party, for, traveling light as it did, he was able to make detours covering country he wished to explore, always, however, using the other train as a base of supplies.  The course of the other party was generally along the emigrant road to Oregon.

After crossing the Rocky Mountains, Fremont went south with his party to explore Great Salt Lake.  Thence he returned north again to the emigrant road, which then followed in a general way the Snake or Lewis River to the Columbia, with the exception of the great bend in northeastern Oregon which was traversed by a shorter route.  Along the bank of the Columbia the road followed to the Mission Station at the Dalles, or great narrows of the river.  At this point many of the emigrants transferred their baggage to barges and floated with the current to their destination on the Willamette River.  Others continued by land down the river.  Fremont’s division reached the Dalles November 4th.  Fitzpatrick’s train did not come in until the 21st.  The latter left his carts at the mouth of the Walla Walla River according to Fremont’s orders; and, after making pack-saddles, transferred what was left of his baggage to the backs of his mules for the trip down to the Dalles.  In the meantime Fremont, with Preuss and two of the other men, had gone down to Fort Vancouver in canoes.  This was the headquarters of the Hudson Bay Company for the West.  Here supplies for the return journey were obtained.

Having transported these supplies up to the Dalles in barges propelled by Indians, he was ready to take up the final preparation for the homeward journey.  It is best to let him describe these preparations in his own words.  He says: 

“The camp was now occupied in making the necessary preparations for our homeward journey, which, though homeward, contemplated a new route, and a great circuit to the south and southeast, and the exploration of the Great Basin between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.

“Three principal objects were indicated, by report, or by maps, as being on this route, the character or existence of which I wished to ascertain, and which I assumed as landmarks, or leading points, on the projected line of return.  The first of these points was the Tlamath Lake, on the tableland between the head of Fall River (this is now called by its French name, the Des Chutes River), which comes to the Columbia, and the Sacramento, which goes to the Bay of San Francisco, and from which lake a river of the same name makes its way westwardly direct to the ocean.

“This lake and river are often called Klamet, but I have chosen to write the name according to the Indian pronunciation.  The position of this lake, on the line of inland communication between Oregon and California; its proximity to the demarcation boundary of latitude 42 deg.; its imputed double character of lake, or meadow, according