In this encampment Captain Bonneville remained from the 21st of November
to the 9th of December. During this period the thermometer ranged from
thirteen to forty-two degrees. There were occasional falls of snow; but
it generally melted away almost immediately, and the tender blades
of new grass began to shoot up among the old. On the 7th of December,
however, the thermometer fell to seven degrees.
The reader will recollect that, on distributing his forces when in
Green River Valley, Captain Bonneville had detached a party, headed by
a leader of the name of Matthieu, with all the weak and disabled horses,
to sojourn about Bear River, meet the Shoshonie bands, and afterward to
rejoin him at his winter camp on Salmon River.
More than sufficient time had elapsed, yet Matthieu failed to make his
appearance, and uneasiness began to be felt on his account. Captain
Bonneville sent out four men, to range the country through which he
would have to pass, and endeavor to get some information concerning
him; for his route lay across the great Snake River plain, which spreads
itself out like an Arabian desert, and on which a cavalcade could be
descried at a great distance. The scouts soon returned, having proceeded
no further than the edge of the plain, pretending that their horses were
lame; but it was evident they had feared to venture, with so small a
force, into these exposed and dangerous regions.
A disease, which Captain Bonneville supposed to be pneumonia, now
appeared among the Indians, carrying off numbers of them after an
illness of three or four days.
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