The next morning they set out at an early hour, on their return to the main land, about nine miles distant.  When they had rowed about three miles the clouds gathered, menacing a storm, and a strong wind rose, blowing directly against them.  The heavy sea which they encountered caused a leakage in the air chambers of the boat, and they were in imminent danger of finding a grave in the bottom of the lake.  It was with much difficulty that a man, stationed at the bellows, supplied the chamber with air as fast as it escaped.

At length they effected a landing on marshy ground, about nine miles from the encampment.  Two men were immediately dispatched to the camp to bring horses to take back the boat and baggage.

“The rude looking shelter,” writes Colonel Fremont, “we raised on the shore, our scattered baggage and boat lying on the beach made quite a picture.  We called this the fisherman’s camp.”

The horses arrived in the afternoon.  It was then blowing such a gale that a man could hardly stand against it.  The water of the lake was rapidly rising, forced in by the wind.  Very hurriedly they packed their baggage and had scarcely left the spot ere it was entirely submerged.  They reached the camp in the edge of the evening, just in time to escape a thunder storm, which blackened the sky and deluged the earth with rain.  The next day they remained at the camp, and boiled down five gallons of lake water which yielded fourteen pints of very fine white salt.  The ensuing morning was calm and beautiful, as is almost invariably the case during the summer and autumnal months, throughout all that region.

They now commenced their return by the same route they had already traversed, ascending the valley of the Bear river towards the north.  Day after day they journeyed on, without meeting much game, and their supply of food was nearly exhausted.  All the party seemed low-spirited, and trudged along in silence.  Scarcely a word was spoken.  On the night of the fourteenth they encamped on the bank of a crystal stream.  It was a lovely evening, serene and mild.  But the company seemed very forlorn from hunger.  Colonel Fremont therefore consented that a fat young horse, which he had purchased of the Indians, should be killed for food.  As the company gathered around their brilliant camp-fires, feasted on the savory horse steak, the customary good-humor and gayety were restored.

The next day, as they were still ascending the valley, they came upon two families of Snake Indians who were gathering herbs and roots.  The berries they were drying on buffalo robes.  These two families had twelve or fifteen horses grazing around their encampment.  Soon after this they encountered a solitary Indian, who had an antelope which he had killed.  They purchased the antelope and encamped early to enjoy the rich feast.  While they were protracting the pleasures of their repast, a messenger came galloping into their camp saying that Mr. Fitzpatrick was within a few miles of them, with an ample supply of provisions.  They could scarcely sleep that night for joy.  The next morning before sunrise they were on the move and soon rejoined their friends.  Together they continued their journey to the northward, encountering several lodges of Snake Indians; of whom they purchased about a bushel of dried berries.