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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul cllchA, 11 est filmA d partir da Tangle supArleur gauche, de gauche A droite, at de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. by errata [lied to lent une peiure, fapon d 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 PUBLISHERS' NOTICE. The Publishere take great pleasure in presenting to the public a new edition of the CTOLOPiBDiA OF Modern Travel, enlarged by the import- ant narratives of Dr. Bartta's Travels In Central Africa; Dr. lilTlnirston's Travels tn.Soutliem and Central AfMca; and Atkinson's Travels In Siberia and Chinese Tartary; Which have been issued since the publication of former editions of this work: the volumes are embellished by a finely engraved portrait of Mr. Taylor, and also by steel engravings of Scenes in Japan, sketched during his visit to that country. The author's preface to this edition will" be found in the second volume ; and in this connection a letter from Mr. Taylor is printed, without his knowledge, which fully explains itself, and renders unnecessary any further remarks by the Publishers. Nkw Yobk, Aug. 5, 1859. MooKK, WiisTACH, Kbts k Co. GenOemen : In reply to your inquiry as to what portion of the " Cyclopedia of Modern Travel" waa prepared by me, I beg leave to state that of the fifty-eight narra- tives of exploration which it now contains, forty-five were prepared exclusively by my own hand, from the original works. The remaining thirteen were compiled by two literary friends, under my own direction, and were afterward carefully revised by me. The work, therefore, contains an amount of personal labor, such as I have never be- stowed upon any other single volume. I have . conscientiously endeavored to permit each author to speak for himself as much as possibla and am convinced that no im- portant portion of any narrative is omitted. The work is as full and exact as its limits allow, and I know not where else the same amount of information with regard to travel is to be found in the same compass. Tours, truly, BAYARD TAYLOR, E. be public a new i by the import- ral AfMca; ■tary; ner editions of igraved portrait Japan, sketched this edition will' I letter from Mr. plains itself, and s. Aug. 5, 1859. lie " Cyclopedia of le fifty-eight narra- I erclusively by my e compiled by two "nlly revised by me. i I have never be- deavored to permit vinced that no im- 1 exact as ito limits ■ith regard to travel ARD TAYLOR, m W^'m- * < 4. i \ ^ )'Z JtUt ■i^iiP"^""— •• ^/^/^^Xfe CYCLOPjEDIA of modern TRAVEL: A BIOORD or ADVENTURE, EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY, FOR THE PAST SIXTY YEARS: OOMPBIgmO NARRATIVES OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED TRAVELERS SINCE THE BEGINNINQ OF THIS CENTURY; t/' PBIiPABBD AND ABBANOED BT BAYAKD TAYLOR. ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS. RBVISBD AND BNIiAROBD BDITIOST. COMPLETE IN TWO VOLUMES. VOLUME I. NEW TOKK: MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & CO., 49 WALKER STREET. OINOINNATI: 26 WEST FOURTH STREET. 18 6 0. i^O. //^ ^^ \ 1! i ^ 11 Enterod, woordlng to Act of Oongrow, In the year 1888, by MOOliK, W1L9TA(!II. KEYS A CO., I„ the Clerk', ofllec of the Dlatrlct Court of the United State, fbr the Southern D Utrlot of Ohta X $ 2^ 11 Entered, according to Act of Oongreee, In the year 1869, by MOOBB, WIL8TACH, KEYS & CO., In the Clerk', Omce of the Dbtriot Court of the United Stat ee for the Southern Dl .trlcto^hlo. StlOTttOTTPSD ST THOMAS B. SMITH. ! EXPI.OBATI ON, IS ^eberentln Instrtbt^i. m vumnHMmmm liiMSaaS»W'^j«>;«j«pa?!ipasf^ps3i8^(5jv^ ii^i^nngs^^'-iK^it^'^ith:- PREFACE. 1 The present century is emphatically an age of exploration and discovery. At no period since the days of Columbus and Cortez has the thirst for exploring new lands been more active and univer- sal than now. One by one the outposts of barbarism are stormed and carried ; advanced parallels are thro^vn up, and the besieging lines of knowledge, which, when once established, can never be re- taken, are gradually closing round the yet unconquered mysteries of the globe. Modern exploration is intelligent, and its results are therefore positive and i)ermanent. The traveler no longer wanders bewildered in a cloud of fables, prepared to see marvels, and but too ready to create them : he tests every step of the way by the sure light of science, and his pioneer trail becomes a plain and easy path to those who follow. The pencil, the compass, the barometer, and the sextant accompany him ; geology, botany, and ethnology are his aids ; and by these helps and appliances, his single brain now achieves results which it would once have required an armed force to win. In nothing is this change more manifest than in the character of the narratives of modem travelers, as contrasted with those of the past three centuries. The old travelers had all the wonder and the credulity of children, and were scarcely less naive and unembar- rassed in the candor of their relations. They made their works a complete confessional of their experiences ; they >vithheld no secrets from their readers, and in their account of the customs of strange races they frequently descended to details which the extreme deli- cacy of modem taste would not allow. Their volumes are singular compounds of personal experiences, historical episodes, statistics, and reflections on the laws, religions, and habits of hfe of other races of men, interwoven with many wonderful stories, and with the most extraordinary conjectures and speculations. Their con- ilKi'^*'«S^iSjl*t%-?*3|«!i?*^W»i«S«P5?;^*^ vm PREFACE. i Bcientiousness in describing all .vhich they saw, and their readiness in beliovin- all which they heard, have subjected most of them to the charge°of exaggeration, if not of positive falsehood; yet aiany of their most extraordinary statements have been fully confirmed in our own day, and there is scarcely a single instance where any old traveler of repute has been convicted of wiUiul lab- "''''The modern traveler, on the other hand, is characterized by scepticism rather than credulity. He is much more mtcrested m Bolvinc Bome problem of physical geography, or m illustrating some favorire scientific theory, than in tales of -gorgons, hydras and chimceras dire." As the ends of the earth have been brought to- gother, through the extension of commercial mtcrcourse and that magnificent system of colonization which is the leading feaiurc of modern histoiy, he is no longer obliged to masquerade m he dis- cuises of other races than his own, but bears about him the dis- tinguishing stamp of his nationality. He is thun ess truly ^ cos- mopolite than his prototype of two centuries back, ^nd^^^J^ 1^^« delineations of nature are in most cases as exact and faithful as possible, he gives us less of that intrinsic human nature which lends such a charm to the story of the latter. There are some exceptions it is true, the most remarkable of whom is M. Hue, who exhibits all the simplicity and sincerity of the early Jesuit missionaries ; and the reader can not help being impressed with the conviction that he tells us nothing which he does not himself honestly ^ But in the accuracy of their observations the travelers of modem times are pre-eminently distinguished. It is no longer the testimony of a pair of eyes which is offered to us ; it is also the con- firmation of instruments as unerring as natural laws, which photo- eraph for us the climate, the conformation, the scenery, and the Sbitants of distant lands. Mountains have been measured and the enormous abysses of the ocean sounded; «^-P« ^ ^<> ^^^ an unmeaning plane surface, but the central piatoaus of cent nents and the terraces of mountain ranges take then: proportionate levels , Ist^Les which formerly displayed but the imperfect resemblance of a child' attempt at drawing, have now the clear and certa m outiine, the perfect profile of an artist's hand, and every feature in Jhe panorama of our globe is growing into new and l>eautiM <^ - tinctnTs These vast results are exclusively the product of our Iw day. Humboldt, the founder of Physical Geography, stiU S^s to rejoice over the discoveries of each successive year ; Agassiz, XLTrranged the geographical distribution of the animal king- mMMM PREFACE. IX their readiness lost of them to oocl ; yet iiiany fully confirmed instance where of willful fab- haracterized by re interested in llustrating some jns, hydras, and )een brought to- course, and that ading feature of erade in the dis- out him the dis- Icss truly a cos- ;k, and while his t and faithful as tture which lends some exceptions, , who exhibits all lit missionaries ; th the conviction limself honestly the travelers of t is no longer the it is also the con- iws, which photo- scenery, and the en measured and laps are no longer laus of continents, )portionate levels ; jrfect resemblance clear and certain d every feature in and beautiful dis- lie product of our I Geography, still ive year ; Agassiz, f the animal king- I J doras, and Maury, who has sketched the inequalities of the beds of oceans, ascertained their currents, and organized the apparent chaos of the winds, live among us ; while a host of co-workers, in all parts of the world, arc daily contributing materials toward the perfection of those grand systems which attest the supremacy of Man over the material universe, and the majesty of that Divine Wisdom to which the order of creation moves. A comparison of the maps which we now possess with those of fifty years ago, will best illustrate the achievements of modern exploration. Within that time all the princ'^ml features of the geography of our own vast interior regions have been accurately de- termined ; the great fields of Central Asia have been traversed in various directions, from Bokhara and the Oxus to the Chinese Wall ; the half-known river systems of South America have been explored and surveyed ; the icy continent around the Southern Pole has been discovered ; the North- Western Passage, the ignis- fatuus of nearly two centuries, is at last found ; the Dead Sea is stripped of its fiibulous terrors ; the course of the Niger is no longer a myth, and the sublime secret of the Nile is almost wrested from his keeping. The Mountains of the Moon, sought for through two thousand years, have been beheld by a Caucasian eye ; an English steamer has ascended the Chadda to the frontiers of the great king- dom of Bomou ; Eyre, Leichhardt, and Sturt have penetrated the wilderness of Aiistralia ; the Russians have explored the frozen shores of Northern Siberia, and descended from Irkoutsk to the mouth of the Amoor ; the antiquated walls of Chinese prejudice have been cracked, and are fast tumbling down ; and the canvas screens which surrounded Japan have been cut by the sharp edge of American enterprise. Such are the principal features in the progress of modern discovery. What half-century, since the form of the earth and the boundaries of its land and water were known, can exhibit such a list of achievements ? The design of this book is to present a compact, yet as far as possible, a complete and satisfactory, view of these results. So far as I am aware, no work of the kind has yet been undertaken. When it was proposed to me by the publishers, to whom the original idea is due, I at once recognized its utility, and as the preparation of it, though involving a considerable amount of labor, was con- genial to my tastes and pursuits, I agreed to complete it previous to setting out on a new series of travels. As it was the object of the publishers to produce a work which should possess j)ermanent value as a book of reference, and yet be sufficiently popular in its arrangement to interest the great mass of readers, who desire some- PREFACE. X thing more than a dry statement of facts, while its cost should not place it beyond their reach, I decided to let each traveler tell his own story, mainly, confining my own labors to the nccessaiy con- densation, and to the selection and arrangement of the diiierent narratives. . . -i i x • i j The limits prescribed to mo rendered it impossible to include under the head of ''Travels," the many voyages of exploration which have been made during this ccntun^, and which have con- tributed so richly to its record of discoveries. Those of Ross, Parry, Cecile D' Urville, Wilkes, Beechy, and others, extendmg over lone, periods of time, would have required much space m order to present a complete summary of their results. I determined there- fore, to confine myself to the works of travel and exploration by land and oven in this field the material was so rich that to have in- cluded every traveler who has attained some distinction smce the beginning of this centuiy would have rendered necessary a much more barren and encyclopaedical arrangement than I have thought proper to adopt. The reader, who is interested in a, traveers achievements, naturally desires to hear them t<>ld ^ his own lan- guage and characteristic manner, and I preferred selecting the most prominent narratives-those which are, in some measure typical of the various fields of exploration-and omitting those which are of less importance, or the disclosures of which have been superseded bv later travelers. For the same reason, where the story of a man s travels is the story of his life, I have given the article a biographical character, as in the case of Burckhardt and Mungo Park Alex- ander von Humboldt, from the position he occupies, justifies the same departure from the original plan of the work. No com- plete and connected account of his journeys has ever yet been ^"^ Mvpriacipal difficulty has thus been the very richness of the materials at my disposal. I have taken great care to prevent the work of compilation from becoming mutilation-to distmguish be- tween that which is of limited or special importance, and that which possesses general interest and value. I can not suppose that I have always succeeded, and am prepared to hear my judgment questioned on many points. The general usefulness of the work, however, and the necessity for its preparation, may be conceded It contains fifty-five narratives, which, in their original form ot publication, embrace ninety volumes. Many of the works, includ- ing some of the greatest interest, have long been out of print ; many have never been republished in this country ; and a few have not been translated into EngUsh. Very few distinguished names i )st should not ,voler tell hia lecessary con- ' tho different bio to include if exploration lich have cou- )f Ross, Parry, ^tending over ice in order to rmined, there- exploration by lat to have in- ction since the iessary a much [ have thought in a traveler's in his own lan- icting the most jure, typical of je which are of Ben superseded tory of a man's s a biographical Park. Alex- es, justifies the ork. No corn- ever yet been richness of the 3 to prevent the distinguish be- ;ance, and that lot suppose that r my judgment 38 of the work, ay be conceded, riginal form of e works, includ- 1 out of print ; and a few have nguished names PREFACE. XI have been omitted. Most of the groimd traversed by Sir Alexander Burnes is covered by the narratives of Meyeiulorff and Lieutenant Wood ; I was prevented from describing the very interesting re- searches of Stephens in Central America and Yucatan, by the fact of their being copyright works ; and of Schombui^k's expensive work on Guiana, there is not a copy in this countiy, to my knowl- edge, and none to bo procured at present. With these exceptions, the list of travelers who have made important contributions to our knowledge of other countries and other races, will be found complete. I have, of course, been obliged to omit all works which do not in some degree partake of the character of exploration, however admirable in stylo or interesting in substance. There are also some works of the greatest interest in the course of publication, but which have not yet appeared. Foremost among these are the travels of Dr. Earth in Central Africa, which probably exceed in importance any previous labors in the same field. Dr. Krapf has not yet given to the world his account of the great African snow mountain of Kilimancljaro, which ho discovered in the year 1850. Anderson's visit to the great lake Ngami, in Southern Africa, is on the eve of publication, and Dr. Livingston, tho discoverer of this lake, is now on his return to Cape Town, from a daring journey of three years into the unknown interior. There is, therefore, the greater necessity now, when scarcely a year passes over without some interesting geographical discovery, of bringing together in a convenient form all that has hitherto been done, as an introduc- tion to and elucidation of what may be done hereafter. Of the essential interest of the various narratives it is unnecessary to speak. Many of them already constitute a portion of the household literature of the world, and are read wherever heroic endurance and unflincliing courage are held in esteem. It was thought best to arrange tho narratives in chronological order, although this rule has not been adhered to in all cases. Where there is a manifest connection between two or more separate exploring journeys— as in the case of Denham, Clapperton, and Lander — such connection has always been preserved. In some in- stances, also, several disconnected journeys over prescribed routes or in a special field of travel, have been grouped together under one head. To have introduced geographical distinctions, in addition, would have complicated the an-angement and required a greater expenditure of time than I have been able to devote to the work. I have endeavored to do the best allowed by the time and space at my disposal, and claim no further merit than that of the Mto 1 xn PRBPAOE. mosaic-worker Who arranges in a sj-mmetrical form the jewels placed ^^^"in neTrlv all instances the articles have been prepared from the original editions of the various works. For reference to a few volumes which I was unable to obtain, I am indebted to the Astov IndTiety Libraries of this city. My friend, Mr. Barclay Pennock afforded me much assistance in translating from the French and German, and in the abridgement of some of the narratives. The Tuts Sh which the woA is illustrated have been taken m aU cases from the original publications. The maps have been materiJly to the interest of the narratives to which they are prefixed. BAYARD TAYLOR. New York, July, 1866. jewels placed ired from the nco to n few I to the Astov slay Pennock, te French and ratives. The taken in all 58 have been believed, add iiich they are AYLOR. CONTENTS. PAQI lira AND TRATEIS op ALEXAimER VON HUMBOLDT, 19 Youth and Education, 19 Voyage to America, 23 Travels on the Orinoco, 33 Voyages on the Rio Negro and Oassiquiare, SO Return to Cumana, 66 Visit to Cuba, 69 Travels among the Andes, 60 Visit to Mexico and return to Europe, 1i Publication of his Works, 13 Journey through Russia, Siberia, and Tartary, 16 Humboldt's Later Years, 81 MuNOO Park's Travels in Western Africa, 93 Second Journey, 118 Lewis and Clarke's Jodrnbt to thb Paoitio Ocean, 129 Voyage up the Missouri, 129 Winter among the Mandans, 138 Journey across the Rocky Mountains, 142 Voyage down Lewis and Columbia Rivera^ 160 Winter on the Pacific Coast, 169 The Return Journey, Its Bubokhardt's Travels in Stbla, AtBioA, and Arabia, . ... 191 Travels in Syria, lOT Discovery of Petra, 206 Travels in Nubia and Ethiopia, 201 Journey to Mecca and Medina, 218 Belzoni's Explorations in Eoypt, 228 Cailliaud's Journey to the Libyan Oases, ETmopiA, and Sennaab, . , 246 Franklin's Overland Journey to the Polar Sea, 289 Meyendorit's Journey to Bokhara, 323 TiuKovsKi's Journey frou Siberia to Peetn, . ', 349 CooHRANE's Pedestrian Journey through Sibbru, 388 GOLOWNIN'S CAPnVTTY IN JAPAN, 411 Db Lasoaris's Secret Mission amono the Bedouins, 439 Denhau and Olapperton's Expedition to Central Afbioa, .... 463 Reception in Bomou, 469 Denham's Military Excursion to Mandara, 418 The Rainy Season in Bomou, 481 Excursions to Loggun and around Lake Tchad, 491 Olapperton's Journey to Sackatoo, 491 Return to Europe, 602 Olapperton's Second Journey to Sackatoo, 606 Return Journey of Richard Lander, ........ 618 - XIV CONTENTS. EXPLOHATIONS OF THE NiOEH, .... Discoveries of Richard and John Lander, Laird and Oklfleld'8 Voyages on the Niger, Narrative of Dr. Oldflold, Allep and Tiiompson'a Expedition, Moffat's Liff. in' Soutuerji Afuica, . Stdut's Kxplouatioxs in- Austraua, Journey to the River Darling, . Voyage down tlio Mornimbidgoo and Back's Ancrio Land Expedition, "Wellsted's Tuavels in Oman, EXPLOUATIOXS OF TUB WlIITE NiLE, Wcrac's Voyage, Dr. Kuoblcchor'a Voyage, Major IIauuis's Mission to Siioa, Parkyxs's Life in Aryhsinia, . "Wood's .Journey to the Oxcs • Fremont's Kxplorations op the Rocky Mountains and Caupobnia, Journey to the Rocky Mountains, Journey to Oregon and California, Hue's Travels in Tartary, Thibet, and China, . . . • Jo\irney through Tartary and Thibet Residonco at Lha-Saa, Journey from LUa-Ssa to Canton Fortune's Journeys to the Tea-Countries op China, Journey to the Green Tea Districts, Journey to the Bohea Mountains Recent Explorations in Australia, Eyre's Journey, Mitchell's Journey to Tropical Australia Lcichhardt's Overland Journey to Port Essington, Ltnoh's Exploration op the Dead Sea, Lataed's Explorations at Nineveh and Babylon, . First Excavations at Nineveh, Second Visit to Nineveh, Explorations of Babylon, . . • • .• Travels op Ida Pfeipfeb, Journey to Palestine, Journey to Iceland, First Journey around the "World, Second Journey around tho "World, . . Explorations of the Amazon River, ; Journey of Lieutenant Herndon, Journey of Lieutenant Gibbon, . Richardson's Travels in the Sahara, . . • • Richardson and Barth's Expedition to Central Africa, . . Dr. Barth's Journey to Adamowa Dr. Overwog's Exploration of Lake Tsad, Explorations in 1851 and 1862, Explorations of Drs. Barth and Vogel, Navigation of tho River Benue, Burton's Pilgrimage to Mecca Exploration op Loo-Choo, Report of Bayard Taylor, PAOK 623 623 643 650 603 661 681 681 681 696 616 G28 G28 642 649 666 683 697 697 706 727 727 760 754 763 , 763 767 773 773 . 776 786 . 796 809 . 809 816 . 822 827 . 827 834 . 838 844 . .861 861 . 860 871 . 886 895 . 897 900 . 903 905 . 909 916 . 916 S( "W N N Tj A T] Ci OfMHMM PAOI 623 623 643 650 6&3 661 681 681 681 696 615 628 C28 642 649 666 683 , 691 697 . 706 727 . 727 760 . 764 763 . 763 767 . 773 773 . 776 786 . 796 809 . 809 816 . 822 827 . 827 834 . 838 844 . .851 861 . 860 871 . 885 896 . 897 900 . 903 905 . 909 916 . 916 C0NTRNT8. XV LIST OF MAPS. South America, . Webterv Afiiica. Syria, etc., .... Nubia and Ethiopia, NoETHEK-v America, Part of Siueria and Monqolia. Part op Africa, The Nkier, .... Eastern Australia, Tartary, Tiiiuet, and China, Assyria The Amazon, .... Central Africa, , FAGE Illustrating llumboldCs Travels, , , .18 Mmi'jo Park's "... 92 " liurd-harJi'd " ... 190 " ' CaiUiaud's "... 244 " FraMin\s " ... 2a8 " Timkoiski's and Coctiraim'a Travels, 348 " DerJuvii and Gtapi>erton^a " 462 " iMnder's Explorations, . . . 623 " Sturt's "... 680 " line's Trareh, .... 726 " Layard's Explorations, . . 808 " Ilerrtdon and Gibbon's Explorations, 850 " liickardson and Earth's Expedition, 884 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Portraits op Distinouished Travelers {Frontispiece) Falls op Tequendama, 62 The Volcano op Cotopaxi, 64 Chimborazo, 67 Sultan Ali's Tent at Benowm loi Kamaua, J15 Excavated Tomb at Petba, 227 Fort Ekteeprise, 293 Wilberforcb Falls, 298 Lake Tchad, 470 BoDT-auARD of TUB Shekh op Bornou . . . . . , . . 473 Arrival at Mora, in Mandara, 480 Lancer op the Sultan op Beoharmi, 484 African Forest, 509 Scenery op the Lower Niger, 530 Abokko, 537 Lander's Grave 562 Mouth op the Niger 554 King Obi and his Wives, 655 The Model Farm 556 XVI CONTENTS. Junction of niE Mubrat and the Daklino, Andekhon's Falls, .... ViKW Seaward trom Montubal Island, Scenery or Oman, .... A Wandebino Afbican Tridb, . Warriors or Suoa, .... Adyssinian Warriors, .... An Abyssinian Lady op Fashion, Pekin, Sauuadciiiemda, The Hemp Palm, Chinese Tea-Caubier, ... Bottle-tree of Australia, Natives of Australia, The Mound op Nimroud (Nineveh), The Ruins op Babylon, Colossal Winged Lion, pbom Nineveh, ILLIMANI, niOHEST PEAK OF THE ANDES, Descendino the Rapids op the Madeira, Ghadames, The Wells op Mislah Ghat, TuK Demons' Palace .... nam 691 604 611 615 664 6C0 670 680 121 129 765 770 779 783 809 822 825 863 868 873 877 879 887 \ '^ VAOB 691 604 611 616 664 6C0 670 680 727 T29 766 770 779 783 800 822 826 , 863 868 . 873 877 . 879 887 LIFE AND TRAVELS or ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT." SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA, WSXQO, RUSSIA, SIBERIA, AND TARTARY, YOUTH AND EDUCATION. Alexander Von Humboldt, the oldest and most renowned of living travelers, was bom in Berlin, on the 14th of September, 1769. His youth was spent in the castle and park of Tegel, about nine miles north-west of that city— an estate which his father, Major Von Hum- boldt, purchased at the termination of the Seven Years' War, when ho was appointed chamberlain to Frederic the Great. The poet Goethe, when he accompanied the Duke of Saxe-Weimar to Berlin, m the year 1778, visited Tegel, and there saw the Major's two sons, Wilhelm and Alexander, who were then eight and ten years of age, but could scarcely recognize in them, at that time, his future friends and co-workers in the fields of literature and natural science. * Humboldt ia a traveled man of science, rather than a traveler. Hta passion for scientific investigation is, perhaps, even greater than his individual enjoymeut of new scenes and new experiences. Hence I have found it difficult to Obtain the material for a connected narrative of his travels and explorations. His " Personal Narmtive," which was written to supply this want, at the request of his friends, is a rich treasury of infor- mation, but contributes comparatively little to the end in view, and does not extend beyond his visit to Cuba, in the year 1801, The remaining portion I have been obliged to construct out of fragmentary descriptions scattered through his other works. Klencke's "Life of Humboldt,' on which I have relied for a concise statement of tho scientific re- suits of his travels, gives but the merest outline. The following are the principal works consulted : Humboldt's "Personal Narrative;" Humboldt's "Views of Nature" Hum- boldt's " Vuea des CordiUeres;" Humboldt's "New Spain;" Humboldt's "Kleinere Schr^. ten;" Humboldt's " Aaie CentraU;" Rose's "Jieite naeh den UraL" etc. (Joamev to the Ural) ; Klencke's " Life of Humboldt" r 20 LIFK AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. rli The brothers Humboldt were remarkably fortunate in the influences which surrounded them in early life. The question of educational reform was beginning to engage the attention of scholars and states- men ; the ideas of Rousseau, which had penetrated into Germany, had given rise to more rational and liberal pluis for the instruction of youth. The physical development of the scholar received its due share of atten- tion, and the study of natural science was considered of no less import- ance than that of metaphysics and the classics. The first tutor employed by Major Yon Humboldt for his sons was Campe (afterwards distin- guished as a critic and philologist), who had edited a German edition of Robinson Crusoe, and had written several books for children, con- taining imaginary narratives of travel and adventure. It is very prob- able that these books, and the conversation of their author, first excited the passion for travel in the mind of his youngest pupil. By him, and the tutors who succeeded him, the boys were carefully instructed ac- cording to their years, without doing violence to the individual bent of their natures. They were allowed to pursue different paths of study, aiding and illustrating each other's progress by the mutual communica- tion and discussion of what they had learned. Alexander soon began to show his inclination for the study of nature. In his eleventh year he received lessons in botany, and thenceforth devoted himself with ardor to that and kindred sciences. It was noticed, however, that his mind was slow to retain what was taught him ; his body was weak, and not until late in boyhood, after he had become more robust and vigorous, did he awake to a full consciousness of his powers. In the year 1786, the brothers entered the University of Frankfort- on-the-Oder, where they remained two years, and were then transferred to that of Gottmgen. Here Alexander, now in his nineteenth year, made the acquaintance of Blumenbach, the celebrated natural historian, and of George Forster, who, as naturalist, had accompanied Cook in his voyage around the globe. Through the friendship of .the latter, his longing for exploration and scientific discovery was confirmed and strengthened ; and he acquired that love of civil liberty, those humane and progressive ideas, which have made him, while the friend of mon- archs, the most liberal of citizens. Of the admiration which he felt for Forster, we have ample testimony in the second volume of " Cosmos," where he pays an eloquent tribute to his genius. " All that can give truth, individuality, and distinctiveness to the delineation of exotio nature, is united in his works." The brothers completed their studies in 1789. While Wilhelm, whose talents fitted him for political life, paid a visit to Paris, Alexan- der, in company with Forster, made his first scientific journey to the I^ine, through Holland, and to England in the spring of 1700; and this first experience became the subject of his first literary production. It appeared in the same year, under the title of " Mineralogical Obser- vations on some Basaltic Formations of the Rhine." After studying I '•i the influencea jf educational irs and states- Germany, had .ction of youth. share of atten- no less import- tutor employed erwards distin- Scrman edition r children, con- It is very prob- lor, first excited I. By him, and J instructed ac- iividual bent of paths of study, tual communica- ider soon began eleventh year he nself with ardor ir, that his mind 18 weak, and not ist and vigorous, ity of Frankfort- then transferred nineteenth year, natural historian, mied Cook in his »f ,the latter, his confirmed and ty, those humane le friend of mon- which he felt for ne of " Cosmos," yi that can give leation of exotio While Wilbelm, o Paris, Alexan- Jc journey to the ng of 1790 ; and erary productiwi. leralogical Obser- After studying t PLANS HIS AMERICAN JOURNEY. 21 book-keeping in a commercial institute in Hamburg, he removed to Freiburg, and became a student in the mining academy, where he re- mained until the spring of 1 792, when he received the appointment of superintendent of mmes in Franconia, an office which he held for the three following years. During this time he zealously prosecuted his mineralogical and botanical studies, and made various experiments on the physical and chemical laws of metallurgy. His mind, however, was unsatisfied with his position ; he was looking forward with impatience to the opportunity of prosecuting his investigations in broader and fresher fields, and the plan of his great American journey, which ap- pears to have been first made during his intimacy with Forstcr, pre- sented itself constantly to his imagination. In order to prepare himself for an undertaking of such magnitude, he made several visits to Swit- zerland and the mountains of Silesia, besides an official journey into I*rus8ian Poland. Thenceforth, this vision of transatlantic travel and exploration became the ruling aim of his life. He thus refers to it in the opening chapter of his " Personal Narrative :" — " From my earliest youth, I felt an ardent desire to travel into distant regions, seldom visited by Europeans. This desire is characteristic of a period of our existence when life appears an unlimited hori?on, and when we find an irresistible attraction in the impetuous agitation of the mind, and thu image of positive danger. Though educated in a country which has no direct communication with either the East or the West Indies, living amid mountains remote from coasts, and celebrated for their numerous mines, I felt an increasing passion for the sea and distant expeditions. Objects with which we are acquainted only by the animated narratives of travelers have a peculiar charm ; imagination wanders with delight over that which is vague and undefined ; and the pleasures we are de- prived of seem to possess a fascinating power, compared with which, all we daily feel in the narrow circle of sedentary life appears insipid." Resigning his office in 1795, Humboldt visited Vienna, where he associated himself with the celebrated Freieslebcn, and resumed the study of botany. He also occupied himself with galvanism, then just discovered, and planned a visit to the volcanic districts of Naples and Sicily, which he was unable to carry out, on account of the war. The death of his mother, and the disposition of the paternal estates, now called him away from his studies, and it was not until 1797 that he was able to make serious preparations for his American journey. In order to supply himself with ample means, he sold the large estate which he had inherited, and set aside the greater part of the proceeds for that object. But he was yet to encounter delays and obstacles, which would have exhausted the patience of a less enthusiastic person. The brothers had long talked of a journey to Italy in company, and it was decided to carry out this plan prior to Alexander's departure, but, on reaching Vienna, their progress was stopped by the war between France and Austria. Alexander spent the winter of 1797-8 in Salzburg, where he : 22 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. '1» 111 met with a gentleman who had visited Illjrria and Greece, and who was ardently desirous of making a journey to Egypt. The two enthusiasts matured a plan of ascending the Nile as far as the Nubian frontier, to be followed by an exploration of Palestine and Syria ; but the political aspects of Europe at this time prevented them from carryhig it into effect. In the spring, Humboldt, hearing that the French government was fitting out an exploring expedition, to bo dispatched to the southern hemisphere, under the conmiand of Captain Baudin, hastened to Paris, whither his brother had proceeded, after the peace of Campo Formio. Here he first met with M. Aimo Bonj)land, his future companion in South America, who had been appointed one of the naturalists of the expedition. They entered together on a course of preparatory study, while Humboldt, at the same time, united with the celebrated Gay- LuBsac, in making experiments to determine the composition of the at- mosphere. In addition to these labors, he found time to study the Arabii language. His intellectual activity appears to have been truly remark- able, and there was scarcely any branch of knowledge, which could even remotely increase his qualifications for the great task before him, of which he did not make himself master. Baudin's expedition was given tip, on account of the renewed prospect of war. But the spirit of travel was now thoroughly implanted in Hum- boldt's heart, and he at once set about forming new plans. Being offered passage from Marseilles to Algiers, in a Swedish frigate, which was dis- patched on a special mission to the latter country, he conceived the idea of passing through Barbary to Egypt, and there joining the French scientific mission, which accompanied the army of Napoleon. Ho also proposed to visit 3Iecca, if possible, and to extend his travels through Persia to India. In these plans uo was seconded by Bonpland, who joined company with him, and in the autumn of 1798 they both pro- ceeded to Mareeilles, t" await the arrival of the Swedish frigate. Here, again, ihey were doomed to disappointment. Aft;er waiting two months, they learned that the frigate had been inj tried in a storm on the coast of Portugal, and would not arrive until the following spring. During a visit to Toulon, Humboldt saw the fiigata La JBoudeitse, which had been commanded by Bongainville in his voyage around the world. He says : " I can not describe the impression made upon my mind by the sight of the vessel which had carried Commerson to the islands of the South Sea." Rather than remain inactive iil Marseilles, the two friends resolved to pass the winter in Spain. They proceeded, by way of Bar- celona, to Madrid, making astronomical observ-ations and barometrical measurements on the road. On arriving at the capital, they found that the accident to the Swedish frigate was the best fortune which could have befallen them. The Saxon embassador informed Humboldt that under the administration of the enlightened minister, Urquijo, he might obtain permission to travel in Spanish America, a permission which, through the jealousy of Spain, had hitherto been obtained with gi-eat , and who was wo enthusiasts an frontier, to ut the political irrying it into ;h government the southern tened to Paris, Jampo Formio. companion in ituralists of the paratory study, :elebrated Gay- isition of the at- tudy the Arabia n truly remark- hich could even before him, of mewed prospect planted in Ilum- ). Being offered , which was dis- nceived the idea ing the French loleon. Ho also travels through Bonpland, who they both pro- i frigate. Here, ing two months, jrm on the coast ring. Daring a euse, which had the world. He my mind by the le islands of the I, the two friends by way of Bar- ind barometrical they found that tune which could Humboldt that rquijo, he might ermission which, ,uncd with gi'eat DEPARTURE FOR AlCERICA. 23 difficulty, and always accompanied with restrictions, which greatly di- minished its value. Humboldt thus relates the result of his application : "I was presented at the court of Aranjuez in March, 1790, and the king received me graciously. I explained to him the motives which led me to undertake a voyage to the New World, and the Philippine Islands, and I presented a memoir on the subject to the Secretary of State. Seflor de Urquijo supported my demand, and overcame every obstacle. I ob- tained two passports, one from the first Secretary of State, the other from the Council of the Indies. Never had so extensive a permission been granted to any traveler, and never had any foreigner been honored with more confidence on the part of the Spanish government." VOYAGE TO AMERICA. Orerflowing with joy at the unhoped-for realization of desires which he had cherished for nine years, and full of the anticipation of adventure and discovery in the New World, Humboldt lefl Madrid in May, 1 799, accompanied by Bonpland, and proceeded to Corunna, on the north- western coast of Spain, where the corvette Pizarro, bound for Havana and Mexico, was lying. The captain was ordered, not only to receive the travelers on board, and provide a safe place for their astronomical instruments, but also to touch at the port of Orotava, in the Canaries, and allow them time to ascend the peak of Teneriffe. Corunna was at that time blockaded by an English fleet, owing to which cause the sail- ing of the Pizarro was postponed from day to day, but in the beginning of June a violent storm obliged the three hostile vessels to make for the open sea, and on the fifth the corvette hoisted her anchors, and safely slipped away. The moment so impatiently looked forward to, through so many years, was come at last : aflcr so much severe study, so much devotion to his object, such rich and various preparation, Humboldt, now thirty years of age, entered on the magnificent task, which he con- sidered the great work of bis life, and the tbimdation of his fame as a man of science. No man was ever better prepared, both by nature and by cultivation, for such an undertaking, or better deserved success by the patience and enthusiasm with which he overcame the obstacles in the way of its accomplishment. But the beginnings of success are al- ways clouded with doubt and uncertainty, and when the irrevocable step had been taken, he experienced that sense of depression common to all travelers on first setting out, and he thus wrote: "The moment of leaving Europe for the first time, is attended with a solemn feeling. We in vain summon to our minds the frequency of the communication be- tween the two worlds ; we in vain reflect on the great facility with which, from the improved state of navigation, we traverse the Atlantic, which, compared to the Pacific, is but a larger arm of the sea ; the senti- ment we feel when we first undertake so distant a voyage, is not the less > I «; 24 LIFE AND TBAYELS OF HUlfBOLDT \t I :ii f accompanied by a deep emotion, nnlike any other impreaaon we have hitherto felt Separated from the objects of our dearest affections, enter- ing in some sort on a new state of existence, we are forced to fidl back on oar own thoughts, and we feel within ourselves a dreariness we have never known before." The light of a fisher's hut at Sisarga, glimmering like a star on the horizon, was his last glimpse of Europe. He and B<»i- pland leaned over the nul, watchbg it until it disappeared. '' Oh,'* he exclaimed, years afterward, "those impressions will never be erased from my memory ! How many recollections does not one bright spot, shining unsteadily over the agitated waves in the darkness of night, and pointing out the shores of our native earth, recall to the imagination 1'* At sunset, on the 8th of June, the English fleet was seen from the mast-head, and the course of the Pizarro was immediately altered. For some days no lights were allowed on board after dark, for fear of de- tection, and the travelers were obliged to use dark lanterns in consulting the thermometer. Nothing could have surpassed the enthusiasm with which they prosecuted their scientifio investigations. In Humboldt's narrative, the romance of travel is wholly lost sight of in the zeal of the philosopher. No sooner had he left the land than he began to speculate on the currents of the sea, and to measure their force and direction. He fished up medusas, or sea-nettles, galvanized them, and tested their oar pacity to emit light ; he was enchanted with the beauty of the nights, but noi too much so to make astrcaomical observations ; ho admired the brilliant az ire of the tropical sky, and measured its intensity of color with a cyanik>si<4ter ; and when the island of Lancerote, one of the Cana- ries, came in sight, he immediately took the angle of altitude of its highest peak. So far from being insensible to the influences of nature, few travelers have enjoyed them with a keener zest, but hih glance never rests long upon a beautiful scene without going behind its outward features, to speculate upon the geognostic laws which they illustrate. His " Personal Narrative" is therefore a record of his scientifio observa- tions rather than of his individual experience and adventure. On approaching the island of Teneriffe, the weather was so hazy that the peak was invisible, greatly to Humboldt's disappointment. This circumstance, however, proved to be very fortunate ; for after entering the harbor of Santa Cruz, early on the morning of the 10th of June, the mist cleared away, and the first rays of the sun which illuminated the famous peak, revealed also four English vessels lying at anchor. Thus narrowly did the travelers escape being carried back to Europe, at the outset of their journey ! On account of the blockade, the captain gave them notice that he could only remain four or five days, and they hast- ened to the town of Orotava, where they procured guides to ascend the peak. They first visited the celebrated dragon-tree, the trunk of which they found to be forty-five feet in circumf '<-'>r><',gan to speculate id direction. He tested their ear ity of the nights, ; ho admired the nteuMty of color one oftheCana- )f altitude of its uences of nature, I hit! glance never lind its outward h they illustrate, sdentific observar iture. her was so haiy )pointment. This ifor after entering 19thof June, the )h illuminated the at anchor. Thus to Europe, at the the captain gave ys, and they hast- ides to ascend th0 »e trunk of which the great age of rs it to be one of le says, "forcibly 1 ASCENT OF TENERIFFK. 26 exemplifies that eternal youth of nature, which is an inexhaustible source of motion and of life." Leaving Orotava, Humboldt and his companion took a stony road through a forest of chestnut-trees, continued their ascent to an elevated plateau, called the Plain of Jietama (a flowering shrub), and before night succeeded in reaching a kind of cavern, called the English Halt, nearly ten thousand feet above the sea. Though in the midst of sunmier, and under an African sky, they suffered much from cold, the thermometer falling to 41°. Humboldt thus describes their lodging-place. " Our guides made a large fire with the dry brandies of retama. Having neither tents nor cloaks, we lay down on some masHcs of rock, and were singularly incommoded by the flame and smoke which the wind drove toward us. We had attempted to form a kind of screen with cloths tied together, but our inclosure took fire, which we did not perceive till the greater part had been consumed by the flames. Wo had never passed a night on a point so elevated, and we then little im- agined that we should, one day, on the ridge of the Cordilleras, inhabit towns higher than the sununit of the volcano we were to scale on the morrow. A strong northerly wind chased the clouds ; the moon, at intervals, shooting through the vapors, exposed its disc on a firmament of the darkest blue ; and the view of the volcano threw a majestic char- acter over the nocturnal scenery. Sometimes the peak was entirely hid- den from our eyes by the fog, at other times it broke upon us in terrific proximity ; and, like an enormous pyramid, threw its shadow over the clouds rolling beneath our feet." At three o'clock in the morning they lighted fir-torches, and started on their journey to the summit. They reached the Malpays — a stony plain out of which rises tho volcanic cone — in time to witness the rising of the sun. By means of a telescope and chronometer, Humboldt ascertained that the time which the disc occupied in mounting above the horizon, was eight minutes and one second. He was half an hour in scaling the cone, the height of which above the plain is only five hundred and seventy feet, but finally reached the summit, one thousand nine hundred and four toises — twelve thousand one hun- dred and seventy-four feet — above the sea, at eight o'clock. Here, seated on a block of lava, he overlooked a portion of the earth's surface, equal in dimensions to one fourth of the kingdom of Spain. In the transpa- rency of the air he could distinguish not only the houses, the sails of vessels, and the trunks of trees, far below, but even the differences of color in the vegetation. " The volcano seemed to overwhelm with its mass the island which serves as its base, as it shot up from the bosom of the waters to a height three times loftier than the region where the clouds float in summer. If its crater, halfextinguished for ages past, shot forth flakes of fire like that of Stromboli in the ^olian Islands, the Peak of Teneriffe, like a light-house, would serve to guide the mariner in a circuit of more than two hundred and sixty leagues." After having bottled some air for analysis, and collected some crystals of sulphur, bedewed with sulphuric acid, which destroyed part of Hum- ■•• 26 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. \i boldrs mincralogical journal, the travelers began their dosoent. The cold and violent wind often obliged them to seek shelter under the rocks. Their hands and faces were nearly frozen, while their boots were burned by the hot ashes. The guides threw away their specimens, drank their wine, and broke their water-jars. They met with no further accident, however, and before night reached Orotava. This ascent of the Peak of Tcneriffo, although it occupied but two days, was most important in its results. The observations made by Humbdldt gave him the first idea of those researches into tho geographical distribution of plants and an- imals, which entitle him to rank as the founder of this branch of cos- mography. He perceived that the inorganic forms of nature, such as mountains and rocks, resemble each other in the most distant parts of tho world, Avhile the organic forms — plants and animals — vary according to climate, character of the soil, altitude above the sea, and other local influences. From observing tho circles of vegetation on Teneriffe — rising from tho cocoa-palm on tho sea-shore, through the regions of chestnut, heath, and fir, to the fragrant retama at the base of the crater — he was led to renew his investigations on the slopes of tho Andes. On the 25th of June they sailed from Santa Cruz, and some days after- ward passed through the Sargasso Sea — a part of the ocean covered with immense beds of sea-weed, among which stems have been found eight hundred feet in length, and which, floating on the surface, give the sea the appearance of a vast inundated meadow. The appearance of the nocturnal heavens, as tho ship proceeded southward, excited anew the enthusiasm of tho travelers. " Nothing," writes Humboldt, " awakens in the traveler a livelier remembrance of the immense distance by which he is separated from his country, than the aspect of an unknown firma- ment. A traveler needs not to be a botanist, to recognize the torrid zone by tho mere aspect of its vegetation. Without having acquired any notions of astronomy, he feels he is not in Europe, when he sees the immense constellation of the Ship, or the phosphorescent Clouds of Magellan, arise on the horizon. The heavens and tho earth — every thing in the equinoctial regions — present an exotic character. We saw distinctly for the first time the Southern Cross only on tho night of tho 4th of July, in the sixteenth degree of latitude. It was strongly inclined, and appeared from time to time between the clouds, the center of which, furrowed by nncondcnsed lightnings, reflected a silvery light. If a tniveler may be permitted to speak of his personal emotions, I shall add, that on that night I cxperienoed the realization of one of the dreams of my early youth. " The two great stars which mark the sammit and the foot of the Cress, having nearly the same right ascension, it follows that the con- stellation is almost perpendicular at the moment when it passes the me- ridian. This circumstance is known to the people of every nation situated beyond the tropics, or in the southern hemisphere. It has been observed at what hour of the night, in different seasons, the Cross is OT. r dcscont. The under the rocks, ►ots were burned ncna, drank their further accident, cent of the Peak o8t important in him the first idea jf plants and an- is branch of cos- )f nature, such as t distant parts of s — ^vary according a, and other local m on Teneriffe — ;h the regions of base of the crater of the Andes, id some days after- 3ccan covered with ! been found eight rface, give the sea appearance of the I, excited anew the amboldt, "awakens 3 distance by which an unknown firma- ecognize the torrid lut having acquired )e, when he sees the lorescent Clouds of d the earth— every character. We saw ily on the night of lo. It was strongly he clouds, the center jcted a silvery light, jnal emotions, I shall of one of the dreams and the foot of the ■ollows that the con- hen it passes the me- jplc of every nation lisphere. It has been ; seasons, the Cross ia DEATH ON BOARD. 27 J erect or inclined. It is a timepiece which advances very regularly nearly four minutes a-day, and no other groiip of stars aflbrds to the naked cyo an observation of time so easily made. How often have wo hoard our guides exclaim in the savannahs of Venezuela, or in the desert extending from Lima to Truxillo, " Midnight is past, the Cross begins to bend !" How often those words reminded us of that affecting scone, whore Paul and Virginia, seated near the source of the river of Latanicrs, convorsod together for the last time, and whore the old man, at the sight of the Southern Cross, warns them that it is time to separate." The latter part of the voyage was not so fortunate as tlio first. A malignant fever broke out, which grew more serious the nearer the sliip approached the Antilles. On the 12th of July, Humboldt, who had taken obsei-vations of the latitude and longitude every day during the voyage, predicted that land would bo seen the next day before sunrise. The pilots, who depended mostly on the log for their reckoning, laughed at this, asserting that they would not make land for two or throe days ; but at six o'clock next morning, the welcome cry was given by a sailor at the mast-head. The land proved to bo the island of Tobago. The next day a young Asturian, nineteen years of age, fell a victim to the fovor, and his death seems to have produced a painfid impression upon the mind of Humboldt, who thus describes the occurrence: "We were assembled on the deck, absorbed in melancholy reflections. It was no longer doubtful, that the fever which raged on board, had assumed with- in the last few days a fatal aspect. Our eyes were fixed on a hilly and desert coast, on which the moon, from time to time, shed her light athwart the clouds. The sea, gently agitated, emitted a feeble phosphoric light. Nothing was heard but the monotonous cry of a few large sea- birds, flying toward the shore. A profound calm reigned over these solitary regions, but this calm of nature was in discordance with the painful feelings by which we were oppressed. About eight o'clock, the dead man's knell was slowly tolled. At this lugubrious sound, tho sail- ors suspended their labors, and threw themselves on their knees to offer a momentary prayer : an affecting ceremony, which brought to our re- mombrance those times, when the primitive Christians all considered themselves as members of tho same family. All were united in one com- mon sorrow for a misfortune which was felt to be common to all." Many of tho passengers, becoming alarmed, induced the captain to run into Cumana, a port on the north-eastern shore of Venezuela, and there land them, rather than continue their voyage in the Pizarro to Havana. Among them were Humboldt and Bonpland, who decided to visit Vene- zuela before proceeding to Mexico, and thus the epidemic which they at first regarded as a misfortune, became the accidental cause of their discoveries in tho regions of the Orinoco. To tho same circumstance they won also indebted for the preservation of their heo'tij, for the yel- low-fever was then prevailing in Havana, and many of the passengers who remained on board of the Pizarro, fell victims to it after their arrival. r V 28 LIFE AND TBAVBLS OF HUMBOLDT. "On the 16th of July, 1709, at break of day," says Humboldt, "wo beheld a verdant coast, of picturesque aspect. Tlic mountains of New Andalusia, half vailed by mists, bounded the horizon to the south. The city of Curaana and its castle appeared between groups of cocoa-trees. We anchored in the port about nine in the morning, forty-one days a^.cr our departure from Corunna ; the sick dragged themselves on deck to enjoy the sight of a land which was to put an end to their sufferings. Our eyes were fixed on the groups of cocoa-trees which border the river ; their trunks, more than sixty feet high, towered over every ob- ject in the landscape. The plain was covered with the tufts of cassia, caper, and those arborescent mimosas, which, like the pine of Italy, spread their branches in the form of an umbrella. The pinnated leaves of the palms were conspicuous on the azure sky, the clearness of which was unsullied by any trace of vapor. The sun wan ascendmg rapidly toward the zenith. A dazzling light was spread through the air, along the whitish hills strewed with cylindric cactuses, and over a sea ever calm, the shores of M-hich M'cro peopled with pelicans, herons, and fla- mingoes. The splendor of the day, the vivid coloring of the vegetable world, the forms of the plants, the varied plumage of the birds, all were stamped with the grand character of nature in the equinoctial regions." The captain of the Pizarro conducted the travelers to the Governor of the province, Sefior Emparan, who received them with great kind- ness, and by the public consideration which ho showed them, secured them a favorable reception in all parts of Venezuela. To their great astonishment, he asked them questions which denoted some scientific knowledge, and Humboldt declares, in his delight at this circumstance, "The name of liis native country, pronounced on a distant shore, would not have been more agreeable to the car of a traveler, than those words azote, oxyd of iron, and hygrometer, were to ours." The travelers hired a spacious house, in a situation favorable for astronomical observa- tions, and commenced their labors at once. " Overpowered at once by a great number of objects, we were somewhat embarrassed how to lay down a regular plan of study and observation. While every surround- ing object was fitted to inspire in us the most lively interest, our phys- ical and astronomical instruments in their turns excited strongly the curiosity of the inhabitants. We had numerous visitors ; and in our desire to satisfy persons who appeared so happy to see the spots of the moon through Dollond's telescope, the absorption of two gases in a eu- diometrical tube, or the cficcts of galvanism on the motions of a fi-og, we were obliged to answer questions often obscure, and to repeat for whole hours the same experiments." Humboldt found relaxation from these annoyances in botanizing, and in studying the manners and customs of the inhabitants. He was par- ticularly interested in the gigantic varieties of cactus, which, planted around the Spanish fortresses, formed an almost impenetrable chevaux- de-frise, while the moats, for further defense, were fiUed with swarms of al mmm )T. lumboldt, " wo intains of New he south. The i of cocoa-trees. y-ono days a^'vcr •lvc8 on deck to their Bufferings, lich border the I over every ob- ! tufts of cassia, B pine of Italy, pinnated leaves earness of which scending rapidly h the air, along I over a sea ever herons, and fla- of the vegetable le birds, all were inoctial regions." to the Governor with great kind- ed them, secured To their great 1 some scientific Ills circumstance, tant shore, would than those words 10 travelers hired lomical observa- rered at once by rassed how to lay every surround- nterest, our phys- ited strongly the itors ; and in our the spots of the two gases in a eu- lotions of a frog, ind to repeat for m botanizing, and nts. He was par- tis, which, planted netrable chevaux- d with swarms of EXCURSIONS AROUND CUMANA. 29 alligators. Among the customs of the inhabitants of Cumana, he de- scribes the following : " The children pass a considerable part of their lives in the water ; all the inhabitants, even the women of the most opulent families, know how to swim ; and in a country where ni.in is so near the state of nature, one of the first questions asked on meeting in the morning is, whether the water is cooler than it was on the preced- ing evening. One of the modes of bathing is curious. Wo every evening visited a family, in the suburb of the Guayquerias. In a fine moonlight night, chturs were placed in the water ; the men and women were lightly clothed, as in some baths of the north of Europe ; and the family and strangers, assembled in the river, passed some hours iti smoking cigars, and in talking, according to the custom of the country, of the extreme dryness of the season, of the abimdant rains in the neighboring districts, and particularly of the extravagances of which the ladies of Cumana accuse those of the Caracas and the Havanna. The company were under no apprehensions from the bavas, or small crocodiles, which are now extremely scarce, and which approach men without attacking them." Humboldt also directed his attention to the volcanic soil on which ho was living, and collected facts in relation to the earthquakes with which Cumana was frequently visited, in order to ascertain whether the di- rection and extent of the shocks was not regulated by some yet un- discovered law. On the 19th of August, the travelers embarked in a boat, on an ex-' cursion to the peninsula of Araya, and those districts formerly celebrated for the slave-trade and the pearl-fishery. They had now been two months in the tropics, and found the nights so cold as to prevent them from sleeping, although the thermometer did not fall below 70°. After visiting the castle of Araya, they were benighted on their way to an Indian >nllage. They were in a narrow path, with the sea on one side, and a perpendicular precipice on the other ; the tide was rising rapidly, but they insisted on stopping to observe the setting of Venus, in spite of the terror of their guide. After wading for nearly an hour through the water, they finally reached a hut where they were hospitably enter- tained. In the Indian village they found a Spanish shoemaker, who practiced medicine among the natives, and who, after delivering a long discourse on the vanity of human greatness, presented them with some small pearls, with the request that they would note the circumstance on their tablets. The next excursion made by Humboldt and Bonpland was to the mission in the mountains inhabited by the Chaymas Indians, a dis- trict filled with a wonderful animal and vegetable world, and a people living in the most primitive condition. Here they first beheld the splen- dors of tropical vegetation. "Walking fijr hours under a roof of foliage, through which the sky appeared of a deep indigo-blue, they saw the hanging nests of the oriole, and heard the screaming of parrots and macaws. '' When a traveler first penetrates into the forests of South 80 LIFK AND TUAVEL8 OF HUMBOLDT. fe America," nnyn IltiiabuUlt, "ho bcliolJs nature undi-r an unexpected aspect. He feels at every utep tliat lie U not on the conlines, but in the center of the torrid zone ; not in one of the West India Islands, but on a vast continent where every thing is gigantic — mountains, rivers, and the mass of vegetation. If he fuel strongly the beauty of picturesque Hcenery he can scarcely define the various emotions which crowd ujion his mind; he can scarcely distinguish what most excites his admiration — the deep silence of those solitudes, the individual beauty :uul contrast of forms, or that vigor and freshness of vegetable life which characterize the climate of the tropics. It might be said that the earth, overloaded with plants, does not allow tlicm space enough to unfold themselves. The tnuiks of the trees are everywhere concealed under a thick carpet of verdure ; and if we carefully transplanted the orchidea>, peppers, and the pothoses, nourished by a single American fig-tree, wo should cover a vast extent of ground. l>y this singular assemblage, the forests, as Avell as the flanks of the rocks and mountains, enlarge tlie do- mains of organic nature. The sanio parasitic vines Mhich creep on the ground, reach the tops of the trei's, and jiass from one to the other at the height of more than a hundred feet." The travelers were kindly received at the mission, although the old monk smiled sarcastically on seeing their books and instruments, and observed that there was no sat- isfaction in life equal to that of eating good beef In the village of •Arenas, they noticed a curious i)hysioIogical phenomenon, in the person of a Spanisli laborer, named Lozano, who had suckled a child with his own milk. The mother having fallen sick, the father, to quiet the infant, took it into his bed, and pressed it to his bosom. Lozano, then thirty- two years of age, had never before remarked that he had milk ; but the irritation of the nipple, sucked by the child, caused the accumulation of that liquid. The milk was thick and very sweet. The father, astonished at the. increased size of liis breast, suckled his child two or three times a day during five months. The travelers saw the certificate, Avhich had been drawn up on the spot, to attest this remarkable fact. They were assured that, during this suckling, the child had no other nourishment than the milk of his father. Humboldt and liis friend continued their journey to the ravine of Cucliivano, by a path infested with jaguars. From the caverns in this ravine smoke and flames are sometimes emitted. The inhabitants of this district prophesied an increase of earthquakes and other disturb- ances, from the .appearance of these flames — prophecies whicli were fully verified in the course of a few years. On the 12th of Septem- ber, after climbing the hills, they reached the principal mission of Caripe, where they spent sever.il calm and beautiful nights. " Nothing," s^ys Humboldt, " can be compared to the majestic tranquillity which the aspect of the firmament presents in this solitary region. When tracing with the eye, at night-fall, the meadows^vhich bounded the hor- izon, the plain covered with verdure .md gently undulated, we thought 1 • T. an unoxpocteu Lonfiiu'S, but in , IiuUa Isliuuls lie — uiountaiiH, tho beauty of emotions which most excites his ilividual beauty utablc Ufo which I that the earth, lOugh to unfolil ncoalcil under a d tho orchidea?, •ican fig-tree, wo assemblage, the , enlarge the do- lifh creep on the c to tho other at ■lers were kindly 1 sarcastically on there was no sat- in tho village of ion, in the person I a child with liis juict the infant, TllK OUACHARO CAVEUN. 81 zano, then thirty- ud milk ; but tho ) accumulation of father, astonished a or three times a .ficatc, which had fact. They were ther nourishment y to tho ravine of 10 caverns in this 'ho inhabitants of nd other disturb- ccies which wore 12th of Septem- ncipal mission of ghts. "Nothing," tranquillity which •y region. When bounded the hor- lated, we thought we Iteheld fioni nfur, as in the deserts of tho Orinoco, tlie surface of the ocean supptirting the starry vault of heaven. The tree under which wo were seated, the luminous insects ilyiiig in the air, the constellations which shone in the south ; every object seemed to tell us how fur wc were from our native land. If amid this exotic nature we heard from tho depth of tho valley the thikling of a boll, or tho lowing of herds, tho remembrance of our country was awakened su'ldenly. Tiie sounds were like distant voices resounding from beyond the ocean, and with magical power transporting us from one hemisphere to tho other. Strange mobility of tho imagination of man, eternal source of our enjoyments and our pains!" In tho valley of Caripc, the travelers visited the celebrated Guacharo Cavern, which had never been heard of in Europe. The entrance is on arch eighty feet wide and seventy-two feet high, out of which flows a small stream. The palms and arums on its banks were found glowing a hundred feet within the cavo. When tho light began to fail, they heard tho hoarse cries of the ffttacharo, a nocturnal bird, which they found to belong to ft genus previously unknown. Tho plum- age is of a dark bluish-gray, spotted with black, and tho wings, when spread, measure three feet and a half. Their food consists of nuts ond hard fruits, which they procure by night, retiring into tho cavo on tho approach of day. " It would bo difficult to form an idea of the horrible noise occasioned by thousands of these birds in the dark part of the cav- oni. Their shrill and piercing cries strike upon tho vaults of the rooks, and are repented by the subterranean echoes. Tho Indians showed us the nests of tho guacharos by fixing a torch to tho end of a long polo. The nests were fifty or sixty feet above our heads, in holes in the shape of funnels, with which tho roof of the grotto is pierced like a sieve. The noise increased as we advanced, and as the birds were scared by the light of tho torches of copal. When' this noiso ceased a few minutes around us, we heard at a distance the plaintive cries of tho birds roost- ing in other ramifications of tho cavern." They only succeeded in penetrating to tho distance of fifteen hundred feet, as tho Indians, who were timid and superstitious, refused to pro- ceed further. Humboldt estimates the entire length of the cavern at two thousand eight hundred feet, or a. little more than half a mile. On tho 22d of September, having collected their specimens, they set out on their ret<"Ti, crossing the mountain of Santa Maria, by a dangerous path along th( edges of precipices and through dense forests, where they obs(!rved many varieties of monkeys. Humboldt remarked that these animals seem tho more depressed and melancholy the nearer they re- semble man — that in proportion to the increase of their apparent reason- ing faculties, tlieir impetuous sprightliness diminishes. Tlie travelers finally arrived at tho port of Cariaco, where a contagious fever had broken out, and they, therefore, embarked speedily for Cumana, twelve leagues distant. While studying the character of the Chaymas, and other Indian tribes, on this journey, Humboldt noticed their habit of as- i 82 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. senting to whatever is said to them — a habit which taught him to be cautious, thenceforth, in accepting statements made by the natives. To put an Indian alcalde to the proo^ he asked him one day, whether he did not think the little river of Caripe, which issues from the cavern of the Guacharo, returned into it on the opposite side by some unknown entrance, after having ascended the slope of the mount^n. The Indian seemed gravely to reflect on the subject, and then answered, by way of supporting Humboldt's hypothesis : " How else, if it were not so, would there always be water in the bed of the river at the mouth of the cavern ?'♦ The travelers decided to remain another month at Cumana, to pre- pare for their intended journey to the Orinoco and the Rio Negro, and to observe an eclipse of the sun, on the 27th of October. On the even- ing preceding that day, however, they met with an adventure which came near terminating their travels. They were strolling along the beach in the evening, when Humboldt, hearing some one walking be- hind him, turned and saw a tall Zambo (mongrel negro and Indian), who held over his head a great club of palm-tree wood. . He thus de- scribes what followed: "I avoided the stroke by leaping toward the left ; but M. Bonpland, who walked on my right, was less fortunate. He did not see the Zambo so soon as I did, and received a stroke above the temple, which leveled him with the ground. We were alone, with- out arms, half a league from any habitation, on a vast plain bounded by the sea. The Zambo, instead of attacking me, moved off slowly to pick up M. Bonj^and's hat, which, having somewhat deadened the violence of the blow, had fallen off and lay at some distance. Alarmed at seeing my companion on the ground, and for some moments senseless, I thought of him only. I helped him to raise himself and pain and anger doubled his strength. We ran toward the Zambo, who, either from cowardice^ common enough in people of this caste, or because he perceived at a dis- tance some men on the beach, did not wait for us, but ran off in the direc- tion of a little thicket of cactus. He chanced to &11 in running ; and M. Bonpland, who reached him first, seized him round the body. The Zambo drew a long knife ; and in this unequal struggle we should in- fallibly have been wounded, if some Biscayan merchants had not come to our assistance. The Zambo again ran away and we pursued him through the thorny cactuses. At length, tired out, he took shelter in a cow-house, whence he suffered himself to be quietly led to prison. M. Bonpland was seized with fever during the night ; but endowed with great energy and fortitude, he continued his labors the next day. The stroke of the club had extended to the top of his head, and he felt its effect for the space of two or three months during the stay we made at * Caracas." After having observed the eclipse, Humboldt's attention was directed to a reddish mist, which covered the sky for some minutes every even- ing. Other remarkable phenomena soon followed : the mist grew denser, m mc trip rain;^ totl racts maini are; and five inbol the tweed threal daunil everj valual severs acas experl "Wei "^ EARTHQUAKE— JOURNEY TO THE ORINOCO. 83 ught him to be ,he natives. To day, whether he [Q the cavern of some unknown un. The Indian ered, by way of sre not so, would ,e mouth of the Cumana, to pre- ) Rio Negro, and r. On the even- adventure which rolUng along the , one walkmg be- ;gro and Indian), jod. He thus de- Biping toward the less fortunate. He ed a stroke above I -were alone, with- pHn bounded by I off slowly to pick ened the violence Alarmed at seeing enseless, I thought and anger doubled er from cowardice, I perceived at a ^»- ranoffinthedireo- a running ; and M. d the body. The ggle we should in- ants had not come d we pursued him he took shelter in a led to prison. M. )ut endowed with the next day. The ead, and he felt its he stay we made at tention was cUrected minutes every even- le mist grew denser. the hot night air was inodorous, the sea-breezes failed to blow, and the sky was colored like fire. On the 4th of November, in the afternoon, two violent shocks of an earthquake occurred. The travelers were greatly impressed by this new experience, but immediately arranged tiieir electrical apparatus, and commenced their experiments. Hum- boldt's remarks upon the sensations produced by an earthquake are strikingly true, as every person who has felt the shock of one can testify. He says : '* From our infancy, the idea of certain contrasts becomes fixed in our minds: water appears to us an element that moves; earth, a motionless and inert mass. Tliese impressions are the result of daily experience ; they are connected ■with every thing that is transmitted to us by the senses. When the shock of an earthquake is felt, when the earth which wc had deemed so stable is shaken on its old foundations, one instant suffices to destroy long-fixed illusions. It is like awakening from a dream ; but a painful awakening. We feel that we have been deceived by the apparent stability of nature ; we become observant of the least noise ; we mistrust for the first time the soil we have so long trod with confidence. But if the shocks be repeated, if they become frequent during several successive days, the uncertainty quickly disap- pears. Confidence easily springs up in the human breast : on the coasts of Pern we become accustomed to the undulations of the ground, as the sailor becomes accustomed to the tossing of the ship, caused by the motion of the waves." TRAVELS ON THE ORINOCO. On the 1 8th of November, the travelers left Cumana on a coasting trip to Laguayra, intending to remain in Caracas until the end of the runy season. They then proposed crossing the great plains, or llanoa, to the missions of the Orinoco ; to ascend that river, south of its cata- racts, and ascertwi its reported connection with the Rio Negro— the main northern tributary of the Amazon — ^by means of the Rio Cassiqui- arc ; and afterward to descend the Orinoco to the town of Angostura, and recross the plains to Cumana. This was a journey of nearly twenty- five hundred nules, two thirds of which they would be obliged to make in boats, through a country almost entirely unknown. The monks were the real masters of the Orinoco country, and no intercourse existed be- tween their mianons and the cities on the coast. The colonists painted in threatening colors the dangers they would encounter, but nothing could daunt the zeal and intrepidity of Humboldt and Bonpland. They received every assistance from Sefior Emparan, the governor, and derived much valuable information firom Fray Juan Gonzalez, a monk wiio had spent several years at Esmeralda, on the upper Orinoco. On departing for Car- acas th^y first realized how powerftil an influence their first four months' experience of tropical life and scenery had produced upon their minds. " We quitted the shore of Cumana," says Humboldt, " as if it had long 3 r 84 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. been our homo. Tliis was the firat land we had trodden in a zone toward which my thoughts had been directed from earliest youth. There is a powerful charm in the impression produced by the scenery and climate of these regions ; and after an abode of a few months we seemed to have lived there during a long succession of years. In proportion as impres- sions are powerful and new, they weaken antecedent impressions, and their force imparts to them the character of duration. I appeal to those who, more sensible to the beauties of nature than to the charms of soci- ety, have long resided in the torrid zone. How dear, how memorable during life, is the land on which they first disembarked I A vague desire to revisit that spot remains rooted in their minds to the most advanced age. Cumana, and its dusty soil, are still more frequently present to my imagination than all the wonders of the Cordilleras. Beneath the bright sky of the south, the light, and the magic of the aerial hues, embellish a land most destitute of vegetation. The sun does not merely enlighten, it colors the objects, and wraps them in a thin vapor, which, without changing the transparency of the air, renders its tints more harmonious, softens the effects of the light, and diffuses over nature a placid calm, which is reflected in our souls." Reaching Laguayra on the 2l8t, Humboldt found the yellow fever raging violently, and without halting in the town, ascended to Ca- racas, by the mountain road, which he compares to the passage of the St. Gothard, in Switzerland. In the latter city, at an elevation of 2,500 feet above the sea, he found a climate of perpetual spring. He took a house in a quarter of the city, which, during the great earthquake of 1812, was as completely destroyed as if a rauie had been sprung beneath. Here the travelers remained two months, charmed with the society of the place, although the weather was unfavorable for their astronomical observations. The nights were generally cloudy, and Humboldt resorted to the theatre, where, as there was no roof over the pit, he could watch, as he sat in his box, for the appearance of Jupiter. The only excursion made during this residence was to the summit of the Silla {saddk) of Caracas, which none of the inhabitants' had ever ascended. Sixteen persons offered to accompany the expedition, for the sake of novelty, and the party started on the 22d of January, 1800, on a day when, on account of the low clouds, they could calculate on a clear atmosphere. Leaving the foot of the Silla in tha morning, they found the path very steep and fiitiguing. The ground was covered with short grass, which afforded no firm footing, while thin vapors arose from the forest, and announced an approaching mist. Humboldt's companions lost courage and showed some signs of beating a retreat, and the garrulity of the accompanying negroes contrasted strongly vfith the taciturnity of ^the Indians, who had been his guides among the Chaymas moimtains. They mocked the discouraged guides, and made themselves especially merry at a young Capuchin friar, who was, at the same time, professor of mathematics. When the company started, he imaguicd that he would m DT. in a zone toward uth. There is a nery and climate e seemed to have ortion as impres- impressionf?, and I appeal to those le charms of soci- , how memorable ! A vague desire lie most advanced tly present to my ieneath the bright I hues, embellish a merely enlighten, ar, which, without more harmonious, lire a placid calm, 1 the yellow fever , ascended to Ca- he passage of the I elevation of 2,500 spring. He took a reat earthquake of en sprung beneath. v'lth the society of ■ their astronomical Humboldt resorted )it, ho could watch, The only excursion he Silla (saoTdfe) of iscended. Sixteen he sake of novelty, , on a day when, on a clear atmosphere, found the path very 1 short grass, which pom the forest, and anions lost courage le garrulity of the the taciturnity of Jhaymas mounttuns. lemselves especially lame time, professor incd that he would ASCENT OF THE SILLA DE CARACAS. 85 snrpass all the rest in boldness and endurance ; he had even taken bits of wiiite paper with him, that he, as the foremost of the climbers, might throw them down to show the way to the others. He had also promised the monks of his order to fire some rockets from the top of the mount- ain, in order to announce his success to the inhabitants of Caracas. But this boaster, encumbered in the ascent by his long gown, soon lost both his strength and courage, and stopped at a plantation, whence he watched Humboldt and the others through a telescope. The party moved on toward the eastern part of the Silla, which terminates in two rounded peaks. Their journey now became very difficult on account of the fog, and the necessity of using both hands and feet in climbing the steep and slippery ascent. At the height of five thousand five hundred feet, they were surprised by the sight of a palm forest, within which Humboldt found a greater variety of plants in a small space, than in any other part of the world. After further climbing, during which the mer- cury sank to 51°,. and they suffered from the cold, they reached the hol- low between the two peaks, called the " Saddle." The luxuriant vegeta- tion here made it extremely difficult to find a path, which had to be hewn with knives and axes. A dense mist clung around them, and at every step the danger was incurred of coming suddenly upon the brink of the tremendous precipice, and fiiUing six thousand feet into the sea. They made a halt, to await the arrival of some negroes with provi- sions, but the meal was very sparing, as they had only olives and a little bread. Even the guides had lost all courage, and were with great diffi- culty prevented from returning. It was now two o'clock in the after- noon, and Humboldt determined to reach the summit of the eastern peak before sunset, and pass the night in the hollow below. The ne- groes were sent back, with orders to meet him on the following day, with more satisfactory provender than olives. Scarcely had these pre- parations been made, when the east wind arose, dispersing the clouds in less than two minutes. The two peaks of the Silla, covered only with grass and low bushes, seemed astonishingly near. In order to reach the highest peak, they were obliged to approach the steep precipice hanging over the sea, but the obstacles from vegetation decreased as they ascended. In three quarters of an hour they stood upon the eastern summit, eight thousand six hundred and thirty-two feet above the sea, which expanded before their eyes with a radius of a hundred miles. The western peak hid from their view the city of Caracas, but the vast extent of tropical forests, villages, coffee plantations, and the silver windings of the Guayra River, filled them with rapture. It has been stated that in looking from the Silla over the Carribean Sea, Humboldt observed that rare and remarkable sight, the visible convexity of the earth, but this circumstance is not mentioned in his " Personal Nar- rative," where ho thus describes the view : " Following with the eye the surface of the sea, which was smooth as glass, we were struck with the progressive diminution of the reflected light. Where the visual ray 36 LIFK AND TBAVBLS OF HUMBOLDT. touched tho lost limit of that aorface, the water was lost among the superposed strata of air. This appearance has something ui it very extraordinary. We expect to see the horizon level with the eye ; but, instead of distinguishing at this height a marked limit between tho two elements, the more distant strata of water seem to be transformed in'.o vapor, and mingled with the atrial ocean. I observed the same appear- ance, not in one spot of the horizon alone, but on an extent of more than a hundred and sixty degrees, along the Pacific, when I found myself for the first time on the pointed rock that commands the crater of Hchin- cha; a volcano, the elevation of which exceeds that of Mont Blanc." At half past four o'clock, having finished their scientific observations, the travelers descended to the palm forest. They were botanizing when the night overtook them; the guides who carried the instruments went away, one by one, to seek a sleeping place among tho rooks, and it was not until nearly midnight that Humboldt and Bonpland, overcome with hunger and £itigne, reached tho lower valley. After a descent of six hours, they agsuu arrived at the plantation at the foot of the mountain. The inhabitants of Caracas had witnessed their success through telescopes. On the Vth of Febraary, they commenced their journey into tho interior. Instead of proceeding directly across the steppes, or llanos, to the Orinoco River, they selected a longer route by way of the valley of Aragoa, and the hot springs of Mariara, to the Lake of Valencia; thence across the llanos to San Fernando, on the Apure River, and down that river to the Orinoco. On their way to the Lake of Valencia, they visited a tree called zamanff, a variety of the mimosa, the boughs of which formed a hemisphere five hundred and seventy-six feet in circum- ference, and so regular that on measuring several diameters, Humboldt found them to vary only from one hundred and eighty-six to one hundred and ninety-two feet. He considered this tree as old as the dragon-tree of Teneriffe. It is held in such high regard that a man, who cut off a branch, was tried and condemned for the act. In tho colonies of Cura, the travelers passed several days after the manner of the natives^ taking two baths, three meals, and three sleeps every twenty-four hours. After visiting the hot springs of Mariara, they journeyed six days to the town of New Valencia, traveling only by night, on account of the great heat. At the hot ^rings of Trinchera, they were surprised to find arums and fig-trees growing in water which had a temperature of 176°. From Valencia they descended to Porto Cabello, on the coast, where they remained until the 1st of March, and then commenced their journey to the plains of the Orinoco. In the valley of Aragua, Humboldt first saw the celebrated " cow-tree," the existence of which be had previously doubted, and of which he gives the following beautiftil description : ** When incisions are made in the trunk of this tree, it yielis abundance of a glutinous milk, tolerably thick, devoid of all acridity, and of an agreeable and balmy smell. It was offered to us in the shell of a oala- bash. We drank considerable quantities of it in the evening before we i< servei made What merel; anoth( the hu that nt is appr matter ancient I ofveg{ ' the pro receive raent ci solemn wrappei table ju nature, dry lea^ For sev Its bran flows fr< that this \ are then receive f empty tl their chi In cr llanos, th lodged w charactei recited tl names of agreeable employee emperors the gout. t among the 5 ill it very ,he eye ; but, jireen the two sformcd in'o same appear- , of more than nd myself for ler of Pichin- it Blanc." At jervotions, the ang when the ruments went jks, and it was overcome with descent of six rthe mountjun. ,ugh telescopes, umey into the 68, or llanos, to )f the valley of ^alencia; thence and down that Valencia, they the boughs of feet in circum- iters, Humboldt : to one hundred the dragon-tree , who cut off a foloniesofCura, natives; taking |ur hours. After lays to the town the great heat, find arums and of 175°. From •ast, where they their journey to aboldt first saw had previously [M description: ields abundance idity, and of an 5 shell of a oala- snmg before we DBSORIPTION OP THE COW-TRBB. 87 went to bed, and very early in the morning, without feeling the least injurious effect. The glutinous character of this milk alone renders it a little disagreeable. The negroes and the free people who work in the plantations drink it, dipping into it their bread of maize or cassava. Tlio overseer of the &rm told us that the negroes grow sensibly fatter during the season when the pcUo de vaca furnishes thorn with most milk. This juice, exposed to the air, presents at its surface membrdncs of a strongly animalizcd substance, yellowish, stringy, and resombling cheese. " Amidst the great number of curious phenomena which I have ob- served in the course of my travels, I confess there are few that have made so powerful an impression on me as the aspect of the cow-tree. Whatever relates to milk or to com, inspires an interest which is not merely that of the physical knowledge of things, but is connected with another order of ideas and sentiments. We can scarcely conceive how the human race could exist without fiirinaceous substances, and without that nourishing juice which the breast of the mother contains, and which is appropriated to the long feebleness of the infant. The amylaceous matter of com, the object of religious veneration among so many nations, ancient and modem, is diffused in the seeds, and deposited in the roots of vegetables ; milk, which serves as an aliment, appears to us exclusively the produce of animal organization. Such are the impressions we have received in our earliest infancy : such is also the source of that astonish- ment created by the aspect of the tree just described. It is not here the solemn shades of forests, the majestic course of rivers, the mountains wrapped in eternal snow, that excite our emotion. A few drops of vege- table juice recall to our n ..".ids all the powerfulness and the fecundity of nature. On the barren flank of a rock grows a tree with coriaceous and dry leaves. Its large woody roots can scarcely penetrate into the stone. For several months of the year not a single shower moistens its foliage. Its branches appear dead and dried ; but when the trunk is pierced there flows from it a sweet and nourishing milk. It is at the rising of the sun that this vegetable fountain is most abundant. The negroes and natives are then seen hastening fi*om all quarters, furnished with large bowls to receive the milk, which grows yellow, and thickens at its surface. Some empty their bowls under the tree itaelfj others carry the juice homo to their cluldren." In crossing the mountain-range between the valley of Aragua and the llanos, the travelers passed a night in the village of Guigue, where they lodged with an old sergeant, a native of Murcia, a man of a very original character. To prove to them that he had studied among the Jesuits, he recited the history of the creation of the world in Latin. He Vnew the names of Augustus, Tiberias, and Diocletian ; and while enjoying the agreeable coolness of the nights in an enclosure planted with bananas, he employed himself in reading all that related to the courts of the Roman emperors. He inquired of Humboldt with earnestness for a remedy for the gout, fi'ora which he suffered severely. " I know," said he, " a Zam- m Si J 88 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF nUMBOLDT. bo of Valencia, who could euro mo ; but the Zambo would expect to bo treated with attentions which I can not pay to a man of his color, and I prefer remaining as I am." On the 9th of March they commenced their journey on the groat plains. " The sun was almost at its zenith ; tho earth, wherever it appeared sterile and destitute of vegetation, was at the temperature of 120°. Not a breath of air was felt at the height at which we were on our mules ; yet, in tho midst of this apparent calm, whirls of dust incessantly arose, driven on by those small currents of air which glide only over the surface of the ground, and are occasioned by the difference of temperature between the naked sand and the spots cov- ered with grass. All around us the plains seemed to ascend to the sky, and the vast and profound solitude appeared like an ocean covered with sea-weed. On the horizon the earth was confounded with the sky. Through the dry mist and strata of vapor the trunks of palm-trees were seen from afar, stripped of their foliage and their verdant summits, and looking like the masts of a ship descried upon the horizon. There is something awful, as well as sad and gloomy, in the uniform aspect of these steppes. Every thing seems motionless; scarcely does a small cloud, passing across the zenith, and denoting the approach of tho rainy season, cast its shadow on the earth. I know not whether the first as- pect of tho llanos excites less astonishment than that of the chain of the Andes. " When, beneath the vertical rays of tho bright and cloudless sun of the tropics, the parched sward crumbles into dust, then the indurated soil cracks and bursts as if rent asunder by some mighty earthquake. And if^ at such a time, two opposite currents of air, by conflict moving in rapid gyrations, come in contact with the earth, a singular spectacle presents itself. Like funnel-shaped clouds, their apexes touching the earth, tho sands rise in vapory form through ♦'•o rarefied air in the elec- trically-clidrged center of the whirling current, sweeping on like the rushing water-spout, which strikes such terror into the heart of the mar- iner. A dun and sallow light gleams from the lowering sky over the dreary plain. The horizon suddenly contracts, and tho heart of the traveler sinks with dismay as tho wide steppe seems to close upon him on all sides. The hot and dusty earth forma a cloudy vail which shrouds the heavens from view, and increases the stifling oppression of the atmos- phere, while the east wind, when it blows over the long-heated soil, instead of cooling, adds to the burning glow. Gradually, too, the pools of water, which had been protected from evaporation by the now seared foliage of the fan-palm, disappear. As in the icy noith animals become torpid from cold, so hero the crocodile and the boa-constrictor lie wrapt in unbroken sleep, deeply buried in the dried soil. Every Avhere the drought announces death, yet every where the thirsting wanderer is deluded by the phantom of a moving, undula^ng, watery surface, cre- ated by the deceptive play of the mirage. A narrow stratum separates the ground from tho distant palm-trees, which seem to hover aloft, owing — -di il expect to bo lis color, and I mmenced their its zenith; tho etation, was at t the height at apparent calm, currents of Jur ) occasioned by d the spots cov- jend to the sky, an covered with I with the sky. palii-trees were nt summits, and rizon. There ifl liform aspect of ely does a small >ach of the rainy sther the first as- fthochsunofthe 1 cloudless sun of [en the indurated ghty earthquake. |r con&ct moving singular spectacle xcs touching the ed wr in the elec- sping on like the heart of the mar- •ing sky over the tho heart of the _,o close upon him vjul which shrouds ssionoftheatmoB- long-heated soil, illy, too, the pools by the now seared ■h animals become [nstrictor He wrapt Every where the 3ting wanderer is atery surface, cre- stratura separates hover aloft, owing ASPECTS OF THE LLANOS. 89 to the contact of currents of air having different degrees of heat and therefore of density. Shrouded in dark clouds of dust, and tortured by hunger and burning thirst, oxen and horses scour the plain, tho one bel- lowing dismally, the other with out-stretched necks snuffing tho wind, in tho endeavor to detect, by the moisture of tho air, the vicinity of some pool of water not yet wholly evaporated. " Tlie mule, more cautious and cunning, adopts another method of allaying his thirst. There is a globular and articulated plant, the melo- cactus, which encloses under its prickly integument nn aqueous pulp. After carefully striking away the prickles with his forefeet, the mule cautiously ventures to apply bis lips to imbibe the cooling thistle juice. But the draught from this living vegetable spring is not always un- attended by danger, and these animals are often observed to have been lamed by the puncture of the cactus thorn. Even if the burning heat of day be succeeded by tho cool freshness of tho night, here ahvays of equal length, the wearied ox and horso enjoy no repose. Hugo bats now attack the animals during sleep, and vampyre-like suck their blood; or, fastening on their backs, raise festering wounds, in which mosquitoes, •hippobosecs, and a host of other stinging insects, burrow and nestle. " When, after a long drought, the genial season of rain arrives, tho scene suddenly changes. The deep azure of the hitherto cloudless sky assumes a lighter hue. Scarcely can the dark space in the constellation of the Southern Cross be distinguished at night. The mild phosphor- escence of the Magellanic clouds fades away. Like some distant mount- ain, a single cloud is seen rising perpendicularly on the southern horizon. Misty vapors collect and gradually overspread the heavens, while distant thunder proclaims the approach of the vivifying rain. {Scarcely is the surface of the earth moistened before t'io teeming steppe becomes covered with a variety of grasses. Excited by the power of light, the herbaceous mimosa unfolds its dormant, drooping leaves, hailing, as it were, the rising sun in chorus with the matin song of the birds and tho opening flowers of aquatic plants. Horses and oxen, buoyant with life and enjoyment, roam over and crop the plains. The luxuriant grass hides the beautifully spotted jaguar, who, lurking in safe concealment, and carefully measuring the extent of the leap, darts, like the Asiatic tiger, with a cat-like bound on his passing prey. At times, according to the account of the natives, the humid clay on the banks of the morasses is seen to rise slowly in broad flakes. Accompanied by a violent noise, as on the eruption of a small mud- volcano, the upheaved earth is hurled high into the air. Those who are familiar with the phenomenon fly from it ; for a colossal water-snake, or a mailed and scaly crocodile, awakened from its trance by the first fall of rain, is about to burst from his tomb. " When the rivers bounding the plain to the south, as the Arauca, the Apure, and the Payaro, gradually overflow their banks, nature com- pels those creatures to live as amphibious animals, which, during the first 40 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. half of tho year, were perishing with thirst on the watorlcsH and dusty plain. A part of tho stcppo now presents the appearance of a vast in- land sea. The mares retreat with their foals to the higher banks, which project, like islands, above tho spreading waters. Day by day the dry surface diminishes in extent. The cattle, crowded together, and de- prived of pasturage, swim for hours about tho inundated plain, seeking a scanty nourishment from the flowering panicles of the grasses which rise above the lurid and bubbling waters. Many foals are drowned, many are seized by crocodiles, crushed by their serrated tails, and devoured. Horses and oxen may not unfrequently be seen which have escaped from the fury of this blood-thirsty and gigantic lizard, bearing on their legs the marks of its pointed teeth." In traversing these vast plains, which were then parched with the intcnscst heat, tho travelers journeyed mostly by night, halting occa- sionally at tho huts of tho herdsmen, who tended the horses and cattle roaming over tho Avaste. After four or five days, they reached the town of Calabozo, a place containing about five thousand inhabitants, where they were hospitably entertained by the superintendent of the royal plantations. In this remote spot they were greatly surprised to find a tolerable electrical apparatus made by a native Spaniard, who had never seen anything of tho kind in his life. He had constructed it entirely from the description given in Franklin's treatise, and was beside himself with joy at seeing the strangers arrive with the same machines, and others, of which he had never even heard. During a stay of a few days in Calabozo, Humboldt, after much difliculty, succeeded in obtain- ing some specimens of the gymnotus, or electrical eel. Tho Indians con- ducted him to a large reservoir of slimy water, near a neighboring vil- lage ; but it was not found possible to catch the eels with fishing-nets, as they bury themselves with great agility in the slime. He did not wish to employ the barbaaco root, which stupefies them Avhen thrown into the water. Tho Indians then declared that they would be obliged to " fish with horses," thirty of which they collected in a short time. Humboldt, who had never heard of this extraordinary manner of fishing, anxiously awiutod the result, which he thus describes : " The noise oc- casioned by the stamping of the horses drives the eels out of the slime and irritates them ; they rise to the sur&ce of the water, and crowd under the bellies of the horses and mules. A contest between animals of so different an organization presents a very striking spectacle. The Indians, provided with harpoons and long slender reeds, surround the pool closely ; and some climb up the trees, the branches of which extend horizontally over the surface of the water. By their wild cries, and tho length of their reeds, they prevent the horses from running away and reaching the bank of the pool. The eels, stunned by the noise, defend themselves by the repeated discharge of their electric batteries. For a long interval they seem likely to prove victorious. Several horses sink beneath the violence of the invisible strokes which they receive from all on '%t DT. itorlcss and dusty anco of a vast in- ;her banks, which iy by day the dry [ogethcr, and de- }d plain, seeking a grasses 'vhich rise re drowned, many Ills, and devoured, have escaped from aring on their legs I parched with the light, halting occa- | ic horses and cattle they reached the ousand inhabitants, perintendent of the ^eatly surprised to Spaniard, who had had constructed it tise, and was beside the same machines, •ing a stay of a few iicceeded in obtain- il. The Indians con- ir a neighboring vil- els with fishing-nets, slime. He did not 1 them when thrown ey would be obliged ed in a short time, ry manner of fishing, bes: "The noise oo- eels out of the slime te water, and crowd est between animals dng spectacle. The • reeds, surround the shes of which extend r wild cries, and the m running away and by the noise, defend trie batteries. For a Several horses sink they receive from all FISHINO FOR ELECTRICAL EBLS. 41 sides, in organs the most essential to life ; and stunned by the force and frequency of the shocks, they disappear under the water. Others, pant- ing, with ma'io erect, and haggard eyes expressing anguish and dismay, raise themselves, and endeavor to flee from the storm by which they are overtaken. They arc driven back by the Indians into the middle of the water ; but a small number succeed in eluding the active vigilance of the fishermen. These regain the shore, stumbling at every step, and stretch themselves on the sand, exhausted with fiitigue, and with limbs benumbed by the electric shocks of the gymnoti. " In loss than five minutes two of our horses were drowned. The eel . being five feet long, and pressing itself against the belly of the horses, makes a discharge along the whole extent of its electric organ. It at- tacks at once the heart, the intestines, and the cseliac fold of the abdom- inal nerves. It is natural that the effect felt by the horses should be more powerful than that produced upon man by the touch of the same fish at only one of his extremities. The horses are probably not killed, but only stunned. They are drowned from the impossibility of rising amid the prolonged struggle between the other horses and the eels. *' We had little doubt that the fishing would terminate by killing suc- cessively all the animals engaged ; but by degrees the impetuosity of this unequal combat diminished, and the wearied gymnoti dispersed. Tliey require a long rest, and abundant nourishment, to rcpsur the galvanic force which they have lost by the repeated discharges. The horses and mules recovered from their terror ; their manes no longer bristled, and their eyes ceased to glare with fear. The Indians asserted that if the horses were driven to the same water on two consecutive days, none would die the second day. The eels now timidly approached the shore, where they were caught with little harpoons attached to long cords. If the cords were perfectly dry, no shock was felt while hauling out the fish, but it was conununicated throitgh the wet cords. In a few minutes five large eels were caught, which were only slightly wounded, and sev- eral others were obttuned the same evening. Such is the remarkable contest between horses and fish. That which constitutes the invisible but living weapon of these inhabitants of the water — that, which awak- ened by the contact of moist and dissimilar particles, circulates through all the organs of animals and plants — ^that which flashing amid the roar of thunder illuminates the wide canopy of heaven — ^which binds iron to iron, and directs the silent recurring course of the magnetic needle — all, like the varied hues of the refracted ray of light, flow from one common source, and all blend together into one eternal all-pervading power. " The gymnotus h neither a charged conductor, nor a battery, nor an electromotive apparatus, the shock of which is received every time they are touched with one hand, or when both hands are employed to form a conducting circle between the opposite poles. The electric action of the fish depends entirely on its will ; because it does not keep its electric organs always charged, or whether by the secretion of some fluid, or by ' '.f .1 42 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. any other means alike mysterious to us, it be capable of directing the action of its organs to an external object. Wo often tried, both insulated and otherwise, to touch the lish, without feeling the least shock. When M. Bonpland held it by the head, or by the middle of the body, while I held it by the tail, and, standing on the moist ground, did not take each other's hand, one of us received shocks which the other did not feel. It depends upon the gymnotus to direct its action toward the point where it finds itself most strongly irritated. The discharge is then made at one jioint only, and not at the neighboring points. If two persons touch the belly of the fish with their fingers, at an inch distance, and press it simultaneously, sometimes one, sometimes the other, will receive the shock. It would be temerity to expose ourselves to the first shocks of a very large and strongly irritated gymnotus. If by chance a stroke bo received before the fish is wounded or wearied by long pursuit, the pam and numbness arc so violent that it is impossible to describe the nature of the feeling they excite. I do not remember having ever received from the discharge of a large Lcydcn jar, a more dreadful shock than that which I ex])erienced by imprudently placing both my feet on a gymnotus just taken out of the water. I was affected during the rest of the day with a violent pain in the knees, and in almost every joint." The travelers lefl Calabozo on the 24th of March, and continued their journey over the desolate llanos. On the way they found an In- dian girl lying in the road, almost lifeless, and with her mouth and nos- trils filled with sand. They restored her to consciousness and gave her some wine and water, but she refused to accompany them, and wandered off alone. In three days they reached the Mission of San Fernando, on the Apure river, one of the principal tributaries of the Orinoco. Here was the commencement of their canoe voyages on the Apure, the Orin- oco, the Cassiquiare, and the Rio Negro, which lasted for three months. During this journey they were ac&ompanied by Don Nicholas Soto, brother-in-law of the governor of the province. They hired a large canoe, called a lancha by the natives. It had a cabin, covered with palm-leaves, in the stem, and was managed by a pilot and four Indiana. Provision for a month — consisting of fowls, plaintains, and cassava bread, to which the Capuchins added some Xeres wine — ^was placed on board, and a supply of fishing-tackle, ammunition, and some brandy for the Indians, laid in. Hiunboldt made notes of every thing which occurred on the voyage, either during the day, or after the canoe had halted for the night. Owing to this habit, his narrative has an unmistakable stamp of truth and reality. They passed the last plantation on the second day, and then entered a territory inhabited entirely by jaguars, crocodiles, manati, or river-cows, and pecarries. The Apure, which grew broader as tliey descended, was bordered by dense forests, the trees of which were full of monkeys and birds. The river abounded with fish and tortoises, while huge crocodiles, often twenty feet in Icn^h, basked on the sand. Notwithstanding the numbers of these latter animals, the r^y season r. ' directing the , both insulated Hhock. When D body, while I 1 not take each lid not feel. It ;hc point where len made at one irsona touch the c, and press it vill receive the 3 first shocks of anco a stroke be )ur8uit, the pain cribe the nature g ever received idful shock than h my feet on a i during the rest •St every joint." I, and continued liey found an In- r mouth and nos- less and gave her m, and wandered Jan Fernando, on B Orinoco. Here Apure, the Orin- for three months, ti Nicholas Soto, ey hired a large jin, covered with and four Indians, md cassava bread, placed on board, e brandy for the g which occurred joe had halted for imistakable stamp )n the second day, iguars, crocodiles, ;h grew broader aa ees of which were fish and tortoises, aked on the sand. 8, the rmny season NIGHT IN THE TROPICAL FOUKSTS. 43 had not yet commenced, and thousands of them were still lying dormant in the mud of the plains. In those wildernesses, where man lives in con- stant strife with nature, the conversation turns much upon the means by which one can escape the pursuit of a tiger, or a crocodile ; all prepare themselves to encounter the danger. The crocodile loosens its hold if the person seized thrusts his finger into its eyes, and the travelers beard of several instances of escape in this manner. Humboldt gives the following picturesque description of the noc- turnal noises of animals in the forests of the Apure : "Below the mission of Santa Barbara do Arichuna we passed the night as usual in the o])c>n air, on a sandy flat, on the bank of the Apure, skirted by the impene- trable forest. Wo had some difficulty in finding dry wood to kindle the fires with which it is here customary to surround the bivouac, as a safe guard against the attacks of the jaguar. The air was bland and soft, and the moon shono brightly. Several crocodiles approached the bank ; and I have observed that fire attracts these creatures as it docs our crabs and many other aquatic animals. The oars of our boats were fixed upright in the ground, to support our hammocks. Deep stillness pre vailed, only broken at intervals by the blowing of the fresh-water dol- phins, which are peculiar to the river net-work of the Orinoco. After eleven o'clock, such a noise began in the contiguous forest, that for the remainder of the night all sleep was impossible. The wild cries of ani- mals rung through the woods. Among the many voices which resound- ed together, the Indians could only i ecognize those which, after short pauses, were heard singly. There wbs the monotonous, plaintive cry of the howling monkeys, the whining, flute-like notes of the small sapa* jous, the grunting murmur of the striped nocturnal ape, the fitful roar of the great tiger, the cougar, or maneless American lion, the peccary, the sloth, and a host of parrots, parraquas, and other pheasant-like birds. Whenever the tig-^rs approached the edge of the forest, our dog, who before had barked incessantly, came howling to seek protection under the hammocks. Sometimes the cry of the tiger resounded from the branches of a tree, and was then always accompanied by the plaintive piping tones of the apes, who were endeavoring to escape from the im- wonted pursuit. " If one asks the Indians why such a continuous noise is heard on certain nights, they answer, with a smile, that ' the animals are rejoicing in the beautiful moonlight, and celebratuig the return of the full moon.' To me the scene appeared rather to be owing to an accidental, long continued, and gradually increasing conflict among the animals. Thus, for instance, the jaguar will pursue the peccaries and the tapirs, which, densely crowded together, burst through the barrier of tree-like shrubs which opposes their flight. Terrified at the confusion, the monkeys on the tops of the trees join their cries with those of the larger animals. This arouses the tribes of birds who build their nests in communities, and suddenly the whole animal world is in a state of commotion. Further a LIFE AND TRAVELS OF nUlIBOLDT. cxpcrionco taught un, that it wns by no means always the fcstiva? of muonliglit that diHturbud tho fitilhiesa of tho forest ; for we observed that the voices were loudest during violent storms of rain, or when the thunder echoed, and tho lightning flashed through tho depths of tho woods. Tho good-natured Franciscan monk who accompanied us through tho cataracts of Atures and Maypurcs to 8an Carlos, on the Rio Negro, and to the Brazilian frontier, used to say, when apprehensive of a storm nt night, ' ]^Iay heaven grant a quiet uigbt both to us and to tho wild beasts of tho forest !' " Tlio next day, Humboldt was fiH'orod with another and oven moro unwelcome experience. " While my companions were preparing din- ner," ho says, "I walked along the beach to get a near view of a group of crocodiles sleeping in the sun. Some little herons, white as snow, walked along their backs, and even upon their headf , as if passing over trunks of trees. Tho crocodiles wcro of a greenish gray, half covered with dried mud ; from their color and immobility they might have been taken for statues of bronze. This excursion hod nearly proved fatal to me. I had kept my eyes constantly turned toward the river; but, while picking up some spangles of mica in the sand, I discovered the recent footsteps of a tiger, easily distinguishable from their form and size. The animal had gone toward tho forest, and turning my eyes on that side, I found myself within eighty paces of a jaguar that was lying under tho thick foliage of a ceiba. No tiger had ever appeared to mo so large. There are accidents in life against which we may seek in vain to fortify our reason. I was extremely alarmed, yet sufficiently master of myself and of my motions to enable mo to follow the advice which tho Indians had so often given us as to how we ought to act in such cases. I continued to walk on without running, avoided moving my arms, and I thought I observed that the jaguar's attention Avas fixed on a herd of capybaras which was crossing the river. I then began to return, making a large circuit toward the edge of the water. As the distance increased, I thought I might accelerate my pace. How oflen was I tempted to look back, in order to assure myself that I was not pursued ! Happily I yielded very tardily to this desire. The jaguar had remained motionless. I arrived at the boat out of breath, and re- lated my adventure to the Indians." On the afleiTioon of tho 4th of April, afler a voyage of six days on the Apure, they entered the Orinoco. An immense plain of water stretched before them like a sea. White-topped waves, caused by a wind blowing against the current, rose to the height of several feet. The distant horizon was bounded by a zone of level forests. Humboldt found the Apure, at the junction, to be one thousand two hundred feet in brtadth, and the Orinoco twelve thousand one hundred and eighty ; during the rainy season the latter river attains a breadth of thirty-five thousand feet, or nearly seven miles. Sailing lip the Orinoco, they touched at the port of Enoaramada, where they first saw some specimens nSHINO FOR TURTLE'S E008. 45 ;hc festival of »r we observed ,n, or when the depths of tho lied U8 through the Rio Negro, give of a storm nd to tho wild and oven more preparing dm- lew of a group white as snow, if passing over ly, half covered night have been ■ proved fatal to the river; but, discovered the their form and ling my eyes on ,r that was lying ' appeared to mo nay seek in vain fficiently master ;he advice which it to act in such led moving my ion was fixed on I then began to water. As tho ace. How often that I was not ire. The jaguar )f breath, and re- je of six days on I plain of water ves, caused by a several feet. The Humboldt found hundred feet in red and eighty; idth of thirty-five le Orinoco, they V some specimens of the naked Caribs. Thoy were bound for a sandy inland in tho river, celebrated for its fisheries of turtle's eggs. HiimboUlt and lionpland reached this island next day, and found there the missionary of Uruann, who was greatly astonished at seeing thorn. After having admired their instruments, ho gave them nn exaggerated picture of tho suflbrings to which they would bo necessarily exposed in ascending tho Orinoco beyond tho cataracts. Tho object of their jouniey appeared to him very mysterious. " How is it possible to believe," said he, " that you have left your coimtry, to come and bo devoured by mosquitoes on this river, and to measure lands that aro not your o\vn ?" While halting at the island, they witnessed the method of collecting turtle's eggs, and extracting the oil. Tlio turtle always lays its eggs at tho time of tho lowest water, beginning at night, immediately after ?«un8et. It digs a pit two feet deep, and then commences tho work, which iVequently lasts all night. There are such numbers that if one turtle finds a hole, which has not been filled up, from the haste of its owner on being surprised by the sunrise, he deposits a second layer of eggs over the top of tho first. The egg-gatherers investigate tho situation and extent of these deposits with a long pole, which, Mhcn pressed perpendicularly into tho soil, re- veals tho looser sand below, on which the eggs lie. The harvest is then gathered in with methodical regularity. According to the number of In- dian tribes, the soil is divided into certain districts, for the deposits of eggs are found three feet deep, one hundred and twenty feet from the shore. When they have sounded with the poles, the Indians dig up the soil with their hands, and break the eggs into wooden troughs filled with water, after which they expose them to the rays of the sun until the yellow, upper, oily part thickens. This oil is then skimmed off and boiled, and if none of tho eggs contain embryo tortoises, it is very pure and of an agreeable flavor. A space on tho shore, one hundred and twenty feet long, and thirty feet broad, gives one hundred jars of oil, and five thousand eggs are required to fill a single jar. It is estimated that tho quantity of eggs taken from the island, amounts to thirty-three millions 1 in the afternoon the travelers had a narrow escape from shipwreck. The boat, struck by a violent gust of wind, was thv >^vn on hej^beam ends, and was only righted by the breaiang of some cordage,' and tho change of the wind. All their plants and books were sobmergod, and Hnmboldt saved his journal with difficulty. When at nightfall ho bivouacked on a sterile island in the stream, eating his evening meal in the moonlight, seated on tortoise shells, he realized the great danger he had escaped. He had only been on tho Orinoco three days, and a voyage of three months, involving far greater risks, was before him. •* There are moments in life," he wrote, " in which, without absolutely despairing, the future seems very uncertain; one is more apt to indulge in serious reflection, when, after having escaped a danger, he has need of a strong emotion.'* While he meditated thus, lying upon a skin 46 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. spread on the ground, the jaguars swam across the stream, and prowled around hira. The next day they passed the mouth of the Arauca river and the Mission of Uruana, a village of five hundred inhabitants, most of whom belonged to the clay-eating Otomao tribe. Beyond this point the river became narrower and the current stronger. They continued to ascend under 8.ail, but the high and woody grounds deprived them of wind. In the strait of Baraguan, as it is called, where the river is but a mile in breadth, they found almost perpendicular masses of granite, seven hun- dred feet high. On the 0th of April they reached an Indian settlemenjt, called Pararuma, where the pilot, who had conducted them from San Fernando, and who was unacquainted with the passage of the rapids of the Orinoco, refused to go further. Fortunately, they succeeded in bringing an excellent canoe, to replace the kmcha, and Father Bernardo Zta, missionary of Atures, near the cataract, offered to accompany them to the frontiers of Brazil. Humboldt gives the following description of their outfit and manner of voyaging : " The new canoe, intended for us was, like all Indian boats, a trunk of a tree hollowed out partly by the hatchet and partly by fire. It was forty feet long, and three broad. Three persons could not sit in it side by side. These canoes arc so crank, and they require, from their instability, a cargo so equally dis- tributed, that when you want to rise for an instant, you must warn the rowers to lean to the opposite side. Without this precaution the water would necessarily enter the side pressed down. It is difficult to form an idea of the inconveniences that are suffered in such wretched vessels. To gain something in breadth, a sort of lattice-work had been constructed on the stern with branches of trees, that extended on each side beyond the gunwale. Unfortunately, the toldo, or roof of leaves, that covered this lattice-work, was so low that we were obliged to lie down, without seeing any thing, or, if seated, to sit nearly double. The necessity of carrying the canoe across the rapids, and even from one river to another ; and the fear of giving too much hold to the wind, by making the toldo higher, render this construction necessary for vessels that go up toward the Rio Negro. The toldo was intended to cover four persons, lying on the deck or lattice-work of brush-wood ; but our legs reached far beyond it, and when it rained half our bodies were wet. Our couches consisted of ox-hides or tiger-skins spread upon branches of trees, which were painfully felt through so thin a covering. The fore part of the boat was filled with Indian rowers, furnished with paddles, three feet long, in the form of spoons. They were all naked, seated two by two, and they kept time in rowing with a surprising uniformity, singing songs of a sad ^and monotonous character. The small cages containing our birds and our monkeys — the number of which augmented as we advanced — were hung some to the toldo and others to the bow of the boat. This was our traveling menagerie. Every night, when we established our watch, our collection of animals and our instruments occupied the center ; around chaiJ )T. n, and prowled i river and the , most of whom point the river inued to ascend em of '.vind. In 13 but a mile in initc, seven hun- idian settlement, them from San of the rapids of ey succeeded in Father Bernardo accompany them ig description of 1, intended for us out partly by the ind three broad. ;30 canoes are so fo so equally dis- ou must warn the laution the water iifficult to form an wretched vessels, i been constructed each side beyond ives, that covered Ue down, without The necessity of e river to another ; r making the toldo hat go up toward r persons, lying on reached far beyond • couches consisted trees, which were irt of the boat was se feet long, in the by two, and they Ting songs of a sad ling our birds and re advanced— were le boat. This was iblished our watch, the center ; around VOYAGE UP THE ORINOCO. 47 these were placed first our hammocks, then the hammocks of the Indians ; and on the outside were the fires, which are thought indispensable against the attacks of the jaguar. About sunrise the monkeys in our cages an- swered the cries of the monkeys of the forest. " In a canoe not three feet wide, and so incumbered, there remained no other place for the dried plants, trunks, sextant, a dipping-needle, and the meteorological instruments, than the space below the lattice-work of branches, on which we were compelled to remain stretched the greater part of the day. If we wished to take the least object out of a trunk, or to use an instrument, it was necessary to row ashore and land. To these inconveniences were joined the torment of the mosquitoes which swarmed under the toldo, and the heat radiated from the leaves of the palm-trees, the upper surface of which was continually exposed to the solar rays. We attempted every instant, but always without success, to amend our situation. While one of us hid himself under a sheet to ward off the insects, the other insisted on having green wood lighted beneath the toldo, in the hope of driving away the mosquitoes by the smoke. The painful sensations of the eyes, and the increase of heat, already stifling, rendered both these contrivances alike impracticable. With some gayety of temper, with feelings of mutual good-will, and with a vivid taste for the majestic grandeur of these vast valleys of rivers, travelers easily sup- port evils that become habitual." On the 10th of April they commenced their voyage in this narrow craft, slowly ascending the Orinoco. They were hospitably received at the Mission of Carichana, and on the second day passed the mouth of the Meta, one of the largest tributaries of the Orinoco, with a volume of water equal to that of the Danube. It is navigable as far as the foot of the Andes of New Grenada, within twenty leagues of Bogota, the cap- ital, The Orinoco now began to rise, much to the surprise of the Indians, as the rainy season had not yet fairly set in. On the 13th, afler passing the rapids of Tabaje, they reached the Mission of San Borja, where they found a number of converted Guahibo Indians. The interest with which they examined these creatures, ocasioned, singularly enough, the desertion of the mission. The Guahihos of the forest persuaded their brethren that the whites, on their return, would carry them off as slaves, and they all fled into the woods. They had much difficulty in conversing with the differ- ent tribes which they met with on the river, and were sometimes obliged to employ several interpreters at the same time. They were, however, in no danger from hostile attacks, the Jesuits having subjugated the natives by force of arms, before they administered their spiritual conso- lations. One of these priests said to Humboldt, with great candor, " The voice of the Gospel is heard only where the Indians have also heard the sound of fire-arms. By chastising the natives, we facilitate their con- version." The river Orinoco, in its course from south to north, is crossed by a chain of granite mountains. Twice condncd in its course, it turbulently 48 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. breaks on the rocks, which form steppes and transverse dykes. " Neither the fall of Tequcndama," says Humboldt, " nor the magnificent scenes of the Cordilleras, could weaken the impression produced upon my mind by the first view of the rapids of Atures and of Maypures. When the spectator is so stationed that the eye can at once take in the long succes- sion of cataracts, and the immense sheet of foam and vapor illumined by the rays of the setting sun, the whole river seems, as it were, suspended over its bed." They reached the Mission of Atures, at the foot of the first cataract, on the evening of April 15. During this day's voyage they were struck with the supernatural silence of the tropical noonday : " Not a breath of air moved the dust-liko sand. The sun stood in the zenith ; and the efiVilgence of light poured upon the river gave additional dis- tinctness to the red haze which vailed the distance. All the rocky mounds and naked boulders were covered with large, thick-scaled igua- nas, gecko-lizards, and spotted salamanders. Motionless, with uplifted heads and widely-extended mouths, they seemed to inhale the heated air with ecstasy. The larger animals at such times take refuge in the deep recesses of the forest, the birds nestle beneath the foliage of the trees, or in the clefts of the rocks ; but if in this apparent stillness of nature we listen closely for the faintest tones, we detect a dull, muffled sound, a buzzing and humming of insects close to the earth, in the lower strata of the ati osphere. Everything proclaims a world of active organic forces. In every shrub, in the cracked bark of trees, in the perforated ground inhabited by hymenopterous insects, life is everywhere audibly manifest. It is one of the many voices of nature revealed to the pious and susceptible spirit of man." They found the cataract of Atures to be a succession of rapids, extending over a distance of four or five miles, in which the entire fall of the river was about thirty-two feet, presenting a striking resemblance to the cUtaraots of the Nile, while the method of as- cending tl.em in canoes is almost precisely similar to that employed by the Egyptian'!. When the dikes, or natural dams, are only two or three feet high, the Indians venture to descend them in boats. In going up the river, they swiia on before, and if, after many vain eflforts, they succeed in fix- ing a ropu to one of the points of rock that crown the dike, they then, by means of that rope, draw the bark to the top of the rapid. The bark, during thib arduous task, often fills with water ; at other times it is stove agauist the rocks, and the Indians, their bodies bruised and bleeding, extricate thtmselves with difficulty from the whirlpools, and reach, by swimming, t'ae nearest island. Wben the steppes or rocky barriers are very high, and entirely bar the river, light boats are carried on shore, and with the help of branches of trees placed under them to serve as rollers, -they arc drawn as fiir as the place where the river again becomes nav- igable. This operation is seldom necessary when the water is high. After two days spent at Atures, Humboldt_and Bonpland continued their voyage, still accompanied by Don Nicholas Soto and Father Ber- nardo Zea. They now began to suffer indescribable torments from the SUFFERINOS FROM MOSQUITOES. 49 rkes. " Neither piificent scenes [ upon my mind es. When the the long succes- )or illumined by were, suspended ■ foot of the first oyage they were onday: "Not a 1 in the zenith; e additional dis- AU the rocky thick-scaled iguar 388, with uplifted ale the heated air .fuge in the deep re ofthe trees, or ess of nature we muffled sound, a 1 the lower strata of active organic in the perforated eiywhere audibly Baled to the pious ict of Aturestobe ur or five miles, in feet, presenting a e the method of as- at employed by the y two or three feet going up the river, they succeed in fix- 16 dike, they then, e rapid. The bark, ler times it is stove aised and bleeding, iool8,and reach, by • rocky barriers are arried on shore, and 1 to serve as rollers, agtun becomes nav- B water is high, rjonpland continued to and Father Ber- 6 torments from the mosquitoes and venomous flics by day, and the zancudos (a species of large gnats) by night. These pests would bite through thick garments, and could not be driven away by smoke. They came in such clouds that the mouths, ears, and noses of the travelers were filled with them. Their bands were swollen and covered with hard, painful blotches, and they were at last able to tell the time of day by the regularity with which the different varieties of stinging insects made their visitations. On the upper Orinoco, the principal topic of conversation, both among the natives and the missionaries, is mosquitoes. Tiie usual salutations are : " How did you find the gnats during the night ?" " How are you off for mosquitoes to-day ?" which reminded Humboldt of an ancient Chinese manner of greeting : "Have you been incommoded in the night by serpents?" " The lower strata of air," he writes, " from the surface ofthe ground to the height of fifteen or twenty feet, arc absolutely filled with venomous insects. If in an obscure spot, for instance in the grottos of the cataracts formed by superincumbent blocks of granite, you direct your eyes toward the opening enlightened by the sun, you see clouds of mosquitoes more or less thick. I doubt whether there be a country upon earth, where man is exposed to more cruel torments in the rainy season. Having passed the fifth degree of latitude, you are somewhat less stung ; but on the upper Orinoco the stings are more painful, because the heat and the absolute want of wind render the air more burning and more irritating in its contact with the skin. ' How comfortable must people be in the moon !> said a Salive Indian to Father Gumilla ; ' she looks so beautiful and so clear, that she must be free from mosquitoes.' These words, which denote the infancy of a people, are very remarkable. The satellite ofthe earth appears to all savage nations the abode ofthe bless- ed, the country of abundance. The Esquimaux, who counts among his riches a plank or trunk of a tree, thrown by the currents on a coast destitute of vegetation, sees in the moon plains covered with forests ; the Indian ofthe forests of Orinoco there beholds open savannahs, where the inhabitants are never stung by mosquitoes." Two more days brougul them to the great cataract, or rapid of May- pures, which they reached after night, in the midst of a violent rain. Father Zea lighted torches of copal, and conducted them to the misnion, where they renuuned while the Indians dragged the canoe up the rapids. At the northern end of the principal cataract, which has a fall of nine feet perpendicular, there is a lofty rock called Eeri, so named from a luminous white spot, in which the Indians perceive a remarkable similar- ity to the moon. Humboldt was not able to climb the rock, but sup- posed the white spot to be an immense piece of quartz in the dark granite. On an opposite rock, the Indians showed a similar disc, which they called Camosi. and worshiped as an image of the sun. The best view ofthe cataract, is from the rock of Manimi, a granite ridge near the mission of Maypures. "We often visited this mountain,*' says Hum- boldt, " for we were never weary of gazing on the astonishing spectacle. 4 50 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. % * I I From the summit of the rock is descried a sheet of foam, extending the length of a whole mile. Enormous masses of stone, black as iron, issue from its bosom. Some are grouped in pairs, like basaltic hills ; others resemble towers, fortified castles, and ruined buildings. Their gloomy- tint contrasts with the silvery splendor of the foam. Every rock, every islet is covered with vigorous trees, collected in clusters. As far as the eye can reach, a thick vapor is suspended over the river, and through this whitish fog the tops of the lofty palm-trees shoot up. Such is the character of the landscape discovered from the top of the mountain of Manimi, which no traveler has yet described. The calm of the atmos- phere, and the tumultuous movement of the waters, produce a contrast peculiar to this zone. Here no breath of wind ever agitates the foliage, no cloud vails the splendor of the azure vault of heaven ; a great mass of light is diffused in the air, on the earth strewn with plants with glossy leaves, and on the bed of the river, which extends as far as the eye can reach. When the rays of the glowing evening sun are refracted in the humid atmosphere, an exquisite optical illusion is produced. Colored bows appear, vanish, and re-appear, while the ethereal picture dances, like an ignis fatuus, with every motion of the sportive breeze. In the blue distance the eye rests on the mountain chain of Cunavami, a far- stretching range of hills which terminates abruptly in a sharply truncated cone. We saw this conical hill, called by the Indians Calitamini, glow- ing at sunset as if in crimson flames. This appearance daily returns. No one has ever been in the immediate neighborhood of this mountain. Possibly its dazzling brightness is produced by the reflecting surface of decomposing talc, or mica schist." VOYAGES ON THE RIO NEGRO AND CASSIQUIARE. On the 2l8t of April, they re-embarked in their narrow canoes, which had suffered considerable damage by striking against the rocks. The rainy season had now &irly set in ; there were heavy showers al- most duly, and as the wind never blows in these regions, they suffered terribly from mosquitoes. They made good progress, however, and on the night of the 24th entered the Guaviare, the largest tributary of the Orinoco, then the Atabapo, which flows into it from the south, near its junction with the former river, and reached the .uission of San Fer- nando. Humboldt now found himself on the spot where he could be enabled to verify the celebrated bifurcation of the Orinoco, which had been previously doubted by geographers. Tlie upper Orinoco, near tlje mission of Esmeralda, divides itself into two parts, one of which, flowing westward, receives the Guaviare and other tributaries, and con- tinues its way to the Caribbean Sea ; the other, turning southward, forms a branch of the Rio Netrro, and mingles its waters with those of the Amazon. This extraordinary geographical feature, the only instance extending the as iron, issue c hills; others Their gloomy ity rock, every As far as the | p, and through | p. Such is the he mountain of n of the atmos- iduce a contrast ites the foliage, 1 ; a great mass ints with glossy r as the eye can refracted in the luced. Colored picture dances, breeze. In the Ziunavami, a far- harply truncated 3alitamini, glow- aily returns. No f this mountain, icting surface of SIQUIARE. ■ narrow canoes, gainst the rocks, leavy showers al- jns, they suffered however, and on i tributary of the he south, near its ssion of San Fer- here he could be inoco, which had er Orinoco, near rts, one of which, butaries, and con- ming southward, :er8 with those of the only instance PLAN OF FURTHER EXPLORATION. 51 of the kind on a large scale, was first satisfactorily established by Hum- boldt's explorations. The mission of San Fernando de Atabapo was the threshold of the comparatively unknown region which he was to pene- trate. '' D''.ring the night," he says, " we had left, almost unperceived, the waters of the Orinoco; and at sunrise found ourselves as if trans- ported to a new country, on the banks of a river, the name of which we had scarcely ever heard pronounced, and which was to conduct us, by the portage of Pimichin, to the Rio Negro, on the frontiers of Brazil. ' You will go up,' said the president of the missions, who resides at San Fernando, ' first the Atabapo, then the Temi, and finally, the Tuamini. When the force of the current of "black waters" hinders you from ad- vancing, you will be conducted out of the bed of the river through forests, which you will find inundated. Two monks only are settled in those desert places, between the Orinoco and the Rio Negro; but at Javita you will be furnished with the means of having your canoe drawn over land in the course of four days to the rivulet of Pimichin. If it be not broken to pieces you will descend the Rio Negro without any ob- stacle as far as the little fort of San Carlos ; you will go up the Cassi- quiare (from south to north), and then return to San Fernando in a month, descending the upper Orinoco from east to west.' Such Avas the plan traced for our passage, and we carried it into effect without danger, though not without some suffering, in the space of thirty-three days." Aft;er resting a day at the mission, they commenced their voyage up the Atabapo, the water of which was of a much darker hue and purer quality than that of the Orinoco. The banks were entirely concealed by the dense growth of palms and other trees. In order to shoiten the journey, the Indians left the main bed of the river and took narrow channels (occasioned by the nuns), which led directly through the forests. The foliage was so dense that no ray of sunlight could pene- trate it, and they were often obliged to hew with knives a passage for the canoe. On the 30th of May, they left the Atabapo, and entered a branch called the Temi. Near the junction of the two rivers stands a granite mound, called the " Mother's Rock," on account of a touching history which it commemorates Three years previous, the missionary at San Fernando had undertaken a hostile expedition among the Indians for the purpose of capturing souls. Among other prisoners taken was a woman who was surprised alone in a hut, her husband having gone off on a hunting expedition, accompanied by the children. After being carried to San Fernando, the desire to see her children induced her to attempt an escape. She fled repeatedly, but was as often caught and brought back, and violently flogged, without effect. It was then deter- mined to send her to the distant missions on the Rio Negro, whence it would be impossible for her to return. While the canoe was passing up the Atabapo, she flung herself into the stream and was thrown ashore at the foot of the rock. Again she escaped into the woods, but was again 62 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. caught brought back to the rock, and most cruelly beaten. She was then taken to the mission of Javita and closely contiued, but in spite of her wounds she took advantage of a dark and stormy night to unfasten with her teeth the cords which bound her and again fled in search of her children. For four days and nights she wandered through a tracklrss forest, then inundated and swarming with venomous reptiles. She swam the swollen rivers ; her flesh was torn with thorns and spiky leaves ; her only food was the large black ants which she caught ; but after this iticvediblo labor she reached her children, only to be torn away from them shortly afterward, for the last time. The missionaries threw her into a cell, where she refused all nourishment in her despair, and thus died. Humboldt exclaims, after relating this story : " If man scarcely leaves a trace of his existence in this wilderness, the name of this rock, an imperishable monument of nature, will remain as u r^emorial of tho moral perversity of our age, of the contrast between the virtue of the savage and tho barbarism of civilized man !" On the Ist of May they left the river Temi, and advanced a short distance up one of its branches, the Tuamini, to the mission of Javita, tho commencement of tho portage of five miles through the forests to the rivulet of Pimichin, which flows into the Rio Negro. They were detained five days by the transportation of the canoe. Twenty-three Indians were employed in dragging it, using tho branches of trees as rollers. The travelers employed the time in botanizing, and in collecting information concerning the Indian tribes. When the portage was per- formed — happily without injury to the canoe — they proceeded on foot to the Pimichin, through a forest swarming with venomous vipers. On tho 6th of May they embarked on the Pimichin, and in five hours afterward entered the Rio Negro. Their perseverance was at last rewarded. " We had now been confined thirty-six days in a narrow boat, so un- steady that it would have been overturned by any person rising impru- dently from his seat, without warning tho rowers. We had suffered severely from the sting of insects, but we^ had stood the insalubrity of the climate ; we had passed >vithout accident the great number of water- falls and bars, which impede the navigation of the rivers, and often ren- der it more dangerous than long voyages by sea. After all we had endured, it may be conceived that we felt no little satisfaction in having reached the tributary streams of the Amazon, having passed the isthmus that separates two great systems of rivers, and in being sure of having fiilfilled the most important object of our journey, namely, to determine astronomically the course of that arm of the Orinoco which fells into the Rio Negro, and of which the existence has been alternately proved and denied during half a century. In proportion as we draw near to an object we have long had in view, its interest seems to augment. The uninhabited banks of the Cassiquiare, covered »nth forests, without me- morials of times past, then occupied my imagination, as do now the banks of the Euphrates, or the Oxus, celebrated in the annals of civil- "1 T. VOYAGE ON THE CAS81QUIARB. 68 itcn. She was but in spite of ght to unfasten in search of her ,ugh a trackless lies. She swam liky leaves ; her ; but after this torn away from laries threw her espair, and thus If man scarcely me of this rock, iT^emorial of tho he virtue of the dvanced a short lisaion of Javita, rh the forests to gro. They were B. Twenty-three nches of trees as ;, and in collectuig portage was per- ! )ceeded on foot to IS vipers. On tho e hours afterward at last rewarded, irrow boat, so un- •Bon rising impru- We had suffered the insalubrity of number ofwater- ers, and often ren- After all we had isfaction in having passed the isthmus ng sure of having nely, to determine which fells into the •nately proved and draw near to an to augment. The jrests, without me- m, as do now the the annals of civil- ized nations. In that interior part of the New Continent one may almost accustom one's self to regard men as not being essential to the order of nature. The earth is loaded with plants, and nothing impedes their free development. An immense layer of mold manifests the uninterrupted action of organic powers. Crocodiles and boas are masters of the river ; the jaguar, the peccary, the dante, and the monkeys traverse the forest without fear and without danger ; there they dwell as in an ancient inher- itance. This aspect of animated nature, in which man is nothing, has something in it strange and B.ad. Here, in a fertile country, adorned with eternal verdure, we seek in vain the traces of the power of man ; we seem to be transported into a world different from that which gave us birth. These impressions are the more powerful in proportion as they are of long duration." After a voyage of only two days down the rapid current of the Rio Negro, passing the Missions of Maroa and Davipe, the travelers reached San Carlos, the last Spanish station, and the termination of their travels southward. Here there was a small military post, and the command- ant received them with great hospitality. From San Carlos the mouth of the Amazon could have been reached in the same time as that of the Orinoco, and Humboldt was for a moment tempted to continue Ids jour- ney. It was very fortunate that he did not carry this idea into effect. The government of Brazil had heard of his travels, and through a spirit of jealous suspicion, had given orders to its agents to seize the travelers, with their instruments, journals, etc., in case they crossed the ft-ontier, and forward them to Lisbon. On the 10th, Humboldt and Bonpland started on their return. Soto and Father Zea would have preferred re- turning by the same route they hod come, but the former, anxious to explore the Cassiquiare — the Orinoco branch of the Rio Negro— per- suaded them to acquiesce in their plan. They found the two rivers, at their junction, nearly equal in breadth ; the current of the Cassiquiare, however, was very strong — sometimes eight miles an hour — and their progress was slow. At one of the missions on its banks he obtained positive information of the cannibal habits of the native tribes. The priest informed him that one of the native chiefs, a few years before, had carefully fettened and then eaten one of his own wives. Infanticide is also very common, and when an Indian woman bears twins one of them is instantly killed, because they consider it a vile thing for a human being to bring forth more than one, like an opossum or peccary. The travel- ers spent ten nights on the Cassiquiare, tormented with gnats, mosquitoes, and ants. The passage became more troublesome in proportion as they approached the Orinoco. " The luxuriance of the vegetation increases in a manner of which it is diiScult even for those acquainted with the aspect of the forests between the tropics, to form an idea. There is no longer a bank : a palisade of tufted trees forms the margin of the river. You see a canal twelve hundred feet broad, bordered by two enormous walls, clothed with parasitic vines and foliage. We often tried to land. k |3 m % 64 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. but without 8UCCC8S. Toward sunset we would Bail along for an hour seeking to diHCover, not an opening (since none exists), but a spot less wooded, where our Indians by means of the hatchet and manual labor, could clear space enough for a resting-place for twelve or thirteen per- sons. It was impossible to pass the night in the canoe ; the mosquitr es, w hich tormented us during the day, accumulated toward evening beneath the toldo covered with palm-leaves, which served to shelter as tirom the rain. Our hands and &ces had never before been so much swelled. Father Zea, who had till then boasted of having in his missions of the cataracts the largest and fiercest mosquitoes, at length gradually acknowl- edged that the sting of the insects of the Cassiquiare was the most pain- ful ho had ever felt. We experienced great difficulty, amid a thick forest, in finding wood to make a fire, the branches of the trees being so full of sap that they would scarcely burn. The view of the river, and the hum of the insects, were a little monotonous ; but some remains of our natural cheerfulness enabled us to find sources of relief during our wearisome passage. We discovered, that by eating small portions of dry cacao ground with sugar, and drinking a large quantity of the river water, we succeeded in appeasing our appetite for several hours. The ants and the mosquitoes troubled us more than the humidity and the want of food. Noth withstanding the privations to which we were ex- posed during our excursions in the Cordilleras, the navigation on the Cassiquiare has always appeared to as the most painful part of our tray- els in America." RETURN TO CUMANA. They reached the Orinoco on the 21st of May, and proceeded three miles up the stream, to the missionary station of Esmeralda. At the bifurcation of the river rises the granite mountain of Daida, eight thou- sand feet high, which forms a splendid feature in the landscape. During a stay of two days at Esmeralda, Humboldt had an opportunity of wit- nessing the preparation of the celebrated cfurare poison, which is ob- tained from the juice and bark of a particular plant, highly concentrated by boiling and filtration. When it comes in contact with the blood it is immediately fatal, and no remedy for it has yet been discovered ; bat it may be swallowed not only with safety, but with great advantage, in cases of gastric derangement. It is prepared by a skillful Indian, who has the title of " poison-master." While Humboldt was witnessing the process, the master, who had a wounded finger, incantioasly allowed some of the poison to touch it. He instantly fell to the ground, as if stunned, but the poison was fortunately in a diluted state, and the man's life was saved by the application of muriate oj* soda. Humboldt him- self had also a narrow escape from a similar &te. The poison ran out of a bottle which was badly stopped, and saturated his stookmgs. He per- pires, thede These! THE CAVER*' OP ATARUIPB. 65 inc for an hour but a spot leas 1 manual labor, or thirteen per- the mosquitf es, evening beneath jlter us tirom the » much swelled, missions of the aduallyacknowl- is the most poin- y, amid a thick * the trees being of the river, and Bome remjuna of relief during our mall portions of ntity of the river eral hours. The humidity and the lich we were ex- avigation on the , part of our trav- l proceeded three tneralda. At the Dmda, eight thou- mdscape. During pportunity of wit- ison, which is ob- ghly concentrated with the blood it n discovered ; but reat advantage, in killful Indian, who tras witnesang the jautiously allowed the ground, as if bate, and the man's Humboldt him- poison ran out of lockings. He per- ceived the glutinous feeling as he was about to put them on, and an his feet were covered with sores from the bites of insects, such an act would have been certain death. When the travelers Ictl Esmeralda, they were in a very weak and languid condition, caused by the torments of insects, bad food, and confinement in the narrow and damp canoe. After spend- ing another night at the junction (or rather disjunction), of the Cassi- quiare, they floated with the current, the river being free from shoals, and in thirty-iive hours reached the mission of Santa Barbara, a distance of nearly a hundred and fifty miles. On the 27th, they arrived at the mission of San Fernando de Atabapo, which they had left more than a month before. They remained but a day to rest, and then floated, in seventeen hours, to the cataract of Maypures, where they were obliged to Avait two days for the passage of their canoe. Another day brought them to the cataract of Atures. Hert. they landed before sunset, on the eastern bank of the Orinoco, in ordci to visit the cavern of Ata- ruipe, which is the place of sepulture of an extinct nation. Humboldt thus describes his visit to this remarkable c&ve: "The surrounding scenery has a grand and solemn character, which seems to mark it as a national burial-place. With difficulty, and not without danger of being precipitated into the depths below, we clambered a steep and perfectly bare granite rock, on whose smooth surface it would be hardly possible to keep one's footing were it not for large crystals of feldspar, which, defying the action of weather, project an inch or more from the mass. On gaining the summit, a wide prospect of the sur- rounding country astonishes the beholder. From the foaming bed of the river rise hills richly crowned with woods, while beyond its western bank the eye rests on the boundless savannah of the Meta. On the hor- izon loom like threatening clouds the mountains of Uniama. Such is the distant view ; but immediately around all is desolate and contracted. In the deep ravines of the valley moves no living thing save where the vulture and the whirring goat-sucker wing their lonely way, their heavy shadows gleaming fitfully past the barren rock. The caldron-shaped valley is encompassed by mountains, whose rounded summits bear huge granite bouMers, measuring from forty to more than fifty feet in diam- eter. They appear poised on only a single point of the surface, as if the slightest diock of the earth would hurl them down. The further side of this rocky valley is thickly wooded. It is in this shady spot that the cave of the Ataruipe is situated ; properly speaking, however, it is not a cave, but a vault formed by a far projecting and overhanging cliiT, — a kind of bay hollowed out by the waters when formerly at this high level. This spot is the grave of an extinct tribe. We counted about six hundred well-preserved skeletons, placed in as many baskets, formed of the stalks of palm-leaves. These baskets, called by the Indians mo- pires, are a kind of square sack varying in size according to the age of the deceased. Even new-bom children have each their own mapire. These skeletons are so perfect, that not a rib or a finger is wanting. 66 LIFK AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. "Tho Indians assured me that the corpNc wus Ituriinl during several months in a moist earth, which gradually destroyed the tlesii ; and that after being disinterred, any particles of tlesh Ntiil adhering to the bones were H(;ru])ed off with sharp stones. This practice is still continued among many tribes of Guiana. Besides these baskets, or raapires, we saw many unis of half-bunied clay, which appear to contain the bones of whole families. The largest of these urns are upward of three feet in height, and nearly six feet in length, of an elegant oval form, and green- ish color ; with handles shaped like crocodiles and serpents, and the rims bordered with flowing scrolls and labyrinthine figures. These ornaments are precisely similar to those which cover the walls of the Mexican palace at Mitla. They are found in every clime and every stage of human culture — among the Greeks and Romans, no less than on the shields of Otaheitans, and other South Sea islanders — in all regions where a rhythmical repetition of regular forms delights the eye. The causes of these resemblances, as I have explained elsewhere, are rather to be referred to psychical conditions, and to the inner nature of our mental qualifications, than as affording evidence ui favor of a common origin and the ancient intercourse of nations. " Our interpreters could give us no certain information regarding the age of these vessels; but that of the skeletons did not in general appear to exceed a hundred years. There is a legend among the Guareko Indians, that the brave Atures, when closely pursued by the cannibal Caribs, took refuge on the rocks of the cataracts — a mournful place of abode — in which this oppressed race perished, together with its language 1 Li the most inaccessible portion of the rapid, other graves of the same character are met with ; indeed it is probable that the last descendants of the Atures did not become extinct until a much more recent period. There still lives, and it is a singular fact, an old parrot in Maypures which can not be understood, because, as the natives assert, it speaks the Ian- guage of the Atures ! '■'■ We lefl the cave at night&U, after haying collected, to the extreme annoyance of our Indian guides, several skulls and the perfect skeleton of an agod man. One of these skulls has been delineated by Blumen- bach in his admirable craniological work; but the skeleton, together with a large portion of our natural history collections, especially the entomological, was lost by shipwreck off the coast of Africa on the same occasion when our friend and former traveling companion, the young Franciscan monk, Juan Gonzalez, lost his life. As if with a presentiment of this painful loss, we turned from the grave of a departed race with feelings of deep emotion. It was one of those clear and delicious cool nights BO frequent beneath the tropics. The moon stood high in the z'6nith, encircled by a halo of colored rings, her rays gilding the margins of the mist, which in well defined outline hovered like clouds above the foaming flood. Innumerable insects poured tKeir red phosphorescent light over the herb-covered surface, which glowed with living fire, as THE OTOMAC INDIANS. 67 1 (Itiriiig several HuhIi ; and that iig to the bones still continued ' , or luapires, wo un the bones of of three feet in form, and green- its, and the rims riicsc ornaments of the Mexican every stage of j ess than on the j 3 — in all regions ,8 the eye. The vhere, arc rather j ler nature of our or of a common ion regarding the 1 general appear ng the Guareke by the cannibal lournful place of vith its language I aves of the same last descendants >re recent period. I Maypures which t speaks the Ian- id, to the extreme e perfect skeleton lated by Blumen- keleton, together ins, especially the ifiica on the same )anion, the young th a presentiment eparted race with nd delicious cool tood high in the Idbg the margins clouds above the d phosphorescent irith living fire, as though the starry canopy of heaven hud sunk ufwn the grassy plain. Climbing bignonio, fragrant vanillas, and guldeu-tlowcred bunistcria.s, adorned the entrance of the cave, while the rustling palm-loaves waved over the resting-place of the dead. Thus pass away the generations of men ! — thus perish the records of the glory of nations ! Yet when every emanation of the human mind has iaded — when in the storms of time the monuments of man's creative art are scattered to the dust — an ever new life springs fi'om the bosom of the earth. Unceashigly prolific na- ture unfolds her germs, regardless though sinful man, ever at war with himself tramples beneath his foot the ripening fruit 1" After taking leave of the good monk. Father Zea, who was ill and remained at the mission, Humboldt and Bonpland ventured to pass the last half of the cataract of Atures in the laden boat. They landed several times on the rocks wliiuh connect the single islands by abrupt dikes ; sometimes the waves dashed over these dikes, and sometimes found an outlet through subterranean channels. The travelers crept into one of the caverns under the rocks ; its damp walls were covered with confervas, which they gathered, while overhead the torrent fell with a fearful noise. As the Indians had left them in the middle of the rapid to circumnavigate a bmall island in the canoe, they were obliged to spend some time on the rock in a violent storm. The night bad already set in, and their situation without shelter was dismal in the extreme. The lit- tle monkeys, which they had carried with them for months in wicker biiskets, attracted the crocodiles by their cries, thus refuting the assertion of the Indians that these animals are never seen in the rapids. After a long time the canoe arrived at the foot of the island, having safely accom- plished the passage ; they re-shipped their instruments and collections, and were soon afloat on the broad waters of the lower Orinoco. On the 7th of June they reached the Mission of Uruana, inhabited by the Oto- raacs — a tribe of Indians who are noted for their habit of eating dirt. They select an unctuous kind of clay, which they make into cakes and bake in the fire. They are very fond of this diet, which, during the height of the rainy season, constitutes their principal food. Notwith- standing it contains little or no nutritive quality, these Indians are robust and healthy. It is supposed that they use the oil of turtles' eggs, and the fat of the crocodUe, in connection with it. They are a turbulent and passionate people, and strongly addicted to the use of palm-wine and other intoxicating drinks. They also throw themselves into a peculiar state of intoxication by the use of a powder called ntopo, made from the seeds of a species of acacia, and inhaled through the forked bone of a bird, the extremities of which are applied to the nostrils. The powder is so stimulating that the smallest portion of it occasions violent sneezing in those unaccustomed to its use. A further voyage of nine days, without particular incident, brought the travelers to Angostura, the capital of Spanish Guiana, where they arrived on the 16th of June. Humboldt thus describes his feelings, ,/ ./ ^ r" ^ Ir 68 LIFB AND TRAVBLS OF HUMBOLDT. on this return to rivilisation : " It would bo tlifticult for mo to oxprcm tlio Kiitislikctiuti we folt on landing at AngoHturu. Thu iiuoiivunienccs endured at hcu in Hinall vcBflda are trivial in eompariHon with those that arc Hiifi'ered under a burning Hky, surrounded by Hwarms of nioMquitocH, and lying Htretched in a canoe, without the poHttibility of taking tho least bodily exercise. In seventy-five days we had performed a passage of five hundred leagues — twenty to a degree — on tho five great rivers, Apure, Oruioco, Atabaiw, Kio Negro, and Cossiquiaro ; and in this vast extent wo had found but a very small number of inhabited places. Com- ing from an almost desert country, wo were struck with tho bustle of the town, though it contained only six thousand inhabitants. Wo admired the conveniences which mdustry and commerce furnish to civil- ized man. Humble dwellings appeared to us magnificent ; and every person with whom wo convei-sed, seemed to be endowed with stiperior intelligence. Long privations give a value to tho smallest enjoyments ; and I can not express the pleasure we felt, when we saw for the first timo wheaten bread on the governor's table." Soon after their arrival, they were both attacked with fever on tho same day, and Bonpland's condition became so serious that his recovery was almost despaired of. This mistbrtuno detained them at Angostura until the 10th of July, when ihey crossed the Orinoco for the last timo and commenced their journey across the llanos to Now Barcelona. Their collections of plants and geological specimens greatly augmented their baggage, owing to which circumstance they were obliged to travel very slowly. Tlie heat was excessive, and as there was no wind, they found the journey very toilsome. At the end of tho third day they reached tho Mission of Can, the inhabitants of which belonged to the ancient Carib tribe which Columbus found on this coast. They are a very tall race, many of them being six feet in height. Their features are more regular, with a more intelligent expression, than those of the other Indian tribes. The men are more clothed than the women, who are almost naked, the want of clothing being much less important than the absence of red paint on their bodies. They asked Humboldt for pins, which they immediately stuck into their lower lips. Leaving the mission, six more days brought the travelers in sight of the mountain-chain of Cumana — ^which divides the llanos from the Caribbean Sea — rising like a cloud in the distance. On the 23d of July they reached New Barcelona, ex- hausted by the hot sand-winds of the plains. Bonpland soon reguned his health and activity, but Humboldt experienced an attack of ty- phus fever, which was then prevalent, and was unable to travel for a month. Anxious to reach Cumana, in order to avail themselves of the first opportunity that might offer for a passage to Vera Cruz, they hired an open boat, which was employed in the contraband trade with Trinidad, and for that reason imagined they had nothing to Tear from the English cruisers. They shipped their instruments, plants, and monkeys, and set I LAST VISIT TO OUMANA. 69 »o to cxprow loiivouienccs th those that ' luoiMiuitoeH, •f taking tho icd a pasHage great rivers, d in this vast places. Com- the bustle of ibitants. Wo unish to civil- nt ; and every with superior t enjoyments; r the first time I fever on tho \t his recovery 1 at Angostura the last time rcelona. Their igmented their 1 to travel very ,nd, they found y they reached to the ancient are a very tall turea are more he other Indian vho are almost lan the absence (ins, which they ssion, six more ain of Cumana ig like a cloud r Barcelona, ex- soon regtuned attack of ty- to travel for a ves of the first 8, they hired an 3 with Trinidad, ■om the English lonkeys, and set sail ; but had not gone for before they came in sight of' :;:i nrmod boat, which hailed them, and fired at them sinuiltuneou.sly. It lioloiiged to a Halifax privateer, and among the passengers was a I'ruHsiait Nuilor, from whom Humboldt heard his native language, for tho ilist tuao since his departure. He protested against tho seiznre, but without efiect; they were carried on board the privateer, and the captain declared their boat to be a lawful prize. At this juncture, an English sloop-of-war, tho Ifawk, which was cruising in those seas, hove in sight and ordered tho privateer to lay to. A midshipman was sent on board, who, on learning the difliculty, took Humboldt with him on board tho sloop. Tho cap- tain of the latter, Qamier, who had voyaged with Vancouver, and was a man of considerable intelligence, had heard of Humboldt's expedition through the English newspapers. He introduced him to his officers, some of whom had accompanied Lord Macartney to China, gave him his own state-room for the night, ordered tho boat to be given up, and sent the travelers on their way in the morning. Before noon they saw the fortress of Cumana, strikingly relieved, from its whitcnesH, against the dark curtain of the inland mountains. '*Wo gazed Aviih interest on tho shore," says Humboldt, " where we first gathered plants in America, and where, some months later, M. Bonpland had been in such danger. Among the cactuses, that rise in columns twenty feet high, appear the Indian huts of the Guaykerias. Every part of the landscape was familiar to us; the forest of cactus, the scattered huts, and that enormous ceiba, beneath which we loved to bathe at the approach of night. Our friends at Cumana came out to meet us : men of all castes, whom our frequent herborizfitions had brought into contact with us, expressed the greater joy at sight of us, as a report that we had perished on tho banks of the Orinoco had been current for several months." VISIT TO CUBA. They waited at Cumana for the arrival of the packet from Oomnna to Vera Cruz ; but the strictness of the English blockade was such that they were detained two months and a half! As no packet arrived, and an American vessel was about to leave New Barcelona for Cuba, they determined to take passage in her, and on the 16th of November, afler a stay of sixteen months in Venezuela, bade a final adieu to their friends at Cumana. They beheld with emotion the silver disc of the full moon illuminating the cocoa-trees on the banks of the Manzanares, for the last time, but the breeze was strong, and in six hours they had reached New Barcelona. The American vessel sailed on the evening of November 24th, and after a very tempestuous passage of twenty-five days, reached Havana on the 19th of December. Humboldt mado astronomical observ- ations during the passage, whenever it was possible, and tested the ac- curacy of the position of the ree& and islands which they passed. His 60 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. approach to the shores of Cuba was announced by the delicious aromatio odors which blew from off the land.* The travelers were the guests of Count O'Reilly and Soflor Cuesta during their stay at Havana, which was about three months. They employed their time, until the end of February, in making observations in and around the city, and in the neighboring plains of Guines. About the end of February, having com- pleted the observations they proposed making at the northern extremity of the torrid zone, they were on the point of embarking for Vera Cruz, mtending to cross Mexico, sail to the Philippine IslandH, and return to Europe by way of India and Persia, when a rumor (which afterward proved false) concerning the French expedition of Captain Baudin, in- duced them to change their plans. It was stated that this expedition had departed from France, bound for the coast of Chili and Peru, whence it would sail for Australia. TRAVELS AMONG THE ANDES. The projects which Humboldt had fonned before leaving Paris were instantly revived. He determined to sail to Carthagetia, cross the isth- mus to the Pacific, and await Baudin's arrival in Lima or Valparaiso. But it was first necessary to forward to Europe his largo collection of objects of natural history. " Bonpland and I," he says, " resolved in- stantly to divide our herbals into three portions, to avoid exposing to the risks of a long voyage the objects we had obtained with so much difficulty on the banks of the Orinoco, the Atabapo, and the Rio Negro. We sent one collection by way of England to Germany, another by way of Cadiz to France, and a tliird remained at Havana. We had reason to congratulate ourselves on this foresight: each collection contained nearly the same species, and no precautions were neglected to have the cases, if taken by English or French vessels, remitted to Sir Joseph Banks, or to the professors of natural history at the Museum at Paris. It happened fortunately that the manuscripts which I at first intended to send with the collection to Cadiz were not intrusted to our much esteemed friend and fellow-traveler. Fray Juan Gonzalez, who had fol- lowed us to Havana with the view of returning to Spain. He left the island of Cuba soon after us, but the vessel in Avhich he sailed foundered on the coast of Africa, and the cargo and crew were all lost. By this event we lost some of the duplicates of our herbals, and what was more important, all the insects which M. Bonpland had, with great difficulty, collected during our voyage to the Orinoco and the Rio Negro. By a singular fatality we remained two years in the Spanish colonies without receiving a single letter from Europe ; and those which arrived in the three following years made no mention of what we had transmitted. • In approaching Cubs ftom the north in July, 18i9, we were met Beveral miles from ahoro by the same fragrant land wind, freighted with the balms of the tropica. — B. T. con tine: on a VOYAOK TO CARTHAGENA. 61 icious aromatic 2 the guests of Havana, which tttil the end of ity, and in the •y, having com- ;hem extremity for Vera Cruz, 1, and return to ?hich afterward itjun Baudin, in- this expedition id Peru, whence iving Paris were j a, cross the isth- | la or Valparjuso. rge collection of rs, "resolved in- roid exposing to d with BO much 1 the Rio Negro. , another by way We had reason ection contained icted to have the id to Sir Joseph jduseum at Paris, first intended to jd to our much Icz, who had fol- wn. He left the >, sailed foundered all lost. By this id what was more 1 great difficulty, Lio Negro. By a colonies without ;h arrived in the had transmitted. jet several miles from the tropics. — B. T. The reader may imagine my imeasincss for the fate of a journal which contained astronomical observations, and barometrical measurements, of which I had not made any copy. After having visited New Grenada, Peru, and Mexico, and just when I was preparing to leave the New Con- tinent, I happened, at a public library of Philadelphia, to cast my eyes on a scientific publication, in which I found these words : * Arrival of M. de Humboldt's manuscripts at his brother's house in Paris, by way of Spain !* I oould scarcely suppress an exclamation of joy." They experienced some difficulty in obtaining passage to Carthagena, but finally chartered a Spanish sloop lying at Batabauo, on the southern shore of the island, and set sail on the 0th of March, 1801. The cabin was merely a hold for provisions, and they were obliged to live on deck, where the thermometer stood at 90° in the shade. " Luckily these in- conveniences lasted only twenty days," says Humboldt, with the resigna- tion of a genuine traveler. Coasting along the southern shore, in five days they reached Trinidad de Cuba, where they were treated with much distinction by the Governor. A grand party was assembled to entertain them in the evening, and an ecclesiastic, habited in velvet, notwithstand- ing the heat, declaimed a sonnet, celebrating their voyage on the Ori- noco. They set sail the next day, and after a rough passage of sixteen days, again reached the South American continent, at the mouth of the river Sinu, which the captain entered to shelter his frail vessel from the storms. This was at that time an almost unvisited region, and the bo- tanical zeal of the travelers led them into a situation of great danger. Having rowed ashore to collect plants by moonlight they would have fallen into an ambuscade of naked men, armed and laden with chains — — probably escaped criminals — if they had not retreated cautiously to the vessel. On the 30th of March they reached Carthagena, where, after consultation with the authorities, they were persuaded to give up their intention of crossing the isthmus to Panama, and to choose instead the route to Guayaquil, by way of Bogota and Quito. This change of direction gave Humboldt occasion to trace the map of the Rio Magda- lena, to determine astronomically the position of eighty points situated in the inland country between Carthagena, Popayan, and the upper val- ley of the Amazon and Lima, to discover the error in the longitude of Quito, to collect several thousand new plants, and to observe, on a vast scale, the relation between the rocks of syenitic porphyry and trachyte and the active fire of volcanoes. The travelers remained six days at Carthagena, making preparations for their journey. During this time, Humboldt visited the remarkable air-volcanoes of Turbaco, lying in the midst of palm-groves, near the Indian village of the same name. These volcanoes consist of eighteen or twenty cones of gray mud, a few yards in height, with miniature craters filled with water at the top. Every few minutes a strong jet or exhalation of azotic gas takes place, accompanied with a loud, snorting sound. In ascending the Magdaleno, Bonpland explored the rich botan- 'V»1ii.Mg'« 62 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. V: J ical treasures of the shore, while Humboldt drew a chart of the river district, in spite of the oppressive climate, and the tortures of the mos- quitoes. At the town of Honda, they left the river, and proceeded on mules to Bogota, having been thirty-five days on the journey. In the latter place the travelers remained until September, occupying them- selves Avith botanical and geographical researches, and with excursions to the many interesting spots in the vicinity. The most striking of these was the cascade of Tequendama, which Humboldt considers one of the most beautiful in the world. " The scenery comprises every thing which can render a view eminently picturesque : the cascade is not the highest in the world, but there is no other which combines so great a S^sS*; FALLS OF TEQUEKDAUA. height with such a mass of water. The river is half the breadth of the Seine, at Paris, and precipitates itself, in two bounds, a depth of five hundred and seventy feet. In approaching the cascade, one sees around him oaks and other trees which recall the vegetation of Europe ; then all at once he beholds, as from a tower, the palm, the banana, and the sugar-cane at his feet. Owing to this circumstance, the inhabitants of Bogota say that the river of Tequendama leaps at one bound from a cold to a hot climate. The appearance of the tropical vegetation at the bot- tom of the ravine is the more interesting to them, as they live on a table- land where the thermometer often descends to the freezing-point. The solitude of the place, the richness of the vegetation, and the frightful roar of the waters, make the foot of the cascade oT Tequendama one of the wildest and most savage scenes among the Cordilleras. THE PASS OF QUINDIU. 63 t of the river es of the mo9- proceeded on irney. In the copying them- vith excursions )st striking of ; considers one sea every thing jade is not the lines so great a breadth of the a depth of five one sees around f Europe ; then }anana, and the inhabitants of )und from a cold ation at the bot- y live on a table- zing-point. The nd the frightful ucndama one of aa. Leaving Bogota toward the end of September, Ilumboldt and Bon- pland started on their journey to Quito, by way of Popayan. They crossed the central chain of the Andes, by the remarkable pass of Quin- diu, the highest point of which is eleven thousand three hundred feet above the sea. The mountain of Quindiu is covered with uninhab- ited forests, and can not be passed in less than twelve days. Travelers are obliged to carry provisions for a month, because it often happens that a sudden swelling of the mountain torrents prevents them from either going backward or forward. The path in many places is a ravine, or crevasse, so narrow as barely to allow the passage of the oxen which carry the baggage. The light of day can scarcely penetrate to the bot- tom, and the obscurity is increased by the thick vegetation overhead. If the traveler meets with any of these laden animals in such a place, ho must either retrace his steps, or seize hold of a stout root and draw him- self up out of their reach. The rich inhabitants are transported on the backs of men, who toe called cargtterot, and follow this business for a livelihood. Like horses, they are si 3cted according to their strength, their surenen of fi>ot, and their easy gdt. Tliey cany a sort of chair, strapped to the dioulders, in which the traveler sits, looking backward, and easily accomplish a journey of dght or nine hovra a day. Like horses, also, their backs often become sore under the saddle, and they run the same risk of being abandoned on the road if they fall sick ; but they are, n^svertheless, cheerful and attached to their business, which is not looked upon as degrading. Humboldt and Bonpland would not consent to use this method of transportation, but traveled on foot, bare- footed, at the head of their caravan of twelve oxen, who carried their instruments and collections. Ttie path was in a tenacious clayey soil, which made walking very &tiguing, added to which the oxen have the habit of stepping always in the same tracks, so that they gradually form a succession of deep holes, which are soon filled up with soft mud, in which the traveler sinks to his knees. It was in the rsuny season, and they found the journey exceedingly laborious and fiitiguing. The In- dians carried with them packages of the leaves of a species of banana, covered with a resinous varnish, which is impervious to moisture. With these and some poles cut in the woods they constructed a tent every night, so that the travelers were always certain of a dry lodging-place. They finally reached the valley of the Cauca, which they ascended ^o Popayan, visited the snowy volcanoes of Purace and Sotara, and con- tinued their journey, by way of the town of Piasto, to Quito, where they arrived on the 6th of January, 1802, nearly four months after leaving Bogota. Humboldt soon recovered from the hardships of the journey, in the bracing and equable climate of Quito, and remained for nearly nine months, employed in his geological and botanical studies ; his sense for natural beauty and sublime landscapes finding abundant food for grati- fication in the splendid landscapes of the plain of Quito, with its views 64 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. of the snowy cones of tho Andes. These grand conical peaks, then su])- posed to be the highest in the world, tempted him to attempt the ascent of their almost inaccessible aides. He climbed to the snow-line of Coto- THE VOLCANO OF C0T0?AZI. paxi, the highest volcano in the world, which, in the year 1738, threw up a pillar of flame a mile in height, and made its bellowings heard at the distance of five hundred miles. Finding it impossible to reach the sum- mit, he next tried the volcano of Pichincho, lying nearer Quito, and after two unsuccessful attempts reached the crater on the 26th of May. He did not find it filled with snow, as Condamine and Bouger had done nearly seventy years before, but inflamed and preparing for an eruption, a circumstance which, on his return to Quito, filled the inhabitants with alarm. While on the summit of this volcano, Humboldt came near losing his life. While attempting to cross a deep chasm, the fragile bridge of snow gave way under him, and he was only saved by the presence of mind of an Indian, who held him on the brink, at the im- minent risk of losing his own balance. After having surmounted Pichincha, which is about fifteen thousand four hundred feet above tho sea, and obtained an equal elevation on tho side of Cotopaxi, Humboldt determined to make an attempt to scale Chimborazo, which was then believed to be the highest peak of the Andes.* Accompanied by Bonpland and a young Spanish naturalist, * It has been since owertained that Sorata and Illimani, in Bolivia, and tho peak of Aconcagua, in Cliili, are higher than Chimborazo, all oT tiiem having an altitude of over twenty-three thousand feet. ^mmm 1 peaks, then sup ittempt the ascent mow-line of Coto- year 1738, threw up [ lowings heard at the )le to reach the sum- jarer Quito, and after le 26th of May. He id Bouger had done iring for an eruption, the inhabitants with lumboldt came near sp chasm, the fragile only saved by the the brink, at the im- bout fifteen thousand qual elevation on the an attempt to scale highest peak of the g Spanish naturalist, Bolivia, and tho peak of having an altitude of over ASCENT OF THE CHIMBORAZO. 65 Don Carlos de Montufar, he proceeded to the table-land of Tapia, nine thousand tour hundred and thirty-four feet above the level of the Pacific Ocean, and on the 22d of June commenced the expedition to Chimbor- azo. They followed the plain, slowly ascending, to the Indian village of Calpi, at the foot of the mountain, where they halted for the night. The next morning they started early, and began the ascent. They de- termined to climb the mountain from the south-south-eastern side, and the Indians who acted as guides — although few of them had ever reached the limit of the eternal snow — also gave this route the preference. Tho base of Chimborazo consists of great plains, rising like terraces one above the other. They first crossed the llano of Luisa, and then, after a gradual ascent of about a mile, reached that of Sisgun, twelve thousand four hundred and thiity feet above the sea. Here, on the level floor of the plain, Humboldt M'ished to make a trigonometrical measurement, in order to ascertain the height of the summit, for which purpose be had brought along bis sextants and other instruments; but the peak was shrouded in dense clouds. They then continued ascending to the little lake of Yana-Cocha, which b a circular basin of not more than one hundred and thirty feet in diameter. The sky became more and more obscured, but they had occasional glimpses of the head of Chimborazo through the openings of the clouds. Much snow had fiillen during the previous night, and they were obliged to leave their mules at this point, which is con- siderably below the line of perpetual snow. The barometer showed that they had attahied a height of fourteen thousand three hundred and fifty feet. A short distance above Yana-Cocha, the grass began to disappear, and they reached a region of naked augite rocks, which rose in columns to the height of fifty or sixty feet, and at a distance resembled trees or masts. Following these rocky pillars through the fields of snow, they finally reached a narrow ridge, or comb, running directly toward the summit, by which alone it was possible to advance ; for the snow was so soft and yielding that they did not dare to walk upon it. The path became more and more steep and narrow. The guides all left them, except one, at the height of sixteen thousand five hundred and twenty-five feet : neither threats nor persuasions would induce them to go further. They then reimuned alone — ^Humboldt, Bonpland, Carlos de Montufar, and a mestizo from the neighboring village of San Juan. With great labor and perseverance they continued to ascend, though they were enveloped in thick mist. The roclyy comb, which the natives appropriately called a " knife-blade," was in fnany places not more than eight or ten inches broad. On the left was a declivity of snow, covered with a glassy coating of ice, while on the right they looked into a chasm a thousand feet deep, with immense masses of naked rock at the bottom. Nevertheless, they were obliged to incline their bodies to this side, for the snowy pitch on the left seemed even more dangerous, because there was no possibility of either arresting their descent, or of preventing them from sinking deep in the loose snows. The difiiculty of ascending was 6 i M LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. now increased by the brittle, disintegrated character of the rock. In some places they were obliged to crawl painfully on their hands and feet, which, wounded by the sharp edges, marked their path with their own blood. They marched in single file, carefiiUy testing the stability of the rock as they proceeded — a very necessary operation, as many of tho masses were lying loose on the brink. Their previous experience in climbing Pichincha, Cotopaxi, and Antisana here proved to be of great service, besides teaching theui how best to husband their fast diminish- ing strength. As the summit was almost constantly hidden from view, they became very desirous of knowing how much remained to be as- cended, and Humboldt opened the barometer at a pomt where the comb was broad enough to allow two persons to sit side by side. The mercury indicated a height of eighteen thousand three hundred and eighty feet, or about two hmidred feet higher than they had ascended, three months previously, on the cone of Antisana, by climbing a very similar ledge. They were a little disappointed at finding themselves still so far from the point of their ambition. The temperature of the air was 87°, and that of the earth 42°. After another hour of cautious climbing, the rocky comb became less steep, but the mist was thicker than ever. They now began, one after another, to suffer from the extreme rarefaction of the air. The tendency to vomit, combined with vertigo, was much more disagreeable than the difficulty of breathing. Their lips and gums bled profusely, and their oyeUds and eyeballs were injected with blood. The mestizo suffered more than the others. They were by no means alanned at these symp- toms, which they had experienced during former ascents. Hiunboldt, in fact, had once fallen senseless near the summit of Pichincha, and re- mained in that condition for some time, mitil found by his guide. The belts of cloud finally parted, although the air was quite still, and they suddenly saw, apparently quite near at hand, the great dome of Chimbo- razo. It was a grand and solemn spectacle. The hope of soon standing apon its topmost pinnacle invigorated their strength anew. The ledge became a little broader, and they went forward with more security for ft few minutes, when all at once a chasm, four hundred feet deep and sixty feet broad, yawned across their path. They distinctly saw beyond the chasm, the same ledge going forward in the same direction, but the gulf was not to be passed. They were stopped by an insurmountable obstacle, in full view of their goal. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and they were benumbed with cold, although the temperature was no lower than 29°. The barometer indicated a height of nineteen thousand two hun- dred and thirty feet above the sea, and, according to Humboldt's calcu- lation, thirteen hundred below the summit. This was the highest point to ' which any human being had ever ascended on the sides of the mount- ains. It has only been surpassed a single time since then, when Boussin- gault and Colonel Hall, in December, 1831, 'reached an elevation of ■MM MHhi T. I" the rock. In ■ hands and feet, with their own 3 stability of the as many of the IS experience in d to be of great At fast diminish- dden from view, imained to be as- fc where the comb ae. The mercury | I and eighty feet, i led, three months ery similar ledge. ■ till BO far from the 1 was 37°, and that comb became less j V began, one after i tur. The tendency | agreeable than the j Tofusely, and their le mestizo suffered i ned at these symp- j cents. Humboldt, Pichincha, and re- )yhis guide. The nite still, and they tt dome ofChimbo- I pc of soon standing j anew. The ledge I A more security for feet deep and sixty tly saw beyond the (Ction, but the gulf nountable obstacle, [afternoon, and they was no lower than thousand two hun- ) Humboldt's calcu- the highest point to rides of the mount- then, when Boussin- led an elevation of DESCENT OF CHIMBORAZO. 67 about nineteen thousand mx hundred feet on the side of Cliimborazo, by taking anotlier path than that which Uumboldt had chosen. '■/*4^ 4^' ' CHIUBOBAZO. As the weather became more and more thick and unfavorable, they commenced returning by means of the same narrow ridge which had enabled them to ascend. They only halted long enough to collect sjwci- mcns of the rock, foreseeing that they would afterward in Europe fre- qently be asked for " a small piece of Chunborazo." A violent storm of hail overtook them, but fortunately changed into snow as they descended into a lower atmosphere. The storm became so dense that before they reached the si)ot where their mules had been left, the rocks were covered to the depth of several inches. The Indiiui guides were in great anxiety on their accoimt, but before dark they reached the Indian village of Calpi, and were hospitably entertained by the priest. For several days after- ward Chimborazo stood clear against the sky, unobscured by a sjjeck of vapor, but, the chasm wliich barred their path seemed impassable, and no second attempt was made. During his residence in Quito, Iliunboldt received intelligence that the expedition under Captain Baudin had sailed to New Zealand, intending to pass homeward around the Cape of Good Hope, and would, therefore, not touch Chili or Peru. His plan of visiting the Philippine Islands and India w.as frustrated by this news, but he immediately formed a new plan of travel. Leaving Quito he followed the chain of the Andes, by 68 LIFB AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. way of AsHuay, Cuenca and Loxa, to the upper valley of the Amacon. This journey, which was very fatiguing and hazardous, was made still more difficult by the scientific instruments and the collections of plants and minerals which the travelers carried with them. On the road to Assuay, Humboldt found in the plain of Cafiar, nearly sixteen thousand feet above the sea, the remams of the ancient road of the Incas, which is sup- posed to have led from Quito to Cuzco. It is paved with blocks *>{ por- pliyry, and appeared to be fully equal to any of the ancient Roman high- ways. In Assuay and CaAar he found many other very interesting relics of the native Peruvian dynasty, but none which gave such an impression of its power and civilization as these roads. Near Loxa Humboldt visited the cinchona woods, which yield the " Peruvian bark," or quinine. " At that time," he says, "none of this valuable product found its way into commerce ; all that was obtained was shipped at Payta, a port of the Pacific, and conveyed round Cape Horn to Cadiz, for the use of the Spanish court. To procure the small supply of eleven thousand Spanish pounds, no less than eight hundred or nine hundred cinchona-trees were cut down every year. The older and thicker stems are becoming more and more scarce ; but, such is the luxuriance of growth that the younger trees, which now supply the demand, though measuring only six inches in diameter, frequently attwn the height of from fifty-three to sixty-four feet. This beautiful tree, which is adorned with leaves five inches long and two broad, seems, when growing in the thick woods, as if striving to rise above its neighbors. The upper branches spread out, and when agitated by the wind the leaves have a peculiar reddish color and glist- ening appearance which is distinguishable at a great distance," In descending to the valley of the Amazon, in the province of Jaen de Bracamoros, the travelers were obliged to ford the Rio de Guancabamba no less than twenty-seven times. The current was so strong that the heavily-laden mules, eighteen or twenty in number, were in contmual danger of being carried away ; and Humboldt and Bonpland suffered the greatest suspense and anxiety until the dangerous road was passed. In the lower part of the same river, they noticed a novel post for the conveyance of letters. The official communications from the Pacific coast to the valley of the Amazon are dispatched by a swimrmng courier, usually a young Indian, who is at home in the water. The few letters of which he is the bearer he carefully wraps in a large cotton handkerchief which he rolls around his head in the form of a turban. On arriving at those parts of the rivers in which there are falls or rapids, he lands and goes by a circuitous route through the woods. When wearied by long- contmued swimming, he rests by throwing one arm on a plank of light wood. Sometimes he takes a fiiend along to bear him company. Many of the wild Indian tribes who dwell on the shores of the upper Amazon, perform their journeys in a similar manner. On one occasion Humboldt " saw the heads of thirty or forty individuals, men, women and children, as they floated down the river. On approaching the basin of the Amazon l\ LDT. Y of the Amazon. IB, was made Btill Uections of plants On the road to :tecn thousand feet ncas, which is sup- irith blocks « f por- cient Roman high- y interesting relics such an impression i Humboldt visited ' or quinine. " At found its way into lyta, a port of the for the use of the a thousand Spanish jinchona-trees were ae beconung more th that the younger ig only MX inches in -three to sixty-four ves five inches long roods, as if striving read out, and when ] dish color and glist- distance." province of Jaen de lio de Guancabamba so strong that the , were in continual Bonpland sufiFered lus road was passed, novel post for the 18 from the Pacific a Bwimnung courier, The few letters of lotton handkerchief lan. On arriving at rapids, he lands and en wearied by long- on a plank of light tn company. Many the upper Amazon, occasion Humboldt omen and children, basin of the Amazon DESCENDANTS OF THE IKCAS. 69 he was delighted with the beauty of the scenery and the luxuriance of the vegetation. The orange-trees grew to the height of sixty or seventy feet. The travelers descended the River Chamaya on rafts, to its confluence with the Amazon, at the narrows of Rentama. They found the latter river to be fourteen hundred feet in breadth, at this point. After seven- teen days spent in the hot valley of the Amazon, they ascended the Andes to the table-land of Caxamarca, stopping on the way to visit the famous silver mines of Gualgoyoc. They took up their temporary abode in tlu! vicinity of the mines in the little mountain town of Micuipampa, situated at an elevation of twelve thousand feet above the sea, and where, though only 6° 43' from the equator, water freezes within doors, at night, during a great part of the year. This wilderness, almost devoid of vegetation, is inhabited by three or four thousand persons, who are supplied with articles of food from the warm valleys, as they themselves can grow nothing but some kinds of cabbage and salad. Here, as in all the mining towns of Peru, ennui drives the richer inhabitants, who, however, are not the best informed class, to the dangerous diversions of cards and dice. The consequence is, that the wealth thus quickly won is still more quickly spent. Here one is continually reminded of the anecdote re- lated of one of the soldiers of Kzarro's army, who complained that he had lost, in one night's play, " a large piece of the sun," meaning a plate of gold which he had obtained at the plunder of the temple of Cuzco. Passing over a sucfeession of paramos, or mountain deserts, where they were severely bruised by hail-storms, the travelers at last saw be- neath them the fertile valley of Caxamarca, its extent of one hundred square miles watered by the windings of a beautiful little river. In the ancient town, the capital of the unfortunate Inca Atahuallpa, there are many interesting remains of its fonuer rulers. Some vestiges of the Inca's palace and fortress are stiU to be seen, although most of the orig- inal Peruvian buildings have been torn down to furnish material for the dwellings of their conquerors. In the town jail, which is erected on the ruins of Atahuallpa's palace, the room is still shown in which he was con- fined until the day of his execution (August 29, 1533), and the natives even point out a mark on the wall, as indicating the height which his golden ransom reached. " Descendants of the Inca," says Humboldt, *' still dwell in Caxamarca, amid the dreary architectural ruins of de- parted splendor. These descendants are the family of the Indian Ca- cique, or, as he is called in the Quichua language, the Curaca Astorpilca. They live in great poverty, but nevertheless contented, and resigned to their hard and unmerited fete. Their descent from Atahuallpa, through the female line, has never been a doubtful question in Caxamarca ; but traces of beard would seem to indicate some admixture of Spanish blood. The son of the Cacique Astorpilca, an amiable and interesting youth of seventeen, conducted us over the ruins of the ancient palace. Though living in the utmost poverty, his imagination was filled with visions of 70 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. tho stjbtorrancnn splendor and tho golden treasuri's which, he aHsiircd us, lay hidden beneath the heapn of rubbish over which we were treading. He told us that one of his ancestors once blindfoldcil the eyes of his wife, and then, through many intricate passages cut in tlie rock, led her down into the subterranean gardens of the Inca. There ti»e lady beheld, skill- fully imitated in tho purest gold, trees laden >dth leaves and fruit, with birds perched on their branches. Among other things she saw Atahuall- pa's golden sedan-chair, which had been so long searched for in vain, and which is alleged to have been sunk in tho basin at the Baths of Pultt^ marca. The husband commanded his wife not to toucli any of these en- chanted treasures, reminding her that the period fixed for the restoration of tho empire of tho Incas had not yet arrived, and that whosoever should touch any of the treasures would perish the same night. "The son of Astorpilca assured me that underground, a little to the right of the spot on which I then stood, there was a large datura-tree, or guanto, in full flower, exquisitely mado of gold wire and plates of gold, and that its branches overspread the Inca's chair. The morbid faith with which the youth asserted his belief in this fabulous story, made a profound and melancholy impression on me. These iUu^ons are cherished among the people here, as affording them consolation amid great privation and earthly suffering. I said to the lad, ' Since you and your parents so firmly beUevo in the existence of these gardens, do you not, in your poverty, sometimes feel a wish to dig for the treasures that lie so near you ?' The young Peruvian's answer was so simple and so expressive of the quiet resignation peculiar to the aboriginal inhabitants of the country, that I noted it down in Spanish in my journal. ' Such a desire,' said he, ' never comes to us. My father says that it would be sinful. If we had the golden branches, with all their golden fruits, our white neighbors would hate us and injure us. We have a little field and good wheat.' Few of my readers will, I trust, bo displeased that I have recalled here tho words of young Astorpilca and his golden dreams." After a stay of five or six days in Caxamarca, the travelers started for Truxillo, on the Pacific coast. Crossing the valley of the Magdalena, they ascended a steep wall of rock, five thousand feet high, from the summit of which the guides assured them, they would behold the Pacific Ocean. But a thick mist overhung the plain, and obscured the distant coast. They beheld only variously-shaped masses of rock, now rising like islands above the waving sea of mist, and now vanishing. "The desire which we feel to behold certain objects," says Humboldt, " is not excited solely by their grandeur, their beauty, or their importance. In proportion as the fulfillment of a wish may have appeared improbable, its realization affords the greater pleasure. The traveler enjoys, in imticipation, the happy moment when he shall first behold the constella- tion of the Cross, and the Magellanic clouds circling over the south pole; when he shall come in sight of the sn»w of the Chimborazo, and of the column of smoke ascending from the volcano of Quito ; when, for ward they DT. I ch, he asBurcil us, ,0 wore treading. .0 eyes of his wife, )ck, led hor down lady beheld, skill- ^ res and fruit, with she saw Atahuall- ed for hi vain, and le Baths of Pulta- •h any of these en- for the restoration , id that whosoever , me night. und, a little to the large datura-tree, wire and plates of hwr. The morbid his fabulous story, These illufflons are 1 consolation amid ad, ' Since you and ;se gardens, do you r the treasures that as so simple and so loriginal inhabitants ly journal. * Such a 8 that it would be ,r golden fruits, our ave a little field and ispleased that I have golden dreams." the travelers started >y of the Magdalena, feet high, from the Id behold the Pacific obscured the distant of rock, now riang ,w vanishing. "The 8 Humboldt, "is not ;heir importance. In ippeared improbable, J traveler enjoys, in behold the constella- •cluig over the south the Chimborazo, and ) of Quito ; when, for FIRST SIGHT OF THE PAOIFIO. 71 the first time, he shall gaze on a grove of tree-ferns, or on the wide ex- panse of the Pacific Ocean. The days on which such wishes are fulfilled mark epochs in life, and create iudeliblo imjtressious; exciting feelings which require not to be accounted for by any process of reasoning. The longing wish I felt to behold the Pacific from the lofty ridges of the Andes, was mingled with recollections of the interest with which, as a boy, I had dwelt on the narrative of the adventurous expedition of Vasco Nuiiez do Balboa. Ttiat happy man, whose track Pizarro fol- lowed, was the first to behold, from tliu heights of Quarequa, on the isthmus of Panama, the eastern part of the great " South Sea." The reedy shores of the Caspian, viewed from the pouit whence I first be- held them, viz., from the Delta formed by the mouths of the Volga, cannot certainly be called picturesque, yet the delight I folt on first beholding them, was enlianced by the recollection that, ui my very earliest childhood, I had been taught to observe, on the map, the form of the Asiatic inland sea. The impressions aroused within us in early childhood, or excited by the accidental circumstances of life frequently, in after years, take a graver direction, and become stimulants to scien- tific labors and great enterprises. " After passing over many undulations of ground, on the rugged mount.'xin ridges, we at length reached the highest point of the Alto de Guangamarca. The sky, which had so long been obscured, now sud- denly brightened. A 6harp south-west breeze dispersed the vail of mist; and the dark blue canopy of heaven was seen between the narrow lines of the liighcst feathery clouds. The whole western declivity of the Cordilleras, covered with huge blocks of quartz thirteen or fifteen feet long ; and the plains of Chala and Molinos, as far as the sea coast near Truxillo, lay extended before our eyes, with a wonderful effect of ap- parent proximity. We now, for the first time, commanded a view of the Pacific. We saw it distinctly ; reflecting along the lino of the coast an immense mass of light, and rising in immeasurable expanse until bounded by the clearly defined horizon. The delight which my com- panions, Bonpland and Carlos Montufar, sliared with me in viewing this prospect, caused us to forget to open the barometer on the Alto de Guangamarca. According to a calculation which we made at a place somewhat lower down, the point at which we first gained a view of the ocean must have been at no greater an elevation than between nine thousand three hundred and eighty and nine thousand six hun- dred feet." VISIT TO MEXICO, AND RETURN TO EUROPE. After reaching Truxillo, on the coast, the travelers proceeded south- ward over the barren and sandy tracts bordering the sea, to Lima, where they remained for some time, in order to observe the transit of Mercury. mUmmm 78 I.IPK AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. Humboldt was oapccially fortunate in having n dear day for thin pur- poiic, at n timo when fof^ arc prevalent in Lima. At tho beginning of January, 1803, they took paHsage for Acapulco in the Spanish frigate Atalantn. On arriving at Guayaquil, they discovered that tho volcano of Cotopaxi had suddenly burst into violent eruption, its explosions, resembling discharges of artillery, being distinctly heard at the former place, which was at least a hundred and fifty miles distant. The eruption was first announced to tho inhabitants of Quito by tho sudden disa])- pearanco of the snow from the crater of Cotopaxi, owing to the inoreasu of internal heat. They immediately made preparations to revisit thu volcano, but had not proceeded far before they were recalled by tho news that the frigate was obliged to sot sail immediately. After a voyage of thirty days, they arrived safely at Acapulco, where they ro- mauied for some weeks before commencing their journey to the capital. Wo have very few details of Humboldt's personal experiences and ad- ventures in Mexico. His work on " New Spain" consists of an account of the political condition of the country, its statistics, its physical geogra- phy, its natural history and geology. At the time of its publication it was by far the most complete and accurate description of Mexico which had ever appeared, and in some respects has not been superseded by later works. On reachbg Acapulco, Humboldt had intended to remain but a few months in Mexico, and then return to Europe, because bis instruments appeared to have suffered, and he fowid it impossible to correct them. But he was so much pleased with the climate and scenery, and so fascinated by the new fields of investigation opened to him, that it was a year before he was willing to depart. Toward the close of winter, the travelers left Acapulco, and proceed- ed, by way of Chilpanzingo and Cuemavaca to the capital, where they occupied themselves for some time in studying the interesting antiquities of the Aztecs. Humboldt was one of the first schoUirs who called atten- tion to these remarkable relics, and a great portion of his " Vuea dea Cor- dilUrea^^ is taken up with dissertations in regard to them. In Mexico he succeeded in borrowing astronomical instruments, with which he ascer- tained the exact longitude of the place, which had been incorrectly given. He also visited the famous mines of Moran and Real del Monte, examined the Desagua, an immense artificial drain of the valley of Mexico, the pynimida of Teotihuacan, and other interesting objects in the vicinity. In July he proceeded northward, still accompanied by Bonpland, to the celebrated mining town of Guanajuato, where he devoted two months to geognostic studies, especially to the detection of ores, and then trav- eled southward through the valley of the Rio Santiago, to Yalladolid (now Morelia) the capital of the province of Michoacan. He was greatly charmed with the little lake of Pascuaro, and the scenery in its vicinity, which, he declared, would alone repay the traveler for his voyage across the ocean. His interest in the phenomena of. volcanoes led him to the plains of Jorullo, near the Pacific Ocean, where, in the year 1759, a Yolca- with I ingthe Blightljj hundr^ North DT. VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. 73 day for thin pwr- th« beginning of Spanish frigato { that tho volcano m, its explosioas, ird at the former ant. The eruption tho sudden disap- ng to tho inoreasu 9ns to rovittt the e recalled by tho ijdiately. After a CO, where they ro- ney to the capital, [perionccs and ad- sists of an account ts physical geogra- f its publication it 1 of Mexico which een superseded by intended to remain uropc, because his id it impossible to limato and scenery, pened to him, that pulco, and proceed- japital, where they .cresting antiquities rs who called atten- his " Vues des Cor- lem. In Mexico he ith which he ascer- !n incorrectly given. el Monte, examined ,lley of Mexico, the sots in the vicinity. by Bonpland, to the evoted two months ores, and then trav- ktiago, to Valladolid an. He was greatly enery in its vicinity, for his voyage across noes led him to the ieyearl759,avolcar nic cone, sixteen hundred fcot high, was formed in a single ni^ht, on n spot which had previously been perfectly level. Tho plain surrounding this volcano is covered with several thousand diminutive basaltic cones, which exhale a thick vapor through their vent-holes and communicate an insui»- portable heat to tho surrounding air. Owing to this cause, tho neighbor- hood is very unhealthy, but the travelers were not deterred from threading tho Tartarean labyrinth, and ascending tho volcano, by climbing over tho jagged surfaces of the streams of lava. They oven descpn tensive quarries of green jasper near that place. On continuing his jour- ney he was furnished with a guard of Cossacks as a defense against the Khirgises, for that portion of the line, between Orsk and Orenburg, was considered the most dtngerous on the whole frontier. On the 2l8t they came to Orenburg, the capital of the district, the main fortress on the Ime, and the center of a flourishing caravan trade to various places in middle Asia. What most interested Humboldt in the vicinity of Oren- burg, was the great salt works of Ilezk, on the steppe between the Ural and the Ilek, forty-five miles south of the city. In the absence of the Governor-General, the travelers were entertained by Major-General Gens, whose knowledge of the geography and politcal condition of mid- dle Asia, greatly interested Humboldt. He had a fund of information obtained from caravans and ft'om personal observation. In order to gratify Humboldt's desire to see more of the Khirgises, he sent a mes- sage to the nearest sultan, requesting him to come with his subjects into the neighborhood, and exhibit their skill in some of their accustomed 84 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. games and sports. Accordingly a large number appeared, and raised their tents a fow versts from the city, after which the sultan camo w per- son to visit Humboldt and General Gens. As they drove to the encampment, they had occasion to admire the skill of the Khirgises, many of whom rode around tho carriage at full gallop, resting with their hands upon tho horses' backs and their feet in the air. Having arrived at the tents they were first introduced to the sultan's wives, who were seated in a row in his tent, and then tho sports began. The first was horse-racing. Tho participants rode off to a place seven versts distadl, whence they were to ride back to the tents as their goal. Meanwhile other games wore introduced. Two Khirgises en- tered a circle, formed by the spectators, to wrestle. Casting off their outer garments, each threw his leathern girdle over the other, and thus they struggled to throw each other to the ground. The victor remained in the ring until thrown by a new antagonist. One distin- guished himself by throwing six in succession, but was vanquished by the seventh. Then a large kettle was brought out, half filled with boiled groats. Into this General Gens threw a silver ruble, which the Khirgises attempted to take out with their teeth. When several rubles had been successively picked out in this maimer, and a still greater number of Khirgises had ludicrously besmeared their heads and shoulders in vain, the sport was changed, and now the musicians appeared. The firbu were men, who begun to sing in long-drawn tones, frightfully distorting their faces the while. There was no trace of melody in their song, although they were themselves so enraptured with it that it was almost impossible to persuade them to stop. When they had finished, a female, completely vailed, entered the circle, and sang in the same manner as the men. Then two others entered and sang a duet, standing with their iaces close together, and raising their vails so that they could see each other, and also allow the spectators to obtain a side view, which they did not seem to take amiss. They were inteiTupted by the intelligence that the horsemen were coming, whereupon the spectators gave way, aided by the whips of the overseers. A boy won' tho prize, which was a gold em- broidered cloak, the others receiving smaller presents. Foot-racmg waa the next performance. From the starting-point to the tent was about a raile, which the winner ran through in the short space of three minutes. Here the first prize was a silver ruble, the rest were pieces of cotton cloth and smaller presents. When the sports were ended the travelers returned to the city, and prepared for their departure on the morrow. On leaving Orenburg, they resolved to pass around to the northward of the great sandy steppe of Rynpeski, which lies between the Ural and the Volga, and is inhabited by wandering tribes of Cossacks, IChirgises ^ of the Inner Horde, and Calmucks; but as Humboldt wished to see Uralsk, the chief city of the Uralian Cossacks, they first descended the Ural to that place. They arrived on tho 27th, and remained a day to Bee the autumnal fishing, and other industrial operations of the people. used gible cloth, for the but wa ingof these temple and, hj gilded upon cheese door ar chief ; remote, the str frightfu lama ar whom ; Hur arrived V>!^0^&ftu^(£>^^ii^^«^^^. ired, and ndaed tan camo in per- \ to admire the carriage at full and their feet in itroduced to the a then the sports ode off to a place the tents as their wo Khirgises en- Casting off their sr the other, and ,und. The victor , mist. One distin- ras vanquished by if filled with boiled hich the Khirgises al rubles had been ;reater number of [ shoulders in viun, ed. The firbu were lly distorting their aeir song, although A almost impossible female, completely tanner as the men. ith their faces close jee each other, and I they did not seem telligence that the gave way, Mded by lich was a gold em- 8. Foot-racing was the tent was about ice of three minutes, jre pieces of cotton ended the travelers re on the morrow, nd to the northward Btween the Ural and Cossacks, lairgises boldt wished to see f first descended the 1 remained a day to itions of the people. ARRIVAL AT ASTRACHAK. 85 The prosperity of the Cossacks of the Ural (or Jaik), is mainly owing to the productive fisheries of the Ural river, which, next to military occupations, furnish their chief employment ; pa-sturage and agriculture being but secondary. From Uralsk the travelers turned north-east- wardly across the mountain steppe of Obschtschci Syrt, to Busuluk, thence westwardly to the Volga at Samara. In this region Humboldt found numerous sulphur springs, and waters impregnated with asphaltcs and with salt ; while in many places sulphur is obtained from the earth in large quantities. As they descended the Volga, they passed through a number of German colonies on the banics of the river, above and boluw Saratoff. From Dubowka they made an excursion to the large salt-lake of Elton — called Alton Nor, the Golden Lake, by the Cossacks — situated in the steppe, seventy miles eastward of the Volga, and celebrated for its extensive manufactories of salt. While examining the waters of the lake, they found large quantities of insects of various kinds, and even birds, which, having fallen into the lake, were well preserved, and from these Ehrenberg made a good collection of the fauna of the region. Further down the river, at Sarepta, they found a colony of Moravian brethren, established in 1765, who carried on a considerable trafiic, in their own manufactures, with the Cossacks. In the lower districts of the Volga they frequently passed the kibitkaa of the Calmucks, and met the people with their lierds of horses, sheep and camels. They also passed one of the temples, in the entrance of which a number of long sticks stood upright with written prayers fastened upon them. The prayers of the Calmucks are all written in the Thibetan language, which is always used by the priests in their religious rites, although it is quite unintelli- gible to the people. They are usually written on long strips of cotton cloth, which are fastened to long sticks th&'v they may bo easily agitated, for the prayers are not read or repeated by the priests in their worship, but waved as flags by the wind, as the Calmucks believe that the mov- ing of the written prayers is just as effectual as repeating them. By these fluttering prayers and the noisy music that proceeded from the temple, the travelers knew that the Cossacks were at worship within, and, having a desire to see them, they entered. Upon the altar stood gilded figures of their idols, while glaring pictures of idols hung upon the walls. Several basins containing fruit, water, dried flesh, cheese and other offerings, were placed before the altar. Between the door and the altar six priests sat face to face upon the floor, the lama or chief priest being nearest the altar, the gellongs or inferior priests more remote. They were playing upon a variety of instruments, producing the strange noise which was heard without. The music, or rather the frightful uproar, alternated with a song of like character. At length the lama arose, the music ceased, and the priests then spoke to the travelers, whom they had not before heeded. Humboldt was received with great honor at Astrachan. When he arrived at the ferry on the afternoon of October 12th, a steamboat, sent MtpHBIiMlritttriht 80 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUUBOLDT. by the Governor-General OflsipofT, was waiting for him and hia oompan- ions, and amid tho firing of cannon they crossed to the city, whore a large crowd was drawn together by these unusual preparations. They were conveyed by four-horse carriages to the spacious apartments allotted them, where, on the morrow, Humboldt was waited upon by the digni- tarics of tho place and the deputies of all tho various nations represented in the motley population of Astrocban. They were presented by the governor-general in the order of rank. First came the burgomaster, with tho elders of tho mercantile protession, who, according to the Rus- sian custom, brought the tokens of homage, but instead of common bread and salt, it w^as a pound-cake, ornamented mth the best fruits of Astra- chan — with grapes, largo plums, pears and apples — and salt. Next came the nobles and tho officers of the garrison, and then the deputies of the Armenians, Persians, Hindoos, Tartars, and others. The travelers found much to interest them in Astrachan, in its diversi- fied population, in the bazaars of the various nations and their places of worship. In one of the temples di fakir sat crouching on the floor with his chin resting upon his knees, between which the long white beard reached down to the ground. He had no clothing but a sheepskin thrown loosely about him, and had been ritting thus for fifteen years. Humboldt obtained a steamboat and proceeded with his companions to the mouths of the Volga and the Caspian Sea, in order to analyze its waters, to make barometrical measurements, and to obtain specimens of the fish. When they had thus seen the most remarkable objects of As- trachan, and completed their scientific Libors, they proceeded to visit the remarkable Calmuck prince, Scred Dschab, whom Humboldt desired to sec. As he resided near the Volga, fifty miles above the city, they made all preparations for their journey, and set off from Astrachan on the 21st of October. The prince sent a large cavalcade and carriages to the land- ing, supposing that Humboldt traveled in greater state, and received them with great honor at his residence, where he entertained them hospitably. He conducted them to his temple where religious services were per- formed, showed them his horses, hiii orchard and gardens, and the distilleries where brandy is manu&ctured from mare's milk. At his resi- dence they also met with Dsohangir, the young Khan of the Inner Horde of Khirgises. Leaving their Calmuck host they hastened to con- tinue their homeward journey, for the weather was cold and winter was fast approaching. On the next day the country was covered with snow. Retracing their course along the Volga as &r as Zarizyn, they then crossed over to the Don, where Humboldt made his last barometrical observation, having reference to the relative height of the Caspian Sea, afler which they proceeded by Woronesch, Tula and Moscow, to St. Pe- tersburgh, where Humboldt's obligations to the government and court detained him four weeks. The party finally arrived at Berlin on the 28th of December, 1829. Humboldt had been absent on this expedition -•■'}/:-. .--i «.,.'. ,•i-.■»i-^ .---^'^i;4;;i£Je=»*«~i'=^'-i^*''lSte^^ t LDT. n and hU eompan- ) the city, where » reparations. They apartments allotted upon by the dignt- nations represented 5 presented by the 3 the burgomaster, cording to the Rusr id of common bread jest fruits of Astra- id salt. Next came the deputies of the 'achon, in its diversi- I and their places of ; on the floor with his white beard reached pskin thrown loosely •s. with his companions I order to analyze its > obttun specimens of irkable objects of As- )roceeded to visit the Humboldt desired to e the city, they made Vstrachan on the 21st carriages to the land- te, and received them ined them hospitably. IIS services were per- id gardens, and the e's milk. At his resi- 5 Khan of the Inner they hastened to con- s cold and winter was :y was covered with as Zarizyn, they then ! his last barometrical It of the Caspian Sea, ind Moscow, to St. Pe- [overnment and court ved at Berlui on the sent on this expedition > IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I4£|2£ M15 I.I lU US u 140 1^ 1^ 1-25 III 1.4 |||.6 ^ 6" ► >*J «' Photographic Sciences Corporation •y 33 WEST MAIN STRUT WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716) 872-4503 i^ S' ^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. JB^» Canadian Institute for Historical MIcrorsproductlons / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques mmmmm" :\ MISSION TO PARIS. 87 eight months and a half, during which he had traveled a distance of be- tween eleven and twelve thousand miles. This journey, like the American one, was of great importance to the science of physical geography. Its results were published in three works, of which each of the travelers undertook to compose one. Hum- boldt's " Fragments of Asiatic Geology and Climatology" was the iirst to appear. It treats especially of the mountain ridges and volcanoes of Central Asia, and serves to establish Humboldt's theory, that the vol- canic activity of the earth is continually decreasing. Before this journey there existed many erroneous notions of the geography of the interior of Asia, the connection of the mountain chains, and the character of the soil and climate, and Humboldt's work, together with his ^'■Asie Ceti- trale*^ (first published in Paris in 1843), threw an entirely new light upon all this region. Another very important result followed this ex- pedition. In many parts of Siberia Humboldt left carefully compared thermometers, in the hands of competent and intelligent persons, and awakened the taste for these measurements and comparative experi- ments, especially among the Russian mining superintendents of the Ural mountains. In addition to this, at his suggestion, the Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg, with the emperor's concurrence, established at dif- ferent points, throughout the entire extent of the Russian empire, a regular system of observations on the daily changes in the state of the barometer, thermometer, and hygrometer, on the temperature of the soil, the direction of the wind, and the moisture of the atmosphere. During the twelve years which elapsed between the publication of his "Asiatic FragmentP'- (1831), and his "Central Asia" (1843), Humboldt was in constant communication with Russia, and was regularly furnished with the results of the system of observation which he had instituted. Notwithstanding the varied and important contributions to physical science which he was thus enabled to afford, he felt that he was not compensated for the relinquishment of his long-cherished plan of visiting Persia, Thibet, and India. Now, in his old age, ho declares that he regrets nothing so much as that he did not carry out the project, when it was first made. HUliB0LDT»8 LATER TEARS. In September, 1830, Humboldt was sent to Paris by Frederic Wil- liam HI., with the diplomatic mission to acknowledge Louis Philippe and the new dynasty. He was also sent a second time in February, 1831, and on his return the following autumn, appears to have visited Weimar, and spent a few hours with Goethe, who was then in his eighty- first year, and whoso death occurred in less than six months afterward. In the year 1835 he was called upon to mourn the loss of his brother, who died on the 8th of April, and whose literary executor he became. /.ti :>^ f t J,,« '' gg LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. Thenceforth ho rcBided mostly in Berlin, demoting himself entircly^^^ Thencetonn jj„an«eraout, revision, and publication of his broth- ,vho worked under h» ^^^ ^^ lVo„ iho mc»n clevaUon of tl.o J ""■ f 1 re«T^bor. 'w h «r?;mma„a ,o accompany .he court U> him from these laDorB,wiwi V p «i,„ Princft of Wales In England London, to attend the chrBtemng of the P^f ^ J *"^„^ ,„ ij„lin, ho was treated with a«tingu,shed honor After ^"^ -J ° J ^°^„^ ^; 'r S "^^X^ oVyTa Sa^J o^ae" f r ^^y-^^^^^^, Se:tr:rie,^;r he w<^d^ ho pr..n«a rema^ahle ,ct^ 4n in tW«.r 1849, gi.e, the follewing deseriptton of the gr»,d old n'SilfrXrtherever hi, K,yal Mend lives. There 'a^ apartm^^JsS'him m BerUn, Potsdam in -' '"--f ^P^ dg'Tty- 0^ X passes that ho does not^- the^ W ^^ J^^/Ljoc^yd hy r';JrtrarvS pntraU: his immense eorrespondenee, td a~ wo™ everytucr of the hamWest scholar with the most ammble "m y Th« inhahitants of Berlin and Potsdam a^l Ifrj ■""["": f & show hhn «hj,0"0- ^^^XTf^i-^X^ ri hn:S'orBe^crne;:s„:LrtiS^^ l^a hta^ot wheaf htdin'g beneath the weight of its numerous neh IT. [laelf entirely to ion of his broth- npal part of hia h his friends in labors of others published a dis- elevation of the ■which had been )f the world un- a more extended L IV., summoned )any the court to lies. In England return to Berlin, erit (founded by urpose of decorat- •oyal favor. The le greatest living oting all the time e preparation and lim as his last and emarkable picture f that elastic tem- iical hardship, and muscular strength, rime of life, while md discovery, is as )f Humboldt, writ- n of the grand old I lives. There -are al palaces, and not s of hia eighty-one re not occupied by m correspondence, h the most anuable all know hiro per- • the king. With a .nt forward, whose of noble calmness, le greetings of the pie dress, frequently lack, so he wanders usly, a noble picture af its numerous rich PRESENT POSITION. 89 golden ears, Wlicrever he appears ho is received with tokens of uni- versal esteem. Tliose who pass, timidly step aside for fear of disturbing him in his thoughts ; even the working man looks respectfully after liim, and says to his neighbor : ' There goes Humboldt !' And Avhoever has had the happiness of conversing with him, never forgets the force of his lucid, simple, natural, and unaffected conversation, for in every thing he says, uepth and learnmg, clearness and unbounded knowledge, are revealed without any of the pride of learning, the stiff pedantry and preciseness of many German men of science. Humboldt has evidently been educated in the highest society; his manner is dignified, open, un- affected, and frank ; he has lived with all nations, and adopted and united in himself the advantages of all." This picture is true at the present day, when six years have been added to his venerable age. He is still in correspondence with scien- tific men in all parts of the world, and frequently reads their letters aloud at the table of the king. He is equally alive to the political aspects of the different nations, and suffers no circumstance of their material development to escape his attention. Though the friend and equal of a king, he is thoroughly liberal and progressive in his ideas, and there are few grander instances of individual independence on record, than the fact of his voting the liberal ticket at the polls in Berlin, in the year 1855. Few men have lived more fortunate lives than he : few have ever left behind them a nobler monument of industry, zeal and genius. Humboldt has been especially favored by Providence, from his very cradle. Unlike the majority of distinguished men, he was not obliged to contend with poverty or adverse circumstances; he never knew that physical and spiritual prostration which springs from the impatience of unacknowledged powers. And it is his highest merit that with worldly circumstances so favorable, he did not give way to the charms and in- dulgences of his aristocratic position, that he did not fall into the ego- tism of high birth, nor the pride of idleness, but in all periods of his life followed the true impulses of his nature, and made himself the self- sacrificing ser\'ant of science, for the good of mankind. Rejecting all the comforts which he inherited, and the distinguished society into which he was thrown, he cheerfully sacrificed his property, and sub- jected himself to the greatest dangers and privations in his endeavors to investigate the phenomena of nature, and obtain a knowledge of the laws which govern the world. May the growing and still brightening orb of his life be roimded to a century of years! m if- -^} fe^J 1 Vf two days he P j ^^^ Gambia, in the waters of which ^J''^ J^;'^,^^^^^^^ whose of unknown species, together -^^^/^g cJ^U^^^ «* teeth furnish excellent ivory. ^ J^^ ^^^^^ pi^ania, a small Jonkakonda, P-^f ^^^^Jy^^,^^^^^^^ th'e 5th of July took British factory m the Kmg of Yam s oom ^ ^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^ up his residence at the house of Dr. Laidley, urn prosecute his journey into the "l*^"?!- ^^^^ Mandingo language, which in that part of ^"?%"J^ J'°', ' ct ng the countries he was Bource within his power "^f^"™; ^^''^ "'P'f^^^^ about to visit In t^VSSt mK n See could be placed on cation ; but he soon found that Uttle or n ^^ ^^^ the accounts of the interior <^™;«J.f .^^i^J^^^^^^^ with each xnost material points, were fr«*l"^^^^y ^" ^Tr y^^^^^ was therefore in- other. His anxiety to examine f°^ J"^f/1^^^ ^^ch had now com- creased. However, besides that the rainy «;^°°^;; .^ insuperable menced, rendered traveUng impracticable an^^^^^^^^ y ^^^^ P .^^^^^ bar to the speedy prosecution «f J^;« ^Tf the moon, he imprudently In observing on the 31st of July an ^fjl^l'^^y^^ f^^^a himself at- exposed himself to the -^^\^!:;^^^,::^^\fln illn.ss that Vith ^^^Savingbeen ais5>P;^f^^ ^^^^lEa^^^ 5^=::;r^^£t:Sn^.^^ Johnson, who had ^een many y^aij^m Gr^a Brrtam a both the English and Mandingo languag^^^^^^ named Demba, the property of ^"/^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ his return. Be- ment of good behavior, Vron^-^^^^^J^^^^^^^^ ,^ j, sides these Park was accompanied ^/ f "^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ thei^ safe re- RK. nost convenient ; iso and termina- ons to visit the Timbuctoo and cturn to Europe, 3 as under all the ;t3 should appear he arrived at Jil- the kingdom of proceeded up the numbers of fish ppopotami, whose the Endeavor at r Pisania, a small e 5th of July took ! should be able to [andingo language, collect from every countries he was d on his own appli- could be placed on itives, who, on the radiction with each If was therefore in- rhich had now com- equally insuperable dy presented itself. )on, he imprudently le found himself at- ' an illness that Vith two months within >f proceeding with a m Pisania on the 2d legro servant, named ;ain, and understood with a negro boy, 3 the highest induce- on his return. Be- jersons, who, though nd that their safe re- nd on our traveler's rnificent : a horse for > days, a small assort- JOURNBY TO THB INTERIOR. 95 ment of beads, amber, and tobacco, a few changes of linen and other apparel, an umbrella, a pocket sextant, a magnetic compass, a ther- mometer, two fowling-pieces, two pair of pistols, and some other small articles. His friends at Pisania accompanied him during the first two days, and then, dismissing him on his way, took their leave, 8cC''^tlr persuaded that they would never see him more. He had scarcely lost sight of his European friends, and ridden off musing and somewhat melancholy into the woods, when a body of black people presented themselves in a clamorous manner before him, demand- ing custom dues, in default of which they threatened to carry liim before their king. To escape from this honor, which might have proved a costly one. Park presented them with a little tobacco, upon which they were contented, and he was allowed to proceed. On reaching Medina, the capital of WooUi, he judged it prudent to present himself at the king's levee, when the benevolent old chief not only granted him per- mission to traverse his dominions, but assured him that he would offer up prayers for his safety, partly to secure which ho furnished him with a trusty guide. Having safely reached the frontiers of the WooUi dominions. Park dis- missed his guide ; and being about to enter a country interspersed with deserts, in which water is frequently not to be procured, he hired three negroes, experienced elephant-hunters, who were at once to serve as guides and water-bearers. While ho was preparing to depart, however, one of these negroes, who had all received a part of their pay in advance, made his escape ; and lest the remaining two should bo disposed to fol- low his example, he immediately gave orders to fill their calabashes with nrater, and struck off into the wilderness, just as the sun was appearing ibove the horizon. After crossing the first desert, they reached Talika, the frontier town of Bondou toward Woolli, where Park engaged a kind of custom-house officer to accompany him for a trifling present to Fatteconda, the residence of the king. On his arrival at Fatteconda he was received by the black chief with much apparent kindness, though Major Houghton, he had heard, in his passage through the country, had been both insulted and plundered by this same man. It is true the king was so completely captivated by Park's best blue coat and gilt buttons, that he could not resist the temptation to beg it ; but he endeavored in some measure to remunerate him for the loss by a present of five drachms of gold, and by altogether abstaining from examining his baggage, or exact- ing any other present than what was voluntarily bestowed. The territories of these petty African chiefs, who are compljusantly de- nominated kings, are exceedingly limited in extent. Your road con- ducts you to-day through one kingdom, to-morrow through another, and the next day through a third ; which, of all those circumstances that obstruct the movements of the traveler in Africa, is, perhaps, the most vexatious and the most difficult to overcome ; as the rapacity of the first chiefi who lie in his way deprives him of the power of satisfying 96 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF UUNQO PARK. the equul rapacity of the remainder. Ilcnce, Park traveled in a perpet- ual Btiito of captivity. He was never, unless when far removed from hu- man society by woods or deserts, completely master of his own actions, or Butliciently respected to render it possible for him to contemplate the f" urtor classes, even of these savages, from a proper level. Park left Fatteconda on the 23d of December. " In the aftomoon," says he, " my fellow-travelers informed me, that as this was the bound- ary between Bondou and Kajaaga, and dangerous for travelers, it would be necessary to contiime our journciy by night, imtil wo should reach a more hospitable j)art of the country. I agreed to the pro- posal, and hired two men for guides through the woods, and sis soon as the jieople of the village were gone to sleep (the moon shining bright) we set out. The stillness of the air, the howling of the wild beasts, and the deep solitude of the forest made the scene solemn and impressive. Not a word was uttered by any of us but in a whisper ; all were atten- tive, and every one anxious to show his sagacity by pointing out to mo the wolves and hyenas as they glided like shadows from one thicket to another. Toward morning we arrived at a village called Kimmoo, when our guides awakened one of their acquaintance, and we stopped to give our asses some corn, and roast a few ground-nuts for ourselves. At day- light we resumed our journey, and in the afternoon arrived at Joag in the kingdom of Kajaaga." On arriving at Joag Park — who had taken up his residence at the house of the dooty, or chief man of the town, a rigid but hospitable Mo- hammedan — was favored with an opportunity of observing the genuine character of the negro. " The same evening," says ho, " Madiboo, the bushreen w^ho had accompanied me from Pisania, went to pay a visit to his father and mother, who dwelt at a neighboring town called Dramar net. He was joined by my other attendant, the blacksmith ; and as soon as it was dark, I was invited to see the sports of the inhabitants, it being their custom, on the arrival of strangers, to welcome them by diversions of different kinds. I found r great crowd surrounding a party who were dancing by the light of some large fires to the music of four drums, which were beat with great exactness and uniformity. The dances, however, consisted more in wanton gestures than in muscular exertion or graceful attitudes. At Joag, while preparing to advance on his journey, he was suddenly honored with a visit from the king's son, accompanied by a troop of horse, who, pretending that by entering his father's dominions he had forfeited the whole of his property, insisted upon examining his merchan- dise, of which he seized upon the moiety. Of the remnant that remained, particularly a little amber and a few beads, which he had succeeded in concealing, he was now so fearful of producing any portion, even for the purchase of food, lest he should once more awaken the cupidity rf the authorities, that both he and his attendants determined on combating hunger for the day, " and wait some opportunity of purchasing or beg- -.iiiMin-ti mnii'tr* ■ iii'iliMirii .RK. eled in a pcrpct- emovod from hu- i» own uctiona, or contemplate the level. n thcftftomoon," A was the bound- for travelers, it , imtil wo should reed to the pro- ds, and as soon as n shining bright) wild beasts, and n and impressive. !r ; all were atten- pointing out to mo om ono thicket to led Kimmoo, when we stopped to give )ur8elves. At day- arrived at Joag in lis residence at the but hospitable Mo- serving the genuine he, " Madiboo, the ent to pay a visit to town called Drama- ksmith; and as soon inhabitants, it being B them by diversions ng a party who were of four drums, which 'he dances, however, : exertion or graceful ney, ho vras suddenly ipanied by a troop of •'8 dominions he had caraining his merchan- jmnant that remained, he had succeeded in r portion, even for the 3n the cupidity rf the ermined on combating of purchasing or beg- AFRIOAN CUSTOMS. 97 ging provisions." In tlii.s extremity, while he was sitting down cliewing straws, a fi'niiile wlave, who observed him in passing by, was moved with compassion, and presented him with a (piantity of groimd-nuts, which was a very seasoiiablo supply. Scarcely ha^^'''^'^^^'"Ztv^^ useful, but could thu>k of no mieht, m one way or another, be ren^iu c ^^ j^^ b fter employment for !"- ^^-V^tLeLrort^.e head of the young Lde his first attempt^! the ^oy^ /^^^^^^^^ l^^ „« great desire to mo- prince of Ludamar. This ^^8^"^"'! ^^^^^^ operation, for he ahnost C^olize, and lus --^^^'^^Z::'-rt7Xv^'<^^^^ ^-^' ^^^^'^^, T at the outset made an ^^^ "^^^^^ J^^^! mortal. AU seemed by duced him once more to the ^'f^'^^ ^^^ ether with his services, no means desirous, however, «* ^^^^^^^^ same,inotives which induce wishmg, perhaps, to preserve l^'^ « ^^Xe, to render his escape the U9 to preserve a wild beast; and, tj^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^is baggage, mclud- ^o^^eiVcti-^^«'^<>«^rTreof tr^^^^^^ compasses, the other inp his gold, amber, watch, and one «f ^« P°S t^.e^floor of his hut. "f had'ortunately ^--\- J;V;:^^^^^^^^ avarice, but the The gold and amber were ^^S^^^^ ^ra^, ^J^S ^^^ ^^ ^^^iosity. " Ah pockft compass «o«\^««T« "^.^^iTthat sS piece of iron, the needle, was very desirous to be ^"^'^^^^''7**71 found myself somevhat puz- Tays pointed to tbe Great Deser,and^^^^^^^^ .led to answer the ^-^7;^ J^a^J ^-^ *^«' ^'^ ^'"'^ '""l T Sa created a suspicion that I ^^^^^f^'" .^^^ far beyond the sands of Sa- therefore told bim that my mother resided *a y^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^, hara,and that while she was ^ve the P^^^^ and that if she wa. that way, and serve as a gmde to conduc^^m ^^ ^^^ ^omp^ with dead it would point to her grav e ^U " repeatedly, but ob- ous an mstrument in his possession. ^,^^^ gi^ould ^"it now began to be ^^^^^^^Xi^^^^^^^^^ dissimilar. Some be done with their pr^onev. Their decision ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ were of opinion that ho should be V^^^/'^ ^^^^^, ,^^, his eyes merely lose his right hand while a third P V ^^^^^ ^^^, ^.ttera ought'to be put out. Ah ^^^f^^'^^^^Xi^^ then in the north, should remain as they ;^«-;"^^^X^^^^ related to our traveler, had seen him. Meanwhile all these repms His demand to and tended not a Uttle to distress and ^^^^^^ ^?hTaccuniulated horrors be pennitted to depart was tormaUy refused^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ^j^, of his situation,united witji the want of tood a ,_^ tio„ from on a fever, by ^^^^V'f ^11? S^phic^^^ ^ «^^^^ '"'"^ ^' the Moors did not therefore ceast. iuey p ^^ RK. Ilorc ho like- by llie curious is, was givcu to d to a stuko in lat the Christian ould think of no this capacity he ad of the young •eat desire to mo- ion, for he aUnost head, quickly re- . Ali seemed by with his services, ives which induce er his escape the i baggage, includ- npasses, the other e floor of his hut. (h avarice, hut the 18 curiosity. "Ah of iron, the needle, self somev.hat puz- lorance would have [ truth from hun ; I id the sands of Sa- ■vvould always point ; and that if she was at the compass with repeatedly, but ob- 00k it up with great e thought therd was f keeping so danger- advisers what should ery dissunilar. Some thers that ho should nought that his eyes irmined that matters la, then in the north, ;lated to our traveler, lind. His demand to i accumulated horrors 3ep, at length brought ,t his persecution from I his cloak from him, MOORISH TYRANNY. 103 they overwhelmed him with insults, tlioy tortured him like some fero- cious animal, for their amusement, and when, to escape from this detest- able thraldom, lie crawled away to a short distance from the camp, he was forced back by menaces and violence. At length, after more than a month's detention at Bcnowm, he was commanded to follow Ali to the northern encampment of Bubakcr, on the skirts of the Great Desert, and on the way endured the extremity of hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Upon an-iving at Bubaker, ho was shown as a strange animal to Fatima, who, though far from being exempt from the Moori^»h prejudices against a Christian, or in any remarkable degree disposed to humanity, still treated him with somewhat gi-oater lenity than the rest of the Moors ; and, upon the departure of her husband for Jarra, not only obtained him permission to join the party, but prevailed upon the tyr.int to rcjtoro him his liorse, saddle, and bridle, together Avith a part of liis apparel. His faithful black boy, Deraba, however, was taken from him, notwithstanding his animated remonstrances to Ali, who, upon his pressing the point rather warmly, only replied, that if ho did not instantly mount his horse and depart ho should share the fate of his slivvo. " There is something in the fi-own of a tyrant," says Park, "which rouses the most secret emotions ol the heart. I could not su})- press my feelings, and for once entertained an indignant wish to rid the world of such a monster. Poor Demba was not less aiFected than my- self; he liad formed a strong attachment toward me, and had a cheer- fidness of disposition which often beguiled the tedii )us hours of captivity. He was likewise a proficient in the Bambarra tongue, and promised, on that account, to be of great use to mo in future. But it was in vain to expect any thing favorable to humanity from a people who are strangers to its dictates. So, having shaken hands with this unfortunate boy, and blended my tears with his, assuring him, however, I would do my best to redeem him, I saw him led off by three of All's slaves toward the camp of Bubaker." Upon his arrival at Jarra, where he was shortly afterward transferred by Ali to tyrants of a lower grade, his condition, fer from being im- proved, was only rendered the more intolerable. The city itself, more- over, was in a state of the utmost confusion. Malcontents from Kaarta liaving taken refuge there, had recently made an incursion into their native country, carried off a large quantity of plimder, and thus drawn the vengeance of their king against the city. All those who had reason to dread his resentment were now, therefore, preparing to fly into Bam- barra ; and Park, whose route lay in the same direction, became exceed- ingly desirous of effecting his escape from the Moors, that he might seize r.:pon this fortunate occasion of fulfilling the object of his mission. " Their departure," says he, speaking of the black fugitives, " was very affecting : the women and children crying, the men sullen and dejected, and all of them looking back with regret on their native town ; and on the wells and rocks beyond which their ambition had never tempted 104 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MUNGO PARK. them to stray, and where they liad laid all their plans of future happiness, all of Avhich they were now forced to abandon, and to seek shelter mnong strangers." IIoj)ing to escape in this confused throng, he mounted his horse, and taking a bag of corn before him, rode slowly off along with the towns- ])eopIe. On their arrival fkt Queira, a village at no great distance from the city. Park began to flatter himself that he had really eluded the vigilance of his persecutors, but before the agreeable idea had got a firm footing in his mind, he saw All's chief slave, accompanied by four Moors, arrive, and take up their lodgings with the dooty. Johnson, Park's interpreter (who had been seized by All's order before he could leave Jarra), suspecting the design of this visit, sent two boys to overhear their conversation, by which means ho learned that it was their intention ti . carry Park back to Bubaker. Upon this ho at once carao to the dcs- j>i "j'te resolution to effect that very night his deliverance from his pur- suers, or to perish in the attempt. Johnson, who applauded this deter- mination, but wanted the courage to imitate it, was nevertheless exceed- ingly well disposed to aid in eftccting his master's escape. He therefore undertook to keep watch upon the movements of the enemy, while Park was preparing for flight. About midnight he got all his apparel in readi- ness, which consisted of two shirts, two pair of trousers, two pocket- handkerchiefs, an upper and under waistcoat, a hat, a pair of half boots, and a cloak. Besides these things he had not in his possession a single bead or any other article Avith which to purchase food for himself, or jtrovcnder for his horse. " About daybreak, Johnson, who had been listening to the Moors all night, came," says he, " and whispered to mo that they were all asleep. The awful crisis was now arrived when I was again either to taste the blessings of freedom, or languish out my days in captivity. A cold sweat moistened my forehead as I thought of tho dreadful alternative, and reflected that one way or the other, my fixto must be decided in the course of the ensuing day. But to dellberato was to lose the only chance of escaping. So taking up my bundle, I stepped gently over the negroes Avho were sleeping in tho open air, and, having mounted ray horse, I bade Johnson farewell, desiring him to take jiarticular care of my papers I had intrusted him with, and inform my filcnds in Gambia that he had left me in good health on my way to Bara- barru. I proceeded with great caution, surveying each bush, and fre- qjiently listening and looking behind me for the Moorish horeemen, until I was about a mile from tho town, when I was surprised to find myself in the neighborhood of a korrec, belonging to the Moors. Tlie shepherds followed me for about a mile, hooting and throwing stones after me; and when I was out of their reach, and had begtm to itidulgc the pleas- ing hope of escaping, T was again greatly alarmed to hear somebody halloo behind me, and, looking back, I saw three Moore on horseback coming after me at full speod, wliooping and brandishing their double- V>avrel guns. I knew it was in vain to think of esiaping, and therefore RK. iitnrc happiness, k shelter among d his horse, and with the towns- at distance from pally eluded the ■a had got a firm 1 by four Moors, Johnson, Park's > he could leave oys to overhear as their intention came to the des- nco from his pur- lauded this deter- rertheless exceed- po. He therefore memy, while Park 8 apparel in readi- isers, two pocket- pair of half boots, possession a single »od for himself, or on, who had been d whispered to me irrived when I was juish out my days 18 I thought of the the other, my fate But to deliberate g up my bundle, I 1 the open air, and, iesiring him to take ith, and inform my on my way to Bara- each bush, and fre- )rish horsemen, until ised to find myself ors. Tlie shepherds ,g stones after me; to indulge the pleas- [ to hear somebody Moors on horseback lishing their double- aping, and therefore I t i i Ui Mmi^ m ! " If'', .f 1,1 'Ml Ju '■■ I ' \i iji „!■ ^'il*! ,,'|l?f J-'lWil ,!:|||iiP'P.' ' I I PR08PKCT OF DEATU. 106 turned back and met thorn, when two of them canghthold of my bridle, one on each side, and tho third, presenting his nmsket, told nie I must go back to AH." It soon appeared, liowovcr, that those gentlemen were merely i>rivato robbers, who were fearful that their master liad not sufficiently pillaged tho stranger ; for, after examining liis bundle, and plundering him of his cloak, they bade him begone, and follow them no further. Too happy to bo rid of the villains at any rate, ho immediately struck into the woods and continued his journey. His joy at thus escaping from the Moors was quickly damped by the consideration that he must very soon be in want of both food and water, neither of which could he procure without approaching villages or wells, where ho would almost inevitably en- counter his old enemies. He therefore pushed on with all the vigor of ■which ho was possessed, in the hope of reaching some town or village of the kingdom of Bambarra. But he already began to experience tho tortures of thirst; his mouth was parched and inflamed; a sudden dimness, accompanied by symptoms of fainting, would frequently como over his eyes ; and as his horse also was exceedingly fatigued, he began to apprehend that he should perish of thirst. Some shrubs, the leaves of which ho chewed to relieve the burning pain in his mouth and throat, were all found to be bitter and of no service. " A little before sunset, having reached the top of a gentle rising," says Park, *' I climbed a high tree, from the topmost branches of which I cast a melancholy look over the barren wilderness, but Avithout discovering tho most distant trace of a human dwelling. The same dismal uniformity of shrubs and s.and everywhere presented itself, and the horizon was level and uninter- rupted as that of the sea. " Descending from tho tree, I found my horse devouring the stubblo and brushwood with great avidity ; and as I was now too faint to at- tempt walking, and my horse too much fatigued to carry me, I thought it but an act of humanity, and perhaps the last I should ever have it in my power to perform, to take off his bridle and let him shift for him- self; in doing which, I was affected with sickness and giddiness ; and, falling upon the sand, felt as if the hour of death was fast approaching. Here then (thought I), after a short but ineffectual struggle, terminate all my hopes of being useful in my day and generation — here must the short span of my life como to an end. I cast, as I believed, a last look on the surrounding scene, and while I reflected on the a'wful change that was about to take place, this world and its enjoyments seemed to vanish from my recollection. Nature, however, at length resumed its func- tions ; and on recovering my senses I found myself stretched upon tho sand, with the bridle still in my hand, and the sun just sinking behind the trees. I now summoned all my resolution, and determined to make another effort to prolong my existence: and, as the evening was some- what cool, I resolved to travel as far as my limbs would carry me, in hopes of reaching (my only resource) a watering-place. With this view 100 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNGO PARK. I put tlie biulle upon my horse, and driving him before me, went slowly along ibr ubout an hour, wlicn I perceived some lightning from the north-cast — :* most delightful sight, for it promised rain. The darkness and lightning increased very rapidly; and in less than an hour I heard the wind roaring behind the bushes. I had already opened my ffouth to receive the refreshing drops which I expected : but I was instantly covered with a cloud of sand, driven with such force by the wind as to gi\o a very disagreeable sensation to my face and arms; and I was oliliged to mount my horse and stop under a bush to prevent being suf- focated. The sand continued to fly for near an hour in amazing quan- tities, after which I again set forward, and traveled with difficulty until ten o'clock. About this time I was agreeably surprised by some very vivid flashes of lightning, followed by a few heavy drops of rain. In a little time the sand ceased to fly, and I alighted and spread out all my clean clothes to collect the rain, which at length I saw would certainly fall. For more than an hour it rained plentifully, and I quenched my thirst by wringing and sucking my clothes. "There being no moon, it was remarkably dark; so that I was obliged to lead my horse, and direct my way by the compass, which the lightning enabled me to observe. In this manner I traveled with toler- able expedition until past midnight ; when the lightning became more distant, and I was under the necessity of groping along, to the no small danger of my hands and eyes. About two o'clock my horse started at something ; and, looking around, I was not a little surprised to see a light at a short distance among the trees, and supposing it to be a town, I groped along the sand in hopes of finding corn-stalks, cotton, or other appearances of cultivation, but found none. As I approached, I per- ceived a number of other lights in different places, and began to suspect that I had fallen upon a party of Moors. However, in my present situation, I was resolved to see who they were, if I could do it with safety. I accordingly led my horse cautiously toward the light, and heard by the lowing of the cattle, and the clamorous tongues of the herdsmen, that it was a watering-place, and most likely belonged to the floors. Delightful as the sound of the human voice was to me, I re- solved once more to strike into the woods, and rather run the risk of perishing with hunger, than trust myself again in their hands; but being still thirsty, and dreading the approach of the burning day, I thought it prudent to search for the wells, which I expected to find at no great distance. In this pursuit I inadvertently approached so near one of the tents as to be perceived by a woman, who immediately screamed out. The people came running to her assistance from some of the neighboring tents, and passed so very near me that I thought I was discovered, and hastened again into the woods. " About a mile from this place I heard a loud and confused noise, somewhere to the right of my course, and in a short time was happy to find it was the croaking of frogs, which was heavenly music to my ears. see wii as Ids mc W thi cai ) ARK. J me, went slowly ghtning from the in. The darkness 1 an hour I heard ' jpened my irouth | ut I was instantly by the wind as to , arms; and I was , prevent being suf- | r in amazing quan- \ vith difficulty until ised by some very , rops of rain. In a j spread out all my | aw would certainly | nd I quenched my j ,rk; so that I was ^ compass, which the | traveled with toler- | tning became more I ang, to the no small ^ my horse started at prised to see a light - r it to be a town, I Iks, cotton, or other , ; approached, I per- ind began to suspect ver, in my present r I could do it with ward the light, and irous tongues of the kely belonged to the ice was to me, I re- ither run the risk of in their hands; but ' the burning day, I I expected to find at y approached so near an, who immediately aistance from some of ! that I thought I was id and confused noise, .rt time was happy to jnly music to my ears. APPROACU TO THE NIOKIl. 107 I followed the souml, and at daybreak arrived at some tiliullow muddy pools, so full of frogs that it was difficult to disoorn tlio water. The noise they made frightened my horse, and I waa obliged to keep tlieni quiet by beating the water with a branch until lie had drunk. Having here quenched my thirst, I ascended a tree, and the moniing being elear, I soon perceived the smoke of the wateiing-place wliich I had )m».sod hi the night, and observed another pillar of sniuke, east-south-east, distant twelve or fourteen miles." Toward this column of smoke, which, as he was informed, arose from a Foulah village, ho now directed his course ; but on arri> ing at the place, was inhospitably driven from every door, except that of an old woman, who kindly received him into her dwelHng, and funiished him with food for himself, and Avith provender for his horse. Even here, however, the influence of Ali pursued him like his evil genius. The people who had collected round him while he was eating, began, aa ho clearly discovered from their expressions, to form the design of carrying him back once more to Benowm or Bubaker. lie therefore hastened his departure, and having wandered among the woods all day, passed the night under a tree. In this way lie continued his journey, some- times meeting Avith hospitality, but more frequently avoiding the dwell- ings of man, and subsisting upon the wild produce of tlie woods, and the water of a few pools, to which the croaking of the frogs directed him. At length he entered the kingdom of Bambarra, where he found tho people more hospitable in proportion as they were more opulent than their neighbors. Cultivation was here carried on in a spirited manner, and on an extensive scale, and " hunger," as tho natives expressed it, " was never known." Tho country itself was beautiful, intersected on all sides by rivulets, which, after a rain-storm, were swelled into rapid streams. Park's horse was now so attenuated by fatigue that it appeared like a mere skeleton, which tho traveler, fearing to mount, drove before hini, as if to scare away the crows. The Bambarrans, whose hospitable disposition was accompanied by but little delicacy, were infinitely amused at this droll spectacle. Taking him for a Moor, they supposed from his appearance that he must be one of those religious mendicants who, having performed the pilgrimage to the holy cities, thenceforward consider themselves fully entitled to subsist upon the labors of their in- dustrious co-religionists. " ' He has been at Mecca,' said one ; ' you may see that by his clothes.' Another asked if my horse was sick ; a third wished to purchase it, &c. So that I believe the very slaves were ashamed to be seen in my company." However, in spite of all this laughter and ridicule, he proceeded on his way, and at length had the satisfaction to be informed that on the morrow he should see the Niger, denominated Joliba, or the " Great Water," by the natives. Next morning, the 21st of July, after passing through several large villages, he saw the smoke ascend over Sego, the capital of Bambarra, and felt elate with joy at the thought of drawing nmt 108 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNOO PARK. near sn imj)ortant an object of liis mission. " As wo approached the town," says Park, " I was fortunate onoujjh to overtake the fugitive Kaartans, to whose kindness I had been so much indebted in my journey through Bambarra. Tliey readily agreed to introduce me to the king, and wo rode together through some marshy ground, where, an I anxiously looked around for the river, ono of them called out Geo affilli (see tho water) ; and, looking forward, I saw Avith infinite pleas- ure the great object of my mission — the long sought-for, majestic Niger, glittering in tho morning sun, as broad as tho Thames at Westminster, and flowing slowly to the eastward, I hastened to tho brink, and, having drimk of the water, lifted up my fervent thanks in prayer to the Great Ruler of all things for having thus far crowned ray endeavors with success." Sego, tlie capital of Bambarra, consisted of four distinct towns, two on the northern, and two on tho southern bank of the Niger. Tlie king at this period resided on the southern bank, while Park had arrived on the opposite side. Tho communication between the different quarters of tho city was kept np by means of largo canoes, which were con- stantly passing and repassing ; notwithstanding wliich, so great was the pressure of passengers, that Park was compelled to Avait upward of two hours before he could obtain even a chance of beuig ferried over. Meanwhile, the prospect before him was novel and striking in the highest degree. " The view of this extensive city," ho observes, " the numerous canoes on tho river, the crowded population, and tho cul- tivated state of the surrounding country formed altogether a prospect of civilization and magnificence which I littlo expected to find in the bosom of Africa." While he was thus waiting for a passage, the news was conveyed to Mansong that a white man was on the banks of tho river coming to see him. The king, who seems to have been alarmed at this intelligence, immediately dispatched a messenger, who was directed to inform the stranger that he would not be admitted into the royal presence until the purport of his mission was made known; and that in the mean while, he was prohibited from passing tho river. He was likewise told that the king desired him to seek lodgings in one of the villages in the vicinity of the capital. As there was no allemative, he at once set out for tho village, where, to his great mortification, he found that no per- son would admit him into a house. " I was regarded vnih astonish- ment and fear," he observes, " and was obliged to sit all day without victuals in the shade of a tree ; and the night threatened to be very uncomfortable, for the wind rose, and there was great appearance of a heavy rain ; and the wild beasts were so very numerous in the neighbor- hood, that I should have been xmder the necessity of climbing up a tree, and resting among the branches. About sunset, however, as I was preparing to pass the night in this manner, and had turned my horse loose that he might graze at liberty, a woman returning from the labors i RK. approached the ' ilvL' the fugitive ! indebted in my I introduce roe to ground, wlicre, n called otit Geo ith infinite pleas- •, majestic Niger, at Westminster, the brink, and, nks in prayer to jcd ray endeavors istinct towns, two Niger. The king rk had arrived on diflTercnt quarters , which were con- j, so great was the ait upward of two !Ujg ferried over, d striking in the he observes, " the ktion, and the cul- ;ogether a prospect cted to find in the '8 was conveyed to river coming to see at this intelligence, cted to inform the ■oyal presence until I that in the mean e was likewise told )fthe villages in the , he at once set out ! found that no per- irded Avith astonish- sit all day without reatened to be very reat appearance of a rous in the neighbor- ly of climbing up a pt, however, as I was ad turned my horse ning from the labors NATIVE lIOSriTALITT. 109 of the field, 8to|)ped to observe me, and perceiving that I was weary and dejected, intpiired into my situation, which I briefly explained to her; whereupon, with looks of pfreiit compassion, she took up my Nnd«l!c and bridle, aiul tuld me to follow her. Having conducted nie into her hut, she lighted np a lamp, spread a mat u]>on the fioor, and told nie I might remain there for tlie night. Finding that I was very lunigry, she said bHu would procure mo sometiiiug to eat ; .she accordingly went out, aniirsuing a south-westerly course, ialls into the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of Benin. On the 30th of July he commenced his return westward, by the same route through which he had reached Silla. In a few days he recov-ered his horse, which had in some measure regained its strength, though it was Ktill too weak to be ridden. The rainy season having now set in, the wliole of the plain country was quickly inundated ; so that he was often in danger of losing his way while traversing savannahs many miles in extent, knee-deep in water. In several places he waded breast-deep across the swamps. Tiio huts of tlie villages in which he passed the night, being undermined or softened by the rain, often fell in ; and the noise of their fall sometimes kept him awake, expecting that his own might be the next. His situation was now even worse than during his progress eastward. A report had been Avidely circulated that ho was a spy, in consequence of which he was in some places civilly refused ad- mittance mto the towns, in others repulsed from the gates with violence; so that he now appeared inevitably doomed to perish with hunger. However, when the tatal hour seemed at hand, some charitable being always appeared with a poor but seasonable supply, such, perhaps, as a little raw corn, which prolonged his life, and supplied him with strength to achieve his memorable journey. "On the evening of the 15th of August, I arrived," says Park, " at a small village called Song, the surly inhabitants of which would not receive me, nor so much as permit me to enter the gate ; but as lions were very numerous in this neighborhood, and I had frequently in the course of the day seen the impression of their feet upon the road, I resolved to stay in the vicinity of the village. Hav- ing collected some grass for my horse, I accordingly lay down under a tree by the gate. About ten o'clock I heard the hollow roar of a lion at no great distance, and attempted to open the gate ; but the people from 'within told me that no person must attempt to enter without the dooty's permission. I begged them to inform the dooty that a lion was apj^roach- ing the village, and I hoi)ed ho would allow me to come within the gate. I waited for an answer to this message with great anxiety ; for the lion kept prowling round the village, and once advanced so near me that I heard him rustling among the grass, and climbed a tree for safety. About midnight the dooty with some of his people opened the gate, and desired me to come in. They were convinced, they said, I was not a Moor ; for no Moor ever waited so long at the gate of a village, without cursing the inhabitants." The history of this journey now becomes nothing more than a repeti- tion of similar sufferings. Hunger, fatigue, and depression of spirits at- tack the traveler by turns. Nothing, however, subdues his courage. Obstacle after obstacle yields to his persevering intrepidity, and he pushes forward with invincible ardor toward the coast. In one place, at the re- quest of a native who had grown opulent by industrious application to ARK. o the south, and, Ltlantio Ocean on ward, by the same lays he recovered igth, though it was ig now set in, the ) that he was often ahs many miles in waded breast-deep lich he passed the ten feU in ; and the cting that his o^vn rse than during his lated that ho was a 3 civilly refused ad- gates with violence; )erish with hunger, ne charitable being , such, perhaps, as a id him with strength ling of the 15th of alle'd Song, the surly auch as permit me to n this neighborhood, he impression of their jT of the village. Hav- rly lay down under a oUow roar of a lion at ; but the people from er without the dooty's it a lion was approach- come within the gate, t anxiety; fortheUon sed so near me that I t)ed a tree for safety, le opened the gate, and they B£ud, I was not a ite of a vUlage, without ling more than a repeti- depression of spirits at- r, subdues his courage, itrepidity, and he pushes In one place, at the re- idustrious application to J I Ml I ayij fcg g iy! » »i.w i y i| i y>(P! i p.* ff i«iw^ y »*i- .»^w !»i ' . * irf ^ A !"»; h, HI 1 1 ENCOUNTER WITH ROBBERS. 113 commerce, he wrote charms for a good supper ; and, fitiding the con- trivance productive, continued the practice next day for small presents of various kinds. On other occasions, where superstition did not come to his aid, humanity interposed, and snatched hun from starvation. At Biimmakoo he was hospitably treated, even by a Moor, who, having tiiivclcd to Rio Grande, had conversed with Christians, and conceived a favorable idea of their character. The rains had now increased the Ni- ger to a vast size, and rendered impassable almost every road ; but, as our traveler's tiuances had long been exhausted, he foimd himself com- pelled to proceed, the charity of the natives not extending so far as to the maintaining of a stranger for several months. The ordinary roads being obstructed by the rains, the only practicable route, wild, dreary, and desolate, lay over sterile, rocky mountams, which, it was feared, a horse could not pass. Finding that a singing-man was about to proceed by this road to Sibidooloo, Park placed himself under his guidance, and quitted Bamma- koo. He had not proceeded far, however, before his companion, finding that he had taken the wrong path, escaped among the rocks, and left him to find his way as he best might. He soon arrived at a village, where he was entertained with hospitality, and where he passed the night. Next day, as he was quietly pursuing his course, a troop of peas- ants presented themselves, whom he at first took for elephant-hunters, but who very shortly proved themselves to be banditti. Pretending to arrest him in the name of the King of the Foulabs, they commanded him to follow them, until, having reached a dark, lonely part of a wood, one of them exclaimed in the Mandingo language, " This place will do !" and immediately snatched his hat from his head. " Though I was by no means free from apprehension," says Park, " yet I was resolved to show as few signs of fear as possible ; and therefore told them, that unless my hat was returned to me I should proceed no further. But before I had time to receive an answer another drew a knife, and, seizing upon a metal button which remained upon my waistcoat, cut it off, and put it into his pocket. Their intentions were now obvious ; and I thought that the easier they were permitted to rob me of every thing, the less I had to fear. I therefore allowed them to search my pockets without resist- ance, and examine every part of my apparel, which they did with the most scrupulous exactness. But, observing that I had one waistcoat under another, they insisted that I should cast them both off; and at last, to make sure work, stripped me quite naked. Even my half-boots, though the sole of one of them was tied on to my foot with a broken bridle- rein, were minutely inspected. While they were examining the plunder, I begged them with great earnestness to return my pocket-compass ; but when I pointed it out to them, as it was lying on the ground, one of the banditti, thinking I was about to take it up, cocked his musket, and swore he would lay me dead upon the spot if I presumed to put my hand upon it. After this, some of them went away with my horse, and the 8 114 LIFE AND XRAVELS OF MUNOO PARK. reniiiindcr stood considering whether they should leave mo quite naked, or allow nic something to shelter me from the sun. Humanity at last prevailed ; they returned me the worst of the two shirts and a pair of trowsors ; and, as they went away, one of them threw hack my l»at, in the crown of vVhich I kept my memorandums ; and this was probably the reason why they did not wish to keep it." This was the most terrible misfortimc that had hitherto befallen him, and at first his mind appeared to smk under the united influence of grief and terror. For awhile he sat in sullen dejection, half-persuaded that he had no alternative but to lie down and perish. Presently, however, a reliance upon Providence succeeded this extreme dejection, and his mind gradually regained ita tone : — " I was, indeed, a stranger," he thought, " in a strange land ; yet I was still under the protecting eye of that Providence who has condescended to call himself the stranger's friend. At this moment, painftd as my reflections were, the extraorduiary beauty of a small moss in fructification irresistibly caught my eye. I mention this to show from what triflmg circumstances the mind will sometimes derive consolation ; for though the whole plant was not larger than the top of one of my fingers, I could not contemplate the delicate conforma- tion of its roots, leaves, and capsule, without admiration. Can that being, thought I, who planted, watered, and brought to perfection, in this obscure part of the world, a thing which appears of so small import- ance, look with unconcern upon the situation and sufferings of creatures formed after his own image ? Surely not ! Reflections like these would not allow me to despair ; I started up, and, disregarding both danger and fatigue, traveled forward, assured that relief was at hand ; and I was not disappointed." On arriving at Sibidooloo, Park related to the mansa, or chief of the town, the misfortune which had befallen him. This humane and excel- lent man, having heard him patiently to an end, took the pipe from his mouth, and tossing up the sleeve of his coat with an indignant six, " Sit down," said he, " you shall have every thing restored to you ; I have sworn it." He then took the necessary measures for the recovery of the traveler's property, and invited him to partake of his hospitable fare un- til this should have been efiected. Aiter spending a few days at this place, without hearing any news of his horse or other property, our trav- eler removed to a distant village, where he remained until the whole was discovered and restored to him, with the exception of his pocket- compass, which had been broken to pieces. Having nothing else to be- stow upon his hospitable landlords, he gave his horse to one, and his sad- dle and bridle to the other : and then taking his leave, proceeded on foot to Kamalia, where he arrived on the 16th of September. At this town, romantically situated at the foot of a lofty mountain, he found a slave- merchant, who, intending to descend to the coast with a small caravan in the beginning of the dry season, offered the traveler an asylum until he should set out. Conceivmg that it would be impossible to proceed 'ARK. mc , ^t*'^i--±,-ji K A M A :. I A. On the 19th of April, after Park hail roniained seven months at Ka- malia, Karfa, the slave-merchant, having collected his slaves, and com- pleted all necessary preparations, set out toward the coast, taking the traveler, to whom his behavior had always been marked by the greatest kindness, along with him. Their road led them across the Jallonka wilderness, where the sufferings of every member of the caravan, and more particularly of the slaves, were most exquisite ; but affliction was far from having taught them commiseration, for a fine young female slave, fainting from fatigue, had no sooner signified her inability to go on, than the universal cry of the caravan was, " Cut her throat, cut her throat," By the interposition of Karfa her life was spared, but she wfii abandoned on the road, where she was, no doubt, soon devoured by wild beasts. At length, after a long, toilsome journey, Karfa succeeded :' ! V, 116 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNOO PABK. in fuKUling his promise, and conducted Park safe to Pisania, which he reached on the 10th of June, and where the good old man was over- whelmed with the gratitude of his guest. Park now took his passage in an American vessel, and on arriving in the West Indies, quitted this ship for a packet bomid for Falmouth, where ho arrived on the 2?d of December, 1707, after an absence of two years and seven months. Immediately on his landing, he hastened to London, where he arrived before daylight on the morning of Christmas day. It being too early an hour to call on his brother-in-law, Mr. Dickson, he strolled about for some tune in the neighboring streets. At length, finding one of the entrances into the gardens of the British Museum accidentally open, he went in and walked about there for some time. It happened that Mr. Dickson, who had the care of those gardens, went there early that morn- ing on some trifling business. What must have been his emotions on beholding, at that extraordinary time and place, the vision, as it must at first have appeared, of his long-lost friend, the object of so many anxious reflections, and whom he had long numbered with the dead. He was now received with distinguished honor by the African Asso- ciation, and the various literary men whom he met with in London. In the mean time his travels, which the Association permitted him to pub- lish on his own account, were announced ; and both during his stay in London, and the visit which he paid to his friends in Scotland, all his leisure honn were devoted to the compiling and arranging of the mate- rials for the work. It appeared in the spring of 1790, and immediately acquired that degree of popularity which it has ever since maintained. Soon after the publication of his travels, which became at once ex- ceedingly popular and profitable. Park again returned to Scotland, where, on the 2d of August, 1790, he married one of the daughters of Mr. An- derson, of Selkirk, with whom he had served his apprenticeship. For the two following years he resided on the farm at Fowlshiels with his mother and one of his brothers. He then removed to the town of Pee- bles, where he resumed the practice of his profession, and in a short time acquired a good share of the business of the place. His kindness and charity greatly endeared him to the poor of the district, though he was considered haughty and reserved by strangers, who were apt to annoy him with their questions. He soon began to tire, however, of the ob- scure life of a country surgeon ; the fascination of Africa was upon him, and he longed to return to the scene of his dangers and sufferings. When one of his relatives, a short time before his departure on his sec- ond expedition, expostulated with him on his rashness and imprudence, he replied that a few inglorious winters of country practice at Peebles was a risk as great, and would tend as effectually to shorten life, as his proposed journey. The British government twice offered him the com- mand of an expedition to explore the interior of Australia, which he declined. Aftier the preliminaries of peace with France had been signed, in October, 1801, Sir Joseph Banks wrote to him informing him that the la ABK. isania, which he I man was over- took his passage tdies, quitted this red on the 2?d of ^cn months, where lie arrived being too early strolled about for Snding one of the identally open, he ippened that Mr. •0 early that mom- 3n his emotions on vision, as it must (bject of so many with the dead, r the African Asso- ith in London. In mittedhimto pub- during his stay in in Scotland, all his mging of the mate- 9, and immediately r since mainttuned. )ecame at once ex- l to Scotland, where, lughters of Mr. An- ipprenticcship. For Fowlshiels with his to the town of Pee- , and in a short time His kindness and trict, though he was I were apt to annoy however, of the oh- Africa was upon him, igers and sufferings, leparture on his sec- ess and imprudence, f practice at Peebles ;o shorten life, as his offered him the com- ' Australia, which he ance had been signed, iforming him that the PREPARATION FOR THE SECOND EXPEDITIOX. 117 African Assoi'i.it ion intended reviving tlioir i)rojc('t for an exploration of the Niger, and that, in case govcnnnent should enter into the plan, he would be reconuncnded as the most proper person to carry it into ex- ecution. Park remained in suspense for two years, when Lord Iloliart, who was then connected with the Colonial Department, m;ule him a formal pro|)08al on the part of the government. He accepted at once, and in December, 1803, left Scotland with the expectation of soon em- barking for Africa. On account of political changes the expedition was given up, alliT several of the troops destined for the service had already been embarked at Portsmouth. Park Avas informed that nothing could be done imtil the following September, and M'as recommended to study the Arabic language in the mean time, and to exercise liimsclf in taking astronomi- cal observations. He employed a native of Mogador as a teacher, and returned to Scotland, where he remained during the spring and summer of 1 804. Sir Walter Scott Avas at that time residing near Fowlshiels, and the traveler and author soon became friends. Scott relates that, calling upon Park one day and not finding him at home, he walked in search of him along the banks of the Yarrow. In a short time he fourul him emj)loyed in plunging largo stones into the river, and attentively watching the bubbles as they rose to the surface. On being asked why he persevered so long in this singular amusement, Park answered : " This was the manner in which I used to ascertain the depth of a river in Africa, before I ventured to cross it, judging whether the attempt would be safe by the time which the bubbles of air took to ascend." On leaving Fowlshiels for the last time in September, 1804, Park was extremely affected, and would not venture to trust his own feelings or those of his family, with a formal parting. He left them, as if with the intention of . returning, alleging that ho had particular business at Edinburg, whence he sent them his last farewell. Scott describes, in feeling terms, the manner of his last parting with his friend. Just be- fore quitting Fowlshiels, Park paid him a visit and slept at his house. The next morning, Scott accompanied him part of the way on his return, and they rode together over the wild chain of pastoral hills which divide the Tweed from the Yarrow. Park talked much of his new African expedition, and mentioned his determination of gomg strMght from Edinburg, without returning to take leave of his family. They were then on the top of a lofty hill which overlooked the course of the Yar- row, and the autumnal mist, which floated heavily and slowly down the valley beneath them, presented to Scott's imagination a striking emblem of the troubled and uncertain prospect which Park's undertaking af- forded. He endeavored to present its dangers to his friend's mind, but Park had a ready answer for every thing. Thus discussing the plan, they came to a road where it had been agreed they should separate. A small ditch divided the moor from the road : in going over it, Park's horse stumbled, and m nriy fell. " I am afraid, Mungo, that is a bad 118 LIKE AND TRAVELS OF MUNUO PARK. omen," sa'ul St-ott ; to wiiich Park answcrod, sniilinfj : " Freitu (oinonR) follow tliosu who look for tlieni." Witli this provi-rbial Kiyinpr, and afraid of a formal adiuii, lie redo away and watt s|ic>cdiiy out of Hight. At tho ilosc of the year 1804, after much delay and Jinoertainty, the expedition was finally detennhied on, and Park received from Lord Camden his appoiutment as its chief conduct(»r. "For the better en- abling you to execute this service," gays his lordship, " his majesty has granted you tho brevet commission of captain in Africa, and has also granted a similar commission of lieutenant to Mr. Alexjinder Anderson, whouj you have recommended as a proper person to accompany you, Mr. Scott has also been selected to attend you as draughtsman. You are hereby empowered to enlist with you for this expedition any num- ber you think proper of the garrison at Goree, not exceeding forty- five, which the commandant of that island will bo ordered to i)laco under your command, giving them such bounties or encouragement as may be necessary to induce them cheerfully to join with you in the ex- pedition." Five thousand pounds were at the same time placed at Park's dis- posal, and further directions given him respecting the course and line of conduct he was expected to pursue. With these instructions Park and his companions proceeded to Portsmouth, where they were joined by foJir or five artificers, appointed for the service from the dock-yards. They sailed on the 30th of January, 1805, and after touching at St. Jago, one of the Cape do Verde Islands, to purchase asses, reached Go- ree on the 28th of March. Double pay was oft'ered to tho soldiers during the expedition, with a discharge on their return, and these in- ducements were so great that the whole garrison volunteered. Thirty- five were chosen, and placed under the command of Lieutenant Martyn of the royal artillery corps, who liad also volunteered for the service. The exj)edition now being organised, left Goree on the 6th of April, the soldiers cheering loudly and joyously as they jumped into tho boats. On arriving at Kayee, a .small town on tho Gambia River, Pafk en- gaged a Mandingo i)rii.st, named Isaaco, who M-as also a traveling merchant, and much accustomed to long inland journeys, to servo as guide to his caravan. On the 27th of April, ho left Kayee, and arrived in two days at Pisania, from whence he had set out for the interior of Afiica nearly ten years before. Some of the practical difficulties of tho march hiid become very apparent during this short journey, since ho found it necessary to halt at Pisania six days, to procure additional beasts of burden. He soon found, also, that the soldiers, whoso appear- ance had pleased him so much at Goree, were physically inferior to tho work required of them, while in sobriety, steadiness, and good discipline, they were sadly deficient. Finally every thing was arranged, and they left Pisania on tho 4th of May. The party consisted of Park, liia brother-in-law Anderson, to whom a lieutenant's commission was given ; liientcnant Martyn ; George Scott, draughtsman ; forty soldiers, sailors, PARK. r : " Freitif (omens) t'rbiiil sayinp, anil lily out of Might, y and unoortainty, received from Lord " For the better en- ., " his majesty has \frica, and has also lexander Anderson, I to accompany you. draughtsman. You •xpedition any num- ot exceeding forty- le ordered to place ir encouragement as with you in the ex- laccd at Park's dis- the course and line '8C instructions Park ere they were joined from the dock-yards, ifter touching at St. so. asses, reached Go- fered to the soldiers return, and these in- rolunteered. Thirty- f Lieutenant Martyn ercd for the service, on the 6th of April, imped into the boats, nbia River, Park en- A-as also a traveling journeys, to servo as I Kayee, and arrived )ut for the interior of ical diflBculties of the ort journey, since he to procure additional oldiers, whose appear- sically inferior to the s, and good discipline, as arranged, and they insisted of Park, liis lommission was given ; forty soldiers, sailors, AN ATTACK OF DKKS. 119 and carjientcrs, and Isaaco, the guide. Tliey had much trouble with tlic asses, at the start ; some lay down, others kicked nff tlicir loads, and it became necessary to increase their mnnber still further. Tlicy passed Medina, tlie capital of the kingdom of WooUi, and advanced slowly east- Mard — much too slowly, in tact, for the rainy season was fast ai>proacli- ing, and Park was anxious to reach the Niger before the intervenuig rivers should become impassable. At Hady, a town on the interior frontier of WooUi, they were led into a quarrel with the faranba., or chief of the town, respecting the amount of duties to be paid by their caravan, in which, though the con- duct of the African was rudo and peremptory, the travelers were clearly in the wrong. A few days alter this affair the caravan had an adventure with a new species of enemy. On the 24th of May they reached a place which they denominated Bet's Creek, where they halted with the in- tention of encaaiping there. "Wo had no sooner unloaded the asses at the creek," says Park, " than some of Is.iaco's people, being in search of honey, unfortunately disturbed a largo swarm of bees near where the coflie had halted. The bees camo out in immense numbers, and attacked men and beasts at the same time. Luckily, most of the asses were loose, and galloped up the valley ; but the horses and people were very much stung, and obliged to scamper in all directions. The firo which had been kindled for cooking, having been deserted, spread and set fire to the bamboos ; and our baggage liad like to have been burned. In fact, for half an hour the bees seemed to have put an end to our journey. In the evening, when the bees became less troublesome, and we could venture to collect our cattle, we found that many of them were very nmch stung and swelled about the head. Three asses were missing ; one died in the evening and one next morning, and we were compelled to leave one at Sibikillin ; in all six : besides which, our guide lost liis horse, and many of the people Avere very much stung about the face and hands." About the middle of Juno the rains began to set in, accompanied by violent tornadoes. The earth was quickly covered -with water. The soldiers were aifected with vomiting, or with an irresistible inclination to sleep. Park himself was affected in a similar manner during the storm, and, notwithstanding that he used every exertion to keep away heaviness, at Icigth fell asleep on the damp ground. The soldiers did the same thing In the morning twelve of them were sick. In this vicinity he saw many pits, from which gold was obtained in large quan- tities by washing. As the caravan proceeded, many of the soldiers growing delirious, or too weak to continue the march, were lefl behind to the care of the natives; while others died on the road, or were drowned in the rivers. Some, still more unfortunate if possible, were lost in the woods, where they were no doubt devoured by wild beasts. Meanwhile the natives, who imagined that the caravan contained pro- digious wealth, hung upon their march, plundered them at every turn. 120 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNGO PARK. w ' f and as often as they appeared too weak to resist, endeavored to extort presents from them. The condition of the men now became desperate. Day after day some poor wretch was abandoned to his fate, some in one way, some in another. One example of this kind may serve for the whole. "Three miles east of the village of Koombandi," says Park, " William Alston, one of the seamen whom I received from his majesty's ship Squirrel, became so faint that he fell from his ass, and allowed the aas to run away. Set him on my horse, but found he could not sit without hold- ing him. Replaced him on the ass, but he still tumbled off. Put him again on the horse, and made one man hold him upright while I led the horse ; but, as he made no exertion to hold himself erect, it was impos- sible to Iveep him on the horse, and after repeated tumbles he begged to be left in the woods till morning. I left a loaded pistol with him, and put some cartridges into the crown of his hat." The next day this man came up with the company, entirely naked, having been plundered by the natives. His health appeared to improve for some days, but he afterward grew worse again, and died before reaching the Niger. In crossing the "Wondu the caravan was nearly deprived of its guide in the following manner. " Our guide, Isaaco, was very active in push- ing the asses into the water, and shoving along the canoe ; but as he was afraid that we could not have them all carried over in the course of the day, he attempted to drive six of the asses across the river further down, whtjo the water was shallower. When he had reached the middle of the river, a crocodile rose close to him, and instantly seizing him by the left thigh, pulled him under water. With wonderful presence of mind he felt the head of the animal, and thrust his finger into its eyes, on which it quitted its hold, and Isaaco attempted to reach the further shore, calling loudly for a knife. But the crocodile returned and seized him by the other thigh, and again pulled him under water ; he had re- course to the same expedient, and thrust his fingers into its eyes with such violence that it again quitted him ; when it arose, flounced about on the surface of the water as if stupid, and then swam down the middle of the river, Isaaco proceeded to the other side, bleeding very much." This event retarded for several days the march o" the caravan. Be- sides, Park himself was attacked with fever, and their provisions, more- over, were now reduced to so low an ebb, that upon examination it was found that no more than rice for two days rem{uned in their possession. This deficiency was, therefore, to be immediately supplied. Two per- sons were sent away ■with an ass to a distant village for rice, and in the mean time Park devoted his attentions to the wounds of the guide. The audacity of the native thieves was extraordinary. In ascending an emi- nence two miles from Maniakono, Park himself was robbed in a very characteristic raanner : — " As I was holding my musket carelessly in my hand, and looking around," says he, " two of Numma's sons came up to me ; one of them requested me to give him some snuff; at this instant yarj littll redl like lon^ afrnl « noisj ARK. ! eavored to extort }. Day after day one way, some in whole. "Three "William Alston. y'8 ship Squirrel, ed the ass to run t sit without hold- led off. Put him ;ht while I led the rect, it was impos- irables he begged i pistol with him, The next day this ig been plundered some days, but he r the Niger, prived of its guide ery active in push- canoe; but as he over in the course )S3 the river further reached the middle itly seizing him by [iderful presence of finger into its eyes, to reach the further returned and seized ' water ; he had re- 1 into its eyes with •ose, flounced about im down the middle leeding very much." )f the caravan. Be- 3ir provisions, more- i examination it was 1 in their possession, supplied. Two per- t for rice, and in the le of the guide. The In ascending an emi- ras robbed in a very sket carelessly in my ma's sons came up to snuff; at this instant DEATHS OP THE SOLDIERS. 121 the other (called WooHaba), coming up behind me, snatched the musket from my hand, and ran off with it. I instantly sprung from the saddle and followed him with my sword, calling to Mr. Anderson to ride back, and tell some of the people to look after ray horse. Mr. Anderson got M'ithin musket-shot of him ; but, seeing it was Numma's son, had some doubts about shooting him, and called to me if he should fire. Luckily I did not hear him, or I might possibly have recovered my musket at the risk of a long palaver, and perhaps the loss of half our baggage. The thief accordingly made his escape among the rocks ; and when I returned to my horse, I found the other of the royal descendants had stolen ray coat." Their condition was now exceedingly distressing. From the 10th of June, when the rainy season set in, the entries in Park's journal are truly heart-rending. On the 20th of July he writes : "Francis Beedle, one of the soldiers, was evidently dying, and having in vain attempted to carry him over tlio river, I was forced to leave him on the west bank. In the morning one of the soldiers crossed the bridge, and found Beedle expir- ing. Did not stop to bury him, the sun being high ; but set out imme- diately. About half-past ten came to Mr. Scott lying by the side of the road, so very sick that ho could not walk. Shortly after, Mr. Martyn laid down in the same state." On the 27th, five men were left behind ; on the 30th, he writes : " Was under the necessity of leaving William Allen, sick. I regretted rauch leaving this man ; he had naturally a cheerful disposition ; and he used often to beguile the watches of the night with the songs of our dear native land." On the 10th of August four more men lagged behind, and were never heard of again ; on the 12th, two more, and Mr. Anderson appeared to be dying. Park halted with him under a tree, watching his fluttering pulse, until his strength appeared to return. He then placed him upon his own horse, and pushed forward toward their proposed resting-place, leading the horse by the bridle. " We had not proceeded above a mile," says Park, '* before we heard on our left a noise very rauch like the barking of a large mastiff, but ending in a hiss like the fuff* of a cat. I thought it must be some large monkey ; and was observing to Mr. Anderson, * What a bouncing fellow that must be,' when we heard another bark nearer to as, and presently a third still nearer, accompanied with a growl. I now sus- pected some wild beast meant to attack us, but could not conjecture of what species it was likely to be. We had not proceeded a hundred yards further, when, coming to an opening in the bushes, I was not a little surprised to see three lions coming toward us. They were not bo red as the lion I had formerly seen in Bambarra, but of a dusky color, like that of an ass. They were very large, and came bounding ovr the long grass, not one after another, but all abreast of each other. I was afraid, if I alio .ed them to come too near us, and my piece should miss * Fuff is an expressive Scotch word, applicable in its original sense to the explosive uoise whicli a cat makes in flying at a dog. ^ 122 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNGO PARK. fire, that we should all be devoured by them, I therefore let go the bri- dle, and walked forward to meet them. As soon as they were within a long shot of me, I fired at the center one. I do not think I hit him ; but they all stopped, looked at each other, and then boimded away a few paces, when one of them stopped and looked back at me. I was too busy in loading my piece to observe their motions as they went away, and wae very happy to see the last of them march slowly oif .nmong the bushes. We had not proceeded above half a mile further when we heard another bark and growl close to us among the busies. This was, doubt- less, one of the lions before seen ; and I was afraid they would follow us till dark, when they would have too many opportunities of springing on us unawares. We however heard no more of them." At length, from the brow of a hill. Park had once more the satisfac- tion of beholding the Niger, rolling its immense stream along the plain. It was the 19th of August, 1805, one hundred and five days aller starting from Pisania. But he Avas in no mood of mind to triumph at the sight. The majority of his companions had fallen on the way; of thirty-four sol- diers and four caqtenters who left the Gambia, only six soldiers and one carpenter reached the Niger. With this miserable remnant of his ongi- nal force he descended the hill, and pitched his tents near the town of Bambakoo. After a day or two he advanced to Marraboo to await the answer of the King of Bambarra. On the 2d of September ho writes : "Ever since my arrival at Marraboo I had been subject to attacks of the dysentery ; and as I found that my strength was failing very fiist, I re- solved to charge myself with mercury. I accordingly took calomel till it affected my mouth to such a degree that I could not speak or sleep for six days. The salivation put an immediate stop to the dysentery, which had proved fatal to so many of the soldiers." On the 6th one of his remaining men died, two others at Samee on the 24th, and yet two more at Sansanding on the 2d of October. At Bambakoo some of the party embarked in canoes on the Niger, while others proceeded by land to the neighborhood of Sego, which they reached on the 19th of Septeipber. Mansong was still King of Bambarra ; and being highly gratified with their presents, not only gave them permission to build a boat on the Ni- ger at whatever town they pleased, but engaged to protect, as far as his power extended, the trade of the whites in the interior. Park selected Sansanding as the place most eligible for building the boat, and removed thither as quickly as possible. Here immediately on his arrival he opened a shop, exhibiting a choice as.soitment of European goods, which sold so well among the natives that his success excited the envy of the Jenne people, the Moors, .and the other merchants of the place, who offered Mansong merchandise to a much greater value than the presents made him by Park, if he would either kill the strangers or drive them out of the country. Mansong, however, rejected the offer. " From the 8th to the 16th nothing of consequence occurred ; I found my shop every day more and more crowded with customers ; and such was my run of busi- I lRK. ire let go the bri- they were within think I hit him; inded away a few .. I was too busy jT went away, and ly off oraong the er when we heard This was, doubts .y would follow us cs of springing on . more the eatisfac- im along the plain, days aller starting iumph at the sight. ; of thirty-four Bol- dx soldiers and one umnantofhisorigi- .3 near the town of .rraboo to await the jpteraber he writes : ect to attacks of the liling very fivst, I re- tly took calomel till 'not speak or sleep op to the dysentery, DntheCthoneofhis h, and yet two more some of the party ceded by land to the 19th of Septcipber. highly gratified with ild a boat on the Ni- )rotect, as far as hia ior. Park selected 16 boat, and removed his arrival he opened goods, which sold so envy of the Jenne le place, who offered m the presents made or drive them out of » From the 8th to my shop every day was my run of busi- LAST LETTERS AND EMBARKATION. 123 ncRs, that I was sometimes forced to employ three tellers at once to count my cash. I turned one market-day twenty-five thousand seven hundred and fifty-six pieces of money (cowries)." Park now received intelligence of the death of Mr. Scott, wlio Iiad been left behind near Bambakoo. Mansoug very soon convinced the traveler that he understood the art of receiving presents much bettor than that of returning them ; for upon being requested to furnish a oanoo in which the mission, now reduced to a very small number, might em- bark on the Niger, he sent one after another several half-rotten barks ; two of Avhich Park, seeing no hope of getting better, was at length com- pelled to accept, and with these he constructed what ho termed a schooner. Shortly after this he lost his brother-in-law Anderson, upon whose death " I felt myself," says he, " aa if left a second time lonely and friendless amid the wilds of Africa." Dreary and perilous as was hia position, however, he still determined to persevere. His companions were now reduced to four. Lieutenant Martyn and three soldiers, one of Avhom was deranged in his mind ; yet Avith this wretched remnant of a detachment which, it must be confessed, had been thus thinned, or rather annihilated, by his own ill management and want of foresight, ho pur- posed following the course of the Niger to its termination, whether that should prove to be in some great lake or inland sea, or, as he rather be- lieved, in the Atlantic Ocean. " And this voyage," says one of his biogra- phers, " one of the most formidable ever attempted, was to be undertaken in a crazy and ill-appointed vessel, manned by a few negroes and a few Europeans !" On the 16th of November, having completed all the necessary pre- parations for his voyage, our traveler put the finishing hand to his jour- nal ; and in the inten-al, between that and his embarkation, which seems to have taken place on the 19th, wrote several letters to England. His letter to Lord Camden contained the following characteristic passage : " I am afraid that your Lordship will be apt to consider matters aa in a very hopeless state ; but I assure yon I am far from desponding. With the assistance of one of the soldiers I have changed a large canoe into a tolerably good schooner, on board of which I this day hoisted the Brit- ish flag, and shall set sail to the east with the fixed resolution to discover the termination of the Niger, or perish in the attempt. I have heard nothing that I can depend on respecting the remote course of this mighty stream ; but I am more and more inclined to think that it can end no- where but in the sea. My dear friend Mr. Anderson, and likewise Mr. Scott, are both dead ; but though all the Europeans who are with me should die, and though I were myself half dead, I would still persevere; and if I could not succeed in the object of my journey, I would at last die on the Niger." These letters, together with his journal, were then delivered to hia guide, Isaaco, by whom they were conveyed to Gambia, from whence they were transmitted to England ; after which nothing certain or au- TT 124 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNOO PARK. thentic can be said to have been heard either of Park or the expedition. In 1806, however, vague accounts of the death of Park and his compan- ions were brought to the British settlement on the coast by the native traders from the interior ; but several years elapsed without any further intelligence bemg obtained. At length, in 1810, Colonel Maxwe'l, gov- ernor of Senegal, dispatched Park's guide, Isaaco, into the interior, for the purpose of ascertaining the truth or falsehood of the reports which prevailed, and, should they prove correct, of collecting information re- specting the place and manner of the catastrophe. After an absence of one year and eight months, Isaaco returned to Senegal, and delivered to the governor a journal of his proceedings, including a narrative which be had received from Amadi Fatouma, the guide who had accompanied Park from Sansanding down the Niger. Tlie particulars of Isaaco's adventures it is altogether unnecessary to describe. lie found Amadi Fatouma at Medina, a village distant a few hours from Sansanding. On seeing Isaaco, and hearing the name of Park, he began to weep, and his first words were, " They are all dead." The recollection of the melancholy transaction appeared to affect him in an extraordinary manner, and it M'as with the utmost reluctance that he at length consented to recall to memory an event which he seemed pe- culiarly desirous of delivering over to oblivion. However, upon the pressing entreaties of Isaaco, he narrated circumstantially what had taken place. Upon leaving Sansanding, there were, he said, nine persons in the canoe. Park, Martyn, three other white men, three slaves, and myself as their guide and interpreter. They had proceeded but a very little way down the river before they were pursued and attacked by the Africans, in canoes, particularly in passing Timbuctoo, where a great number of the natives were killed. Shortly after passing Goroumo, they lost one white man by sickness. They were now, therefore, reduced to eight ; but as each person had always fifteen muskets loaded and ready for action, they were still formidable to their enemies. As Park had laid in a considerable quantity of provisions previous to his leaving Sansanding, he was enabled to proceed for several days with- out stopping at any place, which is the only circumstance that can ac- count for his passing in safety through the country of so many hostile nations. At length, however, their wants compelled them to have some comnninication with the shore. "We came," says Amadi Fatouma, " near a small island, and saw some of the natives. I was sent on shore to buy some miik. When I got among them I saw two canoes go on board to sell fresh provisions, such as fowls, rice, etc. One of the natives wanted to kill me, and at last he took hold of me and said I was his pris- oner. Mr. Park, seeuig what was passing on shore, suspected the truth. He stopped the two canoes and people, telling the latter that if they should Idll me, or keep me prisoner on shore, he would kill them all and carry their canoes away with him. Those on shore, suspecting Mr. Park's intentions, sent mo off in another canoe on board. They were PARK k or the expedition, irk and his compan- coast by the native (dthout any further lonel Maxwe'l, gov- to the interior, for f the reports which ting information rc- i, Isaaco returned to of his proceeduigs, Vmadi Fatouma, the ig down the Niger. ther unnecessary to village distant a few earing the name of ' They are all dead." sared to affect him in St reluctance that he which he seemed pe- However, upon the istantially what had , he said, nine persons len, three slaves, and proceeded but a very [ and attacked by the ictoo, where a great lassing Goroumo, they therefore, reduced to tets loaded and ready ies. provisions previous to for several days with- imstance that can ac- try of so many hostile ed them to have some lays Amadi Fatouma, . I was sent on shore aw two canoes go on to. One of the natives and said I was his pris- e, suspected the truth, the latter that if they rould kiU them all and shore, suspecting Mr. on board. They were AMADI FATOUMA'S JOURNAL. 125 then released, after which we bought some provisions from them and made them some presents. A short time after our departure twenty canoes came after us from the same place. On coming near they hailed, and said, 'Amadi Fatouma, how can you pass through our country with- givuig us any thing ?' I mentioned what they had said to Mr. Park, and he gave them a few grains of amber and some trinkets, and they went back peaceably. On coming to a narrow part of the river, we saw on the shore a great many men sittbg down ; coming nearer to them they stood up ; we presented our muskets at tliem, which made them run off into the interior. A little further on we came to a very difficult passage. The rocks had barred the river, but three passages were still open be- tween them. On coming near one of tliem we discovered the same people agam, standing on the top of a large rock, which caused great uneasmess to us, especially to me, and I seriously promised never to pass there again without making considerable charitable donations to the poor. We returned and went to a pass of less danger, where wo passed unmo- lested. "We came-to before Carmassee, and gave the chief one piece of baft. We went on and anchored before Gourman. Mr. Park sent me on shore with forty thousand cowries to buy provisions. I went and bought rice, onions, fowls, milk, etc., and departed late in the evening. The chief of the village sent a canoe after us to let us know of a large army en- camped on the top of a very high mountain waiting for us, and that we had better return or be on our guard. We immediately came to an anchor, and spent there the rest of the day and all the night. We started in the morning. On passing the above-mentioned monntam we saw the army, composed of Moors, with horses and camels, but without any fire-arms. As they said nothing to us we passed on quietly, and entered the country of Haoussa, and came to an anchor. Mr. Park said to me, * Now, Amadi, you are at the end of your journey ; I engaged you to conduct me here ; you are going to leave me ; but before you go you must give me the names of the necessaries of life, etc., in the Ian- guage of the countries through which I am gomg to pass ;' to which I agreed, and we spent two days together about it without landing. Dur- ing our voyage I was the only one who had landed. We departed, and arrived at Yaour. I was sent on shore the next morning with a musket and a saber to carry to the chief of the village ; also with three pieces of white baft for distribution. I went and gave the chief his present ; I also gave one to Alhagi, one to Alhagi-biron, and the other to a person whose name I forget ; all Marabous. The chief gave us a bullock, a sheep, three jars of honey, and four men's loads of rice. Mr. Park gave me seven thousand cowries, and ordered me to buy provisions, which I did. He told me to go to the chief and give him five silver rings, some powder and flints, and tell him that these presents were given to the king by the white men, who were taking leave of him before they went away. After the chief received these things, he inquired if the white men in- 7 126 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNOO PARK. tended to come back. Mr. Park, being infonned of this inquiry, replied that he could not return any more. Mr. Park had paid me for my voy- a \ LEWIS AND CLARKE'S JOURNEY TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. VOYAGE UP THE MISSOURI. On the acquisition of Louisiana, in the year 1803, the attention of tlie government of the United States was directed toward exploring and im- proving the new territory. Accordingly, in the summer of the same year, an expedition was planned by President Jefferson for the purpose of discovering the course and sources of the Missouri River, and the most convenient water-communication thence to the Pacific Ocean. His pri- vate secretary. Captain Meriwether Lewis, and Captjun William Clarke, both officers of the army of the United States, were associated in the command of this enterprise. After receiving the requisite instnictions, Captain Lewis left the seat of government, and being joined by C.-iptain Clarke at Louisville, proceeded to St, Louis, where they arrived in the month of December. Their ori^al intention was to pass the winter at La Charette, then the highest settlement on the Missouri, but the Spanish commandant of the province, not having received an official ac- count of its transfer to the United States, was obliged, by the general policy of his government, to prevent strangers from passing through the Spanish territory. They therefore encamped at the mouth of Wood River, on the east- em side of the Mississippi, out of his jurisdiction, where they passed the winter in disciplining the men, and making the necessary preparations for setting out early in the spring, before which the cession was officially announced. The party consisted of nine young men from Kentucky, fourteen soldiers of the United States Army who volunteered their ser%'- ices, two French watermen, an interpreter and hunter, and a black serv- ant belonging to Captain Clarke. AH these, except the last, were en- listed to serve as privates during the expedition, and three sergeants were appointed from among them by the captains. In addition to these were engaged a corporal and six soldiers, and nine watermen to accompany the expedition as far as the Mandan nation, in order to assist 9 IT* ■V \.iS^ 130 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. in ,"UTvm- the stores, or repelling an attack, ul.ieh was most to be a,.- . ,""^ l"ri.etweon Wno.l lliver and that tribe. The ,-rty was o e.n- ;^ bLaot-threc boats; the first wasukeeU.oatmiy.^^^^ W UK three feet of water, carrying one large squaresail and twen - r." u^ • a deek of ten feet in the bow and stern fonned a loreca«t.c and 1^ vliile the nuddle was eovered by lockers, whUh nught be raised ; t R r u a broast-work in case of attack. This wa. accompanied .■ w T r 1 or open boats, one of six and the other of seven oars. ! U .;:rwere at the san.c time to be led along the bank of the nv^ for the purpose of bringing home game, or huntmg, ni case ot sca.citj. AU ^preparation; being completed, they left their encampment on Wood river, opi-osite the mouth of the Missouri, on the 14th o Majs 18 -ud on the 10th arrived at St. Charles, situated on the north bank of 1 :. Mils" uri, twenty-onc miles from its mouth. This was then a town :• about our hundred and fifty inhabitants, chiefly the ^--J-^-/ "he French of Canada. Hero they remained a few ^«y« ^vmtrng for Cap- ,1 T ewis who had been detained by business at St. Louis When he "h^ they a^ain set sail, on the afternoon of Monday the 21st, but w:;"p;eventeribywin and rain from going more than three miles, when thev encamped upon an island, ^ e^r,- *„ «- Two miles above their next camp, they passed a settlement of thirty or fortv Wes from the United States, and further on, at tljc foot of el ffs S tmdrc!d feet high, they saw a large --ailed the T^^^^^^^^^ traders who had painted in it some images that commanded the homage of the imirns. On the 24th they passed some difficult rapids where, be- tween the dangers of the falling banks on the one hand, and the on- sr^Hly 'hanging sand-bars on the other, they came near capsizing their 0^^ On the evening of the next day (25th), they stopped for the night n a \helall village tf La Charette, about seventymilesiromthemou^^ of the river. It consisted of seven small houses, and as '"»"y P^^^/^ hes whohad fixed themselves here for the convenience of trade, and fomed th last establishment of whites on the Missouri They were aJaTn detained a day on the 31st at their encampment on the Grindstone C^kCh highw'estwindandrain. Intheafternoonaboatcam^^ fr^n the'osage^River, bringing a letter from a ^--f- -" ^^^^ ^^^ (),a-e nation on the Arkansas River, which mentioned that the letter .nnmmcing the cession of Louisiana was committed to the flames ; ha the IndiL! would not believe that the Americans were owners of that country and disregarded St. Louis and its supplies. ''"o?;hT5thof June they met two French trader.^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ raft from their winter quarters, eighty leagues "P f^ J^^^f^Xf where they had caught great quantities of beaver, but had lost much oi rhelrVlTby fires from the prairies. Soon afterward they passed Little Ma itmiCreek which was named from a strange figure resemblmg the S oTa man with the horns of a stag, painted on a pr^^ctmg roc^ aud probably representing some spirit or deity. On the 7tli tnty J KB. ivas most to bo ait- L^ party was to cin- litly-tivc feet long, lesail and twcnty- uil a forecastle and •h might bo raised i waa accompanied ther of Bovcn oars. bank of tbe river n case of scarcity, cir encampment on u the 14th of May, 1 on the north bank liis was then a town the descendants of ays waiting for Cap- t. Louis. When he ondaythc 2l8t, but •c than three miles, ttlemcnt of thirty or 1, at the foot of cliffs d the Tavern by the imanded the homage !ult rapids where, bc- a hand, and the con- near capsizing their stopped for the night miles from the mouth d as many poor fami- ■nience of trade, and Missouri. They* were ent on the Grindstone oon a boat came down lessenger sent to the tioned that the letter 3d to the flames ; that i were owners of that iders, descending on a up the Kanzas River, , but had lost much of •ard they passed Little figure resembling the I on a projecting rock, y. On the nh they FIRST INDIAN COUNCILS. 181 pjMsod Big Manitoti Creek, near which was a limestone rock inlaid with flint of v.irious colors and covered with uncouth paintings of animals, and inscriptions. They landed to examine it, but found the place infested with rattlesnakes, of which they killed three. Meeting two rafts from the Sioux nation, loaded with furs and buflalo-tallow, they engaged one of the party, a Mr. Durion, who had lived more than twenty years with the Sioux, and was high in their confidence, to accompany them thither. They continued to advance but slowly, their progress being greatly impeded by the numerous rolling sandbanks, the strong current and frequent head-winds, while the dangers of the navigation were increased on the one hand by the sunken trees, on the other by the falling in of the banks. They reached the Kanzas River on the 26th, and encamped on the low point above its mouth, whore they remained two days and made the necessary observations, recruited the party, and repaired the boat. They reached the mouth of the Platte on the evening of July 21st, and having found, at the distance of ten miles above its junction, a high and shaded situation, they encamped there, intending to make the requisite obsen-ations as well as to send for the neighboring tribes, for the purpose of making known the recent change in the government, and the wish of the United States to ctiltivate their friendship. Having completed the object of their stay, they set sail on the 27th, and on the 30th again encamped to await the arrival of the Indians. On the evening of August 2d, a band of Ott( ^ways and Missouris ap- peared, and next morning the Indians, with their six chiefs, were assem- bled under an awning, formed with the main-sail, in the presence of all the party, paraded for the occasion. A speech was then made, an- nouncing to them the change of government, with promise of protection, and advice as to their future conduct. All the six chiefs replied, each in turn, according to rank. They expressed their joy at the change in the government, and their desire to be recommended to their great father (the President), that they might obtain trade and necessaries. They wanted arms for hunting and for defense, and asked for mediation between them and the Mahas, with whom they were then at war. " We promised to do so," says Captain Clarke, " and wished some of them to accompany us to that nation, which they declined, for fear of being killed by them. We then proceeded to distribute our presents. The grandchief of the nation not being of the party, we sent him a flag, a medal, and some ornaments for clothing. To the six chiefs who were present, we gave a medal of the second grade to one Ottoway chief, and one Missouri chief; a medal of the third grade to two inferior chiefs of each nation — the customary mode of recognizing a chief being to place a medal around his neck, which is considered among his tribe as a ^roof of his consideration abroad. Each of these medals was accom- panied by a present of paint, garters, and cloth ornaments of dress ; and to this we added a canister of powder, a bottle of whiskey, and a few presents to the Avhole, which appeared to make them perfectly satis- 182 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. i fied. The air-gun, too, was firod, oiul astonutlicd them greatly. The abHcnt grand chief was an Ottoway, named Wualirushhah, which in KngliHh dcgcncratetj into Little Tliicf. Tlie two principal chieftains present wore Shangotongo, or Big Horse, and Wcthea, or Hospitality; also Shosguean, or White Horso, an Ottoway ; the first was an Ottoway, the second a Missouri. The incidents juHt related induced us to give thin place the name of the Council Bluff; the situation of it is exceed- ingly favorable for a fort and trading factory, as the soil is well calculated for bricks, and theiv; is an abundance of wood in tho neighborhood, and the air being pure and healthy. The ceremonies of the council being concluded, we set sail in the afternoon, and encamped at the distance of five miles, where wo found tho mosquitoes very troublesome." The small-pox had stxdly scourged the Indians of this region. The Mahas, once a warlike and powerful people, had been wasted away by the disease, and in their frenzy they had burned their villages ; some had even put to death their wives and chil<1ren, probably to save them from the affliction, and all had gone off to some better country. The messengers of the expedition called the Indians to another council, and they met further up the river on the 18th and 19th, when the com- manders made speeches, and distributed medals and presents, as at Council Bluif. Next morning tho Indians left them ; they set sail, and soon afterward come to under some blufis on the north side of the river. " Here," says Captain Clarke, " we had tho misfortune to lose one of our sergeants, Charles Floyd. Ho was seized with a bilious colic, and all our care and attention were ineffectual to relievo him. He was buried on the top of the bluff with the honors duo to a brave soldier, and tho place of his inteiment marked by a cedar post, on which his name and the day of his death were inscribed. About a mile beyond this place, to which we gave his name, is a small river about thirty yards wide, on the north, which we called Floyd's River, where we encamped." On the 25th of August, Captains Lewis and Clarke, with ten men, went to see an object deemed extraordinary among all the neighboring Indians. This was a large mound in the midst of the plain, nine miles northward from the mouth of the Wliitestono River. " The base of the mound is a regular parallelogram, the longest side being about three hundred yards, the shorter sixty or seventy. From tho longest side it rises with a steep ascent from the north and south to the height of sixty- five or seventy feet, leaving on the top a level plain of twelve feet in breadth and ninety in length. The north and south extremities are con- nected by two oval borders, which serve as new bases, and divide tho whole side into three steep but regular gradations from the plain. The only thing characteristic in this hill is its extreme symmetry, and this, together with its being totally detached from the other hills, which are at the distance of eight or nine miles, would induce the belief that it was artificial ; but, as the earth, and the loose pebblia which compose it, are arranged exactly like the steep grounds on the borders of the creek, KE. ncm greatly. The irushhuh, which in principal chieftains kca, or Hospitality; ■St was an Ottoway, induced us to give ition of it is cxceed- oil is well calculated neighborhood, and . the council being d at the distance of iblesomo." )f this region. The een wasted away by their villages; some pobably to save them setter country. The another council, and 10th, when the cora- and presents, as at im ; they set siul, and orth side of the river, brtune to lose one of a bilious colic, and all him. He was buried brave soldier, and the n which his name and lile beyond this place, thirty yards wide, on ve encamped." Clarke, with ten men, ig all the neighboring (f the plain, nine miles er. "The base of the ide being about three om the longest side it to the height of fflxty- plain of twelve feet m ath extremities are con- bases, and divide the s from the plain. The le symmetry, and this, le other hills, which are nduce the belief that it bbka which compose it, lie borders of the creels, MEETING WITH THE SIOUX. 188 wo concluded from this Rimiiarity of texture that it nii^ht be natural. But the IndinnH have made it a great article of their Hui>erHtltion. It is called the mountain of Little People, or Little Spirits, and they believe that it is the abode of litlle devils, in the human form, of about eighteen inches high, and of remarkably large heads ; thoy arc armed with sliarp arrows, with which they are very skillful, and are olwayson the watch to kill those who have the hardihood to approach their residence. The tra- dition is, that many have Buffered from these little evil spirits, and among others three Maha Indians fell a sacrifice to them a few years since. Thi^t has inspired all the neighboring nations, Sioux, Mahos, and Ottoways, with such terror that no consideration could temftt them to visit the hill. We saw none of these wckcd little spirits, nor any place for them, ex- cept some small holes scattered over the top. We were hap)>y enough to escape their vengeance, though we remained some time on the mound to enjoy the delightful prospect of the plain, which spreads itself out till the eye rests upon the hills in the north-west at a great distance, and those of the north-east still further on, enlivened by large herds of buffalo feeding at a distance." As they returned they gathered delicious plums, grapes, and blue currants, on the banks of the creek, and on reaching their encampment set the prairies on fire, to warn the Sioux of their ap- proach. On the 27th, they met with a few Indians at the mouth of the James River, Avho informed them that a large body of Sioux were encamped in the neighborhood. Sergeant Pryor was accordingly dispatched to them with an invitation to meet Lewis and Clarke at a spot above the river. The latter encamped next day under Calumet Bluff, on the south side, to await the arrival of the Sioux. The 29th was spent in repairing a perioque that had been disabled, and other necessary occupations, when at four o'clock in the afternoon Sergeant Pryor and his party arrived on the opposite side, attended by five chiefs, and about seventy men and boys. Some presents were pven, and a conference appointed for the morrow. Sergeant Pryor reported that on reaching their village, twelve miles distant, he was met by a party with a buffalo robe, on which they desired to carry their visitors, an honor which they dfclined, informing the Indians that they were not the ci ramanders of the boats. As a great mark of respect they were then presented with a &t dog, already cooked, of which they partook heartily, and found it well flavored. The chiefs and warriors were received on the 30th, under a large oak-tree, when Captan Lewis delivered a speech, with the usual odvice ond coun- sel for their future conduct. They then acknowledged the chiefs by medals and presents, and smoked with them the pipe of peace, after which th^ latter retired to hold a council concerning the answer which they were to make on the morrow. The young people exercised their bows and arrows in shooting at marks for beads, and in the evening the whole party danced until a late hour. In the morning they met, and the chiefs sat down in a row, with pipes of peace, highly ornamented, and all M' 134 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. ' pointed toward the seats of Captains Lewis and Clarke. Wlicn the latter were seated, the grand chief, Wuuclia, or Shake Hand, arose and spoke at some length, approviug what had been said, and promising to follow the advice. He promised to make peace between the tribes then at war, and ended by requesting material aid for their people and their ■wives. Ho was followed by the other chiefs and a warrior, who, in shorter speeches, repeated or seconded his views. " All the^e harangues concluded by describing the distress of the nation. They begged us to have pity on them ; to send them traders ; that they wanted powder and ball ; and seemed anxious that we should supply them with some of their great father's milk, the name by which they distinguished ardent spirits. We prevailed on Mr. Durion to remain here and accompany as many of the Sioux chiefs as he could collect down to the seat of government." These Indians were the Yanktous, a tribe of the great nation of Sioux. They set forward on the 1st of September. On the 2d they passed some extensive mounds and walls of earth, the first remains of the kind they had an opportunity of cxaniinuig. They consisted of a citadel and walls more than a mile in length, on the southern banks of the river, and a circular fortress nearly opposite, on Bonhomme Island. On the morning of September 11th they saw a man on horseback coming down the river toward them, and were much pleased to find it was George Shannon, one of their party, for M'hose safety they had been very uneasy. Their two horses having strayed away on the 26th of August, lie was sent to search for them. When he had found them he attempted to re- join the party, but seeing some other tracks, probably those of Indians, he concluded that they were aliead and had been for sixteen days follow- ing the bank oi' the river before them. During the first four days he had exhausted his bullets, and was then nearly starved, being obliged to subsist for twelve days on a few grapes and a rabbit which he had Idlled by making use of a hard piece of stick for a ball. One of his horses gave out and was Icfl behind ; the other he kept as a last resource for food. Despairing of overtaking the expedition, ho was returning, down the river in hopes of meeting some other boat, and was on the point of killing his horse, when he was so fortunate as to join his companions. In another week they reached the Great Bend, and dispatched two men with their remaining horse across the neck to hunt there, and await their arrival. In the following night they were alarmed by the sinking of the bank on which they were encamped. They leaped into their boats and pushed off in time to save them, and presently the whole gi-ound of their encampment sank also. Tliey foiined a second camp for the rest of the night, and at daylight proceeded on to the throat of the Great Bend. A man Avhoni they had dispatched to step off the distance across the Bend, made it two thousand yards ; the circuit is thirty miles. On the evening of the 24tli, they encamped near a river whicJi they called the Teton, from a tribe inhabiting its borders. Here they raised a flag-staff and an awning in the morning, and with all the party parading IKE. Clarke. Wlicn the ikc Hand, arose and 1, and promising to veen the tribes then eir people and their a warrior, who, in All theic harangues They begged us to wanted powder and m with some of their uished ardent spirits, company as many of eat of government." eat nation of Sioux, n the 2d they passed t remains of the kind listed of a citadel and I banks of the river, nme Island. On the rseback coming down find it was George bad been very uneasy, th of August, he was n he attempted to re- ably those of Indians, br sixteen days foUow- the first four days he ,1-ved, being obliged to )it which he had Idlled ,11. One of his horses , as a last resource for 10 was retunnng.down id was on the point of ioin his compiuiionf,. id, and dispatched two 3 hunt there, and await ilarmed by the sinking leaped into their boats intly the whole ground 1 second camp for the >n to the throat of the to step off the distance e circuit is thirty miles. 3ar a river whicli they lers. Here they raised h all the party parading ASSAULT OF THE TETONS. 135 under arms, awaited the Indians, who had been summoned to a council. The cliicfs and warriors from a camp two miles up the river, met them, the speeches were delivered, and they went through tlio ceremony of acknowledging the chiefs by giving them the usual presents, according to rank. They then invited them on board, showed them the boat, air- gun, and such cuilosities as might amuse them, but after giving thorn a quarter of a glass of whiskey, it was with much difficulty that they could get rid of them. " They at last accompanied Captain Clarke on shore in a perioque with five men ; but it seems they had formed a design to stop us ; for no sooner had the party landed than three of the Indians seized the cable of the perioque, and one of the soldiers of the chief put his arm around the mast ; the second chief, who affected intoxication, then said that we should not go on, that they had not received presents enough from us. Captain Clarke told liim that he would not be i)re- vented from going on ; that we were not squaws, but warriors ; that we were sent by our great father, who could in a moment exterminate them. The chief replied that he, too, had warriors, and was proceeding to offer personal violence to Captain Clarke, who immediately drew his sword, and made a signal to the boat to prepare for action. The In- dians who surrounded him drew their aiTows from their quivers and were bending their bows, Avhen the swivel in the boat was instantly pointed toward them, and twelve of our most determined men jumped into the perioque, and joined Captain Clarke. This movement made an impression on them, for the grand chief ordered the young men away from the perioque, and they withdrew and held a short council with the warriors. Behig unwilling to irritate them, Captain Clarke then went forward and offered his hand to the first and second chiefs, who refused to take it. He then turned from them and got into the perioque, but had not gone more than ten paces when both the chiefs and two of the warriors waded in after him, and he brought them on board. We then proceeded on for a mile and anchored off a willow island, which from the circumstances that had just occurred, we called Bad-humored Island." Having thus inspired the Indians with fear, they desired to cultivate their acquaintance, and accordingly on the next day they drew up to the shore where a crowd of men, women, and children were waiting to receive them. Captain Lewis went on shore and re- mained several hours, and finding their disposition friendly, resolved to remain during the night, and attend a dance which the Indians were preparing for them. Captains Lewis and Clarke were received on landing by ton well-dressed young men, who took them up on a robe highly decorated, and carried them to the council-house where they were placed on a dressed buffalo skin by the side of the grand chief. He was surrounded by a circle of about seventy men, before whom were placed the Spanish and American flags, and the pipe of peace. A large fire, at which they were cooking provisions, Avas near, and a quantity of buffalo moat, as a present. When they were seated, i I !■ 136 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. an old man spoke, approving what the white men had done and im- ploring pity on their own unfortunate situation. Lewis and Clarke re- plied with assurances of protection ; then the great chief arose and delivered a harangue, after which with great solemnity he took some of the most deUcate parts of the dog, which was cooked for the .estival, and held it to the flag by way of sacrifice. This done, he held up the pipe of peace, first pointing it upward then to the four quarters of the globe, and then to the earth, made a short speech, lighted the pipe, and presented it to the guests. They ate and smoked until dark, when every thing was cleared away for the dance a large fire being made in the center, to give light and warmth to the ball-room. The musicians played upon a sort of tambourine and made a jmghng noiso with a long stick to which the hoofe of deer and goats were hung; the third instrument was a small skin bag with pebbles m it: these, with a few singers, made up the band. The women came forward highly decorated, some with poles bearing the scalps of their enemies, others with guns, spears, and other trophies taken in war by their husbands brothers, or connections. They danced toward each other till they met in the center, when the rattles were shaken, and all shouted and re- turned to their places. In the pauses of the dance a man of the com- pany would come forward and recite, in a low, guttural tone, some litt'e story or incident, either wariike or ludicrous. This was taken up by the orchestra and dancers, who repeated it m a higher stram and danced to it. Sometimes the women raised their voices, when the orchestra ceased, and made a music less intolerable than the men. The dances of the men, always separate from the women, were conducted in ncariy the same way. The harmony of the entertainment came near being disturbed by one of the musicians, who, thinking he had not received a duo share of the tobacco 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. The drums were taken out of the fire- a buflfalo robe held in one hand and beaten with the other, by several of the company, suppUed the place of the lost tambourine, and no notice was taken of the oflfensive conduct of the man Ihe white guests retired at twelve o'clock, accompamed by four chiefs, two of Avhom spent the night on board. , , ., , t. While on shore they saw fifty prisoners, women and children, who had been taken in a late battle with the Mahas, on which occasion the Sioux had killed seventy-five men. They gave them a variety of small articles and interceded for them with the chiefs, who promised to restore them and Uve in peace with the Mahas. The tnbe they ^w this dav were a part of the great Sioux nation, known by the name of Teton Okandandaa. While with them, the travelers witnessed a quarrel b^ tween two squaws, which was suddenly stopped by the appearance of a man, at whose approach every one seemed terrified and ran away. He took the squaws and without any ceremony whipped them severely. X. WH«»aW. 4MKUMB IKE. had done, and im- wis and Clarke re- |at chief arose and ty he took some of ed for the festival, done, he held up |he four quarters of h, lighted the pipe, smoked until dark, , a large fire being he ball-room. The ade a jingling noise goats were hung; ebbles in it: these, lamc forward highly icir enemies, others by their husbands, I other till they met all shouted and re- a man of the com- guttural tone, some This was taken up a higher strain and eir voices, when the i than the men. The nen, were conducted irtainment came near binking he had not during the evenbg, , threw two of them re taken out of tho L with the other, by the lost tambourine, t of the man. The i by four chiefs, two en and children, who n which occasion the 3m a variety of small 8, who promised to le tribe they saw this >y the name of Teton ;ne8scd a quarrel be- jy the appearance of ified and ran away, ipped them severely. A NEORO CURIOSITY. 187 This was an officer whose duty was to keep the peace. The whole in- terior police of the village was confided to two or three such officers, who were named by the chie^ and remained in power a few days, until a successor was appointed. They were always on tho watch to keep tranquillity during the day, and guard the camp in the night. Their power, though of short duration, was supreme, and in the suppression of any riot no resistance was suffered. In general they accompanied the person of the chie^ and when ordered to any duty, however dangerous, made it a point of honor rather to die than refuse obedience. It was thus when they attempted to stop Lewis and Clarke on the day before. The chief having ordered one of these men to take possession of the boat, he immediately put his arms around the mast, and no force ex- cept the command of the chief would have induced him to release his hold. They spent the next day with other Indians of the nation, who enter- tained them m a similar manner ; but when they were preparing to set out, some difficulties arose from a misunderstanding with the people, either from jealousy or the hope of obtaining presents. By decided measures and the distribution of tobacco, the natives were appeased, and the expedition set forward on the 28th. As they sailed up the river they were frequently accosted by Indians, who asked them to land, and begged for tobacco and other presents, but they had no further inter- course Avith them imtil they came in the vicinity of the Ricaras, on the 8th of October. Hero they halted a few days, visited the Indians at their villages, and received them in council. The usual ceremonies were here performed, speeches made, chiefs acknowledged by distinguished presents, and curiosities exhibited to astonish the natives. " The object that appeared to astonish the Indians most, was Captain Clarke's servant, Tork, a remarkably stout, strong negro. They had never seen a being of that color, and therefore flocked around him to examine the extra- ordinary monster. By way of amusement, he told them that he had once been a wild animal, and had been caught and tamed by his master ; and to convince them, showeu them feats of strength, which, added to his looks, made him more terrible than we wished him to be." *' On our side," says Captain Clarke, " we were gratified at discovering that these Ricaras made use of no spirituous liquors of any kind ; the examplu of the traders who bring it to them, so far from tempting, has, in fact, disgusted them. Supposing that it was as agreeable to them as to the other Indians, we had at first offered them whiskey, but they refused it with this sensible remark, that they were surprised that their father should present to them a liquor which would make them fools." On the 13th they continued their journey. During the day they passed a stream to which tliey gave the name of Stone Idol Creek, for they learned that a few miles back from the Missouri there were two stones resembling human figures, and a third like a dog ; all which were objects of great veneration among the Ricaras. " Their history would I %'■ 188 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. adorn the ' Metamorphoses' of Ovid. A young man was deeply enamored with a ffirl whose parents refused their consent to the marriage. The youtli went out into the fields to mourn his misfortunes ; a sympathy of feeling led the lady to the same spot; and the faiUiful dog would not cease to follow his master. After wandering together and havmg nothing but grapes to subsist on, they were at last converted mto stone, which, begmnmg at the feet, gradually invaded the nobler parts leaving nothing unchanged but a bunch of grapes which the female holds m her hands unto this day." Tliese stones were sacred objects to the llicaras, who made some propitiatory offering Avhcnever they passed them. They saw anothcjr object of Ricara superstition on the 21st-a large oak-tree, standing alone on the open prairie, which, having withstood fires that had consumed every thing around, was possessed of extraor- dinary powers in the belief of the Indians. One of their ceremonies was to make a hole in the skin of the neck, through which a string was passed, and the other end tied to the body of the tree ; and after re- maining in this way for some time, they fancied they became braver. The Ricara chief told them of a large rock in the neighborhood, on the Chisshetaw, which was held in great veneration, and consulted by parties for their o>™ or their nation's destinies ; these they probably found m Bome sort of figures or paintings with which it was covered. ■WINTER AMONG THE MANDANS. The party now approached the region of the Mandans p^scd many of their deserted villages, and on the 24th met one of their grand chiefs, who was on a hunting excursion. He met his enemy, the Ricara chief, who had accompanied the expedition, with great ceremony and apparent cordiality, and smoked with him. Tlie latter afterward went Si the Mandans to their camp. On the 26th they encamped near the first village of the Mandans, who came down in crowds to sec them aa soon as they landed. Among the visitors was the son of the grand chief, who had his two little fingers cut off at the second joints. On inquirmg into this accident, they found it was customary to express giiet at the death of relations by some corporeal suffering, and that the usual mode was to lose two joints of the little fingers, or sometimes the other fingers. On the two following days they visited several villages, and went up the river a short distance in search of a convenient spot for a winter fort, but the timber was too scarce and small for their purpose. The council assembled on the 29th. A number of chiefs of the Man- dans, the Minnetarees, and the Ahnahaways, were present. The forces of the expedition were all paraded, and the council opened by a discharge from the swivel of the boat. The Indians were addressed, as heretofore, with advice intermingled with assurances of friendship and trade, and toward the end of the speech the subject of the Ricara chief was intro- KE. deeply enamored e marriage. The mea ; a sympathy liithful dog would ether and having verted into stone, jler parts, leaving e female holds iu L'd objects to the they passed them. the 21st — a large having withstood sessed of extraor- [■ their ceremonies which a string was ree ; and after re- oy became braver. ghborhood, on the onsulted by parties probably found iu (vered. lNS. ndans, passed many one of their grand } enemy, the Kicara freat ceremony and iter afterward went encamped near the ^ds to see them as e son of the grand second joints. On lary to express grief , and that the usual sometimes the other several villages, and nvenient spot for a 1 for their purpose, chiefs of the Man- )resent. Tlie forces )ened by a discharge essed, as heretofore, ship and trade, and ara chief was intro- THBY ENCAMP FOE THE WINTER. 139 duced, with whom they were recommended to make a firm peace. To this they seemed well disposed, and smoked with him amicably. Pres- ents were then distributed with great ceremony : one chief of each town was acknowledged by a gift of a flag, a medal with the likeness of the President, a uniform coat, hat, and feather ; to the second chiefs they gave a medal representing some domestic animals and a loom ; to the third chiefs, medals with the unpressions of a farmer sowing grain. A variety of other presents were distributed, but none seemed to give more satisfaction than an iron corn-mill which they gave to the Mundans. The council was concluded by a shot from the swivel, after which the air- gun was fired for their amusement. In the evening the prairie took fire, either by accident or design, and burned with great fury, the whole plain beuig enveloped in flames. So rapid was its progress, that a man and woman were burned to death before they could reach a place of safety, and several others were badly injured or narrowly escaped destruction. A half-breed boy escaped unhurt in the midst of the flames, and his safety was ascribed to the great medicine spirit, who had preserved him on account of his being white. But a much more natural cause was the prc-^ence of mind of his mother, who, seeing no hopes of carrying ofl'her son, threw him on the ground, covered him with the fresh hide of a buflalo, and then escaped herself from the flames. As soon as the fire had passed she returned and found him imtouched, the skin having pre- vented the flame from reaching the grass on which he lay. On the 31st Captain Clarke had an interview with the grand chief of the Mandans, who expressed his faith in what had been said, hoped they would enjoy peace, and promised to send his second cliief with some warriors to the Ricaras with their chie^ to smoke with that nation. He added that he would go and see his great father, the President. The chiefs of the other villages manifested the same amicable disposition, and the Ricaree chieftain set out on his retu-n with a Mandan chief and sev- eral Minnetaree and Mandan warriors. Having found a suitable wintering-place three miles below, they en- camped there, and on the 3d of November they began the building of their cabins. Some Frenchmen who were here built a perioque to de- scend to St. Louis, and Lewis and Clarke engaged the services of a Cana- dian Frenchman, who had been with the Cbayenne Indians on the Black River. Mr. Jessaume, their interpreter, also came down with his squaw and children to live at the camp. In the evening they received a visit from Kagohami, or Little Raven, one of the chiefs who attended the council, whose wife accompanied him, bringing about sixty weight of dried meat, a robe, and a pot of meal. Other Indians visited them, and frequently brought them presents, during the building of their cabins. These were completed and picketed by the 20th, when they moved into them, and named the place Fort Mandan. There were five villages in the neighborhood, the residence of three distinct nations, who had been at the council. Captain Lewis made an excursion to them in a few days, y' 1^ m in 140 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. and found them all well disposed and very kind, except a principal chief of one of the upper villages, named Mahpahpaparapassatoo, or Homed 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. They passed the winter very comfortably at the fort, finding sufficient employment in hunting, visiting, and cultivating the friendship of the Indians ; although in these excursions they frequently suffered from the cold, which was sometimes very intense. On the 10th of December the hunters saw large herds of buffalo crossing the river on the ice. The mercury stood at 11° below zero, and the next morning it was 21° belo v. When the party returned in the evening, many of them were frostbitten. On the 12th the thermometer indicated 38° below zero, and at sunrise on the 17th it was 45° below. On Christmas day the party fired three platoons before daj , They had told the Indians not to visit them, as it was one of their grei t medi- cine days; so the men remained at home and amused themselves in various ways, particularly in dancing, in which they took great pleasure. The American flag was hobted for the first time in the fort ; the best provisions they had were brought out, and this, with a little brandy, enabled them to pass the day in great festivity. On the morning of the new year, 1805, the men were permitted to go up with their music to the first village, where they delighted the whole tribe with their dances, particularly with the movements of one of the Frenchmen, who danced on his head. In return they presented the dancers with several buffalo robes and quantities of com. This at- tention was shown to the village because they had conceived the whites to be wanting in regard for them, and had begun to circulate invidious comparisons between them and the northern traders ; all these, however, they declared to Captiun Clarke, who visited them in the course of the morning, were made in jest. The Indians likewise performed various dances at their villages during the winter. On the 9th of January, the mercury at 21° below zero, Captiun Clarke, with three or four men, accompanied Kagohami and a party of Indians to hunt. They were incommoded by snow and high winds, and several of the Indians came back nearly frozen. Next moming the mer- cury stood at 40° below zero, and they were uneasy for one of the men, who was still missing. He came back, however, as they were sending out a party in search of him, having made a fire and kept himself warm through the night. An Indian boy came in soon after. He had slept in the snow with no covering but his moccasins and leggings, and a but felo robe, and had his feet frozen. A missing Indian also returned, and although his dress was thin, and he had slept on the snow without fire, he had not suffered the slightest inconvenience. They often had occa- sion to observe how well the Indians endured the rigors of the season. A more pleasing reflection occurred at seeing the warm interest which the situation of these two persons had excited in the village. The boy IKE. t a principal chief itoo, or Horned efusing to be seen, woa not at home. , finding sufficient friendship of the y suffered from the h of December the ir on the ice. The igitwas21°belov. im were frostbitten. ssero, and at sunrise before daj , They of their greit medi- luscd themselves in took great pleasure. w the fort ; the best ith a little brandy, 1 were permitted to i they delighted the B movements of one etum they presented es of com. This at- conceived the whites to circulate invidious s ; all these, however, in the course of the se performed various below zero, Caption >harai and a party of ' and high winds, and ext morning the mer- Y for one of the men, IS they were sending d kept himself warm after. He had slept d leggings, and a buf- m also returned, and he snow without fire, rhey often had occa- rigors of the season, warm interest which the village. The boy PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. 141 had been a prisoner and adopted from charity, yet the father's distress proved that he felt for him the tenderest affection. The man was a per- son of no distinction, yet the whole village was full of anxiety for his safety. Toward the middle of January nearly one half of the Mandan nation passed down the river to hunt for several days. In these excursions, men, women, and children, with their dogs, all leave the village together, and after finding a spot convenient to the game, fix their tents. All the iamily bear their part in the labor, and the game is eqiuUy divided among the families of the tribe. On the 9th of 3Iarch the grand chief of the Minnetarees, who was absent on their arrival, visited them. He was received with great attention, two guns were fired in honor of his arrival, the curiosities were shown to him, and presents bestowed upon him. In the course of conversation he observed that some foolish young men of his nation had told him there M-as a person among them quite black, and he wished to know if it could be true. They assured him that it was true, and sent for York. The chief was much surprised at his appearance ; he examined him closely, spitting on his finger and rubbing the skin in order to wasli off the paint ; nor was it until the negro uncovered his head and showed his hair, that the chief could be persuaded he was not a painted white man. On the approach of spring, Lewis and Clarke began to make prepara- tions for their departure. Canoes were built and hauled down to the river, and the boats were all finally launched on the 1st of April. While they were loading their boats on the 6th, they were visited by a number of Mandans. They brought information of a party of Kiearas on the other side of the river. An interpreter was sent to learn the reason of their coming; he returned next morning with a Kicara chief, who brought a letter from Mr. Tabeau, stating the wish of the grand chief of the Ricaras to visit the President, and requesting permission for him- self and four men to join the returning boat of the expedition. This being granted, he said 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 neighboring nations fi-iendly, except the Sioux, whose persecution they could no longer withstand, and whom they hoped to repel by uniting with the tribes in this quarter. He added, that the Ricaras intended to live in peace with all nations, and requested Lewis and Clarke to speak in their favor with the Assini- boin Indians. This they promised, and assured him of the President's protection. They then gave him a medal, a certificate, and some pres- ents, with which be deputed for the Mandan village, well satisfied with his reception. t 9- ,v) »» i^ TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. JOURNEY ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 1 Living made all their arrangements, they left the fort on the after- noon of April 7th. The party now consisted of tlurty-two persons. Besides Captains Lewis and Clarke, there were Sergeants John Ordway, Nathaniel Pryor, and Patrick Gass. The interpreters were George DrowTor and Toussaint Chaboneau. The wife of Chaboneau also ac- cmpanied them .vith her young child, and they hoped she would be use- fi.l as an interi^rctcr among the Snake Indians. She was herself one of that tribe, but had been taken in war by the Minnetarees, by whom she was sold as a slave to Chaboneau, who brought her up and afterward married her. One of the Mandans like>nse embarked with them, in order to go to the Snake Indians and obtain a peace with them lor his countrymen. All this party, with the baggage, was stowod in six sm^ canoes and two large perioques. At the same time that they took their departure, their barge, manned with seven soldiers, two Frenchmen, and Mr. Gravelines as pilot, sailed for the United States, loaded with their presents and dispatches. u u a On the 9th they cane to a hunting party of Minnetarees, who had prepared a park or inclosure, and were waiting the return of the ante- lope In the region they passed through on the two foUowing days they saw on the surface of the earth large quantities of a white substanaa which tasted like a mixture of common salt with Glauber salts. It ap- peared on the sides of the hills, and even on the banks of the nvers, as well as on the sand bars. Many of the streams which came from the foot of the hills were so strongly impregnated with this substance that the water had an unpleasant taste and a purgative effect. On the 26th of April, at noon, they encamped at the junction of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. As the river was crooked and the wind adverse Captain Lewis had left the boats the day before and proceeded overland to find the Yellowstone and make chc necessary observations, sd as to be enabled to continue the expedition without delay. He pursued his route along the foot of the hills, which ho ascended for the distance of eight miles. From these the wide plains, watered by the Missouri and the Yellowstone, spread themselves before the eye, occasionaUy vaned with the wood of the banks, enlivened by the irregular windings of the two rivers, and animated by vast herds of buffalo, deer, elk, and ant^ lope Above the Yellowstone the hUls were higher .and rougher, and the wild animals more numerous. A small river which they passed on the 3d of May they called Porcupine River, from the unusual number of porcupines near it. A quarter of a mile beyond this they passed another on the opposite side, to which, on account of its distance ft-om the mouth of the Missouri, they gave the name of Two-thousand-mile creek. On the 5th Captain Clarke and a hunter met the largest brown bear they hud ever seen. When they fired he did not attempt to attack, but fled RKE. JNTAlNS. fort on tho after- thirty-two persons, eants John Ordway, cters were George Chaboneau also ac- d she would bo use- was herself one of arees, by whom she up and afterward xked with them, in e with them for his i 8tow«^d in six small that they took their two Frenchmen, and ! es, loaded with their [innetarecs, who had return of the ante- following days they of a white substanau Slauber salts. It ap- lanks of the rivers, as .fhich came from the with this substance ativc effect. On the stion of tho Missouri and the wind adverse 1 proceeded over land abservations, sd as to lay. He pursued his il for the distance of I by the Missouri and re, occasionally varied gular windings of the ), deer, elk, and ante- hcr and rougher, and ivhich they passed on he unusual number of is they passed another tance fi-om the mouth isand-mile creek. On fcst brown bear they ipt to attack, but fled ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR. 148 with a tremendous roar, and such was his tenacity of llfo that, although he had five balls through his lungs, and five other wounds, he swam more than half across tho river to a sand-bar, and survived twenty min- utes. He weighed between five and six hundred pounds, and measured eight feet seven inches from the nose to the extremity of the hind feet. On the 14th six hunters attacked another which they discovered lying in the open grounds, at a little distance from the river. Coming uiipor- ccived upon him, four of them fired, and each lodged a bull in his body. The furious animal sprang up and ran open-mouthed upon them. As he approached, the two hunters, who had reserved fire, gave him two wounds, one of which, breaking his shoulder, retarded him a moment, but before they could reload, he was so near that they were obliged to run to the river. Two jumped into the canoe, the other four separated, and concealing themselves in the willows, fired as fast as each could re- load. They struck him leveral times, but instead of weakening the monster, each shot seeme 1 only to direct him to the himtcr, 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 two feet of the hind- most M'hcn one of the hunters on shore shot him in tho head and finally killed him. They dragged him to the shore, and found that eight balls had passed through him in different directions. The bear being old, they took the skin only, and rejoined the party at the camp, who had mean- while been terrified by an accident of a different kind. This was tho narrow escape of a canoe containing all their papers, instruments, medi- cine, and almost every other article indispensable to the success of the enterprise. The canoe being under sail, was struck by a sudden squall of wind which turned her considerably. The man at the helm, instead of putting her before the wind, luffed her up into it. The wind was so high that it forced the brace of the squaresail out of tho hand of the man who was attending it, and instantly upset tho canoe, which would have been turned bottom upward but for tho resistance of the awning. Such was the confusion on board, and the waves ran so high, that it was half a minute before she righted, and then nearly full of water ; but by bailing she was kept from sinking until they rowed ashore. Here they remained until the articles were dried and repacked, and again embarked on the afternoon of the 16th. On Sunday, the 26th of May, after ascending the highest summits of the hills on the north side of the river, " Captain Lewis first caught a distant view of the Rocky Mountains, the object of all our hopes, and the reward of all our ambition. On both sides of the river, and at no great distance from it, the mountains followed its course ; above these, at the distance of fifty miles from us, an irregular range of mountains spread themselves from west to north-west from his position. To the north of these a few elevated points, the most remarkable of which bore north 65° west, appeared above the horizon, and as the sun shone on the J V m 1- IMMMM MN 144 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. mows of their Rummits, he obtained a clear and satisfactory view of those mountains which close on the Missouri the passage to the Pacific." In the night of the 28th they were alarmed by a new sort of enemy. A buffalo swam over from the opposite side and clambered over one of the canoes to the shore ; then taking fright he ran full speed up the bank toward the tires, and passed within eighteen inches of the beads of some of the men before the sentinel could make him change his course : still more alarmed, ho ran down between four fires and within a few inches of the heads of a second row of men, and would have broken into the lodge if the barking of the dog had not stopped him. He suddenly turned to the right, and was out of sight in a moment, leaving them all in confu- sion, every one seizing his rillo and inquiring the cause of the alarm. On learning what had happened, they were rejoiced at sufTcring no more injury than the damage to some guns in the canoe which the buffalo crossed. Next day they passed a precipice about one hundred and twenty feet high, imder which lay scattered the fragments of at least a hundred carcases of buffaloes. They had been chased down the precipice in a way very common on the Missouri, by which vast herds are destroyed. The mode of hunting is, to select one of the most active young men, who is disguised by a 'buffalo skin, with the head and cars so arranged as to deceive the buffalo ; thus dressed he fixes himself at a convenient dis- tance between a herd and the river precipices. Meanwhile his compan- ions show themselves in the rear and side of the herd ; they instantly take the alarm and rim toward the Indian decoy, who leads them on at full speed toward the river, then suddenly securing himself in some known crevice of the cliff, leaves the herd on the brink of the precipice. It is then in vain for the foremost to retreat or even stop ; they are pressed on by the hindmost rank, who, seeing no danger but from the hunters, goad on those before them until the whole are hurled down and the shore is strewn with their dead bodies. Sometimes in this perilous se- duction the Indian is himself either trodden under foot by the rapid movements of the buffaloes, or, missing his footing in the cliff, ia^ urged down the precipice by the falling herd. In the upper course of the Missouri, the rapidity of the current and the numerous rocks rendered the navigation difficult, and often danger- ous. They had frequently to depend on towing, and as the lines were mostly of elk-skin, slender and worn, the boats sometimes narrowly es- caped destruction, while the men on the banks suffered great hardships. In some places the banks were slippery and the mud so adhesive that they could not wear their moccasins ; often they had to wade in deep water, and sometimes to walk over the sharp fragments of rocks which bad fiillen from the hills. As they advanced, the cliffs became higher and more abrupt. Sometimes they rose in perpendicular walls and tur- rets, which at a distance resembled long ranges of buildings and col- umns variously sculptured and supporting elegant galleries, while the parapets were adorned with statuary. On a nearer approach they repre- EE. ctory view of those the Pacific." ' lew sort of enemy, j nbered over one of Bpecd up the banlc > the heads of Bomo ge his oourse : still | thin a few inches of oken into the lodge \ suddenly turned to them all in confu- cause of the alarm, at sufToring no more B which the buffalo hundred and twenty f at least a hundred n the precipice in a lerds are destroyed, ivc young men, ■who Eirs BO arranged as to at a convenient dis- amvhile his compan- herd ; they instantly Iho leads them on at liniself in some known ' the precipice. It is op ; they are pressed )ut from the hunters, urled down and the es in this perilous se- ler foot by the rapid g in the cliff, ist urged ty of the current and ult, and often danger- md as the lines were imetimes narrowly es- Rered great hardships, mud so adhesive that had to wade in deep jments of rocks which } cliffs became higher ndicular walls and tur- of buildings and col- it galleries, while the ir approach they repre- A PERILOUS SITUATION. 146 sented every form of picturesque ruins ; columns, some with pedestals and capitals entire, others mutilated and prostrates others rising pyramid- ally over each other until they terminated in a sharp point. These were varied by niches, alcoves, and the customary appearances of desolated magnificence. As they advanced there seemed to bo no end to this vis- ionary enchantment. On the 3d of June they encamped in the morning on a point formed by the junction of a large river with the Missouri. Hero they were at a loss to know which was the Ahmateahza, or Missouri, therefore they dis- patched a party in a canoe up each of the streams, to ascertain the com- parative body of water, and sent out companies to discover from the ris- ing grounds the bearings of the two rivers. Meanwhile they ascended the high grounds in the fork, whence they saw a range of lofty mount- ains in the south-west, partially covered with snow, and far beyond them a still higher range completely snow-clad, reaching off to the north-west, where their glittering tops were blended with the horizon. The direc- tion of the rivers was soon lost in the extent of the plain. On their re- turn they found the north branch to be two hundred yards wide, and the south three hundred and seventy-two. The characteristics of the north fork so nearly resembled those of the Missouri, that almost all the party believed it to be the true course, while the same circumstances in- duced Captains Lewis and Clarke to think otherwise — that it passed through the low grounds of the open plain in the north, and did not come down from the mountains. The reports of the parties were far fi*om deciding the question, there- fore Lewis and Clarke set out on the 4th, each to ascend one of the rivers for a day and a haltj or more, if necessary. Captain Lewis pur- sued the north fork for two days, when finding its direction too far northward for their route to the Pacific, he began to retrace his steps on the afternoon of the 6th. A stonti of wind and rain which pre- vailed, made their returning route extremely unpleasant. The surface of the ground was saturated with water, and so slippery that it was almost impossible to walk over the bluffs which they had passed in ascending the river. In advancing along the side of one of these blufis, at a narrow pass. Captain Lewis slipped, and but for a fortunate re- covery by means of his espontoon, would have been precipitated into the river over a precipice of about ninety feet. He had just reached a spot, where, by the assistance of his espontoon, he could stand with toler- able safety, when he heard a voice behind him cry out, " Good God I captain, what shall I do ?" He turned instantly, and found it was a man named Windsor, who had lost his foothold about the middle of the narrow pass, and had slipped down to the very verge of the precipice, where he lay with his right arm and leg over the brink, while with the other arm and leg he was with difficulty holding on to keep himself from being dashed to pieces below. Oapt£un Lewis instantly perceived his dreadful situation, and stifling 10 mmm 140 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKR. his nliirni, cnlmly told him that ho v,tw in no danger ; that he flhouM take his kn:i\i out of hiH belt with the riglit hand, and dig a hole in the Bide of tlie bhiff for hin right foot. With great presence of mind ho did thiM, and then rained liim»elf on liis kneeH. Then takhig off his moccasinH ho eunie forward on his hands and knees, hokling the knife in one iiand and his rifle in the other, and tiius crawled to a secure spot. The men who hnd not attempted this passage, returned and waded the river at the foot of the bluff, where they found the water breast high. Tims they continued down the river, sometimes in mud, sometimes up to their arms in water, and when it became too deep to wade, they eut foot-holds with their knives in the sides of the banks. At night they encamped in an old Indian lodge of sticks, which affordetl them dry shelter, and tliey slept comfortably on some willow boughs. They reach- ed the camp on tho evening of the 8th, and found Captain Clarke and the party very anxious for their safety. Captain Lewis, being persuaded that this was not the main stream, nor one which it would be advisable to ascend, gave it the name of Maria's Kiver. Captain Clarke's party ascended the south branch. Near the camp on the evening of the 4th, a white bear attacked one of the men, whose gun happening to be wet, would not go off; he instantly made toward a tree, but was so closely pursued that in climbing ho struck the bear with his foot. The bear not being able to climb, waited till he should be forced to come down ; and as tho rest of tho party were separated from him by a perpendicular cliff which they could not descend, it was not in their power to give him any assistance : but finally the bear was frightened by their cries and firing, and released him. Next day they followed the ri pr several miles, until Captain Clarke was satisfied it was their true route, when they turned back and reached the camp on the evening of the 6th, Although Lewis and Clarke were com- pletely satisfied by their observations, all the re«t of the party were of a contrary opinion. In order therefore that nothing might be omitted which could prevent an error, it was agreed that one of them ' should ascend the southern branch by land, until he reached either the falls or the mountains. Meanwhile, to lighten their burdens, they deter- mined to deposit here one of the perioques and all the heavy baggage they could possibly spare from the boats. Captain Lewis and his party set out on the 11th. As there were many deep ravines extending back from the shore which made the traveling difficult near the river, they sometimes left it in its windings, but on the 13th, being fearful of passing the falls, they changed their course toward tho river. They had proceeded thus awhile, when their ears were greeted with the sound of falling water. Directing their steps toward it they reached the falls at noon, having traveled seven miles since hearing tlie sound. Captain Lewis hastened to de- scend the steep banks, which were two hundred feet high, and seating himself on a rock before the falls, enjoyed the sublime spectacle which SIJI he hi be frd sn cc ev KK. THE FALL8 OF TIIK MISSOUUI. 147 that he should lig ft hol« in the scnce of minil he ■n taking oft' his holding the knilb d to a secure spot. It'll and waded the ..ater breast higli. nud, sometimes up to wade, they cut ks. At night they affordetl tliem dry mghs. Tliey reach- 'aptain Clarke and 'is, being persuaded would be advisable ch. Near the camp e of the men, whose (tantly made toward r he struck the bear vaited till he should party were separated I not descend, it was finally the bear was him. Next day they larke was satisfied it [id reached the camp id Clarke were com- if the party were of a ng might be omitted one of them 'should ached either the falls burdens, they deter- all the heavy baggage 11th. As there were hore which made the left it in its windings, lis, they changed their ed thus awhile, when ling water. Directing noon, having traveled Lewis hastened to de- feet high, and seating sublime spectacle which since the crciition had bcon lavir^hing its nmgnilictnco upon tno desert, unknown to civilization. "The river is three hundred yards wide at the fall, and is pressed in by j)erp('n>e side an unbroken sheet one hundred yards in length, while the rcKiaiiiing part, which precipitates itself iu a more rapid current, is broken by inif^iilar rocks below, and forms a splendid prospect of white foam, two thousand feet in length. This spray is dissipated into a thousand sha])es, some- times flying up in columns of fit\een or twenty feet, A'hich are then oppressed by larger masses of the white foam, on all which the sim scatters the brightest colors of the rainbow, lielow this fall the river for three miles one continued succession of lapids and cascades, over- hung with perpendicular bluffs, from one hundred and fitly to two hundred feet high." Next morning a man was dispatched to Ca])tain Clarke with an ac- couiil of the discovery of the falls, and Captain Lewis proceeded to examine the rapids alone. After passing a series of rapids and small cascades he reached, at the distance of five miles, a second tiiU of nine- teen feet. While viewing it ho heard a loud roar above, and crossing over the point of a hill for a few hundred yards, he saw the whole Mis- souri, here a quarter of a mile wide, precipitated in an even, uninter- rupted sheet to the perpendicular dejrth of fifty feet, whence, dashing against the rocky bottom, it rushes rapidly down, leaving behind it a Bj)ray of the purest foam across the river. The scene was singularly beautiful, without the wild, irregular sublimity of the lower falls. The eye had scarcely been regaled with this charming prospect when, at the distance of half a mile. Captain Lewis observed another of a similar kind. Hastening thither he found a cascade stretching across the river with a descent of fourteen feet, though the perpendicular pitch was only six feet. This too in any other neighborhood would have been an ob- ject of great magnificence, but after what he had just seen it became of secondary interest ; his curiosity being however awakened, he de- termined to go on, even should night overtake him, to the head of the fallo. The river was a constant succession of rapids and small cascades, at every one of Avhich the blufib became lower, or the bed of the river 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, where tlie river was six hundred yards wide. Just above this was a cascade of about five feet, beyond which, as far as could be discerned, the velocity of the water seemed to abate. Captain Lewis now ascended the hill which was behind him, and saw from its top a beautiftd plain extending firom the river to the base of the snow-mountains in the south and south-west. Along this wide level country the Missouri pursued its winding course, filled with water to its even and grassy banks ; while, about four miles above, it was joined by a large river flowing from the north-west, through a valley three miles in m ttmmm 148 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. width, and distinguished by thi timber which adorned its shores. He then descended the hill, and directed his course toward the river falling in from the west. He soon met a herd of at least a thousand buffaloes, and being desirous of providing for supper, shot one of them. The animal im- mediately began to bleed, and the Captain, who had forgotten to reload his rifle, was intensely watching to see him fall, when he beheld a large brown bear which was stealing upon him unperceived, and was already Avithin twenty steps. In the first moment of surprise he lifted his rifle, but remembering instantly that it was not charged, and that he had not time to reload, he felt that there was no safety but in flight. It was in the open level plain, not a bush or tree within three hundred yards, the bank of the river sloping and not more than three feet high, so that there was no possible mode of concealment. He therefore thought of retreating in a quick walk, as fast as the bear advanced, toward the nearest tree ; but as soon as he turned, the bear ran, open mouth, and at full speed upon him. Captain Lewis ran about eighty yards, but finding that the animal gained on him fast, it flashed on his mind that by getting into the water to such a depth that the bear -wjould be obliged to attack him swimming, there was still some chance of his life. He therefore turned short, plunged into the river about waist deep, and facing about, presented the point of his cspontoon. The bear came to the water's edge within twenty feet of him, but as soon as ho put himself in this posture of de- fense, he seemed frightened, and wheeling about, retreated with as much precipitation as he had pursued. Very glad to be released fi*om this danger, Captain Lewis returned to the shore, and observed him run with great speed, sometimes looking back as if he expected to be pursued, till he reached the woods. He could not conceive the cause of the sudden alarm of the bear, but congratulating himself on his escape when he saw his own track torn to pieces by the furious animal, he learned from the whole adventure never to suffer his rifle to be a moment unloaded. The river to which he directed his steps he found to be the Medicine River of the Indians, mentioned as emptying itself into the Missouri, just above the falls. He set out in the evening to retrace his steps to the camp, twelve miles distant, and, after fresh encounters with wild beasts, came late at night to his party, who were anxious for his safety. Captain Clarke and his party arrived in the boats at the rapids on the 15th, where they were joined next day by Captain Lewis. They then proceeded to examine the ground for a portage, to deposit a por- tion of their goods and baggage, and to prepare carriages for the trans' portation of the boats with the remainder. The portage was about fif- teen miles. The men were loaded as heavily as their strength would permit, and the prickly pear and the sharp points of earth formed by the buffalo during the late rains made the crossing really painful. Some were limping from the soreness of their feet, othors scarcely able to stand &om the heat and fatigue. They were obliged to halt and rest &e- A.RKB. rncd its shoves. Ho vard the river falling | lousand buffaloes, and i them. The animal im- \ id forgotten to reload ! lien he beheld a large j ivcd, and was already j rise he lifted hia rifle, | I, and that he had not n flight. It was in the i indred yards, the bank j ligh, so that there was j aought of retreating in , I the nearest tree ; but , nd at full speed upon I finding that the animal \ getting into the water | I attack him swimming, j herefore turned short, j ig about, presented the e water's edge withm | Ifin this posture of de- \ retreated with as much ; > be released from this . observed him run with ected to be pursued, till j he cause of the sudden | his escape when he saw lal, ho learned from the moment unloaded. The be the Medicine River , the Missouri, just above e his steps to the camp, s with wild beasts, came his safety. boats at the rapids on Y Captain Lewis. They artage, to deposit a por- e carriages for the trans- he portage was about fif- as their strength would Its of earth formed by the ng really painful. Some lors scarcely able to stand •ed to halt and rest fre- BNTERINa THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 149 quently, and at almost every stopping-place they would fall asleep in an instant ; still they went on with great cheerfulness. On the 29th, Captain Clarke, accompanied by his servant, York, Chaboneau and his wife and child, proceeded to the falls to make further observations. On his arrival he observed a very dark cloud rising in the west, which threatened rain. He took sheUer in a deep ruvmc, where some shelving rocks kept off the rain. The shower increased, and presently a torrent of rain and hail descended. The raui fell in a solid mass, and instantly collecting in the ravhie came rolling down ui a dreadful current, carryhig the mud and rocks, and every thing that opposed it. Captain Clarke fortunately saw the danger a moment be- fore it reached them, and sprang up the steep bluff with his gun and shot-pouch in one hand, pushing the Indian woman with her child before liim. Her husband, too, had seized her hand, but Avas so terrified that but for Captain Clarke they would all have been lost. So instantaneous was the rise of the water, that before he had reached his gun and began to ascend the bank, the water was up to his waist, and he could scarcely get up faster than it rose, till it reached the height of fifteen feet, with a furious current that would have swept them into the river just above the Great Falls, down which they must inevitably have been precipitated. He now relinquished his intention of going up the river, and returned to the camp. Finally, after unheard-of toil and privations, the various parties had arrived at the camp above the falls and transported all the baggage thither by the 1st of July. Here some days were spent in building a boat, and calking it with a composition of charcoal, with beeswax and buffalo-tallow, instead of tar, which they could not obtain ; but on the 9th, when it was lanched and loaded, it leaked so that they were obliged to abandon it. Captain Clarke, with a party of workmen, then went to some timber on the river, eight miles above, where they con- structed some canoes. The expedition proceeded by land and by water to join them, and on the 15th of July they embarked all their baggage on board of eight canoes, and set out on their journey. On the 19th they went through a grand mountain-pass, which they called the Gates of the Rocky Mountains. For nearly six miles the rocks rise perpen- dicularly from the water's edge to the height of nearly twelve hundred feet. Being anxious to meet with the Shoshonees or Snake Indians, and fearful lest they should hear of the expedition and retreat to the mount- ains, Captam Clarke frequently went on by land in advance. On the 25th he arrived at the three forks of the Missouri, and finding that the north branch, though not largest, contained more water than the middle one, and bore more to the westward, he determined to ascend it. There- fore leaving a note for Captain Lewis, he went up the stream twenty-five miles ; when Chaboneau being unable to proceed further, the party en- camped, all of them much fatigued, their feet blistered, and wounded by the prickly pear. Captain Clarke proceeded next dny to the top of TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. •i.a fnrther whence he had an extensive view of a mountain twelve "^f /'^^^'^X Ji signs of Indians. He then re- tho river valley upward, ^"t ^^^J^^^^f ^ss to the middle branch, turned to Chaboneau, f '^^'^f^^^^^^,'^^^^^^ at the forks on th. 27th. and descending it met ^'^^^^'^'^^'^^onth-e^tevn branch, w>«lch he Captain Lewis had first arrived «^;}^« «^^^^^^^ Ri^er, in honor of the asc'ended a short distance and n W G ^a^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ;^„,,,„,e ,, ,^ Secretary of the Treasury. He then p ^^^ encamped other branches, whore he ^^^..^^P'^ arrived much exhausted with on the south-west fork to ^wait hun. Hejr ^^^^ ^^^^^ fatigue, and with fever and chUls ^^^^^^^ afficult to decide which from a spring in the heat of the day ^fji^^^^rf, ^hey were induced of the t .0 streams was the larger, or th^^^^^^^^ ,^, „,^e of to discontinue the name, and gave t« t ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ Jefferson, in honor of th. Pre«ide\of «^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ,^^ jector of the enterprise; anu called themia Secretary of State. vostored by the 30th, they began to Captain Clarke being "^'^^^^^jj^/^^, ^^ August Captain Lewis left ascend the Jefferson River. O^.X^fau and Drewyer, to go on m the party, with Sergeant Gass, Chaboneau, an y^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ advance in search of ^^e Shoshonee. In a few y^_^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ in the river, and findmg the ^^^^^ll to flow from an opening^m the the other was more turbid, and seemea ^^ ^ ^^^^^ mountams, he left a note '^^^o^^^^^'J^f ^"^^e rapid branch. This he and then contmued his course along thejnore p ^^^^^^^^.^^ ,^. followed for more than a f-y^'^'^^^^^lr:^on. From the general tamed an extensive view of the ««"«™f ^ ^y which it intersects course of the southern stream as Wl as ^« jaPj^ ^^ ,^,, ..^ssed the mountains, he decided to make ^t^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ he over to the other branch, and d««cena«« ^^ ^^ j^^^^y ; found the party m f .^^^ks T^' ^^^^^^^ ^' ^'^ ' Vl* 7 left. They had reached the fo^j'^J" \^ ^^ ^ green pole, which the t luckily Capt^n Lewis's note had been left on g F^^^.^^^^ ^^^^ I beavers had cut down and earned off'^^^^^^^^^^^^^ „^ .^e two branches ; i deprived them of all ^f ^'^^^ f^st' n th^^^^^^^^ and contained as and as the north-west fork was ™o« t^n ^hen- ^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^.^^ ^^^ .^^ much water, they ascended It. ^^^^ Next mommg i waters so scattered, that ^^^y P^^^^^XhXgone out in search of deer, they had been joined by Drewye'- jho ha^ go ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ and who informed them o^tUf^^eoife two ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ t^r'ca^n SThtl^rS:::^ -- -y caned Wisdom ^n the nh they continued theh^3-;SnX^ ^^^Z^lZ mediately after breakfast ^ ^^n/their kn^'acks, tW set out with a lEE. extensive view of lians. He then re- ,e nxiddle branch, forks on th*^ 27th. branch, wiilch he |er, in Jionor of the le confluence of the iote, and encamped ich exhausted with Irinking cold water Jcult to decide which i, they were induced branch the name of States and the pro- h Madison, after the 0th, they began to it Captain Lewis left rewyer, to go on in ys he came to forks nd obstructed, while om an opening in the iv to Captain Clarke, lid branch. This he le mountains, he ob- n. From the general by which it intersects ute. He then crossed I the forks, where he 3 stream he had lately on of the 5th,. but un- green pole, which the ote, an accident which r of the two branches ; tion, and contained as tremely rapid, and its culty. Next morning out in search of deer, rivers, and of Capttun 3 fork, when they met they called Wisdom p the Jefferson. Im- Lewis took Drewyer, cs, tliey set out with a they returned, however SNAKE INDIANS— THE DIVIDING RIDGE. 151 long they might bo separated from the party. They followed the river by an Indian road imtil they entered the mountains next day, and came to two nearly equal branches. Finding the best road on the right fork, Captain Lewis concluded to follow it, and left a note to that effect for Captain Clarke. They had gone but a few miles on the morning of the 11th, when they were delighted to see a man on horseback, at the distance of two miles, coming down to meet them. On examining him with the glass, Captain Lewis saw that he was of a different nation from any Indians they had hitherto met. He was armed with a bow and quiver of ar- rows ; mounted on an elegant horse, without a saddle, while a small string attached to the under jaw answered as a bridle. Convinced that he was a Shoshonee, and knowing how much of their success depended on the friendly offices of that nation, Captain Lewis was anxious to ap- proach without alarming him, and endeavor to convince him that he was a white man. He therefore proceeded on at his usual pace. When they were within a mile of each other t' 3 Indian suddenly stopped ; Lewis followed his example, took his blanket from his knapsack, and hold- ing it with both hands at the two comers, threw it above his head, and unfolded it as he brought it to the ground, as if in the act of spreading it. This signal is the universal sign of friendship among the Indians on the Missouri and Rocky Mountains. As usual, Captain Lewis repeated this signal three times ; still the Indian kept his position, and looked with an air of suspicion on Drewyer and Shields, who were now advancing on each side. Lewis then took from his pack some beads, a looking-glass, and a few trinkets, which he had brought for the purpose, and advanced unarmed toward the Indian. He remained awhile, then turned his horse and began to move off slowly. Captain Lewis then called out " Tabba bone .'" (" white man"), but the Indian kept his eye on Drewyer and Shields, who were still thoughtlessly advancing, till Lewis made a signal to them to halt. Then the Indian waited for Captain Lewis, who still came nearer, repeating the words '* tabba bone," and holding up the trin- kets, at the same time stripping up his sleeve to show the color of his skin. He thus advanced within a hundred paces, but as Shields, who had not observed the signal, was still approaching, the Indian suddenly turned his horse, and leaping the creek, disappeared in an instant. Though sadly disappointed. Captain Lewis determined to make some use of the incident. He therefore set off with his men to follow the track, hoping it might lead them to a body of the nation. They now fixed a small flag of the United States on a pole, which was carried as a signal of their friendly intentions, should the Indians see them approaching. Thus pursuing their journey, they came, on the 12th, to a plain Indian road which led directly on toward the mountain. The stream gradually became smaller, till, after going a few miles, it had so greatly diminished in width, that one of the men, in a fit of enthusiasm, with one foot on each side of the river, thanked God that ho had lived to bestride the 152 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. Missouri. As they went along, their hopes of soon seeing the waters of the Columbia arose ahnost to panful anxiety, when, after four mUes from the last abrupt turn of the river, they reached a small gap formed by the high mountains, which recede on each side, leaving room for the Indian road. " From the foot of one of the lowest of these mountains, which rises with a gentle ascent of about half a mUe, issues the remotest water of the Missouri. They had now reached the hidden sources of that river, which had never yet been seen by civilized man ; 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 modest tribute to the parent ocean— they felt themselves rewarded for all their labors and aU their difficulties. They left reluctantly this interesting spot, and pursmng the Indian road through the interval of the hiUs, arrived at the top of a ridge, from which they saw high mountains, partially covered with snow, lying still further west. The ridge on which they stood formed the di- viding lino between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They followed a descent much steeper than that on the eastern side, and at the distance of three quarters of a mile, reached a fine, bold creek of cold water, running to the westward. They stopped to taste, for the first time, the waters of the Columbia." Next day, as they were purauing their journey westward through an open, broken country, they perceived two women, a man, and two dogs on an eminence a mile before them. The strangers seemed at first to await them, and Captain Lewis approached, unfuriing the flag and caU- ing " Tabba bone!'' But the females first retreated behind the biU, and when Lewis came near the man went off also, and they had all dis- appeared when he reached the top of the hiU. They had gone about a mile further, when they suddenly came upon three female Indians from whom they had been concealed untU they were within thirty paces of each other. A young woman fled, the other two, an elderiy woman and a little giri, seeing the strangers too near for them to escape, sat on the ground, holding down their heads as if reconcUed to the death which they supposed awaited them. Captain Lewis put down his rifle, and advancing, took the woman by the hand, raised her, and repeated the words " tabba bone !" at the same time baring his arm to prove that he was a white man, for his hands and face had become, by exposure, as dark as their own. She appeared at once relieved, and Captam Leww gave them some beads, pewter mirrors, paint, and other tnnkets, as well as to their companions, who had hastened back when called, and he painted their cheeks with vermUion, a ceremony which among the bho- flhonees, is emblematic of peace. Afterward, at his request, they con- ducted the party toward the Indian camp. In this way they had marched two mUes, when they met a troop ol nearly sixty warriors, well mounted, riding at full speed toward them. Captain Lewis put down his gun and went forward with the flag. Ihe chief spoke to the women, who explained and showed exulUngly the IMMMIMMI ARKE. lon seeing the waters vhen, after four miles d a small gap formed leaving room for the t of these mountains, le, issues the remotest he hidden sources of zed man ; and as they lin — as they sat doMm 1 modest tribute to the ill their labors and all ;ing spot, and pursuing irrived at the top of a illy covered with snow, ' stood formed the di- l Pacific oceans. They e eastern side, and at a fine, bold creek of led to taste, for the first J westward through an I, a man, and two dogs ers seemed at first to rling the flag and call- •eated behind the hill, , and they had all dis- hey had gone about a e female Indians from within thirty paces of two, an elderly woman or them to escape, sat econciled to the death wis put down his rifle, aised her, and repeated ig his arm to prove that lecome, by exposure, as ed, and Captain Lewis d other trinkets, as well ik when called, and he which among the Sho- t his request, they con- 3n they met a troop of ill speed toward them. ird with the flag. The showed exultingly the RECEPTION BY THE SHOSHONEES. 15S presents they had received, and then the chief and two warriors leaped from their horses, came up to Captain Lewis, and embraced him with great cordiality, at the same time applying their left cheek to his, and frequently vociferating " Ah hi e I ah hi e /" " I am much pleased ; I am much rejoiced." The whole body of warriors now came forward, and the men received the caresses, and the grease and paint, of their new friends. After this fraternal embrace. Captain Lewis lighted a pipe and offered it to the Indians, who now seated themselves in a circle around the party. But before they accepted tiiis mark of friendship, they pulled off their moccasins, a custom which indicates the sacred sincerity of their professions when they smoke with a stranger, and imprecates on them- selves the misery of going barefoot forever if they are faithless to their words, a penalty by no means light to those who roam over the thorny plains of their country. It is not unworthy to remark the analogy which some of the customs of these children of the wilderness bear to those recorded in Holy Writ. After a few pipes were smoked and some presents distributed. Captain Lewis stated the friendly object of their visit, and gave the flag to the chief as an emblem of peace, after which they proceeded to the Indian camp. There a council was held, in which the captam more fully explained the purposes of his visit, and distributed the few articlos he had left to the wondering crowd which had assembled to see the first white men. Here he Icaincd that an alarm had been given, and the warriors he had met in the morning were coming down to attack the supposed enemy. In order to give time for the boats to reach the forks of the river, Captain Lewis remained a while, and obtained all the information he could collect in regard to the country. On the 14th, his men went out vrith the Indians to hunt, but as they were unsuccessful he made a little paste with flour, which, with some berries, formed a palatable repast. Having secured the goodwill of the chief, he informed him of the ap- proach of his companions, and induced him to go do\\Ti with horses to assist in transporting their merchandise. On the morning of the 15th, he began to feel the inconveniences of hunger, and found that his whole stock of provisions consisted of two pounds of flour. This was divided, and one half boiled with the berries into a sort of pudding ; and after presenting a large share to the chief, he and his men breakfasted on the remainder. Camcahwait, the chief, was delighted with this new dish ; he examined the flour, and asked if it was made of roots ; the process of preparing it was explained, and he said it was the best thmg he had eaten for a long time. Captain Lewis now endeavored to hasten the departure of the Indians, who, although urged by the chief, were still reluctant, having heard tJhat he was in league with their enemies, the Pahkees. Finally, by appearing to doubt their courage, he succeeded in enlisting a few, with whom he smoked a pipe and set off immediately. Their departure si)rcad a gloom over the village, yet they had not gone far when they were joined by others, and before they had reached the rjiaifrT^""^"™*^' 154 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. spring where they had encamped on the 12th, all the men of the nation, and a number of the women, had overtaken them. Here they halted an hour to let the horses graze, and at sunset encamped at the upper end of the valley. Next morning Captain Lewis sent two hunters ahead to procure pro- visions, at the same time requesting Cameahwait to prevent his young men from going out, lest by their noise they might alarm tlie game, but this immediately revived their suspicions. They believed these men were sent forward to apprize the enemy of their comuig, and smaU par- ties of Indians went out on each side of the valley, under pretense of huntin«», but in reality to watch the movements of the two men ; while a considerable number, alarmed, went home. An hour afterward they saw one of the spies coming back at full speed across the plam ; the chief stopped and seemed uneasy, the rest were moved with fresh suspicions, and Captain Lewis himself was disconcerted ; but 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, was borne along nearly a mUe before he learned, with great satisfaction, that it was aU caused by the announcement that one of the white men had killed a deer. When they reached the place where Drewyer had thrown its intestines, they all dismounted m con- fusion, and ran tumbling over each other like famished dogs, each tear- ing away whatever part he could, and beginning to eat it. When the deer was skinned Captain Lewis reserved one quarter and gave the rest to the Indians, who devoured nearly the whole of it without cooking. Two more deer were brought in, and these scenes repeated, until the Indians seemed completely satisfied and in good hiunor. At length, as they were approaching the place where they were to see the white men, the chief placed ornaments around the necks of Lewis and his party, evidently to disguise the white men. Seeing this, Captain Lewis, to inspire them with confidence, put his cocked hat and feather on the head of the chief; the men followed his example, and the change seemed very agreeable to the Indians. , . , , To guard against disappointment. Captain Lewis explamed the possi- biUty of his companions not having reached the forks, in consequence of the difficulty of navigation ; and to the disappointment of both parties, on coming within two mUes of the forks, no canoes were to be seen. Uneasy lest at this moment he should be abandoned and all his hopes of obtaining aid from the Indians destroyed, he gave the chief his gun, teUing him that if the enemies of his nation were in the bushes he might defend himself mth it ; that for his own part he was not afraid to die, and thai the chief might shoot him as soon as they discovered themselves betrayed. As they went on, Captain Lewis sent a man with an Indian for the notes he had left, which he pretended to be from his companion, sent forward by agreement, to let him know where the boats were ; that they were just below the mountains, coming slowly against the current. (EE. men of the nation, jHcre they halted an at the upper end ead to procure pro- prevent his young alarm tlie game, but believed these men miiig, and small par- , under pretense of he two men; while our afterward they j the plain ; the chief vith fresh suspicions, he young Indian had fhen the whole troop r them ; and Captain fore he learned, with ouncement that one y reached the place dismounted in con- shed dogs, each tear- ;o eat it. When the ter and ga^e the rest t it without cooking, 23 repeated, until the lunor. At length, as to see the white men, Lewis and his party, lis, Captain Lewis, to d feather on the head B change seemed very is explained the possi- ks, in consequence of nent of both parties, (68 were to be seen, led and all his hopes ve the chief his gun, I the bushes he might raa not afraid to die, iiscovered themselves man with an Indian from his companion, the boats were ; that f against the current. AN INDIAN RECOGNITION. 155 The chief and the greater part of the Indians were satisfied ; they spent the night hero, and in the morning Drewyer and an Indian were dis- patched down the river in quest of the boats. They had been gone two hours when a straggling Indian came in with a report that he had seen the white men, who were only a short distance below, and were coming on. The Indiana were all transported with joy, and the chief, in the warmth of his satisfaction, renewed his embrace of Captain Lewis, who was quite as much delighted as the Indians themselves. Meanwhile the party in the boats had been ascending the multiplied windings of the river by a slow and toilsome progress, and on the night of the 16th were encamped only four miles, by land, below the forks, although the distance was ten miles by water. On setting out in the morn- ing. Captain Clarke, with Chaboneau and his wife, walked on shore, but they had not gone more than a mile before Captain Clarke saw Saca- jawea (Caboneau's wife) who was ahead with her husband, begin to dance and show every mark of the most extravagant joy, turning round to him and pointing to several Indians, whom he now S!iw advancing on horseback, sucking her fingers at the same time, to indicate that they were of her native tribe. As they came near he saw Drewyer among them, dressed like an Indian, from whom he learned the situation of the party. While the boats were making the circuit he went toward the forks with the Indians, who sang aloud as they went along, with the greatest appearance of delight. They soon drew near the camp, and just as they reached it a woman made her way through the crowd, to- ward Sacajawea, and recognizing each other they embraced with the most tender affection. They had been companions in childhood, had been taken prisoners in the same battle, and shared the rigors of their captivity, till one of them had escaped from the Minnctarees. Captain Clarke was received by the chief, who, after embracing him, conducted him to a tent of willows, seated him on a white robe, and tied in his hair six small shifUs resembling pearls, an ornament highly valued by these people. The moccasins of the whole party were then taken off, and after much ceremony the smoking began. When the conference was opened, Sacajawea was sent for ; she came into the tent, sat down, and was beginning to interpret, when in the person of Cameahwait she recog- nized her brother. She instantly jumped up, and ran and embraced him, thro vviiig over him a blanket and weeping profusely ; the chief himself was also moved. After some conversation between them she resumed her seat and attempted to interpret for the parties, but her new situation seemed to overpower her, and she was frequently interrupted by her tears. After the council was finished, the unfortunate woman learned that all her family were dead except two brothers, one of whom was absent, and a son of her eldest sister, a small boy, who was immediately adopted by her. When the canoes arrived the baggage was taken out and an awning erected, under which a treaty was held. Here they made arrangements 156 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. i with the Indians for horses in order to proceed with as little delay as possible, promisinpf them ample remuneration for every service they should render. The conference having ended satisfactorily, the presents were distributed. To Caraeahwait they gave a small medal with the likeness of I^residcnt Jefferson, and on the reverse a figure of hands clasped with a pipe and tomahawk ; to this Avas added a uniform coat, a shirt, a pair of scarlet leggings, a carrot of tobacco, and some small arti- cles. Each of the other chiefs received a small medal struck during Washington's administration, a shiit, handkerchief, leggings, a knife, and some tobacco. Medals were also given to two young warriors, who were promising youths and very much respected in the tribe. These honor- ary gifts were followed by presents of paint, moccasins, awls, knives, beads, and looking-glasses. A plentiful meal of Indian com, of which the hull was taken off by being boiled in lye, was also distributed ; and as it Avas the first they had ever tasted, they were very much pleased with it. They had indeed abundant sources of surjjriso in all they saw ; the appearance of the men, their arms, their clothing, the canoes, the strange looks of the negro, and the sagacity of the dog ; all in turn shared their admiration, which was raised to astonishment by a shot from the air-gun. This operation was instantly considered as a great medicine, by which they, as Avell as the other Indians, mean somethmg emanating directly from the Great Spirit, or produced by his invisible and incomprehensible agency. Lewis and Clarke next consulted as to their future operations. The Indians had represented that the river below them was rocky, rapid, and so closely confined between high mountains, that it Avas impossible to pass doAvn it, cither by land or water, to the great lake. It was there- fore agreed that Captain Clarke should set off in the morning with eleven men, go by the Indian camp, and leave Chaboncau and his wife to has- ten the collection of horses, then lead his men down the river, and if he found it navigable and the timber in sufficient quantity, begin to build canoes. Before setting out on the 18th, they exposed a few articles to barter for horses, and soon obtained three good ones, for which thej gave some clothing, knives, and other small articles, the Tjjhole of which did not cost more than tAventy dollars. A fourth was purchased by the men for an old check shirt, a pair of old leggings, and a knife. Captain Clarke arrived at the camp on the 20th, where he succeeded in engaging an intelligent old man as a guide. After pursuuig his route for a few days he began to perceive that the Indians had not exaggerated. Tlie mountains were rocky, and so high that it seemed almost impossible to cross them with horses ; their road lay over the sharp fragments of rocks which had fallen from the steep cliffs, and were strewed in heaps for miles together ; yet the horses, unshod, traveled across them as fast as the men. These difficulties increased until on the 23d he reached a small meadow, below which the whole current of the river beat against a solid wall of rock perfectly inaccessible to horses. Leaving the horses and the mmtHmm :e. as little delay as rery service they orily, the presents 1 medal with the I figure of hauds a uniform coat, a 1 some small arti- dal struck during gings, a knife, and arriors, who were be. These honor- isins, awls, knives, ian corn, of which o distributed ; and ^'ery much pleased ise in all thoy saw ; ig, the canoes, the dog; all in turn ishment by a shot )nsidered as a great is, mean something ced by his invisible re operations. The ras rocky, rapid, and t was impossible to ake. It was thero- naoming with eleven and his wife to has- the river, and if ho itity, begin to build sed a few articles to )nes, for which they , the Tihole of which :as purchased by the nd a knife. Captain cceeded in engaging r his route for a few , exaggerated. Tlio almost impossible to •p fragments of rocks strewed in heaps for cross them as fast as td he reached a small r beat against a solid ig the horses and the DREWTER'S ADVENTURE. 157 greater part of the men here, ho proceeded with his guide, clambering over iiniaense rocks and along the sides of lofty precipices which bor- dered the river, until at the distance of twelve miles ho reached a small meadow. Thus far the river was one continued rapid, along which even the empty canoes must be let down with cords, and then at the great risk both of the canoes and the men, while the transportation of the bag- gage over the steep mountains would have to bo done by men. Still Captain Clarke continued his route, and at length ascended a high and steep point of a mountain, from which the guide now pointed out Avhore the river broke through the mountains, about twenty miles distant. The view was terminated by a lofty mountain, which was perfectly covered with snow. Toward this forraidablo barrier the river went directly on, and there it was, as the guide observed, that the difficulties and dangers, of which they had spoken, commenced. Captain Clarke was now con- vinced of the impracticability of this route ; he therefore hastened to re- turn, and after rejoining his men next evening they retraced their steps to the Indian camp, where they arrived on the 26th. As game was scarce in this region they found a precarious subsistence, and suffered from a scarcity of food, the Indians being able to supply them with littlo else than a pittance of fish. Theiefore, while awaiting the arrival of Cap- tain Lewis and his party, they made all possible preparations for their departure, especially in preparing pack-saddles for the horses which Lewis had purchased. Captain Lewis and his party, who were left with the Indians at the forks of the Jefferson on the 18th, spent a few days in making ready to transport the baggage. Saddles were made, some of the baggage was buried, the boats sunk in the stream, and by the 24th all the prepara- tions were made for their departure. Meanwhile the hunters had been out as usual, but the game was so scarce that they were obliged to en- croach on their stock of provisions. One night Drewyer returned late with a fawn and a quantity of Indian plunder, which he had taken by way of reprisal. While hunting in the morning, he came suddenly upon an Indian camp, at which were an old man, three women, a young man and a boy. As they showed no surprise he rode up to them, and turn- ing his horse Mose to graze, sat down and began to converse M'ith them by signs. They had just finished a repast of some roots, and in a littlo while they collected their hor^^s and began to saddle them. Drewyer, having rested, went to catch his horse, forgetting at the moment to take up his rifle. He had scarcely gone more than fifty paces when the In- dians mounted their horses, the young man snatched up the rifle, and leaving all their baggage they set off at full speed toward the mountain passes. Drewyer instantly pursued them. After running ten miles, the horses of the women began to give out, and as they raised dreadful cries, the young man slackened his pace, and began to ride round them. Drew- yer persuaded the women that he did not mean to hurt them, and they stopped ; and when he asked the young man for bis rifle, the only part 158 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. of the answer ho uiulerstood w;** " Palikee," tl>o name by ■which they fjill their enemies, tho Minnctarccs. While they were thus engaged in talking, Drcwyer watched his opportunity, and seeing the Indian off his guard, galloped up to him and seized his rifle. The Indian struggled for some time, but finding Drewyer too strong for him, had the pre..ence of mind to open tho pan and let tho priming fall out ; then loosing his hold, he gave his horse the whip and escaped at full speed, leaving tho women at the mercy of the conqueror. Drewyer then returned, and finding their baggage, brought it to camp with him. From some Indians who ariived they purchased three horses, by giv- ing for each an ax, a knife, a handkerchief, and a little paint. For a mule they were obliged to add a second knife, a shirt, a handkerchief, and a pair of leggings. They now loaded eleven horses and a mule, and placing the rest on tho shoulders of the Indian women, lefl thu camp at noon on the 24th. Tliey were all on foot except Sacajawoa, for whom her husband had purchased a horse. An Indian had the polite- ness to ofler Captain Lewis one of his horses to ride, which he accepted, in order better to direct tho march of the party. On the morning of the 20th they reached the fountain of the Missouri and passed over tho dividing ridge, and in the evening arrived at the encampment. Here they found a note from Captain Clarke, apprising them that there were no liopes of a passage by water, and suggestmg the route by the north as the most practicable. Captain Clarke joined them on the 29th, and they resumed the purchase of horses. Tho prices had risen meanwhile, so that one horse cost a pistol, one hundred balls, some powder, and a knife ; another was changed for a musket ; and in this way they obtained twenty-nine. The horses were young and vigorous, but poor, and worn with tho roughness of the Shoshonee saddle. They were therefore anx- ious to obtain one at least for each man, to carry the baggage, or tho man himself, or in the last resource to serve as food ; but they were unable to supply all. On the 30th they loaded their horses and took leave of the Shosho- nees, accompanied by the old guide, his four sons, and another Indian. They descended the river by the road which Clarke had previously pur- sued until the 1st of Septcmberyi when they turned to the north-west across tho hills. Next day the Indians all lefl them except the guide, and the road they were following turned eastward toward the Missouri. They had therefore to cut their way with much difficulty up the west branch of the creek they were following. The road led over the steep and rocky side of tho hills, and the thickets were almost impenetrable ; the horses frequently fell down the sides of the hills, and some gave out exhausted with fatigue. On the 4th they crossed a high mountain, which formed the dividing ridge between the waters of the creek they had been ascending, and those running north and west. Every thing was frozen, and the ground was covered with snow, which had fallen the night be- fore. They presently came to a stream flowing westward, which they mmtmm IKE. HARDSHIPS OF THK JOURNEY. 159 me by which thoy re tlius engaged in ; the Indian off his ndion struggled for lad the i)re..ence of en loosing his hold, leaving the women turned, and finding hreo horses, by giv- little pauit. For a lirt, a handkerchief, liorses and a mule, ian women, left tho xcept Sacajawea, for lian had the polite- , which he accepted, On the morning of and passed over tho encampment. Here hem that there were B route by the north cm on the 29th, and lad risen meanwhile, some powder, and a liis way they obtained I, but poor, and worn y were therefore anx- the baggage, or tho food ; but they were leave of the Shosho- , and another Indian. :e had previously pur- ed to the north-west ;m except the guide, . toward the Missouri, difficulty up the west ad led over the steep almost impenetrable; Is, and some gave out liigh mountain, which le creek they had been rery thing was frozen, d fallen the night be- yeatward, which they descended to its junction with .1 river from tht* east. Hero they found a large encampment of Indians, who received them with great conlial- ity. They smoked with them, remained a few days, exchanged presents, and trafficked for horses. These Indians were called Ootlashoots, and represented themselves as one band of the Tushepaws, a numerous peo- ple residing on the head waters of tho Missouri and Columbiii Rivers. They seemed kindly and friendly, and willingly shared the berries and fruits which formed their only stock of provisions. Their only wealth was their horses, which were very fine and so numerous that this party had with them at least five hundred. To this river they gave the name of Clarke, as they had that of Lewis to tho one they had lately left, each from the first white man who had visited its waters. Resimiing their journey, they came on the 9th to a large stream flowing in from the west, where they halted a day to make observations and collect pro- visions, as they were here to leave the river, and the mountain region through which they had to pass was without game. Next day one of the hunters returned with throe Indians whom he had met up the creek, one of whom they persuaded to go with them. They ascended the course of the creek, and after a rugged and difficult passage over the mountain, came on the 14th to the Kooskooskee River. Their whole stock of ani- mal food being exhausted, they killed a colt, on which they made a hearty supper, and from this incident they gave the name of Colt-killed Creek to a stream near by. They then left tho river and took the mountains on the right, where the timber was fallen and the ascent so steep that they had to wind in every direction. The horses frequently slipped, and one, which was loaded with a desk and small trunk, rolled over and over for forty yards till his fall was stopped by a tree. The desk was broken, but the poor animal escaped without much injury. Provision was also very scarce; they found only a few pheasants, and on the 17th they killed another colt. This want of provisions, the extreme fatigue to which they were subjected, and the dreary prospect before them, began to dispirit the men ; Captain Clarke therefore set out with six hunters on the 1 8th, intending to go on ahead and find something for the support of the party. The region they passed through was rugged and barren until the 20th, when they descended the last of the Rocky Mount- ains and reached the level country. They had proceeded a few miles on the plain when they saw three boys, who ran and hid in the' grass. Cap- tain Clarke, leaving his horse and gun with the men, soon relieved tho apprehensions of the boys, and sent them forward to the village with pres- ents of small pieces of ribbon. Presently a man came out very cau- tiously to meet the party, and conducted them to a large tent in the vil- lage, where all the inhabitants gathered round to view, with a mixture of fear and pleasure, these wonderful strangers. ITiis spacious tent was the residence of the great chief, who had gone, with all the warriors, to attack some of their enemies to the south-west, leaving but a few men to guard the women and children. Tliey entertained their guests with a I ^ •.M^ JM*i 160 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. suniptiiouH («>Ji8t ; tho latter returned the kiiulneNH hy a few small pres- ents, ami then went on with one of the cliicrs to si neoonil village, two miles distant. Here tho party was treated with great kindness, and passed the night. The inhabitants of these villages called themselves Chopimnish, or Piere«d-noso. The chief drew a chart of tho river, and explained that a greater chief than himself, who governed this village, and was called Twisted Hair, was now fishing at tho distance of half, a day's ride down the river. Tho hunters not being ablo to kill any thing, Captain Clarke bought as much dried salmon, roots, and berries as he conld obtain with tho few articles ho chanced to have in his pockets, and having sent them back to Captain Lewis, he went on toward the camp of tho Twist- ed Hair. He arrived at midnight, and giving him a medal they smoked together till ono o'clock. Tho chief seemed cheerful and sincere, and on the next day he accompanied Captain Clarke back to tho village where they arrived at sunset ; they then walked up to the second vil- lage where tho main party with Captain Lewis had just arrived. Next morning, tho 23d, the chiefs and warriors were all assembled, and Lewis and Clarke explained to them whence they came, the objects of their visit, and their pacific intentions toward all the Lidians. This was con- veyed by signs, but seemed to give perfect satisfaction. They then gave medals and additional presents to the chiefs, and delivered a flag and handkerchief for tho grand chief on his return. They purchased a quantity of fish, berries, and roots, and in the afternoon went on to tho second village, where they continued their purchases. On the 24th, they sent back Colter in search of horses lost in the mountains, and having collected the rest, set out for the river by the route already passed by Captain Clarke. They now felt the conse- quences of eating heartily after their lato privations: many of them were taken very ill ; Captain Lewis could scarcely sit on his horse, while others had to be put on horseback, and some, from extreme weakness and pain, were forced to lie down by the road-side for some time.- At sunset they reached the island where they had first met the Twisted Hair, and where some hunters had been left on the 22d. The latter had been unsuccessful, and two of them were sick. The party en- camped on an island a little below, and administered to the sick. VOYAGE DOWN LEWIS AND COLUMBIA RIVERS. Having resolved to go down to some spot suitable for building canoes, they set out early on the 26th, and encamped five miles below, opposite the forks of the river. But the men were so weak that several were taken siok m coming down, the weather being oppressively hot. Next day they prepared to make five canoes; but few of the men, how- ever, were able to work, and some of them were taken ill. The hunt- KMMM MU'tn. ARKB. ve. He was a bold-looking man, of pleasing appearance, about fifty yea»'s of age, and dressed in a war-jacket, a cap, loggings, and moccasins. They presented him with a medal and other small articles, and he gave them some meat, of which he had but little ; for on his route he had had a battle with a ■war party of the Towahnahiooks. Here they met with their old chiefs, who had walked on to the village below, to smoke a pipe of friendship on the renewal of peace. These chiefs had each brought a horse, intend- ing to go home, and now the travelers smoked a parting pipe with their two faithful friends, who had accompanied them from the head of the river. They encamped that evening, the 25th, on a high rock, where they remained two days to make observations, to dry their wet cargoes, and to hold conferences with the Indians. Six men were sent out to collect rosin to pitch the canoes, which, by being frequently hauled over rocks, had become leaky. Many Indians came ; some, from hunting excursions, brought presents of deer's flesh and small v/hite cakes made of roots. Lewis and Clarke bestowed the usual medals and presents, and being anxious to insure a friendly reception on their return, treated them with great kindness. These attentions were not lost on the Indians, who appeared well pleased with them. At night a fire was made in the mid- dle of the camp, and as the Indians sat round it, the men danced to the music of the violin, which so delighted them that several resolved to remain all night ; the rest crossed the river. Having dried their goods they set out on the 28th, and on the day following stopped at the resi- dence of the principal chief of the Chilluckittequaw nation, who inhab- ited this region. He proved to be the same with whom the two chiefs had made peace at the village above. After the exchange of presents the chief showed them some curiosities, and then directed his wife to hand him his medicine-bag, from which he brought out fourteen fore- fingers, which he said had once belonged to the same number of his enemies, whom he had killed in fighting with the nations to the south- -erous ; but as the sent some of the ced others on the with any difficulty, imbere of Indians, lel for three miles fifty to a hundred ■emendouB manner. rious accident, then ler of the channel by striking against word Timm, which il of a distant catar- a chief whom they ge ab -"ve. He was ty yeai-s of age, and 19. They presented ve them some meat, I had a battle with a nrith their old chiefs, a pipe of friendship ught a horse, intend- rting pipe with their om the head of the gh rock, where they leir wet cargoes, and re sent out to collect ly hauled over rocks, m hunting excursions, cakes made of roots, d presents, and being rn, treated them with on the Indians, who was made in the mid- he men danced to the it several resolved to ing dried their goods jg stopped at the resi- aw nation, who inhab- whom the two chiefs exchange of presents 1 directed his wife to rht out fourteen fore- s same number of his. nations to the south- FIRST VIEW OF THE PACIFIC. 167 east. This bag was about two feet in length, contauiing roots, pounded dirt, etc., which the Indians only know how to appreciate. It is sus- pended in the middle of the lodge, and it is supposed to be a species of sacrilege to be touched by any but the owner. It is an object of relig- ious fear, and it is, from its sanctity, the safest place to deposit their medals and more valuable articles. By the last of October they reached the Lower Falls of the Columbia, where they held a conference with the Indians who came in from a neighboring village, and then made preparations for a portage on the 1st of November. They then carried their small canoe and all the baggage across the slippery rocks to the foot of the shoot, after which the four large canoes were brought down by slipping them along poles, placed from one rock to another, and in some places by partially using streams that escaped alongside the river. Three of them, however, were so injured that the men were obliged to stop at the end of the shoot to repair them. A mile and a half below, they passed another bad rapid, and so difficult was the navigation of this day, that when they encamped for the night they had made but seven miles from the head of the shoot. In the morning they found it necessary to unload once more, and send the baggage, with those who could not swim, around a dangerous rapid. This was the last descent of the Columbia ; below it they came to tide- water, and the river began to grow wide. In passing along they frequently met Indians ascending the river in canoes ; some of these canoes bore the figure of a bear in the bow, and that of a man in the stern, both made of painted wood and nearly as large as life. They also held continual intercourse with the natives on the shore, who were usually kind and friendly, but occasionally mani- fested a disposition to pilfer. They encountered much rainy weather in the lower stages of their journey^ so that their clothing was continually wet, and the baggage much injured. On the 7th, they stopped to pur- chase some food and beaver skins at a village situated at the foot of the high hills on the right, behind two small islands. " Opposite to these islands the hills on the left retire, and the river widens into a kind of bay crowded with islands. We had not gone far from this village when the fog cleared off, and we enjoyed the delightful prospect of the ocean: that ocean, the object of all our labors, the reward of all our anxieties. This cheering view exhilarated the spirits of all the party, who were still more delighted on hearing the distant roar of the breakers." They went on with great cheerfulness, but the shore was so bold and rocky on the right that they could find no spot fit for an encampment, and after having gone thirty-four miles during the day, they spread their mats on the ground and passed the night in the rain. It rained in the morning ; having changed their wet clothing of the day before, they set forward at a late hour, but when they had reached a point eight miles in ad- vance, the waves ran so higli, and dashed the canoes about so much that several of the men became sea-sick, and they were compelled to land. I ,.„-,> ■>.i^'!^t>ii!aty;-j^'