that it they took any of his
horses he would hang them. The Camanches
did not relish this style of “ plain English,” but
asked if they might not steal the Mexicans’
horses. The Colonel said they might steal
what they pleased from the lattei, but not to
trouble anything belonging to the Americans,
or he would string them up.
Some days ago a soldier, whose name was
not given, went out from the encampment on
St. Joseph’s Island to hunt, and was lost, it is
supposed that he was bitten by a snake, or that
he lost his way in a cane brake and perished.
He was a faithlul and trustworthy man. Search
was made lor him but in vain.
Dunns: a thunder storm a few days ago, a tent
was struck bv lightning at Corpus Christi, and
a valuable servant belonging to Lieutenant
Bragg, of the Artillery, instandy ktded by the
fluid. Others were considerably stunned, but
they recovered.
Lieut. G. W. Lay, came passenger in the
Alabama, having despatches for the Govern
ment from Gen. Taylor.
The schooner Florida was at Aransas, to sail
for Pensacola last Thursday.
This is all the news of the slightest impor
tance which we were able to gather. So far
every thing at Aransas and Corpus Christi is
quiet The troops and volunteers are all well,
and in fine spirits. Gen. Taylor, as we have al
ready stated, does not anticipate a collision with
Arista or any other Mexican force. He will
throw detachments of the Dragoons forward be
tween his quarters and the Rio G r ande from
time to time, so that it will be impossible for an
army to advance upon him without his being
apprised of the fact. With the men under his
command, and the excellent pieces of artillery—
two twelve pounders and six sixes—taken down
by the volunteers, from this city, his position is,
in every respect, perfectly safe from any attack
the Mexicans may think ot making upon him.
Deer and other game are plenty in the vicinity
of the post, and the waters abound with the
finest fish and oysters,
P. S.—The Alabama aot into the South-
West Pass last evening at 5 o’clock—43 hours
from Aransas, Saw on the bar, bound out,
ships Nashville, (nearly out,j Trenton, Ameri
can, Swanton and Beilin. At anchor, in the
Pass, ship Charlotte, with laborers for Corpus
Christi. The steamer Creole was seen off the
South-West Pass last Sunday, for Aransas, but
she had not arrived when the Alabama sailed.
Saw nothing of her on the trip.
The steamship McKim arrived yesterday
from Galveston, and brought a fall mail of let
ters and papers, but not later than the advices al
ready received by the Undine. In place of re
sorting to our files, m e make one or two extracts
from our own correspondence, received by the
McKim. We cannot find any farther intelli
gence than has already been received here.
Houston, Texas, August 22, 1845.
Gentlemen: —We are not as yet disturbed in
the least by the war rumors which seem to be
waking you up in New Orleans. The Mexi
cans make no showing on the frontier. The
last accounts from the Rio Grande represent that
the few ragamuffins lingering in that vicinity
were in miserable plight.
We learn from Austin that the Convention
had nearly concluded its labors, and would pro
bably adjourn before the close ol this month.
Up to within a fortnight we have had one of
the finest seasons ever known in Texas. The
crop? were never so promising: the corn, which
exceeds the crop of any previous year, is already
made; and the crops of co ton, especially in the
river bottoms, were neve: belter; in the uplands,
however, it is beginning to suffer for want of
rain, and must fall short a good deal, if it con
tinues dry much longer. Here and al Galves
ton it is very dry, having been without rain for
two months. The health of both places, how
ever, continues remarkably good. 1 never
knew it more healthy anywhere than it has been
both here and at Galveston this season. W.
[Extract ] Austin, August 9, 1845.
We hope to adjourn in about ten days. Much
of the Constitution has already been engrossed,
and therefore not subject to be amended but
upon motion to reconsider, i think we shall
have it in such shape as will please our friends
in the United Stales, and be acceptable to our
own people.
Mexican Vessels of War. — About 18
months since Messrs. Brown & Bell, extensive
ship builders ot this city, received an order from
the Mexican Government for six schooners ol
war, of about 80 tons burthen each. They
were completed about six months since, and
lay at the ya'd of Messrs. Brown & Bell, await
ingan order from the Mexican Government,
accompanied with the money which was to
be paid lor ’.hem. The order came, with a
plea of inability to pay. About two months
since however, three of them were paid for and
dispatched, and the other three now lie at
Messrs. Brown & Bell’s yard, awaiting a like
demand. — N. Y, Herald.