Show 72 cans were considered as spies by Ross as indeed they we re but they vere allowed to remain with the Snake expedition and accompany it to Flathead post Here they remained until Peter Skene Ogden set out from there December 20 1824 on his first Snake river expedition Smith and his fellow trappers left the post in Ogden’s company® The small party of Americans accompanied the Britishers as far as the upper Bear river from whence the Americans it to ascended the stream while the Ogden brigade descended The exact course followed by Smith and- his comits mouth - panions after they left Ogden is not known However he did reach the Great Salt Lake shortly thereafter as attested by returned from fell on the waters of the Grand Lake or Buenaventura"® Since Smith did not leave the Ogden trappers until May 5 he could not possibly have reachThis ed Great Salt Lake until the second week in May 1825 William Henry Ashley’s journal: "As Flathead Post he inclined west and Mr Smith "Journal of Alexander Ross: Snake 1824" Oregon Historical Quarterly XI V 23 Alexander Ross Country Expedition 1913 385 ff Likely in the vicinity of Soda Springs 25 Letter of Peter Skene Ogden to company officials July 10 1825 Oregon Historical Quarterly XXXV June 1934 was on this occasion that Ogden experienced ex108 ff It treme difficulties with the Americans some two dozen of his men deserted him and joined the Ashley trappers 26 Dale Ashley-Smi- th Explorations 158 24 |