I grasped the bow line, and at the first chance jumped overboard and got to shore, when I held the boat and brought it in below the obstructions.

There was some deep water below the rocks; and we went into camp.

While some loaded the boat, others with a hook and line caught some good fish, which resembled mackerel.
While I was looking up toward the mountain top, and along down the rocky wall, I saw a smooth place about fifty feet above where the great rocks had broken out, and there, painted in large black letters, were the words "ASHLEY, 1824." This was the first real evidence we had of the presence of a white man in this wild place, and from this record it seems that twenty-five years before some venturesome man had here inscribed his name.

I have since heard there were some persons in St.
Louis of this name, and of some circumstances which may link them with this early traveler.
When we came to look around we found that another big rock blocked the channel 300 yards below, and the water rushed around it with a terrible swirl.

So we unloaded the boat again and made the attempt to get around it as we did the other rocks.