As we had already gone so long we expected to meet them any day trying to get out, and if we went around we might miss them.

They might have all been killed by Indians or they might have already gone.

We had great fears on their account.

If they had gone north they might have perished in the snow.
The range was before us, and we must get to the other side in some way.
We could see the range for a hundred miles to the north and along the base some lakes of water that must be salt.

To the south it got some lower, but very barren and ending in black, dry buttes.