Great uniformity was observed in the character of the rock about all the upper part of the mountain. [222] It is a compact, indestructible aggregate of quartz and felspar, with a little hornblende, in very small particles. Its fracture is fine, granular, or even; and the rock exhibits a tendency to divide when broken into long, somewhat splintery fragments. It is of a yellowish brown colour, which does not perceptibly change by long exposure to the air. It is undoubtedly owing to the close texture and the impenetrable firmness of this rock that so few lichens are found upon it. For the same reason it is little subject to disintegration by the action of frost. It is not improbable that the splintery fragments, which occur in such quantities on all the higher parts of the peak, may owe their present form to the agency of lightning. No other cause seems adequate to the production of so great an effect.
Near the summit some large detached crystals of felspar, of a pea-green colour, were collected; also large fragments of transparent, white and smoky quartz, and an aggregate of opaque white quartz, with crystals of hornblende.
At about five in the afternoon the party began to descend, and a little before sunset arrived at the commencement of the timber; but before we reached the small stream at the bottom of the first descent, we perceived we had missed our way. It was now become so dark as to render an attempt to proceed extremely hazardous; and as the only alternative, we kindled a fire, and laid ourselves down upon the first spot of level ground we could find. We had neither provisions nor blankets; and our clothing was by no means suitable for passing the night in so bleak and inhospitable a situation. We could not, however, proceed without imminent danger from precipices; and by the aid of a good fire, and no ordinary degree of fatigue, found ourselves able to sleep during a greater part of the night.
15th. At day break on the following morning, the thermometer stood at 38°. As we had few comforts to leave, we quitted our camp as soon as [223] the light was sufficient to enable us to proceed. We had travelled about three hours when we discovered a dense column of smoke rising from a deep ravine on the left hand. As we concluded this could be no other than the smoke of the encampment where we had left our blankets and provisions, we descended directly towards it. The fire had spread and burnt extensively among the leaves, dry grass, and small timber, and was now raging over an extent of several acres. This created some apprehension, lest the smoke might attract the notice of any Indians who should be at that time in the neighbourhood, and who might be tempted by the weakness of the party to offer some molestation. But we soon discovered a less equivocal cause of regret in the loss of our cache of provisions, blankets, clothing, &c. which had not escaped the conflagration. Most of our baggage was destroyed; but out of the ruins we collected a beggarly breakfast, which we ate, notwithstanding its meanness, with sufficient appetite. We chose a different route for the remaining part of the descent from the one taken in going up, and by that means avoided a part of the difficulty arising from the crumbled granite; but this was nearly compensated by the increased numbers of yuccas and prickly pears.
We arrived a little after noon at the boiling spring, where we indulged freely in the use of its highly aërated and exhilarating waters. In the bottom of both these springs a great number of beads and other small articles of Indian ornament were found, having unquestionably been left there as sacrifices or presents to the springs, which are regarded with a sort of veneration by the savages. Bijeau assured us he had repeatedly taken beads and other ornaments from these springs, and sold them to the same savages who had thrown them in.[8]
A large and much frequented road passes the springs, and enters the mountains, running to the north of the high peak. It is travelled principally [224] by the bisons, sometimes also by the Indians; who penetrate here to the Columbia.[9]
The men who had been left at the horse-camp about a mile below the springs, had killed several deer, and had a plentiful supply of provisions. Here the detachment dined; then mounting our horses, we proceeded towards the encampment of the main body, where we arrived a little after dark, having completed our excursion within the time prescribed.
Among the plants collected in this excursion, several appear to be undescribed. Many of them are strictly alpine, being confined to the higher parts of the mountain, above the commencement of snow.
Most of the timber which occurs on any part of the mountain is evergreen, consisting of several species of abies, among which may be enumerated the balsam fir (A. balsamea, Ph.); the hemlock, white, red, and black spruce (A. canadensis, A. alba, A. rubra, and A. nigra); the red cedar, and common juniper; and a few pines. One of these, which appears to have been hitherto unnoticed in North America, has, like the great white or Weymouth pine, five leaves in a fascicle; but in other respects there is little resemblance between them. The leaves are short and rather rigid; the sheaths which surround their bases short and lacerated; the strobiles erect, composed of large unarmed scales, being somewhat smaller than those of P. rigida, but similar in shape, and exuding a great quantity of resin. The branches, which are covered with leaves chiefly at the ends, are numerous and recurved, inclining to form a dense and large top; they are also remarkably flexile, feeling in the hand somewhat like those of the dirca palustris, L. From this circumstance, the specific name, flexilis, has been proposed for this tree; which is, in several respects, remarkably contrasted with the P. rigida. It inhabits the arid plains subjacent to the Rocky Mountains, and extends up their sides to the region of perpetual frost. The [225] fruit of the pinus flexilis is eaten by the Indians and the French hunters, as that of another species of the same genus is eaten by the inhabitants of some parts of Europe.