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diff --git a/old/1236-0.txt b/old/1236-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5777942 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/1236-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,10626 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of First Across the Continent, by Noah Brooks + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: First Across the Continent + +Author: Noah Brooks + +Release Date: February 11, 2006 [EBook #1236] +Last Updated: November 1, 2016 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIRST ACROSS THE CONTINENT *** + + + + +Produced by Charles Keller and David Widger + + + + + +FIRST ACROSS THE CONTINENT + +The Story of The Exploring Expedition of Lewis and Clark in 1804-5-6 + +By Noah Brooks + + + + +Chapter I -- A Great Transaction in Land + +The people of the young Republic of the United States were greatly +astonished, in the summer of 1803, to learn that Napoleon Bonaparte, +then First Consul of France, had sold to us the vast tract of land known +as the country of Louisiana. The details of this purchase were arranged +in Paris (on the part of the United States) by Robert R. Livingston and +James Monroe. The French government was represented by Barbe-Marbois, +Minister of the Public Treasury. + +The price to be paid for this vast domain was fifteen million dollars. +The area of the country ceded was reckoned to be more than one million +square miles, greater than the total area of the United States, as the +Republic then existed. Roughly described, the territory comprised all +that part of the continent west of the Mississippi River, bounded on the +north by the British possessions and on the west and south by dominions +of Spain. This included the region in which now lie the States of +Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, parts of Colorado, Minnesota, the +States of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, a part +of Idaho, all of Montana and Territory of Oklahoma. At that time, the +entire population of the region, exclusive of the Indian tribes that +roamed over its trackless spaces, was barely ninety thousand persons, +of whom forty thousand were negro slaves. The civilized inhabitants +were principally French, or descendants of French, with a few Spanish, +Germans, English, and Americans. + +The purchase of this tremendous slice of territory could not be complete +without an approval of the bargain by the United States Senate. Great +opposition to this was immediately excited by people in various parts +of the Union, especially in New England, where there was a very bitter +feeling against the prime mover in this business,--Thomas Jefferson, +then President of the United States. The scheme was ridiculed by persons +who insisted that the region was not only wild and unexplored, but +uninhabitable and worthless. They derided “The Jefferson Purchase,” as +they called it, as a useless piece of extravagance and folly; and, in +addition to its being a foolish bargain, it was urged that President +Jefferson had no right, under the constitution of the United States, to +add any territory to the area of the Republic. + +Nevertheless, a majority of the people were in favor of the purchase, +and the bargain was duly approved by the United States Senate; that +body, July 31, 1803, just three months after the execution of the treaty +of cession, formally ratified the important agreement between the two +governments. The dominion of the United States was now extended across +the entire continent of North America, reaching from the Atlantic to the +Pacific. The Territory of Oregon was already ours. + +This momentous transfer took place one hundred years ago, when almost +nothing was known of the region so summarily handed from the government +of France to the government of the American Republic. Few white men had +ever traversed those trackless plains, or scaled the frowning ranges of +mountains that barred the way across the continent. There were living in +the fastnesses of the mysterious interior of the Louisiana Purchase many +tribes of Indians who had never looked in the face of the white man. + +Nor was the Pacific shore of the country any better known to civilized +man than was the region lying between that coast and the Big Muddy, or +Missouri River. Spanish voyagers, in 1602, had sailed as far north as +the harbors of San Diego and Monterey, in what is now California; +and other explorers, of the same nationality, in 1775, extended their +discoveries as far north as the fifty-eighth degree of latitude. Famous +Captain Cook, the great navigator of the Pacific seas, in 1778, reached +and entered Nootka Sound, and, leaving numerous harbors and bays +unexplored, he pressed on and visited the shores of Alaska, then called +Unalaska, and traced the coast as far north as Icy Cape. Cold weather +drove him westward across the Pacific, and he spent the next winter at +Owyhee, where, in February of the following year, he was killed by the +natives. + +All these explorers were looking for chances for fur-trading, which was +at that time the chief industry of the Pacific coast. Curiously enough, +they all passed by the mouth of the Columbia without observing that +there was the entrance to one of the finest rivers on the American +continent. + +Indeed, Captain Vancouver, a British explorer, who has left his name +on the most important island of the North Pacific coast, baffled by the +deceptive appearances of the two capes that guard the way to a noble +stream (Cape Disappointment and Cape Deception), passed them without a +thought. But Captain Gray, sailing the good ship “Columbia,” of Boston, +who coasted those shores for more than two years, fully convinced that a +strong current which he observed off those capes came from a river, made +a determined effort; and on the 11th of May, 1792, he discovered and +entered the great river that now bears the name of his ship. At last +the key that was to open the mountain fastnesses of the heart of the +continent had been found. The names of the capes christened by Vancouver +and re-christened by Captain Gray have disappeared from our maps, but +in the words of one of the numerous editors(1) of the narrative of the +exploring expedition of Lewis and Clark: “The name of the good ship +‘Columbia,’ it is not hard to believe, will flow with the waters of the +bold river as long as grass grows or water runs in the valleys of the +Rocky Mountains.” + + + (1) Dr. Archibald McVickar. + + +It appears that the attention of President Jefferson had been early +attracted to the vast, unexplored domain which his wise foresight was +finally to add to the territory of the United States. While he was +living in Paris, as the representative of the United States, in 1785-89, +he made the acquaintance of John Ledyard, of Connecticut, the well-known +explorer, who had then in mind a scheme for the establishment of a +fur-trading post on the western coast of America. Mr. Jefferson proposed +to Ledyard that the most feasible route to the coveted fur-bearing lands +would be through the Russian possessions and downward somewhere near to +the latitude of the then unknown sources of the Missouri River, entering +the United States by that route. This scheme fell through on account of +the obstacles thrown in Ledyard’s way by the Russian Government. A few +years later, in 1792, Jefferson, whose mind was apparently fixed on +carrying out his project, proposed to the American Philosophical Society +of Philadelphia that a subscription should be opened for the purpose of +raising money “to engage some competent person to explore that region in +the opposite direction (from the Pacific coast),--that is, by ascending +the Missouri, crossing the Stony (Rocky) Mountains, and descending the +nearest river to the Pacific.” This was the hint from which originated +the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark. + +But the story-teller should not forget to mention that hardy and +adventurous explorer, Jonathan Carver. This man, the son of a British +officer, set out from Boston, in 1766, to explore the wilderness north +of Albany and lying along the southern shore of the Great Lakes. He was +absent two years and seven months, and in that time he collected a vast +amount of useful and strange information, besides learning the language +of the Indians among whom he lived. He conceived the bold plan of +travelling up a branch of the Missouri (or “Messorie”), till, having +discovered the source of the traditional “Oregon, or River of the West,” + on the western side of the lands that divide the continent, “he would +have sailed down that river to the place where it is said to empty +itself, near the Straits of Anian.” + +By the Straits of Anian, we are to suppose, were meant some part of +Behring’s Straits, separating Asia from the American continent. Carver’s +fertile imagination, stimulated by what he knew of the remote Northwest, +pictured that wild region where, according to a modern poet, “rolls the +Oregon and hears no sound save his own dashing.” But Carver died without +the sight; in his later years, he said of those who should follow his +lead: “While their spirits are elated by their success, perhaps they may +bestow some commendations and blessings on the person who first pointed +out to them the way.” + + + + +Chapter II -- Beginning a Long Journey + +In 1803, availing himself of a plausible pretext to send out an +exploring expedition, President Jefferson asked Congress to appropriate +a small sum of money ($2,500) for the execution of his purpose. At that +time the cession of the Louisiana Territory had not been completed; but +matters were in train to that end, and before the expedition was fairly +started on its long journey across the continent, the Territory was +formally ceded to the United States. + +Meriwether Lewis, a captain in the army, was selected by Jefferson to +lead the expedition. Captain Lewis was a native of Virginia, and at that +time was only twenty-nine years old. He had been Jefferson’s private +secretary for two years and was, of course, familiar with the +President’s plans and expectations as these regarded the wonder-land +which Lewis was to enter. It is pleasant to quote here Mr. Jefferson’s +words concerning Captain Lewis. In a memoir of that distinguished young +officer, written after his death, Jefferson said: “Of courage undaunted; +possessing a firmness and perseverance of purpose which nothing but +impossibilities could divert from its direction; careful as a father of +those committed to his charge, yet steady in the maintenance of +order and discipline; intimate with the Indian character, customs +and principles; habituated to the hunting life; guarded, by exact +observation of the vegetables and animals of his own country, against +losing time in the description of objects already possessed; honest, +disinterested, liberal, of sound understanding, and a fidelity to truth +so scrupulous that whatever he should report would be as certain as if +seen by ourselves--with all these qualifications, as if selected and +implanted by nature in one body for this express purpose, I could have +no hesitation in confiding the enterprise to him.” + +Before we have finished the story of Meriwether Lewis and his +companions, we shall see that this high praise of the youthful commander +was well deserved. + +For a coadjutor and comrade Captain Lewis chose William Clark,(1) also +a native of Virginia, and then about thirty-three years old. Clark, like +Lewis, held a commission in the military service of the United States, +and his appointment as one of the leaders of the expedition with which +his name and that of Lewis will ever be associated, made the two men +equal in rank. Exactly how there could be two captains commanding the +same expedition, both of the same military and actual rank, without jar +or quarrel, we cannot understand; but it is certain that the two young +men got on together harmoniously, and no hint or suspicion of any +serious disagreement between the two captains during their long and +arduous service has come down to us from those distant days. + + + (1) It is a little singular that Captain Clark’s name has + been so persistently misspelled by historians and + biographers. Even in most of the published versions of the + story of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the name of one of + the captains is spelled Clarke. Clark’s own signature, of + which many are in existence, is without the final and + superfluous vowel; and the family name, for generations + past, does not show it. + + +As finally organized, the expedition was made up of the two captains +(Lewis and Clark) and twenty-six men. These were nine young men from +Kentucky, who were used to life on the frontier among Indians; fourteen +soldiers of the United States Army, selected from many who eagerly +volunteered their services; two French voyageurs, or watermen, one of +whom was an interpreter of Indian language, and the other a hunter; and +one black man, a servant of Captain Clark. All these, except the negro +servant, were regularly enlisted as privates in the military service of +the United States during the expedition; and three of them were by the +captains appointed sergeants. In addition to this force, nine voyageurs +and a corporal and six private soldiers were detailed to act as guides +and assistants until the explorers should reach the country of the +Mandan Indians, a region lying around the spot where is now situated +the flourishing city of Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota. It was +expected that if hostile Indians should attack the explorers anywhere +within the limits of the little-known parts through which they were +to make their way, such attacks were more likely to be made below the +Mandan country than elsewhere. + +The duties of the explorers were numerous and important. They were to +explore as thoroughly as possible the country through which they were +to pass; making such observations of latitude and longitude as would be +needed when maps of the region should be prepared by the War Department; +observing the trade, commerce, tribal relations, manners and customs, +language, traditions, and monuments, habits and industrial pursuits, +diseases and laws of the Indian nations with whom they might come in +contact; note the floral, mineral, and animal characteristics of the +country, and, above all, to report whatever might be of interest to +citizens who might thereafter be desirous of opening trade relations +with those wild tribes of which almost nothing was then distinctly +known. + +The list of articles with which the explorers were provided, to aid them +in establishing peaceful relations with the Indians, might amuse traders +of the present day. But in those primitive times, and among peoples +entirely ignorant of the white man’s riches and resources, coats richly +laced with gilt braid, red trousers, medals, flags, knives, colored +handkerchiefs, paints, small looking-glasses, beads and tomahawks were +believed to be so attractive to the simple-minded red man that he would +gladly do much and give much of his own to win such prizes. Of these +fine things there were fourteen large bales and one box. The stores of +the expedition were clothing, working tools, fire-arms, food supplies, +powder, ball, lead for bullets, and flints for the guns then in use, the +old-fashioned flint-lock rifle and musket being still in vogue in our +country; for all of this was at the beginning of the present century. + +As the party was to begin their long journey by ascending the Missouri +River, their means of travel were provided in three boats. The largest, +a keel-boat, fifty-five feet long and drawing three feet of water, +carried a big square sail and twenty-two seats for oarsmen. On board +this craft was a small swivel gun. The other two boats were of that +variety of open craft known as pirogue, a craft shaped like a flat-iron, +square-sterned, flat-bottomed, roomy, of light draft, and usually +provided with four oars and a square sail which could be used when the +wind was aft, and which also served as a tent, or night shelter, on +shore. Two horses, for hunting or other occasional service, were led +along the banks of the river. + +As we have seen, President Jefferson, whose master mind organized and +devised this expedition, had dwelt longingly on the prospect of crossing +the continent from the headwaters of the Missouri to the headwaters of +the then newly-discovered Columbia. The route thus explored was more +difficult than that which was later travelled by the first emigrants +across the continent to California. That route lies up the Platte River, +through what is known as the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains, by Great +Salt Lake and down the valley of the Humboldt into California, crossing +the Sierra Nevada at any one of several points leading into the valley +of the Sacramento. The route, which was opened by the gold-seekers, was +followed by the first railroads built across the continent. The route +that lay so firmly in Jefferson’s mind, and which was followed up with +incredible hardships by the Lewis and Clark expedition, has since been +traversed by two railroads, built after the first transcontinental +rails were laid. If Jefferson had desired to find the shortest and most +feasible route across the continent, he would have pointed to the South +Pass and Utah basin trails. But these would have led the explorers into +California, then and long afterwards a Spanish possession. The entire +line finally traced over the Great Divide lay within the territory of +the United States. + +But it must be remembered that while the expedition was being organized, +the vast Territory of Louisiana was as yet a French possession. Before +the party were brought together and their supplies collected, +the territory passed under the jurisdiction of the United States. +Nevertheless, that jurisdiction was not immediately acknowledged by +the officials who, up to that time, had been the representatives of the +French and Spanish governments. Part of the territory was transferred +from Spain to France and then from France to the United States. It was +intended that the exploring party should pass the winter of 1803-4 in +St. Louis, then a mere village which had been commonly known as Pain +Court. But the Spanish governor of the province had not been officially +told that the country had been transferred to the United States, and, +after the Spanish manner, he forbade the passage of the Americans +through his jurisdiction. In those days communication between frontier +posts and points lying far to the eastward of the Mississippi was very +difficult; it required six weeks to carry the mails between New York, +Philadelphia, and Washington to St. Louis; and this was the reason why +a treaty, ratified in July, was not officially heard of in St. Louis +as late as December of that year. The explorers, shut out of Spanish +territory, recrossed the Mississippi and wintered at the mouth of Wood +River, just above St. Louis, on the eastern side of the great river, in +United States territory. As a matter of record, it may be said here that +the actual transfer of the lower part of the territory--commonly known +as Orleans--took place at New Orleans, December 20, 1803, and the +transfer of the upper part was effected at St. Louis, March 10, 1804, +before the Lewis and Clark expedition had started on its long journey to +the northwestward. + +All over the small area of the United States then existed a deep +interest in the proposed explorations of the course and sources of the +Missouri River. The explorers were about to plunge into vast solitudes +of which white people knew less than we know now about the North Polar +country. Wild and extravagant stories of what was to be seen in those +trackless regions were circulated in the States. For example, it was +said that Lewis and Clark expected to find the mammoth of prehistoric +times still living and wandering in the Upper Missouri region; and it +was commonly reported that somewhere, a thousand miles or so up +the river, was a solid mountain of rock salt, eighty miles long and +forty-five miles wide, destitute of vegetation and glittering in the +sun! These, and other tales like these, were said to be believed and +doted upon by the great Jefferson himself. The Federalists, or “Feds,” + as they were called, who hated Jefferson, pretended to believe that he +had invented some of these foolish yarns, hoping thereby to make his +Louisiana purchase more popular in the Republic. + +In his last letter to Captain Lewis, which was to reach the explorers +before they started, Jefferson said: “The acquisition of the country +through which you are to pass has inspired the country generally with a +great deal of interest in your enterprise. The inquiries are perpetual +as to your progress. The Feds alone still treat it as a philosophism, +and would rejoice at its failure. Their bitterness increases with the +diminution of their numbers and despair of a resurrection. I hope you +will take care of yourself, and be a living witness of their malice and +folly.” Indeed, after the explorers were lost sight of in the wilderness +which they were to traverse, many people in the States declaimed +bitterly against the folly that had sent these unfortunate men to perish +miserably in the fathomless depths of the continent. They no longer +treated it “as a philosophism,” or wild prank, but as a wicked scheme to +risk life and property in a search for the mysteries of the unknown and +unknowable. + +As a striking illustration of this uncertainty of the outcome of the +expedition, which exercised even the mind of Jefferson, it may be said +that in his instructions to Captain Lewis he said: “Our Consuls, Thomas +Hewes, at Batavia in Java, William Buchanan in the isles of France and +Bourbon, and John Elmslie at the Cape of Good Hope, will be able to +supply your necessities by drafts on us.” All this seems strange enough +to the young reader of the present day; but this was said and done one +hundred years ago. + + + + +Chapter III -- From the Lower to the Upper River + +The party finally set sail up the Missouri River on Monday, May 21, +1804, but made only a few miles, owing to head winds. Four days +later they camped near the last white settlement on the Missouri,--La +Charrette, a little village of seven poor houses. Here lived Daniel +Boone, the famous Kentucky backwoodsman, then nearly seventy years old, +but still vigorous, erect, and strong of limb. Here and above this place +the explorers began to meet with unfamiliar Indian tribes and names. For +example, they met two canoes loaded with furs “from the Mahar nation.” + The writer of the Lewis and Clark journal, upon whose notes we rely for +our story, made many slips of this sort. By “Mahars” we must understand +that the Omahas were meant. We shall come across other such instances +in which the strangers mistook the pronunciation of Indian names. For +example, Kansas was by them misspelled as “Canseze” and “Canzan;” and +there appear some thirteen or fourteen different spellings of Sioux, of +which one of the most far-fetched is “Scouex.” + +The explorers were now in a country unknown to them and almost unknown +to any white man. On the thirty-first of May, a messenger came down the +Grand Osage River bringing a letter from a person who wrote that the +Indians, having been notified that the country had been ceded to the +Americans, burned the letter containing the tidings, refusing to believe +the report. The Osage Indians, through whose territory they were now +passing, were among the largest and finest-formed red men of the West. +Their name came from the river along which they warred and hunted, but +their proper title, as they called themselves, was “the Wabashas,” and +from them, in later years, we derive the familiar name of Wabash. A +curious tradition of this people, according to the journal of Lewis and +Clark, is that the founder of the nation was a snail, passing a quiet +existence along the banks of the Osage, till a high flood swept him down +to the Missouri, and left him exposed on the shore. The heat of the sun +at length ripened him into a man; but with the change of his nature +he had not forgotten his native seats on the Osage, towards which he +immediately bent his way. He was, however, soon overtaken by hunger and +fatigue, when happily, the Great Spirit appeared, and, giving him a bow +and arrow, showed him how to kill and cook deer, and cover himself +with the skin. He then proceeded to his original residence; but as he +approached the river he was met by a beaver, who inquired haughtily who +he was, and by what authority he came to disturb his possession. The +Osage answered that the river was his own, for he had once lived on its +borders. As they stood disputing, the daughter of the beaver came, and +having, by her entreaties, reconciled her father to this young stranger, +it was proposed that the Osage should marry the young beaver, and share +with her family the enjoyment of the river. The Osage readily consented, +and from this happy union there soon came the village and the nation of +the Wabasha, or Osages, who have ever since preserved a pious reverence +for their ancestors, abstaining from the chase of the beaver, because in +killing that animal they killed a brother of the Osage. Of late years, +however, since the trade with the whites has rendered beaver-skins more +valuable, the sanctity of these maternal relatives has been visibly +reduced, and the poor animals have lost all the privileges of kindred. + +Game was abundant all along the river as the explorers sailed up the +stream. Their hunters killed numbers of deer, and at the mouth of Big +Good Woman Creek, which empties into the Missouri near the present town +of Franklin, Howard County, three bears were brought into the camp. +Here, too, they began to find salt springs, or “salt licks,” to which +many wild animals resorted for salt, of which they were very fond. +Saline County, Missouri, perpetuates the name given to the region by +Lewis and Clark. Traces of buffalo were also found here, and occasional +wandering traders told them that the Indians had begun to hunt the +buffalo now that the grass had become abundant enough to attract this +big game from regions lying further south. + +By the tenth of June the party had entered the country of the Ayauway +nation. This was an easy way of spelling the word now familiar to us +as “Iowa.” But before that spelling was reached, it was Ayaway, Ayahwa, +Iawai, Iaway, and so on. The remnants of this once powerful tribe now +number scarcely two hundred persons. In Lewis and Clark’s time, they +were a large nation, with several hundred warriors, and were constantly +at war with their neighbors. Game here grew still more abundant, and in +addition to deer and bear the hunters brought in a raccoon. One of these +hunters brought into camp a wild tale of a snake which, he said, “made +a guttural noise like a turkey.” One of the French voyageurs confirmed +this story; but the croaking snake was never found and identified. + +On the twenty-fourth of June the explorers halted to prepare some of the +meat which their hunters brought in. Numerous herds of deer were feeding +on the abundant grass and young willows that grew along the river banks. +The meat, cut in small strips, or ribbons, was dried quickly in the hot +sun. This was called “jirked” meat. Later on the word was corrupted into +“jerked,” and “jerked beef” is not unknown at the present day. The verb +“jerk” is corrupted from the Chilian word, charqui, meaning sun-dried +meat; but it is not easy to explain how the Chilian word got into the +Northwest. + +As the season advanced, the party found many delicious wild fruits, such +as currants, plums, raspberries, wild apples, and vast quantities of +mulberries. Wild turkeys were also found in large numbers, and the party +had evidently entered a land of plenty. Wild geese were abundant, and +numerous tracks of elk were seen. But we may as well say here that the +so-called elk of the Northwest is not the elk of ancient Europe; a more +correct and distinctive name for this animal is wapiti, the name given +the animal by the Indians. The European elk more closely resembles the +American moose. Its antlers are flat, low, and palmated like our moose; +whereas the antlers of the American elk, so-called, are long, high, and +round-shaped with many sharp points or tines. The mouth of the great +Platte River was reached on the twenty-first of July. This famous stream +was then regarded as a sort of boundary line between the known and +unknown regions. As mariners crossing the equator require all their +comrades, who have not been “over the line” to submit to lathering +and shaving, so the Western voyageurs merrily compelled their mates to +submit to similar horse-play. The great river was also the mark above +which explorers entered upon what was called the Upper Missouri. + +The expedition was now advancing into a region inhabited by several +wandering tribes of Indians, chief of which were the Ottoes, Missouris, +and Pawnees. It was determined, therefore, to call a council of some of +the chiefs of these bands and make terms of peace with them. After +some delay, the messengers sent out to them brought in fourteen +representative Indians, to whom the white men made presents of roast +meat, pork, flour, and corn-meal, in return for which their visitors +brought them quantities of delicious watermelons. “Next day, August +3,” says the journal, “the Indians, with their six chiefs, were all +assembled under an awning formed with the mainsail, in presence of all +our party, paraded for the occasion. A speech was then made, announcing +to them the change in the government, our promises of protection, and +advice as to their future conduct. All the six chiefs replied to our +speech, each in his turn, according to rank. They expressed their joy at +the change in the government; their hopes that we would recommend them +to their Great Father (the president), that they might obtain trade and +necessaries: they wanted arms as well for hunting as for defence, and +asked our mediation between them and the Mahas, with whom they are now +at war. We promised to do so, and wished some of them to accompany us to +that nation, which they declined, for fear of being killed by them. We +then proceeded to distribute our presents. The grand chief of the nation +not being of the party, we sent him a flag, a medal, and some ornaments +for clothing. To the six chiefs who were present, we gave a medal of the +second grade to one Ottoe chief and one Missouri chief; a medal of the +third grade to two inferior chiefs of each nation; the customary mode +of recognizing a chief being to place a medal round his neck, which is +considered among his tribe as a proof of his consideration abroad. Each +of these medals was accompanied by a present of paint, garters, and +cloth ornaments of dress; and to this we added a canister of powder, a +bottle of whiskey, and a few presents to the whole, which appeared +to make them perfectly satisfied. The air-gun, too, was fired, and +astonished them greatly. The absent grand chief was an Ottoe, named +Weahrushhah, which, in English, degenerates into Little Thief. The two +principal chieftains present were Shongotongo, or Big Horse, and Wethea, +or Hospitality; also Shosguscan, or White Horse, an Ottoe; the first an +Ottoe, the second a Missouri. The incidents just related induced us to +give to this place the name of the Council Bluffs: the situation of it +is exceedingly favorable for a fort and trading factory, as the soil +is well calculated for bricks, and there is an abundance of wood in the +neighborhood, and the air being pure and healthy.” + +Of course the reader will recognize, in the name given to this place by +Lewis and Clark, the flourishing modern city of Council Bluffs, Iowa. +Nevertheless, as a matter of fact, the council took place on the +Nebraskan or western side of the river, and the meeting-place was at +some distance above the site of the present city of Council Bluffs. + +Above Council Bluffs the explorers found the banks of the river to be +high and bluffy, and on one of the highlands which they passed they saw +the burial-place of Blackbird, one of the great men of the Mahars, or +Omahas, who had died of small-pox. A mound, twelve feet in diameter and +six feet high, had been raised over the grave, and on a tall pole at +the summit the party fixed a flag of red, white, and blue. The place +was regarded as sacred by the Omahas, who kept the dead chieftain well +supplied with provisions. The small-pox had caused great mortality among +the Indians; and a few years before the white men’s visit, when the fell +disease had destroyed four hundred men, with a due proportion of women +and children, the survivors burned their village and fled. + +“They had been a military and powerful people; but when these warriors +saw their strength wasting before a malady which they could not resist, +their frenzy was extreme; they burned their village, and many of them +put to death their wives and children, to save them from so cruel an +affliction, and that all might go together to some better country.” + +In Omaha, or Mahar Creek, the explorers made their first experiment +in dragging the stream for fish. With a drag of willows, loaded with +stones, they succeeded in catching a great variety of fine fish, over +three hundred at one haul, and eight hundred at another. These were +pike, bass, salmon-trout, catfish, buffalo fish, perch, and a species of +shrimp, all of which proved an acceptable addition to their usual flesh +bill-of-fare. + +Desiring to call in some of the surrounding Indian tribes, they here +set fire to the dry prairie grass, that being the customary signal for a +meeting of different bands of roving peoples. In the afternoon of August +18, a party of Ottoes, headed by Little Thief and Big Horse, came in, +with six other chiefs and a French interpreter. The journal says:-- + +“We met them under a shade, and after they had finished a repast with +which we supplied them, we inquired into the origin of the war between +them and the Mahas, which they related with great frankness. It seems +that two of the Missouris went to the Mahas to steal horses, but were +detected and killed; the Ottoes and Missouris thought themselves bound +to avenge their companions, and the whole nations were at last obliged +to share in the dispute. They are also in fear of a war from the +Pawnees, whose village they entered this summer, while the inhabitants +were hunting, and stole their corn. This ingenuous confession did +not make us the less desirous of negotiating a peace for them; but no +Indians have as yet been attracted by our fire. The evening was closed +by a dance; and the next day, the chiefs and warriors being assembled +at ten o’clock, we explained the speech we had already sent from the +Council Bluffs, and renewed our advice. They all replied in turn, and +the presents were then distributed. We exchanged the small medal we had +formerly given to the Big Horse for one of the same size with that of +Little Thief: we also gave a small medal to a third chief, and a kind +of certificate or letter of acknowledgment to five of the warriors +expressive of our favor and their good intentions. One of them, +dissatisfied, returned us the certificate; but the chief, fearful of +our being offended, begged that it might be restored to him; this we +declined, and rebuked them severely for having in view mere traffic +instead of peace with their neighbors. This displeased them at first; +but they at length all petitioned that it should be given to the +warrior, who then came forward and made an apology to us; we then +delivered it to the chief to be given to the most worthy, and he +bestowed it on the same warrior, whose name was Great Blue Eyes. After a +more substantial present of small articles and tobacco, the council was +ended with a dram to the Indians. In the evening we exhibited different +objects of curiosity, and particularly the air-gun, which gave them +great surprise. Those people are almost naked, having no covering except +a sort of breech-cloth round the middle, with a loose blanket or buffalo +robe, painted, thrown over them. The names of these warriors, besides +those already mentioned, were Karkapaha, or Crow’s Head, and Nenasawa, +or Black Cat, Missouris; and Sananona, or Iron Eyes, Neswaunja, or +Big Ox, Stageaunja, or Big Blue Eyes, and Wasashaco, or Brave Man, all +Ottoes.” + + + + +Chapter IV -- Novel Experiences among the Indians + +About this time (the nineteenth and twentieth of August), the explorers +lost by death the only member of their party who did not survive the +journey. Floyd River, which flows into the Upper Missouri, in the +northwest corner of Iowa, still marks the last resting-place of Sergeant +Charles Floyd, who died there of bilious colic and was buried by his +comrades near the mouth of the stream. Near here was a quarry of red +pipestone, dear to the Indian fancy as a mine of material for their +pipes; traces of this deposit still remain. So fond of this red rock +were the Indians that when they went there to get the stuff, even +lifelong and vindictive enemies declared a truce while they gathered the +material, and savage hostile tribes suspended their wars for a time. + +On the north side of the Missouri, at a point in what is now known +as Clay County, South Dakota, Captains Lewis and Clark, with ten men, +turned aside to see a great natural curiosity, known to the Indians as +the Hill of Little Devils. The hill is a singular mound in the midst of +a flat prairie, three hundred yards long, sixty or seventy yards wide, +and about seventy feet high. The top is a smooth level plain. The +journal says:-- + +“The Indians have made it a great article of their superstition: it +is called the Mountain of Little People, or Little Spirits; and they +believe that it is the abode of little devils, in the human form, of +about eighteen inches high, and with remarkably large heads; they are +armed with sharp arrows, with which they are very skilful, and are +always on the watch to kill those who should have the hardihood to +approach their residence. The tradition is, that many have suffered from +these little evil spirits, and, among others, three Maha Indians fell +a sacrifice to them a few years since. This has inspired all the +neighboring nations, Sioux, Mahas, and Ottoes, with such terror, that no +consideration could tempt them to visit the hill. We saw none of these +wicked little spirits, nor any place for them, except some small holes +scattered over the top; we were happy enough to escape their vengeance, +though we remained some time on the mound to enjoy the delightful +prospect of the plain, which spreads itself out till the eye rests upon +the northwest hills at a great distance, and those of the northeast, +still farther off, enlivened by large herds of buffalo feeding at a +distance.” + +The present residents of the region, South Dakota, have preserved the +Indian tradition, and Spirit Mound may be seen on modern maps of that +country. + +Passing on their way up the Missouri, the explorers found several kinds +of delicious wild plums and vast quantities of grapes; and here, too, +they passed the mouth of the Yankton River, now known as the Dakota, +at the mouth of which is the modern city of Yankton, South Dakota. The +Yankton-Sioux Indians, numbering about one thousand people, inhabited +this part of the country, and near here the white men were met by a +large band of these Sioux who had come in at the invitation of Lewis +and Clark. The messengers from the white men reported that they had been +well received by the Indians, who, as a mark of respect, presented their +visitors with “a fat dog, already cooked, of which they partook heartily +and found it well-flavored.” From this time, according to the journal, +the explorers tasted occasionally of roast dog, and later on they +adopted this dish as a regular feature of their bill-of-fare. They do +tell us, however, that they had some difficulty in getting used to so +novel an article of food. + +The Sioux and the white men held a grand council under an oak-tree, +from the top of which was flying the American flag. The head chief was +presented with a gold-laced uniform of the United States artillery, a +cocked hat and red feather. The lesser chiefs were also presented +with suitable gifts of lesser value. Various festivities followed the +conference. Next day another powwow was held at which the head chief, +Weucha, or Shake Hand, said:-- + +“‘I see before me my great father’s two sons. You see me and the rest +of our chiefs and warriors. We are very poor; we have neither powder, +nor ball, nor knives; and our women and children at the village have no +clothes. I wish that, as my brothers have given me a flag and a medal, +they would give something to those poor people, or let them stop and +trade with the first boat which comes up the river. I will bring the +chiefs of the Pawnees and Mahas together, and make peace between them; +but it is better that I should do it than my great father’s sons, for +they will listen to me more readily. I will also take some chiefs to +your country in the spring; but before that time I cannot leave home. I +went formerly to the English, and they gave me a medal and some clothes: +when I went to the Spaniards they gave me a medal, but nothing to keep +it from my skin: but now you give me a medal and clothes. But still +we are poor; and I wish, brothers, you would give us something for our +squaws.’” + +When he sat down, Mahtoree, or White Crane, rose: + +“‘I have listened,’ said he, ‘to what our father’s words were +yesterday; and I am to-day glad to see how you have dressed our old +chief. I am a young man, and do not wish to take much; my fathers have +made me a chief; I had much sense before, but now I think I have more +than ever. What the old chief has declared I will confirm, and do +whatever he and you please; but I wish that you would take pity on us, +for we are very poor.’ + +“Another chief, called Pawnawneahpahbe, then said: + +“‘I am a young man, and know but little; I cannot speak well, but I +have listened to what you have told the old chief, and will do whatever +you agree.’ + +“The same sentiments were then repeated by Aweawechache. + +“We were surprised,” the journal says, “at finding that the first of +these titles means Struck by the Pawnee, and was occasioned by some blow +which the chief had received in battle from one of the Pawnee tribe. +The second is in English Half Man, which seemed a singular name for +a warrior, till it was explained to have its origin, probably, in the +modesty of the chief, who, on being told of his exploits, would say, +‘I am no warrior, I am only half a man.’ The other chiefs spoke very +little; but after they had finished, one of the warriors delivered a +speech, in which he declared he would support them. They promised to +make peace with the Ottoes and Missouris, the only nations with whom +they are at war. All these harangues concluded by describing the +distress of the nation: they begged us to have pity on them; to send +them traders; that they wanted powder and ball; and seemed anxious that +we should supply them with some of their great father’s milk, the name +by which they distinguish ardent spirits. We gave some tobacco to each +of the chiefs, and a certificate to two of the warriors who attended +the chief We prevailed on M. Durion (interpreter) to remain here, and +accompany as many of the Sioux chiefs as he could collect to the seat of +government. We also gave his son a flag, some clothes, and provisions, +with directions to bring about a peace between the surrounding tribes, +and to convey some of their chiefs to see the President. + +“The Indians who have just left us are the Yanktons, a tribe of the +great nation of Sioux. These Yanktons are about two hundred men in +number, and inhabit the Jacques, Des Moines, and Sioux Rivers. In person +they are stout, well proportioned, and have a certain air of dignity and +boldness. In their dress they differ nothing from the other bands of the +nation whom we met afterwards.” + +Of the Sioux let us say here, there are many bands, or subdivisions. +Some writers make eighteen of these principal branches. But the first +importance is given to the Sioux proper, or Dakotas. The name “Sioux” is +one of reproach, given by their enemies, and signifies “snake;” whereas +“Dakota” means “friend” or “ally.” The Lewis and Clark journal says of +the Yankton-Sioux:-- + +“What struck us most was an institution peculiar to them and to the Kite +(Crow) Indians further to the westward, from whom it is said to have +been copied. It is an association of the most active and brave young +men, who are bound to each other by attachment, secured by a vow, never +to retreat before any danger, or give way to their enemies. In war they +go forward without sheltering themselves behind trees, or aiding their +natural valor by any artifice. Their punctilious determination not to +be turned from their course became heroic, or ridiculous, a short time +since, when the Yanktons were crossing the Missouri on the ice. A hole +lay immediately in their course, which might easily have been avoided +by going around. This the foremost of the band disdained to do, but +went straight forward and was lost. The others would have followed his +example, but were forcibly prevented by the rest of the tribe. These +young men sit, camp, and dance together, distinct from the rest of the +nation; they are generally about thirty or thirty-five years old, and +such is the deference paid to courage that their seats in council are +superior to those of the chiefs and their persons more respected. But, +as may be supposed, such indiscreet bravery will soon diminish the +numbers of those who practise it; so that the band is now reduced to +four warriors, who were among our visitors. These were the remains of +twenty-two who composed the society not long ago; but, in a battle with +the Kite (Crow) Indians of the Black Mountains, eighteen of them were +killed, and these four were dragged from the field by their companions.” + +Just above the site of the city of Yankton, and near what is still known +as Bon Homme Island, Captain Clark explored a singular earth formation +in a bend of the river. This had all the appearance of an ancient +fortification, stretching across the bend and furnished with redoubts +and other features of a great fort. In the journal is given a glowing +account of the work and an elaborate map of the same. Modern research, +however, has proved that this strange arrangement of walls and parapets +is only a series of sand ridges formed by the currents of the river and +driftings of sand. Many of these so-called earthworks are situated on +the west bank of the Upper Missouri, in North Dakota and South Dakota. + +A few days later, the party saw a species of animal which they described +as “goats,”--very fleet, with short pronged horns inclining backward, +and with grayish hair, marked with white on the rump. This creature, +however, was the American antelope, then unknown to science, and first +described by Lewis and Clark. While visiting a strange dome-shaped +mountain, “resembling a cupola,” and now known as “the Tower,” the +explorers found the abode of another animal, heretofore unknown to them. +“About four acres of ground,” says the journal, “was covered with small +holes.” The account continues: “These are the residence of a little +animal, called by the French petit chien (little dog), which sit erect +near the mouth, and make a whistling noise, but, when alarmed, take +refuge in their holes. In order to bring them out we poured into one of +the holes five barrels of water without filling it, but we dislodged and +caught the owner. After digging down another of the holes for six feet, +we found, on running a pole into it, that we had not yet dug half-way to +the bottom: we discovered, however, two frogs in the hole, and near it +we killed a dark rattlesnake, which had swallowed a small prairie dog. +We were also informed, though we never witnessed the fact, that a sort +of lizard and a snake live habitually with these animals. The +petit chien are justly named, as they resemble a small dog in some +particulars, although they have also some points of similarity to the +squirrel. The head resembles the squirrel in every respect, except that +the ear is shorter; the tail like that of the ground squirrel; the toe +nails are long, the fur is fine, and the long hair is gray.” + +Great confusion has been caused in the minds of readers on account of +there being another burrowing animal, called by Lewis and Clark “the +burrowing squirrel,” which resembles the petit chien in some respects. +But the little animal described here is now well known as the +prairie-dog,--an unfortunate and misleading name. It is in no sense a +species of dog. The creature commonly weighs about three pounds, and its +note resembles that of a toy-dog. It is a species of marmot; it subsists +on grass roots and other vegetable products; its flesh is delicate and, +when fat, of good flavor. The writer of these lines, when crossing the +great plains, in early times, found the “prairie-dogs” excellent eating, +but difficult to kill; they are expert at diving into their holes at the +slightest signal of danger. + +The following days they saw large herds of buffalo, and the copses of +timber appeared to contain elk and deer, “just below Cedar Island,” + adds the journal, “on a hill to the south, is the backbone of a fish, +forty-five feet long, tapering towards the tail, and in a perfect +state of petrifaction, fragments of which were collected and sent to +Washington.” This was not a fish, but the fossil remains of a reptile of +one of the earliest geological periods. Here, too, the party saw immense +herds of buffalo, thousands in number, some of which they killed for +their meat and skins. They also saw elk, deer, turkeys, grouse, beaver, +and prairie-dogs. The journal bitterly complains of the “moschetoes,” + which were very troublesome. As mosquitoes we now know them. + +Oddly enough, the journal sometimes speaks of “goats” and sometimes of +“antelopes,” and the same animal is described in both instances. Here is +a good story of the fleetness of the beautiful creature:-- + +“Of all the animals we had seen, the antelope seems to possess the most +wonderful fleetness. Shy and timorous, they generally repose only on +the ridges, which command a view of all the approaches of an enemy: +the acuteness of their sight distinguishes the most distant danger; +the delicate sensibility of their smell defeats the precautions of +concealment; and, when alarmed, their rapid career seems more like +the flight of birds than the movements of a quadruped. After many +unsuccessful attempts, Captain Lewis at last, by winding around the +ridges, approached a party of seven, which were on an eminence towards +which the wind was unfortunately blowing. The only male of the party +frequently encircled the summit of the hill, as if to announce any +danger to the females, which formed a group at the top. Although they +did not see Captain Lewis, the smell alarmed them, and they fled when he +was at the distance of two hundred yards: he immediately ran to the +spot where they had been; a ravine concealed them from him; but the next +moment they appeared on a second ridge, at the distance of three miles. +He doubted whether they could be the same; but their number, and the +extreme rapidity with which they continued their course, convinced +him that they must have gone with a speed equal to that of the +most distinguished race-horse. Among our acquisitions to-day were a +mule-deer, a magpie, a common deer, and buffalo: Captain Lewis also +saw a hare, and killed a rattlesnake near the burrows of the barking +squirrels.” + +By “barking squirrels” the reader must understand that the animal better +known as the prairie-dog is meant; and the mule-deer, as the explorers +called it, was not a hybrid, but a deer with very long ears, better +known afterwards as the black-tailed deer. + +At the Big Bend of the Missouri, in the heart of what is now South +Dakota, while camped on a sand-bar, the explorers had a startling +experience. “Shortly after midnight,” says the journal, “the sleepers +were startled by the sergeant on guard crying out that the sand-bar was +sinking, and the alarm was timely given; for scarcely had they got off +with the boats before the bank under which they had been lying fell in; +and by the time the opposite shore was reached, the ground on which they +had been encamped sunk also. A man who was sent to step off the distance +across the head of the bend, made it but two thousand yards, while its +circuit is thirty miles.” + +The next day, three Sioux boys swam the river and told them that two +parties of their nation, one of eighty lodges, and one of sixty lodges, +were camped up the river, waiting to have a palaver with the white +explorers. These were Teton Sioux, and the river named for them still +bears that title. + + + + +Chapter V -- From the Tetons to the Mandans + +“On the morning of September 25th,” says the journal, “we raised a +flagstaff and an awning, under which we assembled, with all the party +parading under arms. The chiefs and warriors, from the camps two miles +up the river, met us, about fifty or sixty in number, and after smoking +we delivered them a speech; but as our Sioux interpreter, M. Durion, had +been left with the Yanktons, we were obliged to make use of a Frenchman +who could not speak fluently, and therefore we curtailed our harangue. +After this we went through the ceremony of acknowledging the chiefs, by +giving to the grand chief a medal, a flag of the United States, a laced +uniform coat, a cocked hat and feather; to the two other chiefs, a +medal and some small presents; and to two warriors of consideration, +certificates. The name of the great chief is Untongasabaw, or +Black Buffalo; the second, Tortohonga, or the Partisan; the third, +Tartongawaka, or Buffalo Medicine; the name of one of the warriors was +Wawzinggo; that of the second, Matocoquepa, or Second Bear. We then +invited the chiefs on board, and showed them the boat, the air-gun, and +such curiosities as we thought might amuse them. In this we succeeded +too well; for, after giving them a quarter of a glass of whiskey, which +they seemed to like very much, and sucked the bottle, it was with much +difficulty that we could get rid of them. They at last accompanied +Captain Clark on shore, in a pirogue with five men; but it seems they +had formed a design to stop us; for no sooner had the party landed than +three of the Indians seized the cable of the pirogue, and one of the +soldiers of the chief put his arms round the mast. The second chief, who +affected intoxication, then said that we should not go on; that they +had not received presents enough from us. Captain Clark told him that +he would not be prevented from going on; that we were not squaws, but +warriors; that we were sent by our great father, who could in a moment +exterminate them. The chief replied that he too had warriors, and was +proceeding to offer personal violence to Captain Clark, who immediately +drew his sword, and made a signal to the boat to prepare for action. The +Indians, who surrounded him, drew their arrows from their quivers, +and were bending their bows, when the swivel in the boat was instantly +pointed towards them, and twelve of our most determined men jumped into +the pirogue and joined Captain Clark. This movement made an impression +on them, for the grand chief ordered the young men away from the +pirogue, and they withdrew and held a short council with the warriors. +Being unwilling to irritate them, Captain Clark then went forward, and +offered his hand to the first and second chiefs, who refused to take it. +He then turned from them and got into the pirogue; but he had not got +more than ten paces, when both the chiefs and two of the warriors waded +in after him, and he brought them on board. We then proceeded on for a +mile, and anchored off a willow island, which, from the circumstances +which had just occurred, we called Bad-humored Island.” + +The policy of firmness and gentleness, which Lewis and Clark always +pursued when treating with the Indians, had its good results at this +time. What might have been a bloody encounter was averted, and next day +the Indians contritely came into camp and asked that their squaws and +children might see the white men and their boats, which would be to them +a novel sight. This was agreed to, and after the expedition had sailed +up the river and had been duly admired by a great crowd of men, women, +and children, the Tetons invited the white men to a dance. The journal +adds:-- + +“Captains Lewis and Clark, who went on shore one after the other, were +met on landing by ten well-dressed young men, who took them up in a robe +highly decorated and carried them to a large council-house, where they +were placed on a dressed buffalo-skin by the side of the grand chief. +The hall or council-room was in the shape of three-quarters of a circle, +covered at the top and sides with skins well dressed and sewed together. +Under this shelter sat about seventy men, forming a circle round the +chief, before whom were placed a Spanish flag and the one we had given +them yesterday. This left a vacant circle of about six feet diameter, +in which the pipe of peace was raised on two forked sticks, about six +or eight inches from the ground, and under it the down of the swan was +scattered. A large fire, in which they were cooking provisions, stood +near, and in the centre about four hundred pounds of buffalo meat as a +present for us. As soon as we were seated, an old man got up, and after +approving what we had done, begged us take pity on their unfortunate +situation. To this we replied with assurances of protection. After he +had ceased, the great chief rose and delivered a harangue to the same +effect; then with great solemnity he took some of the most delicate +parts of the dog which was cooked for the festival, and held it to the +flag by way of sacrifice; this done, he held up the pipe of peace, and +first pointed it toward the heavens, then to the four quarters of the +globe, then to the earth, made a short speech, lighted the pipe, and +presented it to us. We smoked, and he again harangued his people, after +which the repast was served up to us. It consisted of the dog which they +had just been cooking, this being a great dish among the Sioux, and used +on all festivals; to this were added pemitigon, a dish made of buffalo +meat, dried or jerked, and then pounded and mixed raw with grease and +a kind of ground potato, dressed like the preparation of Indian corn +called hominy, to which it is little inferior. Of all these luxuries, +which were placed before us in platters with horn spoons, we took the +pemitigon and the potato, which we found good, but we could as yet +partake but sparingly of the dog.” + +The “pemitigon” mentioned here is better known as pemmican, a sort of +dried meat, which may be eaten as prepared, or pounded fine and cooked +with other articles of food. This festival concluded with a grand dance, +which at midnight wound up the affair. + +As the description of these Tetons, given by Lewis and Clark, will give +the reader a good idea of the manners, customs, and personal appearance +of most of the Sioux nation, we will copy the journal in full. It is as +follows: + +“The tribe which we this day saw are a part of the great Sioux nation, +and are known by the name of the Teton Okandandas: they are about two +hundred men in number, and their chief residence is on both sides of the +Missouri, between the Chayenne and Teton Rivers. In their persons they +are rather ugly and ill-made, their legs and arms being too small, their +cheek-bones high, and their eyes projecting. The females, with the same +character of form, are more handsome; and both sexes appear cheerful and +sprightly; but in our intercourse with them we discovered that they were +cunning and vicious. + +“The men shave the hair off their heads, except a small tuft on the top, +which they suffer to grow, and wear in plaits over the shoulders; to +this they seem much attached, as the loss of it is the usual sacrifice +at the death of near relations. In full dress, the men of consideration +wear a hawk’s feather, or calumet feather worked with porcupine quills, +and fastened to the top of the head, from which it falls back. The face +and body are generally painted with a mixture of grease and coal. Over +the shoulders is a loose robe or mantle of buffalo skin dressed white, +adorned with porcupine quills, loosely fixed, so as to make a jingling +noise when in motion, and painted with various uncouth figures, +unintelligible to us, but to them emblematic of military exploits or +any other incident: the hair of the robe is worn next the skin in fair +weather, but when it rains the hair is put outside, and the robe is +either thrown over the arm or wrapped round the body, all of which it +may cover. Under this, in the winter season, they wear a kind of shirt +resembling ours, made either of skin or cloth, and covering the arms and +body. Round the middle is fixed a girdle of cloth, or procured dressed +elk-skin, about an inch in width, and closely tied to the body; to this +is attached a piece of cloth, or blanket, or skin, about a foot wide, +which passes between the legs, and is tucked under the girdle both +before and behind. From the hip to the ankle is covered by leggins of +dressed antelope skins, with seams at the sides two inches in width, and +ornamented by little tufts of hair, the produce of the scalps they have +made in war, which are scattered down the leg. The winter moccasins +are of dressed buffalo skin, the hair being worn inward, and soled with +thick elk-skin parchment; those for summer are of deer or elk-skin, +dressed without the hair, and with soles of elk-skin. On great +occasions, or whenever they are in full dress, the young men drag after +them the entire skin of a polecat fixed to the heel of the moccasin. +Another skin of the same animal, either tucked into the girdle or +carried in the hand, serves as a pouch for their tobacco, or what the +French traders call bois roule.(1) This is the inner bark of a species +of red willow, which, being dried in the sun or over the fire, is, +rubbed between the hands and broken into small pieces, and used alone or +mixed with tobacco. The pipe is generally of red earth, the stem made of +ash, about three or four feet long, and highly decorated with feathers, +hair, and porcupine-quills. . . . + + + (1) This is bois roule, or “rolled wood,” a poor kind of + tobacco rolled with various kinds of leaves, such as the + sumach and dogwood. The Indian name is kinnikinick. + + +“While on shore to-day we witnessed a quarrel between two squaws, which +appeared to be growing every moment more boisterous, when a man came +forward, at whose approach every one seemed terrified and ran. He took +the squaws and without any ceremony whipped them severely. On inquiring +into the nature of such summary justice, we learned that this man was +an officer well known to this and many other tribes. His duty is to keep +the peace, and the whole interior police of the village is confided to +two or three of these officers, who are named by the chief and remain in +power some days, at least till the chief appoints a successor. They +seem to be a sort of constable or sentinel, since they are always on +the watch to keep tranquillity during the day and guard the camp in the +night. The short duration of the office is compensated by its authority. +His power is supreme, and in the suppression of any riot or disturbance +no resistance to him is suffered; his person is sacred, and if in the +execution of his duty he strikes even a chief of the second class, +he cannot be punished for this salutary insolence. In general he +accompanies the person of the chief, and when ordered to any duty, +however dangerous, it is a point of honor rather to die than to refuse +obedience. Thus, when they attempted to stop us yesterday, the chief +ordered one of these men to take possession of the boat; he immediately +put his arms around the mast, and, as we understood, no force except the +command of the chief would have induced him to release his hold. Like +the other men his body is blackened, but his distinguishing mark is a +collection of two or three raven-skins fixed to the girdle behind the +back in such a way that the tails stick out horizontally from the body. +On his head, too, is a raven-skin split into two parts, and tied so as +to let the beak project from the forehead.” + +When the party of explorers subsequently made ready to leave, signs of +reluctance to have them go were apparent among the Indians. Finally, +several of the chief warriors sat on the rope that held the boat to +the shore. Irritated by this, Captain Lewis got ready to fire upon the +warriors, but, anxious to avoid bloodshed, he gave them more tobacco, +which they wanted, and then said to the chief, “You have told us that +you were a great man, and have influence; now show your influence by +taking the rope from those men, and we will then go on without further +trouble.” This appeal to the chieftain’s pride had the desired effect. +The warriors were compelled to give up the rope, which was delivered on +board, and the party set sail with a fresh breeze from the southeast. + +The explorers were soon out of the country of the Teton Sioux and into +that of the Ricaras, or, as these Indians are more commonly called, the +Rickarees. + +On the first day of October they passed the mouth of a river incorrectly +known as Dog River, as if corrupted from the French word chien. But the +true name is Cheyenne, from the Indians who bear that title. The stream +rises in the region called the Black Mountains by Lewis and Clark, on +account of the great quantity of dark cedar and pine trees that covered +the hills. This locality is now known as the Black Hills, in the midst +of which is the famous mining district of Deadwood. In these mountains, +according to Lewis and Clark, were to be found “great quantities +of goats, white bear, prairie cocks, and a species of animal which +resembled a small elk, with large circular horns.” By the “white bear” + the reader must understand that the grizzly bear is meant. Although this +animal, which was first discovered and described by Lewis and Clark, is +commonly referred to in the earlier pages of the journal as “white,” the +error naturally came from a desire to distinguish it from the black +and the cinnamon-colored bears. Afterwards, the journal refers to this +formidable creature as the grizzly, and again as the grisly. Certainly, +the bear was a grizzled gray; but the name “grisly,” that is to say, +horrible, or frightful, fitted him very well. The Latin name, _ursus +horribilis_ is not unlike one of those of Lewis and Clark’s selection. +The animals with circular curled horns, which the explorers thought +resembled a small elk, are now known as the Rocky Mountain sheep, or +bighorn. They very little resemble sheep, however, except in color, +head, horns, and feet. They are now so scarce as to be almost extinct. +They were among the discoveries of Lewis and Clark. The prairie cock +is known to western sportsmen as “prairie chicken;” it is a species of +grouse. + +It was now early in October, and the weather became very cool. So great +is the elevation of those regions that, although the days might be +oppressively warm, the nights were cold and white frosts were frequent. +Crossing the Rocky Mountains at the South Pass, far south of Lewis +and Clark’s route, emigrants who suffered from intense heat during the +middle of day found water in their pails frozen solid in the morning. + +The Rickarees were very curious and inquisitive regarding the white men. +But the journal adds: “The object which appeared to astonish the Indians +most was Captain Clark’s servant York, a remarkably stout, strong negro. +They had never seen a being of that color, and therefore flocked round +him to examine the extraordinary monster. By way of amusement, he told +them that he had once been a wild animal, and been caught and tamed by +his master; and to convince them, showed them feats of strength which, +added to his looks, made him more terrible than we wished him to be.” + +“On October 10th,” says the journal, “the weather was fine, and as we +were desirous of assembling the whole nation at once, we despatched Mr. +Gravelines (a trader)--who, with Mr. Tabeau, another French trader, had +breakfasted with us--to invite the chiefs of the two upper villages to +a conference. They all assembled at one o’clock, and after the usual +ceremonies we addressed them in the same way in which we had already +spoken to the Ottoes and Sioux. We then made or acknowledged three +chiefs, one for each of the three villages; giving to each a flag, a +medal, a red coat, a cocked hat and feather, also some goods, paint and +tobacco, which they divided among themselves. After this the air-gun was +exhibited, very much to their astonishment, nor were they less surprised +at the color and manner of York. On our side we were equally gratified +at discovering that these Ricaras made use of no spirituous liquors of +any kind, the example of the traders who bring it to them, so far +from tempting, having in fact disgusted them. Supposing that it was as +agreeable to them as to the other Indians, we had at first offered them +whiskey; but they refused it with this sensible remark, that they were +surprised that their father should present to them a liquor which would +make them fools. On another occasion they observed to Mr. Tabeau that no +man could be their friend who tried to lead them into such follies.” + +Presents were exchanged by the Indians and the white men; among the +gifts from the former was a quantity of a large, rich bean, which grows +wild and is collected by mice. The Indians hunt for the mice’s deposits +and cook and eat them. The Rickarees had a grand powwow with the white +chiefs and, after accepting presents, agreed to preserve peace with +all men, red or white. On the thirteenth of the month the explorers +discovered a stream which they named Stone-Idol Creek, on account of two +stones, resembling human figures, which adorn its banks. The creek is +now known as Spring River, and is in Campbell County, South Dakota. +Concerning the stone images the Indians gave this tradition:-- + +“A young man was deeply enamoured with a girl whose parents refused +their consent to the marriage. The youth went out into the fields to +mourn his misfortunes; a sympathy of feeling led the lady to the same +spot, and the faithful dog would not cease to follow his master. After +wandering together and having nothing but grapes to subsist on, they +were at last converted into stone, which, beginning at the feet, +gradually invaded the nobler parts, leaving nothing unchanged but a +bunch of grapes which the female holds in her hand to this day. Whenever +the Ricaras pass these sacred stones, they stop to make some offering +of dress to propitiate these deities. Such is the account given by the +Ricara chief, which we had no mode of examining, except that we found +one part of the story very agreeably confirmed; for on the river near +where the event is said to have occurred we found a greater abundance of +fine grapes than we had yet seen.” + +While at their last camp in the country now known as South Dakota, +October 14, 1804, one of the soldiers, tried by a court-martial for +mutinous conduct, was sentenced to receive seventy-five lashes on the +bare back. The sentence was carried out then and there. The Rickaree +chief, who accompanied the party for a time, was so affected by the +sight that he cried aloud during the whole proceeding. When the reasons +for the punishment were explained to him, he acknowledged the justice of +the sentence, but said he would have punished the offender with +death. His people, he added, never whip even their children at any age +whatever. + +On the eighteenth of October, the party reached Cannonball River, which +rises in the Black Hills and empties in the Missouri in Morton County, +North Dakota. Its name is derived from the perfectly round, smooth, +black stones that line its bed and shores. Here they saw great numbers +of antelope and herds of buffalo, and of elk. They killed six fallow +deer; and next day they counted fifty-two herds of buffalo and three +herds of elk at one view; they also observed deer, wolves, and pelicans +in large numbers. + +The ledges in the bluffs along the river often held nests of the calumet +bird, or golden eagle. These nests, which are apparently resorted to, +year after year, by the same pair of birds, are usually out of reach, +except by means of ropes by which the hunters are let down from the +cliffs overhead. The tail-feathers of the bird are twelve in number, +about a foot long, and are pure white except at the tip, which is +jet-black. So highly prized are these by the Indians that they have been +known to exchange a good horse for two feathers. + +The party saw here a great many elk, deer, antelope, and buffalo, and +these last were dogged along their way by wolves who follow them to feed +upon those that die by accident, or are too weak to keep up with the +herd. Sometimes the wolves would pounce upon a calf, too young and +feeble to trot with the other buffalo; and although the mother made an +effort to save her calf, the creature was left to the hungry wolves, the +herd moving along without delay. + +On the twenty-first of October, the explorers reached a creek to which +the Indians gave the name of Chisshetaw, now known as Heart River, +which, rising in Stark County, North Dakota, and running circuitously +through Morton County, empties into the Missouri opposite the city of +Bismarck. At this point the Northern Pacific Railway now crosses the +Missouri; and here, where is built the capital of North Dakota, began, +in those days, a series of Mandan villages, with the people of which +the explorers were to become tolerably well acquainted; for it had been +decided that the increasing cold of the weather would compel them to +winter in this region. But they were as yet uncertain as to the exact +locality at which they would build their camp of winter. Here they met +one of the grand chiefs of the Mandans, who was on a hunting excursion +with his braves. This chief greeted with much ceremony the Rickaree +chief who accompanied the exploring party. The Mandans and Rickarees +were ancient enemies, but, following the peaceful councils of the white +men, the chiefs professed amity and smoked together the pipe of peace. +A son of the Mandan chief was observed to have lost both of his little +fingers, and when the strangers asked how this happened, they were told +that the fingers had been cut off (according to the Mandan custom) to +show the grief of the young man at the loss of some of his relations. + + + + +Chapter VI -- Winter among the Mandans + +Before finally selecting the spot on which to build their winter +quarters, Lewis and Clark held councils with the chiefs of the tribes +who were to be their neighbors during the cold season. These were +Mandans, Annahaways, and Minnetarees, tribes living peacefully in the +same region of country. The principal Mandan chief was Black Cat; White +Buffalo Robe Unfolded represented the Annahaways, and the Minnetaree +chief was Black Moccasin. This last-named chief could not come to the +council, but was represented by Caltahcota, or Cherry on a Bush. The +palaver being over, presents were distributed. The account says:-- + +“One chief of each town was acknowledged by a gift of a flag, a medal +with the likeness of the President of the United States, a uniform coat, +hat and feather. To the second chiefs we gave a medal representing some +domestic animals and a loom for weaving; to the third chiefs, medals +with the impressions of a farmer sowing grain. A variety of other +presents were distributed, but none seemed to give them more +satisfaction than an iron corn-mill which we gave to the Mandans. . . . + +“In the evening the prairie took fire, either by accident or design, and +burned with great fury, the whole plain being enveloped in flames. +So rapid was its progress that a man and a woman were burned to death +before they could reach a place of safety; another man, with his wife +and child, were much burned, and several other persons narrowly escaped +destruction. Among the rest, a boy of the half white breed escaped +unhurt in the midst of the flames; his safety was ascribed to the great +medicine spirit, who had preserved him on account of his being white. +But a much more natural cause was the presence of mind of his mother, +who, seeing no hopes of carrying off her son, threw him on the ground, +and, covering him with the fresh hide of a buffalo, escaped herself from +the flames. As soon as the fire had passed, she returned and found him +untouched, the skin having prevented the flame from reaching the grass +on which he lay.” + +Next day, says the journal,-- + +“We were visited by two persons from the lower village: one, the Big +White, the chief of the village; the other, the Chayenne, called the Big +Man: they had been hunting, and did not return yesterday early enough to +attend the council. At their request we repeated part of our speech of +yesterday, and put the medal round the neck of the chief. Captain +Clark took a pirogue and went up the river in search of a good +wintering-place, and returned after going seven miles to the lower point +of an island on the north side, about one mile in length. He found the +banks on the north side high, with coal occasionally, and the country +fine on all sides; but the want of wood, and the scarcity of game up the +river, induced us to decide on fixing ourselves lower down during the +winter. In the evening our men danced among themselves, to the great +amusement of the Indians.” + +It may be said here that the incident of a life saved from fire by a +raw-hide, originally related by Lewis and Clark, is the foundation of +a great many similar stories of adventures among the Indians. Usually, +however, it is a wise and well-seasoned white trapper who saves his life +by this device. + +Having found a good site for their winter camp, the explorers now built +a number of huts, which they called Fort Mandan. The place was on the +north bank of the Missouri River, in what is now McLean County, North +Dakota, about sixteen hundred miles up the river from St. Louis, and +seven or eight miles below the mouth of Big Knife River. On the opposite +bank, years later, the United States built a military post known as Fort +Clark, which may be found on some of the present-day maps. The huts were +built of logs, and were arranged in two rows, four rooms in each hut, +the whole number being placed in the form of an angle, with a stockade, +or picket, across the two outer ends of the angle, in which was a gate, +kept locked at night. The roofs of the huts slanted upward from the +inner side of the rows, making the outer side of each hut eighteen feet +high; and the lofts of these were made warm and comfortable with dry +grass mixed with clay, Here they were continually visited during the +winter by Indians from all the region around. Here, too, they secured +the services of an interpreter, one Chaboneau, who continued with them +to the end. This man’s wife, Sacajawea, whose Indian name was translated +“Bird Woman,” had been captured from the Snake Indians and sold to +Chaboneau, who married her. She was “a good creature, of a mild and +gentle disposition, greatly attached to the whites.” In the expedition +she proved herself more valuable to the explorers than her husband, and +Lewis and Clark always speak of her in terms of respect and admiration. + +It should not be understood that all the interpreters employed by white +men on such expeditions wholly knew the spoken language of the tribes +among whom they travelled. To some extent they relied upon the universal +language of signs to make themselves understood, and this method of +talking is known to all sorts and kinds of Indians. Thus, two fingers of +the right hand placed astraddle the wrist of the left hand signifies a +man on horseback; and the number of men on horseback is quickly added by +holding up the requisite number of fingers. Sleep is described by gently +inclining the head on the hand, and the number of “sleeps,” or nights, +is indicated by the fingers. Killed, or dead, is described by closed +eyes and a sudden fall of the head on the talker’s chest; and so on, an +easily understood gesture, with a few Indian words, being sufficient to +tell a long story very clearly. + +Lewis and Clark discovered here a species of ermine before unknown +to science. They called it “a weasel, perfectly white except at the +extremity of the tail, which was black.” This animal, highly prized on +account of its pretty fur, was not scientifically described until as +late as 1829. It is a species of stoat. + +The wars of some of the Indian tribes gave Lewis and Clark much trouble +and uneasiness. The Sioux were at war with the Minnetarees (Gros +Ventres, or Big Bellies); and the Assiniboins, who lived further to the +north, continually harassed the Sioux and the Mandans, treating these as +the latter did the Rickarees. The white chiefs had their hands full +all winter while trying to preserve peace among these quarrelsome and +thieving tribes, their favorite game being to steal each other’s horses. +The Indian method of caring for their horses in the cold winter was +to let them shift for themselves during the day, and to take them into +their own lodges at night where they were fed with the juicy, brittle +twigs of the cottonwood tree. With this spare fodder the animals thrive +and keep their coats fine and glossy. + +Late in November, a collision between the Sioux and the Mandans became +almost certain, in consequence of the Sioux having attacked a small +hunting party of the Mandans, killing one, wounding two, and capturing +nine horses. Captain Clark mustered and armed twenty-four of his men, +crossed over into the Mandan village and offered to lead the Indians +against their enemies. The offer was declined on account of the deep +snows which prevented a march; but the incident made friends for white +men, and the tidings of it had a wholesome effect on the other tribes. + +“The whole religion of the Mandans,” like that of many other savage +tribes, says the journal, “consists in the belief of one Great Spirit +presiding over their destinies. This Being must be in the nature of a +good genius, since it is associated with the healing art, and ‘great +spirit’ is synonymous with ‘great medicine,’ a name applied to +everything which they do not comprehend. Each individual selects for +himself the particular object of his devotion, which is termed his +medicine, and is either some invisible being, or more commonly some +animal, which thenceforward becomes his protector or his intercessor +with the Great Spirit, to propitiate whom every attention is lavished +and every personal consideration is sacrificed. ‘I was lately owner of +seventeen horses,’ said a Mandan to us one day, ‘but I have offered them +all up to my medicine and am now poor.’ He had in reality taken all his +wealth, his horses, into the plain, and, turning them loose, committed +them to the care of his medicine and abandoned them forever. The horses, +less religious, took care of themselves, and the pious votary travelled +home on foot.” + +To this day, all the Northwest Indians speak of anything that is highly +useful or influential as “great medicine.” + +One cold December day, a Mandan chief invited the explorers to join them +in a grand buffalo hunt. The journal adds:-- + +“Captain Clark with fifteen men went out and found the Indians engaged +in killing buffalo. The hunters, mounted on horseback and armed with +bows and arrows, encircle the herd and gradually drive them into a plain +or an open place fit for the movements of horse; they then ride in among +them, and singling out a buffalo, a female being preferred, go as close +as possible and wound her with arrows till they think they have +given the mortal stroke; when they pursue another, till the quiver is +exhausted. If, which rarely happens, the wounded buffalo attacks the +hunter, he evades his blow by the agility of his horse, which is trained +for the combat with great dexterity. When they have killed the requisite +number they collect their game, and the squaws and attendants come up +from the rear and skin and dress the animals. Captain Clark killed ten +buffalo, of which five only were brought to the fort; the rest, which +could not be conveyed home, being seized by the Indians, among whom the +custom is that whenever a buffalo is found dead without an arrow or +any particular mark, he is the property of the finder; so that often a +hunter secures scarcely any of the game he kills, if the arrow happens +to fall off.” + +The weather now became excessively cold, the mercury often going +thirty-two degrees below zero. Notwithstanding this, however, the +Indians kept up their outdoor sports, one favorite game of which +resembled billiards. But instead of a table, the players had an open +flooring, about fifty yards long, and the balls were rings of stone, +shot along the flooring by means of sticks like billiard-cues. The white +men had their sports, and they forbade the Indians to visit them on +Christmas Day, as this was one of their “great medicine days.” The +American flag was hoisted on the fort and saluted with a volley of +musketry. The men danced among themselves; their best provisions +were brought out and “the day passed,” says the journal, “in great +festivity.” + +The party also celebrated New Year’s Day by similar festivities. Sixteen +of the men were given leave to go up to the first Mandan village with +their musical instruments, where they delighted the whole tribe with +their dances, one of the French voyageurs being especially applauded +when he danced on his hands with his head downwards. The dancers and +musicians were presented with several buffalo-robes and a large quantity +of Indian corn. The cold grew more intense, and on the tenth of the +month the mercury stood at forty degrees below zero. Some of the men +were badly frost-bitten, and a young Indian, about thirteen years old, +who had been lost in the snows, came into the fort. The journal says:-- + +“His father, who came last night to inquire after him very anxiously, +had sent him in the afternoon to the fort; he was overtaken by the +night, and was obliged to sleep on the snow with no covering except a +pair of antelope-skin moccasins and leggins, and a buffalo-robe. His +feet being frozen, we put them into cold water, and gave him every +attention in our power. About the same time an Indian who had also been +missing returned to the fort. Although his dress was very thin, and he +had slept on the snow without a fire, he had not suffered the slightest +inconvenience. We have indeed observed that these Indians support the +rigors of the season in a way which we had hitherto thought impossible. +A more pleasing reflection occurred at seeing the warm interest which +the situation of these two persons had excited in the village. The boy +had been a prisoner, and adopted from charity; yet the distress of the +father proved that he felt for him the tenderest affection. The man was +a person of no distinction, yet the whole village was full of anxiety +for his safety; and, when they came to us, borrowed a sleigh to bring +them home with ease if they had survived, or to carry their bodies if +they had perished. . . . + +“January 13. Nearly one half of the Mandan nation passed down the river +to hunt for several days. In these excursions, men, women, and children, +with their dogs, all leave the village together, and, after discovering +a spot convenient for the game, fix their tents; all the family bear +their part in the labor, and the game is equally divided among the +families of the tribe. When a single hunter returns from the chase with +more than is necessary for his own immediate consumption, the neighbors +are entitled by custom to a share of it: they do not, however, ask for +it, but send a squaw, who, without saying anything, sits down by the +door of the lodge till the master understands the hint, and gives her +gratuitously a part for her family.” + +By the end of January, 1805, the weather had so far moderated that the +explorers thought they might cut their boats from the ice in the river +and prepare to resume their voyage; but the ice being three feet thick, +they made no progress and were obliged to give up the attempt. Their +stock of meat was low, although they had had good success when the cold +was not too severe to prevent them from hunting deer, elk, and buffalo. +The Mandans, who were careless in providing food for future supplies, +also suffered for want of meat, sometimes going for days without flesh +food. Captain Clark and eighteen men went down the river in search of +game. The hunters, after being out nine days, returned and reported that +they had killed forty deer, three buffalo, and sixteen elk. But much of +the game was lean and poor, and the wolves, who devour everything left +out at night, had stolen a quantity of the flesh. Four men, with sleds, +were sent out to bring into camp the meat, which had been secured +against wolves by being stored in pens. These men were attacked by +Sioux, about one hundred in number, who robbed them of their game +and two of their three horses. Captain Lewis, with twenty-four men, +accompanied by some of the Mandans, set out in pursuit of the marauders. +They were unsuccessful, however, but, having found a part of their game +untouched, they brought it back, and this, with other game killed after +their chase of the Sioux, gave them three thousand pounds of meat; they +had killed thirty-six deer, fourteen elk, and one wolf. + +By the latter part of February, the party were able to get their boats +from the ice. These were dragged ashore, and the work of making them +ready for their next voyage was begun. As the ice in the river began to +break up, the Mandans had great sport chasing across the floating cakes +of ice the buffalo who were tempted over by the appearance of green, +growing grass on the other side. The Indians were very expert in their +pursuit of the animals, which finally slipped from their insecure +footing on the drifting ice, and were killed. + +At this point, April 7, 1805, the escorting party, the voyageurs, and +one interpreter, returned down the river in their barge. This party +consisted of thirteen persons, all told, and to them were intrusted +several packages of specimens for President Jefferson, with letters +and official reports. The presents for Mr. Jefferson, according to the +journal, “consisted of a stuffed male and female antelope, with their +skeletons, a weasel, three squirrels from the Rocky Mountains, the +skeleton of a prairie wolf, those of a white and gray hare, a male +and female blaireau, (badger) or burrowing dog of the prairie, with a +skeleton of the female, two burrowing squirrels, a white weasel, and the +skin of the louservia (loup-servier, or lynx), the horns of a mountain +ram, or big-horn, a pair of large elk horns, the horns and tail of a +black-tailed deer, and a variety of skins, such as those of the red fox, +white hare, marten, yellow bear, obtained from the Sioux; also a number +of articles of Indian dress, among which was a buffalo robe representing +a battle fought about eight years since between the Sioux and Ricaras +against the Mandans and Minnetarees, in which the combatants are +represented on horseback. . . . Such sketches, rude and imperfect as +they are, delineate the predominant character of the savage nations. +If they are peaceable and inoffensive, the drawings usually consist of +local scenery and their favorite diversions. If the band are rude and +ferocious, we observe tomahawks, scalping-knives, bows and arrows, and +all the engines of destruction.--A Mandan bow, and quiver of arrows; +also some Ricara tobacco-seed, and an ear of Mandan corn: to these were +added a box of plants, another of insects, and three cases containing a +burrowing squirrel, a prairie hen, and four magpies, all alive.” . . . + +The articles reached Mr. Jefferson safely and were long on view at his +Virginia residence, Monticello. They were subsequently dispersed, and +some found their way to Peale’s Museum, Philadelphia. Dr. Cones, the +zealous editor of the latest and fullest edition of Lewis and Clark’s +narrative, says that some of the specimens of natural history were +probably extant in 1893. + + + + +Chapter VII -- From Fort Mandan to the Yellowstone + +Up to this time, the expedition had passed through regions from which +vague reports had been brought by the few white men who, as hunters and +trappers in pursuit of fur-bearing game, had dared to venture into these +trackless wildernesses. Now they were to launch out into the mysterious +unknown, from which absolutely no tidings had ever been brought by white +men. The dim reports of Indians who had hunted through some parts of the +region were unreliable, and, as they afterwards proved, were often as +absurdly false as if they had been fairy tales. + +Here, too, they parted from some of their comrades who were to return +to “the United States,” as the explorers fondly termed their native +country, although the strange lands through which they were voyaging +were now a part of the American Republic. The despatches sent to +Washington by these men contained the first official report from Lewis +and Clark since their departure from St. Louis, May 16, 1803; and they +were the last word from the explorers until their return in September, +1806. During all that long interval, the adventurers were not heard of +in the States. No wonder that croakers declared that the little party +had been cut off to perish miserably in the pathless woods that cover +the heart of the continent. + +But they set out on the long journey with light hearts. In his journal, +whose spelling and punctuation are not always models for the faithful +imitation of school-boys, Captain Lewis set down this observation:-- + +“Our vessels consisted of six small canoes, and two large perogues. This +little fleet altho’ not quite so respectable as those of Columbus or +Capt. Cook, were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those +deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld theirs; and I dare say with +quite as much anxiety for their safety and preservation. We were now +about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles in width, on +which the foot of civilized man had never trodden; the good or evil +it had in store for us was for experiment yet to determine, and these +little vessels contained every article by which we were to expect to +subsist or defend ourselves. However as the state of mind in which we +are, generally gives the colouring to events, when the imagination is +suffered to wander into futurity, the picture which now presented itself +to me was a most pleasing one. Entertaining as I do the most confident +hope of succeeding in a voyage which had formed a darling project of +mine for the last ten years, I could but esteem this moment of our +departure as among the most happy of my life.” + +The barge sent down the river to St. Louis was in command of Corporal +Wharfington; and with him were six private soldiers, two French +voyageurs, Joseph Gravelines (pilot and interpreter), and Brave Raven, a +Ricara (or Arikara) chief who was to be escorted to Washington to visit +the President. The party was also intrusted with sundry gifts for the +President, among them being natural history specimens, living and dead, +and a number of Indian articles which would be objects of curiosity in +Washington. + +The long voyage of the main party began on the 8th of April, 1805, early +passing the mouth of the Big Knife River, one of the five considerable +streams that fall into the Missouri from the westward in this region; +the other streams are the Owl, the Grand, the Cannonball, and the Heart. +The large town of Stanton, Mercer County, North Dakota, is now situated +at the mouth of the Big Knife. The passage of the party up the river was +slow, owing to unfavorable winds; and they observed along the banks +many signs of early convulsions of nature. The earth of the bluffs was +streaked with layers of coal, or carbonized wood, and large quantities +of lava and pumice-stone were strewn around, showing traces of ancient +volcanic action. The journal of April 9 says:-- + +“A great number of brants (snow-geese) pass up the river; some of them +are perfectly white, except the large feathers of the first joint of +the wing, which are black, though in every other characteristic they +resemble common gray brant. We also saw but could not procure an animal +(gopher) that burrows in the ground, and is similar in every respect to +the burrowing-squirrel, except that it is only one-third of its size. +This may be the animal whose works we have often seen in the plains and +prairies; they resemble the labors of the salamander in the sand-hills +of South Carolina and Georgia, and like him the animals rarely come +above ground; they consist of a little hillock of ten or twelve pounds +of loose ground, which would seem to have been reversed from a pot, +though no aperture is seen through which it could have been thrown. On +removing gently the earth, you discover that the soil has been broken +in a circle of about an inch and a half diameter, where the ground is +looser, though still no opening is perceptible. When we stopped for +dinner the squaw (Sacajawea) went out, and after penetrating with a +sharp stick the holes of the mice (gophers), near some drift-wood, +brought to us a quantity of wild artichokes, which the mice collect and +hoard in large numbers. The root is white, of an ovate form, from one to +three inches long, and generally of the size of a man’s finger, and two, +four, and sometimes six roots are attached to a single stalk. Its +flavor as well as the stalk which issues from it resemble those of the +Jerusalem artichoke, except that the latter is much larger.” + +The weather rapidly grew so warm, although this was early in April, +that the men worked half-naked during the day; and they were very much +annoyed by clouds of mosquitoes. They found that the hillsides and +even the banks of the rivers and sand-bars were covered with “a white +substance, which appears in considerable quantities on the surface +of the earth, and tastes like a mixture of common salt with Glauber’s +salts.” “Many of the streams,” the journal adds, “are so strongly +impregnated with this substance that the water has an unpleasant taste +and a purgative effect.” This is nothing more than the so-called alkali +which has since become known all over the farthest West. It abounds in +the regions west of Salt Lake Valley, whitening vast areas like snow and +poisoning the waters so that the traveller often sees the margins of +the brown pools lined with skeletons and bodies of small animals whose +thirst had led them to drink the deadly fluid. Men and animals stiffer +from smaller doses of this stuff, which is largely a sulphate of soda, +and even in small quantities is harmful to the system. + +Here, on the twelfth of April, they were able to determine the exact +course of the Little Missouri, a stream about which almost nothing was +then known. Near here, too, they found the source of the Mouse River, +only a few miles from the Missouri. The river, bending to the north and +then making many eccentric curves, finally empties into Lake Winnipeg, +and so passes into the great chain of northern lakes in British America. +At this point the explorers saw great flocks of the wild Canada goose. +The journal says:-- + +“These geese, we observe, do not build their nests on the ground or in +the sand-bars, but in the tops of the lofty cottonwood trees. We saw +some elk and buffalo to-day, but at too great a distance to obtain +any of them, though a number of the carcasses of the latter animal are +strewed along the shore, having fallen through the ice and been swept +along when the river broke up. More bald eagles are seen on this part of +the Missouri than we have previously met with; the small sparrow-hawk, +common in most parts of the United States, is also found here. Great +quantities of geese are feeding on the prairies, and one flock of white +brant, or geese with black-tipped wings, and some gray brant with them, +pass up the river; from their flight they seem to proceed much further +to the northwest. We killed two antelopes, which were very lean, and +caught last night two beavers.” + +Lewis and Clark were laughed at by some very knowing people who +scouted the idea that wild geese build their nests in trees. But later +travellers have confirmed their story; the wise geese avoid foxes and +other of their four-footed enemies by fixing their homes in the tall +cottonwoods. In other words, they roost high. + +The Assiniboins from the north had lately been on their spring hunting +expeditions through this region,--just above the Little Missouri,--and +game was scarce and shy. The journal, under the date of April 14, +says:-- + +“One of the hunters shot at an otter last evening; a buffalo was killed, +and an elk, both so poor as to be almost unfit for use; two white +(grizzly) bears were also seen, and a muskrat swimming across the river. +The river continues wide and of about the same rapidity as the ordinary +current of the Ohio. The low grounds are wide, the moister parts +containing timber; the upland is extremely broken, without wood, and in +some places seems as if it had slipped down in masses of several acres +in surface. The mineral appearance of salts, coal, and sulphur, with the +burnt hill and pumice-stone, continue, and a bituminous water about +the color of strong lye, with the taste of Glauber’s salts and a slight +tincture of alum. Many geese were feeding in the prairies, and a number +of magpies, which build their nests much like those of the blackbird, in +trees, and composed of small sticks, leaves, and grass, open at the top; +the egg is of a bluish-brown color, freckled with reddish-brown spots. +We also killed a large hooting-owl resembling that of the United States +except that it was more booted and clad with feathers. On the hills +are many aromatic herbs, resembling in taste, smell, and appearance the +sage, hyssop, wormwood, southernwood, juniper, and dwarf cedar; a plant +also about two or three feet high, similar to the camphor in smell and +taste; and another plant of the same size, with a long, narrow, smooth, +soft leaf, of an agreeable smell and flavor, which is a favorite food of +the antelope, whose necks are often perfumed by rubbing against it.” + +What the journalist intended to say here was that at least one of the +aromatic herbs resembled sage, hyssop, wormwood, and southernwood, and +that there were junipers and dwarf cedars. The pungent-smelling herb was +the wild sage, now celebrated in stories of adventure as the sage-brush. +It grows abundantly in the alkali country, and is browsed upon by a +species of grouse known as the sage-hen. Junipers and dwarf cedars also +grow on the hills of the alkali and sage-brush country. The sage belongs +to the Artemisia family of plants. + +Four days later, the journal had this interesting entry: + +“The country to-day presented the usual variety of highlands +interspersed with rich plains. In one of these we observed a species of +pea bearing a yellow flower, which is now in blossom, the leaf and stalk +resembling the common pea. It seldom rises higher than six inches, and +the root is perennial. On the rose-bushes we also saw a quantity of +the hair of a buffalo, which had become perfectly white by exposure and +resembled the wool of the sheep, except that it was much finer and more +soft and silky. A buffalo which we killed yesterday had shed his long +hair, and that which remained was about two inches long, thick, fine, +and would have furnished five pounds of wool, of which we have no doubt +an excellent cloth may be made. Our game to-day was a beaver, a deer, an +elk, and some geese. . . . + +“On the hills we observed considerable quantities of dwarf juniper, +which seldom grows higher than three feet. We killed in the course of +the day an elk, three geese, and a beaver. The beaver on this part of +the Missouri are in greater quantities, larger and fatter, and their fur +is more abundant and of a darker color, than any we have hitherto seen. +Their favorite food seems to be the bark of the cottonwood and willow, +as we have seen no other species of tree that has been touched by them, +and these they gnaw to the ground through a diameter of twenty inches.” + +And on the twenty-first of April the journal says: + +“Last night there was a hard white frost, and this morning the weather +was cold, but clear and pleasant; in the course of the day, however, it +became cloudy and the wind rose. The country is of the same description +as within the few last days. We saw immense quantities of buffalo, +elk, deer, antelopes, geese, and some swans and ducks, out of which we +procured three deer and four buffalo calves, which last are equal in +flavor to the most delicious veal; also two beaver and an otter.” + +As the party advanced to the westward, following the crooked course +of the Missouri, they were very much afflicted with inflamed eyes, +occasioned by the fine, alkaline dust that blew so lightly that it +sometimes floated for miles, like clouds of smoke. The dust even +penetrated the works of one of their watches, although it was protected +by tight, double cases. In these later days, even the double windows of +the railway trains do not keep out this penetrating dust, which makes +one’s skin dry and rough. + +On the twenty-fifth of April, the explorers believed, by the signs which +they observed, that they must be near the great unknown river of which +they had dimly heard as rising in the rocky passes of the Great Divide +and emptying into the Missouri. Captain Lewis accordingly left the +party, with four men, and struck off across the country in search of +the stream. Under the next day’s date the journal reports the return of +Captain Lewis and says:-- + +“On leaving us yesterday he pursued his route along the foot of the +hills, which he descended to the distance of eight miles; from these +the wide plains watered by the Missouri and the Yellowstone spread +themselves before the eye, occasionally varied with the wood of the +banks, enlivened by the irregular windings of the two rivers, and +animated by vast herds of buffalo, deer, elk, and antelope. The +confluence of the two rivers was concealed by the wood, but the +Yellowstone itself was only two miles distant, to the south. He +therefore descended the hills and camped on the bank of the river, +having killed, as he crossed the plain, four buffaloes; the deer alone +are shy and retire to the woods, but the elk, antelope, and buffalo +suffered him to approach them without alarm, and often followed him +quietly for some distance.” + +The famous water-course, first described by Lewis and Clark, was named +by them the Yellow Stone River. Earlier than this, however, the French +voyageurs had called the Upper Missouri the Riviere Jaune, or Yellow +River; but it is certain that the stream, which rises in the Yellowstone +National Park, was discovered and named by Lewis and Clark. One of the +party, Private Joseph Fields, was the first white man who ever ascended +the Yellowstone for any considerable distance. Sent up the river by +Captains Lewis and Clark, he travelled about eight miles, and observed +the currents and sand-bars. Leaving the mouth of the river, the party +went on their course along the Missouri. The journal, under date of +April 27, says:-- + +“From the point of junction a wood occupies the space between the two +rivers, which at the distance of a mile come within two hundred and +fifty yards of each other. There a beautiful low plain commences, +widening as the rivers recede, and extends along each of them for +several miles, rising about half a mile from the Missouri into a plain +twelve feet higher than itself. The low plain is a few inches above high +water mark, and where it joins the higher plain there is a channel of +sixty or seventy yards in width, through which a part of the Missouri, +when at its greatest height, passes into the Yellowstone. . . . + +“The northwest wind rose so high at eleven o’clock that we were obliged +to stop till about four in the afternoon, when we proceeded till dusk. +On the south a beautiful plain separates the two rivers, till at about +six miles there is a piece of low timbered ground, and a little above it +bluffs, where the country rises gradually from the river: the situations +on the north are more high and open. We encamped on that side, the +wind, the sand which it raised, and the rapidity of the current having +prevented our advancing more than eight miles; during the latter part of +the day the river became wider, and crowded with sand-bars. The game +was in such plenty that we killed only what was necessary for our +subsistence. For several days past we have seen great numbers of buffalo +lying dead along the shore, some of them partly devoured by the wolves. +They have either sunk through the ice during the winter, or been drowned +in attempting to cross; or else, after crossing to some high bluff, have +found themselves too much exhausted either to ascend or swim back again, +and perished for want of food: in this situation we found several small +parties of them. There are geese, too, in abundance, and more bald +eagles than we have hitherto observed; the nests of these last being +always accompanied by those of two or three magpies, who are their +inseparable attendants.” + + + + +Chapter VIII -- In the Haunts of Grizzlies and Buffalo + +Game, which had been somewhat scarce after leaving the Yellowstone, +became more plentiful as they passed on to the westward, still +following the winding course of the Missouri. Much of the time, baffling +winds and the crookedness of the stream made sailing impossible, and the +boats were towed by men walking along the banks. + +Even this was sometimes difficult, on account of the rocky ledges that +beset the shores, and sharp stones that lay in the path of the towing +parties. On the twenty-eighth of April, however, having a favorable +wind, the party made twenty-eight miles with their sails, which was +reckoned a good day’s journey. On that day the journal records that game +had again become very abundant, deer of various kinds, elk, buffalo, +antelope, bear, beaver, and geese being numerous. The beaver, it was +found, had wrought much damage by gnawing down trees; some of these, not +less than three feet in diameter had been gnawed clean through by the +beaver. On the following day the journal has this record:-- + +“We proceeded early, with a moderate wind. Captain Lewis, who was on +shore with one hunter, met, about eight o’clock, two white (grizzly) +bears. Of the strength and ferocity of this animal the Indians had given +us dreadful accounts. They never attack him but in parties of six or +eight persons, and even then are often defeated with a loss of one or +more of their party. Having no weapons but bows and arrows, and the bad +guns with which the traders supply them, they are obliged to approach +very near to the bear; as no wound except through the head or heart +is mortal, they frequently fall a sacrifice if they miss their aim. He +rather attacks than avoids a man, and such is the terror which he has +inspired, that the Indians who go in quest of him paint themselves and +perform all the superstitious rites customary when they make war on a +neighboring nation. Hitherto, those bears we had seen did not appear +desirous of encountering us; but although to a skilful rifleman the +danger is very much diminished, yet the white bear is still a terrible +animal. On approaching these two, both Captain Lewis and the hunter +fired, and each wounded a bear. One of them made his escape; the other +turned upon Captain Lewis and pursued him seventy or eighty yards, but +being badly wounded the bear could not run so fast as to prevent him +from reloading his piece, which he again aimed at him, and a third shot +from the hunter brought him to the ground. He was a male, not quite full +grown, and weighed about three hundred pounds. The legs are somewhat +longer than those of the black bear, and the talons and tusks much +larger and longer. Its color is a yellowish-brown; the eyes are small, +black, and piercing; the front of the fore legs near the feet is usually +black, and the fur is finer, thicker, and deeper than that of the black +bear. Add to which, it is a more furious animal, and very remarkable for +the wounds which it will bear without dying.” + +Next day, the hunter killed the largest elk which they had ever seen. It +stood five feet three inches high from hoof to shoulder. Antelopes were +also numerous, but lean, and not very good for food. Of the antelope the +journal says:-- + +“These fleet and quick-sighted animals are generally the victims of +their curiosity. When they first see the hunters, they run with great +velocity; if he lies down on the ground, and lifts up his arm, his hat, +or his foot, they return with a light trot to look at the object, and +sometimes go and return two or three times, till they approach within +reach of the rifle. So, too, they sometimes leave their flock to go +and look at the wolves, which crouch down, and, if the antelope is +frightened at first, repeat the same manoevre, and sometimes relieve +each other, till they decoy it from the party, when they seize it. But, +generally, the wolves take them as they are crossing the rivers; for, +although swift on foot, they are not good swimmers.” + +Later wayfarers across the plains were wont to beguile the antelope by +fastening a bright-colored handkerchief to a ramrod stuck in the ground. +The patient hunter was certain to be rewarded by the antelope coming +within range of his rifle; for, unless scared off by some interference, +the herd, after galloping around and around and much zigzagging, would +certainly seek to gratify their curiosity by gradually circling nearer +and nearer the strange object until a deadly shot or two sent havoc into +their ranks. + +May came on cold and windy, and on the second of the month, the journal +records that snow fell to the depth of an inch, contrasting strangely +with the advanced vegetation. + +“Our game to-day,” proceeds the journal, “were deer, elk, and buffalo: +we also procured three beaver. They were here quite gentle, as they have +not been hunted; but when the hunters are in pursuit, they never leave +their huts during the day. This animal we esteem a great delicacy, +particularly the tail, which, when boiled, resembles in flavor the +fresh tongues and sounds of the codfish, and is generally so large as to +afford a plentiful meal for two men. One of the hunters, in passing near +an old Indian camp, found several yards of scarlet cloth suspended on +the bough of a tree, as a sacrifice to the deity, by the Assiniboins; +the custom of making these offerings being common among that people, as, +indeed, among all the Indians on the Missouri. The air was sharp this +evening; the water froze on the oars as we rowed.” + +The Assiniboin custom of sacrificing to their deity, or “great +medicine,” the article which they most value themselves, is not by any +means peculiar to that tribe, nor to the Indian race. + +An unusual number of porcupines were seen along here, and these +creatures were so free from wildness that they fed on, undisturbed, +while the explorers walked around and among them. The captains named +a bold and beautiful stream, which here entered the Missouri from the +north,--Porcupine River; but modern geography calls the water-course +Poplar River; at the mouth of the river, in Montana, is now the Poplar +River Indian Agency and military post. The waters of this stream, the +explorers found, were clear and transparent,--an exception to all the +streams, which, discharging into the Missouri, give it its name of the +Big Muddy. The journal adds:-- + +“A quarter of a mile beyond this river a creek falls in on the south, +to which, on account of its distance from the mouth of the Missouri, we +gave the name of Two-thousand-mile creek. It is a bold stream with a bed +thirty yards wide. At three and one-half miles above Porcupine River, +we reached some high timber on the north, and camped just above an +old channel of the river, which is now dry. We saw vast quantities of +buffalo, elk, deer,--principally of the long-tailed kind,--antelope, +beaver, geese, ducks, brant, and some swan. The porcupines too are +numerous, and so careless and clumsy that we can approach very near +without disturbing them, as they are feeding on the young willows. +Toward evening we also found for the first time the nest of a goose +among some driftwood, all that we had hitherto seen being on the top of +a broken tree on the forks, invariably from fifteen to twenty or more +feet in height.” + +“Next day,” May 4, says the journal, “we passed some old Indian +hunting-camps, one of which consisted of two large lodges, fortified +with a circular fence twenty or thirty feet in diameter, made of timber +laid horizontally, the beams overlying each other to the height of five +feet, and covered with the trunks and limbs of trees that have drifted +down the river. The lodges themselves are formed by three or more strong +sticks about the size of a man’s leg or arm and twelve feet long, which +are attached at the top by a withe of small willows, and spread out so +as to form at the base a circle of ten to fourteen feet in diameter. +Against these are placed pieces of driftwood and fallen timber, usually +in three ranges, one on the other; the interstices are covered with +leaves, bark, and straw, so as to form a conical figure about ten feet +high, with a small aperture in one side for the door. It is, however, at +best a very imperfect shelter against the inclemencies of the seasons.” + +Wolves were very abundant along the route of the explorers, the +most numerous species being the common kind, now known as the coyote +(pronounced kyote), and named by science the canis latrans. These +animals are cowardly and sly creatures, of an intermediate size between +the fox and dog, very delicately formed, fleet and active. + +“The ears are large, erect, and pointed; the head is long and pointed, +like that of the fox; the tail long and bushy; the hair and fur are of a +pale reddish-brown color, though much coarser than that of the fox; the +eye is of a deep sea-green color, small and piercing; the talons are +rather longer than those of the wolf of the Atlantic States, which +animal, as far as we can perceive, is not to be found on this side of +the Platte. These wolves usually associate in bands of ten or twelve, +and are rarely, if ever, seen alone, not being able, singly, to attack a +deer or antelope. They live and rear their young in burrows, which they +fix near some pass or spot much frequented by game, and sally out in a +body against any animal which they think they can overpower; but on the +slightest alarm retreat to their burrows, making a noise exactly like +that of a small dog. + +“A second species is lower, shorter in the legs, and thicker than the +Atlantic wolf; the color, which is not affected by the seasons, is of +every variety of shade, from a gray or blackish-brown to a cream-colored +white. They do not burrow, nor do they bark, but howl; they frequent the +woods and plains, and skulk along the skirts of the buffalo herds, in +order to attack the weary or wounded.” + +Under date of May 5, the journal has an interesting story of an +encounter with a grizzly bear, which, by way of variety, is here called +“brown,” instead of “white.” It is noticeable that the explorers dwelt +with much minuteness upon the peculiar characteristics of the grizzly; +this is natural enough when we consider that they were the first white +men to form an intimate acquaintance with “Ursus horribilis.” The +account says:-- + +“Captain Clark and one of the hunters met, this evening, the largest +brown bear we have seen. As they fired he did not attempt to attack, +but fled with a most tremendous roar; and such was his extraordinary +tenacity of life, that, although he had five balls passed through his +lungs, and five other wounds, he swam more than half across the river to +a sand-bar, and survived twenty minutes. He weighed between five and six +hundred pounds at least, and measured eight feet seven inches and a half +from the nose to the extremity of the hind feet, five feet ten inches +and a half round the breast, three feet eleven inches round the neck, +one foot eleven inches round the middle of the fore leg, and his claws +five on each foot, were four inches and three-eighths in length. This +animal differs from the common black bear in having his claws much +longer and more blunt; his tail shorter; his hair of a reddish or bay +brown, longer, finer, and more abundant; his liver, lungs, and heart +much larger even in proportion to his size, the heart, particularly, +being equal to that of a large ox; and his maw ten times larger. Besides +fish and flesh, he feeds on roots and every kind of wild fruit.” + +On May 8 the party discovered the largest and most important of the +northern tributaries of the Upper Missouri. The journal thus describes +the stream:-- + +“Its width at the entrance is one hundred and fifty yards; on going +three miles up, Captain Lewis found it to be of the same breadth and +sometimes more; it is deep, gentle, and has a large quantity of water; +its bed is principally of mud; the banks are abrupt, about twelve +feet in height, and formed of a dark, rich loam and blue clay; the +low grounds near it are wide and fertile, and possess a considerable +proportion of cottonwood and willow. It seems to be navigable for boats +and canoes; by this circumstance, joined to its course and quantity of +water, which indicates that it passes through a large extent of +country, we are led to presume that it may approach the Saskaskawan +(Saskatchewan) and afford a communication with that river. The water has +a peculiar whiteness, such as might be produced by a tablespoonful of +milk in a dish of tea, and this circumstance induced us to call it Milk +River.” + +Modern geography shows that the surmise of Captain Lewis was correct. +Some of the tributaries of Milk River (the Indian name of which +signifies “The River that Scolds at all Others”) have their rise near +St. Mary’s River, which is one of the tributaries of the Saskatchewan, +in British America. + +The explorers were surprised to find the bed of a dry river, as deep and +as wide as the Missouri itself, about fifteen miles above Milk River. +Although it had every appearance of a water-course, it did not discharge +a drop of water. Their journal says:-- + +“It passes through a wide valley without timber; the surrounding country +consists of waving low hills, interspersed with some handsome level +plains; the banks are abrupt, and consist of a black or yellow clay, +or of a rich sandy loam; though they do not rise more than six or eight +feet above the bed, they exhibit no appearance of being overflowed; the +bed is entirely composed of a light brown sand, the particles of which, +like those of the Missouri, are extremely fine. Like the dry rivers we +passed before, this seemed to have discharged its waters recently, but +the watermark indicated that its greatest depth had not been more than +two feet. This stream, if it deserve the name, we called Bigdry (Big +Dry) River.” + +And Big Dry it remains on the maps unto this day. In this region the +party recorded this observation:-- + +“The game is now in great quantities, particularly the elk and buffalo, +which last is so gentle that the men are obliged to drive them out +of the way with sticks and stones. The ravages of the beaver are very +apparent; in one place the timber was entirely prostrated for a space of +three acres in front on the river and one in depth, and great part of it +removed, though the trees were in large quantities, and some of them as +thick as the body of a man.” + +Yet so great have been the ravages of man among these gentle creatures, +that elk are now very rarely found in the region, and the buffalo have +almost utterly disappeared from the face of the earth. Just after +the opening of the Northern Pacific Railway, in 1883, a band of sixty +buffaloes were heard of, far to the southward of Bismarck, and a party +was organized to hunt them. The _bold_ hunters afterwards boasted that +they killed every one of this little band of survivors of their race. + +The men were now (in the middle of May) greatly troubled with boils, +abscesses, and inflamed eyes, caused by the poison of the alkali that +covered much of the ground and corrupted the water. Here is an entry in +the journal of May 11:-- + +“About five in the afternoon one of our men (Bratton), who had been +afflicted with boils and suffered to walk on shore, came running to the +boats with loud cries, and every symptom of terror and distress. For +some time after we had taken him on board he was so much out of breath +as to be unable to describe the cause of his anxiety; but he at length +told us that about a mile and a half below he had shot a brown bear, +which immediately turned and was in close pursuit of him; but the bear +being badly wounded could not overtake him. Captain Lewis, with seven +men, immediately went in search of him; having found his track they +followed him by the blood for a mile, found him concealed in some +thick brushwood, and shot him with two balls through the skull. Though +somewhat smaller than that killed a few days ago, he was a monstrous +animal, and a most terrible enemy. Our man had shot him through the +centre of the lungs; yet he had pursued him furiously for half a +mile, then returned more than twice that distance, and with his talons +prepared himself a bed in the earth two feet deep and five feet long; +he was perfectly alive when they found him, which was at least two hours +after he had received the wound. The wonderful power of life which these +animals possess renders them dreadful; their very track in the mud or +sand, which we have sometimes found eleven inches long and seven and +one-fourth wide, exclusive of the talons, is alarming; and we had rather +encounter two Indians than meet a single brown bear. There is no chance +of killing them by a single shot unless the ball goes through the brain, +and this is very difficult on account of two large muscles which cover +the side of the forehead and the sharp projection of the centre of the +frontal bone, which is also thick. + +“Our camp was on the south, at the distance of sixteen miles from that +of last night. The fleece and skin of the bear were a heavy burden for +two men, and the oil amounted to eight gallons.” + +The name of the badly-scared Bratton was bestowed upon a creek which +discharges into the Missouri near the scene of this encounter. Game +continued to be very abundant. On the fourteenth, according to the +journal, the hunters were hunted, to their great discomfiture. The +account says:-- + +“Toward evening the men in the hindmost canoes discovered a large brown +(grizzly) bear lying in the open grounds, about three hundred paces from +the river. Six of them, all good hunters, immediately went to attack +him, and concealing themselves by a small eminence came unperceived +within forty paces of him. Four of the hunters now fired, and each +lodged a ball in his body, two of them directly through the lungs. The +furious animal sprang up and ran open-mouthed upon them. + +“As he came near, the two hunters who had reserved their fire gave him +two wounds, one of which, breaking his shoulder, retarded his motion +for a moment; but before they could reload he was so near that they +were obliged to run to the river, and before they had reached it he +had almost overtaken them. Two jumped into the canoe; the other four +separated, and, concealing themselves in the willows, fired as fast +as they could reload. They struck him several times, but, instead of +weakening the monster, each shot seemed only to direct him towards the +hunters, till at last he pursued two of them so closely that they threw +aside their guns and pouches, and jumped down a perpendicular bank of +twenty feet into the river: the bear sprang after them, and was within +a few feet of the hindmost, when one of the hunters on shore shot him +in the head, and finally killed him. They dragged him to the shore, and +found that eight balls had passed through him in different directions. +The bear was old, and the meat tough, so that they took the skin only, +and rejoined us at camp, where we had been as much terrified by an +accident of a different kind. + +“This was the narrow escape of one of our canoes, containing all our +papers, instruments, medicine, and almost every article indispensable +for the success of our enterprise. The canoe being under sail, a sudden +squall of wind struck her obliquely and turned her considerably. The man +at the helm, who was unluckily the worst steersman of the party, became +alarmed, and, instead of putting her before the wind, luffed her up into +it. The wind was so high that it forced the brace of the square-sail +out of the hand of the man who was attending it, and instantly upset the +canoe, which would have been turned bottom upward but for the resistance +made by the awning. Such was the confusion on board, and the waves ran +so high, that it was half a minute before she righted, and then nearly +full of water, but by bailing her out she was kept from sinking until +they rowed ashore. Besides the loss of the lives of three men, who, not +being able to swim, would probably have perished, we should have been +deprived of nearly everything necessary for our purposes, at a distance +of between two and three thousand miles from any place where we could +supply the deficiency.” + +Fortunately, there was no great loss from this accident, which was +caused by the clumsiness and timidity of the steersman, Chaboneau. +Captain Lewis’s account of the incident records that the conduct of +Chaboneau’s wife, Sacajawea, was better than that of her cowardly +husband. He says:-- + +“The Indian woman, to whom I ascribe equal fortitude and resolution with +any person on board at the time of the accident, caught and preserved +most of the light articles which were washed overboard.” + + + + +Chapter IX -- In the Solitudes of the Upper Missouri + +Under date of May 17, the journal of the party has the following +interesting entries:-- + +“We set out early and proceeded on very well; the banks being firm and +the shore bold, we were enabled to use the towline, which, whenever +the banks will permit it, is the safest and most expeditious mode of +ascending the river, except under sail with a steady breeze. At the +distance of ten and one-half miles we came to the mouth of a small creek +on the south, below which the hills approach the river, and continue +near it during the day. Three miles further is a large creek on the +north; and again, six and three-quarters miles beyond this, is another +large creek, to the south; both containing a small quantity of running +water, of a brackish taste. The last we called Rattlesnake Creek, from +our seeing that animal near it. Although no timber can be observed on +it from the Missouri, it throws out large quantities of driftwood, among +which were some pieces of coal brought down by the stream. . . . + +“The game is in great quantities, but the buffalo are not so numerous as +they were some days ago; two rattlesnakes were seen to-day, and one of +them was killed. It resembles those of the Middle Atlantic States, being +about thirty inches long, of a yellowish brown on the back and sides, +variegated with a row of oval dark brown spots lying transversely on the +back from the neck to the tail, and two other rows of circular spots of +the same color on the sides along the edge of the scuta; there are one +hundred and seventy-six scuta on the belly, and seventeen on the tail.” + +Two days later, the journal records that one of the party killed a +grizzly bear, “which, though shot through the heart, ran at his usual +pace nearly a quarter of a mile before he fell.” + +The mouth of the Musselshell River, which was one of the notable points +that marked another stage in the journey, was reached on the twentieth +of May. This stream empties into the Missouri two thousand two hundred +and seventy miles above its mouth, and is still known by the name given +it by its discoverers. The journal says: + +“It is one hundred and ten yards wide, and contains more water than +streams of that size usually do in this country; its current is by no +means rapid, and there is every appearance of its being susceptible of +navigation by canoes for a considerable distance. Its bed is chiefly +formed of coarse sand and gravel, with an occasional mixture of black +mud; the banks are abrupt and nearly twelve feet high, so that they are +secure from being overflowed; the water is of a greenish-yellow cast, +and much more transparent than that of the Missouri, which itself, +though clearer than below, still retains its whitish hue and a portion +of its sediment. Opposite the point of junction the current of the +Missouri is gentle, and two hundred and twenty-two yards in width; +the bed is principally of mud, the little sand remaining being wholly +confined to the points, and the water is still too deep to use the +setting-pole. + +“If this be, as we suppose, the Musselshell, our Indian information is +that it rises in the first chain of the Rocky mountains not far from the +sources of the Yellowstone, whence in its course to this place it waters +a high broken country, well timbered, particularly on its borders, and +interspersed with handsome fertile plains and meadows. We have reason, +however, to believe, from their giving a similar account of the timber +where we now are, that the timber of which they speak is similar to that +which we have seen for a few days past, which consists of nothing more +than a few straggling small pines and dwarf cedars on the summits of the +hills, nine-tenths of the ground being totally destitute of wood, and +covered with short grass, aromatic herbs, and an immense quantity +of prickly-pear; though the party who explored it for eight miles +represented the low grounds on the river to be well supplied with +cottonwood of a tolerable size, and of an excellent soil. They also +report that the country is broken and irregular, like that near our +camp; and that about five miles up, a handsome river, about fifty +yards wide, which we named after Chaboneau’s wife, Sacajawea’s or the +Bird-woman’s River, discharges into the Musselshell on the north or +upper side.” + +Later explorations have shown that the Musselshell rises in the +Little Belt Mountains, considerably to the north of the sources of the +Yellowstone. Modern geography has also taken from the good Sacajawea +the honor of having her name bestowed on one of the branches of the +Musselshell. The stream once named for her is now known as Crooked +Creek: it joins the river near its mouth, in the central portion of +Montana. The journal, under date of May 22, has this entry:-- + +“The river (the Missouri) continues about two hundred and fifty yards +wide, with fewer sand-bars, and the current more gentle and regular. +Game is no longer in such abundance since leaving the Musselshell. We +have caught very few fish on this side of the Mandans, and these were +the white catfish, of two to five pounds. We killed a deer and a bear. +We have not seen in this quarter the black bear, common in the United +States and on the lower parts of the Missouri, nor have we discerned any +of their tracks. They may easily be distinguished by the shortness of +the talons from the brown, grizzly, or white bear, all of which seem to +be of the same species, which assumes those colors at different seasons +of the year. We halted earlier than usual, and camped on the north, in a +point of woods, at the distance of sixteen and one half miles (thus past +the site of Fort Hawley, on the south).” + +Notwithstanding the advance of the season, the weather in those great +altitudes grew more and more cold. Under date of May 23, the journal +records the fact that ice appeared along the edges of the river, and +water froze upon their oars. But notwithstanding the coolness of the +nights and mornings, mosquitoes were very troublesome. + +The explorers judged that the cold was somewhat unusual for that +locality, inasmuch as the cottonwood trees lost their leaves by the +frost, showing that vegetation, generally well suited to the temperature +of its country, or habitat, had been caught by an unusual nip of the +frost. The explorers noticed that the air of those highlands was so pure +and clear that objects appeared to be much nearer than they really were. +A man who was sent out to explore the country attempted to reach a ridge +(now known as the Little Rocky Mountains), apparently about fifteen +miles from the river. He travelled about ten miles, but finding himself +not halfway to the object of his search, he returned without reaching +it. + +The party was now just westward of the site of the present town of +Carroll, Montana, on the Missouri. Their journal says:-- + +“The low grounds are narrow and without timber; the country is high and +broken; a large portion of black rock and brown sandy rock appears in +the face of the hills, the tops of which are covered with scattered +pine, spruce, and dwarf cedar; the soil is generally poor, sandy near +the tops of the hills, and nowhere producing much grass, the low grounds +being covered with little else than the hyssop, or southernwood, and the +pulpy-leaved thorn. Game is more scarce, particularly beaver, of which +we have seen but few for several days, and the abundance or scarcity +of which seems to depend on the greater or less quantity of timber. At +twenty-four and one-half miles we reached a point of woodland on the +south, where we observed that the trees had no leaves, and camped for +the night.” + +The “hyssop, or southernwood,” the reader now knows to be the wild sage, +or sage-brush. The “pulpy-leaved thorn” mentioned in the journal is the +greasewood; and both of these shrubs flourish in the poverty-stricken, +sandy, alkaline soil of the far West and Northwest. The woody fibre of +these furnished the only fuel available for early overland emigrants to +the Pacific. + +The character of this country now changed considerably as the explorers +turned to the northward, in their crooked course, with the river. On the +twenty-fifth of May the journal records this:-- + +“The country on each side is high, broken, and rocky; the rock being +either a soft brown sandstone, covered with a thin stratum of limestone, +or else a hard, black, rugged granite, both usually in horizontal +strata, and the sand-rock overlaying the other. Salts and quartz, as +well as some coal and pumice-stone, still appear. The bars of the river +are composed principally of gravel; the river low grounds are narrow, +and afford scarcely any timber; nor is there much pine on the hills. The +buffalo have now become scarce; we saw a polecat (skunk) this evening, +which was the first for several days; in the course of the day we also +saw several herds of the bighorned animals among the steep cliffs on the +north, and killed several of them.” + +The bighorned animals, the first of which were killed here, were +sometimes called “Rocky Mountain sheep.” But sheep they were not, +bearing hair and not wool. As we have said, they are now more commonly +known as bighorns. + +The patience of the explorers was rewarded, on Sunday, May 26, 1806, by +their first view of the Rocky Mountains. Here is the journal’s record on +that date:-- + +“It was here (Cow Creek, Mont.) that, after ascending the highest summit +of the hills on the north side of the river, Captain Lewis first caught +a distant view of the Rock mountains--the object of all our hopes, and +the reward of all our ambition. On both sides of the river, and at no +great distance from it, the mountains followed its course. Above these +at the distance of fifty miles from us, an irregular range of mountains +spread from west to northwest from his position. To the north of these, +a few elevated points, the most remarkable of which bore N. 65'0 W., +appeared above the horizon; and as the sun shone on the snows of their +summits, he obtained a clear and satisfactory view of those mountains +which close on the Missouri the passage to the Pacific.” + +As they continued to ascend the Missouri they found themselves +confronted by many considerable rapids which sometimes delayed their +progress. They also set forth this observation: “The only animals we +have observed are the elk, the bighorn, and the hare common to +this country.” Wayfarers across the plains now call this hare the +jack-rabbit. The river soon became very rapid with a marked descent, +indicating their nearness to its mountain sources. The journal says:-- + +“Its general width is about two hundred yards; the shoals are more +frequent, and the rocky points at the mouths of the gullies more +troublesome to pass. Great quantities of stone lie in the river and on +its bank, and seem to have fallen down as the rain washed away the clay +and sand in which they were imbedded. The water is bordered by high, +rugged bluffs, composed of irregular but horizontal strata of yellow +and brown or black clay, brown and yellowish-white sand, soft +yellowish-white sandstone, and hard dark brown freestone; also, large +round kidney-formed irregular separate masses of a hard black ironstone, +imbedded in the clay and sand; some coal or carbonated wood also +makes its appearance in the cliffs, as do its usual attendants, the +pumice-stone and burnt earth. The salts and quartz are less abundant, +and, generally speaking, the country is, if possible, more rugged and +barren than that we passed yesterday; the only growth of the hills being +a few pine, spruce, and dwarf cedar, interspersed with an occasional +contrast, once in the course of some miles, of several acres of level +ground, which supply a scanty subsistence for a few little cottonwoods.” + +But, a few days later, the party passed out of this inhospitable region, +and, after passing a stream which they named Thompson’s (now Birch) +Creek, after one of their men, they were glad to make this entry in +their diary: + +“Here the country assumed a totally different aspect: the hills retired +on both sides from the river, which spreads to more than three times +its former size, and is filled with a number of small handsome islands +covered with cottonwood. The low grounds on its banks are again wide, +fertile, and enriched with trees: those on the north are particularly +wide, the hills being comparatively low, and opening into three large +valleys, which extend themselves for a considerable distance towards the +north. These appearances of vegetation are delightful after the dreary +hills among which we have passed; and we have now to congratulate +ourselves at having escaped from the last ridges of the Black Mountains. +On leaving Thompson’s Creek we passed two small islands, and at +twenty-three miles’ distance encamped among some timber; on the north, +opposite to a small creek, which we named Bull Creek. The bighorn are +in great quantities, and must bring forth their young at a very early +season, as they are now half grown. One of the party saw a large bear +also; but, being at a distance from the river, and having no timber to +conceal him, he would not venture to fire.” + +A curious adventure happened on the twenty-eighth, of which the journal, +next day, makes this mention:-- + +“Last night we were alarmed by a new sort of enemy. A buffalo swam over +from the opposite side, and to the spot where lay one of our canoes, +over which he clambered to the shore: then, taking fright, he ran full +speed up the bank towards our fires, and passed within eighteen inches +of the heads of some of the men before the sentinel could make him +change his course. Still more alarmed, he ran down between four fires, +and within a few inches of the heads of a second row of the men, and +would have broken into our lodge if the barking of the dog had not +stopped him. He suddenly turned to the right, and was out of sight in +a moment, leaving us all in confusion, every one seizing his rifle and +inquiring the cause of the alarm. On learning what had happened, we had +to rejoice at suffering no more injury than some damage to the guns that +were in the canoe which the buffalo crossed. . . . + +“We passed an island and two sand-bars, and at the distance of two +and a half miles came to a handsome river, which discharges itself on +the South, and which we ascended to the distance of a mile and a half: +we called it Judith’s River. It rises in the Rocky Mountains, in about +the same place with the Musselshell, and near the Yellowstone River. Its +entrance is one hundred yards wide from one bank to the other, the water +occupying about seventy-five yards, and being in greater quantity than +that of the Musselshell River. . . . There were great numbers of the +argalea, or bighorned animals, in the high country through which it +passes, and of beaver in its waters. Just above the entrance of it we +saw the ashes of the fires of one hundred and twenty-six lodges, which +appeared to have been deserted about twelve or fifteen days.” + +Leaving Judith’s River, named for a sweet Virginia lass, the explorers +sailed, or were towed, seventeen miles up the river, where they camped +at the mouth of a bold, running river to which they gave the name +of Slaughter River. The stream is now known as the Arrow; the +appropriateness of the title conferred on the stream by Lewis and Clark +appears from the story which they tell of their experience just below +“Slaughter River,” as follows: + +“On the north we passed a precipice about one hundred and twenty feet +high, under which lay scattered the fragments of at least one hundred +carcasses of buffaloes, although the water which had washed away the +lower part of the hill must have carried off many of the dead. These +buffaloes had been chased down the precipice in a way very common on +the Missouri, by which vast herds are destroyed in a moment. The mode of +hunting is to select one of the most active and fleet young men, who is +disguised by a buffalo-skin round his body; the skin of the head with +the ears and horns being fastened on his own head in such a way as to +deceive the buffalo. Thus dressed, he fixes himself at a convenient +distance between a herd of buffalo and any of the river precipices, +which sometimes extend for some miles. His companions in the mean +time get in the rear and side of the herd, and at a given signal show +themselves and advance toward the buffaloes. These instantly take +the alarm, and finding the hunters beside them, they run toward the +disguised Indian or decoy, who leads them on at full speed toward the +river; when, suddenly securing himself in some crevice of the cliff +which he had previously fixed on, the herd is left on the brink of the +precipice. It is then in vain for the foremost buffaloes to retreat or +even to stop; they are pressed on by the hindmost rank, which, seeing +no danger but from the hunters, goad on those before them till the +whole are precipitated, and the shore is strewn with their dead bodies. +Sometimes, in this perilous seduction, the Indian is himself either +trodden under foot by the rapid movements of the buffaloes, or missing +his footing in the cliff is urged down the precipice by the falling +herd. The Indians then select as much meat as they wish; the rest is +abandoned to the wolves, and creates a most dreadful stench. The wolves +which had been feasting on these carcasses were very fat, and so gentle +that one of them was killed with an espontoon.” (1) + + + (1) A short spear. + + +The dryness and purity of the air roused the admiration of the +explorers, who noticed that the woodwork of the cases of their +instruments shrank, and the joints opened, although the wood was old and +perfectly seasoned. A tablespoonful of water, exposed to the air in +an open saucer, would wholly evaporate in thirty-six hours, when the +thermometer did not mark higher than the “Temperate” point at the +warmest hour of the day. Contrary to their expectations, they had not +yet met with any Indians, although they saw many signs of their having +recently been in that vicinity. The journal says: + +“In the course of the day (May 30) we passed several encampments of +Indians, the most recent of which seemed to have been evacuated about +five weeks since; and, from the several apparent dates, we supposed +that they were formed by a band of about one hundred lodges, who were +travelling slowly up the river. Although no part of the Missouri from +the Minnetarees to this place exhibits signs of permanent settlements, +yet none seem exempt from the transient visits of hunting-parties. We +know that the Minnetarees of the Missouri extend their excursions on the +south side of the river as high as the Yellowstone, and the Assiniboins +visit the northern side, most probably as high as Porcupine River. All +the lodges between that place and the Rocky Mountains we supposed to +belong to the Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie, who live on the south fork +of the Saskashawan.” + +The party now entered upon some of the natural wonders of the West, +which have since become famous. Their journal says:-- + +“These hills and river-cliffs exhibit a most extraordinary and romantic +appearance. They rise in most places nearly perpendicular from the +water, to the height of between two hundred and three hundred feet, and +are formed of very white sandstone, so soft as to yield readily to the +impression of water, in the upper part of which lie imbedded two or +three thin horizontal strata of white freestone, insensible to the rain; +on the top is a dark rich loam, which forms a gradually ascending plain, +from a mile to a mile and a half in extent, when the hills again rise +abruptly to the height of about three hundred feet more. In trickling +down the cliffs, the water has worn the soft sandstone into a thousand +grotesque figures, among which, with a little fancy, may be discerned +elegant ranges of freestone buildings, with columns variously +sculptured, and supporting long and elegant galleries, while the +parapets are adorned with statuary. On a nearer approach they represent +every form of elegant ruins--columns, some with pedestals and capitals +entire, others mutilated and prostrate, and some rising pyramidally over +each other till they terminate in a sharp point. These are varied +by niches, alcoves, and the customary appearances of desolated +magnificence. The illusion is increased by the number of martins, which +have built their globular nests in the niches, and hover over these +columns, as in our country they are accustomed to frequent large +stone structures. As we advance there seems no end to the visionary +enchantment which surrounds us. + +“In the midst of this fantastic scenery are vast ranges of walls, which +seem the productions of art, so regular is the workmanship. They rise +perpendicularly from the river, sometimes to the height of one hundred +feet, varying in thickness from one to twelve feet, being as broad at +the top as below. The stones of which they are formed are black, thick, +durable, and composed of a large portion of earth, intermixed and +cemented with a small quantity of sand and a considerable proportion +of talk (talc) or quartz. These stones are almost invariably regular +parallelopipeds of unequal sizes in the wall, but equally deep and +laid regularly in ranges over each other like bricks, each breaking and +covering the interstice of the two on which it rests; but though the +perpendicular interstice be destroyed, the horizontal one extends +entirely through the whole work. The stones are proportioned to the +thickness of the wall in which they are employed, being largest in the +thickest walls. The thinner walls are composed of a single depth of the +parallelopiped, while the thicker ones consist of two or more depths. +These walls pass the river at several places, rising from the water’s +edge much above the sandstone bluffs, which they seem to penetrate; +thence they cross in a straight line, on either side of the river, the +plains, over which they tower to the height of from ten to seventy feet, +until they lose themselves in the second range of hills. Sometimes they +run parallel in several ranges near to each other, sometimes intersect +each other at right angles, and have the appearance of walls of ancient +houses or gardens.” + +The wall-like, canyon formations were charted by Lewis and Clark as “The +Stone Walls.” Their fantastic outlines have been admired and described +by modern tourists, and some of them have been named “Cathedral Rocks,” + “Citadel Rock,” “Hole in the Wall,” and so on. + +Passing out of this wonderful region, the expedition entered upon a more +level country, here and there broken by bluffy formations which extended +along the river, occasionally interspersed with low hills. Their journal +says: + +“In the plains near the river are the choke-cherry, yellow and red +currant bushes, as well as the wild rose and prickly pear, both of which +are now in bloom. From the tops of the river-hills, which are lower than +usual, we enjoyed a delightful view of the rich, fertile plains on +both sides, in many places extending from the river-cliffs to a great +distance back. In these plains we meet, occasionally, large banks of +pure sand, which were driven apparently by the southwest winds and there +deposited. The plains are more fertile some distance from the river than +near its banks, where the surface of the earth is very generally +strewed with small pebbles, which appear to be smoothed and worn by the +agitation of the waters with which they were, no doubt, once covered.” + +Under date of June 2d, the journal says:-- + +“The current of the river is strong but regular, the timber increases +in quantity, the low grounds become more level and extensive, and the +bluffs are lower than before. As the game is very abundant, we think +it necessary to begin a collection of hides for the purpose of making +a leathern boat, which we intend constructing shortly. The hunters, who +were out the greater part of the day, brought in six elk, two buffalo, +two mule-deer, and a bear. This last animal had nearly cost us the lives +of two of our hunters, who were together when he attacked them. One +of them narrowly escaped being caught, and the other, after running +a considerable distance, concealed himself in some thick bushes, and, +while the bear was in quick pursuit of his hiding-place, his companion +came up, and fortunately shot the animal through the head.” + +Here the party came to the mouth of a large river which entered the +Missouri from the northwest, at the site of the latter-day town of +Ophir, Montana. This stream they named Maria’s River, in honor of +another Virginia damsel. So large and important in appearance was +Maria’s River that the explorers were not certain which was the main +stream, that which came in from the north, or that which, flowing here +in a general course from southwest to northeast, was really the true +Missouri. The journal says: + +“It now became an interesting question, which of these two streams is +what the Minnetarees call Ahmateahza, or Missouri, which they describe +as approaching very near to the Columbia. On our right decision much +of the fate of the expedition depends; since if, after ascending to the +Rocky Mountains or beyond them, we should find that the river we were +following did not come near the Columbia, and be obliged to return, we +should not only lose the travelling season, two months of which have +already elapsed, but probably dishearten the men so much as to induce +them either to abandon the enterprise, or yield us a cold obedience, +instead of the warm and zealous support which they have hitherto +afforded us. We determined, therefore, to examine well before we decided +on our future course. For this purpose we despatched two canoes with +three men up each of the streams, with orders to ascertain the width, +depth, and rapidity of the current, so as to judge of their comparative +bodies of water. At the same time parties were sent out by land +to penetrate the country, and discover from the rising grounds, if +possible, the distant bearings of the two rivers; and all were directed +to return toward evening. . . .” + +Both parties returned without bringing any information that would settle +the point. Which was the true Missouri still remained uncertain. Under +these circumstances, it became necessary that there should be a more +thorough exploration, and the next morning Captains Lewis and Clark +set out at the head of two separate parties, the former to examine the +north, and the latter the south fork. In his progress Captain Lewis and +his party were frequently obliged to quit the course of the river and +cross the plains and hills, but he did not lose sight of its general +direction, and carefully took the bearings of the distant mountains. On +the morning of the third day he became convinced that this river pursued +a course too far north for his contemplated route to the Pacific, and he +accordingly determined to return, but judged it advisable to wait till +noon, that he might obtain a meridian altitude. In this, however, he was +disappointed, owing to the state of the weather. Much rain had fallen, +and their return was somewhat difficult, and not unattended with danger, +as the following incident, which occurred on June 7th, will show: + +“In passing along the side of a bluff at a narrow pass thirty yards +in length, Captain Lewis slipped, and, but for a fortunate recovery by +means of his spontoon, would have been precipitated into the river over +a precipice of about ninety feet. He had just reached a spot where, by +the assistance of his spontoon, he could stand with tolerable safety, +when he heard a voice behind him cry out, ‘Good God, captain, what shall +I do?’ He turned instantly, and found it was Windsor, who had lost his +foothold about the middle of the narrow pass, and had slipped down to +the very verge of the precipice, where he lay on his belly, with his +right arm and leg over it, while with the other leg and arm he was +with difficulty holding on, to keep himself from being dashed to pieces +below. His dreadful situation was instantly perceived by Captain Lewis, +who, stifling his alarm, calmly told him that he was in no danger; that +he should take his knife out of his belt with his right hand, and dig +a hole in the side of the bluff to receive his right foot. With great +presence of mind he did this, and then raised himself on his knees. +Captain Lewis then told him to take off his moccasins and come forward +on his hands and knees, holding the knife in one hand and his rifle in +the other. He immediately crawled in this way till he came to a secure +spot. The men who had not attempted this passage were ordered to return +and wade the river at the foot of the bluff, where they found the water +breast-high. This adventure taught them the danger of crossing the +slippery heights of the river; but as the plains were intersected by +deep ravines, almost as difficult to pass, they continued down the +river, sometimes in the mud of the low grounds, sometimes up to their +arms in the water; and when it became too deep to wade, they cut +footholds with their knives in the sides of the banks. In this way +they travelled through the rain, mud, and water, and having made only +eighteen miles during the whole day, camped in an old Indian lodge of +sticks, which afforded them a dry shelter. Here they cooked part of six +deer they had killed in the course of their walk, and having eaten the +only morsel they had tasted during the whole day, slept comfortably on +some willow-boughs.” + + + + +Chapter X -- To the Great Falls of the Missouri + +Next day, June 8, the Lewis party returned to the main body of the +expedition. They reported that timber was scarce along the river, except +in the lowlands, where there were pretty groves and thickets. These +trees, the journal says, were the haunts of innumerable birds, which, as +the sun rose, sung delightfully:-- + +“Among these birds they distinguished the brown thrush, robin, +turtle-dove, linnet, gold-finch, large and small blackbird, wren, and +some others. As they came along, the whole party were of opinion +that this river was the true Missouri; but Captain Lewis, being fully +persuaded that it was neither the main stream, nor that which it +would be advisable to ascend, gave it the name of Maria’s River. +After travelling all day they reached camp about five o’clock in the +afternoon, and found Captain Clark and the party very anxious for their +safety. As they had stayed two days longer than had been expected, and +as Captain Clark had returned at the appointed time, it was feared that +they had met with some accident.” + +As we now know, the stream that came in from the north was that which +is still called Maria’s (or Marais) River, and the so-called branch from +the southwest was the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark, however, were in +the dark as to the relations of the two streams. Which was the parent? +Which was the branch? After pondering all the evidence that could be +collected to bear on the important question, the two captains agreed +that the southern stream was the true Missouri, and the northern stream +was an important branch. The journal says: + +“These observations, which satisfied our minds completely, we +communicated to the party; but every one of them was of a contrary +opinion. Much of their belief depended on Crusatte, an experienced +waterman on the Missouri, who gave it as his decided judgment that the +north fork was the genuine Missouri. The men, therefore, mentioned that, +although they would most cheerfully follow us wherever we should direct, +yet they were afraid that the south fork would soon terminate in the +Rocky Mountains, and leave us at a great distance from the Columbia. In +order that nothing might be omitted which could prevent our falling into +an error, it was agreed that one of us should ascend the southern branch +by land, until we reached either the falls or the mountains. In the +meantime, in order to lighten our burdens as much as possible, we +determined to deposit here one of the pirogues, and all the heavy +baggage which we could possibly spare, as well as some provision, salt, +powder, and tools. This would at once lighten the other boats, and give +them the crew which had been employed on board the pirogue.” + +On the tenth of June, the weather being fair and pleasant, they dried +all their baggage and merchandise and secreted them in places of +deposits, called caches, as follows:-- + +“These deposits--or caches, as they are called by the Missouri +traders--are very common, particularly among those who deal with the +Sioux, as the skins and merchandise will keep perfectly sound for years, +and are protected from robbery. Our cache was built in the usual manner. +In the high plain on the north side of the Missouri, and forty yards +from a steep bluff, we chose a dry situation, and then, describing a +small circle of about twenty inches diameter, removed the sod as gently +and carefully as possible: the hole was then sunk perpendicularly for +a foot deep. It was now worked gradually wider as it descended, till at +length it became six or seven feet deep, shaped nearly like a kettle, +or the lower part of a large still with the bottom somewhat sunk at the +centre. As the earth was dug it was handed up in a vessel, and carefully +laid on a skin or cloth, in which it was carried away and thrown into +the river, so as to leave no trace of it. A floor of three or four +inches in thickness was then made of dry sticks, on which was placed a +hide perfectly dry. The goods, being well aired and dried, were laid on +this floor, and prevented from touching the wall by other dried sticks, +as the merchandise was stowed away. When the hole was nearly full, a +skin was laid over the goods, and on this earth was thrown and beaten +down, until, with the addition of the sod first removed, the whole +was on a level with the ground, and there remained not the slightest +appearance of an excavation. In addition to this, we made another of +smaller dimensions, in which we placed all the baggage, some powder, and +our blacksmith’s tools, having previously repaired such of the tools as +we carry with us that require mending. To guard against accident, we had +two parcelss of lead and powder in the two places. The red pirogue was +drawn up on the middle of a small island, at the entrance of Maria’s +River, and secured, by being fastened to the trees, from the effects of +any floods. We now took another observation of the meridian altitude of +the sun, and found that the mean latitude of Maria’s River, as deduced +from three observations, is 49'0 25’ 17.2” N.” + +In order to make assurance doubly sure, Captain Lewis resolved to +take four men with him and ascend the south branch (that is, the true +Missouri), before committing the expedition to that route as the final +one. His proposition was that his party should proceed up the river as +rapidly as possible in advance of the main party. On the second day out, +says the journal:-- + +“Captain Lewis left the bank of the river in order to avoid the steep +ravines, which generally run from the shore to the distance of one or +two miles in the plain. Having reached the open country he went for +twelve miles in a course a little to the W. of S.W.; when, the sun +becoming warm by nine o’clock, he returned to the river in quest of +water, and to kill something for breakfast; there being no water in +the plain, and the buffalo, discovering them before they came within +gunshot, took to flight. They reached the banks in a handsome open low +ground with cottonwood, after three miles’ walk. Here they saw two large +brown bears, and killed them both at the first fire--a circumstance +which has never before occurred since we have seen that animal. Having +made a meal of a part, and hung the remainder on a tree, with a note for +Captain Clark, they again ascended the bluffs into the open plains. +Here they saw great numbers of the burrowing-squirrel, also some wolves, +antelopes, mule-deer, and vast herds of buffalo. They soon crossed a +ridge considerably higher than the surrounding plains, and from its top +had a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains, which are now completely +covered with snow. Their general course is from S.E. to N. of N.W., and +they seem to consist of several ranges which successively rise above +each other, till the most distant mingles with the clouds. After +travelling twelve miles they again met the river, where there was a +handsome plain of cottonwood.” + +Again leaving the river, Captain Lewis bore off more to the north, the +stream here bearing considerably to the south, with difficult bluffs +along its course. But fearful of passing the Great Falls before reaching +the Rocky Mountains, he again changed his course and, leaving the bluffs +to his right he turned towards the river. + +The journal gives this description of what followed:-- + +“In this direction Captain Lewis had gone about two miles, when his +ears were saluted with the agreeable sound of a fall of water, and as he +advanced a spray, which seemed driven by the high southwest wind, arose +above the plain like a column of smoke, and vanished in an instant. +Toward this point he directed his steps; the noise increased as he +approached, and soon became too tremendous to be mistaken for anything +but the Great Falls of the Missouri. Having travelled seven miles after +first hearing the sound, he reached the falls about twelve o’clock. The +hills as he approached were difficult of access and two hundred feet +high. Down these he hurried with impatience; and, seating himself on +some rocks under the centre of the falls, enjoyed the sublime spectacle +of this stupendous object, which since the creation had been lavishing +its magnificence upon the desert, unknown to civilization. + +“The river immediately at this cascade is three hundred yards wide, and +is pressed in by a perpendicular cliff on the left, which rises to about +one hundred feet and extends up the stream for a mile; on the right the +bluff is also perpendicular for three hundred yards above the falls. For +ninety or one hundred yards from the left cliff, the water falls in +one smooth, even sheet, over a precipice of at least eighty feet. +The remaining part of the river precipitates itself with a more rapid +current, but being received as it falls by the irregular and somewhat +projecting rocks below, forms a splendid prospect of perfectly white +foam, two hundred yards in length and eighty in perpendicular elevation. +This spray is dissipated into a thousand shapes, sometimes flying up in +columns of fifteen or twenty feet, which are then oppressed by larger +masses of the white foam, on all of which the sun impresses the +brightest colors of the rainbow. Below the fall the water beats with +fury against a ledge of rocks, which extends across the river at one +hundred and fifty yards from the precipice. From the perpendicular cliff +on the north to the distance of one hundred and twenty yards, the rocks +are only a few feet above the water; and, when the river is high, the +stream finds a channel across them forty yards wide, and near the higher +parts of the ledge, which rise about twenty feet, and terminate abruptly +within eighty or ninety yards of the southern side. Between them and +the perpendicular cliff on the south, the whole body of water runs with +great swiftness. A few small cedars grow near this ridge of rocks, which +serves as a barrier to defend a small plain of about three acres, shaded +with cottonwood; at the lower extremity of which is a grove of the same +trees, where are several deserted Indian cabins of sticks; below which +the river is divided by a large rock, several feet above the surface +of the water, and extending down the stream for twenty yards. At the +distance of three hundred yards from the same ridge is a second abutment +of solid perpendicular rock, about sixty feet high, projecting at right +angles from the small plain on the north for one hundred and thirty-four +yards into the river. After leaving this, the Missouri again spreads +itself to its previous breadth of three hundred yards, though with more +than its ordinary rapidity.” + +One of Lewis’s men was sent back to inform Captain Clark of this +momentous discovery, which finally settled all doubt as to which was +the true Missouri. The famous Great Falls of the river had been finally +reached. Captain Lewis next went on to examine the rapids above the +falls. The journal says:-- + +“After passing one continued rapid and three cascades, each three or +four feet high, he reached, at the distance of five miles, a second +fall. The river is here about four hundred yards wide, and for the +distance of three hundred rushes down to the depth of nineteen feet, and +so irregularly that he gave it the name of the Crooked Falls. From the +southern shore it extends obliquely upward about one hundred and fifty +yards, and then forms an acute angle downward nearly to the commencement +of four small islands close to the northern side. From the perpendicular +pitch to these islands, a distance of more than one hundred yards, the +water glides down a sloping rock with a velocity almost equal to that +of its fall: above this fall the river bends suddenly to the northward. +While viewing this place, Captain Lewis heard a loud roar above him, +and, crossing the point of a hill a few hundred yards, he saw one of the +most beautiful objects in nature: the whole Missouri is suddenly stopped +by one shelving rock, which, without a single niche, and with an edge as +straight and regular as if formed by art, stretches itself from one side +of the river to the other for at least a quarter of a mile. Over this +it precipitates itself in an even, uninterrupted sheet, to the +perpendicular depth of fifty feet, whence, dashing against the rocky +bottom, it rushes rapidly down, leaving behind it a sheet of the +purest foam across the river. The scene which it presented was indeed +singularly beautiful; since, without any of the wild, irregular +sublimity of the lower falls, it combined all the regular elegancies +which the fancy of a painter would select to form a beautiful waterfall. +The eye had scarcely been regaled with this charming prospect, when at +the distance of half a mile Captain Lewis observed another of a similar +kind. To this he immediately hastened, and found a cascade stretching +across the whole river for a quarter of a mile, with a descent of +fourteen feet, though the perpendicular pitch was only six feet. This, +too, in any other neighborhood, would have been an object of great +magnificence; but after what he had just seen, it became of secondary +interest. His curiosity being, however, awakened, he determined to go +on, even should night overtake him, to the head of the falls. + +“He therefore pursued the southwest course of the river, which was one +constant succession of rapids and small cascades, at every one of which +the bluffs grew lower, or the bed of the river became more on a level +with the plains. At the distance of two and one-half miles he arrived +at another cataract, of twenty-six feet. The river is here six hundred +yards wide, but the descent is not immediately perpendicular, though +the river falls generally with a regular and smooth sheet; for about +one-third of the descent a rock protrudes to a small distance, receives +the water in its passage, and gives it a curve. On the south side is a +beautiful plain, a few feet above the level of the falls; on the north, +the country is more broken, and there is a hill not far from the river. +Just below the falls is a little island in the middle of the river, well +covered with timber. Here on a cottonwood tree an eagle had fixed her +nest, and seemed the undisputed mistress of a spot, to contest whose +dominion neither man nor beast would venture across the gulfs that +surround it, and which is further secured by the mist rising from +the falls. This solitary bird could not escape the observation of the +Indians, who made the eagle’s nest a part of their description of the +falls, which now proves to be correct in almost every particular, except +that they did not do justice to the height. + +“Just above this is a cascade of about five feet, beyond which, as +far as could be discerned, the velocity of the water seemed to abate. +Captain Lewis now ascended the hill which was behind him, and saw from +its top a delightful plain, extending from the river to the base of the +Snowy (Rocky) Mountains to the south and southwest. Along this wide, +level country the Missouri pursued its winding course, filled with water +to its smooth, grassy banks, while about four miles above, it was joined +by a large river flowing from the northwest, through a valley three +miles in width, and distinguished by the timber which adorned its +shores. The Missouri itself stretches to the south, in one unruffled +stream of water, as if unconscious of the roughness it must soon +encounter, and bearing on its bosom vast flocks of geese, while numerous +herds of buffalo are feeding on the plains which surround it. + +“Captain Lewis then descended the hill, and directed his course towards +the river falling in from the west. He soon met a herd of at least a +thousand buffalo, and, being desirous of providing for supper, shot one +of them. The animal immediately began to bleed, and Captain Lewis, who +had forgotten to reload his rifle, was intently watching to see him +fall, when he beheld a large brown bear which was stealing on him +unperceived, and was already within twenty steps. In the first moment of +surprise he lifted his rifle; but, remembering instantly that it was not +charged, and that he had no time to reload, he felt that there was no +safety but in flight. It was in the open, level plain; not a bush nor a +tree within three hundred yards; the bank of the river sloping, and +not more than three feet high, so that there was no possible mode of +concealment. Captain Lewis, therefore, thought of retreating with a +quick walk, as fast as the bear advanced, towards the nearest tree; but, +as soon as he turned, the bear rushed open-mouthed, and at full speed, +upon him. Captain Lewis ran about eighty yards, but finding that the +animal gained on him fast, it flashed on his mind that, by getting into +the water to such a depth that the bear would be obliged to attack him +swimming, there was still some chance of his life; he therefore turned +short, plunged into the river about waist-deep, and facing about +presented the point of his espontoon. The bear arrived at the water’s +edge within twenty feet of him; but as soon as he put himself in this +posture of defence, the bear seemed frightened, and wheeling about, +retreated with as much precipitation as he had pursued. Very glad to +be released from this danger, Captain Lewis returned to the shore, +and observed him run with great speed, sometimes looking back as if he +expected to be pursued, till he reached the woods. He could not conceive +the cause of the sudden alarm of the bear, but congratulated himself +on his escape when he saw his own track torn to pieces by the furious +animal, and learned from the whole adventure never to suffer his rifle +to be a moment unloaded.” + +Captain Lewis now resumed his progress towards the western, or Sun, +River, then more commonly known among the Indians as Medicine River. +In going through the lowlands of this stream, he met an animal which he +thought was a wolf, but which was more likely a wolverine, or carcajou. +The journal says:-- + +“It proved to be some brownish yellow animal, standing near its burrow, +which, when he came nigh, crouched, and seemed as if about to spring on +him. Captain Lewis fired, and the beast disappeared in its burrow. From +the track, and the general appearance of the animal, he supposed it +to be of the tiger kind. He then went on; but, as if the beasts of +the forest had conspired against him, three buffalo bulls, which were +feeding with a large herd at the distance of half a mile, left their +companions, and ran at full speed towards him. He turned round, and, +unwilling to give up the field, advanced to meet them: when they were +within a hundred yards they stopped, looked at him for some time, and +then retreated as they came. He now pursued his route in the dark, +reflecting on the strange adventures and sights of the day, which +crowded on his mind so rapidly, that he should have been inclined to +believe it all enchantment if the thorns of the prickly pear, piercing +his feet, had not dispelled at every moment the illusion. He at last +reached the party, who had been very anxious for his safety, and who had +already decided on the route which each should take in the morning to +look for him. Being much fatigued, he supped, and slept well during the +night.” + +On awaking the next morning, Captain Lewis found a large rattlesnake +coiled on the trunk of a tree under which he had been sleeping. He +killed it, and found it like those he had seen before, differing from +those of the Atlantic States, not in its colors, but in the form and +arrangement of them. Information was received that Captain Clark had +arrived five miles below, at a rapid which he did not think it prudent +to ascend, and that he was waiting there for the party above to rejoin +him. + +After the departure of Captain Lewis, Captain Clark had remained a day +at Maria’s River, to complete the deposit of such articles as they could +dispense with, and started on the twelfth of June. + +Four days later, Captain Clark left the river, having sent his messenger +to Captain Lewis, and began to search for a proper portage to convey the +pirogue and canoes across to the Columbia River, leaving most of the +men to hunt, make wheels and draw the canoes up a creek which they named +Portage Creek, as it was to be the base of their future operations. The +stream is now known as Belt Mountain Creek. But the explorers soon +found that although the pirogue was to be left behind, the way was too +difficult for a portage even for canoes. The journal says:-- + +“We found great difficulty and some danger in even ascending the creek +thus far, in consequence of the rapids and rocks of the channel of the +creek, which just above where we brought the canoes has a fall of +five feet, with high steep bluffs beyond it. We were very fortunate in +finding, just below Portage Creek, a cottonwood tree about twenty-two +inches in diameter, large enough to make the carriage-wheels. It was, +perhaps, the only one of the same size within twenty miles; and the +cottonwood which we are obliged to employ in the other parts of the work +is extremely soft and brittle. The mast of the white pirogue, which we +mean to leave behind, supplied us with two axle-trees. + +“There are vast quantities of buffalo feeding on the plains or watering +in the river, which is also strewed with the floating carcasses and +limbs of these animals. They go in large herds to water about the falls, +and as all the passages to the river near that place are narrow and +steep, the foremost are pressed into the river by the impatience of +those behind. In this way we have seen ten or a dozen disappear over +the falls in a few minutes. They afford excellent food for the wolves, +bears, and birds of prey; which circumstance may account for the +reluctance of the bears to yield their dominion over the neighborhood. + +“The pirogue was drawn up a little below our camp, and secured in a +thick copse of willow-bushes. We now began to form a cache or place +of deposit, and to dry our goods and other articles which required +inspection. The wagons are completed. Our hunters brought us ten deer, +and we shot two out of a herd of buffalo that came to water at Sulphur +Spring. There is a species of gooseberry, growing abundantly among the +rocks on the sides of the cliffs. It is now ripe, of a pale red color, +about the size of the common gooseberry, and like it is an ovate +pericarp of soft pulp enveloping a number of small whitish seeds, and +consisting of a yellowish, slimy, mucilaginous substance, with a sweet +taste; the surface of the berry is covered glutinous, adhesive matter, +and its fruit, though ripe, retains its withered corolla. The shrub +itself seldom rises more than two feet high, is much branched, and has +no thorns. The leaves resemble those of the common gooseberry, except +in being smaller, and the berry is supported by separate peduncles or +foot-stalks half an inch long. There are also immense quantities +of grasshoppers, of a brown color, on the plains; they, no doubt, +contribute to the lowness of the grass, which is not generally more than +three inches high, though it is soft, narrow-leaved, and affords a fine +pasture for the buffalo.” + + + + +Chapter XI -- A the Heart of the Continent + +Captain Clark continued his observations up the long series of rapids +and falls until he came to a group of three small islands to which +he gave the name of White Bear Islands, from his having seen numerous +white, or grizzly, bears on them. On the nineteenth of June, Captain +Clark, after a careful survey of the country on both sides of the +stream, decided that the best place for a portage was on the south, or +lower, side of the river, the length of the portage being estimated +to be about eighteen miles, over which the canoes and supplies must +be carried. Next day he proceeded to mark out the exact route of the +portage, or carry, by driving stakes along its lines and angles. From +the survey and drawing which he made, the party now had a clear and +accurate view of the falls, cascades, and rapids of the Missouri; and, +it may be added, this draught, which is reproduced on another page +of this book, is still so correct in all its measurements that when a +Montana manufacturing company undertook to build a dam at Black Eagle +Falls, nearly one hundred years afterwards, they discovered that their +surveys and those of Captain Clark were precisely alike. The total fall +of the river, from the White Bear Islands, as Lewis and Clark called +them, to the foot of the Great Falls, is four hundred twelve and +five-tenths feet; the sheer drop of the Great Fall is seventy-five and +five-tenths feet. The wild, trackless prairie of Lewis and Clark’s +time is now the site of the thriving town of Great Falls, which has a +population of ten thousand. + +Here is a lucid and connected account of the falls and rapids, +discovered and described by Lewis and Clark: + +“This river is three hundred yards wide at the point where it +receives the waters of Medicine (Sun) River, which is one hundred and +thirty-seven yards in width. The united current continues three hundred +and twenty-eight poles to a small rapid on the north side, from which it +gradually widens to fourteen hundred yards, and at the distance of five +hundred and forty-eight poles reaches the head of the rapids, narrowing +as it approaches them. Here the hills on the north, which had withdrawn +from the bank, closely border the river, which, for the space of three +hundred and twenty poles, makes its way over the rocks, with a descent +of thirty feet. In this course the current is contracted to five hundred +and eighty yards, and after throwing itself over a small pitch of five +feet, forms a beautiful cascade of twenty-six feet five inches; this +does not, however, fall immediately or perpendicularly, being stopped by +a part of the rock, which projects at about one-third of the distance. +After descending this fall, and passing the cottonwood island on which +the eagle has fixed her nest, the river goes on for five hundred and +thirty-two poles over rapids and little falls, the estimated descent +of which is thirteen and one-half feet, till it is joined by a large +fountain boiling up underneath the rocks near the edge of the river, +into which it falls with a cascade of eight feet. The water of this +fountain is of the most perfect clearness, and of rather a bluish cast; +and, even after falling into the Missouri, it preserves its color +for half a mile. From the fountain the river descends with increased +rapidity for the distance of two hundred and fourteen poles, during +which the estimated descent is five feet; and from this, for a distance +of one hundred and thirty-five poles, it descends fourteen feet seven +inches, including a perpendicular fall of six feet seven inches. +The Missouri has now become pressed into a space of four hundred and +seventy-three yards, and here forms a grand cataract, by falling over +a plain rock the whole distance across the river, to the depth of +forty-seven feet eight inches. After recovering itself, it then proceeds +with an estimated descent of three feet, till, at the distance of +one hundred and two poles, it is precipitated down the Crooked Falls +nineteen feet perpendicular. Below this, at the mouth of a deep ravine, +is a fall of five feet; after which, for the distance of nine hundred +and seventy poles, the descent is much more gradual, not being more than +ten feet, and then succeeds a handsome level plain for the space of one +hundred and seventy-eight poles, with a computed descent of three feet, +the river making a bend towards the north. Thence it descends, for four +hundred and eighty poles, about eighteen and one-half feet, when it +makes a perpendicular fall of two feet, which is ninety poles beyond the +great cataract; in approaching which, it descends thirteen feet within +two hundred yards, and, gathering strength from its confined channel, +which is only two hundred and eighty yards wide, rushes over the fall to +the depth of eighty-seven feet. + +“After raging among the rocks, and losing itself in foam, it is +compressed immediately into a bed of ninety-three yards in width: it +continues for three hundred and forty poles to the entrance of a run or +deep ravine, where there is a fall of three feet, which, added to the +decline during that distance, makes the descent six feet. As it goes +on, the descent within the next two hundred and forty poles is only +four feet; from this, passing a run or deep ravine, the descent in four +hundred poles is thirteen feet; within two hundred and forty poles, +another descent of eighteen feet; thence, in one hundred and sixty +poles, a descent of six feet; after which, to the mouth of Portage +Creek, a distance of two hundred and eighty poles, the descent is +ten feet. From this survey and estimate, it results that the river +experiences a descent of three hundred and fifty-two feet in the +distance of two and three quarter miles, from the commencement of the +rapids to the mouth of Portage Creek, exclusive of the almost impassable +rapids which extend for a mile below its entrance.” + +On the twenty-first of the month, all the needed preparations having +been finished, the arduous work of making the portage, or carry, was +begun. All the members of the expedition were now together, and the two +captains divided with their men the labor of hunting, carrying luggage, +boat-building, exploring, and so on. They made three camps, the lower +one on Portage Creek, the next at Willow Run (see map), and a third at +a point opposite White Bear Islands. The portage was not completed until +July second. They were often delayed by the breaking down of their rude +carriages, and during the last stage of their journey much of their +luggage was carried on the backs of the men. They were also very much +annoyed with the spines of the prickly pear, a species of cactus, +which, growing low on the ground, is certain to be trampled upon by the +wayfarer. The spines ran through the moccasins of the men and sorely +wounded their feet. Thus, under date of June twenty-fourth, the journal +says (It should be understood that the portage was worked from above and +below the rapids):-- + +“On going down yesterday Captain Clark cut off several angles of the +former route, so as to shorten the portage considerably, and marked it +with stakes. He arrived there in time to have two of the canoes carried +up in the high plain, about a mile in advance. Here they all repaired +their moccasins, and put on double soles to protect them from the +prickly pear, and from the sharp points of earth which have been formed +by the trampling of the buffalo during the late rains. This of itself is +sufficient to render the portage disagreeable to one who has no burden; +but as the men are loaded as heavily as their strength will permit, the +crossing is really painful. Some are limping with the soreness of their +feet; others are scarcely able to stand for more than a few minutes, +from the heat and fatigue. They are all obliged to halt and rest +frequently; at almost every stopping-place they fall, and many of them +are asleep in an instant; yet no one complains, and they go on with +great cheerfulness. At the camp, midway in the portage, Drewyer and +Fields joined them; for, while Captain Lewis was looking for them at +Medicine River, they returned to report the absence of Shannon, about +whom they had been very uneasy. They had killed several buffalo at the +bend of the Missouri above the falls, dried about eight hundred pounds +of meat, and got one hundred pounds of tallow; they had also killed some +deer, but had seen no elk.” + +Under this date, too, Captain Lewis, who was with another branch of the +expedition, makes this note: “Such as were able to shake a foot amused +themselves in dancing on the green to the music of the violin which +Cruzatte plays extremely well.” + +The journal continues:-- + +“We were now occupied (at White Bear camp) in fitting up a boat of +skins, the frame of which had been prepared for the purpose at Harper’s +Ferry in Virginia. It was made of iron, thirty-six feet long, four and +one-half feet in the beam, and twenty-six inches wide in the bottom. Two +men had been sent this morning for timber to complete it, but they could +find scarcely any even tolerably straight sticks four and one-half feet +long; and as the cottonwood is too soft and brittle, we were obliged to +use willow and box-elder.” + +On the twenty-seventh, the main party, which was working on the upper +part of the portage, joined that of Captain Clark at the lower camp, +where a second cache, or place of deposit, had been formed, and where +the boat-swivel was now hidden under the rocks. The journal says:-- + +“The party were employed in preparing timber for the boat, except two +who were sent to hunt. About one in the afternoon a cloud arose from +the southwest, and brought with it violent thunder, lightning, and hail. +Soon after it passed, the hunters came in, from about four miles above +us. They had killed nine elk and three bears. As they were hunting on +the river they saw a low ground covered with thick brushwood, where from +the tracks along shore they thought a bear had probably taken refuge. +They therefore landed, without making a noise, and climbed a tree about +twenty feet above the ground. Having fixed themselves securely, they +raised a loud shout, and a bear instantly rushed toward them. These +animals never climb, and therefore when he came to the tree and stopped +to look at them, Drewyer shot him in the head. He proved to be the +largest we had yet seen; his nose appeared to be like that of a common +ox; his fore feet measured nine inches across; the hind feet were seven +inches wide and eleven and three quarters long, exclusive of the talons. +One of these animals came within thirty yards of the camp last night, +and carried off some buffalo-meat which we had placed on a pole.” + +The party were very much annoyed here by the grizzlies which infested +their camp at night. Their faithful dog always gave warning of the +approach of one of these monsters; but the men were obliged to sleep +with their guns by their side, ready to repel the enemy at a moment’s +notice. + +Captain Clark finally broke up the camp on Portage Creek, June 28, +having deposited in his cache whatever could be left behind without +inconvenience. “On the following day,” the journal says:-- + +“Finding it impossible to reach the upper end of the portage with the +present load, in consequence of the state of the road after the rain, he +sent back nearly all his party to bring on the articles which had been +left yesterday. Having lost some notes and remarks which he had made +on first ascending the river, he determined to go up to the Whitebear +Islands along its banks, in order to supply the deficiency. He there +left one man to guard the baggage, and went on to the falls, accompanied +by his servant York, Chaboneau, and his wife with her young child. + +“On his arrival there he observed a very dark cloud rising in the west, +which threatened rain, and looked around for some shelter; but could +find no place where the party would be secure from being blown into the +river, if the wind should prove as violent as it sometimes does in the +plains. At length, about a quarter of a mile above the falls, he found +a deep ravine, where there were some shelving rocks, under which he +took refuge. They were on the upper side of the ravine near the river, +perfectly safe from the rain, and therefore laid down their guns, +compass, and other articles which they carried with them. The shower +was at first moderate; it then increased to a heavy rain, the effects +of which they did not feel; but soon after, a torrent of rain and hail +descended. The rain seemed to fall in a solid mass, and instantly, +collecting in the ravine, came rolling down in a dreadful current, +carrying the mud, rocks, and everything that opposed it. Captain Clark +fortunately saw it a moment before it reached them, and springing up +with his gun and shot-pouch in his left hand, with his right clambered +up the steep bluff, pushing on the Indian woman with her child in her +arms; her husband too had seized her hand and was pulling her tip the +hill, but he was so terrified at the danger that he remained frequently +motionless; and but for Captain Clark, himself and his wife and child +would have been lost. So instantaneous was the rise of the water that, +before Captain Clark had reached his gun and begun to ascend the bank, +the water was up to his waist, and he could scarcely get up faster than +it rose, till it reached the height of fifteen feet, with a furious +current which, had they waited a moment longer, would have swept +them into the river just above the Great Falls, down which they must +inevitably have been precipitated. They reached the plain in safety and +found York, who had separated from them just before the storm to hunt +some buffalo, and was now returning to find his master. They had been +obliged to escape so rapidly that Captain Clark lost his compass (that +is, circumferentor) and umbrella, Chaboneau left his gun, with Captain +Lewis’ wiping-rod, shot-pouch, and tomahawk, and the Indian woman had +just time to grasp her child, before the net in which it lay at her feet +was carried down the current.” + +Such a storm is known in the West as a cloud-burst. Overland emigrants +in the early rush to California often suffered loss from these sudden +deluges. A party of men, with wagons and animals, have been known to +be swept away and lost in a flood bursting in a narrow canyon in the +mountains. + +“Captain Clark now relinquished his intention of going up the river, and +returned to the camp at Willow Run. Here he found that the party +sent this morning for the baggage had all returned to camp in great +confusion, leaving their loads in the plain. On account of the heat, +they generally go nearly naked, and with no covering on their heads. +The hail was so large, and driven so furiously against them by the high +wind, that it knocked several of them down: one of them, particularly, +was thrown on the ground three times, and most of them were bleeding +freely, and complained of being much bruised. Willow Run had risen six +feet since the rain; and, as the plains were so wet that they could not +proceed, they passed the night at their camp. + +“At the White Bear camp, also,” (says Lewis), “we had not been +insensible to the hailstorm, though less exposed. In the morning there +had been a heavy shower of rain, after which it became fair. After +assigning to the men their respective employments, Captain Lewis took +one of them, and went to see the large fountain near the falls. . . . It +is, perhaps, the largest in America, and is situated in a pleasant level +plain, about twenty-five yards from the river, into which it falls over +some steep, irregular rocks, with a sudden ascent of about six feet in +one part of its course. The water boils up from among the rocks, and +with such force near the centre that the surface seems higher there than +the earth on the sides of the fountain, which is a handsome turf of +fine green grass. The water is extremely pure, cold, and pleasant to the +taste, not being impregnated with lime or any foreign substance. It is +perfectly transparent, and continues its bluish cast for half a mile +down the Missouri, notwithstanding the rapidity of the river. After +examining it for some time, Captain Lewis returned to the camp. . . .” + +“Two men were sent (June 30) to the falls to look for the articles +lost yesterday; but they found nothing but the compass, covered with mud +and sand, at the mouth of the ravine. The place at which Captain Clark +had been caught by the storm was filled with large rocks. The men +complain much of the bruises received yesterday from the hail. A +more than usual number of buffalo appeared about the camp to-day, and +furnished plenty of meat. Captain Clark thought that at one view he must +have seen at least ten thousand.” + +Of the party at the upper camp, opposite White Bear Islands, the journal +makes this observation:-- + +“The party continues to be occupied with the boat, the cross-bars for +which are now finished, and there remain only the strips to complete the +woodwork. The skins necessary to cover it have already been prepared; +they amount to twenty-eight elk-skins and four buffalo-skins. Among our +game were two beaver, which we have had occasion to observe are found +wherever there is timber. We also killed a large bull-bat or goatsucker, +of which there are many in this neighborhood, resembling in every +respect those of the same species in the United States. We have not seen +the leather-winged bat for some time, nor are there any of the small +goatsucker in this part of the Missouri. We have not seen that species +of goatsucker called the whippoorwill, which is commonly confounded in +the United States with the large goatsucker which we observe here. +This last prepares no nest, but lays its eggs on the open plains; they +generally begin to sit on two eggs, and we believe raise only one brood +in a season; at the present moment they are just hatching their young.” + +Dr. Coues says that we should bear in mind that this was written “when +bats were birds and whales were fishes for most persons.” The journal +confounds bats, which are winged mammals, with goatsuckers, or +whippoorwills, which are birds. + +The second of July was an interesting date for the explorers. On that +day we find the following entry in their journal:-- + +“A shower of rain fell very early this morning. We then despatched some +men for the baggage left behind yesterday, and the rest were engaged in +putting the boat together. This was accomplished in about three hours, +and then we began to sew on the leather over the crossbars of iron on +the inner side of the boat which form the ends of the sections. By two +o’clock the last of the baggage arrived, to the great delight of +the party, who were anxious to proceed. The mosquitoes we find very +troublesome. + +“Having completed our celestial observations, we went over to the large +island to make an attack upon its inhabitants, the bears, which have +annoyed us very much of late, and were prowling about our camp all last +night. We found that the part of the island frequented by the bears +forms an almost impenetrable thicket of the broad-leaved willow. Into +this we forced our way in parties of three; but could see only one bear, +which instantly attacked Drewyer. Fortunately, as he was rushing on, the +hunter shot him through the heart within twenty paces and he fell, which +enabled Drewyer to get out of his way. We then followed him one hundred +yards, and found that the wound had been mortal. + +“Not being able to discover any more of these animals, we returned +to camp. Here, in turning over some of the baggage, we caught a rat +somewhat larger than the common European rat, and of a lighter color; +the body and outer parts of the legs and head of a light lead color; the +inner side of the legs, as well as the belly, feet, and ears, white; the +ears are not covered with hair, and are much larger than those of the +common rat; the toes also are longer; the eyes are black and prominent, +the whiskers very long and full; the tail is rather longer than the +body, and covered with fine fur and hair of the same size with that on +the back, which is very close, short, and silky in its texture. This was +the first we had met, although its nests are very frequent in the cliffs +of rocks and hollow trees, where we also found large quantities of the +shells and seed of the prickly-pear.” + +The queer rat discovered by Lewis and Clark was then unknown to science. +It is now known in the Far West as the pack-rat. It lives in holes and +crevices of the rocks, and it subsists on the shells and seeds of the +prickly pear, which is usually abundant in the hunting grounds of the +little animal. The explorers were now constantly in full view of the +Rocky Mountain, on which, however, their present title had not then been +conferred. Under date of July 2, the journal says:-- + +“The mosquitoes are uncommonly troublesome. The wind was again high +from the southwest. These winds are in fact always the coldest and most +violent which we experience, and the hypothesis which we have formed +on that subject is, that the air, coming in contact with the Snowy +Mountains, immediately becomes chilled and condensed, and being thus +rendered heavier than the air below, it descends into the rarefied air +below, or into the vacuum formed by the constant action of the sun +on the open unsheltered plains. The clouds rise suddenly near these +mountains, and distribute their contents partially over the neighboring +plains. The same cloud will discharge hail alone in one part, hail and +rain in another, and rain only in a third, all within the space of a few +miles; while at the same time there is snow falling on the mountains +to the southeast of us. There is at present no snow on those mountains; +that which covered them on our arrival, as well as that which has since +fallen, having disappeared. The mountains to the north and northwest +of us are still entirely covered with snow; indeed, there has been no +perceptible diminution of it since we first saw them, which induces a +belief either that the clouds prevailing at this season do not reach +their summits or that they deposit their snow only. They glisten with +great beauty when the sun shines on them in a particular direction, and +most probably from this glittering appearance have derived the name of +the Shining Mountains.” + +A mysterious noise, heard by the party, here engaged their attention, +as it did years afterwards the attention of other explorers. The journal +says:-- + +“Since our arrival at the falls we have repeatedly heard a strange noise +coming from the mountains in a direction a little to the north of west. +It is heard at different periods of the day and night (sometimes when +the air is perfectly still and without a cloud), and consists of one +stroke only, or of five or six discharges in quick succession. It is +loud, and resembles precisely the sound of a six-pound piece of ordnance +at the distance of three miles. The Minnetarees frequently mentioned +this noise, like thunder, which they said the mountains made; but we had +paid no attention to it, believing it to have been some superstition, or +perhaps a falsehood. The watermen also of the party say that the +Pawnees and Ricaras give the same account of a noise heard in the Black +Mountains to the westward of them. The solution of the mystery given by +the philosophy of the watermen is, that it is occasioned by the bursting +of the rich mines of silver confined within the bosom of the mountains.” + +Of these strange noises there are many explanations, the most plausible +being that they are caused by the explosion of the species of stone +known as the geode, fragments of which are frequently found among the +mountains. The geode has a hollow cell within, lined with beautiful +crystals of many colors. + +Independence Day, 1805, was celebrated with becoming patriotism and +cheerfulness by these far-wandering adventurers. Their record says:-- + +“An elk and a beaver are all that were killed to-day; the buffalo seem +to have withdrawn from our neighborhood, though several of the men, who +went to-day to visit the falls for the first time, mention that they +are still abundant at that place. We contrived, however, to spread not +a very sumptuous but a comfortable table in honor of the day, and in +the evening gave the men a drink of spirits, which was the last of our +stock. Some of them appeared sensible to the effects of even so small +a quantity; and as is usual among them on all festivals, the fiddle was +produced and a dance begun, which lasted till nine o’clock, when it was +interrupted by a heavy shower of rain. They continued their merriment, +however, till a late hour.” + +Their bill-of-fare, according to Captain Lewis, was bacon, beans, suet +dumplings, and buffalo meat, which, he says, “gave them no just cause to +covet the sumptuous feasts of our countrymen on this day.” More than a +year passed before they again saw and tasted spirits. + +Great expectations were entertained of the boat that was built here on +the iron frame brought all the way from Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. The +frame was covered with dressed skins of buffalo and elk, the seams being +coated with a composition of powdered charcoal and beeswax, in default +of tar or pitch. This craft was well named the “Experiment,” and a +disappointing experiment it proved to be. Here is Captain Lewis’ account +of her failure: + +“The boat having now become sufficiently dry, we gave her a coat of the +composition, which after a proper interval was repeated, and the next +morning, Tuesday, July 9th, she was launched into the water, and swam +perfectly well. The seats were then fixed and the oars fitted; but +after we had loaded her, as well as the canoes, and were on the point of +setting out, a violent wind caused the waves to wet the baggage, so +that we were forced to unload the boats. The wind continued high until +evening, when to our great disappointment we discovered that nearly +all the composition had separated from the skins and left the seams +perfectly exposed; so that the boat now leaked very much. To repair this +misfortune without pitch is impossible, and as none of that article +is to be procured, we therefore, however reluctantly, are obliged to +abandon her, after having had so much labor in the construction. We now +saw that the section of the boat covered with buffalo-skins on which +hair had been left answered better than the elk-skins, and leaked but +little; while that part which was covered with hair about one-eighth of +an inch retained the composition perfectly, and remained sound and +dry. From this we perceived that had we employed buffalo instead of +elk skins, not singed them so closely as we did, and carefully avoided +cutting the leather in sewing, the boat would have been sufficient even +with the present composition; or had we singed instead of shaving the +elk-skins, we might have succeeded. But we discovered our error too +late; the buffalo had deserted us, and the travelling season was so +fast advancing that we had no time to spare for experiments; therefore, +finding that she could be no longer useful, she was sunk in the water, +so as to soften the skins, and enable us the more easily to take her to +pieces. + +“It now became necessary to provide other means for transporting the +baggage which we had intended to stow in her. For this purpose we shall +want two more canoes; but for many miles--from below the mouth of the +Musselshell River to this place--we have not seen a single tree fit to +be used in that way. The hunters, however, who have hitherto been sent +after timber, mention that there is a low ground on the opposite side of +the river, about eight miles above us by land, and more than twice that +distance by water, in which we may probably find trees large enough for +our purposes. Captain Clark determined, therefore, to set out by land +for that place with ten of the best workmen, who would be occupied in +building the canoes till the rest of the party, after taking the boat to +pieces, and making the necessary deposits, should transport the baggage, +and join them with the other six canoes. + +“He accordingly passed over to the opposite side of the river with his +party next day, and proceeded on eight miles by land, the distance by +water being twenty-three and three quarter miles. Here he found two +cottonwood trees; but, on cutting them down, one proved to be hollow, +split at the top in falling, and both were much damaged at the bottom. +He searched the neighborhood, but could find none which would suit +better, and therefore was obliged to make use of those which he had +felled, shortening them in order to avoid the cracks, and supplying the +deficiency by making them as wide as possible. They were equally at a +loss for wood of which they might make handles for their axes, the eyes +of which not being round, they were obliged to split the timber in such +a manner that thirteen of the handles broke in the course of the day, +though made of the best wood they could find for the purpose, which was +the chokecherry. + +“The rest of the party took the frame of the boat to pieces, deposited +it in a cache or hole, with a draught of the country from Fort Mandan +to this place, and also some other papers and small articles of less +importance.” + +High winds prevented the party from making rapid progress, and +notwithstanding the winds they were greatly troubled with mosquitoes. +Lest the reader should think the explorers too sensitive on the +subject of these troublesome pests, it should be said that only western +travellers can realize the numbers and venom of the mosquitoes of that +region. Early emigrants across the continent were so afflicted by these +insects that the air at times seemed full of gray clouds of them. It +was the custom of the wayfarers to build a “smudge,” as it was called, +a low, smouldering fire of green boughs and brush, the dense smoke +from which (almost as annoying as the mosquitoes) would drive off their +persecutors as long, as the victims sat in the smoke. The sleeping tent +was usually cleared in this way before “turning in” at night, every +opening of the canvas being afterwards closed. + +Captain Lewis, on the thirteenth of July, followed Captain Clark up the +river; crossing the stream to the north bank, with his six canoes and +all his baggage, he overtook the other party on the same day and found +them all engaged in boat-building. + +“On his way he passed a very large Indian lodge, which was probably +designed as a great council-house; but it differed in its construction +from all that we had seen, lower down the Missouri or elsewhere. The +form of it was a circle two hundred and sixteen feet in circumference at +the base; it was composed of sixteen large cottonwood poles about fifty +feet long and at their thicker ends, which touched the ground, about the +size of a man’s body. They were distributed at equal distances, except +that one was omitted to the cast, probably for the entrance. From the +circumference of this circle the poles converged toward the centre, +where they were united and secured by large withes of willow-brush. +There was no covering over this fabric, in the centre of which were +the remains of a large fire, and around it the marks of about eighty +leathern lodges. He also saw a number of turtle-doves, and some pigeons, +of which he shot one, differing in no respect from the wild pigeon of +the United States. . . .” + +“The buffalo have not yet quite gone, for the hunters brought in three, +in very good order. It requires some diligence to supply us plentifully, +for as we reserve our parched meal for the Rocky Mountains, where we do +not expect to find much game, our principal article of food is meat, and +the consumption of the whole thirty-two persons belonging to the +party amounts to four deer, an elk and a deer, or one buffalo, every +twenty-four hours. The mosquitoes and gnats persecute us as violently as +below, so that we can get no sleep unless defended by biers (nets), with +which we are all provided. We here found several plants hitherto unknown +to us, of which we preserved specimens.” + +On the fourteenth of July, the boats were finally launched, and next day +the journal records this important event: + +“We rose early, embarked all our baggage on board the canoes, which, +though eight in number, are heavily loaded, and at ten o’clock set out +on our journey. . . . At the distance of seven and a half miles we came +to the lower point of a woodland, at the entrance of a beautiful river, +which, in honor of the Secretary of the Navy, we called Smith’s River. +This stream falls into a bend on the south side of the Missouri, and +is eighty yards wide. As far as we could discern its course, it wound +through a charming valley towards the southeast, in which many herds +of buffalo were feeding, till, at the distance of twenty-five miles, it +entered the Rocky Mountains and was lost from our view. . . . + +“We find the prickly pear, one of the greatest beauties as well as +greatest inconveniences of the plains, now in full bloom. The sunflower, +too, a plant common on every part of the Missouri from its entrance to +this place, is here very abundant, and in bloom. The lamb’s-quarter, +wild cucumber, sand-rush, and narrow dock, are also common.” + +The journal here records the fact that the great river had now become so +crooked that it was expedient to note only its general course, leaving +out all description of its turns and windings. The Missouri was now +flowing due north, leaving its bends out of account, and the explorers, +ascending the river, were therefore travelling south; and although the +journal sets forth “the north bank” and “the south bank,” it should be +understood that west is meant by the one, and east by the other. Buffalo +were observed in great numbers. Many obstacles to navigating the river +were encountered. Under date of July 17, the journal says: + +“The navigation is now very laborious. The river is deep, but with +little current, and from seventy to one hundred yards wide; the low +grounds are very narrow, with but little timber, and that chiefly the +aspen tree. The cliffs are steep, and hang over the river so much that +often we could not cross them, but were obliged to pass and repass from +one side of the river to the other, in order to make our way. In +some places the banks are formed of dark or black granite rising +perpendicularly to a great height, through which the river seems, in the +progress of time, to have worn its channel. On these mountains we see +more pine than usual, but it is still in small quantities. Along the +bottoms, which have a covering of high grass, we observed the sunflower +blooming in great abundance. The Indians of the Missouri, more +especially those who do not cultivate maize, make great use of the seed +of this plant for bread, or in thickening their soup. They first parch +and then pound it between two stones, until it is reduced to a fine +meal. Sometimes they add a portion of water, and drink it thus diluted; +at other times they add a sufficient proportion of marrow-grease to +reduce it to the consistency of common dough, and eat it in that manner. +This last composition we preferred to all the rest, and thought it at +that time a very palatable dish.” + +They also feasted on a great variety of wild berries, purple, yellow, +and black currants, which were delicious and more pleasant to the palate +than those grown in their Virginia home-gardens; also service-berries, +popularly known to later emigrants as “sarvice-berries.” These grow on +small bushes, two or three feet high; and the fruit is purple-skinned, +with a white pulp, resembling a ripe gooseberry. + +The journal, next day, has the following entry:-- + +“This morning early, before our departure, we saw a large herd of the +big-horned animals, which were bounding among the rocks on the opposite +cliff with great agility. These inaccessible spots secure them from +all their enemies, and their only danger is in wandering among these +precipices, where we would suppose it scarcely possible for any animal +to stand; a single false step would precipitate them at least five +hundred feet into the water. + +“At one and one fourth miles we passed another single cliff on the left; +at the same distance beyond which is the mouth of a large river emptying +from the north. It is a handsome, bold, and clear stream, eighty yards +wide--that is, nearly as broad as the Missouri--with a rapid current, +over a bed of small smooth stones of various figures. The water is +extremely transparent; the low grounds are narrow, but possess as much +wood as those of the Missouri. The river has every appearance of being +navigable, though to what distance we cannot ascertain, as the country +which it waters is broken and mountainous. In honor of the Secretary of +War we called it Dearborn’s River.” + +General Henry Dearborn, who was then Secretary of War, in Jefferson’s +administration, gave his name, a few years later, to a collection of +camps and log-cabins on Lake Michigan; and in due time Fort Dearborn +became the great city of Chicago. Continuing, the journal says: + +“Being now very anxious to meet with the Shoshonees or Snake Indians, +for the purpose of obtaining the necessary information of our route, +as well as to procure horses, it was thought best for one of us to go +forward with a small party and endeavor to discover them, before the +daily discharge of our guns, which is necessary for our subsistence, +should give them notice of our approach. If by an accident they hear us, +they will most probably retreat to the mountains, mistaking us for their +enemies, who usually attack them on this side.” . . . . . . . . . + +Captain Clark was now in the lead with a small party, and he came upon +the remains of several Indian camps formed of willow-brush, Traces of +Indians became more plentiful. The journal adds:-- + +“At the same time Captain Clark observed that the pine trees had been +stripped of their bark about the same season, which our Indian woman +says her countrymen do in order to obtain the sap and the soft parts of +the wood and bark for food. About eleven o’clock he met a herd of +elk and killed two of them; but such was the want of wood in the +neighborhood that he was unable to procure enough to make a fire, and +was therefore obliged to substitute the dung of the buffalo, with which +he cooked his breakfast. They then resumed their course along an old +Indian road. In the afternoon they reached a handsome valley, watered by +a large creek, both of which extended a considerable distance into the +mountain. This they crossed, and during the evening travelled over a +mountainous country covered with sharp fragments of flint rock; these +bruised and cut their feet very much, but were scarcely less troublesome +than the prickly-pear of the open plains, which have now become so +abundant that it is impossible to avoid them, and the thorns are so +strong that they pierce a double sole of dressed deer-skin; the best +resource against them is a sole of buffalo-hide in parchment (that +is, hard dried). At night they reached the river much fatigued, having +passed two mountains in the course of the day, and travelled thirty +miles. Captain Clark’s first employment, on lighting a fire, was to +extract from his feet the thorns, which he found seventeen in number.” + +The dung of the buffalo, exposed for many years to the action of sun, +wind, and rain, became as dry and firm as the finest compressed hay. +As “buffalo chips,” in these treeless regions, it was the overland +emigrants’ sole dependence for fuel. + +The explorers now approached a wonderful pass in the Rocky Mountains +which their journal thus describes: + +“A mile and a half beyond this creek (Cottonwood Creek) the rocks +approach the river on both sides, forming a most sublime and +extraordinary spectacle. For five and three quarter miles these rocks +rise perpendicularly from the water’s edge to the height of nearly +twelve hundred feet. They are composed of a black granite near their +base, but from the lighter color above, and from the fragments, we +suppose the upper part to be flint of a yellowish brown and cream color. + +“Nothing can be imagined more tremendous than the frowning darkness +of these rocks, which project over the river and menace us with +destruction. The river, one hundred and fifty yards in width, seems to +have forced its channel down this solid mass; but so reluctantly has it +given way, that during the whole distance the water is very deep even at +the edges, and for the first three miles there is not a spot, except +one of a few yards, in which a man could stand between the water and the +towering perpendicular of the mountain. The convulsion of the passage +must have been terrible, since at its outlet there are vast columns +of rock torn from the mountain, which are strewed on both sides of the +river, the trophies, as it were, of its victory. Several fine springs +burst out from the chasms of the rock, and contribute to increase the +river, which has a strong current, but, very fortunately, we were able +to overcome it with our oars, since it would have been impossible to use +either the cord or the pole. We were obliged to go on some time after +dark, not being able to find a spot large enough to encamp on; but at +length, about two miles above a small island in the middle of the river, +we met with a place on the left side, where we procured plenty of light +wood and pitch pine. This extraordinary range of rocks we called the +Gates of the Rocky Mountains.” + +Some of Captain Clark’s men, engaged in hunting, gave the alarm to +roving bands of Shoshonee Indians, hunting in that vicinity. The noise +of their guns attracted the attention of the Indians, who, having set +fire to the grass as a warning to their comrades, fled to the mountains. +The whole country soon appeared to have taken fright, and great clouds +of smoke were observed in all directions. Falling into an old Indian +trail, Captain Clark waited, with his weary and footsore men, for the +rest of the party to come up with them. + +The explorers had now passed south, between the Big Belt range of +mountains on the cast and the main chain of the Rocky Mountains on the +west. Meagher County, Montana, now lies on the cast of their trail, and +on the west side of that route is the county of Lewis and Clark. They +were now--still travelling southward--approaching the ultimate sources +of the great Missouri. The journal says:-- + +“We are delighted to find that the Indian woman recognizes the country; +she tells us that to this creek her countrymen make excursions to +procure white paint on its banks, and we therefore call it Whiteearth +Creek. She says also that the Three Forks of the Missouri are at no +great distance--a piece of intelligence which has cheered the spirits +of us all, as we hope soon to reach the head of that river. This is the +warmest day, except one, we have experienced this summer. In the shade +the mercury stood at eighty degrees, which is the second time it has +reached that height during this season. We camped on an island, after +making nineteen and three quarters miles. + +“In the course of the day we saw many geese, cranes, small birds common +to the plains, and a few pheasants. We also observed a small plover or +curlew of a brown color, about the size of a yellow-legged plover or +jack-curlew, but of a different species. It first appeared near the +mouth of Smith’s River, but is so shy and vigilant that we were unable +to shoot it. Both the broad and narrow-leaved willow continue, +though the sweet willow has become very scarce. The rosebush, small +honeysuckle, pulpy-leaved thorn, southernwood, sage, box-elder, +narrow-leaved cottonwood, redwood, and a species of sumach, are all +abundant. So, too, are the red and black gooseberries, service-berry, +choke-cherry, and the black, yellow, red, and purple currants, which +last seems to be a favorite food of the bear. Before camping we landed +and took on board Captain Clark, with the meat he had collected during +this day’s hunt, which consisted of one deer and an elk; we had, +ourselves, shot a deer and an antelope.” + +The party found quantities of wild onions of good flavor and size. They +also observed wild flax, garlic, and other vegetable products of value. +The journal adds:-- + +“We saw many otter and beaver to-day (July 24th). The latter seem to +contribute very much to the number of islands, and the widening of the +river. They begin by damming up the small channels of about twenty yards +between the islands: this obliges the river to seek another outlet, and, +as soon as this is effected, the channel stopped by the beaver becomes +filled with mud and sand. The industrious animal is then driven to +another channel, which soon shares the same fate, till the river spreads +on all sides, and cuts the projecting points of the land into islands. +We killed a deer, and saw great numbers of antelopes, cranes, some +geese, and a few red-headed ducks. The small birds of the plains and +the curlew are still abundant: we saw a large bear, but could not come +within gunshot of him. There are numerous tracks of the elk, but none +of the animals themselves; and, from the appearance of bones and old +excrement, we suppose that buffalo sometimes stray into the valley, +though we have as yet seen no recent sign of them. Along the water are +a number of snakes, some of a uniform brown color, others black, and +a third speckled on the abdomen, and striped with black and a brownish +yellow on the back and sides. The first, which is the largest, is about +four feet long; the second is of the kind mentioned yesterday; and the +third resembles in size and appearance the garter-snake of the United +States. On examining the teeth of all these several kinds, we found them +free from poison: they are fond of the water, in which they take shelter +on being pursued. The mosquitoes, gnats, and prickly pear, our three +persecutors, still continue with us, and, joined with the labor of +working the canoes, have fatigued us all excessively.” + +On Thursday, July 25, Captain Clark, who was in the lead, as usual, +arrived at the famous Three Forks of the Missouri. The stream flowing in +a generally northeastern direction was the true, or principal Missouri, +and was named the Jefferson. The middle branch was named the Madison, +in honor of James Madison, then Secretary of State, and the fork next to +the eastward received the name of Albert Gallatin, then Secretary of +the Treasury; and by these titles the streams are known to this day. The +explorers had now passed down to their furthest southern limit, their +trail being to the eastward of the modern cities of Helena and Butte, +and separated only by a narrow divide (then unknown to them) from the +sources of some of the streams that fall into the Pacific Ocean. Under +the date of July 27, the journal says:-- + +“We are now very anxious to see the Snake Indians. After advancing for +several hundred miles into this wild and mountainous country, we may +soon expect that the game will abandon us. With no information of the +route, we may be unable to find a passage across the mountains when we +reach the head of the river--at least, such a pass as will lead us +to the Columbia. Even are we so fortunate as to find a branch of that +river, the timber which we have hitherto seen in these mountains does +not promise us any fit to make canoes, so that our chief dependence is +on meeting some tribe from whom we may procure horses. Our consolation +is that this southwest branch can scarcely head with any other river +than the Columbia; and that if any nation of Indians can live in the +mountains we are able to endure as much as they can, and have even +better means of procuring subsistence.” + + + + +Chapter XII -- At the Sources of the Missouri + +The explorers were now (in the last days of July, 1805) at the head of +the principal sources of the great Missouri River, in the fastnesses +of the Rocky Mountains, at the base of the narrow divide that separates +Idaho from Montana in its southern corner. Just across this divide are +the springs that feed streams falling into the majestic Columbia and +then to the Pacific Ocean. As has been already set forth, they named the +Three Forks for President Jefferson and members of his cabinet. These +names still survive, although Jefferson River is the true Missouri +and not a fork of that stream. Upon the forks of the Jefferson Lewis +bestowed the titles of Philosophy, Wisdom, and Philanthropy, each of +these gifts and graces being, in his opinion, “an attribute of that +illustrious personage, Thomas Jefferson,” then President of the United +States. But alas for the fleeting greatness of geographical honor! +Philosophy River is now known as Willow Creek, and at its mouth, a busy +little railroad town, is Willow City. The northwest fork is no longer +Wisdom, but Big Hole River; deep valleys among the mountains are known +as holes; and the stream called by that name, once Wisdom, is followed +along its crooked course by a railroad that connects Dillon, Silver Bow, +and Butte City, Montana. Vulgarity does its worst for Philanthropy; its +modern name on the map is Stinking Water. + +On the thirtieth of July, the party, having camped long enough to unpack +and dry their goods, dress their deerskins and make them into leggings +and moccasins, reloaded their canoes and began the toilsome ascent of +the Jefferson. The journal makes this record:-- + +“Sacajawea, our Indian woman, informs us that we are encamped on the +precise spot where her countrymen, the Snake Indians, had their huts +five years ago, when the Minnetarees of Knife River first came in +sight of them, and from whom they hastily retreated three miles up +the Jefferson, and concealed themselves in the woods. The Minnetarees, +however, pursued and attacked them, killed four men, as many women, +and a number of boys; and made prisoners of four other boys and all +the females, of whom Sacajawea was one. She does not, however, show any +distress at these recollections, nor any joy at the prospect of being +restored to her country; for she seems to possess the folly, or the +philosophy, of not suffering her feelings to extend beyond the anxiety +of having plenty to eat and a few trinkets to wear. + +“This morning the hunters brought in some fat deer of the long-tailed +red kind, which are quite as large as those of the United States, +and are, indeed, the only kind we have found at this place. There are +numbers of the sand-hill cranes feeding in the meadows: we caught a +young one of the same color as the red deer, which, though it had nearly +attained its full growth, could not fly; it is very fierce, and strikes +a severe blow with its beak. . . . + +“Captain Lewis proceeded after dinner through an extensive low ground of +timber and meadow-land intermixed; but the bayous were so obstructed by +beaver-dams that, in order to avoid them, he directed his course toward +the high plain on the right. This he gained with some difficulty, +after wading up to his waist through the mud and water of a number +of beaver-dams. When he desired to rejoin the canoes he found the +underbrush so thick, and the river so crooked, that this, joined to the +difficulty of passing the beaver-dams, induced him to go on and endeavor +to intercept the river at some point where it might be more collected +into one channel, and approach nearer the high plain. He arrived at the +bank about sunset, having gone only six miles in a direct course from +the canoes; but he saw no traces of the men, nor did he receive any +answer to his shouts and the firing of his gun. It was now nearly dark; +a duck lighted near him, and he shot it. He then went on the head of a +small island, where he found some driftwood, which enabled him to cook +his duck for supper, and laid down to sleep on some willow-brush. The +night was cool, but the driftwood gave him a good fire, and he suffered +no inconvenience, except from the mosquitoes.” + +The easy indifference to discomfort with which these well-seasoned +pioneers took their hardships must needs impress the reader. It was a +common thing for men, or for a solitary man, to be caught out of camp +by nightfall and compelled to bivouac, like Captain Lewis, in the +underbrush, or the prairie-grass. As they pressed on, game began to fail +them. Under date of July 31, they remark that the only game seen that +day was one bighorn, a few antelopes, deer, and a brown bear, all of +which escaped them. “Nothing was killed to-day,” it is recorded, “nor +have we had any fresh meat except one beaver for the last two days; so +that we are now reduced to an unusual situation, for we have hitherto +always had a great abundance of flesh.” Indeed, one reason for this is +found in Captain Lewis’s remark: “When we have plenty of fresh meat, I +find it impossible to make the men take any care of it, or use it with +the least frugality, though I expect that necessity will shortly teach +them this art.” We shall see, later on, that the men, who were really as +improvident of food as the Indians, had hard lessons from necessity. + +Anxious to reach the Indians, who were believed to be somewhere ahead +of them, Captain Lewis and three men went on up the Jefferson, Captain +Clark and his party following with the canoes and luggage in a more +leisurely manner. The advance party were so fortunate as to overtake a +herd of elk, two of which they killed; what they did not eat they left +secured for the other party with the canoes. Clark’s men also had good +luck in hunting, for they killed five deer and one bighorn. Neither +party found fresh tracks of Indians, and they were greatly discouraged +thereat. The journal speaks of a beautiful valley, from six to eight +miles wide, where they saw ancient traces of buffalo occupation, but no +buffalo. These animals had now completely disappeared; they were seldom +seen in those mountains. The journal says of Lewis:-- + +“He saw an abundance of deer and antelope, and many tracks of elk and +bear. Having killed two deer, they feasted sumptuously, with a dessert +of currants of different colors--two species red, others yellow, deep +purple, and black; to these were added black gooseberries and deep +purple service-berries, somewhat larger than ours, from which they +differ also in color, size, and the superior excellence of their +flavor. In the low grounds of the river were many beaver-dams formed of +willow-brush, mud, and gravel, so closely interwoven that they resist +the water perfectly; some of them were five feet high, and caused the +river to overflow several acres of land.” + +Meanwhile, the party with the canoes were having a fatiguing time as +they toiled up the river. On the fourth of August, after they had made +only fifteen miles, the journal has this entry:-- + +“The river is still rapid, and the water, though clear, is very much +obstructed by shoals or ripples at every two hundred or three hundred +yards. At all these places we are obliged to drag the canoes over the +stones, as there is not a sufficient depth of water to float them, and +in the other parts the current obliges us to have recourse to the cord. +But as the brushwood on the banks will not permit us to walk on shore, +we are under the necessity of wading through the river as we drag the +boats. This soon makes our feet tender, and sometimes occasions severe +falls over the slippery stones; and the men, by being constantly wet, +are becoming more feeble. In the course of the day the hunters killed +two deer, some geese and ducks, and the party saw some antelopes, +cranes, beaver, and otter.” + +Captain Lewis had left a note for Captain Clark at the forks of the +Jefferson and Wisdom rivers. Clark’s journal says:-- + +“We arrived at the forks about four o’clock, but, unluckily, Captain +Lewis’s note had been attached to a green pole, which the beaver had cut +down, and carried off with the note on it: an accident which deprived us +of all information as to the character of the two branches of the river. +Observing, therefore, that the northwest fork was most in our direction, +we ascended it. We found it extremely rapid, and its waters were +scattered in such a manner that for a quarter of a mile we were forced +to cut a passage through the willow-brush that leaned over the little +channels and united at the top. After going up it for a mile, we +encamped on an island which had been overflowed, and was still so wet +that we were compelled to make beds of brush to keep ourselves out of +the mud. Our provision consisted of two deer which had been killed in +the morning.” + +It should be borne in mind that this river, up which the party were +making their way, was the Wisdom (now Big Hole), and was the northwest +fork of the Jefferson, flowing from southeast to northwest; and near the +point where it enters the Jefferson, it has a loop toward the northeast; +that is to say, it comes from the southwest to a person looking up its +mouth. + + +After going up the Wisdom River, Clark’s party were overtaken by +Drewyer, Lewis’s hunter, who had been sent across between the forks to +notify Clark that Lewis regarded the other fork--the main Jefferson--as +the right course to take. The party, accordingly, turned about and began +to descend the stream, in order to ascend the Jefferson. The journal +says:-- + +“On going down, one of the canoes upset and two others filled with +water, by which all the baggage was wet and several articles were +irrecoverably lost. As one of them swung round in a rapid current, +Whitehouse was thrown out of her; while down, the canoe passed over him, +and had the water been two inches shallower would have crushed him to +pieces; but he escaped with a severe bruise of his leg. In order to +repair these misfortunes we hastened (down) to the forks, where we were +joined by Captain Lewis. We then passed over to the left (east) side, +opposite the entrance of the rapid fork, and camped on a large gravelly +bar, near which there was plenty of wood. Here we opened, and exposed +to dry, all the articles which had suffered from the water; none of them +were completely spoiled except a small keg of powder; the rest of the +powder, which was distributed in the different canoes, was quite safe, +although it had been under the water for upward of an hour. The air is +indeed so pure and dry that any wood-work immediately shrinks, unless +it is kept filled with water; but we had placed our powder in small +canisters of lead, each containing powder enough for the canister when +melted into bullets, and secured with cork and wax, which answered our +purpose perfectly. . . .” + +“In the evening we killed three deer and four elk, which furnished us +once more with a plentiful supply of meat. Shannon, the same man who had +been lost for fifteen days (August 28 to Sept. 11, 1804), was sent +out this morning to hunt, up the northwest fork. When we decided on +returning, Drewyer was directed to go in quest of him, but he returned +with information that he had gone several miles up the (Wisdom) river +without being able to find Shannon. We now had the trumpet sounded, +and fired several guns; but he did not return, and we fear he is again +lost.” + +This man, although an expert hunter, had an unlucky habit of losing +himself in the wilderness, as many another good man has lost himself +among the mountains or the great plains. This time, however, he came +into camp again, after being lost three days. + +On the eighth of August the party reached a point now known by its +famous landmark, Beaver Head, a remarkable rocky formation which gives +its name to Beaverhead County, Montana. The Indian woman, Sacajawea, +recognized the so-called beaver-head, which, she said, was not far from +the summer retreat of her countrymen, living on the other side of the +mountains. The whole party were now together again, the men with the +canoes having come up; and the journal says:-- + +“Persuaded of the absolute necessity of procuring horses to cross +the mountains, it was determined that one of us should proceed in the +morning to the head of the river, and penetrate the mountains till +he found the Shoshonees or some other nation who can assist us in +transporting our baggage, the greater part of which we shall be +compelled to leave without the aid of horses.”. . . + +Early the next day Captain Lewis took Drewyer, Shields, and M’Neal, and, +slinging their knapsacks, they set out with a resolution to meet some +nation of Indians before they returned, however long they might be +separated from the party. + +The party in the canoes continued to ascend the river, which was so +crooked that they advanced but four miles in a direct line from their +starting-place in a distance of eleven miles. In this manner, the party +on foot leading those with the canoes, they repeatedly explored the +various forks of the streams, which baffled them by their turnings and +windings. Lewis was in the advance, and Clark brought up the rear with +the main body. It was found necessary for the leading party to wade the +streams, and occasionally they were compelled by the roughness of +the way to leave the water-course and take to the hills, where great +vigilance was required to keep them in sight of the general direction in +which they must travel. On the 11th of August, 1805, Captain Lewis came +in sight of the first Indian encountered since leaving the country of +the Minnetarees, far back on the Missouri. The journal of that date +says: + +“On examining him with the glass Captain Lewis saw that he was of a +different nation from any Indians we had hitherto met. He was armed with +a bow and a quiver of arrows, and mounted on an elegant horse without a +saddle; a small string attached to the under jaw answered as a bridle. + +“Convinced that he was a Shoshonee, and knowing how much our success +depended on the friendly offices of that nation, Captain Lewis was full +of anxiety to approach without alarming him, and endeavor to convince +him that he (Lewis) was a white man. He therefore proceeded toward the +Indian at his usual pace. When they were within a mile of each other the +Indian suddenly stopped. Captain Lewis immediately followed his example, +took his blanket from his knapsack, and, holding it with both hands at +the two corners, threw it above his head, and unfolded it as he brought +it to the ground, as if in the act of spreading it. This signal, which +originates in the practice of spreading a robe or skin as a seat for +guests to whom they wish to show a distinguished kindness, is the +universal sign of friendship among the Indians on the Missouri and the +Rocky Mountains. As usual, Captain Lewis repeated this signal three +times: still the Indian kept his position, and looked with an air of +suspicion on Drewyer and Shields, who were now advancing on each side. +Captain Lewis was afraid to make any signal for them to halt, lest he +should increase the distrust of the Indian, who began to be uneasy, and +they were too distant to hear his voice. He therefore took from his pack +some beads, a looking-glass, and a few trinkets, which he had brought +for the purpose, and, leaving his gun, advanced unarmed towards the +Indian. He remained in the same position till Captain Lewis came within +two hundred yards of him, when he turned his horse and began to move off +slowly. Captain Lewis then called out to him in as loud a voice as he +could, repeating the words tabba bone, which in the Shoshonee language +mean white man. But, looking over his shoulder, the Indian kept his eyes +on Drewyer and Shields, who were still advancing, without recollecting +the impropriety of doing so at such a moment, till Captain Lewis made a +signal to them to halt: this Drewyer obeyed, but Shields did not observe +it, and still went forward. Seeing Drewyer halt, the Indian turned his +horse about as if to wait for Captain Lewis, who now reached within one +hundred and fifty paces, repeating the words tabba bone, and holding up +the trinkets in his hand, at the same time stripping up the sleeve of +his shirt to show the color of his skin. The Indian suffered him to +advance within one hundred paces, then suddenly turned his horse, and, +giving him the whip, leaped across the creek, and disappeared in an +instant among the willow bushes: with him vanished all the hopes +which the sight of him had inspired, of a friendly introduction to his +countrymen.” + +Sadly disappointed by the clumsy imprudence of his men, Captain Lewis +now endeavored to follow the track of the retreating Indian, hoping that +this might lead them to an encampment, or village, of the Shoshonees. He +also built a fire, the smoke of which might attract the attention of +the Indians. At the same time, he placed on a pole near the fire a +small assortment of beads, trinkets, awls, and paints, in order that the +Indians, if they returned that way, might discover them and be thereby +assured the strangers were white men and friends. Next morning, while +trying to follow the trail of the lone Indian, they found traces of +freshly turned earth where people had been digging for roots; and, later +on, they came upon the fresh track of eight or ten horses. But these +were soon scattered, and the explorers only found that the general +direction of the trails was up into the mountains which define the +boundary between Montana and Idaho. Skirting the base of these mountains +(the Bitter Root), the party endeavored to find a plain trail, or Indian +road, leading up to a practicable pass. Travelling in a southwesterly +direction along the main stream, they entered a valley which led into +the mountains. Here they ate their last bit of fresh meat, the remainder +of a deer they had killed a day or two before; they reserved for their +final resort, in case of famine, a small piece of salt pork. The journal +says:-- + +“They then continued through the low bottom, along the main stream, near +the foot of the mountains on their right. For the first five miles, the +valley continues toward the southwest, being from two to three miles in +width; then the main stream, which had received two small branches from +the left in the valley, turned abruptly to the west through a narrow +bottom between the mountains. The road was still plain, and, as it +led them directly on toward the mountain, the stream gradually became +smaller, till, after going two miles, it had so greatly diminished in +width that one of the men, in a fit of enthusiasm, with one foot on +each side of the river, thanked God that he had lived to bestride the +Missouri. As they went along their hopes of soon seeing the Columbia +(that is, the Pacific watershed) arose almost to painful anxiety, when +after four miles from the last abrupt turn of the river (which turn +had been to the west), they reached a small gap formed by the high +mountains, which recede on each side, leaving room for the Indian road. +From the foot of one of the lowest of these mountains, which rises with +a gentle ascent of about half a mile, issues the remotest water of the +Missouri. + +“They had now reached the hidden sources of that river, which had never +yet been seen by civilized man. As they quenched their thirst at the +chaste and icy fountain--as they sat down by the brink of that little +rivulet, which yielded its distant and modest tribute to the parent +ocean--they felt themselves rewarded for all their labors and all their +difficulties. + +“They left reluctantly this interesting spot, and, pursuing the Indian +road through the interval of the hills, arrived at the top of a ridge, +from which they saw high mountains, partially covered with snow, still +to the west of them. + +“The ridge on which they stood formed the dividing line between the +waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They followed a descent +much steeper than that on the eastern side, and at the distance of +three-quarters of a mile reached a handsome, bold creek of cold, clear +water running to the westward. They stopped to taste, for the first +time, the waters of the Columbia; and, after a few minutes, followed the +road across steep hills and low hollows, when they came to a spring on +the side of a mountain. Here they found a sufficient quantity of dry +willow-brush for fuel, and therefore halted for the night; and, having +killed nothing in the course of the day, supped on their last piece of +pork, and trusted to fortune for some other food to mix with a little +flour and parched meal, which was all that now remained of their +provisions.” + + + + +Chapter XIII -- From the Minnetarees to the Shoshonees + +Travelling in a westerly direction, with a very gradual descent, Captain +Lewis, on the thirteenth of August, came upon two Indian women, a man, +and some dogs. The Indians sat down when the strangers first came in +sight, as if to wait for their coming; but, soon taking alarm, they +all fled, much to the chagrin of the white men. Now striking into a +well-worn Indian road, they found themselves surely near a village. The +journal says:-- + +“They had not gone along the road more than a mile, when on a sudden +they saw three female Indians, from whom they had been concealed by +the deep ravines which intersected the road, till they were now within +thirty paces of each other. One of them, a young woman, immediately took +to flight; the other two, an elderly woman and a little girl, seeing +they were too near for them to escape, sat on the ground, and holding +down their heads seemed as if reconciled to the death which they +supposed awaited them. The same habit of holding down the head and +inviting the enemy to strike, when all chance of escape is gone, is +preserved in Egypt to this day. + +“Captain Lewis instantly put down his rifle, and advancing toward them, +took the woman by the hand, raised her up, and repeated the words ‘tabba +bone!’ at the same time stripping up his shirt-sleeve to prove that he +was a white man--for his hands and face had become by constant exposure +quite as dark as their own. She appeared immediately relieved from her +alarm; and Drewyer and Shields now coming up, Captain Lewis gave them +some beads, a few awls, pewter mirrors, and a little paint, and told +Drewyer to request the woman to recall her companion, who had escaped to +some distance and, by alarming the Indians, might cause them to attack +him without any time for explanation. She did as she was desired, and +the young woman returned almost out of breath. Captain Lewis gave her an +equal portion of trinkets, and painted the tawny checks of all three +of them with vermilion,--a ceremony which among the Shoshonees is +emblematic of peace. + +“After they had become composed, he informed them by signs of his wishes +to go to their camp, in order to see their chiefs and warriors; they +readily obeyed, and conducted the party along the same road down the +river. In this way they marched two miles, when they met a troop of +nearly sixty warriors, mounted on excellent horses, riding at full speed +toward them. As they advanced Captain Lewis put down his gun, and went +with the flag about fifty paces in advance. The chief, who with two +men was riding in front of the main body, spoke to the women, who +now explained that the party was composed of white men, and showed +exultingly the presents they had received. The three men immediately +leaped from their horses, came up to Captain Lewis, and embraced him +with great cordiality, putting their left arm over his right shoulder, +and clasping his back, applying at the same time their left cheek to +his, and frequently vociferating ah hi e! ah hi e! ‘I am much pleased, I +am much rejoiced.’ The whole body of warriors now came forward, and our +men received the caresses, and no small share of the grease and paint, +of their new friends. After this fraternal embrace, of which the motive +was much more agreeable than the manner, Captain Lewis lighted a pipe, +and offered it to the Indians, who had now seated themselves in a +circle around the party. But, before they would receive this mark of +friendship, they pulled off their moccasins: a custom, as we afterward +learned, which indicates the sacred sincerity of their professions +when they smoke with a stranger, and which imprecates on themselves +the misery of going barefoot forever if they prove faithless to their +words--a penalty by no means light for those who rove over the thorny +plains of this country. . . . + +“After smoking a few pipes, some trifling presents were distributed +among them, with which they seemed very much pleased, particularly with +the blue beads and the vermilion. Captain Lewis then stated to the chief +that the object of his visit was friendly, and should be explained as +soon as he reached their camp; and that, as the sun was oppressive, and +no water near, he wished to go there as soon as possible. They now put +on their moccasins, and their chief, whose name was Cameahwait, made +a short speech to the warriors. Captain Lewis then gave him the flag, +which he informed him was among white men the emblem of peace; and, now +that he had received it, was to be in future the bond of union between +them. The chief then moved on; our party followed him; and the rest of +the warriors, in a squadron, brought up the rear.” + +Arriving at the village, the ceremony of smoking the pipe of peace +was solemnly observed; and the women and children of the tribe were +permitted to gaze with wonder on the first white men they had ever seen. +The Indians were not much better provided with food than were their +half-famished visitors. But some cakes made of service-berries and +choke-berries dried in the sun were presented to the white men “on +which,” says Captain Lewis, “we made a hearty meal.” Later in the day, +however, an Indian invited Captain Lewis into his wigwam and treated +him to a small morsel of boiled antelope and a piece of fresh salmon +roasted. This was the first salmon he had seen, and the captain was now +assured that he was on the headwaters of the Columbia. This stream was +what is now known as the Lemhi River. The water was clear and limpid, +flowing down a bed of gravel; its general direction was a little north +of west. The journal says:-- + +“The chief informed him that this stream discharged, at the distance +of half a day’s march, into another (Salmon River) of twice its size, +coming from the southwest; but added, on further inquiry, that there +was scarcely more timber below the junction of those rivers than in +this neighborhood, and that the river was rocky, rapid, and so closely +confined between high mountains that it was impossible to pass down it +either by land or water to the great lake (Pacific Ocean), where, as he +had understood, the white men lived. + +“This information was far from being satisfactory, for there was no +timber here that would answer the purpose of building canoes,--indeed +not more than just sufficient for fuel; and even that consisted of +the narrow-leaved cottonwood, the red and the narrow-leaved willow, +chokecherry, service-berry, and a few currant bushes, such as are common +on the Missouri. The prospect of going on by land is more pleasant, for +there are great numbers of horses feeding in every direction round the +camp, which will enable us to transport our stores, if necessary, over +the mountains.” + +While Captain Lewis was thus engaged, his companions in the canoes were +slowly and laboriously ascending the river on the other side of the +divide. The character of the stream was much as it had been for several +days, and the men were in the water three-fourths of the time, dragging +the boats over the shoals. They had but little success in killing game, +but caught, as they had done for some days before, numbers of fine +trout. + +“August 14. In order to give time for the boats to reach the forks of +Jefferson River,” proceeds the narrative, “Captain Lewis determined to +remain where he was, and obtain all the information he could collect +in regard to the country. Having nothing to eat but a little flour and +parched meal, with the berries of the Indians, he sent out Drewyer and +Shields, who borrowed horses from the natives, to hunt for a few hours. +About the same time the young warriors set out for the same purpose. +There are but few elk or black tailed deer in this neighborhood; and as +the common red deer secrete themselves in the bushes when alarmed, they +are soon safe from the arrows, which are but feeble weapons against any +animals which the huntsmen cannot previously run down with their horses. +The chief game of the Shoshonees, therefore, is the antelope, which, +when pursued, retreats to the open plains, where the horses have full +room for the chase. But such is its extraordinary fleetness and wind, +that a single horse has no possible chance of outrunning it or tiring it +down, and the hunters are therefore obliged to resort to stratagem. + +“About twenty Indians, mounted on fine horses, and armed with bows +and arrows, left the camp. In a short time they descried a herd of ten +antelope: they immediately separated into little squads of two or three, +and formed a scattered circle round the herd for five or six miles, +keeping at a wary distance, so as not to alarm them till they were +perfectly enclosed, and selecting, as far as possible, some commanding +eminence as a stand. Having gained their positions, a small party rode +towards the animals, and with wonderful dexterity the huntsmen preserved +their seats, and the horses their footing, as they ran at full speed +over the hills, down the steep ravines, and along the borders of the +precipices. They were soon outstripped by the antelopes, which, on +gaining the other extremity of the circle, were driven back and pursued +by the fresh hunters. They turned and flew, rather than ran, in another +direction; but there, too, they found new enemies. In this way they +were alternately pursued backward and forward, till at length, +notwithstanding the skill of the hunters, they all escaped and the +party, after running for two hours, returned without having caught +anything, and their horses foaming with sweat. This chase, the greater +part of which was seen from the camp, formed a beautiful scene; but to +the hunters it is exceedingly laborious, and so unproductive, even when +they are able to worry the animal down and shoot him, that forty or +fifty hunters will sometimes be engaged for half a day without obtaining +more than two or three antelope. + +“Soon after they returned, our two huntsmen came in with no better +success. Captain Lewis therefore made a little paste with the flour, and +the addition of some berries formed a very palatable repast. Having now +secured the good will of Cameahwait, Captain Lewis informed him of his +wish that he would speak to the warriors, and endeavor to engage them +to accompany him to the forks of Jefferson River; where by this time +another chief (Clark), with a large party of white men, was awaiting his +(Lewis’) return; that it would be necessary to take about thirty horses +to transport the merchandise; that they should be well rewarded for +their trouble; and that, when all the party should have reached the +Shoshonee camp, they would remain some time among them to trade for +horses, as well as concert plans for furnishing them in future with +regular supplies of merchandise. He readily consented to do so, and +after collecting the tribe together, he made a long harangue. In about +an hour and a half he returned, and told Captain Lewis that they would +be ready to accompany him in the morning.” + +But the Indians were suspicious and reluctant to take the word of the +white man. Captain Lewis, almost at his wits’ end, appealed to their +courage. He said that if they were afraid of being led into a trap, he +was sure that some among them were not afraid. + +“To doubt the courage of an Indian is to touch the tenderest string of +his mind, and the surest way to rouse him to any dangerous achievement. +Cameahwait instantly replied that he was not afraid to die, and mounting +his horse, for the third time harangued the warriors. He told them that +he was resolved to go if he went alone, or if he were sure of perishing; +that he hoped there were among those who heard him some who were not +afraid to die, and who would prove it by mounting their horses and +following him. This harangue produced an effect on six or eight only +of the warriors, who now joined their chief. With these Captain Lewis +smoked a pipe; and then, fearful of some change in their capricious +temper, set out immediately.” + +The party now retraced the steps so lately taken by Captain Lewis and +his men. On the second day out, one of the spies sent forward by the +Indians came madly galloping back, much to the alarm of the white men. +It proved, however, that the spy had returned to tell his comrades that +one of the white hunters (Drewyer) had killed a deer. An Indian riding +behind Captain Lewis, fearful that he should not get his share of +the spoil, jumped off the horse and ran for a mile at full speed. The +journal says:-- + +“Captain Lewis slackened his pace, and followed at a sufficient distance +to observe them. When they reached the place where Drewyer had thrown +out the intestines, they all dismounted in confusion and ran tumbling +over each other like famished dogs. Each tore away whatever part he +could, and instantly began to eat it. Some had the liver, some the +kidneys--in short, no part on which we are accustomed to look with +disgust escaped them. One of them, who had seized about nine feet of the +entrails, was chewing at one end, while with his hand he was diligently +clearing his way by discharging the contents at the other. It was indeed +impossible to see these wretches ravenously feeding on the filth of +animals, the blood streaming from their mouths, without deploring how +nearly the condition of savages approaches that of the brute creation. +Yet, though suffering with hunger, they did not attempt, as they might +have done, to take by force the whole deer, but contented themselves +with what had been thrown away by the hunter. Captain Lewis now had the +deer skinned, and after reserving a quarter of it gave the rest of the +animal to the chief, to be divided among the Indians, who immediately +devoured nearly the whole of it without cooking. They now went toward +the (Prairie) creek, where there was some brushwood to make a fire, and +found Drewyer, who had killed a second deer. The same struggle for the +entrails was renewed here, and on giving nearly the whole deer to the +Indians, they devoured it even to the soft part of the hoofs. A fire +being made, Captain Lewis had his breakfast, during which Drewyer +brought in a third deer. This too, after reserving one-quarter, was +given to the Indians, who now seemed completely satisfied and in good +humor.” + +They now approached the forks of the Jefferson, where they had expected +to meet Clark and his party with the canoes. Not seeing any signs of +them, the Lewis party were placed in a critical position. The Indians +were again alarmed and suspicious. Here Captain Clark’s journal says:-- + +“As they went on towards the point, Captain Lewis, perceiving how +critical his situation had become, resolved to attempt a stratagem, +which his present difficulty seemed completely to justify. Recollecting +the notes he had left at the point for us, he sent Drewyer for them with +an Indian, who witnessed his taking them from the pole. When they were +brought, Captain Lewis told Cameahwait that, on leaving his brother +chief at the place where the river issues from the mountains, it was +agreed that the boats should not be brought higher than the next forks +we should meet; but that, if the rapid water prevented the boats from +coming on as fast as they expected, his brother chief was to send a note +to the first forks above him, to let him know where they were: that this +note had been left this morning at the forks, and mentioned that +the canoes were just below the mountains, and coming up slowly in +consequence of the current. Captain Lewis added that he would stay at +the forks for his brother chief, but would send a man down the river; +and that if Cameahwait doubted what he said, one of their young men +could go with him, while he and the other two remained at the forks. +This story satisfied the chief and the greater part of the Indians; but +a few did not conceal their suspicions, observing that we told different +stories, and complaining that their chief exposed them to danger by +a mistaken confidence. Captain Lewis now wrote, by the light of some +willow-brush, a note to Captain Clark, which he gave to Drewyer, with +an order to use all possible expedition in descending the river, and +engaged an Indian to accompany him by the promise of a knife and some +beads. + +“At bedtime the chief and five others slept round the fire of +Captain Lewis, and the rest hid themselves in different parts of the +willow-brush to avoid the enemy, who, they feared, would attack them in +the night. Captain Lewis endeavored to assume a cheerfulness he did not +feel, to prevent the despondency of the savages. After conversing gayly +with them he retired to his mosquito-bier, by the side of which the +chief now placed himself. He lay down, yet slept but little, being +in fact scarcely less uneasy than his Indian companions. He was +apprehensive that, finding the ascent of the river impracticable, +Captain Clark might have stopped below Rattlesnake bluff, and the +messenger would not meet him. The consequence of disappointing the +Indians at this moment would most probably be that they would retire +and secrete themselves in the mountains, so as to prevent our having +an opportunity of recovering their confidence. They would also spread +a panic through all the neighboring Indians, and cut us off from the +supply of horses so useful and almost so essential to our success. +He was at the same time consoled by remembering that his hopes of +assistance rested on better foundations than their generosity--their +avarice and their curiosity. He had promised liberal exchanges for their +horses; but what was still more seductive, he had told them that one of +their countrywomen, who had been taken with the Minnetarees, accompanied +the party below; and one of the men had spread the report of our having +with us a man (York) perfectly black, whose hair was short and curled. +This last account had excited a great degree of curiosity, and they +seemed more desirous of seeing this monster than of obtaining the most +favorable barter for their horses.” + +On the following day, August 17, the two parties of explorers finally +met. Under that date the journal has this interesting entry:-- + +“Captain Lewis rose very early and despatched Drewyer and the Indian +down the river in quest of the boats. Shields was sent out at the same +time to hunt, while M’Neal prepared a breakfast out of the remainder of +the meat. Drewyer had been gone about two hours, and the Indians were +all anxiously waiting for some news, when an Indian, who had straggled +a short distance down the river, returned with a report that he had seen +the white men, who were only a short distance below, and were coming on. +The Indians were transported with joy, and the chief, in the warmth of +his satisfaction, renewed his embrace to Captain Lewis, who was quite +as much delighted as the Indians themselves. The report proved most +agreeably true. + +“On setting out at seven o’clock, Captain Clark, with Chaboneau and his +wife, walked on shore; but they had not gone more than a mile before +Captain Clark saw Sacajawea, who was with her husband one hundred yards +ahead, begin to dance and show every mark of the most extravagant joy, +turning round to him and pointing to several Indians, whom he now +saw advancing on horseback, sucking her fingers at the same time, to +indicate that they were of her native tribe. As they advanced, Captain +Clark discovered among them Drewyer dressed like an Indian, from whom he +learned the situation of the party. While the boats were performing the +circuit, he went toward the forks with the Indians, who, as they went +along, sang aloud with the greatest appearance of delight. + +“We soon drew near the camp, and just as we approached it a woman made +her way through the crowd toward Sacajawea; recognizing each other, they +embraced with the most tender affection. The meeting of these two young +women had in it something peculiarly touching, not only from the ardent +manner in which their feelings were expressed, but also from the real +interest of their situation. They had been companions in childhood; in +the war with the Minnetarees they had both been taken prisoners in the +same battle; they had shared and softened the rigors of their captivity +till one of them had escaped from their enemies with scarce a hope of +ever seeing her friend rescued from their hands. + +“While Sacajawea was renewing among the women the friendships of former +days, Captain Clark went on, and was received by Captain Lewis and +the chief, who, after the first embraces and salutations were over, +conducted him to a sort of circular tent or shade of willows. Here he +was seated on a white robe; and the chief immediately tied in his hair +six small shells resembling pearls, an ornament highly valued by these +people, who procure them in the course of trade from the seacoast. +The moccasins of the whole party were then taken off, and, after much +ceremony, the smoking began. After this the conference was to be opened; +and, glad of an opportunity of being able to converse more intelligibly, +Sacajawea was sent for: she came into the tent, sat down, and was +beginning to interpret, when in the person of Cameahwait she recognized +her brother. She instantly jumped up, and ran and embraced him, throwing +over him her blanket, and weeping profusely: the chief was himself +moved, though not in the same degree. After some conversation between +them she resumed her seat, and attempted to interpret for us; but +her new situation seemed to overpower her, and she was frequently +interrupted by her tears. After the council was finished, the +unfortunate woman learned that all her family were dead except two +brothers, one of whom was absent, and a son of her eldest sister, a +small boy, who was immediately adopted by her.” + +The two parties, Indian and white, now went into a conference, the white +chiefs explaining that it would be needful for their Indian friends +to collect all their horses and help to transport the goods of the +explorers over the Great Divide. The journal says:-- + +“The speech made a favorable impression. The chief, in reply, thanked +us for our expressions of friendship toward himself and his nation, and +declared their willingness to render us every service. He lamented that +it would be so long before they should be supplied with firearms, +but that till then they could subsist as they had heretofore done. He +concluded by saying that there were not horses enough here to transport +our goods, but that he would return to the village to-morrow, bring all +his own horses, and encourage his people to come over with theirs. +The conference being ended to our satisfaction, we now inquired of +Cameahwait what chiefs were among the party, and he pointed out two of +them. We then distributed our presents: to Cameahwait we gave a medal of +small size, with the likeness of President Jefferson, and on the reverse +a figure of hands clasped with a pipe and tomahawk; to this was added an +uniform coat, a shirt, a pair of scarlet leggings, a carrot (or twist) +of tobacco, and some small articles. Each of the other chiefs received a +small medal struck during the presidency of General Washington, a shirt, +handkerchief, leggings, knife, and some tobacco. Medals of the same sort +were also presented to two young warriors, who, though not chiefs, were +promising youths and very much respected in the tribe. These honorary +gifts were followed by presents of paint, moccasins, awls, knives, +beads, and looking-glasses. We also gave them all a plentiful meal of +Indian corn, of which the hull is taken off by being boiled in lye; as +this was the first they had ever tasted, they were very much pleased +with it. They had, indeed, abundant sources of surprise in all they +saw--the appearance of the men, their arms, their clothing, the canoes, +the strange looks of the negro, and the sagacity of our dog, all in turn +shared their admiration, which was raised to astonishment by a shot from +the air-gun. This operation was instantly considered ‘great medicine,’ +by which they, as well as the other Indians, mean something emanating +directly from the Great Spirit, or produced by his invisible and +incomprehensible agency. . . . + +“After the council was over we consulted as to our future operations. +The game did not promise to last here for many days; and this +circumstance combined with many others to induce our going on as soon as +possible. Our Indian information as to the state of the Columbia was of +a very alarming kind; and our first object was, of course, to ascertain +the practicability of descending it, of which the Indians discouraged +our expectations. It was therefore agreed that Captain Clark should set +off in the morning with eleven men, furnished, besides their arms, with +tools for making canoes: that he should take Chaboneau and his wife +to the camp of the Shoshonees, where he was to leave them, in order to +hasten the collection of horses; that he should then lead his men +down to the Columbia, and if he found it navigable, and the timber in +sufficient quantity, begin to build canoes. As soon as he had decided +as to the propriety of proceeding down the Columbia or across the +mountains, he was to send back one of the men with information of it to +Captain Lewis, who by that time would have brought up the whole +party, and the rest of the baggage, as far as the Shoshonee village. +Preparations were accordingly made at once to carry out the +arrangement. . . .” + +“In order to relieve the men of Captain Clark’s party from the heavy +weight of their arms, provisions, and tools, we exposed a few articles +to barter for horses, and soon obtained three very good ones, in +exchange for which we gave a uniform coat, a pair of leggings, a few +handkerchiefs, three knives, and some other small articles, the whole +of which did not, in the United States, cost more than twenty dollars; +a fourth was purchased by the men for an old checkered shirt, a pair +of old leggings, and a knife. The Indians seemed to be quite as well +pleased as ourselves at the bargain they had made. We now found that the +two inferior chiefs were somewhat displeased at not having received a +present equal to that given to the great chief, who appeared in a dress +so much finer than their own. To allay their discontent, we bestowed on +them two old coats, and promised them if they were active in assisting +us across the mountains they should have an additional present. This +treatment completely reconciled them, and the whole Indian party, except +two men and two women, set out in perfect good humor to return to their +home with Captain Clark.” + + + + +Chapter XIV -- Across the Great Divide + +Captain Clark had now left the water-shed of the Missouri behind him, +and was pressing on, over a broken, hilly country, to the lands from +which issue the tributaries of the Columbia. The Indian village which +Captain Lewis had previously visited had been removed two miles up the +stream on which it was situated, and was reached by Clark on August 20. +The party was very ceremoniously received by Chief Cameahwait, and +all hands began to explain to the white men the difficulties of the +situation. How to transport the canoes and baggage over the mountains +to some navigable stream leading into the Columbia was now the serious +problem. The Indian chief and his old men dwelt on the obstacles in the +way and argued that it was too late in the season to make the attempt. +They even urged the white men to stay with them until another spring, +when Indian guides would be furnished them to proceed on their journey +westward. + +On the twenty-first, Clark passed the junction of two streams, the +Salmon and the Lemhi, which is now the site of Salmon City, Idaho. As +Captain Lewis was the first white man who had seen these waters, +Clark gave to the combined water-course the name of Lewis’ River. The +mountains here assumed a formidable aspect, and the stream was too +narrow, rapid, and rock-bound to admit of navigation. The journal says +of Captain Clark:-- + +“He soon began to perceive that the Indian accounts had not been +exaggerated. At the distance of a mile he passed a small creek (on the +right), and the points of four mountains, which were rocky, and so high +that it seemed almost impossible to cross them with horses. The road lay +over the sharp fragments of rocks which had fallen from the mountains, +and were strewed in heaps for miles together; yet the horses, altogether +unshod, travelled across them as fast as the men, without detaining them +a moment. They passed two bold running streams, and reached the entrance +of a small river, where a few Indian families resided, who had not been +previously acquainted with the arrival of the whites; the guide was +behind, and the woods were so thick that we came upon them unobserved, +till at a very short distance. As soon as they saw us the women and +children fled in great consternation; the men offered us everything they +had--the fish on the scaffolds, the dried berries, and the collars of +elks’ tushes worn by the children. We took only a small quantity of the +food, and gave them in return some small articles which conduced very +much to pacify them. The guide now coming up, explained to them who we +were and the object of our visit, which seemed to relieve their fears; +still a number of the women and children did not recover from their +fright, but cried during our stay, which lasted about an hour. The +guide, whom we found a very intelligent, friendly old man, informed us +that up this river there was a road which led over the mountains to the +Missouri.” + +To add to their difficulties, game had almost entirely disappeared, and +the abundant fish in the river could not be caught for lack of proper +fishing-tackle. Timber from which canoes could be made, there was none, +and the rapids in the rivers were sharp and violent. With his Indian +guide and three men, Captain Clark now pressed on his route of survey, +leaving the remainder of his men behind to hunt and fish. He went down +the Salmon River about fifty-two miles, making his way as best he could +along its banks. Finding the way absolutely blocked for their purposes, +Captain Clark returned on the twenty-fifth of August and rejoined the +party that he had left behind. These had not been able to kill anything, +and for a time starvation stared them in the face. Under date of August +27, the journal says:-- + +“The men, who were engaged last night in mending their moccasins, all +except one, went out hunting, but no game was to be procured. One of the +men, however, killed a small salmon, and the Indians made a present of +another, on which the whole party made a very slight breakfast. These +Indians, to whom this life is familiar, seem contented, although they +depend for subsistence on the scanty productions of the fishery. But +our men, who are used to hardships, but have been accustomed to have +the first wants of nature regularly supplied, feel very sensibly their +wretched situation; their strength is wasting away; they begin to +express their apprehensions of being without food in a country perfectly +destitute of any means of supporting life, except a few fish. In the +course of the day an Indian brought into the camp five salmon, two of +which Captain Clark bought and made a supper for the party.” + +Two days later, Captain Clark and his men joined the main party, having +met the only repulse that was suffered by the expedition from first to +last. Eluding the vigilance of the Indians, caches, or hiding-places, +for the baggage were constructed, filled, and concealed, the work being +done after dark. The weather was now very cold, although August had +not passed. Ink froze in the pen during the night, and the meadows were +white with frost; but the days were warm, even hot. + +In the absence of Captain Clark, his colleague and party had been +visited by Cameahwait and about fifty of his band, with their women and +children. Captain Lewis’ journal says:-- + +“After they had camped near us and turned loose their horses, we called +a council of all the chiefs and warriors, and addressed them in a +speech. Additional presents were then distributed, particularly to +the two second chiefs, who had, agreeably to their promises, exerted +themselves in our favor. The council was then adjourned, and all the +Indians were treated with an abundant meal of boiled Indian corn and +beans. The poor wretches, who had no animal food and scarcely anything +but a few fish, had been almost starved, and received this new luxury +with great thankfulness. Out of compliment to the chief, we gave him +a few dried squashes, which we had brought from the Mandans, and he +declared it was the best food he had ever tasted except sugar, a small +lump of which he had received from his sister Sacajawea. He now declared +how happy they should all be to live in a country which produced so many +good things; and we told him that it would not be long before the white +men would put it in their power to live below the mountains, where they +might themselves cultivate all these kinds of food, instead of wandering +in the mountains. He appeared to be much pleased with this information, +and the whole party being now in excellent temper after their repast, we +began our purchase of horses. We soon obtained five very good ones, on +very reasonable terms--that is, by giving for each horse merchandise +which cost us originally about $6. We have again to admire the perfect +decency and propriety of the Indians; for though so numerous, they do +not attempt to crowd round our camp or take anything which they see +lying about, and whenever they borrow knives or kettles or any other +article from the men, they return them with great fidelity.” + +Captain Lewis anxiously wished to push on to meet Clark, who, as we +have seen, was then far down on the Salmon River. Lewis was still at +the forks of Jefferson River, it should be borne in mind; and their +objective point was the upper Shoshonee village on the Lemhi River, +across the divide. While on the way over the divide, Lewis was greatly +troubled by the freaks of the Indians, who, regardless of their +promises, would propose to return to the buffalo country on the eastern +side of the mountains. Learning that Cameahwait and his chiefs had sent +a messenger over to the Lemhi to notify the village to come and join an +expedition of this sort, Captain Lewis was dismayed. His journal says:-- + +“Alarmed at this new caprice of the Indians, which, if not counteracted, +threatened to leave ourselves and our baggage on the mountains, or +even if we reached the waters of the Columbia, to prevent our obtaining +horses to go on further, Captain Lewis immediately called the three +chiefs together. After smoking a pipe he asked them if they were men +of their word, and if we could rely on their promises. They readily +answered in the affirmative. He then asked if they had not agreed to +assist us in carrying our baggage over the mountains. To this they also +answered yes. ‘Why, then,’ said he, ‘have you requested your people +to meet us to-morrow where it will be impossible for us to trade for +horses, as you promised we should? If,’ he continued, ‘you had not +promised to help us in transporting our goods over the mountains, we +should not have attempted it, but have returned down the river; after +which no white men would ever have come into your country. If you wish +the whites to be your friends, to bring you arms, and to protect you +from your enemies, you should never promise what you do not mean +to perform. When I first met you, you doubted what I said, yet you +afterward saw that I told you the truth. How, therefore, can you doubt +what I now tell you? You see that I divide amongst you the meat which +my hunters kill, and I promise to give all who assist us a share of +whatever we have to eat. If, therefore, you intend to keep your promise, +send one of the young men immediately, to order the people to remain at +the village till we arrive.’ The two inferior chiefs then said that they +had wished to keep their word and to assist us; that they had not sent +for the people, but on the contrary had disapproved of that measure, +which was done wholly by the first chief. Cameahwait remained silent +for some time; at last he said that he knew he had done wrong, but that, +seeing his people all in want of provisions, he had wished to hasten +their departure for the country where their wants might be supplied. +He, however, now declared that, having passed his word, he would never +violate it, and counter-orders were immediately sent to the village by +a young man, to whom we gave a handkerchief in order to ensure despatch +and fidelity. . . . + +“This difficulty being now adjusted, our march was resumed with an +unusual degree of alacrity on the part of the Indians. We passed a spot +where, six years ago, the Shoshonees had suffered a very severe defeat +from the Minnetarees; and late in the evening we reached the upper part +of the cove, where the creek enters the mountains. The part of the cove +on the northeast side of the creek has lately been burned, most probably +as a signal on some occasion. Here we were joined by our hunters with a +single deer, which Captain Lewis gave, as a proof of his sincerity, +to the women and children, and remained supperless himself. As we came +along we observed several large hares, some ducks, and many of the cock +of the plains: in the low grounds of the cove were also considerable +quantities of wild onions.” + +Arriving at the Shoshonee village on the Lemhi, Captain Lewis found a +note from Captain Clark, sent back by a runner, informing him of +the difficulty and impossibility of a water route to the Columbia. +Cameahwait, being told that his white friends would now need twenty more +horses, said that he would do what he could to help them. The journal +here adds:-- + +“In order not to lose the present favorable moment, and to keep the +Indians as cheerful as possible, the violins were brought out and our +men danced, to the great diversion of the Indians. This mirth was the +more welcome because our situation was not precisely that which would +most dispose us to gayety; for we have only a little parched corn to +eat, and our means of subsistence or of success depend on the wavering +temper of the natives, who may change their minds to-morrow. . . . + +“The Shoshonees are a small tribe of the nation called the Snake +Indians, a vague appellation, which embraces at once the inhabitants of +the southern parts of the Rocky Mountains and of the plains on either +side. The Shoshonees with whom we now were amount to about one hundred +warriors, and three times that number of women and children. Within +their own recollection they formerly lived in the plains, but they have +been driven into the mountains by the Pahkees, or the roving Indians +of the Sascatchawan, and are now obliged to visit occasionally, and +by stealth, the country of their ancestors. Their lives, indeed, are +migratory. From the middle of May to the beginning of September they +reside on the headwaters of the Columbia, where they consider themselves +perfectly secure from the Pahkees, who have never yet found their way to +that retreat. During this time they subsist chiefly on salmon, and, as +that fish disappears on the approach of autumn, they are driven to seek +subsistence elsewhere. They then cross the ridge to the waters of the +Missouri, down which they proceed slowly and cautiously, till they are +joined near the Three Forks by other bands, either of their own nation +or of the Flatheads, with whom they associate against the common enemy. +Being now strong in numbers, they venture to hunt the buffalo in the +plains eastward of the mountains, near which they spend the winter, till +the return of the salmon invites them to the Columbia. But such is their +terror of the Pahkees, that, so long as they can obtain the scantiest +subsistence, they do not leave the interior of the mountains; and, as +soon as they have collected a large stock of dried meat, they again +retreat, thus alternately obtaining their food at the hazard of their +lives, and hiding themselves to consume it. + +“In this loose and wandering life they suffer the extremes of want; for +two thirds of the year they are forced to live in the mountains, passing +whole weeks without meat, and with nothing to eat but a few fish and +roots. Nor can anything be imagined more wretched than their condition +at the present time, when the salmon is fast retiring, when roots are +becoming scarce, and they have not yet acquired strength to hazard an +encounter with their enemies. So insensible are they, however, to these +calamities, that the Shoshonees are not only cheerful, but even gay; and +their character, which is more interesting than that of any Indians +we have seen, has in it much of the dignity of misfortune. In their +intercourse with strangers they are frank and communicative; in their +dealings they are perfectly fair; nor have we, during our stay with +them, had any reason to suspect that the display of all our new and +valuable wealth has tempted them into a single act of dishonesty. While +they have generally shared with us the little they possess, they have +always abstained from begging anything from us. With their liveliness +of temper, they are fond of gaudy dresses and all sorts of amusements, +particularly games of hazard; and, like most Indians, delight in +boasting of their warlike exploits, either real or fictitious. In their +conduct towards us they have been kind and obliging; and though on one +occasion they seemed willing to neglect us, yet we scarcely knew how to +blame the treatment by which we were to suffer, when we recollected how +few civilized chiefs would have hazarded the comforts or the subsistence +of their people for the sake of a few strangers. . . . . . . . . . + +“As war is the chief occupation, bravery is the first virtue among +the Shoshonees. None can hope to be distinguished without having given +proofs of it, nor can there be any preferment or influence among the +nation, without some warlike achievement. Those important events which +give reputation to a warrior, and entitle him to a new name, are: +killing a white (or grizzly) bear, stealing individually the horses +of the enemy, leading a party who happen to be successful either in +plundering horses or destroying the enemy, and lastly, scalping a +warrior. These acts seem of nearly equal dignity, but the last, that +of taking an enemy’s scalp, is an honor quite independent of the act of +vanquishing him. To kill your adversary is of no importance unless the +scalp is brought from the field of battle; were a warrior to slay any +number of his enemies in action, and others were to obtain the scalps +or first touch the dead, they would have all the honors, since they have +borne off the trophy. . . .” + +“The names of these Indians vary in the course of their life. Originally +given in childhood, from the mere necessity of distinguishing objects, +or from some accidental resemblance to external objects, the young +warrior is impatient to change it by some achievement of his own. Any +important event--the stealing of horses, the scalping of an enemy, or +the killing of a brown bear--entitles him at once to a new name, +which he then selects for himself, and it is confirmed by the nation. +Sometimes the two names subsist together; thus, the chief Cameahwait, +which means ‘One Who Never Walks,’ has the war-name of Tooettecone, or +‘Black Gun,’ which he acquired when he first signalized himself. As each +new action gives a warrior a right to change his name, many of them have +several in the course of their lives. To give to a friend one’s own name +is an act of high courtesy, and a pledge, like that of pulling off the +moccasin, of sincerity and hospitality. The chief in this way gave his +name to Captain Clark when he first arrived, and he was afterward known +among the Shoshonees by the name of Cameahwait.” + +On the thirtieth of August, the whole expedition being now reunited, and +a sufficient number of horses having been purchased of the Shoshonees, +the final start across the mountains was begun. The journal says: + +“The greater part of the band, who had delayed their journey on our +account, were also ready to depart. We took leave of the Shoshonees, +who set out on their visit to the Missouri at the same time that we, +accompanied by the old guide, his four sons, and another Indian, began +the descent of the Lemhi River, along the same road which Captain Clark +had previously pursued. After riding twelve miles we camped on the south +bank of this river, and as the hunters had brought in three deer early +in the morning, we did not feel the want of provisions.” + +Three days later, all the Indians, except the old guide, left them. +They now passed up Fish Creek, and finding no track leading over the +mountains they cut their way. Their journal says:-- + +“This we effected with much difficulty; the thickets of trees and brush +through which we were obliged to cut our way required great labor; the +road itself was over the steep and rocky sides of the hills, where the +horses could not move without danger of slipping down, while their +feet were bruised by the rocks and stumps of trees. Accustomed as these +animals were to this kind of life, they suffered severely; several of +them fell to some distance down the sides of the hills, some turned over +with the baggage, one was crippled, and two gave out, exhausted with +fatigue. After crossing the creek several times we at last made five +miles, with great fatigue and labor, and camped on the left side of the +creek in a small stony low ground. It was not, however, till after dark +that the whole party was collected; and then, as it rained and we had +killed nothing, we passed an uncomfortable night. The party had been +too busily occupied with the horses to make any hunting excursion; and +though, as we came along Fish Creek, we saw many beaver-dams, we saw +none of the animals themselves.” + +The Indian guide appears here to have lost his way; but, not dismayed, +he pushed on through a trackless wilderness, sometimes travelling on +the snow that now covered the mountains. On the fourth of September, the +party came upon a large encampment of Indians, who received them with +much ceremony. The journal says:-- + +“September 5, we assembled the chiefs and warriors, and informed them +who we were, and the purpose for which we had visited their country. All +this was, however, conveyed to them through so many different languages, +that it was not comprehended without difficulty. We therefore proceeded +to the more intelligible language of presents, and made four chiefs by +giving a medal and a small quantity of tobacco to each. We received in +turn from the principal chief a present consisting of the skins of a +blaireau (badger), an otter, and two antelopes, and were treated by +the women to some dried roots and berries. We then began to traffic for +horses, and succeeded in exchanging seven and purchasing eleven, for +which we gave a few articles of merchandise. + +“This encampment consists of thirty-three tents, in which were about +four hundred souls, among whom eighty were men. They are called +Ootlashoots, and represent themselves as one band of a nation called +Tushepaws, a numerous people of four hundred and fifty tents, residing +on the head-waters of the Missouri and Columbia rivers, and some of +them lower down the latter river. In person these Indians are stout, and +their complexion lighter than that common among Indians. The hair of +the men is worn in queues of otter skin, falling in front over the +shoulders. A shirt of dressed skin covers the body to the knee, and +over this is worn occasionally a robe. To these are added leggings and +moccasins. The women suffer their hair to fall in disorder over the face +and shoulders, and their chief article of covering is a long shirt of +skin, reaching down to the ankles, and tied round the waist. In other +respects, as also in the few ornaments which they possess, their +appearance is similar to that of the Shoshonees: there is, however, a +difference between the languages of these two people, which is still +farther increased by the very extraordinary pronunciation of the +Ootlashoots. Their words have all a remarkably guttural sound, and there +is nothing which seems to represent the tone of their speaking more +exactly than the clucking of a fowl or the noise of a parrot. This +peculiarity renders their voices scarcely audible, except at a short +distance; and, when many of them are talking, forms a strange confusion +of sounds. The common conversation that we overheard consisted of low, +guttural sounds, occasionally broken by a low word or two, after which +it would relapse, and could scarcely be distinguished. They seemed kind +and friendly, and willingly shared with us berries and roots, which +formed their sole stock of provisions. Their only wealth is their +horses, which are very fine, and so numerous that this party had with +them at least five hundred.” + +These Indians were on their way to join the other bands who were hunting +buffalo on the Jefferson River, across the Great Divide. They set out +the next morning, and the explorers resumed their toilsome journey, +travelling generally in a northwesterly direction and looking for a pass +across the Bitter Root Mountains. Very soon, all indications of game +disappeared, and, September 14, they were forced to kill a colt, their +stock of animal food being exhausted. They pressed on, however, through +a savage wilderness, having frequent need to recur to horse-flesh. Here +is an entry under date of September 18, in the journal: “We melted some +snow, and supped on a little portable soup, a few canisters of which, +with about twenty pounds’ weight of bear’s oil, are our only remaining +means of subsistence. Our guns are scarcely of any service, for there is +no living creature in these mountains, except a few small pheasants, +a small species of gray squirrel, and a blue bird of the vulture kind, +about the size of a turtle-dove, or jay. Even these are difficult to +shoot.” + +“A bold running creek,” up which Captain Clark passed on September 19, +was appropriately named by him “Hungry Creek,” as at that place they had +nothing to eat. But, at about six miles’ distance from the head of the +stream, “he fortunately found a horse, on which he breakfasted, and hung +the rest on a tree for the party in the rear.” This was one of the wild +horses, strayed from Indian bands, which they found in the wilderness, +too wild to be caught and used, but not too wild to shoot and eat. +Later, on the same day, this entry is made in the journal: + +“The road along the creek is a narrow rocky path near the borders +of very high precipices, from which a fall seems almost inevitable +destruction. One of our horses slipped and rolled over with his load +down the hillside, which was nearly perpendicular and strewed with large +irregular rocks, nearly one hundred yards, and did not stop till he fell +into the creek. We all expected he was killed, but to our astonishment, +on taking off his load he rose, seemed but little injured, and in twenty +minutes proceeded with his load. Having no other provision, we took some +portable soup, our only refreshment during the day. This abstinence, +joined with fatigue, has a visible effect on our health. The men are +growing weak and losing their flesh very fast; several are afflicted +with dysentery, and eruptions of the skin are very common.” + +Next day, the party descended the last of the Bitter Root range and +reached level country. They were at last over the Great Divide. Three +Indian boys were discovered hiding in the grass, in great alarm. Captain +Clark at once dismounted from his horse, and, making signs of amity, +went after the boys. He calmed their terrors, and, giving them some bits +of ribbon, sent them home. + +“Soon after the boys reached home, a man came out to meet the party, +with great caution; but he conducted them to a large tent in the +village, and all the inhabitants gathered round to view with a mixture +of fear and pleasure these wonderful strangers. The conductor now +informed Captain Clark, by signs, that the spacious tent was the +residence of the great chief, who had set out three days ago with all +the warriors to attack some of their enemies toward the southwest; that +he would not return before fifteen or eighteen days, and that in +the mean time there were only a few men left to guard the women and +children. They now set before them a small piece of buffalo-meat, some +dried salmon, berries, and several kinds of roots. Among these last is +one which is round, much like an onion in appearance, and sweet to the +taste. It is called quamash, and is eaten either in its natural state, +or boiled into a kind of soup, or made into a cake, which is then called +pasheco. After the long abstinence this was a sumptuous treat. They +returned the kindness of the people by a few small presents, and then +went on in company with one of the chiefs to a second village in the +same plain, at the distance of two miles. Here the party were treated +with great kindness, and passed the night. The hunters were sent out, +but, though they saw some tracks of deer, were not able to procure +anything.” + +The root which the Indians used in so many ways is now known as camas; +it is still much sought for by the Nez Perces and other wandering tribes +in the Northwest, and Camas Prairie, in that region, derives its name +from the much-sought-for vegetable. + +Captain Clark and his men stayed with these hospitable Indians several +days. The free use of wholesome food, to which he had not lately been +accustomed, made Clark very ill, and he contented himself with staying +in the Indian villages, of which there were two. These Indians called +themselves Chopunnish, or Pierced Noses; this latter name is now more +commonly rendered _Nez Perces_, the French voyageurs having given it that +translation into their own tongue. But these people, so far as known, +did not pierce their noses. After sending a man back on the trail to +notify Captain Lewis of his progress, Captain Clark went on to the +village of Chief Twisted-hair. Most of the women and children, +though notified of the coming of the white man, were so scared by +the appearance of the strangers that they fled to the woods. The men, +however, received them without fear and gave them a plentiful supply +of food. They were now on one of the upper branches of the Kooskooskee +River, near what is the site of Pierce City, county seat of Shoshonee +County, Idaho. The Indians endeavored, by means of signs, to explain to +their visitors the geography of the country beyond. + +“Among others, Twisted-hair drew a chart of the river on a white +elk-skin. According to this, the Kooskooskee forks (confluence of its +North fork) a few miles from this place; two days toward the south +is another and larger fork (confluence of Snake River), on which the +Shoshonee or Snake Indians fish; five days’ journey further is a large +river from the northwest (that is, the Columbia itself) into which +Clark’s River empties; from the mouth of that river (that is, confluence +of the Snake with the Columbia) to the falls is five days’ journey +further; on all the forks as well as on the main river great numbers of +Indians reside.” + +On the twenty-third of September, Captain Lewis and his party having +come up, the white men assembled the Indians and explained to them +where they came from and what was their errand across the continent. The +Indians appeared to be entirely satisfied, and they sold their visitors +as much provisions as their half-famished horses could carry. The +journal here says:-- + +“All around the village the women are busily employed in gathering and +dressing the pasheco-root, of which large quantities are heaped in piles +over the plain. We now felt severely the consequence of eating heartily +after our late privations. Captain Lewis and two of the men were taken +very ill last evening; to-day he could hardly sit on his horse, while +others were obliged to be put on horseback, and some, from extreme +weakness and pain, were forced to lie down alongside of the road for +some time. At sunset we reached the island where the hunters had been +left on the 22d. They had been unsuccessful, having killed only two deer +since that time, and two of them were very sick. A little below this +island is a larger one on which we camped, and administered Rush’s pills +to the sick.” + +The illness of the party continued for several days, and not much +progress was made down-stream. Having camped, on the twenty-seventh of +September, in the Kooskooskee River, at a place where plenty of good +timber was found, preparations for building five canoes were begun. From +this time to the fifth of October, all the men capable of labor were +employed in preparing the canoes. The health of the party gradually +recruited, though they still suffered severely from want of food; and, +as the hunters had but little success in procuring game, they were +obliged on the second to kill one of their horses. Indians from +different quarters frequently visited them, but all that could be +obtained from them was a little fish and some dried roots. This diet was +not only unnutritious, but in many cases it caused dysentery and nausea. + + + + +Chapter XV -- Down the Pacific Slope + +The early days of October were spent in making preparations for the +descent of the river,--the Kooskooskee. Here they made their canoes, and +they called their stopping-place Canoe Camp. This was at the junction +of the north fork of the river with the main stream; and all below that +point is called the Lower Kooskooskee, while that above is known as the +upper river. The latitude of the camp, according to the journal of the +explorers, was 46'0 34’ 56” north. Here they buried in a cache their +saddles, horse-gear, and a small supply of powder and musket balls for +possible emergencies. The Kooskooskee, it should be borne in mind, is +now better known as the Clearwater; it empties into the Snake River, and +that into the Columbia. As far as the explorers knew the water-course +down which they were to navigate, they called it Clark’s River, in honor +of Captain Clark. But modern geographers have displaced the name of that +eminent explorer and map-maker and have divided the stream, or streams, +with other nomenclature. + +On the eighth of October the party set out on their long water journey +in five canoes, one of which was a small craft intended to go on ahead +and pilot the way (which, of course, was unknown) for the four larger +ones, in which travelled the main party with their luggage. They met +with disaster very soon after their start, one of the canoes having +struck a rock, which made a hole in its side and caused the sinking +of the craft. Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the voyage was +interrupted. The party went ashore and did not resume their journey +until their luggage was dried and the canoe repaired. On the ninth, says +the journal:-- + +“The morning was as usual cool; but as the weather both yesterday and +to-day was cloudy, our merchandise dried but slowly. The boat, though +much injured, was repaired by ten o’clock so as to be perfectly fit for +service; but we were obliged to remain during the day till the articles +were sufficiently dry to be reloaded. The interval we employed in +purchasing fish for the voyage, and conversing with the Indians. In the +afternoon we were surprised at hearing that our old Shoshonee guide and +his son had left us and had been seen running up the river several miles +above. As he had never given any notice of his intention, nor had even +received his pay for guiding us, we could not imagine the cause of his +desertion; nor did he ever return to explain his conduct. We requested +the chief to send a horseman after him to request that he would return +and receive what we owed him. From this, however, he dissuaded us, and +said very frankly that his nation, the Chopunnish, would take from +the old man any presents that he might have on passing their camp. The +Indians came about our camp at night, and were very gay and good-humored +with the men. Among other exhibitions was that of a squaw who appeared +to be crazy. She sang in a wild, incoherent manner, and offered to the +spectators all the little articles she possessed, scarifying herself +in a horrid manner if anyone refused her present. She seemed to be an +object of pity among the Indians, who suffered her to do as she pleased +without interruption.” + +The river was full of rapids and very dangerous rocks and reefs, and +the voyagers were able to make only twenty miles a day for some distance +along the stream. At the confluence of the Kooskooskee and the Snake +River they camped for the night, near the present site of Lewiston, +Idaho. This city, first settled in May, 1861, and incorporated in 1863, +was named for Captain Lewis of our expedition. From this point the party +crossed over into the present State of Washington. Of their experience +at their camp here the journal says:-- + +“Our arrival soon attracted the attention of the Indians, who flocked in +all directions to see us. In the evening the Indian from the falls, whom +we had seen at Rugged rapid, joined us with his son in a small canoe, +and insisted on accompanying us to the falls. Being again reduced to +fish and roots, we made an experiment to vary our food by purchasing +a few dogs, and after having been accustomed to horse-flesh, felt no +disrelish for this new dish. The Chopunnish have great numbers of dogs, +which they employ for domestic purposes, but never eat; and our using +the flesh of that animal soon brought us into ridicule as dog-eaters.” + +When Fremont and his men crossed the continent to California, in 1842, +they ate the flesh of that species of marmot which we know as the +prairie-dog. Long afterwards, when Fremont was a candidate for the +office of President of the United States, this fact was recalled to the +minds of men, and the famous explorer was denounced as “a dog-eater.” + +The journal of the explorers gives this interesting account of the +Indians among whom they now found themselves:-- + +“The Chopunnish or Pierced-nose nation, who reside on the Kooskooskee +and Lewis’ (Snake) rivers, are in person stout, portly, well-looking +men; the women are small, with good features and generally handsome, +though the complexion of both sexes is darker than that of the +Tushepaws. In dress they resemble that nation, being fond of displaying +their ornaments. The buffalo or elk-skin robe decorated with beads; +sea-shells, chiefly mother-of-pearl, attached to an otter-skin collar +and hung in the hair, which falls in front in two cues; feathers, paints +of different kinds, principally white, green, and light blue, all of +which they find in their own country; these are the chief ornaments +they use. In the winter they wear a short skirt of dressed skins, long +painted leggings and moccasins, and a plait of twisted grass round the +neck. The dress of the women is more simple, consisting of a long shirt +of argalia (argali) or ibex (bighorn) skin, reaching down to the ankles, +without a girdle; to this are tied little pieces of brass, shells, and +other small articles; but the head is not at all ornamented. + +“The Chopunnish have very few amusements, for their life is painful +and laborious; all their exertions are necessary to earn even their +precarious subsistence. During the summer and autumn they are busily +occupied in fishing for salmon and collecting their winter store of +roots. In winter they hunt the deer on snow-shoes over the plains, and +toward spring cross the mountains to the Missouri for the purpose of +rafficking for buffalo-robe. The inconveniences of their comfortless +life are increased by frequent encounters with their enemies from the +west, who drive them over the mountains with the loss of their horses, +and sometimes the lives of many of the nation.” + +After making a short stage on their journey, October 11, the party +stopped to trade with the Indians, their stock of provisions being low. +They were able to purchase a quantity of salmon and seven dogs. They +saw here a novel kind of vapor bath which is thus described in the +journal:-- + +“While this traffic was going on we observed a vapor bath or +sweating-house, in a different form from that used on the frontier of +the United States or in the Rocky Mountains. It was a hollow square six +or eight feet deep, formed in the river bank by damming up with mud the +other three sides and covering the whole completely, except an aperture +about two feet wide at the top. The bathers descend by this hole, taking +with them a number of heated stones and jugs of water; after being +seated round the room they throw the water on the stones till the steam +becomes of a temperature sufficiently high for their purposes. The baths +of the Indians in the Rocky Mountains are of different sizes, the +most common being made of mud and sticks like an oven, but the mode of +raising the steam is exactly the same. Among both these nations it is +very uncommon for a man to bathe alone; he is generally accompanied +by one or sometimes several of his acquaintances; indeed, it is so +essentially a social amusement, that to decline going in to bathe when +invited by a friend is one of the highest indignities which can be +offered to him. The Indians on the frontier generally use a bath which +will accommodate only one person, formed of a wicker-work of willows +about four feet high, arched at the top, and covered with skins. In this +the patient sits, till by means of the heated stones and water he +has perspired sufficiently. Almost universally these baths are in the +neighborhood of running water, into which the Indians plunge immediately +on coming out of the vapor bath, and sometimes return again and subject +themselves to a second perspiration. This practice is, however, less +frequent among our neighboring nations than those to the westward. +This bath is employed either for pleasure or for health, and is used +indiscriminately for all kinds of diseases.” + +The expedition was now on the Snake River, making all possible speed +toward the Columbia, commonly known to the Indians as “The Great River.” + The stream was crowded with dangerous rapids, and sundry disasters were +met with by the way; thus, on the fourteenth of October, a high wind +blowing, one of the canoes was driven upon a rock sidewise and filled +with water. The men on board got out and dragged the canoe upon the +rock, where they held her above water. Another canoe, having been +unloaded, was sent to the relief of the shipwrecked men, who, after +being left on the rock for some time, were taken off without any other +loss than the bedding of two of them. But accidents like this delayed +the party, as they were forced to land and remain long enough to dry +the goods that had been exposed to the water. Several such incidents are +told in the journal of the explorers. Few Indians were to be seen along +the banks of the river, but occasionally the party came to a pile of +planks and timbers which were the materials from which were built the +houses of such Indians as came here in the fishing season to catch +a supply for the winter and for trading purposes. Occasionally, the +complete scarcity of fuel compelled the explorers to depart from their +general rule to avoid taking any Indian property without leave; and they +used some of these house materials for firewood, with the intent to pay +the rightful owners, if they should ever be found. On the sixteenth of +October, they met with a party of Indians, of whom the journal gives +this account:-- + +“After crossing by land we halted for dinner, and whilst we were eating +were visited by five Indians, who came up the river on foot in great +haste. We received them kindly, smoked with them, and gave them a piece +of tobacco to smoke with their tribe. On receiving the present they set +out to return, and continued running as fast as they could while they +remained in sight. Their curiosity had been excited by the accounts of +our two chiefs, who had gone on in order to apprise the tribes of our +approach and of our friendly disposition toward them. After dinner we +reloaded the canoes and proceeded. We soon passed a rapid opposite the +upper point of a sandy island on the left, which has a smaller island +near it. At three miles is a gravelly bar in the river; four miles +beyond this the Kimooenim (Snake) empties into the Columbia, and at its +mouth has an island just below a small rapid. + +“We halted above the point of junction, on the Kimooenim, to confer +with the Indians, who had collected in great numbers to receive us. On +landing we were met by our two chiefs, to whose good offices we were +indebted for this reception, and also the two Indians who had passed +us a few days since on horseback; one of whom appeared to be a man of +influence, and harangued the Indians on our arrival. After smoking with +the Indians, we formed a camp at the point where the two rivers unite, +near to which we found some driftwood, and were supplied by our two old +chiefs with the stalks of willows and some small bushes for fuel. + +“We had scarcely fixed the camp and got the fires prepared, when a chief +came from the Indian camp about a quarter of a mile up the Columbia, at +the head of nearly two hundred men. They formed a regular procession, +keeping time to the music, or, rather, noise of their drums, which +they accompanied with their voices; and as they advanced, they ranged +themselves in a semicircle around us, and continued singing for some +time. We then smoked with them all, and communicated, as well as we +could by signs, our friendly intentions towards every nation, and our +joy at finding ourselves surrounded by our children. After this we +proceeded to distribute presents among them, giving the principal chief +a large medal, a shirt, and a handkerchief; to the second chief, a medal +of a smaller size; and to a third, who had come down from some of the +upper villages, a small medal and a handkerchief. This ceremony being +concluded, they left us; but in the course of the afternoon several of +them returned, and remained with us till a late hour. After they had +dispersed, we proceeded to purchase provisions, and were enabled to +collect seven dogs, to which some of the Indians added small presents of +fish, and one of them gave us twenty pounds of fat dried horse-flesh.” + +The explorers were still in the country which is now the State of +Washington, at a point where the counties of Franklin, Yakima, and Walla +Walla come together, at the junction of the Snake and the Columbia. We +quote now from the journal:-- + +“From the point of junction the country is a continued plain, low near +the water, from which it rises gradually, and the only elevation to be +seen is a range of high country running from northeast to southwest, +where it joins a range of mountains from the southwest, and is on the +opposite side about two miles from the Columbia. There is on this plain +no tree, and scarcely any shrubs, except a few willow-bushes; even of +smaller plants there is not much more than the prickly-pear, which is +in great abundance, and is even more thorny and troublesome than any +we have yet seen. During this time the principal chief came down with +several of his warriors, and smoked with us. We were also visited by +several men and women, who offered dogs and fish for sale; but as +the fish was out of season, and at present abundant in the river, we +contented ourselves with purchasing all the dogs we could obtain. + +“The nation among which we now are call themselves Sokulks; with them +are united a few of another nation, who reside on a western branch which +empties into the Columbia a few miles above the mouth of the latter +river, and whose name is Chimnapum. The languages of these two nations, +of each of which we obtained a vocabulary, differ but little from each +other, or from that of the Chopunnish who inhabit the Kooskooskee and +Lewis’ rivers. In their dress and general appearance they also much +resemble those nations; the men wearing a robe of deer- antelope-skin, +under which a few of them have a short leathern shirt. The most striking +difference is among the females, the Sokulk women being more inclined to +corpulency than any we have yet seen. Their stature is low, their faces +are broad, and their heads flattened in such a manner that the forehead +is in a straight line from the nose to the crown of the head. Their +eyes are of a dirty sable, their hair is coarse and black, and braided +without ornament of any kind. Instead of wearing, as do the Chopunnish, +long leathern shirts highly decorated with beads and shells, the Sokulk +women have no other covering but a truss or piece of leather tied round +the hips, and drawn tight between the legs. The ornaments usually worn +by both sexes are large blue or white beads, either pendant from their +ears, or round the neck, wrists, and arms; they have likewise bracelets +of brass, copper, and horn, and some trinkets of shells, fishbones, and +curious feathers. + +“The houses of the Sokulks are made of large mats of rushes, and are +generally of a square or oblong form, varying in length from fifteen to +sixty feet, and supported in the inside by poles or forks about six feet +high. The top is covered with mats, leaving a space of twelve or fifteen +inches the whole length of the house, for the purpose of admitting the +light and suffering the smoke to escape. The roof is nearly flat, which +seems to indicate that rains are not common in this open country; and +the house is not divided into apartments, the fire being in the middle +of the enclosure, and immediately under the bole in the roof. The +interior is ornamented with their nets, gigs, and other fishing-tackle, +as well as the bow of each inmate, and a large quiver of arrows, which +are headed with flint. + +“The Sokulks seem to be of a mild and peaceable disposition, and live in +a state of comparative happiness. The men, like those on the Kimooenim, +are said to content themselves with a single wife, with whom the +husband, we observe, shares the labors of procuring subsistence much +more than is common among savages. What may be considered an unequivocal +proof of their good disposition, is the great respect which is shown to +old age. Among other marks of it, we noticed in one of the houses an +old woman perfectly blind, and who, we were told, had lived more than +a hundred winters. In this state of decrepitude, she occupied the best +position in the house, seemed to be treated with great kindness, and +whatever she said was listened to with much attention. They are by no +means obtrusive; and as their fisheries supply them with a competent, if +not an abundant subsistence, although they receive thankfully whatever +we choose to give, they do not importune us by begging. Fish is, indeed, +their chief food, except roots and casual supplies of antelope, which +latter, to those who have only bows and arrows, must be very scanty. +This diet may be the direct or the remote cause of the chief disorder +which prevails among them, as well as among the Flatheads on the +Kooskooskee and Lewis’ rivers. With all these Indians a bad soreness +of the eyes is a very common disorder, which is suffered to ripen by +neglect, till many are deprived of one of their eyes, and some have +totally lost the use of both. This dreadful calamity may reasonably, we +think, be imputed to the constant reflection of the sun on the waters, +where they are constantly fishing in the spring, summer, and fall, and +during the rest of the year on the snows of a country which affords no +object to relieve the sight. + +“Among the Sokulks, indeed among all the tribes whose chief subsistence +is fish, we have observed that bad teeth are very general; some have the +teeth, particularly those of the upper jaw, worn down to the gums, and +many of both sexes, even of middle age, have lost them almost entirely. +This decay of the teeth is a circumstance very unusual among Indians, +either of the mountains or the plains, and seems peculiar to the +inhabitants of the Columbia. We cannot avoid regarding as one principal +cause of it the manner in which they eat their food. The roots are +swallowed as they are dug from the ground, frequently covered with a +gritty sand; so little idea have they that this is offensive that all +the roots they offer us for sale are in the same condition.” + +The explorers were now at the entrance of the mighty Columbia,--“The +Great River” of which they had heard so much from the Indians. We might +suppose that when they actually embarked upon the waters of the famous +stream, variously known as “The River of the North” and “The Oregon,” + the explorers would be touched with a little of the enthusiasm with +which they straddled the headwaters of the Missouri and gazed upon the +snow-covered peaks of the Rocky Mountains. But no such kindling of +the imagination seems to have been noted in their journal. In this +commonplace way, according to their own account, Captain Clark entered +upon the mighty Columbia:-- + +“In the course of the day (October 17, 1805), Captain Clark, in a small +canoe with two men, ascended the Columbia. At the distance of five miles +he passed an island in the middle of the river, at the head of which +was a small but not dangerous rapid. On the left bank, opposite to this +island, was a fishing-place consisting of three mat houses. Here were +great quantities of salmon drying on scaffolds; and, indeed, from the +mouth of the river upward, he saw immense numbers of dead salmon strewed +along the shore, or floating on the surface of the water, which is so +clear that the fish may be seen swimming at the depth of fifteen or +twenty feet. The Indians, who had collected on the banks to observe him, +now joined him in eighteen canoes, and accompanied him up the river. A +mile above the rapids he came to the lower point of an island, where the +course of the stream, which had been from its mouth north eighty-three +degrees west, now became due west. He proceeded in that direction, +until, observing three house’s of mats at a short distance, he landed +to visit them. On entering one of these houses, he found it crowded with +men, women, and children, who immediately provided a mat for him to sit +on, and one of the party undertook to prepare something to eat. He began +by bringing in a piece of pine wood that had drifted down the river, +which he split into small pieces with a wedge made of elkhorn, by means +of a mallet of stone curiously carved. The pieces of wood were then +laid on the fire, and several round stones placed upon them. One of the +squaws now brought a bucket of water, in which was a large salmon about +half dried, and, as the stones became heated, they were put into the +bucket till the salmon was sufficiently boiled for use. It was then +taken out, put on a platter of rushes neatly made, and laid before +Captain Clark, while another was boiled for each of his men. During +these preparations he smoked with such about him as would accept of +tobacco, but very few were desirous of smoking, a custom which is +not general among them, and chiefly used as a matter of form in great +ceremonies. + +“After eating the fish, which was of an excellent flavor, Captain Clark +set out and, at the distance of four miles from the last island, came to +the lower point of another near the left shore, where he halted at two +large mat-houses. Here, as at the three houses below, the inhabitants +were occupied in splitting and drying salmon. The multitudes of this +fish are almost inconceivable. The water is so clear that they can +readily be seen at the depth of fifteen or twenty feet; but at this +season they float in such quantities down the stream, and are drifted +ashore, that the Indians have only to collect, split, and dry them on +the scaffolds. Where they procure the timber of which these scaffolds +are composed he could not learn; but as there is nothing but +willow-bushes to be seen for a great distance from this place, it +rendered very probable what the Indians assured him by signs, that they +often used dried fish as fuel for the common occasions of cooking. From +this island they showed him the entrance of the western branch of the +Columbia, called the Tapteal, which, as far as could be seen, bears +nearly west and empties about eight miles above into the Columbia, the +general course of which is northwest.” + +The Tapteal, as the journal calls it, is now known as the Yakima, +a stream which has its source in the Cascade range of mountains, +Washington. The party tarried here long enough to secure from the +Indians a tolerably correct description of the river upon which they +were about to embark. One of the chiefs drew upon the skin-side of a +buffalo robe a sketch of the Columbia. And this was transferred to paper +and put into the journal. That volume adds here:-- + +“Having completed the purposes of our stay, we now began to lay in our +stores. Fish being out of season, we purchased forty dogs, for which we +gave small articles, such as bells, thimbles, knitting-needles, brass +wire, and a few beads, an exchange with which they all seemed perfectly +satisfied. These dogs, with six prairie-cocks killed this morning, +formed a plentiful supply for the present. We here left our guide +and the two young men who had accompanied him, two of the three being +unwilling to go any further, and the third being of no use, as he was +not acquainted with the river below. We therefore took no Indians but +our two chiefs, and resumed our journey in the presence of many of the +Sokulks, who came to witness our departure. The morning was cool and +fair, and the wind from the southeast.” + +They now began again to meet Indians who had never before seen white +men. On the nineteenth, says the journal:-- + +“The great chief, with two of his inferior chiefs and a third belonging +to a band on the river below, made us a visit at a very early hour. The +first of these was called Yelleppit,--a handsome, well-proportioned +man, about five feet eight inches high, and thirty-five years of age, +with a bold and dignified countenance; the rest were not distinguished +in their appearance. We smoked with them, and after making a speech, +gave a medal, a handkerchief, and a string of wampum to Yelleppit, but a +string of wampum only to the inferior chiefs. He requested us to remain +till the middle of the day, in order that all his nation might come and +see us; but we excused ourselves by telling him that on our return we +would spend two or three days with him. This conference detained us till +nine o’clock, by which time great numbers of the Indians had come down +to visit us. On leaving them we went on for eight miles, when we came to +an island near the left shore, which continued six miles in length. +At its lower extremity is a small island on which are five houses, at +present vacant, though the scaffolds of fish are as usual abundant. A +short distance below are two more islands, one of them near the middle +of the river. On this there were seven houses, but as soon as the +Indians, who were drying fish, saw us, they fled to their houses, and +not one of them appeared till we had passed; when they came out in +greater numbers than is usual for houses of that size, which induced us +to think that the inhabitants of the five lodges had been alarmed at our +approach and taken refuge with them. We were very desirous of landing in +order to relieve their apprehensions, but as there was a bad rapid along +the island all our care was necessary to prevent injury to the canoes. +At the foot of this rapid is a rock on the left shore, which is fourteen +miles from our camp of last night and resembles a hat in shape.” + +Later in the day, Captain Clark ascended a bluff on the river bank, +where he saw “a very high mountain covered with snow.” This was Mount +St. Helen’s, in Cowlitz County, Washington. The altitude of the peak is +nine thousand seven hundred and fifty feet. “Having arrived at the lower +ends of the rapids below the bluff before any of the rest of the party, +he sat down on a rock to wait for them, and, seeing a crane fly across +the river, shot it, and it fell near him. Several Indians had been +before this passing on the opposite side towards the rapids, and some +who were then nearly in front of him, being either alarmed at his +appearance or the report of the gun, fled to their houses. Captain Clark +was afraid that these people had not yet heard that the white men were +coming, and therefore, in order to allay their uneasiness before the +rest of the party should arrive, he got into the small canoe with three +men, rowed over towards the houses, and, while crossing, shot a duck, +which fell into the water. As he approached no person was to be seen +except three men in the plains, and they, too, fled as he came near the +shore. He landed in front of five houses close to each other, but no one +appeared, and the doors, which were of mat, were closed. He went towards +one of them with a pipe in his hand, and, pushing aside the mat, entered +the lodge, where he found thirty-two persons, chiefly men and women, +with a few children, all in the greatest consternation; some hanging +down their heads, others crying and wringing their hands. He went up +to them, and shook hands with each one in the most friendly manner; but +their apprehensions, which had for a moment subsided, revived on his +taking out a burning-glass, as there was no roof to the house, and +lighting his pipe: he then offered it to several of the men, and +distributed among the women and children some small trinkets which he +had with him, and gradually restored a degree of tranquillity among +them. + +“Leaving this house, and directing each of his men to visit a house, he +entered a second. Here he found the inmates more terrified than those in +the first; but he succeeded in pacifying them, and afterward went into +the other houses, where the men had been equally successful. Retiring +from the houses, he seated himself on a rock, and beckoned to some of +the men to come and smoke with him; but none of them ventured to +join him till the canoes arrived with the two chiefs, who immediately +explained our pacific intention towards them. Soon after the +interpreter’s wife (Sacajawea) landed, and her presence dissipated all +doubts of our being well-disposed, since in this country no woman +ever accompanies a war party: they therefore all came out, and seemed +perfectly reconciled; nor could we, indeed, blame them for their +terrors, which were perfectly natural. They told the two chiefs that +they knew we were not men, for they had seen us fall from the clouds. In +fact, unperceived by them, Captain Clark had shot the white crane, which +they had seen fall just before he appeared to their eyes: the duck which +he had killed also fell close by him; and as there were some clouds +flying over at the moment, they connected the fall of the birds with +his sudden appearance, and believed that he had himself actually dropped +from the clouds; considering the noise of the rifle, which they had +never heard before, the sound announcing so extraordinary an event. This +belief was strengthened, when, on entering the room, he brought down +fire from the heavens by means of his burning-glass. We soon convinced +them, however, that we were merely mortals; and after one of our chiefs +had explained our history and objects, we all smoked together in great +harmony.” + + + + +Chapter XVI -- Down the Columbia to Tidewater + +The voyagers were now drifting down the Columbia River, and they found +the way impeded by many rapids, some of them very dangerous. But their +skill in the handling of their canoes seems to have been equal to the +occasion, although they were sometimes compelled to go around the more +difficult rapids, making a short land portage. When they had travelled +about forty miles down the river, they landed opposite an island on +which were twenty-four houses of Indians; the people, known as the +Pishquitpahs, were engaged in drying fish. No sooner had the white men +landed than the Indians, to the number of one hundred, came across the +stream bringing with them some firewood, a most welcome present in that +treeless country. The visitors were entertained with presents and a long +smoke at the pipe of peace. So pleased were they with the music of two +violins played by Cruzatte and Gibson, of the exploring party, that they +remained by the fire of the white men all night. The news of the arrival +of the white strangers soon spread, and next morning about two hundred +more of the Indians assembled to gaze on them. Later in the day, having +gotten away from their numerous inquisitive visitors, the explorers +passed down-stream and landed on a small island to examine a curious +vault, in which were placed the remains of the dead of the tribe. The +journal says:-- + +“This place, in which the dead are deposited, is a building about sixty +feet long and twelve feet wide, formed by placing in the ground poles +or forks six feet high, across which a long pole is extended the whole +length of the structure; against this ridge-pole are placed broad boards +and pieces of canoes, in a slanting direction, so as to form a shed. +It stands cast and west, and neither of the extremities is closed. +On entering the western end we observed a number of bodies wrapped +carefully in leather robes, and arranged in rows on boards, which were +then covered with a mat. This was the part destined for those who had +recently died; a little further on, bones half decayed were scattered +about, and in the centre of the building was a large pile of them heaped +promiscuously on each other. At the eastern extremity was a mat, on +which twenty-one skulls were placed in a circular form; the mode of +interment being first to wrap the body in robes, then as it decays to +throw the bones into the heap, and place the skulls together. From +the different boards and pieces of canoes which form the vault were +suspended, on the inside, fishing-nets, baskets, wooden bowls, robes, +skins, trenchers, and trinkets of various kinds, obviously intended +as offerings of affection to deceased relatives. On the outside of the +vault were the skeletons of several horses, and great quantities of +their bones were in the neighborhood, which induced us to believe that +these animals were most probably sacrificed at the funeral rites of +their masters.” + +Just below this stand the party met Indians who traded with tribes +living near the great falls of the Columbia. That place they designated +as “Tum-tum,” a word that signifies the throbbing of the heart. One of +these Indians had a sailor’s jacket, and others had a blue blanket and +a scarlet blanket. These articles had found their way up the river from +white traders on the seashore. + +On the twenty-first of October the explorers discovered a considerable +stream which appeared to rise in the southeast and empty into the +Columbia on the left. To this stream they gave the name of Lepage +for Bastien Lepage, one of the voyageurs accompanying the party. The +watercourse, however, is now known as John Day’s River. John Day was +a mighty hunter and backwoodsman from Kentucky who went across the +continent, six years later, with a party bound for Astoria, on the +Columbia. From the rapids below the John Day River the Lewis and Clark +party caught their first sight of Mount Hood, a famous peak of the +Cascade range of mountains, looming up in the southwest, eleven thousand +two hundred and twenty-five feet high. Next day they passed the mouth +of another river entering the Columbia from the south and called by +the Indians the Towahnahiooks, but known to modern geography as the Des +Chutes, one of the largest southern tributaries of the Columbia. Five +miles below the mouth of this stream the party camped. Near them was a +party of Indians engaged in drying and packing salmon. Their method of +doing this is thus described:-- + +“The manner of doing this is by first opening the fish and exposing it +to the sun on scaffolds. When it is sufficiently dried it is pounded +between two stones till it is pulverized, and is then placed in a +basket about two feet long and one in diameter, neatly made of grass and +rushes, and lined with the skin of a salmon stretched and dried for the +purpose. Here the fish are pressed down as hard as possible, and the top +is covered with fish-skins, which are secured by cords through the holes +of the basket. These baskets are then placed in some dry situation, the +corded part upward, seven being usually placed as close as they can be +put together, and five on the top of these. The whole is then wrapped +up in mats, and made fast by cords, over which mats are again thrown. +Twelve of these baskets, each of which contains from ninety to one +hundred pounds, form a stack, which is left exposed till it is sent to +market. The fish thus preserved keep sound and sweet for several years, +and great quantities, they inform us, are sent to the Indians who live +below the falls, whence it finds its way to the whites who visit the +mouth of the Columbia. We observe, both near the lodges and on the rocks +in the river, great numbers of stacks of these pounded fish. Besides +fish, these people supplied us with filberts and berries, and we +purchased a dog for supper; but it was with much difficulty that we were +able to buy wood enough to cook it.” + +On the twenty-third the voyagers made the descent of the great falls +which had so long been an object of dread to them. The whole height of +the falls is thirty-seven feet, eight inches, in a distance of twelve +hundred yards. A portage of four hundred and fifty yards was made around +the first fall, which is twenty feet high, and perpendicular. By means +of lines the canoes were let down the rapids below. At the season of +high water the falls become mere rapids up which the salmon can pass. On +this point the journal says:-- + +“From the marks everywhere perceivable at the falls, it is obvious that +in high floods, which must be in the spring, the water below the falls +rises nearly to a level with that above them. Of this rise, which is +occasioned by some obstructions which we do not as yet know, the salmon +must avail themselves to pass up the river in such multitudes that this +fish is almost the only one caught in great abundance above the falls; +but below that place we observe the salmon-trout, and the heads of +a species of trout smaller than the salmon-trout, which is in great +quantities, and which they are now burying, to be used as their winter +food. A hole of any size being dug, the sides and bottom are lined with +straw, over which skins are laid; on these the fish, after being well +dried, are laid, covered with other skins, and the hole is closed with a +layer of earth twelve or fifteen inches deep. . . . + +“We saw no game except a sea-otter, which was shot in the narrow channel +as we were coming down, but we could not get it. Having, therefore, +scarcely any provisions, we purchased eight small fat dogs: a food +to which we were compelled to have recourse, as the Indians were very +unwilling to sell us any of their good fish, which they reserved for the +market below. Fortunately, however, habit had completely overcome the +repugnance which we felt at first at eating this animal, and the dog, if +not a favorite dish, was always an acceptable one. The meridian altitude +of to-day gave 45'0 42’ 57.3” north as the latitude of our camp. + +“On the beach, near the Indian huts, we observed two canoes of a +different shape and size from any which we had hitherto seen. One of +these we got by giving our smallest canoe a hatchet, and a few trinkets +to the owner, who said he had obtained it from a white man below the +falls in exchange for a horse. These canoes were very beautifully made: +wide in the middle, and tapering towards each end, with curious figures +carved on the bow. They were thin, but, being strengthened by crossbars +about an inch in diameter, tied with strong pieces of bark through +holes in the sides, were able to bear very heavy burdens, and seemed +calculated to live in the roughest water.” + +At this point the officers of the expedition observed signs of +uneasiness in the two friendly Indian chiefs who had thus far +accompanied them. They also heard rumors that the warlike Indians below +them were meditating an attack as the party went down. The journal +says:-- + +“Being at all times ready for any attempt of that sort, we were +not under greater apprehensions than usual at this intelligence. We +therefore only re-examined our arms, and increased the ammunition to one +hundred rounds. Our chiefs, who had not the same motives of confidence, +were by no means so much at their ease, and when at night they saw the +Indians leave us earlier than usual, their suspicions of an intended +attack were confirmed, and they were very much alarmed. + +“The Indians approached us with apparent caution, and behaved with more +than usual reserve. Our two chiefs, by whom these circumstances were not +observed, now told us that they wished to return home; that they could +be no longer of any service to us; that they could not understand the +language of the people below the falls; that those people formed a +different nation from their own; that the two people had been at war +with each other; and that as the Indians had expressed a resolution to +attack us, they would certainly kill them. We endeavored to quiet their +fears, and requested them to stay two nights longer, in which time we +would see the Indians below, and make a peace between the two nations. +They replied that they were anxious to return and see their horses. +We however insisted on their remaining with us, not only in hopes of +bringing about an accommodation between them and their enemies, but +because they might be able to detect any hostile designs against us, +and also assist us in passing the next falls, which are not far off, and +represented as very difficult. They at length agreed to stay with us two +nights longer.” + +The explorers now arrived at the next fall of the Columbia. Here was a +quiet basin, on the margin of which were three Indian huts. The journal +tells the rest of the story:-- + +“At the extremity of this basin stood a high black rock, which, rising +perpendicularly from the right shore, seemed to run wholly across the +river: so totally, indeed, did it appear to stop the passage, that +we could not see where the water escaped, except that the current was +seemingly drawn with more than usual velocity to the left of the rock, +where was heard a great roaring. We landed at the huts of the Indians, +who went with us to the top of the rock, from which we had a view of +all the difficulties of the channel. We were now no longer at a loss to +account for the rising of the river at the falls; for this tremendous +rock was seen stretching across the river, to meet the high hills on +the left shore, leaving a channel of only forty-five yards wide, through +which the whole body of the Columbia pressed its way. The water, thus +forced into so narrow a passage, was thrown into whirls, and swelled and +boiled in every part with the wildest agitation. But the alternative +of carrying the boats over this high rock was almost impossible in our +present situation; and as the chief danger seemed to be, not from any +obstructions in the channel, but from the great waves and whirlpools, we +resolved to attempt the passage, in the hope of being able, by dexterous +steering, to descend in safety. This we undertook, and with great care +were able to get through, to the astonishment of the Indians in the +huts we had just passed, who now collected to see us from the top of the +rock. The channel continued thus confined for the space of about half a +mile, when the rock ceased. We passed a single Indian hut at the foot +of it, where the river again enlarges to the width of two hundred yards, +and at the distance of a mile and a half stopped to view a very bad +rapid; this is formed by two rocky islands which divide the channel, the +lower and larger of which is in the middle of the river. The appearance +of this place was so unpromising that we unloaded all the most valuable +articles, such as guns, ammunition, our papers, etc., and sent them by +land, with all the men that could not swim, to the extremity of these +rapids. We then descended with the canoes, two at a time; though the +canoes took in some water, we all went through safely; after which we +made two miles, stopped in a deep bend of the river toward the right, +and camped a little above a large village of twenty-one houses. Here +we landed; and as it was late before all the canoes joined us, we were +obliged to remain this evening, the difficulties of the navigation +having permitted us to make only six miles.” + +They were then among the Echeloots, a tribe of the Upper Chinooks, now +nearly extinct. The white men were much interested in the houses of +these people, which, their journal set forth, were “the first wooden +buildings seen since leaving the Illinois country.” This is the manner +of their construction:-- + +“A large hole, twenty feet wide and thirty in length, was dug to the +depth of six feet; the sides of which were lined with split pieces of +timber rising just above the surface of the ground, and smoothed to the +same width by burning, or by being shaved with small iron axes. These +timbers were secured in their erect position by a pole stretched along +the side of the building near the eaves, and supported on a strong +post fixed at each corner. The timbers at the gable ends rose gradually +higher, the middle pieces being the broadest. At the top of these was a +sort of semicircle, made to receive a ridge-pole the whole length of the +house, propped by an additional post in the middle, and forming the top +of the roof. From this ridge-pole to the eaves of the house were placed +a number of small poles or rafters, secured at each end by fibres of the +cedar. On these poles, which were connected by small transverse bars +of wood, was laid a covering of white cedar, or arbor vitae, kept on by +strands of cedar fibres; but a small space along the whole length of +the ridge-pole was left uncovered, for the purpose of light, and of +permitting the smoke to pass out. The roof, thus formed, had a +descent about equal to that common among us, and near the eaves it was +perforated with a number of small holes, made, most probably, for the +discharge of arrows in case of an attack. The only entrance was by a +small door at the gable end, cut out of the middle piece of timber, +twenty-nine and a half inches high, fourteen inches broad, and reaching +only eighteen inches above the earth. Before this hole is hung a mat; on +pushing it aside and crawling through, the descent is by a small wooden +ladder, made in the form of those used among us. One-half of the inside +is used as a place of deposit for dried fish, of which large quantities +are stored away, and with a few baskets of berries form the only +family provisions; the other half, adjoining the door, remains for the +accommodation of the family. On each side are arranged near the walls +small beds of mats placed on little scaffolds or bedsteads, raised from +eighteen inches to three feet from the ground; and in the middle of the +vacant space is the fire, or sometimes two or three fires, when, as is +usually the case, the house contains three families.” + +Houses very like these are built by the Ahts or Nootkas, a tribe of +Indians inhabiting parts of Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland. +A Nootka calls his house an ourt. + +The good offices of Lewis and Clark, who were always ready to make +peace between hostile tribes, were again successful here. The Echeloots +received the white men with much kindness, invited them to their houses, +and returned their visits after the explorers had camped. Lewis and +Clark told the Echeloot chiefs that the war was destroying them and +their industries, bringing want and privation upon them. The Indians +listened with attention to what was said, and after some talk they +agreed to make peace with their ancient enemies. Impressed with the +sincerity of this agreement, the captains of the expedition invested the +principal chief with a medal and some small articles of clothing. +The two faithful chiefs who had accompanied the white men from the +headwaters of the streams now bade farewell to their friends and allies, +the explorers. They bought horses of the Echeloots and returned to their +distant homes by land. + +Game here became more abundant, and on the twenty-sixth of October the +journal records the fact that they received from the Indians a present +of deer-meat, and on that day their hunters found plenty of tracks of +elk and deer in the mountains, and they brought in five deer, four very +large gray squirrels, and a grouse. Besides these delicacies, one of +the men killed in the river a salmon-trout which was fried in bear’s oil +and, according to the journal, “furnished a dish of a very delightful +flavor,” doubtless a pleasing change from the diet of dog’s flesh with +which they had so recently been regaled. + +Two of the Echeloot chiefs remained with the white men to guide them +on their way down the river. These were joined by seven others of their +tribe, to whom the explorers were kind and attentive. But the visitors +could not resist the temptation to pilfer from the goods exposed to dry +in the sun. Being checked in this sly business, they became ill-humored +and returned, angry, down the river. + +The explorers noticed here that the Indians flattened the heads of +males as well as females. Higher up the river, only the women and female +children had flat heads. The custom of artificially flattening the heads +of both men and women, in infancy, was formerly practised by nearly all +the tribes of the Chinook family along the Columbia River. Various means +are used to accomplish this purpose, the most common and most cruel +being to bind a flat board on the forehead of an infant in such a way +that it presses on the skull and forces the forehead up on to the top of +the head. As a man whose head has been flattened in infancy grows older, +the deformity partly disappears; but the flatness of the head is always +regarded as a tribal badge of great merit. + +“On the morning of the twenty-eighth,” says the journal, having dried +our goods, we were about setting out, when three canoes came from above +to visit us, and at the same time two others from below arrived for the +same purpose. Among these last was an Indian who wore his hair in a +que, and had on a round hat and a sailor’s jacket, which he said he had +obtained from the people below the great rapids, who bought them from +the whites. This interview detained us till nine o’clock, when we +proceeded down the river, which is now bordered with cliffs of loose +dark colored rocks about ninety feet high, with a thin covering of pines +and other small trees. At the distance of four miles we reached a small +village of eight houses under some high rocks on the right with a small +creek on the opposite side of the river. + +“We landed and found the houses similar to those we had seen at the +great narrows; on entering one of them we saw a British musket, a +cutlass, and several brass tea-kettles, of which they seemed to be very +fond. There were figures of men, birds, and different animals, which +were cut and painted on the boards which form the sides of the room; +though the workmanship of these uncouth figures was very rough, they +were highly esteemed by the Indians as the finest frescos of more +civilized people. This tribe is called the Chilluckittequaw; their +language, though somewhat different from that of the Echeloots, has many +of the same words, and is sufficiently intelligible to the neighboring +Indians. We procured from them a vocabulary, and then, after buying five +small dogs, some dried berries, and a white bread or cake made of roots, +we left them. The wind, however, rose so high that we were obliged, +after going one mile, to land on the left side, opposite a rocky island, +and pass the day.” + +On the same day the white chiefs visited one of the most prominent of +the native houses built along the river. + +“This,” says the journal, “was the residence of the principal chief of +the Chilluckittequaw nation, who we found was the same between whom and +our two chiefs we had made a peace at the Echeloot village. He received +us, very kindly, and set before us pounded fish, filberts, nuts, the +berries of the sacacommis, and white bread made of roots. We gave, in +return, a bracelet of ribbon to each of the women of the house, with +which they were very much pleased. The chief had several articles, such +as scarlet and blue cloth, a sword, a jacket, and a hat, which must +have been procured from the whites, and on one side of the room were +two wide, split boards, placed together so as to make space for a rude +figure of a man cut and painted on them. On pointing to this, and asking +him what it meant, he said something, of which all that we understood +was ‘good,’ and then stepped up to the painting, and took out his bow +and quiver, which, with some other warlike instruments, were kept behind +it. + +“He then directed his wife to hand him his medicine-bag, from which he +drew out fourteen forefingers, which he told us had belonged to the same +number of his enemies, whom he had killed in fighting with the nations +to the southeast, in which direction he pointed; alluding, no doubt, to +the Snake Indians, the common enemy of the tribes on the Columbia. This +bag is usually about two feet in length, and contains roots, pounded +dirt, etc., which only the Indians know how to appreciate. It is +suspended in the middle of the lodge; and it is considered as a species +of sacrilege for any one but the owner to touch it. It is an object of +religious fear; and, from its supposed sanctity, is the chief place for +depositing their medals and more valuable articles. They have likewise +small bags, which they preserve in their great medicine-bag, from +whence they are taken, and worn around their waists and necks as amulets +against any real or imaginary evils. This was the first time we had been +apprised that the Indians ever carried from the field any other trophy +than the scalp. These fingers were shown with great exultation; and, +after an harangue, which we were left to presume was in praise of his +exploits, the chief carefully replaced them among the valuable contents +of his red medicine-bag. The inhabitants of this village being part +of the same nation with those of the village we had passed above, the +language of the two was the same, and their houses were of similar form +and materials, and calculated to contain about thirty souls. They were +unusually hospitable and good-humored, so that we gave to the place the +name of the Friendly village. We breakfasted here; and after purchasing +twelve dogs, four sacks of fish, and a few dried berries, proceeded on +our journey. The hills as we passed were high, with steep, rocky sides, +with pine and white oak, and an undergrowth of shrubs scattered over +them.” + +Leaving the Friendly village, the party went on their way down the +river. Four miles below they came to a small and rapid river which they +called the Cataract River, but which is now known as the Klikitat. The +rapids of the stream, according to the Indians, were so numerous that +salmon could not ascend it, and the Indians who lived along its banks +subsisted on what game they could kill with their bows and arrows and on +the berries which, in certain seasons, were plentiful. Again we notice +the purchase of dogs; this time only four were bought, and the party +proceeded on their way. That night, having travelled thirty-two miles, +they camped on the right bank of the river in what is now Skamania +County, Washington. Three huts were inhabited by a considerable number +of Indians, of whom the journal has this to say:-- + +“On our first arrival they seemed surprised, but not alarmed, and we +soon became intimate by means of smoking and our favorite entertainment +for the Indians, the violin. They gave us fruit, roots, and root-bread, +and we purchased from them three dogs. The houses of these people are +similar to those of the Indians above, and their language is the same; +their dress also, consisting of robes or skins of wolves, deer, elk, +and wildcat, is made nearly after the same model; their hair is worn in +plaits down each shoulder, and round their neck is put a strip of some +skin with the tail of the animal hanging down over the breast; like the +Indians above, they are fond of otter-skins, and give a great price for +them. We here saw the skin of a mountain sheep, which they say lives +among the rocks in the mountains; the skin was covered with white hair; +the wool was long, thick, and coarse, with long coarse hair on the top +of the neck and on the back, resembling somewhat the bristles of a goat. +Immediately behind the village is a pond, in which were great numbers of +small swan.” + +The “mountain sheep” mentioned here are not the bighorn of which we have +heard something in the earlier part of this narrative, but a species +of wild goat found among the Cascade Mountains. The “wildcat” above +referred to is probably that variety of lynx known in Canada and most +of the Northern States and the Pacific as the _loup-cervier_, or +vulgarly, the “lucifee.” + +On the last day of October, the next of the more difficult rapids being +near, Captain Clark went ahead to examine the “shoot,” as the explorers +called the place which we know as the chute. In the thick wood that +bordered the river he found an ancient burial-place which he thus +describes:-- + +“It consists of eight vaults made of pine or cedar boards closely +connected, about eight feet square and six in height; the top covered +with wide boards sloping a little, so as to convey off the rain. The +direction of all of these vaults is east and west, the door being on +the eastern side, partially stopped with wide boards decorated with rude +pictures of men and other animals. On entering he found in some of them +four dead bodies, carefully wrapped in skins, tied with cords of grass +and bark, lying on a mat, in a direction east and west. The other vaults +contained only bones, which were in some of them piled to the height +of four feet. On the tops of the vaults, and on poles attached to them, +bung brass kettles and frying-pans with holes in their bottoms, baskets, +bowls, sea-shells, skins, pieces of cloth, hair, bags of trinkets and +small bones--the offerings of friendship or affection, which have +been saved by a pious veneration from the ferocity of war, or the more +dangerous temptations of individual gain. The whole of the walls as well +as the door were decorated with strange figures cut and painted on them; +and besides were several wooden images of men, some so old and decayed +as to have almost lost their shape, which were all placed against the +sides of the vaults. These images, as well as those in the houses we +have lately seen, do not appear to be at all the objects of adoration; +in this place they were most probably intended as resemblances of those +whose decease they indicate; when we observe them in houses, they occupy +the most conspicuous part, but are treated more like ornaments than +objects of worship.” + +The white men were visited at their camp by many Indians from the +villages farther up the stream. The journal says:-- + +“We had an opportunity of seeing to-day the hardihood of the Indians of +the neighboring village. One of the men shot a goose, which fell into +the river and was floating rapidly toward the great shoot, when an +Indian observing it plunged in after it. The whole mass of the waters of +the Columbia, just preparing to descend its narrow channel, carried the +animal down with great rapidity. The Indian followed it fearlessly +to within one hundred and fifty feet of the rocks, where he would +inevitably have been dashed to pieces; but seizing his prey he +turned round and swam ashore with great composure. We very willingly +relinquished our right to the bird in favor of the Indian who had thus +saved it at the imminent hazard of his life; he immediately set to work +and picked off about half the feathers, and then, without opening it, +ran a stick through it and carried it off to roast.” + +With many hair’s-breadth escapes, the expedition now passed through the +rapids or “great shoot.” The river here is one hundred and fifty yards +wide and the rapids are confined to an area four hundred yards long, +crowded with islands and rocky ledges. They found the Indians living +along the banks of the stream to be kindly disposed; but they had +learned, by their intercourse with tribes living below, to set a high +value on their wares. They asked high prices for anything they had for +sale. The journal says:-- + +“We cannot learn precisely the nature of the trade carried on by the +Indians with the inhabitants below. But as their knowledge of the whites +seems to be very imperfect, and as the only articles which they carry to +market, such as pounded fish, bear-grass, and roots, cannot be an object +of much foreign traffic, their intercourse appears to be an intermediate +trade with the natives near the mouth of the Columbia. From them these +people obtain, in exchange for their fish, roots, and bear-grass, blue +and white beads, copper tea-kettles, brass armbands, some scarlet and +blue robes, and a few articles of old European clothing. But their great +object is to obtain beads, an article which holds the first place in +their ideas of relative value, and to procure which they will sacrifice +their last article of clothing or last mouthful of food. Independently +of their fondness for them as an ornament, these beads are the medium of +trade, by which they obtain from the Indians still higher up the river, +robes, skins, chappelel bread, bear-grass, etc. Those Indians in +turn employ them to procure from the Indians in the Rocky Mountains, +bear-grass, pachico-roots, robes, etc. + +“These Indians are rather below the common size, with high cheek-bones; +their noses are pierced, and in full dress ornamented with a tapering +piece of white shell or wampum about two inches long. Their eyes are +exceedingly sore and weak; many of them have only a single eye, and +some are perfectly blind. Their teeth prematurely decay, and in frequent +instances are altogether worn away. Their general health, however, seems +to be good, the only disorder we have remarked being tumors in different +parts of the body.” + +The more difficult rapid was passed on the second day of November, the +luggage being sent down by land and the empty canoes taken down with +great care. The journal of that date says:-- + +“The rapid we have just passed is the last of all the descents of the +Columbia. At this place the first tidewater commences, and the river +in consequence widens immediately below the rapid. As we descended we +reached, at the distance of one mile from the rapid, a creek under +a bluff on the left; at three miles is the lower point of Strawberry +Island. To this immediately succeed three small islands covered with +wood. In the meadow to the right, at some distance from the hills, +stands a perpendicular rock about eight hundred feet high and four +hundred yards around the base. This we called Beacon Rock. Just below is +an Indian village of nine houses, situated between two small creeks. +At this village the river widens to nearly a mile in extent; the low +grounds become wider, and they as well as the mountains on each side are +covered with pine, spruce-pine, cottonwood, a species of ash, and some +alder. After being so long accustomed to the dreary nakedness of the +country above, the change is as grateful to the eye as it is useful in +supplying us with fuel. Four miles from the village is a point of +land on the right, where the hills become lower, but are still thickly +timbered. The river is now about two miles wide, the current smooth and +gentle, and the effect of the tide has been sensible since leaving the +rapid. Six miles lower is a rock rising from the middle of the river to +the height of one hundred feet, and about eighty yards at its base. +We continued six miles further, and halted for the night under a high +projecting rock on the left side of the river, opposite the point of a +large meadow. + +“The mountains, which, from the great shoot to this place, are high, +rugged, and thickly covered with timber, chiefly of the pine species, +here leave the river on each side; the river becomes two and one-half +miles in width; the low grounds are extensive and well supplied with +wood. The Indians whom we left at the portage passed us on their way +down the river, and seven others, who were descending in a canoe for the +purpose of trading below, camped with us. We had made from the foot of +the great shoot twenty-nine miles to-day. The ebb tide rose at our camp +about nine inches; the flood must rise much higher. We saw great numbers +of water-fowl, such as swan, geese, ducks of various kinds, gulls, +plovers, and the white and gray brant, of which last we killed +eighteen.” + + + + +Chapter XVII -- From Tidewater to the Sea + +Near the mouth of the river which the explorers named Quicksand River +(now Sandy), they met a party of fifteen Indians who had lately been +down to the mouth of the Columbia. These people told the white men that +they had seen three vessels at anchor below, and, as these must needs +be American, or European, the far-voyaging explorers were naturally +pleased. When they had camped that night, they received other visitors +of whom the journal makes mention:-- + +“A canoe soon after arrived from the village at the foot of the last +rapid, with an Indian and his family, consisting of a wife, three +children, and a woman who had been taken prisoner from the Snake +Indians, living on a river from the south, which we afterward found to +be the Multnomah. Sacajawea was immediately introduced to her, in hopes +that, being a Snake Indian, they might understand each other; but their +language was not sufficiently intelligible to permit them to converse +together. The Indian had a gun with a brass barrel and cock, which he +appeared to value highly.” + +The party had missed the Multnomah River in their way down, although +this is one of the three largest tributaries of the Columbia, John Day’s +River and the Des Chutes being the other two. A group of islands +near the mouth of the Multnomah hides it from the view of the passing +voyager. The stream is now more generally known as the Willamette, or +Wallamet. The large city of Portland, Oregon, is built on the river, +about twelve miles from its junction with the Columbia. The Indian +tribes along the banks of the Multnomah, or Willamette, subsisted +largely on the wappatoo, an eatable root, about the size of a hen’s egg +and closely resembling a potato. This root is much sought after by the +Indians and is eagerly bought by tribes living in regions where it is +not to be found. The party made great use of the wappatoo after they had +learned how well it served in place of bread. They bought here all that +the Indians could spare and then made their way down the river to an +open prairie where they camped for dinner and found many signs of elk +and deer. The journal says:-- + +“When we landed for dinner, a number of Indians from the last village +came down for the purpose, as we supposed, of paying us a friendly +visit, as they had put on their favorite dresses. In addition to their +usual covering they had scarlet and blue blankets, sailors’ jackets and +trousers, shirts and hats. They had all of them either war-axes, spears, +and bows and arrows, or muskets and pistols, with tin powder-flasks. +We smoked with them and endeavored to show them every attention, but we +soon found them very assuming and disagreeable companions. While we +were eating, they stole the pipe with which they were smoking, and +the greatcoat of one of the men. We immediately searched them all, and +discovered the coat stuffed under the root of a tree near where they +were sitting; but the pipe we could not recover. Finding us determined +not to suffer any imposition, and discontented with them, they showed +their displeasure in the only way which they dared, by returning in an +ill-humor to their village. + +“We then proceeded and soon met two canoes, with twelve men of the same +Skilloot nation, who were on their way from below. The larger of the +canoes was ornamented with the figure of a bear in the bow and a man in +the stern, both nearly as large as life, both made of painted wood +and very neatly fixed to the boat. In the same canoe were two Indians, +finely dressed and with round hats. This circumstance induced us to give +the name of Image-canoe to the large island, the lower end of which we +now passed at the distance of nine miles from its head.” + +Here they had their first full view of Mt. St. Helen’s, sometimes called +Mt. Ranier. The peak is in Washington and is 9,750 feet high. It has +a sugar-loaf, or conical, shape and is usually covered with snow. The +narrative of the expedition continues as follows:-- + +“The Skilloots that we passed to-day speak a language somewhat different +from that of the Echeloots or Chilluckittequaws near the long narrows. +Their dress, however, is similar, except that the Skilloots possess +more articles procured from the white traders; and there is this farther +difference between them, that the Skilloots, both males and females, +have the head flattened. Their principal food is fish, wappatoo roots, +and some elk and deer, in killing which with arrows they seem to be very +expert; for during the short time we remained at the village, three deer +were brought in. We also observed there a tame blaireau, (badger).” + +The journal, November 5, says:-- + +“Our choice of a camp had been very unfortunate; for on a sand-island +opposite us were immense numbers of geese, swan, ducks, and other wild +fowl, which during the whole night serenaded us with a confusion of +noises which completely prevented our sleeping. During the latter part +of the night it rained, and we therefore willingly left camp at an early +hour. We passed at three miles a small prairie, where the river is only +three-quarters of a mile in width, and soon after two houses on the +left, half a mile distant from each other; from one of which three men +came in a canoe merely to look at us, and having done so returned home. +At eight miles we came to the lower point of an island, separated from +the right side by a narrow channel, on which, a short distance above +the end of the island, is situated a large village. It is built more +compactly than the generality of the Indian villages, and the front +has fourteen houses, which are ranged for a quarter of a mile along the +channel. As soon as we were discovered seven canoes came out to see +us, and after some traffic, during which they seemed well disposed and +orderly, accompanied us a short distance below.” + +The explorers now met Indians of a different nation from those whom they +had seen before. The journal says:-- + +“These people seem to be of a different nation from those we have just +passed; they are low in stature, ill shaped, and all have their heads +flattened. They call themselves Wahkiacum, and their language differs +from that of the tribes above, with whom they trade for wappatoo-roots. +The houses are built in a different style, being raised entirely above +ground, with the caves about five feet high and the door at the corner. +Near the end, opposite this door, is a single fireplace, round which are +the beds, raised four feet from the floor of earth; over the fire +are hung the fresh fish, which, when dried, are stowed away with the +wappatoo-roots under the beds. The dress of the men is like that of the +people above, but the women are clad in a peculiar manner, the robe not +reaching lower than the hip, and the body being covered in cold weather +by a sort of corset of fur, curiously plaited and reaching from the arms +to the hip; added to this is a sort of petticoat, or rather tissue of +white cedar bark, bruised or broken into small strands, and woven into +a girdle by several cords of the same material. Being tied round the +middle, these strands hang down as low as the knee in front, and to the +mid-leg behind; they are of sufficient thickness to answer the purpose +of concealment whilst the female stands in an erect position, but in any +other attitude form but a very ineffectual defence. Sometimes the +tissue is strings of silk-grass, twisted and knotted at the end. After +remaining with them about an hour, we proceeded down the channel with an +Indian dressed in a sailor’s jacket for our pilot, and on reaching the +main channel were visited by some Indians who have a temporary residence +on a marshy island in the middle of the river, where is a great +abundance of water-fowl.” + +The tribe of Indians known as the Wahkiacums has entirely disappeared; +but the name survives as that of one of the counties of Washington +bordering on the Columbia. Wahkiacum is the county lying next west of +Cowlitz. When the explorers passed down the river under the piloting of +their Indian friend wearing a sailor’s jacket, they were in a thick fog. +This cleared away and a sight greeted their joyful vision. Their story +says:-- + +“At a distance of twenty miles from our camp, we halted at a village of +Wahkiacums, consisting of seven ill-looking houses, built in the same +form with those above, and situated at the foot of the high hills on the +right, behind two small marshy islands. We merely stopped to purchase +some food and two beaver skins, and then proceeded. Opposite to these +islands the hills on the left retire, and the river widens into a kind +of bay, crowded with low islands, subject to be overflowed occasionally +by the tide. We had not gone far from this village when, the fog +suddenly clearing away, we were at last presented with the glorious +sight of the ocean--that ocean, the object of all our labors, the reward +of all our anxieties. This animating sight exhilarated the spirits of +all the party, who were still more delighted on hearing the distant +roar of the breakers. We went on with great cheerfulness along the high, +mountainous country which bordered the right bank: the shore, however, +was so bold and rocky, that we could not, until at a distance of +fourteen miles from the last village, find any spot fit for an +encampment. Having made during the day thirty-four miles, we now spread +our mats on the ground, and passed the night in the rain. Here we were +joined by our small canoe, which had been separated from us during the +fog this morning. Two Indians from the last village also accompanied us +to the camp; but, having detected them in stealing a knife, they were +sent off.” + +It is not very easy for us, who have lived comfortably at home, or who +have travelled only in luxurious railway-cars and handsomely equipped +steamers, to realize the joy and rapture with which these far-wandering +explorers hailed the sight of the sea,--the sea to which they had so +long been journeying, through deserts, mountain-passes, and tangled +wildernesses. In his diary Captain Clark thus sets down some indication +of his joy on that memorable day, November 8, 1805: “Great joy in camp. +We are in view of the Ocean, this great Pacific Ocean which we have +been so long anxious to see, and the roaring or noise made by the waves +breaking on the rocky shores (as I suppose) may be heard distinctly.” + Later, same day, he says, “Ocean in view! O! the joy!” Fortunately, the +hardships to be undergone on the shores of the ocean were then unknown +and undreamed of; the travellers were thankful to see the sea, the +goal of all their hopes, the end of their long pilgrimage across the +continent. + +That night they camped near the mouth of the river in what is now known +as Gray’s Bay, on the north side of the river, in the southwest corner +of Wahkiacum County. Before they could reach their camping-place, +the water was so rough that some of the men had an unusual +experience,--seasickness. They passed a disagreeable night on a narrow, +rocky bench of land. Next day they say: + +“Fortunately for us, the tide did not rise as high as our camp during +the night; but being accompanied by high winds from the south, the +canoes, which we could not place beyond its reach, were filled with +water, and were saved with much difficulty. Our position was very +uncomfortable, but as it was impossible to move from it, we waited for a +change of weather. It rained, however, during the whole day, and at two +o’clock in the afternoon the flood tide set in, accompanied by a high +wind from the south, which, about four o’clock, shifted to the southwest +and blew almost a gale directly from the sea. The immense waves now +broke over the place where we were camped; the large trees, some of them +five or six feet thick, which had lodged at the point, were drifted over +our camp, and the utmost vigilance of every man could scarcely save +our canoes from being crushed to pieces. We remained in the water, and +drenched with rain, during the rest of the day, our only food being +some dried fish and some rain-water which we caught. Yet, though wet +and cold, and some of them sick from using salt water, the men were +cheerful, and full of anxiety to see more of the ocean. The rain +continued all night.” + +This was the beginning of troubles. Next day, the wind having lulled, +the party set forth again, only to be beaten back and compelled to take +to the shore again. This was their experience for several days. For +example, under date of the eleventh the journal says:-- + +“The wind was still high from the southwest, and drove the waves against +the shore with great fury; the rain too fell in torrents, and not only +drenched us to the skin, but loosened the stones on the hillsides, +which then came rolling down upon us. In this comfortless situation we +remained all day, wet, cold, with nothing but dried fish to satisfy our +hunger; the canoes in one place at the mercy of the waves, the baggage +in another, and all the men scattered on floating logs, or sheltering +themselves in the crevices of the rocks and hillsides. A hunter was +despatched in hopes of finding some fresh meat; but the hills were so +steep, and so covered with undergrowth and fallen timber, that he could +not penetrate them, and he was forced to return.” + +And this is the record for the next day:-- + +“About three o’clock a tremendous gale of wind arose accompanied with +lightning, thunder, and hail: at six it lightened up for a short time, +but a violent rain soon began, and lasted through the day. During the +storm, one of our boats, secured by being sunk with great quantities of +stone, got loose, but, drifting against a rock, was recovered without +having received much injury. Our situation now became much more +dangerous, for the waves were driven with fury against the rocks +and trees, which till now had afforded us refuge: we therefore took +advantage of the low tide, and moved about half a mile round a point to +a small brook, which we had not observed before on account of the thick +bushes and driftwood which concealed its mouth. Here we were more safe, +but still cold and wet; our clothes and bedding rotten as well as wet, +our baggage at a distance, and the canoes, our only means of escape from +this place, at the mercy of the waves. Still, we continued to enjoy good +health, and even had the luxury of feasting on some salmon and three +salmon trout which we caught in the brook. Three of the men attempted to +go round a point in our small Indian canoe, but the high waves rendered +her quite unmanageable, these boats requiring the seamanship of the +natives to make them live in so rough a sea.” + +It should be borne in mind that the canoes of the explorers were poor +dug-outs, unfit to navigate the turbulent waters of the bay, and the men +were not so expert in that sort of seamanship as were the Indians whom +they, with envy, saw breasting the waves and making short voyages in the +midst of the storms. It continued to rain without any intermission, +and the waves dashed up among the floating logs of the camp in a very +distracting manner. The party now had nothing but dried fish to eat, +and it was with great difficulty that a fire could be built. On +the fifteenth of the month, Captain Lewis having found a better +camping-place near a sandy beach, they started to move their luggage +thither; but before they could get under way, a high wind from the +southwest sprung up and they were forced to remain. But the sun came out +and they were enabled to dry their stuff, much of which had been spoiled +by the rain which had prevailed for the past ten days. Their fish also +was no longer fit to eat, and they were indeed in poor case. Captain +Lewis was out on a prospecting trip, and the party set out and found a +beach through which a pleasant brook flowed to the river, making a very +good camping-place. At the mouth of this stream was an ancient Chinook +village, which, says the journal, “has at present no inhabitants but +fleas.” The adventurers were compelled to steer wide of all old Indian +villages, they were so infested with fleas. At times, so great was +the pest, the men were forced to take off all their clothing and soak +themselves and their garments in the river before they could be rid +of the insects. The site of their new camp was at the southeast end +of Baker’s Bay, sometimes called Haley’s Bay, a mile above a very high +point of rocks. On arriving at this place, the voyagers met with an +unpleasant experience of which the journal gives this account:-- + +“Here we met Shannon, who had been sent back to meet us by Captain +Lewis. The day Shannon left us in the canoe, he and Willard proceeded +till they met a party of twenty Indians, who, having never heard of us, +did not know where they (our men) came from; they, however, behaved with +so much civility, and seemed so anxious that the men should go with them +toward the sea, that their suspicions were excited, and they declined +going on. The Indians, however, would not leave them; the men being +confirmed in their suspicions, and fearful that if they went into the +woods to sleep they would be cut to pieces in the night, thought it best +to pass the night in the midst of the Indians. They therefore made a +fire, and after talking with them to a late hour, laid down with their +rifles under their heads. As they awoke that morning they found that +the Indians had stolen and concealed their guns. Having demanded them +in vain, Shannon seized a club, and was about assaulting one of the +Indians, whom he suspected as a thief, when another Indian began to +load a fowling-piece with the intention of shooting him. He therefore +stopped, and explained by signs that if they did not give up the guns +a large party would come down the river before the sun rose to such a +height, and put every one of them to death. Fortunately, Captain Lewis +and his party appeared at this time. The terrified Indians immediately +brought the guns, and five of them came on with Shannon. To these men we +declared that if ever any one of their nation stole anything from us, +he should be instantly shot. They reside to the north of this place, and +speak a language different from that of the people higher up the river. + +“It was now apparent that the sea was at all times too rough for us to +proceed further down the bay by water. We therefore landed, and having +chosen the best spot we could select, made our camp of boards from +the old (Chinook) village. We were now situated comfortably, and being +visited by four Wahkiacums with wappatoo-roots, were enabled to make an +agreeable addition to our food.” + +On the seventeenth Captain Lewis with a small party of his men coasted +the bay as far out as Cape Disappointment and some distance to the north +along the seacoast. Game was now plenty, and the camp was supplied with +ducks, geese, and venison. Bad weather again set in. The journal under +date of November 22 says:-- + +“It rained during the whole night, and about daylight a tremendous gale +of wind rose from the S.S.E., and continued through the day with great +violence. The sea ran so high that the water came into our camp, which +the rain prevents us from leaving. We purchased from the old squaw, for +armbands and rings, a few wappatoo-roots, on which we subsisted. They +are nearly equal in flavor to the Irish potato, and afford a very good +substitute for bread. The bad weather drove several Indians to our camp, +but they were still under the terrors of the threat which we made on +first seeing them, and behaved with the greatest decency. + +“The rain continued through the night, November 23, and the morning was +calm and cloudy. The hunters were sent out, and killed three deer, four +brant, and three ducks. Towards evening seven Clatsops came over in a +canoe, with two skins of the sea-otter. To this article they attached an +extravagant value; and their demands for it were so high, that we were +fearful it would too much reduce our small stock of merchandise, on +which we had to depend for subsistence on our return, to venture on +purchasing it. To ascertain, however, their ideas as to the value +of different objects, we offered for one of these skins a watch, a +handkerchief, an American dollar, and a bunch of red beads; but neither +the curious mechanism of the watch, nor even the red beads, could tempt +the owner: he refused the offer, but asked for tiacomoshack, or chief +beads, the most common sort of coarse blue-colored beads, the article +beyond all price in their estimation. Of these blue beads we had but +few, and therefore reserved them for more necessitous circumstances.” + +The officers of the expedition had hoped and expected to find here some +of the trading ships that were occasionally sent along the coast to +barter with the natives; but none were to be found. They were soon to +prepare for winter-quarters, and they still hoped that a trader might +appear in the spring before they set out on their homeward journey +across the continent. Very much they needed trinkets to deal with the +natives in exchange for, the needful articles of food on the route. But +(we may as well say here) no such relief ever appeared. It is strange +that President Jefferson, in the midst of his very minute orders and +preparations for the benefit of the explorers, did not think of sending +a relief ship to meet the party at the mouth of the Columbia. They would +have been saved a world of care, worry, and discomfort. But at that time +the European nations who held possessions on the Pacific coast were very +suspicious of the Americans, and possibly President Jefferson did not +like to risk rousing their animosity. + +The rain that now deluged the unhappy campers was so incessant that they +might well have thought that people should be web-footed to live in such +a watery region. In these later days, Oregon is sometimes known as “The +Web-foot State.” Captain Clark, in his diary, November 28, makes this +entry: “O! how disagreeable is our situation dureing this dreadfull +weather!” The gallant captain’s spelling was sometimes queer. Under that +date he adds:-- + +“We remained during the day in a situation the most cheerless and +uncomfortable. On this little neck of land we are exposed, with a +miserable covering which does not deserve the name of a shelter, to +the violence of the winds; all our bedding and stores, as well as +our bodies, are completely wet; our clothes are rotting with constant +exposure, and we have no food except the dried fish brought from the +falls, to which we are again reduced. The hunters all returned hungry +and drenched with rain, having seen neither deer nor elk, and the swan +and brant were too shy to be approached. At noon the wind shifted to the +northwest, and blew with such tremendous fury that many trees were blown +down near us. This gale lasted with short intervals during the whole +night.” + +Of course, in the midst of such violent storms, it was impossible to get +game, and the men were obliged to resort once more to a diet of +dried fish, This food caused much sickness in the camp, and it became +imperatively necessary that efforts should again be made to find game. +On the second of December, to their great joy an elk was killed, and +next day they had a feast. The journal says; + +“The wind was from the east and the morning fair; but, as if one whole +day of fine weather were not permitted, toward night it began to rain. +Even this transient glimpse of sunshine revived the spirits of the +party, who were still more pleased when the elk killed yesterday was +brought into camp. This was the first elk we had killed on the west side +of the Rocky Mountains, and condemned as we have been to the dried +fish, it formed a most nourishing food. After eating the marrow of the +shank-bones, the squaw chopped them fine, and by boiling extracted a +pint of grease, superior to the tallow itself of the animal. A canoe of +eight Indians, who were carrying down wappatoo-roots to trade with +the Clatsops, stopped at our camp; we bought a few roots for small +fish-hooks, and they then left us. Accustomed as we were to the sight, +we could not but view with admiration the wonderful dexterity with which +they guide their canoes over the most boisterous seas; for though the +waves were so high that before they had gone half a mile the canoe was +several times out of sight, they proceeded with the greatest calmness +and security. Two of the hunters who set out yesterday had lost their +way, and did not return till this evening. They had seen in their ramble +great signs of elk and had killed six, which they had butchered and left +at a great distance. A party was sent in the morning.” + +On the third of December Captain Clark carved on the trunk of a great +pine tree this inscription:-- + +“WM. CLARK DECEMBER 3D 1805 BY LAND FROM THE + +U. STATES IN 1804 & 5.” + + +A few days later, Captain Lewis took with him a small party and set out +to find a suitable spot on which to build their winter camp. He did not +return as soon as he was expected, and considerable uneasiness was felt +in camp on that account. But he came in safely. He brought good news; +they had discovered a river on the south side of the Columbia, not far +from their present encampment, where there were an abundance of elk and +a favorable place for a winter camp. Bad weather detained them until the +seventh of December, when a favorable change enabled them to proceed. +They made their way slowly and very cautiously down-stream, the tide +being against them. The narrative proceeds:-- + +“We at length turned a point, and found ourselves in a deep bay: here we +landed for breakfast, and were joined by the party sent out three days +ago to look for the six elk, killed by the Lewis party. They had lost +their way for a day and a half, and when they at last reached the place, +found the elk so much spoiled that they brought away nothing but the +skins of four of them. After breakfast we coasted round the bay, which +is about four miles across, and receives, besides several small creeks, +two rivers, called by the Indians, the one Kilhowanakel, the other +Netul. We named it Meriwether’s Bay, from the Christian name of Captain +Lewis, who was, no doubt, the first white man who had surveyed it. The +wind was high from the northeast, and in the middle of the day it rained +for two hours, and then cleared off. On reaching the south side of the +bay we ascended the Netul three miles, to the first point of high land +on its western bank, and formed our camp in a thick grove of lofty +pines, about two hundred yards from the water, and thirty feet above the +level of the high tides.” + + + + +Chapter XVIII -- Camping by the Pacific + +Next in importance to the building of a winter camp was the fixing of +a place where salt could be made. Salt is absolutely necessary for the +comfort of man, and the supply brought out from the United States by the +explorers was now nearly all gone. They were provided with kettles +in which sea-water could be boiled down and salt be made. It would be +needful to go to work at once, for the process of salt-making by boiling +in ordinary kettles is slow and tedious; not only must enough for +present uses be found, but a supply to last the party home again was +necessary. Accordingly, on the eighth of December the journal has this +entry to show what was to be done:-- + +“In order, therefore, to find a place for making salt, and to examine +the country further, Captain Clark set out with five men, and pursuing a +course S. 60'0 W., over a dividing ridge through thick pine timber, +much of which bad fallen, passed the beads of two small brooks. In the +neighborhood of these the land was swampy and overflowed, and they waded +knee-deep till they came to an open ridgy prairie, covered with the +plant known on our frontier by the name of sacacommis (bearberry). Here +is a creek about sixty yards wide and running toward Point Adams; they +passed it on a small raft. At this place they discovered a large herd of +elk, and after pursuing them for three miles over bad swamps and small +ponds, killed one of them. The agility with which the elk crossed the +swamps and bogs seems almost incredible; as we followed their track the +ground for a whole acre would shake at our tread and sometimes we sunk +to our hips without finding any bottom. Over the surface of these bogs +is a species of moss, among which are great numbers of cranberries; +and occasionally there rise from the swamp small steep knobs of earth, +thickly covered with pine and laurel. On one of these we halted at +night, but it was scarcely large enough to suffer us to lie clear of +the water, and had very little dry wood. We succeeded, however, in +collecting enough to make a fire; and having stretched the elk-skin to +keep off the rain, which still continued, slept till morning.” + +Next day the party were met by three Indians who had been fishing for +salmon, of which they had a goodly supply, and were now on their way +home to their village on the seacoast. They, invited Captain Clark and +his men to accompany them; and the white men accepted the invitation. +These were Clatsops. Their village consisted of twelve families living +in houses of split pine boards, the lower half of the house being +underground. By a small ladder in the middle of the house-front, the +visitors reached the floor, which was about four feet below the surface. +Two fires were burning in the middle of the room upon the earthen floor. +The beds were ranged around the room next to the wall, with spaces +beneath them for bags, baskets, and household articles. + +Captain Clark was received with much attention, clean mats were spread +for him, and a repast of fish, roots, and berries was set before him. +He noticed that the Clatsops were well dressed and clean, and that they +frequently washed their faces and hands, a ceremony, he remarked, that +is by no means frequent among other Indians. A high wind now prevailed, +and as the evening was stormy, Captain Clark resolved to stay all night +with his hospitable Clatsops. The narrative proceeds:-- + +“The men of the village now collected and began to gamble. The most +common game was one in which one of the company was banker, and played +against all the rest. He had a piece of bone, about the size of a large +bean, and having agreed with any individual as to the value of the +stake, would pass the bone from one hand to the other with great +dexterity, singing at the same time to divert the attention of his +adversary; then holding it in his hands, his antagonist was challenged +to guess in which of them the bone was, and lost or won as he pointed +to the right or wrong hand. To this game of hazard they abandoned +themselves with great ardor; sometimes everything they possess is +sacrificed to it; and this evening several of the Indians lost all +the beads which they had with them. This lasted for three hours; when, +Captain Clark appearing disposed to sleep, the man who had been most +attentive, and whose name was Cuskalah, spread two new mats near the +fire, ordered his wife to retire to her own bed, and the rest of the +company dispersed at the same time. Captain Clark then lay down, but +the violence with which the fleas attacked him did not leave his rest +unbroken.” + +Next morning, Captain Clark walked along the seashore, and he observed +that the Indians were walking up and down, examining the shore and the +margin of a creek that emptied here. The narrative says:-- + +“He was at a loss to understand their object till one of them came to +him, and explained that they were in search of any fish which might have +been thrown on shore and left by the tide, adding in English, ‘sturgeon +is very good.’ There is, indeed, every reason to believe that these +Clatsops depend for their subsistence, during the winter, chiefly on the +fish thus casually thrown on the coast. After amusing himself for some +time on the beach, he returned towards the village, and shot on his way +two brant. As he came near the village, one of the Indians asked him +to shoot a duck about thirty steps distant: he did so, and, having +accidentally shot off its head, the bird was brought to the village, +when all the Indians came round in astonishment. They examined the duck, +the musket, and the very small bullets, which were a hundred to the +pound, and then exclaimed, Clouch musque, waket, commatax musquet: Good +musket; do not understand this kind of musket. They now placed before +him their best roots, fish, and syrup, after which he attempted to +purchase a sea-otter skin with some red beads which he happened to have +about him; but they declined trading, as they valued none except blue or +white beads. He therefore bought nothing but a little berry-bread and a +few roots, in exchange for fish-hooks, and then set out to return by the +same route he had come. He was accompanied by Cuskalah and his brother +as far as the third creek, and then proceeded to the camp through a +heavy rain. The whole party had been occupied during his absence in +cutting down trees to make huts, and in hunting.” + +This was the occupation of all hands for several days, notwithstanding +the discomfort of the continual downpour. Many of the men were ill from +the effects of sleeping and living so constantly in water. Under date of +December 12, the journal has this entry:-- + +“We continued to work in the rain at our houses. In the evening there +arrived two canoes of Clatsops, among whom was a principal chief, called +Comowol. We gave him a medal and treated his companions with great +attention; after which we began to bargain for a small sea-otter skin, +some wappatoo-roots, and another species of root called shanataque. +We readily perceived that they were close dealers, stickled much for +trifles, and never closed the bargain until they thought they had the +advantage. The wappatoo is dear, as they themselves are obliged to give +a high price for it to the Indians above. Blue beads are the articles +most in request; the white occupy the next place in their estimation; +but they do not value much those of any other color. We succeeded at +last in purchasing their whole cargo for a few fish-hooks and a small +sack of Indian tobacco, which we had received from the Shoshonees.” + +The winter camp was made up of seven huts, and, although it was not so +carefully fortified as was the fort in the Mandan country (during the +previous winter), it was so arranged that intruders could be kept out +when necessary. For the roofs of these shelters they were provided with +“shakes” split out from a species of pine which they called “balsam +pine,” and which gave them boards, or puncheons, or shakes, ten feet +long and two feet wide, and not more than an inch and a half thick. By +the sixteenth of December their meat-house was finished, and their meat, +so much of which had been spoiled for lack of proper care, was cut up +in small pieces and hung under cover. They had been told by the Indians +that very little snow ever fell in that region, and the weather, +although very, very wet, was mild and usually free from frost. They did +have severe hailstorms and a few flurries of snow in December but the +rain was a continual cause of discomfort. Of the trading habits of the +Clatsops the journal has this to say:-- + +“Three Indians came in a canoe with mats, roots, and the berries of the +sacacommis. These people proceed with a dexterity and finesse in their +bargains which, if they have not learned it from their foreign visitors, +may show how nearly allied is the cunning of savages to the little arts +of traffic. They begin by asking double or treble the value of what they +have to sell, and lower their demand in proportion to the greater or +less degree of ardor or knowledge of the purchaser, who, with all his +management, is not able to procure the article for less than its real +value, which the Indians perfectly understand. Our chief medium of trade +consists of blue and white beads, files,--with which they sharpen their +tools,--fish-hooks, and tobacco; but of all these articles blue beads +and tobacco are the most esteemed.” + +But, although their surroundings were not of a sort to make one very +jolly, when Christmas came they observed the day as well as they could. +Here is what the journal says of the holiday:-- + +“We were awaked at daylight by a discharge of firearms, which was +followed by a song from the men, as a compliment to us on the return of +Christmas, which we have always been accustomed to observe as a day of +rejoicing. After breakfast we divided our remaining stock of tobacco, +which amounted to twelve carrots (hands), into two parts; one of which +we distributed among such of the party as make use of it, making a +present of a handkerchief to the others. The remainder of the day was +passed in good spirits, though there was nothing in our situation to +excite much gayety. The rain confined us to the house, and our only +luxuries in honor of the season were some poor elk, so much spoiled that +we ate it through sheer necessity, a few roots, and some spoiled pounded +fish. + +“The next day brought a continuation of rain, accompanied with thunder, +and a high wind from the southeast. We were therefore obliged to still +remain in our huts, and endeavored to dry our wet articles before the +fire. The fleas, which annoyed us near the portage of the Great Falls, +have taken such possession of our clothes that we are obliged to have a +regular search every day through our blankets as a necessary preliminary +to sleeping at night. These animals, indeed, are so numerous that they +are almost a calamity to the Indians of this country. When they have +once obtained the mastery of any house it is impossible to expel them, +and the Indians have frequently different houses, to which they resort +occasionally when the fleas have rendered their permanent residence +intolerable; yet, in spite of these precautions, every Indian is +constantly attended by multitudes of them, and no one comes into our +house without leaving behind him swarms of these tormenting insects.” + +Although the condition of the exploring party was low, the men did not +require very much to put them in good spirits. The important and happy +event of finishing their fort and the noting of good weather are thus +set forth in the journal under date of December 30:-- + +“Toward evening the hunters brought in four elk (which Drewyer had +killed), and after a long course of abstinence and miserable diet, we +had a most sumptuous supper of elk’s tongues and marrow. Besides this +agreeable repast, the state of the weather was quite exhilarating. It +had rained during the night, but in the morning, though the high wind +continued, we enjoyed the fairest and most pleasant weather since our +arrival; the sun having shone at intervals, and there being only +three showers in the course of the day. By sunset we had completed the +fortification, and now announced to the Indians that every day at that +hour the gates would be closed, and they must leave the fort and not +enter it till sunrise. The Wahkiacums who remained with us, and who were +very forward in their deportment, complied very reluctantly with this +order; but, being excluded from our houses, formed a camp near us. . . . + +“January 1, 1806. We were awaked at an early hour by the discharge of a +volley of small arms, to salute the new year. This was the only mode of +commemorating the day which our situation permitted; for, though we had +reason to be gayer than we were at Christmas, our only dainties were +boiled elk and wappatoo, enlivened by draughts of pure water. We were +visited by a few Clatsops, who came by water, bringing roots and berries +for sale. Among this nation we observed a man about twenty-five years +old, of a much lighter complexion than the Indians generally: his face +was even freckled, and his hair long, and of a colour inclining to red. +He was in habits and manners perfectly Indian; but, though he did not +speak a word of English, he seemed to understand more than the others +of his party; and, as we could obtain no account of his origin, we +concluded that one of his parents, at least, must have been white.” + +A novel addition to their bill of fare was fresh blubber, or fat, from a +stranded whale. Under date of January 3 the journal says:-- + +“At eleven o’clock we were visited by our neighbor, the Tia or chief, +Comowool, who is also called Coone, and six Clatsops. Besides roots +and berries, they brought for sale three dogs, and some fresh blubber. +Having been so long accustomed to live on the flesh of dogs, the greater +part of us have acquired a fondness for it, and our original aversion +for it is overcome, by reflecting that while we subsisted on that food +we were fatter, stronger, and in general enjoyed better health than at +any period since leaving the buffalo country, eastward of the mountains. +The blubber, which is esteemed by the Indians an excellent food, has +been obtained, they tell us, from their neighbors, the Killamucks, a +nation who live on the seacoast to the southeast, near one of whose +villages a whale had recently been thrown and foundered.” + +Five men had been sent out to form a camp on the seashore and go into +the manufacture of salt as expeditiously as possible. On the fifth of +January, two of them came into the fort bringing a gallon of salt, which +was decided to be “white, fine and very good,” and a very agreeable +addition to their food, which had been eaten perfectly fresh for some +weeks past. Captain Clark, however, said it was a “mere matter of +indifference” to him whether he had salt or not, but he hankered for +bread. Captain Lewis, on the other hand, said the lack of salt was a +great inconvenience; “the want of bread I consider trivial,” was his +dictum. It was estimated that the salt-makers could turn out three or +four quarts a day, and there was good prospect of an abundant supply +for present needs and for the homeward journey. An expedition to the +seashore was now planned, and the journal goes on to tell how they set +out:-- + +“The appearance of the whale seemed to be a matter of importance to all +the neighboring Indians, and as we might be able to procure some of it +for ourselves, or at least purchase blubber from the Indians, a small +parcel of merchandise was prepared, and a party of the men held in +readiness to set out in the morning. As soon as this resolution was +known, Chaboneau and his wife requested that they might be permitted +to accompany us. The poor woman stated very earnestly that she had +travelled a great way with us to see the great water, yet she had never +been down to the coast, and now that this monstrous fish was also to +be seen, it seemed hard that she should be permitted to see neither the +ocean nor the whale. So reasonable a request could not be denied; they +were therefore suffered to accompany Captain Clark, who, January 6th, +after an early breakfast, set out with twelve men in two canoes.” + +After a long and tedious trip, the camp of the saltmakers was reached, +and Captain Clark and his men went on to the remains of the whale, only +the skeleton being left by the rapacious and hungry Indians. The whale +had been stranded between two shore villages tenanted by the Killamucks, +as Captain Clark called them. They are now known as the Tillamook +Indians, and their name is preserved in Tillamook County, Oregon. The +white men found it difficult to secure much of the blubber, or the oil. +Although the Indians had large quantities of both, they sold it with +much reluctance. In Clark’s private diary is found this entry: “Small +as this stock (of oil and lubber) is I prize it highly; and thank +Providence for directing the whale to us; and think him more kind to +us than he was to Jonah, having sent this monster to be swallowed by us +instead of swallowing us as Jonah’s did.” While here, the party had a +startling experience, as the journal says:-- + +“Whilst smoking with the Indians, Captain Clark was surprised, about ten +o’clock, by a loud, shrill outcry from the opposite village, on hearing +which all the Indians immediately started up to cross the creek, and the +guide informed him that someone had been killed. On examination one +of the men (M’Neal) was discovered to be absent, and a guard (Sergeant +Pryor and four men) despatched, who met him crossing the creek in great +haste. An Indian belonging to another band, who happened to be with the +Killamucks that evening, had treated him with much kindness, and walked +arm in arm with him to a tent where our man found a Chinnook squaw, +who was an old acquaintance. From the conversation and manner of the +stranger, this woman discovered that his object was to murder the white +man for the sake of the few articles on his person; when he rose and +pressed our man to go to another tent where they would find something +better to eat, she held M’Neal by the blanket; not knowing her object, +he freed himself from her, and was going on with his pretended friend, +when she ran out and gave the shriek which brought the men of the +village over, and the stranger ran off before M’Neal knew what had +occasioned the alarm.” + +The “mighty hunter” of the Lewis and Clark expedition was Drewyer, whose +name has frequently been mentioned in these pages. Under date of January +12, the journal has this just tribute to the man:-- + +“Our meat is now becoming scarce; we therefore determined to jerk it, +and issue it in small quantities, instead of dividing it among the four +messes, and leaving to each the care of its own provisions; a plan by +which much is lost, in consequence of the improvidence of the men. Two +hunters had been despatched in the morning, and one of them, Drewyer, +had before evening killed seven elk. We should scarcely be able to +subsist, were it not for the exertions of this most excellent hunter. +The game is scarce, and nothing is now to be seen except elk, which for +almost all the men are very difficult to be procured; but Drewyer, who +is the offspring of a Canadian Frenchman and an Indian woman, has passed +his life in the woods, and unites, in a wonderful degree, the dexterous +aim of the frontier huntsman with the intuitive sagacity of the Indian, +in pursuing the faintest tracks through the forest. All our men, +however, have indeed become so expert with the rifle that we are never +under apprehensions as to food; since, whenever there is game of any +kind, we are almost certain of procuring it.” + +The narrative of the explorers gives this account of the Chinooks:-- + +“The men are low in stature, rather ugly, and ill made; their legs being +small and crooked, their feet large, and their heads, like those of the +women, flattened in a most disgusting manner. These deformities are +in part concealed by robes made of sea-otter, deer, elk, beaver or +fox skins. They also employ in their dress robes of the skin of a cat +peculiar to this country, and of another animal of the same size, which +is light and durable, and sold at a high price by the Indians who bring +it from above. In addition to these are worn blankets, wrappers of red, +blue, or spotted cloth, and some old sailors’ clothes, which are very +highly prized. The greater part of the men have guns, with powder and +ball. + +“The women have in general handsome faces, but are low and +disproportioned, with small feet and large legs, occasioned, probably, +by strands of beads, or various strings, drawn so tight above the ankles +as to prevent the circulation of the blood. Their dress, like that of +the Wahkiacums, consists of a short robe and a tissue of cedar bark. +Their hair hangs loosely down the shoulders and back; and their ears, +neck, and wrists are ornamented with blue beads. Another decoration, +which is very highly prized, consists of figures made by puncturing the +arms or legs; and on the arms of one of the squaws we observed the name +of J. Bowman, executed in the same way. In language, habits, and in +almost every other particular, they resemble the Clatsops, Cathlamahs, +and, indeed, all the people near the mouth of the Columbia, though they +appeared to be inferior to their neighbors in honesty as well as spirit. +No ill treatment or indignity on our part seemed to excite any feeling +except fear; nor, although better provided than their neighbors with +arms, have they enterprise enough either to use them advantageously +against the animals of the forest, or offensively against the +tribes near them, who owe their safety more to the timidity than the +forbearance of the Chinooks. We had heard instances of pilfering while +we were among them, and therefore gave a general order excluding them +from our encampment, so that whenever an Indian wished to visit us, he +began by calling out ‘No Chinook.’ It is not improbable that this first +impression may have left a prejudice against them, since, when we were +among the Clatsops and other tribes at the mouth of the Columbia, they +had less opportunity of stealing, if they were so disposed.” + +The weeks remaining before the party set out on their return were passed +without notable incident. The journal is chiefly occupied with comments +on the weather, which was variable, and some account of the manners and +customs of the Indian tribes along the Columbia River. At that time, +so few traders had penetrated the wilds of the Lower Columbia that the +Indians were not supplied with firearms to any great extent. Their main +reliance was the bow and arrow. A few shotguns were seen among them, +but no rifles, and great was the admiration and wonder with which the +Indians saw the white men slay birds and animals at a long distance. +Pitfalls for elk were constructed by the side of fallen trees over which +the animals might leap. Concerning the manufactures of the Clatsops, +they reported as follows:-- + +“Their hats are made of cedar-bark and bear-grass, interwoven together +in the form of a European hat, with a small brim of about two inches, +and a high crown widening upward. They are light, ornamented with +various colors and figures, and being nearly water-proof, are much more +durable than either chip or straw hats. These hats form a small article +of traffic with the whites, and their manufacture is one of the best +exertions of Indian industry. They are, however, very dexterous in +making a variety of domestic utensils, among which are bowls, spoons, +scewers (skewers), spits, and baskets. The bowl or trough is of +different shapes--round, semicircular, in the form of a canoe, or cubic, +and generally dug out of a single piece of wood; the larger vessels have +holes in the sides by way of handles, and all are executed with great +neatness. In these vessels they boil their food, by throwing hot stones +into the water, and extract oil from different animals in the same way. +Spoons are not very abundant, nor is there anything remarkable in their +shape, except that they are large and the bowl broad. Meat is roasted on +one end of a sharp skewer, placed erect before the fire, with the other +end fixed in the ground. + +“But the most curious workmanship is that of the basket. It is formed of +cedar-bark and bear-grass, so closely interwoven that it is water-tight, +without the aid of either gum or resin. The form is generally conic, or +rather the segment (frustum) of a cone, of which the smaller end is +the bottom of the basket; and being made of all sizes, from that of the +smallest cup to the capacity of five or six gallons, they answer the +double purpose of a covering for the head or to contain water. Some +of them are highly ornamented with strands of bear-grass, woven into +figures of various colors, which require great labor; yet they are made +very expeditiously and sold for a trifle. It is for the construction +of these baskets that the bear-grass forms an article of considerable +traffic. It grows only near the snowy region of the high mountains; the +blade, which is two feet long and about three-eighths of an inch wide, +is smooth, strong, and pliant; the young blades particularly, from +their not being exposed to the sun and air, have an appearance of great +neatness, and are generally preferred. Other bags and baskets, not +waterproof, are made of cedar-bark, silk-grass, rushes, flags, and +common coarse sedge, for the use of families. In these manufactures, +as in the ordinary work of the house, the instrument most in use is a +knife, or rather a dagger. The handle of it is small, and has a strong +loop of twine for the thumb, to prevent its being wrested from the band. +On each side is a blade, double-edged and pointed; the longer from nine +to ten inches, the shorter from four to five. This knife is carried +habitually in the hand, sometimes exposed, but mostly, when in company +with strangers, is put under the robe.” + +Naturally, all of the Columbia River Indians were found to be expert +in the building and handling of canoes. Here their greatest skill was +employed. And, it may be added, the Indians of the North Pacific coast +to-day are equally adept and skilful. The canoes of the present race of +red men do not essentially differ from those of the tribes described by +Lewis and Clark, and who are now extinct. The Indians then living above +tide-water built canoes of smaller size than those employed by the +nations farther down the river. The canoes of the Tillamooks and other +tribes living on the seacoast were upwards of fifty feet long, and would +carry eight or ten thousand pounds’ weight, or twenty-five or thirty +persons. These were constructed from the trunk of a single tree, usually +white cedar. The bow and stern rose much higher than the gunwale, and +were adorned by grotesque figures excellently well carved and fitted +to pedestals cut in the solid wood of the canoe. The same method of +adornment may be seen among the aborigines of Alaska and other regions +of the North Pacific, to-day. The figures are made of small pieces of +wood neatly fitted together by inlaying and mortising, without any spike +of any kind. When one reflects that the Indians seen by Lewis and Clark +constructed their large canoes with very poor tools, it is impossible +to withhold one’s admiration of their industry and patience. The journal +says:-- + +“Our admiration of their skill in these curious constructions was +increased by observing the very inadequate implements which they use. +These Indians possess very few axes, and the only tool they employ, from +felling the tree to the delicate workmanship of the images, is a chisel +made of an old file, about an inch or an inch and a half in width. +Even of this, too, they have not learned the proper management; for the +chisel is sometimes fixed in a large block of wood, and, being held in +the right hand, the block is pushed with the left, without the aid of a +mallet. But under all these disadvantages, their canoes, which one +would suppose to be the work of years, are made in a few weeks. A canoe, +however, is very highly prized, being in traffic an article of the +greatest value except a wife, and of equal value with her; so that +a lover generally gives a canoe to the father in exchange for his +daughter. . . . + +“The harmony of their private life is secured by their ignorance +of spirituous liquors, the earliest and most dreadful present which +civilization has given to the other natives of the continent. Although +they have had so much intercourse with whites, they do not appear to +possess any knowledge of those dangerous luxuries; at least they have +never inquired after them, which they probably would have done if once +liquors bad been introduced among them. Indeed, we have not observed any +liquor of intoxicating quality among these or any Indians west of the +Rocky Mountains, the universal beverage being pure water. They, however, +sometimes almost intoxicate themselves by smoking tobacco, of which they +are excessively fond, and the pleasures of which they prolong as much as +possible, by retaining vast quantities at a time, till after circulating +through the lungs and stomach it issues in volumes from the mouth and +nostrils.” + +A long period of quiet prevailed in camp after the first of February, +before the final preparations for departure were made. Parties were sent +out every day to hunt, and the campers were able to command a few days’ +supply of provision in advance. The flesh of the deer was now very lean +and poor, but that of the elk was growing better and better. It was +estimated by one of the party that they killed, between December +1, 1805, and March 20, 1806, elk to the number of one hundred and +thirty-one, and twenty deer. Some of this meat they smoked for its +better preservation, but most of it was eaten fresh. No record was kept +of the amount of fish consumed by the party; but they were obliged at +times to make fish their sole article of diet. Late in February they +were visited by Comowool, the principal Clatsop chief, who brought them +a sturgeon and quantities of a small fish which had just begun to make +its appearance in the Columbia. This was known as the anchovy, but +oftener as the candle-fish; it is so fat that it may be burned like a +torch, or candle. The journal speaks of Comowool as “by far the most +friendly and decent savage we have seen in this neighborhood.” + + + + +Chapter XIX -- With Faces turned Homeward + +The officers of the expedition had decided to begin their homeward march +on the first of April; but a natural impatience induced them to start +a little earlier, and, as a matter of record, it may be said that they +evacuated Fort Clatsop on the 23d of March, 1806. An examination of +their stock of ammunition showed that they had on hand a supply of +powder amply sufficient for their needs when travelling the three +thousand miles of wilderness in which their sole reliance for food must +be the game to be killed. The powder was kept in leaden canisters, and +these, when empty, were used for making balls for muskets and rifles. +Three bushels of salt were collected for their use on the homeward +journey. + +What they needed now most of all was an assortment of small wares and +trinkets with which to trade with the Indians among whom they must +spend so many months before reaching civilization again. They had ample +letters of credit from the Government at Washington, and if they had met +with white traders on the seacoast, they could have bought anything that +money would buy. They had spent nearly all their stock in coming across +the continent. This is Captain Lewis’s summary of the goods on hand just +before leaving Fort Clatsop:-- + +“All the small merchandise we possess might be tied up in a couple +of handkerchiefs. The rest of our stock in trade consists of six blue +robes, one scarlet ditto, five robes which we made out of our large +United States flag, a few old clothes trimmed with ribbons, and one +artillerist’s uniform coat and hat, which probably Captain Clark will +never wear again. We have to depend entirely upon this meagre outfit for +the purchase of such horses and provisions as it will be in our power to +obtain--a scant dependence, indeed, for such a journey as is before us.” + +One of their last acts was to draw up a full list of the members of +the party, and, making several copies of it, to leave these among the +friendly Indians with instructions to give a paper to the first white +men who should arrive in the country. On the back of the paper was +traced the track by which the explorers had come and that by which +they expected to return. This is a copy of one of these important +documents:-- + +“The object of this list is, that through the medium of some civilized +person who may see the same, it may be made known to the informed +world, that the party consisting of the persons whose names are hereunto +annexed, and who were sent out by the government of the U’States in May, +1804, to explore the interior of the Continent of North America, did +penetrate the same by way of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers, to the +discharge of the latter into the Pacific Ocean, where they arrived on +the 14th of November, 1805, and from whence they departed the 23d day of +March, 1806, on their return to the United States by the same rout they +had come out.” + +Curiously enough, one of these papers did finally reach the United +States. During the summer of 1806, the brig “Lydia,” Captain Hill, +entered the Columbia for the purpose of trading with the natives. From +one of these Captain Hill secured the paper, which he took to +Canton, China, in January, 1807. Thence it was sent to a gentleman in +Philadelphia, having travelled nearly all the way round the world. + +Fort Clatsop, as they called the rude collection of huts in which they +had burrowed all winter, with its rude furniture and shelters, was +formally given to Comowool, the Clatsop chief who had been so kind +to the party. Doubtless the crafty savage had had his eye on this +establishment, knowing that it was to be abandoned in the spring. + +The voyagers left Fort Clatsop about one o’clock in the day, and, after +making sixteen miles up the river, camped for the night. Next day, they +reached an Indian village where they purchased “some wappatoo and a +dog for the invalids.” They still had several men on the sick list in +consequence of the hard fare of the winter. The weather was cold and +wet, and wood for fuel was difficult to obtain. In a few days they found +themselves among their old friends, the Skilloots, who had lately been +at war with the Chinooks. There was no direct intercourse between +the two nations as yet, but the Chinooks traded with the Clatsops and +Wahkiacums, and these in turn traded with the Skilloots, and in this way +the two hostile tribes exchanged the articles which they had for those +which they desired. The journal has this to say about the game of an +island on which the explorers tarried for a day or two, in order to dry +their goods and mend their canoes:-- + +“This island, which has received from the Indians the appropriate name +of Elalah (Elallah), or Deer Island, is surrounded on the water-side by +an abundant growth of cottonwood, ash, and willow, while the interior +consists chiefly of prairies interspersed with ponds. These afford +refuge to great numbers of geese, ducks, large swan, sandhill cranes, +a few canvas-backed ducks, and particularly the duckinmallard, the most +abundant of all. There are also great numbers of snakes resembling our +garter-snakes in appearance, and like them not poisonous. Our hunters +brought in three deer, a goose, some ducks, an eagle, and a tiger-cat. +Such is the extreme voracity of the vultures, that they had devoured in +the space of a few hours four of the deer killed this morning; and one +of our men declared that they had besides dragged a large buck about +thirty yards, skinned it, and broken the backbone.” + +The vulture here referred to is better known as the California condor, a +great bird of prey which is now so nearly extinct that few specimens +are ever seen, and the eggs command a great price from those who make +collections of such objects. A condor killed by one of the hunters of +the Lewis and Clark expedition measured nine feet and six inches from +tip to tip of its wings, three feet and ten inches from the point of the +bill to the end of the tail, and six inches and a half from the back of +the head to the tip of the beak. Very few of the condors of the Andes +are much larger than this, though one measuring eleven feet from tip to +tip has been reported. + +While camped at Quicksand, or Sandy River, the party learned that food +supplies up the Columbia were scarce. The journal says that the Indians +met here were descending the river in search of food. It adds:-- + +“They told us, that they lived at the Great Rapids; but that the +scarcity of provisions there had induced them to come down, in the hopes +of finding subsistence in the more fertile valley. All the people living +at the Rapids, as well as the nations above them, were in much distress +for want of food, having consumed their winter store of dried fish, and +not expecting the return of the salmon before the next full moon, +which would be on the second of May: this information was not a little +embarrassing. From the Falls to the Chopunnish nation, the plains +afforded neither deer, elk, nor antelope for our subsistence. The +horses were very poor at this season, and the dogs must be in the same +condition, if their food, the dried fish, had failed. Still, it was +obviously inexpedient for us to wait for the return of the salmon, +since in that case we might not reach the Missouri before the ice would +prevent our navigating it. We might, besides, hazard the loss of our +horses, as the Chopunnish, with whom we had left them, would cross the +mountains as early as possible, or about the beginning of May, and take +our horses with them, or suffer them to disperse, in either of which +cases the passage of the mountains will be almost impracticable. We +therefore, after much deliberation, decided to remain where we were +till we could collect meat enough to last us till we should reach the +Chopunnish nation, and to obtain canoes from the natives as we ascended, +either in exchange for our pirogues, or by purchasing them with skins +and merchandise. These canoes, again, we might exchange for horses +with the natives of the plains, till we should obtain enough to travel +altogether by land. On reaching the southeast branch of the Columbia, +four or five men could be sent on to the Chopunnish to have our horses +in readiness; and thus we should have a stock of horses sufficient both +to transport our baggage and supply us with food, as we now perceived +that they would form our only certain dependance for subsistence.” + +On the third of April this entry is made:-- + +“A considerable number of Indians crowded about us to-day, many of whom +came from the upper part of the river. These poor wretches confirm +the reports of scarcity among the nations above; which, indeed, their +appearance sufficiently proved, for they seemed almost starved, and +greedily picked the bones and refuse meat thrown away by us. + +“In the evening Captain Clark returned from an excursion. On setting out +yesterday at half-past eleven o’clock, he directed his course along +the south side of the (Columbia) river, where, at the distance of eight +miles, he passed a village of the Nechacohee tribe, belonging to the +Eloot nation. The village itself is small, and being situated behind +Diamond Island, was concealed from our view as we passed both times +along the northern shore. He continued till three o’clock, when he +landed at the single house already mentioned as the only remains of a +village of twenty-four straw huts. Along the shore were great numbers +of small canoes for gathering wappatoo, which were left by the Shahalas, +who visit the place annually. The present inhabitants of the house are +part of the Neerchokioo tribe of the same (Shahala) nation. On entering +one of the apartments of the house, Captain Clark offered several +articles to the Indians in exchange for wappatoo; but they appeared +sullen and ill-humored, and refused to give him any. He therefore sat +down by the fire opposite the men, and taking a port-fire match from his +pocket, threw a small piece of it into the flame; at the same time he +took his pocket-compass, and by means of a magnet, which happened to be +in his inkhorn, made the needle turn round very briskly. The match now +took fire and burned violently, on which the Indians, terrified at this +strange exhibition, immediately brought a quantity of wappatoo and laid +it at his feet, begging him to put out the bad fire, while an old woman +continued to speak with great vehemence, as if praying and imploring +protection. Having received the roots, Captain Clark put up the compass, +and as the match went out of itself tranquillity was restored, though +the women and children still took refuge in their beds and behind the +men. He now paid them for what he had used, and after lighting his pipe +and smoking with them, continued down the river.” + +The excursion from which Captain Clark had returned, as noted in this +extract, was up the Multnomah River. As we have already seen, the +explorers missed that stream when they came down the Columbia; and they +had now passed it again unnoticed, owing to the number of straggling +islands that hide its junction with the Columbia. Convinced that a +considerable river must drain the region to the south, Captain Clark +went back alone and penetrating the intricate channels among the +islands, found the mouth of the Multnomah, now better known as the +Willamette. He was surprised to find that the depth of water in the +river was so great that large vessels might enter it. He would have been +much more surprised if he had been told that a large city, the largest +in Oregon, would some day be built on the site of the Indian huts which +he saw. Here Captain Clark found a house occupied by several families +of the Neechecolee nation. Their mansion was two hundred and twenty-six +feet long and was divided into apartments thirty feet square. + +The most important point in this region of the Columbia was named +Wappatoo Island by the explorers. This is a large extent of country +lying between the Willamette and an arm of the Columbia which they +called Wappatoo Inlet, but which is now known as Willamette Slough. +It is twenty miles long and from five to ten miles wide. Here is an +interesting description of the manner of gathering the roots of the +wappatoo, of which we have heard so much in this region of country:-- + +“The chief wealth of this island consists of the numerous ponds in the +interior, abounding with the common arrowhead (sagittaria sagittifolia) +to the root of which is attached a bulb growing beneath it in the mud. +This bulb, to which the Indians give the name of wappatoo,(1) is the +great article of food, and almost the staple article of commerce on the +Columbia. It is never out of season; so that at all times of the year +the valley is frequented by the neighboring Indians who come to gather +it. It is collected chiefly by the women, who employ for the purpose +canoes from ten to fourteen feet in length, about two feet wide and nine +inches deep, and tapering from the middle, where they are about twenty +inches wide. They are sufficient to contain a single person and several +bushels of roots, yet so very light that a woman can carry them with +ease. She takes one of these canoes into a pond where the water is as +high as the breast, and by means of her toes separates from the root +this bulb, which on being freed from the mud rises immediately to the +surface of the water, and is thrown into the canoe. In this manner these +patient females remain in the water for several hours, even in the depth +of winter. This plant is found through the whole extent of the valley in +which we now are, but does not grow on the Columbia farther eastward.” + + + (1) In the Chinook jargon “Wappatoo” stands for potato. + + +The natives of this inland region, the explorers found, were larger +and better-shaped than those of the sea-coast, but they were nearly +all afflicted with sore eyes. The loss of one eye was common, and not +infrequently total blindness was observed in men of mature years, while +blindness was almost universal among the old people. The white men +made good use of the eye-water which was among their supplies; it was +gratefully received by the natives and won them friends among the people +they met. On the fifth of April the journal has this entry:-- + +“In the course of his chase yesterday, one of our men (Collins), who +had killed a bear, found the den of another with three cubs in it. He +returned to-day in hopes of finding her, but brought only the cubs, +without being able to see the dam; and on this occasion Drewyer, our +most experienced huntsman, assured us that he had never known a single +instance where a female bear, which had once been disturbed by a hunter +and obliged to leave her young, returned to them again. The young bears +were sold for wappatoo to some of the many Indians who visited us in +parties during the day and behaved very well.” + +And on the ninth is this entry:-- + +“The wind having moderated, we reloaded the canoes and set out by seven +o’clock. We stopped to take up the two hunters who left us yesterday, +but were unsuccessful in the chase, and then proceeded to the Wahclellah +village, situated on the north side of the river, about a mile below +Beacon Rock. During the whole of the route from camp we passed along +under high, steep, and rocky sides of the mountains, which now close on +each side of the river, forming stupendous precipices, covered with +fir and white cedar. Down these heights frequently descend the most +beautiful cascades, one of which, a large creek, throws itself over +a perpendicular rock three hundred feet above the water, while other +smaller streams precipitate themselves from a still greater elevation, +and evaporating in a mist, collect again and form a second cascade +before they reach the bottom of the rocks. We stopped to breakfast at +this village. We here found the tomahawk which had been stolen from us +on the fourth of last November. They assured us they had bought it of +the Indians below; but as the latter had already informed us that the +Wahclellahs had such an article, which they had stolen, we made no +difficulty about retaking our property.” + +The Columbia along the region through which the expedition was now +passing is a very wild and picturesque stream. The banks are high and +rocky, and some of the precipices to which the journal refers are of +a vast perpendicular height. On the Oregon side of the river are five +cascades such as those which the journal mentions. The most famous and +beautiful of these is known as Multnomah Falls. This cataract has a +total fall of more than six hundred feet, divided into two sections. The +other cascades are the Bridal Veil, the Horsetail, the Latourelle, and +the Oneonta, and all are within a few miles of each other. + +On the ninth of April the voyagers reached the point at which they were +to leave tidewater, fifty-six miles above the mouth of the Multnomah, or +Willamette. They were now at the entrance of the great rapids which are +known as the Cascades of the Columbia, and which occupy a space on the +river about equal to four miles and a half. They were still navigating +the stream with their canoes, camping sometimes on the north side and +sometimes on the south side of the river. This time they camped on the +north side, and during the night lost one of their boats, which got +loose and drifted down to the next village of the Wahclellahs, some of +whom brought it back to the white men’s camp and were rewarded for their +honesty by a present of two knives. It was found necessary to make a +portage here, but a long and severe rainstorm set in, and the tents and +the skins used for protecting the baggage were soaked. The journal goes +on with the narrative thus:-- + +We determined to take the canoes first over the portage, in hopes that +by the afternoon the rain would cease, and we might carry our baggage +across without injury. This was immediately begun by almost the whole +party, who in the course of the day dragged four of the canoes to the +head of the rapids, with great difficulty and labor. A guard, consisting +of one sick man and three who had been lamed by accidents, remained with +Captain Lewis (and a cook) to guard the baggage. This precaution +was absolutely necessary to protect it from the Wahclellahs, whom we +discovered to be great thieves, notwithstanding their apparent honesty +in restoring our boat; indeed, so arrogant and intrusive have they +become that nothing but our numbers, we are convinced, saves us from +attack. They crowded about us while we were taking up the boats, and one +of them had the insolence to throw stones down the bank at two of our +men. + +“We now found it necessary to depart from our mild and pacific course of +conduct. On returning to the head of the portage, many of them met our +men and seemed very ill-disposed. Shields had stopped to purchase a dog, +and being separated from the rest of the party, two Indians pushed +him out of the road, and attempted to take the dog from him. He had no +weapon but a long knife, with which he immediately attacked them both, +hoping to put them to death before they had time to draw their arrows; +but as soon as they saw his design they fled into the woods. Soon +afterward we were told by an Indian who spoke Clatsop, which we had +ourselves learned during the winter, that the Wahclellahs had carried +off Captain Lewis’ dog to their village below. Three men well armed were +instantly despatched in pursuit of them, with orders to fire if there +was the slightest resistance or hesitation. At the distance of two miles +they came within sight of the thieves, who, finding themselves pursued, +left the dog and made off. We now ordered all the Indians out of our +camp, and explained to them that whoever stole any of our baggage, or +insulted our men, should be instantly shot; a resolution which we were +determined to enforce, as it was now our only means of safety. + +“We were visited during the day by a chief of the Clahclellahs, who +seemed mortified at the behavior of the Indians, and told us that the +persons at the head of their outrages were two very bad men who belonged +to the Wahclellah tribe, but that the nation did not by any means wish +to displease us. This chief seemed very well-disposed, and we had every +reason to believe was much respected by the neighboring Indians. We +therefore gave him a small medal and showed him all the attention in our +power, with which he appeared very much gratified.” + +The portage of these rapids was very difficult and tiresome. The total +distance of the first stage was twenty-eight hundred yards along a +narrow way rough with rocks and now slippery with rain. One of the +canoes was lost here by being driven out into the strong current, where +the force of the water was so great that it could not be held by the +men; the frail skiff drifted down the rapids and disappeared. They now +had two canoes and two periogues left, and the loads were divided among +these craft. This increased the difficulties of navigation, and Captain +Lewis crossed over to the south side of the river in search of canoes +to be purchased from the Indians, who lived in a village on that side of +the stream. The narrative continues: + +“The village now consisted of eleven houses, crowded with inhabitants, +and about sixty fighting men. They were very well disposed, and we found +no difficulty in procuring two small canoes, in exchange for two robes +and four elk-skins. He also purchased with deer-skins three dogs,--an +animal which has now become a favorite food, for it is found to be a +strong, healthy diet, preferable to lean deer or elk, and much superior +to horseflesh in any state. With these he proceeded along the south side +of the river, and joined us in the evening.” + +Above the rapids the party encountered two tribes of Indians from whom +they endeavored to buy horses, for they were now approaching a point +when they must leave the river and travel altogether by land. One of +these tribes was known as the Weocksockwillacurns, and the other was the +Chilluckittequaws. These jaw-breaking names are commended to those who +think that the Indian names of northern Maine are difficult to handle. +Trees were now growing scarcer, and the wide lowlands spread out before +the explorers stretched to the base of the Bitter Root Mountains +without trees, but covered with luxuriant grass and herbage. After being +confined so long to the thick forests and mountains of the seacoast, the +party found this prospect very exhilarating, notwithstanding the absence +of forests and thickets. The climate, too, was much more agreeable than +that to which they had lately been accustomed, being dry and pure. + + + + +Chapter XX -- The Last Stage of the Columbia + +On the thirteenth of April the party reached the series of falls and +rapids which they called the Long Narrows. At the point reached the +river is confined, for a space of about fourteen miles, to narrow +channels and rocky falls. The Long Narrows are now known as the Dalles. +The word “dalles” is French, and signifies flagstones, such as are used +for sidewalks. Many of the rocks in these narrows are nearly flat on +top, and even the precipitous banks look like walls of rock. At the +upper end of the rapids, or dalles, is Celilo City, and at the lower end +is Dalles City, sometimes known as “The Dalles.” Both of these places +are in Oregon; the total fall of the water from Celilo to the Dalles +is over eighty feet. Navigation of these rapids is impossible. As the +explorers had no further use for their pirogues, they broke them up for +fuel. The merchandise was laboriously carried around on the river bank. +They were able to buy four horses from the Skilloots for which they paid +well in goods. It was now nearly time for the salmon to begin to run, +and under date of April 19 the journal has this entry:-- + +“The whole village was filled with rejoicing to-day at having caught a +single salmon, which was considered as the harbinger of vast quantities +in four or five days. In order to hasten their arrival the Indians, +according to custom, dressed the fish and cut it into small pieces, +one of which was given to each child in the village. In the good humor +excited by this occurrence they parted, though reluctantly, with four +other horses, for which we gave them two kettles, reserving only a +single small one for a mess of eight men. Unluckily, however, we lost +one of the horses by the negligence of the person to whose charge he +was committed. The rest were, therefore, hobbled and tied; but as the +nations here do not understand gelding, all the horses but one were +stallions; this being the season when they are most vicious, we had +great difficulty in managing them, and were obliged to keep watch over +them all night. . . . + +“As it was obviously our interest to preserve the goodwill of these +people, we passed over several small thefts which they committed, but +this morning we learnt that six tomahawks and a knife had been stolen +during the night. We addressed ourselves to the chief, who seemed angry +with his people, and made a harangue to them; but we did not recover +the articles, and soon afterward two of our spoons were missing. We +therefore ordered them all from our camp, threatening to beat severely +any one detected in purloining. This harshness irritated them so much +that they left us in an ill-humor, and we therefore kept on our guard +against any insult. Besides this knavery, the faithlessness of the +people is intolerable; frequently, after receiving goods in exchange for +a horse, they return in a few hours and insist on revoking the bargain +or receiving some additional value. We discovered, too, that the horse +which was missing yesterday had been gambled away by the fellow from +whom we had purchased him, to a man of a different nation, who had +carried him off. We succeeded in buying two more horses, two dogs, and +some chappelell, and also exchanged a couple of elk-skins for a gun +belonging to the chief. . . . One of the canoes, for which the Indians +would give us very little, was cut up for fuel; two others, together +with some elk-skins and pieces of old iron, we bartered for beads, and +the remaining two small ones were despatched early next morning, with +all the baggage which could not be carried on horseback. We had intended +setting out at the same time, but one of our horses broke loose during +the night, and we were under the necessity of sending several men in +search of him. In the mean time, the Indians, who were always on the +alert, stole a tomahawk, which we could not recover, though several of +them were searched; and another fellow was detected in carrying off +a piece of iron, and kicked out of camp; upon which Captain Lewis, +addressing them, told them he was not afraid to fight them, for, if he +chose, he could easily put them all to death, and burn their village, +but that he did not wish to treat them ill if they kept from stealing; +and that, although, if he could discover who had the tomahawks, he would +take away their horses, yet he would rather lose the property altogether +than take the horse of an innocent man. The chiefs were present at this +harangue, hung their heads, and made no reply. + +“At ten o’clock the men returned with the horse, and soon after an +Indian, who had promised to go with us as far as the Chopunnish, came +with two horses, one of which he politely offered to assist in carrying +our baggage. We therefore loaded nine horses, and, giving the tenth to +Bratton, who was still too sick to walk, at about ten o’clock left the +village of these disagreeable people.” + +At an Indian village which they reached soon after leaving that of the +disagreeable Skilloots, they found the fellow who had gambled away +the horse that he had sold. Being faced with punishment, he agreed to +replace the animal he had stolen with another, and a very good horse was +brought to satisfy the white men, who were now determined to pursue a +rigid course with the thievish Indians among whom they found themselves. +These people, the Eneeshurs, were stingy, inhospitable, and overbearing +in their ways. Nothing but the formidable numbers of the white men saved +them from insult, pillage, and even murder. While they were here, one of +the horses belonging to the party broke loose and ran towards the Indian +village. A buffalo robe attached to him fell off and was gathered in by +one of the Eneeshurs. Captain Lewis, whose patience was now exhausted, +set out, determined to burn the village unless the Indians restored the +robe. Fortunately, however, one of his men found the missing article +hidden in a hut, and so any act of violent reprisal was not necessary. + +So scarce had now become fuel, the party were obliged to buy what little +wood they required for their single cooking-fire. They could not afford +a fire to keep them warm, and, as the nights were cold and they lay +without any shelter, they were most uncomfortable, although the days +were warm. They were now travelling along the Columbia River, using +their horses for a part of their luggage, and towing the canoes with the +remainder of the stuff. On the twenty-third of April they arrived at the +mouth of Rock Creek, on the Columbia, a considerable stream which they +missed as they passed this point on their way down, October 21. Here +they met a company of Indians called the Wahhowpum, with whom they +traded pewter buttons, strips of tin and twisted wire for roots, dogs, +and fuel. These people were waiting for the arrival of the salmon. The +journal says:-- + +“After arranging the camp we assembled all the warriors, and having +smoked with them, the violins were produced, and some of the men danced. +This civility was returned by the Indians in a style of dancing, such as +we had not yet seen. The spectators formed a circle round the dancers, +who, with their robes drawn tightly round the shoulders, and divided +into parties of five or six men, perform by crossing in a line from one +side of the circle to the other. All the parties, performers as well as +spectators, sing, and after proceeding in this way for some time, the +spectators join, and the whole concludes by a promiscuous dance and +song. Having finished, the natives retired at our request, after +promising to barter horses with us in the morning.” + +They bought three horses of these Indians and hired three more from a +Chopunnish who was to accompany them. The journal adds:-- + +“The natives also had promised to take our canoes in exchange for +horses; but when they found that we were resolved on travelling by land +they refused giving us anything, in hopes that we would be forced to +leave them. Disgusted at this conduct, we determined rather to cut them +to pieces than suffer these people to enjoy them, and actually began +to split them, on which they gave us several strands of beads for each +canoe. We had now a sufficient number of horses to carry our baggage, +and therefore proceeded wholly by land.” + +Next day the party camped near a tribe of Indians known as the +Pishquitpah. These people had never seen white men before, and they +flocked in great numbers around the strangers, but were very civil and +hospitable, although their curiosity was rather embarrassing. These +people were famous hunters, and both men and women were excellent +riders. They were now travelling on the south side of the river, in +Oregon, and, after leaving the Pishquitpahs, they encountered the +“Wollawollahs,” as they called them. These Indians are now known as the +Walla Walla tribe, and their name is given to a river, a town, and a +fort of the United States. In several of the Indian dialects walla means +“running water,” and when the word is repeated, it diminishes the size +of the object; so that Walla Walla means “little running water.” Near +here the explorers passed the mouth of a river which they called the +Youmalolam; it is a curious example of the difficulty of rendering +Indian names into English. The stream is now known as the Umatilla. +Here they found some old acquaintances of whom the journal has this +account:-- + +“Soon after we were joined by seven Wollawollahs, among whom we +recognized a chief by the name of Yellept, who had visited us on the +nineteenth of October, when we gave him a medal with the promise of a +larger one on our return. He appeared very much pleased at seeing us +again, and invited us to remain at his village three or four days, +during which he would supply us with the only food they had, and furnish +us with horses for our journey. After the cold, inhospitable treatment +we have lately received, this kind offer was peculiarly acceptable; and +after a hasty meal we accompanied him to his village, six miles above, +situated on the edge of the low country, about twelve miles below the +mouth of Lewis’ River. + +“Immediately on our arrival Yellept, who proved to be a man of much +influence, not only in his own but in the neighboring nations, collected +the inhabitants, and having made a harangue, the purport of which was +to induce the nations to treat us hospitably, he set them an example +by bringing himself an armful of wood, and a platter containing three +roasted mullets. They immediately assented to one part, at least, of the +recommendation, by furnishing us with an abundance of the only sort of +fuel they employ, the stems of shrubs growing in the plains. We then +purchased four dogs, on which we supped heartily, having been on short +allowance for two days past. When we were disposed to sleep, the Indians +retired immediately on our request, and indeed, uniformly conducted +themselves with great propriety. These people live on roots, which +are very abundant in the plains, and catch a few salmon-trout; but at +present they seem to subsist chiefly on a species of mullet, weighing +from one to three pounds. They informed us that opposite the village +there was a route which led to the mouth of the Kooskooskee, on the +south side of Lewis’ River; that the road itself was good, and passed +over a level country well supplied with water and grass; and that we +should meet with plenty of deer and antelope. We knew that a road in +that direction would shorten the distance at least eighty miles; and as +the report of our guide was confirmed by Yellept and other Indians, we +did not hesitate to adopt this route: they added, however, that there +were no houses, nor permanent Indian residences on the road and that it +would therefore be prudent not to trust wholly to our guns, but to lay +in a stock of provisions. + +“Taking their advice, therefore, we next day purchased ten dogs. While +the trade for these was being conducted by our men, Yellept brought a +fine white horse, and presented him to Captain Clark, expressing at the +same time a wish to have a kettle; but, on being informed that we had +already disposed of the last kettle we could spare, he said he would be +content with any present we chose to make him in return. Captain Clark +thereupon gave him his sword, for which the chief had before expressed a +desire, adding one hundred balls, some powder, and other small articles, +with which he appeared perfectly satisfied. We were now anxious to +depart, and requested Yellept to lend us canoes for the purpose of +crossing the river; but he would not listen to any proposal of the kind. +He wished us to remain for two or three days; but, at all events, would +not consent to our going to-day, for he had already sent to invite his +neighbors, the Chimnapoos, to come down this evening and join his people +in a dance for our amusement. We urged in vain that, by setting out +sooner, we would the earlier return with the articles they desired; +for a day, he observed, would make but little difference. We at length +mentioned that, as there was no wind it was now the best time to cross +the river, and we would merely take the horses over and return to sleep +at their village. To this he assented; we then crossed with our horses, +and having hobbled them, returned to their camp. + +“Fortunately, there was among these Wollwaollahs a prisoner belonging +to a tribe of Shoshonee or Snake Indians, residing to the south of the +Multnomah and visiting occasionally the heads of Wollawollah Creek. +Our Shoshonee woman, Sacajawea, though she belonged to a tribe near the +Missouri, spoke the same language as this prisoner; by their means we +were able to explain ourselves to the Indians, and answer all their +inquiries with respect to ourselves and the object of our journey. Our +conversation inspired them with much confidence, and they soon brought +several sick persons, for whom they requested our assistance. We +splintered (splinted) the broken arm of one, gave some relief to +another, whose knee was contracted by rheumatism, and administered what +we thought beneficial for ulcers and eruptions of the skin on various +parts of the body which are very common disorders among them. But our +most valuable medicine was eye-water, which we distributed, and which, +indeed, they required very much. + +“A little before sunset the Chimnapoos, amounting to one hundred men +and a few women, came to the village, and, joining the Wollawollahs, who +were about the same number of men, formed themselves in a circle round +our camp, and waited very patiently till our men were disposed to dance, +which they did for about an hour, to the music of the violin. They then +requested the Indians to dance. With this they readily complied; and the +whole assemblage, amounting, with the women and children of the village, +to several hundred, stood up, and sang and danced at the same time. +The exercise was not, indeed, very violent nor very graceful; for the +greater part of them were formed into a solid column, round a kind +of hollow square, stood on the same place, and merely jumped up at +intervals, to keep time to the music. Some, however, of the more active +warriors entered the square and danced round it sideways, and some of +our men joined in with them, to the great satisfaction of the Indians. +The dance continued till ten o’clock.” + +By the thirtieth of April the expedition was equipped with twenty-three +horses, most of which were young and excellent animals; but many of them +were afflicted with sore backs. All Indians are cruel masters and +hard riders, and their saddles are so rudely made that it is almost +impossible for an Indian’s horse to be free from scars; yet they +continue to ride after the animal’s back is scarified in the most +horrible manner. + +The expedition was now in what we know as Walla Walla County, +Washington, and they were travelling along the river Walla Walla, +leaving the Columbia, which has here a general direction of northerly. +The course of the party was northeast, their objective point being that +where Waitesburg is now built, near the junction of Coppie Creek and +the Touchet River. They were in a region of wood in plenty, and for the +first time since leaving the Long Narrows, or Dalles, they had as much +fuel as they needed. On the Touchet, accordingly, they camped for the +sake of having a comfortable night; the nights were cold, and a good +fire by which to sleep was an attraction not easily resisted. The +journal, April 30, has this entry:-- + +“We were soon supplied by Drewyer with a beaver and an otter, of which +we took only a part of the beaver, and gave the rest to the Indians. +The otter is a favorite food, though much inferior, at least in our +estimation, to the dog, which they will not eat. The horse is seldom +eaten, and never except when absolute necessity compels them, as the +only alternative to dying of hunger. This fastidiousness does not, +however, seem to proceed so much from any dislike to the food, as from +attachment to the animal itself; for many of them eat very heartily of +the horse-beef which we give them.” + +On the first day of May, having travelled forty miles from their camp +near the mouth of the Walla Walla, they camped between two points at +which are now situated the two towns of Prescott, on the south, and +Waitesburg, on the north. Their journal says:-- + +“We had scarcely encamped when three young men came up from the +Wollawollah village, with a steel-trap which had inadvertently been +left behind, and which they had come a whole day’s journey in order to +restore. This act of integrity was the more pleasing, because, though +very rare among Indians, it corresponded perfectly with the general +behavior of the Wollawollahs, among whom we had lost carelessly several +knives, which were always returned as soon as found. We may, indeed, +justly affirm, that of all the Indians whom we had met since leaving the +United States, the Wollawollahs were the most hospitable, honest, and +sincere.” + + + + +Chapter XXI -- Overland east of the Columbia + +It was now early in May, and the expedition, travelling eastward along +Touchet Creek, were in the country of their friends, the Chopunnish. On +the third, they were agreeably surprised to meet Weahkootnut, whom +they had named Bighorn from the fact that he wore a horn of that animal +suspended from his left arm. This man was the first chief of a large +band of Chopunnish, and when the expedition passed that way, on their +path to the Pacific, the last autumn, he was very obliging and useful to +them, guiding them down the Snake, or Lewis River. He had now heard +that the white men were on their return, and he had come over across the +hills to meet them. As we may suppose, the meeting was very cordial, and +Weahkootnut turned back with his white friends and accompanied them to +the mouth of the Kooskooskee, a stream of which our readers have heard +before; it is now known as the Clearwater. + +Captain Lewis told Weahkootnut that his people were hungry, their +slender stock of provisions being about exhausted. The chief told them +that they would soon come to a Chopunnish house where they could get +food. But the journal has this entry:-- + +“We found the house which Weahkootnut had mentioned, where we halted +for breakfast. It contained six families, so miserably poor that all +we could obtain from them were two lean dogs and a few large cakes of +half-cured bread, made of a root resembling the sweet potato, of all +which we contrived to form a kind of soup. The soil of the plain is +good, but it has no timber. The range of southwest mountains is about +fifteen miles above us, but continues to lower, and is still covered +with snow to its base. After giving passage to Lewis’ (Snake) River, +near their northeastern extremity, they terminate in a high level plain +between that river and the Kooskooskee. The salmon not having yet called +them to the rivers, the greater part of the Chopunnish are now dispersed +in villages through this plain, for the purpose of collecting quamash +and cows, which here grow in great abundance, the soil being extremely +fertile, in many places covered with long-leaved pine, larch, and +balsam-fir, which contribute to render it less thirsty than the open, +unsheltered plains.” + +By the word “cows,” in this sentence, we must understand that the +story-teller meant cowas, a root eaten by the Indians and white +explorers in that distant region. It is a knobbed, irregular root, and +when cooked resembles the ginseng. At this place the party met some of +the Indians whom Captain Clark had treated for slight diseases, when +they passed that way, the previous autumn. They bad sounded the praises +of the white men and their medicine, and others were now waiting to +be treated in the same manner. The Indians were glad to pay for their +treatment, and the white men were not sorry to find this easy method of +adding to their stock of food, which was very scanty at this time. The +journal sagely adds, “We cautiously abstain from giving them any +but harmless medicines; and as we cannot possibly do harm, our +prescriptions, though unsanctioned by the faculty, may be useful, and +are entitled to some remuneration.” Very famous and accomplished doctors +might say the same thing of their practice. But the explorers did +not meet with pleasant acquaintances only; in the very next entry is +recorded this disagreeable incident: + +“Four miles beyond this house we came to another large one, containing +ten families, where we halted and made our dinner on two dogs and +a small quantity of roots, which we did not procure without much +difficulty. Whilst we were eating, an Indian standing by, looking with +great derision at our eating dogs, threw a poor half-starved puppy +almost into Captain Lewis’ plate, laughing heartily at the humor of it. +Captain Lewis took up the animal and flung it with great force into the +fellow’s face; and seizing his tomahawk, threatened to cut him down if +he dared to repeat such insolence. He immediately withdrew, apparently +much mortified, and we continued our repast of dog very quietly. Here we +met our old Chopunnish guide, with his family; and soon afterward one +of our horses, which had been separated from the rest in charge of +Twisted-hair, and had been in this neighborhood for several weeks, was +caught and restored to us.” + +Later in that day the party came to a Chopunnish house which was one +hundred and fifty-six feet long and fifteen feet wide. Thirty families +were living in this big house, each family having its fire by itself +burning on the earthen floor, along through the middle of the great +structure. The journal says:-- + +“We arrived very hungry and weary, but could not purchase any +provisions, except a small quantity of the roots and bread of the +cows. They had, however, heard of our medical skill, and made many +applications for assistance, but we refused to do anything unless they +gave us either dogs or horses to eat. We soon had nearly fifty patients. +A chief brought his wife with an abscess on her back, and promised +to furnish us with a horse to-morrow if we would relieve her. Captain +Clark, therefore, opened the abscess, introduced a tent, and dressed it +with basilicon. We also prepared and distributed some doses of flour of +sulphur and cream of tartar, with directions for its use. For these we +obtained several dogs, but too poor for use, and therefore postponed +our medical operations till the morning. In the mean time a number of +Indians, besides the residents of the village, gathered about us or +camped in the woody bottom of the creek.” + +It will be recollected that when the expedition was in this region (on +the Kooskooskee), during the previous September, on their way westward, +they left their horses with Chief Twisted-hair, travelling overland +from that point. They were now looking for that chief, and the journal +says:-- + +“About two o’clock we collected our horses and set out, accompanied by +Weahkoonut, with ten or twelve men and a man who said he was the brother +of Twisted-hair. At four miles we came to a single house of three +families, but could not procure provisions of any kind; and five miles +further we halted for the night near another house, built like the rest, +of sticks, mats, and dried hay, and containing six families. It was now +so difficult to procure anything to eat that our chief dependence was +on the horse which we received yesterday for medicine; but to our great +disappointment he broke the rope by which he was confined, made his +escape, and left us supperless in the rain.” + +Next day they met an Indian who brought them two canisters of powder, +which they at once knew to be some of that which they had buried last +autumn. The Indian said that his dog had dug it up in the meadow by the +river, and he had restored it to its rightful owners. As a reward for +his honesty, the captains gave him a flint and steel for striking fire; +and they regretted that their own poverty prevented them from being more +liberal to the man. + +They observed that the Rocky Mountains, now in full sight, were still +covered with snow, and the prospect of crossing them was not very rosy. +Their Chopunnish guide told them that it would be impossible to cross +the mountains before the next full moon, which would be about the first +of June. The journal adds: “To us, who are desirous of reaching the +plains of the Missouri--if for no other reason, for the purpose of +enjoying a good meal--this intelligence was by no means welcome, and +gave no relish to the remainder of the horse killed at Colter’s Creek, +which formed our supper, as part of which had already been our dinner.” + Next day, accordingly, the hunters turned out early in the morning, and +before noon returned with four deer and a duck, which, with the +remains of horse-beef on hand, gave them a much more plentiful stock +of provisions than had lately fallen to their lot. During the previous +winter, they were told, the Indians suffered very much for lack of food, +game of all sorts being scarce. They were forced to boil and eat the +moss growing on the trees, and they cut down the pine-trees for the sake +of the small nut to be found in the pine-cones. Here they were met by +an old friend, Neeshnepahkeeook and the Shoshonee, who had acted as +interpreter for them. The journal says:-- + +“We gave Neeshnepahkeeook and his people some of our game and +horse-beef, besides the entrails of the deer, and four fawns which we +found inside of two of them. They did not eat any of them perfectly raw, +but the entrails had very little cooking; the fawns were boiled whole, +and the hide, hair, and entrails all consumed. The Shoshonee was +offended at not having as much venison as he wished, and refused to +interpret; but as we took no notice of him, he became very officious in +the course of a few hours, and made many efforts to reinstate himself in +our favor. The brother of Twisted-hair, and Neeshnepahkeeook, now drew +a sketch, which we preserved, of all the waters west of the Rocky +Mountains.” + +They now met Twisted-hair, in whose care they had left their horses and +saddles the previous fall, and this was the result of their inquiries:-- + +“Between three and four o’clock in the afternoon we set out, in company +with Neeshuepahkeeook and other Indians, the brother of Twisted-hair +having left us. Our route was up a high steep hill to a level plain +with little wood, through which we passed in a direction parallel to the +(Kooskooskee) River for four miles, when we met Twisted-hair and six of +his people. To this chief we had confided our horses and a part of +our saddles last autumn, and we therefore formed very unfavorable +conjectures on finding that he received us with great coldness. Shortly +afterward he began to speak in a very loud, angry manner, and was +answered by Neeshnepahkeeook. We now discovered that a violent quarrel +had arisen between these chiefs, on the subject, as we afterward +understood, of our horses. But as we could not learn the cause, and were +desirous of terminating the dispute, we interposed, and told them we +should go on to the first water and camp. We therefore set out, followed +by all the Indians, and having reached, at two miles’ distance, a small +stream running to the right, we camped with the two chiefs and their +little bands, forming separate camps at a distance from each other. They +all appeared to be in an ill humor; and as we had already heard reports +that the Indians had discovered and carried off our saddles, and that +the horses were very much scattered, we began to be uneasy, lest there +should be too much foundation for the report. We were therefore anxious +to reconcile the two chiefs as soon as possible, and desired the +Shoshonee to interpret for us while we attempted a mediation, but be +peremptorily refused to speak a word. He observed that it was a quarrel +between the two chiefs, and he had therefore no right to interfere; nor +could all our representations, that by merely repeating what we said he +could not possibly be considered as meddling between the chiefs, induce +him to take any part in it. + +“Soon afterward Drewyer returned from hunting, and was sent to invite +Twisted-hair to come and smoke with us. He accepted the invitation, and +as we were smoking the pipe over our fire he informed us that according +to his promise on leaving us at the falls of the Columbia, he had +collected our horses and taken charge of them as soon as he reached +home. But about this time Neeshnepahkeeook and Turmachemootoolt +(Broken-arm), who, as we passed, were on a war-party against the +Shoshonees on the south branch of Lewis’ River, returned; and becoming +jealous of him, because the horses had been confided to his care, +were constantly quarrelling with him. At length, being an old man and +unwilling to live in perpetual dispute with these two chiefs, he had +given up the care of the horses, which had consequently become very +much scattered. The greater part of them were, however, still in the +neighborhood; some in the forks between the Chopunnish and Kooskooskee, +and three or four at the village of Broken Arm, about half a day’s march +higher up the river. He added, that on the rise of the river in the +spring, the earth had fallen from the door of the cache, and exposed the +saddles, some of which had probably been lost; but that, as soon as he +was acquainted with the situation of them, he had them buried in another +deposit, where they now were. He promised that, if we would stay the +next day at his house, a few miles distant, he would collect such of the +horses as were in the neighborhood, and send his young men for those in +the forks, over the Kooskooskee. He moreover advised us to visit Broken +Arm, who was a chief of great eminence, and he would himself guide us to +his dwelling. + +“We told him that we would follow his advice in every respect; that we +had confided our horses to his care, and expected he would deliver +them to us, on which we should cheerfully give him the two guns and the +ammunition we had promised him. With this he seemed very much pleased, +and declared he would use every exertion to restore the horses. We now +sent for Neesbnepahkeeook, or Cut Nose, and, after smoking for some +time, began by expressing to the two chiefs our regret at seeing a +misunderstanding between them. Neeshnepahkeeook replied that Twisted +Hair was a bad old man, and wore two faces; for, instead of taking care +of our horses, he had suffered his young men to hunt with them, so that +they had been very much injured, and it was for this reason that Broken +Arm and himself had forbidden him to use them. Twisted Hair made +no reply to this speech, and we then told Neeshnepahkeeook of our +arrangement for the next day. He appeared to be very well satisfied, and +said he would himself go with us to Broken Arm, who expected to see us, +and had TWO BAD HORSES FOR US; by which expression we understood that +Broken Arm intended to make us a present of two horses.” + +Next day, the party reached the house of Twisted-hair, and began to +look for their horses and saddles. The journal gives this account of the +search:-- + +“Late in the afternoon, Twisted-hair returned with about half the +saddles we had left in the autumn, and some powder and lead which were +buried at the same place. Soon after, the Indians brought us twenty-one +of our horses, the greater part of which were in excellent order, though +some had not yet recovered from hard usage, and three had sore backs. +We were, however, very glad to procure them in any condition. Several +Indians came down from the village of Tunnachemootoolt and passed the +night with us. Cut-nose and Twisted-hair seem now perfectly reconciled, +for they both slept in the house of the latter. The man who had imposed +himself upon us as a brother of Twisted-hair also came and renewed his +advances, but we now found that he was an impertinent, proud fellow, of +no respectability in the nation, and we therefore felt no inclination to +cultivate his intimacy. Our camp was in an open plain, and soon became +very uncomfortable, for the wind was high and cold, and the rain and +hail, which began about seven o’clock, changed in two hours to a heavy +fall of snow, which continued till after six o’clock (May 10th), the +next morning, when it ceased, after covering the ground eight inches +deep and leaving the air keen and cold. We soon collected our horses, +and after a scanty breakfast of roots set out on a course S. 35'0 E.” + +They were now following the general course of the Kooskooskee, or +Clearwater, as the stream is called, and their route lay in what is now +Nez Perce County, Idaho. They have passed the site of the present city +of Lewiston, named for Captain Lewis. They have arrived in a region +inhabited by the friendly Chopunnish, or Nez Perce, several villages +of which nation were scattered around the camp of the white men. The +narrative says: + +“We soon collected the men of consideration, and after smoking, +explained how destitute we were of provisions. The chief spoke to the +people, who immediately brought two bushels of dried quamash-roots, some +cakes of the roots of cows, and a dried salmon-trout; we thanked them +for this supply, but observed that, not being accustomed to live on +roots alone, we feared that such diet might make our men sick, and +therefore proposed to exchange one of our good horses, which was rather +poor, for one that was fatter, and which we might kill. The hospitality +of the chief was offended at the idea of an exchange; he observed +that his people had an abundance of young horses, and that if we +were disposed to use that food we might have as many as we wanted. +Accordingly, they soon gave us two fat young horses, without asking +anything in return, an act of liberal hospitality much greater than any +we have witnessed since crossing the Rocky Mountains, if it be not in +fact the only really hospitable treatment we have received in this part +of the world. We killed one of the horses, and then telling the natives +that we were fatigued and hungry, and that as soon as we were refreshed +we would communicate freely with them, began to prepare our repast. + +“During this time a principal chief, called Hohastillpilp, came from +his village, about six miles distant, with a party of fifty men, for the +purpose of visiting us. We invited him into our circle, and he alighted +and smoked with us, while his retinue, with five elegant horses, +continued mounted at a short distance. While this was going on, the +chief had a large leathern tent spread for us, and desired that we +would make it our home so long as we remained at his village. We removed +there, and having made a fire, and cooked our supper of horseflesh +and roots, collected all the distinguished men present, and spent +the evening in making known who we were, what were the objects of +our journey, and in answering their inquiries. To each of the chiefs +Tunnachemootoolt and Hohastillpilp we gave a small medal, explaining +their use and importance as honorary distinctions both among the whites +and the red men. Our men were well pleased at once more having made a +hearty meal. They had generally been in the habit of crowding into the +houses of the Indians, to purchase provisions on the best terms they +could; for the inhospitality of the country was such, that often, in +the extreme of hunger, they were obliged to treat the natives with +but little ceremony; but this Twisted Hair had told us was very +disagreeable. Finding that these people are so kind and liberal, we +ordered our men to treat them with the greatest respect, and not +to throng round their fires, so that they now agree perfectly well +together. After the council the Indians felt no disposition to retire, +and our tent was filled with them all night.” + +As the expedition was here in a populous country, among many bands of +Indians, it was thought wise to have a powwow with the head men +and explain to them what were the intentions of the United States +Government. But, owing to the crooked course which their talk must needs +take, it was very difficult to learn if the Indians finally understood +what was said. Here is the journal’s account of the way in which the +powwow was conducted:-- + +“We collected the chiefs and warriors, and having drawn a map of +the relative situation of our country on a mat with a piece of coal, +detailed the nature and power of the American nation, its desire to +preserve harmony between all its red brethren, and its intention of +establishing trading-houses for their relief and support. It was not +without difficulty, nor till after nearly half the day was spent, that +we were able to convey all this information to the Chopunnish, much of +which might have been lost or distorted in its circuitous route through +a variety of languages; for in the first place, we spoke in English +to one of our men, who translated it into French to Chaboneau; he +interpreted it to his wife in the Minnetaree language; she then put it +into Shoshonee, and the young Shoshonee prisoner explained it to the +Chopunnish in their own dialect. At last we succeeded in communicating +the impression we wished, and then adjourned the council; after which +we amused them by showing the wonders of the compass, spy-glass, magnet, +watch, and air-gun, each of which attracted its share of admiration.” + +The simple-minded Indians, who seemed to think that the white men could +heal all manner of diseases, crowded around them next day, begging for +medicines and treatment. These were freely given, eye-water being most +in demand. There was a general medical powwow. The journal adds:-- + +“Shortly after, the chiefs and warriors held a council among themselves, +to decide on an answer to our speech, and the result was, as we were +informed, that they had full confidence in what we had told them, and +were resolved to follow our advice. This determination having been made, +the principal chief, Tunnachemootoolt, took a quantity of flour of +the roots of cow-weed (cowas), and going round to all the kettles and +baskets in which his people were cooking, thickened the soup into a +kind of mush. He then began an harangue, setting forth the result of the +deliberations among the chiefs, and after exhorting them to unanimity, +concluded with an invitation to all who acquiesced in the proceedings +of the council to come and eat; while those who were of a different +mind were requested to show their dissent by not partaking of the feast. +During this animated harangue, the women, who were probably uneasy at +the prospect of forming this proposed new connection with strangers, +tore their hair, and wrung their hands with the greatest appearance of +distress. But the concluding appeal of the orator effectually stopped +the mouths of every malecontent, and the proceedings were ratified, and +the mush devoured with the most zealous unanimity. + +“The chiefs and warriors then came in a body to visit us as we were +seated near our tent; and at their instance, two young men, one of whom +was a son of Tunnachemootoolt, and the other the youth whose father +had been killed by the Pahkees, presented to us each a fine horse. We +invited the chiefs to be seated, and gave every one of them a flag, a +pound of powder, and fifty balls, and a present of the same kind to the +young men from whom we had received the horses. They then invited us +into the tent, and said that they now wished to answer what we had +told them yesterday, but that many of their people were at that moment +waiting in great pain for our medical assistance.” + +It was agreed, therefore, that Captain Clark, who seems to have been +their favorite physician, should attend to the sick and lame, while +Captain Lewis should conduct a council with the chiefs and listen to +what they had to say. The upshot of the powwow was that the Chopunnish +said they had sent three of their warriors with a pipe to make peace +with the Shoshonees, last summer, as they had been advised to do by the +white men. The Shoshonees, unmindful of the sacredness of this +embassy, had killed the young warriors and had invited the battle which +immediately took place, in which the Chopunnish killed forty-two of the +Shoshonees, to get even for the wanton killing of their three young men. +The white men now wanted some of the Chopunnish to accompany them to +the plains of the Missouri, but the Indians were not willing to go until +they were assured that they would not be waylaid and slain by their +enemies of the other side of the mountains. The Chopunnish would think +over the proposal that some of their young men should go over the range +with the white men; a decision on this point should be reached before +the white men left the country. Anyhow, the white men might be sure +that the Indians would do their best to oblige their visitors. Their +conclusion was, “For, although we are poor, our hearts are good.” The +story of this conference thus concludes:-- + +“As soon as this speech was concluded, Captain Lewis replied at some +length; with this they appeared highly gratified, and after smoking the +pipe, made us a present of another fat horse for food. We, in turn, gave +Broken-arm a phial of eye-water, with directions to wash the eyes of all +who should apply for it; and as we promised to fill it again when it +was exhausted, he seemed very much pleased with our liberality. To +Twisted-hair, who had last night collected six more horses, we gave a +gun, one hundred balls, and two pounds of powder, and told him he should +have the same quantity when we received the remainder of our horses. In +the course of the day three more of them were brought in, and a fresh +exchange of small presents put the Indians in excellent humor. On our +expressing a wish to cross the river and form a camp, in order to hunt +and fish till the snows had melted, they recommended a position a few +miles distant, and promised to furnish us to-morrow with a canoe to +cross. We invited Twisted-hair to settle near our camp, for he has +several young sons, one of whom we hope to engage as a guide, and he +promised to do so. Having now settled all their affairs, the Indians +divided themselves into two parties, and began to play the game of +hiding a bone, already described as common to all the natives of this +country, which they continued playing for beads and other ornaments.” + +As there was so dismal a prospect for crossing the snow-covered +mountains at this season of the year, the captains of the expedition +resolved to establish a camp and remain until the season should be +further advanced. Accordingly, a spot on the north side of the river, +recommended to them by the Indians, was selected, and a move across +the stream was made. A single canoe was borrowed for the transit of the +baggage, and the horses were driven in to swim across, and the passage +was accomplished without loss. The camp was built on the site of an old +Indian house, in a circle about thirty yards in diameter, near the river +and in an advantageous position. As soon as the party were encamped, the +two Chopunnish chiefs came down to the opposite bank, and, with twelve +of their nation, began to sing. This was the custom of these people, +being a token of their friendship on such occasions. The captains sent +a canoe over for the chiefs, and, after smoking for some time, +Hohastillpilp presented Captain with a fine gray horse which he had +brought over for that purpose, and he was perfectly satisfied to receive +in return a handkerchief, two hundred balls, and four pounds of powder. + +Here is some curious information concerning the bears which they found +in this region. It must be borne in mind that they were still west of +the Bitter Root Mountains:-- + +“The hunters killed some pheasants, two squirrels, and a male and a +female bear, the first of which was large, fat, and of a bay color; the +second meagre, grizzly, and of smaller size. They were of the species +(Ursus horribilis) common to the upper part of the Missouri, and might +well be termed the variegated bear, for they are found occasionally of +a black, grizzly, brown, or red color. There is every reason to believe +them to be of precisely the same species. Those of different colors are +killed together, as in the case of these two, and as we found the white +and bay associated together on the Missouri; and some nearly white were +seen in this neighborhood by the hunters. Indeed, it is not common to +find any two bears of the same color; and if the difference in color +were to constitute a distinction of species, the number would increase +to almost twenty. Soon afterward the hunters killed a female bear with +two cubs. The mother was black, with a considerable intermixture of +white hairs and a white spot on the breast. One of the cubs was jet +black, and the other of a light reddish-brown or bay color. The hair +of these variegated bears is much finer, longer, and more abundant than +that of the common black bear; but the most striking differences between +them are that the former are larger and have longer tusks, and longer as +well as blunter talons; that they prey more on other animals; that they +lie neither so long nor so closely in winter quarters; and that they +never climb a tree, however closely pressed by the hunters. These +variegated bears, though specifically the same with those we met on the +Missouri, are by no means so ferocious; probably because the scarcity +of game and the habit of living on roots may have weaned them from the +practices of attacking and devouring animals. Still, however, they are +not so passive as the common black bear, which is also to be found here; +for they have already fought with our hunters, though with less fury +than those on the other side of the mountains. + +“A large part of the meat we gave to the Indians, to whom it was a real +luxury, as they scarcely taste flesh once in a month. They immediately +prepared a large fire of dried wood, on which was thrown a number of +smooth stones from the river. As soon as the fire went down and the +stones were heated, they were laid next to each other in a level +position, and covered with a quantity of pine branches, on which were +placed flitches of the meat, and then boughs and flesh alternately for +several courses, leaving a thick layer of pine on the top. On this heap +they then poured a small quantity of water, and covered the whole with +earth to the depth of four inches. After remaining in this state for +about three hours, the meat was taken off, and was really more tender +than that which we had boiled or roasted, though the strong flavor of +the pine rendered it disagreeable to our palates. This repast gave them +much satisfaction; for, though they sometimes kill the black bear, they +attack very reluctantly the fierce variegated bear; and never except +when they can pursue him on horseback over the plains, and shoot him +with arrows.” + + + + +Chapter XXII -- Camping with the Nez Perces + +Soon after they had fixed their camp, the explorers bade farewell to +their good friend Tunnachemootoolt and his young men, who returned +to their homes farther down the river. Others of the Nez Perce, or +Chopunnish, nation visited them, and the strangers were interested in +watching the Indians preparing for their hunt. As they were to hunt the +deer, they had the head, horns, and hide of that animal so prepared +that when it was placed on the head and body of a hunter, it gave a very +deceptive idea of a deer; the hunter could move the head of the decoy +so that it looked like a deer feeding, and the suspicious animals were +lured within range of the Indians’ bow and arrow. + +On the sixteenth of May, Hohastillpilp and his young men also left the +white men’s camp and returned to their own village. The hunters of the +party did not meet with much luck in their quest for game, only one deer +and a few pheasants being brought in for several days. The party were +fed on roots and herbs, a species of onion being much prized by them. +Bad weather confined them to their camp, and a common entry in their +journal refers to their having slept all night in a pool of water formed +by the falling rain; their tent-cover was a worn-out leathern affair +no longer capable of shedding the rain. While it rained in the meadows +where they were camped, they could see the snow covering the higher +plains above them; on those plains the snow was more than a foot deep, +and yet the plants and shrubs seemed to thrive in the midst of the snow. +On the mountains the snow was several feet in depth. The journalist +says: “So that within twenty miles of our camp we observe the rigors +of winter cold, the cool air of spring, and the oppressive heat of +midsummer.” They kept a shrewd lookout for the possibilities of future +occupation of the land by white men; and, writing here of country and +its character, the journalist says: “In short, this district affords +many advantages to settlers, and if properly cultivated, would yield +every object necessary for the comfort and subsistence of civilized +man.” But in their wildest dreams, Captains Lewis and Clark could not +have foreseen that in that identical region thrifty settlements of white +men should flourish and that the time would come when the scanty remnant +of the Chopunnish, whom we now call Nez Perces, would be gathered on a +reservation near their camping-place. But both of these things have come +to pass. + +In describing the dress of the Chopunnish, or Nez Perces, the +journal says that tippets, or collars, were worn by the men. “That +of Hohastillpilp,” says the journal, “was formed of human scalps and +adorned with the thumbs and fingers of several men slain by him in +battle.” And yet the journal immediately adds: “The Chopunnish are among +the most amiable men we have seen. Their character is placid and gentle, +rarely moved to passion, yet not often enlivened by gayety.” In short, +the Indians were amiable savages; and it is a savage trait to love to +destroy one’s enemies. + +Here is an entry in the journal of May 19 which will give the reader +some notion of the privations and the pursuits of the party while shut +up in camp for weary weeks in the early summer of 1806:-- + +“After a cold, rainy night, during a greater part of which we lay in the +water, the weather became fair; we then sent some men to a village above +us, on the opposite side, to purchase some roots. They carried with +them for this purpose a small collection of awls, knitting-pins, and +armbands, with which they obtained several bushels of the root of cows, +and some bread of the same material. They were followed, too, by a train +of invalids from the village, who came to ask for our assistance. The +men were generally afflicted with sore eyes; but the women had besides +this a variety of other disorders, chiefly rheumatic, a violent pain and +weakness in the loins, which is a common complaint among them; one of +them seemed much dejected, and as we thought, from the account of her +disease, hysterical. We gave her thirty drops of laudanum, and after +administering eye-water, rubbing the rheumatic patients with volatile +liniment, and giving cathartics to others, they all thought themselves +much relieved and returned highly satisfied to the village. We were +fortunate enough to retake one of the horses on which we (Captain Lewis) +had crossed the Rocky Mountains in the autumn, and which had become +almost wild since that time.” + +A day or two later, the journal has this significant entry: “On +parcelling out the stores, the stock of each man was found to be only +one awl, and one knitting-pin, half an ounce of vermilion, two needles, +a few skeins of thread, and about a yard of ribbon--a slender means of +bartering for our subsistence; but the men have been so much accustomed +to privations that now neither the want of meat nor the scanty funds +of the party excites the least anxiety among them.” To add to their +discomfort, there was a great deal of sickness in the camp, owing to the +low diet of the men. Sacajawea’s baby was ill with mumps and teething, +and it is suggested that the two captains would have been obliged to +“walk the floor all night,” if there had been any floor to walk on; as +it was, they were deprived of their nightly rest. Here is an example +of what the doctors would call heroic treatment by Captain Clark, who +conducted all such experiments:-- + +“With one of the men (Bratton) we have ventured an experiment of a very +robust nature. He has been for some time sick, but has now recovered his +flesh, eats heartily, and digests well, but has so great a weakness in +the loins that he cannot walk or even sit upright without extreme pain. +After we had in vain exhausted the resources of our art, one of the +hunters mentioned that he had known persons in similar situations to +be restored by violent sweats, and at the request of the patient, we +permitted the remedy to be applied. For this purpose a hole about four +feet deep and three in diameter was dug in the earth, and heated well +by a large fire in the bottom of it. The fire was then taken out, and +an arch formed over the hole by means of willow-poles, and covered +with several blankets so as to make a perfect awning. The patient being +stripped naked, was seated under this on a beach, with a piece of board +for his feet, and with a jug of water sprinkled the bottom and sides +of the hole, so as to keep up as hot a steam as he could bear. +After remaining twenty minutes in this situation, he was taken out, +immediately plunged twice in cold water, and brought back to the hole, +where he resumed the vapor bath. During all this time he drank copiously +a strong infusion of horse-mint, which was used as a substitute for +seneca-root, which our informant said he had seen employed on these +occasions, but of which there is none in this country. At the end +of three-quarters of an hour he was again withdrawn from the hole, +carefully wrapped, and suffered to cool gradually. This operation was +performed yesterday; this morning he walked about and is nearly free +from pain. About eleven o’clock a canoe arrived with three Indians, one +of whom was the poor creature who had lost the use of his limbs, and +for whose recovery the natives seem very anxious, as he is a chief of +considerable rank among them. His situation is beyond the reach of our +skill. He complains of no pain in any peculiar limb, and we therefore +think his disorder cannot be rheumatic, and his limbs would have been +more diminished if his disease had been a paralytic affection. We had +already ascribed it to his diet of roots, and had recommended his living +on fish and flesh, and using the cold bath every morning, with a dose of +cream of tartar or flowers of sulphur every third day.” + +It is gratifying to be able to record the fact that Bratton and the +Indian (who was treated in the same manner) actually recovered from +their malady. The journal says of the Indian that his restoration +was “wonderful.” This is not too strong a word to use under the +circumstances, for the chief had been helpless for nearly three years, +and yet he was able to get about and take care of himself after he had +been treated by Captain (otherwise Doctor) Clark. Two of his men met +with a serious disaster about this time; going across the river to trade +with some Indians, their boat was stove and went to the bottom, carrying +with it three blankets, a blanket-coat, and their scanty stock of +merchandise, all of which was utterly lost. Another disaster, which +happened next day, is thus recorded:-- + +“Two of our men, who had been up the river to trade with the Indians, +returned quite unsuccessful. Nearly opposite the village, their horse +fell with his load down a steep cliff into the river, across which he +swam. An Indian on the opposite side drove him back to them; but +in crossing most of the articles were lost and the paint melted. +Understanding their intentions, the Indians attempted to come over to +them, but having no canoe, were obliged to use a raft, which struck on a +rock, upset, and the whole store of roots and bread were destroyed. +This failure completely exhausted our stock of merchandise; but the +remembrance of what we suffered from cold and hunger during the passage +of the Rocky Mountains makes us anxious to increase our means of +subsistence and comfort, since we have again to encounter the same +inconvenience.” + +But the ingenuity of the explorers was equal to this emergency. Having +observed that the Indians were very fond of brass buttons, which they +fastened to their garments as ornaments, and not for the useful purpose +for which buttons are made, the men now proceeded to cut from their +shabby United States uniforms those desired articles, and thus formed a +new fund for trading purposes. To these they added some eye-water, some +basilicon, and a few small tin boxes in which phosphorus had been kept. +Basilicon, of which mention is frequently made in the journal, was an +ointment composed of black pitch, white wax, resin, and olive oil; it +was esteemed as a sovereign remedy for all diseases requiring an outward +application. With these valuables two men were sent out to trade with +the Indians, on the second day of June, and they returned with three +bushels of eatable roots and some cowas bread. Later in that day, a +party that had been sent down the river (Lewis’) in quest of food, +returned with a goodly supply of roots and seventeen salmon. These +fish, although partly spoiled by the long journey home, gave great +satisfaction to the hungry adventurers, for they were the promise of a +plenty to come when the salmon should ascend the rivers that make into +the Columbia. At this time we find the following interesting story in +the journal of the expedition:-- + +“We had lately heard, also, that some Indians, residing at a +considerable distance, on the south side of the Kooskooskee, were in +possession of two tomahawks, one of which had been left at our camp on +Moscheto Creek, and the other had been stolen while we were with the +Chopunnish in the autumn. This last we were anxious to obtain, in order +to give it to the relations of our unfortunate companion, Sergeant +Floyd,(1) to whom it once belonged. We therefore sent Drewyer, with the +two chiefs Neeshnepahkeeook and Hohastillpilp (who had returned to us) +to demand it. On their arrival, they found that the present possessor +of it, who had purchased it of the thief, was at the point of death; and +his relations were unwilling to give it up, as they wished to bury it in +the grave with the deceased. The influence of Neeshnepahkeeook, however, +at length prevailed; and they consented to surrender the tomahawk on +receiving two strands of beads and a handkerchief from Drewyer, and +from each of the chiefs a horse, to be killed at the funeral of their +kinsman, according to the custom of the country.” + + + (1) See page 23. + + +The Chopunnish chiefs now gave their final answer to the two captains +who had requested guides from them. The chiefs said that they could not +accompany the party, but later in the summer they might cross the great +divide and spend the next winter on the headwaters of the Missouri. At +present, they could only promise that some of their young men should go +with the whites; these had not been selected, but they would be sent on +after the party, if the two captains insisted on starting now. This +was not very encouraging, for they had depended upon the Indians for +guidance over the exceedingly difficult and even dangerous passages of +the mountains. Accordingly, it was resolved that, while waiting on the +motions of the Indians, the party might as well make a visit to Quamash +flats, where they could lay in a stock of provisions for their arduous +journey. It is not certain which of the several Quamash flats mentioned +in the history of the expedition is here referred to; but it is likely +that the open glade in which Captain Clark first struck the low country +of the west is here meant. It was here that he met the Indian boys +hiding in the grass, and from here he led the expedition out of the +wilderness. For “quamash” read “camass,” an edible root much prized by +the Nez Perces then and now. + +While they lingered at their camp, they were visited by several bands of +friendly Indians. The explorers traded horses with their visitors, +and, with what they already had, they now found their band to number +sixty-five, all told. Having finished their trading, they invited the +Indians to take part in the games of prisoners’ base and foot-racing; in +the latter game the Indians were very expert, being able to distance +the fleetest runner of the white men’s party. At night, the games +were concluded by a dance. The account of the expedition says that the +captains were desirous of encouraging these exercises before they +should begin the passage over the mountains, “as several of the men are +becoming lazy from inaction.” + +On the tenth of June the party set out for Quamash flats, each man well +mounted and leading a spare horse which carried a small load. To their +dismay, they found that their good friends, the Chopunnish, unwilling to +part with them, were bound to accompany them to the hunting-grounds. The +Indians would naturally expect to share in the hunt and to be provided +for by the white men. The party halted there only until the sixth of +June, and then, collecting their horses, set out through what proved to +be a very difficult trail up the creek on which they were camped, in +a northeasterly direction. There was still a quantity of snow on the +ground, although this was in shady places and hollows. Vegetation was +rank, and the dogtooth violet, honeysuckle, blue-bell, and columbine +were in blossom. The pale blue flowers of the quamash gave to the level +country the appearance of a blue lake. Striking Hungry Creek, which +Captain Clark had very appropriately named when he passed that way, the +previous September, they followed it up to a mountain for about three +miles, when they found themselves enveloped in snow; their limbs were +benumbed, and the snow, from twelve to fifteen feet deep, so paralyzed +their feet that further progress was impossible. Here the journal should +be quoted:-- + +“We halted at the sight of this new difficulty. We already knew that to +wait till the snows of the mountains had dissolved, so as to enable us +to distinguish the road, would defeat our design of returning to the +United States this season. We now found also that as the snow bore our +horses very well, travelling was infinitely easier than it was last +fall, when the rocks and fallen timber had so much obstructed our march. +But it would require five days to reach the fish-weirs at the mouth of +Colt (-killed) Creek, even if we were able to follow the proper ridges +of the mountains; and the danger of missing our direction is exceedingly +great while every track is covered with snow. During these five days, +too, we have no chance of finding either grass or underwood for our +horses, the snow being so deep. To proceed, therefore, under such +circumstances, would be to hazard our being bewildered in the mountains, +and to insure the loss of our horses; even should we be so fortunate as +to escape with our lives, we might be obliged to abandon all our papers +and collections. It was therefore decided not to venture any further; +to deposit here all the baggage and provisions for which we had no +immediate use; and, reserving only subsistence for a few days, to return +while our horses were yet strong to some spot where we might live +by hunting, till a guide could be procured to conduct us across the +mountains. Our baggage was placed on scaffolds and carefully covered, as +were also the instruments and papers, which we thought it safer to leave +than to risk over the roads and creeks by which we came.” + +There was nothing left to do but to return to Hungry Creek. Finding a +scanty supply of grass, they camped under most depressing circumstances; +their outlook now was the passing of four or five days in the midst +of snows from ten to fifteen feet deep, with no guide, no road, and +no forage. In this emergency, two men were sent back to the Chopunnish +country to hurry up the Indians who had promised to accompany them over +the mountains; and, to insure a guide, these men were authorized to +offer a rifle as a reward for any one who would undertake the task. For +the present, it was thought best to return to Quamash flats. + + + + +Chapter XXIII -- Crossing the Bitter Root Mountains + +Disasters many kept pace with the unhappy explorers on their way back +to Quamash flats after their rebuff at the base of the Bitter Root +Mountains. One of the horses fell down a rough and rocky place, carrying +his rider with him; but fortunately neither horse nor man was killed. +Next, a man, sent ahead to cut down the brush that blocked the path, cut +himself badly on the inside of his thigh and bled copiously. The hunters +sent out for game returned empty-handed. The fishermen caught no fish, +but broke the two Indian gigs, or contrivances for catching fish, with +which they had been provided. The stock of salt had given out, the +bulk of their supply having been left on the mountain. Several large +mushrooms were brought in by Cruzatte, but these were eaten without +pepper, salt, or any kind of grease,--“a very tasteless, insipid food,” + as the journal says. To crown all, the mosquitoes were pestilential in +their numbers and venom. + +Nevertheless, the leaders of the expedition were determined to press on +and pass the Bitter Root Mountains as soon as a slight rest at Quamash +flats should be had. If they should tarry until the snows melted from +the trail, they would be too late to reach the United States that winter +and would be compelled to pass the next winter at some camp high up on +the Missouri, as they had passed one winter at Fort Mandan, on their way +out. This is the course of argument which Captain Lewis and Clark took +to persuade each other as to the best way out of their difficulties:-- + +“The snows have formed a hard, coarse bed without crust, on which the +horses walk safely without slipping; the chief difficulty, therefore, is +to find the road. In this we may be assisted by the circumstance that, +though generally ten feet in depth, the snow has been thrown off by the +thick and spreading branches of the trees, and from round the trunk; +while the warmth of the trunk itself, acquired by the reflection of the +sun, or communicated by natural heat of the earth, which is never frozen +under these masses, has dissolved the snow so much that immediately at +the roots its depth is not more than one or two feet. We therefore hope +that the marks of the baggage rubbing against the trees may still be +perceived; and we have decided, in case the guide cannot be procured, +that one of us will take three or four of our most expert woodsmen, +several of our best horses, and an ample supply of provisions, go on two +days’ journey in advance, and endeavor to trace the route by the marks +of the Indian baggage on the trees, which we would then mark more +distinctly with a tomahawk. When they should have reached two days’ +journey beyond Hungry Creek, two of the men were to be sent back to +apprise the rest of their success, and if necessary to cause them to +delay there; lest, by advancing too soon, they should be forced to halt +where no food could be obtained for the horses. If the traces of the +baggage be too indistinct, the whole party is to return to Hungry Creek, +and we will then attempt the passage by ascending the main southwest +branch of Lewis’ River through the country of the Shoshonees, over to +Madison or Gallatin River. On that route, the Chopunnish inform us, +there is a passage not obstructed by snow at this period of the year.” + +On their return to Quamash flats the party met two Indians who, after +some parley, agreed to pilot them over the mountains; these camped where +they were, and the party went on to the flats, having exacted a promise +from the Indians that they would wait there two nights for the white men +to come along. When the party reached their old camp, they found that +one of their hunters had killed a deer, which was a welcome addition +to their otherwise scanty supper. Next day, the hunters met with +astonishing luck, bringing into camp eight deer and three bears. Four of +the men were directed to go to the camp of the two Indians, and if these +were bent on going on, to accompany them and so mark, or blaze, the +trees that the rest of the party would have no difficulty in finding the +way, later on. + +Meanwhile, the men who had been sent back for guides returned, bringing +with them the pleasing information that three Indians whom they brought +with them had consented to guide the party to the great falls of the +Missouri, for the pay of two guns. Accordingly, once more (June 26), +they set out for the mountains, travelling for the third time in twelve +days the route between Quamash flats and the Bitter Root range. For the +second time they ran up against a barrier of snow. They measured the +depth of the snow at the place where they had left their luggage at +their previous repulse and found it to be ten feet and ten inches deep; +and it had sunk four feet since they had been turned back at this point. +Pressing on, after they reached their old camp, they found a bare spot +on the side of the mountain where there was a little grass for their +horses; and there they camped for the night. They were fortunate in +having Indian guides with them; and the journal says:-- + +“The marks on the trees, which had been our chief dependence, are much +fewer and more difficult to be distinguished than we had supposed. But +our guides traverse this trackless region with a kind of instinctive +sagacity; they never hesitate, they are never embarrassed; and so +undeviating is their step, that wherever the snow has disappeared, for +even a hundred paces, we find the summer road. With their aid the snow +is scarcely a disadvantage; for though we are often obliged to slip +down, yet the fallen timber and the rocks, which are now covered, were +much more troublesome when we passed in the autumn. Travelling is indeed +comparatively pleasant, as well as more rapid, the snow being hard and +coarse, without a crust, and perfectly hard enough to prevent the horses +sinking more than two or three inches. After the sun has been on it for +some hours it becomes softer than it is early in the morning; yet they +are almost always able to get a sure foothold.” + +On the twenty-ninth of June the party were well out of the snows in +which they had been imprisoned, although they were by no means over the +mountain barrier that had been climbed so painfully during the past few +days. Here they observed the tracks of two barefooted Indians who had +evidently been fleeing from their enemies, the Pahkees. These signs +disturbed the Indian guides, for they at once said that the tracks were +made by their friends, the Ootlashoots, and that the Pahkees would +also cut them (the guides) off on their return from the trip over the +mountains. On the evening of the day above mentioned, the party camped +at the warm springs which fall into Traveller’s-rest Creek, a point +now well known to the explorers, who had passed that way before. Of the +springs the journal says:-- + +“These warm springs are situated at the foot of a hill on the north side +of Traveller’s-rest Creek, which is ten yards wide at this place. They +issue from the bottoms, and through the interstices of a gray freestone +rock, which rises in irregular masses round their lower side. The +principal spring, which the Indians have formed into a bath by stopping +the run with stone and pebbles, is about the same temperature as the +warmest bath used at the hot springs in Virginia. On trying, Captain +Lewis could with difficulty remain in it nineteen minutes, and then was +affected with a profuse perspiration. The two other springs are much +hotter, the temperature being equal to that of the warmest of the hot +springs in Virginia. Our men, as well as the Indians, amused themselves +with going into the bath; the latter, according to their universal +custom, going first into the hot bath, where they remain as long as they +can bear the heat, then plunging into the creek, which is now of an icy +coldness, and repeating this operation several times, but always ending +with the warm bath.” + +Traveller’s-rest Creek, it will be recollected, is on the summit of the +Bitter Root Mountains, and the expedition had consequently passed from +Idaho into Montana, as these States now exist on the map; but they were +still on the Pacific side of the Great Divide, or the backbone of +the continent. Much game was seen in this region, and after reaching +Traveller’s-rest Creek, the hunters killed six deer; great numbers of +elk and bighorn were also seen in this vicinity. On the thirtieth of +July the party were at their old camp of September 9 and 10, 1805, +having made one hundred and fifty-six miles from Quamash flats to the +mouth of the creek where they now camped. Here a plan to divide and +subdivide the party was made out as follows:-- + +“Captain Lewis, with nine men, is to pursue the most direct route to the +falls of the Missouri, where three of his party (Thompson, Goodrich, and +McNeal) are to be left to prepare carriages for transporting the baggage +and canoes across the portage. With the remaining six, he will ascend +Maria’s River to explore the country and ascertain whether any branch +of it reaches as far north as latitude 50'0, after which he will descend +that river to its mouth. The rest of the men will accompany Captain +Clark to the head of Jefferson River, which Sergeant Ordway and a party +of nine men will descend, with the canoes and other articles deposited +there. Captain Clark’s party, which will then be reduced to ten men and +Sacajawea, will proceed to the Yellowstone, at its nearest approach to +the Three Forks of the Missouri. There he will build canoes, go down +that river with seven of his party, and wait at its mouth till the rest +of the party join him. Sergeant Pryor, with two others, will then take +the horses by land to the Mandans. From that nation he will go to the +British posts on the Assiniboin with a letter to Mr. Alexander Henry, +to procure his endeavors to prevail on some of the Sioux chiefs to +accompany him to the city of Washington. . . . + +“The Indians who had accompanied us intended leaving us in order to seek +their friends, the Ootlashoots; but we prevailed on them to accompany +Captain Lewis a part of his route, so as to show him the shortest road +to the Missouri, and in the mean time amused them with conversation and +running races, on foot and with horses, in both of which they proved +themselves hardy, athletic, and active. To the chief Captain Lewis gave +a small medal and a gun, as a reward for having guided us across the +mountains; in return the customary civility of exchanging names passed +between them, by which the former acquired the title of Yomekollick, of +White Bearskin Unfolded.” + + + + +Chapter XXIV -- The Expedition Subdivided + +On the third of July, accordingly, Captain Lewis, with nine of his men +and five Indians, proceeded down the valley lying between the Rocky +and the Bitter Root ranges of mountains, his general course being due +northwest of Clark’s fork of the Columbia River. Crossing several small +streams that make into this river, they finally reached and crossed the +Missoula River from west to east, below the confluence of the St. Mary’s +and Hell-gate rivers, or creeks; for these streams hardly deserve the +name of rivers. The party camped for the night within a few miles of the +site of the present city of Missoula, Montana. Here they were forced to +part from their good friends and allies, the Indians, who had crossed +the range with them. These men were afraid that they would be cut off by +their foes, the Pahkees, and they wanted to find and join some band +of the Indian nation with whom they were on terms of friendship. The +journal gives this account of the parting:-- + +“We now smoked a farewell pipe with our estimable companions, who +expressed every emotion of regret at parting with us; which they felt +the more, because they did not conceal their fears of our being cut off +by the Pahkees. We also gave them a shirt, a handkerchief, and a small +quantity of ammunition. The meat which they received from us was dried +and left at this place, as a store during the homeward journey. This +circumstance confirms our belief that there is no route along Clark’s +River to the Columbian plains so near or so good as that by which we +came; for, though these people mean to go for several days’ journey +down that river, to look for the Shalees (Ootlashoots), yet they intend +returning home by the same pass of the mountains through which they have +conducted us. This route is also used by all the nations whom we know +west of the mountains who are in the habit of visiting the plains of +the Missouri; while on the other side, all the war-paths of the +Pahkees which fall into this valley of Clark’s River concentre at +Traveller’s-rest, beyond which these people have never ventured to the +west.” + +During the next day or two, Captain Lewis kept on the same general +course through a well-watered country, the ground gradually rising as he +approached the base of the mountains. Tracks of Indians, supposed to +be Pahkees, became more numerous and fresh. On the seventh of July, the +little company went through the famous pass of the Rocky Mountains, now +properly named for the leaders of the expedition. Here is the journal’s +account of their finding the Lewis and Clark Pass:-- + +“At the distance of twelve miles we left the river, or rather the +creek, and having for four miles crossed two ridges in a direction north +fifteen degrees east, again struck to the right, proceeding through +a narrow bottom covered with low willows and grass, and abundantly +supplied with both deer and beaver. After travelling seven miles we +reached the foot of a ridge, which we ascended in a direction north +forty-five degrees east, through a low gap of easy ascent from the +westward; and, on descending it, were delighted at discovering that this +was the dividing ridge between the waters of the Columbia and those of +the Missouri. From this gap Fort Mountain is about twenty miles in a +northeastern direction. We now wound through the hills and mountains, +passing several rivulets which ran to the right, and at the distance +of nine miles from the gap encamped, having made thirty-two miles. We +procured some beaver, and this morning saw tracks of buffalo, from which +it appears that those animals do sometimes penetrate a short distance +among the mountains.” + +Next day the party found themselves in clover, so to speak. Game was +plenty, and, as their object now was to accumulate meat for the three +men who were to be left at the falls (and who were not hunters), they +resolved to strike the Medicine, or Sun, River and hunt down its banks. +On that river the journal, July 10, has this to say:-- + +“In the plains are great quantities of two species of prickly-pear now +in bloom. Gooseberries of the common red kind are in abundance and just +beginning to ripen, but there are no currants. The river has now widened +to one hundred yards; it is deep, crowded with islands, and in many +parts rapid. At the distance of seventeen miles, the timber disappears +totally from the river-bottoms. About this part of the river, the wind, +which had blown on our backs, and constantly put the elk on their guard, +shifted round; we then shot three of them and a brown bear. Captain +Lewis halted to skin them, while two of the men took the pack-horses +forward to seek for a camp. It was nine o’clock before he overtook them, +at the distance of seven miles, in the first grove of cottonwood. They +had been pursued as they came along by a very large bear, on which they +were afraid to fire, lest their horses, being unaccustomed to the gun, +might take fright and throw them. This circumstance reminds us of +the ferocity of these animals, when we were last near this place, and +admonishes us to be very cautious. We saw vast numbers of buffalo below +us, which kept up a dreadful bellowing during the night. With all our +exertions we were unable to advance more than twenty-four miles, owing +to the mire through which we are obliged to travel, in consequence of +the rain.” + +The Sun, or Medicine, River empties into the Missouri just above the +great falls of that stream; and near here, opposite White Bear Islands, +the expedition had deposited some of their property in a cache dug +near the river bank, when they passed that way, a year before. On the +thirteenth of the month, having reached their old camping-ground here, +the party set to work making boat-gear and preparing to leave their +comrades in camp well fixed for their stay. The journal adds:-- + +“On opening the cache, we found the bearskins entirely destroyed by the +water, which in a flood of the river had penetrated to them. All the +specimens of plants, too, were unfortunately lost: the chart of the +Missouri, however, still remained unhurt, and several articles contained +in trunks and boxes had suffered but little injury; but a vial of +laudanum had lost its stopper, and the liquid had run into a drawer +of medicines, which it spoiled beyond recovery. The mosquitoes were +so troublesome that it was impossible even to write without a mosquito +bier. The buffalo were leaving us fast, on their way to the southeast.” + +One of the party met with an amusing adventure here, which is thus +described:-- + +“At night M’Neal, who had been sent in the morning to examine the cache +at the lower end of the portage, returned; but had been prevented from +reaching that place by a singular adventure. Just as he arrived near +Willow run, he approached a thicket of brush in which was a white bear, +which he did not discover till he was within ten feet of him. His horse +started, and wheeling suddenly round, threw M’Neal almost immediately +under the bear, which started up instantly. Finding the bear raising +himself on his hind feet to attack him, he struck him on the head with +the butt end of his musket; the blow was so violent that it broke the +breech of the musket and knocked the bear to the ground. Before he +recovered M’Neal, seeing a willow-tree close by, sprang up, and there +remained while the bear closely guarded the foot of the tree until late +in the afternoon. He then went off; M’Neal being released came down, +and having found his horse, which had strayed off to the distance of +two miles, returned to camp. These animals are, indeed, of a most +extraordinary ferocity, and it is matter of wonder that in all our +encounters we have had the good fortune to escape. We are now +troubled with another enemy, not quite so dangerous, though even more +disagreeable-these are the mosquitoes, who now infest us in such myriads +that we frequently get them into our throats when breathing, and the dog +even howls with the torture they occasion.” + +The intention of Captain Lewis was to reach the river sometimes known as +Maria’s, and sometimes as Marais, or swamp. This stream rises near the +boundary between Montana and the British possessions, and flows into the +Missouri, where the modern town of Ophir is built. The men left at the +great falls were to dig up the canoes and baggage that had been cached +there the previous year, and be ready to carry around the portage of +the falls the stuff that would be brought from the two forks of the +Jefferson, later on, by Sergeant Ordway and his party. It will be +recollected that this stuff had also been cached at the forks of the +Jefferson, the year before. The two parties, thus united, were to go +down to the entrance of Maria’s River into the Missouri, and Captain +Lewis expected to join them there by the fifth of August; if he failed +to meet them by that time, they were to go on down the river and meet +Captain Clark at the mouth of the Yellowstone. This explanation is +needed to the proper understanding of the narrative that follows; for we +now have to keep track of three parties of the explorers. + +Captain Lewis and his men, having travelled northwest about twenty miles +from the great falls of the Missouri, struck the trail of a wounded +buffalo. They were dismayed by the sight, for that assured them that +there were Indians in the vicinity; and the most natural thing to expect +was that these were Blackfeet, or Minnetarees; both of these tribes are +vicious and rascally people, and they would not hesitate to attack a +small party and rob them of their guns, if they thought themselves able +to get away with them. + +They were now in the midst of vast herds of buffalo, so numerous that +the whole number seemed one immense herd. Hanging on the flanks were +many wolves; hares and antelope were also abundant. On the fourth day +out, Captain Lewis struck the north fork of Maria’s River, now known as +Cut-bank River, in the northwest corner of Montana. He was desirous +of following up the stream, to ascertain, if possible, whether its +fountain-head was below, or above, the boundary between the United +States and the British possessions. Bad weather and an accident to +his chronometer prevented his accomplishing his purpose, and, on the +twenty-sixth of July, he turned reluctantly back, giving the name of +Cape Disappointment to his last camping-place. Later in that day, +as they were travelling down the main stream (Maria’s River), they +encountered the Indians whom they had hoped to avoid. Let us read the +story as it is told in the journal of the party:-- + +“At the distance of three miles we ascended the hills close to the +river-side, while Drewyer pursued the valley of the river on the +opposite side. But scarcely had Captain Lewis reached the high plain +when he saw, about a mile on his left, a collection of about thirty +horses. He immediately halted, and by the aid of his spy-glass +discovered that one-half of the horses were saddled, and that on the +eminence above the horses several Indians were looking down toward +the river, probably at Drewyer. This was a most unwelcome sight. Their +probable numbers rendered any contest with them of doubtful issue; to +attempt to escape would only invite pursuit, and our horses were so bad +that we must certainly be overtaken; besides which, Drewyer could not +yet be aware that the Indians were near, and if we ran he would most +probably be sacrificed. We therefore determined to make the most of our +situation, and advance toward them in a friendly manner. The flag which +we had brought in case of any such accident was therefore displayed, and +we continued slowly our march toward them. Their whole attention was so +engaged by Drewyer that they did not immediately discover us. As soon +as they did see us, they appeared to be much alarmed and ran about in +confusion; some of them came down the hill and drove their horses within +gunshot of the eminence, to which they then returned, as if to await +our arrival. When we came within a quarter of a mile, one of the Indians +mounted and rode at full speed to receive us; but when within a hundred +paces of us, he halted. Captain Lewis, who had alighted to receive him, +held out his hand and beckoned to him to approach; he only looked at +us for some time, and then, without saying a word, returned to his +companions with as much haste as he had advanced. The whole party now +descended the hill and rode toward us. As yet we saw only eight, but +presumed that there must be more behind us, as there were several horses +saddled. We however advanced, and Captain Lewis now told his two men +that he believed these were the Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie, who, +from their infamous character, would in all probability attempt to +rob us; but being determined to die rather than lose his papers and +instruments, he intended to resist to the last extremity, and advised +them to do the same, and to be on the alert should there be any +disposition to attack us. When the two parties came within a hundred +yards of each other, all the Indians, except one, halted. Captain Lewis +therefore ordered his two men to halt while he advanced, and after +shaking hands with the Indian, went on and did the same with the others +in the rear, while the Indian himself shook hands with the two men. They +all now came up; and after alighting, the Indians asked to smoke with +us. Captain Lewis, who was very anxious for Drewyer’s safety, told them +that the man who had gone down the river had the pipe, and requested +that as they had seen him, one of them would accompany R. Fields, to +bring him back. To this they assented, and Fields went with a young man +in search of Drewyer.” + +Captain Lewis now asked them by signs if they were Minnetarees of the +north, and he was sorry to be told in reply that they were; he knew +them to be a bad lot. When asked if they had any chief among them, they +pointed out three. The captain did not believe them, but, in order to +keep on good terms with them, he gave to one a flag, to another a medal, +and to the third a handkerchief. At Captain Lewis’ suggestion, the +Indians and the white men camped together, and in the course of the +evening the red men told the captain that they were part of a big +band of their tribe, or nation. The rest of the tribe, they said, were +hunting further up the river, and were then in camp near the foot of the +Rocky Mountains. The captain, in return, told them that his party had +come from the great lake where the sun sets, and that he was in hopes +that he could induce the Minnetarees to live in peace with their +neighbors and come and trade at the posts that would be established in +their country by and by. He offered them ten horses and some tobacco if +they would accompany his party down the river below the great falls. To +this they made no reply. Being still suspicious of these sullen guests, +Captain Lewis made his dispositions for the night, with orders for the +sentry on duty to rouse all hands if the Indians should attempt to steal +anything in the night. Next morning trouble began. Says the journal:-- + +“At sunrise, the Indians got up and crowded around the fire near which +J. Fields, who was then on watch, had carelessly left his rifle, near +the head of his brother, who was still asleep. One of the Indians +slipped behind him, and, unperceived, took his brother’s and his own +rifle, while at the same time two others seized those of Drewyer and +Captain Lewis. As soon as Fields turned, he saw the Indian running off +with the rifles; instantly calling his brother, they pursued him for +fifty or sixty yards; just as they overtook him, in the scuffle for +the rifles R. Fields stabbed him through the heart with his knife. The +Indian ran about fifteen steps and fell dead. They now ran back with +their rifles to the camp. The moment the fellow touched his gun, +Drewyer, who was awake, jumped up and wrested it from him. The noise +awoke Captain Lewis, who instantly started from the ground and reached +for his gun; but finding it gone, drew a pistol from his belt, and +turning saw the Indian running off with it. He followed him and ordered +him to lay it down, which he did just as the two Fields came up, and +were taking aim to shoot him; when Captain Lewis ordered them not to +fire, as the Indian did not appear to intend any mischief. He dropped +the gun and was going slowly off when Drewyer came out and asked +permission to kill him; but this Captain Lewis forbade, as he had +not yet attempted to shoot us. But finding that the Indians were now +endeavoring to drive off all the horses, he ordered all three of us to +follow the main party, who were chasing the horses up the river, and +fire instantly upon the thieves; while he, without taking time to +run for his shot-pouch, pursued the fellow who had stolen his gun and +another Indian, who were driving away the horses on the left of the +camp. He pressed them so closely that they left twelve of their horses, +but continued to drive off one of our own. + +“At the distance of three hundred paces they entered a steep niche in +the river-bluffs, when Captain Lewis, being too much out of breath +to pursue them any further, called out, as he had done several times +before, that unless they gave up the horse he would shoot them. As he +raised his gun one of the Indians jumped behind a rock and spoke to the +other, who stopped at the distance of thirty paces. Captain Lewis shot +him in the belly. He fell on his knees and right elbow; but, raising +himself a little, fired, and then crawled behind a rock. The shot had +nearly proved fatal; for Captain Lewis, who was bareheaded, felt the +wind of the ball very distinctly. Not having his shot-pouch, he could +not reload his rifle; and, having only a single charge also for his +pistol, he thought it most prudent not to attack them farther, and +retired slowly to the camp. He was met by Drewyer, who, hearing the +report of the guns, had come to his assistance, leaving the Fields to +follow the other Indians. Captain Lewis ordered him to call out to them +to desist from the pursuit, as we could take the horses of the Indians +in place of our own; but they were at too great a distance to hear him. +He therefore returned to the camp, and while he was saddling the horses +the Fields returned with four of our own, having followed the Indians +until two of them swam the river and two others ascended the hills, so +that the horses became dispersed.” + +The white men were gainers by this sad affair, for they had now in their +possession four of the Indians’ horses, and had lost one of their own. +Besides these, they found in the camp of the Indians four shields, two +bows and their quivers, and one of their two guns. The captain took +some buffalo meat which he found in the camp, and then the rest of their +baggage was burned on the spot. The flag given to one of the so-called +chiefs was retaken; but the medal given to the dead man was left +around his neck. The consequences of this unfortunate quarrel were +far-reaching. The tribe whose member was killed by the white men never +forgave the injury, and for years after there was no safety for white +men in their vicinity except when the wayfarers were in great numbers or +strongly guarded. + +A forced march was now necessary for the explorers, and they set out as +speedily as possible, well knowing that the Indians would be on their +trail. By three o’clock in the afternoon of that day they had reached +Tansy River, now known as the Teton, having travelled sixty-three miles. +They rested for an hour and a half to refresh their horses, and then +pushed on for seventeen miles further before camping again. Having +killed a buffalo, they had supper and stopped two hours. Then, +travelling through vast herds of buffalo until two o’clock in the +morning, they halted again, almost dead with fatigue; they rested until +daylight. On awaking, they found themselves so stiff and sore with much +riding that they could scarcely stand. But the lives of their friends +now at or near the mouth of Maria’s River were at stake, as well as +their own. Indeed, it was not certain but that the Indians had, by hard +riding and a circuitous route, already attacked the river party left at +the falls. So Captain Lewis told his men that they must go on, and, +if attacked, they must tie their horses together by the head and stand +together, selling their lives as dearly as possible, or routing their +enemies. The journal now says:-- + +“To this they all assented, and we therefore continued our route to +the eastward, till at the distance of twelve miles we came near the +Missouri, when we heard a noise which seemed like the report of a gun. +We therefore quickened our pace for eight miles farther, and, being +about five miles from Grog Spring, now heard distinctly the noise of +several rifles from the river. We hurried to the bank, and saw with +exquisite satisfaction our friends descending the river. They landed +to greet us, and after turning our horses loose, we embarked with our +baggage, and went down to the spot where we had made a deposite. This, +after reconnoitring the adjacent country, we opened; but, unfortunately, +the cache had caved in, and most of the articles were injured. We took +whatever was still worth preserving, and immediately proceeded to the +point, where we found our deposits in good order. By a singular good +fortune, we were here joined by Sergeant Gass and Willard from the +Falls, who had been ordered to come with the horses here to assist in +procuring meat for the voyage, as it had been calculated that the canoes +would reach this place much sooner than Captain Lewis’s party. After a +very heavy shower of rain and hail, attended with violent thunder and +lightning, we started from the point, and giving a final discharge to +our horses, went over to the island where we had left our red pirogue, +which, however, we found much decayed, and we had no means of repairing +her. We therefore took all the iron work out of her, and, proceeding +down the river fifteen miles, encamped near some cottonwood trees, one +of which was of the narrow-leafed species, and the first of that kind we +had remarked in ascending the river. + +“Sergeant Ordway’s party, which had left the mouth of Madison River on +the thirteenth, had descended in safety to White Bear Island, where he +arrived on the nineteenth, and, after collecting the baggage, had left +the falls on the twenty-seventh in the white pirogue and five canoes, +while Sergeant Gass and Willard set out at the same time by land with +the horses, and thus fortunately met together.” + +Sergeant Ordway’s party, it will be recollected, had left Captain Clark +at the three forks of the Missouri, to which they had come down the +Jefferson, and thence had passed down the Missouri to White Bear +Islands, and, making the portage, had joined the rest of the party just +in time to reinforce them. Game was now abundant the buffalo being in +enormous herds; and the bighorn were also numerous; the flesh of these +animals was in fine condition, resembling the best of mutton in flavor. +The reunited party now descended the river, the intention being to reach +the mouth of the Yellowstone as soon as possible, and there wait for +Captain Clark, who, it will be recalled, was to explore that stream and +meet them at the point of its junction with the Missouri. The voyage of +Captain Lewis and his men was without startling incident, except that +Cruzatte accidentally shot the captain, one day, while they were out +hunting. The wound was through the fleshy part of the left thigh, and +for a time was very painful. As Cruzatte was not in sight when the +captain was hit, the latter naturally thought he had been shot by +Indians hiding in the thicket. He reached camp as best he could, and, +telling his men to arm themselves, he explained that he had been shot by +Indians. But when Cruzatte came into camp, mutual explanations satisfied +all hands that a misunderstanding had arisen and that Cruzatte’s unlucky +shot was accidental. As an example of the experience of the party about +this time, while they were on their way down the Missouri, we take this +extract from their journal:-- + +“We again saw great numbers of buffalo, elk, antelope, deer, and wolves; +also eagles and other birds, among which were geese and a solitary +pelican, neither of which can fly at present, as they are now shedding +the feathers of their wings. We also saw several bears, one of them the +largest, except one, we had ever seen; for he measured nine feet from +the nose to the extremity of the tail. During the night a violent +storm came on from the northeast with such torrents of rain that we had +scarcely time to unload the canoes before they filled with water. Having +no shelter we ourselves were completely wet to the skin, and the wind +and cold air made our situation very unpleasant.” + +On the twelfth of August, the Lewis party met with two traders from +Illinois. These men were camped on the northeast side of the river; +they had left Illinois the previous summer, and had been coming up the +Missouri hunting and trapping. Captain Lewis learned from them that +Captain Clark was below; and later in that day the entire expedition was +again united, Captain Clark’s party being found at a point near where +Little Knife Creek enters the Missouri River. We must now take up the +narrative of Captain Clark and his adventures on the Yellowstone. + + + + +Chapter XXV -- Adventures on the Yellowstone + +The route of Captain Clark from the point where he and Captain Lewis +divided their party, was rather more difficult than that pursued by +the Lewis detachment. But the Clark party was larger, being composed of +twenty men and Sacajawea and her baby. They were to travel up the main +fork of Clark’s River (sometimes called the Bitter Root), to Ross’s +Hole, and then strike over the great continental divide at that point by +way of the pass which he discovered and which was named for him; thence +he was to strike the headwaters of Wisdom River, a stream which this +generation of men knows by the vulgar name of Big Hole River; from this +point he was to go by the way of Willard’s Creek to Shoshonee Cove and +the Two Forks of the Jefferson, and thence down that stream to the +Three Forks of the Missouri, up the Gallatin, and over the divide to the +Yellowstone and down that river to its junction with the Missouri, where +he was to join the party of Captain Lewis. This is the itinerary that +was exactly carried out. The very first incident set forth in the +journal is a celebration of Independence Day, as follows:-- + +“Friday, July 4. Early in the morning three hunters were sent out. +The rest of the party having collected the horses and breakfasted, we +proceeded at seven o’clock up the valley, which is now contracted to the +width of from eight to ten miles, with a good proportion of pitch-pine, +though its low lands, as well as the bottoms of the creeks, are strewn +with large stones. We crossed five creeks of different sizes, but of +great depth, and so rapid that in passing the last several of the horses +were driven down the stream, and some of our baggage was wet. Near +this river we saw the tracks of two Indians, whom we supposed to be +Shoshonees. Having made sixteen miles, we halted at an hour for +the purpose of doing honor to the birthday of our early country’s +independence. The festival was not very splendid, for it consisted of a +mush made of cows and a saddle of venison; nor had we anything to tempt +us to prolong it. We therefore went on till at the distance of a mile we +came to a very large creek, which, like all those in the valley, had +an immense rapidity of descent; we therefore proceeded up for some +distance, in order to select the most convenient spot for fording. Even +there, however, such was the violence of the current that, though the +water was not higher than the bellies of the horses, the resistance made +in passing caused the stream to rise over their backs and loads. After +passing the creek we inclined to the left, and soon after struck the +road which we had descended last year, near the spot where we dined on +the 7th of September (1805). Along this road we continued on the west +side of Clark’s River, till at the distance of thirteen miles, during +which we passed three more deep, large creeks, we reached its western +branch, where we camped; and having sent out two hunters, despatched +some men to examine the best ford across the west fork of the river. The +game to-day consisted of four deer; though we also saw a herd of ibex, +or bighorn.” + +Two days later they were high up among the mountains, although the +ascent was not very steep. At that height they found the weather very +cool, so much so that on the morning of the sixth of July, after a cold +night, they had a heavy white frost on the ground. Setting out on that +day, Captain Clark crossed a ridge which proved to be the dividing line +between the Pacific and the Atlantic watershed. At the same time he +passed from what is now Missoula County, Montana, into the present +county of Beaver Head, in that State. “Beaver Head,” the reader will +recollect, comes from a natural elevation in that region resembling the +head of a beaver. These points will serve to fix in one’s mind the +route of the first exploring party that ever ventured into those wilds; +descending the ridge on its eastern slope, the explorers struck Glade +Creek, one of the sources of the stream then named Wisdom River, a +branch of the Jefferson; and the Jefferson is one of the tributaries of +the mighty Missouri. Next day the journal has this entry:-- + +“In the morning our horses were so much scattered that, although we sent +out hunters in every direction to range the country for six or eight +miles, nine of them could not be recovered. They were the most valuable +of all our horses, and so much attached to some of their companions that +it was difficult to separate them in the daytime. We therefore presumed +that they must have been stolen by some roving Indians; and accordingly +left a party of five men to continue the pursuit, while the rest went +on to the spot where the canoes had been deposited. We set out at ten +o’clock and pursued a course S. 56'0 E. across the valley, which we +found to be watered by four large creeks, with extensive low and +miry bottoms; and then reached (and crossed) Wisdom River, along the +northeast side of which we continued, till at the distance of sixteen +miles we came to its three branches. Near that place we stopped for +dinner at a hot spring situated in the open plain. The bed of the spring +is about fifteen yards in circumference, and composed of loose, hard, +gritty stones, through which the water boils in great quantities. It is +slightly impregnated with sulphur, and so hot that a piece of meat about +the size of three fingers was completely done in twenty-five minutes.” + +Next day, July 8, the party reached the forks of the Jefferson River, +where they had cached their goods in August, 1805; they had now +travelled one hundred and sixty-four miles from Traveller’s-rest Creek +to that point. The men were out of tobacco, and as there was some among +the goods deposited in the cache they made haste to open the cache. They +found everything safe, although some of the articles were damp, and a +hole had been made in the bottom of one of the canoes. Here they were +overtaken by Sergeant Ordway and his party with the nine horses that had +escaped during the night of the seventh. + +That night the weather was so cold that water froze in a basin to a +thickness of three-quarters of an inch, and the grass around the camp +was stiff with frost, although the month of July was nearly a week old. +The boats taken from the cache were now loaded, and the explorers were +divided into two bands, one to descend the river by boat and the other +to take the same general route on horseback, the objective point being +the Yellowstone. The story is taken tip here by the journal in these +lines:-- + +“After breakfast (July 10) the two parties set out, those on shore +skirting the eastern side of Jefferson River, through Service (-berry) +Valley and over Rattlesnake Mountain, into a beautiful and extensive +country, known among the Indians by the name of Hahnahappapchah, or +Beaverhead Valley, from the number of those animals to be found in it, +and also from the point of land resembling the head of a beaver. It (the +valley) extends from Rattlesnake Mountain as low as Frazier’s Creek, and +is about fifty miles in length in direct line; while its width varies +from ten to fifteen miles, being watered in its whole course by +Jefferson River and six different creeks. The valley is open and +fertile; besides the innumerable quantities of beaver and otter with +which its creeks are supplied, the bushes of the low grounds are a +favorite resort for deer; while on the higher parts of the valley are +seen scattered groups of antelopes, and still further, on the steep +sides of the mountains, are observed many bighorns, which take refuge +there from the wolves and bears. At the distance of fifteen miles the +two parties stopped to dine; when Captain Clark, finding that the river +became wider and deeper, and that the canoes could advance more rapidly +than the horses, determined to go himself by water, leaving Sergeant +Pryor with six men to bring on the horses. In this way they resumed +their journey after dinner, and camped on the eastern side of the river, +opposite the head of Three-thousand-mile Island. The beaver were basking +in great numbers along the shore; there were also some young wild geese +and ducks. The mosquitoes were very troublesome during the day, but +after sunset the weather became cool and they disappeared.” + +Three-thousand-mile Island was so named by the explorers, when they +ascended these streams, because it was at a point exactly three thousand +miles from the mouth of the Missouri. But no such island exists now; it +has probably been worn away by the swift-rushing current of the river. +The route of Captain Clark and his party, up to this time had been a few +miles west of Bannock City, Montana. As the captain was now to proceed +by land to the Yellowstone, again leaving the canoe party, it is well to +recall the fact that his route from the Three Forks of the Missouri to +the Yellowstone follows pretty nearly the present line of the railroad +from Gallatin City to Livingston, by the way of Bozeman Pass. Of this +route the journal says:-- + +“Throughout the whole, game was very abundant. They procured deer in +the low grounds; beaver and otter were seen in Gallatin River, and elk, +wolves, eagles, hawks, crows, and geese at different parts of the route. +The plain was intersected by several great roads leading to a gap in the +mountains, about twenty miles distant, in a direction E.N.E.; but the +Indian woman, who was acquainted with the country, recommended a gap +more to the southward. This course Captain Clark determined to pursue.” + +Let us pause here to pay a little tribute to the memory of “the Indian +woman,” Sacajawea. She showed that she was very observant, had a good +memory, and was plucky and determined when in trouble. She was the guide +of the exploring party when she was in a region of country, as here, +with which she was familiar. She remembered localities which she had +not seen since her childhood. When their pirogue was upset by the +carelessness of her husband, it was she who saved the goods and helped +to right the boat. And, with her helpless infant clinging to her, she +rode with the men, guiding them with unerring skill through the mountain +fastnesses and lonely passes which the white men saw for the first time +when their salient features were pointed out to them by the intelligent +and faithful Sacajawea. The Indian woman has long since departed to the +Happy Hunting-Grounds of her fathers; only her name and story remain +to us who follow the footsteps of the brave pioneers of the western +continent. But posterity should not forget the services which were +rendered to the white race by Sacajawea. + +On the fifteenth of July the party arrived at the ridge that divides +the Missouri and the Yellowstone, nine miles from which they reached +the river itself, about a mile and a half from the point where it +issues from the Rocky Mountains. Their journey down the valley of the +Yellowstone was devoid of special interest, but was accompanied with +some hardships. For example, the feet of the horses had become so sore +with long travel over a stony trail that it was necessary to shoe them +with raw buffalo hide. Rain fell frequently and copiously; and often, +sheltered at night only by buffalo hides, they rose in the morning +drenched to the skin. The party could not follow the course of the river +very closely, but were compelled often to cross hills that came down to +the bank, making the trail impassable for horses. Here is the story of +July 18 and 19:-- + +“Gibson, one of the party, was so badly hurt by falling on a sharp point +of wood that he was unable to sit on his horse, and they were obliged +to form a sort of litter for him, so that he could lie nearly at full +length. The wound became so painful, however, after proceeding a short +distance, that he could not bear the motion, and they left him with two +men, while Captain Clark went to search for timber large enough to form +canoes. He succeeded in finding some trees of sufficient size for small +canoes, two of which he determined to construct, and by lashing them +together hoped to make them answer the purpose of conveying the party +down the river, while a few of his men should conduct the horses to the +Mandans. All hands, therefore, were set busily to work, and they were +employed in this labor for several days. In the mean time no less than +twenty-four of their horses were missing, and they strongly suspected +had been stolen by the Indians, for they were unable to find them, +notwithstanding they made the most diligent search.” + +“July 23. A piece of a robe and a moccasin,” says the journal, “were +discovered this morning not far from the camp. The moccasin was worn out +in the sole, and yet wet, and had every appearance of having been left +but a few hours before. This was conclusive that the Indians had taken +our horses, and were still prowling about for the remainder, which +fortunately escaped last night by being in a small prairie surrounded by +thick timber. At length Labiche, one of our best trackers, returned from +a very wide circuit, and informed Captain Clark that he had traced +the horses bending their course rather down the river towards the open +plains, and from their tracks, must have been going very rapidly. All +hopes of recovering them were now abandoned. Nor were the Indians the +only plunderers around our camp; for in the night the wolves or dogs +stole the greater part of the dried meat from the scaffold. The wolves, +which constantly attend the buffalo, were here in great numbers, as this +seemed to be the commencement of the buffalo country. . . . + +“At noon the two canoes were finished. They were twenty-eight feet long, +sixteen or eighteen inches deep, and from sixteen to twenty-four inches +wide; and, having lashed them together, everything was ready for setting +out the next day, Gibson having now recovered. Sergeant Pryor was +directed, with Shannon and Windsor, to take the remaining horses to the +Mandans, and if he should find that Mr. Henry (a trading-post agent) +was on the Assiniboin River, to go thither and deliver him a letter, the +object of which was to prevail on the most distinguished chiefs of the +Sioux to accompany him to Washington.” + +On a large island near the mouth of a creek now known as Canyon Creek, +the party landed to explore an extensive Indian lodge which seems to +have been built for councils, rather than for a place of residence. The +lodge was shaped like a cone, sixty feet in diameter at the base and +tapering towards the top. The poles of which it was constructed were +forty-five feet long. The interior was strangely decorated, the tops of +the poles being ornamented with eagles’ feathers, and from the centre +hung a stuffed buffalo-hide. A buffalo’s head and other trophies of +the chase were disposed about the wigwam. The valley, as the explorers +descended the river, was very picturesque and wonderful. On the north +side the cliffs were wild and romantic, and these were soon succeeded by +rugged hills, and these, in turn, by open plains on which were descried +herds of buffalo, elk, and wolves. On the twenty-seventh of July, having +reached the Bighorn, one of the largest tributaries of the Yellowstone, +the party have this entry in their journal:-- + +“They again set out very early, and on leaving the Bighorn took a last +look at the Rocky Mountains, which had been constantly in view from the +first of May. The (Yellowstone) river now widens to the extent of from +four hundred to six hundred yards; it is much divided by islands and +sandbars; its banks are generally low and falling in; it thus resembles +the Missouri in many particulars, but its islands are more numerous, +its waters less muddy, and the current is more rapid. The water is of +a yellowish-white, and the round stones, which form the bars above the +Bighorn, have given place to gravel. On the left side the river runs +under cliffs of light, soft, gritty stone, varying in height from +seventy to one hundred feet, behind which are level and extensive +plains. On the right side of the river are low extensive bottoms, +bordered with cottonwood, various species of willow, rose-bushes, +grapevines, redberry or buffalo-grease bushes, and a species of sumach; +to these succeed high grounds supplied with pine, and still further on +are level plains. Throughout the country are vast quantities of buffalo, +which, as this is the running-season, keep up a continued bellowing. +Large herds of elk also are lying on every point, so gentle that they +may be approached within twenty paces without being alarmed. Several +beaver were seen in the course of the day; indeed, there is a greater +appearance of those animals than there was above the Bighorn. Deer, +however, are by no means abundant, and antelopes, as well as bighorns, +are scarce.” + +It is noticeable that the explorers, all along their route, gave to +streams, rocks, mountains, and other natural features of the country +many names that appear to us meaningless and trifling. It would appear +that they used up all the big names, such as Jefferson, Gallatin, +Philosophy, Philanthropy, and the like, and were compelled to use, +first, the names of their own party, and then such titles as were +suggested by trifling incidents. For example, when they reached a +difficult shoal on the Yellowstone River, they named that Buffalo Shoal +because they found a buffalo on it; and Buffalo Shoal it remains unto +this day. In like manner, when they reached a dangerous rapid, twenty +miles below that point, they saw a bear standing on a rock in the +stream; and Bear Rapid the place was and is named. Bear and buffalo +were pretty numerous all the way along that part of the river which they +navigated in July. They had now rejoined the boats, and on the last day +of July, when camped at a point two miles above Wolf Rapid (so called +from seeing a wolf there), the buffalo were continually prowling about +the camp at night, exciting much alarm lest they should trample on the +boats and ruin them. In those days, buffalo were so numerous that they +were a nuisance to travellers; and they were so free from fear of man +that they were too familiar with the camps and equipage. On the first of +August we find this entry in the journal of the party:-- + +“The buffalo now appear in vast numbers. A herd happened to be on their +way across the river. Such was the multitude of these animals that, +though the river, including an island over which they passed, was a mile +wide, the herd stretched, as thickly as they could swim, from one +side to the other, and the party was obliged to stop for an hour. They +consoled themselves for the delay by killing four of the herd; and then +having proceeded for the distance of forty-five miles (in all to-day) +to an island, below which two other herds of buffalo, as numerous as the +first, soon after crossed the river.” + +Again, on the very next day, we find this entry:-- + +“The river was now about a mile wide, less rapid, and more divided by +islands, and bars of sand and mud, than heretofore; the low grounds, +too, were more extensive, and contained a greater quantity of +cottonwood, ash, and willows. On the northwest was a low, level plain, +and on the southeast some rugged hills, on which we saw, without being +able to approach them, some bighorns. Buffalo and elk, as well as their +pursuers, the wolves, were in great numbers. On each side of the +river there were several dry beds of streams, but the only one of any +considerable size was one to which they gave the name of Ibex River, +on the right, about thirty yards wide, and sixteen miles from their +encampment of the preceding night. The bear, which had given them so +much trouble at the head of the Missouri, they found equally fierce +here. One of these animals, which was on a sand-bar as the boat passed, +raised himself on his hind feet, and after looking at the party for a +moment, plunged in and swam towards them; but, after receiving three +balls in the body, he turned and made for the shore. Towards evening +they saw another enter the water to swim across; when Captain Clark +directed the boat towards the shore, and just as the animal landed shot +it in the head. It proved to be the largest female they had ever seen, +and was so old that its tusks were worn quite smooth. The boats escaped +with difficulty between two herds of buffalo that were crossing the +river, and came near being again detained by them. Among the elk of this +neighborhood they saw an unusual number of males, while higher up the +herds consisted chiefly of females.” + +It is almost incredible that these wild animals should have been so +nearly exterminated by hunters and other rovers of the plains, very soon +after travel set in across the continent. The writer of these lines, who +crossed the plains to California so lately as 1856, saw buffalo +killed for the sake of their tongues, or to give rifle practice to +the wayfarers. After the overland railroad was opened, passengers shot +buffalo from the car-windows, well knowing that they could not get their +game, even if they should kill as they flew by a herd. There are no +buffalo nor elk where millions once roamed almost unmolested. + +Early in the afternoon of August 3, the party reached the junction of +the Yellowstone and the Missouri, and camped on the same spot where they +had pitched their tents on the 26th of April, 1805. They were nearing +the end of their long journey. + +But their troubles thickened as they drew near the close of their many +miles of travel. The journal for August 4 has this record:-- + +“The camp became absolutely uninhabitable in consequence of the +multitude of mosquitoes; the men could not work in preparing skins for +clothing, nor hunt in the timbered low grounds; there was no mode of +escape, except by going on the sand-bars in the river, where, if the +wind should blow, the insects do not venture; but when there is no wind, +and particularly at night, when the men have no covering except their +worn-out blankets, the pain they suffer is scarcely to be endured. There +was also a want of meat, for no buffalo were to be found; and though elk +are very abundant, yet their fat and flesh is more difficult to dry in +the sun, and is also much more easily spoiled than the meat or fat of +either deer or buffalo. + +“Captain Clark therefore determined to go on to some spot which should +be free from mosquitoes and furnish more game. Having written a note to +Captain Lewis, to inform him of his intention, and stuck it on a pole +at the confluence of the two rivers, he loaded the canoes at five in the +afternoon, proceeded down the river to the second point, and camped on +a sand-bar; but here the mosquitoes seemed to be even more numerous +than above. The face of the Indian child was considerably puffed up +and swollen with their bites; the men could procure scarcely any sleep +during the night, and the insects continued to harass them next morning, +as they proceeded. On one occasion Captain Clark went on shore and +ascended a hill after one of the bighorns; but the mosquitoes were in +such multitudes that he could not keep them from the barrel of his rifle +long enough to take aim. About ten o’clock, however, a light breeze +sprung up from the northwest, and dispersed them in some degree. Captain +Clark then landed on a sand-bar, intending to wait for Captain Lewis, +and went out to hunt. But not finding any buffalo, he again proceeded in +the afternoon; and having killed a large white bear, camped under a high +bluff exposed to a light breeze from the southwest, which blew away the +mosquitoes. About eleven o’clock, however, the wind became very high and +a storm of rain came on, which lasted for two hours, accompanied with +sharp lightning and loud peals of thunder. + +“The party rose, next day, very wet, and proceeded to a sand-bar below +the entrance of Whiteearth River. Just above this place the Indians, +apparently within seven, or eight days past, had been digging a root +which they employ in making a kind of soup. Having fixed their tents, +the men were employed in dressing skins and hunting. They shot a number +of deer; but only two of them were fat, owing probably to the great +quantities of mosquitoes which annoy them while feeding.” + +On the eleventh of August the Clark party came up with the two white +traders from Illinois, of whom we have already made mention as having +been met by the Lewis party on their way down the river. These were the +first white men they had seen (except themselves) since they parted with +the three French trappers, near the Little Missouri, in April, 1805, +From them the wayworn voyagers received the latest news from the United +States. From them they also had some unfavorable tidings. The journal +says:-- + +“These men had met the boat which we had despatched from Fort Mandan, +on board of which, they were told, was a Ricara chief on his way to +Washington; and also another party of Yankton chiefs, accompanying Mr. +Durion on a visit of the same kind. We were sorry to learn that the +Mandans and Minnetarees were at war with the Ricaras, and had killed two +of them. The Assiniboins too are at war with the Mandans. They have, +in consequence, prohibited the Northwestern Company from trading to the +Missouri, and even killed two of their traders near Mouse River; they +are now lying in wait for Mr. McKenzie of the Northwestern Company, who +has been for a long time among the Minnetarees. These appearances are +rather unfavorable to our project of carrying some of the chiefs to the +United States; but we still hope that, by effecting a peace between the +Mandans, Minnetarees, and Ricaras, the views of our Government may be +accomplished.” + +Next day, August 12, 1806, the party, slowly descending the river, were +overjoyed to see below them the little flotilla of Captain Lewis and his +men. But they were alarmed when they discovered that Lewis was not with +them; as the boats landed at the shore, the captain was not to be seen. +Captain Clark’s party, on coming up with their friends, were told that +Lewis was lying in the pirogue, having been accidentally wounded. The +whole party were now happily reunited, and they were soon joined by the +two Illinois traders whom they had met up the river; these men wished to +accompany the expedition down the river as far as the Mandan nation, +for the purpose of trading; they were more secure with a large party of +white men than they would be if left to themselves. + + + + +Chapter XXVI -- The End of a Long Journey + +The reunited party now set out for the lower river and proceeded rapidly +down-stream, favored with a good wind. They made eighty-six miles on +the first day, passing the mouth of the Little Missouri early in the +forenoon, and camping at Miry River, on the northeast side of the +Missouri. On the second day they arrived at the principal village of the +Minnetarees, where they were received with cordial welcome by their old +friends. The explorers fired their blunderbuss several times by way of +salute, and the Indian chiefs expressed their satisfaction at the safe +return of the white men. One of the Minnetaree chiefs, however, wept +bitterly at the sight of the whites, and it was explained by his friends +that their coming reminded him of the death of his son, who had been +lately killed by the Blackfoot Indians. + +Arriving at the village of the Mandans, of which Black Cat was the +chief, a council was called, and the chiefs of the expedition endeavored +to persuade some of the leading men of the tribe to accompany them to +Washington to see “the Great Father.” Black Cat expressed his strong +desire to visit the United States and see the Great Father, but he was +afraid of the Sioux, their ancient enemies, through whose territory they +must pass on their way down to the white man’s country. This chief, it +will be recollected, was given a flag and a medal by the two captains +when they passed up the river on their way to the Rocky Mountains and +the Pacific coast. The flag was now brought on and hoisted on the lodge +of Black Cat. On that occasion, also, the commanders of the expedition +had given the Indians a number of useful articles, among them being a +portable corn-mill. But the Indians had other uses for metal, and they +had taken the mill apart and used the iron for the purpose of making +barbs for their arrows. From the Omahas, who were located here, the +white men received a present of as much corn as three men could carry. +Black Cat also gave them a dozen bushels of corn. + +Their days of starvation and famine were over. They were next visited +by Le Borgne, better known as One-eye, the head chief of all the +Minnetarees, to whom Lewis and Clark also extended an invitation to go +to Washington to see the Great Father. The journal says:-- + +“Le Borgne began by declaring that he much desired to visit his Great +Father, but that the Sioux would certainly kill any of the Mandans who +should attempt to go down the river. They were bad people, and would not +listen to any advice. When he saw us last, we had told him that we had +made peace with all the nations below; yet the Sioux had since killed +eight of his tribe, and stolen a number of their horses. The Ricaras too +had stolen their horses, and in the contest his people had killed two +of the Ricaras. Yet in spite of these dispositions he had always had +his ears open to our counsels, and had actually made a peace with +the Chayennes and the Indians of the Rocky Mountains. He concluded by +saying, that however disposed they were to visit the United States, the +fear of the Sioux would prevent them from going with us.” + +The truth was that One-eye had no notion of going to Washington; he was +afraid of nobody, and his plea of possible danger among the Sioux +was mere nonsense to deceive the white men. Captain Clark visited the +village of Black Cat, and that worthy savage made the same excuse that +Le Borgne (One-eye) had already put forth; he was afraid of the Sioux. +The journal adds:-- + +“Captain Clark then spoke to the chiefs and warriors of the village. +He told them of his anxiety that some of them should see their Great +Father, hear his good words, and receive his gifts; and requested them +to fix on some confidential chief who might accompany us. To this they +made the same objections as before; till at length a young man offered +to go, and the warriors all assented to it. But the character of +this man was known to be bad; and one of the party with Captain Clark +informed him that at the moment he (this Indian) had in his possession +a knife which he had stolen. Captain Clark therefore told the chief of +this theft, and ordered the knife to be given up. This was done with +a poor apology for having it in his possession, and Captain Clark then +reproached the chiefs for wishing to send such a fellow to see and hear +so distinguished a person as their Great Father. They all hung down +their heads for some time, till Black Cat apologized by saying that +the danger was such that they were afraid of sending any one of their +chiefs, as they considered his loss almost inevitable.” + +Although there was so much reluctance on the part of the Indians to +leave their roving life, even for a few months, there were some white +men among the explorers who were willing to give up their home in “the +States.” The journal says:-- + +“In the evening Colter applied to us for permission to join the two +trappers who had accompanied us, and who now proposed an expedition up +the river, in which they were to find traps and to give him a share of +the profits. The offer was a very advantageous one; and as he had +always performed his duty, and his services could be dispensed with, we +consented to his going upon condition that none of the rest were to ask +or expect a similar indulgence. To this they all cheerfully assented, +saying that they wished Colter every success, and would not apply for +liberty to separate before we reached St. Louis. We therefore supplied +him, as did his comrades also, with powder and lead, and a variety of +articles which might be useful to him, and he left us the next day. The +example of this man shows how easily men may be weaned from the habits +of civilized life to the ruder, though scarcely less fascinating, +manners of the woods. This hunter had now been absent for many years +from the frontiers, and might naturally be presumed to have some +anxiety, or at least curiosity, to return to his friends and his +country; yet, just at the moment when he was approaching the frontiers, +he was tempted by a hunting scheme to give up all those delightful +prospects, and to go back without the least reluctance to the solitude +of the wilds.” + +The two captains learned here that the Minnetarees had sent out a +war-party against the Shoshonees, very soon after the white men’s +expedition had left for the Rocky Mountains, notwithstanding their +promise to keep peace with the surrounding tribes. They had also sent a +war-party against the Ricaras, two of whom they killed. Accordingly, the +white chiefs had a powwow with the Indian chiefs, at which the journal +says these incidents occurred:-- + +“We took this opportunity of endeavoring to engage Le Borgne in our +interests by a present of the swivel, which is no longer serviceable, as +it cannot be discharged from our largest pirogue. It was loaded; and the +chiefs being formed into a circle round it, Captain Clark addressed them +with great ceremony. He said that he had listened with much attention +to what had yesterday been declared by Le Borgne, whom he believed to be +sincere, and then reproached them with their disregard of our counsels, +and their wars on the Shoshonees and Ricaras. Little Cherry, the +old Minnetaree chief, answered that they had long stayed at home and +listened to our advice, but at last went to war against the Sioux +because their horses had been stolen and their companions killed; and +that in an expedition against those people they met the Ricaras, who +were on their way to strike them, and a battle ensued. But in future he +said they would attend to our words and live at peace. Le Borgne added +that his ears would always be open to the words of his Good Father, and +shut against bad counsel. Captain Clark then presented to Le Borgne the +swivel, which he told him had announced the words of his Great Father +to all the nations we had seen, and which, whenever it was fired, should +recall those which we had delivered to him. The gun was discharged, and +Le Borgne had it conveyed in great pomp to his village. The council then +adjourned.” + +After much diplomacy and underhand scheming, one of the Mandan chiefs, +Big White, agreed to go to Washington with the expedition. But none of +the Minnetarees could be prevailed upon to leave their tribe, even for +a journey to the Great Father, of whose power and might so much had been +told them. The journal, narrating this fact, says further:-- + +“The principal chiefs of the Minnetarees now came down to bid us +farewell, as none of them could be prevailed on to go with us. This +circumstance induced our interpreter, Chaboneau, to remain here with his +wife and child, as he could no longer be of use to us, and, although we +offered to take him with us to the United States, he declined, saying +that there he had no acquaintance, and no chance of making a livelihood, +and preferred remaining among the Indians. This man had been very +serviceable to us, and his wife was particularly useful among the +Shoshonees: indeed, she had borne with a patience truly admirable the +fatigues of so long a route, encumbered with the charge of an infant, +who was then only nineteen months old. We therefore paid him his wages, +amounting to five hundred dollars and thirty-three cents, including +the price of a horse and a lodge purchased of him, and soon afterward +dropped down to the village of Big White, attended on shore by all the +Indian chiefs, who had come to take leave of him. + +“We found him surrounded by his friends, who sat in a circle smoking, +while the women were crying. He immediately sent his wife and son, with +their baggage, on board, accompanied by the interpreter and his wife, +and two children; and then, after distributing among his friends some +powder and ball which we had given him, and smoking a pipe, he went with +us to the river side. The whole village crowded about us, and many of +the people wept aloud at the departure of their chief.” + +Once more embarked, the party soon reached Fort Mandan, where they had +wintered in 1804. They found very little of their old stronghold left +except a few pickets and one of the houses. The rest had been destroyed +by an accidental fire. Eighteen miles below, they camped near an old +Ricara village, and next day, as they were about to resume their voyage, +a brother of Big White, whose camp was farther inland, came running down +to the beach to bid Big White farewell. The parting of the two brothers +was very affectionate, and the elder gave the younger a pair of leggings +as a farewell present. The Indian chief was satisfied with his treatment +by the whites, and interested himself to tell them traditions of +localities which they passed. August 20 they were below the mouth of +Cannon-ball River, and were in the country occupied and claimed by the +Sioux. Here, if anywhere, they must be prepared for attacks from +hostile Indians. At this point, the journal sets forth this interesting +observation:-- + +“Since we passed in 1804, a very obvious change has taken place in the +current and appearance of the Missouri. In places where at that time +there were sandbars, the current of the river now passes, and the former +channel of the river is in turn a bank of sand. Sandbars then naked are +now covered with willows several feet high; the entrance of some of +the creeks and rivers has changed in consequence of the quantity of mud +thrown into them; and in some of the bottoms are layers of mud eight +inches in depth.” + +The streams that flow into the Missouri and Mississippi from the +westward are notoriously fickle and changeable. Within a very few years, +some of them have changed their course so that farms are divided into +two parts, or are nearly wiped out by the wandering streams. In at least +one instance, artful men have tried to steal part of a State by changing +the boundary line along the bed of the river, making the stream flow +many miles across a tract around which it formerly meandered. On this +boundary line between the Sioux and their upper neighbors, the party +met a band of Cheyennes and another of Ricaras, or Arikaras. They held +a palaver with these Indians and reproached the Ricara chief, who was +called Gray-eyes, with having engaged in hostilities with the Sioux, +notwithstanding the promises made when the white men were here before. +To this Gray-eyes made an animated reply:-- + +“He declared that the Ricaras were willing to follow the counsels we had +given them, but a few of their bad young men would not live in peace, +but had joined the Sioux and thus embroiled them with the Mandans. These +young men had, however, been driven out of the villages, and as the +Ricaras were now separated from the Sioux, who were a bad people and the +cause of all their misfortunes, they now desired to be at peace with the +Mandans, and would receive them with kindness and friendship. Several of +the chiefs, he said, were desirous of visiting their Great Father; but +as the chief who went to the United States last summer had not returned, +and they had some fears for his safety, on account of the Sioux, they +did not wish to leave home until they heard of him. With regard to +himself, he would continue with his nation, to see that they followed +our advice. . . . . . . . . . + +“After smoking for some time, Captain Clark gave a small medal to the +Chayenne chief, and explained at the same time the meaning of it. He +seemed alarmed at this present, and sent for a robe and a quantity of +buffalo-meat, which he gave to Captain Clark, and requested him to take +back the medal; for he knew that all white people were ‘medicine,’ and +was afraid of the medal, or of anything else which the white people gave +to the Indians. Captain Clark then repeated his intention in giving +the medal, which was the medicine his great father had directed him +to deliver to all chiefs who listened to his word and followed his +counsels; and that as he (the chief) had done so, the medal was given +as a proof that we believed him sincere. He now appeared satisfied and +received the medal, in return for which he gave double the quantity of +buffalo-meat he had offered before. He seemed now quite reconciled to +the whites, and requested that some traders might be sent among the +Chayennes, who lived, he said, in a country full of beaver, but did +not understand well how to catch them, and were discouraged from it by +having no sale for them when caught. Captain Clark promised that they +should be soon supplied with goods and taught the best mode of catching +beaver. + +“Big White, the chief of the Mandans, now addressed them at some length, +explaining the pacific intentions of his nation; the Chayennes observed +that both the Ricaras and Mandans seemed to be in fault; but at the end +of the council the Mandan chief was treated with great civility, and +the greatest harmony prevailed among them. The great chief, however, +informed us that none of the Ricaras could be prevailed on to go with us +till the return of the other chief; and that the Chayennes were a wild +people, afraid to go. He invited Captain Clark to his house, and gave +him two carrots of tobacco, two beaver-skins, and a trencher of boiled +corn and beans. It is the custom of all the nations on the Missouri to +offer to every white man food and refreshment when he first enters their +tents.” + +Resuming their voyage, the party reached Tyler’s River, where they +camped, on the twenty-seventh of August. This stream is now known as +Medicine River, from Medicine Hill, a conspicuous landmark rising at a +little distance from the Missouri. The voyagers were now near the +lower portion of what is now known as South Dakota, and they camped in +territory embraced in the county of Presho. Here they were forced to +send out their hunters; their stock of meat was nearly exhausted. The +hunters returned empty-handed. + +“After a hunt of three hours they reported that no game was to be found +in the bottoms, the grass having been laid flat by the immense number of +buffaloes which recently passed over it; and, that they saw only a few +buffalo bulls, which they did not kill, as they were quite unfit for +use. Near this place we observed, however, the first signs of the wild +turkey; not long afterward we landed in the Big Bend, and killed a fine +fat elk, on which we feasted. Toward night we heard the bellowing of +buffalo bulls on the lower island of the Big Bend. We pursued this +agreeable sound, and after killing some of the cows, camped on the +island, forty-five miles from the camp of last night.” . . . . . . . . . + +“Setting out at ten o’clock the next morning, at a short distance they +passed the mouth of White River, the water of which was nearly of the +color of milk. As they were much occupied with hunting, they made but +twenty miles. The buffalo,” says the journal, “were now so numerous, +that from an eminence we discovered more than we had ever seen before +at one time; and though it was impossible accurately to calculate their +number, they darkened the whole plain, and could not have been, we were +convinced, less than twenty thousand. With regard to game in general, +we have observed that wild animals are usually found in the greatest +numbers in the country lying between two nations at war.” + +They were now well into the Sioux territory, and on the thirtieth of +August they had an encounter with a party of Indians. About twenty +persons were seen on the west side of the river, proceeding along a +height opposite the voyagers. Just as these were observed, another band, +numbering eighty or ninety, came out of the woods nearer the shore. As +they had a hostile appearance, the party in the canoes made preparations +to receive them; they were suspected to be Teton-Sioux, although they +might be Yanktons, Pawnees, or Omahas. The journal adds:-- + +“In order, however, to ascertain who they were, without risk to the +party, Captain Clark crossed, with three persons who could speak +different Indian languages, to a sand-bar near the opposite side, in +hopes of conversing with them. Eight young men soon met him on the +sand-bar, but none of them could understand either the Pawnee or +Maha interpreter. They were then addressed in the Sioux language, and +answered that they were Tetons, of the band headed by Black Buffaloe, +Tahtackasabah. This was the same who had attempted to stop us in 1804; +and being now less anxious about offending so mischievous a tribe, +Captain Clark told them that they had been deaf to our councils, had +ill-treated us two years ago, and had abused all the whites who had +since visited them. He believed them, he added, to be bad people, and +they must therefore return to their companions; for if they crossed over +to our camp we would put them to death. They asked for some corn, which +Captain Clark refused; they then requested permission to come and +visit our camp, but he ordered them back to their own people. He then +returned, and all our arms were prepared, in case of an attack; but when +the Indians reached their comrades, and informed their chiefs of our +intention, they all set out on their way to their own camp; though +some of them halted on a rising ground and abused us very copiously, +threatening to kill us if we came across. We took no notice of this for +some time, till the return of three of our hunters, whom we were afraid +the Indians might have met. But as soon as they joined us we embarked; +and to see what the Indians would attempt, steered near their side of +the river. At this the party on the hill seemed agitated; some set out +for their camp, others walked about, and one man walked toward the boats +and invited us to land. As he came near, we recognized him to be the +same who had accompanied us for two days in 1804, and was considered a +friend of the whites. + +“Unwilling, however, to have any intercourse with these people, we +declined his invitation, upon which he returned to the hill, and struck +the earth three times with his gun, a great oath among the Indians, +who consider swearing by the earth as one of the most solemn forms +of imprecation. At the distance of six miles we stopped on a bleak +sand-bar, where we thought ourselves secure from any attack during the +night, and also safe from the mosquitoes. We had made but twenty-two +miles, but in the course of the day had killed a mule-deer, an animal +we were very anxious to obtain. About eleven in the evening the wind +shifted to the northwest, and it began to rain, accompanied by thunder +and lightning, after which the wind changed to the southwest, and blew +with such violence that we were obliged to hold fast the canoes, for +fear of their being driven from the sand-bar: still, the cables of two +of them broke, and two others were blown quite across the river; nor was +it till two o’clock that the whole party were reassembled, waiting in +the rain for daylight.” + +The party now began to meet white men in small detachments coming up the +river. On the third of September, for example, they met the first men +who were able to give them news of home. This party was commanded by a +Mr. James Airs (or Ayres), from Mackinaw, by the way of Prairie du Chien +and St. Louis. He had two canoes loaded with merchandise which he was +taking up the river to trade with the Indians. Among the items of news +gathered from him, according to the private journal of one of the Lewis +and Clark party, was that General James Wilkinson was now Governor +of Louisiana Territory, and was stationed at St. Louis. This is the +Wilkinson who fought in the American Revolution, and was subsequently to +this time accused of accepting bribes from Spain and of complicity with +Aaron Burr in his treasonable schemes. Another item was to this effect: +“Mr. Burr & Genl. Hambleton fought a Duel, the latter was killed.” + This brief statement refers to the unhappy duel between Aaron Burr +and Alexander Hamilton, at Weehawken, New Jersey, July 11, 1804. This +interesting entry shows with what feelings the long-absent explorers met +Mr. Airs:-- + +“After so long an interval, the sight of anyone who could give us +information of our country was peculiarly delightful, and much of the +night was spent in making inquiries into what had occurred during our +absence. We found Mr. Airs a very friendly and liberal gentleman; when +we proposed to him to purchase a small quantity of tobacco, to be paid +for in St. Louis, he very readily furnished every man of the party with +as much as he could use during the rest of the voyage, and insisted +on our accepting a barrel of flour. This last we found very agreeable, +although we have still a little flour which we had deposited at the +mouth of Maria’s River. We could give in return only about six bushels +of corn, which was all that we could spare.” + +Three days later, the voyagers met a trading-boat belonging to Mr. +Augustus Chouteau, the founder of a famous trading-house in St. Louis. +From this party the captains procured a gallon of whiskey, and with this +they served out a dram to each of their men. “This,” says the journal, +“is the first spirituous liquor any of them have tasted since the Fourth +of July, 1805.” From this time forward, the returning explorers met +trading parties nearly every day; and this showed that trade was +following the flag far up into the hitherto unexplored regions of the +American continent. + +The explorers, hungry for news from home, would have tarried and talked +longer with their new-found friends, but they were anxious to get +down to civilization once more. Their journal also says: “The Indians, +particularly the squaws and children, are weary of the long journey, and +we are desirous of seeing our country and friends.” This quotation from +the journal gives us our first intimation that any Indians accompanied +Big White to the United States. He appears to have had a small retinue +of followers men, women, and children--with him. + +Below the mouth of the Platte, September 12, Lewis and Clark met +Gravelines, the interpreter who was sent to Washington from Fort Mandan, +in 1805, with despatches, natural history specimens, and a Ricara chief. +The chief had unfortunately died in Washington, and Gravelines was now +on his way to the Ricaras with a speech from President Jefferson and the +presents that had been given to the chief. He also had instructions to +teach the Ricaras in agriculture. + +It is interesting to note how that the explorers, now tolerably well +acquainted with the Indian character since their long experience with +the red men, had adopted a very different bearing from that which they +had when coming up the river, in 1805. Here is an extract from their +journal, September 14:-- + +“We resumed our journey. This being a part of the river to which the +Kansas resort, in order to rob the boats of traders, we held ourselves +in readiness to fire upon any Indians who should offer us the slightest +indignity; as we no longer needed their friendship, and found that a +tone of firmness and decision is the best possible method of making +proper impressions on these freebooters. However, we did not +encounter any of them; but just below the old Kansas village met three +trading-boats from St. Louis, on their way to the Yanktons and Mahas.” + +Thirty miles below the island of Little Osage village, the party met +Captain McClellan, formerly of the United States army. He informed +Captain Lewis that the party had been given up for lost, people +generally believing that they would never again be heard from; but, +according to the journal of one of the party, “The President of the U. +States yet had hopes of us.” The last news received in “the U. States” + from the explorers was that sent from Fort Mandan, by Gravelines, in +1805. + +Scarcity of provisions once more disturbed the party, so that, on the +eighteenth of September, the journal sets forth the fact that game was +very scarce and nothing was seen by the hunters but a bear and three +turkeys, which they were unable to reach. The men, however, were +perfectly satisfied, although they were allowed only one biscuit +per day. An abundance of pawpaws growing along the banks sufficed as +nutritious food. The pawpaw is native to many of the Western States +of the Republic. It is a fruit three or four inches long, growing on +a small tree, or bush. The fruit is sweet and juicy and has several +bean-shaped seeds embedded in the pulp. The voyagers now began to see +signs of civilization on the banks of the river. Near the mouth of the +Gasconade, above St. Louis, they beheld cows grazing in the meadows. The +journal says: “The whole party almost involuntarily raised a shout of +joy at seeing this image of civilization and domestic life.” Men who +have been wandering in pathless wildernesses, remote from man, for more +than two years, might well be moved by the sights of a homelike farm +and a settled life. Soon after this the party reached the little French +village of La Charette which they saluted with four guns and three +hearty cheers. Then, according to the journal, they landed and were +warmly received by the people, who had long since abandoned all hope +of ever seeing these far-voyaging adventurers return. Here are the +last entries in the journal that has been our guide so long across the +continent and back again to the haunts of men:-- + +“Sunday, September 21st, we proceeded; and as several settlements have +been made during our absence, we were refreshed with the sight of men +and cattle along the banks. We also passed twelve canoes of Kickapoo +Indians, going on a hunting-excursion. At length, after coming +forty-eight miles, we saluted, with heartfelt satisfaction, the +village of St. Charles, and on landing were treated with the greatest +hospitality and kindness by all the inhabitants of that place. Their +civility detained us till ten o’clock the next morning. + +“September 22d, when the rain having ceased, we set out for Coldwater +Creek, about three miles from the mouth of the Missouri, where we found +a cantonment of troops of the United States, with whom we passed the +day; and then, + +“September 23d, descended to the Mississippi, and round to St. Louis, +where we arrived at twelve o’clock; and having fired a salute, went on +shore and received the heartiest and most hospitable welcome from the +whole village.” + +The two captains were very busily employed, as soon as they arrived in +St. Louis, with writing letters to their friends and to the officers +of the government who were concerned to know of their safe return to +civilization. Captain Lewis’ letter to the President of the United +States, announcing his arrival, was dated Sept. 23, 1806. President +Jefferson’s reply was dated October 20 of that year. In his letter the +President expressed his “unspeakable joy” at the safe return of the +expedition. He said that the unknown scenes in which they had been +engaged and the length of time during which no tidings had been received +from them “had begun to be felt awfully.” It may seem strange to modern +readers familiar with the means for rapid travel and communication that +no news from the explorers, later than that which they sent from the +Mandan country, was received in the United States until their return, +two years and four months later. But mail facilities were very scanty +in those far-off days, even in the settled portions of the Mississippi +Valley, and few traders had then penetrated to those portions of the +Lower Missouri that had just been travelled by Lewis and Clark. As we +have seen, white men were regarded with awe and curiosity by the natives +of the regions which the explorers traversed in their long absence. The +first post-office in what is now the great city of St. Louis was not +established until 1808; mails between the Atlantic seaboard and that +“village” required six weeks to pass either way. + +The two captains went to Washington early in the year following their +arrival in St. Louis. There is extant a letter from Captain Lewis, +dated at Washington, Feb. 11, 1807. Congress was then in session, and, +agreeably to the promises that had been held out to the explorers, the +Secretary of War (General Henry Dearborn), secured from that body +the passage of an act granting to each member of the expedition a +considerable tract of land from the public domain. To each private +and non-commissioned officer was given three hundred acres; to Captain +Clark, one thousand acres, and to Captain Lewis fifteen hundred acres. +In addition to this, the two officers were given double pay for their +services during the time of their absence. Captain Lewis magnanimously +objected to receiving more land for his services than that given to +Captain Clark. + +Captain Lewis resigned from the army, March 2, 1807, having been +nominated to be Governor of Louisiana Territory a few days before. His +commission as Governor was dated March 3 of that year. He was thus +made the Governor of all the territory of the United States west of the +Mississippi River. About the same time, Captain Clark was appointed a +general of the territorial militia and Indian agent for that department. + +Originally, the territory acquired from France was divided into the +District of New Orleans and the District of Louisiana, the first-named +being the lower portion of the territory and bounded on the north by +a line which now represents the northern boundary of the State of +Louisiana; and all above that line was known as the District of +Louisiana. In 1812, the upper part, or Louisiana, was named the +Territory of Missouri, and Captain Clark (otherwise General), was +appointed Governor of the Territory, July 1, 1813, his old friend and +comrade having died a few years earlier. + +The end of Captain (otherwise Governor) Lewis was tragical and was +shadowed by a cloud. Official business calling him to Washington, he +left St. Louis early in September, 1809, and prosecuted his journey +eastward through Tennessee, by the way of Chickasaw Bluffs, now Memphis, +of that State. There is a mystery around his last days. On the eleventh +of October, he stopped at a wayside log-inn, and that night he died +a violent death, whether by his own hand or by that of a murderer, no +living man knows. There were many contradictory stories about the sad +affair, some persons holding to the one theory and some to the other. +He was buried where he died, in the centre of what is now Lewis County, +Tennessee. In 1848, the State of Tennessee erected over the last +resting-place of Lewis a handsome monument, the inscriptions on which +duly set forth his many virtues and his distinguished services to his +country. + +The story of the expedition of Lewis and Clark is the foundation of the +history of the great Northwest and the Missouri Valley. These men +and their devoted band of followers were the first to break into the +world-old solitudes of the heart of the continent and to explore +the mountain fastnesses in which the mighty Columbia has its birth. +Following in their footsteps, the hardy American emigrant, trader, +adventurer, and home-seeker penetrated the wilderness, and, building +better than they knew, laid the foundations of populous and thriving +States. Peaceful farms and noble cities, towns and villages, thrilling +with the hum of modern industry and activity, are spread over the vast +spaces through which the explorers threaded their toilsome trail, amid +incredible privations and hardships, showing the way westward across the +boundless continent which is ours. Let the names of those two men long +be held in grateful honor by the American people! + + + +INDEX + + A + + Alkali, natural deposits of, 60. + Antelope, first seen, 29, how hunted, 69. + Assiniboins, at war with Sioux, 49. + + B + + Beaver, hunted as game, 70, + Beaver Head, 143. + Big Dry River, 75. + Bismarck, N. D., 44. + Bitter Root Mountains, 147. + Black Cat, a Mandan chief, 342. + Boone, Daniel, 14. + Buffalo, first signs of, 16; hunt, 51; curious adventure with, 87; + extermination of, 338. + + C + + Caches, how built, 98. + Calumet bird, 43. + Camas, edible root, 179. + Cameahwait, a Shoshonee chief, 157. + Camp, first winter, 48; departure from, 57. + Candle-fish, 252. + Cannonball River, N. D-, 43. + Captain Cook, 3. + Captain Gray, 3. + Captain Vancouver, 3. + Carroll, Mont., 83. + Carver, Jonathan, 5. + Cascades of the Columbia, 262. + Cathedral Rocks, 90-92. + Cheyenne River, 40. + Chinook Indians, 208, some account of, 246. + Chouteau, a St. Louis trader, 355. + Christmas (1804), 52. (1805), 240- + Clark, Captain, biographical notice Of, 7. + general of militia, 359. + Clark’s Fort, 48. + river, 180-63. + party overtaken by disaster, 142. + Clatsop Indians, some account Of, 248. + Clearwater River, 183. + Cloudburst, 116. + Columbia River, discovery Of, 4. + portage to, 108; + at the headwaters of, 148. + at the entrance to, 194. + great falls of, 202; + the great chute Of, 21. + et seq. Comowol, a Columbia River Indian + chief, 239. + Condor, a California variety, 256. + Council Bluffs, 19. + Cowas, an edible root, 278. + Coyote, described, 72. + Crow Indians, 24. + + D + + Dalles, the, 266. + Dearborn River, 130. + Divide, on the great, 148; + across the, 179. + Dog’s flesh as an article of food, 24. + 185- + + E + + Echeloot Indians, 210. + Elk, hunting of, 251. + Ermine, first seen, 49. + Expedition, Lewis and Clark’s, 7. + Organization of, 8. + route of, 10; + sets sail, 14. + “Experiment,” failure of the boat, 124 + + F + + Falls of the Missouri, 101. + description of, 11. et seq. + Flathead Indians, 211. + Floyd’s River, why so named, 23. + Forks of the Missouri, 135. + Fort Clark, 48. + Clatsop, 255. + + G + + Gallatin’s fork of the Missouri, 135. + Gates of the Rocky Mountains, 132. + Goose-nests in trees, 61. + gray, Capt., discoverer of the Columbia, 3. + Grizzly bear, first seen, 40. + thrilling encounters with, 72, 76, 77, 105, 115, 315- + + H + + Horse-flesh eaten by the expedition, 77. + Hungry Creek, 178, 303- + + 1 + + Independence Day, celebration of (1805), 123. + (180(i), 327. + Iowa Indians, 16. + Islands, White Bear, 110. + + J + + Jefferson, President Thomas, 2-4. + his letters to Capt. Lewis, 12. + presents to, + from Lewis and Clark, 55. + welcome to Capt. Lewis on return, 358. + name given + to fork of the Missouri, 135. + John Day’s River, 203- + + K + + Klikitat River, 214. + Kooskooskee River, 180. + + L + + Lewis, Capt., biographical notice of, 6, 7. + accidentally wounded, 341; + announces his return, 358. + Governor of Louisiana Territory, 359; + his tragical death, 360. + Lewis and Clark, pursue separate routes across + the Divide, 140. + also on their return, 310. + Lewis’s River, 165. + + Lewiston, Idaho, 185. + Ledyard, John, 4. + Lemhi River, 152. + Little Devils, hill Of, 23. + Louisiana Purchase, the, 1-2; + divided into two territories, 360. + + M + + Madison, fork of the Missouri, 135. + Mandan Indians, 4. et seq.; + religion of, 50. + Maria’s River, 97. + Medicine River, 106. + Meriwether’s Bay, 234. + Milk River, 74. + Minnetarees, at war + with Sioux, 49. + expedition has an encounter with, 31. et seq, + Missouri River, Little, 60. + Missouri, the Upper, So; great falls of, 101; + forks of, 135. + at the headwaters Of, 147. + Mosquitoes, the great + plague of, 126, 339. + Mount St. Helen’s, 198. + Hood, 203. + Mouse River, source of, 60. + Multnomah (Willamette) River, 221. + 259. + Musselshell River, 81. + + N + + Nez Perce Indians (Chopunnish), 180. + some account of the, 186. + Noises, mysterious, 122. + + 0 + + Osage Indians, traditions of, 15. + Ottoes, council with, 20. + + P + + Pacific Ocean, first sight of the, 225. + Pawpaw fruit, 357. + Pemmican, 33. + Platte River as a boundary, 17. + Porcupine River, 70. + Prairie dog, 29. + + Q Quamash flats, 302. + Quicksand River, 220. + + R + + Rat, peculiar variety of, 121. + Rickarees, in the country + of the, 40. + River, Little Missouri, to; Mouse, source of, 60; + Yellowstone, 65. + Porcupine, 70. + Saskatchewan, 74. + Milk, 74; + Big Dry, 75. + Upper Missouri, 80. + Musselshell, 81. + Slaughter, 88; + Maria’s, 97. + Madison, 106. + Columbia, portage to, 108. + Smith’s, 129; + Dearborn, 130. + Salmon, 152. + Lemhi, 152. + Lewis’s, 165. + Kooskooskee, 180; + Clark’s, 180. + Clearwater, 183. + Snake, 188. + Yakima, 196. + John Day’S, 203; + Klikitat, 21. + Quicksand, 220. + Multnomah. 220. + Rocky Mountains, + first sight of, 85. + sheep, 85. + gates of the, 132. + farewell to + the mountains, 335. + Rocks, Cathedral, 90-92. + + S + + St. Louis, village of, 11. + first post-office in, 359. + Sacajawea, joins the expedition, 4. + stream named for her, 82; + story of her capture, 138. + finds her own people, 160. + a tribute to + her memory, 332. + Sage-brush, first seen, 62. + Saline County, Mo., 16. + Salmon River, 152. + City, Idaho, 165. + abundance of fish, 194. + Salt, made from sea-water, 23. + et seq. Saskatchewan River, 74. + Shannon, the lost hunter, 143. + Shoshonees, first meeting with, 14. + among the, 15. + et seq.; some account of the, 17. + et seq. + Sioux Indians, 27. + Slaughter River, 88. + Smith’s River, 128. + + Snake River, 188. + junction of the with Columbia, 190. + Sokulk Indians, some account of, 19. + et seq. Spirit Mound, 24. + Spring River, S. D-; 42. + Stone-Idol Creek, legend Of, 42. + Sweat baths, Indian, 187, 298. + + T + + Tetons, in the country of, 33-38. + Three-thousand-mile Island, 331. + Tillamook Indians, 244. + Traveller’s-rest Creek, 309. + Twisted-hair, an Indian chief, adventures with, 28. et seq. + + U Umatilla, 271- + + V + + Vancouver, Capt-y 3- + + W + + Wahkiacum Indians, 224. + Walla Walla, 271. + Wappatoo, edible root, 23. + description of, 260. + Weocksockwillacums, 265. + Wharfington, commands return party to the U. S., 58. + White Bear Islands, 110. + camp at, 114. + Whisky, Indian rejection + of, 42. + Winter camp, first, 48. + departure from, 57- + + Y + + Yakima River, 196. + Yankton, S. D., 24. + Yellowstone River, 65; + Capt. Clark’s descent of the, 327. + York, a negro servant, 41. 159. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg’s First Across the Continent, by Noah Brooks + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIRST ACROSS THE CONTINENT *** + +***** This file should be named 1236-0.txt or 1236-0.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/3/1236/ + +Produced by Charles Keller and David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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