I would alternately sweat and thrill with horror at the thought of being torn to pieces—and devoured by this formidable monster.
Washburn
“Shooting Jake Smith’s Hat” by N.P. Langford, 1877
"I sent from my breech-loading Ballard repeating rifle four bullets in rapid succession, through the hat—badly riddling it."
When All the Fish Were Natives
Early travelers to the area that became Yellowstone National Park depended on the abundant fish in the Yellowstone River watershed to supplement their larders, but they often they went hungry after discovering other streams and lakes were barren.
A Tale: Lieutenant Doane Descends to the Bottom of Yellowstone Canyon — 1870
"After four hours of hard labor since leaving the horses, we finally reached the bottom of the gulf and the margin of the Yellowstone, famished with thirst, wet and exhausted."
A Tale: First Report of Cooking Live Fish in a Hot Spring — Hedges, 1870.
" I attempted to land my prize beyond the spring, but unfortunately for the fish, he escaped the hook to plunge into this boiling spring."
A Scene: The Geysers of Yellowstone — Washburn, 1870
There had been rumors of wonders in the upper Yellowstone for more than 50 years, but the Washburn Expedition of 1870 made it official. The place really did contain towering waterfalls, a huge inland sea and—most stupendous—boilding fountains that threw water hundreds of feet into the air. There were several reasons Washburn and his companions captured … Continue reading A Scene: The Geysers of Yellowstone — Washburn, 1870
A Scene: The Great Falls of the Yellowstone — Washburn, 1870
The water, just before it breaks into spray, has a beautiful green tint, as has also the water in the canyon below. .... The mingling of green water and white spray with the rainbow tints is beautiful beyond description.
A Tale: Two Pictures and 1300 Words — Walter Trumbull, 1870
'The waters ... plunged downward, breaking into myriads of drops; each drop, like a lens, gathering prismatic tints from the shining sun, and flashing like diamonds of the purest brilliancy.
A Tale: “Into the Scalding Morass,” Langford — 1870
"As I fell, my right arm was thrust violently through the treacherous surface into the scalding morass."
A Tale: Naming Tower Fall— Langford, 1870
While the explorers always had be be alert for the dangers of Indians, wild animals, and strange geothermal features, they also found ways to have fun.
M. Mark Miller, Author 