bending over, resting on my hands, took a drink of the water, but was greatly disappointed, for the water was very common indeed, and not sweet. As I remember when we forded this river, hill slopes, not steep, came down near the river on the left hand and the water was flowing to the right.
The color name of the next river that comes to mind interested me somewhat, too. I was anxious to see it. The name was Green River, but when we came to it the water was of a white crystal clearness, and not a dark green river, as I had expected to see it, running across the country like a broad green ribbon. It was small and easily forded.
It seems to me now that for several hundred miles of travel through this part of the country, there was scarcely anything so unusual in incident or accident or feature of the country as to make a lasting impression on my memory.
The Soda Springs seem to come next in the order of my recollection. We camped very near one of these springs and nearly a quarter of a mile from Bear River, a rapid stream about the width of Green River. Here we met Fremont, with his party, and I thought their large tent, which was spread, near our encampment, a very nice affair. There was a soda spring or pool between the camps, and Fremont's men were having a high time drinking soda water. They were so noisy that I suspected they had liquor stronger than soda water mixed with the water. Fremont had a cannon, the first I had ever seen, a six-pounder, they said, and made of bright shining brass. It was resting on a low carriage, which was standing between our camp and Fremont's, and near the soda spring. I admired this cannon very much and examined it very closely several times. I discovered a touch hole near the breech, and looking in at the muzzle could see the ball, or thought I could. After Fremont's men had been drinking soda water from that spring, and enjoying it greatly nearly a whole day, one of our company fished out an enormous frog from the pool, almost as large as a young papoose, and falling to pieces with rottenness. Soon after this discovery we noticed that the hilarity at the Fremont tent suddently ceased. I thought Fremont was a very fine looking young man. In fact all his party were pretty well dressed, and jolly fellows.
