. Life, explorations and public services of John Charles Fremont. , wherewe found a feldspathic granite. I had remarkedthat the noise produced by the explosion of ourpistols had the usual degree of loudness, but wasnot in the least prolonged, expiring almostinstantaneously. Having now made what obser-vations our means afforded, we proceeded to de-scend. We had accomplished an object of laud-able ambition, and beyond the strict order of ourinstructions. We had climbed the loftiest peakof the Rocky Mountains, and looked down uponthe snow a thousand feet below, and, standingwhere never human foot
. Life, explorations and public services of John Charles Fremont. , wherewe found a feldspathic granite. I had remarkedthat the noise produced by the explosion of ourpistols had the usual degree of loudness, but wasnot in the least prolonged, expiring almostinstantaneously. Having now made what obser-vations our means afforded, we proceeded to de-scend. We had accomplished an object of laud-able ambition, and beyond the strict order of ourinstructions. We had climbed the loftiest peakof the Rocky Mountains, and looked down uponthe snow a thousand feet below, and, standingwhere never human foot had stood before, feltthe exultation of first explorers. It was abouttwo oclock when we left the summit; and whenwe reached the bottom, the sun had already sunkbehind the wall, and the day was drawing to aclose. It would have been pleasant to have lin-gered here and on the summit longer; but wehurried away as rapidly as the ground wouldpermit, for it was an object to regain our partyas soon as possible, not knowing what accidentthe next hour might bring Hoisting the American Flag on the liif;hcst peak of the Rock\ Jlountain* I i ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 89 We reached our deposit of provisions atnightfall. Here was not the inn which awaitsthe tired traveller on his return from Mont Blanc,or the orange groves of South America, withtheir refreshing juices and soft fragrant air; butwe found our little cache of dried meat and coffeeundisturbed. Though the moon was bright, theroad was full of precipices, and the fatigue ofthe day had been great. We therefore aban-doned the idea of rejoining our friends, and lay-down on the rock, and, in spite of the cold, sleptsoundly. August 16. We left our encampment with thedaylight. We saw on our way large flocks of themountain goat looking down on us from thecliffs. At the crack of a rifle they would boundoft among the rocks, and in a few minutes maketheir appearance on some lofty peak, some hun-dred or a thousand feet above. It is needless toa
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