t> ^k^ rMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /> (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduct' n ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, ^ iiany frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec ie plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de l'exemplaire film*, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim^e sont filmte en commen^ant par Ie premier plat et en termirtant soit par ia derniirs page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'lllustration, soit par Ie second plat, selon Ie cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmts en commen9ant par la premlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'lllustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles «»uivants apparaftra sur la dernlAre image de chaque microfiche, selon ie cas: Ie symboie — ^ signifie "A SUIVRR ", Ie symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre flim6s d des taux de r6duction diffdrents. Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmi d partir de {'angle sup6rieur gnuche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant !e nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent ia m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 I '€:. mmmmm y.iaas wm t r WMw*^ — ~~ i .a«^»-ii>..i»^; (ityyi i | W»wy*iw»««>^ »*- ■-»>'..' »W « ii l W«" I *< i l ll l>lll i . H> W 'L<<| < -1 i^ So Ai, ///. «'//,», MAP OF JLlKWnS and €J1A]R^K'S Track across tlieWestemPoition of / /hjin the MISSlSSriTItotlK' PA( IFIC CK KAN; ill laoi.'ix (•). ■% X ">I"immKmmmH'^ c^ I o ji N -x- ^ HISTORY or THE EXPEDITION UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAINS LEWIS AND CLARKE, TO THE 80URCES OP THE MISSOURI, THENCE ACROSS THE ROCKT MOUNTAINS, AND DOWN THE RIVER COLUMBIA TO TH» PACIFIC OCEAN : PERFORMED DURING THK VEAPs 1804, 1805, 1806, BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. PREPARED FOR THE PRESS BY PAUL ALLEN, ESQ. BBVISBD, AND ABRIDGED BY THE OMISSION OF UMIMPORTAIfT D» TAILS, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTSS, BY ARCHIBALD M*VICKAR. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. NEW-YORK; HABPBR AND BROTHERS, 82 CLirF-ST. 1847. petered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1842, by Harper &, Brothkrs, In the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of Nevt-York eso^2 ADVERTISEMENT J, by irk iHAT portion of the North American Conti- nent known by the name of the Oregon Terri- tory lymg between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, has for many years been ahnost a blank in the history of the United states. It has, however, frequently been the subject of resolutions and reports in Con- gress, of communications between the differ- ent branches of the government, and of discus- sion with the ministers of foreign powers. Still any strong interest in regard to it has been con-' fined to a few, and it has been for the most part overlooked amid other topics of the day. As a subject involving in it considerations connect- .ed with commerce, colonization, and territorial boundaries, it is now daily growing in impor- lance. The History of the Expedition of Captains Lewis and Clarke, during the years 1804, 1805, and 1806, by order of the Government of the United States, is the first narrative which dif- fused widely among „s a knowledge of this ter- IT ADVERTISEMENT. ntory, and the mtcrmediatc country from ,h, Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains. I, pre- sents a description of a wild and ma.r„i,iee„, region, „„visited before by white men^v h i barbarous tribes, theircharacter and habitCand •bounding ,„ herds of buffalo, deer, and ante- ope, outnumbering the human tenants of the land. The work being now nearly out of print U seemed to the publishers a suitable time to put forth an edition of the Journal of Lewis anu Cla ke pruned of unimportant details, with a .ketch of the progress of maritime discovery on the Pacific coast, a summary account of ear- iernesr'"'. '" "T''"'" "" ^"^^ "■«^'"" -"- from h " "•"'' """""^ ""«' i""^tra.ions from the narratives of later travellers, led by objects of trade, the lov. of science, or relT The matter of the original journal is indica- ted by inverted commas, and where portions of ■t, embracing minute and uninteresting partic ulars. have been omitted, the leading facts have been briefly stated by the editor in his own words, so that the connexion of the narrative is preserved unbroken, and nothing of importance u lost to te reader. To the lamented death of Captain Lewis, while his manuscript was not ADVERTISEMENT. ^ yet fuily prepared for pubiieation, arc doubtles. m a great measure to be ascribed many verbal inaccuracies which appear in the original edi- tion.and which the present editor, with a scru- pulous avoidance of any change of the evident- ly intended meaning of the text, has endcav- cured to correct. The seventh chapter of the second volume, giving an account of the quad- rupeds, birds, and plants found on the Colum- b.a and its tributaries, has, to avoid unnecessary mtc,r„pt,on of the course of the narrative, been transferred to the appendix. This Journal must ever retain a hisrh deo-reo of interest, as the account of the first, and what IS likely always to remain the only voyage made by Indian or white n.an, in boats or canoes stemming the current and rapids of the Mis- sour, by tho aid of sails, oars, pole, and tow- line, from the point where its waters discha-Te ' themselves into the Mississippi to its sources in the Rocky Mountains. They and their party were also the first white men who, after eross- mg the mountains, discovered the head-waters of the Columbia River, and were borne by its rapid current to the bay where its tumultuous waters meet the stormy tides of the Pacific. Nor has any traveller followed them in tracins the wmdings of the Upper Missouri from the VI ADVERTISEMENT. villages of .he Mandans, by its falls and mount. ?ou„tr'"''"""°^'*''«""'"'"''ings.ofits A map accompanies tha work, which/by its accuracy and completeness, will prove i rit guide to the attentive reader. ' The publishers here tender their aclcnowL edgments to G. R. Clarke, Es,., for .he S and hberal manner in which, in behalf of him- self and the o.her reia.ivesof .he dis.in^^ished t aveller, he has expressed his coasen,\o .his ^ew-York, March, I8i2. H. &B 3 mount- :s^o[ its h by its a read cknowl- le kind of him- juished to this CONTENTS OP THE FIRST VOLUME. Introduction Page vii CHAPTER I. Party composing the Expedition.— Their Departure— Cave near Osage Woman River.— Grand Osage River.— Osage In- dians.— Curious traditionary Account of their Origin.— Tha Missouris.— Snake Bluffs.— Kanzas River.— Kanzas Indians. —The Nodawa River.— The Nemahaw, and Mounds on its Banks.— Party afflicted with Boils.— Platte River . . 53 CHAPTER II. Some Account of the Pawnees and other Trihes of Indians.— Council held with the Ottoe and Missouri Indians— Little Sioux River.— Ravages of Smallpox among the Mahas.— Council held with another Party of the Ottoes.— Death of Sergeant Floyd.— Honour among the Indians . . 63 CHAPTER IIL Whimsical Instance of Superstition of the Sioux Indians.— Council held with the Sioux.— Character of that Tribe, their Manners, &c.— A ridiculous Instance of their Heroism.— An- cient Fortiiicatioivs.- Vast Herds of Buffalo.— Account of the Petit Chien, or Little Dog.— Narrow Escape of George Shan, non.- Surprising Fleetness of the Antelope.— Pass the River of the Sioux.— 'i'he Grand Detour, or Great Bend.— Encamp on the Teton River . , 77 CHAPTER IV. Council held with the Tetons.— Their Manners, Dances, &c.— Chayenne River.— Council held with the Ricara Indians.— Their Manners and Habits.— Strange Instance of Ricara Idol- atry—Another Instance,— Uannonbail River.— Arrival among the Mandans.— Character of the surrounding Country . 97 Vol. I.— a II CONTENTS. CHAPTER V S^SnT^^J Fire, and a s,„. the Mandans and RiS ^l"h7p^^'^ established between ter -Indian ModeScaSw ^n?"^^"''^"'P ^■°'- the Win. of Northern Lights-F±X Ph ''".^"""/'^"^ ^'^W Some Account of he MandaL thfi '' f '^'' Indians.^ Minnetarees.- -The Party acQ^^^^^^ and the dans by takini? D-in iV Ll^A '"*^ Confidence of the Man. ReiigioLf IhlELL and thtr^^^ ''^' Sioux "l the term Medicine.-Thek Tradk.nn ''n^>l'^'l Conception of Party from the Sevedtv of ?hl <2~^^^ Sufferings of the Bernards descr,bed^3ou1t^Jf th'eTolir^!^^-. f a^l^^ ThP P . ■ CHAPTER VI. ine i'arty mcrease in Favour -A Rnffi,i« n Dance.-The Fortitude vv^th whiHwh ? ?^'^'Ce-~Medicine verity of the Season -Dilresroff J P Y'^' ^'''' ^'^^ Se. vision.-The great ImDrt^nrp^J It ^ u >^ ^''^ Want of Pro- Jl"^.'t.-Depredationsof"he Sioux 'H^ ^^il^^^n^ith in procu- Medicme Stone.-Summary Ac? nV"~W ^°"'^S:e paid to the netarees.-The ProcerbyUich thp M "'/'"""^ ^^^ Min- mai;e Beads.— Chararfprnf^unr "^® ^'andans and Uicaraa ing Country ^^^'^^^^' ^^ the ^Missouri and of the surrour'd 150 . ,. CHAPTER VH r -|e^^S^of 15: SiS g-^e rc.-P.esents Account of the Assmlbff Th^^ H?^" Missouri.isor^e r)ead.-Whiteearth R?^^er -cTel n ^^?-^^ °^ ^^^'ing the ered on its Banks.-YellovS one Riv".'''^ *°^ ^'^' ^'^"°" Country at the Confluence ofThpv«iiT"~'^''^°""t of the CHAPTER Vni '^.feSo^i^^^ii^^e^^^ Character of .he SelJJKS,»^^ of uncommon Tenacitrof Lif7fn^a^i ^ ^l'''^^^^ Escape of one of the Par v from ?h^f a • ^^ Bear.-Narrow remarkable Inatance.lMuJclereJi Sive?''"'!---^ ^"" '"f^^ i. JNTENTS. m ', and a siri' led between )r the Win. Appearance Indians. — ■s, and the )f the Man- e Sioux.~ ception of ings of the Game of Page 120 -Medicine ■s the Se- nt of Pro. in procu- aid to the the Min. I Uicaras urround- . 150 • resents from a proceed —Some ing the discov- of the ;curi. — try 170 of the ppear- ties of stance arrow more CHAPTER IX. The Party continue their Route —Judith I?ivPi- t»,^;„« rt i of takin. the ^uflklo.-Slaughter R.ve .^Pherom^^^^^^^^ ture.- Walls on the Banks of the Missouri.-ThTpartv en' camp, to ascertain which of the Streams consti utes theVis: souri.— Captam Lewis leaves the Party to exolore thp IVnih em Fork, and Captain Clarke explores the Shern ~Nar^ low Escape of one of Captain Lewis's Party Page 204 CHAPTER X. ^Trsv^^Rifef 'ThP^r\'-T ?'f^f"^" u^^^^k«'« Researches.- itie Missouri, Captain Lewis resolves to ascend it —Mode of making a Place to d.posite Provisions, called by the French S'?il7r'P^""i^^^'' ^^P^°'-«« the Southern Fork -Falls of the Missouri discovered, which decides the Question-! Romantic Scenery of the surrounding Countrj^^-Nar 'ow e7 cape of Captam Lewis.-The main Ldy of he PartyTiider" Captam Clarke, approach within five miles of the fIiIs and prepare for making a Portage over the Rapids . .' 2^9 CHAPTER XI. Description and romantic Appearance of the Missouri at thA iunci on of the Medicine River— DiffirfvnfToJ • {he Baggage round the Falls -The Par^yLplS^^^ Construction of a Boat of Skins -During X Work \hl Party much troub ed by White Bears— V^ilnh „ °,'^'^' t"« and providential Escap/of Ca tain'ShVle'atd' Mpp f^/^ Description of a remarkable Fountain -SinmiiarPvnSr heard from the Black Mountains.-The Boat found to^ be m sufficient to the serious Disappointment of the Pa?tv -Cau" £o^::^M"sut:it^ ^° '^-^'y'^^ ^^^^^^y^X^^ 233 CHAPTER XII. • -Je Party embark on board the Canoes.-Smith's River- Character of the Country, &c.— Dearborno's RvL n !' i IV CONTENTS, CHAPTER XIII. ^^r!!^r^^rZ:!;?T^ ''^ «'-r -w divide, Madison, and one Gal Jan Thf ^'^'^ ".'^'^^^ Jefferson, one Party ascend the Jeffb "on Branch' ^n""""' ^.^^'^^t^r.-Thl with a small Party, go/s in acltan.p'f'''""-T^^P^^^» I'^wTs' Captain Lew.s st.ll precedmg ?h7,SS? ^" '^' ^^''^^-' ishoshonees.— A sinLnil"''^*'°n discovered by nrior Sn, • ^y"""* *''« PO'its ■Mexico to survev tL \,!: Vu ^ *"° ^'ceroy of ascertain the bes^ l^ainf J''"''^''"' """st and ceeded to the for ^(1".' d ^^"'««<"'t, pro- a^ Cape Blanco, ^fht n^''" "°"''' »« ^r he found two good harhr''^"" """hward gave the names ff Port 8^,^^ '" ^vW^h he y, the latter ia honour ?'1^° ""'' ^onte- whom he sent lifl. "^ °f the vicerov to of colonierrnd "Sson!":? ''"' ^'^WishSem dicated by him Hif T .f ?^'''=''''' P'aces in- have put L end to^'thVpTotcr %T ^^^"^ *" mamed the limit of Snanish w J""^ •="?« re- covery for 160 years -and »v European dis- gaged in voyajes from M -""P' ^^ ''^ose en- certain bucaniefs wbnT u "=° 'o India, and of California thes^^n ''f '"'»'«'l about the Gulf b?y. which bears'his Sl^e Tk" ^"""'"^ 'he distinguished in the caHdnr If^'^^^" ^"^^ is the passage of Leimfr^ ^ Tr°'^;?'''=overies bv the Atlanfic intt the K " ^l"?^" ^'°^ ern extremity of th. ,• f °'f "=> .abound the south- Magellan's Itrait* Thf ^'^'"'^ ««« ^"Uth of honour of their "ativecL'"""w'n P"'"' '» called Cape Horn About tl'h ^''"?"'^' «hey ?:rin-citt9to efforts for the converts. :^L^lttroSf ' exception ncis Drake a question the points rators. In Viceroy of coast and nent, pro- ^th, as far lorthward ivhich he d Monte- ^eroy, to >lishment ►iaces in- 5eems to cape re- >ean dis- pose en- dia, and 'he Gulf ler neg- ^ed the 1616 is Ties by ■n from south- uth of nt, in » they of the estab- ailinff n ihe INTRODUCTION. jj Indians, until the expulsion of their order from the Spanish dominions in 1767. In 1774, for the first time since the vovaee of Viscaino in 1602, the Spanish authorities Sf coa^r° tI''"'''* !S '^'"'"=' examination of this coast. The expedition was intrusted to Juan i;ercz, with orders to proceed as far as the six- tieth degree north, and thence to return and examine the coast southward as far as Monte- rey. He proceeded as high as the fiftv-fourth degree north latitude, and on his return enter- al! I'- ? ^'"".'^^ forty-nine and a half de- grees which he. called San Lorenzo, and which IS probably the Nootka Sound of Captain Cook hJL a "i'T^ ^^"' °"' t^^° ^'essels under Heceta and Bodega. The limit of their joint northern progress was Fuca's Straits : but dis- astrous circumstances inducing Heceta to re- turn to Monterey, Bodega persevered in hi northern course. Heceta, on his return, di! covered a promontory, which he called San Roque, and immediately south of it an opening river. This opening should be the mouth of the Columbia. Bodega, on his part, sailed northward as high as the fifty-eighth de«ee and noted and named bays and c^pes. These tionZfl"'^'^' ^'"V^" '^"'W with the cau! tion of their colonial policy, prompted the Spaniards to farther plans ofydventure, but i^ their execution they were dilatory. lu th" seas. When on his way to the -Vr-ti- 0-ea- in his second voyage, in the year 1778, he made I X INTRODUCTION. he reached a Jar"e andTJ "'""■^- ^" *° 29th he named Kin^ Geori's sV"'f '0^'""='' »' «"« called it by what hoTresumed': ^"".''fterward name, " Nootka." P'^^U'nea was its Indian vZTt,t:rB:irZ^%f r'-^^'on, he coast ofAmerica eastwfrdff ' *?'=«'' 'he examined the Asiatic sh„l ' "' ^"y ^"Pc. rigours of the elima ."e dro" S'^n" ^'\^ and from Unalashka he sailed fn ^??'"\^'^''> where he arrived on the IfitriAr ' Owyhee, moored for the winto 0„ t^ ^"^^ber. and ary he lost his life favth?^ 1^^ "* of Febru- name to be honoureXv the ^n"'^'' "."f ^'^' ^is every land, and thespofwhefe ^t fell '"^r-'"' 01 pilgnmage for the navio-ators of V '^"'"' t.on and tongue who sail th^eToad PaeTfiT.""" mem?r" ,\^i.?S°;'; UH'i'Z^^^ f ore i, a ™„„„„en. to hi. jcsty's frignte " Blonde " rf ^ ' ?P*"" °f his BriUnnl ™ top a copper plate wuffi iSiS^f ''^^ '"«''• »"""^" 't In memory t-APTAiN James Cook R iv Who discovered these^isS; m the year of our Lord 1778 m the year of our Lord 1825. Toivnsend's Mrrar ive. 'ndorino on urse north- ' Columbia ^n the 29th lich at first afterAvard its Indian ration, he faced the Jcy Cape, cl till the nalashka, Owyhee, «ber, and 'f Febru. I left his 5rave of a shrine ^ery na- ific* Jent to his -nnic ma- >n of Java 'et, in the ' near the alive. INTHGDUCTION. xi Captain Clarke, now senior in command, sail, ed from Owyhee in March, and proceeded o and'st PaZf' "' ^^^Harbour^of St. Pet r and fet. Paul, the prmcipal port of Kamtschatki and thence through Behring's Straits TeS hat of the preceding year ,• ill health compelled him to return to the south j and on the 22d of August death closed his earthly discoveries near Petro-Paulowsk. Captain John Gore now sue' ceeded to the direction of the enterprise The comhtion of the vessels determined him to pro! ceed homeward ,- and leaving Petro-Paulovvsk they arrived at the mouth of the Ri.er Ti^Hs or Bocca Tigris, below Canton. In their foyl ages along the northwest coasts, the men as well as oftcers had procured a quantity^fAirs of the first quahty, in exchange for knives but' ons, and other trifles. These furs they had applied to the most ordinary uses of beddfnff or clothing, and, consequently, thov were not ?n very good condition.' The^RussLuaders hac" urged th«m to dispose of them, but they were advised to reta n them until their arrfval at Canton, where t^iey received for them in money and goods to the amount of ten thousand doT The journals of Captain Cook and of tho^e who sueceeded him in the command wele put^ shed m London m 1784-5, and the informa- tion thereby communicated attracted comm^r- cial enterprise into new channels. The fur- trade had hitherto been carried on h.tv..ll"l Kussian possessions a China by land : and a XII INTRODUCTION. / ' ' Wo portion of tho skins obtained in Canada shitnl/, '?f '"" "'?"<' H"''^«n'« Bay were directly L .Imt co"„tr'J?"B rl/f^s 1" -"' following year, Briti/ ^er'^LntS,^ 1' ',: ns well as eon.pamcs, commenced a trade hi to C.n.T' fT"^ ""= '^"« obtained tiiore K.^fTT'n"'^' ^y '?"=<='»• Pormission o u e London ThrF"""^! 'TI' '" " ''""" <"• 'oas for fl^"n«^i-art;;:;-,'';lr'iirrerptr; who was sonf mif in 17Cf; ; i ^>iouse, inaies. Ihe Spanish government was also py were tlio^forr°''f'''r, ""^ United States were luobe ot the ship Columbia of 9on f^ and fe ,^y,-hinfftoJ., of 9? J^h^n' Ke'nd'rTcI^ and Kobert Gray commander*: fitt^A « V i. company of merchants at Boston They saifed from Boston on the SOfh r,f « * "^"^y^^^ed doubled Cape Horn^f 'com .'n"';VJaI' erward separated in a gale Ok Wa4i ,f 788 "■"sf '' ^""'^^ r *'"= ^ ' 'I' of «eptemb f the end onh'''" '""l"^ "^^ ""= Columbia before ed there Tf ""'°"'' ""i' "^"'^ vessels winter! Hnni ^j ^''?y returned by the Cape of Good 'Mf INTRODUCTION. ^^J-j and American "0"^ e„'; " ;;;' trhrn ''r'f between the years 1785 and 1790 it f "''' interest no- \vn« ♦!.« "'"^^'^f. Jiiit the most fla?, from Macao, to diW^vt thi'" ^ ''^"•S"''«« l)y Bruno Hecota in i~7r. 1*^" °P<""nR seen ont,,eei.arP/EnVrIrdet::tV'.'l/«7 st ^C .nk'-corir; r ^ "'■' «'" ^^^ of it by calJino. tL r *"' examination ^o-^eL, - 17 tt ^r'^!i:xf'^ He gives its latitude 4(i= lO^noH,-^ ". T "We can now with safety asserthann" '1' river as that nf ^ni^*^ u ^ "*7^" umt no such in Spanish charts " °" '^''''' "^ '»''' ^own . In the year 1791, no less th-in .,„. a Gray, ,1 iSfonr Z" ^0^^, ^J an Fran- XVll Cisco, for procuring- supplies of meat from the wild cattle, and which they still retain. Jonathan Carver, distinguished, as we have before remarked, by hardihood and the spirit of adventure, was the first to conceive the proi- ect of crossing the breadth of the North Amer- lean Contment from the extreme Avhite settle- ments to the shores of the Pacific, and to follow It up by efforts for its accomplishment. Car- ^'f WM^^^'^^ '"""^ ^'^ English officer in the time ot Wiiham and Mary, Who came over to the then colony of Connecticut, where, in 1732 his son was born. The son in early manhood,' fol- lowing his own inclinations, obtained an en- sign s commission in a provincial regiment du- ^"^g" t^e war between France and England, in which the colonies bore an honourable part and which was terminated by the peace of 1763' and the cession of the French province of Can- ada to Great Britain. Carver narrowly es- caped massacre at Fort William Henry • and tlie peace found him captain of a company. Ihe close of the war having laid open to the enterprising spirit of the colonists the regions ot the Northwest, Carver determined to visit the country where are the sources of the Mis- sissippi. In the year 1766 he left Boston, and by way of Albany and Michilimackinac pro- ceeded as far west as the River St. Francis. He returned to Boston in 1768, after an ab- sence of two years and seven months. His in- tercourse with the Indians during his residence among them was not devoted merely to the OojLcts and purposes of trade, but he applied B 2 ^^ ,i\ INTRODUCTION. himself to the study of their lanffuases and t:.:'u\ *e ''''"^'''■"^ whatever'knf; edge he could of the regions beyond them. His ot ject, he says, was to prevail on the government to establish a post near the Straitf o(lnZ after a journey had been effected to the shor^ nnir^H r "• n' *" '^^ infomation he ac ?Z- 'Ff''" 1''"^""' "F'-'"" the intelligence I gamed from the Nuudowessie Indians whose language I perfectly obtained during a re idence of five months ; and also from the accounts | speXtho rh'""''* ^'r '^' Assinipoils, who hen?l. If ,1 F"'"^! language and inhab t the heads of the Eiver Bourbon ; I say from these nations, together with my ovvn observaTions I hav-e learned that the four most capital rivers on the Continent of North America, namely, the bon nnTt^'^*" Mississippi, the River Bour! bon, and the Oregon, or the Eiver of the West have their sources in the same neighbourhood The waters of the three former are within thir ty miles of each other j the latter, however is rather farther west." The want of means ^'re! vented any immediate farther prosecution of his - design; but m the year 1774, Richard Whit! ZLTfiJj ]'" .''-""'* ParliamenTfor ine town of Stafford, who seems to have had somethino; of the spirit of a projector united with him in It. " He" (Mr. AVhitiorth) fever says, " designed to have pursued nearly the same route that I did; and after liavin. built a RTv.r S^ P-' ^'P'"-;" ''""^ proceeded up he 5- tt^R- '","; ''"''/""" *'*"»'=<' "P " branch of the River Messorie, till, having discovered ^uages and knowledge 1. His ob- overnment of Anian, the shores ion he ac- itelligence ins, whose L residence iccounts I poils, who nhabit the rom these 'vations, I itai rivers tmely, the v^er Bour- the West, )oiirhood. ithin thir- wever, is eans pre- ion of his" fd Whit- ment for lave had r, united ), Carver arly the g built a 1 up the I branch covered INTRODUCTION. xix the source of the Oregon or River of the West on the other side of the lands that divide the tTor'tlT^V'^i'"^ 'T 'i" ^"^^ «f ^^'^i^o from those that fall into the Pacific Ocean, he would have sailed down that river to the pl'ace where Anian!"* ^'^ ^""^^^ '^'^^^' ''^^' *^^ ^*'^^^« ^^ The actual and still grooving dissensions be- tween Great Britain and her colonies, it is to be presumed, proved the death-blow to this scheme, which, for the sake of the sagacious as well as brave projector, deserved to have been crowned with success. The name of Jonathan Carver is not mentioned by Mr. Jefferson in the memoir prefixed to the narrative of Lewis and Uarke nor is it anywhere more than merely referred to m the narrative itself. Later works however, on our wide and yet wild Western dominion, do him justice, and quote with senti- ments of honourable respect his own expres- ur^! feeLngs and anticipations. Ihat the completion of this scheme," says Carver, "which I have had the honour of first plannmg and attempting, will some time or oth- er be effected, I make no doubt. Those who are so fortunate as to succeed in it will reao (exclusive v f the national advantages that must ensue) emoluments beyond their most sano-uine expectations. And while their spirits are ela! ted by their success, perhaps they may bestow some commendations and blessings on the per- ^pJnl^fi.l':;^^^!^"^?" T'' '*"'? ^^^" ^"PP°««^ to corre- i XX IxN'TRODtJOTlON. il :i I il wilderness w^sth't ''"''^.'"P/nd Perils of the dian« Tl' J- ^"^ *■'*''« '» f"fs with the In- when in sS of a n„ JL"''^'^^"'"^ ^^"^ J^d Pacific, laM open new al/"'! P'''^"^'' "* '^' and in order to <1^„ ? "tensive regions; these new sou °ef oTt '"'^''"l'" t'^'^""'^'^ <■'«>» CompanAvresteb^^hTd'^ ' "^« «"^-»'^ «ay merchantsT"^h'^^'."" association of London inercflants, to whom, in the vear IfifiQ Pkl i II- eranted tho «7l,„ L • ' °^' ^^narles Bay! with the n^?! 'T°'' ''°"'"' Hudson's enleavour t TZtT'l"' ">^* "^7 ^''°»M Northern Atlantic ^oUeP^dfi:^' Th"" .*^^ the exclusive privilege of^.t^Kl■^ T'^^? h^id posts on the shorls and ^fiK. "'''"= *'''"^"?- bay. The French nfn '"^"*'"'y ^''aters of that Canada estabnred a "o S Michn' "^ ^PP^' which became the cent.! c^f Michilimackmac, from Likpt S^,!. • ^ ?^ ""' ""de extending s3-- *'"*:- -"«£"'■•« l-^epewyan was erected on this latter in 1778 ' "^^ t^nited aiidpredommatino' o INTRODUCTION. Strength of the Hudson's Bay Company, led in 1783 to an association of the principal mer- chants under the name of the Northwest Com- pany, whose headquarters were to be at Mon- treal. The union with a rival body in 1787 add- ed strength to the Company. This union com- prised names well known in the trade of the northwest regions: the M'Tavishes, M'Gilli- vrays, M'Kenzies, the Frobishers, &c. M'Ken- zie became a member in 1787, and, under the auspices of the Company, made his two jour- neys to the north and the west. In the first leavmg Fort Chepewyan in June, 1789, he made his way by Slave Lake and M'Kenzie's River to the Arctic Sea, in latitude 69°, longitude 135° midway between the Icy Cape of Behrincr's Mraits and the Coppermine Eiver seen bv Hearne in 1771. In October, 1792, leaving the same fort, he ascended the Unjigah or Peace Kiver by canoes to the Rocky Mountains, which he crossed in latitude 54° ; he then embarked on the lacoutche Tesse,* which reaches the sea north of latitude 49\ After proceeding a short time by this stream, he was induced, by the in- formation of the Indians that it held a Ions southerly course, to reascend it to a point whence he should take a westerly route bv land. After thirteen days' march he came to a stream called Salmon River, on which he em- barked, and on the 20th of July, 1792, reached the Pacific Ocean near King's Island, so named by V ancouver, m latitude 52°. M'Kenzie sup- * Tacoutche, now Frazer's River. xxu INTRODUCTION. posed the Tacoutche Tesse to be the Colam- bia ; m which supposition it is now well known he was mistaken. In the edition of his voy- ages of 1802, he takes a comprehensive view ot the vast field of commercial advantacres that would open to Great Britain, should some com- pany, with large privileges, on the Columbia, be combined with the Hudson's Bay Company thereby securing to her subjects the trade of the Northwest regions by an inland communi- cation from the Atlantic to the shores of the I'acific, and thence to the port of Canton : a design which Mr. John Jacob Astor, of New- lork, nobly attempted in behalf of his fellow- citizens. But, baffled by circumstances which no human sagacity could either foresee or con- trol, he now lives in honoured age to see its accomplishment by the Hudson's Bay Com- Pany for the benefit of a foreign nation. Mr. Astor engaged in the fur-trade soon after the peace with Great Britain in 1783 ; and this he conducted either in connexion with the Brit- ish companies, or through their operations. Ihe Ireaty of Commerce and Navigation of 1794 gave greater security to citizens of the United fetates interested in this trade ; and the government itself had, by the establishment of trading-posts, endeavoured to detach the In- dians from foreign connexions, but failed be- tore the superior activity of the companies. Ihe acquisition of Louisiana,* however, by SRKnmmn^^f""?- ?^^^^ ^" consideration of the sum of S15,000,000 ; of which amount $11,250,000 was to be paid in a SIX per cent, stock, and the balance was made up of ciaims cf INTRODUCTION. xxin the Coldm- v^ell known •f his voy- isite view itages that some corn- Columbia, Company, 3 trade of communi- res of the I!anton j a , of New- lis fellow- 3es which le or con- see its »ay Com- m. oon after 1 and this the Brit- lerations. Ration of IS of the ; and the iment of the In- liled be- tnpanies. ever, by le sum of le paid in a f ciaiias of the United States, and the expedition of Lewis and Clarke, opened a new and ample field for fresh enterprises. The British traders made their first establishment beyond the Rockv Mountains in 1806. A new impulse had been given to their operations by the residence of Lewis s party amonor the Mandans in the win- ter of 1801-5, and by information they obtain- ed of the views of the American government : and m the spring of 1806, Simon Frazer, a partner of -the Northwest Company, established a post on Frazer's Lake, near the fifty-fourth deo;ree of latitude, in the country called New Caledonia. The Missouri Fur Company, form- ed at St. Louis in 1808, at the head of which was Manuel Lisa, a Spaniard, within two years established posts on the Upper Missouri, and one beyond the Rocky Mountains, on the head- waters of Lewis River, the south branch of the ^.olumbia. This appears to have been the first American citizens against France, which its government had supulated to pay and which the United StatesLw aSumed The area of the conntry thus ceded, accordine'^ch'and the descendants ot l-rench, with a small number of Spanish Creoles, Americans m!ltnmf^Tr'- J^' whole amounted to no more tha^i 80 or 90,000, mcluding about 40,000 slaves. Mr. Jefferson was delighted with this acquisition, and wrote to General Gates that this extensive territory, which more than doubled the area of the United States, was not nferTor to the old part in soil climate, productions, and important communf cations. He believed, also, that it afforded the r^eans of tS ng all he Indians on the east of the Mississippi tS rem ov7to the west, and even of condensing instead of scatt^rinfrT -- ulmon.- Tucker^s Life ofjefcrson, ii, "H2 -catt.nng ou. yoy. XXIV INTRODUCTION. post established by white men in tlie country drained by tiie Columbia; but the enmity of the Indians and the scarcity of food caused its abandonment by Mr. Henry in 1810. Mr. As- tor, in 1S09, obtained a charter from the State of New- York for a company under the name of the "American Fur Company," which in 1811 was merged in an association with certain part- ners of the Northwest Company, who bought out the Mackinaw Company, under the name of the Southwest Company, Avhich was sus- pended by the war in 1812, and terminated al- together at the peace, British fur-traders beino- forbidden by an Act of Congress of 1815 from pursuing their traffic within the territories of the United States. In the year 1810, Mr. Astor engaged in the great enterprise of the Pacific Fur Company. His plan Avas to establish trading-posts on the Columbia and its branches, on the shores of the Pacific, and the head-waters of the Mis- souri, with a strong factory at the mouth of the Columbia River. This factory was to be supplied with goods for the Indian trade by yearly ships from New- York, which, after dis- chargmg their cargoes, were to convey the furs that had been collected to the Canton market, and thence, in return, to bring home the teas and silks of China. Arrangements were also made at St. Petersburgh for certain privileges of U-ade with the Russio-American possessions. The execution of this plan led to the voyage of the Tonquin, Captain Thorn, to the moulh oi' the Columbia. This ship, mounting ten guns, ■I lie country enmity of I caused its ). Mr. As- n tlie State le name of ch in 1811 crtain part- lio bought the name I was sus- ninated al- ders being- 1815 from ritories of ged in the Company. sts on the shores of ' the Mis- mouth of was to be trade by after dis- 3y the furs m market, 3 the teas were also privileges ssessions. lie voyage he mouth ten guns, KNTRODUCTION. XXV with a crew of twenty men, n^d having as pas- sengers tlie partners of the company, M'Dougal, M'Kay, David Stuart, and his nephew, Robert fetuart, besides a body of artisans and Canadian voyageurs, left New-i^ork in September, 1810 and arrived at the mouth of the Columbia on the 22d of March, 1811. Eight men were lost m attempting to cross the bar in the boats ; and it was not before the 12th of April that the launch left the ship with hands and materials lor erecting a fort, to which they gave the name of Astoria. On the 5th of June the Ton- quin left the river, with M'Kay as supercargo, to trade lor pehries along the northern coast, and to touch at Astoria on her return in the autumn. Captain Thorn arrived in a few days in the Harbour of Newectee, at Vancouver's Island. Here the Indians visited the ship in order to dispose of their fursj when provoca- tions on either side, and the imprudence of Ihorn, produced a conflict, which ended in the Indians putting to death twenty-three men, or all on board, with the exception of an Indian inter- preter, Lewis, the ship's clerk, and four others who had taken refuge in the cabin, and who, ma- king their way to the coast, were massacred by the savages. Lewis, with the interpreter, alone remained on board, and he meditated a severe vengeance. The Indians having left the ship, he succeeded in enticing them again on board, when he fired the magazine, and its explosion caused the immediate death of himself and more than one himdrcd of the natives j the interpret- VOL. I, — C * JtXVl INTRODUCTION. into the water unhurt. In July, a party of the Northwest Companv arrived at Astoria, under the conduct of Mr. W.^^M^"?' f V''"'''"''^ ^"^ partner, who had Jeft Montreal the preceding year, with the de- sign of anticipating the new company in the occupation of the mouth of the Columbia. On Iheir way they had built huts and hoisted flaag by way of taking possession of the country ; but, disappointed by the preoccupation of this point, after hospitable treatment by M'Douffal and being furnished with some goods, Thomn' son retraced his steps. In the course of the summer the Pacific Fur Company established several posts in the interior. of Mr^ W-f P^'^>^.^^^?J «"t "«der the direction of Mr. Wilson Price Hunt, of New-Jersey, who was a partner, and destined to be the head of the establishment at the mouth of the Colum- bia. Ihis expedition had been organized at Montreal and Michilimackinac, and did not reach ;bt. Louis until the autumn of 1810. Thev left ^t. Louis on the 21st of October, 1810, win- tered at Nodowa, and, after complicated suffer- mgs from hard travel, cold, thirst, and hunger besides annoyances from the insolence and craft of the Indians, surpassing all that is told of any equally well-appointed body of travellers beyond the Eocky Mountains, did not finally unite their numbers at Astoria before the 15th of February, 1812. In May, 1812, the residents at Astoria wore made happy by the arrival of the ship Beaver nalnchains Company ct of Mr. who had th the de- ny in the nbia. On sted flasfs country j on of this I'Dougal, , Thomp- se of the itablished direction sey, who ; head of e Colum- nized at did not 0. They 310, win- id suffer- hunger, nee and t is told ravellers t finally the 15th 'ia wore ' Beaver INTRODUCTION. XXVU forTh!"''.l7T?M'' ''"'' •"'^P"'"- Unfortunately fo the establishment, ,t was Jctcrmined in the counol of ,he partners that Mr. Hunt should ment'" ''.?,"'^»^^'' »"'' ^isit the Russian settle- ments, with a view to a commercial intercourse nnd tim, he should bo reianded in October when the ship was ,o return on her voyage o the Sandwich Islands and Canton. The Braver set sail m August, and the months passed awavtTl January, and still slie did not make her ap/ea " David Stuart was at his post on the Okin- ngan, Clarke took his station on the Spoka"n River, and M'Kenzie established himself'^Zve the mouth of the Shahaptan. M'Kenzie Z! fh"e' H>b"fV''' '"'-"-'•''"^ of his situa" o'n, on D^st of (^llr""^; •""'•'' ^"' "PP^'^ance at the post oi Clarke, and gave utterance to his dis- content. Here M'Tavish, of the nei..hbourW post of the Northwest Company, brol°e i,? up"^ them, and was the bearer of ill news. He had been to Lake Winnipeg, where he had received an express from Canada, with the declaration o w^r by the United States, and Mr. Mad son's proclamation. He farther informed them that ahn!!t M IP 7\e.xpected at the Columbia about March, and that he v.-as ordered to join her there at that time. ■* edTo tir^rif^'f ""i""! M'Kenzie ; he return- ed to the Shahaptan, broke up his establishn^ent there, and repaired to Astoria. M'Dou.al vva overcome by the intelligence; nor wal hire :nr ;4^;f !-■-. ^'he. partners^^S .. ^it.in^js, uiiu 11 was decided by them to x::viii INTRODUCTION. abandon the establishment in the course of the ^^^/^S spring, and return to the United States. M'Kenzie returned to his post on the Sha- haptan with despatches for Stuart and Clarke, and met M'Tavish above the falls on his way towards Astoria. He forwarded M'Dougal's w ?f*i\? ^^^ partners, and, having reunited at Walla- Walla, they arrived together at Astoria on the 12th of June. Here, under strong feelings of despondency, the partners announced their intention by letters to Mr. Astor, and intrusted to M'Tavish, to relinquish the enterprise (un- der an article of the original agreement) on the 1st of June the ensuing year, excepting they should receive supplies from Mr. Astor and the stockholders, with orders to persevere. Mr. Astor, not to be wanting to himself, and to what he truly regarded as a national establish- ment, had made an application to the secretary of state for the aid of the government, and was encouraged by the hope of a national vessel be- ing detached for that purpose ; but in this hope he was disappointed. He, however, determined that the Enterprise, a vessel loaded with sup- plies for the colony, should proceed alone to Astoria. But the blockade of the port of New- York, which just then took place, compelled him to break up her voyage, and his only reli- ance was on the safe arrival of the Lark, a ves- sel previously fitted out, to protract the ex istence of the establishment. ^ Mr. Hunt encountered many vexatious delays m the Russian ports ; the Beaver was greatly damaryed by the violent storms of those nor- rte of the ed States, the Sha- d Clarke, I his way 'Dougal's limited at Lstoria on ^ feelings ced their intrusted )rise (un- it) on the ing they r and the slf, and to jstablish- secretary , and was essel be- ihis hope ;ermined ,^ith sTip- alone to of New- )mpelled nly reli- k, a ves- the ex s delays greatly I INTRODUCTION. ^xix them latitudes, and undpr f^oc« «• he directed her'course to thp S ^"•^"'n/tonces Here, on the 20th of Ce t W the '''''"^• The Beaver sailed for r„ I "'k ^""^ ^^'"'^■ laid „p tiu 'hrietur^of^^;: ::> '"TZ^/tr^ the 20th of August, after his year's wandenn? at the mouth of the ColnmhJn \P. 1?"®"°=' -em to have crowded upoTALrf^Aftr: short stay there, Mr. Hunt a^^n set sailin ./ Albatross for the Marquesas^and lan^^'h" s]! accordance wfth the orders 'oTMr aI''"'^' '" out by the Larlc, to obtat" v Lfe 'for h'e Z ^ose of transporting the stock of furs at A^?o" e of th'e Bwri: ^«^^«™«»«^ beyond the p^w- the B„v pfr tr tr' ''I'^o^'^^-Sh chartied sailed fSr Astoria " "'''"''' ""•* "" ^^""-y we?t"comnIn ° • °"1">J " P"*y "^ the North- nioriT^ J' '" '"'""'^ '"^ M'Tavish, arrived at Astoria, and encamped under the suAs of fh» fw' ' t.hfy «nnounced\he expecXrival of K^tc^ed t th^ "'f'^'" ^"^ '"«"'- n,.^r,„ "acKea by this information, M'Tavish tori/" ,,'' i^X"? *° *'^^ ^°">p«"y '"'* atTs! assumi.;",;^ IV I T^'""'' to which M'Dou^al, assuming the whole .lanagement in virtue of C 2 ! f !,l Ulm XXX. INTRODUCTION. the power vested in him by the non-arrival of Mr. Hunt, acceded, A Mr. Stuart, with a re- serve party of the Northwest Company, arrived shortly afterward, and dictated more peremp- tory terms, by which the property of "Mr. As- tor was parted with at one third of its real value. All this needs no comment, as M'Dougal, short- ly after concluding this agreement, became a member of the Northwest Company. On the 30th of November the British sloop- of-war Racoon, Captain Black, came to anchor m Baker s Bay, and on the 12th of December took formal possession of the fort and country, hoisted the British colmrs, and chano-ed the name, of Astoria to that of Fort Geor^^e. On the 28th of February, the brig Pedler, with Mr. Hunt on board, arrived in the Columbia Eiver. He arranged matters, as well as circumstances would permit, with M'Dougal and M'Tavish, and on the 3d of April, accompanied by two of his party, Mr. Seton and Mr. Halsey, bid a final Pi'^"* ^\^.?^^"^- T.^^ following day, Messrs. Clarke, M'Kenzie^ David Stuart, and others who had not entered the service of the North- west Company, set out to cross the Rocky Mountains. "^ After the return of peace in 1815, a demand was made by Mr. Monroe, secretary of state, of the surrender of the post at the mouth of the Columbia, by virtue of the first article of the Treaty of Ghent ; but this was not carried into effect till 1818, when, in October, a formal act of surrend^er and acceptance, expressed in writmg, passed bctvveen Captain Hickey, of his i i-arrival of with a re- ny, arrived re peremp- of "Mr. As- real value, igal, short- , became a tish sloop- to anchor December id country, anged the orge. On ', with Mr. ibia Eiver. umstances 'avish, and two of his >id a final y, Messrs. nd others he North- le Rocky a demand of state, mouth of article of 5t carried , a formal ressed in ey, of his INTRODUCTION. XXXI p ft- majesty s ship Blossom, and J. Keith, of the Northwest Company, on the one part, and J. B. Prevost, agent of the United States, on the other. After the restoration of Fort George (other- wise Astoria) to the government of the United btates the friends of the original settlement naturally looked for its reoccupation bv its founder. But the administration at Washing- ton, for reasons not expressed, withheld their countenance and aid, when Mr. Astor, both in will and ability, was prepared to replant this ottset of the American republic of the Atlantic on the shores of the Pacific, the soil of which whether American or Asiatic, had hitherto been so unpropitious to civilization grafted upon freedom. No subsequent American establish- ment here has had more than a shortlived ex- istence ,• and there is now neither port nor tra- ding-post under the control of the United States through the whole region watered by the Co- lumbia. The direct trade which had flourished for nearly twenty years between the Northwest l^oast and Canton gradually declined, and the vessels from the ports of the United States now so numerous in the Pacific, are for the most part engaged in the pursuit of the whale. Ihe property, posts, and business have there- fore remained ever since with the Northwest Company, under M'Dougal's sale. The North- west Company becoming merged in the Hud- son s ±Jay Company in the year 1821, the chief lui^tii.j. „,,^ tiauDiCrruU irom Astoria to Van- couver. It has been stated that the company XXXll INTRODUCTION. reoccupied Astoria, or Fort George, in 1830 j but the accounts of recent travellers make it a very inconsiderable station. From this period there was no intercourse between the United States and the reo-ions be- yond the Rocky Mountains (the fur companies and traders confining themselves to the head- waters of the Mississippi and the borders of the Yellow Stone) until 1823, when Mr. Ashley made a successful expedition beyond the mount- ains ,• and in 1826 the Eocky Mountain Fur Company of St. Louis commenced regular ex- peditions to the borders of the Columbia and Colorado. The American Fur Company then extended their operations. In 1832, Captain JiOBineville set out with a party, and was absent two years, chiefly on the waters of the Lewis River. About the same time Nathaniel Wyeth led two expeditions across tl 3 mountains, and es- tabhshed two posts, one at Fort Hall, near the junction of the Pontneuf and Lewis Rivers, and ^e other at Fort William, on Wappatoo Island. Ihese parties, each of from fifty to one hundred men m number, and twice as many horses and mules with loads of merchandise, assembled yearly beyond the mountains; the principal points of rendezvous being Green River a branch of the Colorado, and Pierre's Hole' a valley about 100 miles farther north. Here they are met by the hunters and trappers, who to the number of three or four hundred, are tooughout the year engaged in procuring furs. Ihe Indians, too, brlMg t^eir furs to theso > INTRODUCTION. e, in 1830 ; s make it a intercourse regions be- companies > the liead- borders of M.V. Ashley the mount- mtain Fur 'egular ex- iimbia and pany then 2, Captain vas absent the Lewis Vyeth led IS, and es- , near the /ivers, and 00 Island, e hundred orses and issembled principal River, a s Hole, a h. Here >ers, who, d?ed, are ring furs, to these xxxm points, and exchange them for articles of use or ornament. Besides these, some zealous missionaries, or men devoted to natural sci- ence, or intelligent travellers, fond of strange scenes and stirring adventures, accompany al- most every j^early expedition.'^ This southern route by the La Platte, and its branch the Sweet Water, to the rendezvous, and thence through the country of the Flatheads to the waters of the Columbia and shores of the Pacific, seems to be stripped of the perils which so frequently environed the earlier travellers who attempted unknown passes of the mountains. The par- ties arriving with furs are becoming less in number from year to year, as well east as west 01 the Rocky ivlountains, below the latitude of 49 , owing to the great destruction of the fur- bearing animals by the hunters of the rival companies. The posts established in the Ore- gon Territory by Wyeth have given way before the superior resources oi the Hudson's Bay Compnny and the American companies have abandoned the hunting-grounds which lie be- yond the Rocky Mountains.! The natural boundaries of the region known danlr^.sTfhf r'^T^T"/ V'^<^^'^^^^^ by the caravans, xvhere danger is to be apprehended, is as /ollows : Each man of th« party is provided with two or three horses or mules nnd thp ^oods or furs which they carry are put up in paSaS of surh size and weight as to be borne three uporf a hSr.e^lsnot hi mg selected for the night, the packs are arranged at int^ervaf; a e"p"ckS*"'Th/n^°' '^^^^^SV^^' "'^^^•^ -^"^h th'e"Se a of the Pa- s extend in ), ther3 are large and , south of untains, be- ilivers, and id Colville. Mountains th latitude, f the Hud- the heights yw, he esti- of the sea ; et. It has with some ther points )usand feet mountains rhe largest 1 between '^elve miles INTRODUCTION. XXXVJi of the Cascades, which is about fifty-fivo miles wide, and extending north and south to a o-reat- er extent than I had the means of dcfinitdv as- certaining,- probably from Puget's Sound or rhe )V lUamet e River and a section of the Co- lumbia are included in this valley. The vallev south of the Walla-Walla, calfed the Grand Kound, IS said to excel in fertility. To these may be added Pierre's Hole and the adjacent country,, also Recueil Amore, cast of the Sal mon Pviver Mountains. Othek of less magni- tucle are dispersed over different parts. To these may be subjoined extensive plains, most of which are prairies well covered with Wass. Lnl '^^}''^'' '^Sioa of coumry west of the Sal- mon Kiver Mountains, ihe Spokain Woods, and .rn"'fh"'r?7^^ !^ *^'^ '^^"^^^ of mountains that cross the Columbia at the Falls, is a vast pral re, covered with grass, and the soil is gener- ally good. Another large plain, which il said to be very barren, lies off to the southwest of Lewis or Malheur River, including the Shosho- nees Country ; and travellers who have passed through this have pronounced the interior of Amenca a great barren desert j but this is drawing a conclusion far too broad from prem- ises so limited."* According to others^X have described the country, there are two lead^ mg ranges parallel to the Rocky Mountains which divide the country into three reS VIZ., Low, Middle, and Hiih, differing mat^erTaf: y J * Parker's Journal, p. 205. XXXVIU INTIIODUCTIOX. ly in climate, soil, and productive power — from the 'Treat fertility of the portion bordering on th ocean to the stinted barrenness of the up- per plains under the Rocky Mountains. The third division, or the High Country, lies between the Blue Mountains and the Kooky Mountains on the east. The southern part of this region is a desert of steep rocky mount- ains, deep narrow valleys, called holes by the traders, and wide plains, covered with sand and gravel, and with traces of volcanic fire. This region is remarkable for the dryness of the at- mosphere, quickly absorbing all moisture j and for the great diftcrence of temperature by day and nijrht — a difference sometimes amountino" to no less than 40 degrees between sunrise and noon ; and the range of the thermometer in the course of twenty-four hours has been ob- served to vary as much as 1^°. Not far from this reofion of desolation is a larsfe salt lake, to- wards the south, called by the Indians Lake Youta, and on the old Spanish maps Timpano- gos ; and at no great distance from this is one of the points of rendezvous of the traders, hunters, and Indians. The seasons may be divided into the dry and rainy. The latter commences in November and ends with May ; the intermediate months are without rain, the skies serene, and the heats are relieved by the prairie winds, which render the weather delightful. Mr. Parker states that durmg his winter's residence at Vancouver, there were only three days when the mercury fell as low as %%^ of Fahrenheit. 'wer — from rdering on of the up- ins. )imtry, lies the Kocky !rn part of jky mount- olcs by the h sand and fire. This 5 of the at- stiire 5 and lire by day amounting 3n sunrise nometer in s been ob- )t far from lit lake, to- lians Lake Timpano- this is one e traders, lie dry and November te months I the heats ich render states that '^ancouver, e mercury INTRODUCTION. XXXlx The conventional lines which bound this re- gion are, first, the southern boundary between the territories belonging to the United States and those of Spain, as agreed upon iu the trcatv made between the two powers on the i^d of Fet,ruary, 1819. This was to be a line drawn from the source of the River Arkansas, north or south as the case might be, to the forty-second parallel of latitude, and thence along that paral- lei westward to the Pacific j his Catholii ma- jesty ceding to the United States all his rio-hts claims, and pretensions to any territories iforth of the said line. This treaty was not ratified until two years afterward ; and before another year had passed, the authority of Spain over the territory south of this boundary had ceas- ed, but in 1828, the same boundary was con- firmed by a treaty with the new state of Mex- ,'^!'tt -fi o ^^^^^^"tion between Russia and the United States of 1824, no establishment is 1 cT^ ^^ ^^^ ^i^hons of the latter power north of the parallel of 54^ 40', and none under the authority of Russia south of that latitude. of l«o? r^ ^•^'''""'^ ^'"^^ ^'^^ ^»d Russia 01 1825, likevv'ise recognises this line, but with- out acknowledging the absolute and entire pos- session by Russia of the territory north of it. southward from this parallel of 54^ 40' : while hose of the United States extend nor h ward from the parallel of 42^ ,- nor has any dividW line yet been agreed upon. ^ "^ G Jll!!;'-"-fFt'^'^' ^''^"^ ^^' ^^'''''' ^"«h -nd u«iiatin uua ihe commissioners of the British i&i ski 3cl INTRODUCTION. I 'lllifil proverniYicnt subsequently to the treatv of Ghent in 1818, in order to settle definitively the boun- daries west of the Lake of the Woods, it was proposed by the former that a line should be drawn from the northwestern extremity of that lake (north or south, as it might be) to the for- ty-ninth parallel of latitude, and from the point of intersection westward to the Pacific. This, however, was not assented to j such line was agreed upon no farther than to the Rocky Mountains, leaving the boundary west of the mountains unsettled ; and as to the territories claimed by the United States or by Great Brit- ain west of those mountains, it was determined that, with their harbours, bays, and rivers, they should be free and open for ten years to the vessels, subjects, or citizens of both nations; it being at the same time understood that the said agreement was not to be construed so as to affect or prejudice the claims of either party, or of any other power, to any portion of those territories. The negotiations as to the bound- ary were resumed in 1821., and the forty-nmth parallel of latitude, from the mountains to the Pacific, was again proposed by Mr. Rush ; but Mr. Canning replied by a counter-project, that the line should be drawn from the mountains westward along the forty-ninth parallel to the nearest head-waters of the Columbia, and thence down the middle of that stream to the Pacific. Here the matter rested until 1826, when it again became the subject of discussion betweenlVTr. Gallatin, the American minister, and the Brit- ish government. But no boundarv p.milrl h« / INTRODUCTION. of Ghent he boun- s, it was lould be Y of that the for- he point . This, line was Rocky : of the rritories ;at Brit- 3rmined rs, they 3 to the lations j that the id so as r party, •f those bound- :y-ninth 1 to the sh J but ct, that untains \ to the thence Pacific. it ag-ain len Mr. e Brit- uld be xli i agreed upon j and the only result wus the con- vention of Au^^ust, 1827, that the tliird article of the convention of 1818, for the common oc cupation of the territory, should be farther in- defmitely continued in force ; either party, how- ever, bemgr at liberty to annul the enrrarreiuent on givmg notice of twelve months to'the other! 1 his agreement 3till remains in force, notwith- standmg several attempts made in the Cono-ress 01 the United States to procure its abrogation* Ihe contentions and murderous conflicts be- tween the servants of the rival British compa- nies, to wit, the Hudson's Bay and the North- west led m 1820 to a compromise sanctioned bv the British government, and to a union of the two, under the name of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany j to which was granted by the crown the exclusive privilege for 21 years of establishino- pos s and trading stations with the Indians wesi of the Eorlvy Mountains. This privilege, how- ever was not to be exercised to the prejudice of citizens of the United States. At the same time the jurisdiction of the courts of Upper Canada was extended to causes as well civil as crin^inal that might arise there ; and justices ot the peace were to be appointed in the Indian country, to have cognizance of and decide on minor offences and civil causes of limited amounts. These legal provisions, together with the large capital and united efforts of the Hudson s Bay Company, have led to the striking contrast presented between the British and American traders in the Oregon Territory, un- ^.er uie common occupancy and right of traffic JL/ At INTRODUCTION. secured to each by the convention of 1818. after a trial of 21 years. In the year 1835 Mr. William A. Slociim was directed by the government of the United btates to proceed to the mouth of the Colum- bia by sea, and while there to collect anv in- formation that might be useful or interesting to his government. He arrived in the Colum- bia at the close of the year 1836. His report M ? ^fP?'*""^."* ^^ ^^tate, dated the 20th of March 1837, gives the following account of tne settlements and course of trade ; "Fort Vancouver, the principal depot of the Hudson s Bay Company west of the Rockv Mountams, stands on a gentle acclivity four hundred yards from the shore, on the north bauK of the Columbia or Oregon River, about 100 miles from its mouth. The principal build- ir/^r.n'^^"^.''.^? '"^ ^ P^^^^^ ^^^^i"? an area of 750 by 450 feet. Within are thiity-four buildings, comprising officers' dwelling-houses and workshops for the various mechanics, all of wood except the magazine for powder, which IS of brick. Without, and near the fort, are lorty-nine cabins for labourers and mechanics a large barn and seven buildings attached thereto ; an hospital and large boathouse on the shore SIX miles from the fort. On the north bank the Company have erected a sawmill on a never-failing stream which falls into the Colum- bia, which cuts over 2000 feet of lumber daily employs twenty-eight men, chiefly Sandwich Islanders, and ten yoke of oxen ; the denth of water at the mill is four fathoms, wherelhe n of 1818, locum was he United he Colum- !ct any in- nteresting he Colum- His report )e 20th of c count of pot of the he Rocky ivity four the north v^er, about ipal build- g an area hirty-four ig-houses, »anics, all ler, which fort, are echanics, attached se on the the north mill on a e Colum- er daily, INTRODUCTION. xliii i^nT? ^^jP^^^tj^e Company take in their car- goes for the Sandwich Island market. Ine farm at Vancouver contain*? it thi^ ..me about 3000 acres of land, fenced and undo" cultivation employing generally one hundred men, chiefly Canadians and half-breed Iroquois • the mechanics are Europeans. These, with the factors traders clerks, and domestic , may be estimated at th rty. The labourers ind me! .wo"orthr T'^'-r"' "'*= '■°" '" """"'J '°g <=«brs, two or three families generally under one roof and as nearly every man has a wife, or lives ?ImVV"'''r "' ''""■■''^"=«<* ^^o™"". ""d as each family has from two to five slaves, the whole t^m^ted "[^r'"'' '''"'"' Vancouver' may be es! timated at from seven hundred and fiftv to e.ght hundred souls. The police of the estab° hshment is as strict as in*the best-reguTated military garrison. The produce of thf farm this year was 8000 bushels of wheat 5500 of barley, 6000 of oats, 9000 of pease, W 000 o^po- tatoes, besides large quantities of turnips, ruta- tet^'M^^'"'' ^"^ >'"'"' 6000 bushels of wheat, old crop, remain on hand. cattle °7noT"'''onn'' f ''''"' ^°^° ^^"^ "^ "«« and in 11 T' ^?? '"'""P' *^° t" 500 horses, and 40 yoke of working oxen. There are a larcre threshing machine, distillery (not at present In operation), and a gristmill. The farm fs abun" dantly supplied with implements for a much larger establishment, and will be much increas- lt-}'% ^"^V'"ff yf • A thriving orchard is g owt'ell'"" "PP'"' P'"'' •1"'"'=^^' ^"'J &'«P« licliy INTRODUCTION-. :kl ':: t "^'•^ w^h .hf ^tit :; a :: pany that remain on the coL '"xheVe are the' ship .Vemrfe^ the brig Zlama, a schooner and a ^oop ; besides the steamboat £eaveTo{150 tons with two engines of thirty hors; power built in London the last vear Th„l P "^"' are all well armed and manS; theircrews't lumber ,or the Sandwich Islands; returns t teep t /pTr V *'^ '"" ."^^' -" •'-""h* " ine aepot (J^ort Vancouver) once a vear from "he interior, via the Columbia Eiverffrom th^ Snake Country, and from the American re^dl. vous west of the Rocky Mountains, and f^ot thp fn.! ? , Company's vessels brino-s in the furs and peltr.es collected at the dififrem depots along the coast at the north the steam stTa «" ZllT "7T°--o^ the'magniS; Kiraits irom Juan de Fuca to Stickem Tm mense quantities of furs, sea-otter beaver mat nf k T"' "''" '"' •=°"°'='<=d alon- the shores of these bays and inlets. The chie"f aders at ^f.1S?"f^,'"«^, 30'; Fort Langley' in I9' ; Fort M'Laughlin, in 52= 16'; Fort Simn Ind I A "1 me Indians m their vici nityj and JNTRODrCTION. xlr as far as New-Caledonia in the interior and supply them with guns, powder, lead! obacco beads, &c, all of which supplies 'are taken from the prmcipal depot at Vancouver. veartv }r!mv' "' '' '' "''""''i ^""^ ""' '" March Jumbia 900 miles m batteaux. One of the chief factors takes charge of the property and conveys it to York Factory, on H^sS^Ba^t the annual returns of the business being con ducted by the Hudson's Bay Company wf st of This r't^ t.""*?'"^' '" *"' Colufnbil di: tict Ihis party likewise conveys to the different dian'tf T° 'n T"'"' ^'""'sSuitable to the In dian trade Other parties take up supplies as they may be required, to Walla-Walla, 250 relies ^n th/R' %f *° the south, to Fort M'Roye, on the River Umpqua, in latitude 43= 50' north • and last year, chief trader M'Leod took up to' norttTr"" '''"^T"''''' '" ''*'"^"' latitudr^a" north, a large supply of British manufactures. Ihis assemblage of American trappers and Imnters takes place annually on tlfe^western month '1 ^''''-y Mountains, generaltyfn the month of July, and amounts to from 450 to 500 men, who bring the results of their yearns la hour to sell to the American fur-traders^ These" persons purchase their supplies at St. Louis- and of course, find it hard tJ. contend wiU the ™" SlUuju of auties on their .^oods nor th„ same arduous journey." " ' *"^ xlvi INTRODUCTION. The earliest emigration from the United States for the purpose of settlement In this ter- ritory was In 1832. Three years afterward a small party went out by land, with Nathaniel Wyeth, of the Boston Fishing and Trading? Company, under the direction of the Rev. Jason Lee and David Lee, who established a mission settlement among the Callapoewah Indians, on the VVillamette River,* at about sixty miles Irom its discharge into the Columbia. This colony afterward received some small acces- sions, and in November, 1839, the Rev. Jason Lee sailed from the United States for the Co- lumbia River, with a party of fifty persons, com- prising, among others, six missionaries and a physician with their families. This party ar- med safely out, and the annual report of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in May, 1841, presents a favourable ac- count of their labours among the Indians, femaller parties of young men have started for the Columbia from states bordering on the Mis- sissippi. The whole number directly attached to the mission is only slxty-elght, includlno- men, women, and children. The few settle°- ments along the river, according to Mr. Parker who visited the country in 1835, consist of w^iT^^^ "\T®, '^ sometimes confounded with Multnomah "The name Multnomah," Mr. Parker says, "is given to a smali section of this river, from the name of a tribe of Indians who once resided about six miles on both sides from its confluence with the Columbia to the branch which flows down the south- fh2 w,n''^^^lf ^^^i'P^l^o Island ; above this section it is called the WijIamette."-PAnKER's JoumaL p. 161. h-%' le United n this ter- terward a Nathaniel I Trading vev. Jason a mission ndians, on xty miles ►ia. This all acces- ev. Jason •r the Co- ons, com- ics and a party ar- )rt of the Episcopal irable ac- Indians. arted for the Mis- attached including w settle- •. Parker, >nsist of VTiiltnomah. n to a smaJl ndians who confluence I the south- it is called INTRODUCTION. xjyjj Canadian Frenchmen formerly in the emnlov of the Hudson's Bay Company. ""^^^^ Thus far the right of common occupancy has worked altogether in favour of the Hudson's Bay Company. Without seeking to found « colony of men drawn from the shores of Eu- rope, thoy have created around their forts fnd tmdmg.posts an image of civilized life Thdr principal officers are men well suited to the r station where the powers of civilized men fe v in number, are to encounter and controTnumei! ous surrounding savage tribes. They maSn a steady discipline ove? their own a Jn"s and ex crcise a moral power over the Indians!' Thet" 11 flaence is represented as beina- of a benign sttr o7' '"' "^ ^^^^^"^^ recounts any'S stance of aggression towards the natives. Nor are these latter, in the neighbourhood of the Company s stations, chargeable with the pil/er! ^ngs insolences and outrages which were the tTon at 11 "' ^'''^ ''' companions. The sta- hoL /^''''''r^y IS stated to be the very and ol "'^^^'^^^^^ *" '^'' ^^ri«^i-« teacher^ and to ho scientific or curious traveller • but of di^^ct ^&^ *^^^'^ ^^^ ^^?^ »« <^omplain tL rt "^ """^ '"J^^y- The influence of Dremen'"^^ i'"'' '^''^' subordinates^ su- ZT% !^^ ^'^"^^ "^^"Ided to their interest su^trdL^: ^:^::^]^tr^-^^^ by the r..hi?f. o^ "h-' r ^^-""^ '' required withholrf n 1 " 1 * ^"^"Pany is passively to withhold aid, countenance, and favour from any Xlviii INTRODUCTION. adventurous rival trader, and fairly starve him out of the country. On taking a general survey of the territory embraced in the former Province of Louisiana, from the time of its cession to the United StatePj the first thing which strikes us is the unequal progress of settlement, civilization, and population in its different portions. The states and territories lying immediately west of the Mississippi, by the census of 1840, exhibit the following population : Missouri, whole number of inhabitants, 383,702 j slaves, 58,240. Ar- kansas Territory, 97,574 j slaves, 19,835. Lou- isiana, 352,411 J slaves, 168,452. Total inhabi- tants, 833,687. The Indian Territory, so called, extends west- ward 200 miles, from the farther bounds of Mis- souri and Arkansas, and from the Red Eiver on the south to the Puncah River on the north, a length of 600 miles. It contained in the year 1837 an Indian population of 103,560, which in 1839 had fallen off, according to the returns of the resident agents, to 94,196. There are many different tribes, the most numerous of which are the Creeks, amounting to 24,500 in the former year, and reduced to 21,500 in the latter; the Cherokees, to 25,900, reduced to 25,000 ; and the Pawnees, to 12,500, diminish- ed to 10,000. Smallpox and fevers have been the chief causes of this great mortality. The Christian missionaries scattered over this re- gion are of various denominations and thirty- nine in number, with thirty-six schools and 640 pupils; starve him s territory Louisiana, lie United us is the nation, and The states est of the exhibit the le number ,240. Ar- ^35. Lou- tal inhabi- snds west- ids of Mis- d Eiver on e north, a 1 the year 10 J- which lie returns rhere are lerous of 24,500 in •00 in the duced to diminish- lave been ity. The : this re- id thirty- s End 64)0 INTRODUCTION. xlix The intermediate country, lyino- between th^ RootV"' '^ '^' I"di«^^/erritory and L Kocky Mountams, and bounded on tho nm.?J. k the 49th parallel of latitude, is sti Ithe dilf ing.pla'^e and huntino-.g-rounds of til !• tribe*? inH itc «ioi ^o^^i^unas ol the native iriDes, and its plains and streams are the resorts of the hunters and trappers of the various f,r companies and traders [while the countr; v- of the mountains, and extending to the PacTfio presents no settlements of civil Led man f v' ZVbJT ^^' ^-^-o-posts"of the'C: sons Bay Company, and the station of the At the time that the History of the Exoedi tion under Captains Lewis and Clar e vvas fir,, prepared for the press, Mr. Jefferson fe^L^d the publisher with a short memoir of the iffe of Captain Lewis, in which he shows that hU, te he w '^"^'y *--d upon such ap'o ec with the vLt^r 1 • ^''''y'^rd arrived there, carrv n^ IT f """^"^ ^"""^ arrangements to ofimericV l' ^'J -'"l °" *'"= ""rthwest coast ot America. In this, however, he failed • and If^^, \ .^^ through the north of Europe to Kamtschatka, and thence to the Pacific ^Pel mission having been obtained from the Rus^nn government, Ledvard set m.t ^! i!" • " and tooli- ,L u-^ '^" ^^* °"t on his journey, ^;i„ f T."P '^'^ wmter-quarters within 200 miles of Kamtschatka. But it tlii= r.'™ new consideration on thrnl« !f 'V' " ,'°^' authoritir.« r.,,* ^ lyii ^'L ifie xvussian 1 INTRODUCTION. was arrested and sent back out of their territo- ries. The next year he started on his African expedition, and died in Egypt. In 1792, Mr. Jefferson proposed to the Amer- ican Philosophical Society a subscription to engage a competent person to proceed to the Northwest Coast by land j and Captain Meri- wether Lewis, who was then stationed at Char- lotteville, in Virginia, was engaged for the pur- pose. M. Michaux, a French botanist, was to be his companion. They had gone on their jour- ney as far as Kentucky, when Michaux was re- called by the French minister, to pursue in oth- er quarters his botanical researches, which put a stop to the enterprise. The Act for establishing trading -houses among the Indians being about to expire, Mr. Jefl^erson, in January, 1803, recommended to Congress, m a confidential message, an exten- sion of its views *o the Indians on the Missis- sippi. He also proposed that a party should be despatched to trace the Missouri to its source, cross the Rocky Mountains, and pro- ceed to the Pacific Ocean. The plan was ap- proved of J and Captain Lewis was, on his own application, appointed to lead the expedition. Wilham Clarke, brother of General George Rogers Clarke, was afterward associated with him. Full instructions were given to Captain Lewis as to his route, and the van jus objects to which he should direct his inquiries, relating to the geography and character of the country, the different inhabitants, and their history, and all other matters worthy of being known* INTRODUCTION. li and the United Staterrn'^eiardroTo ^'^'''^ This provinrp hnA i. ^"-g^ra to Louisiana. Spain I Cee, md ttla.'rno '^ l''^' "^y now ceded it to 'the United StltC ""^ ^""'^ passed into other hands anH fi n *''<'.J,°">-naIs -urces of info^a dot' wet^^fed"''' "*" Mr. Paul Allen, who ed t^d tK "^'^"^a over to Expedition.* ^"^ *''^ history of the ».ndp'^°eSsratetEo«h"wSf'™ '» '"» <»^-'ery, history ' Congress. and present stateof thenor hwJlf -^^ ^'^^ discovery, hii tinent, the reader may cons„^^^^^^^ American how, prepared and puS^d in isSf T°'''k"^/'"- «»bert G tion of Congress. ^"""''"^'^ ^n ^840, m obedience to a re reen- resolu- I'EWJS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION UP THE MISSOURI. CHAPTER I. pThe Nodawa River If^f^^^\^'''^''~^^^^^^ Indians. Capt. Lewis SnPd tn ^^f^^'^ ^^^'' ^^^^^ ^f 1803. l"ghest set LnS o'^he^^^^^ "' ^? ^^^^^rretto, the cial notice of the Ssft nr ^T'""^ ^'"^'^^^^d offi. United States he wintered nt /^ P'^T"^ *« ^he River, on the east sidlnf m t- "'^"^^' of Wood the jurisdiction of the sn/n^^ Mississippi, without " The party consisted^ J '• ^"^^orities. Kentucky^ fourteen oidiers ''TZ'^^^rTJ'^^ army, who volunteered thpfr Jj ^ "'^^^ ^^^^es watermen (an ierDrPfPr.n/ /''''''''.' ^^'« *'^«nch servant belonging tSn in pi ^f ?"^ ^ black cept the last, wefe enlfsCtn^'^^' ^'^ ^^«««' ex- ring the expedition nn/fh ^ ^^'^'^ ^' P^^^^tes du- irom amongX'rb/ t'XinTT'' W'''^^''^ these were enffa^ed a Pnrnnrfi I' • ^" a^^l'tion to "o ... xunndau wtior,, in brder to-a;s'isTta c^rr^i^j Ill !lj!il 54 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. the stores or repelling an attack, which was most tribe' %lfr^''^ ^^'^^'^ VVood llivcr Td^ha tribe. Ihc necessary stores were subdivided intn ornnV^^'^rf ""^ box, containing a small porio^ of each article m case of accident. They con- sisted of a great variety of clothing, work n? men sils, locks, flints, powder, ball, and articles of tf?P greatest use. To^hese ^ere added fourteen Lies ,\"1°"" ^^^ °^ '."^'^^ P^^««»t«' distributed in t^e same manner, and composed of richlv-laced coa s and other articles of dress, medals flags knives and tomahawks for the chiefs ; ornarneitf of d ffcr.' ent kinds, particularly beads, looking-glasses hand deemed best calculated for the taste of the Indians The party was to embark on board of three boat" he first was a keel-boat fifty-five feet lonrdmw ng three feet water, carrying one large squafe-saU and twenty-two oars ; a deck of ten fSet in the bow and s ern formed a forecastle and cabin, while the mTd- si aJ to "forrA''^ ^r^'?^- ^'^"^^ ""^^^^^ be raised so as to form a breastwork in case of attack This was accompanied by two pirogues or open boats one of SIX and the other of sevin oars. Two hor' ses were at the same time to be led alona the banks of the river, for the purpose of bringing home fiame or hunting in case of scarcity." ^ ^ * wInH rr '^^ left their encampment at the mouth of Wood River on Monday, the 14th of May, 1804, and on the morning of the 16th reached St Charles a town 21 miles up the Missouri. Captah LewU who had been detained at St. Louis, joined then^ at' this place, and on the 21st of May h"3^^proceeded thVs?;/ TT' ^^^^"^^ ^^^^^ WomanTiver on hev saw '?"']' ""^^^ '"^ ^ ^'^^^ b^>^«'^d its mouth^ faJnfnvl^ ^^'^? ^J'^^ ^" ^^'^ so"th side, at the foot of clifTs nearly three hundred feet high, over- Plac?"^ThP T''' ''^'''' ^^•"^^ '^'y « wi't'aUhL place. The cave is one hundred and twenty feet noN. I was moat !»• and that ivided into i;ill portion They con- ■king uten- ;les of the rteen bales ted in the iiced coats {s, knives, s of differ- ises, hand- Gs as were le Indians. *ee boats ; I, drawing e-sail and s bow and J the mid- be raised ick. This »en boats, Two hor- the banks me game, mouth of 1804, and >harles, a n Lewis, them at roceeded River on s mouth, e, at the gh, over- ift at this 3nty feet ACCOUNT OF THE 0SAGE8. 55 have written thc^^ na nes oHho^n't ''"t"^^' ^'^^ some images, which common 1 ''';''' ^"^ P^'^ted Indians and French " ^''"'"^^"^ ^'^^ ^^^n^age of the ret?e Cre?k!6Vmn^e:&?^^ ""."'^J^^ '' ^- Char- and near wJ ich was a sS vfllTr^'j "^ ^^" ^^^«°"ri, ilies, the last esTablisE t o^ June the -joats arrivpH »f th ^' ^ °" "'"= 1st of Osage Rivetm ZiVth^T^ °^-"" *^™'' iere 875 yards wide and fl.iif *'',!?«""i' whicli is 397 yards: ' ^ ""^ '"''=^J"> of the Osage souri at"o?l'lfund"rid'L,d'?f/^fv .^^'^ '""' '"e Mis- from the ,r,ou?h of the t't^Jr-'rivlr^'Vf "'''""<=« owes us name to a nation irhLJ*^-. .' S'^es or considerable distancrfmm hi= ^.''"^ "sba„ks at a ent name, however seeZ ^^ ^ '"'^•- ^^^" P^^^' the French traders?for b^th nm."^ o'-.ginated from their neighbours they ^e cZf l^T^T ,""<' fhey number between twoi„„ j , • Wasbashas. warriors, and coS o7 ht!"? '"■'"<=" '"""''•e'l Osages, of about five hundred t '"•''"' '^ ,^''« ^f^"' village on the south b nk o? Z"'""' ''l'"^ "' » Osages, of nearly hVirth», ° "l" "*■<"■ ' 'he Little distfnc; of siTlSe'-'Lm mertd'ufi'r. "' '"« band, a colon v of o«=n^!,i r •' . "'® Arkansaw who left theTsome vefrs'nl'"' \''"'^l'^ "^^'"O'^, ofa ohief called it Sof^alsofn'^ ''T"''""' m.ho„ River, a branch of the Arkansiw °"' "■" the Osages are amnncr ihl i ^^'^aiisaw. In person Indians, lid are said fnn. ^""'^^'i ^"^ ^est-formed cities; but, reTidin^ ^ V''f '' «»« mihtarv cana^ ' '^'''^ ^' '^'^y ^0 ^" villages, and hav- -I 1 "fh J I li n 66 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. ing made considerable advance in affricultnre thev llZ'Tn" 'f'''''t '' ^--r than their LrXTneig^ hours to whom the use of rifles gives a great su- penortty. Among the peculiarities of thif people datlvP M th "^ "^"'^ remarkable than the trSin' relat ve to their origm. According to universal be- lief, the founder of the nation wai a snail passing a high flood swept him down to the Missouri and if i?n ".^^^'''^i^"u'^^^ «^«^^- The heat 0? he sun at length ripened him into a man; but with the seaTs'on thf Os?^*'^ '^' not forgotten his native hPn;\^= ^^^i§^' ^''''''^'^^ which he immediately bent his way He was, however, soon overtakeh by hunger and fatigue, when, happily, the Great Spir appeared, and, giving him a bow and arrow showed wiTh'th: skin '" h"^^'^ '^^^' ^"^ -veT'htrelf with the skin. He then proceeded to his original residence ; but as he approached the river he^vas met by a beaver, who inquired haughtily who he Sessfon^ what authority he came'to d'isUirb his possession. The Osage answered that the river was his own, for he had once lived on its borders As they stood disputing, the daughter of the beavt? the'^^^Thl^"^"^' ^y ^''' ^n^raaties, reconciled her fa ther to this young stranger, it was proposed that the Osage should marry the young beaver, and share jvith her family the enjoyment%f the river The Osage readily consented, and from this happy union there soon came the village and the na3of he Wasbasha, or Osages, who have ever since preserv ?romZ'charn1-T '^ '"^^K^-^^^^orsXlZg ■ \"f^chase oahe beaver, because in killing that animal they killed a brother of the Osage Of iTe years, however, since the trade with thi whites has rendered beavor-skins more valuable, thlsancti^v of these maternal relatives has been visibly reduced^ l^of^^^' have nearly lost a/the ^^ noN. ultnre, they hern neigh- a great su- his people, ^e tradition liyersal be- ail, passing Osage, till issoiiri, and t of the sun it with the 1 his native nmediately overtaken 3reat Spirit ►w, showed er himself lis original er he was iy who he disturb his 3 river was rders. As he beaver iled her fa- 3d that the and share ver. The ppy union ion of the e preserv- abstaining billing that . Of late diites has 3 sanctity '^ reduced, the privi- VILLAGE OP THE MISSOURIS. -^^"^n^oJ^^^^^^^ their voya, Creeks (on the lalfe/of vvtch th^^^^ ?'^ ^^""^^ licks), Good Woman rIvI, and'^^,^^"^"^ ««'«« 67 litou tie Manilou b^"eTt kls" tsl'^^^l-^^^^^' " ^^ ' figure resemblin. the bust of . ?^' ^'""l ^ ^^^^"^6 or. a stag, painted on a p oltir JaI^^^ f^^^^^"* represent some spirit or ddtv "^ r.nn' ^^"'.^ ^^^ were occasionally met d^t/j a- ^^"^^^ and rafts buffalo tallow from disf'.m^"^"'^.'^^'^ ^"'"s and Kanzas, and Platte tlZ IT' tf "^^.^^^^ouri, hunters, who had souihf tL the guidance of bourhood of those Zfm^^.fZ il '''' "^'^^- fortunate as to engage on. nffh ^^^i"" ^^^'^ «« who had lived with the Si^nvV^^""' ^ ^- ^"^'^n* company him to that nation '^'""'^ ^''''' '^ ^«' passei! a^Vtwe"^; S'^d^^^^^^ "?™^-' "-« the river, and two creeks on Z ""'ll"' ^ ^^"^ ^^ Round Bend CreeL BpHvI. .t "^'^^' ^^"^^ the the prairie in wWch once ^InnH ^"'^ ^^^ ^^^^^s is of the Missouris Of thi. Ini fu ^""^""^ ^^"^ge vestige, nor is there anvthfna 5' there remains no numerous nation exceon 1 m'^'^" ^^'^ ^'^^^ and thirty families ThevTpr. 5^^^ 'r"'"^"^ ^^ ^^out nal seats bv the invlJ ^"1^^" ^'^"^ their origi- Indians frorn the Zls.Zn '^ .^""'^^ ^"^ oth?r village two hundrefof Zri'"^^^ destroyed at this sought refuge near the uX n ^"' ^^"*^«^^» ^nd side of the river Thp .n ^u'^^^' °" ^^e other enemies forced! aboutthfrnf^"'""' °^ ^^« '^^^ nations from the banks offbrir' '"''^' '^^^^ ^^^^^^ tired with the Osages and hL ^'''^""i ^ ^^^ ^e- asylum on the Rivf r Pl.?i ^en^ainder found an are themselves dSi„f ''^'' "^"f ^^^ ^ttoes, who was an island and a -enPh ?n^?^L' '^? P^^"^ ^^ere no appearance of eithe thp .t'!' ^"' '^•"^•" ^« »«^ havino- n.vh"h'" ^ . V tne successive inundaf^.,^ " "^^ situation described by Du I; I i 58 LEWIS AND Clarke's expewtion. Pratz, is bfiall and of recent formation. Five miles Irom this place is tiic mouth of Grand River, where we encamped. This river follows a course nearly south or southeast, and is between eighty and a hundred yards wide where it enters the Missouri, near a dehghtfrl and rich plain." * * * "Atthedis tance of eight miles we came to some high cliffs, called the Snake Bluffs, from the numbers of that animal in the neighbourhood, and immediately above these bluffs, Snake Creek, about eighteen yards wide, on which we encamped. One of our hunters, a half Indian, brought us an account of his having to-day passed a small lake, near which a number of deer were feeding ; and in the pond he heard a snake ma- king a guttural noise like a turkey. He fired his gun, but the noise became louder. He adds that he has iieard the Indians mention this species of snake, and I 1? *^JVr^ confirmed by a Frenchman of our party." * * u ^g p^ggg^ several islands and one ci^ek on the south side, and encamped on the north opposite a beautiful plain, which extends as far back as the Or- ange River, and some miles up the Missouri. Tn Iront oi our encampment are the remains of an Oid village of the Little Osages, situated at some distance from the river, and at the foot of a small hill. About three miles above them, in view of our camp, is the situation of the old village of the Missouris after they fled from the Sauks. The inroads of the same tribe compelled the Little Osages to retire from the Missouri a few years ago, and establish themselves near the Great Osages." * * * " On the 17th we set out early, and, having come to a convenient place, at one mile's distance, for procuring timber and ma- king oars, we occupied ourselves in that way on this and the following day. The country on the north of the river is rich and covered with timber • among which we procured the ash for oars. At two miles It changes into extensive prairies, and at sev- en or eight miles' distance becomes higher and wa- m. TION. Five miles liver, where )urse nearly ighty and a le Missouri, "Atthedis- J high cliffs, bers of that [lately above yards wide, nters, a half iving to-day ber of deer a. snake ma- iredhisgun, that he has f snake, and 'our party." ne creek on ti opposite a : as the Or- ssouri. Til s of an Oid ne distance lill. About amp, is the louris after )f the same e from the themselves 1 7th we set lient place, er and ma- at way on try on the :th timber ; s. At two md at sev- 3r and wa- RIVER KANZAS. ^Q ving. The prairie and hiffh hnr?« nn n mence more im.nedm.efon the ver' 'h"''' "^.T" IS well watered and Droyi,l«i V.T-.u ' "'«' "'hule deer, elk, and bear The hunterfhr^™,''' ?""'' «' horse, which was probaWv lost hv . "='" '" » <■<'« tli's being the evol^ugllTLyh^'l' T' P"'^' wa3.,^and Sioux, i„ fhS, l^Z^^L^Z pa^uir v^e^' 'atSt^Vd t^^lTT ^-''. ^P" at the mouth of the Kanz^c, q^a , ^'^^ ^^^^^'^d Mississippi ; and hei^ &VmnS ^'^^ '''' for rest and repairs. " The Rivir r ^ ^'''^ ^^ys rise in the plains between tbiri '^^"^^'^^ ^^^^^^ its Rivers, and pursues a con r. ^^'^^»f,^^^ and Platte junction witrtheMiss^^^^^ till its 31' 13- ; here it is 340» v 'v 1 • , '^ l'^ ^^^^^"^e 38" der a short distance abo^e^uL niS' '^?^l^^' '' ^' ''^' nself is about five hundred v. S^-^' -.^^^^ Missouri of union is low ai7sS m '" '!.'^^^ ' ^^^Point hundred and fifTy yards "^ if fhl'""^ f^»' two liigh- water mark ancl onn • " '*''^' ^ ^i«le abovt thl hills. On the south of trV" ^' ^^^ ^^^^ as highlands come withrone m^,i^^"5^^ \^' ^^"^ or nver ; on the north of thfMrsso.ril.'J^'^^ '^ '^' proach nearer than several S.^^ "^^ "^t ap. the country is fine The comnir'nl- ^"' ^" ^^^ '^^^^ ^ties of the two rivers are for fhl' mI' '^'''^' ^mv^ eight, the Kanzas seventy Jwn I ^^^^^^"r^ seventy- the latter have a verrdS^Zn^?^' ' ^^^ ^^^ers of banks of the KaS 3 1,^^^^ V.* ^"^^« name, consisting of tvvo viHn^fo"'"' ^^ ^he same ty, the other fitvlnrd^f ' ^^'^ ^^ about twen- amounting to about thrpp^h?f I'T '^^ ^"«»th, and lived twenty.four lea^^^^ ?^"- They on >e on the souti; bank of ^^^ fc,/''"" l^' ^^^"^4 more numerous • but thi^v f '?' ^"^ '^'^'^ then banished by the'sauks a,^. Av' ''""" '^^"^^^ ^nd better su^^r.!;^^ ...-?, "^^ ^"^ Ayauwavs. whn h-^-r- ersu,.^... ,,,,^ arms, have an advantage o;er 4\ ■ 1* Ill 60 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. the Kanzas, though the latter are not less fierce and wariike than themselves. This nation is now hunt- ing in the plains for the buffalo, which our hunters have seen for the first time." Departing on the 29th, they passed La Petite Riv- iere Platte, Turkey Creek, and Bear Medicine Island, a short distance from which they landed for the night on the 2d of July. In a valley opposite to their en- campment " was situated an old village of the Kan- zas, between two high points of land, and on the bank of the river. About a mile in the rear of the village was a small fort, built by the French on an elevation. There are now no traces of the village, but the situation of the fort may be recognised by some remains of chimneys, and Uie general outline of the fortification, as well as by the fine spring which supplied it with water. The party who were stationed here were probably cut off by the Indians, as there are no accounts of them." July 3d they passed the Isle des Vaches. The morning of the anniversary of the 4th of July was announced by the discharge of a gun, and its name was given to a creek which they passed during the day : it was also made memorable by one of the party being bitten by a snake, though the usual application of a poultice of bark and gunpowder soon cured the wound. On the 5th, nsar Independence Creek, they passed the ruins of another village of the Kanzas, which, from the extent of its remains, must once have been a large town. Several bad sand-bars here presented themselves and on the shores there ■were great quantities of summer and fall grapes, berries, and wild roses. Deer were not so abundant as usual, but there were numerous tracks of elk. On the 8th the party reached the River Nodawa, af- ter passing Reevey's Prairie, so called from the name of a man who had been killed there, and the fine prairie of St. Michael's appearing as though it were divided into farms by the narrow strips of INDIAN MOUNDS. Qi woodland whieh border the small rnn« r ir • the river. Below the moi h nfl It "f ^^"^"S^ ^"to several smaller is ands "s thL nf^r ^^^"' ^^«'^^« more than five miles hi leLthL. ^'- ^^ Nodavva, eight thousand acres of wf rich S^"^ T''' ^' flowed, and one of the lam^/f ti "J^' •'•''^^>' ^^^r- Bouri. This river is navlSl V^^"k^' '" ^^« Mis- distance, navigable for boats for some to?hyllUr'tei-^;^^^^^^^ -^-d opposite for the purpose of tTkin^T ^^^^J-^mained a day refreshing the parU' ThVTl observations and Missouri lo tK^t^ncI oT.^so^ "r ^^^^"ded the mahaw empties isP^f^nti®^ ,"^'^^'^- "TheNe- south, andTsegif^^^^^^ f'-om the which is in lat. 390 55' Ifi- ^n\^- ^^^ confluence, ed it in the p ogue about'twn'^^-^"' ^^^'^' ^^^^nd- ofa small cr^eko'n the lower s^^^ '""^ "^outh he found in the level plaTseveral anlF"?^ "'^^^^ or graves, and on the ad oinfrm 1 '?^'^^ mounds Ser size. This annearanrp i5 f^ ""^^^'^ ^^ a lar- forn,er populationTf thrcVum^^^^ sufficiently the certainly intended as tombs 7h'.^? T""^' "^^^"^ Missouri still preserving the custom nA'T ^^ ^^^ dead on high ground Fmm . ^ . of interring the mound a delilhtful Dros^P^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^« highest level and extels ve meTdows w^/^'iS'^ 'l''^^' ^he haw, and enlivened favth^f'^"^ ^^^^^ ^^"^a- skirting the borders o^f t l^"" ^^^^^ and shrubs stream!; the lowland of thp m"' ^"^ '^' '"^"^^ry undulating grass nearivfivL j^'f l^^ri covered with sing into I f econd ;fat^ wherfih ^^' !,''^^"^"y » ers are interspersed w?h!!i^ nch weeds and flow- i^rther back werf sle^m^.f ^^^ ^!'^' P^""»; abundance of graDesthpl^n P""^^ of trees; an ri. resembling mTownb„Mi'^'''^.°^^^^ Mis^ou- small bush; VdthrihoWh^"''^"^.^^^ served for the first Vfmp\ffil"''>:v^hich was ub- ered to-day were nearly ripe '" On th'' ^'^^^^ ^^^^' Vol. I.— f ^ P^' ^n the south of the fff 62 LEWIS AND CLARKE^S EXPEDITION. Nemahaw, and about a quarter of a mile from its mouth, is a cliff of freestone, in which are various inscriptions and marks made by the Indians." On the I4th elk were seen for the first time. They passed the Nishnahbatona and Little Nemahaw Riv- ers, and found the former to be only 300 yards from the Missouri, at the distance of twelve miles from its mouth. Farther on they reached an island to the north, near which the banks overflow ; while on the south, hills project over the river in the form of high cliffs. At one point a part of the cliff, nearly three fourths of a mile in length and 200 feet in height, had fallen into the river. On the 20th they passed a creek called by the French I'Eau qui Pleure, or the Weeping Water, and here the narrative states, '' for a month past the party have been troubled with boils, aod occasionally with the dysentery. These boils were large tumours which broke out under the arms, on the legs, and, generally, in the parts most expo- sed to action, which sometimes became too painful to permit the men to work. After remaining some days, they disappeared without any assistance, ex- cept a poultice of the bark of the elm or of Indian meal. This disorder, which we ascribe to the mud- diness of the river water, has not affected the gen- eral health of the party, which is quite as good, if not better, than that of the same number of men in any other situation." They reached the great River Platte on the 21st, and it is thus described : " The highlands, which had accompanied us on the south for the last eight or ten miles, stopped at about three quarters of a mile from the entrance of the Platte. Captains Lewis and Clarke ascended the river in a pirogue for about one mile, and found the current very rap- id, rolling over sands, and divided into a number of channels, none of which are deeper than five or six feet. One of our Frenchmen, who spent two winters on it, says that it spreads much more at '^ rioN. nile from its are various ians." time. They niahaw Riv- ) yards from iles from its Bland to the while on the form of high nearly three 3t in height, ley passed a cure, or the states, '■ for d with boils, These boils er the arms, most expo- too painful lining some istance, ex- ir of Indian to the mud- ed the geU" as good, if r of men in 3n the 21st, nds, which e last eight larters of a Captains 1 a pirogue it very rap- ' a number han five or spent two eh more at PLATTE RIVER. 63 some distance from the month . tr,o» •* j , . generally not more than five oAixfet'^thlt'ttr'' are many small islands seattereTth,ou-h I. .„S that, from its rapidity and the cuanf fv nr"-. ' ?"^ cannot be navigated bv hnoiiv^ ^ °^^^^ sand, it Indians p^Th^^ntr^lu^^^^^ '^^"gh ^^'^ that the Saline o" Salt R?.! f v^u -"^^^^ ^^ ^»des : is too brackl^sh o be ^ r^k f" south, about thirty m les un • and n ♦// ^T' *^« Klkhorn River from le nn?fh ^'"^® ^''^^^ i' allel with the Missou The river is"fn"r;'^ P^t more rapid than the Mis^nnr.' 11 i '^^" ^^^^' "^"^h from tho m;o • • ' - ^"^ ^^^^ number of miles came ,o above the point, havinrmadl'fifter mile='s':« CHAPTER II. Sioux River.-Ravase. „f^-= Missouri Indians -Little ed of the rece«t%hS ihl '^ '"^^^^^ ^^ i"^*^™- the desire of the UnUed Sr . f ^^'T'^^nt, and of relations with ilLn Cantn^fr ^'^ '"^f "^^ ^"^"^^y i-»is narrative : P^'^"' ^'^'""'^ '^^^ continues w 64 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. Our camp is by observation in latitude 41° 3' 11". Immediately behind it is a plain about five miles wide half 1 i, covered with wood, dry and elevated The low grounds on the south, near the junction of the two rivers, are rich, but sub- ject to be overflowed. Farther up the banks are higher, and opposite our camp the first hills ap- proach the river, and are covered wilh timber, such as oak, walnut, and elm. The intermediate country is watered by the Papillon, or Butterfly Creek, of about 18 yards wide, and three miles from the Platte ; on the north are high ope i plains and prai- ries, and at nine miles from the Platte, the Mosche- to Creek and two or three small willow islands. We stayed here several days, during which we dried our provisions, made new oars, and prepared our despatches and maps of the country we had passed, for the President of the United States, to whom we intend to send them by a } irogue from this place. The hunters have found game scarce in this neigh- bourhood ; they have seen deer, turkeys, and grouse ; we have also an abundance of ripe grapes, and one of our men caught a white catfish, the eyes of which were small, and its tail resembling that of a dolphin. " The present season is that in which the Indians go out into the prairies to hunt the buffalo ; but as we discovered some hunters' tracks, and observed the plains on fire in the direction of their villages, we hoped that they might have returned to gather the green Indian corn, and therefore despatched two men to the Ottoes or Pawnee villages with a pres- ent of tobacco, and an invitation to the chiefs to visit us. They returned after two days' absence. Their first course was through an open prairie to the south, in which they crossed Butterfly Creek. They then reached a small beautiful river, called Corne de Cerf, or Elkhorn River, about 100 yards wide, with clear water and a gravelly channel. It empties a httle below the Ottoe village into the Platte, rioN. itude 41° 3' I about five i, the other 1 the south, ich, but sub- ! banks are st hills ap- imber, such ate country J Creek, of s from the ns and prai- he Mosche- 3VV islands. Kh we dried epared our had passed, ) whom we this place, this neigh- md grouse ; es, and one Bs of which r a dolphin, the Indians ilo ; but as d observed ?ir villages, i to gather atched two ith a pres- ; chiefs to ;' absence. I prairie to 'fly Creek, ver, called 100 yards lannel. It the Platte, h THE PAWNEES. 55 southernbankof the Missouri v.- ^^^"®' e ofahnn* x"p .!,"?' ^^ '"« Ivaiimaviesch, consistipo ,„G ,mu. ihey are supposed to have em! if 2 66 LJJWIS AND CLARKE^S EXPEDITION. "R ' II UiU.': *-iMill farther to the westward are several tribes who wander and hunt on the sources of the I ive; Platte, and thence to Rock Mountain. These tribes o wh.eh httle more is known than the nanies and the population, are, Hrst, the Staitan, or Kite Indians a small tribe of one hundred n. n. Tliey have ^0-' quired the aauie of Kites from their flying that is the.r bemg always on horseback ; and [he^smalh ess of their numbers is to be attributed to their extreme ferocity : they are the most warlike of all the west- ern Indians ; they never yield in battle ; they never spare their enemies ; and the retaliation of this blr' barity has almost extinguished the nation Then to'^ether'Zf ''P^''\' "'^ ^'^"^ tribe's as'oJat^S together, and amounting to two hundred men: the be'addP^" th'V^''T ^'""f"'^ "^^^"' '^ ^hich a;e to Dotami 'he Cataka, of sevency-five men, and the M ht ; ^^'^ wandering tr-'oes are conjectured to be the remnants of the Great Padouca nation who occupied the country between the upper par s of the River Platte and the River Kanzas Thev were visited by Bourgemont in 1724, and then ived on the kanzas River. The seats which he describes as their residence are now occupied by the Kanzas nation ; and of the Padoucas there doe not now exist even the name." OTf^^Ir'^T ^,^"^P/^'^d the object of their stay, on the 27th of July they continued their voyage " At en and a half miles from our encampmliit," says the journalist, « we saw and examined a curious collection of graves or mounds, on the south side of the river. Not far from a low piece of land and a pond is a tract of about two hundred acir3s in c ir- cumference, which is covered with mounds of differ- ent heights, Shanes, and sizes: some of sand, and ITION. nation; but ovements of villages, but Jveral tribes, of the River riiese tribes, ! names and Kite Indians, ley liave ac- ing ; that is, le smallness Jcir extreme ill the west- : they never of this bar- tion. Then i, associated d men ; the hich are to en, and the conjectured uca nation, upper parts zas. They i then lived le describes the Kanzus ?s not now tay, on the Hge. " At lent," says a curious south side )f laud and i;res in cir- Is of differ- sand, and MISSOURI INDIANS. 57 s.tion of the ancien vilLe o hP o,?'" 't"/"" I. M. ..111,1 .'.1,5 s ;{: Sffir: '?'"'!; one of our mrfx^ th« . . .^^ "'"* "ack with tion °o "he CLs ?o meerr'^ **'" "" '"'^"^^ and t^hen proceeded." "' "'''"'' °" "'" """'> th*ee'a*„d"'a'^,fH«er^''ilp?"' T''^ '" "»« '"°™'"g south, i„ ordoTtr^ai?' :^r' the' O^^^eT^Ihe". "I about seventy feei above if ^.^^'^l '' ^, '^^^^^^ ''^Se we formed 01, camn T i« 'i"^ ^"^^^ ^^ ^*^^'^^^ lower from a l^^gherTrairil nf f^^ ^'^P^rates the t<« it.' If % ). ■■■■^t ■•'-'" vyi liic river _ try. At a distance, varyin 68 LE 2WIS AND Clarke's expedition. and of a height between seventy and three hundmH feet two parallel ranges of highland Sdam« sage to the Missouri, which enriches the lovv grou^nd; between thcni. u its winding course it SS the willow islands, the scattered cotton wood cl^ sycamore, lynn, and ash, and the groves are inte^' ih. 1 .y ,*• i^^ "meridian altitude of this da^r m.An the latitude of our camp 41° 18' 1 4/^ Onp'Vr men brought in yesterd'^y an anlnial, cabled bjhe Pawnees ckocartoosk, and by the French S.X.'or " We waited with much anxiety the return of onr messenger to the Ottoes. The me whom vv i spatched to ourlast encampment'" \^e^Wthou^ having seen any appearance of its havi g bee is ited. Our horses, too, had strayed ; but vve were so ttie 2d of August, accompan ed by a Frcnchmnn r,n, '"'"'i'"' "'"""e 'hem and interprc od for f" ?ni^, u .K^"''\'""' ^^"^^^ «""" out io meet them and told them that we would hold a coi noil i T„' mormng. I„ the mean time we sem em'"ome roasted meat, pork, flour, and meal ; in rc^rn for which they made us a present of watermelons We learned that our man Liberie had set out from their camp a day before them : we were'n hopes "ha he had fatigtied his horse, or lost himself iXe woods and woidd soon return ; but we never saw him again The next morning the Indians, with their sTv eS'tith^'T ^" "'^T'"'''^ ""'•''^ "» awni g orm^ tv Paraded fn'r^T^"' '" f"''"'''"' "^ =>" o"' Par- ly, paraded for the occasion. A speech wi^ afternoon, am euanm? The Ifhn A "^ !"f^«c^^etoes very troublesome." «:^i r ?T ^-^ ^"^"^^ ^h^y encamped on the nor h sjde of the river. « In the evenini, Cau ain n rvl m pursuing some game in an e^sernh ruction' found Inmself, at the distance of tlfree hundred inH seventy yards from the camp, at a St of he riv"^^ lei is high this peninsula is overflowed- and inda. hf Itr '^'' ?"^^«'»^ry and notorious 'chaV^^^^ the stream, a few years will be sufficient to force gr LrbendT; ' Th'" [-----' anfleav^Th para lei ran^e of h,Ti ' ^^'^«l%l^^l^nd between the the loose texture of which it underKs and !j length deserts its ancient bed for a new and shnrtPr passage ; it is thus that the banks oFIhe In^^^^^^^^ are constantly falhng, and the river changlng'its On the 7th they despatched four men back to thp Ottoes village in quest of the man Liberie and o apprehend one of the soldiers, who haSt llSm on he^td 'd"rot;S"^^r ^ of recovering a knU'^hic ne naa dropped a short distance behind and who they feared, had deserted. They also sVnt%m .?i presents to the Ottoes and Misso Jri^lTnd reUS^d I )ITION. ! Ottoes ; one w days from the Pawnee iting grounds ' journey to council being and eii amp- e souta side, I'oublcsonie." on the north ptain Clarke, m direction, hundred and • of the river 'hen the wa- ; and, judg- ehanges in ent to force lid leave the between the mud or ooze id with sand ig banks ac- t down the into the riv- )site banks, nes, and at and shorter e Missouri hanging its :>ack to the rte, and to 'ft them on nife which !, and who, sent small i requested LITTLE SIOUX RIVER. 71 Wp V arrived at the miTof IrZZ^r.^T'''^ ^^"^^ they called by the Sioux it "i" ^^'^ northern side Stone nLrXT,l\:ZZ^^^^ oi «ioux, or Little Sioux Rivei Af w ^^ ^'^'^''' ^^s IS eighty yards wide " oiirVm ''^ confluence it says the Journa^st, " who Iv?^ f P''^"'' ^^' ^"^^'^n'" of it, and knows tie aSn nt ''^''^ ^^ ^"^ ^"^"^ces rises within abou nine f ^^"."^7' ^^^^ that it Moines; that wi^n fif con 1'' ""^ th^River Des passes throu..h a WpI^i ''^"f ""^ ^hat river it circumferenc? and dMed ?nf"'f ^^ ''""'y '"^^^^ ^^ }^'hich approach eaphotht.V'^? ^T' ^^ ^^^^s, IS various; it contS m.nv P^'i^^''^^^^- '^^ ^^dtl by the name of Lac^d'S T?"^'' '"^^ '^ ^^"^^^^ i:{ains, and withinlm-l^.^ ' ,,,' eh of^J^ ?^^ 1 ho coiiiitry watcrpri hv ;, ;t ""^"^" of 'ne Mahas. ■•'"d niay be\lTciiLV^T>r ^'"^ ""dulating, yards wi'T='PI'«3^hes called Cat liiver. Tvvo miles if/, "'"J"'i'"''"'<=''es is V"S island, which we eal ed pT '"^ "l"" "''«'• i^ a the numbers of that anim. . ^-^"""^ '^'anJ. i"i-om it; one of these be „/k id vi™'* '"[^ feeding o„ fve gallons of wate^Anellj tL^T'^'"'" ""^ ^ag Iiad again to remark tint sn.kl^ ' ^'""' """^ we of the Missouri. A "erid,annf,f ''/"'' "' "''^ Part tie Sioux River mvie fhi ? "' 't"is hundred men, and a pr„n„ ?ion nf . ''<"'"-«y«d four fork Of the mJ^'^ :Xr;,X:S x;:-^: 3B1TI0N. le base, and six stljiing; a pole the centre, on lered with red, IS to have been for ever since ons, from time of the Mahas. 1 a small creek aucandipeeche k and the ad- , and lost four malady which fidian altitude Missouri had >lace the dis- stream to an- circuit of the liles. On ap- 5 had resided, lUage, with a ame and hold covered with ^'I'eek, alon^ s> which join h branch, and ery fatiguing, ^vay through ove ten feet Five miles 5ition of the sted of three t four yeais 5troyed four en and chil- age are the ich runs the sed where it was about LAVAGES OF SMALLPOX. ton y ards vvido and Ibllowed 73 •se ^he accounts wo invn f . .^"''^^''it'Oii." * * * ^o then, ,i,o„sh p;.;;L /by ":!"''' -»"muu.e ued mihrl, T'"!'" '*^»' I'leirsro,.,,'^^ "■"''•'' '"'' when lioy „,ad„ , J,. ,'";;« 4^!"';"-''''Wy s^uccoss/d ■"Id sivopt tlio crciTk L ?'" "''I'ows and b-irl not be e rec cd' l','' ■■'?'=. "'at dcs ,■ ^ „, , 'f ""'ion OL. i.-^G - 'c- -. Jiiade by traders 1-^ fe 1 1 mammmmiumm 74 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. to apprize the Indians of their arrival : it is also used hetween dilTereiit nations as an indication of any event which they have previously agreed to announce in that way, and, as soon as it is seen, collects the neighbouring tribes, unless they apprc- hend that it is made by their enemies. ,vin^.i^'"f\^^" ^" ^^^^. afternoon the "party arrived \vilhthclndians, consisting of the Little Thief and the Lig Horse, whom we had sec- on the third, to- gether with SIX other chiefs, and a French inter- they had nnished a repast with which we supplied hem, we inquired into the origin of the war be- iween them and the M-^has, which they related with great frankness. It seems that two of t!ie Missou- ns went to the Mahas to steal horses, but were de- eeted and killed ; the Ottoes aud Missouris thought hemselyes bound to avenge their companions, and he whole nations were at last obliged to share in the dispute : they are also in fear of a wrr from the Pawnees, whose village they entered this summer while the inhabitants we.- hunting, and stole tiieir corn, i his ingenuous confession did not make us the less desirous of negotiating a peace for them ; but no Indians have as yet been attracted by our lire Ihe evening was closed by a dance ; .nd the next day, the chiefs aud warriors being assembled at ten o clock, we explained the speech we had al^ ready sent from the Council Bluffs, and renewed our advice They all rephed in turn, and the presents were then distributed. We exchanged tlie small medal we had formerly given to the Big Horse for one of the same size with that of Little Thief- we a so gave a small medal to a third chief, arul a 'khvl ot certificate or letter of acknowledgment to five of the warriors, expressive of our favour and their sood intentions. One of them, dissatisfied, returned us the certificate ; but the chief, fearful of our being offended, begged that it might be restored to him '{\\y ■ ITION. il : it is also indication of \y agreed to 3 it is seen, I they apprc- )arty arrived le Thief and the third, to- rencli inter- 2, and, afrer we supplied the war be- rehited with t!ie iMissou- uit were de- uris thought )anions, and to share in .^^r from the his summer 1 stole their ot make us 3 for ihem ; 3tcd by our L*e ; .jid the I' assembled we liad ul- cneued our be presents . tlic small ? Horse for Thief: we , and a kind t to five of 1 their good •eturncd us ■ our being ed to liim ; PKCSENTS TO THE CHIEFS. # 4 fsi ^^^Z;ll^^^^^^- --e,v cor Z =" length all petiii-uied h« ;f 'hem at first ; but tl.ey warn,,,- wbo then ca.no forw-nH "",''" S'""" '» 'he ogy to ns; we tl,e„ dehverrrf i^ ?'"',"''"'<' an apol- f'^en to the most ^Zthy fj ,1^ ''« «hief to be the same warrior u/l^.^c. ■^' "*^ "® hestowed if nn After a more subTttl?-,'?'""'' "'^^ «^'-'=" Blue 1 yes and tobacco, the eou ,c i vv^''?'i' f ^">^" artiS 'he Indians. i„ thoV, ","'"' ended with a dram to objects of cur osi V -.nT"^ '™ ''-^hibited di/ft?em which gave tl eSa sm-?;!:;'''"'?^^^ 'he ai -gun ahnost naked, ha^^g'no P ,,'-„;"'°^'' people\re' hreecli-cloth round tito rmVi,n„ '?. ^'^'^'^P' » sort of or buffalo robe, nai tl i '"' *'" « loose blanket "ames of these "^ a r4- "T", <"'^'- 'hem. tC menimned, were Ka ka, ak o'l''?? "',""' "h'eady Wenasawa, or H/^^i- n J ,, ' °' Croio's Head anfi or Iron ^; J, tts^i^'^^'j^^is:;:^;,^ ^^le next niorninfr « mounted their liors s "nd lo I^"", ^"•. "'« '"dians eamstcr of winskey a^na f „'"' If'",? received a and, alter passin^ '^"^^^ed with a bilioi.» nal to relieve h<„, 'I ,? f f f'""" were ineffecT '0 Captain ClaJke ' J ! " ''■"^'''= his death he sai F ^'rength failert^ J'V^^J^'r^ yo" :' h r'v-,;\,^'^vbut^sti:,!:-X- . '« i ■'S 'ii MlHjij 76 LEuis AND Clarke's expedition. the top of the bluff with the honours due to a brave soldier, and the place of his interment marked by a eedar post, on which his name and the day of his dj^ath were njscribed. About a mile be3'o^nd th s place which we gave his name, is a small river .lied Hoyd's River, where we encamped. We mifes. '''"'''" ^^' southeast, and made thirteen ^in'n^'ir''' ^!f^ they passed the mouth of the great Sioux River three miles beyond Flovd's. This riv- er comes in from the north, and is about one hun- dred and ten yards wide. M. Durion, our Sioux interpreter," continues the narrative, " who is weH acquainted with it, says that it is navigable upward tlm'^^hnM^^ "'^^"^ '" '^' ^^"^' ^»d ^^^" beyond tliem . that its sources are near those of the Stf Pe- fnlk"' in An ?, ''^''' ^^'^^ b^^^'^ ^he falls a creek fa Is in from the eastward, after passing through chffs or red rock. Of this the Indians make their pipes; and the necessity of procuring that article has introduced a sort of law of nations, by w lich at vv^; m."^^. '^'"^'^'K ^^'« «^»«red, and even tribes at war meet without hostility at these quarries which possess a right of asylum. Thi's le find cred' hvTh^ TT^"'' "''"'""^ principles deemed sa-' oTLU ^''^' the rigours of their merciless system of warfare are mitigated. A sense of common dan. ger where stronger ties are wanting, gives all the binding force of more solemn obligations. The inl! portance of preserving the known and settled rules r/a I;! f ^ '^"'°"" "i'r^'^^^ "^tions, in all their in- alo. ^.^inftr-'''/^"^^"^^^ ^^^^^^"^5 since even sav- fn.!\7\ c ^^"^ precarious wants, cannot exist vblatcd!" ^^^'''' ""' '^'''" ""^^'^ ^^'^ ^'^'^^ '^ ^"^« ihf'r''' f^^^"^^"^. the Missouri some miles above foHM^T ^''"^'' ^^'"^ ^^"^'^ «" the south bank were lound to contain copperas, alum, cobalt, and other »ITI0N. ue to a brave marked by a le day of his beyond this a. small river h, which we aniped. We lade thirteen of the great s. This riv- 3Ut one hun- 1, our Sioux who is well able upward 3vcn beyond f the St. Pe- alls a creek ing through make their that article s, by which even tribes !e quarries, lis we find, deemed sa- less system mmon dan- ves all the • The im- Dttled rules ill their in- 3 even sav- mnot exist ith is once liles above bank were and other EFFECTS OF THE WATER. i f ye '0 it the name :f';£\ ';f "■;. -- « „, a dee. and beaver t e L, ,"' ;„ "«-■«. 'iknvvi";/, CHAPTER III on -he ,oulh side of^the Vver ^-'r' !'^'"^ ^"-^^-"Ped tended itspir 'ic r^ fe'""'^^, from whii-h o r^j.,- walki„gfo„ mile, ;r "'" "^^'^ '•'ouid d seenf i ^^ ■ji' \V^ r. h'^ "' '^^^ "^'^"^^ "^' the It rises with a steeo ^^nn.X' T ^^^ ^""^^«^^ side to the heiph of sfvft n ''"' ^^^ ""'•'^^ ''^'^^ soi'th on the top a Jeve ni^'i 'ofT '7'"^^ ^et, leaving and ninety in enftii Tho n i'J"^ '^^ ^" breadth ities are con eS bv t vl ' ^""^.^ "^'J^ "^"^h extrem- as new ^as^^S d^^trlS^rS ^^^ steep but regular pi-iditinMo wiiuic side into three only'^thing cCcferi^t ' 1^., "Till'','; f , ''""'^ symmetry; and this tnn^n ""'^.^'J.^ is its extreme detached forn the oiheS^^^ '"u^l^' ^"'"^ ^^tally tance of eigh? oV nhn^ , . ' '"^^1^,^ ^''^ ''^ ^he di/- that it was ar ifiei-^ h f '.IT''"''^ '"^"'' ^ ^^^'^^ pebbles which c^^^^^^ ^' ^^^ ^'""'^^ ^"^ the loose the steep grounds on ?h. T f''""?'^ ^^^^^^ly like concluded f o this s mil.Htv'''r'[ '^' ''''^^ '''^ i^ight be natural Tin T/r^^. ""^ ^^^^"^'^ that it grelt article o?hci?une'rst?rn'"' ^'''' ""'''^^ ^' ^ Mountain of Little pS'T:.,'^ ^' ^^"^^ tlie they believe tl at i^ LT ' u'. ^^"^^ ^P'^'ts ; and the human form of .hn .^ ^^»^^' ^^ ^^^tle devils, in with remarkabTy arg'tadf S^^ '''^"^^ ^"^ sharp arrows, with which t hi;. ^ ^'^ ^'"'^^'^ ^^ith are always on the wa 'b ^if f/"'^ ^'^^^^"1' «»d have the hardihood ?no ^^' ^^ose who should The tradition Is that .mn?f '^'"^ i^'"' residence, iittle evil sp n s' and fZl ^^^Tf ^"trered from these dians fell f s^criL; o L^'^'"'"; '^"'^^ ^aha In- This has insphed an tl?n T\ ,^ ^'^ ^^^^'^ «'"^«. oux, Mahas, a^ d Ottoes wi?h^ f "^^ "^^''^"^' «'" consideration could temnTth "'^' '^'■''''^ '^'^^ "« We saw none orT^l^Si^^irt^^ t: '^1!!; ITION. not till after object of our midst of the h of Wliite- lilos distant. iralJelograin, ndrcd yards, longest side Ml and south feet, leaving t in breadth uth extrem- which serve ) into three plain. The its extreme eing totally at the di&- ice a belief id the loose xactly like creek, we Ji'e that it made it a called the >ints; and devils, in ' high, and rmed with liilful, and ho should residence, loni these Maha In- irs since, itions, Si- » that no the hill. > no .' any characteh op the counthy. 79 P am, which spreads it elf ouum^^^ «^ ^'^^ he northwest hills at a great dlM "^^'^ ''''^' "P^" the northeast, still fartlfer oV f r'^' ''"^' ^'^«^^« «f ' -rh^/'siiroVrh^"^^? '' '-''' there is, however no t^imh ' ^' ^^ceedinglv fine • «ouri, all the ^voo^o{Te^vlT^.' ^" '^' ^J^- bemg sufficient to cover t Lklv onn' '"", ^^'''' "^t Ihe plain country whi, h i ^ °"^ hundred acres • contnbuted not ? Ut^\oTT\' ^^"'^ '"ound has ^ind, driving from eve rl^i ^^^ reputation: the ground, obligees the iSt^. ^^'rection over the level ward side, or be drivpn o •'' ^""^^ '^^^^^^^r on its lee whose food thc^ a e reso?? tf ^' P'' «ma]l bi S; numbers in quest of ^nh .^'''^'^^^^^"rse, in ereat always seen^rconlid r'^f^";^,^' T' ^^^^' '"S birds as produced by sonU f "^^ assemblage of Among them we observed tl.n/^^'""'"^'^^ ^'use ployed m looking for insec?.!/'''''^" '"artin em- did not fly untifwe gorw i h,'?^ f ^^""« that they We have also distin^ulho " "^ ^^'^ ^"^^ «f them birds of the plain, thelSbrdT '^'' ""'"^^ous mrd, and a species of loV. ' ^he wren or nrairie tndge, with a'shon ?ail ?' "^ ''^'''' "^^ ^'^'^ ofTpTr, they^^^a ^^^Z '"""^"^^^ «^ the .Bth passed the mouth of the Yn i"'. '"^ ^^^^ »^^^t d^iy an Indian swam to the b^,nf T'' ^^l^^^'te which ll^ey were met by t vo o it .'"1' ^" t;,eir landing, that a large body of Siouv tJ^'^ '"^'^^''^^^ them them: theyaccomn^nip, ,?" ''^^'^ encamped near ^ith an invitationTo the ^^^ "''"' ^^^^ were sen «pot above the rive . The SI" ^'''''' ^^^'^ a* a hmd; he was a Maha hnt J ^"^'^"^ remained bo. had gone to the Pawter^; ^^J^^^lf ^^at his nation 10 make peace with them. «.i t '\ .UMi .M' 80 i^ii;i. II ; .! LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION. awaited the arr va of tic Sio ^^^ ^''^^amprd, .rd unfit for service; fine r I 1.'*'^^ ^''^" ^^ '^'''<^<1 of the river, and iSr w.^' '^'''f on eiilier side The loin- .-. Vk ^^ ""''^ ph^Dt ful. >"g, ami were r ga 'od d" irfi ""1 '''''" '*' ••'«"• the pirogue and nieriJ^ll^ ''" '"''>''" ''''Pairiiii} 'lis Piirty arrived on t' „ ^1 "'• ''"''eeant Pryor and five Wok Z^iZ^lZXTcntn^f"'''' "y sent a lioat for tiiom -in,! .i '^ " ,"'"' ''''>'»• VVo M. Durion, tip son of o'f/ ■""""' "'' "' '"'' '''^o- ed to be irndnnr witl> ul '""^'"P''«'cr, wI,o happen- returned will sSrm , p" '^'""'^ ?' ""■•< Hme. lie present of iaec^'^, '' P^y'J'- '" "'« Indians, with a Ihem that we wou 71:1^ ."."^^r ■''''','''-'^' "''-l '«''' morning. Sero-Mnt PrfL " ""^/'' ''''"^fs in the ing their viU^ vvhiriH^-.r!""'',"" "'^"' »» '•"^"''i. from o„r ca, i^ he was me hv n'' T^"'- '"^^^""'^ falo robe, on which hev !i ''>' / P^'ty with a bnf. i'ers; an honour wl, eh dev ''',•'''.""'">' "'«"■ ''i^- Indians that tl ey were 7,f™'""'d. informing the boats. As a great mirl/,?r ll '•■"mnianders of the presented witla f-.r fln„ i '*?*''^*' ""'y were then they partook Kart V Sd f "'J '?''^"'' "^ "hieh The eamps of the Z;,^'"^'^^""^ " "'-^1 flavoured, cred Willi bulTil, v,;i,„^ . , " corneal form, cov- and eolVurs wHht,?',Ste ""''/'^'-'""^ «^>"-^>' smoke to pass rou"h "^ ■ hi , "i *''^ '"P f'"- 'ho ten to fifteen perso" = n,,,! \t -"f^?^ «'"»«"' from is compact and handsom eic 1 f'T "'■ang'^niont for cooking detached f™;?.'" '°"«'= '"''^'"S «P'''«e »ot fe?;;:^ tlLro'-a^.^^jr^.f o'""^" »"=" - ™"'d cleared off abou elght'^ o' e ek "^w"' ''"^'' """ '' speech and some Pr^sent^l d' the^'se'J.TKho^ / DITION. t niufr, where, -iif-anipod, and ^'1' of the pi- l>L'cn n Icred oji cither side )tiful. Iiiesd-,iy, 29th. "aiii ist c'ven- Y in repairing itioiis ; when, ant Pryor and , attended by id boys. We IS, as did alsa who happen- is time. He if^ians, with a tics, and told Iiiefs in the ;»t, on reuch- iles' distance ( with a buf- try their vis- iforniing the nders of the •y were then ^d, of which II flavoured. 1 form, cov- 'ious figures top for the ontain from rrangement ^ingaplace at we could side, but it prepared a iiU for the INTERVIEW wnrr THE YANKTONS. 81 o':^k^:;;!drrKrt.r "^^'^^'' ^^ ^-ive , flag of the United iutoswisflv: "'"'.^ ^''"^'^ the ■ rio on '^ ^^''^'''^'- ^"^ ^ec- ognised by medal. • n n 'T. "^^'"^^ '"ad'^^ "i* rec- co and articles orXin^ Wo f^'^'"^ ^^ ^^^^'- Pipe of peace, and t^^ "hiefs rot ''!' f"'"^^'^ ^'^^ formed of bushos h,r i. retu'ed to a bower divide. 0,^. e ' nn ''' T"^^ '"^»' where thev and ate, a^^he^d '^ .^L %^;[--^«' -^^ sn.ok^S they were to mak. us L ^^^'' '^"''^^^' ^vhich people exercisTd L r bows „T''^^'' '^'''^ y«""g at marks for beadrvviuV?i? v ^T"^' ''' shootini marksmen ; and n Vf L'^'' '''^ distributed to the best ^■•"icr 1 until a ate 1. • T."".f '^^" ''^'''^' P'^^ty amusement we tl?ew a ,. '"^"''^ ^^ ^^^^^^ bacco, bells f-.no . i . ,"^ ^^^^"^ some knives tn muoh'pleiso P-^lC , ;;'^^"g., -ith wl,ich .„'j;to?e" drum, a,„l a sort ofZ 1 1" '""'""!.""'" '"'"'e the dressed wliitc vvi?|, 1, ,, t^ "^de of biimilo hide a bunch of ha rTed .of T^' °' P^'""''-^ "' "^^>d rattln,g rni, ,ic, with wl eh ,t ^""^""''' ''' ^"r' of August 31st In thL^ "-nc council this mornino- chiefs ,";,et and sa ^vrhra";"""' ^'T^'kfast 'the peace higldy ornameued and nM ' ""'\ P'P"^ "t ^e seats intended fo • Canta If '":"""•'' ''""ards Whentioy arrivpd .„,,r '"'P'a'ns Lewis and Clarke whose Ir^ntZ^iXll^^'fod, the grand el fef; 3"- we had sa,, ^.^d^U'nS: ISl^PPri^ '■S f "■t fi i ,1 ^^> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /y ^ «// i- ^^^ / io "•- 1.0 Ifi^ IIIM I.I 1^ 1^ ■a IL25 M 1.4 1.6 6" Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 87^-4503 \ ^ ■^^ k 'C^ % V ^% ^2<\ o ^ s 4^ ^' W.. 6 m ■'■•ill i 82 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. i '! i Hltlt ! r^^ ill! l!!i i nr ji'.i " ' I sen before me,' said he, ♦ my great father's two sons. You see me and the rest of our chiefs and warriors. We are very poor ; we have neither pow- der, nor ball, nor knives ; and our women and chil- dren at the village have no clothes. I wish that, sls my brothers have given me a flag and a medal, they would give something to those poor people, or let them stop and trade with the first boat which comes up the river. I will bring the chiefs of the Pawnees and Mahas together, and make peace between them; but it is better that I should do it than my great fa- ther's sons, for they will hsten to me more readily. I will also take some chiefs to your country in the spring ; but before that time I cannot leave home. I went formerly to the English, and they gave me a medal and some clothes: when I went to the Spaniards they gave me a medal, but nothing to keep it from my skin : but now you give me a medal and clothes. But still we are poor ; and I wish, broth- ers, you would give us something for our squaws.' " When he sat down, Mahtoree, or White Crane, rose : " ' I have listened,' said he, ' to what our father's words were yesterday ; and I am to-day glad to see how you have dressed our old chief. I am a young man, and do not wish to take much; my fathers have made me a chief; I had much sense before, but now I think I have more than ever. What the old chief has declared I will confirm, and do what- ever he and you please ; but I wish that you would take pity on us, for we are very poor.' "Another chief, called Pavvnawneahpahbe, then said : " ' I am a young man, and know but little ; I can- not speak well, but I have listened to what you have told the old chief, and will do whatever you agree.' "The same sentiments were then repeated by Aweawechache. " We were surprised at finding that the first of n IITION, it father's two >ur chiefs and ; neither povv- men and chil- wish that, as a medal, they people, or let which comes the Pawnees ilvveen them; my great fa- more readily, ountry in the leave home, hey gave me went to the )thingtokeep a medal and ■ wish, broth- )ur squaws.' White Crane, t our father's y glad to see I am a young ; my fathers jense before, •. What the and do what • It you would ipahbe, then little ; I can- liat you have you agree.' repeated by the first of ACCOUNT OF THE YANKTONS. S3 these titles means Struck by the Pawnep qnrl urao occasioned by some blow w^hich the ch& had re ceived in battle from one of the Pawnee ribeVho second IS in English Half Man, which seemed a .smgular name for a warrior, till i was explained to liave ns origin, probably, in the modesty of the chief who, on being told of his exploits, would say 'I am no warrior, I am only half a man.' The olhe; chieS spoke very little; but after they ImdfinSon^ of the warriors delivered a speech, in which he de dared he would support them. They promised to make peace with tlie Ottoes and Missou?is Tin on v nations with whom they are at wa All Jhese h/ rangues concluded by describing the dist ess of he nation : they begged us to ha^e pity on Uiem o send them traders; that they wanted mwder and ball ; and seemed anxious that we shoo d suddIv them with some of their great fath r's milk thP ^r/ ^^ ^ "^^ '^'y distinguish ardent spirTts' We t'ificate'To 5 wo'o? J^ ''''' ^' ^^^ chiefsSa Z. iincaie to .wo of the irriors who attended th^ chief. We prevailed on M. Durion to remahi here 'iHd accompany as many of the Sioux chiefs -shp ^av llifSf/a^t"^^ f, m! t ■ '^ "'^^' ®^"^e clothes, and provision** iZunZTi'u'' "^""f ^'^^"^ ^ peace beCeei the sui rounding tribes, and to convey some of thpir chiefs to see the president. In the emiin^ thev ll'li^rtrT'' 'V'' -PPO^ite'bank V h^ iwo uur ons. During the evenins and niohf Jo had^much ra,„, and observed that tie rfver Uses a meir are^s they differ nothing from the other bands m 84 LEWIS AND CLARKE S EXPEDITION. 11 i! of the nation whom we saw, and will describe after- ward : they are fond of decorations, and use paint, and porcupine-quills, and feathers. Some of them wore a kind of necklace of white bear's claws, three inches long, and closely strung together round their necks. 'J'iiey have only a few fowling-pieces, being generally armed with bows and arrows ; in which, however, they do not appear as expert as the more northern Indians. What struck us most was an in- stitution peculiar to them and to the Kite Indians, farther to the westward, from whom it is said to have been copied. It is an association of the most active and brave young men, who are bound to each other by attachment, secured by a vow never to re- treat before any danger or give way to their ene- mies. In war they go forward without sheltering themselves behind trees, or aiding their natural val- our by any artifice. This punctilious determina- tion not to be turned from their course became he- roic, or ridiculous, a short time since, when the Yanktons were crossing the Missouri on the ice. A hole lay immediately in their course, which might easily have been avoided by going round. This the foremost of the band disdained to do, but went straight forward, and was lost. The others would liave followed his example, but were forcibly pre- vented by the rest of the tribe. These young men sit, and encamp, and dance together, distinct^ from the rest of the nation : they are generally about thirty or thirty-five years old ; and such is the def- erence paid to courage, that their seats in council are superior to those of the chiefs, and their per- sons more respected. But, as may be supposed, such indiscreet bravery will soon diminish the num- bers of those who practise it ; so that the band is now reduced to four warriors, who were among our visiters. 'I'hese were the remains of twenty-two, who composed the society not long ago ; but, in a battle with the Kite Indians of the Black Mountains, TRIBES OP THE SIOUX. 85 ttJ^!?f''^ tlicm were killed, and these four were While these Indians remained with us, vve midfl iiumoers, and t ade, and manners. Tljis we did vpi-v vi-ewswifhL„ "'','■ '"i'^O""'". joined to our intcr- p intl\'!i, ll'e'^e^'i^jtd"^.^^^^^^ on .{,f .?.'^^"^^«^'^«corta Indians, originallvr settled on the Mississippi, and called by Carver Mado vp ""Fi?s? T: v'^iV'"^ '"^" ^'''^^'^' -follow :'''* <2: , ?!' i? Yanktons: this tribe inhabits ihp Sioux Des Moines, and Jacques Rivers and num bers about two hundred warriors. ' """' Second, the Tetonr , f the Burned Woods- this tribe numbers about three hundred men, who rove on both^ sides of the Missouri, the White, ^d Teton . "Third, the Tetons Okandandas • a triho o«„ sisting of about one hundred and fif v men v^ho in' enne Ki^^^,"'" °' ^'^ '^^^'^^"^^ below'rChay: "Fourth, Tetons Minnakenozzo : a nation inhah &^"^'r^'V^ '^' Missouri.above th S^;^^^^^^^ Ihver, and containing about two hundred and fifty ^/♦f^''^!?;'^^^^"^ Saone: these inhabit both sidos, of the Missouri below th. Warrecoi C Rivl .S consist of about three hundred men? ' ^'"''' ""^ who vo ' ^'^"^^ops of the Plains, or Biff Devils • who rove on the heads of the Sioux, Jacques and Red Rivers : the most numerous of all the tr'ihil and number about five hundred men ''' St Peter" i;m'&"r' "" "'-^^jon 'residing on the -1. 1 tiers, just above the mouth of that rivpr -inH numbering two hundred men. ^' ^^^ Vol. I.—H 86 LEWIS AND CLAKKE S EXPEDITION. »'ii!i " Eighth, Mindavvarcarton, or proper Dacorta, or Sioux Indians : these possess the original seat of the Sioux, and are properly so denominated. They rove on both sides of the Mississippi, about the Falls of St. Anthony, and consist of three hundred men. " Ninth, The Wahpatoota, or Leaf Beds : this na- tion inhabits both sides of the River St. Peter's be- low Yellow Wood River, amounting to al30ut one hundred and fifty men. " Tenth, Sistasoone : this nation numbers two hundred men, and resides at the head of the St. Pe- ter's. Of those several tribes more particular no- tice will be taken hereafter."* September 1st they passed Calumet BIufiTs, and on reaching Bonhomme Island the next day, Criptain CMrke visited an ancient fortification, which is thus described: "This interesting object is on the south side of the Missouri, opposite the upper extremity of * The following information in regard to the several tribes of Indians north and northwest of Council Bluffs was obtained by Mr. Parker from Major Pitcher, Indian agent among the Yank- tons, The Omahas, to the number of 2000, on tlie Missouri, at 150 miles from that place. The Yanktons, on the Vermilion River, 2000. The Poncas, south of the Missouri, number from 600 to 800, at the confluence of L'Eau qui Court. The region from the mouth of the Great Sioux River, and that on the south of L'Eau qui Court, as high as the country of the Mandans, may be classed under the general h?ad of the Sioux Country, and is inhabited by the following bant' ;f that nation : the Yank- tons, already named, the Santas, i .nktonas, Tetons, Ogalal- lahs, Siowes, and Hankpapes, who course east and west from the Mississippi to the Black Hills, and sometimes as far south as the Platte. The real number of all these bands cannot be correctly ascertained, but probably it is from 40,000 to 60,000. Their habits are wandering, and they rely exclusively upon the chase for subsistence. Their principal trade is in buffalo robes. The traders have a friendly intercourse with them, and in gen- eral they are much attached to the whites. The Mandans are much more stationary than any other tribe in this region ; but, through repeated ill treatment, they are beginning to grow sus- picious, and are losing confidence in white men. TION. ' Dacorta, or final seat of lated. They li, about the irce hundred ;ds : this na- t. Peter's be- about one umbers two f the St. Pe- irtic'ular no- IhifiTs, and on lay, Captain r'hich is thus on the south extremity of evcral tribes of ^as obtained by long the Yank- tlie Missouri, the Vermilion i, number from t. The region it oil the south tho Mandans, 5ioux Country, ion : the Yank- etons, Ogalal- and west from es as far south bands cannot 0,000 to 60,000. lively upon the \ bulfalo robes, m, and in gen- e Mandans are is region ; but, g to grow sus- ii'ou^iiifii: cii^s 03^ . ■J ill \.1£'2 0S^. ■\-5^ t I'm W X4 lid- 1 ANCIENT POUTIFICATIONS. 74° VV. ninetv-siv viJ ? '^u'" '' '^'''^^'^ course S. mound is s?vemV'five feef andlt'^ ^' eight. Itthondiverrrcs M '.^ o^^'-'^^^ '^^out continues at the same Jic Lt ^1'?", ^- ?^° ^^ •'^"d tanceoffifty^hree va?ds hi n^"^ 1''^^'^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^is- a sloping de'scent at'fh '^ ,S,'^of'h;i'?""^-^ '^ appearance of a horn work of f hi e ^*^^f .^'^'" ^^ an the first angle. The samf w^^i'^ir ^"'^'^^ course N. Cijo w for thrlT? ^^^^ then pursues a western extronmy isV,^ nn.n""^'"^ >^^''^^ •• "^^'" its angles to the wall i!idnrn^n;"^ "^^ ^'^^^^^'^^^ «t right way is defended LrttHe^iv^s^^^^^^ }^"« g'-^^^" I?laced before it, lower than Li'"''^"^'''" ^^"« from the gateway Xre seem^M^'^^^^'s; and ered way commuLSg ^ith'the ^mol^.r? " '''- these two walls. VVestw^rr nr^i ^"^^ ^^'^'^en becomes much larger be n J. h.^'^ ^^^^' ^^e wall five feet at its base and t3 ''''?"^ ?.^ '^""^^ed and of this hiah ground hp 1 1? ^'''^ ^^^ at the end yards on a eo?,rse N S20 W 'f\T^' ^'' ^'^'y-''^^ VV. for seventy-three yards ^hhn'^!" '"'*"' ^- ^3° to have had a double or oover J vf "^ ^Z^'r '^^"^ ^^^^^ ten to fifteen feet eight -nci el i n h ;" 'nf ^ ""'' ^^«'» seventy-five to one hu dred .nH I r ^^^^ ^"^ ^^om the base; the desce t in^^^^^^^ outward it forms^fso rg^hcis'^^l.tr^l- ""'^^ of seventy-three vard<5 thL^ 1 A^ *'^^ distance large holhWplace much W^fh '1' "^'*"P^'-^ ^t a of the plain, Lid fr^rwhieh iVl^" ^^^^-"'^ covered way to th? wa e? tT" '"^''•"!'"" ^^ ^ them is occupied by several' mnm^ '^"^^^ ''^'^^^'^^^^ miscuously through thelori^-n"/,'.^'' ^^'^♦tered pro- s a deep round hole From' h ^' ?"''^ ^^^^^ich last wall, in a eou se N 32o W T.'T^ ^^ ^^^ ^-ety-six yards over the'll^w'^gJoTnrd/'Srth: . I" 1 88 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. \m:^^ l;:l wall recommences, and crosses tlic pliiin in a course N. 8lo VV., for eighleen hundred and tliirty j'ards, to the hank of the Miissouri. In tliis course its lieiglit is about eight feet, till it enters, at the dis- taiiee of five iiundred and thirty-three yards, a deep circular pond of seventy-three yards' diame- ter; after which it is gradually lower towards the river. It touches the river at a muddy bar, which bears every mark of being an encroachment of the water for a considerable distance; and a little above the junction is a small circular redoubt. Along the bank of the river, and at eleven hundred yards' dis- tance in a straight line from this wall, is a second, about six feet high, and of considerable width : it rises abruptly from the bank of the Missouri, at a point where the river bends, and goes straight for- ward, forming an acute angle with the Inst wall, till it enters the river again not far from le mounds just dcvscribed, towards which it isobviouo.y tending. At tiie bend the Missouri is five hundred yards wide, the ground on the opposite side highlands, or low hills on the bank ; and where the river passes be- tween this fort and 13onhomme island, all the dis- tance from the bend, it is constantly washing the banks into the stream, a large sand-bank being al- ready taken from the shore near the wall. During the whole course of this wall, or glacis, it is covered with trees, among which are many large cotton- trees, two or three feet in diameter. Immediately opposite the citadel, or the part most strongly forti- fied, on Bonhomme Island, is a small work in a cir- cular form, with a wall surrounding it, about six feet in height. The young willows along the water, joined to the general appearance of the two shores, induce a beli^^f that the bank of the island is en- croaching, a id the Missouri indemnifies itself by washing away the base of the fortification. The citadel contains about twenty acres, but the parts between the long walls must embrace nearly five hundred acres. i ! I'll 1 ON. n a course irty j'ards, t'oiirse its at the dis- I yards, a ds' diume- vvards the bar, which lont of the itlle above Along the yards' dis- i a second, I width : it soiiri, at a raiglit for- =it wall, till ie mounds .y tending, ^ards wide, ds, or low passes be- lli the dis- ashing the i being al- 1. During is covered ge cotton- imediately )ngly forti- rk in a cii*- )i!t six feet the water, wo shores, and is en- s itself by tion. The L the parts nearly five PONCARAS INDIANS. 89 I French. inkMnrutc£ ,sl 1^,° ,r^''",'''''''Ki l"" <"" numbers of t hem oa tirPht ^ .h'"-''.'' "''' «'''-''" Jacques &.. ; and sle of on na v '"',',^:;?',,'''" obscrvo( t\V(W)f ihMc^ r .« P'Uiy &,iy that thcv 11.0 J'™ A c"c o^r,:; 'f.f ^;r" "'" "''p" »■''<••''' the wall was abontsixfoeUiM 1' L"''T''' •'''■'' angles one Inu.Jred yards i,,'!',!;-:,'^.,'"^ ^'"^^ "' "'« oneo .unnb" red four ImS?'' """ ''"''■■'•'' '" h"c to abon. fif^!a.[d"harSeiatedTr'mut.nf ^r'' .'larltro'rnnsfo'; LTth"e^' wfre"on;fL^th'^ ^ ^"" they now wader over S^ n'J!,"'"'''' ?"■ '™<'« • ""'l th/woUand'QuS K""^ "" "" ^°''^-' "^ tive, "™e'^re"ched'"',;'5"' °"'" ™V'^""<=^ '"« '>='™- Zi="^' - ~Vav?ny'rari to^ gradual descent of thThiTi noTrlv 1 ^ '^^^ ^" ^^« tent, and covered with smano^ ^" ^^- -%ei. „eir y^oll'T^^X^r^^ ti 2 90 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. we poured into one of the holes five barrels of wa- ter without filling it, but wc dislodged and caught the owner. After digging down another of the holes for six feet, we found, on running a pole into it, that we had not yet dug half way to the bottom : we discov- ered, however, two frogs in the hole, and near it we killed a dark rattlesnake, which had swallowed a small prairie dog. We were also informed, though we never witnessed the fact, that a sort of lizard and a snake live habitually with these animals. The petit chicn are justly named, as they resemble a small dog in some particulars, although they have also some points of similarity to the squirrel. The head resembles the squirrel in every respect, except that the ear is shorter; the tail like that of the ground squirrel ; the toe nails are long, the fur is fine, and the long hair is gray." The following days they saw large herds of buf- falo, and the copses of timber appeared to contain elk and deer. " Just below Cedar Island," adds the Journal, " on a hill to the south, is the backbone of a fish, forty-five feet long, tapermg towards the tail, and in a perfect slate of petrifaction, fragments of which were collected and sent to Washington." On the 11th they visited a village of barking squir- rels, and succeeded in killing four of those animals, and they were rejoined by one of their missing com- panions, of which the following account is given : " In the morning we observed a man riding on horseback down towards the boat, and we were much pleased to find that it was George Shannon, one of our party, for whose safety we had been very uneasy. Our two horses having strayed from us on the 26th of August, he was sent to search for them. After he had found them, he attempted to rejoin us ; but, seeing some other tracks, which must have been those of Indians, and which he mistook for our own, he concluded that we were ahead, and had been for sixteen days following the bank of the river above i ION. • xels of wa- 1 caught the he holes for I it, that we we discov- I near it we valiowed a led, though rt of lizard c animals. y resemble 1 they have irrel. The ect. except hat of the 3 fur is fine, rds of buf- to contain ," adds the lekbone of ds the tail, gments of igton." king squir- ?e animals, ssingcom- 5 given : riding on I we were I Shannon, been very from us on I for them, rejoin us ; have been r our own, d been for iver above BANKS OF THE MISSOURI. 9J to subsist for iwplvo Zvr n.> f ^ ' '"""' "''''e«« Mi so" ri "is a, excellent position for a town ; the land risin" h 92 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. , III imMi mm ijii'ii . eend back, as we originally intended, our third pi- rogue, but to detai?! the soldiers until spring, and in the mean time lighten the boat by loading the pi- rogue : this operation, added to that of drying all our wet articles, detained us during the day. Our camp IS m a beautiful plain, witli timber thinly scat- tered for three quarters of a mile, and consisting chiefly of elm, cottonwood, some ash of an indiffer- ent quality, and a considerable quantity of a small species of white oak: this tree seldom rises higher than thirty feet, and branches very much ; the bark is rough, thick, and of a light colour ; the leaves small, deeply indented, and of a pale green ; the cup which contains the acorn is fringed on the edges, and em- braces it about one half; the acorn itself, which grows in great profusion, is of an excellent flavour, and has none of the roughness which most other acorns possess ; they are now falling, and have probably attracted the number of deer which we saw at this place, as all the animals we have seen are fond of that food. The ground having been re- cently burned by the Indians, is covered with young green grass, and in the neighbourhood are great quantities of fine plums. We killed a few deer for the sake of their skins, which we wanted to cover the pirogues, the meat being too poor for food. The cold season coming on, a flannel shirt was given to each man, and fresh powder to those who had ex- hausted their supply. " September 17. While some of the partr were engaged in the same way as yesterday, others were employed in examining the surrounding country About a quarter of a mile behind our camp, and at an elevation of twenty feet above it, a plain extends nearly three miles parallel to the river, and about a mile back to the hills, towards which it gradually ascends Here we saw a grove of plum-trees load- ed with fruit, now ripe, and differing in nothing from tnose of the Atlantic States, except that the tree is w m TION. 311 r third pi- pring, and in ding the pi- f drying all 3 day. Our thinly scat- l consisting f an indiffer- ^ of a small rises higher ; the bark is EJaves small, B cup which cs, and em- tself, which ent flavour, most other , and have vi'hich we have seen ng been re- wilh young i are great 3w deer for id to cover food. The as given to [lo had ex- partr were thers were ^ country, mp, and at lin extends nd about a '' gradually trees load- thing from the tree is m APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 93 smaller and more thickly set Th^ plaui is occupied hy the burmwT .r ^'^l'"'^ °^ ^^e barking squirrels, wL emiee hiTh.r l"""^^^!"^"'^ «^ small kind, hawks, and Sea 1 .11 'V'^';^"^^ ^^ ^ rnals we saw, and DresuW?! nf 'f I ""^ "^^^'^^ ani- squirrel. This plain fsTnf! ^^ l^^^^ ^^^ ^n the whole extentlVd p raCer-md';/"'^'^ ^" '^' nsmg grounds, from one to uvn n^ T^?^ irregular ascending the range of liHls vth^h hn"^'/^ ^l'^' ^^ we saw a second hiffh levol nL ^.'''^^' ^^^ P^^in, south as far as the e^^'collS ?eJclf ' t'"'V '^ "»« ward, a high rauffe o/' hili« Ih *? "' ^^ ^^^ west- tant, runs nea?^^^ north af.d^n^.'r"^^^ ^»'^«« dis- great extent, as theTrnsean/r^''-^"?^ ''''' to any ced bv one vievv and thevl ""J"^''^^" ^« ^'"bra- verdure smiilar o that o^ seemed covered with a view extended over he irLnf ^^n"'* '^^^ ^^me the northern side 0/ the Eoun^'"^ border country had been recenUy burneJ ;../" ^'""''''^^ ^^'« gmss about four inched hiT coVe^^ w uch was enlivened by herds of .ml? ^"^ ^'^""^' Tjilo; the last of which Tere ^1,''^^^' ^"^ ^"<- that we cannot exagSte in L '"^J'' niultitudes, fflance we saw thrff fh^? ?^'"S- that at a single Of all the animals we L^ad Sen ?f '^''"^ ,^^^^ore 'ul to possess the mosT vvonderA. 'fli'.'f^"''^^P" '^^'"^ tJ morous, they generaTirit nil ^^^/"^^^- Shy and wliich command a V ewVf ^H tL J^ °" 'l^ ''^^es, e;^emy: the acuteness of their si^r^^^^^ the most distant danger thnTni;^? distinguishes their smell defeat^t fe n^ecl^^.t f '? sensibility of and, when alarmed hefr r?n^ / ""^ concealment ; like the flight of brdsth".^ .if '''^'' '"^'»« "^ore quadruped After n?inf " ^^^ 'movements of a tain Lewis at 1st hi ^'? unsuccessful attempts, Cap? proaehecVrpa ty o/sTv"et"l.r T"' '''' ''^'^««X- [nence towards whix-hth^Jn^"^ "^^'^ °" ^" em- hlnuM..„ rn. ^^'inca ttie wind was imrortM 1- encircled the sua„4 of ihe hi al'i?'r/'"'"^""y "ic aui, as u r.o announce 94 LEWIS AND CLARKE*S EXPEDITION. any d{ formed a group at fli anger to the females, whi the top. Although they did nc ,. ^.„,o, the smell alarmed them, and they fled when he was at the distance of two hundred yards : he imme- diately ran to the spot where they had been ; a ra- vine concealed them from him ; but the next moment they appeared on a second ridge, at the distance of three miles. He doubted whether they could be the same ; but their number, and the extreme rapid- ity with which they continued their course, convin- ced him that they must have gone with a speed equal to that of the most distinguished race-horse. Among our acquisitions to-day were a mule-deer, a magpie, a common deer, and bufl'alo : Captain Lew- is also saw a hare, and killed a rattlesnake near the burrows of the barking squirrels. " September 18. Having everything in readiness, we proceeded, with the boat much lightened, but the wind being from the N.W. we made but little way. At one mile we reached an island in the middle of the river, nearly a mile in length, and covered with red cedar; at its extremity a small creek comes in from the north : we then met some sand-bars, and tiie wind being very high and ahead, we encamped ^AA— s^'"th, having made only seven miles. In addition to the common deer, which were in great abundance, we saw goats, elk, buffalo, and the black- tailed deer ; the large wolves, too, are very numer- ous, and have long hair with coarse fur, and are of a light colour. A small species of wolf, about the size of a gray fox, was also killed, and proved to be the animal which we had hitherto mistaken for a fox : there are also many porcupines, rabbits, and barking squirrels in the neigbourhood. " September 19. We this day enjoyed a cool, clear morning, and a wind from the southeast. We reached at three miles a bluff on the south, and four miles farther the lower point of Prospect Island, about two and a half miles in length. Opposite to noN. d a group at )laiii Lewis, hen he was : he imme- beeii ; a ra- Bxt moment distance of y could be reme rapid- 'se, convin- th a speed race-horse, mle-deer, a ptain Lew- te near the readiness, led, but the little way. middle of vered with : comes in i-bars, and encamped miles. In 'e in great the black- ry numer- nd are of about the )ved to be ken for a ibbits, and d a cool, 3ast. We , and four ct Island, )posite to Til HEAT BEND. g- sing as they reced; from he ",' v''ir"H '^''''''^''"''y ''- tered by three streams whVh If ""^^'^ *"■= »',i- er; the first is S Tfdrtv fiT^ "?'' '^=''='' °'l'- ground on its siderilh 'anJ'fieh l^lf "''''<'' "'« ber; the second about tweve van)- »,'",'"'' "'"" iess-tmiber; the third is nearly oAl^n' ''"' "'"' and contains more water- bmiTf/ .° ^•""<' ^"=0' over the large timwl;i ',•'" ^''f"'^''^ ''^ waters "".0 the rivef at hree p£"' ■■'"?,, «™P"es itself called by ihe Frenc iL Tmlf'p- ''■"' '""'■^ ••"■« the Three Sioux Rivers and as fhT^'i'^'' ''"' ^'""•^' cross the Missouri at hi»„f •?'?"•"' S'="<=™"y Sioux Pass ofX ?hr riS^' %uW '"« have the same riaht nV no i , ^"^^^^ streams degree tlian pfpesfc^^^ e c "f !,f ' '^^'^Sh in a less ^ On the 20th the^arnved at tS^^^^ Great Bend, and two mon ^'''""^ Detour, or the only hoi'se to mnt and Z'.U /''^''''^''^ ^«^^^ boats at the first creef 1— ?f '^'Ir'lT'^ «V^^^ tvventy- seven and a half iS fith;?; t. P'^^^^^^i"? ed on a sand-bar in the i^ er " r .'n '^ n]''^^'^' contmues the narrative, « vvlo rirlvViv^^''"' ^ ''''^^'" crossed the neck of the bend ?ni f^ '' i^^ommghad ing. At the narrowest oar Vhn ^ "' • " ^^^ *'^^"- of high and irreoular hiJh nr , ^°'^^ '^ composed eighth or one hSndred ^ d 2ie"v feo^^ from this descends ai u„nS/^/ •" '^'^^^^«" J who e of the bend miri IL ^". P^^"' over the it by this rZ b7eZ,TZnXTV'''''i goats are wandering over t ps?. li • """^'o, elk, and by grouse and larkl CaS fer''™"Pi'"=^^ also, on the Great Bend Of Z „i , ^, %Vl " 'i""- one is a female, df/rerino- fi'm fh '' '"P'^ '"-''*>'• smaller in size : its I onJ T ^ '""''' '" ■'•'ing straightev, havi,^ one .Wf "• ="'" '^"'='"" "nd abou! the ;,eck : n^'on^e of he 1 PI"??',,""' '^-°, """" but arc deitcately formedrand renblZm^^^'"'"' 96 LEWIS AND CLARKE 3 EXPEDITION. Illli Shortly after midnight the sleepers were startled by the sergeant on guard crying out that the sand-bar was sinking, and the alarm wa-f timely given ; for scarcely had ihey got off with the boats before the bank under which they had been lying fell in ; and by the time the opposite shore was reached, the ground on which they had been encamped sunk also. A man who was sent to step off the distance across the head of the bend, made it but 2000 yards, while its circuit is thirty miles. On the 22d they passed a creek and two islands, known by the name of the Three Sisters, where a beautiful plain extend- ed on both sides of the river. " This is followed by an island on the north, called Cedar Island, ahout one n)i]e and a half in length, and the same distance in breadtli, and deriving its name from the quality of its timber. On the south side of this island is a fort and a large trading-house, built by a Mr. Loisel in order to trade with the Sioux, the remains of whose camps are in great numbers about this place. The establishment is sixty or seventy feet square, built with red cedar, and picketed in with the same materials." The next day, in the evening, three boys of the Sioux nation swam across the river, and informed them that two parties of Sioux were encamped on the next river, one consisting of eighty, and the second of sixty lodges, at some distance above. After treating them kindly, they sent them back with a present of two carrots of tobacco to their chiefs, whom they invited to a conference in the morning. September 24. At an island a few miles above High water Creek they were joined by one of their hunters, " who," proceeds the narrative, " procured four elk ; but while he was in pursuit of the game the Indians had stolen his horse. We left the isl- and, and soon overtook five Indians on the shore: we anchored, and told them from the boat we were friends, and wished to continue so, but were nos noN. re startled le sand-bar given ; for before the ell in ; and cached, the nped sunk le distance 5000 yards, e 22d they r the name liii extend- Dllowed by , about one distance in quality of sland is a Mr. Loisel eniains of this place. )et square, 1 the same oys of the I informed camped on i^ and the ce above. 1 back with leir chiefs, morning, iles above le of their " procured the game eft the isl- Lhe shore: t we were were noi TETON INDIANS. 97 afraid of any Indians ; that some of their vnnna men had stolen the horse which their great fathe? had sent for their great chief, and that w? couM ^i^^ reat with them until he was restored ThevS hat they knew nothing of the horse, but f he had been taken he should be given uo Wp i f and at thirteen and a half^mHesTe a^chmed one hundred yards off the mouth of a river on the so u?h side, where we were joined by both the Ses board anrthe\'rw'''?' "^ '^' P^"^ renS on the sides of the hil,s'onX'no"rVa%'reaTdea T stone ; besides the elk, we also observed a Lre tSe five Indians whom we had seen followed us ' mid slept with the guard on shore. Finding one of [hem was a chief, we smoked with him, and made hm^ present of tobacco. This river s aboafseve^ tv yards wide, and has a considerable current Is h? tribe of the Sioux which inhabit it are ca^'d l4tons we gave it the name of Teton River " ' CHAPTER lY, the Mandans.-Character of r^uSL'^ 000^ "'"^"^ "September 25. The morning was fine an^ tho T±T''T'^ f'-^'^ the southe^T WeVafed^a a^1wefve"otlock"^"yJfk,rtt^"^^^ arms. Tf!^ Ss ^- '^d 4a- -i V^'/^^ ^T^'''^ ""^^^ r.ij^ptl.riv.,m^-^^i-^^^^ /1 98 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. Im ber, and after smoking we delivered them a speccli; but as our Sioux interpreter, M. Durion, had been left with the Yanktons, we were obliged to make use of a Frenchman who could not speak fluently, and therefore we curtailed our harangue. After this we went through the ceremony of acknowledging the chiefs, by giving to the grand chief a medal, a flag of the United States, a laced uniform coat, a cocked hat and feather ; to the two other chiefs, a medal and some small presents ; and to two war- riors of consideration, certificates. The name of the great chief is Untongasabaw, or Black Buffalo ; the second, Tortohonga, or the Partisan ; the third, T ar- tongawaka, or Buffalo Medicine ; the name of one of the warriors was Wawzinggo ; that of the second, Matocoquepa, or Second Bear. We then invited the chiefs on board, and showed them the boat, the air-gun, and such curiosities as we thought might amuse them. In this we succeeded too well ; for, after giving them a quarter of a glass of whiskey, which they seemed to like very much, and sucked the bottle, it v/as with much difficulty that we could get rid of them. They at last accompanied Captain Clarke on shore, in a pirogue with five men ; but it seems they had formed a design to stop us ; for no sooner had the party landed than three of the In- dians seized the cable of the pirogue, and one of the soldiers of the chief put his arms round the mast. The second chief, who affected intoxication, then said that we should not go on ; that they had not re- ceived presents enougli from us. Captain Clarke told him that he would not be prevented from going on ; that we were not squaws, but warriors ; that we were sent by our great father, who could in a mo- ment exterminate them. The chief rephed that he too had warriors, and was proceeding to offer per- sonal violence to Captain Clarke, who immediately drew his^ sword, and made a signal to the boat to prepare for action. The Indians, who surrounded I [TION. 11 a speccli; 1, had been cd lo make ak fluently, After this nowlcdging a medal, a 3rm coat, a er chiefs, a two war- lameof the luffalo ; the ! third, Tar- le of one of he second, leu invited le boat, the Jght might well; for, f whiskey, ind sucked t we could ed Captain len ; but it LIS ; for no of the In- one of the the mast. :tion, then lad not re- in Clarke rom going 3 ; that we 1 in a mo- id that he offer per- mediately le boat to urrounded I ALTERCATION WITH THE TETONS. 90 him, drew their arrows from their nnivpr^ o, i drew and L^ r7 J? '''"^ P"'^^"^' »"d they with- curred, we called Bad-humoured Tsland*^ '""' '"'■ which would be perfectly new tolheL Aec„,-d2'' went on shore, aL VZZl seVeral Crs'^l"^' solv'pd ';:f "'" '^f disposition was fr indly we re ||i'er;r:X"rL't."'-^^^^ Clarke, who went on shore one aftnv fV.« .n " met on landing by ten welldre.^pd l"^ ""'' ""T FAS? 'K;- -a *S 100 LEWIS AND CLARKE S EXPEDITION. shape of three quarters of a circle, covered at the top and sides with skins well dressed and sewed to- gether. Under this shelter sat about seventy men, forming a circle round the chief, before whom were placed a Spanish flag and the one we had given them yesterday. This left a vacant circle of about six feet diameter, in which the pipe of peace was raised on two forked slicks, about six or eight inches from the ground, and under it the down of the swan was scattered : a large fire, in which they were cooking provisions, stood near, and in the centre about four hundred pounds of excellent buffalo meat, as a pres- ent for us. As soon as we were seated an old man got up, and, after approving what we had done, beg- ged us to take pity on their unfortunate situation. To this we replied with assurances of protection. After he had ceased, the great chief rose and delivered an harangue to the same effect ; then, with great so- lemnity, he took some of the most delicate parts of the dog which was cooked for the festival, and held it to the flag by way of sacrifice ; this done, he held up the pipe of peace, and first pointed it towards the heavens, then to the four quarters of the globe, and then to the earth, made a short speech, lighted the pipe, and presented it to us. We smoked, and he again harangued his people, after which th'^ repast was served up to us. It consisted of the dog which they had just been cooking, this being a great dish among the Sioux, and used on all festivals ; to this were added pemitigon, a dish made of buffalo meat, dried or jerked, and then pounded and mixed raw with grease and a kind of ground potato, dressed like the preparation of Indian corn called hommony, to which it is little inferior. Of all these luxuries, which were placed before us in platters with horn spoons, we took the pemitigon and the potato, which we found good, but we could as yet partake but spa- ringly of the dog. " We ate and smoked for an hour, v/hen it became TION. ^ored at the (1 sewed to- !venty men, whom were given them f about six I was raised nches from e swan was ere cooking } about four t, as a pres- an old man done, beg- 5 situation, protection, id delivered th great so- ite parts of al, and held me, he held o wards the I globe, and lighted the Led, and he th^ repast dog which great dish lis ; to this ffalo meat, mixed raw to, dressed hommony, e luxuries, with horn tato, which ke but spa- i it uQCiXTTiQ INDIAN DANCE. 101 men, who p1a?ed o n a sortof S'''^ "^ ="""" '™ ski., stretched acmss a hoop 'nd^m"^"' ^"'^^'^ °^ noise with a long stick tn„.h'- u.u"'^'''' " jmgling and goats were hut the ^hiln^ ■'"', ''°°^' «f "eef small skin bag with p^ebbles in it ■ If '"""'e">ate ; the women raise tfe^r voice!' and m^I" " "^"''^ more agreeable, that is 1p« ,wf J^^Y' ^ ™"S'c the musicians. ' The dancp'^f ?''"''''' "'"" ^''a' of "livays separate from those o^lhel""'"' "''"'"' "« wardanles'thelSi=:»f;^,^^^ 102 Lijwis AND Clarke's expedition. The harmony of the entertainment had nearly been disturbed by one of the musicians, who, thinl^ing ho had not received a due share of the tobacco we had distributed during the evening, put himself into a passion, broke one of the drums, threw two of them into the fire, and left the band. They were taken out of the fire : a bufflalo robe, held in one hand and beaten with the other by several of the company, supplied the place of the lost drum or tambourine, and no notice was taken of the offensive conduct of the man. We stayed till twelve o'clock at night, when we informed the chiefs that they must be fatigued with all these attempts to amuse us, and retired, ac- companied by four chiefs, two of whom spent the night with us on board. " While on shore we saw twenty-five squaws and about the same number of children, who had been taken prisoners two weeks ago in a battle with their countrymen, the Mahas. In this engagement the Sioux destroyed forty lodges, killed seventy-five men, of whom we saw many of the scalps, and took these prisoners : their appearance is wretched and dejected ; the women, too, seem low in stature, coarse and ugly, though their present condition may diminish their beauty. We gave them a "'ariety of small articles, such as awls and needles, and inter- ceded for them with the chiefs, to whom we recom- mended to follow the advice of their gr^at father, to restore the prisoners, and live in peace with the Ma- has, which they promised to do. " The tribe which we this day saw are a part of the great Sioux nation, and are known by the name of the Teton Okandandas : they are about two hun- dred men in number, and their chief residence is on both sides of the Missouri, between the Chayenne and Teton Rivers. In their persons they are rather ugly and ill-made, their legs and arms being too small, their cheek-bones high, and their eyes pro- jecting. The females, with the same character of ION. nearly been thinking ho ceo we had iself into a wo of them were taken le hand and 5 company, )ourine, and iduct of the light, when be fatigued retired, ac- 1 spent the squaws and had been battle with ingagement leventy-five »s, and took etched and in stature, idition may ■'ariety of , and inter- we ?!'ecom- it father, to ith the Ma- 5 a part of ^ the name it two hun- ience is on Chayenne are rather being too eyes pro- I DIIESS OP THE TETONS. 103 form, are more handsome • in,! iw.fi. eheerfui and sprightly -hnf' in ^ \ ^^""^^ ^PP^ar them we discovered Vliatthnv"' ^"^^^^'^^''^e with vicious. "^' ^^^y ^ere cunning and and wear in plaits^^^^''^ Zs'^^^h^is ^f^' seem much attached, as the loss nf if' ^ !u ^^^y sacrifice at the death of no Jr rni . *' ,'^ *^^ "sual the men of considtalTwe^^^a'r^ calumet feather worked win, nL ^ ^ feather, or fastened to the too of fhri P^^^^P'ne quills, and back. The Knd bo iv .1^''"^' ^'^"l ^^^^^ it falls a mixture of grease and coal ^o'''"r.P'^"^^d ^^'^ is a loose robe or ,nantle of h?^^[ ^^«. shoulders white, adorned wUh do vmll ^u"" ?^''' ^-^'^^^ed so as to make a iinLlC no «« ^L"""'- ^^^'^^^ ^'^^^^ painted with var iuf iLon hfi'^*'^" '" "'°^'°"' ^"d to us, but to the„?emE"t c^f'^f^y'""*^^''^^^ or any other incident? the hair of thn 'h^ '''^^'''^' next the skin in fair weathpr L?/ u ^^.^® ^^ "^""^^ hair is put outside and th!' u^ ^^^" '* ^^'^^ the over the Lm or wrTnno.i '''^^, 'I ^'^^^^ ^^^-o^^" which it mTeo;er"Xdl.rhlf ir/t ^'^^y; ^" «f son, thev wear a tinTi ^.r i ' " "*^ winter sea- made either of skin oJcloth ''"Ji' ^^^^^^ling ours, and body. Round thpm-iAi^"^ T'^'^^'S the arms cloth, or^prociZ dresseT^f i' ^^'t^ ^ ^'^^'« ^f width, and cSv fed fn?io ^'i'^'"''"^^"^"^^ tached a niece of Mn,h m^ ^^^^^ ' '^ this is at- foot widerwhich passes' hPw"^'\".'' ^!^*"' ^^^"t a tucked und^r i e ^TZ iwK^t".^^^ ^^^^' ^"^ is From the hip to the^aniL k^ before and behind. ^Iressed aiUefope skins w?th .'"''''"'* ^^ ^"^^^"« ^^ inches in widt^h^ tTo^JiS VyS^ ^^^ tiair, the produce of the sci1n« fi^J,. u , °^ 104 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. parchment ; those for siimmor arc of deer or elk skin, dressed without the hair, and with soals of elk-skin. On groat occasions, or whenever they arc in full dress, the young men drng after them the entire skin of a poleca. fixed to the heel of the moc- casin. Another skin of the same animal is either tucked into the girdle, or carried in the hand, and serves as a pouch for their tobacco, or what the French traders call bois roulc : this is the inner bark of a species of red willow, which, being dried m the sun or over the fire, is rubbed between the hands and broken into small pieces, and is used alone, or mixed wiih tobacco. The pipe is gener- ally of red earth, the stem made of ash, about three or four feet long, and highly decorated with feath- ers, hair, and porcupine quills. " The hair of the women is suffered to grow lont^, and is parted from the forehead across the head, at the back of which it is either collected into a kind of bag, or hangs down over the shoulders. Their moccasins are like those of the men, as are also the leggins, which do not, however, reach beyond the knee, where they are met by a long loose shift of skin, which reaches nearly to the ancles ; this is fastened over the shoulders by a string, and has no sleeves, but a few pieces of the skin hang a short distance round the arm. Sometimes a girdle fastens this skin round the waist, and over all is thrown a robe like that worn by the men. They seem fond of dress. Their lodges are very neatly constructed, in the same form as those of thr Ynnktons : they consist of about one hundred cabins (nnce of white buffalo hide dressed), with a larger one n the cen- tre for holding councils and dances. They are built round with poles, about fifteen or twenty feet high, covered with white skins. These lodges may be taken to pieces, packed up, and carried with the nation wherever they go, by dogs which bear grpivi burdens. The women are chiefly employed INDIAN POLICE OFFICERS. JQS c"4as^^t;;:^- ^^^ -- n^^^y wen t loy can take witi out bcW o '^ "Y^^'V^^ ^^'»«h tion, although it makes so f °^^««»vt'ci. This na- i>cighbot,rs, is bad y supX '^^^'-^^^^ '-^'^^""^ its wiiich they carry wi'hThPn Y ' ^"".'' '^''>« ^^»ter the paunches of deer al'^othnr'"''"?^ ^''"^^"y i» make use of wooden bo vvjs i '" i"''V'' ^"^^ ^^ey «iiavod, which we fou ri;, ^^«'"o had their heads for their relations AlZr'^.P'"'"" of mourning sions is to run ^irnJ.\i ^^^i^^"" "" ^^eso occa- and belov? [heelbo^' ''^'°"^"^ '^'^ «««h, botli above ^^^^'n^^o :^^^ a quarrel ing every moniVrmoTrboi t^^n?''^ V ^' ^''^'''- eame forward, at wlose^nnn^^^^ ''^^'^" ^ "^an «J terrified and raiT He T.IT^' ^'^'^ ^"^ •'^^«"^- out any ceremony whonedtho^ '^"^'"^ ""^ ^^'*h- quiring into the imtmn n? L'^'" severely. On in- learned that this man was an o'^"""'"'^"''^ ^' this and many oll^Mribcs VIT! "^'^^ "^"^^^ to peace ; and tL whole inf^rin. 1- ^^ '' ^^ ^^^P t^e is confided to tvTo o? tZ n7.^J"' ^^ *^^^ ^^"^ge are named by the chief i^.? r^ ^^•''' ^^^•°^«' ^^ho ^ays, at least 1 11 ttnU^J ''"'^'" "^ ^^^^^'^ some theyseemtobea.nrtnf ^PP?'"^' ^ successor: they a?e always on the wrnl^' ^ '^"^"^^^' «'"^« 'iuring the day and^r Lvr 1l ^"^ ^^^P tranquillity The sliort dTa\ic^i of ttlS'^" '"'"P ^" ^^^ "'^ht^ its authority. Theh- dowp. ?f « '' ^^'^pensated by BiWression of any riot ord 4n.h"^'''"'' ^"^ '" ^^^ to them is suffered thXnf''"'^'' "^ resistance iA in the execSof theirSvThP^'' f-7^^' ^"^ ^hief of the second cH.f H,n ^' ^^""^ ^^^'^^ ^^^n a for this salutarTinsofc li^;^'"""*, ^^ P""'^^^^ pany the person of ?ic chief .n^^'if' theyaccom- any duty/ho weve da^iffProu^ ^^nd when ordered to our rather to die th m tl J ' *' ^? ^ P^'"* of hon- u-hpn »»,.,: ::.^.^-® ^'^f" to refuse obedienop. Thnt — -«-, .u.umpced to stop us yesterday, the chi7f 106 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. ordered one of these men to take possession of the boat; he immediately put his arms round the mast, and, as we understood, no force, except the com- mand of the chief, would have induced him to re- lease his hold. Like the other men, their bodies are blackened ; but their distinguishing mark is a collection of two or three raven skins fastened to the girdle behind the back, in such a way that the tails stick out horizontally from the body. On his head, too, is a raven skin split into two parts, and tied so as to let the beak project from the forehead. "September 27. We rose early, and the two chiefs took off, as a matter of course, and accord- ing to their custom, the blanket on which they had slept. To this we added a peck of corn, as a pres- ent to each. Captain Lewis and the chiefs went on shore to see a part of the nation that was expected, but did not come. He returned at two o'clock with four of the chiefs, and a warrior of distinction call- ed Wadrapa (or On his Guard). They examined the boat, and admired whatever was strange during half an hour, when they left it with great reluctance. Captain Clarke accompanied them to the lodge of the grand chief, who invited them to a dance, where, being joined by Captain Lewis, they remained till a late hour. The dance was very similar to that of yesterday. About twelve we left them, taking the second chief and one principal warrior on board. As we came near the boat, the man who steered the pirogue by mistake brought her broadside against the boat's cable, and broke it. We called up all hands to their oars. But our noise alarmed the two Indians ; they called out to their companions, and immediately the whole camp crowded to the shore : but after half an hour they returned, leaving about sixty men near us. The alarm given by the chiefs was said to be, that the Mahas had attacked us, and that they were desirous of assisting us to repel them. But we suspected that they were afraid we !!'•! :'ioN. sion of the i the mast, t the com- him to re- icir bodies mark is a fastened to ay that the y. On his parts, and e forehead, i the two nd accord- h they had , as a pres- !fs went on 3 expected, 'clock with nction call- examined nge during reluctance. e lodge of ice, where, ained till a to that of taking the on board, steered the de against lied up all ed the two mions, and the shore ; ving about the chiefs tacked us, us to repel ! afraid we HOSTILE INDICATIONS OF THE TETONS. 107 meant to set sail, and intended to prevent us fmm doing so ; for in the night the Maha prLone s^ha^ t^old one of our men, who understood the language that we were o be stopped. We therefore whh' out givmg any indication of our suspiciorprepared everything for an attack, as the loss of our anchor obliged us t^ come near to a falling bank, very n- lavourable for defence. ' ^ " We were not mistaken in these opinions- for S'ti;J"a ichorr ^'-'^J f ^-^^'"^ uns'uc 'essfull^ "f. anchor, we wished to set sail, it was with fhe'bcrf '"aT i'^'' r '""'^ '^^'^^^ the'chiefs leave the boat. At length we got rid of all pxcont tii« great duef, vvlien, just as L we'e set'hig ouT Vei! era of the chief's soldiers sat on the rop-^ vvWd ]:eld the boat to the shore. Irritated a' thfs:we go everything ready to fire on them if they pers'stfd bu the great chief said that these were ^is soldiers' 7l"edVlT^ T'' '^'^^f^- ^^^ had afready If 1, u^°. ^"^ ^°"^« tobacco to the second chief, who had demanded it with great importunt y; but, willing to leave them without go ng to ex- rcmities we threw him a carrot of tobfccofsayina to him, You have told us that you were a S man, and have influence ; now show your influmice by taking the rope from those men, and we wilUhen go on without any farther trouble.' This appeal tS lis pride had the desired efl^ect ; he went oufof the boat, gave the soldiers the tobacco, and, pulling he rope out of their hands, delivered it on board and we then set sail under a breeze from the sou heast After sailing about two miles, we observed the thfrd chief beckoning to us : we took him on boavd and he informed us that the rope had been hdd by t£e n an' lliule'S^ '^^'^' ^^'' ^^^ ^ double-facecl of L nhll ^^"''^'* ^" we were joined by the son of the chief, who came on board to see his father. Oil uis return we sent a speech to the nation ei plaining what we had done, ant? -Ivisiiy- j.ii. S '■?F ": 108 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. v. i>,' f i > peace; but if they persisted in their attempts to stop us, wo were willing and able to defend our- selves." A '.?.r spending four days in this manner with the Tetons, they proceeded on their way. Stragglers of the unfriendly tribe they had just left appeared at times 01 the bank, and were disposed to be troub- lesome : at one place they saw an encampment of 400 of them. On the 1st of October they passed a river corruptly rendered Dog River, as if from the French "chien:" its true appellation is Chayenne, from the Indians of that name. The history of this tribe " is the short and melancholy relation of the calamities of almost all the Indians. They were a numerous people, and lived on the Chayenne, a branch of the Red River of Lake Winnipeg. The invasion of the Sioux drove them westward : in their progress they halted on the southern side of the Missouri, below the Warreconne, where their ancient fortifications still exist ; but the same im- pulse again drove them to the heads of the Chay- enne, where they now rove, and occasionally visit the Ricaras. They are now reduced, but still num- ber three hundred men." This river rises in the Black Mountains ; and M. Valle, one of three French traders whom they found here waiting for the Sioux coming down from the Ricaras, informed them that he had passed the last winter three hundred leagues up the Chayenne, un- der those mountains. "That river he represented as very rapid, liable to sudden swells, the bed and shores formed of coarse gravel, and difficult of as- cent even for canoes. One hundred leagues from its mouth it divides into two branches, one coming from the south, the other, at forty leagues from the junction, entering the Black Mountains. The land which it waters, from the Missouri to the Black Mountains, resembles the country on the Missouri, except that the former has even kss timber, and of UON. ittempts to defend our- ler with the Stragglers ft appeared to be troub- impment of ey passed a if from the Chayenne, >tory of this ition of the liey were a ihayenne, a lipeg. The istward : in ern side of where their e same im- f the Chay. ionally visit It still num- ns ; and M. 1 they found vn from the ised the last layenne, un- represented the bed and Rcult of as- Dagues from one coming les from the . The land 3 tlie Black :ie Missouri, liber, and of VILLAGE OF THE RICARAS. 109 that the greater proportion is cedar. The Chiv ennes reside chiefly on the heads of the river and steal horses from the Spanish settlement : a pW time. Ihe Black Mountai: s, he observed, were very high, covered with great quantities of ph e and m some parts the snow remains during the s mmer ; Ihcre are also great quantities of goats, white b^ar* praine cocks, and a species of animal 'which, from his description, must resemble a small elk with large circular horns." ^' ^^^'" times' bv'fhpT"?'"""' to be annoyed at different limes by the letons on the banks. The weather began to be very cold, with a white frost in the morning. On the 6th of October, they halted for lonTd tVT-' ^'"^'^ '^''y supposed'^to have be- longed to the Ricaras : " It is situated in a low plain on the river and consists of about eighty lodges of a 7oTrJ''''V''fl^y ^^^^^'^^ ^'^h eJrth, pfaced roun 1 Thp 'k ^ "^^^'^ "' P"^'^^^^' ^^^d P^^keted th J iM , t ^^"f r '" ^l^^ ^^^^^^'^' ^^^ to the belief that It had been left m the spring " The next day they passed the Sawawkawna; and just below Its mouth was - another village or win- tering camp of the Ricaras, composed of'about s x- tlll^'h^"'^' "^-^I^" ^^'"^^ ^^'-'^ ^« those passed lp?« .^^K'^^'f'"^'^^' ^'^"^^ ^"^ straw mats, has- pfmn » ^"ffalo-skni canoes remaining entire in the At a short distance above the Wetawhoo River iney qame to an island where was a village of the Ricaras, and which Captain Lewis went to see "It IS situated in the centre of the island, near the southern shore, under the foot of some hLh bald uneven hills, and contains about sixty lodges' The island Itself is threemiles long, aii covered with "cxus m whicn the Indians raise corn, beans and ^'vol'i.-K ''''^ Frenchmen, living among these 110 LEWIS AND CLAKKe's EXPEDITIOK. 4m Indians as interpreters or traders, came back with Captain Lewis, and among them M. Gravelmes, a man wlio has acquired the language." " On the 9th," continues the narrative, " the wmd was so cold and high last night, and during all the day, that we could not assemble the Indians m council ; but some of the party went to the village. We received the visits of the three prmcipal chiefs, with many others, to whom we gave some tobacco, ami told them that we would speak to them to-mor- row. The names of these chiefs were, first, Kaka- wissassa,or Lighting Crow ; second chief, Pocasse, or Hay; third chief, Piaheto, or Eagle's Feather. Notwithstanding the high waves, two or three squaws rowed to us in little canoes made of a sin- gle buffalo skin, stretched over a frame of boughs interwoven like a basket, and with the most perlect composure. The object which appeared to astonish the Indians most was Captain Clarke's servant York, a remarkably stout, strong negro. They had never seen a being of that colour, and therefore flocked round him to examine the extraordinary monster. By way of amusement, he told them that he had once been a wild animal, and been caught and tamed by his master ; and to convince them, show- ed them feats of strength which, added to his looks, made him more terrible than we wished him to be." The following morning, IM. Gravelines, who had breakfasted with Captain Lewis, was sent to invite the Ricara chiefs to a conference. " They all assembled," says the Journal, "at one o'clock, and, after the usual ceremonies, we addressed them in the same way in which we had already spoken to the Ottoes and Sioux. We then made or acknowledged three chiefs, one for each of the three villages, giving to each a flag, a medal, a red coat, a cocked hat and feather, also some goods, paint, and tobacco, which they divided After this the air-gun was ex- w* iT^ ry I -wf iTiC* HJOCIV'CO. uiiiong the...-' — ~-. — w hibited, very much to their astonishment ; nor were SOBRIETY OP THE RICARAS. in vl\ n ""'P^'^^^? ^t the colour and manner of York. On our side, we wore equally grat fied at discovering that these Ricaras made Ze^TnoLir^ ituous liquors of any kind ; the example of the tra ders who bnng it to them, so far from temp in^ hav' nig in fact disgusted them. Supposinnrat ?t was as agreeable to them as to llie other Indiansvve had at first offered them whiskey ; but thev reAisPd h that their father should present to them a liquor which would make them fools. On another occasion thev whftr V? ^^' ^'-^'r^"' th^t no man could be a fr end who tried to lead them into such follies. The^ coun. cil being over they retired to consult on their answer "The next mornmg, at eleven o'clock, we a-ain met in council at our camp. The grand chief mir p a short speech of thanks for the adWce vve hK en, and promised to follow it; adding that the door was now open, and no one dare shut'it, and tharwe might depart whenever we pleased, alludino- to thp treatment we had received from th^ Sk>uxr Thev also brought us some corn, beans, and dried squaZ es, and m return we gave them a steel mill, with which they were much pleased. At one o'clock we left our camp with the grand chief and his nephevv on board, and at about two miles anchored below a v^\fjVlt 'p"^^' ««P^r,ating the second and third village of the Ricaras, which are about half a mile distant from each other. We visited both the villa- ges, and sat conversing with the chiefs for some r'^^>^" P«^^ ^^"d a little corn, and insl or'^ ''^A^t "' '' *^" ^'^^ ^^ '^'^ I»^li^»« following «mo 1 ^^ ^^'^ "^'^^ ^'^yond the camp we passed a small creek and at three more a bluff of coal, of an inferior quality on the south. After makinrr eleven rniles we reached an old field, where the ManSans had cultivated grain last summer, and encamped for he night on the south side, about half a mile^below the first village of the Mandans." * * * * « As soon as we arrived, a crowd of men, women, and children came down o see us. Captain Lewis ;cturncd S^th the principal chiefs to the village, while the others remained with us during the evening The oSe ct which seemed to surprise them moft was a corn- mill fixed to the boat, which we had occasion to use and which delighted them by the ease with wh ch it reduced the grain to powder. Among others who V Sited us was the son of the grand chief of Z Mandans, who had his two little fingers cut off at wef^nnTtV?'"/' ^" ^"^"^'^"^ ^"^^ ^^is accident we found that it was customary to express grief fo^ the death of re at nns h^r «rtm« «« t:„„i _°«. • "*^ 1 P['r\w*\.0^ ♦I, 1 ill /. — , . v.«oi,v^,iiai^ lu expres ine death of relations bv some mrnorooi o„„^^.^_ and that the usual mode was to"loTe 'two joints"^-' the little finger, or sometimes the other fingers." i; ■ ttstmhamsm^sx, 1|M 120 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. I >ii CHAPTER V. Bii'i I III 'iifi Council held with the Mandans.— A Prairie on Fire, and a sin- gular Instance of Preservation.— Peace established between the Mandans and Ricaras.— The Party encamp for the Win- ter.— Indian Mode of catching Goats.— Beautiful Appearance of Northern Lights.— Friendly Character of the Indians.— Some Account of the Mandans, the Ahnahaways, and the Minnetarees.— The Party acquire the Confidence of the Man- dans by taking part in their Controversy with the Sioux.— Religion of the Mandans, and their singular Conception of the term Medicine. — Their Tradition. — The Sufferings of the Party from the Severity of the Season. — Indian Game of Billiards described. — Account of the Sioux. " October 27. At an early hour we proceeded, and anchored off the village. Captain Clarke went on shore, and, after smoking a pipe with the chiefs, was desired to remain and eat with them. He declined on account of his being unwell ; but his refusal gave great ofience to the Indians, who considered it dis- respectful not to eat when invited, till the cause was explained to their satisfaction. We sent them some tobacco, and then proceeded to the second village on the north, passing by a bank containing coal, and a second village, and encamped at four miles on the north, opposite to a village of Ahnahaways. We here met with a Frenchman named Jesseaume, who lives among the Indians with his wife and children, and whom we take as an interpreter. The Indians had flocked to the bank to see us as we passed, and they visited in great numbers the camp, where some remained all night. " We sent in the evening three young Indians with a present of tobacco for the chiefs of the three upper villages, inviting them to come down in the niornin j to a council with us. Act ^rdingly, the ON. 5, and a sin- led between or the Win- Appearance ! Indians. — ys, and the of the Man- he Sioux. — inception of irings of the n Game of leded, and ! went on hiefsjwas 3 declined usal gave red it dis- ?ause was lemsome village on 3al, and a es on the lys. We Lime, who children, e Indians ssed, and ere some I Indians the three \i\ in the ugly, the COUNCIL WITH THE MANDANS. 121 next day we were joined by many of the Minneta- rees and Ahnahaways from above, but the wind was so violent from the southwest that the chiefs of the lower villages could not come up, and the council was deferred till to-morrow. In the mean while we entertained our visiters by showing them what was new to them in the boat ; all which, as well as our black servant, they called Great Medicine, the mean- mg of which we afterward learned. We also con- sulted the grand chief of the Mandans, Black Cat and M. Jessaume, as to the names, characters, &c of the chiefs with whom we are to hold the council' In the course of the day we received several pres- ents from the women, consisting of corn, boiled hom- mony, and garden stuffs: in our turn, we gratified the wife of the great chief with the gift of a glazed earthen jar. Our hunter brought us two blaver. In the afternoon we sent the Minnetaree chiefs to ^"!??'',/''u"' ""^'^^ ^^'^ ^'^""^ ^J^iefs of the Mandans, and told them we would speak in the mornino- " Finding that we shall be obliged to pass the win- ter at this place, we went up the river about one and a halt miles to-day, with a view of finding a con- venient spot for a fort ; but the timber was too .scarce and small for our purposes. " October 29. The morning was fine, and we pre- pared our presents and speech for the council. Alter breakfast we were visited by an old chief of the Ahnahaways, who, finding himself growing old and weak, had transferred his power to his son who IS now at war against the Shoshonees. At ten clock the chiefs were all assembled under an awn- ing of our sails, stretched so as to exclude the wind which had become high. That the impression might be the more forcible, the men were all para- ded, and the council opened by a discharge from the swivel of the boat. We then delivered a sneech. which, hke those we had already made, intermin- gled advice with assurances of friendship and trade. V OLi l.^~"lj -!ii' '**&mtmm>umt.'^ !:%> 122 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. While we were speaking the old Ahnahaway chief grew very restless, and observed that he could not wait long, as his camp was exposed to the hos- tilities ol the Shoshouees. He was instantly re- buked with great dignity by one of the chiefs, foi this violation of decorum at such a moment, and re- mained quiet during the rest of the council. To- wards the end of our speech we introduced the sub- ject ol our Ricara chief, with whom we recommend- ed a firm peace: to this they seemed well disposed, and all smoked with him very amicably. VVe all mentioned the goods which had been taken from the l^renchman, and expressed a wish that they should oe restored. This being over, we proceeded to dis- tribute the presents with groat ceremony. One cniel ot each town was acknowledged by a gift of a flag a medal with the likeness of the President of the United States, a uniform coat, hat, and feather. JO the second chiefs we gave a medal representing some domestic animals, and a loom for weaving! to the third chiefs, medals with the impression of a farmer sowing grain. A variety of other presents were distributed, but none seemed to give them more satisfaction than an iron corn-mill, which we gave to the Mandans. "The chiefs who were made to-day are Shaha- ka or Big White, a first chief, and Kagohami, or Little Raven, a second chief of the lower village of the Mandans, called Matootonha. The other chiefs of an inferior quality who were recommended were, first, Ohheena w, or Big Man, a Chayenne taken prisi oner by the Mandans, who adopted him, and he now ^T ^Ju^''^f * consideration among the tribe ; see- end, Shotahawrora, or Coal, of the second Mandan village, which IS called Rooptahee. We made Pos- copseah, or Black Cat, the first chief of the village, and the grand chief of the whole Mandan nation ni.;^e~~i X-' • ,. ^^"gOuumuKShe, or Raven Man Chief. Inferior chiefs of this village were, Tawnu- way chief could not ) the hos- itantljr re- chiefs, for lit, and re- ncil. To- d the sub- ^ornmend- . disposed, . We all 1 from the ey should led to dis- ny. One 1 gift of a isident of d feather, (resenting weaving; 3ssion of ' presents ive them ^'hich we e Shaha- haini, or tillage of ler chiefs led were, ken pris- 1 he now be ; sec- Mandan ade Pos- i village, nation k^en Man Tawnu- CHIEFS MADE AMONG THE MANDANS. 123 t'rtnshir^'^^^^'^^ ^^"^^ - di^ not learn the and^i:^:^r;Jl^rS^i-alled Mahawha. iirst chief, Tetucko;?nr'et,'or W^^^^^^^ Unfolded, and recoanisprl tLr.\:f • !?""'i^o Robe Miiniissu rarL or AWhinl S ""^ '" '''^^'''''' order : or Old VVoSat a dSc '''''"' ^^^'^^^-"^^^^ Iive,''and'whfch is^:fe '''' Minnetarees chief, OmpseCa o B ack j^:,',!: ''' '"^^e a first chief, Ohhavv, or Little Fov nn^^'V ^ '^^^'^^^ chiefs of this village werpLi ^'T distniguished a man whom we did no see n, "?'"'•' ""' ^'^ '^'^'«f' and was killed soon after ami Jfh '' ^"' ^^'^^'»^' of the Calumet Bird In t'he fifth S if '^''^' ""' '^^** first chief, Eapanooa or ?nH \> ^, V^^'''^^ ^^ '"^de a Wankerassa'^o^^rVo^ailed r''i^ ' ".^T"^ ^^"^^' young chiefs Otl/er persons nr.fr"'- ^^'^' ^^^h hakohopinnee, or Littfe Clf's M /- '^^^^ ^''' ^^^- namockshe, or Wolfman r fpr ^Y'""'''^ ' ^'^"'^"a- and is the son of the old oh 5' ""^'i '^ "^'^ '^' ^^r, whose name i« C^cl ^ ^^^^^^^ chief of the lower Wliase Th' '"^'"^?^ "" «>e eluded by a shot VomTu. sw^vefa^'i^^''^^'"'- the air-erun for their am„.n\., I ' ""' ^"^*' fi'mg liberate'ou the answ^^whr h h vlrl"'''- '^ '' morrow. ^uilh iney are to give to- acl'id^nt'orTstn" a'd OZ '°f «''«' ""'-^ ^7 whole plain bei^g' e vetoied i.Tfl ' v^''""' t^' 'h« was its proffi-ess that a mn?,'^ ^ """"'*• ^° fapid turned. a^s^;^-'jl,;;v%-;:r„a^'^^^^^ ( i 124 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. ITn* 11*' I't-iii i,iiii destruction. Among the rest, a boy of the half white breed escaped unhurt in the midst of the flames ; his safety was ascribed to the great medicim spirit, who had preserved him on account of his be- ing white. But a much more natural cause was the presence of mind of his mother, who, seeing no hopes of carrying off her son, threw him on the ground, and, covering him with the fresh hide of a buffalo, escaped herself from the flames. As soon as the fire had passed, she returned and found him untouched, the skin having prevented the flame from reaching the grass on which he lay. " October 30. We were this morning ' sited by two persons from the lower village : one, the Big White, the chief of the village ; the other, the Chay- enne, (tailed the Big Man : they had been hunting, and did not return yesterday early enough to attend the council. At their request we repeated part of our speech of yesterday, and put the medal round the neck of the chief. Captain Clarke took a pi- rogue and went up the river in search of a good wintering-place, and returned after going seven miles to the lower point of an island on the north side, about one mile in length. He found the banks on the north side high, with coal occasionally, and the country fine on all sides ; but the want of wood, and the scarcity of game up the river, induced us to decide on fixing ourselves lower down during the winter. In the evening our men danced among themselves, to the great amusement of the Indians. " October 31. A second chief arrived this morn- ing with an invitation from the grand chief of the Mandans to come to his village, where he wished to present some corn to us, and to speak with us. Captain Clarke walked down to his village. He was first seated with great ceremony on a robe by the side of the chief, who then threw over his shoulders an- other robe handsomely ornamented ; the pipe was then smoked with several of the old men, who the half 3t of the it medicim of his be- ause was seeing no m on the hide of a As soon found him the flame ' isited by J, the Big the Chay- 1 hunting, to attend d part of dal round took a pi- of a good ng seven the north the banks nally, and t of wood, uced us to luring the ?A among e Indians, his morn- lief of the wished to ; with us. I. He was 3y the side ulders an- pipe was men, who SPEECH OP THE GRAND CHIEF. 125 were seated around the chief. After some time h^ began his discourse by observing- th-itX k i S what we had told himfand thl^h y' houW Sv peace, which would gratify him as well as L neo^ Pie, because they could then hunt without fea? of being at acked and the women might work in the fields without looking every moment for the eiemv and at mght put off their moccasins : a phiase bv which IS conveyed the idea of secur tv whfn tK? Zr\'T.^''^i''' '"' "'^^^ witho^felr^of at! tack. As to the Ricaras, he continued, in order to show you that we wish peace with a 1 men tlm^ chief, pointing to his second chief, wi^lTo with some warriors back to the Ricaras with then cLr now here, and smoke with that nation When we heard of your coming, all the nations around re um ed from their hunting to see you, in hopes of re ceiving large presents; all are disappSd and some discontented ; for his part, he vvas not much so, though his village was. He added that he would Z^tT^ ^'' ^^^r f^^^her the president. Two of the steel-traps stolen from the Frenchmen were hen aid before Captain Clarke, and the l^Zn brought about twelve bushels of corn. Aftinhe dnef had finished. Captain Clarke made an answer to the speech, and then returned to the boat wh^re mi ZllulT^ "^ 'I' ''''' '''''^' and Kagoha! ^n hn?r i?.^M^"' r^^ ''"^^^^^ ^"^ talked about ^? .?."[; 4^^^^ ^^^y left the boat the grand chief of the Mandans came dressed in the clotlier we had given him, with his two children, and beald to^ the men dance, in which they willingly graUfied him "November 1. Mr. M'Cracken, th J frader whom Brit[shlr;''''rr T ''-"^^y ^" ^"« ^^^'"rn tTth^ iJritish fort and factory on the Assiniboin River HeTooTafpti^'^f and fifty miles from Uiis place: "^/'nt^,lf ."^^^7 ^^Pt^>» Lewis to the North- erante/hv^tfyRTl"^'"^-^ ^'^P^^ ""^ ^^^ passport granted by the British minister in the United States. L3 .i,Mm* iM«mmm: : ^ I! MuA 126 LEWIS AND CLARKf/s EXPEDITION. At ten o'clock the chiefs of the lower village arri- ved ; they requested that we would call at their village for some corn ; said that they were willing to make peace with the Ricaras; that they had never provoked the war between them ; but as the Ricaras had killed some of their chiefs, fhey had retaliated on them; that they h , ' i "t-d tnem like birds till they were tired of killi.i- j, so that they would send a chief and some wa^.tors to smoke with them. In the evening we dropped down to the lower village, where Captain Lewis went on shore, and Captain Clarke proceeded to a point of wood on the north side . " November 2. He therefore went up to the vil- lage, where eleven bushels of corn were presented to him. In the mean time Captain Clarke went down with the boats three miles, and. having found a good position where there was plenty of timber, encamped, and began to fell trees to build our huts. Our Ricara chief set out with one Mandan chief, and several Minnetaree and Mandan warriors : the wind was from the southeast, and the weather being fine, a crowd of Indians came down to visit us. "November 3. We now began the building of our cabins, and the Frenchmen who were to return to St. Louis are building a pirogue for the purpose. We sent six men in a pirogue to hunt down the river. We were also ortunate enough to engage in our service a Canadian Frenchman, who had been with the Chayenne Indians on the Black Mountains, and last summer descended thence by the Little Missouri. M. Jessaume, our interpreter, also came down with his squaw and children to Hve at our camp. In the evening we received a visit from Ka- gohami, or Little Raven, whose wife accompanied him, bringing about sixty pounds' weight of dried meat, a robe, and a pot of meal. We gave him, in return, a piece of tobacco, to his wife an axe and a few small articles, and both of them, spent the night at our camp. Two beavers were caught in traps tms morning. ^' NORTHERN LIGHTS. llage arri- at their re willing liad never e Ricaras iliated on till they >uld send hem. In r village, Captain Drthside. > the vil- •resented ke went ng found ' timber, )iir huts, hief, and the wind ing fine, ig of our eturn to purpose, awn the ngage in ad been untains, e Little 50 came ) at our :om Ka- Tipanied 3f dried him, in e and a TP ninrfif u traps 127 "November 4. We continued our labours • thP timber which we employ is large and heaW' and consists chiefly of cottonwood and elm, wi th^some ash of an inferior size. Great number^ of the T dians pass our camp on their hunting excu sions Iprv ^i7'' ^^T ^"^ P^^^^^ni; but last ni4 was very cold, and there was a white frost. " November 5. The Indians are all out on their hunting parties: a camp of Mandans caughfw S uJ TTir'moHr^rl? ^'''' I '^''' distance b low us. I heir mode of hunting them is to form a lar^e strong pen or fold, from which a fence made of bushes, gradually widens on each side : the anima^f are surrounded by the hunters, and gently " towards this pen, in which they impe?ceptibly finS themselves enclosed, and are then at the mercv nf the hunters. The weather is cloudy, andThe ^iSd moderate from the northwest. Late ^t nfghrwe the'beSrnh '^ '''' ^^^^f^"^ «" guard To s^e A 1?. ''^^"^^^"^ phenomenon called the northern light Along the northern sky was a large spac^occ inied rising from the horizon, extended itself to neariv twenty degrees above it. After glittering ?or some time, Its colours would be overcalt, and almost Tb scured, but aga n it would burst out with ^iiiewed beauty: the uniform colour was pale light but fts shapes were various and fantastic. At times thP sky was lined with light-coloured streak? In ^ perpendicularly from thf horl^orandtradui tmceTh;"fln.t- '"^^"^ ^^^^*' ^" ^hich we LuS ^^.X^S'-y^^^' stairs "November 6. M. Gravelines, and four others ^.„^.g,ie. ue gfive mm directions to accom I ■i '! 1 ,:m hjlvf I fn J ..».l!.. 128 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. " November 7. The day was temperate, but cloudy and foggy, and we were enabled to go on with our work with much expedition. huL^.7'''''^^' ®' '^^^ "'^'"'"^ «^ain cloudy : our huts advance very well, and we are visited by num- bers of Indians, who come to let their horses graze near us. In the day the horses are let loose in quest of grass ; in the night they are collected, and receive an armful of small boughs of the cottonwood, which, being very juicy, soft, and brittle, form nutritious and agreeable food. The frost this morning was very severe, the weather during the day cloudy, and the wind from the northwest. We procured from an Indian a weasel, perfecti- white except the ex- tremity of the tail, which vas black. Great num- flf^t • T^#^f 5 ^^^ P^^^'"^ ^0 the south, but their flight is too high for us to procure any of them. November 10. We had again a raw day, a north- ^fr'lrv 1: ^r"^ '?.'^ ^^'^y ^" th^ h«Pe «f finishing our work before the extreme cold begins. A chief Who IS a half Pawnee, came to us and brought a present of half a buffalo, in return for which we gave him some small presents, and a few articles to his wife and son. He then crossed the river in a butlalo-skm canoe ; his wife took the boat on her back, and carried it to the village, three miles off. i^arge flocks of geese and brant, and also a few ducks, are passing towards the south. ;' November II. The weather is cold. We re- ceived the visit of two squaws, prisoners from the Kock Mountains, and purchased by Chaboneau. The Mandans at this time are out hunting the buffalo. ' November 12. The last night has been cold, and this morning we had a very hard frost : the wind changeable during the day, and some ice appears on the edges of the rivers ; swans, too, are passing to the south The Big White came down to us, hav- ing jacked^ on the back of his squaw about cne hun- arcu pounua of very fine meat, for which we gave >ut cloudy with our udy : our by num- ses graze 3 in quest id receive d, which, lutritious ling was )udy, and red from ; the ex- Bat num- but their lem. , a north- finishing A chief, rought a hich we rticles to ver in a ; on her liles off. ) a few We re- rom the lu. The ffalo. old, and he wind lears on 5sing to us, hav- ne hun- ve gave THE ASSINIBOINS. 129 hrTv^.nr"*''^!^^® squaw, some presents, particu- InH^h pleased' '''"''"' ^''^ ^^"'^^ '^'' ^^^ ^^^^ "November 13. We this morning unloaded the boat, and stowed away the contents in a storehouse which we have built. At half past ten ice be^an ?o flovv down the river for the first'time. Luhe^ourse 01 the morning we were visited by the Black Cat Poscapsahe, who brought an Assinibofn cS and seven u^arriors to see us. This man, whose name IS Chechawk, ,s a chief of one out of three bands of Assimboins who wander over the plains between the Missouri and Assiniboin during the summerTand m the winter carry the spoils of their hunthig to the traders on the Assiniboin River, and occafionalJy come to this place: the whole three bands consist of about eight hundred men. We gave him a twis of tobacco to smoke with his people, and a gold cord for himself : the Sioux also asked for whiskev which we refused to give them. It snowed allla^; and the air was very cold. ^ "November 14 The river rose last night half an inch, and is now filled with floating ice: this moni^ !oir%'i'^"^^V^^^^ ^^'"^ «"«^ About sevenTy T/m a ^^^.^"'boins and some Knistenaux are at he Mandan village ; and, this being the day of adop- lon and exchange of property between them alMt mg more than two Indians to-dav. These KnistP Tv ^'\^ ^^"^ ^^ Ohippevv^ays^ whose language" ^LTm: '^'^ ^r '\'^' As'siniboin and sSI! shdwan Rivers, and are about two hundred and forty WW T, 1 1 ^^"^ ^ '?^" ^°^" °" horseback to see what had become of our hunters, and, as we appre! our nn\^'/i"'' '^ provisions, we have recourse to TJ^^ ^^'^ ^''^"'"^- '^^^« Frenchmen who had been below returnpdwith fv^^tvh - . v- , ., " had caught in traps '^^^^' ^^--'^^"^^niney " November 15. The morning again cloudy, and r • i*-i 1 > < I i^i I 130 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. the ice running thicker than yesterday, the wind variab Ihe man came back with information that Our hunters were about thirty miles below, and we immediately sent an order to them to make their way through the floating ice, to assist them in which we sent some tin for the bow of the pirogue, and a tow-rope. The ceremony of yesterday seems to continue still, for we were not visited by a single Indian. The swan are still passing to the south. "November 16. We had a very hard white fmst this morning ; the trees are all covered with ice, and the weather cloudy. The men this day moved into the huts, although they are not finished. In the evening some horses were sent down to the woods near us, in order to prevent their being stolen by the Assiniboins, with whom some difficulty is now apprehended. An Indian came down with four buf- lalo robes and some corn, which he offered for a pistol, but was refused. . "November!?. Last night was very cold, and the ice m the river to-day is thicker than hitherto. We are totally occupied with our huts, but received vis- its from several Indians. "November 18. To-day we had a cold wmdv morning • the Black Cat came to see us, and occu- pied us for a long time with questions on the usages of our country. He mentioned that a council had been held yesterday to deliberate on the state of their affairs. It seems that, not long ago, a party of bioux fell in with some horses belonging to the Min- etarees, and carried them off; but in their flight thev were met by some Assiniboins, who killed the Sioux and kept the horses. A Frenchman, too, who had lived many years among the Mandans, was latelv killed on his route to the British Factory on the As, sinibom: some smaller differences existed between the two nations, all of which being discussed, the council dpc>d*^d th'^t th«»' ."-,,vi „„? .._..,' . ._ _ i,.i, { ti!' ^^ *hir- which were hu!.7f atmoTettl'"^ ^" ^' whicra^re"^t^.nj-^ call Fort Mandan 9 «?,.;, .1^ P'^''^' "hich we ground on the nSki'sfde of ?he 11^^""' "' '"* with tall and heavy coUonwoo'l ^TZZZn four rooms of fouriPenfi, ' ^"""^ ™"' containing high, wi,rplank ceiC and .ll"f %"",'' '"^^'> f*"' to form a loft above "ife ?oom, thTl^'r'"^ '" ^^ l^e angle t,e P^^^i^X:^^^,!^;^^^^ i^S; In the area are two rooms fnr\:tr.fL^^ P'CKet. visions. The latitndp m.^k 1^ ^^P^^^ ^"^ pro- »„j n ^"'^ ^^^''•uaej oy observation iz: a'^o ct^Km,.. . ' i ; 7'- ,1 -i --I i }l % yji'lfH^n [mm ill :^^^l |{l l|i in 1 J 132 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. " In the course of the day several Indians came down to partake of our fresh meat ; among the rest, three chiefs of the second Mandan viUage. They inform us that tiie Sioux on the Missouri, above the Chayenne River, threaten to attack them lliis win- ter; that these Sioux are much irritated at the Ric- aras for having made peace through our means with the Mandans, and have lately ill-treated three Ricaras, who carried the pipe of peace to them, by beating them, and taking away their horses. We gave them assurances that we would protect them from all their enemies. " November 21. The weather was this day fine, the river clear of ice, and rising a little. We are now settled in our new winter habitation, and shall wait with much anxiety the first return of spring to continue our journey. " The villages near which we are established are five in number, and are the residence of three dis- tinct nations : the Mandans, the Ahnahaways, and the Minetarees. The history of the Mandans, as we received it from our interpreters and from the chiefs themselves, and as it is attested by existing monuments, illustrates, more than that of any other, the unsteady movements and tho tottering fortunes of the American nations. Within the recollection of living witnesses, the Mandans were settled, forty years ago, in nine villages (the ruins of which we passed about eighty miles below), situated seven on the west and two on the east side of the Missouri. The two finding themselves wasting away before the smallpox and the Sioux, united into one village, and moved up the river opposite to the Ricaras. The same causes reduced the remaining seven to five villages, till at length they emigrated m a body to the Ricara nation, where they formed themselves into two villages, and joined those of their country- men who nau ^onc uciOic liis-hi. ^^ snr.. ...... .^■^• dence they were still insecure, and at length the THE AIINAIIAWAYS. 133 IS came he rest, Tliey )ove the Ills win- the Ilic- means 2(1 tliree hem, by 's. We ct them lay fine, We are nd shall pring to ;hed are iree dis- ays, and dans, as roni the existing ly other, fortunes Dllection ed, forty hich we seven on lissouri. Y before ; village, Ricaras. seven to n a body jmselves country- ngth the three villages a.>ccndod the Missouri to their pres- ent position, 'i'hu two wiio had emigrated together settled in the two villages on the northwest side of the Missouri, while the single villafre took a position on the southeast side, in this" situation they were found by those who visited them in 1790 since wlueh the two villages have united into one' I hey are now in two villages, one on the southeast ol the Missouri, the other on the opposite side, and at tiie distance of three miles across. The first, m an open plain, contains about forty or fifty lod'^es built in the same way as those of the Ricaras ; "the second, the same number; and both may raise about three hundred and fifty inon. " On the same side of the river, and at the dis- tance of four miles from the lower Mandan village /s another, called Maliaha. It is situated on a high plain, at the mouth of Knife River, and is the resi- dence of the Ahiiahaways. This nation, whose name indicates that they were "people whose vil- lage is on a hill," formerly resided on the Missouri, about tliirty mil' s below where they now live. The Assiniboins and Sioux forced them to a spot five miles higher, where tlie greatest part of them were put to death, and the rest emigrated to their present situation, in order to obtain an asylum near the Minnetarees. They are called by the French, Sou- lier Noir, or Black Shoe Indians; by the Mandans, VVattasoons ; and their whole force is about fifty men. " On the south side of the same Knife River, half a mile above the Mahaha, and in the same open plain with it, is a village of the Minnetarees, sur- iiamed Metaharta, who are about one hundred and fifty men in number. On the opposite side of Knife River, and one and a half miles above this village, is a second of Minnetarees, who maybe considered'as tlie proper Minnetaree nation. It is situated in a beautiful low plain, and contains four hundred and fifty warriors. The accounts which we received ot Vol. I.— JM 134 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. the Minnetarees were contradictory. The Mandans say that this people came out of the water to the East, and settled near them in their former estab- lishment in nine villages; that they were very nu- merous, and fixed themselves in one village on the southern side of the Missouri. A quarrel about a buffalo divided the nation, of which two bands went into the plains, and were known by the name of Crow and Paunch Indians, and the rest moved to their present establishment. The Minnetarees prop- er assert, on the contrary, that they grew where they now live, and will never emigrate from the spot, the Great Spirit having declared that if they moved they would all die. They also say that the Minnetarees Metaharta, that is, Minnetarees of the Willows, whose language, with very little variation, is their own, came many years ago from the plains, and settled near them ; and perhaps the two tradi- tions may be reconciled by the natural presumption that these Minnetarees were the tribe known to the Mandans below, and that they ascended the river for the purpose of rejoining the Minnetarees proper, rhese Minnetarees are part of the great nation called Fall Indians, who occupy the intermediate country between the Missouri and the Saskashawan, and who are known by the name of IMinnetaiees of the IMissouri and Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie; that IS, residing near, or, rather, frequenting the es- tabhshment in the prairie on the Saskashawan. Ihese Minnetarees, indeed, told us that they had relations on the Saskashawan, whom they had nev- er known till they met them in war; and, having en- gaged in the night, were astonished at discovering that they were fighting with men who spoke their own language. The name of Gros Ventres, or Big Bellies, is given to these Minnetarees, as well as to all the Fall Indians. The inhabitants of these five »i..„^,..., ^^u oi tViiiLii are wuniu inu uisiance of six miles, live in harmony with each other. The Ah- ION. D Mandans iter to the nier estab- e very im- age oil the el about a ands went 5 name of moved to irees prop- evv where from the at if they y that the ees of the variation, ;he plains, two tradi- ssuniption wn to the e river for is proper, at nation ermediate : as ha wan, itarees of 3 Prairie; \g the es- ashawan. tiiey had had nev- aving en- scovering oke their 3s, or Big well as to these five ice of six The Ah- INDIAN AND HIS WIFE. 135 nahaways understand, in part, the lantTuage of the Mmnetarees ; the dialect of the MandaT differs widely from both ; but their long residence LgS has msensibly b ended their manners, and occfs on- ed some approximation in language, partkulaX as to^obj^ects of daily occurrence^ and'oKus To'^the "November 22. The morning was fine and the day warm We purchased from the Mandans a quantity of corn of a mixed colour, which 'hey dug ffi^p/^'" k"" u • "• ^l' "^^^^ "^^^ the front of thei? lodges, m which it is buried during the winter. This morning the sentinel informed us that an Ind an was about to kill his wife near the for : we vem down to the house of our interpreter, where m^ found the parties, and, after forbidding any violence inquired into the cause of his intending to coS such an atrocity. It appeared that some daysTi, a quarrel had taken place between him and his w f e m consequence of which she had taken refuge iii he house where the two squaws of our inlerp'^ret ir llvt ^^ running away she forfeited her life, which niigh have been lawfully taken by the husbaml About two days ago she had returned to the viilag I" but the same evening came back to the fort, much beaten, and stabbed in three places ; and the hu' - re'venL'"'*'- " W ''^ '''l^''' ^^ completing his ril^ f • \ ^u-^ ^^""^ ^'"1 ^ ^^^ presentsranl tried to persuade him to take his wife home- th^ grand chief, too, happened to arrive at the same mo^ nent, and reproached him with his violence, till at ength they went off together, but by no means n; state of much apparent love." er^uul'^ PJ,rticularly interesting occurred for sev- eral days, fheir huts were completed on the 25th tTe J nfV" !"''"/'^^- '''i '"^n^'diately after Oi,! the 27th, Captain Lewis, who hnrl h^on oKo«p* .„ - tliiefs, Mahnolali, an Ahnahaway, and Minnessurra- .i 5 i l^ -Mi^^ ' liiiiE «»i!««WbW,to<,.tai m§ 136 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. ree, a Minnetaroe, and a third warrior. They ex- plained to us," continues the narrative, "that the reason of their not having come to see us was, that the Mandans had told them that we meant to com- bine with the Sioux, and cut them off in the course of the winter: a suspicion increased by the strength of the fort, and the circumstance of our interpreters having both removed there with their families. These reports we did not fail to disprov:) to their entire satisfaction ; and amused them by every at- tention, particularly by the dancing of the men, winch diverted them highly. All the Indians whom Captain Lewis had visited were very well disposed, and received him with great kindness, except a prin- cipal chief of one of the upper villages, named iMah- pahpaparapassatoo, or Horned Weasel, who made use of the civilized indecorum of refusing to be seen ; and, when Captain Lewis called, he was told the chief was not at home. In the course of the day seven of the Northwest Company's traders arrived from the Assiniboin River, and one of their interpret- ers having undertaken to circulate among the In- dians unfavourable reports, it became necessary to warn them of the consequences, if they did not de- sist from such proceedings. The river fell two inches to-day, and the weather became very cold. "November 28. About eight o'clock last evening it began to snow, and continued till daybreak, after which it ceased till seven o'clock, but then resumed, and continued during the day, the weather being cold, and the river full of floating ice. About ciglu o'clock Poscopsahe came down to visit us, vutli some warriors : we gave them presents, and enter- tained them with all that might amuse their curios- ity, and at parting we told them that we had heard of the British trader, M. Laroche, having attempted to distribute medals and flags among them, but that those medals could not be re(,civcd from any other than the American nation without incurring the dis- ION. They ex- "that the I was, that it to com- tho course le strength iterpreters families. ^ to their ' every at- the men, ans whom I disposed, ppt a prin- mcd Mah- rt'ho made ■0 be seen ; 5 told the )f the day rs arrived ' interpret- ig the In- cessary to lid not de- • fell two 5ry cold. it evening feak, after I resumed, her being l)out eiglii ; us, with and enter- sir curios- had heard attempted 1, but that any other ig the dis- EFFORT TO CONCILIATE THE MANDANS. 137 pleasure of their great father, the president. Thev left us much pleased with their treatment - November 29. The wind is again from 'the north- west, the weather cold, and the snow which fell ves- lerday and last night is thirteen inches in depth. J he river c osed during the night at the village above, and fell two feet ; but this afternoon it begfii to rise a httle. M. Laroche, the principal of the seven traders, came with one of his men to see us VVe told hini that we should not permit him to give medals and flags to the Indians ; he declared thai he had no such intention, and we then suffered him to make use of one of our interpreters, on his stipula- ing not to touch any subject but that of his traffic with them An unfortunate accident occurred to Sergeant Pryor who, in taking down the boat's mast, d slocated his shoulder; nor was it till after four tri- als that we replaced it. ''November 30. About eight o'clock an Indian came^to the opposite bank of the river, eallina our Ini ^^,^ j^'^^V'^''.-^^^'"^ important to communicate ; and, on sending lor him, he told us that five Mandans had been met about eight leagues to the southwest b} ci party of Sioux, who had killed one of them wounded two, and taken nine horses; that four of Uic VVattasoons were missing, j^nd that the Man- dans expected an attack. We thought this an excel- lent opportunity to discountenance the injurious re- port^ against us, and to fix the wavering confidence of the nation. Captain Clarke, therefore, instantly crossed the river with twenty-three men, strongly lvZ!'n>^'''u'-''''''^'''^ the town, approached it from alJm .H ti ""expected appearance surprised and aidi ned the chiefs, who came out to meet him. and conducted him to the village. He then told them that, having heard of the outrage just committed, he naa co;i)c to assis'. his diitifu] philrlrpn • th-? -f ^'^--r wojld assemble their warriors and those of the na- tion, he would lead them against the Sioux, and U 2 138 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. I i avenge the blood of their countrymen. After some minutes' conversation, Oheenaw, the Chayenne, arose : ' We now see,' he said, ' that vviiat you have told us is true, since, as soon as our enemies threaten to attack us, you come to protect us, and are ready to chastise those who have spilled our blood. We did, indeed, listen to your good talk ; for when you told us that the other nations were inclined to peace with us, we went out carelessly, in small parties, and some have been killed by the Sioux and Ric- aras. But 1 knew that the Ricaras were liars, and I told their chief who accompanied you that his whole nation were liars and bad men ; that we had several times made a peace with them, which they were the first to break; that, whenever we pleased, we might shoot them like bulTalo, but that we had no wish to kill them ; that we would not suffer them to kill us, nor steal our horses ; and that, although we agreed to make peace with them because our two fathers desired it, yet we did not believe that they would be faithful long. Such, father, was my language to them in your presence, and you see that, instead of listening to your good counsels, they have spilled our blood. A few days ago two Ricaras came here, and told us tliat two of their villages were making moccasii)s ; that the Sioux were stirring them up against us ; and that we ought to take care of our horses. Yet these very Ricaras we sent home as soon as the news reached us to-day, lest our people should kill them in the first moment of grief for their murdered relatives. Four of the Wat- tasoons, whom we expected back in sixteen days, have been absent twenty-four, and we fear have fall- en. But, father, the snow is now deep, the weath- er cold, and our horses cannot travel through the plains : the murderers have gone otF. If you will conduct us in the spring, when the snow has disap- peared, we will assemble all the surrounding war- riors, and follow you.' ON. fter some hayenne, you have ; threaten ire ready lod. We vhen you to peace I parties, and Ric- liars, and that his t we had lich they pleased, t we had ffer them although ause our ieve that was my you see jels, they 3 Ricaras ges were stirring ^ake care we sent ■day, lest )ment of the Wat- en days, lave fall- e weath- 3ugh the you will as disap- ing war- CAPTAIN Clarke's reply to oiieenaw. 139 "Captain Clarke replied that we were always wilhng and able to defend them ; that he was sorrv the snow prevented their marching to meet the Si- oux, since he wished to show them that the war- riors ol their great father would chastise the ene- mies of his obedient children who opened their ears to his advice ; that if some Ricaras had joined the Sioux, they should remember that there were bad men in every nation, and that they should not be of- fended at the Ricaras till they saw whether these ill-disposed men were countenanced by the whole tribe : that the Sioux possessed great influence over the Ricaras, whom they supplied with military stores, and sometimes led them astray, because tliey were afraid to oppose them ; but that this should be the less offensive, since the Mandans themselves were under the same apprehensions from the Assiniboins and Knistenaux ; and that, while they were thus de- pendant, both the Ricaras and Mandans ought to ke^ep on terms with their powerful neighbours, whom they may afterward set at defiance, when we shall supply them with arms, and take them under our protection. t 1' ^f^6^,^w« hours' conversation Captain Clarke left the village. The chief repeatedly thanked him for the fatherly protection he had given them, ob- serving that the whole village had been weepintr all night and day for the brave young man who had been slain, but now they would wipe their eyes and weep no more, as they saw that their father would protect them. He then crossed the river on the ice, and re- turned on the north side to the fort. The day as well as the evening was cold, and the river rose to Its former height. "December 1. The wind was from the northwest, and the whole party engaged in picketing the fort. About ifn oVlook thp hnU' hr'-'^hei* -^ ^n^. u I J u — Ti^" 1 ' i^Fv^nier ui tac Jnan who had been killed came to inform us that six Shar- has, or Chayenne Indians, had arrived, brin^Jro' - : "i fum Ell» HO LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. pipe of peace, and that their nation was three days* march behind them. Three Pawnees had accom- panied the Sharhas ; and the Mandans, being afraid of the Sharhas on account of their being at peace with the Sioux, wished to put both them and the three Pawnees to death ; but the chiefs had forbid- den it, as it would be contrary to our wishes. We gave him a present of tobacco ; and although, from his connexion with tlie sufferer, he was more iaibit- tered against the Pawnees than any other Mandan, yet he seemed perfectly well satisfied with our pa- cific counsels and advice. The Mandans, we ob- serve, call all the Ricaras by the name of Pawnees ; the name of Ricaras being that by which the nation distinguishes itself. " In the evening we were visited by a Mr. Hender- son, who came from the Hudson's Bay Company \r trade with the Minnetarees. He had been about eight days on his route, in a direction nearly south, and brought with him tobacco, beads, and other rner- cnandise, to trade for furs, and a few guns, which are to be exchanged for horses. " December 2. The latter part of the evening was warm, and a thaw continued till the morning, when the wind shifted to the north. At eleven o'clock the chiefs of the lower village brought down four of the Sharhas. We explained to them our intentions, and advised them to remain at peace with each oth- er : we also gave them a flag, some tobacco, and a speech for their nation. These were a(M3ompanied by a letter to Messrs. Tabeau and Gravelines at th(i Ricara village, requesting them to preserve peace if possible, and to declare the part which we should be forced to take if the Ricaras and Sioux made war on those whom we had adopted. After distrib- uting a few presents to the Sharhas and ManJans, and showing them our curiosities, we dismissed them, apparently well pleased at their reception. "December 3. The morning was fine, but II) ION. iree clays' d accom- ing afraid at peace 1 and the id forbid- les. We ugh, from Dre iaibit- ■ Mandan, h our pa- s, we ob- ^awnces ; he nation . Hender- mpany \r en about 'ly south, ther iner- is, which (ning was ng, when 1 o'clock n four of itentions, each olh- co, and a jmpanied les at the ve peace 'e should ux made !r distrib- VlanJans, lis missed 3lion. 3, but in RELIGION OP THE MANDANS. 141 the afternoon the weather became cold, with the wmd from the northwest. The father of the Man dan who was killed brought us a present of dried pumpkins and .ame pemitigon, for which we gave iven' e"th/ dp n^'^'V'V"-'- ^"^ ""'''' «^ assistanSIo avenge the death of his sou seemed to have oro- the b'otlfe?on/ r^''' '';^"V"«^' '' well as f?om ' Decemhpr "^%^,^^^^.«^^' ^hich pleased us much. December 4. The wind continues from the north- • 2 in h ""'ff'"' "V""^^' ^"^ ^^^^' ^"d the river rose one nch. Oscapsahe and two younff chiefs nass the day with us. The whole religion of he £! duns consists in the behef of one Great Spirit pre- sidmg over their destinies. This being mSst be fa U,e nature of a good genius, since it is associated with the healing art, and the great spirit is synony- nious with great medicine, a name also applied to ev'ery thing which they do not comprehend. Every dividua selects for himself the particular object o^f s devotion, which is termed his medicine, and is ei- ^,^?Zv'l'T' ^T^^ ^^' "^^^^ commonly, some a 1 lal, which thenceforward becomes his protector, 01 his intercessor with the Great Spirit; to propiti* ate whom every attention is lavished, and every per- sonal consideration is sacrificed. 'I was latelv Tv^fh^l f venteen horses,' said a Mandan to us one day, but I have offered them all up to my medicine wealth-his horses-into the plain, and, turning them loose committed them to the care of his medicin^ and abandoned them forever." * * * " Their bS hi ori^irThl^ is connected with this tradition of their origin . The whole nation resided in one large vil- lage under ground, near a subterraneous lake A grape vine extended its roots down to their habita- lon, and gave them a view of the light. Some of the most adventurous climbed up the'vinc, and we?e ^iehghted with the sight of the earth, which They found covered with I Talo, and rich wi h ever^ kind .'■..^J; 142 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. ll'illMi i\d> of fruits. Returning with the grapes they had gath- ered, their countrymen were so pleased with the taste of them, that the whole nation resolved to leave their dull residence for the charms of the up- per region. Men, women, and children ascended by means of the vine ; but when about half the nation had reached the surface of tlie earth, a corpulent woman, who was clambering up the vino, broke it with her weight, and closed upon herself and tlie rest of the nation the light of the sun. Those who were left on the earth made a village below, where "we saw the nine villages ; and when the Mandans die they expect to return to the original seats of their forefathers, the good reaching the ancient vil- lage by means of the lake, which the burden of the sins of the wicked will not enable them to cross." The frost increased, the thermometer standing at ten degrees above zero. " On the 7th," the narra- tive continues, " Shahaka, the chief of the lower village, came to apprize us that the buffalo were near, and that his p.ople were waiting for us to join them in the chase. Captain Clarke, with fifteen men, went out, and found the Indians engaged in killing the buffalo. The hunters, mounted on horseback, and armed with bows and arrows, encircle the herd, and gradually drive them into a plain, or an open place fit for the movements of horse. They tlien ride among them, and, singling out a buffalo, a fe- male being preferred, go as close as possible, and wound her with arrows till they think they have given the mortal stroke ; when they pursue another, till the quiver is exhausted. If, which rarely hap- pens, the wounded buffalo attacks the hunter, he evades the blow by the agility of his horse, which is trained for the combat with great dexterity. When they have killed the requisite number, they collect the game, and the squaws and attendants come up from the rear, and skin and dress the ani- mals. Captain Clarke killed ten buffalo, of which SEVERITY OF THE COLD. 143 lad galh- w'lth the olved to ■ the up- inded by e nation orpulent broke it and the ose who V, where ^landans seats of !ient vil- n of the ross." nding at e narra- e lower lo were s to join !en men, 1 killing rseback, he herd, an open ley then lo, a fe- ible, and ey have another, ely hap- nter, lie 3, which 3Xterity. er, they tendants the ani- »f which five only were brought to the fort, the rest (which could not be conveyed home) being seized by the Indians; among whom the custom is, that when- over a butfalo is found dead, without any arrow or particular mark, he is the property of the finder ; so that often a hunter secures scarcely any of the game he kills, if the arrow happens to fall off. Whatever IS left out at night falls to the share of the wolves who are the constant and numerous attendants of the buffalo. The river closed opposite the fort last night an nich and a half in thickness. In the morn- ing the thermometer stood at one degree below zero Tiiree men were badly frostbitten in consequence of their exposure. " December 8. The thermometer stood at twelve (Ipgrees below zero, that is, at forty-two degrees be- low the freezing point ; the wind was from the north- west. Captain Lewis, with fifteen men, went out to liiint the buffalo, great numbers of which darkened the prairies for a considerable distance. Thev did not return till after dark, having killed eight buffalo and one deer. The hunt was, however, very fa- tiguing, as they were obliged to make a circuit to tlie distance of more than seven miles. The cold too, was so excessive, that the air was filled with icv particles resembling a fog, and the snow was gen- erully SIX or eight inciies deep, and sometimes eigh- teen; in consequence of whi'^h, two of the party were hurt by falls, and several had their feet frostbitten. "December 9. The wind was this day from the east, the thermometer at seven degrees above zero and the sun shone clear: two chiefs visited us, one in a sleigh drawn by a dog, and loaded with meat. December 10. Captain Clarke, who had gone out yesterday with eighteen men to bring in the meat we had killed the day before and to continue the hunt came in at twelve o'clock. After killing nine buffalo, and preparing that already dead, 1. j had spent a cold, disagreeable night on the snow, with no cov- ' -1 11 I 'M.i ^ll ^H 144 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. ering but a small blanket, sheltered by the hides of the buffalo they had killed. We observe large herds of buffalo crossing the river on the ice. The men who were frostbitten are recovering ; but the weath- er is still exceedingly cold, the wind being from the north, and the thermometer at ten and eleven de- grees below zero : the rise of the river is one inch and a half. , , " December 11. The weather became so intense- ly cold, that we sent for all the hunters who had re- mained out with Captain Clarke's party, and they returned in the evening, several of them frostbitten. The wind was from the north, and the thermometer at sunrise stood at twenty-one below zero, the ice in the atmosphere being so thick as to render the weather hazy, and give the appearance of two suns reflecting each other. The river continues at a stand. Pocapsalie made us a visit to-day. "December 12. The wind is still from the north, the thermometer being at sunrise thirty-eight de- crees below zero. One of the Ahnahaways brought us down the half of an antelope killed near the fort. We had been informed that all these animals return to the Black Mountains ; but there are great num- bers of them about m at this season, which we might easily kill, but are unwilling to venture out before our constitutions are hardened gradually to the cli- mate. We measured the river on the ice, and find it five hundred yards wide immediately opposite the fort." * * * '^December 14. The morning was fine, and the weather having moderated so far that the mercury stood at zero, Captain Lewis went down with a par- ty to hunt. They proceeded about eighteen miles ; but, the buffalo having left .the banks of the river, they saw only two, which were so poor as not to be worth killing, and shot two deer. Notwithstanding the snow, we were visited by a large number of tuO Maudans." * * * '.'t )N. hides of rge herds The men 10 wealh- from the level! de- one inch > intcnse- 10 had re- and they ostbitten. rmomelcr 0, the ice ender the two suns iLies at a :hc north, eight de- ^s brought r the fort, als return •eat num- wo might )ut before to the cli- !, and find posite the 1, and the J mercury ath a par- icn miles ; the river, ; not to be ihstanding bcf of tiiO INDIAN GAME OF BILLIARDS. 145 "Doccmhcr 16. The mor.u the mercury at sunrise '22^ bcl iiey, with two other persons fr "g is clear and cold, owzcro. A Mr. Ha. om the British estab- lisli nf-.Mt nn fi.«7 * I " '"^ ormsn estab- i r the Assimboin, arrived in six days, wit' a letter from Mr. Charles Chabouiiles, one of U ^ company, who, with much politeness, offered to ren! der us any service in his pow' ^ if 148 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. comprised between the Mississippi, the Red River of Lake Winnipeg, the Saskashawan, and the Mis- souri, is loosely occupied by a great nation, whose primitive name is Darcota, but who are called Sioux by the French, Sues by the English. Their origmal seals were on the Mississippi, but they have gradu- ally spread themselves abroad, and become subdivi- ded into numerous tribes. Of these, what may be considered as the Darcotas are the Mindawarcarton, or Minowakanton, known to the French by the name of the Gens du Lac, or People of the Lake, /rheir residence is on both sides of the Mississippi, near the Falls of St. Anthony, and the probable number of their warriors about three hundred. Above them., on the River St. Peter's, is the Wahpatone, a small- er band of nearly two hundred men ; and still far- ther up the same river, below Yellow Wood River, are the Wahpatootas, or Gens de Fcuilles, an inferior band of not more than one hundred men ; while the sources of the St. Peter's are occupied by the Sisa- tocnes, a band consisting of about two hundred war- riors. „ ,!.,,• "These bands rarely, if evor, approach the Mis- souri, which is occupied by their kinsmen the Yanktons and the Tetons. The Yanktons are of two tribes: those of the plains, or, rather, of the north— a wandering race of about five hundred men, who roam over the plains at the heads of the Jacques, the Sioux, and the Red Rivers ; and those of the south, who possess the country between the Jacques and Sioux Rivers an i the Des Moines. But the bands of Sioux most known on the Missouri are the Tetons. The first who are met on ascending the Missouri are the tribe called by the French the Tetons of the Bois Bride, or Burnedwood, who reside on both sides of the Missouri, about White and Teton Rivers, and number two hundred warriors. Above them, on the Missouri, are the Teton Okandandas, a band of one hundred men, living below the Chayenne DN. led River the Mis- 311, whose lied Sioux ir original Lve gradu- e subdivi- it may be varcarton, the name Their THE ASSINIBOINS. 119 e. near sippi, e number )ove them, B, a small- 1 still far- )od River, in inferior while the T the Sisa- idred war- 1 the Mis- smen the )ns are of ler, of the 3 hundred ads of the and those jtween the ines. But issouri are ascending [French the who reside and Teton •s. Above uidandas, a J Chayenne River, between which and the Wetarhoo River is a third band, called Teton Minnakenozzo, of nearly two hundred and fifty men ; and below the Warre- conne is the fourth and last tribe of Tetons, of about three hundred men, and called Teton Saone. North- ward of these, between the Assiniboin and the Mis- souri, are two bands of Assiniboins, one on Mouse River, of about two hundred men, and called Assini- boin Menatopa, the other residing on both sides of White River, called by the French Gens de Feuilles, and amounting to two hundred and fifty men. Be- yond these, a band of Assiniboins of four hundred and fifty men, and called the Big Devils, wander on the heads of iMilk, Porcupine, and Martha's Rivers • while still farther to the north are seen two bands' of the same nation, one of five hundred, and the other of two hundred, roving on the Saskashawan. Those Assiniboins are recognised by a similarity of lan- guage, and by tradition, as descendants or seceders from the Sioux ; though often at war, are still ac- knowledged as relations. The Sioux themselves, though scattered, meet annually on the Jacques, those on the Missouri trading with those on the Mis- sissippi." The weather was cold for the remainder of the month, with the thermometer at from ten to twenty degrees below zero. The Indians continued their visits for the purposes of traffic, and on these occa- sions were for the most part honest, though they would occasionally pilfer when they had a good opportunity of so doing. }y^. '.{■■ 160 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. CHAPTER VI. The Party increase in Favour.— A Buffalo Dance.— Medicine Dance.— The Fortitude with which the Indian bears the Se- verity of the Season.— Distress of the Party for Want of Pro- visions. — The great Importance of the Blacksmith in procu- ring it,— Depredations of the Sioux.— The Homage paid to the Medicine Stone.— Summary Act of Justice among the Min- netarees. — The Process by which the Mandans and Ricaras make Beads. — Character of the Missouri and of the surround- ing Country. " January 1, 1805. The new year was welcomed by two shots from the swivel, and a round of small arms. The weather was cloudy, but moderate ; the mercury, which at sunrise was at 18°, in the course of the day rose to 34° above zero : towards evening it began to rain, and at night we had snow, the tem- perature for which is about zero. In the morning we permitted sixteen men, with their music, to go up to the first village, where they delighted the whole tribe with their dances, particularly with the move- ments of one of the Frenchmen, who danced on his head.* In return, they presented the dancers with several buffalo robes and quantities of corn. We were desirous of showing this attention to the vil- lage, because they had received an impression that we had been wanting in regard for them, and because they had, in consequence, circulated invidious com- parisons between us and the northern traders : all these, however, they declared to Captain Clarke, who visited them in the course of tlic morning, were made in jest. As Captain Clarke was about leaving the village, two of their chiefs returned from a mis- sion to the Gros Ventres, or wandering Minnetarees. * Probably on his hands, with his head downward. ON. STEALING AN INDIAN GIRL. . — Medicine sars the Se- Vant of Pro- ith in procu- ;e paid to the ng the Min- and Kicaras tie surround- welcomed i of small erate ; the he course s evening , the tem- 3 morning 2, to go up the whole ;he move- ;eci on his icers with orn. We ;o the vil- ssion that d because ous com- iders: all n Clarke, ling, were ut leaving )m a mis- nietarees. vard. 151 These peop e were encamped about ten miles above, and while there one of the Ahnahaways had stolen a Mmnetaree girl. The whole nation immediatelv espoused the quarrel, and one hundred and fifty of their warriors were marching down to reventre the msult on the Ahnahaways. The chief of that nation took the girl from the ravisher, and, giving her to the Mandans, requested their intercession. The mes- sengers went out to meet the warriors, and delivered the young damsel into the hands of her countrymen smoked the pipe of peace with them, and were for- tunate enough to avert their indignation and induce them to return. In the evening some of the men came to the fort, and the rest slept in the village Pocapsahe also visited us, and brought some meat on his wife's back. " January 2. It snowed last night, and during this day the same scene of gayety was renewed at the second village, and all the men returned in the even- ing. " January 3. Last night it became very cold, and this morning we had some snow. Our hunters were sent out for buffalo, but the game had been fright- ened from the river by the Indians, so that they ob- tained only one ; they, however, killed a hare and a wolf. Among the Indians who visited us was a Mmnetaree, who came to seek his wife: she had been much abused, and came here for protection, but returned with him, as we had no authority to separ ate those whom even the Mandan rites had united. " January 4. The morning was cloudy and warm, the mercury being 28° above zero ; but towards evening the wind changed to northwest, and the weather became cold. We sent some hunters down the river, but they killed only one buffalo and a wolf. We received the visit of Kagohami, who is very friendly, and to whom we o^ave a handkerch " two files. and '! -^ ■'*' » iiyi «TV :i.;ji, (( January 6. We had high and boisterous winds 152 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. last night and this morning. The Indians continue to purchase repairs with grain of different kinds. In the first village there has been a Buffalo dance for the last three nights, which has put them all into commotion." * * * " When buffalo become scarce, they send a man to harangue the village, declaring that the game is far off, and that a feast is necessary to bring it back ; and, if the village be disposed, a day and place is named for the celebration of it." Besides this, there is another called the Medicine dance, which is given by any person de^rous of doing honour to his medicine or genius. He an- nounces that on such a day he will sacrifice his horses or other property, and invites the girls of the village to assist in rendering homage to his medi- cine. All the inhabitants may join in the celebra- tion, which is performed in the open plain, and by daylight ; but the dance is reserved altogether for the young unmarried females. The ceremony com mences with devoting the goods of the master of the feast to his medicine, which is represented by a head of the amimal to be offered, or by a medicine bag, if the deity be an invisible being. The dance follows ; which, as well as that of the buffalo, con- sists of little more than an exhibition of the most fouV and revolting indecencies.* * In the account of Major Long's expedition to the Rocky Mountains in 1819-20, there is a description of the Dog dance, performed by the Kanzas for the entertainment of their guests ; and of a still more striking exhibition of the Beggar's dance, at a council held at Council Bluffs by Major O'Falion with about 100 Ottoes and a deputation of loways, which Shongatonga, the Big Horse, opened with these words: "My father: Your children have come to dance before your tent, agreeably to our council of honouring brave and distinguished men." After a reply made by Major O'Kallon, a succession of dancers came forward ; and in the intervals a warrior would step forward and strike a temporary flagstaff, erected for the purpose, with a stick or some weapon, recounting at the same time his martial deeds. This is called strikmg the post.— Vol. i., p. 153. " Annually in the niomh of Julv. the Minnetarees celebrate EXPOSURE OF AN INDIAN BOY. 153 continue It kinds, lance for all into 3 scarce, leclaring Bcessary posed, a 1 of it." ^ledicine rous of He an- ifice his Is of the is medi- celebra- , and by ther for ny com 3r of the id by a medicine e dance ilo, con- le most le Rocky og dance, ir guests j (iance, at ith about ngatonga, er : Your aly to our After a ers came ward and th a slick ial deeds, celebrate i{ January 9. The thei with Jrmometer at sunrise aegrees Delow zero. Kagohami breakfastea witf us, and Captain Clarke, with three or four men ac companied him and a party of Indians to hunt, , a which they were so fortunate as to kill a number of buffalo ; but they were incommoded by snow, bv high and squally winds, and by extreme Jold. Sev- eral of the Indians came to the fort nearly frozen, others are missing, and we are uneasv for one of our men, who was separated from the rest during the chase and has not returned. In the morning, nowever, he came back just as we were sendinlr out five men in search of him. The night had been excessively cold, and this morning, January 10th, at sunrise the mercury stood at 40 decrees be- low zero, or 72 below the freezing poi t ^He had however, made a fire and kept h/iT^self tolerably warm. A young Indian, about thirteen years of fff' ^^^l^T'^ '» soon after. His father, who came last night to inquire after him very anxiously, had sent him m the afternoon to the fort. He was ovei^ well^feTomS with h''' "' "^T' "-^ P^"'^^»^«' ^'^^'^h may If Iho u T r ^^^^ currach-pooja, or expiatory tortures of the Hindus, so often celebrated at Calcutta. On tbs occa- sion a considerable quantity of food is prepared, wl c L weU nee ^nc'^smTn H^ '" ^'^ '''' '"^""'^- The'devotei £ aance ant. sing to their music at intervals, for three or four ol^s eTtf" if' r^ '' '^' "?^"^'^' without attempS^^' 10 taste o( them : if a stranger enters he is invited to cat thonah one partakes with him. On the third or four day tKe e er expiatory tortures are commenced, to which tLpmcedins ceremonies are but preludes." These tortures consist' lone at? ter another successively presenting himself, and having Pieces of flesh or portions of skin cut from the fleshy pa ts or in hav! "ig cords passed through holes pierced in the shoLklers «nH te?&V<;fr!Vti^'. ^° ^^^ '«'se, or it^a htse"!; wa- nfrilj'f "f/'"^^^'^'^ we also find an account of human victims offered to Venus, or the Great Star. This horrre sSTe i7,A«f'?Vr""''^^^y ^^"°"S ^he Pawnee Loups, the victims be^ uig selected from prisoners taken in war; a.ul the drJaJful cer emony has been but lately abolished.- Vol i j 375 f ^jr ^ '?^Hff^i^ 1 L^ 1 I :.1f 154 LEWIS AND CLARKE*S EXPEDITION. taken by the night, and was obliged to sleep on the *now, with no covering except a pair of antelope- skin moccasins and leggins, and a buffalo robe : his feet being frozen, we put them into cold water, and gave him every attention in our power. About the same time, an Indian who had also been missing returned to the fort; and, although his dress was very thin, and he had slept on the snow without a fire, he had not suffered the slightest inconvenience. We have, indeed, observed that these Indians sup- port the rigours of the season in a way which we had hitherto thought impossible. A more pleasing reflection occurred at seeing the warm interest which the situation of these two persons had exci- ted in the village. The boy had been a prisoner, and adopted from charity ; yet the distress of the father proved that he felt for him the tenderest af- fection. The man was a person of no distinction, yet the whole village was full of anxiety for his safety ; and, when they came to us, borrowed a sleigh to bring them home with ease if they had survived, or to carry their bodies if they had per- ished." The cold was at this time intense, the thermome- ter ranging from 20° to 38° below zero. " January 13. Nearly one half of the Mandan na- tion passed down the river to hunt for several days. In these excursions, men, women, and children, with their dogs, ail leave the village together, and, after discovering a spot convenient for the game, fix their tents ; all the family bear their part in the labour, and the game is equally divided among the families of the tribe. When a single hunter returns from the chase with more than is necessary for his own immediate consumption, the neighbours are entitled by custom to a share of it : they do not, however, ask for it, but send a squaw, who, without saying anything, sits down by the door of the lodge till the jmaster understands the hint, and gives her gratui- ty ji'i N. p on the .ntelope- obe : his iter, and bout the missing ess was ithout a enience. ms sup- hich we pleasing interest ad exci- jrisoner, s of the 3rest af- tinction, for his 'Owed a hey had tiad per- ;rmome- ndaii na- 'al days, •en, with nd, after fix their ! labour, families ns from his own entitled 10 w ever, t saying e till the f gratui- TNTRIGUE OP BRITISH AGENT. 155 tously a part for her Aimily. Chaboneau and anoth- er man, who had gone to some lodges of Minneta- rees near the Turtle Mountain, returned witii their faces much frostbitten. They had been about nine- ty miles distant, and procured from the inhabitants some meat and grease, with which they loaded the horses. He informed us that the agent of the Hudson s Bay Company at that place had been en- deavouring to make unfavourable impressions with regard to us on the mind of the great chief, and that the Northwest Company intended building a fort there Iho great chief had, in consequence, spoken slight- ingly of the Americans ; but said that, if we would give him our great flag, he would come and see us "January 14. The Mandans continued to pass down the river on their hunting-party, and were joined bv s X of our men. One of those sent on Thursday re'- tnrnexl with information that one of his companions had his leet so badly frostbitten that he could not walk home. In their excursion they had killed a buffalo, a wolf, two porcupines, and a white hare. The weather was more moderate to-day, the mer- cury being at 16° below zero, and the wind from the southeast ; we had, however, some snow, afler which It remained cloudy. "January 15. The morning is much warmer than yesterday, and the snow begins to melt, though the wind, after being for some time from the southeast suddenly shifted to northwest. Between twelve and three o'clock A.M., there was a total eclipse of the moon, from which we obtained a part of the ob- servation necessary for ascertaining the longitude " We were visited by four of the most distinguish- ed men of the Minnetarees, to whom we showed marked attentions, as we knew that they had been taught to entertain strong prejudices against us inese we succeeded so well in removing, that when m the morning, * " January 16, about thirty Mandans, among whom I 156 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. six were diiefs, came to see us, the Minnetarecs re- proached Ihem with tlicir falsehoods, declaring that they were bad men, and ought to hide ihemse ves. They had told the Minnetarecs that w^e would kill thcin if they came to the fort ; yet, on the contrary, they had spent a night there, and been treated with kindness by the whites, who had smoked with them, and danced for their amusement. Kagohami visaed us, and brought us a little corn ; aiv^ soon afterward one of the chiefs of the Minnetarecs came, accom- panied by his squaw, a handsome woman. He la- voured us with a very acceptable present, a draught of the Missouri, in his manner; and informed us ot his intention to go to war in the spring against the Snake Indians. We advised him to reflect seriously before he committed the peace of his natioa to the hazards of war; to look back on the numerous na- tions whom war had destroyed ; that, if he wished his nation to be happy, he should cultivat.e peace and intercourse with all his neighbours, by which means they would procure more horses and increase in nunvbers; and that, if he went to war, he would displease his great father the president, and forfeit his protection. We added, that we had spoken thus to all the tribes whom we had met ; that they had all opened their ears ; and thai the presid(3nt would compel those who did not voluntarily listen to his advice. Although a young man of only twenty-six years of age, this discourse seemed to strike him. He observed that, if it would be displeasing to us, he would not go to war, since he had horses enough ; and that he would advise all the nation to remain at home until we had seen the Snake Indians, and dis- covered whether their intentions were pacific. The weather during the remainder of the month was variable, and not as cold as it had been. Sev- eral attempts were made to disengage the boats from the ice, but they were unsuccesslul. On the 18lh they were visited by Messrs. Laroche aua i N. arecs re- iring llrat inselves. /ould kill contrary, itcid with illi them, ni visiied iflerward ;, accom- , He fa- rt draught ned us of gainst the s(;riously iOLi to the erous na- ic! wished ite peace by which 3 increase ne would md forfeit oken thus ; they had f3nt would len to his wenty-six trike him. gto us, he s enough; remain at s, and dis- cific." the month jen. Sev- the boats 1. On the rochc aud INDIAN BATTLE-AXE. 157 M'Kenzie, two of the Northwest Company's traders, accompanied by some of the Minnetarees. The neighbouring Indians made frequent visits to the encampment, bringing their household utensils to be repaired, and corn to pay for it. " February 1. Our hunters returned, having killed only one deer. One of the Minnetaree war-chiefs, a young man named Maubuksheahokeah, or Seeing Snake, came to see us, and procure a war-hatchet. He also requested that we would suffer him to go to war against the Sioux and Ricaras, who had killed a Mandan some time ago ; this v*^e refused, for rea- Bons which we explained to him. He acknowledg- ed that we were right, and promised to open his ears to our counsels." ** * u February 4. The morning fair and cold, the mercury at sunrise being 18° below zero, and the wind from the northwest. The stock of meat which we had procured in November and December being now nearly exhausted, it became necessary to re- new our supply. Captain Clarke, therefore, took eighteen men, and, with two sleighs and three horses, descended the river for the purpose of hunti'ig, as the buffalo has disappeared from our neighbourhood, and the Indians are themselves suffering for want of meat. Two deer were killed to-day, but they were very lean. " February 5. A pleasant, fair morning, with the wind from the northwest. A number of the Indians came with corn for the blacksmith, who, being now provided with coal, has become one of our greatest resources for procuring grain. They seem to be particularly attached to a battle-axe of a very in- convenient figure. It is made whol'y of iron, the blade extremely thin, and from seven io nine inches long ; it is sharp at the point, and five or six inches on each side, whence it converges towards the eye, Vr'iiicu IS circuiar, and about an mci; n diamctci', the blade itself being not more than an inch wide. The Vol. I.— ti^n ^^■L >!* •^'.fe' f I i I 'li 158 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION. I. han^lle is straight, and twelve or fifteen inches long, the wii )le weighing about a pound. 13y way of or- nament, the blade is perforated with several circular holes. The length of the blade, compared with the shortness of the handle, renders it a weapon ol very little strength, particularly as it is always used on horseback Tlitie is still, however, another form which is even worse, the same sort of handle being fixed to a blade resembling a spontoon. " February 6. The morning was fair and pleasant, the wind northwest. A number of Indian chiefs vis- ited us, and withdrew after we had smoked with them, contrary to their custom ; ft*-, after being once introduced into our apartment, they are fond of lounging about during the remainder of the day. One of the men killed three antelopes. Our black- smith has his time completely occupied, so great is the demand for utensils of difterent kinds. The lu dians are particularly fond of sheet-iron, out of which they form points for arrows, and instruments for scraping hides ; and, when the blacksmith cut up an old cambouse of that metal, we obtained, for every piece of four inches square, seven or eight gallons of corn from the Indians, who were delighted at the exchange. . r - a u " February 7. The morning was fair, ann much warmer than for some days, the thermometer being at 180 above zero, and the wind from the southeast. A number of Indians continue to visit us ; but, learn- ing that the interpreter's squaws had been accus- tomed to unbar the gate during the night, we order- ed a lock to bf put on it, and that no Indian should remain in the fort all night, nor any person be ad- mitted during the hours when the gate is closed, that is, from sunset to sunrise. " February 8. A fair, pleasant morning, willi south- cast winds. Pocopsahe came down to the fort with a bow, and apologized for his not having anished a shield which he had promised Captain Lewis, and lu HARDIHOOD OF THE INDIAN HORSES. 159 which the weather had prevented him from com. pleting. This chief possesses more firmness, Intel- igencp and integrity than any Indian of this comi- try, and lie might be rnidered highly serviceable in that the Mandans are very much in want of meat and that he himself had not tasted any for several days. To this distress they are oft( if reduced by heir own improvidence, or by their unhappy situa- tion. 1 heir principal article of food is buffelo meat, th( ir beans, corn, and other grain being reserved fo^ summer, or as a last resource against what thev constantly dread, an attack from the Sioux, who drivp off the game, and confine them to their vil- iagcb. 1 he same fear, too, prevents their goinff out to hunt in small parties to relieve their occask)nal wants, so that the buffalo is generally obtained in large quantities, and wasted by carelessness " r ^\^^^^} ^^7 ^^^y ^^''^ visited by Mr. M'Kenzie, from the Northwest Company's establishment In- formation was received that their horses were be- low, loaded with meat, but unable to cross the ice from not being shod. The weather for several days contin !ed moderate. "^ "February 12. The morning," continues the nar- rative, is fair, though cold, the mercury beiuff 14o below zero the wind from Ih southeast. About four o clock the horses were 1 -ou^rht in much fa- tigued; on giving them meal-bi.m moistened with water, they would not eat it, but preferred the bark of the Cottonwood, which, as has been already ob- ser cd, forms their principal food during the winter II. horses of the Mandans are so often stolen by the Siou:.. Ricaras, and Assiniboins, that tlio invari- able rule now is, to put the horses every night in i -e same lodge with the family, ^n the summer they ramble in the plains in the vicinity of the camp, and teed on the grass: but during cold weather the squaws cut down the cottonwood-trees as they are I.;; Ill: ^ p IGO LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION. wanted and the horses feed on the boughs ami bark of U e te'^^^ brandies, which are also brough into ?ho odaos at night and placed near then. Ihese • J « MPP vcrv severely treated ; for whole days ?hey aV ursui^thc bTil^^^^ burdened with the fruils ( f tCc lasT, during which they scarcely ever ast 'lV)od and at night return to a scanty allowance nf woo vet the spirit of this valuable anmral sus- Ui^ i?nn\hro^^H'all these dimetUties, and he is rarelv deficient either in flesh or vigour. " Febrimry 13. The morning was cloudy ; he ther riome er at 2° below zero; the wind from the -ioutS^^ t'l^'-ke returned last evening 1vU la 1 his hunting party. JJ^^ng the.r exciirsuo^i ♦v,..v irul killed forty deer, three buflalo, and six- een eik- bu most of the' game was too lean for use ami Ihe wolves, which regard whatever lies out nfniXt IS their own, had appropriated a large part of "when 1 e left the fart on the 4th instant, he 1 w r!n ho ice twentv-two miles to New- M^^'d^if. Islm?d, n a s^ old villages, and ™ped forty-four miles from the fort, on a sand- S near the\nouth of a creek on the southwest Side whic^they called Hunting Creek and during this'and the following day hunted through all the ad- loininff Plains with much success, having killed a ^ K?,. ^fTppr and elk On the 8th, the best of the r waf stuvTth t^e horses to the fon ; and ^uch mrts of the remainder as were fit for use were Kmight to a point of the river three miles below and after the bones were taken out, secured in pens buiU of logs, so as to keep off the wolves ravens, and in^P. which are very numerous, and constantly to the low grounds near the Chisshetaw River, v^hpre thev encamped, but saw nothing except some wolves on'^hrhm a number of buffalo too poor ZTe worth hunting. The next rnornmg, the Oth^as ihere was no game, and it wouici have beua muun PARTY ATTACKED BY TME SIOUX. 161 id bark hi into These a clays ilh the ly ever )want*3 lul sus- [i he is y ; the om the evening cMirsion md six- lean for lies out rge part 5tant, he New- ges, and 1 a sand- luthwest d during .1 the ad- killed a ;st of the and such ise were IS below, d in pens vens, and onstantly hen went w River, ;ept some ) too poor he 9th, as Oil inccn venient to send it back sixty miles to the fort, they returned up the river, and for three days hunted along the banks and plains, and reached the fort in the evening of the liitli, much fatigued, having walk- ed thirty miles that day on the ice and through the snow, in many places knee deep, their moccasins, too, being nearly worn out. The only game • 'lich they saw, besides what is mentioned, were some grouse on the sand-bars in the river. "February 14. Last night the snow fell three inches deep, but the day was fine. Four men were despatched with sleds and three horses, to bring up the meat which had been collected by the hunters. They returned, however, with intelligence that, about twenty-one miles below the fort, a party of upward of one hundred men, whom they supposed to be Sioux, rushed on them, cut the traces of the sleds, and curried off two of the horses, the third being given up by the intercession of an Indian who seemed to possess some authority over them ; they also took away two of the men's knives and a tom- ahawk, which last, however, they returned. We sent up to the Mandans to inform them of it, and to know whether any of them would join a party which intended to pursue the robbers in the morn- ing. About twelve o'clock two of their chiefs came down, and said that all their young men were out hunting, and that there were few guns in the village. Several Indians, however, armed, some with bows and arrows, some with spears and battle-axes, and two with fusils, accompanied Captain Lewis, who set out on the 15th, at sunrise, with twenty-four men. The morning was fine and cool, the ther- mometer being at 16° below zero. In the course of the day, one of the Mandan chiefs returned from Captain Lewis's party, his eyesight having become 80 bad that he could not proceed. At this season of the year, the refiection from the ice and snow is Dv xulcuac as lu uuuasiuii uiUiOsi i.Oiai Duiiuiicss. 02 ^ ^ * . i I ■'^-'■^mm 162 LEWIS AND ^ r^RKfi's EXPEP!TION. This complaint is very common, and the general remedy is to sweat the part affected by holding the face over a hot stone, and receiving the fumes from snow thrown on it." The weather became milder, and on the 16th .he mercury rose to 32° above zero. Their stock of meat being exhausted, they were obliged to live on vegetable diet, in which they suffered but little in- convenience, as the Indians supplied them plentifully with corn. "February 20. The day was delightfully fine," continues the Journal, " the mercury being at sun- rise 2°, and in the course of the day 22° above zero, the wind southerly. Kagohami came down to see us early. His village is afflicted by the death of one of their oldest men, who, from his account to us, must have seen one hundred and twenty win- ters. Just as he was dying, he requested his grand- children to dress him in his best robe when he was dead, and then carry him to a hill and seat him on a stone, with his face down the river towards their old villages, that he might go straight to his brother, who had passed before him to the ancient village under ground. We have seen a number of Man- dans who have lived to a great age ; chiefly, howev- er, .he men, whose robu! t exercises fortify the body, while the laborious occupations of the women short- en their existence. " February 21. We had a continuation of the same pleasant weather. Oheenaw and Shahaka came down to see us, and mentioned that several of their countrymen had gone to consult their medi- icine stone as to the prospects of the following year. This medicine stone is the great oracle of the Man- dans, and whatever it announces is believed with implicit confidence. Every spring, and, on some oc- casions, during the summer, a deputation visits the sacred spot, where there is a thick, porous stone iwenty feet in circumference, with a smooth sur- si I ■ 1 f i il !4;i|-;;i^; general ing the 3s from 6tb the ;ock of live on ittle in- ntifuUy y fine," at sun- ^ above e down le death jount to ty win- 5 grand- he was him on ds their brother, ; village )f Man- howev- le body, n short- of the iJhahaka several ;ir medi- {\g year. he Man- ed with lome oc- isits the IS stone oth sur- CONSULTING THE MEDICINE STONE. 163 face. Having reached the place, the ceremony of smoking to it is performed by the deputies, who al- ternately take a whiff themselvis, and then present the pipe to the stone ; after this they retire to an adjoining v/ood for the night, during which it may be safely presumed that all the embassy do not sleep, and in the morning they read the destinies of the nation in the white marks on the stone, which those who made them are at no loss to decipher. The Minnetarees have a stone of a similar kind, which has the same quahties, and the same influence over the nation. "Captain Lewis returned from his excursion in pursuit of the Indians. On reaching the place where the Sioux had stolen our horses, they found only one sled and several pairs of moccasins, which were recognised to be those of the Sioux. The party then followed the Indian tracks till they reach- ed two old lodges, where they slept, and the next morning pursued the course of the river till they reached some Indian camps, where Captain Clarke passed the night some time ago, and which the Sioux had now set on fire, leaving a little corn near the place, in order to induce a belief that they were Ricaras, From this point the Sioux' tracks left the river abruptly and crossed into the plains ; but, perceiving that there was no chance of overtaking them, Captain Lewia v/ent down to the pen where Captain Clarke hau leu some meat, which he found untouched by the Indians, and then hunted in the low grounds on the river, till he returned with about three thousand pounds of meat (some drawn in a sled by fifteen of the men, and the rest brought on horseback), having killed thirty-six deer, fourteen elk, and one wolf." The weather was now mild and pleasant, and the ice in the river so far thawed that they were enabled to extricate their boats, and draw them up on the bank. They were all busily engaged in preparing ■^1 '<; f I'/ ■ l*'l 164 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. the necessary tools for building boats of a smaller size, in which to continue their voyage up the Mis- souri. " On the 28th of February," says the Jour- nal, " sixteen men were sent out to examine the country for trees suitable for boats, and were suc- cessful in finding them. Two of the Northwest Company's traders arrived with letters. They had likewise a root which is used for the cure of per- sons bitten by mad dogs, snakes, and other veno- mous animals : it is found on high grounds and the sides of hills, and the mode of using it is to scarify the wound, and apply to it an inch or more of the chewed or pounded root, which is to be renewed twice a day ; the patient must not, however, chew or swallow any of the root, as an inward applica- tion might be rather injurious than beneficial. " M. Gravehnes, with two Frenchmen and two Indians, arrived from the Ricara nation, with letters from Mr. Anthony Tabeau. This last gentlemen in- forms us that the Ricaras express their determina- tion to follow our advice, and to remain at peace with the Mandans and Minnetarees, whom they are desirous of visiting : they also wish to know wheth- er these nations would permit the Ricaras to settle near them, and form a league against their common enemies, the Sioux. On mentioning this to the Mandans, they agreed to it ; observing that they al- ways desired to cultivate friendship with the Rica- ras, and that the Ahnaha\rays and Minnetarees have the same friendly views. " M. Gravelines states that the band of Tetons whom we had seen was well disposed to us, owing to the influence of their chief, the Black Buffalo ; but that the three upper bands of Tetons, with the Sisatoons, and the Yanktons of the north, mean soon to attack the Indians in this quarter, with a resolu- tion to put to death every white man they encoun- ter. Moreover, that Mr. Cameron, of St. Peter's, has lately armed the Sioux against the Chippeways, who GRAND CHIEF OF THE MINNETAREES. 165 have recently put to death three of his men. The men who had stolen our horses we found to be all Sioux, who, after committing the outrage, went to the Ricara villages, where they said that they had hesitated about killing our men who were with the horses, but that in future they would put to death any of us they could, as we were bad medicines, and deserved to be killed. The Ricaras were dis- pleased at their conduct, and refused to give them anything to eat, which is deemed the greatest act of hostility short of actual violence." The party were employed in building their new boats, in making ropes, preparing charcoal, and manufacturing battle-axes to exchange for corn. The weather was mild and agreeable. " March 6. The day was cloudy and smoky," says the Journal, "in consequence of the burning of the plains by the Minnetarees. They have set all the neighbouring country on fire, in order to obtain an early crop of grass which may answer for the consumption of their horses, and also as an induce- ment for the buffalo and other game to visit it. Some horses stolen two days ago by tiie Assini- boins have been returned to the Minnetarees. Oh- havv, second chief of the lower Minnetaree village, came to see us. The river rose a little, and overran the ice, so as to render the crossing difficult." * * * "March 9. The morning cloudy and cool, the wind from the north. The grand chief of the Min- netarees, who is called by the French Le Borgne, from his having but one eye, came down for the first time to the fort. He was received with much attention, two guns were fired in honour of his arri- val, the curiosities were exhibited to him, and, as he said that he had not received the presents which we had sent to him on his arrival, we again gave him a flag, medal, shirt, arm- braces, and the usual presents on such occasions, with all which he was much pleased. In the course of the conversation, the <«mmmim^ mHH fiwiBBvia IS P'JBFP™'' ■I ill II llliMii ji ■9 ■! ^i In lliHil!' !'< ||lllll jij H i" ^■^H hSIffl^Hlfi M mm IIHII ||l 11 IhB l| II H h II mHIh 1 1 1 '1 j^j Hpm 1 1 f ^^^n JIH jjl .;! BHJ ^Bh^B^i ■V ^BB al|iMBij [i '1' ^^Bj^H ''1 iiH ti; H \s 166 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. chief observed that some foolish young men of the nation had told him there was a rsrson among us who was quite black, and he wished to know if it could be true. We assured him that it was true, and sent for York: The Borgne v^ s very much surprised at his appearance, examined him closely, and spit on his finger and rubbed the skin, in order to wash off the paint ; nor was it until the negro un- covered his head, and showed his short hair, that he could be persuaded that he was not a painted white man. " March 10. A cold, windy day. Tetuckopmreha, chief of the Ahnahaways, and the Minnetaree chief Ompschara, passed the day with us, and the former remained during the night. We had opportunity to see an instance of the summary justice of the In- dians. A young Minnetaree had carried off the daughter of Cagonomokshe, ihe Raven Man, second chief of the upper viUage of the Mandans : the fa- ther went to the village and found his daughter, whom he brought home, and took with him a horse belonging to the offender. This reprisal satisfied the vengeance of the father and of the nation, as the young man would not dare to reclaim his horse, which from that time became the property of the in- jured party. The stealing of young women is one of the most common offences against the pohce of the village, and the punishment of it is always meas- ured by the power or the passions of the kindred of the female. A voluntary elopement is, of course, more rigorously chastised. One of the wives of The Borgne deserted him in favour of a man who had been her lover before the marriage, and who, after some time, left her, so that she was obliged to re- turn to her father's house. As soon as he heard it, The Borgne walked there, and found ^ar sitting near the fire. Without noticing his wife, he began to smoke with the father, when they were joined by the old mcL of the village, who, knowing his tem- COOL AND SUMMARY VENGEANCE. 167 per, had followed in hopes of appeasing him. He continued to smoke quietly with them riil risinff to return, when he took his wife by the hair, led her as far as the door, and with a single stroke of his tomahawk put her to death before ner father's eyes • then, turning fiereely upon the spectators, he said that, if any of her relations wished to aveni^e her they might always lind him at his lodge ; but the fate of the woman had not sufficient interest to ex- cite the vengeance of the family. The caprice or the generosity of the same chief gave a very differ- ent result to a similar incident which oc 'urred some tune afterward. Another of his wives eloped with a young man, who, not bein^ able to support her as she wished, they both returned to the village and she presented herself before the husband, supplica- ting his pardon for her conduct. The 13orgne sent for the lover : at the moment when the youth ex- pected that he would be put to death, the chief mildly asked them if they still preserved their affec- tion for each other ; and on their declaring that want and not a change of affection, had induced them' to return, he gave up his wife to her lover, with the hberal present of three horses, and restored them both to his favour." On the 13th they received a visit from Mr. IVrKen- zie. The smiths had as much as they could do in making battle-axes, which the Indians eagerly sought for, and for which they paid liberally in corn " March 16. The weather," continues the narrative! "is cloudy, the wind from the southeast. A Mr. Garrow, a Frenchman, who has resided a long time among the Ricaras and Mandans, explained to us the modp •'- which they make their large beads : an art wh'. 1 tii-jy are said to have derived from some pris- one.s the Snake Indian nation, and the knowl- edge 01 which is a secret even now confined to a few among the Mandans and Ricaras. The process IS as follows: glass of different colours is first I*.i w ' 168 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. pounded fine and washed, till each kind, which is kept separate, ceases to stain the water thrown over it. Some well-seasoned clay, mixed with a suffi- cient quantity of sand to prevent its becomnig very hard when exposed to heat, and reduced by water to the consistency of dough, is the \ rolled on the palm of the hand till it becomes of the thickness wanted for the hole in the bead : these sticks of cluy are placed upright, each on a little pedestal or b?Jl of the same material, about an ounce in weight, and dis- tributed over a small earthen platter, which is laid on the fire for a few minutes, when they are taken off to cool. With a little paddle or shovel three or four inches long, and sharpened at the end of the handle, the wet pounded glass is placed in the palm of the hand : the beads are made of an oblong shape, wrapped in a cylindrical form round the stick of clay, which is laid crosswise over it, and gently roll- ed backward and forward till it becomes perfectly smooth. If it be desired to introduce any other colour, the surface of the bead is perforated with the pointed end of the paddle, and the cavity filled with pounded glass of that- colour. The sticks, with the strings of beads, are then replaced on their pedes- tals, and the platter deposited on burning coals or hot embers. Over the platter, an earthen pot, con- taining about three gallons, with a mouth large enough to cover the platter, is reversed, being com- pletely closed except a small aperture at the top, through which are watched the beads : a quantity of old dried wood, formed into a sort of dough or paste. is placed round the pot, so as almost to cover it. aii( afterward set on fire. The manufacturer then lookj through the small hole in the pot till he sees th3 beads assume a deep red colour, to which succeeds a paler or whitish red, or they become pointed at the upper extremity : on which the fire is removed, and the pot suffered to cool gradually : at length it is removed, the beads taken out, the clay in the hoi- r. vhich is wii over a suffi- mg very water to he palm ; wanted clay are .11 of the and dis- h is laid re taken three or d of the ihe palm ig shape, stiek of ntly roll- perfectly ny other with the lied with with the ir pedes- coals or pot, con- ith large ing com- the top, lantity of or paste, er it. aii( len look) sees th3 succeeds ointed at removed, length it 11 the hol- DIFFICULTY WITH THE INTERPRETER. lf)9 low of them picked out with an awl or needle, and they are then fit for use. The beads thus formed are in great demand among the Indians, and used as pendants to their ears and hair, and are sometimes worn round the neck. " March 17. A windy, but clear and pleasant day, the river rising a little, and open in several places. Our Minnetaree interpreter, Chaboneau, whom we intended taking with us to the Pacific, had some days ago been worked upon by the British traders, and appeared unwilling to accompany us, except on certain terms ; such as his not being subject to our orders, and to do duty or to return whenever he chose. As we saw clearly the source of his hesita- tion, and knew that it was ijitended as an obstacle to our views, we told him that the terms were inad- missible, and that we could dis.pense with his ser- vices : he had accordingly left' us with some dis- pleasure. Since then he had made an advance to- wards joining us, which we showed no anxiety to meet ; but this morning he sent an apology for liis, improper conduct, and agreed to go with us, and per- form the same duties as the rest of the corps ; we therefore took him again into our service." Information was received that the Sioux had late- ly attacked a party of ihs Assiniboins anf' Kniste- naux, and killed fifty of them. There was every appearance of an approaching war, two parties of the Minnetarees having already gone out, and a third was preparing to follow them. The canoes were now finished, and " '"■jur of them," says the Journal, " were carried down to the river, at the distance of a mile and a half from where they were constructed. On the 21st the remaining pirogues were hauled to the same place, and all the men except three, who were left to v/atch them, returned to the fort. On his way down, which was about six miles. Captain Clarke passed along the points of the high hills, where he saw large quantities of pumice-stone on Vol. 1.— P M I' 170 LEWIS AND CT.ARKE's EXPEDITION. the foot, sides, and tops of the hills, which had evory appearance of having been at some period on fire. He collected specimens of the stone itself, the pum- ice-stone, and the hard earth ; and on being put into the furnace, the hard earth melted and glazed, the pumice-stone melted, and the hard stone became a pumice-stone glazed." CHAPTER VH. Indian Method of attar' ing the Buffalo on the Ice.— Presents sent to the President of the United States.— Visit from a Ricara Chief.— 'i'liey leave their F.ncarnpnient, and proceed on their Journey. — Description of the Little Missouri.— Some Account of the Assiniboins. — Their Mode of burying the Dead. — Whiteearth Kiver.— Great Quantity of Salt discov- ered on its Banks. — Yellowstone Kiver. — Account of the Country at the Conlluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri. —Description of the Missouri and the surrounding Country. The remainder of the month was mild and fair, and the party were actively engaged in completing their preparations for departure. The canoes were carefully caulked and pitched, and the barge was made ready for such as were to return from this point down the Missouri. The ice began" to break up and pass off as the water rose, and they only waited for the river to be clear of this obstruction to resume their journey. " On the 2yth," says the journalist, "the ice came down in great quantities, the river having fallen eleven inches in the course of the last twenty-four hours. We have had few Indians at the fort for the last three or four days, as they are now busy in catching the floating buffaloes. Every spring, as the river is breaking up, the sur- rounding plains are set on fire, and the buffaloes are tf.mpted to cross the river in search of the fresh m : )N. ARTICLES FOR THE PRESIDENT. ]7l lad evjry \ on fire, the puni- I put into azed, the jecame a —Presents isit from a id procecil iri.— Some urying the all discov- lilt of the 1 Missouri. Country. and fair, nipleting Des were irge was rom this to break ley only structiori says the iantities, e course had few days, as (uffaloes. the sur- iloes are he fresh grass wliich immediately succeeds to the burning. On their way they are often insulated on a hirge cake or mass of ice, which floats down the river. The Indians now select the most favourable points for attack, and, as the buffalo approaches, dart with astonishing agility across the trembling ice, some- times pressing lightly a cake of not more than two feet square. The animal is of course unsteady, and his footsteps insecure on this new element, so that he can make but little resistance ; and the hunter, who has given him his death- wound, paddles his icy boat to the shore, and secures his prej/' * * * "April 1. This morning there was a thunder- storm, accompanied with large hail, to which suc- ceeded rain for about half an hour. We availed ourselves of this interval to get all the boats in the water. At four o'clock P.M. it began to rain a second time, and continued till twelve at night. With the exception of a few drops at two or three different times, this is the first rain we have had since the 15th of October last." On the 3d they were engaged in packing up their baggage and merchandise. Several elk had been killed the day before by the Mandans, but they were so poor as to be of little use. "April 4. The day is clear and pleasant," contin- ues the narrative, "though the wind is high from the N. W. We now packed up, in different boxes, a variety of articles for the president, which wc shall send in the barge. They consist of a stuffed male and female antelope, with their skeletons, a weasel, three squirrels from the Rocky Mountains, the skel- eton of a prairie wolf, those of a while and gray hare, a male and female blaireau, or burrowing dog of the prairie, with a skeleton of the female^ two burrowing squirrels, a white weasel, and the skin of the louservia, the horns of a mountain ram, or big- horn, a pair of large elk horns, the horns and tail of a black-taiicd deer, and a variety of skins, such as -r- ^^1 J 172 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. » those of the red fox, white hare, marten, yellow bear, oblahied from the feloux; also a number of ar- ticles of Indian dre^s, among which was a bii* do robe representing a battle fought about eight y. irs since between the Sioux and Ricaras against the Mandans and Minaetarees, v\ which the combatants are represented on horseback." * * * " Such sketcli- es, rude and imperfect as they are, delineate the pre- dominant character of the savage nations. If they are peaceable and inoffensive, the drawings usually consist of local scenery and their favourite diver- sions. If the band are rude and ferocious, we ob- serve tomahawks, scalping-knives, bows and arrows, and all the engines of destruction.— A Mandaii bow, and quiver of arrows; aiso some Kicaru lobacco- seed, and an ear * f Mandan corn: to these were added a box of plants, another of insects, and three cases containing a burruwing squirrel, a prairie hen, and four magpies, all alive." * * * " April 6. Another fine day, with a gentle breeze from the south. The Mandans continued to come to the fort, and in the course of the day informed us of the arrival of a party of Ricaras on the other side of the river. We sent our interpreter to inquire into their reason for coming ; and in the morning, "April 7, he returned with a Ricara chief and three of his nation. The chief, whose name is Kagohweto, or Brave Rav. n, brought a letter from M. Tabeau, mentioning the wish of the grand chiefs of the Ricaras to visit the president, and requesting permission for himself and four men to join our boat when it descends ; to which we consented, as it will then be manned with fifteen hands, and be able to defend itself against the Sioux. After pre- senting the better, he told us that he was sent with ten warriors by his nation to arrange their settling near the Mandans and Minnetarees, whom they wished to join; that he considered all the neigh- bouring nations friendly except the Sioux, whose f'% PERSONS COMPOSING Til I'AUTi'. 17,1 persecution they could no longer withstand, and whom thr hoped to repel by uniting wi'h the tribes m this 4 .r: he dded that the Kicaias intended to follow our advice, and live in peace w/''i all na tions, Hiid requested that wo would speak in their i our to the Assimboin Indians. This we williuirlv promised to do, and assured them that their ereat lather would protect them, and no longer suffer the bioux to have good guns or to injure his dutiful children We then gave him a small medal, a cer- tihcate of h: good conduct, a carrot of tobacco, and some warn uui, with vsjiich he departed for the Mandan village, well satisfied with his reception Having made all our ai '^^ngt i ents, we left the fort about five o'clock in the ifternoon. The party now consisted of thirty-two persons. Besides ourselves were sergeants John )rdway, Nathaniel Pryor, and Patrick ,:iss; the privates were William Bratton, John Colter, John Collins, Peter Crusatte, Robert Irazier, Reuben Fields, Joseph Fields, George Gib- son, Silas Goodrich, Hugh Hall, Thomas P. Howard, Baptiste Lapage, Francis Labiche, Hugh M'Neal John Potts, John Shields, George Shannon, John J" u T.^f."^"' William Werner, Alexander Wiliard, Richard Windsor, Joseph Whitehouse, Peter Wiser and Captain Clarke's black servant York The two interpreters were George Drewyer and Tons- saint Chaboneau. The wife of Chaboneau also ac- companied us with her young child, and we hope may be useful as an interpreter among the Snake Indians. She was herself one of that tribe ; but, having been taken in war by the Minnetarees, was sold as a slave to Chaboneau, who brought her up and afterward married her. One of the Mandans likewise embarked with us, in order to go to the f^nako Indians and obtain a peace with them for his countrymen. All this party, with the baggage, was stowed in six small canoes and two large pirogues. 11. c ivxi TTim laiF, pieaSdiii vvuataer, inough P2 .... t #j' rV- I ':r IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /> #•.^.1^^^. %// .^*;^* fe / f/j ^, :^ 174 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. the northwest wind was high; and, after making about four miles, encamped on the north side of the Missouri, nearly opposite the first Mandan village. At the same time that we took our departure, our barge, manned with seven soldiers, two Frenchmen, and M. Gravelines as pilot, sailed for the United States, loaded with our presents and despatches." On the 9th they reached a hunting-camp of the Minnetarees, and a few miles beyond it they met with a hunting-party of the same nation, who had constructed an enclosure for the purpose of taking the antelope in their migrations from the Black Mountains to the north side of the Missouri. " The bluffs we passed to-day," continues the Journal, " are upward of one hundred feet high, composed of a mixture of yellow clay and sand, with many hori- zontal strata of carbonated wood, resembling pit- coal, from one to five feet in depth, and scattered through the bluff at different elevations, some as high as eighty feet above the water. The hills along the river are broken, and present every ap- pearance of having been burned at some former period ; great quantities of pumice-stone and lava, or, rather, earth which seems to have been boiled and then hardened by exposure, being seen in many parts of these hills, where they are broken and washed down into guUeys by the rain and melting snow." * * * " We saw, but could not procure, an ani- mal that burrows in the ground, and similar in every respect to the burrowing squirrel, except that it is only one third of its size. This may be the animal whose works we have often seen in the plains and prairies. They resemble the labours of the salaman- der in the sand-hills of South Carolina and Georgia, and, like him, the animals rarely come above ground. These works consist of little hillocks of ten or twelve pounds of loose ground, which look as though they had been reversed from a pot, though no aper- ture is seen through which the earth could have SMALL SPECIES OF BURROWING SQUIRREL. 175 been thrown. On removing gently tho earth, you discover that the soil has been broken in a circle of about an inch and a half diameter, where the ground IS looser, though still no opening is perceptible. When we stopped for dinner the squaw went out, and, after penetrating with a sharp stick the holes ot the mice near some driftwood, brought to us a quantity of wild artichokes, which the mice collect and hoard in large numbers. The root is white, of an ovate form, from one to three inches long, and generally of the size of a man's finger ; and two, lour, and sometimes six roots are attached to a sin- gle stalk. Its flavour, and the stalk which issues from It, resemble those of the Jerusalem artichoke, except that the latter is much larger." The folio wing day they passed a bluff on the south side of the river, which was in sevc al places on fire and threw out quantities of smoke with a strong sulphurous smell ; the character of the bluff is to coal, &c., being similar to those they had seei. the day before. They saw the track of a large white bear ; a herd of antelopes, and geese and swan in considerable numbers, feeding on the young grass in the low prairies ; and they shot a prairie-hen, also a bald eagle, many nests of which were in the tall cottonwood-trees. Their old companions the mos- chetoes renewed their visits, to the no small annoy- ance of the party. "^ The weather the next day became very warm. 1 he country was much the same as that passed the day before; but on the sides of the hills, and even on the banks of the rivers, as well as on the sand- oars, there was a white substance in considerable quantities on the surface of the earth, which tasted like a mixture of common salt wnh glauber salts. Many of the streams coming from the foot of the i.ills were so strongly impregnated with it, that the water had an unpleasant taste and a purgative effect, iney killed two geese, and saw some cranes, the 176 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION. largest bird of that kind common to the Missouri and Mississippi, and which is perfectly white, except the large feathers on the two first joints of the wing, which are black. " April 12. We set off early," says the narrative, " and passed a high range of hills on the south side, our pirogues being obliged to go over to the south, in order to avoid a sand-bank which was rapidly faUing in. At six miles we came to at the lower side of the entrance of the Little Missouri, where we remained during the day, for the purpose of ma- king celestial observations. This river empties it- self on the south side of the Missouri, one thousand six hundred and ninety-three miles from its conflu- ence with the Mississippi. It rises to the west of the Black Mountains, across the northern extremity of which it finds a narrow, rapid passage along high perpendicular banks, and then seeks the Missouri in a northeastern direction." » * * " In its course it pass- es near the northwest side of the Turtle Mountain, which is said to be only twelve or fifteen miles from its mouth, in a straight line a little to the south of west; so that both the Little Missouri and Knife Rivers have been laid down too far southwest. It enters the Missouri with a bold current, and is one hundred and thirty-four yards wide ; but its greatest depth is two feet and a half, and this, joined to its rapidity and its sand-bars, make the navigation diffi- cult except for canoes, which may ascend it for a considerable distance." * * * " We found this day great quantities of small on- ions, which grow single, the bulb of an oval form, white, about the size of a bullet, and with a leaf re- sembling that of the chive. On the side of a hill there was a species of dwarf cedar. It spreads its limbs along the surface of the earth, which they al- most conceal by their closeness and thickness, hav- ing always a number of roots on the under side, while on the upper are a quantity of shoots, which WIDENING OP THE MISSOURI. 177 With their leaves seldom rise higher than six or eight Iht^tf if Jh *" evergreen, its leaf more deliclte than that of the common cedar, though the taste and smell are the same." .1,^" ^^? ,^?!^ ^^^y P^^^e^ a ««^all stream, which they called Onion Creek, from that vegetable grow- iiig m great abundance on the plains near it. " The Missouri Itself," proceeds the Journal, " widens very remarkably just above its junction with the Little Missouri. Immediately at the entrance of the latter It is not more than two hundred yards wide, and so shallow that It may be passed in canoes with setting poles, while a few miles above it is upward of I mile in width Ten miles beyond Onion Creek we came to another, discharging itself on the north, in the centre of a deep bend; on ascending which fr about a mile and a half, we found it to be the dis- charge of a pond or small lake, which seemed to have been once the bed of the Missouri. Near this lake were the remains of forty-three temporary lodges, which seem to belong to the Assiniboins, who are now on the river of the same name. A great number of swan and geese w^.re also in it, and rom this circumstance we named the creek Goose treek, and the lake by the same name: these geese we observed, do not build their nests on the ground or m sand-bars, but in the tops of lofty cot- tonwood-trtfes. We saw some elk and buffalo to- ^ay, but at too great a distance to obtain any ok inem, though a number of the carcasses of the lat- ter animal were strewed along the shore, havincr fallen through the ice, and been swept along wheS hfs nin n?^^' l^' ^^'t^^^^ eagles were seen on ^s part of the Missouri than we had previously met ^»w J r ^^^'"^r^T^ ^^ common hawk, common in most pans of the United States, were also found here, ^^reat quantities of geese were feeding in the prai- ries and one flock of white brant, or geese with Dlack wings, and some gray brant with them, passed 178 LEWIS AND CLARKE S EXPEDITION. iji' ' I up the river, and from their flight they seemed to proceed much farther to the northwest." * * * "April 14. We set off early, with pleasant and fair weather: a dog joined us, which we supposed had strayed from the Assiniboin camp on the lake. At two and a half miles we passed low timbered grounds and a small creek. In these low grounds are several uninhabited lodges, built with the boughs of the elm, and the remains of two recent encamp- ments, which, from the hoops of small kegs found in them, we judged could belong to Assiniboins only, as they are the only Missouri Indians who use spir- ituous liquors. Of these they are so passionately- fond, that it forms their chief inducement to visit the British on the Assiniboin, to whom they barter for kegs of rum their dried and pounded meat, their grease, and the skins of large and small wolves, and small foxes : the dangerous exchange is transported to their camps, with their friends and relations, and soon exhausted in brutal intoxication. So far from considering drunkenness as disgraceful, the women and children are permitted and invited to share in these excesses with their husbands and fathers, who boast how often their skill and industry as hunters have supplied them with the means of intoxication : in this, as in their other habits and customs, they resemble the Sioux, from whom they are descended. The trade with the Assiniboins and Knistenaux it. encouraged by the British, because it procures pro- vision for their engages on their return from Rainy Lake to the English River and the Athabasky coun- try, where they winter; these men being obliged, during their voyage, to pass rapidly through a coun- try but scantily supplied with game. We halted for dinner near a large village of burrowing squirrels, who, we observe, generally select a southeasterly exposure, though they are sometimes found in the plains. At ten and a quarter miles we came to the lower point of an island, which, from the day of our CHABONEAU'S CREEK. 179 arrival there, we called Sunday Island. Here the river washes the bases of the hills on both sides and above the island, which, with its sanS-bar ex.' tends a niile and a half, two small creeks fall hifrlm the south ; the uppermost of these, which is the arges . we called Ohaboneau's Creek, after our in- terpreter, who once encamped on it several weeks wi h a party of Indians. Beyond this no wh tlman had ever been, except two Frenchmen, one of whom Lapage, is with us ; and who, having lost their wav straggled a few miles farther, though to what pdnt beyond this island, we encamped on a point of wood- land on ihe north, haying made in all fourteen miles "I he Assmiboms have so recently left the rive; that game is scarce and shy. One of the bun ers shot at an otter last evening; a buffalo, t'o was killed, and an elk, both so poor as to be almost unfit for use ; two white bears'^ were also strand a muskrat swimming across the river. The river continues wide, and of about the same rapiditv as the ordinary current of the Ohio. The lo w Wnds are wide the moister parts containing timber ?he upland extremely broken, without wood, and in some paces seem as if they had slipped down in masses of several acres in surface. The mineral appear! ances of salts, coal, and sulphur, with the bS lull and pumice-stone, continue, knd a bituminous water, about the colour of strong ley, with the as"e of glauber salts and a slight tincture of a um £! geese were feeding in the prairies, and aVumber of tt'l^''1;K'^^.'*>""^ '^^'' »^«^« "^"«h like those of he blackbird, in trees, and composed of small sticks leaves, and grass, open at top : the egg is of a blS' brown colour freckled with reddifh-brown s^ We also killed a large hooting-owl, resemb ngCi of the United States, except that it was more booted and clad with feathers. On the hills are many aro matic herbs, resembling in taste, smell, and appear-" 160 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. ance the sage, hyssop, wormwood, southernwood, juniper, and dwarf cedar ; a plant, also, about two or three feet high, similar to the camphor in smell and taste ; and another plant of the same size, with a long, narrow, smooth, soft leaf, of an agreeable smell and flavour, which is a favourite food of the antelope, whose necks are often perfumed by rub- bing against it. " April 15. We proceeded with a fine breeze from the south, and clear, pleasant weather. At seven miles we reached the lower point of an island in a bend to the south, which is two miles in length. Captain Clarke, who went about nine miles north- ward from the river, reached the high grounds, which, like those we have seen, are level plains without timber: here he observed a number of drains, which, descending from the hills, pursue a northeast course, and probably empty into the Mouse River, a branch of the Assiniboin, which, from Indian accounts, approaches very near to the Missouri at this place. Like all the rivulets of this neighbourhood, these drains are so strongly im- pregnated with mineral salts that they are not fit to drink. He saw, also, the remains of several camps of Assiniboins : the low grounds on both sides of the river are extensive, rich, and level. In a little pond on the north, we heard, for the first time this season, the croaking of frogs, which exactly resembled that of the small frogs in the United States. There were also in these plains great quantities of geese, and many of the grouse, or prairie-hen, as they are call- ed by the Northwest Company's traders. The note of the male of the latter, as far as words can repre- sent it, is COOK, cook, cook, coo, coo, coo, the first part of which both male and female use when flying: the male, too, drums with his wings when he flies, in the same way, though not so loud, as the pheas- ant : they appeared to be mating. Some deer, elic, and goats were in the low grounds, and buffalo on PETRIFIED WOOD. jQj end ■„ high, le^rtuie-'te it q "a„U v'o7ut'' ber IS, however, increasiiifr th^ ^"^'"'^^ ^^ ^^^n- in r bluii orthe rive? T^' Present themselvel npnf« A^ 7™^'"s of the Assinibo ii encamn- r.ienis. Around us are ereaf niiantit;«o ^"^'^'"P" some trackrof r^v '"'\"'l^'"=''"'P^'l we saw 182 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. from war against the Indians on the Rocky Mount- ains. 1) « « « "April 18. Wc encamped about dark on a woody bank, having made thirteen miles. The country presented the usual variety of highlands intersper- sed with rich plains. In one of these we observed a species of pea, bearing a yellow flower, being now in blossom, the leaf and stalk resembling the com- mon pea : it seldom rises higher than six inches, and the root is perennial. On the rose bi.shcs we also saw a quan'ity of the hair of the bnfli\lo, which had become perfectly white by exposure, and re- sembled the wool of sheep, except that it was much finer, and more soft and silky. A buffalo which we killed yesterday had shed his long hair, and that which remained was about two inches long, thick and fine, and would have furnished five pounds of wool, of which we have no doubt an excellent cloth might be made. Our game today were a beaver, a deer, an elk, and some geese." * * * " The beaver on this part of the Missouri are in greater quantities, larger and fatter, and their fur is more abundant, and of a darker colour than any we had hitherto seen : their favourite food seems to be the bark of the Cot- tonwood and willow, as we have seen no other spe- cies of tree that has been touched by them, and these they gnaw to the ground through a diameter of twenty inches." On the 19th the wind was so high from the north- west that they could not proceed; but, being less violent the following day, "\V> set off," says the Journal, " about seven o'clock, and had nearly lost one of the canoes as we left the shore by the falling in of a large part of the bank. The wind, too, be- came again so strong that we could scarcely make one mile an hour, and the sudden squalls so (langer- ous to the small boats that we stopped for the night among some willows on the north, not being able to advance more than six and a half miles. In walk- WHITEEARTII RIVER. Jg3. »sh, red ein,, and an ui^erg ow h ZZ-^'"'' ''''«'• bu3l,e=, honeysuckle, red S« mfo nh'""' "'"• rant, and servicc.bci'rip>i\n i m ' ^W'scborry, cur- hills great quamUi^s of l,y son "(1 Mnf","' "' '"" cured elk and deer, whiHi aro „„,,7i """' P™" beavcr, wliieh arc faJr nn,i ^, "^i '''^"' »'"' six the pla „ there were iL^om'r, ''"'=''''''''•• ^long one of these w^s a stlToTd abo .fj' "'"T' ^"^^ on which were tivo s?eds wIm? ■I..""''," '""' '"8''- under it the body of a femal? rJin n ''"""='"• "'"^ several dressed buffalo skins -Z^IK '7*''P^'' '» made of buffalo ski contain n." p If 'I '"^ " '«'«? some red and blue nih^t h,'^,^^- P" f "f ni"<.'«asins, dressing hides! s^n^'tedTom: "^or^T? "", probably fallen down by accfden'.i'^h^ "''^^' •""» :af'?^entd^7fdVS\r''"^^ to t^e ,ndi,f ,sa^e';'K^£rrte^^^^ description as within the few ast davs w.^""^ immense quantities of hn/r.il ii y^ ^® ^*^ geese, and'some s^an and ducks iut'o^^'wh-^P^* procured three deer fni r hnfr ? ' ^ °^ ^^^'^^ we are equal in flavour tnth.^'^l'' f ^ ''!'''^' ^^^^^ last two small ceekson^he somh S'^ '."' ^'T ^"^ sixteen miles the nlouth of VVhSrth'Ri've?''^ "' ing m from the north Thi<« rJtVnrK r .^' ^°"^- the low erounds np^'r thi L- ^'' ^^^""'^ ^^ ^^a«hes V','11 184 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. mud of the Missouri that its mouth is not more than ten yards wide." • • • , , , ,xr i " April 22. The day clear and cold. We passed a high bluff on the nortli, and plains on the south, in which were large herds of buffalo, till breakfast, when the wind became so strong ahead that we proceeded with difficulty even with the aid of the towline. Some of the party now walked across to the Whitcearth River, which here, at the distance of four miles from its mouth, approaches very near to the Missouri. It contains more water than is usual in streams of the same size at this season, with steep banks about ten or twelve feet high, and the water is much clearer than that of the Missouri. The salts, which have been mentioned as common on the banks of the Missouri, are here so abundant that in many places the ground appears perfectly while, and from this circumstance it may have de- rived its name. It waters an open country, and is navigable almost to its source, which is not far from the Saskashawan ; and, judging from its size and course, it is probable that it extends as far as the tit- tieth degree of latitude. After much delay in con- sequence of the high wind, we succeeded in making eleven miles, and encamped in a low ground on the south, covered with cottonwood and rabbit-berries. The hills of the Missouri, near this place, exhibit large, irregular broken masses of rocks and stones, some of which, although two hundred feet above the water, seem at some remote period to have been subject to its. influence, being apparently worn smooth by the agitation of the water. These rocks and stones consist of white and gray granite, a brit- tle black rock, flint, limestone, freestone, some small specimens of an excellent pebble, and occasionally broken strata of a black-coloured stone, like petri- fied wood, which make good whetstones. The usual appearances of coal, or carbonated wood, and pum- ice-stone, still continue ; the coal being of a better EFFECTS OF TUB FINE SAND. 185 quality, and, when burned, affording a hot and last- ing fire, emitting very little smoke or Jlume. There are large herds of deer, elk, buffalo, and antelope in view of us. The buffalo arc not so sliy as the rest for they suffer us to approaeh within one hun- drcd yards before they run, and then stop and re- sume their pasture at a very short distance. The wolves to-day pursued a herd of them, and at length caught a calf that was unable to keep up with the rest ; the mothers on these occasions defend their young as long as they can retreat as fast as the herd, but seldom return any distance to seek for them." f he two following days the wind was so violent t..jt they made but little progress. The party were much aflhcted with sore eyes, which they supposed to be occasioned by the qauntities of sand which were driven from the sand-bars in such clouds as of- ten to hide from them the view of the opposite bank. The particles of this sand," says the Jour- nal, " are so fine and light, that it floats for miles ia the air like a column of thick smoke, and is so pen- etrating that nothing can be kept free from it; and we are compelled to eat, drink, and breathe it very copiously. To the same cause we attribute the disorder of one of our watches, although its cases are double and tight ; since, without any defect in its works that we can discover, it will not run for more than a few minutes without stopping. " April 25. The wind moderated this morning, but was still high : we therefore set out early, the weather being so cold that the water froze on the oars as we rowed, and about ten o'clock the wind increased so much that we were obliged to stop. 1 his detention by the wind, and the reports from our hunters of the crookedness of the river, induced us to believe that we were at no great distance rom the lellowstone River. In order, therefore, ^> prevent delay as much as possible. Captain Lew- ^^ lieiermined to go on by land in search of that Q2 186 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. NT mt river, and make the necessary observations, so as to be enabled to proceed immediately after the boats should join him. He accordingly landed, about eleven o'clock, on the south side, accompa- nied by four men : the boats were prevented from going until five in the afternoon, when they went on a few miles fa'ther, and encamped for the night at the distance of fourteen and a half miles. "April 20. We continued our voyage in the morn- ing, and by twelve o'clock encamped at eight miles' distance, at the junction of the Missouri and Yel- lowstone Rivers, where we were soon joined by Captain Lewis." * * * " This latter river, known to the French as the Foche Jaune, or, as we have called it, the Yellow- stone, rises, according to Indian information, in the Rocky Mountains. Its sources are near those of the Missouri and the Platte, and it may be navigated in canoes almost to its head. It runs first through a mountainous country, but which in many parts is fertile and well timbered : it then waters a rich, de- lightful land, broken into valleys end meadows, and well supplied with wood and water, till it reaches, near the Missouri, open meadows and low grounds, which are suflUciently timbered on its borders." * * * " Just above the confluence we measured the two rivers, and found the bed of the Missouri five hun- dred and twenty yards wide, the water occupying only three hundred and thirty, and the channel deep ; while the Yellowstone, including its sand-bar, occu- pied eight hundred and fifty-eight yards, with two hundred and ninety-seven yards of water: the deep- est part of the channel was twelve feet, but the riv- er ic now falling, and seems to be nearly at its sum- mer height. " April 27. We left the mouth of the Yellowstone. From the point of junction a wood occupies the space between the two rivers, which, at the distance of a mile, come within two hundred and fifty yards SITE POU A TRADING POST. 187 of each other. There a beautiful low plain com- mences, and widening as the rivers recede, extends along each of them for several miles, rxsingabout half a mile from the Missouri into a level^twelve E?h lif^'^'^f .h'^i-^ater mark, and where it joins the higher plain there is a channel of sixty or sev- enty yards in width, through which a part of the Missouri, when at its greatest height, passes into ^e Yellowstone. At two and a half miles above the junc ion, and between the high and low plain, is a small lake two hundred yards wide, extending for a mile parallel with the Missouri, along the ed4 of the upper plain. At the lower extremity of this lake about four hundred yards from the Missouri, and twice that distance from the Yellowstone, is a situation highly eligible for a trading establishment : It IS in the high plain, which extends back three miles m width, and seven or eight miles in length, along the Yellowstone, where it is bordered by an extensive body of woodland, and along the Missou- ri with ess breadth, till three miles above it is cir- cumscribed by the hills within a space four yards in width. A sufficient quantity of limestone for build- ing may easily be procured near the junction of the rivers : it does not lie in regular strata, but is in large irregular masses, of a light colour, and appa- rently of an excellent quality. Game, too, is very abundant, and as yet quite gentle : above all, its ele- vation recommends it as preferable to the land at the confluence of the rivers, which their variable channels may render very insecure. The northwest wind rose so high at eleven o'clock that we were obliged to stop till about four rn the afternoon, when we proceeded till dusk. On the south a beautiful plain separates the two rivers, till at about six miles mere is a piece of low timbered ffronnd and ^ ijttl« above It bluffs, where the country rises trraduallv irom the river: the situations on the north are more , li !J^- w VI "liflil fH :?•; lilL!;!! 188 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. high and open. We encamped on that side, the wind, the sand which it raised, and the rapidity of the current having prevented our advancing more than eight miles; during the latter part of the day the river became wider, and crowded with sand-bars. The game was in such plenty that we killed only what was necessary for our subsistence. For sev- eral days past we have seen great numbers of buf. falo lying dead along the shore, some of them part- ly devoured by the wolves. They have either sunk through the ice during the winter, or been drowned in attempting to cross ; or else, after crossing to some high bluff, have found themselves too much exhausted either to ascend or swim back again, and perished for want of food : in this situation we found several small parties of them. There are geese, too, in abundance, and more bald eagles than we have hitherto observed ; the nests of these last be- ing always accompanied by those of two or three magpies, who are their inseparable attendants." CHAPTER VIIL Usual Appearance of Salt,— The formidable Character of the White Bear.— Porcupine Riverdescribed.— Beautiful Appear- ance of the surrounding Country.— Immense Quantities of Game.— Milk River described.— Big Dry Kiver.— An Instance of uncommon Tenacity of Life in a White Bear.— Narrow Escape of one of the Party from that Animal.— A still more remarkable Instmce.— Muscleshell River. As they advanced the country on both sides was much broken, the elevations approaching nearer the river, and forming bluffs, some of a white, others of a red colour, exhibiting the usual appearances of minerals, and there were sonic burricd hills, though without any pumice-stone : the salts were in greater ADVENTURE WITH A WHITE BE. 189 quantities than usual, and the banlts and sand-bars were covered with a white incrustation hke frost. The beaver had committed great devastation amonff the trees, one of whicli, nearly three feet in diameter had been gnawed through by them. * "April 29. We proceeded early," continues the Journal, " with a moderate wind. Captain Lewis who was on shore with one hunter, met about eight o'clock two white bears. Of the strength and fero- city of this animal the Indians had given us dreadful accounts ; they never attack him but in parties of six or eight persons, and even then are often defeated, with the loss of one or more of the party. Having no weapons but bows and arrows, and the bad guns with which the traders supply them, they are obli- ged to approach very near to the bear : and as no wound except through the head or heart is mortal, they frequently fall a sacrifice if they miss their aim. He rather attacks than avoids man ; and such is the terror he has inspired, that the Indians who go in quest of him paint themselves, and perform all the superstitious rites customaiy when they make war on a neighbouring nation. Hitherto, those we had seen did not appear desirous of encountering us ; but, although to a skilful rifleman the danger is very much diminished, the white bear is still a terrible animal. On approaching these two, both Captain Lewis and the hunter fired, and each wounded a bear. One of them made his escape; the other turned upon Captain Lewis, and pursued him for sev- enty or eighty yards , but, being badly wounded, he could not run so fast as to prevent him from reload- ing his piece, which he again aimed at him, and a third shot from the hunter brought him to the ground. It was a male, not quite full grown, and weighed about three hundred pounds : the legs were some- what longer than those of the black bear, and the claws and tusks much larger and longer. Its colour was a yellowish brown, the eyes small, black, and ;-t m ..jhmt *)r fill V ■ 190 LEWIS AND CL ARRETS EXPEDITION. piercing. The front of the fore legs of the animal, near the feet, is usually black, and the fur is finer, thicker, and deeper than that of the black bear; added to which, it is a more furious animal, and very remarkable for the wounds which it will bear with- out dying.* " We are surrounded with deer, elk, buffalo, ante- lope, and their companions the wolves, who have become more numerous, and make great ravages among them : the hills are here much more rough and high, and almost overhang the banks of ilie riv- er. There are greater appearances of coal than we have hitherto seen, the strata of it being in some places six feet tiiick, and there are also strata of burned earth, which are always on the same level with those of the coal." The next day they passed a fertile country, with but little limber, and saw some Indian lodges, which did not appear to have been recently inhabited. " The game," says the journalist, " continues abund- ant. We killed' the largest male elk we have yet seen : on placing it in its natural erect position, we found that it measured five feet three inches from the point of the hoof to the top of the shoulder. The an- ♦ As an instance of the astonishing strength of this animal, the Rev. Mr. Parker, in his 'lour to the Rocky Mountains, states that Lieutenant Stein, of the Dragoons, told him thiit he once saw some buflkloes passing near bushes where a grizzly hear lay concealed : the bear, with one stroke of his paw, tore three nbs from one of the buflfaloes, and laid it dead. The ribs of the buffalo are not so invulnerable as the forehead. Townsend, at page 97, relates that he himself, to try the effect of a ball aimed directly at the forehead of a bull buHalo, cau- tiously ap[iroached to within ten feet of the animal, and dis- charged one of the barrels of his double rille, which carried balls twenty to the pound. "The animal shook his head, paw- ed up the ground with his hoofs, and making a sudden spring, accompanied by a territic roar, turned to make his escape." A shot from the second barrel in a vital part brought him down. On examination, the tiist ball was '"ou'nd flattened againts tho scull, without having produced the smallest fracture. HABITS OF THE ANTELOPE. 191 telopes are yetlean, and the females are with vonn? These fleet and quiek-sighted animals are gLSf; the victims of their curiosity. When thovf\rtt.l the hunters, they run with g^^-eat veio ity?in e Is down on the ground, and lifts up his arm his hVnr his foot, they return with a liglft trot o look at tl^ object, and sometimes go aifd return two cfr three times, till they approach within reach of the rifle So, too, they sometimes leave their flock to ffo and look at the wolves, which crouch down, and Jf the antelope is frightened at first, repeat the sane rna! rxEuvre, and sometimes relieve each other tTilthev ducoy It from the party, when they se ize'i BuT generally, the wolves take them as thev are cross.' ing the rivers ; for, although swift on f/ot! thev are not good swimmers." ' ^ ^^® May opened with cold weather and hi^rh winds which greatly retarded their progress. 6 the 2d snow fell so as to cover the ground to the depth of an inch, contrasting strangely with the aSced vegetation. " Our game to-day," proceeds ^he our nal, "were deer, elk, and buff-alo / we also p ocured three beaver. They were here quite gentle™ev have not been hunted; but when the huntenfare in pursuit, they never leave their huts duriiSg he day Ihis animal we esteem a great delicacy, particS y the tail, which, when boiled, resemble^'^^n -ivou; the fresh tongues and sounds of the codfish, and is generally so large as to afi-ord a plentiful meal for ^IVT'- ^"^ ^^ ^he hunters, in passin- near an old Indian camp, found several yards of s^°rlet cloth suspended on the bough of a tree, as a sacrifice to the Deity, by the Assiniboins ; the custom of ma! king these offerings being common among tha p^o sl'rf ' Th''^' ^"^^"^,^11 «^« Indians on tiie Mil souri. I he air was sharp this evenin,^ ^ the water froze on the oars as we rowed. " May 3. The weather was quite cold, the icp a quarter of an inch thick in the kettle, and the snow ''fl ■'Wf w 192 LEWIS AND CLARKE S EXPEDITION. Still remained on the hills, though it had melted from the plains. The wind, too, contmned high from the west, but not so violently as to prevent our eoing on. At two miles from our encampment we passed a curious collection of bushes, about thirty feet high, and ten or twelve in diameter, tied m the form of a fascine, and standing on end in the middle of the low ground : this, too, we supposed to have been left by the Indians as a religious sacrifice. The low grounds on the river are much wider than common, sometimes extending from five to nine miles to the highlands, which are much lower than toe ofore, not being more than fy, or sixty feet above the lower plain. Through all this valley traces of the ancient bed of the river are every- where visible; and, since the huls have become lower, the strata of coal, burned earth, and pumice- stone have in a great measure ceased, there being, m fact, none to-day. At the distance of fourteen miles we reached the mouth of a river on the north, which, from the unusual number of porcupines near it, we called Porcupine River. This is a bold and beautiful stream, one hundred and twelve yards wide, though the water is only forty yards at its entrance » * * * " The water of this river is trans- parent, and is the only one that is s^o of all those that fall into the Missouri. From the quantity ol water which it contains, its direction, and the na- ture of the country through which it passes, it is not improbable that its sources may be near the mam body of the Saskashawan ; and, as in high water it can be no doubt navigated to a considerable distance it maybe rendered the means of intercourse with the Athabasky country, from which the Northwest Company derive so many of their valuable furs. * * * u We saw vast quantities of buffalo, elK, - • •-^11— ^f fi,,% i.^ntr tnilf'd kipf^- antelope, deer, prinei|jally oi Ui^ .,,ng-iai. -i- -^-i— . - i ■fteaver, geese, ducks, brant, and some swan. Hie po?cupiifes, to are numerous, and so careless and DESCRIPTION OP INDIAN LODGES. 193 clumsy that we can approach very near without dis. urbiiig them as they are feeding on the young wil. bwslowards evening we also found, Ibr the first lime, the nest of a goose among some driftwood, all Iha we have hitherto seen being on the tops of broken trees, on the forks, and invariably from fif. #V2 [^^'^'^^y ^^^^ or more in height." * * * " May 4. There are, as usual, vast quantities of game, and extremely gentle ; the male buffalo, particularly will scarcely give way to us, and, as we approach, will merely look at us for a moment as something new, and then quietly resume their ieeding. I,, the course of the day we passed some old Indian hunting-camps, one of which consisted ot two large lodges fortified with a circular fence twenty or thirty feet in diameter, and made of tim- ber laid horizontally, the beams overlaying each other to tlie height of five feet, and coverc-d with the trunks and limbs of trees that have drifted down the river, liic lodges themselves are formed by three or more strong sticks, about the size of a man's Icff or arm, and twelve feet long, which are atta(;hed at the top by a withe of small willows, and spread out so as to lorm at the base a circle of from ten to four- teen feet in diameter: against these are placed pieces of driftwood and fallen timber, usually in three ranges, one on the other, and the interstices are covered with leaves, bark, and straw, so as to lorm a conical figure about ten feet high, with a small aperture in one side for the door. It is, how- ever, at best, a very imperfect shelter against the inclemencies of the seasons. I' May 6. We had a fine morning, and, the wind being from the east, we used our sails. At the dis- lance of five miles we came to a small island, and twelve miles farther encamped on the north, at the distance of seventeen miles. The country, like that ot yesterday, is beautiful in the extreme. Among the vast quantities of game around us, we distin! Vol. 1, — x\ ^s- . 194 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. guish a small species of goose, differing considerably from the common Canadian goose ; its neck, head, and beak being much thicker, larger, and stronger in proportion to its size, which is nearly a third smaller; its noise, too, resembling more that of the brant, or of a young goose that has not yet fully ac- quired its note. In other respects— its colour, hab- its, and the number of feathers in the tail, the two species correspond : this species also associates in flocks with the large geese, but we have not seen it pair off with them. The white brant is about the size of the common brown brant, or two thirds that of the common goose, than which it is also six inch- es shorter from the extremity of the wings, though the beak, head, and neck are larger and stronger. The body and wings are of a beautiful pure white, except the black feathers of the first and second joints of the wings ; the beak and legs are of a red- dish or flesh-coloured white ; the eye of a moderate size, the pupil of a deep sea-green, encircled with a ring of yellowish brown ; the tail consists of sixteen feathers equally long; the flesh is dark, and, as well as its note, differs but little from that of the common brant, which in form and habits it resem- bles, and with which it sometimes unites in a com- mon flock. The white brant also associate by them- selves in large flocks ; but, as they do not seem to be mated or paired off, it is doubtful whether they reside here during the summer for the purpose of rearing their young. " The wolves are also very abundant, and are of two species. First, the small wolf, or burrovving- dogof the prairies, which are found in almost all the open plains : it is of an intermediate size between the fox and dog, very delicately formed, fleet, and active ; the ears are large, erect, and pointed ; the head long and pointed, like that of the fox ; tiie tail long and bushy ; the hair and fur of a pale reddish- brown colour, though much coarser than that of the TWO SPECIES OP WOLVES. I95 we can perceive is nnt tn k« ii / "^'"' ^^ ^^^ as the Rive'r Platte', "r^se wolvrus°:ifv". ""^ °' m bands of ten or tivplv» ,..j "^"'"ly associate seen alone, JhZllZl'^'f.ZlJh'.'^W' "'''' tack a deer or antelnn^. 'i"h ® °"S" «"igly to at- young in burrows vKiehtheJix'lr"'' "^" "'^" spot much frequented by game and .X'' Pf' ""^ body against any animal whinh t'h "^ °"' '" ^ but on'the slight's Tlar^ttire,^ "ZKl'^^"'' andThrcSran'''t"e'^ltra«ir;ot'"%V" '''%'''^'' which is not affected by he seasons J^f" ''"'°"' nety of shade, from a gray or bSuh / "'"^ "'"- cream-coloured white Thev rtf ^ •u''™"'" '<> ^ do they bark, but howf- thevLnnp^f.',.'""'''"^' "■»■ K^^i„^"o«attS{^-"^ i''^^ofSel~;."Si?^^^^^^^^ dinary tenacity of life th. fuf ^ "^f ^^ ^'^^''aor- five feet ten mches and a half round the breas threi 196 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. dish or bav brown, longer, finer, and more abundant; his liver, I'ungs, and heart much larger even in pro- portion to his size, the heiirt particularly, benig equal to that of a large ox ; and his maw ten times larger. Besides fish and fleslr, he feeds on roots and every kind of wild fruit." • * * " May G. The morning being fair, and the wind favourable, we set sail, and proceeded very well the greater part of the day. The country con- tinues level, rich, and beautiful; the low grounds wide, and, comparatively with the other parts of the Missouri, well suppUed with wood. The appear- ances of coal, pumice-stone, and burned earth have ceased, though the salts of tartar or vegetable saUs continue on the banks and sand-bars, and sometimes in the Httle ravines at the base of the hills." They this day passed three streams, or, more properly, beds of streams (for, though they contain- ed some water in standing pools, they discharged none), the first being twenty-five yards wide, the second fifty, and the last no less than two hundred, and to which they gave the names of Little Dry and Big Dry Creeks, and Big Dry River. The party proceeded up the river at the rate of about twenty miles a day, through beautiful and fer- tile plains, which rose gradually from the low grounds bordering its banks to the height of fifty feet, and extended a perfect level, at that elevation, as far in places as the eye could reach. On the 8tn they passed a considerable stream, which, from the whitish colour of its water, they called Milk River ; and on the following day the bed of a river, which, though as wide as that of the Missouri, like those passed a few days before, contained no running *" The game," says the Journal, " is now in great quantities, particularly the elk and buffalo, w'hich i__4. _-« , — n-Q.,tlf» ♦bit ihn rnpn nrf» nhlilTftfi tO driVe them out of the way with sticks and stones. Ine CHARACTER OP THE COUNTRY. 197 rav{>«?es of the beaver are very annarpnt Tn ««« p ac the timber was entirely pToSd't Jspace of three aeres ,n front on the river, and one in deoth and a great part of it removed, thoi.airthe tree« "od^ofTrr-'-^^^r/^ th-» as^thiJ^asThl Hve hL\r/as wide a^^Sutls S ^!j^ mouth ; but, as it is much shallower, crowded wth sand-bars, and the colour of the wat^r ha7become much clearer, we do not yet despair of reachin/t^e Rocky Mountams, for which we are very anSs » The party were much troubled with boils and im posthumes, and also with sore eyes : for he forr; they made use of emollient poultices, and an apT ^ rTf teirr.^^^hi^^ -i^"ol, and oi?e of'l" fyes ' dissolved m an ounce of water, for the "blew'^erV''hnTl!'T^'^^?"^^^^ '^' Journal, Diew very hard m the night ; but, having abated pJnoonT/"btr' ^'"^ "" ^^^y^^" tiirSlf the af^ ZTZ fhr^"^ '"?'^ ''^^^^"*' ^»d retarded our progress : the current, too, was strong, the river very crooked, and the banks, as usual! constaX watT'Th? h ' hf '^r^ "^ 't'^' masses Into the water. The highlands are broken, and aooroaph nearer the river than they do belovv The soil Ik,, ^^^^ ^ar^^^r ^o^» the river : it consists of a black-looking loam, with a small portion of sand which covers the hills and bluffs to the depth of twenty or thirty feet, and. when thrown into water iiKe marl. There are also numerous appearances of quartz and mineral salts : the first is most com monly seen in the faces of the bluffs ; the second ?s found on the hills as well as the low grounds, and n the guUeys which come down from the hill?: u"?J^ ma crust of two or three inches in depth;"aAd may be swept up with a feather in large quantities tS R 2 ' sit' 198 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. i* is no longer any appearance of coal, burned earth, or pumice-stone. We saw and visited some high hills on the north side, about three miles from the river, whose tops were covered with the piti,li-pine. This is the flrst pine we have seen on the Missouri, and it is like that of Virginia, except that the leaves are somewhat longer. Among this pine is also a dwarf cedar, sometimes between three or four feet high, but generally spreading itself liite a vine along the surface of the earth, which it covers very closely, putting out roots from the under side. The fruit and smell resemble those of the common red cedar, but the leaf is finer and more delicate. The tops of the hills where these plants grow have a soil quite different from that just described : the basis of it is usually yellow or white clay, and the general ap- pearance light-coloured, sandy, and barren, some scattering tufts of sedge being almost its only herb- age. About five in the afternoon, one of our men, who had been afflicted with boils, being suffered to walk on shore, came running to the boats with loud cries, and every symptom of terror and distress. For some time after we had taken him on board, he was so much out of breath as to be unable to de- scribe the cause of his anxiety ; but he at length told us that about a mile and a half below he had shot a brown bear, which immediately turned, and was in close pursuit of him ; though, being badly wound- ed, he could not overtake him. Captain Lewis, with seven men, immediately went in search of him : and, having found his track, followed him bf the blood for a mile, found him concealed in "to r.e thick brushwood, and shot him with two balls through the scull. Though somewhat smaller than that killed a few days ago, he was a monstrous ani- mal, and a most terrible enemy. Our man had shot him throi<|,v' 'he centre of the lungs ; yet he had pursued ' « , vjrioiidiy for half a mile, then rciurncu more th^^u ^vit\i that distance, and with his paws BROWN bear's tenacity OP LIFE. 109 had prepared himself a bed in Ho earth two feet lh?n fh^ r'" [\'' ^""^' ^"^ vva« perfectly alive when they found him, which was at least tvvo hours after he received the wound. The wonderfu powe? of life which these animals possess renders Zm dreadful : the-r very track in the mud or sand Jh'Jh we have somttimes found eleven inches Ionian seven Pnd a quarter wide, exclusive of the claws "s alarming; and we had rather encounter two Indhns thin meet a single brown bear. There is no ehance tto. ah^rh^T ^y " ^*"^'« «h«t unlesfl le ballgoes through the brains, and this is very difficult on ao count of two large muscles which Jover the ^de of the forehead, and the sharp projection of the centre a 1 n'oMhirb'"'"' ^^ t^ ^^'^^^ 'n- S ana skin of this bear were a heavy burden for twn set o^ifeartv On hnrh ''.^''"? "i'^'* ^"^ ^'^^^ ^e sei out ear y. On both sides of the river the cnim try IS rough and broken, the low grounds becomh"; narrower. The soil of the hills has now aUereT if exture considerably; their base, likeThat of thi river plains is, as usual, a rich black loam, while from the middle to the summits they are cm iposed of a light brown-coloured earth, poor and ster Hand intermixed with a coarse white sand " ' same'theTwn'^nn/ '^^ T''^'l "°"^'""^^ "^"^^ the same the two following days, but the current of the river became stronger, and its waters clearer as thev Towards evening (on the 14th) the men in the hindmost canoes discovered a large brown bear lying in the open grounds, about ^hree hundred paces from the river. Six of them, all good h S immediate-y went to attack him and concS hemselves by a small eminence, ( ame unSved within forty paces of him. Fm,r of t^bo^ S?^ ■■•4 1^ "±i Of them directly throMgh the lungs. The fur lOUS -M 200 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. animal sprang up and ran open-mouthed upon them. As he came near, the two hunters who had reserved their fire gave him two wounds, one of which, break- ing his shoulder, retarded his motion for a moment ; but before they could reload he was so near that they were obliged to run to the river, and before thej' had reached it he had almost overtaken them. Two jumped into the canoe ; the other four sep- arated, and, concealing themselves in the willows, fired as fast as they could reload. They struck him several times, but, instead of weakening the mon- ster, each shot seemed only to direct him towards ihe hunters, till at last he pursued two of them so closely that they threw aside their guns and pouches, and jumped down a perpendicular bank of twenty feet into the river : the bear sprang after them, and was within a few feet of the hindmost, when one of the hunters on shore shot him in the head, and final- ly killed him. They dragged him to the shore, and found that eight balls had passed through him in different directions. The bear was old, and the meat tough, so that they took the skin only, and rejoined us at camp, where we had been as much terrified by an accident of a different kind. " This was the narrow escape of one of our ca- noes, containing all our papers, instruments, medi- cine, and almost every article indispensable for the success of our enterprise. The canoe being under sail, a sudden squall of wind struck her obliquely and turned her considerably. The man at the helm, who was unluckily the worst steersman of the par- ty, became alarmed, and, instead of putting her be- fore the wind, luffed her up into it. The wind was so high that it forced the brace of the squaresail out of the hand of the man who was attending it, and in- stantly upset the canoe, which would have been turned bottom upward but for the resistance made by the awning. Such was the confusion on board, and the waves ran so high, that it was half a minute UPSETTING OP A CANOE. 201 before she righted, and then nearly full of water but by bailing her out she was kept from sinking un-* til they rowed ashore. Besides the loss of the lives of three men, who, not being able to swim, would probably have perished, we should have been de- prived of nearly everything necessary for our pur- poses, at a distance of between two and three thou- th\ defidencyT '"^ ^^''' ^'^'^^ ^' ^""^^ ^"PP^^ Fortunately, the only loss sustained by this acci- dent, which threatened to be so serious, was that of some of their medicines, which were spoiled by be- ing wet. Nothing special occurred the two follow- mg days. " May 17. We set out early," continues the Jour- nal, and proceeded on very well. The banks be- ing firm, and the shore bold, we were enabled to use the to wline, which, whenever the banks will permit it, IS the safest and most expeditious mode of as- cendmg the river, except under a sail with a steady f.''1?n u u " The country in general is rugged, the hills high, with their summits and sides partilllv covered with pine and cedar, and their bases on both sides washed by the river. Like those already men- loned, the lower part of these hills is a dark rich loam, while the upper region, for one hundred and fifty feet, consists of a whitish brown sand, so hard as in niany places to resemble stone, though in fact very little stone or rock of any kind is to be seen on the hills. The bed of the Missouri is much narrower than usual, being not more than between two and three hundred yards in width, with an uncommonly large proportion of gravel ; but the sand-bars, and low points covered with willows, have almost en- tirely disappeared ; the timber on the river consists 01 scarcely anything more than a kw scattered cot- tonvvood-trees. The saline incrustations alon^ the "-^^'- -nci the foot of the hills are more abundant lal. The game is m great quantities, but the. than I P Hn 1^ ■202 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. buffalo are not so numerous as they were some days ago. Two rattlesnakes were seen to-day, and one of them we killed : it resembles those of the middle Atlantic states, bcng about two feet six inches long, of a yellowish brown on the back and sides, varie- gated with a row of oval dark brown spots, lying transversely on the back from the neck to the tail, and having two other rows of circular spots of the same colour on the sides along the edge of the scu- ta : there are one hundred and seventy-six scuta on the belly, and seventeen on the tail." ♦ • * " Late at night we were roused by the ser- geant of the guard, in consequence of fire having communicated to a tree overhanging our camp. The wind was so high, that we had not removed the camp more than a few minutes when a large part of the tree fell, precisely on the spot it had occu- pied, and would have crushed us if we had not been alarmed in time." The character of the country was fast changing : the willow had for the most part disappeared, and the Cottonwood, almost the only timber remaining, was becoming scarce. " May 19, The last night," continues the narrative, " was disagreeably cold ; and in the morning there was a very heavy fog, which obscured the river so much as to prevent our seeing the way. This is the first fog of any degree of density which we have experienced. There was also, last evening, a fall of dev7, the second which we have observed since entering this extensive open country. About eight o'clock the fog dispersed, and we proceeded with the aid of the towline. The country resem- bles that of yesterday, high hills closely bordering the river. In the afternoon the river became crook- ed, and contained more sawyers or floating timber than we have seen in the same space since leaving the Piatte. Our game consisted of deer, beaver, a;id elk : we also killed a brown bear, which, although MUSCLESHELL RIVER. 203 shot through the heart, ran at their usual pace near- ly a quarter of a mile before he fell " Oil the 20th they reached the mouth of a large river on the south, and encamped for the da/ at the upper pomt of its junction with the Missouri This stream," says the Journal, " which we sup! pose to be that called by the Minnetarees the Mus- cleshell River, empties into the Mi^ouri two thou^ sand two hundred and seventy miles above the mouth of the latter river, and in latitude 47° 24'' north. It is one hundred and ten y;irds wide, and contains more water than streams of that size usual- y do in this country." Among the game killed t ns day were two large owls, with long feathers on hPvf nt ?^^^\^?^ resembling ears, and which they took to be the hooting owls, though they were much larger and their colours brighter than those common in the United States. nW?I^^.^^*7^';J"°'"'"^ ^^"'^ ^^^y fine, we were able to employ the rope, and made twenty miles. In its course the Missouri makes a sudden and ex- tensive bend towards the south, to receive the wa- ters of the Muscleshell. The neck of land thus formed, though itself high, is lower than the siir! rounding country ; and makes a waving vallev ex- tending for a great distance to the northwardf with a fine turf of low grass, some herbs, and vast quan- hlf h^ ^''^^^^ Pf ^'- '^^" ^^""try <^n the soJth is Jigh, broken, and crowned with some pine and ttr'L'fi?"'' ^^'' lea^of this pine is longer than that of the common pitch or red pine of Virginia the cone is longer and narrower, the imbrications with ros"in "^'''^^'' ^""^ ^^^ ^^""^^ frequently covered * * * " May 22. The river continues about two hundred and fiftv vnr^ijs wi^n .rruu r ___,", ^^^^ Q«ri *u r-' j""^' "'-'^j vriin icwci suiiu-Dars, no Innl?'''"^ i?^!"^ ^5"*^^ ^"^ *'^g»lar- Game is no longer m such abundance since leaving the Mus- 11 Iff . ear." CHAPTER IX. The Party continue their Route.-Judith RIver.-Indian Mode of taking the BuRlilo.-Slaughter River.-Phenomena of Na- °ure -Walls on the Banks of the Missouri-The Party en- camp, to ascertain which of the Streams constitute the Mis- aouri.-Captain Lewis leaves the Party to explore the North- em Fork, and Captain Clarke explores the bouthern.-Nar- low Escape of one of Captam Lewis's Party. " May 23. Last night the frost was severe, and this morning the ice appeared along the edges of the river, and the water froze on our oars. At the dis- tance of a mile we passed the entrance of a creek on the north, which we named Teapot Creek : it is fifteen yards wide, and, although it has running wa- ter at a small distance from its mouth, yet it dis- charges none into the Missouri, resembling, we be- lieveT most of the creeks of this hilly country, the waters of which are absorbed by the thirsty sou near the river. They indeed afford but little vyater in anv part; and even that is so strongly tninted with salts that it is unfit for use, though a^l the v/i.a animals are very fond of it. On experiment it was THE BLACK HILLS. 205 found to be moderately purgative." * ♦ » « Thp Hit er has become more rapid, the country the same as ap;elTamo:,^^h'e' p-i^' ^ ?"* ^"^" ^^^^ P'- "May 24. The water in the kettles frn^n on« eighth of an inch during the night ice a noon r^ ft^^sr .Ti n H^ ^^''l^ "?''^3^ ^" their leaves by the fiost, are putting forth other buds." * * * " At twen ty-four and a half miles we reached a point of wood Sno ^:;,^°»^h, where we observed that the trees had no leaves, and encamped for the niirht The dred and twenty miles in width, some i mesZ-row-' tfier side, riiey commence about the head of the testw^'rH"""?'" "!'J ^'"''^'■' «'?« first Hdge gong westw ard, along the northern shore of the Afkaii! ooiiquely, in a course a little to the W. of N W • ersectln»?hP Y^il "" ^'=""' ^""^ "' ''"*«■ «"^ in-' lersect ng the Yellowstone near the Biff Bend thev cross the Missouri at this place, and probab y sweU he country as far as the Saskashawan, thoU as .a-'";h;.7m '""'? '""'a r^"^^ here 'than to *! i!;,' "'"y '"^y no' reach that river." Ihemselw^fnf'',? '•"'y,.P™c«eded onward, availing inemselves of the towlme wherever the banks oer. b S,"%"'f- "^^7 ^"'-^ ™"'=t' ineom^^oSed'^b; rive bv?L?"' "'?'"'' "^'^ ^'"'" f°"=^"^ on the 7th, will shovv T "''''^^"^' ^^^^^^ occurred "III passing along the side of a hlnfF of o pass, thirty yards in lenmh r.nf • t ^^ ^ "arrow and. h..f fo/o ?^../ 'J,^"^^^' ^^P^3'» Lewis sliooed. spontocM^ wonld i;rbeo"St^d"r r ^ '^^ er^^a_p»..i,.eeofabo^S;;^ter^£S '- -I , :)■ t,'' i- 218 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION. just reached a spot where, by the assistance of his 8pontoon,he could stand with tolerable safety, when he heard a voice beliiiid him cry out, 'Good God, captain, what shall I do ]" He turned instantly, and found it was Windsor, who had lost his foot- hold about the middle of the narrow pass, and had shpped down to the very verge of the precipice, where ho lay on his belly, with his right arm and leg over it, while with the other leg and arm he was with difficulty holding on, to keep himself from being dashed to pieces below. His dreadful situation was instantly perceived by Captain Lewis, who, stifhng his alarm, calmly told him that he was in no dan- ger; that he should take his knife out of his belt with the right hand, and dig a hole in the side of the bluff to receive his right foot. With great presence of mind he did this, aiu. then raised himself on his knees. Captain Lewis then told him to take off his moccasins, and come forward on his hands and knees, holding the knife in one hand and his rifle m the other. He immediately crawled in this way till he came to a secure spot. The men who lad not attempted this passage were ordered to return, and wade the river at the foot of the bluff, where they found the water breast high. This adventure taught them the danger of crossing the slippery heights of the river ; but, as the plains were intersected by deep ravines almost as difficult to pass, they continued down the stream, sometimes in the mud of the low grounds, sometimes up to their arms in the water, and, when it became too deep to wade, they cut foot- holds with their knives in the sides of the banks. In this way they travelled through the rain, mud, and water; and, having made only eighteen miles during the whole day, encamped in an old Indian lodge of sticks, which afforded them a dry shelter. Here they cooked part of six deer they liad killed m ti. - -^r*U— ;« »> HMIV tnO CUUis^; ui iiicii luul^, «iiu, iitiTtij^ vttsv - J morsel they had tasted during the whole day, slept -comfortably on some willow boughs." DOUBTS AS TO THE TJIUE MISSOURI. 210 CHAPTER X. the Missouri, CaptairLewS LZ. fn"*""'^?" ^"^'^ ^o be making a Place to depSe Pro^is^niVnTl'^T^^'^e ^ CacA..-Captain Lewi^Sores Z ^' ^^ by the Trench of the Missouri discoveretf whlh 1 'J'^'^^'L" ^""-k-FalU Romantic Scenery ofX suVro.S^ '^^ Question.- cape of Captain Lewis l'n^IT,^i"E S°""try.-Narrow Es- Captain cUe, appZch w Sve »lf V^^/'^[iy' "" '^ey distm- goldfinch, the large a,"d sn a blSw;d [h; """''• and some others. "Th" whole of th«' . '"^"• of opinion that this river wnV .h» .. "'.^..P^fy were Capai„ Lewis, bein^l-uri^'^^^^"^' '\^0".H; bat S^lfto-tr^^^^^^^^^ River. After travellhfrniiV^" "u'""" "^ M'lria's' camp at.five'o'd^et in fhfaft^^t'^ ''''"'''' *" exSn 1;X^ solh-'SrirrhlJ-"' -'' followedThe cou/e of .; sm-Jn^a""*"^''"^'' '^^r from the abunda, ee of ?hat nh„ T?™ ' •'" "'"'"'• banks, they gave thn „L„ oV ^--^ •-?" ''"^ "^.V''"" "ow compared their observa"L,;s!'a,fd'con;ulte?tZ ( If t 1 220 LEWIS AND CLARKE*S EXPEDITION. gether as to which of the routes they should adopt ; and, after carefully considering all the facts, and such information as they had previously been ena- bled to obtain from the Indians, the leaders conclu- ded that the south fork must be the true Missouri. Still many of the party were of ^ different opinion, which they were led to adopt .'■.■ ally from the representations of Crusatte, wh- .u long been a waterman on the Missouri. It was determined, therefore, in order that nothing might be omitted which could prevent their falling into an error, that a parly should ascend the southern branch by land until they reached either the falls or the mountains. " In the mean time," proceeds the narrative, '* in or- der to lighten our burdens as much as possible, we determined to doposite here one of the pirogues, and ail the heavy baggage which we could possibly spare, as well as some provisions, salt, powder, and tools; this would at once lighten the other boats, and give; them the crew which had been employed on board the pirogue. "June 10. The weather being fair and pleasant, we dried all our baggage and merchandise, and made our deposite. " These depbsites — or caches, as they are called by the Missouri traders — are very common, particularly among those who deal with the S.oux, as the skins and merchandise will keep perfectly sound for years, 'and are protected from robbery. Our cache was built in the usual manner. In the high plain on the north side of the Missouri, and forty yards from a steep bluff, we chose a dry situation, and then, de- scribing a small circle of about twenty inches diam- eter, removed the sod as gently and carefully as possible : the hole was then sunk perpendicularly for a foot deep. It was now worked gradually wider as it descended, till at length it became six oi seven feet deep, shnned nearly like a kettle, or the lower part of a large still with the iDottom somewhat FOUMATION OP A " CACHE." 221 sunk at the centre. As the earth was Hug it was handed up m a vessel, and carefully laid on al^n or cloth, in which it was carried away and thrown into the river, so as to leave no trace of it A S of d?v'st.ckf n:/"r\' "^ ^'^^^^"^^^ was then n?ade of dry sticks on which was placed a hide perfectly dry, Ihe goods, being well aired and dried were vvall by other dried sticks, as the merchandise was stowed away. When the hole was neX Ail7 a thro J'' Yu ""''' '^' ^«"d^' ^»d on this ea^rth was the sod fi"?'^'"" ^i'T' ""^"' ^^i*»^ ^^^^ addition of the sod first removed, the whole was on a level with Dear!re"nr?^ '^''^ '^-'^^'"^^ "«^ ^^e slighle t ap- pearance of an excavation. In addition to this, we made another of smaller dimensions, in which w^ S.f n^ h"^^'«'"' '""^'^ powder, and our bhck! tnT.k L ''^'' ^^"'"^ previously repaired such of the tools as we carry with us that require mendiiiff ro guard against accident, we had two parcels of ^ad and powder in the two places. The red pTrogue eXtT of"^M"" ■' '' t'''' ^^ ^ ^'^^^ island^ a??he entiance of Maria's River, and secured, by beiiiff fastened to the trees, from the effects of any flS altftudrn/?h^ another observation of the Lridian of M^ri.?l r' '""' ^"^, ^?""^ '^^^ '^'^ "^^^^^ latitude t tt'^"^ '^T'' T ^^^-^^^^^ h^d not'be: krnahTr?^- '"^ ^^'^ °^'^^7"^ '^'^^ ^'^^ bee-martin, or Kingbird, is common to this country, although there the honey-bee since leaving Osage River "* On the morning of the 11th, Captain Lewis started with four men for a more thorough exploration of th*^/tt'?''l\-^'?°^S"°"^'"?^i'^^'°"' hy several traveller., man. Woney-bees were first seen at Wj6 l^arker, jn 17L'L\ Louis, ' ■ ' -.gp •11 1 1 ; it i '■!' 1 5. im ^11 ^Hk^ H^BHrJ'' i i T2 222 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. the southern branch. Being attacked with dysen- tery shortly after leaving so violently that he could not proceed, and having no medicine, he made a strong decoction of the twigs of the chokecherry, from which he obtained speedy relief. On the sec- ond day, in crossing a ridge that was elevated above the surrounding country, they had a magnificent view of the Rocky Mountains, their summits cover- ed with snow. Tl\ey advanced this day twenty- seven miles, saw great quantities of game, and killed two brown bears. On the 13th they came to a beau- tiful plain, where the buffalo were in greater num- bers than they had ever before seen. "To the southwest," says the journalist, " there arose from this plain two mountains of a singular appearance, and more like ramparts of high fortifications than works of nature. They are square figures, with sides rising perpendicularly to the heij, it of two hundred and fifty feet, formed of yellow clay, and the tops seemed to be level plains. Finding that the river here bore considerably to the South, and fear- ful of passing the falls before reaching the Rocky Mountains, they now changed their course to the south, and, leaving those insulated hills to the right, proceeded across the plain. In this direction Cap- tain Lewis had gone about two miles, when his ears were saluted with the agreeable sound of a fall of water; and, as he advanced, a spray, which seemed driven by the high southwest wind, arose above the plain like a column of smoke, and vanished in an in- stant. Towards this point he directed his steps, and the noise, increasing as he approached, soon became too tremendous to be mistaken for anything but the Great Falls of the Missouri. Having trav- elled seven miles after first hearing the sound, he reached the falls about twelve o'clock. The hills, as he approached, were difficult of access, and two huhdfod feet high : down these iie hurried vvitn iin- patience, and, seating himself on some rocks under 'Sen- ?ould de a erry, sec- bovo icent )ver- mty- :illed )eau- [lum- the from nice, than with two , and it the fear- ocky ) the right, Cap- ears 11 of smed e the in in- iteps, soon thing trav- d, he hills, two .1 till- ander I' *■,'■ '•"-«fmrf»-.or-^hn fi»iTw il •,!.. »'Javisiii,.)g its » ■mt^ •^iitrptt Ute ka^whi Thr -. 'innid m li 11 p:-^in Ci' i. ! ■ ■A -it 01)1 Hi nn •V fs .., the mek-.^ ;y^>^ ^ ■ ■ 'Cmsiiiuft' . ''s altfie. southern ■ M: :.Tx;. W$iK:fi:iS a J^ ^m. im w w...- II .^ t' W 1 V^ '7'WIU' I; 'ft '-'W" it ' i PALLS OP THE MISSOURI. 223 hu„ JrcS S i"rt.d"i^ '„t "^ f ■^'-•?^'=' '» ">'- dicular cUffon the left wh^ h''"* '".''^ " P^P*^"' .'.uiidred feet from the left Hff ,. "■■ """^'y,<"- « beats with fury against a ledge of rocks which ov' ends across the river atone hundred and fifMs" from the precipice. From the perpendicular cKn he north to the distance of one hundred and \wLZ yards, the rocks are only a few feet !hovP tl^ ^ perpendicular cliir on the south, the whoL l^ 1 o? water runs with great swiftness. A few shhU ^/ dars grow near this ridge of rocks, which serves as' .ren.ityofwIichta;re;??h'e%l':^i:3T,-- § ^U jv V 224 LEWIS ..ND Clarke's expedition. are several Indian cabins of sticks; below which the river is divided by a large rock, several feet above the surface of the water, and extending down the stream for twenty yards. At the distance of three hundred yards from the same ridge is a sec- ond abutment of solid perpendicular rock, about sixty feet high, projecting at right angles from the small plain on the north for one hundred and thirty- four yards into the river. After leaving this, the Missouri again spreads itself to its previous breadth of three hundred yards, though with more than its ordinary rapidity. " The hunters who had been sent out now re- turned loaded with buffalo meat, and Captain Lewis encamped for the night under a tree near the falls. The men were again despatched to hunt for food against the arrival of the party, and Captain Lewis walked down the river, to discover, if possible, some place where the canoes might be safely drawn on shore, in order to be transported beyond the falls. He returned, however, without discovering any such spot; the river for three miles below being one con- tinned succession of rapids and cascades, overhung with perpendicular bluffs from one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet high : in short, it seems to have worn itself a channel through the solid rock. In the afternoon they caught in the falls some of both kinds of whitefish, and half a dozen trout, from sixteen to twenty-three inches long, precisely re- sembling in form, and in the position of their fins, the mountain or speckled trout of the United f^jjates, except that the specks of the former are of a deep black, while those of the latter are of a red or gold colour : they have long, sharp teeth on the palate and tongue, and generally a small speck of red on each side behind the front ventral fins ; the flesh is of a pale yellowish red, or, when in good order, of a rose-coloured red. " June 14. This morning one of the men was sent FALLS OP THE MISSOURI. 225 ir ST »: r, - -- I'tfr very above. From the fM^kh.r ^^/P"ne the rapids west up the riVer Aft.r'^ i"s course soGth- rapid and three cascades .^TV!^ ^"^ coiuiiiued high, he reached, afthedL"^^^ "^^""^ ^^^t ond fall. The river k Lrf / ® ?^ ^^^ ""^«s» '"i sec- wide, and for the d ^^f/^^^^^^^^^^^^^ yards dowiito the depth of ninpf.« r .® hundred rushes ly that he gave it ^L??,""" feet,and so irregular- From the so^uther shteTt'pvf.''^'^^^^""^^^ ^^^"«- about one huSd a„d Irv v" ^' "^^T"^>^ "P^^^^ an acute angle downward nL^,f^^^^ Z' '^'" ^"^™« ment of four small island^ n^ncY ?u^^^ commence- From the perpenlc£'l'fA?f V^^ northern side, tance of more than oni^h'i^ ^^^^^ islands, a dis- glides down a slop n^^'ock w[tf /'t' '^' ^^^^' equal to that of its fall 1 ^^ '^^j'^^'^y ^^'^ost bends suddenly t^lhfnorthwa'rd^^Vh'! '^' ''''' this place, Captain Lew^s heJrd t lo^H^'^' ^^'^^"^ him, and, crossing the nnint^fr ?n "^/^^^' above yards, he savi Z of the mostl^^'r^f^'J^""^^^^ nature : the whole MissnnH ?f ^t^^"^'/"I ob ects in one shelvinff rock whth ^^, «"^^enly stopped by andwitha fdgeasstmLl^t^^^^^^^^ ? single niche, by art, stretches itsel f f ^L ""^ '^^"'^•* ''^^ '^ foi-"»ed the other for afleLsti l'^\''"^''^^ "^ ^^^^ ^iver to it precimta?es^\self n r''^^' °^ ^ "^'^^^- O^^^r this to the ^pc™ dPnrr"V"2';""*7"Pt^^ «heet, dashing against the ro'^'-^-- ^^ ' '"^'^"^^ down, ieafinTbehind ' t a^st e? of V"'^'"' ^^P'^^^ across the rivpr ti!1 ^' *^f ^^^ P"^'est foam was indeed s ngularlyta'u'tk;,! ''^''^' '' ^''''^'^^^ of the wild, irregular su^^^^^^^^^^^^ ' /l u^^,' '^''^^^"^ ^"7 combined all thl rpm,l. i?^'^^ ""^ ^^^ ^«^^'^'' falls, it Of a painter wol'fl^-^^^^^^^^ T^^^'^-^'l^ ''^"W fail. The evp h^H T.' 7 u""" ^ beautiiu water ine eye had scarcely been regaled with this ;;-i.'i,.S^y'fi»!-'* . ./!at»':!i.\,'Bi 51 'ii.< 1 ( 226 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. charming prospect, when, at the distance of half a mile, Captain Lewis observed another of a similar kind. To this he immediately hastened, and found a cascade stretching across the whole river for a quarter of a mile, with a descent of fourteen feet, though the perpendicular pitch was only six feet. This, too, in any other neighbourhood, would have been an object of great magnificence ; but, after what he had just seen, it became of secondary inter- est : his curiosity being, however, awakened, he de- termined to go on, even should night overtake him, to the head of the falls. He therefore pursued the southwest course of the river, which was one con- stant succession of rapids and small cascades, at ev- cry one of which the bluffs grew lower, or the bed of the river became more on a level with the plains. At the distance of two and a half miles he arrived at another cataract of twenty-six feet. The river is here six hundred yards wide, but the descent is not immediately perpendicular, though the river falls generally in a regular and smooth sheet ; for about one third of the descent a rock protrudes to a small distance, receives the water in its passage, and gives it a curve. "On the south side is a beautiful plain, a few feet above the level of the falls ; on the north the coun- try is more broken, and there is a hill not far from the river. Just below the falls is a little island in the middle of the river, well covered with timber. Here, on a cottonwood-tree, an eagle had fixed her nest, and seemed the undisputed mistress of a spot, to contest whose dominion neither man nor beast would venture across the gulfs that surround it, and which is farther secured by the mist rising from the falls. This solit'ary bird could not escape the ob- servation of the Indians, who made the eagle's nest a part of their description of the falls, and which now proves to be correct in almost every particular, except that they did not do justice to their height. Just ab( yond w city of now asi saw froi the rive; south ar try the : with wa four miJ flowing miles in which a stretches water, as soon enci of geese, iiig on th " Capta rected hij the west. sand buflll supper, sh began to I ten to rek him fall, \ was steali within tw prise he lii that it was reload, he It was in tl within thn sloping, ani there was i tain Lewis quick walk the nearest Pushed ope, NARJIOW ESCAPE FROM A BEAR. 227 yondtS!^^ ttrcout bfoL"""' '? f-' '•-- City of the (vater seemed o abaf^^'S' '^V'^"' now ascended the hill uih:„i. . ^^P'*"" Lew a saw from its , op a SeL^^nl nTf ""■''"' ■"'". and Ihe river to the LL nf fhl 2 P'"'": ""'ending from south aiid southwest Arnn."?^^ Mountains to the with water to its smooth, gassvbtL™'!'f' u'^"* four miles above, it wa, ^fn V u ''■'• "''"'" =''«>"« flowing from the 'nortWe. h.. ''I " '"7^^ w<"- miles in width %nil,i.^,' '."™"gli a valley three which adored' itT'sh'o "'^"'-^t' M^ ""'■''""'«' slr.'tches to the south ,,„., Missouri itself water, as if unconscin, of ?h ""''""'."'' '^'"'"' "f soon encounter, and bearin/o,?Lh"^'""'^ " ""■*' of geese while „«„,emuThe"ds of hTi''''' "."<='"' '"? °" 'he plains which suJrotdYt. """'" "'"^ ^*^''- rected'Ccots^e'towardf rh"""^" "'Z '''"• »<* d'- the west. He soon Ip? . ? i'^f '^''""'S "> ^om sand buffalo and behig Lshljifj'' least a thou, supper, shot one of them rhl"l" .^'"""^'"S for began to bleed, and S,.inT •"""',' ""nicdiately ten to reload hs rifle T.J • 'f ' "''"' ''ad forgot- him fall, vvhen he beheTf, '"^'"l^ "'^""""S '"see was stealing on him ni^'^''^'' j*™"" "'e'T vvhich within tweifty steps IT,T7'^: '-""^ "«^ ^""eady prise he lif.e/his ?,fle bu ri'" ,"'°"'""* "f S"" ■hat it was not charged a I ,h?,T^u'"^^ "'^''•"""y reload, he felt tliif i& h'" ""^ '"'d no time to It was'in the op n leveT pT^V- ?,o?'T "k"' '" "'g". within three hundred vird?. '.iV ''I'^h nor a tree Roping, and not more fhail ,'h ee fee'lN"^."'" "^«' there was no nossihip mnJL J "' '"8''' so that tain Lewis therefore Zuoh, nT'^'f"'"'?""- ^^P" quick walk as fast as ihP^hp,? ^""'eatnig with a the nearest 'tree h „ L i'l^'i"^ advanced, towards '-hed opo„.mo„.h-ed;a„raV M SupH'n htf •|:| fl^KB^T 1 ■ ^^^El^ia^aiw ' '.Jfc 1 1 WK~ iHfli 1 i MBk..jm! 1 11 IBI 228 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. Captain Lewis ran about eighty 5'ards ; bnt, finding that the animal gained on him fast, it flashed on his mind that, by getting into ihe water to such a df.pth that the bear would be ( jliged to attack him swim- rr.in^, there was still some chance for his life : he therefore turned short, plunged into the river about waist deep, and, facing about, presented the point of his spontoon. The bear arrived at the waters edge within twenty feet of him; but, as soon as he put himself in this posture of defence, he seemed friglit- ened, and, wheeling about, retreated with as much precipitation as he had advanced. Very glad to be released from this danger. Captain Lewis returned to the sliore, and observed him run with great speed, sometimes hooking back, as if he expected to be pur. sued, till he leached the woods. He could not con- ceive the cause of the sudden alarm of the bear, but congratulated himself on his escape, when he saw his own track torn to pieces by the furious animal; and he learned from the whole adventure never to suffer his rifle to be for a moment unloaded. " He now resumed his route in the direction which the bear had taken towards the western river, and found it a beautiful stream, about two hundred yards wide, apparently deep, with a gentle current ; its wa- ters clear, and its banks, which were formed princi- pally of dark brown and blue clay, about the same height as those of the Missouri, that is, from three to five feet. What is singular is, that the river does not seem to overflow its banks at any season; while it might be presumed, from its vicinity to the mountains, that the torrents arising from the'melting of tho snows would sometimes, at least, cause it to swell beyc'^d its limits. The contrary fact would induce the belief that the Rocky Mountains yield their snows very reluctantly and equably to the sun, and are not often drenched by very heavy rains. This river is no doubt that which the Indians call Medicine River, which Ihey mentioned as emptying tEWlS RETURNS FROM THE FALLS. ^8,9 Into the Missouri just above the falls. After evam ining Mcd.cmeJt.ver, Captain Lewis setout at ^ past SIX o'clock in rhe evening, on his return to Rivi" hfV^'T^ the low grounds on Medicine Sht w/fl uT""^ '"^'"^ »^ a ^'Stance he paces, It pioved to be some brownish vellow nni edin iK 1^ ;' ' '"T "'•'"';'""' 'he beast di Uppea" ed in Its burrow. From the track, and the ce leral r^ff^rki^d '"?/".',"""• '" ^"PP"-" '' '» "^ of ine iigei Kind. He then went on; hu* as if th« ^X2 wfff ''' -TPil-ed^g'-insi'htn h oimaio bulls, which were feeding with a iarae herd and r'.n ;f nlir ''^ 'f' ^ "V'^' ^''' ^^'^'•' eoiupl .itnsi and ran at full speed towards him. He turned round them : when they were within a hundred yards thev t p£'f ' ^^^.^'^ "^ ^"" ^^''- ««'"« time, and heiie^ n fhf . ^1 ^'^7 ^^'""- "^ "o^^ pursued hs route ?^hts of1V/^^''"^"V'^^ «^^^"^'^ adventures a" d Bighs of the dny, which crowded on his mind so rap diy, hat he should have been inclined to believe ^ all enchantment if the thorns of the prickly near tTeSioir '^{''fr' ^'^PJ"^^ ■'' -very nfoS me Illusion. He at last reached the party, who had r!A T^- ,^",^'""« ^^^ his safety, and who Imd al ready decided on the route which each shou d take n the morning to look for him. Bein manning the Sue fnrt IIT"^ ""* "l^P"'' ''>' f ""> "'"'''« south, opposite to which w?^ -u **"',"»"' o" the falling ov^r the rocks on tte north®' pIP^" ?""■« arrived at two from the f:I ii! „k . ^ ^"P""" I-ewia us ; and, after consulting !' "1! ^"^ '""''« "bove portage, we crossed ^hpl.«P""/';* ""''J^''' of 'he th. nSrt'h sidJ^^avhig c. 'n'e ^hl-e^. ^""""^ " ^"""P <"• to-day. From our own XL, .'' ''"""'"•s of a mile the south side "o beZ mo,7 f'""' "t'"'^ <'««'"«d age; but two n e,> sent '^°,V^\t receives the waters of Medic he n'^ver wfdTh 'The' ""."^'•"'^ ""<* thirty-seve,' yards i'„' width. I he united current continues thrpp hnn north'"'^. '^nty-eight poles to a smalTrapid on the Of five h„„-d j;;i'tert:'s 'i:^:^z V 2 $ I ' I t I., .all d34 LEWIS AND Clarke's EXP£DiTioif» head of the rapids, narrowing as it approaches them. Here the nills on the north, which had withdrawn from the bank, closely border the river, which for the space of three hundred and twenty poles makes its way over the rocks with a descent of thirty feet. In this course the current is contracted to five hun- dred and eighty yards ; and, after throwing itself over a s.nall pitch of five feet, it forms a beautiful cascade of twenty-six feet five inches : it does not, however, fall entirely perpendicular, being stopped by a part of the rock, which projects at about one third of the distance. After descending this fall and passing the cottonwood island, on which the eagle has fixed its nest, the river goes on for five hundred and thirty-two poles over rapids and little falls, the estimated descent of which is thirteen feet six inches, till it is joined by a large fountain boil- ing up underneath the rocks near the edge of the river, into which it falls with a cascade of eight feet. The water of this fountain is of the most perfect clearness, and of rather a bluish cast ; and, even after falling into the Missouri, it preserves its colour for half a mile. From the fountain the riv- er descends with increased rapidity for the distance of two hundred and fourteen poles, during which the estimated descent is five feet ; and from tliis, for a distance of one hundred and thirty-five poles, it de- scends fourteen feet seven inches, including a per- pendicular fall of six feet seven inches. The Mis- souri has now become pressed into a space of four hundred and seventy-three yards, and here forms a grand cataract, by falling over a plain rock the whole distance across the river» to the depth of for- ty-seven feet eight inches. After recovering itself, it then proceeds with an estimated descent of three feet, till, at the distance of one hundred and two poles, it is precipitated down the Crooked Falls nineteen feet perpendicular. Below this, at the mouth of a deep ravine, is a fail of live feet ; titer T II i.i.. Illjl i which, poles, more I level p ty-eigh feet, th Thence poles, a a perpe poles b which, yards, a nel, wh wide, ru en feet. itself in bed of 1 for thre( of a run feet, whi makes tl scent wi is only f ravine, tl feet; wii descent and sixty to the m hundred From thi river exp fifty-two ter miles, the mouth impassabl entrance,' The ne( the 21st 1 The folio DESCRIPTION OF TUB RAPIDS. 235 Which for fhe distance of nine hundred and seventy poles, the descent is much n.ore gradual noiS jevel plain for the space of one hundred and sevpn ty-e,ght poles, with a computed descen of three" ftet, the river makmg a bend towards the norOi Il^rh".^'T"^^'^°^ ^^^^^ *»""dred and eight poles, about eighteen feet and a half, when it makes a perpendicular fall of two feet, which is nkiltt P°J?« beyond the great cataract; irapproachS which. It descends thirteen feet wi hi" two h ,1.3 yards, and gathering strength from tsconfi^ie^^^ S/'"'h^ '' °"^^ '^^^ h»"^»-«d and eighty yards wide, rushes over the fall to the depth of eigh^^sev f.Lif • /^t^r^agmg among the rocks, and losinc K o " ^""T'^.^ '' compressed immediately into f fnr,^^ ""Jfty-three yards in width : it con inues for three hundred and forty poles to the entrance of a run or deep ravine, where there is a fall of th?ee feet which, added to the decline during that distance makes the descent six feet. As it goes on the de scent within the next two hundred and for^y pots" IS only four feet; from this, passing a run or deen ravine, the descent in four hundred poles is thirteeS feet; withm two hundred and forty Doles I^nthJl descent of eighteen feet; thencrfn^ea?,tut knew nothing of his mmn ^^ ''^'''^y ^^'"ed. He day of their d^eparure^n^^^^^ '^'' on the the fails, and come on to Med " ni'l^"'^ ^'^' ^^^'^ «» seen them since. As it J.f t ",® '*'''^^' ""^ having tain Lewis passed ove^on t ra7t w5fi V" Ji"^"^"' ^^P" the purpose, and spent the nilh Jt""^ ^^ '"^'^^« fo' and the next morninff ^ ^' Shannon's ^amp,- "June 24, he spnf t i?- u fers to go fiur nS'and retunf vvh/r\"^^^ «- the two absent hunters or nm' Th! ''^f ^' ^'^""^ he southwest side of Medicin'; p^^^"' ^^^cending the Missouri in the eannp a !? ^^''^'*' ^^ crossed to his camp to oin fIp d.' ^'V^ ««»t Shannon back they had killed ^ his heV A '^ evening at the camTa w^hi^^V^^^ ^^^^ i« the of the men from PorLrcJePk .7 ''^^"^'- Part two canoes and baggagf o,? i-^^'^^''"^^d with ^ay, Captain Clarke cut* nfr^t ^ '"? ^^'^" jester, former route, so as7o shortenTp''"^ .'"^'^^ «^ 'he ably, and marked it with stak^'' ^^^'^ ^^"^ consider- time to have two of X n.„A! ^^ ^'"^^^ there in plain about a mile n adva'ice'''S'^ "^J" '^' ^'^Sh paired their moccasins and ^f; r.^T ^^^y ^^^ ^e- protect them from the Zu\ " ^"""^^^ ^^l^s to fharp points of^rth wS L^f.'' ''i^'^^' ^^e the tranipliuff of thp hnff 1 ^^^.^ ^^^^ formed bv This of it's el>is sufficienuL'rPn?"^ l^' ^''^ ^^'n' agreeable to one whTh^d „. u 1 ^^ ^^ »^en are loaded as he^^vMvl fh ^•"''^'^" ' ^"t, as the fnit, the crossing Is rea^f/'Vr^l'''i;'^"S:'h will per! IJgwuhthesore;!^:;^^^^^^^^^^ ii u '" '^^^"^ for more than ^';'"""''/"^' scarce- W ,* vi'i ': i!) 238 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. rest frequently ; and at almost every stopping-place they fall, and many of tliem are asleep in an in- stant ; yet no one complains, and they go on with great cheerfulness. At their camp Drewyer and Fields joined them ; and, while Captain Lewis was looking for them at Medicine River, they returned to report ihe absence of Shannon, about whom they had been very uneasy. They had killed several buffalo at the bend of the Missouri above the falls, and dried about eight hundred pounds of meat, and got one hundred pounds of tallow : they had also killed some deer, but had seen no elk. After getting the party in motion with the canoes. Captain Clarke returned to his camp at Portage Creek. " We were now occupied in fitting up a boat of skins, the frame of which had been prepared for the purpose at Harper's Ferry. It was made of iron, thirty-six feet long, four feet and a half in the beam, and twenty-six inches wide in the bottom. Two men had been sent this morning for timber to com- plete it, but they could find scarcely any even tol- erably straight sticks four and a half feet long; and, as the Cottonwood is too soft and brittle, we were obliged to use the willow and box-alder. " June 25. The party returned to the lower camp. Two men were sent on the large island to look for timber. J. Fields was sent up the Missouri to hunt elk; but he returned about noon, and informed us that, a few miles above, he saw two white bears near the river, and, while attempting to fire at them, there came suddenly a third, which, being only a few steps off, immediately attacked him ; that, in running to escape from the monster, he leaped down a steep bank of the river, where, falling on a bar of stone, he cut his hand and knee, and bent his gun ; but, fortunately for him, the bank concealed him from his antagonist, or he would have been most proba- bly lost. The other two returned with a small quan- --" -' bark and timber, which was aii they couKl my 01 Darii ana in SPECIES OP WUD RVE, 239 ^^ ^i.!'^^ ^iX'^o, two elk. ofthe UlZrZS:^l^,^J''rMe than iZ The party that went to th„ i„ " '""'"■'' "' drying. te ready i„ ihl^tZnlTLaV^' 'll^'' P'^'"- '<> make use of their feet hSl H "" ="' "'"' '-•o«ld .the „,usic of a vio hf We hive h.°" "'" «'™»' '» in our atteiript to catch fish „^r!i ".""^'"^'■"^ssf"' be any i„ this part „f the rivJV''"t ""'"' '» numberof water terrapins -IW ^^ "''^""ed a titles of young blacjibirds i„ th '■ T" ^"""- 1»W. ginning to fly! Amo, . 'he vif f If """s, just be- .we noticed a specieTof wUd !% .w'',P'°''"^"°"» ng: It rises to the hejn J^P u}""^ '*'"'* ''«ad- i.nohes. the beard remaSv 1, '®'"?^" °' '"'euty jointed, and in ever^respecf eitnl' ■ '?'"'• ""^ """'» seniles the common w'ld rye -^"^P'"' ''^'Shi, it re- mint, too, like the peDDerm^m' . ^'f l^'^'ntilies of " The winds are som? ,,' ""■ ^!"""^ '"''^■ plains. The mJirinfoTn ' rthnV"'''''.,'" '"«»« bringing one of the canoe, »l,i' "^ "'"^ ""e hey hoisted the safl, and the uliul .? '™'='<-'vheels, for some distance." " ''^'fied Jier along «1* o*r "deposit" • „e"f '?he ^'"^^ ''"""> » ^''eond fwivel undeVthe roc s near th?P'- "'"^ ?'"''«'' 'he lopes are still scattered lhZ,l^.. !:'"": ■ '''""^ "'««- males with their young wK'' ""^ P'^'"^' 'he fe- " '^i'trnr^r" '-l:^ ■-'"" VlreL^Tvi^.'-^'^"'^ '- - .imbcr'f„r,-he'born eL^nrt^rr" '" P-P"'"? liiint. About one ,?h„P=f, " '"'"' '""<' sent to from the southwes a^,d hrrT," "■ '='""'' ="-ose 'hinder, lightning! a.'idh.il 5 ' 'r'"" " ^'""m* Lhe hunters%an.e ii, tn bo-i- "" •■'"^'" " P'-"^^** '% had killed nitie-elkVndn'hree ^e'r "l^^he^- f '»« IK !i>« 240 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. were hunting on the river, they saw a low ground covered with thick brushwood, where, from the tracks along the siiore, tliey thought a bear had probably taken refuge : they therefore landed with- out making any noise, and climbed a tree about twenty feet above the ground. Having fixed them- selves securely, ihey raised a loud shout, and a bear instantly rushed towards them. These animals never climb; and, therefore, when he came to the tree and stopped to look at them, Drewyershot him in the head. He proved to be the largest we had yet seen ; his nose appeared to be like that of a common ox; his fore feet measured nine inches across, and the hind feet were seven inches wide, and eleven and three quarters long, exclusive of the claws. One of these animals came within thirty yards of the camp last night, and carried oft" some buffalo meat which we had placed on a pole." * * * "June 28. The party were all occupied in prepa- ring the boat: they have obtained a sufficient quan- tity of willow baric to line her, and over this were placed the elkskins, and, when these failed, we were obliged to use buffalo hide. The white bear have now become exceedingly troublesome : they con- stantly infest our camp during the night, and, though they have not attacked us, as our dog, which pa- trols all night, gives us notice of their approach, yet we are obliged to sleep with our arms by our side for fear of accident, and we cannot send one man alone to any distance, particularly if he has to nass through brushwood. We saw two of them to- uay on the larjre isb'rid opposite to us ; but, as we are all so much occupied now, we mean to reserve ourselves for some leisure moment, and then make a party to drive them from the islands. The river has risen nine inches since our arrival here. " At Portage Creek Captain Clarke completed the cache, ill which we deposited whatever we could finare from our baffeaffe : some ammunition, orovis- ions, b( and a c Mandai ment, ; high pi risen c the wat ill taste there w the tw( heavy a ceeded the nigli "Jum of the ] quence sent bac cles whi some no ascendin White Ui ply the c] the bagg; by his se her youn a very dy ed rain, a pould fine being bio as violent length, ah found a d ing rocks, on the up, fectly saf their gun; carried vvi erate; it i of whicli I Vol. L- PERIL FROM A SUDDEN SHOWER. 241 11 tR^ed' ''J?„'«=«'""<',^f a de'ep crimson coo', a,"d here was mnr.^h'"'"'""^ H'" '''""'^' ''« t""<"iCt mere was more baggage than could be carrfpH ,m the two earnages, and therefore eft some of the eS" " oNvllio" T' r '" '" "-1 a..d pro! the night." . . i""*" ^'"'' ''^'"' ""^ ^"'^amped for oi'tti'loml!"^^ it impossible to reach the end wi iiic poiicige with their present InaH in oriMo^ quence of the slate of the road afte" ?he rain he' sent back nearly all l,is party to bring on the ar^i cles which had been left yesterday.^ HuW S some notes and remarks which he had mXn! fill, SB^ar'iLlr' '," ''«.'-r''"f'' '»"•"•'• '« lu *u 7 J f^lands, along its banks, in order to sun- pl> the deficiency. He left there one man o guafd the baggage, and went on to the falls rcomnSd by his servant York, Chaboneau, and hl^w^ wUh her young child On his aiTival there LobserVed rouW find nn ni ^^u ^'T'^ ^«'' ^""^^ Shelter, but nouid hnd no place where they would be secnrp fmm being blow.i into the river if the vvnd^hrid prove as violent as it sometimes does in the nh ^^^ It ength, about a quarter of a mile above iKe a js he fouiid a deep ravins, where there were some shdv i"g rocks, under which he took refuge. Thev wer: tu^lT'r ''^' Z^ '^' ^^^'"^' noai- ihe rS, per! ac ly sale from the rain, and therefore laid down tlieir guns compass, and other articles which thev erate a then increased to a heavy fall, the e^"c*a " VoLltil^F ^'^ ""' '''^' ^^^" ^^'''^ ~ of . £J S42 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. rain and hail descended : the rain seemed to fall in a solid mass, and, instantly collecting in the ravine, came rolling down in a dreadful current, carrying along the mud, and rocks, and everything that oppo- sed it. Captain Clarke fortunately saw it a moment before it reached them, and, springing up with his gun and shotpouch in his left hand, with his right clambered up the steep bluff, pushing on the Indian woman with her child in her arms. Her husband, too, had seized her hand, and was pulling her up the hill; but he was so terrified at the danger, that, but for Captain Clarke, himself and his wife and child would have all been lost. So instantaneous was the rise of the water, that, before Captain Clarke had seized his gun and begun to ascend the bank, the water war; !

1hl tilst'orZ' ,f °' T,''^'' ""' been m the morninl the e had h'..n ,"f ■ ''^'^'^''Posed. rain, after which it bt-carae f^fr a?,"^ ^''°"^'' "' .he men their respe^t^e emplovt'uf I'!!"? '" Lewis took one of thom ^,,*:'"H^".^"'6"is, (>apiain fountain near the faUs" ""' "'?."/,?. 'n' H"" '"e" largest in Americji anH io o» 7 ,^ PerhHps, the levll plain, ab„rt'«;er,^.fiV\t;tfrl''t,P'^''.''''" into which it fails over <:nm. I, "' "'^ ""e'l with a sudden aseent of abmff , v ?' '.'■'■''^"''"" ™'"'«- its course, "nie water bo U,„f' '" """ P"""' the rapidity of thT river After ;Tar,i';,?'fr''^ "r. 'i":fjS^"\j^-- ret!J^^/?oTh"":;f4,^' .0 look for"rure°srt7errr'.''^:;f r' :XnT^rt^hetJ^rhdri5 -! w\^ffilfeniXe^™^c.1-i?'^' '^'''-^^^^ much of the brul^^f ree ,v"d yes'terv Z7't «"• . A more than usual number^of bS ■^^^^i^t ha^e seen at leas. "eftho,s,fi-.°"' '"^"' ''^ ""«" Ir ' if t 4 i 1 344 LEvvjs AND Clarke's expedition. They had not completed the bringing up of their baggage to the While Bear encampment before the 2d of July. The whole length of the portage, from the camp on Portage Creek to White Bear Island, was found by measurement to be seventeen and three quarter miles. On the 1st they had been en- abled to observe equal altitudes of the sun with thj sextant, which the state of the weather had for sev- eral days before prevented their doing. " Having completed our celestial observations," proceeds the Journal, " we went over to the 1, .ge island to make an attack upon its inhabitants, the bears, which have annoyed us very much of late, and were prowliug about our camp all last night. We found that the part of the island frequented by the bear forms an almost impenetrable thicket of the broad leafed willow: into this we forced our way in parties of three, but could see only one be ar, which instantly attacked Drewyer. Fortunately, as he Vfds rushing on, the hunter shot him through the heart within twenty paces, and he fell, which en- abled Drewyer to get out of his way : we then fol- lowed him one hundred yards, and found that the wound had been mortal. Not being able to discover any more of these animals, we returned to camp. Here, in turning over some of the baggage, we caught a rat, somewhat larger than the common European rat, and of a lighter colour: the body and outer parts of the legs and the head of a light lead colour; the inner side of the legs, as wellas the belly, feet, and ears, white ; the ears not covered with hair, and much larger than those of the com- mon rat ; the toes, also, are longer, the eyes black and prominent, the whiskers very long and full, the tail rather longer than the body, and covered with fine fur and hair of the same size with that on the back, which is very close, short, and silky in its texture. This was the first we had met, although its nests are very frequent among the cliffs of rocks and i quant on w mosci wind "TJ most sis vvl the ai ains, b and, b( of air formed unsheli these I tially ( cloud V rain in ; in the sj there is east. ' ains; tl well as peared. of us ar deed, th since w« ther tha summits The> gli on them bly, from name of * * # cept wha king her spatch a States ea Snake In COLD WINDS FROM THE MOUNTAINS. 245 and in hollow trees, where we also fnnn^ i SIS which we have formed on rh f \^ ^'ypothe- these Suat " and mml' the.V '"''.""^ "=" t ally over thp no^hhlf • ® l- eonteius par- there is snow falling o-lte mo.tai , f „?hTsS abs'-; tlfa'^wVieh'^S '1?,'""" °" '""^e^moum- well as ihaTwhich has Sinn. "f,,°" T ?"""^' ^« oTurarelliriSr-^V'^^^ SfiiliiSI eept what i^ViJtAT.iZZZ^^t^'^' king her seams secure. We h iH intpni '^ ♦ ^^' ,_ ^- fc. "lii-uiei to uaicu- 11 ^ 246 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. latp or» their friendship or enmity, we have decided ftot to weaken our party, which is now scarcely suf- ficient to repel any Imstility. We were afraid, too, that such a njcacia'^ riiight dishearten those who re- mained ; and, as wc have never suggested it to them, ♦hey are all enthusiastically attached to the enter- prise, and willing to encounter any d inger to ensure its success. We had a heavy dew this morning. " Since our arrival at the falls we have repen od- ly heard a strange nois .:oniing from ihe mountains in a direction a httle to the north of west. It is heard at different periods of the day and night (some, times when the air is perfectly still and without a cloud), and consists of one stroke only, or of five or six discharges in quick succession. It is loud, and resembles precisely the sound of a six-pound piece of oMnance at the distance of three miles. The Minnetarees frequently mentioned this noise, like thunder, which they said the mountains made ; but we had paid no attention to it, believing it to have been some superstition, or perhaps a falsehjod. The watermen also of the party say that the Paw- nees and Ricaras give the same account of a noise heard in the Black Mountains to the westward of them. The solution of the mystery given by the philosophy of the watermen is, that it is occasioned by the bursting of the rich mines of silver confined within the bosom of the mountains.* * J^ Brazil these explosions are well known. Vasconcollo, the Jesuit, .iescribes one which he heard in the Sierra de Pira- lininga as resembling the discharge of many pieces of artillery at once. The Indians who were with him told him " it was an explosion of stones," and it was so, he says ; «' for after some days the place was found where a rock had burst, and from its interior, with the report which we 'md heard, was sent to light a Utile treasure. This was a sort of nut, about the size zud shape of a bull's heart, full of >ewelry of dift'erent colours; some white, like transparent crystal ; others of a fine red, and some between white and red, imperfec as it seemed, and not yet completely formed by nature. All these were placed in or- der, hke the grains of a pomegranate, within a case or shell SIN( "An day : tl our ne who W€ mentioi We con tuous, b harder thf plosion, 01 pieces, an same thin says, "for ner, produ( head. Th to a certa with mucl stones ; bu Teixeira's assured th< Paraguaxo mountain < don Quartc Tlie .larr agrees witi being hear* all times o then heard several piec Humbold in Mexico i is heard ai w'sether "tl of hydrogen tion." It sc London Qut " in passii none of thes several piccf i in ' in the day or night; Irom clouds , ains. The i appear to ha longer ' hang lords of the n SINGULAR .NOISES PRO.M THE MOUNTAINS. 247 our neighbourhood; though scverao/^^^^ who went to-day to visit the falls T. t J'^ '"®"' mention fiat thev arc sti I .hn . / ^'^"^ ^'""^ t»>ne. Wecontrued,hoJ;ever,t sp^^^^ ^'^at place.' t-us, but a con.rortabi; t^bTe^lCour ;;ri^."daS;; S:n:^^r .;n;^-i^-Uh the .,rce of th. e,- pieces and thus discuveS S wealth '» ""t " I' ^"''' ^'""^^ *" same thing in the adjoining nrovincp If r ""''" /'°"''«s Ihe says. •• for a sort of stines S™atnri ff^'^"' *' ^f^'^'''^'" ^e ner, produces in an oval stone caspnhw ^^'u^ wonderful man- head. These stone case Ty?ng under ^onH^'^r^" "^ ^ '"^"'« to a certain maturity, % hke bombs fn nS '"^u" ^''"'y ^"'"^^ with much noise, an scatter abnnf ^v PT' ^^°"^ ^^e air. stones; but these stones are o noTaue''"tnr^ "' '^^•"^•^"* feixeira's voyage down the OrellinJ a" " ^^^ account of assured thorn that 'Mior ibe noises wpiE""^'^^'* '''« '"'^'^n* Paraguaxo Aom time to t. L" whfch is . f '? '" '*^" '^'^"^ ^^^-^ mountain contains stonesTgr^a valuP in f/'"'" ''^f' ^^at this don Quarterly Review, January 1815 entrails. "-Loh- ajee! w^f^rh^^tt/ijl^ViaT^' ^^ -«-^-- being heard " In the most c^ m »n . ^'''^ ^^ *° «"ch noises all times of the day and r^hf uccelvr"" '^"''^^^' ^"^ at then heard among the mnSnlrT If- '^P?""'" ^""e "ow and several pieces of'arrille" "^l^^or ^ot '"V'53''"'^^^^ ^^ Humboldt, noticing a rennrk nf u ? r J P; '•^^• in Mexico abounding n coal f±Vrth"^' '*',"' ^^^^« ^^« hills is heard at a distance hke hp ^ .'^ ^ subterranean noise ^v:Iether'Hh.scuriSphenomenn^f '''^'■^•' °' ^'"'"'^^ . asks of hydrogen produced^by ^l^ed of c"Tm '''-^^ '"^' "' tion." It seems too freauent am 1 '".^ s^^te of mfi nma- London Quarterly KeWerJanuary^^sis"' ^"'" '^'' ^°'"^'«»- dayor night;' nor did we witness ^E'^/.fi f *'?«* ^^ the Irom c ouds gathering rn.im .k "S"t"'"&and tiiunderpealine ains. The tl'under S^who fabn.'nf' "f ''" ^'"^' "^ "^-" ""? appear to have closed 1 eir labou 1 ' '!i h"'"?'.?"^ '' ^P^^^" longer ' hang offerings on the fr i! ; ^ ^ ^^^- ^"'^•''" ^'-^es no lords of the mountains -'-Parked p^ ^^^ ^^'«hle 249 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. and in the evening gave the men a drink of spirits, whi(;ij was the last of our stocit. Some of them appeared sensible to the effects of even so small a quantity; and, as is usual among them on all festi- vals, the fiddle was produced, and a dance begun, which lasted till nine o'clock, which was interrupt- ed by a heavy shower of rain. They continued, however, their merriment till a late hour. " July 5. The boat was brought up into a high sit uation, and fires kindled under her, in order to dry hvt more expeditiously. Despairing of procuring any tar,* we formed a composition of pounded charcoa) with beeswax and buffalo tallow to supply its place Should this resource fail us, it will be very unfortu- nate, as in every other respect the boat answers out purposes completely. Although not quite dry, she can be carried with case by five men ; her form is as complete as could be wished ; very strong, and will carry at least eight thousand pounds, with her complement of hands. Besides our want of tar, we have been unlucky in sewing the skins with a needle vi^hich had sharp edges instead of a point merely, although a large thong was used in order to fill the hole ; yet it shrinks in drying, and leav( > the hole open, so that we fear the boat will leak. " A large herd of buffalo came near us, and we procured three of them : besides which were killed two wolves and three antelopes. In the course of the day other herds of buffalo came near our camp, on their way down the river: these herds move with great method and regularity. Althougii ten or twelve herds are seen scattered from each other over a space of many miles, yet, if they are undis- turbed by pursuit, they will be uniformly traveUing in the same direction. "July 6. Last night there were several showers ♦ They had attempted to obtain some from resinous wood, but had lailed. of fair ning ; from t thunde was a? 'lomple curing red an( alihoug neighbc markab buirovvf not yet are ext the sligl deep. "July the moi leaves i stanlly i therefore bad wea suflicient now dres clothing, posed to " July , of the r\\ prevcntec uit., Capt with him shooting falls. Af the men \ others, str cine Rivei cataract. falo had c gone belo' HAIL STORM. 249 from the soutliwcsrwith ",„. ,^ f""™. ""'"« "" was as larco as m.i«lp? r.ii ""•' hail, which slant V under the hnat vi7„ i " "'^^^ "'>"- therefore arc obliged to, .s.y.ll'T."'^ "=""' ""<' bad weather. Our biiff. n i! ".'^ '° ''"'^P °^ ">e sufficient to cover or;'°!,^^^.-'°°-f« «^=«rcely now dressing others to rnnfl/f.' ■' "'® ""^n ^re elollnng.whfch soo /rotsXlei g's^cSl'lr'''" posed to water." • • • '^ ^ so constantly ex- of"the"'L'er wwl''he"°h'ul''l"'? '" T^'f '^^ "<"«« .....,„_ xiiaGc liiu necessary (I - J- I 250 LEWIS AND CLARKE S EXra:.l)ITION. measurements, he returned through the plains, and reached the camp late in the evening ; the whole party had killed only three buffalo, three antelope, and a deer." * * * " The boat having now become sufficiently dry, we gave it a coat of the composition, which after a prop- er interval was repeated, and the next morning, • " July 9, she was launched into the water, and swam perfectly well. The seats were then fixed, and the oars fitted ; but after we had loaded her, as well as the canoes, and were on the point of setting out, a violent wind caused the waves to wet the bag- gage, so that we were forced to unload them. The wind continued high till evening, when, to our great disappointment, we discovered that nearly all the composition had separated from the skins, and left the seams perfectly exposed, so that the boat now leaked very much. To repair this misfortune with- out pitch is impossible; and, as none of that article is to be procured, we therefore, however reluctantly, are obliged to abandon her, after having had so much labour in her construction. We now saw that the section of the boat covered with buffalo skins, on which some hair had been left, answered better than the elk skins, and leaked but little ; while that part which was coverea with hair about an eighth of an inch retained the composition perfectly, and remain- ed sound and dry. From this we perceived that, had we employed buffalo skins instead of elk skins, and not singed them so closely as we have done, carefully avoiding to cut the leather in sewing, the boat M'ould have been sufficient even with the present composition ; or had we singed instead of shaving the elk skins, we might have succeeded. But we discovered our error too late : the buffalo had deserted us, the travelling season was so fast ad- vancing that we had no time to spare for experiments, and, therefore, finding that she could be no longer useful, she was sunk in the water so as to soften the skins, pieces. means =ntendc v'ant t mouth have n( The In after tii on the above u by wat( large en terminer with ten pied in { after tal cossary i join ther "July pnb-jte si( cd on cig ing twen^ found tw down, on falling, ar He searcl which wc '0 make i Uiem in o deficiency They wcr might mn ^vhich not tile timbei liandles br of the bcs *A!n'ch was There r».ir.i SCARCITY OP TIMBER. S51 Seans t^ ^^^ r^^'^y '» provide .tl,e° rant two canoes hn ' f„i ^ " ^'"9"^" '"'" =*•'•>" mouth of tht" Muscle , en' SI lots 'T" "'^ have not seen a single Ur. fi i!. i ? P'^*^"' "'« The hmuers, lUvevc/\vhS , , fh^'r"'' '",""'' «"y- J"'" '';-■' «'ith Ih'e other six X;:'" ''"^^Sage, and pn.ife'fid'e"o L^^r;::?^?,',Trrar,rr 1° '"^ "p- C(l on eight miles bv Innd ih„ ^'-'l ^' •^"'' P^ofeed- ing twenty-tte\',yr,;;t'q\\ t^fS y Tr',t fming.and IThVre n.uc^, d m-WTd ,flh""f '"^ "' to make use of those wliich hn aLu a S ^y^^Sod Uiem ii, order to avoid ^ecai^^ deficiency by makirff t Vm . ' "."^ ''"^P^^'^"^ ^'^« ijc_y wy ijjaKiiig liiem as wide as nn-^^-ihi^ mZ""''!"'!"'"?,''' " '"^^ fo'-wood of whSlhiv might make hand es for their tv»« ii,„ -Y ;v ich not being round, they werobl^e'dTU tie tnnber ,n such a manner that th feen of fh« handles broke in the course of the div hr . ir , of !he best wood they could fin 1 fn^' i^'' "'^'^^ *Ahich was the choSe'r?y ^"'^^'^' The ^est of ilic party took the frame of the boat V i ^ ^ t1 1 ill fll 252 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. D to pieces, deposited it in a cache or hole, with a draught of the country from Fort Maiidaii to this place, and also some other papers and small articles of less importance." * * * " Sergeant Ordway. with four canoes and eight men, had set sail iiT the morning, with part of the baggage, to the place where Captain Clarke had fixed his camp; but the wind was so high that he only reached within three miles of that place, and en- campt'd for the night. "July 11. In the morning one of the canoes join- ed Captain Clarke : the other three having on board more valuable articles, which would have been in- jured by the water, went on more cautiously, and did not reach the camp tiil the evening. Captain Clarke then had the canoes \mloade-d and sent back; but the high wind prevented their floating down near- er than about eight miles above us. His party were busily engaged with the canoes, and their hunters supplied them with three fat deer and a buffVdo, in ad- dition to two deer and an antelope killed yesterday. The few men who were with Captain Lewis were occupied in hunting, but not with much success, hav- ing killed only one buffalo. They heard, about sun- set, two discharges of the tremendous mountain ar- tillery. They also saw several very large gray eagles, much larger than those of the United States, and most probably a distinct species, though the bald eagle of this country is not quite so large as that of the United States." Captain Clarke and his party were busily engaged in the construction of the new boats, and on the 13th Captain Levris had the remainder of the baggage embarked in the canoes, and despatched them for the upper camp. He himself, in company with a sick man and the Indian woman, started to proceed by land. " On his way he passed a very large In- dian lodge, which was pri-bably designed as a great council-house ; but it differed in its construction Irom al] or else) hundred hase, ai poles al ends, wl man's bo except t for the < circle tl where th of mWow fabric, in large fire leathern doves am fering ju United St " The c limber bei it, on botl entirely d ground in timber is seen it on The soil, reach abou observed tl prairies the iii height. and the ne still infeste( ready menti '''he curren The buffalo brought in some diligei reserve our where we d Vor r ^ DESCRIPTION or AN INDIAN LODGE. 253 o^'^^r^^ rZ '7^ ^-- ^^^ Missouri hundred and sixteen fZ? • '•' '"^^^ ^ ""''^^^^ two base, and composed of sivleeir'/"^^"''^"^^^ ^' '^^ poles about fi/ty feet lont ! ,^^'^^ cottonwood ends, which touched fheSpH^'^h"' '^^''' '^''^^^ man's body: they wcVe LSm '/''.^"^ '^^ ^^^^ «f a except that one was oii^i i^ .^^^"^"''^ '^'^^^^"^ for tiie entrance. From hp.? '^' r'''^^ P'-^bably circle the poles coivLo.1 f ^^""l^^rence of this where they were uS 31 '''^ '^'^ ^^^t'-e, of willow brush Tlet w. "'^^ '^^^^^''g^ ^viihes fabric, in the centre of w,Sw'' ""T"'''^ ^"^'^ ^^is iarge fire, and round if ^'f® ^^^ ^^"^^i^s of a leathern od^es He .1 '"^'^'^ ^^ "'^^"t eighty doves and Z^e pileon or^h "i";'"^^^^^ ^^ ^"^"e^ fering in no respm Si [h'^^'^! ^' '^^^^ «^^^' ^if- United States. ^ '" *^^ ^^^^ P'geon of the ^^^^l^Zn^l^tl!! "^"'^^ appearances, the i^ on both ''sid s, as ft" as Z'' ' '"^''^' ^'''''^' ^'^^ entirely destitute of trees o^hnfh ^^"/^^^b, it is ground in which we are hniM ^'' ^" ^'^^ ^^^^ timber is larger and more "^/"f ^^»\ canoes, the seen it on the Missouri for "'^^?V^^"'^ ^^^ have 'i'be soil, too, fs good for ilT^^ ^"'^^^^^ '"^'««- reach about two feet hiJhY •^'^ u^'^'^ ^"^ weeds observed this season t Ik th '"^ l^^ f""^^^^ ^^« bave prairies the grass is at o£." ^\^ ^"»^^ P^^ms and '» beight. Anion. U psp ^o^" ^^^^" ^^^''ee inches and the nettle hifn In ^^•^' ^'^ ^^e sand-rush, still infested by grealK^'^?^-. ^^' P^^'"« ^^e r?adymentionSL^whichL he'r'" '^'"'f ^^- Ibe current of he river irhil ^^^""'^^ curlew. Tbe buffalo bave „ot yet nuite^n,'''r''"f^^ ^^""«- brought in three n /eiv^^oo/^^^^^^ Bome diligence to sulnlLf^li^i^' ^^ ^"^^m^es reserve ofir parcheHS fnr^ "o "^^' ^«^' ''« vve Where we dS not e™c o fi'^f.^^^^'^j; Mountains, Vor r _v ^-^Pt-ct to find much garn^ r..,J f1 E 254 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. MISSO principal article of food is meat ; and the consump- tion of the whole party amounts to four deer, an elk and a deer, or one buffalo, every twenty-ibur hours. The moschetoes and gnats persecute us aa violently as below, so that we can get no sleep un- less defended by biers, with which we are all pro- vided. We here found several plants hitherto un- known to us, and of which we preserved speci- mens. i} * * * " July 14. The day was fair a'^d warm ; the men worked verv industriously, and were enabled by the evening to launch the boats, which^now want only seats and oars to be complete." * * * # « * CHAPTER XII. The Party embark on board the Canoes.— Smith's River.- Character of the Country, &C.— De .rborne's River.— Captain Clarke precedes the Party for the Purpose of discovering the Indians of the Rocky Mountains— Magnificent rocky Ap- pearances on the Borders of the River, denominated the Gates of the Rocky Mountains.— Captain Clarke arrives at the Three Forks of the Missouri without overtaking the Indians. —The Party arrive at the Three Forks, of which a particular and interesting Description is given. " July 15. We rose early, embarked all our bag- gage on board the canoes, which, though eight in number, i;re heavily loaded, and at ten o'clock set out on our journey." * * * " At the distance of seven and a half miles we came to the lower point of a woodland, at the entrance of a beautiful river, which, in honour of the secretary of the navy, we called Smith's River. This stream falls into a bend on the south side of the Missouri, and is eighty yards wiai^ As far as we could discern its course, it wound through a charming valley towards the southeast, in whic the dis Rocky ] " We beauties plains, 1 plant CO entrance bloom. rush, an " The ed than 1 anders, down th( The gem dred and "July We soon willow bi seemed t as we SI nees. wh( ed from t them." * Captain vance of enters the by his c manning imorningj ; in passing " For sevc nalist, " th er as you advance ti more than river is clo and foams struct its ( MISSOURI ENTERS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 255 in which many herds of buffalo were foerlin?, till at the distance of twenty-five miles, it entef^d the Kocky Mountains and was lost from our view '' * * • ' .Ve find the prickly pear, one of the ^Veatest beauties as well as greatest inconveniences" of 'he p ains, now in full bloom. The sunflower, tool plant common on every part of the Missouri from its bloor'Th'^f ^u^'^'' ^''' '''y abundant, alUln b loom, rhe lamb's-quarter, wild cucumber, sand- rush and narrow dock, are also common. oA fK "\"r^^ hjjs now become so much more crooks ed than below, that we omit taking all its short me- anders and note only its generll course layTnff down the small bends on our daily chart by the eye^ lil ^^'ri?^ "^'^^^ '" ^'•^"^ ^"« hundred to one hun- dred and fifty yards." * * * "July 16. There was a heavy dew last night We soon passed about forty little booths, formed of willow bushes, as a shelter against the sun. These seemed to have been deserted about ten days, and as we supposed by the Snake Indians, or Shosho' nees, whom we hope soon to meet, as they appear- them''''^* * i '"^ ^^''^ ^ """'^^'' ""' horses with Captain Lewis went on, with three men, in ad- enters the Rocky Mountains, and here he was joined by his companions the following day. Double manning tneir canoes, they started earlv in the mormng. and by the aid of their towlines succeeded in passing the rapids at this place without accident For several miles below the rapids," says the jour- nalist, " the current of the Missouri becomes strong- er as you approach, and the spurs of tlie mountain advance towards th. .;v-3r, which is deep, and not - more than seventy yni !s wide: at the rapids the river IS closely hemmed in on both sides by the hills and foams for half a mile over the rocks which ob- struct Its channel. The low grounds are now nof 256 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. more than a few yards in width ; but they furnish room for an Indian road, which winds under the hills on the north side of the river. The general range of these hills is from southeast to northwest, and the cliffs themselves are about eight hundred feet above the water, formed almost entirely of a hard, black granite, on which are scattered a few dwarf pine and cedar trees. Immediately in the gap is a large rock, four hundred feet high, which on one side is washed by the Missouri, while on its other sides a handsome little plain separates it from the neigh- bouring mountains. It may be ascended with some diff(ci)lty nearly to its feummit, and affords a beauti- ful prospect of the plains below, in which we could observe large herds of buffalo. After ascending the rapids for half a mile, we came to a small island at the head of them, which we called Pine Island, from a large pine-tree at the lower end of it, which is the first we have seen near the river for a great dis- tance. A mile beyond Captain Lewis's camp we had a meridian altitude, which gave us the latitude of 46° 42' 14.7". " As the canoes were still heavily loaded, all those not employed in working them walked on shore. The navigation is now very laborious. The river is deep, but with little current, and from seventy to one hundred yards wide ; the low grounds are very narrow, with but little timber, and that chiefly the aspen-tree. The cliffs are steep, and hang over the river so much that often we could not cross them, but were obliged to pass and repass from one side of the river to the other, in order to make our way. On the mountains we see more pine than usual, but it i still in small quantities. Along the bottoms, which have a covering of high grass, we observe the sunflower blooming in great abundance. The In- dians of the Missouri, and more especially those who do not cultivate maize, make great use of the seed of this plant for bread, or in thickening theit soup. two St times dilutee tion of cy of This 1; and th( " Th low, ai pleasai of our ( cies ris simple, togethe the wat green, ; commoi is one-1 The CO; long, an stamens serted ir theroval species the style pie, cylii the coro simple ai shape of ( them, in stalk. T the berric acid as th able flavoi ffom the ^ flavour of some poll bu.^lies an DIFFERENT KINDS OF CURRANTS. 257 green, and in" fo™ Sembl'Te'r^f ''''''" P'''^ common in our earder,r Thf • '1^ ""i-fant, so is one-Ieaved five ri,^?; Tk P?"anth of the fruit Tlie corolla is mo„„nfl' ,^'''""«!:'^'<='i, and tubular. long, and" of a fl^ o"r^ I'Z'o^r Thef P"""' ^^ stamens and one nistil i,. fii . ^"^"^ ^'''' "''« serted in the corolla en »i .' '"'^ capillar, in- ther ovate and incumber Th^ converging, the an- species is roud smooth ;,J''?«""«?f 'hesecond the style loneer and thi, l-'J ^""1 ^'"^ Pedicelled; pie. c/li„dricfrsroo h td' c'reet'f'it^S "Th tpH J'o'LtL'''aAe'? '^' f-^^Tt acid as the comron cm™ and h^! ^'"'' "' "^' ^° able flavour ThTLi. ' ■ "^^ ^ "^o^e agree- from thl vlii. ^ "*^^^ ^P^^'^s differs in no respect -;ne point^^^r ?L Inh^SSef ^^ bu.aes are small, sometimes not more thV- ^^^ ■6^. 258 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. high, and rarely exceeding eight inches. They are proportionably small in their stems, growing very thickly, associated in clumps. The fruit is of the same form, but for the most part larger, and of a Tery dark purple. They are now ripe, and in great perfection. There are two species of gooseberry here, but neither of them yet ripe : nor are the chokecherries, though in great quantities. Besides, there are also at this place the box-alder, red willow, and a species of sumach. In the evening we saw some mountain rams or big-horned animals, but no other game of any sort." * * * "July 18. This morning, early, we saw a large herd of the big-horned animals, who were bounding among the rocks in the opposite cliff with great agil- ity. These inaccessible spots secure them from all their enemies ; and the only dang jr is in wandering among such precipices, where we should suppose it scarcely possible for any animal to stand : a single false step would precipitate them at least five hun- dred feet into the water. At one mile and a quarter we passed another single cliff on the left ; at the same distance beyond which is the mouth of a large river emptying itself from the north. It is a hand- some, bold, and clear stream, eighty yards wide ; that is, nearly as broad as the Missouri, with a rapid current over a bed of small smooth stones of various figures. The water is extremely transparent ; the low grounds are narrow, out possess as much wood as those of the Missouri ; and it has every appearance of being navigable, though to what distance we can- not ascertain, as the country which it waters is broken and mountainous. In honour of the secre- tary at v.ar, we called it Dearborn's River. " Being now very anxious to meet with the Sho- shonees, or Snake Indians, for the purpose of obtain- ing the necessary information in regard to our route, as well as to procure horses, it was thought best for one of us to go forward with a small party, and en- deavoi of our give th cident bly reti enemie cording and fol side ; b not abl( evening cuitous over wl many p] the eartl which h number sion tow guish: c imals. near a s elled tw( In the ed sever; ing from cold, pun proceeds uriant gn ductions place. F species o and peric commonl stems ris ff'et, and s 5ame root calculated and it is p not at all SPECIES OF WILD FLAX. 259 deavour to discover them before the daily discharffe of our guns, necessary for our subsistenoe shou!d ltr"et iTto't'ir'' hear usfthey would rr^o'si^obt oiy retreat to the mountains, ni stakini? us (nr their enem.es, who usually attack Ihem oiuL side Ac- cordingly, Captain Clarke set out with th ee meS sMe b'uuhe hif, "'"'''' "' ""^ '"" °'""' '-«h siae , but the hills were so steep at first that he wa^ not able to go much faster than ourselves nThe evening, however, he cut ofi- many miles of the cir cuitous course of the river by crossinga mountain' over which he found a wide Indian rLd, wlS in many p aces seems to have been cut or dug down the earth. He passed, also, two branches of a s^r^am n''umber''or'h "'' ""/'"^^'^ ^^^^^' where he saTa number of beaver-dams extending in close succes sion towards the mountains as far as he could Tstin" hnals •' "iVt"' '^'^' were many of the big horned an-" neaJ a smal7.?r.^f "'^r '^^'^ "^^"'"^"^ ^'^ encamped near a small stream of running water, having trav elled twenty miles." * * * "civiug irav- In their progress up the river this day they nass- ed several streams, some of considerable sizJ com ing from the mountains, the waters of which we?e" cold, pure and well tasted. " The soil near the river " proceeds the Journal, « is good, and produces a hii unant growth of grass and weeds : amoZ these do" ductions the sunflower holds a very diit Mulshed p^ce. For several days past we hL ottS a species of flax m the low grounds, the leaf stem and pericarp of which resemble those of the flax commonly cultivated in the United States The stems rise to the height of two and a half or three ff^et, and spring to the number of eight or ten from the ^ame root, with a strong, thick bark, apparL Uy weU calculated for use. The root seems to be peren^a and ,t IS probable that the cutting of thrst^ms mav not at all injure it; for, although the seeds ^reno^ 260 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. yet ripe, there arc young suckers shooting up from the root, whence we may infer that the stems which are fully grown, and in the proper sti»ge of veg(3ta- tion to produce the best flax, are not essential to the preservation or support of the root; a circumstance which would render it a most valuable plant. To- day we have met with a second species of flax, smaller than the first, as it seldom obtains a greater height than nine or twelve inches : the leaf and stem resemble those of the species just mentioned, except that the latter is rarely branchcl, and bears a single monopctalous, bell-shaped blue flower, suspended with its limb downward." * * • "July 19. Captain Clarke pursued his route early in the morning, and soon passed the remains of sev- eral Indian camps formed of willow brush, which seemed to have been deserted this spiing. At the same time he observed that the ;)ine- trees had been stripped of their bark, which our Indian woman says her countrymen do in the spring, in order to obtain the sap, and the soft parts of the wood and bark for food. About eleven o'clock he met a herd of elk, and killed two of them ; but such was the want of wood in the neighbourhood, that he was unable to procure enough to make a fire, and he was therefore obliged to substitute the dung of the buffalo, with which he cooked his breakfast. They then resumed their course along an old Indian road. In the after- noon they reached a handsome valley, watered by a large creek, both of which extend a considerable dis- tance among the mountains : this they crossed, and during the evening travelled over a mountainous country covered with sharp fragments of flint-rock, which bruised and cut their feet very much, but were scarcely less troublesome than the prickly pear of the open plains, which have now become so abun- dant that it is impossible to avoid them, and the thorns are so strong that they pierce a double sole of dressed deerskin : the best resource against them is so] edthur ain^ in miles, ing a f which 1 "In though we adv; during which a are perf( width is yards wi along th reached miles be^ the left," were reg storm of during th we are p and when of the mc the snow, summits cedar, anc this creek forming a cle. For rise perpe height of composed the lighter we suppose brown and " Nothin the frownii over the rh GATES OP THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 261 h solo of dried buffiilo i de At n;«v,f »i ed the n ver imich fatigued n Wna n-,^^ /'"^^ '°^^^- miles. Captain Ciii i^J^I i ^*^^^^''I«^d tl""y wtuc . he found to b. seventeen i„ number ''"'"'' g.rr^aa'.^-ror.?-;en7w^„fS? £? h^-nu^elr Tor 'cl^'r, tr :,^ S reached two small islands; three ano three aua te? indes beyond which is a smali crerk, i ' a bend ^n the left, above a small island o; the rifdu W^ were regaled about ten ■•clock P M vvL „" \ Jr° storm of rain and hail, which L'^edVri'wto'rtut during the day, in this confined valley thro," I, which we are passmg, the heat is almost iZ LorLbf^ me snow. 1 hese mountants have their sirlp« oni summits partially varied wii. little codsps of n"^ cedar, and balsam-fir. A m le andThnif k P'"!.' this creek the rocks approach teivto both sff ft)rmnig a most sublime and extraordh ary spe^^^^^^ cle. tor five and three quarter miles t lese roplj rise perpendicularly from the waterl ed^P tn thf height of nearly twelve hundred fePt %y ^^® .h:KKrktirofThteTeVj''™rt"^ '''^" over the river and menacot wifhto^^rt UoVThe' it I .Ik IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A W. ^^ J^'ii m y 5r «/^ % 'd./' 1.0 ItIIss im I.I l^iia u 11:25 i 1.4 2.0 1.6 7i Pnotograpliic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) $72-4503 A ,'\ iV N> % V ^^^ s. o^ 'i?) W^-.K, c^ ^ 262 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. river, one hundred and fifty yards in width, seems to have forced its channel down this solid mass ; but so reluctantly has it given way, that during the whole distance the water is very deep even at the edges, and for the first three miles there is not a spot, except one of a few yards, in which a man could stand between the water and the towering perpvindicular of the mountain. The convulsion of the passage must have been terrible, since at its out- let there are vast columns of roclc torn from the mountain, which are strewed on both sides of the river, the trophies, as it were, of its victory. Sev- eral fine springs burst out from the chasms of the rock, and contribute to increase the river, which has a strong current, but, very fortunately, we were able to overcome it with our oars, since it would have been impossible to use either the cord or the pole. We were obliged to go on some time after dark, not being able to find a spot large enough to encamp on ; but at length, about two miles above a small island in the middle of the river, we met with a place on the left side, where we procured plenty of light wood and pitch pine. This extraordinary range of rocks we called the Gates of the Rocky Mountains. " We had made twenty-two miles, and four and a quarter miles from the entrance of the Gates. The mountains were higher to-day than they were yes- terday. We saw some bighorns, and a few ante- lopes and beaver, but since entering the mountains have found no buffalo : the otter are, however, in great plenty. " July 20. By employing the tow-rope whenever the banks permitted the use of it, the kiver being too deep for the pole, we were enabled to overcome the current, which is siill strong. At the distance of half a mile we came to a high rock in a bend to the left, in the Gates. Here the perpendicular rocks cease, the hills retire from the river, and the valleys suddenly wider, to a greater extent than they have ALARM GIVEN TO THE INDIANS. 263 been since we entered the mountains. At this olace was some scattered timber, consisting of the nar- row-leafed cottonwood, the aspen, and pine. There are also vast quantities of gooseb^rriesfse^Wce-ber' ries, and several species of currant, among whU fa one of a bhick colour, the flavour if whichl nref rperU'to'tt^of'' ^'"'^"'^"^ would be iXed bupenor to that of any currant in the United States At a mile from the Gates, a large creek comps down from the mountains, and empUes i S bS an island m the middle of a bend to the nor h Ta this stream which is fifteen yards wide, we cave the name of Potts's Creek, after John PottsTone of our men Up this valley, about seven miles we hTh'f ^ V^^l '"^^^^^ ^« if the whole country f h\^"^«^^on fire; but we were at a loss to de- c.de whether it had been done accioentally by Can tain Clarke's party, or by the Indians as a^sigLl o^n heir observing us. We afterward learned I'T his ast was the fact ; for they had heard a gun fired by one of Captain Clarke's men, and, behevin^ tha^ their enemies were approaching, had fled into the mountains, first setting fire to the plains as a warn! ing to their countrymen. We continued our cour^P otthirvS'.^'^^"'^;^"' ^^^^'"^ madefn thecou e of he day fifteen miles, encamped just above an isl- Z%1 'Vf ^i"^ °" ^ high hank on the left side of Jhe " Captain Clarke, on setting out this mornina hr,A gone through the valley about six mifes to "Ki/ht ' of the river. He soon fell into the Indian rold which he pursued till he reached the MissourUUhe distance of eighteen miles from his last e"camD ment, just above the entrance of a large creek whSh we afterward called Whiteearth Crfek HeTe he found his party so much cut and pierced with th^ sharp flmt and the prickly pear tha he proceeded only a short distance fartl^'and then haltX wa' t for us. Along his route he had taken the precau- •'•1 S64 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. lion to strew signals, such as pieces of cloth, paper, and linen, to prove to the Indians, if by any acci- dent they met his track, that we were wliile men. But he observed a smoJie some distance ahead, and concluded that the whole country had now taken the alarm." * * * On the following day, after proceeding for eleven and a half miles through a mountainous and broken country, they reached in the evening a beautiful plain, ten or twelve miles wide, and extending as far as the eye could reach. " This plain, or rather val- ley," says the journalist, " is bounded by two nearly parallel ranges of high mountains, whose summits are partially covered with snow, below which the pine is scattered along the sides down to the plain in some places, though the greater part of their sur- face has no timber, and exhibits only a barren soil, with no covering except dry, parched grass, or black, rugged rocks. On entering the valley, the river as- sumes a totallj'^ different aspect. It spreads to more than a mile in width, and, though more rapid than before, is shallow enough in almost every part for the use of the pole, while its bed is formed of smooth stones and some large rocks, as it has been, indeed, since we entered the mountains: it is also divided by a number of islands, some of which are large near the northern shore. The soil of the val- ley is a rich black loam, apparently very fertile, and covered with a fine green herbage about eighteen inches or two feet in height ; while that of the high grounds is perfectly dry, and seems scorched by the sun. The timber, though still scarce, is in greater quantities in this valley than we have seen it since entering the mountains, and seems to prefer the borders of the small creeks to the banks of the river itself." * * * " We this day saw two pheasants of a dark brown colour, much larger than the same species of bird in the United States. Of geese we daily see great numb cept defici ones large lowgi food. they a colour "Ju being i and si: down channe genera ground channe accurac timber. island s farther break fa: middle ( ten feet overflow small on some vv< flavoure( just ripe to the sq mate, it ' From th During t passed se large and many chi creek on creeks, wl miles bef Vol. I.- ONION ISLAND. 265 deficieiU; the m?st' are ,ery fin/Z^ f^ "'^ are ones jjre poor, and unfi f^.^'e st?"^'''^; "'^ arge brown or sand-liill cranp fi-n ? "^f'^^ ^^ *^»e lowgroundsontheifrass whfr^r^^^ ^?^'"^ '» *^^e food. The yoinij^ crane T. n^'/^i"'"' ^^'*^''r principal they are as laVfs a u rkev o?. h^'t ''"'' ^^^^^»•• colour." * * • "''^''^>'' of a brjght reddish bay beil^SecTintT l^l^^^'^f ^'y hour. The river and small islands, thaff^.^^""^^'' ^^ ^oth large down accurately by foiowriain?^''^^' ^^ ^^^ ^^ channel, Captain L^is w'Zd nn ^^ ^"^ «'"gle general courses of the sU'e^m . h r ^"'^' ^"^^'^ the grounds laid down he s t.ntTnn "r fi*^'" ^'^^ '''■^•■' ^g channels, which 1 e was e r iJ ""/ ^'^ ^''^*"^« ^"d accuracy, the view unt h' "^u^"" ^" ^^'^h perfect timber. At one nTi e and a ^n.^.^f '"'^'^^ ^^ '""^h island somewhat la ger Lan tJ^p'^^^^^ ''I ^^'''^ ^^ farther reached theiZev^^^^^^ ^""'' ""Ics breakfasted. I'his is f 1L JI , another, where we middle of a bend to tie ifr/h ^r?' ^^/?'"^' ^'^ ^he ten feet above the surfLrnfV '^^^^ ^"'"^'^^ P'^in, overflowed. Here we fom.H ^^^ '^^^^•'' ^"^' '^^ve; small onion, about t^e size of ^''^' ^^"^"tities of a some were lamer It /'' though flavoured as a, f of oi^ ^ar^P.f ' ''''^^ ""^ ^« ^^"- just ripening, aKsthpnhnfK""'^"'- ^'^« ^^ed ., to the squail'?(^S and srSfh'^'' ^ iarge quantity mate, it will , o donh? hi ^ ^^^ T'^ours of the clj: from' thTs prductioi' wp'".n1f^J"''^'"'^ '^ «^"Iers. During the Txt seveVand th ^'"^ '^ ^'"«» *«J«»d. passed%everanonrd cuhr hp'!f ^"^r^'' "'"^« >ve [arge and smaV?s,Ld "^ eh 'ifvid? th' ""'"'^-^ °^ many channels, a.id then reH«hi^ th ^"^ river mto creek on the north % p reached the mouth of a creeks, which .me in a hnnnV' "«"^P«^d of three miles befo. e they dLchar^';!!'" '^^l'^ "^'^"^ <"«"' Vol. I.~z ^ discharge themselves into the 266 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. Missouri, where it is about fifteen feet wide and eight feet deep, with clear, transparent water. Here We halted for dinner ; but, as the canoes took differ- ent channels in ascending, it was some time before they all joined. " We are delighted to find that the Indian woman recognises the country ; she tells us that to this creek her countrymen make excursions to procure a white paint on its banks, and we therefore call it Whiieearih Creek. She says, also, that the three forks of the Missouri are at no great distance ; a piece of intelligence which has cheered the spirits of us all, as we hope soon to reach the head of that river. This is the warmest day except one we have experienced this summer. In the shade the mercury stood at 80° above zero, which is the sec- ond time it has reached that height during the se*a- son. We encamped on an island, after making nine- teen and three quarter miles. " In the course of the day we saw many geese, cranes, small birds common to the plains, and a few pheasants : we also observed a small plover or cur- lew of a brown colour, about the size of the yellow- legged plover or jack curlew, but of a different spe- cies. It first appeared near the mouth of Smith's River, but is so shy and vigilant that we are unabh? to shoot it. Both the broad and narrow leafed w" low continue, though the sweet willow has become very scarce. The rosebush, small honeysuckle, the pulpy-leafed thorn, southern wood, sage and box- alder, narrow-leafed cottonwood, redwood, and a species of sumach, are all abundant. So, too, are red and black gooseberries, service-berries, choke- cherries, and black, red, yellow, and purple currants, which last seem to be a favourite food of the bear. Before encamping, we landed and took on board Captain Clarke, with the meat he had collected du- ring this day's hunt, which consisted of one deer and an elk : we had ourselves shot a deer and an antelo; suallv The: the coi tensive niount£ before, banks, followe the can any net enemies "We beaver t tribute ^ widening the smal the islan outlet, ai stopped sand. 1 other chi the river points of and saw geese, ar birds of tl we saw a shot of hi but none < appearanc that bufful we have a the water form brow led on the brownish i which is t second is c DAMS OP THE BEAVER. 267 •u||?''fi%ee?h?sr.^t'r -" g-ts were u„u- the coj;„?'rrtt'to'fIrnSl'v1"°^'" "'« '"'--'- of tensive levels bordered hr^H.'^"- P^'^h ""d ex- mountains i„ the backL.mH T' "'"' ^ills and before, proceeded wuFa nn^v "''i^'" ^'=""''«. ^3 banks, where he direove eSan^Inl ?°' ".'"'.'^ ""e followed. Small flags were kew hnL™J"^ "'u'' '"« the canoes, to aoDrize tho L,- ^ ""'s'ed on board «ny near, that they were wh"'!'' "'"'"'' "'«'•« >>« enemies. ^ "'" ""*■" 'len, and not their beavli"„!3r/'(,h7l4!h? ^"""'^'.'""any otter and tribute very much to thnK ''"i^' ""^m to con- widening oif the river Thevb7»''^'K"'';?'^^' ""^ ""e the small channels of nii?,7. ^^"' "^^ ''■ ""ning up the islands : th"s oblile^^hi '"'™''' ^"^^ betweeS outlet, and, as soon af th s isX IVT^ '''"other stopped by the beaver become, fin -J*^' "i^ "'""'"«' sand. The indnstrious aS i= l'^'' "."■'' "'"<< and other channel, which soon «Ti u""' '''■""'" to an- the riverspreadlofal °?des a, d'cm^ T'' '"^"'- "" points of the land into Sds vv '''.?, Pl"Jecting and saw great numbers of "ntelonl^ '"""' " ^^^'' geese, and a few red heLtn i P?*^' "'""'^- ^ome birds of the plains a,'d the e„lw=f'V,,^t<' ^""a" we saw a large bear but cnnU . ,^'^ ""'" abundant; shot of him Theie ».^ „ "''' "0' '-■onie within gun- but none ;"• the aSremselvV''^''V' ""= «'k. appearance of bones and nW i ^^ ' "'"'• ^'°<" the that buffalo soSmeTstrav ?^,n m""""',^ ^"PPo^e we have as yet see" ,o Sn Wn of?h''^' "'?"«'' the water are a numhprTr 1 i^ °^ ""^m- Along form brown coforothers bS'''''H'°T°^ >» "'»- led on the abdomen and .ii,.^' '"•''.^ *'"''d speck- brownish yellow on , he h-ffi-P'"!, "'■'"' "ack anj a which is the largest ^s ah^r"';'' "l?^- '""he first? -end is of the ^iJi^^^Z^;'!-, Z ikk iMla Ik Sf t;.,i3« 1 in 269 LEWIS AND CLARKE S EXPEDITION. third resembles in size and appearance the garter, snake of the United States. On examining the teeth of all these several kinds, we found them free from poison : they are fond of the water, in which they take shelter on being pursued. The mosche- toes, gnats, and prickly pear, our three persecutors, still continue with us, and, joined with the labour of working the canoes, have fatigued us all exces- sively. " Captain Clarke continued along the Indian road, which led him up a creek. About ten o'clock he' saw, at the distance of six miles, a horse feeding in the plains. He went towards him, but the animal was so wild that he could not get within several hundred paces of him. He then turned obliquely to the river, where he killed a deer, and dined, having passed in this valley five handsome streams, only one of which had any timber; another had some willov;s, and was very much dammed up by the beaver. After dinner he continued his route along the river, and encamped at the distance of thirty miles. As he went along he saw many tracks of Indians, but none of recent date. The next morning, " July 25, at the distance of a few miles, he arri- ved at the Three Forks of the Missouri. Here he found that the plains had been recently burned on the north side, and saw the track of a horse, which seemed to have passed about four or five days since. After breakfast he examined the rivers, and, finding that the north branch, although not larger, contain- ed more water than the middle branch, and bore more to the westward, he determined to ascend it. He therefore left a note, informing Captain Lewis of his intention, and then went up that stream on the north side for about twenty-five miles. Here Chaboneau was unable to proceed any farther, and the party therefore encamped, all of them much fatigued, their feet blistered, and wounded by the prickly pear. "Ii ce3de and 1; much fewer One Oi to wh one 01 the ui mount this is treatec approa they V have, a several or two solitarj which lands, a it is fou in its V young I incomp( have fo ammuni above G been tra again a] r^.ther, 1 chain of entering passed a out near cliffs on Near the: have seer sharp, poi leaving bi SECOND CHAIN OP llOCKV MOUNTAINS. 869 treated to :he shore and ran nff k r ' "' ^® ^®- they were heloltll ZZni^^^^^^ have, again collected in smiiih*^ ^^'® antelopes several females wi?h h.- " ^^^'^^' composed of or two S though some'^ortt""'?'^' '^ «"« It IS found straffeliiiffon th. vnif f ,' "^ accident in its wo„derfXSnes''s?^*wValfo K"'^''!?'''' young geese ; but, as this game is sm» =n/ '^^ been travelling ceases Lrfh^ I" T^'"^'' ^^ ^^^e again approach the river v!t' ^^^^' ^'^^§3^ ^"^^ r^.ther, leaves what aTpears ?n'L"°^ ^"^f«' «r, chain of the Rocky MoZtt in. aV f^"^^"? ^''^^^ entering among these hiM.n; i "^^"""^ ^ "'^^^ ^^^^r passed a niiXr of fine hni/ ^''^ mountains, we out near thePdLiffu ^^^ ^P^ngs, which burst clifis on the lea ' ^I tl ^^^.^^n^er the freestone Near these we mWwitte^^^^^^ ^"' P"^^ ^^^«^- 'iving Dut small and dangerous channels for iavi" Z 2 m 'Mm>4 270 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. gation. The cliffs are of a lighter colour than those we had previously passed, and in the bed of the riv- er is some limestone, which is small and worn smooth, and seems to have been brought down by the current." ♦ • • " All these cliffs appeared to have been under- mined by the water at some period, and fallen down from the hills on their sides, the stratas of rock sometimes lying with their edges upward ; while others, not detached from the hills, are dp;,ressed obliquely on the side next the river, as if they had sunk to fill up the cavity formed by the washing of the current." The next day they passed a considerable number of small islands, and, finding the current strong, with frequent ripples, were obliged to depend chiefly upon their poles and towlines. After proceeding about five miles, they came to a point where, says the Journal, " the mountains recede from the river, and the valley widens to the extent of several miles. The river now becomes crowded with islands, of which we passed ten in the next thirteen and three quarter miles : then, at the distance of eighteen miles, we encamped on the left shore, near a rock in the centre of a bend towards the left, and oppo- site to two more islands. " This valley has w ide low grounds covered with high grass, and in many places with a fine turf of greensward. The soil of the high lands is thin and meager, without any covering except a low sedge and a dry kind of grass, which is almost as incon- venient as the prickly pear. Th j seeds of it are armed with a long, twisted, hard beard at their up- per extremity, while the lower part is a sharp, firm point, beset at its base with little stiff bristles, with the points in a direction contrary to the subulate point, to which they answer as a barb. We saw also another species of prickly pear. It is of a globular form, composed of an assemblage of little conic which centre the le£ sharp stiff, ai flat-lea been c hundre hundre spread three q the riv( valley v us; but timber ] " Fine Clarke 1 nied by miles to extensiv a large c however and thej branch, ; forks : h path whi length n been verj his thirst to drink. previous!' found hini and, after sumed his island. 1 other sidf waists, am point of b t ' . K »EW SPECIES or PEICKLV PEAB. 271 centre, and the b^^ if .hi *"'="=''«<) as a common the leaf, whid i's'l^r^Lhod wUh • T' f'"^ "P""^ "" sharp thorns likn ihl. „„ T- ■ ". c'fcular ranffe of stiff,'a„d eve; morl ^.^•'h""^^ P'an'-.and quiti as flat-leaved species Between .."h",,'''.','''^ '^'""™°" been confined within onph./^. ^''^'''« "'''f had hundred yards, but in the vaHev i.""'^.'"''^ °' '""> hundred or two hundred and fiffv J'"''"" '° '"'o spread by its „ume?oSs h&^L'^r,'''"^^ '^ three quarters of a mile Thi i I® '''^'^nce of the river never overlw, t^em n' "^ '"«'• ■"" C.la/;t?t^hStt'?ro;;e''oT^^e In^errd^"' '^^P''"" nied by the other wnnf ?! H • "' ^"^' accompa- miles to the od 0^"^ ^-^ ''^^' ^^o"^ tvvelve extensive viewT the rTp^rl',?- "^'^ ^^ ^^^ an a large creek which floLpd J ^"7^"^^?'^' ^^^^^ saw however, discre'^d n„ frp'S " ^^^ "?^^ ^'^^^ "e, and therefore determTnedtn "^"' -^^ '^« ^"^^^^^ branch, and join us bv fhif ''''''"'"^ ^^« ""^^ie forks: he descendprl thi ^'"le we reached the path which wound thro"^^^^^^ ^' '" '"^^'" length reached "a"S' sVnT T^'l^"'.^i been very warm fho n=.i, "{"""g- Ihe day had his thirst was excessive h?''''''\^ ""^ ""'ber, and to drink. BulfSoT/h'hn .rr t'^^"'^ '«™P'ed previously we in "h"s head fr^t t'',\P'-«=a"tion of found hiniself very mweu't' "r ''*",''*• ^^ «<">" and, after resting wUhcLnL""''""."'' ^'^ ">"e, sumed his march across the nnrfh'f"','"' ""'"P- "•«- island. The first Dart J.l I ^ '^'"''' "<""• a 'arge other side of the ?sTand fhi'"'^, "^"'P' >"" °" tK. waists, and was so rapTdthatV^l''' '='""'' '" "•«'' point of being ^^e^r^^^ ^:^XTei:i\lVt .<• I ;. 272 LEWIS AND Clarke's cxPEniTioN. swim, would havu perished if Captain Clarke had not rescued him. While (rrossing the island they killed two brown bears, and saw great numbers of beaver. He then went on lo a small river, which falls into the north fork some miles above its junc- tion with the two others ; and here, finding himself growing more unwell, he halted for the night at tho distance of four miles from his last encampment. "July 27. VVc proceeded on but slowly, the cur- rent being still so rapid as to require the utmost ex- ertions of all to advance, and the men are losing their strength fast, in consequence of their constant efforts. At half a mile we passed an island, and a mile and a quarter farther again entered a ridge of hills, which now approached the river with clifis ap- parently sinking like those of yesterday. They arc composed of solid limestone, of a light lend colour when exposed to the air, though when freshly bro- ken it is of a deep blue, of an excellent quality, and very fine grain. On these cliffs were numbers of the bighorn. At two and a half miles we reached the centre of a bend towards the south, passing a small island ; and one mile and a quarter beyond this, at about nine in the morning, we came to the mouth of a river seventy yards wide, which falls in from the southeast. Here the country suddenly opens into extensive and beautiful meadows and plains, surrounded on every side with distant and lofty mountains. "Captain Lewis went up this stream for about half a mile, and from the height of a limestone cliff could observe its course about seven miles, and the three forks of the Missouri, of which this river is one. Its extreme point bore S. 65° E., and during the seven miles it passes through an extensive mead- ow of fine grass, dividing itself into several streams, the largest passing near the ridge of hills on which he stood. On the right side of the Missouri, a high, wide, and extensive plain succeeds to this low mead- ow, refi spring 1 east foi sid,'^, ah Betwee range o to soutl this spc half a I fork. 'J be seen miles, w a high p] grounds and beau fork, it di these t\v from the calculate oblong f( to the h sides ; th gradual a; as is also two acres "An ex southwest country li pears aboi 30° west. its course its meado' sively of t termixture derbrush b lower dow covered wi running fn us are brc FAVOURADLE SITE FOR A PORT 273 llu T^ ; "'®u '""''"'' "'"i southwest forks n iUp m miles, where it i,m° f„'. ' "l",'"'^"'"™ of fourteen a high pl'""and' 'i p'p"e ': Zll Z'lT T\ "' s t?;r£n J~"^'^^^^^^^^^^^^ from the somhw^t f« " their junction with that t-alculaed fo !^ for ' 1,1 '"'I'""" "'"''""■'"'ly well oblong form rLl from ,h" ''j"""""" ""'^ "' "" ?0» wet""'/;' "'? ""'"' °'^' "' " point betiigtuTh S^hsnts^i^ifeoririii-r^^^^^^ 274 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. througli which those united streams appear to have forced their passage. After observing the country, Captain Lewis descended to breakfast. " We then left the mouth of the southeast fork, to which, in honour of the secretary of the treasury, we called Gallatin's River; and at the distance of half a mile reached the confluence of the southwest and middle branches of the Missouri. Here we found ^ letter from Captain Clarke, and, as we agreed with him that the direction of the southwest fork gave it a decided preference over the others, we as- cended that branch of the river for a mile, and en- camped in a level, handsome plain on the left, having advanced only seven miles. In this place we re- solved to wait the return of Captain Clarke, and, in the mean time, make the necessary celestial obser- vations, I'ocruit the men, and air the baggage. It was, accordingly, all unloaded and stowed away on shore. " Near the three forks we saw many collections of the mud-nests of the small martin attached to the smooth facas of the limestone rock, whera they were sheltered by projections of the rock above; and in the meadows were numbers of duck or mal- lard with their young, which are now nearly grown. The hunters returned towards evening with six deer, three otter, and a muskrat, and had seen great num- berp of antelope, and many signs of beaver and elk. "During all last night Cpptain Clarke had a high fever, with chills, accompanied by great pain. He, however, pursued his route eight miles to the middle branch, where, not finding any fresh Indian tracks, he came down it and joined us about three o'clock, very m'lch exhausted with fatigue and the violence of his fever. Believing himself bilious, he took a dose of Rush's pills, which we have always found sovereign in such cases, and bathed the lower ex- tremities in warm water. '* We are now very anxious to see the Snake In- dians. miles 1 may sc With n to find reach t will lea fortunal which ' does no ourchie whom V that thij any oth nation o able to e means o The Name itself int Madison, Party asc Philosopl with a sr nees,— D Captain 1 Shoshone Clarke ft ing the m py River, tain Lewi his first A shonees. " July J during th( morning. THE PROSPECT BEFORE TIlEai. 275 dians. After having advanced, for several hundred miles inlo this wild end mountainous co n try we With no information of the route, we may be unable Ull'^n'' E^"".'^^ ^^''"^^ Ihe miuntains^ when we reach the head of the river, at least such a one Is will lead us to the Columbia; but, even vve?e we so fortunate as to find a branch of that river the timber which we have hitherto seen in these monmninl does not promise us any fit to make ca^'o^ so ?ia? our chief dependanee is on meetinfso.rSbe from whom we may procure horses. O^ur consol^^^^^^^^^ that this southwest branch can scarcely head with any other river than the Columbia; and that Tf a nation of Indians can live in the momitSL we are able to endure as much as they, and have even better means of procuring subsistence." "^' CHAPTER XIII. '^^^^J^T.^rnlJ'^^ J.^'?°"" ^^'"Sed. as the River now divides Uself into three Forks, one of which we called Jefferson nn« Madison, and c-ie Gallatin.-Their eeneral CharaMir ''^? p'ySlTr' 'l^.'i'^^^^o-. Branch.-^S pti n" fheT^^^^^^ Philosophy, which enters nto the Jefferson —r^ntJUi L • with a small Party, goes in advance in search o?heShS nees -Description of the Country borderin- on the Rivpr Captain Lewis still preceding the main Party in ^uest of t'hT py Kiver, another Stream running into the Jefferson —fan KsrAttemit Lr nff ''''''^ f '"^ been uSuTcessfft shoiiees. ^ ' ^ ^^'""'^ ^™^ ''' ^"«^t of the Sho" A,y^^7u^^' P?P*?*" Clarke continued very unwell during the night, but was oomev/hat relieved '"^ - morning. On examining the two 'streamV,Tt'be"came a 276 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. difficult to decide which was the larger, or the real Missouri : they are each ninety yards wide, and so perfectly similar in character and appearance that they seem to have been formed in the same mould. We were therefore induced to discontinue the namg of Missouri, and give to the southwest branch the name of Jefferson, in honour of the President of the United States, the projector of the enterprise ; and called the middle branch Madison, after James Mad- ison, secretary of state. These two, as well as Gallatin River, run with great velocity, and throw out large bodies of water. Gallatin River is, how- ever, the most rapid of the three, and, though not quite as deep, navigable for a considerable distance. Madison River, though much less rapid than the Gallatin, is somewhat more rapid than the .Jefferson: the beds of all of them are formed of smooth pebble and gravel, and the waters are perfectly transpa- rent.'" * * * f J f " The greater part of the men, having yesterday put their deerskins in water, were this day engaged in dressing them, tor the purpose of making clothing. The weather was very warm, the thermometer in the afternoon being at 90° above 0, and the mosche- toes more than usually troublesome : we were, how- ever, relieved from them by a high wind from the southwest, which came on at four o'clock, bringing a storm of thunder and lightning, attended by re- freshing showers, which continued till after dark. In the evening the hunters returned with eight deer and two elk ; and the party sent up the Gallatin re- ported that, aicer passing the point where it escaped from Captain Lewis's view yesterday, it turned more towards the east, as far as they could discern the opening of the mountains formed by the valley which bordered it." * * * "The low grounds, although not more than eight or nine feet above the water, seem never to be over, nowed, except a part on the west side of the middle 8ACA fork, \ dated. small among we obi mount numbe some ning. to the ovate ] berry, bright form r though "Sac we are countrj years a came ii retreat( themse ever, pi many \ prisone; whom J er, shov joy at tl for she phy, of the anxi ets to w "July some fa quite as indeed, i There a in the r same cc Vol.] sacajawea's account op her capture. 277 fork, which is stony, and seems occasionally inun- dated. 'I'hey are furnished with great quantities of small fruit, such as currants and gooseberries' among the latter of which is a black species, which we observe not only in the meadows, but along the mountam rivulets. From the same root rise a number of stems to the height of five or six feet some of them particularly branched, and all recli- ning. The berries are attached by a long peduncle to the stem from which they hang, are of a smooth ovate form, as large as the common garden goose- berry, and as black as jet, though the pulp is of a bright crimson colour: it is extremely acid. The form resembles that of the common gooseberry though larger." * * * ^ ocucuy, " Sacajawea, our Indian woman, informs us that we are encamped on the precise spot where her countrymen, the Snake Indians, had their huts five years ago, when the Minnetarees of Knife River first came m sight of them, anr' from whom they hastily retreated thi;ee miles up the Jefierson,and concealed themselves m the woods. The Minnetarees, how- ever, pursued and attacked them, killed four men, as many women, and a number of boys; and made pnsoners of four other boys and all the females, of whom Sacajawea was one. She does not, howev- er, show any distress at these recollections, nor any joy at the prospect of being restored to her country for she seems to possess the folly, or the philoso- phy, of not suffering h^r feelings to extend beyond the anxiety of having plenty to eat and a few trink- ets to wear. "July 20. This morning the hunters brought in some fat deer of the long-tailed red kind, which are quite as large as those of the United States, and are, indeed, the only kind we have found at this place, rhere are numbers of the sand-hill cranes feedinff m tue meadows: we caught a young one of the same colour as the red deer, which, though it had Vol. I. — A ▲ 878 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. nearly attained its full growth, could not fly it :• very fierce, and strikes a severe blow with is beak." • • » " The whole party have been Engaged in dressing skins, and making them into moccasins 2!!^ l^fT' .mV^P*^'" ^^^'^^^'« f^^^^ has almost left him, but he still remains very languid, and has a gen- eral soreness m his limbs. The latitude of our camp, as the mean of two observations of the me- ridian altitude of the sun's lower limb with octant by back observation, is 45° 24^ 8.5^^ "July 30. Captain Clarke was this morning much restored ; and, therefore, having made all the obser- vations necessary to fix the longitude, we reloaded our canoes, and began to ascend Jefferson River Ihe^ river now becomes very crooked, and forms bends on each side ; the current, too, is rapid, and formed into a great number of channels, and some- IVTf I '^^^i'' >'J^ 5^^^' ^^ '^h'^h «o»sist of coarse gravel. The islands are unusually numerous: on the right are high plains, occasionally forming cliffs of rocks and hills, while the left is an extensive low ground and prairie, intersected by a number of ba- yous or channels falling into the river. Captain Lewis who had walked through it, with Chaboneau, his wife, and two invalids, joined us at dinner a few Sr^lTif ""i' "^^T- "^'^' ^h« Indian woman said, wa^ the place where she had been made pris- oner. The men, being too few to contend with the Minnelarees, mounted their horses, and fled as soon as the attack began. The women and children dis- persed, and Sacajawea, as she was crossing at a shoal place, was overtaken in the middle of the nZ^I ^^ ^'r/ P"i«»«rs-" * * • " Captain Lewis pro- ceeded, after dinner, through an extensive low ground of timber and meadow land intermixed ; but the bayous were so obstructed by beaver dams, that, I?.^I »l »,T'1 ?^^'"' h^ ^'^^^t^d his course to- wards the high plain on the riffht. This h^ »Tom«^ with some difficulty, after wading up to "his^waist PHILOSOPHY RIVER. 279 round the \Zerbrtl't hic"^T„d''rhe'''"°^''' "" crooked, that this, joined to the difficnii^*/'"".*" fere 'ptX ^i^ ailS ^^^^-'^ more colleeteTimo o^e cU" ^nf''" " ""^ht be er to the high plain He a™ Id at ,1fe''h°/t'' 'if"- sunset having gone only six ml?es hi a dir.w *"""" from the canoM • hnt ifo . * direct course nor did he recefve any antwIr'To'hf ''.•'^ "'^ ™«"' the firing of his eun TZ!, ^'^ ^^'"'^^' ""' '<> duekiighledneLrCanUe ho?)I "'Jl^^'^' » to the head of a smai ;«ii„!f *"?'"• , He then went driftwood, which SiPrt?' T''"" ^^ '^"""d some except from the mosehetoes '"convenience o'cIoTifthe''mS„g'';tnre'[.t' '"' ''''' ^«^«» we should have pSe^d b ySnd hfs :™l"?r ^ '*^' ing, and determined to follow i,, iT,^ '""i ^''*"- »et out with this intention, he saw one of'.h.'"' ^f m advance of the cannon i i.t L °' '"^ Party only two mil. be "w himTrftrnTht'' r 'P "''^ S"oVrwSrr ^nS ^" - -.-c'^'S t^l tdin Lewis cent mued his routp aV Vt' I- . *^^P" one mile from our encampmeni wt passed h-' -^^ cipal entrance of a streani on tL ipf? . I- u^^ P""" the Snowy Mountain^ t . th! !b "^^^""^ "«es in As Wfi nrnoop/lo^l iU^ 1 ^ J- *«^ivci. rower nnri "thrV- 'u "" '""^ grounds became nar- rower, and the timber more scarce, till, at the di^ W a 'Jii: .{1 ajjl IrS.iBliri' „1!|(* 280 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. DES tance of ten miles, the high hiJls approach and over- hang the river on both sides, forming chffs of hard black granite, like almost all those below the lime- stone ciitfs at the Three Forks of the Missouri. These cliffs continued for a mile and three quarters, when we came to a point of rock on the right side, where the hills again retire, and the valley widens to the distance of a mile and a half. Within the next five miles we passed four islands, and reached the foot of a mountain in a bund of the river to the left. From this place we went a mile and a quarter to the entrance of a small run, discharging itself on the left, and encamped on an island just above it, after making seventeen and three quarter miles. We observe some pine on the hills en both sides of our encampment, which are very lofty. The only game we have seen were a bighorn, a few antelope and deer, and one brown bear, which escaped from our pursuit. Nothing was killed to-day, nor h ive we had any fresh meat, except one beaver, for the last two days ; so that we are now reduced to an unusual situation, for we have hitherto always had a great abundance of flesh. "August 1. We left our encampment early, and at the distance of a mile reached a point of rocks on the left side, where the river passes through per- pendicular cliffs. Two and three quarter miles far- ther we halted for breakfast, under a cedar-tree in a bend to the right. Here, as had been previously ar- ranged, Captain Lewis left us, with Sergeant Gass, Chaboneau, and Drewyer, intending to go in advance in search of the Shoshonees." * * * *' in crossing the mountains he saw a flock of the dark or brown pheasant, one of which he killed. This bird is one third larger than the common pheasant of the At- lantic States; its form is much the same. The male has not, however, the tufts of long black feath- ers on the sides of the neck, so conspicuous in the Atlantic pheasant, and both sexes are booted nearly to the with a specks of the 1 fectly b black, { brown ; than th( eighteer in the i flesh is "He? top of tj robin, bi it is cor spray, ai as far as char ah ! "Aftei tance of high moi perpendic the lowe coloured rocks clo passed b( very stroj ed an isla reached t side. In the canoe swung on creek as Frazier, a Here the ( six to eigh crooked ai Wif?0 nnA t ■ ■ -.«• . ,. .J.J J from nine MSCEIPTION OP THE BROWN PHEASANT. 281 With", sS ml^furetf^r """"""J? "'='* "^wn. specks on some of , hi li r '"' y^'lowi^h brown of the tai" tZghlhTe«^^^tL^''P'<'^^'iy those fectly black for about an inch '"thI ""'"■ "'" P*'" black, and the iris has a "mp'n ^ Vl^ '* ■'^'"•ly brown; the feathers of th^ fnTi ^^^^ "' yellowish than those of our pheasa„, but Z'"""";''"' '™8«' eighteen, and nearly eouil in .-, *""'* '" """"'er, in the middle are somewhat T,»T'P' "■*' ""'^« flesh is white, and ^rSi^'^L^i^''^'- "^"^'^ top of the mo'umara^bSu^ wTi'^ P'-^^ "^^'^ «>« ro&n, but iract^Tand'tm'somX'J'llkt^?''' It IS constantly in motion h„r,^"r® "''^ * J*y = spray, and its note, whch' islffiL'^T 'P^''^ «° as far as letters can represent iri!^"" frequent, is, char ah ! represent it, char ah ! char ah ! "After breakfast we proceedp,! on a. .u ,. tance of two and a Quarter mlfl.? • ■*' "'« ^'^■ high mountain, which forms rmL,i* , "J"' f""'''^ » perpendicular ^cks Se a?fnf w'1' °^ "?"'y the lower part and ihl .?„ -^^^ granite at coloured freestone thivpPPf'' ''T"'^ '"' » "gl"- rocks closet, he' rh-er for n"h.!'^'T "'^ P''"""^ passed before breakflsl ,L« I .1!"'^'' "'''«'' ^e verv strong Af„-'j'""'^'' "le current was reached the'en'tranc'^'^f rtg/tet"o'n'l?' Tr' re^s-w:!rar£ai"-'^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Frazier after Rnhlf ^^JP'^.^^ gave the name of crooked and crowded with i/l^nZ T ^r" '^'''^°"™®s - " ,..,a ic:iiiii;,uui,inoufi:!i covered with fl«:U" from nine inches to two feet hLh L^l ^"® F^^^ iwu leei nign, possessmg but a A A 3 1 282 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. small proportion of timber, and that consisting al- most entirely of a few narrow-leaved cottonwood- trees, distributed along the verge of the river. The soil of the plain is tolerably fertile, and consists of a black or dark yellow loam. It gradually ascends on each side to the bases of two ranges of high mountains which lie parallel to the river : the tops of them are yet, in part, covered with snow ; and while in the valley we are nearly suffocated with heat during the day, at night the air is so cold that two blankets are not more than sufficient cover- ing." • * * " August 2. Captain Lewis, who slept in the val- ley a few miles above us, resumed his journey early, and, after making five miles, and finding that the river still bore to the south, determined to cross it, in hopes of shortening the route. For tlie first time, therefore, he waded across it, although there are probably many places above the falls where it might be attempted with equal safety. The river was about ninety yards wide, the current rapid, and about waist deep. He then continued along the left bank, and encamped after travelling twenty-four miles. He met no fresh tracks of Indians." * * * " In the mean time we proceeded on slowly, the current being so strong as to require the utmost ex- ertions of the men to make any advance, even with the aid of the cord and pole, the wind being from the northwest. The channel, current, banks, and gen- eral appearance of the river are like that of yester- day." * * * "August 3. Captain Lewis pursued his course along the river through the valley, which continued much as it was yesterday, except that it now widen- ed to nearly twelve miles : the plains, too, were more broken, and had some scattered pines near the mountains, where they rise higher than hitherto." * * • " The mountains continued high on each side of the valley, but their only covering was a small species the lowi tance bt ber nor twenty-t miles, w ly pears i ing very the river though a| as if the3 were so danger o] "On s( river, as i rent mor many pla double, ar the chann who was which he great toej it, found t our camp stance str( strayed th us. At tv a bend tow mountains Creek, froi Fields at i mal comn States, anc nose to th( complishec the river r compelled of the day. "August KILLING A PANTHER. gQB species of pitch-pine with a short leaf, growing on the lower and middle regions, while for some^drs tance below the snowy tops there was neitl^r Um" ber nor herbage of any kind." * *» • " He mad« twenty.ihree miles, the litter part of which for^iah? miles, was through a high plain, covered with or fk y pears and bearded grals,^which rendered he wal ng very inconvenient ; but even this was better than he river bottoms we crossed in the evening which though apparently level, were formed into del p^o es were so^o'verp'r Tt^- ? '^ »^«^« ^ a3 hofes dT;ger"of7ar/aret;;;lp^:^^^^^ - -- - ri^^as^uSriTil^Jv^Jl^d^^^ rent more rapid as well as shallower si tha^^" Setd"drL%r" '''''<' '' -^"'t"« ~ louDle, and drag them over the stone and gravel of the channel. Soon after we set off, Caotain rinrti Tv iTf T^^'^^"^ «" «h«re, observed a^Shra^^^^^ which he knew to be that of an Indiarfrom th« ftlounT!u^n'AT't -^^rd Canton fXw n'g It, found that It led to the point of a hill from wh ch our camp of last night could be seen ThTs^ircum sance strengthened the belief that some Indian h^d strayed thuher, and run off, alarmed aTthetghto? us At two and a quarter miles is a small crfek in a bend towards the right, which runs down ft-om th2 mountains at a little distance; we called k Panther Fiplf' ^?"! ^" ^"*?^^^ ^' '^'^^ ^^i»d killed by Reuben Fields at Its mouth. It is precisely the same aT ma common to the western parts^of the Unhed States, and measured seven and a half feet from thp nose to the extremity of the tail." * * * « We Lo complished only thirteen miles, and the badness of the river made it very laborious, as the men were compelled to be in the water duri^a thfr, ™a "-'!f/® 01 the day. ° '"" &^^^^^* part "August 4. This morning Captain Lewis star^ ill' . IN"" 284 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. CA early, and, after going southeast by east for four miles, reached a bold running creek twelve yards wide, with clear cold water, furnished apparently by four drains from the Snowy Mountains on the left." At the distance of three miles he came to a river about thirty yards wide, apparently navigable for some distance ; and, continuing his route in a south- westerly direction several miles farther, he reached another forty-five yards in breadth, which he found waist deep in fording it. Following its course for about six miles, he found it joined by a considerable stream with a rapid current, coming from the south- west. From a careful observation of the direction and character of these streams, he became satisfied that the middle one was the best to be taken by the canoes, and left a note for Captain Clarke to that effect. The party in the canoes proceeded onward as usual, finding but little change in the country, killing game as they had opportunity for their sub- sistence, end encountering many difficulties from the ripples and shoals of the river. The men were becoming much enfeebled from the severity of their labours and being constantly in the water. " August 5. This morning," proceeds the Journal, " Chaboneau complained that he should be unable to march far to-day, and Captain Lewis therefore ordered him and Sergeant Gass to pass the rapid river, and proceed through the level low ground to a point of high timber on the middle fork, seven miles distant, and wait his return. He then went along the north side of the rapid river about four miles, where he forded it, and found it so swift and shal- low that it would be impossible to navigate it. He continued along the left side for a mile and a half, when the mountains came close to the river, and rose to a considerr.ble height, with a partial cover- ing of snow. From this place the course of the river was to the east of north. After ascending with SOI he had a and whi( on each to enter In that (] ted the y either of where tl other as course, t( the gap V was cons ccs whicl as the fui ed the m fork, aboi fectly nav Indian ro tracks ex have used a great bi rected his where he pair, and j their cami to make ] pulpy-leav hours befo fortunate c which was ty-five mil except a fe " We an unluckily, ( a green po carried off deprived us of the two CAPTAIN LEWIS EXPLORES THE RIVER, 283 to enter the mountains, and was lost to ilieylew ted' the v'X':""' ^''^'''\^ ^»'« ^'"«' which tern r„T. either of fch''''*? T""^' ^^^^^ t^^" '^^ose along ,= .hlr ^ ^ " "Jcc'ded preference to this braneh have useS^f ,h.^ f *''^- ^'°'^''^' "''"'='' seemed to neir camp It was now dark, and he was obliirprt to make his way through the thick bS of fhp pulpy-leaved thorn and^he prick y near for two hoi.rs before he reached their cainp^ HeJe he w^ for unate enough to find the remains of some mlat Ty fit mUes" ul'l!"^'"""' "'' "-'h of' r/n': "'J' live miies. He had seen no eame of anv «ni.t except a few antelope, which werf v™ry shy"- • • unlu^Iuv'can-ain'l"" •"'''' "''1'" '■""o'clock- but, a ffr^^n n'nif '^ ■ {.^V^t """= b^^ been attached to cafried off wl.T, Vh*" "'! "'"" ^'^ «"' down, and deprived 1 of J^- r°" °." " = "" '«=«'f them were completely spoiled ex- cept a sv jv;;- ,.e,^ Mi powder : the rest of the pow- tier was upward ( dry, (flat less it is our powc ing enou( and secu the purpo " Capti nothing t on fh'> jof Gass to k if we wci Chabonea them, heai were desci " In the which furij ply of mea: lost before to hunt on Jn returnir of him, but proceeded able to find 1 and fired se fear he is a| " August morning for observations and complei tained n. me of our camp satisfied that pble, and t The north w( melting snow dom River.*' " As soon ; A MAN MISSING, S87 I dry, that any woodwork imnerlT'^ '^ ^"^ less It IS kept filled with w^tor k f ^ ''t'''"'^^ "«- our powder in small ^anisrerl or i /'"^ *^"^ P'^*^«d mg enough for the caSer w7,o^i m 'w ' ?'"^ ^'^^^^'n- and secured with cork and w-^-'^"^'' ^""'**^» ihepurpos perfectly ^a^, which answered no;;!;r/';;'^ear;s'^^^^ --^y. and, having on fh^ ;.rt in search of .droraf/Hf ^'^^.^^odlanS Gass to keep along thtf Sip hr^'^r'^^ '^"''^«a"« If we were ascendinrit H^ th "'■^' *" '"^^^ "« Chaboneau towards the forks hnf«" '^^.''"^ ^^^^h thcin, hearing „s on the left Struck tl^ "'''"'^ ^^°^« were descending, and camP An h^ V^® '"'''^'' as we " In the evening we killed ?h. '/^ ""^ ^'^^ ^^''^s- which furnished Kce more w!f h""' ^"^ ^«"'- ^^k. ply of meat. Shannon thp/.r«^^ a plentiful sup. ost before for fifteen" da^^^Ts ^e'n^^^^^^^ to hunt on the northwest fnrt ix??* ^^"® morning ^n returning, Drewyer was d.rert^^f " we decided of him, but he returned wfthiS^-'' ^? '" ^"^^t proceeded several Ss in fh.T^''^" ^^'^^ *^e had able to find him We now h.5 ♦u"'^^^ ^'^^^«»t being and fired seveTal guns 17 hf^-^^ *^""^P^^ ^^"nded! fear he is again lost ' ^' ^'"^ "°^ ^^^"^". and we r-inft^h^pi^prr observations, and also in order to rfrfT f"^"^*'^' and complete the drying of thV h/5'^'^ '^^ '^en, tanied a meridian alti ude xvhi^u^^^^^^^; ^o ob- of our camp 450 2' 43 8 "wJl ^^""^ ^^^ latitude satisfied that the mid/le branch f ".r ^^"^Pletely gable, and the true continn.f^^^'/^? "^««^ "avi- The northwest fork seems to ? ^[ ^^^ Jefferson. melting snows of ti^e Sta^ns^t^//,';^!,^ ^ 'h« aom River.*' * * * """'"ams . we called it Wis- "As soon as the baffoairA «,.« j-:_ , .. So^o ' "«« diiud 11 was reload- * ft 28S LEWIS AND CLARKE S EXPEDITION. ed on board the boats, but we now found it so mucb diminished that we were able to proceed with one canoe less. We therefore hauled up tlie superflu- ous one into a thicket of brush, where we secured her against being swept away by the high tide. At one o'clock all set out except Captain Lewis, who remiined till the evening in order to complete the observation of equal altitudes." * * * ''Uneasy about Shannon, we had sent R. Fields m search of him in the morning." * * * They found the river so crooked on the following day, that, although they proceeded a considerable distance, they made but little advance on their gen- eral course. They passed a stream coming in from the southeast, thirty yards wide at its mouth, to which they gave the name of Philanthropy River. Fields returned without having seen or heard any- thing of the missing man. " The general appear- ance of the surrounding country," continues the nar- rative, " is that of a valley five or six miles wide, en- closed between two high mountains. The bottom is rich, with some small timber on the islands and along the river, which consists rather of underbrush, with a few cottonwood, birch, and willow trees. The high grounds have some scattering pine, which just relieve the general nakedness of the hills, but in the plain there is nothing except grass. Along the bottoms we saw to-day a considerable quantity of the buffalo clover, the sunflower, flax, greensward, thistle, and several species of rye grass, some of which rise to the height of three or four feet. There is also a grass with a soft, smooth leaf, which rises about three feet high, and bears its seed very much like the timothy ; but it does not grow luxuriantly, nor would it apparently answer so well in our mead- ows as that plant. We preserved some of its seed, which are now ripe, in order to make the experi- ment. Our game consisted of deer and antelope, and we saw a number of geese and ducks just begin- ning t ance ( are tw brown or blo' tack u: which too, an they \v( bogs, a the mu( colour, three ri are imii rat." * "Oni our Indi the Bea^ that obje nier retr beyond She is th ther on t source, v be far dis of procui determini ing to the ains till h tion who the great e leave wit! Early tl He was ^ and broug ately aftci Lewis toe flinging t! lution to I Vol. I.- RETURN OP SHANNON. 289 ning to fly, and some cranp*? Wc» i,. ance of the larirc b rina Tr ?* / ^^^® ^" abund- are two s^eciesf ot b^lack Z ^^°^ which there brown exc'ept the hL"d whfc'h\^yeen' ",'h"^^ ^"^ or blowiiiff flies nniio tuitv. .V ^reen. l he gieeiy, tack us, and veem to hi ■•'" '? ="'="''"s to at- whieh have now dLnne J.1'"''r. '''^ '^y^-S""'*. too, are in law enumbPrTCr . '^'"' "'"schetoes they were be fw Thr™Vh , '" '™'*'''^°™e as the mud is composedTs of a whh» "",^1' ■"[ "'>''='' colour, and seems tn h„ L J. "^ °'' "uish-white three HverVbr^a'rtic ulariTorrh'^'^bi?" ,f ""^ are,nn,„e„so quan'Jities of b'eav:r,";;ite':'"i,^rm™T our tdfa'n'" ^Sta'i^ 'r^^oPgt;fa^ If" P^'"' -■>'«" the Beaver's Head from linlni'" P'""'' "^''^^ that object. TWs she sav, S'^.°?f resemblance to mer re.reat of er' countrvml,, k"'/''?"' "'" •^"'n- beyond the mountab s ?nH ' """^'" '" °" ^ ""^r She is therefo^ rS HI a^^v"'Sf ntl'lL-^^'- ther on this river nmn ii,„7 • ,• '''^' '™'n ei- souree, which jud^r E'Vw ™*""""='>' ^"e^' "<" i's be far distant ''pc'rsu^adednf 1 ^'T"} '''''"' '""'«>' or procuring horses "ocm^hf "''""""'• "oeessity determined fhut one of us should nrn"°"i"""f' " "^^ ine to the hmrl ^rX ■ '""o"''' proceed in the morn. aifs ti 1 he fof n^d^t Su^f '.f '" P«"etrate the mounl tion who can assis us in t "''^' '"' """«' <'"'" "»" the greater part of which we X:;n'h^ ""' "'"SS^e^- leave withotft the lid oftrsL!'"" S V°'"P'^"<=<1 '» He'w ^ tZf^ZZ\Z.7^'IT'^y «''^»»°»-' and brouglu . the i"'s'„f h "'' ""^ Plentifully. Vol. I.-B b "' ^'^'^^^"'^ ^^^^^e they > .1 290 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. returned, however long they might be separated from the party." * • * The party in the cxnoes continued to ascend the river, which was so jrooked that they advanced but four miles in a direct line from their starting-place in a distance of eleven miles. " August 10. Captain Lewis proceeded on his route at an early hour through the wide bottom along the left bank of the river. At about five miles he passed a large creek, and then fell into an Indian road leading towards the point where the river en- tered tlie mountains. This he followed till he reach- ed a high perpendicular cliff of rocks, where the river makes its passage through the hills, and which he called Rattlesnake Cliff, from the numbers of that reptile which he saw there. Here he kindled a fire and waited the return of Drevi^yer, who had been sent out on the way to kill a deer : he came back about noon with the skins of three deer, and the flesh of one of the best of them. After a hasty din- ner they returned to the Indian road, which they had left for a short distance to see the cliff. It led them sometimes over the hills, sometimes along the nar- row bottoms of the river, till, at the distance of fif- teen miles from Rattlesnake Cliff, they reached a handsome, open, and level valley, where the river divided into nearly two equal branches. The mount- ains over which they passed were not very high, but rugged, and run close to the river side. The river, which before it enters the mountain is rapid, rocky, very crooked, much divided by islands, and shallow, now becomes more direct in its course as it is hem- med in by the hills, and has not so many bends nor islands, but is still more rapid and rocky, and contin- ues as shallow as before. On examining both branches, it was evident that neither of them was navigable farther. The road forked with the river; and Captain Lewis therefore sent a man up each of them for a short distance- in order that, bv comna- WEST FORK OP THE RIVER. 291 ring their respective reports, he might be ahlp «n as'' or- "'"f ''''''f'' '''^^' ^ecn'^nost usti'the last spimg. Iwm their accounts he resolv-d tn choose that which led along the soutlrvesfbrnnrh nf the nver which was rathe r^he smaller o the two he accordingly wrote a note to Captaiii Clarke .'n' forming hnu of his route, and recomme. 5 n^' i^" turn. riHs he fixed on a dry willow pole tL ^est bnnch ''Trf. then pro'l-eeded up'lt sou h! west brancn. But, after go ng a mile and a half i)L road b ,^e scarcely disting^habl^ and thefracks of the horses which he had followed along the Jef ferson were no longer seen. He therefore return tlnt^h'.?"''"' /'^1 ''^'' '^'^^ himreirand fomd that the horses had, in fact, passed along the west n endatlo^i Lf'^h""'' "i''^'^ '''/'''' additi"^ial reSl niendation of being larger than the other. J his road he concluded to take, and sent bipt ta[n7larkl' ''' '"'''' ^^^ ' second TeUer lo c'ap' tain Clarke, apprizing him of the change, and then proceeded on. The valley of the west fork hroufh which he now passed, bears a little to Ue north of S'in"width'?w "'' r^'^'^ '''' «P^^^ ^^ ^^o't'a mile in width by rough mountains and steco cliffs of rock. At the distance of four and a half miles i? opens into a beautiful and extensive plain about ten miles long, and five or six in width, suounded on all sides by a higher rolling or wav uff couUi v In ersected by several Imle Wvulets f 1 thSi'^" ains, each bordered by wide meadows. Neariv the en ire prospect is bounded by these mountains, whch thus form a beautiful sheltered vale about six een or eighteen miles in diameter. On entering thsvale the nver bends to the northwest, and bathes the foot of the hills on the right. At this place they haUed for the night, on the right side of the river and hav mg lighted a fire of dry willow brush. ihl'^!i.ZXli wnich the country alToids, supped on a deer;"' They i > I '1 292 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. had travelled to-day thirty miles by estimate : that is, ten to Rattlesnake Clifl*, fifteen to the forks of Jef- ferson River, and five to their encampment. In this vale some parts of the low grounds are tolerably fer- tile, but much the greater proportion is covered with prickly pear, sedge, twisted grass, the pulpy- leaved thorn, southern-wood, and wild sage, and, like the uplands, has a very inferior soil. These last have little more than the prickly pear, and the twisted or bearded grass ; nor are there in the whole vale more than three or four cottonwood-trees, and those are small. At the apparent extremity of the bottom lands above, and about ten miles to the west, are two perpendicular cliffs, rising to a considerable height on each side of the river, and at this distance seem like a gate." The party by water started at sunrise, and found the river not so rapid as the day before, though more narrow, and still very crooked, and so shallow that they were obliged to drag the canoes over many rip- ples in the course of the day. The game appeared to be growing scarcer, and they killed only a single deer. msCOVERY OF AN INDIAN. CHAPTER XIV. ^tfeei"- HT^?f'f "^^^^ ^^^ "^^'" ^°^y ^" Search of the Shosho- IS 8 second Interview with the Shoshonees succes^sM 'rZ ing the Antelol T^^^ Mode of hunt. rLi/r ,^"^6'ope^— T he Difficulties encountered bv Caotain d^nce -r.nt«^n rf\^'P*^'" ^^^*« to preserve their Confi! earlv 'h^;^;'h J Vi ^^P^^^". ^^^^^ ^g«'» proceeded on IITa f ^?^ ^^'^ mortification to find that the track deter^in^^hP^ 7'''''^'^ ^^^" disappeared He or nnT, nf 'fl^'^^"'^' ^?.S° «" ^« ^h« "arrow gate, or pass of the river, which he had seen from the Pat7' V^T' ^^ ^^'"^.^^'^ '^ r^^^v^r the l" d an path For this purpose he waded across the river iTi evera'f Hf h" ' T'^ ^^^^^ ^''^^^ '-^"^ barred n seveial places by the dams c ' the beaver and then went straight forward to the pass, sendTng one rS 'wi'lf '^', '''? '" ^'' ^^^^' ^-^"d another to 'he ihlS A '""''^^'^ ^^ ^^a^'^Ji for the road, and, if hey found it, to let him know by raising k ha t on the muzzle of their guns. In this orderlfey wen" c ivfd with'th?'' miles, when Captain Lew^s per- back Ht^hl i ? ^'^^^r^ ^^^'^h^' ^ "^^'^ on horse- oack, dt the distance of two miles, comiim rlo«.n th« il'ls pTnl' •' i^'"""- ^" observing him with th^ iwiu^s, Captain Lewis saw that he was of a different B B 2 ''"'111.'. Ml F ,r' r»' . JM 294 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. nation from any Indians we had hitherto met : he was armed with a bow and a quiver of arrows; mounted on an elegant horse without a saddle, and a small string attached to the under jaw answered as a bridle. Convinced that he was a Shoshonee, and knowing how much of our success depended on the friendly offices of that nation, Captain Lewis was full of anxiety to approach without alarming him, and to convince him that he was a white man: he therefore proceeded on towards the Indian at his usual pace. When they were within a mile of each other the Indian suddenly stopped ; Captain Lewis immediately followed his example, took his blanket from his knapsack, and, holding it with both hands at the two corners, threw it above his head, and un- folded it as he brought it to the ground, as if in the act of spreading it. This signal, which originates in the practice of spreading a robe or skin as a seat for guests to whom they wish to show a distinguish- ed kindness, is the universal sign of friendship among the Indians on the Missouri and the Rocky Mount- ains. As usual, Captain Lewis repeated this signal three times : still the Indian kept his position, and looked with an air of suspicion on Drewyer and Shields, who were now advancing on each side. Captain Lewis was afraid to make any signal for them to halt, lest he should increase the distrust of the Indian, who began to be uneasy, and they were too distant to hear his voice. He therefore took from his pack some beads, a looking-glass, and a few trinkets, which he had brought for the purpose, and, leaving his gun, advanced unarmed towards the Indian. He remained in the same position till Cap- tain Lewis came within two hundred yards of him, when he turned his horse and began to move off slowly. Captain Lewis then called out to him in as loud a voice as he could, repeating the words tahha bone, which in the Shoshonee language mean white mail. But, looking over his shoulder, the In- DISAPPOINTMENT OF CAPTAIN LEWIS. 295 dian kept his eyes on Drewyer and Shields who were still advancing, without\ecoIlectina the^m propriety of doing so at such a moment, 1 11 CaptaTn Lewis made a signal to them to halt: this Drewver jorward. Seeing Drewyer halt, the Indian turned his horse about as if to wait for Captain Le vis who now reached within one hundred and 6^^ paces repeating the words tal.ba bone, and holding up the tnnkets in his hand, at the same time stripping up the sleeve of his shirt to show the colour of his skin rhe Indian suffered him to advance within one hunl dred paces then suddenly turned his horse, and gmng him the whip, leaped across the creek, and disappeared m an instant among the willow bushes : With h.m vanished all the hopes which the sight of ci^ntrymeT' ' ""^ ^ ^"'"^^^ introduction to his J'J}?"^^^ ^^^^l ^iswointed by the imprudence of his two men, Captain Lewis determined to make the incident of some use, and, calling the men to him, they all set off after the track Sf the horse which they hoped 'might lead them to the camp of Irm m'" "^^^ ^f^ ^'^' ^'' '^ ^e had given the thpr^tn t^"^K^"'^"/l'^y' ^^^''' ^'^""^ "I'ghl conduct them to the body of the nation. They now fixed a small flag of the United States on a poIeVwhich was carried by one of the men as a signal of their friend! y intentions, should the Indians observe them as they were advancing. The track lay across an isl- and formed by a nearly equal division of the creek m the low grounds ; and, after reaching the open land on the opposite side, it turned towards some th? ' .^ T 5^"""' *^'^^ "'^^es distant. Presuming nn^M ! k""^'^" ''^^P F^'S^^ ^e among these hills, ^Iri, ?i ^ advancing hastily he might be seen and a arm them. Captain Lewis sought an elevated situ- aiion near the nrepk ^a'^ ^ ^^^ ^-sri^j -i* -.-ii- brush, and took breakfast At the same time he ■ f n mm ''''» this toad tance of five mirs it crn,«T i"'^"' ^^ ">" ''■»- which is a priSl branch of ■V"'^"- "" "' "««k. which it fal s ust ahnvo ,h K-'^u 'V'"" ^"■«^'n '"to served yes te diy a„d wh.Vh ''l'' "^'^^ "--g^'" ob- them. ■Here theV haltld i^,^ h^ ",T '""' '"^'ow last of the deer keeninaf'.n''"''''''^^''^'^ "" «he serve againsfaccS ^.h^Th" P""" "'^P'"-'' '" «• the low bot.om along ih'e SI nlr"""''"'' '?™"g'' of the mountains of hiir Hah? p ' "P"i'"' '''"" miles the vallev continS T® '' j ^°.'" "'^ "''s' ^i-e and was from two tnZff "r""^^ ""' southwest, main stream wh^ch had rt^^'-'^^ '" '""*^ "-en the es from the l^MumedabruplvIoZ ''"'''.' '1^''"'=''. ?oar:s^t^Xn^rd€ I r^^^^^ s'^m^trl^tSt^S^^^ ^:t\n».^^idi^!rMfon-& side of the rivulet tSpdr^^^^''?l^r^ «" ^^^h bestride the MSsouri A, ,h^ *^^* ^^ had lived to hopes of soon sSg th^e' watLf^f^t 'r'^' '\^-'' rose a most to Dainf.il anvJoV,; f "® Columbia ains^hicllleStn'Jirjl^^J^^S^^^^^^^ .. li ■:/ to ( .■J i^ 298 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION. the Indian road. From the foot of one of the low- est of these mountains, whicli rises with a gentle as. cent of about half a mile, issues the remotest water of the Missouri. " They had now reached the hidden sources of that river, which had never before been seen by civ- ilized man ; and as they quenched their thirst at the chaste and icy fountain — as they sat down by the brink of that little rivulet, which yielded its distant and modest tribute to the parent ocean, they felt themselves rewarded for all their labours and all their difficulties. They left reluctantly this interest- ing spot, and, pursuing the Indian road through the interval of the hills, arrived at the top of a ridge, from which they saw high mountains, partially cov- ered with snow, still to the west of them. " The ridge on which they stood formed the divi- ding line between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They followed a descent much steeper than that on the eastern side, and at the dis- tance of three quarters of a mile reached a hand- some, bold creek of cold, clear water running to the westward. They stopped to taste, for the first time, the waters of the Columbia ; and, after a few min- utes, followed the road across steep hills and low hollows, when they came to a spring on the side of a mountain. Here they found a sufficient quantity of dry willow-brush for fuel, and therefore halted for the night; and, having killed nothing in the course of the day, supped on their last piece of pork, and trusted to fortune for some other food to mix with a httle flour and parched meal, which was all that now remained of their provisions. Before reaching the fountain of the Missouri, they saw several large hawks, nearly black, and some heathcocks : these last have a long, pointed tail, and are of a uniform dark brown colour, much larger than the common fowl, and similar in habits and their mode of fly- ing to the grouse or prairie-hen. Drewyer also STREAM RUNNING INTO THE COLUMBIA. 299 wounded, at the distance of one hundred and thirty of currant, which docs not grow as hie h -.t ^F^T f .^^.Jf^fi' though it is lr:b?aS;^^^^^ leaf, the under disk of which is covered with a hnir^ pubescence, is twice as large. The fru^ is of th? ordinary size and shape of the curantfand support ed in the usual manner, but is of a deep ourZ rn " our, acid, and of a very inferior flavoui ''^* H ^' (>aptain Clarke proceeded on with the bmf« n^ vancing twelve miles in the eou se of the dav" though, owing to the numerous curvatures in the riv ' er only A,ur miles in a direct line. The meivvere ^eble and sore from being continually in the water Ue'ntToTrrelX^L^J '''''^' ^^^ ^^'^ -- i-P- toTt o7?f "' ^T^'" ^°""^^y' ^"^ conduc edS to a fine valley about a mile in width. AmonS other plants, they met with "a species of honev? f aoi'ifT.t'f"?,' "^ ''' ?f f ^^^ appearance and tYe snape of Its leaf, the small honeysuckle of the Mis soun, except that it is rather larger, and bears a globular berry about the size of a garden pea of a vvhue colour, and formed of a soft! whitefmud a- gmous substance, in which are several small brown seeds, irregularly s(:attered without any cell, and en- veloped m a smooth, thin pellicle thp' l^P^ P;:-^ceeded along a waving plain parallel to the vnlley for about four miles, when they discov- ered two vvouKn, a man, and some dogs, on an em inenre at the dist.ince of a mile before them The strangers viewed them apparently with much atten ^^n h(\ ■iOO LEVVI3 AND CLAUKl'.'s EXPEDITION. lion for a few minutes, and tlien two of ihein sat down, as if to await Captain Lewis's arrival. He went on till he reached wiiiiin about lialf a mile of them; then, ordering his party to stop, put down his knapsack and rifle, and, unfurling the Hag, advanced alone. The females soon retreated behind the hill, but the man remained till Captain Lewis came within a hundred yards of him, when he too went off, though (/aptain Lewis called out tabba bone loud enough to be distinctly heard. He hastened to the top of the hill, but they had all disappeared. The dogs, however, were less shy, and came close to him : he therefore thought of tying a handkerchief with some beads round their necks, and then letting them loose, to convince the fugitives of his friendly disposition ; but they would not suffer him to take hold of them, and soon left him. " He now made a signal to his men, who joined him, and then all followed the track of the Indians, which led along a continuation of the same road they had been already travelling. It was dusty, and seemed to have been much used lately both by foot- passengers and horsemen. They had not gone along it more than a mile, when on a sudden they saw three female Indians, from whom they had been concealed by the deep ravines which intersected the road, till they were now within thirty paces of each other. One of them, a young woman, immediately took to flight : the other two, an elderly woman and a little girl, seeing we were too near for them to es- cape, sat on the ground, and, holding down their heads, seemed as if reconciled to the death which they supposed awaited them. The same habit of holding down the head, and inviting the enemy to strike, when all chance of escape is gone, is pre- served in Egypt to this day. Captain Lewis in- stantly put down his rifle, and, advancing towards them, took the woman by the hand, raised her up, and repeated tho words tabba hone, at the same time Jn', MEETING WITH THE SlIOSHONEEg. 301 constant ex posiir n,.kpt,' .f"''*' ""' '"'™'"f . by appeared inlmerrt,? ^.^i v' ilf^^^™; "r"' «"» "rcwyer a,„| Shieids n„w cm i ,T?„ f ■ '"'j ""'' IS gave her and Iwr ^hiu *•""""»"?. (uplajji Lew- pewter nihro s, a k a ,1 li'"", '"'""• " '''"" "»''«. caped t„ some distance m) 7, rP'""""' '•''"> ''»d es- might eause them to ;;ttaek I,?!":"',';'*-' '''« '"'«''"«. for exphiiiati„n She Vl d 1 '"'"';' ""y 'in'" Captani Lewis eavo lipr -m nn!. \ • ' "' "realh. and painted thtftaw ^elll^f rn'"," "<■ ""'kets, with'vern,ilion . aSmtnv l i -h "'" ',"' "'"" shonees is eniblenvwi^ Tr L '^'' '""""" "'« «ho- beeonie eon.p sed he Lornl^'-M- V'"- "'^'y ''ad wish to go to tht r ramn n^ I V" ^^ "'«"" '"^'^ and warriors ;hev 1 ,di V , '''^'■."', '™ ""^''- ^'''iefs 'he party »Um"[ll same l»i ."""'' "■'"' """'"eted •his «ay^|,„y Cached"' two n,neT"v,':?, T'- '" a troop of neariv sivtu u,nl.:„ ' '"'" '''ey met lent horses, ridiL at ?Hnsn?pH'', ""'"","■■'',"" '^"^el- they came forwird r- n 1 P?'^'' [ownils them. As and wen" w the -flaeS, fiT" f^'" ''""" '"'§""■ The chief, who with .io. "^ P""'' '" ''dvance. the main body sn ke loZ^T "'"' "[""S '" '■■'"" ol ed that the pln^wa comDosed"nf'''''; ""'' ""^P'^""- ehowed exiiltinfflv VL n^^ f*" "J '*''"'<' "'e". and The three ,ne!;ifn'fJd^^t?.;;;L''f?,U'?he,";"'^^'^- came up to Caotain I ^w.'o '"''P^" 'f"'^ tlicir horses, great eo^-diality^p^t it^eir tVl"/^''^^ 'l'"^ ^^'^^^ shoulder, and daso n? lit h ^'"^ ''/^'' '"« ^'ght same time Lir iRnX ^ ''^• ^PP'^'"^ «t the vociferating «^I.•'U^^»T^^''' '"^ frequently I am much reioced" Thf i\'^'? "'"^^' P'^^^^ed, now came foru ir 1 nn^l n "^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^>'"o«-s of their new frienL.. "^!Z^[u't £'^'' !'^'^ P^int. ■f^- Vol. I.— c nenis. After this fratn..».] ciiibruue. 302 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. of which the motive was much more agreeable than the manner Captain Lewis hghted a pipe, and offe° ^d It to he Indians, who had now seated themselvea m a circle around the party. But, before they vv^uW receive this mark of friendship, they pulled off the? moccasins: a custom, as we afterward learned which indicates the sacred sincerity of their profes sions when they smoke with a stranger, and which imprecates on themselves the misery of going bare foot forever if they prove faithless to their word^!! a penalty by no means light for those who rove over the thorny plains of this country." * * * "After smoking a few pipes, some trifling pres. ents were distributed among them, with which thev seemed very much pleased, particularly with the blue beads and the vermilion. Captain Lewis then stated to the chief that the object ^of Sis vTJft was friendly, and should be explained as soon as he reached their camp; and that, as the sun was op. pressive, and no water near, he wished to go there as soon as possible. They now put on thiir moc- casins, and their chief, whose name was Cameah- wait, made a short speech to the warriors. Captain J^^nTw.l " ^^""^ ^J"' '^^ ^'^^' ^h^^h he informed him was among white men the emblem of peace • and, now that he had received it, was to be in future the bond of union between them. The chief then moved on; our party followed him; and the rest of the warriors, m a squadron, brought up the rear After marching a mile they were halted by the chief who made a second harangue ; on which s^ix orS young men rode forward to their camp, and no f At'fh'.'^dif '^ was observed in the o/dev of marl fir. n,i tv """^ °^ u'\' ?^^^^ ^»'«'" ^^here they had hrst met, they reached the Indian camp, which was iLr ntrtH ^"""^ "^-""^"^^ «" ^h^ bank of the Irn Lcro » -^K^.i!^^'^ introduced into an old leath- trnJ^T' ^^""h the yorng men who had been sent from the party had fiued up for their reception. ^HRIVAT, AT THP SHOSHON.E CAMP. 303 After their beinff spif^ri «., antelope skins, one ,? the w.T^''^" ^^^^^^ and grass in the eemre oftl4 locW ^'''' ^""^^ "P the cant circle of two feet i^mfP' ^ ^^ ^"^ ^'^^'^ a va- a fire The chief ^e /Se'eTv^^*'^ ^' ^^^d^'d CO, the warriors all pulK? nffl^'' P'P^ and tobac- pur party was lequeS tn ^ t^^ir moccasins, and being done, the ^h?e 1 Xj h s nL'^'^i'^^^- ^his in the magic circle and i !» "'^P'P^ at the fire with- menced a^speech sevtal ,^1;' P"^!"^ ^^^^ •t'^om. of which he pointed thP iff "^^^ '°"er, at the end dinal points of te heavens h^ '°''''^" ^^^ ^^"^ car. and concluding wfththrnnVh^"!";"^^ ^^^h the east, he presented the s?em in th^ ^^^^^ this ceremony Lewis, who, supposL it toT' ^"^ '' ^^P^ain smoke, put out his hand m . ^- ^" "imitation to the chief drew it back atd '"^''^^^^ P'> J bu^ same offer three times ^LrZ\^''Ti *^ ^^P^a! the stem first to the hSif h. ^^*^u ^^ P°^"ted the Jttle circle, took thr^e whiffs himself ' 'T' ^^ ^^e It agam to Captain Lewk ^^ ^!^'^' ^"^ presented offer was in good earnest h/"^^^?^i^^t ^^is last pipe was the,? held ^e^ch ,/r^'?" ^'^^'^ ^ ^^e after they had taken a few whiff!'/^"'^ "'^"' ^"d, warriors. This pipe was m^ p '^ ""'''^ ^'^^» to the parent greenstoni, very Llhlv n/,^^ trans- and a half inches lon7 and of^^ >' ''"^ ^^^ bowl being in the samf' si "n,Hi^^"-,?^^ ^^"re, the small piece of burned clavi J n' "^'i^- ^^'^ '^^"^- A ofthebowl,toseparL,Tp^^^^^^^^ the bottom the stem, and is of an i-- if''''' ^'''"^ ^^^ ^'^d of fitting the tube pt?eet vllol''^^-''^""^ ^^^"re. not smoke may pass with fa^cility'' rVf^' '^'^ the the same kind with thut ,1^^' u "^ tobacco is of Mandans, and R^aL n? T\^y ^^^ ^Minnetarees -n^ny .. smoking being concluded, Ht ) I 304 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. Captain Lewis explained to the chief the purposes of his visit ; and as, by this time, all the women and children of the camp had gathered around the lodge, to obtain a view of the lirst white men they had ever seen, ho distributed among them the remainder of the small articles he had brought with him. It was now late in the afternoon, and our party had tasted no food since the night before. On apprizing the chief of this circumstance, he said that he had nothing but berries to eat, and presented some cakes made of service-berries and chokecherries which had been dried in the sun. On these Captain Lewis made a hearty meal, and then walked down towards the river : lie found it a rapid, clear stream, forty yards wide and three feet deep ; the banks wer^. low and abrupt, like those of the upper part of the Mis- souri, and the bed formed of loose stones and gravel. Its course, as far as he could observe it, was a httle to the north of west, and was bounded on each side by a range of high mountains, of which those on the east are the lowest and most distant from the river. "The chief informed him that this stream dis- charged itself, at the distance of half a day's march, into another of twice its size, coming in from the southwest ; but added, on farther inquiry, that there was scarcely more timber below the junction of those rivers than in this neighbourhood ; and that the river was rocky, rapid, and so closely confined between high mountains, that it was impossible to pass down it either by land or water to the great lake, whe.-e, as he had understood, the white men lived. This information was far from being satis- factory; for there was no timber here that would answer the purpose of building canoes, indeed not more than just sufficient for fuel, and even that con- sisted of the narrow-leaved cottonwood, the red and the narrow-leaved willow, the chokeche-ry, service- berry, and a few currant-bushes, such as are com- mon on the Missouri. The prospect of going on by < , 'Fl FRIENDIy RECEPTION BV THE SHOSHONEES. 305 be"rf o7Cr tefii tiXTt'^ «^^^' "- camp, which would ennhp?,?, J. "''''"'" '"''""d the if ne^ce.sary, ore'A^rmountah^f "^P"" °" ^'--' bower, and gave him a smnli m "''^'^'itim into his lope and a p^ce of I^eshTa LTr^o^lt'ed'^T^' '"^^■ the first salmon he had q^oH ? i . * '^^'^ was him that he was now on T; ""^^ P^^'^^'^^^ ^^^^isfied Pacific. On Teacher h" /i"/ 7^^'« ««^'i"& to the versation with^he ?hief l?fp^' \e resumed his eon. tained With a'diSjetrlhr^n^diln's?' '^ ^^^ -^- -aJwhom^ey tTfirst Kh-^' '^^"^' ^^^^ ^»^« turned to the camn nnH c V^u^ morning had re- enemies, the MinTeWreesT^For?^ '^^'"^ f^^^ ^^^^^ they call Pahkees wJl l^ ■ ^^ ^^^'"^' whom warriors instantly krS them^.T^ ^" :S^^"^- ^^^^ ing down in ScSfnn rfr ^^''f '' V"^ ^^^« ««»«- wire agreeaWy^'SSd f ^V"f'^' ^^^" '^^Y The greater part of thpm «?^ "'^'^^'"^ ^"^ P^rty. and a?rows,ard shields but .fp'V"'^^ ""''^ b«^« such as are furnished hv thi m^ .T ^^^ ''"^" ^"sils, traders, and wh"ch thev h^H ^^I^^'^r^ Company's dians on tL YellowlfL. "^^u^"'?^ ^''^'^ ^^e In- nowat pea4 Thevhu^\'''^^ ^^«"^ they were proach Sf the PahkTp. >f ^^^5 ^"^ ^'^^^ ^h^ ap- the course of tC i f ' "^^"^ ^^^ attacked them in s:srj Sp^ ^eMrr ^^^ ™- they had fitted ud for ?. ^n^ ^ ^^'" ^^^^^ ^^^^^ hve in huts of a^onicai SL7.''^ now obliged to brush. The music and in.^' V^^ ^^ ^"^ow- respect differerf;om"tLt?tt"^^^^^^^^^^ ^ contmued nearly all niahf • h,.V nf f • t ^"^»ans, tired to rest «hnL /i "1^1;„M ^^P^^'". Lewis re- ' fatigues "I . .1 "'Trjl Cc8 aiCii 306 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. of the day enabled him to sleep, though he was awaked several times by the yells of the d incers." While Captain Lewis was thus engaged, his com- panions in the canoes were slowly and laboriously ascending the river. The character of the stream was much as it had been for several days, and the men were in the water three fourths of the time, dragging the boats over the shoals. They had but little success in killing game, but caught, as they had done for some days before, numbers of fine trout. " August 14. In order to give time for the boats to reach the forks of Jefferson River," proceeds the narrative, "Captain Lewis determined to remain where ho was, and obtain all the information he could collect in regard to the country. Having no- thing to eat but a little flour and parched meal, with the berries of the Indians, he sent out Drewyer and Shields, who borrowed horses from the natives, to hunt for a few hours. About the same tim the young warriors set out for the same purpose. 'I'here are but few elk or black-tailed deer in this neigh- bourhood ; and as. the common red deer secrete themselves in the bushes when alarmed, they are soon safe from the arrows, which are but feeble weapons against any animals which the huntsmen cannot previously run down with their horses. The chief game of the Shoshonees, therefore, is the an- telope, which, when pursued, retreats to the open plains, where the horses have full room for the chase. But such is its extraordinary fleetness and wind, that a single horse has no possible chance of outrunning it or tiring it down, and the hunters are therefore obliged to resort to stratagem. " About twenty Indians, mounted on fine horses, and armed with bows and arrows, left the camp. In a short time they descried a herd of ten antelope : theyjmmediately separated into little squads of two Of three, and formed a scattered circle round the INDIANS HUNTING THE ANTELOPE. 307 preserved their seats, and the ho Es f. 7''"'^" as they ran at full speed over thphin^'^\^' ^^^^'"^' steep rav,^es, and llf Z%oX's';^ ,7'^,^^^ nous, and so nnproducti. ., even when thev^afol?: '» ^°"y 'he animal down'and shooriSh/t W-v or fifty hunters will sometimes be engaged for hi f a^day without obtaining „,ore than tw^o fr three alf- " Soon after they relumed our two huntsman came n, with no better success. cZa n iZis therefore made a little paste with the flm.r andTh^ addmoi. of some berries formed a very pa atable re past. Havu.g now secured the good-wiU of PamT ahwa.t he mformed hhr, of his wish tia he wo^fd speak to the warriors, and endeavour to engaie them to accompany him to the forks of JeSon River, where by this lime another chief with^ UT.PfJiT.i'f "hite n.e„, were waitingl^' riturn : :1''\::: T necessary to take about thirty hor- des to transport the merchandise ; that they sliould ill ' 1 1 lift 308 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. be well rewarded for their trouble ; and that, when all the party should have reached the Shoshonee camp, they would remain for some time among them, and trade for horses, as well as concert rlans for furnishmg them in future wit! 'nr suppHes of merchandise. He readily cont, to do so and, after collecting the tribe togetiici, he made a long harangue, and in about an hour and a half re- turned, and told Captain Lewis that they would be ready to accompany him in the morning." The navigation of the river was becoming more and more difficult ; but, by great efforts. Captain Clarke and his party were enabled to ascend it this day fourteen miles, or within half a mile, in a direct Ime, of Rattlesnake Cliff. "August 15. Captain Lewis rose early, and, hav- ing eaten nothing yesterday except his scanty meal of flour and berries, felt sore inconvenience from hunger. On inquiry, he found that his whole stock of provisions consisted of but two pounds of flour This he ordered to be divided into two equal parts, and one half of it to be boiled with the berries into a sort of pudding : after presenting a large share to the chief, he and his three men breakfasted on the remainder. Cameahwait was deligh ed with this new dish. He took a httle of the flour in his hand, tasted, and examined it very narrowly, and asked if It was made of roots. Captain Lewis explained the process of preparing it, and he said it was the best thing he had eaten for a long time. " This being finished, Captain Lewis now endeav cured t6 hasten the departure of the Indians, who u ^^®'^^*®d' and seemed reluctant to move, al- though the chief addressed them twice for the pur- pose of urging them. On inquiring the reason, Ca- meahwait told him that some foolish person had fk^^^ui ^^^' ^® ^^^ ^" league with their enemies, the Pahkees, and had come only to draw them into an ambuscade, but that he himself did not believe it. I SUSPICIONS OP THE INDIANS. 309 Captain Lewis felt uneasv if ihic ■ ■ knew the suspmousTemLof^t^^^^^^^ ^« tomed from their infancv to ri 1 ^"^'''"^' ^^^"s. as an enemy; and saw?h '^fT'"^ ^^^^^ ^^^^nger not instantly chc4edh^'(^'V"^^^ were uie of the Lternrise aT^^'^- ^^^^'^ « ^^tal fail- rious air, he toSdTl^rehiet tha? h?w'''^'''"^^' ^ ««- they placed so little confidence t h?n' T^ J^ ^"^ pardoned their suspicions becaulL ' '^^' ^^ rant of the character rwhirempn t^^ '"^'l '^"°- was disgraceful to 1 p nr «!♦ "' ^'"^"§^ ^hom it falsehood ; that if thev oTr^ '?" ^" ^"^"^y by meanly of us, thev miVht ^°"^'""^d to think thus would ever come^tofu^^,^^ ''Z^^''^ «^en merchandise ; that therfLt .'?' .7''^ '''"'' «»d party of white men wahL fn .^^^^"'- !"°'"^nt a the forks of the rr^e^ and th«/'ff,^^^^ them at of the tribe enteZZlf. ■ ' ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ter part were still Lonrthen^o^^^^ ^'' ^''""'^ ''^'^ would go and see with ,1.^ ^^*^ "^^^^ "^^n, who what he^aTsaL'^^^^Ut"^;;;;" 7,^« "^^ ^^"^^ of ger, were not afraid to die t! ^ ^^ere were dan- of an Indian is to ouch he tfndf ^"^/ '^' ''''''^Se mind, and the surest vvav to In^^'t^^ '^""^ ^^ his ardous achievement CaC/hw''.^'"^ ^^ ^'^^ ^^a^" that he was no a ^aid ?o dte ^mh"'''"^^^-'^?^'^^ horse, for the third time harananld' u"^^""^'"^ his He told them that he was resotifd to .n'rT'""''- alone, or if he were sure nfllJ u- ^?' '^ ^e went there were amo^fg^oi^ Hfhf ^V^^^^ '^^' ^^ hoped who were not S to die «nd^'i^"'" '"^"^ others by mounting their ho ses and LY^^"^ P''«^« it address produced an effL.? following him. This the wan^ort who nofioin."d'fK ^' ''^^' ^^^^ ^f these Captain Lewis smoiTd! "'^'' "'J''^^' ^ith fnl of some chang^in tW^f ^'^^-^ ^"^ *'^^"' ^^ar- out immediately.^ their capricious temper, set '^t'tZ^ri^AT''V'^^^^ his small par- ' attended by Cameahwait and the ty !'l,.ill« Ijf I I' ( 310 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. eight warriors. Their departure seemed to spread a gloom over the village : those who would not ven- ture to go were sullen and melancholy, and the women were crying, and imploring the Great Spirit to protect their warriors, as if they were proceeding to certain destruction. Yet such is the wavering in- constancy of these savages, that Captain Lewis, with his party, had not gone far before they were joined by ten or twelve more warriors ; and, before reach- ing the creek which they had passed on the morning of the 13th, all the men of the nation and a number of women had overtaken them, and had changed from the surly, ill temper in which they were two hours previously, to the greatest cheerfulness and gayety. When they arrived at the spring on the side of the mountain where the party had enc?-nped on the 12th, the chief insisted on halting to let the horses graze, to which Captain Lewis assented, and smoked with them. They are excessively fond of the pipe, in which, however, they are not able to indulge much, as they do not cultivate tobacco themselves, and their rugged country affords them but few articles to exchange for it. Here they re- mained for about an hour, and on setting out, by engaging to pay four of the party. Captain Lewis obtained permission for himself and each of his men to ride behind an Indian ; but he soon found riding without stirrups more tiresome than walking, and therefore dismounted, making the Indian carry his pack. About sunset they reached the upper part of the level valley in a cove through which he had pass- ed, and which they now called Shoshonee Cove. The grass having been burned on the north side of the river, they crossed over to the south, and en camped about four miles above the narrow pass be- tween the hills, noticed as they traversed the place before. The river was here about six yards wide, and frequently dammed up by the beaver. Drewyer fiad Deeii sent forward to hunt, but he returned in REVIVAL OP DISTRUST. ^11 ttVfore"';^as"the?^^^^^^ ^"^ ^'-'> o^h supper in a little boHing'S 3 T "^'^^^"''' ^^ the four white m!n a„d two of th^ ?'V^'^ ^^^^^««« In order not to exhnnL i, "® Indians." ,^ho were g eLly prost^^^ «f the men, labours, Ca%ain"l did nn^ 1^^ severity of their after breakfast. The nien ThlP """^ ^^"' ^^y till to be constantly in the water ^h '^' ""^'^ ^^''^^^ ness of which as fhr",f ' *,^® nicreas ng cold- thestream,7reXa^iZ ^^^ sources of tlesnakes wfre'v/rfcS^ ^^'t* tinual danger of beiL bktPn hv r? '^'^^ '^^'^ "^ ^^n- ced thirteen miles ^and"^^^^^?- ^^ey advan- pound, covereTw^h over an?a'? "" '^^"^ ^«^ trees. i-iover and a few cottonwood- hunters ahead this monC L ' n" '"" '""> °'' ^'^ ion ; at the same Ume ZiesC^"r ^"'"l P™"'^" prevent his youn? menfmm f^- ^ Cameahwait to noise they 4htflarm the gaS^^^C/h'' ^^ ""^'^ immed atelv revivp,! thVi- same. But this measure to be believed thluhil. ™^P""»"s- It now began order to m'izethoenLTnZ''' '""' fo^ward^i" Captain iewi\;TsfeSLl'''?""''"S' ""d-as uneasiness, he made"iec iofon"^ ^"^ '■""''«' party of Indians advance mi eloh .i . ^"V"? " """>" under the pretence of hni,^ f "^® "'^ "'e valley 'vateh the movements nA,'."^' ■"" '■> "-"ality to precaution, howe^'er did no/n.*"', I*^"' , Even this Indians, a consSbienafufthn "''f''"" "^ ">o leaving only twenty elX LI Tu'''''"''"^'' home, " After the hunters had h.l ""'' """? « """"en- Captain Lewis agahimm.nt!i ?u"^ "'""" "" hour, behind him, andTeX&,;\Tof/''l'"^'^''^^ Plain. The chief "sfop^;e1 a„Vs:emTun~ tt 812 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. whole band were movt > with fresh suspicions, and Captain Lewis himself was much disconcerted, lest by some unfortunate accident some of their enemies might perhaps have straggled that way. The young Indian had scarcely breath to say a few words as he came up, when the whole troop dashed forward as fast as their horses could carry them; and Captain Lewis, astonished at this movement, was borne along for nearly a mile before he learned, with great satis- faction, that it was all caused by the spy's having come to announce that one of the white men had killed a deer. Relieved from his anxiety, he now found the jolting very uncomfortable ; for the In'dian behind him being afraid of not getting his share of the feast, had lashed the horse at every step since they set ofi*; he therefore reined him in, and ordered the Indian to stop beating him. The fellow had no idea of losing time in disputing the point, and, jump- ing oft' the horse, ran for a mile at full speed. " Captain Lewis now slackened his pace, and fol- lowed at a sufficient distance to observe them. When they reached the place where Drewyer had thrown out the intestines, :hey all dismounted in confusion, and ran tumbling over each other like famished dogs. Each tore away whatever part he could, and instantly began to eat it : some had the liver, some the kidneys, and, in short, no part on which we are accustomed to look with disgust es- caped them. One of them, who had seized about nine feet of the entrails, was chewing at one end, while with his hand he was diligently clearing his way by discharging the contents at the other. It was, indeed, impossible to see these wretches raven- ously feeding on the filth of animals, and the blood streaming from their mouths, without deploring how nearly the condition of savages approaches that of the brute creation : yet, though suffering with hun- ger, they did not attempt, as they might have done, to take by force the whole deer, but contented them- VOnACITV OF THE INDIANS. 3] 3 to the chief, to be divided im,» ,h , '"-' "'"""'' deer: the same struJlefoVS ^ ""'^"^ of the hoofs. A fire beina m u>o n . t '^"'^ P^*"' Ihey remained about tto hou s o let I i t '^^''''® graze, then continued their oumevnnt' evening reached the lower Dairnft hi ^T""'^^ on t,ie%vay shot JJ. antelo^'Ah g^'eat'eTp'rof which was given to the Indians ^ ^^'^ *^^ intended to disg«™l''ti:%et ' Vr.het'S friends, Captain Lewis, in order 10 inspire them wth in (ili tr ?■ ^ "'^^' "'"■■ »" his own over-shirt wn, in the Indian form, and his skin browned by the ,Tm he could not have been distinguished from an i,f,i- ' .he men followed his example, ail^dlhre a„ge ee'm ed to be very agreeable to the Indians. ^ ™" . In order to guard, however poiuiment, Captain Lewis ai^ai , asfanisf. nmr/li'oon n ex J... • I-- • — v> " 10 again I bihty of the white men not havin Vol. I. — D d a plained reached th( possi- the forks, 4,y •■ 1: 314 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. in consequence of the difficulty of tlie navicration. so that. ,f they should ,iot li.id them at u/uf spot' hey might be assured of their not being far belSw' rhey ugaui ail mounted their horses, and n le ni so that Captain Clarke and his party migh tre. of ' nise them as they approached ; but. to the n ortifiea-* tion and disappomtrnent of both parties, on eomim^ withm tvvo nnles of the forks no canoes vveret^be seen Uijeasy lest at this moment he should be alxu.doned and all his hopes of obtaining aid from the Indiams destroyed, Captain Lewis gave the el kf his gun, telhng him that, if the enemies of his natim ZWrH r' ^"''^"'' ^V''^^^' ^^''^"^ himself wHh Ih.f n 'u- V^'' ^?'^ ^'^ ^^^ "«t ^f'-aid to die, and that the chief might shoot him as soon as they dis- at the same time gave their guns to the Indians who "As they went on towards the point Cant'iin Lewis, perceiving how critical his sitfla ion h d be P?esen[d?&1 '^ '''''y' " stratagem, which hL prescntdifficulty seemed completely to justify Rec- oUecting the notes he had left at the point /«; us he sent Drewyer for them with an Indian, who wit"iess' bfoulVt' r"^'^'"\^^""^ '^'' P"^«' ^'^^^» they were brought, Captain Lewis to d Cameahwait that (»n leaving his brother chief at the place where the r^ forks w^^ 1 M^ ^^ brought higher than the next Drevenl/h. h Tf^' ^"^ ^^'"' '^ ^^'^ ^^P^^ water exoec^Pd Ji« h .1!' from coming on as fast as they firsTfori; ^1 ^'•^ther chief was to send a note to the were thu tr'^ h.m to let him know where they t^e ?oVks L.h"' ""T ^^^ 5"^" ^'^^ t»'is "doming at the lorks, and mentioned that the canoes were Tust below the mountains, and nomine up si^f.iV; ;'.M", sequence of the current. Captain Lewis added CAMEAIIWAIT SATISFIED. 315 Cameahwait doubted what ho said one nf \h '^ the chief and the greater oan of Vhn 1 ?''^ '^^!'^^'^ ueiice. lapiain Lewis now wrote hv tim ii.,h. i- some willow-brush, a note to Cap ain Wa L w ,i°i selves in different parts of the wil onrush ^o^^^^^^^^ ine night. Captain Lewis endt avoured to assumVa m thf "?' ^' ^'^ r' ^^^'' t^ prevent despondeney n he savages; and, after conversing gaylv S them, he retired to his moscheto bier bv thp VrU of which the chief now placed himself^ Hp t itrunfas^a h? ;'^!J^ ^-"^' i'fact sc'lrc^? PpUSe'rh^t,''^^^^^^^^ impracticable, Captain Clarke mS have sfnnn I belovv the HattlesLke Cliff, and^hft the mesSer wou d not meet him. The consequence of dTsan pointing the Indians at this moment would most probably bo, that they would retire, and sec^ei themselves in the mountains so as ti prevent o^r having an opportunity of recoverina their confidinp^' TJiey would also spre'ad a panic anrong aU ?he Sh bouring Indians, and thus 'cut us off from a suddIv of horses, so necessary, and almost inrli^nnnLlW? our success. But he was, at the same^'timrcir ^oled by remembering that his hopes of StaTe" m I 1%. ii iii: ^ w :>>H if': 316 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. rested on better foundations than their generositv— on their avarice and their curiosity. He had prom- ised hberal exchanges for their horses ; but, wh"t was sun more seductive, he had told them that one of their countrywomen, who had been taken bv the Mmnetarees, accompanied the party below • anH one of the men had spread the report of our havi la with us a man perfectly black, whose hair was short and curled. This last account had excited a grea degree of curiosity, and they seemed more desirous of seeing this monster than of obtaining the most favourable barter for their horses." The principal party had resumed their voyage im- mediately after breakfast, and towards the close of ine day, after having advanced eleven and a half miles Captain Clarke ascended an eminence, from which he discerned the fork of the river, and sent he hunters to examine it. " They must have left t, says the Journal, "only a short time before Cap. tain Lewis's arrival, but, fortunately, had not seen the note which enabled him to induce the Indians to onJJ'l ""• ^f^"l ^^^ ^^P ^f ^his eminence he could discover only three trees through the whole ?W h^J """' '!.^' ^\^'^' ^^^"^ ^^^ «'d^s of the cliffs they had passed in the course of the day, any tim- RnnnTl'lfP^ a few Small pines : the low grounds were Kif Ti^ "^'y^^^' !^»rrant-bushes, and service- berries. After advancing half a mile farther, we came to the lower point of an island near the mid- die of the river, and about the centre of the vallev land, though ten by water, below where Captaiii mtlpf fh ^'i C^^^^'^"^j^ ,^« had made only fourteen h^ntti fi.^^^^"'^ ^^ ^^\'"^" ^^^ fatigued and ex- hausted them very much : we therefore collected some small wiUow-brush for a iire, and lay down to MEETING WITH CAPTAIN CLARKE. 3)7 V'n CHAPTER XV. ^ht^or^rSo'ntrctSr -^ the favourable Result -The exTrPm^ i •'^ Zl^^'J:^""^ ^^'ion. and «ouri.-General Cha aclr of ht "^^^^^'^^"'^^ "^^^e Mk?. through which it Ses -cVntain rf ' l!''^- °^ ^^f Country Source of the Columbia falls in Sh''''!^ '"exploring thJ 8honees.-GeograDh>;,i'r S . '^'^ another Party of Sho- Party. -ThefrTat ^^?St^S '"" ^^\^ I«ewis River.~Difficuifip« Lk? k P, '^'^h.-The Party reach couruer ,n h.s Route -SSh'.^ ^T^'" ^'^'^« had to en- 8ho„ees.-The Party wVth CaS ain"T ""'P"''''^ "^^'^^ ShS- king Saddles, and pr^pSg arjo^.^rry.^'^'^^^'^ ^" '»- in quest of the boats ShLu""^'^" "^^"^'^ ^'»« ^^^er sar;5e time tXnrwhile Se J'' sent out at the fast out of the rem^indr^r ..f th P^^^P^^^^ a break- had been gone' abouMwo ho ^s ZT'tl.J'rP'' werea anxiouslvwa.t.nn^fl ' "^ ^"® Indians Indian, who had iL/jS ^' ^^"^^ "^^■^' ^^en au river, r'eturne^ ^f ^lort^^ '^^^ V^« white men, who were onfv » Ih J'l ^^ ''^^'^ ^^e and were comin/on At 'i'-'''^ ^^'^^"^^ ^^^o^, ported with ,W?ar^ri fhp J"^r"'"' ^^^^ ^^^ ^rans- his satis/actiC Ve'iewed h^ '^^ ^^^'"^h «f Lewis, who was on tpL i^ ^^^b^'aees of Captain dians hemseTves^ ThP rP^"'^ '^'^'^!:^^^ ^« the In- bly true. On settinJm,^ ^."'^ P'*''^^^ "^^^^ ^g'-eea- Clarke, with Chabonea^, .^nd'T" "v"^^^'^' ^^P^^h, shore ; but thevfmTnn/ "^ ^'^ '^'^^' talked on fore Captain cfake s.w^sl' ""^'^ '^"" ^ "^^^^ ^e — «"-^, aiiu SHOW everv mart nC tU^ '^ -^-a!.. IT 6am joy, turnin, roun Wp^^;^^ H^'^r^X ! Mi |y|i!imi 318 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. dians whom she now saw advancing on horseback,, sucking her fingers at the same time, to indicate that they were of her native tribe. As they drew nearer, Captain Clarke discovered among them Drewyer dressed like an Indian, and from him learn- ed the situation of the party. While the boats were making the circuit, he proceeded towards the fork with the Indians, who, as they went along, sang aloud with the greatest appearance of delight. We soon drew near to the camp, and, just as we ap- proached it, a woman made her way through the crowd towards Sacajawea, and, recognising each other, they embraced with the most tender affection. The meeting of these two young women had in it something peculiarly touching, not only in the ar- dent manner in which their feelings were expressed, but from the real interest of their relation to each other. They had been companions in childhood : in the war with the Minnetarees they had both been taken prisoners in the same battle ; and thev had shared together and softened by mutual affection the rigours of captivity, till one of them had esca ped from their enemies with scarce a hope of ever seeing her friend rescued from their hands. " While Sacajawea v/as renewing among the women the friendships of former days. Captain Clarke went on, and was received by Captain Lewis and the chief, who, after the first embraces and sal- utations were over, conducted him to a sort of cir- cular tent or shade of willows. Here he was seat- ed on a white robe ; and the chief immediately tied in his hair six small shells resembling pearls, an or- nament highly valued by these people, who procure them in the course of trade from the seacoast. The moccasins of the whole party were then taken off, and, after much ceremony, the smoking began. Af- ter this the conference was to be opened ; and, glad of an opportunity of being able to converse more intelligibh'^j Sacaiawea was sent for : she came into COUNCIL WITH THE SHOSHONEES. 319 its 1?; aftl°.'!'h"'' '^'''^ ^""^ warriors were CO : lected, and, after the customary cereraonv of takinir of the good wisherof our goverZerZ wh^' p'atiatd • "w?I' ,r.,!'^ f"?"'?y ".""osifio"? wl'ex »n Lf ^^* '°''' "'^"' "f "leir dependance on the will of our government for all future suDnlipVnf itZ'-'Zt IIT''^ "''''" for theirZSfort or ,^,.7 K ' *r- • "^ "^ "'«•'« sent to discover the best route by which merchandise could be conveved to t wa's'mutTaf: ^^'7°^:'" "" ^^«"" before our re'-urn! ceeTwirhlT ftl ''LTaVTrosX'Va'^""''' P™' uuder the necessity of r?q' es'^^?ng ?^emt ful'sHs with horses to transport our Lggage aeros^ Vh^ mountains, and a guide to show ^^slhe route but tl'J^'L ^I'l'll'^ .^"^ J^"'P'y remunerated '?,rtheiJ shouM rende7;'s.-irtheSn tir, olTS ^t? 320 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. was, that they should immediately collect as many horses as were necessary t( transport our bagaage to their village, where at our leisure we would trade with them for as many horses as they could spare. " The speech made a favourable impression : the chief, m reply, thanked us for our expressions of friendship towards himself and his nation, and de- clared their willingness to render us every service He lamented that it would be so long before thev should be supplied with firearms, but that till then they could subsist as they had heretofore done. He concluded by saying that there were not horses here sufficient to transport our goods, but that he would return to the village to-morrow, and bring all his own horses, and encourage his people to come over with theirs. The conference being endedao their satisfaction, we now inquired of Cameahwait what chiefs were among the party, and he pointed out two of them. We then distributed our presents, lo Cameahwait we gave a medal of the small size with the likeness of President Jefferson, and on the reveise a figure of hands clasped with a pipe and tomahawk: to this was added a uniform coat, a shirt, a pair of scarlet leggins, a carrot of tobacco and some small articles. Each of the other chiefs received a small medal struck during the presidency of General Washington, a shirt, handkerchief, leggins a knife, and some tobacco. Medals of the same sort were also presented to the young warriors, who, though not cliiefs, were promising youths, and very much respected in the tribe. These honorary gifts were followed by presents of paint, moccasins, awls, knives, beads, and looking glasses. We also gave them all a plentiful meal of Indian corn, of which the hull is taken off by being boiled in ley • and, as this was the first they had ever tasted, they were very much pleased with it. They had, indeed, ^ 1 ,r^* sources oj surprise in all they saw : the appearance of the iucn, their arms, their clothing, INDIAN NOTION OP THE Ain-cux. 321 the canoes, the strange looks of ti,. sagacity of our dog, all in ?nrn fi ^"^^'^' ^"^ the tion, which was raised o^i^ '''\''^ ^^^^^ ^dmira- from the air-gun Th.J/^''"?^^'^^"^ hy a shot considered as\ ;,,«/'! ^P^^^^f" was rnstantly well as the otherlndil,^ t'onn' ^^ ""^l'^ ^hey, as ting directly from the Gr^a^s^Hr"'^"^^ ^"^«»«- his invisible and incomnrA?^ V ""^ Produced by d'splay of all these SsTadT^^' "^""^y- The inquiries into the geo^LnhLf'" /"'^-^^^^^ with country; for we had^Larned h' /'^"^^'''" ^^ ^^eir \eep the savages in o^odlmn'^^^^^^ should not be weari^d^whh fno ^^'' l^?'' ^^^ention that serious affairs sould be enli^eld h"'^'^'^-^' ^"^ or what IS new and enters nif^^^^^^ "''^ brought in very season-ih^v fn^ '5* ^"^ ^""ters ope, the last o^vhich ' j i?"^ ^ ^nd an ante- "^H very short time d'ev"our?d'?t '' ''^ '"'^^"^' ^^^ ourtte'oySi'^^hr^^^ - to to last here for many days a^idfh^^^ "^^ P^^»»«« combined with many othTs'to ?n]n'' circumstance as soon as possible.^ Our Indian Infn ^"'-^^'"^ °» the state of the ColunX w«f J ""^^^^^^ 3« to kind ; and our first ohiPPf». r^ ^ ^^^^ alarming Jain the practicabfl tv of dpl^'' ^"^-^ '^"^•'^' t« ascer? Indians discouraSr exopo^^^ ''' ?^ ^^^^^ the fore agreed that Can?a in nit '''".'• '^ ^^^ there- the morning wi h eC ^^^^%«hould set off in their arms, with tools for S ^"'"'^^^^^' besides should take Chaboreau andT« ^^r'^"°^«^ that he the Shoshonees, where h^tnt .''^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^«^P of der to hasten the eollectk^n nf^T""^ ^^^'"' "» ^r- should then lead his niPn Si ?^ P''''^^^ ' that he ir he found it navtab^e"^7,L r'\' Columbia, and quantity, begin to bu^d cai oes *i'f ^^ ^" «"ffi^i«nt decided as to the proonWv nf ^^ ^''°" ^« ^e had Columbia or acroLTf pL^^ P^^^^P^ing down the *>-. one Of the men .it^Tn7Si 4%^ Jo^ ^f. ki ;'1 322 LEWIS AND CLARKS'S EXPEDITION. tain Lewis, who by that time would have brought up the whole party, and the rest of the baggage,\s far as the Shoshonee village. Preparations were accordingly made this evening to carry out the ar- rangement. " The sun is excessively hot in the daytime, but the nights are very cold, and rendered still more un- pleasant from the want of any fuel except willow brush. The appearances, too, of game for many days' subsistence are not very favourable. "August 18. In order to relieve the men of Cap- tain Clarke's party of the heavy weight of their arms, provisions, and tools, we exposed a few arti- cles to barter for horses, and soon obtained three very good ones, in exchange for which we gave a uniform coat, a pair of leggins, a few handkerchiefs, three knives, and some other small articles, the whole of which did not cost in the United States more than twenty dollars : a fourth was purchased by the men for an old checked shirt, a pair of old leggins, and a knife. The Indians seemed to be quite as well pleased as ourselves with the bargains they had made. We now found that the two infe- rior chiefs were somewhat displeased at not having received a present equal to that given to the great chief, who appeared in a dress so much finer than their own. To allay their discontent, we bestowed on them two old coats, and promised them that, if they were active in assisting us across the mount- ains, they should have an additional present. This treatment completely reconciled them; and the whole Indian party, except two men and two women, set out in perfectly good humour to return home with Captain Clarke. After going fifteen miles through a wide level valley, with no wood but willows and shrubs, he encamped in the Shoshonee Cove near a narrow pass Where the highlands ap- proach within^two hundred yards of each other, and the nver is only ten yards wide. The Indians went DESCRII'T/ON OF Trrp mt^c. " THE MISSOURI. 323 ,f n"teS ^^^^^^ and two you,., the hunters. After ifpir £ ? '^^^'' ^''•""ght in by prepared for the t a^XS^^^^^^ ^'^^ was now exposed toThe a ? ,nH h?^^^'^^'""^''"^ was one deer and a beaver anf 5''^' ^"^ &^"^e ance of trout in ther^Zfnl^^V'^'''''' ^^und- in the evening. ' ^'''^ "^^'^'^ we fixed a net poin^o^f tt^MisTourrwhichtrT^"^ "^^^'^-^^^ >". latitude 43° 30'43'' nonh It .. .IT'V^"' P'«^*« Pnse, n, any general descr iptioj tl^fu''^' ^^ .^«»^- of a river so extensive and ?pHh J characteristics which have theirsouries nt >'°^ and climates. But the Mi-— ^ ^^^^'^ °^ '°'^« powerful to give to aU iu Tnt' '' '^'^^ sufficiently common characfer^vh Lh is o Tn ^^^^^j^ing of i the nature of the conn rv It' ^ u^"'^^' ^^c^ded by The bed of he rivei is7hilffu"^^ ^^"^^ ^' P^««^« niud, fron, which the wat^Ldf^J^ Jinge. From its junction hirf; ^''""^^ ^ ^^^P leaves the mountain^ j L ^® .^^ "^'"^^ where it rapids and mcks which fh«"h^f ^' ^"^^arrassed by thrown into i's clmnne? Llo"' ?." '^'^' ''^^ have rent, with the excep ion' of th^"!^ ,^^^- P^^"^ ^^« ^"r. of navigation, nS t^re ^tn v"'' '' "^^ ^^^'^^^ pearance to the momh of tLe plue" "' Th ? '^^ ^P" AjI nver throws out vnJJi f.Jf*"^. That power- which contri^mes to g ve TnTf'' "f ^?:^^«'«and, ri, which is now much mn.^ T ^^''^ ^"^ ^he Missou- The sand, as /us d^td down .1"'''^ ^^ ^'^^"^^^• the projecting points from fT' ""u^^'^^ ^« «"'ne of barrier to the^m^uT vh^h atlenMr"' ""^ ^^^'"^ ^ the same height w 1 1 i t h p .. au^^^- ^^^"mnlates to as it has acqu Lrd soi.p T^'^""' ''''^^' ^^ ^^on grows there the first ve^r ^^'J^'^'^.'^^y^ the willow «'i the .«duaYe,era.-.;'"onLnrrS K? iii 'I'li.i H *'/1 I v" 324 LEWIS AND Clarke's expeditiox. face above the highest freshets. Thus stopped in its course, the water seeks a passage elsewhere and, as the soil on either side is light and yielding! what was only a peninsula becomes gradually an island, and the river indemnifies itself for the usur- pation by encroaching on the adjacent shore. In this way the Missouri, like the Mississippi, is con- stantly cuttmg off the projections of the shore, and leaving its ancient channel, which is then marked by the mud it has deposited and a few stagnant ponds! " The general appearance of the country, as it presents itself in ascending, may be thus described • from Its mouth to the two Charletons a ridge of high- lands borders the river at a small distance, leaving between them fine rich meadows : from the mouth of the two Charletons the hills recede, giving great- er extent to the low grounds ; but they again ap- proach the river for a short distance near Grand River, and afterward at Snake Creek : from that point they retire, nor do they a^ain come to the neighbourhood of the Missouri till above the Sauk Prairie, where they are comparatively low and small: thence they diverge and reappear at the Charaton Scarty, after which they are scarcely, if at all, discernible till they again advance to the river nearly opposite to the Kanzas. " The same ridge of hills extends on the south side in almost one unbroken chain, from the mouth of the Missouri to the Kanzas, though decreasing in height beyond the Osage. As they are nearer the river than the hills on the opposite side, the inter- mediate low grounds are of course narrower, but the general character of the soil is similar on both sides. " In the meadows and along the shore, the tree most common is the Cottonwood, which, with the willow, forms almost the exclusive growth of the Missourh The hills, or, rather, high grounds (for tney do not rise nigaer than from oue hundred and DESCRIPTION OP THE MISSOURI. 325 tion, though I ll 'onu^ H ?; •'^"^^^'PJ'^J^ of ci.lt.va- with tunbor. Beyond thp./?M'^^^'"'>' covered tends int,> lugh op^e" nlw '^'^ ''""""-y ex- sufficiently fm IrbmH 1 ' ^^"/''[^'-^^ on both sides of better streams 'o?"weV^r;,d' m ' ^'.? '''^'^'^"^''^^« considered as nreferibirfM..' m "^''^ therefore be however, becJ^ie n u^ be tor 1'^^- • '^^'^^ '^"d«» abundant, betvveen the Os.Je'mdl^^ '^'^ ""^'^^'' "^«^e the Kanzas to the Nodawa L \''n^"^''^'- f^'^"* nearly an equal distance v.rvil /""%'°"^'""^ «' miles from each oth^r ex?/^ 'ft [T ^*'"'' '^^ ^'gbt Piatte to nearly onnosiJo fh7 ^^^ ^''^"' ^^e Little tbey are moreSte -md th?'""S'^""^^« ''^^'^Se wider, especially on u'cnorfb"''-?'^''^' ^^ "«"•-«« From the Woda4 The orterN^lns^"^ ''^^ ^'^^^• cept at occasional inierv-^h IL ll ^'^^PP^^r, ex- a distance, till they eU nfabm.M ' "l'^ ^''" ^^^" «* above the Platte nerir th.V • ^ twenty-seven miles ways. On he 80^ i h. h n ""' ^'"^^^^ ^^ ^he Avo- rivJr, from the%^"t 'v , age^Tll'^'r'"^ ^" '^^« Council Bluffs, fifty miles befo,?d the PhT'fn "P- '^ iiigh prairie ands On hrTfh ^ .^^^^'^^''^inff good; and perhaps this distnnl''r'' ''\" ''^"'J« ^ri the Platte may be recommen^^^^ '^' ^''^e to districts on the MissouH f^. /i ^ ^' ""^"^ the best "From thoAlZlv vilt^tr'^'^ "^^^^^'^^«- again retire from the river tn,fk-u^ northern hills turn till three hmidredl 'd . ^'"^ ^^"^ ^'^ "^^ re- Floyd's River, "ills on th"^ ^*i"^ ^^«^^' ^^ the river at OounrilR Iff. ^® ^''"^^' ^J««' ^^ave bar village, two hund ph' '"-f '^'iPP^^'' ^t the Ma- eountry ti;s abLt^XThil-,^''^^^ "P" ''^^^ and the timber in sSer mintr "'.!' "^'"'^ ^P^". Platte: so that, although tSr"' If ^..^^!^" ^^^"^' he e pi ered with liioh ^....o ?u\^V ':''*" '« rich, and less ealculate^dVo'r Sivation th'^' k^^^ '""^^^« ^' Vol. I.-e e ''"'^^^^^^^" ^han below that river, if*" ■I If ! Ill'' III, ii I (.' JiL ill iffl 326 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. •' The northern hills, after running near the Mis- souri for a few miles at Floyd's liiver, recede from it at the Sioux River, the course of which they follow ; and though they again appear on the Missouri at Whiteslone River, where they are low, yet they do not return to it till beyond James's River. The high lands on the soulh, after running near the river at the Mahar villages, again disappear, and do not approach it till coming to the Cobalt Bluffs, about forty-four miles from these villages : and then, from those bluffs to the Yellowstone, a distance of about one thousand miles, they follow the banks of the river with scarcely any deviation. " From James's River, the lower grounds are eon- fined within a narrow space by tlio hills on both sides, which now continue near each other up to the mountains. The space between them, however, varies from one to three miles, as high as the Mus- cleshell River, beyond which the hills approach so close as to leave scarcely any low grounds on the Missouri, and near the falls reach the water's edge. Beyond the fnlis, the hills are scattered and low to the first range of mountains. " The soil along the whole length of the Missouri below the Platte is, generally speaking, very fine ; and, though timber is scarce, there is still suflicient for the purposes of settlers. But beyond that river, although the soil is still rich, yet the almost total absence of timber, and particularly the want of good water, there being but a small supply of water in the creeks, and even that brackish, oppose powerful ob- stacles to its settlement. The difficulty becomes still greater between the Muscleshell River and the falls, where, besides the increased scarcity of tim- ber, the country itself is less fertile. "The elevation of these high lands varies as they pass through this extensive tract of country. From Wood River they are about one hundred and fifty feet above the water, and remain at that height till NEW SPECIES OF MULLET. 327 Thence Ihey c^o ui h.p L^^'"r,f^''^ "> size. the ncighbourtod'^ M " e^^Su^iv?'^^^^ ^^"T '^ are met by flic norfhpr.. i.i i. 1 i . '' ^^'^'^*^ ^^ey a^^r; r^S^i^^^.n^jt^ii- country. FronrMlfia\ /I ''?"^'^/ ^ T'"^^ «^" ^"g^ in preparing packs and addles to hid nf ''l ""^'"^"'^ soon as they should arrive a h ''" *'°'''*''*' "» a trap, but we were d.Wn "^ ^J""'"' ""■'' '^'"•'" '" trout in our not VVe fiP"'/"^ '" '7'"^ '» •••"tel. willow brush ,H ;,; h " "'^''f?'''' "'ade a seine of of fine rr !,.'., hauling ,i procured a number the scales sm.^i ■ tL "''"'',' ^'•''"''^" ""^''^s long, and exceedifig le under"'iaw ^"11^' "'''"f '^ P"'"""^ folds at the sides- h.-*' "'\"'""""'P«is with and p.U,rare smoo^ "'Vh"e S'r ont'J'h T'"'. of the 11 uflfrsneS " Jf "=t«<= included it to be returned win, two dle^ ''"""^ ""^ ''"'""'' (!'*:, (IN spot Where many oi his trih )P U.'pro bill era IviIIq/I ;., 328 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. battle a year ago. The Indians accompanied him during llie day, and a.s ihcy had nothing to eat, he was obhged to feed them I'rom his own stores, ilie hunters not being able to kill anything. Just as he was entering the mountains, he met an Indian with two nudes and a Spanish saddle, who was so polite as to offer one of them to him to ride over the hills. Being on foot, (Captain Clarke accepted his offer, any gave him a waistcoat as a reward for his civility. He encamped for the night on a small stream, and the next morning, *' August iio, he set oui at six o'clock. In passing through a continuation of the broken, hilly country, he met several parties of Indians. On coming near the camp, which had l)een removed, since we left it, two miles higher up the river, Cameahwait request- ed that the parly should halt. This was complied with ; when a number of Indians came out from the camp, and with great ceremony several pipes were smoked. This being over, Captain Clarke was con- ducted to a large leathern lodge, prepared for his party in the middle of the encampmiint, the Indians having oidy shelters of willow bushes. A few dried berries and ont salmon, the only food the whole village could contribute, were then presented to him; after which he proceeded to repeal in council, what had been already lold them, ihe purposes of his visit: urged them to take iheir horses over and assist in transporting our baggage, and expressed a wish to obtain a guide to examine the river. This was explained and enforced to the whole village by Cameahwait ; and an old man was pointed out, who was said to know more of the geography of the country to the north than any other person, and whom Captain Clarke engaged to accompany him. After explaining his views he distributed a few presents, the council was ended, and nearly half the village set oui to hunt the antelope, but returned without success. cameaiiwait's map of the counthy. 329 " Captain Clarke, in the mean time, made oartic 1 ar mqu.r.es a« to tlie sUual.on of the cHnmirv • fj «ie po««, b.I.ty of soon reaching a nuvM^i.b e sin' ;^m The clue bega.i by fhu ? . ""^"^efore be transported for a coiiside? wo^M if ""' "'tf "'^ steep'mouMiains who e li r"he ,ne7'';v " W'^P^''^ ''""'' f" 'he elief down the r mid. h" """ "^'"P'^ *«•■"« '""»t ''e let £ w ';|?£t^-rr^c^rr4'-,r,r 1^ r£srtr;erpts,:,^,;'7^r,:t^':;:-| withXr'e".,'',''?,' °f.=' ?»««"«'■. or even a port ge! fhne. ^"';'"0""t these difficulties would exhin^^t In^^ had told us ^rshould^'sC^^^^H^^^^ Vol rV^' ''^ '' ^"^ disappeared, that the nl" 'iff . ,m, A m I itii .I-' :\L m 833 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. lives themselves were hastening from the country; and not an animal of any kind larger than a pheas- ant or a squirrel, and of these a few only, would then be seen in this part of the mountains : after which we should be obliged to rely on our own stock of provisions, which would not support us more than ten days. These circumstances combine to render a passage by water impracticable in our present situation. To descend the course of the river oi. horseback was the other alternative, and scarcely a more inviting one. The river was so deep that there were only a few places where it could be ford- ed, and the rocks approached so near the water as to render it impossible to make a route along its edge. In crossing the mountains themselves, we should have to encounter, besides their steepness, one bar- ren surface of broken masses of rock, down which, in certain seasons, the torrents sweep vast quantities of stone into the river. These rocks are of a whi- tish brown, and towards the base of a gray colour, and so hard that, on striking them with steel, they yield a fire like flint. This sombre appearance was in some places scarcely relieved by a single tree, though near the river and on the creeks there was more timber, among which were some tall pire: several of these might be made into canoes, and, by lashing two of them together, one of tolerable size might be formed. " After dinner he continued his route, and at the distance of half a mile passed another creek, about five yards wide. Here his guide informed him that by ascending the creek for some distance he would have a better road, and cut oflf a considerable bend of the river towards the south. He therefore pur- sued a well-beaten Indian track up this creek for about six miles, when, leaving the creek to the right, he passed over a ridge, and, after walking a mile, again met the river, where it flows through a mead- ow of about eighty acres in extent. This" they pass- STORY OP THE INDIAN GUIDE. 339 ed, and then ascended a hieh and on i . mountain, from which the mndP nnf^ Peak of a where the river broke throL^hth. "^ P""'"^^^ «"' twenty miles distant^ n^fh^ebLe rih'"'' '^""^ ains a small river falls in fZn. *t ^ ^^^ '""""t- vie^v.was terminated by oe of h^^?,,!"^^,*^' '^his ams Captain Clarke hadeier see wl^^h'* "'^""'- fectly covered with snnw ^J '^ ,f^ ^'^^ Per- ble barrier the Hver wem di^Pn^'^" ^^'' ^^^'"'^a- was, as the guidTobsmed hTt r".L^"^, ^^''^ '' dangers of vvhich ^^^^10^ \^^ difficulties and commenced Afte?'eachin.Th''*'^''' ^-^^ ^P"'^^" the river continijPd if« . ^ ^^^ mountain, he said, many niUes bXeen ^'>h"n'' '^T'''^' *^^ "^''th fo^ were^ scattereralong t ^berfT ''''^' ''^''^ the mountains thronfh ? n '* ^^^" penetrated of vvhich arosUernendir^.lfJ''''^^^^^^ ^^^^ side top of the mTui?tarSe t& ^\^^« made a bend which con^ptil f % ' }. *^^ ^'^^^ then view • and as it wil 1" . ^'^^ '^® ^"^"»*<^ ^'ourse from riveT'orclmb r ovefthatZ?'^''" ^^^^^^^"^ ^^^ covered with snov^ npj.h T^^ "^ountam, eternally had ever been Wr ?han a a n/f ' '"/ "^ ^J« "^''«» see the gap made by the rive? o f entf ''M^'^ ^^"^^ ains. To that dIr/p h! c.:^ u ^"^^F'"^ tfje mount. part of the road- vet nftLTiilh u- ^'^^"^^'*^sof intelligence andVLachv Hp n m ^' ^'! ^"'^^' ^'^^^e sured him thTtheir di^... u ""^^ ''""^ ^"^'^f' "«^^ as- cing, and whatVe\Tw'£e ^ ''^"^'^^ ced him of the Indian's veriHv ^^?,^^^2^Jy,c«nvin. termined to ahun^nVl- ^^- ^^ therefore de- upper nart of fhp 1 l^'^ ''T^^ «»d ••^^"••ned to the ■111.' ii;;'*'i , rai. lll'l' 340 LiSWlS AND CLARKE*S EXPEDITION. ed ill finding a roiito by w.iter, Captain Clarke now questioned his '{uide mort^ particularly as to the di- rection ol' this ro;id, »vhich he seemed to understand perl(M:ily. Ho Irew a map on the sand, and repre- sented the road, as well as that th«y had passed yesterdiiy on Berry Creek, as both leading towards two f(»rks of the same great river, where resided a nation <;alled Tnshepaws, wht>, having no salmon on their own river, came by these roads to the fish- wears on Lewis's River. He had himself been among these Tushepaws, and, having once accompa- nied them on a fishing parly to another river, had there seen Indians wlio had come from across the Rocky Mountains. After a great deal of conversa- tion, or, rather, talking by signs, and a second and more particular map had been drawn by his guide, Captain (Marke felt persuaded that the latter knew of a road from the Siioshonee village they had lefi to the great river to the north, without coming so low down as this on a route impracticable for horses. "August 24 Being desirous of hastening his return, he set out early : and, after descending the creek to the river, stopped to breakfast on berries in the mead- ow above the second creek. He then went on, but unfortunately fell from a rock, and injured his leg very mnch ; though he walked forv\ ard as rapidly as he could, jind at four in the afternoon rejoined his men. During his absence they had killed a mountain- cock and a few pheasants, and taken some small fish, on which, with haws and service-berries, they had subsisted. Captain Clarke immediately sent for- ward a man on horseback with a note to Captain Lewis, apprizing him of the result of his inquiries, and late in the afternoon set out with the rest of the party, and encamped at the distance of two miles. The men were much disheartened it the bad pros- pect of escaping from the mountains ; and, having nothing to eat but a few berries, which have made several of them sick, they all passed a disagrenable -ARRIVAL AT AN INDIAN CAMP. 341 night, which was rendered more uncomfortable bv a heavy dew. ^ " Augii ,t 25. The want of provisions urged Cap- lain C.larke to return as soon as possible : he there- lore set out early, and halted an hour in passing the Indian camp near the fish-wears. These people treated them with great kindness ; for, though poor and dirty, they wilhngly give what little they pos- sess 1 hey gave the whole party boiled salmon and dried berries, which were not, however, m suf- ficient quantities to appease their hunger Thev soon resumed their old road; but as abstinence, or the strange diet, 'lad given one of the men a verv severe illness, they were detained much on his ac count, and It was not till late in the day they reach- ed the nift under which they had encamped on the 2Ist. r.-ey immediately began to fish and hunt in order to procure a meal, and caught several small nsh. By means of the guide they obtained two sal- mon from a party of women and children, who, with one man, were going below to gather berries. This supplied them with about half a meal; but after dark they were rega ed with a beaver which one of the hunters brought in. "August 26. The morning was fine, and three men were despatched ahead to hunt, while t e rest were detained until nine o'clock, in order to H e some horses which had strayed away durii.g the night. I hey then proceeded along the route by the forks of the river, till they reached the lower In- dian camp whe' they first were when we met iliem. 1 he whoie cair* immediately flocked around tneni with great appearance of cordiality, but all the spare food of the village did not amount to more than two salmon, which they gave to Captain ( jarke, who distributed them among his men. The hunters had not been able to kill anything, nor had i^ithpr j^aptain Clarke or the greater part of liis men any food during the twenty-four hours, till towards evea- Ff2 iiHis m 'I .i m iiiii 348 LEWIS AND CLARKE^S EXPEDITION. ing one of them shot a salmon in the river, and a few small fish were caught, which furnished them with a scanty meal. Tlic only animals they had seen were a few pigeons and some very wild hares; also great numhers of the large black grasshopper, and several ground-lizards. " August 27. The men, who were engaged last night in mending their moccasins, all except one went out hunting, but no game was to be procured. One of them, however, took a small salmon, and the Indians made them a present of another, on which the whole party made a very slight breakfast. These Indians, to whom such a life is famihar, seem con- tented, although they depend for subsistence on the scanty productions of the fishery. But our men, who are used to hardships, but have been accus- tomed to have the first wants of nature regularly supplied, feel very sensibly their wretched situa tion : their strength is wasting away, and they be- gin to express their apprehensions of being without food in a country perfectly destitute of any means of supporting life except a few fish. In the course of the day an Indian brought into the camp five salmon, two of which Captain Clarke bought, and made a supper for the party. ^ " August 28. There was a frost again this morn- ing. The Indians gave the party two salmon out of several which they had caught in their traps, and, having purchased two more, they were enabled to subsist on them during the day. A camp of about forty Indians from the west fork passed to-day, on their route to the eastward. The prospect of pro- visions is getting worse every day ; the hunters, who had ranged through the country in every di- rection where game might be expected, have seen nothing. 'I'ho fishery is scarcely more productive ; for an Indian who was out all day with his fish-gig killed only^one salmon. Besides the four fish pro- cured from the Indians, Captain Clarke obtained TIIEy MAKE ANOTHER CACHE. 343 very rea.lily comprche S All'".'.'""' '''''''',' '^"V |4ynLrcfei'iderrd"e'?o?[^^ this purpose we selected a spot o., the ta k „f fh, rrver, three quarters of a mile below the camoa^rt three men were though it best ?lir! i^Jh ll,"'"" ■■ f '^^ ^« ■'«'' encamped , he e lell a shght shower of rain. One of tlie men tn rtt out to hunt, returned without having killed -fnv S''t,.W« therefore gave a little corn to hose o'f the Indians who were engaged in carrving our L/ gage, and who had absolutfly nothhi7 o^ea \^'^ ttrvvtirof ?f ■'-="--'. //^e coiynoT'sup^y mend to .irLh. '""'P'^ T'"' P^^i^ions, to recom- fore uftJ ,>^ '""'' ""' ='«sisting us to go on be- mornhig,'" ""'"■ """'P' '^'"^ ^e did; bft in the "August 25, a few only followed his advice the We set3"17"'^"' "' some distance on eteh side we set out at sunrise, and, after eoine spventpen miles, halted for dinner within two mTlef of the far o7tC"J' 'he mountains. The Indh'.s who we're lopes buwer"/ Z- Pf'^r"""^ ''"''^^ «<""« ^nte! lopes, but were obliged, after a pursaiu of several hours, to abandon the chase. Our hunters had h. i^«">f'",""'«. brought in three deer, the gi^l;,"; part of wjueh was distributed among the Indians V^hi e at dinner, we learned by means%f Saeajawea that (he young men who left us this mornini S Kh™.M h^ T''""?' ''""' "'« •'hief that the vMlage should break up us encampment, and meet his nfrfv o.rilZhrh'';^ '^'^ '^°"" "» SO down the'ml capiice, winch, if not counteracted, threatened to Iven'if'wv'shnm"" "j^f^" "" 'he' mouSs or! e»en if we should reach the waters of the Columbia to prevent our obtaining horses to ,ro onT«hi?' vapiam Lewis immediately called thl three "chiefs 'I 'fl 852 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. together. After smoking a pipe, he asked them if they were men of their word, and if we could Tey on their promises. They readily replied in the J firmat.ve. He then asked if they had not agreed to afns'' To";h''';7'"^ r ''^^'^' -''' the'mount' ains. Jo this they also answered yes. And whv then, said he, have you requested your people t^J iTs'to trndP r'T^' ^^''' '' ^''^ be'impoSe f^? us to trade for horses as you promised we should If, he continued, you had not promised to help us in transporting our goods over the mountains, we should not have attempted it, but have returned down the nver; after which no white men would have ever come into your country. If you wish the whites to be your friends, and to bring you aTms and protect you from your enemies, you Jiould never pro nise what you do not mean to perform : when I first met you you doubted what I said, yet you af- terward saw that I told you the truth. How, then I hL^p'n-^T^.' ^^''' ^ "°^ ^^" y^" ^ You see that I have divided among you the meat which my hunt- ers kill and i promise to give all who assist us a share of whatever we have to eat. If, therefore you intend to keep your promise, send one of the young men immediately to order the people to re- mam at the village till we arrive. ^ «./«hT!l%*'7 '''^^'i!"' ^^"^^^ ^h^" said that they had wished to keep their word, and to assist us f that iv^l,L """' sent for the people, but, on the contra- ry h Id disapproved of the measure, which was done wholly by the .irst chief. Cameahwait remained silent for some time : at last he said that he knew he had done wrong, but that, seeing all his people in want ot provisions, he had wished to hasten their departure for the country where their wants might be supplied He, however, now declared that, hlv- ing passed his word, he would never vijjate it, and counter-orders were immediately sent to the village fn^^^J"^"!'^ '"''"' ^"^ '''^^"^ ^'^ g^ve a handkerchief in order to pnsnm /1ocr.ot«V, J ^j-i:.- '-*^.i*,i» WEATHER BECOMES COLD. 353 the part of the ir^?ans"Te 'S ^" SIX years ago, the Shoshonees had snff^f i ""^^'^^ severe defeat from the Eelarees ^d f /''^ the evening we reached the Xer n^rJ of fh^*"" "' where the creek pnrp.-« ''r'^PP*^'^ P^i" of the cove, of the cove on the o heastTde"Lr!H '''''. ^''' lately been burned most nm'h u ^ ^^^ """^^^ ^as 8ome^)ccasion Here werre ilp'.'.' ''^"?^ °" ers with a single deer xvlZhcT t^ o^^'hunt- as a proof of his sSi v f. t?^^""'" ^^^'^ S^^^^, dren,^,„d remailfed s^^^^^^^^^^ -"d chil- along we observed sp™. 11 ""?^^^'- As we came and many oTre eoJk or fh^' '!"'"'' '^'"^ ^"^'^«' grounds o^f the cove wlealso^-o- '1 '^^ ^^^ ties of wild onions (considerable quanti- and th?Ll ?n' o^'verels'^'anL^f ^^^'^^^^ ^^''^ an inch in thickness : we se? out .^t ' ^""'''^ ^^ soon reached the fountain of thl m '^""''.''^' ^"^ we halted for a fL n "nut' s ind rj'^^'''""''''.''^^^^ dividing rid£e rearhpH f hi a ' ^ •^^'^" crossing the Lewis had^s';pron' Le ilr Tulf^^'r ^'^'^^'^ to the Shoshonee canin Thl ^ ^^-st excursion of ouLck horses Tl'; ^''? """ ''^^» "^^ding^iwo cern th-.f X h ?^ ' ^^^ ^'^^^ apparent uncon- soon'ove' t keus Intct'T^' '° ^^ ' "^' ^"^ ^^^^^ her. in ^ho-- ^" i' ^. -" ^ ' ^^ ''''''' astonished to see " ' "' """■• "" ""-^-^ time, come on with her new- Or G 2 354 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. born infant, and pass us on her way to the camo scemiiigly in perfect health. The wonderful faeilitj with which the Indian women give birth to i>eirchil. dren, would seem some benevolent gift of nature in exempting them from pains which their savage st'ate would render doubly grievous." * • • ♦T,r''^*'^. ^^P^ °^ the high, irregular mountains to the westward were still entirely covered with ouow : and the coolness which the air acquired in passing hltl r^u K^^ ^ •''5'^ agreeable relief from the nf tL 1 •n*' ^^du?^"^ "P ^^^ ^^'^''-^« o« the sides of the hills While we stopped the women were busily employed in collecting the root of a plant with which they feed their children, who. like their mothers, were nearly half starved, and in a wretched condition. It IS a species of fennel, which rrows in the moist grounds : the radix is of the knob kind of a long ovate form, terminating in a single radicle, the whole being three or four inches Ion a, and the thickest part about the size of a man's liiUe finder When fresh, it is white, firm, and crisp ; and when dried and pounded, makes a fine white meal. Its flavour is not unlike that of aniseed, though less pungent. From one to four of these knobbed roots are attached to a single stem, which rises to the height of three or four feet, and is jointed, smooth, cylindnc, and has several small peduncles, one a each joint above the sheathing leaf. Its colour is a deep green, as is also that of the leaf, which is sheathing, sessile, and polipartite, the divisions be- ing long and narrow. The flowers, which were in bloom, are small and numerous, with white and um- belliferous petals : there are no root leaves As soon as the seeds have matured, the roots of the present year, as well as the stem, decline, and are re- newed in the succeeding spring from the little knot which unites the roots. The s^mflower was also abundant here and the seeds, which were now ripe, were gathered in considerable quantities, and, afte^ CONPEUENCE TO PURr.IASE MORE HORSES. 355 bei"? pounded and rubhcd brtwpon smno.i, ■,..,„ " After dinner we continued our route and wor» sot" as we'wcr 'w hfn sir/of'rt P^ ^"'r«". ^' quested that we' ^i^dd^'li' harg,' our^ts'.''.^ men were therefore drawn up ii, a sZle'^rrnk and gave a runmng fire of two rounds, to the ereat s»t isfaction of the Indians. We then nroeeed«?^n .?,»" cneampment, where we urr.ved Zut^x'o'doek and were conducted to the leathern 1,"^^ in .he centre of thirty-two others made . ' bru .ti' The baggage was arranged near this teni, which Can tarn Lewis occupied, and was snrro„, led hy thos"^ of the nieq, so as to secure it !,,,„ pi lage'^ tws camp was in a beautiiul smooth meadow ^ear the river, and about three miles above the 0^1!, n whir! who had been sent by Captain Clarke with ^ nm^' apprizing us that there were no hopes of a passage ^? Z^l"'!'"^ **"" ">" '""«' practicable route seem! ed to be that ment bned b-his euide im;»./= .^ north. Whatever road we ^.u^^ld decide to take U was now necessary to provide ourselves with hi" Sntin^^^r''"'*^'^"''^ '"''r™^'* CameahwaU of o"; mtention of going to the great river bevond thL mountains, and that we wished to purchase tweJtv more horses He replied that the Miune areeTha-d stolen a great number of their horses the last ^nrirT bu that h. still hoped they could s^are us thaS' ber In order not to lose the present favou?ab?e moment, and to keep the Indians as cheerful as dos ced, greatly to their divers on. This mirth was th» more welcome as our situation wis not prTcfsely J a. ,uuc fjaicacd corn to eat, and our meaiu BfllH ..>^. iTic ^. ^ ■^^' nO. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-J) ^A A M?., i/j 1.0 I.I 1.25 II 1.8, U 1111.6 6" Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ ,\ ^^ \ \ % V ^. °^, <*►.>, O^ ^.^ %- S"* '^^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WSBSTER.N.Y. 14580 (716) B7i2-4^03 MP.. (A -^ h 356 LEWIS AND CLARKE^S EXPEDITION. of subsistence or of success depended on the wa- vering temper of the natives, who might change their minds the next day. '• The Shoshonees are a small tribe of the nation called the Snake Indians, a vague appellation, which emf)races at once the inhabitants of the southern parts of the Rocky Mountains and of the plains on either side. The Shoshonees with whom we now were amount to about one hundred warriors, and three times that number of women and children Within their own recollection they formerly lived in the plains, but they have been driven into the mountains !.y the Pahkees, or the roving Indians of the Sascatchawan, and are now obliged to visit oc- casionally, and by stealth, the country of their an- cestors. Their lives, indeed, are migratory. From the middle of May to the beginning of September they reside on the head-waters of the Columbia, where they consider themselves perfectly secure from the Pahkees, who have never yet found their way to that retreat. During this time they subsist chiefly on salmon, and, as that fish disappears on the approach of autumn, they are driven to seek subsist- ence el&ewhere. They then cross the ridge to the waters of the Missouri, down which they proceed slowly and cautiously, till they are joined near the Three Forks by other bands, either of their own na- tion or of the Flatheads, with whom they associate against the common enemy. Being now strong in numbers, they venture to hunt the buffalo in^he plains eastward of the mountains, near which they spend the winter, till the return of the salmon in- vites them to the Columbia. But such is their ter- ror of the Pahkees, that, so long as they can obtain the scantiest subsistence, they do not leave the in- ' terior of the mountains ; and, as soon as they have collected a large stock of dried meat, they again retreat, thus altemaiely obtaining their food at the hazard of their lives, and hiding themselves to con- sume it. CHARACTER OP THE SHOSHONEES. 357 . " In this loose and wandering life thev suffer the extremes of want; for two thirds of thjyefr hey are forced to live in the mountains, passing whole weeks Without meat, and with nothing to eft bma few fish and roots. Nor can anythin| be imaghied more wretched than their condition ft the prf sent tune when the salmon is Aist retiring, when rooU are becomnig scarce, and they have not yet acquired strength to hazard an encounter with their enemies th'at"trs.^th"^' '''^' '"^^^^^^^ '^ ^hese calamTties; that the Mioshonees are not only cheerful, but even fh.^; th"^ ^^r character, which is more interesting in.^ V r^*u^^ .^"y ^"^'^"^ ^^'^ have seen, has in it much of the dignity of misfortune. In their inter course with strangers they .-e frank and communi- cative ; m their dealings they are perfectly fair ; nor have we, during our stay with them, hid any reason to suspect that the display all our new and valuable wealth has tempted tLm into a single act of dishonesty. While they have generally sha- fbst w7 r '^' T' '^'y P°««^««' '^'y have aiways fhf . r r^'"'"' K^^^'^'S anything from us. With ArTJJj^^'Tu''^ '^"'P^'' ^^^y ^'^ fo"d of gaudy dresses and all sorts; of amusements, particularly games of hazard ; and, like most Indians, delight in t^?fo. l"^ ?^ tt^'.' ""^'^^^ ^^P^«i'«' ^i^her real or fie" titious. In their conduct towards us they have been tltlf ° n-^'"^ ' """I 'hough on one occasion they InTf M '"'"^ i!" ""«^^"^' "«' y^' we scarcely knew how to blame the treatment by which we were to suffer, when we recollected how few civilized chiefs would have hazarded the comforts or the subsist- ence of their people for the sake of a few strangers. Ihis manliness of character may be the cause of, or monf^ t- u'"^^^ ^y^ 'he nature of their govern. v!nu' ^^a'-a '^ ^^'^?^^^y ^'^^ f'-^™ a»y restraint. ?nnl "."^'"'t^^K I" ^'" °^» "taster, and the only control to which his conduct is subjected is the ad- vice of a chief supported by his influence over the 358 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION. rest of the tribe. The chief himself is, in fact, no more Ihaa the most confidential person among the warriors : a rank neither distinguished by any ex- ternal honour, nor conferred by any ceremony, but gradually acquired from th^ good wishes of his companions, and by superior merit. Such an offi- cer has, therefore, strictly no power : he may rec- ommend, or advise, or influence, but his commands have no effect on those who incline to disobey, and who may at any time withdraw from their volun- tary allegiance. This shadowy authority, which cannot survive the confidence which supports it, often decays with the personal vigour of the chief, or is transferred to some more fortunate or favour- ite hero. " In their domestic economy the man is equally sovereign. He is the sole proprietor of his wives and daughters, and can barter them away, or dispose of them in any manner he may think proper. The children are seldom corrected : the boys, particular- ly, soon become their own masters ; they are never whipped, for they say that it breaks their spirit, and that, after being flogged, they never recover their independence of mind, even when they grow to man- hood. A plurality of wives is very common ; but these are not generally sisters, as among the Min- netarees and Mandans, but are purchased of differ- ent fathers. Infant daughters are often betrothed by the father to men who are grown, either for themselves or for their sons, for whom they are de- sirous of providing wives. The compensation to the father is usually made in horses or mules ; and the girl remains with her parents till the age of pu- berty, which is thirteen or fourteen, when she is surrendered to her husband. At the same time, the father often makes a present to the husband equal to what he had formerly received as the price of his daughter, though this return is optional with the parent. Sacajawea had been contracted in this way CONDITION OF THE FEMALES. 359 before she was taken prisoner, and when we brought her back her betrothed was still living. Although he was double the age of Sacajawea, and had two other wives, he claimed her ; but, on finding that she had a child by her husband Chaboneau, he re- linquished his pretensions, and said he did not want her." * * * " Among the females, we observed some who ap- peared to be held in more respect than the women of any nation we had seen. But the mass of them are condemned, as among all savage nations, to the lowest and most laborious drudgery. When the tribe is stationary, they collect the roots and cook ; they build the huts, dress the skins, and make cloth- ing; collect the wood, and assist in taki'^g care of the horses on the route ; they load the horses, and have the charge of all the baggage. The business of the man is to fight; he therefore takes on him- self the chief care of his horse, the companion of his warfare ; and will descend to no other labour than tO hunt and fish. He would consider himself degraded by being compelled to walk any distance ; and were he SO poor as to possess only two horses, he would ride the best one, and leave the other for his wives and children, and their baggage ; or should he have too many wives or too much baggage for the horse, the wives would have no alternative but to follow him on foot ; they are not, however, oft a reduced to these extremities, for their stock of horses is very ample. Notwithstanding their losses the last spring, they still have at least seven hundred, among which are about forty colts, and half that number of mules. There are no horses here which can be con- sidered as wild ; we have seen two only on this side of the Muscleshell River which were without own- ers: and even those, although shy, showed every mark of having been once in the possession of man. The original stock was procured from the Spaniards, but they now raise their own. The houses are gen- 360 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. crallv very fine of a good size, vigorous, and patient or rw'!"l!f T"" "' t""«"^- ^^^^ ^^^"«r has one nL n ^'^^}''^ ^^'^^ "ear his liut both day and night, so as to be always prepared for action. The mules are obfa.ned n, the course of trade from the Spaniards, with whose brands several of then are S?!:t'''Th' '"'' '^"'r' ^^""^ '^''"^ by the frontie In! dians. They arc the finest animals of the kind we have ever seen, and, at this distance from the Span! ish colomes, are very highly valued. The worst are coiisidered as w„rth two horses, and a good mule cannot be obtained for less than three and sonieuines four horses. ' "^ " We also saw a bridle-bit, stirrups, and several other articles which, like the mules, cime from the Spanish settemems. The «hoshonees say that they can reach those settlements in ten days' march by the route of the Yellowstcme River; but we read- ily perceive that the Spaniards are by no means favourites. They complain that they refuse to let them have firearms, under pretence that these dan gerous weapons will only induce them to kill each ^i^ uV. /M^'' "'^'" ^'?'?' ««y »he Shoshonees, we are left to the mercy of the Minnetarees, who hav- mg arms, plunder us of our horses, and put us to death without mercy. * But this should no be ' said Oameahwait, fiercely, ' ,f we had guns. Instead of hiding ourselves in the mountains, and living, like the bears, on roots and berries, we would then so down and hve in the buffalo country in spite of our enemies, whom we never fear when we meet on equal terms.' "" "As war is the chief occupation, bravery is the fnVTr «"^.""g the Shoshonees. None can hope to be (.istinguished without having given proofs of It ; nor can there be any preferment or influence in the nation without some warlike achievement. The important eveius which give reputation to a Shosho- nec, and entitle him to a new name, are killing a I patient has one day and II. The rom the leni are ilier In- kind we e Span- s worst a good ee, and several om the ly that march e read- means J to let Be dan- II each es, we [), hav- tis to lie,' nstead Jg, like len go of our Bet on is the 1 hope ofs of nee in . The tosho- ling a i UIMS OF THE SHOSHONKES. 361 White bear; stealing, individually. hoKP-, fm,„ .u enemy ; leadine out a nanv ti,„. i ""''^^^ 'ro™ the their horses ; and, last?;! "Piping a warn'or'''^'h''* less the scalp is brought from the Te Id o'f bLu."/' ""; the S o:h^,';ees''le°''S'f''v''^ them„„et.rees, Their CM a "ru^^ ed'l*„.;rrm?e &rot- couraffe Thp^hnih ^ ^^^^^ ^"^ adventurous uuuidge ine fc>hoshonee warriors alwavSg''""fS'>n- The bow is with shews and gfue"' U -ralr/''' ""i"' «'<>« fdof i«..« J 1 o'"*'* " >s about two and a half used''b^','he slo,^"°i,'"f ' '" ^"^P« '"""'"''«'«« Sot^etiLs, howeJer it^s m^H^'J"'^ . Minnetarees. ends. Bows na^d^n/H"'^^". '??''» "^^'•. ^^s two still more prized, and are i glue tint pieces of the hon back with sinews and glue Vol. I.—H - "IT'^l."':''-. horns of the l.Shor„ are ^ith formed by cemerfting irn f«nr^»u^- covering the ig the whole 3G2 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. with an unusual quantity of ornaments. The ar. rows resemble these of the other Indians, except in bemg more slender than any we have seen. They are contamed, with the implements for striking fire, in a narrow quiver formed of different kinds of skin, though that of the otter seems to be preferred. It IS just long enough to protect the arrows from the weather; and is worn on the back, by means of a strap passmg over the right shoulder and under the left arm. " The shield is a circular piece of buffalo hide, about two feet four or five inches in diameter, oma- niented with feathers, and a fringe of dressed leath- er around it, and adorned, or rather deformed, with paintings of strange figures. The buffalo hide is perfectly proof against any arrow; but, in the minds of the Shoshonees, its power to protect them is chiefly derived from the virtues communicated to it by the old men and jugglers. To make a shield is indeed one of their most important ceremonies : it begins with a feast, to which all the warriors, old men, and jugglers are invited. After the repast, a hole is dug m the ground about eighteen inches in depth, and of the same diameter as the intended shield : into this hole heated stones are thrown, and water poured over them, till they emit a very dense hot steam. The buffalo skin, which must be the entire hide of a mala two years old, and that has never been suffered to dry since it was taken from the animal, is mv/ laid across the hole, with the fleshy side to the ground, and stretched in every di- rection by as many as can take hold of it. As it becomes heated, the hair separates and is taken off by the hand ; till at last the skin is contracted into the compass designed for the shield. It is then taken off, and placed on a hide prepared into parch- ment, when It is pounded during the rest of the fes- tival by the bare heels of those who have been in- vited to It. This operation sometimes continues for CAPARISON OP THEIR HORSES. 363 wveral days after which it is deUvered to the pro- pnetor and declared by the old men and jugglers lo been satisla(Hory, even aganist the bullets of their enem,es. Such is their delusion, that many of the Indians miphcitly believe that this ceremony has given to the shield supernatural powers, and that f^ls """ "^^'' *"* ^^'*' ^"^ weapons of their •• The poggamoggon is an instrument consisiine of a handle twenty-two inches long, made of wood covered with dressed leather, and about the size of a whip-handle. At one end is a thong of two inches m length, which is tied to a round stone, weighj^ng two pounds, and held in a cover of leather ; while at the other is a bop of the same material, which is passed round the wrist so as to secure the hold of the instrument, and with it they strike a very se- vere blow. ^ "Besides these, they have a kind of armour i;ome- thing like a coat of mail, which is formed by a great many folds of dressed antelope skins, united bv means of a mixture of glue and sand. With this they cover their own bodies and those of their norses, and find it impervious to the arrow *i\T^^ ?JJP^''!?^" «^ their horses is a halter and a saddle. The first is either a rope of six or seven strands of buffalo hair plaited or twisted tot^ether about the size of a man's finger, and of great str^ength! or merely a thong of raw hide, made pliant by pounding and rubbing ; though the first kind is much preferred. The halter is very long, and is never taken from the neck of the horse when in constant use. One end of it is first tied round the neck in a knot and then brought down to the under jaw, round which It IS formed into a simple noose, passing through the mouth : it is then drawn upon the right side, and held by the rider in his left hand, while the rest trails after him to some distance. At other 'i.ii 364 LEWIS AND CLARKE'a EXPEDITION. times the knot is formed at a little distance frcim one of the ends, so as to let that end serve as a bri. (lie, while the other trails on the ground. With this cord dangluig by the side of him, the horse is put to his fu 1 speed without fear of failing, and when he is turned to graze the noose is merely taken from his mouth. 1 he saddle is formed like the pack-saddles used by the French and Spaniards, of two flat, thin boards, which fit the sides of the horse and are kept T u *"u'y, ^"^^ cross-pieces, one before and the other behind, that rise to a considerable height, end- ing sometimes in a flat point extending outward, and always making the saddle deep and narrow. Under this a piece of buff*alo skin, with the hair on. IS placed, so as to prevent the rubbing of the boards, and before they mount they throw a piece of skin or robe oyer the saddle, which has no permanent cov- er. When stirrups are used, they consist of wood covered with leather; but stirrups and saddles are conveniences reserved for old men and women. 1 he young warriors rarely use anything except a small leathern pad stuffed with hair, and secured by a girth made of a leathern thong. In this way Ihey ride with great expertness, and they are particularly dexterous in catching the horse when he is running at large. If he will not immediately submit when they wish to take him, they make a noose in the rope, and, although he may be at a distance, or even running, rarely fail to fix it on his neck ; and such is the docility of the animal, that, however unruly he may seem, he surrenders aS soon as he feels the rope on him. This cord is so serviceable in this way, that it is never dispensed with, even when they use the Spanish bridle, which they prefer, and al- ways procure when they have it in their power. 1 he horse becomes to them almost an object of at- tachment. A favourite one is frequently painted, and his ears cut into various shapes ; while the mane and tail, which are never drawn nor trimmed, are IMPLEMENTS OP THE SHOSIIONEES. 365 decorated With feathers of birds, and sometimes a warnor w.ll suspend ai the breast of lusCse thS finest ornaments he possesses. fnrmf!!' M ^""^"^ """^ mountod, the Shoshonee is a forinidablc enemy, even with the feeble weaoons whjeh he ,s still obliged to use. When th JyXck at full speed they bend forward, and cover their bodies w.ih the shield, while with the right hand they shoot under the horse's neck nnl*'***" ""'^ ''"'''''^^ "'' *"^^^' wJ^'ch the Shosho. nees possess are a few bad knives, some brass ket- i\vh!T '■'''^''' ^^ ^•••"l^^"d« of iron or brass, a few buttons worn as ornaments in their hair, one or two spears about a foot in length, and some heads tj'17^ "i""^*" "^ Y-°" ^^' ^'^'^' AH these they have obtained in trading with the Crow or iiocky Tho r^'K^'J^^"' ^^« ^'^^ «" ^^'^ Yellowstone^ the^Spa^nish'l^';;^r '''''''' '''' ^^^^^^ ^^^ "The instrument which supplies the place of a form ""r?F ''^S'" '^ " P'^^^ "* «"" ^ith no regu a? form, and the s;harp part of which is not more than ed'-indTp 'fl'^.''/"lf • T^' '^^'' "f *his is renew" tL^^ '^ ^'"^ .'^f '^ "* ^"'*'"«d "«« ht^ads for ar- rows by means of the point of a deer or elk horn an implement which they use with ,reat art and 'nge^ S'k ^y have no axes or hatchets; all the wood being cut with flint or elk-horn, the latter of Its i.f r' '^"";'' ^"''^"^ ^'^^ ^'^'^ kettles, of E?f c ' ''r '^"'?."^« Ja"-' '"ade either of earth or Iff* "^/'^""^ '" J''^ ^'"^ ^^^^een Madison and fts na url.1 17^'.^^''^' ^^""«'^ ««^^ «"d white in Its natural state, becomes very hard and black after exposure to the fire The bonis of the buffalo and the bjghorn supply them with spoons. " Fire they always kindle by means of a blunt arrow and a piece of well-seasoned wood of a soft. fip^iigy kind, such as the willow or Cottonwood H H 2 i "^66 LEWIS AND CLARKE*S EXPEDITION. *' The Shoshonccs are of diminutive stature, with thick, flat feet and ankles, and crooked logs, and are, generally speaking, worse formed than anv nation of Indians we have seen. 'I'hcir complexion resem- bles that of the Sioux, and is darker than that of the Minnetarees, Mandans, or Shawnees. The hair in both sexes is suffered to fall loosely over the face and down the shoulders : some of the men, how- ever, divide it by means of thongs of dressed leather or otter skin into two equal queues, which hang over the ears, and are drawn in front of the body ; but at the present moment, when the nation is afflicted by the loss of so many relations killed in war, most of them have the hair cut quite short in the neck, and Cameahwait has his so cut all over the head, this being the customary mourning for a deceased kins- man. " The dress of the men consists of a robe, a tip- pet, a shirt, long leggins, and moccasins. The robe 18 formed most commonly of the skins of antelope, bighorn, or deer, though, when it can be procured, the buffalo hide is preferred. Sometimes, too, they are made of the skins of beaver, moonax, or of small wolves, and frequently, during the summer, of elk- skin. These are dressed with the hair on, and the robe reaches about as low as the middle of the leg. It is worn loosely over the ahoulders, the sides be- ing at pleasure either left open or drawn together by the hand, and in cold weather kept close by a gn-dle round the waist. This robe answers the purpose of a cloak during the day, and at night it is their only covering. " The tippet is the most elegant article of Indian dress we have ever seen. The neck or collar of it is a strip about four or five inches wide, cut from the back of the otter skin, the nose and eyes form- mg one extremity, and the tail the other. This be- ing dressed with the fur on, they attach to one edge of it from one hundred to two hundred and fifty lit- DRESS OF THE SIIOSIIONEES. 367 tie rolls of ermino skin, befirinning at the ear and proceednig towards the tail. " These rolls consist of narrow strips from the back of that a inia sowed round small cords of twisted silk-grass/ i 'k eZgh to make them taper towards the tail/ which Ss ].?^h 11""^'^^"^ ^''^ generally about the size of a hSpfn -, ^^1^ ^'^ ^'"^ ^^ '^^ head into little bimdles of two, threo, or more, according to the ca- price of the wearer, and then suspended from the col ar, and a broad fringe of ermine skin is fixed so as to cover the parts where they unite, which miffht otherwise have a coarse appearance. Little tassels of fnnge, also, of the same materials, are fastened to the extremities of the tails, so as to show their black colour to gre:iter advantage. The centre of the collar is farther ornamented with the shells of InnnS^^l!;* ''^''\^'' 7^^^ ^^°*'"^^' »^ '« ^^OHl clOSe round the neck, and the little rolls fall down over the shoulders nearly to the waist, so as to form a sort of short cloak, which has a very handsome ap- pearance. These tippets are very highly esteemed] nnw'*'^?^'" «^^'«P°«ldof on important occasions only I his ermine is the fur known to the North- west traders by the name of the white weasel, but It IS the genuine ermine : and, by encouraging the Indians to take these animals, their fur might, no doubt, be rendered a valuable article of trade Thev must be very abundant, for the tippets are in great numbers, and each one requires at least a hundred SKins. "The shirt is a covering of dressed ?kin without the hair, and made of the hide of the antelope, deer, bighorn, or elk, though the last is more rarely used than any other for this purpose. It fits the body loosely, and reaches half way down the thigh The aperture at the top is wide enough to admit the head, and has no collar, but is either square, or most frequenily terminates in the tail of the animal, which 18 left enure, so as to fold outward, though some- 368 LEWIS AND CLARKE S EXPEDITIOPf. id w!fh fh! ^ M.^'V;^ '"^^ ^ fringe, and ornament- ed with ihe quills of the porcupine. The seams of the shirt are on the sides; and are richlj^frinped and adorned w.th porcupine quills to within five or s^ inches of the sleeves, where it is left open as is also the under side of the sleeve from the shoulder to the lar ds the wrist, and has no fringe like the sides and the under part of the sleeve above the e bow h is kept up by wide shoulder-straps, on whicKe mU! ufacturer displays his taste by 'a varie y of fig^?"; wrought with porcupine quills of different cpfoure fainer-rr? ^^'^ ^^^^^' ^^^" they can Seob: tamed The lower end of the shirt retains the n^t ?he^«t'r "^ ^^ ^1''^''^' ^"d "«^k of the kin! with the ad'^ t.on of a shght fringe : the hair, too, i; left on the tail and near the hoofs, part of which last is retained, and split into a fringe " 8kiJ*lfJ5/j"^-.u''*^ generally made of antelope f!^l ^n 1 ^1 "^il'^""^ ^^® ^^'^^ a»d with the legs, \nLlf r^'^'^h ^"^'^^'"^ *« them. Each leggin is formed of a skm nearly entire, and reaches frmi^ the ankle to the upper part of the thigh, and the Tegs of the skin are tucked, before and behind, under a|rd^e round the waist. It fits closely to the leg thi laU erw'itrSnT^'d "^' ^'^- "^^^' highly o';nament J: iu u"^-^ .^""^ porcupine quills, drags on the ground behind the heels. As the legs of the animal are tied round the girdle, the wide 4rt ofl^he skin .3 drawn so high as to conceal the parts usually kept from view in which respect their dress is much side^^arfni ;r- r^T ""^ ^^^ legginsdown the side > are also iringed and ornamented, and occasion a^ly decorated with tufts of hair taken frdmene' mies whom they have slain. In making aTthesc or'Lt^Uh^r'^nfnfaf ^"" '' ^'^ '^^'' ^^^' ^"^^^^ DRESS OP THE SHOSHONEE WOMEN. 369 "The moccasin is made of deer, elk, or buffalo 8km, dressed without the hair, though in winter they use the skin ol this animal with the hairy side in- ward, as do most of the Indians who inhabit the buffalo country. Like the xMandan moccasin, it is made with a single seam on the outer edge, and tTJf «? ^^^?^' ? ^-""^^ ^^'"^ ^^f^ ^^ ^he instep to admit the foot. It is variously ornamented with figures wrought with porcupine quills; and somo^ times the young men most fond of dress cover it with the skin of the polecat, and trail at their heels tne tail of the animal. " The dress of the women consists of the same articles as that of the men. The robe, though small- er, 18 worn in the same way : the moccasins are precisely similar. The shirt or chemise reaches half way down the leg, and is of the same form, ex- cept that there is no shoulder-strap, the seam com- ing quite up to the shoulder; though for women who are nursing, both sides are open almost down to the waist. It is also ornamented in the same way, with the addition of little patches of red cloth, edged round with beads at the skirts. The chief ornament is over the breast, where there are curious figures vvrought with the usual finery of porcupine quills. Like the men, they have a girdle round the waist; and when either sex wish to disengage the arm, it is drawn up through the hole near thelhoul- der, and the lower part of the sleeve thrown behind the body. "Children alone wear beads round their necks; grown persons of both sexes prefer them suspend- ed 111 little bunches from the ear, sometimes inter- mixed with triangular pieces of the shell of the pearl oyster. Occasionally the men tie them in the same way to the hair of the fore part of the head ; and, to increase their beauty, add the wings and tails of birds, and particularly the feathers of the great eagle or calumet-biid, of which they are extremely lona. The collars are formed either of seashells 370 LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition. procured from their relations to the southwest, or of the sweet-scented grass vvhioh grows in the neighbourhood, and whi(th they twist or plat to the thickness of a man's finger, and then cover it with porcupine quills of various colours. The first of these is worn indiscriminately by both sexes ; the second is principally confined to the men; while a string of elk's tusks forms a collar almost exclusive- ly worn by the women and children. Another col- lar worn by the men consists of a string of round bones like the joints of a fish's back ; but the one preferred above all others, because the most honour- able, is that formed of the claws of the brown bear. To kill one of these animals is as distinguished an achievement as to put an enemy to death ; and, in fact, with their weapons, is a more dangerous trial of courage. These claws are suspended on a thong of dressed leather, and, being ornamented with beads, are worn by the warriors round the neck with great pride. The men also frequently wear the skin of a fox, or a strip of otter skin round the head, in the form of a bandeau. In short, the dress of tje Sho- shonees is as convenient and decent as that of any of the Indians we have seen. " They have many more children than might have been expected, considering iheir precarious means of support and their wandering life. " The old men are few in number, and do not ap- pear to be treated with much tenderness or respect. "The tobacco used by the Shoshonees is not cul- tivated ar^iong them, but obtained from the Indians of the Rocky Mountains, and from some of the bands of their own nation who live south of them : it is the same plant which is in use among the Min- netarees, Mandans, and Ricaras. " Their chief intercourse with other nations seems to consist in their association with other Snake In- dians and with the Flatheads when they go east- ward to hunt the buflTalo, and during the occasional risits made by the latter to the waters of the Co- INDIAN NAMES. 371 tml!^ vvkh Sf 4""'-°'^. °^ ^'^'"^- Their inter, course with the Spaniards is much more rare, and it furnishes them with a few articles, such as m les and some bridles and other ornaments for horS which as well as their kitchen utensils, they To lowbtone The pearl ornaments which they es- teem so highly come from other bands, whom thev represent as their friends and relations! liviTto he southwest, beyond the barren plains on Ke ot^er fnthi '^" "l«""t^'»s Thesc'relations. they say' Ln^Pion^ ^"k^ ^"V"^'*^' ^"'^ ""'^^ ^Jk, deer, bear, and antelope, where horses and mules are much r^ore numerous than they are here, or, to use their Twn expression, as abundant as the grass of the plains. >iU 1 f« ""'^rT ""^ ^u^ ^"'''^" ^''^'•'^^ •» ihe course of nis lile. I he one he receives in childhood, merelv from he necessity of distinguishing him from others, or on account of some accidental resemblance to external objects, the young warrior is impatient to exchange for another acquired by some gallant achievement. Any important aclion, stealing a horse, scnlping an enemy, or killing a brown bear, !iw %'"^^^ T^ l"* ^ "^^ "«•"«' ^^^''«h he then selects for himself, and it is confirmed by the nation Sometiines the two names subsist together: thus, i. 'If ^^'^^^hwait, which means " one who nev- ^hinl '' ^^^\'^l r^' "^'"^ «'' Tooettecone, or black gun, ' which he acquired when he first ^ig. nalized himself. As each new action gives a war- rior a right to ci.ange his name, many of them have several in the course of their lives. To give to a friend one's own name is an act of courtesy, and a pledge, like that of pulling off the moccasinfof sin- cerity and hospitality. The chief in this way gave h^ name to Captain Clarke when he first arrived! and he was afterward known among the Shosho- nees by the name of Cameahwait." *• * d