Hunt and encumber him
with so many starving men, and that their only course was to extricate
themselves as soon as possible from this land of famine and misery and
make the best of their way for the Columbia. They accordingly continued
to follow the downward course of Snake River; clambering rocks and
mountains, and defying all the difficulties and dangers of that rugged
defile, which subsequently, when the snows had fallen, was found
impassable by Messrs. Hunt and Crooks.
Though constantly near to the borders of the river, and for a great
part of the time within sight of its current, one of their greatest
sufferings was thirst. The river had worn its way in a deep channel
through rocky mountains, destitute of brooks or springs. Its banks
were so high and precipitous, that there was rarely any place where
the travellers could get down to drink of its waters. Frequently they
suffered for miles the torments of Tantalus; water continually within
sight, yet fevered with the most parching thirst. Here and there they
met with rainwater collected in the hollows of the rocks, but more than
once they were reduced to the utmost extremity; and some of the men had
recourse to the last expedient to avoid perishing.
Their sufferings from hunger were equally severe.
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