IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

^ /^ii.

1.0

I.I

ill 1.8

1.25 1.4

1.6

6" -

►

Hiotographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 145*0

(716) 873-4503

CIHM/ICMH

Microfiche

Series.

CIHM/ICMH
Collection de
microfiches.

Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques

Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques

The Institute has attempted to obtain the best
original copy available for filming. Features of this
copy which may be bibliographically unique,
which may alter any of the images in the
reproduction, or which may significantly change
the usual method of filming, are checked below.

L'Institut a microfilrpd le meilleur exemplaire
qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du
point de vue bibliographique. qui peuvent modifier
une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une
modificution tlans la m6thode normale de filmage
sont indiqu6s ci-dessous.

Coloured covers/
Couverture de couleur

I I Covers damaged/

Couverture endommag^e

Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restaurie et/ou pellicul^e

I I Cover title missing/

Le titre de couverture manque

Coloured maps/

Cartes g6ographiques en couleur

Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/
Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire)

Coloured plates and/or illustrations/
Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur

Bound with other material/
Relii avec d'autres documents

□ Coloured pages/
Pages de couleur

Pages damaged/
Pages endommagdes

D
D

Pages restored and/or laminated/
Pages restaur^es et/ou pellicul6es

Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/
Pages ddcolories, tacheties ou piqudes

Pages detached/
Pages d^tachdes

Showthrough/
Transparence

Quality of print varies/
Quality indgale de I'impression

Includes supplementary material/
Comprend du materiel supplimentaire

Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along interior margin/

La re liure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la
distortion le long de la marge int6rieure

Blank leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouttes
lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte,
mais, lorsque cela itait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas 6t6 filmies.

Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponible

Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata
slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to
ensure the best possible image/
Les pages t u'ement ou partiellement
obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure,
etc., ont 6X6 filmdes 6 nouveau de fa^on 6
obtenir la meilleure image possible.

Additional comments:/
Commentaires suppl^mentaires;

This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/

Ce document est film6 au taux de r6duction indiquA ci-dessous.

10X

14X

18X

22X

26X

30X

12X

16X

20X

24X

28X

32X

aire

; details
ues du
t modifier
ger une
I filmage

The copy filmed here hes been reproduced thenke
to the generosity of:

University of Alberta
Edmortton

•

The imeges sppeering here ere the best quslity
possible considering the condition end legibility
of the originsi copy and in keeping with the
filming contract specifications.

L'exemplaire filmA fut reproduit grdce d la
ginirositd de:

University of Alberta
Edmonton

Les images suivantes ont 4t6 reproduites aver le
plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et
de la nettetA de l'exemplaire film^, et en
conformit6 avec les conditions du contrat de
filmsge.

j6es

Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed
beginning with the front cover and ending on
the last page with a printed or illustrated impree-
sion. or the back cover when appropriate. All
other original copies are filmed beginning on the
first page with a printed or illustrated impres-
sion, and ending on the last page with a printed
or illustrated impression.

The last recorded frame on each microfiche
shall contain the symbol -^ (meaning "CON-
TINUED "), or the symbol y (meaning "END"),
whichever applies.

Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en
papier est imprimte sont fiimis en commenpant
per le premier plat et en terminant soit par la
derniire page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second
plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires
originaux sont filmAs en commenpant par la
premiAre page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par
la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle
empreinte.

Un dee symboles suivants apparaitra sur la
derniire image de cheque microfiche, selon le
cas: le symbols — ^'Signifie "A SUIVRE", le
symbols y signifie "FIN".

lire

Mapa, platee. charts, etc., may be filmed at
different reduction ratios. Those too large to be
entirely included in one exposure are filmed
beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to
right end top to bottom, as many frames as
required. The following diagrams illustrate the
method:

Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent §tre
filmte d dos taux de rMuction diffdrents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre
reproduit en un seul clichi, 11 est filmi i partir
do Tangle supArieur gauche, tie gauche d droite,
et de haut Bn bas, en prsnant le nombre
d'images nAcossaire. Les diagrammes suivants
illustrent la mAthode.

3y errata
ed to

>nt

me pelure,

apon A

32X

=1**>!--

■^I!> %.

Indian Warrior A I tacked by Grizzly
Hears.

Rolicivu i>y II'. 7. Il'ilson from an old wood-cut.

rizzly

V.1

THE ADVENTVPyCS OF P
GMTAIN BONNEYILII VM f)|

IN THE I^OCKY AOVNTAINS

AND THE FAP^VEST — -
DIGESTED FFsOA HIS JOVF^Al
AND IlJySTRATED 1 ROA V.\K10\;S

Cf OTHEFx SOVRC ES

i>^L

BY VASHIMVFON ll^lNC
RWNEC EDITION— VOL- 1

NEWYOKKaONDON C?PVTN:VWS .SONS 1^;^S

4
I

l\3R^R( I

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA J

. M~.^ ^ .»».> t^ <^ n ^ ■ ^' 1

v1 ^^L

*,i t-

'?J

2202919

^fT7^ X^ jT^^ ^<q>i ^

:v^

yf"

.^^^

^>A

WHILE engaged in writing an account
of the grand enterprise of Astoria,
it was my practice to seek all kinds
of oral information connected with thp supject.
Nowhere did I pick up more interestnig par-
ticulars than at the table of Mr. John Jacob
Astor ; who, being the patriarch of the Fur
Trade in the United States, was accustomed
to have at his board various persons of adven-
turous turn, some of whom had been engaged
in his own great undertaking ; others, on their
own account, had made expeditions to the
Rocky Mountains and the waters of the Co-
lumbia.

Among these personages, one who pecu-
liarly took my fancy, was Captain Bonneville,
of the United States army ; who, in a rambling
kind of enterprise, had strangely ingrafted the
trapper and hunter upon the soldier. As his
expeditions and adventures will form the lead-

"\:i^'

-f?^'

vsf?e

T=^^ .■«=Q^

=r<^J^-

:3u^

\'V

IntroOuctors tlotfce

ing theme of the following pages, a few bio-
graphical particulars conceniiJig him may not
be unacceptable.

Captain Bonneville is of French parentage.
Ills father was a worthy old emigrant, who
came to this country many years since, and
took up his abode in New York. He is repre-
sented as a man not much calculated for the
sordid struggle of a money-nmking world, but
pos.sessed of a happy temperament, a festivity
of imagination, and a simplicity of heart, that
made him proof against its rubs and trials.
He was an excellent .scholar ; well acquainted
with Latin and Greek, and fond of the modern
classics. His book was Iiis elysium ; once im-
mersed in the pages of Voltaire, Corneille, or
Racine, or of his favorite Knglish author,
Shakespeare, he forgot the world and all its
concerns. Often woidd he be seen in sunnner
weather, .seated under one of the trees on the
liattery, or the portico of St. Paul's Church
in Broadway, his bald head uncovered, his liat
lying by his side, his eyes riveted to the page
of his book, and his whole .soul .so engaged,
as to lose all consciousness of the passing
throng or the passing hour.

Captain Bonneville, it will be found, inherited
some of his father's bonhomie, and his excitable
imagination ; though the latter was some-

*?!

4
it

''A
ill

>.u

. n'' .,''

/TiA.'"^-,'

UntroDuctors Notice

VJl

what disciplined in early years, by mathemati-
cal studies. He was educated at our national
Military Academy at West Point, where he
acquitted himself very creditably ; thence, he
entered the army, in which he has ever since
continued.

The nature of our military .service took him
to the frontier, where, for a number of years,
he was stationed at various posts in the Far
West. Here he was brought into frequent
intercourse with Indian traders, mountain
trappers, and other pioneers of the wilderness ;
and became so excited by their tales of wild
scenes and wild adventures, and their accounts
of vast and magnificent regions as yet unex-
plored, that an expedition to the Rocky Moun-
tains became the ardent desire of his heart, and
an enterprise to explore untrodden tracts, the
leading object of his ambition.

By degrees he shajx-'d this vague day-dream
into a practical reality. Having made himself
acquainted with all the requisites for a trading
enterprise beyond the mountains, he determined
to undertake it. A leave of absence, and a
.sanction of his expedition, was obtained from
the major-general in chief, on his offering to
combine public utility with his private projects,
and to collect statistical information for the
War Department, concerning the wild countries

: ci

>*1

f ntroOuctorg Yloticc

and wild tribes he might visit in the course of
his journeyings.

Nothing now was wanting to the darling
project of the captain, but the ways and means.
The expedition would require an outfit of
nianj' tliousajul dollars ; a staggering obstacle
to a soldier, whose capital is seldom anything
more than his sword. Full of that buoyant
hope, however, which belongs to the sanguine
temperament, he repaired to New York, the
great focus of American enterprise, whtre
there are always funds ready for any scheme,
however chimerical or romantic. Here he had
the good foitune to meet with a gentleman of
high respe( tability and influence, who had been
his associate in boyhood, and who cherished a
.sc-i«ol-fellow friendship for him. He took a
general interest in the scheme of the captain ;
intrcxluced him to commercial men of his ac-
quaintance, and in a little while an association
was formed, and the necessary funds were
raised 'o carrj- the proposed measure intt) effect.
One of the most efficient persons in this associ-
ation was Mr. Alfred Seton, who, when quite
a 3'outli, had accompanied one of the expedi-
tions sent out by Mr. Astor to his commercial
estal)li.shments on the Columbia, and had dis-
tinguished hiai.self by his activity and courage
at one of the interior posts. Mr. Seton was

JV.

' -~-— —■-**#«•

',<*-

one of the American youths who were at Astoria
at the time of its surrender to the British, and
who manifested such grief and indignation at
seeing the flag of their country hauled down.
The hope of seeing that flag once more planted
on the shores of the Columbia, may have
entered into his motives for engaging in the
present enterprise.

Thus backed and provided. Captain Bonne-
ville undertook his expedition into the Far
"West, and was soon beyond the Rocky Moun-
tains. Year after year elapsed without his
return. The term of his leave of absence
expired, yet no report was made of him at
headquarters at Washington. He was con-
sidered virtually dead or lost, and his name
was stricken from the army list.

It was in the autunni of 1835, at the country
seat of Mr. John Jacob Astor, at Hellgate, that
I first met with Captain Bomieville. He was
then ju.st returned from a residence of upwards
of three years among the mountains, and was
on his way to report himself at headquarters,
in the hoi)es of being reinstated in the .service.
From all that I could learn, his wanderings in
the wilderness, though they had gratified his
curio.sity and his love of adventure, had not
nuich benefited his fortunes. Like Corporal
Trim in his campaigns, he had " satisfied the

:t6.

.1^

VsJ^:

:x3,

^iL

ItntroOnctore "Woticc

sentiment," and that was all. In fact, he was
too much of the frank, free-hearted soldier,
and had inherited too much of his father's tem-
perament, to make a scheming trapper, or a
thrifty bargainer. There was .something in
the whole appearance of the captain that pre-
possessed nie in his favor. He was of the
middle size, well made and well set ; and a
military frock of foreign cut, that had .seen
service, gave him a look of compactness. His
countenance was frank, open, and engaging ;
well browned by the .sun, and had something
of a French expression. He had a pleasant
black eye, a higli forehead, and while he kept
his hat on, the look of a man in the jocund
prime of his days ; but the moment his head
was uncovered, a bald crown gained h.a credit
for a few more years than he was really enti-
tled to.

Being extremely curious, at the time, about
everything connected with the Far West, I
addressed numerous questions to him. They
drew from him a number of extremely .strik-
ing details, which were given with mingled
modesty and frankness ; and in a gentleness
of manner, and a soft tone of voice, contra.st-
ing singularly with the wild and often start-
ling nature of his themes. It was difficult to
concei^■e the mild, (piiet-looking personage

■■**

l]x)Ut

^t, I

They
strik-
iiglcd

■::;:J^C^-*fN A

before you, the actual hero of the stirring
scenes related.

In tlie course of three or four months, hap-
pening to be at the city of Washington, I
again catne upon the captain, who was at-
tending the slow adjustment of his affairs witli
the War Department. I found him quartered
with a worthy brother in arms, a major in
the army. Here he was writing at a table,
covered with maps and papers, in the centre
of a large barrack room, fancifully tlecorated
with Indian arms, and trophies, and war
dresses, and the skins of various wild animals,
and hung round with pictures of Indian games
and ceremonies, and .scenes of war and hunt-
ing. In a word, the captain was beguiling the
tediousness of attendance at court, by an at-
tempt at authorship ; and was rewriting and
extending his travelling notes, and making
maps of the regions he had exploreil. As he
sat at the table, in this curious apartment, with
his high bald head of somewhat foreign cast,
he reminded me of some of those antique pic-
tures of authors that I have seen in old Spanish
volumes.

The result of his labors was a ma^sof manu-
.script, which he subsequently put at my dis-
posal, to fit it for publication ami bring it be-
fore tlic world. I found it full of interesting

?¥

^i.

-I

(■\

iV'

Xll

fntcoOuctors Dotice

details of life among the mountains, and of
the singular castes and races, both white men
and red men, among whom he had sojourned.
It bore, too, throughout, the impress of his
character, his bonhomie, his kindliness of
spirit, and his susceptibility to the grand and
beautiful.

That manuscript has formed the staple of
the following work. I have occasionally in-
terwoven facts and details, gathered from
various sources, especially from the conversa-
tions and journals c^f some of the captain's
contemporaries, who were actors in the scenes
he describes. I have also given it a tone and
coloring drawn from my own observation, dur-
ing an excursion into the Indian country be-
yond the bounds of civilization ; as I before
observed, however, the work is .substantially
the narrative of the worthy captain, and many
of its most graphic pa,ssages are but little
varied from his own language.

I shall conclude this notice by a dedication
which he had made of his manuscript to his
hospitable brother in arms, in whose quarters
I found him occupied in his literary labors ; it
is a dedication which, I believe, possesses the
qualities, not always found in complimentary
documents of the kind, of being sincere, and
being merited.

■J

'S
t

"J^N.

i. 45

iiid of
;e men
urned.
of his
ss of
id and

ication
to his
larters
ors ; it
scs the
entary
e, and

..'.rSto

-v

•flntroDuctors IWoticc

JAMKS HARVIvY MOOK,

MAJOR U, S. A.

WHOSE JEAI.OUSV OV ITS HONOR,
WHOSE ANXIETY EOK ITS INTERESTS,

AND

WHOSE SENSIBIIJTV FOR ITS WANTS,

HAVE ENDEARED Iini TO TIIIC SICRVICE AS

Zbc SoIOiei'3 ifiicnD ;

AND WHOSE GENERAI, AMENITV, CONSTANT

CHIUvRlTI.NIvSS, DISINTKR1';STi:d HOSI'I-

TALITY, AND INWEARIi; I) HHNlvVO-

LENCi;, ICNTITLIC HIM To THIv

STIEE LOFTIER TITIJ'; OF

THE FRIIvND OF MAN,

THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED,
ETC.

A'ezc }'(';•/•, 1843.

"^^

J)^

• j.:~^m^m'»

i
^
^

■M

'•^MM 11«»|i«l^-«-*

v/<5

Contents.

Introductory Notici':

Chai'. I. — .State of llit! I'lir Trade of tlie Rocky
Mountains — Atiieiicai^ ICiiterprises — (ieneral
Ashley ami his Associates— Sublette, a I'ain-
ous Leader — Yearly Rendezvous anionjf the
Mountains — Stnitagems and Dangers of the
Trade — Hands of Trapijcrs — Indian Banditti
— Crows and Blai vfeet— Mountaineers— Trad-
ers of the Par West—Character and Habits
of the Traj)per I

Chap. II. — Departure from I'ort Osaj^e — Modes
of Transportation — I'.ick Horses — Wagons —
Walker and Ccrrc ; their Characters — Buoyant
Fcelinj^s on Launchiiif^ upon the Prairies —
Wild Ivciuipmcnts of the Trajjpers — Their
Gambols and Antics — Difi'erence of Character
between the American and I'Vcnch Trappers
— Aj^ency of the Kansas- (icneral Clarke —
White Plume, the Kansas Chief— N'ifjht .Scene
in a Trader's Camp— CoUocjuy between White
Plume and the Captain — Bee-hunters — Their
Expeditions — Their T'eutls with the Indians
— Bargaining Talent of White Plume . . 15

VOL.1, ?., XV

"■^

1^.

^4.-.

XVI

Contents

Chai'. III.— \Vi(U' rrairicH—Vcf,'i'table Productions
— Tahiiliir Hills Slal)s of Saiulstoiie — N'l'-
braska or I'lalli- Kivir— Scaiily I'aru — HulTalo
Skulls— Wagons Tunii-d into Hoats — Herds of
Ihiiralo ClilTs Kt'SitnhliuK Castles — The
CliimiU'V Scott's Uliiffs — Stor\- Connected
with Them -The nij,diorn or Ahsahta, — Its
Nature and Habits — I'ilference between that
and the " Woolly Sheep," or Ooat of the
Mountains

Chai'. IV. -.\ii .Mann - Crow Indians — Their Ap-
pearance — Moile ol .\pi)roa(h— Their Venge-
ful blrrand— 'I'hcir Cnriosity— Hostility be-
tween the Crows and lil.ickfeet — Lovinj;
Coiiilnct of the Crows — harainie's I'ork — I'irst
Navinalion of the Nebraska — Great Elevation
of the Conntry — Rarity of the Atnios])here —
Its I'llfcct on the \Voo<l-work of WaLjons—
lilack Hills Their Wilil and Hroken Scenery

— Indian Do^s --Crow Tro])liies — Sterile and
Dri'ary Country-- Hanks of the Sweet Water

— Ituffalo Huiitin).; — .Adventure of Tom Cain,

the Iiish Cook 39

CnAi'. V. MaijiMficent Scenery — Witul River
Mountains ■ Treasury of Waters — A .Stray
Horse .\ii Iiidiiin Trail— Trout vStreains—
The ('ill at Crni'ii River Valley— .\n Alarm —
A Hand of Trappets I'ontenelle, his Infor-
mation SufTi'rin^^s of Thirst -Ivncampuient
on the Seeds-ke dii — Slrate^;y of Rival Trad-
ers - I^'ortifa'at ion of the Camp — The P>lackfeet

— Manditii of the Mountains — Their Character
and H.il<its . . . , .

<^\

~:gm^'

Contciita

-Wll

PAOE

CliAP. VI. — Sublette and his Band — Robert
Canipl)ell— Mr. Wveth and a Hand of" Down-
casters " — Yankee Enterprise— Fitzpatrick —
His Adventure with the lUackfeet — A Rendez-
vous of IMounlainecrs — The Rattle of Pierre's
Hole — An Indian Ambuscade — Sublette's
Return . , 68

Chap. VII.— Retreat of the Hlackfeet— Fonte-
nelle's Camp in Danj^er — Captain nonneville
and the Black feet — I'ree Trappers — Their
Character, Habits, Dress, Iveiuipmcnts, Horses
— (lame Fellows of the Mountains — Their
\isit to the Camp — Good I'ellowsLip and
Good Cheer — A C;irouse— A Swagger, a Brawl,
and a Reconciliation ..... 89

CiiM'. VIII.— Plans for the Winter— Salmon River
— Abundance of .Salmon West of the Moun-
tains — New Arrangements— Cachf's — Cerre's
Detachment — Movements in I'ontenelle's
Camp — Departure of the Blackfeet — Their
Fortunes— Wind Mountain Streams — Buck-
eye, the Delaware Hunter, and the Grizzly
Bear — Bones of Murdered Trav.."iLrK— Visit to
Pierre's Hole — Traces of the Battle — Nez
Perce Indians— Arrival at Salmon River . 98

Chap. IX.— Horses Turned Loose — Preparations
for Winter Quarters — Hungry Times — Nez
Perces, their Honesty, Piety, PaVific Habits,
Religious Ceremonies— Captain Bonneville's
Conversation wiih Them — Their Love of
Gambling

-..».»',„Mmvm.f :

(■

PAOE

Ch.vp. X.— Blackfcet in the Horse Prairie — Search
after the Hunters — DilTiculties and Dangers
—A Canl Party in the WiUlerness— The Card
Party Interrupted — " Ohl Sledije," a Losing
Game — Visitors to the Catnp — Iroquois Hunt-
ers — Hanging-Kared Indians . . . . iiS

CnAi". XI. — Rival Trapping Parties — Manceuvring
— A Desperate Game — Vanderburgh and the
Bhickfeet — Deserted Camp I'ires — A Dark
Defde — An Indian Ambush--A I'icrce Melee
— Patal Consequences — IMtzpatrick and
Rridger — Trappers' Precautions — Meeting
with the Black feet — Jlore Fighting —
Anecdote of a Voung Mexican and an Indian
Girl 125

Chap XII. — A Winter Camp in the Wilderness —
Medley of Trappers, Hunters, and Indians —
Scarcity of tiame — New Arrangements in the
Camp — Detachments Sent to a Distance —
Carelessness of the Indians when Kncamped
— Sickness among the Indians — Kxcellent
Character of the Nez Perces — The Captain's
RfTort as a Pacificator — A Nez Percti's Argu-
ment in I'avor of War — Robberies by the
Hlackfeet — Long-vSuflcring of the Xez Perces
— A Hunter's I".lysium among the Mountains
— More Robberies — The Captain Preaches uj)
a Crusade — The IvfTect upon his Hearers

Chap. XIII. — Story of Kosato, the Renegade

Blackfoot 152

■^il^l$Si^Si/j

■Z.

'■ft'

•■»^ii riWfir'TTim

PACE

IlS

125

135

• 152

' wi-

V*T'-

.\1V;

}f^r

Contente

Chap. XIV. — The Party Enters the Mountain
Gorge — A Wild Fastness among the Hills —
Mountain Mutton— Peace and Plenty — The
Amorous Trapper — A Piebald Wedding — A
Free Trapper's Wife — Her (iala Equipments
— Christmas in the Wilderness

XIX

PACiE

158

Chap. XV. — A Hunt after Hunters — Hungry
Times — A Voracious Repast — Wintry
Weather — Oodin's River — vSplendid Winter
Scene on the Great Lava Plain of Snake River
— Severe Travelling and Tramping in the
Snow — Manoeuvres of a Solitary Indian Horse-
man — Encampment on Snake River — Ban-
neck Indians — The Horse Chief — His
Charmed Life 167

Chap. XVI. — Misadventures of Matthieu and His
Party — Return to the Caches at Salmon River
— Battle between Nez Perces and Blackfeet —
Heroism of a Nez Perc^ Woman — Enrolled
among the Braves 181

Chap. XVII. — Opening of the Caches — Detach-
ment of Cerre and Ilodgkiss— Salmon River
Mountains — Superstition of an Indian Trap-
per — Godin's River — Preparations for Trap-
ping — An .\larm — .\n Interruption — A Rival
Band — Phenomena of Snake River Plain —
Vast Clefts and Chasms— Ingulfed .Streams —
Sublime Scenery — A Grand Buffalo Hunt . 191

Chap. XVIII.— Meeting with Ilodgkiss— Misfor-
tunes of the Nez Perces — Schemes of Kosato,
the Renegado — His Foray into the Horse

l''/C

""uT.tx? ^ ' '" I "

-''•SMHBPWIWBK^ -JR^j*-

«i*.«wairp-:??sssg?.

"^^y^^^^r^^f^: ^^^y-j.^^^^ ^

Contents

Prairie — Invasion of Blackfeel — Dlue John,
and his I'orlorn Hope — Their Generous
Ivnlerprise— Their Fate — Consternalion and
Despair of the Village— Solemn Obse(iuies —
Attempt at Indian Trade — Hudson's Bay
Company's Monopoly — Arrant^emeiits for
Autumn — Hreakinj^ up of an ICncampment .

Chai*. XIX. — Precautions in Danj^erous Defdes
— Trappers' Mode of Defense on a Prairie —
A Mysterious Visitor — Arrival in Green
River Valley — Adveniures of the Detach-
ments — The I'orlorn Partisan -His Tale of
Disasters 216

Chap. XX. -Gatherinj; in Green River Valley—
Visitiuj^s and l'eastin.i;s of lA'aders— Rou.i^h
Wassailinjj amou}.; the Trapi)ers — Wild Blades
of the Mountains -Indian Belles — Potency of
I{rit,dit Beads and Red Blankets— Arrival of
.Supplies —Revel. and Ivxtravajjance — Mad
Wolves^The Lost Indian .... 226

CitAi*. XXI. — Schemes of Captain Bonneville —
The Great Salt Lake — Ivxpedition to Kxplore
it — Preparations for a Jouruej- to the
Bi}.;horn 232

Chai'. XXII. —The Crow Country — A Crow-
Paradise — Habits of the Crows — Anecdotes
of Rose, the Renejjade White Man — His
Pi}.;lits with the Blackfeet — His Klevation
— His Death — Arapooish, the Crow Chief —
His Eagle— Adventure of Robert Campbell
— Honor amoui.; Crows ..... 239

aUMa

'■d^''

AWi

Contents

XXl

;ap. XXIII.— Departure from Green River
Viillej — Popo Agiu — Its Course — The Rivers
into whirh it Runs— Scenery of the Bluffs —
Tlie Great Tar Spriiij^ — Volcanic Tracts in
the Crow Country — Hurninjf Mountain of
row<k'r River — Sulphur Sprinj;s — Hidden
Tires— Colter's Hell— Wind River— Camp-
bell's Party— I'itzpatrick and his Trappers —
Captain Stewart, an Amateur Traveller —
Nathaniel Wyeth — Anecdotes of his Expedi-
tion to the Par West— Disaster of Campbell's
Party— A I'uion of Hands — The Bad Pass —
The Rapids — Departure of I'itzpatrick — Ivm-
barkation of Peltries — Wyeth and his Bull
Boat — Adventures of Captain Bonneville in
the Bij^horn Mountains — Adventures in the
Plain— Traces of Indians — Travellinj^ Precau-
tions — Dangers of Making a Smoke — The
Rendezvous

Chap. XXIV.— Adventures of the Party of Ten
— Tlie Balaamite Mule— A Dead Point— Tlie
Mysterious KIks— A N'ight Attack— A Retreat
— Travelling rnder an Alarm — ^A Joyful
Meeting — Adventures of the Other Party — A
Decoy VAk — Retreat to an Island — A Savage
Dance of Triumph — Arrival at Wind River ,

Chap. XXV.— Captain Bonneville Sets Out for
Green River Valley — ^Journey up the Popo
Agie — Buffaloes — The Staring White Bears —
The Smoke— The Wartn .Springs — Attempt to
Traverse the Wind River Mountains — The
Great Slope— Mountain Dells and Chasms —

250

264

:--/',»««!W«WIM»JI»«K^..».™

XXll

Contents

<'.

^''

•^,'1

PAGE

Crystal Lakes — Ascent of a Snowy Peak —
Sublime Prospect — A Panorama — " Les
Dij,nies do Pitie," or Wild Men of the Moun-
tains 272

Chai'. XXVI.— a Retrograde jNIove— Channel of
a Mountain Torrent — Alpine Scenery — Cas-
cades — Beaver Valleys — Beavers at Work —
Their Architecture — Their Modes of F"elling
Trees — Mode of Trapping Beaver — Contests
of vSkill- A Beaver "Up to Trap"— Arrival
at the GrLcn River Caches ....

Chap. XXVII.— Route Towards Wind River— 284
Dangerous Neighborhood — Alarms and Pre-
cautions — A Sham Kncampment — Apjiarition
of an Indian vSpy — Jlidnight Move — .V Moun-
tain Defile— The Wind River Valley— Track-
ing a Part}' — Deserted Camj)s — Symptoms of
Crows — Meeting of Comrades — A Trapper
Entrapped — Crow Pleasantry — Crow Spies —
A Decampment — Return to Green River
Valley — Meeting with I'itzpatrick's Party —
Their Adventures among the Crows — Ortho-
dox Crows 294

Chap. XXVIII.— A Region of Natural Curiosities
—The Plain of White Clay— Hot Springs—
The Beer .Spring— Departure to Seek the Free
Trappers — Plaiti of Portneuf— Lava — Chasms
and Gullies— Banneck Indians — Their Hunt
of the Buffalo — Hunters' Feast — Trencher
Heroes — Bullying of an Absent l^oe — The
Damp Comrade — The Indian Spy — Meeting
with Hodgkiss — His Adventures — Poordevil

!t!^>

A^^^S^X

.lm<iim

272

294

284 f,^'

1 w

I i

'i I

ittiiUBillf' 'TTii-

^^>^^^^^

(

• -- ' "iiy MT -T -T •" ' ii oii.r*irT r-jir.;

--n)

h/]

IFIlustratlons.

PAGE
\,'} INDIAN WARRIOR ATTACKED I3V GRIZZLY BRARS

^ l''ro>itispicce

Redrawn by W. J. Wilson from an old wood-cut.

FORT VANCOUVICR, AUOUT 1833 .... 4

Based on a .sketch made during a Co%-ernment
Survey.

AN INDIAN AGENCY ON THIC MISSOURI RIVER . 22

I'"rom an old eiiRraving.

VIEW NEAR THE NORTH FORK OF THE NE-
BRASKA RIVER 30

Based on a skctcli made during a Ciovernnient
Survey.

HEAD OF WHITE GOAT (WOOIJA* SIIi:i;i') . . 40

From a drawing by J. Carter Heard.

THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS .... 56
Steel enKravini^.

THE HUNTING I'RAIKIIv OF THIC I'lCND-ORIICM.FS

INDIANS 122

Based iiu a sketch made during a Government
burvey.

XXV

(

!!)

ill

mty^.^^'^

irilustrations.

PAGE

INDIANS CROSSING A RIVER TO A TRADING POST 1 72

From an old lithograph.

£.

WAR D\NCE OF THE BANNECK INDIANS

From an old engraving.

HEROISM OF A WOMAN OF THE NEZ PERCYS

From a drawing by F. S. Church.

The edge OF THE LAVA BEDS

Redrawn from a photograph.

THE ARTEMESIA *

T82

I THE PUNCH BOWI, *

254

310

314

'^i "AFTER SKVI:RAI, days TR.WEI. inc CAME TO
i A) A PART OF THE RIVER WHICH FII.I.ED HIM

. fX/j WITH ASTONISHMENT AND ADMIRATION " . 328

V ~jtZ' From a drawing bv Heiuj indham.

kh ■

• From oriRinal photograph.s, by permi-ssion of The Photo-
chrom Company, Detroit, Michigan,

All

'^_

■yxJtri.

'-ritwiT^

/I ^-^

254

. 32«

iiiati

«- <{^iwwHr'iwaiiij'i(iriii>iii!iffi,iic.

;'^!.-^ ...f^r

•is^

''^fei3w!^>^.^iL.:=^

1
f

nnar i ir~TT-i f- » .n-Tx . rs a f i

•"^^s

'-.J^

u->

THE ADVENTURES

CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE.

Chapter II.

State of the Fur Trade of the Rocky Mountains —
American Eiiteri)riscs — General Ashley and his As-
liociates— Sublette, a I'anious Leader — Yearly Ren-
dezvous ainon}.j the Mountains — Stratagems and
Dangers of the Trade — Hands of Trappers — Indian
Banditti— Crows and lUackfeet — Mountaineers —
Traders of the I'ar West — Character and Habits of
the Trapper.

IN a recent work we have given an account
of the gratul enterprise of Mr. John Jacob
Astor, to establish an American einpt)riiim
for the fur trade at llie mouth of theCohnnbia,
or Oregon River ; of the faiUire of that enter-
pri.se through the capture of Astoria by the

■- Vol. I.

J^>M

! i

h^sj: ^•

Ai>-^'

2 JQoiincvlKc'd BOvcntures

British, in 1H14 , and of the way in which tl e
control of the trade of the Columbia and its
depeiulcncies fell into the hands of the North-
west Company. We liave stated, likewise, the
unfortunate supineness of the American gov-
ernment, in nej,decting the application of Mr.
Astor for the i)n)tection of the American flag,
and a small military force, to enable him to
reinstate him.self in the possession of Astoria
at the return of peace ; when the post was
^jL>^ formally j^iveii up by the Ikitish government,
kUv) . though .still occujMed by the Northwest Com-
pany. By that supineness the sovereignty of
the country has been virtually lost to the United
States ; and it will cost both governments much
trouble and difficidty to .settle matters on that
just and rightful footing, on which they would
readily have been placed, had the proposition
of Mr. Aslor been attended to. We shall now
state a few ])articulars of subsequent events, so
as to le.'id the reader up to the period of which
we are about to treat, and to prepare him for
the circumslMiices of our narrative.

In conse(|ueMce of the apathy and neglect
of the American government, Mr. Astor aban-
dimed all thoughts of regaining Astoria, and
I'.iade no fiullur .attempt to extend his enter-
prises beyond tlie Kocky Mountains ; and the
Northwest Company considered themselves

<.-i

^^. "ij

^A" Vj

^:,:M*^X^ ''■'

"T BTiA-^;;

ilmSi

\.r

in fov

jf ur ^ra^e of tbc IRoch^ A^ountains

the lords of the country. They did not long
enjoy unmolested the sway which they had
somewhat surreptitiously attained. A fierce
competition ensued between them and their
old rivals, the Hudson's Bay Company ; which
was carried on at great cost and sacrifice, and
occasionally with the loss of life. It ended in
the ruin of most of the partners of the North-
west Company ; and the merging of the relics
of tliat establishment, in 1821, in the rival as-
sociation. From that time, the Hudson's Bay
Companj' enjoj'ed a monopoly of the Indian
trade from the coast of the Pacific to the
Rocky Mountains, and for a considerable ex-
tent north and south. They removed their
emporium from Astoria to Fort Vancouver, a
.strong post on the left bank of the Columljia
River, about sixty miles from its mouth ;
whence they furnished their interior posts,
and .sent forth their brigades of trappers.

The Rocky Mountains formed a vast barrier
between them and the United States, and their
stern and awful defiles, their rugged valleys,
and the great western plains watered by their
rivers, remained almost a terra iiuvi^niia to the
American trapper. The difiiculties experienced
in 1808, by Mr. Henry of the Missouri Com-
pany, the first American who trapped upon the
head-waters of the Columbia ; and the fright-

■H.,1^.

"«>• ""v.'

I i

h^llj'i M'l '»]tii mimi

vfomfm

JBonncville's Bdvcnturcd

fill hardships sustained by Wilson P. Hunt,
Ramsay Crooks, Robert Stuart, and other in-
trepid Astorians, in their ill-fated expeditions
across the mountains, appeared for a time to
check all further enterprise in that direction.
The American traders contented themselves
with following up the head brandies of the
Missouri, the Yellowstone, and other rivers
and streams on the Atlantic side of the moun-
tains, but forebore to attempt those great snow-
crowned sierras.

One of the first to revive these tramontane
expeditions was General Ashley, of Missouri,
a man whose courage and achievements in the
prosecution of his enterprises, have rendered
him famous in the Far West. In conjunction
with Mr. Henry, already mentioned, he estab-
lished a post on the banks of the Yellowstone
River, in 1822, and in the following year
pushed a resolute band of trappers across the
mcmntains to the banks of the Green River or
Colorado of the West, often known by the
Indian name of the Seeds-ke-dee Agie.* This
attempt was followed up and sustained by
others, until in 1825 a footing was secured, and
a complete system of trapping organized be-
yond the mountains.

* /. c, the Prairie Hen River. Agie in the Crow
language signifies river.

t.^ m

"> r It:

-^ -♦-i*«rji»^

iSae

'1^

lu^rt I '(iJicomicr, about iSjr^.

/uiui/ ,•>! ii skdi h iiutiie (/mini; <i Cmii) nDutit Sur-'i'v.

Crow

■asH

'^"^m^Bmm^mi^tiii.difmaa!^

' :/i-

W-*^^^ r ~- *i*--^»' ^ A- 1

-^« ■

,.*>' / T ..'i.

'' '\

Hi'

I
.'3

f'-C?

6>7'

I !'

/
^1^

>■

•

<:"^/rNi':'

pioneers of tbc jFur Cradc

It is difficult to do justice to the courage,
fortitude, and perseverance of the pioneers of
the fur trade, who conducted these early expe-
ditions, and first broke their way through a
wilderness where everything was calculated to
deter av \ dismay them. They had to traverse
the most dreary and desolate mountains, and
barren and trackless wastes, uninhabited by
man, or occasionally infested by predatory and
cruel savages. The\- knew nothing of the
country beyond the verge of their horizon, and
had to gather information as they wandered.
They beheld volcanic plains .stretching around
them, and ranges of mountains piled up to the
clouds, and glistening with eternal frost ; but
knew nothing of their defiles, nor how they
were to be penetrated or traversed. They
launched themselves in frail canoes on rivers,
without knowing whither their swift currents
would carry them, or what rocks, and shoals,
and rapids they might encounter in their
course. They had to be continuallj' on the
alert, too, against the mountain tribes, who be-
set every defde, laid ambuscades in their path,
or attacked them in their night encampments ;
so that, of the hardy bands of trappers that
first entered into these regions, three fifths are
said to have fallen by the hands of savage foes.

In this wild and warlike school a number of

Iko

ill

^JEJft*ti*»^^X— *•■

''\

'^^.

^'<:^^Cy^

6 JOonncvillc'a BDventurcs

leaders have sprung up, originally in the em-
ploy, subsequently partners of Ashley ; among
these we may mention vSmilh, Fitzjiatrick,
Britlger, Robert Campbell, and William Sub-
lette ; whose adventures and exploits partake
of the wildest spirit of romance. The associa-
tion commenced by General Ashley underwent
various modifications. That gentleman having
acquired sufficient fortune, sold out his interest
and retired ; and the leading spirit that suc-
ceeded him was Captain William Sublette ; a
man worthy of note, as his name has Ijecome
renowned in frontier story. He is a native of
Kentucky, and of game descent ; his maternal
grandfather, Colonel Wheatley, a companion
of Boon, having been one of the pioneers of
the West, celebrated in Indian warfare, and
killed in one of the contests of the " Bloody
Ground." We shall frequently have occasion
to speak of this vSublette. and always to the
credit of his game qualities. In 1S30, the asso-
ciation took the name of the Rocky Mountain
Fur Conqiany, of which Capt;iin vSublette and
Robert Canqibell were prominent members,

In the meantime, the success of this com-
pany attracted the attention and excited the
emulation of tlie American Fur Comi)any, and
brf)ught them once more into the fieUl of their
ancient enterprise. Mr. Astor, the founder of

■4

^:^'

'J'

4EJV

()-

-■•rT'^^^^^^r

(

_JI?:r:

Dangcra of tbc CraDe 7 j

the association, had retired from busy life, and
the concerns of the company were ably man-
aged by Mr. Ramsay Crooks, of Snake River
renown, who still officiated as its president. A
competition immediately ensued between the
two companies, for the trade with the moun-
tain tribes, and the trapping of the head-
waters of the Columbia, and the other great
tributaries of the Pacific. Beside the regular
operations of these formidable rivals, there have
been from time to time desultory enterprises,
or rather experiments, of minor as.sociations,
or of adventunjus individuals, besides roving
bands of independent trappers, who either
hunt for themselves, or engage for a single
season, in the service of one or other of the
main companies.

The consecpience is, that the Rocky Moun-
tains and the iillerior regions, from the Russian
possessions in the north, down to the Spanish
settlements of California, have been traversed
and ransacked in every direction bj- bands of
hunters and Indian traders ; so that there is
scarcely a mountain pass, or defile, that is not
known and threaded in their restless migra-
tions, nor a nameless stream that is not haunted
by the lonely trapj)er.

The American fur cotnpanies keep no estab-
lished post beyond the mountains. ICverything

rmritiii — '"

'ft'M»-

■ ^ ..^r, — ..^-^

!■;! 1

'!'

^ f:i

|i 1-

"« iii( M> iii

v^-

:fiJoiincviUc'5 BC>v>cntures

there is regulated hy resident partners ; that is
to say, partners who reside in the tramontane
countrj-, hut who move ahout from place to
j)lace, either with Indian tribes, whose traffic
they wish to monopolize, or with main bodies
of their own men, whom they employ in trad-
ing and trapping. In the meantime, they de-
tach bands, or " brigades " as they are termed,
of trappers in various directions, assigning to
each a portion of country as a hunting, or
trapping ground. In the months of June or
July, when there is an interval between the
huntirig seasons, a general rendezvous is held,
at some designated place in the mountains,
where the affairs of the past year are settled by
the resident partners, and the plans for the
following year arranged.

To this rendezvous repair the various brig-
ades of trappers from their v.'idely separated
hunting grounds, bringing in the product of
their year's campaign. Hither also repair the
Indian tribes accustomed to traffic their peltries
with the company. Bands of free trappers
re.sor'; hither also, to sell the furs they have
collected ; or to engage their services for the
next hunting season.

To this rendezvous the companj' .sends annu-
ally a convoy of supplies from its establisment
(m the Atlantic frontier, under the guidance of

■I

<S^S

II-

Ucarlg 1RcnOc3VOUS

some experienced partner or officer. On the
arrival of this convoy, the resident partner at
the rendezvous depends, to set all his next
year's machinery in motion.

Now as the rival companies keep a vigilant
eye upon each otlier, and are anxious to dis-
cover each otlier' s plans and movements, the\-
generally contrive to hold their annual as.sem-
blages at no great distance apart. An eager
competition exists also between their respec-
tive convoys of supplies, which shall first reach
its place of rende/.vous. For this purpose, they
set off with the first appearance of grass on the
Atlantic frontier, and push with all diligence
for the mountains. The company that can first
open its tempting supplies of coffee, tobacco,
ammunition, .scarlet cloth, blankets, bright
shawls, and glittering trinkets, has the great-
est chance to get all the peltries and furs of the
Indians and free trappers, and to engage their
services for the next .seasoti. It is al)le, also,
to fit out and despatch, its own trappers the
.soonest, so as to get the start of its competitors,
and to have the first dash into the hunting and
trapping grounds.

A new species of .strategy has .spnuig out of
this hunting and trapping comjietition. The
con.stant study of the rival bands is to forestall
and outwit each other ; to .supplant each other

►-.o...

■CU/'

\ '

'*V-

"Xii^aBS'f^'

i- u^-^

If.

WF^'^mm

r.c

"''<'^V,' /^- *

'',

I I

'^<ji

■'-y^yr?

•'""**^2C*' '

JBonncvillc'a aPvciUure»5

in the good-will and custom of tlie Indian tribes ;
to cross each other's plans ; to mislead each
other as to routes ; in a word, next to his own
advantage, the study of the Indian trader is
the disadvantage of his competitor.

The influx of this wandering trade has had
its effects on the habits of the mountain tribes.
They have found the trapping of the beaver
their most profitable species of hunting ; and
the traffic with the white man has opened to
them .sources of luxury of which they previously
had no idea. The introduction of fire-arms
has rendered them more successful hunters,
but at the same time more formidable foes ;
some of them, incorrigibly .savage and warlike
in their nature, have found the expeditions of
the fur traders grar.d ol)jects of profitable ad-
venture. To waylay and harass a band of
trajipers with their pack-horses, when eniL.
rassed in the rugged defiles of the mountains,
has become as favorite an exjiloil with these
Indians as the plunder of a caravan to the Arab
of the desert. The Crows and Black feet, who I)
were such terrors in the ])ath of the early ad-
venturers to Astoria, .still continue their preda-
tory habits, but seem to have brought them to
greater system. They know the routes and
resorts of the trappers ; where to waylay them
on their journeys; where to find them in the

\-.

the W

■'^*^'

, / J, -■:. - I ,

^■>/r^,^ f^r^iT^^^^^^, ffni

■'A

Cbc " flbountatnccra "

hunting seasons, and where to hover about
them in winter quarters. Tlie life of a tnpper,
therefore, is a perpetual state militant, and he
nuist sleep with his weapons in his hands.

A new order of trai)pers and traders, also,
has grown out of this system of things.
In the old times of the great Northwest Com-
pany, when the trade in furs was pursued
chiefly about the lakes and rivers, the expedi-
tions were carried on in batteaux and canoes.
The voyai^furs or boatmen were the rank and
fde in the service of the trader, and even the
hardy " men of the norlh," those great rufilers
and game birds, were fain to be paddled from
point to point of their migrations.

A totally different class has now sprung up ;
— the "Mountaineers," the traders and trajv
pcrs that scale the »ast mountain chains, and
pursue their hazardous vocations amidst their
wild recesses. They move fn)m place to place
on horseback. The ecpiestrian exercises, there-
fore, in which they are engaged, the nature of
the countries they traverse, vast plains and
numntains, pure and exhilarating in atmos-
pheric (jualities, seem to make them jdiysically
and mentally a more lively and mercurial race
than the fur traders antl trappers t)f former
days, the self-vaunting " men of the north."
A man who bestrides a horse, nuist be essen-

■^

} i

I!
1

■-•- vi

■fi

\' I

"V"

•^'•W'"

'¥.A...^.

-\^

"-"-•^'"^-jtoi

JiJ^ -

JDoimcvlllc'i^ UCtvcntmce

tially (lifTcri'iit finiii ;i man who cowers iii a
canoe. We fitid them, accordingly, hardy,
hthe, vijjforoMs, and active ; extra vai^jant in
word, in tliought, and deed ; lieedless ot" hard-
sliij) ; d.'iring of <l;inger; jjrodigal of the pres-
ent, and thoughtless of the future.

A difiercMice is to he i)erceived even between
these mountain liiuiters and those of the lower
regions along the waters of the Missouri. The
latter, generally iMench Creoles, live comfort-
ably in cabins and log-huts, well sheltered from
the inclem(.'n("ies of the seasons. They are
within the reai'h of fretjuent supplies from the
settlements; their lile is comparatively free
N^ from danger, and from most of the vicissitudes
of the upper wildirness. The consequence is,
that thev are less hardy, self-dependent, and
g.'une-spirited than the mountaineer. If the
latter by ch.ance come among them on his way
to and from the settlements, he is like a game-
cock among the common roo.stersof the poultry-
yard. Accustomed to live in tents, or to bivouac
in the open air, he (les])ises the comforts and is
imi)atient of the confinement of the log-house
If his nie;d is not ready in season, he takes hi.s
rifle, hies to the forest or prairie, shoots Jiis
own game, lights his fire, and cooks his repast.
With his horse and his rifle, he is independent
of the world, and spurns at all its re.straints.

I .i^'

,v^

^-^.*^f7^ s^y^Y^:\ J:^:'^-^

Civ.iactcr of tbc Crappcr

The very superintendents at the lower posts
will not pnt him to mess with thecommon men,
the hirelings of the establishment, but treat
him as something superior.

There is, perhaps, no class of men on the face
of the earth, says Captain Bonneville, who lead
a life of more continued exertion, peril, and
excitement, and who are more enamoured of
their occupations, than the free trappers of the
West. No toil, no danger, no privation can
turn the trapper from his pursuit. His pas-
sionate excitement at times resembles a mania.
In vain may the most vigilant and cruel .savages
beset his path ; in vain may rocks, and preci-
pices, and wintry torrents oppose his progre.ss ;
but let a single track of beaver meet his eye,
and he forgets all dangers and defies all diffi-
culties. At times he may be .seen with his
traps on hi,-; shoulder, buffeting his way across
rapid streams, amidst floating blocks of ice :
'^^1 at other times, he is to be found with his traps
_A-^ swung on his back clambering the most rug-
■"' ged mountains, .scaling or descending the most
frightful pre'Mpices, .searching, by routes inac-
cessible to the horse, and never before trodden
by white man, for springs and lakes unknown
to his comrades, and where he may meet with
his favorite game. Such is the mountaineer,
the hardy trapper of the West ; and such, as

;'1

<i^^^

^c t.-f

..-r'TK f-,r^*^"'v<<"^.<:; /■ "^\

f " \J \^' Vl^ VJir- fctt NU-.-'«^taiir=--^i.--

:]ISonneviIlc'd BDvcnturcd

we have slightly sketched it, is the wild, Robin
, ^ , . Hood kind of life, with all its strange and

^^^,lc motley populace, now existing in full vigor

(■'j^ i< among the Rocky Mountains.

Having thus given the reader some idea of
the actual state of the fur trade in the interior
of our vast continent, and made him acquainted
with the wild chivalry of the mountains, we
will no longer delay the introduction of Captain
Bonneville and his band into this field of their
enterprise, but launch them at once upor the
perilous plains of the Far West.

'Isi^

*^^^ .^^•^■-■^ N ^3^

h '%0^^^^^^^^.4^'''^<S^.>^^-^ V-^

i,«(i.«

^.1^'

m,'

i'i-o. •> ^j, ^j £ if S:^y* '>i,'^ ji > J/ ." ^^ Ts,^ -e, <i, i (.^ r>n'-;

fe?

I'/,A

Cbaptcr 1I1F.

Departure from Fort Osajre — Modes of Transportation
— Pack-horses — Wa.yons — Walker aiul Ccrrd ; their
Characters — Buoyant T'eelin^s on Launching upon
the Prairies — Wihl Kquipnients of 'he Trajjpers-
Their Gam hols and Antics — Difference of Character
Between the American and French Trappers —
Agency of the Kansas — General Clarke — White
Plume, the Kansas Chief— Night Sce;ie in Trader's
Camp — Colloquy between White Plume and the
Captain — Bee Hunters — Their Expeditions — Their
Feuds with the Indians — Bargaining Talent of
White Plume.

IT was on the first of May, 1832, that Captain
Bonneville took his departure from the
frontier post of Fort Osage, on the Mis-
sonri. He had enlisted a party of one lunulred
and ten men, most of whom had been in the
Indian country, and some of whom were ex-
perienced hunters and trappers. Fort Osacje,
and other places on the borders of the western
wilderness, abound with characters of the
kind, ready for any expedition.

<=^iZ^<;s^afl^3S?'-----rffW^- --.

'^^^

^^.

\..

■A,

I 'fli

(fi'i "

II
I

! W

:>i

:,i

. i ii i .w

»mimm

%s.

If)

:n3onncvtllc'd BDvcnturcd

The ordinary mode of transportation in these
great inhind cxpechtionsof the fur traders is on
mules and pack-horses ; but Captain Bomieville
sul)stituled wagons. Though he was to travel
through a trackless wilderness, yet tlie greater
part of his route would lie across t)pen plains,
destitute of forests, and where wheel carriages
can pass in every direction. The chief diffi-
culty occurs in passing the deep ravines cut
through the prairies bj- streams and winter
torrents. Here it is often necessary to dig a
road down the banks, and to make bridges lor
the wagons.

In transporting his baggage in vehicles of
this kind, Captain Bomieville thought he would
.save the great delay caused every morning by
packing the horses, and the labor of unpack-
ing in the evening. Fewer horses also winild
be recjuired, and le.ss risk incurred of their
wandering away, or being frightened or carried
off by the Indians. The wagons, al.so, would
be more easily defended, and might form a
kind of fortification in case of attack in the
open prairies. A train of twenty wagons,
drawn by oxen, or by four mules or horses
each, and laden with merchandi.se, ammunition,
and ])rovisioiis, were di.sposed in two coUnnns
in the centre of the party, which was ecpially
divided into a van and a rear-guard. As sub-

^?^.

<^l

:4?

n\^

XUalhcr aiiD Ccrrc

leaders or lieutenants in his expedition, Cap-
tain Bonneville had made choice of Mr. I. R.
Walker and Mr. M. S. Cerre. The former was
a native of Tennessee, about six feet high,
strong built, dark complexioned, brave in
spirit, though mild in maimers. He had re-
sided for many years in Missouri, on the fron-
tier ; had been among the earliest adventurers
to Santa Ke, where he went to trap beaver,
and was taken by the Spaniards. Being liber-
ated, lie engaged with the Spaniards and Sioux
Indians in a war against the Pawnees ; then
returned to Missouri, and had acted by turns
as .sheriff, trader, trapper, until he was enlisted
as a leader by Captain Bonneville.

Cerre, his other leader, had likewise been in
expeditions to Santa Fe, in which he had
endured much hard.ship. He was of the mid-
dle size, light complexioned, and though but
about twenty-five years of age, was con.sidered
an experienced Indian trader. It was a great
object with Captain Bonneville to get to the
mountains before the .summer heats and sum-
mer flies .should render the travelling across
the prairies distressing ; and before the annual
assemblages of people connected with the fur
trade, should have broken up, and dispersed to
the hunting grounds.

The two rival associations already mentioned,

VOL, I.— 3

>i<^>D

I II

4 t

mm$i ^y ^

•"m

^.'1

-^-^10

:tSonnev»U[e'a BOvcnturcs

the American Fur Company and the Rocky
Mountain Fur Company, had their several
places of rendezvous for the present year at no
great distance apart, in Pierre's Hole, a deep
valley in the heart of the mountains, and
thither Captain Bonneville intended to shape
his course.

It is not easy to do justice to the exulting
feelings of the worthy captain, at finding him-
self at the licad of a stout band of hunters,
trappers, a.m\ woodmen ; fairly launched on
the broad in airies, with his face to the bound-
less \\''cst. Tlie tamest iidiabitant of cities,
the veriest spoiled child of civilization, feels
his heart dilate and his pulse beat high, on
finding himself on horseback in the glorious
wilderness ; what then must be the excitement
of one whose imagi'iation had been stimulated
b}' a resid^!!ce ■ ■ the frontier, and to whom
the wildfcuis ss w.i.«! a region of romance !

His hardy followe> i partook of his excite-
ment. Most ()*" them had already experienced
the wild freedom of sava;;;; life, and looked
forward to a renewal oi past scenes of adven-
ture and exploit. Their very appearance and
equipment exhibited a piebald mixture, half
civilized and half savage. Many of them
looked more like Indians than white men, in
their garbs and accoutrements, and their very

•■-7

/;?

Xauncbind ®ut on tbe pcaiciee

horses were caparisoned in barbaric style, with
fantastic trappings. The outset of a band of
adventurers in one of these expeditions is al-
ways animated and joyous. The welkin rang
with their shouts and yelps, after the maimer
of the savages ; and with boi.sterous jokes and
light-hearted laughter. As they passed the
straggling hamlets and solitarj' cabins that
fringe the skirts of the frontier, they would
startle their inmates by Indian yells and war-
whoops, or regale them with grotesque feats of
horsemanship, well suited to their half-savage
appearance. Most of these abodes were in-
habited l)y men who had themselves been in
similar expeditions ; they welcomed the trav-
ellers, therefore, as brother trappers, treated
them with a hunter's hospitality, and cheered
them with an honest God si)eed, at parting.

And here we would remark a great differ-
ence, in point of character and quality, between
the two classes of trappers, the "American"
and " French," as they are called in contradis-
tinction. The latter is meant to designate the
French creole of Canada or Louisiana ; the
former, the trapper of the old American stock,
from Kentucky, Tennessee, and others of the
Western States, The French trapper is repre-
sented as a lighter, .softer, more self-indulgent
kind of man. He must have his Indian wife.

li ■

lii'

■ ! 'i'!

!, V

I 1

"^^

' I

'J
II
II

''I

ill

III,;,... ..^■. ^.tMlmmwryM7MS,fr.^.^■;y j gljf.r ^ ..

JBonneviUe'6 Bdventurca

his lodge, and his petty conveniences. He is
gay and thoughtless, takes little heed of land-
marks, depends upon his leaders and compan-
ions to think for the coniraoti weal, and, if left
to himself, is easily perplexed and lost.

The American trapper stands by himself, and
is peerless for the service of the wilderness.
Drop him in the midst of a prairie, or in the
heart of the mountains, and he is never at a
loss. He notices every landmark ; can retrace
his route through the most monotonous plains,
or the most perplexed labyrinths of the moun-
tains ; no danger nor diffif ulty can appall him,
and he scorns to complain under any privation.
In equipping the two kinds of trappers, the
Creole and Canadian are apt to prefer the light
fusee ; the American always grasps his rifle ;
he despises what he calls the " shot-gun." We
give these estimates on the authority of a trader
of long experience, and a foreigner by birth.
"I consider one American," said he, "equal
to three Canadians in point of sagacity, apt-
ness at resources, self-dependence, and fearless-
ness of spirit. In fact, no one can cope with
him as a stark tramper of the wilderness."

Beside the two classes of trappers just men-
tioned, Captain Bonneville had enlisted several
Delawa: • Indians in his employ, on whose
hunting qualifications he placed great reliance.

'W/

^V-

€,

'S\/

, if it.

Bgencs of tbc Ycansae Crtbc

On the 6th of May the travellers passed the
last border habitation, and bade a long farewell
to the ease and security of civilization. The
buoyant and clamorous spirits with which they
had commenced their march, gradually sub-
sided as they entered upon its difficulties. They
found the prairies saturated with the heavy
cold rains, prevalent in certain seasons of the
year in this part of the countrj-, the wagon
wheels sank deep in the mire, the horses were
often to the fetlock, and both steed and rider
were completely jaded bj' the evening of the
1 2th, when they reached the Kansas River ; a
fine stream about three hundred yards wide,
entering the Missouri from the .south. Though
fordable in almo.st every part at the end of
sunnner and during the autumn, yet it was
necessary to construct a raft for the transporta-
tion of the wagons and effects. All this was
done in thecour.se of the following day, and by
evening, the whole party arrived at the agency
of the Kansas tril)e. This was under the
superintendence of General Clarke, brother of
the celebrated traveller of the same name, who,
with Lewis, made the first expedition down the
waters of the Columl)ia. He was living like a
patriarch, surroiuuled by lal)orers and inter-
preters, all snugly housed, and provi<led with
excellent u rms. The functionary next in con-

.-'^''^ ..,<^'"f*% (^ ■v^'^*^-..*^jC?* ' \

K'^

I 't.

' V

•v^ *J-*-

V5.-«i<

-^-V

'li

■S^jr-^- ' ••-»i-&v<

'■'u---/

■•l-W

I., <1
/'i-

-x

i>/'

^:5M

'.^■1/,

MM^

JGoiiiicvtlle's XlOvcntuccs

'^;^'

> I

I
I

Xs.

'Ac.

sequence to the agent was the blacksmith, a
most important, and, indeed, indispensable per-
sonage in a f'rontitr community. The Kansas
resemble the Osaj/es in features, dress, and
language ; .lie}' raise corn and hunt the buf-
falo, ranging the Kansas River, and its tribu-
tary streams ; at the time of the captain's
visit, they were at war with the Pawnees of
the Nebraska, or Platte River.

The innisual sight of a train of wagons,
caused quite a sensation among these savages ;
who thronged about the caravan, examining
ever}" thing minutely, and asking a thousand
questions r exhibiting a degree of excitability,
and a lively curiosity, totally opposite to that
apathy with which their race is so often re-
proached.

The personage who most attracted the cap-
tain's attention at this place, was " White
Plume," the Kansas chief, and they .soon be-
came good friends. White Plume (we are
pleased with his chivalrous soiil'ritjiwt) inhabi-
ted a large stone house, built for him by order
of the American government ; but the estab-
lishment had not been carried out in corre-
sponding .style. It might be ])alace without,
but it was wigwam within : .so that, between
the .stateliness of his man.sion, and the squalid-
ness of his furniture, the gallant White Plume

O-— v^-^.:^

''^e^a^V^'.'AV

::.^.^\

'1 // Iiulian Ai^cniy on the Missouri

iver.

I'lom ii)i oLI I )ii;rit7'iiii;.

vw?

"Jwrni'iillU'WiKI""*"

, , Ill iiilWg

-r

•n

5 {^'

' !,r

|i, iWrh ,ii..i iWllpi ^

^^■■■iiil IwMlir'Tl .

p'VIU'-

,'iV

Aetbod of lEncampiitd

presented some such whimsical incongruity as
we see in the gala equipments of an Indian
chief, on a treaty-making embassy at Washing-
ton, who has been generously decked out in
cocked hat and military coat, in contrast to his
l)reecli-clout and leathern leggings ; being
grand officer at top, and ragged Indian at
bottom.

White Plume was so taken with the courtesy
of the captain, and pleased with one or two
presents received from him, that he accompa-
nied him a day's journey on his march, and
passed a night in his camp, on the margin of
a small stream. The method of encamping
generally observed by the captain, was as fol-
lows : The twenty wagons were disposed in a
.square, at the distance of thirty-three feet from
each other. In every interval there was a mess
stationed ; and each mess had its fire, 'here
the men cooked, ate, go.ssiped, and slept. The
horses were placed in the centre of the square,
with a guard stationed over them at night.

The horses were " side-lined," as it is termed:
that is to say, the fore and hind foot on the same
side of the animal were tied together, so as to
be within eighteen inches of each other. A
horse thus fettered is for a time sadly embar-
rassed, but soon becomes sufficiently accus-
tomed to the restraint to move about slowly.

"e-

C^i

■'::lh

i >'!!

i In

"••«»»iiMiii!S*?^

y- >-^;^ri

li (

'M I

T^^^iJ' '«*r- W ■^♦^•Ij '^-i'^/' Uii "•v'CJW"'"' 'UJ^S^ 43^'^^\

:iBonneviUe'd BDventuces

It prevents his wandering ; and his being easily
carried off at night by lurking Indians. When
a horse that is " foot free," is tied to one thus
secured, the latter forms, as it were, a pivot,
round which the other runs and curvets, in case
of alarm.

The encampment of which we are speaking,
presented a striking .scene. The various mess-
fires were surrounded by picturesque groups,
standing, sitting, and reclining ; some busied
in cooking, others in cleaning their weapons :
while the frequent laugh told that the rough
joke, or merry story was go ng on. In the
middle of the camp, before the principal lodge,
sat the two chieftains, Captain Bonneville and
White Plume, in .soldier-like communion, the
captain delighted with the opportunitj- of meet-
ing, on social terms, with one of the red war-
riors of the wilderness, the unsophisticated
children of nature. The latter was squatted
on his buffalo robe, his strong features and red
.skin glaring in the broad light of a blazing
fire, while he recounted astounding tales of the
bloody exploits of his tribe and himself, in
their wars with the Pawnees ; for there are no
soldiers more given to long campaigning stories
than Indian ' ' braves. ' '

The feuds of White Plume, however, had
not been confined to the red men ; he had

<f !■

--<*' SM'

*•>■?>(

,*A\i

asee t)unter

much to say of brushes with bee hunters, a
class of oflfenders for whom he seemed to cher-
ish a particular abhorrence. As the species of
hunting prosecuted by these worthies is not
laid down in any of the ancient books of ven-
erie, and is, in fact, peculiar to our western
frontier, a word or two on the subject may not
be unacceptable to the reader.

The bee hunter is generally some .settler on
the verge of the prairie ; a long, lank fellow,
of fever and ague complexion, acquired from
living on new soil, and in a hut built of green
logs. In the autumn, when the harvest is over,
the.se frontier .settlers form parties of two or
three, and prepare for a bee hunt. Having
provided themselves with a wagon, and a num-
ber of empty casks, they sally off, armed with
their rifles, into the wilderness, directing their
course east, west, north, or south, without any
regard to the ordinance of the American gov-
ernment, which strictlj- forbids all trespass upon
the lands belonging to the Indian tribes.

The belts of woodland that traverse the lower
prairies, and border the rivers, are peopled by
iiniumerable swarms of wild bees, which make
their hives in hollow trees, and fill them with
honey tolled from the rich flowers of the prai-
ries. The bees, according to popular a.ssertion,
are migrating, like the settlers, to the west.

*fk)

.>i?

^-'

._ J«^' r

\ -

i- it

^ I

I'M

)

\ (I

■M. _ .^.^__t^

^'t t tf rn"

.1^

'^-^

JBonncvtllc's ac>vcnturcy

An Indian trader, well experienced in the
country, informs us that within ten years that
he has passed in the Far West, the bee has
advanced westward above a hundred miles. It
is said on the Missouri, that tlie wild turkey
and the wild bee go up the river together :
neither are found in the upper regiotis. It is
but recently that the wild turkey has been
killed on the Nebraska, or Platte ; and his
y^ travelling competitor, the wild bee, appeared
there about the same time.

Be all this as it may : the course of our party
of bee hunters, is to make a wide circuit through
the woody river bottoms, and the patches of
forest on the prairies, marking, as they go out,
every tree in which they have detected a hive.
These marks are generally respected by any
other bee hunter that should come upon their
track. When they have marked sufficient to
fill all their ca.sks, they turn their faces home-
ward, cut down the trees as they proceed, and
having loaded their wagon with honey and
wax, return well plea.sed to the .settlements.

Now it .so haj)pens that the Indians relish
wild honey as highly as do the white men, and
are the more delighted with this natural lux-
ury from its having, in many instances, but
recently made its appearance in their lands.
The consequence is, numberless disputes and

f.. A

xjS^^iM^

sC*^

(Im

CraOtng ITalcnt of XLlbttc plume

conflicts between them and the bee hnnters :
and often a party of the ! ttter, returning, laden
with rich spoil, from one of their forays, are
apt to be waylaid by the native lords of the
soil ; their honey to be seized, their harness cut
to i)ieces, and themselves left to find their way
home the best way they can, happy to escape
with no greater personal harm than a .sound
rib-roasting.

Such were the marauders of whose offenses
the gallant White Plume made the mo.st bitter
complaint. They were chiefly the .settlers of
the western part of Missouri, who are the mo.st
famous bee hunters on the frontier, and whose
favorite hunting ground lies within tlie lands
of the Kansas tribe. According to the account
of White Phnne, however, matters were pretty
fairly balanced between him and the offenders ;
he having as often treated them to a taste of the
bitter, as they had robbed him of the .sweets.

It is but ju.stice to this gallant chief to say,
that he gave ])roofs of having acquired .some
of the lights of civilization from his proximity
to the whites, as was evinced in his knowledge
of driving a bargain. He required hard ca.sh
in return for some corn with which he supplied
the worthy captain, and left the latter at a loss
which most to admire, his native chivalry as a
brave, or his acquired adroitness as a trader.

I I

I i W

f.i

'M,

! i

; f

Gbaptcr 1f1F1I.

Wide Prairies — Vegetable Productions — Tabular Hills
— Slabs of Sandstone — Nebraska or Platte River —
Scanty Pare — Buffalo Skulls — Wagons Turned into
Boats — Herds of Buffalo — Cliffs Resembling Castles
—The Chimney— vScott's Bluffs— Story Connected
with them — The Bighorn or Ahsabta — Its Nature and
Habits — Difference between that and the "Woolly
Sheep," or Goat of the Mountains.

FROM the middle to the end of May, Cap-
tain Bonneville pursued a western course
over vast, undulating plains, destitute
of tree or shrub, rendered miry by occasional
rain, and cut up by deep water-courses, where
they had to dig roads for their wagons down
the soft crumi)ling banks, and to throw l)ridges
across the streams. The weather liad attained
the summer heat ; the thermometer standing
about fifty-seven degrees in the morning, early,
but rising to about ninety degrees at noon. The
incessant breezes, however, which sweep these
va.st plains, render the heats endurable. Game

^"■^^

*--*•-•

is i

l\\

rr-^.

tabular t>illd

y::\ /^K

was scanty, and they had to eke out their
scanty fare with wild roots and vegetables,
such as the Indian potato, the wild onion, and
the prairie tomato, and they met with quan-
tities of "red root," from which the hunters
make a very palatable beverage. The only
lunnan being that crossed their path was a
Kansas warrior, returning from some solitary
expedition of bravado or revenge, bearing a
Pawnee scalp as a trophj-.

The country gradually rose as they proceeded
westward, and their route took them overhigh
ridges, commanding wide and beautiful pros-
pects. The vast plain was studded on the west
with iniumierable hills of conical .shape, such
as are seen north of the Arkansas River. These
hills have their summits apparently cut off
about the .same elevation, .so as to leave flat
surfaces at top. It is conjectured by .some,
that the whole country may originally have
been of the altitude of these tabular hills ; but
through some process of nature may have sunk
to its present level ; these insulated eminences
being protected by broad foundations of solid
rock.

Captain Bonneville mentions another geo-
logical phenomenon north of Red River, where
the surface of the earth, in considerable tracts
of country, is covered with broad slabs of sand-

i.--f

I' 1 w

Ai'j • • mi

\ !

k '

^&mMm^

&j?

JBonnevtlU'd BDvcntured

stone, having the form and position of grave-
stones, and looking as if they had been forced
^-^^.fT ^P ^y some subterranean agitation. "The
6^\ji resemblance," says he, "which these very
remarkable spots have in many places to old
church-yards is curious in the extreme. One
might almost fancy himself among the tombs
of the pre- Adamites."

On the 2d of June, they arrived on the main
stream of the Nebraska or Platte River ; twentj'-
five miles below the head of the Great Island.
**^0,^ • The low banks of this river give it an appear-
ance of great width. Captain Bonneville meas-
ured it in one place, and found it twenty-two
hundred yards from bank to bank. Its depth
was from three to six feet, the bottom full of
quicksands. The Nebraska is studded with
islands covered with that .species of poplar
called the cotton-wood tree. Keeping up along
the course of this river for .several days, they
were obliged, from the scarcity of game, to put
themselves upon .short allowance, and, occa-
.sionally, to kill a steer. They bore their daily
labors and privations, however, with great good
^>R-td , humor, taking their tone, in all probability,
y vlf from the buoyant spirit of their leader. " If
the weather was inclement," says the captaiji,
" we watched the clouds, and hoped for a sight
of the blue sky and the merry sun. If food

^jy.

''• t

> near the North Forh of the Ne-
h-aska Rivei-,

<i-ii\<ii (J ik<'t, li maJ,-

• iiiniii;- <i (,\>:ie))i)>i,tit Si,

■i

**>4,

■ I " i 1111 — ——Ml

ry i gl

l„v. *l

"'I

' ,11

*«'V,

! I

ft:

• f

v» \', -r. i^ J. V >::/'% V-

jforh of fiebrasha IRivcr 31

was scanty, we regaled ourselves with the hope
of soon falling in with herds of buffalo, and
having nothing to do but slay and eat." We
doubt whether the genial captain is not describ-
ing thecheeriness of his own ])reast, which gave
a cheery aspect to everything around him.

There certainly were evidences, however,
that the country was not always equally desti-
tute of game. At one place, they observed a
field decorated with buffalo skulls, arranged in
circles, curves, and other mathematical figures,
as if for some mystic rite or ceremony. Thej'
were almost iiniumerable, and seemed to have
been a vast hecatomb offered up in thanksgiv-
ing to the Great Spirit for some signal success
in the chase.

On the nth of June, they came to the fork
of the Nebraska, where it divides itself into
two equal and beautiful streams. One of these
branches rises in the west-soutluvest, near the
head-waters of the Arkansas. Up the course
of this branch, as Captain Homieville was well
aware, lay the route to tlu; Camanche and Kio-
way Indians, and to the northern Mexican set-
tlements ; of the other branch he knew nothing.
Its sources might lie among wild and inaccessi-
ble cliffs, and tumble and foam down rugged
defiles and over craggy precipices ; but its
direction was in the true course, and up this

cr>-^-

— . "1 ' i' » ' m

*!«,. .^-•fc- V

■r' ' 'I ".! ! '

'"^■-^ij^S^r-" '^ '='

->i-^

3Sonncvllle'd Zldvcntures

stream he determined to prosecute his route
to the Rocky Mountains. Finding it impos-
sible, from quicksands and other dangerous
impediments, to cross the river in this neigh-
borhood, lie kt'i)t UT> alonjj the south fork for
two days, mer:'* s-^ekiug a safe fording place.
At length he * ■ ..af c' caused the bodies of
the wagons to . disioi'^pd from the wheels,
covered with buffalo hide:-, 1 A besmeared with
a compound of tallow and ashes, thus forming
rude boats. In the.se, they ferried their effects
across the .stream, which was six hundred
yards wide, with a swift and strong current.
Three men were in each boat, to manage it ;
others waded across, pushing the barks before
them. Thus all crossed in safety. A march
of nine miles took them over high rolling prai-
ries to the north fork ; their eyes being regaled
with the welcome sight of herds of buffalo at a
distance, .some careering the plain, others graz-
ing and reposing in the natural meadows.

Skirting along the north fork for a day or
two, excessively ainioyed by musquitoes and
buffalo gnats, they reached, on the evening of
the 17th, a small but beautiful grove, from
which issued the confu.sed notes of singing
birds, the first they had heard since crossing the
boundary of Mi.s.souri. After .so many days of
weary travelling, through a naked, monoto-

'V.

nous, and si'ent country, it was delightful once
more to hear the song of the bird, and to be-
hold the verdure of the grove. It was a beau-
tiful sunset, and a sight of the glowing rays,
mantling the tree-tops and rustling branches,
gladdened every heart. They pitched theii
camp in the grove, kindled their fires, partook
merrily of their rude fare, resigned themselves
to the sweetest sleep they had enjoyed since
their outset upon the prairies.

The country now became rugged and broken.
High bluffs advanced upon the river, and
forced the travellers occasionally to leave its
banks and wind their course into the interior.
In one of the wild and solitary passes, they
were startled by the trail of four or five pedes-
trians, whom they supposed to be spies from
some predatory camp of either Arickara or
Crow Indians. This obliged them to redouble
their vigilance at night, and to keep especial
watch upon their horses. In these rugged and
elevated regions they began to see the black-
tailed deer, a species larger than the ordinary
kind, and chiefly found in rocky and moun-
tainous countries. They had reached also a
great buffalo range ; Captain Bonneville as-
cended a high bluff, commanding an extensive
view of the surrounding plains. As far as his
eye could reach, the country seemed absolutely

t n

> \

t^&emaaiBsieieL.

A/i'i^

JSoiiiicvilIe'0 BOventurcd

blackened by innumerable herds. No lan-
guage, he says, could convey an adequate idea
of the vast living mass thus presented to his
eye. He remarked that the bulls and cows
generally congregated in separate herds.

Opposite to the camp at this place was a sin-
gular phenomenon, which is among the curi-
osities of the country. It is called the Chimney.
The lower part is a conical mound, rising out
of the naked plain ; from the summit shoots up
a shaft or column, about one hundred and
twenty feet in height, from which it derives its
name. The height of the whole, according to
Captain Bonneville, is a hundred and seventy-
five yards. It is composed of indurated clay,
with alternate layers of red and white sand-
stone, and may be seen at the distance of
upwards of thirty miles.

On the 2 1st, they encamped amidst high and
beetling cliffs of indurated clay and sandstone,
bearing the semblance of towers, castles,
churches, and fortified cities. At a distance,
it was scarcely possible to persuade one's self
that the works of art were not mingled with
the.se fantastic freaks of nature. Tney have
received the name of Scott's Bluffs, from a
melancholy circumstance. A number of years
since, a party were descending the upper part of
the river in canoes, when their frail barks were

"<.'

! ■ l\

'■■)

'^0''

overturned and all their powder spoiled. Their
rifles being thus rendered useless, they were un-
able to procure food by hunting, and had to de-
pend upon roots and wild fruits for subsistence.
After suffering extremely from hunger, they
arrived at Laramie's Fork, a. small tributary of
the north branch of the Nebraska, about sixty
miles above the cliffs just mentioned. Here
one of the party, by the name of Scott, was
taken ill ; and his companions came to a halt,
until he should recover health and strength
sufficient to proceed. While they were search-
ing round in quest of edible roots, they dis-
covered a fresh trail of white men, who had
evidently but recently preceded them. What
was to be done ? By a forced march they
might overtake this party, and thus be able to
reach the settlements in safety. Should they
linger, they might all perish of famine and
exhaustion. Scott, however, was incapable
of moving ; they were too feeble to aid him
forward, and dreaded that such a clog would
prevent their coming up with the advance
party. They determined, therefore, to aban-
don him to his fate. Accordingly, under pre-
tense of seeking food, and such simples as
might be efficacious in his malady, they de-
serted him and hastened forward upon the
trail. They succeeded in overtaking the party

\ m

^ \

.,.;•/'

l\v

'^.Jl

"^^J

:(Sonneville'0 BDvcntures

of which they were in quest, but concealed
their faithless desertion of Scott ; alleging that
he had died of disease.

On the ensuing summer, these very individ-
uals visiting these parts in company with
others, came suddenly upon the bleached bones
and grinning skull of a human skeleton, which,
by certain signs, they recognized for the re-
mains of Scott, This was sixty long miles
from the place where they had abandoned
him ; and it appeared that the wretched man
had crawled that immense distance before
death put an end to his miseries. The wild
and picturesque bluffs in the neighborhood of
his lonely grave have ever since bore his
name.

Amidst this wild and striking scenery. Cap-
tain Bonneville, for thefir.st time, beheld flocks
of the ahsahta or bighorn, an animal which
frequents the.se cliffs in great numbers. They
accord with the nature of such scenery, and
add much to its romantic effect ; bounding like
goats from crag to crag, often trooping along
the lofty slielves of the mountains, under the
guidance of some venerable patriarch, with
horns twisted lower than his muzzle, and some-
times peering over the edge of a precipice, so
high that they appear scarce bigger than crows ;
indeed, it seems a pleasure to them to seek the

.i,c.1^^

€

-yl ^-

,-v^

Abountain Sbecp

most rugged and frightful situations, doubtless
from a feeling of securitj-.

This animal is commonly called the moun-
tain sheep, and is often confounded with an-
other animal, the " woolly sheep," found more
to the northward, about the country of the
Flatheads. The latter likewise inhabits clifiFs
in summer, but descends into the valleys in
the winter. It has white wool, like a sheep,
mingled with a thin growth of long hair ; but
it has short legs, a deep belly, and a beard like
a goat. Its horns are about five inches long,
slightly cur\-ed backwards, black as jet, and
beautifully polished. Its hoofs are of the same
color. This animal is by no means so active
as the bighorn ; it does not boutid much, but
sits a good deal upon its haunches. It is not
so plentiful either ; rarely more than two or
three are seen at a time. Its wool alone gives
a resemblance to the sheep ; it is more properly
of the goat genus. The flesh is .said to have a
musty flavor ; .some have thought the fleece
might be valuable, as it is said to be as fine as
that of the goat of Cashmere, but it is not to
be procured in sufficient quantities.

The ahsahta, argali, or bighorn, on the con-
trary, has short hair like a deer, and resembles
it in shape, but has the head and horns of a
sheep, aud its flesh is said to be a delicious

.jT-t-^

cr%;-^ \;^ J^ix^*i-^- '^--^^^^

m^^^^^F^)

i^^j

liii

(: \

) V

• K

■~SK"

!.,. K

i^^^'J'^

I I

,7^^-^

JSonneville'd BDventuree

mutton. The Indians consider it more sweet
and delicate than any other kind of venison.
It abounds in the Rocky Mountains, from the
fiftieth degree of north latitude, quite down to
California ; generally in the highest regions
capable of vegetation ; sometimes it ventures
into the valleys, but on the least alarm, regains
its favorite cliflfs and precipices, where it is
perilous, if not impossible for the hunter to
follow.^'

* Dimensions of a male of this species, from the nose
to the base of the tail, five feet ; length of the tail,
four inches ; girth of the body, four feet ; height,
three feet eight inches ; the horn, three feet six inches
long ; one foot three inches in circumference at base.

'^'r\

ffTs

Cbapter W,

■>.^:tir^-

^<^«'

An Alarm — Crow Indians — Their Appearance — Mode
of Approach — Their Vengeful Errand — Their Curi-
osity — Hostility between the Crows and Blackfeet
— Loving Conduct of the Crows— Laramie's Fork —
First Navigation of the Nebraska — Great Elevation
of the Country — Rarity of the Atmosphere — Its Ef-
fect on the Wood- work of Wagons— Black Hills —
Their Wild and Broken Scenery — Indian Dogs —
Crow Trophies— Sterile and Dreary Country —
Banks of the Sweet Water — Buffalo Hunting — Ad-
venture of Tom Cain, the Irish Cook.

WHEN on the march, Captain Bonne-
ville always sent some of his best
hiniters in the advance to reconnoi-
tre the country, as well as to look out for
game. On the 24th of May, as the caravan
was slowly journeying up the banks of the
Nebraska, the hunters came galloping back,
waving their caps, and giving the alarm cry,
Indians ! Indians !

The captain innnediately ordered a halt : the

A*J

-\fh Jiff M]i Ja^ns

li !l

III

ii<., «i

....^'■.

'i iv 40 asonneville's adventures

hunters now came up and announced that a
large war-party of Crow Indians were just
above, on the river. The captain knew the
character of these savages ; one of the most
roving, warlike, crafty, and predatory tribes of
the mountains ; horse- stealers of the first order,
and easily provoked to acts of sanguinary vio-
lence. Orders were accordingly given to pre-
pare for action, and every one promptly took
the po.st that had been assigned him, in the
general order of the march, in all cases of war-
like emergency.

Everything being put in battle array, the
captain took the lead of his little band, and
moved on slowly and warily. In a little while
he beheld the Crow warriors emerging from
among the bluffs. There were about sixty of
them ; fine martial-looking fellows, painted and
arrayed for war, and mounted on horses decked
out with all kinds of wild trappings. They
came prancing along in gallant style, with
many wild and dexterous evolutions, for none
can surpa.ss them in horsemanship ; and their
bright colors, and flaunting and fantastic em-
bellishments, glaring and sparkling in the
morning sunshine, gave them really a striking
appearance.

Their mode of approach to one not acquainted
with the tactics and ceremonies of this rude

'-^,m\

■^^-IL"

-^i«><-

Head of White Goat ( Woolly Sheep).

Fi\>»i a JidKiini; /'V J. Cart,r Hetini.

' i. i

llQU^tn*-

^:^*-4R-

I^af4*r»

M^ .4

%^if.%

(

>ir:ii

* I! .

If "1

^^.W/

I'i

»\\ t-

'fcf^:

B Dcn(tc(ul £rranD

chivalry of the wilderness, had an air of direct
hostility. They came galloping forward in a
body, as if about to make a furious charge,
but, when close at hand, opened to the right
and left, and wheeled in wide circles round the
travellers, whooping and yelling like maniacs.

This done, their mock fury sank into a calm,
and the chief, approaching the captain, who
had remained warily drawn up, though in-
formed of the pacific nature of the manceuvre,
extended to him the hand of friendship. The
pipe of peace was smoked, and now all was
good fellowship.

The Crows were in pursuit of a band of
Cheyennes, who had attacked their village iti
the niglit, and killed one of their people.
They had already been five and twenty days
on the track of the marauders, and were deter-
mined not to return home until they had sated
their revenge.

A few days previously, some of their scouts,
wlio were ranging the country at a distance
from the main body, had discovered the party
of Captain Bonneville. They had dogged it
for a time in .secret, astonished at the long
traiti of wagons and oxen, and especially struck
with tlie sight of a cow and calf, quietly follow-
ing the caravan ; supposing them to be some
kind of tame bufl"alo. Having satisfied their

^•1

) I

t ■

!, V

I '

«r II

.■■'■i:yii

■

^^^^7^.vJ^-^

rr^^:^ r7\ ^^^..i^:' ^M:

'li>'

JBonncvillc'a Bdventures

curiosity, tbt'y carried back to their chief intel-
ligence of all that they had seen. He had, in
consequence, diverged from his pursuit of ven-
geance to behold the wonders described to him.
' ' Now that we have met you, ' ' said he to Cap-
tain Botnieville, "and have seen these marvels
with our own eyes, our hearts are glad." In
fact, nothing could exceed the curiosity evinced
by these people as to the objects before them.
Wagons had never been seen b\ them before,
and they examined them with the greatest
minuteness ; but the calf was the peculiar
object of their admiration. They watched it
with intense interest as it licked the hands
accustomed to feed it, and were struck with
the mild expression of its countenance and its
perfect docility.

After nmch sage consultation, they at length
determined that it must be the "great medi-
cine " of the white party, an appellation given
by the Indians to anything of supernatural
and .'ysterions power, that is guarded as a
talisur.n. They were completely thrown out
in Iheir conjecture, however, by an offer of the
wliile men to exchange t)ie calf for a horse ;
their estimation of the great medicine sank in
an instant, and they declined the bargain.

At the re(piest of the Crow chieftaiti the two
parties encan\ped together, and pas.sed the resi-

">.•

. \\\

''%y' N.

r'^

I-.-

Enmity? ot tbe Crows anD JBlachfcet

due of the day in company. The captain was
well pleased with every opportunity to gain a
knowledge of the " unsophisticated sons of
nature," who had so long been objects of his
poetic speculations ; and indeed this wild,
horse-stealing tribe is one of the most notori-
ous of the mountains. The chief, of course,
had his scalps to show and his battles to re-
count. The Blackfoot is the hereditary enemy
of the Crow, towards whom hostility is like a
cherished principle of religion ; for every tribe,
besides its casual antagonists, has some endur-
ing foe with whom there can be no permanent
reconciliation. The Crows and Blackfeet, upon
the whole, are enemies worthy of each other,
being rogues and ruffians of the first water.
As their predatory excursions extend over the
same regions, they often come in contact with
each other, atid these casual conflicts serve to
keep their wits awake and their passions
alive.

Thcpresentparty of Crows, however, evinced
nothing of the invidious character for which
they are renowned. During the day and night
that they were encamped in company with the
travellers, their conduct was f'. ;endly in the
extreme. They were, in fact, quite irksome
in their attentions, and had a caressing man-

ner at times quite nuportunate.

It was not

!. V

\-\

> K

3..F

iri

\ \

i J

Mil}!

t, I

^^/f^*^"

r; -'UJR'jCfcc.jKf «X3BUL.iSir:^.

■^•~>-.;-

'«v./

-iIC.J., .-*"■<"

:iSonncville'6 Bdventurcs

until after separation on the following morn-
ing, that the captain and his men ascertained
the secret of all this loving-kindness. In the
course of their fraternal carcases, the Crows
had contrived to empty the pockets of their
white brothers ; to abstract the very buttons
from their coats, and, above all, to make free
with their hunting knives.

By equal altitudes of the sun, taken at this
last encampment. Captain Bonneville ascer-
tained his latitude to be 41° 47' north. The
thermometer, at .six o'clock in the morning,
stood at fifty-nine degrees ; at two o'clock
P. M., at ninety-two degrees ; and at six o'clock
in the evening, at seventy degrees.

The Black Hills, or Mountains, now began
to be seen at a distance, printing the horizon
with their rugged and broken outlines, and
threatening to oppose a difficult barrier in the
way of the travellers.

On the 26th of May, the travellers encamped
at Laramie's Fork, a clear and beautiful stream,
rising in the west-southwest, maintaining an
average width of twenty yards, and winding
through broad meadows abounding in currants
and gooseberries, and adorned with groves and
clumps of trees.

By an observation of Jupiter's satellites,
with a Dolland reflecting telescope, Captain

;; /»

•0"^^(7

w»i- -. ^■ft'in

■ '-■ ."-*

■k

-r~?i.

rr^fC- /r~-,i^r''^^ -c^'V*tv*~\ rM'-"^'

-^ -

K-

1.'

artOitg of tbe atmogpbcrc

, • y Bonneville ascertained the longitude to be 102°
57' west of Greenwich,

We will here step ahead of our narrative to
observe, that about three years after the time
of which we are treating, Mr. Robert Camp-
bell, formerly of the Rocky Mountain Fur
Company, descended the Platte from this fork,
in skin canoes, thus proving, what had always
been discredited, that the river was navigable.
About the same time, he built a fort or trading
post at Laramie's Fork, which he named Fort
William, after his friend and partner, Mr. Wil-
liam .Sublette. Since that time, the Platte has
become a highway for the fur traders.

For some days past, Captain Bonneville had
been made sensible of the great elevation of
country into which he was gradually ascend-
ing, by the eflFect of the dryness and rarefac-
tion of the atmosphere upon his wagons. The
wood-work shrunk ; the paint boxes of the
wheels were continually working out, and it
was necessary to support the spokes by stout
props to prevent their falling asunder. The
travellers were now entering one of those great
steppes of the Far West, where the prevalent
aridity of the atmosphere renders the country
unfit for cultivation. In these regions there is
a fresh sweet growth of grass in the spring, but
it is scanty and short, and parches up in the

^y"^"^

"^ '^ <yiP "

,-n/

Wi^j:^

I 7

/<i >

'ti... h

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

{./

^
^

<;' .^

^^,

f/.

1.0 :^«

I.I

1.25

1^ 1^

It lis

2.5
2.2

1.8

U Hi 1.6

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WIST MAIN STRUT

WMSTIR,N.Y. 14S80

(716) S73-4S03

^'^^j^

3Boimeville'0 Bdventured

course of the summer, so that there is none for
the hunters to set fire to in the autumn. It is
a common observation, that " above the forks
of the Platte the grass does not burn." All
attempts at agriculture and gardening in the
neighborhood of Fort William have been at-
tended with very little success. The grain
and vegetables raised there have been scanty
in quantity and poor in quality. The great
elevation of these plains, and the dryness of
the atmosphere, will tend to retain these im-
mense regions in a state of pristine wildness.

In the course of a day or two more, the trav-
ellers entered that wild and broken tract of the
Crow country called the Black Hills, and here
their journey became toilsome in the extreme.
Rugged steeps and deep ravines incessantly
obstructed their progress, so that a great part
of the day was spent in the painful toil of dig-
ging through banks, filling up ravines, forcing
the wagons up the most forbidding ascents, or
swinging them with ropes down the face of
dangerous precipices. The shoes of their
horses were worn out, and their feet it^jured
by the rugged and stony roads. The travel-
ler! \v Te annoyed also by frequent but brief
storms, which would come hurrying over the
hills, or through the mountain defiles, rage
with great fury for a short time, and then

2"^!

-^t

i)~ir^^

f ndtan Dogs

pass oflF, leaving everything calm and serene
again.

For several nights the camp had been in-
fested by vagabond Indian dogs, prowling
about in quest of food. They were about the
size of a large pointer ; with ears short and
erect, and a long bushy tail — altogether, they
bore a striking resemblance to a wolf. These
skulking visitors would keep about the pur-
lieus of the camp until daylight ; when, on the
first stir of life among the sleepers, they would
scamper off until they reached some rising
ground, where they would take their seats,
and keep a sharp and hungry watch upon
every movement. The moment the travellers
were fairly on the march, and the camp was
abandoned, these starveling hangers-on would
hasten to the deserted fires to seize upon the
half-picked bones, the offals and garbage that
lay about ; and, having made a hasty meal,
with many a snap and snarl and growl, would
follow leisurely on the trail of the caravan.
Many attempts were made to coax or catch
them, but in vain. Their quick and suspicious
eyes caught the slightest sinister movement,
and they turned and scampered off. At length
one was taken. He was terribly alarmed, and
crouched and trembled as if expecting instant
death. Soothed, however, by caresses, he be-

> ■^^'^v

i v»

> M

■^'^

i V

■■

^^'&^

JBonnevUIc'd BDventures

gan after a time to gather confidence and wag
his tail, and at length was brought to follow
close at the heels of his captors, still, however,
darting around furtive and suspicious glances,
and evincing a disposition to scamper oflf upon
the least alarm.

On the first of July the band of Crow war-
riors again crossed their path. They came in
vaunting and vain-glorious style ; displaying
five Cheyenne scalps, the trophies of their
vengeance. Thej'^ were now bound home
wards, to appease the manes of their comrade
by these proofs that his death had been re-
venged, and intended to have scalp-dances and
other triumphant rejoicings. Captain Bonne-
ville and his men, however, were by no means
disposed to renew their confiding intimacy with
these crafty savages, and above all, took care
to avoid their pilfering caresses. They re-
marked one precaution of the Crows with re-
spect to their horses ; to protect their hoofs
from the sharp and jagged rocks among which
they had to pass, they had covered them with
shoes of buflfalo hide.

The route of the travellers lay generally
along the course of the Nebraska or Platte,
but occasionally, where steep promontories ad-
vanced to the margin of the stream, they were
obliged to make inland circuits. On., of these

■'^

Si-*

■^^^u

powOer 'River Aountaine

took them through a bold and stern country,
bordered by a range of low mountains, running
east and west. Everything around bore traces
of some feai-ful convulsion of nature in times
long past. Hitherto the various strata of rock
had exhibited a gentle elevation towards the
southwest, but here everything appeared to
have been subverted, and thrown out of place.
In many places there were heavy beds of white
sandstone resting upon red. Immense strata
of rocks jutted up into crags and cliffs ; and
sometimes formed perpendicular walls and
overhanging precipices. An air of sterility
prevailed over these savage wastes. The val-
leys were destitute of herbage, and scantily
clothed with a stunted species of wormwood,
generally known among traders and trappers
by the name of sage. From an elevated point
of their march through this region, the travel-
lers caught a beautiful view of the Powder
River Mountains awav to the north, stretching
along the very verge o» .lie horizon, and seem-
ing, fron the snow with which they were
mantled, to be a chain of small white clouds,
connecting sky and earth.

Though th i thermometer at midday ranged
from eighty to ninety, and even sometimes rose
to niney-three degrees, yet occasional spots of
snow were to be seen on the tops of the low

i s^:£5gg*i

' )j

^^>i2r'

A-f

'4v

JBonnevtUe's Bdventurcs

mountains, among which the travellers were
journeying ; proofs of the great elevation of
the whole region.

The Nebraska, in its passage through the
Black Hills, is confined to a much narrower
channel than that through which it flows in
the plains below ; but it is deeper and clearer,
and rushes with a stronger current. The
scenery, also, is more varied and beautiful.
Sometimes it glides rapidly but smoothly
through a picturesque valley, between wooded
banks ; then, forcing its way into the bosom
of rugged mountains, it rushes impetuously
through narrow defiles, roaring and foaming
down rocks and rapids, until it is again soothed
to rest in some peaceful valley.

On the 1 2th of July, Captain Bonneville
abandoned the main stream cf the Nebraska,
whicli was continualh' shouldered by rugged
promontories, and making a bend to the .south-
west, for a couple of days, part of the time
over plains of loose sand, encamped on the
14th, or.' the banks of the Sweet Water, a
stream about twenty yards in breadth, and
four or five feet deep, flowing between low
banks over a sandy soil, and forming one of
the forks or upper branches of the Nebraska.
Up this stream they now shaped their course
for several successive days, tending generally.

1 1!

.'>>

£levation of tbe Countc)?

to the west. The soil was light and sandy ;
the country much diversified. Frequently the
plains were studded with isolated blocks of
rock, sometimes in the shape of a half globe,
and from three to four hundred feet high.
These singular masses had occasionally a very
imposing, and even sublime appearance, rising
from the midst of a savage and lonely land-
scape.

As the travellers continued to advance, they
became more and more sensible of the eleva-
tion of the country. The hills around were
more generally capped with snow. The men
complained of cramps ^ tid colics, sore lips and
mouths, and violent neadaches. The wood-
work of the wagons also shrank so much, that
it was with difficulty the wheels were kept
from falling to pieces. The country bordering
upon the river was frequently gashed with
deep ravines, or traversed by high bluffs, to
avoid which, the travellers were obliged to
make wide circuits through the plains. In the
course of these, they came upon inmiense herds
of buffalo, which kept scouring off in the van,
like a retreating army.

Among the motley retainers of the camp was
Tom Cain, a raw Iri.shman, who officiated as
cook, whose various blunders and expedients
in his novel situation, and in the wild scenes

A\u.\\

5?l

XonneviHc'6 adventures

and wild kind of life into which he had sud-
denly been thrown, had made him a kind of
butt or droll of the camp. Tom, however,
began to discover an ambition superior to his
station ; and the conversation of the hunters,
and their stories of their exploits, inspired him
with a desire to elevate himself to the dignity
of their order. The buflFalo in such immense
droves presented a tempting opportunity. for
making his first essay. He rode, in the line of
march, all prepared for action : his powder-
flask and shot-pouch knowingly slung at the
pommel of his saddle, to be at hand ; his rifle
balanced on his shoulder. While in this plight,
a troop of buffalo came trotting by in great
alarm. In an instant, Tom sprang from his
horse and gave chase on foot. Finding th^y
were leaving him behind, he levelled his rifl";
and pulled trigger. His shot produced no other
effect than to increase the speed of the buffalo,
and to frighten his own horse, who took to his
heels, and scampered off with all the ammuni-
tion. Tom scampered after him, hallooing with
might and main, and the wild horse and wild
Irishman soon disappeared among the ravines
of the prairie. Captain Bonneville, who was
at the head of the line, and had seen the trans-
action at a distance, detached a party in pur-
suit of Tom. After a long interval they

^\ «-•

cov

•>^*'

[/"/
,->\i

»^'

Zom Cain tbe Cook

returned, leading the frightened horse ; but
though they had scoured the country, and
looked out and shouted from every height,
they had seen nothing of his rider.

As Captain Bonneville knew Tom's utter
awkwardness and inexoericnce, and the dan-
gers of a bewildered i»ishman in the midst of
a prairie, he halted and encamped at an early
hour, that there might be a regular hunt for
him in the morning.

At early dawn on the following day scouts
were sent off in every direction, while the main
body, afte^ breakfast, proceeded slowly on its
course. It was not until the middle of the
afternoon that the hunters returned, with hon-
est Tom mounted behind one of them. They
had found him in a complete state of perplexity
and amazement. His appearance caused shouts
of merriment in the camp, — but Tom for once
could not join in the mirth raised at his ex-
pense : he was completely chapfallen, and ap-
parently cured of the hunting mania for the
rest of his life.

l'^

* Vi

*x.

'k^-X^i^^i

,},

>\ AL ii.

I f

1 -

Cbapter D.

Magnificent Scenery — Wind River Mountains — Treas-
ury of Waters — A Stray Horse — An Indian Trail —
Trout Streams — The Great Green River Valley — An
Alarm — A Band of Trappers — Foutenelle, his In-
formation — SufiFerings of Thirst— Encampment on
the Seeds-ke-dee — Strategy of Rival Traders — For-
tification of the Camp— The Blackfeet — Banditti of
the Mountains — Their Character and Habits.

T was on the 20th of July that Captain
Bonneville first came in sight of the grand
region of his hopes and anticipations, the
Rocky Mountains. He had been making a
bend to the south, to avoid some obstacles
along the river, and had attained a high, rocky
ridge, when a magnificent prospect burst upon
his sight. To the west, rose the Wind River
Mountains, with their bleached and snowy
summits towering into the clouds. These
stretched far to the north-northwest, until they
melted away into what appeared to be faint
clouds, but which the experienced eyes of the

veteran hunters of the party recognized for the
rugged mountains of the Yellowstone ; at the
feet of which, extended the wild Crow country,
a perilous, though profitable region for the
trapper.

To the southwest, the eye ranged over an
immense extent of wilderness, with what ap-
peared to be a snowy vapor resting upon its
horizon. This, however, was pointed out as
another branch of the Great Chippewyan, or
Rocky chain ; being the Eutaw Mountains, at
whose basis the wandering tribes of hunters
of the same name pitch their tents.

We can imagine the enthus- .sm of the wor-
thy captain, when he beheld the vast and
mountainous scene of his adventurous enter-
prise thus suddenly unveiled before him. We
can imagine with what feelings of awe and ad-
miration he must have contemplated the Wind
River Sierra, or bed of mountains ; that great
fountain-head, from whose springs, and lakes,
and melted snows, some of those mighty rivers
take their rise, which wander over hundreds of
miles of varied country and clime, and find
their way to the opposite waves of the Atlantic
and the Pacific.

The Wind River Mountains are, in fact,
among the most remarkable of the whole Rocky
chain ; and would appear to be among the

^'^ ;o.3^^^"'

; /.

\ \\

V .

^^^h#^w;f-rr— -^^^

. I

XonncvHlc'6 BOventures

loftiest. They form, as it were, a great bed
of mountains, about eighty miles in length,
and from twenty to thirty in breadth ; with
rugged peaks, covered with eternal snows, and
deep, narrow valleys, full of springs, and
brooks, and rock-bound lakes. From this great
treasury of waters, issue forth limpid streams,
which, augmenting as thej' descend, become
main tributaries of the Missouri on the one side,
and the Columbia on the other ; and give rise
to the Seeds-ke-dee Agie, or Green River, the
great Colo, ado of the West, that empties its
current into the Gulf of California.

The Wind River Mountains are notorious in
hunters' and trappers' stories : their rugged de-
files, and the rough tracts about their neigh-
borhood, having been lurking-places for the
predatory hordes of the mountains, and scenes
of rough encounter with Crows and Blackfeet.
It was to the west of these mountains, in the
valley of the Seeds-ke-dee Agie, or Green
River, that Captain Bonneville intended to
make a halt, for the purpose of giving repose to
his people and his horses, after their weary
journeying ; and of collecting information as
to his future course. This Green River Valley
and its intermediate neighborhood, as we have
already observed, formed the main point of
rendezvous, for the present year, of the rival

The Wind River Mountains.

Steel engiavitiii.

' . I

\ Vi

I 'I

'ivr. J -

! \

.?!

iiipi i^iiiii mm

erki

l»

'Jf.

B Stras fjorae

fur companies, and the motley populace,
civilized and savage, connected with them.
Several days of rugged travel, however, yet
remained for the captain and his men, before
they should encamp in this desired resting-
place.

On the 2ist of July, as they were pursuing
their course through one of the me&dows of
the Sweet Water, they beheld a horse grazing
at a little distance. He showed no alarm at
their approach, but suffered himself quietly to
be taken, evincing a perfect state of tameness.
The scouts of the party were instantly on the
lookout for the owners of this animal ; lest
some dangerous band of savages might be lurk-
ing in the vicinity. After a narrow search,
they discovered the trail of an Indian party,
which had evidently passed through that neigh-
borhood but recently. The horse was accord-
ingly taken possession of, as an estraj' ; but a
more vigilant watch than usual was kept round
the camps at nights, lest his former owners
should be upon the prowl.

The travellers had now attained so high an
elevation, that on the 23d of July, at daybreak,
there was considerable ice in the water-buckets,
and the thermometer stood at twenty-two de-
grees. The rarity of the atmosphere continued
to affect the wood-work of the wagons, and

A m

! ■

^^^t-i^mmrKmm^smsf^'

. ,it'.!i

i'J

Tn.

JSonncvtllc's BOvcnturee

the wheels were incessantly falling to pieces. A
remedy was at length devised. The tire of
each wheel was taken off ; a band of wood was
nailed round the exterior of the felloes, the tire
was then made red hot, replaced rounc' the
wheel, and suddenly cooled with water. By
this means, the whole was bound together with
great compactness.

The extreme elevation of these great steppes,
which range along the feet of the Rocky Moun-
tains, takes away from the seeming height of
their peaks, which yield to few in the known
world in point of ailitude above the level of the
sea.

On the 24th, the travellers took final leave of
the Sweet Water, and keeping westwardly, over
a low and very rocky ridge, one of the most
southern spurs of the Wind River Mountains,
they encamped, after a march of seven hours
and a half, on the banks of a small clear stream,
running to the south, in which they caught a
number of fine trout.

The sight of these fish was hailed with pleas-
ure, as a sign that they had reached the waters
which flow into the Pacific ; for it is onlj' on
the western streams of the Rocky Mountains
that trout are to be taken. The stream on
which they had thus encamped, proved, in
effect, to be tributary to the Seeds-ke-dee Agie,

;-^^ /?

:SJ\^X

■r'-i - ,^" ws"*,*.^

Green Hivev Ualle^

or Green River, into which it flowed, at some
distance to the south.

Captain Bonneville now considered himself
as having fairly passed the crest of the Rocky
Mountains ; and felt some degree of exultation
in being the first individual that had crossed,
north of the settled provinces of Mexico, from
the waters of the Atlantic to those of the Pa-
cific, with wagons. Mr. William Sublette, the
enterprising leader of the Rocky Mountain Fur
Company had, two or three years previously,
reached the valley of the Wind River, which
lies on the northeast of the mountains ; but had
proceeded with them no farther.

A vast valley now spread itself before the
travellers, bounded on one side by the Wind
River Mountains, and to the west, by a long
range of high hills. This, Captain Bonneville
was assured by a veteran hunter in his com-
pany, was the great valley of the Seeds-ke-dee ;
and the same informant would fain have per-
suaded him, that a small stream, three feet
deep, which he came to on the 25th, was that
river. The captain was convinced, however,
that the stream was too insignificant to drain
•SO wide a valley and the adjacent mountains :
he encamped, therefore, at an early hour, on its
borders, that he might take the whole of the
next day to reach the main river ; which he

4 «»i

'«<i

.-.j ' ^^&mii^-- " ■ "■

V 1i

lil

I ;

^^^^^^^''Ti/;

asonneville'6 BDventurea

presumed to flow between him and the distant
range of western hills.

On the 26th of July, he commenced his march
at an early hour, making directly across the
valley, towards the hills in the west ; proceed-
ing at as brisk a rate as the jaded condition
of his horses would permit. About eleven
o'clock in the morning, a great cloud of dust
was descried in the rear, advancing directly on
the trail of the party. The alarm was given ;
they all came to a halt, and held a council of
war. Some conjectured that the band of Indi-
ans, whose trail they had discovered in the
neighborhood of the stray horse, had been ly-
ing in wait for them, in some secret fastness of
the mountains ; and were about to attack them
on the open plain, where they would have no
shelter. Preparations were immediatelj' made
for defense ; and a scouting party sent off to
recomioitre. They soon came galloping back,
making signals that all was well. The cloud
of dust was made by a band of fifty or sixty
moutited trappers, belonging to the American
Fur Company, who soon came up, leading
their pack-horses. They were headed by Mr.
Fontenelle, an experienced leader, or "parti-
san," as a chief of a party is called, in the
technical language of the trappers.

Mr. Fontenelle informed Captain Bonneville,

T^V-

<?o?

-m

*>T^

j2o

'Kn.

^^:

tfoutenelle anD bid parts

that he was on his way from the company's
trading post on the Yellowstone, to the yearly
rendezvous, willi reinforcements and supplies
for their hunting and trading parties beyond
the mountains ; and that he expected to meet,
by appointment, with a band of free trappers
in that very neighborhood. He had fallen
upon the trail of Captain Bonneville's party,
just after leaving the Nebraska ; and, finding
tliat they had frightened off all the game, had
been obliged to push on. bj- forced marches, to
avoid famine ; both men and horses were,
therefore, much travel-worn ; but this was no
place to halt ; the plain before them, he said,
was destitute of grass and water, neither of
which woulci ':.e met with short of the Green
River, which was yet at a considerable distance.
He hoped, he added, as his party were all on
horseback, to reach the river, with hard travel-
ling, bv nightfall ; but he doubted the possi-
bility of Captain Bonneville's arrival there with
his wagons before the day following. Having
imparted this information, he pushed forward
with all speed.

Captain Bonneville followed on as fast as cir-
cumstances would permit. The ground was
firm and gravelly ; but the horses were too
much fatigued to move rapidly. After a long
and harassing day's march, without pausing

^■S

^^v^^

^ V

rii

f^a^.

Mh**

ill

: i

ii'-V.J^rS.l't^^

,■■■ iO

:iBonncvUle'd adventures

for a noontide meal, they were compelled, at
nine o'clock at night, to encamp in an open
plain, destitute of water or pasturage. On the
following morning, the horses were turned
loose at the peep of day ; to slake their thirst,
if possible, from the dew collected on the sparse
grass, here and there springing up among dry
sand-banks. The soil of a great part of this
Green River Valley is a whitish clay, into
which the rain cannot penetrate, but which
dries and cracks with the sun. In some places
►''v.A) . it produces a .salt weed, and grass along the mar-
gins of the streams ; but the wilder expanses
of it are desolate and barren. It was not initil
noon that Captain Bonneville reached the
banks of the Seeds-ke-dee, or Colorado of the
West ; in the meantime, the sufterings of both
men and horses had been excessive, and it was
with almost frantic eagerness that they hurried
to allay their burning thirst in the limpid cur-
rent of the river.

Fontenelle and his party had not fared much
l?<i better ; the chief part had managed to reach
the river by nightfall, but were nearly knocked
up by the exertion : the horses of others sank
under them, and they were obliged to pass the
night upon the road.

On the following morning, July 27th, Fon-
tenelle moved his camp across the river ; while

■vL

J^^

I StratcflS of tbc JFur CraDc

v'l'.'

Captain Bonneville proceeded some little dis-
tance below, where there was a small but fresh
meadow, j-ielding abundant pasturage. Here
the poor jaded horses were turned out to graze,
and take their rest : the weary journey up the
mountains had won\ them down in flesh and
spirit ; but this last mar^^h across the thirsty
plain had nearly finished ilieni.

The captain had here the first taste of the
boasted strategy of the fur trade. During his
brief, but .social encampment, in company with
Fontenelle, that experienced trapper had man-
aged to win over a numbe" of Delaware In-
dians whom the captain had brought witli him,
by offering them four hundred dollars each, for
the ensuing autunnial hunt. The captain was
somewhat astonished when he saw these hun-
ters, o!i wliose services he had calculated se-
curely, suddenly pack up their traps, and go
over to the rival camp. That he might, in
some measure, however, be even with his com-
petitor, he dispatched t^'-o .scouts to look out
for the band of free trappers who were to meet
Fontenelle in this neigliborhood, and to en-
deavor to britig them to his camp.

As it would be nece.ssar}- to remain some
time in this neighborhood, that both men and
horses might repo.se and recruit their .strength ;
and as it was a region full of danger, Captain

:U:f ii.i'r

i i

\: ,

I III

JSonneviKe'd B?>v?»""rcs

Bonneville proceeded to »^iiiiy his camp with
breastworks of logs and pickets.

These precautions were, at that time, pecu-
liarly necessary, from the bands of Blackfeet
Indians which were roving about the neighbor-
hood. These savages are the most dangerous
banditti of the mountains, and the inveterate
foe of the trappers. They are Ishmaelites of
the first order ; always with weapon in hand,
ready for action. The young braves of the
tribe, who are destitute of property, go to war
for boot}' ; to gain horses, and acquire the
means of setting up a lodge, supporting a
family, and entitling themselves to a seat in
the public councils. The veteran warriors
fight merely for the love of the thing, and the
consequence which success gives them among
their people.

They are capital horsemen, and are generally
well mounted on short, stout horses, similar to
the prairie ponies, to be met with at St. Louis.
When on a war party, however, thej' go on
foot, to enable them to skulk through the
country with greater .secrecy ; to keep in thick-
ets and ravines, and use more adroit subter-
fuges and stratagems. Their mode of warfare
is entirely by ambush, surprise, and sudden
assaults in the night time. If they succeed in
causing a panic, they dash forward with a head-

;-;5^.«?#ir,«T:#r«tr^-S,!^;^jsr*;^^aTiri^-.^

fe'

MacMect InOiane

long fury : if the enemy is on the alert, and
shows no signs of fear, they become wary and
deliberate in their movements.

Some of them are armed in the primitive
style, with bows and arrows ; the greater part
have American fusees, made after the fashion
of those of the Hudson's Bay Company. These
they procure at the trading post of the Ameri-
can Fur Company, on Marias River, where
they traffic their peltries for arms, ammuni-
tion, clothing, and trinkets. They are ex-
tremely fond of spirituous liquors and tobacco ;
for which nuisances they are readj' to ex-
change, not merely their guns and horses, but
even their wives and daughters. As they are
a treacherous race, and have cherished a lurk-
ijig hostility to the whites ever since one of their
tribe was killed by Mr. Lewis, the associate of
General Clarke, in his exploring expedition
across the Rocky Mountains, the American
Fur Company is obliged constantly to keep at
that post a garrison of sixty or seventy men.

Under the general name of Black feet, are
comprehended several tribes : such as the Sur-
cies, the Peagans, the Blood Indians, and the
Gros Ventres of the Prairies : who roam about
the southern branches of the Yellowstone and
Missouri rivers, together with some other tribes
further north.

VOL. I.— S

ll II

) I

»'ltM iWllM i iMww< »»<'y^s':;a.^^

j!-.!'I',s

><^x

'^.yML,

:iSoiinevUle'd BOPcntures

f ;

^-i

tl ^

v^^

..4

The bands infesting the Witid River Moun-
tains, and the conntrj' adjacent, at the time of
which we are treating, were Gros Ventres 0/
the Prairies, which are not to he confounded
with Gros Ventres 0/ the Jl/issouri, who keep
about the /ower part of that river, and are
friendly to the men.

This hostile band keeps about the head-
waters of the Missouri, and numbers about
nine hundred fighting men. Once in thecour.se
of two or three years they abandon their usual
abodes, and make a visit to tlie Arapahoes of
the Arkansas. Their route lies either through
the Crow country, and the Black Hills, or
through the lands of the Nez Perces, Flatheads,
Bannacks, and Shoshonies. As they enjoy
their favorite state of hostilitj' with all these
tribes, their expeditions are prone to be con-
ducted in thv most lawless and predator}' style ;
nor do they hesitate to extend their maraudings
to any party of white men they meet with ;
following their trails ; hovering about their
camps ; waylaying and dogging the caravans
of the free traders, and murdering the solitary
trapper. The consequences are, frequent and
desperate fights between them and the " moun-
taineers," in the wild defiles and fastnesses of
the Rocky Mountains.

The band in que.stion was, at this time, on

oJ!n

». >.-.^tf^,,^-..

^1^-^^,

:-'.,'-t

JSlact;(eet InOiana

■^ '%afi^"'^j

their way homeward from one of their custom-
ary visits to the Arapalioes ; and in the ensuing
chapter, we shall treat of some bloody encoun-
ters between them and the trappers, which had
taken place just before the arrival of Captain
Bonneville among the mountains.

\ ' i

2lA.^

,/ii

.^'-.'-t..

"ife:rTT"?rs^s!p^

i.il,

Cbaptcr m,

Sublette and his Band — Robert Cambell — Mr. Wyeth
and a Rand of " Down-Easters " — Yankee Enter-
prise — Kitzpatrick — His Adventure with the Black-
feet — A RendezA'ous of Mountaineers — The Battle of
Pierre's Hole — An Indian Ambuscade — Sublette's
Return.

LEAVING Captain Bonneville and his band
ensconced within their fortified camp in
the Green River Valley, we shall step
back and accompany a party of the Rocky
Mountain Fur Company in its progress, with
supplies from St. Louis, to the annual rendez-
vous at Pierre's Hole. This party consisted
of sixty men, well mounted, and conducting a
line of pack-hor.ses. They were commanded
by Captain Williatn Sublette, a partner in the
company, and one of the most active, intrepid,
and renowned leaders in this half-military kind
of service. He was accompanied bj' his associ-
ate in business, and tried companion in danger,
Mr. Robert Campbell, one of the pioneers of

x^i

\^,

i^.

/^ "S

'^v^»

"a^-

DowiisEastcrs '

the trade bej-ond the mountains, who had com-
luaiided trapping parties there in times of the
greatest peril.

As these worthy compeers were on their
route to the frontier, they fell in with another
expedition, likewise on its waj' to the moun-
tains. This was a party of regular " Down-
easters, " that is to .say, people of New England,
who, with the all-penetrating and all-pervading
spirit of their race, were now pushing their
way into a new field of enterprise, with which
they were totally unacquainted. The party
had been fitted out, and was maintained and
commanded by Mr. Nathaniel J. Wyeth, of
Boston.* This gentleman had conceived an
idea, that a profitable fishery for salmon might
be established on the Columliia River, and con-
nected with the fur trade. He had, accordingly,
invested capital in goods, calculated, as hesup-
po.sed, for the Indian trade, and had enlisted a
number of Eastern men in his employ, who
had never been in the Far West, nor knew any-
thing of the wilderness. With these, he was
bravely .steering his way acro.ss the continent,
undismayed b}- danger, difficulty, or distance,
in the same way that a New England coaster

* 111 the former editions of this work we have erro-
neously given this enterprising individual the title of
captain.

^' w

;■■

•KS-":'

■u

« .

'it

(I
ft

ii \

a i

'-•4,

;,i

,ii

t lll j l l l j[.Mn^ < ll i| l

. y .n

' !

Ill

3Bonncville*5 aftventurcs

l.M

^^V and his neighbors will coolly launch forth on a
voyage to the Black Sea, or a whaling cruise
to the Pacific.
^V* With all their national aptitude at expedient

and resource, Wyeth and his men felt them-
selves completel}' at a loss when thej- reached
. \ !» j the frontier, and found that the wilderness re-
quired experience and habitudes of which they
were totally deficient. Not one of the party,
excepting the leader, had ever .seen an Indian
or handled a rifle ; they were without guide or
interpreter, and totally unacquainted with
" wood craft," and the modes of making their
way among savage hordes, and .subsisting them-
selves during long marches over wild moun-
tains and barren plains.

In this predicament. Captain vSublette found
them, in a manner becalmed, or rather run
aground, at the little frontier town of Inde-
pendence, in Mi.ssouri, and kindly took them
in tow. The two parties travelled amicably
together ; the frontier men of Sublette's party
gave their Yankee comrades some lessons in
hunting, and some insight into the art and
J- mystery of dealing with the Indians, and they \I^

all arrived without accident at the upper V''^v\
fy-, branches of the Nebraska or Platte River. , \\

In the course of their march, Mr. l-'itzpatrick, ^\^^
the partner of the company who was resident ^S^,"

;

■^.p

"^*

X''--^T--^Jm^'-^^irf<

€

L* »■

■ iTT ifflffr 'W*' - '"^"^"^

..^

_^y..

h':-

at that time beyond the mountains, came down
from the rendezvous at Pierre's Hole to meet
them, and hurry them forward. He trav.illed
in company with them until they reaclu.d the
Sweet Water ; then taking a couple of horses,
one for the saddle, and the other a:s a pack-
horse, he started off express for Pierre's Hole,
to make arrangements against their arrival,
that he might commence his hunting campaign
before the rival company.

Fitzpatrick was a hardy and experienced
mountaineer, and knew all the passes and de-
files. As he was pursuing his lonely course
up the Green River Valley, he descried several
horsemen at a distance, and came to a halt to
reconnoitre. He supposed them to be some
detachment from the rendezvous, or a party
of friendly Indians. They perceived him, and
setting up the war-whoop, dashed forward at
full speed : he saw at once his mistake and
his peril — Ihey were Blackfeet. vSpriiiging
upon hi;; fleetest horse, and abandoning the
other to the enemy, he made for the moun-
tains, and succeeded in escaping up one of the
most ilangerous defiles. Here he concealed
himself until he thought the Indians had gone
off", when he returned into the valley. He was
again pursued, lost his remaining horse, and
only escaped by scrambling up among the

(rr^^v^^M****

';,■•■>.

I ll

I'-i

^«C

.J-4-. ' tf'.'.M*"J

t„ .*.

JBonnevlllc's aovcnturcs

cliffs. For several days he remained lurking
among rocks and precipices, and almost fam-
ished, having but one remaining charge in his
ri.le, which he kept for self-defense.

In the meantime, Sublette and Campbell,
with their fellow-traveller, Wyeth, had pursued
their march umnolested, and arrived in the
Green River Valley, totally unconscious that
there was any lurking enemy at hand. They
had encamped one night on the banks of a
small stream, which came down from the Wind
River Mountains, when about midnight, a
band of Indians burst upon their camp, with
horrible yells and whoops, and a discharge of
guns and arrows. Hrppiiy no other harm
was done than wounding one mule, and caus-
ing several horses to break loose from their
pickets. The camp was in.stantly in arms ;
but the Indians retreated with yells of exulta-
tion, carrying off several of the horses, under
covert of the night.

This was somewhat of a disagreeable fore-
taste of mountain life to some of Wyeth's ban 1,
accustomed only to the regular and peaceful
life of New England ; nor was it altogether to
the taste of Captain vSublette's men, who were
chiefly Creoles and townsmen from St. Louis.
They continued their march the next morning,
keeping scouts ahead and upon their flanks,

'V,

•? . ;:

gM^ ■ '"•r-J

..:,v:«A»^'

i--'

^f^^^

Pierre's t)ole

and arrived without further molestation at
Pierre's Hole.

The first inquiry of Captain Sublette, on
reaching the rendezvous, was for Fitzpatrick.
He had not arrived, nor had any intelligence
been received concerning him. Great uneasi-
ness was now entertained, lest he should have
fallen into the hands of the Blackfeet, who had
made the midnight attack upon the camp. It
was a matter of general joy, therefore, when
he made his appearance, conducted by two half-
breed Iroquois hunters. He had lurked for
several days among the mountaMis, until almost
starved ; at length he escaped the vigilance of
his enemies in the night, and was so fortunate
as to meet the two Iroquois hunters, who, be-
ing on horseback, conveyed him without further
difficulty to the rendezvous. He arrived there
so emaciated that he could scarcely be recog-
nized,

Tlie valley culled Pierre's Hole is about
thirty miles in length and fifteen in width,
bounded to the west and south by low and
l)roken ridges, and overlooked to the east by
three lofty mountains, called the three Tetons,
which domineer as landmarks over a vast ex-
tent of country.

A fine stream, fed by rivulets and mountain
springs, pours through the valley towards the

■1

"••4

'■i^,-. dM W W ' ir» -

"WSW"!?**'

M|;i

. :r ■'

: i {

- V,

fli

]

'M^^^'^--

JBonncvUIe's BDvcnturcs

north, dividing it into nearly equal parts. The
meadows on its borders are broad and extensive,
covered with willow and cotton-wood trees, so
closely interlocked and matted together, as to
be nearly impassable.

In this valley was congregated the motley
populace connected with the fur trade. Here
the two rival companies had their encanip-
meiits, witlv their retainers of all kinds ; traders,
trajipers, hunters, and half-breeds, assembled
from all quarters, awaiting their yearly sup-
jilies, and their orders to start off in new direc-
tions. Here, also, the savage tribes connected
with the trade, the Nez Perces or Chopunnish
Indians, and Flatheads, had pitched their
lodgings beside the streams, and with their
squaws awaited the distribution of goods and
finery. There was, moreover, a band of fifteen
free trappers, commanded by a gallant leader
from Arkansas, named Sinclair, who held Iheir
encampment a little apart from the rest. Such
was the wild and heterogeneous a.s.senii)lage,
anumnting to several hundred men, civilized
and savage, distributed in tents and lodges in
the several camps.

The arrival of Captain Sublette with .supplies
put the Rocky Mountain Fur Company in full
activity. The wares and merchandise were
quickly opened, and as quickly dispo.sed of to

'^<^ .-"^tV:^

■'&^^^^m^md^m

Sublette's JSridaOe

£51

trappers and Indians ; the usual excitement
and revelry took place, after which, all hands
began to disperse to their several destinations.
On the 17th of July, a small brigade of four-
teen trappers, led by Milton Sublette, brother
of the captain, set out with the intention of
proceeding to the southwest. They were ac-
companied by Sinclair and his fifteen free trap-
pers ; Wyeth, also, and his New England band
of beaver hunters and salmon fishers, now
dwindled down to eleven, took this opportunity
to prosecute their cruise in the wilderness,
accompanied with such experienced pilots.
On the first day, the}- proceeded about eiglit
miles to the southeast, and encamped for the
night, still in the valley of Pierre's Hole. On
the following morning, just as they were rais-
ing their camp, they observed a long line of
people pouring down a defile of the mountains.
They at first supposed them to be Fontenelle
and his party, whose arrival had been daily
expected. Wyeth, however, reconnoitered
them with a spj--glass, and soon perceived
they v.'cre Indians. They were divided into
two parties, forming, in the whole, about one
hundred and fifty persons, men, womtn, and
children. Some were on horseback, fantasti-
cally painted and arrayed, with scarlet blankets

fluttering in llie wind. The greater part, how-

■ 'V

I !l

i( i

-2227-

•il'.dl-Ji

JSonncviKc's BOvcitturcs

ever, were 011 foot. They had perceived the
trappers before they were themselves dis-
covered, and came down j-elling and whooping
into the plain. On nearer approach, they
were ascertained to be Blackfeet.

One of the trappers of Sublette's brigade,
a half-breed, named Antoine Godin, now
mounted his ho'-se, and rode forth as if to hold
a conference. He was the son of an Iroquois
hunter, who had been cruelly murdered by the
Blackfeet at a small stream below the moun-
tains, which still bears his name. In company
with Antoine rode forth a Flathead Indian,
whose once powerful tribe had been completely
broken down in their wars with the Blackfeet.
Both of them, therefore, cherished the most
vengeful hostility against these marauders of
the mountains. The Blackfeet came to a halt.
One of the chiefs advanced singly and un-
armed, bearing the pipe of peace. This over-
ture was certainly pacific ; but Antoine and
the Flathead were predisposed to hostility, and
pretended to consider it a treacherous move-
ment.

"Is your piece cliarged ? " said Antoine,
to his red companion.

"It is."

" Then cock it, and follow me."

They met tlie Blackfoot chief half-way, who

„_ C r ^Sf^ .^,

m:-'

^^f^^p'f^f'^^-^'-^^^'^^

£ncountcr wltb tbc JSlachfcct

extended his hand in friendship,
grasped it.

"Fire!" cried he.

The Flathead levelled his piece, and brought
the Blackfoot to the ground. Antoine snatched
off his .scarlet blanket, which was richly orna-
mented, and galloped off with it as a trophy to
the camp, the bullets of the enemy whistling
after him. The Indians immediately threw
themselves into the edge of a swamp, among
willows and cotton-wood trees, interwoven with
vines. Here they began to fortify themselves ;
the women digging a trench, and throwing up
a breastwork of logs and branches, deep hid in
the bosom of the wood, while the warriors .skir-
mished at the edge to keep the trappers at bay.

The latter took their station in a ravine in
front, whence they kept up a .scattering fire.
As to Wyeth, and his little band of " Down-
easters," they were perfectly astounded by
this second specimen of life in the wilderne.ss ;
the men, being especially iniu.sed to bush-
fighting and the use of the rifle, were at a. lo.ss
how to proceed. Wyeth, however, acted as a
skilful connnander. He got all his hor.ses into
camp and .secured them ; then, making a
breastwork of his packs of goods, he charged
his men to remain in garrison, and not stir out
of their fort. For himself, he mingled with

.^^ifc^CV

.''r

l"-'i

'**4. '

'^T'

I., <v

')[

ft'

, rf^f'^in .^^\ )::''^ . ■ ±' ^J.

3BonnevUIc'd Bdvcntures

the other leaders, determined to take his share
ill the conflict.

In the meantime, an express had been sent
off to the rendezvous for reinforcements. Cap-
tain Sublette, and his associate, Campbell,
were at their camp when the express came
galloping across the plain, waving his cap, and
giving the alarm : " Blackfeet ! Blackfeet ! a
fight in the upper part of the valley ! — to arms !
to arms ! "

The alarm was passed from camp to camp.
It was a common cause. livery one turned
out with horse and rifle. The Nez Perces and
Flatheads joined. As fast as horsemen could
arm and mount they galloped off ; the valley
was soon alive with white men and red men
scouring at full speed.

Sul)lette ordered his men to keep to the
camp, being recruits from St. Louis, and un-
used to Indian warfare. He and his friend
Campbell prepared for action. Throwing off
their coats, rolling up their sleeves, and arm-
ing themselves with pistols and rifles, they
mounted their horses and dashed forward
among the first. As they rode along, they
made their wills in soldier-like style ; each
stating how his effects should be disposed of
in case of his death, and appointing the other
his executor.

K /I

^Z'-^'

^^*«4iCO»^£^A

'AV

^cK^ii;;?"

^^/J

'^V\

l^i\;i>i

l)^Si ^!ytVCX^-J?i? i* U&.i^

3Bu0b«yidbtind

The Blackfeet warriors had supposed the
brigade of Milton Sublette all the foe they had
to deal with, and were astonished to behold
the whole valley suddenly swarming with
horsemen, galloping to the field of action.
They withdrew into their fort, which was
completely hid from sight in the dark and
tangled wood. Most of their women and chil-
dren had retreated to the mountains. The
trappers now sallied forth and approached the
swamp, firing into the thickets at random ;
the IMackfeet had a better sight at their adver-
saries, who were in the open field, and a half-
breed was wounded in the shoulder.

When Captain Sublette arrived, he urged to
penetrate the swamp and storm the fort, but all
hung back in awe of the dismal horrors of the
place, and the danger of attacking such des-
peradoes in their savage den. The ver\' Indian
allies, though accustomed to bush-fighting,
regarded it as almost impenetrable, and full of
frightful danger. Sublette was not to be turned
from his purpose, but offered to lead the way
into the swamp. Campbell stepped forward
to accompany him. Before entering the peril-
ous wood, Sublette took his brothers aside,
and told them that in case he fell, Campbell,
who knew his will, was to be his executor.
This done, he grasped his rifle and pushed into

' -^jf^y-

■WMQ

S^Xci^

,<5

^rbx

•>\

^l!:Si!

«f ,

I ^ \'

if
Pi '

•4, '■

' . tit... <i

llj

JBoniicviUc'd Bdventurcd

the tliickets, fi)llo\ved by Campbell. Sinclair,
the partisan from Arkansas, was at the edge of
the wood with his brother and a few of his
men. Kxcited by the gallant example of the
two friends, he pressed forward to share their
dangers.

The swamp was produced by the labors of
the beaver, which, by damming up a stream,
had itnuidated a portion of the valley The
place was all overgrown with woods and thick-
ets, so closely matted and entangled that it
was impossible to see ten paces ahead, and the
three associates in peril had to crawl along, one
after another, making their way by putting the
branches and vines aside ; l)ut doing it with
caution, lest they should attract the eye of
some lurking marksman. They took the lead
by turns, each advancing about twenty yards
at a time, and now and then hallooing to their
men to follow. Some of the latter gradually
entered the swamp, and followed a little dis-
tance in the rear.

They had now reached a more open pai t of
the wood, and had glimpses of the rude fortress
from between the trees. It was a mere breast-
work, as we have said, of logs and branches,
with blankets, buffalo robes, and the leathern
covers of lodges, extended round the top as a
screen. The movements of the leaders, as

AW/

Bttach on tbc llnMan ffort

they groped their way, had been descried by L,y
the sharp-sighted enemy. As Sinclair, who
was in the advance, was putting some branches
aside, he was shot through the body. He fell
on the spot. " Take me to my brother," said
he to Campbell. The latter gave him in charge
to some of the men, who conveyed him out of
the swamp.

Sublette now took the advance. As he was
reconnoitering the fort, he perceived an Indian
peeping through an aperture. In an instant
his rifle was levelled and discharged, and the
ball struck the savage in the eye. While he
was reloading, he called to Campbell, and
pointed out to him the hole ; " Watch that
place," said he, "and you will soon have a
fair chance for a shot." Scarce had he uttered
the words, when a ball struck him in the shoul-
der, and almost wheeled him round. His first
thought was to take hold of his arm with his
other hand, and move it up and down. He
ascertained, to his .satisfaction, that the bone
was not broken. The next moment he was .so
faint that he could not stand. Campbell took
him in his arms and carried him out of the
thicket. The same shot that struck Sublette,
wounded another man in the head.

A brisk fire was now opened by the moun-
taineers from the wood, answered occasionally

VOL. I. — 6

'••*«

<'l;

,%»,«-<.«•»«*

»;.W.ti. ' .i'

T^^^tSm^S

'111! J,

ii<.. K

s^-4^rh^^,i^yl,j^.y.:/^ry:,i:^f^^ ^?>, )^^^^^7t^..^$>^7

III

JBonncville's BOvcntures

from the fort. Unluckily, the trappers and
their allies, in searching for the fort, had got
scattered, so that Wyeth, and a number of Nez
Perces, approached the fort on the northwest
side, while others did the same on the opposite
quarter. A cross-fire thus took place, which
occasionally did mischief to friends as well as
foes. An Indian was .shot down, close to
Wyeth, ])y a ball which, he was convinced,
had been sped from the rifle of a trapper on the
othei side of the fort.

The number of whites and their Indian allies,
had by this time so much increased by arrivals
from the rendezvous, that the Black feet were
completely overmatched. They kept doggedly
in their fort, however, making no offer of sur-
render. An occasional firing into the brea.st-
work was kept up dun'iig the day. Now and
then, one of the Indian allies, in bravado,
would rush up to the fort, fire over the ram-
parts, tear off a buffalo robe or a scarlet blanket,

CU^J ^"'^ return with it in triumph to his cimirades.
A V^ Most of the savage garrison that fell, however,

r;!^^ were killed in the first part of the attack.

At one time it was resolved to set fire to the
fort ; and the squaws belonging to the allies
were employed to collect combustibles. This,
however, was abandoned ; the Nez Perces
being unwilling to destroy the robes and blan-

,iS

"i.

Speecb of JBlachfect Cbief

kets, and other spoils of the enemy, which
they felt sure would fall into their hands.

The Indians, when fighting, are prone to
taunt and revile each other. Duriwg one of
the pauses of the battle, the voice of the
Blackfeet chief was heard.

"So long," said he, "as we had powder
and ball, we fought you in the open field :
when those were spent, we retreated here to
die with our women and children. You may
burn us in our fort ; but, stay by our ashes,
and you who are so hungry for fighting, will
soon have enough. There are four hundred
lodges of our brethren at hand. They will
soon be here — their arms are strong — their
hearts are big — they will avenge us ! "

This speech was translated two or three
times by Nez Perce and Creole interpreters.
By the time it was rendered into English, the
chief was made to .say, that four hundred
lodges of his tribe were attacking the encamp-
ment at the other end of the valley. Every
one now was for hurrying to the defense of the
rendezvous. A party was left to keep watch
upon the fort ; the rest galloped off to the camp.
As night came on, the trappers drew out of the
swamp, and remained about the skirts of the
wood. By morning, their companions re-
turned from the rendezvous, with the report

i^1

'■*.

li'ii

m^ -««**•'-

li'

^^y

JBonncvfUc's adventures

that all was safe. As the day opened, thej'
ventured within the swamp and approached
the fort. All was silent. They advanced up
to it without opposition. They entered : it
had been abandoned in the night, and the
Black feet had effected their retreat, carryiufj
off their wounded on litters made of branches,
leaving bloody traces on the herbage. The
bodies of ten Indians were found within the
fort : among them the one shot in the eye by
vSublette. The Blackfeet afterwards reported
that they had lost twenty-six warriors in this
battle. Thirty-two horses were likewise found
killed ; among them were some of those recently
carried off from Sublette's party, in the night ;
which showed that these were the very savages
that had attacked him. They proved to be an
advanced party of the main body of Blackfeet,
which had been upon the trail of vSublette's
party. Five white men and one half-breed
were killed, and several wounded. Seveti of
the Xez Perces were also killed, and si.x
wounded. They had an old chief, who was
reputed as invulnerable. In the ccmrse of the
action he was hit by a .spent ball, and threw
up blood ; but his skin was unbroken. His
peo[)le were now fully convinced that he was
proof against powder and ball.
A striking circumstance is related as having

r^fe^^

ycv.

TDcvoUon ot a Squaw 85

occurred the morning after the battle. As
some of the trappers and their Indian allies
were approaching the fort, through the woods,
they beheld ati Indian woman, of noble form
and features, leaning against a tree. Their
surprise at her lingering here alone, to fall into
the hands of her enemies, was dispelled, when
they saw the corpse of a warrior at her feet.
Either she was so lost in grief as not to perceive
'^ r -s their approach, or a proud spirit kept her
(Tv-C^ silent and motionless. The Indians .set up a
JcK yell, on discovering her. and before the trap-
pers could interfere, her mangled body fell
upon the corpse which she had refused to
abandon. We have heard the anecdote dis-
credited by one of the leaders who had l)een in
the battle, but the fact may have taken place
without his seeing it, and been concealed from
him. It is an instance of female devotion,
e\ I'll to the death, which we are well dispo.sed
to believe and to record.

After the battle, the brigade of Milton
Sul)lette, together with the free trappers, and
Wyeth's New ICngland band, remained some
days at the rendezvous, to .see if the main body
of Blackfeet intended to make an attack ;
nothing of the kind occurring, they once more
put themselves in motion, and proceeded on
their route towards the .southwest.

c%!/W^

.^"^

l^l

I \

I •

' s!

li
Ell '

\\[

'i. . *k

Mmiix''mSfi^:

ifMHH

■ I

» '^1
t^%

c.,::^

\^^^M

3BoniievUlc'5 BC»rcnturc0

Captain Sublette having distributed hi.s sup- \Sl--4.
plies, had intended to set off on his return to Vf^~
St. Louis, taking with him the peltries col- '■ ''
lected from the trappers and Indians. His
wound, however, obliged him to postpone liis
departure. Several wlio were to have accom-
panied him, became impatient of this dela^'.
Among these was a young Bostonian, Mr.
Joseph More, one of the followers of Mr.
Wyeth, who had seen enough of mountain life
and savage warfare, and was eager to return to
the abodes of civilization. He and six others,
among whom were a Mr. Foy, of Missi.ssippi,
Mr. Alfred K. Stephens, of St. Louis, and two
grandsjMS of the celebrated Daniel Boon, set
out together, in advance of Sublette's party,
thinking they would make their own way
through the mountains.

It was just five days after the battle of the
swamj), that these seven companions were mak-
ing their way through Jackson's Hole, a valley
not far from the three Tetons, when, as they
were descending a hill, a party of Blackfeet
that la\- in ambush started up with terrific yells.
The horse of the young Bostonian, wlio was
in front, wheeled round with affright, and
threw his unskilled rider. The young man
.scrambled up the side of the hill, but, unac-
customed to such wild scenes, lost his presence

'*'^«

-t^l---.^'-^:'

*\v

"^ ;".

(

IRcturn to St. louis 87

of mind, and stood, as if paralyzed, on the
edge of a bank, initil the Blackfeet came np
and slew him on the spot. His comrades had
fled on the first alarm ; but two of them, Foy
and Stephens, seeing his danger, paused when
they had got half-way up the hill, turned back,
dismounted, and hastened to his assistance.
Foy was instantly killed. Stephens was se-
verely wounded, but escaped, to die five day.''
afterwards. The survivors returned to the
camp of Captain vSublette, bringing tidings of
this new disaster. That hardy leader, as .soon
as he could bear the journey, set out on his
return to St. Louis, accompanied by Campbell.
As they had a number of pack-horses richly
laden with peltries to convoy, they chose a
different route through the mountains, out of
the way, as they hoped, of the lurking bands
of Blackfeet. The\ succeeded in making the
frontier in safety. We remember to have seen
them with their band, about two or three
months afterwards, passing through a skirt of
woodland in the upper part of Missouri. Their
long cavalcade stretched in single file for
nearly half a mile. Sublette still wore his arm
in a sling. The mountaineers in their rude
hunting dresses, armed with rifles, and roughly
mounted, and leading their pack-horses down
a hill of the forest, looked like banditti return-

'^5^r;^^>jiiJs?^

I- I

> V

'.' >

•j

'♦4,

->>

\\\

1(1

'V ' vgyjw * ^ ''

i»*i

> i

r-,

if" J

iK?

It^

Retreat of the Blackfeet — Fontenelle's Camp in Dan-
ger — Captain Bonneville and the Blackfeet — Free
Trappers — Their Character, Habits, Dress, F.quip-
ments. Horses — Game Fellows of the Mountains —
Their Visit to the Camp— Good Fellowship and
Good Cheer — A Carouse — A Swagger, a Brawl, and
a Reconciliation.

THE Blackfeet warriors, when they effected
their midnight retreat from their wild
fastness in Pierre's Hole, fell back into
the valley of the Seeds-ke-dee, or Green River,
where they joined the main body of their ban(
The whole force amonnted to several luitidred
fighting men, gloomy and exasperated by their
late disaster. They had with them their wives
and children, which incapacitated them for any
bold and extensive enterprise of a warlike na-
ture ; but when, in the course of their wander-
ings, they came in sight of the encampment of
Fontenelle, who had moved some distance up
Green River Valley in search of the free trap-
pers, they put up tremendous war-cries, and

^'^^\'^i^:^.
^5^:^;^^.^

m^i

•««

J!'!,

''Ill

jv''

I •;

\^-^f 'S -^^ 4^-'>\ cO«t^ ^h ^ r.M ^.^ -^y

3BonncvUlc's a£>rcnturc0

^""-jii"-

advaiiced fiercely as if to attack it. Second
tlioughts caused them to moderate their fury.
Tht'\- recollected the severe lesson just received,
and could not but remark the strength of Fon-
tenelle's position, which had been chosen with
great judgment.

A formal talk en.sued. The Blackfeet said
nothing of the late battle, of which Fontenelle
had as yet received no accounts ; the latter,
however, knew the hostile and perfidious na-
ture of these savages, and took care to inform
them of the encampment of Captain Bonne-
ville, that they might know there were more
white men in the neighborhood.

The conference ended, Fontenelle sent a
Delaware Indian of his party to conduct fif-
teen of the Blackfeet to the camp of Captain
Bonneville. There were at that time two Crow
Indians in the captain's camp, who had re-
cently arrived there. They looked with dis-
may at this deputation fnmi their implacable
enemies, and gave the captain a terrible char-
acter of them, assuring him that the best thing
he could possibly do, was to put those Black-
feet deputies to death on the .spot. The cap-
tain, however, who had heard nothing of the
conflict at Pierre's Hole, declined all compli-
ance witli this sage counsel. He treated the
grim warriors with his usual urbanity. They

^>-^^ /

-V:

3§i-

wm-..<^^^^^^

h. ^

>-•*

■X

rs*--:; ft^

jfrcc Crappcre

passed some little time at the camp, saw, no
doubt, that everything was conducted with
military skill and vigilance, and that such an
enem\- was not to be easily surprised, nor to
be molested wi til impunity, and then departed,
to report all they had seen to tlieir comrades.

The two scouts which Captain Bonneville
had sent out to seek for the band of free trap-
pers, expected by Fontenelle, and to invite
them to his camp, had been successful in their
search, and on the 12th of August those wor-
thies made tiieir appearance. To explain the
meaning of the appellation, free trapper, it is
necessary to state the terms on which the men
enlist in the service of the fur companies. Some
have regular wages, and are furnished with
weapons, horses, traps, and other requisites.
These are under command, and bound to do
every duty required of them connected with
the service ; such as hunting, trapping, load-
ing and unloading the horses, moimting
guard ; and, in short, all the drudgery of
the camp. These are the hired trappers.

The free trappers are a more independent
class ; and in describing them, we shall do
little more than transcribe the graphic descrip-
tion of them by Captain Bonneville. "They
come and go," says he, " when and where
they please ; provide their own horses, arms.

V-:

:yi

.■^■^

;(,v

I' li.

'*«

*«4, '

./);

' I ;

i
i

■-■ — -"•I'l

JSonitevillc'd aorcnturcs

and other equipments ; trap and trade on their
own account, and dispose of their skins and
peltries to the highest bidder. Sometimes, in
a dangerous hunting ground, they attach them-
selves to the camp of some trader for protec-
tion. Here thej' come under some restrictions ;
the}' have to conform to the ordinary rules for
trapping, and to submit to such restraints, and
to take part in such general duties, as are es-
tablished for the good order and safety of the
camp. In return for this protection, and for
their camp keeping, they are bound to dispose
of all the beaver they take, to the trader who
connnands the camp, at a certain rate per skin ;
or, should they prefer seeking a market else-
where, they are to make him an allowance, of
from thirty to forty dollars for the whole hunt.
There is an inferior order, who, either from
prudence or poverty, come to these dangerous
hunting grounds without horses or acccutre-
ments, and are furnished by the traders.
These, like the hired trappers, are bound to
exert themselves to the utmost in taking
beaver, which, without .skinning, they render
in at the trader's lodge, where a stipulated
price for each is placed to their credit. These,
though generally included in the generic name
of free trappers, have the more specific title of
skin trappers.

\\ f

-■v»

;^\

l#3M^£^^E^©

ere

ZvamKxe' lEqulpmcnts

The wandering wiiites who mingle for any
length of time with the savages, have invaria-
bly a proneness to adopt savage hai)itudes ;
but none more so than the free trappers. It is
a matter of vanity and ambition with then; to
discard everytliing that may hear the stamp of
civilized life, and to adopt the manners, habits,
dress, gesture, and even walk of the Indian.
You cannot pay a free trajiper a greater com-
pliment, than to persuade him you have mis-
taken him for an Indian brave ; and, in truth,
the counterfeit is complete. His hair, suffered
to attain to a great kMr^^th, is carefully combed
out, and either left to fall carelessly over his
.shoulders, or plaited neatly and tied up in otter
.skins, or parti-colored ril)l)()!is. A hunting-
shirt of ruffled calico of bright dyes, or of
ornamented leather, falls to his knees ; below
which, curicmsly fashioned leggins, orna-
mented with slrings. fringes, and a profusion of
hawks' bells, reacli to a cosily pair of moc-
casins of the finest Indian fabric, richly em-
broidered with beads. A I)lanket of .scarlet,
or some other bright color, hangs from his
.shoulders, and is girt round his waist with a
red sash, in which he bestows hi j pistols, knife,
and the ttem of his Indian pipe, preparations
for peace or war. His gun is lavishly deco-
ated with brass tacks and vermilion, and pro-

i\i.i

j''"k

:• n

V m

•"•4

i'(

1 1

..'>i^'

3Bonncvtllc*0 BDvcnturcs

! ■'

vided with a fringed cover, occa.s'otially of
buckskin, ornamented here and there with a
^*~vvufr ft^!itli<-'r- His horse, the noble minister to the
^\K pride, pleasure, and profit of the mountaineer,
is selected for his speed and spirit, and prancing
gait, and holds a place in his estimation second
only to himself. He shares largely of his
bounty, and of his pride and pomp of trapping.
He is caparisoned in the most dashing and
fantastic style ; the bridles and crupper are
weightily embossed with beads and cockades ;
and head, mane, and tail are interwoven with
abundance of eagles' plumes, which flutter in
the wind. To complete this grotesque equip-
ment, the proud animal is bestreaked and
bespotted with vermilion, or with white clay,
whichever presents the most glaring contrast
to his real color.

Such is the account given by Captain Bon-
neville of the.se rangers of the wilderness, and
their appearance at the camp was strikingly
characteristic. They came dashing forward
at full .speed, firing their fu.sees, and yelling
in Indian style. Their dark sunl)urnt faces,
and long flowing hair, their leggins, flaps,
"*^j' moccasins, and richly-dyed i)lankets, and their
painted horses gaudily caparisoned, gave them
so much the air and appearance of Indians,
that it was difficult to pursuade cue's self that

^/P

v..

fb^

i y *) •i'jp 'j^ > » "^ ^^^<LS^^ j;* J? > u\i. ^

Cavaltcrd o( tbc /l^ouiitniitd

they were white men, atul had been brought
up in civilized life.

Captain Boniieville, who was delighted with
the game look of these cavaliers of the moun-
tains, welcomed them heartily to his camp,
and ordered a free allowance of grog to regale
them, which soon put them in the most brag-
gart spirit. They pronounced the captain the
finest fellow in the world, and his men all hons
garfotis, jovial lads, and swore they would pass
the day with them. They did so ; and a day
it was, of boast, swagger, and rodomontade.
The prime bullies and braves among the free
trappers had each his circle of novices, from
among the captain's band ; mere greenhorns,
men iniused to Ind: iii life : iinuii^utrs tit' lard,
or pork eaters, as such new-comers are super-
ciliously called by the veterans of the wilder-
ness. These he would astonish and delight by
the hour, with prodigious tales of his doings
among the Indians ; and of the wonders he had
seen, and the wonders he had performed, in his
adventurous peregrinations among the moun-
tains.

In the evening, the free trapj^ers drew off, and
returned to the camp of I'ontenelle, highly
delighted with their visit and with their new
acquaintances, and promising to return the fol-
lowing day. They kept their word : day after

;; !

']|j

f i

3Bonncvinc's BOvcnturce

day their visits were repeated ; they became
" hail itllow well met " with Captain Bonne-
ville's men ; treat af^er treat sncceeded, until
both parties got most potently' convinced, or
rather confounded, by liquor. Now came on
confusion and uproar. The free trappers were
no longer suffered to have all the swagger to
themselves. The camp bullies and prime trap-
pers ;»f the party began to ruffle up, and to
brag in turn, of their perils au'l achievements.
Each now tried to oiU-boast and out-talk the
other ; a quarrel ensued as a matter of course,
and a genera' light, according to frontier usage.
The two factions drew out their forces for a
pitched battle. They fell to work and be-
labored each other with might and main ; kicks
and cuffs ard dry blows were as well bestowed
a?j 'l:cy .'.-.'ewell merited, mitil, having fought
to tiieir iieart's content, and been drubbed into
a familiar '■ quaintance with each other's
pro^ves and good qualities, they ended the
fight by becoming firmer friends than they
could have been rendered by a year's peacable
companionship.

While Captain Bonneville amused him.self by
observing the habits and characteristics of this
singular class of men, and indulged them, for
the time, in all their vagaries, he profited by
the opportunity to collect from them informa-

^■

JgtV

IE'

tion concerning the difFerent parts of the coun-
try about which they had been accustomed to
range ; the characters of the tribes, and, in
short, everj-thing important to his enterprise.
He also succeeded in securing the services of
several to guide and aid him in his peregrina-
tions among the mountains, and to trap for him >> ^
during the ensuing season. Having strength-
ened his party with such valuable recruits, he
felt in some measure consoled for the loss of
the Delaware Indians, decoyed from him by
Mr. Fontenelle.

VdL. I.— 7

<9r-

AVvi

■^

I S \

^-K

'*M

JWMSraSSBBIR

mmm

Plans for the Winter — Salmon River — Abundance of
Salmon West of the Mountains — New Arrange-
ments — Caches — Cerr^'s Detachment — Movements
in Fontenelle's Camp — Departure of the Blackfeet
— Their Fortunes — Wind Mountain Streams — Buck-
eye, the Delaware Hunter, and the Grizzly Bear-
Bones of Murdered Travellers — Visit to Pierre's
Hole — Traces of the Battle — Nez Perc6 Indians —
Arrival at Salmon River.

THE information derived from the free trap-
pers determined Captain Bonneville as
to his further movements. He learnt
that in the Green River Valley the winters were
severe, the snow frequently falling to the depth
of several feet ; and that there was no good
wintering ground in the neighborhood. The
upper part of Salmon River was represented as
far more eligible, besides being in an excellent
beaver country ; and thither the captain re-
solved to bend his course.
The Salmon River is one of the upper

(\\

'1'

1 ' -J

^^\
N-;-

branches of the Oregon or Columbia ; and
takes its rise from various sources, among a
group of mountains to the northwest of the
Wind River chain. It owes its name to the
immense shoals of salmon which ascend it in
the months of September and October. The
salmon on the west side of the Rocky Moun-
tains are, like the buffalo on the eastern plains,
vast migratory supplies for the wants of man,
that come and go with the seasons. As the
buffalo in countless throngs find their certain
way in the transient pasturage on the prairies,
along the fresh banks of the rivers, and up
every valley and green defile of the mountains,
so the salmon, at their allotted seasons, regu-
lated by a sublime and all-seeing Providence,
swarm in myriads up the great rivers, and find
their way up thel/ main branches, and into the
minutest tributary streams ; so as to pervade
the great arid plains, and to penetrate even
among barren mountains. Thus wandering
tribes are fed in the desert places of the wil-
derness, where there is no herbage for the ani-
mals of the chase, and where, but for these
periodical supplies, it would be impossible for
man to subsist.

The rapid currents of the rivers which run
into the Pacific render the ascent of them very
exhausting to the salmon. When the fish first

\~y

"MJ

'*«

s V

\\\

MmRSBSSBBf^'-

SC:^'<'~

'V\

:^'

lOO

JBonneville's aoventurcs

run up the rivers, they are fat and in fine or-
der, The struggle against impetuous streams
and frequ'iut rapids gradually renders them
thivi ar,d weak, c.vd great numbers are seen
floating down the rivers on their backs. \s
the season advances and tlie water becomes
chilled, they are flung in myriads on the shores,
where the wolves and bears assemble to ban-
quet on them. Often they rot in such quanti-
ties along the river banks, as to taint the
atmosphere. They are commonly from two to
three feet long.

Ci'.ptain Bonneville now made his arrange-
ments for the autumn and the winter. The
nature of the country through which he was
about to tra\el rendered it impossible to pro-
ceed with wagons. He had more goods and
supplies of various kinds, also, than were re-
quired for present purjioses, or than could be
conveniently transported on horseback ; aided,
therefore, by a few confidential men, he made
caches, or .secret pits, during the night, when
all the rest of the camp were asleep, and in
these deposited the superfluous effects, to-
gether with the wagons. All traces of the
caches were then carefully obliterated. This is
a common expedient with the traders and
trappers of the mountains. Having no estab-
lished posts and magazines, they make these

f-^

AWi

Brrniidcmentd for tbe Minter

lOI

caches or deposits at certain points, whither
they repair occasionally, for supplies. It is an
expedient dcived from the wandering tribes
of Indians.

Many of the horses were still so weak and
lame as to be unfit for a long scramble through
the mountains. These were collected into one
cavalcade, and given in charge to an experi-
enced trapper, of the name of Matthieu. He
was to proceed westward, with a brigade of
trappers, to Bear River ; a stream to the west
of the Green River or Colorado, where there
was good pasturage for the horses. In this
neighborhood it was expected he would meet
the Shoshonie villages or bands,* on their
yearly migrations, with whom he was to trade
for peltries and provisions. After he had
traded with these people, fii:ished his trappings,
and recruited the strength of the horses, he
was to proceed to vSalmon River ond rejoin
Captain Bonneville, who intended to fix his
quarters there for the winter.

* A vil/ai^e of Indians, in trappers' lan,ijuage, does
not always iinj)ly a fixed coinnmnity ; hut often a
wandering horde or band. The Shoshonies, like most
of the mountain tribes, have no settled residences ;
but are a nomadic people, dwelling in tents or lodj,;es,
and shifting their encampnit-nts from place to place,
according as fish and game abound.

-tasii^^

"1^

'iiKl^^:::^^

fiH'

3Bonncville'0 Bdventuree

While these arrangements were in progress
in the camp of Captain Bonneville, there was a
sudden bustle and stir in the camp of Fonte-
nelle. One of the partners of the American
Fur Company had arrived, in all haste, from
the rendezvous at Pierre's Hole, in quest of
the supplies. The competition between the
two rival companies was just now at its height,
and prosecuted with unusual zeal. The tra-
montane concerns of the Rocky Mountain Fur
Company were managed by two resident part-
ners, Fitzpatrick and Bridger ; those of the
American Fur Company, by Vanderburgh and
Dripps, The latter were ignorant of the
mountain regions, but trusted to make up by
vigilance and activity for their want of knowl-
edge of the country.

-i>

Fitzpatrick, an experienced trader and trap- V^-^r
per, knew the evils of competition in the same '" ^'^^^
hunting grounds, and had proposed that the
two companies should divide the country, so
as to hunt in different directions : this propo-
sition being rejected, he had exerted himself
to get first into the field. His exertions, as
has already been shown, were effectual. The
early arrival of Sublette, with supplies, had ^'^
enabled the various brigades of the Rocky
Mountain Company to start off to their respec-
tive huuting grounds. Fitzpatrick himself.

r ^■'-

(fl

, ..^"^Kr^.

■^,.^

:^f^'^V^7^'

'i-"-— 4^ 'tW>\:\

, '^':1l

(

tl!

/ V

3 ^^'S^ V

<k.

X^W^'&^ >' ^'i 'i O^'^^

Departure of TRival Companies

103

with his associate, Bridger, had pushed off
with a strong party of trappers, for a prime
beaver country to the north-northwest.

This had put Vanderburgh upon his mettle.
He had hastened on to meet Fontenelle. Find-
ing him at his camp in Green River Valley, he
immediately furnished himself with the sup-
plies ; put himself at the head of the free trap-
pers and Delavvares, and set off with all speed,
determined to follow hard upon the heels of
Fitzpatrick and Bridger. Of the adventures of
these parties among the mountains, and the
disastrous effects of their competition, we shall
have occasion to treat in a future chapter.

Fontenelle having now delivered his supplies
and accomplisbed his errand, struck his tents
and set off on his return to the Yellowstone.
Captain Bonneville and his band, therefore,
remained alone in the Green River Valley ;
and their situation might have been perilous,
had the Blackfeet band still lingered in the
vicinity. Those marauders, however, had
been dismayed at finding so many resolute and
well-appointed parties of white men in this
neighborhood. They had, therefore, aban-
dtmed this part of the country, passing over
the head-waters of the Green River, and bend-
ing their course towards the Yellowstone.
Misfortune pursued them. Their route lay

^^T'^"'

¥$'

,j^

i 1

,it, !

I ^

! '

! S

t^ 104

aSonncvUlc's BDrcnturcg

through the countn* of their deadly enemies,
the Crows. In the Wind River \^alley, wliich
lies east of the mountains, they were encoun-
tered l)y a powerful war party of that tribe,
and completely put to rout. Forty of them
were killed, many of their women and children
captured, and the scattered fugitives hunted
like wild beasts, until they were completely
chased out of the Crow conntry.

On the 2 2d of August Captain Bonneville
broke up his camp, and set out on his route for
Salmon River. His baggage was arranged in
packs, three to a mule, or pack-horse ; one be-
ing disposed on each side of the animal, and
one on the top; the three forming a load of
from one hundred and eighty to two hundred
and twenty pounds. This is the trappers'
style of loading their pack-horses ; his men,
however, were inexpert at adjusting the packs ;
which were prone to get loose and slip off ; so
that it was necessary to keep a rear-guard to
assist in reloading. A few days' experience,
however, brought them itito proper training.

Their march lay up the valley of the Seeds-
ke-dee, overlooked to the right by the loftx-
peaks of the Wind River Mountains. From
bright little lakes and fountain-heads of this
remarkable bed of mountains, poured forth the
tributary streams of the Seeds-ke-dee. Some

r-~.

. i,

Ill

?• :'-*j

tioch\> fountain Streams

came rushing down gullies and ravines ; others
tumbling in crystal cascades from inaccessible
clefts and rocks, and others winding their way
in rapid and pellucid currents across the valley,
to throw themselves into the main river. So
transparent were these waters, that the trout
with which they abounded could be seen glid-
ing about as if in the air ; and their pebbly
beds were distinctly visible at the depth of
many feet. This beautiful and diaphanous
quality of the Rocky Mountain streams, pre-
vails for a long time after the\' have mingled
their waters and swollen into important rivers.
Issuing from the upper part of the valley.
Captain Bonneville continued to the east-north-
east, across rough and lofty ridges, and deep
rocky defiles, extremely fatiguing both to man
and horse. Among his hunters was a Dela-
ware Indian who had remi. ^ed faithful to him.
His name was Buckeye. He had often prided
himself on his skill and success in coping with
the grizzly liear, that terror of the hunters.
Though crippled in the left arm, he declared he
had no hesitation to close with a wounded bear,
and attack him with a sword. If armed with
a rifle, he was willing to brave the animal when
in full force and fury. He had twice an oppor-
tunity of proving his prowess, in the course of
this mountain journey, and was each time sue-

<lj

'"M

'•-.4 :

"■^imMsmt-^

'.i«...h

)i\.

^-^

■v^Vi

Monncvillc'6 aDrentures

cessful. His mode was to seat himself upon
the ground, with his rifle cocked and resting
on his lame arm. Thus prepared, he would
await the approach of the bear with perf-ct
coolness, nor pull trigger until he was close at
hand. In each instance, he laid the monster
dead upon the spot.

A march of three or four daj-s, through sav-
age and lonely scenes, brought Captain Bonne-
ville to the fatal defile of Jackson's Hole, where
poor More and Fov had been surprised and
murdered by the ii.ackfeet. The feelings of
the captain were shocked at beholding the
bones of these unfortunate young men bleach-
ing among the rocks ; and he caused them to
be decently interred.

On the 3d of September he arrived on the
summit of a mountain which commanded a
full view of the eventful valley of Pierre's
Hole ; whence he could trace the windings of
its stream through green meadows and forests
of willow and cotton-wood, and have a pros-
pect, between distant mountains, of the lava
plains of vSnake River, dimly spread forth like
a sleeping ocean below.

After enjoying this magnificent prospect, he
descended into the valley, and visited the
scenes of the late desperate conflict. There
were the remains of the rude fortress in the

.:i

<0W

■^

:>*■

^
\

■i\

i.^\i

^,i

^2^^i^

1)arDdbtpd o( TiSlinter travelling

107

swamp, shattered by rifle shot, and strewed
with the mingled bones of savages and horses.
There was the late populous and noisy ren-
dezvous, with the traces of trappers' camps and
Indian lodges ; but their fires were extin-
guished, the motley assemblage of trappers
and hunters, white traders and Indian braves,
had all dispersed to different points of the wil-
derness, and the valley had relapsed into its
pristine solitude and silence.

That night the captain encamped upon the
battle ground ; the next day he resumed his
toilsome peregrinations through the moun-
tains. For upwards of two weeks he continued
his painful march ; both men and horses suf-
fering excessively at times from hunger and
thirst. At length, on the 19th of September,
he reached the upper waters of Sahuon River.

The weather was cold, and there were symp-
toms of an impending storm. The night set
in, but Buckeye, the Delaware Indian, was
missing. He had left the party early in the
morning, to hunt by himself, according to his
custom. Fears were entertained lest he should
lose his way and become bewildered in tempes-
tuous weather. These fears increased on the
following morning, when a violent snowstorm
came on, which soon covered the earth to the
depth of several inches. Captain Bonneville

V n

y^'^

I >

-1

■ * if

\ II

1-^

'ill

>' ^.J.#p.J i HI .

lo8

JBonncvtllc'a BDvcntutcs

immediately encamped, and sent out scouts in
every direction. After some searcli Huckeye
was di.scovered, quietly seated at a consider-
able distance in the rear, waiting the expected
approach of the party, not knowing that they
had passed, the snow having covered their trail.

On the ensuing m<irning they resumed their
march at an early hour, but had not proceeded
fiir when the hunters, who were beating up
the country in the advance, came galloping
back, making .signals to encamp, and crjing
" Indians ! Indians ! "

Captain Bonneville immediatch struck into
a .skirt of wood and prepared for action. The
savages were now seen trooping over the hills
in great numbers. One of them left the main
body and came forward singly, making .signals
of peace. He announced them as a band of
Nez Perces* or Pierced-nosed Indians, friendly
to the whites, whereupon an invitation was
returned by Captain Bonneville, for them to
come and encamp with him. They halted for
a .short time to make their toilette, an operation
as important with an Indian warrior as with a

* We sliDuld observe that this tribe is iiiiivcrsally
called by its I'riMich name, which is jjronouiiced by
the trappers, Xt'f^i'rcy. There are two main branches
of this tribe, the ii])per Xepercys and the lower Ne-
percys, as we shall show hereafter.

f^l

'fi

'V.-*

109

fashionable beauty. This done, thej' arranged
themselves in martial style, the chiefs leading
the van, the l)raves following in a long line,
painted and decorated, and topped oft" with
fluttering plumes. In this way they advanced,
shouting and singing, firing off their fusees,
and clashing their shields. The two parties
encamped hard by each other. The Nez Per-
ces were on a hunting expedition, but had
been almost famished on their march. They
had no provisions left but a few dried salmon,
yet finding the white men equally in want,
they generously offered to share even this
meagre pittance, and frequently repeated the
offer, with an earnestness that left no doubt
of their sincerity. Their generosity won the
heart of Captinn Bonneville, and i)roduced the
most cordial good-will on the part of his men.
For two days that the parties remained in com-
pany, the most aniical)le intercourse prevailed,
and they parted the best of friends. Captain
Botmeville detached a few men, under Mr.
Cerre, an able leader, to accompany the Nez
Perces on their hunting expedition, and to
trade with them for meat for the winter's sup-
ply. After this, he proceeded down the river
about five miles below the forks, when he came
to a halt on the 26th of September, to establish
his winter quarters.

(

!!'!

■i

\ 5.

I' V

.1 I

p i^-W -! ■' •

Ill

ii...'

T^'^f^^.^np ^/i .<?r^.'^c

;

1,1 ii

ry ^'^'y , , ^V" la J? ,j-

4il* -....-.- -w_

Cbaptcr UJ'.

Horses Turned Loose— Preparations for Winter Quar-
ters — Hungry Times— Nez Percds, their Honesty,
Piety, Pacific Habits, Religious Ceremonies — Cap-
tain Bonneville's Conversation with them — Their
Love of Gambling.

T was gratifying to Captain Bonneville,
after so long and toilsome a course of
travel, to relieve his poor jaded horses of
the burdens under which they were almost
ready to give out, and to behold them rolling
upon the grass, and taking a long repose after
all their sufferings. Indeed, so exhausted
were they, that those employed under the sad-
dle were no longer capable of hunting for the
daily subsistence of the camp.

All hands now set to work to prepare a win-
ter cantonment. A temporary fortification was
thrown up for the protection of the party ; a
secure and comfortable pen, into which the
horses could be driven at night ; and huts
were built for the reception of the merchandise.

■"s

V ^-

^^ —

.•■^

h'l't:

j) > 1/ *^ ^'Hi.^'Jili' J^ ^ '^'^^Xs<^ ^"^

ScardtB of iFooD

III

This done, Captain Bonneville made a dis-
tribution of his forces : twenty men were to
remain with him in garrison to protect the
property ; the rest were organized into three
brigades, and sent off in different directions, to
subsist themselves in hunting the buffalo, until
the snow should become too deep.

Indeed, it would have been impossible to
provide for the whole party in this neighbor-
hood. It was at the extreme western limit
of the buffalo range, and these animals had
recently been completely hunted out of the
neighborhood by the Nez Perccs, so that, al-
though the hunters of the garrison were con-
tinually on the alert, ranging the country
round, they brought in scarce game sufficient
to keep famine from the door. Now and then
there was a scanty meal of fisii or wild fowl,
occasionally an antelope ; but frequently the
cravings of hunger had to be appeased with
roots, or the flesh of wolves and muskrats.
Rarely could the itnnates of the cantonment
boast of having made a full meal, and never
of having wherewithal for the morrow. In
this way thej' starved along until the 8th of
October, when they were joined by a party of
five families of Nez Perces, who in some mea.s-
ure reconciled them to the hardships of their
situation, by exhibiting a lot still more desti-

\ ..

li V

<t i

: r I

■• <•

«M

'^, :

I' I

if i

<ii

Ci*

'€

3Bonncvtllc's BDventurcs

tute. A more forlorn set thej- had never en-
countered : they had not a morsel of meat or
fish ; nor anything to subsist on, excepting
roots, wild rosebuds, the barks of certain plants,
and other vegetable productions ; neither had
they any weapon for hunting or defense, ex-
cepting an old spear : yet the poor fellows made
no murmur nor complaint ; bitt seemed accus-
tomed to their hard fare. If they could not
teach the white men their practical stoicism,
they at least made them acquainted with the
edible properties of roots and wild rosebuds,
and furnished them with a supply from their
own store. The necessities of the camp at
length became so urgent, that Captain Bonne-
ville determined to dispatch a party to the
Horse Prairie, a plain to the north of his can-
tonment, to procure a supply of provisions.
When the men were about to depart, he pro-
posed to the Nez Perces that the}', or some of
them, should join the hunting partj'. To his
surprise, they promptly declined. He inquired
the reason for their refusal, seeing that they
were in nearly as .starving a .situation as his
own people. They replied that it was a sacred
day with them, and the Great Spirit would be
angry should they devote it to hunting. They
offered, however, to accompany the party if
it would delay its departure until the following

<Zr

UnDian pragcre

day ; but this the pinching demands of hunger
would not permit, and the detachment pro-
ceeded.

A few days afterwards, four of them signified
to Captain Bonneville that they were about to
hunt. "What!" exclaimed he, "without
guns or arrows ; and with only one old spear ?
What do you expect to kill?" They smiled
among themselves, but made no answer. Pre-
paratory to the chase, they performed some <j^^
religious rites, and offered up to the Great
Spirit a few .short prayers for safety and sac-
ce.ss ; then, having received the blessings of
their wives, they leaped upon their horses and
departed, leaving the whole party of Christian
spectators amazed and rebuked by this lesson
of faith antl dependence on a supreme and
benevolent Being. "Accustomed," adds Cap-
tain Bonneville, " as I had heretofore been, to
find the wretched Indian revelling "n blood, and
stained by every vice which can degrade hu-
man nature, I ccmld scarcely realize the scene
which I had witnessed. Wonder at sucli un- ,. ^
affected tenderness and piety, where it was ^fi^/"^
least to have been sought, contended in all our
bosoms with .slianie and confusion, at receiving
such pure and wholesome instructions from
creatures so far below us in all the arts and
comfi)rts of life." The .simple prayers of the

VOL. 1.— 8 _ " ^

........ _^J^^,

^^^^

ll V

\\ I

/
I i

< ■•«.

-K.

( : ll J

«;

1 n

t-itittimmt3SKK^'

... \-^e>^^^'>^^-

■•:>'• !,!;■ • —

11 +

3Bonnet>ille'd BDventures

C-^

poor Indians were not unheard. In the course
of four or five days they returned, laden with
meat. Captain Bonneville was curious to
know how they had attained such success with
such scanty means. They gave him to unu.r-
stand that they had chased the herds of
buffalo at full speed, until they tired them
down, when they easily dispatclied them with
the spear, and made use of the same weapon
to flay the carcasses. To carry through their
lesson to their Christian friends, the poor
savages were as charitable as they had been
pious, and generouslj' shared with them the
spoils of their hunting ; giving them food
enough to last for several days.

A further and more intimateintercour.se with
yvvi,* / this tribe gave Captain Bonneville still greater
cause to admire their strong devotional feeling.
" Simply to call these people religious," .says
he, " would convey but a faint idea of the
deep hue of piety and devotion which pervades
their whole coiiduct. Their honesty is innnac-
iilatt, and their purity of ])urpo.se, and their
ob.servance of the rites of their religion, are
nio.it uniform and remarkable. They are,
certainly, more like a nation of saints than a
horde of savages."

In fact, the anli-belligerent policy of this
tribe may have sprung from the doctrines of

rwSl^TQ^;

^f%

:t:

Christian charity, for it would appear that they
had imbibed some notions of the Christian
faith from Cathohc missionaries and traders
v'ho had been among them. They even liad a
rude calendar of tlie fasts and festivals of the
Romish Church, and some traces of its cere-
monials. These have become blended with
their own wild rites, and present a strange
medley, civilized and barbar s. On the Sab-
bath, men, women, and children arraj- them-
selves in their best style, and assemble round
a pole erected at the head of the camp. Here
they go through a wild fantastic ceremonial ;
strongly resembling the religious dance of the
Shaking Quakers ; but from its enthusiasm,
much more striking and impressive. During
the intervals of the ceremony the principal
chiefs, who officiate as priests, instruct them in
their duties, and exhort them to virtue and
good deeds.

"There is something antique and patri-
archal," observes Captain IJonnevillc, " in this
union of the offices of leader and priest ; as
there is in many of their customs and maimers,
which are all strongly iml)ued v ith religion."

The worthy captain, indeed, appears to have
been strongly interested by this gleam of un-
looked-for light amidst the darkness of the
wilderness. He exertetl himself, during his

t^s^^H/

' ^"S

!t I

•j

^' 'i.^

"III,

5
!

.,f?S5r:..-^, ■

-<^'^"r,SS

3pttr:

'^'^ii^

ii6

:)SonncvtlU'd B£tvcnturee

sojourn among this simple and well-disposed
people, to inculcate, as far as he was able, the
gentle and humanizing precepts of the Chris-
tian faith, and to make them acquainted with
the leading points of its history : and it speaks
highly for the purity and benignity of liis
heart, that he deri\ed unmixed happiness frona
the task.

"Many a time," says he, "was my little
lodge thronged, or rather piled with hearers,
for the\' lay on the ground, one leaning over
the other, luitil there was no further room, all
listening with greedy ears to the wonders
wiiicli the Cireat vSpirit had revealed to the
white man. Xo »)tlier subject gave them half
the .satisfaction, or comnruided half the atten-
tion ; and but few scenes in my life remain .so
freshly on my memory, or are so pleasurably
recalled to my contemplation, as these hours of
intercourse with a distant and benighted race
in the midst of the desert."

The only exce.sses indulged in by this tem-
perate and exemplary jieople, appear to be
gambling and horse-racing. In these they
engage with an eagerness that amounts to
infatuation. Knots of gamblers will assemble
before one of their lodge fires, early in the
evening, and remain al)sorbed in the chances
and changes of the game until long after dawn

^&^

'■<7\\

'1 '

tf"

^■^^;M^f^^^&MhP^'^^

(3ambUnd and fjorse^'Kacind

117

of the following day. As night advances,
they wax warmer and warmer. Bets increase
in amount, one loss only serves to lead to a
greater, until in the course of a single night's
gambling, the richest chief may become the
poorest varlet in the camp.

ii.

A^/

.^•^

!,, V

(
•1

fcijii ' ?-., '

•yf^r^-SP V'' r"^

' I

1,^*

^bapter i*.

Blackfeet in the Horse Prairie — Search after the Hun-
ters — Difficulties and Dan<;ers— A Card Party in the
Wilderness — The Card Party Interrupted — "Old
Sledj^e," a Losinj^ Game — Visitors to the Camp —
Iroquois Iluiitvrs — Hanj^inj^-Kared Indians.

ON the 1 2th of October, two young Indians l^
of tlie Xez Perce tribe arrived at Cap-
tain Bonneville's encampment. They
were on their way homeward, but had been
obliged to swerve from their ordinary route
through the mountains, by deep snows. Their
new route took them through the Horse Prai-
rie. In traversing it, they had been attracted
by the distant smoke of a camp-fire, and, on
stealing near to reconnoitre, had discovered a
war jtarty of Blackfeet. They had .several
horses with them ; and, as they generally go
on foot on warlike excursions, it was concluded
that these horses had lieen captured in the
course of their maraudings.

wPf

■'tM'-'\V9^J^^S

->■

S~^

^-iW,

-.'<'0-i

Scarcb for tbc "Ibuntcrs

119 '

This intelligence awakened solicitude on the
mind of Captain Bonneville, for the party of
hunters whom he had sent to that neighbor-
hood ; and the Nez Perces, when informed of
the circumstance, shook their heads, and de-
clared the belief that the horses they had seen
had been stolen from that very party.

Anxious for information on the subject, Cap-
tain Boinieville dispatched two hunters to beat
lip the country in that direction. They searched
in vain ; not a trace of the men could be found ;
but they got into a region destitute of game,
where they were wellnigh famished. At one
time, they were three entire days without a
mouthful of food ; at length they beheld a
buffalo grazing at the foot of a mounta . .
After manoeuvring so as to get within .shot,
they firetl, l.nit merely wounded him. He took
to flight, and they followed him over hill and
dale, with the eagerness and perseverance of
starving men. A more lucky shot brought
him to the ground. Stanfield .sprang upon
him, plunged his knife into his throat, and al-
layed his raging hunger by drinking his blood.
A fire was instantly kindled beside the carca.ss,
when the two hunter.; cooked, and ate again
and again, until, perfectly gorgetl, they sank
to sleep before their hunting fire. On the fi)l-
lowing morning they ro.se early, made another

6j.»*&

: f ; 1-

(f!

'%5,i,»JWBBW'''

::x:,::*^iW:y

Oil

■ i

f » !

11' i

■ f i

.J- ^

-■, /25v.. . .^l*' ^ ^^ij^i^'^r^^\. c\ ^'-i

y: «!?•

'._. "^*..J

3ISonnev>i[[e's B^\'eMtllre^

hearty meal, then loading themselves with buf-
falo meat, set out on their return to the camp,
to report the fruitlessness of their mission.

At length, after six weeks' absence, the hun-
ters made their appearance, and were receiveil
with joy, proportioned to the anxiety that had
been felt on their account. They had hunted
with success on the prairie, but, while busy dry-
ing buffalo meat, were joined by a few panic-
stricken Flatheads, who informed them that a
powerful band of Blackfeet were at hand. The
hunters immediately abandoned the dangerous
hunting-ground, and accompanied the Flat-
heads to their village. Here they found Mr.
Cerre, and the detachment of hunters .sent
with him to accompany the hunting party of
the Xez Perces.

After remaining .some time at the village,
until they suppo.sed the Blackfeet to have left
the neighborhood, they set off, with .some of
Mr. Cerre's men, for the cantonment of Salmon
River, where they arrived without accident.
Thej- informed Captain Bonneville, however,
that, not far from his quarters, they had found
a wallet of fre.sh meat and a cord, which they
supposed had been left by some prowling
Blackfeet. A few days afterwards, Mr. Cerre.
with the remainder of his men, likewi.se ar-
rived at the cantonment.

^^\

cHS-r3Rtx>U^::^'^r=S.

''^)Oti;iSi*i'r-'wi«.-v^'«'

^ \

"B CarO partis in tbe 'QllUdentcdd

Mr. Walker, one of the subleaders, who had
gone, with a band of twenty hunters, to range
the country just beyond the Horse Prairie, had,
likewise, his share of adventures with the all-
pervading Blackfeet. At one of his encamp-
ments, the guard stationed to keep watch round
the camp grew weary of their duty, and feeliiig
a little too secure, and too much at home on
these prairies, retired to a small grove of wil-
lows, to amuse themselves with a social game
of cards, called " old sledge," which is as
popular among the trampers of the prairies,
« u as whist or ecarte among the polite circles of
H/^ the cities. From the midst of their sport, they
were suddenly roused by a discharge of fire-
arms, and a shrill war-whoop. Starting on
their feet, and snatching up their rifles, they
beheld in dismay their horses and mules al-
ready in possession of the enemj-, who had
stolen upon the camp unperceived, while they
were spell-bound bj- the magic of " old sledge."
The Indians sprang upon the animals bare-
backed, and endeavored to urge them off under
a galling fire, that did some execution. The
mules, however, confounded bj- the hurly-
burly, and disliking their new riders, kicked
up their heels and dismounted half of them,
in spite of their horsemanship. This threw
the rest into confusion ; they endeavored to

■..v..^rX)

'' )

122 asonncrtllc's BCrcnturcs

?">y^/

'-7

t«

c,P

protect their unhorsed comrades from the furi-
ou.s assaults of the whites ; but, after a scene
of 'confusion worse confounded," horses and
mules were abandoned, and the Indians betook
themselves to the bushes. Here thej* quickly
scratched holes in the earth about two feet
deep, in which tlie\- prostrated themselves, and
while thus screened from the shots of the white
men. were enabled to make such use of their
bows and arrows and fusees as to repulse their
assailants, and to effect their retreat. This ad-
venture threw a temporary stigma upon the
game of " old sledge."

In the course of the autumn, four Iroquois
hunters, driven by the snow from their hunt-
ing groiuids, made their appearance at the
cantonment. They were kindly welcomed,
and during their .sojourn made themselves
useful in a variety of ways, being excellent
trappers and first-rate woodsmen. They were
of the remnants of a party of Iroquois hun-
ters, that came from Canada into these moun-
tain regions many years previously, in the
emploN" of the Hudson's Bay Company. They
were led by a brave chieftain, named Pierre,
who fell by the hands of the Blackfeet, and
gave his name to the fated valley of Pierre's
Hole. This branch of the Iroquois tribe has
ever .since remained among these mountains;

vr^4

>/:>

77/^' lIiDitini^ Pnxiric oj the Pcnd-Oriellcs
Indians.

Haii'J on II v/'(7. // w./i// ,/ittini; n (lovtrnintiil Siirvev.

\ I'
I
I

<l «

S V

{

e :::

|» 1

'-4

llH:

■

^■.^^J.l

" »!

" u

111

{ I

^-4.

■ '

.,^W.»!

-"i

Visit o( penOs Orcilles

at mortal enmity with the Blackfeet, and have
lost many of their prime hunters in their feuds
with that ferocious race. Some of them fell
in with General Ashley, in the course of one
of his gallant excursions into the wilderness,
and have continued ever since in the employ
of the company.

Among the motley visitors to the winter
quarters of Captain Bonneville, was a party
of Pends Oreilles (or Hanging-Ears) and their
chief. These Indians have a strong resem-
blance, in character and customs, to the Nez
Perces. They amount to about three hundred
lodges, and are well armed, and possess great
numbers of horses. During the spring, sum-
mer, and autumn they hunt the buffalo alwut
the head-waters of the Missouri, Henry's Fork
of the Snake River, and the northern branches
of Salmon River. Their winter quarters are
upon the Racine Amere, where they subsist
upon roots and dried buffalo meat. Upon this
river the Hmlson's Bay Company have estab-
lishes a trading post, where the Pends Oreilles
and the Flatheads bring their peltries to ex-
change 'or arms, clothing, and trinkets.

This tribe, like tlie Nez Percys, evince strong
and peculiar feelings of natural piety. Their
religion is not a mere superstitious fear, like
that of most savages ; they evitice abstract no-

fn,.

i «

* <i

"T^

•m^-'

'«— -i^ •~^-^-:^^^!^~'~ ^"~-^T-^--::r-S-"—-^

^:k

^^■

124

JBonncville's aoventures

tions of nioralitj-, a deep reverence for an over-
ruling Spirit, and a respect for the rights of
their fellow-men. In one respect, their religion
partakes of the pacific doctrines of the Quak-
ers. They hold that the Great Spirit is dis-
pleased with all nations who wantonly engage
in war ; they alistain, therefore, from all ag-
gressive hostilities. But though thus unof-
fending in their policy, they are called upon,
contiiuialh' to wage defensive warfare, espe-
cially with the Blackfeet ; with whom, in the
course of their limiting expeditions, thej' come
in frequent collision, and have desperate bat-
tles. Their conduct as warriors is witliout
fear or reproach, and they can never be driven
to abandon their hunting grounds.

f^ike most .savages, they vu firm believers
in dreams, and in the power ami efficacy of
charms and amulets, or medicines, as they
term them. Some of their brave."--, also, who
have had numerous hair-breadth '.scapes, like
the old Xez Perc.! chief in lie battle of Pierre's
Hole, are believed to v . charmed life, and
to be bullet-proof Of the.M^ giJted beings mar-
vellous anecdotes are related, v.iiich are most
potently believed by their feilow-savages, and
sometinies almost credited \y the white hunters.

1- I

y ^.

VT).

^0m^:

s^\^ir>t^.,&^

. i

I 1

Chapter J*1I.

'.> Rival Trapping Parties — MaiKxuvriiig — A Desperate
Game — Van(ler))iiri,'h and the Ulackfeet — Deserted
Camp rires — A Dark Defile — An Indian Ambush —
A I'Merce Melee — Fatal Consequences — Fitzpatrick
and Uridger — Trappers' Prccaulions — ^Meetiuj^ with
the Ulackfeet — More iMjihlint,' — Anecdote of a
Vouuj^ Mexican and an In<liau (lirl.

WMIIJv Captain IJoniievillc and his men
are sojonrnini;' among the Xez Per-
ccs, on Salmon River, we willinqnire
after the fortnnes of those (lou.i;lity rivals of
the Rocky Mountain and American Fur Com-
panies, who started off for the trapping grounds
to the north-northwest.

Fitzpatrick and Briilger, of the former com-
pany, as we have already shown, having re-
ceived their supplies, liad taken the lead, and
hoped to have the first sweep of the lumting
ground. Vanderburgh and Dripps, however,
the two resident partners of the opposite com-
pany, by extraordinary exertions, were en-

" n

(. ' ■

t '- i:i «

'•■4,

ii:

^■ivr'? /fj^;. f->^rfrrrK,^«vr/>.._^^ jf^^. V''^^ '> ''^ &> O ^'^?^-

X4J>^' \jli/ **-*,.

126

3SonneviUe'6 Bdventures

abled soon to pui themselves upon their traces,
and pressed forward with such speed as to
overtake them just as they had reached the
heart of the beaver countrj-. In fact, be-
ing ignorant of the best trapping grounds, it
was their object to follow on and profit by the
superior knowledge of the other party.

Nothing could equal the chagrin of Fitz-
patrick and Bridger, at being dogged by their
inexperienced rivals ; especially after their
offer to divide the country with them. They
tried in every way to blind and baffle them,
to steal a march upon them, or lead them on
a wrong .scent ; but all in vain. Vanderburgh
made up, by activity and intelligence, for his
ignoraiK '^ of the country; was always wary,
always the alert ; discovered every move-
ment of ills rivals, howt-ver secret, and was
not to be eluded or misled.

Fitzpntrick and his colleague now lost all
patie .ce ; since the others persisted in follow-
ing them, thej' determined to give them an
unprofitable chase, and to .sacrifice the hunting
season, rather than share the products with
their rivals. They accordingly took up their
line of march down the course of the Missouri,
k.eping the main Black foot trail, and tramping
dc'ggedly forward, without stopping to set a
&!tigle trap. The others beat the hoof after

'■7N .-•'-'^ ... (""'^ iv J «v

l/-^

i-i 'ijs

dy^' -vii^.* I

••.*C"-J<J^t:....

'i^')

') 6rvi

iff'-y'^

rim

2>cscrtc& Camp jFircs

^ V*"; -::^

rr,j\

^-*«»t

them for some time, but by degrees began to
perceive that they were on a wild-goose chase,
and getting into a countrj' perfectly barren to
the trapper. They now came to a halt, and
bethought themselves how to make up for lost
time, and improve the remainder of the season.
It was thought best to divide their forces and
try different trapping grounds. While Dripps
went in one direction, Vanderburgh, with
about fifty men, proceeded in another. The
latter, in his headlong march, had got into the
ver>' heart of the Blackfoot country, yet seems
to have been unconscious of his danger. As
his scouts were out one day, they car : upon
the traces of a recent band of savages. There
were the deserted fires still smoking, sur-
rounded by the carcasses of buffaloes just killed.
It was evident a party of Blackfeet had been
frightened from their hunting camp, and had
retreated, probably to seek reinforcements.
The scouts hastened back to the camp, and
told Vanderburgh what they had seen. He
made light of the alarm, and, taking nine men
with him, galloped off to reconnoitre for him-
self He found the deserted cainj) just as thej-
had represented it ; there lay the carcasses of
buffaloes, partly dismemlvcred : there were the
smouldering fires, still seiidin^i; up their wreaths
of smoke ; everything bore traces of recent

f^'

*• f

ii^-

-V.l.

• <^

C - • '
< «' ■ lr,>

f I ■:;
« t

' ' lii
n

I;'

'-4

ii, Y

i II

.^':

128

JBonncvUlc's acvcnturcs

and hasty retreat ; and gave reason to believe
that tlie savages were still lurking in the
neighborhood. With heedless daring, Vander-
burgh put himself upon their trail, to trace
them to their place of concealment. It led him
over prairies, and through skirts of woodland,
until it entered a dark and dangerous ravine.
Vanderburgh pushed in, without hesitation,
followed by his little baud. The\' soon found
themselves in a gloomy dell, between steep
banks overhung with irce:-i ; where the pro-
found silence was only broken by the tramp
of their own horses.

vSuddenly the horrid war-whoop burst on
their ears, mingled with the sharp report of
rifles, and a legion of savages sprang from
their concealments, yelling, and shaking their
buffalo robes to frighten the horses. Vander-
burgh's horse fell, mortally wounded by tlie
first discharge. In his fall, he pinned his rider
to the ground ; who called in vain upon his
men to assist in extricating him. One was
shot down and scalped a few paces distant ;
most of the others were severeh- wounded, and
sought their safety in flight. The savages ap-
proached to dispatch the unfortunate leader,
as he lay struggling beneath his horse. He
had still his rifle in his hand, and his pistols
in his belt. The first savage that advanced

c^::^:Xcu< ,:-=:.:

u^«v^

>WI».

^>^XK0<^^^

jpatc of ^ajor WanOcrburgb

received the contents of the rifle in his breast,
and fell dead upon the spot ; but before Van-
derburgh could draw a pistol, a blow from a
tomahawk laid him prostrate, and he was dis-
patched by repeated wounds.

Such was the fate of Major Henry Vander-
burgh, one of the best and worthiest leaders
of the American Fur Company ; who, bj- his
manly bearing and dauntless courage, is said
to have made himself universally popular
among the bold-hearted rovers of the wilder-
ness.

Those of the little band who escaped fled in
consternation to the camp, and .spread direful
reports of the force and ferocity of the enemy.
The party, being without a head, were in com-
plete confusion and dismay, and made a pre-
cipitate retreat, without attempting to recover
the remains of their butchered leader. They
made no halt until they reached the encamp-
ment of the Pends Oreil t-s, or Hanging-Ivars,
where they oflered a reward for the recovery
of the body, but without success ; it never
could be found.

In the meantime Fitzpatrick and Bridger, of
the Rocky Moiiutain Company, fared but little
better than their rivals. In their eagerness to
mislead them, they had betrayed themselves
into danger, and got into a region infested with

« <i

-AU**-*.'-^-:-,

.^'i^^.-^f ^-^ j?r'\<:.^-

- >

?.-.> "<^^^-^

^V,. ■-...^- i,l V_._--V_; -

'tr

tvr

130

JSonncvUlc'B adventures

/-■

the Blackfeet. They soon found that foes were
on the watch for them ; but they were experi-
enced in Indian warfare, and not to be sur-
prised at night, nor drawn into an ambush in
the daytime. As the evening advanced, the
horses were all brought in and picketed, and a
guard was stationed round the camp. At the
earliest streak of daj- one of the leaders would
mount his horse, and gallop off full speed for
about half a mile ; then look round for Indian
trails, to ascertain whether there had been any
lurkers roinid the camp ; returning slowly, he
would reconnoitre everj' ravine and thicket
where there might be an ambush. This do:ie, he
would gallop off in an opposite direction and
repeat the same scrutiny. Finding all things
safe, the horses would be turned loo.se to graze,
but always inider the e3'e of a guard.

A caution equally vigilant was observed in
the inarch, on approaching any defde or i)lace
where an enemj- might lie in wait ; and scouts
were always kept in the advance, or along the
ridges and rising grounds on the flanks.

At length, one day, a large band of Black-
feet appeared in the open field, but in the
vicinity of rocks and cliiTs. They kept at a
wary distance, but made friendlj' .signs. The
trappers replied in the same way, but likewise
kept aloof. A small party of Indians now ad-

<.-^'

M -^

-:^

Uorctto auD Ibis UnDian lUtfc

vanced, bearing the pipe of peace ; they were
met by an equal numl)er of white men, and
they formed a group, midway between the two
bands, where the pipe was circulated from
hand to hand, atid smoked with all due cere-
mony. An instance of natural affection took
place at this pacific meeting. Among the free
trappers in the Rocky Mountain band, was a
spirited j-oung Mexican, named Loretto ; who,
in the course of his wanderings, had ransomed
a beautiful Blackfoot girl from a band of Crows
by whom she had been captured. He made
her his wife, after the Indian style, and she
had followed his fortunes ever since, with the
most dev<jted affection.

Among the Blackfeet warriors who advanced
with the calumet of peace, she recognized a
brother. Leaving her infant with Loretto, she
rushed forward and threw herself upon her
brother's neck ; who clasped his long-lost sister
to his heart, with a warmth of affection but
little compatible with the reputed stoicism of
the savage.

While this scene was taking place, Bridger
left the main body of trappers, and rode slowly
towards the group of smokers, with his rifle
resting across the pommel of his saddle. The
chief of the Blackfeet stepped forward to meet
him. From some unfortunate feeling of dis-

*r i»

i I

I \

"♦K

r u

* 41

■ M iiii maM Pmii^|ppF H.j" ■■■■■■ m^ ftw^

«^.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

,A*

AV.4

1.0

I.I

1.25

-1^ i21

JO ""^~ fflH^H

2.0

■ 40

1.8

U li.6

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

33 west MAIN STRiiT

WnSTIR.N.Y. MSSO

(716) S73-4S03

»"

*»
*>

«^

'<>

•S)

il. I

^ii

I 'I

ifiijjj' i

■I

si? lit I

\ I

ViV'

trust, Bridger cocked his rifle just as the chief
was extending his hand in friendship. The
quick ear of the savage caught the cHck of the
lock ; in a twinkling, he grasped the barrel,
forcing the muzzle downward, and the contents
were discharged into the earth at his feet.
His next movement was to wrest the weapon
from the hand of Bridger, and fell him with it
to the earth. He might have found this no
easy task, had not the unfortunate leader re-
ceived two arrows in his back during the
struggle.

The chief now sprang into the vacant saddle
and galloped off to his band. A wild hurry-
skurry scene ensued ; each party took the
banks, the rocks, and trees, to gain favorable
positions, and an irregular firing was kept up
on either side, without much effect. The
Indian girl had been hurried off by her people,
at the outbreak of the affray. She would have
returned, through the dangers of the fight, to
her husband and her child, but was prevented
by her brother. The young Mexican saw her
struggles and her agony, and heard her pier-
cing cries With a generous impulse, he
caught up the child in his arms, rushed for-
ward, regardless of Indian shaft or rifle, and
placed it in safety upon her bosom. Even the
savage heart of the Blackfoot chief was reached

^sm.

h\/

00\

Xoretto anO Dis ITndian mite

133

by this noble deed. He pronounced Loretto a
madman for his temerity, but bade him depart
in peace. The young Mexican hesitated : he
urged to have his wife restored to him, but her
brother interfered, and the countenance of the
chief grew dark. The girl, he said, belonged
to his tribe — she must remain with her people,
lyoretto would still have lingered, but his wife
implored him to depart, lest his life should be
endangered. It was with the greatest reluc-
tance that he returned to his companions.

The approach of night put an end to the
skirmishing fire of the adverse parties, the
savages drew off without renewing their
hostilities. We cannot but remark, that
both in this affair and in that of Pierre's
Hole, the affray commenced by a hostile act on
the part of white men, at the moment when
the Indian warrio*- was extending the hand of
amity. In neither instance, as far as circum-
stances have been stated to us by different per-
sons, do we see any reason to suspect the
savage chiefs of perfidy in their overtures of
friendship. They advanced in the confiding
way usual among Indians when they bear
the pipe of peace, and consider themselves
sacred from attack. If we violate the sanctity
of this ceremonial, by any hostile movement
on our part, it is we who incur the charge of

1 n

-.f

■h.

« <1

i f I .

I! I

U ill

JBonncville's 2l5vcntures

faithlessness ; and we doubt not that in both
these instances the white men have been con-
sidered by the Blackfeet as the aggressors, and
fy| |( * have, in consequence, been held up as men not
to be trusted.

A word to conclude the romantic incident
of Lroretto and his Indian bride. A few
months subsequ(?nt to the event just related,
the young Mexican settled his accounts with
the Rocky Mountain Company, and obtained
his discharge. He then left his comrades and
set off to rejoin his wife and child among her
people ; and we imderstand that, at the time we
are writing these pages, he resides at a trading-
house established of late by the American Fur
Company, in the Black foot country, where he
acts as an interpreter and has his Indian girl
with him.

*^"

-^:^

Chapter J'lFII.

A Winter Camp in the Wilderness — Medley of Trap-
pers, Hunters, and Indians — Scarcity of Cranie — New
Arrangements in the Camp — Detachments Sent to a
Distance — Carelessness of the Indians when En-
camped — Sickness among the Indians — Excellent
Character of the Nez Perccs— The Captain's Effort
as a Pacificator — A Nez Perce's Argument in I'avor
of War — Robberies by the lUackfeet — Long-Suffer-
ing of the Nez Perccs — a Hunter's Elysiutn among
the Mountains — More Robberies — The Captain
Preaches up a Crusade — The Effect upon his
Hearers.

FOR the greater \ '^ of ihe motith of No-
vember, Captain Bonneville remained in
his temporary post on Salmon River.
He was now in the full enjoyment of his
wishes ; leading a hunter's life in the heart
of the wilderness, with all its wild populace
around him. Besides his own people, motley
in character and costume — Creole, Kentuckian,
Indian, half-breed, . ired trapper, and free

« *j

r 1.

« a.

I' I

I ','11

1 1

i I ,

III

trapper — he was surrounded by encampments
of Nez Perces and Flatheads, with their droves
of horses covering the hills and plains. It
was, he declares, a wild and bustling scene.
The hunting parties of white men and red
men, continually sallying forth and returning ;
the groups at the various encampments, some
cooking, some working, some amusing them-
selves af different games ; the neighing of
horses, the braying of asses, the resounding
strokes of the axe, the sharp report of the
rifle, the whoop, the halloo, and the frequent
burst of laughter, all in the midst of a region
suddenh roused from perfect silence and lone-
liness by this transient hunters' sojourn,
realized, he says, the idea of a " populous
solitude."

The kind and genial character of the cap-
tain had, evidently, its influence on the oppo-
site races thus fortuitouslj' congregated to-
gether. The most perfect harmony prevailed
between them. The Indians, he says, were
friendly in their dispositions, and honest to the
most scrupulous degree, in their intercourse
with the white men. It is true they were
somewhat importunate in their curiosity, and
apt to be continually in the way, examining
everything witii keen and prying eye, and
watching every movement of the white men.

i-?i^^.

/^i

r-^

^i<3?

ivt.

tfnDian fsorses

All this, however, was borne with great good-
humor by the captain, and through his exam-
ple by his men. Indeed, throughout all his
transactions, he shows himself the friend of the
poor Indians, and his conduct towards them is
above all praise.

The Nez Perces, the Flatheads, and the
Hanging-Ears pride themselves upon the num-
ber of their horses, of which they possess more
in proportion than any other of the mountain
tribes within the buffalo range. Many of the
Indian warriors and hunters, encamped around
Captain Bonneville, possess from thirty to forty
horses each. Their hon i are stout, well built
ponies, of great wind, and capable of enduring
the severest hardship and fatigue. The swiftest
of them, however, are those obtained from the
whites while sufficiently young to become ac-
climated and inured to the rough service of the
mountains.

By degrees the populousness of this encamp-
ment began to produce its inconveniences.
The immense droves of horses owned by the
Indians consumed the herbage of the surround-
ing hills ; while, to drive them to any distant
pasturage, in a neighborhood aVjounding with
lurking and deadly enemies, would be to en-
danger the loss both of man and beast. Game
too, began to grow scarce. It was soon hunted

'}. I

« 41

:«

( I

it t .
ii »

r
,

'i'i

■!P

1 f

I »

I
r

</'

and frightened out of the vicinity, and though
the Indians made a wide circuit through the
mountains in the hope of driving the buffalo
towards the cantomnent, their expedition was
unsuccessful. It was plain that so large a party
could not subsist themselves there, nor in any
one place, throughout the winter. Captain
Bonneville, therefore, altered his whole ar-
rangements. He detached fifty men towards
the .south to winter upon Snake River, and to
trap about its waters in the .spring, with orders
to rejoin him in the month of July, at Hor.se
Creek, in Green River Valley, which he had
fixed upon as the general rendez^'ous of his
company for the en.suing year.

Of all his late party, he now retained with
him merely a small number of free trappers,
with whom he intended to sojourn among the
Nez Perces and Flatiieads, and adopt the In-
dian mode of moving with the game and gra,ss.
Those bands, in effect, shortly afterwards broke
up their encampments and set off for a less
beaten neighborhood. Captain Bonneville re-
mained behind for a few days, that he might
secretlj' prepare caches, in which to deposit
everything not required for current u.se. Thus
lightetied of all .superfluous incumbrance, he
.set off on the 20tli of November to rejoin his
Indian allies. He found them encamped in a

4,M

(^v.

t \4

Care of fjorses

139

secluded part of the country, at the head of a
small stream. Considering themselves out of
all danger, in this sequesteretl spot, from their
old enemies, the Blackfeet, their encampment
manifested the most negligent security. Their
lodges were .scattered in every direction, and
their horses covered every liui lor a great dis-
tance round, grazing upon the upland bunch
grass, which grew in great abundance, and,
though dry, retained its nutritious 'properties
iiustead of lo.snig them, like other grasses, in
the autumn.

When the Nez Perces, Flatheads, and Pends
Oreilles are encamped in a dcMigerous neigh-
borhood, says Captain Bonneville, the greate.-sL
care is taken of tlieir horses, those prime arti-
cles of Indian wealth, and objects of Indian
depredation. Each warrior has his hor.se tied
by one foot at night to a stake planted before
his lodge. Here they remain until broad day-
light ; by that time the yoinig men of the camp
are already ranging over the surrounding hills.
Iwch family then drives its liorses to some
eligible soot, where they are left to graze unat-
tended. A j'oung Indian repairs occasionally
to the pa. ture to give them water, and to see
that all is well. So accustomed are the horses
to this managetr int, that they keep together in

As the

the pr-sture where they have been left.

!5,

' ]

I \

<1 a

* *1

Ml I

h'il

I'
,il

tiii,

aa«r:^*?j^

' t

;

(

ll.

sun sinks behind the hills, they may be seen
moving from all points towards the camp,
where thej- surrender themselves to be tied up
for the night. Even in situations of datiger,
the Indians rarely set guards over their camp
at night, intrusting that office entirely to their
vigilant and well trained dogs.

In an encampment, however, of such fancied
security as that in which Captain Bonneville
found his Indian friends, much of these pre-
cautions with respect to their horses are omit-
ted. They merely drive them, at nightfall, to
some sequestered little dell, and leave them
there, at perfect liberty, until the' morning.

One object of Captain Bonneville in winter-
ing among these Indiatis, was to procure a
supply of horses against the spring. They
were, however, extremely unwilling to part
with any, and it was with great difficulty that
he purchased, at the rate of twenty dollars
each, a few for the use of some of his free
trappers, who were on foot, and dependent on
him for their equipment.

In this encampment Captain Boinieville re-
mained from the 21st of November to the 9th
of December. During this period the ther-
mometer ranged from thirteen to forty-two
degrees. There were occasional falls of snow ;
but it generally melted away almost immedi-

^tc;

Concern ^clt for /Ibattbicu

141

v'l

\\\i

ately, and the tender blades of new grass began
to shoot up among the old. On the 7th of
December, however, the thermometer fell to
seven degrees.

The reader will recollect that, on distributing
his forces, when in Green River Valley, Cap-
tain Botnieville had detached a party, headed
by a leader of the name of Matthieu, with all
the weak and disabled horses, to sojourn about
Bear River, meet the Shoshonie bands, and
afterwards to rejoin him at his winter camp on
Salmon River.

More than sufficient time had elapsed, yet
Matthieu failed to make his appear^ ice, and
uneasiness began to be felt on his account.
Captain Boinieville .sent out four men to range
the country through which he would have to
pass, and endeavor to get some information
concerning him ; for his route lay across the
great Snake River plain, which spreads itself
out like an Aiabian desert, and on which
a cavalcade could be descried at a great dis-
tance. The scouts soon returned, having pro-
ceeded no farther than the edge of the plain,
pretending that their horses were lame ; but it
was evident they had feared to venture, with
so small a force, into these exposed and dan-
gerous regions.

A disease, which Captain Bonneville sup- ^'/

* M

* *i

|!|

>l! '

143

JSonnevillc'B B^vcnturce

£^<

■ <>-■

posed to be pneumotiia, now appeared among
the Indians, carrying oflFnumbers of them, after
an iUness of three or four days.

The worthy captain acted as physician, pre-
scribing profuse sweatings and copious bleed-
ings, and unifonnly with success, if the patient
was subsequently treated with proper care.
In extraordinary cases, the poor savages called

f(kCM^ i" the aid of their own doctors or conjurers,

•^ >'* ^vho officiated with great noise and mummery,
but with little benefit. Those who died during
this epidemic, were buried in graves, after the
manner of the whites, but witliout any regard
to the direction of the head. It is a fact worthy
of notice, that, while this malady made such
ravages among the natives, not a single white

l^s'^ ' ni^ii had the slightest symptom of it.
■- '1^ ' A familiar intercourse of some standing with
the Pierced-Nosed and Flathead Indians had
now convinced Captain Bonneville of their
amicable and inoffensive character ; he began
to take a strong interest in them, and conceived
the idea of becoming a pacificator, and healing
the deadly feud between them and the Black-
feet, in which thej' were so deplorably the suf-
ferers. He proposed the matter to some of the
leaders, and urged that they should meet the
Blackfeet chiefs in a grand pacific conference,

^'yiMy offering to send two of his men to the enemy's

K-.

t-T^-

^V^^stxtT^^/'^

B Council of Wat

^^i-i

camp with pipe, tobacco, and flag of truce, to
negotiate the proposed meeting.

The Nez Perces and Flathead sages, upon
this, held a council of war, of two days' dura-
tion, in which there was abundance of hard
smoking and long talking, and both eloqaence
and tobacco were nearly exhausted. At length
they came to a decision to reject the worthy
captain's proposition, and upon pretty substan-
tial grounds, as the reader may judge.

"War," said the chiefs, " is a bloody busi-
ness, and full of evil ; but it keeps the eyes of
the chiefs always open, and makes the limbs
of the young men strong and supple. In war,
every one is on the alert. If we see a trail, we
know it nuist be an enemy ; if the Blackfeet
come to us, we know it is for war, and we are
ready. Peace, on the other hand, .sounds no
alarm ; the eyes of the chiefs are clo.sed in
sleep, and the young men are sleek and lazy.
The horses stray into the mountains ; the
women and their little babes go about alone.
But the heart of a Blackfoot is a lie, and his
tongue is a trap. If he says peace, it is to de-
ceive ; he comes to us as a brother : he smokes
his pipe with us ; but when he sees us weak,
and off our guard, he will .slay and steal. We
will have no such peace ; let there be war ! ' '

With this reasoning, Captain Bonneville was

■<r-

./■'■.

« «i

V <

144

:tSonn:viIlc'6 BDvcnturce

fain to acquiesce ; but, since the sagacious
Flatheads and their allies were content to re-
main in a state of warfare, he wished them, at
least, to exercise the boasted vigilance which
war was to produce, and to keep their eyes
open. He represented to them the impossi-
bility, that two such considerable clans could
move about the country without leaving trails
by which they might be traced. Besides,
among the Blackfeet braves were several Nez
Perces, who had been taken prisoners in early
youth, adopted by their captors, and trained
up and imbued with warlike and predatory
notions ; these had lost all sympathies with
their native tribe, and would be prone to lead
the enemy to their secret liaunts. He exhorted
thcni, therefore, to keep upon the alert, and
never to remit their vigilance, while within the
range of so crafty arid cruel a foe. All these
counsels were lost upon his easy and simple-
minded hearers. A careless indififereriCe reigned
througliout their encampments, and their
horses were permitted to range the hills at
night in perfect freedom. Captain Bonneville
had his own horses brought in at night, and
properly picketed and guaided. The evil he
apprehended soon took place. Pn a single
night, a sweep was made thiougii the neighbor-
ing pastures by the Blackfeet, and eighty-six

- r>

'hs

■Robbcrg bg tbe JBlacftfcc

145

of the finest horses carried off. A whip and a
rope were left in a conspicuous situation by the
robbers, as a taunt to the simpletons they had
unhorsed.

Long before sunrise, the news of this calam-
ity spread like wildfire through the different
encampments. Captain Bonneville, whose own
horses remained safe at their pickets, watched
in momentary expectation of an outbreak of
warriors, Pierced-Nose and Flathead, in furious
pursuit of the marauders ; but no such thing
— they contented themselves with searching
diligently over hill and dale, to glean up such
horses as had escaped the hands of the maraud-
ers, and then resigned themselves to their loss
with the most exemplary quiescence.

Some, it is true, who were entirely unhorsed,
set out on a begging visit to their cousins, as
they call them, the Lower Nez Perces, who
inhabit the lower country about the Columbia,
and possess horses in abundance. To these
they repair when in difficulty, and seldom fail,
by dint of begging and bartering, to get them-
selves once more mounted on horseback.

Game had now become scarce in the neigh-
borhood of the camp, and it was necessarj-,
according to Indian custom, to move off to a
less beaten ground. Captain Bonneville pro-
posed the Horse Prairie ; but his Indian friends

4i^>t>

' \

' 'fS

II'

) ■

<c:

objected that many of the Nez Perces had
gone to visit their cousins, and that the whites
were few in number, so that their united force
was not sufficient to venture on the buffalo
grounds, which were infested by bands of
Blackfeet.

They now spoke of a place at no great dis-
tance, which they represented as a perfect
hunter's elysium. It was on the right branch,
or head stream of the river, locked up among
cliffs and precipices, where there was no danger
from roving bands, and where the Blackfeet
dare not enter. Here, they said, the elk
abounded, and the mountain sheep were to be
seen trooping upon the rocks and hills. A
little distance beyond it, also, herds of Buffalo
were to be met with, out of the range of a^nger.
Thither they proposed to move their camp.

The proposition pleased the captain, who
was desirous, through the Indians, of becom-
ing acquainted with all the secret places of
the land. Accordingly, on the 9th of Decem-
ber, they .'Struck their tents, and moved for-
ward by short stages, as many of the Indians
were yet feeble from the late malady.

Following up the right fork of the river,
they came to where it entered a deep gorge of
the mountains, up which, lay the secluded
region so much vaunted by the Indians. Cap-

,1, -fi

^xr-s

Xoiid'Sufterind of tbe Dei; Percys

tain Bonneville halted, and encamped for three
days, before entering the gorge. In the mean-
time, he detached five of his free trappers to
scour the hills and kill as many elk as possible,
before the main body should enter, as they
would then be soon frightened away by the
various Indian hunting parties.

While thus encamped, they were still liable
to the marauds of the Blackfeet, and Captain
Bonneville admonished his Indian friends to
be upon their guard. The Nez Perces, how-
ever, notwithstanding their recent loss, were
still careless of their horses ; merely driving
them to some secluded spot, and leaving them
there for the night, without setting any guard
upon them. The consequence was a second
swoop, in which forty-one were carried off.
This was borne with equal philosophy with the
first, and no effort was made either to recover
the horses, or to take vengeance on the thieves.

The Nez Perces, however, grew more cau-
tious with respect to their remaining horses,
driving them regularly to the camp every
evening, and fastening tliem to pickets. Cap-
tain Bonneville, however, told them that this
was not enough. It was evident that they
were dogged by a daring and persevering
enemy, who was encouraged by past impunity ;
they should, therefore, take more than usual

■li'

', t

Ml'

\s.^

precautions, and post a guard at night over
their cavalry. They could not, however, be
persuaded to depart from their usual custom.
The horse once picketed, the care of the owner
was over for the night, and he slept profoundly.
None waked in the camp but the gamblers,
who, absorbed in their play, were more difficult
to be roused to external circumstances than
even the sleepers.

The Blackfeet are bold enemies, and fond of
hazardous exploits. The band that were hov-
ering about the neighborhood, finding they
had such pacific people to deal with, redoubled
their daring. The horses being now picketed
before the lodges, a number of Blackfeet scouts
penetrated in the early part of the night into the
very centre of the camp. Here they went about
among the lodges, as calmly and deliberately
as if at home, quietly cutting loose the horses
that stood picketed by the lodges of their
sleeping owners. One of these prowlers, more
adventurous than the rest, approached a fire,
round which a group of Nez Perces were gam-
bling with the most intense eagerness. Here
he stood for some time, muffled up in his robe,
peering over the shoulders of the players watch-
ing the changes of their countenances and
the fluctuations of the game. So completely
engrossed were they, that the presence of this

^^^%2

^'i^^\
^f^

Darind jEnemies

muffled eavesdropper was unnoticed, and hav-
ing executed his bravado, he retired undis-
covered.

Having cut loose as many horses as they
could conveniently carry off, the Blackfeet
scouts rejoined their comrades, and all re-
mained patiently round the camp. By degrees,
the horses, finding themselves at liberty, took
their route towards their customary grazing
ground. As they emerged from the camp,
they were silently taken possession of, until,
having secured about thirty, the Blackfeet
sprang on their backs and scampered off. The
clatter of hoofs startled the gamblers from
their game. The}' gave the alarm, which
soon roused the sleepers from everj- lodge.
Still all was quiescent ; no marshalling offerees,
no saddling of steed and dashing off in pursuit,
no talk of retribution for their repeated out-
rages. The patience of Captain Bonneville
was at length exhausted. He had played the
part of a pacificator without success ; he now
altered his tone, and resolved, if possible, to
rouse their war spirit.

Accordingly, convoking their chiefs, he
inveighed against their craven policy, and
urged the necessity of vigorous and retributive
measures, that would check the confidence
and presumption of their enemies, if not inspire

i It

I ^ \

n
I,

(

111

iiiii

I'si

II.

I ,

!■:

41 '

I Si

liiMl

"v^ri

5l9oiinevi[(e'd Bdvcntures

them with awe. For this purpose, he advised
that a war party should be immediately sent
ofiF on the trail of the marauders, to follow
them, if necessary, into the very heart of the
Blackfoot country, and not to leave them until
they had taken signal vengeance. Beside this,
he recommended the organization of minor
war parties, to make reprisals to the extent of
the lossses sustained. " Unless you rouse
yourselves from your apathy," said he, "and
strike some bold and decisive blow, you will
cease to be considered men, or objects of manly
warfare. The very squaws and children of
the Blackfeet will be sent against you, while
their warriors reser\-e themselves for noMer
antagonists. ' '

This harangue had evidently a momentary
effect upon the pride of the hearers. After a
short pause, however, one of the orators arose.
It was bad, he said, to go to war for mere re-
venge. The Great Spirit had given them a
heart for peace, not for war. Thej' had lost
horses, i*^ was true, but they could easily get
others Irom their cousins, the I,ower Nez
Perces, without incurring any risk ; whereas,
in war they should lose men, who were not so
readily replaced. As to their late losses, an
increased watchfulness would prevent any
more misfortunes of the kind. He disapproved,

WV%i-tF«i^^

*«0

2-*

--^^-V' , ^ ••*f^!^^i^ Ci><^::^:^> 1'^, iS^^'^Sf^^ <^^y ''^'

'^ > i:/' C^-cjrriT^ > His. ^Trct^

TKnarUke 'barangue 151

therefore, of all hostile measures ; and all the
other chiefs concurred in his opinion.

Captain Bonucville again took up the point.
"It is true," said he, "the v>reat Spirit has
given you a heart to love j'our friends ; but he
has also given you an arm to strike your ene-
mies. Unless you do something speedily to
put an end to this continual blundering, I must
say farewell. As yet, I have sustained no loss ;
thanks to the precautions which you have
slighted : but my property is too unsafe here ;
my turn will come next ; I and my people will
share the contempt you are bringing upon
yourselves, and will be thought, like you,
poor-spirited beings, who may at any time be
plundered wit' impunity. ' '

The conference broke up with some signs of
excitement on the part of the Indians. Early
the next morning, a party of thirty men set off
in pursuit of the foe, and Captain Bonneville
hoped to hear a good account of the Blackfeet
marauders. To his disappointment, the war
party came lagging back on the following day,
leading a few old, sorr>', broken-down horses,
which the freebooters had not been able to
urge to sufficient speed. The effort exhausted
the martial spirit and satisfied the wounded
pride of the Nez Perces. and they relapsed into
their usual state of passive indifiFerence.

^■ii.

IZi

JXilH-"^ *

'» t

jSSi.

it'

'W^

')&^r^^:^r^L

Gbapter fllllir.

Story of Kosato, the Renegade Blackfoot

IF the meekness and long-swflfering of the
Pierced-Noses grieved the spirit of Captain
Bonneville, there was another individual
in the camp, to whom they were still more
annoying. This w'as a Blackfoot renegado,
named Kosato, a fiery, hot-blooded youth, who,
with a beatitifnl girl of the same tribe, had
taken refuge among the Nez Perccs. Though
adopted into the tribe, he still retained the
warlike spirit of his race, and loathed the
peaceful, inoffensive habits of those around
him. The hunting of the deer, the elk, and
the buffalo, which was the height of their am-
bition, was too tame to satisfy his wild and
restless nature. His heart burned for the
foray, the ambush, the .skirmish, the scamper,
and all the haps and hazards of roving and
predatory warfare.

The recent hoverings of the Blackfeet about
152

i •

'%^0^^m^.

ftoaato, tbc IRcnc^a^c JBlachtoot

the camp, and their nightly prowls, and daring
and successful marauds, had kept him in a
fever and a flutter ; like a hawk in a cage,
who hears his late companions swooping and
screaming in wild liberty above him. The
attempt of Captain Bonneville to rouse the war
spirit of the Nez Perces, air' prompt them to
retaliation, was ardently seconded by Kosato,
For several days he was incessantly devising
schemes of vengeance, and endeavoring to set
on foot an expedition that should carry dismay
and desolation into the Blackfeet towns. All
his art was exerted to touch upon those springs
of humai; action with which he was most fa-
miliar. He drew the listening savages round
him by his ner\'ous eloquence ; taunted them
with recitals of past wrongs and insults ; drew
glowing pictures of triumphs and trophies
within their reach ; recounted tales of daring
and romantic enterprise, of secret marchings,
covert lurkings, n\idnight surprisals, sackings,
burnings, plunderings, '"".Ipings ; together
with the triumphant return, and the feasting
and rejoicing of the victors. These wild tales
were intermingled with the beating of the
drum, the yell, the war-whoop, and the war-
dance, so inspiring to Indian valor. All,
however, were lost upon the peaceful spirits of
his hearers ; not a Nez Perce was to be roused

"M,-)

.^^.^ ,.

i'ljll

I'd;

I .

•ill'

J'
■\'\

T^r*^:^ ^/^ jrr\-2

J8onncvtl(e'0 BJ>venti •"'

154

to vengeance, or stimulated to glorious \var.
In the bitterness of his heart, the Blackfoot
renegado repined at the mishap which had
severed him from a race of congenial spirits,
and driven him to take refuge among beings
so destitute of martial fire.

Tlie character and conduct of this man at-
tracted the attention of Captain Bonneville,
and he was anxious to hear the reason why he
had deserted his tribe, and why he looked
back upon them with such deadly hostility.
Kosato told him his own story briefly ; — it
gives a picture of the deep, strong passions
that work in the bosoms of these miscalled
stoics.

" You see my wife," said he; " she is good ;
she is beautiful — I love her. Yet, she has
been the cause of all my troubles. She was
the wife of my chief. I loved her more than
he did ; and she knew it. We talked to-
gether ; we laughed together ; we were always
seeking each other's society ; but we were as
innocent as children. The chief grew jealous,
and commanded her to speak with me no
more. His heart became hard towards her ;
his jealousy grew more furious. He beat her
without cause and without mercy ; and threat-
ened to kill her outright, if she even looked at
me. Do you want traces of his fury ? Look

Stors of ftosato

155

at that scar ! His rage against me was no less
persecuting. War parties of the Crows were
hovering round us ; our young men had seen
their trail. All hearts were roused for action ;
my horses were before my lodge. Suddenly
the chief came, took them to his own pickets,
and called them his own. What could I do ? —
he was a chief. I durst not speak, but my
heart was burning. I joined no longer in the
council, the hunt, or the war-feast. What had
I to do there ? an unhorsed, degraded warrior.
I kept by myself, and thought of nothing but
these wrongs and outrages.

"I was .sitting one evening upon a knoll
that overlooked the meadow where the horses
were pastured. I saw the horses that were
once mine grazing among those of the chief.
This maddened me, and I sat brooding for a
time over the injuries I had suffered, and the
cruelties which she I loved had endured for
my sake, until my heart swelled and grew
sore, and my teeth were clinched. As I looked
down upon the meadow, I saw the chief walk-
ing among his horses. I fastened my eyes on
him as a hawk's ; my blood boiled ; I drew
my breath hard. He went among the willows.
In an instant I was on my feet : my hand was
on my knife — I flew rather than ran — before
he was aware, I sprang upon him, and with

Mt^tulifi'^^iii

I ,

III

i 1 i

III

3Qoitncril(c'd B^vcnturc^

two blows laid hitn dead at tny feet. I covered
his body with earth, and strewed bushes over
the place ; then hastened to her I loved, told
her what I had done, and urged her to fly with
lue. She only answered nie with tears. I
reminded her of the wrongs I had suffered,
and of the blows and stripes she had endured
from the deceased ; I had done nothing but an
act of justice. I again urged her to fly ; but
she only wept the moie, and bade me go. .My
heart was heavy, but my eyes were dry. I
folded my arms. ' 'Tis well,' said I, ' Kosato
will go alone to the desert. None will be with
him but the wild beasts of the desert. The
seekers of blood may follow on his trail. They
may come upon him when he sleeps, and glut
their revenge ; but you will be safe. Kosato
will go jl(me.'

" I turned away. She sprang after me, and
strained me in her arms. *No,' cried she,
' Kosato shall not go alone ! Wherever he
goes I will go — he shall never part from me. '

" We hastily took in our hands such things
as we most needed, and stealing quietly from
the village, mounted the first horses we en-
countered. Speeding day and night, we soon
reached this tribe. They received us with
welcome, and we have dwelt with them in
peace. They are good and kind : they are

^o>fj

'-\

^^K

<n\

StorKj or Ikodato

honest ; but their hearts are the hearts of
\.()inen. "

Such was the story of Kosato, as related l)y
him to Captain Bonneville. It is of a kind
that often occurs in Indian life ; where love
elopements from tribe to tribe are as frequent
as among the novel-read heroes and heroines
of sentinieJital civilization, and often give rise
to bloody and lasting feuds.

I I \'

^^<<:*^<,j>fi

^.-^

^
^

^h1

.:^

Cbaptcc PW.

The Part} Enters the Mountain Gorge — A Wild
Fastness among the Hills — Mountain Mutton —
Peace and Plenty — The Amorous Trapper — A Pie-
bald Wedding— A Free Trapper's Wife— Her Gala
Equipments — Christmas in the Wilderness.

N the 19th of Deceml)er Captain Bonne-
ville and his confederate Indians raised
their camp, and entered the narrow
gorge made by the north fork of Salmon River.
Up this laj- the secure and plenteous hunting
region so temptingly described by the Indians.
Since leaving Green River the plains had
invariabl}' been of loose sand or coarse gravel,
and the rocky formation of the mountains of
primitive limestone. The rivers, in general,
were skirted with willows and bitter cotton-
wood trees, and the prairies covered with
wormwood. In the hollow breast of the
mountains which they were now penetrating,
the surrounding heights were clothed with

■«-■?<; V

pine ; while the declivities of the lower hills
afforded abundance of bunch grass for the
horses.

As the Indians had represented, they were
now in a natural fastness of the mountains,
the ingress and egress of which was by a deep
gorge, so narrow, rugged, and difficult, as to
prevent secret approach or rapid retreat, and
to admit of easy defense. The Blackfeet,
therefore, refrained from venturing in after the
Nez Perces, awaiting a better chance, when
they should once more emerge into the open
fijjj country.

Captain Bonneville soon found that the
Indians had not exaggerated the advantages
of this region. Besides numerous gangs of
elk, large flocks of the ahsahta or bighorn, the
mountain sheep, were to be seen bounding
among the precipices. These simple animals
were easily circumvented and destroyed. A
few hunters may surround a flock and kill as
many as they please. Numbers were daily
brought into camp, and the flesh of those
which were young and fat was extolled as
superior to the finest mutton.

Here, then, there was a cessation from toil,
from hunger, and alarm. Past ills and dangers
were forgotten. The hunt, the game, the song,
the story, the rough though good-humored

<i:.J

•■ )

I )

I, I

'it.

(^1

SJonnevUle'B BDvcnturcs

joke, made time pass joyously away, and plenty
and seciirit}- reigned throughout the camp.

Idleness and ease, it is said, lead to love,
and love to matrimony, in civilized life, and
the same process takes place in the wilderness.
Filled with good cheer and mountain mutton,
one of the free + rappers began to repine at the
solitude of his lodge, and to experience the
force of that great law of nature, " It is not
meet for man to live alone."

After a night of grave cogitation, he repaired
to Kowsoter, the Pierced-Xose chief ; and un-
folded to him the secret workings of his bosom.

"I want," said he, " a wife. Give me one
from among j-our tribe. Not a young, giddy-
pated girl, that will think of notliing but
flaunting and finery, but a .sober, discreet,
hard-working squaw ; one that will share my
lot without flinching, however hard it may be ;
that can take care of my lodge and be a com-
panion and a helpmate to me in the wilder-
ness." Kowsoter promised to look around
among the females of his tribe, and procure
such a one as he desired. Two days were
requisite for the search. At the expiration of
these, Kowsoter called at his lodge and informed
him that he would bring his 1)ride to him in
the course of the afternoon. He kept his word.
At the appointed time he approached, leading

^^^^M^mm^^

U (Trapper TlUcODing

i6i c^^

the bride, a comely copper-colored dame, at-
tired ill her Indian finery. Her father, mother,
brothers by the half dozen, and cousins by the
score, all followed on to grace the ceremony,
and greet the new and important relative.

The trapper i'!cei\ed his new and numer-
ous family connection with proper solemnity ;
he placed his bride beside him, and, filling the
pipe, the great symbol of peace, with his best
tobacco, took two or three whiffs, then handed
it to the chief, who transferred it to the father
of the bride, from whom it was passed on from
hand to hand and mouth to mouth of the
whole circle of kinsmen round the fire, all
maintaining the most profound and becoming
silence.

After several pipes had been filled and emp-
tied in this solemn ceremonial, the chief ad-
dressed the bride ; detailing at considerable
length, the duties of a wife, which, among
Indians, are little less onerous than those of
the pack-horse ; this done, he turned to her
friends, and congratulated them upon the great
alliance she had made. They showed a due
sense of their good fortune, especially when
the imptial presents came to be distributed
among the chiefs and relatives, amounting to
about one hundred and eighty dollars. The
company soon retired, and now the worthy

(r I.

m^:S^

ii.

1 1

'k.<

i i

fll:

{i.r

lf)2

3ConnevUlc'i3 BDvcnturcB

trapper found, indeed, that he had no green
girl to deal with ; for the knowing dame
at once assumed the style and dignity of a
trapper's wife, taking possession of the lodge
as her • indisputed empire ; arranging every-
thing according to her own taste and habitudes ;
and appearing as much at home, and on as
easy terms with the trapper, as if they had
been man and wife for years.

We have already given a picture of a free
trapper and his horse, as furnished by Captain
Bonneville ; we shall here subjoin, as a com-
panion picture, his description of a free trap-
per's wife, that the reader may have a correct
idea of the kind of blessing the worthy hunter
in question had invoked to solace him in the
wilderness.

"The free trapper, while a bacliiilc-, has no
greater pet than his horse ; but the momeiit
he takes a wife (a sort of brevet rank in matri-
mony occasionally bestowed upon some Indian
fair one, like the heroes of ancient chivalry, in
the open field), he discovers that he has a still
more fanciful and capricious animal on which
to lavish his expenses.

" No sooner does an Indian belle experience
this promotion, than all her notions at once
rise and expand to the dignity of her situation ;
and the purse of her lover, and his credit into

«=

(•^ji>^^:il^T:^

a ffvce Crappcr'8 XUlfe

the bargain, are tasked to the utmost to fit her
out in bcconiitig style. The \vi*e of a free
trapper to be equipped and arrayed Hke any
ordinary and undistinguished squaw ? Perish
the groveUing thought ! In the first place,
she must have a horse for her own riding ; but
no jaded, sorry, earth-spirited hack ; such as
is sometimes assigned by an Indian husband
for the transportation of his squaw and her
pappooses : the wife of a free trapper must
have the most beautiful animal she can lay
her eyes on. And then, as to his decoration :
headstall, breast-bands, saddle, and crupper are
lavishly embroidered with beads, and hung
with thimbles, hawks" bells, and bunches of
ribands. From each side of the saddle hangs
an csquimoot, a sort of pocket, in which she
bestows the residue of her trinkets and knick-
knacks, which cannot be crowded on the dec-
oration of her horse or herself. Over this
she folds, with great care, a drapery of scarlet
and bright-colored calicoes, and now considers
the caparison of her steed complete.

"As to her own person, she is even sail
more extravagant. Her hair, esteemed beau-
tiful in proportion to its length, is carefully
plaited, and made to fall with seeming negli-
gence over either breast. Her riding hat is
stuck full of parti-colored feathers ; her robe,

V^ ;

L-'-'y

\ ii

♦ lb

-4

)

f! ■'

i! H

'^:^:^m ' ^ "

'('•

:■ t

\ \\

JBi^nncvlllc's BDvcnturcd

fashioned somewhat after that of the whites,
is of red, green, and sometimes gray cloth, but
ahva\'S of the finest texture that can be pro-
cured. Her leggins and moccasins are of the
most beautiful and expensive workmanship,
and fitted neatly to the foot and ankle, which
with the Indian women are generally well
formed and delicate. Then as to jewelrj' : in
the way of finger-rings, ear-rings, necklaces,
and other female glides, nothing within reach
of the trapper's means is omitted, that can tend
to impress the beholder with an idea of the
lady's high estate. To finish the whole, she
selects from among her blankets of various
dyes, one of some glowing color, and throwing
it over her shoulders with a native grace,
vaults into the saddle of her gay, prancing
steed, and is ready to follow her mountaineer
' to the last gasp with love and loyalty.' "

Such is the general picture of the free trap-
per's wife, given by Captain Bonneville ; how
far it applied in its details to the one in ques-
tion does not altogether appear, though it
would seem from the outset of her commbial
career, that she was ready to avail herself of
all the pomp and circumstance of her new con-
dition. It is worthy of mention that, wher-
ever there are several wives of free trappers
in a camp, the keenest rivalry exists between

them, to the sore detriment of their husbands'
'^■J purses. Their whole time is expended, and
their ingenuity tasked by endeavors to echpse
each other in dress and decoration. The
jealousies and heart-burnings thus occasioned
among these, so styled, children of nature
are equally intense with those of the rival
leaders of style and fashion in the luxurious
abodes of civilized life.

The genial festival of Christmas, which
throughout all Christendom lights up the fire-
side of home with mirth and jollity, followed
hard upon the wedding just described. Though
far from kindred and friends, Captain Boinie-
ville and his handful of free trappers were not
disposed to suffer the festival to pass unen-
joyed ; thej' were in a region of good cheer,
and were disposed to be joyous ; so it was de-
termined to "light up the yule clog," and
celebrate a merry Christmas in the heart of the
wilderness.

On Christmr.s eve, accordingly, they began
their rude fetes and rejoicings. In the course
of the night the free trappers surrounded the
lodge of the Pierce-Nosed chief, and in lieu of
Christmas carols, saluted him with o. feu de
joie.

Kowsoter received it in a truly Christian
spirit, and after a speech, in which he ex-

to 6?^:^^^

ii., \i

^ I

It.

I*!

:ii'

. h, I

' I ,

i '•

presseci his high gratification at the honoi
done him, invited the whole company to a
ieast on the following day. His invitation
was gladly accepted. A Christmas dinner in
the wigwam of an Indian chief ! There was
novelty in the idea. Not one failed ti; be prcs-
\\.5l ent. The banquet was .ser\'ed up in primitive
style : .skins of various kinds, nicely dressed
for the occasion, were spread upon the ground ;
upon these were heaped up abundance of veni-
son, elk meat, and mountain mutton ; with
various bitter roots, which the Indians use as
condiments.

After a short prayer, the company all seated
themselves cross-legged, in Turkish fashion,
to the banquet, which passed off with great
hilarity. After which various games of strength
and agility, by both white men and Indians,
closed the Christtnas festivities.

■VVo

fe.

v^o

=^:5<:->

Cbaptcr i*U.

A Hunt after Hunters — Hutij^ry Times — A Voracious
Repast — Wintry Weather— Goilin's River— Splen-
did Winter Scene on the Great Lava Plain of Snake
River — Severe Travelling and Tramping in the
Snow — MancEUvres of a Solitary Indian Horseman
— Encampment on Snake River — Banneck Indians
— The Horse Chief— His Charmed Life.

THE continued absence of Matthieit and
his party had, by this time, caused great
uneasiness in the mind of Captain Bonne-
ville ; and, finding there was no dependence
to be placed upon the perseverance and cottr-
age of scotiting parties, in so perilous a quest,
he determined to set out himself on the search,
atid to keep on until he sliould ascertain some-
thing of the object of his solicitude.

Accordingly, on the 26th December, he left
the camp, accompanied by thirteen stark trap-
pers and hunters, all well mounted and armed
for dangerous enterprise. On the following
morning they passed out at the head of the

N*^.'

'ji^

^J!

!>'

1' '

1 1

:i;

*••

. >

1 )

l68

38oimcvUlc's aovcnturcs

mountain gorge, and sallied forth into the
open plain. As they confidently expected a
brush with the Black leet, or some other preda-
tory horde, they moved with great circum-
spection, and kept vigilant watch in their
encampments.

In the course of another day they left the
main branch of Salmon River, and proceeded
south towards a pass called John Day's Defile.
It was severe and arduous travelling. The
plains were swept by keen and bitter blasts
of wintr>- wind ; the ground was generally
covered with snow, game was scarce, so that
hunger generally prevailed in the camp, while
the want of pasturage soon began to manifest
itself in the declining vigor of the horses.

The party had scarcely encamped on the
afternoon of the 28th, when two of the hunt-
ers who had sallied forth in quest of game
came galloping back in great alarm. While
hunting they had perceived a party of sav-
ages, evidently manoeuvring to cut them off
from the camp ; and nothing had saved them
from being entrapped but the speed of their
horses.

These tidings struck dismay into the camp.
Captain Bonneville endeavorsd to reassure his
men by representing the position of their en-
campment, and its capability of defense. He

b^-

fjunger in tbe Camp

then ordered the horses to be driven in and
picketed, and threw up a rough breastwork of
fallen trunks of trees, and the vegetable rub-
bish of the wilderness. Within this barrier
was maintained a vigilant watch throughout
the night, which passed away without alarm.
At early dawn they scrutinized the surround-
ing plain, to discover whether any enemies
had been lurking about during the night ; not
a foot-print, however, was to be discovered in
the coarse gravel with which the plain was
covered.

Hunger now began to cause more uneasi-
ness than the apprehensions of surrounding
enemies. After marching a few miles they
encamped at the foot of a mountain, in hopes
of finding buffalo. It was not until the next
day that they discovered a pair of fine bulls
on the edge of the plain, among rocks and
ravines. Hav'ing now been two days and a
half without a mouthful of food, they took
especial care that these animals should not
escape them. While some of the surest marks-
men advanced cautiously with their rifles into
the rough ground, four of the best mounted
horsemen took their stations in the plain, to
run the bulls down should they only be
maimed.

The buffalo were wounded, and set off in

' (

ill

I '«

I,,

l^l^i

4/^^^ ^.^rW.

s:: .:®«®60&s;^s«i

170

JBonncvillc'jj BDvcnturca

headlong flight. The half-famished horses
were too weak to overtake them on the frozen
ground, but SU( ceeded in driving them on the
ice, where they slipped and fell, and were easi-
\y dispatched. The hunters loaded themselves
with beef for present and future supply, and
then returned and encamped at the last ii'ght's
fire. Here they passed the remainder of the
day, cooking, and eating with a voracity pro
portioned to previous starvation ; forgetting,
in the hearty revel of the moment, the certain
dangers with which they were environed.

The cravings of hunger being satisfied, they
now began to debate about their further pro-
gress. The men were much disheartened by
the hardships they had already endured. In-
deed, two who had been in the rear-guard, tak-
ing advantageoflhcirposition had deserted and
returned to the lodges of the Nez Perces. The
prospect ahead was enough to stagger the
stoutest heart. They were in the dead of
winter. As far as the eye could reach, the
wild landscape was wrapped in snow ; which
was evidently deepening as they advanced.
Over this they would have to toil with the icy
wind blowing in their faces ; their horses might
give out through want of pasturage ; and they
themselves must expect intervals of horrible

famine like that they had already experienced.

-j^

Untcndc ColD

I7X

With Captain Bonneville, however, perse-
verance was a matter of pride ; and having
undertaken this enterprise, nothing could turn
him back until it was accomplished : though he
declares that, had he anticipated the difhcul-
ties and sufferings which attended it, he should
have flinched from the undertaking

Onward, therefore, the little band urged
their way, keeping along the course of a
stream called John Day's Creek. The cold
was so intense that they had frefjuently to dis-
mount and travel on foot, lest they .should
freeze in their saddles. The days, which, at
this sea.son, are short enough even in the open
prairies, were narroweil to a few hours Ijy the
high mountains, which allowed the travellers
but a brief enjoyment of the cheering rays of
the sun. The snow was, generally, at least
twenty inches in depth, and in many places
much more : those who dismounted had to beat
their way with toilsome steps. Eight miles
were considered a good day's journey. The
horses were almost famished ; for the herbage
was covered by the deep snow, .so that they had
nothing to subsist upon but scanty wisps of
the dry bunch grass which peered above the
surface, and the small branches and twigs of
frozen willows and wor:nwo<Kl.

In this way they urged their slow and pain-

Otj

^m^ %i^

1 1

i!lM

%'^-H ' j7^^!S9HHMcy''^^MI'!)i''W''''*^!Ht3ir~

I Iv

I' I

172

JBonncvUIe'd BDvcnturcd

l'^^

fill course to the south down John Day's Creek,
until it lost itself in a swamp. Here they en-
camped upon the ice among stiffened willows,
where they were obliged to beat down and
clear away the snow to procure pasturage for
their horses.

Hence, they toiled on to Godin River ; so
called after an Iroquois hunter in the service
of Sublette, who was murdered there by the
Blackfeet. Many of the features of this remote
wilderness are thus named after scenes of vio-
lence and bloodshed that occurred to the early
pioneers. It was an act of filial vengeance on
the part of Godin's son, Antoine, that, as the
reader may recollect, brought on the recent
battle at Pierre's Hole.

From Godin's River, Captain Bonneville
and his followers came out upon the plain of
the Three Butes ; so called from three singular
and isolated hills that rise from the midst. It
is a part of the great desert of Snake River,
one of the most remarkable tracts beyond the
mountains. Could they have experienced a
respite from their sufferings and anxieties, the
immense landscape spread out before them was
calculated to inspire admiration. Winter has
its beauties and glories, as well as summer ;
and Captain Bonneville had the soul to appre-
ciate them.

Indians Crossntg a Kivcr to a Trading

From an cia lithogyaph. ,

I Hi
•I ■'
I

•i; '

1 1'

I'll

•'/'

I 4

ill

,1'

Far away, says he, over the vast plains, and
up the steep sides of the lofty mountains, the
snow lay spread in dazzling whiteness : and
whenever the sun emerged in the morning
above the giant peaks, or burst forth from
among clouds in his mid-day course, moun-
tain and dell, glazed rock and frosted tree,
glowed and sparkled with surpassing lustre.
The tall pines seemed sprinkled with a silver
dust, and the willows, studded with minute
icicles reflecting the prismatic rays, brought to
mind the fairy trees conj ured up by the caliph's
story-teller, to adorn his vale of diamonds.

The poor wanderers, however, nearly starved
with hunger and cold, were in no mood to en-
joy the glr.r'.'^s of these brilliant scenes ;
though they stamped pictures on their mem-
ory which have been recalled with delight in
more genial situations.

Encamping at the west Bute, they found a
place swept by the winds, so that it was bare
of snow, and there was abundance of bunch
grass. Here the horses were turned loose to
graze throughout the night. Though for once
they had ample pasturage, yet the keen winds
were so intense that, in the morning, a mule
was found frozen to death. The trappers
gathered round and mourned over him as over
a cherished friend. They feared their

, j^

'CO

II ill

Ill
1

ill,!!'
i'

''»

'/,;:,,

^..'"^•C* ^'

li I

174

:ffio»mcville*3 aDvcntures

;

famished horses would soon share his fate, for
there seemed scarce blood enough left in their
veius to withstand the freezing cold. To beat
the way farther through the snow with these
enfeebled animals seemed next to impossible ;
and despondency began to creep over their
hearts when, fortunately, they discovered a
trail made by some hunting party. Into this
they immediately entered, and ])roceeded with
less difficulty. Shortly afterward, a fine buffalo
bull came boundiu"; across the snow, and was
instantly bmught down bj' the hunters. A
fire was soon blazing and crackling, and an
ample repast soon cooked, and sooner dis-
patched, after which they made some further
progress and thcin encamped. One of the men
t -Vi^;f reached the camp nearl>- frozen to death ; but
good cheer and a blazing fire gradualh ' -
stored life, and put his blood in circulation.

Having now a beaten path, they proceeded
the next morning with more facility ; indeed
the snow decreased in depth as they receded
from the mountains, and the temperature be-
came more mild. In the course of the daj',
they discovered a .solitary honseman hovering
at a distance before them on the plain. They
spurred on to overtake him ; but he was better
mounted on a fresher steed, and kept at a wary
distance, reconnoitring them with evident dis-

tA^

C^^^-"*^^

^"-*^:S^-'^ •''"~=^p==^ r^' L

.V..J,- y t' r ^■ "i.xu-^ '^^ \c --^tit

B XUilD Iborecman

175

trust ; the wild dress of the free trappers, their
leggi?is, blanket, and cloth caps garnished
with fur and topped off with feathers, even
their very elf-locks and weather-bronzed com-
plexions, gave them the look of Indians rather
than Avliite men, and made him mistake them
for a war party of some hostile tribe.

After much manoeuvring, the wild horseman
was at length brought to a parley ; but even
then he conducted himself with the caution of
a knowing prowler of the prairies. Dismount-
ing from his horse, and using him as a breast-
work, he levelled his gun across his back, and,
thus prepared for defense like a wary cruiser
upon the high seas, he pcnnitted himself to be
approached within speaking distance.

He prove.' to be an Indian of the Banneck
tribe, belonging to a band at no great distance.
It was some time before he could be persuaded
that he was conversing with a party of white
men, and induced to la}' aside his reserve and
join them. He then gave them the interesting
intelligence, that there were two companies of
white men encamped in the neighborhood. This
was cheering news to Captain Bonneville ; who
hoped to find in one of them the long-sought
party of Matthieu. Pushing forward , therefore,
with renovated spirits, he reached Snake Ri\'er
by nightfall, and there fixed his encampment.

ijM<?2r:-

rf-^

"'•I

"ji'i'
III'

> <^6''%!S'

l5<^-'

nil

176

.IBonncvtlIc'9 BDvctiturce

■HSi

Early the next morning (13th January, 1833),
diligent search was made about the neighbor-
hood for traces of the reported parties of white
men. An encampment was soon discovered,
about four miles farther up the river ; in which
Captain Bonneville, to his great joy, found
two of Matthieu's men, from whom he learnt
that the rest of his party would be there in the
course of a few days. It was a matter of great
pride and self-congratulation to Captain Bon-
neville, that he had thus accomplished his
drearj' and doubtful enterprise ; and he deter-
mined to pass some time in this encampment,
both to wait the return of Mattliieu, and to
give needful repose to men and horses.

It was, in fact, one of the most eligible and
delightful wintering grounds in that whole
range of countrj-. The Snake River here
wound its devious way between low banks
through the great plain of the Three Butes ;
and was bordered by wide and fertile meadows.
It was studded with islands, which, like the
alluvial bottoms, were covered with groves of
cotton-wood, thickets of willow, tracts of good
lowland grass, and abundance of green rushes.
The adjacent plains were so vast in extent,
that no single band of Indians could drive the
buffalo out of them ; nor was the snow of
sufl&cient depth to give any serious incon-

venience. Indeed, during the sojourn of Cap-
tain Bonneville in this neighborhood, which
was in the heart of winter, he found the
weather, with the exception of a few cold and
stormy days, generally mild and pleasant ;
freezing a little at night, but invariably thaw-
ing with the morning's sun — resembling the
spring weather in the middle parts of the
United States.

The lofty range of the Three Teton^, those
great landmarks of the Rocky Mountains,
rising in the east, and circling away to the
north and west of the great plain of Snake
River ; and the mountains of Salt River and
Portneuf towards the south, catch the earliest
falls of snow. Their white robes lengthen as
the winter advances, and spread themselves
far into the plain, driving the buffalo in herds
to the banks of the river in quest of food ;
where they are easily slain in great numbers.

Such were the palpable advantages of this
winter encampment ; added to which, it was
secure from the prowlings and plunderings of
any petty band of roving Blackfeet ; the diffi-
culties of retreat rendering it unwise for those
crafty depredators to venture an attack, unless
with an overpowering force.

About ten miles below the encampment lay
the Banneck Indians ; numbering about one

VOL. I.— la

.'vr'^

, 'I

■'I,!

II'

II.

"I IJ

ii!;

M^-^ r^^. a5>. , V iXf «^^,,*^^"

-> <J^ V-^ "^..>^ fc,'^ ^ .-

■^^\i>^ ^*.V' ntv

3Bonncvillc'0 B^venturc^

hundred and twenty lodges. They are brave
and cunning warriors, and deadly foes of the
Blackfeet, whom they easily overcome in bat-
tles where their forces are equal. They are
not vengeful and enterprising in warfare, how-
ever ; seldom sending war parties to attack
the Blackfeet towns, but contenting themselves
with defending their own territories and house.
About one third of their warriors are armed
with fuaees ; the rest with bows and arrows.

As soon as the .spring opens, they move
down the right bank of Snake River, and en-
camp at the heads of the Boisce and Payette.
Here their horses wax fat on good pasturage,
while the tribe revels in plenty upon the flesh
of deer, elk, bear, and beaver. They then de-
scend a little farther, and are met by the Lower
Nez Perccs, with whom they trade for horses ;
giving in exchange beaver, buffalo, and buffalo
robes. Hence they strike upon the tributary
streams on the left bank of Snake River, and
encamp at the rise of the Portneuf and Black-
foot streams, in the buffalo range. Their
horses, although of the Nez Perce breed, are
inferior to the parent stock, from being ridden
at too early an age ; being often bought when
but two years old, and immediately put to
hard work. They have fewer horses, also,
than most of these migratory tribes.

kuj:^^

\_J^

^•^'r^., .^y'^.i-T^.-^-^^ ,.csr>ir^.,_ '>?^-.

£>^ *-t-J!5»

Zbc t>ot0c Cbief

^j^^^-'Oy <

179

At the time that Captain Bonneville came
into the neighborhood of these Indians, they
were all in mourning for their chief, surnamed
7/W\ ^^^ Horse. This chief was said to possess a
charmed life, or rather, to be invulnerable to
lead ; no bullet having ever hit him, though
he had been in repeated battles, and often shot
at bj' the surest marksmen. He had shown
great magnanimity in his intercourse with the
white men. One of the great men of his
family had been slain in an attack upon a band
of trappers passing through the territories of
.'/ji\\\\ his tribe. Vengeance had been sworn by the
L *M^ Bannecks ; but The Horse interfered, declar-
ing himself the friend of white men, and, hav-
ing great influence and authority among his
people, he compelled them to forego all vin-
dictive plans, and to conduct themselves ami-
cably whenever they came in contact with the
traders.

This chief had bravely fallen in resisting an
attack made by the Blackfeet upon his tribe,
while encamped at the head of the Godin River.
His fall in nowise lessened the faith of his
people in his charmed life ; for they declared
that it was not a bullet which laid him low,
but a bit of Korn which had been .shot into him
by some Blackfoot marksman ; aware no doubt,
of the inefficiency of lead. Since his death,

;ii

-I i

fi I 'I

- 4^"^^^^^

u>j

SBonncvUlc'd BDvcnturc0

there was no otie with sufficient influence over
the tribe to restrain the wild and predatory-
propensities of the youn,i( men. The conse-
quence was, they had become troublesome and
dangerous neighbors ; openly friendly, for the
sake of traffic, l)Ut disposed to commit secret
depredations, and to molest any small party
that might fall within their reach.

--"W

(

■J I

Gbapter JDH.

•^cP

r-i

Misadvciituris of Matthicu and his Party — Return to
the Caches at Sahnoii River — Battle between Xez
Perces and lUackfeet— Ileroistn of a Nez Perce
Woman — Knrolled atnon^ the Uraves.

ON the 3(1 of February, Matthieu, with
the residue of liis band, arrived in
camp. He had a disastrous story to
relate. After parting with Captain Bonneville
in Green River \'alley, he had proceeded to
the westward, keeping to the north of the Eu-
taw Mountains, a .spur of the great Rocky
chain. Here he experienced the most rugged
travelling for his horses, and soon discovered
that there was but little chance of meeting the
Shoshonie bands. He now proceeded along
Bear River, a stream much freqttented by trap-
pers ; intending to shape his course to Salmon
River, to rejoin Captain Bonneville.

He was misled, however, either through the
ignorance or treachery of an Indian guide, and

■xS^

I II

■'SSSSPi-

i {

i i

:fi3onnev>tlle'0 Bdventures

conducted into a wild valley, where he lay
encamped d ^ -ing the autumn and the earlj'
part of the winter, nearly buried in snow, and
almost starved. Early in the season he de-
tached five men, with nine horses, to proceed
to the neighborhood of Sheep Rock, on Bear
River, where game was plenty, and there to
procure a supply for the camp. They had not
proceeded far on their expedition, when their
trail was d. ;covered by a party of nine or ten
Indians, w ;;o immediately commenced a lurk-
ing pursuit, dogging them secretly for five or
six days. So long as their encampments were
well f^ho.sen, and a proper watch maintained,
the wary savages kept aloof; at length, observ-
ing that they were badly encamped, in a situa-
tioti where they might be approached with
secrecy, thec'ierr. ,- crept stealthily along under
cover of »he r". .'fr bank, preparing to burst
suddenly upon their prey.

They hid n-^t advanced within striking dis-
tance, however, before the were discovered by
one of the trappt.-r... He immediately, but
silently, gave the alarm to his companions.
Tiiey all sprang upon their horses, and pre-
pared to retreat to a safe position. One of the
party, however, named Jemiings, doubted the
correctness of the alarm, and before he mounted
his horse, wanted to ascertain the fact. His

'MM

->.«

*>-A

■d

n'^

~-r

■1

War Dance of the Banneck Indiam

From an old f«>',"i;7'/«i'.

" I

n^^"

ill III

^^y^

1^.

SSUB^

if,

HI '

!i ^

* t. '"miffr'

I ,

i I

I- i
it (

"n,,

•Is

■H'i

,'"''""

['iiij;/(iiii^''

iu\v5

' .)/

flVv

Encounter witb IfnMans 183

companions urged him to mount, but in vain ;
he was incredulous and obstinate. A volley
of fire-arms by the savages dispelled his doubts,
but so overpowered his nerves that he was
unable to get into his saddle. His comrades,
seeing his peril and confusion, generously leapt
from their horses to protect him. A .'.lot from
a rifle brought him to the earth ; in . .is agony
he called upon the others not to desert him.
Two of them, L,e Roy and Ross, after fighting
desperately, were captured by the savages ; the
remaining two vaulted into their saddles, and
saved themselves by headlong flight, being
pursued for nearly thirtj' miles. They got safe
back to Matthieu's camp, where their story in-
spired such dread of lurking Indians, that the
hunters could not be prevailed upon to under-
take another foray in quest of provisions.
They remained, therefore, almost starving in
their camp ; now and then killing an old or
disabled horse for food, while the elk and the
mountain sheep roamed unmolested among the
surrounding mountains.

The disastrous surprisal of this hunting
party is cited by Captain Bonneville to show
the importance of vigilant watching and judi-
cious encampments in the Indian country.
Most of this kind of disasters to traders and
trappers arise from some careless inattention

M:b

,/'/'

! li

'il

Sties'

184 JBonucpillc'6 BDveiUureg

to the state of their arms and ammunition, the
placing of their horses at night, the position
of their camping ground, and the posting of
their night watches. The Indian is a vigilant
and crafty foe ; by no means given to hare-
brained assaults ; he seldom attacks when he
finds his foe well prepared and on the alert.
Caution is at least as efficacious a protection
against him as courage.

The Indians who made this attack were at
first supposed to be ;31ackfeet ; until Captain
Bonneville found, subsequently, in tlie camp
of the Bannccks, a horse, saddle, and bridle,
which he recognized as having belonged to
one of the hunters. The Baimecks, however,
stoutly denied "having taken these spoils in
fight, and persisted in affirming that the out-
rage had been perpetrated by a Blackfoot band.

Captain Bonneville remained on Snake River
nearly three weeks after the arrival of Matthieu
and his party. At length his horses having
recovered strength .sufficient for a journey, he
prepared to return to the Nez Perces, or rather
to visit his caches on Salmon River ; that he
might take thence goods and equipments for
the opening uf the season. Accordingl}', leav-
ing sixteen men at Snake River, he set out on
the 19th of February, with sixteen others, on
his journey to the caches.

l^/

.-»»«Mnjfcn» >»,■»•»

i'^K.f

/^i

1bar?8bip3 of tbc ^arcb

185

Fording the river, he proceeded to the bor-
ders of the deep snow, when he encamped under
the lee of immense piles of burnt rock. On the
2ist he was again floundering through the
snow, on the great Snake River plain, where
it lay to the depth of thirty inches. It was
sufficiently incrusted to bear a pedestrian ; but
the poor horses broke through the crust, and
plunged and strained at every step. So lacer-
ated were they by the ice, that it was necessary
to change the front every hundred yards, and
put a different one in the advance, to break
the waj'. The open prairies were swept by a
piercing and biting wind from the northwest.
At night, thej' had to task their ingenuity to
provide shelter and keep from freezing. In
the first place, they dug deep holes in the snow,
piling it up in ramparts to windward, as a pro-
tection against the blast. Beneath these, they
spread buffalo skins ; upon which they
stretched themselves in full dress, with caps,
cloaks, and moccasins, and covered themselves
with numerous blankets ; notwithstanding all
which, they were often severely pinched with
the cold.

On the 2Sth of February, they arrived on the
banks of Godin River. This stream emerges
from the mountains opposite an eastern branch
of the Malade River, running southeast, forms

''->

a-N

^.-P

<f%i

I. I

li: II

.11 fl
1 .1

I'll

hi-

I I

^f?^

^-■^ iT*;

i86

SSonncvtUe'a ZlDventurcs

a deep and swift current about twenty yards
wide, passing rapidly through a defile to which
it gives its name, and then enters the great
plain, where, after meandering about forty
miles, it is finally lost in the region of the
Bunit Rocks,

On the banks of this river. Captain Bonne-
ville was so fortunate as to come upon a buffalo
trail. Following it up. he entered the defile,
where he remained encamped for two days, to
allow the hunters time to kill and dry a supply
of buffalo beef. In this sheltered defile, the
weather was moderate, and grass was already
sprouting more than an inch in height. There
was abundance, too, of the salt weed ; which
grows most plentiful in clayey and gravelly
barrens. It resembles pennyroyal, and derives
its name from a partial .saltness. It is a nour-
ishing food for the horses in the winter, but
they reject it the moment the young grass
affords sufficient pasturage.

On the 6th of March, having cured sufficient
meat, the party resumed their march, and
moved on with comparative ease, excepting
where they had to make their way through
snow-drifts which had been piled up by the
wind.

On the nth, a small cloud of smoke was
observed rising in a deep part of the defile.

^•^

— ^.

]6lacf;foot Bmbusca^e

187

An encampment was instantly formed, and
scouts were sent out to reconnoitre. They re-
turned with intelligence that it was a hunting
party of Flatheads, returning from the buffalo
range laden with meat. Captain Bonneville
joined them the next day, and persuaded them
to proceed with his party a few miles below, to
the caches, whither he proposed also to invite
the Nez Perces, whom he hoped to find some-
where in this neighborhood. In fact, on the
13th, he was rejoined by that friendly tribe, who,
since he .separated from them on Salmon River,
had likewise been out to hunt the buffalo, but
had continued to be haunted and harassed by
their old enemies thv_ Blackfeet, who, as usual,
had contrived to carr>' off many of their horses.
In the cour.se of this hunting expedition, a
small band of ten lodges separated from the
main body, in search of better pa Hirage for
their horses. About the ist of March, the
scattered parties of Blackfoot banditti united
to the number of three hundred fighting men,
and determined upon some signal blow. Pro-
ceeding to the former camping ground of the
Nez Perces, they found the lodges deserted ;
upon which, they hid themselves among the
willows and thickets, watching for some strag-
gler, who might guide them to the present
" whereabout " of their intended victims. As

t i

f-^

Ni;!

'< ', *

jV.

'/,

.v:

i88

:fi3onncville'»5 BCvcnturcs

fortune would have it, Kosato, the Blackfoot
renegade, was the first to pass along, accom-
panied by his blood-bought bride. He was on
his way from the main body of hunters to the
little band of ten lodges. The Blackfeet knew
and marked him as he passed ; he was within
bow-shot of their ambuscade ; yet, much as
they thirsted for his blood, they forbore to
launch a shaft ; sparing him for the moment,
that he miglit lead them to their prey. Secretly
following his trail, they discovered the lo.lges
of the unfortunate N ■ Perces, and assailed
them with .shouts and ycllings. The Nez
Perces numbered onh' twenty men, and but
nine were armed with fusees. They .showed
themselves, however, as brave and skilful in
war as they had l)ecn mild and long-suffering in
peace. Their first care was to dig holes inside
of their lodges ; thus ensconced, they fought
desjierately, laying s:everal of the enemy dead
upon the ground ; while they, though some of
them were wounded, lost not a single warrior.

During the heat of the battle, a woman of
^,he Nez Perces, .seeing her warrior badly
wounded and unable to fight, seized his bow
and arrows, and bravely and successfully de-
fended his person, contributing to the safety
of the whole party.

In another part of the field of action, a Nez

i.1 i ' I

tur^

-^-^^nie

:kfoot
ccom-
■as on
to the
knew
vithin
ch as
)re to
nient,
cretly
o>1ges
sailed
: Nez
d but
lowed
ful in
ing in
inside
ought
' dead
me of
rrior.
lan of
badly
3 bow
ly de-
safety

Lliti,

Heroism of a Woman of the Nez Perch.

From a Jiavnug I'V F. S. Church.

\
•• I"

a Nez

|!)

W^\

\\\

I i'

:i!

ill

1.. (

1! '

■',:l

■-»*«4',^"

ViA.

BttacK on tbe IFIC3 ipcrcc5

Perce had crouched behind the trunk of a fallen
tree, and kept up a galling fire from his covert.
A Blackfoot seeing this, procured a round log,
and placing it before him as he lay prostrate,
rolled it forward towards the trunk of the tree
behind which his enemy lay crouched. It was
a moment of breathless interest : whoever first
showed himself would be in danger of a shot.
The Nez Perce put an end to the suspense.
The moment the logs touched, he sprang upon
his feet, and discharged the contents of his
fusee into the back of his antagonist. By this
time, the Blackfeet had got possession of the
horses ; several of their warriors lay dead on
the field, and the Nez Perces, ensconced in
their lodges, seemed resolved to defend them-
selves to the last gasp. It so happened that
the chief of the Blackfeet party was a renegade
from the Nez Perces : unlike Kosato, however,
he had no vindictive rage against his nativ^e
tribe, but was rather disposed, now he had got
the booty, to spare all imnecessary effusion of
blood. He had a long parley, therefore, with
the besieged, and finally drew off his warriors,
taking with him seventy horses. It appeared,
afterwards, that the bullets of the Blackfeet had
been entirely expended in the course of the
battle, so that they were obliged to make use
of stones as substitutes.

"7* ^C ?*• •'^ '

'■„\

190

:iSonneville'd BDventurca

At the outset of the fight, Kosato, the rene-
gade, fought with fury rather than valor : ani-
mating the others by word as well as deed. A
wound in the head from a rifle ball laid him
senseless on the earth. There his body re-
mained when the battle was over, and the
victors were leading off" the horses. His wife
hung over him with frantic lamentations. The
conquerors paused and urged her to leave the
lifeless renegade, and return with them to her
kindred. She refused to listen to their solicita-
tions, and they passed on. As she sat watch-
ing the features of Kosato, and giving way to
passionate grief, she thought she perceived
him to breathe. She was ncjt mistaken. The
ball, which had been nearlj* .spent before it
struck him, had stunned instead of killing
him. By the ministry of his faithful wife, he
gradually recovered ; reviving to a redoubled
love for her, and hatred of his tribe.

As to the female who had .so bravely de-
fended her husband, she was elevated by the
tribe to a rank far above her .sex, and, beside
other honorable distinctions, was thenceforward
permitted to take a part in the war-dances of
the braves !

1 xy'^v-^-O.

>NV\

opening of the Caches — Detachment of Cerr^ and
Ilodgkiss — Salmon River Mountains — Superstition
of an Indian Trapper — Godin's River — Preparations
for Trappinjis — An Alarm — An Interruption — A Ri-
val Band — Phenomena of Snake River Plain — Vast
Clefts and Chasms— Ingulfed Streams— Sublime
Scenery — A Grand Buffalo Hunt.

CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE found his
caches perfectly secure, and having
secretl}' opened them, he selected such
articles as were necessary to equip the free trap-
pers, and to supply the inconsiderable trade
with the Indians, after which he closed them
again. The free trappers, being newly rigged
out and supplied, were in high .spirits, and
swaggered gayly about the camp. To coni-
pen.sate all hands for past sufferings, and to
give a cheerftil .spur to further operations. Cap-
tain Botmeville now gave the men what, in
frontier phrase, is termed " a regular blow
out." It was a day of inicouth gambols and

«»""■» ., -i^i^

^■^Ux

( . '

^-^riiP^'^

192 :ffioinicvillc'5 BDvc tituiea

frolics, and rude feasting. The Indians joined
in tlie sports and games, and all was mirth and
good fellowship.

It was now the middle of March, and Cap-
tain Romieville made preparations to open the
spring campaign. He had pitched upon Ma-
lade River for his main trapping ground for the
.season. This is a stream which rises among
the great bed of mountains north of the lava
plain, and, after a winding cour.se, falls into
Snake River. Previous to his departure, the
capti:in dispatched Mr. Cerre, with a few
men, to visit the Indian villages and purchase
horses ; he furnished his clerk, Mr. Ilodgkiss,
also 'vith a small stock of goods, to keep up a
trade with the Indians during the spring, for
such pellriL-s as they might collect, appointing
the caches on Salmon River as the point of
rendezvous, where they were to rejoin him on
the 15th of June following.

This done, he set out for Malade River with
a band of twenty-eight men, composed of hired
and free trappers and Indian hunters, together
with eight squaws. Their route lay up along
the right fork of »Salmon River, as it passes
through the deep defile of the mountains.
They travelled very slowly, not above five
miles a day, for many of the horses were so
weak tlict they faltered and staggered as they

/5i

-w

^c*

flnOian Superstition

walked. Pasturage, however, was now grow-
ing plentiful. There was abundance of fresh
grass, which in .some places had attained such
height as to wave in the wind. The native
flocks of the wilderness, the mountain .sheep,
as the\- are called by the trappers, were con-
tinually to be seen upon the hills between
which they passed, and a good supply of mut-
ton was provided by the hunters, as they were
advancing towards a region of .scare' y.

In the course of his journey. Captain Bonne-
ville had occasion to remark an instance of the
many notions, and almost superstitions, which
prevail among the Indians, and among .some
of the white men, with respect to the sagacity
of the beaver. The Indian hunters of his
party were in the habit of exploring all the
streams along which they passed, in .search of
"beaver lodges." and occasionally .set their
traps with .some .success. One of them, liow-
ever, though, an experienced and skilful irap-
per, was invariably unsuccessful. Astonished
and mortified at such utuisual bad luck, he at
length conceived the idea, that there was .some
odor about his person, of which the beaver got
scent, and retreated at his approach. He im-
mediately .set about a thorough purification.
Making a rude sweating house on the banks
of the river, he would shut himself up until in

•s-^.

tlV'

«-■«-'

'^'i

i:(

I't

■I;. I!

-I

J. 'J

JBonnevillc'0 BOventured

m&m^^

/.'■■^

<:?*

a reeking perspiration, and then suddenl}^
emerging, would plunge into the river. A
number of these sweatings and plungings hav-
ing, as he supposed, rendered his person per-
fectly "inodorous," he resumed his trapping
with renovated hope.

About the beginning of April, they encamped
upon Godin's River, where they found the
swamp full of " muskrat houses." Here,
therefore, Captain Bonneville determined to
remain a few days and make iiis first regular
attempt at trapping. That his maiden cam-
paign might open with spirit, he promised the
Indians and free trappers an extra price for
every muskrat they should take. All now set
to work for the next day's sport. The utmost
animation and gayety prevailed throughout
the camp. Everything looked auspicious for
their .spring campaign. The abundance of
nm.skrats in the swamp was but an earnest
of the nobler game they were to find when
they should reach the Malade River, and have
a capital beaver country all to themselves,
where they might tnip at their leisure without
molestation.

In the midst of their gayety, a hunter came
galloping into the camp, shouting, or rather
yelling, " A trail ! a trail ! — lodge poles ! lodge
poles!"

^•^35

^•^4^

Vixyal Wrappers

195

These were words full of meaning to a trap-
per's ear. Thej' intimated that there was some
band in the neighborhood, and probably a
hunting party, as they had lodge poles for an
encampment. The hunter came up and told
his story. He had discovered a fresh trail,
in which the traces made by the dragging of
lodge poles were distinctly visible. The buf-
falo, too, had just been driven out of the
neighborhood, which showed that the hunters
had already been on the range.

The gayety of the camp was at an end ; all
preparations for niuskrat trapping were sus-
pended, and all hands sallied forth to examine
tlie trail. Their worst fears were .soon con-
firmed. Infallible .signs showed the unknown
party in the advance to be white men ; doubt-
less, some rival band of trappers ! Here was
competition when least expected ; and that,
too, by a party already in the advance, who
were driving the game before them. Captain
Bomieville had now a taste of the sudden
transitions to which a trapper's life is subject.
The buoyant confidence in an uninterrupted
luuit was at an end ; every countenance low-
ered with gloom and disappointment.

Captain Bonneville immediately dispatched
two spies to overtake the rival party, and en-
deavor to learn their plans ; in the meantime,
y> ^

t.i...

\^X^

li., '

.1 ii

>« / .. * '

l;|il

p>.

\' 196 JGonnevUlc's BDrcnturcs

he turned his back upon the swamp and its
mnskrat houses, and followed on at " long
camps," which, in trapper's languaj^e, is
equivalent to long stages. On the 6th of
April, he met his fpies leturning. They had
kept on the ^ mI iikc hounds, until they over-
took the pa. .1 • .south end of Godin's
Defile. Here ley 1 and them comfortably
encamped, twenty-two ['-i le trappers, all well
appointed, with excellent horses in capital
condition, led by Milton Sublette and an able
coadjutor, named Jarvie, and in full march for
the Malade Inniting ground.

This was .stunning news. The Malade River
was the only trapping ground within reach ;
but to have to compete there with veteran
trappers, perfectly at home among the moun-
tains, and admirabl)- mounted, while they
were so p(jorly provided with horses and trap-
pers, and had but one man in their party ac-
quainted with the country — it was out of the
question !

The only hope that now remained, was that
the snow, which still lay deep among the moun-
tains of Godin River, an:' blocked up the usual
pass to the Malade country, might detain the
other party, until Captain Bonneville's horses
.should get once more into good condition in
their present ample pasturage.

's^J^

'^n^ '^im^/i^:.

'\<

Snnhc IRivcr ipiain

>>.'

hV>

Tlv rival parties now encamped together, i
not Tilt of conii)anionship, l)ut to keep an e\'e
npon each other. Day after day passed by,
withont any possiliility of gettinj^ to the Ma-
lade country. Sublette and Jarvie endeavored
to force their waj' across the mountain ; but
the snows lay so deep as to oblijre them to turn
back. In the meantime, the captain's horses
were daily sainin,i; stren;4th, and their hoofs ,^^^
improving, which had Ijeen worn and battered
by mountain .service. The captain, also, was
increa.sing his stock of provisions, so that the
delay was all in his favor.

To any one who merely contemplates a map
of till! country, this difficulty of getting from
Godin to Malade River will appear inexplica-
ble, as the intervening mountains terminate in
the great Snake River plain, so that, appar-
ently, it would be perfectly easy to proceed
round their bases.

Here, however, occur .some of the .striking
phenomena of this wild and sublime region.
The great lower plain which extends to the
feet of these mountains is broken up near their
ba.ses into crests and ridges, resembling the
surges of the ocean breaking on a /ocky shore.

In a line witli the mountains, the plain is
gashed with numerous and dangerous chasms, ^ ^ ^
from four to ten feet wide, and of great depth. j2Lc

II.

i! 'I

igS

3BonncviUc'»5 IlOvcnturcs

!i !:,

(^.■^

c-<

c.,?

;^i-

Captain Bonneville attempted to soutid some
of these openings, but without any satisfactory
result. A stone dropped into one of them re-
verberated against the sides for apparently a
verj- great depth, and, by its sound, indicated
the same kind of substance with the surface,
as long as the strokes could be heard. The
hor.se, instinctively sagacious in avoiding dan-
ger, shrinks back in alarm from the least of
these chasms, pricking up his ears, .snorting
and pawing, initil permitted to turn away.

We have been told by a person well ac-
quainted with the country, that it is .some-
times necessary to travel fifty and sixty miles,
to get round one of these tremendous ravines.
Considerable streams, like that of Godin's
River, that run with a bold, free current, lose
themselves in this plain ; .some of them end in
.swamps, others .suddenlj- disappear, finding,
no doubt, subterranean outlets.

Opposite to the.se chasms. Snake River makes
two desperate leaps over precipices, at a short
distance from each other ; one twenty, the
other forty feet in height.

The volcanic plain in question forms an area
of about sixiy miles in diameter, where noth-
ing meets the eye but a desolate and awful
waste ; where no grass grows nor water runs,
and where nothing is to be seen but lava.

'-^xK

«^^

•s, ^

4^0

;s.

B Sea of Xava 199

Ranges of mountains skirt this plain, and, in
Captain Bonneville's opinion, were formerly
comiected, until rent asunder by some convul-
sion of nature. Far to the east, the Three
Tetons lift their heads sublimely, and dominate
this wide sea of lava ; — one of the most striking
features of a wilderness where everything seems
on a scale of stern and simple grandeur.

We look forward with impatience for some
able geologist to explore this sublime but
almo.st luiknown region.

It was not until the 25th of April, that the
two parties of trappers l)roke up their encamp-
ments, and inulertook to cross over the south-
west end of the mountain bj- a pass explored
by their .scouts. From various points of the
mountain they connnanded boundless pros-
pects of the lava plain, stretching away in cold
and gloomy barrenness as far as the eye could
reach. On the evening of the 26th, they
reached the plain west of the mountain, watered
by the Malade, the Boisee, and other streams,
which comprised the contemplated trapping
ground.

The country about the Boisee (or Woody)
River, is extolled by Captain Boinieville as the
most enchanting he had seen in the Far West ;
presenting the mingled grandeur and beauty
of mountain and plain ; of bright running

t\ .-,;

!, (

ii-
■I ''

-44

Ml
\ 'I

1!-

Ii'

K 1 ! '1

i'.y.

lA-l

30onncvi[lc*3 IlC>vcnturc0

strtanis and vast grassy meadows waving to
the* 1jilx'/c.

We shall not follow the captain throughout
his trapping catnpaign, which lasted until the
begiiniing of June; nor detail all the niana^u-
vres of the rival tra])i)ing parties, and their
various schemes to outwit and out-trap each
other. Suffice it to say, that after having
visited and camped about various streams with
various success, Captain Bonneville set for-
ward early in June for the a]i]iointed rendezvous
at the caches. On the way, he treated his
])arty to a grand buffalo hunt. The scouts had
reported numerous herds in a ]ilain beyond an
intervening height. There was an immediate
halt ; the fleetest horses were forthwith
mounted, and the party advanced to the sum-
mit of the hill. Hence they beheld the great
plain below absolutelj' swanning with bufl"alo.
Captain Bonneville now appointed the place
where he wcmld encamp ; and towards which
the hunters were to drive the game. He
cautioned the latter to advance .slowly, reserv-
ing the strength and .speed of the horses, luitil
within a nuxlerate di.stance of the herds.
Twenty-two horsemen descended cautiously
into the plain, conformably to these directions.
"It was a beautiful sight," says the captain,
" to see the runners, as they are called, advan-

/r-^^,<^ ,i>'>

tkt

Hrrlval at tlK Caches 201

,*^ cinj; in colunui, at a slow trot, until witliin two /,,
hundred and fifty yards of the outskirts of
the herd, then dashinj^ on at full speed, until
lost in the inunense nuiltilude of buffaloes
scouring the plain in every direction." All
was now tumult and wild confusion. In the

'•?< \;# meantime. Captain Bonneville and the residue
of the party moved on to the appointed camp-
ing ground ; thither the most exj>ert rumiers
succeeded in driving numbers of buffalo, which
were killed hard by the camp, and the flesh

u^jtt^ transported thither without difficult}-. In a
little while the whole camp looked like one
great .slaughter-house ; the carcasses were skil-
fully cut up, great fires were made, .scaffolds
erected for drying and jerking beef, and an
ample provi.sion was made for future .sub.sist-
ence. On the 15th of June, the precise day
appointed for the rendez\i)us, Captain Boinie-
ville and his party arrived .safely at the caches,
Here he was joined by the other detachments
of his main party, all in good health and spirits.
The caches were again opened, supplies of vari-
ous kinds taken out, and a liljeral allowance of
(h]iia vilte distributed throughout the camp, to
celebrate with proper conviviality this merry
meeting.

M.mm^

\.i

i 11

^^iiiSSSf^

(;t

u^^V\.

Meeting with Hodgkiss— Misfortunes of the Nez
Percys— Schemes of Kosato, the Renegado— His
Foray into the Horse Prairie— Invasion of Blackfeet
— Blue John, and his Torlorn Hope — Their Gener-
ous Enterprise— Their Fate— Consternation and
Despair of the Village— Solemn Obsequies— Attempt
at Indian Trade— Hudson's Bay Company's Monop-
oly—Arrangements for Autumn— Breaking up of
an Encampment.

HA\'IXG now a prettj- strong party, well
armed and equipped, Captain Bonne-
ville no longer felt the necessity of
fortifying himself in the secret places and fast-
nesses of the mountains ; but sallied forth
boldly into the Snake River plain, in search of
his clerk, Hodgkiss, who had remained with
the Nez Perces. He found him on the 24th of
June, and learnt from him another chapter of
misfortunes which had recently befallen that
ill-fated race.

After the departure of Captain Boinieville, in

•^«

/;.

..:\

veil

Icosato's Scbcmcs

203

March, Kosato, the renegade Blackfoot, liad
recovered from the wound received in battle ;
and with his strength revived all his deadly
hostility to his native tribe. He now resumed
his efforts to stir up the Nez Perces to repri-
sals upon their old enemies ; reminding them
incessantly of all the outrages and robberies
they had recently experienced, and assuring
them that such would continue to be their lot,
until they proved themselves men by some sig-
nal retaliation.

The impassioned eloquf .ice of the desperado
at length produced an effect ; and a band of
braves enlisted under his guidance, to penetrate
into the Blackfoot country, harass their vil-
lages, carry off their horses, and commit all
kinds of depredations.

Kosato pushed forward on his foray, as far
as the Horse Prairie ; where he came upon a
strong party of Blackft-et. Without waiting
to estimate their force, he attacked them with
characteristic fury, and was bravel}' seconded
by his followers. The contest, for a time, was
hot and bloody : at length, as is customary
witli these two tribes, they paused, and held a
long parley, or rather a war of words.

"What need," said the Blackfoot chief,
tauntingly, "have the
their homes, anjcl sally

SIC?

Nez

forth

Perces to leave
oil war parties,

'CA

'<^r^*«c

\ \\

'H f I

S .!

iff

.-s,-S.-^=*»

204

:A}onnev>ille'd BD\7etiturcs

when they have danger enough at their own
doors? If you want fighting, return to your
villages ; you will have plenty of it there.
The Blackfeet warriors have hitherto made
war upon you as children. They are now com-
ing as men. A great force is at hand ; they
are on their way to your towns, and are de-
termined to rub out the very name of tlie Nez
Perces from the mountains. Return, I say, to
your towns, and fight there, if you wish to
live any longer as a people."

Kosato took him at his word ; for he knew
tlie character of his native tribe. Hastening
back with his band to the Nez Perc6 village,
he told all that he had seen and lieard : and
mged the most prompt and strenuous meas-
ures for defense. The Nez IVrces, however,
heard him with their accustomed ])hlegm : the
threat of the Black f^'ct had been often made,
and as often had jmived a mere bravado; such
they pronounced it to be at present, and, of
course, to(.k no precaution.

They were .soon convinced that it was no
empty menace. In a few days, a band of three
hundred lilackfeet warriors appeared upon
the hills. .Ml now was consternation in the
village. The force of the Nez Perces was too
small to cope with the enemy in o])en fight ;
many of the young men having gone to their

iC^m

r'-^i^'iX^'

•X\- \

■^

%■

■ 'Wi

JBUic Jobn

relatives on the Columbia tf; procure horses.
The sages nit-t in hurried council. What was
to be done to ward off a blow which threatened
annihilation ? In this moment of imminent
peril, a Pierced-Nose chief, named Blue John
by the whites, offered to approach secretly
with a small but chosen band, through a de-
file which led to the encampment of the enemy,
and, by a sudden on.set, to drive off the hor.ses.
Should this blow be successful, the spirit and
strength of the invaders would be broken, and
the Nez Perces, having liorses, wf)uld be more
than a match for them. Should it fail, the
village would not be wor.se off than at present,
when destruction .seemed inevitable.

Twenty-nine of the choicest warriors in-
.stantly volunteered to follow Blue John in this
hazardous enterprise. They prepared for it
with the .solemnity and devotion peculiar to
the tribe. Blue John consulted his medicine,
oi tali.smanic charm, such as every chief keeps
in his lodge as a supernatural protection. The
oracle assured him that his enterprise would
be completel; successful, ])n>vi(led no rain
slumld fall before he liad pa.s.sed thnmgh the
defile ; but sh(> Id it rain, his band would be
utterly cut off.

The day was clear and bright ; and Blue John
anticipated that the skies would \k- propitious.

^'■J)

1 A

'I /

. 'i;

,^.Af^^-V5

206

3BonnevUle'd Bdventures

He departed in high spirits with his forlorn
hope : and never did band of braves make a
more jjallant display — horsemen and horses be-
ing decorated and equipped in the fiercest and
most glaring stj-le — glittering with arms and
ornaments, and fluttering with feathers.

The weather continued serene until they
reached the defile ; but just as they were enter-
ing it, a black cloud rose over the mountain
crest, and there was a sudden shower. The
warriors turned to their leader as if to read
his opinion of this unlucky omen ; but the
countenance of Blue John remained unchanged,
and they continued to press forward. It was
their hope to make their way, undiscovered,
to the very vicinity of the Blackfoot camp ; l)ut
they had not proceeded far in the defile, when
they met a scouting party of the enemy. They
attacked and drove them among the hills, and
were pursuing them with great eagerness, when
they heard shouts and yells behind them, and be-
held the main body of the Blackfeet advancing.

Tlie second chief wavered a little at the
.sight, and propo.scd an instani ' :..it. "We
came to fight!" replied Blue J>i.: , sternly.
Then giving his war-whoop, he .sprang fi)rward
to the conflict. His braves followed him.
They maile a headlong charge upon tiie enemy ;
not with the hope of victory, but the determi-

Vk^I

•{tP^ -*•

A-AvWV-'C-^^

s'-v.^ M<^.^^^^^

r^M

i^UXirr^'i' i' '4l^CrF^

B jfctgbtful Cacnade

nation to sell their lives dearly. A frightful
carnage rather than a regular battle, succeeded.
The forlorn band laid heaps of their enemies
dead at their feet, but were overwhelmed with
numbers, and pressed into a gorge of the moun-
tain, where they continued to fight until they
were cut to pieces. One, only, of the thirty
survived. He sprang on the horse of a Black-
foot warrior whom he had slain, and escaping
at full .speed, brought home the baleful tidings
to his village.

Who can paint the horror and desolation of
the inhabitants ? The flower of their warriors
laid low, and a ferocious enemy at their doors.
The air was rent by the shrieks and lamenta-
tions of the women, who, casting off their
ornaments, and tearing their hair, wandered
about, frantically l)ewailing the dead, and pre-
dicting destruction to the living. The remain-
ing warriors armed themselves for obstinate
defense ; but sliowed, by their gloomy looks
and sullen silence, that they considered defense
hopeless. To their surprise, the Blackfeet re-
frained from pursuing their advantage ; per-
haps satisfied with the blood already shed, or
disheartened by the loss they had themselves
sustained. At any rate, they disappeared from
the hills, and it was soon ascertained that they
had returned to the Horse Prairie.

.,^j{a^33|p*

r,ttw<Sf-

\''C

'"%

"•I

'jMk

w i

/fti iSSt

^.-'SS-ssi/-'

208

JCoiincvirc'6 BOvcnturcs

The unfortunate Xez Perccs now began once
more to breathe. A few of their warriors,
taking pack-horses, repaired to the defile to
luring away the Ixxlies of their shiughtered
brethren. The\' found thetn mere headless
trunks ; and the wounds with which tl:ey were
covered, showed how bravely they had fought.
Their hearts, too, had been torn out and car-
ried off; a proof of their signal valor; for in
devouring the heart of a foe renowned for
V)ravery, or who has distinguished himself in
battle, the Indian victor thinks he appropriates
to himself the courage of the deceased.

(iathering the mangled boilies of the slain,
ami stra))ping tliem across their pack-horses,
tlie warriors returned, in dismal procession, to
the village. The tribe came forth to meet
them : the women with i)iercing cries and
wailiiigs ; the men with downcast co..iitenances,
in which ^loom and sorrow seemed fixed as if
in marble. The mutilated and almost mulis-
tinguishable bodies were placed in rows upon
the ground, in the midst of the assemblage ;
and the seen'- of heart-rending anguish and
lameiuations that ensued, wou'd have con-
founded those who insist on Indian stoicism.

Such was the disastrous event that had over-
whi-lmed >.'ie Xez Perce tribe, during the
absence yi Captain Bonneville ; and he was

■V'

/^J

informed that Kosato, the renegade, who, being
stationed in the village, had been prevented
from going on the forlorn hope, was again
striving to rouse the vindictive feelings of his
adopted brethren, and to prompt them to re-
venge the slaughter of their devoted braves.

During his sojourn on the Snake River plain,
Captain Bonneville made one of his first essays
at the strategy of the fur trade. There was at
this time an assemblage of Xez Perces, Flat-
heads, and Cottonois Indians, encamped to-
gether upon the plain ; well provided with
beaver, which they had collected during the
spring. These they were waiting to traffic
with a resident trader of the Hudson's Bay
Company, who was stationed among them,
and with whom they were accustomed to deal.
As it happened, the trader was almost entirely
destitute of Indian goods ; his spring supply
not having yet reached him. Captain Bonne-
ville had secret intelligence that supplies were
on their waj', and would soon arrive ; he
hoped, however, by a prompt move, to antici-
pate their arrival, and secure the market to
himself. Throwing himself, therefore, among
the Indians, he opened his packs ot merchan-
dise, and displayed the most tempting wares ;
bright cloths, and scarlet blankets, and glitter-
ing ornaments, and everytlnng gay and glorious

VOL. I.— 14

•C'

•<li;

ill

'' 'i ')

■ 7 ' I

/^I>.

^rr*ti

i^'/«^

V * «*^,^-- '*-,>- :i'-- •*.^-

2IO

JBonneviUc'd BDventures

A';

;*{■■

I i:[!(

ill the eves of warrior or squaw ; all, however,
was in vain. The Hudson's Bay trader was a
perfect master of his business, thoroughly ac-
quainted with the Indians he had to deal with,
and held such control over them, that none
dared to act openly in opposition to his wishes :
nay, more — he came nigh turning the tables
upon the captain, and shaking the allegiance
of some of his free trappers, by distributing
liquors among them. The latter, therefore,
was glad to give up a competition, where the
war was likely to be carried into his own
camp.

In fact, the traders of the Hudson's Bay
Company have advantages over all competitors
in the trade beyond the Rocky Mountains.
That huge monopoly centres within itself not
merely its own hereditar\' and long-established
power and influence ; but also those of its
ancient rival, but now integral part, the famous
Northwest Company. It has tluis its races of
traders, trappers, hunters, and 7'ovat^i'urs, born
ai •' brought up in its service, and inheriting
from preceding generations a knowledge and
aptitude in everytliing connected with Indian
life, and Indian traffic. Jn the process of years,
this company has been enabled to .spread its
ramifications in every direction : its .sy.stem of
intercourse is founded upon a long and inti-

^,•1

i^'Vi=^-t" %^^'

"■"^SsttaeOr:

A ■'.*W >NJ-

^-J^.

<.XT^

:-iS

'It^

fjuOson's asag Companig's flbonopolB an

mate knowledge of the character and necessi-
ties .if tlie various triV)es ; and of all the
fastnesses, defiles, and favorable hunting
grounds of the country. Their capital, also,
and the manner in which their supplies are
distributed at various posts or forwarded by-
regular caravans, keep their traders well sup-
plied, and enable them to furnish their goods
to the Indians at a cheap rate. Their men,
too, being cliiefly drawn from the Canadas,
where they enjoy great influence and control, arc
engaged at the most trifling wages, and sup-
ported at little cost ; the provisions which they
take with them being little more than Indian
corn and grease. They were brought, also,
l^v into the most perfect discipline and subordina-
tion, especially when their leaders have once
got them to their scene of action in the heart
'^ T* of the wilderness.

These circumstances combine to give the
leaders of the Hudson's Bay Company a de-
cided advantage over all the American compa-
nies that come within their range ; so that any
close competition with them is almost hopeless.

vShortly after Captain Bonneville's ineffec-
tual attemjit to participate in the trade of the
associated camp, the supplies of the Hudson's
Bay Company arrived ; and the resident trader
was enabled to monopolize the market.

t<ii

I I

I i,

^mf

¥>

\ i
I*

* a «

'^ 'H

'^.1

:lSonnev(Ue'0 BOventuree

It was now the beginning of July ; in the
latter part of which month, Captain Bonne-
ville had appointed a rendezvous at Horse
Creek, in Green River Valley, with some of
the parties which he had detached in the pre-
ceding year. He now turned his thoughts in
that direction, and prepared for the journey.

The Cottonois were anxious for him to pro-
ceed at once to their country ; which, they as-
sured him, abounded in beaver. The lands
of this tribe lie immediately north of those of
the Flatheads, and are open to the inroads of
the Blackfeet. It is true, the latter professed
to be their allies : but they had been guilty of
so many acts of perfidy, that the Cottonois
had, latterly, renounced their hollow friend-
ship, and attached themselves to the P'latheads
and Nez Perces. These the)- had accompa-
nied in their migrations, rather than remain
alone at home, exposed to the outrages of the
Blackfeet. They were now apprehensive that
these marauders would range their country
during their absence, and destroy the beaver ;
.\-A this was their reason for urging Captain Bonne-
Vy/ ville to make it his autumnal hunting ground.
The latter, however, was not to be tempted ;
his engagements required his presence at the
rendezvous in Green River Valley, and he had
already formed his ulterior plans.

■w,«l

'•M

an inncjpcctcCt Dlfllcultp

Ati unexpected difficulty now arose. The
"O free trappers suddenly made a stand, and de-
''^ clined to accompany him. It was a long and
weary journey ; the route lay through Pierre's
Hole, and other mountain passes infested by
the Black feet, and recently the scenes of san-
guinary conflicts. They were not disposed to
inidertake such unnecessary toils and dangers,
when they had good and secure trapping
grounds nearer at hand, on the head-waters
of the Salmon River.

As these were free and independent fellows,
whose will and whim were apt to be law — who
had the whole wilderness before them, " where
to choose," and the trader of a rival company
at hand, ready to pay for their services — it was
necessary to bend to their wishes. Captain
Bonneville fitted them cmt, therefore, for the
hunting ground in question, appointing Mr.
Hodgkiss to act as their partisan, or leader,
and fixing a rendezvous where he should meet
them in the course of the ensuing winter. The
brigade consisted of twenty-one free trappers,
and four or five hired men as camp keepers.
This was not the exact arrangement of a trap-
ping party ; which, when accurately organized,
is composed of two tliirds trappers, whose duty
leads them continually abroad in pursuit of
game ; and one third camp-keepers, who cook,

:. :v>

if'

'i'i

1 1

r>}

&rv;

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

1.0

I.I

1.25

2.5

12.2

12.0

1.8

U III 1.6

£ us

Hiotographic

Sciences

Corporation

33 WIST MAIN STRUT

WIBSTIR.N.Y. 14SS0

(716) B73-4S03

JBonncvillc's BDvcntureg

pack, and unpack ; set up the tents, take care
of the horses, and do all other duties usuallj'
assigned bj' the Indians to their women. This
part of the service is apt to be fulfilled bj' French
Creoles from Canada and the valley of the Mis-
sissippi.

In the meantime, the associated Indians,
having completed their trade and received
their supplies, were all ready to disperse in
various directions.

As there was a formidable band of Black-
feet just over a mountain to the nortlieast. by
which Hodgkiss and his free trappers would
have to pass ; and as it was known that those
sharp-sighted marauders had their scouts out,
watching every movement of the encampments,
so as to cut off stragglers or weak detachments,
Captain Bomieville prevailed upon the Nez
Perces to accompany Hodgkiss and his party,
until they should be beyond the range of the
enemy.

Tl'.e Cottonois and the Pends Oreilles deter-
mined to move together at the same time, and
to pass close under the mountain infested by
the Blackfeet ; while Captain Bomieville, with
his party, was to stri.if in an opposite direc-
tion to the southeast, bending his course for
Pierre's Hole, on his way to Green River.

Accordingly, on the 6th of July, all the

't)

<-j

U^^'^:

Dispersion of tbe Camps

\jl camps were raised at the same moment, each
party taking its separate route. The scene
was wild and picturesque ; the long line of
traders, trappers, and Indians, with their rugged
and fantastic dresses and accoutrements ; their
varied weapons, their iiniumerable horses,
some under the saddle, some burdened with
packages, others following in droves ; all
stretching in lengthening cavalcades across
the vast landscape, and making for different
J^^^i^^l points of the plains and mountains.

■-«=?a^

""^^m-^^j^-'^

fit

{- n

, I

Cbapter Hf .

Precautions in Dangerous Defiles — Trappers' Mode
of Defense on a Prairie — A Mysterious Visitor —
Arrival in Green River Valley — Adventures of the
Detachments — The Forlorn Partisan — His Tale of
Disasters.

AS the route of Captain Bonneville lay
through what was considered the most
perilous part of this region of dangers,
he took all his measures with military skill,
and observed the strictest circumspection.
When on the march, a small scouting party
was thrown in the advance, to reconnoitre the
country through which they were to pass. The
encampments were selected with great care,
and a watch was kept up night and day. The
horses were b: ought in and picketed at night,
and at daybreak a party was sent out to scour
the neighborhood for half a mile round, beat-
ing up every grove and thicket that could give
shelter to a lurking foe. When all was re-
ported safe, the horses were cast loose and

2l6

{

s ^

Ifndtan itsoi>e o( Defense

turned out to graze. Were such precautions
generally observed by traders and hunters, we
should not so often hear of parties being sur-
prised by the Indians.

Having stated the military arrangements of
the captain, we may here mention a mode of
defense on the open prairie, which we have
heard from a veteran in the Indian trade.
When a party of trappers is on a journe)' with
a convo}' of goods or peltries, every man has
three pack-norses under his care, each horse
laden with three packs. Every man is pro-
vided with a picket with an iron head, a mal-
let, and hobbles, or leathern fetters for the
honses The trappers proceed across the prai-
rie in a long line ; or sometimes three parallel
lines, sufficiently distant from each other to
prevent the packs from interfering. At an
alarm, when there is no covert at hand, the
line wheels so as to bring the front to the rear,
and form a circle. All then dismount, drive
their pickets into the ground in w. centre,
fasten the horses to t lem, and hobble their
forelegs, so that, in case of alarm, they cannot
break away. They then unload them, and
dispose of their packs as breastworks on the
periphery of the circle, each man having nine
packs behind which to shelter himself. In
this promptly- formed fortress, thev await the

(

! til

! ' T
(

2l8

JBonne-^ille'd Bdventurca

(^,

i->

assault of the eneni}', and are enabled to set
large bands of Indians at defiance.

The first night of his march, Captain Bonne-
ville encamped upon Henry's Fork ; an upper
branch of Snake River, called after the first
American trader that erected a fort beyond the
mountains. About an hour after all hands had
come to a halt the clatter of hoofs was heard,
and a solitary female, of the Nez Perce tribe,
came galloping up. She was mounted on a
mustang, or half-wild horse, which she man-
aged by a long rope hitched round the under
jaw by way of bridle. Dismounting, she
walked silentl\' int(> themid.st of the camp, and
there seated herself on the ground, still hold-
ing her horse by the long halter.

The sudden and lonely apparition of this
woman, and her calm, yet resolute demeanor,
awakened universal curiosity. The hunteis and
trappers gathered round, and gazed on her as
something mysterious. She remained .silent, but
maintained her air of calmness and self-pos.ses-
sion. Captaiti Bonneville approached and in-
terrogated her as to theo!)ject of her mysterious
visit. Her answer was brief but earnest — " I
love the whites — I will go with them. ' ' vShe was
forthwith invited to a lodge, of which she
readily took possession, and from that time
forward was C(Misidered one of the camp.

r°

set \>'

(ler c-i^s "^

and
ras

Inconsequence, very probably, of the military
precautions of Captain Bonneville, he conducted
his party in safety through this hazardous
region. No accident of a disastrous kind oc-
curred, excepting the loss of a horse, which, in
passing along the jjiddy edge of the precipice,
called the Cornice, a dangerous pass between
Jackson's and Pierre's Hole, fell over the brink
and was dashed to pieces.

On the 13th of July (1883), Captain Bonne-
ville arrived nt Green River. As he entered
the valley, he beheld it strewn in everj' direc-
tion with the carcasses of buffaloes. It was
evident that Indians had recently been there,
and in great numbers. Alarmed at th;., sight,
he came to a halt, and .soon as it was dark,
sent out .spies to his place of rendezvous on
Hor.se Creek, where he had expected to meet
with his detached parties of trappers on the
following day. Ivarly in the morning, the
.spies made their appearance in the camp, and
with them came three trappers of one of his
bantls, from the rendezvous, who told him his
people were all there expecting him. As to
the slaughter among the buffaloes, it had been
made by a friendly band of Shoshonies, who
had fallen in with one of his trapping parties,
and acc'jmjjanied them to the rendezvous.
Having imparted this intelligence, the three

(i-i

(

I!!?

i^u

' I

( f

itil

JBonneville'B BOventuren

worthies from the rendezvous broached a small
keg of "alcohol," which they had brought
with them, to enliven this merry meeting. The
liquor went briskly round ; all absent friends
were toasted, and the party moved forward to
the rendezvous in high spirits.

The meeting of associated bands, who have
been separated from each other on these hazard-
ous enterprises, is always interesting ; each
having its tale of perils and adventures to re-
late. Such was the case with the various de-
tachments of Captain Boimeville's company,
thus brought together on Horse Creek. Here
was the detachment of fifty men which he had
sent from Salmon River, in the preceding month
of November, to winter on Snake River. They
had met with many crosses and losses in the
course of their spring hunt, not so much from
the Indians as from white men. They had
come in competition with rival trapping parties,
particularly one belonging to the Rocky Moun-
tain Fur Company ; and they hod long stories
to relate of their manoeuvres to forestall or dis-
tress each other. In fact, in these virulent and
sordid competitions, the trappers of each party
were more intent upon injuring their rivals,
tlian benefiting themselves ; breaking each
other's traps, trampling and tearing to pieces
the beaver lodges, and doing everything in

^5J

f/-/

Haled of WienBtete

221

their power to mar the success of the hunt.
We forbear to detail these pitiful contentions.

The most lamentable tale of disasters, how-
ever, that Captain Bonneville had to hear, was
from a partisan, whom he had detached in
the preceding year, with twenty men, to hun^
through the outskirts of tlie Crow country , anu
on the tributary streams of the Yellowstone ;
whence he was to proceed and join him in his
winter quarters on Salmon River. This parti-
san appeared at the rendezvous without his
party, and a sorrowful tale of disaster had he
to relate. In hunting the Crow country, he
fell in with a village of that tribe ; notorious
rogues, jockeys, and horse stealers, and errant
scamperers of the mountains. These decoyed
nio.st of his aen to desert, and carry oif horses,
traps, and .ccoutrements. When he attempted
to retake the deserters, the Crow warriors ruf-
fled up to him and declared the deserters were
their good friends, had determined to remain,
among them, and should not be molested. The
poor partisan, therefore, was fain to leave his
vagabonds among 'hese birds of t'.ieir own
feather, and, being t .o weak in numbers to at-
tempt the dangerous } ass across the mountains
to meet Captain Bonneville on Salmon River,
he made, with the few that remained faithful
to him, for the nei;rliborhood of T' Uock's Fort,

V-

i '

!:'■

i|!|,

■i'iii

>\ »

m It

■^_:-

222

/■(

A'^

JSonneville'd BDventurea

,^.

on the Yellowstone, under the protection of
which he went into winter quarters.

He soon found out that the neighborhood of
the fort was nearly as bad as the neighborhood
of the Crows. His men were continually steal-
ing away thither, with whatever beaver .skins
they could secrete or lay their hands on. These
they would exchange with the hangens-on of
the fort for whisky, and then revel in drunk-
enness and debauchery.

The unlucky partisan made another move.
Associating with his party a few free trappers,
whom he met with in this neighborhood, he
started off early in the spring to trap on the
head-waters of Powder River. In the course
of the journey, his horses were .so much jaded
in traversing a steep mountain, that he was
induced to turn them loose to graze during the
night. The place was lonely ; th.e path was
rugged ; there was not the sign of an Indian in
the neighborhood ; not a blade of grass that
had been turned by a footstep. IJut who can
calculate on security in the midst of an Itidian
country, where the foe lurks in silence and
secrecy, and .seems to come and go on the wings
of the wind ? The horses had scarce been
turned loose, when a couple of Arickara (or
Rickaree) warriors entered the camp. They
effected a frank and friendly demeanor ; but

ill!!;

Bricitara Spied in Camp

their appearance and movements awakened the
suspicions of some of the veteran trapjiers,
well versed in Indian wiles. Convinced that
they were spies sent on some sinister errand,
they took them into custody, and set to work
to drive in the horses. It was too late — the
horses had already gone. In fact, a war party
of Arickaras had been hovering on their trail
for several days, watching with the patience
and perseverance of Indians, for some moment
of negligence and fancied security, to make a
successful swoop. The two spies had evidently
been sent into the camp to create a diversion,
while their confederates carried off the spoil.

The unlucky partisan, thus robbed of his
horses, turned furiously on his prisoners, or-
dered them to be bound hand and foot, and
swore to put them to death unless his property
were restored. The robbers, who soon found
that their spies were in captivity, now made
their appearance on horseback, and held a
parley. The sight of them, mounted on the
very horses they had stolen, set the blood of
the mountaineers in a ferment ; but it was
useless to attack them, as they would have but
to turn their steeds and scamper out of the
reach of pedestrians. A negotiation was now
attempted. The Arickaras offered what they
considered fair terms ; to barter one horse, or

h:ii<^

\/"

even two horses, for a prisoner. The moun-
taineers spurned at their offer, and declared
thai, unless all the horses were relinquished,
the prisoners should be burnt to death. To
give force to their threats, a pyre of logs and
fagots were heaped up and kindled into a
blaze.

The parley continued ; the Arickaras released
one horse and then another, in earnest of their
proposition ; finding, however, that nothing
short of the relinquishment of all their spoils
would purchase the lives of the captives, they
abandoned them to their fate, moving off with
many parting words and lamentable bowlings.
The prisoners seeing them depart, and know-
ing the horrible fate that awaited them, made
a desperate effort to escape. They partially
succeeded, but were severely wounded and re-
taken ; then dragged to the blazing pyre, and
burnt to death in the sight of their retreating
comrades.

Such are the savage cruelties that white
men learn to practise, who mingle in savage
life : and -uch are the acts that lead to terrible
recrimination on the part of the Indians. Should
we hear of any atrocities committed by the
Arickaras upon captive white men, let this
signal and recent provocation be borne in mind.
Individual cases of the kind dwell in the recol-

ry^-:->-N

Zbc UnluchiE; partisan

lections of whole tribes ; and it is a point of
honor and conscience to revenge them.

The loss of his horses completed the ruin of
the unlucky partisan. It was out of his power
to prosecute his hunting, or to maintain his
party ; the only thought now was how to get
back to civilized life. At the first watercour.se,
his men built canoes, and committed them-
selves to the stream. Some engaged themselves
at various trading establishments at which they
touched, others got back to the settlements.
As to the partisan, he found an opportunity to
make his way to the rendezvous at Green River
Valley ; whicli he reached in time to render to
Captain Botnieville this forlorn account of his
misadventures.

VOL. I. — 15

V^.

^'1

/^i

fer~xi

*%i^'>D

! '1

11''
"I,

i !

:ii

lyi

'''-^^^

>^J:^.-^^^'^l

Cbapter J^.

Gathoring in Green River Valley — V'isitings and Feast-
ings of Leaders — Rough Wassailing among the Trap-
pers — Wild Blades of the Mountains— Indian Belles
— Potency of Bright Beads and Red Blankets —
Arrival of Supplies — Revelry and Extravagance —
Mad Wolves — The Lost Indian.

I' '!!''(

■:'(

THK Green River Valley was at this time
the sceiie of one of those general gath-
" "^ erings Oi' traders, trappers, and Indians,

that we have already mentioned. The three
rival companies, which, for a year past had
been endeavorij.g to out-trade, out-trap, and
out-wit each other, were here encamped in
close proximity, awaiting their annual sup-
plies. About four miles from the rendezvous
of Captain Bonneville was that of the Ameiican
Fur Company, hard by which, was that also
of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company.

After the eager rivalry and almost hostility
di.splayed by these companies in their late cam-

''!]

jp''

Oatbcrind in (3rcen 'River Vallee 227

paigns, it might be expected that, when thus
brought in juxtaposition, they would hold
themselves warily and sternly aloof from each
other, and should they happen to come in con-
tact, brawl and bloodshed would ensue.

No such thing ! Never did rival lawyers,
after a wrangle at the bar, meet with more
social good humor at a circuit dinner. The
hunting season over, all past tricks and ma-
noeuvres are forgotten, all feuds and bickerings
buried in oblivion. From the middle of June
to the middle of September, all trapping is
suspended ; for the beavers are then shedding
their furs, and their skins are of little value.
This, then, is the trapper's holiday, vvhen he
is all for fun and frolic, and ready for a satur-
nalia among the moinitains.

At the present season, too, all parties were
in good humor. The \ear had been productive.
Competition, by threatening to lessen their
profits, had quickened their wits, roused their
energies, and made them turn every favorable
chance to the best advantage ; so that, on as-
sembling at their respective places of rendez-
vous, each company four.d itself in possession
of a rich stock of j^eltries.

The leaders of the different companies, there-
fore, mingled on terms of perfect good fellow-
ship ; interchanging visits, and regaling each

tl^^

't!

■,:i '"'?

f^~

^!f'

'^i

22S

:i6onneviUe'6 BOventurcB

other in the best style their respective camps
afforded. But the rich treat for the worthy
captain was to see the " chivalry " of the vari-
ous encampments, engaged in contests of skill
at running, jumping, wrestling, shooting with
the rifle, and running horses. And then their
rough hunters' feastings and carousals. They
drank together, they sang, they laughed, they
whooped ; they tried to outbrag and outlie
each other in stories of their adventures and
achievements. Here the free trappers were in
all their glory ; they considered themselves the
" cocks of the walk," and always carried the
highest crests. Now and then familiarity was
pushed too far, and would effervesce into a
brawl, and a " rough and tumble " fight ; but
it all elided in cordial reconciliation and maud-
li!i endearment.

The presence of the vShoshonie tribe contri-
buted occasionally to cause temporary jealousies
and feuds. The Shoslionie beauties became
objects of rivalry among some of the amorous
mountaineers. Happy was the trapper who
could muster up a red blanket, a string of gay
beads, or a paper of precious vermilion, with
which to win the smiles of a Shoslionie fair
one.

The caravans of supplies arrived at the valley
just at this |>eriod of gallantry and good fellow-

^m^^m

MT^^

A~->^

■^

]

"Kevelrs and Sstravadancc

229

■■^■ies:

^■;

ship. Now commenced a scene of eager com-
petition and wild prodigality at the different
encampments. Bales were hastily ripped open,
and their motlej' contents poured forth. A
mania for purchasing spread itself throughout
the several bands — munitions for war, for
hunting, for gallantry, were .seized upon with
equal avidity — rifles, hunting knives, traps,
scarlet cloth, red blankets, gairish beads, and
glittering trinkets, were bought at any price,
and .scores run up without any thought how
they were ever to be rubbed off. The free
trappers, especially, were extravagant in their
purchases. For a free mountaineer to pause
at a paltry consideration of dollars and cents,
in tlie attaitnnent of any oliject that might
strike his fancy, would stamp him with the
mark of the beast in the estimation of his
comrades. For a trader to refuse one of these
free and flourishing blades a credit, whatever
unpaid scores might .stare him in the face,
would be a flagrant affront .scarcely to be
forgiven.

Now succeeded another outbreak of revelry
and extravagance. The trappers were newly
fitted out and arrayed, and dashed about with
their horses caparisoned in Indian style. The
ShoslKmie beauties also flaunted about in all
the colors of the rainbow. Every freak of

J'-^M

M)'

{ '

!l ' i i

\\J)

.<«•„

230

JBonneville'd Bdventutes

prodigality was indulged to its full extent, and
in a little while most of the trappers, having
squandered away all their wages, and perhaps
run knee-deep in debt, were ready for another
hard campaign in the wilderness.

During this season of folly and frolic, there
was an alarm of mad wolves in the two lower
camps. One or more of these animals entered
the camps three nights successively, and bit
several of the people.

Captain Bonneville relates the case of an
Indian, who was a universal favorite in the
lower camp. He had been bitten l)y one of
ihese animals. Being out with a parl\ shortly
afterwards, he grew silent and gloomy, and
lagged behind the rest as if he wished to leave
them. They halted and urged him 'to move
faster, but he entreated them not to approach
him, and, leaping from his horse, began to roll
frantically on the earth, gnashing his teeth and
foaming at the mouth. Still he retained his
senses, and warned his companions not to
come near him, as he should not be able to
restrain himself from biting them. They hur-
ried off to obtain relief; but on their return
he was nowhere to be found. His horse and
accoutrements remained upon the spot. Three
or four days afterwards a solitary Indian, be-
lieved to be the same, was observed crossing a

v^ M

.>:

!'f

■Vii'

"fcB&ropbobia

valley, and pursued ; but he darted away into
the fastnesses of the mountains, and was seen
no more.

Another instance we have from a different
person who was present in the encampment.
One of the men of the Rocky Mountain Fur
Company had been bitten. He set out shortly
afterwards, in company with two white men,
on his return to the settlements. In the course
of a few days he showed symptoms of hydro-
phobia, and became raving towards night. At
length, breaking away from his companions,
he rushed into a thicket of willows, where
they left him to his fate !

Jfci.

.i^-^

'} u

j I

'.•If

t !

Schemes of Captain Bonneville — The Great Salt Lake
— Expedition to Explore it — Preparations for a
Journey to the Bighorn.

CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE now found
himself at the head of a hard}', well-
seasoned and well-appointed company
of trappers, all benefited by at least one year's
experience among the mountains, and capable
of protecting themselves from Indian wiles
and stratagems, and of providing for their sub-
sistence wherever game was to he foinul. lie
had, also, an excellent troop of horses, in prime
condition, and fi« for hard service. lie deter-
mined, therefore, to strike out into some of the
bolder parts of his scheme. One of tlicse was
to carry his exjicditions into .some of the un-
known tracts of the Far West, beyond what is
generally termed the buffalo range. This would
have .something of the merit and charm of
discover) , so dear to every brave and adven-

232

:mf2j^

"■^KKSiS:-

^^*>

g^'?^S^

turous spirit. Another favorite project was to
establish a trading post on tlie lower part of
the Columbia River, near the Multnon- ah
Valley, and to endeavor to retrieve for his
country some of the lost trade of Astoria.

The first of the above-mentioned views was,
at present, uppermost in his mind — the explor-
ing of unknown regions. Among the grand
features of the wilderness about which he was
roaming, one had made a vivid impression on
his mind, and been clothed bj' his imagination
with vague and ideal charms. This is a great
lake of salt water, laving the feet of the moun-
tains, but extending far to the west-southwest,
into one of those vast and elevated plateaus of
land, which range high ab<He the level of the
Pacific.

Captain Bonneville gives a .striking account
of the lake when seen from the land. As you
ascend the mountain .ilwut its shores, .says he,
you behold this immense body of water spread-
ing itself before you, and .stretching farther and
farther, in one wide and far-reaching expanse,
until the eye, wearied with continued and
.strained attention, rests in the blue dimness
of distance, upon lofty ranges of mountains,
confidently a.s.serted to rise from the bosom of
the waters. Nearer to you, the smooth and
unruffled surface is studded with little i.slands,

cf%

.,. yja

.jl I

i' 1 .

!*■

-.i

M n

i' I

1^1,

^'Ji

234

JBoniievtlle's Bdventuree

where the mountain sheep roam in considerable
numbers. What extent of lowland may be en-
compassed by the high peaks beyond, must
remain for the present matter of mere conjec-
ture ; though from the form of the summits,
and the breaks which may be discovered
among them, there can be little doubt that
they are the sources of streams calculated to
water large tracts, which are probably con-
cealed from view by the rotundity of the lake's
surface. At some future day, in all probability,
the rich harvest of beaver fur which may be
reasonably anticipated in such a spot, will
tempt adventurers to reduce all this doubtful re-
gion to the palpable certainty of a beaten track.
At present, however, destitute of the means
of making boats, the trapper stands upon the
shore, and gazes upon a promised land which
his feet are never to tread.

Such is the somewhat fanciful view which
Captain Bonneville gives of this great body of
water. He has evidently taken part of his
ideas concerning it from the representations
of others, who have somewhat exaggerated its
features. It is reported to be about one hun-
dred and fifty miles long, and fifty miles broad.
The ranges of mountain peaks which Captain
Bonneville speaks of, as rising from its bosom,
are probably the summits of mountains beyond

;^M#

Cb<; (Stcat Salt lake

235

it, which may be visible at a vast distance,
when viewed from an eminence, in the trans-
parent atmosphere of these lofty regions. Sev-
eral large islands certainly exist in the lake ;
one of which is said to be mountainous, but
not by any means to the extent required to
farnish the series of peaks above mentionc i

Captain Sublette, in one of his early expedi-
tions across the mountains, is said to have
sent four men in a skin canoe to explore the
lake, who professed to have navigated all
round it ; but to have suffered excessively from
thirst, the water of the lake being extremely
salt, and there being no fresh streams running
into it.

Captai:: Bonneville doubts this report, or
that the mei; accomplished the circumnaviga-
tion, because, he says, the lake receives several
large streams from the mountains which bound
it to the east. In the spring, when the streams
are swollen by rain and by the melting of the
snows, the lake rises several feet aL,~,<; its
ordinary level ; during the summer, it grad-
ually subsides again, leaving a sparkling zone
of the finest salt upon its shores.

The elevation of the vast plateau on which
this lake is situated, is estimated by Captain
Bonneville at rne and three fourths of a mile
above the leveL^f the ocean. /The admirable

CL^IUW^'

Nw'-^c?'''-^:^

\'l

*fJ

! '>VI

i\jy

/fffT I - ..»■

tf I'

1 ,

■ •

I 'HH

purity and transparency of the atmosphere in
this region, allowing objects to be seen, and
the report of fire-arms to be heard, at an aston-
ishing distance ; and its extreme dryness,
causing the wheels of wagons to fall in pieces,
as instanced in former passages of this work,
are proofs of the great altitude of the Rocky
Mountain plains. That a body of salt water
•should exist at such a height, is cited as a
singular phenomenon by Captain Bonneville,
though the salt lake of Mexico is not much
inferior in elevation.*

To have this lake properly explored, and all
its secrets revealed, was the grand scheme of
the captain for the present year ; and while it
was one in which his imagination evidently
took a leading part, he believed it would be
attended with great profit, from the numerous
beaver streams with which the lake mu.st be
fringed.

This momentous undertaking he confided to
his lieutenant, Mr. Walker, in whose experi-
ence and ability he had great confidence. He

* The lake of Tezcuco, which surrounds the city of
Mexico, the largest and lowest of the five lakes on the
Mexican plateau, and one of the most imprej^nated
with saline particles, is seven thousand four hundred
and sixty-eight feet, or nearly one mile and a half
above the level of the sea.

instructed him to keep along the shores of
the lake, and trap in all the streams on his
route ; also to keep a journal, and minutely
to record the events of his journey, and every-
thing curious or interesting, making maps or
charts of his route, and of the surrounding
country.

No pains nor expense were spared in fitting
out the party of forty men, which he was to
command. They had complete supplies for a
year, and were to meet Captain Bonneville in
the ensuing summer, in the valley of Bear
River, the largest tributary of the Salt Lake,
which was to be his point of general rendez-
vous.

The next care of Captain Bonneville, was to
arrange for the safe transportation of the pel-
tries which he had collected, to the Atlantic
Slates. Mr. Robert Campbell, the partner of
Sublette, was at this time in the rendezvous
of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, having
brought up their supplies. He was about to
set off on his return, with the peltries collected
during the year, and intended to proceed
through the Crow country, to the head of
navigation on the Bighorn River, and to de-
scend in boats down that river, the Missouri,
and the Yellowstone, to >St. Louis.

Captain Bonneville determined to forward

(Ty

^>^^

!l';tl|

II'

» ■

''i. jl

ptT'-s^f ,4''. jtrfxi^',

338

Xotmevillc'B Bdventuree

■V'"'

his peltries by the same route, under the es- \" '
pecial care of Mr. Cerre. By way of escort,
he would accompany Cerr6 to the point of em-
barkation, and then make an autumnal hunt
in the Crow country

^^. ^fi

Cbaptec mi.

The Crow Countrv — A Crow Paradise — Habits of the
Crows — Anecdotes of Rose, the Renegade White
Man — His Fights with the Blackfeet — His Eleva-
tion — His Death — Arapooish, the Crow Chief— His
Eagle— Adventure of Robert Campbell — Honor
among Crows.

BEFORE we accompany Captain Bonne-
ville into the Crow country, we will
impart a few facts about this wild re-
gion, and the wild people who inhabit it. We
are not aware of the precise boundaries, if
there are any, of the country claimed by the
Crows ; it appears to extend from the Black
Hills to the Rocky Mountains, including a
part of their lofty ranges, and embracing many
of the plains and valleys watered by the Wind
River, the Yellowstone, the Powder River, the
Little Missouri, and the Nebraska. The coun-
try varies in soil and climate ; there are vast
plains of sand and clay, studded with large
red sand-hills ; other parts are mountainous

239

^r'^^
&'

/!,''

,-57^

I I

i' 1'

■ H

*iU W'^'^

l.il

SBonncvUle'd BDvcntures

and picturesque ; it possesses warm springs,
and coal mines, and aboimds with game.

Hut let us give the account of the country,
as rendered by Arapooish, a Crow chief, to
Mr. Robert Campbell, of the Rocky Mountain
Fur Company.

"The Crow countrj'," .said he, "is a good
country. The Great Spirit has put it exactly
in the right place ; while you are in it 3-ou
fare well; whenever yiii go out of it, which-
ever way you travel, you fare worse.

" If you go to the .south, you have to wander
over great barren plains ; the water is warm
and bad, and you meet the fever and ague.

" To the north it is cold ; the winters are long
and bitter, with no grass ; you cannot keep
horses there, but must travel with dogs. What
is a country without horses ?

" On the Columbia they are poor and dirty,
paddle about in canoes, and eat fish. Their
teeth are worn out ; they are always taking
fish-bones out of their mouths. Fish is poor
food.

" To tlie east, they dwell in villages ; they
live well ; but they drink the muddy water
of the Missouri — that is bad. A Crow's dog
would not drink such water.

" About the forks of the Mi.ssouri is a fine
country ; good water ; good grass ; plenty of

CT5^

buffalo. In summer it is almost as jjood as
the Crow country ; but in winter it is cold ;
the grass is gone ; and there is no salt weed
for the horses.

' ' The Crow country is exactly in the right
place. It has snowy mountains and sunny
plains ; all kinds of climates, and good things
for every season. When the summer heats
scorch the prairies, you can draw up under
the mountains, where the air is sweet and cool,
the grass fresh, and the bright streams come
tumbling out of the snow-banks. There you
can hunt the elk, the deer, and the antelope,
when their skins are fit for dressing ; there
you will find plenty of white bears and moun-
tain sheep.

" In the autumn, when your horses are fat
and strong from the mountain pastures, you
can go down into the plains and hunt the buf-
falo, or trap beaver on the streams. And when
winter comes on, you can take .shelter in the
woody bottoms along tlie rivers ; there you
will find buffalo meat for yourselves, and cot-
ton-wood bark for your horses ; or you may
winter in the Wind River Valley, where there
is salt weed in abundance.

"The Crow country is exactly in the right
place. Everything good is to be found there.
There is no country like the Crow country."

VOL. I.— 16

1' '

1 i,

vyj'

■,, 'm .^-r

5|'

'"I

tHI

Lit

M^,.-r3^.•;/^.^•■ p

?-^p>e^^ /*^ X!r^...M«*:V^-«^

242

JBonncrUlc'8 BOvcnturcs

Such is the eulogium on his country by
Arapooish,

We have had repeated occasions to speak of
the restless and predatory habits of the Crows.
They can muster fifteen hundred fighting men ;
but their incessant wars with the Blackfeet,
and tlieir vagabond, predatory habits, are
gradually wearing them out.

In a recent work, we related the circumstance
of a white man named Rose, an outlaw, and a
designing vagabond, who acted as guide and
interpreter to Mr. Hunt and his party, on their
journey' across the mountains to Astoria, who
came near betraying them into the hands of
the Crows, and who remained among the tribe,
marrying one of their women, and adopting
their C(mgenial habits.* A few anecdotes of
the subsequent fortunes of that renegade may
not be uninteresting, esj^ecially as they are con-
nected with the fortunes of the tril)e.

Ro.se was powerful in frame and fearless in
spirit ; and .soon by his daring deeds took his
rank among the first braves of the tribe. He
aspired to command, and knew it was only to
be attained by desperate exploits. He distin-
guished himself in repeated actions with the
Blackfeet. On one occasion, a band of tho.se
savages had fortified themselves within a
* See Astoria.

>-fc-'V Xt^"

''<«-ii*^M "/AV /<^->isi..i.^'' U

'-^'4^

>\^"i^
■' •*»=^^^$'

:^^^

;^:^-vi»^-' ^2>«s!^'

IRose tbe Outlaw

243

breastwork, and could not be harmed. Rose
proposed to storm the work, " Who will take
the lead ? " was the demand. " I ! " cried he
and putting himself at their head, rushed for-
ward. The first Blackfoot that opposed him
he shot down with his rifle, and, snatching up
the war-club of his victim, killed four others
within the fort. The victory was complete,
and Rose returned to the Crow village covered
with glory, and bearing five Blackfoot scalps,
to be erected as a trophy before his lodge.
From this time, he was known among the
Crows by tlie namo of Che-ku-kaats, or " the
man who killed five. ' ' He became chief of the
village, or rather band, and for a time was the
popular idol. Ilis popularity soon awakened
envy among the native braves ; he was a stran-
ger, an intruder, a white man. A party seceded
from his conunand. Feuds and civil wars .suc-
ceeded that lasted for two or three years, until
Rose, having contrived to set his adopted
brethren by the ears, left them, and went down
the Missouri in 1S23. Here he fell in with one
of the earliest trapping expeditions sent by
General Ashley across the mountains. It was
conducted l)y Smith, Fitzpatrick, and Sublette.
Rose enlisted with them as guide and inter-
preter. When he got them among the Crows,
he was exceedingly generous with their goods ;

:., r

<\i

I ■ t

1»

I *''^

'i;

'•/t

making presents to the braves of his adopted
tribe, as became a high-minded chief.

This, doubtless, helped to revive his popu-
larity. In that expedition, Smith and Fitz-
patrick were robbed of their horses in Green
River Valley ; the place where the robbery took
place still bears the name of Horse Creek.
We are not informed whether the horses were
stolen through the instigation and management
of Rose ; it is not improbalile, for such was the
perfid}' he had intended to practise on a former
occasioti towards Mr. Hunt and his partv.

The last anecdote we have of Rose is from
an Indian trader. When General Atkinson
made his military expedition up tlie Missouri,
in 1825, to protect the fur trade, he held a con-
ference with the Crow nation, at which Rose
figured as Indian dignitarj* and Crow inter-
preter. The militar)' were stationed at some
little distance from the .scene of the " big talk " ;
while the general and the chiefs were smoking
pipes and making speeches, the officers, sup-
posing all was friendly, left the troops, and
drew near the scene of ceremonial. Some of
the more knowing Crows, perceiving this, stole
quietlj' to camp, and, unobserved, contrived to
stop the touch-holes of the field-pieces with
dirt. Shortly after, a misunderstanding oc-
curred in the conference ; .some of the Indians,

^mm

ti06C'6 POUCS

knowing the cannon to be useless, became in-
solent. A tumult arose. In the confusion,
Colonel O' Fallon snapped a pistol in t!ie face
of a brave, and knocked him down with the
butt end. The Crows were all in a fury. A
chance-medley fight was on the point of taking
place, when Rose, his natural sympathies as a
white man suddenly recurring, broke the stock
of his fusee over the head of a Crow warrior,
and laid so vigorously about him with the bar-
rel, that he soon put the whole throng to flight.
Luckily, as no lives had been lost, this .sturdy
rib-roasting calmed the fury of the Crows, and
the tumult ended without serious consequences.
What was the ultimate fate of this vagabond
hero is not distinctly known. Some report him
to have fallen a victim to disease, brought on
by his licentious life ; others assert that he was
murdered in a feud among the Crows. Aftei
all, his residence among these savages, and the
i^ influence he acquired over them, had, for a
>V time, some beneficial effects. He is .said, not
\flj merely to have rendered them more formidable
^w^^v, to the Blackfeet, but to have opened their eyes
to the policy of cultivating the friendship of the
white men.

After Ro.se' s death, his policy continued to
be cultivated, with indifferent success, by
Arapooish, the chief already mentioned, who

..^v

^- >v'^

i I.

vi^^

^•yi^

JtsA^uf-

.,\-^

• .-'^**lKe>^"^ '

246 3Sonnevillc'd B!)venturcs

had been his great friend, and whose character
he had contributed to develop. Tliis sagacious
chief endeavored, on every occasion, to restrain
the predatory propensities of his tribe when
directed against the white men. " If we keep
friends with them," said he, " we have nothing
to fear from the Blackfeet, and can rule the
mountains." Arapooish pretended to be a
great "medicine man" ; a rharacter among
the Indians which is a compound of priest, doc-
tor, projihet, and conjuror, Me carried about
with him a tame eagle, as his " medicine " or
familiar. With the white men, he acknowl-
edged that this was all charlatanism ; but said
i it was nece.ssary, to give him weight and influ-
ence among his people.

Mr. Roljert Campbell, from whom we liave
most of these facts, in the course of one of liis
trapping expeditions, was quartered in the vil-
lage of Arapooish, and a guest in the lodge of
the chieftain. He had collected a lar\je (juan-
tity of furs, and, fearful of being plundered,
deposited Imt a part in the lodge of the chief;
the rest he buried in a car//)-. One night, Ara-
pooish came into the lodge with a cloudy brow,
and .seated himself for a time without saying a
word. At length, turning to Campbell, "Von
have more furs with you," said he, " than you
have brought into my lodge ?"

x^ - /->'«>>,.

..^j^?Vvs

'^-

N --"y?^

---p

■>:

vv/f

■^

-7

Campbell's BOvcnture 247 '

" I have," replied Campbell,

"Where are they?"

Campbell knew the uselessness of any pre-
varication with an Indian ; and the importance
of complete frankness. He described the exact
place where he had concealed his peltries.

''T is well," replied Arapooish ; "you speak
.straight. It is just as you say. But your rar/it'
has been robbed. Go and .see how many skins
have been taken from it."

Campbell examined the cache, and estimated
his loss to be about one hundred and fifty
beaver .skins.

Arapooish now summoned a meeting of the
village. He bitterly reproached his people for
robbing a stranger who had confided to their
honor ; and commanded that whoever had
taken the .skins, should bring them back ;
declaring that, as Campbell was his guest and
inmate of his lodge, he would not eat nor drink
until every skin was restored to him.

The meeting broke up, and every one dis-
pensed. Arajiooish now charged Campbell to
give neither reward nor thanks to any one who
should bring in the beaver skins, but to keep
count as they were delivered.

In a little while, the skins began to nmke
their appearance, a few at a lime ; they were
laid down in the lodge, and tho.se who brought

'r'S»r«#-'w

■' ' ,

'j'j

^rr

'5!

It ^

them departed without saying a word. The
day passed away. Arapooish sat in one cor-
ner of his lodge, wrapped up in his robe,
scarcely moving a muscle of his countenance.
When night arrived, he demanded if all the
skins had been brought in. Above a hundred
had been given up, and Campbell expressed
himself contented. Not .so the Crow chieftain.
He fa.sted all that night, nor tasted a drop of
water. In the morning, .some more .skins were
brought in, and continued to come, one and
two at a time, throughout the day ; until but a
few were wanting to make the number com-
plete. Campbell was now anxious to put an
end to this fasting of the old chief, and declared
that he was perfectly satisfied. Arapooish
demanded what number of skins were yet
wanting. On being told, he whispered to some
of his people, who disappeared. After a time
the number were brought in, though it was
evident they were not any of the skins that
had been stolen, but others gleaned in the vil-
lage.

" Is all right now?" demanded Arapooish.

" All is right," replied Campbell.

" Good ! Now bring me meat and drink ! "

When they were alone together, Arapooish
had a conversation with his guest.

' ' When you come another time among the

irM'fl

t-^,

?£::)S:^'^

Ijonor Bmoiid Ccow

vs?

^.^.

Crows," said he, "don't hide your goods;
trust to them and they will not wrong you.
Put your goods in the lodge of a chief, and
they are sacred ; hide them in a cache, and any
one who finds them will steal them. My peo-
ple have now given up your goods for my sake ;
but there are some foolish young men in the
village, who may be disposed to be trouble-
some. Don't linger, therefore, but pack your
horses and be off."

Campbell took his advice, and made his way
safelv out of the Crow country. He has ever
since maintained, that the Crows are not so
black as they are painted. "Trust to their
honor," says he, "and you are safe ; trust to
their honesty, and they will steal the hair oflF
of your head."

Having given these few preliminarj' particu-
lars, we will resume the course of our narrative.

r )

i '•'

I 1

r'J/

/■■ w'^rr^

■It f

,\t

Gbaptcr I'nuH.

Departure from Green River Valley — Popo Agie — Its
Course — The Rivers into which it Runs— Scenery
of the ]51uiTs — The Great Tar Sprinj^ — Volcatiic
Traits in the Crow Country— IJurning Mountain of
r/\Nfc~ Powder River — Sulphur .Sprinj^s — Hidden I'ires —

Colter's Hell— Wind River— Campbell's Party—
^^i*j_/ Pitzpatrick and his Trappers — Captain Stewart, an

Amateur Traveller — Nathaniel Wyeth — Anecdotes
of his Pvxpedition to the P'ar West — Disaster of
Campbell's Party— A Union of Bands — The Bad
Pass — The Rapids — Departure of Pilzpatrick — Pjn-
barkation of Peltries — Wyeth and his Bull Boat —
Adventures of Captain Bonneville in the Bij^horn
Mountains — Adventures in the Plain— Traces of In-
dians — Travelling Precautions — Dangers of Making
a Smoke — TI Rendezvous.

OX tlie 25th of July, Captain Bonneville
strtick his tents, and set otxt on his route
for the Bighorn, at the head of a party
of fifty six men. including those who were to
embark with Cerre. Crossing the Green River
Valley, he proceeded along the south point of
the Wind River range of mountains, and soon

i-r

*xT^.

Zbe popo Bgie

251

fell upon the track of Mr. Robert CaiiipDell's
party, which had preceded him by a day.
This he pursued, luitil he perceived that it led
down the banks of the Sweet Water to the
southeast. As this was different from his pro-
posed direction, he left it ; and turning to the
northeast, soon came upon the waters of the
Popo Agie. This stream takes its rise in the
Wind River Mountains. Its name, like most
Indian names, is characteristic. J\)/)o, in the
Crow language, signifying head ; and .•/;'/<',
river. It is the head of a long river, extending
from the south end of the Wind River Moun-
tains in a northeast direction, until it falls
into the Yellowstone. Its course is generally
through plains, bu. is twice crossed by chains
of mountains ; the first called the I^ittlehorn,
the .second, the Bighorn. After it has forced
its way through the first chain, it is called the
Horn River ; after the sectmd chain, it is called
the Bighorn River. Its pa.ssage through this
last chain is rough and violent ; making re-
peated falls, and rushing down long and furious
rapids, which threatened destruction to the
navigator ; though a hardy trapper is said to
have shot down them in a canoe. At the foot
of these rapids, is the head of navigation ;
where it was the intention of the parties to
construct boats, and embark.

<t^

"^* ^tr*

>n'

1 hi

if f

:li;i

I (HI

!.• ^

353

JSonnevillc'd Bdventurca

Proceeding down along the Popo Agie, Cap-
tain Bonneville came again in full view of the
"Bluffs," as they are called, extending from
the base of the Wind River Mountains far
awaj' to the east, and presenting to the eye a
confusion of hills and cliffs of red sandstone,
some peaked and angular, some round, some
broken into crags and precipices, and piled up
in fantastic masses ; but all naked and sterile.
There appeared to be no soil favorable to vege-
tation, nothing but coarse gravel ; yet, over
all this isolated, barren landscape, were diffused
such atmospherical tints and hues, as to blend
the rt'hole into harmony and beauty.

In this neighborhood, the captain made
search for the "Great Tar Spring," one of
the wonders of the mountains ; the medicinal
properties of which, he had heard extravagantly
lauded by the trajipers. After a toilsome
search, he found it at the foot of a sand-bluff,
a little to the east of the Wind River Moun-
tains ; where it exuded in a small stream of
the color and consistency of tar. The men im-
mediately ha.stened to collect a quantity of it
to use as an ointment for the galled backs of
their horses, and as a balsam for their own
pains and aches. From the description given
of it, it is evidently the bituminous oil, called
petroleum or naphtha, which forms a principal

;^^f^^^

[^^

Tlatural Curiostttei?

CO, ^

ingredient in the potent medicine called British
Oil. It is found in various parts of Europe
and Asia, in several of the West India islands,
and in some places of the United States. In
the State of New York, it is called Seneca Oil,
from being found near the Seneca Lake.

The Crow country has other natural curiosi-
ties, which are held in superstitious awe by the
Indians, and considered great niar\'els by the
trappers. Such is the burning mountain, on
Powder River, abounding with anthracite coal.
Here the earth is hot and cracked ; in many
places emitting .smoke and sulphurous vapors,
as if covering concealed fires. A volcanic
tract of similar character is found on Stinking
River, one of the tributaries of the Bighorn,
which takes its unhappy name from the odor
derived from sulphurous springs and streams.
This last-mentioned place was first discovered
by Colter, a hunter belonging to Lewis and
Clarke's exploring party, who came upon it in
the course of his lonely wanderings, and gave
such an account of its gloomy terrors, its hid-
den fires, smoking pits, noxious streams, and
the all-pervading "smell of brimstone," that
it received, and has ever since retained among
trappers, the name of " Colter's Hell ! "

Resuming his descent along the left bank of
the Popo Agie, Captain Bonneville soon reached

'n.

I .•

( t

'^n

Ft'!

} . hV

'^-y-T^^^^'i^/i^

MTi

c"^

^■w

2=4

.^rx'^C' r:!'-

3Bonnevtne'6 Bdvcnturcd

the plains ; where he found several large
streams entering from the west. Among these
was Wind River, which gives its name to the
mountains among which it takes its rise. This
is one of the most important .streams of the
Crow country. The river being much swollen,
Captain Bonneville halted at its mouth, and
.sent out .scouts to look for a fording place.
While thus encamped, he beheld in the course
of the afternoon, a long line of hor.semen de-
.scending the slope of the hills on the opposite
side of the Popo Agie. His first idea was,
that they were Indians ; he .soon di.scovered,
however, that they were white men, and, by
the long line of pack-horses, ascertained them
to be the convoy of Campbell, which, having
descended the Sweet Water, was now t)n its
way to the Horn River.

The two parties came together twa or three
days afterwards, on the 4th of August, after
having passed through the gap of the Little-
horn Mountain. In company with Campbell's
convoj', was a trapping party of the Rocky
Mountain Company, headed by Fitzpatrick ;
who, after Campbell's embarkation on the Big-
horn, was to take charge of all the horses, and
proceed on a trapping campaign. There were,
moreover, two chance companions in the rival
camp. One was Captain Stewart of the Brit-

■-;

i'i.\

on its

:)r three
t, after '^

Little-
iipbell's

Rocky

>atrick ;

.heBiK- ^^^-^;,,

ses, ami \T V ^y

re were, ^ U

he rival WT.)

he Brit- .%Vl
%-v -

The Edi^r of I he Lava Beds.

Kill) •i-.t'ii I > i'»i it

l^lu'to-.nal'h.

III

I !

' '•(

)

(

.■ 1

■

^i\

v^v.* ii jy ^ ^' 'i.'a.'^ <*,4; w v^t.

/I^ectiiid wttb Campbell

255

ish army, a gentleman of noble connections,
who was amusing himself by a wandering tour
in the Far West ; in the course of which, he
had lived in hunter's style ; accompanying
various bands of traders, trappers, and Indians ;
and manifesting that relish for Ihe wilderness
that belongs to men of game and sjMrit.

The other casual inmate of Mr. Campbell's
camp was Mr. Nathaniel Wyeth ; the self-same
leader of the band of New iCngland salmon
fishers, with whom we parted company in the
valley of Pierre's Hole, after the battle with
the Blackfeet. A few days after that affair, he
again set out from the rendezvous in company
with Milton Sublette and his brigade of trap-
pers. On his march, he visited the battle
ground, and penetrated to t'rj deserted fort of
the Blackfeet in the midst of the wood. It
was a dismal scene. The fort was strewed
with the mouldering bodies of the .slain ; while
vultures soared aloft, or sat brooding on the
trees around ; and Indian dogs howled about
the place, as if bewailing the death of their
masters. Wyeth travelled for a considerable
distance to the .southwest, in company with
Milton vSublette, when they separated ; and
the former, with eleven men, the remnant of
his band, pu.shed on for Snake River; kept
down the course of that eventful stream ;

tr'^

,<^j

Zfk. —

I?
If

»'i

>'/-) ^,— —

i !

3BonnevUlc'0 B5rcnturc6

traversed the Blue Mountains, trapping beaver
occasionally bj^ the way, and finally, after
hardships of all kinds, arrived, on the 29th of
October, at Vancouver, on the Columbia, the
main factory of the Hudson's Bay Company.
He experienced hospitable treatment at the
hands of the agents of that company ; but his
men, heartily tired of wandering in the wil-
derness, or tempted by other prospects, re-
fused, for the most part, to continue any longer
in his service. Some set off for the Sandwich
Islands ; some entered inti, other employ.
Wyeth found, too, that a great part of the
goods he had brought with him were unfitted
for the Indian trade ; in a word, his expedi-
tion, undertaken entirely on his own resources,
proved a failure. He lost everything invested
in it, but his hopes. These were as strong as
ever. He took note of everything, therefore,
that could be of service to him in the further
prosecution of his project ; collected all the
information within his reach, and then set off,
accompanied by merely two men, on his re-
turn journey across the continent. He had
got thus far, " by hook and by crook," a mode
in which a New England man can make his
way all over the world, and through all kinds
of difficulties, and was now bound for Boston,
in full confidence of being able to form a com-

.X** .

■^-r^"

—^ >M,!i*

Etsaster of Campbell's pattg

pany fi^r the salmon fishery and fur trade of
the Cohimbia.

The party of Mr. Campbell had met with a
disaster in the course of their route from the
vSweet Water. Three or four of the men, wlio
were reconnoitring the country in the advance
of the main body, were visited one night in
tlieir camp, by fifteen or twenty Shoshonies.
Considering this tribe as perfectly friendly,
they received them in the most cordial and
confiding manner. In the course of the night,
the man on guard near the horses fell sound
asleep ; upon which a Shoshonie shot him in
the head, and nearly killed him. The sav-
ages then made off with the horses, leaving
the rest of the party to find their way to the
main body on foot.

The rival companies of Captain Bonneville
and Mr. Campbell, thus fortuitously brought
together, now prosecuted their journey in great
good fellowship, forming a joint camp of about
a hundred men. The captain, however, began
to entertain doubts that Fitzpatrick and his
trappers, who kept profound silence as to their
future movements, intended to hunt the .same
groiuids which he had selected for his autumnal
campaign, which lay to the west of the Horn
River, on its tributary streams. In the course
of his march, therefore, he secretly detached

VOL. I. — 17

<k^i

II] \

! •

.iOk^

,jL^JIi

^1 ..,— -

>. i

1 ■

; !

^^r^',? /^l\

'...'M

*3;

JSonneville's adventures

a small party of trappers, to make their way to
those hunting grounds, while he continued on
with the main body ; appointing a rendezvous,
at the next full moon, about the 28th of Au-
gust, at a place called the Medicine Lodge.

On reaching the second chain, called the Big-
horn Mountains, where the river forced its im-
petuous way through a precipitous defile, with
cascades and rapids, the travellers were obliged
to leave its banks, and traverse the mountains
by a rugged and frightful route, emphatically
called the " Bad Pass." Descending the oppo-
site side, they again made for the river banks ;
and about the middle of August reached the
point below the rapids where the river becomes
navigable for boats. Here Captain Bonneville
detached a .second party of trappers, con.sisting
of ten men, to .seek and join those whom he
had detached while on the route, appointing
for them the same rendezvous (at the Medicine
Lodge), on the 28th of August.

All hands now set to work to construct " bull
boats." as they are technically called ; a hght,
fragile kind of bark, characteristic of the ex-
pedients and inventions of the wilderness ;
being formed of buffalo skins, stretched on
frames. They are sometimes, also, called skin
boats. Wyeth was the first ready ; and, with
his usual promptness and hardihood, launched

"Lfi

Departure of jritjpatrtck

his frail bark, singlj*, on this wild and hazard-
/tufV o"s voyage, down an almost interminable suc-
//_! v\ cession of rivers, winding through countries
teeming with savage hordes. Milton Sublette,
his former fellow-traveller, and his companion
in the battle scenes of Pierre's Hole, took pas-
sage in his boat. His crew consisted of two
white men and two Indians. We shall hear
further of Wyeth, and his wild voyage, in the
course of our wanderings about the Far West.

The remaining parties soon completed their
several armaments. That of Captain Bonne-
ville was composed of three bull boats, in which
he embarked all his peltries, giving them in
charge of Mr. Cerre, with a party of thirty-six
men. Mr. Campbell took command of his own
boats, and the little squadrons were soon glid-
ing down the bright current of the Bighorn.

The .secret precautions which Captain Bonne-
ville had taken, to throw his men first into the
trapping ground west of the Bighorn, were,
probably, superfluous. It did not appear that
Fitzpatrick had intended to hunt in that direc-
tion. The moment Mr. Campbell and his men
embarked with the peltries, Fitzpatrick took
charge of all the horses, amounting to above a
hundred, and struck off to the east, to trap
upon Littlehorn, Powder, and Tongue rivers.
He was accompanied by Captain Stewart, who

{

' < 4

».^»Jl.Li|iiu l..ii4|iii*i'D

".- ;,|^^

;V="ltiSpn:.

JGoiincvillc's BDvcnturcs

was desirous of having a range about the Crow
country. Of the adventures they met with in
that region of vagabonds and horse stealers,
we shall have something to relate hereafter.

Captain Bonneville being now left to prose-
cute his trapping campTign without rivalry,
set out, on the 17th of August, for the rendez-
vous at Medicine Lodge. He had but four
men remaining with him, and forty-six horses
to take care of ; with these he had to make his
way over mountain and plain, through a ma-
rauding, horse-stealing region, full of peril for
a numerous cavalcade so slightly manned. He
addressed himself to his difficult journey, how-
ever, with his usual alacrity of spirit.

In the afternoon of his first day's journey,
on drawing near to the Bighorn Mountain, on
the summit of which he intended to encamp
for the night, he observed, to his disquiet, a
cloud of smoke rising from its base. He came
to a halt, and watched it anxiously. It was
very irregular ; .sometimes it would almost die
away ; and then would mount up in heavy
volumes. There was, apparently, a large party
encamped there ; probably, .some ruffian horde
of Blackfeet. At any rate, it would not do for
so small a number of men, with .so numerous a
cavalcade, to venture wi^'iin sight of any wan-
dering tribe. Captain Bonneville and his

AWi

iMm^^^^^^&^

XLtavellinn iprccauttoittj

261

companions, therefore, avoided this dangerous
neighVjorhood, and, proceeding with extreme
caution, reached the sunnnit of the mountain,
apparently without being discovered. Here
they found a deserted Rlackfoot fort, in which
they ensconced themselves ; disposed of every-
thing as s curely as possible, and passed the
night without molestation. Early the next
morning they descended the south side of
the mountain into the great plain extending
between it and the Littlehorn range. Here
they soon came upon munerous footprints,
and the carcasses of buffaloes ; by which they
knew there must be Indians not far off. Cap-
tain B(mncville now began to feel solicitude
about the two small parties of trappers which
he had detached ; lest the Indians should have
come upon them liefore they had united their
forces. liut he sMll felt more solicitude about
his own party ; for it was hardly to be ex-
pected he could traverse these naked plains
undiscovered, when Indians were abroad ; and
should he be discovered, his chance would be
a desperate one. Kvcrything now depended
upon the greatest circumspection. It was
dangerous to discharge a gun, or light a fire,
or make the least noise, where such quick-
eared and quick- sigh ted enemies were at hand.
In the course of the day they saw indubitable

<-^

C^i^t-'-J;

S.^'

J;1

/ ;

'■mojM^

363

;J3omicvUle'i; BDvcnturca

signs that the buffalo had been roaming there
in great numbers, and had recently been
frightened away. That night they encamped
with the greatest care ; and threw up a strong
breastwork for their protection.

For the two succeeding days they pressed
forward rapidly, but cautiously, across the
great plain ; fording the tributary streams of
the Horn River ; encamping one night among
thickets ; the next, on an island ; meeting,
repeatedly, with traces of Indians ; and now
and then, in passing through a defile, experi-
encing alarms that induced them to cock their
rifles.

On the last day of their march hunger got
the better of their caution, and they shot a fine
buffalo bull at the risk of being betrayed by
the report. The}' did not halt to make a meal,
but carried the meat on with them to the place
of rendezvous, the Medicine Lodge, where they
arrived safely, in the evening, and celebrated
their arrival by a hearty supper.

The next morning they erected a strong pen
for the horses, and a fortress of logs for them-
selves ; and continued to observe the greatest
caution. Their cooking was all done at mid-
day when the fire makes no glare, and a
moderate smoke cannot be perceived at any
great distance. In the morning and evening,

^::

■I I

Brrtval ot Betacbmenta

263 j*'),.

when the wind is hilled, the smoke rises per-
pendicnlarly in a blue column, or floats in
light clouds above the tree-tops, and can be
discovered from afar.

In this way the little party remained for
several daj's, cautiously encamped, initil, on
the 29th August, the two detacliments they
had been expecting, arrived together at the
rendezvous. They, as usual, had their several
tales of adventures to relate to the captain,
which we will furnish to the reader in the next
chapter.

^^i

' I

t: I

■It

■I'-'n ,>,^

MBjaaiiag - i i rri

i I

I ,

iii! '^'Ml

Cbaptet ipw.

Adventures of the Party of Tor. — Tlie Balaaniite Mule
— A Dead Point — The ^l^sterious Ivlks — A Nij^ht
Attack — A Retreat — Tr.'uelH'Js under an Ahirin —
A Joyful Meeting — Advontures of the Other Tarty —
A Decoy Klk — Retreat to an Island — A vSavage
Dance of Triumjih — Arrival at Wind River.

THlC adventures of the detachtnent of ten
are tlu- first in order. These trappers,
when they separated from Captain
Bonneville at the place wh'..e the furs were
embarked, proceeded co tivs foot of the Big-
horn Motmtain, and havliig eno-i.njped, one of
them motinted his male nnd went out to set
his trap in a neighboring stream. He had not
proceeded far when his steel ciire to a full
stop. The trapper kicked and cudgelled, but
to every blow and kick the mule snorted and
kicked up, but still refused to budge an inch.
The rider now cast his eyes warily around in
.search of .some cause for this demur, when, to
his di.smay, he di.scovered an Indian fort within

Vii

%£'

'•(<-;

£^

♦wi

Cbe Wrapper's "Report

gunshot distance, lowering through the twi-
light. It', a twinkling he wheeled about; his
mule now seemed as eager to get on as himself,
and in a few moments brought him, clattering
with his traps, among his comrades. He was
jeered at for his alacrity in retreating ; his re-
port was treated as a false alarm ; his brother
trappers contented themselves with recoinioi-
tring the fort at a distance, and pronounced
that it was deserted. As night .set in, the
usual precaution, enjoined by Captain Bon-
neville on his men, was ob.served. The
horses were brought in and tied, and a guard
stationed over them. This done, the men
wrapped themselves in their blankets, stretched
themselves i)efore the fire, and being fatigued
with a long day's march, and gorged with a
hearty supper, were soon in a profound .sleep.
Tlie camp fires gradually died away ; all
was dark and silent ; the sentinel stationed to
watch the horses had marched as far, and
supped as heartily as any of his companions,
and while they snored, he began to nod at his
po.st. After a time, a low trampling noise
reached his ear . He half opened his eyes, and
beheld two or three elks moving about the
lodges, picking, and smelling, and grazing
here and there. The sight of elk within the
purlieus of the camp caused some little sur-

•J

Kv.'-)

— ^cC''

ii^X^S

I ' 1

i>;ypj^r^*«iw»p»

I < :

266

:6onncv>lUe'0 B^ventured

£\

prise ; but, having had his supper, he cared
not for elk meat, and, suffering them to graze
about unmolested, soon relapsed into a doze.

Suddenly, before daybreak, a discharge of
fire-arms, and a struggle and tramp of horses,
made every one to start to his feet. The first
move was to secure the horses. Some were
gone ; others were struggling, and kicking,
and trembling, for there was a horrible uproar
of whoops, and yells, and fire-arms. Several
trappers stole quietly from the camp, and suc-
ceeded in driving in the horses whicli had
broken away ; the rest were tethered still more
strongly. A breastwork was thrown up of sad-
dles, baggage, and camp furniture, and all
hands waited anxiously for daylight. The
Indians, in the meantime, collected on a neigh-
boring height, kept up the most horrible
clamor, in hopes of striking a panic into the
camp, or frightening off the horses. When
the day dawned, the trappers attacked them
Ijriskl}' and drove them to some distance. A
desultory faring was kept up for an hour,
when the Indians, seeing nothing was to be
gained, gave up the contest and retired. They
proved to be a war party of Blackfeet, who,
while in search cf the Crow tribe, had fallen
upon the trail of Captain Bonneville on the
Popo Agie, and dogged him to the Bighorn ;

I ;

< *i

Cbange of "Route

267

but liad been completely baffled by his vigi-
lance. They had then waylaid the present
detachment, and were actually housed in per-
fect silence within their fort, when the mule of
the trapper made such a dead point.

The savages went off uttering the wildest
denunciations of hostility, mingled with op-
probrious terms in broken English, and ges-
ticulations of the most insulting kind.

In this melee, one white man was wounded,
and two horses were killed. On preparing the
morning's meal, however, a luimber of cups,
knives, and other articles were missing, which
had, doubtless, been carried off by the fictitious
elk, during the slumber of the very sagacious
sentinel.

As the Indians had gone off in the direction
which the trappers had intended to travel, the
latter changed their route, and pushed forward
rapidly through the "Bad Pass," nor halted
until night ; when, supposing themselves out
of the reach of the enemy, they contented
themselves with tying up their horses and
posting a guard. They had scarce laid down
to sleep, when a dog straj-ed into the camp with
a small pack of moccasins tied upon his back ;
for dogs are made to carry burdens among the
Indians. The sen^'nel, more knowing than he
of the precediijg^ night, avvokj&,his companion

I I 1 •^ ■

aes

IIH -I

:li

> '.

! !

W,v. !

2(>S

asonncviUc'a BOventurcs

and reported the circumstance. It was evident
that Indians were at hand. All were instantly
at work ; a strong pen was :;oon coni-tructed
for the horses, after completing which, they
resumed their slumbers with the ooraposure of
men long inured to danger.

In the next n'ght, the prowling of dogs
about the camp, aii'l various suspicious noi.ses,
showed that Indians were still hovering about
them. Hurrying on by long marches, they at
length fell upon a trail, which, with the expe-
rienced eye of a veteran woodman, they soon
discovered to be tiiat of the party of trappers
detached by Captain Bonneville when on his
march, and which they were sent to join.
They likewise ascertained from various signs,
that this party had suffered some maltreatment
from the Indians. They now pursued the trail
with intense anxiety ; it carried them to the
banks of the stream called the Gray Bull, and
down along its course, until they came to where
it empties into the Horn River. Here, to their
great joy, they di.scovered the comrades of whom
they were in search, all strongly fortified, and
in a .state of great watchfulness and anxiet\'.

We now take up the adventures of this fir.st
detachment of trappers. These men, after part-
ing with the main body under Captain Bonne-
ville, had proceeded slowly for several days up

:t\

0*lB

-V

^i Decois £lft

the course of the river, trapping beaver as they
went. One morning, as they were about to
visit their traps, one of the camp-keepers
pointed to a fir.e elk, grazing at a d stance, and
requested them to shoot it. Three of the trap-
pers started off for the purpose. In passing
the thicket, they were fired upon by some sav-
ages in ambush, and at the same time, the
pretended elk, throwing off his hide and horn,
started forth an Indian warrior.

One of the three trappers, had been brought
down by the volley ; the others fled to the camp,
and all hands, seizing up whatever they could
carry off, retreated to a small island in the river,
and took refuge among the willows. Here they
were soon joined by theircomnulewhohad fallen,
jut who had merely been wounded in the neck.

In the meantime, the Itidians took pos.session
of the deserted camp, with all the traps, ac-
coutrements, and horses. While they \.ere
busy among the spoils, a .solitary trapper, who
had been ab.sent at his work, came sauntering
to the camp with his traps on his back. He
had approached near by, when an Indian came
forward and motioned him to keep awaj* ; at
the same moment, he was perceived by his
comrades on the island, and warned of his dan-
ger with loud cries. The poor fellow stood for
a moment, bewildered and aghast, then drop-

l« '

,' ,

^7-

■\

,1-

'^1

''^^

.%^

270 jSonneviUe's aDventured

£^

{^^.

■J

ping

his traps, wheeled and made off at full
speed, quickened by a sportive volley which
the Indians rattled after him.

In high good humor with their easy triumph,
the savages now formed a circle round the fire
and performed a war dance, with the unlucky
trappers for rueful spectators. This done, em-
boldened by what they considered cowardice on
the part of the white men, they neglected their
usual mode of bush-fighting, and advanced
openly within twenty paces of the willows, A
sharp volley from the trappers brought them to a
sudden halt, and laid three of them breathless.
The chief, who had stationed himself on an emi-
nence to direct all the movements of his jjeople,
seeing three of his warriors laid low, ordered the
rest to retire. They immediately did so, and the
whole band .soon disappeared behind a point
of woods, carrying off with them the horses,
traps, and tlie greater part of the baggage.

It wasjust after this misfortune, that the party
of ten men discovered this forlorn band of trap-
pers in a fortress, which they had thrown up
after their disaster. They were so perfectly
dismayed, that they could not be induced even
to go in que.st of their traps, which they had
.set in a neighboring .stream. The two parties
now joined their forces, and made their way,
without further misfortune, to the rendezvous.

Brcival at KninO IRivct

Captain Bonneville perceived from the reports
of these parties, as well as from what he had
observed himself in his recent march, that he
was in a neighborhood teeming with danger.
Two wandering Snake Indians, also, who
visited the camp, assured him that there were
two large bands of Crows marching rapidly
upon him. He broke up his encampment,
therefore, on the ist of September, made his
way to the south, across the Littlehorn Moun-
tain, until he reached Wind River, and then
turning westward, moved slowly up the banks
of that .stream, giving time for his men to trap
as he proceeded. As it was not in the plan of
the present hunting campaign to go near the
caches on Green River, and as the trappers were
in want of traps to replace those they had lost.
Captain Bonneville undertook to vi.sit the
caches, and procure a supply. To accompany
him in this hazardous expedition, which would
take him through the defiles of the Wind River
Mountains, and up the Green River Valley, he
took but three men ; the main party were to
continue on trapping up towards the head of
Wind River, near which he was to rejoin them,
just about the place where that stream issues
from the mountains. We shall accompany the
captain on his adventurous errand.

S=ssS^^^

'W,

, ,

« : .

i ' "!■ I '

CFjapter i*|*lt).

Captain Bonneville Sets Out for Green River Valley —
Journey up the Popo Af{ie — Buffaloes — The Staring
White Bears— The Smoke— The Warm Springs— At-
tempt to Traverse the Wind River Mountains — The
Great Slope— Mountain Dells and Chasms — Crystal
Lakes — Ascent of a Snowy Peak — Sublime Prospect
— A Panorama — " Les Dignes de Pitie," or Wild
Men of the Mountaius.

HAVIXG forded Wind River a little above
its mouth, Captain Botnieville and his
three companions proceeded across a
gravelly plain, until they fell upon the Popo
Agie, up the left bank of which they held their
course, nearly in a southerly direction. Here
they came upon numerous droves of buffalo,
and halted for the purpose of procuring a
supply of beef. As the hunters were stealing
cautiruslj' to get within shot of the game, two
small white bears suddenly presented them-
selves in their path, and, rising upon their hind
legs, contemplated them for some time, with a

272

I '

whimsically solemn gaze. The hunters re-
mained motionless ; whereupon the bears, hav-
ing apparentl}' satisfied their curiosity, lowered
themselves upon all fours, and began to with-
draw. The hunters now advanced, upon which
the bears turned, rose again upon their
haunches, and repeated their serio-comic ex-
amination. This was repeated several times,
until the hunters, piqued at their unmannerly
staring, rebuked it with a discharge of their
rifles. The bears made an awkward bound or
two, as if wounded, and then walked off with
great gravity, seeming to commune together,
and every now and then turning to take another
look at the hunters. It was well tor the latter
that the bears were but half grown, and had
not yet acquired the ferocity of their kind.

The buffalo were .somewhat startled at the
report of the fire-arms ; but the hunters suc-
ceeded in killing a couple of fine cows, and,
having secured the best of the meat, continued
forward until some time after dark, when, en-
camping in a large thicket of willows, they
made a great fire, roasted buffalo beef enough
for half a. score, dispo.sed of the whole of it with
keen relish and high glee, and then "turned
in " for the night and slept soundlj', like weary
and well-fed hunters.

At daylight they were in the saddle again,

VOL. I.— 18

f:J}

^m.

i
I I

( i)i

#«!«(

874

' '^^KSj \si><i^ <ii^ kiii<.-

JBonneptllc'0 BOventured

and skirted along the river, passing through
fresh grassy meadows, and a succession of
beautiful groves of willows and cotton-wood.
Towards evening. Captain Bonneville observed
a smoke at a distance rising from among hills,
directly in the route he was pursuing. Appre-
hensive of .some hostile band, he concealed the
horses in a thicket, and, accompanied by one
of his men, crawled cautiously up a height,
from which he could overlook the scene of dan-
ger. Here, with a spy-gla.ss, he reconnt)itred
the surrounding countr}-, but not a l^^'ge nor
fire, not a man, horse, nor dog was to be dis-
covered ; in short, the smoke which had caused
such alarm proved to be the vapor from .several
warm, or rather hot springs of considerable
magnitude, pouring forth streams in every
direction over a bottom of white clay. One
of the springs was about twenty-five yards in
diameter, an so deep that the water was of a
bright green color.

They were now advancing diagonally upon
the chain of Wind River Mountains, which lay
between them and Green River \'alley. To
coast round th-iir .southern points would be a
wide circuit ; whereas, could they force their
way through them, they might proceed in a
straight line. The mountains were lofty, with
snowy peaks and cragged sides ; it was hoped.

w_>

Zbe Ovcat Slope 275

however, that some practicable defile might be
found. They attempted, accordingly, to pene-
trate the mountains by following up one of the
branches of the Popo Agie, but soon found
themselves in the midst of stupendous crags
and precipices that barred all progress. Re-
tracing their steps, and falling back upon the
river, they consulted where to make another
attempt. They were too close 1)eneath the
mountains to scan them generallj-, but they
now recollected having noticed, from the plain,
a beautiful slope, rising, at an angle of about
thirty degrees, and apparently without any
break, until it reached the snowj- region.
Seeking this gentle acclivity, thej' began to
ascend it with alacrity, trusting to find at the
top one of those elevated plains which prevail
among the Rocky Mountains. The slope was
covered with coarse gravel, interspersed with
plates of freestone. They attained the summit
with some toil, but found, instead of a level,
or rather undulating plain, that they were
on the brink of a deep and precipitous ravine,
from the bottom of which rose a .second slope,
similar to the one they had just ascended.
Down into this profound ravine they made
their way by a rugged path, or rather fissure
of the rocks, and then labored up the second
slope. They gained the summit only to find

k:\

b r

^%^.

\/A^

11 ,11^

111.
i'

^^J«fc^

'*»«»-"'

i(i I

''^1 I I

m i

. .ri

-Ji;;^=.i^^^==fi^~-

JBonnevtllc'd Bdventures

themselves on another ravine, and now per-
ceived that this vast mountain, which had
presented such a sloping and even side to the
distant beholder on the plain, was shagged by
frightful precipices, and seamed with longitu-
dinal chasms, deep and dangerous.

In one of these wild dells they passed the
night, and slept soundly and sweetly after
their fatigues. Two days more of arduous
climbing and scrambling only served to ad-
mit them into the heart of this mountainous
and awful solitude, where difficulties increased
as they proceeded. Sometimes they scrambled
from rock to rock, up the bed of some moun-
tain stream, dashing its bright way down to
the plains ; sometimes thej' availed themselves
of the paths made by the deer and the moun-
tain sheep, which, however, often took them
to the brink of fearful precipices, or led to
rugged defiles, impassable for their horses.
At one place, they were obliged to slide their
horses down the face of a rock, in which at-
tempt some of the poor animals lost their foot-
ing, rolled to the bottom, and came near being
dashed to pieces.

In the afternoon of the second day, the trav-
ellers attained one of the elevated valleys l(x?ked
up in this singular bed of mountains. Here
were two bright and beautiful little lakes, set

^TO

\\f

XH'V

Bdccnt o( a Snows Pcaft

377

like mirrors in the midst of stern and rocky
heights, and surroiuided by grassy meadows,
inexpressibly refreshing to the eye. These
probably were among the sources of those
mighty streams which take their rise among
these mountains, and wander hundreds of miles
through the plains.

In the green pastures bordering upon these
lakes, the travellers halted to repose, and to
give their weary horses time to crop the sweet
and tender herbage. They had now ascended
to a jjreat height above the level of the plains,
yet they beheld huge crags of granite piled
one upon another, and l)eetling like battlements
far above them. While two of the men re-
mained in the camp with the horses, Captain
Bonneville, accompanied by the other men, set
out to climb a neighboring height, hoping to
gain a commanding prospect, and discern some
practicable route through this .stupendous laby-
rinth. After much toil, he reached the summit
of a lofty cliff, but it was only to behold gigan-
tic peaks rising all around, and towering fir
into the snowy regions of the atmosphere. Se-
lecting one which appeared to be the highest,
he crossed a narrow intervening valley, and
began to .scale it. He .soon found that he had
undertaken a tremendous task ; but the pride
of man is never more obstinate than when

fts^%

' ''

I!*

,^*l I

I I

t^,

<::

t^^

climbing mountains. The ascent was so steep
and rugged that he and his companions were
frequently obliged to clamber on hands and
knees, with their guns slung upon their backs.
Frequently, exhausted witli fatigue, and drip-
ping with perspiration, they threw themselves
upon the snow, and took handfuls of it to al-
lay their parching thirst. At one place, they
even stripped off their coats and hung them
upon the bushes, and thus lightly clad, pro-
ceeded to scramble over tliese eternal snows.
As they ascended still higher, there were cool
breezes that refreshed and braced them, and
springing with new ardor to their task, they
at length attained the summit.

Here a scene burst upon tlie view of Captain
Bonneville, that for a time astonished and over-
vt'helmed him with its immensity. He .stood, in
fact, upon that dividing ridge wliicli Indians re-
gard as the crest of the world ; and on each side
of wliich, the landscape may be said to decline
to the two cardinal oceans of the globe.
Whichever way he turned his eye, it was con-
founded by the vastness and variety of oiyects.
Beneath him, the Rocky Mountains seemed to
open all their secret recesses : deep, .solemn
valleys ; treasured lakes ; dreary passes ; rug-
ged defiles, and foaming torrents ; while beyond
their savage precincts, the eye was lost in an

Sublime iprospcct 279

almost immeasurable landscape ; stretching on
every side into dim and hazy distance, like
the expanse of a summer's sea. Whichever
way hi looked, he beheld vast plains glinnner-
ing with reflected sunshine ; mighty streams
wandering on their shining course toward
either ocean, and snowy mcmntains, chain be-
yond chain, and peak beyond peak, till thej'
melted like clouds into the horizon. For a
time, the Indian iuble seemed realized : he had
attained that height from which the Blackfoot
warrior after death, first catches a view of the
land of souls, and beholds the happy hunting
grounds spread out below him, brightening
with the aljodes of the free and generous
spirits. The captain stood for a long while
gazing upon this scene, lo.st in a crowd of vague
and indefinite ideas and sensations. A long-
drawn inspiration at length relieved him from
this enthrallment of the mind, and he began
to analyz»_ the parts of this vast panorama. A
simple enumeration of a few of its features,
may give some idea of its collective grandeur
and magnificence.

The peak on wliich the captain had taken
his .stand, connnanded the whole Wind River
chain ; which, in fact, may rather be consid-
ered one immen.se mountain, broken into
snowy peaks and lateral spurs, and .seamed

-».>^"

Ji3

^ I

.iSd^.

.^*'

Ill

V/ ?|r^-7^=sp:

' M,

'It

h\'

with narrow valleys. Some of these valleys
glittered with silver lakes and gushing streams ;
the fountain head, as it were, of the mighty
tributaries to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Beyond the snowj' peaks, to the south, and far,
far below the mountain range, the gentle river,
called the Sweet Water, was seen pursuing its
tranquil way through the rugged regions of the
Black Hills. In the east, the head-waters of
Wind River wandered through a plain, until,
mingling in one powerful current, they forced
their way through the range of Horn Moun-
tains, and were lost to view. To the north, were
caught glimpses of the upper streams of the
Yellowstone, that great tributary of the Mis-
souri. In another direction were to be .seen some
of the sources of the Oregon, or Columbia,
flowing to the northwest, past those towering
landmarks the three Tetons, and pouring down
into the great lava plain ; while, almost at
the captain's feet, the Green River, or Colorado
of the West, set forth on its wandering pilgrim-
age to the Gulf cf California ; at fir.st a mere
mountain torrent, da.shing northward over crag
and precipice, in a succession of cascades, and
tumbling into the plain, where, expanding into
an ample river, it circled away to the south,
and after alternately .shining out and di.sappear-
ing in the mazes of the vast landscape, was

w"'; -V.

\/^l

AW)

finally lost in a horizon of mountains. The day
was calm and cloudless, and the atmosphere so
pure that objects were discernible at an aston-
ishing distance. The whole of this immense
area was inclosed by an outer range of shadowy
peaks, some of them faintly marked on the
horizon, which seemed to wall it in from the
rest of the earth.

It is to be regretted that Captain Bonneville
had no instruments with him with which to
ascertain the altitude of this peak. He gives
it as his opinion, that it is the loftiest point of
the North American continent ; but of this we
have no .satisfactory proof. It is certain that
the Rocky Mountains are of an altitude vastly
superior to what was frrmerh' supposed. We
rather incline to the opinion that the highest
peak is further to the northward, and is the
same measured by Mr. Thompson, sur\eyor
to the Northwest Company ; who, by the joint
means of the barometer and trigonometric
measurement, a.scertaincd it to be twenty-five
thousand feet above the level of the sea ; an
elevation only inferior to that of the Hima-
layas.*

For a long time, Captain Bonneville remained
gazing around him with wonder and enthusi-

* See the letter of Professor Renwick, in the ap-
pendix to Astoria.

N')J

'l ,

1' ■:

f ,;

!l 1':

li '

'h ■■

l!^

•y^f.

282

:fBonncvillc'd BDvcnturcd

asm ; at length the chill and wintry winds,
whirling about the snow-clad height, admon-
ished him to descend. He soon regained the
spot where he and his companions had thrown
off their coats, which were now gladly resumed,
and, retracing their course down the peak,
they safely rejoined their companions on the
border of the lake.

Notwithstanding the savage and almost in-
accessible nature of these mountains, they have
their inhabitants. As one of the party was
out hunting, he came upon the solitary track
of a man, in a lonely valley. Following it up,
he reached the brow of a cliff, whence he be-
held three savages running across the valley
below him. He fired his gun to call their at-
tention, hopii:^ to induce tiiem to turn back.
They only fled the faster, and disappeared
among the rocks. The hunter returned and
reported what he had seen. Captain Bonne-
ville at once concluded tliat the.se belonged to
a kind of hermit race, scanty in tuunber, that
inhabit the highest and most inaccessible fast-
nesses. They speak the Shoshonie language,
and probabl}- are offsets from that tribe,
though they have ptculiarities of their own,
which distinguish them from all other Indians.
They are miserably poor ; own no horses, and
are destitute of every convenience to be de-

±u

o'-a

,^>:i.

m>:

»^\

Ibcrmit Undiane

283

rived from an intercourse will; the whites.
Their weapons are bows and stone-pointed
arrows, with which they hunt the deer, the
elk, and the mountain sheep. They are to be
found scattered aboat the countries of the
Shoshonie, Flathead, Crow, and Blackfeet
tribes ; but their residences are always in
lonely places, and the clefts of the rocks.

Their footsteps are often .seen by the trap-
pers in the high and .solitary valleys among
the mountains, and the smokes of their fires
descried among the precipices, but they them-
.selves are rarely met with and still more rarely
brought to a parley, so great is their .shyness,
and their dread of .strangers.

As their peverty offers no temptation to the
marauder, and as they are inoffensive in their
habits, they are never tlie objects of warfare :
should one of them, however, fall into the
hands t)f a war party, he is sure to be made a
.sacrifice, for the sake of that savage trophy, a
.scalp, and that barbarous ceremony, a scalp
dance. Tho.se forlorn beings, forming a mere
link between human nature and the brute,
have been looked down upon with pity and con-
tempt by the Creole trappers, who have gix'en
them the appellation oUfsdii^nt'sde pitit\ or " the
objects of pity." They appear more worthy to
be called the wild men of the mountains.

0.©v'

\:-

!!'!

*j*«»^

--—.Esaarin'?

, ' y • m^ -T /'J^ m^ ' < "m

i I

-I'l ^ ■ ■

Cbapter ff OT .

A Retrograde Move — Channel of a Mountain Torrent
— Alpine Scenery — Cascades — Beaver Valleys — Bea-
▼crs at Work — Their Architecture — Their Modes of
Felling Trees— Mode of Trapping Beaver — Contests
of Skill— A Beaver "Up to Trap"— Arrival at the
Green River Caches.

THK view from the snowy peak of the
Wind River Mountain, while it had
excited Captain Bonneville's enthtisi-
asm, had satisfied him that it would be use-
less to force a passage westward, through
multiplying barriers of cliffs and precipices.
Turning his face eastward, therefore, he endea-
vored to regain the plains, intending to make the
circuit round the southern point of the moun-
tain. To descend, and to extricate himself
from the heart of this rock-piled wilderness,
was almost as difficult as to penetrate it. Tak-
ing his course down the ravine of a tumbling
stream, the commencement of some future

284

alpine Scenecs

river, he descended from rock to rock, and shelf
to shelf, between stupendous cliffs and beetling
crags, that sprang up to the sky. Often he
had to cross and recross the rushing torrent,
as it wound foaming and roaring down its
broken channel, or was walled by perpendicular
precipices • and imminent was the hazard of
breaking the legs of the horses in the clefts
and fissures of slippery rocks. The whole
scenery of this deep ravine was of Alpine
wildness and sublimity. Sometimes the trav-
ellers passed beneath cascades which pitched
from such lofty heights, that the water fell
into the stream like heavj' rain. In other
places, torrents came tumbling from crag to
crag, dashing into foam and spray, and mak-
ing tremendous din and uproar.

On the second day of their descent, the
travellers, having got beyond the steepest pitch
of the mountains, came to where the deep and
rugged ravine began occasionally to expand
into small levels or valleys, and the stream to
assume for short intervals a more peaceful
character. Here, not merely the river itself,
but every rivulet flowing into it, was dammed
up by conununities of industrious beavers, so
as to inundate the neighborhood, and make
continual swamps.

During a midday halt in one of these beaver

S^A

'J-

'.t "I"

'Ill

r^fr^s^jo ^ ^yi j!^-yl

<c:

286

IBonncville'B Bdvcntures

valleys, Captain Bonneville left his companions,
and strolled down the course of the stream to
reconnoitre. He had not proceeded far, when
he came to a beaver pond, and caught a glimpse
of one of its painstaking ivihabi.ants busily
at work upon the da' • The curiosity of the
captain was aroused. /-el .'1 the mode of
operating of this fa. iined architect; he
moved forward, therefore, wit;; ae utmost
cautitni. parting the branches of the water
willows without making any noise, until hav-
ing attained a position commanding a view of
the whole pond, he stretched himself flat on
the ground, and watched the solitary workman.
In a little while, three others appeared at the
head of the dam, bringing sticks and bushes.
With these they proceeded directly to the bar-
rier, which Captain Bonneville perceived was
in need of repair. Having deposited their
loads upon the broken part, they dived into
the water, and shorth- reappeared at the sur-
face. Kach now bnmght a (juantity of mud,
with which he would plaster tlie sticks and
bushes just deposited. This kind of masonry
was continued for some time, repeated supplies
of wood and mud being brought, and treated
in the same manner. This done, the indus-
trious beavers indulged in a little recreation,
chasing each other about the pond, dodging

! -I

3ini^^y\

.\'^~S"'s J/ j^ > xt^^ ^Ti'si'^u

Xeavcte at TSaorFt

987

and whisking about on the surface, or diving
to the bottom ; r.»id in their frohc, often slap-
ping their tails on the water with a loud clack-
ing sound. While they were thus amusing
themselves, another of the fraternity made his
appearance, and looked gravely on their sports
for some time, without offering to join in them.
He then climbed the bank close to where the
captain was concealed, and, rearing himself on
his hind-quarters, in a sitting position, put his
fore-paws against a young pine-tree, and
began to cut the bark with his teeth. At
times he would tear off" a small piece, and
holding it between his paws, and retaining his
sedentarj- position, would feed himself with it,
after the fashion of a monkey. The object of
the beaver, however, was evidently to cut
down the tree ; and he was proceeding with
his work, when he was alarmed by the ap-
proach of Captain Bonneville's men, who, feel-
ing anxious at the protracted absence of their
leader, were coming in search of him. At the
sound of their voices, all the beavers, busj' as
well as idle, dived at once beneath the surface,
and were no more to be seen. Captain Bonne-
ville regretted this interruption. He had heard
much of the sagacity of the beaver in cutting
down trees, in which, it is said, they manage
to make them fall into the water, and in such

'\\,,

^y^^lfm-n

l:'i!t\;ti<

1 ' '

1 -
i

*fi£i

^7-

irr

111 i

! )

i I '.

BonnefiUe's BOvcnturcs

a position and direction as may be most favor-
able for conveyance to the desired point. In
the present instance, the tree was a tall straight
pine, and as it grew perpendicularly, and there
was not a breath of air stirring, the beaver
could have felled it in any direction he pleased,
if really capable of exercising a discretion in
the matter. He was evidently engaged in
"belting" the tree, and his first incision had
been on the side nearest to the water.

Captain Bonneville, however, discredits, on
the whole, the alleged sagacity of the beaver
in this particular, and thinks the animal has
no other aim than to get the tree down, with-
out any of the subtle calculation as to its mode
or directions of falling. This attribute, he
thinks, has been ascribed to them from the
circumstance, that most trees growing near
water-courses, either lean bodily towards the
stream, or stretch their largest limbs in that
direction, to benefit by the space, the light,
and the air to be found there. The beaver,
of course, attacks those trees which are nearest
at hand, and on the banks of the stream or
pond. He makes incisions round them, or, in
technical phrase, belts them with his teeth,
and when they fall, they naturally take the
direction in which their trunks or branches
preponderate.

i/>'

ir^

}

Sa^acits of tbc JBeavcr

•;^->.

"I have often," says Captain Botnieville, £^
"seen trees measuring eighteen inches in (Ham-
eter, at the places where they had been cut
through by the beaver, but they lay in all
directions, and often very inconveniently for
the after purposes of the animal. In fact, so
little ingenuity do they at times display in this
particular, that at one of our camps on Snake
River, a beaver was found with his head
wedged into the cut which he had made, the
tree having fallen upon him and held him i)ris-
oner until he died."

Great choice, according to the captain, is
certainly displayed by the beaver in selecting
the wood which is to furnish bark for winter
provision. The whole beav;r household, old
and young, set out ujion t!.is busir.ess, and
will often make long journey:; before they are
suited. Sometimes they cut down trees of the
largest size and then cull t!iJ branches, the
bark of which is most to their taste. These
they cut into lengths of about three feet, con-
vey them to the water, and float them to their
lodges, where they are :;tored away for winter.
They are studious of cleatdiness and comfort
in their lodges, and after their repasts, will
carry out the .sticks from which thej- have
eaten the bark, and throw them into the cur-
rent beyond the barrier. They are jealous,

-19

r:'

If,
i! I

l.f

It:

■I,i'l !

■k

/'>

/r^y

V-^s^

WiCl^^

'^^■

2(/j JBonncville'd BDvcnturcd

too, of their territories, and extremely pugna-
cious, never permitting a strange beaver to
enter their premises, and often fighting with
such virulence as almost to tear each other to
pieces. In the spring, which is the breeding
season, the male leaves the female at home,
and sets off on a tour of pleasure, rambling
often to a great distance, recreating himself
in every clear and quiet expanse of water cm
his way, and climbing the banks occasionally
to feast upon the tender sprouts of the young
willow^. As sunnner advances, he gives up
his bachelor rambles, and bethinking himself
of housekeeping duties, returns home to his
mate and his new progeny, and marshals them
all for the foraging expedition in quest of
winter prov-isions.

After having shown the public spirit of this
praiseworthy little animal as a member of a
community, and his amiable and exemplary
conduct as the father of a family, we grieve
to record the perils with which he is environed,
and the snares set for him and his painstaking
household.

Practice, says Captain Bonneville, has given
such a quickness of eye to the experienced trap-
per in all that relates to his pursuit, that he
can detect the slightest sign of beaver, however
wild ; and although the lodge may be con-

■-^

/■!

Ito^e of CTrapptiig Xeavet

cealed by close thickets and overhanging wil-
lows, he can generally, at a single glance,
make an accurate guess at the number of its
inmates. He now goes to work to set his
trap ; planting it upon the shore, in some
chosen place, two or three inches below the
surface of the water, and secures it by a chain
to a pole set deep in the mud. A small twig
is then stripped of its bark, and one end is
dipped in the "medicine," as the trappers
term the peculiar bait which they employ.
This end of the stick rises about four inches
above the surface of the water, the other end
is planted between the jaws of the trap. The
beaver, possessing an acute sense of smell, is
soon attracted by the odor of the bait. As he
raises his nose towards it. his foot is caught
in the trap. In his fright he throws a somer-
set into the deep water. The trap, being fa.s-
tetied to the pole, resists all his efforts to drag
it to the .shore ; tiie chain by which it is fas-
tened defies his teeth ; he struggles for a time,
and at length vsinks to the bottom and is
drowned.

Upon rocky bottoms, where it is not possi-
ble to plant the pole, it is thrown into the
stream. The beaver, when entrapped, often
gets fastened by the chain to sunken logs or
floating timber ; if he gets to shore, he is en-

. '

f :!

'i,

TTp

r.i

$ ?'

ill ;

i i 't:

' ' '

! I

I 5

i 1

tangled in the thickets of brook willows. In
such cases, however, it costs the trapper dili-
gent search, and sometimes a bout at swim-
ming, before he finds his game.

Occasionally it hajipens that several mem-
bers of a beaver family are trapped in succes-
sion. The survivors then become extremely
shy, and can scarcely be " b ••ought to medi-
cine," to use the trapper's phrase for " taking
the bait." In such case, the trapper gives up
the use of the bait, and conceals his traps in
the usual paths and crossing-places of the
household. The beaver now being completely
"up to trap," approaches them cautiously.
End springs them ingeniously with a stick.
At other times, he turns the traps bottom
iipwards, by the .same means, and occasionally
even drags them to the barrier and conceals
them in the mid. The trapper, now gives up
the contest of ingenuity, and shouldering his
traps, marches off, admitting that he is not
yet " up to beaver,"

On the day following Captain IJonneville's
supervision of the industrious and frolicsome
community of beavers, of which he has given
.so edifying an account, he succeeded in ex-
tricating himself from the Wind River Moun-
tains, and regaining the plain to the ea.stward,
made a great bend to the south, so as to go

'V,

t-Tv.

Q-

round the bases of the mountains, and arrived
without further incident of importance, at the
old place of rendezvous in Green River Valley,
on the 17th of September.

He found tlie rar/irs, in whicli lie had de-
posited his superfluous goods and equipments,
all safe, and having opened and taken from
them the necessary supplies, he closed them
again ; taking care to obliterate all traces that
might betray them to the keen eyes of InditJi
marauders.

I),

-V C ^-O^^; ..^'^'^^ fT

, ' 'J

''"Nii^'.'

vTT

i \

' ""V^

III

\:'\ !

£y\) Chapter JiDHIT.

Route Towards Wind River — Dangerous Neighbor-
hood — Alanus and Precautions — A Sham Encamp-
nient — Apparition of an Indian Spy — Midnight
Move -A Mountain Defile— The Wind River Valley
— Tracking a Tarty — Deserted Camps — Symptoms
of Crows — Meeting of Comrades — A Trapper En-
trapped — Crow Pleasantry — Crow Spies — A De-
campment — Return to dreen River Valley — Meet-
ing with Fitzpatrick's Parly — Their Adventures
among the Crows — Orthodox Crows.

OX the iStli of vSeptember, Captain Bonne-
ville and his three companions set out,
])right and early, to rejoin the main
party from which they had parted on Wind
River. Their route lay up the Green River
Valley, with that stream on their ri.nht hand,
and beyond it, the range of Wind River Moun-
tains. At tlie head of the valley, they were to
o^^4> P''^^ through a defde which would bring them
out beyond the northern end of these mountains,

/^l

^.j

■VW^^

"^^^■:JM

^.4

*'A ,

Blarms and precautions

to the head of Wind River ; where they ex-
pected to meet the main party, according to
arrangement.

We have already adverted to the dangerous
nature of this neighborhood, infested by roving
bands of Crows and Blackfeet ; to whom the
numerous defiles and passes of the country
aflford capital places for anilnish and surprise.
The travellers, therefore, kept a vigilant eye
upon everything that might give intimation of
lurking danger.

About two hours after midday, as they
reached the summit of a hill, they discovered
buffalo on the plain below, running in every
direction. One of the men, too, fancied he
heard the report of a gun. It was concluded,
therefore, that there was some party of Indians
below, hunting buflfalo.

Tue horses were immediately concealed in a
riarrow ravine ; and the captain, mounting an
eminence, but concealing himself from view,
reconnoitred the whole neighborhood with a
telescope. Not an Indian was to be seen ; so,
after hailing about an h')ur, he resumed Ills
journey. Convinced, however, tliat lie was in
a dangerous neighl)orhoo<i he advanced with
the utmost caution ; windiug his way througli
hollows and ravines, and avoiding, as much as
possible, any open tract, or rising gnnnid, that

">^-

'rtT\^?S^ *'*'"""*' *■

■"•4^--

"*j*r

I,'

i i

u i

' h

1^,1,

"\_i>.^'aj;

2'j6

JBonnevillc'e SOventuced

might betray his little party to the watchful
eye of an Indian scout.

Arriving, at length, at the edge of the open
meadow-land bordering on the river, he again
ol)served the buffalo, as far as he could see,
scampering in great alarm. Once more con-
cealing tile horses, he and his companions re-
mained for a long time watching the various
groups of the animals, as each caught the panic
and started ofT; but they sought in vain to dis-
cover the cause.

They were now about to enter the mountain
defile, at the head of Green River Valley, where
they might be waylaid and attacked ; they,
therefore, arranged the packs on their horses,
in the manner most secure and convenient for
sudden flight, sliould such be necessary. This
done, tliej- again .set forward, keeping the most
anxious lookout in every direction.

It was now drawing towards evening ; l)ut
they could not think of encamping for the night,
in a place .so full of danger. Captain Bonneville,
therefore, determined to halt about si'uset.
kindle a fire, as if for encampment, to cook ■<,):■.:
eat supper ; but, as soon as it was sufllcient*;
dark, to make a rapid move for the summit of
the mountain, and seek .some .secluded .spot
for tluir night's lodgings.

Accordingly, as the sun went down, the little

llh

B Sbam £ncampment

r>:.

297

party came to a halt, made a large fire, spitted
their buffalo meat on wooden sticks, and, when
sufficiently roasted, planted the savory viands
before them ; cutting off huge slices with their
hunting knivcb, and supping with a hunter's
appetite. The light of their fire would not
fail, as they knew, to attract the attention of
any Indian horde in the neighborhood ; but
they trusted to be off aiul away, before any
prowlers could reach the place. While they
were supping thus hastih-, however, one of
their party suddenly started up, and shouted
" Indians ! " All were instantly on their feet,
with their rifles in their hands ; but could see
no enemy. The man, however, declared that
he had seen an Indian advancing, cautiously',
along the trail which they had made in coming
to the encampment ; who, the moment he was
perceived, had thrown himself on tlie ground,
and disappeared. He urged Captain Bonneville
instantly to decamp. The captain, however,
took the matter more coolly. The single fact,
that the Indian had endeavored to hide him-
self, convinced him that he was not one of a
party, on the advance to make an attack. He
was, probably, some scout, who had followed
up their trail, until he came in sight of their
fire. He would, in such case, return, and re-
port what he had seen to his companions.

C .;_:•

■ ^v^

' 'jm^'-f^-ltxi tm-

rl:l

i I

298

JBonneville'8 BDve; turcg

These, supposing the white men had encamped
for the night, would keep aloof until very late,
when all should be asleep. They would then,
according to Indian tactics, make their stealthy
approaches, and place themselves in ambush
\ around, preparatory to their attack, at the
usual hour of daylight.

Such was Captain Bonneville's conclusion ;
in consequence of which, he counselled his
men to keen perfectly quiet, and act as if free
from all alarm, until the proper time arrived
for a move. They, accordingly, continued their
repast witli pretendeil appetite and jollity ; and
then trimmed and replenished their fire, as if
for a bivouac. As soon, however, as the night
had completely set in, they left their fire blaz-
ing ; walked quietly among the willows, and
then leaping into their saddles, made off as
noiselessly as possible. In pruportion as they
left the point of danger Ijehiiid them, they re-
laxed in tlieir rigid and ri'ixious taciturnity,
and began to joke at the expense of their
enemy ; whom they pictured to themselves
mousing in tli'.- neigliborhood (n their deserted
fire, waiting for the proper time of attack, and
preparing for a grand disappointment.

About midnight, feeling satisfied that they
QIjl Jiad gained a secur.: distance, they po.'^ted one
of their number \.o keep watch, in case the

•^V ^

^Ur^

III:

^J>

I'M

J-.

<3(t> ind tbe InDians tbe Slip

299

enemy should follow on the trail, and then,
turning abruptly into a dense and matted
thicket of willows, halted for the night at the
foot of the mountain, instead of r..aking for
the sununit, as they had originally intended.

A trapper in the wilderness, like a sailor on
the ocean, snatches morsels of enjoyment in
the midst of trouble, and sleeps soundly when
surrounded by danger. The little party now
made their arrangements for sleep with perfect
calmness ; they did not venture to make a fire
and cook, it is true, though generally done by
hunters whenever they come to a halt, and
have provisions. They comforted themselves,
however, by smoking a tranquil pipe ; and
then calling in the watch, and turning loo.se
the horses, .stretched themselves on their pal-
lets, agreed that whoever should first awake,
should rouse the rest, and in a little while
were all in as .sound sleep as though in the
midst of a fortress.

A little before day, they were all on the
alert ; it was the hour for Indmn maraud. A
.sentinel was immediately detached, to po,st
himself at a little distance on their trail, and
give the alarm, should he see or hear an
enemy.

With the first l)link of dawn, the rest .sought
the horses; brought them to J.he camp, and

v>S

•,n

llri t

' I'i ■ I

)-^

JBotincvillc'd Bdvcnturcs

tied them up, iini^il an hour after sunrise ;
when, the sentinel having reported that all was
well, they sprang once more into their saddles,
and pursued the most covert and secret paths
up the mountain, avoiding the direct route.

At noon, they halted and made a hasty re-
past ; and then bent their course so as to regain
the route from which they had diverged. They
were now made sensible of the danger from
which they had just escaped. There were
tracks of Indians who had evidently been in
pursuit of them ; but had recently returned,
baffled in their search.

Trusting that they had now got a fair start,
and could not be overtaken before night, even
in case the Indians should renew the cha.se,
they pushed briskly forward, and did not en-
camp until late ; when they cautiou.sly con-
cealed theuLselves in a .secure nook of the
mountains.

Without any further alarm, they made their
way to the head-waters of Wind River, and
reached the i-cighborhood in which they had
appointed the rendezvous with their compan-
ions. It was within the precincts of the Crow
country : the Wind River Valley being one of
the favorite haunts of that restless tribe. After
much searching, Captain Bonneville came upon
a trail which had evidently been made by his

In-

MO.

i:I^J

K.^'

anjietB of tbc Captain

301

main party. It was so old, however, that he
feared his people might have left the neighbor-
hood ; driven off, perhaps, by some of those war
parties which were on the prowl. He continued
his search with great anxiety, and no little fa-
tigue ; for his horses were jaded, and almost
crippled, by their forced marches and scram-
blings through rocky defiles.

On tlie following day, about noon, Captain
Bonneville came upon a deserted camp of his
people, from which they had, evidently, turned
back ; but he could find no signs to indicate
whj' they had done so ; whether they had met
with misfortune, or molestation, or in what
direction they had gone. lie was now, more
than ever, perplexed.

On the following day, he resumed his march
with increasing anxiety. The feet of his
horses had by this time l)ecome so worn and
wounded by the rocks, ihat he had to make
moccasins for them of buffalo hide. About
noon, he came to another deserted camp of
his men ; but soon after lost their trail. After
great search, he once more found it, turning in
a southerly direction along the eastern basis of
the Wind River Mountains, which towered to
the right. He n<jw pushed forward *vith all
possible speed, in hopes of overtaking the
party. At night, he slept at another of the

^^4^^Ms

■o^v/

ill

"'•"'M 'I'^mv^^-

•1:1

.s^

302

JSonncville'e Bdventuree

camps, from which they had but recently de-
parted. When the day dawned sufficiently to
distinguish objects, he perceived the danger
that must be dogging the heels of his main
party. All about the camp were traces of In-
dians, who must have been prowling about it
at the time his people had passed the night
there ; and who must .still be hovering about
tliem. Convinced, now, that the main party
could not be at any great distance, he mounted
a .scout on the best horse, and set him forward
to overtake them, to warn them of their dan-
ger, and to order them to halt, mitil he .should
rejoin them.

In the afternoon, to his great joy, he met the
.scout returning, with six comrades from the
main party, leading fresh horses for his accom-
modation ; and on the following day (Septem-
ber 25th), all hands were once more reunited,
after a .separation of nearly three weeks. Their
meeting was hearty and joyous ; for they had
both experienced dangers and perplexities.

The main party, in pursuing their course up
the Wind River Valley, had been dogged the
whole way bj' a war party of Crows. In one
place, they had been fired upon, but without
injur}- ; in another place, one of their horses
hail been cut loose, and carried olT. At length,
they were so closely beset, that they were

303

ITbe Crappcr £ntrappeO

obliged to make a retrograde move, lest they
should be surprised and overcome. This was
*'•'; movement which had caused such perplex-
u,, 'o Captain Bonneville.

The whole party now remained encamped
for two or three days, to give repose to both
men and horses. Some of the trappers, how-
ever, pursued their vocations about the neigh-
boring streams. While one of them was setting
his traps, he heard the tramp of horses, and
looking up, beheld a party of Crow braves
moving along at no great distance, with a con-
siderable cavalcade. The trapper hastened to
conceal himself, but was discerned by the quick
eye of the .savages. With whoops and yells,
they dragged him from his hiding-place, flour-
ished over his head their tomahawks and
scalping-knives, and for a time, the poor trap-
per gave himself up for lost. Fortunately, the
Crows were in a jocose, rather than a .sanguin-
ary mood. They amused them.selves heartily,
for a while, at the expense of his terrors ; and
after having played off divers Crow pranks and
pleasantries, suffered him to depart unharmed.
It is true, they stripped him completely, one
taking his horse, another his gun, a third his
traps, a fourth his blanket, and so on, through
all his accoutrements, and even his clothing,
until he was stark naked : but then they gen-

ill

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

:/.

V MP.x.

U..

1.0

I.I

1.25

■-IM

^ 1^

— 6"

1.8

U III 1.6

Photpgraphic

Sciences
Corporation

«b

'<^

33 WIST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. MS80

(716) 873-4S03

V /..W

f/i

I !

' I

. Hi

""' If

m \

304

^IBonneville's Bdventurcs

erously made him a present of an old tattered
buffalo robe, and dismissed him, with many
complimentary speeches, and much laughter.
When the trapper returned to the camp, in
such sorry plight, he was greeted with peals
of laughter from his comrades, and seemed
more mortified by the style in which he had
been dismissed, than rejoiced at escaping with
his life. A circumstance which he related to
Captain Bonneville, gave some insight into the
cause of this extreme jocularity on the part of
the Crows. They had evidently had a run of
luck, and, like winning gamblers, were in
high good humor. Among twenty-six fine
horses, and some mules, which composed their
cavalcade, the trapper recognized a number
which had belonged to Fitzpatrick's brigade,
when they parted company on the Bighorn.
It was supposed, therefore, that these vaga-
bonds had been on his trail, and robbed him of
part of his cavalry.

On the day following this affair, three Crows
came into Captain Bonneville's camp, with the
most easy, innocent, if not impudent air imag-
inable ; walking about with that imperturbable
coolness and u'v..' ncern, in which the Indian ri-
vals the fine geiicieman. As they had not been
of the set which stripped the trapper, though
evidently of the same band, they were not

■■^^

^'^

Zbxcc Crow 6ue0td

molested. Indeed, Captain Bonneville treated
them with his usual kindness and hospitality ;
permitting them to remain all day in the camp
and even to pass the night there. At the
same time, however, he caused a strict watch
to be maintained on all their movements ; and
at night, stationed an armed sentinel near
them. The Crows remonstrated against the
latter being armed. This only made the cap-
tain suspect them to be spies, who meditated
treachery ; he redoubled, therefore, his pre-
cautions. At the same time, he assured his
guests, that while they were perfectly welcome
to the shelter and comfort of his camp, yet,
should any of their tribe venture to approach
during the night, they would certainly be shot ;
which would be a very unfortunate circum-
stance, and much to be deplored. To the lat-
ter remark, they fully assented ; and shortly
afterward commenced a wild song, or chant,
which they kept up for :i long time, and in
which, they very probably gave their friends,
who might be prowling around the camp,
notice that the white men were on the alert.
The night passed away without disturbance.
In the morning the three Crow guests were
very pressing that Captain Bonneville and his
party should accompany them to their camp,
said was close by. Instead of

^^M^^^M^

(t.^^-'D^

f J)^^ ii

' Hi

' 'fi

I'l!

? 'i

i
■ ''p

M.f

if'

■■^•-^

mi?

JSonneville's BDventures

accepting their invitation, Captain Bonneville
took his departure with all possible dispatch,
eager to be out of the vicinity of such a pirati-
cal horde ; nor did he relax the diligence of
his march, until, on the second day, he reached
the banks of the Sweet Water, beyond the
limits of the Crow country, and a heavy fall of
snow had obliterated all traces of his course.

He now continued on for some few daj-s, at
a slower pace, round the point of the mountain
towards Green River, and arrived once more at
the caches, on the 14th of October.

Here they found traces of the band of Indians
who had hunted them in the defile towards the
head-waters of the Wind River. Having lost
all trace of them on their way over the moun-
tains, they had turned and followed back their
trail down Green River Valley to the caches.
One of these they had discovered and broken
open, but it fortunatelj^ contained nothing but
fragments of old iron, which they had scattered
about in all directions, and then departed. In
examining their deserted camp, Captain Bon-
neville discovered that it numbered thirty-nine
fires and had more reason than ever to congrat-
ulate himself on having escaped the clutches
of such a formidable band of freebooters.

He now turned his course southward, under
cover of the mountains, and on the 25th of

',\ ^1! ia>'y

Crail of a parti? ot Crows

October reached Liberge's Ford, a tributary of
the Colorado, where he came suddenly upon
the trail of this same war party, which had
crossed the stream so recently, that the banks
,^3 were yet wet with the water that had been
splashed upon them. To judge from their
tracks, they could not be less than three hun-
dred warriors, and apparently of the Crow
nation.

Captain Bonneville was extremely uneasy
lest this overpowering force should come upon
him in some place where he would not have
the means of fortifying himself promptly. He
now moved towards Hane's Fork, another
tributary of the Colorado, where he encamped,
ar i remained during the 26th of October. See-
ing a large cloud of smoke to the south, he
supposed it to arise from some encampment
of Shoshonies, and sent scouts to procure in-
formation and to purchase a lodge. It was, in
fact, a band of Shoshonies, but with them were
encamped Fitzpatrick and his ''•ty of trap-
pers. That active leader had an eventful story
to relate of his fortunes in the country of the
Crows. After parting with Captain Bonneville
on the banks of the Bighorn, he made for the
west, to trap upon Powder and Tongue rivers.
He had between twenty and thirty men with
him, and about one hundred horses. So large

'■(

I iiHo^

? J

I ,' I

if»

fl'

il< p I

^Ws

.^nu

:iSonnc\'iUe'd Bdventures

a cavalcade could not pass through the Crow
country without attracting the attention of its
freebooting hordes. A large band of Crows
were soon on their traces, and came up with
them on the 5th of September, just as they had
reached Tongue River. The Crow chief came
forward with great appearance of friendship,
ar ' proposed to Fitzpatrick that they should
encamp together. The latter, however, not
having any faith in the Crows, declined the
invitation, and pitched his camp three miles
off. He then rode over, with two or three
men, to visit the Crow chief, by whom he was
received with great apparent cordiality. In
the meantime, however, a party of young
braves, who considered themselves absolved
by his distrust from all scruples of honor, made
a circuit privately, and dashed into h'.s en-
campment. Captain Stewart, who had re-
mained there in the absence of Fitzpatrick,
behaved with great spirit ; but the Crows
were too numerous and active. They had got
possession of the camp, and soon made booty
of everything — canying off all the horses. On
their way back they met Fitzpatrick returning
to his camp ; and finished their exploit by
rifling and nearly stripping him.

A negotiation now took place between the
plundered white men and the triumphant

<n\

cTi^

jpitspatrick aiiD tbe Crows

309

Crows ; what eloquence and management Fitz-
patrick made use of, we do not know ; but he
succeeded in prevailing upon the Crow chief-
tain to return him his horses and many of his
traps ; together with his rifles and a few rounds
of ammunition for each man. He then set out
with all speed to abandon the Crow country,
before he should meet with any fresh disasters.
After his departure, the consciences of some
of the most orthodox Crows pricked them sorely
for having suffered such a cavalcade to escape
out of their hands. Anxious to wipe off so
foul a stigma on the reputation of the Crow
nation, they followed on his trail, nor quit
hovering about him on his m-..ch until they
had stolen a number of his best horses and
mules. It was, doubtless, this same band
which came upon the lonely trapper on the
Popo Agie, and generously gave him an old
buffalo robe in exchange for his rifle, his traps,
and all his accoutrements. With these anec-
dotes, we shall, for the present, take our leave
of the Crow counlry and its vagabond chivalry.

•f,

HdJM

^A'"*.

;>iv

o-rc'

"i!

I" I si

If 'I

. i-i

■#

IP!

TN,

Cbaptec fSIDin.

A Region of Natural Curiosities — The Plain of White
Clay — Hot Springs — The Beer Spring — Departure
to Seek the Free Trappers— Plaiu of Portneuf —
Lava — Chasms and Gullies — Banneck Indians —
Their Hunt of the BufiFalo— Hunters' Feast-
Trencher Heroes — Bullying of an Absent Foe — The
Damp Comrade — The Indian Spy — Meeting with
Hodgkiss — His Adventures — Poordevil Indians-
Triumph of the Bannecks — Blackfeet Policy in
War.

CROSSING an elevated ridge, Captain
Bonneville now came upon Bear River,
which, from its source to its entrance
into the Great Salt Lake, describes the figure
of a horseshoe. One of the principal head-
waters of this river, although supposed to
abound with beaver, has never been visited
by the trapper ; rising among rugged moun-
tains, and being barricaded by fallen pine-
trees and tremendous precipices.

Proceeding down this river, the party en-

: \

The Arlcmesia.

F'om oriKiiitil p/wtograp'. h\- p,-ymi<sh'ii of 77ir Photo
c'lrom Compnuv. Detioit, .^.'ichi^^av.

!!JftW"'---i.':^ n

i '

' • :l

•1

I u

i !

- f ^

"«!«"■

VI!'}) i^^i\~G^r'^'^

Zbc Xittle lahe

camped, on the 6th of November, at the outlet
of a lake about thirty miles long, and from two
to three miles in width, completely imbedded
in low ranges of mountains, and cotmected
with Beer River by an impassable swamp. It
is called the Little Lake, to distinguish it from
the great one of salt water.

On the loth of November, Captain Bonne-
ville visited a place in the neighborhood which
is quite a region of natural curiosities. An
area of about half a mile square presents a
level surface of white clay or fuller's earth,
perfectly spotless, resembling a great slab of
Parian marble, or a sheet of dazzling snow.
The effect is strikingly beautiful at all times ;
in summer, when it is surrounded with verd-
ure, or in autumn, when it contrasts its bright
immaculate surface with the withered herbage.
Seen from a distant eminence, it then shines
like a mirror, set in the brown landscape.
Around this plain are clustered numerous
springs of various sizes and temperatures.
One of them, of scalding heat, boils furiously
and incessantly, rising tc the height of two or
three feet. In another place, there is an aper-
ture in the earth, from which rushes a column
of steam that forms a perpetual cloud. The
ground for some distance around sounds hol-
low, and startles the solitary trapper, as he

*--.^S>\

'im^

KiS^a^s^^^./' ". '"^'^

1,^

'i'11,1

I V

hears the tramp of his horse giving the sound
of a muffled drum. He pictures to himself a
mysterious gulf belov/, a place of hidden fires,
and gazes round him with awe and uneasiness.

The most noted curiosity, however, of this
singular region, is the Beer Springs of which
trappers give wonderful accounts. They are
said to turn aside from their route through the
country to drink of its waters, with as much
eagerness as the Arab seeks some famous well
of the desert. Captain Bonneville describes it
as having the taste of beer. His men drank it
with avidity, and in copious draughts. It did
not appear to him to possess any medicinal
properties, or to produce any peculiar effects.
The Indians, however, refuse to taste it, and
endeavor to persuade the white men from
doing so.

We have heard this also called the Soda
Spring, and described as containing iron and
sulphur. It probably possesses some of the
properties of the Ballston water.

The time had now arrived for Captain Bon-
neville to go in quest of the party of free trap-
pers detached in the beginning of July, under
the command of Mr. Hodgkiss, to trap upon
the head-waters of Salmon River. His inten-
tion was to unite them with the party witli
which he was at present travelling, that all

might go into quarters together for the winter.
'V.-^ Accordingly, on the nth of November, he
took a temporary leave of his band, appointing
a rendezvous on Snake River, and, accom-
panied by three men, set out upon his journey.
His route lay across the plain of the Portneuf,
a tributary stream of Snake River, called after
an unfortunate Canadian trapper, murdered
by the Indians. The whole country through
which he passed, bore evidence of volcanic
convulsions and conflagration in the olden
time. Great masses of lava lay scattered about
„ t in every direction ; the crags and cliffs had
^f\ apparently been under the action of fire ; the
rocks in some places seemed to have been in
a state of fusion ; the plain was rent and split
with deep chasms and gullies, some of which
were partly filled with lava.

They had not proceeded far, however, before
they saw a party of horsemen galloping full tilt
towards them. They instantly turned, and
made full speed for the covert of a woody
''■^ stream, to fortify themselves among the trees.
The Indians came to a halt, and one of them
came forward alone. He reached Captain
Bonneville and his men just as they were dis-
mounting and about to post themselves. A
few words dispelled all uneasiness. It was a
party of twenty-five Banneck Indians, friendly

AVvi

vf^^ ft <\-■^y^l^^■^s^'W

«»*^

'^^^•'-W&e-}^--"'

i/i

l^i.

- ' "' '^^

'Ctt

>^ity

AMi

314

jSonneviKe's Bdvcnturce

-;X

to the whites, and they proposed, through their
envoy, that both parties should encamp together,
and hunt the buffalo, of which they had discov-
ered several large herds hard by. Captain Bon-
neville cheerfully assented to their proposition,
being curious to see their manner of hunting.

Both parties accordingly encamped together
on a convenient spot, and prepared for the
hunt. The Indians first posted a boy on a
small hill near the camp, to keep a look out
for enemies. The "runners" then, as they
are called, mounted on fleet horses, and armed
with bows and arrows, moved slowly and
cautiously towards the buffalo, keeping as
much as possible out of sight, in hollows and
ravines. When within a proper distance, a
signal was given, and they all opened at once
like a pack of hounds, with a full choru ^f
yells, dashinginto the middle of the herds, and
launching their arrows to the right and left.
The plain seemed absolutely to shake under
the tramp of the buffalo, as they scoured off.
The cows in headlong panic, the bulls furious
with rage, uttering deep roars, and occasionally
turning with a desperate rush upon their pur-
suers. Nothing could surpass the spirit, grace,
and dexterity, with which the Indians man-
aged their horses ; wheeling and coursing
among the affrighted herd, and launching their

\km

...^

■;

The Punch Bowl.

From orii^iiia/ photograph, hy prr mission jf 7'//<' l^holo-
chrom Compuny, />rlroil, Mii/iigan.

ursing
r their

t-t

III

• , 1.

Mil

'■'I'-'ii

i',

,1:^^

B jiiulTalo t>unt

315

arrows with unerring aim. In ♦^he midst of
the apparent confusion, they selected their vic-
tims with perfect judgment, generally aiming
at the *attcst of the cows, the flesh of <^he bull
being nearly worthless, at this season of the
year. In a few minutes, each of the hunters
had crippled three or four cows. A single
shot was sufficient for the purpose, and the
animal, once maimed, was left to be completely
dispatched at the end of the chase. Frequently,
a cow was killed on the spot by a single arrow.
In one instance. Captain Bonneville saw an In-
dian shoot his arrow completely through the
body of a cow, so that it struck in the ground
beyond. The bulls, however, are not so easily
killed as the cows, and always cost the hunter
several arrows, someti;. ^ s making battle upon
the horses, and chasing them furiously, though
severely wounded, with the darts still sticking
in their flesh.

The grand scamper of the hunt being over,
the Indians proceeded to diiipatch the animals
that had been disabled ; then cutting up the
carcas.ses, they returned with loads of meat to
the camp, where the choicest pieces were soon
roasting before large fires, and a hunter's feast
succeeded : at which Captain Bonneville and
his m-^n were qualified, by previous fasting, to
perform their parts with great vigor.

O:--

iiillilii'il»~iTiiiTniiiI ir~1i« |- "iT I •

w
ill

I i

!' )

-III

//J,':

^Bonneville's BOventuces

Some men are said to wax valorous upon a
full stomach, and such seemed to be the case
with the Banneck braves, who, in proportion
as they crammed themselves with buffalo meat,
grew stout of heart, until, the supper at an
end, they began to chant war songs, setting
forth their mighty deeds, and the victories
they had gained over the Blackfeet. Warming
with the theme, and inflating themselves with
their own eulogies, these magnanimous heroes
of the trencher would start up, advance a short
distance beyond the light of the fire, and apos-
trophize most vehemently their Blackfeet ene-
mies, as though they had been within hearing.
Ruffling, and swelling, and snorting, and slap-
ping their breasts, and brandishing their arms,
they would vociferate all their exploits ; re-
minding the Blackfeet how they had drenched
their towns in tears and blood ; enumerate the
blows they had inflicted, the warriors they had
slain, the scalps they had brought off in
triumph. Then, having said tverything that
could stir a man's spleen or pique his valor,
they would dare their imaginary hearers, now
that the Bannecks were few in number, to
come and take their revenge — receiving no
reply to this valorous bravado, they would
conclude by all kinds of sneers and insults,
deriding the Blackfeet for dastards and pol-

'N^

r^^^>^.i

troons, that dared not accept their challenge.
Such is the kind of swaggering and rodomon-
tade in which the " red men " are prone to in-
dulge in their vainglorious moments ; for, with
all their vaunted taciturnity, they are vehe-
mently prone at times to become eloquent
about their exploits, and to so:ind their own
trumpet.

Having vented their valor in this lierct effer-
vescence, the Banneck braves gradually calmed
down, lowered their crests, smoothed their
ruffled feathers, and betook themselves to sleep,
without placing a single guard over their camp ;
so tluit, had the Blackfeet taken them at their
word, but few oi' these braggart heroes might
have survived for any further boasting.

On the following morning, Captain Bonne-
ville purchased a supply of buffalo meat from
his braggadocio friends ; who, with all their
vaporing, were in fact a verj' forlorn horde,
destitute of fire-arms, and of almost everything
that constitutes riches in savage life. The
bargain concluded, the Bannec'-= set off for
their village, which was situated, they said, at
the mouth of the Portneuf, and Captain Bonne-
ville and his companions shaped their course
towards Snake River.

Arrived on the banks of that river, he found
it rapid and boisterous, but not too deep to be

r.f^ N .1

I '

!l1l

,1 ,;..

"-Si^J^S^

JSonncrllle'd BOrcnturcd

forded. In traversing it, however, one of the
horses was swept suddenly from his footing,
and his rider was flung from the saddle into
the midst of the stream. Both horse and horse-
man were extricated without any damage, ex-
cept that the latter was completely drenched,
so that it was necess?\ry to kindle a fire to dry
him. While they were thus occupied, one of
the party looking up, perceived an Indian scout
cautiously reconnoitring them irom the sum-
mit of a neighboring hill. The moment he
found himself discovered, he disappeared be-
hind the hill. From his furtive movements,
Captain Botmeville suspected him to be a scout
from the Blackfeetcamp, and tliat he had gone
to report what he had seen to his companions.
It would not do to loiter in such a neighbor-
hood, so the kindling of the fire was abandoned,
the drenched horseman mounted in dripping
condition, and the little band pushed forward
directly into the plain, going at a smart pace,
until they had gained a considerable distance
from the place of supposed danger. Here en-
camping for the night, in the midst of abun-
dance of sage, or wormwood, which afforded
fodder for their horses, they kindled a huge fire
for the benefit of their damp comrade, and then
proceeded to prepare a sumptuous supper of
buffalo humps and ribs, and other choice bits,

' t

. ,«-» « '^,<~>-

=^'

.•v_i-^-^ ■'■^ /

/*^^ ^Jr X ^ JJ'^twVi.^i; £> J3) i^ ^' \3,'Q.'«"i* i** ^ittt

Aeetiiid witb l^oDdltisd

319

which they had brought with them. After a
hearty repast, relished with an appetite un-
known to city epicures, they stretched them-
selves upon their couches of skins, and under
the starry canopy of heaven enjoyed the sound
and sweet sleep of hardy and well-fed moun-
taineers.

They continued on their journey for several
days, without any incident worthy of notice,
and on the 19th of November, came upon traces
of the party of which they were in search ;
such as burnt patches of prairie, and deserted
camping grounds. All these were carefully
examined, to discover by their iVeshness or
antiquity the probable time that the trappers
had left them ; at length, after much wander-
ing and investigating, they came upon a regu-
lar trail of the limiting party, which led into
the mountains, and following it up bri.skly,
came about two o'clock in the afternoon of the
20tli, upon the encampment of Hodgkiss and
his band of free trappers, in the bosom of a
mountain valley.

It will be recollected that these free trappers,
who were masters of tlieniselve.s and their
movements, had refused to accompany Captain
Bonneville back to Green River in the preced-
ing month of July, preferring to trap about the
upper waters of the Salmon River, wher'^.- ihey

"■,!j:'>iiiiii-i'";

► :
('

ii'

' !,'1

iii

r^3S?sr

^"^^6^

320

JBonnevil(c'0 adventures

expected to find plenty of beaver, and a less
dangerous neighborhood. Their hunt had not
been very successful. They had penetrated the
great range of mountains among which some
of the upper branches of Salmon River take
their rise, but had become so entangled among
immense and almost impassable barricades of
falleji pines, and so impeded by tremendous
precipices, that a greater part of their season
had been wasted among those mountains. At
one time they had made their way through
them, and reached the Bois6e River ; but
meeting with a band of Banneck Indians, from
whom they apprehended hostilities, they had
again taken shelter among the mountains,
where they were found by Captain Bonneville.
In the neighborhood of their encampment, the
captain had the gooa fortune to meet with a
family of those wanderers of the mountains,
emphatically called h's dignes de pitie, or Poor-
devil Indians. These, however, appear to have
forfeited the title, for they had with them a
fine lot of skins of beaver, elk, deer, and
mountain sheep. These Captain Bonneville
purchased from them at a fair valuation, and
sent them off astonished at their own wealth,
and no doubt objects of envy to all their piti-
ful tribe.

Being now reinforced by Hodgkiss and his

5ssli

," 1

I his

band of free trappers, Captain Bonneville put
himself at the head of the united parties, and
set out to rejoin those he had recently left at
the Beer Spring, that they might all go into
winter quarters on Snake River. On his route,
he encountered many heavy falls of snow,
which melted almost immediately, so as not to
impede his march, and on the 4th of Decem-
ber he found his other party, encamped in the
very place where he had partaken in the buffalo
hunt with the Bannecks.

The braggart horde was encamped about
three miles off, and were just then in high glee
and festivity, and more swaggering than ever,
celebrating a prodigious victory. It appeared
that a party of their Vjraves being out on a
hunting excursion, dicovered a band of Black-
feet moving, as they thought, to surprise their
hunting camp. The Bannecks imm ^diately
posted themselves on each side of a dark ra-
vine, through which the enemy must pass, and
just as they were entangled in the midst of it,
attacked them with great fury. The Blackfeet
struck with sudden panic, threw off their buf-
falo robes and fled, leaving one of their war-
riors dead on the spot. The victors eagerly
gathered n\) the spoils ; but their greatest prize
was the scalp of the Blackfoot brave. This
they bore off in triumph to their village, where

t-.*'

S3^5ll

> • /,v ::

■i ifliM W

llfHMi

^gia^,mCS"i*

:^h

^¥.^^^^^

/^ fl

ir'

322

3!Sot!ticvUlc's BCtvcnturcs

■'..**

it has ever since been an object of the greatest
exultation and rejoicing. It had been elevated
upon a pole in the center of the village, where
the warriors had celebrated the scalp dance
round it, with war feasts, war songs, and war-
like harangues. It had then been given up to
the women and boys ; who had paraded it up
and down the village with shouts and chants
and antic dances ; occasionallj- saluting it with
all kinds of taunts, invectives, and revilings.

The Blackfeet, in this affair, do not appear
to have acted up to the character which has
rendered them objects of such terror. Indeed,
their conduct in war, to the inexperienced ob-
server, is full of inconsistencies ; at one time
the}' are headlong in courage, and heedless of
danger ; at another time cautious almost to
cowardice. To understand these apparent in-
congruities, one must know their principles of
warfare, A war party, however triumphant,
if they lose a warrior in the fight, bring back
a cause of mourning to their people, which
casts a shade over the glory of their achieve-
ment. Hence, the Indian is often less fierce
and reckless in general battle, than he is in a
private brawl ; and the chiefs are checked in
their boldest undertakings by the fear of sac-
rificing their warriors.

peculiarity is not confined to the

This

/^?^^/i ..^(ir^-r#--^f:^. ^4?K?^

.Tvi ii

^ffh

f~^'^

police In "Uaar

323 ®Ce,

Blackfeet. Among the Osages, says Captain
Bonneville, when a warrior falls in battle, his
comrades, though the\- may have fought w'th
consummate valor, and won a glorious victorj',
will leave their arms upon the field of battle,
and returning home with dejected coimte-
nances, will halt without the encampment,
and wait until the relatives of the slain come
forth and invite them to mingle again with
their people.

■'V

l€JV

1^-

ill

'll

■ VMS!

it-

Cbapter Ji*1[*\

Within Camp at the Portueuf — Fine Springs — The
Banneck Indians — Their Honesty — Captain Bonne-
ville Prepares for an Expedition — Christmas — The
American Falls — Wild Scenery — F'ishing Falls —
Snake Indians — Scenery on the Bruneau — View of
Volcanic Country from a Mountain — Powder River
— Shoshokoes, or Root Diggers — Their Character
Habits, Habitations, Dogs — Vanity at its Last Shift.

IN esta1)li.sliinj^ his winter camp near the
Portneiif, Captain Bonneville had drawn
off to some little distance irom his Bamieck
friends, to avoid all annoyance from their inti-
macy or intrusions. In so doing, however, he
had been obliged to take up his quarters on
the extreme edge of the flat land, where he was
encompassed with ice and snow, and had noth-
ing better for his horses to subsist on than
wormwood. The Bannecks, on the contrary,
were encamped among fine springs of water,
wliere there was grass in abundance. Some
of these springs gush out of the earth in suffi-
cient quantity to turn a mill, and furnish beau-

i>:

liftil streams, clear as crystal, and full of trout
of a large size, which may be seen darting
about the transparent water.

Winter now set in regularly. The snow had
fallen frequently, and in large quantities, and
covered the ground to the depth of a foot ; and
the continued coldness of the weather prevented
any thaw.

By degrees, a distrust which nt first subsisted
between the Indians and the trappers, subsided,
and gave way to mutual confidence and good-
will. A few presents convinced the chiefs that
the white men were their friends ; nor were
the white men wanting in proofs of the honesty
and good faith of their savage neighbors. Oc-
casionally, the deep snow and the want of fod-
der obliged them to turn their weakest hordes
out to roajn in quest of sustenance. If they at
any time strayed to the camp of the Bannecks,
they were innnediately brought back. It must
be confessed, however, that if the .stray horse
happened, by any chance, to be in vigorous
plight and good condition, though he was
equally sure to be returned by the honest Ban-
necks, yet it was always after the lapse of .sev-
eral days, and in a very gaunt and jaded state ;
and always with the remark, that they had
found him a long way off. The uncharitable
were apt to surmise that he had, in the in-

tlK^'V" «;

'•MMI

■"■ 4

^?^^r^n=^

JSonncville'd BDvcnture:3

terim, been well used up in a buffalo hunt ;
but those accustomed to Indian morality in
the matter of horse-flesh, considered it a sin-
gular evidence of honesty, that he .should be
brought back at all.

Being convinced, therefore, from the.se and
other circumstances, that h:., people were en-
camped in tlic neighborhood of a tribe as hon-
est as they were valiant, and satisfied that they
would pass their winter unmolested, Captain
Bonneville prepared for a reconnoitring expe-
dition of great e.xtent and peril. This was to
penetrate to the Hudson's Bay establishments
on the banks of the Columbia, and to make
himself acquainted with the country and the
Indian tribes ; it being one part of his scheme
to establish a trading post somewhere on the
lower part of the river, .so as to participate in
the trade lost to the United States by the cap-
ture of Astoria. This expedition would, of
course, take him through the Snake River
country, and across the Blue Mountains, the
scenes of so much hardship and disaster to
Hunt and Crooks, and their Astorian bands,
who first explored it, and he would have to
pass through it in the .same frigntful season,
the depth of the winter.

The idta of risk and hardship, however,
only served to stimulate the adventurous spirit

^O^j'J^

I \

"W^r

iS/"/,,

ft M

tv**'

ir:

K^f.

' /l''

B perilous JEspeDition

of the captain. He chose three companions
for liis journey, put up a small stock of neces-
saries in the most portable form, and selected
five horses and mules for themselves and their
baggage. He proposed to rejoin his band in
the early part of March, at the winter encamp-
ment near the Portneuf. All these arrange-
ments being completed, he mounted his horse
on Christmas morning, and .set off with his
three comrades. They halted a little beyond
the Banneck camp, and made their Chri.stmas
dinner, which, if not a verj- merry, was a very
hearty one, after which they resumed their
journey.

They were obliged to travel .slowly, to spare
their horses, for the .snow had increa.sed in
depth to eighteen inches ; and though some-
what packed and frozen, was not sufficiently
so to yield firm footing. Their route lay to
the west, down along the left side of Snake
River, and they were several days in reaching
the first, or American Falls. The banks of
the river, for a considerable distance, both
above and below the falls, have a volcanic
character ; masses of basaltic rock are piled
one upon another ; the water makes its way
through their broken chasms, boiling through
narrow chamiels, or pitching in beautiful cas-
cades over ridges of basaltic columns.

c.(«*<>, .--"t?^ (fT

<?^>^.-

'<^\

i^k )

^<^

""— ^Vi.--"^"' '^

l)y

-pv"

\^^

JBonncvtnc'fl ^^rcnture8

Beyond these falls, they came to a pictur-
esque but inconsiderable stream, called the
Cassie. It runs through a level valley, about
four miles wide, where the soil is good ; but
the prevalent coldness and dryness of the climate
is unfavorable to vegetation. Near to this
stream there is a small mountain of mica slate,
including garnets. Granite, in small blocks,
is likewise seen in this neighborhood, and
white sandstone. From this river, the travel-
lers had a prospect of the snowy heights of the
Salmon River Mountains to the north ; the
nearest, at least fifty miles distant.

In pursuing his course westward, Captain
Boiuieville generally kept several miles from
Snake River, crossing the headsof itstributarj'-
streams ; though he often found the open
country so encumbered by volcanic rocks as to
render travelling extremely difficult. When-
ever he approached Snake River, he found it
running through a broad chasm, with steep,
perpendicular sides of basaltic rock. After
several days' travel across a level plain, he
came to a part of the river which filled him
with astonishment and admiration. As far as
the eye could reach, the river was walled iti by
perpendicular cliffs two hundred and fifty feet
high, beetling like dark and gloomy battle-
ments, while blocks and fragments lay in

:s/.

; I

" After Several Days' Travel he Came
to a Part of the River which Filled
him with Astonishment aiul Adnii-
rat ion."

From a di awini^ hy I lem Y Savdham.

?•

1i III !

masses at their feet, in the midst of the boiling
and whirHng current. Just above, the whole
stream pitched in one cascade above forty feet
in height, with a thundering sound, casting up
a volume of spray that hung in the air like a sil-
ver mist. These are called by .some the Fishing
Falls, as the salmon are taken here in immense
quantities. They cannot get by these falls.

After encamping at this place all night,
Captain Bonneville, at sunrise, descended with
his party through a narrow ravine, or rather
crevice, in the vast wall of basaltic rock which
bordered the river ; this being the only mode,
for nianj;^ miles, of getting to the margin of the
stream.

The snow lay in a thin crust along the banks
of the river, .so that their travelling was much
more easy than it had been hitherto. There
were foot-tracks, also, made by the natives,
which greatly facilitated their progress. Oc-
casionally, they met the inhabitants of this
wild region ; a timid race, and but scantily
provided with the necessaries of life. Their
dress consisted of a mantle about four feet
square, formed of strips of rabbit skins sewed
together : this they hung over their shoulders,
in the ordinary Indian mode of wearing a blan-
ket. Their weapons were bows and arrows ;
the latter tipped with obsidian, which abounds

i- •-■:.

>fl'

f 1 1 11

-..ii

3BonncvUle'd BDventurcd

in the neighborhood. Their huts were shaped
like haystacks, and constructed of branches of
willow covered with long grass, so as to be
warm and comfortable. Occasionally they
were surnnnuled by small inclosures of worm-
wood, about three feet high, which gave them
a cottage-like appearance. Three or four of
these tenaments were occasionally grouped to-
gether in some wild and striking situation, and
had a picturesque effect. Sometimes they were
in sufficient number to form a small hamlet.
From these people. Captain Bonneville's party
frequently purchased salmon, dried in an ad-
mirable manner, as were likewise the roes.
This seemed to be their prime article of food ;
but they were extremely anxious to get buffalo
meat in exchange.

The high walls and rocks, within which the
travellers had been so long inclosed, now occa-
sionally presented openings, through which
they were enabled to ascend to the plain, and
to cut off considerable bends of the river.

Throughout the whole extent of this vast
and .singular chasm, the .scenerj' of the river is
said to be of the most wild and romajitic char-
acter. The rocks present every variety of
masses and grouping. Numerous small streams
come rushing and boiling through narrow clefts
and ravines : one of a considerable size issued

^tiV

A,. . -

Scencrv? of tbc JBruneau

331

from the face of a precipice, within twenty-five
feet of its snnimit ; and after runninj^ in nearly
a horizontal line for about one hundred feet,
fell, by numerous small cascades, to the rocky
bank of the river.

In its career throujjh this vast and singular
defile, Snake River is upwards of three hundred
yards wide, and as clear as spring water.
Sometimes it steals along with a tranquil and
noiseless course ; at other times, for miles and
miles, it dashes on in a thousand rapids, wild
and beautiful to the ej'e, and lulling the ear
with the soft tumult of plashing waters.

Many of the tributary .streams of Snake River
rival it in the wilderness and ])icture.squeness
of their scenery. Tliat called the Bruneau is
particularly cited. It runs through a tre-
mendous chasm, rather than a vallej', extend-
ing upwards of a hundred and fifty miles. You
come upon it on a sudden, in traversing a level
plain. It seems as if you could throw a stoie
across from cliff to cliff; yet, the valley is near
two thousand feet deep : so that the river looks
like an inconsiderable stream. Basaltic rocks
rise ]ierpendicularl}', .so that it is impossible to
get from the plain to the water, or from the
river margin to the plain. The current is
bright and limpid. Hot springs are found on
the borders of this river. One bursts out of

S>g:^c^g^V®^^0 J^^rKVr^^^He^'_

*/w-, :

-'i^^

I-

the cliff forty feet above the river, in a stream
sufficient to turn a mill, and sends up a cloud
of vapor.

We find a characteristic picture of this vol-
canic region of mountains and streams, fur-
nished by the journal of Mr. Wyetli, which lies
before us ; who ascended a peak in the neigh-
borhood we are describing. From this summit,
the country, he says, appears an indescribable
chaos ; the tops of the hills exhibit the same
strata as far as the eye can reach ; and appear
to have once formed the level of the country ;
and the valleys to be formed bj- the sinking of
the earth, rather than the rising of the hills.
Through the deep cracks and chasms thus
formed, the rivers and brooks make their way,
which renders it difficult to follow them. All
these basaltic channels are called " cut rocks"
by the trappers. Many of the mountain streams
disappear in the plains ; either absorbed by
their thirsty soil, and by the porous surface of
the lava, or swallowed up in gulfs and chasms.

On the i2th January (1834), Captain Bonne-
ville reached Powder River, much the largest
stream that he had seen since leaving the
Portneuf He struck it about three miles
above its entrance into Snake River. Here he
found himself above the lower narrows and
defiles of the latter river, and in an open and

level country. The natives now made their
appearance in considerable numbers, and
evinced the most insatiable curiosit\- respecting
the white men ; sitting in groups for hours
together, exposed to the bleakest winds, merelj-
for the pleasure of gazing upon the strangers,
and watching every movement. These are of
that branch of the great Snake tribe ended
Shoshokoes, or Root Diggers, from their sub-
sisting, in a great measure, on the roots of
the earth ; though they likewise take fish in
great quantities, and hunt, in a small way.
They are, in general, very poor ; destitute of
most of the comforts of life, and extremelj'
indolent : but a mild, inoffensive race. They
differ, in many respects, from the other branch
of the ySnake tribe, the Shoshonies, who possess
horses, are more roving and adventurous, and
hunt the buffalo.

On the following day, t\s Captain Bonneville
approached the mouth of Powder River, he
discovered at least a hundred families of these
Diggers, as they are familiarh' called, assembled
in one place. The women and cliildren kept
at a distance, perched among the rocks and
cliffs, their eager curiosity being somewhat
dashed with fear. From their elevated posts,
they scrutinized the strangers with the most
intense earneslness ; regarding them with al-

■$

wmsmemsm*

l^:y!W

Wa:v-

334

JBonncvillc's BC»vcntiirc^

most as much awe as if they had been beings
of a snpernatural order.

The men, however, were by no mep.ns so
shy and reserved ; but importuned Captain
Bonneville and his companions excessivelj' by
their curiosity. Nothing escaped their notice ;
and anything they could lay their hands on
underwent the most minute examination. To
get rid of such inquisitive neighbors, the
travellers kept on for a considerable distance,
before they encamped for the night.

The country hereabout was generally level
and sandy ; producing very little grass, but a
considerable quantity of sage or wormwood.
The plains were diversified b)' isolated hills,
all cut off", as it were, al)out the same height,
so as to have tabidar summits. In this they
resembled the isolated hills of the great prairies
east of the Rocky Mountains ; especially those
found on the plains of the Arkansas.

The higli precipices which had hitherto
walled in the channel of Snake River had now
disappeared, and the banks were of the ordi-
nary height. It siiould be observed, that the
great valleys or plains through which the
Snake River wound its course, were generally
of great breadth, extending on each side from
thirty to forty miles ; where the view was
bounded by unbroken ridges of uiountains.

,C)?f^^r^^^'£'^^^'

^^^^^1^*8^^

a IDillagc of TRoot I>fgger8

335

■^^y

The travellers fomul but little snow in the
neighborhood of Powder River, though the
weather continued intensely cold. They learnt
a lesson, however, from their forlorn friends,
the Root Diggers, which thej- subsequently
found of great service in their wintry wander-
ings. They frecinently observed them to be
furnished with long ropes, twisted from the
bark of the wormwood. This they used as a
slow match, carrying it always lighted. When-
ever they wished to warm themselves, they
would gather togetlier a little dry wormwood,
apply the match, and in an instant produce a
cheering blaze.

Captain Bonneville gives a cheerless account
of a village of these Diggers, which he saw in
crossing the plain below Powder River. " They
live," says he, " without any further protec-
tion from the inclemency of the sea.soji than a
.sort of break- weather, al)out three feet high,
composed of sage (or wormwood), and erected
around them in the shape of a half-moon."
Whenever he met with them, however, they
had always a large suite of half-starved dogs ;
for these animals, in savage as well as in
civilized life, seem to be the concomitants of
beggary.

These dogs, it must be allowed, were of
^^If^J more use than the beggarly curs of cities. The ,

^:iH

t^P^^WmffSW!*!?

.'h

336

aSonnevUlc's B£tventutC0

M '

i !l

(!'

Indian children used them in hunting the small
game of the neighborhood, sucli as rabbits and
prairie dogs ; in which mongrel kind of chase
they acquitted themselves with some credit.

Sometimes the Diggers aspire to nobler
game, and succeed in trapping the ante'ope,
the fleetest animal of the prairies. The pro-
cess b)' which this is effected is somewhat
singular. When the snow has disappeared,
sajs Captain Bonneville, and the ground be-
come soft, the women go into the thickest
fields of wormwood, and pulling it up in great
quantities, construct with it a hedge, about
three feet high, inclosing about a hundred acres.
A single opening is left for the admission of the
game. This douj, the women conceal them-
selves behind the wormwood, and wait patiently
for the coming of the antelopes ; which .some-
times enter this spacious trap in considerable
numbers. As soon as they are in, the women
give the signal, and the men hasten to play
their part. But one of them enters the pen at
a time ; and, after chasing the terrified animals
round the inclosure, is relieved by one of his
C()mpari(,ns. Iv. this way the hunters take
their turns, relieving each other, and keeping
up a continued pursuit by relays, without
fatigue to themselves. The poor antelopes, in
the end, are .so wearied down, that the whole

-Jv

all

ler

^■\

£ntcappind ol (3ame

party of men enter and dispatch tlieni with
clubs — not one escaping that has entered the
inclosure. The most curious circumstance in
this chase is, that an animal so fleet and agile
as the antelope, and straining for its life, should
range roimd and round this fated inclosure,
without attempting; to overleap the low barrier
which surrounds it. Such, hovever, is said to
be the fact ; and such their only mode of
hunting the antelope.

Notwithstanding the absence of all comfort
and convenience in their haliitations, and the
general squalidness of their appearance, the
Shoshokoes do not appear to be destitute of
ingenuit}'. Thej- manufacture good ropes,
and even a tolerably fine thread, from a sort
of weed found in their neighborhood ; and con-
struct bowls and jugs out of a kind of basket-
work formed from small strips of wood plaited :
these by the aid of a little wax, they render
perfecth' water tight. Beside the roots on which
they mainly depend for subsistence, they collect
great quantities of seed of various kinds, beaten
with one hand out of the tops of the plants into
wooden bowls held for that purpose. The
seed thus collected is winnowed and parched,
and ground lietween two stones into a kind of
meal or flour ; which, when mixed with water,

forms a very palatable paste or

tmma

it'-i.m," ! U l i^-. !B B

^1^-

33S

JSonncvillc'e BOvcnturce

Some of these people, more provident and
industrious tliau the rest, lay up a stock of
dried sahnon, and other fish for winter : with
these, the}- were ready to traffic with the trav-
ellers for any ol)jects of utility in Indian life ;
giving a large quantity in exchange for an awl,
a knife, or a fish-hook. Others were in the
most abject state of want and starvation, and
would even gather up the fish-lxMies whicli
the travellers threw away after a repast, warm
them over again at the fire, and pick them
with the greatest avidity.

The further Captain Bonneville advanced
into the country of these Root Diggers, the
more evidence he perceived of their rude and
forlorn condition. "They were destitute,"
.says he, " of the necetisary covering to protect
them from the weatlier ; and seemed to be in
the most unsophisticated ignorance of any
other propriety or advantage in the use of
clothing. One old dame had ab.solutely noth-
ing on her person but a thread round her neck
from which was pendent a solitary bead."

What stage of human destitution, however,
is too destitute for vanity ! Though these
naked and forlorn-looking beings had neither
toilet to arrange, nor beauty to contemplate,
their greatest passion was for a mirror. It
was a "great medicine," in their eyes. The

, /T^ <^<«/?..

Fi.Li

'/i^ ^ -^S ^ i JiX^ is»H,*«,ii ii ^ -^ -? i^ti-'iv (ii; »w» b.(

IDanite at its Xa^t Sbift

339

3< I sight of one was siifFicient, at ati}' time, to
\v i*!? throw them into a paroxysm of eagerness and
(jj delight; and thej- were ready to give anything
^T^ they had for tlie smallest fragment in which '<

they might behold their squalid features. ^•<Ki)
With this simple instance of vanity in its prim- V u /;>
itive but vigorous state, we shall close our - ?*
remarks on the Root Diggers.

END OK V(JI.rMK I.

':('W

-^-^»Mr-"'''5Si^«£a^ ^.' ^<=.,^^'^-rfmvS;t.