Rocky Mountain life; or, Startling scenes and perilous adventures in the far West, during an expedition of three years . whose bones and sculls looked sad, indeed. One of the latter wasnoticed, near camp, with a huge wasps nest occupying the vacuum oncefilled by the subtle organs of intellect. Strange tenant, truly, of a humanscull,—but, perhaps, not an unfit antitype of the fierce passions thatwhilom claimed it as their dwelling place. A specimen of the bread-root, (psoralea esculenia,) was procured fromthe creek-bank by one of the voyagcurs. This is very common in the vicinityof the mountain
Rocky Mountain life; or, Startling scenes and perilous adventures in the far West, during an expedition of three years . whose bones and sculls looked sad, indeed. One of the latter wasnoticed, near camp, with a huge wasps nest occupying the vacuum oncefilled by the subtle organs of intellect. Strange tenant, truly, of a humanscull,—but, perhaps, not an unfit antitype of the fierce passions thatwhilom claimed it as their dwelling place. A specimen of the bread-root, (psoralea esculenia,) was procured fromthe creek-bank by one of the voyagcurs. This is very common in the vicinityof the mountains, and attains a size from twenty to thirty inches in circum-ference. It is taprooted, and generally prefers the rich sandy soil of bot-toms and ravines,—not unfrequently penetrating to the depth of five or sixfeet. In shape, it is much like the common beet. Its exterior is coveredwith a thick ligument of tough fibres, curiously interwoven, enveloping awhite pulpy substance, which is very sweet and pleasantly tasted. The day following we proceeded some twenty miles, and camped at a]^ace called the Eagles The War Eagle. — Pagt 79. WOLVES,—THEIR SAGACITY. 79 A few scattering trees at the right of the bottom, here mark the transi-tion to the high prairie. One of these was the war-eagles eyry, uponwhich she rears her annual brood, and teaches it to soar far away, or levytribute from the surrounding *?. ilderness. The proud bird of Jove was yet sailing aloft, in silent majesty, almost lostto vision in the long space of intervening blue that told the grandeur of herflight; and, tinged witli the purple and gold of the setting sun, she seemedlooking down with a jealouo eye upon the unvvonted invaders of heearthly home. A few light clouds, garnished with days departing glorydanced athwart the western sky, as the full moon arose, hastening to re-enter her nightly pathway, and course amid the array of glittering worlds,and smie upon the wide realms of Solitude;—while cou
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